A Novel Concept - A death a day, MC will live anyway!

Chapter 293: Perfect Fight

Reward: Perfect fight (Clock the Cursed).

Select one of the abilities that could have defeated your opponent.

Observe how you could have defeated him in the most optimal way.

Aether ManipulationKinetic ControlPyroSpear MasteryChimera

Blue letters flashed across his vision, and Priam laughed, dark humor slipping through his exhaustion. He had just torn out his own eyes, yet somehow he could still read the rewards options. Whatever method the System used to project its interface didn’t need eyes as a medium.

As the laughter faded, a deep sigh took its place, and Priam settled onto the ground. Despite the death of its creator, Clock’s curse still clung to him, restricting his vitality and some of his resistances. His stump—where his hand had once been—bled sluggishly, and his mind, already battered by mental strain, was slow to process.

Yet the blue light of the System refused to let him rest. It demanded his choice.

Reading over the options again, Priam realized that they allowed him to witness how he could have taken down Clock in an optimal fight.

“But what does ‘optimal’ mean?” he muttered. “Quickest victory? Minimal energy? Least risk?”

The possibilities were endless, and only one way would reveal the answer. However, his instinct whispered that a reward this advanced would be worth it. Odds were, he could shape the meaning of “optimal” to his advantage.

Among the five options, he first evaluated Pyro. His connection to the Concept was nearing Unity; even if he hadn’t reached the pinnacle yet, it would suffice for now. Plus, his maxed affinity with the Concept allowed him to convert future purification opportunities into proficiency, a trick that had recently brought him to the very threshold of Unity. Eliminated.

Then came Spear Mastery. Priam grimaced, thinking of Promesse. Without his bound weapon, this choice held less appeal. And even with Promesse, Priam wasn’t arrogant enough to ignore the truth—he wasn’t a prodigy with the spear. Sure, it was his best long-range option, and he needed it to level his Mastery, but he would have to specialize elsewhere to truly shine. Gone.If I ever want to see a perfect spear fight, I’ll just watch Kazuki.

[Kinetic Control] was a tougher decision. It was his first self-created skill and had been his bread and butter for ages. Even now, he used it daily and barely grasped its full potential. To remedy that, he had devised a training routine over the last two weeks, aiming to incorporate it into every movement, even the smallest ones. It was a challenge, demanding a precise touch; he had to account for the resistance of every part of his body.

The goal was for the skill to enhance his physical abilities at any time—multiplying his strength, absorbing shocks, dispersing forces, and boosting speed without tearing himself apart. The practice offered him insight into his body, his movement skills, and his kinetic mastery.

At epic-rank, [Kinetic Control] was capable of beating Tier 3 opponents, which presaged a bright future if he could unlock its ideal upgrade.

Two questions remained. By witnessing perfect execution of the skill, could he emulate it to achieve the ideal upgrade? Almost certainly. Should he? No.

Clenching his fist, Priam brushed this choice aside. His pride might be a flaw, but he was certain he could master this ability on his own. He understood the physics behind it, and his reinforced meridians could support the strain. The only limitation was his cognitive capacity—perfectly enhancing his body meant focusing on hundreds of muscles, tendons, and bones, each with its own limits and strengths. His dragon-augmented vivacity and add-ons helped, but there was still room for improvement. Even if he witnessed a perfect use, he couldn’t replicate it fully just yet.

That left two contenders: [Aether Manipulation] and [Chimera]. One skill with primordial potential and a Talent on the brink of becoming seraphic.

Priam weighed the pros and cons. His mythic eye mutation seemed controllable with [Chimera] and might be a weakness against a curse-wielding foe. He used the Talent passively, but the option’s presence suggested that active use was possible—powerful enough to defeat a Duke. Maybe I haven’t fully grasped the potential of my bloodlines. Then again, mastering aether could take me to the Zenith.

Paralyzed by indecision, drained from the curse and blood loss, Priam struggled to think.

“Aether is the foundation of everything,” he mused. “However, if there’s a chance to tame Hecate New Moon and my bloodlines...can I pass it up? No one will teach me better than the System... But then, maybe there are ways to secure an ideal prerequisite for [Aether Manipulation]. It bugs me that this primordial skill is just a high-tier upgrade... And why the hell am I talking to myself?!”

Groaning, Piam massaged his temples. Magic versus mythos. Both choices were extraordinary, but he could only pick one. Ultimately, a single question settled it.

Would he follow a well-worn path with the bloodlines or blaze his own with the infinity of aether?@@@@

“Clock the Cursed, boss of the eighty-fifth wave. May I know the name of my opponent?”

Priam blinked. When he opened his eyes again, the System had taken control of his body. His mind was trapped—yet he sensed everything.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Perfect Priam divided his focus using his draconic vivacity. His will dominated the aether within a three-meter radius—an abnormally large Domain for a Tier 0. While Priam would have used his Breath to draw the ambient aether, Perfect Priam employed his meta-attributes, Supremacy, and absurd aether proficiency to achieve the same result.

In a heartbeat, the energy condensed before him, forming a solid sphere that he split into two. Increasing the pressure, Perfect Priam created two solid cores that hovered in front of him.

“Let the battle commence,” Clock declared as it noted its opponent’s silence. Without delay, it summoned a violet shield.

“Sleeping Beauty’s finally up?”

Surprised, Priam turned to his right. At the edge of his Domain, he detected a faint ripple in the air. One of his Concepts kicked in, revealing it as a breath. Rose stood about five meters away. Analyze all nearby breaths continuously, he instructed his add-on. That should counter quite a few assassins.

[Command registered.]

“Have I been out long?” Priam asked, scanning his surroundings. He was in his bedroom hammock, modesty preserved by a leaf-covered blanket. Something prevented him from opening his eyes. Raising a hand to his head, Priam found a bandage.

“Three hours. With your vitality, we were starting to worry. Your eyes... does it hurt?”

Removing the bandage, Priam touched his empty eye sockets, wincing. His optic nerves burned, and aether leaked from his ocular meridians, but it was less terrifying than blindness.

“Not really, but it’s... strange,” he said, trying to reassure her.

“It’s mostly gross to look at.”

“I must be a sorry sight.”

“I’m rolling my eyes.”

“Okay, you win.”

Without further hesitation, Priam burned a large amount of lifespan to regenerate his eyes. The high cost surprised him. It was hard to gauge the time sacrificed, but it was nearly a hundredth of his remaining reserves. A year or two of my life? Is it due to the mythical mutation or because the curse restricting my vitality is still active?

The question went unanswered, but the familiar feel of eyeballs behind his lids shifted his focus. Priam opened his eyes, grinning as his supernatural vision returned. For some reason, Hecate New Moon hadn’t cursed him with blindness. Yeah, I should thank [Chimera] for that.

“So, what happened?” Rose asked, while carving runes on a wooden sphere. Even while watching over a patient, she continued working.

“I was cursed,” Priam admitted, examining his body. His hand had regenerated, though his right arm bore scars where Clock's shrapnel had lodged. Instead of severing the limb, he split his focus to study the curse.

“I’m surprised you haven’t developed a resistance to that,” Rose joked.

“The boss blocked it from forming,” a voice chimed in. “May I come in?”

“Make yourself at home,” Priam replied, watching Esmée pull herself up onto the branch outside his room. She managed to stay elegant even while climbing.

“Good morning, Rose.”

“Good morning, Esmée.”

Rose eyed the two of them before excusing herself, wishing Priam a good recovery. He watched her walk away with thoughtful eyes. One of the rewards from the sixty-fifth wave of the Colosseum was a Resurrection Token. It wouldn’t work on someone dead from Tribulation, nor on those whose souls were damaged or trapped, but it could save a Tier 0 loved one in all other cases.

The System prevented most Colosseum rewards from being transferred, forcing its users to push their limits. Yet, if Rose took risks, she would have a chance at saving her mother. But if she dies trying to slay that Marquess werebear, I’ll be responsible for setting her on this path.

“Is there a problem?” Esmée asked.

“Not one; many,” Priam sighed before cracking a smile at the pretty girl. “You mentioned a way to block resistance formation?”

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