Higher Stages
Well, here it is.
This chapter came with a lot of damn effort I'll tell you holy...
I had to think and think, at least 3-5 days thinking about it.
I think it came out fine, but I always have that feeling something's not right or missing.
Anyway, I hope you liked it, and please, make sure to give me your opinions and suggestions, it'll matter a lot for the next one since I barely even started it.
That's it, thanks for reading.
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/Many hours later…/
'The sunset had already gone by and the moon shone up high, illuminating the city in its glorious splendor…'
'It was already way past midnight, and even the construction workers had left, the maids had gone to sleep, with only a few during night watch.'
'Viera snored on her bed, having a nightmare about a book suffocating her, while Laplabe... His dreams too complex to be explained in words.'
"I can't push this any further." Philip said as he looked down
'As for Philip, he sat somewhere deep within the forest at the back of the Manor.'
'His seat was a small tree stump he had found, cleaned, and smoothed with magic.'
'Next to his fancy seat was a small bottle with some milk inside, together with the occasional 3Am snacks he prepared.'
'After a long yet uneventful day walking around the city, seeing cultural spots, eating some strange food, and doing a few more things, the time to make a choice had arrived.'
[The host has 13 minutes… to make a choice]
It's time to choose...
Why does the System give me such timers? Do they only start when I actually observe the notification? If so, why not just give me infinite time?
Well, who am I to complain?
"Let's see…"
'He opened his system message:'
[1- Race
2- Talent/Potential
3- Skills
4- Title Evolution
5- Path to fulfill the missing Requirements
6- The prospect to the Order of Magic or an Order of Second Magnitude
7- Increase in Authority
8- Communion with a Greater Power
]
'Nothing had changed, but at the same time, he felt a lot had.'
'After a full day to think things through, Philip's head was that much clearer, though it did not make this situation any easier.'
'If more, he understood the weight of each choice even more.'
"The biggest problem is that…"
My Title is still slumbering or whatever… So I'm unsure of what to do.
'Pondering deeply, tapping his foot on the ground, he continued.'
I wanted to waste some time since my workshop was being built and Apex Evolver was undergoing some sort of change…
It was a win-win situation, I had little to do, so why not fulfill my small-time promise and take that girl around the city?
I also took this opportunity to check some things, like seeing how the Dwarf Family was doing, how Rafiel was doing, and even how well those weird Elves I met were going by.
Heh, and I even think that weird dragon noticed me, can't say the same for the girls though.
Regardless, it was a very productive day in its own way.
As for the other matters going in the background... After a full day, neither was done.
The workshop will take at least a few more days, 3 at minimum, 5 at best to be done.
That was obvious, they are making me a whole new building to work at, and I want it to be good, doesn't need to be state of the art, just enough for me to never hit a wall in regards to the quality and complexity of my equipment.
Since I'll be using it for the next 2-3 months? Perhaps even 4 full months, I need it to be pretty decent...
Depends on what I accomplish during that time.
'He took out his small event notebook, taking a slight sneak peek inside.'
"There are a lot of things nearby, it would be a waste for me to just focus on myself for all the time I'm here."
I should at the very least try to seek out some of those things... Such as the remnants of the Dwarves that lived here, and more.
However, it's not like they'll go away either, there is no need for me to stop what I'm doing to seek lost treasures that may not even give me any advantage...
"Apart from being some pretty neat decorations." He said with a sleek smile
While I'm unsure about the other.
'Exhaling in frustration, Philip looked at the ceiling above, which thanks to the strange magic at play, allowed him to see the stars above the ravine.'
"I can't wait anymore, at the very least, I need to have a solid choice to make at the last minute."
I really wanted to just raise my Title since it's at least the one I'm most confident about… If there was even something as simple as Skill Evolution for me again...
Can't go wrong with what was already proven to be effective, right?...
Yet, since that happened, I'll just have to go with the second best… The problem is…
Which one?
'He thought and thought, but after little over a minute, he made his decision.'
"Options 5 to 8 are too out of my league of understanding for me to just confidently go and pick..."
Even when I went to check on MT's archive during the morning, there wasn't a lot of information on what a Sage is, or what a Lord of something is supposed to be.
Not even what Authority is, at least in this context, or what an Order is supposed to signify.
And I expected that it would be too much for such things to appear in publicly accessible libraries unless I'm overestimating their worth.
I asked Laplabe to check the entries left behind by the Principal, but since he's one singular being checking millions of books, it was obvious he didn't find anything at all after a few hours of searching.
"I feel like I'm losing so much due to that..."
His stubbornness is understandable, he was given a task by his late friend, and he wouldn't let himself be taken advantage of.
I already gave the strange tool to Viera, but since we spent most of the time on the streets, she didn't have the opportunity to test it, and I didn't want to push it onto her either.
On the contrary, I tried to somehow contact her teacher in a myriad of ways, all involving her mind as it was the only thing I knew would work...
But the best I got was just reading her mind... I'm too unskilled and oblivious to my own mental abilities to do anything else.
I'll have to see how she goes over the course of the next few days, if she passes his challenges, then I'll be given access to everything inside, and such problems will be no more...
If I ever find myself in a situation where the millions of books collected by the Principals of the best Magic Academy in the continent can't resolve, then I'm in deep shit regardless.
"This is why the fifth choice, the path for the missing requirements does look enticing…"
But I'll go with the belief that the books contained within the storage device hold the key to my problems...
And even if not, a certain guy will lead me to it.
"So I'll just cut those out."
As for the rest…
Talent and potential are good, but I never really choose them.
I was told that out of everything I could choose, despite how incredible it likely is, it was the worst option I could make…
I can see where I would grab it, likely in the rare circumstances where I'm aware of everything, and I don't need anything… So why not?
But that sounds so… Distant.
I don't need Skills either, I'm already hard-pressed to master what I have, and if I end up getting some sort of Super Skill from the System…
It's not even guaranteed it's going to be good, it could even be something detrimental.
Considering what sorts of things are out there, what if I got something that is actively trying to go against my will?
I could be lucky and get something similar to what Dae got, an ability that can breach the rules and allow for some sort of time travel...
Or even something similar to my own Unique Skill...
But that seems a bit too much over the top for a random reward.
"Sigh…"
'As he looked at his Status screen, he exhaled once more before taking a sip of his hot milk.'
"In the end, I'm back to step 1 again…"
I took out everything apart from Title Evolution and… Race.
I didn't want to do it… Such a dangerous route, but neither do I want to risk using Title Evolution on something undergoing a change…
Using it to evolve anything else would be a waste of this opportunity, without a doubt.
Perhaps I could make up for it by using it on my Mental Lord Title... I wonder what would appear then.
While the rest is a tad too complex for me to properly gauge…
"What if I look at this from another perspective?"
"What would I prefer to mess up over the other?"
My incredibly useful Title... Or my race?
"Dammit…"
I complain and complain… But if anyone were to know that this is my third chance to be given these options, they would…
Well, anyone who even knows this is possible, most don't even know the system can reward you like this.
In fact, considering how most can't observe it, how do they choose when they are given the chance to?
Is this exclusive to Heroes?...
"I'm getting off topic."
'Philip's mental state was slightly chaotic as he tried to come up with a solution, but in the end, he went with the extreme one.'
'So to make sure everything would go alright, he went back to the Manor, grabbing MT and bringing it to the forest.'
'He also woke up Laplabe, telling him to get ready.'
'And albeit he was confused, he complied, at least this time he was being warned…'
'The rest was a waiting game, he would wait until the last 10 seconds, and if nothing changed, he would make his choice then.'
…
[The host has 17 seconds left to…]
"..."
'He closed his eyes, he wasn't entirely regretful, he knew how to appreciate his opportunities, nevertheless, he was still a bit down since now, he's treading into unexplored territory… On his own.'
'He may come to truly regret this in the future, but if he is allowed to be a bit arrogant… He believed he would have many more chances to make up for it.'
'Perhaps his actions would boost him even further towards an Impossible existence... Or push him back many steps.'
'Sometimes, one just had to make their own decisions, even if in the grand context of things, its an extremely irrational thought to have.'
'The right word in his case may be... Too soon.'
'The desire to grow surged within him, and he parted his lips to speak…'
"Wait a minute, I almost forgot." Philip said all of a sudden
I need to remove my current Class in order to not affect the results.
I'm unsure what would happen if I start to mix my two Statuses too much, I could even become permanently locked into the Class until I fixed the mistakes, that wouldn't be good at all.
'After making sure he had no Class equipped, hearing that same notification about his destiny and bla bla bla, he proclaimed:'
"I choose race."
[DING!]
'The system alert ranged on his head, it was now too late to go back.'
'He couldn't rely on someone else forever, it was time to pave a path he himself made, with his actions, his own regrets, his own happiness.'
'Instead of being completely unaware of what he did, best to seek his own light…'
'It may sound glorious this way, but if he could, Philip would much rather have the word of a professional than his own, knowledge is passed down so we don't commit the same mistakes twice, so he felt quite iffy in exploring the "unknown" like this...'
'When out there, someone might know the answers to his problems.'
[Choose your Race evolution]
"..."
'Philip gulped dry, his eyes focusing on the next system window.'
[Type-3 Aetherian -> Type-3+ Kulve Aetherian
Type-2 Periscius -> Type-2+ Unhearted -> Type-3 Armere Giant
Type-2+ Xerza -> Type-3 Xerza Deviant
Type-3 Great Human -> Type-3+ Great Human Variant -> Type-4+ *****
Type-4 Mutated bladed Ahatoh (Humanoid form) -> Type-4+ Crystal edge Ahatoh
Type-3 Manuz (Humanoid form) -> Type-3+ Alpha Manuz (Humanoid form) -> Type 4+ Trendux
Type-3 Mental Gazer (Human) -> Type-4 Cognitive Manifestation (Outer form:Human) -> Type 5+ Inverted Daemon
Type-4 Royal Spirit -> Type-5 Nature Wisp -> Type-6 *****
Type-4 Apol -> Type-5 Orcol -> Type-6 *****
Type-3 Reincarnated Seraphim -> Type-4 Awakened Seraphim -> Type-5 *****
Type-1 Human -> Type-2 High Human -> Type-2+ Mutated Human
Type-2 Unnamed -> Type-3? Unnamed -> Type-Undetermined
Type-5+ Lost Dimension Beast -> Type-6+ ***** -> Type 7+ *****
{Type-Out *****}
]
"..."
'Philip's vision went turbid as he gazed at all of the options… Including how they went into their Evolutionary pathways…'
'But he shook his head as he understood what he was seeing.'
Apex Evolver is truly a broken Title, to allow me to see so much ahead, if only I knew what half of this meant.
It also adds a lot of choices for me to pick from, and I take it that the usual is for people to have at most 2 options, though this is highly subjective.
It may be a lot, but I have time to inspect it…
Wait... Time?
'It was then he realized, there was no time limit, this wasn't the first time this happened, back then, he also wasn't given time to choose, but due to the few options, he only truly had one way to go.'
'Out of his 5 options, 2 were monstrous transformations, one was becoming some sort of angel, another was becoming a High Human, and the last one...'
"Is something wrong?" Laplace asked on the side, still confused about the situation
"I would like to know that as well…" Philip said with a slight smile
"..."
Sigh, whatever, no use arguing.
"In any case, it's time to start."
I need to make reason of these before I start weighing my options.
That's why I brought him.
"Can you check the books for anything related to the Aetherian, Periscius, and Xerza?" He asked as he took Laplabe out of his pocket
"Hm? I've never heard of those before… What are they?..."
"Tribes of creatures… Just check it real quick for me, see what you can find…"
"I got that... But first... What's this all about? To wake me up in the middle of the night and ask me to search for what now?"
'Philip got a bit awkward.'
"It's difficult to explain, in simple words, I want to understand what they are about first so I can plan myself for the future."
"... I'll see what I can do, but I can't promise much."
"Your help is more than appreciated." Philip said with a smile
'His face then turned to MT.'
"MT check all of your archives for anything related to the Aetherian, Periscius, and Xerza."
[Understood]
[Processing…]
'Meanwhile, Philip scratched his face, re-reading his options.'
The first 3 options are weird, I can't infer much by their names…
It may even be wrong, considering anything can appear here, even angels, what if there's a mistake with the translation?
Ancient races and other species have their own languages, they may not even have a name for their species as a whole depending on how their culture was structured…
If the mistake doesn't come from the System, something I would find strange, then it could come from the scholar himself.
MT may not commit mistakes, but the people that write the books can.
Regardless, the next choice is… Great Human? I've never heard of this.
Is it the direct evolution of Pure Human?... It doesn't seem to be like that.
Technically speaking, every living Human is the evolution of the Pure Humans, each adapting to their own environments as millennia passed.
Dae spoke about a certain essence, the simple nature of men...
Is this the final result of it then?
But something's wrong.
After Great Humans comes the Variant, not something else, it's as if there isn't a path, and instead, it's just a unique existence within the flock.
Yet, there is something beyond that… But it's censored.
Why?
Still, this brings something to light… Limits?
The Aetherian and Xerza only have 1 direct evolution, is that just how far they can go?
In a similar way to a High Human? In fact, why did the Type-1 Human appear again?
As for the rest… Just what am I seeing...
What is a Bladed Ahatoh? Much less a Mutaded one…
What is a Manuz? It feels like some sort of large mammal for some reason…
Cognitive gazer? Due to my Mental abilities?... Royal Spirit? Is it also due to my newest Spiritual abilities?...
What the fuck is an Apol??
In a span of a few seconds, I made more questions then I did this entire day...
'Scratching his head in confusion, Philip kicked a rock on the ground to vent his frustration.'
"Angels…"
Previously, my evolution was a Judgment Angel, did it increase to a Seraphim now?...
Wow… How great for me… To think this entire evolutionary branch came from that single Blessed Title.
What's even the difference between the two Angels? I barely even knew what a Judgment Angel was, even after researching about them...
Just that it was a "nothing special race" by Dae's standards.
Though… It can evolve up to Type 5, is this not good in his eyes at all?
Well, I still lack some understanding of what Types even are.
I've left the Palace for a little over a month now, and I spent 90% of the time training my abilities, I should definitely study a bit more…
That's why MT is here to save the day!... Hopefully.
"Hm…"
The last 3 options irk me.
[...Type-2 Unnamed…]
Unnamed?... Why would a race have no name…
'Inspiration surged in his mind as he thought of possible examples.'
Unless it wasn't documented in the first place?...
A new race… A "One of a Kind" existence?
I think I'm getting too far ahead of myself here, but it does feel plausible.
The fact this world is admitting to my unique existence, I just need to take the first step…
It's a bit of a gamble, and if I were to take it, just what would change?
If that wasn't enough, what is a Lost Dimension Beast?
And that… Ominous 'Type-Out' race???
'The last option was written in pitch black runes, similar to the ones written on his Title 'Judicator's Attention'.'
'Are they possibly related?'
[Processing done]
"What? I barely started." Laplabe said grumpily
Damn machine, I can understand now why he's so fixated on giving it access to the books, it's just too damn...
"Don't get upset, MT was made to be efficient."
"That hurts in some strange ways…"
In the end, what hurts me more is that I can't mimic it... Too complex... In a different way from the complexity of another body.
Tsk! I won't give up like this!
'Ignoring the Mimic and its silent resolution, Philip turned to the machine.'
"Show me what you got!"
[Displaying results… Simplifying…]
'A large screen was projected above MT, illuminating the dark forest slightly.'
[Total entries, 7]
"Wha... What?"
"7 entries out of several million books?... Just how forgotten are these guys?" He asked as he raised an eyebrow
An entry could even be as small as a small mention in a book, it doesn't mean they have 7 full books written about them.
So it's even smaller than you could even imagine, though it could also be very big since as long as one of those entries ends up as a full book...
[Starting with the Aetherians]
[They were an ancient Human civilization that settled somewhere around the SouthWestern corner of the Continent in ancient times]
"SouthWestern?..."
Isn't that the section that's sealed off?
[Taking the foundation of the Human Kingdom 1000 years ago as year 0, they formed a great civilization around -2230 to -1710 until they were eventually taken down by tribal conflicts, it's speculated they were ended by other Humans of the time]
[This is likely due to their specifications, Aetherians are believed to be one of the earliest forms of modern Humans, as their remnants spread as far as -3700]
[Though it debated if modern Humans were in fact originated from them as there are signs of modern Humans that go much further back in time, so the accepted theory is that they were a variant form of Humans that grew alongside them]
[The reason why they were classified as a Variant species was due to their incredible Mental Abilities that put them aside from others]
[Aetherians were born with a small gem encrusted on their foreheads, and through it, even a small child could manifest its mind into the world]
[It is debated if they were actually Humans at all]
[Continue?]
"... This is enough about them, go to the next one."
An interesting bunch, though given how they appeared here, it's likely they are indeed related to Humans in a deeper spectrum than what's believed.
[Periscius were also an ancient Human civilization, settling somewhere in the North, it is rumored they set their roots somewhere near the great Elven Forests]
[They formed a scattered, yet culturally rich civilization from around -3000 to 0 when they were eventually taken down during the Great War around 1000 years ago together with all other Human settlements in the Northern section of the Continent]
[Their classification is very similar to the Aetherians, believed to have grown together with the current modern Humans]
[Members of the Periscus race were believed to be born with Great innate strength]
[With their average height nearing 2.5M, an adult Periscius could beat an Elder Cyclops in single combat, without weapons]
[Though this is believed to be an extremely exaggerated fact]
[Most of their relics have disappeared, as it's believed the Elves burned it all in retaliation following the Great War, with the rest likely undergoing the same fate at the hands of neighboring intelligent species]
[From here on out, information is deemed extremely racist and too biased to be shared, its veracity is dubius]
[Continue?]
"... I don't care about the rest, just move on." Philip said with a frown
A tribe with great strength... How interesting.
They say Humans are relatively weak in the grand scheme of things, as they aren't really good at that many things, apart from reproduction.
But the truth may just be that the capable Humans were just wiped out, leaving behind the more... Common strand.
[Information about the Xerza is too inconclusive to specify anything about their habits, their culture, to even their time of existence]
[The only thing worth talking about is that they formed a civilization somewhere around the center of the South portion of the Continent, right in the Middle of modern Human territory]
"In the middle?"
Interesting, if so, they could be possible contenders for being the people that left those ruins back in the Palace of the Heroes... And as such, the makers of the relics that gave everyone their powers.
Though that is considerably further NorthEast compared to their presumed area.
'He stopped thinking, listening to the rest:'
[They were famed for their great Spiritual Abilities, some of which would rival modern Elves]
[Some scattered documents seem to attest the contrary rather strongly, but they were written by Elves, so it also falls under possible biased content]
[Overall, it seems they were above the Elven Average in terms of Spiritual Alignment based on the few recorded feats, however, the absolute lack of any conclusive information makes this nothing but an assumption]
[End of search]
"I see… 3 Human races… Each very different from the other…"
One that was very strong, one that had extreme mental abilities, and one that had extreme Spiritual Abilities… Especially when you compare them with modern men.
Most modern Humans are untalented to Magic, or anything of the sort.
It takes long families to have a certain decent bloodline and they rely on their children reaching high stages and marrying equally powerful and talented people to maintain the talent of their bloodline.
Sometimes they may even mix in other races' bloodlines.
Exceptions exist, such as Viera, but they are rare.
And if Humans are bad at magic, they are even worse at Spiritual matters…
Our physical strength is also nothing special, still, we are certainly stronger than Elves, though we lose at everything else apart from, once again, reproduction.
While Dwarves have more muscle mass for their body frame, if a Dwarf was the size of a normal man, they would have over twice as much physical strength.
They are like bodybuilders compressed into a smaller frame.
"Hm… I see a pattern." Philip said with a smile
Pure Humans are the source, so these are… Some of the species that came after them?
Branches of the same tree.
If they developed alongside modern Humans or not… There is a lot left to learn.
Because as you can see... High Human appeared again... Together with even Type 1 Human...
This may seem strange and redundant, but I may have an explanation for it.
I came to this world as an incomplete Type 1 Human, before I was 'fixed' into the standard Type 1, following that I became a Type 1 Pure Human, the fabled originator...
But if you take into consideration the fact I came from another world with different lineages and history, then it may become a bit simpler to understand that I didn't devolve, but instead, I evolved into a Pure Human from this world... Yeah?
'Philip had to think a bit before continuing.'
Otherwise, it would be strange to think I went back only to return to the same place.
Unless of course, this is the world telling me that I can always just go back to the standard, then this small shower thought can just be sent down the drain.
An eternal Cycle of me being able to go back to the source and back to the standard as many times as I wish... How terrible.
"I'm satisfied with these, so next…"
"Wait a minute, I haven't found anything yet…" Laplabe said pitifully
"It's okay, just keep looking, if you find anything, just hit me up, I'll add a few more so keep an eye out."
"... I'm doing you a favor ya hear me? You can't keep asking me to give you free information."
"I know, but this time, it's really important."
"..."
Damn brat.
"Anyway... MT Check for me everything you have about Great Humans, not as a Title, but as a race."
"Also, do the same, but for bladed Ahatoh, Manuz, and Apols…"
I don't really care about the Cognitive Gazer and Royal Spirit paths.
I'm 90% sure the first one is the evolution of the Mental Construct, the race I was given as a choice in the past, while the second one is pretty self-explanatory.
I don't want to become a Spirit, regardless of its benefits.
Reincarnated Seraphim is the same, sorry but, I did a little research about Angels, and in general, they are mostly associated with a "Divine" being.
In essence, Angels are a species that were made to serve the Gods, and even if extremely powerful, they do seem to have a big limitation…
Unless I can somehow unbind myself from them...
Though I wonder, if I became an angel, just who would be my Patron?
Would I even have one? Become an unbound angel?
Regardless, it doesn't seem like the right path to follow.
[Processing…]
…
/A minute later…/
[Processing done]
[Displaying results… Simplifying…]
[Total entries, approximately 103 thousand entries]
"Wow… What a difference…"
From less than 10 to over 100 thousand...
Is there some sort of reason why there are such discrepancies?
Someone ought to make some research on those ancient species and record their civilizations, one way or another... At least mention them more than just... 7 times.
[Starting with the Great Humans]
[There are 9 mentions of Humans that were said to be unique from their fellow counterparts to be given the name of 'Great', and whose records are sufficient enough to not be one-time isolated occurrences or some sort of Title]
[In this sense, most of the archives associated with the Great Humans are technically prevenient from Folklore, but the people they're tied to were very much real, as far as records point out]
[Going by the most recent to the most distant…]
[300 years ago, the Great Human Hero Kalypso, the one who felled the Demon Emperor without any preparation whatsoever]
[400 years ago, the Great Human Hero Ceri]
[400 years ago, the Great Human Hero Erieto]
[400 years ago, the daughter of the two Great Heroes, Lavander]
[1000 years ago, the first Hero to have been summoned and whose name now marks the Draly-Apyer Empire, Apyer, the man that carved down the path]
[1000 years ago, the man that united all Southern Humans and founded the current Empire, the first Emperor, Drally Gull of the nascent Sun]
[During an undisclosed time over 1000 years ago, there was a woman who pulled down the Moon and found out what lay in its dark side, the Great Human Astrologer whose name has been lost to time]
[And lastly, during Ancient times, the inquisitive boy that questioned the authority of the Stars, Adam]
[Continue?]
"Hm, interes… Wait, did you just say Adam?" Philip asked with a frown
[Ad-am, as in…]
"No no, I don't need the grammar explanation for it…" Philip said with a frown
'He grabbed his nose bridge as his expression turned serious.'
Am I just overthinking things? It's not like some names are unusual, nor is this the first time I've somehow met with similar names from Earth...
The translation tool will often translate the native names into Earth's counterparts…
And although MT is speaking in the native tongue… Why is it...?
In the end, their stories are too far apart to be true… It must be that one rare coincidence.
"Great Humans seem to be the true Apex of our species, beyond even High Humans."
It's a shame I can't fully see it, but I have the suspicion they are related, just not in a completely direct way as High Human doesn't just become Great, then mutate first, as if that's the only way for them to grow any further.
It's interesting to see this choice given to me… And also to see what lies ahead of it.
Though why is one of the paths censored?
I still have some questions, like how does one become a Great Human in the first place?
I can use myself as an example, but that doesn't sound so easy to replicate...
Well... There were only a few mentions of such Humans throughout history.
Yet that wouldn't remove my curiosity about the other cases, especially the last one, albeit that is mostly due to my morbid curiosity then anything else.
"I hate these types of questions… Continue please."
[Bladed Ahatohs are a rare type of Greater Demonic being that came during the Great Demon Invasion 400 years ago, and a few more were sighted during the Demon Emperor's ascension 300 years ago]
[According to the Royal beasts' Institution, they are given a Danger Level of 8, some mutated ones can surpass that easily and breach the Danger Level of 10]
[Though believed to be extinct after successive excursions into the contaminated territories, while alive, they were greatly feared across the Allied Nation armies]
[Not exactly cohesive as a race, and as such, not given the classification of Pure Demons, during the invasion, one of the named disasters that plagued the lands and slew tens of thousands under the orders of the Demon King was a bladed Ahatoh]
[This particular Bladed Ahatoh was a mutated variant called Crystal edge Ahatoh, the only one ever recorded, and likely the true form of the species, possessing enough sapience to be called a Pure-breed, and it would be given such a classification if its inherent qualities were passed down to its offspring]
[But they were never passed down, as such there are no conclusive information as long as no proof of their existence is found]
[As for their abilities, Bladed Ahatohs are humanoid in shape, and take great interest in all sorts of sharp objects, possessing gargantuan strength, speed, precision, talent for combat, and decision making]
[They were almost unbeatable in single combat, and there are a few records of past Heroes dying to their stained blades]
[Apart from natural birth, something that is very poorly recorded, there is another way they may come into existence]
[When talented and sufficiently strong warriors are exposed to the corrosive Miasma, there is a certain chance they may mutate and become a Unique variant of this species]
[It is speculated one may need a sufficiently strong and attuned body for that to occur as corrosive Miasma has been shown to transform living organisms into a myriad of things, so the proper conditions are left undertermined]
[Continue?]
"So there was such a creature…" Philip said in wonder
The Heroes of the past had it rough, especially when you consider they were summoned in smaller numbers, during times when the crown wasn't exactly lenient with how they handled things...
Even if in higher quantities compared to the other races.
For this being to have killed several… Is impressive, though the context remains to dictate how impressive that truly was.
I bet if one was to be here right now, it would be able to kill all of the Heroes, would that be impressive then?
But this one seems like a bust, becoming a feared demonic existence doesn't seem a good path at all.
Heh, it isn't even the Demon King's race, pathetic!
/Chuckle.../
"Continue to the next one."
[Manuz is the name given to a creature that has shed its everything in order to become more attuned to the essential energy behind Magic]
[It's also the name given to creatures that are born when extreme quantities of it are gathered in confined spaces, and when certain conditions are met]
[Very poorly documented due to its extremely short lifespan, with some documents affirming that a Manuz will spontaneously evaporate immediately the moment it leaves its birthplace]
[As such, they are given the unofficial name of 'World's most favorite, hated child']
[Continue?]
"Shit..."
What a death trap.
To give up everything you are to become one with… And for what?
I don't doubt there was one crazy son of a bitch wizard that did it… How long did he last? And for what? Did he succeed in what he was searching for?
What people will do to reach their goals...
"Next, it's getting late, I need to sleep." He said with a yawn
I'm trying to go back to a normal sleeping schedule, and staying up late like this doesn't really help much.
[Apols are one of the Mysteries of the world]
"The what now?" Philip asked with a surprised expression
What a way to start a presentation.
[Explaining what an Apol is in itself a convoluted thing]
[They are both a phenomenon and a being at the same time]
[First recorded when an Ancient Magician tried to tap into the Soul, an Apol is the physical manifestation of such an attempt]
[Apols are virtually, a mystery, but as beings formed by the same principles of a Soul, they interact with the world in strange and unpredictable ways]
[They can be said to be the result of a Soul brought into the physical world, but they can't be confused with it, as they are something else]
[Apols can also manifest in areas of extreme spiritual purity, such areas being, the highest point of the Never Ending mountain, the mythical moving island Herbatef, and more]
[Though most of those are based on folklore rather than true observations]
[On that note, one of those came from the Elves, as they attest that the deepest point of their home forest can naturally generate Apols, though no proof for such claims was ever documented, at least within my database]
[End of search]
"Interesting, this world is so bizarre in so many ways…"
A being made out of the same substance as a Soul? Mark me impressed.
It's not like it's strange to see a Soul move out of its body, but imagine that in this process, something else just pops into existence?
Now that would be weird.
"They look more like a Spirit... Just for Souls?"
[They can be interpreted in that manner, even if not entirely correct]
"Hm..."
There are still 3 more to go…
I don't think I need to go over the unknown race, and Type-out...
"Search for me, Lost Dimension Beast."
[Processing...]
'But before Philip even had the time to take a last sip of his milk, MT replied:'
[Processing done]
"That was fast."
[Displaying results… Simplifying…]
[Total entries, 1]
"That's even less!"
1 damn entry? Is this the legendary book that the character finds and becomes invincible?...
Hum, on that note, did I scan something like that?... I do have one thing I regret about this, the scan can indeed copy the contents of a book, but it can't replicate things like enchantments or the circuits layered upon it.
So some of those were just straight out lost, which is a shame.
[All information regarding this strange creature comes from a report log from the diary of a nameless magician during an experiment towards his Magic Thesis 33 years ago]
"That's rather close by in time, perhaps the man still lives!"
[Some of the entries of his Journal have been removed, and the rest has been transcribed onto a singular book]
[Possibility of the information within being altered, Extremely High]
[Displaying meaningful journal entries]
["-Day 139 of my continuous probing attempt."]
["-Fixed all of the damn measuring problems, this time, the coordinates will point to the right spot... Hopefully, as I spent the last bit of my monthly expenditures on these new gadgets, and despite them being necessary, I can't shake the feeling that I was ripped off, I've written his name... Kikifer Sersasius, damn Gnome, I'll remember your name as I eat black bread during the remainder of this month!"]
["-Regardless, the strange signals I've been receiving ever since I tuned the 'Observer' to these values, today I'll find out what they are."]
["-I've taken all possible preparations in case things go haywire, I'll list them here..."]
["-Time to start..."]
["-Day 140... I've... fo-ind... o~ut... what the... shigunals... were..."]
[Notes too scrambled and mostly devoid of meaning]
["-Day 141... It's a bit difficult to write, my body is still under the effect of the past experiment, I should probably rewrite my past notes, I remember fully what I experienced, and despite me finding my notes amusing, future me will likely have a heart attack if I forget to do it, so I'll write them on the next page."]
[Page missing for the most part]
["-Day 142... I still can't stop thinking about that... It was some sort of... Thing, sleeping in between the layers... That goes against everything I know."]
["-When hypothetically speaking, nothing was supposed to exist in between the dimensions, I found something slumbering within, initially thought to be some chaotic disturbance, the focus point of my research, I found... That."]
["-Something lost beyond the barrier of this world, I'm greatly amazed, yet extremely fearful, I'll share my findings with the old master, perhaps he might know what that was."]
["-Day 145... Anyway, my research ends here, I've packed my things and I'm ready to just welcome my new life as an Archmage, I thought it would be glorious, but I've realized why the old master was always so grumpy..."]
["-The cost of research materials and a specialized lab are so damn exorbitant! They're blatantly ripping everyone off! Firstly..."]
[End of the logs related to the case]
"That was all?" Philip asked as MT showed him the full diary
Just a bunch of entries about a wizard doing an experiment... All of the entries that properly explain what he did and how were removed, so it's impossible to replicate it.
This looks more like some sort of horror book than anything, but when you read the rest, it becomes more of an autobiography.
If I only show her this part of the logs, Viera might even have difficulty sleeping after reading this, she may just throw away researching for a while...
/Chuckles.../
Regardless, I have a big question as to why such a thing appeared to me.
It seems so damn distant from what I actually am, some sort of eldrich existence living beyond the confines of spacetime?...
"It just shows to prove that in this world, there are things gazing at you from the dark..."
"It certainly gave me the creeps." Laplabe mumbled all of a sudden
"Were you paying attention?"
"I did stop to listen for a few moments."
"So? Do you believe in that diary?" Philip asked with some curiosity
"I do, it's very coherent, and also not outside of the realm of possibilities."
"A strange creature that can make a grown man cry in fear? There are many such things in this world, I don't see how its condition invalidates its existence."
"The only thing we should do is hope we don't meet anything as dangerous as it in the future."
"..."
You just had to say that, did you?
'With a helpless expression, Philip turned to his choices once more.'
'Everything was now laid bare, what should he do now?'
...
.
.
.
Notes
I truly wanted to write more, I wanted to finish this sequence within this chapter, so we could just slap in that... "And so, many days passed" and start the timeskip.
But oh well, here we are.
I did some edits in the middle, so there may be some incongruencies, hopefully, someone will point it out to me because if I do edit it again, I'll likely clear out half of this chapter's comments.
Make sure to tell me your opinions, especially what race he should choose!
I'll write the next chapter based on that, so please, opinions are welcomed.
Anyway, peace.
PS: This chapter was also hard to write because of all the foreshadowing I made.
I also tried to make it all in line with the power levels of the story, but as always, subjective to change.