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This is the second part of the chapter, enjoy!
Images WILL be posted... Just not now. I'm tired.
Peace!
PS: Any errors in the chapter will be fixed. Help pointing it out is appreciated.
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—
[Calculating… Simulating…]
[Skipping time…]
/Flash!/
[Process completed]
[Transferring memories]
"URGG! AHHH!"
'Dammit!'
[Recalculating status…]
[??? Lv3 -> Lv7]
[Inhuman Martial Arts Lv2 -> Lv5]
[Bionics Lv15 -> Lv28]
[Electronics Lv17 -> Lv29]
[Mechanics Lv17 -> Lv28]
[...]
[Flow Lv2 -> Lv4]
[Study Lv16 -> LvMax(20)]
[Acrobatics Lv17 -> LvMax(20)]
[Analysis Lv13 -> LvMax(20)]
[Coercion Lv4 -> Lv6]
[Dueler's Ambition Lv7 -> Lv9]
[...]
[You have…]
[...]
[Conditions have been met]
[Critical Strike LvMax has evolved into Critical Bash Lv0]
[Stealth LvMax has evolved into Greater Stealth Lv0]
[...]
[Recalculating proficiency…]
[Critical Bash Lv0 -> Lv7]
[Greater Stealth Lv0 -> Lv3]
[...]
"Huff… This will never be tolerable…"
'If I'm ever given this chance again, I'll just choose to live the years myself instead…'
Years passed by in the blink of an eye, sending Philip, once again, to his knees.
It took minutes for him to recover… Grueling minutes.
Once the memories stopped and he was given the time to breathe, he crashed against a nearby wall, losing his balance.
"Haa… S-Shit…"
His consciousness returning step by step, the first thing he did was take a look around.
He seemed to be in a lab: Smooth white walls, metalic black ground, eletronic lights iluminating the path and a bunch of strange decorations… It was a little dark but there was no one here.
He seemed to know what they were, but the answer escaped his lips.
/Beep… Beep!/
Red alarm lights flashed on the walls. Casting moving shadows across the room.
"Urg… I'm getting disoriented… Where am I?"
'The memories are all jumbled up. Did I follow through with the plan? How did I live those last few years?'
Philip dug into his mind, and the information soon popped into his head.
"Ha… Haha..."
He started to laugh at his own actions...
"... It seems I went a little overboard."
He got up with difficulty and looked at the door behind him.
/SMASH!/
He smashed the control panel, and the door opened just like that. Many such doors were designed to open with their remaining power in case of malfunction.
This led to a bland maintenance corridor.
Concrete walls and floor, Philip climbed a set of stairs leading to another closed door, but that wasn't his goal.
He looked up, noticing a passageway made of metal grates.
(Image)
/Jump!/
With a single jump, he reached three meters high in the air, climbing onto the passage and following it.
After turning left and climbing another set of stairs, he reached his destination, the world outside:
/Shuaa…/
/Splat splat splat…/
As he stepped outside, the echoes of rain soon filled his ears, its distinctive smell clearing his nostrils.
He looked around, seeing that he was in a large helipad… One at the very top of a ridiculously tall skyscraper.
(Image)
The night sky gleamed above with the moon, but no stars were visible. It was rare to see any in a bustling metropolis.
As he stepped forward, a helicopter flew from the side of the building, blasting bright white light onto his face.
"Urg… Turn those lights off…"
As if it could hear him, the helicopter flew off to the side, vanishing in the distance.
"Hooo… Alright."
Philip stretched his arms and made a few small jumps, slowly making his way towards the middle of the helipad, where someone was waiting for him.
He instinctively reached for the sword at his waist, knowing this wasn't the place for carelessness.
"Well, you took your sweet fucking time to get here son, that said, you've caused quite the mess, cleaning the marks you left behind will take a whole month."
A person stood with his arms crossed at the other end of the helipad.
A thick cigar in his mouth, he took one last puff of it before throwing it aside, crushing it beneath his boot.
White shirt and black pants, it was a super muscular man with a thin pair of glasses, making him look like an intellectual despite his extreme appearance.
"... My apologies, I did a quick restroom break, I hope you don't mind. As for the mess, you'll have to excuse me again, the welcome party was a little too strong." Philip replied with a smile as he let the water flow on his face
He closed his eyes faintly, letting the memories flow through them.
'My growth wasn't as fast before, but I expected this... Maybe each time I skip time, the efficiency of my simulated growth decreases… Well, not that I'm complaining.'
"Heh!… I see you're as relaxed, I like that, being confident in yourself is the minimum."
Smiling slightly, Philip looked at Senator Armstrong and asked:
"So, are we doing this? I'm sure we are both very occupied."
Armstrong laughed faintly again, touching his chest.
"I like how straightforward you are, we'll do just fine together."
"Then, start the clock. Time for your final interview!"
/Shoom!/
The man's chest began to glow red as his smile opened for a mighty scream:
"HAAAAA!"
The air around him exploded with energy! The rain was pushed aside, varorizing into a barrier as his heart pumped with the stranger power!
/Crank!/
/C-CRACK!!/
Metal shrieked as brown lighting exploded from his body, twisting and pulling all metal around them, including Philip.
/SWOOSH!/
Multiple bits and pieces were pulled to him, and soon enough, cars, robots, helicopters, and other similar objects were dragged from the streets below all the way to where they were!
"Damn."
'We're over two hundred floors above ground…'
"HAAAAA!"
After gathering enough machines, the brown electric energy turned green as power was directly drained from them, powering the man's heart, causing it to flash with light even through his skin and clothes.
/BOOOOM!/
Like fireworks on the beach, they all exploded, sending splinters of metal all around them in a rain of fire and molten slag.
"Haa…"
He fixed his glasses and ripped the rest of his tattered shirt as he looked at Philip.
"Come on!"
"..."
Philip observed the spectacle and couldn't help but comment on it.
"Impressive."
'To think nanomachines went from internal medical devices meant to assist the disabled and soldiers to… Whatever this is.'
'Makes me want to stay around a bit more and see what these craze warmongers will do… But I've had enough. If I spent this long everywhere I'll end up living another lifetime.'
'So… I'll end this quick.'
/Unsheath…/
Philip took his sword out, getting into a stance.
He already knew this man's… Or rather, Armstrong's weakness, and he planned on taking him out as soon as he let his guard down!
The one being tested here wasn't him!
/Crack!/
/DASH!/
Armstrong's body flashed with light as he kicked the ground, shattering the concrete below him as he rushed forward.
/Transform…/
With each step, his body changed. Black veins wormed their way from his heart onto his body, turning everything on its way black.
The hardening of his flesh, bones, and skin, making them stronger than any metal. The ultimate material, down to the molecular level.
The rearrangement of matter to fit any environment; this was Armstrong's strength! The most advanced nanomachines in the whole world!
/Clang!/
/Clang!/
/BAM!/
"Urg!"
Armstrong approached Philip, delivering a sequence of punches so fast and mighty that even with his enhanced exoskeleton and abilities, he found it difficult to deflect his blows.
Even when successful, Armstrong would easily recover his footing, often delivering kicks, bashes, or even employing his unusual control of eletromagnetism to maintain his offense.
Despite his political career, Armstrong was a professional boxer, knowing how to fight and employ his mighty strength.
His body is in top-notch condition from his time as a Navy soldier and as an ace on his college's football team.
Under the power of the nanomachines, each of his regular punches was powerful enough to bend a meter-thick steel pillar!
/Fwush!/
/Cling!/
/BAM!/
"!!"
Philip evaded and blocked each of his blows as best as he could, trying to understand how his hardening worked.
One thing was knowing the principle, the other was acting upon it. He needed precise timing and insight, otherwise, even with his skills, he would end up facing a catastrophic setback!
"HUUUAA!! Is that all?! What are you doing, just blocking son?!"
/SMACK!/
"Give it some energy!"
Armstrong punched Philip with so much force he almost flew out of the helipad. Had it not been for his sword, he'd be free-falling by now.
"..."
/Shake…/
'Woah… My hands are shaking…'
/FWOOSH!/
Even so, he got up, rolling on the ground as Armstrong kicked the air!
/SLASH!/
He cut his legs, but only sparks flew!
"Tsk!"
/SMASH!/
"HUPP!"
Philip maneuvered on the ground, evading Armstrong's stomp with grace before holding his sword with his two hands.
/CLANG!/
Getting into a stance, he swung down with all his might, but even so, Armstrong blocked it with his arm. However, his sword cut slightly into his skin, surprising him.
"I'll give you bonus points for that. You're even better than the rumors."
/Clang!/
"!"
In a display of inhuman strength, Philip pushed down with his blade, forcing Armstrong to bend down as his blade flashed red.
"Not enough?"
/KICK!/
Armstrong kicked him away, looking at his arm with some surprise.
The previous gash had opened a little. It wasn't by much, but the size of the wound didn't matter.
Armstrong looked at his arm, serious, "And they told me it was indestructible… It seems we'll be having a long talk later…" before it flashed with light.
/Thunder!/
The same energy from before enveloped his skin, and the wound it had closed, leaving behind not a single visible scar.
"..."
Philip saw it all unfold, thinking about what to do next.
'A simple injury won't cut it.'
'Armstrong's nanomachines give him enough might to surpass even the most advanced of android soldiers. His most secure point is his heart, the place where the nanomachines reside.'
'His nanomachines work by hardening specific parts of his body, but they can also heal him at an insane speed by directly reassembling his tissues… It's even enough for him to reattach limbs instantly.'
'They can also seemingly control magnetism or whatever that spectacle was…'
'However, each time he hardens an area of his body, the nanomachines need to first travel to that area starting from the heart, this means that it takes considerably longer for him to harden his fingers as compared to his chest, but that is a question of a few milliseconds if not less.'
'Still… That's plenty of time…'
"HAA!"
"! That madman…!"
/CRACK!/
/QUAKE!/
Armstrong's fist glowed with red energy as he punched the floor, shattering most of the helipad!
"You're coming down, son!"
His entire body glowed with energy as he grew serious, making him akin to a walking comet!
/Fwoosh!/
/SLASH!/
Philip evaded the blow while kicking his leg and making his fall. He slashed his sword at his arms but the nanomachines were even faster than he expected.
No… That wasn't it… It was Armstrong's doing.
"Ha... Youre good Sam... No, that was your mentor… The name you've taken outside…"
"Philip. That's who you truly are."
"Son, you have it all, precision, strength, courage, and determination... Qualities we so desperately need!"
He raised his arm up high:
"Join us, we're going to put an end to war as a business! To end organized violence!"
"To give the strong the chance to seek and accomplish! Not being bound by..."
"I already understood your dream, but I am here to fight."
Philip interrupted him, unwilling to hear it any longer.
Armstrong, however, smiled.
He adjusted his glasses, not shaken in the slightest.
"I thought as much... If I have to beat you up first before you listen... So be it. We can always patch you up afterward."
/Fuoom…/
Armstrong's heart started to glow red, he raised his fist into the sky as chaotic energies started to circle him!
"HA!"
He punched the ground, creating several fissures on the already broken concrete… Anymore then this and the entire helipad may collapse!
/BOOOM!/
The fissures exploded, covering the place in smoke and debris… But to Philip…
'NOW!'
The moment Armstrong raised his fist into the sky, it hardened, but after it collided against the ground, it released its energy, and the nanomachines began to move back into his heart as per its programming.
Philip took this chance to approach Armstrong with everything he had!
He used Ripper Mode to enhance his power and speed while the world was in slow motion.
He ran towards him as he used his martial arts coupled with his advanced exoskeleton…
And so, Philip reached Armstrong in a fraction of a second. All the while sheathing his sword…
His eyes locked onto his neck as he pressed the trigger on his sword sheath and used all of his Skills!
/BANG!/
Ripper Mode + Steel Flash + Ignition Strike + Critical Bash, all the while under the boosts from his passive skills…
Even under the slowed-down world, the blade was still instantaneous! The nanomachines that were rushing towards his neck werent fast enough!
"?!"
'I…'
Armstrong's head was cleanly removed from his body in one horizontal swoop, not only his head but his arms which were raised at the time were also cut!
The combination of all of his skills, this was Philip's maximum power! It was but a single attack, but that was enough.
/Thud…/
Philip watched Armstrong's body slowly fall on the ground, and his head rolled to the side of the helipad, falling into the streets below... He didn't let his guard down as he went to the body and stabbed his heart, pulling out the mechanical heart from within!
It was completely synthetic, but there were still some fleshy bits, a mix of machine and man…
(Image)
"I won't commit the same mistake Sam did, goodbye Armstrong."
'This is the end of our adventure. From start to finish, from his vengeance to now, a second chance to redo his failures.'
'Some may call it… Revengeance…'
"Ha!…"
[DING]
[Disclaimer]
[Hidden Quest complete! Regret]
[Title, Enforcer has changed to Protector]
[You surpassed the limits of your Class and defeated an impossible opponent!]
[You have acquired the item, Broken Mechanical Heart]
[Use it?]
"Oh! An unexpected bonus."
'Who am I kidding? I knew there was going to be a hidden quest.'
'Let's see… Oh…'
Philip smiled in surprise as he read the description of the heart, he didnt expect an item, much less one with such interesting effects, but he felt this wasnt the best place to study such things.
"The Mechanical Heart… I can use it to imbue nanomachines onto something, anything… But I only have one go at it."
'If I use it on myself, I would gain the nanomachines, but I don't know how that would affect my body, how would the machines react with these strange energies, and all of that…'
'In the end, do I even need such a thing?... On the other hand, if I use it on an object, I would still be able to enjoy most of the nanomachines' capabilities while not endangering myself.'
"But there are no absolutes in this world…"
Philip thought about weather or not he should he should use it now or carry it with him.
He felt a waste to use a slot like that, but it wasn't like he had anything else to bring with him…
/Sirens!.../
"... The world still moves…"
'There are no more options to skip time. So maybe Gamerverse will only let me skip time to a predetermined time. Or maybe, now that I changed Sam's fate, his previous future is no more. Making this not a memory, but something else…'
'Maybe if I had lost here just like Sam did, I would've been able to skip time again to a point further down in history, but it's not like I can confirm it.'
"Standing here won't help me in any way. Armstrong's death will cause the collapse of his plans, but given that the entirety of his forces are still alive… I suppose someone else will take charge instead."
'Although they'll definitely not move on with his ideas. Armstrong was the core of World Marshall, so most of their funds are now utterly crippled.'
/Sirens!/
/Sha sha sha…/
'Hm… I still have things to do.'
Philip turned around, carrying the Mechanical Heart in one hand as he walked to the side of the helipad.
"Well… It's quite the fall…"
/Jump!/
Without hesitation, he jumped down!
…
/Later…/
/Sirens!/
With chaos spreading outside, Philip hid in a small motel by jumping through a window when no one was watching.
And while it was just a matter of time until someone entered the room, he took this time to go over his plans and finish what he had to do.
"I have three choices of items to bring with me… And I already made one."
'Each time I make a choice, the item I choose will be dragged into a pseudo inventory. One I cannot take it from. So it'll remain there until I return to reality most likely.'
'This leaves me with two choices left.'
Philip looked at the Mechanical Heart…
'I wonder what sort of programing went into these guys… It's crazy to think that specialists theorize that nanomachines are still a heavily neglected field of technology, and that it still has much room for growth, especially within Human augmentation.'
'How will they change 20-30 years from now, I wonder?... I can't wait that long though.'
"This will be fun… How do I do this, though?"
"Use?"
/SPLATTER!/
"?!?!"
The moment he confirmed the prompt, several tendrils extended from within the heart, drilling directly onto his chest, piercing through his exoskeleton as if it were butter!
"AAAAARRRG!!"
Incredible pain overtook him as he felt every corner of his being be stabbed and thorn. This process was usually done with precise surgical tools and chemical substances, but as always, Philip drew the short end of the stick…
The tendrils slowly replaced his veins and arteries, causing him to convulse and twitch.
The situation grew worse, almost making it seem Philip was going to pass out, but whenever his vision darkened, it was brought back with another surge of pain.
It only grew worse from there as the nanomachines spread to vital and sensible organs such as his brain, but against his expectations, when it did reach his brain, the pain suddenly peaked before stopping altogether.
While he thought he had died, his body continued with its transformation.
/Pump… Pump…/
As this process happened, the heart slowly decreased in size until a few small pieces of its husk were left behind. When this happened, the process was completed.
/GASP!/
"Haa… Haaa… Why… Why is it always painfull…?"
[DING]
[Your body transforms, and a new Trait blossoms within]
[You have acquired the Trait, Iron Heart]
[Ding]
[A great achievement!]
[Your flesh transforms, becoming more than before. An evolution not through blood but through metal]
[You've acquired the Title, Artificial Chrysalidate]
"Huff… Huff… Shit… My Exoskeleton…"
Philip looked down at the holy on his chest and complained internally.
/Baddum!/
"!"
Just as he thought about how he was going to solve this, he felt the strange yet familiar beat of his heart.
'It's different… I can feel something… More.'
"... It's not a bad feeling, unlike the Old Blood…"
'It'll take some time to grow used to this… For now, I think its time to go back home.'
'As expected, this Trait is connected to my Class, so there shouldn't be any issues for now. Still, maybe I can force some interactions between certain skills and see how it would fare inside my body.'
'If I have the opportunity, maybe it'll prove effective to pass this onto my main Class, though I'll have to be carefull since this is a purely mechanical ability, although that may change with time.'
'The System always surprises, clinging to common sense will only hold me back.'
"Now then… If my first item has already been chosen, and this sword will definitely be the second one… It leaves me with only one choice."
He tapped his chest, smiling.
'I'll be bringing you with me!... Not like I have another choice…'
'This is probably one of the best exosuits out there, built with the help of some of the brightest minds around. Thanks to that, this level of damage will self repair soon enough. Even if not, I have ways to do so regardless.'
'I didn't train much in the last few years after the Sons of the Patriots System went down, I focused mostly on studying and developing what I would bring with me out of this world, it's one of the reasons why my growth wasn't as evident as before.'
'Well, not "me", but its close enough.'
"I'll continue it in reality… Now…"
"Return!... Hm… Did I do it right?"
[Transferring…]
Philip's vision turned dark…
…
/GASP!/
"HAAA!"
Philip took a deep breath as he woke up in the garden of his house.
His face full of dirt, he spat some of it out as he held onto his head, feeling hungover…
"Huff… I forgot about this…"
'Gamerverse just had to activate as I was training in the garden… I'm thankful I didn't suffocate with my face in the mud at least.'
[Your basic abilities have returned to their normal state, recalculating…]
"!!"
/Sha!/
Immediately, Philip felt immense strength rush into his body! He moved his arm to the side but, the wind pressure was so great it uprooted the grass around him.
"Finally back… The difference in strength is ridiculous."
'Only in these moments can I truly appreciate the strength I was given. I need to cherish it a bit more…'
For a few seconds, Philip did not hear anything from the system, he looked at the clock but it was then he realized he forgot what the time was before he left for the memories.'
Shrugging his shoulders, Philip walked inside the house where he took a bath and ate to quell his hunger.
Only when he was done did he sit down to check the time, and when he did so…
[...]
[Calculation failed! Recalculating…]
[Recalculation Error! Parameters have not been found… Missing directives…]
[Cannot maintain accuracy; Scenario calculation has been postponed]
[Condition has been filled; added onto queue]
[Multiple interruptions have been detected; Filling for potential breach…]
[Contacting *****]
/Bzzz!/
[E##OR! The process has been forcibly interrupted, waiting for further instructions…]
[Cannot proceed]
"... Nothing new to see here…"
'There is one thing I noticed after putting what I've seen so far together…'
'The System is divided into multiple sub-Routines, each with its purpose, and potentially even its own reasoning and archives.'
'When the Heroes were summoned, one of those sub-routines was in charge of changing our race. 'It was also the entity behind the guide that helped us at the start… The Hephaestus subroutine.'
'After the System crashed, the Mnemosyne sub-routine took over to stabilize the System, but it was unable to proceed with whatever it wanted to do due to the strange ***** mode the System had locked itself into…'
'So the System activated another sub-routine to solve this issue, and after it figured out why the previous sub-routine's actions failed, it prompted to try and solve this issue… But it hasn't been successful yet. If it did, I wasn't in this world since immediately after that happened, Gamerverse activated.'
'This is strange, given it all happened within my body. Why would one sub-routine try to confirm the actions of another? Was it not informed of what happened? A security protocol? To avoid something?...'
'Putting it all together, the System locked itself in the face of a greater danger, but when the sub-routines managed to solve the problem, they didn't have the authority to reverse this.'
'Meanwhile, the Hephaestus sub-routine could completely understand and even compute that strange shard I fused with. And unless it lied, I'm pretty certain that this shard's influence on my Status caused Gamerverse to exist in the first place.'
'And there isn't a shred of doubt that this Skill is the reason behind the System's utter collapse… Although which part, or combination of parts, is the cause… That, I cannot say…'
'In short, my abilities shouldn't be outside the System's understanding, yet it isn't fixing itself… Wouldn't doing something like invoking Beginner's Help Info solve this problem?'
'The System didn't glitch when I first used Gamerverse, what made that instance special when compared to the others?'
'... Could it be that some sub-routines cannot be activated without certain requirements? Maybe Hephaestus has an extremely high condition to come into being… Like 'Humans that do not belong in this world being summoned into it', for example.'
'Or maybe, the sub-routine is forced to activate thanks to that strange artifact… It certainly does far more than just summon Heroes, it grants them with a special authority with the blessing of the System.'
'The Humans of the ancient past had a clear understanding of the System, and even if not, they at least had some degree of manipulation over it.'
'I wouldn't go as far as say they created it though…'
"Above all… Why are they all named after Greek Gods and Deities anyway?..."
'I know there is a connection between the myths of both worlds. All it would take is a fissure to open and a colorful bird to pass through for people on Earth to create thousands of myths… But this…'
"... Haaaa… I'm too tired to think like this…"
'I need something sweet…'
…
/Sometime later.../
"So… A bit over half a day has passed. That's quite good."
'There isn't much of a point in counting the time this way, but keep track of it for the sake of it. You never know when the information will be of use.'
"It's considerably longer than last time despite how little time I stood 'conscious', but if I consider the extra time due to the time skip, this memory alone dwarfs my previous experiences."
"Then… This is it for the memory. I'm satisfied with how things turned out."
'I've learned more about Gamerverse and its abilities, next time, I'll try to see if I can trigger other hidden functions.'
"Meanwhile… There's much to test and get used to."
'To test the synergies between the Titles, skills, and how my body will react once its under pressure of all of it together.'
'Above all, I'll need some time to retrain myself… Over four years' worth of memories have taken hold inside my head, that's longer than all the time I spent training so far.'
'Not only do I need to settle them properly, I'll need to grow used to this body again… Spending some time inside the Simulation Room should do.'
"Once I am done with this, it'll be time to move on as planned. This adventure kind of messed my plans a little but it'll only postpone them a little."
'First, raise my Warden rank, then its time to move on with the rest.'
'There are three Orbs I need to get in this academy, two of them are in the Principal's office, and the last one is with one of the students…'
'Funny enough, the easiest ones to get are the ones in the office, but those are also the most dangerous to get.'
'Finding the student is the hard part, I only have a description of their appearance, and if I'm unlucky, they may not even have it.'
'Some details of the past aren't absolute. Even for the Heroes of the future, how can they perfectly plan for things that have passed long before? You only come to realize how precious something was when it already passes by…'
'How could they confirm their own ideas and theories, especially in a half-dead world? Were they going to summon the Souls of the dead and ask them?... If that was a possibility, they likely did it…'
'Much of what they knew and passed down to Dae was likely uncertain, but given his personality, Dae only passed down the things he believed to be almost a certainly.'
'How much must he know but be uncertain about?...'
"... Phew… Okay then… Let's take this slow, one thing at a time…"
"Open Simulation Room."
[Activating Skill, Simulation Room]
…
/The next day…/
/Fwoosh!/
"... HUFF!"
/Fwoosh!/
Within an open field of grass, Philip swung a wooden training sword with precision.
/Fwoosh!/
Again and again, the pressure of the blade pushed the air around, causing the grass around him to sway with his every movement…
/SLASH!/
He swung his wooden sword again, but this time, against a lonely boulder…
/CRACK!/
It cracked into two halves, stone splinters flying around, spreading chaos on the calm grassy field…
/Thud…/
Stopping, Philip sat on the ground as he recovered his stamina, taking a deep breath as he calmly went over his achievements:
"Phew… It's feasible… I can fuse my martial arts together… They aren't exclusive from one another."
'It's just that it tires me a bit… Quite a lot in fact.'
'The issue is that my body can't handle the stress. Samuel's martial arts were already ridiculously taxing on the body, so much so that he had to rely on momentary bursts of strength to make it work. It was how he trained himself.'
'Hm… Is that even right?... That's only my interpretation… There's no way to know if that was his idea or not. It was just how I saw things, so maybe it could be a biased opinion. One coming from someone who experienced greater powers…
'Either way, his martial art was modified by me over the years, becoming something else… So it wouldn't be right to say these are his. They are mine… That's why the System left it up to me to name it.'
"It would be more correct to say this is a technique I developed using the Rodrigues household's technique as a base… It's a common practice."
'I didn't use only that as the base. I collected many other martial arts and studied them, incorporating what I could over time.'
'There are still many left for me to study… It's just a matter of priorities given my limited time…'
'Meanwhile, the Pthumerian Combat Art focuses a lot more on the manipulation of energy than on the physical aspect, but because it was made for… Well, the Pthumerians, my body still suffers from using it, even if it's the modified version.'
'It's more than just lacking strength, it's an improper bodily balance… I'm kind of forcing it onto myself… But I've improved greatly ever since I received it. So much so, the impact it has on me is minimal.'
'I've improved and modified it during my year trapped inside the Simulation Room, but its still not there yet… There's room for growth.'
"If I want to, I can change my Titles and improve my body through the System, which lets me fight optimally with both… But that's not what I want."
'I must master both with my natural strength, and if I cannot use it like that, then I'll break them apart and create something I can use. That's the way to go.'
'Martial arts are a channel to express one's physical abilities. The most I can change about my body can be achieved with training alone. I'm unwilling to go beyond that…'
"Although that's quite the hypocritical statement given what I did with the Nanomachines…"
'On the other hand, Inhuman Martial Arts have settled quite well with my body. Maybe because it's founded mostly on basic martial arts similar to those found on Earth.'
'It's not the same, although I can't spot the difference given I never went this in depth with them back home… But I'm pretty certain no one was strong enough to cut a car in half, even with an extremely sharp weapon…'
'It's not taxing at all, and it's quite unique compared to the martial arts of Eden. With some mix and match between their theories, I may be able to create something never seen before and quite effective.'
"Eden martial arts take innate energy control and the forces of nature as a matter of course… It's almost impossible to see anything that relies solely on muscle power, balance, weight, and other physical and mental aspects like these."
'They already incorporate many of those aspects into them, it's impossible not to, but to find a martial art that does not consider the extraordinary… Maybe on a hoodlum's hideout.'
"... That's as far as I went."
'I've trained a little and feel much better… Now… To test it on someone else and see how it goes…'
He took a peek at his control panel, but in the end, pushed it aside with a grunt.
"Later… I've spent too much time idle."
/Clap!/
He clapped his hands, and the Simulation Room reset to its basic settings.
The grassy plains vanished, returning him to the dull, empty room he hated so much…
He opened his Class Status, taking a look at it:
[Name: Philip Vinten
Class: Descendant of the Jetstream
Abilities:
??? Lv7 (Passive)
Inhuman Martial Arts Lv5 (Passive)
Steel Flash LvMax(10) (Active)
Bisect LvMax(15) (Passive)
Bionics Lv28 (Passive)
Electronics Lv29 (Passive)
Mechanics Lv28 (Passive)
Study LvMax(20) (Passive)
…
Skills:
Ripper Mode LvMax(15) (Active)
Ignition Strike Lv(10) (Active)
Invisible Blade LvMax(15) (Hybrid)
Flow Lv4 (Hybrid)
Phantom Sword LvMax(25) (Active)
Critical Bash Lv7 (Active)
Greater Stealth Lv3 (Active)
Coercion Lv6 (Active)
Dueler's Ambition Lv9 (Active)
Acrobatics LvMax(20) (Passive)
Analysis LvMax(20) (Active)
…
Traits:
Strengthened Body
Sword Heart
Iron Heart
Inventory (+)
]
"... There's a lot of potential with these skills and Traits… I just need to find a way to pass them to my Main Class, and I'll be golden."
'I've nearly reached this Class ceiling. But now that I have a stronger body, maybe I'll push it further. But there isn't much else to it, honestly.'
'This Class is essentially some sort of mechanical samurai… With a body stronger then any machine, the sword is all that's left.'
'Most of my Skills have reached their ceilings, to push them further, I'll have to train and think outside the box. Even then, it'll take some time until I manage that.'
'There is a simpler solution… Skill Fusion.'
'I've accumulated far too many miscellaneous Skills with the timeskips, I can use that to improve some Skills a little further and cut down a little on the training. But is that the right thing to do?'
'There are many combinations I'd like to test, but I only have one shot at them… Hm… Wait a minute…'
"Can I simulate Skill Fusion through Simulation Room?"
'Simulation Room can simulate almost everything as long as it has enough data… This is worth testing!'
'Even if the end result is imprecise, it should give me enough of an idea of what's going to happen!'
"There's only one issue with this… I have no idea where Simulation Room's limits reside…"
'Technically speaking, asking it to simulate Skill Fusion is the same as asking it to simulate a portion of the System's operations… Can it do such a complex task?'
'The System is the world… Maybe even more. But Simulation Room has shown zero issues in simulating the later, so it's worth a shot.'
"I'll try with some not-so-useful Skills first. In the off chance something bad happens, I won't lose anything in reality."
'First, a simulation, then, the real test… I can move on with more complicated tests after.'
Even so, Philip still hesitated…
"... Welp… If there's a time to test this, it's now with this surplus of Skills…"
'Not everything has to be perfect!'
"... That said… I'll try this later."
'These thoughts have made me consider the possibilities of this Skill… It's not that I haven't considered simulating my Skills, it's just that I instinctively pushed some ideas away merely due to how unconventional they seemed.'
'I need time to review my abilities and how they can interact… Break apart the common sense I've been building… Again…'
He thought for a few minutes more before making a mental note of what to do next.
Thus, after deactivating the Skill and returning to his real body, Philip moved on with his plans:
He took out his worker badge and activated it. Searching around until he found what he was looking for:
{Would you like to be promoted to a Rank 2 Warden? This will cost 200 credits}
The female voice within the badge reverberated across the room, it was so very similar to the AIs from the memory world… Perhaps because they were the same in a sense.
But compared to those, this one felt that more alive…
"Yes."
{Processing… Waiting for a reply… Accepted}
{Congratulations on becoming a Rank 2 Warden!}
{Please, head towards your nearest work center for a change of badges}
But Philip wasn't done yet…
{Would you like to be promoted to a Rank 3 Warden? This will cost 500 credits}
"Yes."
'Goodbye my money, I'll see you all some other time.'
'I still have some credits left, but I'll have to consider making more soon. That said, I likely won't be able to raid another Dungeon anytime soon… At least not in the same way I did before.'
'I'm pretty certain the snake has destroyed the superficial ecosystem of the last one I left it at… It's still at it even now, devouring everything on its path.'
'While I'm not receiving any notifications since I changed the Class, I can still feel our connection. Its doing fairly well.'
'In fact, it has grown much stronger, but still not enough to dive into the depths… I'll likely stop by and retrieve it when I have the time… And before someone realizes what it has done.'
'I'd rather not be penalized for this…'
{Processing… Waiting for a reply…}
This time, the processing took a minute to be completed, and with reason. The main Spirit behind the Academy's system was personally analyzing his curriculum now.
That's because a Rank 3 is completely different from a Rank 2. It may be just a single Rank, but it signified Philip's entrance into the academy's roster of official workers. The best way to put it would be that Philip has around the same standing as an assistant professor.
Those are usually around the 4th Circle or equivalent in whatever System they specialize in.
On the other hand, a Rank 2 Warden is just a step up from being a disposable slave; in a corporate sense, Philip would only be a low-pay worker at the bottom of the pyramid. An essential part of the cogs that make the academy function. Meaning, he is not disposable anymore.
{Accepted}
{Congratulations on becoming a Rank 3 Warden!}
{Please, head towards your nearest work center for a change of badges}
Two out of four promotions, two more to go…
"This might attract some undesired attention, but it doesn't matter anymore."
'My momentum is far too great for them to stop me. Even if they do try, they'll only end up banging their head against the wall. Although they're unlikely to try.'
'That said, I'm not trying to pick a fight with the local faculty… I'd rather pass by without too many issues.'
'As long as an Archmage or anything similar doesn't come looking for me, I'm fine… Ahem…'
"Cough… I didn't say anything…"
Philip put on some clothes and left his home; his goal was to attain his badge before anyone came looking for him.
He didn't expect trouble, but you never knew…
…
/A few minutes later…/
/Chatter…/
Within the Academy's central tower, Philip sat on the corner of a nicely decorated room, waiting for his turn with his arms crossed.
The room seemed like the reception of a hotel, a big circular counter with dozens of receptionists welcomed both students and professors alike, making the place quite lively.
With so many people inside, one would expect the place to be steaming, despite that, the room wasn't hot at all. How? Philip could guess how, but he could not find the source.
It was a form of air conditioning, the same one used throughout the whole academy to manage the air quality within. Don't forget, some places of the Academy were underground or so deep within the tower they may as well be…
/Chatter…/
Sitting around him were workers such as Jailors and other Wardens in similar conditions as his, although it was just his guess as to why they were here.
He also saw a few teachers and even some students, which surprised him as the previous work-center was solely for Wardens, but it seems this one wasn't solely for Wardens and Jailors.
A very clear indication his rank had actually increased.
"Number 21-A78… Number 21-A78…"
"Hm?"
Philip heard his Id number being called so he got up and went towards one of the closed cabins on the side where a pretty woman waited for him inside.
It was a pretty simple design, like a confessionary, a single chair for him and the girl behind a glass wall.
"Good afternoon Mr. Philip, are you here for a switch in your worker badge?" She asked in a sweet tone, already knowing why he was here
"Yes."
No need for extra words.
"Give me a moment then…"
The girl nodded and turned around where she picked a small box and pressed a small button on it, this activated a mechanism that made it open revealing a tiny purple crystal inside.
This box was no stranger to him. He had seen one like it on the shop above the Dungeon and even one resting on Emanuel's office.
"May I have your badge?"
"Here."
/Cling!/
The girl brought the badge near the crystal, where it clicked into place. With a flash of light and a clear sound, the badge changed colors to a clearer one.
It was previously black, but now, it looked grayish. Almost glossy.
"Done."
"... That was fast."
'All of this for a polish?'
"I know, right? It's such a simple task, isn't it? But we need to cross-check the information on the system; otherwise, you wouldn't need to come all the way here."
"It was once like that until it was proven more secure to have the information double-checked here, in the work center."
"I see, thank you."
Philip got up from his chair and waved to the girl as he left the cabin.
/Clack…/
"..."
But as he left, the girl's smile immediately disappeared as she took out her own badge and put it on her ears.
"... I got it."
Soon enough, a voice came from the other side:
"... Are we talking about?…"
The man on the other side of the line seemed tired, almost forgetful.
This made the girl roll her eyes in annoyance as she replied:
"Yes! Did you forget already?"
"I mean, we do so much every day…"
"Just… Look, I will send you what I got, but this is it, I need to get back to work."
"Yeah yeah sure, if you find anything about this strange guy just tell us…"
The girl scoffed.
"I know the protocol better than you, no need to remind me."
"Yawwwwnn… Boss will be happy to learn about another dude who jumped fences… Do you think we'll gain a bonus?"
"I am cutting the call." She said bluntly as she put her badge aside
"You're no fun, that's why…"
{BEEP!}
"Phew, this guy never shuts up despite how tired he always says he is."
She then looked at the door, her expression souring.
'Don't blame me for this, I'm just doing my work…'
'Such a shame, he was quite handsome…'
Something brewed in the dark…
…
.
.
.
Notes