Final chapter of this month.
I'll do some other things in the meantime and return once more later with the continuation of this section and more POVs on the world beyond.
Peace!
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—
[
Name: Philip Vinten
Race: Type 2+ Pure Human (+)
…
All Titles:
Exterminator of Nightmares; Antesunderian Archeologist; Master of all trades(Incomplete); Great Scholar; Martial Grandmaster; Magic Lord; Mental Lord; Blessed; Apex Evolver; Contender; Specter; Hitman; Artificial Chrysalidatel; Outer-World Subjugator; One of a Kind; Chet Adam; *****'s Folly; Unbound Creator; Class Paragon; Celestial Host; The First Challenger; Center of Attention; Judicators Attention;
-Vital info-
…
]
"Sigh…"
'Seven Titles… gone.'
A crushing reality.
'It would take a lot for a normal person to gather even two to five titles throughout their lives, yet I burned away seven.'
'And those seven weren't some common ones like Farmer or something, they were all rather decent Titles, some perhaps truly unique in their own right, impossible to be replicated otherwise.'
'Even if another Title carries their name, it may not be the same… not, it definitely won't be.'
'Hunter Genius, The Silent Legion, Protector, Soldier, The Invisible Hand, Seeker, Extreme. Just from their description, you can kind of figure out what sort of requirements someone would have to fulfill to be worthy of receiving them.'
'I had little time to get familiarized with some of them, but even then, I feel extremely remorseful…'
He sighed, "It's much worse than last time…"
'When Dae told me to sacrifice my Titles to Evolver, I was so tired from the operation that I just did it, and mostly brushed it off given Apex Evolver's creation.'
But now… exhaling one last time so he could get his bearings right, Philip's expression became resolute as he looked forward.
"Enough crying."
'From top to bottom, as always.'
Philip reopened his notifications…
[The host has 17 hours 57 minutes… to make a choice]
"Wh… What?"
Philip frowned, looking outside and noticing it was considerably darker than before.
Grunting faintly, he brushed his messy hair aside, "How long was I out for?"
"Humph… so you finally realized it?"
"I would say around six hours?"
[It's currently 13:21 Pm]
"What she said. It's quite late, you should go back, else they'll get worried again."
'At this point, they might think its normal for him to be late for it though...'
Philip frowned, but he eventually accepted it, "... It's not like I wanted to be late."
"Isn't that how it usually goes with you?" Laplabe asked as Philip rubbed his eyes
"Tsk…"
Although he said that, Philip felt mild frustration, wholly disappointed with himself, 'Once again, I collapsed and time passed without me knowing.'
He moved on, studying the changes in his status, "Type 2+?"
'What does that mean? An upgrade but not enough to be considered a racial change?'
'Then again… people out there train and grow within the confines of their own races. Without the System's assistance, it wouldn't make sense for them to reach their limits.'
'This process must be quite common, I just need to research more about it later.'
"The only thing that matters is the impact on future evolutionary lines…"
He moved along the notifications.
'Master of all Trades, an evolution of Jack of all Trades.'
'Jack of Trades increased the learning speed of new subjects in a similar way as Apex Evolver, while also increasing my talent for "basic" activities. Vague, but not the first time I've seen such descriptions.'
'How do you quantify talent after all?'
"Here comes the depressing part..."
As he moved further, he couldn't help but drop his shoulders down as he remembered just how many Titles were lost…
Without anything to review, he jumped to the remaining one:
[Judicators Attention
Description: ***** Risk Magnitude 3 *****
Effect: The attention of the Judicator
]
"..."
Philip's body turned cold.
'This is ominous. Somehow, I feel a chill on my spine just from reading it.'
'I'm unsure what the Judicator is, but its likely not something I should play around or neglect. Since its something related to the black System as I've decided to call it, it's probably nothing good.'
Without a choice on the matter, he turned to his companions.
"Hey, Laplabe, do you have any idea of what the Judicator is?"
"Hm? Judicator?... I'm afraid I don't… Unless youre talking about the people that work at a court."
"Is there anything about it you'd like to know? I'm afraid but I don't think I can tell you more about it."
"No… I'm just a little concerned, thats all." Philip replied with a pensive gaze
[I have run a serial scan of the documents and have found several mentions that might tie to your inquire, Master]
"!"
Philip had almost moved on without realizing it.
'Of course, I should've consulted MT from the start. Even if the documents the students have access to are censored or edited, something should slip, right?'
"Please, share what you can, I'm quite interested in this subject."
[I have filtered the results to what I believe ties most with your request, but if you want, I can display all matched documents]
"Let's skip that for now. We don't have the time to go through them all right now."
[Very well. The first document is nothing but a short passage from -Ancient Cultures Volume 2 by Ananis Moir-]
[The excerpt mentions that a particular culture of tribal humans before the Great Crossing called the first moon of Eden, Judicas. Which is a unique word in their dictionary, carrying a meaning of its own]
[It can be translated to "The Seen Observer", and "The Origin of Laws", together, it would've roughly meant something along the lines of "All rules are created from the one above"]
[But the books goes to explain how this was their way of explaining their own governance and their justifications to rule, and nothing based on reality]
[The second excerpt, and the only one I take as relevant would be from the same document. It mentions how once there was a cult that worshiped "The Black Moon", and how it was inhabited by a single being, the now empty Throne of the Hierophant]
[Its name now lost to time, the Hierophant was once called many things, and one of them was "Xarxurl", or in the common tongue, it could very well be translanted as Judicator]
[The book goes to say that as a heretical cult, most of the documents about it have long since burned, long gone before the Emerald-Sun Empire even came to be a thousand years ago]
Philip pondered over it for a minute before nodding, "That's quite helpfull already. Keep this book for me, I'll read it later when I have the time."
"In fact, keep all volumes ready, I'll read them one after the other."
[That might be difficult. Not only was that the only volume on the series, it was also the sole one written by Ananis Moir within the scanned database]
"That's… odd."
'I would like to say there's more to it, but there are just so many books in circulation at the academy… what's one collection or two missing? It's not like the Academy was running perfectly smoothly anyway.'
"I'll read some of the records inside the inheritance, see what I can find."
"If there are any mentions of this… Judicator, or this author, I'll let you know."
"If you don't know its okay, but if anything crosses your mind, make sure to pass it on to me."
"Sure thing."
"You know…"
"I'm not letting you read them all, just so you know. The second most valuable thing in there are those very documents. The Principle's personal collection includes every single document that makes its way through the academy grounds, as it is required that at least one copy is made and stored for posterity."
"You're making this complicated…"
"Don't talk as if your motives are noble. Go get some results first and I'll happily share it. I also have a promise to fullfill."
Philip nodded with a light exhale, this was the best he could do for now.
"Next…"
'My Stats.'
'They once again rose considerably, thats always good. Still, even though I achieved what I wanted to do, that doesnt mean Laplabe was wrong.'
Philip crossed his arms, 'I need to give my body time to cool down, even if the process conducted by the System was flawless, I should take some time to get used to it all.'
'That's why I have Simulation Room, I can make do for a while. It's good that I can catch up with the data it collected so far.'
'I'm mostly interested on the data it got o Fabrin and the princess' guard. The closer it remains to them, the more accurate it collects will get after all.'
Philip quickly brushed that subject aside.
'Everything is is manageable, but here's one issue with my stats.'
'Mystique went from 100 to 250... it's too much of an increase to overlook like before when it went from 90 to 100.'
'And this isnt some sort of small-time occurrence like the Fate bubble that occurred before. I'm certain this is my raw, unadultured Stat.'
His eyes fell on his newest Title, "This world is too confusing for me sometimes..."
"..."
Laplabe looked at Philip, and for a moment, he resembled his old friend...
Both always seemed to complain at random times, although one nagged about his back problems to no end, while the other seemed just psychotic...
'Why am I surrounded by illogical humans?'
As if ordinary ones would stand around a talking mimic…
...
"My Skills and Abilities…"
'There's not much to say until I get to test them, but there are some significant changes.'
'For once, Armament is now under constant empowerment from Apex Evolver, and it seems this also applies to The Incomplete Realm Skill… The only issue is that I can't determine its level.'
'What even is the deal with that? All of a sudden, I got myself a bunch more Skills with undetermined classifications. Be it Lv??? and (???), I can't tell what either mean.'
Phili was used to being left in the dark by the System, it was almost expected that every notification would carry some degree of censorship.
'Moving on, Mental Force rose by one Level, Manipulation by two, and Domain by three.'
'Its a no-brainer this is due to the growth of my Mental power and the fact Castle Town has finally started to respond to me.'
'I wonder how it'll look once it reaches the stage it should be… and what comes after.'
'Dae mentioned that forming something like the Castle Town was the first step to making a Mind Space. Though that's definitely far from now...'
'I don't know where there weren't notifications on these… maybe there were, but they occured were I was unconcious so they were brushed off?'
He didn't like it, but he was forced to swallow his complains as always.
'Aside from that, I got two more Abilities, and from the looks of it, they are associated with the Magic Lord and Spiritual Lord Titles, even if I failed to attain the latter.'
-Command Magic-
-Spiritual Domain-
He didn't know much about what they did, but he quickly made a mental note to check with MT's archives later down the line.
'I find it difficult to that there'll be anything conclusive, but as long as there are some mentions, it'll be worth it.'
'As long as I have something to base myself on…'
He scrolled down the notifications, 'Along with the Spiritial Domain, I also awakened its relevent abilities.'
'Spiritual Force and Spiritual Force Manipulation… they're just in line with when I awakened the Mental Lord Title for the first time so I'm not as clueless this time about it.'
"But its just more things to train and get familiarized in… not that its a bad thing." Philip scoffed as he tapped on the table
'Command Magic does sound interesting, to say the least.'
Philip still wasn't done with his Skills, 'Despite the notification spree, this time there wasn't much worthy to point out aside from Skill Fusion leveling up slightly.'
'Intermediate Skil Fusion's max level was at Level 15, and Advanced Skill Fusion maxed at Level 20'
'Most likely Pinnacle Skill Fussion will only really its true potential around Level 25… if we add all the levels I've gained on it alone… I just wonder how anyone out there would be able to raise it to this degree.'
'Perhaps ther are ways to acquire more advanced forms right off the bat, or unique inviduals can raise its level purely through brute force by fusing powerfull Skills together, even if at a loss.'
'In fact, I might be at a loss now… I've fused so many things together, yet its "only" Pinnacle Skill Fussion. How much greater would I be if I had it at this stage from the beggining or higher?'
'But that goes for anything…'
He tapped on the table, 'Thankfully, Origin of a Desire remained. This gives me hope that even if Scholar Vision one days fuses away, I won't lose its inherent Skill.'
'So far, Titles that grant Skills do it and then remain disconected from their Skill… but I shouldn't take it for granted.'
"I'm grateful, my losses were almost completely cut with that one…"
Lastly, he looked at his Traits.
'It's good that Castle Town ***** has started to recover, but I'm quite ashamed to say… that I have no idea what it signifies.'
'And this is a great embarrassment… I'm supposed to be a Mind Lord.'
The Dumbest Mind Lord in history…
Holding his nose bridge, Philip knew he needed to sit down and study, more so then ever.
"A shame Flow was consumed… In fact, Laplabe, what can you tell me about Flow?"
"Huh? Flow?... What sort of question is that?"
"Flow of what? Air? Water?... You'll have to be a bit more specific than that…"
"I'm talking about a state of enlightment… the one that's related to the people that attained the Title of Magic Lord…"
'I'm just shooting in the dark here…'
"Ahhh! The Flow... I am aware of that." Laplabe said in a lackluster tone
"You are? Could you tell me more about it?"
"I was being Ironic… Philip, you come to me out of nowhere and ask me something about Magic Lords… Do you have any idea of what that implies?"
"... A little?..."
"Sigh… Look, even the Principal wasn't qualified to be a Magic Lord…"
"On that note though, he was reasonably close. His research progress to the point that he was about to fully revitalize his clan's unique art."
"Albeit he died searching for it, now his body being lost somewhere where few can touch, that doesn't mean his accomplishments were in vain."
"If you're asking me about it, then Flow isn't the correct terminology, even if it can be applied in this situation... I'ts more of the after-effect than the phenomenon in question."
"It is widely accepted that to become higher than yourself in the field of Magic, one must understand how everything interacts with one another, more specifically, how their -form- interacts with the world around them."
"To understand the minute changes and interactions, to fully control everything and achieve a level of manipulation beyond what should be otherwise feasible..."
"By properly changing their bodies and attuning them with it, the need for any sort of complicated String Theories and Vocalization of Rituals vanishes as your will can command Magic in the same way, if not in a more proficient manner."
"Its a lengthy process and honestly too bothersome for me to understand, the old man thought the same, but its not like he ignored it… he just didn't see it as his goal."
"Achieving this… Flow, is necessary in order to make up space and advance further… Now, how this actually impacts a Magician… I'm not sure."
"I can understand basic theory up to 7th Class Magic, after that things get too mushy for me to bother. I better words, a proper consensual method of advancement just kind of breaks apart as Magic Theories start to clash with one another, being proven wrong left and right."
"And the contrary all the same. That is why long Magic inheritances tend to produce higher tier mages over time while others hald… Its the lack of a proper workout routine."
"… Can't say I don't relate…"
'I'm in dire need of a proper workout routine I'm afraid.'
"Also, this is one of the reasons why the Human Kingdom has a law that forces every mage to publish at least one Magic Thesis once they reach 7th Circle, this is so they can have some part of their understanding stored for posterity."
"And they do it with pride, mind you, producing a strong and well-rounded Magic Thesis is something to brag about, and even if the Kingdom didn't ask, they would still do it, they just have the law so they can claim a small part of the thesis and store a copy with them."
His tone changed faintly, "The old man made one too when he was younger… hum… what was the name of it?"
Laplabe went into deep thought until he remembered something.
"Something about the -Multi-Spacial dislocation of Runic Aeterial engravings- during Circle formation… Did I get that right?... Its been so long… Maybe you should ask your little friend?"
[An Analysis of Multi-Spatial Dislocation Phenomena in Runic Aetherial Engravings During Structured Circle Formation by Armund Erat, 6th Circle Mage]
[Would you like me to cite more of his works?]
"No... that alone is enough." He replied with a half, awkward smile
'That's something for Viera to study, not me.'
"Your face doesn't seem that bright, let me give you a heads up..."
"You know when a wizard casts magic they have these floating runes? At least those that use stable formations...?"
"There is a slight phenomenon where those runes seemingly vanish given the right conditions for a split moment, so you basically have an empty formation, which shouldn't be possible."
"That was his study, it was a load of nonsense because he eventually concluded nothing, but he always disagreed saying it was actually an incredible study and bla bla..."
[It did achieve little, but its a great reference for future studies]
"Great to hear…"
…
While Philip pondered over his Status, Laplabe continued to share his dissatisfaction with how complicated mages were until he grew tired of it.
"... Anyway, I'm 100% sure there is a book talking about this procedure and the Flow."
"Nevertheless, you'll have to give me a moment, that'll take a gooood while for me to find it amidst the Millions of books inside this damn space."
Philip's forehead tensed. It was almost as if Laplabe was rubbing that number on his face… but he didn't let it go to his head.
"I can wait, if you find anything, I'm always up to listen… Of course, you could let me take a look at the books…"
"Humph! You think I'm slow? If I let you take a look at those books, you'll steal them all with that strange machine of yours… I'm honestly baffled by how complicated it is."
'Sigh, I'm sure the old man would've liked to see it…'
"… Tsk, think of the benefits!"
"Bla bla bla! Fancy words won't buy me, I've heard it all during my earlier years."
"You know what will? Go out there and find a damn successor! Then you'll be allowed to play with these books! We already had this conversation before!"
Philip rolled his eyes and brushed his words off.
'There's not much left…'
[Spiritual Ascension (Incomplete)
Type-Trait
Description: The Shadow of the Soul cast upon the body, taking shape before the real world.
The Spirit set free, touch the forbidden, and glance at what lies beneath the curtains of the material.
Forge away an eternal vessel, break the boundaries of birth and rebirth. Reach out for the infinite skies, or have them stand before you…
The true form of nature as it was meant to be, ponder its shape and judge creation.
A single step left, what lies beyond the balance?
Who carved heaven?
To find the truth, my spirit shall be set ablaze and become boundless.
Effects:
The Spirit is the shadow of the Soul, taken shape by that which is material.
A Soul of extreme proportions within a body most fragile.
The seedling of grandeur, waiting to germinate.
]
Philip went through the Trait's description. But was left, once again, with a distasteful lingering feeling on his tongue.
'It doesn't really explain anything, instead, its more of a short narration.'
'But it did touch on some interesting subjects… Heaven and Creation... Is it in some figurative term, or…'
He paused…
'From what I understood, my Spirit is on the verge of turning into something, but that doesn't make much sense.'
'I was pretty fine until these rewards popped up… I haven't gone through any sort of unique encounter or achieved enlightenment to ascend…'
But then he thought of all his adventures in the past few weeks and grimaced… he had indeed gone through quite a few unique encounters.
The sheer volume of knowledge he acquired in the Complex, coupled with his strong body and Dragon Soul, was it not enough to hold, even if only a fraction, of an ascended spirit?
He didn't want to believe it, but perhaps there was some volume to all of this… the System couldn't be wrong, could it?
"Urg… Okay, thats all."
Pushing his chair aside, Philip was finally done with his light jog in the forest. He looked at the mess he had made on the ground, frowning, so he prepared a magic spell to clean it…
Meanwhile, he checked his rewards once more.
'I have a few hours to make a choice but I don't think that'll be needed.'
'Just by taking a look at this new Trait that I got, I can already see that something's wrong.'
'Albeit I have yet to transfer anything, this new Trait seems to mention the Dragon Soul, and this is bothersome.'
'If I don't transfer it now, will I encounter future problems? I know certain achievements are influenced by what happens when I have a Secondary Class equipped, but I didn't stop to think what would happen if I "suddenly" lost those requirements.'
Philip opened his new Class Status, quickly choosing what to pass on.
'Considering all the choices, these seem to be the most meaningful.'
'It has to be Greater Thuum Lv0 and my Trait, Dragon Soul. As for the other three choices… it's not like I'm a timer to choose them, only the other option.'
'I shouldn't play around for much longer, but a few more hours should be enough for further decisions.'
[DING!]
[The Trait Dragon Soul has been transferred to your Main Status]
[The Skill Greater Thuum Lv0 has been transferred to your Main Status]
'There are some great choices to pick from not only in this Class but others as well…'
'Be it something simpler like Greater Magicka Well, which might be needed for me to use magic once I change Classes, and other Unique Skills such as Tyranny of Wealth, Forced Daedric Subordination, Steal, and even something more basic like Resist Elements, there are several others I see potential in nurturing in the future.'
'As long as I keep working hard, I'll likely have more chances to bring them in the future before I move along to my next Class… and if I'm lucky enough and gain more chances than I need, I might have the option to revisit older Skills I left behind.'
He smiled faintly, 'That is… until Skill Fusion grows to the point it can disregard the System's boundaries.'
'There is one guaranteed event of that, and that is achieving this Class' fate…'
'I wonder what that'll be...?'
He made his other choices:
[The Skill Shatter Spell Lv1 has been transferred to your Main Status]
[The Skill Conjure Daedra Merchant LvMax has been transferred to your Main Status]
[Skill Fusion has detected two abilities suitable for fusion]
[Shatter Spell Lv1 + Command Magic Lv0]
[Special effect has triggered]
[Fusion will result -> Arcane Override]
[Fusing…]
[Fusion complete]
[You have acquired the new Skill, Arcane Override Lv0]
[Pinnacle Skill Fusion Lv14 -> Lv15]
"Oh?"
'I didn't expect that. A Skill created from the fusion of two unique Magic Skills from two completely different Systems… to someone who barely uses either.'
He had the urge to laugh, but didn't.
He merely brushed the notifications aside, 'Skill Fusion rose slightly. To be expected from fusing away a Skill that comes only with incredible mastery over magic. From what Laplabe told me, this might be something the principal didn't even possess, and if he did, it was likely not that developed.'
He dusted his hands, "It's done."
'It feels wrong to make such a quick decision, but I still think it was the correct one.'
'I still have one draw left, but I'll make it later when I have the time.'
He already had his sights on it. The remaining Trait, Dragon Blood.
Unlike the Old Blood, which was foul and carried the twisted influence of the Great Ones, Dragon Blood was far purer and stabler, at least within his own moral system.
The blood of the Chief Deity of the Eight Divines, the Great Dragon of Time, Akatosh, passed down to his children.
Philip was not against accepting it, but he had far more to consider than just his Trait. By adding such blood onto his own, how would his future change?
For Dae, who already went through so much trouble to push him down his path, how would such an action inhibit his plans? He didn't want to mind his every action on the whims of someone he knew far too little about, but if he had something planned in the near future, then perhaps it would be worth it to maximize its worth and delay its inception onto his main Status.
Philip cracked his neck as he stood beside the door, "Now… for me to rest easy…"
[1- Race
2- Talent/Potential
3- Skills
4- Title Evolution
5- Path to fulfill the missing Requirements
6- The prospect to the Order of Magic or an Order of Second Magnitude
7- Increase in Authority
8- Communion with a Greater Power
]
'First one... Choosing a Race is risky because I don't know much about everything… Although, even if I lack his assistance, I do have MT to fill in the gaps.'
'MT absorbed an unholy amount of books, and I would find it strange if Dae were to know just as much as it does now… but nothing is impossible.'
'Regardless, having both to give me opinions would be ideal. But with my time is ticking down, I don't think I'll have that chance.'
'Second one... Talent and Potential are likely to be the worst choice of them all.'
He smiled smugly, 'Do I lack that? I definitely do… I don't want to be arrogant and say I'm overflowing with talent, but considering everything I have laid out to me…'
""…""
He scratched his chin, looking good about himself while MT and Laplabe witnessed his actions in silence.
'Third one... Skills are too random, and also, it's not Skill evolution like last time… it's merely Skills.'
'Anything could come, and in any quantity, if I had some sort of Luck Skill, or someway to assure its results, then perhaps…'
He shook his head, 'Fourth one... Title Evolution irks me, but right now, Apex Evolver has entered slumber, so I'm unsure what would happen if I were to interfere with it.'
'If it were to awaken, things might be different, but I'll put it on hold for now.'
'Fifth one... The path to fulfilling the missing requirements… Now, this is great if I'm interpreting it right.'
'I lack a lot of things, I don't know what Mind, Magic, and Spiritual Lords are supposed to be or do, and I failed to become a Sage also.'
'… And I'm sure there are even more things that could be laid bare for me to understand if I were to choose this… Though, as compared to some other options, this seems like the thing I can learn on my own in the near future.'
He brushed the option off, but considered it at the back of his mind.
'Sixth… Orders… and one of them is the prospect for the Order of Magic. Prospect means that I will not own it, but rather, compete over it. Thus making me… a candidate?'
'Seems a bit strange, regardless, I don't want to compete with some unknown being, especially over something of a dubious nature. Since when was competing with another a reward?'
'The System sure is handing over anything…' He snickered as he went to the seventh option
'Authority is self-explanatory, I've been slowly raising it, but I have yet to see any of its effects… I think.'
'Perhaps I already am; it's impossible to tell apart what was supposed to be censored and what wasn't, or if those are even part of it.'
'Lastly, Communion with a greater power… this... this actually scares me. The only time I met such a thing was way back in the Palace inside the broken ruins of a now mostly forgotten God.'
'And Falpurgiana, but she's… unique… maybe I can add the other observers at the Trial Spire as well. But I don't think communion would be the proper term for those.'
'Eridia, the Goddess of Valleys and Mountains, animals, knowledge, and Life, the very same Goddess that left her relic behind so it could comprehend Death in her stead so she could eventually climb higher in the divine ladder like a true hardworking Cultivator...'
'I was blessed by her thanks to a loophole in her ritual, although, since the Gods can't exactly interfere with the mortal world anymore, it wasn't her that blessed me, but rather, the red jar that is slowly recovering its power inside my Mental Space…'
He rested his head on the wall, 'I have to deal with that Jar eventually. Apart from using it to devour some corpses, I barely ever touched it, sometimes even fully forgetting it is even a damn thing…'
'But I can't neglect the fact that the jar is some sort of divine item with a conscience, and even if I'm the owner, I'm unsure how loyal it actually is to me… or how its previous owner is going to react once it finds out someone stole it…'
'By communion, does it mean I'll receive the attention of one of these Gods? That shouldn't be possible with the pact in effect… but is the System even affected by it?'
He tapped his fingers on his leg, 'That's a great question. If the System is beyond the pact, then it could indeed allow a meeting between me and whatever lies beyond the barrier… or it could permit some sort of interaction or leniency as it did with Falpurgiana.'
He thought about his recent actions, 'Its not like affecting the System is impossible, in some ways, the System is a creation and not some sort of universal rule... from my understanding so far.'
'Even I go back even further, there was that big-ass Artifact used to awaken all the Heroes, and someone has had to have made it...'
'The question is how exactly meeting a God would benefit me, I don't want to sound arrogant, but I don't want to become a God's butler or servant, much less give my all in the name of religion.'
'I don't need spiritual guidance, my head is most fine.'
His arms crossed, he stood there with eyes closed for a few more minutes, mumbling his thoughts aloud…
"Choices and more choices…"
/Tap tap tap…/
Philip tapped his foot on the ground, but after thinking for a minute more, he turned around hastily, making his way outside.
"Oi! At least warn me before you go." Laplabe said as he turned into a shadow, diving into Philip's pockets in the blink of an eye
"Uh?... I forgot you were there."
"..."
'This kid…'
…
Philip returned to the Manor, enjoying the scenery on his way, from the pretty flowers to the exotic birds dancing and resting on the trees before meeting with his collected butler, Sebastiano.
"… It is great youre here My Lord, Lady Viera already ate lunch despite me trying my best efforts on having her wait for you…"
Shaking his head, he was quick to reply, feeling a bit guilty, "No, it's okay, I would feel bad if I were to have her starve again."
'I was thankful she waited for me last time, but I'm also thankful she actually lost her patience and ate something without waiting. Despite her size, she's quite the big eater.'
'I suppose she's growing.'
'All of this is because I just can't stick to a schedule… She needs to be more assertive sometimes. Though I don't like how I'm forcing her to make these choices… working is too difficult…'
After scratching his head, he continued, "Regardless, can you prepare a plentiful meal for me? Just keep it coming, I feel like I can devour a horse."
"Understood sir, I'll have the others reheat the ovens. Everything should be ready soon, considering it hasn't been long since lunch was served."
'The ovens should still be hot, in fact, they should be preparing some desserts as requested by madam. A slight change of plans wont affect them.'
"Thank you."
"It is but my duty My Lord."
…
/CHOMP!/
/CHOMP!/
/Gulp!/
In the dining hall, a monster went through the entire Manor's food stock…
/Cling!/
One more plate was pilled up on top of a dozen others, cleaned to a sparkling sheen…
"Phew… I think I'm almost full… do we have deserts?" Philip asked as he looked at Sebastiano on the side
"W-We definitely have sir, I'll request them to prepare a few for you right at this moment." He replied with a bow after a slight moment of hesitation
'The Lord has eaten a tenth of the food stock on his own… That was enough food to feed everyone for a week.'
'If he continues to eat like that, I'll have to rethink our budget and future stock… Just on meats and quickly perishable foods, we might have to stock triple what we used to before.'
"Haa… I'm beat…" Philip exhaled as he tapped his tummy
Sebastiano turned around, making his way to the Kitchen.
…
/Half an hour later…/
/Knock knock!/
"Enter!" Viera replied from within the Office
/Creak…/
Philip opened the door, surprising Viera who was currently with her head buried in notes.
This made him remember the first time he saw her, albeit this time, she was wearing some prettier clothes, the dark circles around her eyes had greatly receded, and her skin was glossier as it was being taken care of more.
From a distance, she could be taken for a Noble lady, although the facade fell once you got a bit closer…
As she saw him, the corners of her lips twitched, "Huh? Look who it is! For a moment I thought you were going to vanish for an entire day again." She said sarcastically as she turned to face him
"Did I leave that kind impression on everyone?" Philip asked with a helpless expression as he took a step forward
"Perhaps not everyone." She said with a cheeky smile as she pushed her book aside
There was a hologram floating beside her. As she closed her book, the hologram turned off as MT floated beside him, fusing back to its other halve.
Meanwhile, Philip entered the room and closed the door, sitting on a couch next to Viera.
Resting her head on her hands, she continued, "So? What brings you to my humble abode this time?"
She played around with magical orbs around her fingers, popping them and creating more on a whim.
Philip looked at her with some disappointment.
"Can't I just come here to check on you?"
"As you said, I've left quite the impression on others, and since I need to wait for the workers to finish construction, I thought about spending some time here with you."
'And this is technically my office… though I have my private study to use anyway.'
"..."
Viera opened her eyes slightly, freezing in shock and almost dropping her notes as the orbs of light rolled around her, cracking like glass before dissipating into nothingness.
Her expression became a bit rosy, one of her hands reached out to her pen, and she started to fondle it unconsciously as if trying to hide her embarrassment by writing.
"I-I see, but don't make too much noise. I uh…"
While she spoke, Philip approached her silently, looking over her shoulders and into the notes on the table.
Many sorts of runes and other scribbles covered the white parchment. The most recent ones… were not runes as they were drawings like those of a child.
She tried to distance herself from him, "I... need to concentrate…"
But he didn't mind her at all, "Your handwriting is very pretty, but are you sure you'll be okay doing so much?" Philip asked as he saw the small pile of papers on the right side of the table.
'She did all of this in half a day? That's at least a small book's worth of complicated formulas…'
'Back on earth, I would start complaining if I wrote even five pages back to back, and I would take an hour to do that, much less this,'
'Well, you could say there is a difference in body quality, but the patience is the same, she deserves praise.'
'Maybe I should have MT take it easy on her…'
"I… Cough!... Thank you." She said as she cleared her throat, trying to sound more serious
"Dont worry, I know MT can help me in this regard as well… But then again, I don't want to lose this habit, it helps me soothe and sort my thoughts, and even if it doesn't help me much regarding practice, it helps me memorize things."
Adjusting her glasses, she smiled at her work, feeling a tad bit of pride as much as she felt accomplished, "If I really wanted to make more complex notes in an efficient way, I would use a simple enchanting Spell and be done with it… or now, MT."
'Although in all honesty, MT is simply too handy, she can perfectly help me keep track of things without me needing to make any notes at all.'
But as she turned to face him again, she quickly looked away in embarrassment, "I also think that… it would be lazy to just have MT do all the work… or something…"
She took a few peeks over her shoulder at him, but didn't say anything.
But as he smiled, she hid her face even more… 'Dammit! This hopeless guy's handsome face…'
"I see, good work, keep up this pace and you'll become Archmage in no time." Philip said with a genuine smile as he patted her shoulder
"!... T-Thank you, no need to over-praise me… Becoming an Archmage is still a bit far…"
'Smooth talker...'
She seemed to become a bit gloomy, and Philip noticed that, 'As I thought, her years living alone in the Academy might've left more then just some scars on her.'
'She presses on, but she seems to lack some confidence. Is her master wheighing on her mind still?'
"What's with the expression, you're one of the best mages I know."
"If others can do it, so can you… Believe in the me that believes in you…" Philip said with a smile as he pulled a chair with telekineses
"..."
'He really just stole a seat next to me… Does he not care about personal space?!'
"You… Sigh… Okay, I'll do my best."
"You've already been doing that." He replied with a sly smile as he rested his head on his hand
"Then I'll go 200%!"
But he shook his head, "Don't overdo it."
"Then what should I do?!"
Philip looked at her and shrugged, annoying her.
"Arg, fine, I understand. Now leave me alone." She replied as she shooed him off
"..."
Philip stared at her silently for a moment, making her turn her face to the side. She couldn't look him in the eyes for long… not like this.
"Before I leave, there are some things I need to ask you…"
"Hah, I knew it." Viera replied with a scoff, perhaps even a bit disappointed
The moment he heard that, a teasing smile took shape on his lips as he reached out to her, his tone now serious, "Can you give me your hand?"
"!"
Viera once again froze, and when she went back to her senses, Philip was measuring her ring finger…
"?????"
Her expression transformed into a myriad of things before she finally broke down into a stronger blush.
"Thanks… now…"
Philip didn't let go of her hand, he measured her wrist, and then hands fully. This gave enough time for Viera to relax a little as she realized he wasn't probably doing what she was thinking he was...
"Why do you need all of these?" She wondered as she raised her eyebrows
"I'm planning on making something for you… but we'll have to wait until the workshop is ready."
'Since I'm going to try my hand at making gear and raising my Skill Levels, I aught have some goals to work towards at the very least.'
While he measured her arm, going for her neck and head next, Philip asked slowly, "Its already been a few days, how about we check the city out a bit more? I'm sure you're a bit tired."
'I promised this to her but failed to deliver it, I'm sure she has an interest in the world outside.'
'She isn't a flower, nor is this her cage. And uh… I want to eat those burrito things again we saw when we first came here…'
The moment he thought about those, he felt his stomach rumble…
"I…"
She went silent before smiling a little, though she tried to hide it.
"Okay, but can we leave it for later, I really need to finish what I was doing."
'If I lose my momentum, I do not know when the motivation to continue will return...'
"Sure thing, we have a lot of time."
'Now that my main objective has been partly completed, I have nearly endless time.'
'… But I also have endless things to do… Regardless, time off with her doesn't sound bad at all.'
'There are many beautiful places to visit, and as we go, who knows? I may find someone suitable… I have to seek a disciple out regardless.'
After measuring her, he took one of her pens.
"I'm done." Philip said as he took out a small note, scribbling some things within
Honestly, this action of his was pointless, if he asked MT, it would give him all of Viera's proportions without hesitation and with precision far greater then he could achieve on his own.
But he felt that if he were to do that, she might've felt estranged, so it was better to just ask directly and go through the hassle like this.
It was also funnier to see her reactions live…
"A-Are you done with everything, then?"
"Almost there." Philip asked with his usual smile as he stored the note
"I want to try something, but I'm unsure of its effects, though I'm 100% sure nothing bad will happen."
Her expression went plain, "And you want me to be your test subject?..."
'So much for being kind and gentle…'
"That is a bad word to describe it… but I won't lie. So, in exchange, you can cast magic on me."
"And why would I want to do that?" She asked with a frown
"Because I also want to test something." Philip replied as he got up from his seat
"Humph..."
'Is he giving me an excuse for me to just blast him away?... It's not like I haven't done that in that place already…'
'But one thing is to do it in reality… If so, I won't refuse.'
Letting out a sigh, Viera moved away from the table.
"Fine, let's go somewhere else…"
"There's no need for that."
He grabbed her hand, but now she was used to it, pulling her to the center of the room.
"Just stand there for me please."
"Uhum…"
After making sure everything was done, Philip activated his Skill.
[Activating Skill, Origin of a Desire Lv0]
/Flash!.../
"!"
'Urg… this is… Crap!'
The moment the Skill activated, Philip felt something sparkle from the center of her chest, and not long after, a blinding light took over his sight as he felt himself move elsewhere…
…
/Mooo!.../
/Beeeh!.../
Philip's vision soon returned, and the first thing he realized was that he was now surrounded by farm stock, some of which were now licking his face.
Not exactly what I expected...
"H... Huh??"
'I can't…'
The second thing he realized was that he couldn't speak, much less move his body. He was more of a spectator… a balloon flying in the wind.
Albeit he was sure he was inside his own body thanks to the reflection of his own face on the cow's eyes.
The third thing he noticed was that all of his abilities were sealed, he could barely perceive his surroundings, the best way to describe it was that… he had returned to being normal, just like when he took over Eddy's body.
/DING DING DING!/
A bell rang, and the farmstock moved to the side in hurried fashion, and before he knew it, someone appeared in his field of vision.
"You're really bad at this, you know that, don't you?"
A voice called out to him, more mature and slightly pouty…
"And yet, the animals love you so much… how can you be so damn clumsy?"
In front… or better put, on top of him, was currently a woman with long purple hair tied into a ponytail.
She seemed to be wearing leathery farming clothes, but her complexion didn't seem like that of someone that worked on a farm.
It was fair, and well-taken care of… she didn't even seem dirty.
Like a princess who shouldn't be out in the fields, she worked in the daunting sun with nothing but a straw hat and a sunny attitude.
She tapped his arms with her foot, "Come on, Mom's calling, the food's ready, you won't miss it again, will you?"
And finally, "Philip" spoke:
In a haughty, borderline lazy tone, he pushed her legs away, "I won't I won't, just give me some time to recover my bearings. Those girls did a number on me…"
"Humph!"
Viera… adult Viera grabbed Philip by his shirt, pulling him up easily.
For a pair of thinner arms, she sure had some power.
"This time I won't be deceived, move along partner."
/Thud…/
She kicked him in the ass lightly, pushing him forward.
And as they walked, Philip thought:
'So… if I put everything together… is this Viera's desire?'
'Her deepest desire? Or just some sort of random wish she just happened to be having the moment I activated my Skill? Or perhaps her strongest desire portraying or related to me?'
'The way this Skill works is still a mystery, so it'll take many tries to reach something conclusive... because depending on what it is, it might have some interesting applications...'
'But if I connect the dots...'
'Anyway… what's this? A farm in the countryside?;
It was truly frustrating not to be able to turn his own face, Philip was almost having a slight outrage at the fact.
He felt as if he were in a conscious dream, but he wasn't in control.
'Taking that cows weird shape and coloration, I'm sure we're still in Eden. And it would've been too much if we were in some strange place beyond the scope of this world… otherwise this Skill would be more like divination.'
'But isn't this… Simple? Despite everything she has… deep inside, all she wants is nothing but to go back to her previous life together with her family in the countryside...?'
'That's… quite pitiful and heartwarming at the same time.'
"Tell me, how's your research?" Philip suddenly asked, interrupting his own thoughts
"Mnn… master told me I should be advancing soon…"
Philip smiled, "You've wanted that for a long time, didn't you?"
"Yes! Its been hard…" She replied with a tired expression as she spun around
Meanwhile… 'I see, so even her master is here.'
'That was to be expected, Viera seems to have a strong connection with her, and a deep love for magic.'
'It's much more than just effort, she has a drive for magic that transcends her original conditions that led her down its path.'
He looked around, 'She also seems to be advancing... maybe this is a reflection of her current struggles, because with everything she has, its impossible for her to still be stuck as 6th Tier.'
'She must be feeling quite conflicted, perhaps even powerless… She now has no master, no Academy... I'm her sole lifeline, and there's nothing she can do about it but accept things for what they are.'
'No matter how much I do to alleviate that, some people just can't accept being so reliant on another.'
He wanted to sigh but couldn't, for even his breathing was not under his control, 'So her ideal life is to go back to the countryside, while still maintaining her lifestyle as a mage, and also with her Master?'
'The person who saved her and her family, albeit despite so, she still misses them.'
After a moment of silence, he smiled internally, 'Still, I'm flattered. I've known each other for barely a month, and yet, here I am... Did I cause that big of an impact on her life?'
Coincidentally, both Philips looked at the sky… 'Maybe I'm just that handsome.'
...
Time continued as the memories rolled…
'I think I'm starting to understand what this Skill is supposed to mean…'
'If you know your target's Desires, then controlling them becomes easy.'
'… How awful.'
"Viera…" A slow yet sturdy female voice echoed behind them
"Hm?"
'This voice…'
"Master!"
At the same time, Philip's mental image of himself curled its lips to a devious degree…
'!!! Master?!'
'Hehehehe!'
'Last time I couldn't take a proper look at her face. But now… if we're talking about Viera's own memories…'
He licked his lips just thinking about it.
But when his body turned, Philip frowned.
'Why is she censored?! This isn't Japan!'
He clenched his teeth mentaly, but in the dream, he was as relaxed as he could be.
"My my, late yet again are you?" Her master said with a smile as she looked at both of them
Her face was mostly censored, but he could see her lips, though he wondered if he was seeing right or wrong; they could be a ruse for all he knew.
Or perhaps this was a result of his growth. As his own qualifications rose, perhaps the means to block his senses were starting to fail…
"That's only due to him!" Viera said as she pushed Philip slightly with a playful smile
/Chuckle…/
"Alright then, dear… Now…"
She turned to Viera, telling her to go ahead, and that she wanted to have a talk with Philip…
"I'll see you then!... Don't be late again, you hear me?" Viera said as she turned to Philip before walking past him
/Shrug/
Philip shrugged.
Seeing this, Philip couldn't help but wonder, '… Am I like that?'
'Honestly, I thought I was calm and cool, perhaps a bit of a tease… but here I just look provocative… is this how she sees me then?'
He didn't like it, 'I'll keep a note to myself and be a bit more caring.'
/Step step…/
Viera walked away while her master approached him.
She looked at him up and down before smiling deeply.
"My my, aren't you a cheeky one?"
"..."
But "Philip" did not reply, he looked... frozen, like a recording that had been paused.
'I'm not breathing anymore, what's happening?'
"Yes, I'm talking with you, the boy who's overstepping his boundaries."
'!!!'
"I wonder what sort of face you're making, it sure must be so interesting…" She added with a chuckle as she crossed her arms under her chest
She then touched his cheek before continuing.
"This isn't good, a man shouldn't pry into a lady's most secretive desires…"
She flicked his forehead, and the pain was transferred to Philip, it wasn't much, but the pain was more on a spiritual level. In less complicated words, it hurt his pride.
She approached his face, whispering in his ears:
"~If you really want it, seek them out yourself, I'm sure it wouldn't be that hard if you tried~..."
But as playful as she was before, her tone grew heavy, "But try not to push it, no one wants a bad boy~."
/Chuckle…/
Her laughs echoing in the air, the world around him began to unravel…
…
/SNAP!/
"Huh?"
Philip suddenly woke up back at the office, with Viera looking at him with some concern.
"Hel-lo ooo~ Viera calling Philip from beyond the Spiritual realm~... ~Guardpost on a routine call~…"
"I'm… I'm here…"
"There you are." She said with a cute smile as she put her arms behind her back
Philip reached for his forehead, a headache throbbing around his skull, "Huff… What happened?"
"You suddenly dozed off after telling me to stay still. I was waiting for you to do something, but you just stared at my face…"
'I would like to request my palpitations back, please, I feel deceived.'
"I…"
A moment of realization… 'So that's what happened.'
'If the Skill works like that, then I must avoid using it in…'
/Flick/
Viera flicked his forehead, "There you go again, thinking and thinking. For someone who has so much muscle, you do think a lot."
"Maybe your brain is a muscle… or is your brain in your muscles?"
"..."
Philip looked at her with a helpless smile…
Truly a disciple of her master.
…
.
.
.
Notes
Thank you all for reading!
As I work on the next few chapters, is there anything you would like to see?
What are your expectations for the future?
Thanks again for your contributions to this series!