Enjoy! 13.5K words.
(Images will be added later, there will also be a slight edit of the first half of the chapter later on)
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/Step…/
"Haa… He could've been a little more gentle with her."
Fabrin stopped somewhere in the forest and rested his hand on a tree, his gaze elsewhere.
"ZZZzzz…"
On the ground, a girl slept soundly, with her hands over her chest.
Her dark hair had a slight violet hue. She wore a white cape around her body, and a sword hung at her waist…
(Image)
"Can't you give your dad a rest already? I'm not that young anymore..."
Fabrin shook his head slightly as he looked at her, frowning in disappointment as he was reminded of the past.
"No matter the time, teens will be teens… Always getting themselves in trouble."
'Who did you get this from, though?'
"Hm…"
Fabrin looked to the side for a moment and smiled.
"... You're right, but cut her some slack. She's still barely over eighteen. At that age, I wasn't doing any better… She hasn't even held a boy's hand, Jajajaja!"
Fabrin smiled as he looked at his daughter, taking a leaf from her hair as he crouched on the ground.
"You're just as stubborn as your mother… If you wanted an allowance, you could've just asked me and I would've helped you a little, why go through all this trouble?..."
'I know things have been hard recently. It's hard to make an honest living in a world this crooked. It doesn't work. But it doesn't justify these actions.'
Fabrin shook his head as he carried her in a princess carry, freezing for a moment as he looked at the sky once again.
"Huh?! How dare you say that!... I'm not that overprotective… Huh?... That is true, but… Tche!"
He shook his head and focused on his daughter again, noticing her expression change.
She was having a nightmare, quite a bad one at that.
"… Look at you… I bet you almost pissed yourself when you fought that other kid right? Jajajaja!"
Fabrin turned his body around and said:
"And what about you? How long are you going to stay there spying on us?"
/Fwush!/
Suddenly, a shadow walked out of thin air, walking up to Fabrin with a smile.
"I'm getting old… My granddaughter doesn't listen to me, a kid I've never seen before can see through me, and now you too… What a shame."
"It seems the time for me to retire is approaching, but that girl is nowhere near what she needs to be yet… This is troubling."
Fabrin looked at the old man with an annoyed smile.
"You talk as if it were a disgrace to be seen through by me, old man. Besides, why did you come here? To nag me about your personal issues? I don't have that much free time anymore, can't you see I'm busy too? I have a family to take care of now."
The old man scoffed as he adjusted his collar and hair.
"I see you didn't change at all with age. I thought that woman had roughed you up a bit, but you're fine. Speaking of her…"
"Don't… Not now. I don't want to make her nightmares any worse."
"Hm… What about those two little guys besides you? Are they doing well?" Asked the old man as he looked at the air beside Fabrin
/Shake…/
The air distorted, and the ground rumbled. A pair of eyes formed above, staring down at the old man sharply.
/Crack…/
The ground opened up in reply, and a dark hole appeared. From within, three pairs of eyes flashed dangerously.
"As welcoming as ever…"
"Can you blame them? I thought you had died, but look at you, alive and kicking! Good on you for having the decency to visit."
The old man cleaned his ears in a carefree manner before replying:
"It hasn't even been that long, kid… Glad to see they are doing fine; like master, like spirits… As for you, I'll be here to see my granddaughter's grandchildren, so stop cursing me…"
"You know my job. Sometimes I'm free to come and go, other times I'm busy. There hasn't been a moment in the past fifty years that I've been given the chance to blow away on myself. I even have to care for my granddaughter in her crooked parents' place while at work. The lass knows nothing aside from management. I fear how she'll do out there when I'm gone."
"Enough of me, though. I knew something was wrong with you today. It is unlike you to take a stroll in the morning for no reason, deeming how lazy you are. But here is my answer."
Fabrin smiled and asked:
"Rich of you to say how I fare. And a terrible habit… Don't you have enough of spying on others, you perverted old man?"
"I'm long over the age for such mischief, I'm afraid. Let's end this with me coming to check how you're faring, how about that?"
"Hanging there, I suppose. The Academy's atmosphere has been getting worse recently, but nothing I can't handle. What about you? You know it's against the rules for the unaffiliated to come all the way here, especially someone like you."
"Don't make me report on you… Again."
The old man smiled mischievously.
"Why do you think it's taken so long for me to visit again? I can't have my cover blown all the time. Those old timers don't let go when you cross their rules."
"How about you get a permit and get inside like any other well-mannered person?"
"That would take too long. And I enjoy strolling through the forests more than sitting on that train. I can't have those old-timers track me. What kind of informer would I be if I revealed my sources?"
"Humph, don't make it look like I'm one of them…"
"Also, I already have something like that. I merely dislike going through the formalities. So don't make it sound like I'm some crooked old man breaking into a school for kids." He added as he waved his hand around, interrupting Fabrin
"I thought you were one already… Say, you aren't here just to say hi, right? Are you after that kid too?"
The old man's smile deepened as he reached for his chin:
"I quite liked that kid, he left quite the impression back then, so I followed him a bit to see what his thing was."
"I saw some pretty interesting things, but I underestimated him greatly, seeing that wound on your neck and face."
"And I thought you didn't have the time to fool around, going after a kid barely old enough to take his own steps…"
The old man's gaze sharpened, and there was a bit of a dangerous aura around him.
"It's been seven years since I last saw you like this, you got quite cocky during this time, didn't you? Do I need to remind you how to respect your seniors?"
But Fabrin scoffed in reply, turning around with his daughter as he walked to the side, grabbing a leather suitcase hidden behind a tree before turning back to the old man:
"Sheesh, you can't even get a joke anymore, you must've truly gotten old. Besides, you spoke of her, but how's that little girl doing? Isn't she about the same age as this little troublemaker right here? She must be all grown up by now."
"She's doing fine, so well that I was having problems teaching her how to be humble and deal with unexpected circumstances, but a certain kid appeared and made my job easier…"
Fabrin smiled.
"So that's how you met him…The world sure is small… What do you think about him?"
The old man scratched his beard, saying:
"Difficult to say, he is rather unique, so much so I'm asking myself where he popped up from."
"Not just anyone can do what he accomplished, and with his background, it's almost as if he sprang up from the ground like a beet."
"But at the same time, I can see he lacks many things, and I'm certain he didn't come to this place to have them fixed."
"I was thinking about talking with him, but after giving it some thought. I changed my plans."
Fabrin raised one of his eyebrows in wonder:
"Were you planning on taking him in as a disciple?"
"HAHAHA!... No."
A cold, immediate reply.
"But you've been looking for one, correct? Your granddaughter can't fill the void you'll leave behind."
"You're right, her path has already curved from mine… Either way, I have already decided that my everything will only be passed to that child. Instead, I was thinking of giving the boy some light guidance and perhaps introducing him to some old friends."
"There are many out there who are itching to teach a promising young lad, especially those who are close to kicking the bucket. So I thought he was fitting enough for them to give it a try."
"Our time is already over, many have begun considering leaving it to the next generation. Some have already done so…"
Fabrin nodded in understanding, thinking about the past… Until he had an idea.
"I have a better idea, why not just take him in as your grandson? That would solve everything. Jajajaja!"
/Crack/
Cracking his neck, the old man added deeply: "I didn't quite hear you, could you repeat that? My ears aren't the same as they used to be."
Fabrin rolled his eyes in reply, shrugging.
"She'll never get a boyfriend at this rate gramps, lower your standards a little…"
But he shook his head, trying to calm himself down…
"My standards are where they should be! That boy is still too inadequate to be my daughter's lifelong partner."
"Isn't that the very root of her issues? You doted on her so much that she is now well beyond her peers. She never had the chance to fall down, cry, hurt her knees, hit her head, be embarrassed, be scolded by others…"
"How is she supposed to make friends, much less find love, at this rate? The only ones close to her are those bratty kids from the main lines, and I bet you're not going to give them a chance either. Compared to them, that kid…"
"Enough Fabrin! If you're so interested in him, marry your daughter to him instead!"
Fabrin shrugged with a light smile. He thought the old man's reaction was comical, like that of a dad who was seeing his daughter leave with another man.
He looked at his daughter, her nightmare seemingly gone, and sighed, listening to what he had to say:
"... I was here to check if he was truly the inheritor of the Polter Family's legacy."
"Never heard of that Family. I bet they were important for their name to be in your mouth. But let me guess… They're dead?"
"... Sigh… Yes, they are, but that is a story of the past."
"As I said, I've changed my mind after giving it some thought. Just look at me, stalking a little kid over the city for something so meaningless just because of a minor suspicion…"
"Well, I didn't say anything like that, but when you put it that way, it does seem pathetic considering your stature."
It was the old man's turn to roll his eyes.
"In any case, I saw that you took him under your wing. Do you plan to take him in as your disciple, as you mentioned?"
"Hum… That is difficult to say, I myself am confused about what to do about the situation… It was more of a spur-of-the-moment thing then anything else."
"I was tired… Tired of seeing these kids ruin others' lives with their little schemes. I wanted to give the kid a chance where I couldn't with them before."
"Even if their actions were driven by greed or their foolishness, many did not deserve to lose their lives and futures over something like this."
The old man smiled.
"It seems raising a family has softened you, or rather, it was that girl who changed you."
"I can understand that feeling, kids these days are too focused on status, power, and wealth when they should be focused on self-development. It was what made my generation successful."
"Even if they wish to be great and represent their families, this isn't the place to toy around in. They've lost the meaning behind these walls… What it means to be Noble."
"... I'll probably take a look at him and guide him a bit, I can see that he is desperately in need of a guiding light." Fabrin replied as he looked at the arena in the distance
"And you plan to be that guiding light? You of all people? The man who can't even have half his class pay attention to a wooden board?... Sigh, another young talent lost…"
"You are annoying me now, old man!... Ahem…"
He turned his voice down so as not to wake her up.
Smiling, the old man retorted, "Well, I wasn't the one who got his artifact damaged by a kid a third of his age…"
Fabrin's face darkened before he replied in a low, broken tone:
"Don't make me remember it, I got distracted and didn't handle the situation properly… Haaa, it will be a pain to fix it, that guy is still on bad terms with me for what my son did last time…"
"You talk about me, but look at your family, the son is a troublemaker and the daughter is like the mother, aren't you worse than me at this?"
/Silence…/
"HAHAHA!... In any case, how much?"
"?"
Fabrin was confused.
"How much will you give me for me to keep my mouth shut?"
"..."
"You know how it is… Many out there would like to hear about what your daughter's been doing… Especially if it's something this severe…"
"It's the job of the parents to cover for their children, right?"
The old man raised his right hand, as if waiting for something.
Despite the threatening words of the old man, Fabrin seemed annoyed rather than angry.
"You are so damn cheap! When you die, I won't even drop an offering for you and I will instead spit at your grave!"
"As if I need anything from you! And I told you already, I will outlive your sorry arse!"
Fabrin pointed at the forest as an invisible force lifted his daughter in the air:
"Just get the fuck out before I report you, those old crooks would love to talk with you, especially a certain guy who was spied on during his… 'Midnight activities' by a certain someone, and had rumors about his short sword spread around the city!"
The old man's eyes sharpened before relaxing, a smile creeping up through his lips, "You got better at this, didn't you?"
"After being scammed by you so many times over the last two decades, I learned a thing or two. I have more if you want."
"No need for that... I'll just forget about this given I wasn't here for that.."
/Shua…/
He slowly grew translucent as he took a step back and turned around.
"Consider it a special circumstance, given I was here on personal matters."
"Tche!"
"Mnn…"
The girl in his arms started to move around, her nightmares returning…
"Did he leave such a lasting impression on you?... Oh my, this is troublesome."
'If it develops into a trauma… Maybe I was too lenient this time. I should've given him a piece of my mind…'
His attention was suddenly pulled away from her:
"Hm?... Of course, he did…"
"You think he ditched me and is now escaping?... No way… He is still bound with the Warden's contract, and the only way to get it off is with the identity change…"
Fabrin looked at the distant horizon, the direction Philip had left.
"And besides, he didn't seem like that sort of person to me… Do you think so too?"
"... Then why did you raise that possibility?! Stop getting on my nerves!"
/Step…/
Mumbling to himself like a madman, Fabrin left the forest with his daughter in his arms.
…
/Cling… Cling…/
A blond man cut a piece of meat on a pearly white plate, enjoying its taste as he looked at the moonlight beaming on his shoulders.
Sitting on a balcony far above the ground, the man enjoyed the silence and his thoughts as he held an empty glass of wine.
As he finished his meal, he looked at a sparkling city on the horizon. Thousands of colorful lights shining in the dark like fireflies, their beauty soothing…
His face flushed slightly, he seemed slightly enebriated, enjoying the atmosphere with his own, quiet thoughts...
/Thud… Thud…/
But his moment of peace was broken by echoes coming from the empty corridor behind him:
"... and I thought I had found a quiet place to dine… Someone still found me this deep in the Palace."
"What brings me the honor, my friend?"
"... Edgard."
A man stepped out from the dark hallway, his face illuminated by the moons high in the clear sky.
Taking a seat before him without courtesy, the blond man laughed drily as he looked away, not minding his presence as he hid his emotions.
"We need to talk."
"... Do we now? Maybe we do. We haven't had the time to check on one another since we were thrown here. Let me be the first to ask then."
"How have you been, Dae?"
"You already know."
"Can't you entertain me a little, still? Ever since we got here, you've turned into a stone, unresponsive– the boring kind."
"... Under that logic, all stones are boring. They're all unresponsive."
"To you, perhaps... To me, every stone has a story to tell. Each is unique, but only a few attract my eyes…"
He took a small, plain pebble from his pocket, putting it on the table.
/Crack…/
With his bare fingers, the white stone was cut open, and a beautiful array of colors was displayed, like a rainbow in the morning sky, "Such a simple rock, yet such a complex color. How can such sin be committed? What is there to be ashamed off? To hide under the mud for centuries in the dark…" he added as he raised the cut stone to the moonlight, causing it to shine brightly
"... I think stones can tell us a lot about ourselves… Like a reflection of how we present ourselves to others..."
"But this isn't the time to go into details, I'm afraid."
Dae took a deep breath as he replied:
"Truth be told, I'm not here to speak about rocks either."
"It wasn't my intention. This little hobby of mine isn't the kind of thing I'm comfortable sharing. So I ask, what brings you here, far from everyone else, to this little abandoned corner of the Grand Palace?"
"Given how you acted recently, hopping around left and right, I didn't expect you to have the time to come after me, much less at such a time."
"... And why are you here, far from others? You aren't the loner type either."
"Well… Being thrown into another world and being given these… Abilities… Isn't something just anyone can take on a whim. I'm not like Damien and the others."
"You seemed fine so far to me. You've adapted fairly well."
"Well doesn't mean perfectly… And while I don't enjoy diminishing myself, what others see doesn't exactly reflect how well I fare."
"It was okay at first—too much to do. Wake up early, shower, study, train, eat, study, sleep... I didn't have the time to worry about anything else but repeating this cycle."
"As time went on, I grew used to it. But at the same time, my free time grew, and I began to think again… But I couldn't."
"Everywhere I went, someone followed, wanting to do something with me… Once upon a time, I took it as something inherent to me, a right from my birth…"
"It's a privilege. At an early age, I learned that there was never anything given… That a man had to deserve what others offered him."
"My father told me that all I had came from him. I understood that, so I worked to deserve it all… Maybe too much."
"Before, it was manageable, it was life, to be surrounded by others, to command others. I grew to inherit all from those before me, so I worked to be worthy of it all, it was the minimum."
"But the longer I spent here, the more I realized… Was that really the case? Who was I working for, truly?"
"I came to realize that I found it all boring… Even then, I cannot abandon who I am. So I found a place where I can be… A little bit more "me", if only for a single dinner."
"... Or maybe that's the alcohol talking."
He looked at his empty plate, tired.
"I just needed a place where I could think on my own. I suppose that's not too much to ask, is it?"
"Depends on who you ask."
"What do you think?"
"... I think you drank too much."
"Ha!... You think?... What percentage of alcohol do you think there's in this bottle? There's no label in this... Ahhh, who cares? I drank it all anyway~…"
"Sigh…"
/Clack!/
"Hm?... What's this?"
Dae put his hand on the table, placing a small golden coin between them…
"Let's talk… Business."
"..."
/Smile…/
Edgard's eyes sharpened as they glistered faintly. For a moment, reason returned to his eyes.
His entire body shifted as he leaned forward, looking straight into Dae's eyes as he smiled faintly.
Even with his flushed cheeks, his gaze did not waver. He seemed serious yet laid-back at the same time.
Was he drunk, or was he not?
"Now… That's something I don't find boring."
…
/Meanwhile…/
/Ploft!/
"My whole body aches… What time is it?"
'... It's barely even past ten… Haa…'
Following his defeat at the hands of Fabrin, Philip returned to his room as he originally intended, albeit slightly beaten up.
His body had healed significantly since their clash, he thought about changing Classes to speed up the process, but chose not to in spite of the pain surging through his body…
"Urg… It's getting worse."
He reached for his chest, touching the region where his heart would've been.
His skin was burning hot with a faint red hue, which was quickly spreading around his body.
He went to the bathroom to look at himself in the mirror, grimacing at the sight.
"Huff… It's almost as if I'm sick… I thought this would happen, but this is considerably beyond my expectations."
/Splash!/
He opened the faucet, splashing some water on his face, but it quickly evaporated without doing much.
/Cut!/
Knowing he couldn't let things go on like this, he made a slight cut on his finger, allowing a single droplet of blood to fall on a petri dish on the counter.
/Shaa!/
The blood immediately began bubbling, splashing slightly as it turned black.
"This… Is this happening inside my body?!"
Philip's expression tensed as he understood the severity of the issue, but he didn't panic, going through his options first:
'I have an idea of what's going on… But I need a better answer before trying anything.'
"If I'm assuming things right, Apex Evolver, or rather, my body, is clashing with the mechanical heart. Trying to remove it from my system."
'Even if the System has taken it as part of my body, it doesn't mean my immune system accepts it. There are many detrimental Traits out there that Apex Evolver would consume or remove for the sake of achieving its goal. And given how I fused with the Mechanical Heart, such a level of rejection is minimal.'
'The heart essentially wormed its way into my heart, partially consuming if not entirely replacing it.'
'It syphons energy and nutrients from my systems to sustain itself while also releasing nanobots to modify and interact with every cell in my body… To it, that's no different from a ridiculous parasite!'
'It doesn't matter if the nanobots are there to help. My body won't accept them. One could even say they're hurting me instead... My physical body doesn't match the data recorded within it. To them, my body is likely some extreme anomaly.'
"There are a few ways to interpret this… It could be like before, where, upon being pushed around by the Old Blood's corruption, Apex Evolver strengthened my body, increasing its resilience."
"Something similar could happen this time. That's the good outcome, where it devours the Iron Heart Trait and fuses with it… But I don't know how that'd be possible… How can my body fuse with nanomachines at a fundamental level?"
"I doubt this would lead to any other bad scenarios… But I may end up incapacitated for a while if I play my cards badly."
'The nanomachines will continually attempt to repair the heart and multiply to maintain their numbers, maybe even try to repair any damages from this clash, spreading around in the process.'
'Meanwhile, my body will attempt to destroy them… And quite brutally at that. Becoming more aggressive over time. The only resolution to this is the destruction of the Iron Heart Trait.'
'Or removing my Class… But that's only a band-aid solution.'
'That isn't considering what the nanomachines may do when exposed to other extraordinary traits within me...'
'As for me… I'm the poor sod that can't control either. I'm the battlefield for these microscopical forces… And my blood is the damn bullets they're throwing around.'
'At some point, I'll faint from malnutrition. I'll likely not die, but I doubt I'll come out unscathed after this is all over.'
"Worse is… If I eat something, this issue will only prolong itself…"
'This goes for what's going on… Now to solve this impasse…'
Philip left the bathroom and moved to the living room.
/Thud!/
He opened his inventory and took out something similar to a large, rectangular black box.
The box was highly polished, so much so that he could even see his reflection in it.
It was like a metal obelisk standing at over two meters tall, one deep and wide…
"Cough!... Initiate system… Password: #Xx_404_69_Sword_JSAR_xX"
Once he finished speaking, Philip felt a bit embarrassed. Although he didn't know if the heat he felt was from his fever or not…
'I sounded funnier when I made it… Or rather, it was the 'me' in the memories… Doesn't matter.'
'I'll change it to something else later…'
[Voice recognition pass; Keyword pass; Initiating all systems…]
A red light flashed from the center of the obelisk as a mechanical male voice echoed in the room.
[All_Purpose Multi-Tool FJSS V3.2.c has initiated]
/Swoop!/
Suddenly, two metal straps were released from one side, allowing Philip to put the box on his back and use it as a… Backpack.
But of course, he didn't. He wasn't going to do field work.
"Hm… It seems to be working fine. Phew…"
'I was afraid it might malfunction due to how sensitive some of its systems are… And due to this world's unique environment.'
'This little thing was made to last the most extreme environments on Earth, but its hard to account for magic and whatever I can't feel in this world.'
[Processing…]
[No internet connection]
"Heh, if you could connect with the internet, I would jump off a cliff…"
[Disclaimer, unknown interference frequency is compromising the accuracy of the environmental scan…]
"I thought that would happen… Ignore it for now."
'Has it detected mana? Or some other form of energy signature? Oh well, I can calibrate it over time to cope with these energies… Or try to, I suppose.'
[Processing…]
[Air quality: Suitable for Human life]
[Nitrogen concentration 68.21%
Oxygen concentration 28.23%
Argon…
...
Unknown element 0.02%
Unknown element 0.0031%
Unknown element…
]
Philip frowned as he read the final notifications: "What's that at the end?"
Unknown elements? Interesting… With a world as weird as this, filled with exotic fauna and flora, unique materials are bound to be created and released into it.
A few exotic gases and metals are the least of my problems right now, though.
[Disclaimer, 342 unknown forms of microscopic life have been detected within the breathable air, recommended course of action...]
"Ignore that as well…"
[Disclaimer, Gravity is currently at around 1.05G]
"Yeah, that too…"
'I never felt the change in gravity, likely because I wasn't even given the chance to experience it. By the time I spent a day in this world, my body was already accustomed to a considerably more unbearable world…'
'Still, I have some recollections of the other summoned heroes complaining about it.'
[Conclusion: You are currently not on Earth]
[No matches found, current location not within the database, please update it for more accurate calculations]
"No shit sherlock…"
Philip let out an exaggerated sigh as the multi-tool finished its analysis.
"Ignoring my condition… It's working fairly well."
'All_Purpose Multi-Too… A type of machine used by scout units and research teams to analyze terrain and research where constructing labs would be either too inconvenient or expensive to do so. Or when you couldn't bring back samples to one.'
'Of course, this isn't the same model they use. I merely used it as a base for my own. It was quite a popular item, featuring dozens of highly advanced machines packed inside its chassis. I thought it was quite decent for what I was after, so I began working on my little project.'
'When everything is put together, it's like a micro advanced lab. Made with the highest bits of technology I could find, most of it so advanced you couldn't even buy it even if you had all the money in the world… So they had to be… "Acquired".'
'Coupled with the five servers I stole from the GW Artificial Intelligence, it's like a small piece of the technological world. It doesn't exactly excel at anything, but it's not like I need it to do so anyway.'
'I'm not here to terraform this planet nor to restart civilization.'
"I only need it to do one thing for me… But that can wait."
"Activate scan mode!"
[Activating Scan Mode…]
/Catching!/
The backpack changed in an instant as a flash of light ran through its body.
A hole opened on the side, where something similar to a remote controller was slowly presented on a stand
Philip grabbed the controller, pushing the large machine out of the way.
"Let's see if this works… MT, I'll be presenting you with a sample of my blood. I need you to give me an accurate description of what can be found within."
"I'm currently experiencing fever due to a rejection of the nanomachines injected within me. Give me a synopsis of what's going on and present me with equivalent visualization!"
/Beep!/
He pressed a button, and a white light was released from the controller, illuminating the petri dish… And after a few seconds…
[Scanning complete, displaying results]
[According to the request present, a rudimentary analysis has been formulated]
/Flash!/
The large box next to him flashed with light as its surface changed colors, becoming a display.
It showed him a colored image of hundreds of small machines surrounded by dozens of red blood cells.
[This is an animation recreating what was recorded. An original sample will be displayed at the end for comparison]
The video showed thousands of microscopic machines approach one of the red blood cells, many times their size.
They slowly attached themselves to the cell before opening like a conch, enveloping the cell in a metallic black shell as they fused together. A timestamp showed the time as the process occurred, all within a fraction of a second.
However, not long after they did so, a larger white cell approached and crashed onto the shell, shattering it and the cell into pieces!
[It has been detected that this strange cell, which I have determined to be a mutated white cell, has taken the nanomachines as an intruder in the host's body]
[It aggressively pursues it throughout the sample, destroying the nanomachines in the process. However, in doing so, it releases considerable heat and impurities into the sample, giving it a black coloration]
[This heat doesn't seem to affect the mutated red blood cells, which is unusual given that it is far above the threshold for hemolysis. That said, the white cells' response is far too extreme, since it destroys the affected cell as well, similar to an Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia case]
[Further analysis necessary, too little information to draw conclusive results. Either way, the user is recommended to visit the one who injected the nanomachines into them for treatment or an equivalent medical center for appropriate aid]
[If you provide me with your medical charts and the procedure of the operation, I could provide a more accurate observation]
"Hum, no need… It's about as expected, I think I know what to do."
'There's only one proper solution I can envision, but it'll only work with the System's cooperation.'
'I need it to recognize this process! So far, it hasn't activated at all, which I can understand…'
'These nanomachines aren't from this world, and they're likely a big incognito in its database, so it can't properly display to me what I want to see.'
'I would like to believe things would still move along as normal even without the System showing me the notifications, but it's hard to say how much being aware or not affects the overall process of things.'
'But sulking won't do anything… I have to do something.'
Philip sat down on the ground and focused.
He went over a few ideas before putting them aside, confirming what he was about to do as he took off his clothes.
When he was ready, he focused his senses somewhere he hadn't reached for before, willing something he had never done before
/Crunk!/
His skin began to harden, turning black as his veins pulsed beneath his skin.
While not as proficient as Armstrong, it was used in the same way. The nanomachines were controlled at will, hardening his skin and strengthening his body.
It wasn't an unfamiliar sense, but mastery would take practice. There was still much he was unable to do, despite knowing he could.
Armstrong himself only used a portion of their abilities. There was still a lot these tiny machines could do aside from hardening and healing his body.
/PULSE!/
This, however, caused an even bigger reaction from his body! Blisters formed on his skin as it cracked open, tainted blood pouring out from within!
"..."
Philip bit his lips, enduring the pain. He focused the hardening on his limbs, trying to push the nanomachines away from his brain in an attempt to stay sane and conscious.
If this were to occur in such a sensitive organ, even with his tolerance, Philip knew he wouldn't last long. He had to solve this issue before it was too late.
So he kept forcing his body further, ordering his heart to beat faster and spread more nanomachines around his body, which provoked an even bigger reaction from his flesh.
He was forcing both to collide in a vain attempt to have the two reach a common ground… But something didn't seem right.
"MT, can you connect with my mechanical heart?"
[Processing… Connection established]
/Smile…/
Philip smiled, giving it a single order:
"Change the nanomachine's behavior. Rather than passively striving to maintain balance by leeching off nutrients from my bloodstream, have it actively do so by eliminating all of my white blood cells."
[Cannot proceed, doing so would…]
"It's okay, even if the situation reaches the worst possible scenario, as long as the nanomachines remain, they alone can provide the aid I need."
"Now, do as I ordered!"
[Understood… Contacting emergency services just in case… No response…]
"!!!"
/Splat!/
Blood immediately seeped out from his pores as a wave of pain spread throughout his body.
"Cough!..."
'Blood is filling my lungs… My body is breaking apart… Even with its resilience and adaptability, it cannot resist the onslaught of trillions of nanomachines ripping everything in their path apart.'
'They're eating away at everything, consuming and duplicating endlessly… Is this how it feels to be eaten by machines like in the movies?'
Even so, he could faintly feel it… The ever-growing momentum of 'something' deep within him.
The more he forced, the greater Apex Evolver activated, adapting to the patterns and structure of the nanomachines, the foes who threatened its existence.
Millions to billions of cells were lost in minutes, but even then, his body persisted, producing more to replace what was lost, reutilizing the waste left in his system.
More… Faster… It had to be more efficient. Stronger, robust… Otherwise, it would die.
Pushed to the brink, his body went into an emergency.
He could not control this aspect. He could only push it forward… To desire for survival.
[DING]
And finally, it happened.
[Apex Evolver has strongly activated]
[Apex Evolver strives to maintain balance; Your body adapts, your limits widen, your potential increases]
[The Trait, Iron Heart has strongly activated]
[The Trait, Iron Heart is shaking]
[Your body is undergoing a change]
/Splat!/
A wound opened in his chest, oozing a black sludge from within his body.
The pain was unbearable, but not the worst thing he had ever felt.
What he was experiencing would technically be akin to how comics and cartoons described what being exposed to radiation would look like, with his cells melting and shattering, akin to an acute chemical burn throughout his whole body.
It was severe around his chest, with it growing less extreme around his limbs, especially his head, where it almost seemed like nothing had changed.
He felt faint and on the verge of collapsing, but keeping himself conscious was the easiest thing he could do.
/Crack!/
He could feel his skin and bones break open as the nanomachines around them went berserk.
His body knew it could regenerate, so it spared no effort in eliminating the threat, even if it meant destroying itself in the process.
As time went on, the pain diminished, not because the process was slowing down, but because his nerves had all but turned into mush.
He could imagine the state of his body, it wouldn't take much for him to inspect his surroundings with his mental power, but he kept himself focused on his task.
/Crack!/
…
/Tic-Tac…/
Time passed… Had it been hours? Days? Philip couldn't tell.
After the first few notifications, nothing else had been shared. It was a silence he wasn't used to.
The System loved to shove his ears with endless notifications, but it was likely because of its recent struggles that it remained quiet even amidst such a ridiculous transformation.
Inside of him, something odd began to occur…
His cells, after being broken and devoured countless times by the nanomachines, began to resist their onslaught.
Even with their advanced technology, they had a limit to what they could do, a range of operations they could function at. This range was something Philip considered when he first injected them inside his body, thinking it might render them useless over time. However, he still did so to satisfy his curiosity and will.
But that wasn't the case for his body. His biology continued to change to cope with the pressure, forced to adapt and transform… It began to consume the very machines inside it.
Failure after failure until one success… When one case became ten, a thousand more followed suit…
His body began to heal, stronger than before, impervious to the nanomachines' coordinated efforts. Pushing them to the heart, the factory that made them.
His consumed flesh began to regrow, pushing aside the mechanical shell encasing it.
It yearned for freedom, beyond the limitations of this bio-metal.
/Crack!/
The mechanical heart, powerful enough to grant one a pseudo form of immortality… Was shattered from the inside out by the very thing it was meant to protect.
It didn't need it anymore. The flesh made its statement loud and clear that it was superior.
It didn't stop there… The scattered cells began to gather, enveloping the broken pieces of the heart and machines, now a sea of black and gray inside his plasma…
They weren't thrown out but rather, consumed, incorporated…
There was something to learn from this experience. As even if it had been surpassed, the way they functioned taught a lot to his immature body.
The Golden Body strived for balance, and it achieved it. Before this truth, it began to calm down… But something else flared up instead, taking charge where it stopped.
A strange emotion sprang within Philip as the fragments of the Mechanical Heart were devoured instead…
[DING]
[The Trait, Iron Heart has shattered]
"..."
'So it happened in the end… Well, it's not an entirely bad thing either.'
'My body has grown stronger, this event has greatly increased my ability, though I'll have to…'
[Apex Evolver has started to devour the fragmented Trait, Iron Heart]
"?!?!?!"
'What?! What do you mean by that!'
[Apex Evolver has consumed Iron Heart and added it onto itself]
Philip took a deep breath as he calmed down, slowly coming to terms with this revelation.
'It consumed a Trait?... Apex Evolver can do this as well? I know I can fuse Titles into it but this…'
Philip went into deep thought…
'I know Apex Evolver is a strange Title, but I always took it as what most Titles and skills are, either a representation of my body, or something given to reflect an achievement. Only a few like Skill Fusion don't really fit within those… They're more like System gifts than anything.'
'This goes a little beyond the former, however. I thought it was a passive Title with potential to grow, but it can actually do things on its own?... Wouldn't that make it a Title with a will similar to how Gameverse and Predator of the Depths?'
'Well… I guess this isn't that bad. If the Trait has been consumed, doesn't that mean I still possess it? But this is one strange Trait to consume… How will it be translated anyway?'
'Will the System just bite the bullet and make it work for the sake of it? Not like it would've been the first time…'
'If it fused the Trait onto itself, then it's one less thing for me to worry about. The Trait was as good as gone either way… But what if this happens again?... And to something I really need to keep?'
'These Titles aren't just there for me to show off, they're there to be developed into greater Titles with higher potential, which will then be fused away into even more ridiculous abilities.'
'Those are the keys for what's to come, I can't do that if they end up all eaten at a whim!'
'Same goes for my Skills, what if it decides to eat one of my main Skills?... What if… It puts its sight on Gamerverse of all things?...'
'If that happens, I might even have to consider deleting the Title right then and there, although I suppose unequipping it should do the trick. I haven't removed this Title ever since I first got it, so I have no idea if it'll still act in that case.'
'Hum… I'm being a little paranoid… This isn't an ordinary situation. It likely won't happen again anytime soon… Then again, how long has it been since I got it? Less than two weeks?... This isn't a good track record. My paranoia will eat away at my sanity if this happens every month or so…'
"Cough… Le…Let… Hm…"
'Let's hope its hunger doesn't flare again…'
"Ahhh… ahem… hooo… dooo~eee… Cough…"
'My throat is all mangled up, I can't speak properly either… The pain is returning, too.'
Philip slowly recovered his senses as he opened his eyes, but saw nothing as his vision was still turbid and blocked.
'I can only imagine the horrifying sight my body must be right now… I suppose I'll have to wait it out until my body recovers enough to move. Even if it doesn't, my Mental Power should be enough, and even if not, I have the messengers to assist me too.'
'Let's hope it hasn't been too long though, otherwise Fabrin will curse at me for leaving him hanging.'
Philip relaxed slightly, this crisis averted… For now.
'Let's see what changed now.'
Philip opened his Status:
[
Name: Philip Vinten
Race: Type 1 Pure Human (+)
Home World: Earth (+)
Registered World: Eden (+)
Level 0
Class: None (+)
Title: Apex Evolver(Mental Lord) (+)
/Resonation Effect: Decodifier/
All Titles:
Exterminator of Nightmares; Hunter Genius; Ancient Archeologist; Jack of all Trades; Scholar; Martial Enthusiast; Magical Enthusiast; Mental Lord; Blessed; Apex Evolver; Soldier; Contender; The Silent Legion; Specter; Hitman; Protector; Artificial Chrysalidate
-Vital info-
(+)
Mind> 178.3 (199.9)(+) Previously: 168.1 (199.9)
Physical> 176.3 (199.9)(+) Previously: 139.2 (166.8)
Energy> 129.4 (+) Previously: 125.3
Spiritual> 111 (131.4)(+) Previously: 110 (130.4)
Mystique> 50 (+)
Abilities:
Mental Force Lv18 (Hybrid)
Mental Force Manipulation Lv22 (Hybrid)
Mental Domain Lv10 (Hybrid)
Arcane Manipulation Lv16 (Hybrid)
Draly-Apyer Secret Sword Arts LvMax (Hybrid)
Falling Fist of the Beast LvMax (Hybrid)
Pthumerian Combat Art (Modified) LvMax (Hybrid)
Skills:
Gamerverse (???)
Advanced Skill Fusion Lv8 (Hybrid)
Western continent language Lv8 (Hybrid)
Scholar Vision Lv7 (Active)
Combat Genius LvMax (Passive)
Predator's presence LvMax
Somnium Courier Lv2 (Hybrid)
Simulation Room (???)
Traits:
Castle Town ***** (Weakened)
Hardworking
Unyielding
Incorruptible
]
'My Stats increased considerably. Not entirely unsurprising… Albeit it's even more than last time.'
'Now I have two Stats that have been pushed to the physical limits of my body. Two more to go.'
'If I want to move past it, I'll have to find a way to breach that barrier… There are ways written in Dae's diary, so maybe it's time I start planning around those.'
'Like last time, if I can breach past these barriers all at once, the System should reward me accordingly. Still, I'm a long way from that. But I'll keep it in mind.'
'I thought my limits would've widened by now after everything Apex Evolver did, but maybe this is me misinterpreting what it's actually doing… Unfortunately, there isn't anyone I can go to confirm my suspicions.'
Philip moved on, checking the changes in his Title:
[Apex Evolver
Description: You seek to unshackle from the mortal body you currently reside in. One step at a time, you will reach greatness through constant evolution.
But senseless transformations are not what you seek. It's the perfection in the flesh, the mystery of the soul, the spice in the mind. All of it is a perfect balance, the golden ratio. Only through that can you achieve a true, perfect evolution.
No one can stop you, and all the tries shall become fuel for this endless mutation.
To seek a path none have traveled before, and to go beyond all others… This is what you aspire to reach.
Effects: Body potential is significantly increased, along with your body's natural adaptation towards environmental changes.
Your body can take and handle foreign sources of energy to a considerable degree without damaging itself. This may change depending on the origin and purpose of the energy.
>First contact: Your body generates passive resistance to all environments with which it comes in contact. The degree of resistance depends on your body quality and how extreme the environment is.
This property is retained but may only be improved by being exposed to increasingly hazardous conditions.
>Great Physique: Your body has reached its true potential, and hence, all of its attributes' raw values have been increased to match its transformation.
>Your evolution choices have been considerably enhanced due to your excellent body quality, with the chance of one high-tier evolution appearing due to it achieving a 5-State balance.
>This Title can be linked with another, allowing two Titles to be equipped at once.
One extra effect may or may not be generated when another Title is linked.
>Extra effect: Endless mutation
This Title can be fused permanently with another Title; this effect has a chance to carry on to the new Title, depending on the compatibility.
>Extra effect: Golden body
You achieved the impossible and evolved towards an impossible path, reaching the obscure 5-State body.
The Golden body is constant, and as such, strives to keep the balance of the energies within itself, boasting the same level of defenses from its outside to its inside.
>Extra effect: The path ahead
You can see up to one evolutionary choice ahead.
>Extra effect: Apex
Terrifically increases the learning speed of new subjects.
Greatly increases all attributes when being challenged. The effect can be boosted and decreased based on your feelings.
>Extra effect: Hypercells
Your cells have mutated into a new form, becoming Hypercells. Each Hypercell is its own living processor, a core of conscious flesh that can act independently, think, decide, and adapt based on local threats.
Hypercells can analyze and digest traits from enemies, objects, or energies. Incorporating what is useful, rejecting what is not.
Strong feelings can provoke further transformations.
/Evolver has absorbed three Titles and one Trait/
(+)
]
"..."
'Isn't this technically what Apex Evolver already did?... Not quite, it's a bit more than that.'
'Apex Evolver adapts and transforms my body so it may face whatever it is exposed to. An extremely heightened evolution.'
'Meanwhile, I'd say Hypercells are just a consequence of that. I can't say much about its initial description, but I assume my cells just took some of the aspects of the nanomachines and incorporated them into themselves.'
'Things like self-replication, conceptual learning, and even instantaneous adaptation... Although before, it was just "hardening in response to physical trauma" as he'd like to say…'
'Each cell is a living processor?... I don't feel that different. I just hope my cells don't gain self-consciousness, that'd be… Unpleasant for all parties involved.'
'Either way, that isn't that different from what my Title already did, what matters here is the ability to analyze and digest traits. I don't think it is referring to Traits in the Status sheet, but in a general term instead.'
'Adapting to the abilities of others was something Apex Evolver did constantly, but could it be that Hypercells takes a step further and tries to replicate whatever it is exposed to? Or to create something proper based on that?'
'More things to experiment on… It seems I have many more things to test in the Simulation room…'
Philip investigated the changes within him for a few more minutes before resting in his current position, waiting for his body to recover so he could take his well-deserved bath.
Time passed amidst his meditation…
…
/A few hours later around midnight…/
/BUZZZ BUZZZ/
"Uh… What happened?"
{DING!}
"My… Badge?... Oh yeah, that guy said he would give me an invitation to become an official student. That he needed some time to sort through the documents…"
He checked the clock and it said 11:44 Pm.
Philip got up from his bed and cracked his neck.
"Urg… I barely had the time to rest at all."
'I was lucky that I managed to solve my issue within a day, but I barely had an hour to rest after I got control over my body again, in fact, I'm still unusually sore. Although it may be more of a mental issue than something to do with my body.'
'Although such a transformation could've been so intense even my body is struggling to recover from.'
"Urg… My skin is still peeling… My bed's all dusty now."
"Do I need another bath? I already clogged the bathroom several times already, I'm not in the mood to clean it up again…"
Exhaling slightly, he checked his badge and saw a message that included a lengthy contract and an introduction to what it means to be an advanced student.
After he finished reading it, he whispered to himself:
"It seems this contract voids the terms of the previous one… I had already decided to scrap the previous plan, or rather, make some changes to it… This solves one of the issues I had."
"I'll have quite a lot of freedom as an Advanced course student… But I imagine that guy won't be happy if I just leave the Academy without a warning, so in the end, I'm still bound to something."
"I still don't know what his thing is and why he's reaching out to me, still, I have little to lose in complying with his wishes and helping his classes for now."
'I would even say I gain something in helping him…'
/Shine…/
Philip read the contract one more time and accepted it, the moment he did, his room's window began to shine as something happened in his front garden.
"Ha? How convenient."
When he looked out the window, he saw a box lying outside his room. Opening it revealed a set of student clothes and a student guidebook.
"This cuts me the problem of getting a set for myself… It's even the right size… That was quick."
'The Academy Spirit is quite efficient. I'm surprised this old place even had the infrastructure to connect with the main system though…'
'The colors are a bit darker than I expected, quite mature.'
{DING!}
"Hum?"
As Philip checked his clothes and the book, he received another message saying that his Warden badge had been deactivated and his contract was now void, he was a free man once again!
"Hum… Something is missing, where's my student ID?... Oh, found it… It was inside the chest pocket all along… Huh?... When did they take this profile picture of me?"
"At least I look good on it…"
'I've changed quite a bit since I arrived in this world. Would my parents recognize me?... Probably, but my mom would've asked what I did to my face… My skin is glistering in this one.'
{DING!}
Philip once again received another message:
{Hey kid, it's me. Just saw that my request got through in the system, so you likely got something on your end too. So, as you've likely read, from tomorrow onwards, you work with me, nice to make your acquaintance, Philip}
{Once again, all introductions due, I'm Fabrin Peos, professor of Monster Anatomy, although I was once a Biology teacher as well}
{I don't like using this to relay messages too much, it's too bothersome to use and prone to interference, call me old like my daughter or whatever, meet me at Classroom N3-01 on the third floor of the Second-Year sector, we'll discuss the rest in person}
{My Class starts at 8 Am, it's the first Class of the day for the second year, so make sure to not be late, try to arrive at least twenty minutes earlier so that we can talk a bit}
{Get ready to work as I teach every day, the first three days being for the second years, and the last two days of the week, I teach first years. We can talk better about the time when you get here}
{I won't need you around for every Class, but we can sort that out once you're here, good night}
And that was it…
"That was brief… Well then, time to work."
'Would this be my first actual job? Does a Warden count? From a certain perspective…'
With that in mind, Philip took a shower, sorting through his clothes as he got ready for tomorrow…
…
/The next day…/
/Step step…/
It was morning, the sky was clear of clouds, and the birds sang in the trees and bushes.
The tired and not so tired students made their way through the long and confusing halls of the Academy's main building as they entered their respective classrooms.
Some had spent their previous night studying, others trained, some played around, and a few others just plainly overslept.
While it may be true that most kids took a bad path due to modern trends, there were still many that struggle to become and achieve something with their career, not simply for the sake of money and fame, but for something else, be it desire, their dreams, or for someone else.
In one of the many Classrooms in a hallway, the students, especially the female ones, were whispering to each other as they looked at an unfamiliar presence in their Class.
Wearing his given uniform, Philip could be seen reading a book calmly near a window as he waited for the rather late professor.
"..."
'It's 7:50… He told me to come earlier and he is the one that's late… Sigh. I guess nothing changes from one world to the other.'
'That isn't the whole problem though…'
/Whispers…/
One of the girls was unusually loud, asking: "Who's he? I've never seen him around here before."
An uninterested girl next to her replied:
"By the looks of it, a new assistant to Mr. Peos, so why all the fuss? Isn't it normal for a professor to get an assistant?"
"This is especially the case for the professor since he is the only one teaching his subject for both first and second years."
She rested her head on the table, uninterested on speaking any further. But the other girl ignored this assessment, saying:
"He's quite handsome though! And Mr. Peos never accepted an assistant before, do you think he may do something different today?"
Closing her eyes as a yawn escaped her lips, the tired girl added: "I don't care, there are many handsome boys in this place, what's the deal with one more? Besides, no matter what he does, I can't see Mr. Peos making this Class any less boring or interesting."
Hearing her nonchalant reply, the other girl rolled her eyes and turned towards another girl on her left to talk and gossip.
Most of the other students were like those two, some were interested in him, others didn't seem to care, some were even sleeping and didn't notice his existence…
But some others…
"Hey Will, what do you think it's the deal with that dude over there?" Asked a big man with muscular arms
He looked towards another man on his side, a man with orange-dark hair and sharp eyes, there were three more people around them, but strangely enough, there was no one in the surrounding chairs.
"..."
Will did not reply, instead, he gazed at the distracted Philip at the bottom of the classroom.
The Classroom layout was like that of a University auditorium, with multiple layers of fancy chairs on different levels all facing a large stone board.
(Image)
This board wasn't meant to be written on it like normal schools since in here, everything is made through magic tools. At most, they had chalk albeit even that was different from those used on Earth.
That was rather novel and interesting for him, but right now, he only wanted to have a talk with the old man and figure out what to do next… After all, he never taught anyone, much less whatever Fabrin's subject was supposed to be.
'I've already checked all of the students here, but none of them match the description of the person I've been looking for.'
'Dae wasn't very specific either, he only told me they shouldn't be amidst the older students, so somewhere around the first and third years… But damn, how many students are there in the first two combined? One thousand? Perhaps even more…'
'This Class alone has over seventy heads, so I would need to check at least a dozen other Classes to be done with the second year, and it's not like I can just enter every Class and have a look at them… Standing around and waiting for them to leave or enter Class would be a little suspicious too even someone notices me.'
'And what do I do if the student I'm looking for is sick or decided to ditch a Class? Do everything all over again?... Besides, Dae's information isn't entirely precise. He told me I'd be going with assumptions and not facts, so for everything I know, the target may not even be around!'
"Sigh, what a pain…"
/Splash!/
"... ?"
'Did they just…'
As Philip was focused on his thoughts, he was suddenly awakened by the cold sensation of water running through his body.
It may seem inconceivable, maybe even downright insulting to even think about… But one of the kids had thrown water on him while he was distracted, wetting not only his newly acquired clothes, but also the book in his hand.
/Silence…/
The whole classroom suddenly went silent.
Philip raised his head to look around, but no one said anything as they all met his gaze, almost as if in defiance.
Well… Not all, some seemed to have decency at the very least.
/Poof!/
He closed to book and put it aside.
"Sigh… You guys are more childish than kindergartens."
Philip slowly got up from his chair and walked towards the center of the Classroom. He raised his head a bit and looked straight at the students. But he saw nothing.
They were all silent. However, no one came forward to resolve this issue either…
"I don't mind some level of comedy in the classroom, but this goes a bit beyond a simple joke, don't you think?"
"Look, I don't mind it. Let's just brush past this and move on, a simple apology will do really, no hard feelings."
""...""
"No one? Really? You gather the courage to throw water at someone else but can't gather the will to apologize?"
He looked around again, this time with a sharper gaze…
He immediately singled out some possible culprits amidst the crowd based on their expressions and underlying emotions, but he couldn't be too sure without asking some questions.
'I really did it this time. With everything I can do, I can't even tell which one of these brats decided to prank me. I dropped my guard a little too much.'
'I shouldn't have to in the first, but this is that kind of place…'
"Heh, you guys are quite good, you should become actors, I bet this isn't your first time doing this, isn't it?"
'I wouldn't have bothered if it was done before, I'd rather avoid stupid issues like this. But I'm not feeling generous today…'
He looked at a girl with a small red cloth on her arm, it was the Class Representative.
"You, what's your name."
"Eh?! I'm… Mirugi Terio… Sir…"
"Uhum, nice to make you acquainted miss."
'She looks depressed, it's probably one of those cases where the representative isn't respected at all. She's likely so fed up with this she chose not to do anything about it anymore.'
'Is this why that guy wanted me to become his assistant? Was he fed up with dealing with these brats?'
"... I'll ask these once. Have you seen who threw the water?"
/Shake…/
She denied it almost instantly, and Philip could tell right off the bat… She was lying.
But he didn't press her. Instead, he pressed her with questions:
"Answer something else then, are situations like this normal? What is the procedure when they happen? And… What is the limit of punishment?"
Philip was already aware of those, having read most of the student guidebook already, but he wanted to hear it from a student instead.
The girl remained silent and said:
"It… Is quite frequent… The normal procedure is detention followed by the student being sent to the teachers' department to be evaluated and properly punished…"
"The punishment can be done by the teacher in charge; however, he may be penalized if the punishment is not in line with what the other teachers think…"
"I see, thank you, you may now sit."
She bowed and sat, dropping her head as she did not have the courage to look at him anymore. Or maybe, she was hiding from someone else…
"Hum…"
'I expected to find a little brat but maybe I got a little bully in my hands…'
'This kid is either confident in not being caught… Or he doesn't care. If things are like this even with assistant teachers, much less me who is an advanced student, I can only imagine how bad it is among themselves… Kids are the cruelest with themselves after all.'
'Well, I do understand a little. Kids these days would push a Warden to death just for the sake of it. They're little unrestrained devils, that's what they are.'
'I could beat some sense onto whoever did this, but I'd rather not face the consequences of that… The easy way it is then.'
Philip continued to look at the kids, some of them seemed intimidated while some others simply watched in amusement.
A few others with scorn and some didn't show much of a reaction...
"... Ending things like this would be boring right?" He asked out loud with an evil smile as he scratched his chin
The students were confused while Philip smiled.
His eyes flashed with light as his grin distorted…
[Predator's presence LvMax has been activated]
""?!""
"URG!"
"What?!"
All of the students suddenly felt an immense pressure bearing down on their bodies as if gravity had increased ten times.
Philip's figure started to twist more and more as his smile and shining red eyes were the only things in their vision. His breathing seemed to come from behind them, coldness reaching out for their necks…
"I'll tell you all how things will go from here on out."
Cold calculatedd steps as he walked amidst the tables, looking for the culprit.
"I want to know who it was… Was it you?... You? Or perhaps… You? No one?"
"... My patient is growing thin."
"I'm not angry, just upset. So before this changes, I would like to hear your opinions… Would you all like this to with a few rods, or will I have to take the truth out of your lips?"
""...""
The students were frozen solid in fear as they couldn't even move their heads, some had already pissed their pants, others had already gone unconscious.
Philip slowly walked to the end of the classroom, observing their expressions and he eventually arrived at the last row, and he turned his head to look at a punk with orange hair.
"You're quite far being all the way up here, why not join in with the rest of the class? Don't be a stranger!"
He placed his hands on his table, and the boy looked away as his eyes trembled.
"I will repeat myself in case you didn't hear it… Pay attention…"
"Did you see who threw water at me? Was it you?"
Philip's red eyes stared at the boy's brown eyes…
"What is it? Cat got your tongue? A shame…"
"Since no one is speaking I will start punishing everyone till I find the culprit… Starting by… You."
"?!"
He couldn't take it anymore, the boy pissed his pants in fear as he turned away from him.
/BANG!/
"I think… You're quite suspicious…"
Philip demolished the table with his bare hands and stared down at the boy… He raised his hand high up and slashed down at his throat!
/FLASH!/
…
"?!"
The boy woke up in the room, everything was normal, some of the students were sweating hard and some were plain unconscious.
"Haaa haa…"
His breath was erratic and fast as he realized it was all a dream.
"It wasn't me it wasn't me…" He whispered to himself in panic as he reached out for his hair
"Found you." Philip whispered from behind him as he put his hands on his shoulders
"!?"
/Bam!/
The boy jumped from his chair and tripped, hitting his head on the hard stone floor as he rolled down the classroom, stopping before the teacher's board.
Some of the students began to wake up as they watched the scene unfold in fear.
"You know kid, you shouldn't mess with others like this… And I gave everyone enough chances."
"Tell me, do you know second Circle magic? I'll take it you do."
The kid held his head in pain before he turned to look at Philip.
He shook his head hastily as he crawled backward, trying to make some distance.
"What a disappointment, the second year and don't even know that? Well, it makes things simpler for me. I know exactly what to teach you."
Philip passed through him and grabbed a small metallic chalk beneath the teacher's desk, it was a magic tool that allowed simple magic demonstration and was the main object the teachers use to write on the board.
As he moved the chalk around, getting used to it, he thought about what to do, smiling as the chalk flared with light.
Philip started to draw a complex, triangular magic pattern in the air, saying:
"Here, this is your punishment, all you need to do is break this circle and we're even."
As he said that, the circle started to shine as energy was drained from the chalk to power it.
A large water bubble suddenly formed in the air, floating near the magic circle.
"What are you waiting for? Break it… It's not that hard."
"Huff…"
"Look, kid… Let's get this over with okay?... So move it!"
With this proclamation, the boy got up from the ground.
With his legs trembling, the kid walked to the circle and looked at it, without a doubt this was first circle magic, but why did it look so complicated?
Philip may not be a magician but he read a lot on magic theory, not just for the sake of his job but also because he wanted to.
While he wasn't anything impressive when he left Dae, after spending a whole year trapped in the Simulation Room, Philip took the time to go over through some of the books he had memorized, all in an attempt at getting stronger and defeating his alter self.
Compared to an ordinary wizard and mage, Philip could potentially be seen as third circle, and that's not counting what Scholar Vision could do with all of the information he added onto the Phantom Library.
If he wanted to he could try and form a magic circle inside his body, but he already decided not to. It was better to stick with one path rather than diverging into many. Besides, it wasn't like he was throwing away Magic, he was just not as efficient as others who dedicated their lives to its study,
With a tool like this one, Philip could cast magic just like a magician… If he was fast enough at drawing…
"Now then, let's get this started."
/THUD!/
As the kid approached the water bubble Philip kicked his ass, pushing him inside the water bubble, saying:
"Break the magic circle within the time limit, that being, how long you can keep your breath."
And after he was done, a small flame surged from his feet and passed through his entire body, drying it.
"?!"
The kid went into a panic as he lashed around inside the bubble, not being able to stay calm nor flee, breathing in water, clearly suffocating. But Philip just smiled as he looked at it, making the other students shudder.
"Hum… This may be bad… Hey, is there anyone else that knows how to break this? I'll give you some extra points if you can." He said as he looked at the Class
""...""
But no one raised their hands for a good while, thankfully soon enough, a girl with red hair raised her's shily.
"Good, in twenty… ten minutes, if the kid can't break the spell, you do it." Philip added as he sat on his chair again and rested his head against the wall
"... B-But teacher, what if he…"
'Ten minutes… And I'm sure he didn't hold his breath properly… Much less that, five might be too much…'
But Philip only smiled in reply.
"That's why we have resuscitation spells, isn't it? Isn't it fine even if he "dies" for half an hour?"
'A person of his level should be capable of maintaining his breath for that long. Normal Humans can do double that, so why can't he?'
He looked at the girl as her expression tensed. Feeling a little pity for her, he added:
"If things do get worse, you can break it ahead of time, but if you do, send him to detention to receive his punishment… I'll also deduct a few points from you."
"Ah!... Understood."
The girl looked at the boy struggling in the bubble and thought:
'This is what you get for being an ass… Stupid Brother… And I hope you can hold your breath long enough as I have no intention of losing any points. I've lost enough getting you out of trouble already.'
'That said… Dad will be pretty pissed this time…'
She sat near the boy and looked at him as he struggled…
/Creek…/
"... What's going on here?" Fabrin asked as he entered the classroom
He looked at the magic circle and the kid inside of it and then at Philip, and his expression fell as he was reminded of what happened yesterday.
""...""
Everyone looked at the teacher, and a few students even rejoiced.
One of the delinquent's friends got up and exclaimed:
"P-Professor Peos! T-This madman has…"
But Fabrin interrupted him.
"I didn't ask you, so shut up for now… Anyhow, what happened, Philip?"
Philip got up from his chair and started to explain the situation in an orderly manner…
…
/One minute later…/
"... Alright that was his fault, I approve of this punishment… Nevertheless, holding a Class right now is pretty much impossible… So you can all leave for today…" He said as he looked at the others
"Be sure to study chapter four though, as I will continue next week's Class from there."
"Miss Ves, make sure to get your brother out after five minutes, in case he drowns, just bring him to the infirmary and they will patch him up in no time."
"You can call a nurse here if you don't feel like dragging him around the place… As for you…"
"Philip, you're coming with me…" He said as he left
"..."
Philip smiled and left the room as he ignored their gazes. Today, Philip left a strong impression on them…
…
As Philip walked in the empty corridors with Fabrin, he asked:
"... Aren't you going to say anything? Like explaining why you watched everything unfold without interrupting? You're not going to make some nonsense excuse that you arrived right on time, correct?"
But Fabrin denied it.
"Me? Watching? No no… Never would I do that, I was genuinely late… Well, I did arrive on time…"
"... Fine. If that is the case, I want to ask why you did it? Was it to cancel the Class?"
"I'll never admit to anything…"
Philip rolled his eyes.
"But well… I guess I can give you some answers, I imagine you are confused… I do have a reason for being a little late… although the number of reasons increased… Ahem, nothing changes."
"You re just changing the subject…"
"..."
After this, Fabrin stayed silent as he guided Philip through the corridors, and they eventually arrived inside a large room with many disks floating in the air.
"This place?..."
'I've read about this place before, what was its name again?...'
"This is one of the transportation nexuses of the Academy, we'll be going somewhere interesting for now, follow me."
"Okay…"
Fabrin stepped inside a ring and Philip did the same.
They were big enough so that multiple people could get inside. Albeit some were larger then others…
"As we wait for it to charge up, I'll explain how this is going to work."
"I don't really need you to come to my Classes, but I hope you do it as a small favor since it does help me a bit. Nonetheless, its up to you on what you want to do."
"I gave this position to you as a reward for abiding to my wishes yesterday, and for showing those kids mercy, even if not entirely out of kindness."
"Still, others in your place would've been far crueler. I can understand them… But these kids know no better, that's what I always say. It's up to us to show them how to behave properly."
"And don't you worry about what happened today, the kid you punished today may be the son of an important noble, but his reputation is one of the worse among the second years if not the entire five years… Just a brat without a leesh. Even his sister has given up on him somewhat."
"That girl…"
Fabrin nodded, adding:
"The list is big, including things like extortion, corruption, credit laundry, and even harassment, both mentally and physically of other students, especially females…"
It seemed like Fabrin wanted to add more but found it unpleasant. He seemed like a calm and kind man, so speaking of a kid like that hurt him. It wasn't part of his character.
Philip found this situation awful, so he couldn't even imagine how he felt.
"Isn't that like… A massive problem? What happened with the Academy's reputation for a kid like that to run rampant?"
'It's not like there are laws in favor of minors here… There are some but not on the same scale. If you commit a crime, even if as a kid, if you're unlucky, depending on the territory you're at… It's the block you'll be getting.'
'But his crimes… If I were the parent of one of the girls he harassed the first thing I would do is kill him once he leaves the Academy… This is the kind of world we're in.'
'That said, I don't think Earth was any different, people just went through a lengthy process called ":Law" . That ironically was not exactly righteous… I guess its the same in the end.'
"For your question… Yes, it is a problem, but his father's influence and power is a bit too big even for the Academy to handle on its own."
"It's not that we're incapable of administering proper discipline, but because we have too many things to take into account. Before, enforcing order wouldn't be frowned upon but now, they'd take it as us moving against a sole individual… We've lost our neutrality."
"However, his father is already pressured to keep his son in the Academy for everything he's done, so I doubt he'll have the power to go after you even if he wanted to, which I doubt. He's a man of character… Heavy character…"
"If you don't like this, I can have you skip these "unstable" classes."
"..."
'That won't do, the target could be anywhere…'
"I don't mind that, but next time, I'll arrive five minutes after the Class starts. No negotiation."
"... Fine by me…"
"Aside from that, I have a deal for you. I'll help you train a bit, and in exchange, I need you to help me with something."
Philip thought for a moment and replied:
"What's this about? Are you going to teach me something? Like in a master and student relationship? And why do you think I need help?"
Fabrin smiled and shook his head.
"How I fight isn't exactly fit for you from what I saw yesterday… As for why… I think you need someone to spar with. To help you figure out your path."
'There's far too much potential within you, yet you don't even realize it.'
'Also, good try kid, no way I'm going to pass my knowledge to you… Not like this…'
"!"
'Did he figure something out from that single exchange?'
Philip was indeed in need of someone to spar with, as he didn't have enough data to train in the Simulation Room effectively. This was an issue that was easy to solve, he just didn't have a lot of time to go after a proper opponent.
Just changing settings to strengthen someone wasn't enough, it felt far too artificial. He needed someone with tangible ability that complimented their abilities, and Fabrin did give him quite the first impression.
"A sparring partner... And in exchange?"
Fabrin smiled as the ring on the ground started to float and shine with light…
"Have you ever thought about working as a Bodyguard?"
"Huh?"
/FWUSH!/
The ring suddenly flashed and Fabrin, together with Philip, disappeared from the room.
…
.
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Notes