Chapter 229: Poisonous Thorn
After the conversation ended, Priam received dozens of empty Jade Slips from his father that he had asked him to buy. Without wasting any time, he began channeling his energy, engraving knowledge runes into each one.
He recorded all the basic knowledge on Combat Mastery, Natural Elements, and Catalyst.
Once he was finished, Priam called his father into a private room and, with a serious expression, handed him a Spatial Ring.
Inside, besides the newly engraved Jade Slips, were all the beginner-level manuals on Alchemy and Inscriptions that Priam had won from his bet against the sect’s other External Branch.
"Dad, I recommend that all of you study what I’ve left in here. It’ll be an enormous help, especially for you and my little sisters. When they become Mages, they’ll have an unshakable foundation and a broad understanding of the world," Priam explained.
Boey examined the contents of the ring with his spiritual perception, deep in thought.
Only much later would he truly understand just how terrifyingly valuable that legacy was.
One detail, however, left him confused.
"There are Inscriptions manuals in here too?"
"Yeah... It’s a little hard to explain right now, but I have a feeling Suien will become interested in that path in the future," Priam replied as he took out a second Spatial Ring and handed it to his father.
"In this one, I stored a dozen rare potions from the Divine Plane. You, Mom, and Orlaith should use them to completely purify your bodies. Later, once the girls become Mages, have them use the potions too. It’ll make an incomparable difference in their development."
Priam paused briefly before looking his father straight in the eyes.
"Lastly, I need to ask you one final favor."
Boey nodded without hesitation.
"Just say the word. If it’s within my power, I’ll do it without thinking twice."
"I want you to give me your bloodline. I can’t explain the details, but I can do with your bloodline the same thing I did with Mom’s—I can permanently integrate it into my body. I wasn’t born with the Pyrix Bloodline, but I naturally have an affinity for the fire element because I’m your son. This is the perfect chance to finally obtain it properly."
Hearing that, the surprise in Boey’s eyes quickly gave way to pure pride.
After all, his two daughters had been born inheriting both their father’s and mother’s bloodlines.
Priam, on the other hand, had been unfortunate enough to inherit neither of them.
That had always been a hidden regret for Boey.
At the very least, his son deserved to inherit the best thing he had to offer.
But now, through a power beyond comprehension, Priam truly had the ability to reclaim what should have been his from the very beginning.
"I can extract it all in just a few minutes," Priam added calmly.
Boey nodded and sat down in a nearby chair.
Walking over, Priam activated the System.
In complete silence, he began extracting the essence of the Pyrix Bloodline from his father’s body.
When the process ended, an overwhelming wave of weakness washed over Boey.
Struggling to keep his eyes open, he murmured weakly,
"Son... take care of yourself. Your sisters and your mother will think about you every day, hoping you’ll come back."
Priam nodded with a quiet sigh.
"I’ll do my best. The next time I come back, it’ll be to take all of you with me."
Comforted by his son’s words, Boey finally gave in to exhaustion, closed his eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.
It was already late at night.
Priam feared that a proper farewell would only bring tears and painful emotions that would make it impossible for him to leave.
So he decided to go without saying much.
Moving like a shadow, he silently made his way upstairs to the room where the twins were fast asleep.
As he gently opened the door, he found an adorable sight.
Mirra was curled up between Suien and Meien, peacefully sleeping.
The warmth of the scene made Priam smile softly.
Sensing his presence, Mirra slowly opened her eyes, carefully slipped away from the two little girls, and silently jumped onto Priam’s shoulder.
He stood there in silence for a long time, engraving the image of his little sisters into his memory.
Priam had already left his father with hundreds of medicinal herbs from the Divine Plane.
Even if the worst were to happen to him someday, that fortune alone would allow his family to live in luxury for generations—or even rebuild the Ylisse Clan from scratch.
With the wealth and knowledge he had left behind, raising powerful Mages would be easy.
Everyone’s safety and future had already been secured.
’Maybe... it’d actually be better if I never came back...’
He shook his head, forcing the thought away.
’That won’t work... those two are going to grow up, and with the potential and resources they have, it’s inevitable that they’ll want to ascend to the Divine Plane someday. My influence has already shaped their destiny. I have to come back and pave the way... only then can I truly guarantee they’ll be safe.’
Priam took a deep breath, turned toward the window, and leaped into the darkness of the night.
He absolutely couldn’t see his mother again.
He knew that a single glance at her would make his legs hesitate.
Floating gently on the wind currents, he traveled until he had left the city’s borders far behind.
Only after reaching a safe distance did he take out the Flying Ship and shoot toward the stars like a meteor.
***
The trip back was a lonely one, since Mirra didn’t want to come out. But Priam felt completely refreshed and motivated.
That poisonous thorn he had sealed deep within his soul finally seemed to have been pulled out and cleansed.
"Luvinah and Flora... Meien and Suien..."
He murmured to himself, filled with a burning desire to return to the sect as soon as possible and start leveling up again. He only had one full Rank left before becoming a Sage. It shouldn’t take that long.
Then, green screens appeared before him.
[06 Traitors Eliminated!]
[+36,000 GP]
[Special Mission Successfully Completed]
Priam read the notifications and nodded in satisfaction.
Thanks to his actions, Mishnar had spent the past few days thoroughly investigating the rats hidden within the sect, resulting in the execution of every internal traitor. It must have happened at that exact moment, since the System had just confirmed it.
A smile appeared on his face. He now had a considerable amount of points to spend, and the System had probably updated its available options.
[04 Purchasable Skills:]
[15,000 GP] [EX Training Amplifier]
[10,000 GP] [Random Treasure Box]
[10,000 GP] [Lost Divine-Class Magic Art]
[5,000 GP] [Power Rune Storage +1]
Priam read through the new options, his eyes shining with excitement. Now he had confirmation that every time he advanced a Rank, new opportunities were added to the catalog.
[08 Transcendental Knowledge Available:]
[2,000 GP] [Complete Ancestral Art of One of Your Bloodlines]
[14,000 GP] [Combat Mastery] [Advanced Level]
[14,000 GP] [Magic and Energies] [Advanced Level]
[14,000 GP] [Natural Elements] [Advanced Level]
[20,000 GP] [Syntheses] [Advanced Level]
[9,000 GP] [Catalyst] [Intermediate Level]
[6,000 GP] [Holy] [Basic Level]
[6,000 GP] [Arcanist] [Basic Level]
Priam’s eyes swept across every item. Besides the Advanced knowledge he had already expected, the list now included options for Holy and Arcanist Mages.
The logic was obvious: in the future, he would gain access to the knowledge of every class. Since he could make use of every magical path, that knowledge would certainly be useful.
As he evaluated the options, Priam thought to himself.
’The Random Treasure Box and the Lost Divine-Class Magic Art seem to be repeatable purchases. I can probably buy them multiple times... But they’re complete gambles. I can’t control what I’ll get. And considering my luck...’
He remembered his newly acquired Karmic Title: The Mage with Plot Armor.
Priam let out a dry snort.
He had to admit it. A Transcendental Wheel of Fate like his—even partially sealed—granted him absurd luck. Of course, luck without the ability to make use of it was meaningless. He still had to take risks and work hard to obtain what he wanted.
’Maybe once I have spare points and nothing urgent left to buy, taking a chance on those random items will be worth it.’
Without hesitating any longer, he made his choice.
[2,000 GP] [Complete Ancestral Art of One of Your Bloodlines]
[14,000 GP] [Combat Mastery] [Advanced Level]
[14,000 GP] [Magic and Energies] [Advanced Level]
[6,000 GP] [Holy] [Basic Level]
[Total: -36,000 Germination Points]
Those pieces of knowledge were his absolute priority at the moment.
He chose the Holy Mage knowledge because Mirra would benefit greatly from it. Besides that, he remembered the new soldiers he would soon obtain. Those women were going to need a boost in power.
As for Magic and Energies, it could help him both create Power Runes and better understand his current Rank and how to advance more quickly.
As soon as he confirmed the purchase, a new window appeared asking which complete Ancestral Art he wanted.
Priam took a deep breath and activated the Pyrix Bloodline he had just extracted from his father.
[Synthesize?] [Yes / No]
He accepted without hesitation, merging his fourth bloodline into his body.
Priam had asked his father long ago whether the Pyrix race still possessed its complete Ancestral Art. Boey had told him that their race only retained the initial portions, while the intermediate and final stages had been lost over time.
Now, with the new bloodline fully fused into his body, he purchased the complete version directly from the System.
Priam had already reached the limit of what he could accomplish with the wind element.
Now he had something new that could open up even more possibilities.
From that moment onward, Priam spent the rest of the journey completely immersed in studying, gradually absorbing the knowledge he had just acquired.