Zero Fate Against the World (New Version)

It took me a while longer due to the changes in the plot I made in the last chapter; either way, here it is.

Like before, I'll edit the chapter again once I'm able; either way, enjoy!

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…

/CLANG!/

/ROOOOAARRR!/

/CLANG!/

/SPLATTER!!/

At the edge of the forest before the northern plains, the echoes of metal clashing reverberated throughout the woods…

In the Orcish camp closest to the Nadir Royal Garden, white mist could be seen all around, clouding even those with the sharpest view.

Such thick mist wasn't common at time of the year. 

/SPLATTER!/

/ROAAARR!/

From time to time, screams of rage and bloodlust escaped its confines, but even then, nothing could be seen inside.

"Kikuro!"

"Chiki-ik'k!"

Orcs gathered in groups, extremely alarmed as they didn't understand what was going on.

Moments before, the horns of combat had been sounded together with the screams of their chieftain, yet soon after, the mist covered the land followed by the echoes of their brethren.

They tried to walk around but they only managed to trip over themselves. So, in the end, they gathered together through a series of quick calls, forming groups of around a dozen large.

/CLANG!/

/… Silence…/

After a certain while, the echoes subsided, becoming sporadic, as if the battlefield… Was moving.

"Gu'pu…?"

That was when one of the orcs spotted a strange figure clad in black approach from the mist.

Strangely enough, the mist seemed to dissipate as it walked, allowing them to take a good look of its appearance.

 A dark cloak stained red, surrounded by the pure white mist as it danced around him.

"Gruk-kupapa!"

The Orcs exclaimed as they bounded closer, but something was strange…

They could hear and smell others in the mist, but their eyes only noticed a single opponent. This greatly confused them.

They couldn't see the face of the being before them, only its eyes, everything else was covered in some sort of dark leather. 

Only his blue eyes stared deeply at the two of them. It sometimes flashed red, but just like the pools of red on the ground, it would always vanish before they had the chance to process it. 

However, there was one thing they could understand. On his right hand, a sharp blade gleaned with peculiar light. 

/Step back…/

Some of the Orcs felt a deep and intense uneasiness as they observed it. Especially as they saw the blood dripping from its tip, it didn't take much, even for these dumb creatures to put the dots together and understand whose blood it was.

However, no matter how they looked at him, he didn't seem like that great of an enemy, considering they themselves were almost twice his height. 

Nonetheless…

/Gulp…/

The closer it grew the greater their fear became, and as it did so, they could now finally see a trail of bloody footsteps leading deeper into the mist. 

The blood shone crimson red, an intense contrast to the white mist around them. As if that… Together with the creature's eyes were the only colors this world had.

""...""

Paralysed by fear, the Orcs remained in place… Without someone to tell them what to do, how were they meant to tackle this thing? 

Something straight out of their nightmares?

…

/Splatter../

/Chuckle…/

Philip slowly approached the Orcs.

Despite his actions, he was in deep thought as well.

'It seems this Skill of mine has more uses then I expected. It took no time at all for me to drag all of these Orcs into this place.'

'Awake in Nightmare was originally a Skill that allowed me to move between reality and dreams, but once it fused, or maybe even before, it now has a greater reach than just myself.'

'Although I can't say this is that complicated… I feel more like I dragged them all into an illusion than anything… Well, I suppose a dream can be taken as an illusion of the mind.'

'That is, until you're cut in half by it.'

/Fwoosh…/

Philip lightly stepped forward, reappearing next to the frozen Orcs…

'... They can't even notice me. This won't do.'

/Slash!/

With a single strike, he cut them all in half!

{+ 3789 Blood echoes}

{+ 3978 Blood echoes}

{+ 3134 Blood echoes}

{+ 3571…}

"I can only learn so much from facing these creatures. I'll need something… Someone a little more capable."

'I wonder what got them all frozen though… Is it the influence of this dream world?'

'Technically speaking, this is my dream, something that is half imaginary… But with my Skill and Mental Power, it becomes real, at least to those experiencing it.'

'I myself don't understand why this is even possible… But like everything before, I'll just blame it on the System making it possible.'

"It feels as if I'm taking a shortcut… Not that I care."

Philip reached out to the mist, opening a path to another group of Orcs.

In this dream, there was little point in sticking to reality. In here, he could be anywhere anytime. Albeit don't misunderstand, there were limitations for him as well.

He wasn't a wake dreamer in the real world, he could manipulate this reality but in a highly if not extremely limited manner.

/Step…/

He stepped forward but suddenly stopped as he looked at the bodies on the ground.

"Oh…"

'This is a good chance to try that…'

/Fwush…/

As he concentrated, the spilling blood on the ground slowly began to react as if boiling…

"I got it." He mumbled out loud as the blood rose from the ground, defying gravity as it moved to him, slowly enveloping his sword in a thin, dirty red film.

/Slash!/

He cut down in the air, causing a trap of red to slash down a hut several meters away.

But rather than showing a positive reaction, he grimaced.

"Something seems to be missing…"

'The more blood the sword gathers, the heavier it becomes. This seems contradictory to the fast and precise swordsmanship displayed by Lady Maria.'

'I guess understanding this property is what I lack to raise my proficiency to the next stage….'

Philip shook his head. He didn't have time to waste. 

He kept his thoughts at the back of his head, stepping forward…

/CRACK!/

Philip's foot dug into the ground as he accelerated towards the nearest group of Orcs! 

It was time to rip and tear! 

…

/Growl…/

A large group of Wild Orcs braved the mist as they searched for survivors.

They were bigger and stronger than every other Orc in camp, second only to the chieftain.

They'd often walk through piles of bodies, their horrified expressions still printed on their faces.

Some old… Others, young… Too young to wield a blade.

Each time their feet were stained red, their anger grew.

/BANG!/

/SPLASH!/

/Thud…/

Suddenly, a thunderous sound echoed throughout the mist as a large projectile fell beside them, blowing the fog away.

Upon a closer look, they saw what it was… A broken head with a terrified expression.

""ROOOOAAARR!""

All of the Orcs exclaimed in absolute, maddening anger.

They looked around for the perpetrator, only to see Philip appear from the fog, his hands resting on his bloody sword as he waited for them to approach. 

/ROOOAAARR/

Finally, they had found him!

"Yes, finally! Someone who isn't afraid." 

[Lv 27]

[Lv 26]

[Lv 28]

[Lv 28]

[Lv 25]

[Lv 29]

[Lv…]

"ROOOOOOAR!" 

"ROARR!"

"ROOOOARR!"

All of the Orcs charged ahead like a stampede of elephants, pushing away everything in the path.

"Hupp!" 

/SWUSH!/

He swung his sword with great power, and a red wave flashed, immediately cutting two of the closest Orcs in half!

/STOMP!/

The other Orcs didn't falter as they continued their charge, stomping over their bodies as their rage grew. 

"ROAAR!"

The first Wild Orc approached him, raising his axe, its blade almost the same size as Philip's stomach, he brought it down with his two hands clumped on its handle!

/CLANG!/

But with one hand, Philip blocked the strike, parrying it back as he said:

"Pathetic."

/KICK!/

He kicked the Orc back, sending him rolling back as he felt something approach from the side:

/Fwoosh!/

"A big one?"

[Lv 33]

'This… He's even higher level then that High Orc!... But if he isn't their leader…'

/CLANG!/

His slight smile soon downgraded into one of pure disappointment. 

"Even though your Level is double the average of the other Orcs, it holds little meaning."

'No technique and Skill. Just pure brutality. I'm reminded now of what it means to have quality over numbers.'

"*!@&#!(#@!"

The Orc exclaimed in his language as he pulled his weapon, striking again!

/BANG!/

Only for his cries to drown as Philip shot his gun! 

"ROOOOAARR!"

/SWING!/

/BANG!/

/CLANG!/

/Splurge…/

At the same time, the other Orcs arrived, and Philip began by shooting the weapon closest to him, causing it to deflect back.

He took this chance to puncture the Orc's chest, ripping out its heart as he crushed it with his bare hand.

/Fwoosh!/

He evaded another strike by ducking to the side, raising his hand, he struck at the elbow of the Orc, cracking it as its arm bent another way.

/SLASH!/

He then released another red wave to the side, cutting the Orc and a few others next to him.

/SMASH!/

Two other Orcs struck down with their hammers at his head, pushing him down, but he soon rose back, swinging his fist sideway, causing the two to…

/BURN!!!/

Spontaneously ignite in red flames!

"ROOOOAARR!!"

"Sigh… Enough of this."

Philip raised his left hand, blocking the Orc's hammer with his fists, he crushed the metal around his fingers before pulling it from the beast's hands, causing him to take a step back in shock.

""...""

The other Orcs still alive observed this with wide eyes, their stampede brought to a sudden halt 

/Step… Step…/

And soon… The first Orc turned around to run away… Followed by more and more Orcs. 

"Haa… They are a bit smarter than I thought."

'At the very least, they tried something, aside from the first group who attacked me next to the High Orc's tent, all others just froze in fear.'

'They were the first ones to try and attack me… And also flee.'

'But I can't allow them to do so.'

Philip's hand turned translucent as he removed an object from his inventory. 

It was an old wooden flute. 

/~Fiuuu~/

He blew the flute lightly, producing a faint, high-pitched noise.

It was terrible to the ears. However, Philip seemed fine if not used to the noise.

/Tremble…/

The land began to tremble as the ground parted open…

[Madaras Flute

Description:

Flute made by an unknown Hunter in memory of the Madaras twins, denizens of the Forbidden Woods.

The twins grew up alongside a poisonous snake and developed a silent, inhuman kinship.

The poisonous snake grew uncontrollably, raised on a healthy diet of beast entrails.

Even after their deaths, it is said to respond to the call of the twins' flute from within the Nightmare.

After finding the poisonous snake of the nightmare, a Hunter carved this flute to call the snake's true body from beyond the nightmare.

]

[You are summoning an imaginary creature that lives within a nightmare]

[It cannot exist in the material plane under normal circumstances]

[Processing…]

[The snake is very hungry, feed it, or else it may dissipate into nothingness]

The ground gave in as a massive mouth broke free from the rocky ground! 

"It worked." 

Its body was a mixture of black, white, and green, although the black was mainly from the mud. 

With its jaw open wide, it could fit two or so Philip's on their shoulders… Or large enough to eat an Orc whole.

The snake was over forty meters long, with faint marks throughout its body. Like an anaconda.

"Nice to see you again." 

'I expected this to work, given we're in a dream world, but the System isn't going to let me off the hook this time.'

"TSSSsss…"

The snake looked at Philip with its big round eyes; it seemed to think of him... Fondly? 

"Although I want to reconcile as well, we have things to do."

"Kill all remaining Orcs." 

"..."

/Growl…/

The snake looked at the Orc, and it couldn't help but salivate. 

It looked to the side, beyond the smoke… 

"No, those aren't our targets, but you're free to eat everything else."

/FWOOSH!/

In the blink of an eye, the horrifying snake disappeared into the mist as it went after the running works.

"... Why is that snake always hungry?" 

"Sigh… Doesn't matter."

Philip turned around and left into the mist, going after the snake.

…

/Later…/

"G-Gu-K-Gu…"

Before Philip was a suspended Orc…

Multiple red threads bound it to the trees as it slowly suffocated to death.

Each thread shone lightly under the sun, and sometimes, they seemed to wriggle and twist on their own, as if alive. 

"Hum…"

'I've taken down nearly every Wild Orc, testing my abilities in the process. However, I found out that testing the limits of my strength wasn't possible because I was just…'

"I'm just too strong to figure out my limits."

'Still, I've at least confirmed one thing… If I focus solely on taking out the Orcs of every Village regardless of who they are, maybe there's a possibility for me to clean them out in time. Maybe even before dawn.'

/CRUCK!/

Philip closed his hand, and the red threads tightened, cutting the Wild Orc into pieces. 

/Swush…/

At the same time, the Orc's blood slowly moved toward him, condensing at the edge of his sword.

So much had already condensed that his blade had already turned dark…

"This is becoming a bother…"

'If all of the blood concentrates on the sword, this is going to get in my way.'

'I only need a minimum amount in order to perform some techniques… Or should I just discard it all? It's not like I'm lacking test subjects…'

"How about this?"

The blood around his sword trembled under his control, slowly flowing upwards, defying gravity.

It gathered into a small ball of flowing liquid above his head, as if weightless.

"Much better." He said out loud as he swung his blade around

'It was getting quite heavy, this frees my blade while also keeping it close to me. If necessary, I can always control it even if it's not on my sword.'

As he thought of that, he flicked his left hand, and several red spikes shot out from inside the ball, penetrating deep in the ground. 

"Rather slow, but much better than before..."

[Lady Maria combat technique Lv8 -> Lv9]

"Oh?"

'So this was one of the requirements?'

'To gather the blood outside of my main weapon… Simple enough. To think out of the box rather than be stuck to conformities.'

"But this makes me feel more like a blood mage than a swordsman."

Philip looked around the place before he took out a small birdcage and opened it. 

/DINN!/

With the clear, ringing sound, all of the mist was sucked inside the small birdcage, and soon, the entire camp had been cleared of the thick fog.

At the same time, Philip returned to reality, revealing a scene of pure carnage:

Entrails, body pieces, and blood were scattered everywhere... What demonic beast had passed through here? 

Of course… It had been none other than him.

"Hum… Even if I drag other things into the Dream realm, they won't remain there once I deactivate the Skill. It makes sense since they can't just vanish from reality."

"There's still much to learn about reality, the imaginary, the power of the Mind, this Skill, and how everything binds together."

'... However, some bodies seem to be missing… Ah, of course.'

/Tss…/

He looked to the side to see the massive snake looking at him. It was momentarily interested in the orb above his head, but it soon looked away.

It was clearly interested in something else.

"Had fun? It's time for us to move on."

'If I go straight to the mountains, I should pass by a dozen or so camps. I can take this time to become more used to my body and how it can handle my abilities.'

'There's also the matter of using my Hunter Tools in this world; Some of them, like the whistle, seem to have unique conditions attached to them; who knows if the others will be like that?'

'I'd rather get it all over with before reaching the North.'

"We should get going."

'But before that… This.'

Philip's consciousness delved into his Mental World, there, he looked around before finding what he was looking for.

Right above his Castle at the center of the plane, he found the red vase floating quietly as it remained utterly still.

When it first entered his mind, the Mental Knight reacted slightly before ignoring it. And while he was relieved nothing bad happened, he was also concerned about what this could imply for the future.

Had it ignored the vase because of his intentions, or because of something else?

Philip himself showed great surprise at the fact it had directly entered this imaginary place, however, given Dae told him it was connected to his Soul, such a thing may not entirely be farfetched.

Maybe even, what he saw wasn't its true form but merely a reflection of its existence within his body, a reminder that somewhere inside, it slumbered. Following this line of reasoning may explain why the Mental Knight never reacted…

Because the vase had never been there, to begin with.

Either way, he took the vase out, manifesting it reality in a similar way he did with the items in his inventory.

/Cashlush!/

With a strange swirling sound like water inside a pot mixed with iron twisting, the bodies scattered throughout the land were forcibly twisted under a strange force as they all transformed into some sort of brownish liquid…

/SLURP!/

All of it promptly flew into the jar before it flashed once with bright light… 

[***** Has recovered an insignificant portion of its Core energy]

[***** Goes back into hibernation]

Soon after, the strange energy surrounding the jar dissipated as it returned to its ordinary appearance.

In this state, few if not none would realize what it was. Even Dae had difficulty believing what it was, mislabeling it once due to his shortsightedness.

Still, that didn't mean it was okay for him to reveal it. As soon as he took it out, he hid it away, and stepped forward.

/Slither…/

Followed by the massive snake, they walked out of the forest and into the cold plains, facing outpost after outpost as they buried everything in their path!

…

/A little less than four hours later…/

Deeper in the plains, right at the mountains' foot, was a magnificent fortress.

It had extensive crop grounds and sturdy, tall stone walls with watchtowers scattered throughout its length.

Wide metal gates, extensive stone roads, and even wooden houses in and outside them.

They may all be rudimentary to some degree, but compared to what stood outside, it was like walking out hundreds of years into the future.

In the night, countless wooden lamps brightened the land, each containing bright bugs that seemingly danced around the wind.

It looked beautiful and mystical under the faint, early moonlight. 

However, this once glorious fortress had now been utterly covered in mist.

From high above, where hundreds of houses could be seen built alongside the mountain's walls to the ground, like a waterfall of fog. Everything had been covered in it.

In one of those houses, overlooking the entire fortress, was a pair of Orcs looking pensive down into the fog below.

One elderly Orc and a mature, muscular Orc.

(Image?)1

"Farokrum! Jup gertir na'k pa!" 

"..."

The tall Orc crossed his arms as he heard the other Orc's words.

This man wasn't just any Orc… He was the famed Great Chieftain, the strongest and most wise out of all Orcs in this land.

Standing at an overwhelming 4.5 M tall with long dark hair that reached his knees, this Orc's muscles were thicker than your average Human male waist. 

However, compared to many of his brethren, there was no brutality in its eyes, only wonder and curiosity as it analyzed the situation. 

Once he thought for a moment, he raised his right hand, touching the mist as he said:

"Hio Tatum feld…"

The elderly Orc received the orders, exclaiming:

"TATUM FELD!"

/FUOOOOOMMMM!/

Immediately after, a powerful horn echoed throughout the mountain.

""?!""

Thousands of Orcs raised their heads above as they stopped whatever they were doing.

Soon after, they began to congregate to where the sounds had echoed.

/Step…/

At this moment, a pair of blue eyes shone from the mist, staring directly at the tall Orc.

/Shuaa…/

A being walked out from the mist, holding the lifeless body of a powerful Wild Orc, one of the strongest of the camp.

"..."

The Great Chieftain looked at this being without displaying any emotion, trying to learn as much as it could from it.

"!"

But the moment it locked onto it… The outline in the mist vanished.

/Clench…/

He clenched his fists… 

"Gerfior! BAER!" 

The Elderly Orc ran back into the abode behind them, returning soon after with a massive weapon in hand.

"..."

'However, the Great Chieftain had other thoughts in his mind…'

'Whatever that was… It's strong… It can only be…'

His body tensed as he thought about the intruder…

But he had a thick smile on his face. 

…

Time passed, and underneath him, the echoes of blades and screams rang loudly.

"GUOOO!"

"GUAARRR!…"

/CLANG!/

Each sound meant another Soul lost, and those were from those strong enough to even utter anything.

Every second, more and more Orcs gathered in the high houses above the fog. However, the Great Chieftain soon realized how terrific whatever was hidden in the fog truly was.

For every Orc that arrived, ten did not make it.

But this wasn't what he found odd.

'Where are the Barbarians? Not a single one has made it here yet.'

He quickly connected the dots, his expression changing as confusion spread across it,

'Could it be that it's only targeting them? Why?...'

'Even the slow children and Elderly have made their way above, they're an easy target yet… What could its purpose be?'

"GYAAaaa…"

Another scream rang in the fortress, however, this time, its pitch was far higher than the others.

"!"

Realizing what this sound meant, the Great Chieftain gnashed his teeth, reaching for the edge as he picked up his ax before jumping into the mist from the platform into the ground below!

Like a gray meteor, he parted through the fog, descending into the abyss below! 

/… BOOM!/

…

/CUT!/

"I'd say things are going well so far." Philip mumbled out loud as he collected the loot from another fallen Wild Orc

The scene of the man inspecting the bodies of the Orcs atop a pool of blood and viscera seemed rather... Nauseating. 

Philip picked up his pocket watch and read it. 

"5:56 Am… Pretty early in the morning…"

"I-Irk!!"

As he did that, a small Orc child next to him crawled back in fear as they trembled at the sight.

The child flinched as it felt something warm in its hands… Upon looking at them and seeing the bright red across its fingers, the child lost consciousness, splashing its face on the spreading pool.

"... He's coming."

Philip's attention diverted elsewhere as he felt something approach at a high speed.

'It seems my plan worked. As expected, the Orcs all gathered in one place after I attacked the place. This makes it far easier for me since Wild and Social Orcs are meant to gather in different places… I just have to wait for them to come to me themselves.'

'I thought their leader would approach me after a while, but he didn't… So I took this child and scared it a little…'

/BOOM!/

"... Seems like it worked…!!"

/SWOOSH!/

Philip crouched as a massive blade cut the air above him, carving out a path in the mist! 

"ROAR!" 

Another strike immediately followed!

"HUMPH!" 

Philip returned it with one of his own!

/CLANG!/

/FWUSH!/

Their clash was so mighty it pushed the mist around them, creating a vacuum for a moment…

As the fog settled around them. The Great Chieftain's expression went from rage… To surprise.

"?! A… Human?" 

Philip repositioned himself, putting his sword on his shoulder as he exhaled lightly.

"..."

'That was a heavy one… He must be the one I imagine.' 

He looked back at the Orc, observing him as well.

He was wearing a mix of leather and metal armor, looking like an Orc Warlord as he held his massive ax. 

"You must be the one I'm looking for. Farokrum."

"You know of me but I don't know you. Why is a Human here in our land?" 

"Are you all breaking the promise?!" He exclaimed in anger as he smashed his ax on the ground

"Promise?... It seems you've mistaken me for someone else."

"Then explain yourself!" He screamed as he kicked the ground, creating a fissure in it

Philip wondered about his rage, but as he saw the child behind him, he understood that the Orc had likely misunderstood things again.

Honestly, it was impressive he even spoke with him, given what he was likely thinking… He was the kind of person who knew that at the end of it all, there was much more to lose if he lost control of his emotions.

"..."

'Let's take a small peak…'

[Lv ?]

'Hm… So he's over Level 40, too. Most of those stronger Wild Orcs and other executive High Orcs I met on my way here were also above that range.''

"I suppose there's something to clarify before we begin."

He stepped aside, pointing at the child.

"He's alive. I haven't touched him. I can see you're tense, so how about we start over."

"..."

The Great Chieftain's eyes narrowed as he took a step forward.

/Step…/

He walked past Philip, extremely confident in his abilities, he reached for the child on the ground and held it in his arms.

Upon confirming its stage, he turned back to Philip, asking:

"Who are you? You don't seem to be with them."

"Hm… I've heard of your conditions from the others as I made my way here. But it seems you have a misunderstanding."

The Great Chieftain's eyes shook as he heard Philip's words, but he did not show aggression, focusing instead on the child in his arms.

He understood his position, but it did not mean he hid his intent.

"!!... What have you done to them?!"

"Nothing… To the High Orcs, that is."

"As for the others…"

Philip's tone grew heavy as he placed his blade on the ground.

"They grew beyond our control, so I took them down."

"... I understand now. You belong to them… The Humans beyond the forest."

"You could say so… Now, where were we… Right, the misunderstandings…"

"There is no misunderstanding. I know why you're here. I feared this day would one day come. To be tossed between another's conflict and be used to fight in their stead. This is our fate."

"... Let's end this."

"... As I said, you're misunderstanding things. Let me introduce myself first."

'If I want to reach the conclusion I desire, I must convince this Orc… Or force him to cooperate.'

"I'm an agent of the Royal Family in charge of investigating the unusual sightings in the mountains. This was how I came to know about your kind's presence."

"I've been slowly piecing together what came to be as I searched for you. And I'd like to work together to prevent whatever ploy is currently undergoing under our authority."

"I'd like to cooperate with you."

"... If you've heard about us, then there's little for me to explain… I must refuse."

"I know. Your actions dictate the fate of thousands. However, I must insist…"

"If not by my hand, then by others. The Crown has already been notified, and they will retaliate. Are you even aware of where you are?"

"... I had my suspicions… You must've heard of it from them to speak of it this way…"

"Then why refuse my offer?"

"I… Must lead my people toward freedom."

"You may have convinced others, but I know what awaits us outside… Our homeland… Is no more."

"There is no place for us to return to. None to shield us. We were merely loose ends to be crossed. The only way to redemption… Is forward."

"..."

'This Orc… Is far more than just stronger.'

'From his perilous circumstances, he has pieced together their condition to an extremely high degree. Yet despite knowing it's hopeless, that they'll just die a dog's death… To give hope to his people, he has taken on their burden and led them to certain doom.'

'Yet even as they march, they trust him, and like that, they'll perish… But a death while believing others may achieve freedom… Is better than death by drowning in despair.'

'Those behind this use him, giving him information without care because they know he has nowhere to run to, nothing he can do will ever escape their grasp…'

'This irks me a little… That I won't be there to see their faces contort once the King learns of this and goes after them.'

'Their plans won't go as they want.'

"Is that what you truly desire?"

"No."

The Orc did not hesitate with his words. For some reason, he felt compelled to speak to the man before him.

He himself realized something was odd, but at the same time, he turned away from this feeling.

Right now, he only wished to hope. However slight that light may be.

"Then I have a solution."

"But our home…"

"Is a patch of land that meaningful to you?"

"You don't understand. If they came to us before and none defended us, what to say after?"

"The same will happen again, but that time, they won't have a use for us… To die right before salvation… Is worse than dying while seeking it."

"That may be true, but it's not like you are without choice."

Philip pointed at the mountains beyond the fog:

"Out there, people willing to assist you remain."

"We're both being played by forces in the dark, to persevere, we must join forces."

"Help me release them, and they will extend their hand to you in kind. So I ask again:"

"Would you rather remain and die a pawn? Or challenge your detainers and seek out salvation?"

"Will you join me?"

The Orc looked at the bloodstained child in his arms.

He took a deep breath as a thousand thoughts passed through his mind, finally, in a low tone, as if growling, he asked:

"... What do you propose?"

Philip smiled.

"I only need you to do two things for me:"

"Gather your Kind and march for the hidden camp in the mountains, you must know where they are, right?"

"I do… We often receive supplies and orders from beyond the mountains."

"Then gather your people and prepare for the journey back."

"... What about your other condition?"

"... Can you have the Wild Orcs gather in one place?"

"..."

The Great Chieftain did not need to think much to understand what this man was implying…

"I can… But it'll take a while."

"I have some time. As long as it happens before your expected siege."

"You even know that?... How far has your kind predicted us?"

"Not predicted. This is the power of… Information gathering."

'From the future…'

"... I have a question of my own before I make my decision."

"Say it."

"... Are you aware of who's behind this?" He asked as his eyes narrowed 

Philip smiled at his question as he extended his right arm.

"I do. But only in a general sense… The one at the very top."

"The ones who did this to you…"

"It matters little… I will find them, and bring retribution to what they did to my kind. I only need to know… Who he is."

"... The Elven Empire. The First Prince… But you seem less surprised then I imagined."

"I already knew they were behind this. I often overheard their conversations with your kind. Over many years, I built a picture as I acted subservient to their will."

"Their intentions could not be clearer to me… I only ever needed confirmation… I only cared to know who… And now… I know."

His eyes flashed with light as he took a step forward.

"I shall honor this agreement… If you promise to honor yours."

"I will."

/Shake…/

Despite the Orc's hand being larger than his head, they exchanged a simple handshake before the Chieftain passed by him.

"While I shall honor my words, there is something you must take care of first."

"Despite inferior, I never looked down on the potential within the bodies of the Barbarians. Over the last decade, I spent all of my resources to groom two great warriors whose might equal mine."

"If you wish to carve a path for us to advance… You must take them down. Once you do, I shall enact as promised."

"If you fail, consider what we discussed void."

"... That's good enough for me. Whatever happens after I die is none of my concern."

/Pull!/

Philip pulled his sword from the ground, putting it against his shoulder as he looked back at the fog.

"I suppose those are my targets… I was wondering why a group of Wild Orcs wasn't coming this way."

"Hm… They have always been unruly. Ever since they realized their strength was enough to challenge my authority, they slowly began to ignore my orders as they drove a gap in the forces."

"They've claimed over half of the Barbarians to their side, and all of them listen solely to their commands."

"It's not very noble to lose control over your troops."

"That is true, but they are not troops… At best, they're beasts. If a beast does not listen, it is merely put down… But I postponed it given the time was fast approaching."

"For the beasts they are, they at least know how to bite down, and that's everything I needed of them."

"..."

'How could they all be so cold? Especially to creatures so similar… Well, I suppose I'd be the same if there were Humans who acted like animals all the time and kept dragging our appearance through the mud.'

'It's a reminder of less civilized times and a past most wish to overcome.'

'Either way, I've got what I came here to do.'

'I'm a little skeptical about this, but even if he goes back on his word, it changes little… I can just look out for the second in command and have him do the honors instead.'

'Rather than everyone here, I'm worried about those waiting for me at the mountains… They're bound to be quite strong bound they've never been faced with rebellion before.'

'No, maybe they have… But they persisted.'

'And after them… Those beyond the mountains.'

'I'm… Getting excited.'

Philip walked into the mist while the Great Chieftain traveled up the mountain.

…

/Growl…/

"They're bigger then I thought."

A large open space had been cleared on another section of the mountainside.

There, a large group of burly Orcs awaited in silence. 

Most of them were small and weak, but a few were large and intimidating.

[Lv20]

[Lv22]

[Lv21]

[Lv21]

[Lv26]

[Lv25]

[Lv37]

[Lv32]

[Lv34]

[Lv???]

[Lv???]

[Lv???]

'All of them are over Level 20, but that much I already expected. The Wild Orcs in this fortress are far stronger than most outside.'

'Some are almost at the limit of my Skill, while a few others have gone beyond it.'

Philip reacted little to their numbers. He'd already taken out several like that before in the mist. Higher numbers did not mean higher power, after all.

However, he frowned as he noticed something odd.

'Those are… Females?... Ah, I see now. So this is where all of the female Wild Orcs are.'

'The stronger Wild Orcs remained in the Fortress, but once they stopped growing stronger or grew weak, they were sent away to the Outposts to serve as key figures in their armies.'

'Those with potential remain while their children, if they don't show enough potential, are sent outside to grow and fill in the gaps.'

'Wild Orcs grow much faster than High Orcs, reaching physical maturity at ten or so. Enough time for the High Orcs to have bred a generation.'

'But those… Aren't Wild Orcs.'

Amidst the females being held by the Wild Orcs, some were clearly not like them. They struggled and fought the Orcs but to no avail, as they pressed themselves on them.

Even in this situation of invasion, they did not seem to care at all.

"Barbarians through and through."

'I'm a little late for some of them, but most are fine.'

Philip took a step forward, approaching the Orcs.

/Step…/

"..."

/Growl…/

Sitting atop a wooden throne, a large Orc pointed forward at Philip, and another one of the Wild Orcs began marching in his direction, clearly uninterested in him.

Still, he had something in mind. And Philip could roughly tell what it was.

/Lift… SWING!/

The Orc reached Philip, raising his arm before crushing down with his ax!

/PUNCH!/

"!"

/SPLATTER!/

Philip, however, did not entertain him, punching his stomach with such might it tore a hole through it, reaching his back as his guts were minced and torn!

""!""

/Growl…/

/ROAAR!/

One of the largest Orcs stepped forward, charging ahead to challenge him!

/FWUSH!/

In the blink of an eye, the Orc was before him, accelerating far faster than even a sports car!

He raised his axe as it slid down on the ground, delivering a potent slash across Philip's chest!

/BANG!/

But Philip predicted the trajectory of the ax, and with a precise shot to his wrist, the Orc lost his balance!

/Gleam…/

Philip hand shone red as he stepped forward, delivering a potent blow against his chest!

"ROARR!"

The Orc screamed with might, as his chest muscles tightened as his whole body tensed.

He broke free from Philip's Skill and twisted his body, powering up another strike!

/FWUSH!/

"Wow!" Exclaimed Philip as he turned into smoke and phased through the Orcs attack

/BOOOM!/

The Orc's strike fell on the ground, shattering it as the whole area shook!

/Shaa…/

Philip channeled a portion of the blood floating above him, condensing it before his blade, causing it to shimmer lightly.

/CLANG!/

Another strike as their weapons met, but this time, the Orc saw himself sliding backward as the platform cracked!

"HUPP!"

/CLANG!/

Philip went after him, smashing down at the Orc with another mighty strike, pushing his feet deeper onto the ground as the stone cracked, giving way!

/ROOAARR!!!/

The Orc exclaimed loudly in anger as his skin shone in mystical light, raising his physical power as he slowly began pushing Philip back!

/SMASH!/

But Philip replied in kind by punching him in the face and sending him rolling sideways!

/SLASH!/

/SLAM!/

/CRASH!/

At that moment, three other Orcs jumped down at him with fury in their eyes!

"The spectators want to join? Fine by me!"

""?!"" 

All of a sudden, a terrific pressure exuded from his body, sending the Orcs to their knees as if gravity had increased several fold!. 

"Alright! I'm starting to get heated up!"

[Predator's presence LvMax has fully activated]

/JUMP!!/

"ROAARR!!"

/PUNCH!/

Philip ran after the larger Orc on the side, punching him with all of his power.

/CLANG!/

But at that moment, the other larger Wild Orc threw a massive cleaver at him which blocked his strike!

As he turned to face him, the Wild Orc… Vanished!

/PUNCH!!/

"!"

He reappeared behind him, delivering a mighty blow against his body as he crashed against the mountainside, raising a cloud of dust and snow as he disappeared in the falling rubble.

"..."

"Huff… Huff…"

/Growl…/

The fallen Orc slowly rose from the broken ground, his face bleeding severely as he spat blood and pieces of his broken teeth on the ground.

The other Wild Orc helped him rise from the rubble, giving him his lost weapon. However, his did not drop his guard, maintaining his posture.

/Tremble…/

For he knew the battle was just starting.

/QUAKE!/

The mountainside trembled as if an earthquake was about to happen.

Looking up, a small avalanche slowly made its way down!

/FLASH!/

But at that moment, a flash of purple light cut through the avalanche, dissipating it as a streak of purple flew across the skies right after!

"Hupp!"

Philip jumped down from the mountain as he held the transformed Darklight sword!

His body enveloped in mist, he flew across the skies like a specter, striking the Orcs with everything he had!

"ROAAARRR!"

Their leader stepped forward to intercept him, but in the wake of their clash…

/BOOOM!!/

/CRACK!/

/Tremble…/

The platform built on the mountain's edge split apart, sliding down as it fell in the Fortress beneath!

/Boom!/

…

"ROOOOAARR!"

/SLASH!/

/FIUM!/

In the broken rubble below, the mighty Wild Orc exclaimed with power, blowing away the dust and mist as he held two cleavers, one in each hand.

But as he did so, a flash of purple ignited from the fog, cutting down the rubble and everything in its path!

/Fwoosh!/

The Orc evaded the blow but at the cost of his leftmost cleaver.

/BOOM!/

A torrent of pressure suddenly pressed down on his surroundings, sending everything aside from him flying!

/Growl…/

This revealed the other Wild Orc buried in the rubble, who slowly shook his head in confusion as he rose from the ground.

/Step…/

As he did so, from the mist, Philip stepped forward, his shining purple sword in hand.

"Phew. Good enough for a warmup."

'It's been a while since I tried transforming the Darklight Sword. I'm also quite surprised at the strength of my Mental Power.'

Philip looked around as he stopped walking, shaking his head lightly.

"There are still quite a few alive. Let's end this quickly then, I have much to do still."

"#!"

The Wild Orc seemed to sense the lack of interest its opponent had in him, and that enraged him!

"ROOOOOAR!"

With boiling anger, the cleaver-wielding Wild Orc jumped in the air as he slashed his ax down!

/FWOOSH!/

At the same time the axe-wielding Wild Orc ran after him, joining the fray as he shook away his dizziness.

/CRACK!/

Philip evaded to the side by using Quickening and he drew out a strange tool from his inventory… 

"There are many things I want to test, so make sure to stay alive!" He said as he grasped the strange marble in his hand

/BAM!/

The Marble lit up in blue light as a bolt of blue lightning hit the Orc. 

His gray skin was now fuming; however, no more damage was apparent. 

/BAM!/

The axe-wielding Orc bashed his arm against Philip, but he failed to push him back as he blocked him with his arms.

"Hm… I suppose I only need one."

"!!"

/BAM!/

/SPLATTER!/

He unleashed all of the energy within the blood ball above him, causing a massive spike to puncture through the whole Orc, pinning him against the ground as it crystalized!

{+32576 Blood Echoes}

A faint light appeared on the Orc's chest as he took his final breath, but Philip did not have the time to process it, for he quickly moved aside, jumping back to create distance.

"Fwoosh!"

/GRAB!/

/SMASH!/

But the remaining Wild Orc grasped his legs, smashing him against the solid earth!

/SWING!/

He immediately raised his axe, sending it down against him with all his might!

/SHIUM!/

A green wave of energy exploded from within the ax as it split the air! 

"Hupp!!" 

Philip also wasted no effort, exploding the remaining red energy within his blade, causing it to explode into bright red flames!

/KABOOM!/

The Red and Green energies clashed, causing an immense explosion! 

"... Phew… This is great." 

Philip slowly pushed aside a large slab of broken stone, coughing lightly as he cleared his throat from all the dust he inhaled.

Underneath him was a two-meter-deep crater covered in ash and dust, and as expected, the environment around him wasn't any better…

All structures in a 10-meter range had been razed to the ground while the mountainside lay in ruins, trembling weakly as if ready to collapse at any moment.

"Haa… It's as if multiple missiles fell around us…"

/Baddum baddum baddum!/

His heart beat with immense power and endless energy, he could do this for ages!

'That green light… Was that the famed Vital force I've only read about so far?'

/Crack…/

"Hurf…"

At the same time, the Wild Orc pushed away the mist around him, mustering the strength to stand up again.

His body was riddled with minor wounds and cuts, dying his skin red and dark…

He looked forward… Only to see the strange Human take out yet another "toy"… 

But his enemy wasn't even looking at him anymore. 

The Orc's anger continued to rise as he watched his enemy under the faint moon, how did he look beneath that mask and hat? 

Because he wanted to see his expression when he tore his arms out! 

"Hm… Let's try this out!" 

Philip opened his inventory before he took out another disgusting object. This time… A dried Heart?!

/Badum…/

The heart contracted once, releasing a wave of dark energy that corroded and cracked all plants and stones around them.

"ARG!"

The wave reached the Orc, and although no visible damage was done, the small cuts on his skin coagulated and festered, and for a moment, he almost lost his balance.

Meanwhile, Philip scratched his chin in wonder…

"Hum… The effectiveness of the item was reduced significantly…"

/BAM!/

The Orc slammed his right hand on the ground as he exclaimed loudly!

"ROOOOOOAAAARRRR"

/SHUA!/

A powerful wave of green energy was released from his body as he grew from four to five meters tall!

Strange symbols ignited on the surface of his skin as his cleaver cracked with glowing fissures…

/CRACK! BOOM!/

The Orc charged again with unstoppable momentum! Sound shattering with his every step!

"Haha! This is great!" 

Philip held his sword with his two hands, meeting the Orc's charge head on!

"HUP!"

/CLANG!/

The two clashed again! 

/CLING!/

/CLONG!/

And again and again! 

/CLANG!!/

Within the speck of ten seconds, they had clashed dozens of times! 

/BANG!/

/BANG!/

Every once in a while, Philip would shoot out his gun to parry his enemy's attacks, but every time he was paralyzed due to Greater Ripost's Skill effect… The Orc forced his way out of the mysterious bind that held him in place with pure brute force!

Eventually, he stopped shooting all together, relying solely on his combat skills.

/FWUSH!/

Philip took a step behind, perfectly evading the horizontal swing!

As he drew distance, he threw five poisoned knives at the Orc! 

/CLANG CLANG CLANG…/

The Wild Orc parried them all, but as soon as it was about to dash again, Philip pulled his hands back!

/FWOOSH!/

/SPLATTER!/

All five knifes flew back at the Orc, piercing its back as their venom was injected inside its bloodstream!

"ROOOOOOOAAARR!!"

Philip grew serious as he lodged his blade on the ground.'

/CRACK!/

He placed one foot in front of the other and his leg muscles tightened. 

/BAM!/

"PFFT!"

Philip suddenly disappeared from his location and punched the Orc on the stomach, sending him flying back and crashing against a tall stone tower!

/Crunk… BAM!/

The stone tower collapsed against the Fortress walls, breaking a portion of it as dust rose once more.

As the Orc pushed aside the rubble around him, Philip acknowledged his resilience as he fixed his gloves and mask.

"You are strong, but you don't have any technique."

"It's takes talent to awaken that force, but with no technique, that's as far as you can go. But I suppose you can't understand me." 

Philip sidestepped as he used Quickening, fusing with the fog around them.

"?!"

/BANG!/

Philip punched the back of the Orc's head, sending him crashing into the ground. 

/Raise…/

/SMASH!/

He then stomped his head with right foot before lifting him from the ground with his Mental Power.

""...""

For the moment their eyes met, Philip felt the Wild Orc's emotions.

A mixture of fear and other recognizable emotions, but they were so raw Philip had difficulty putting sense into them.

As he read his thoughts, he understood. The Orc may looked like him, but it was a beast through and through.

It could feel love and compassion like other animals, but it had a limit. 

"... You are a reminder…"

'That this is a cruel, dark world. I may have won today, but I ever falter or make the wrong decision… I'll end up in your place instead.'

/Growl…/

It was time…

"ROAAAAAR" He screamed as he mustered all of his remaining strength

/BAM!/

He broken free from his telekineses as he kicked Philip, only to miss as he turned to smoke and… 

/BANG!/

/SPLAT!/

A bullet to the back of the head always did the trick…

{+ 52025 Blood Echoes}

/Shine…/

White light shone on the Wild Orc's body, signalizing the end of their clash.

"Phew… "

Philip took this time to look around the area, noticing the level of destruction they had brought to the land.

'What a monster… And the Great Chieftain is meant to be even stronger.'

'No… Just being able to face someone with refined battle acumen would be…'

[DING!]

[A considerable achievement!]

[You slew a creature 50 Levels above your own]

[...]

He brushed the System messages aside as it wasn't the time to look at them.

Philip looked to the side and locked eyes with the remaining Wild Orcs. 

They were shaken to their core. 

"Sigh… Let's get this over with." 

/Snap/

Philip snapped his fingers... 

/Crack…/

Their necks suddenly twisted, and a stream of notifications followed suit.

{+ 3238 Blood Echoes}

{+ 2234 Blood Echoes}

{+ 4235 Blood Echoes}

{+...}

/Splash splash…/

At the same time, he slowly gathered the blood around him into another ball and had his blade return to normal.

As he did that, he also had all of the blood on his clothes moved to the ground, cleaning them from the stains.

"Blood manipulation is quite useful, I don't need to stay bloodied for days like in the past."

'Eviscerate is also really a vicious technique, my arm punctured those Orcs as if it was made out of butter.'

'I might need to investigate it a bit more later... Should I spend some time to try and develop more? Where would I even begin?...'

/Step…/

He walked towards the rubble, still feeling the presence of other Wild Orcs hidden from view.

…

Later on, Philip slowly climbed the long stone path leading to the highest point of the Fortress.

There, a large wooden hut stood along a clearing in the mountains, where he quickly spotted the Great Chieftain as he stood next to an elderly Orc.

"You're here… I've already sent the orders. By dawn, over fifteen thousand barbarians will gather at the foot of this very mountain."

"What about you all?"

"We'll prepare for the journey ahead… And for the inevitable conflicts ahead of us."

"I shall remain and wait for the others to arrive, and once we all gather, we'll join you."

The elderly Orc approached him, giving him some documents.

Maps and reports about the area and the encampment hidden in the mountains. He already knew where it was, but with this, there was little chance he'd get lost.

Philip was impressed by the amount of information they had. It was no wonder the Chieftain agreed with his plans so easily. It seemed that all this time, he only needed a reason to revolt.

Even if the dangers outside were no lesser than inside, the Orcs were willing to risk it. Maybe they had plans, ones they were unwilling to share with him.

But that much wasn't his business at all.

"Alright… I'll take care of this and move on. Just be prepared to leave with me since we have no time to wait."

"Others will come soon after, so if you don't want to be caught in an awkward situation, I'd advise you hurry."

'Fifteen thousand… They won't come all at once, at least, but it's still an insane number.'

"Hum… We shall."

The chieftain nodded lightly as he turned around, opening the door to his hut and rushing the elderly Orc inside.

"..."

It was only for a moment, but Philip saw a small Orc and a female one inside as well.

He did not say anything as he turned around, snickering as he jumped off the cliff.

/Shuaa…/

And as he vanished in the fields, the fog went along with him…

…

"... So far, things went as planned."

Sitting on a tall tree, Philip overlooked the plains as he traced the distant glimmers of torches in the horizon, slowly approaching with every moment…

'They're coming… There's so many of them…'

"After what I just did… I lost a bit of my motivation…"

'Is this how it feels to do a job just for the sake of it? I do need the "money"...'

"Let's see…"

'I took down the Wild Orcs in the fortress and consumed their bodies to fuel the relic's revival… What else…'

"Oh! I remember now."

Philip opened his System log, displaying his recent notifications:

[DING!]

[A considerable achievement!]

[You slew a creature 50 Levels above your own]

[For your bravery in the face of adversity, you've been given the Title, Contender]

"A Title? I didn't expect that to appear this soon."

'I suppose if I can get one for this Level, then maybe one for a higher one too… Maybe there are other hidden Titles that can only be granted while I'm "Low-Level"...'

[

Name: Philip Vinten

Race: Type 1 Pure Human (+)

Home World: Earth (+)

Registered World: Eden (+)

Level 0

Class: None (+)

Title: Evolver(Hunter Genius) (+)

/Resonation Effect: Branded/

All Titles:

Exterminator of Nightmares; Hunter Genius; Ancient Archeologist; One man army; Jack of all Trades; Scholar; Martial enthusiast; Magical enthusiast; Mental Lord; Blessed; Apex Evolver; Soldier; Contender

-Vital info-

(+)

Mind> 167.2 (199.9)(+) previously 45 (99)

Physical> 137.8 (165.4)(+) previously 52.1 (59)

Energy> 124.3 (+) previously 47.3

Spiritual> 109.6 (130)(+) previously 39.4 (45)

Mystique> 50 (+) previously 25

Abilities:

Mental force Lv2 (Hybrid)

Mental force manipulation Lv7 (Hybrid)

Mental Domain Lv1 (Hybrid)

Arcane Manipulation Lv2 (Hybrid)

Draly-Apyer Secret Sword Arts Lv1 (Hybrid)

Falling Fist of the Beast Lv1 (Hybrid)

Skills:

Gamerverse (???)

Intermediate Skill fusion Lv17 (Hybrid)

Western continent language Lv1 (Hybrid)

Scholar Vision Lv7 (Active)

Combat Genius LvMax (Passive)

Predator's presence LvMax

Somnium Courier Lv2 (Hybrid)

Traits:

Castle Town ***** (Weakened)

Hardworking

Unyielding

Incorruptible

]

[Branded

Effects:

You can brand an individual target to be hunted, revealing their location to you and increasing the Level of all Hunter-related skills by an additional two levels.

]

"Now… We wait."

'Should I set up a trap?... Nah… I'll just rest a little… Wait. Why even rest?'

/Jump!/

"I can just go after them!"

Philip ran after the faint lights on the horizon, eager for more excitement.

.

.

.

Notes

I changed this chapter massively!

I made several changes with Philip throughout this rewrite. Originally, Philip was far more maniacal and childish as compared to his current iteration.

As we went through the chapters, Philip grew more mature, but that was mostly me getting a better hang on how to be serious than anything else.

I've made him reflect more on who he should be while retaining his sense of humor and his carefree personality, but over time, I plan to make him grow and realize his responsibilities, growing mature through learning, than me just being a slightly better writer.

In this case, rather than attacking everyone indiscriminately, Philip scouted his surroundings and learned something odd, which led to this encounter and a change of pace for the plot.

It was what should've happened originally. Although there is a chance I've just had Philip kill everyone either way, I feel this is better since it fits his mentality and ability to think ahead.

For him, the Orcs hold more value as they can be a powerful force to push forward their plans while fucking over whoever was behind the scenes. And as he said a few times, despite his conscience being screwed over, Philip still feels better letting go of beings capable of complex thought than slaying them all before their families.

This was why, in the original iteration, Philip's Castle Town ended up activating once he was done killing them all because his head got a little messed over.

This is everything I can think of for now, bye!