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

Chapter 132: The Guardian's Ritual

Dishnu approached Log-a-rhythm, before starting to gently caress its bark. Behind him, Priam wasn't quite sure what to do. Should he just stand there and watch the dryad fondle his tree? Dishnu's voice rang out, cutting short his thoughts.

"The aether is everywhere, and everything is aether. It can be transformed into matter, energy, or concept. It's in its fundamental form that it's most malleable. Touch the bark with me and feel it."

The dryad might have been a dendrophilic pervert, but his mastery of aether was unrivaled. Priam stepped forward and placed his hand on the tree.

"There are many ways to interact with aether," Dishnu continued. "Our bodies are matter, and when my hand touches a tree, our aethers harmonize. Do you notice anything?"

Priam closed his eyes and focused on Log-a-rhythm. As always, he felt the eagerness of the tree to serve him - and nothing more. He persevered for a few more seconds without discovering anything more.

"Nothing special."

"That's normal," Dishnu reassured him. "If you don't have a particular concept - wood, life, growth, death... - or a terrifying Willpower, the changes you can make to the matter are minimal."

The dryad's hand enveloped Priam's, pressing it against the wood.

"Minimal, but not nonexistent. We living creatures are in harmony. When your hand and thoughts make contact with the tree, your aethers begin to acquaint themselves. It's the first step of a ritual: getting to know the subject."

The dryad's hand withdrew, and he stepped back. Priam opened his eyes and looked at his tree. What do I know about Log-a-rhythm? Quickly, a certainty emerged: it was his home. As if a dam had burst, other certainties surfaced.

Log-a-rhythm was a safe haven that had actively and passively saved his life. A miracle entrusted to him by the System. A consciousness that gazed curiously upon the world. The transformation of an elf, resurrected by the System and modified by an alien fruit. There might be an infinity of Universes, but in none of them existed another Log-a-rhythm.

For the first time since his arrival in Elysium, Priam took a moment to look at his tree, to understand it, and to thank it. The nascent consciousness of the tree vibrated, like a dog happily seeing its master.

You are the best gift I could have hoped for. The trees pride washed over him. Log-a-rhythm was, above all, a protector and considered its duty sacred. Priam smiled, thinking about the upcoming ritual. Soon, you'll be even better at protecting us.

Opening his eyes, Priam stepped back and turned to the dryad. Despite his alien appearance, Priam thought he saw a smile on Dishnu's face.

"And now?" he asked.

"Your aethers are in harmony. Aether responds to many stimuli. We dryads specialize in thought. It's a good way to work with the living, especially with plants, as they have an instinctive approach to aether. Conversely, I wouldn't advise you to try projecting your thoughts into a stone to enchant it," Dishnu explained, turning towards the forest.

"Trees naturally communicate through their roots. This ritual aims to change the nature of this relationship, making Log-a-rhythm their guardian and allowing for the propagation of this status."

"To expand its domain over time," Priam added.

"Exactly."

The theory seemed sound, and Priam nodded in agreement. Dishnu stepped back a few paces and continued his explanation.

"Aether is a fluid. There are geometric forms that naturally guide it: runes. The first dryads studied the shape of their meridians to discover some."

"Your people possessed magic before the System," Priam understood. As he stated this truth, a question arose. "You are magical beings. Did these runes shape the dryads as they are, or did evolution select those who possessed these runes and gradually transform them into what you are today?"

The real question Priam pondered was whether the humans born in ten thousand, a hundred thousand, or even a million years would still be human, or would humanity splinter into many races based on their environment?

Dishnu paused for a moment before answering.

"It's an unprecedented question. I don't know," he admitted.

Priam shrugged. The question pertained to a distant future, and the answer could wait. But now that his curiosity was piqued...

"Can other forms besides runes guide aether?" Priam asked.

"Some languages, some music, some light... The sacred animals of my planet influence aether through the beats of their hearts. The possibilities are endless."

A gleam sparked in Priam's eyes. To Dishnu, these phenomena seemed separate, but with a scientific background, it was easy to find a common denominator. Aether reacted to specific vibrations. There must be resonance frequencies that trigger specific effects...

Priam was fairly sure he had stumbled upon a fundamental truth. But the aether wasn't so easily understood. For example, where did runes fit in?

New directive: record what Dishnu says and attempt to find parallels using my scientific knowledge. Also, record the ritual using Domain.

[Priams System] activated, and Priam refocused. Dishnu had moved slightly away and now stood about ten meters from Log-a-rhythm.

"This is a runic ritual. The runes will guide and transform the aether. Each one corresponds to a word, making them powerful but not very flexible tools. To add nuances, they can be connected to form sentences. Finally, the size of the runes depends on the material they will be traced on. The more a rune channels the aether or the weaker the material, the larger it must be."

Priam couldn't help but purse his lips. What was the definition of a weak material? Could aether conductivity be linked to thermal or electrical conductivity?

A spark of realization flashed in Priam's eyes. Based on his understanding of vibrations, he could use his scientific background to intuit some aether properties. After all, it seemed to share properties with fluids as well as certain forms of energy. Humanity might be behind in studying aether, but it had researched almost everything else.

His thoughts vanished as he saw Dishnu kneel. With a finger, the dryad began to trace lines directly on the ground, parting the grass as it naturally moved away. With perfectly steady hands, Dishnu created geometric figures too strange to be absurd.

The curves were smooth, and no line was broken or too straight. When two lines intersected, it was to merge harmoniously. Dryad runes didn't resemble an alphabet or calligraphy. They were roots coming to life. They were branches growing. It was the raw power of nature.

After about ten minutes, Dishnu lifted his finger. There was no period to his text; the last line merged with a previous one. A cycle had neither a beginning nor an end. The ambient aether began to bubble, and Priam widened his eyes.

"Whoa..."

Each rune was a single word, which alone didn't seem to affect the aether. This changed with sentences. Using [Aether Perception], Priam could see currents forming in the ambient aether.

Pure energy infiltrated the ground, filling specific runes. Once charged with aether, the lines drawn by the dryad looked different. They gained a magical property. It was the difference between a photograph and a human being. Despite an identical visual, the person was more real. Aether made the world real.

"Do you feel the aether resonating and being guided by these runes?" Dishnu asked.

Priam raised his head, still amazed. "Of course?"

"Look at your friends."

Priam turned his gaze to his right. In the center of the clearing, Louis was chatting quietly with Mirscella and Alain. Rose and Sphinx stood on Blueberry's shoulders - who managed to sleep standing up, eyes open. The teenager was focused, trying to memorize the runes. In contrast, Sphinx seemed absolutely mesmerized by the swirls of aether that joined the runes. Finally, Kazuki was performing movements that strangely resembled the runes traced by Dishnu. Each of his actions seemed to have a profound meaning.

In their own way, all the rivals chosen by the System were geniuses.

"Sphinx and Kazuki can feel the power of these runes. The others... because they haven't unlocked [Aether Citizen] yet?"

Upon arriving in Elysium, Priam had unlocked the Talent [Touched by Aether]. Humanity had never been in contact with aether in its purest form, so no human was adapted to this fundamental fluid. Once the body acclimated, this Talent naturally transformed into [Aether Citizen].

Dishnu shook his head.

"I'm not familiar with that Talent. Perhaps you're referring to your lack of affinity with aether?"

"I suppose?"

Dishnu nodded. "Your race is strange. You're born without meta attributes. Some of your friends haven't unlocked meta-perception - or it's too weak to serve."

"Is that what allows me to see aether?"

"To feel it," Dishnu corrected. "Your brain helps by showing you aether in a familiar form, but you don't need your eyes to see it."

Priam massaged his right eye while nodding. It was blind after using Hecate New Moon, a mutation he didn't yet understand. Yet, it had no impact on his ability to see aether.

"Sphinx and Kazuki have a certain affinity with aether," Priam affirmed.

"They have passed the awakening," Dishnu confirmed.

"The awakening?"

Dishnu shook his head. "Curiosity is a virtue, but there's a time for everything. The ritual has begun and must be completed." He pointed to his runes. "Do you understand what I've done?"

Priam glanced at the dryad's work and grimaced at its complexity. Sophisticated shapes followed each other in hypnotic patterns, challenging his intelligence. However, Priam understood that aether manipulation was the basis of everything. He wouldn't give up until he was excellent at it too. Rising to Dishnu's test, he focused. Let's start at the beginning, then Ill reverse-engineer it.

The hardest part was understanding the beginning and end of a sentence. Priam jumped a few meters high and used [Kinetic Control] to stay in the air. From this new angle and with some distance, he devised a plan.

First, let's isolate the runes. According to Dishnu, they allowed for the writing of sentences. They were like words. If he could find at least two identical forms, Priam would have found a rune. Using [Comparison] and [Priams System], he found about fifty occurrences, i.e. fifty different runes.

Lvl Up: [Comparison] lvl 9,10,11,12

MEM +4

Satisfied to have found the fundamental structure, Priam moved on to the second step: finding the sentences. It was complicated for two reasons. Firstly, Dishnu's sentences didn't have capital letters or periods. Secondly, by following the aether channeled by a rune, Priam realized that it was guided into three other runes simultaneously. Sentences are written in lines, columns, and diagonals, he understood. Worse, a rune could belong to multiple sentences at once!

A few seconds passed as Priam pondered his options. He could try using his colossal Vivacity and [Priams System] to solve this puzzle in a brute force manner. Yet, he hesitated to use such a primitive technique. A brute force attack became increasingly long and complicated as sentences grew longer. Dishnu was a Tier 0 and was already creating complex rituals. If he used this kind of technique, Priam would never understand the pattern of a Tier 2 or 3 ritual.

There was another solution. Closing his eyes, Priam focused on his draconic heart. One of the Talents he had gained when receiving his second heart was [Draconic Instinct]. The draconic organ pulsed, and Priam smiled.

Looking back at the ritual, his perspective had changed. Priam focused on the slight variations in role between the runes. Some seemed to siphon aether, and Priam started there. His eyes followed the path of energy as it was guided by a succession of runes - a sentence.

During its course, the wild aether was mastered, rid of... something, and then forced to flow at a particular rate.

If at the beginning of a sentence, aether was a wild source, by the end, it was a docile current. The flow, ready to be exploited, reached a more complex structure. It was then transformed to prepare for an action. Dishnu had called the structure a sentence, but to Priam, it looked like a verb. The aether now had a mission.

Finally, the energy was channeled into a kind of battery. There was one last unfinished structure that didn't seem connected to the existing circuit. Landing, Priam explained his hypotheses to the dryad before pointing to the last structure.

Lvl Up: [Aether Perception] lvl 17,18,19

META (PERC) +9

"If I'm right, the last structure will be the point where the aether is truly released and where the ritual will be finalized."

Dishnu remained silent. Surprised, Priam turned to him.

"Am I wrong?"

"... No, you're right. The last structure is called a fulcrum."

[Priams System] trembled upon hearing this word and began recalculations. In light of this revelation, the final part of Heavenly Dragon became clearer. Obviously, there were commonalities between a method of temperance and a ritual.

Dishnu hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I didn't expect aether manipulation to come so naturally to you. Yet, I sense that your meta-perception and meta-affinity attributes are below the first threshold."

According to the System, the first threshold equated to five hundred points in an attribute. Dishnu was right, and yet, Priam didn't feel identified.

"I have a very good instinct," he replied simply. If even Dishnu was impressed, then [Draconic Instinct] must be an impressive Talent. As expected of a draconic Talent.

In a very human gesture, Dishnu shrugged.

"You do have a talent for it, yes. How about you trace the rest of the runes? If it's you, it will strengthen the ritual. For now, you just need to trace the mirror image of this first part, relative to Log-a-rhythm."

"It's as good as done," Priam smiled.

Lvl Up: [Aether Manipulation] lvl 14,15,16

META (PERC) +3

META (AFFI) +3

META (FOCUS) +3

Priam settled onto the ground, weary. With his Memory and Vivacity, he hadn't even needed his add-on to envision the axial symmetry of the dryad's runes in relation to the tree. With Micro and his Dexterity, etching these same runes had been a breeze - even when Dishnu had warned him to mind the blades of grass.

If Priam was fatigued, it was due to a lack of aether. The initial runes had etched smoothly into the soil. But as he progressed, Priam noticed his aether being siphoned and channeled through the runes he inscribed. It was a sort of activation energy for the ritual. Carving one rune was easy. Carving a thousand was costly.

While Priam copied the ritual, Dishnu had asked him to focus on Log-a-rhythm. According to the dryad, the runes were more than mere words. A form that could manipulate aether couldn't be simple.

As he etched, Priam communicated his desires and thoughts to them. The aim was to harmonize his aether with that of the final ritual. His thoughts held no power in themselves. If the ritual aimed to paint his tree red and he thought of making it blue, the tree would still turn red. The crucial point was that Priam thought of the tree and a color, breaking the initial resistance of aether and preparing it for the ritual.

"The world spins its tale. If you wish to steer it elsewhere, you must exert a force. But the closer you align with the world, the less potent that force need be," Dishnu had explained.

In practical terms, the more the runes were imbued with an aether attuned to Log-a-rhythm, the less resistance the world would pose to the ritual.

"It's time. Come close to me," Dishnu beckoned.

Priam rose and positioned himself beside the dryad. About twenty meters from Log-a-rhythm, Dishnu began to hum. As Dishnu sang, Priam's gaze was drawn to the blades of grass that started to sway. Soon, Log-a-rhythm's branches began to shiver, then it spread to the forest's trees. The sound piqued the curiosity and attention of the vegetation, and Priam understood why.

The sonic vibrations weren't just mechanical. Priam's Domain sensed a wave of aether entwined within the dryad's voice. The technique was exquisite, but Priam was pretty sure he could replicate it.

Dishnu's chant was cyclical, and Priam seized a refrain to join in. His vocal cords vibrated in perfect harmony thanks to his dexterity, and [Aether Manipulation] sent forth pulses of aether.

Lvl Up: [Aether Manipulation] lvl 17

META (PERC) +1

META (AFFI) +1

META (FOCUS) +1

The trees danced nearly in time with Dishnu's actions. Raising his right hand, he took command of the roots of certain herbs to swiftly etch the end of the ritual. Fascinated, Priam watched as the final runes were inscribed while the ambient aether condensed above the traced symbols. At the final moment, the dryad revealed the root he had brought and hurled it toward Log-a-rhythm. The object vanished into the tree at the very instant their chant ceased.

"To aid in the growth of its roots."

For a moment, the world held its breath. Silence beheld the tranquil aether, and the forest seemed to suspend its exhale.

Then, everything sped up.

Aether rushed into the runes, coursing at breakneck speed. Guided by the lines etched into the ground, it surged towards the two fulcrums, which began to radiate light. The energy then vanished into the earth, bathing Log-a-rhythm's roots and spreading through the forest. Log-a-rhythm quivered for a heartbeat before its roots extended. The clearing's earth quaked and lifted, while the trees at the forest's edge inclined.

A few seconds later, the roots connected. There was now a physical link between Log-a-rhythm and the forest. For the second time, the clearing stilled. Priam held his breath as the forest's trees hesitated. Would his tree be accepted as guardian? You've got this, he sent his thoughts to Log-a-rhythm.

Did its consciousness hear him? The magical oak radiated momentarily, and Priam felt its Potential flood its roots and enter those of the forest. The trees in the clearing trembled, taken aback by the gift.

A guardian knew how to take but also how to give. The runes of the ritual shone one last time, extending an invisible pact.

The forest accepted.

Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0)

PHYSICAL:

Strength 357

Constitution 604

Agility 383

Vitality 508

Perception 566

MENTAL:

Vivacity 313

Dexterity 384

Memory 124 (+4)

Willpower 599

Charisma 418

META:

Meta-affinity 299 (+4)

Meta-focus 233 (+4)

Meta-endurance 173

Meta-perception 97 (+13)

Meta-chance 216

Meta-authority 12

Potential: 683

Tier 0

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED.

[Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending.

Future Tribulations delayed until:

Time: 177 days 2 hours 4 minutes 8 seconds.