Zero Fate Against the World (New Version)

This was the second part of the chapter I cut off since it was getting late.

Enjoy!

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…

While Philip left in a hurry, there wasn't really a need for him to be like that.

As resting was part of training, today was purely a vacation.

No "last day training", no "lectures", and no "homework" left to be completed. Everything there was to be done happened yesterday.

Most took this time to sleep or laze around, but given how hectic those last few weeks were, few could do so after being conditioned to train from morning to dawn. Many, he included, felt that training their skills and developing themselves was far more fulfilling than sleeping till lunch.

While there was no need to meet with anyone, Philip still felt the need to go around the Garden one last time before turning around for good.

He met with some friends from university, talked with his professors, and went around enjoying the area a little more before stopping by the instructor's offices to bid them farewell.

While they didn't know he was going to leave, it wouldn't make much of a difference if they knew, as from their perspective, this may be the last time they'd see each other in a long while.

He took this chance to exchange some simple words with them, this time, not as a student but simply as someone willing to build with them a connection, whatever weak it may be.

And surprisingly enough, Berinou went up with it, speaking of her experiences as a Mercenary and the world outside… Before knocking on his head with a faint smile…

...

"You better improve your form next time we meet! If you haven't, be prepared to be buried alive!"

"..."

After experiencing her bluntness several times, he grew fond of it, taking it as kindness and care, although the others didn't agree…

As for Eriny, being a mage, spoke far less… Still, she shared with him some of her experiences growing up as a wizard, how it felt to be the daughter of a major clan, and the many challenges she went through to be where she was now.

It didn't come as a surprise, but Eriny graduated from Parad Academy. Albeit, that was something from well over twenty years ago…

She spoke about being an honor student and even participating in ridiculous power games…

"... thinking back on it, I regret my actions quite a bit…"

"Why?"

"Because suppressing others with talent and power doesn't bode well with making friends, I'm afraid. And now, aside from a few girls from other families, I have few individuals I can call friends… And maybe none I can call close friends…"

"..."

/Chuckle…/

"Do you feel pit for me, child? Don't, I have no interest in it." She said with a small smile as she flicked his forehead

"I still have many that are close to me. It's just that I pushed away those around me at a prime time… Then again, some may say it was just expected… I'd rather have someone to compare myself with than to be looked up to."

"..."

'And romance from the looks of it...'

Eriny's gaze sharpened as she looked at Philip's eyes, but she never said what was on her mind.

Her interest on the subject dwindling, she said:

"Enough of this now…"

Her words, albeit few and sporadic, helped paint a slight scenery of what he would eventually experience once there.

The world of Eden was far broader than just this little Garden, and Philip couldn't be reminded enough of that.

…

Once he talked with everyone he felt talking with, Philip walked to the abandoned library in the woods, vanishing once he got inside.

/Creak…/

Following him, a young girl with long black hair looked around the library in confusion, pensive as she realized she had lost him.

"... Where is he?" 

'Did he see me? But I was certain…'

To think that after everything he did to avoid suspicion, someone would still tail after him!

And it wasn't an agent or guard, but a young girl of all things!...

"... Sigh."

After noticing he disappeared for good, the girl sighed and turned back. Leaving the silent library alone/ 

…

Meanwhile, Philip looked behind him from amidst the treetops, observing as the girl went further and further away…

"Hm…"

'How odd… To think I would be tailed by a young girl and not one of those sneaky agents…'

While he had never seen one, as his abilities grew stronger, Philip could faintly feel their presence, heartbeat, thoughts, and emotions around him at certain times…

Albeit as loud as whispers in the distance, it was still better than pure silence…

Like Dae proclaimed, they were around, and it was almost impossible to tell when one was after you.

Whenever he felt, how could he guarantee it was the full extent of his observers?

There was always a bigger fish out there.

'Why would she even come after me?... Did she fall for me?'

"Hahaha..."

'… Come on, that's the least probably of the options… I am handsome, but… Not that handsome… Although my skin has gotten better recently. My body's also in prime shape...'

'Maybe she's curious about something… Maybe she noticed something odd…'

"But… It doesn't matter anymore."

'We'll meet again if fate permits.'

Philip jumped down the tree, but he never reached the ground.

Like the breeze, he vanished without a trace.

…

/Shuaa…/

/Stop…/

"Hm?... Ah, you're here."

"... What are you doing here in the middle of the woods?... Roy?"

"You speak with everyone, and that's how you say farewell to me? I'm hurt."

"..."

"You're a smart guy… Smarter than you should… But do you think it's easy to outsmart someone who can see the future?" He asked as he tapped at his head

"I'm not stupid. My powers are just an add-on… I've realized long ago how you weren't as interested in our little deal as you were at the start."

"Once you got everything out of me, I because useless… But I can say the same to you. After that little exchange of ours in the forest happened, I got my worth out of your protection."

"But… It feels a bit hollow to end things like that, doesn't it? So here I am…"

/Throw!/

/Grab…/

Roy threw something at Philip as he began walking away.

"This is/"

'Scholar Vision isn't telling me anything.'

"A gift. It's kind of like that Skill Stone they gave us at the start so we could learn the language… I've tried really hard with that one and embedded my skill in it."

"It'll only work once, but it'll show you the future just like how I've always perceived… At least this way, you won't be able to complain if you don't see anything useful."

"..."

"There you go again, being all suspicious… Well, it's a gift. Use it as you will… Although I have a feeling you will eventually." He added with a faint smile as he stopped walking

"... Thank you."

"I know. No need to thank me… Be it you now, or later."

He had a cryptic smile as he said that, finally turning around to leave, this time, not stopping.

"Thanks for helping me and all. Good luck out there. I'll manage alone, at least until you're back."

"In this world that's going to shit, I've got to hold my own weight if I want to survive, can't have you do all the heavy lifting all the time."

"... Nor can I rely on others to do it for me."

"... Good luck to you as well… Hey."

"Yeah?"

"... Just how much do you know? Really?"

"... Heh. And here I thought what you were going to ask…"

"Don't you already know the answer?"

"... If I did, I wouldn't be here… So let's just say I have a feeling… One that tells me that you'll be the key in keeping myself alive when shit hits the fan."

"Does this answer please your ears, M'Lord?"

"... Get out of here before I do whatever you've seen…"

Roy smiled.

With his hands on his pants, he walked deep into the forest, vanishing from sight soon after.

"..."

'The man who can see the future… What has he seen that makes him so…'

'Afraid?'

Philip did not waste that much time either, dashing across the woods without notice.

…

Moments after, he arrived at a hidden tree, jumping aside after a quick check around.

…

/Whispers…/

Inside the pathway, Philip could hear the echoes of people talking… 

"... Once he arrives… Oh, he is already here." 

Inside, Philip saw Dae and Petter conversing quietly under a strong oil lamp in the middle of the room.

The room had been cleaned slightly, and all around, he noticed tables full of items and bottles, like a chemistry room.

There was a faint smell of wood and fire in the air. It seemed they had been used recently.

Philip looked at Petter and greeting him with a light handshake, today would be their first time conversing properly in almost a month.

Before, the most they did was greet each other in passing or lightly converse to keep up appearances. But even then, both knew it was best they did not engage in lengthy conversations. So they kept to themselves whenever they could.

"What's up, my man?" 

"It's been a while… Doing any better? We didn't have the chance to speak ever since 'that' day" 

'He doesn't look any different from a month ago, though… Slightly stronger overall. His mentality has shifted quite a bit as well. He's calmer and more focused than before, not as explosive…'

"I would like to say I am alright, but…"

/CREEEAAAAK!/

Petter sat in one of the old church's chairs, and it immediately protested out loud…

"Dammit, this entire place looks like it's about to collapse…"

"I have been hiding, thinking that something would happen for an entire month; every time I went to class, it would be the same thing."

"It was getting on my nerves, and sometimes, I'd even have nightmares about it due to the stress... Things weren't doing well..."

"..."

'That was why he looked tired all the time…'

"And worse, this guy forbade me from hunting, so I couldn't even blow off some steam… I was about to lose it."

Dae smiled as he looked at Petter. He toyed with a small knife on the side, rolling it among his fingers.

"Hey man, just saying, but fighting isn't the only way to blow off some steam in this place." 

"Shut it, you prick! I don't want to do it with some otherworldy prostitutes…"

"Who knows what sorts of diseases they have in this place… And that isn't the most dangerous thing about them." He said with a heavy expression as he held onto his shoulders, disgusted

""...""

"It doesn't matter how pretty and good they are. I always distrusted those maids." Petter said with a sigh as he shook his head disapprovingly 

"Well… What's done is done; this may have been your last chance ever!" 

"Fuck off!" Petter exclaimed loudly as he tried to hit Dae, but he easily parried it away

After laughing awkwardly a little, Petter continued:

"... I had to make do with training… And more training. Until I felt my fingers were about to fall."

"It helped me enough, but the stress certainly interfered with my focus, so I felt I didn't make use of the time properly."

"So… What can I say? I leveled many Skills… That was my only glee…"

/Thud!/

Dae suddenly kicked Petter's but, saying:

"Stop being such an ass and let's go on with this, time is of the essence." 

He took many things from his inventory, setting them up on a red mattress next to him. 

"Philip, sit down here please and… Take off your clothes." 

"..."

"..."

Petter and Philip looked at each other in silence… Before they each took a step back in coordination. 

"Ha-ha… Very funny. Now… There is no time for your stupid jokes!"

Dae pointed at the red mattress.

"Sit down!"

"..."

It did not take long for him to comply, taking a seat on the mattress as he pointed at his pants… Saying in a sensual voice:

"Should I take this out as well?" 

 "If he has to take his pants off, I'll be waiting outside. You two can do your thing… As far away from me as you can be." 

"... I'm dealing with children…"

Dae face-palmed while Petter cringed as he imagined the scene... 

But things eventually progressed as planned, with Philip sitting in a cross-legged position in the middle of a bunch of items.

There were boxes, potions, sacs… Multiple neatly packaged goods with strange devices inside.

They felt rather eerie, but Philip paid them little heed. He'd experienced worse things in the memories of his pursuit of power.

"Let me explain since yesterday we ended things in the middle."

"... And I suppose I won't be briefed in the conversation, will I?"

"I already told you everything there was to know, so stop trying to be a smartass and pass me that bottle over there!"

"Woah, no need to scream, I can hear you fine…"

"As I was saying… Today, we will be getting the final, most important Talent after Scholar, and in a sense, its importance may go beyond it…"

"Unfortunately, there were more Titles we could've gotten with our time, but given what happened, this much will have to suffice."

"Don't feel bad, though, as I think they wouldn't be a good fit for you. Not all Titles are necessary, the same could be said for those first five."

"As you may have imagined, those five Titles were simply chosen for they were the most accessible to newbies. Vista definitely knew way more, but, with his limited time, he shared only those he believed of essence… I don't quite agree with his choices, but he's from another time."

"This one, however, is what I believe to be the most essential of them all, and while Vista may have been aware of its existence, there's no way he ever envisioned anyone to be capable enough to be qualified to pursue it."

"My bet is that he left behind the method to acquire it elsewhere in one of the many traces scattered throughout the Continent…"

Dae started to pick some boxes and check their contents. 

"As I check this one last time, let me go over this Title. And finish what we discussed yesterday night."

"First, to get this Title, you must achieve a certain condition within your body."

/Cling!/

Dae checked a glass bottle with a flick of his finger, making a clear cling sound… 

"After all of this time, you must have at least one stat, which is 99, right?" He asked lightly as his eyes darted around the supplies

"That s right, it's my Mind Stat, but it's due to a Title effect..."

"That matters little in your case since it's not an addition but a representation of what it could've been…" 

"99?! Damn! Are you min-maxing or something?" Petter exclaimed in surprise as he interrupted Dae

"That's normal for him, considering his Skill repertoire… Now, the next time you exclaim like that next to me, I'm going to shove a needle down your throat so you can't speak anymore." Dae said as his expression darkened 

"I…"

"Good. Keep quiet; once we begin, any interference could lead to severe consequences."

"I understand…"

"... As I was saying, getting this Title is not difficult… You just have to push beyond that."

"... That doesn't sound simple. I've trained every day not only my body but my Skills as well. The number of books I've read, memorized, and studied to improve this process is likely greater than a dozen others combined, and yet I've barely raised my Stats at all."

"At this speed, I'd likely take an entire year to raise any of my base values to 99, and this isn't counting the resources poured into us during this time and the tutelage from those talented masters."

"I wasn't given much, but it doesn't take much to realize that everything here, from the food to even the porcelain in the bathroom, is far greater than anything anyone would be able to acquire in a lifetime of work."

"This Title doesn't sound that simple at all."

"You're right; this isn't a simple matter at all… But to those that know how to do it, this couldn't be more direct."

"You talk as if going over this limit was easy."

"It is… To those who have everything like us and the will to do it. There isn't much that's easier to do."

He picked several potions and started to mix them one by one, heating and cooling them as he looked like a professional alchemist. 

"There is a limit to Stats just like there is a limit to levels. In our case, in the way our System displays value, every time you get to 99.9 with a stat, this 'barrier' will manifest itself."

"Some don't have this limit while others appear much earlier, like a poor knight whose physical limit is just shy of five… To a highly talent mage with a vessel large enough to contain energy dozens wouldn't be able to…"

"However, a Pure Human, for all their flaws, should have no issue surpassing this limit. And while there are differences between individuals of the same species, yours should be on the high end of things normally achievable."

"It's not like there are that many Pure Humans around to compare…"

"That's why I said "Normally achievable"..."

"Anyhow, we shouldn't have an issue, or so it should be for the first few breaks..." Dae said as he opened a set of metal needles, setting them aside as he cracked his neck

He was also preparing himself for what he was about to do.

"Break that limit, and you gain the talent. Alright… What happens after that?"

"Hm… Nothing much really."

"Just keep one thing in mind, remember to always strive to raise those Stats as much as you can before you reach Level 100."

'Its not a guarantee it won't happen before then, but this is good enough for what they know.'

"This applies to you as well. Do you think I told you to stop hunting in the forest for nothing?"

"I didn't… I'm not that stupid and petty…"

"Right…"

"What's with that tone?!"

"You look like the kind of person who'd be unable to go to sleep due to thinking if a girl offering you coffee was them flirting with you or not…"

"Isn't that the normal thing to think about though?!"

"He's trying to say you're a pushover."

"Wha… I'm not… Damn!"

"..."

/Mix…/

Dae picked some powder and mixed it inside a vial filled with a violet substance, turning it red. 

"There are many ways to break your limit, it may come with training or even just realization. The idea of enlightenment leading others to ascension isn't far-fetched. The Mind has far greater power and influence over the body than you could imagine."

"This isn't a matter of Spirituality though; there is biology and science to it. And if it can be understood… It can be manipulated."

"There are thousands of methods developed over the eras; I know a few dozen, but you only need one, really."

"In your case, You underestimate yourself a little too much, albeit I can understand where your worries are coming from. They aren't unfounded… But have you ever thought that this belief you hold about your lack of progress… Is exactly what's holding you back?"

"!"

"Your mind is the strongest of us all; it may even be stronger than all Heroes combined… It holds the strongest influence of them all… So it wouldn't take much for it to stop something from happening. All it takes… Is a single belief."

"Once it takes roots, it takes more than just changing your mind to undo it… But I'm here to help, make you realize your own potential."

"It's time you let go of your old views and beliefs… I'm not telling you to forget who you were on Earth, but in this world, there's far more to it than the eye can meet."

"To crack this mystery, today we'll be performing… Body Enhancement via medication." 

Petter scratched his chin in wonder, asking:

"... Like in those novels? You'll feed him a pill and have him achieve body reformation or something?"

"Yes, however, it's not exactly like that. I'm not a pharmacist, and Philip isn't a martial artist."

"It's not that they don't exist, but a matter that they aren't suitable given our conditions."

'We are too weak to try those anyway, and they are also rather complex… The ones I have on my mind, at the very least.'

"... You sure?" He asked as he looked around in confusion

'Isn't this a picture-perfect depiction of one such case?...'

"I think I got the gist of it… Just tell me what to do." 

"You have a single job, and that is, to not move." 

Dae took one of the nails next to him, inspecting its length and sharpness.

"... Can I ask what that's for?"

'It's a bit too long though… Almost big enough to pierce through my chest.'

"..."

Dae smiled as he held the nail between his fingers.

"What do you think?"

"..."

"You're fucked…"

"Don't laugh just yet Petter, you're next."

"I'm what?"

"Once you grow strong enough and reach your limit… It'll be your turn."

"..."

"And before you think about taking it easy and delaying this, don't try, because the longer we take, the higher the pain you'll feel once the time comes, so you better get your shit together once we're out of here."

Petter quietly agreed, accepting his dire fate…

Meanwhile, Dae tapped his fingers around Philip's shoulders, almost as if he were giving him a massage.

"... The Human body has many channels, and each person is slightly different from the other."

"Normally, I'd analyze your body for a few months to map your inner channels and adust the operation accordingly…"

"However, my friend, you are not a normal Human! You are a Pure Human being. Or, in other words, your body is fundamentally perfect."

"Not perfect as that it doesn't have any flaw... It is not perfect as in a flawless sense…"

"Your body is just very... Symmetrical. And as long as I know your proportions and a few other things, I can easily start this operation."

/Mix…/

As he said that, Dae finished brewing some dark and pungent liquid, setting it aside in a glass bottle.

"Eww…" 

"One more thing… This will hurt, considerably. I wouldn't say a lot, but I also won't lie…"

"I expected that much… I'm ready."

'At this rate, I may end up awakening something useless like Pain Resistance…'

"Try not to move; the more you do, the greater your losses will be." 

"Well, I say "recommend" but what I meant to say is more around the likes of: "fucking ordering you to not move" kind of way. These things are costly, and we won't have another dose like this one, ever."

'I need him focused at all times... There isn't a second chance at this. But it feels easier to take if I just say it like this.''

"Here, drink this shi… I mean, expensive medicine."

Inside the vial was a black goop that slowly bubbled like pitch. It held several "fragments" within it, swirling up and down its "dirty" surface. 

"..."

Philip looked at Dae's happy, carefree smile, and then at Petter's disgusted expression as he held his nose from afar.

"..."

'Not the worst I was ever forced to consume… But fuck me…'

/GULP!/

Philip gulped it down immediately, and as soon as everything went down his throat, Dae stuffed a piece of cloth in his mouth, saying:

"If you find it hard to resist the pain, try to think about the happy moments in your life…"

Petter looked from afar, fear evident in his gaze as he saw the massive nail in Dae's hand…

"Don't fall unconscious or asleep, and by no means don't try to run away by shutting your senses or diving into your Mental Realm. If you do, I'm going to pull you back. And it won't be pleasant."

"Did you get that?"

"..."

/Silent nod…/

"Excellent. We may now begin."

/STAB!/

Out of nowhere, Dae stabbed the nail into Philip's forehead!

…

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Notes

See you later! I'll fix any mistakes or inconsistencies tomorrow.

Any help in this regard is appreciated. Remember to add an * next to it so its easy for me to spot in the torrent of messages I receive every day.

Peace!