Zero Fate Against the World (New Version)

Thanks for reading, enjoy!

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—

Philip stepped out of the alley onto a quiet street.

/Sheen…/ 

The sun now shone on his face with its full might, his eyes squinting slightly due to the sudden change. 

"Alright… Where am I?" 

'From the looks of it… I'm in the city center… What? Out of this entire metropolis, they shoved their headquarters right inside its center?'

'The only place worse than this would be right in front of the guard's barracks… Or the academy's gates…'

He knew that due to the immense statue and fountain in the center of a tremendous plaza, it was the statue of the founder and a very well-known tourist hot spot, one he even planned to visit, if even for a moment…

He looked behind him, at the hundreds of shops built around the circular park, and eventually, at the closed shop behind him.

This entire building was supposedly their headquarters, the windows were closed and painted black, making it impossible to see inside.

It didn't seem like a shop given there was no indication of it anywhere, but given every building seemed like a shop, wouldn't they stand out more by not putting up a front, even if flimsy?

'Whatever.' He thought momentarily as he shook his head.

He had already spent enough time lazing around, at this rate, he'd be the one attracting unwanted attention.

"Hum…"

'I can't just sit by and wait for my documents to be made, it would be too much of a time waste.'

Philip sat at a nearby bench as he fell into deep thought. 

'The second step of my journey is over, now to get inside the Academy…'

"... hahaha!"

"Come back here! You are cheating!"

"..."

Philip's concentration was broken as children ran before him, playing in the grass as their parents watched from a distance.

Couples and tourists could be seen everywhere. They were mostly Human, but some weren't, albeit he saw no "extremes", like the Taurus.

Taurus were humanoid creatures as tall as Orks but with a bull's head. They were usually considered to be more akin to monsters than people, but that was just a backward view by the uncultured.

Still, racism was strong in the Empire, especially towards those races far too different from them.

'It is sad and hard to think that in a few years, this place would turn into a battleground due to war.'

'Back on Earth people already fought over everything, I can only imagine how things are here where you have different species competing over the same land…'

Philip shook his head as focused. 

'I suppose I can't just enter the academy with nothing on me, so it would be appropriate if I bought something like a briefcase… Maybe some clothes as well.'

'It's a shame, but I can't just store everything in my inventory even if I wanted to.'

'My inventory has always been one-directional. With the only things getting in and out of it coming from whatever I looted out there and the items I traded with the Bath Messengers.'

'I once thought of using the Messengers to store items directly into it since they seem to have some degree of control over it, but they never managed to do it. And this fact remains even after the Skill changed.'

'However, they seem able to transfer items in and out of reality, storing them… In their own dimension. But this isn't something I want to rely on.'

'The realm of dreams isn't a warehouse for me to throw my trash into. Not until I understand it further.'

'Moving on, apart from those things, maybe it is time to finally spend some time to learn about Nobility in general since I'll likely need it once I'm inside.'

'From my clothes to the way I speak and address others, I'll need to keep it all to form if I don't want to attract unnecessary attention to myself.'

'There should be a community library in the city…'

"... But the briefcase comes first." He said as he got up

'Time for some fashion hunting.'

…

/Tap tap tap…/

Inside a simple office decorated with dozens of relics, monster heads, weapons, and other similar items…

"... Is this true?"

"Yes, miss Berigou, we'd like it if you came with us…"

Berigou's face twisted lightly as she heard a knight in black armor.

Black wasn't common in the Imperial Corps, being rarely seen in the open.

"Am I under suspicion?" She asked quietly as her voice grew heavy

"Not at all, it's all protocol. If anything, given the nature of the occurrence, this is for your safety."

"Right… Whatever. I had nothing to do anyway."

She placed the document down on her table, pushing her chair aside as she moved to a window overlooking a large city.

'So much happened the moment we left… This isn't a coincidence. It's deliberate.'

'I thought life would be easy after being employed by the Royals, lucky me that something like this happened the very next day I left…'

'Which bastard would even dare…'

She reached for her forehead, sighing lightly as she walked to the knight, following him outside.

"Such a mess…"

'If that wasn't enough, one of the Heroes seemingly ran away too… From my class to boot.'

"That brat…"

'Hopefully, this won't fall onto me, but even if it doesn't… Next time we meet, I'll be teaching him some proper manners.'

"..."

The knight escorted Berinou outside, where they climbed inside a carriage, departing soon after.

…

Philip went around the place, checking each store before looking at a shop with several leather products, including the briefcases he was looking for.

He knew those existed in this world but was unsure if he'd find any lying around, thankfully, it didn't take that long for him to find it.

"This one's quite nice… But its price… Seven Big Silver… And three Gold coins." 

'That's absurdly expensive. It's ridiculous even.' He thought as he was reminded of his classes back at the Palace

He and the others had been taught the basic idea of the economy, so Philip was aware of how much the price of the essential goods in the Kingdom was worth.

'To put into perspective… A family of four and maybe one non-expensive pet will spend around one Big Copper daily. And that's on a budget while living in a medium housing district.'

'One Big Silver is around ten Silver coins, and each is around ten Big Copper Coins… Adding it all together, without even considering the Gold coins, just Seven Big Silver is already around seven hundred days' worth of food…'

'I didn't read much on the Continent's economy, but this city is quite wealthy, and this is its very center, so I suppose even a simple leather product like this would be expensive… No, this could potentially be one of its cheaper ones, given it seems to be made of simple materials.'

'I can only imagine how expensive something made with higher class materials would cost, much less something enchanted or made by a titled individual or brand…'

Philip turned around, pensive as he went over everything he memorized…

He quickly found the book he was looking for stashed somewhere inside his mind, and within a few minutes of pondering, he went over a few dozen pages, getting a better grasp of the situation.

'Hum… I think I understand now.'

'Each nation has its own currency, and in some cases, their territories have their own coins as well.'

'To solve that, the 'Big Three' law was implemented, intending to solve that issue. And that law was written right here centuries ago.'

'The law states that Copper is less valuable than Silver, which is then less valuable than Gold. Most nations follow this rule in their coinage to facilitate exchange, but they may have different ratios depending on their economical situation. However, thanks to the modernization of communication and transportation, the overall value of the metals has stabilized, especially since things like buying cheap silver in one country and selling it in another have greatly diminished.'

'It is even considered illegal in some lands for everyone values the stability of the current system.'

'The law also stipulates an "idea" for the value of a land's currency, writing the following:'

'One hundred pieces are worth ten coins, which are then worth one Big Coin. Adding that onto the Big Three law gives the following ratio:

'Copper Piece -> Small Copper -> Big Copper -> Silver Pieces -> Silver -> Gold Pieces -> Gold -> Big Gold… After this, we go into the realm of nonsensical values that aren't really conventional such as the Gold Bar and the layers after.'

'Right now, the agreed ratio seems to be ten, but I'm uncertain why that's the case. There is value in Gold for its beauty and applications in other fields, but so there is in both Copper and Silver, especially in Alchemy.'

'I suppose it all just balances out, or the government takes a loss elsewhere to make up for it in another. Either way, the common folk rarely deal with anything higher than Silver. If they do, it's for a special occasion they've prepared for a while.'

'After all, one Silver is around ten thousand Copper pieces. And with a few of those, you can buy a hearty meal in a decent inn on the city's outskirts.'

"Sigh… It's the same everywhere I go."

'Ridiculous prices catering to those at the top of the social ladder…

"Either way, this city seems to be doing just fine. At the very least, I haven't seen a homeless person so far…"

'I've studied about this city since its rather important in the Empire, so there was one day reserved for it, including the Capital. But of course, everything I learned is subjected to the bias of those in power, it's another thing entirely to experience it first hand.'

'Supposedly, finding a job here is easy, and you can always rent/buy a house with enough effort, even if it's in the poorest district.'

'Everywhere you go, there'll be a fully functional sewer system. Their guards are capable and the services it can provide you are plenty.'

'From what Dae told me about what I may face, is that the main issue comes not from the distribution of riches per se but the racial problems and the tension it generates.'

'Overall, a decent place to live… Is what I would like to believe.'

'Call me pessimistic, but I can't believe this place to be that peaceful. Everywhere I look, I can't help but think of the worst… I suppose this is another unhealthy habit of mine.'

'Nonetheless, that matters little to me. The mission comes first, and I won't be staying here for long.'

"I do have some money… Time to go shopping."

Philip looked around before stepping into a secluded alley, opening his inventory as he pulled a few items from within.

The first item was a small sachel to store the few Gold and Silver coins he got from Iu, and the second one was a small cane to walk around given he saw several men doing the same.

It seemed to be the fashion around here. 

[Threaded Cane +9

One of the trick weapons of the workshop, commonly used by hunters on their duties, this particular cane has been greatly modified and rebuilt from the ground up to perfectly suit a particular person s twisted needs.

Sufficiently deadly as a rigid-bladed cane, but also serves as a whip when its blade is split into many.

Its deadly razors have been changed towards a slimmer variant that focuses on sharpness rather than tearing.

Its mechanism has been greatly improved, enhancing the strength and hardness of the materials that compose the cane.

Many engravings were etched upon the body of the cane; what they mean is unknown as they may not mean anything at all.

Concealing the weapon inside the cane and flogging the beasts with the whip is partly an act of ceremony, an attempt to demonstrate to oneself that the bloodlust of the hunt will never encroach upon the soul.

]

[Sewed Satchel

A small Satchel that was sewn by a Hunter between his many hunts.

Sometimes, even a battle-hardened Hunter may get bored of the brutal battlegrounds.

Each Hunter finds their own way of passing time; this particular Hunter has discovered solace in the art of sewing.

]

"Alright… This should do."

After checking his attire, Philip left the alley and entered the shop…

/Cling ding ding…/

From the outside, Philip had the impression this was a shop specialized in briefcases and similar leather items but he was wrong as the shop sold all sorts of clothing and even some metalwork… Of the expensive kind.

"Welcome, customer. How may I help you?" 

Philip was approached by a middle-aged man wearing brown pants and a white shirt. His long hair was tied in a ponytail behind his head, and he had a small rectangular metal insignia on his chest with his name. 

He was rather ordinary, but Philip noticed the calluses on the man's hands, he was a craftsman, not just a shop clerk.

"Good afternoon, I wish to buy a briefcase. My budget is around three Gold coins, so get me one that goes well with my current clothing."

Philip didn't want to cause any misunderstandings or awkward situations due to his lack of experience with this world's etiquette, so he just cut straight to his objective. 

One thing was to learn it from a book, and the other was to put it into practice.

/Cling cling…/

As Philip said this, he handed the man his satchel, and upon hearing this, the clerk smiled and pointed towards the back section after he bowed gently.

"Please follow me, mister, I know exactly what you want." 

…

/Later…/

"This should be it." 

After buying the briefcase, Philip went on a stroll around the city, and after an hour, he soon found it. 

However, he noticed that there were no doors in the library, in fact, there weren't even any windows in there… 

"… How to get inside…?"

After a while, he asked someone and the person pointed towards a strange object near the library's wall. 

It looked like an oversized trash bin… He did think this was some sort of magic item, but not this… 

"FIVE SMALL COPPER PLEASE!" 

The machine spoke in a robotic tone… It was a ticket machine… 

"The wonders of technology…" 

"YOU CAN ALSO PAY ONE SMALL COPPER FOR THREE HOURS!" 

"So five small copper coins for a day pass, or one for three hours… I'll have the 24 hour pass." 

Philip opened his satchel, placing a small Silver coin inside.

/Clink clack…/

As it rolled into its hidden mechanisms, the machine buzzed into life:

"CALCULATING…. CHANGE." 

/Cling cling cling…/

A small opening appeared and several coins rolled out into a small compartment. 

Philip didn't have coppers on his hand, so it was good to get some for later. 

/CATHING!/

With a bit of white smoke, a small card was ejected out of the Machine.

"What do I do with this now?" He asked the machine as he grabbed the card

It was just a blank card, similar to plastic, with a symbol written on one side.

"JUST WALK INTO THE WALL." 

"..."

'I wonder if it's programed to reply to certain quotes or if it has some degree of artificial intelligence…'

Either way, as the machine proposed, Philip walked into the wall with his left hand forward. 

/GLUP!/

The wall gave in like water, and out of nowhere, a suction force pulled Philip inside. 

Or at least tried as Philip easily resisted it, entering the library calmly in sturdy steps.

The people who were watching the scene were rather disappointed, it was always a small show seeing someone new being sucked inside the library.

 It was very fun seeing people scream in fear as they were suddenly pulled inside…

…

"What a novel feeling." 

'It feels as if… If I were to swim in gelatin?'

'What if I tried to breathe though?... That doesn't sound like a good idea.'

"This place is pretty cool."

The library was beautiful and magnificent. 

Although it didn't have any windows, the place was not dark in the slightest. 

It was composed of four floors, and from the first floor you could see all the way towards the ceiling that was actually made out of glass, allowing the light of the sun to enter. 

The place was completely silent, despite being filled to the brim with people. 

Young and old, all were reading books quietly at their own tables, sometimes whispering quietly to each other. 

It was rather faint, but Philip could feel the presence of people hiding in the shadows, perhaps they were the guards? Otherwise, it would be rather strange for this place to have none. 

/Swush…/

As he appreciated his surroundings, suddenly, a small light flashed on top of Philip before a small creature descended from the floors above. 

It looked like a small Human, but it was the size of Philip's hand. It's skin was green, and it had a pair of small antlers on its head. 

It also had insect wings on its back that quickly flapped in the air like those of a hummingbird. 

"Welcome to the library! I am Piti, your assistant for the day!" 

"... Nice to meet you Piti, can you lead me to the history section?"

"Of course!" 

/Flutter!/

The creature flew into the distance, leading the way.

…

/Chatter…/

"... and that was how the library was founded!"

"Interesting…"

'Does this guy ever grow tired?'

On the way, Piti never stopped talking… 

It told him about the overall structure of the library, its history, and who manages the place. From the distant past, to the present day. 

Philip also noticed the fact that he couldn't see other creatures similar to Piti, but the small creature replied saying that they would only appear to the people assigned to them. 

That was why none reacted to him despite him blabbering non-stop for the past few minutes.

Philip found it rather interesting, it explained quite a bit about what he felt.

While he couldn't see them, he could feel their emotions and thoughts permeating the area, making him quite confused.

With that in mind, they moved to the second floor of the library where Philip sat down at a secluded table far from most.

"... This is the place! Most of the history books are located in this area. Just tell me what you wish and I will bring it to you!" He said as he patted his chest proudly

"You said it was most, what about the other books?"

Piti's expression fell as he flew in the air in circles.

"Hm… They are on the third floor, however, you need to pay extra to go there…" 

"I understand… Then, shall we start?"

Piti saluted! 

…

/Later…/

The hours passed by in the blink of an eye as Philip went through one book after the other, spending as little as a few minutes with each as he skimmed through the pages in the blink of an eye.

Piti was rather confused at this act, feeling slightly offended since he loved the books, taking Philip's actions as a form of bad joke.

But when he discussed their contents with him, he realized that the man had actually understood them all.

To him, Philip wasn't just any customer, he was a master reader! 

"... Will do!" 

/Fwoop!/

Piti flew into the distance as he went to fetch another book, leaving Philip behind, his feint smile being wiped from his face as he turned to a nearby shelf:

"... He has left, how about you appear."

[Lv???]

"My apologies, I did not intend to creep on you like this. Its standard protocol." 

An unusually tall man stepped out from the shadows.

He had a large pointy hat on his head, together with a pair of dark circular glasses hiding his eyes. 

His hair was orange and as he bowed to Philip, he noticed his eyes were also orange, quite unusual. 

And while he couldn't read the man's thoughts, Philip didn't need to read them to figure out what he was thinking.

So without beating around the bush, he pushed his book aside, crossing his fingers as he asked:

"I imagine this is about my previous request?" 

The man nodded before taking out a small box from a hidden pocket of his jacket, placing it carefully on the table as he took out a small cylindrical vial. 

"Everything is here, inside this storage device… You can stay with the space tool, a small gift from our side." 

He removed his hat and sat on the table. 

Philip didn't say much as he accepted the box.

It wasn't overly decorated, but it was clearly of high craftsmanship. He particularly enjoyed how there were no fissures to be seen, as if the box was solid.

"The complete list of items, including the details of the operation can all be find within this scroll."

"You can open this lid by twisting it, if you twist the other, the scroll will be destroyed with its contender."

"Uhum… I understand."

'Secrecy is expected, memorizing it won't take long.' Philip thought calmly as stashed the vial aside

"Lastly, I have a message from the branch manager: "I hope this is to your liking Mr.Philip, you will always be welcomed as a VIP in our branch"."

"The message is rather brief."

"That's how it is, don't take it personally." 

"... I understand, send the branch manager my regards as well." 

"Inside the vial you will also find other crucial details if you desire to contact us again." 

"Also…"

…

After a few more words of explanations, the man left. 

"..."

'I likely won't be anytime soon, but we'll likely work together again…'

/Flap flap flap…/

"... HUFF!"

Soon enough, Piti returned with a book in his hands. The book being bigger than his whole body… 

Piti is a Woodlander.

The Woodlanders are a race of creatures similar to fairies, but they are not fairies in any way whatsoever.

They are very weak physically so they have to rely on simple methods to survive, and it just so happens they have a great affinity with nature, making them the best gardeners… They also live very long. Some outliving Elves…

But does living long matter when you can be killed with a sandal?

"Piti, can I ask you something?" 

"Huh?... Of course!"

"How do I apply to become a professor at Parad academy?" 

"What?… Erm eh… At the extreme North of the city, you will find a large building, that's the Parad Train Station. There, you will find all of the information you want."

Piti thought for a bit more before he said: 

"The school has recently resumed classes after its recess period, however, that doesn't mean you will be able to get a job."

"It's already hard to become a student there, much less a teacher, the qualifications are… Quite strict."

"I heard that even the assistants there are 4th Circle Magicians or Warriors of the same rank…"

"What about Wardens?"

"Do you want to be a janitor? I'm not that knowledgeable about it, but nothing changes… Wait, did you just say a Warden?"

"Yeah?"

"... T-That's not a wise career path… B-But I suppose you'll find an opportunity to be employed since they're always in need of more of them…"

"Be careful though, Wardens aren't seen… Or treated very well."

"I understand the risks, thanks for the reminder."

He got up from his table. 

"Eh? Are you leaving? You barely spent a quarter of your time!" 

"I imagine they're still open, right? I can't lose time."

'There's something I must do as well first.' 

"... Hm … It's still early in the day, and they never really close down, but I understand, in that case, have safe travels, Philip!"

"See you next time, little friend…" 

…

"... This is your room sir, dinner will be ready by 6."

"Thank you, if I'm hungry I'll go down."

/Creeak… Clack!/

"Phew… I can finally rest a little."

'Now, let's end this quickly so I can rest a little before I move on with the plan…'

[

Name: Philip Vinten

Class: Old Hunter (Rare)

Subclass: Military veteran

Insight: 26

Blood echoes: 18065 (1727189 for next Level)

Level 393

Vitality: 99

Endurance: 99

Strength: 99

Skill: 99

Bloodtinge: 99

Arcane: 90

…

]

'Just nine more levels before reaching the limit. After that, leveling up serves no purpose.'

'I was originally thinking of getting inside the Academy before moving on with this, but I should end this right here and now just in case something bad happens inside.'

'This is the next logical step to strengthen myself, and it may help me if that comes to be. Though there's a chance my next Class won't strengthen much at first, it may not even come after I reach the pinnacle of my Stats.'

'I'm uncertain of the requirements to activating Gamerverse again, but from the little Dae shared with me, and that I've figured out so far, I'll go with the following conditions:'

'I must achieve my Class' fate, and I must "complete" it.'

'I've already accomplished the first, now for the second one…'

'If maxing my Stats isn't it, then this may take a turn for the worse as I'd be forced to reach Level 999 before advancing and that would take quite some time… If it's even feasible.'

'I'd have to hunt an entire species worth of Orcs to pay for that. Or find something of equivalent value… That said, time to pay for these last few levels.'

'Nine levels worth about as much as two million each, if I take off the rounding, then it should be around sixteen to seventeen million. Which I can easily afford by selling a few unused items.'

'I have far too many copies of everything anyway. And while I sold most of my junk already, I won't have to sell many decent items to make up for it.'

'Consumable items are the easiest to make do. So…'

Philip invoked the bath messengers from the world of fog, sorting through his inventory, he soon reached his desired outcome:

[

Name: Philip Vinten

Class: Old Hunter (Rare)

Subclass: Military veteran

Insight: 26

Blood echoes: 3013 (1847650)

Level 402

Vitality: 99

Endurance: 99

Strength: 99

Skill: 99

Bloodtinge: 99

Arcane: 99

…

]

"It's completed…"

[DING!]

[You have reached your Class' maximum potential!]

[You already achieved your Class' Fate]

[You were the first Hero to achieve this!]

[An outstanding achievement]

[Processing… Error!]

[An interfe@r&n%...]

[...]

[...]

"As expected."

'It happened again. The System cannot compute most actions originating from my Class. The more it tries, the worse it seems to become at it.'

[Contacting *****]

[Contacting has succee… Failed]

[Your Skill, Gamerverse is forcibly taking control of the process]

[Gamerverse is giving you the opportunity to move one of your Abilities and one Skill from your current Class and transfer it to your main status]

"Hm…"

Philip's brain went into overdrive, almost thinking for itself and ahead of what he could take.

It reached the point where he almost felt as if he was conversing with himself… Maybe he was:

'This is an interesting opportunity. Passing down my abilities like this is almost as if Gamerverse is telling me to move on from it and embrace whatever it throws at me next.'

'I do have many great Skills, but I'm currently in the midst of a bind…'

[

Name: Philip Vinten

Class: Old Hunter (Rare)

Subclass: Military veteran

Insight: 26

Blood echoes: 3013 (1847650)

Caryll Runes: Moon

Level 402

Vitality: 99

Endurance: 99

Strength: 99

Skill: 99

Bloodtinge: 99

Arcane: 99

Abilities:

Lady Maria Combat Technique Lv9 (12)(Hybrid)

Gehrman's Footwork LvMax (10+3)(Hybrid)

Ludwig's Combat Technique LvMax (10+3)(Passive)

SuperHuman senses LvMax (10+3)(Passive)

Greater Riposte LvMax (15+3)(Passive)

Perfect Throwing technique LvMax (Hybrid)

Stealth Mastery Lv5 (8)(Passive)

Handcraft LvMax (Passive)

Butchering LvMax (Passive)

Medicine LvMax (Passive)

Tinkering LvMax (Passive)

Smithing Lv9 (Passive)

Eviscerate Lv9 (Active)

(...)

Skills:

Predator's presence LvMax (Hybrid)

Critical strike LvMax (Active)

Multi-Task LvMax (Passive)

Beastify LvMax (10+3) (Active)

Traits:

Old blood infusion

Inventory(+)

]

'Most of my Skills have been refined to what the System would deem their complete, perfected state.'

'There may be a stage beyond it, but that would take time to develop and formulate. For now, I've been focused solely on mastering what's been given to me and applying it effectively.'

'I haven't even been given the time to develop what I've learned in the memories and the Palace into a coercive fighting style. Right now, each is kind of its own thing, two completely different systems with their own goals in mind, which isn't an issue, but if I want to maintain my rhythm and grow stronger, I need to simplify my choices and focus on a straightforward path.'

'Complexity can be good, of course, but a straightforward path can also contain it. In short, I'm still far from fusing it all into a combat style I can call mine.'

'What this means in the grand scheme of things is that I can't just throw away my main Abilities like this. And while it would be possible for me to easily recreate those Skills once I have one of them in my main Status, I can't say how long this glitchy System would take to recognize them, if ever.'

'I'm already surprised it didn't break when I fused the Bath Messengers with the Skill I got from Gamerverse, but maybe it all worked out in the end due to its interference.'

'There was also when my Titles fused, one of them originated from the memories and the other from my actions in this world.'

'It's clear the System can compute something from my Class, but most of the time, it just seems to break down, unable to process the fact Gamerverse likely shouldn't exist… Or at least that's my interpretation of it.'

'Thus, only one solution comes to mind… I'll fuse them.'

'My crafting Skills are unnecessary. They can easily be replicated and even when I unequipped my Class, I felt just as capable as I was before. How much they actually affect me is hard to say.'

'Perfect Throwing technique and Eviscerate are the same case as well, I can replicate them if I wish, although Eviscerate was just a whimsical experiment of mine, holding little value.'

'Now, the others a little trickier to evaluate… Stealth Mastery, SuperHuman senses, and Greater Riposte are almost on the level of Skills, being Abilities considerably influenced by the System.'

'Stealth Mastery can be seen it is, and on that note, my experiences with it won't go away even when I move on from this Class. However, it clearly has effects beyond just my physical ability to hide and blend in with the world around me.'

'SuperHuman senses are the same, but of the three, this Skill is the easiest to give up on given my body's constant strengthening.'

'There'll be a point where these won't do much for me. The issue, however, is getting used to them not being around once I move on.'

"There's no guarantee my Class will remain either…"

'If I have to give something up, then this is on the list.'

'Finally, Greater Riposte… An Ability that makes me able to counter an attack with a bullet, displacing it and giving me a window of opportunity to strike.'

'The issue is that this almost seems like an unconditional power rather than a 'skill' I mastered with training.'

'A simple bullet shouldn't be able to dislodge a giant's movement, but it does… It seemingly breaks the laws of this world. Albeit everything would've been simpler if it was a Skill.'

'However, I've seen how some creatures, with enough physical power, can bypass its activation and forcibly breakthrough its bind… Maybe that's the balancing factor.'

'Part of me wants to go and study its principle to try and isolate this power…'

'Either way, its usefulness is reaching its end as I meet opponents of greater might.'

'Finally, this leads to what I believe is the topmost priority. The things I can't give up on, not in the short term at least… The techniques I mastered in the dream.'

'I'm heavily reliant on them. And with reason. What's a swordsman without footwork? A clown…'

'There is a simple solution for this, however…'

[Advanced Skill Fusion Lv5]

'This is a bit of a gamble, but the possibilities are quite striking.'

'I already had the intention of fusing them together before, given they all have similar roots, and now that Skill Fusion leveled up, it couldn't be a better time.'

'This, however, leads to what I said before… I'm in quite the bind…'

[Lady Maria Combat Technique Lv9]

'My last remaining Skill is only one Level from mastery. I'm not sure what's missing.'

'Back in the mountains, I came to understand a portion of what was lacking in my understanding: the direct manipulation of blood to enhance the techniques.'

'I believe this could be the missing link to master it.'

"... Hum…"

'Gamerverse has yet to activate… Its either waiting for me, or I have yet to complete all requirements…'

Philip's heart sank momentarily, but it soon returned to where it belonged.

He sat down on the ground, making sure to check if the door was locked first and the window was closed shut.

In meditation, he went through all he learned, reflecting on what he did and experienced so far…

/CUT!/

He slashed his palm with a small knife, letting his blood seep down onto the ground.

It pooled around him, however, it did not stain his clothes or the ground. 

As if having a mind of its own, it slowly created a smooth mirror reflecting his body in a world of pure red.

'Maria was once a gentle person, so much so she took it upon herself to atone for the actions of her brethren, throwing away her prized blade, a symbol of her failures and regrets…'

'What is it that I'm lacking? The final lesson she never imparted me?'

Philip met Maria in the old clocktower by the fishing village, dead in reality, alive in the never-ending nightmare, forever trapped in a world of her making. 

In this eternity, she atoned for what she believed was immoral. Even if there were none to judge or weigh her beliefs.

Philip took this chance to converse with her as, at first, she showed little aggression towards him.

And maybe it was the constant pain, the sadness, the solitude, or the fact that he resembled her before she fell from grace… Someone she once knew… She entertained his words, slowly imparting to him parts of herself, making him, even if indirectly, her successor.

What led him to master her combat Style came not from her mouth but her movements as they came to clash for the first and last time…

Philip had to escape the Nightmare, and for that, its maker needed to go… Unfortunately, Maria would not step away. So he did the only thing he knew by that point.

Eventually, Philip recreated her movements by traveling to her homeland, Cainhurst. There, he learned the foundation of her art and beliefs, and with all the pieces, he recreated her enigmatic art.

But what is it that he lacks to reach its pinnacle?

'The foundation of her swordsmanship comes from blood… It's a dance for she was once Noble, her homeland's teachings reflected on her blade many years after her departure…'

"Hm…!!"

'Could it be…'

Suddenly, something seemed to click inside his head.

It was a crazy idea, but he felt it was the right thing to do…

/Unsheathe…/

Philip opened his inventory, taking out a pair of weapons.

A thin saber and a short knife…

(Image)

[Rakuyo +9

Hunter weapon wielded by Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower.

A trick sword originated in the same country as the Cainhurst Chikage, only this sword feeds not off blood, but instead demands great dexterity.

Lady Maria was fond of this aspect of the Rakuyo, as she frowned upon blood blades, despite being a distant relative of the queen.

One day, she abandoned her beloved Rakuyo, casting it into a dark well, when she could stomach it no longer."

]

'The Nobles of Cainhurst believed in the power within blood, and they weren't wrong, it's the very thing at the center of every issue within that universe.'

'This cursed blood within me is proof of that… And the answer.'

/SPLATTER!/

Philip pierced his chest with the saber, pulling it afterward as blood stained his clothes!

Without even protesting in pain, he took a good look at the blade, strange red energy now enveloping it.

'I finally understand. It wasn't that I lacked understanding or mastery, I had just skipped the core belief she lived for.'

'There is power within me, so I should make use of it. In the end, the winner takes it all.'

[Lady Maria combat technique Lv9 -> LvMax]

/Smile…/

"I suppose that's that."

'The last thing that was missing… It was being brutal with myself.'

'Just like Maria was brutal with her enemies, she was just as harsh with herself.'

'…Using my own body as a weapon. For there should be no greater one then that.'

Philip's eyes flashed with light, but the light was so extinguished as he collected himself.

'There's only one thing left then.'

"Fuse…"

'Lady Maria combat technique, Gehrman's Footwork, and Ludwig's Combat Technique… Three incredible Hunters, and now, I am just as good as them.'

'No… I am better than them.'

'I'll push their teachings to the next stage.'

[Ding]

[Advanced Skill Fusion has predicted the result of this fusion!]

"Oh? This never happened before."

'I got lucky once or twice and had a Critical fusion to occur, especially when my Luck was boosted before, but never this.'

'Maybe because Skill Fusion went from Intermediate to Advanced…'

[Displaying results: Pthumerian Combat Art (Modified) Lv???]

[Fuse?]

"Pthumerian? What a strange place for them to appear…"

'The ancient race that can also be said to be the main cause behind most of the issues in the Bloodborne universe.'

'I don't have much recollections of them. Everything they left behind was their catacombs, zombies, and their disgusting monsters… Albeit some did survive, if whatever state I found them can be called alive.'

'Pthumerians were an underground dwelling species in charge of being caretakers of the slumbering Great ones as they lived in the Catacombs, although I'm uncertain if they built them or not.'

'Over time, they grew entitled, that was their downfall.'

'Much of what they were and developed was lost, either decaying with time, or sealed away in some corner of their never-ending ruins.'

'I only explored as much as the path I followed sent me, after I killed everything in my path, I lost interest in exploring the rest of it.'

'That was the extent of my contact with them, aside from their remnants that made their way outside of their coffins…'

"Fuse." 

[Fusing… Fusion complete]

[Proficiency is being recalculated...]

[You have acquired a new Ability, Pthumerian Combat Art (Modified) Lv9]

[Pthumerian Combat Art (Modified) Lv9

Description:

The Pthumerians were superhuman beings said to have unlocked the wisdom of the eldritch Truth.

The old labyrinth carved out by them is known to be a place in which inquiry into the cosmos started.

Early Pthumerians served as caretakers of the Great Ones, and over time, as their civilization grew and developed, they assigned positions to those of skill, power, and influence.

Before being cursed, this art served as the method of combat of those meant to guard the slumbering Great ones, but it also served as a way to revere their Monarchs and their civilization.

Thought to be long lost, a Hunter successfully recovered this art and repurposed it into a suitable combat technique for Human use while increasing its sharpness and brutal nature by removing its superficial moves previously used to please nobility and for religious purposes.

….

]

[Advanced Skill fusion Lv5 -> Lv6]

'With this, I have everything I need…'

[You recovered an ancient combat art through hard work!]

[You have achieved an outstanding achievement!]

[Title, Ancient Explorer has evolved into Ancient Archeologist]

"Oh?..."

'I didn't expect to actually get anything… I was just joking… But this is odd. I'm not the first to evolve a Title?'

'Now that I think about it, nothing happened when I fused my Titles to create a new one. I could excuse that because it was a special scenario, but so far, it doesn't seem like the System cares about that, it only sees the result of one's actions.'

'This means a summoned Hero, somehow, achieved that faster than me, someone who had a full year in a dream to get stronger…'

'Maybe I can go with the possibility that some of those guys back at the Palace managed to pull out something of this scale, but that only explains a part of it. Otherwise, I've had received the achievement for being the first Human Hero to do it.'

'But I got nothing… One month is a lot of time, but a Regressor aided me. How can anyone beat that?...'

'I'm looking at this the wrong way. Heroes are errors in the System, they're meant to test its limits… So there could be a few out there amidst all species with a unique assortment of abilities to make this possible.'

'Like me, someone might've started with a few Titles, which means Begginer Help Info might've fused their Titles away just like it fused my Trait, granting me that feat.'

'Or their unique abilities might've granted them the power to fuse Titles even without Skill Fusion. According to Dae, it isn't the sole away to achieve this, only one of many.'

'The same goes for Scholar Vision.'

'It's a shame, but this is what competition means. As for the Title, Ancient Explorer used to be decently useful back in the dream…'

'It is an evolution from a series of Explorer Titles; it gave me many boosts depending on where I was "Exploring". And this one is the same, but it gives me a bit more of everything.'

'I'll check out how it reacts to my other Titles after I finish this. I should also do the same with my other Titles… Either way…'

"I've made my choice."

[Gamerverse accepts your choices]

[Pthumerian Combat art(Modified) Lv9 and Predator's presence LvMax have been transferred to your main status]

'Great, Open main Status!'

[

Name: Philip Vinten

Race: Type 1 Pure Human (+)

Home World: Earth (+)

Registered World: Eden (+)

Level 0

Class: None (+)

Title: Evolver(The Silent Legion/Soldier) (+)

/Resonation Effect: Vanguard

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

-Vital info-

(+)

Mind> 199.9 (+) previously 167.2 (199.9)

Physical> 199.9 (+) previously 137.8 (165.4)

Energy> 199.9 (+) previously 124.3 

Spiritual> 199.9 (+) previously 109.6 (130)

Mystique> 50 (+)

Abilities:

Mental force Lv2 (Hybrid)

Mental force manipulation Lv7 (Hybrid)

Mental Domain Lv1 (Hybrid)

Arcane Manipulation Lv2 (Hybrid)

Draly-Apyer Secret Sword Arts Lv2 (Hybrid)

Falling Fist of the Beast Lv2 (Hybrid)

Pthumerian Combat Art(Modified) Lv9

Skills:

Gamerverse (???)

Advanced Skill fusion Lv6 (Hybrid)

Western continent language Lv1 (Hybrid)

Scholar Vision Lv7 (Active)

Combat Genius LvMax (Passive)

Somnium Courier Lv2 (Hybrid)

Predator's presence LvMax (Hybrid)

Traits:

Castle Town ***** (Weakened)

Hardworking

Unyielding

Incorruptible

]

Philip nodded calmly as he checked his Status.

'It's developing smoothly. I can see now how I'm going to grow stronger.'

'I'll keep pursuing small bits of exotic power through Gamerverse and exploit them to achieve even heights.'

'With my Castle Town, I could theoretically train and achieve that power steadily, but we don't have that much time to spare.'

'I can't say this isn't organic as I'm putting a lot of effort into this, but it feels a little too much.'

[Activating Skill Gamerverse]

"What?... Wait, this is a bit too…"

Darkness suddenly consumed Philip's vision as he lost all sense of touch on his body.

'Is this?...'

/Silence…./

'System?'

/Silence…/

'Fuck… Not this again… Look, let's talk.' 

Philip looked into the void, as if anyone was listening…

'How about this time you search for a universe where my sole goal is to charm as many chicks as I can? Do you know how many dating sims there are out there?'

'Last time was pretty rough, let's tone it down a little…'

'Have you ever heard of Nikke?...'

[Gamerverse has activated]

[The Skill Gamerverse is looking for a class]

…

.

.

.

Notes

Massive changes from the original chapters, see you all later!