The Impostor's dilemma
So, I wanted to say I few things before we went.
I already addressed power level before, so this time, I'll address the timeline and goals.
A lot has happened, but we are still on the second Volume.
What do I have planned, and what are Philip's goals?
Since I foreshadow some things through paragraphs here and there, people may not be able to connect them very well, not only that, I may have also forgotten about some things I foreshadowed...
Let's start with Philip's goals.
When he first saw the world change and the words of the principal, his first thoughts were to try and prepare, to get ready for this new world.
And so he did, and the more he learned about it, the greater his desire to explore and have an adventurer grew.
He wanted to be free in this world, but not to be trapped to it, to gain the ability to come and go as he wishes while retaining all his powers.
Thus allowing him to visit his family and friends whenever he deems it necessary.
This goal of his hasn't changed much, but he did gain a few more priorities along the way...
As for the timeline, I don't know if you guys want to see the overall big timeline, so I'll instead do this:
What will happen after this Arc?
Well... It's not exactly in a string motion, some of these Arcs are pretty big while others are smaller Arcs that happen in between, like this one Arc, it happens in the middle of the Major Arc Grand Quests.
So uh... This is the Dwarven Ruins Arc... The name is rather temporary, I don't really name my Arcs.
After this, it would be the preparation Arc to leave.
I am unsure if I would just make 1-3 chapters and directly end the Volume, or if I'll include a timeskip to complete his maximum time outside.
What is important about this is that, at some point in time, Philip will contact Dae, this had been foreshadowed wayyyyyyyy back, and it was supposed to have been done earlier during the Academy Arc, but I forgot, so I now pushed it here.
After they get back and the trio is formed again, the Demon Invasion Arc will commence.
This can't be a proper stereotypical Isekai without demon Lords and the like yeah?
I had foreshadowed about the Demon kings and the like from way ago during Philip's and Dae's talks.
During this Arc, I'll try to introduce the Sky Zone Arc and the Arathul Lost Empire Arc.
After they return from their little adventure and the Demon Invasion is dealt with, we would return to the Empire and... I have no idea of what would happen in the in-between, it'll be up to how I build the world up to there for us to find out.
How many chapters will it take for us to reach here you ask?
Definitely more then 20, I would say that within 5 we are already back at the Palace, perhaps starting the Demon Invasion Arc, depending on how much I decide to develop each individual Hero as we meet with them again.
After this things get a bit messy and I only have a few ideas for possible Arcs.
There are a few I would like to share.
The Western Continent Grand Search Arc where our 3 boys would partially lose their abilities and be forced to deal with everything through martial Arts...
The Northern Continent Conquest where they would explore the Brutal wilds of a Continent where abominations like Dragons, Giants, are still rather common...
Forgotten Cults Arc, as we approach the end of the pact, the many churches around the Continent will start their plans to increase their influence and spread their Gods' teachings across the land...
Elven Empire Arc, it would happen eventually, Philip would make his way to the empire, for what? I have no idea.
On that same note, perhaps a Human Noble, and even a Dwarven Noble Arc, now that I think about it these Arc could be the prelude to some sort of War, and Philip is going around the place gathering Allies.
There is the Timeline Change Arc, what happens in it will keep it a secret.
There is the Dimensional Conquest Arc, where, like those Korean works about portals, Philip would invade another world as the final Boss.
This Arc is actually one of 3 possible scenarios as I have no idea which of them I should do.
The other two are the Overseer Arc, and the Second Transmigration Arc.
These Arc would all be part of another bigger Arc called, A trade from someone that fled...
I would also like to make an Arc exploring the depts of the Ocean and the Abyss zone, the true underground, but those may have to be left for some other time.
If I had Philip descend right now, not only would I piss off some readers, I would piss off myself because he has no reason to go there for now apart from his willful wishes.
Anyway, I do have a few more ideas, but some of those infringe on the very end of this Novel, so I'll leave them for another time.
That's about it from there, see ya!
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If you are interested, I have up to 5 advanced chapters on my P@treon from this work, this came from our last goal which added another extra chapter for this novel.
Originally I had no chapters of this novel there, but I slowly added goals and put in more work as we grew in size.
I have also set a new goal that, once we accomplish it, I'll add one more weekly chapter of this Novel!
I'm not kidding, I also plan on doing this from In Danmachi with Plasmids, but I'll do it as a goal after that one.
You can always check my P@treon, it has changed quite a bit.
Anyway, enough of that, enjoy the chapter.
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/Tremble…/
/SHUA!/
'As the chaotic energy gathered around the undead Knight's body, Philip's momentum increased!'
'Dark bolts of energy slashed around as he tightly grasped its helmet, no matter how much the knight tried to struggle, it seemed he couldn't be stopped.'
/Crack!/
/BAM!/
/CHAOS!/
'Behind him, Laplabe razed through the army of monsters, making sure he was protected and not interfered.'
'He may not know what Philip was up to, but he had enough trust in him to let him finish what he had started.'
/Crack!/
'But things weren't going well...'
"..."
His body... Is breaking apart.
There is still a fundamental difference between both worlds magic.
And even if I were as proficient in Necromancy as Latur, the same would happen as our powers clashed.
'Philip smiled.'
Even then... How resilient.
…
/Silence…/
'Inside the Palace, Latur sat upon a broken stone throne, clenching his staff as he gazed forward like a statue.'
"#%!$@..."
'He spoke something in a low tone, it seemed to be a mix of contempt and surprise.'
/Fuom…/
'Raising his free hand, Latur grasped the air.'
…
/CRACK!/
"...!"
'Outside, the Undead Philip was trying to control suddenly started to break into pieces!'
"It's disintegrating?"
Even if its body was being maintained by the Lich's powers, I should've been able to do the same after ridding it of the Lich's influence...
It's too fast, the deterioration… Ah… I see.
'His eyes sharpening, Philip started to focus, feeling a slight strand of energy in the air…'
There you are.
'Normally, this sort of thing would be impossible to notice, however, Philip had already achieved "Flow" and integrated it onto his physique, allowing him to see what most couldn't.'
'What for most could only be achieved by an unholy amount of training, it was natural to Philip, and so it would be for those that came after him.'
'With a deep smile, Philip grasped this strand… And pulled it with everything he had!'
/SNAP!/
/SHOOOO!/
'The moment he pulled the strand, a violent reaction occurred as pitch-black vapors exploded into the sky from the Skeleton, covering his sight!'
…
/CRACK!/
'And back in the Palace, Latur dropped his hand calmly, but as he did so, a small piece of bone unlodged itself from within his hood, falling onto the ground with a slight "clink"...'
"..."
/Vanish…/
'Under his influence, the small piece of his body slowly rose into the air, but the moment Latur tried to grasp it, the piece crumbled into dust as it scattered in the wind.'
'After witnessing this sight, Latur's hand went back to the handle of the throne where it remained dormant and unmoving.'
'His aura was about the same, as if nothing changed, or this action was inconsequential to him…'
'An Undead emotions were that hard to tell after all.'
…
/Crack!/
/CRUMBLE!/
"... Sigh."
It seems his control was too much, even if I wanted to, the Undead's body is long, long gone.
It may not even be an exaggeration to say that its body is part of Latur's powers, a physical manifestation of them.
'Back outside, the Skeleton knight slowly broke into pieces under the disappointed gaze of Philip, he tried everything he could, but by forcibly breaking the connection between its master and it, Philip unknowingly spelled the doom for this undead knight.'
'Honestly, he very much wanted it, he didn't care what it was, but this knight was strong, and with his Necromantic powers, he wished to take full reins over it.'
'Unfortunately, he was still a newbie regarding Necromancy in Eden, as such, had it not been for his ability to see the Flow of energy, the result would've still been the same, he would be forced to destroy it.'
However, it's not like this is bad, it made me realize something...
If everything around me is similar to this knight, then it means Latur has severely spread his powers to grow this army.
No matter how strong he is, maintaining this has definitely taken a toll on his body, if I were to repeat what I did now to all of these undead...
'Philip rose from the ground, there was no point in observing this any longer.'
/Grab!/
"?!"
'But suddenly, the Knight grabbed his arm!'
'Philip was about to pull it back, but he felt no resistance whatsoever from the knight, so he waited…'
"^!%#... Human."
"!"
It's speaking.
'Throughout their fight, he had already determined that this undead had some level of self-awareness as it could talk and even adapt to his movements… One of the reasons that sparked his desire to acquire it.'
'Perhaps…'
/Point…/
'The Knight pointed at the Palace in the distance before doing something strange… It pointed at a strange structure in the far distance, considerably far away from the Palace.'
"%$@!^#... Latur… *!@%* Obligation."
'Philip couldn't understand what he was saying very well, it sounded like the common Dwarven language, but extremely distorted…'
'As he tried to understand what he said, the knight pulled something from the ground, raising it to him as his arm started to crumble.'
"Latur's curse… %$&!@. ^%#*@( to you."
'With those final words, he crumbled into pieces, leaving behind an even greater mystery…'
[DING!]
[Your Title, Seeker of the Ancient Myths is unraveling the truth]
"Oh?"
[Partial truth is revealed based on what was found so far]
[Long ago, Hervex Ifera the Third encountered a strange object sealed away in the depths of the Earth]
[Due to their religious beliefs, he believed it to have been the famed Earthen Gur-Eiver, a mystical object depicted in the creation myths of his race]
[For many decades, he tirelessly tried to open it and unravel its contents, believing it to be of significance if not utmost importance, his final if not first accomplishment as a ruler to go down in history…]
[Their efforts, however, were interrupted by the arrival of a strange figure…]
[But when they realized the sealed object wasn't the Earthen Gureiver, it was already too late]
"..."
'As the notifications rang, Philip, frowned.'
Hervex Ifera… Another name.
For it to be mentioned, was he perhaps the ruler of this land?
I was thinking Latur was the Dwarven King, but by his height… In fact, something is a bit wrong.
All of the undead soldiers are relatively tall, not within the height I would imagine a Dwarf to be.
The previous fights made me overlook this, but something seems to be missing.
If I add everything I know together… They found a strange artifact, tried to open it, someone appeared, and then shit happened.
Is Latur… Perhaps the cause for the ancient Dwarves to fall?...
That seems… Extreme, something else must've happened, but he or she do seem to have had a hand in it.
As for my Title… Maybe… Yes, the Title must activate regardless if I know what is happening or not.
It activates as I'm given information, but the conditions for it are still a bit vague.
"Regardless…"
/BOOM!/
'Philip got up from the ground and grabbed the floating object, it seemed to be a fragment of some kind, metallic in nature, its shape irregular, no sharp edges as if it was a piece from within a rock.'
[Unknown black rock
A 'rock' of unknown properties handed over by an even more mysterious Undead Knight of great power.
It seems to be connected with the mystery surrounding the city of the Great Gourge's fall.
]
'He tried to analyze it, but his Skill didn't help him much.'
Now, this looks like the start of a proper RPG quest...
'So he turned around with an amused smile, focusing on Laplabe.'
"I'll think about the rest later, I'll end this quickly." He spoke strongly as he gave the Skeleton's body on the ground one last nod
'His purple sword shone in a dark light as he took a step forward.'
…
/Crunk…/
'With a slight push, Philip tore apart a metallic golem in half, the last one before sitting on the ground and wiping his hands.'
'The flames of Armament around his body also slowly wore out, and his extremely focused state went back to normal as the world sped up around him.'
'The ethereal dragon scales also vanished, as they were fused with Armament.'
/Shua…/
'From the shadows on the ground, Laplabe manifested before moving to his hand, turning into a wristwatch as he said:'
"That was tense, haven't worked out like that since forever."
"Haa… I could say that as well." Philip replied with a half smile
'The entire army had been obliterated, there wasn't even a single undead left roaming about.'
'This display of carnage wasn't unrewarded…'
/Touch…/
'Pressing on the air, Philip opened his recent notifications.'
[DING!]
[You took on an army of undead, slaying them all despite the overwhelming difference in power and numbers]
[A nearly impossible achievement!]
[For the bravery to fight against all odds, you have gained the Title, Undead Killer]
'Yet, that wasn't all...'
[True to your name as the bane of the Undead, you slew an uncountable number of the abominable, and your Title, Undead Killer has changed to Undead Slayer]
'As Philip killed more and more of these cursed creations, his Title continued to change...'
[In a feat of extreme glory, you slew a great number of High ranking Undead, and your Title, Undead Slayer has changed to Undead Purger]
"Hm?"
Purger?
So I finally got one of these Titles, the killing series.
'Philip recognized these Titles.'
'As MT continued to sort more and more knowledge, some things started to become clear to him, such as methods to gain Titles and Skills.'
Simply put, for every creature and race, there is a Title rewarded if you kill a set base of them, they may even vary depending on how you did it and the emotions you had while doing it.
I always wondered why I didn't gain the Orc Killer Title way back in the Palace, but then I thought, I may simply not have killed enough, or the emotions I had while doing it weren't what I should have to acquire the Title.
Another possibility is that, since Tribal Orcs were mixed with Civilized Orcs, I may have not killed enough of either as they are technically not the same...
I think it's necessary to emphasize that I, DO NOT gain pleasure from killing.
Most of the time...
Anyway...
[DING]
[You already received the Title, One man Army, as such, the Title will be changed to Warmonger in reflection of your capability to seek War and persevere despite your weak State]
[Due to your self-destructive nature of seeking enemies stronger than yourself, you have received the Title, Berserker]
'Closing the system window, it seemed his trip down here was already paying it off despite the pain he felt in his muscles.'
"Phew…"
As expected, being Level 0 is severely affecting my Title gains.
I expected the System to slowly get used to my Level and perhaps decrease my rewards… But I was proven wrong...
Well half wrong at the very least, as in the past few months, some of my achievements weren't rewarded.
The System takes my every action as if I was a Level 0, and that is like… Weaker than a normal Human Villager.
The System must see me as some sort of absurd normal person that keeps achieving the impossible, and if you think about it, then its rewards aren't that big, perhaps even lacking.
Of course, this is only from my perspective, the System itself must see and interpret things from other perspectives…
"Of course…"
That wasn't all.
'This time, Philip opened his Class Status and checked his newly changed Skills...'
[Two-Handed 28 -> 100]
[One-Handed 25 -> 100]
They immediately went from a low level to max huh…
Since they gain experience based on how much damage I do, cleaving through armies of Undead with my Sword must've power-leveled it.
That's why being strong from the get-go is such a boom for these, perhaps I should've focused on them more since they look considerably simpler to increase…
'He closed his eyes.'
The insights I received as I fought were also pretty decent, with this, I could theoretically keep improving my swordsmanship without the need for a teacher.
Though my headache from all of the information I received due to this has yet to pass...
"Hup!"
'With a quick breath, Philip got up and stretched his back.'
"Should we continue?" He asked out loud as he checked his injuries, but he quickly realized he had none
'His improved armor was so good it prevented him from getting cut during his fights, but he still had a few fractured bones here and there, especially around his palms…'
'He was currently wearing the improved version of his Nightmare Hunter Armor, the one made of the Skin of the Great ones.'
'It looked a bit bulkier than before as Philip added a few metal plates here and there to protect his joints, and no, he wasn't wearing his hat.'
'After fighting multiple times, he has yet to find a way to keep his hat on his head as it keeps flying off, his clothes are strong enough to not get ripped apart due to his speed, but his hat just takes flight whenever he decides to go a bit fast...'
"That is a good question… Should we continue?" Laplabe voiced out from his wrist
"..."
'Philip looked around, seeing the grand destruction he had caused, and nodded.'
"Do you think that Lich is dangerous?"
"I do, and in fact, think we should leave... Even though that doesn't seem like an option after everything we did and saw."
"Do you think you can't defeat it?"
"I should… Have a chance, but I felt something strange with it." Laplabe pointed out
'Philip nodded as he replied with a pensive gaze.'
"So you weren't the only one."
The Lich… Or whatever it is was too passive.
During the fight, it could've enhanced its minions or controlled them better, it could've assisted its army commander, but it chose to remain far away and cast a single Spell when I actively showed hostility to it.
Perhaps it has a reason to remain far away… Is it related to what I found out? Maybe the Lich is too weak to move after its last move?
... There are simply too many possibilities.
"We need to enter the Palace regardless, but let's go to that place first." He said as he pointed at a small house far away
In the first place, the reason I came here was to enter the Ancient Vault and collect a few items of value.
The rest is a bonus.
"You're the one in charge of this adventure, I'll just follow you as usual."
'Philip nodded with a smile, it was good to have someone to watch his back.'
"An adventure... I didn't even realize it." He said with a big smile
This is indeed an adventure, exploring ancient ruins, fighting armies of monsters...
Huh, I guess I was just too focused to realize it.
'Adjusting his boot as he looked at the horizon before turning his face to the side.'
"Hopefully we'll find something of use, or maybe an explanation in there… In the meantime…"
'He greedily looked at the fallen bodies on the ground.'
"Do you think there's anything useful for us to collect?"
"..."
'If he could, Laplabe would be face-palming right now.'
…
/A few minutes later.../
"We'll come back for the rest." Philip mumbled as he jumped from the precipice and into the city
For now, I collected all of the Prototype machines and the most intact husks of the others, including the weapon of the Black Knight, the cloak of the Wizard, and a few other things.
The rest certainly has value, but...
'There were simply too many bodies, and some of them might be interesting to bring back, such as the mechanical constructs, and even the weapons used by the strong Undead and parts of their bodies for research.'
'But considering he might be on a tight time, Philip rushed to his objective, the strange structure the Knight had shown him during the faint moments its connections with the Necromancer had been severed.'
'Jumping from building to building, he avoided the stray abominations on his way while also trying to go around the multiple toxic areas scattered throughout this place.'
'From the sky, it was possible to see that greenish gas was been constantly released from within the Palace and some other structures, this gas would eventually condense into a myriad of substances as it reacted with whatever it got in contact with.'
'Because of this, many of the relics and architecture of the city were corroded, they may look fine from afar, but on a closer look, they were half rotten and ready to break, it was no wonder most of the city vanished in the future.'
'The best answer to this was right in the Middle of the city, a grand machine that resembled a lift had been built in there, a magnificent elevator that led to the underground.'
'It was being held by massive metallic arms that connected with the ceiling of this cavern, like giant hawk claws.'
'There, a long waterfall of black poison slowly seeped into the untold depts, with some parts of the ground already broken, likely vanishing into the grand abyss beneath due to the corrosion of time.'
"It's a bit eerie, I feel as if this entire place could break at any moment…"
"Can't you just fly if that happens?"
"I can 'fly' but it would be quite the sight, don't you think?"
"... I don't think that was the problem but whatever you say."
/Land…/
'From the skies, Philip landed against the ground in front of a large… Temple?'
'It looked like one at least.'
(Image?)
"This should be the place, let's get inside and figure out what the Knight wanted to show."
…
/CRACK!/
/BAM!/
'After trying to open the large doors of the temple, only to fail, Philip used the only other method he had at his disposal…'
'He kicked the doors open, unblocking his way to a grand corridor.'
"Cough!... This place needs some cleaning." Philip mumbled as he pulled his shirt collar up
Nothing special so far… Wait
'The inside of the temple was very minimalistic, and also equally corroded as the outside, it truly showed what 1000 years of decay can do with even the most superb of craftsmanship.'
'Even the glorious golden doors outside had been completely corroded and turned, the metal they were made of having been fused together into one solid block... Though it was no match for his foot.'
'But, at a closer look, it would be possible to see that the corrosion was stronger around the door, as it slowly vanished as you followed the corridor...'
Interestingly, it seems the door managed to protect most of this temple from falling into complete ruin.
'Following the only path he had, Philip went deeper into the temple, having his guard up for any possible dangers… But he eventually arrived at the end of the corridor without a single mishap.'
"Wow…"
"How... Unexpected."
'Both Philip and Laplabe marveled at the sight, a grand open space whose ceiling was extremely high, and decorated with many carvings and paintings.'
'Statues all around, marble floor, fancy tapestry, exquisite furniture, and much more.'
'Everything pointed out to this place being a church of some kind.'
'Diferent from the outside, this place was completely preserved, adding even more to the surprising aspect of the place.'
"I imagine that's what we came here to find." Laplabe said as a small tendril formed in the air, pointing towards an altar in the back
'There, a strange statue laid with her arms open, Philip couldn't recognize who it belonged to, even after he tried to go over his knowledge of the Gods, none seemed to be depicted like this.'
'Albeit he didn't know much about the Gods in general, Philip still absorbed a considerate amount of books into his mental Palace, even then, none of the books he memorized mentioned or showed this Goddess as his SKill wasn't working properly.'
'However, he had his guesses, Dwarves had their own deities and pantheons they worshiped, many even followed the doctrines of Gods belonging to other species...'
'Though, it was debatable if a God belonged to a singular species or not...'
'Regardless, there was a high likelihood this Goddess was one of those they revere, albeit a different interpretation of her.'
'But he saw something unusual about it…'
'The statue was heavily damaged as if something had slashed across its chest, cleaving a large wound on her torso.'
'Even with that, the statue was incredibly detailed and pretty, it depicted a woman with mature features within a long charming dress that looked to be made of fire, her arms open, her face hidden behind a Veil.'
'Strangely enough, the Statue itself seemed to be made by jadish looking materials, but the rock around the wound was black as if burnt.'
'Perhaps meaningful or not, the damage on the statue covered its entire stomach, but did not spread to its chest or its legs, as if intentional.'
"Hum…"
'Philip pondered over and over, eventually taking a step forward as he held onto the shard.'
'But nothing happened even as he stepped into the elevated Altar, looking at what was being displayed.'
"No traps on sight... Was I being too careful considering we are inside a Church?"
Hum... No, even if it looked like one from the outside, nothing told me this place was indeed a Church until I got inside it.
There is even a chance this isn't a Church as Dwarves could have had their own unique ways to gather for religious purposes...
"It's not like there is anyone around us to make fun of you." Laplabe voiced out all of a sudden
"You're right."
'After taking a close look at the statue, he turned around to focus on the wooden Altar.'
"What?!" Philip exclaimed suddenly
'Atop it were 4 items.'
'One was a black book with many fiery engravings if he were to speculate, perhaps something akin to the Bible, but for this religion?'
'It was extremely well made, it looked to be made of leather, but one that shone like metal.'
'Next to it was a metallic object resembling rough stone, as if it had been carved from a rock but never polished, a shape most unusual for metalwork.'
'It looked ancient, and it was quite odd in this place, but its presence in this very place indicated that it was something of extreme importance and value.'
'However, what made Philip frown extremely were the other two objects…'
'Positioned side by side in the top edges of the Altar, they exuded a strange force that resonated with his Mental power…'
'One was a completely spherical ball of glass containing two inner chambers that were interconnected, allowing golden sand to move in between from one chamber to the other.'
'Its constant movements made Philip believe the sand was trying to actively escape its enclosure, only to keep falling and climbing the chambers like an hourglass.'
'If he focused enough, he would be able to see the letter Alpha (α) coming and going as if the sand was trying to form it, but kept dispersing each time.'
'The other one was a pure block of a strange dark brown substance resembling a metal due to its polished nature, it was also encased within a thin and unnoticeable layer of glass… Or crystal.'
'It was strange, but if Philip looked at it for long enough, he faintly believed to see something in its center despite there being nothing there, it was the letter Lamda (λ).'
'There was no need to think it through, those two were…'
"Fragments… Origin Orbs?!"
'The thing he was supposed to bring, just like that, he found 2 more?!'
'Well… It was hidden behind an army of undead monstruosities… But why was it here?'
/Gulp.../
'Suddenly, this place became that more macabre to him… And without realizing it, he stood there with a blank expression…'
'It's purpose, its very existence, just what kind of story did this place have to share?'
"Philip?"
"Hum?..."
"... Ah, I lost my focus for a moment." He said apologetically as he stared at the items on the table
Something is wrong about this place, just what was the Knight trying to tell me?
Or is this some sort of trap? I did think about that possibility but…
'Using every means he could, he inspected the place for any possible source of harm, only to find nothing, this was just a serene chappel.'
"How weird…"
"What should we do?" Laplabe asked
"Well… Since we're here, why not grab these things before proceeding?"
The Orbs are a must, the other two items… It would be strange to leave them behind.
'He raised his hand to grab the strange metallic object…'
/Flash!/
""?!""
'Out of nowhere, something materialized in the air above Philip!'
[***** Enforces caution]
'It was a strange object Philip knew very well… A red jar that normally rested at the depths of his mind, hibernating…'
It is… Moving on it's on.
It's been a long time since it displayed any reaction…
Well, it's not like I gave it that much attention…
/Tremble…/
'As he thought about what was happening, the strange metallic object on the Altar started to tremble as well.'
[The ancient tool, ***** recognizes another of its kind]
/Tremble… Tremble…/
'In a strange string of events, the floating jar and the object started to tremble in syntony, as if… They were communicating.'
/Shaa…/
'Suddenly, the strange object released white mist into the air that condensed into a small cloud above his head, and it was at this moment Philip realized this misshapen object might've been a very ugly Incense Burner.'
[The ancient tool, ***** wishes to inspect your qualifications on behalf of *****]
"Whhhhat?" He said as his eyes opened wide
"I-Is something wrong, Philip?"
"Ah… You can't see this… Shit… Alright!"
"Hm? Is something going on…"
/Poof!/
'Just as Laplabe tried to make sense of the situation, the large cloud of white smoke descended, covering Philip's body.'
/FWOOSH!/
"COUGH! What is that?!" He exclaimed in extreme distress as he flew out of the smoke
This feeling… I felt as if I was going to die if I stood there for too long.
My body moved instinctively… Shit!
"Philip!... Philip!... You there?!"
I lost focus, I was too complacent, this isn't good...
"I'm okay… Just can't breathe very well… Too much smoke." He replied from within the smoke cloud
This feels 10 times worse than being near someone as they smoke...
"Phew… Do you know what's happening?"
"Yes, I do… It's related to something I am supposed to do… I think."
"You think?"
"It's… Complicated, I myself am not completely aware, but I should be okay."
"That isn't reassuring… I'll be here in case something happens."
At least someone has to keep watch.
"Thanks… Oh?"
'Just as Philip thanked him, the smoke vanished, entering the incense burner once more under an invisible suction force.'
[***** has accessed your qualifications]
[The Ancient tool, ***** questions the nature of your existence]
[The Ancient tool, ***** is worried about the goals you have in mind]
[The Ancient tool, ***** recognizes you as its new owner]
"Huh?... Who said I wanted to be your owner…"
/Tremble… Tremble.../
'Both the floating pot and the rough incense burner trembled in protest…'
/Grab.../
'Even then, nothing else happened, Philip just grabbed the object with some suspicion before it vanished in his hands together with the red vase.'
'Closing his eyes, he was soon to see the two items floating around his mental space.'
"..."
Although I'm not comfortable with the notion of 2 mystical objects with the ability to come and go into my mental space... I guess I'll leave them be, for now.
Also... Why do I feel like I'm collecting stray children…?
The problem with this… If this is the same as the red vase… Things become complicated.
The situation is relatively similar... With the acknowledgment thing and all of that...
According to Dae's mumbling when he first saw the red vase, isn't this supposed to be linked to a God of some kind?
This one, perhaps?
'Philip turned around, looking at the wounded statue.'
'There was no reaction from it, no notification, nothing…'
"This situation keeps getting weirder…"
/Fwoosh/
'Laplabe moved back to his wrist, saying:'
"You bet."
"Now…"
'Philip quickly grabbed the two Origin Orbs and stored them in the Golden Orb before grabbing the book.'
[DING!]
'Before he could do anything, the system notification sound rang in his mind…'
"What now…?"
[You are the first to touch the Scripture of ***** within a thousand years]
[You have temporarily received the Title, Archpriest of *****]
/Crack.../
"?!"
'Philip suddenly felt his body grow cold as he lost the ability to move it.'
'The sound of stones breaking and moving echoed behind him, he could only imagine what was happening...'
[***** offer's her greetings and sincere congratulations]
"..."
[Due to certain limitations communication in this manner is one of the only viable means ***** possess...]
[Hopefully, this doesn't come as an affront, nor as a threat]
[Human... Or not, that posses great potential... And the one that seeks the broken creation...]
[Become ***** Apostle, if only for a day]
[DING!]
[New Parameters are being added... Recalculating...]
/Touch.../
"?!?!"
'Philip suddenly felt a pair of warm arms hug him from behind, a small smooth and gentle breath on his neck...'
[DING]
[Lavinda, Goddess of Dwarves, Progression, Machines, Fire, Passion, and Creation is bestowing her blessing onto you]
"Now, we can properly... Oh..."
"!"
'A gentle feminine voice sounded in his ears...'
"It seems I wasn't your first... How envious~." She spoke playfully
"I recognize this blessing, how unusual for it to be here..."
"Though... It seems she didn't hold you in any regard... Perhaps... Yes."
"That makes you even more incredible~."
[DING]
[Skill Fusion has activated]
[Your Titles, Archpriest of Lavinda and Blessed, have been forcibly fused and modified to create the Title, Oracle of Lavinda]
[Advanced Skill fusion Lv12 -> Lv16]
[Oracle of Lavinda
Description: You have been blessed by a Higher being of great power.
A portion of her Divinity was used to make this blessing possible.
*It's bordering the acceptable limit imposed by the pact~.*
Effects: Passive regeneration of Inner Vitality; Spiritual, Mental, and Soul Power.
Minimal passive increase in Spirituality over time.
Skill progression has been eased slightly.
Your body's affinity towards the Divine arts has increased massively.
Affinity to Fire has been raised.
Your affinity for all kinds of craftsmanship has significantly increased.
Your body releases a faint divine aura, soothing, warm, regenerative to positively aligned entities and disruptive, cold, harmful to negatively aligned entities.
*Eridia may find you annoying~.*
Undeads up to a certain state will be weakened in your presence.
Allied entities will be strengthened based on their trust and emotions toward you.
Your senses are greatly strengthened when in the underground, the potency of this effect increases with how deep you currently are.
Dwarves will be compelled to hold you in higher regard and be friendlier in general.
The Church of Lavinda will hold you in high esteem.
Other entities will have a strong first impression of you. This effect may be positive or negative.
*Lavinda's attention ♡.*
(...)
]
"..."
'Philip was lost in words, firstly because he couldn't even move, and second, due to the strange, pressurizing feeling that was still bearing down on his body.'
'And what was that cute heart icon towards the end...?'
"... March onwards, and bring down thy enemies." She spoke in a sweet tone
'Philip saw a strange soothing light form in the end of Church's hallway, it seemed to come from the Palace...'
'Only now did he realize he could see the Palace from within the Altar, it, for sure, hadn't been made this way by coincidence...'
"He who has taken a name that does not belong to himself, remove the false King from his throne... And bring freedom to this forgotten land."
"And to the victor, the spoils~." She said with a slight chuckle that sound like the purest of bells
/Crack.../
'The rock moved once more, and before he knew it, he could move his body again, and when he turned his head, the statue was still there, as if it never moved.'
'However, he noticed a slight change, the rock fragment on his hand had vanished, occupying its previous space in the wound, as if it had healed slightly.'
"Philip? Did something happen?" Laplabe asked as he saw Philip move around hastily
"You... Didn't you see it move?"
"The Statue? It moved?..." Laplabe asked in disbelief
"What... For at least..."
"For me, you just suddenly started moving hastily after touching the book..."
'Philip became silent.'
Things got complicated once more...
The Gods weren't supposed to be able to access the Human realm that easily.
Is this because we are nearing the end of the pact, or because we're in her domain?
'Maybe both, or something else completely.' He thought to himself as he stared at the book
Not only that, another one of those Ancient Tools is now in my possession... But...
What do I do with it?
'Philip's attention was drawn back to the Altar, there was only one thing left in it.'
[Lavinda's Sacred Scripture
Description: One of the Holy items of the Church of Lavinda, Chief God of the Dwarves.
Believed to have been lost, the original Scripture is composed of 6 chapters.
Chapter 1 The Passion that shaped nothing
Chapter 2...
...
Only the chosen can see the Scripture, as the texts within can only be interpreted by those whose eyes were blessed from birth.
Those of faith may feel its presence, as Lavinda's passion envelops all that seek, be it for a cause or oneself.
While only those of destiny and fate may unravel its true purpose.
Effect: Allows one to obtain the Class, High Mechanist.
]
'Philip's frown turned into a gasp.'
This is actually... An item that gives someone a Class!
It's not like such a thing is insanely rare... In a Church by passing through all the hurdles and challenges that are assigned to one and being appointed as a Father/Sister can also give you such a respective Class.
Living all your life in the farm tending to crops can shape you into a farmer...
Passing through rigorous training and joining the army will change you into a soldier...
But those are processes, this is a plain simple bestowment, like being the child of two farmers can also make you one.
Being the child of a lineage of Kings makes you one from birth.
Your right, your purpose, the very thing you were destined to become.
Though those aren't exactly the same, not to say it's left to chance, you cannot change where you are born, at least, not by conventional means...
I've seen all kinds of things, is altering your past that much of a stretch?
In my case, I cannot receive a Class through effort, or perhaps I can if I un-equip my current one, but that raises the risk of me Leveling up on my own through efforts as I pursue one.
With this, one can receive a Class, and it doesn't seem like a consumable.
However, there seems to be a high requirement... To be born of fate and destiny...
"Interesting..."
'He didn't know if these last actions were good or bad, but he had, from the beginning, decided to bring with him everything he saw here.'
'If he would regret these actions or not, that was for the future to tell.'
Regardless of whether she wanted me to take care of that Lich or not, I was already going to do it, I cannot tolerate its existence anymore.
It's too risky to leave such a creature whose reasons are too mysterious alive, especially after it showed extreme hostility toward me.
If it wanted to talk, it would've sent a representative or stopped the army, or at the very least, not tried to access me in that way.
Even then, everything in this place screams wrong.
From what I understood so far, it seems Latur is an impersonator, someone that stole something.
Or perhaps, he was once Archpriest, one that got corrupted?
But then, the ancient object they found, it was said through the Skill that they realized, albeit late, that whatever they uncovered wasn't what they expected.
And Latur seemed aware of it, somehow having a hand in this.
The opening of this object came with grand efforts that weren't rewarded, instead, their curiosity was punished as they sinned...
But... A priest of the Goddess of Dwarves would never try to hurt their own species... Wait.
Latur didn't look like a Dwarf.
Was he an impersonator from the start? But if so, how did he pass as one?
Is it because Lavinda's mercy branches past Dwarves?...
"Or is this one of those situations where it's simply a mistake from higher management?..."
However, he was also called the false king, so his impersonation may have started there...
Where does it start and where does it end?
/Silence.../
'It seemed the System wasn't going to react to what he said, neither would the Ancient tool inside his mental space.'
'He still wasn't exactly happy with something unknown invading his mind like that, but considering it had already pledged itself to him like the red vase, he decided to close one eye as long as the Mind Paladin was nearby.'
'It kept a close look at the Metalic Incense, much to its discomfort as it was constantly trembling, trying to convey some meaning Philip couldn't understand.'
"How great, another thing that I do not understand."
"Not only do I not speak 'Pot', I also do not speak 'Incense'..." He mumbled as he shook his head
/Tremble.../
'Inside his mental space, both the Pot and the Incense trembled, as if dissatisfied.'
"A few things changed... I don't know if we are in a better position tough..." Philip spoke as he walked down from the Altar
"I am a bit confused, but it doesn't look like this is the place to talk."
"Would you like a resume?" Philip teased with a slight smile
"If it's comprehensive..."
"Well... I touched this book and talked with a God, somehow becoming its Oracle?..."
"Uhum... You what?"
"I told you, I don't know..."
'Philip shrugged as he opened his Status.'
[
Name: Philip Vinten
Race: Type-2 Sahrot (+)
Home World: Earth (+)
Registered World: Eden (+)
Level 0
Class: None (+)
Title: The Great Desire of ***** (One of a Kind) (+)
/Resonation Effect: Progenitor/
All Titles:
Exterminator of Nightmares; Master of all trades; Great Scholar; Martial Grandmaster; Magic Lord; Mental Lord; The Great Desire of *****; One of a Kind; Judicator's Attention; Ancestor of the Sahrot; Noble; Seeker of the Ancient Myths; Spiritualist; Master Craftsman; Oblivion Lord; Torturer; Dimensional Traveler; Undead Purger; Warmonger; Berserker; Oracle of Lavinda
-Vital info-
(+)
Mind> 452 (580.2)(+)
Physical> 430.9 (518)(+)
Energy> 488 (676.4)(+)
Spiritual> 435.5 (502.7)(+)
Mystique> 400(+)
Abilities:
Armament Lv4(7) (Hybrid)
Mental force Lv22 (Hybrid)
Mental force manipulation Lv21 (Hybrid)
Mental Domain Lv9 (Hybrid)
Command Magic Lv5 (Hybrid)
Spiritual Force Lv4 (Hybrid)
Spiritual force manipulation Lv2 (Hybrid)
Weak Spiritual Domain Lv3 (Hybrid)
Skills:
Greater Thu'um Lv3 (Hybrid)
Ripper Mode LvMax (15) (Active)
Heat Edge Lv2 (Active)
Phantom Sword Lv20 (Active)
Great Scholar Vision Lv7 (Hybrid)
Torture Lv4 (Passive)
Air of Nobility Lv2 (Passive)
Origin of a Desire Lv2 (Active)
Stalk Lv6 (Active)
Predator's presence LvMax (Hybrid)
Advanced Skill fusion Lv16 (Hybrid)
Western continent language Lv12 (Hybrid)
Combat Genius LvMax (Passive)
Gamerverse (???)
Traits:
Castle Town ***** (Recovering)
Hardworking
Unyielding
Sword Heart
Spiritual Ascension(Incomplete)
Dragon Soul
]
More Titles are never really bad, but it has started to get annoying.
Regardless, once Skill fusion reaches its next Stage...
I'll be able to fuse Titles and they won't be a problem anymore.
Just having Evolver eat everything is a waste, it incorporates Titles onto itself, while fusion has a chance to bring the two Titles to a Higher Stage, only then would it be worth it to devour it or not.
If it goes critical perhaps even further than that...
"There doesn't seem to be anything left in this place... We should go."
Before something else happens.
'Philip slowly left the chapel, his footsteps echoing within its walls.'
...
.
.
.
Notes
(0_0)
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