Novel Bin Chapter 24: The Beginning of an Answer
Chapter 24: The Beginning of an Answer
Anne and Priam exchanged a long look. Their discussion held the attention of all the occupants of the cave. Priam was confident. The enemy fighters did not want to fight him, and a good leader knows when to listen to his subordinates. Nothing is worse than ordering your men to fight and seeing none of them come forward...
Albin stepped forward to intervene.
"Are you willing to promise that in front of the Concepts? To bind your word to your Potential and die if you perjure yourself?
Priam had no idea that this was even possible. But his answer was immediate.
"Don't jerk me. You are still alive because I was a mere student ten days ago. Ten days are not enough to erase twenty-five years of peaceful modern education. But my patience is wearing thin. You deserve to die, and I will attack if you talk nonsense again. I tell you that I will warn the dome of your existence, and you will get nothing more from me."
Albin wanted to continue, but Anne raised a hand to stop him and then looked at Priam.nove(l)bi(n.)com
"Thank you, Priam. We are grateful to you for remaining civilized in these complicated times for humanity. I did things that I considered necessary to survive. You manage to remain noble, and I admire that."
"I don't care what you think of me Anne, answer my question."
Turning her head away first, Anne looked in Claire's direction.
"Of course, we agree. I wonder if Claire could also look for our families. Claire, we haven't maltreated you, have we? There is no tension between us. Ultimately, we all want the same thing, to find our loved ones. Can you help us?"
The question wasn't directed at him, and Priam frowned. Claire was an adult, and he had no desire to tell her what to do. But the fact that Anne was talking to her was suspicious. Claire had been a hostage and had no reason to take sides with them.
After a second or two, the young woman stepped forward. Coming out of the mist, she looked at Anne for a long time before declaring:
"I will notify the dome authorities and ask them to grant you an interview."
"..." Priam couldn't believe his ears. The young woman's reaction was incomprehensible. She had no reason to keep that promise or be cordial with her captors. Priam was not stupid and sensed that there was something suspicious going on. He could think of a few hypotheses. Anne had credibly threatened Claire - maybe Claire's faction was working with Anne's. Claire had developed Stockholm syndrome very quickly. Claire and Anne had found common ground during her captivity. Maybe worse. No assumption was reassuring.
Priam liked the young woman and didn't want to break up their budding friendship, but he faced a dilemma. Any friendship was based on trust. He hoped that the young woman would be able to share with him quickly. If not, he would have to ask her. If he had to find out the truth alone... The young man had this strange feeling, this ball in the belly that existed when one went through a difficult period of friendship. When you knew a friend was lying to you, you hoped he would eventually confide in you so you could seek a solution together. It was possible to rekindle a friendship by being honest. Sometimes trials allowed a relationship to grow. Other times, they tore apart what had been. I hope you have good reason to lie, Claire... And I hope you'll talk to me before I have to. I'll give you till the dome before I confront you.
Taking a breath while closing her eyes, the perfect image of a woman who admits defeat, Anne announced:
"Then you can go. Don't forget your promises."
The sentence pulled Priam away from his dark thoughts, and he almost burst out laughing. He didn't need anyone's permission to go anywhere he wanted. He was free and had only offered his help out of kindness and because he didn't want to slaughter his fellow man. He had been told all his life that murder was wrong. But if Anne thought she was chaining him to empty promises, she was fooling herself.
"That's very kind of you, Anne," replied Priam sarcastically. "We're going to go now. But before we go, I think we forgot to discuss something important. Twenty men are dead, and you didn't tell me about the 'threat'... Let's be honest for a moment. Honesty is a powerful weapon when you are in a position of power. I don't like you. Albin, when you get angry, you look like a slab of undercooked bacon. There you go again! And you, Anne, you lie as much as you breathe, and you tried to manipulate my thoughts. I haven't forgiven you, and I don't plan to walk away and let you get away with it so easily."
"... Meaning?"
"You tried to control my thoughts. The Concepts have no desire to manipulate our minds. However, we wouldn't know if they did. But this System offers too many opportunities to control your fellow man. In any case, you wanted to deprive me of my freedom of thought. There will be no trial for that. You will pay."
Priam had long been an introvert. As a child, when he had things to say, he didn't dare speak up. He had changed since then, but some valuable habits had remained. The first was to let his enemies speak. He had not forgiven Anne for anything, but every sentence she uttered could provide him with information. The discussion was ending, and he could now let loose the anger that had been boiling inside him for the past few minutes.
"I understand," Anne replied. The bitch kept her head up, and that annoyed Priam. She seemed to think the trial would acquit her.
"There is one thing that bothers me. There's going to be a trial, but maybe you're going to run away? Or try to manipulate the judges? Maybe even fight the dome dwellers to escape your trial? In our old world, you would have been acquitted with the benefit of the doubt. After all, if you deny in court that you committed the crime, it's your word against mine. In this new world, however... Some would sentence you to death just for your power, and others would tear out your vocal cords. But as I said, I have no desire to judge you for your murders."
Priam pointed to Albin. "But you and Albin had to answer for a crime I will judge alone. Not the murder of twenty men and women. But the sabotage of humanity."
Albin and Anne had killed combatants. Whether or not these fighters were guilty of atrocities, they were human.
"Human civilization is undoubtedly on the brink. If we start eliminating fighters, I'm afraid humanity will not withstand this integration into the Concept universe. You call yourself human, so you must understand that reducing our strengths is madness in the long run. The System pushes us to improve and to fight. Historically, wars have been the fastest way for humanity to progress.
War, in all its horror, allowed men to push their limits. Many of the objects of everyday life have been invented thanks to wars. The microwave, the radio, the tin can, and even the GPS originally came from military research.
"The Concepts know this, and they want us to progress. How long will it be before we are at open war with other civilizations? Today, you may have killed a general who would have led us to victory."
Priam paused for a moment to organize his remarks.
"For the same reason, I want you alive. I'm not averse to a trial, and I hope to find you on the front lines defending other humans one day. Anne in the service of humanity... I have my doubts, but you may not have a choice. The System doesn't like runaways. Until then, you will at least be useful to me. For the sabotage of humanity, I sentence you to help me. It's simple, I only ask for information and some resources. You will give me enough to spare your lives."
"We have nothing. We just..."
Priam cut off the weeper's plea. He was in a hurry to get back to his loved ones. The discussion had been going on for five minutes, which was already too long. I'm almost immortal, and she's threatening to kill me with boredom!
"I hope for your sake that's not true Anne, because my patience has limits. If you have nothing to give me, I will force you to use your Potential to find answers to my questions. Do we understand each other?"
Using one's Potential to help anyone other than oneself was almost impossible. Otherwise, an emperor could gain almost godlike powers by sacrificing a few thousand subjects. But nothing was to prevent one from seeking answers with this Potential and sharing one's findings afterward.
"... We understand each other. What do you want?"
It is the moment I've been waiting for. Still, I should be careful to keep them from lying by revealing the extent of my ignorance. I should ask them questions I know the answers to to verify their sincerity. As long as they don't know what I know or don't know...
Priam smiles, "First, I want to be able to hide my information when I am identified. Second, I want to unlock a resistance to mental manipulation. Finally... I have a lot of questions! Let's start with the Tribulations..."
You have gained the skill: [Manipulation Resistance].
[Manipulation Resistance] - Pheromones, drugs, chemicals, optical or sound illusions, mental skills... They all have one thing in common: they are a bridge between your free will and an external order. They are means used by your enemies to manipulate you. This resistance cements your free will, mind, personality, and consciousness. It is now harder to subtly force your hand.
Some manipulations are still allowed by your subconscious. You will continue to fall under the spell of the pretty woman winking at you. But don't forget that she may also be trying to manipulate you... You fall into her trap with a smile, you fool!
WILL +3
"Well, let's go." Priam was satisfied with the conversation he had had with Anne and Albin. The latter was a coward and a fool, but he knew things. Fear had finally gotten him to talk. Better yet, Priam was highly
pleased with Anne's payment. The Amazon must have sensed that Priam hated her intensely and had bought her mercy with a rare object. Priam was a greedy person, and the payment had satisfied him. In his hand, Priam held two objects. The first was a rare crystal, Anne's reward from her Tutorial. A skill blueprint.Skill blueprint [Mask - Epic]
Cost in Potential: 100.
According to Anne, all he had to do was crush the crystal in his hand to download the data from the plan into his head. Priam was unhappy with this information but decided to take the chance. Is the data in my brain or my mind? What is the difference between the two in this new world?
The plan contained a lot of information needed to create a skill. The best skill blueprints developed the skill with exceedingly little Potential. This crystal was not perfect, but it was Anne's reward for passing a high-difficulty Tutorial. Priam had been annoyed at first by the cost in Potential. Then he thought about it. Without limitations, [Kinetic Control] would have cost him 154 Potential. He had spent half his life in school, studying science, and had endured seven years of graduate study in fundamental physics. His knowledge of kinetic energy was almost at the forefront of the field. Yet, the System had deemed him to lack 154 Potential before he could create his skill.
Knowing this allowed Priam to reconsider the cost of the epic skill. He looked at his hand and the crystal it contained. The knowledge equivalent of at least twenty years of study was in that crystal. Acquiring this amount of pure knowledge could not be trivial. The young man pocketed the crystal with a frown. If Anne didn't use it, it wasn't because of the cost. She was probably afraid of frying her brain. I'll certainly need more Vivacity and Memory to absorb this knowledge.
Vivacity helped the brain calculate faster and absorb and process information more quickly. But Priam was still happy to acquire this crystal. [Mask - Epic] was the enhanced version of [Mask - Rare], which was the skill used by Anne and Albin's group. The skill allowed you to hide or change your information when someone used [Identification] on you. The Epic rank had to have other benefits, but Anne wasn't sure what they were.
Unfortunately, Priam had not been able to learn much else about them except that they were special humans supposed to infiltrate the rest of humanity without being detected. The name of their group was the Revenants. The System had prevented Albin and Anne from explaining why. Priam didn't believe they were lying. They sometimes went into spasms when they talked, and while Anne was a good actress, Albin was not.
To hide among humans, Revenants had certain advantages to avoid detection. [Mask - Rare] was one of those advantages, and now Priam had it too. The skill was granted to them by the System. In exchange, they received penalties if they were discovered. Anne had been punished for talking and giving this information to Priam. The Amazon had lost all of her Potential by entrusting only this information. To say more would have drawn the ire of the System, and Priam had stopped his questions after sensing the aura of the Concepts. Anne could say no more. What an Omerta.
Priam was satisfied. Without Potential, Anne had no chance of catching him. Her manipulation skill was terrifying, but he was under no illusion that this was just the beginning. This kind of skill would soon become commonplace. Many people would develop mild mind control skills without a government capable of passing a law against this kind of skill and an armed force to enforce those laws. A merchant who could convince you he was your friend would sell more. In the long run, everyone will have to develop mental resistance by sacrificing some Potential or through the trait of humanity. I don't see any other solution.
It was the main reason Priam was not afraid of Anne. He could have developed instant mental resistance by sacrificing a little of his potential. The only difficulty was resisting the first time. But the reason Priam didn't instantly attack Anne earlier wasnt because he didn't want to waste his Potential. He had the idea of forcing Anne to use her skill until he developed a resistance. [Manipulation Resistance] was up to his expectations.
However, if mental skills existed, there would surely be worse. Manipulating the soul, for example. In this new world, death was not necessarily a release, and Priam knew something about that. How much abuse would be committed before a malicious skill was detected? The Tutorial was only the first hurdle on the path to humanity.
Priam had turned to Albin. He had tried to give Priam different information - in return for a promise that the young man would not break his bones. But Albin could not reveal everything without dying. It would be too easy if torturing Revenants was all it took to complete the Reunion's main quest. Priam had received as much information as he could for now. Albin was not allowed to reveal more until halfway through the Reunion. If he tried, the System would kill him. Note to self: never sign a contract with the System.
So Priam had inherited a second crystal. It was a monster core that Albin had reworked - using one of his skills. He had hidden information about the Revenants inside, which would be readable in two days. Before working on the crystal, Albin had sacrificed some Potential to swear the reliability of the information he was about to write to the System. Priam had felt the attention and validation of the Concepts. So he had no doubt. The Potential is full of possibilities. I guess it's aptly named. Those possibilities make it even more valuable...
Delaying the release of pieces of information about the Revenants by imprisoning them in a crystal was a way to appease the System's anger. It allowed Albin to confide secrets to Priam without dying. But like Anne, Albin had to sacrifice his Potential. The System does not want the main quest to end before the end of the Reunion
Overall, Priam was pleased. The first person to solve a global quest was bound to be rewarded, and this information would help him do that. Between what he already knew and the crystal contents, Albin had assured him that he would have all the cards in his hand to succeed.
The deal worked for everyone. Albin and Anne planned to meet their family in the dome the next day. If Priam decided to go public with his information or the System updated it and organized a Revenant hunt, they would have time to get to safety. The two Revenants had not hesitated to sacrifice the millions of other Revenants scattered across the Moon to find their family. Priam didn't blame them. He would have done the same.
Priam took one last look at Anne. She had lost a treasure as well as all her Potential. In the long run, this drawback was terrible, and the Amazon would surely never recover. The young man was avenged. If he stayed alive, he would continue to grow in power and never again cross paths with the one who had tried to manipulate him.
Priam hesitated. He was about to leave and knew that the Amazon deserved life imprisonment, if not death. But all his life, school, his parents, and the media had told him that killing was wrong under any circumstances. It was hard for him to take that step now that Anne had laid down her weapons. There was a reason why the number of murders remained so low compared to the world population. Most humans wanted someone dead in their lifetime, but how many actually killed?
Yet deep down, Priam knew he would soon kill someone. This new world would leave him no choice. Anyone who clearly stood between him and his freedom would die. But this first kill would certainly be in self-defense.
Priam turned around. This woman was not worth his time. He walked over to the sealed door and put his hand near it. As he touched the stone door, a bluish glow rose from the floor and filled the arabesques inscribed on the door. A second later, with the entire surface of the door filled with luminescent esoteric writing, the door opened. Behind it, an artificial corridor was plunged into darkness and led toward the dome.
Priam went first, taking care to observe his surroundings for traps. Claire followed him. After about ten meters, he turned to the door.
"If the entrance doesn't close, it might be a nuisance. They can follow us in a few hours, and I don't plan to wait. My quest still hasn't updated, which means they are still a threat to the dome."
"Your quest?"
Priam continued his laborious exploration. The passage was getting darker, and the few crystals he had collected when joining Claire were insufficient to give him an excellent vision. He took the opportunity to inform his companion.
"When I defeated Orthos, my quest telling me to defeat the 'threat' was updated. It now asks me to protect the dome's inhabitants from this 'threat'. As long as Anne and Albin can reach the dome, this quest will not be successful. If only this door would close. Without it, I may have to go back and physically prevent them from being a threat..."
Even as Priam mused that he hoped the door would close, it obeyed, sealing itself again. His authority as Baron allowed him to mentally command the door and close it indefinitely. Practical. It seems I haven't mastered all this Title's powers yet. On the Moon, Titles of nobility are even more critical...
A notification arrived only seconds after the door closed, and Priam relaxed as he read it.
Updated quest:
First Quest: Soon to be reunited?
You have discovered the identity of the threat - the Revenants.
You have sealed the passage, and the threat to this dome is temporarily removed. But if this dome holds, some others will not be so lucky. Despite their resemblance to humanity, coexistence with the Revenants is impossible...
Participation: 100%.
Reward received: Permission to enter the domes. Already possessed...
New reward: Unlocked map - System skill. Points of interest added.
Potential +20.
Bonus: You have persuaded the threatening agents to temporarily abandon their claim and sell their secret.
Potential +10. Indication of nearby domes on the map. CHAR +10
First Quest: Soon to be reunited?
Investigate the Revenants. Discover their origin.
Eliminate them.
Next reward: Depending on your participation.
Difficulty: Variable
"They won't follow us that way anymore. I wonder if they'll wait for their trial or look for another door. Maybe there are other dome guards?" wondered Priam.
"It doesn't matter. I'll probably have time to find my loved ones by the time they find and shoot a new guardian," he concluded. He had learned a lot during that conversation with Anne. But he knew there had been more left unsaid than true. Now, Claire, you're going to talk...
The two young people went into the darkness.
Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0)
PHYSICAL:
Strength 78
Constitution 92
Agility 108
Vitality 126
Perception 95
MENTAL:
Vivacity 96
Dexterity 77
Memory 33
Willpower 52
Charisma 50
META:
Meta-affinity 44
Meta-focus 44
Potential: 240
Tier 0