Sarah POV:

I’m having trouble believing what’s in front of me. First, Audrey just killed a phoenix, or at least a bird capable of transforming himself in a ball of fire, and she doesn’t even seem phased by it. The only time I had to kill a bird that was injured, I called a friend to do it for me, and couldn’t even stay in the same room nor see the corpse! What makes someone so jaded that the thought of killing another being doesn’t register as disturbing for you?

And secondly, a small bird covered in ashes is rambling about how Audrey committed a sin against his majesty, or something like that.

“I’m the king of all birds! Heroes have lined up for years in hope they would get my advices or my help! And you, lowly… BARBARIAN, dare raise your hand against me, and use a momentary weakness to steal the glory of one of the mightiest achievement one could get and…”

I can’t help but tune him out. He’s so full of himself! But if what he says is true, he could have some valuable informations! I search for a lull in his speech to ask him a question, but I see Audrey moving. Wait, is she…?

“Listen here, you little shit! I killed you once, and if you don’t shut the cesspool of crap you call a mouth, I might start doing it again just to see how many times you can do it!”

She just grabbed him by the neck, and is holding him firmly in her closed fist. Only his head is poking out, the rest of his body limp under her hand. He seems to have trouble breathing, and he opens his beak, before closing it under Audrey’s fierce gaze.

“Now, stupid bird, you’ll swear to do everything I tell you to, and I might try to keep you alive.”

As she end her sentence, I notice her eyes unfocusing, in a way that makes me think she might be seeing a blue window.

Eyes of the Truthseeker is now level 2!

+1,5 PER, +1,5 INT, +1,5 WIS.

Instinct of the Truthseeker is now level 4!

+2 PER, +1 INT, +1,5 WIS.

Cool, stats! Wait, when did I start liking this system thing? It seems it was yesterday that it felt so alien and strange…

“You can’t think the great I will agree with your imp…”

“SHUT UP AND SAY YES BEFORE I START PLUCKING YOUR FEATHERS!”

“I agree, I agree, don’t pluck me!”

Oh, they seem to have come to an agreement. And it’s right, his new feathers are already appearing. What an amazing regeneration!

Audrey put the bird on the ground before checking something on the air in front of her.

“Seems I’m a ‘Phoenix tamer’ now. Good title. Now, would you kindly explain why you tried to burn the one that worked to free you from your stone prison.”

“I died at least a hundred times inside that cursed thing. If you were in my situation, you would have lashed out to escape too.”

“If you’re SO powerful, couldn’t you, I don’t know, just flee?”

The phoenix hanged down his head. I think it’s the first time, he never stopped looking down on everyone before. Ah know, maybe not when he was in Audrey’s grip. However ashamed he seemed to be, he still managed to look amazing, his new gold and red feathers making him a true embodiment of the flame.

“I… might not have the power that was once mine anymore…”

“How come, aren’t your kind supposed to be immortal?”

“First of all, I’m the only one of my kind, the other phoenixes were merely evolved birds. And, I’ll let you know death isn’t something that trivial that I could overcome it without any damage. One death usually cost me half my power. Of course, it slowly comes back to me, but slowly is the key word.”

“So right now, how weak are you?”

The bird that was slowly regaining a composure and a more confident stance seemed to lose it again, looking at his feets and fidgeting.

“As I was ten years from my birth.”

“And how much time will it take you to regain your former power.”

“Several thousand years I think.”

Audrey has lost some of her aggressivity since the start. She doesn’t even glare at him that much anymore.

As the bird was keeping his head down, and quietly mourning his past glory, she kneeled, took him up to her face and smiled.

“Maybe if you get lots of experience, you can quicken that.”

The phoenix looked her, eyes glowing with tears.

“Sadly, the Will of the World account for my full power when I get experience, so it’s nearly impossible to gain anything in a short amount of time.”

“But I saw an option for shared experience in the familiar window, and I do not share your experience penalty, right?”

The bird stopped moving entirely. He came to a realization, and locked his eyes on Audrey.

“But that mean you would only get half experience. You would do that for me? You don’t even know me!”

“You know what’s best than a high level? Having the freaking Primordial Phoenix with me!”

Audrey laughed, and put him on her shoulders, where he sat stunned.

“So, Giiru, are you ready? We’re tracking the one that imprisoned the gods in the past.”

“The gods were imprisoned!?”

----------------------------------------

Audrey POV:

It took a good hour of explanations for Giiru to believe us. Then, it took several hours for him to answer the questions Sarah had. But apparently, he doesn’t know anything about the jailer of the gods. He was killed by an Atlantean hero, called Attu Makordax, and woke up inside the statue. The mana was too weak for him to break his prison, and he died again of mana loss. And again and again. He was very insistent on that part. Well, that let me the time to activate the option for shared experience, and check his status.

Giiru Daaru

Primordial beast

Global level

9

Phoenix

9/??

Race

True phoenix

Affinities

Air 10%

Fire 50%

Life 50%

HP

396/396

MP

755

STR

56

INT

240

Luck

50

END

68

WIS

103

AGI

65

CHA

248

DEX

57

MEN

85

PER

57

Skills:

Level

Air mastery

5

Algic language

10

Austronesian language

6

Aztec language

10

Celtic language

3

Claw mastery

1

Egyptian language

10

Eskimo language

9

Fire magic

10

Fire mastery

10

Flight

7

Germanic language

9

Hellenic language

9

Indian language

7

Latin language

8

Life magic

5

Mana conversion

2

Mayan language

4

Nigerian language

7

Phoenix feathers

5

Phoenix fire

5

Quechuan language

9

Semitic language

8

Slavic language

6

Tibetan language

7

Uralian language

3

Perks : Firebird, Phoenix reincarnation, Resurrected

Titles : Primordial beast, Immortal

Let's look into the details.

Firebird

You’re a bird, and a being of pure fire.

Grants the Air mastery skill at level 3, and the Fire mastery skill at level 5.

Grants the Flight skill at 3.

Grants the Fire magic skill at 5.

Fire affinity can’t be lower than 50%.

Phoenix reincarnation

As a True Phoenix, death can’t get hold of your burning soul.

Life affinity can’t be lower than 50%.

Upon death, your body release a fire nova with your remaining MP. Then, it burns. You’re reborn from the ashes some time after.

Resurrected

You triumphed from death, at a cost.

Experience deficit : 140 000.

All titles and perks are locked.

All levels are locked.

All skills except languages are locked.

Memories are left unaltered.

That’s why he has so many languages. He probably has them all. But still, 140 000 experience? That’s like… 1400 class levels!

I whipped my head quickly to Giiru, who was still discussing with Sarah. So he wasn’t kidding when he said he was powerful. He was unbelievably powerful!

Primordial beast

You’re the first of your race!

All stats start at 50.

+50% total experience.

Grants the Immortal title.

Immortal

You’ve seen things mortals wouldn't believe, and you’ll see even more.

You don’t suffer any negative effects from aging.

For the skills, I’ll skip the language ones, they’re all the same.

Air mastery

You understand the way air exists and interacts.

+0,5 PER, +0,5 INT, +2 WIS per level.

Claw mastery

The nature gave you a weapon, it’s up to you to use it wisely.

+1,5 STR, +1 AGI, +0,5 DEX per level

Fire magic

Use mana to harvest the power of fire! Burn everything, and everyone!

+1 WIS, +2 MEN per level.

Ascension impossible, level too low, fire affinity too low.

Fire mastery

You understand the way fire exists and interacts.

+0,5 PER, +0,5 INT, +2 WIS per level.

Even with so much limitations, his magic must pack quite a punch. I wonder why it didn’t hurt me before.

Flight

Whatever the way you use, you’re able to soar through the sky!

+2 AGI, +1 DEX per level.

Life magic

Use mana to harvest the power of life! Create and grow!

+1 WIS, +2 MEN per level.

Mana conversion

You learned to substitute food, water and sleep with mana.

+1,5 END, +1,5 WIS per level.

Phoenix feathers

A phoenix feathers are highly magicals, shaming most armors.

+2,5 END, +2,5 CHA per level.

Phoenix fire

A phoenix fire is utterly different from a common one, and can purify almost everything.

+1 STR, +1 END, +1 WIS, +1 CHA, +1 MEN per level.

Phoenix fire can heal or burn.

Well, now that I’m done, it might be time to ask Sarah what the plan is.