"Everything okay?"
Priam opened his eyes and gazed at the sun dominating his world. The lonely star was standing out against a black firmant.
"I'm good," he replied, rising to his feet. Using Micro, Priam marveled at his veins glowing with aether. His second ridian network would undoubtedly assist in enhancing [Kinetic Control] and [Erosion Resistance]. But before that, he wanted to finish his shopping spree.
"[Aether Perception] has reached level forty," he sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"The System offering you the weakest upgrade, I presu?" The phoenix chuckled at Priam's disappointed expression. "You've neglected a crucial skill. It not only amplifies ta-perception effects but also enhances your instinct. It's one of the few skills that can elevate your talent."
"... You think I should upgrade it with [Ace]'s rit." said Priam.
The phoenix shrugged. "[Aether Perception] will stay with you for life. If that's not a good enough pitch, here's another: this skill will help you understand the world and your powers. Maxed out, it could theoretically allow you to assimilate a Concept or Mastery you encounter for the first ti, analyze [He Who Eludes Death], or decipher the System."
Priam's eyes sparkled. A month had passed since the start of the Tutorial, and he had changed in many ways. The student he once was would never have thought of opening his heart to unlock a Title. However, so traits of his character remained the sa. As an adult, Priam had pursued a scientific path out of curiosity about how the world worked.
The universe had expanded, and so had his curiosity.
"I admit I neglected the skill," Priam acknowledged, sitting in the grass. "But it was due to a lack of ti. I aspire to travel and understand this world and its magic, so your argunts hit the mark. But what about [Aether Manipulation] or [Tribulation Hunter]?"
Priam thought he could access ideal upgrades for the rest of his skills. Using the rit on them would be a waste, and Priam hated waste.
The phoenix nodded. "Excellent choice. [Tribulation Hunter] is a unique skill, created from [He Who Eludes Death], allowing you to navigate your tribulations while recovering fragnts of Concepts, right?"
"That's right. I increased my affinity with the Mist Concept by almost twenty percent by recovering Jasmine's Tribulation affinity."
"Combined with your adaptation and resurrection, the possibilities are..." The phoenix shook its head. "Unfortunately, it's a unique skill created from an alien power. I doubt the System can upgrade it, but you can try. Don't validate; just check if it works."
There was no point in theorycrafting a future build if the skill couldn't be selected.
[Ace - Legendary] - Tier 0: Ideal Candidate: Select one of your common, rare, or epic skills and get an ideal upgrade. ACQUIRED.
[Ace - Legendary] - Tier 1: Sensible Candidate: Select one of your Concepts and increase your natural affinity.
7 Unused rit Points.
Select a skill.
[Tribulation Hunter - Unique - Epic].
Errors:
Unique skill. Alien skill.Select another skill.
"It returns an error," Priam replied. He was disappointed but not surprised.
"I suspected as much. Now, [Aether Perception] would be a good choice, as I think you have a better chance of reaching a high upgrade with [Aether Manipulation]."
"You think I won't achieve a high upgrade with [Aether Perception]? Or perhaps an ideal upgrade with [Aether Manipulation]?"
"Not a snowball's chance in hell."
Priam frowned. "I don't want to be arrogant, but I've overco many challenges so far. It might take a while, but by buying aether puzzles from the Sun Shop, your help, thousands of Potential points and—"
"My mother is Tier 7, and despite all her efforts, I failed to get the ideal manipulation upgrade," the legendary bird interrupted. "Nor did anyone in my clan. I trained for almost a decade, consud treasures to increase my ta-perception, studied the mories of so Aces who unlocked the ideal upgrade with a rit, and ditated in front of marvelous aether constructions. All in vain." As it spoke those words, the phoenix seed nostalgic. "I'm pretty sure I wasn't far from a breakthrough, but we'll never know."
"Why didn't you wait longer?"
"Because I wanted to get Ace's mythical upgrade at Tier 1."
There was a ti limit after which these Titles could no longer be obtained. For the mythical rank of Ace, it was ten years from...
"Ten years from when?"
"The countdown starts when your first attribute surpasses a hundred or when your soul turns ten," the phoenix explained. "In any case, you don't have the ti or opportunities to unlock both ideal upgrades. Maybe there are thods in older Sectors or Elysium, but you'll never get your hands on it."
"Damn..." Priam had so assets, like the Colosseum rewards or the Sun Shop, but it wouldn't be enough. "I hate the idea of not reaching perfection," he sighed.
"I understand, but you'll have to get used to it. It's the lesson I learned after failing myself..." The phoenix's gaze wandered for a mont. "This universe is almost infinite, and there are monsters who are a thousand tis more talented than you. You'll fail often, but who cares? I didn’t choose you because you were the most talented."
"I'll be the last one standing," Priam said with a slight smile.
"Exactly. Even the greatest geniuses will only have one or two extra chances. You have as many as you want, so focus on your strengths rather than your weaknesses."
The advice was excellent. Part of Priam hesitated to give up the possibility of a perfect build, but he knew his ti was limited. He couldn't spend a decade at Tier 0.
"My forte is survival, not understanding. That's a flaw [Aether Perception] can fix. Okay, you've convinced . But why perception over manipulation?"
"From my experience, it's better to have an ideal perception and high manipulation than the other way around. What good is a divine skill if you can't see what you're doing?"
"Make sense."
"Of course. Plus, you're right: with the Sun Shop, my help, tons of Potential, and the instinct provided by the ideal upgrade of [Aether Perception], you have a chance to get the high upgrade of [Aether Manipulation]."
Priam nodded and validated the rit.
[Aether Perception - Rare] has reached level 40, its maximum level as a rare skill.
Ideal Upgrade unlocked:
[Ideal Aether Perception - Epic] - The Ace plunges into the ocean of aether. You might drown, or you might learn.
Ideal upgrade potential. Potential Cost: Free.
You have received the skill [Ideal Aether Perception - Epic].
[Ideal Aether Perception - Epic] - Your soul morphs to open up to aether. Both primordial energy and fundantal particle, it is the source of everything, and you begin to understand it. Too many live without knowing what the world is made of or understanding the laws that govern them.
The arcane reveals itself gradually, abysses of potential and ranges of possibilities. Vertigo seizes you at the imnsity of Creation.
This skill is a flutter of wings. It's up to you to transform it into a tornado.
TA (AFFI) 3
TA (PERC) 6
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