Rohan leapt to his feet and summoned his bound swords. It was more reflex than true necessity. Out of aether and mental strength, he couldn't use his Aura or Concept. In these conditions, wounding Priam permanently was impossible. That's why he had played dead for nearly a minute. Faking unconsciousness before nearly twenty thousand spectators… It was cowardly, and his reputation would be forever tarnished. Still, his clan's future outweighed his personal honor.

And judging by how effortlessly Priam was evading the White Tiger image, he had been right to provoke him.

But the cat-and-mouse game ended with Priam's mistake. The Champion had realized he needed to reach Rohan to end the fight, but he hadn't known that an image could return to its summoner's side at any moment. A gap in his knowledge that the Aelbe had ruthlessly exploited.

A swipe from the image descended on the human. Behind the strike, the inertia of a steel body, the strength of an aether skeleton, and the weight of the Myth fused into something unstoppable.

A sharp crack echoed.

Rohan's eyes widened. Priam's bone had just broken. Impossible!

The arm should have exploded into bloody fragments. It took an elite Tier 3 or a Tier 2 tank to endure a mythical skill head-on. A sky-high constitution wasn't enough without a Story capable of surviving contact with a Myth. That, or an impressive collection of Myth fragments. In other words, Titles.

But he'd need dozens!

In less than six months? It was so ridiculous that Rohan felt like crying.

The impact rippled through Priam's body like an entire building had collapsed upon him. Scaly patterns flashed across his arms before his spectral draconic scales burst under the intensity of the strike. His knees buckled, and he felt the bones of his right forearm crack and then shatter. As his kinetic skill absorbed as much energy as it could to keep him alive, his meridians seared under the surge. Waves of agony coursed through him, each pulse mapping the extent of his injuries.

Lvl Up: [Sun Steel Body] lvl 31 CONST +6 META (Endurance) +3

Far from discouraging him, the pain twisted Priam's lips into a smile. Its very presence meant he was still alive. The mythical image had been terrifying, but if he could withstand one strike, he could endure a second. The rest of the fight would no longer be a battle of magic, spears, and hit-and-run maneuvers. It would be a brawl.

That suited the Juggernaut just fine.

His unbroken hand clenched into a fist that smashed into the tiger's skull, driving it back. Priam gasped in pain—hitting the beast felt like striking a block of steel. The creature retaliated, splintering his collarbone. It might have been disastrous, but at that precise moment, the bones of his injured arm finished knitting back together thanks to [Four-Headed Hydra]. Trading a few minutes of lifespan for accelerated healing seemed a fair bargain amid a fight to the death.

In the following seconds, Priam and the image traded blow for blow. The Homo Elysian dodged only the tiger's fangs—he wasn't keen on losing chunks of flesh that couldn't be restored without a meal, and rest.

Beneath him, the sand was turning red and sticky from the messy fight. The Champion wasn't a specialist in unarmed combat, and grappling with a tiger wasn't quite the same as wrestling a hoplite. Priam had nothing to rely on but instinct, and the battle devolved into sheer savagery. The man bit while the beast clawed, and headbutts were far from rare.

Which was good for the Juggernaut's physique. As a Homo Elysian, he was good at adapting in real time.

Lvl Up: [Shear Resistance] lvl 21 CONST +7 META (Endurance) +2

The duel might have dragged on endlessly if Priam didn't possess the vivacity of dragons. While his primal instincts fought for survival, a parallel thought was probing the aetheric construct of the image for a fatal weakness. It found none, but his add-on identified multiple tiny flaws. The more intricate a system, the harder it was to patch perfectly.

After nearly a minute of trading blows with a mythical skill without tiring, Priam was certain no spectator would ever again underestimate his physique, not even Arnold. Time to show them I'm not just a punching bag.

Overclocking his muscles, Priam delivered an uppercut to the tiger-beast. His fingers broke on impact, but they transmitted an aether pulse that struck a pressured energetic node. The magical equivalent of an overheat ensued, and the system glitched.

As half the tiger's face disintegrated, Priam burst into laughter while the bones in his hand reformed.

"A 'Myth,' huh? More like an anecdote."

Every other blow resonated like thunder; the rest sounded like a butcher tenderizing meat. Unfortunately for Rohan, Priam remained steadfast. He seemed capable of absorbing endless punishment. Eleha had spoken of a phoenix and Ophis of a dragon. To Rohan, the Champion looked more like a titan, a hydra, or a behemoth.

A fresh strike shattered the Juggernaut's jaw, wiping the infuriating grin from his face. Rohan cursed as he realized that Priam's eyes were still smiling. A heartbeat later, the bone was as good as new.

Dammit, not even the Gaeserts can pull off something like that!

Should he intervene? Before him, man and beast fought a savage duel. Matching each other in ferocity, they sought to dominate their opponent by sheer force. Blow after blow, neither relented. Where the tiger seemed invincible, the Juggernaut harbored a well of vitality that felt inexhaustible.

When an otherwise unremarkable strike erased half the tiger-image's head, Rohan's pulse quickened with fear. His orders were to incapacitate Priam—or at least gather as much intel as possible. But aside from confirming the Champion was the father of all cockroaches, he had learned nothing. At this rate, he would just waste one of his lives for nothing. Summoning the image of a Myth was no trivial matter. One had to pay the price.

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I have to do something.

The Aelbe stepped forward, locking eyes with the Juggernaut. In Priam's gaze, he read a promise of violence so deep that he froze.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

With a roar of rage, struggling beneath the half-collapsed weight of the tiger, Priam met Rohan's gaze. The Aelbe stood there, swords in hand, paralyzed. Pathetic.

It was time to turn the tide. Priam couldn't access his Domain as the image's was superseding his own. Incapable of summoning a Concept or skill beyond his body, he returned to basics. Biting his tongue, the Champion spat at Rohan's face.

Usually, that would be more insult than attack. Not when the Juggernaut had stored all the kinetic energy he had absorbed during the battle into that expectoration.

[Spit speed: 4472 m/s.]

Lvl Up: [Adaptive Golden Meridians] lvl 31 META (Focus) +3 META (Endurance) +6

A few of Priam's meridians seared under the instantaneous energy discharge, but the sacrifice was worth it. The air exploded from the speed of the bloodied projectile. It was so fast, Rohan's surprise lagged behind. Lowering his head in astonishment, the Aelbe stared at the hole that opened below his navel, one large enough to fit a hand.

Priam frowned. He had aimed for the core, but the tiger's tail had managed to deflect his spit at the last instant. With his new ideal resistance to poison, Rohan wouldn't die from the toxic blood staining his wound.

Seeing the relief in the Aelbe's eyes, Priam decided to shatter his hopes.

"The poison's just a bonus," he winked.

With its latest upgrade, [Bloodless], enabled his blood to fuel his flames. The few drops staining Rohan's wound were like beacons to Priam's will.

Neither the tiger's Domain nor the Aelbe's meta-endurance could stop the ensuing inferno. A few milliliters of blood sufficed to summon Pyro's wrath.

A geyser of flames cauterized Rohan's wound before engulfing him in fire. Simultaneously, the blood soaking the sand and matting the metallic fur of the tiger also ignited. Since the inferno had a physical basis, it partially escaped the image's Concept suppression.

A second later, the Aelbe screamed while the beast's pelt melted.

Priam only recalled his flames when the image of the White Tiger faded.

Under the crowd's cheers and the Demiurge's scrutiny, Priam strode slowly toward Rohan's body. Half-charred, the Aelbe groaned weakly. His breathing was labored, and the core that had summoned the image had cracked under the infernal heat.

"I wonder if you can use your nine lives in this state."

Rohan opened a blind eye and turned it toward the victor. "There… are seven marks intact."

"Seven lives, huh?" Priam knelt beside the fallen man. "You're wondering whether to burn one to keep fighting. It might end your suffering… but is it really worth it? You can't beat me."

"Don't expect me…" A fit of coughing wracked him, and he spat blood. "To believe your stamina is limitless."

Priam burst out laughing. "That's the first time I've heard you sound annoyed. Forgot to put on your mask this morning, or is defeat finally opening your heart?"

Rohan murmured something incomprehensible, and Priam shrugged. "Doesn't matter. I don't really blame you for Jasmine, you know? But people need to understand I'm no pacifist. I'm flattered you all think I'm worth scheming against, but I hit back…" He placed a hand on Rohan's forehead. "With interest."

A spark ignited at Priam's fingertips, and Rohan froze.

"…" A question flickered in his eyes.

Priam explained, "I like my enemies to stay dead. I have a Skill for that, [There is no Heaven]. Ever heard of it?"

"No!" A shout rang from the sky, but the Demiurge raised his hand, and Léo was frozen in place.

"Looks like your father's already heard of it," said Priam, locking eyes with Rohan.

The Aelbe met his gaze steadily. His eyes were clear, and the Juggernaut detected no fear, no deceit, no bitterness. He who had lived as a lord was ready to die as a warrior.

"… Yesterday, you told me everyone needs friends," said Priam, a smile tugging at his lips. He opened his hand, revealing a hydra pill. "Now that we've knocked each other around, I'm inclined to agree."

Rohan blinked, then coughed. Priam thought he might die, but a hoarse laugh reassured him.

"Fair enough. I don't feel like being your enemy."

Priam smiled, but offered no reply. He wasn't fond of lies.

Life wasn't a fairy tale, and terrible things were in motion. The Aelbes would strike with or without Rohan's approval.

Thus, within three days, the two clans would be no more. Kazuki wouldn't have it any other way.

But before that, I want the ideal upgrade of [Art of Movement].

And so, Priam handed Rohan the regeneration pill. One had to make a good impression.

Status:

PHYSICAL: Strength 1 249 Constitution 2 083 (+18) Agility 1 637 Vitality 2 092 Perception 988

MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 664 Dexterity 891 Memory 1 150 Willpower 1 298 Charisma 988

META: Meta-affinity (O) 1 398 Meta-focus 886 (+4) Meta-endurance 1 584 (+16) Meta-perception 842 Meta-chance 1 089 Meta-authority 768

Potential: 34 003 (+9) Tier 0

[Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 2 months 12 days 7 hours 58 minutes 2 seconds.

Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 800 / 1 attribute > 2 100

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