Zero Fate Against the World (New Version)

Thanks for reading. 7K words

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{Sorry to interrupt, but I believe you may be in danger}

"…"

Philip's expression did not change as he remained calm. To maintain his act, he continued to walk with Viera beside him, but with Laplabe's warning, he raised his guard. Ready to jump at any minute.

{… It was faint, but I felt a potent energy encroaching on us. It's possible someone may have tailed us and is now hidden nearby}

{Hum… I thought I was the only one… Although I thought I was overreacting}

{Any ideas on who it could be? I kind of have too many potential targets…}

{Hard to say. I'm proficient mostly in magic and have spent most of my life… no… my whole conscious existence in the Academy. Few were the times the principal brought me anywhere, so it's hard for me to pinpoint things I've never seen before}

{That said, I don't think this is related to what you just did. At least not entirely… I have some suspicions though… In either case, I don't think this person is here to cause you harm}

{Suspicion? Care to elaborate?}

{Hmmm… Each person has a… "Body frequency" if I can put it that way… That person hid it well, but I can still hear it. And I think I know who it belongs to. Thing is, during the chaos of the party, locking into any sounds was difficult, so I'm not confident in my answer}

{Anything is better than silence}

{Very well… I believe it may be someone from the princess side}

Philip's mood fell down to the ground as he heard that.

{Could it be they're planning on bring me back already... No can do, I can't let this go…}

{Alright, tell me, where is this person?}

{A few trees ahead, on top of a...} Laplabe explained as his voice grew dimmer, allowing Philip to focus and make a decision

Philip smiled slightly, closing his eyes and letting the chilly wind blow on his skin. His eyes sharpened as he observed the calm forest, barely listening to whatever Viera was saying. Right now, his attention was elsewhere.

His eyes saw nothing, his nose picked no scent, his ears reached as far as the party hall… yet he felt no presence aside from the animals and stragglers lying around.

'… If I focus hard enough… I can feel a heartbeat… and if I focus even further, I can feel a faint mental strand. Indeed, there's someone around us.'

'I wouldn't be able to find this unless I was told there was something around us beforehand. I could just keep myself focused, but living in such a concentrated world is too much for me.'

'The good old flash paradox… What's the point of living in a world with no one?'

He stepped forward, counting his time until he arrived at the person's location. Revving his body in preparation for what he was about to do.

With each step, his breathing increased as his heart rate quickened… One tree... two trees...

The final tree.

/Inhale… Exhale…/

"Erm… are you okay? You seem out of…"

"… HUPP!"

Philip took a deep breath and removed the DarkLight sword from his inventory. /SHUAAA!!/ The sword immediately transformed, shining in its eerie and majestic purple light.

[Ripper Mode LvMax has been activated]

As the world slowed down around him, Philip continued to press forward. His sword suddenly burst in flames, its speed increasing like a bullet leaving a gun barrel..

[Ignition Strike LvMax has activated]

All of his strength, everything he had, he didn't know who it was; it didn't matter to him, if this person had good intentions, then he would simply apologize… but he wouldn't hold it against himself if they didn't make it through either.

Spying on others like this… they had to be ready for a rash backlash.

And if his opponent was here with ill intentions… then this would be the first strike to seal the victory.

… What if he had good intentions, but ended up dead?... Well… Philip did not think this far. Sometimes it was best to act rather than to think.

His muscles tensed as he got into a stance, feet side by side, two hands grasping the sword by his side. Bluish energy coursed through his skin, jumping like fish in the ocean. A combination of Inhuman Martial arts, Rodrigues Perfected Shadow Technique, and the Pthumerian Combat art. Something that he previously couldn't do effectively.

Now his body had adapted; he had begun to grasp its complete form. Something was materializing, his own martial art… one may even call it a martial system.

If he could, he'd layer Aura atop it also, but with the way he was right now, that wasn't possible, and maybe it wasn't even feasible to combine it with other martial arts he knew… if it were, he wasn't good enough or its current form wasn't yet stable.

Either way, Philip was using everything he had with this new, stronger body of his. It felt amazing… The flow, the strain, everything was better, he felt as free as ever...

He could keep pushing himself, and his body would respond. A constant surge of power so great it surpassed his own understanding of what these techniques were meant to be able to accomplish… even when layered together.

Perhaps this was truly something new, a combination of multiple abilities. Condensed into a new, albeit ephemeral form…

Whatever goal and path he searched for, right now, he was taking his first solid step into it.

/SLASH!/

As his purple sword cleaved the air towards the dark tree, Philip smiled while Viera still walked, unaware of what was happening. She couldn't even react to it when it all happened.

… After all, from Philip's perspective, everything was in slow motion, and Viera was as good as frozen…

"?!"

A mere few instances before the sword collided with the tree, a shadowy figure jumped and slashed with what seemed to be a pair of mantis-style blades, trying to intercept the sword.

It was impressive. Philip was in awe at the person's judgment, speed, and precision. To react and strike in this extremely small window of time, whoever he was facing... There was a reason Laplabe said he was in danger.

It is this moment slow enough to make an aftershock freeze. In this short yet equally eternal blink, that Philip noticed who his enemy was.

A woman with jet black hair, looking at him with extremely agape eyes as she moved her body. Despite her face being hidden by a bandana, those bloodshot eyes said it all… he knew it firsthand, after all.

Her body had moved before she had the time to react… which only made everything more impressive. Philip was fast, but would he be able to react as well as her if someone were to ambush him as he was right now?

That…

/CUT!!/

/BOOOOOM!!!/

"KYA?!"

Viera screamed as the air pressure suddenly threw her away, 'What happened?!' she thought in desperation, her hands moving instinctively to try to protect her as her inner powers went berserk.

One could train and become as confident as possible, but only in such situations that one's true abilities surfaced. The ability to remain calm, composed, and think critically in the blink of an eye… and as one might expect… Viera was far from reaching any of those.

But what more could one expect from a teenager with little combat training?

Even after the clash ended, it was impossible to tell what had happened as dust and debris still clang to the skies, raining stones and wood throughout the manor.

Its resounding roar still echoed throughout the cavern, spreading into the city below…

…

/CRACK!/

/BOOOM!/

A few moments before, from another perspective, the calm forest suddenly flashed purple, and an enormous dark-purple wave rose from the woods, cutting the cavern's ceiling, and a good portion of the forest in half! Leaving behind a profound gash!

It was like a tsunami, unstoppable. It seemed to move slowly, but in reality, it happened beyond the perceivable range of human motion…

/Tremble!/

The entire manor throbbed, seemingly on the verge of caving in! As giant rocks fell, several dozen magic formations activated, halting the collapse as if gravity had been turned off.

The purple wave finally stopped, but it left behind a lot of ruin and desolation... and at its source, a crater.

What had happened?

…

/Crackle…/

As the dust swirled and the acrid smell of burnt earth filled the air, Philips' figure materialized from the dissipating smoke.

Below his boots was a freshly formed crater. The forest floor, once soft with decaying leaves, was now bare, exposing the jagged, cracked rock beneath. Before him, a long gash yawned, the raw earth bleeding into the cavern, growing wider as it stretched into the distance.

The echoing boom still rang in his ears, ringing loudly. Above, the cavern ceiling was scarred, the shimmering sky reflection fractured where the gash had torn through the ancient magic formations.

The tremor in the ground warned of the cavern's instability, the hum of emergency formations rising in pitch. Trees lay scattered, stripped bare, as if a comet had blazed through. At the epicenter stood Philip, frozen in a slashing pose. Faint snaps of electricity danced around his blade and coursed through his body. His hair, swept back by the force, looked smooth against the backdrop of devastation.

His suit hung in tatters, offering little protection. His arms, exposed and throbbing, were a shocking crimson, radiating heat like baked stone.

/Rip!/

Philip slowly moved. He lowered his left arm, still holding his sword, while he used his right arm to rip the outer portion of his suit, leaving only his shirt behind.

His eyes were sharp. He looked around, but upon confirming that his opponent had left, he spun around, gazing at a slowly rising girl…

It seemed he had been the victor as his opponent was nowhere to be seen!

"My head…" Viera muttered as she tried her best to get up, but the entire world was spinning

'My back hurts...'

"Huh?..."

She suddenly felt a tugging force on her two arms, her vision refocused and she saw Philip smiling awkwardly as he digged her from the ground.

"Phili…!"

It was then that she noticed his arms, becoming extremely concerned, "Are you okay?" She asked, trying to remain calm despite everything that was going through her head

She prepared herself, ready to cast something if need be… In case there was danger nearby.

But Philip simply patted her head, clearing the dust and dirt on it.

"Sorry for startling you, but the danger is already gone… For now at least… Now, tell me how many fingers there are on my hand." Philip replied as he lifted his right hand

"Is that so…?"

"How many fingers?"

"Three… Wait! Dont play with me!"

She touched his arms and asked:

"How are you feeling? Can you tell me what happened?..."

His arms are slightly swollen and very red; did something break them?

"I feel… Alright, a bit tired after a long day but... Alright… rather, I feel rather light, to be honest."

"My arms are fine, they just look bad… I feel great." Philip said with a small smile as he opened and closed his hands

'It's odd, it's like they're bruised but… There is no pain. I likely burst some capillary veins, and that's why they look like this. But if I know my body, it'll fix itself by the time we return to the manor.'

He looked around him, '… That slash… It was probably the best one I ever did. I might've even overdone myself there. If I take some time to settle things out, I may just be able to accomplish what I've been trying to do for the past few weeks.'

'Anyhow, who was that lady? She didn't seem to be after my life or anything... More like she was observing me… Monitoring me? Is she the secret protector of the Pyke Family?... Perhaps even the Princess or the Azul Family?'

'She seemed a little familiar though… I was too focused on myself to pay attention to what she was doing… Whoever she was, for now, it seems everything ended.'

"Are you sure you're okay?... Here, does this hurt?" She asked as she gently pinched his fingers as to not hurt him more

"And answer me! I won't let you be vague this time. What happened?!"

"..."

But Philip did not reply. His mind was somewhere else…

[Realization!]

[In a moment of extreme emotions, mind and body as one, you walked forward against an impossible opponent, returning victorious!]

[A single slash against fate, you achieved a missing realization]

[The Skill, Phantom Sword Lv0 has been created]

The system window suddenly changed, going from blueish green to a golden yellow.

[Due to the presence of Phantom Sword LvMax on the Secondary Status panel, Phantom Sword Lv0 -> LvMax]

'Oh yeah… this used to happen back when the System wasn't broken… It's good to be back.'

[DING]

Before Philip could think any further, the System continued with its assault:

[Conditions have been met]

[Skill, Ripper Mode LvMax has evolved into Exceed Lv0]

[Pending notifications haven't been reviewed. Process cannot be postponed…]

[Displaying pending process…]

[DING]

[You have reached your Class maximum potential!]

'Oh no… not right now…'

[You already achieved your Class fate]

'It's happening.'

Even if he wanted to, there was no way he'd be able to return home in time.

[An outstanding achievement]

[Processing…]

[Pending notifications haven't been reviewed]

[Reward has been added onto the previous pool…]

[Process terminated]

[Recalculation…]

[You have been given the opportunity to move one of your Abilities and one Skill from your Secondary Status and transfer it to your main status]

[Disclaimer, there are pending rewards to be collected]

Philip read the notifications with a heavy gaze, waiting for it to happen… For his Skill to activate and drag him to the ends of the earth.

But even as time moved, and the seconds rolled by… nothing occurred.

'… Nothing happened?… It's a miracle!'

/SNAP!/

Suddenly Viera snapped her fingers in front of his eyes, waking him up from his daydreaming.

He shook his head, startled, "Eh… What?"

"Are you sure you're okay? You just became absent minded all of the sudden… Perhaps your arms weren't the only thing bruised." She muttered as she tapped his head

"I… Very funny..." He added with a half smile as he pushed her hands away gently, "I'm sorry, it wasnt my intention to ignore you like that."

Viera shook her head. She wasn't in the mood to make fun of anything, really.

"Sigh… Don't speak anymore, let's do what you said before… Go back home, rest, and tomorrow, you'll tell me what happened properly, okay?"

"After what just happened, I just want to leave this place… As quickly as possible, for many reasons." She said tiredly as she looked around sneakily

Philip looked around as well and then at their clothes…

"Yeah… and uh... I'm… Sorry about your dress."

Viera looked at herself, then at him, "No, don't say that. They were expensive, yes, but I'd rather have a dirty and ripped dress… then wounds on my skin."

'To be honest, he paid for it, and in the end... I don't even know how to feel about it. I just feel terrible…'

"Between your wellbeing and a piece of cloth I… I-I mean, we can always buy another dress can't we?… ahem…" She said embarrassed, looking away

Philip smiled. It was nice having someone worry for him. He grabbed her hand and pulled her after him, "Lets go, it's late."

"Ah… Yes, yes it is…"

But suddenly…

[DING]

[Activating skill Gamerverse!]

"?!"

Philip suddenly froze in place, almost stumbling forward… 'I knew it! You're doing this on purpuse!'

'Shit I… I can't go now! Give me some time!'

[Gamerverse has deactivated]

"Phew…"

Before Viera realized something was wrong, he took another step forward, as if nothing ever happened, 'I'll deal with this when I get back home…'

/Buzz buzz…/

Suddenly, Philip's pocket vibrated as he felt something worm its way inside. It was his pocket watch… Laplabe.

{What is it?}

{... Sniff… You two keep asking each other if you're okay, but no one asks poor me if I'm alright, I took the brunt of that okay?}

{That girl would've been far worse if I hadn't stepped up to shield her. Can I get some recognition?}

"…"

'Did he… Call me for this?… better than anything else honestly.'

{Thank you for helping her... Are you okay?}

{I have received your thanks. And yes, thank you. Some dust fell on me, but I'm otherwise fine. Can you clean it up? It's irritating}

"..."

Philip did not reply, he took Laplabe out of his pocket and cleaned the little dirt in it before resuming his walk…

…

/Meanwhile, high in the sky…/

Three carriages flew below the starry sky, slowly making their way across the Free city's beautiful architecture…

/Fwoosh!/

Out of nowhere, a dark smoke cloud rose from within the buildings like a bolt of lightning, enveloping the middle carriage before disappearing.

"Hm?"

The driver, a knight clad in green-white armor gazed at the smoke before shaking its head.

It must've been the wind… Or most likely, his imagination. When was the last time he had a rest after all? They kept their guard up for hours, if not days… Even the most disciplined minds would waver after so much work.

…

/Inside the carriage…/

The dark mist slowly condensed... "You're back." The princess replied calmly as she turned to face the newcomer

However, she quickly noticed her state. Her expression changed, but she otherwise remained composed. The smoke dissipated, showing the figure of a woman. She had black hair and eyes, and she was currently in a strange maid outfit.

However… Her right shoulder was red, staining her clothes deeply… It was blood that had seeped onto her clothes.

She tried to act as if nothing happened, but it was clear she was in pain.

"Sorry for being late, your highness, my sincerest apologies." She said with a bow as she flinched slightly

"You're being awfully polite… What happened?" The princess asked with a sly smile as she took a small pouch from thin air

"I… I tripped… On a very sharp rock, it was dark outside after all."

"..."

The princess raised her right eyebrow. She wanted to laugh, but she kept her mouth closed as she opened the pouch.

"I see. Remove your clothes then." She ordered in a deeper tone

"Yes." The maid complied without hesitation

This revealed a black tight shirt filled with several smaller tools, but what was important was her shoulder, it was cut quite badly!

A very deep cut going at least an inch deep from her front to her back.

The princess did not show any emotion to this. She quickly poured the pouch's contents on the wound. Brown powder that glistered in the light like glitter. They stuck to her skin, heating up…

/Sizzle/

"..."

The maid remained unresponsive, but her lips trembled slightly when the smoke came into contact with her shoulders. Smoke was produced, as if it her shoulder was burning...

But miraculously, her injury stopped bleeding, and a sizeable portion of it was healed. Victoria then took out a circular vial from thin air, opening it to reveal a cream.

She carefully passed it on her maid's shoulder before asking, "Be more careful next time, can't be too careful around... Sharp rocks."

"My older brother once fell down the stairs and his whole body was covered in wounds… Some of those were rather sharp too."

"..."

"Besides… What about those?" She asked as she pointed at the pair of mantis swords on her waist

They were dented and chipped, as if they had just gone through an intense fight.

"They… also fell on the ground and cracked… Once again, my apologies for not taking care of myself and my tools." She said as she bowed

"Is that so?..."

She smiled slyly once more, "How problematic. It seems I'll have to drop by the royal smith and question him about it. Can't have our prized equipment fail at such simple accidents." The princess said with a serious expression as her eyes sharpened

This startled the maid…

"I… This won't be necessary, there is no need to bother him over such a minor matter."

"This int one though, look at their state… I'll…"

"Princess… Stop being so mean." The maid said as she finally gave in, slightly flustered as she sighed

Victoria dropped all pretense and smiled, almost laughing.

"Hehe… Are you telling me what to do?"

"I, no! How could I…?"

/Chuckles/

The princess laughed. She was having fun. This was why she was here after all… She closed her eyes and rested her head on the seat, "Sigh, if only I had met him properly, this would've been a not so boring day."

"P-Princess, please take this seriously."

"I am though?"

"Are you sure? You went against every single request from his Majesty and now you're complaining?"

"Humph… You're so stiff, just like my older brothers… Father already knows I'm here anyway, why do you think he didn't stop me in the first place?"

"No, he couldn't stop me even if he wanted. After all, I'm playing the little game he set up at home... I used my own assets to get this chance all within the boundaries, so unless father decides to break the rules, he can't say anything apart from watching me."

"It was his mistake. He should've paid more attention." She added with a smile as she hummed a song

"..."

'Princess... Most of his actions are for your safety...'

Victoria looked at the window of her carriage, gazing at the city below.

"What do you think of him? Did you find out what my father is thinking? From the looks of it, he left behind quite the impression."

"Princess… That... He was…" The maid said with a serious expression

…

/At the same time, back in the Pyke Family Manor…/

Elyria stood there on her bed, her slightly wet platinum hair all over her bed as she laid on her pillows, staring at the ceiling.

"So? I waited for you to rest your head, take a shower, and think. What is your verdict?" Asked a small spider as it jumped on her chest from the bed

"..."

The spider, noticing her silence, continued, "You saw what just happened, right? What he did to Rafiel all the way to what just happened in the forest…"

"I saw it." She replied in a low tone

"And?"

"... I… I thought it was… Pretty cool." She replied as she grabbed her pillow, turning to the side

"..."

The spider didn't know what to say or do. Instead, it remained there, frozen solid, "Urg… Alright, aside from that… What about your plans for the future? Have you decided what to do with Rafiel and your reason for being here?" He asked after thinking deeply

"Uhum." She said with a nod, not taking her head off her pillows

"I've already determined Rafiel's worth, deep down, he isn't a bad person, he only needs to live more and experience more things, and as long as he is properly guided, he'll become the heir his family wants him to be."

"… But the way he lived so far… He already crossed my line, even if I were to give him the time to change. Besides… I have no interest in associating myself with someone like him."

"I thought as much."

'At least I can predict this… She would never be interested in a man that has slept around with other girls without responsibility.'

'But she was never here for that in the first place.'

"As for what father told me to do…"

She would never accept Rafiel's invitation on her own accord, especially one that involved going to another city for a few days if not weeks… Nor would her mother allow such things under any circunstance.

But she was here with something in mind… To find out the hidden project of the Pyke Family.

Behind the scenes, the Pyke family was doing something, and normally, the Azul family wouldn't care about their matters at all. The problem is that this time, there is something that has caught their attention…

Rafiel was being used as a smokescreen. On the surface, he was here for a trial. In truth, he was bait, a fire for all the annoying moths to pay attention to.

But her father knew something, that was why she was here… And even if the Pykes knew her reasons, they couldn't deal with her directly either… after all, she could very well become Rafiel's bride.

It was a silent warfare between the two families, and poor Rafiel knew nothing about it at all…

Even she knew little… Moving only with her parent's discretion.

"I already did my best. I'm no spy, and honestly, I got fed up with his personality."

"Despite him trying his hardest to appeal to me, such as cutting several of his toxic habits, my opinion of him hasn't changed. In fact, his recent actions have caused my opinion of him to reach rock bottom."

"How harsh, but understandable. Sometimes you just can't run away from your past." The spider said as it jumped from her chest back onto the bed

"Still, barely a day has passed since you got into this city, its too early for you to give up."

"..."

The girl didn't seem happy to hear that.

"Tolerate it… That is your responsibility this time around."

"Besides, I don't think Rafiel will have the time to interact with you any time soon." The spider said in a mysterious tone

"In a sense, we should thank… He was called Phe… Fre… Reripe, correct?"

"Philip… It's Philip." Elyria corrected as she looked at the ceiling

"..."

The spider remained silent… 'It's worse than I thought…' But it then said, "Right… That… Look, just stay around a little longer. He helped you a lot, you know?"

"How so?" She asked as she sat down on her bed

"You'll see soon enough, so take this opportunity and finish your task. The faster you finish it, the faster youll be freed from his presence."

"..."

She got up from her bed and started walking to her desk to turn off the lights.

"Let me ask you one thing though…" The spider asked as it seemed to take a deep breath

"Is he your type?"

/FWOOSH!/

Elyria turned around and threw her pillow at the spider. A rare expression, her face flushed.

"Haaa… I thought as much." The spider said as it turned invisible

"Y-You… I don't remember ever talking about such a subject with you!"

"Do you even need to? I've been with you for a while… and your ancestors too…"

'They all seem to be attracted to the same type of males… This darned bloodline.'

"Let me see… When did you learn how to use the bathroom alone again? Perhaps even before…"

"Urg!" Elyria said, even more, embarrassed as she ran toward the bathroom

"Ah come on, it was a light joke… Hey? Eri…"

/Slam!/

Elyria slammed the door without saying a single extra word.

"Hum… It seems I overdid it. But it's nice to see her opening up a bit more. She was too stiff back home…"

Its body turned visible as it crawled to the edge of the bed, 'This was one of the reasons why she was sent here. Maybe by experiencing more of the world, she can mature more as a person.'

'It seems like it's working… maybe not in the intended manner.'

The spider looked at the side of the window, 'That boy's sensitivity increased considerably within half a day… But I underestimated him also.''

'What a strange string of events… For now… I'll just take care of this little girl.'

The spider turned its body around, jumping out of the bed as it vanished completely this time.

…

/Around half an hour later…/

"... And this is the gist of it." Claire said towards a black box

"… How curious. I never thought of such a possibility in the slightest. Life is truly unpredictable." Said the man on the other side of the call

"You did a good job with what you had at your disposal. I'm not pleased with how you led him to Rafiel's Office... But despite the circumstances, you protected his life as always. You have my thanks, Claire."

"I was only doing my job, sir."

Claire closed his eyes and said, "That being said… I'm concerned about the young Lord's current mental condition after this event. It may have been too shocking."

"I understand your worries. We'll have to monitor him closely. Let's just hope he outgrows this event and learns from his mistakes."

"… For now at least, there isn't much to do since Rafiel is buried in work. Now that most of his allowance has been used to host this party and pay for his mistakes, he now has no money to pay for the property damages or to maintain his activities in the city."

"He has locked himself in his room, working nonstop to raise money. I believe he'll have no time to try anything at all… And this further solidifies my worries."

"Hum… I fully understand them, Claire. I know my own son very well… But... Dont you think fate is rather curious?"

"When I was younger and received the same task I'm giving Rafiel, didn't my stubborn father force me to do it with little to no starting allowance? I had to make all of it on my own."

"I tried to change things. Give my son better conditions… now look at him. Already lost it all."

Claire smiled slightly and said:

"That was long ago..."

/Chuckle/

"For now, monitor him and on the young lady of the Azul family. I'll try to investigate things from my end."

"Investigate?" Claire asked

"Ah, of course, despite my unwillingness, it would be unprofessional and narrow-minded of me to not investigate what you just reported to me."

"I'm particularly curious about the Princess' arrival and why did she visit Rafiel of all people?… And who was the man that cut my oldest son's arm?... I don't think these aren't connected."

"Such things need research, even if I'm to do nothing with what I find… All in due time…"

Following this, the man on the other side said a few more words and closed the call, leaving Claire to do his own things.

"... Just a few more days, and I can retire... And I will be able to take proper care of my daughter… please, just give me some peace…"

/Clack!/

Claire left the room, closing the door behind him.

…

/Sometime later back in the Manor…/

"M… MiLord… Wh-wh…"

Sebastiano couldn't believe what he was seeing… The Maids would've been shocked as well, but it's really late. As such, most of them were sleeping already.

"Sebastiano, there were some… Complications."

"?"

He pushed Viera forward and continued, "Please, prepare a bath and an extra pair of clothes for her. I'll go to the training room first, so there isn't a need to prepare one for me right now."

"However, while you're at it, deliver me a pair of training clothes as well. I'll need them later." He said as he walked past him, "Dont worry, we are okay, and the situation has been resolved… We just need a little rest… We'll continue this tomorrow once I leave the training room."

"I… Understood sir." Sebastiano replied with a straight expression

Before he left, he turned to Viera, "We'll continue our conversation later. For now, rest."

"What about you? Shouldn't you rest as well?"

"There are a few things I need to confirm. I can't sleep like this..."

"In the training room?"

'And you think I'll be able to sleep soundly after what happened?'

"Yes… Didn't I say it before? I'm resting already…" Philip replied awkwardly

"This time, I'll ask you to not disturb me... Thanks in advance." He said as he turned around, walking deeper into the manor

"..."

/Clap!/

Sebastiano clapped his hands once Philip left, getting Viera's attention.

"Alright miss, it's cold outside. How about we get inside?"

"..."

She nodded.

…

"... Alright, I'm here."

"What do you plan to do?" Laplabe asked as he shook inside his pants, prompting Philip to put him on a table nearby

"How rude."

"Heh, stay there for now." Philip said as he walked to the center of the room. He sat down on the ground atop a mat and focused down on the System panels before him:

'Open Secondary Status.'

[Name: Philip Vinten

Class: Descendant of the Jetstream

Abilities:

??? Lv11 (Passive)

Inhuman Martial Arts Lv10 (Passive)

Steel Flash LvMax(10) (Active)

Bisect LvMax(15) (Passive)

Bionics Lv28 (Passive)

Electronics Lv29 (Passive)

Mechanics Lv28 (Passive)

Study LvMax(20) (Passive)

…

Skills:

Exceed Lv0 (Active)

Ignition Strike LvMax(10) (Active)

Invisible Blade LvMax(15) (Hybrid)

Flow Lv7 (Hybrid)

Phantom Sword LvMax(25) (Active)

Critical Bash Lv7 (Active)

Greater Stealth Lv3 (Active)

Coercion Lv6 (Active)

Dueler's Ambition Lv9 (Active)

Acrobatics LvMax(20) (Passive)

Analysis LvMax(20) (Active)

…

Traits:

Strengthened Body

Sword Heart

Inventory (+)

]

'It seems my main skills also leveled once from this clash… I could be that a stronger body has allowed greater range of motion, permitting me to utilize these abilities more fluently, instinctively.'

'As expected, in the end, it's all about practice. Experience tells me everything I lack… Now, the time has finally come… and it was about time.'

'I can't say for certain what triggered the completion of this Class. From what I read, it seems I already accomplished before so maybe it was as I feared before. It was just waiting for confirmation… but since this happened, the notification was forced to be processed?'

'Sometimes I don't understand… Why does Gamerverse wait for such announcements before it can function?…'

'Anyhow, I need to start choosing… There's something I need to do before it's too late.'

'… To be frank, this has to be the toughest choice I have had to make so far… didn't I already say this before?…'

'There are simply too many good options.'

'I could aim for both the nameless technique and Inhuman Martial Arts… Even Steel Flash. But those can be trained from zero without much difficulty. That's why they're classified as Abilities.'

'My Skills, on the other hand, can't. Exceed, Ignition Strike, Invisible Blade, Flow, and Dueler's Ambition are my top picks… The rest aren't as critical, and to some of them, I know the method to gain them through training.'

'The only reason I don't have them yet is merely because of a time constraint. It took me months to years of work in the memories to get them, meanwhile here in reality, I'm pressed for time between a dozen extra things.'

'They're all great picks in their own way… But I have to make a choice. Out of the five Skills, only one can be chosen, and out of the three Abilities, only one can be passed down.'

'If only I could have two Skills instead… If I aim at the future, once I pass these to my Main Status, I'll be able to retrain some of my Abilities. But that'll have to be done starting from the bottom. My body will have to get used to it again without the protection of the System.'

'But that shouldn't take long… The only meaningful choice here is which Skill to choose. That being said, there is an obvious choice… It has to be Exceed. The others have their uses, but this one is indispensable, especially after its evolution.'

'It has too much room for growth to be left aside. I'll likely have other chances, but I should always act as if I won't.'

'As for the other, the choice remains between nameless technique and Inhuman Martial Arts. But I think I'll go with the latter… The reason being the complexity between the two.'

'If I were to think of the time, it would take to replicate both, the second one would take longer, that's all… So the choice is…'

Philip took a deep breath and proclaimed, "Exceed and Inhuman Martial Arts."

[Your choice has been accepted]

[Exceed Lv0 and Inhuman Martial Arts Lv10 have been transferred to your Main Status]

"It's good things have returned to how they were meant to be…"

'It's as if nothing changed, but if I open it…'

[

Name: Philip Vinten *???*

Race: Type 2 Pure Human (+)

Home World: Earth (+)

Registered World: Eden (+)

Level 0

Class: None (+)

Title: Apex Evolver(Mental Lord) (+)

/Resonation Effect: Decodifier/

All Titles:

Exterminator of Nightmares; Hunter Genius; Ancient Archeologist; Jack of all Trades; Scholar; Martial Adept; Magical Enthusiast; Mental Lord; Blessed; Apex Evolver; Soldier; Contender; The Silent Legion; Specter; Hitman; Protector; Artificial Chrysalidate

-Vital info-

(+)

Mind> 299 (+) Previously: 174.4 (199.9)

Physical> 299 (+) Previously: 149.8 (173.4)

Energy> 270 (+) Previously: 136.1

Spiritual> 253 (265.8)(+) Previously: 120 (143)

Mystique> 60 (+)

Abilities:

Inhuman Martial Arts Lv10 (Hybrid)

Mental Force Lv24 (Hybrid)

Mental Force Manipulation Lv21 (Hybrid)

Mental Domain Lv12 (Hybrid)

Arcane Manipulation Lv17 (Hybrid)

Draly-Apyer Secret Sword Arts LvMax (Hybrid)

Seven-Colored Wooden Boat Lv1 (Hybrid)

Falling Fist of the Beast LvMax (Hybrid)

Pthumerian Combat Art (Modified) LvMax (15)(Hybrid)

Skills:

Exceed Lv0 (Active)

Advanced Skill Fusion Lv10 (Hybrid)

Western continent language Lv9 (Hybrid)

Phantom Sword LvMax(25) (Active)

Scholar Vision LvMax(10) (Active)

Combat Genius LvMax (Passive)

Predator's Presence LvMax

Somnium Courier Lv3 (Hybrid)

Simulation Room (???)

Gamerverse (???)

Traits:

Castle Town ***** (Weakened)

Hardworking

Unyielding

Incorruptible

]

[DING]

[Skill Fusion has detected two Abilities suitable for fusion]

"… Heh."

'I don't need to be a genius to figure this one out… but who knows, I could be surprised…'

[Pthumerian Combat Art + Inhuman Martial Arts]

[Special effect has triggered]

'Oh?'

[Fusion will result in -> Unnamed (Martial art)]

"... Interesting."

'Unnamed?… That's the second time this has happened… Maybe I can interpret it the same way then… Although its hard to say this is the same when this is the fusion of two abilities from different universes while the unnamed technique is just something I created.'

'… A lot is happening… But I got the gist of it. My Status looks much more complete, I like it.'

'As I wanted, it seems it is possible to fuse these Abilities together. Although whether or not I should do it remains unanswered.'

'There is one thing missing.'

Philip opened his Secondary Status and frowned.

[... ???…]

And also…

[... Steel Flash…]

He thought about the time, taking out his vibration blade after he reached a conclusion.

"I have time… I'll get these two Abilities before the sun rises."

'Once I fuse them together, I'll go after that… Let's hope it won't be too late for that.'

'… and then… only then will I proceed.'

[... Gamerverse…]

'It'll be time to activate it.'

"Starting off with the basics… a warmup." Philip muttered as he raised his blade and swung it down

/Fwoosh!/

"..."

Laplabe stood there in the room's corner, looking at Philip as he talked to himself and swung his sword for no apparent reason.

'What is that guy doing now? Can't he stay put for a day?'

'He raided the Principal's Office, met with the Principal's ghost… escaped to another city, bought a manor, trained for hours, was invited to a party, drank those gnarly potions, transformed, trained a bit more, went to the party, clashed with a hidden pursuer… and not to mention every little thing in between.'

'And now he wants to train throughout the night?'

"… Five… Six…"

"..."

'You know what? Whatever… This contractor can go do whatever he want…'

'Although he doesn't want to sleep, I want to… one of the few things I can do well is that.'

'Good night…'

"ZZZzzz…"

/Swoosh!/

With that, Laplace went to sleep… All the while Philip swung his sword.

…

.

.

.

Notes

A few things from me here.

Remember that from the systems perspective, Philip is Level 1, so every single one of his actions will be... Rather incredible no matter how strong he becomes.

Since it will always be a level 0 against something incredibly strong. So expect the system to become more and more in awe with his actions as time goes on.

Since now the System is fixed, we'll see considerably more of these just like it was back when he trained with Dae and left for his journey… We'll go through its logs and see the pending rewards and move on from there too.

So, we got here. And just to mention, remember when I said I cut these discussions from the last chapters? So yeah, it was because of this… If I had Philip go through all of his logs before the party… he may not have gone there at all.

It would've screwed with the progression a little, but I think I remedied that without breaking his character. Anyhow, that's all from me.

PS: You may have noticed that all of Philip's recognized abilities are considered (Hybrid) and that's intended. Technically speaking, from the system's perspective, those techniques have both active and passive effects. They can be utilized whenever necessary but they also leave behind marks on his body.

That's how it is, I guess, there isn't much of a need to put that much thought into that aspect. It's just a way to try and contextualize more on an ability's effect without that many extra words.

Bye!

PS2: Some people have told me that these types of long narrations can be jarring to read. Maybe not like that, I'd say... heavy.

I'll try to spread these out more or at least make them seem more organic. Idealy, Philip would just think everything out at once but hey, sometimes it doesn't matter what the characters would do or should do. It's about engagement and entertainment.

It's a good excuse to use for a lack of creativity, there are always more then one way to do something in a way a faithful to the character. I'll try to be more sporadic with these. Thanks for reading!