12K words! Chonky! Especially at the end.
Thanks for reading, enjoy~
.
.
.
—
/After a few hours had gone by…/
Light peered through the distant mountains. The sun was about to rise, signifying the start of a new day.
Inside the old library, Philip approached the last bookshelf at the very top of the tower. Cobwebs and dust covered both the ground and walls, a floor so desolate even he had yet to set foot on.
This housed most of the old documents and manuscripts. There was no secret underground vault full of forbidden books. People could find the old, discarded books here.
If forbidden books were off-limits to most, they were stored elsewhere with tighter security. As for higher complexity ones, they were likely found in the common libraries in other sectors.
While he was somewhat far from the center of the Academy, this library was still technically a part of the third sector belonging to the Third Years, so he'd find relevant information scattered around. If he wanted to get his hands on more advanced knowledge, then he'd have to go after it. But he already expected that.
Either way, there was more than enough here to fulfill his hunger for knowledge. While the library was quite large, it was full of repeat and redundant books on the same subjects. Any ordinary student would've likely followed whatever their professors told them to study before moving on to the next year. Few would ever notice that the "grandness" of each library was nothing but a shiny coat of paint.
Maybe there was some truth to the disdain many showed them… Only the central library and a handful others deserved some attention.
But that was no problem for him, after all… Any data was welcome. The more… the better.
"... annnnd… Done. This should be the last of them."
[Scanning complete. The Archive -Library N.07- is now structured. Following the Admin's request, I will process and sort the data into its appropriate folders]
[As I process the data, I will create and designate folders as needed. The restructuring of Archives and Sub-Archives will proceed as follows under the major directive named -Eden-]
[Total quantity of items scanned: 417,297]
"Excellent."
'It took me a few hours to go through this entire library, but it has finally ended. The number of books seems lower than what I expected, but... It's not like I have a frame of reference.'
'… I never used my university's library... All of my books were online. And the few famous libraries I know of had tens of millions of books stored in them. And they all come from an age where information was easy to come across, so it isn't fair to compare them with elite knowledge reserved for the few.'
'Most of these were handwritten … or through some unique method. Either way, they weren't mass-produced. That's for certain.'
"… But this is enough for today."
He looked at the dusty shelf and coughed faintly before turning around and leaving. On the way down, he interacted with MT, giving his next orders:
"As scheduled, start compiling the scanned data, starting with those I highlighted. Priority should go to basic/entry documents. Most of these were already pre-labelled, so following the intended route shouldn't be difficult."
'Mages are quite formal in the way they write documents. It's like a thesis in a way. They have strict rules to follow, and one of those, at least for academic documents, is labeling the basic knowledge required to read them.'
'As long as MT starts from the basics, it won't have an issue at all going through them all… But first, I'll have it learn the languages of this world; It'll probably take no time at all.'
'Once it learns the language, I can feed it more data and soon enough, it'll be better than me at interpreting everything going on around me. When that happens, I can quicken the growth of my language skill that has stagnated… Hard to say that when it's only been a few weeks since it last leveled up… Either way, it's only an example.'
'The plan is to have MT learn and compile information for me so I can learn things even faster. There's a lot of bloat in every book, and many times the information is incomplete. If I can have an AI go through tens of thousands of documents to formulate a sequence of handmade books for me to study. Then the effort I had to create MT would already pay for itself.'
'Given that MT is a sophisticated AI, it can easily surpass basic reorganization... In any event, after that... Well… I'll leave that for later.'
[Understood, starting a new directive… Calculating approximate time...]
While listening to the AI, Philip looked up at the overhead clock, considering:
'Time sure passed fast… It's already 6AM… Class will start soon. Unless they cancel it so the students can recover from their injuries, but that would mostly be for the fifth years. Fabrin doesn't teach them, anyway.'
'Nonetheless, I suppose that's goodbye to my sleep.'
"… Sigh."
'I'm finally a little tired, but it's time to proceed. Time waits for no one…'
Philip yawned faintly as he stretched his arms, gazing at the controller. He was about to store it in his inventory when he paused for a moment… But he then scoffed with a grin.
'Right. Storing it in the inventory box won't affect a thing. It might've been different if I stored it inside the System storage, but I don't have access to that.'
The System gave all heroes access to a small storage space, which increased as they grew stronger and achieved greater feats. They possessed many unique features, which also grew with them. One of them being the usual ability to delay decay or even "halt" time entirely.
But the System did not grant him his Class, so he could only rely on his its innate storage… Which wasn't something he could count on either.
Only his first Class, of all the ones he had, possessed innate storage, and even that was limited to a select few items.
His most recent one provided temporary storage, but only for transferring the items he received in the memories. It was a one-way street…
Once he took them out of there, it was up to him to deal with them. So he only shoved them up inside his storage box. At least this way, MT could work without being interrupted. Although he feared the possibility of overheating because of the lack of ventilation…
"Hum… Let's hope there won't be any problems from being inside a pocket space… Compressed space… Whatever this is."
'I'll eat something for now and take a shower… It will not be too late to check on it by then.'
With determination, Philip returned home from the library…
…
/Meanwhile, in another corner of the Academy.../
"...!"
Ivia opened her eyes on a large double bed, gazing at the ceiling she was so used to…
"My… My room?... Since when…?"
She looked around, flinching as she felt her waist and shoulder pinch. The pain wasn't pronounced, but the heavy bandages around her limbs told her everything she needed to know.
She thought about how she got here. From entering the underground to her last confrontation, the people who saved and rescued her.
'… I remember they carried me to a nearby infirmary… someone must've healed me there.'
"You fell asleep not long after you got healed."
A voice echoed next to her, and she flinched again as she turned to the side, her expression falling…
"You…"
"Dont you say that to your father. I have a name, you know…"
Fabrin looked at her with a heavy expression as he read a newspaper on the side. He sat next to the window with a warm cup steaming on a table to his left.
He wore a jacket and brown pants. The usual attire he brought with him to work.
"Wait… The time?… Shouldn't you be somewhere else?…"
"I came here to check up on you, my disobedient daughter. Someone had to carry you from the infirmary to the dormitory, and I wouldn't leave it to that poor girl…"
"But if me being here makes you uncomfortable, then I'll leave. The Great Hunt has already ended, and you won't have class today, so rest now. Some of your wounds have yet to close…"
He smiled faintly as he approached her, ruffling her hair before leaving some pills on the other table next to her.
"Take these after a few hours. We'll talk about the rest when I'm back."
Fabrin looked at her with a warm but neutral smile. Although his silent eyes held many emotions, one thing was certain…
He felt immense relief and love for the troublemaker before him… and she knew that.
The memories of her past encounter washed over her, and with it, a wave of guilt and remorse, but above all, fear. Because for a moment, she almost caused this man irreparable damage.
The feelings and emotions she felt at that moment of helplessness were still deeply ingrained in her. It made her appreciate the nagging and harshness this man had imposed on her over the many years they've been together.
It was far more than she knew… No… She was only finally admitting what she already knew.
There was still a lot to go through and settle in her chaotic mind, but right now, she only wanted to say one thing:
"... Dad?"
"Yes?"
"I… I'm sorry… and… thank you… I screwed up… and I… Won't do it again…"
Hearing her words and embarrassment, Fabrin took a step back and hugged her, saying:
"You are just like your mother. No matter how much trouble you stir up because of your stubbornness, you both know when to say sorry."
"…"
When she heard her mother being mentioned, Ivia closed her eyes in regret. Fabrin noticed this and patted her head.
"… I've already told you many times… You don't have to prove anything to me… So how about we drop this and move on?"
"I…"
"Next time you decide to go on a suicide mission. How about notifying your dad so he doesn't have to worry so much, hmm?"
He patted her head even harder, silencing her words before he stepped aside:
"I made some breakfast. It's just by the table on your side. Try eating some of it if you can."
With nothing else to say, he gestured for the door, opening it slightly… But Ivia still had something to say:
"… Were you the one behind… behind him?..."
"Him?… You mean Philip?"
"Yes, the person who… who…"
She had difficulty choosing her words. It was embarrassing. Everything she knew about him was associated with some humiliating aspect of her… Be it when he made her tremble in fear, or when he saved her from certain death, neither were pretty memories for her to remember…
And they happened back to back pretty much.
"Ah, yes… The boy who disciplined you and saved you from your own arrogance. Yes, I know him…"
/Swoosh!/
Ivia grabbed a pillow and threw it at him in frustration. Ignoring the pain as her face turned red.
"What do you mean, leave?! Tell me why! Who is he?!"
"…"
'Prideful and hotheaded… Blood sure is thick.'
Fabrin paused, eyes fixed on the door, then responded gravely:
"... Are you expecting me to just let you go to that dangerous place on your own? Maybe if you listened to me, I would…"
He closed his eyes, remembering something before he opened them again and said:
"I can allow you to seek your own things on your own, as that was your mother's wish, but I don't think she'd agree with the way you handle things… Not like that would've changed anything."
"…"
While Ivia looked down, embarrassed, he scoffed:
"Causing trouble to me for half a century… I can't catch a break."
"… I may have grown from nothing. Your mother may have been like you, but that doesn't mean she'd let you go through the same things she did… I won't."
"I know… I know what you want and what you are trying to prove…"
"..."
"Don't give me that look, I've known you for almost two decades now… Yeah! Look at you! Already a lady yet so barbaric… You're never getting a husband at this rate…"
"Father!"
/Throw!/
She threw another pillow, but he easily grabbed it and threw it back on the bed with a smirk.
"I didn't want to do this, but… From now on… You're losing some of your "rights". No more secret contracts, no more dives into Dungeons. From now on, you're training with me. My word is final."
"Until you prove to me, you can act befitting someone your age, I'm revoking your rights to act ass an adult."
"Father…"
"No more words, I'm late… Rest now, and think about what I said, what you did, and what you want to do. I'll come back later and hear your answer."
"… You're strong, Ivia, but there's more to strength than breaking rocks with harder rocks… I thought you knew that. That you knew what it meant to hold a blade… But I guess I was wrong."
"You used to know what that meant."
/Creak… Clack/
As the door closed behind him, Ivia also closed her eyes, resting her head on the pillows.
"... What I want to do… Haaa…"
'I've never thought about that, have I?… I've just… Moved for the sake of it.'
She raised her hands and put them over her face.
'Maybe that's the difference between us… He figured out what he wants to do and acts on it… What about me?'
"Thinking about what I did, it was indeed foolish… He wasn't wrong."
She thought about her last encounter with Philip and the words they shared on their way back. Even the words he gave her when they first clashed blades…
"… I'm all over the place…"
"Sigh… I'm tired... dad…"
Ivia remained there, thinking about many things until her eyes closed on their own, sending her into the warm embrace of sleep.
…
/No more than an hour later…/
"… He's fucking late again…"
Philip waited by the class' door, his back against the wall, tapping his foot on the ground as he patiently waited for Fabrin. After the last time, he learned from his mistakes and now would not enter the classroom until he arrived.
He wore formal clothes comprising black pants with straps going over his shoulders, brown shoes, and a white shirt. He also had a pair of thin, dark frame glasses. But they weren't there to help him see better.
Philip's improved eyesight following his first Class eliminated his need for glasses, which he used to wear. They now served another purpose…
They hid within sensors and cameras, allowing MT to gather data on his surroundings similarly to Simulation Room, although he knew exactly what MT was going after.
The inventory tool's compressed space blocked all communication between them; Therefore, this quick fix would have to suffice until he bypasses it and figures out a way to keep a constant link with MT's mainframe.
He looked pretty stylish overall; if only one knew what kind of man hid behind them…
/Chatter…/
Behind him, he could hear the commotion of the kids in class.
Just about an hour ago, he received a notification asking him to come to class, and guess what happened? He's late again…
"… At this rate I might as well call class off… Wasn't there a rule about that somewhere?…"
'This time, if a kid causes trouble, I'll just knock them out, end of the story…'
"Hey."
A feminine voice called to him from the side of the hallway. Attracting his attention instinctively.
Philip turned to the left and saw someone he didn't expect to see so soon… His eyebrow rising as he looked at her.
"… Viera?"
'I almost didn't recognize her… But the purple hair is unmistakable.'
"… Do you have some time to spare?"
Viera adorned the same uniform she wore during the Great Hunt, but with some modifications. There were fewer layers of clothing underneath the uniform. Which came as no great surprise. For while a mage did not need heavy armor to protect themselves, a few layers of enchanted clothing weren't too difficult to carry and move around in.
In her right hand, instead of a staff, she now carried a leather bag with a few books inside. Although Philip could see a small white bramble sticking out from inside the bag, a simple but sturdy wand.
Even her glasses had changed, becoming rounder and thicker, adding to the "nerdy girl" aesthetic.
She also seemed to have put some care into her appearance. Her hair had a stronger scent of perfume and was neatly tied in a spiral behind her. She had clearly spent some effort on it this time compared to when they first met.
Still… Perhaps this style wasn't the best for her… But she deserves credit for her effort.
Philip processed all of these changes in a moment before turning to his pockets. From inside, he pulled a small metallic watch and checked the time…
"Not really… But since the professor isn't here, I suppose he wouldn't mind if I took some time off."
He looked at her clothes again and asked:
"That said… Are you from this class?"
/Nod…/
She nodded faintly, and Philip smirked.
"Well well well. Then I guess that means you're late. Looks like you're waiting in the hallway…"
'So in the end, even if I hadn't taken part in the Great Hunt, I would've met her here… Although Fabrin's daughter… Sigh…'
"… Can we speak elsewhere?"
Viera replied coldly to his teasing. Philip shrugged, scratching his chin. Deep in thought:
'Looks like she got late to do her hair… It's impressive she braided her hair like this on her own. But that's where magic likely did its thing.'
'She seems to want something… Hum… Is this the time I praise her looks?'
"!"
/Kick!/
Viera noticed Philip's cheeky smile, and after looking around, she quickly kicked his leg before walking down the corridor without looking back.
"Haha… I like your hair… Nice shampoo by the way."
"Hmph… Jerk."
Philip exhaled faintly as he went after her, taking one last look around just in case Fabrin had arrived. But upon seeing there was no one around, he went after her.
…
After following her for a few moments, they arrived at an open roof garden overlooking some complexes of the Academy.
It was quite beautiful, albeit isolated... A hidden spot few knew. Being far from the ordinary paths, one would have had to walk away from them quite a bit to get here.
'… People in this world sure love to make everything… Big…'
The academy's grounds spread before him into the distance. At its very edge, the tall walls surrounding it pierced through the forests. And beyond even that, the obscure central mountains, piercing into the clouds above.
There, the average height of the mountains was twice that of even the tallest mountains on Earth. They were like a massive white wall built by giants…
"… This should be enough."
Philip looked around with a smirk, grabbing onto a nearby flower, "… Are you going to confess to me? Can you give me some time to think?"
He gave her a gentle smile as he put the flower in her hair. She flinched, momentarily forgetting why she had brought him there.
"You…"
In the end, she rolled her eyes before pushing his arm away, but did not bother to take out the flower as she cleared her throat, saying:
"First, I would like to apologize for not contacting you yesterday even after you sent me my part of the contracts… I felt as if I had abandoned you given how short our farewell was… I'm glad you're okay."
Philip smiled as he rested his right hand on the railing, looking at the forests below.
"It's okay, I didn't take it to heart. Everyone was tired, so I understand if you just went to sleep… and I felt the same way."
"I dragged you around all day long and then sent you to do me a chore without even as much as a thank you… So here it is, thank you for everything. You were an excellent partner."
Viera smiled, relieved, one less worry to be resolved… But she looked at him awkwardly as she adjusted her glasses:
"Well… That wasn't exactly what I did…"
"What...?…"
Philip was momentarily stunned at her words as he processed what he had just heard. But his confusion was short-lived, as he immediately smiled, looking at her sideways with raised eyebrows.
"Yesterday I… WAIT! THAT ISNT WHAT I MEANT I…"
Viera still didn't seem to get what he was trying to say with his expression, trying to explain herself when she finally… understood.
Her expression went completely red, like a beet.
"Pfft… Haha..."
Philip couldn't hold it anymore, laughing heartily at her embarrassment while she trembled on the side.
"You…"
'I swear… I need to focus… Focus before he takes me off track again.'
She held onto the sides of her uniform as she calmed down, holding in the urge to blow him off the balcony with a spell.
After breathing in and out, she continued:
"… Thanks to you, I accumulated many resources, far more than I had actually planned for. And with that bit of courage you gave me, I decided to stop holding myself back."
"… I'm now a 6th Circle mage."
She bowed faintly and smoothly, but her gesture was too on point. She had likely rehearsed this moment many times the night before to prepare for this conversation.
She raised her head, awkwardly facing him as she waited for his reaction.
"..."
Her words froze Philip for a moment. His eyes and lips stilled before his hands rose in applause:
/Clap clap clap…/
"Truly… Congratulations, it must've been hard..."
"... What a lackluster reaction…"
She rolled her eyes in displeasure. Her vision and expectations shattered into a million pieces… But then, she smiled.
'Of course this is his reaction.' She thought as she smiled faintly as she brushed her bangs aside
"What? Is something wrong? I'm almost D-Y-I-N-G from shock!"
Philip acted dramatically again, reaching for his chest. He stepped back, his eyes trembling…
"I thought you being a 5th circle was already impressive, but you beat me to it and you are now a 6th?!"
"… Sigh… Enough, stop playing around… It's unbecoming of someone in your position." She replied as she waved her hand at him, shooing him away
At her words, Philip immediately returned to normal, shrugging in response.
"Was it too obvious?" He said as he fixed his bow tie
"...#!"
'When did that appear there?… He… He pisses me off… Focus... If I lost it here, my Mana might go out of control. My Circle isn't fully stable yet…'
She took a deep breath and looked at him with a crooked smile:
"To this… I believe I owe you another apology."
This time, genuine surprise overcame him. He sat on the railing of the balcony, looking at her with an inquisitive gaze.
"Why though?"
"… While you tried your best, showing me your honesty… I lied. And my actions not only put me in danger, they also put you and that lady in harm's way."
"With my actual abilities, dealing with that situation wouldn't have been outside of my ability. We might've been able to gain far more from our trip, and not only that, at the very end, I would've been able to lead us through the barricade without stirring trouble… I'm sorry, I…"
But before she could say anything else, Philip interrupted her with a half-smile. Putting his hand on her shoulder, he replied:
"Woah there… Who told you I showed you everything? You thought that was all?"
Out of all possibilities… she utterly could not see this one being a possibility.
Viera opened her eyes wide and looked at him with a blank expression. No words could describe how she felt right now.
Hollow? Empty?… No, she felt something alright… Disdain? That wouldn't be that either…
She had the urge to strangle him. While her guilt ate at her consciousness. While she worried the entire night and scrambled her head for an apology… He didn't even seem to care at all.
Not because she did something wrong, but merely because to him everything she did was utterly inconsequential… From a certain perspective, this reaction was almost a betrayal.
"… You… Are… Amazing…" She replied in a monotone, already clenching her wand
She didn't know why this man's words and actions bothered her so much. Out of everyone she had ever met, he was the only one who pulled out such reactions from her time and time again.
She just couldn't properly respond to his endless teasing and free spirit. The only answer she could come up with was… Venting her frustrations through a spell.
But that, of course, was only when his teasing boiled up to her pressure point…
"Oh, come on! I'm super amazing; that was "nothing" to me…"
/Crack…/
Viera raised her hand. Icicle fragments formed around her fingertips as she touched his hands.
A faint smile formed on her lips as the frost spread across his skin. She held tightly onto him, but there was no warmth in her gesture.
… Her words just as cold:
"If you don't stop messing around, I'll make you stop even if I have to freeze myself."
"..."
'Right… She may look small and frail, but this is a girl who'd risk going alone to the underground for the sake of furthering her goals… She might have the determination to do it…'
Philip didn't know if she was toying with him or not, but this time, he threw the towel.
Like he'd always embarrass her, this time, she won… He dropped his playful expression and tapped her forehead lightly:
"Look, we all have secrets. You say I was honest, but that isn't exactly true either. We have our burdens… What you did was nothing wrong and, like I said before, I don't take it to heart at all."
"I say, let's take a step back and try again… I'm not saying we should share our secrets but… How about next time we're down there, we don't hide critical information from one another? How about that?"
"… Fair enough… It seems I've overcomplicated a simple issue." She added with a light smile as she sat down next to him
Philip crossed his arms and enjoyed the warm breeze for a little longer before he checked the time and pushed himself off the railing:
"… Now then. Fabrin has likely…"
"We aren't done yet."
"We aren't?"
"Yes… Let me pick it up…"
She placed her leather bag on the stone table next to them, showing its contents to him as she searched for something…
Unable to hide his curiosity, Philip gave it a quick glance, reading the titles from some of the books she'd brought with her:
'Advanced Tetrahydric Formations Vol 23… and A Simple Guide to the Law of Kikun Ji Vepol in regards to Incantations and Formations Vol 3... What the hell?… That's at least three hundred pages long, there's nothing simple about that…'
'I don't… I don't think any of those books are in the second-year curriculum… Sigh... Magic is a tough field to study. Not that simple to study, nor as magical as in fantasy... I'd even say it's worse than math.'
'But far cooler…'
While Philip thought about her books, Viera took out a small and plain, wooden brown box from within. A small purplish cloth, stamped with an unknown symbol, wrapped it.
He frowned as he looked at the stamp. It evoked a strange sense of unease in him, prompting him to almost step back in response…
His first thought was that it was a rune of some sort, similar to the rune inscribed on the Chains' Branch Leader he met a few days before. But its purpose was hard to identify.
Viera, however, paid it little heed, throwing it inside the bag once she took the box out… Nonetheless, the strange sensation at the back of his head did not go away.
It instead grew stronger.
"This is?" He asked as he looked at the plain box, wary of its strange properties
"It's quite a long story."
Philip looked at his pocket watch again and frowned… 'Class was supposed to start almost fifteen minutes ago… Haa, screw it. If he can be late, so can I.'
He closed the pocket watch and shoved it into his pocket.
"… We have some time."
Viera nodded, taking another deep breath as she began her story: "So, yesterday… My master came to visit me…"
"She did?… You told me it had been over a year since you met her, isn't that what you told me before?"
'Viera traveled the world with her master for a few years before he dropped her at the Academy. She only stayed behind for a little while to help her settle down before leaving somewhere even she doesn't know… And while I can't read her emotions well, I don't think she was lying either.'
"Yes, I'm surprised you still remember that, given everything that happened last time…"
"I have a pretty good memory… anyhow..."
'I'd joke a little, but we don't have the time for that, I'm afraid…'
"… So… The last time I saw my master was during my first year. She left shortly after I enrolled, returning months later to assist me in helping settle my 5th circle."
"So you were already 5th circle before joining the Academy? Why even bother coming here? Your master could've just sent you to the Academy of Mystics in the South or any of the Towers and Bastions that specialize in a field. The Academy is overall better than those options from an academic perspective, but for someone that far already, it feels redundant."
"You didn't even need to join as a student. You could've done it like me and joined as an Advanced Course student from the get-go."
"I felt the same way, but I never doubted master's choices… I believe her goal was to have me experience more social interactions… And… while I doubted that before… Anyway…"
"…"
Philip raised an eyebrow as she averted her gaze, but let her speak unbothered:
"She stayed with me for a few months until around a year ago… She finally returned a few days ago and helped me form my 6th Circle."
"Oh? So she was already around when we met?"
Viera looked distressed as she looked at the ground, understanding what he implied:
"T-That's… Another lie… I'm sorry."
"… I already said it's okay. You're not accountable to me in any way… Your master looks like a rather busy mage, so I can understand if they gave the order to avoid sharing their status with others."
'I feel like something's wrong though. I'm certain Viera wasn't lying about not knowing where her master was during the Great Hunt. So how come it's been a few days since they met?'
'Three possibilities come to mind… The first is that Viera is under a protective mantle strong enough to muddle my senses… Her master may have meddled with her memories… Or like I did with Simulation Room, she may have experienced an augmented reality.'
'That said, she isn't lying right now either… unless one of those conditions is true… But I'll assume it is. So it's true her master was around when we first met. So which is the truth? Or are there other variables I'm uncertain of?'
He looked back at Viera, who now looked at the sky with regret and helplessness, and refocused on their conversation:
"I thought I was doing well, but within a few mere days under her tutelage, I felt as if I had advanced more than in half a year of study on my own… So many questions I accumulated all answered so quickly… If she stood for a little longe then…"
"Well… I had previously planned on forming this circle much later, probably around the time I became a 5th year... But thanks to your help, I gathered what I needed sooner and my Master helped with the rest…"
"Maybe that was what she wanted me to understand and come to appreciate. That such opportunities aren't given to all… I should come to cherish the little things around me more…"
"… Do you really believe that? To me it seems you already appreciate her quite a bit."
"…"
"… That's great. I'm happy for you. If you keep this up, you might become an Archmage before you graduate."
'Anyhow… What does all of this have to do with me? A simple thanks would've sufficed. Maybe I'm just feeling overwhelmed by this world's culture… The last few worlds I've been to weren't that… Let's say "kind"…'
"… I know exactly what you are thinking… Do you have no shame being so rude?" Viera replied with a frown as she poked his waist with her fingers
"What?! How dare you frame me!"
"Humph… Here, take this. My master told me to give this to you."
"Huh?? Your master? Are you certain?"
'What does she have to do with me?… If she's been around for a while, she might know something about me, but nothing that would justify giving me something… Unless she works for the Royals in the South… Maybe this is compensation for assisting her disciple?'
'This is getting interesting.'
"Don't ask me, I also do not know what this is, only that my master told me that this would be enough to repay you for everything you've done for me."
Her words implied there was more to this matter, but Philip did not dig too much into it. She'd tell him more one day. He was certain of that.
"Is that so? Then I'm very curious about this item…"
He inspected the box Viera gave him, but just as he was about to open…
/Fwush!/
Viera took the box back, making him stare at her with a blank expression.
"I'm not done yet."
"You didn't need to yank it off my hands… You were the one who gave it to me in the first place!"
"Humph, it's like this… My master left a message for you. And that you can only get this object if you agree with what she has to say."
"So much for a compensation gift…"
"You want it or not?"
"Spill it out."
"I thought you'd say that… Here, let me do the honors…"
Philip looked at the box as Viera opened it, and a flash of light suddenly hit his eyes…
/FLASH!/
…
"Urg, my eyes... Every damn time…"
'Why are people so adamant about this type of entrance?'
"… What the fuck?"
His expression changed as he looked around him. He was now in an empty void of darkness… He couldn't see its end, be it above or below.
He couldn't feel anything except his own warmth. He felt as if all shackles binding his body to the world had released him, but that wasn't a good thing.
Floating endlessly in nothingness. The utter exemption from stimulation. It would drive him mad sooner or later.
'Shit! I knew something was wrong… Was it a trap?! But why?'
Distressed, he went through all the options he currently possessed, but even his ability to control and interact with dreams wasn't working. It felt similar to when he enters Simulation Room.
Maybe right now, his consciousness had been detached from his body or extended elsewhere. He couldn't even manifest the System or Gamerverse.
He was utterly naked.
"What to do… ?!?!"
As Philip looked around, he eventually saw a massive person staring at him from the darkness. Their large emerald eyes glistening from the void.
Silver hair and dark skin, but not in any possible coloration. The darkness surrounding her hid her real facial details, making it hard for him to recognize or form a concrete memory of her shape.
"… Your mind is more resistant than I thought. I almost miscalculated and failed to make this possible."
She had a light but mature tone. Compared with his vision, this woman seemed far younger than he expected…
"Ehh... Are you…"
"There's no need to be wary; I seek you no harm."
He couldn't read her emotions, but her eyes were serene. He would not fall for them, but displaying blatant distrust in this situation would do him no good.
He calmed down, burying his unrest inside his mind.
"Okay... So, who?"
'It's been a while since I've this utterly helpless…'
She chuckled at his question, finding it silly and redundant. As she moved closer to him.
Her hair followed suit in the void, swaying around as if underwater…
"Who else would I be? Has she not spoken about me before?"
"… Why?"
Her tone grew slightly heavier as her eyebrows narrowed faintly.
"Because there is something we must discuss without my naïve apprentice hearing... Or anyone, to be honest."
"But, how?…"
She smiled, "You're not the only one with a powerful mind. Not that this is of any significance, magic would've done just the same, but I felt like doing it like this."
"Why?"
"A matter of preference, if you will... So... Because so. Sometimes, you don't need a reason to act a certain way. Four is both two plus two, and two times two… The answer is the same to paths so similar."
"So to answer it definitely… because I felt like it." She added with a thin smile as her hands materialized from the void
She used them to rest her head as if lying on the ground. But after a few moments, her smile vanished.
"The energy I deployed within this box will not remain for long, so let's go over this quickly."
"..."
'Tsk! So many words yet so little consistency… This is what they all say, trying to be mysterious…'
The woman rolled her eyes as she yawned faintly:
"I can hear you… Try not to be so… Vocal, inside your mind."
"... Well, damn."
"Focus, and hear the message I left you..." She said as she felt his thoughts go haywire
"Wait... Are we actually talking? What is this place?"
"Not quite, this is more of a vestige that I've left behind, a will contained within an object… materialized from my consciousness and imprinted within."
"?!"
Her massive hand flicked his head lightly, causing him to spin around like a toy…
"Train hard, and one day, you'll find your own way of doing this... If your path ever leads you in such a direction, that is."
She looked straight at him as he regained his composure, saying:
"… I know. And hence, I am here…"
"!!"
It was the only thing she said, but it carried a lot of weight… especially for Philip.
"… What do you know?"
"More than you should know."
"..."
'A fancy way of saying for me to mind my own business, but okay… We could've talked in the Academy but here we are…'
"... Philip, this is serious."
Hearing his name sure made Philip's confusion increase. He looked up at her with a bigger frown:
"Viera told you my name? I suppose… Nice to meet you, albeit a bit late."
"She…"
The woman went into deep contemplation before finally replying:
"Nice to meet you or too. I'd hoped the conditions were others but… This is the best I can afford right now. I hope you can pardon my rudeness… both to you and to that child."
"My name is *****… Hum… Let's leave it at that."
"Your name is what? I didn't quite hear it."
… But she only looked at him as if expecting this to happen. Her gaze went elsewhere, but when he followed her vision, he saw nothing.
When he turned back, he saw her deep emerald eyes staring right back at him.
"Okay, then... Keep your secrets or whatever… Is that all you wanted to say?"
"Not at all… We haven't even started yet."
"Okay?..."
"I need you to do something for me. Consider the box as payment."
"Wasn't it supposed to be a thank-you gift?"
/Chuckle…/
"I think you'd prefer if it weren't… You'll understand when you open it."
She looked into his eyes… no, beyond them, and continued:
"What I want from you is simple, yet complex depending from how you take it… I want you to take care of my apprentice, at least until I come back."
"What?… I… Well… that'll be hard. I'm quite busy…"
'I have a fuckton to do! I can't go around the place with a teenage girl! I'm barely taking care of myself, what to say another…'
The woman insisted, pressing on: "You'll be leaving the Academy soon, aren't you."
"… Que?…"
He tried to say something more, but he found his throat sealed. As if he were screaming underwater…
"After the Academy, you have further goals down South… Your Fate is convoluted, fluctuating between falsehood and truth, reality… and fiction."
"…"
"Forces beyond our control twirl the coming tides… I'm already aware of these developments… What you and your friends aim to accomplish."
"!!!"
"You have little to worry about. Just bring her with you. That's all I ask. Her time at this academy is over. She has already attained what I wanted from her. Any longer, and she'll grow vindictive… That's not what I desire."
"… You what?!… Ahem…"
'How does she... No, anyone could tell I will not remain around for long, even Fabrin realized that… But everything else? I don't need another Roy around me!'
"..."
She looked at him without interrupting him. Was she agreeing with her thoughts? What else could be she hiding?
"… Even so, I… I can't guarantee her safety. Not when I can't be sure I'll be alright…"
"That's something for you to figure out yourself. I don't expect it to be a smooth journey, but I want her back in one piece… But I'll give you a hint to ease your troubles:"
"Things aren't as simple as they may seem. If the cosmos dictates the moon's disappearance, should it silently accept its erasure?"
"…?"
"… The power and actions necessary to bring change aren't so easily taken and cultivated. Natural order isn't so easily defied… So Philip, don't you think your actions are rather… redundant?"
"What?"
"You who struggle against the natural course of things, aren't you just like the moon?"
"Struggle and struggle, an endless endeavour, but for how long can you keep chasing this shapeless ideal? Your current purpose belongs not to you, and the one you've only begun to form is shaky at best."
"Is that all you have to say? For someone with little time, you talked quite a lot."
"I've yet to hear anything new."
'That doesn't matter to me. If I'm an ant trying to shake a tree, or a fish trying to climb a mountain, I don't care. I just feel like doing what I like, and that's all.
She suddenly smiled widely, and for a moment, he felt as if he saw her true face hidden behind the darkness. But just as he tried to recall it, his memories jumbled up.
"Ironic, isn't it?... As in the end... That was the struggle you chose to follow."
/FLASH!/
…
"… lip?… hilip?… Hello? You there?"
"Eh?"
With the flash, Philip recovered his sight. His eyes were still a bit unfocused but he had mostly recovered.
He looked around to see nothing had changed. He was still in the same spot with Viera before him, the box opened in her hands.
"Are you okay? You're a bit out of it… Is this tiny stone so surprising for you?" She asked with some suspicion as she looked at the box
"… Stone?"
'So… From her perspective, I've been standing still all this time? It doesn't look like even a second has passed…'
But the stone soon caught his attention.
"This is?"
It was perfectly clear and round with a faint gray tint, so calling it clear wasn't correct as it was faintly opaque. Somewhere at the stone's center was a strange rune that looked like the letter Theta (θ).
He grabbed the stone, and for a moment, he felt it melt like ice between his teeth, but it recovered its shape, becoming solid once again before losing its shape again…
Even when he used Scholar Vision, nothing popped up. There was absolutely nothing on his mind about this tiny stone. Only rough estimations of what it could be, but those were unreliable and came from his own intuition and limited understanding of the object.
'It feels… Odd?… My mental power is resonating with this… Why?'
'Wait a minute… This is…'
/CLICK!/
This was the sound of everything clicking together inside his mind… The pieces of the puzzle connecting…
"Oh, shit… This is it."
"What?"
"Your master…"
"My master?"
"… She's scary…"
'It all makes sense... and at the same time, don't… Now it's explained how Viera got her hands on this item. My search… is over.'
'Viera is just a talented girl brought under the wing of a mysterious being… She is the source of her convoluted story. But that isn't a story I can resolve now… A mystery was just replaced by another.'
"... Weirdo…"
Without even understanding how, Philip got his hand on his first Origin Orb!
Was this a gift? A sign of fate? Of his future responsibilities?
What was Viera's master trying to say?
Whatever it was, Philip remained puzzled…
…
/Following a minute of intense thought…/
"Hey… Are you done thinking? Can you talk more clearly? What happened?"
"Well, I… yes… your master left a message for me in the box, so when the flash of light…"
"Flash of light? What are you talking about?"
"You… You didn't see it?"
Viera shook her head, frowning as she inspected his face.
"I may not have, but I believe you. My master has always been very… Unique in the way she handles things. So I'lI believe you this time." She said as she looked around the box, inspecting it
"Strange… I felt nothing when she gave me, much less when I opened it. What did master hide in it? How did she do it…?"
'He wouldn't lie about this, but it makes me upset… Did master really have to hide things from me like this?'
Viera turned her sight to the stone in Philip's hand and asked:
"With that out of the way, can you tell me what this is?"
"This… It's complicated… I know little myself…" He replied awkwardly as he hurriedly closed the box and stored it inside his inventory
"Hey! I was looking at it!"
"Trust me, it's better this way… The value of this thing is relative; It's both worth a lot and nothing at all… But one thing's certain… It's dangerous."
"Never mention it to anybody. I'm not kidding here, this stays between us and only that. I'd even say it's best you avoided talking about it unless I started the conversation."
"Can you be more specific?"
He smiled, from ear to ear, "I have no fucking idea!" as he opened his arms, defeated
"..."
'That's it…'
Viera raised her hand, ready to punish this rude fellow… But she blinked, and he was gone!
Gnashing her teeth, she ran after him "Come back here!" she exclaimed as she ran to the corridors
…
/A few seconds later…/
"Where is that kid? Class is… OH! Philip, you're late!" Fabrin said with a thin smile as he waited by the door to the classroom
Philip looked at him with indignation and a tint of hellplessness as he held the urge to berate him.
"Can we just… Not talk about it? You're not one to talk either."
'Now Im the one who's late...'
"... Okay… Ahem… Thank you for coming. I know there is a lot to discuss, and I'll answer all of your questions as soon as this class ends."
"This time, there'll be no troublemakers, I assure you."
"I hope so…"
/Step step step…/
He heard footsteps approaching. Turning, he saw Viera walking toward him, a faint aura surrounding her, her intent menacing.
He smiled, patting Fabrin's shoulders as he entered the classroom:
"Time to work?"
"..."
'That girl… Interesting.'
Fabrin waited for Viera to enter the classroom and closed the door. They were late by over twenty minutes, but it was better than nothing.
Class resumed as expected, flying by with the wind…
…
/Two and a half hours later.../
"… and this shall be all for today. We will have a field trip next class, so be prepared. Those who don't send their reports in three days will not partake in it." Fabrin said as he put back a thick book in his suitcase
"See you all in four days…"
After he was done, he turned to Philip.
"Do you have some time, or do we have to set up a meeting later?"
"I'm right behind you… But can we stop somewhere to eat? I haven't eaten properly in… A few days."
'I've only eaten whatever was in my inventory for the last two days. Mostly because of how hectic things have been… Besides, it's not like the Warden's canteen served anything better than I had with me…'
'Maybe this time I can eat somewhere in peace.'
He walked past him with a smile, "I know quite an interesting place, it's on me…"
"… But maybe you'll want to talk with your girlfriend first before we go?"
"Girlfriend?"
Fabrin pointed at Viera, who was staring at him with sharp eyes from her high seat at the far back of the classroom…
Philip's expression changed as he hurriedly replied:
"She's not my girlfriend, I'm not into young girls… Not that young…"
'People in this world have different views on things, but that doesn't mean I find it okay for someone in their mid-twenties to date a girl in her late teens…'
"A shame, I can see she's quite pretty… Rough, but she reminds me of my daughter. She also has a terrible fashion sense. But above all, she's hardworking… rarely saw her distracted in class and her scores were amidst the highest last year."
"Whatever, man. Let's go…"
They went to the door while the students got ready to leave. But before he left, Philip linked his mind with Viera's to say:
{Well talk more later. As for the rock, I hope you don't mind me keeping it}
"?!"
Viera almost dropped her pencil case on the ground as she tried to hide her surprise.
{If there is anything you need of me, you can always contact me later. I left my contacts on your bag if you haven't noticed already}
{No jokes this time, there's something we need to discuss}
As he said that last line, Philip smiled at her and left after Fabrin.
"..."
'He just comes and invades my mind without a prior warning... No… Maybe he never left.'
"… Sigh."
'I should be but i'm not even mad anymore…'
She exhaled faintly as she organized her table and went after the other students, her thoughts heavy.
'Why am I even this fazed? This is his usual way of acting… He's serious most of the time, and then he jokes around for no reason… And the happier he is, the more careless he becomes and the stupider his jokes become.'
'From the looks of it, he'll be busy for a while… Might as well finish what's pending before we meet.'
Viera also left the classroom, on her way to do her own things…
…
/Half an hour later…/
After doing a quick stop at a cafe inside the Academy, the two made their way outside the building into an area Philip had never been before.
He only heard about it from others as it was located deep in the forests, far from the central section of the Academy. To arrive there on time, they had to use the transport network within the Academy; otherwise, it would've taken them hours to reach it on foot.
It was a large living block filled with large manors, each bigger than the next one… All protected by a pair of large walls, but those were there more to impede others from gazing inside than defending the place. They stood before one of its many gates, with Fabrin checking the time on his pocket watch.
This time, they arrived through the teleportation network, but this was something only a few had access to.
"… Alright, were here."
He had a snack in his hand, a savory pastry full of cheese that flaked off with every bite. Philip already had four of them with different fillings, but stopped after Fabrin started pestering him for being a glutton.
"And this place is?"
"The dormitories for the teachers and high-ranking members of the Academy."
"... A dormitory? This is like a small city… You guys sure have money to spend…"
'And none to renovate the darned Warden grounds… But I guess this is society.'
"Yeah… People can be rather extravagant sometimes. To be honest, I am not that big of a fan either. Too flamboyant for me. But it's the best place near my work, so it's just convenient to live here."
'Ivia hates it though…'
"It would've been a pain to live in the city and have to grab the train every day. The Academy heavily regulates the network from the city. Too troublesome…"
"Anyway, let's go. It should be appearing…" Fabrin said as a red portal appeared in front of them
/Swoosh!/
"There it is."
"..."
But Philip didn't follow him.
"Come on!"
"Why is this portal menacingly red?"
"Ah come on, you aren't going to back out right now?"
"I'm just asking sheesh…" Philip said as he stepped into the portal
But he stopped and said as he looked at Fabrin:
"Dont think I'm going with your petty provocation; I'm doing this out of my own vo…"
/THUD!/
Fabrin just kicked Philip in the ass, pushing him inside:
"Smart ass…"
/Swoosh!/
"Urg… Oh?"
'This portal wasn't as bad as the others…'
"It's quite a nice place."
'Nice decorations and atmosphere; it's actually a decent place to live. I think I misjudged this place by thinking it was fancy for the sake of it. I guess the mansions back on Earth have corrupted what it means to have one for me.'
Taking off his coat, Fabrin passed by Philip, "Let's go to my office, it's right on the first floor. Take the staircase to the left of the room."
After teleporting inside the Manor into an empty room, Fabrin led Philip to a cozy office where he took a seat on a large couch after hanging his coat on a hanger.
He stretched his arms and relaxed, saying:
"We're here. Now we can talk… I'd offer some tea but I'm a terrible brewer. We're better off without it."
He raised his hand and pointed at an armchair in front of him:
"Take a seat. You can stand too if you want, just don't be a stranger."
Before he even finished, Philip had already taken a seat, studying its design.
"..."
'It's good... Very comfortable. Reminds me of the Palace…'
"It seems you like it… First, how about we deal with yesterday's matter before discussing the future?"
"That's fine for me."
"Good, you've kept your part and saved my daughter. For that, I'm ever grateful."
He bowed deeply, almost hitting his head on the table.
Philip didn't enjoy seeing this old man acting like this, so he brushed it aside, waving his hand dismissively.
"I just did as I told I would, although I think she was just unlucky… She handled herself pretty well."
"Heh, she sure did… I gave her so many things to protect herself, but that stubborn girl made use of none…"
"Pressure and fear can make one act irrationally, had she been a little more rational, then things would've been different." Philip added as he shook his head faintly
"That's just her stubbornness… Capable or not, that doesn't change the fact that she was being careless."
"… For helping her, is there anything you need? Just name it and I'll give it to you."
"…"
'Is there anything?…'
"… I only ask one thing… If you're to train me, then do it seriously. That's all I ask."
"I'm not someone to do half-assed promises. Very well, I'll put some extra effort into it… But that'll make things even harder. My daughter may have been careless, but she wasn't weak, you said so yourself… Your training will be a fold higher than anything I've ever thrown at her. Are you okay with that?"
Philip shrugged, merely smiling at his statement.
"I'll take that as a yes… I previously stated I would train you, and I've already addressed the other issues, so further discussion is unnecessary, correct?"
Philip agreed with a silent nod, his attention on the art pieces around the room. Paintings, statues, and even a taxidermied creature he couldn't identify, even with Scholar Vision. It was probably pretty rare.
A large insect coiling around a branch, its red shell reflected light quite strongly.
"Good… Aside from that, I imagine you collected some credits during the hunt."
"That's correct. I've been thinking about them…"
"Do you have something in mind for that? Or have you already chosen something?"
Philip raised his hand to scratch his shoulders…
"I don't even know where to begin."
"Heh, in that case, I have the right thing for you. But let's go step by step…"
He got up from his chair while holding his signature black pen. He seemed to have fixed it since their last encounter, or at least, it was a different pen.
He touched Philip's shoulder with his pen, pinching it slightly as he felt his muscles underneath.
"First, your body… For me, there isn't a lot we can do in that department."
"Your physique is already well-developed. There isn't any training I can offer that can bring any more force than you already possess. The only thing I've noticed about you is that your body doesn't seem ready to handle what you're pressing it to do."
"Your mind is far more developed than your body. And your energy is… Odd. There is an imbalance within you as you're lost on multiple fronts, all competing to be at the forefront."
"…"
Philip looked at himself, and at how his stats did not even budge an inch despite him training every day, and unfortunately, he had to agree with him.
The best answer to that was during his time in Simulation Room. Despite training there without distractions, his stats grew marginally. The simulation only showed his potential growth, but it clearly demonstrated how much he'd improve in a year if left unsupervised.
A lot had changed since then, of course, so things were likely not going to be the same. Still, it wasn't an "acceptable" level of growth.
At his current state, his stats would only rise during extreme situations. And although they've been frequent, it was unwise to rely on something so unpredictable.
Philip sought solutions for his growth, so anything was welcome, even if just at the level of a suggestion or a training method unsuitable for his current self. Information was something he desperately need in a a foreign world pushing him forward into an unknown future.
Above all, a looming problem knocked on his doorstep… His very physical limits. With his Titles, Philip already knew his basic stats were nearing the limit. To surpass then, he'd need to undergo another transformation just like Dae did to him weeks before.
There were methods to surpass it in Dae's notebook, so he wasn't so worried about that as much as he was about getting there…
"Moving on, while I recognized some movements in our brief bout, your martial arts are quite exotic, and without going too much in depth on how they function, training them is something you'll have to overcome on your own… I won't ask you what those are, because even if I knew, it wouldn't make a difference."
"However, I can tell you're struggling to balance them."
"… Yes… But this struggle comes mostly from a lack of time and opportunities to use them in tandem… I believe if I have enough time, I'll find a solution."
"Right now…"
Philip closed his eyes to think about his abilities, and Fabrin let him think, waiting for his reply…
'There are multiple martial arts within me, some I've dedicated myself on training, others I've only seen and experienced from afar. Amidst those, there's the Imperial Draly-Apyer Secret Sword Arts I learned ahead of time…'
'While its max level according to the System, the manuals that describe the techniques still tell that there's much to learn. Right now, my next step should be to manifest 'Aura' and pursue more advanced techniques… But without those respective manuals, I'm on my own.'
'If I had them, I might've been able to manifest it while trapped… Although that's an arrogant thought of mine. Manifesting Aura is enough to make someone stand out from the rabble. And it's one of the bare minimums for an Elven Royal Knight, at least according to Yer-Al's diary… I could say the same about the Blue and Purple Knights of the Palace.'
'That said, I've been able to manifest fake Aura, which is essentially a different utilization of energy rooted in similar principles to magic. True Aura is one's inner Vitality and Will imbued into the energy within them manifested outside their bodies. It is similar in principle as well as in its application to my Mental Skills. Albeit shaped by the technique they're performing…'
'It can be interpreted as the highest achievement within a manual, to understand its contents so well they can elevate its application to another realm, almost spiritual… Although certain manuals view it not as enlightenment but merely a step towards achieving its true form… It depends on how much emphasis one puts in it.'
'I view it merely as an understanding of energy control. But this kind of overly rational thinking also pushes me back, for I seek to understand something that could be hard to even put into words… Not my first time doing something like that…'
'On that same route, after battling Yer-Al's simulation time and time again, I've grasped his swordsmanship to what's likely an even higher state than the Draly-Apyer style… But different from that, I only possess some inklings of knowledge from Yer-Al's diary… Everything else is just conjecture.'
'The Aura I can manifest from that is fake as well, for until I can get my hands on the actual explanations and theories behind each move, everything I did was roughly imitate from "feel" alone.'
'Actually, ever since I've acquired the Sword Heart Trait, I've felt this technique sluggish and painful to practice. I've become more sensitive and observant of it, but I still can't explain what's wrong. If only I'd had this Trait when I was trapped…'
'As I said, if the System were to have given me a skill for this swordsmanship, it would've likely labeled it as incomplete, or most likely, a copy.'
'Moving past that, there's the Falling Fist of the Beast Berinou passed onto me… It's a rather direct martial art, but as a fist technique, or rather, a pummeling art, it's difficult to implement with my combat style. It's aggressive, but too aggressive for what I've begun to pursue.'
'Before it was fine, but after half a decade of memories were injected into me, my perspective shifted. The aggressiveness I used to rely on before has become… sluggish.'
'However, the principle that drives this combat art is one I might dissect and apply to other techniques. I'm certain this was likely what Berinou wished of me… Although given how she is, there's likely other reasons layered onto it as well.'
'On the same page, there's the Inhuman Martial Arts, which are essentially a collection of Earth's martial arts put together in one ridiculous catalogue meant to kill whoever trained in it... They support the New Shadow technique, which after being "perfected" and influenced by my actions, has transformed into something unique I've yet to name.'
'Those two are by far the easiest for me to adapt into my other martial arts, for they have a basis all other martial arts and techniques grow out of… The Human body.'
'While they may be an extreme. That's true only from a certain perspective. My current body can fully execute them with minor issues. Pushing them beyond their limits is something I've been researching.'
'And that's considering those two are only fragments of all martial arts I've learned in that world, and even then, MT possesses countless manuals within its database for me to take inspiration from. So it's hard to say how much those will affect the result of things.'
'Finally, the modified Pthumerian Combat Art has recently made its appearance, and it's clear it's here to stay. Out of all my martial arts, it may be the one with the most potential… or the smallest…'
'It's base relies on the Arcane forces from beyond; However, that is only a fraction of its true power. For while it's true I'd have to tap into it to bring forth its full power, it's not a necessity I'm required to adhere to.'
'If that is removed, this combat art reverts to how it was originally: A ritual dance changed for war by the Pthumerians, and eventually modified by me to fit a more Human anatomy. Albeit with great strain… It is like Samuel's martial arts as both rely on the body, pushing it to its absolute limits.'
'And that's about it for my struggles… Overall, I think what I lack most right now is what I've been searching for all this time… Information.'
'I need to learn more about this world to fill the gaps in my knowledge and test subjects to test my experiments on. In due time, I believe I'll reach a solution. Fabrin's role in this should be to provide me with the guidance books, and monsters won't be able to provide me in the short term.'
After sorting his thoughts, he opened his eyes.
"Have you thought about it all?"
"Yes… I think I know what I need… It's experience."
"That's the spirit! I had a feeling you were going to say that." Fabrin replied with a smile as he walked back to his table
He pointed towards the window and continued.
"How about booking a Training Room?"
…
.
.
.
Notes
The last few chapters were mostly fluent sequences of events. But now, I dumped quite a bit at the end…
We're reaching the end of this Arc with the training montage which will solve most of the issues Philip has raised today… At least some of them… After that, down to the next mission!
The first of many Orbs has been acquired! Thank you all for reading this far!
See you all soon!