Open Status

I'll try to post these every odd day, but do understand that editing this properly takes three to four hours the minimum, and this is me being super fast and having nothing to do the entire day.

I started this around five p.m., and although I stopped to eat, shower, and play a little, it's now half past 12 a.m.

Anyhow... The reception to the previous chapter was incredible, with over three thousand views and two hundred collections in one day; thank you all!

Let's proceed, shall we? (8K words)

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One of the maids made her way to Philip.

"Honored guest, would you like something to drink?"

"..."

'… Do I take it?... They might have put something in it… Haa.'

'When did I become so paranoid? Sheesh… Unless there are issues with the microbes…'

"Thank you. I'll accept it."

"Oh! It's nothing. Would you like tea or some water?"

"Water… I am not in the mood for tea."

'Her speech's a little funny. Is this due to what that old man did? I feel as if her words are muffled. A problem with translation, perhaps?'

"Understood."

/Pour…/

She skillfully picked a teacup and filled it with water.

The water was crystalline and even smelled… Fresh?

"Would you like something to eat as well?"

"No. I'm fine."

'I was rather awkward but I managed to keep my cool somehow. I think…'

'These damn beautiful maids… A honey trap? No… I'm thinking too much… I hope…'

'Beauty standards were different back in the day, what's to say theirs are the same?'

/Sip/

"Ahhh…"

'The water is cool and refreshing, and some of my headaches went away as well. This is certainly not normal water, but it doesn't seem harmful.'

"..."

Throughout this process, the Maid stood there, gazing at Philip with a gentle expression.

'Why is she looking at me?'

'Focus… This must be standard procedure. Think. How would a maid act? How should I reply?...'

Philip finished drinking his water, saying:

"May I have another?"

"On the way!"

She seemed genuinely happy to be of service.

…

/Sip/

While Philip drank his water, he looked at the other students, checking the situation. 

Most seemed to have calmed down while some of the teachers seemed to be trying to get information out of the guards and Maids, but they didn't budge.

Some screamed, others clamored for their constitutional rights, saying things like "I will call the police", "free us", and so on.

Some tried to call the police with their phones, some just fell unconscious on the floor due to stress, some hyperventilated and some just straight tried to run away.

Nothing worth looking at.

'I'm losing my focus merely by looking at them, what a bunch of fools.'

'They say one's true self appears when given money, power, influence… That they'll show what they truly value when they're stressed beyond the limit.'

'Guess they were right to some extent. But one's ugliness is not the extent of their being.'

A few others did try to be more formal and put some thought into their actions.

One of the University students tried to go talk face to face with the king. Alas, he forgot to consider the man was, for the lack of better words, a ruler. 

Hence, for his lack of etiquette, he was shot down by the red knight as a result.

It wasn't like he was respectful either. For his lack of courtesy, he now remains on the ground unconscious.

Philip envied him somewhat, since one of the Maids approached him, putting a pillow under his head and a blanket over his body…

Better to sleep soundly than to listen to these bunch of morons.

/Chatter chatter…/

The rich kids on the other hand were incredibly comfortable. They asked for the maids to set up a mat on the ground where they were currently resting, drinking, and eating.

Even more, the Maids seemed to realize their upbringing, remaining by their side as they ate, quickly adapting to their mannerisms.

/Stutter…/

Meanwhile, the geeks were acting rather awkwardly to the cute maids, having difficulty with their words.

Each was having their own reactions to everything that was going on.

"Thank you. I am satisfied for now."

'Please go away, you're suffocating me.'

Maybe she heard him, or maybe she just felt it was time to go.

The maid replied with a small bow:

"Understood sir."

As she left, her dress waving in the wind, Philip touched his temples, trying to make sense of what was going on.

"This is either the greatest prank of all time or everything is real…"

Deep down, Philip already believed this all to be real, but until he fully understood what was going on, he had to make the others believe he was confused.

He wasn't the only one who thought that though… As seemingly several individuals around him had already shown signs of acceptance and were now observing their surroundings as well.

/TUM...TUM...TUMM.../

From a long hallway on the right side of the throne room. A massive circular structure was slowly pushed forward by what Philip could only describe as a floating mat.

/HUM…/

The mat made a faint humming sound from time to time as it moved, showing the hall in a weak, somber echo.

/CLAP!/

The king clapped his hands to attract their attention. It was the signal they've been waiting for.

With it, the maids got up and left after greeting them one last time, standing in a row to the left of the throne room, waiting for their next orders.

"Now, has everyone calm down? I hope so." Rebifos said deeply as he stepped out of his seat, going down to their level

"I am now going to explain everything to you all and I will only repeat this once, so pay attention! I only request that you all listen before asking questions since I don't like getting interrupted for no reason."

"I'll answer your doubts soon enough."

"..."

'It's here.'

Philip could feel it, the start of his adventure… Or Hell.

"First things first. NO! This isn't a dream, nor is it a stage nor anything you are imagining. This is real. Vivid."

"I am the ruler of this land, you may refer to me as Rebifos…"

"His Majesty, Emperor Rebifos Rarma Draly the Sixth to be precise." The man standing next to the throne said as he adjusted his glasses 

"That's too long Lupio, I only need them to remember my first name for now." Rebifos replied with a scoff as he turned back to them

"Where was I? Right… You were all transported from your homeworld to ours by the use of an ancient artifact of our kingdom, an ancient ritual repeated numerous times across time."

"Today, this ritual repeats itself. Be proud! You are the chosen ones! Meant to rise above all others!"

"Do not be alarmed for Fate is to be conquered!"

/Whispers/

Everyone was… Confused. Philip included.

Aside from a few, but they were better ignored as they weren't right in the head either.

"But why you all? And for what purpose? You might be thinking that you aren't special. Not special enough to be transported to another world at the very least."

"The reasons are numerous as well. Tradition being the biggest one; Development being the second biggest."

"Every one hundred years we make the summoning even if we don't need Heroes."

"But that never happened, heroes are always in need. Always in high demand." He said as he turned to the left, gazing at the tall pillars carved with depictions of angels and strange beings none could recognize

"You were all chosen not by me. But by the Gods."

"I know this may sound… Strange, depending on the world you came from. But here, we believe in the Three Great Gods and they are of unparalleled importance to our day-to-day life, I hope you may all embrace their beliefs as well for we shall embrace yours as well."

"The Emerald Sun Empire does not discriminate in this department."

"..."

'No thanks.'

Philip was quick to cross that line in his mental notepad, knowing full well what religion could do with someone.

It was better to just look away than to dwell on whatever beliefs they had.

"But what is the job of a Hero? Fight? Lead? Guide others?" The Emperor asked as he walked back to his throne

"Do not be mistaken, you aren't Heroes yet. You're all a long way from that."

"A Hero's main purpose is to protect the stability of our kingdom, even more, when you consider we are the only Human Kingdom on this continent."

"This Kingdom may not be nothing to you now, but you'll all soon realize it's your only home, the only place where you can be truly… Free."

"And yes, this means there are other races. I am saying this since we once summoned Heroes from a world without them, so I hope you all understand my point here."

"The Empire welcomes you all, but the world outside will not. And given your destiny, why not aid us in fighting for a better future?"

"..."

Philip's attention, however, was elsewhere.

'... How many Worlds are out there? How many times has this process repeated?'

'Was the old man also a summoned hero?... That would explain some things. But not all. He said every 100 years, but old man Vista is 110. Was he summoned when he was 10?'

'Time difference or some shit? Or was he really unlucky to be summoned as a small child? I feel sorry for the Department Heads for having to put up with this mess despite their advanced age.'

'Also, he said "this" continent. Meaning there are others out there…'

Philip was beginning to paint a picture of the lands.

"To strive to maintain the balance between all of the races, and to help the Human race prosper. This is the job of a Human Hero."

"..."

'... "Human Hero" Huh… He is clearly drawing lines here.'

'Not that I don't understand him.'

"This is just a superficial explanation anyway. Don't worry as you will all learn more later."

"But first, let's start the "Assimilation"."

"!"

'This word!... It's the one old man Vista told me about.'

'I imagine it has something to do with that big ass thing they pushed here.'

Philip closed his eyes, pulling back Vista's words from the back of his mind…

"... But I need to say it like this because of the "Assimilation" changes..."

"The Gods oversee everything, watching over us and granting us their blessings. This is so we can improve and develop as a race. But it's also so that we may defend ourselves from disasters."

"This is a relic from a time long forgotten, capable of Assimilating Humans from other worlds into our own. It's also capable of granting them a special privilege known as a "Heroic role"."

"Why not use it on ourselves instead of calling Humans from far away?" He asked out loud as he looked at his hands

"That is a very obvious question. It's answer lies in ourselves."

"From the day we are born, we receive a mark, this mark classifies us as residents of this realm. It's also when we receive access to our "role".

"Hence, we can't use this artifact, because we already have our own roles. We don't need it…"

"Yet, very rarely, a Human is born without a role attached to him. We call these Humans, "Fateless", the abandoned, those forgotten by the Heavens."

"To be without Fate, is to have no future. "Zero Fate", because their destiny has yet to be made by the Gods."

"But without Fate, one cannot predict where their road will take them. They can rise to become Mythical heroes or fall to become diabolic demons. But it's almost certain they will become something."

"Everyone will eventually reach the end of their roads."

"One of our ancestors was once such a being… But his tale shall be left for another day."

"His conquest marked the birth of this Empire, but we're not here for history lessons."

"..."

'Interesting… So they have a mark on their souls/bodies that classify them as residents of this world? Who makes those marks anyway? Is it a metaphor? Something embedded in their genes?...'

'In other terms... They already have their own "Account" so they can't use the machine to get a "Boosted" one?'

'I think I understand...'

'But what he said before… "Assimilate into our own world"... What happens to our old world then? What about our own mark? Will it vanish? Be replaced?...'

'Or we don't have one because there is no such system in place there?'

'He's hiding far too many things. And he's lying too.. Well not quite. But they can definitely affect far more than he makes us believe.'

'Back in Vista's video, he lost his patience as someone began interfering with his video. It could've been someone else, a completely different group. Maybe he wasn't even mentioning these people at all.'

'But until then, I'll have to take whatever they say with a grain of salt.'

"Hm… I've said enough. Lupio, you take it from here, I am getting tired." Rebifos said as he got up from his seat

"Understood your Majesty, I'll get them ready in the meantime."

/Nod…/

The red knight then escorted the king out of the throne room.

"... Ahem. As you all have heard, the number of things that need clarification is just far too numerous for a single session. And as I am sure none of you would be keen on staying up for over an hour, let's start the Assimilation."

"For the introductions, I'm the Head noble of the Empire, Skypos Lupio Hyl. We can leave the rest for later."

/Raise…/

He was about to make a gesture to the guards when one of the school students raised their hand:

The butler was confused by such a gesture but he soon identified its meaning. Smiling faintly.

"What an interesting way to get attention… Yes miss, what is your question?"

"Can we go home instead?"

"... The killer question… No wonder his majesty left…"

"Would you let me answer this question later? It's not that you can't go back, it's just that… Sigh. It's hard to explain. Please, just follow along for now."

She nodded.

"..."

'Quite the understanding and courageous girl… After the red knight's show of power, few even dared to breathe too loudly in his presence.'

He looked at her, memorizing her appearance.

'She's one of the pretty and mean girls. Perhaps they aren't as mean as I labeled them… Well, courage has nothing to do with that.'

"Now… Hate me if you must, but today, you'll all be undertaking the Assimilation. So pardon my rudeness." He said as he gestured to the knights, having them slam the bottom of their spears on the ground

/Clang!/

"..."

'I wasn't expecting an easy way out, but this is a bit forceful… Since old man Vista mentioned nothing of this, I'll take it there's nothing wrong with participating in this… Ceremony.'

"So! The only thing I need you all to do is to get close to the "ball". Nothing else."

"We will do the rest… And please. Remain close; otherwise, you may not receive a "role," and reactivating this machine is several times more expensive than bringing you all here."

"In other words, you have only one shot at this. You may fear it now, but you'll eventually regret not stepping closer to it."

"You'll have no one to blame but yourself."

/Silence…/

No one replied, letting him continue:

"It takes around 5-10 years of tax collection just for this… And it's been getting harder due those issues at the borders…"

"That's why we only do this once every one hundred years."

"This shall be my first and last time doing this. And just like his Majesty, I would prefer if nothing went wrong."

/Cling clink…/

As he said that, several of the Purple Knights began moving the summons to the floating, ball-shaped object.

/Frown…/

As he approached the object, Philip noticed that instead of being spherical, it was made of multiple metal rings that intertwined with a strange object at their center. 

He could even see some small symbols in them, like runes or circuit paths etched on magical weapons and armor from fiction…

It looked complex. It likely was.

'Fascinating.'

(Image?)

They crossed into a small circle painted on the ground as they approached it.

When did they even paint that? Philip thought to himself as he looked at the ground…

"Just relax and wait for the Head Noble's call. Don't leave the circle under any circumstances." The knights spoke in similar tones as they stood guard around the machine

"..."

'It seems like I wasn't the only one who thought about approaching the machine.'

'There's an extra red line close to it, I imagine it's the limit we can approach it. In fact, I don't think they've realized it yet, but an invisible barrier prevents us from advancing any further.'

'Could another barrier on the outer ring prevent us from escaping? This is getting worse and worse…'

"You may feel nauseated. But that is but a common side effect. But if you feel pain, inform us immediately." Lupio said as he put his hands behind his back

"We're starting in three… two…"

"..."

Everyone awaited in silence.

For the beginning of their story.

"One…"

/CREEEEK!/

The echoes of metal scraping reverberated throughout the hall as the metal circles slowly alighted with each other, showing what was inside the ball.

It was challenging to explain. It was like a spire of glass tubes connected to each other?

The tubes glistened under the lights, or were they lightning up naturally?

What were they even made of? Philip swore he heard a voice coming from them…

Was it a trick of his imagination?

(Image?)

[Initiating...]

At that moment, the most bizarre of feelings assaulted Philip.

A voice rang inside his mind. It felt… Strange. It was different from before. This time, the voice was unmistakable.

It seemed to speak with him but not at the same time. It sought something he could not describe, something only it knew how to look for.

'What the…'

Philip saw how a few suddenly flinched in hesitation, some even running away in fear… 

/Push/

But the purple knights were there to knock anyone out before they could leave the circle. But they only did that if you resisted. Otherwise, they only pushed everyone back with their heavy and wide bodies.

[Detecting the presence of Type-1 incomplete Human...]

[Initiating Prometheus sub-routine…]

/Shine…/

Philip felt a warm feeling rising deep in my stomach; it was strange, as if he had drunk some hot alcohol.

Upon touching his chest, he noticed a faint wisp of light shining underneath his skin.

'This… Doesn't look good…'

/DING!/

[Would you like to receive the assimilation? Warning. Refusing may result in permanent Soul damage]

"..."

'… It doesn't look like I have a choice… Again.'

'Yes?'

Philip was confused, not knowing how to reply.

/Chatter…/

He heard others confirm, and a few considered denying it. But whenever they tried to do so, they were knocked out by an invisible force.

It seemed even denial wasn't a possibility in this place.

'... Now what?'

[Confirmation detected. Initiating Assimilation...]

/Bzzz!!/

"!!"

An electrifying feeling spread around his body, it was a funny, wormy feeling. 

As his body grew weak, he almost fell to the ground, but he remained still by relying on the invisible barrier.

/Bzz…/

This continued for around a minute, but Philip could very well say it was an eternity.

This was many times worse than getting a dormant foot in the bathroom.

[Assimilation ended… Looking for a proper display method...]

'Oh?... That was quick. It seems I was thinking too much.'

/Manifest…/

The feeling slowly went away, and in its place, a strange blue window appeared in the air.

'Still… That was so surreal. I thought I was going to lose control of my body. It was uncomfortable but not painful.'

'An extreme level of relaxation, as if I was about to piss myself… But I held on.'

/Sniff sniff/

'Blerg! This smell! Looks like not everyone managed to do the same…'

Philip looked at his back to see… Chaos unfolding.

There were people on the ground crying and others that were utterly unconscious, adding to the many others that passed out before.

Many had pissed themselves, some even…

"Damn!…" He cursed out loud as he covered his face with his shirt

He looked around in desperation, but there wasn't a single place "clean" to stand...

/FWUSH!/

Raging wind suddenly spread around the room, making the piss and "dirt" on the ground disappear.

"Wh…?"

'What happened?'

He looked for its source and saw the Head noble looking in their direction.

'Was he the culprit?... He cleaned everything so quickly… How convenient.'

'And powerful.'

Finally, his attention was drawn to the floating screen before him. It seemed to be glistering, awaiting his input.

[Open Status?]

"..."

'Trully, how…'

"OPEN!"

From behind him, one of the Chunibyo kids shouted with all of his might, striking a pose while at it.

"..."

/Inhale... Exhale…/

'… Don't judge others…'

"Open."

[Initiating Status...]

[Disclaimer]

A red window popped up before him, startling him.

[… A piece of ***** has been detected. Fuse?]

'What?'

/Manifest/

The image of a translucent gem was projected before him.

'That is… The Necklace?! How did you get up there?'

'Wait… How did you get there before I was even Assimilated?'

'I'm losing track of this, none of that matters now.'

'What will happen if I fuse with this I wonder…?'

[Calculating danger… 0.1% of future danger. The ***** is safe for fusion.]

"!"

'It can answer me?! Well… If there's no danger… It should be safe?'

'But even then, how does this… Thing, defines danger?'

/Silence…/

'Not going to answer me, huh… But I can't stop here. Not when this could very well be my chance to get an ace in my pockets.'

He was in danger; he did not know what would happen or what his future held in store.

He had to seek out whatever he could get his hands on.

'Fuse!'

[Confirmation received, initiating process…]

[Fusing… Done]

[Open Status?]

'Open.'

[Recalculating Status… Due to interference of *****, Hephaestus Subroutine could not process a Class… Error… Calculating… Solution found]

[Boosting skill...]

[Opening…]

[Name: Philip Vinten 

Race: Type 1 Human (+)

Home World: Earth (+)

Registered World: Eden (+)

Level 0

Class: N/A (+)

-Vital info-

Mind> 4.3

Physical> 2.7

Energy> 2.3

Spiritual> 1.5

Mystique> 6

Abilities:

Calm mind

Skills:

Gamerverse

Traits:

Analytical mind (+)

]

A System window like those in comics rose from nothingness like a hologram before him.

And as he read it, more of Vista's words began echoing in his mind:

"...Mind, body, and mystique! Remember that! Don't confuse them for the five *****..."

'So this was what he was talking about… The Status.'

'But something's off. Where are the so-called titles?...'

[It is hidden under the "+" in order to decrease visual pollution] The System replied inside his mind

'I see, let's see that later… Wait, you can speak?' 

[An introduction is underway]

[The mechanical voice you listen to now belongs to the basic information guide. I am a temporary creation of the Hephaestus Subroutine here to guide you through the Assimilation process]

[From the assortment of information given to me and your preferences, you may call me, Beginner Help Info]

'Beginner Help Info? Alright...'

[Before we resume the analysis of the Status screen, a discrepancy has been detected in your Status]

'What?...'

[Two similar characteristics have been detected in the Status page. Fuse them?]

'Oh… That's what you're talking about.'

'Erm… What will happen if I fuse them?'

[A new Trait will be created due to the type of fusion]

'Trait? Type of fusion? Can you explain better?'

[When an ability fuses with a Trait. The only possible outcome is another Trait unless another one is available to occupy the void]

[A fusion can only happen when two "skills" are similar in some way, shape, or form. Otherwise, side effects may happen. Their effects vary, it may be beneficial or detrimental to the user]

'Okay… What are abilities and Traits… In fact, can you explain everything to me from the beginning?'

[Processing...]

[The Status is the reflection of one's Soul imprint derived from the Spiritual form, displayed in the most suitable form to the user]

'Does this mean that other people see their Status differently?'

[Correct, they may in fact, not see a "Status" at all. It all depends on their preference, however, given societal norms, individuals from similar time periods and regions that have been exposed to the same culture and teachings will often manifest similar or directly compatible Statuses]

[Or at the very least, interpretations becomes simple]

'Is it possible for me to change?'

[No. The current format is the most suitable for your Soul. Although certain alterations may be possible depending on the situation, it is not recommended]

'Does this mean that changing my Soul will change the window?'

[Not recommended under any circumstances]

An immediate deny…

'Okay… But how can people interact if everything is different from each other?'

[More often then not, users are not keen in sharing their information with others]

'That's true, but without comparison, there can be no baseline, which makes the numbers before me mere baseless conventions.'

[Correct. In those cases, translations will be provided]

[But be warned that because of how people have different mindsets and beliefs, misunderstandings may happen]

[However, to avoid the very issues the host has lifted, there is some common ground between Statuses. Normally, numeric values and related parameters tend to correlate if not straight out the same, making it very easy to compare two different Statuses together]

[Another common ground is the Item drop System. Explain?]

'That seems… Useless right now, so not now…'

Philip took a deep breath after he took it all in. Thinking:

'Ok. Please continue.'

[The Soul imprint is the outline of one's Soul that when in contact with a flesh body generates what is known as the Spirit body]

[The Spirit can be seen as the unconscious part of your personality but it's true definition extends far beyond that to the point this description would be considered redundant or straight out incorrect]

'Okay… It's better to keep things simple… Until I can take all of this in…'

Despite how whining, Philip was taking things rather well.

Most were still rather confused, mind for a few that is…

'Let's move on.'

[... On the Status page, Vital info refers to the average approximation of all individual values inside their respective domains]

[As an example, the Mind stat is the average of: Reflex time, Processing speed, Brainpower, Memory capacity… And so on]

[Meaning that two people with the same Mind Stat value could have two completely different functioning brains and hence, direct comparison should further extend into the specifics]

[Continue?]

'Proceed.'

[If Mind refers to the brain and its functions…]

[Physical correlates to one's physical body including even the brain]

[Energy refers to the various powers inside an entity, it can never be 0 due to the presence of the Soul and Vital force. Unless in very specific scenarios where neither are present]

[Spiritual is the resulting value between the clash of the Soul imprint and the Physical body. It is also deemed as Spiritual power, Spiritual energy… And others]

[It also includes other deeper concepts better left for another time]

[Mystique is the sum of everything else. Most of the things outside of one's reach, such as Luck, Providence, and Fate. The concept of fate may be hard to grasp, but it is existent from a certain point of perspective]

[It may also change depending on one's outlook of life, like time is considered to be a Human creation]

"Hm…"

'So even if I go to the Gym every day and become staked, my physical attributes may remain lower than one?'

[Correct, although unlikely]

[You may have seen the "+" icon, it was put there in order to better organize the window due to the immensity of information that would be there otherwise]

[The Host is recommended to analyze its contents later]

'... If I see anything I find important in there, can I put them on the main page?'

[It's possible]

'Okay… Give me a minute to process this…'

…

/Chattering…/

Time passed as everyone who was still conscious began speaking with themselves, asking questions, taking notes, and exploring their powers…

After a few minutes of pondering, Philip said:

"Continue."

[Moving on, Abilities refer to "skills" that were learned and developed over time, in fact, the host has many more, but they weren't worth passing through a conversion towards the Status window]

[And this shall remain to be the case many years into the future]

[It is recommended that the host uses some time to train his skills further so more may appear]

[The System or other sources may also reward abilities, but it's important to not mistake them for Skills]1

'… What a gentle roast… I didn't know I was so unskillful…'

[Do not be offended. Having even one Ability is already impressive enough. It took an entire life for you to develop such an Ability, after all]

[It defines who you are, be glad you have something that can be recognized, whatever little it may be]

[Traits, on the other hand, are inherent abilities. Those that truly define your being. In the host's case, his analytical mind came from many years of studying and exercising his mind through activities such as gaming]

[The same can be said for your Ability]

[Be careful when messing with this tab. Altering it too much may change the host's overall personality over time]

'So why did you recommend me to fuse my abilities?'

[Their similarity is over 96%, something very rare to have at the start. Due to this, it was recommended to fuse them in order to increase the host overall potential]

[The change in personality will be minimal if not zero due to the similarity of the skills]

[Both having been developed by the Host is also a factor in the calculation]

'I see.'

[Lastly, Skills are supernatural abilities conceded by the System. They may be similar if not straight out copies of already existing Abilities and Traits. If there is a Trait, there is a Skill for it. But that doesn't mean the reverse can be assumed]

[Host is a rare case of having a natural 1 in all three categories. Congratulations]

"Thanks..." He said awkwardly as he turned to the strange machine behind him

'I guess we're almost over then… But what about my class?'

[A class is a role, a fate, a destiny, it can be changed, switched, removed, and evolved when certain conditions are met. Not having one means that the Host is a so-called "Fateless", "Zero Fate"]

[But that was more due to the effect of an outside force than the Host's natural affinity]

"Outside force?..."

'Erm… The necklace?...'

[The Humans of this world follow different rules regarding this subject, so the Host may take this info at face value]

[The host can acquire a Class by doing special actions, but that is not recommended]

'Why? Why shouldn't I gain a class? How am I supposed to grow if I don't get one?'

[Due to Host's unique skill, Gamerverse]

'Gamerverse? I… Huff… Yeah, I have this too…'

'We can talk about it later…'

'My head hurts… So much to think about…'

'What do I do now?'

[Fuse?]

A window manifested before him, as if prompting him to make a choice.

"..."

'Sigh… Fuse.'

[Confirmation received, initiating fusion]

/FLASH!/

"WOW…"

Philip's world began to spin as he almost lost balance.

After ten seconds, everything stopped and the world went back to normal.

'I… I don't feel any different.'

'Wait… I do. My headache is gone.'

[Show Augmented Status?]

'Augmented?'

[Meaning it's more detailed. I've updated it to fit your needs]

[The degree of detail can be customized later if your preferences change]

'... Do it. I want to see what changed.'

[Name: Philip Vinten

Race: Type 1 Human (+)

Home World: Earth (+)

Registered World: Eden (+)

Level 0

Class: N/A (+)

Title: N/A

-Vital info- (+)

Mind> 4.3(6.3) (+)

Physical> 2.7(3) (+)

Energy> 2.3 (+)

Spiritual> 1.5 (2) (+)

Mystique> 6 (+)

Abilities:

Skills:

Gamerverse (+)

Traits:

Mind Fort (+)

]

A few things had changed, but not by much.

'... So here it is… The Titles.'

'But why did some of my stats change?'

[This info was already there before, it is just being displayed now]

[You may click on any of the "+" symbols to receive a more detailed explanation of the reason in question. Remember that the explanation may be inaccurate depending on its origin]

Philip nodded mentality, raising his right hand to open the description of his new Trait:

[Mind Fort

Type-Trait

Description: Your head is the bastion of your existence, it must be protected and maintained at all costs!

Effects:

Emotion control: Calms or enhances your emotions when they surpass a certain threshold.

Analytical boost: Improves all mechanical functions of the brain. Including memory, learning speed, reflexes ...

Enhanced defenses: Boost defenses over attacks against the mind, up to a certain Level.

]

'So that's why I was memorizing things so easily, most likely one of my two previous Abilities boosted my memory… The Stat Increases…'

[Your Status has been augmented due to the effects of your Trait. But technically speaking, you haven't grown any stronger, be wary not to overestimate your own strength due to one Stat or aspect of your body greatly increasing your overall Attributes]

'Noted, I'll take care… But I have a question… Why did it start working out of nowhere?'

'My Status… If I'm not mistaken, was functioning before I assimilated? Why?'

[Most likely due to the presence of the *****]

"What?..."

'What did you say?... This static… Don't tell me.'

[Beginner Help Info does not possess the necessary archive to reply to your question]

'But… Sigh, not really that helpful in that regard. Fine, I'll figure it out myself.'

[Disclaimer!]

[You have made an achievement!]

'What?! I did what? Erm… Uh… Display info? Is that right?'

[Displaying…]

[Achievement: Be the first one to fuse two skills]

[Reward: Skill: Beginner Skill Fusion Lv0]

As this notification played, his System interface flashed with light as a new string of words was written upon it elegantly.

As the glister on the words faded, a new Skill was left behind in his profile.

'Wait a minute. This skill seems redundant. Can't the system already do fusions?'

[Incorrect, Beginner Help Info will is the one in charge of Skill fusion]

[Meanwhile, Beginner Skill Fusion increases the performance of the fusions while also giving a certain level of control to the host]

[Certain hidden fusions can only be achieved by the host alone]

[Normally it would take fifty fusions for this skill to appear as a reward for a Host's determination in improving themselves, however, that isn't a guarantee either]

'So it isn't useless… This time, I was the ignorant one… I thought I was better then that.'

'Anyhow, why is it defined as, "beginner"?'

[All "skills" have some sort of "Level", meaning they can progress when certain conditions are met]

[Sometimes, these reflect a degree of Mastery, other times they merely indicate a Skill's completion or strength in a raw manner]

[This transformation is oftentimes simple, such as jumping from Beginner to Intermediate. Other Times, the skill may change completely and transform given the Host's experiences, desire, and vision]

'Why does neither Gamerverse or Mind Fort have a Level? Are they unable to grow?'

[Because they are either already at max Level, or because they never had any to begin with. However, this does not indicate a limit to their growth, only at their natural path of development]

[They may change through "skill" fusion though, or when certain conditions are met. Nothing is eternal, not even the System's parameters]

'Okay now. Things are falling into place.'

'This is getting…'

"This is so cool! I feel like I am in a game!" Someone exclaimed on the side as Philip scratched his chin

/Chatter…/

"..."

'I was so distracted by my own Status window that I didn't notice the mayhem that was happening behind me...'

People were testing all sorts of abilities and skills in the middle of the throne room. Some even got bold and decided to take on one of the purple guards…

Their fate was pretty obvious…

/CLANG!/

But surprisingly, some actually made the knights take their swords to parry and block their attacks.

The most impressive one was a guy who took out a large brown cane and shouted:

"EXTEND! RUYI BANG!"

His bright brown staff increased in size towards the purple knight like a bullet!

/Clang…/

When everyone thought he would fall, the knight casually took out his sword and parried the attack to the side.

But he did make him take out a sword and not just block the attack face first. Did that count to something?

'... If he could do that though, why even take it out? These knights are playing with us.' Philip realized as he looked around

Still, no knights had evaded an attack so far though… Perhaps that's why they were there? The beginner's unbreakable dummies?

"..."

The Head Noble just looked at this person with some approval. But what he was thinking was still rather mysterious.

/Sit…/

While everyone played around, Philip opted to sit around and test his abilities in silence.

…

There was one big thing we forgot to talk about.

'What does "Level" mean?'

[Your "state", or more accurately, your power]

[Increasing it will raise all of your Stats, consequentially your state… Information on this subject is best researched outside. Due to current limitations]

[Beginner Help Infor has a limited library of info. The host is recommended to adventure outward and search for more knowledge on his own]

'That much makes sense, otherwise, we could gain too much and be overwhelmed… Or they made it in this way so we can't learn too much about the world in one go?'

'This leaves only one thing left…'

[The Skill: Gamerverse. Calls its master]

"???"

'This is creepy…'

Philip was overtaken by surprise.

[Your Skill is calling you, host]

'What do you mean?'

[Some skills may have personalities and emotions depending on their origins. Although they are incredibly rare. In the host case, your skill only seems to have a mechanical thinking process. It is most likely looking to initiate]

[The Skill: Gamerverse. Calls its master]

"... Damn."

He touched the back of his head, feeling a sense of urgency.

'Before going over the main skill I wanted to check the effects of Beginner Skill Fusion…'

[Beginner Skill Fusion Lv0 (Passive)

Effects:

-Improves the efficacy of "skill" fusion.

-Has a minuscule chance of detecting suitable skills for merge when they appear.

-Has a minuscule chance of telling the end result of a skill fusion.

>Adds a minuscule chance of "critical fusion". Greatly increasing the end result of the fusion

-Critical fusion slightly increases the skill Level and quality.

]

'Seems… Random… Too random.'

'With my luck, this skill will be anything but reliable.'

[The Skill: Gamerverse. Calls its master]

For the third time, the notification rang in his head, it was much louder this time. Almost deafening his mind.

"#!!"

'I KNOW! I… Wait a bit, please.'

"Phew…"

'Alright. I checked everything I wanted for now.'

Philip went back to the Status panel and opened his sole Skill:

[Gamerverse (Active)

Description:

Activate this Skill to get a class]

"..."

That's it? Where are the explanations?

[Sometimes, skills may not display proper information due to the difficulty of conveying its effects through words. In that case, it's better to just use it]

[If you are too afraid to use a particular Skill, then it might be better to hold on to it and fuse it with something else. Or look for more information on the Skill's characteristics and effects]

[Although it may also be toying with you. Remember that the skill has a consciousness, although it's unlikely because of its mechanical nature]

[It is also linked with your subconsciousness, so it wouldn't try to harm you]

/Inhale…/

"... So…"

Activate skill?

[Activating Skill, Gamerverse]

Suddenly, Philip's vision was overtaken by darkness as he felt his body grow lighter and lighter, as if he was being forcibly pulled from his corporeal body.

"..."

'What happened?'

/Silence…/

'System?'

/Silence…/

'Well… Fuck…'

[Gamerverse has activated]

"!"

'For a moment I thought something had gone wrong. How glad I am that…'

[The Skill Gamerverse is looking for a class]

/FLASH!/

Many galaxies of all shapes and sizes lit up in the darkness.

Their light was so strong that it almost blinded him.

"My eyes…"

He tried to block his eyes and protect himself but… He didn't have hands.

No matter where where he tried to look, the whole universe seemed to be shining.

'This is torture! I'm sorry for what happened before! Please! Stop this…'

'Before I die…'

He tried to scream but he had no mouth, few moments in his life were as torturous as today.

Philip may be terrible at acting overall, but he was sure dramatic…

[Gamerverse is narrowing down the choices]

All of the galaxies with the exception of one disappeared.

This galaxy looked rather dark. It spiraled down into itself like a vortex.

It glistered in the darkness, making Philip feel as if it was diffracting.

/Toommm/

"!!!"

'Erm… Was it just me but did I just see…'

'Why do I feel something's watching me?...'

/Toommm/

"?!?!?!"

A horrific feeling took over his body.

He felt exposed, he had to get out of there!

[Mind Fort activates]

[Mind Fort is trying to resist the corruption]

[The corruption has been resisted]

The strange feeling stopped and he calmed down. But he knew, deep down, that something was still there, looking at him…

'What was that…?'

/GASP!/

Suddenly another terrible feeling spread through his body as if something was forcibly trying to pry his head open!

'ARRGG!!'

[Mind Fort is trying to resist the corruption]

[Mind Fort has partly resisted the corruption]

[Mind Fort has been breached!]

/Whispers/

Strange whispers crawled inside his head… 

Words, incomprehensible words and truths.

He saw… Too much. 

This world… What he was seeing…

The universe sang a tune he could not hear.

[Gamerverse is protecting its host from interference.]

The suffocating feeling disappeared, the music stopped and his brain reset.

Philip returned to normal, his head stabilized.

Once he regained his bearings, he only felt a little dazed.

[Gamerverse has made a choice]

'What?...'

[Gamerverse seeks a Class]

/Shua!/

The galaxy disappeared as well, like a candle being extinguished, and before long, he was tossed once more into the dark void.

[Gamerverse has chosen a class, deactivating skill]

/Fo-ummm/

Philip's vision returned to his body, he could feel everything again.

The air on his skin, the smells in the air, the tastes in his tongue…

Ahh… How great it felt to be alive!

/Gasp!/

'I… I'm sweating… It's cold.'

'What was that?'

Philip was reminded of the gaze from beyond, and his body trembled unconsciously.

[A new class has been acquired through Gamerverse. Would you like to see it?]

His attention was brought elsewhere, yet his body still shook.

'Give me... a moment.'

'I need to breathe.'

…

Philip closed his eyes for a good minute before proceeding.

/Chattering!/

'How long has it been?... I feel like I've spent a few hours there.'

'The people around me are still incredibly excited. It seems I still have time...

As people went crazy and discussed, Philip took another look at his system page.

[You have acquired a new class through Gamerverse. Would you like to see the notes?]

'Yes.'

[Gamerverse has selected a universe]

[Bloodborne Universe]

"???"

'Whaaaaat?... No shit… Jesus Christ.'

'So what in tarnation was that? An Old one?! A dammed…'

'How am I even alive? Did it take pity on me?'

'Maybe that probing I felt was it just trying to "feel me" rather than attack me…'

'I remember they were mostly peaceful… Doesn't change how surreal all of this is.'

'Thank you Gamerverse, but out of all Universes out there... Did it have to be this one?...'

[Gamerverse has set its eyes on a class]

[Old Hunter]

[You have acquired the "Old Hunter" class]

[Equip?]

'At this point… Just do it already.'

[Equipping...]

"?!"

'URRRG!'

Dark purple veins suddenly rose to his skin. 

/C-Crack!/

Philip's temperature rose by several degrees as his flesh twisted and his bones cracked.

His eyes turned bright red as if they were going to drip blood at any second.

'It hurts! What's going on?! It's as if something is burrowing itself inside my body!'

'If someone sees me… AAARRRRRRRGGGG!!'

[Mind Fortress balances your emotions]

"Huff…"

… After several seconds the changes slowly disappeared. Philip returned to his previous appearance, aside from a few distinctions.

His pupils were a bit grayer and the veins in his eyes had vanished, leaving behind two pure white marbles as his eyes.

And if someone he knew were to look at him, they would notice he was slightly paler.

[You have equipped a Class!]

[Your destiny changes...]

[Your class morphs your reality]

[Due to your Class effects, an additional status window is being made]

'Huff… Show it.'

'I feel weird, the pain's gone and I feel quite energetic.'

[Name: Philip Vinten

Class: Old Hunter

Subclass: N/A

Insight: 0

Blood echoes: 0

Level 0

Vitality: 1

Endurance: 1

Strength: 1

Skill: 1

Bloodtinge: 1

Arcane: 1

Abilities:

Hunter Ballistics Lv0 (Passive)

Art of Quickening Lv0 (Active)

Skills:

Summon messenger Shop Lv0 (Active)

Traits:

Old blood infusion

]

[You have received the Beginner Hunter Equipment package]

[There is a need to choose your Hunter Origin]

'Oh My God… Where are my normal skills??'

[Because of your Gamervese's effect, you currently have two Status windows. One for the Class, and another for your previous Classless state]

[The host is recommended to name each for quick identification]

'Erm uh… Call the one without a class, Main Status, while the other we shall call Secondary Status.'

[Understood]

'Okay… Then how does all of this work?'

[The Main Status "skills" can always be used. But the "skills" on the Secondary Status can only be used when you have the respective Class equipped. Unless you fulfill a certain criteria and pass it to the main Status]

[Your Main Status is independent of the Secondary Status, but the reverse can't be said]

[You can remove your class at any given moment. But there will be a slight time penalty to reequip it. Host is recommended to explore the rest for himself as information may be inaccurate given the uniqueness of your Skill]

'Uhum… Right. This much I understand, still… I need time to think about the repercussions of this…'

'But before going through everything, Open the package.'

[Opening...]

[You have received:

-Hunter's Axe x1

-Hunter Blunderbuss x1

-Old Hunter Set armor x1

-Syringe Set

-Blood vial x20

-Quicksilver Bullets x40

-Hand lantern x1

-Antidotes x5

-Beast blood pellet x1

]

'That's a lot…'

'How do I choose my Hunter Origin?'

[Showing list...]

[Hunter Origins:

>Milquetoast

>Lone Survivor

>Troubled Childhood

>Violent Past

>Professional

>Military Veteran

>Noble Scion

>Cruel Fate

>Waste of Skin

]

[Choosing an Origin will reward not only stats but also memories related to that Origin]

-"!"

'Wait, memories?!... Then this means…'

'This changes things…'

'I don't remember much about Bloodborn's Lore and World, but if I choose Noble Scion, I will surely learn some great knowledge about the intricacies of the world, this might include "magic".'

'As for the Military past, I will surely learn many combat techniques including things that a war veteran might know. It's something to look out for.'

'If I am not overlooking anything, the rest is probably not suitable given my circumstances. Being something more akin to "you had a terrible past"...'

'The stats are secondary, what I care about are the memories.'

'Between the two… I can only choose that one.'

'I… I choose Military Veteran.'

[Processing...]

[... It's recommended that the host prepares himself mentally]

"Wha… What do you…"

/FLASH!/

A thousand images passed through his mind, causing his eyes and ears to bleed slightly as his head went limp for a moment.

/Stop!/

But in the blink of an eye, the strange memories of someone he didn't know stopped, and Philip regained control of his body.

Although those memories were incomprehensible to him, he knew exactly what they were supposed to mean, and that made him laugh drily as he felt a drop of blood streak down his cheeks.

'S-Shit!...'

Before moving forth, Philip took a deep breath to calm himself.

[Mind Fort has recovered. Mind Fort is slightly stronger than before]

[Through the cracks of the old wall, potential for improvement has been found]

[Mind Fort has changed to Mind Fort Lv0]

"Phew…"

/Inhale… Exhale…/

'Now or never… DO IT!'

[Injecting memories...]

/GASP!/

…

.

.

.

Notes