Zero Fate Against the World (New Version)

This is one of my favorite chapters. 8.5 K words

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/A few hours later…/

Even as the night passed, and the faintest rays of sunlight bleached the skies…

/Fwoosh!... Fwoosh!.../

Philip kept swinging his blade. Again and again at many angles, speeds, and levels of power.

He now wore a new set of garbs, having ditched his previously ripped clothes to the corner of the room. This way, nothing would get in his way.

His whole focus was on his training.

Going over everything he knew, he followed the imaginary manuals on his head as he kept raising his sword up and down… and went beyond it as well.

Moves and ideas otherwise impossible before were now workable with his stronger body. The technique which was close to completion could now be reached. He only needed to close the cycle.

Even if the technique was full of flaws, it would be something truly his…

"Now, to end it. The last movement..."

/Thud!/

He drew a long overhead slash, stomping on the ground with a lot of force as his sword stopped parallel to the ground.

[Ding]

[You have created a new Martial Technique]

"Created?... Ah…"

'Of course, this is something that doesn't exist in this world.'

'This didn't happen last time when I transferred the Hunter techniques to the Main Status… Was it because my System was glitchy?… That doesn't seem about right.'

"In that case… Philip's… Urg, I feel embarrassed trying to name this after me… actually, does it even matter? I'll just fuse it away…"

Stretching his arms in frustration, he eventually came to a decision.

"Since this is my own variation of the Perfected Shadow Technique, how about I just call it the Twin Shadow Method?"

'… Perhaps I should've just gone with my original idea… Well, it's just a name anyway…'

[Congratulations on creating the Twin Shadow Method]

[You've manifested the Ability, Twin Shadow Method Lv0]

"… That's one thing done."

'But uh… No special rewards? Alright, I'm being too greedy...

[Your Title, Martial Adept has changed to Martial Expert]

"... There was indeed something." He said with a half smile as he dismissed the System notification

He finished his stretches and grabbed his sword once more, putting it inside its scabbard.

Getting into a drawing stance, he prepared himself.

'Alright then, I'll rest first, and then onto the next one…'

[Ding]

[Skill fusion has detected three Abilities suitable for fusion]

[Pthumerian Combat art + Inhuman Martial Arts + Twin Shadow Method]

Philip stopped, "I thought this would happen, this much was planned… although I didn't quite count with it activating."

'At this point, Skill Fusion's Level is high enough for this to consistently occur. But it's nothing near an absolute… after all, I doubt this is the only fusion I can perform right now.'

'Just how many possibilities are there for me to experience?… I wonder how many more Levels will it take for Skill Fusion to Rank up again...

"In any case… I won't fuse them yet."

'To improve the result as much as possible, I must push this skill back to its original state… maybe even beyond. With my body like this, it shouldn't be too difficult to raise its level once or twice. I believe my actual understanding of what this technique is meant to be is already beyond what I was previously able to display.'

'But those limitations aren't around anymore.'

"The issue is the time… It's been a few hours already and I'm getting anxious…"

Philip shook his head, dismissing those thoughts. 'Sigh, why didn't it level up like what happened previously? Are there some conditions for this to happen?...'

'I don't mind doing it all over again, but it just so happened I'm particularly pressed for time today… Whatever, I'll treat it as an extended warm-up and training from the roots.'

"… as long as this doesn't become the norm…"

"Humph… I'm thinking too much…" He said as he brushed his hair back

"With that out of the way… Maybe it's time I do it?" He mumbled to himself as he sat down on the ground to rest

'The System logs… Gamerverse has already triggered, so it's only a matter of time before it loses patience. So before that happens, I should go over the pending notifications so I can get those over with.'

'If I end up stuck in another world similar to Simulation Room, then I'll at least be able to train and adapt in time. I've already accepted that its likely impossible to not spend a few months in each memory, so I better make the most out of them.'

'Anyhow… No time to waste.'

He searched his panel and finally found it, the logs.

[DING]

[Opening System Log]

[…]

[Calculating all missing parameters]

[Impossible to recover corrupted Data]

[Scanning for new Data...]

[Scanning complete, formulating an adequate response...]

[A reward shall be given]

"Hum… Did this all happen while I was asleep? Something seems to be missing."

'How did the System recover? Shouldn't there be logs about it just like there were logs about its failures before?'

'Something's sketchy… How frustrating, I'll never sleep again during these scenarios... But it was so comfortable...'

He frowned, 'Now that I think about it, why did I even sleep? No way I would risk myself like that… but my desires ended up surpassing my rationale... This isn't normal.'

'My mind is more than strong enough to suppress those urges… It must've been something beyond that… A System-induced coma?'

He thought and thought, but there was no point in crying over spilled milk... 'Hm…? This isn't the end. Let's see what else awaits.'

There was a new message beneath those, "It must be the so-called pending rewards…"

'There were several things I'd like to receive. Let's see… The first one would likely be some rewards from defeating the Wild Orcs… then everything I did during my time in Simulation Room. The System failed to keep up with my actions there. And a year of training inside should've netted me quite a few rewards.'

'Then its the same to when I returned from my third trip with Gamerverse. The System crashed out after being unable to process my achievements.'

'Ever since then, it grew eerily silent… It worked a few times like when I consumed the Iron Heart Trait… but that was the likely the biggest expression of life the System showed me throughout my time in the Academy.'

'I also received little for my three weeks of training with Fabrin despite their intensity… And that's only a few of the things that passed through my mind. There could be many more the System deems worthy of attention.'

'Let's see…'

Philip scrolled down…

[Displaying Achievement Log…]

[You have made four extreme achievements and a few minor ones that will be fused into the rewards]

'Hum… I see, so the System is putting everything in one package rather than delivering all to me as they occurred… I'm not entirely thrilled, but it's not a bad solution either.'

'It's not like I can suspect the System… I don't have that right yet.'

[Disclaimer!]

[A portion of your achievements were lost due to data corruption. Recovery has been deemed impossible]

[Appropriate solutions have been taken to remedy the situation]

[Displaying…]

[The first achievement: You have greatly contributed towards the System Repair]

[Second achievement: You greatly contributed with the fragments of the Broken Creation, Ithas, that have been used for the System Repair]

[Third achievement: You expanded the ***** with never seen before knowledge]

[Fourth achievement: Your body has… *Corrupted Data*]

[Plus some minor achievements]

[Based on the recorded factors. Your current state and condition, along other parameters, will determine your rewards]

"Data loss… I'm inclined to say it makes sense. But is that truly it?"

'I have all my memories. If the System wanted to, it could easily refer to everything I did to crosscheck with its databank. And even if that's not possible, Simulation Room has also been with me for a long while recording everything I do.'

'… Maybe the System already cross-checked it, but like a machine, even if it has proof of something, it cannot deny its programming and processes… I hate this.'

'I feel like this situation is more messy than it should've been for nothing… Like dealing with terrible customer service…'

[Displaying rewards...]

[Title, Scholar has changed to Great Scholar]

[The Associated Skill, Scholar Vision has evolved into Great Scholar Vision]

[Further progression is possible... Halted]

[You don't meet the requirements for the designation of Sage]

[Title, Ancient Archeologist has been appropriately altered into Antesunderian Archeologist]

[You may choose four skills from any of your Secondary Statuses to pass to your Main Status]

[The last reward shall be a pick between several choices]

[1- Race

2- Talent/Potential

3- Skill Evolution

4- Title Evolution

5- An answer to a Question

6- Order, of second degree or higher

7- Increase in Authority

]

[The host has twenty-four hours to decide]

Philip read through it all, word by word, phrase by phrase… Until he came to a depressing solution…

"I know what happened to them now." He said with a frown as he laid his back on the ground

He closed his eyes, pensive… 'No one told me I had to feed it… Because this damn System ate it all!'

Philip was pissed, but being angry would lead him nowhere. When putting everything together, the jigsaw puzzle came to be… It seemed that as he slept, his broken system repaired itself, and it fucking used his Origin Orbs to do so!

And if that weren't enough, it had the gall to delete all relevant process information and fail to provide proper cross-referencing for the deliverables.

He focused his tensed mind, trying to ease his rising blood pressure… "Okay, now to make do with what I have, piece by piece."

'Although they disappeared from a certain perspective, they're still here. Maybe there is a method to separate them from my System if necessary, but for now, it doesn't matter.'

'What matters is that I now know a little more about them. Fragments of the broken creation, Ithas... It rings no bells at all. I'll have to see if there is information recorded inside MTs databank, but I'm not confident about it.'

'The Origin Orbs… Or should I say, these fragments were already hidden from the rest of the world. I don't expect to find anything at all in those books… Mere mentions of them are illegal in this Kingdom.'

'… I could try my pick at the hidden records of the Principal to see if there's anything worthwhile as I have yet to scan those documents… That's my best bet until I find a way to contact Dae again.'

'The problem is... How do I explain this to him?… Hey uh... My System ate the three Orbs you told me to get...'

'Nine known Origin Orbs in the Continent? Sorry, Bro, only six left. I ate the other three... I can see him losing his mind… if he hasn't predicted this scenario already.'

'Dae knew my System was going to lose its effectiveness, eventually. He even warned me about it… so maybe this was a possible scenario.'

'Anyhow… Apart from this reward, it doesn't seem anything else changed. Should I be satisfied that my system isn't glitching anymore?'

"I can't do anything about that… so why worry?"

'… To think this party would chain these events together… Time to do my favorite activity and review the process.'

"The biggest shame here is that the potential skills I could've gotten have all gone up the dust… I'll likely get them again, but who knows what I may have lost…"

'Then again, maybe that is exactly why these rewards look so plentiful…'

"First, my Titles…"

'Three of them have changed… The right wording may be Evolved. It's pretty self-explanatory, still, it's better to go through their descriptions again…

"... Martial Expert…"

'Just a better version of the previous one… I used it often during training, albeit Mental Lord has been my preference for most activities… still… It'll certainly help with the development of certain abilities, and its resonance effects are enticing too.'

'Anyhow, even if I don't use it, the idea of leveling up so many Titles is merely for the idea of fusing them together in the future to create some obscene Titles… and maybe… just like the Iron Heart Trait, I can feed them off to Apex Evolver… but that's just a possibility of mine.'

'Scholar has changed to Great Scholar. That was the expected evolution path, and I already knew what I had to do to evolve it. I only lacked the opportunity. I didn't expect it to evolve now of all times.'

'It does the same as Scholar, but better. Like before, I can use my internal knowledge to inspect objects, albeit its heavily dependent on what I know.'

'At Level 0, I can see someone's Level and some additional information up to Level 50, so I lost a bit there as previously. It was 55 levels... But as I level it up, I'll only gain more.'

'At Level 1, it's 60 and so on. At Level 10, if I assume that's the max Level… I'll be able to see someone's information as long as they're within 150 levels of mine.'

'Nonetheless, I doubt I'll ever see someone with such a high level. What matters here is reaching the next stage and unlocking extra features…'

'The problem here is the requirements for being a Sage… I know what that means, but I hadn't thought I'd reach it this quickly… It's a shame I lost the chance to be one, but its true I'm likely lacking severely.'

'Dae didn't leave much information regarding it behind, so I'll have to rely on MT again… If I remember correctly, one of the students had received the Sage Class, right?'

'Wait… If I meet the requirements to be a Sage… Would I be able to receive her Class? Is there a difference between becoming a Sage through proper means and becoming one through a Class?'

'… I don't qualify to be one, so there is no point in thinking about it… Still, it's interesting I meet some qualifications to be one. Perhaps there are ways of getting some of the hero Classes as well... After all, according to what I know, each Class is based on something that happened in history, like a legendary warrior that left his name in history, or a group...'

'I may not have received a Class like the others, but receiving others should be possible through accumulation and ordinary progression… albeit I'd rather remain without one for now.'

"Antesunderian Archeologist… I don't know what that means at all."

'The wording implies some sort of time period… Sunderian? Before the Sunderian period?… But what is that? The earliest events I'm aware of would be the great crossing of manking from the North to the South before the Empire was founded and the fall of the Dwarves around 1000 years ago… The Dwarves likely fell before that though.'

'Antesunderian is probably even before that… maybe it refers to the time period between the ancient times and now?'

'Everything before 1000 years ago is considered the ancient times since there aren't that many recordings of that era. A lot of history was lost during the crossing and the many wars in between…'

'Why did my Title become this though?… Is it because the Pthumerians were an ancient civilization, and when my original Title evolved, it was eventually translated to a similar time period? That's the only thing I can think of.'

"… There's quite a bit to study… so far it hasn't been overwhelming."

'Now it's the cool part… the opportunity to transfer not two but four skills to my Main Status! Its probably the combined rewards from my past two Classes together.'

'The thing is, Simulation Room was instantly moved to my Main Status, so I now have an overflowing amount of choices!'

'What a blast! A rare treat!'

Philip had to hold in his excitement as he thought it over.

'A shame I can't keep it for my next Class… but no point in being greedy. If it's like before, then following the line of priority… First are Traits, then System acquired Skills, followed by System acquired Abilities…'

'Skills and Abilities that I know how to get can be left for the future, while I should focus on getting things I wouldn't be able to acquire through normal means.'

'With that in mind.'

Pass the Trait Sword Heart to the Main Status.

[Choose three more skills to pass]

There wasn't even a thread of hesitation in his decision. Philip was dead set on his choice, and with reason.

'There are three Traits in my two secondary Classes for me to choose from. Old Blood infusion, Strengthened Body, and the Sword Heart.'

'The first one is out of the question, I don't want to contaminate my body with that… I've made some experiments in my three weeks with Fabrin to see what would happen if I tried to fuse the Old Blood with my body, but the result wasn't ideal.'

'Hyper Cells really don't like dealing with that. The blood of the old ones is beyond mere biology… at least in a manner that conforms to our dimension… Hyper Cells tend to just push them out rather than try and deal with them.'

'There's no way to create harmony between both, so until I succeed, there's no point in even trying… Besides, even if I wanted to transfer this Trait to my main body, I can just take my own blood with a syringe while my Class is active… It works just the same if I do things correctly.'

'Even if that wasn't an option, I have over a thousand blood infusions in my inventory. I don't lack that at all.'

'Strenghned Body is nothing more than a Trait given to represent Samuel's body… but I have a suspicion this Trait was influenced by me as well. Samuel was strong but not outside of Human limits, so this Trait was redundant.'

'It wouldn't do anything to my body. Maybe it has some potential of development, but Skill Fusion is far from being able to meddle with Traits. When the time comes, I'll consider its worth.'

'So the last one remains the obvious choice. Its a Trait that can help with any sort of weapon growth, not only swords but spears and axes as well. It's a Trait that modifies my conviction and focus, granting me a level of insight beyond most.'

'For my Skills… Why choose when I can have them all?… Is what I wanted to say…'

'There are four Skills I would've wanted to get, but I only have three opportunities… In the face of my current priorities, I have to go with the essentials.'

'I'll transfer Ignition Strike, Invisible Blade and Flow to my main Status. Dueler's Ambition will have to wait.'

'Everything else can be attained through training.'

'I've made my choices.'

[DING]

[The Trait Sword Heart has been transferred to your Main Status]

[The Skills Ignition Strike LvMax, Invisible Blade LvMax, and Flow Lv7 have been transferred to your Main Status]

"It grows…" Philip said with a smile as he looked at his Status

[

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; Antesunderian Archeologist; Jack of all Trades; Great Scholar; Martial Expert; Magical Enthusiast; Mental Lord; Blessed; Apex Evolver; Soldier; Contender; The Silent Legion; Specter; Hitman; Protector; Artificial Chrysalidate

-Vital info-

(+)

Mind> 299 (+)

Physical> 299 (+) 

Energy> 270 (+) 

Spiritual> 253 (265.8)(+)

Mystique> 60 (+)

Abilities:

Twin Shadow Method Lv0 (Hybrid)

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)

Ignition Strike LvMax(10) (Active)

Invisible Blade LvMax(15) (Hybrid)

Flow Lv7 (Hybrid)

Advanced Skill Fusion Lv10 (Hybrid)

Western continent language Lv9 (Hybrid)

Phantom Sword LvMax(25) (Active)

Great Scholar Vision Lv0 (Active)

Combat Genius LvMax (Passive)

Predator's Presence LvMax

Somnium Courier Lv3 (Hybrid)

Simulation Room (???)

Gamerverse (???)

Traits:

Castle Town ***** (Weakened)

Hardworking

Unyielding

Incorruptible

Sword Heart

]

Philip suddenly felt his head surge backward, bending his neck, "Urg!!… I suddenly feel lightheaded…"

He grabbed a bottle of cold water on top of the nearest table and chugged it all down.

"Haaa… Better."

'I should be more careful about these operations. My main Status is merely a representation of my body, and moving things to the first is the same as tinkering with the latter.'

'If in the future I end up forgetting about this and moving to something dangerous, it could end in me changing forever... There's no way to tell just in what way the skills may act when together.'

'At least I have Skill Fusion. In desperation, it can save me… But only to some abilities. If a Trait ends up worming its way inside my body…'

Philip took another gulp of his cold water to drown his thoughts, "Enough thinking about these scary hypothetical situations."

'Only one thing left now before returning to my night training…'

[1- Race

2- Talent/Potential

3- Skill Evolution

4- Title Evolution

5- An answer to a Question

6- Order, of Second Degree or Higher

7- Increase in Authority

]

"… This brings back memories from when I was in the Palace..."

'I wonder what the other Heroes are doing... How strong they got? What abilities did they learn and train in? I'm very interested in finding that out…'

"Order… Last time I was told to ignore it, and once again, I'll throw it aside."

'I have no idea what it'll cause. I shouldn't entertain it… The System seems keen on dumping that on me though.'

'Right below that is... Authority... It gives me a familiar feel… when I think about it, a few things pop up in my head…'

'Those damned censored words that pop up from time to time whenever something important happens… The System has a knack for censoring crucial information, so with a higher Authority, would I be able to see more things?'

'Or could this refer to something else?… But what kind of Authority if not one regarding the System could it imply?… It's dangerous.'

"In any case, this isn't my priority, so up I go."

'The Fifth option… An answer to a question. This has caught my attention… Would it answer me if I asked for a way to return home?… It probably would. But would the answer satisfy me? There's nothing here about that, so it's quite misleading.'

'… What if I narrowed it down by asking for a safe way to return home right now with my powers, without consequences? Would that be possible?… Do I want that?'

Philip shook his head again. He wasn't tired of this world to return yet. There was much to do and see all around… but if the System gave him a way to reliable move between both worlds, he wouldn't hesitate to choose this option.

Then again, Dae likely knows methods for the same. But the thing is… would he share them with him right now?

'… What if I were to ask for the location of all Origin Orbs?... The number of things I can ask are endless… And that is exactly what worries me.'

'There has to be some sort of barrier, otherwise, I wouldn't be given the option for Authority… If everything fits together the way I imagined.'

'An answer to something I can ask about, this is likely what the System would give me… even if most of it ends up censored.'

"It's not worth it."

'Next… Title evolution is self-explanatory. If I were to choose it, I would definitely use it on Apex Evolver. It has been a big help, and it's still full of mysteries.'

'After that would be Skill evolution… Perhaps its too good to be true. What if I could… Evolve Gamerverse? What would the result be?'

'More than changing my race, my Title, or my Talent, this Skill has been responsible for all my current power. Even with all the help I was given so far, I cannot forget what paved the way for me to get here, and what will likely continue to do so.'

'Well, I'm undervaluing myself too much. I'm still mostly responsible for all my progress, but it is a fact that I may not have gone this far had Gamerverse not been around.'

"I'm really tempted to do it…"

He sat down on a chair in the room's corner and closed his eyes in deep thought... "My innate Skill..."

'Dammit! I choose Skill Evolution!'

[DING]

[Choose your Skill to Evolve]

Philip smiled like a Devil as he up from his chair.

'Gamerverse!'

[You have chosen to evolve your innate Skill, Gamerverse]

[Determining Skill specifics…]

[Processing...]

[Concluded… Halted]

[Unexpected interruption has occurred… Consulting…]

[Conditions are yet to be fulfilled]

At that moment, just like before, his System window suddenly changed colors, becoming golden-white as it displayed a single notification:

[Skill progression is possible]

[Processing...]

[Skill Gamerverse is being enhanced… Halted]

[DING]

[Skill level is too high for this operation. Choose another Skill]

/Thud!/

Philip slammed his fist on the ground wall, cracking it.

"What do you mean?!" He exclaimed as he looked at the status window

He momentarily startled Laplabe next to him, who quickly returned to his sleep before he was dragged into this mess.

'Urg… Fine, I'll take this defeat. You can't win them all.'

His face was slightly red, he was frustrated... 'But, if I think of this from another perspective… It was to be expected, my Skill is just that great after all…'

"Sigh, who am I trying to trick?"

'I was so close… Maybe if the System had collected more achievements, the total would've sufficed to evolve it.'

"There's only one option left… But I'm not so thrilled about it."

'How can I know what the options will be, much less if I'll understand what they are once the list appears before me?'

'But… It's already been over a month since I talked with Dae, so maybe it's safe to meet with him. Since I have twenty-four hours, I can just wait for nightfall and reach out to him. He's smart, so he knows I'll contact him.'

'Otherwise he wouldn't have given me a month.'

"… So Race evolution will have to do."

[Choose your Skill to Evolve]

Philip froze, his eyes trembling, "... It can't be…" Philip muttered with a pale face as his arms shook

'Just… Reverse?'

[Choose your Skill to Evolve]

"You can't do this to me…"

[Choose your Skill to Evolve]

"Give me back…"

[Choose your Skill to Evolve]

"My Race evolution!"

/Thud…/

Philip raised his hand up high, threateing to smash the table… But he calmed down.

He jumped out of the chair and rested his head on the cold ground of the training room, defeated. His eyes were dead as he stared at the ceiling, unblinking...

'I don't know who to blame… I have only myself but that hurts too much… Is this how people that lost everything gambling feel?'

'Its a trash feeling.'

Philip rubbed his eyes and sat on the ground again.

"Fine, since I'm being forced to choose, better make the most of it."

He got up from the ground, grabbing his sword again.

"Do I have to choose now?"

[Host has 23 hours, 48 minutes, 56 seconds…]

"Fine, I'll speedrun this."

'Maybe this is for the best. I wasn't that interested in evolving again anytime soon, so why not use this opportunity for something just as worthwhile?'

/Thud!/

Philip stepped forward, grabbing his sword from the table next to him before resuming his training.

He had twenty-four hours… a day to reach the pinnacle of his abilities.

"..."

Laplabe remained silent as he witnessed Philip's crashout... He had to since for a moment he was being threatened by his fist.

It was better to faint ignorance of what he had just seen, else things would become really awkward. He was used to it… As an old Mimic, he saw a few too many things in his long life...

Things he would rather just forget.

…

/A few moments ago somewhere really, really, reaaaally far away…/

In the heart of an icy valley, encircled by towering, frozen mountains, a triangular structure floated gently above the ice, rotating at an almost imperceptible pace.

This inverted pyramid, weathered and worn, appeared as ancient as the very mountains that framed it. The structure was hollow, allowing a clear view through its form. A low hum emanated from within, a subtle vibration that evoked an unsettling feeling.

As one approached the triangular structure, a peculiar phenomenon became apparent. In front of each side shimmered a large, black screen, resembling a transparent shield. Though difficult to discern due to its near-invisibility, its presence was undeniable.

Closer inspection of these "screens" revealed that they were not solid barriers at all. Instead, they were composed of a dense, rapidly shifting array of words, numbers, and indecipherable scribbles, packed so tightly together that they appeared as a continuous surface to the naked eye.

/HUM!/

The pyramid suddenly hummed extremely loudly like a the horn of the largest boats, and one of its faces flashed, causing the black screen to disappear.

But soon enough, a new set of numbers and words appeared on it… Much bigger than before.

{Potential… Break of continuity… Has been detected}

The numbers shifted, calculations, processes, studies…

{Solution… Cancelation of Protocol…}

{...}

{Processing results...}

{Problem… Averted…}

The screen flashed again, but this time, the Pyramid turned upset down, sending an waterfall of ancient dust onto the ground beneath it. It seemed this wasn't the first time this had happened, as below it, a small hill of dust and sand had formed from the countless times it had turned.

{Receiving… Transmission}

{Checking transmission identification…}

/Shaaa…/

The pyramid suddenly grew boiling, melting the surrounding ice, showing a smooth black metal beneath it…

{Time of identification… Three full Solar Orbits… Into the future}

{Potential timeline convergence… Paradox anomaly…}

{Solution… Direct intervention… Negated}

{Solution… Elimination of the source… Negated}

{Solution… Timeline Divergence… Approved}

{Processing results...}

{Problem… Averted…}

{Raising… Risk Magnitude… 3}

{Total processing time… 37 seconds… Archiving}

{Contact Central... Unnecessary}

{Resuming normal operations}

/HUM!/

The Pyramid moved once again, returning to its previous inverted position. The only clue to it ever moving was the dust beneath it.

Above it, a massive object slowly passed by…

It was a blue sphere, filled with many symbols whose borders glowed red as if burning.

It was quite the impressive view if there was anyone to appreciate it that is… This place was more silent than a graveward.

But upon a closer look, it wasn't difficult to say that this blue sphere in the night sky was, in fact…

A planet.

Eden.

…

/Half a day later.../

/Drip drip.../

"Huff!"

/SLASH!/

"..."

'He's been doing this for over half a day already... Doesn't he get tired? He didn't even stop to rest at all.'

'The old man rarely lost a meal. He was oddly methodical, but this guy?… Does he run on air He already sweated a bucket... At least he is drinking water regularly.'

/SLASH!/

"Phew..."

Despite his sweat covered body and the gashes on his hands, Philip smiled.

[Twin Shadow Method Lv14 -> LvMax(15)]

Wiping the sweat off his forehead, Philip sheathed his blade before putting it on the table next to him, "Finally… had to work my ass off." He said out loud as he opened his Status

'I've done it. My strengthened body permitted me to complete the martial arts I envisioned. They're still full of flaws and there's a lot of room for improvement, and above all, I have yet to test it effectively in combat…'

'But with the time I have left, I won't have the chance to go through it all.'

He massaged his eyebrows.

He smiled, "It's time… Activate Skill Fusion."

[Fuse Pthumerian Combat Art (Modified) LvMax, Inhuman Martial Arts LvMax, and Twin Shadow Method LvMax?]

"Should I… No. Sometimes, less is better."

'I considered fusing the swordsmanship of the Human and Elven Empires, but that'll only bloat it. I'm already fusing two distinct techniques together, and Inhuman Martial Arts will serve as the link between both. I'd love to complement it with Aura and more techniques, but maybe this is something better left off for the future.'

'It won't be too late to create another martial art based on this world's principles and eventually fuse it together with this to create something truly unique… but even then, that may not be necessary.'

'As I gain more techniques, maybe something more in line with this world's abilities may appear. When that time comes, I can focus on fusing those together to create something more suitable.'

'It's not like I need to have only one technique… and while I know I don't have that much time, as long as I keep things grounded, I won't lose my path.'

"Fuse."

[Fusing... A few restrictions are impeding the Skills from fusing]

"What...?"

His face paled. Not this again… If he couldn't fuse these, then that would truly be a terrific waste.

'If this doesn't work, I'll kill myself... Just how much of my achievements will end up lost if I don't invest it somewhere worthwhile?'

'If only I could enhance anything in the Status Panel… Then I could've chosen one of my Traits.'

[Skill Fusion has bypassed the restriction]

"!!… Ah yes, Skill Fusion can bypass some restrictions!"

'This is likely the conflicting sources of the abilities. They only work because of the System, but there seems to be a limit to that generosity…'

'This is another reason to level Skill Fusion…' Philip thought as he let out a sigh of relief

[Fusion complete]

[Critical Fusion!]

[You have acquired the new Ability, ***** Lv0]

[Please, name this new Ability]

[Proficiency is being recalculated...]

[***** Lv0 -> Lv6]

[Advanced Skill fusion Lv10 -> Lv13]

[You have created a new...]

[A great...]

But Philip ignored the achievement notifications, he wasn't done yet. He smiled in satisfaction… It was time.

He could feel his body changed as his abilities converged together. 'This was it.' He thought to himself as he felt something shift inside his body.

This state he had currently achieved… it was what he'd been seeking all along. The harmonization of his powers into one coherent ability.

He had only felt this skill being a possibility through rigorous training. Who knows how long it would've taken for him to reach it on his own? Maybe never…

Given the invisible restrictions between those abilities. Was he talented enough to surpass them with training, insight, and effort alone?

It could be seen as cheating, but sometimes, it takes a slight push from the outside…

'Our time together has been brief… Goodbye.'

'I choose this new unnamed Ability for evolution!'

[You have chosen to evolve *****]

[Processing...]

[Evolution is possible]

[***** Lv6 -> ***** Lv0]

[Proficiency is being recalculated...]

[***** Lv0 -> Lv1]

"Yes!… ?!?!"

Suddenly, Philip fell to the ground with a sickening thud that echoed in the otherwise silent room. Pain, a searing, all-consuming pain, filled his body, radiating outwards from a point he couldn't quite locate.

It clawed at his muscles, tightened his chest, and made it difficult to breathe. But the physical agony was only a fraction of what he was experiencing. A torrent of complex pieces of information and knowledge flooded his mind, an overwhelming surge of data that felt both alien and intimately familiar.

Images, equations, movements, and philosophical concepts flashed behind his eyes, each demanding attention, each vying for dominance. He tried to grasp onto a single thought, a single coherent idea, but it was like trying to catch water in his hands. The influx showed no signs of stopping at all; in fact, it seemed to be intensifying, threatening to drown him in a sea of overwhelming understanding.

He groaned, clutching at his head, desperate for the onslaught to cease. Was he dying? Or was this something far, far worse?'

[DING]

Notifications poured on his ears, the clamor of his mind trying to piece itself back together in the face of utter destruction, and his body trying to understand and adapt to its involuntary transformation.

Like a colossal glacier cleaving a mountain in two, something cold yet hot wormed its way throughout the four corners of his mind like a hot knife through butter.

He understood amidst the flood of pain that no matter how much he grew and achieved, in the face of the System, he was only a subjected to be modified at will.

"Urg... ARGGG… AHHHHH…"

"?!?!"

Laplabe watched, a knot of dread tightening in his stomach, as Philip bit down hard on his lips. The gesture, a desperate attempt to staunch the rising tide of agony, proved futile. The pain, raw and untamed, was simply too much to contain.

To Laplabe's absolute horror, a scream ripped from Philip's throat, a sound that clawed at the edges of his composure. This was Philip, the same boy who had slumbered peacefully through the most agonizing process he knew. The incongruity of this stoic individual now succumbing to such visceral pain sent a shockwave through him.

"Dammit! What have you done this time?!"

Instinct took over. Laplabe moved with unnatural speed, a shadow detaching itself from the gloom. For a fleeting moment, his true form flickered into existence, a nightmarish cluster of twisting, writhing shadows that towered over the convulsing figure of Philip. The display was brief, yet it spoke volumes of the power contained within.

He focused his immense intellect, desperately trying to decipher the source of Philip's torment. He scrutinized every inch of Philip's being, searching for any sign, any clue that would explain the current crisis. He delved into his memories of similar situations, desperately seeking a precedent. But no matter how meticulously he inspected, no matter what analytical approach he employed, he remained baffled. He was confronted by an enigma he couldn't solve.

/Bzz…/

As he looked around, a small flashing cable approached him from the side, casting a red scanning light over Philip's body. It was one of MT's many probes, and it was studying his body just as Laplabe was.

Laplabe was already somewhat aware of what the strange obelisk could do. It seemed alive but at the same time not. So he turned to it… or it seemed like it at least.

"How is it? Anything?"

[… Inconclusive analysis, performing a flash scan of internal archives]

"… I don't think that'll work."

'I have the feeling this contractor did something without precedent…'

Had Philip made the wrong choice? Had he unleashed something he couldn't control, a power too potent, too volatile for even him to manage?

It was similar to before, from when he received the jarring influx of time-skip memories. The pain then had been significant, disorienting. But compared to the sheer, unadulterated agony radiating from him now, that past experience felt as insignificant as being pricked by a needle.

"Don't die on me now…"

"I'M NOT DYING! STOP CURSING ME!"

/SLAM!/

/TREMBLE!/

Philip punched the ground in pain, his hand glowing in strong blue light as it condensed... The impact of his fist against the ground created a large crack across the floor, causing the whole room to tremble.

The trembling was so intense that Lablabe was thrown off his feet, but solely due to a lack of balance. To prevent the inventory tool and other items from falling and being damaged, he rapidly reshaped his body to snatch them from the table.

He turned around to look at the large obelisk, but against his expectations, it was levitating slightly off the ground, so he turned back to Philip, focusing his attention on him.

"Dammit... What is happening now?"

'I know Heroes can see what composes the world without the need of especial tools. I knew that was why he was talking to himself… But what did he do now?'

'He's been jumping through emotions and now he collapsed on the ground…'

He took a glance at Philip. Blueish purple flames were converting his entire body. But those weren't flames. They just looked like it.

"That's dangerous. Step away… thing…" He mumbled to himself and then at MT as he moved away

[Strange energy fluctuations have been detected]

"I can see that, my friend…"

/BAM!/

/BAM!/

/CRACK!/

Philip continued to flail around as the ground broke apart, and it seemed the room wouldn't be able to last for long... "ARG! This is making me go insane!" Philip exclaimed as he stopped hitting the ground

'My head is throbbing! My body is… The itching is killing me!'

He protested, yet the blue energy continued to move around his body, condensing, shaping itself into something as it danced on his skin...

"Philip? Can you hear me…?"

But before he could finish, Philip raised his hand to make him stop. He wasn't in the mood to talk… That said, Laplabe questioned himself if he had done that on purpose or not, as it seemed more like an unconscious reaction than anything.

"Urg…"

He sat on the ground, sweating. The pain was still going, but he could tolerate it slightly now. The hard part had passed, but the process had just begun.

...

"..."

Inside Philip's mental world, a red vase floated calmly on top of a fountain near a castle...

/Hum.../

It hummed slightly as if it could feel something...

"... birth..." It muttered in a twisted but coherent tone, as if trying to copy someone

/CRUNK!/

Far away, a knight stood atop a tall tower, grasping the skies above, holding them in place. The gigantic chains binding the tower groaned and creaked, risking rupture…

But it stood there, holding it all in place.

And it would die trying.

...

/A few minutes later.../

Philip remained sitting, unmoving, while Laplabe stood in the other corner of the room with MT's probe beside him, observing him from inside the energy shield Philip set around MT when they first arrived.

Laplabe could feel several people outside of the room, attracted by the commotion. He was concerned, not for Philip, but for them. If they got inside now and he went on a little rampage again, things would turn bloody...

The room itself seemed to boil, blue flames scattering everywhere. It took Laplabe much effort to maintain the shield around them.

He was confident in resisting the berserking energy. But what about the obelisk? What about the fragile storage device? It wasn't porcelain, but it wasn't a slab of unbreaking metal either.

And as long as slight gap in its structure were to form…

"!"

Philip suddenly opened his eyes, getting up from the ground.

/BANG!/

The air snapped, and the blue energy condensed into its final form...

"Philip?"

"… Huff… I'm... Okay."

He reached for his head, "I have a serious headache going on but it's nothing I can't handle." Philip replied as he took a deep breath

"... As long as you're okay, then it's fine."

Philip looked around, noticing the surrounding destruction. The ground had melted around him, the ceiling was peeling and the walls were charred black.

Everything aside from the corner where MT and Laplabe were had been destroyed, leaving nothing recognizable.

"This... Is going to be pricey to fix." He joked slightly as he tried to lift the mood

"Is that your biggest concern?"

"Of course not."

Philip stepped out of the scorching crater, frowning as he felt little heat coming from the clearly molten ground. Despite the clear warnings his mind seemed to give him, his intincts told him otherwise.

His feet sinking with every step, he stepped out of the hole, leaving behind black footprints as his steaming body cooled off.

He went after his sword, which had been flung aside and it was now stuck on the wall.

He went to grab it but reconsidered, stopping as he saw his reflection.

"What the..."

"You finally noticed." Laplabe replied in a low tone

...

/At the same time, outside.../

"… I swear, each day he pushes me more and more towards insanity." Viera said as she looked at the door towards the training room

Smoke rose from its crevices, a heavy smell of burnt… something prevailed the air. It was something she didn't smell everyday, so she had difficulty describing it.

It was akin to when her strongest spells collided against the walls of the underground Dungeon. That was her best description of what she smelled.

But that wasn't the issue… She was wearing a nice blue shirt with a pair of white shorts that went past her knees. Sebastian said it was a bit too revealing, and technically, by this place's standards, it is.

Fashion can be quite subjective, especially when there are so many races on this continent... But Viera felt comfortable like this, and there was no one here to judge her, apart from Sebastiano...

However, her clothes… the ones she liked quite a bit, were stained… Previously, not so long ago, she was sitting down in the living room eating her breakfast… and it suddenly flung towards her face when everything shook.

She was pissed. It seemed as if Philip had a vendetta against her clothes. Whenever she donned something she liked, he'd find a way to tarnish it… but even more so, concerned.

As she thought of this, Viera suddenly realized she probably said "What happened?" more times this month than she ever did her whole life...

"It seems things have calmed down." Sebastiano expressed as a drop of sweat fell from his forehead

"… Then I'll go check it out." She said as she walked forward

"Wait, Madam! The lord..."

"Yeah, I know very well what he told me, but I can't just stay out here when he could very well be cooking himself alive..."

/Creak.../

The door to the training room opened, revealing Philip… and a cloud of black smoke.

"You can't what?" He asked as he waved his hands around, trying to disperse the thick cloud of smoke covering him

"Eh?!" Viera replied, startled. Almost taking a step back in shock as her eyes trembled

"What is it? Is there something on my face?"

"... What happened to you?!" She asked as she looked at him

...

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Notes

Thanks for reading!… Man, I feel so great right now. It was the perfect way to end this.

Besides, why don't you all give me ideas for a name? Even if it doesn't make sense, I may end up considering it… Okay, I already have a name but I like hearing your ideas.

Aside from that, goodbye my fellows!

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You still here? Go away.

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Really? There isn't anything here for you, my guy. Tsk tsk...

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You sure are persistent, I'll give you that.

Fine, you win… Just drop me a power stone on your way out, alright?

Damn…

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"What happened?" Philip asked as he raised his right arm, "Well... Things uh… occured... How do I look?"

"Be serious. Where did you take this armor from?" She asked as she pointed at him

Just as she mentioned, Philip was currently dressed in full sky blue armor, and it wasn't just that. The armor looked... weird.

In several key points of the armor, the metal seemed to evaporate and warp in unrealistic ways, leaving behind a blue smoke that floated into the air.

The armor was also full of black lines. They seemed chaotic, but they formed patterns that were quite elegant.

"Armor? Is this how you see it?... It certainly does look like that." Philip said as he thought deeply, looking at his chest and hands as he checked himself

"You aren't making sense now…. rather… you never make any sense!"

"Oh, my bad… I'm fine but uh… Why are you here again?"

Viera grit her teeth as she straightened her back, her eyes closed slightly as she looked at him with a warped smile "... I came here... To find out... Why... DID MY FUCK... Haaa… Why was my pitiful breakfast suddenly flung into the sky!!!"

Philip frowned, but he soon understood what she was talking about. He pieced it all together, an eureka moment forming inside his mind.

He looked at the ceiling and at the artificial lights that mimicked the sunlight outside… It was morning…

"Ah... My mistake, that was... a slight miscalculation from me. It won't happen again... Probably... Not anytime soon at least… one month, take it or leave it."

Viera simply stared at him with a frown. She wasn't satisfied with such answers anymore. Seeing this, he awkwardly reached for the back of his head…

"I... I was training and ended up punching the ground really hard." Philip replied, embarrassed, "Am I in trouble?"

He walked to her while grabbing a small piece of tissue from his inventory. He stopped in front of her and whipped the sauce from her cheeks.

""...""

All of the young maids flushed in embarrassment. The scene of seeing a knight wiping the face of a girl was simply too stimulating for them, like a scene straight out of their romance novels.

"Sorry... Can you forgive me?" He asked in a low tone as he started acting again

"..."

/Whispers/

She said something in embarrassment, but Philip continued, "I didn't quite hear it."

But she then looked at him seriously:

"Dont push, you can hear a butterfly flapping its wings outside, so don't make me repeat it."

She turned around and proclaimed, "I'll make something for me to eat, so meet me once you're done or whatever… And take a shower while you're at it. You smell of charcoal in a bonfire… so much for being dramatic."

"Ah!… Miss!"

One of the maids exclaimed as she ran after Viera, but not before bowing to Philip in acknowledgement. He greeted her and let her go, the two of them vanishing into the woods soon after.

"..."

Philip shook his head, he turned to Sebastiano, "Everything is okay, but you may need to call some people... Do you know anyone that can repair a room?"

"Yes I do sir. There is a construction group that performs yearly maintenance in several properties in the area, including this one. I'll call them as soon as you give the order."

"Good, for now. Don't call them, just check if they are available… For now, I have some things left to finish, until then... Just wait for me."

"Of course… Before you go though, I expect we'll be receiving a visit from the City Guard. I don't expect them to fan this issue, but we'll be paying a fine regardless."

"… Sigh… Fine. I'll deal with that… Just let me finish this first and we'll continue from where we left off… Prepare me a bath in the meantime… and leave some clothes outside. I'll need them."

Despite his heroic look, he was but-naked, as all of his clothes were long gone…

/Crunk!/

Philip closed the door to the training room, leaving the others outside, confused.

...

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Notes

It's over now.

Most of Philip's rewards are done now, so we can progress with the story as normal.

Thanks for reading, until next time~