บท 94: Half Transcendent?
9.2K words long...
Yeah, no intro.
Just go read this damn thing.
(This Chapter's Title is getting on my nerves, I don't like it!)
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/Later.../
'In no time at all under the very entertaining experience of seeing dozens of Heroes perform, the last few finally started to move back to their seats as they finished displaying their powers…'
/Whispers…/
'But seeing that the King had yet to announce the end of the Event, many started whispering to each other as they tried to piece together what could possibly be missing.'
'Since albeit the day might end to the Heroes, tonight, none of the Nobles had the luxury of sleeping as there was much to discuss between them.'
/Whispers.../
'Some seemed to realize there was still one person that had yet to get up, and amidst those, some couldn't understand where this person's confidence to cause such a commotion came from.'
'No matter what they thought, there was no way any sort of performance could justify making the King of the Human Nation and almost the entire High Nobility wait if even for a few moments, much less an entire minute.'
'Of course, it's not like problems could not arise, but if there was a situation where a problem could not appear, it would have to be now.'
'So many preparations had been done and everyone directly participating in it had been carefully chosen to enforce impartiality and efficiency.'
'So they could not help but wonder how nothing was happening… Regardless, they weren't bothered by this.'
'A minute of wait or two wouldn't change anything, on the contrary, it gave them time to digest what they just saw and to discuss within themselves how to proceed.'
'And who would they complain to? Perhaps some of the Dukes might be able to joke with the King about this, but the rest?'
'They would remain silent even if they had to be here for over an entire day.'
'In any case, many had already chosen who to approach and were now thinking of arranging meetings with the Heroes in the following days for whatever their reasons may be, not all being romantical in origin.'
'To make a connection with a Hero, a hand in marriage wasn't the sole one amidst their repertoire of options.'
'Sometimes a Family may have a technique they believed fitting to a Hero, so by sharing it with them, they can get many benefits as well as claim it to be a form investment if they were to ever be confronted about it.'
'Because if a Hero can evolve said technique and teach them the variation he came up with, it's not like they would lose the original, allowing them to possess both for comparison and to derive the changes if possible.'
'The King would be happy the Heroes were being supported and they might gain something out of it together with a connection with a Hero.'
'And combat isn't the sole thing Heroes excel at, in fact, most Heroes of this current generation have non-combative roles, though it wouldn't be correct to say the majority belong to the production side of things.'
'The Nobles had to think and it had to be fast, the first to make a move and propose something would have the advantage as there were only so many Heroes.'
'But many weren't worrying about that.'
'After all, there was no difference between being the first or last one if your deal was 10 times better than all competitors.'
'The big families and those that assumed to be extremely in tune with a particular Hero believed to have already won half of the battle.'
'And to top it all, no one admitted that even a single Hero would refuse everyone, as even the most skeptical Hero would eventually find a deal he is comfortable with.'
'As once again, these deals aren't all to control the Heroes… Any further than this are excessive details better left for another time.'
/Crack…/
'Because right now, a man rose from his seat…'
"Hold this for me, I'll finish drinking it later." Philip said as he gave Petter his Slushie
"And don't you dare drink it."
"..."
I wasn't anyway... But isn't it going to get hot?
Well... Not my problem anyway.
'Petter rolled his eyes as he put Philip's drink on the ground next to his foot.'
...
/Step step.../
'Cracking his neck as he walked, Philip thought internally:'
I used to think I understood why these Nobles paid so much attention to these Heroes…
But I quite underestimated their worth.
With so many abilities and possible applications, even I had trouble following through with their examinations.
One thing is their respective scores, those aren't really the point.
It's when everything is put together that things start having meaning.
And it's not just a matter of potential but of compatibility as well…
A family that has a strong technique but lacks Vitality, if they improve their bloodline with let's say… Petter, things change greatly.
Though not all see the Heroes as… Well… Sperm Banks.
I would even rather say it's most of them.
… There are just so many things to think through…
If only there was a way to grab their Skills for myself, that would be fun to see.
During these few months, I focused on improving the Skills and Abilities I had instead of gathering more.
The undesirable ones were deleted and transformed into an experience for other Skills through Skill Fusion.
While in their case, Heroes can unlock more powers as they grow into their respective Class and received the support of the Crown.
They definitely have mountains of books explaining how to get Skills and how to effectively use them.
But in the end, if I were to grab a few… Likely less than a dozen…
I can safely say I would've been able to kill Latur in one shot.
Synergy and proper use of one's ability versus pure destructive potential…
That is why Dae enforces training over Stat raising through Levels.
Well… Not necessarily due to only that though.
'His expression as cynical as ever, Philip walked down the path laid in front of him, a thousand gazes on his back as he did so.'
'Their expressions varied greatly, from shock to wonder, from disappointment to scorn.'
'Some were… Particularly bombastic… Such as a purple-haired girl that was about to faint…'
/Smile…/
'And a certain red-haired man with a crown, witnessing all of this with a thin smile.'
'Behind him, Dae and Petter couldn't help but think he was showing off, but what could they do when he had the right to do so?'
'Many Heroes wondered about him as they all gazed at Philip's back.'
'It was time to witness the final of the party, would it be up to their expectations?'
'That was up to Philip to define!'
…
/Step step step…/
'Philip's walk across the hall wasn't slow, but it felt akin to that of a turtle's!'
'With so many people of importance gazing at his back, how come he didn't hurry even if just a little?!'
'Some Heroes even felt pressure just from having him walk next to them, not because he was oppressing but because the 1000 gazes on his back were.'
'It was almost tangible to some degree, and considering Mental Power existed, the convergence of these thousand people of influence might as well cause a physical phenomenon to manifest into reality.'
'But if they were to ask anyone with the knowledge about such subjects, they would just tell them they were overthinking it, albeit they wouldn't deny the possibility of such a scenario.'
'In the end, Philip walked past many people he knew, some only from watching from afar, some he talked with, some he was friends with…'
'Even some of his old professors…'
'He had the urge to laugh, all of their gazes were soo funny…'
'This was another aspect of Philip that did not cross well between worlds…'
'The fact that Philip used to be terrible at keeping a straight face amidst people he knew, his face would form a smile instinctively…'
'But Mental Bastion or better said Castle Town suppressed those urges into Oblivion.'
'He also grew quite a bit mentally since then, though he was unsure if he would still be able to keep a straight face in front of his parents were he to remove all of his mental suppressors.'
'Not that it was a bad thing, showing emotions was part of being "Human", regardless if he looked like one or not.'
'He wanted to live as a strong man that could smile, not some sort of grotesque abomination that only knew bloodshed.'
'He was a bit too old for this kind of 14-year-old fantasy.'
/Stop…/
'So with one last step he stopped in front of the measuring boulder, the same one he beat the crap off not long ago.'
'It menacingly stood there like a great wall', waiting for him to overcome it.'
'What a great scene, the Hero staying in front of the challenge generations before him also undertook!'
/SILENCE…/
'Everyone stood in silence as they waited for Philip's next move.'
'Behind him were the King and the two Queens, several Princes and Princesses...'
'An entire assortment of Nobles from Dukes to even major Merchant Families...'
'Wizards of power, Famed Knights, and all kinds of Superhumans...'
'But even as the seconds passed, Philip remained completely still as his gaze remained serene.'
"... Excu…"
'On his left, one of the masked personnel took a step forward to approach him, the one in charge of the Physical Test.'
'Even if Philip had done nothing wrong, it usually fell onto the laps of the one in charge even if something unreasonable were to happen.'
'So at the very least, he had to try and communicate with him so everyone could be given an idea of what Philip wanted to do.'
'The man could see his father in the stands looking down at him with a sharp face.'
'It was almost as if he was screaming: DO SOMETHING, PLEASE!!!'
'A lot was on the line, of course, that was why they were all masked.'
'But instead of paying the man any head, he raised his right foot and…'
/BOOOOOOOM!/
/Tremble/
""?!""
'Philip kicked the boulder as if he was kicking a rock by the road, sending it flying back with extreme momentum and a speed so fast it reached the end of the track in barely the blink of an eye!'
/FWOOSH!/
'And following his kick, wind pressure burst into the room, striking the people closer to him square first and those further away like a breeze in Summer…'
'The entire hall shook as the stone hit the final checkpoint, the grinding systems underneath the ground creaked as they sprung into action, forcibly receiving the impact of the ten-tone rock.'
'It was truly a marvel of Engineering... Magictech Engineering.'
'Even as the entire room shook, nothing seemed to break or fall, apart from the observers' jaws...'
'Either way, everyone's reaction were… Similar.'
'They opened their eyes as their pupils contracted, those that knew the difficulty of moving that stone were all left agape.'
'Families that valued physical prowess were now all gazing at Philip with completely different gazes, albeit some only laughed drily at his display...'
'Because they could already tell Philip was this strong before he even moved.'
'With so many masters in one room with their own Experiences and Skills, how come they wouldn't be able to point out if someone was strong or not?'
'Had they been unable to do so, they would have all already fallen to the wilderness long ago, at least some of them.'
'The ability to observe others and determine their worth, it was intrinsical to any warrior.'
'This included all of the Heroes, albeit they still needed time to develop this sense, be it through a Skill or simply through experience.'
/Gasp!/
'Some people gasped as they were caught off guard by this display...'
"..."
These shoes are quite good, they have a protective cover made of metal in front of my toes, it's perfect to kick shit with it.
A lot of the recoil was dispersed, my toes thank it.
'But despite the commotion happening behind him, Philip didn't care about it though, looking specifically at the masked man close to him.'
"Will you stop here?" Carnatita asked as she floated next to him, resting her left elbow on his right shoulders
'She had always been there, it was just that Philip didn't pay it any heed.'
'He didn't want to be labeled as schizophrenic.'
'Her presence here was still quite the shock to the girl, because a few minutes ago when she saw Carnatita interacting with Philip, she was left mouth opened as she tried to understand their relationship.'
'Even now, she could not piece together what she was.'
"..."
No way, I still want to show off a little.
'Carnatita smiled.'
"Pump it up." He requested as he looked at the man
"P-Pardon?..." The masked man asked in confusion as he looked at Philip, a small bead of sweat flowing on his cheek from beneath the mask
"..."
Was he stunned by the impact of my fist?
[Freor Parelisma
Level 73
]
Parelisma huh, that's one of the big hitter Families…
Well, I expected that to be the case, that's why they're all masked.
Representatives of each Family… Some of them may have even attended the party.
One moment they are drinking wine, in the next they are the masked agents whose identities should remain unknown.
That is why the masks have voice-changing features causing all of them to sound the same, and why their attires cover their entire body…
How interesting, albeit I'm a bit disappointed.
For a moment I thought the crown would've shown a complete new group of Agents...
Realistically speaking though, their forces will come to an end eventually.
"Raise the weight Ratio." Philip specified as he looked at the man
"I… Understood." He said after he finally recovered from the initial shock
This is crazy...
/CLONK… CLACK!/
'The man pressed something on his tablet and the rock quickly moved back into place.'
'At the same time, sounds of mechanism turning and something activating resounded as the numbers on the ground changed, displaying values the Heroes didn't even know possible.'
'With some exceptions of course.'
"Here it is... All yours." Freor said after he finished setting up the machine
I lost my composure at the start... Sigh, father will berate me to no end after this...
"Thanks…"
'Philip's eyes were sharp as he looked at the stone, and many thought he was concentrating as he prepared his next strike…'
'But instead, he started stretching his arms and then his legs, cracking them from time to time as he got ready.'
'This wasn't really a problem... If this was a normal situation that is.'
"I apologize, I needed some light warm-up before starting." Philip said as he gave the masked man a nod
"Ah? No probl…"
/BOOOOOM!/
'Once again interrupting the man without a care in the world, Philip slammed his foot against the rock, sending it recoiling back just like before!'
'For him, this was no difficult at all.'
'He had managed to send it back with his arms, why not with the legs that were usually stronger than one's arms?'
'And although it was a bit awkward to kick a flat rock given his angle, that was no problem to him because even with this ratio configuration…'
/Stop…/
'The rock still read 20000, the maximum value for the second stage.'
/CRUNK!/
'As the rock came to a stop revealing the numbers for everyone to see, Philip looked up in wonder.'
'In there, like fireworks in the sky, the numbers shone in colorful lights as they sparkled epically.'
I still can't believe this exists… But I experienced it before, displaying the value of the examinee like this is indeed rather thrilling.
Now then, I previously didn't have the chance to try it…
'He turned his gaze to the man next to him, raising his finger to point at the ceiling.'
'His gesture was obvious, but it only made the man gulp a little.'
'Just how much physical strength was contained within that boy? Well, the next text would reveal that.'
'Because if it didn't, he may as well have the strength to just burst this entire place into dust if he so wished.'
'It would be like looking at a Humanoid meteor if not worse.'
/CLONK… CLACK!/
'Once again, the man pressed on his tablet and the numbers on the ground changed.'
'25000, 40000, 60000, 80000, 100000, 150000, 250000, 500000.'
/Whistle…/
'As he read the numbers beneath him, Philip couldn't help but whistle as a smile formed on his face.'
'The Heroes' reactions weren't any different, from shock to complete despair, how were they supposed to ever hit that high?!'
"... Just what do you guys want to measure with those numbers? An Elder Titan or something?" Philip joked out loud as he touched the back of his head
"Can you do it?" Carnatita asked as she sat atop the boulder, shaking her legs slowly as she looked down at him
"..."
Can I?
'It was important to remember that even the Grand General, someone with plenty of physical power due to his training and a true SuperHuman would likely stop at the second stage, unable to progress to the third one.'
'It made Philip even wonder about the purpose of the third trial, why make the numbers so big anyway?'
'Wouldn't it just make things extremely imprecise given the fact the track never really got any bigger?'
'And it wasn't like there was anywhere better to test them, this was THE examination place in the Kingdom.'
'There may be better more specialized places for each category, but those were all scattered, they may even have larger margins of error as compared to the machines in front of him that are backed with generations worth of information.'
Hitting 20 thousand isn't easy, but to reach that maximum number, I would need to hit the stone with twenty-five times more power.
Is it even possible?...
'Philip tried very hard to come up with a solution, but the more he thought about it, the more he grew to believe it was.'
Heh, it would need to be one crazy bastard but it seems feasible.
Better techniques, to hit faster and by increasing one's physical strength.
It's not possible to increase the weight behind my fist, I won't be bulking up anytime soon.
But the other aspects are another matter…
'Philip thought if he should use his other abilities to try and hit harder, since he had many Skills that would directly improve the final outcome of his test without directly irradiating energy into the stone, shattering it.'
'But after he put some thought into it, he shook his head.'
'That would be too boring.' He thought as a small smile formed on his lips
"Phew…"
Well… Although I'm not using any Skills… I hope they don't count Titles as going overboard.
My two Titles boost all of my Stats significantly, raising two of them to my bodily limit.
*Mind> 530 (699.9); Physical> 476.3 (558); Energy> 570 (699.9); Spiritual> 520 (610.3)*
Though… It would be a lie to say I'm trying my best here.
'Philip's expression went dark, but he eventually got into a punching position.'
'Because be it his feet or his hands, he could deliver the same amount of force through either if he put in the effort.'
'So he cleared his thoughts of everything and focused solely on the stone in front of him.'
'Above him, Carnatita slowly let herself fall to the side of the rock, floating in the air as she waited for his next movement.'
"HUPP!"
/Silence…/
'This was it.'
'As his first cleaved through the air, it caused air condense in front of it as it burned through the gasses on its way to the rock.'
'Even in his fight against Latur, Philip was unable to fully deliver his physical prowess due to the limitations of how his enemy fought versus where he was.'
'But in here, there was no need to care about anything else... This included the flabbergasted man next to him that had yet to react to his movement...'
/Hit.../
'As his fiery fist cleaved through the air, it eventually delivered all of its energy onto the slab of rock.'
/BOOOOOM!/
'Yet again, another earthshattering explosion rang in the hall, this time, sending the masked man back as the air pressure was a tad too strong and the fact he had no protections on.'
"Haha..."
'Carnatita was also sent flying backward, laughing as she spun in the air, having a lot of fun at the cost of the misfortune of others...'
/FLASH!/
'But that wasn't all as together with the blast a flash of light lit up in the hall.'
'The light didn't come from any ability but from the compressed gasses between his fist and the stone.'
'As his hand hit the boulder the air had nowhere to escape but in between the gaps of his fingers, causing it to flare up and scatter like the muzzle at the end of a gun's barrel.'
'As if gunpowder had been ignited, a monetary flash made many recoil slightly as they covered their faces by instinct.'
/… Stop!/
'And by the time they recovered, the stone came to a complete halt, displaying to all Philip's true strength.'
'It had stopped around midway through the track.'
/Sizzle.../
'Philip quickly went back into his usual posture, shaking his fist as he cleared the smoke coming off it.'
"Hum... Ninety-something? Just shy of 100 thousand." Philip mumbled to himself as he looked at value displayed in the sky
So this is what my strength truly equates to in a raw value?
It's not really useful but it's fun to know either way.
After all, an average Human's strength isn't even 1 on this Scale.
Because to get a value of one, it would mean you can move this large boulder.
Perhaps there is a man out there that can push it or make it tremble... But that's about it.
In any case, around 560 Physical, this is my current Physical Stat if I include my Titles.
No items, just me and my Titles.
How much would I need to push it to 500 thousand?
Way more than 600… 700 is too close…
800? 900 seems a bit too high…
I need to increase the force of this impact by at least five times if I wish to reach the last checkpoint, but that doesn't equate to doubling my base Physical value of around 480.
Stat growth is progressive at the end of the day, and who's to say I won't find a more perverted martial art somewhere out there?
Though I doubt that'll be the case, the Perfected Shadow School of martial arts is simply too good for the base Physical Human body.
I don't doubt there are better arts that employ flamboyant things like Mana Pathways and whatnot, but here, only muscle matters.
There's still much to do…
'While everyone was still in silence, Philip looked at his fist.'
'His Skin was completely peeled off, but there was no blood flowing out of the wound, if it could even be called one.'
'There was no way Philip's body would collapse under his own strength, his Bones were too solid and his muscles were akin to those of a beast.'
'But it seemed his Skin had reached its limits, though its more akin to the level of damage someone would receive by hitting their elbow at a shelf's edge.'
'Just a slight loss of skin, it'll be recovered in no time.'
"What's next?" He asked as he looked at the man on the ground
"The… T-The…"
"The All Out Dummy." Someone said behind Philip
"!!"
/FWOOSH!/
'Displaying a level of speed unlike what he just showed, Philip's instincts kicked in as he turned his body to face the source of the sound before anyone could react, even himself.'
'Without realizing, blue flames ignited in certain corners of his body and his pupils even contracted, becoming slits.'
"Ho… Cough! I didn't mean to startle you."
"It is indeed rather curious... Just when you think you saw everything there is to life, something more exciting happens…"
"It just makes me that more eager to live longer… COUGH!"
"You…!"
'It took Philip a good second for him to realize who the man… Old man in front of him was.'
'The old man looked like a twig that was about to be blown away by the wind…'
'His body was entirely supported by a strange metallic cane with a massive gem in the middle, his arms even trembled from time to time as he rested on it.'
'His eyes were half closed, perhaps because just keeping them open was a challenging task in itself.'
'If that wasn't enough, his eyebrows almost covered them as they fell over his eyes, so even if he opened them, his vision was already half impaired.'
'He wore a nicely decorated white cape resembling that of a priest, it was rather simple though, having little to no extra decorations.'
'Still, after he was given enough time to think, there was no way Philip would not recognize him…'
'Because he was one of the first few Humans he saw when he first opened his eyes in this world!'
"High Priest Gulio…" Philip muttered as he looked at the old man
I didn't think I would meet him again.
We just saw each other for a few moments before he turned and left.
Since then, there were no other mentions of his name... Anywhere.
He was like a ghost, and had it not been for the fact I saw him with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed he even existed.
"Oh?" Gulio said as he opened his right eye slightly
'Nothing weird seemed to happen, which in a sense only made things weirder.'
'No matter how much Philip looked at him, this old man was just an ordinary old man!'
'And this frustrated him greatly.'
"To think you still remember me… Well, I'm glad that I left behind an impression on such a promising young man."
"To be remembered by those that come after, isn't that wonderful?... Cough!"
'Every once in a while, he had to use his free hand to cover his face as he coughed.'
'He was indeed a very pitiful old man.'
"Though… You do seem smarter than the others." He said with a slight smile
"!"
'But the connotation of his words was a bit different to Philip.'
Did this old man just realize the scope of my Mental power?
In the first place, just how did he approach me?
"Relax child, there's nothing an old man like me could do to anyone anymore… Cough, cough…"
"As you can see, I'm one step away from my tombstone…" He joked lightly as he let out a dry chuckle
'Obviously, Philip wanted to ask something.'
'If he was so close to death, what was he even doing here?'
'Also, albeit he may be easygoing, the old man spoke and acted as if the gazes of the thousand Nobles were inconsequential to him.'
'Even the King's.'
"Hum... This can't do."
'But instead of replying or saying anything else, the old man looked at Freor on the ground.'
"I'll take it from here, child." He said as he took a step forward, slamming his metal stick on the ground
'When he did so, Freor vanished, as if he had never been there.'
'This caused Philip's eyes to open wide because he could not tell where that came from.'
"!"
Nothing... It's as if he just ceased being there.
Is this how it feels? To see something you cannot comprehend?
It makes me feel... Incomprehensibly vulnerable.
"..."
'Beside him, Carnatita looked at the old man with some curiosity, and the moment she did that, the old man's left eye opened, meeting her gaze momentarily.'
/Shock!/
'And for the first time ever since she and Philip met, Carnatita flew back in surprise... But only for a few moments as right after she started floating around the old man just like the moon around the world.'
'But he, just like Philip, paid her no heed.'
"Cough... Well then? Shall we finish this or do you need some time to catch a breath?" He asked as he turned to Philip seeing he was still silent
"..."
'Philip did not reply, moving after the old man.'
'He felt a bit bad that his overbearing performance had come to an end so soon, but perhaps this was for the best.'
'The impact he wished for had already been thrown, if he were to be left alone, then he might just downplay his own worth.'
'By following the old man, at the very least he would have a progressive display of his abilities without the need of exaggerated swag.'
'Assuming the old man was up for the task that is.'
...
"... Are we not going to do the Dummy?" Philip asked as they walked straight by the All-Out machine
"Hm? And what purpose would that serve?" The old man asked as he turned to Philip
"..."
He speaks in such a natural way…
This old man…
"Won't the value be yet again something out of proportion? What use is in an inflated statistic if there is nothing to scale it down to?"
"Instead, let's go test some of your Affinities, those are easier to visualize… Unless… Cough…"
"You wish to give it a try?"
'The old man smiled gently as he stopped walking... It was as if he already knew what Philip would choose.'
'Was it that obvious?' Philip thought to himself as he smiled, turning around slightly as he moved to the Dummy, Carnatita right in toe, still floating next to the old man as she tried to piece together something... Whatever it was.
'The All-Out Dummy was rather simple, it was a Humanoid machine shaped like a Human torso that floated in the air about the same height as that of a person's.'
'There wasn't really that much else to it apart from the fact it had an entire 6M radius area cleared around it, being completely empty.'
"Since you're here, I'll give you a quick rundown…" The old man said as he stopped near the Dummy
"Punch, Kick, Cut, whatever you feel like it, use it."
"The end result just has to be your most effective attack."
"Just tone it down on the destructiveness side of things, we don't have much space to tolerate large explosions, you see."
"But if you feel like you can't give it your all without blowing everything apart… Then just don't do it, there are other ways to evaluate that."
"That's all."
"..."
'Philip's eyebrows sharpened as he stared at the dummy.'
Anything I wish… Fine.
Then first…
/Fuom…/
'The first thing he did was to pull out his Vibration blade from within his Golden Orb pocket space.'
'The Golden Orb never left his side, being in one of his Suit's pockets this entire time.'
'It wasn't really that noticeable as the suit seemed to have some sort of distorting feature, making it so that the Orb didn't stick out from his chest like a tumor on his skin.'
'And this feature did not interfere with the Orb's own mechanisms, otherwise, other problems would arise.'
'As for his blade, after many months of experiments and tests, he had greatly altered its intrinsic abilities.'
'This was his most recent variation of the Muramasa Vibration blade.'
'The Red edge of the blade still remained, shining ominous, releasing faint red electric bolts from time.'
'But on its dull side was now a thin black bar as dark as Obsidian tracing the blade all the way to its edge.'
'If one were to zoom in on it, they would notice hundreds of tiny runes shining.'
'They were enchantments Philip added to the blade, they removed most if not all electronic components of it, and with the space he now had, he added extra material as he reforged the core of the blade, adding a new handle that felt better for him to grasp.'
'As such, not only was the blade enchanted, it was now much harder and solid than before.'
'And these were only the superficial changes he did to it, in fact, this was only a side effect of the major changes he did to the blade.'
'Philip deemed it to be more dangerous than the Darklight Sword, not in destructive power but in deadliness.'
'It was light and sharp, and that was everything it needed to be.'
'And if his enemies were to assume that was everything it had... They would end up discovering the truth in the worst way possible.'
/Flames…/
'Following that, certain parts of his body started burning in blue flames like before when he met the old man, covering his skin in a faint layer of blue ethereal flames akin to Ethanol fire.'
'Armament had been brought into the Physical world.'
"... Concentrate." Carnatita said gently as she covered his eyes
'She had noticed that Philip seemed conflicted about something, and she knew exactly why.'
'So she approached him, helping him focus.'
"..."
Focus...
'He raised the sword, still in its sheet with one hand.'
'Even if he couldn't see anymore, the world was still very expressive.'
'From the sounds to the feeling on his skin, if he gathered them all together...'
[Activating, Zone Lv2]
'Beyond his vision, the world around him seemed to distort, leaving behind a small circle as everything beyond it turned into absolute darkness…'
'A ring where he knew everything, this was his absolute area of control, the range of his blade... His Zone.'
'But at the same time outside...'
""!""
'Albeit nothing seemed to change about Philip, many pairs of eyes sharpened.'
'There was nothing to see but they could feel it.'
'A feeling that only came to those that pursued the same goal...'
'But Philip was far from over.'
/Burn... Gather.../
'With his other hand, the blue flames started gathering together, eventually becoming a rune…'
'This was the Draconic Seal, the result of the fusion between the Holy Seal and the Royal Seal.'
'The reason it still existed despite being fused to create another Skill was simple.'
'It was because Skills were essentially representations of one's body.'
'Even if the Royal Seal had been fused away to make something greater, its essence and purpose still remained as a manifestation of his original bloodline and authority.'
'It was his right as a Sovereign, even if he had no desire to Rule.'
'Holy Seal on the other hand did not retain its original shape and purpose.'
'Having been absorbed into Royal Seal to become the Draconic Seal, his own unique ability, now only portions of its original abilities still remained unchanged.'
'While Royal Seal existed within the combination of Draconic Seal and Ripper mode, something he could not help but scorn at.'
'Unleash.'
'The name itself sounds simple, a strange downgrade from several abilities that could define how Nations operated.'
'Some might even suspect Philip's Royal Seal was corrupted solely by the name…'
'But that would be a wrong assumption.'
'Because this Skill is simply put, Philip's unwillingness to change.'
'What does it mean to unleash? It gives the idea there is something chained.'
'And that was exactly what Philip's current state was.'
'In a normal situation, Philip would go by just fine, in fact, using his abilities would tire him out, slowly, but over time, his Stamina would end.'
'Armament followed by other Skills such as Mental and Spiritual manipulation, magic and his Shouts... All together caused him great stress as time passed, especially when used to their utmost limits in pressing situations.'
'But the moment he equipped Sahrot's Ruler, a Title that might as well be his second strongest, things change.'
'Because now, maintaining a seemingly normal Human appearance becomes… Tiring.'
'Sahrot's Ruler strengthened all of his basic abilities, including his racial ones, switching the way they function.'
'It presses them outward beyond the scope of his control.'
'Because of this, the pressure on his body magnifies to an unbelievable level, so much so that at first, Philip could barely maintain his own appearance for even a few hours before his own Skills activated on their own.'
'The entire existence of this Skill is Philip's rebuttal against himself.'
'Otherwise, the name wouldn't have been 'Unleash' as it would've likely assumed another form if not become a completely different Skill.'
'Because, if he accepted changing forever, then there would be no need for him to unleash anything, it would only exist to display what he already possed.'
'Unleash… To assume the form his race was supposed to look like after becoming Royalty.'
'A state of power where he is relaxed… A state that previously exhausted him.'
'To become a Sahrot rather than just any other Human in appearance.'
'To accept his Crown as the first of many...'
'But why not embrace the results of his own actions?'
'It wasn't because Philip was fearful of it or anything, but because… It's a bit too much.'
'To live as an Elephant in an Ant's world, how would he even be able to move without stepping on one?'
'Even more, his own common sense built throughout his entire life… It's not so easy to let go.'
'And much less for others to accept as well.'
'Philip still had the far longing dream of getting laid, it would be very hard if his future partners were to collapse in front of him before he even took his shirt off.'
'For the same reason he did not let Armament cover his entire body, how could he allow himself to change so significantly?'
'It would look like he was cosplaying all the time...'
'Those were only a few of the many problems he found with assuming his true appearance.'
'In simple terms, he just didn't feel like it was time to embrace it yet, as such, the Sahrot shall remain… Leashed.'
'Only to be Unleashed whenever necessary.'
'It felt a bit embarrassing when he felt about it, he even joked a few times with himself.'
'Because if he wished to or not… Philip had a Dragon sealed in his body.'
'But he would never under any circumstances explain it that way.'
'Though... Were there any non-embarrassing ways of doing so?'
""?!?!""
'Of course, while Philip pondered over what to do next, the world outside went into Chaos.'
'The presence of that strange rune emanating a faint but Opressing power… How could they not tell what it represented?'
...
/Chuckle.../
"Hahaha..."
'At the very center of the upper platform, only a single man laughed.'
'One chuckle at a time, the King laughed as he raised his hand to his face to cover his vision.'
"I had great expectations that had been answered so far... But this... Goes a 'bit' beyond that."
"Your Majesty..." The first Queen said as she turned to her husband
'With a glance, she could tell what he was thinking about.'
"... Just call me dear." He said with a smile as he turned to her
"But..."
"I don't care anymore." He said with a smile as he looked at the ceiling
'He closed his eyes, thinking deeply.'
"... Have you calmed down?" The Second Queen asked, being rather blunt
"I have." The King replied with a strange expression
""...""
'It was clear to all that he hadn't.'
"..."
Those guys...
'The King turned his gaze for the first time ever since the event started, looking back at some of the High Nobles next to him.'
'And some of them were already deeply engaged in their own conversations...'
It's as clear as day what they want...
What a headache...
I didn't want to commit the same mistakes as my ancestors and overly control the Heroes...
But it wouldn't do any good for the stability of the Empire if another Royal Family rises amidst our territory.
If nothing happens now, perhaps four to six generations down the line...
Yet, can I pair him with my daughters?...
'He thought about his two eldest daughters and their respective personalities...'
Impossible.
'His expression souring, he tried to come up with a solution.'
...
'At the same time, below, another man was currently brainstorming as he witness this scene.'
"Royalty… That Insane, Deranged, Lunatic son of a…" Dae mumbled to himself as his brain went into overdrive mode
"W-Woah there, no need for so many insults… He looks cool though, what's happening?" Petter asked as he looked at Philip
My chest tightened as if the rune he is clutching is my Heart, just what is that?
Philip Stage Two? Just when did they cut down his health bar?
"Petter, shut up, I need to think." Dae replied brutally
"Ah…"
'But when Petter turned to look at Dae, he saw how distorted his expression was and he decided to dip out before he was dragged into whatever he was feeling right now.'
'From his vast experience dealing with this Korean man, everything pointed at one possibility:'
'That he had clearly lost his entire composure.'
"..."
Shit… Just…
Shit.
'Dae face palmed as his expression grew dark.'
I can't explain this in any other way.
It's too soon for any such development.
That guy…
/Fwoosh.../
'But suddenly, amidst his confusion, Dae felt as if a small pair of hands were covering his eyes, calming him greatly as his vision went into darkness.'
'These hands... They were comforting... Nostalgic...'
'Yes, that's right, it was something he had forgotten...'
[***** has activated]
'Something seemed to ring in his mind, something that was on the cusp of his tongue and at the edge of his mind.'
'But he could not remember what it was, and the more he tried, the fainter the feeling became until he completely forgot it had ever happened.'
'In this void space, Dae's emotions dispersed, and when the darkness receded, his emotions went back to normal.'
'Dae's expression was as serious as it had ever been, his gaze serene and his eyes were heavy.'
'How did this happen?' He thought silently as he looked at Philip
From Pure Human to… This?
What evolutionary pathway led him to this? Because there is no way he achieved this as a Pure Human or any other Subspecies of it.
There's only one plausible way…
The correction of the Original Parameters directly tied to him by the 'Fragments' resulted in the necessary/missing Parameters being added to the calculations.
This in turn completely breaks the System's processing ability because of Philip's powers…
Though, it might as well be intentional… Yes… It makes sense.
His ability in itself bypasses worlds and as such, he is constantly introducing new things to the…
To the **...
'Dae suddenly stopped thinking as his eyes turned white before sharp pain fell onto his head.'
'When that happened, he was suddenly jolted back into reality, extreme pain filling his mind as he felt blood drip from his nostrils.'
'His eyes were also extremely red while he also felt a sharp pain in his ears.'
This...
Dammit!... I thought too much.
My Authority is still too low…
'Despite not being able to completely record what he was about to think, Dae could perfectly envision the situation.'
In any case, since Philip's own existence is a never-ending source of new things, it was only a matter of time until he was properly rewarded.
This normally wouldn't be possible, but the System cannot process Philip's Skill properly and balance things out because he never finished Assimilation properly, causing the Hephaestus Subroutine to partially crash.
And with the way things are going, it'll never work properly.
This was one of the reasons Philip grew greatly after his System was repaired, but this time, it was never broken for lengthy periods of time, allowing things to snowball into… This.
No, it may very well be possible his Parameter Calculation Routine has been forcibly changed or taken over by his Skill… Though unlikely.
He did mention 'that' so his existence is already known, there's no way it is not.
He's under watch, and with right.
If this goes on, Philip will continue to amass achievements and that'll grow out of proportion.
It's way faster than I expected, and this isn't good.
If he outgrows things too fast, he'll be erased even if it means direct intervention.
I would even be forced to tone things down a little if it meant preventing this outcome.
Heh, I achieved my original goal, but now I have to turn back because I was too successful?
'Dae thought with every ounce of his mind.'
"Wait…" Dae suddenly said as his eyes sharpened
From his story… He should've already been a goner.
Because he already gathered enough to… Ohh…
'Dae smiled creepily, thankfully Petter did not see it because if he did, he would go into shock, perhaps more so than Philip's entire performance.'
'Dae had never smiled like that.'
In the first place, Philip is outside of the Original Parameters, so of course he cannot be terminated.
/Chuckle…/
I was narrow-minded.
In the first place, it never mattered what Philip did.
Because 'that' will never activate.
And even when it does once it realizes the upcoming situation…
"It'll be too late already." He said in an ominous tone
"..."
'Petter only gave him a side glance, sweat falling from his forehead.'
'Like that, silently, the two continued to watch his performance.'
...
"M-Miss...! Please, wake up!" Tredis pleaded as he tried to have Viera wake up
"Viera... Routine... Shutting down..." She said in a monotone as she dropped her head down
"M-Miss! Please!"
'Tredis had to try really hard to have Viera recover mentally.'
…
/At the same time, below.../
"Cough… I'm really too damn old for this." Gulio mumbled to himself as he looked at Philip
The past Era is truly coming to an end.
There were some rumors going on…
So he's the source of them.
'Silently looking at Philip, the old priest waited.'
'His two eyes opened slightly, and he gazed forward, sometimes turning to Carnatita.'
'When their eyes met again, the old man let out a sigh as he smiled slightly.'
Step by step, their influence descends.
And those that'll shape these rising tides are appearing.
I did not imagine these youths would have any part in it, but I was wrong.
It was indeed worth living this long...
"Cough..."
...
/Shine…/
'The moment he decided what he wanted to do, the rune in Philip's hand vanished, being reabsorbed into his body.'
'Immediately after, the world slowed down for him considerably.'
/Squirm... Crack.../
'Beneath his skin, his muscles started to change as they squirmed around, taking new shapes as his blood pressure skyrocketed.'
/Badum badum badum/
'His heart beating furiously, so loud everyone in the Hall heard it and so fast many couldn't differentiate its cycles.'
'His skin became rough and certain patterns started to form on it, separating it in major sections akin to circuit pathways on a motherboard.'
'Atop his head a pair of ethereal blue horns manifested, curving backward until the back of his head.'
'On his back beneath his shoulders, a pair of ethereal wings grew, passing through the suit he was wearing as if it wasn't even there.'
'His nails became a bit sharper as his fingers became a bit slender, but he could still close his hands just fine.'
'Some of his features also changed as his bones readjusted, but thankfully, all of this scene was hidden by the blue flames of Armament.'
'After all, Armament was part of his body after he finished with his race change, so despite not being part of the Skills integrated into Unleash, it was still an intrinsic part of the process.'
'He didn't understand how the process was conducted, but Armament would eventually be passed down through his very Genes.'
'Perhaps one day, as he came to terms and learned more about himself, Armament and other Skills would vanish as he grew to fully master them.'
'Or perhaps, instead of vanishing, they would merely change labels, from a Skill to an Ability.'
/Tremble…/
'Amidst this transformation, Philip said something in a very low tone, causing the entire room to shake as a sound wave traveled across the room.'
*Shout: Dragon Aspect*
'His deep words made the Heroes draw in a quick breath, the pressure they felt in their chest seemed to keep building up...'
'Some of the old people couldn't help but complain though, perhaps not feeling much fear from him due to being long-lived and just done with life for the most part.'
'But it was not like the pressure had just vanished...'
'Though with this, everything was complete, the blue flames slowly receded and Philip's form was revealed.'
[Unleash Lv3 -> Lv4]
"..."
I actually feel a bit better.
Like… Healthier.
Stronger and just overall more comfortable.
'Philip's appearance wasn't really that bad, in fact, most girls would even say he had become more handsome if that was possible at all.'
'Together with other changes such as his pupils now being slits and the faint flames that burned throughout his skin, his height had increased a little, making him almost two meters tall.'
'And aside from the wings and horns, he had no extra limbs to speak of, not even a tail.'
'His tailbone defect had long since been removed in past Evolutions.'
'But as he raised his hands and looked at them, Philip couldn't help but let out a slight sigh.'
The Skill leveled Up... Is it because I'm not holding myself anymore?
What would it mean to raise its level then?
'As his body burned in these blueish flames, the old man said:'
"Ohoho, I can tell now why you felt a bit unwilling to proceed."
'He raised his hand, clutching his fingers around an ember released by Philip's flames.'
'It slowly dissipated in his hand, not burning it in the slightest.'
"If my Great-Granddaughter was here she might've fallen for you straight away!" He said with a slight chuckle
'And indeed she would, because right now, Philip was the epitome of attraction, not because of his beauty, but because his existence attracted others down on an instinctual level.'
'Even for normal Humans, things like Pheromones could still affect them without them knowing, it was a similar situation to his current state.'
'Their bodies knew what his presence represented.'
'Girls and even men alike were affected by his appearance, although the essence of why was different for each.'
'What they felt right now was similar to what many felt whenever they gazed at a member of the Royal Bloodline.'
'But their case was much tamer when compared to Philip's who made many girls blush at once as his Suit was torn apart as his muscles changed shape…'
'Still, their shape was barely any different from that of a man... A very buffed one that had the physique of a Greek God...'
/Burn.../
'The flames around his body weren't numerous, but they were still pretty hot, it was a testimony to these clothes' durability for them to be lasting this long in direct contact with it.'
/Clench…/
'He opened and close his right fist as he got a feel of his body before closing his eyes.'
'When he opened them again, the atmosphere around him changed once more.'
[***** Might manifests]
/PRESSURE/
""?!?!""
'An incredible pressure fell onto the hall, pushing many back as they were forced back onto their seats.'
'His previous display had instinctively made them move, but now, it forced them all back.'
'Only a few were unaffected by this, but even then, they still felt something.'
'They were in the presence of young Royalty, one that was displaying itself to the world for the first time.'
'Even if he decided to rage around to display his authority and abilities, they would not complain.'
'He wasn't doing this on purpose though as even the King had his own aura that pressed others passively.'
'It was the reason why some felt they were staring at a mountain whenever they looked at him while some felt he was just a normal man.'
'It depended on their mental state and on the will of the King himself.'
'But Philip's was extremely overbearing, pressing all...'
'With a few exceptions...'
"Cough… Child."
"Do pay some heed to your surroundings…"
"Not that I'm blaming you, it mustn't be easy." Gulio replied as he pressed his metal cane against the ground, causing a faint barrier to form around them
'Different from the others, he seemed completely unaffected by his Skill.'
'Philip only glanced at him momentarily before he grabbed his sword, taking a step forward as he got into range.'
'But he... Smiled.'
'Because this time, he felt something when the old man created the barrier.'
'It was faint, but that was everything he needed to feel.'
"..."
'As he observed the dummy, his eyes sharpened and his teeth pressed against each other as he pressed his body once more, drawing his sword as his Skill activated.'
'This was his first time actually fighting in this form as in the previous times, he only studied it slightly.'
/FLAMES/
'As Armament was brought forth with everything he had, Philip's body was encased in blue armor, scorching the rocks beneath his feet.'
'Next to him, Carnatita made a funny gesture as if she was roasting a marshmallow on his head, but thankfully, Philip could not feel her presence, else he would be disrupted.'
[Unleash Lv4 -> Lv5]
'As his body was pushed to its limits in its true form, his Skill once again raised in Level as he grew ever closer to what he was supposed to be, whatever that was.'
[Activating, Molten Fang Lv3]
"HUPP!"
'As a red flash covered his sword, going all the way to his right arm, Philip's sword reached a pinnacle in its speed, cutting through the dummy as it drew a beautiful arc in the air.'
'His arm seemed to fuse with the sword, becoming one cohesive object that curved inwards, like the fang of a viper...'
'His arm seemed to be disintegrating as the flames outline his skin in an inorganic manner.'
/... SLASH!/
/FLASH!/
'As his sword cleaved the dummy, a vertical wave of light cut through the barrier, eventually hitting the back wall of the exam room where it dispersed.'
/BOOOOOM!/
'And despite how slow that may seem, most of the Heroes did not even manage to see the wave of light, because before they even knew it, an ear-piercingly loud explosion shook their ears as the hall once again trembled.'
'As the dust settled, vanishing extremely quickly due to magick, the aftermath of his attack was displayed.'
'A Vertical cut had been left in the unknown stone it the Wall was composed of.'
'Though it was hard to say what was more impressive, Philip for being able to damage the stone, or the stone for resisting the strength of his slash.'
'Regardless of it all, its durability was monstrous given how much strength Philip put in this strike.'
"Haa..." He exhaled as turbid air left his mouth
I... Don't feel tired.
'He even wondered if this would've been able to end Latur, not his base form, but his true powers that were never brought forth due to his own insanity.'
'Albeit that was only a fruitless question to ponder over at the end of the day.'
"Shall we proceed?" Gulio asked as he looked at Philip
"..."
'Despite it all, the old man still remained the same.'
'This actually made Philip's eyes shine with blue light...'
'If he were to slash forward... Would he be able to take down this old man?'
/Shake/
'But he quickly shook his head, moving by the old man.'
"..."
'Yet, as he walked past him, the old man smiled... This time, it wasn't a happy-go-by smile.'
…
.
.
.
Notes
Yay, Chappy done.
I actually thought I would be able to finish with Philip's Affinity scores and call this Arc a day but I ended up pulling so much stuff out of my ass that we ended on that score.
Honestly, I didn't feel it was that bad, I liked the way this chap went.
I wrote about 6K words and added 3K through edits, so I hope the conversations and POV changes went well for all.
There were obviously many other reactions I could've added, but some people, me included, just want the mc to go and smash a few things up as soon as possible.
I can't say much, people have been saying I spoil too much, so I'll shut up early for once :)
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, and I'll see you all next chapter in a month!
As always, your suggestions are always appreciated!
(Aside from those that are just fucking trash /smiley face/)
Peace!
PS: I did a small change to the chapter, removing a scene where he drank his drink, instead, he now left it with Petter.
Nothing really impressive.
New version
There is a rewrite of this work going on. (New Version)
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