Zero Fate Against the World (New Version)

There are definately many small mistakes around, but I'll fix them tomorrow once I'm able.

Peace!

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—

"!!!"

'Did he just stab a nail in his forehead?! H-How can he keep calm despite that?'

"..."

Philip remained still, his eyes open wide as he silently observed Dae's moves.

/Pierce… Pierce…/

"..."

Petter often flinched as he witnessed more and more nails be punctured onto his skin, acting as if he could feel them as well.

It was so bizarre for Petter that he thought Dae was a legendary pharmacist performing acupuncture on a legendary immortal... 

…

"... Let's resume where we stopped at. Regarding the individual you're meant to help." Dae suddenly said as he placed a small nail on Philip's neck

/Shaa…/

Faint energy was released from his fingertips, forming an image before Philip.

A plain sphere floated above the ground…

"Scholars like to divide this world in four areas… Each with its own biology, treasures, and dangers."

"The first zone is where we currently reside. "Land". It refers to all of the lands we are currently on. Usually containing easy-to-handle creatures and permitting most civilizations to flourish as many of those that could be deemed a threat to us have either been pushed to the wilderness or exterminated."

"This zone extends as far as 2 km deep on land, and 1 km deep in the Ocean… But the exact values can change depending on where you are."

"..."

"Petter, you can ask questions if you're confused, just don't scream like before…"

"... Why is that?"

"Hm… Things change on those specific depths."

/Pierce…/

"The deeper you go in the ocean, the stranger its inhabitants become, after a certain point, people thought it proper to divide things so others would make the mistake of traveling close to it." 

"It became a marker… So much so that everything after was just called "Deep Ocean"... Whatever awaits beyond those depts… Few have ever come back for us to form any sort of coherent story."

"On that same notion, anything below 2 km inland is seen as the "Underground"... And after a certain point, you reach the land only Dwarves have trodden upon in ancient times, the "Deep Underground" and beyond."

"... What is so interesting about those two areas?..."

"People like to give meaning to things that have no business being given one. It makes them feel better, that there are boundaries they exist upon… Being unbounded can be scary, especially in our world."

"In the past, the main point of the Underground Zone was that it was the territory of the Dwarves. There used to be treaties to not explore further than a certain point else risk encroaching on a Dwarven structure… That may not be the case any longer, but it still holds meaning even today."

"It's a marker that dictates when you'll begin encounterings thins better left unprovoked…"

"But to those who pursue a more scholarly life, in modern times, if you ask them what makes that land so important, they'd give you a word… Dungeons."

"And if you asked the same about the ocean, they'd likely mention sea travel and the mapping of the Deep Ocean. In most scenarios, you should never go to those zones... Not even close to it."

"It's not worth the risk. Even if you know what you're doing."

Petter nodded… Only to grimace as Dae shoved another long nail on Philip's head.

"The final zone is the "Sky lands". A mythical place, often romanticized by many… But don't misunderstand; it's as dangerous as those other two.

/Pierce!.../

"... You spoke about it before, but what is a Dungeon?"

"Well… This isn't the topic at hand, but I suppose it's better than complete silence."

"A Dungeon is the name given to the shell of a fascinating, underground creature."

The images changed as the outline of a large boulder took shape before them.

"A Dungeon is a pretty interesting organism and the longest-living natural lifeform in the world."

"It's unclear how, but this creature... The Core of the Dungeon, AKA, Dungeon core, starts as nothing but... A piece of a rock."

"Through millions of years, this strange rock goes through an even weirder process, ending up as another material. This is the first stage of a Dungeon."

"After that, the Dungeon will start to massively gather energy into it, it doesn't matter what form and kind, it will process everything at once, including metals and other materials, fusing it into a singular material."

"Over time, it will open up holes in the underground as it slowly makes its way to the surface, at the same time, it would revest the outside of the caves it dug and grew into with that same material."

"Once it reaches the surface, an opening is made, and that's how a Dungeon is formed... This is the second stage of its life cycle."

"During this process, an interesting phenomenon would occur as creatures would begin flocking to the Dungeon due to a mixture of "pheromones", and the energy released by the Core."

"This includes us… For while we're intelligent enough to resist its attraction, all sorts of previous materials and minerals can be found inside."

"However… This is where most Cores reach the end of their lifecycles… For the innumerable conflicts sprung up inside and outside its shell, it would find itself unable to persevere, succumbing to time."

"But if they do survive, over time, they will construct a tower, slowly making their way to the sky. And once it does, the final stage of its life will begin."

"The core who stayed unmoved for millions of years will start to move on its own, traveling through its shell as it slowly ascends to the sky above."

"There, it'll undergo its final transformation…"

/Pierce!/

Dae shoved another nail onto Philip's back, making him look like a porcupine.

"Now, back to the Dwarves."

"They're the rulers of the underground, challenging its depths and dangers, they've built a home for themselves in the lands where the sky doesn't reach."

"In the ancient times, at the height of their powers, they built the eternal generators… The Magmatic Forges."

"Those incredible machines made to act as the core of Dwarven cities and, at the same time, work as their forges."

"At that era, the Dwarven Archons would produce the legendary artifacts that would last thousands of years every day."

"Then, over 1000 years ago, a catastrophe happened. The Dwarves lost over 95% of their territory and with it, the schematics for their forges, something they couldn't live without."

"Their once prosperous civilization was cast into darkness as the little they had left became a mystery even for their highest minds."

"Slowly but surely, they were pushed back from the depths of the mountains as, one after the other, their forges powered down. For them, this was their dark age."

"But after 1000 years of darkness… Someone not only figured out how to operate and reactivate those machines, he also found a way to build them… And as we speak, he is improving from their old design…"

"This is the man you're supposed to help. Do you understand now?"

"..."

Philip moved his eyes around in agreement, unable to move his head any longer.

"Good… I'm about 10% done, let's get the rest done before my fingers start getting numb."

"Try not to clench your teeth too hard… This may hurt a little…"

/Pierce!/

…

As the seconds turned into minutes and minutes turned into an hour. Philip's body went from just half-naked to filled with nails. 

Not even his fingers were spared.

Petter just couldn't look anymore by the time he saw Dae placing nails on Philip's nose, when that time came, he turned around and went to a nearby, broken room, and soon enough, he fell asleep due to the boredom. 

It seemed all of the pressure from the past month came at once and he finally had his peaceful sleep. 

…

"..."

{359…360… Done} 

While Petter thought Dae had gone silent to focus, that wasn't the full extent of it.

Inside their minds, they continued to talk as they exchanged words through a Thought Bridge.

This process required both of them to work together, so whenever he applied a new nail, Dae instructed Philip on how to proceed.

And finally, after who knew how long, he was finally… Done.

{{It's hard to believe that there are 360 nails in my body right now, but again, whats the purpose of this?}}

{The nails are there to stimulate the channels inside your body, it might sound like something from a martial art novel, but the energy you use every day, has to flow somewhere}

{To permit this process, fine control is needed. Something you lack}

{Some types of energy don't need such channels; however they have a purpose regardless. Otherwise, we wouldn't have evolved to have them in the first place}

{In normal Humans, these channels are normally shriveled, broken, or even incomplete. And the humans on Earth had actually devolved and lost them. But now that your race has changed, yours are now all open}

{They aren't quite ours though… But I'm good enough to improvise on the spot}

{{... Let's just get this over with, then; I am not very comfortable with several dozen nails on my fingers and back… And my head}} 

{I know, it is a pain, but stick with it, for now; things will end soon}

{The easy part is over, from here on out, its the real deal…}

{First, we'll balance out your Stats, raise them as much as we can as we approach the barrier}

{This Talent we are aiming for actually has five different stages, well, infinite if you consider its true potential, but getting even two is almost impossible for someone, much less more than five…}

'Five is already practically impossible to achieve, much less for others. And were it not for Philip's unique encounters, then this operation wouldn't have been possible.'

'A lot has deviated from my original plans, but so far, its been for the better.'

{First, we will open your body's inner potential, and then, we will break open your limits all at once, and with that, your real Talent will flourish} 

{Whatever it may be... I am ready} 

Dae nodded lightly as he picked up a small flask from his inventory.

It was a strange crimson liquid that sparkled in the light. He carefully applied it over certain nails, letting it flow into his body. 

{First, the Physical Stat} He said as he took out a flask filled with thin black sand from a box on the ground

{Eat this and let the energy flow in your body; don't resist it, no matter how painful it is} 

{I'll take off the cloth on your mouth now}

{{Was it even necessary in the first place? My tongue's all numb and dry…}}

{The cloth was full of a numbing solution to help you cope with the pain, it barely anything, but its better than nothing. Anything more might've interfered with our work}

He then peered Philip's mouth open and threw the sand onto his tongue, causing him to almost gag…

{{...Urg… Do you have something for me to drink? Swallowing sand is very hard… I think I am suffocating here!}}

{Calm down, I have something here…}

Dae quickly acted before he even finished speaking, as if knowing this would happen.

{...}

{Did you drink it all?}

{{I think there are some left on my teeth…}}

{That much is fine. I've accounted for residual materials… Now, it should start soon… Brace yourself; things are going to get a little… Hot}

"..."

/Drip… Drip…/

Philip started to sweat heavily as his body trembled slightly.

At the start it was only sweat, but as time went on, it started to get a dark coloration… Some even became bloody red… 

{{... This…! Just what did you feed me?! I feel… I feel as if my blood has turned into magma!}}

{I know… Everything's fine, and you're not in danger so resist it for now, please…}

Dae touched Philip's shoulder, feeling the heat through his skin.

'This is far greater than I'd imagined. As expected, the operation performed with those materials was a little over the top. And adding on his evolution…'

'I hope it wasn't too much. Right now, rather than having the operation go wrong, I fear if he'll last long enough to see it bear fruit.'

'He might've been able to last if he had his Class equipped, but that would end up causing a whole heap of trouble, as for his Titles, they had to be removed too.'

'He's by himself with nothing but the body he trained with the least support from the System, this should lead to the biggest possible reward but also the highest risk.'

'And this is already far beyond my expectations…'

{Alright, seems you're doing fine. Let's continue}

'The longer we take, the worse this will be. I have to end this at once while he still has the stamina to speak.'

{{What? Just like that?! I barely had time to process this!}}

{I told you it was going to be painful, so focus and listen to me} He said as he took another bottle from his inventory

{This time, I'll be injecting some energy directly inside your bloodstream, so make sure… To not move! Else you will die}

'I'm uncertain how he'll react to this, but it should work as planned…'

{{I don't like where this is going…}}

{No time to waste!} 

{{...}}

/Shaum…/

A traditional magic circle appeared before Dae as he unsealed the bottle.

White light flashed from inside the bottle as gray mist seeped inside Philip's body… Guided by the magic circle.

Prismatic light shimmered from within the mist, momentarily shining from underneath his skin before it dissipated inside…

It was, in fact, the very energy Dae had previously collected while trapped inside the darkroom!

{This will hurt…} 

{{You don't have to tell me that twice, just punch one of those nails a little deeper and end my life…}}

{Heh… Not so easily. There's a lot left for you to do, my friend}

{{...}}

Slowly, the remaining of prismatic energy seeped inside Philip's body, with its last remaining whisps, like snakes in the jungle, entering his body through his nose, causing him to almost 

After all of it made its journey inside his body, a highly complicated magic circle flashed on the ground… And Philip's body began trembling erratically as Dae tried to keep him under control.

{{AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!}}

{...}

{{F-FUCK?! WHAT THEEEE… HEEELLL?!...}}

Blood began to flow from his eyes, nose, and ears. And together with his sweat, it was almost as if he had showered in blood…

However, as he was without his Class, every bit of blood he lost would take its sweet time to recover.

This was a battle against time… And Philip's resilience.

{...}

'I know… Absorbing such a thing… I'm glad you're still with me.'

'I had to lie a little… I never planned to tackle this one at a time… The first potion was only meant to help break down this energy within your body.'

'I doubt you'll absorb it all, even if drained, it was still Eridia's Avatar… But I've been surprised more than once… I wouldn't mind being taken aback again.'

As Dae said that, he looked at a small clock on his waist.

'Almost there…

…

/Change of POV…/

PAIN, not just any pain, but one so great that Philip doubted he would ever be able to forget this feeling. 

Just a few moments of experiencing this would be enough to make any mad… If they could withstand it, that is.

Most would perish from shock, and the few that survived would be either from luck or lack of resilience.

Even then, the aftermath of this pain may end up crippling whatever little chance they had of an ordinary life…

[Castle town ***** soothes your mind]

[Castle town ***** stops you from falling unconscious]

In his case, no matter how much he tried, he could not move, his body frozen in place.

No matter how much he bled, his mind remained sane, preventing him from losing consciousness.

This was, by far, the highest torture he had ever experienced…

[Castle town ***** impedes your mind from collapsing]

[Your Unyielding spirit refuses to give up]

[You maintained your composure…]

[Your body is being torn apart from the berserk energies!]

[A strange energy heals your body back to its full state]

[Your physical body is being strengthened by an unknown force! Physical + 0.1]

[A fragment of ***** is being refined and purified inside your body! Spirit + 0.8, Energy + 2]

[Castle town *****....]

If the pain wasn't enough, the constant sounds of the system slowly brought Philip to the verge of madness. 

'Shut up… please…'

[Your Incorruptable mind retains its shape]

'I'l going to lose it…'

[Physical + 0.1]

…

'This hurts… A fucking lot!... But if he told me to resist… To persevere… Then I fucking shall!'

'No matter how much this hurts, I'll keep going!'

'If the longer I remain standing, the more pain I tolerate, the stronger I become… Then I'll take it all for as long as it takes.'

Philip wanted to cry out loud, but he knew he couldn't.

So instead, he turned all his pain into anger, fueling his determination, he remained there, concentrated on making the most of this situation.

Like that, time passed…

…

/Around ten minutes later…/

"..."

Dae silently observed Philip, attentive for every change and movement he made.

In the off chance anything went wrong, he would be there to fix it. 

'Just one more thing and this will be over…'

Dae took out the red jar from his inventory. Placing it in front of him between him and Philip.

'It's time for you to work.'

{Philip, still holding there?}

{{... I can hold on a little longer, but I'm growing a little faint}}

{I can imagine, you've lost too much blood already… Just one last thing and we are over}

{{Blood?... You know what, forget it… Just do whatever!}}

{It's nothing hard… I just need you to say something and it'll be over}

{{Speak? Like some sort of chant?...}}

{If that's how you want to see it... "I wish to make a contract with you." Its just that}

{{Really?... I won't suddenly combust when saying that, will I?}}

{No, you wont… I've removed the nails sealing your ability to speak, so you're free to talk if you wish,, just don't open your mouth more than a few degrees}

"I… Urg… I wish to m-make a contract with you…"

{... You can't stutter, do it again!}

"I… I wish to make a contract w-with you…"

{Again!}

"D-Dammit! I wish to make a contract with you!"

/Tremble!/

The red jar immediately responded, jumping from the ground like a rocket!

But then… It fused with his head? 

{{What the?... I felt something cold hit the back of my head… What did you do?}}

{Phew, it is over}

[DING!]

[The contract has been made]

{{...}}

[The Ancient Tool, ***** recognizes you as its owner]

[Your potential scares *****]

[It has deemed you worthy to be called a Master]

[It lends part of its strength as a gift from the contract so you may accomplish your current goal]

[***** Has entered hibernation to recover from the excessive energy loss]

[*****]

{{What the hell have you forced onto me?}}

{Nothing that wasn't already meant to be… Now, check out your Stats}

{{...}}

[...

Mind> 90.2 (99.9) (+)

Physical> 93.9 (99.9) (+)

Energy> 95.8 (+)

Spiritual> 89.5 (99.9) (+)

Mystique> 390 (+)

…]

{{My Stats… They're ridiculously high… Including Mystique, it's higher than even the sum of the other Stats}}

{Dont get used to it, this is only a result of making the contract. If I were to put it into words… This is a phenomenon known as Fate Bubble. When someone experiences or does something extreme, their Fate momentarily expands, like winning a massive lottery worth hundreds of millions}

{{But why is this even a thing?}}

'My pain… It's also decreasing at a rapid rate. As if I've been placed in cool water… It feels nice.'

{We do have some time, so I will be brief…}

{Mystique is a tough stat to describe. It involves things such as luck, fortune, and others. But it also values your Fate}

{{How so? Can such a thing even be measured}}

{Hum… Let's say, this world tends to keep watch on those that can grow strong enough to majorly affect it…}

{You could call it being favored by the world, or… Cursed by it, a value only works because it has something to back it up, and in this case, how many through time were ever affected by the System?}

{Fate can be said to be your end potential… But that's not quite there yet…}

{{But wasn't I supposed to have no Fate or whatever because of my lack of a Class?…}}

{Well, you don't quite understand what that means, but either way, you aren't a true "Zero Fate", but… That and this are two different things… Ah fuck, what a trash way to end this talk} He said with a pained expression as he looked at the clock on his waist

'I wanted to explain it in a better way but this will have to do.'

{The pain should be subsiding now; As soon as your stats get to 99.9, tell me, and we will start the final stage} 

{{Sure…}}

…

{{.. It's done}}

{Good, for now, you can relax a little but remain very still}

{{...}}

'How can I relax without moving?'

"*!@#*@!(!@$..."

Dae began to speak in a tone unrecognizable to Philip, causing multiple circles, squares, and triangles to appear in the air as they tangled with one another, forming an even greater multi-dimensional construct. 

Eventually, they fused into one blob of energy that turned into a large, fuzzy ball. 

"Good, we are ready to finish this!" 

{{G-Great… This may sound a little strange, but the energy inside of me is starting to build up… I feel like… That I need to fart, but I can't, and the fart is getting stronger and stronger…}}

"..."

'I hate to admit it, but that is a pretty accurate description… For someone who doesn't understand what's going on.'

"Well then, see you in a few minutes!"

{{What?...}}

/ZAP!/

The fuzzy ball suddenly collapsed into itself before it sparked with light, sending a thunderbolt in each of the 360 nails!

The shock was so great it sent Philip unconscious immediately… Regardless of everything his body and Traits tried to do to prevent it.

[DING]

[DING]

[DIN…]

The sickening echoes of the notifications bugged him to no ened, but he was, unfortunately, somewhere else… 

"Huff… Huff…"

'It's done. I can't feel my fingers, and my internal energy's is in disarray, but it's finally over.'

Dae looked at his fallen friend, and knowing he was alright, he smiled as he clenched his fist in excitement. 

"I did it… No. WE succeeded!"

'Haa… Haha… HAHAHAHA!'

/Sniff…/

Dae finally realized the smell of burnt meat in the room, and he suddenly felt guilty, so he picked Philip and put him on top of a comfortable mattress. 

"Rest well, there are still some things I need to tell you before you go…"

'And also a shower… I can't send you to meet a princess looking like this… But would you even be fine after clashing blades with an army of Orcs?'

'... Would he even know proper etiquette? I barely had the time to teach him anything of the sort… Sigh, I'll have to trust he learned it during this last month.'

"And now… I'll rest a little to.

…

/Around 2 hours later/

"... And take this as well." 

"This is?" 

"Everything I just told you and more is in this book, it is to help you take care of any possibility when you go out there. At least most of them."

"How you move from here on out is up to you, go where you want and perform as you wish. But you must collect those Origin Orbs at the end of the day; they're imperative for the future, I couldn't say that enough!"

"I understand, I will make good use of it." 

Dae nodded. Somehow, he felt emotional; finally, the start of everything… Was coming to an end. 

"Is there anything else you would like to assist you? Although we will see each other soon, if you do get that item, I told you about. We can talk anytime we want; otherwise, we will see each other in five or so months." 

"The bigger issue with the other options would be monitoring. While some things are hard to hide, it would be best to avoid revealing our connection to others."

"I understand, as for help… Yes, there is… Quite a few at that. I'd like to go over them before leaving."

"As long as it's within my knowledge, there's little I can't do."

"You see, after my race changed, I gained a new Title… And I wanted some clarification on that regard."

"Hm… What sort of Title?"

'There are too many possibilities… A Title from racial change? A few possibilities emerge…'

"Evolver. Do you know what it does? What I can do with it?"

"..."

Dae did not immediately reply.

He frowned as he looked at the ground, pensive…

"The thing is… This is my first hearing about it…"

"That's… A problem." 

"Not quite… This may be my first time hearing about this particular Title, but I've seen similar ones multiple times given its name. So I have a pretty good idea on how we should proceed."

"Before that, though… Show me what your Title does, word by word…"

Philip agreed, he had little to hide so he described his Title's effects, and Dae nodded as he said:

"It's not far from what I imagined… Tell me what Titles you have and I will guide you."

Philip nodded.

For all the fear one may have in sharing such information, Philip knew that when they next met, whatever he shared with Dae now…

Would be irrelevant.

…

/Around a few minutes later…/

"... I think I got the gist of it… With that out of the way, let's start." 

"Fuse it with 5-Origin Body."

"Already?" 

'I just got this Title… It was the one we worked to get… It feels hollow to just throw it aside like this…'

"They're perfectly compatible, the special feature of your Title should be used for situations like these."

"Sign… Alright."

'It's not like I had a better idea anyway… Activate effect, Endless mutation.'

[DING]

[Choose the target]

'Fuse Evolver with 5-Origin Body'

[Processing…]

[The two Titles are very compatible]

[Fusing complete]

"Is it done? Take a look." 

"Uhum…"

[Golden Evolver

Description: You seek to unshackle from the mortal body you currently reside in. One step at a time, you will reach greatness through constant evolution.

But senseless transformations are not what you seek. It's the perfection in the flesh, the mystery of the soul, the spice in the mind. All of it is a perfect balance, the golden ratio. Only through that can you achieve a true, perfect evolution.

...

]

"This Title just got more absurd."

"This is just the start… Now, fuse Number 1 and Pioneer into it. At this order."

'All of these Titles have similar natures for what they wish to achieve, even if it doesn't change the Title at all, it's better then having clutter in the Stat page.'

'Albeit they can be fused away through Skill Fusion, that time is quite far away…'

'This is the best course of action.'

"Sure thing… This is going to get ridiculous…"

'I hope it works.'

Philip began fusing the Titles away.

The first succeeded, and the second…

…

[Processing done]

[The two Titles are very compatible]

[Fusing complete]

"..."

'Open!'

[Apex Evolver

Description: You seek to unshackle from the mortal body you currently reside in. One step at a time, you will reach greatness through constant evolution.

But senseless transformations are not what you seek. It's the perfection in the flesh, the mystery of the soul, the spice in the mind. All of it is a perfect balance, the golden ratio. Only through that can you achieve a true, perfect evolution.

No one can stop you and all the tries shall become fuel for this endless mutation.

To seek a path none have traveled before, and to go beyond all others… This is what you aspire to reach.

Effects: Body potential is significantly increased, along with your body's natural adaptation towards environmental changes.

>Your body can take and handle foreign sources of energy to a considerable degree without damaging itself. This may change depending on the origin and purpose of the energy.

>First contact: Your body generates passive resistance to all environments with which it comes in contact. The degree of resistance depends on your body quality and how extreme the environment is.

This property is retained but may only be improved by being exposed to increasingly hazardous conditions.

>Great Psyche: Your body has reached its true potential, and hence, all of its attributes' raw values have been increased to match its transformation.

>Your evolution choices have been considerably enhanced due to your excellent body quality with the chance of one high-tier evolution appearing due to it achieving a 5-State balance.

>This Title can be linked with another, allowing two Titles to be equipped at once.

One extra effect may or may not be generated when another Title is linked.

>Extra effect: Endless mutation

This Title can be fused permanently with another Title; this effect has a chance to carry on to the new Title depending on the compatibility.

>Extra effect: Golden body

You achieved the impossible and evolved towards an impossible path, reaching the obscure 5-State body.

The Golden body is constant, and as such, strives to keep the balance of the energies within itself, boasting the same level of defenses from its outside to its inside.

>Extra effect: The path ahead

You can see up to one evolutionary choice ahead.

>Extra effect: Apex

Terrifically increases the learning speed of new subjects.

Greatly increases all attributes when being challenged. The effect can be boosted and decreased based on your feelings.

/Evolver has absorbed 3 Titles/

(+)

]

"It worked! Now what?" 

"Now?... We're done."

"I don't think there are any more Titles worth fusing… From here on, it would be a gamble, so it's best if we stop while we're still ahead."

"We should leave such things for the future when you actually gain the ability to fuse Titles at will…"

'That's when things start to be amusing.' 

"But for now… I guess this goodbye." 

"..."

The two shook hands. 

"A lot happened. I won't be an ingrate, so I will say it here. Thank you for the help so far."

Dae chuckled, looking away with a faint smile as he tapped his shoulders.

"Don't be in such a rush to thank me, you will be asking to die soon enough."

"Just like a few moments ago?"

"That was only the tutorial, Hell mode will start soon enough... It will come even faster if you can do those tasks I asked of you."

"... What about you? What will you do while I'm gone?"

Dae looked at the room next to them where Petter slept before looking at the small holes in the ceiling where sunlight poured through, saying:

"I will continue to train Petter and the others, there are also many things I must get and do while we're under the wing of the royals."

"There is also the need to get stronger myself… After I do this process on Petter, I need to find a way to do it by myself… Although this may take a while. Petter is still lacking in many ways."

'It's the simplest and most effective way to raise your stats early on… I can't let these materials go to waste, for I won't find replacements for them anytime soon.'

'Maybe not tomorrow or even the week after, but the time will come for us to undergo this process.'

"It's a miracle you survived… I can't say Petter will be as lucky."

"... That isn't quite nice to hear… But I'm glad either way."

Dae turned to his wristwatch, reading the time:

"Hm… It's already 2Pm…. It's getting a little late, and while we're free to do as we wish today, people will soon start to notice our disappearance if we don't go eat at the very least, especially you, since you've never missed a meal." 

"Humph… Do you even know how good those were?"

"Of course, high-quality meals like those were essencial in supplying your growth. If an ordinary person ate such a thing regularly, even a farmer may beat up a well-trained soldier."

"Just remember the path I told you about. Even though most patrols are away, that doesn't mean you can just stroll out of this place."

"In the meantime, I will go back with Petter. This should buy you some more time."

"Alright… Before I go, I just have one last question."

"Yesterday, I…"

Philip gave Dae a brief explanation of what he went through shortly after they met at the library, going through most of his experiences and feelings without trying to reveal the essence of his abilities too much.

And albeit shocked, Dae said with stern eyes:

"As I feared… "That", has begun occurring… Much faster then I originally believed." 

"What? Is something wrong with me?"

"No, not you… Your… "System"."

Dae's expression tensed as he looked at him.

"I can't share much with you for I fear what may happen to me… Us, if I do so… For now, you'll have to trust me and take things for what they are."

"The more you act, the greater this instability will become, and eventually… It'll stop functioning. Because right now, it cannot calculate your actions for them go beyond common sense…"

It seemed as if Dae wanted to say more but amidst his hesitation, he quieted down.

After a moment of silence, he added:

"I have a way to solve this issue for good, but you'll need to come back first."

"Why can't it be now?"

"Because I'm simply unable to do anything now. I'm far from being capable enough to meddle in the System that manipulates reality. If I could, things wouldn't be how they are now…"

"Above all, it would be best for the two of us if we grew a little further before discussing such sensitive topics… Even mentioning it like this stresses me out."

"..."

'I can tell that much, Dae is really frustrated and even… Fearful.'

'Everyone seems to fear something, even this guy… And I have a feeling it's all closely connected.'

"Maybe the reason nothing's happened is due to the Fate Bubble of before… Maybe our actions have given us some degree of leniency or time… Either way, I don't want to push it… Else 'it' might hear us."

His words came with a certain weight that pressed down on Philip's chest.

Even if not directly mentioning whatever he had in mind, merely as his words reached his ears, Philip felt his heart skip a beat.

Once it returned… He replied, a bead of sweat falling from his forehead:

"... I'll trust you. Because it seems that even if you told me, it isn't like anything would change."

"I'll move on like this, do what I can, and return when the time's right."

'This feeling… Forget it… I better toss away whatever we discussed here for now… This isn't over yet, but it's not the time.'

'It's been some time since I felt like this… I know this feeling… The feeling of being beneath a Great One.'

'But not quite like it… It passed far too quickly for me to measure it. But for a moment, I felt as if I shouldn't be here. And that… Scared me.'

"I couldn't ask for more…"

"For that Skill of yours that you fused. I may have an idea of what it does. Only a portion, at least."

"Being able to move between the imaginary and reality isn't as far-fetched as you imagine. It's quite the advantage even, for dreams have been used to convey meanings for millenia."

"From prophecies to visions. To reach the Soul of the dead or a memory long lost, all kinds of things can be done through dreams if one knows how to navigate this realm."

"I'm uncertain if your Skill would allow for such, but it's worth a try. But I'll warn you here: Dreams may be an extension of Mental Power, but they're far more unpredictable and chaotic than the latter." 

"Be careful not to lose yourself in the endless reflections of the real world. For whatever real they may seem. Once you close your eyes, deem everything as… Imaginary."

"Only the real world is such, even your Mental world is nothing but a construct. Don't delude yourself into thinking it is something else."

"Such arrogance could be the end of you… If you have any progress outside and are able to contact me, I'd be more than willing to speak about such further."

"Maybe we could use this Skill of yours to communicate via dreams whenever you desire… If you master such a talent to such a degree."

"I'll be waiting for you to reach out to me either way… But don't expect me to do it from my end."

"Very well."

Philip turned to the side, walking towards the entrance of the ruins.

"If Petter wakes up, tell him he owns me some drinks."

"You sure are petty… I will… But before you go."

"Yeah?"

/Fuom…/

/SPLASHHHH!!/

Dae conjured a torrent of water, having it crash against Philip, almost sending him flying against the wall. 

"Cough, cough, cough! What the… Cough! Was that?!"

"A basic remedy… You needed a shower so that does it."

/Clap!/

He clapped his hand, and Philip felt a strange force wrap around his body as he was flipped around like a rag in a washing machine.

"Huff… S-Stop spinning me around!"

/Clap!/

"..."

Philip was gently lowered against the ground. His clothes were a bit off-place, but overall, he was fine!

"I'll get back at you one day for this…"

"That's how you thank me for making you presentable? With that smell, the Orcs would've found you from a mile away…"

"Humph… Until!"

This time, he left without looking back…

"Just say you're flustered… Hum…"

Dae's smile vanished as he grew serious once more.

'So it starts… It tires me just thinking about it…'

'We… Against the world.'

Dae took a step forward as well, avoiding the mess on the ground, he walked to where Petter slept…

"... AHHHHHH!"

Soon enough, a scream echoed in the church…

…

.

.

.

Notes

Here it is, I kind of fused two chapters together but also cut another section from the original one, trying to make things flow a little more... Seamless...

I originally intended to add a fight scene between Philip and Dae but soon realized such a thing wouldn't make much sense despite my wanting to show both clashing.

Right now, it's a little shameful to admit, but Philip is FAR stronger than Dae, and above all, Dae is extremely drained.

He's been working to the bone every day ever since he regressed and right now, spent two weeks in a half-dead state only to return and perform this operation on Philip.

More than everything Philip passed through, Dae managing to pull everything off was a miracle.

Either way, I'm tired.

Thank you for reading, peace!

Don't forget to leave a chapter comment and drop a power stone; it helps!