Chương 12: The first Titles, 2 out of 5
This chapter is smaller than the others since it was originally part of the previous one, but I cut it all those years ago... To think the last three chapters were once one...
Thank you for reading, peace! (7K words)
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Philip looked at the translucent books around him as Dae took a deep breath, saying:
"... The Phantom Library is more versatile than you think. There is a reason why old man Vista didn't explain much about this. He didn't want anyone to abuse its capabilities."
"So he set up a timer. The library would collapse when the timer ran out. A simple way to protect its contents and test the challenger's qualifications. Although I doubt he expected it to degrade to this state in so little time."
"... I am curious about something. What are the requirements to enter this place?"
"You just need to receive his "approval"."
"Vista's video was a kind of complex magic that would imbue you with a secret Seal that would disappear after a set timer. Or when extra conditions were achieved."
"As for me… Everything has its breaking point. I just forced my way inside."
"..."
"In any case, let's use it, shall we? You probably have its administrative rights. Am I wrong?"
"I do have the rights… I suppose."
"So it's simple. Use the command "Deconstruct Library" and then choose to have all of the information deposited in your head. Just throw it at me when it asks where the dimensional energy should be deposited."
"..."
'I imagined the library would have such commands given the way it functions, but is this the correct way to use it?'
"Look, this energy is pretty useless for you. It would do more harm than good for someone who cannot use it very well and even longer to teach you how to use it properly…"
"... What will the "Deconstruct Library" command actually do?"
"The Library is going to be broken down into its most basic components. Meaning, the books inside it are going to be thrown back into our dimension and the energy inside is going to go berserk due to the destabilization of the library's main structure."
"A lot of calculations and magic shenanigans are going to happen. In short, 'boom'."
"But I plan to absorb that berserk energy while you're busy with something else… You will understand what I am talking about and hopefully why this is for the best."
"..."
'It is true that his collar isn't changing colors anymore… It was flashing lightly as he spoke of his past.'
'Even if he's not saying the whole truth, this much should suffice for now.'
"Fine. Lets do this… Is there something I need to pay attention to?"
"You may experience some minor headaches. But if anything bad happens I am confident in being able to fix it…"
[BIIP!]
His collar suddenly changed to yellow once more as his expression grew pale.
"..."
"... Ahem… There are some things that might be too dangerous but those things have a probability close to that of zero of happening… Let's pray they don't happen."
"Sigh…"
'I'm curious now… The real purpose of the library…'
'I wonder why Vista decided to let the library vanish rather than pass it on to someone else… It's likely because of his fears.'
'Rather than have someone control it. Have it be used to pass onward an idea and power onto someone else.'
'If not for someone who has experienced a far future, I imagine this would've been lost to time forever… This must be the power of a Regressor… If he can be called that.'
'He's hiding something from me, but then again… His Skill, from his description, is rather similar to what I experienced in the dream.'
"... Deconstruct Library…"
[DING]
[The Phantom library has detected a command from its administrator]
[Are you sure you want to proceed with this command?]
"Yes."
[Deconstructing the Phantom library… Please set up an exit point]
"Hm? It's asking for an exit point…" Philip asked as he sorted through the system windows before him
"Transfer the lingering Dimension energy to me while the rest goes to you."
"... Dimensional energy exit point will be Dae over there while everything else is for me."
[Processing… Initiating book transference...]
[A suitable location has been found...]
/BADDUM!/
Extreme pain suddenly ignited inside Philip's mind.
"Wha-ts happ-ening?!… ARG!"
Philip lifted his head to see what Dae was doing, only to see him with an equally pained expression as he reached for his chest.
With his right finger, he traced strange pathways across his body, leaving behind faint lines of blue light whenever he touched.
"Just… Resist… For now… Philip."
"URG!"
'Fucking hell…'
…
This massive pain lasted for a few more minutes.
Dozens of books entered his mind at an unbelievable speed like bullets!
It was like standing in high speed tunnel as lights flashed by… It was hard to grasp how each of them were. Their shapes and sizes…
Finally, it ended.
[DING]
[Mind Bastion LvMax has absorbed a part of the Phantom library, gaining a new Sub-Ability]
[DING]
[You have read all of the books in Shelf number 021 of the Royal library!]
[You have made an achievement!]
[For your curiosity and thirst for knowledge, you have gained the Title, Scholar]
[You have gained the Skill, Scholar Vision Lv0]
Clutching onto his head, Philip took a deep breath as he clutched onto the table.
…
"Urg… My head…"
[You have used, Painkillers x1]
'Thank God I have so much trash in my inventory…'
"Urg…"
While he recovered, Philip watched in silence as Dae struggled with whatever he had absorbed.
'Magic… I want to learn it.'
'But for now, I'll make sure this guy doesn't die.'
Carefully observing every single one of his gestures, Philip learned as much as he could before their conversation continued:
"Harf harf… It finally ended…"
"You okay? What just happened?"
"Huff… That was the process of transferring… Wasnt it easy?" He asked with a tiny smirk as sweat fell on the ground
"Easy?..."
'I felt as if my head was going to burst!'
'Huff… Just you wait.'
"Your expression is quite macabre…"
Philip snickered as he tapped on the table, asking:
"In any case… Just what is this Title? I absorbed a part of the library, and I even gained skills."
"Yes… The Scholar Title… While it looks fairly simple to get, it requires dozens of years of accumulation and comprehension for one to qualify for its acquisition… That's why it's so rare and valuable."
"Scholar Vision is the manifestation of the Title. It allows you to instantly analyze anything using your knowledge bank… But thats the least important part of this Skill, our focus should be on its secondary Ability."
"The Skill allows you to see other peoples "State", or in your case, Level…"
To confirm this, Philip equipped his Title, and as expected, a number appeared above Dae's head:
One.
"Level 1?"
"It seems you already learned how to use it."
"Out there where it's pretty hard to gauge someone's ability, seeing their overall power in numbers is very good."
"Just be careful not to trust it very much. Some people are capable of messing around with such values. Intentionally or not."
"As for its primary purpose, it's forgettable really… Well, for someone who has difficulty analyzing things, I guess this is a good ability… But this is not your case."
"Nonetheless, your case is even more Unique than that… You absorbed a part of the Phantom library, meaning you must have a part of its abilities on top of your Trait…"
"Why dont you check it out?"
"...
[Mind Bastion LvMax
Type-Trait
Description: The strongest wall, the unbreakable fortress! The last and most solid line of defense.
Nothing shall pass this line! Everything that tries shall suffer the consequences!
Remain tall, sturdy, and everlasting. Through the darkness, seek the light.
May my will remain eternal!
Effects:
>Emotion mass control: Calms or enhances your emotions when they surpass a certain threshold. This effect can extend to those around you.
You may choose who to affect.
>Analytical computation: Greatly Improves all mechanical functions of the brain. Such as memory, learning speed, reflexes …
As long as the Bastion stands, it may work as a secondary processing Unit, allowing continuous parallel thinking.
>Perfected defenses: Massively boost defenses over attacks against the mind, up to a certain Level.
>Mind Paladin: A Mind Paladin protects the Mental fortress. His mere presence strengthens the defenses of the Bastion and will exist for as long as your mental fortitude remains.
In case of death, he will reappear when enough mind power is gathered.
His strength grows as he is fed more mind power. But his strength can never surpass that of what the Fortress can hold.
The Mind Paladin is currently hibernating due to the absorption of *****. Hence, all of its related abilities are presently deactivated.
Mental Library: Due to the absorption of the Phantom Library, a new subdivision has taken shape inside the Mind Bastion. The Mental library will greatly help you in all activities around acquiring knowledge.
All information you acquire will be stored inside the Mental Library in an appropriate form.
]
"... Mental library?"
For a moment, Dae's expression became one of utter relief, as if a large weight had been taken off his shoulders…
"So you really got it… Phew…"
"..."
'Why do you look relieved?!'
"This was probably one of the reasons why Vista opted to have the Library be destroyed rather than passed on, as when it is combined with Scholar Vision, it becomes something out of this world…"
"Normally, to fully use Scholar Vision, you would've had to study, master, comprehend, and memorize the entire library's worth of knowledge."
"But now, you can read anything, and it doesn't matter if you memorized it or not… Even if you dont understand its contents… Whatever you come in contact with will be stored inside the Mental Library which massively strengthens the Skill as it'll take that knowledge as yours..."
"You can see where I am going right?... The more books you read, the more monstrous the analyzing capabilities of this Skill will be."
"It synergizes well with your Trait as well, making it all even stronger."
"A Skill that can pierce into their most sensitive knowledge, decoding the world for its master as long as it has the necessary components… Do you understand why the people of this world fear this ability so much?"
"... I understood this much but why not covet it for yourself?"
"I'd be lying if I said I had no use for it… But if I want to us to work together, I'm willing to make such sacrifices. Besides, I told you before… My goal is to make you stronger."
"And in the end, there are many such abilities out there in the world. Yes, they are hard to come by but I have my own ideas…"
"It's a shame but if we had time, I would surely read the books with you. But we dont have any to spare."
"All books inside the Phantom library are precious and if anyone can read them like you did, they'd qualify to awaken Scholar Vision. So if you feel the need to share it, the choice is all yours."
"... So what now?"
"I suppose we should move on to the next Title in your list. You have a lot of knowledge that was forcibly lodged in your head. Its time to make use of it."
Dae opened his right palm, gathering strange, shimmering wisps of light above it.
"The simplest ability we can make comes through shaping energy in some unique way. That is the basis of manipulation and transformation, which leads to the magical phenomena you see every day."
He lifted his hand, and blueish energy began coating his skin, shining faint light onto the table.
"This is a very, very basic application of such principle."
"If there is something you don't understand, just tell me. If you can recreate what I just did, this should you get two Titles at once… You know which, right?"
"...Create one Martial/Magical technique while in the lowest state…"
"Want to give it a try?"
"... Okay..."
'I should begin by maximizing my chances… Equip Title: Number 1.'
[Title equipped]
"I don't know what sort of energy your Class uses, but Mana is a pretty solid one. Try it out first. It's the easiest to feel and manipulate, after all."
'Although it's one of the more complex to master…'
"... But I don't even know what Mana is. I can see it, but…"
"If you can see it, then you can sense it. You just have to 'feel it'."
"That's easier said than done."
'I doubt it's so simple. If you had to be able to sense magic to see it then all magicians' spells would be invisible to most people, which is definitely not the case given the books I've read… Unless the threshold is very low.'
'Haaa… Thinking like this won't change a thing, might as well try something.'
Following Dae's example, Philip closed his eyes, focusing his senses inward like he hadn't done before.
"... After feeling the energy, think about shaping it."
"It can be anything you imagine… If that's not enough, think of a use for it, like incorporating it into a specific move or action."
"..."
While he pushed his senses inside, looking for something he never felt before, it suddenly came to Philip:
'I have already been using some sort of magic for a very long time…'
The first thing that came to his mind was the art of quickening, followed by Lady Maria's combat technique.
And if he decided to go even further, Philip had experienced the Arcane many times before…
He had never thought much of its principles as he had been far too busy before, but maybe now was time to delve deeper into the source of Hunter's powers…
If he can keep himself sane, that is…
By following the strange feeling he had every time he invoked the technique, Philip channeled this strange sensation towards his right hand, thinking:
'I'll have to freestyle this… Now that I think about this, there is almost no proper theoretical studies into the nature of the Arcane back in the nightmare.'
'Hm… I wouldn't say there was none… It was more like I was avoiding it. As since the Arcane was mostly the source for all the madness, even if such theoric knowledge wouldn't prove detrimental, it was best to cut my curiosity short for the sake of survival.'
'I can't say I'm pleased with being in the dark, but I own my survival to my pettiness and methodic behavior back in the memories.'
'Of course, if I could, I would've probably acquired such knowledge and stored it in my inventory, but given the limitations, most libraries I passed by ended up being left behind as I went on with my journey.'
'The only thing I ever researched was the Carryl Runes, but then again, that was but the study of a single language and the creative interpretation of those dreaded beings' words into shapes we can understand and visualize… Something I don't regret forgetting at all.'
'Nevertheless, I may have some parchments stored deep down in my inventory tough… After all, I did went by destroying and looting everything in my path. Many of the items in my inventory elude me.'
'And above all, while my memories were cleaned of corruption, my inventory was not… Which means something inside it could still lead to me going mad, which is why I'm avoiding playing too much with it.'
'All that said, the past can't be changed, but the future can.'
'Hm… What do I want to do with this energy?'
He straightened his back, scratching his chin, pondering deeply…
'… This could work…'
An idea struck his mind as he opened his right palm.
/Shine…/
At that moment, Philip's hand started to turn red until a blood-red flame thoroughly covered it, casting distorted shadows throughout the library.
"... How eerie." Dae said out loud as he raised an eyebrow
The flame wasn't hot… It was barely strong enough to burn the table or his clothes, but it invoked a feeling of danger that made Dae uncomfortable.
The flame released a strong odor of iron in the room, and from afar, one may think Philip's hand had been covered in bright blood.
"..."
'He did it, huh… Excellent… Looks like I can accelerate some things.'
/Poof.../
Suddenly, the red flame extinguished and Philip opened his eyes, perplexed.
"Did I do it or did I fail?"
'My hand tingles as if numb… Did I try too hard? I did try to deviate slightly from the Skill's activation by trying it myself… Well, I should be happy my hand didn't burst into a bloody mess. That tends to happen when you play with the Arcane.'
"That's not for me to answer, but I'd say you aced the exam…"
[DING]
[You have gained the Ability """""" lv0 (Active)]
[Please name the new technique]
[Due to the nature of your Class, this Ability shall be linked to your Secondary Status]
[You have created a new technique while being in the lowest State possible!]
[You have made an excellent achievement]
[You have gained the Titles, Martial enthusiast and Magical enthusiast!]
Philip was suddently bombarded with notifications much to his annoyance.
"Loud… Hm. It says I gained two Titles. This must be it."
"Two? I was aiming at only one… Well, paint me impressed."
'Things went by as expected, huh… Humph, it's far too early to expect deviations.'
"Is this any good?"
"For a technique to be considered one by the grand System, it needs to tick a few boxes. And for it to be considered a Magic Art, it must tick a few others."
"For both to appear at once, it means the System has evaluated it quite well… However, it could also be due to the nature of the energy you evoked. It's something I'm not very familiar with."
"I thought you knew the future?"
"I know much of it, but that doesn't mean I know everything. Didn't I just say moments before I'm unaware of many things about you?"
"You're the one who should be answering those questions, not me… So? Why don't you name it?"
"Give me a moment…"
By activating the Skill in the window tab, a blood-red flame enveloped his hand…
'This is a similar feeling to Maria's Combat Art but not the same… But it feels lacking… Rough…'
Call it a fighter's instinct but Philip could tell there was much to improve with this tiny flame… Although… Was the effort even worth it?
'There was much I chose not to dwell on while in the Dreams… But now that I'm back in reality, should I look back on some of those things and reflect?'
'... Maybe it's time to make something I can call my own…'
/Burn…/
Philip raised his hand before him as the strange flame was once again conjured.
He tried to handle and shape it but only made it appear slightly sharper at his fingertips.
/Smile…/
But as the flame vanished amidst faint embers, Philip smiled slightly as a name formed inside his mind:
"... So this is how it looks like… I think I have an idea of what to call this."
'While I never experienced it, I often delivered it to my opponents. And given where I took this from, I think Maria deserves some credit for its creation, regardless of what I do with it from this moment onward.'
"Eviscerate."
[You have named the Ability, Eviscerate]
[Eviscerate Lv0
A brutal technique born from one of the most basic principles. Taken from a fellow Hunter's combat technique and repurposed onto a coarse art.
Although its a rough application of force, it still does its job pretty effectively, which at the end of the day, was what defined a Hunter.
Effects:
Activate this Ability to greatly enhance the strength of your palms, making them momentarily glister.
]
"... It's pretty basic…"
"Don't sell yourself short. I'd call this a great success!... For a half-assed attempt."
"..."
"Besides, you gained two Titles… Given you haven't said anything yet, you must've gained the Martial and Magical Enthusiast Titles, right?"
Philip nodded.
"Those are excellent Titles. Be sure to train them well and even if you have the chance, dont fuse them."
"Titles represent achievements and hurdles in one's life, they're like marks that authenticate your efforts. As such, careless handling may lead to their depreciation rather than an increase in value."
"Evolving them separately through training is the way to go. And once you've reached the end of their paths… Well…"
"I'll leave the choice to you."
As he said that, Dae stretched his arms, satisfied with how much he had already spoken.
"I think this is enough for today. But before I leave… Here, this is yours."
Dae picked up a coin from his inventory. Looking at someone else raise their hand into the air and pull an item from empty space was a rather strange feeling, making Philip realize how unusual his actions had been till now.
He took the coin as he shook those thoughts away from his mind, focusing on the coin's details:
A small golden coin with two symbols on each side, a pen, and an empty scroll, each accompanied by a series of words and symbols he couldn't decipher, even with his language Skills.
[Contract coin
Description: A coin used to initiate a contract between two individuals. Break the coin to bind the contract conditions to each member.
]
Reading its description made Philip immediately realize where this was going. However, he still acted a little oblivious, asking:
"... Do you want to make a contract?"
"Yes, but not for the reasons you're thinking about…"
"How can you be so sure of what I'm thinking?"
"You take me for a fool? Anyone with a sound mind would reach similar conclusions as you right now…"
Philip's eyes narrowed as he scoffed loudly:
"... Well, in my defense. I wasn't the one who proudly revealed my skills and called myself the "Legendary Hero" before everyone on a stage on an alien planet as I posed."
"Ahem!... That wasn't my proudest moment… Mr "Eviscerate"..."
'I didn't even pose…'
Philip flinched for a moment as he looked at the side…
"Seems like someone hasn't fully grown up yet." Dae said with a chuckle as he crossed his arms
"Humph, don't they say men never grow after a certain age? Besides, I mean what I said, I'll use that to its literal definition. So I don't find it unusual…"
"I believe you, truly. You're the kind of guy who'd pull up a gun and point it at someone while speaking in a deeper tone just to sound imposing."
"... I didn't do that."
/Scoff…/
Dae scoffed on the side just like he did moments prior, smirking at Philip as he brushed the subject aside, saying:
"What I meant to say is that a contract can make us rest easy knowing our information is safe. But at the same time, the contract can also protect our minds from being read."
"This coin can create a barrier protecting any information about me in your head from leaking. The reverse also applies."
"So this contract is more so a safety measure for ourselves than anything else. And I plan to have its conditions reflect that as well."
"Hm… So if someone read my mind… Any info about you is going to be protected?"
"Pretty much, but not all, only this deal and our next encounters if we wish."
"The contract terms are simple, dont spill any info about me or what happened in here to anyone under any circumstances unless the other party agrees. The same applying to me."
"This agreement must be done under "safe" conditions, which means I can't brainwash or compel you in any way into agreeing with me."
"And…"
…
Dae said a few more clauses, all of which were meant to protect them in some way or another.
In the end, Philip had little to complain about, so with a silent stare, he let Dae finish his words:
"... And finally, as long as both sides agree to disclose information, we'll be sincere to each other at all times."
"This is to avoid us suspecting each other. That said, there isn't much to worry about as you won't be forced to say something if you dont want to."
"If you feel bad about this clause, I can always change it, however, be aware I'm under the same clauses as you. And between the two of us, who do you think has more to share?"
"..."
"This contract will only last for 6 months. We should have more than enough time to renew it by then."
"What do you think? If you refuse here, I can always just keep the bare minimum conditions for our sakes."
"... Let me consider for a bit."
'While he seems to have threatened me a little with his last statement, I don't think he had any ill intentions… He was only speaking the truth.'
'At the same time, this contract is considerably tilted in my favor… But he's not losing much at all. It's more like… He's trying to get me on his side.'
'He knows much more than he shows, which bothers me, but with the knowledge I got from the books, I'm not as clueless about this world as I was before… Even though I would desire more time to think, for the sake of his trust, I should make a decision right here and now.'
'Although… If he knows the future me, he should be aware of weather to trust me or not; however, the vision of my future self is something one can only cling to so much before it stops having strength. And he knows that.'
'Rather than have him trust me because of a version of me that will never come to be, I'd rather show him that this version of me is trustworthy.'
'Although there's much about the principles of this contract that elude me if he's willing to trust me… Then I'll give him some of mine, too.'
'Even if that may bite me in the ass somewhere down the line.'
'Refusal is not an option here as I can't let someone with the knowledge of the future escape my grasp… And while it's unknown who's controlling who here, I'd rather not remain in the dark.'
'Above all, I have an inkling that by refusing, I will lose far more than anything I could ever possibly attain on my own.'
"... I accept the terms."
/CRACK!/
With his words, the coin momentarily trembled before it levitated, spinning rapidly.
After a few moments, it cracked into two perfectly symmetrical parts that flew into both Philip's and Dae's foreheads, vanishing somewhere beyond sight.
[DING]
[The contract has been made under the collective agreements of both parties]
Dae sighed in relief as he momentarily touched his forehead.
"As I said before, if you break the contract, you will lose the memories of everything we discussed here… Although I find that pretty hard."
'With his Trait, even if the contract is forcibly broken, his memories may remain somewhat intact. But there's little I can do against that… Even more so with what I have in mind for him.'
'He'll end up outgrowing the item's strength in no time. Still, as long as he believes in it, everything will be fine.'
"... I think I will remain here for a little while longer… Test out this new Ability, I have to memorize books. Might as well do something with the rest of the night before I return." He replied with a light nod as he looked around
'I'll try not to be late this time. Can't tell how long the maids and butlers in the Palace will tolerate me breaking the rules like this.'
"Do as you feel like it. Anything right now is better than staying still." Dae said as he got up from his seat
"From now on, I will contact you mentally whenever I have the time so we may resume this conversation. After all, I still have to teach you how to converse telepathically…"
"Still, you should avoid contacting me as well from now on. Leave all of the communication to me."
"I can do that much."
"As we're under the same teacher, we should have quite a few opportunities to interact naturally. However, I'll avoid you any other time as we can't afford too much attention falling on you."
"... Then that's that, Dae… I can call you that, right?"
"Don't treat my name like some sort of curse… No need to be a stranger… I don't follow the Korean way of speaking anyway. Too much formality and pretentiousness."
/Growl…/
Dae's stomach began to rumble, and he held onto it with some pain, closing his eyes as he held the urge to say anything.
"..."
'I was wondering why it was taking so long… He was just holding it.'
'I feel a little bad, but at the same time… I feel like he deserves it.'
"Urg… Huff… Look, try not to spend too much time in here. Just a word of advice."
"A Hero who spends 90% of their free time reading isn't discreet... Go find a hobby or something. There are many training rooms in the gardens, so many it would be hard for others to interrupt you."
"I'll figure it out."
/Nod…/
"N-Next time we meet like this I can start teaching you some useful tricks… So you can begin mastering your Trait."
Dae turned around, walking to the edge of the protective barrier before saying:
"You can keep that thing but make sure no one else sees it…"
"As for the other Titles. I will help you get them later."
Dae walked through the barrier and down the corridor. But he stopped halfway, turning around one last time:
"One more piece of advice. Dont trust Roy that much. Although he is a good guy, he is much more self-centered than you think."
"Not only he but many others are far more cunning than they seem."
"That doesn't mean you should stay away from them, he is a good ally to have… Better to have more people on your side than on the other."
And with those words, Dae left the old library, his footsteps weakly echoing outside as he vanished into the dark woods.
Meanwhile, Philip crossed his arms as he looked outside through an old window, brushing his hair as he sighed loudly:
"... My head hurts…
'So many things were suddenly presented to me in a little less than an hour… Now, I am even more confused about how to progress.'
'... I just need to get stronger for now. Find a way to get a new Class and so on.'
'The Phantom Library has been injected into my mind, meaning I don't need to come here anymore… I can study those books anywhere now, and I can read as many books as I want. But I should take the opportunity to add more volumes into it.'
'There's a lot to go through…'
"What should I read now?"
…
Somewhere deep in the forest, Dae Kyoung returned to the dormitories.
Silently and stealthily, his feet danced in the woods. He was like a ghost, swimming through the leaves…
Eventually, he stopped next to a tree, sweat forming on his skin as he took a deep breath.
"... Phew."
'They almost got me… I shouldn't make such gambles.'
/Buzz…/
Dae looked at his hand which seemed to be phasing in and out of reality.
"This consumes an awfully large amount of energy…"
'Now. I need to make my way back to my room. The maid will wake up anytime now, and things will get problematic if I can't alter her memories.'
'I need her alibi…'
'... Let's hope she isn't resistant to it.'
Since most of the maids and butlers were actually undercover agents, many possessed some sort of resistance skill so they would not leak information to others in the off chance they were captured.
Dae knew that much, otherwise he wouldn't have prepared so much.
'As for him… Things went more smoothly than I expected. Although it was pretty hard to convince him.'
'I spoke far more than I originally intended, but it worked out in the end… Though I hope he may forgive me for not being genuine with my statements.'
'I am sorry, Philip. I didn't want to approach you with lies, but if I hadn't, you might've not believed me.'
'There's still so much to share… But some things need to be left for the future.'
"Pulling a gun on me… What an awful feeling."
'For a moment, I thought I'd have to force him to listen… Which isn't ideal.'
'At this point, with my current abilities, I would likely lose if we were to clash.'
'Worse, I cant even raise my Level for now to try and catch up; it's too much of a waste. I have to improve my qualifications first.'
Dae looked at the distance. The faint lights of the palaces and gardens.
It made him think of the Heroes out there training and growing…
'There's not much I can do about them. If only I could help them see reality… Anyhow, this is just fate. Some will die and others will succeed.'
'It's a shame that some have already started to increase their State by hunting monsters, but if I play my cards right, I can increase their potential without a hitch.'
'This will raise some issues… But it's nothing I'm not prepared to deal with.'
Dae scrambled through his memories, thinking about what he should do right now, he eventually reached an idea, mumbling it to himself:
"I still need to find a way to get him that spot…"
'With that Trait of his, I wonder how long it would take to turn him into a Tier-1 Wizard…'
'It's a little exaggerated to think I can turn him into one within a month… But this much is the minimum for what we're trying to achieve.'
'A Tier-1 Wizard in a month… I think there was an Achievement for that… What was it again?...'
'Nah, it doesn't matter. He only needs the knowledge… Once he reaches the threshold, that should be more than enough for him to get that job.'
'Once he gets inside…'
Dae smiled like an evil vilain, his eyes narrowing as his expression tensed…
"Hehe… I will make you suffer a little for all those years…"
"In the following month, I'll lay the foundation for his future development."
'Be prepared to die several times over… In the meantime, I also need to find the time to get those special items…'
"So much stuff to do and think about… How will I even get inside that place?..."
'I hate this. Are those the only solutions?...'
"Looks like I'll have to give up on some sleep… I will have to borrow from the warehouse again, otherwise I won't last…"
/Pull…/
Dae took out a diary. This was a book that recorded all of his memories from the future so he wouldn't forget them. He wrote it as soon as he came into the past. It's still incomplete, though.
Although he spent the entire day writing it between his meetings with his friends, he barely wrote enough to cover a few months of predictions.
He had multiple years left to fill.
/Flip Flip Flip…/
"Hm... He should be my next target… If I can set him on the right path…"
'But how should I do that? He definitely took a turn for the worst somewhere around now'
Dae suddenly remembered a conversation he had with some of his companions:
—
".."
Inside an old church, a few individuals could be seen discussing the past, each voicing their concerns and experiences, adding up to a large piles of books and parchments as someone with a dark cloak covering their face transcribed their words.
(Image?)
"... Alright, but who else should I pay attention to? Apart from those guys…"
"Hum…"
A tall dark-skinned man was the first to speak, anger and wrath in his voice as he clenched his fists at the mere mention of his name:
"It has to be that guy, right? That darned monster… But even a monster… Began as nothing but a child."
"You must confirm it… Rather or not, that child deserves redemption… Or to be taken down."
"Find him, the Revenger."
"Him?!"
A blond witch was quick to reply, confused at the unexpected name… No, it went beyond confusion…
Indignation.
"Wasn't he just a madman?! How can you even mention him? He was the one that ended up going into…"
"You know what they say… No one is born like that… Somewhere along the line, he was blinded by wrath and anger… After he became a criminal, he was prosecuted by the Crown, and eventually… You know what happened."
"I don't know how he became like that, so rather than preventing his growth… We should prevent him from becoming like that altogether."
"I… Used to know him before he became like that… He's a good person, someone that deserves a second chance… Maybe not now, but back then, no one carries the sins and consequences of the future."
"You must act accordingly. Then, you won't be facing us. You'll be facing our past selves… Everyone changed one way or another. See past your resentment and face all accordingly…"
"Tche! The Revenger? A good person?"
"... Dont talk as if you knew him, witch. He was once my student, yet like many, I thought the troubles of others were unrelated to me… And regardless of what you may all say, I'm not entitled to solve someone else's problems… It remains true that this ignorance led to the creation of a monster."
"If you stand by as someone abuses a dog… Who are you meant to blame once that dog comes bitting back? The owner who made the dog like that?... Don't make me laugh."
"I failed to guide him… That's all there is to it."
"Dont be so down. I will try my best..."
"What I feel doesn't matter. It has been this way ever since we began this journey. The only thing that matters now is completing it… Let's move on to the next subject."
"The day half of us died."
—
"..."
'That's right, the Revenger… But how do I get in contact with him?'
"Hm..."
'Actually, I'll just leave this for later… I've already done enough for a day. I'll just…'
/FRAAAP/
He suddenly placed his hand in his stomach, his face palling…
"Arg! What is happening with my stomach?!"
/PBBBT/
"Holy… I… I think I…"
'Huff… PHILIP YOU…!'
/THPPTPHTPHPHHPH/
'What in the hells did he feed me?!'
/DAASH!/
And so ran Dae… At a speed far beyond what he believed possible for his current body…
His destination? The toilet…
...
/A few hours later/
Philip was now back at his room, reading a letter of thanks written by Petter.
"Ha... Was there a need to write a letter? I know phones arent working anymore but…"
'I guess he is still a little introverted, even after all of that change.'
"They say people change when they are put in a dangerous situation…"
'I wonder, have I changed in any way?...'
"… Today was quite a surprise."
'So many new things… Even that new Skill…'
/Sheen…/
Philip's eyes shined slightly when he used the Skill on the letter:
[Petters handwritten letter
A letter written by Petter, his calligraphy is terrible.
Its contents are relatively simple as he only thanks and says he will repay you.
Although you can see he had trouble writing with a Feather pen.
The paper seems to be made using an archaic method…
]
'Well, this Skill is quite interesting.'
'When I gaze onto an item or a situation, this Skill will use every single piece of information in my head to try and decipher what is going on.'
'Meaning, this Skill can be very, very impressive. But it can also be pretty terrible in other situations.'
'For example, it goes as far as to describe what sort of paper and the type of ink thaat was used on the letter… But was this even necessary?'
'It even speculates what sort of tree and the materials used… Is any of this even accurate at all?'
'This is a Skill that grows in efficacy the more information I have in my head. I can see why only Scholars would gain such a thing…'
'With my Mental library, I can record any books/ information I memorize. I dont even need to waste time comprehending it.'
'It seems incredible, but this may create other complications later down the line… This is because Scholar Vision may use complicated language to describe some subjects. And if I dont even understand the subject… Then no matter how incredible the Skill is, it'll fail at its purpose.'
"That's pretty much it… In 2-3 hours since Dae left the Royal Library, I managed to skim through over thirty books. And I know I can increase those numbers."
'If I can assimilate the information of the Library in my head… Not just that but the others as well, including the Royal Library…'
"It would be like having a super scholar helping me at all times."
'There is no need to worry about me getting dependent on this Skill because I can always read the books stored in the Mental library myself.'
"Although it would take a while to go through all of them… Maybe an entire lifetime to some… That's why it's called Scholar Vision, I suppose."
Philip looked at the bright moons in the sky, turning around as he went to the bathroom.
'Tomorrow our training will start. I wonder what that mad girl will teach us… Is Dae even alright?...'
With those thoughts in his head, Philip showered before napping soundly in his room.
…
.
.
.
Notes
From here on out we'll likely see far more extra edits compared to the previous work as we reach sections that conflict with the new things I added/changed.
Peace!
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