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

Chapter 279: Priam's Shadow

Jasmine froze like a deer caught in the headlights. A fear so overwhelming it became almost tangible seized her, and Priam grimaced as he felt her slender hands grip his with the force of desperation.

“No!”

“Jasmine—”

“I don’t want to!”

She sprang to her feet, her shadow swimsuit shifting into a long cloak, the hood covering her head. Her Concept wrapped around her like a protective shield, warding off the world.

Priam stepped closer but hesitated, stopping just short of pulling her into his arms. He didn’t want to force her.

“Jasmine,” he said gently, his voice soft but firm. “I’m not abandoning you.”

“... That’s what they said too,” she whispered.

Priam stood silently for a moment, searching for the right words. Seeing his friend so sad was breaking his hearts.

“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” he finally said. Priam had always respected Jasmine's desire to keep her past hidden. “But you're not in Arcana anymore. You’re no longer a slave. Today, you're a strong woman, powerful enough to fight against what you hate and chase what you love.” Jasmine flinched but said nothing. Priam pressed on. “When I first found you, I had to chain you up because you were my enemy. Now, I want to free a friend.”

“And what if I don’t want to leave?” Jasmine pushed back her hood, and her gray eyes locked onto his. “What if I don’t want to be free? What if I want to keep protecting you because I love you? Because for the first time in my life, I feel like I belong somewhere?”

“Then you stay. And no one—not even me—will take that away from you. You won’t stay because you have to, but because you choose to.” His words calmed her, and Priam moved closer. He reached out and gently cupped her cheek. “Do you know what I see when I look at you?”

Jasmine shook her head, her dark hair brushing against Priam’s hand.

“I see a panther that life tried to break.” He felt her shudder under his touch. “When I was a kid, I went to a circus and was disgusted to see lions caged. A feline is most majestic when it’s wild. I want to see that panther in you break free.”

Since he could remember, the concept of freedom had always been sacred to Priam. Experiences like those had fueled his burning desire to live unshackled.

“... Let me stay with you,” Jasmine whispered, a plea in her eyes that felt out of place on someone as fierce as her.

“I want you to stay too,” Priam replied honestly. “But I want it to be your choice.”

“I choose to stay,” Jasmine declared, her voice growing stronger. “I will stay.”

Priam smiled. “Welcome home.”

It would take time for her to rebuild her confidence, but he knew she was on the right path.

"As for the subsystem—"

“I want to keep it. It’s a bond between us.”

“It can be useful,” he admitted. Without it, Eve could have messed with his memory far too easily. “We can limit the connection—”

“No.” Jasmine stepped closer, so near that her breath disturbed the mist that cloaked Priam. “You said I was feline... and it’s true. I love to lounge, tease those I care about, and hunt the rest... but an assassin is more than that. It’s also a shadow. While cultivating that Concept, I’ve realized shadows can’t exist alone.” Ŕ

Priam met her gray eyes. The fear was gone, replaced by a lingering unease.

“You can tell me anything,” he encouraged.

“To reach Unity, I had to—” Jasmine swallowed. “I chose you. I am your Shadow.”

Her words were barely above a whisper, but to Priam, they sounded like thunder.

The two stared at each other. They were only at the beginning of their journey, but choices had already been made. Now, they had to live with them.

Priam’s throat tightened as he grasped the weight of Jasmine’s declaration. “You’ll never be free.”

He had no idea what else to say. Jasmine’s decision was so far removed from his own desires, it left him reeling. How could anyone willingly give up their freedom?

“I knew that long before my training began.” Jasmine smiled, as if trying to reassure him. “It never bothered me; few people are truly free anyway. Besides, it’s easier to follow than to lead. This way, the bodies I leave in my wake aren’t really my responsibility. I think that helps me sleep at night.” She paused, gathering her courage. When she continued, her gray eyes were clear. “What I’ve always feared isn’t losing my freedom—it’s being alone.”

Priam swallowed hard. Jasmine was baring her soul to him, explaining the meaning behind her sacrifice. Ironically, the one giving up her life for him was trying to comfort him. Yet her statement was unmistakable: she didn’t share his philosophy. If he accepted her as his Shadow, she would never be free.

But it’s her will.

Who was he to impose his values on her? To judge or belittle her decisions? She was an adult, with far more life experience than he had.

“I’d be honored to have you as my Shadow... and if you ever change your mind, I’ll still be your friend.”

Jasmine threw herself into his arms, and Priam held her close, gazing at the sun of his world, his mind troubled by the joy that flowed through their bond.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

According to the phoenix, the method of bloodline absorption varied by species. For the phantom panther, it was as simple as diluting a drop of charged blood into one’s shadow. When Priam had asked what “charged” meant, the bird had only said that gathering the blood of a powerful creature wasn’t enough to gain the bloodline. Something had to be given.

Yet somehow, his rival’s blood had been enough to upgrade his race. Priam still didn’t quite grasp the difference between a race and a bloodline. I’ll figure it out eventually.

Jasmine’s shadow trembled as it merged with the blood, and then she collapsed.

“As long as I’m getting stronger,” Jasmine shrugged, letting Priam splint her wrist as she thought aloud. “With this new ability, I can strike and dodge faster than most Tier 5s, but I need a weapon I can teleport into my hand right before impact. Maybe a shadow dagger...”

“The bigger the gap in Tier, the less you’ll be able to rely on your Concepts,” the phoenix warned. “Micro or Domain will crush them without mercy.”

“Bastard’s Domain overwhelmed my mist so badly it was dangerous to use,” Priam nodded in agreement. “Better to buy a legendary or mythic dagger from the Sun Shop and bind it to yourself.”

Jasmine nodded. “I’ll do that. Birdie, any advice on increasing the number of times I can swap places with my shadow while keeping my speed? I burned through almost a fifth of my aether just switching my arm.”

“Ever think of boosting your aether reserves with meta-endurance?” the bird sneered. They all knew it was just a sticking-plaster solution. “Don’t be greedy. It’s not a low-Tier ability. For now, just be happy you have got a new trump card.”

Jasmine growled but didn’t argue further. She began manipulating her shadow, training with it. If there was more to the ability than just speeding up her movements and catching opponents off guard, she would figure it out.

“Now it’s our turn,” Priam said, sitting cross-legged in the grass.

The phoenix settled in front of him. “At least. Which reward are we starting with?”

Status:

PHYSICAL:

Strength 807

Constitution 1 187

Agility 948

Vitality 1 130

Perception 828

MENTAL:

Vivacity (D) 599

Dexterity 690

Memory 859

Willpower 1 172

Charisma 767

META:

Meta-affinity 923

Meta-focus 444

Meta-endurance 804

Meta-perception 443

Meta-chance 379

Meta-authority 258

Potential: 12 327

Tier 0

Sun point: 523 (+83)

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED

Concepts:

Breath (T0): 100% / DormantFire (T0): 100% / UnityPyro (T1): 95% / SymphonyMist (T1): 100% / Symphony

Bloodlines:

Phoenix: 1%Dragon: <>

Rewards standing:

Fusion Token - Epic skillEvolution Token - Legendary skillAffinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)Bloodline Purification (+1%)Talent Token - Seraph Rarity (Upgrade)

[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending.

Future Tribulations delayed until:

Time: 152 days 1 hour 7 minutes 59 seconds.

Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200