《Soulless Players》


 Prologue

    <h4>Chapter -2: Prologue</h4>


    "Is it time?"


    A deep masculine voice resonated in the hallway after a youngdy knocked on the thick brass door.


    "Yes, Master," answered thedy. She lowered her fist, pressed it with her other hand against her stomach, and retreated to the side respectfully.


    A little whileter, the door finally creaked open, and a man stepped out of the room.


    Thedy beamed in delight upon seeing the said person she called ''Master''. However, while she was d, the man seemed to not care about her as he didn''t nce nor acknowledge her presence.


    She wasn''t dejected by it and just followed him, maintaining an appropriate distance behind; her sight glued on the marble floor.


    When the man didn''t utter any words or sound, she could no longer restrain herself from peeking and secretly examining his condition.


    Her master still didn''t change much even after a 50-year sleep.


    His face remained youthful, opposite from his seemingly ancient age. While his stature seemed young, his aura brimmed with maturity and dominance.


    Thedy felt a strong support from him, as well as light. It was as if the man was created to be a leader and his sole existence was to rule over them, lowly beings.


    She could not stop the corner of her lips from curling upwards. She was ted being near him. However, her happiness was brief upon noticing something from the man.


    While the man''s golden eyes were piercing and filled with all-knowing wisdom, it still couldn''t hide thenguid behind it. His walk might be steady andposed, but his steps were rather weak and without any force.


    She had a feeling that if she took her sight away from him for a second, he would disappear, leaving her alone in the dark and gloomy hallway.


    Thedy could only sigh and bowed her head again. She had been his servant for long, yet the only time she could see this master could be counted with two hands, with each meeting spanning decades away from another, andsting only a minute or two.


    After a long walk, they finally arrived outside a tall intricate golden door. When the man pushed the door open and entered, thedy stopped. She knew her position and patiently waited outside, but her gaze lingered on her master''s back.


    Inside the door is a room with nothing but books on it. Rows of towering bookshelves stood on both sides, weing the man''s arrival.


    While most of the books were ced substantially and neatly on shelves, some were suspended in the air, glowing like stars and dancing like fireflies at night.


    In contrast, some of the books were pitifully scattered on the floor and seemed crumbling and slowly turning into dust. But even so, while they were rtively weak and appeared lifeless inparison, their resolve to float was stronger, emitting a ferocious and wild aura.


    Thedy noticed that the entry door might be golden and luxurious, but the room inside appeared to be dark and grey. Thedy could not glimpse everything inside as its light source only came from the oversized ss window on the far end.


    When the man stepped near the window, he waved his right hand. Immediately, one hundred books hovered and revolved around him like he was the sun and they were thes. Most that appeared were the floating golden books earlier, some were the crumbling books on the ground, and some emerged from the shelves.


    Their status might have been different earlier but their sentiment were identical. They were joyful upon being chosen and hopeful for the opportunity rewarded to them.


    While they revered the man, some still could not control themselves from rubbing on his body, wishing to gain some of his attention.


    The man didn''t mind their actions and just flicked his fingers. The books quickly recast into golden specs of light and slowly vanished as they traveled to the ss window across him.


    The man looked over the window and watched as numerous gxies in the dark space disappeared one by one. Then, from these gxies formed one hundred white balls of light and traveled to a singr revolving around its own sun.


    He was silent for a while, his hand leaned on the ss. Later, he fixed his ck bathrobe, opened his mouth, and ordered,


    "Call the ministers to prepare for the inheritance.


    "And also, contact someone from the outside world to facilitate it."


    Thedy outside watched as the man moved and returned to his chambers. She quickly closed the golden door, bowed to him, and replied,


    "Yes, master."


    Thedy only raised her head once she no longer heard his steps and saw his long golden hair in the dark hallway.


    She sighed, sorrow and concern were reflected in her eyes, as she turned around and whispered,


    "A new soulless game ismencing once again."

 Exceptional Professions (SPOILERS)

    <h4>Chapter -1: Exceptional Professions (SPOILERS)</h4>


    Warning! Spoiler ahead.


    Four main exceptional professions.


    <strong>1. Warriors</strong>


    -No information regarding this yet. However, it was believed that the east continent was the home of the warriors. Additionally, Philip''s adoptive father was most likely one.


    <strong>2. Magicians</strong>


    -The north continent was the home ground of the magicians. They were exceptional in using elemental powers. However, the magicians have a strict rule to never touch the ordinary people.


    This waster confirmed by Philip when he understood that to be a magician, a person must either kill one or be harmed by one with a high pool of mana.


    <strong>3. Mentalist</strong>


    - This profession was the main focus of the earliest part of the novel. They were extremely weak in fighting abilities but possessed exceptional infiltrating and covert abilities.


    To be a mentalist, a strict order and prerequisite must be followed:


    - 1. An individual must possess at least 150 IQ or any other equivalent measuring system of mental strength. For soulless yers, they must have at least 15 mental base stats.


    - 2. An individual must at least once, unlock their core memory in the past. This was akin to a mother bestowed by a sudden increase in strength to save her child. It was easy to confuse this for an adrenaline rush, but in truth, it involved supernatural phenomena.


    Additionally, the individual must lock it after using it. This was simr to the relief felt by a mother when she seeded in saving her child. If an individual didn''t lock it after, they would be more unhinged and have a sudden decrease in life span, resulting in early death.


    - 3. After possessing the two requirements above, an individual could now perceive anyone who could travel in an astral state. To be a fully-fledged mentalist, they must undergo a procedure where they have to enter into sleep paralysis and summon their astral body. Afterward, they would have to summon a door leading to their space of consciousness. Only when an individual entered into his space would he be a level 1 mentalist called Dreamwalker.


    <strong>1. Dreamwalker</strong>


    -Dreamwalker possessed the following abilities.


    1. A 1/3 increase in mental strength


    2. Exceptional sensitivity to human emotion and mannerisms


    3. Capable of traveling in an astral state (2000 meters) and summoning an astral domain of 25 meters in radius.


    4. cate nightmares by imbuing a sleeping person in their astral domain.


    5. Enter into a dream world where every mentalist and dream citizen gathers.


    <strong>2. Empath</strong>


    -It was not discussed yet in the novel however some of its abilities have already been mentioned.


    1. Capable of seeing the basic emotion orbs of individuals.


    2. Once the luminosity of the orb reaches the darkest or brightest color, an empath could steal this, making an individual forget what they had felt earlier.


    ...


    <strong>3. ???</strong>


    -Its name wasn''t mentioned but some of its abilities include:


    1. Storing and bringing real and dream items in and out of the dream realm.


    2. Capable of possessing psychic abilities.


    ...


    <strong>4. Spiritualist</strong>


    -There were many kinds of spiritualists but so far, the novel has only discussed two of them.


    <strong>1. Hotelier</strong>


    - To be a hotelier, an individual must possess the hotelier''s key in half spirit state and half-human state.


    A hotelier must serve humans in the real world and lingering ghosts and spirits in the mirroring world.


    After the death of the previous owner, if he has a descendant, the firstborn would immediately be the new hotelier.


    [All male members of the family possessed an ability to see ghosts. ]


    <strong><i>- 1. Hotelier</i></strong>


    -First level of hotelier spiritualist. Listed below are its abilities.


    1. Immune to all kinds of attacks and curses that target spirits


    2. Capable ofmunicating with ghosts and spirits.


    3. Capable of traversing back and forth between the mirroring world and the real world.


    4. Granted a quasi immortality. As long as the hotel is standing, the hotelier would not die.


    <strong>2. Worshiper</strong>


    -The ability possessed by a worshiper was granted by a higher-level entity as a blessing.


    The novel had already discussed one worshiper.


    <strong><i>- 1. Devil Worshiper</i></strong>


    -A worshiper''s ability was granted by a devil.


    <strong>1. Believer</strong>


    - Can evoke one wish per month. However, this wish must be within normality and respect the rules of the world. With this, a believer could only make a wish for changes in his body.


    - Can be able to see ghosts but can''t hear them. This is an active ability and may deactivated, unlike the hotelier''s ability.


    - Possess arge pool of spirituality


    <strong>2. Arms of the Devil or The Devil''s Blessed</strong>


    - Can evoke one wish per week. However, this wish must be within normality and respect the rules of the world. With this, a believer could only make a wish for changes in his body.


    - Can be able to hear andmunicate with ghosts. This is an active ability and may deactivated, unlike the hotelier''s ability.


    - They can now use their spirituality to act as their arms.


    <strong>3. Ritual Magister or the Summoning Master</strong>


    - Can evoke one wish per day. However, this wish must be within normality and respect the rules of the world. With this, a believer could only make a wish for changes in his body.


    - Can temporarily borrow the devil''s ability. As for Gregorio, he can make everything that touches him be corrupted by the devil''s power of destruction.


    - Can summon and make a contract with one creature in the mirroring world.


    - Can temporarily enter into a spirit state.


    - Obtain the ability of a ghost to possess others.


    - Can control others with spirituality. However, this was effective only for those weaker than them.

 Chapter 1: White Room

    <h4>Chapter 1: White Room</h4>


    Along with the people''s patriotic cheers and chants, a jubnt re of trumpets and booming drums echoed around the walled city.


    It was festive, noisy, and disordered, yet not a single personined as all were focused on the march heading towards the city gate.


    People watched as rows of proud men equipped with their heavy armor halted orderly outside the wall of Naza, waiting for the gatemen to pull the rope.


    When the gigantic wooden gate fell and touched the ground, forming a bridge over the moat, regardless of age, gender, or status, howled out loudly.


    This is a special day where no one discriminates for their social standing. Whether a ve, amoner, or of noble blood, all of them celebrate this grand asion.


    The man leading the soldiers shed and kneeled.


    "We finally won the war!" he eximed.


    Upon hearing his outburst, thunderous cheers and apuse roared around. Women quickly ran towards their men for hugs and kisses, unbothered by their sweat and smell from their lengthy trip.


    Their relief was undisguised. They were delighted upon seeing their loved one survive.


    After almost a decade, Britannia has finally emerged victorious from the war.


    A new era ising where citizens are free from worries of territorial battle and conflict, where people would gradually return to their mundane and peaceful lives, leaving only a short chapter in the book called ''The History of Britannia.''


    However, amidst this celebration, a hundred miles away from the city, a man was lying in his pool of blood, breathless.


    He was Philip. The man who made the country''s victory possible.


    Unknown to many, this person had significantly contributed to tilting the bnce of the war.


    He wasn''t a soldier or an officer like any other man but someone with an upation that must remain hidden from the masses.


    After using him, he, who must be named a hero, was soon thrown away and forgotten.


    Philip epted his fate and silently died in a dpidated building.


    He has no regrets. Protecting the country is his calling. Everything is bound to happen.


    But although he had no regrets, he was still sad.


    Even in his death, he was lonely. No one wept for him; there was no one beside him.


    With onest breath, he closes his eyes, and whispers silently,


    ''I hope death doesn''t hurt anymore.''


    The End - The forgotten past in the history of Britannia


    Flip...


    Flip...


    Flip...


    After Philip''s death, time stopped and everything became still and motionless. Only the sound of flipping papers resounded all around the world.


    Then, along with each flip, time started to move, but backward. Sun rose towards the east, carrying the wind and clouds together.


    And in the city of Naza, instead of seeing a joyful celebration, everything was chaotic. The sound of people''s cries and cheers was nothing but a painful ngor when yed backward.


    The military, which should have been inside the city, were all also moving rearwards, and the city''s gate, which should have weed them, was now raised and closed sturdily.


    In a dpidated building, the pool of blood slowly returned to Philip''s body. His wound and scars began to heal and fade; his heart, which should have been unresponsive, started to beat alongside with every flip of book papers.


    Philip opened his eyes and happened to witness this marvelous phenomenon. He was baffled upon seeing the bullet extracted from his heart and returned to the gun pointed towards him by a man.


    Philip observed the man, who was his superior, talking gibberish. Though he couldn''t understand a single word, he somewhat knew what he was talking about.


    "<i>Britannia is now safe. You''re a dangerous factor for the peace of the country."</i>


    "<i>Your use is no longer needed. Die now, Philip."</i>


    "<i>This is for the country."</i>


    This betrayal. Philip remembered thisst moment of his life and watched his superior moving backward, confused.


    What is happening? Philip then tried to control his body, but couldn''t do so. His consciousness remained trapped inside his body, watching his life unfold as a spectator.


    Starting from his death to his secret job in the enemy''s encampment, and finally to his whole teenage life dedicated to training. Before his eyes, everything yed back like a movie.


    However, unlike a movie, he could feel the pain brought by each episode of his life, either physical or mental.


    It was then Philip realized how unfulfilling his life was and how he was brainwashed heavily by the superiors he served.


    He thought that after listening to their requests and saving the country, he would have no regrets. However, after seeing his life from both first and third perspectives, he now felt remorseful.


    If only he had a chance, he would rather not live as a country''s protector, but as a normal citizen. How would his life be if he could create a family, love a woman, and raise their children together?


    If this happened, would his death be not lonely anymore?


    With the sound of thest flip, the world slowly darkened; like a book closing after a reader finished reading a story.


    When the world was finally absent of any light, Philip had no time to get frightened as a white glowing ball suddenly appeared across him.


    It was shining, like eyes glimmered with hope. Philip had seen it in the faces of the children he had helped in the past. Their eyes were filled with faith for a better future, that everything would be okay, and that the war would soon end.


    This strengthened the will that Philip hadpletely hidden beneath his being. After a long mental torture and brainwashing, he finally remembered the single word he uttered during his childhood.


    Escape.


    He wanted to be the owner of his own destiny; unbounded by any power that would restrict his freedom; to be a king and not a pawn for others.


    He also wanted to be happy for once!


    Philip had no inkling why this strange phenomenon was happening to him. Instead of fearing the unknown, he subconsciously relies on it. And without hesitation, he reached for the white ball of light.


    He felt it could be dangerous, that acting without meticulous nning and calction would only jeopardize him.


    However, his instinct is screaming, urging him to reach for this little hope.


    Thus, he let himself be. He unrestrained himself for once and let his emotion override his rationality.


    Upon contact, the ball engulfed Philip with total brightness, and the once pitch-ck surrounding was now void of any color other than white.


    The brightness blinded him, but Philip weed it with his arms raised high as if he were receiving salvation.


    And when he felt the light was no longer bright, he slowly opened his eyes and happened to see men looking at him strangely.


    Well, to be specific, they were looking at his arms raised in the air.


    "..."


    Philip felt embarrassed. He quickly lowered his arms and vigntly retreated from the center.


    Luckily, most of them stopped scanning him once he moved away. This made Philip a little bit relieved. He was confused by the sudden change, but he knew that he could not act rashly.


    Everything was white, but the whiteness brought nothing butfort to him. Unlike when the white ball of light swallowed him, the brightness no longer blinded him. It was just like a big white room filled with different kinds of men.


    The men were all of different ages, there was a child with a huge backpack and a white-bearded old man holding a short wooden stick.


    Their clothes were all also peculiar to him. There was a petite man with eastern clothing he had only seen on books from oriental merchants, a tall man in a fully enclosed helmet with metallic-like silk covering all his body, and a teenager in a white school uniform he dreamt of wearing once in his life.


    Some of them also have weird mutations. Wings, fishtail, and antennae-like of an ant were just among them. Philip was curious. It was his first time seeing humans, but at the same time, not humans. He was dying to know if it was some sort of attached equipment or a real biological organ.


    While he was mulling over, he was quickly distracted when a figure suddenly materialized at the center, the same ce where he was standing earlier.


    However, unlike him, the man didn''t strike an embarrassing pose or was surprised by his teleportation. He just gave a quick peek around and moved away from the center.


    It was like he had already anticipated this to happen to him.


    His action made Philip realize something. Although the men were vignt against each other, none showed the same level of confusion as him.


    It''s either they hid very well or they were informed beforeing here.


    What''s different with me? Philip wanted to ask someone for information but quickly decided against it. This would only make them figure out that he knew nothing. And in case of an unexpected conflict, he would be situated in a much more tricky position.


    Man after man showed up and once the 100th man emerged, all men quickly entered into a battle position.


    The quick change of ambiance made Philip scared. This further implied his spection that all men knew what would transpire to them, and none of these men seemed to be as clueless and normal as him.


    Slowly, the surroundings also changed. The four white walls fell down, showing a much more spacious space.


    THUD.


    Thefort brought by the in white room disappeared and everyone was uneasy.


    Most men prepared their weapons as if expecting a huge battle to ur once the 100th person arrived.


    Philip was nervous. He knew nothing about what was going on!


    He regretted listening to his instinct and letting his emotions overdid him. What hope? If he dissected the white ball of light earlier, maybe he would not be as ignorant as he is now.


    But s, regretting it was toote for him. All he could do was to minimize his presence and be transparent he can be.

 Chapter 2: Fight!

    <h4>Chapter 2: Fight!</h4>


    Ten tall white pirs stood firmly around the ground hall. None of the men could see where the pirs stopped or heading but they were all sure of one thing - something dangerous was residing above.


    The aura emitting above was so thick and threatening that the men unconsciously trembled and quickly looked away from the sky.


    Philip followed them and examined the tform that appeared once the four walls were all knocked down.


    Unlike the pirs, which were all insanely hugepared to their human sizes, the stage was perfectly fit for a grand orchestra.


    While everything was milky white, the wooden tform was strangely ipatible with the surroundings. It was like it didn''t originally belong there and was only ced by someone.


    Seeing this, all men unanimously dropped their weapons and ceased their battle stances. They agreed that someone would soon arrive at the stage and perhaps, the one they were all waiting for to exin everything.


    However, seconds became a minute then an hour, yet not a single dust made an appearance.


    Someone was finally fed up with waiting and could no longer contain his temper anymore.


    "@&#%!?? &@/"()&@!!"


    A man with golden mane-like hair voiced his frustration out. Everyone looked at him in confusion, not understanding a single word he said.


    Some tried to speak with one another yet ended up failing as they realized that all of them spoke differentnguages.


    They also attempted tomunicate through their hands but couldn''t do so as every gesture had a different meaning among them.


    Everyone was still and tense. The deadly pressure emanating from above also doesn''t help. They had no idea what to do and how to move around this ce.


    Suddenly, Philip''s head felt ufortable and muddled, as if something was breaking through it. But before he could touch his head, someone from the crowd shouted in anger mixed with fear and vignce.


    "@b!%$? @b!%$?"


    His eyes glowed red as he surveyed the crowd, attempting to find the suspect. His red pupil then lingered on the floating man holding an orb.


    Their gazes met and he immediately attacked him without attempting tomunicate first.


    The floating man obviously wanted to exin something but hadn''t had the time as a redser quickly shot out from the man''s eyes.


    He dodged effortlessly but in effect, theser pierced towards a tall and thin man with unnaturally long legs and tentacle-like arms. His once clean-breasted ck suit now had two holes from the attack. Yet, strangely underneath his suit, his skin remained white and unbreakable.


    The tall man looked at the attacker with his pale white face and ghostly gaze. Without any warning, he moved fast as he had teleported in front of him. He extended his right arm and pped him with full force.


    This resulted in him being thrown out, bouncing from floor to floor until it stopped somewhere far away.


    For a few seconds, everything was silent, but the silence was chaotic, disturbing, and scary.


    The many on the ground, broken and unconscious. All men looked at his body with fear and caution. They realized that in this ce, to survive against other dangerous men, they had to fight with their lives at stake.


    This very emotion of fear was what brought the temporary truce to an end. Most of the men were now eager to fight, revealing their willingness to overpower others.


    Unlike others, Philip had no indication of joining the war. He wanted to remain invisible until the end. Thus, relying on instinct, he immediately fled towards a safer and hidden location.


    Out of nowhere, swords, spears, and all kinds of weaponry appeared at the hands of some men.


    A condensed supernatural light hovered out in the air and formed into different geometrical figures.


    Herds of air,nd, and sea animals also began to fill the ce in an astronomical number.


    On the other side, an army of skeletons, mechanical robots, and elemental spirits had already begun fighting against each other.


    Meanwhile, the appearance of an oversized shield, spaceship, and a floating castle in the corner made the surroundings even more terrifying and bright from their advancedser-based weaponry.


    While running towards one of the pirs, Philip''s eyes widened by an unimaginable size. This scene was totally unique and iprehensible to him.


    There were no otherworldly powers in his world, and only through science could his people achieve development. This power he was seeing was already in the realm of miracles and magic!


    Having no other choice, Philip fled faster. While running, he happened to witness others escaping in panic. His eyes caught a man in his swimming trunks also ncing at him.


    It was then in this scenario, that for a single moment, they understood each other''s look of pity.


    One who had no clothes other than his tight underwear and one whose clothes were filled with dust, blood, and gunshot holes were looking at each other with sympathy.


    Others were also helpless in this catastrophe. Like with Philip''s, there was no magic in their ces. They had no idea how they would fight with their old pistol and dull knife.


    All of them were filled with sorrow, especially Philip. He arrived in this ce with his disheveled death-like appearance. He had no weapons with him, how would he defend himself if someone dared to attack him?


    Philip took a nce at his back and noticed a seemingly disabled man rolling his wheelchair speedily towards his route.


    Under all circumstances, he wasn''t a bad person who looked down on people with disabilities, but upon seeing this, a sigh of relief unconsciously came out of his mouth.


    ''At least I can move my legs unlike¡­'' Philip trembled. He could not continue his thoughts as he was forced to dodge sideways.


    When he recovered his footing, he saw the man in the wheelchair, standing, running, and throwing punches everywhere whileughing maniacally.


    The once frail man transformed into a well-built man who could fight swiftly. Although he was still the same person, his eyes showed otherwise. It was as if he was possessed by a strong entity.


    Philip was extremely terrified. Theugh of the man brought nothing but terror to him. Though he could not understand his words, he knew he was fooled.


    None of the men should be judged under a normal standard! Even a frail man has a power that he couldn''t fathom.


    Philip ran faster and harder, overtaking some men and flying poker cards behind him.


    And when he finally arrived on the side of the pir, he immediately looked for someone topare. Although he knew thatpared to others, he was somewhat weaker, he still refused to believe that he was the weakest among the crowd.


    His eyes quickly caught the sight of a child with a cute backpack, calmly observing the people fighting.


    ''Good! That child looks like 8 years old. I must be stronger than him,'' Philip guessed proudly. He was not even slightly guilty ofparing himself to a child two decades younger than him.


    In addition, to protect his crumbling pride, hefortably forgot his notion earlier that these men shouldn''t be judged under normal standards.


    If only he could throw away his pride, he would know that the child was the one who was controlling the mechanical robots around.


    Well, it was still a good thing that Philip didn''t know, at least his self-confidence had been ignorantly saved.


    Then, all of a sudden, a stray bullet pierced through the shoulder of a petite man standing slightly behind Philip, a little bit short away from him.


    "Uhhhhgg¡­"


    Upon hearing the man''s groan, Philip unconsciously attempted to help him secure a safer ce.


    Yet, before he could move, the man was suddenly struck by a bolt of lightning and transformed into a giant. There was even a background musical apanying his change!


    Philip''s eyes bulged in an instant, his senses were telling him to run away.


    But s, the transformation was too quick for him to react. Philip was instantly squashed by the giant''s foot!


    "ROOOAAARRR"


    When the men heard the roar of the giant, they just halted for a second and then resumed their fight.


    Different men started transforming into a variety of creatures and monsters.


    A huge ant, a demonic slime, and even a flying lizard joined the battle.


    A more chaotic fight had ensued around!


    Philip, who was ttened earlier, was revived like nothing happened.


    However, the pain and psychological trauma remained intact in his mind.


    It was then a man with a crown of thorns noticed this strange phenomenon. He raised his hand and dered.


    "Stop! Thou shalt not kill!"


    Everyone halted. They didn''t do it willingly, they just couldn''t control every fiber of their body.


    When everyone had finally determined the victor, a teasing chuckle resounded throughout the area.


    A man with ck hair and red eyes, with wings like a bat and horns of a goat, was smirking evilly.


    While everyone was frozen, he walked forward like nothing was wrong.


    The man wearing a thorny crown was astonished but remained indifferent. He was confident with his power. He felt that the disgusting entity was no match for him.


    When another round was about to ur between the two, incorporeal books floated around and quickly went to 100 men.


    A man with round sses said, "Can you now understand me? This way we canmunicate with each other without a fight."


    After finding a way tomunicate, a wave of sighs resonated.


    "What were you trying to do earlier?" The newly revived red-eyed person asked warily. He had learned his lesson to be careful. After seeing the might of each individual here, he had now lost any confidence in his power.


    "I was trying to form a mental connection so we can allmunicate," the floating man answered nervously. He also died shortly after that encounter and experienced a painful trauma.


    "I meant no harm," he rified once more to prove his innocence to other men.


    After some point, a man in a hospital gown asked the question Philip wanted to ask ever since his arrival.


    "Do you know why we are here?"


    This question piqued the curiosity of some men, evident that they also wanted an answer.


    "You don''t know? The white ball didn''t exin it to you?" The feminine man wearing a maid''s clothes questioned back.


    He shook his head, indicating he doesn''t and it didn''t. The maid saw this and was about to answer when a door suddenly fell from the white sky.


    It stopped and hovered on the wooden tform and slowly opened. Then a man with an intense aura came out and walked to the center of the stage.


    "It seems that I don''t have to cast anguage spell on all of you," said the man with an amused smile.


    "Save me from trouble. Thank you." He winked and slightly bowed to the man holding a book.


    After that, he looked down at everyone and nodded.


    "Wee Soulless yers! Today I will give you a chance to escape from your fate." He giggled and continued,


    "Main Characters, Do you want to y a game?"

 Chapter 3: Osuda

    <h4>Chapter 3: Osuda</h4>


    The sudden arrival of another person made the area filled with eerie stillness. All men stared at the ck-haired man petrified.


    They noticed that the pressure emanating from above came from this person all along. And it seemed since the beginning, he had been watching them.


    After feeling this tremendous pressure more closely, even when there''s no temporary truce, all of them lost any will to fight.


    Even the seemingly God in the group chose to shrink. He knew that the person could kill a thousand of him.


    No one dared to break the silence. They just waited for the man to continue and say something more.


    He jumped down from the tform and walked slowly towards the crowd, taking short nces at every individual in the white hall.


    This made Philip see his face and figure more clearly. Even though the man has been trying his best to maintain a likable and harmless front, he still cannot hide the ferociousness in his aura.


    When their eyes met, Philip instinctively avoided. He bowed his head and held his hands tightly, keeping them from shaking.


    Upon noticing this, the said person just smiled slightly and continued inspecting the crowd. When his eyes spotted a particr man holding a pocket watch, his facade was instantly broken.


    "KYA KYA KYA!" The manughed crazily, "Interesting! So interesting!"


    While he wasughing at who knows what reason, the area shook and his aura became more suffocating, making the men fall and shudder in fear.


    "Oh, where are my manners?" He then withdrew his aura and continued like nothing happened.


    "Some of you must be confused by the current situation, right?" He asked while looking at some men with disheveled and dirty appearances like Philip.


    He then exaggeratedly turned his body around, raised his arms, and smiled yfully, "Well, don''t be ''cause I, Osuda, will exin everything for all of you!"


    Osuda materialized a ck top hat and a ck cane to add more elegance to his formal ck suit.


    While rolling his cane, he continued, "You are summoned here to give you a chance to gain an identity! To escape from your repeating and unending life as a character!"


    Under the shocked faces of some men, Osuda emphasized once more clearly, "All of you here are the main characters of books that have be famous all around the multiverse."


    He paused, then cruelly disclosed the truth, "And yes, your life has always been a fiction, with a writer as the creator of your past, present, and future."


    After saying that, everyone went silent. Some were frozen in bafflement, obviously having a hard time believing in his statement. Some bowed their heads in understanding, indicating they already knew the painful truth behind their transmigration.


    "Impossible¡­" The man holding his decapitated head in his arms kneeled and murmured in denial. His life felt so real, he didn''t expect it to be fake all along.


    Osuda coughed and rified, "Don''t misunderstand. Obviously, your life and experiences were real. It''s just that you''re acting as a puppet of your author, forcing his ideas and projecting his imagination through you."


    "It was your fate that was fake all along, not you, okay?" Osuda grinned whileforting the men, "The white ball should have exined it before your arrival, but it seems some were in a rush that they could not wait for it to exin."


    Philip trembled. His life had ended badly. He was desperate and touched the white ball without hesitation. While he had some suspicion about how others seemed to know, he did not expect the ball could speak and personally exin the strange phenomenon.


    Osuda pounded his cane to the ground and smirked friskily, "Well thanks to you, we can have a business in this field."


    The men had no time to ask what he meant as Osuda quickly continued, "To summarize everything, all of you have to fight against each other in a simted world. The winner would then be given a soul, which indicates an identity and freedom."


    "If you have a soul, you can finally leave the world of fiction and live outside where everything is real."


    Most of the men knew this already. That was why upon arrival, they were all strangely more vignt against each other, as they were all each other''s enemies.


    They wanted to win. They wanted to escape.


    When Philip heard this, he froze. He had no confidence in winning against these monsters.


    Philip wasn''t the only one who felt that way. In fact, a minority of them were apprehensive in this battle.


    A man wearing shy clothes raised his hand and asked anxiously, "Can I just go back to my world? I don''t want to participate in this battle anymore."


    At first, he felt dejected when the white ball exined that he was just a book character but looking back, his life had always been happy and fulfilling. Who cares if he was living in a book world? He would rather live a controlled life than participate in this deadly battle.


    Osuda eximed, "Oh no! What do we have here?" He then covered his mouth and asked sarcastically, "Well, do you want to return to your mama''s arm, young man?"


    "Ye-ess!" the young man answered nervously. He sensed dangering from Osuda''s question but his fondness for going home clouded his judgment.


    "Hmmm¡­ I''m asking you onest time, young man," Osuda squinted his eyes and raised his lips spookily. "Do you really want to go back?"


    "..."


    Everyone was silent. They all collectively looked at the quivering young man.


    Feeling the spine-chilling gazes, the young man finally woke up, "N-noo!" he instantly answered. He decided to retreat, suspecting that going back was and should never be an option.


    Upon hearing his answer, Osuda roared amusingly, "KYA KYA KYA! As expected of a main character! Very quick-witted!"


    "But how would we know the consequences of going back?" asked Osuda while caressing his nonexistent beard, "Does anyone want to volunteer, hmmm?"


    No one answered him. They obviously don''t want to be cannon fodders.


    "Tsk," Osuda clicked his tongue. "Well, if you don''t want to, Let me show you what will happen."


    He waved his arm and numerous transparent screens appeared in the air.


    "Look closely." Osuda pointed his cane to the first screen.


    On it was a man saving a princess trapped in a tower by a horrendous witch.


    Everything looks normal and sweet, however, if a person carefully examines the characters, he would soon notice that everyone seems to be dull and lifeless.


    "Hmm, let''s increase the volume a bit."


    In a short while, the agony of the man reverberated around the area.


    "Hah¡­Hah¡­" A breathless man cried, "Please make it stop. Please let me die."


    "Let me go back! I''ll participate! So please, let me go!"


    "This is what would happen to a character who had regained consciousness." Osuda exined, "A character would have no way to control his life. He would remain a spectator watching his own body moving along with the script provided to him."


    "This will happen and continue repeatedly every time the story is being read. There''s no future and there''s no past anymore. Only an unending cycle of suffering."


    Osuda looked at the crowd and smiled, "What would you do if your life kept on repeating uncontrobly? For hundreds, thousands, or even millions, what would you feel if this kept on happening to you?"


    The men trembled fearfully. Though some of them have a happy story, if it kept on repeating, it would be better to die!


    "Well, why am I talking about this?" Osuda then swung his cane to the screens, "Because like these characters, you have also gained consciousness."


    "No one really knows why this is happening. Even I was confused about how a book character gained consciousness. All I know is that you are entities that should have not existed!"


    He then looked straight to the young man with shy clothes, "You should be grateful you were summoned or else..." Osuda stopped, letting others imagine the aftermath.


    The young man bowed his head. He knew he was lucky to be chosen. At least he was given a choice to die and have a chance to live.


    He nced back at the numerous screens and sighed. Thankfully he decided to stay.


    Osuda fixed his hat and nced at the crowd, "You were summoned here to give you a chance from not experiencing a life like theirs. And be given a choice whether you wanted to return and experience misery¡­."


    Osuda then raised his arms gracefully, "Or get a soul and escape from the fate of being just a character of a story!"


    Loud ssical music reverberated as the white space transformed into a medieval round hall. The white in pirs now had a different color and texture and colorful sses enclosed the area, separating the hall from the whiteness outside.


    Osuda walked back to the podium and dered to everyone, "Well then, Main Characters let me ask you again. Do you want to y a game?"


    While Osuda continued exining the mechanics of the game, Philip was in a daze. He had lost his ability to listen as his head was filled with a lot of unbelievable information.


    Philip had always been unlucky in the past. It was like the world was against him, always being thrown into difficult and dangerous situations. He also had no family and friends as an anchor, all he had was his forced dedication to protect his country.


    Then boom, someone disclosed the truth, his past and experiences, or even his personality, were all decided by his author. All in all, he was really just a soulless puppet with no real identity.


    And then, he was given a chance to change his life. Of course, he was happy but it was short-lived. Having seen the power of hispetitors, Philip felt dejected and negative.


    Philip was helpless. He just remained standing, looking stupidly at the air, not bothering in listening to Osuda''s instructions.


    TOK. TOK. TOK.


    Osuda stomped his cane on the ground thrice to catch the men''s attention.


    "Well, it seems that everyone finally understood the situation right now." Osuda beamed and continued, "So, I don''t need to ask you anymore if you want to return or not¡­"


    Osuda frankly stated, "Because you have no other choice to begin with." He stopped then added yfully,


    "Unless you''re a masochist."


    With his right hand, he threw his hat high up in the air.


    "Well then! I think you are all ready!" Osuda grinned excitedly, "Oh! And don''t forget the magic word for your golden finger."


    As he raised his cane with his left hand, the top hat midair immediately became as huge as a stadium.


    "ENJOY DYING!"


    When Osuda lowered his cane, the hat also fell and swallowed all the men in the room.


    Later, the top hat returned to its original size, and all men vanished leaving with Osuda''sst remark.

 Chapter 4: Birthday

    <h4>Chapter 4: Birthday</h4>


    Eight years have passed since Philip was reborn into a new world.


    At first, he was distressed about the new environment and the uing fight, however as he continued living, he found out that this world was quite simr to his old world and surprisingly adjusted very well.


    He anticipated that once he arrived here, he would then be bombarded with mysterious incidents and die. However, contrary to his expectations, the world seemed to be void of any magic.


    In fact, in his eight years of living, not even once did he experience anything supernatural nor did he meet any of his 99 enemies.


    The new world seemed to be more peaceful and advancedpared to his old world. If his old world were at war, the new world appeared to have already ovee a series of wars and was in the developmental stage in both arts and science.


    On streets, paintings depicting realism could be seen anywhere, and inventions of much more advanced technology seemed to be the norm in this time period.


    When Philip recalled his first encounter with the scary ck metallic vehicle that runs on rails, he could not help butugh in embarrassment. As a joke, he even called it an incarnation of the devil as it was as loud as a rumble of thunder. In addition, every time it moved, thick ck smoke came out from its head like an angry volcano.


    Currently, Philip''s life isfortable and fun. And at the moment, he was not in any danger. However, his life in the new world was not always happy. In fact, he fought his way for his life to be like this.


    The new world is not as malicious as in his past anymore, but strangely, the beginning of his life, specifically his childhood, was like a copy of his past life.


    A year after his mother gave birth to him, he was abandoned and sold to the hidden forces of the government.


    Philip reminisced about the moment when his small body left the arms of his mother. He thought he could finally have a family on his own, yet the world didn''t even give him the chance to enjoy it.


    For three years, the government instilled brainwashing in every child they got. If he was a normal child, he would surely give in like in his past. Good thing he had already experienced it and was knowledgeable enough to escape while their preparation was still at the infancy stage.


    He refused to live like in his past andmitted one of the proudest moments of his life: destroying that inhumane facility.


    None of the adults in the facility would ever expect a four-year-old child to over-smart them. From building an escape path to manipting and informing themon people andstly poisoning them to death.


    Not in the history of mankind had this ever happened. Only now, through Philip as the mastermind, could this be brought out to the masses.


    The citizens were angry and even the two-faced nobles and church intervened, rescuing other children.


    Philip left and escaped alone, leaving nothing of his presence. He traveled through towns and mountains and finally arrived in a small vige where he met his adoptive parents.


    For the next four years, Philip was happy. Living in this isted area with his new loving parents brought nothing but joy to him.


    Philip always knew the true purpose of hising to this world but after not seeing any of his rivals, he chose to be greedy and live his life to the fullest.


    Of course, he was ashamed of himself for not listening to Osuda and ended up not knowing the game''s specifics. All he knew was that they would fight to death and thest remaining person would win a soul and identity.


    It was eight years and with all the incidents that happened to him, he hadter forgotten about it.


    Philip stopped bothering about this and thought that as long as he remained hidden and didn''t join the fray, maybe he could survive until the end.


    ''Let thempete with each other, I''ll rest ''till old age.'' Philip thought amusingly, his heart was full.


    Philip sprinted excitedly around the forest. Today is his birthday and he has always treasured this day as he had never experienced it in his past life.


    Of course, that''s a given, with the government backing and controlling his life, all he could do was act like a dog and do their bidding. In addition, with the author''s sadistic trait of making his life hard, he grew up without experiencing what other people usually do.


    Now that he has grown up in his dream normal environment, he will try to live more merrily with his caring and loving parents.


    While he knew that this environment was just a simtion, probably created for the purpose of the game, he was still upfront in his decision.


    ''What''s wrong with fake? As long as I am happy, reality doesn''t matter anymore.''


    ''Why do people do drugs and drink liquors? Why do people read fiction novels? Isn''t it to escape reality?''


    While he knew it was wrong, he didn''t care. He was already addicted to this life.


    In a short while, Philip arrived at a bungalow cottage with a variety of flowers nted on the garden.


    "Auntie Marissa, here''s your firewood!" Philip shouted while knocking on her door.


    A middle-aged woman unlocked the door, "Oh my! Thank you, Philip, and please deliver my thanks to your father for me."


    Philip''s father cuts wood for a living and Philip is usually tasked to deliver the timber to their customers, especially to the nearby vige.


    Philip lived deep inside the forest, an hour''s walk away from the vige. He was slightly curious about why his parents chose to live in istion and sometimes wondered if his parents had huge secrets like him too.


    However, while he was curious, he never asked them or bothered to investigate as he respects their privacy.


    He has always been thankful for their help, especially in adopting him. So, what''s with a little secret? If it weren''t for them, he would never find a family and a home for himself.


    "I''ll deliver your words to my father, Auntie Marissa." Philip noticed her bringing her luggage outside and asked, "Auntie, are you perhaps going somewhere?"


    Marissa answered, "Yes, I''ll be leaving for a trip. Oh before I forgot."


    She rummaged through her things and took a bottle filled with a green and sticky substance inside, "Here, my gift for you. Happy Birthday, Philip."


    Philip took it and thanked her, "Thank you, Auntie. May I ask what is this for?"


    "It''s nothing, just a medicine for healing critical wounds," Marissa answered lightly and continued, "Maybe one day you''ll be needing it."


    She looked straight into Philip''s eyes as if reading something within him. Philip felt goosebumps in his arms and quickly avoided eye contact.


    While scratching his arms, he responded, "I hope I don''t have any use for this, Auntie."


    "I also hope so, Philip." She smiled.


    Feeling foreboding, Philip immediately left her abode. Her Auntie Marissa also lived deep inside the forest, a five-minute walk away from his house.


    He always knew she wasn''t normal, with her great proficiency in the pharmaceutical field, she should have lived in the big city and not stuck in this remote forest.


    At first, he was vignt against her but for four years, she offered nothing but goodwill not just to him but also to his parents. Then soon, after several encounters, his heart opened, and treated her as an elder.


    However, today''s meeting awakened his cautiousness. He ran off from her house and once he arrived a distance away he stopped and walked normally.


    Philip let out a long deep breath and thought that maybe he was just being paranoid. Why would she wait for four years when she could have done something to him the first time they met?


    Philip felt guilty for suspecting her. He nced at her gift, sighed, and put it inside his pocket.


    ''Let''s set things aside for now and focus on my birthday,'' decided Philip. The reason he was sent out to deliver the woods today was for his parents to prepare a surprise.


    Philip was perceptive enough to know about their little surprise as his parents had always been terrible at acting. Still, every year, he pretended not to know and let them prepare their things.


    Together with the birds'' chirpings and the gentle swishing sounds of grasses, he whistled and hopped excitedly towards his home.


    As he opened the gate and stepped inside, Philip felt an insane amount of nervousness. He smiled slightly thinking that even after four years of living with his parents, he was still not adept at their kindness.


    Philip prepared himself and finally opened the door with a wide smile.


    After opening the front door, a voice resounded deeply inside the house.


    "Happy Birthday to you."


    Philip''s heart beat uncontrobly fast when he heard someone singing a Birthday song.


    "Happy Birthday to you."


    As he continued to listen, the smile on his face curved downwards, his eyes became wet, and his legs began to shake.


    "Happy Birthday."


    When the song was close to its ending, Philip found himself looking at the table. On it, there was a cake with a lit candle on top, a knitted scarf, a bracelet, andstly¡­


    "Happy Birthday."


    His very own father''s head.


    And then his world turned dark when he finally heard thest verse of the song.


    "Happy Birthday to us!"

 Chapter 5: Steve

    <h4>Chapter 5: Steve</h4>


    Philip stood frozen at the doorway, not believing what he was seeing. Never once did he expect this to happen. The birthday he had excitedly been waiting for turned into a tragedy.


    A child of his age came out from the kitchen, smiling. Unlike the gloomy atmosphere, his smile was unusually bright and teasing.


    The two looked at each other, one was like inspecting a merchandise, while the other stared past him, listless.


    "You''re behind the incident in the capital four years ago right?" The child named Steve broke the silence, asking like he was stating a fact.


    Upon hearing this, Philip trembled in realization. He finally knew what went wrong.


    Steve noticed this small action and smiled wider. "You''re so amazing!" He pped and eximed, "You''ve managed to destroy the intelligent unit of the government all by yourself!"


    Philip remained silent as his thoughts were in disarray. Assuming it happened a long time ago, he thought no one would trace his involvement and whereabouts. The government should have stopped and conceded after not finding him for all these years.


    He thought he would now be safe and okay. But s, he forgot to take into consideration the other 99 yers.


    Philip could not help but feel down and inferior. He knew it. None of his enemies were normal.


    After short years of happiness, Philip was forced to wake up from his slumber, from his addiction. With one of the yers in front of him, he was sure that he would never return to his dream.


    His eyes slowly became red as he nced at his father''s decapitated head. His existence has implicated the innocent couple.


    Along with the blood coursing through the ground, he noticed the embedded ax in the wall.


    Cruelly enough, his father died at his own means of livelihood. Philip looked back at the criminal with murderous eyes. He wanted to seek revenge and make the child suffer from the same fate. However, he stopped his thoughts and controlled his state of mind as he still had no idea about his mother''s situation.


    Steve watched his face change into different emotions. From being listless, then anger, to anticipation. He couldn''t help but snicker in disbelief.


    "You really care about these fakes?" he muttered.


    Even though Steve said it under his breath, Philip was still able to hear it. His eyes squinted dangerously; the word ''fake'' made Philip sensitive.


    "After knowing the truth about our existence, you still have the time to care about others?" Steve asked calmly with a stiff smile and bloodshot eyes.


    "So it''s true that you''ve been hiding here after your grand escape in the capital? I thought my source was just mistaken," He sneered and continued, "Never have I ever expected my enemy to be a dreamer."


    "What a coward."


    Steve''s eyes changed from excitement to indifference, it was as if he was looking at a waste person. He flipped his hands in signal, "Well, it works best for me."


    Two muscr men came out from the kitchen, dragging a woman with them. The woman had her arms tightly tied and a piece of cloth was stuffed into her mouth, preventing her from screaming.


    "Why don''t we do business here?" Steve offered, "I''ll let your adoptive mother live and go, but in exchange, you''ll offer your life to me. How about that?"


    Philip looked steadily at his eyes, pondering the credibility of his words.


    Knowing the truth, he should have let go of his mother and escaped. Because unlike him, who has a chance to be a real person, the people in this world would only remain as an object of the simted world.


    It was a logical choice, but Philip was reluctant to sacrifice his mother''s life.


    He was a product of an unknown and an entity that should have not existed.


    ''A fictitious character should have remained unconscious and not dreamed of being alive.'' He thought.


    These four years of happiness were already enough. He was supposed to be dead in the original novel. Why resist when he could just follow his original trajectory? He was already lucky to be given a choice to die, so why fight?


    When he had nothing and was lost on what to do, it was his current parents who saved him and gave him the will to live.


    Philip had always felt unsecured. With no family and no home to return to, his life should have been destined to be lonely.


    However, with their arrival, he learned to look forward to tomorrow.


    Philip remembered the time when he escaped from the capital; when he walked for miles with no destination.


    He was hungry, tired, and feeling detached. And when his four-year-old body could no longer handle the exhaustion, he slipped and fell right into the middle of the forest, unmoving.


    At that moment, thinking that it was finally his end, he cried miserably for the first time.


    For two lifetimes, his death has always been painful and lonely.


    He refused to take the same end and started to struggle.


    He shouted for help but after many tries, no one came.


    But when he finally starting to lose hope, a couple arrived. Philip stared at them with begging eyes.


    He couldn''t remember everything that happened after but his mind managed to recall the memory of a woman''s arm trying to carry him.


    Life really works in a mysterious way. Both his biological and adoptive mother''s impactful memories involved arms. One for leaving and the other for saving.


    His current parents are his blessing and he would do anything to save his mother and exact revenge for his father.


    Philip''s eyes met his mother''s gaze. He was silent for a moment before saying, "Thank you and I''m sorry."


    Steve flicked his fingers, "So, what''s your decision?"


    Philip responded, "I''ll go with you, let my mother¡­"


    But before he could continue, his mother forcibly pushed herself up, making the muscr men lose their bnce.


    All of a sudden, his mother''s strength became insanely strong. The rope ripped making her hands free.


    But instead of escaping, she ran towards Steve intending to attack.


    Steve was stunned for a second. He didn''t expect her to get strong or attack him so suddenly. However, he quickly recovered and defended himself from the attack.


    Still, the mother continued to do the unexpected. When she was close to Steve, she instantly turned sideways and took the bracelet that was ced on the nearby table.


    Steve was frightened by her sudden action and unintentionally pushed her hard towards the wall.


    Everything happened so quickly that even Philip and the two guys were not able to react on time.


    The mother threw the cloth stuffed into her mouth and grabbed the ax that was embedded in the wall.


    Upon seeing this, Steve panicked and ordered his men, "Stop her!"


    But s, it was toote. When the two men were about to take action, the mother lodged the ax towards her heart without hesitation.


    "AHHHHHH!"


    Along with Steve''s angry cry, blood gushed from her and flowed to the floor.


    The mother then nced at Philip''s disbelieved face, and murmured, "Run¡­"


    Hearing this, Steve instantly recovered and yelled aloud, "Crazy! Crazy! Quick, catch him!"


    When the mother saw Philip remained frozen, she put more pressure on her throat and shouted,


    "RUUUNNNN!"


    Philip was awakened by her shout and ran away subconsciously, leaving her mother''s body falling to the floor.


    "Go! Go! Follow n B right away! Be careful, he''s no ordinary child!" Steve ordered.


    "Yes sir!" The men dashed away leaving the angry Steve alone in the bloody house.


    He walked to the mother''s body and took the bracelet from her hand. As he looked at the said bracelet, his eyes glowed and turned golden.


    "As expected." Steve said silently while caressing it, "This is not a normal bracelet."


    After a short while, his eyes turned back to normal. He sighed andined, "What a bad luck."


    Steve then looked at the father''s head on the table and cursed, "What a suicidal couple!"


    His n never involved killing Philip''s parents as it was unnecessary. Philip''s love for them was enough for his n to seed. But everything was foiled because of this unexpected situation.


    When the father knew Steve''s intention, he immediately took his ax and mercilessly chopped his head. Steve was shocked by his sudden action andter quickly investigated and found out about the bracelet rolled in his arm.


    At a nce, the bracelet looked normal, but when Steve turned his eyes to gold, he discovered that it was unordinary.


    Although Steve was not able to find its uses and powers, his instinct was yelling at him that this was the source of his failure and the reason behind the father''s unhesitant suicide.


    Good thing he managed to catch the mother and took away her bracelet before she did anything unusual.


    With the mother in his hand, the n should have proceeded the way he imagined it to be. However, the mother suddenly became strong and managed to take the bracelet he ced on the table.


    Steve took a deep breath and said, "I hope n B will be sessful."


    Steve''s eyes glowed again and gave the house onest nce.


    After a few seconds, he left, bringing the two bracelets with him.

 Chapter 6: Forest Run

    <h4>Chapter 6: Forest Run</h4>


    As the sun slowly disappeared below the horizon, bright orange light illuminated the forest. Along with every tick of the clock, trees started casting their shadows wider and bigger, slowly waking the sleeping crickets up.


    Inside the forest, while everything was undergoing transition, Philip''s mind was chaotic. It kept on bringing itself back to the past.


    While his legs were active, and his arms were swaying back and forth, his eyes looked absent from any life.


    Following his mother''sst cry, he ran and ran, with no destination to go.


    His world was nk and dark, only the word ''run'' was written on it over and over until there was no space left to fill in.


    Although he had seen what happened earlier and somehow understood how it urred, his brain still refused to recognize it.


    Why is this happening?


    Philip looked back more deeply at the past and managed to recall every interaction with his parents.


    From his mother teaching him how to weave a scarf to his father teaching him how to read, all of them were one by one reflected inside his mind.


    "It was fun," he murmured.


    They were supposed to be happy. With a day to celebrate, they should have beenughing and eating the cake right now.


    ''But why am I running right now?'' Philip''s mind was in a mess. He was confused.


    He continued to look back but this time, it was earlier. And when he did it, his whole being instantly shook and awakened.


    In his vision, he saw a child singing a Happy Birthday song lousily. The way he sang the song made Philip''s face red and abnormally, his emotional state instantly became disordered.


    Along with the feeling of anger and annoyance, he finally remembered the source of his unhappiness.


    ''It was the child. He made me like this!'' Philip gritted his teeth and rolled his fist tightly. How could he forget his enemy? He, who killed his father and forced his mother to death, how could he forget him?


    As an image of his homely house turned red resurfaced in his mind, Philip furiously put more force in his legs, unbothered by his sole aching.


    As the twigs of trees and bushes slipped through his arms and face, small drops of blood slowly crept from within his skin.


    With every step he took, Philip''s small body became more horrendous but he never stopped and remained unfazed.


    He focused his mind on remembering the face of the child. From the mole in his thumb to the dirt in his clothes, every detail, he kept on imprinting them in his mind.


    Philip ran more deeply inside the forest and happened to pass through a particrlyrge tree.


    Upon seeing this, his nose soured and his eyelids became misty. This was the ce where he met his adoptive parents for the first time - the ce where he thought his life would finally turn okay.


    But misery befell him. The game that kept on haunting him had finally caught him. And the once dreamlike life had turned into a nightmare, implicating the reality.


    ''If only I did not appear in their life¡­'' Philip guiltily thought. He med himself for this tragedy. His presence had killed the innocent couple.


    With the existence of the game, he knew he was a ma of catastrophe and had a chance of involving others in his misfortune.


    However, he chose to be greedy and lived as if he were a normal person belonging to the world.


    ''It was my greed that killed my parents. It was my fault.''


    His legs started to lose their strength and the wind passing through him became weaker until it disappeared.


    Philip stared at the sunlight coursing between tree branches, panting.


    ''Should I just die?'' Philip whispered silently. He was helpless and thought maybe dying was a better option. For the first time, Philip felt tired of living.


    While he stared through the distance, he noticed a group of men moving towards him as if covering the entire forest from the outside and slowly trapping him in the middle.


    Philip trembled and his body curved downwards. Shortly, he covered his face with his hands in frustration.


    After a while, his shoulder shook upside down uncontrobly. Philip raised his shaking head and looked out from the space between his fingers.


    With his lips curved upwards, his eyes squinted yfully, and let out an inaudibleugh.


    Philip finally realized his mistake. He was not greedy, but a coward.


    The child was right. Why hide in this damn forest when he can fight others?


    Why did he always insist on being weakerpared to other yers? Although his author killed him in the end, he was still the strongest in his world.


    ''Even though my life ended terribly, I was still a main character in my own story.'' Philip thought and dered, ''And my story continues even in this world.''


    Something had broken inside his mind. It was as if a new orb was forming deep inside his consciousness. This orb beat like a heart, giving Philip a surge of adrenaline to be stronger and wiser.


    Feeling this unconsciously, he smiled wider andughed ever more crazily.


    Philip had never felt free and confident before.


    ''If you want to die, then you should do it while resisting.'' Philip told himself, amused. He will fight fate itself and win an identity of his own.


    ''Let''s not waste Mother''s sacrifice, okay?'' Philip tapped his shoulder infort.


    ''Let''s start with this one.'' He nced at the iing men and turned around. He knew that he was trapped in an encirclement and had a slim chance of escaping. But he was stillid back, looking self-assured.


    He had been living in the forest for four years. In short, the forest could be now considered as his home ground.


    Philip walked towards the bushes, looking for bear traps. Aside from being a woodcutter, his father also did hunting as a side hustle. And being his child, he also knew where the traps were located.


    After finding a single bear trap, he then disassembled it by separating the upper from the lower portion.


    "Perfect!" Philip voiced his satisfaction. After separating the trap into two sharp-teeth-like semi-circle objects, he held them like a knuckle, making his hands look like they had grown some ws.


    As time passed, the sounds of crickets were getting louder and louder. Seeing the sun getting closer to the horizon, Philip moved quickly to a nearby tree and lodged the sharp objects in his hands to the trunk.


    After cing them like a steeping board, Philip took off his outer shirt and threw it at the top of the nearby bush.


    When it was done, Philip ran towards the closer bird trap and took the fowl inside it.


    Following that, he hid deeply inside the bushes, waiting for the men to arrive near him.


    ***


    After a couple of minutes, the group of men that Philip had seen from a distance earlier arrived, meeting the men who had been following Philip''s trail from his house midway.


    "Hey! Look, I found this!"


    The shout of a man attracted the attention of other men. Nine men quickly ran and gathered in his direction.


    "What did you find?" asked the muscr man while scanning his surroundings attentively.


    The man who yelled earlier then pointed at the shirt and voiced his confusion, "Why did he take off his shirt?"


    As he looked back and forth from the shirt to the confused man, the muscr man narrowed his eyes and asked, "You called us just to ask this?"


    The man thought for a second and nodded innocently. He seemed to not know what was wrong with it.


    Seeing him like this, the muscr man became annoyed. "Why do you care about that? We are looking for the child, not his clothes."


    The man blinked incredulously and retorted back naively, "Because maybe it''s a clue?"


    The other menughed and the muscr man''s ears instantly became red. "This is not a clue! Clues should be like¡­ his footprints or the like!"


    Others just nced at him and snickered. Although they knew he was not entirely correct, the shirt provided them only an indication that the child had been here and not pointing out where he exactly was.


    When the men were about to disperse, the innocent man shouted again, "Look!"


    This time, they saw the bear w trap embedded in the tree like a stepping board.


    Everyone''s eyes widened and quickly looked above them.


    "Don''t tell me he climbed the tree and jumped from branch to branch to escape?"


    "That''s impossible! His limbs are too short to do that." The other denied.


    "But the boss said he''s not an ordinary child. And remember, he''s an enemy of the government!"


    Everyone looked at each other in panic. As hired mercenaries, they were informed beforehand about their mission and knew a little about the child''s history.


    But they never expected him to be this skillful. He was only eight years old!


    They quickly dispersed and resumed their search. But unlike earlier, they were now more focused on searching above.


    A few momentster, one of the men heard a rustle a few yards away. He nced at the bushes, suspiciously. However, when he saw a fowling out and flew away, he shook his head and continued his search above, not bothering the bushes anymore.

 Chapter 7: Colors

    <h4>Chapter 7: Colors</h4>


    The orange lighting from the sky dimmed and slowly changed into the colors of white and ck, and the forest, which should have been filled with greenery, now turned dark and shady.


    Steve stood alone in the nearby small vige, holding antern in his hand. After Philip escaped from his house, he left the forest and stayed in the vige, waiting for his men toe with news.


    He chose this ce to wait as it was the only way for someone to exit from the forest. If Philip wanted to escape, Philip had no choice but to pass through where he was standing.


    Both the vige and the forest were situated in a mountainous region, with cliffs, waterfalls, and valleys surrounding them. This was the reason behind Steve''s confidence, as only death would await Philip if he chose to leave other than this vige.


    Moonlight shone towards Steve''s face as he stared at the woond in front of him. It has been an hour yet not even a single small shadow managed toe out from it.


    When Steve was about to be impatient, his men arrived with dejected faces.


    Upon seeing this look, Steve sensed an intense foreboding and asked, "What happened?"


    The muscr man stepped forward and answered with his head faced down, looking ashamed, "We can''t find him." He then exined what had transpired earlier, including the clothes and the bear trap embedded in the tree trunk.


    After hearing this, Steve''s face became ashen. He instantly guessed what exactly had happened, ''It was a diversion.''


    Philip''s small stature was both an advantage and a disadvantage, but more on thetter. However if used well with the right approach, its advantage could ovee the huge margin between the two, bing a powerful weapon to its possessor.


    Steve rubbed his fingers against thentern''s handle, deep in thought. His understanding of Philip had once again deepened.


    At first, after knowing his deeds in the capital, Steve felt nothing but admiration for him. At four years old, when he was still acting like a real child, Philip had already entered the battlefield, defeating a hidden government force all by himself.


    This action of Philip brought hope to Steve, a hope that he could also defeat the other yers who were stronger than him. In his head, ''If Philip could do it despite being four, why could he not?''


    After that, he steeled his mind, stopped acting like a baby, and started working on getting stronger.


    Time went by and one day, he finally received an intel about his location. Steve immediately jumped in excitement. It took him four long years to find him!


    Steve obviously had expectations for his idol. Even though both of them were destined to be enemies, it still didn''t stop him from looking up to Philip.


    He used Philip as a benchmark, and only once he defeated this benchmark would he have the confidence to defeat other yers.


    However, after learning about Philip''s current life, his world instantly crashed. ''Why is he hiding in that damn forest!?''


    Steve''s mind was in a mess, his expectations for his idol were utterly destroyed.


    ''Where is the man that I''ve been looking up to? Why is he not fighting and killing other yers?'' Steve thought disappointingly.


    Steve could not believe how Philip ended up bing like this!


    In anger, he traveled all the way here to meet him. If the intel was wrong, he would only quietly observe him and leave. When he is strong enough, he wille back and defeat him personally.


    However, if the report was indeed correct, that he was truly living a life in cowardice, he would make sure to be the one to end his life, right there and then.


    ''It was the price of breaking my expectations,'' dered Steve.


    And when he arrived at the vige a few weeks ago and saw Philip delivering lumber to the neighborhood, it was then he confirmed the truth.


    ''Ah, he''s drunk from the peacefulness brought by the fake world.''


    Steve became angry at this. They have their own fates to ovee yet here he was, living as if part of the world.


    In fact, aside from admiration, Steve also felt an insurmountable envy towards him.


    The truth is, Steve was a product of a happy ending book, with a target market of teenage girls and audiences who like dog-blooded drama.


    Steve was envious of Philip''s experience in fighting and his past life. After knowing his deed four years ago, he somehow understood that Philip was abatant main character, unlike him who was just a character created foredy and pastime.


    When he determined that Philip''s growth was stagnant for years, he thought he could defeat this coward. But s, reality hit hard. He still can''t, especially when Philip could still escape from his grasp.


    Steve could not ept this defeat! He deserved better than thezy one.


    ''I still don''t know what power he possessed.'' Steve mulled while walking in circles, ''Even though I''m sure he will soon pass through this vige¡­''


    Steve felt the need to be aggressive in his approach. He knew thatpared to abatant yer, he was still behind both in experience and power.


    Let''s go all in¡­


    He gave the forest a nce then bowed his head. While looking at the thing in his hand, he ordered,


    "Proceed to n C."


    After hearing this, the men trembled, worried and horrified. The n was dangerous and immoral, and a single mistake might cost their lives.


    Seeing this slight hesitation, Steve raised three of his fingers and offered, "I''ll triple your pay. Just catch him for me."


    The men instantly became encouraged. In their minds, as long as they were careful, they might seed and earn enough for retirement. As for the n being immoral, well, they were evil people to begin with, what''s wrong with one more sin?


    Steve watched them make their preparations and leave.


    He looked at the forest again, but unlike earlier, his hand now held nothing.


    ***


    After crawling his way out from the entrapment, Philip could be seen running towards the vige.


    His priority now was to escape because with his body he could not see any way of winning this fight. Also, for fairness, he needed information about his enemy.


    He was sure the child had seen him in the past and knew a lot about him. As for him, today was his first meeting and only the child''s face and manpower were known.


    That was why the best course of action now was to retreat.


    As for revenge, he can do itter. Anyway, time is on his side.


    In the sloping area of the forest, he looked down and observed the vige nearby. He saw the child standing, obviously waiting for him.


    In addition, he also watched his men forming a barricade between the woonds and the vige.


    Upon seeing this, Philip frowned and thought he was cornered again.


    "Hehehe¡­" Philip let out a moronicugh and whispered, "You think this will work on me? I don''t think so."


    Yes, it was true that the vige was the only entrance and exit of the forest. But that was only the case for a person traveling with safety in his mind. For more dangerous routes, obviously, there were many.


    Philip rolled his eyes and ran back deep inside the forest, however, this time he was moving much slower pace than before.


    After running for almost an hour, Philip began to get exhausted. With his eight-year-old body, this was actually bound to happen.


    Additionally, coupled with the mental distress he experienced earlier, Philip''s strength started to get weaker as time passed. The only thing that kept him from moving was his willpower and desire for revenge.


    The dark night wasn''t of a help either. With no torch and other sources of light, the forest was the worst ce to get lost into.


    Good thing the moon was bright enough for him to see half of his surroundings. He could at least rely on the moonlight and on his knowledge of the forest topography to escape.


    However, as he continued to run, he sniffed something familiar on the way.


    At first, Philip had a hard time telling what the smell was, however as the familiarity kept on pushing through his nose and lungs, he stopped and gave himself the time to think.


    Strangely, he felt an immense amount of ominous energy around, it was like death wasing on his way.


    ''Right, the smell of death¡­'' thought Philip.


    Upon realizing this, Philip''s eyes widened in an instant. He quickly ran towards the source of the smell.


    It was then, for the first time in this chase, he felt that he was cornered.


    Because, before his eyes, he saw the forest turning into a new color.


    A color that should not be associated with a woond environment.


    -Red.

 Chapter 8: Last two sips

    <h4>Chapter 8: Last two sips</h4>


    As the forest was rapidly covered by a nket of smoke, the vigers were all running in panic. The acrid smell of charred woods was filling the air, choking the lungs of any living in the perimeter. The vigers had no choice but to leave far away from the burning woods.


    It was a dry season, and with mountains of dry leaves filling the ground, one small ze could easily turn the forest into dust.


    The fire started moving from every corner of the forest, seemingly attempting to meet at the center.


    Together with the cries of wild animals, Philip stood frozen inside the forest, stunned by his enemy''s cruelty.


    His mind was working fast, looking for a way to escape this entrapment. However, as he kept on creating ns, he also kept on crossing them out as they were all imperfect.


    "HAHAHAHA"


    Philipughed maniacally, his emotional state was slowly breaking apart. He was lost on what to do with this obstacle.


    ''Think! Think!''


    While tears were coursing down his cheeks, Philip''s wide smile still couldn''t be extracted from his face.


    Philip''s state was extremely scary. It was like he had finally gone broken.


    But Philip was forced to wake up as the smoke was starting to hurt his eyes and lungs.


    He quickly stripped his undershirt and covered his nose and mouth with it, but Philip thought it was not enough as the shirt was too thin to filter the smoke.


    Philip touched his pants and decided to use them, but when he was about to tear them off, a bottle rolled out from his pocket, creating a dropping sound.


    He picked up the bottle, surprised. He almost forgot the gift his Auntie Marrissa gave to him.


    Philip recalled his conversation with her and managed to remember that it was a bottle of medicine.


    Because the gift was timely, Philip was actually suspicious of his aunt in his heart.


    ''What''s her real identity? Was it because of her that he was found out?'' Philip asked internally.


    Philip opened the bottle and sniffed inside, trying to confirm its authenticity, whether it was medicine or just another trap designed by his enemy.


    He thought for a moment then took a sip. Auntie Marissa has always been good to him. And Philip chose to gamble and trust this goodwill.


    The taste made his tongue numb. Philip panicked, thinking it was poison, however, he quickly got over it and felt his body ache less.


    The scratches from the sharp branches healed and faded, and his disheveled appearance slightly became better.


    "This is miraculous!" Philip eximed.


    He always knew that Auntie Marissa was not an ordinary person but he never expected her to be so great to create an instant cure for wounds.


    After some time, Philip trembled, as if realizing something. He looked at the bottle with 4 sips remaining and then at the forest. His mind quickly calcted the probabilities of sess.


    A few secondster, Philip let out a deep breath and ran toward the direction of the fire.


    ***


    Outside the simted world, a lot of people were watching their television at home in suspense. They were all filled with sweat as their eyes were focused on the screen nervously.


    On the screen was a figure of a child covered with burns and blisters all around his body. While holding a medicine bottle in his arms tightly, his face turned red and ugly every time he moved along the dancing fire.


    The audience was breathless as if they felt his pain, however, the child never stopped andined. He just ran and ran, forcing himself to move alongside the heat surrounding him.


    While he was running, a man with a ck top hat appeared at the bottom of the screen.


    "Betting is now officially closed!" The man dered and continued, "Now, I will announce the result of your bets!"


    "94.21% of the bettors were not optimistic at number 88 escape!" His eyes bulged exaggeratedly and smiled,


    "Well, I understand where your decision ising from. Who would have thought that number 88 would forget about the system? Of all of the 100 yers, he is the only one, well not including number 46, to have not ever been linked to the system yet!"


    The man continued, "And we have 5.79% bettors who were supportive of him! Hmm¡­ Maybe we can ask ourst season''s winner of the Soulless Game." The man winked at the person on his side and said, "What can you say about this, Ms. Elsa?"


    The woman with long snow white hair and crystal pale skin cleared her throat and answered, "I think the bettors have slight confidence in number 88 for the fact that he was a product of a story with a bad ending.


    She paused and continued, "And based on the history of the Soulless Game, those characters would usually win in the end."


    "Hahaha," the manughed at her


    answer and teased, "Just like you Ms. Elsa?"


    Elsa nced at her side and nodded seriously, "It''s a proven fact. It doesn''t apply only to me."


    She stopped and dered, "However, personally, I don''t think 88 would win this game."


    "Why so?"


    "Because it''s already toote. Other Bad Ending Characters would usually have steeled their mind from the moment they entered the simted world. And with hard work and tenacity, they would have aparative advantage against others.


    "88 realized it toote. He had wasted eight years of preparation and information gathering.


    "Please do remember this. The reason why bad ending characters would usually win the game is because of their greed - greed for a happy life. However, everything went wrong for 88. Instead of fighting, he chose to remain hidden and fulfill his greed in the fake world."


    The viewers nod in affirmation. They have been watching the show for 8 years, and within these years, other yers were doing their best to adapt, thinking about the game best in their minds.


    Also, some of them had experienced a supernatural event that would increase their strength. However, for 88, his notable experience includes only the time when he escaped the hidden intelligence unit of the government.


    So the 94% bettor''s decision was well-grounded.


    After some point, the man announced, "Okay, I think there''s nothing more interesting with this, so let''s take a short break for a while. Stay tuned and don''t change the channel! This is Osuda, your host for tonight."


    While the screen was ying some advertisements, Osuda stood up from his chair and walked towards the backroom for a quick refreshment.


    Passing through the personnel staff responsible for watching the game 24/7, he saw a particr girl looking at the screen, sobbing.


    Osuda''s curiosity peaked at this sight. Yes, it was normal for viewers to cry over the game but the woman was different. She was a staff member.


    ''After watching this cruel game for years, there''s still a staff member who would cry over this?'' He questioned internally.


    However, before he gave it some more thought, a scream echoed around, distracting him. He was forced to stop thinking and walked over to the source.


    "What happened?"


    "Sir! Breaking News!" he eximed excitedly. The staff then gave Osuda the screen showing the source of his excitement.


    Upon seeing this, Osuda also became excited, "Go! Go! End the break, Let''s go live!"


    The staff members moved speedily, and Osuda took his seat, preparing himself.


    While he was internalizing his introduction, he saw the woman earlier turned into pixels and strings of numbers.


    His eyes widened in an instant. Osuda knew about this urrence as it had happened some times in the past.


    Osuda wanted to stop this transformation but he knew to himself that it was toote. While watching her dissolving in the thin air, he could only scream the word,


    "AUTHOR!"


    ***


    Philip ran towards the area where the waterfalls were located. This was the only way he thought he had the chance to ovee the problem regarding both fires and escaping outside the forest.


    His n was to use the water to somehow minimize the pain from his burns, and in addition, use the falling water to deliver his body down to the bottom.


    The n was in truth, impossible, as the waterfall was more than a kilometer high. If Philip used this as an escape route and let his body fall below, this would normally result in death.


    However, Philip had the medicine to cure critical injuries. If used on time, his life would have a higher chance of being saved.


    With this idea, Philip was starting to get his hopes high.


    When he was close to his destination, Philip took a sip of the medicine.


    His burns then instantly recovered and the pain was also slightly alleviated. Although the medicine had no effect on his stamina, he thought it was enough of a help. With his injuries getting healed, his weight was now lighterpared to before.


    After some running, the crest of the waterfall was starting to reveal itself before his eyes.


    Philip''s hold on the medicine became tighter as he prepared to carry on his n.


    However, when he was a few steps away from the brink, an arrow shot, hitting his legs.


    Philip fell to the ground, feeling the pain of an arrowhead sinking deeply through his skin.


    He raised his head and saw the men in their protective coats surrounding him from a distance.


    It was then that Philip realized that his n was predicted by his enemy.


    Philip pulled the arrow away from his legs and took another sip from the bottle.


    After some time, the wound faded. He then nced at the men and thought of another n,


    ''Withst two sips, can he escape from them?''

 Chapter 9: Plan D

    <h4>Chapter 9: n D</h4>


    As the fire crackled and danced around, Philip stood motionless, seemingly thinking. Only the movements of his pupils were active, examining the group of men standing near the headwaters river.


    While Philip was frozen and surrounded by the fiery forest, the men were also attentively eyeing him, preparing for Philip''s next course of action. Their focus was at maximum. With the river near them, creating a safe haven to fend off the fire, the men could fully concentrate on capturing Philip.


    Unlike them, Philip was at a dead stop. He was already exhausted. Coupled with the fire swaying and touching him, Philip was also in constant pain and unconsciously let out a hiss.


    Additionally, his skin, which should have been healed already after taking a sip, was slowly melting back again.


    Philip gripped the bottle of medicine more tightly. He had to or else he would not control himself from taking another drink.


    ''I need to save this. My n involves jumping all the way down to the bottom of the mountain. Without this medicine, what awaits me is either instant death or slowly dying due to broken bones.''


    Philip could only look at the edge of the river with regret. He was too close to the waterfall already. If only he discovered the miraculous effect of medicine much earlier, he could have fled and survived by now.


    A blow of wind suddenly brushed, and a single speck of dust and debris managed to hinder Philip''s sight. The dust disturbed his vision and was about to rub his eyes, however, an arrow quickly shot toward him.


    Philip''s instinct detected this and ducked sideways. After that, while rubbing his eyes, Philip nced at the arrow lodged in the ground. Then simultaneously looked back at the suspect holding a bow in his hands.


    Looking at the man more closely, Philip caught the sight of the man''s arms and legs trembling.


    And upon noticing this scared appearance of the man, Philip was slightly dumbfounded at first, but after realizing something, he smirked in disdain.


    ''This must also be their first time seeing a miraculous sight,'' thought Philip.


    Like Philip, the men had also never experienced anything supernatural in their life. And seeing Philip''s leg healed at a frightening speed before them truly made their worldview undergo a total shift.


    ''The world seems not as normal as what we think it is.'' The men pondered.


    The group of men might have looked calm at the surface, but in truth, deep inside, they were all anxious. After knowing that Philip might have owned an otherworldly power, they realized that the difficulty of their mission had increased at an unbelievable rate.


    Before epting the mission, they were all informed that their target was not normal. And knowing this, they never became sloppy at their job and readied themselves for the unexpected. However, never in their life did they imagine that the unexpected woulde to this degree.


    They were just normal people! How would they fight someone extraordinary?


    While they were all having an internal battle, Philip quickly recovered from the stupor. He had taken the drug earlier and had time to steady his mental state. In addition, to begin with, his whole being was never ordinary. A medicine that could heal injuries at an unbelievable pace was moremon and mediocrepared to him.


    ''I have to take this to my advantage.'' he thought, making a new n.


    Philip stood on the ground with a renewed countenance, his physique was still the same but his aura had undergone aplete transformation.


    It was more confident, experienced, and hallowed.


    "Do you know why your boss is trying to catch me?" Philip narrowed his eyes and lied boldly, "It is because I can procure a medicine that can cure any disease!"


    After saying that, Philip clutched his hands together, with the bottle in between them. He slightly bow his head, so that his eyes were hidden under his hair.


    Then after setting the atmosphere, along with his head rising, he lifted the bottle up in the air and dered, "And if I''ll be given more time, I can even resurrect the dead!"


    His eyes were filled with holiness and conviction. It was like he was a messenger of a god, with a purpose of healing the weak and the oppressed.


    All the men''s eyes widened, and their legs became noodles, surprised by his revtion. Some trembled in delight, and their eyes, which were vignt before, were now showing an expectant look and hope.


    The current era of the world strongly believed in Gods. It was expected for them to react greatly upon seeing Philip acting saintly.


    Philip saw their small actions and pushed his bluff even more, "Pledge your allegiance and follow me from now on, With the almighty God looking down at us, I''ll vow for you to receive his divine help."


    He then moved forward towards them, leaving the red forest behind him. The men raised their bows, alert, but none of them aimed. They all just waited for Philip''s next action.


    Philip walked continually, unbothered by their on-guard stances. Once he stood on the wet and rocky ground and the heat never touched him anymore, then he opened the bottle and took a another sip from it.


    Under the watchful eyes of men, Philip''s body, which was filled with horrendous and mutted burns, recovered and transformed back to its original appearance. And the holy image Philip tried to project was once again amplified.


    Seeing the magical scene the second time, the men were in awe once again. If the first time they thought their eyes were just ying with them, then the second time brought them back to reality andpelled them to acknowledge it.


    Watching his bluff work, Philip closed the lid and ced the bottle in front of him, "Now, who wants to join me in my travels towards faith?"


    Philip smiled as gracefully as ever then continued, "The one who offers and proves their loyalty to me first will receive this bottle."


    "Now, I''ll repeat again. Why not walk with me instead and glorify the might of our Lord?"


    After Philip''s remark, the sky suddenly shed and the ground shook slightly. And the men who appeared conflicted at first moved to demonstrate theirmitment to Philip.


    ***


    From the distance, as Steve''s eyes glowed, he focused his sight north, seemingly looking at something under his golden pupils.


    And when the sky turned yellow and grumbled, Steve could not finally control himself to let out a frown.


    Because in his vision, he saw numerous golden humanoid figures, of different sizes and brightness, shing against each other.


    Additionally, a short figure, shining not as bright as others, stood silently in the center, as if waiting for them to conclude their dispute.


    Steve knew what the meaning behind this scene was, however, he was still left bewildered.


    ''Howe my men were fighting?'' Steve angrily thought and then realized, ''Maybe Philip has finally used his power¡­''


    He focused his sight on the small humanoid figure. A littleter, he saw an item, shaped like a bottle, glowing very luminous in his hands.


    ''Is that his powers? But powers don''t glow¡­ so that means it''s an item.''


    He shut his eyes for a few seconds, deep in thought. Sometimeter, he then opened his eyes, but instead of gold, his eyes now turned ck and normal.


    ''He must have fooled them for whatever reason,'' reasoned Steve internally.


    Upon knowing, Steve fiddled his fingers impatiently. His understanding regarding Philip had increased again.


    ''First, he is a main character that is heavily linked with the government''s intelligence unit."


    Like Philip, Steve''s life was also somewhat simr to his past life. Having been reborn to a rich family with lots of manpower on hand was to be expected if rebirth was based on the previous life of a book character.


    ''Second, he''s a shrewd and experienced fighter.''


    Steve proved this when Philip eradicated the unit without much effort by himself. In addition, having survived till now against his manpower meant Philip was truly abatant main character.


    ''Lastly, he''s a great actor... no it''s more of a troublesome and mischievous trickster.''


    Steve frowned. With all of these pieces of information, he was still having a hard time figuring out Philip''s upation or life in the past.


    ''Ick imagination,'' moaned Steve.


    In the past, he had never touched a fictional book in his life. It was not his forte to guess what kind of power or lives his enemies had.


    Of course, he had also made an effort. After knowing how to read, he then bought and read numerous novels from this world.


    However, the novelists and writers in this world stillck creativity as only Gods and Folklore have existed till now.


    It was not enough to fill up his knowledge in this field.


    Steve heaved a sigh once again. He was forced to execute his three ns. And none of them seded. He was only left with one remaining and Steve was hesitant about using this one.


    He then looked at his back and saw a man in his robes ying with a bloody ax in his hands.


    Recalling the time he used his golden vision to him, Steve quivered nervously. He never desired to associate with this dangerous man. However, he was forced to do as he needed his power.


    ''n D it is¡­''

 Chapter 10: Leg

    <h4>Chapter 10: Leg</h4>


    "It''s your time."


    Steve called the man behind him, his voice filled with authority, trying to hide his reluctance.


    A man with a tall stature walked towards himzily. He wore a ck robe, hiding his build and the upper portion of his face. His steps were heavy as if he was just forcing himself toply, yet also soft, as not a single sound of footsteps could be heard.


    Looking at the distance slowly closing between them, Steve noticed the tool in the man''s hand, swinging back and forth along with his hands swaying while walking.


    When the man stood two meters away, he stared down at Steve with his condescending eyes andid-back body.


    Steve couldn''t care less about his attitude as he was used to it. His attention was more on the tool - or the weapon - in his hand.


    "Why do you have that?" asked Steve. He discovered that it was the ax of Philip''s father.


    The ax even had some traces of blood attached to it.


    Steve was confused about how it was in the man''s possession, given that he intentionally left the ax in Philip''s house. Additionally, the man never left the vige. With him being uncontroble, Steve never considered bringing him to the forest.


    Upon hearing the question, the man just replied by swinging the ax, like he was practicing throwing it at a long distance.


    Steve waited for the man to say something, but seeing the man had no intention of speaking, he could only give up on getting the answer.


    "Catch the child for me." Steve requested and continued, "Remember, I need him alive."


    The man waved his left hand at Steve as if telling the child to hand over the thing he wanted.


    Steve frowned in annoyance. Steve knew the man was being disrespectful, but he could not do anything as he was stronger than him.


    Handing a bag filled with gold coins, Steve said, "That''s the down payment. After youplete the mission, I will give you the rest."


    The man went silent for a while. When Steve didn''t hear any response, he raised his head to look at the man''s face hidden beneath his hood.


    However, he was forced to bend down after feeling tremendous pressureing from the man. It seemed he disliked Steve''s peaking.


    "Don''t give me the down payment. Give me everything." the man demanded.


    "But¡­" Steve could not do it as he needed an assurance that the man wouldplete the mission ande back.


    Feeling his internal conflict, the man threw the bag on the ground and turned around. His intention to leave was evident.


    Seeing this, Steve panicked. He couldn''t let the man leave as he was the only piece he had left to capture Philip.


    ''If only my first three ns worked, I would have not relied on this man.'' Steveined internally.


    He stared at the man''s back, his posture was like that of a person who stays at home all day.


    If someone based power on first impressions, with the man''s attitude, no one would ever guess him to be powerful.


    However, Steve was different. He has ways of knowing something others don''t.


    Steve gritted his teeth and quickly shouted, "Wait!" He picked up the bag on the ground, reached out another bag in his inner pocket, and handed it over to him.


    "Here. Just do the job."


    The man stopped and looked back. After getting the money from Steve, he grunted and replied, "K."


    Steve angrily watched the man walk towards the forest. The man''s pay was expensive even for him who was born rich. He could only hope for the man to do his bidding and be sessful.


    However, unbeknown to Steve, when the man turned around, he chuckled in ecstasy as if he had just performed the greatest heist of all time.


    Drops of water fell out from the sky. After seeing the man disappear into the forest, Steve whispered,


    "Open System."


    A little whileter, Steve''s facial expression changed from anger, to astonishment, then to happiness.


    "This is somehow unexpected." He looked up above the sky, and drops of water reached his face, "Well, this is better than what is expected."


    Taking ast peek at the fire slowly getting extinguished, he left the ce with light steps. The pressure he had felt for a long time had finally been suppressed to a manageable degree.


    ***


    The dark sky shed and grumbled, and buckets of water poured heavily down to the mountain, slowly making the zing red forest turn into ck and charcoal.


    "Am I finally getting my piece of luck?" murmured Philip. He had easily convinced the men to fight against each other because of the timely rumble of the sky earlier.


    If it weren''t for the lightning, it would have been more difficult to convert half of the men to his side.


    ''They must have thought I did it,'' Philip guessed.


    Philip was also shocked by the sudden downpour. He remembered that the moon was shining earlier and had no intention of hiding behind the clouds. It was only when he was cornered by the group of men that the sky cried.


    ''Is it just a coincidence?'' Philip mussed. ''It''s like the universe is helping me.''


    However, Philip was forced to break from his mulling as he suddenly felt goosebumps in his arms. It was like a dangerous entity wasing to him.


    Philip had always trusted his instinct. And this time, his instinct had once again sensed something not right.


    ''I must flee now.''


    Watching Steve''s men overpower the men who wanted to follow him, Philip finally had the need to make a move.


    Philip expected this to happen. Most of the men were smart. Although they were surprised at first and wanted to follow him, they would soon realize that their boss had more credibilitypared to him.


    It was Philip who was cornered, why would they help him? They would only incur the wrath of their boss.


    Holding the medicine tightly in his arms, he nced at the edge of the river. This was the perfect chance for him to jump.


    But Philip started to be hesitant. If he chose to jump, the men would know where they would find him after. And if in case he fainted due to the painful fall, they would easily capture him.


    ''I needed to retreat and find a more hidden escape route.''


    Suddenly, the wind blew stronger, making the smoke go through their location. Moreover, the sky poured heavily, creating a low visibility surrounding.


    ''Chance!'' Philip turned and ran back to the forest. Having rested and healed earlier, he was faster than before.


    After some time, the men finally caught the sight of Philip leaving. Upon realizing they were toyed by him, they quickly stopped their fight and chased after him.


    But the burnt tree branches suddenly fell in between them, adding difficulty in catching him.


    Although Philip could not see the situation, he had a slight understanding of what had happened as he heard the tree falling behind him.


    But instead of being happy about this, Philip got more frightened instead.


    ''What is happening? This is no longer a coincidence!''


    Philip ran faster and faster. He wanted to escape not just from the men but also from the strange phenomenon.


    However, it was like luck was stubbornly following him as every time he passed through a specific path, the fire would suddenly be extinguished due to the heavy rain. It was like it was helping and guiding him to the right way.


    This made Philip arrive at his destination much faster than he expected. In addition, with his flesh not experiencing any burns, he was now in a better condition. All of it was thanks to his luck.


    Sensing that he could not run away from the luck enhancement, he could only bring it to the back of his mind and focus on escaping.


    After some time, Philip finally saw the sight of another cliff, but instead of being happy, he felt more nervous.


    Unlike the waterfall, which had water to help himnd more safely, the cliff was more rocky and dangerous. If he jumped, he could only hope the medicine was enough for him to save his life.


    Still, he moved forward bravely. He had no choice as every time he wasted more time, he felt his skin bing a goose''s.


    But when he was a few steps away from the edge, he suddenly stumbled.


    Philip was stunned for a moment, before letting out a loud shriek.


    "AHHHHHHHHHH!"


    Philip''s shout resounded throughout the forest. He nced at his left leg detached from his body with the ax closely embedded in the ground.


    A rustling sound of leaves was heard from his back, Philip looked back and saw the man with arms raised like he threw something towards him.


    It was then Philip realized,


    ''The dangerous entity is here!''

 Chapter 11: His End (1)

    <h4>Chapter 11: His End (1)</h4>


    As Philip''s eyes met the man''s gaze under his hood, Philip''s whole being shook uncontrobly, clearly afraid of the man. The thing that he was trying to flee from had finally arrived before him.


    When the strong winds brushed through the man''s robe, Philip managed to catch a glimpse of his face.


    His eyes were brown as if self-confidence and determination were reflected onto them. It was the opposite of his stature, weak andzy.


    His ck brows were slightly more bent than usual, looking annoyed. It was like Philip''s swift escape had irritated him.


    Seeing the man walking towards him, his instinct once again urged him to escape. His head was filled with the noise of bells, continuously ringing and persistently pushing him to move forward to the cliff.


    However, while Philip was willing to follow his instinct, his body couldn''t. He took another nce at his severed left leg a distance away.


    The cut was clean like it was made by an experienced butcher. He felt that if his blood had consciousness, they would surely be feeling confused as the cut was too quick for them to react. They halted along the stream, not knowing whether to continue their way or not.


    However, thew of human biology and anatomy still prevailed. The blood, which halted a second ago, once again flowed, spilling and overflowing to the wet rocky ground below. And with every second it rushed out, an electrifying pain passed through every circuit of his body.


    "Argh!"


    Philip gritted his teeth and hissed, trying to ease his agony.


    His mind was like amp, switching on and off. While his heart was telling him to just shut off, his brain was continuously feeding him with the will to fight.


    It was like urging him to keep his consciousness awake. His destination is only an arm''s length away. If he surrendered now, all the suffering, especially his parent''s death, would be wasted.


    Philip tried his best to forget the pain and used his fingers to crawl and his other leg to help him push forward.


    Every time Philip moved, blood followed him like countless small snakes, strangling his left leg and leaving red traces behind.


    The rain tried to extricate the snakes away, but instead of helping, it made it bigger and horrifyingly disturbing.


    Although Philip was doing everything to move and break free, the situation was not in his favor. It won''t let him do anything he pleases.


    The man who had been watching Philip''s struggle arrived near him, picking up the bloody ax on the ground. Under the heavy rain, his boots were covered with mud and blood. Nevertheless, the man remainedid-back, unbothered by his dirty footwear.


    The man bent his head and skimmed at the child''sst effort. His forehead twitched, annoyed by the child''s attempt.


    He knew that the crawling child would never escape as long as he was nearby. His strength made it impossible for the child, thus, it would have been better if he just quit it.


    Philip sensed the man was at his back, but he remained unconcerned and continued crawling.


    Only when Philip''s fingers finally felt the edge of the cliff, did the man make his move.


    Raising the ax, he threw it over at Philip''s hands gripping the ground. The ax swished as it rolled over midair. And when it docked at its destination, Philip cried miserably,


    "AHHHHH!"


    Along with the sounds of the sky dropping buckets of water and the forest fire crackling while being extinguished, Philip''s scream echoed around.


    His right hand fell over the cliff, making a long swish sound as it went down to the bottom of the mountain.


    Philip squirmed and could no longer tolerate the pain anymore. He quickly took out the bottle of medicine. However, when he was about to drink, the man kicked it. It flew and slipped down the mountain.


    The man watched idly at the stunned child whose unblinking eyes followed the medicine falling.


    The man was, in truth, surprised by the child''s attitude and dedication to escape from his grasp. Seeing the child''s suffering, slightly piqued his sympathy towards him.


    Although he pitied the child, it was only for a short while. He would not let his emotions be a hindrance to his mission.


    He flipped the child with his foot so that he could see the child''s face more clearly.


    After this series of actions, he finally voiced his purpose, "You must be the child from four years ago right?"


    The man paused and continued, "Why are you being hunted down by another eight-year-old child?"


    In fact, he was not truly a subordinate of Steve, but an investigator of the incident in the capital four years ago. And all this time, their organization knew about Philip''s location, but they couldn''t pursue him due to some limitations.


    The organization, to which he belonged, is only limited on taking action for people who have supernatural powers.


    However, Philip never used any peculiar ability aside from his excellent maneuver and execution of his escape n.


    Although it was strange for a child to do it, Philip''s action was still in the realm of the ordinary. So, in the end, they could only leave him alone.


    Years passed, and when they had forgotten about him, the name ''Philip'' appeared again. This time, it came from another child which they have also been investigating. A child simr to Philip''s age.


    At a young age, Steve''s business proposals slowly changed the current time period. His crafty and innovative ideas were starting to affect the people in doing their barters and trades.


    At first, their organization assumed Steve had been using a unique supernatural power. But when they explored his case, they found out that there were no powers involved, only his way of thinking was more advanced than the current era.


    Like in Philip''s case, the organization deemed Steve to belong in the genius spectrum and was about to bring his files back to the drawers.


    However, when Philip''s name was included in the list of people Steve was looking for, their organization began to get suspicious.


    It was okay for a single child to be a prodigy, but when an unrted genius child was actively looking for another, their case started to be shadier.


    In addition, in Steve''s list of people to find, most of them were eight-year-old children who were showing wit umon to the current era.


    The organization was curious but they could not confront them directly as per the organization''s rule: Let normal people solve normal problems.


    So they could only do this in a roundabout way. They informed Steve about Philip''s whereabouts. Additionally, the organization ced an undercover to foresee their meeting.


    The undercover, which was him, projected himself as an ambitionless andzy person who only does intelligence gathering for a living.


    But what they didn''t expect was for Steve to involve their undercover with the mission. It was supposed to be perfect, but Steve, for unknown reasons, managed to see through his true power and employed him.


    He was helpless and could only obey Steve to avoid more problems. Besides, he thought it was better. This would give him more freedom to move and prove that these children have hidden powers.


    This was also the reason why he was tormenting Philip. It was to force him to use his powers, because only when Philip used his powers could he do anything above normal to him.


    However, aside from the miraculous medicine, which he already knew where it came from, Philip never did anything otherworldly.


    The man could not finally control himself from asking, "What is your real identity?"


    Philip could not actually hear anything from the man as his ears were ringing and making high-pitched sounds.


    Furthermore, Philip''s full attention was on the pain coursing his entire being. He had no more attention left to give to the man.


    Seeing hisst resort - the bottle of medicine - falling off the cliff, his mental state instantly cracked. The willpower, which was helping him move all this time, finally disappeared and perished.


    Philip was helpless about his situation. This fight was destined to be at his loss. His enemy''s preparation had shaken him, leaving him powerless in the end.


    ''Sorry Mom, sorry Dad. I think this is the end of me.'' Philip mourned. He was remorseful as he could no longer exact revenge for his parents.


    Philip sighed and whispered, "Sorry."

 Chapter 12: His End (2)

    <h4>Chapter 12: His End (2)</h4>


    The man''s gaze remained locked on Philip, waiting for an answer. Although this was only for the investigation, a work-rted one, he still could not hide his excitement and curiosity. He wanted to unveil the children''s secrets and dissect their bodies for experimentation.


    His look was like a predator eyeing his prey, hungry for knowledge.


    However, seeing the child''s dazed look and broken state, the man felt anxious for the first time.


    ''It seems I overdid myself,'' the man frowned. Looking at Philip''s bloody appearance, he could no longer excuse his misconduct. His way of incapacitating Philip was too overkill and no longer in the realm of the ordinary.


    The man''s face instantly became dark upon realizing what he had done. He didn''t mean to be too much to Philip, it was just he was too eager about finally meeting Philip.


    Due to the organization''s restrictions, he could not even let himself be seen by Philip. The only thing he could do was spectate from afar for years. But now, with Steve''s order as a loophole, he could finally meet Philip face-to-face.


    Moreover, another excuse for overdoing, he could only shrink himself guiltily. It was because he was too aggravated by his sudden cursed luck that he forgot to control his strength.


    Earlier, when he was pursuing Philip, a lot of unexpected misfortunes transpired to him. From zing tree branches falling, being stuck in animals'' stampede, and him barely surviving a lightning strike, all of it had happened to him.


    Seeing Philip being unresponsive, he became even more apprehensive. If he could not bring any evidence regarding Philip''s hidden power, he would surely be punished by the organization for hurting a normal person.


    ''What to do?'' The man quickly thought of a solution. He doesn''t want to be punished.


    After some thinking, he recalled the child waiting at him in the vige.


    ''Right! If I bring this child to Steve right now and see what Steve would do to him, maybe I can get proof of their powers. And if that would happen, not only could he do anything to Philip, but also to Steve,'' The man thought proudly,


    ''This is hitting two birds with one stone!''


    At first, the man had no intention of following Steve''s order and was just trying to fool him into getting more money. But now, sensing he was in a tough spot, he could only depend on Steve.


    Following Steve as a temporary subordinate, he had already sensed Steve''s malicious intention to Philip. For reasons unknown to him, Steve wanted to y Philip with his own hand. This was also the reason why they were ordered to capture him, not kill him.


    The man, especially the organization, doesn''t want this to happen. If Philip died, they would have one less living body to experiment with. This would be a big no as the organization was also greedy for more specimens.


    After a while, the man finally made a decision and bent his body to pick up the child. He would bring him to Steve and see what would happen.


    Philip noticed the man''s movement and woke up from his daze. Although his ears were ringing loudly, he was still able to guess the man''s objective.


    Philip tried to struggle but had no more strength to use. Coupled with the man''s strength, he could not see any other way to break free.


    ''Is this really the end?'' Philip thought depressingly. He doesn''t want to die at his enemy''s hand, especially to the killer who murdered his parents and destroyed his peaceful life.


    Feeling the pain in his body, Philip felt sorrowful. If only he was older and had a mature physique, he would have fought them with force rather than escaping.


    Philip thought of the body he had in his past life. His body might look slim on the outside, but in reality, his body was loaded with muscles from within.


    From a young age, the government kept on tempering his body to be stronger yet thinner than it should be. They said it was for his enemy to easily open up and look down on him. Thus, when the need arises for his enemies'' death, he could easily y them through brute force.


    Philip was filled with regrets, if only his body was like his body in the past, he could easily overpower the man. But s, all of these were just his wishful thinking and had no chance of bing a reality.


    When the man was about to pick him up, Philip saw through the man''s greed. It was like the man wanted to eat him alive.


    Seeing this sight, Philip''s mood became even more downcast. It was transparent from the man''s gaze that Steve and other yers in the world weren''t his only enemy. His enemies also include people with hidden and dark intentions.


    Philip had an excellent understanding of psychology. He could easily pinpoint the man had other motives.


    At first, Philip was stunned at how Steve managed to have a powerful person under his wing. But after seeing the man''s eyes, he realized the hidden danger lingering around Steve.


    ''I''m sure he also has his eyes on the other child,'' Philip pondered, his breathing became more rxed upon discovering that Steve might also end up like him.


    ''Although it still had an unpleasant taste to die from my parent''s murderer,'' Philip considered, repulsed by the idea of dying from Steve''s hand.


    Having no other choice, Philip could only force himself toply with his fate. The only thing that made him better was knowing that he had the same fate as Steve.


    ''I guess, this is finally my end.'' Philip assumed for the nth time.


    However, after Philip had thought of this, the sky suddenly shed, making the surroundings yellow and bright. Philip immediately closed his eyes to protect his sight.


    When Philip felt the light go dark and was about to open his eyes, the sky suddenly roared, making his eardrums burst from the loud noise.


    "Arghh..."


    But what surprised him the most was not the sky''s sudden movement, it was the man convulsing and groaning on the ground behind him.


    It was then Philip confirmed that when the man was about to pick him up, the man was unexpectedly struck by a thunderbolt!


    Philip''s eyes widened, surprise was evident on them. He finally remembered the bizarre luck that was following him!


    Philip was in ecstasy. He had no idea why this was happening to him, but the sudden lightning had brought him hope. He just tossed the strange urrence at the back of his mind and focused on his goal!


    Escape.


    However, upon realizing his injuries, Philip was instantly reminded of his state.


    He could no longer escape. This fight was his loss, and he could no longer join the battle again.


    Philip went silent for a few seconds. His mind tried its best to procure the next best course of action.


    After a short while, Philip''s eyes became resolute. He decided that in this situation, death is the only solution.


    ''I would rather die by my own hands¡­'' Philip firmly regarded.


    However, Philip became hesitant upon recalling his parents'' death as he would surely regret not having his revenge done by him.


    But, he quickly settled himself after seeing the man regain his consciousness.


    ''Someone is bringing my revenge for me.'' Philip could only settle on this as he had no other choice.


    Philip was not surprised by the fact that the man had survived a thunderbolt as he knew the world was not as normal as it seemed. For someone to survive that tragedy was already an indication that the world might be more f*cked-up and engulfed with mysteries.


    Seeing the man was about to gain control over his body, Philip quickly crawled toward the cliff.


    After some time, Philip arrived at the edge, one small movement would result in him falling down to the bottom of the mountain.


    Philip stopped and looked back at the man''s bulged eyes fiercely looking at him. He smirked at this sight and said,


    "Adios!"


    Philip fell, leaving the man''s furious cry behind him.


    ***


    Basking under the morning sunlight, Steve sat in a reclined chair, looking listless beside the window of an inn he was staying in.


    Unlike his rxed posture, his face was totally the opposite of it. With Steve''s pale face and dark eyelids, clearly, he had never slept the whole night.


    After a few moments of inactivity, Steve finally stood up and opened the window. ncing around at the people passing down below, his eyes turned gold.


    However, when he could not find what he was looking for from the crowd, he turned his sight up to the mountain.


    From his vision, the mountain that was supposed to be all green glowed into gold. But Steve seemed to be uninterested in this sight as all of his focus was on the topmost part of the mountain.


    The mountain peak didn''t glow as brightly as the others. Steve could even glimpse under its hue the original charcoal color on it.


    Looking at the dark and burnt trees afar, Steve scowled in annoyance.


    A whileter, after not finding the thing he was looking for, Steve screamed out loud from the window,


    "Where are they?!"


    The crowd below jumped in fright and looked above at the scene of the child shouting. Assuming it was just a child''s tantrum, theyter turned around and continued their own work.


    Steve didn''t mind the people''s reaction. He was too angry to care about them.


    A littleter, when he had slightly calmed down, he said under his breath the words,


    "Open System."

 Chapter 13: System

    <h4>Chapter 13: System</h4>


    Ding!


    ¡ª I n i t i a t i n g S y s t e m ¡ª


    Ding!


    ¡­


    Name: Steve Works


    Story: The Rising star in the Business World


    Profession: Businessman


    Level: 6 (11500/12700)


    Stats:


    Physique: 8 (+10)


    Mental: 10


    Mana: 0 (+15)


    Spirit: 0 (+5)


    Attributable Points: 0


    Karma: -100


    Uniqueness: Golden Eyes - Active (Lv. 1)


    -See through the value of things.


    ¡­


    After Steve whispered the magic word, an illusionary and transparent screen panel appeared before him.


    On the holographic screen, information about Steve was shown. From his name, story, and profession, to his golden finger were indicated on it.


    Seeing the negative three-digit number at the bottom, his temple could not help but furrow.


    ''Why is this still not changing?'' Steve gritted his teeth, looking annoyed. He had been waiting for some changes in his karma after experiencing the misfortune of being scammed.


    After a whole night of waiting, the man never returned nor reported to Steve what had happened. He just disappeared without any notice.


    In addition, Steve didn''t know what exactly had happened to Philip. Whether he was dead or lurking somewhere alive, Philip''s condition remained a mystery to Steve.


    The only thing he knew was that Philip was now disabled. Because when the rain stopped and the forest fire had fully been extinguished, he ordered his men to look for Philip and found his bloody leg left near the cliff.


    Steve had some guesses of what had happened but he wasn''t 100% sure of it and could only investigate more to prove it.


    However, after a whole night of investigation, he could not find any traces of Philip and the man.


    ''Obviously, they had fought, but why didn''t the man return?''


    Steve could only bite his nails in annoyance. He had invested a lot of resources just for this but still ended up on the losing side.


    Looking at his karma again, Steve became even more frightened about what would happen to him.


    He had no idea why his karma became negative. It was just one day, he woke up with a -100 karma without any indication.


    ''From what I knew, karma is a deciding factor of the person''s future existence based on the person''s past living.'' Steve thought, ''But I''ve never done so immoral aside from catching Philip!''


    Burning the forest was the only thing he had done wrong in this life. As for Philip''s parents, he only nned on using them as hostages, their death was their own action.


    His karma started to be negative when he involved himself in his family business. Giving business proposals and ideas of what merchandise to sell was the only thing he had been doing all this time.


    Steve had no inkling why his karma became negative as days passed by. He never did something worthy of the world''s anger.


    ''If only the system gave more information...'' Stevemented, he wished for the system to have more details.


    Steve nced again at the window, his arms were slightly shaking.


    Steve had been pressured by the existence of his negative karma. It was like a loose rope slowly strangling him, waiting for a perfect moment to end him.


    This was also the reason why he was obsessive about getting Philip. He wanted to kill Philip not just because of him breaking his expectation, but also because of a quest.


    Steve looked down at his screen and saw the mission board with the quest he pinned above.


    ***


    Mission: Kill a yer


    Reward: 5 Attributable Stat Points, 1 Experience level-up card, 1 Uniqueness level-up card, Steal yer''s Uniqueness


    ***


    Seeing the reward, Steve could not help but be greedy, especially about stealing uniqueness.


    Steve knew himself the most. What hecked the most now was power as his own uniqueness could not be used directly in a fight.


    "What a useless power," Steve grumbled, his dislike of his innate power was evident in his voice.


    Although it was a good thing that Steve was given a mysterious power despiteing from a magicless world, he still could not help butin about it.


    Steve''s power involved seeing the value of things, whether living or nonliving. This was also his way of knowing about the scammer''s hidden power.


    ''The more powerful the person, the more valuable he is.'' This was what Steve spected upon using his uniqueness.


    Although it was useful in many ways, Steve still had some misgivings about it as he wanted a power that could damage his enemy.


    ''The game involved killing, what would I do when I fight a yer face to face?'' Steve thought. He then whined internally in an annoying voice,


    ''See this, I can make my eyes golden! Cool right?~''


    Steve rolled his eyes upon imagining this. To win the game, he needed a more destructive power.


    ''And this ability has some catch¡­'' Steve thought while rubbing his eyes.


    Because the power involved light, every time Steve used his ability, it would always overwhelm his eyes, especially when looking directly at an expensive object.


    In addition, when looking at the surroundings, Steve sometimes couldn''t differentiate them as everything was glowing.


    Unless the item was destroyed to the point that even its by-product is useless, everything has a value of its own. And with value, they would glow in respect to their worth, making Steve''s ability impracticable when seeing a lot of things.


    Steve could also sometimes use his power to look at something from afar. For example,st night, he could see his men fighting against each other as their light overwhelmed the value of the burning woods surrounding them.


    But when it started to rain, Steve could no longer use his ability as numerous glowing drops of water distracted his sight. That was also the reason why he could not see exactly what had happened between Philip and the scammer man.


    Overall, Steve dislikes his uniqueness. He believed that its drawbacks outweighed its usefulness.


    Steve had also thought of another way of getting stronger, for example using the system''s stats attribution.


    ''But I think I made a beginner''s mistake¡­'' Steve depressingly thought while looking at his stats, especially his Mana.


    Physique: 8 (+10)


    Mental: 11


    Mana: 0 (+15)


    Spirit: 0 (+5)


    When Steve saw Mana first, he was excited. Starting from 0, he allocated 15 points to it, thinking he could finally use magic like other yers.


    But s, after eximing ''Fireball'' numerous times in the past, he still could not use magic.


    Steveter realized that maybe there were some sort of prerequisites to learning it.


    Thus, he looked for every knowledge he could gather regarding magic and spell crafts but ended up not finding the right one.


    ''Magicians were too hidden¡­'' Steve concluded, he could only wait for himself to grow so that he could personally look for them.


    After the Mana, Steve allocated 5 points to Spirit, wishing for something special to happen. But like Mana, Spirit produced nothing in allocating stat points to it.


    Good thing, Steve attributed 10 points to Physique as this gave him the strength of an 18-year-old.


    In short, Steve was nothing but a child with the strength of a teenager. Surely, this was not enough to face the tragedy if his negative karma started to take action.


    After not having anything new in his system, Steve closed it and sat on the chair to think.


    ''The only thing I can do now is to hire my person¡­'' Steve decided. He already had enough of the mercenaries he employed.


    Steve knew why the mercenaries had easily been manipted by Philip into fighting each other.


    ''It''s because they have no loyalty,'' Steve concluded, he also had his fair share of betrayers in his past life as a main character.


    As a former businessman, backstabbing was amon urrence. But because the life he had been living in the past was just for entertainment, his story had a lot of plot holes. Even he sometimes wondered how he didn''t notice them given their numbers weren''t that low.


    ''I can''t really call myself a true businessman because of the awful writing of the author,'' Steveined. Due to the author''s excessive use of plot armor, Steve''s foundation was too weak.


    Authors had a great impact on how their characters would be. With a single word, they could change their characters'' trajectory.


    In his story, he was too dependent on the author''s twisting his fate to be the top of his field. This resulted in him having a weak mindset and low self-esteem when he finally broke free from the book world. He had difficulty adjusting to a life without his creator.


    Steve scratched his head irritably upon experiencing defeat. Today''s failure was Steve''s first struggle without his almighty plot armor.


    ''The book world really messed with my character.''


    Steve took a deep breath and stood up, looking determined. He knew his weakness and to deal with this, he could only learn slowly until he finally freed himself from the influence of his past life.


    ''I have no choice but to grow up¡­''


    Steve left the room. He had to quickly find a group of trusted men before his bad karma befall him.

 Chapter 14: Back Alley

    <h4>Chapter 14: Back Alley</h4>


    In a bigger town not far away from the vige, Steve rode a carriage while ncing over the window. His eyes were golden, indicating he was using his power.


    While his eyes were eye-catching, none of the people passing by seemed to notice them. It was as if, in their eyes, the child''s pupils were normal andmon.


    Steve had anticipated their indifference as he already knew he was the only one who can see and feel his eyes. Thus, no matter where he goes, he has no qualms about using his power in the middle of the crowd.


    Today, the reason behind using his power is to look for people with high potential to work under him.


    After experiencing failure, Steve finally needed a powerful yet loyal person; a reliable person that could do his bidding, whether dangerous or not.


    And to be certain of this requirement, Steve had to directly and personally look for himself.


    However, after a few turns, he still couldn''t find someone who shone brighter than a normal person. All he could see in this town weremon people with their ordinary golden light.


    ''Should I just move to a bigger city?'' Steve pondered while his forehead wrinkled in displeasure.


    Although he knew that finding human resources wasn''t an easy task, he still couldn''t help but be frustrated.


    With his negative karma pressuring him, he had to quickly find a solution to rely on.


    ''Maybe I should just walk and go deeper inside the town,'' Steve thought.


    ''I think there''s also a slum here¡­''


    After making a decision, Steve ordered the carriage to stop and stepped out from it.


    Following him behind were three rogue men. They were the mercenaries he hired who remained loyal to him and did not fall from Philip''s temptation.


    Steve was happy with them and offered a higher reward to keep their service.


    ncing at the men who followed him closely, Steve slightly nodded his head in 80% approval and 20% skeptical.


    ''They were still not enough.''


    Although Steve was d about their presence, he was still not content as he knew they were not powerful enough to protect him. After all, they were part of a failed attempt to catch Philip. This failure wasn''t enough for Steve to fully put his trust in them.


    With his eyes glowing, he proceeded walking toward the gloomy area of the town.


    Steve arrived in a narrow alley, with two tall buildings sandwiching it. His foot touched the muddy and non-stone path, making his heel covered with dirt.


    With the buildings around, the area was much darker as the sunlight couldn''t fully illuminate the alley.


    Aside from the darkness, the smell was also not pleasing. With the rotten garbage and urine umting at the side walls, Steve''s nose couldn''t help but twitch.


    He quickly covered his nose. But while he felt disgusted, he didn''t retreat as he knew his life was at stake here.


    After walking forward, destitute and homeless people weed him. They were all lying on their newspaper bed, eyeing him weirdly.


    To them, it was already an odd sight seeing a child dressed tidily enter this poorest part of the town. How much more if this child was also followed by his seemingly ''bodyguards''?


    Steve had sensed their inquisitive gaze but he remained resolute on continuing his way forward.


    However, the more he traveled deep into the back alley, the more his forehead wrinkled in disappointment.


    ''What the hell is this!?'' Steve cursed internally. After a couple of minutes, he still couldn''t find a strong person.


    Instead, all he could see in his vision were people glowing dimmer than a normal person.


    This indicates that most people in the slums were sick and were valued cheaply by his ability.


    Upon noticing this, Steve stopped his track, deep in thought.


    ''What the hell am I doing here?''


    Steve felt frustrated by how his mind worked. ''Why did I think it was a good idea to look around here? Did I expect myself to find a fortuitous encounter with a strong person here?''


    Steve bent his head dejectedly, he knew why he had always thought that everything would work his way.


    ''My past story has greatly influenced me, making me subconsciously think that everything would work the way I wanted it to be.''


    Realizing this, Steve bit his lower lip until it bled. He was angry at how he seemed to always rely on his goddamn plot armor.


    ''Grow up Steve!'' he reprimanded himself internally.


    After a while, when he had finally calmed down, he raised his head and turned around,


    "Let''s go back," Steve ordered.


    The three men nced at their little boss, confused. They had no idea what Steve was doing or looking for as he didn''t inform them.


    All they could do was keep their mouth shut and follow him around. They guessed it must be rted to another unknown mystery that they had no right to know yet.


    While the three men and Steve were lost in their own thoughts, a man suddenly appeared before Steve. He grinned and slightly pulled Steve''s sleeve.


    The three men instantly pulled Steve behind them. After this, they immediately eyed the man warily. Their huge bodies protected Steve at the back, ready for any possible danger.


    "You! Who are you?!" shouted one of his men.


    Steve was also surprised as the man was too quick for him to react. In addition, he didn''t expect the man to be impertinent to touch him. Only when Steve felt safe in his men''s protection did he quickly and silently observe the man.


    The man wore a brown frock coat and ck trousers. Although his face was slightly haggard and his hair was unkempt and dirty, unlike the people in the back alley, he was still dressed cleaner.


    ''He''s not from here.'' Steve concluded. From his clothes alone, Steve was sure the man wasn''t homeless and was living leisurely.


    Steve''s eyes then turned gold, but when his eyes met the man, Steve was forced to frown by the intense light.


    ''What the!'' Steve eximed internally. He was almost blinded from looking directly at him. This had only happened to him once with the scammer he hired in the past few days.


    ''He must be as strong as him,'' Steve contemted. The man emitted almost the same level of golden hue from the scammer. This only means that the man across them was also a powerhouse, maybe a person who wielded magic!


    Steve was curious about him. But although curious, he remained cautious against him.


    The scammer had brought trauma to his pocket that he couldn''t help but be careful of another man simr to him.


    "Sorry. Sorry." The man immediately apologized. Noticing he had identally surprised the child, he chuckled awkwardly and waved his hands, "I''m not a dangerous person. You see I don''t even have any weapons with me."


    He then grabbled his shirts and pockets to make sure that he had nothing dangerous with him.


    But his action proved inadequate to Steve as Steve knew the man didn''t need any weapon to harm him. With his light blinding him, it was clear to him that the man was not your typical person.


    The man had also figured this and stopped groping his clothes. He looked at Steve''s eyes, seemingly wondering something, and said,


    "Again, I apologize for surprising you." He paused, then finally voiced his query, "You must be Stephen Evans, son of Ronald Evans, right?"


    Hearing this name, Steve could not help but scowl.


    Stephen Evans is his given name in this world. He is part of a n with Evans as a surname, a n that has been doing business for generations.


    For someone to know his real name indicates nothing but trouble. Steve has been carefully hiding his identity as his family has a lot of enemies, which is to be expected of a wealthy family.


    "What do you want¡­ and who are you?" Steve responded with another question, his voice filled with wariness.


    "I mean no harm, young master. I was just looking for my colleague, Emile, who from what I know, has been with you since yesterday."


    The man stopped, bowed his head, and introduced himself, "And as for my name, it is Loen, young master."


    Steve was confused for a moment as he didn''t know someone with the name Emile. But when he recalled the man who scammed him yesterday, he shook his head and quickly asked,


    "Are you perhaps referring to the person who always wore a robe and doesn''t often talk?"


    "Hmm¡­ I''m not sure about the robe, but maybe it was him as he is kind of a taciturn person." Loen paused and continued, "Is he with you, young master?"


    After hearing Loen''s confirmation, Steve was taken aback for a second. ''So he''s not here for me but for the scammer Emile?''


    Although Steve was relieved that Loen was not one of his family''s enemies, his vignce didn''t lower, instead, it increased more.


    The fact that the man was Emile''s acquaintance means that he has also a possibility of scamming him.


    "He''s not with me. He had already run off with my money. It has been two days since I''ve seen him," Steve answered. He peered straight at Loen''s face, trying to probe his reaction.


    But Loen''s response gave Steve a surprise.


    "What? You too?!" Loen cried, his voice filled with suppressed anger, "He has also exhorted me!"


    Loen gritted his teeth as he walked in circles.


    "What to do? How about my money?!," Loen howled, his voice squeaking like a child throwing a tantrum.

 Chapter 15: The leach and the bird

    <h4>Chapter 15: The leach and the bird</h4>


    Steve was dumbfounded. He never expected Loen to respond like this.


    As Loen and Emile were colleagues, they should have a connection to develop trust with each other. But seeing Loen react like this only means that they weren''t and probably had bad blood against one another.


    ''Is Emile a habitual offender?'' Steve asked internally and silently gazed at Loen''s pitiful act of frustration.


    Steve had no way of knowing the truth as he wasn''t capable enough to glimpse whether Loen was telling the truth or not.


    ''Nevertheless, I have to stay away from him.''


    Steve then opened his mouth to interrupt Loen, "I know nothing about his whereabouts. Better start looking for him elsewhere as I have no single clue of where he is."


    He offered a slight bow and continued, "Then I must be on my way as I have another business to attend."


    "Wait!" Loen shouted with urgency.


    When Loen caught Steve''s attention, he quickly expressed, "Uhmm, as you know, I have also been scammed by Emile and have nothing with me."


    He looked at Steve, his eyes wet and trembling, "Can you uhmm, lend me some cash enough for me to return to the capital? I promise I will pay you when I have the means¡­"


    Loen stopped and continued with his eyes now brimming with determination, "Or you could let me join you in your travel. I know your family is residing in the capital and you must be bound to return there sooner orter..."


    Hearing this, Steve''s temple immediately crumpled. This idea was a big ''No'' to him. Loen was a powerhouse. Inviting him means inviting a ticking bomb.


    Before Loen could continue, Steve quickly reached out to his pocket and handed Loen the cash in his hand,


    "Here, you can have it. And you don''t need to pay me. This amount is immaterial to me and my family."


    Loen halted. He was surprised at how easily he was able to persuade Steve.


    Though surprised, he was also touched by Steve''s kind-heartedness. They have just known each other through their unpleasant association, Emile, but Steve still helped him with his dilemma.


    "No.. no¡­ I must return the favor," Loen quickly responded. But as swift as his answer was his hands pocketing the money Steve had given.


    Loen coughed and acted like nothing happened, "How about this? I will still join you but treat me as your servant until we return to the capital."


    "You may not believe this but I am really capable of doing menial jobs!" He exposed his non-existential biceps and said confidently,


    "And I am also strong!"


    Steve''s mouth twitched. He disliked where this was heading. He refused and refused repeatedly but Loen was too stubborn and insisted on his offer.


    ''This leach!'' Steve was at a dead-end. He had no other reason to deny him. But after a few wars of words, he was also persuaded and tempted to receive his offer, more specifically his protection.


    Anytime soon, his negative karma would bite him hard to death. And to counter this, he needed the help of a strongman.


    "Wait... This is so wrong...'' Steve pondered.


    Steve wasn''t just wary about Loen''s hidden power but also of his timely intervention. Although he was heavily reliant on his luck in his past life, he still couldn''t believe that he was also lucky in this world.


    ''But I still needed him.'' Steve thought.


    In the end, his needs prevail over his wariness.


    Whether Loen''s arrival is a blessing or a curse is a problem for his future self.


    "Then be my guest." In the end, he agreed to Loen''s notion and betted that Loen was good enough to return his goodwill.


    "Thank you, young master!" Loen grinned and bowed his head. Afterward, he followed Steve and acted shamelessly like he was originally part of the group.


    Steve walked in the front, trying to control his nerves from bursting with anger.


    ''I hope this is the right action.'' Steve could only wish he was correct and silently open his system.


    Seeing that there were still no movements in his karma, Steve heaved a sigh of relief as this indicated that so far, nothing dangerous would transpire around him.


    Steve walked straight toward a building with a big signage in front that says ''Recruitment Office''.


    Although he had decided to bet, he wouldn''t ce his entire safety in Loen. He still needed the service of other men.


    ''This could serve as a bnce in case Loen isn''t trustworthy¡­'' Steve mulled over. He needed to counter the risk of having Loen and only through hiring other people could he achieve this.


    ''Better safe than never.'' He then reached out his arm to open the door.


    ***


    An hourter, Steve left the establishment with a content smile on his face.


    Following him from behind were three additional mercenaries he had recruited recently.


    But what made Steve satisfied wasn''t because of these men but because of the man walking beside him.


    ''It''s a good decision to enter the recruitment center.'' Steve whispered as he quietly observed the man with his eyes turned into gold.


    In his vision, like any other person, Steve saw a golden light radiating from the man. But unlike others, his brightness was more than that of a normal mercenary.


    ''If a civilian emits a light of a bulb, and a mercenary normally shines as if there are two bulbs, then this man is as bright as of five bulbs¡­''


    ''This means that this person is stronger, probably the strongest among the mercenaries he had seen.'' Steve murmured joyfully.


    Compared to Loen, he had more trust in a man with a clean record in the recruitment office.


    Although he had a bad history with traitorous mercenaries, he wasn''t dull enough to have a stereotype against everyone.


    ''Someone with good records like him is a huge loss if he chooses to betray his employer,'' thought Steve, he glimpsed at Loen chirping at his other side.


    ''But it still wasn''t enough to contest the lighting from Loen. Maybe ten bulbs more to break even¡­'' Steve frowned as he contemted the differences in their strengths.


    Steve nced again at the petit man on his side wearing a set of garments a sizerger than him.


    The man had slicked ck hair and ck pupils. Shown on his face was alertness as he carefully surveyed the crowd, looking for a possible dangering towards his employer.


    This small action was what sold Steve. He felt more secure with his bodyguard service. For sure that in case of a catastrophe, he could trust his back to this man named Raven.


    When Steve had stared enough, he ordered his men, "Let''s go to the railway station."


    It was time for Steve to return to his home in the capital. He had been away for many days without notice. He was sure that his family was now actively looking for his whereabouts.


    To reach the capital city, a ride of a train is needed for a faster trip. Compared to a horse carriage, which normally takes days, a train only takes five hours in total.


    And aside from time concerns, Steve deemed a train ride safer as there weren''t many uncertainties unlike if they opt to traverse the woods.


    Steve had thought of many scenarios on how his negative karma would befall. One of them was an ident due to a fortuitous event or acts of God.


    Moving all by themselves through horse carriages would only increase the likelihood of this happening, especially when the area was too wide for anything to happen.


    As for the train, they only had to stay seated in an enclosed container for hours. If there was a circumstance where he needed to escape, it was easier with his men close to him.


    When they arrived at the railway station, they were immediately weed by the thick smokeing above from the ck and rustic long vehicle.


    Steve frowned at this sight and immediately covered his mouth in disgust. Although for the residents of this world, the train was a refined inventive product, for those who came from a more advanced era like him, this was nothing but a backward invention causing pollution to the environment.


    ''This is too suffocating,'' He grumbled and quickly ordered his men, "Buy tickets for us first."


    He nced at Loen and said, "Please go with them." and moved his sight to Raven, "And youe with me."


    ***


    A couple of minutester, Steve and Raven returned to the group with Steve holding a metallic briefcase.


    "Let''s go." They moved and stepped inside the long vehicle.


    The six mercenaries sat together in the other wagon. Meanwhile, Steve, Raven, and Loen, who insisted on sitting together with Steve, sat at the wagon intended for first-ss use.


    On a partitioned space with 2 two-seater cushion chairs facing across the table in between them, Steve sat near the window. Following him was Raven who sat beside him and Loen across him.


    Loen gazed outside the window, smiled, and asked, "Isn''t that store owned by your family?"


    Steve followed his sight and saw a red building with fancy decor within. On top, it has a logo with a big letter ''M'' and signage that says, ''MacRonald''.


    Steveughed at who knows what reason upon seeing this. He then answered proudly. "Yes, it is."

 Chapter 16: Battle of words

    <h4>Chapter 16: Battle of words</h4>


    Before Loen could respond, Steve quickly interjected, "But at the same time, it isn''t ours."


    Loen looked at Steve in confusion. His eyes were telling him, ''How can that be possible?''


    Steve''s eyes glimmered in delight as he recalled the time he suggested the family head on implementing this business n.


    He discussed about franchising and how it works.


    "Instead of goods, what we sell is the brand''s name and reputation. Our clients would then operate their business under our banner, with, of course, the products we supply."


    This was one of the many ideas he contributed to the family. It was easy for Steve as he had lived in a more advanced civilization. Through it, he can just copy and implement them in this world.


    And at a young age, after a couple of suggestions, he finally reached a level where he could voice his opinion in the family, irrespective of his young age.


    Meaning, Steve had been deemed to be the next sessor of the family''s numerous business organizations.


    Of course, his involvement was hidden from the masses. Only the family elders knew he was the source of their innovative business schemes. This was made to protect him from theirpetitors.


    ''I''m sure by now, father is looking for me¡­'' Steve''s lips raised slightly as he imagined the old man panicking.


    Steve left the house secretly to find Philip''s condition. He thought he would only be gone for a couple of days but never did he expect his travel to extend andter ended up returning utterly defeated.


    "Your family is indeed great in trading, young master," Loenplimented. "If this will continue, I am sure your family will hold a title in the future."


    "Now that the country is moving to industrialization, the king would surely honor not only those with military feats but also those with great contributions to the betterment of the country."


    Steve nodded upon hearing Loen''s spections. The restriction regarding providing nobility titles only for militants was too backward. If the country continues this, it will surely be left behind by the rapid transitioning of the economy to capitalism.


    This was Steve''s first goal and priority: to be a noble and enter the high social world of the aristocrats. He believed that by doing this, the higher the chance he could discover magic through the old money''s channels.


    ''It''s impossible for the nobles to not know about the existence of magic..'' Steve thought optimistically.


    If perhaps this conjecture is true, that nobles did indeed know about it, he could finally make use of the stats points he put in mana.


    Steve and Loen exchanged points about trading, with thetter more on asking. Their talk continued even after the train started moving.


    When the train moved, Steve somehow felt Raven stiffen. But when he nced at him and saw Raven didn''t bat an eye, then he returned his focus to Loen.


    Because they found a simr interest, Steve couldn''t help but lower his guard against Loen. It was as if his head was filled only with their talk, forgetting the man across him was a powerhouse.


    As time passed, Steve gradually feltfortable and closer to Loen and started asking questions. Later, their conversation moved to the organization that Loen is part of.


    "By the way Mr. Loen. You told me earlier that you are a colleague of Emile. I am curious which organization the two of you are part of." Steve asked in interest.


    Feeling that his question wascking, Steve continued bbering his mouth, "Both of you are kind of a powerhouse you know. Hehe, it seems that your organization is quite powerful hehe..."


    "¡­."


    After voicing this, silence enveloped the partitioned room, with Loen''s eyes sparked with interest and Steve giggling naively.


    But when Steve felt that the silence was abnormally long and quiet, he realized that he made a slip of the tongue.


    "Hmm from what I see, it seems the young master knows I''m quite a powerful individual¡­" Even though Loen''s lips were raised while saying this, Steve strangely felt terrified by this smile.


    "How do you know this young master? I haven''t even shown you an ounce of what I''m capable of yet you already seemed to know something. And it seems you''re particrly sure about it¡­"


    Loen faced directly at Steve and said, "Do you have a way of knowing a person''s strength, young master?"


    He smiled and continued, "A superpower, perhaps?"


    Upon hearing this, Steve felt like he was hit by a thunderbolt.


    ''Oh no!'' Steve''s head was in a mess. He was found out! Although Loen was wrong in his conjecture, he was still somehow right.


    While his power only measures value, it still could be used to determine a person''s strength as the more powerful the person is, the more valuable he is.


    Overall, Loen''s guess is not entirely wrong!


    Steve tried to lie his way out, but when his eyes met Loen''s glint, he trembled and stopped what he was about to say.


    He felt an unimaginable force that kept his mind muddled in panic!


    When Loen noticed Steve''s state, he pushed his way onward to force Steve to tell him the truth,


    "Is this rted to why your eyes sometimes squint when you are looking at me? Tell me, young master¡­"


    "Why do I feel like I am a sun in your eyes? Am I that bright in your vision? Hmmm?" Loen told Steve jokingly.


    Loen then leaned forward, his arms propped on the table and his interlocked fingers supporting his chin up.


    "Pray do tell me. What secrets are you hiding in those tiny eyeballs you have, young master?"


    The surroundings became even more muted. But unlike the room''s condition, Steve''s head was loud and chaotic. There seemed to be a bell ringing continuously inside it.


    But when Steve felt that he had no way out, a deep voice rescued him from his predicament.


    "Intuition." said the voice.


    The two then followed its source and saw the man they had almost forgotten sitting next to Steve.


    "Perhaps the boss feels it through his intuition," Raven repeated what he said with conviction.


    Loen''s smile stiffened as he nced at the outsider of his talk with Steve.


    "The boss might be having a hard time exining this phenomenon as he is only a child." Raven shifted his head to Loen and continued, "But for me, I can tell you."


    He raised his gaze straight at Loen, his look was unwavering and strong, "Your intention is too obvious that it makes me sick."


    "So, please. Shut those disgusting eyes of yours." Raven blurted, his voice filled with an order.


    This time it was Loen turned to be speechless. Never did he expect someone to treat him like this.


    But unlike Steve, he was only silenced for a while. He quickly recovered from the shock he felt earlier.


    "What intention? I don''t even know that word!" Loen answered jokingly, "I just want to know the young master better because I want to help him."


    Loen then put his hands on his chest and said in an exaggerated tone, "I like the young master as he helped me in my predicament earlier! So stop making a feud against me and the young master!"


    Raven sneered. The disgust on his face was so evident that even Steve, who seemed slow in the emotional department, noticed it.


    "Do you expect me to believe it? With your eyes filled with greed and desire? Please be self-aware and see yourself in the mirror."


    Raven then changed his voice into an inquisitive tone, "Okay. Then tell me, how about you? What are your secrets? Why are your nails so dirty? It''s as if you crawled out yourself from the ground."


    "And what happened to your skin? Why is it cracking like and experiencing a long drought?"


    "So tell me¡­" Raven then made his voice as deep as possible, "Are you a human or a¡­ monster?"


    Loen''s eyes shook. He quickly stood up and interjected Raven. "What monster! I''m not a monster! Hah. You''re too imaginative Raven huh."


    While saying this, He kept his nails hidden by rolling a fist and tried to cover his dry arms behind his back.


    Steve caught this small action of Loen. ''Why did I not notice it earlier!?'' He thought.


    Steve med himself for putting his life and secret in danger. If only he was careful enough, he wouldn''t be ced in this kind of circumstance.


    But at the same time, he was also thankful for Raven''s timely interjection. Although it didn''t indicate in their contract to protect his secret, Raven still did it anyway.


    "Hmm. That''s what you say." Raven smirked, his tone was teasing Loen. "So please stop digging into other secrets if you have no guts to tell yours."


    Raven deliberately slowed down and continued, "This is already the third time I say ''Please''. So, start reflecting on your mistake, or else I will not be polite to you."


    He shifted his head back to the window, unbothered by Loen''s face increasingly turning red.


    After a short while, Loen replied with a sinister tone, "You must be talented Raven huh?"


    Raven wasn''t the one who shrinks back when threatened. He mocked him, "Not as talented as your acting."


    Loen trembled upon hearing this. He immediately opened the door and ran outside the partitioned room.


    He never looked back, he just walked away with a heavy foot.


    Seeing him leave, the tense atmosphere quickly dispersed. Steve slumped back in his chair, breathless.

 Chapter 17: The Rabbit and the Tortoise

    <h4>Chapter 17: The Rabbit and the Tortoise</h4>


    Loen stormed out leaving the door fully open.


    After Raven confirmed that Loen had no intention of returning to close it, he stood up and steadily slid the door back closed.


    Shortly, he went back to his seat, with his temper returning to his initial silent and careful persona.


    On the other hand, Steve was doing his best to calm down as quickly as possible. He knew that by this, he would be able to think of a solution on what to do once Loen returned.


    Steve silently peeked at the person sitting next to him. Sensing that Raven waspletely unbothered, he could not help but grumble internally.


    ''I wish I could be as ignorant as you,'' Steve thought as he rolled his eyes disdainfully. As the only person in the cabin who knew how powerful Loen was, he couldn''t help but be frustrated by Raven''s rash action earlier.


    Still, Steve was thankful to Raven for defending him. If not for him, Steve would surely be situated in a much more difficult position.


    When Steve felt he was no longer tensed, he looked at the changing scenery through the window.


    It was afternoon, with the sun shining brightly above the blue sky. From afar, Steve saw the cows and horses eating the grass.


    After a few moments, the scene changed into a in filled with swaying corn ntation. Aside from this, Steve also noticed a group of children ying in the field happily.


    Seeing this sight, Steve couldn''t help but be envious.


    Their life was like that, living through theing days full of happiness and without fear for the future - the opposite of the life he was living.


    Unlike the children and animals in the field, Steve''s life is miserable.


    Looking back, Steve knew why Philip chose to escape from the game and lived as if he belonged in this world.


    He understood Philip but couldn''t do it to himself.


    Steve wanted a genuine life, without anyone manipting him behind the scenes. A life that he lived with his choices ruling over his destiny.


    ''Maybe that''s why I''m angry at Philip.'' Stevemented sorrowfully, ''Because I envy him for living a happy cowardice life.''


    Thinking about all of this made Steve''s eyes slightly wet. He leaned his head by the window and continued observing the surroundings outside.


    When he felt bored by this, he focused his sight on the person reflected in the window.


    "Why are you not asking me anything?" Steve asked, breaking the silence within the room.


    After a short while, Raven answered with another question, "Do you want me to?"


    Steve went dazed, looking at Raven''s reflection. After a long silence, he blurted out, "No."


    "Then no," Raven replied inly but strongly.


    Steve continued staring at him, trying to read his expression. But after seeing no changes, Steve returned his sight to the changing scenery outside.


    Strangely enough, having observed the serious and detached Ravenforted him. He didn''t know why but he just felt this way.


    When he could no longer see anything new and interesting outside, he quietly turned his sight downwards.


    While his hands were fiddling the briefcase on hisp, his eyes were mncholy staring at the wooden floor on the bottom.


    "Living is¡­ quite hard," Steve whispered but its volume was enough for Raven to hear him.


    "Especially when you are forced to do the things you don''t want to do."


    Steve didn''t know why he was speaking to Raven, but strangely, he felt the need to say something.


    Maybe because he wanted to release the building frustration inside him or maybe because he just wanted to be vulnerable for a second.


    Steve didn''t know why, he just did it.


    "Am I doing this for my survival or am I just doing this because I had no other choice?" Steve raised his voice slightly, his tone filled with sadness.


    Afterward, Steve then turned back his sight to the window and murmured,


    "It''s too tiring when you''re not in control of your own life."


    Steve said all of this even though he knew Raven wouldn''t understand him. How could he when Steve rumbled everything without any context?


    After all, Steve didn''t say this expecting a reply orfort. He just needed someone to hear him out.


    When Steve felt less tensed than earlier, he sat straight, waiting and readying himself for Loen''s arrival.


    However, his preparation halted when he heard Raven asking him a question.


    "Do you know the story about the rabbit and the tortoise?"


    "Yes, I know. It''s a children''s story." Steve answered with confusion. He had no idea why Raven asked this.


    Raven probed, "Then, you must know who won the race between them?"


    "Of course, it''s the tortoise."


    When Raven heard Steve answer this, for the first time since they entered the train, Raven looked at the child sitting beside him.


    "No, it''s not." Raven said, his tone was like of an elder teaching a child, "The winner was obviously the rabbit. After all, he''s faster and built differently than the tortoise."


    "Even if he slept the entire day during the race, he would still arrive at the hill faster than the tortoise after he woke up."


    Steve became dumbfounded upon hearing this. The story of the rabbit and the tortoise was also present in his past world. He was sure that the tortoise had won the race.


    He was about to argue but stopped when Raven continued his own version of the story.


    "When the rabbit won, the tortoise felt devastated by his loss. He seeks vengeance but has no power as he is too slowpared to the rabbit."


    "What did he do then? Hey down and quietly monitored the rabbit leave and formed a family."


    "Years passed by, the rabbit died, then his children also died, and so on till his great-grandchildren."


    "And when thest rabbit died, ending the whole family''s bloodline, then the tortoise came out from his shell and dered himself the winner as he outlived not just the original rabbit but also his blood family."


    Raven then finally said his point, "What I want to tell you is when you''re weak, step back from the battle and patiently wait for the right time."


    "I don''t know why a child of your age is out here doing a dangerous job. I also don''t know why a child of your age is feeling as if you have gone through countless wars."


    "You don''t have to say them to me as I don''t care about your reason. I also don''t want to understand your situation. All I can say is, use your own strength to your advantage."


    Raven put more force into his voice, "If your enemy won like how the rabbit won the race¡­"


    "Then be the tortoise and be the winner of life."


    Steve flinched when he heard this. Although he felt that Raven really had no idea about his real situation as the yer, his advice greatly helped and impacted him.


    He knew he was weak and shouldn''t have personally gone to Philip. He should have waited for the right opportunity to strike him.


    If only he realized this and used his strength as a merchant to control the battlefield from behind, he could have won the war.


    Steve smiled genuinely, this was the first time since his karma became -100.


    He and Philip were built differently, with him having the advantage of being born wealthy and influential and thetter with strength and experience.


    Hearing Raven''s version, Steve finally discovered how he should fight!


    He has to be someone who moves behind the curtains so that his enemies won''t know they are being spectated. He must be someone who maniptes the actors with his wealth!


    Steve finally calmed down. His mind felt refreshed, and all of this was thanks to Raven.


    He never expected someone he deemed as an NPC in this simted world to help him with his own battle.


    ''I want him.'' Steve thought as he looked at Raven. He wanted Raven to work under him not as a mercenary but as a subordinate. ''


    ''Wait, I''ll make sure to personally seduce you.'' He jokingly pondered. To make Raven quit being a mercenary, he needed a reason.


    For this to happen, he could only do it as slowly as possible. Gaining Raven''s trust is his long-term goal.


    It was then Steve remembered that since riding the train, he hadn''t checked his system.


    After thanking Raven for his advice, he quickly lowered his head and whispered, "Open System."


    Shortly, an invisible and holographic panel appeared before him.


    ''Everything was still the same, even my karma¡­'' Steve stopped, his eyes bulged in an instant, and his heart beat as fast as the sound of the running train.


    The partitioned door opened and Loen entered the cabin calmly.


    Loen sat across from Steve and took a newspaper out of nowhere.


    Steve followed his movement, his eyes quickly turned golden.


    However, this action greatly shook Steve''s whole being.


    Because in his vision, he saw nothing from Loen. Instead of the usual golden light radiating around Loen, what he saw was nothing. Literally no light.


    Everything has a mary value, even what other people deem as garbage has a worth.


    There are only a few instances where a thing has no value. One when it waspletely annihted and had no further use; second when it was very abundant, like air; andstly when it was not a thing but a product of magic.


    Steve''s sweat gushed like a waterfall as he retracted his gaze away from Loen.


    And along with the sound of his beating heart, the sound of the system''s bell continuously rang in his ears.


    Ting!


    [Karma: -99]


    Ting!


    [Karma:-50]


    Ting!


    [Karma: -25]


    Ting!


    [Karma: -10]


    The time had finally arrived for his karma to change.


    Steve rolled a fist, his nails lodged through his palm, as he nervously whispered,


    "What to do!?"


    Ting!


    [Karma: 0]

 Chapter 18: Got you

    <h4>Chapter 18: Got you</h4>


    "What to do?!" Steve froze upon seeing his karma turned into 0.


    Although he had expected that one day his karma would bite him back hard, he still couldn''t help but be nervous and afraid of what was about toe.


    This emotion was also significantly intensified when he saw the man in front of him change suddenly.


    He was confused about how Loen could be changed so quickly. He only just left for a couple of minutes, Why did his golden light dim into nothing?


    ''It''s as if this person is not Loen¡­'' This was the first thing that came into Steve''s mind.


    Other than his change, what confused him more was its abnormality, specifically about having no light emanating from him.


    Steve spected that the person in front of him was either a mythical creature his power couldn''t give a price to or that it was a product of a mysterious ability called magic.


    Steve knew nothing about the ''instinct'' he was supposed to have, as what Raven said to defend him earlier, but at this time, even he could feel how dangerous the situation was.


    ''So¡­ the source of the sudden change of my karma is because of this. Maybe it will kill me if¡­.'' Steve stopped his thoughts.


    ''Wait, let''s not jump to a conclusion. What if I''m mistaken? What if there''s other factors other than this?''


    Steve carefully raised his head and looked at his surroundings. After confirming that there were no changes in their brightness, he quietly turned his head towards Raven.


    Raven was still the same as ever, with a brightness equivalent to five bulbs.


    After seeing no changes, Steve temporarily lowered his guard against Raven. Steve felt it was unlikely for Raven to be the source of his misfortune as he had been all along with him since earlier. If Raven wanted to kill him, he could have done it when Loen left the room.


    Steve focused his whole mind on thinking of another possible reason.


    ''What if the train will soon meet an ident?!'' Steve''s eyes bulged in an instant. Though this was only a mere spection, he still felt the need to take preliminary precautions against it.


    ''For now, let''s leave from the most ideal suspect first¡­'' Steve decided while taking a short nce at Loen.


    Seeing that Loen was preupied with the newspaper, Steve stood up and said, "Excuse me for a moment as I''m going to the restroom."


    Loen didn''t say anything or stop him so Steve simply continued his way out of their cabin.


    Shortly, Steve sighed in relief after leaving the room. ''Thankfully, he didn''t say anything about me bringing my luggage.''


    Steve walked forward with his briefcase in his hand, following him from behind was the serious and dedicated Raven.


    But instead of going to the restroom, his foot brought him towards the other end of the wagon.


    While walking, Steve carefully observed his surroundings, trying to glimpse another clue behind the sudden change of his karma.


    In Steve''s vision, all colors he could see were gold. From the floor to the ceiling, everything was shining as brightly as their respective value.


    Even though his eyes were twitching at the brightness, he was still stubborn about using his ability. His mind was only filled with ''Better safe than never.''


    Reaching the other end of the aisle, Steve opened the door situated in the center. Behind this door was an entryway to a carriage filled with passengers'' seats.


    Unlike Steve''s seat, this wagon has no enclosure wall separating from others for privacy.


    It was fully opened with only two-seater cushion seats facing against each other on both sides of the train.


    Steve walked in the middle, passing through some sleeping passengers leaning on their seats ufortably.


    Later, he stopped and looked at the bulky men talking with each other. When these men saw Steve, they were about to stand and greet him, but Steve quickly intercepted them by raising a palm.


    He sat near the corner window and following him was Raven taking the aisle seat.


    Steve nced at the two men nervously examining him across him. After seeing no change in their brightness, he looked across the corridor.


    On the other side, four men were also looking at Steve in wonder. Steve felt their confusion but he never said a word. All he did was look at them with his piercing gaze.


    Shortly, Steve sighed in relief after confirming that there were no changes in the six other mercenaries.


    He then quickly took the first ss ticket from his coat and handed it to the man across Raven.


    "Take this and observe Loen. If there''s anything wrong with him, subdue him. If you can''t, you can just inform me of his abnormality."


    "Yes, Boss!" The man dashed off to the first-ss wagon. His face was stiff but his foot remained actively moving.


    This person was part of the three men who remained loyal to Steve during Philip''s subjugation. Although he was clearly afraid about the ''abnormality'' that Steve was speaking of, he still continued his way without backing off.


    The financial reward Steve offered was enough for him to have the guts to face the danger ahead of him. All he needed was to be careful and remain alive ''till the end of the mission.


    After he left, Steve quickly unbuckled the briefcase on hisp. When he opened it, stacks of bills weed him from within.


    Steve''s face remained unchanging in the face of money. He dug his hands deeper, and when his fingers caught the clutches, then he pulled his hands up.


    The man across Steve trembled upon seeing the thing in Steve''s hands. He quickly averted his eyes away hoping that what he had seen wasn''t the thing he imagined it to be.


    Even Raven shook slightly and quickly leaned his upper body to cover Steve''s action.


    Steve ced the thing inside his coat and closed the briefcase on hisp.


    After these short but quick actions, Steve, along with two men, speedily pretended like nothing serious happened.


    Even though Steve acted calm, he knew to himself that he was the most nervous among them.


    Steve''s tension was different from normal as he knew that his choices would dictate whether he would live or not.


    ''I can do this!''


    While his mind was running at full speed, ady passed through them, pushing a cart in the aisle. Within this cart were finger food and beverages offered to the passengers.


    The woman halted and offered the men a drink and biscuits. After this short act, she smiled and left to distribute to others.


    When thedy had gone far from them, Steve quickly reacted,


    "Don''t eat it!" Steve roared, his voice filled with urgency and vignce.


    The five mercenaries jumped slightly from their seat, surprised by Steve''s sudden order.


    Although they were confused, they still did it somehow. After all, it was just a food that they could buy outside.


    After confirming that they had no intention of eating them, Steve finally couldn''t help but be thankful to the System for giving him his ability. Without it, he would never have sensed that there was something wrong with their food.


    Because in his vision, the bottle of refreshments and the biscuits were casting more lightpared to the other items thedy allocated around.


    ''This means that there are other substances mixed within that make it more valuablepared to the other goods.'' Steve concluded. He didn''t even bother to confirm what they were as he was sure that they were poisons.


    ''But why? Why am I specifically being targeted?'' Steve pondered and could only guess the reason behind it.


    ''Hmm. Thedy also emits no light¡­ She is simr to the Loen who returned to their cabin earlier.''


    ''So this increases the likelihood of Loen being the cause of his impending misfortune¡­'' Steve concluded.


    While Steve was mulling over Loen, a man hesitantly came forward in their direction.


    He was the same man Steve sent over to watch Loen.


    The man stood on the aisle and informed Steve about what had happened, "Boss¡­ I can''t find Mr. Loen."


    He then quickly reiterated that after he arrived at the cabin, only the newspaper was seen on the table. Seeing this, he was about to look for him but was forced to stop upon noticing a group of men with horrendous and somehow iplete face structures standing on the other side of the corridor.


    Strangely, the man felt as if they were all looking at him, observing every bit of his small actions.


    The man was so scared by this sight that he quickly dashed away and informed Steve about it.


    Although Steve seemed to be silently listening to the man''s report, his hands were shaking as he rolled a fist.


    He was right! Loen was really the source of the change.


    While contemting his next course of action, Steve felt as if the area dimmed a bit.


    Bothered by it, he subconsciously took a nce at the window beside him.


    But what he saw wasn''t the grassy fields, instead a figure that made his soul leave his body.


    Outside the window, Loen''s upside-down face was sticking by the ss, looking eerily at Steve.


    When Steve and Loen''s eyes met, Loen smiled at him, his eyes were red, showing the greed and desire within.


    Shortly, Loen''s lips moved, and whispered a two-syble sentence:


    Got. You.

 Chapter 19: Escape (1)

    <h4>Chapter 19: Escape (1)</h4>


    Got. You.


    Although Steve couldn''t hear Loen, he still could somehow read Loen''s mouth.


    When Loen''s figure disintegrated into thin dust and moved towards the air vents, adrenaline quickly gushed in his body as he shouted,


    "RUN!"


    Raven was the first to stand up, following him was the man trembling across Steve. The four other men had also seen Loen''s terrifying figure and quickly came out from their seats.


    BANG!


    And when Steve was about to crawl his way out of his chair, a loud door m was heard on the other end of the corridor.


    Steve''s head subconsciously turned in its direction and happened to see humanoid figures in different sizes and shapes.


    Despite them standing far from him, he could still clearly see their disfigured and imperfect faces, as if they were molded from y.


    Some of them had no eyeballs, yet their eyelids remained open, making their inner skulls visible to the naked eye.


    Some of their mouths were misced and misaligned. Their lips were curved too high, positioned away from the chin, and closely leaning in their cheeks.


    Steve quickly realized that they were the creatures that his subordinate met earlier. He finally understood why the man returned extremely frightened.


    However, Steve was forced to stop observing them as he started to notice them moving in his direction.


    "Go! Go! Go!" Steve shouted, pushing his men to quickly run to the opposite side.


    The creatures followed them, running with their unproportioned legs. Even though their bodies weren''t as functional as of a normal human body, they could still follow Steve and his men''s tempo.


    It was as if the ground was helping them push their feet forward, making them move as quickly as Steve.


    Sensing that they would be caught by them at any second, Steve gritted his teeth and unlocked the briefcase in his hand.


    "Free Money! Free Money Everyone!"


    While holding the opened case with his left hand, stacks of money quickly fell to the ground.


    This shout had awakened some of the passengers along the way. While their minds were in a trance, their bodies subconsciously moved to pick up the scattered bills.


    "Out of the way!" shouted one of the passengers. She quickly kneeled on the floor and simultaneously moved his arms around.


    Seeing this, other passengers followed suit. They immediately made their way out and grabbed as many bills as they could.


    All of them were focused on picking the bills and fighting against each other, making them not notice the monstersing in their direction.


    Steve''s effort was fruitful as he managed to slow down the creatures following them.


    He didn''t even have an ounce of guilt on his face after using the other passengers as scapegoats. In his mind, ''They were all fakes living in a fake world anyway.''


    When they arrived at the other end of the wagon, what immediately greeted them wasn''t only a locked door but a door encased with hardened soil.


    His men tried to forcibly open the door by kicking but with the presence of the strange soil embroidered around the door, they couldn''t easily continue their way forward.


    It was then Raven, who remained a close distance behind Steve, made his way and started mming the door.


    BANG!


    Although the door remained closed, his action was still effective as some soil fell on the ground.


    The six mercenaries were shocked upon seeing this sight. They didn''t expect that behind Raven''s petite stature, there was an enormous power hidden behind it.


    When they were about to help him quicken the process, their pursuers had arrived before them.


    However, they weren''t on their initial humanoid figures, rather, they transformed into a mud-like slime crawling from the ceiling.


    Although they transformed into a new form, there were still some shreds of evidence that they were once humans.


    Because, even though they were in their slime form, their arms and legs protruded and tingled in the air as they moved. These monsters hadn''t fully integrated into their new forms.


    "AHHH!"


    The passengers finally noticed this strange phenomenon and quickly escaped onto the other end of the train, leaving behind Steve''s team alone.


    After reaching a fairly close distance, the creatures fell from above and slowly transformed back into their humanoid figures.


    Leading them at the front and the first to transform was the perfect copy of Loen. Behind him was the serverdy that Steve had seen earlier.


    Steve didn''t wait for others to transform and quickly ordered the six mercenaries, "Go fight them!"


    Although hesitant, they still followed his orders. They started their fight by throwing misceneous items they saw around at their enemies.


    It was effective. Some of the monsters even stumbled due to the force. However, this was only momentarily as the monsters quickly consumed the things with their mud-like bodies.


    Everything happened too fast and seeing their efforts were useless, they soon started to engage in a battle style they were most confident of.


    With this, due to having no experience fighting a monster, they soon quickly made a mistake by engaging in closebat.


    When the men advanced to deliver a punch at them, their eyes immediately widened in disbelief. Because when their fist touched them, it was as if they hit a cotton ball.


    But it wasn''t the thing that made their eyes widen. When they were about to retract their arm away, the monsters quickly engulfed them, starting from the fingers to their fists, until their arm submerged inside the monster.


    "AH!! HELP!" They screamed and screamed, hoping for Steve to help them.


    They immediately looked to Steve for help. He was the one who made them like this. If it wasn''t him, then who?


    But after their eyes met with Steve, their faces instantly wrinkled in anger and hopelessness.


    Because what they saw in Steve''s eyes wasn''t salvation but resignation.


    It was now clear to them that this child they called boss was an ipetent one. He was the kind of leader who would rather sacrifice his allies for his security.


    If only they knew their future would be like this, fighting abnormal and mystical enemies at the forefront, they would have stepped back away from him.


    But s, everything was toote. They had been sold for an enormous financial reward offered by Steve.


    If only they were suspicious of a child acting like an adult, their end would not be like this, like of cannon-fodders.


    Slowly, the mud-like creatures started to devour them from their arms to their chest, until only their eyes remained bared, looking in Steve''s direction.


    Thest thing reflected in their eyes were sorrow and anger¡­ and a wish that Steve would meet a more horrendous end than them.


    Steve stood frozen while watching his men submerged inside the monsters'' bodies.


    It wasn''t that Steve chose not to help but it was just that he couldn''t. What can he do? It was also his first time experiencing this phenomenon.


    And he didn''t even know why Loen was adamant about catching him!


    CLANG!


    When Steve was sure it was his turn next, a loud noise resounded behind him.


    However, before he could turn around and see what had happened, his vision immediately turned 180 degrees.


    Steve was stunned at first but after feeling the heat holding him tightly then he sighed in relief.


    ''I still have Raven with me!'' he celebrated internally.


    After countless kicks, Raven had finally destroyed the door. He then quickly seized Steve and held him like a sack of rice on his shoulder.


    While carrying Steve, Raven ran through the destroyed door and soil debris on his feet.


    Afterward, when his foot touched the floor of another train''s wagon, what weed him was a space filled with boxes and luggage.


    From this sight alone, Raven was pretty sure that this wagon was intended for storage use.


    On the other end of the wagon was a fully-opened door. And ahead of this was outside, with rail tracks seemingly leaving away from the train.


    This was thest carriage, with one short push, Steve and Raven could finally escape from the train.


    But not everything would work as they imagined it to be. Because, when Raven dashed midway, he felt something pulling his foot and stumbled on the floor.


    Behind him was Loen kneeling on the ground, his arms glued on the floor together with the soil debris Raven had kicked earlier.


    His arms immediately disintegrated and restructured themselves to form a long and tentacle-like arm, keeping Raven''s foot.


    Raven tried to stand but the hold was too strong for him to flee away. And because of the sudden pulling force, Raven identally threw Steve forward.


    "Argghh!" Steve hissed in pain.


    Steve then looked back at Raven lying on the floor with a tentacle pulling him rearwards.


    However, while Raven was trying to fend himself off against the monster Loen, Raven''s eyes were strangely glued above Steve.


    Steve subconsciously nced up and his eyes instantly widened in fright.


    Because above him was another congested soil particle sticking on the ceiling.


    "WATCH OUT!"


    Raven''s cry made Steve forcibly push his feet away from the thing.


    Immediately afterward, the thing gushed down, forming a thick mud-like wall, separating him from Raven on the other side.


    CLAP. CLAP. CLAP.


    While Steve was stunned by this sudden entrapment, a p resounded around the wagon.


    Steve followed the source of the noise and met another figure of Loen standing near the door.


    Loen smiled at him, his eyes were filled with amusement as he opened his mouth and said,


    "Hehehe. What a wonderful performance!"

 Chapter 20: Escape (2)

    <h4>Chapter 20: Escape (2)</h4>


    "Do you think you can escape from me?" Loen smirked. He looked down at Steve kneeling on the floor in delight.


    His fingers moved up and down extremely fast as if he were controlling puppet strings; his feet glued near the back door as his eyes pierced through Steve in ecstasy.


    On the other hand, Steve was frozen on the floor, staring at another figure of Loen.


    Without hesitation, he quickly used his ability. Turning his eyes to gold, he saw through Loen the light that should have existed from him.


    ''It''s him.'' Steve murmured. He was indeed right. The Loen who was entangling Raven on the other side wasn''t the original but possibly a product of magic.


    Steve quickly observed Loen, trying to find anything amiss from him. It was then he perceived a ring on his hands glowing brightly.


    He had never seen an item shining as brightly as Loen''s ring. Even the diamonds and other precious stones couldn''tpete with how bright it shone.


    Steve switched off his ability, his eyes returning to their original color. He looked straight into Loen''s eyes and threw a question he had been meaning to ask since earlier.


    "Why? Why are you doing this to me?" His voice cracked as he asked. His nose was red as he waited for an answer.


    Loen''s fingers stopped moving. He slightly frowned and was silent for a moment. After a short rest, his fingers started to move but this time, it was faster than before.


    Hearing the question, Loen smiled gracefully at Steve. His smile was as if he were a parent looking at his dense child ying around.


    "Do you really not know?" Loen''s eyes flickered in greed, "After all of this you still don''t know?"


    Loen clicked his tongue and said, "Well let me reiterate all this to you¡­"


    Loen''s left-hand fingers finally stopped andy down, leaving his right hand raised in a crouched palm mid-air. While he was relieved at this rest, his face still had a slight hint of anger and frustration on it.


    All of this happened in a couple of seconds. Shortly, Loen confronted Steve with his whole focus.


    "First of all, Do you really expect your small family to hide your involvement regarding your business?"


    Loen stared deeply at the air, seemingly trying to recall something,


    "At five years old, your intellect brought a huge change in the business world. Hmmm, Franchising is what you called it, isn''t it?"


    "Then after the n proved to be a sess, at six, you suggested another business scheme of selling ready-to-wear clothes tomoners, thus decreasing the need for tailoring."


    "Lastly, at seven and a half, all of a sudden, your family contacted several nobles to build a building formercial use. Hmm¡­ I think you called it a Mall."


    Loen stopped and once again gazed at Steve and said, "You see, your ideas were too out of the norm that even our organization couldn''t help but notice them."


    Steve trembled and bowed his head, lost in his thoughts. He remembered that his negative karma started when he involved himself in their family business.


    It was on this day that he finally knew why. ''I caught their attention,'' he murmured.


    "You are too abnormal¡­ and peculiar," Loen continued. "We tried to dig your secrets and observe your lifestyle without interfering with your life."


    Upon hearing this, Steve''s ears perked in curiosity. If what Loen said was the truth, why did he move now?


    Loen sensed Steve''s curiosity but still continued on recounting, "However, after years of observation, you particrly shown nothing interesting aside from your wit in conducting business."


    "Perhaps you''re just a talent that appears once in a century!" Loen said in an exaggerated and bragging tone. He then reverted his voice, but now in a teasing and yful tone, "Is what we all thought¡­"


    "You know we were about to move your name out from the list and stop minding about you¡­ But howe you''re sticking your nose to another highly confidential person on our list?"


    Steve''s sweat gushed like a waterfall. He knew where he had gone wrong.


    Loen then threw a bomb that made Steve''s mindpletely nk,


    "Pray do tell me, howe you know about Philip whose existence is hidden by the government?"


    Steve''s mistake was his obsession. He finally knew why he arrived in this tricky position.


    ''I am so obsessed with Philip that I momentarily forgot that my enemies weren''t only the yers but also the inhabitants of this world.'' Stevemented internally.


    He was too focused on the game that he forgot that the people he deemed as NPCs were also included in the people he must be careful with.


    ''I looked down on them too much.'' Although his mistake was primarily because his his obsession, his attitude of merely looking at the residents of this world as fakes and pawns was what brought him to his demise.


    Steve regretted his mindset. If only he didn''t see himself as highlypared to those who have no chance of bing real, this would not have happened to him.


    But s, his regret arrived toote.


    "You see, both of you are so peculiar that we couldn''t help but be intrigued."


    "We have lots of questions, you know. Why are you adamant about finding Philip''s location? What''s your connection? Why are you both smarter than a child of your age?"


    Loen paused and shook his head, "No no no. Let''s start first with the thing I''m most curious about." His forehead wrinkled in annoyance when he remembered the rude Raven earlier.


    "Stephen Evans, What are your secrets? What can you see when your eyes are gazing at me?"


    Hearing the same question he asked at the first-ss cabin, Steve''s mind reverted to Raven and wished they weren''t separated by the mud wall.


    But since Steve had already anticipated Loen asking this, his mind was calmer than ever.


    "Why now?" Steve asked with a trembling voice yet his eyes remained firm. "Why are you attacking me now?"


    This was what Steve was more curious about. He had been looking for Philip for years. If they were observing him all this time, why now? Why did they not touch him and wait until now?


    "Well, because we needed evidence," Loen answered unhurriedly, not minding Steve throwing a question.


    "You see our organization only moved towards people with out-worldly powers. We are prohibited from touching or evenmunicating about this with normal people."


    Loen giggled and revealed, "Hehehe. I was only testing you by sending my copy and delivering an unharmful poison earlier. But never would I''ve thought that you''re too clumsy to run away from them."


    "After showing me a lovely performance earlier, it was already enough for me to move you¡­"


    It was then Steve realized that he was too obvious in using his power. He was too negligent in managing his expression and actions.


    ''This day is filled with lots of mistakes¡­'' Steve judged. He knew he had no way of escaping from Loen.


    But even though he was trapped, he still asked a question rting to his men, "But what would happen to mercenaries? They were just normal people¡­"


    Although their meeting was short, Steve couldn''t help but be concerned about them, especially Raven who made him feel secure.


    "Don''t worry about them. I just put them to sleep and didn''t really hurt them." Loen answered in aggravation. His action was too rash, he was sure that the organization would penalize him today.


    Loen stiffened as if recalled something, and hiszy and unbothered attitude twisted 180 degrees.


    His face quickly turned horrendous and scary, and the atmosphere became colder and uneasy.


    He then gazed at Steve and asked him irritably, "Stop asking questions."


    "Now, you tell me! Where is the other child hiding?" Loen screamed as if releasing all the frustration he was keeping deep inside him.


    "Whh-aat??" Steve replied in confusion. He didn''t know why Loen suddenly became angry.


    "PHILIP! THAT DARN CHILD!" Loen roared. His shout was so loud that even the train shook slightly.


    The wall behind Steve also slightly disintegrated. Loen''s full control over his power was diminishing due to his unstable emotions.


    "I don''t know!" Steve quickly answered. He felt that if he didn''t, Loen would strike him dead.


    Hearing this, Loen felt more irritated. But after noticing that he was losing his control over the mud wall, he forced himself to calm down.


    He raised his left hand and moved his fingers up and down. Shortly, the wall regained its sturdiness.


    Although Loen was calmer than before, his eyes were still red, looking at Steve with greedier eyes.


    Then he said, "After I''m done with you, I''ll make sure to catch that kid and personally dissect his body!"


    Steve was shocked upon hearing Loen''s clear anger towards Philip. ''Philip was just a coward. How did he obtain Loen''s wrath?''


    Because Steve felt his end was near, he became more brazen and fearless in his asking,


    "What did he do?"


    Loen raged and answered with uncontrolled fury,


    "HE KILLED EMILE!"

 Chapter 21: Escape (3)

    <h4>Chapter 21: Escape (3)</h4>


    "HE KILLED EMILE!"


    Loen''s cry was so loud and intense that Steve almost wetted his pants. The fierceness in his voice was clearly delivered to Steve.


    ''He is angry.'' This was what Steve thought after receiving Loen''s overflowing emotion.


    Steve''s mind was so muddled that he wasn''t able to catch what Loen had said. However, when his mind finally registered it, he instantly became frozen in astonishment.


    ''Impossible.'' He denied it internally. He knew Philip could not have done it.


    His confidence wasn''t because he had entrapped and almost caught him but because of the lighting from Philip.


    When he used his ability on Philip, only a minuscule golden light was radiating from him. It was as if his worth and potential were only that of a normal child.


    That was why, at first, Steve felt confident in catching him in the forest. Later, when he lost, he thought it was only due to his inexperience, after all, Philip was abatant main character.


    But when Loen told him that Emile died at Philip''s hand, his mind couldn''t believe it.


    ''The golden lighting from Emile is 15 times more than Philip!'' he murmured.


    "How?" Steve said under his breath but his voice still reached Loen.


    "What how?!" Loen''s temper quickly rose from Steven''s denial, "You seriously don''t know? Out of all, you, who had been searching for him and possibly know him, don''t know what he''s capable of?"


    Steve shook his head. He really didn''t know that Philip was that strong. If Philip was, Philip should have killed him the moment he saw him at his house.


    Seeing that Steve wasn''t lying about his ignorance, Loen finally revealed the truth to him,


    "Philip has the power to control torrents and thunderstorms." Loen paused, his eyes showing deep curiosity about Philip''s power, "If it wasn''t, Emile wouldn''t be hit by a thunder."


    Steve was shocked at this revtion. His mind was busy deciding whether to believe his statement or not.


    In the end, he chose to believe him and thought, ''So that''s why it rained. Maybe it''s Philip''s uniqueness¡­''


    Just like how he was given a uniqueness of ''Golden Eyes'', it was understandable for Philip to receive the same treatment as him.


    ''It''s just too unexpected for him,'' Steve pondered. He wanted to deny it but the heavy rain was too timely to be considered a coincidence.


    Butter he froze, as if he was reminded by something. Soon, he frowned and looked at Loen who had been observing his reaction.


    Loen stared deeply at Steve, trying to catch his reaction. But after seeing that Steve was motionless, then he stopped.


    In fact, Emile wasn''t dead and Loen was only exaggerating due to his anger.


    Emile is his best friend. Although it is true that Emile likes to y around and is extremely greedy with money, they are still close to each other.


    When he heard about Emile''s unconscious condition, he immediately panicked and volunteered to find Philip. But after a day of looking, his efforts were fruitless.


    Loen couldn''t find him. It was as if he disappeared like a bubble.


    It was then he turned to Steve, supervising and forcing him to reveal the truth.


    After what happened to Emile, the organization issued a loose restriction at their observation. With the threat of these children increasing, the organization also increased its surveince of them.


    ''And the school is bing more impatient after knowing Emile''s situation.'' Loen thought while his legs were shaking. He couldn''t wait to know about their secrets.


    CHOO! CHOO!


    Loen was about to ask Steve about his secret but stopped upon hearing the loud horn of the steam lotive.


    "Let''s stop for now," Loen told Steve his intention. He had already created a big trouble with his y puppets earlier. If he chose to stay and continue his interrogation, there would be a more troublesome situation.


    "For now,e with me. Let''s continue our discussion in¡­" Loen halted, and a stinging pain came at his back.


    CLANG!


    Immediately, a metallic briefcase fell near his foot.


    "Hisss.''''Loen stumbled from the force but quickly regained his footing. He raised his hand with a ring on it. Afterward, a muddy y came out, forming a vine with sharp edges.


    However, his action was slow as a kick suddenly arrived and pushed his momentum backward.


    "Ahhh¡­" It was then that Loen tripped and finally lost his footing.


    But while he was falling, his fingers continued their movements, and y vines quickly shot toward the reason behind his fall.


    "NOW!" A man screamed out breathlessly.


    BANG!


    Before the vine could reach the man, Loen''s eyes widened upon hearing a particr noise that every mage like him was afraid of.


    BANG!


    Another gunshot resounded the carriage.


    Blood quickly slipped from Loen''s stomach. It started from a single drop. Eventually, a bucket of it gushed down, unstoppable.


    Loen''s eyes were bloodshot as he looked at Raven. His vines stopped midair andter disintegrated into dust.


    It''s you!" Loen wailed, his face was on Raven, who was the source of the kick earlier.


    Then his eyes turned to Steve behind him, "Impossible!"


    Steve''s hands were raised, and sping on them was the gun he had hidden earlier.


    This was the thing that Steve had been hiding inside his briefcase andter ced in his coat pocket.


    "Why do you have that?" Loen''s question was understandable as possession of firearms was highly illegal not only in this country but in the whole northern continent.


    If a person was found out, not only his death awaited him but also of his family.


    That was why the mercenary and Raven''s reaction earlier was exaggerated. In this country, possession was scarier than dying from it.


    Loen''s eyes shook in disbelief. Steve may not know this but thew about its illegality was to protect mages like him.


    Firearms and war weapons were initially created tobat against them. Its speed was enough to endanger the life of a mage who was known for casting slow magic.


    ''Howe we didn''t know? We have been observing Steve for years. Why didn''t we know about this?!'' Loenmented, his eyes unblinking. The mud wall behind Steve quickly disintegrated into dust.


    Even with the dust floating around the carriage, Loen''s eyes remained steadily opened, without life reflected on them.


    Steve looked at Loen''s figure on the ground, breathless. And along with his death was the sound of a bell ringing in his ears.


    ''It''s the system!''


    When he was about to open his system, Raven quickly came to him and hurriedly said, "Let''s go!"


    Hearing footsteps running in their direction, Steve hid the gun back in his coat and ran toward Raven.


    Raven picked Steve up and was about to jump out but heard the child in his arms yelling, "Wait!"


    Steve quickly went down and bent to pick up the ring on Loen''s finger.


    After this short but quick action, Steve returned to Raven''s arms and escaped from the running lotive.


    ***


    Four hourster, Steve and Raven were found standing near a small shack tinkering with the padlock on the door.


    After sessfully unlocking the door, Raven entered and put Steve on a tiny chair nearby.


    "Hehehe." Steve giggled as he looked up in admiration at Raven.


    He had already deemed himself a dead person earlier. However, the arrival of Raven saved him. If it weren''t for him, Steve would''ve found himself surrounded by Loen''s organization by now.


    Feeling his ufortable wet clothes, he started taking them out, putting the gun and the ring on the nearby table.


    After undressing, Steve wiped himself with a clean cloth and spoke out what was on his mind,


    "How did you arrive behind Loen earlier?" Steve still couldn''t believe what had happened. Raven was like a Spiderman in his old world, showing out of nowhere like a hero.


    "The window," Raven answered unhurriedly, his eyes glued on the table.


    Hearing his answer, Steve excitedly jumped out of his seat and guessed Raven''s set of actions.


    "So after you broke free from Loen''s y puppet, you escaped through the window, climbed up at the top, and crawled your way out towards the back door behind Loen!"


    Raven smiled and said, "Correct." He walked to the table and grabbed the gun on it.


    While he was examining the gun in his hands, he asked, "Where did you get this thing?"


    Steve immediately replied, his tone couldn''t hide the joy from their sessful escape, "Oh that, I just found it buried on the ground."


    Loen''s surprise earlier was expected as he had found it way before he started interfering with their family business, meaning way before Loen''s hidden organization spied on him.


    ''It was a fortuitous encounter.'' Steve thought. When he was four years old ying in their backyard, he noticed a plot glowing more brightlypared to other areas.


    Curious, he dug into the ground and saw the gun hidden beneath it.


    Knowing that it was illegal, Steve hid it so deeply that even his parents and nanny didn''t know about its existence.


    It was only now he brought it in his briefcase, hiding it in a locker near their McRonalds store at the train station.


    CLUNG!


    "I see¡­" Raven loaded the gun and sat on the nearby chair.


    He then pointed the gun toward Steve and whispered,


    "Thank you for the exnation, soulless yer."


    Immediately, Raven''s figure became small. Later, his face was reconstructed, surfacing the face of an eight-year-old child on it.


    Steve trembled and dropped the cloth in his hand. His eyes were glued to Raven''s sudden transformation. And when a new familiar face appeared on his head, Steve''s eyes widened as he howled out the name of the owner of the face,


    "PHILIP!"

 Chapter 22: Before his end (1)

    <h4>Chapter 22: Before his end (1)</h4>


    Two days earlier.


    On a stormy night, with lightning shing in the sky, a small figure of a child was seen fluttering mid-air.


    The child''s eyes were opened as he looked up at the dark sky in surrender. His left leg and right hand were gone, on them was red liquid drifting upward instead.


    He was Philip. This was the very night he rolled himself down from the cliff.


    Philip expected his death to be fast, but strangely, his fall was so slow that his mind could not help but wander around the past.


    He recalled the cruel torture he experienced during his training as a secret agent.


    Yes, Philip''s story was about a government spy who invades the enemy''s encampment.


    This job might be great in children''s imagination but in reality? It was filled with hardships and blood.


    Moreover, with a sadistic author controlling his life, this job was created even more difficult.


    Philip could onlyugh at his misfortune and asked, ''Why did I gain a consciousness if I could only remain as a character in the book?''


    Philip had a lot of questions regarding the mystery of his life but had no avenue to ask.


    In the end, he could only remain curiously ignorant of how a life blossoms from an imaginary character like him.


    Philip was forced to end his mulling as extreme pain coursed through his body, specifically, from his leg and hand.


    "Ahh¡­" Philip took a deep breath. He wished for the fall to stop and quickly end his suffering.


    However the more he became conscious about his near end, the more he struggled internally.


    "It''s unfair," Philip grumbled, finally acting like the age of his physical body.


    ''If only I was taller or bigger, none of these would have happened.''


    It was then his mind wandered to the body he owned in his past world.


    ''I wish I had a strong body like in the past...''


    ''Skinny but muscr¡­ taller than average¡­ ck hair, ck eyes¡­ has a knife scar on the left thigh¡­ a gunshot wound on the right shoulder¡­.''


    Philip knew his body the most that even he remembered the smallest detail it had.


    ''Huge calluses on the left-hand middle finger¡­ mole on the left side of his neck¡­. mole on the left wrist, red birthmark on his back slightly above his waistline¡­.''


    Philip continued his rumbling. He didn''t know why but he just did it. It was like his instinct was telling him to recall everything that his past adult body had.


    AHHHHHH!


    Suddenly, Philip wailed out loud in pain. It was as if his bones were crushed into fine dust, his skin stretched into a mile, and his internals were squirming as if hundreds of worms cocooned deep within.


    It was so painful that Philip felt as if his heart stopped beating.


    He thought he had finally reached the surface, but when he felt the air mming him rearwards, he realized that he was still floating.


    RIPPPP!


    While Philip''s whole mind was dreaded by pain, his ears felt it heard his clothes ripped and his arms and chest felt his clothes be tighter.


    Later, he felt his left leg move and his right hand started to wiggle its fingers.


    Soon, the scene of a falling child disappeared, transforming into an almost naked man with a red birthmark on his back.


    When the pain stopped, Philip sensed his body became heavier and the fall became even faster.


    Out of instinct, before Philip reached the ground, his hands stretched onward, grabbing whatever item they touched.


    His hand reached the tree branch nted with its roots embedded in the vertical rock formation.


    Philip put more force in his grip as he set his hands in a morefortable and less slippery position.


    He gritted his teeth as he hung on the tree trunk. While he sessfully saved himself from the fall, his eyes were still in a daze, not believing what had transpired to him.


    ''What happened? Why am I feeling as if...'' He stopped as he knew whatever thought he had right now was impossible.


    After feeling his arms went numb, he then pulled himself up.


    ''Ha¡­ ha¡­ ha¡­ ha¡­''


    Now sitting on the tree trunk, Philip breathlessly observed his body, starting with his long fingers to hisrge quadriceps.


    "Unbelievable," Philip muttered in disbelief. This was not his eight-year-old body, but rather, his twenty-five-year-old body in the past.


    Philip immediately groped his face, feeling his cheeks and nose.


    "Hahaha¡­" Philipughed hysterically. Although he couldn''t see his reflection, he still knew it was his past face.


    How could he not? He had it for almost thirty years!


    "How could this happen¡­" Philip asked himself. For a person who has been living in a magicless world, this transformation was truly a sight to behold.


    ''I know this world isn''t as normal as it looks,'' Philip brooded, his mind brought towards the image of his Auntie Marissa brewing a pot of medicine.


    ''But what I didn''t expect is for me to have this kind of ability.''


    Philip mulled over, searching for clues about this mysterious power.


    "Oh right!" It was then he recalled the white space and Osuda''s rules about the game.


    ''If it''s the magic word, I am sure it will help me¡­'' Philip contemted. He recalled that he was supposed to say the word after he came to life.


    ''But I don''t know the magic word," Philip frustratedly shook his hair. He never had a thought of joining the game and didn''t even bother to listen to Osuda''s rumbling.


    Moreover, it has been eight years since the game started, and even if he initially knew it, he would soon forget about it.


    If it wasn''t for this sudden supernatural transformation, he would have never recalled its existence!


    Philip tried hard to remember it but after turning his head around, he still couldn''t.


    ''Then I have no choice but to look for someone who knows about it,'' Philip decided, his eyes burning in anger.


    The only person he knew about it was Steve.


    ''This is perfect. Now that I have this body, I can finally seek my revenge,'' He thought while his head raised, looking at the smokeing above.


    Seeing this sight, Philip frowned in disappointment. Now that he was finally involved with the survival game, his life would be treading in a way he didn''t want to.


    ''I have no choice but to fight.''


    After a short while, he climbed up, bringing with him a strong determination to win.


    ***


    A few hourster, the fire had finally been extinguished, leaving charred woods and fire debris behind.


    Philip stood in front of a small house, frozen. The rain had already left but his face was still wet.


    After a deep breath, he opened the door and entered through it.


    However, what he expected to see wasn''t inside. The house was so bare that he thought everything that happened earlier was only a dream.


    "Where are they?" Philip asked in a panic. He rummaged around, hoping to find a clue about his adoptive parents'' presence.


    But after turning the house around, he still couldn''t. Not their lifeless bodies, not even a speck of blood.


    It was as if they disappeared, leaving only their clothes as proof that his memories of them were real.


    Philip was dumbfounded. This was so unreal to him.


    ''Did that child bring my parents with him?'' This was the first thought that Philip hade up with.


    But after some thought, he quickly denied this, ''No. It''s impossible¡­''


    Immediately, Philip crouched and touched the wooden floor with his finger.


    Sensing only dust particles on his thumb, Philip quickly stood up, his hands rolled tightly.


    ''This is not normal,'' Philip''s eyes brimmed with hope. If what he thought was true, then there was a chance that his parents were still alive.


    Without hesitation, after changing into his father''s clothes, he dashed towards the sole person who could give light to his worries.


    ***


    When Philip arrived at the location, what he saw wasn''t a house, instead only bushes and trees were seen around.


    ''What happened?'' Philip asked, his disbelief was evident on his face.


    ''Where is Auntie Marissa''s house?!''


    The person Philip wanted to ask about his parents'' whereabouts was the mysterious Auntie Marissa. She was the only person he knew who could answer his query.


    But seeing her house disappear, Philip shuddered about its abnormality.


    ''First, it''s my parents, now it''s her house¡­'' Philip halted, his eyes caught something glimmering on one of the bushes.


    Curious, Philip made his way toward it and when he was close enough, he carefully scanned it.


    Ahead of himid a box hidden in the grass. Its location was perfectly ced in the center where Marissa''s house was built.


    The box is embellished with shiny precious stone and delicate wood carving. "A jewelry box?" Philip murmured and gave it a weak kick.


    After confirming that it was safe to touch, Philip bent his body to pick it up.


    "This!" Philip eximed when he opened the box.


    Attached inside the box is a rectangr mirror big enough to see Philip''s face.


    But the mirror wasn''t the thing that made Philip surprised, rather it was the bottle that was quietly ced inside.


    Philip grabbed the bottle with familiarity. He knew what it was. It was the medicine that was thrown at the cliff.


    ''Why is it here?''


    However, upon noticing the three envelopes inside, Philip was forced to take his focus off from the bottle.


    Because written on the envelopes was his name and the names of the people he cared about the most in this world¡­


    [From Marissa]


    ¡­


    [From Mom]


    ¡­


    [From Dad]

 Chapter 23: Before his end (2)

    <h4>Chapter 23: Before his end (2)</h4>


    In a nearby vige, the adult Philip was seen walking holding a jewelry box with him. The morning sun was starting to rise, signifying the time for people to wake up.


    While the stores began to open their doors, Philip stood steadily in front of the inn. His head was raised, gazing at the opened window.


    Inside this room was a chair,ying on it was a child Philip had been observing.


    The child was Steve, the same person who made Philip''s life miserable.


    Although Philip was watching the reason behind his family''s destruction, his eyes weren''t showing any wrath or anger, but ratherplete calmness and serenity.


    The reason behind this emotiony in the box in Philip''s hands, more specifically, in the letters hidden inside of it.


    After Philip read their contents, his heart that was once burning with fiery vengeance had slightly extinguished, turning itself into a heart filled only with sorrow and regret.


    [Dear Little Philip,


    By the time you read this letter is the time we bid our goodbyes to you. Our moments together may be short but the memories within are enough to say we enjoy the days with you.


    Don''t imprison yourself with guilt as this has already been predicted by me. Your enemy''sing is an unavoidable event that both you and us, including your parents, must experience to grow.


    So worry not as we have been preparing for this day toe. Of course, about your parents, they are still alive, only living on the other side of the world.


    So instead of deluding yourself with vengeance, why not be strong enough to meet them there?


    Your future is filled with mystery that even I can''t fathom its degree. Although I can not clearly see how your life will go in the future, I am still sure that your existence is an important matter for the world''s salvation.


    You maye to us looking for help, and our help may look like a whim to you, but in reality, youring has brought change and hope to us.


    Little Philip, this may be sudden to you, but may you grant this olddy''s selfish request?


    In the future, when you feel lost and blue, can you not remember the sadness that the world brings to you, instead ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö?


    This request may be odd to you and I apologize as I can''t say the specifics.


    But only do remember that your ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö might help, possibly save us, in the future.


    Be careful with your adventure. Let''s meet soon.


    Loving you,


    Marissa Evangeline, witch prophet]


    What his Auntie Marissa wrote to him greatly changed his psyche. After knowing that his parents were still alive, Philip felt relieved and less tense.


    Even though he had no way of knowing about their location, knowing about their condition significantly reduced his guilt for involving them in his game.


    ''So Auntie is a prophet¡­ does that mean she knew about me being a yer?'' Philip pondered. Although the letter had brought him the truth, it had also given him a problem that confused him.


    ''What does she mean by saving them? Will they encounter a death-like situation in the future?''


    Philip was even more confused as there were some words he couldn''t read even after turning the letter around. It was as if its content was restricted to him.


    ''Is this rted to the game? What if after the game is done, the world will crumble, destroying all the people living on it?'' Philip spected trembly. If this was the truth, then Philip understood what his Auntie Marissa had been meaning to say.


    ''It must be hard for her knowing the future.'' Philip frowned upon thinking this. The existence of the game was a danger to the residents of the world.


    Although other yers saw this ce as fake and a mere battlefield, for the residents of this world, it was their real home.


    Knowing that some residents knew about the truth made Philip guilty and determined to win the game.


    ''I''ll not only win this game but also save this world.'' He decided.


    Overall, after reading her letter, Philip decided to be strong enough to know the secrets of the world. And to achieve this, he must know about the game rules and the ''magic word'' first.


    Philip''s eyes narrowed as he sharply looked at Steve''s location.


    Even though he had already absolved Steve of his crime, this still didn''t make him back away from him. After all, Steve was the only person he knew about the rules of the game.


    More to that, Philip also wanted to let out the umting fury in his heart. He wanted nothing more than to see Steve suffer!


    However, when Philip was about to enter the inn, pain suddenly coursed through every fiber of his body.


    ARGHHH!


    Philip howled. His body hurt so much that he almost dropped and passed out on the ground.


    But when he felt a movement above, Philip gritted his teeth as he forced himself to move into a dark alley.


    Afterwards, Philip became small and blood quickly gushed out from his left leg and right hand.


    It was then Philip finally understood what had happened to him.


    ''The transformation has a limit!''


    Seeing his deteriorating condition, he quickly opened the jewelry box, grabbed the medicine bottle, and drank the remaining contents in it.


    Immediately, the cut on his limb and arm healed and closed, stopping him from dying of excessive blood loss.


    Philip leaned on a wall out of breath, his eyes were in a trance looking at the blood umted on the ground.


    ''I almost died.'' If he waste by a second, he was sure that death would wee him.


    While trying to stop his body from trembling in fear, he observed his iplete body.


    ''The medicine wasn''t enough to create new limbs,'' Philip thought dejectedly. This was a big disadvantage to him. A disabled child like him was only food to the strong, especially to the person he was supposed to attack.


    ''It''s a good thing I knew my power''s limitation earlier,'' Although disappointed, he was also greatly relieved at his misfortune. If it wasn''t for this, he would have remained ignorant of his newfound power.


    Philip calcted the overall time for his transformation, "Eight hours. It took me eight hours."


    However, Philip was forced to stop his mulling as a loud shout was heard from the window he had been observing before.


    "WHERE ARE THEY?!"


    Philip jumped out in surprise upon hearing Steve''s cry. It was so loud as if Steve was standing near him.


    While calming his heart, Philip took a quick nce at Steve. And seeing him return to his chair, Philip sighed in relief.


    Steve''s presence near him had awakened Philip from his thoughts. He knew that if Steve found him in his current state, he would surely be ced in a more troublesome situation.


    ''I have to leave,'' Philip then pushed himself up from the ground. His hands leaned on the wall for support as he slowly hopped away.


    When he found a stick tall and sturdy enough for him, then his slow movement became faster.


    A little whileter, Philip left the alley, leaving behind the dried blood on the ground and an empty medicine bottle rolling near it.


    ***


    The next day, Philip was seen standing on the side road of another bigger town. His gaze followed the horse carriage moving at the center.


    When the child riding inside turned his head in his direction, he quickly hid himself, covering his whole disabled body with the shadow of the building.


    After the carriage moved far away, he stepped out from the dark, looking steadily at the back of the carriage.


    Shortly, Philip''s body became bigger and taller. He then whispered to himself, ''I have eight hours left toplete the task.''


    Philip moved his feet towards the building with a big sign on top that said ''Recruitment Office.''


    After days of observing Steve, Philip hade up with a conjecture about him.


    ''He is in a hurry as if he is anticipating a tragedy will befall him,''


    ''He''s scared. But why? Did he expect that I woulde to him?'' This was the first thought that came to Philip. But after observing his enemy, he quickly denied it.


    ''No, it''s much graver than that. It is as if he is about to face his death.''


    However, after not finding the reason, Philip quickly moved to his next action.


    ''I have to get closer to him and know about his power,''


    Philip wasn''t dumb enough to assume he was special enough to have a superpower. Instead, he spected that this power was granted to every yer like him.


    At first, he thought Steve had a simr transformation ability like him, but after some thinking, he realized that it wasn''t.


    ''His power is obviously rted to sight,'' Philip dered. After watching Steve for days, Philip noticed his peculiar and annoying action of looking around, as if determining which person would be helpful to him.


    It was also with this that Philip hade up with a n that turned Steve''s personal and greatest advantage into a disadvantage.

 Chapter 24: Before his end (3)

    <h4>Chapter 24: Before his end (3)</h4>


    Steve''s financial asset is one of the greatest advantages he has. With this, Steve could create a battleground favorable to him, either in weaponry or human resources.


    ''But he''s too reliant on his money and borrowing other powers,'' Philip contemted. After observing Steve, Philip knew that Steve was weak in terms of direct confrontation with his enemies.


    ''This makes it even easier,'' Philip narrowed his eyes dangerously and entered the Recruitment Office.


    Philip had already anticipated that Steve would hire more personnel. After all, his bluff had almost wiped out all the mercenaries he hired in the past.


    In the end, although Steve wasn''t agreeable to hiring more mercenaries after what they did in the forest, he had no choice as this was the only avenue for quick employment, perfect for whatever he was being careful of.


    As for Philip, It was easy for him to be a mercenary and create a clean record. The office and the town were so small that the employees were susceptible to bribes and under-the-table transactions.


    All he had to do was offer half of his payment and a little bit of maniption.


    Everything worked as nned, but when Philip saw Steve enter the office, his body slightly trembled at the existence of another person.


    ''Is he an idiot?!'' Philip cussed internally, not believing Steve to make a huge mistake.


    Philip nced at the man walking near Steve. His forehead furrowed at the conspicuous dangerous aura the man was emitting.


    As a spy in his past life, he was also good at determining whether others were simr to him, especially when they were amateurs.


    ''I''m sure he''s strong, like that man in the forest.'' Philip was indeed surprised by the man, but after mulling for a moment, he nodded his head in understanding.


    ''Of course, someone ising to Steve. After all, the strange man was nowhere to be found.'' Philip thought. After not finding the person who cut his leg, he determined that the person was out of service after being hit by a freakin'' thunder.


    With this, Philip was d as his espionage became easier with one less enemy. But the arrival of another man troubled Philip whether to continue with his n or not.


    ''Should I step back for a while or not?'' Philip thought.


    ''No! It''s now or never.'' Philip decided. He knew that if he would never move today, it would be more difficult to find Steve in the future.


    After all, why were powerful people gathered around Steve? Of course, they had a hidden agenda.


    Philip couldn''t let them do it as he needed Steve to know about the game.


    Having steeled his mind, Philip continued his n, acting like a serious and dedicated bodyguard.


    ***


    A couple of hourster, when they arrived at the railway station.


    ''I''m going to ride this?!'' Philipined internally as he examined the red lotive he had seen in the past but never rode it. If ever thepany chose to travel with it, it would be his first time and was especially scared by its behemoth appearance.


    When the train began to move, Philip flinched nervously. But when he noticed Steve gazing at him with a confused look, he quickly acted back to his persona.


    This acting continued with Steve and Loen''s confrontation. Later, he finally confirmed Steve''s actual power.


    ''So I''m right. His power lies in his sight, possibly seeing the strength of people¡­''


    But seeing that Steve panicked and Loen acted like he wanted to devour Steve, he interfered, eventually gaining the trust of Steve.


    In the end, without any effort, Steve whispered the ''magic word'' that Philip wanted to know,


    "Open System."


    Philip widened his eyes in disbelief at how careless Steve acted. He thought he needed to threaten Steve first, never in his n did he expect that Steve was too open in saying the word.


    ''How did I almost lose my life to this idiot?'' When Philip was busy dissing Steve in his head, he noticed Steve trembled.


    Shortly, Loen entered like nothing had happened and Steve was acting suspiciously. He gazed at Loen, the surroundings, and him.


    ''Why is he acting like that?'' Philip curiously mulled over. Steve was acting as if death was in front of him.


    "Excuse me for a moment as I''m going to the restroom for a minute."


    Steve''s politeness even made him more weirded out by the situation.


    He followed Steve out, and it was then all the mysterious incidents happened to them.


    ***


    Philip had no other reason to protect Steve and endanger his life with the monsters running after them. He could just leave Steve behind and jump out from the train.


    After all, he finally knew the ''magic word''. All he had to do was say it with his own mouth to confirm its authenticity.


    However, if he whispered the word in Steve''s presence near him, he might be caught by Steve''s power.


    ''I am still uncertain what benefits wille upon saying the magic word. There''s a possibility that it will make me stronger,'' Philip murmured and decided, ''I have to be careful.''


    ''From what Loen has been acting earlier, he is surely after the peculiar abilities that Steve has. Meaning, an ability of a yer.''


    If that was the case, Philip needed to hide his rtionship with Steve. Like his Auntie Marissa ''possibly'' knowing about the existence of the game, he was also sure that there were a lot of residents who were after the yers.


    After all, this was rted to the possible destruction of their world.


    Philip had no way of knowing what Loen''s real purpose was. All he had to do was to be careful not only with him but also with other people.


    It was then Philip decided to continue acting like Steve''s bodyguard until he was no longer under Steve''s field of sight.


    Philip didn''t need to wait longer as a mud wall quickly separated him from Steve.


    It was then he grabbed the briefcase that Steve left behind, mmed it on the monster, and climbed up to the train''s rooftop.


    After this quick action, Philip finally whispered the word,


    "Open System."


    Philip''s ears were quickly bombarded with the sound of a bell ringing continuously as a holographic panel appeared before his eyes.


    Surprised, he almost fell down from the roof of the carriage. This phenomenon was too unreal to him.


    When he calmed himself out, he focused his sight on what was written on the panel.


    Ting!


    ¡ª I n i t i a t i n g S y s t e m ¡ª


    Ting!


    [Congrattions on being a yer, 88!]


    Loading¡­


    Ting!


    Name: Philip Mckenzie


    Story: The Misery behind the history of Britannia


    Profession: Undercover Agent


    Level: 0 (0/100)


    Stats:


    Physique: 30 [>]


    Mental: 12


    Mana: 0


    Spirit: 0


    Attributable Points: 0


    Karma: 0


    Uniqueness: Mystique Identities - Active (Lv. 1)


    -Transformed physical body to the body the yer is familiar with.


    ______________


    Quests: ¡­


    Inventory: ¡­


    Log: ¡­


    ???:


    ¡­


    _____________


    Ting!


    [Hidden Quest Complete!]


    [Hidden Quest Complete!]


    ¡­


    [Level Up!]


    + 5 Attributable Stats


    [Level Up!]


    + 5 Attributable Stats


    ¡­.


    Ting!


    [Chain Quest: Growing Up! (1)]


    ¡ªDrink milk every day (0/8)


    ¡ªReward: 1 Experience Point


    ¡­.


    ....


    ....


    The bell continuously rang until Philip felt his ears go numb. The panel also underwent a lot of changes Philip''s eyes couldn''t follow.


    It was only when it stopped then Philip read its contents, especially the stats, and uniqueness.


    Level: 9 (100800/102300)


    Stats:


    Physique: 30 [>]


    Mental: 12


    Mana: 0


    Spirit: 0


    Attributable Points: 53


    Karma: -2


    Uniqueness: Mystique Identities - Active (Lv. 1)


    -Transformed physical body to the body the yer is familiar with.


    ''Insane¡­'' Philip was astonished. Aside from the powerful medicine and mud monsters, this holographic panel had greatly surprised him. His eyes couldn''t believe that the world had more mystical things to offer him.


    ''So I am not limited to transforming to my old body.'' Philip pondered while looking at his Uniqueness. Aside from surveying Steve, he also tested his ability, especially on its limitations.


    After two days of tests, he finally knew that he could only transform eight hours a day.


    ''What''s this?'' Philip asked curiously as he gazed at the arrow near his physique. He tried to click it and a new panel window appeared in the air.


    [Currently in a transformed state. Base Physique changed from 9 to 30.]


    ''Ohh, I see¡­'' Philip nodded in agreement. It was to be expected that his physical strength changed as his body now was of an adult.


    Philip then moved his sight toward the source of the continuous ringing of the bell.


    [Log: +49]


    ''How about this?'' Philip clicked it and a new panel window appeared on the side.


    [Survive 1 year: +100 Exp]


    [Level Up (1): +5 Attributable Stats]


    [Survive 2 years: +100 Exp]


    ¡­


    [Use Uniqueness without System''s Support: +10000 Exp (>)]


    [Level Up (6): +5 Attributable Stats]


    ¡­


    [Hidden Quest: Escape forced fate. +10000 Exp (>)]


    [Level Up (7): +5 Attributable Stats]


    ¡­


    [Hidden Quest: The fool who forgets his destiny. +80000 Exp, +8¡­ (>)]


    [Level Up (8): +5 Attributable Stats]


    [Level Up (9): +5 Attributable Stats]


    ¡­


    ''Quest?'' Philip''s interest quickly piqued at this word. He knew the thing hecked the most was strength. If this strange window would help him to achieve it, then he had toply with whatever it ordered.


    ______________


    Mission: Kill a yer


    Reward: 5 Attributable Stat Points, 1 Experience level-up card, 1 Uniqueness level-up card, Steal yer''s Uniqueness


    ______________


    But after seeing the first quest, his eyes quickly flickered in greed. He gazed at the metallic roof he was sitting on as if trying to look at what was beneath it.


    After a short while, he stood up and ran toward the other end of the rooftop.

 Chapter 25: End

    <h4>Chapter 25: End</h4>


    Philip''s initial goal was to gather intel about the game andter kill Steve. But after seeing Loen, he quickly retracted killing Steve and focused on the intel. After all, even without him, Steve would soon meet his end.


    His revenge need not be done by him. He needed to prioritize his safety first.


    However, after learning the reward for killing a yer, his interest quickly reignited, and chose to gamble.


    ''There is still a chance of winning. After all, Steve possessed an illegal weapon,'' Philip optimistically thought. If he arrived on time, he could still save Steve.


    Philip quickly organized his thoughts. After a short while, he nced back at his Stats, specifically at his Physique. He clicked it fifteen times, changing the numerical value attached after it.


    ______________


    Physique: 30 (+15) (>)


    ______________


    Afterward, Philip clenched his fist, feeling his power increase immensely. He stood up and ran towards the other end, swinging himself around to enter the door beneath.


    ***


    Back to the present, five hourster.


    Ting!


    [Transformed state ending]


    Physique: 9 (+15)


    Philip sat on the chair, secretly gritting his teeth. Although he was feeling an insurmountable pain rushing through his body, his hold on the gun was still steady, aiming at the dumbfounded Steve.


    Steve''s eyes glowed as he looked at Philip, and frowned upon seeing him brightly lit almost equal to seven bulbs. His brightness was different from Raven who initially shone with five bulbs.


    ''What happened? How did he be powerful in a short period of time? Is he really Raven?'' Steve tried to reason out, disbelief at another mercenary betraying him again.


    However, after some thought, he epted that Raven was all along Philip, and his change in brightness urred after the two were separated.


    ''So my guess was right. The power to control the weather wasn''t his uniqueness. This is his true power¡­''


    "You got me. I always know you are alive." Steve said calmly. This was the truth as no traces were found even after he turned the forest around. In addition, Philip''s safety was confirmed by the System as someone saved him in the past.


    System''s Log: [An outsider interfered in the game world¡­(>)]


    This was what appeared after he ordered Emile, the scammer, to catch Philip in the past.


    He didn''t know who the outsider was and why would someone help Philip. Although it was a pity, he was still d as he received greatpensation. He soon threw Philip back into his mind and focused on his -100 karma.


    The only thing he did wrong was that he was toocent. He never expected Philip toe back this strong.


    He had used his ''Golden Eyes'' ability on Philip in the past and subconsciously looked down on him because of the minuscule lighting from Philip. Hising as Raven, someone he wanted to ce his whole trust in, had greatly affected him and hurt him.


    ''I was wrong again,'' Although his eyes were calm as if he was surrendering his fate to Philip, he was dejected internally. The one he deemed his savior turned out to be his enemy.


    Nothing hurts more than to see his hope and trust broken. Especially to someone he shared his worries with for the first time.


    Their meeting was short but it was enough for Steve to say he feltfortable with his presence. In fact, he was also surprised by his attachment to Raven, Philip in disguise rather. Maybe he was all waiting for a person to understand him and a person who would help him shoulder his destiny.


    It was like Philip was like a springing to the winter him.


    However, never would he have thought that the spring was fake. And all along, he was alone, cold in the winter.


    The story about the rabbit and the tortoise wasn''t dedicated to him.


    In this fight, he was not the tortoise but the rabbit.


    ''He started as an inspiration,ter turned into a sanctuary, and now ends up as his finale.'' Steve smiled painfully as he looked at the gun pointed at him. He wished that he would rather die at Loen''s hand. The sight of Philip looking at him with a nonchnt expression hurts him strangely.


    ''Still, it''s better,'' Steve was relieved that it wasn''t Raven''s face. He would rather keep this beautiful memory of a savior in his mind.


    Steve watched the bullet coursing through his left leg, and blood sttered quickly all around the small shed. Later, another gunshot was heard, but now, the blood rushed out from his right hand.


    ARGHHH!


    Steve wailed out loudly in pain. He was squirming on the floor with his body slowly painted in red.


    Philip never said a word. He just looked at Steve''s suffering with an expressionless face.


    His silence continued for hours until Steve couldn''t wail anymore.


    And when midnight came, Philip transformed back into Raven. He stood up and grabbed the farming tool lying in the corner.


    Holding the machete in his hand, Philip walked towards Steve, his face still void of any emotion.


    "No, no¡­" It was then Steve cried. When Philip shot him, he never uttered a single word as it was expected that he would kill him. His only wish was for Philip to end him faster.


    But when he transformed back to Raven, he quickly closed his eyes. He didn''t want to see it. He didn''t want to see his savior be the reason for his death.


    But s, even with his eyes closed, his mind still created an image of an expressionless Ravening with a machete. It kept on repeating and repeating in his mind until Steve felt numb by the pain it brought.


    ''Why did you not kill me on the train? Why did you save me and run for hours? Why did you give me hope?'' Steveined internally. He hated this moment. He hated the happy emotions he felt when he finally escaped from his -100 karma.


    He had a lot ofints but he only managed to utter a single question,


    "Why are you an enemy?"


    Steve''s breath ended along the machete hitting his neck, leaving behind Philip watching as his head rolled away to the corner.


    Ting!


    After a short while, Philip heard a bell ringing inside his head. It was only then he moved and grabbed anything valuable that Steve possessed.


    And when his hands touched two familiar bracelets in Steve''s pocket, he froze. It was his parents'' bracelets.


    Philip stroked them for a moment andter moved. He went to the table and ced Loen''s ring in his pocket.


    Shortly, he left the shed, and when he was far away, he nced at the starry dark sky. His face wasn''t expressionless anymore. Instead, he felt isted and lonely.


    ''I''m alone once again,'' Philip''s silent thought resounded around the grasnd as if showing his pain and loneliness.


    The trees and grass could only sway in reply to his intense emotion. All the living around, either the animals or the nts, nced at the motionless Philip. It was as if Philip''s uncontrolled feelings affected them.


    But it allsted for a second. Philip didn''t notice it and only left the field. He traveled through the north, bringing with him the determination to fight and win against all other yers.


    ***


    On a farawaynd, an undernourished child on the dirty sidewalk woke up breathless. After waking up from a seemingly long deep sleep, the child''s eyes were bloodshot as he quickly groped his neck.


    Ha... ha... ha...


    When the child felt his head was still attached to his neck, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    Ting!


    Ting!


    Ting!


    ¡­


    Hearing the bell continuously ringing inside him, the child quickly whispered the words, "Open System."


    Immediately, rows of window panels appeared before him holographically.


    [Used the Outsider''s interferencepensation: Resurrection Card]


    Ting!


    [Error! The body is no longer usable. Forcibly transfer the yer to another body.]


    Ting!


    [Sess! Congrats onpleting a hidden quest!]


    [Survive -100 karma. +200000 Exp, 3 Attributable Stats (>)]


    Ting!


    [Kill a Mage: +50000 Exp, you can finally use magic¡­ (>)]


    [Level Up! (7): 5 Attributable Stats.]


    [Level Up! (8): 5 Attributable Stats.]


    ¡­


    Ting!


    [Hidden Quest Complete: First to resurrect from death (>)]


    > First to survive a yer kill. +1000000 Exp, 1 Uniqueness Creation Card]


    ERROR! ERROR!


    [yer has no uniqueness. The system will close in 60 seconds (>)]


    >Memories will be erased. Steal other yers'' uniqueness or create a new one.


    Ting!


    60


    Ting!


    59


    Ting!


    58


    ¡­


    Hearing the countdown inside his head, the child read the reason for this and quickly looked for a solution.


    After he found the creation card, he clicked it and a new panel floated midair with a keyboard below.


    [Use Uniqueness Creation Card. Please input the ability you wish to create]


    [___________]


    Ting!


    50


    ¡­


    Pressured by the time, the child''s hands unconsciously typed the ability he was familiar with.


    [Golden Eyes: See through the value of things.]


    Loading¡­


    Ting!


    [Error! Another yer owned this ability. Please input a unique one.]


    ''This,'' He froze and quickly thought of another ability.


    ''Maybe I can finally have a destructive power with this¡­'' He typed the power he had been wanting to own.


    [Nuke Bomb: Release a powerful and deadly bomb.]


    Loading¡­


    Ting!


    [Error! The chosen ability isrgely unrted to the yer''s being and profession. Please input a new one.]


    ''Why!?'' The child''s eyes bulged in the instant. He was running out of time and had no time to think of a useful ability.


    Ting!


    15


    Ting!


    14


    ¡­


    He cursed internally. He had no idea what power he had to type.


    ''Think! Think! Uniqueness must be rted to me as a businessman. What power is simr to Golden Eyes which sees through value?...'' He then shouted the word that all businessmen were craving.


    "Money!"


    Without hesitation, the child typed a vague description of the ability he desired.


    Ting!


    [Sess! Congrats on creating a new Uniqueness!]


    Ting!


    [Wealth equates to Power: The more money you have, the more powerful you are. Active (Level 1)]


    "Hahahaha!"


    The childughed maniacally while touching his neck. He nced at the night sky and whispered obsessively.


    "I will be the tortoise. I will!"


    It was then, on this day, midnight of September, born an enemy that Philip would find difficult to ovee.


    An enemy that will be the greatest hindrance to Philip''s victory and winning a soul.


    -End (Introduction)

 Chapter 26: Soulless Player No. 88

    <h4>Chapter 26: Soulless yer No. 88</h4>


    In a dpidated building, five people were standing around the lifeless body of a man on the floor. His clothes were dyed red and his hand held a gun.


    The five people cried silently, their tears were filled with regrets. But there was a particr person who howled out loud in the corner. She kneeled while her slender arms pounded the floor repeatedly in anger.


    "Why?! Why?!"


    Sarah cried. She couldn''t believe the person she was with earliermitted suicide. She had only left for a moment, Why did the person she loved the most die?


    She had a lot of regrets. Why didn''t she notice that he was suffering all this time alone? Is she too blind to see his brother suffering?


    However, no matter how much she regretted it, she couldn''t make her brother rise from death.


    One of the men standing nearby came towards her. He was shaking and trying to control his mouth from letting out a sob.


    "Condolence Sarah,'' He said. "If only we knew, we could have prevented this from happening."


    "But he was too good at acting and hiding his emotions." Another man cried in frustration. He was wearing an army service uniform, and numerous medals were pinned on his chest coat.


    "How can we figure out the mind of the greatest undercover agent of Britannia?"


    The person whoy breathless on the floor was no other than Philip Mckenzie, the hero who made their country victorious from the onught of the nearby country.


    "But I''m also an agent! Why did I not notice?!" Sarah screamed. Her rtionship with Philip wasn''t of a brother but more of a friend. A friend that after years of struggling together formed a bond stronger than blood-rted brothers.


    The surroundings became silent at Sarah''s notion. They knew their differences and couldn''tment on them. Philip''s acting and undercover were top-notch iparable to Sarah''s mediocre espionage skills.


    "Stop it," Another woman said, "At least let''s make his body not rot in this ce."


    They moved Philip slowly outside. All of them were careful as though he was a national treasure.


    While they went outside, Sarah was left on the floor, her eyes were round in shock, as a bell rang inside her mind.


    Ting!


    [Congrattions on passing the SSS+ Life Survival Mission. You will now remember your memories.]


    [Congrattions on receiving a reward: Soul Total Consciousness. You may now retain your memories in past lives and move on to the higher realm.]


    [Congrattions! You may now end this life and move to the consciousness space. Please press ''yes'' to proceed¡­]


    "No! No!" Sarah screamed. Her mind nked out at this sudden information.


    While the voice in her mind was telling a series of Congrattions, she could not celebrate and be happy about this.


    How could she? Her partner not only failed the mission but alsomitted suicide!


    Sarah and Philip were old souls who had lived for millions of lives. When they reached a certain level of soul wisdom and power, they were able to recall the lives they lived in the past.


    However, while they had be conscious, they still couldn''t attain total memory retention as every time they lived a new life, all the memories they had would be forgotten, making them no different from other unconscious souls.


    So to achieve total soul consciousness, they had to participate in a program where their souls would be forcibly made stronger by living lives filled with hardships. Only when they managed to survive through countless difficult lives would they achieve what they wanted and move to the higher realm.


    However, the catch was, that they only had to die through normal means. Thus, suicide means failure and soul death to them.


    Meaning, the time when Philip surrendered his life was the time for his soul to cease to exist.


    This was also the reason behind Sarah''s cry. She wouldn''t be able to see Philip for the rest of her life.


    Sarah cried and cried until there were no tears left in her eyes. When the sun started to hide behind the horizon and the moon began to rise, Sarah stood up, her eyes were red but filled with conviction.


    She wouldn''t let Philip be forgotten. She will write about his heroic deeds so that everyone on this will remember him.


    Thus, with her strong conviction, a history book was created and printed throughout the whole country. And in the future, Philip''s story will be made into movies and a subject in school.


    However, the history book that Sarah wrote wasn''t the whole truth. Instead of making Philip die through self-murder, she made it as if the country betrayed him.


    This was herst struggle in denying her friend''s death. She fabricated his ending so that even in her book, Philip had a chance toplete the mission like her.


    The book was a huge sess that even the unconscious souls managed to recall this story after death. And when they live a new life in a new world, they would have the urge to write this book and spread it through the whole universe.


    This was all due to Sarah''s creative and emotional writing. The impact of rewriting history, with her as the narrator, was so huge that it affected normal people living their ordinary and uneventful lives.


    Time flew and Sarah had slightly recovered from her loss. She died from old age and moved to the higher realm where all conscious souls gathered.


    She continued living her lonely life without her closest friend. Afterward, she met the senior souls she partnered with in the past to participate in a mission.


    It was also this time when she became aware of Soulless Games where book characters will gain a soul and live in reality.


    ''With this, I can make Philip alive again!'' Sarah thought obsessively. She wrote the book based on the real Philip. If she could make the book Philip gain consciousness, it would be the same as resurrecting her old friend!


    Sarah transmigrated into the lower and mid realms intending to spread the book she wrote.


    Her obsession became even stronger and more aggressive to the point where she forcibly manipted the world''s timeline and created a war where a Philip was needed.


    This was made for her book to have a substance in the world, making her story not easily forgettable and be buried by time.


    She did this repeatedly through hundreds of lives until the universe couldn''t help but notice her existence.


    Because of the great chaos she created, the universe decided to punish her and thus erased her memories of Philip.


    Peace was once again returned to lower realms as Sarah stopped with ongoing rebirths and lived in the higher realm.


    This continued until the 100th Soulless Games, especially when she noticed Philip participating in the game.


    At first, with her memories erased, she was only intrigued by this character. It was as if her heart clenched every time she saw him.


    Sarah felt numerous emotions upon seeing Philip live through his life, especially when he chose not to directly participate in the game.


    She was d that he lived happily even with the past life he lived in. And while she was working in Soulless TV, internally, she was supporting him.


    Until another yer noticed Philip''s existence and ended the peaceful life he created.


    Sarah''s mind was in chaos. She didn''t know why but she felt that she wanted Philip to continue living his life as if there were no game.


    But s, even though that was what she wished for, Philip couldn''t do so as he was trapped inside the simted world, fighting for his life.


    Sarah wanted to intervene but had no power as outsiders weren''t allowed to interfere with the battle of the characters.


    Moreover, Soulless TV was only a tform for televising the game. It had no power and control over what happened inside the game.


    Soulless TV had the right to film the game in exchange for making sure that the surviving characters lived a normal and peaceful life once they stepped outside of the simted world. This was the contract they made with whoever created the game world.


    With no other choice, Sarah could only keep her tears from falling.


    However, this was stopped when an anonymous letter arrived to her saying that she was an author.


    Intrigued, Sarah immediately read its contents. It was then she finally recalled the obsessive emotions she had in the past.


    Even though Sarah still had noplete memories of it, she still knew that the contents were true.


    Her heart reacted and felt guilty. She didn''t know why but she felt that if she did nothing, she would regret it.


    It was then she unconsciously and instinctively interfered with the game world and saved the suffering Philip.


    Although outsiders couldn''t meddle in the game world, the authors could. After all, they had the authority over their creation. Meaning, the characters who participated in the game were their ownership.


    Even though the game world creator doesn''t want someone to twist the fate of each yer, it had no choice as his power was limited only inside the game world. Moreover, the authority of the author over their characters preceded the game world creator.


    It was then a strong storm fell into the simted world saving Philip from the tragedy.


    Sarah smiled as she watched Philip survive, not bothered by her body bing transparent.


    Ting!


    [An author''s interference destroys the game''s bnce and fairness!]


    Ting!


    [Punishment for the author and her character!]


    Ting!


    [Author will lose her soul and live in the simted world without her memories.]


    [Character''s karma became -100.]


    Ting!


    [Author decided to take the character''s punishment. Author''s karma in the real world became -100]


    [Warning! Death ising to someone with -100 Karma!]


    [Warning!....]


    ...


    With a smile on her face, she closed her eyes. Her memories were sucked dry until only her obsessive instincts remained.


    "I miss you, Philip¡­" She whisperedstly. Her body vanished, leaving the dumbfounded Osuda, the host of Soulless TV, staring at the area where she was standing earlier.

 Chapter 27: Soulless Player No. 14

    <h4>Chapter 27: Soulless yer No. 14</h4>


    "I do."


    The man answered, his face beamed in delight as he looked at the woman across him.


    Upon hearing the man''s answer, the woman replied with a charming smile, and her eyelids formed mists within.


    "You may now kiss the bride."


    As their lips met, the air in the church was filled with the resounding sound of pping hands. The uncontainable happiness of the audience was palpable, evident in every smile and jubnt expression.


    This was the wedding of the century between the patriarch of Apple Works Corporation and a three-time Golden Oscar winner for Best Actress, the Phoenix woman who rose from obscurity as an artist.


    However, contrary to the joyful asion, the man''s gaze seemed to be lifeless and had a hint of listlessness from within. It was as though this wedding had urred numerous times to him.


    Furthermore, the audience seemed to be moving in perfect synchronization. When one person shouted and lifted their hands, another individual would do the same exact thing five secondster. It looked like they were all identical copies with unique appearances and builds.


    The groom''s eyes shook slightly upon noticing this. However, while he was aware, he didn''t move nor take action against this abnormality. He just followed the script of being gentle to his newly wedded wife.


    The man''s name was Steve Works, the number 14 yer in the 100th Soulless Game.


    In fact, it was his fourth time getting married to the same woman, and he knew that after this ceremony, he would go back to being a college student through an unknown time reversal.


    For individuals who seek to rectify their past mistakes, experiencing a rebirth can be a wondrous opportunity. However, for Steve, this was not the case. Instead, it turned out to be a nightmare that he could not escape.


    Despite his journey back in time, he found himself utterly impotent to exert any control over his own corporeal form.


    He was caught in a peculiar state of being, wherein he was both an impassive spectator and an active participant, unable to extricate himself from his current predicament.


    At first, he felt a surreal sense wash over him and believed this was a dream. Thus, he deemed this poignant moment in allowing him to reflect on his many achievements and the wonderful memories he had gathered throughout his life.


    From his fortuitous encounter with ady who sold skewers in the busy street to having an elopement with her and building apany from nothing. Everything, he savored them with delight.


    But when he experienced it again the second time. He started to doubt whether it was a dream.


    Then after careful examination and contemtion over the life he lived, he arrived at the conclusion that the course of his life had been molded by a sequence of propitious events. He reflected upon this realization with deep thought and consideration.


    Then the third life came and he felt terrified. He finally noticed that his life seemed to revolve around the woman who would soon be his wife.


    This made him think about whether it was fate or a curse and began questioning his whole life trajectory.


    What could have made him fall in love with someone who initially sold street food? Why did she always seem to be there whenever he needed someone to apany him? Lastly, why did he find himself unconsciously mesmerized by her to the point where he had to leave his family for her?


    He had a lot of questions and countless guesses, but he instinctively denied them one by one due to their absurdity.


    Upon reaching his fourth rebirth, he was consumed by a profound sense of ennui, as though everything around him was nothing but a hollow facade.


    It became all too clear that his sole purpose was to serve as a means of glorifying the woman and aiding her in achieving her own ambitions!


    Even his business pursuits and aplishments, which he valued greatly, were just something he acquired through sheer luck and without much effort!


    He didn''t know what to think and what not to think. Thus, at the wedding, he waspletely listless. He let his own body move along the script as he remained trapped inside it.


    It was then after the wedding, the world stopped, preparing for another time reversal.


    Suddenly, flipping papers resounded all around as if the whole world was nothing but a mere idea in a book. And when Steve heard them and felt his body moving rearwards, heughed.


    ''Ahh, I will experience this monotonous life again. When will it stop? Can I even die?''


    As he began to lose his sanity, a luminous sphere suddenly materialized before him.


    He was initially stunned butter became happy. It was the first change he had encountered since this phenomenon urred to him.


    He quickly examined it and made an intriguing discovery that he could establishmunication with the enigmatic entity. Fueled by curiosity, he proceeded to pose a series of inquiries about the peculiar phenomenon, seeking to unravel its mysterious nature.


    What is he?


    He is merely a character in a tale. And in the story, he was meant to be the main character in a book with a business theme. However, the author''s focus soon shifted to the tumultuous love rtionship between him and the female lead.


    Why is this happening to him?


    For some unknown circumstance, he identally develops a consciousness that should have been impossible for a fictional character like him.


    However, some guesses might point out its reason. One being is a true testament to the skill of the writer who has brought him to life in such a vivid andpelling way. This showcases the immense power of imagination and the depth of character development that can be achieved through writing.


    Can he escape this nonending life?


    This is the opportunity that the luminous entity will be given to him once he epts and joins the game - a game where he will meet yers like him and fight to obtain a soul that would help them escape from their unending destiny as a fictional character.


    ...


    He epted the opportunity as he didn''t want to remain as he was. But soon, when he saw the sheer strength of his opponents, he felt inferior especially since he came from a magicless world.


    The good thing is that the game was still fair and gave him a power that couldbat other yers. But, when he knew his power was insufficient, he was left feeling disheartened.


    How can he face these monsters using an ability that is mainly used for support and utility? Moreover, he heavily relies on his workforce. He is uncertain about how he can face them with the intention of killing them and is unable to see a way out.


    Throughout his entire existence in the simted world, he has always been extremely cautious, analyzing every move he makes with utmost consideration.


    However, his entire outlook on life was forever altered when he came across a young child - who despite his age, defeated an opponent much more powerful and influential than him.


    It was at that moment that he fullyprehended the power of innocence and how it could disarm even the most guarded of hearts. From that point on, he came out of his shell and bravely confronted his challenges with a newfound sense of determination and courage.


    Shortly after, his obsession with winning the death game was rekindled and he saw the child named Philip as the benchmark.


    He believed that only by defeating Philip could he gain the conviction needed to win. Moreover, Philip was the first yer he had encountered and he felt an instinctual need to conquer him first.


    ...


    Amidst the murky confines of a deste alleyway, a frail and undernourished child gazed heavenward, the corners of his mouth curling upward in a faint but genuine smile. With a slight flick of his finger, he conjured forth a tiny me, its flickering light casting a warm andforting glow upon his gaunt features.


    "I will be the tortoise and be the winner of life." He whispered along the cold breeze of autumn.

 Chapter 28: Bryxton

    <h4>Chapter 28: Bryxton</h4>


    October 4, 1857 - Sunday


    Philip was seen walking along a stone pathway surrounded by towering structures, carrying a sizable suitcase with him. His attire consisted of a ck frock coat, a ck top hat, and a red scarf wrapped around his neck, obscuring part of his face.


    As he made his way through the crowd, his gaze was steady and deliberate. Despite their golden luminosity, his eyes went unnoticed by those around him.


    Shortly, his attention was drawn to a woman who appeared to be in a state of nervous excitement. She was elegantly dressed in a long flowing white gown that flowed elegantly behind her. She was seated inside a horse-drawn carriage that was slowly moving down the road. Despite her obvious unease, she maintained a polite smile on her face.


    The horse carriage neighed and approached the towering edifice ahead. As they were nearing, the resounding ng of the bell reverberated throughout the surrounding area, filling the air with its mighty echo.


    Philip, in his adult form, watched as it came to a halt in front of the church. Two children greeted the woman in white and led her to the center aisle with a long red cloth rolled on the marble floor.


    When Philip caught this sight, especially the careful action of the children, he sighed in relief, touched the brim of his hat, and left.


    Currently, Philip is in Bryxton, the capital city of Northon. This was the same city he originally came from and the ce Steve was supposed to go to.


    After his altercation with Steve, Philip crossed from town to town in an attempt to evade his potential pursuers, specifically the group behind Loen.


    He was cautious as he knew they possessed extraordinary abilities. Furthermore, he had to hide his spoils, particrly Loen''s ring, in a location only he knew of.


    This action was crucial to him since the ring''s abilities were unknown. He needed to be extra vignt because an object with a mystical origin harbors hidden threats.


    What if Loen''s organization had a method to track down the ring? If so, Philip would find himself in a difficult situation.


    Philip whispered the "magic word" and a clear panel materialized right before his eyes.


    ______________


    Name: Philip Mckenzie


    Story: The Misery behind the history of Britannia


    Profession: Undercover Agent


    Level: 13 (1100807/1638500)


    Stats:


    Physique: 30 (+15) [>]


    Mental: 12


    Mana: 0


    Spirit: 0


    Attributable Points: 63


    Karma: -13


    Uniqueness:


    > Mystique Identities - Active (Lv. 2)


    -Transformed physical body to body the yer is familiar with.


    > Golden Eyes - Active (Lv. 1)


    -See through the value of things.


    ______________


    Quests: +999


    Inventory: 2


    Log: +99


    Information: /


    ***


    Log: +99 (>)


    > [Kill a yer Complete: + 5 Attributable Points, 1 Experience level-up card, 1 Uniqueness level-up card, Steal yer''s Uniqueness]


    > [Hidden Quest Complete: First yer to kill a yer +1000000 Exp]


    > [Reach Level 10: System Upgrade! +1 Uniqueness level-up card, yer can now use Information Shop... (>)]


    > [Create disturbance at the steam lotive: -1 Karma]


    > [Trespassed a shed you do not own: -1 Karma]


    > [Stole clothes you do not own: -1 Karma]


    > [Stole milk you do not own: -1 Karma]


    ¡­


    Philip was bothered upon reading about karma in the system''s log. It was not because he didn''t understand what it was, but because he remembered Steve''s sudden wariness in the past.


    ''So this was the reason,'' Philip thought. He finally understood why Steve had been acting as if he knew danger wasing.


    Philip was even more confused as he scrolled through older Log entries and read a strange record showing his karma had been both +100 and -100 at one point.


    _____________


    > [An outsider gazed upon the particr yer.]


    > [An outsider offered help to this yer. +100 Karma]


    > [An outsider interfered with the game world! This action was deemed damaging and destroyed the fairness of the game!]


    > [Punishment bestowed to the outsider and the yer who gained his help: -200 Karma]


    > [The outsider chose to take the yer''s punishment: +100 Karma]


    ______________


    "What''s an outsider?" Philip muttered, curious about why he received an outsider''s grace.


    ''It must be the time when I was in the forest¡­'' He now understood why he suddenly became extremely lucky in the past.


    ''But why did they help me? What is their purpose?''


    Philip stopped his mulling as his gaze was drawn towards an elderly gentleman, perched upon a stool within the cozy confines of a pastry shop, diligently engrossed in his morning read of the daily newspaper.


    HEADLINES: TERRORISM ATTACK ON LOCOMOTION NO. 1!


    Philip was surprised to see a picture of the train he rode with Steve in the newspaper.


    ''What terrorism?!'' Philip''s forehead wrinkled in displeasure. Even in his old world, terrorism was a big crime, especially during wartime.


    Philip was anxious as what was written in the newspaper was not the whole truth. Instead, it was more about him being the terrorist.


    ''Hahh. They really make me a scapegoat,'' Philip sighed in annoyance.


    In the newspaper was a wanted poster showing a drawing of his face as Raven and details about how he terrorized passengers with firearms, leading to two deaths, with one of them being the son of the businessman Ronald Evans.


    ''So they did not write about the mud monsters. How could that be? There were a lot of passengers who had seen them. It is impossible to silence all of them,'' Philip mulled.


    ''Maybe there is someone who could manipte memories.'' He spected. This was the only thing he could think of a reason for.


    ''Using this face will be harder¡­'' Philip pulled the scarf up to hide his face.


    ''I need a new identity.''


    Philip entered the pasty shop and bought a dozen bottles of milk. While waiting for the server, he heard a man talking behind him.


    "Oh heavens! This kind of person is really the scum of society! Why would they involve normal people in their rebellion? Poor son of Ronald."


    "Yeah, I heard that the terrorist tortured him to death! How could someone do that to a child? What can they get with it?" Another woman cried in anger. While she bbered her frustration, her mouth didn''t stop chewing the bread she was eating.


    Hearing this, Philip could only minimize his presence. He knew if someone saw him, death would await him.


    ''Good thing I have one moreyer of disguise on,'' He sighed in relief. As an undercover, it has always been his habit to wear a cosmetic, especially now that dangers were lurking around him.


    Although disguised, he was still attentive as he knew the world wasn''t as normal as it looked. In addition, he had no idea what kind of powers the world had. Who knew? Maybe there is a certain power that could see through his real appearance.


    "Here is your order sir." Ady called out. She handled a wooden crate filled with bottles of milk. "Be careful sir. It''s heavy."


    "Thank you," Philip slightly bowed in appreciation and took the crate with his arm.


    Afterward, he drank one and ced the bottle back after he had emptied it.


    Ting!


    Suddenly, a bell resounded in Philip''s mind. He whispered a word and a new notification reminded him.


    [Chain Quest: Growing Up! (1): Complete!]


    ¡ªDrink milk every day (8/8)


    [Received 1 Experience Point]


    Philip nodded his head in satisfaction. He had once againpleted this quest. Althoughpared to his total experience points, the reward was immaterial, he was still d to achieve it.


    While he was enjoying this little achievement, excruciating pain suddenly coursed over his body as if his bones were slowly being pulverized.


    Philip clenched his teeth as he quickly focused his whole mind on imagining his body in his past life.


    Immediately, the pain stopped, and a bell rang inside his head.


    Ting!


    [Used uniqueness. The yer is now transformed (2/2)]


    [Physique: 30 (+15) (>)]


    Philip sighed in relief upon seeing the notification, specifically on the detail entailing how he could now transform twice a day, each for eight hours.


    This was the upgraded version of his uniqueness ''Mystique Identities''. After he defeated Steve, he received a reward called ''Uniqueness Level Up Card.''


    Upon knowing that it could strengthen his ability, he immediately used it as he knew that transforming for only eight hours a day was a huge stumbling block on his travel.


    Moreover, his original body was temporarily unusable as he had yet to find a way of growing new limbs.


    ''I''ll save the other Uniqueness Level Up Card for the future,'' Philip decided. When he reached level ten, he also received another card.


    Initially, he wanted to upgrade his uniqueness to level 3. However, after giving it some thought, he temporarily set this aside.


    ''16 hours a day is enough. After all, I''m not in immediate danger.''


    As Philip exited the quaint pastry shop, he made his way towards a building with a series of simr windows adorning its seeding upper level. Positioned in the heart of the building, a sign affixed to the wall proudly disyed the name ''Alma Inn''.


    When he entered the building, a young adult man weed him.


    "Hello, What can I do for you?"


    Philip carefully observed the gentleman sitting behind the front desk. The man was d in a thick, earthy-toned coat that seemed to be keeping him warm in the chilly weather. He wore silver-rimmed sses that seemed to reflect the dull light in the room. On the man''s desky a book titled ''Structural Engineering,'' which suggested that he was perhaps a student or a professional in the field.


    As the man weed him, Philip couldn''t help but notice the faint wrinkles that creased the man''s forehead. His hands trembled slightly, and his gaze was fixed weakly on Philip, almost as if he were about to faint.


    "May I please have a room for three nights?" Philip requested politely. He sensed that the man might be unwell or anxious, and decided to quickly inform his purpose.


    "Room 3 on the third floor. 300 doli in total," He said while offering the key to Philip.


    After Philip paid, he left and climbed upstairs.


    When he arrived in his room, he quicklyy on the chair, exhausted. He had been traveling for a week without a clean room to sleep. It was the first time since the train incident he could lie on afortable couch.


    A little whileter, when he had rested enough, he grabbed his luggage and took an intricate jewelry box inside.


    He opened it and took the two letters his mother and father wrote.

 Chapter 29: Plans

    <h4>Chapter 29: ns</h4>


    In truth, Philip had already read the letters. After all, it has been a week since he left the vige.


    However, he was still taken aback by his parents'' origin and found himself repeatedly drawn to the written letters they left behind. He was unable to resist immersing himself in their words time and time again.


    Written in his mother''s letter were her greetings for his eighth birthday and an apology for her not telling the truth until now.


    ''Sorry for concealing our identities from you. Our intention was not to show anyck of trust in you, but rather to avoid causing any negative causality in your future.


    Although we are restricted from telling you, we also felt it was best to keep the truth. We were aware that you were involved in an inheritance game as your Auntie Marissa foretold.


    Thus, we couldn''t let you remain in the forest indefinitely as it would limit your potential. It was necessary for you to grow and be more powerful.


    We wish you the best, Philip. Hopefully, my little gift will be helpful to you in your future endeavors.''


    Included with the letter was a detailed map of the Southern Continent, which featured a prominently marked ''X'' and apanying directives on how to navigate to the specified location.


    Upon examining the attachment, Philip''s system promptly alerted him of a fresh quest.


    Ting!


    ______________


    [Chain Quest!: Gift of Mother Theresa]


    > Go to the location and find the gift of Mother Theresa to her child.


    Reward: ???


    ______________


    ''As expected, they are really not your ordinary folks,'' Philip wore a satisfied smile on his face. He was d upon learning his parents'' might.


    Who would not want a powerful parent? He is simr to any children who dreamt their parents were superhumans in hiding.


    However, despite his joy, he was worried about her parents'' knowledge of the game.


    ''So the inheritance game she talked about must be the Soulless Game. I can''t believe that some residents of the world know about its existence.'' Philip pondered.


    He had almost broken down once he knew he was just a character in a book. How much more of the locals when they knew that they would soon face the world''s destruction?


    Philip frowned as he looked at the first Quest he received ever since he opened the system.


    ______________


    [Main Quest! 1 vs 99 Soulless yers vs World]


    >Be the sole remaining yer or survive the world''s destruction in the year 1879.


    Reward: 1 Wish and a Soul


    ______________


    After reading this, Philip became enlightened. He finally understood the seriousness of Auntie Marrisa''s notion and realized what kind of help she required.


    ''Today is year 1857. So I have 22 years left before the world''s end,''


    The letters further motivated Philip to win the game because aside from winning a soul, he could also use his wish to save the world.


    He had to pay back the grace he received from this world.


    Philip shifted his sight to his father''s letter, which held his attention for a moment. His eyes then settled on the badge affixed to the letter.


    The emblem etched onto the badge consisted of swords arranged in the shape of the numeral two, with a circr moon-like shape positioned behind the swords.


    Additionally, the edges of the badge were adorned with mysterious symbols that only added to its enigmatic allure.


    In the letter, his father advised him to use this emblem once he traveled to the Eastern Continent. He never said anything but to use it when it is necessary.


    Ting!


    ______________


    [Chain Quest!: The Descendant of the Twin Sword Moon]


    > Go to the Eastern Continent and investigate Xiang Yu''s life.


    Reward: ???


    ______________


    After carefully organizing the papers, Philip came to the realization that what hecked the most was the necessary knowledge about the world. Therefore, he understood the need to acquire more information before taking any further action.


    ''Good thing that when I reached level 10, the system updated, and I could finally use the ''Information Shop.''


    Philip had never tried opening it as he had been busy trying to fend off his pursuers. However, now that he had free time, he could finally see what was inside of it.


    Ting!


    ______________


    [Wee to the Information Board!]


    Experience Points: 1,100,807/1,100,807


    [Small Random Information Box]


    Price: 10,000


    [Medium Random Information Box]


    Price:100,000


    [Large Random Information Box]


    Price: 1,000,000


    [Ask any questions]


    Price: 2,000,000 - 10,000,000


    ______________


    ''So expensive!'' Philipined internally. The price of each box was so pricey that even he who has a lot of experience points shrank back upon reading it.


    ''I can only afford onerge box yet its information is random!'' Philip could only lean on the chair grumpily.


    Although disappointed at its price, Philip still chose to use it as he had no other option.


    ''Let''s test the cheapest one first.''


    He extended his arm upward and directed his index finger as though it wasing into contact with a solid ne.


    Ting!


    [Used Small Random Information Box. Deducting 10,000 exp]


    Ting!


    [yer has negative karma. Generating useless information.]


    Ting!


    [The sky is blue so is the sea.]


    [Karma: +1]


    "..."


    Philip froze upon reading this. He never expected that his karma would affect the information it generated.


    [Total Karma: -12]


    While looking at his umting negative karma, Philip mulled over how topletely remove them.


    ''So, this is one of the disadvantages of having negative karma. I have to change it as soon as possible...''


    Philip decided to take a break from the Information Shop, as he felt it wasn''t serving his interests. Instead, he had to find a way to eliminate all of his negative karma.


    He closed the system and was about to put the letters inside the jewelry box when he saw an empty ss of medicine on it.


    ''Why is it here?'' Philip looked at the bottle, dumbfounded. He remembered that he had already thrown it away. How could it return inside the box?


    Confused, he quickly tried to use the stolen uniqueness from Steve. Although it can only see through the value of things, it still has other notable uses, especially in determining if there is something unique with an item.


    For a week, Philip has been experimenting with the ''Golden Eyes'' ability and can finally utilize its power.


    However, while he can use it, he still needs the assistance of the System. It was totally different from his initial uniqueness where he did not need its help.


    He did not bother with this anymore and just focused his sight on the medicine bottle and the jewelry box.


    Philip''s eyes glowed as he gazed down at the item resting in hisp. In his vision, he saw the bottle and the apanying jewelry box emit a breathtakingly radiant golden glow, far beyond what one might expect from items of their respective value.


    ''Wait, their lights seem simr to Loen''s ring,'' Philip turned them over and over on his hands, searching for a clue about their function. ''Hmm. What are they capable of?


    ''Maybe I can do it like this¡­'' He then took the bottle and threw it over the bed. He closed the jewelry box and a little whileter, he opened it again.


    "This!" Philip''s eyes bulged as he looked at the empty bottle inside the box. He quickly looked at the bed to find the bottle he had thrown earlier.


    When he did not see it, he nced back at the jewelry box in his hands.


    ''This is amazing! The two were linked to each other,'' Philip thought excitedly. It was his first time possessing such a peculiar and mystical item.


    Philip continued ying and testing its function until the light outside the window dimmed.


    ''Okay, time to work!'' He stood up and fixed his disguise. He has a lot of things to do before his transformation expires.


    ''First, look for a new identity.''


    This was important as his old face was featured in the newspaper. He felt insecure with his disguise, especially since the world was not like his past world.


    In addition, he had to test his ''Mystique Identities'' ability. He had to know first what it means ''A body the yer is familiar with.''


    ''Second, I have to eliminate all umted negative karma.''


    What he needed the most was information. With his karma affecting him, he could not proceed with his n and felt the need to address the issue without dy.


    ''Lastly, I have to level up.''


    His goal was to achieve level 15 as swiftly as possible. This is to gain ess to the System''s reward upon reaching that level.


    [Quest: Reach Level 15]


    Reward: System''s update (Store), +5 Attributable Stats, 1 Uniqueness Level Up Card


    What limited Philip the most was his inability to use his original body. Because of his missing right hand and left leg, he had always been forced to rely on his transformation ability.


    The ''Store'' under Reward was Philip''s purpose. He hoped that there was an item that could help him grow his limbs back.


    This was the only way he could think of for now as he possessed no information on any mysterious medicines.


    After making ns, he headed out the door, bringing the empty medicine bottle with him.


    When he reached outside, a bell reverberated inside his mind.


    Ting!


    [Quest: Help the poor little thin girl!]


    >Reward: 5 Experience Points


    Seeing no danger with this mission, Philip epted it and walked towards the little girl.


    "Hello. Do you need help?"

 Chapter 30: Philip鈥檚 new mortal enemy

    <h4>Chapter 30: Philip''s new mortal enemy</h4>


    "Hello. Do you need help?"


    The young girl turned to face the voice, clearly taken aback by the unexpected offer. Her eyes were filled with confusion and innocence as though not ustomed to receiving such kindness from strangers.


    Noticing the girl''s reaction, Philip could not help but smile. He had always had a soft spot for children, especially those who started working at a young age.


    Having been in a simr situation in his previous life, he could empathize with her struggles and hardships. He found himself unconsciously recalling his dream in the past where children didn''t have to work and could instead focus solely on their education.


    As he watched the girl struggle to carry a pile of dirty nkets taller than her, Philip''s wish was reignited.


    "Let me hold this for you," Philip quickly took the nkets from her arms, not minding the surprise in the child''s eyes.


    "Where would you like me to put these?" Philip smiled. The girl, who was still in a daze, gestured towards the stairs ahead of them.


    "There. Down to the basement."


    As they made their way down, the girl appeared uneasy and restless and took the lead. Along the way, she would asionally nce over at Philip.


    Philip chuckled at her shy reaction and asked, "What''s your name? Why are you doing this alone?"


    From the girl''s attire, he surmised she was not as poor as he had initially assumed. He has spections about whether the girl''s parents own the inn they were staying at.


    "Uhm-mm. My name is Maris," The girl responded with a hesitant tone, "My brother is upied at the moment and I want to be of a little help."


    Curious, Philip inquired further, "What about your parents then? Where are they?"


    Maris halted and lowered her head, "My father passed away justst month, and my mother is currently working far from home."


    Philip frowned and internally pped his face. He realized that his question might have caused Maris more difort and could not help but feel a pang of guilt.


    However, before he could apologize, his system rang, alerting him of a new quest. When he was about to take a look, a loud voice boomed ahead of them.


    "Maris! What are you doing?"


    The man who had greeted Philip at the front desk moments ago had appeared and was now standing beside Maris, giving Philip a suspicious re.


    Seeing a familiar face, Philip spected that the man was Maris'' brother. Thus to avoid any misunderstanding, he quickly told him what had happened earlier.


    "I''m sorry for what happened to your father, Maris," He took his hat and bowed his head sincerely, "If you need any help just look for me in Room 3 on the third floor."


    However, this action did not help in lowering the man''s vignce. He took the nkets in Philip''s arms and said,


    "No need. And I appreciate it if you mind your business next time."


    Without waiting for a response, he quickly departed away with Maris.


    Philip froze and could only sigh and watch as their back disappeared from his sight.


    He then nced at his system and noticed an array of new notifications, awaiting his attention.


    Ting!


    ______________


    [Quest Complete: Help the poor little thin girl!]


    > +5 Experience points


    [The yer does a good deed! +1 Karma]


    [Chain Quest: Investigate Maris'' father''s death.]


    Reward: 10 Experience points


    ______________


    ''Nice. If I do more good deeds, I can erase all my negative karma,'' Philip thought enthusiastically. But when he read the chain quest, he instantly became downcast.


    ''So there''s something wrong with their father''s death,'' Philip wanted to investigate and help them, but he could not do so as he was preupied with his own problems.


    He had to prioritize himself first and find a quest that posed no immediate danger.


    After a short while, Philip left the inn to search for new missions. He didn''t need to look hard as he was quickly bombarded with a plethora of options upon exiting the building.


    Some of the quests were straightforward and required minimum effort such as helping ady who lost her child, removing stones from the road, and feeding the stray dogs. These were the missions that the system had rmended Philip to do.


    Philip smirked. They seemed too easy for him and wasted no time and went straight to thedy who had lost her child.


    ***


    An hourter, Philip was seen walking towards a restaurant, his demeanor was totally opposite from before. His face was pale and drained of color, and his hands were trembling uncontrobly.


    Philip skimmed through his system with a dispirited face. How could he not be sad when he was greeted with these?


    ______________


    [Quest Complete: Help thedy find her child]


    Reward: 1 Experience Point


    [yer helped the kidnapperdy!: -1 Karma]


    [Quest Complete: Clean the stones and pebbles in the middle of the road]


    Reward: 1 Experience Point


    [yer took the stone that was temporarily used to cover a small sinkhole: -1 Karma]


    [Quest Complete: Feed stray dogs]


    Reward: 1 Experience Point


    [yer fed the poor animals: +1 Karma]


    [yer vited the city ordinance to not feed the stray animals!: -1 Karma]


    ______________


    Although he was happy to receive some experience points, he still could not help but be grumpy as he noticed his karma decreasing.


    Moreover, his karma continued moving negatively the more he let the citizens misunderstand him with the circted wanted poster.


    ______________


    [yer''s fame as a criminal increased!: -1 Karma]


    [Angers an unknown organization. Revenge ising!: -1 Karma]


    [yer''s fame as a criminal increased!: -1 Karma]


    [yer''s fame as a criminal increased!: -1 Karma]


    [Mercenary Guild knows about Raven''s existence: -1 Karma]


    ______________


    ''Hahh,'' Philip let out a self-deprecatingugh. "Not only do I need to be careful of Loen''s organization but also for the mercenary guild."


    Philip knew the reason why his karma decreased with the Mercenary Guild knowing his existence. It was only logical that they woulde after him as he deceived one of their employees in the small Recruitment Center.


    Perhaps, like Loen''s Organization, they also wanted to seek vengeance against him.


    Feeling dejected from his fruitless efforts, Philip decided to take a break and replenish. His stomach had been grumbling for a while and could not help but feel the need to serve it with food.


    When Philip entered a red restaurant building, he was immediately enveloped by the good fragrance of the dishes.


    "Wee to McRonalds! What can I do for you, sir?" Ady greeted him with a respectful smile. However, Philip felt her smile was strangely ominous and scary.


    ''What am I thinking?'' Philip tried to shake off the thought and looked up at the menu board stered above.


    "Meal B please," He said, hoping to get his order over.


    Philip noticed that thedy''s eyes flickered. But it was too quick for Philip to figure out the reason behind her sudden change.


    "Meal B is one grilled chicken, one burger, and one pineapple drink. Would you like to upgrade your drink to arge one, sir? It only cost you 50 cents."


    "Uhm okay¡­" Philip hesitated for a second before agreeing, not wanting to appear rude or difficult.


    "How about your burger, sir? We can also add more tomatoes and more cheese. And if you like, we could add one more patty for half of the price."


    "O-kay¡­" Philip unconsciously nodded his head in agreement.


    "We also have a promo only for you sir! Just add 1 more chicken and¡­."


    "..."


    Philip was in a daze, feeling overwhelmed by thedy''s rapid-fire questions. Thedy spoke too fast for him to follow and could only answer her with a series of affirmations.


    A little whileter, Philip sat on a chair with a surrender look on his face. ced on the table were piles of food he ordered ''unconsciously''.


    ''Wait, why do I have a soup?'' Philip''s eyes widened as he looked at the food on his table. He quickly took the long receipt and saw a bold amount written at the bottom.


    "30 doli!" Philip''s surprise was undisguised. He was shaken by how expensive his meal had be.


    ''Meal B is only 3 doli. How did this happen?!''


    15 Doli could feed him three full meals. This meant that this dinner cost him two days of his meal allowance.


    ''Was I just been duped into spending more money than I had initially intended?''


    He took a nce at thedy on the counter. His hands shivered at the sight of her smile.


    He realized that ordering food in this restaurant was like a battlefield!


    ''And in this battle, I am the loser.'' Philip chuckled dejectedly.


    Soon, he steeled his mind to take revenge. He would not let this happen again!


    ''I promise I will return and defeat you,'' Philip whispered while simultaneously eating and gazing at the smilingdy.


    This petty action of his continued even until he finished dining and left the establishment.

 Chapter 31: Homeless Children

    <h4>Chapter 31: Homeless Children</h4>


    ''Good thing they allowed taking out leftovers,'' Philip sighed in relief as he nced at the bag in his hands. However, although he felt relieved, his eyes still had a slight annoyance in them. He still could not move on from what had happened.


    But soon, he quickly calmed down his mind upon remembering his initial goal.


    ''I have two hours left before the transformation ends. Better do good deed quests¡­''


    It was already 8 o''clock and Philip decided to look for quests before returning to the inn. He scrolled the ''Quest Window'' and saw a mission perfect for him.


    [Quest: Feed the homeless children]


    Reward: 1 Experience Point


    Philip thought deeply about whether it would give him positive karma or not. He had already learned his lesson from stray dogs and did not want to repeat it.


    ''The government should not restrict its citizens from helping the children, right?''


    Shortly, Philip proceeded to walk in a dark alley.


    ***


    A couple of minutester, he happened to pass by the inn he was staying at and noticed that it was brighter than the buildings near it. It was like the neighborhood was uninhabited and empty.


    ''Is this the reason why the inn is pricier?'' Philip pondered internally. He paid 100 doli per night and thought it was okay with his stolen wealth. However, the more he roamed the city, the more he noticed it was overpricedpared to the other inns.


    Seeing a group ofdies near, he reached out to them and asked, "Excuse me,dies. Do you know that building over there?"


    A middle-aged woman nced at the inn and smiled, "Oh that? It''s the property of the Davies family. Why are you asking this, young man?"


    "Oh, I just noticed that it is pricierpared to other inns," he answered.


    "It is to be expected," Another olddy nodded in confirmation, "I heard the whole building is equipped with gas lighting."


    "Yes, she''s right. It''s very convenient and the interior is also grand. In addition, the inn is near Bryxton University. That''s why it is more expensive than the others. In fact, it is one of the most expensive lodges, at the same level as the hotels around in the city." Another woman chimed.


    When Philip heard this, he could not help but feel regret. If he knew the inn was at that level, he would have chosen not to stay there.


    But s, regret came toote. He was slightly illiterate about the pricing system as he had been staying in the forest for a long time.


    ''I have to find another ce to stay,'' Philip thought. Although he was not exactly poor, it would be better to save money as he could not temporarily find a job with his Raven face.


    After a short talk with thedies, he bid goodbye and proceeded to the busy streets. He had not yet forgotten about his mission of feeding homeless children.


    The streets ahead were filled with numerous stalls around. People were merrily browsing the goods these small stores were selling.


    Philip heard that a flea market usually opens on this street at night and became curious. Although his face was serious, internally he was enjoying the crowd.


    It was his first time seeing this sight and could not help but be distracted.


    ''Well, let me look around for a minute,'' Philip decided excitedly. He had always wanted to test the uniqueness he stole from Steve. And this busy market was perfect for this case.


    Philip secretly opened the system and pressed the ''Golden Eyes'' uniqueness. His eyes immediately glowed and his iris became gold.


    He then scanned around, looking for hidden treasures.


    This action continued until he felt someone groping his rear. Stunned, he quickly extended his hand and grabbed the arm of the groper.


    "AHHH!"


    A child''s cry resounded around the night market. Philip''s hold was so extreme that the child could not help but yelp loudly.


    Surprised, Philip unconsciously loosened his hold. However, this action instead made the child run away.


    This urred so fast that Philip had no time to react. He thought he was groped by a pervert, never did he expect that the groper was a child all along.


    The onlookers looked at him and scoffed. Someone then murmured at a volume enough for Philip to hear.


    "These pickpockets are really all around the market."


    "Yes, you have to always be alert from them," Another person said while holding her bag tightly.


    "That man is also stupid. Why did he release the child? For sure something is stolen from him."


    When Philip heard it, he quickly checked for the items he possibly lost from that short encounter.


    And when he confirmed nothing was gone, then he sighed in relief. While he was eased, his mind still could not help but recall what had happened earlier.


    ''Hahh. Poor me, I was almost robbed,'' Philip murmured sadly. However, he was sad not because of this but because he felt he was not as good as before.


    ''Am I getting rusty? Is it because I lived peacefully for four years and have not been training?'' Philip mulled. If this was real, then it would be dangerous for him. After all, he waspeting in a death game. He felt the need to always stay in top condition.


    Philip nced at the area where the child had run off and followed him without dy.


    ***


    "What happened to your arm!?" A young man asked the little boy in front of him. Seeing the bruise on his arm, the young man could not help but be worried.


    "It''s no-thing. Some strong person just caught me stealing him," the little boy named Joseph answered, his voice filled with anxiety. The earlier encounter had really terrified him. He thought it was his end.


    When the young man was about to speak, arge hand grabbed Joseph on his shoulder.


    "Got you, boy," Philip smirked, happy at finally practicing his skills.


    It was easy to find the boy. All he had to do was to go to the back alley where the poor and the runaway people usually stayed.


    Joseph and the young man named Gerald froze. While Joseph was shivering in fright, Gerald quickly kneeled on the ground.


    "Please release my friend! I''ll promise to educate him not to steal again," Gerald cried. He had already connected the bruise on Joseph''s arm with Philip and chose to surrender as he knew they were powerlesspared to an adult man.


    Philip looked at Gerald on the ground. In fact, he had no intention of punishing the child. All he wanted to do was to practice his skills.


    But when he noticed Gerald''s quick wits and seemingly good traits, Philip became interested.


    "Hey, what''s your name?" Philip called out.


    "I am Gerald and that kid is Joseph," Gerald replied. When he heard Philip''s tone was void of any murderous intention, he added,


    "We are just poor homeless children, sir. If Joseph stole something from you, we will immediately return it to you," Gerald nudged Joseph, asking him to return the thing he had stolen.


    "Rx, he didn''t rob me. I was just here to ask you questions. You see, I am new here. And I might need information you know," Philip said softly. He then took the bag of food and gave it to them.


    "Here, it''s yours."


    Smelling the food inside, Joseph quickly grabbed the bag and replied, "Anything we can do for you, sir! Just ask away."


    Gerald facepalmed internally. Joseph was rude to the guest and wanted nothing more but to bury him on the ground.


    However, while he was embarrassed, he was also tempted. He had been hungry ever since he could remember. The food Philip provided might helped him fill his stomach somehow.


    Ting!


    ______________


    [Quest Complete: Feed homeless children]


    Reward: 1 Experience Point


    [yer does a good deed! +1 Karma]


    [yer''s deed is exchanged with information and deemed not exemry. -1 Karma]


    [yer vited the city ordinance. yer is acquainted with robbers. -1 Karma]


    ______________


    Philip secretly nced at his system and became annoyed. It was so difficult to increase his Good Karma.


    He temporarily set his grumbling aside and asked the question he was meaning to ask.


    "Do you know where the ck market is?"


    Philip had always been curious about Loen''s power and the uses of his ring. He wanted to know about these without rming Loen''s organization.


    It was then he decided to find the darker side of the city. It was his only choice as he was a lone person with no connection.


    Additionally, the ck market was perfect for him to find clues of hidden powers and use his ''Golden Eyes'' uniqueness.


    "ck market?" Gerald murmured in puzzlement. "I''m sorry sir. As I said, we are just homeless children. We don''t involve ourselves with the criminal organization as it is dangerous for us."


    Gerald stopped and continued, "While we might not know about its location, we heard from adults that it usually urs underground."


    "That is all I know sir."


    Philip listened attentively without missing a word. ''Hmmm... Underground does not necessarily mean below the surface, it may also mean performed secretly.''


    He didn''t quickly assume that the ck market was in the sewers. Gerald was only a child. And he might misinterpret it due to hisck of education.


    However, he was still d to know that Gerald had a clue. All he had to do was to ask the adult he heard it from.


    ''For them to do this without any danger, they needed support.'' Philip thought.


    "Do you want a job, Gerald?" Philip asked. His tone was filled with seriousness that Gerald could not help but regard it carefully.


    "What job?"


    "All you have to do is gather all unaffiliated homeless children and form a unified group."


    Gerald''s eyes widened upon hearing this. Although Philip said this expressionlessly as if it was an easy task, he knew that forming a group was hard, especially since he was only a child.


    "Hehe¡­Stop joking, sir. You know it is impossible," Gerald tittered.


    "Well, nothing is impossible with money."


    Philip took a pile of bills from his coat and presented them to Gerald.


    "I have the capital. Do you still think it''s impossible?" Philip smirked, feeling proud of showing his wealth.

 Chapter 32: To involve or not

    <h4>Chapter 32: To involve or not</h4>


    Gerald gasped as he looked at the piles of banknotes in Philip''s hands. It was his first time seeing such an amount in his whole life.


    He had been living in the streets for as long as he could remember. The only thing he could touch was the pennies he had stolen.


    It was not that he felt joy from stealing. In truth, he felt remorseful. But the more he sumbed to temptation, the more he suppressed his guilt.


    He had no choice as he had no family to support him. It was either he died as a good person or lived as awbreaker.


    Seeing the money presented to him, Gerald could not help but be surprised and wished he was as wealthy as Philip.


    ''No, I am just content having enough to eat three times every day. I need no more than that,'' Gerald dreamed.


    Philip smiled at Gerald''s reaction. Even he was surprised by the money he salvaged.


    ''Steve was insanely rich,'' Philip thought.


    These bills were not originally his but from Steve. When Steve threw his briefcase filled with money on the train, he had also managed to catch some.


    In addition, Steve hid a lot of money inside his clothes. All he had to do was steal them and leave his lifeless body behind.


    "Why don''t we work together? I needed information. You needed the money. This works well for both of us," Philip further tempted Gerald to ce his bet on him.


    Philip''s trust in Gerald was not baseless. He was good at finding talents and knew Gerald was smart for his age. If Gerald had been blessed with a home, he would have been a great person in the future.


    Not only that, Philip backed it up with his ''Golden Eyes'' ability. He had seen Gerald glowing brightlypared to his peers, suggesting his potential was higher. If Philip guided him well, Gerald might blossom with whatever hidden talent he has.


    Gerald darted at Philip in indecisiveness. Unlike Philip, he did not trust himself to do good. After all, not only he is an orphan, but is also uneducated. To be Philip''s informant was a great and heavy responsibility.


    However, while Gerald was hesitant, he could not manage to say no to Philip. He also has dreams of his own. He doesn''t want to remain a pickpocket and live on the dirty streets.


    He wanted a ce he could call home and formed a family with other children.


    Even though he was not confident, he still gambled and epted Philip''s offer. This was his only chance to change his destiny and improve the quality of his life.


    "What do I need to do?" Gerald said with determination. Although his eyes were trembling, his voice had strength and power filled within. It was as if he would do anything to break free from his fate.


    ''Good,'' Philip nodded and smiled slightly. He liked Gerald''s strong attitude of wanting to change his present.


    "Gather all the children around and feed them with this money," Philip said while handing him the bills.


    "Once you obtain their trust, inform them about the n of establishing an information syndicate."


    Philip and Gerald discussed for a long time that Joseph could not help but be sleepy. Compared to the mature 13-year-old Gerald, he was only 7. Even if he listened to their talk, he would not still understand them.


    Philip nced at the time and seeing it was gettingte, he halted their discussion and said, "Let''s end here. Let''s meet again seven dayster. For now, focus more on gathering the children."


    Philip stood up, fixed his clothes, and took the empty medicine bottle from his pocket. "Here, take this. If you need help, insert a note inside and throw it away. I''lle once I see it."


    Although Gerald was confused, he listened and took the bottle from Philip.


    "Then, see you when I see you,"


    Gerald quickly bowed and shouted respectfully, "Thank you, sir!"


    Philip waved his hands to shoo them away. He nced at the time again and saw that it was 9:30 p.m. already.


    "Hahh, I didn''t expect our talk to take long," Philip looked at the dispersing crowd in the market. Some vendors were slowly cleaning and closing their stalls. And some had left a long time ago already.


    ''I have only 30 minutes left before the transformation ends.''


    Philip dashed towards the inn where he was staying. A lot has happened today. He wanted nothing more but to rest on his soft bed.


    However, when Philip was about to return to the inn, he heard someone talking about Steve. His head unconsciously turned toward their direction, wanting to know what they were chatting about.


    Philip''s surprise was understandable as Steve''s name, Stephen Evans, was not indicated on the news. All the newspaper readers only knew that a child of the Evans Family had died from a terrorist attack. That was why, Philip thought that for someone to know Steve''s name meant they were either from Loen''s organization or from his family.


    "What about the wanted posters? Have you finished spreading them around?" The man asked.


    "Yes, sir. I also ordered my men to spread the terrorist face and name," said a familiar woman. She was the samedy Philip saw from the pasty store.


    "Hmmm Good. Is there any news circting about the young master Stephen? Like he was possessing firearms with him?" The man who wore a ck frock suit and a white inner cor shirt probed.


    "No sir. I believe all the people talk about was only the terrorist."


    "Good. Continue what you have been doing," The man then handed thedy a briefcase.


    Philip secretly spied on them. This continued until they stopped talking and dispersed.


    ''So that''s why my involvement as Raven had spread quickly among the people. Someone is controlling behind the scenes,'' Philip''s eyes narrowed irritably.


    Because of this, a lot of his ns were pushed back as he could not walk around without fearing someone would recognize him.


    ''This is somehow making me angry.''


    His sight followed the woman hopping away merrily, her smile was wide as she whistled in delight. Evident from her action was the happiness of receiving the briefcase in her arm.


    Philip was not an idiot. He knew what was inside the briefcase and thought evilly,


    "Only those who are fools would take no revenge."


    Philip secretly followed the woman who entered a narrow alley that was not illuminated by the light post. Her only source of light came from the small gasmp she was holding.


    As for Philip, he had nothing with him. He just trailed the woman in the dark with his eyes glowing gold.


    The ''Golden Eyes'' ability was not only useful for determining the value of an item. It was also helpful as a night vision. After all, everything was glowing. Philip did not need any lighting equipment.


    When he saw thedy wascent and ignorant of the dangering to her, then he moved and¡­


    CLACK!


    The woman''s eyelids closed. Shortly, she fell to the ground. Philip stood behind her, his hand raised diagonally as he whispered yfully,


    "Neck slice!"


    The woman instantly became unconscious. With Philip''s physique at 45, it was to be expected for an ordinary person to drop from it.


    Philip had already surmised that a healthy adult person''s physique is around 18 to 25. Any men with more than that were professional boxers and soldiers, just like with his past life body. So it wasn''t a surprise he could knock thedy with a ''simple'' attack.


    ''I didn''t kill her, right?''


    After Philip checked she was still breathing, then he sighed in relief. He quickly took the briefcase and anything valuable the woman possessed.


    Afterward, he departed, leaving the woman with the gasmp slowly extinguishing near her.


    ***


    "Jackpot! Jackpot!" Philip sang joyfully as he swung the briefcase back and forth.


    However, his jubnt mood was abruptly interrupted when he heard an argument emanating from the inn where he was staying.


    ''What happened?'' He dashed inside and met with arge group of onlookers and gossipers, including Maris'' elder brother and a band of muscr men at the center.


    Eager to learn more, he joined the curious crowd and observed the unfolding scene with interest.


    "We told you to sign the document, right? So why are you still not doing it?!" One of the muscr men roared.


    Maris'' older brother, who was aggressively protective of her younger sister earlier, now appeared weak and cornered. His voice was filled with frustration and nervousness as he answered the man.


    "I don''t want to sell the business my father worked hard for¡­"


    "Hah! Are you stupid?" The man mmed the reception table angrily.


    "We have bought all the buildings around. Only yours is remaining! This is a huge project backed up by nobles, yet you''re telling me you don''t want to surrender it?"


    Their argument continued with the men on the winning side. Maris'' older brother was no enemy from the muscr men''s threats. He was trembling while repeatedly refusing the men.


    "What happened?" Philip asked another gossiper on his side.


    "Well, I heard they are building a mall around this area. And this building is the only area that the Evans Family had not bought yet."


    "They have been pressuring them for more months." The gossiper looked around and whispered secretly at Philip.


    "I even heard that the owner of this ce was killed because of their refusal. Tsk. I hope that kid just epts and sells the building. After all, Life is more important."


    Ting!


    ______________


    [Chain Quest (1) Complete: Investigate Maris'' father''s death.]


    Reward: 10 Experience points


    [Chain Quest (2): Help Maris'' family seek vengeance]


    Reward: ???


    ______________


    Hearing the system bell, Philip could only bow his head. He was deciding whether he would involve himself with their mess or not.

 Chapter 33: Threat and Intimidation

    <h4>Chapter 33: Threat and Intimidation</h4>


    Ting!


    ______________


    [Chain Quest (1) Complete: Investigate Maris'' father''s death.]


    Reward: 10 Experience points


    [Chain Quest (2): Help Maris'' family seek vengeance]


    Reward: ???


    ______________


    Aside from the quest, Philip had no reason to intervene. Helping them take revenge was not an easy task. He could not just waltz around and help them only with the system telling him.


    He had to prioritize his safety first and lie low until he could find a suitable identity to copy.


    ''Well, even without me, surely someone will stop them, right?'' He thought while looking at the people gathering around.


    Philip continued gossiping with the onlookers. Aside from Davies'' situation, he also asked questions regarding the city. Since he had left the city for four years, he had no idea what changes had urred during this time.


    However, while he was talking and gathering information, he still could not help but notice the argument bing more heated and intense.


    SLAP!


    One of the muscr men pped Maris'' older brother. The force was so great that he was tossed away.


    The onlookers gasped, including Philip, who was secretly watching them. Philip skimmed around, but after seeing no one wanted to interfere, he asked the person beside him.


    "Why is no one helping? Are we just going to watch that man beat him?"


    "You don''t understand," A man sighed and whispered, "It was a project backed up by nobles. If we are to help him, we might bear their anger and suffer a consequence."


    "We might be rich enough to stay at this inn, but we are stillmoners. We are nothing in the face of nobles."


    "Furthermore, while the Evans may bemoners, they have great connections with the nobility and have a chance of being the first to receive a noble title without military achievements."


    "So you see. It''s not like no one wanted to help him, but we are just powerlesspared to them."


    Philip listened to him and finally understood the situation. He could not me them as they also had their lives to protect like him.


    However, there was still something that he was confused about in this situation.


    "If that would be the case, why is he fighting hard? Why can''t he just sell the building?"


    "That''s what I am talking about!" Another man butted in, "Why is Conrad being so stubborn? It''s not like they have to surrender the building for free."


    He breathed out a long sigh and said, "If only they chose to back off, his father might not have ended up with that ident."


    It was then Philip knew that their father had met with an ident. Because of the ongoing pressure, he died from heart disease.


    Philip still felt something strange. He perceived that the Evans Family and the nobles backing them up were strong. But why not just assassinate them? It might be cruel, but with their power and wealth, burying the news was a piece of cake.


    Philip carefully asked this question, and a woman gossiper answered him.


    "It''s because of their mother. She is a head maid of a duke family and is situated far from the capital. It was okay if only her husband died because it was just an ident. But If she heard that her entire family is killed, the duke might help her investigate and take revenge."


    "Hahh. I am sure she still had no idea about her husband''s death and the pressure her children are under."


    "Maybe that is why Conrad is still stubborn, he is waiting for her mother to help them. But it is almost a month yet not even her shadow could be seen," Another person added.


    When Philip heard about Maris and Conrad''s mother, his system rang and notified him of a quest.


    Ting!


    ______________


    [Chain Quest is updating upon receiving the new information!]


    [Chain Quest (2): Help Maris and Conrad inform their mother.]


    Description: The Evans Family has been stopping their letters from being delivered to the Semion fief. Help the familymunicate with one another.


    Reward: ???


    ______________


    ''So this was the case,'' Philip mulled while watching the time. He wanted to intervene and help Conrad but time limited him. He only had 3 minutes left before the transformation ended.


    ''Can I finish this in three minutes?'' He asked internally. However, he was forced to step up when he saw Conrad was about to surrender and sign the papers.


    ''If it is only this and not revenge, maybe I can help andplete this quest,'' Philip quickly decided. He would not let Conrad sign those contracts.


    "Are you not afraid of the police?" Philip''s voice resounded loudly in the lobby. The gossipers on his side simultaneously nced at him with their widened eyes. They quickly trotted away from Philip, not wanting to involve themselves in this mess.


    "What?! Are you talking to us?"


    Philip stepped forward, his gaze aimed at the muscr man squatting in front of Conrad. His hands held the contract papers and the pen he forcibly pressed into Conrad''s fingers.


    "With all of us here, are you not afraid someone will report you to the police station? This is harassment, you know?" Philip dered, his serious voice carrying authority and confidence.


    "Hah! As if someone would dare," The man scoffed and said, "We have nobles behind us! Just try it and let''s see if you can!"


    He faced the crowd with his bloodshot eyes. Scared, all the onlookers speedily left the lobby. Their intention was obvious. They didn''t want to meddle with their fight.


    Shortly, he looked at Philip, as if he was an idiot who did not know how to value his life.


    "Oh! Threats and Intimidation!" Philip pped sarcastically, "Do you know you will also be punished for that?"


    When the man saw Philip didn''t seem to understand him, he stood up, intending to show the huge difference in their height, and asked irritably,


    "Hey. Who are you by the way? Why are you butting in someone''s business?" He was too close to gaining Conrad''s signature. If it wasn''t for Philip''s interference, he would have left a minute ago.


    He strode towards Philip and stood a foot away from him. Because he was 15 cm taller than 180 cm Philip, he had to lean down so their gazes would directly meet.


    His eyes were burning as he closely faced Philip eye-to-eye and whispered intimidatingly,


    "I''ll give you onest chance, little man. Why don''t you stop being a meddlesome hero and walk away?"


    The man raised his fist threateningly in front of Philip. "If not," he said, "this might be stuck into your face."


    Philip remained unfazed by his intimidation. All he was thinking was how to end this fast.


    He only had a minute left. If he could not finish this, he might end up transforming into his original body.


    Philip smiled eerily and replied by grabbing the man''s fist, "Hey, why don''t you think about the Evans'' reputation?"


    "If the police won''t work and the people are scared of you, How about the church? Can you handle it if I bring this forward and inform all your atrocities to them? What would happen if a priest preached my story? Can you take the wrath of all the believers?"


    "So why not stop today and leave?"


    He gripped the man''s fist more tightly. The man tried to free himself but realized he could not.


    Although Philip might be shorter than him, Philip was still obviously stronger. After all, he had increased his Physique by 15. And even without that, with his past body, no ordinary person could overpower him.


    "Let me give you a piece of advice," This time, it was Philip''s turn to threaten the man. He narrowed his eyes dangerously as he whispered, "Don''t be too overconfident, and know your ce."


    "The world is big, you see." Philip smirked and continued, "You never know. This man standing in front of you may not be a real person."


    "That''s ridiculous!" The man screamed in denial, but his body was trembling from Philip''s words. He tried to unbuckle himself but ended up utterly defeated. He could only cry silently while he nced at Philip with a pleading and pitiful look.


    "Hehe," Philip giggled and stopped gripping him. He walked gently towards the stairs, not bothering the man''s scared appearance behind him.


    Philip didn''t need to push hard as he knew they would temporarily stop today. All his focus was to reach his room immediately. He only had 20 seconds left and his room was on the third floor. He had to climb quickly.


    When his foot touched the 1st-floornding, he stopped acting and dashed as quickly as possible.


    10 seconds left on the second floor. And 5 seconds left on the third floor.


    But when he was about to celebrate, he noticed someone squatting in his doorway.


    She was Maris and she seemed to be waiting for Phillip outside his room.


    Maris perceived someone wasing into the corridor and unconsciously turned her head.


    When she saw the breathless Philip, her lips turned upward as her eyes became wet.


    However, 5 secondster, her gaze turned into a surprise. She watched Philip bing smaller.


    Shortly, Philip transformed into his original body. With his iplete limbs, he dropped to the floor with his oversized clothes and the stolen briefcase.


    Philip looked at Maris who was now slightly taller than him. He scratched his head as he greeted embarrassingly,


    "Hi?"

 Chapter 34: Stripping

    <h4>Chapter 34: Stripping</h4>


    Silence enveloped the third floor. Philip and Maris were both looking at each other for a long time. While it was unknown what Maris was feeling, Philip''s heart was thumping extremely fast from apprehension.


    ''What to do?'' He mulled while his gaze remained fixed on Maris. Never did he expect her to wait at his doorway. He was lost on what to do.


    ''Should I just upgrade my uniqueness? No, it is toote. She has already seen me.''


    Philip immediately thought of his next course of action. He did not want to remain in this inn any longer and decided to leave once his uniqueness reset at midnight.


    ''She''s only a child. One will only say she''s hallucinating once she notified someone about me,'' Philip pondered optimistically. He could only rely on an adult''s mind to not believe any nonsense from a child.


    It was 10 in the evening, meaning he had to pack his things and stall for two hours. Philip had no choice but to make it work as he could not function well with his disabled body.


    Upon making this decision, Philip stood up with his right leg and picked up the oversized clothes scattered on the ground. He covered his bare body and hopped towards the door.


    Maris'' dumbfounded eyes remained on Philip. While she might have seen Philip''s transformation, her brain refused to believe it. This urrence was too new, especially to her who was only a child.


    Her intense gaze continued until Philip reached the door and rummaged through his clothes for door keys. She only reacted when she saw Philip standing with one foot near her.


    "What are you?" she asked. While she was initially surprised, her eyes had no hint of vignce and anxiety. Instead, she was only showing curiosity for her age.


    Philip didn''t reply to her. He was too busy looking for his key. With his right hand being unusable, he had more difficulty digging through his pocket.


    Maris waited until Philip finally unlocked the door and entered. However, when he was about to close the door, Maris quickly entered after him. Her eyes were still fixed on him curiously.


    While Philip acted as though it was none of his concern, deep inside he was burdened by her presence. How could he not be? She knew his secret and besides, he was nning on escaping. If she kept on bothering him, how could he do it?


    Philip couldn''t hold back anymore and asked, "Are you not leaving?"


    He held the door wide open, intended for Maris to go out on her own.


    However, maybe because she was a child, she remained clueless about his intention. And when she felt bored staring at Philip, she then wandered around his room.


    A little whileter, upon seeing a crate of milk beside the side table, her eyes immediately beamed in joy as he nced at Philip with a smiling face.


    "So you are really a child! How did you do it? Will you teach me how to turn into an adult?"


    Philip was bombarded with numerous childish questions and could not help but be irritated. He was not angry at Maris but at himself.


    ''If only I was careful, none of this would have happened,'' Philip sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as if trying to dispel a headache.


    Maris continued asking and roaming around him. When it finally dawned on him that he could not make her leave, he closed the door after awkwardly dragging the briefcase to his room.


    Shortly, he leaped to his suitcase and took a set of children''s clothes to dress himself up.


    Since he was only using one arm, it was difficult for him to cover his bare body. The oversized clothes dropped to the floor, and a shriek echoed behind him.


    "Kyaaah!"


    Maris quickly covered her eyes with her small hands. But her fingers were distant from each other, making her eyes still openly goggling at him.


    While Philip might have an adult mind, he was still embarrassed by the little girl''s shamelessness.


    "Can you turn around!" Philip cried, his voice had a hint of shyness within.


    Maris giggled and turned around. She whispered in a voice loud enough for Philip to hear, "You''re really a child! Your pipi is small."


    Hearing this, Philip''s face became red as a tomato. Regardless of age, no man wanted a girl to judge his bottom part.


    "Shut up!" He shouted.


    Maris quickly zipped her mouth and waited for Philip to finish.


    Later, Philip sighed and drank a bottle of milk. A lot had happened today and he felt thirsty. Moreover, facing this tough situation, he could not help but be stressed out.


    "What do you want?" Philip asked like a street bully kid. He wanted to portray to the little girl he wasn''t easy to bully.


    It was then Maris remembered her circumstance and quickly pulled Philip''s sleeve.


    "Please help my brother!" The curiosity on her face had turned into anxiety. It was evident on her face that she was concerned about her brother.


    ''So that was why she was waiting outside my room,'' Philip frustratedly shook his hair with his fingers. He remembered telling the girl earlier to reach him if she needed help out of politeness.


    However, this politeness made him suffer from mental stress instead.


    But, seeing the girl trembling, he could not help but soften and no longer wanted to make her difficult.


    "Don''t worry, your brother is okay. I already helped him," he said.


    When Maris heard these words, her face turned into relief as she nced at Philip with thankful eyes.


    When Philip realized that Maris seemed to have forgotten about his transformation, he asked to keep her busy.


    "Hey, why are you adamant about keeping this inn? Wouldn''t it be better to sell it to keep yourselves safe?"


    Maris'' face became dejected upon hearing Philip''s query. It was evident in her reaction that she knew that selling the building was the perfect solution.


    "Before our father died, he told us not to sell the building as it is the family''s heritage. We have been keeping and managing the inn ever since the first Davies was born."


    "Brother asked why but Father didn''t specifically tell us the reason. He only said that only time will tell how important this building is to us."


    While Maris was recounting her father''sst words, Philip slowly moved his belongings back to his luggage. He only let an inaudible sound to keep her to continue in telling her story.


    "I also remember Father saying that the males of Davies were weak to constant psychological pressure. He even reminded brother to always keep his emotions in check,"


    Maris became sadder upon being reminded of this. She bowed her head and shared weakly,


    "Maybe that''s why my father died. He died because he can''t handle them¡­"


    "What if my brother also ended up like him¡­"


    Maris'' sobs resounded painfully around the room that even Philip could not help but feel sorry.


    ''Ha. I am really weak to children,'' Philip stopped packing his things and told Maris to sit on his bed.


    "Don''t worry. Your brother is strong. In fact, he faced the men alone downstairs. If you have seen him, you will surely be proud of him," Philip soothed.


    He was telling the truth. Based on the gossip, Conrad has been facing Evans'' pressure for almost a month without the support of an adult. If he isn''t strong, then who is?


    When Philip was about tofort her more, the door suddenly banged open, and an adolescent man entered the room panicky.


    "Maris!" Conrad cried, "Why are you here? And where is the man¡­"


    Conrad then caught the sight of another child seated beside Maris. He was confused for a moment before his eyes turned serious.


    "Who are you? I remember we don''t have a guest like you here."


    "..."


    Philip was in a stupor. He had been like this since Conrad ''trespassed'' his room. He was so stunned by his action that his mind froze and stopped working.


    ''Where''s my privacy? Is it normal for them to enter their guests'' room?"


    But before Philip could reply, Maris answered him on her behalf.


    "Brother! This is the same man who helped me earlier this afternoon. He is the upant of this room!"


    Philip''s world crashed by Maris'' sudden revtion. He wanted to facepalm himself but forced his hand to stay put on hisp.


    He nced at Conrad, observing his reaction. But upon seeing Conrad acting like it was nothing to him, he furrowed his brows, thinking whether transformation ability was a daily urrence to everyone.


    "So that''s why you''re so meddlesome. So you are just a child." Conrad said. His face turned sorrowful upon seeing Philip''s disabled body.


    Philip had no time to care about what Conrad had been saying as his mind broke from their bizarre reaction.


    ''Why is he more focused on me being a child? Can''t they see I can turn into an adult?!''


    ''Am I the abnormal here? Why are they not shocked or scared?''


    But Philip was left in more shock when Conrad suddenly went down on his knees as he expressed his request,


    "Please help us!"


    ***


    A couple of minutester, Philip was in a daze. He no longer knew where he was and what he was doing.


    "Do you really need my help?" he asked. His tone was serious but also had a hint of surrender within.


    "Yes!" answered Conrad. Maris was also staring at Philip with an expectant look.


    Philip went silent for a while and said directly to Conrad,


    "Then strip. Take no clothes left behind your body."


    The room instantly became silent. While Conrad blushed like a maiden, Maris gave Philip a disappointed and scornful gaze.

 Chapter 35: Class (1)

    <h4>Chapter 35: ss (1)</h4>


    The next day, Philip could be seen walking under the morning sun. His steps were steady andposed while wearing a brown school sack coat with inner white long sleeves paired with brown cks. He also wore a ck tie and pinned on his chest was an insignia of Bryxton University.


    His face wasn''t the usual Raven he was using. Instead, it was now the face of a youthful 20-year-old man with delicate features and a mole on his cheeks.


    Philip was now in the form of Conrad, the same man whose family owned the inn he was currently staying in.


    Yesterday was full of surprises as Conrad asked him to help inform their mother about their situation. He needed Philip''s transformation ability to assist him in bypassing Evans'' surveince.


    While Philip was hesitant at first, heter agreed.


    ''Being a college student has its own merits.'' Philip thought merrily. Conrad was a student of Bryxton University, a ce where learning and research take ce.


    Philip agreed because he needed a temporary identity to use to roam around the city. An identity that would not make him look suspicious even if he danced in the middle of the street.


    With this, Conrad''s identity was perfect. As a resident and an owner of a famous inn, he had a socialwork for Philip to mingle into.


    Moreover, Philip had always been wanting to enter a university and experience the life of a student. As he had never done it in the past and will probably not in the future, he somehow wanted to live like how norms usually live.


    ''Let''s enjoy life first,'' Philip giggled while holding a thick book in his arms. His steps became lighter and softer, evident that he was enjoying the mission he took.


    ''Conrad should have left the inn by now,'' He thought. The n was for Philip to temporarily take his ce and grab the attention of Evans'' hidden men. As for Conrad, he would sneak out and go to Semion''s fief to find his mother.


    Philip smiled. The mission was easy and beneficial to him. All he needed to do was to act as Conrad for a couple of days.


    However, his smile quickly nted down when he recalled what had happened yesterday.


    ''Haha. I was even called a pervert with this ability,'' He chuckled awkwardly while his fist rolled hard in irritation.


    When Philip told Conrad to strip, not only Conrad reacted greatly, but also Maris. They were looking at Philip as if he was a molester.


    To avoid any misunderstanding, Philip had no choice but to exin his innate power and persuade them with his n.


    While Conrad was blushing, Philip gulped as he looked at Conrad stripping in front of him.


    He wasn''t intimidated by Conrad''s naked body but by Maris'' deadly gaze as she left the room.


    ''Does she really think I enjoy looking at another man''s naked body?'' Philip shook his head, disgusted. His transformation ability only works if he has great familiarity with the body structure he is going to transform into. Meaning, he had to observe every detail of Conrad''s body.


    From his 27 tiny moles to his visible veins, all of it, he had to sculpt everything on his mind.


    ''It even took me two hours topletely memorize everything,'' Philip sighed and stopped recalling. He no longer wanted to think about how he ''caressed'' and stared at his body for hours.


    A little whileter, Philip stood before a tall majestic gate with rows of stone buildings on the far end, with arge greenwn and tall withering trees in between. Above the gate was a metallic te with Bryxton University written on it.


    Philip smiled slightly upon seeing it, excited about what was ahead of him.


    ''If I win the game and obtain a soul, I can also lead a normal life. I just hope the outside world is normal and has schools,'' Philip thought, his determination to win soared up even further.


    While Philip was imagining his life, someone tapped him on his shoulder.


    "Conrad?" A girl called out behind Philip.


    Philip turned around and saw a girl wearing a uniform with a badge simr to his on her chest.


    "Oh, it''s really you!" The girl smiled widely, her eyes beamed with joy.


    "Hello, Elise." Philip greeted the girl shyly. All night, he had been familiarizing Conrad''s mannerisms and social circle. And Elise was one of Conrad''s ssmates in his major ss.


    "I''m d you''re finally back! Has the problem regarding your family been solved?" Elise asked carefully, her eyes dropped slightly, obviously concerned about Conrad.


    "No, not yet. But it''s finally manageable to attend ss," Philip answered. Conrad had been missing sses for almost a month and it was the first time since thest he attended again.


    "Thankfully," Elise sighed in relief. She plucked her hair behind her ears and smiled beautifully, "I hope everything will end well in your favor."


    "Let''s go." She then turned and walked gracefully ahead of Philip.


    Philip smiled at this sight. Elise was too obvious about her intention and couldn''t help but wonder why Conrad never talked about his love life.


    ''Maybe he is shy,'' Philip giggled.


    But while he was amused, he felt strange the more he walked inside the campus.


    "Hello, Conrad!"


    "Conrad! You''re back!"


    "Kyaah! I miss you, Conrad."


    A little whileter, Philip was surrounded by girls of his age. In addition, some men were also showing great interest in his arrival.


    ''Why did Conrad never tell me he is famous in school?!'' Philip gritted his teeth. He wanted to punch Conrad in his head.


    Philip blushed from the attention he was receiving. He could not help it. He wasn''t used to people flocking around him.


    However, his blush created more chaos among the students.


    "Hahaha. You''re still the same as ever."


    "The tomato is back!"


    The studentsughed out loud. Later, a tall man walked towards Conrad and pinched his cheeks hard.


    "Cute¡­" Adolf said with a cold and expressionless face.


    Philip widened his eyes upon this sight. Ever since Adolf entered his proximity, he had been alert against him.


    Conrad told him that Adolf was a big bully and had always been maltreating him. With this, he readied himself for what was about toe. But when his ''maltreatment'' was just about him telling he was cute and pinching his cheeks, Philip''s worldview began to crumble.


    ''What the heck is this!'' Philip trembled in anger. It was then Philip knew what was wrong with Conrad.


    ''What a slow-witted and dense person!'' Philip realized. The reason Conrad did not clearly tell him about his affair was just that Conrad didn''t know about their interest, whether it was about friendship or love.


    ''No. no. It''s more than this... He is just an idiot!''


    It was then Philip finally understood why Conrad didn''t react fiercely upon discovering his transformation ability. ''He was just a dumb person with no survival instinct.''


    ''Can he even safely reach Semion Fief?'' Philip began to worry about this mission.


    Later, after a few twists and turns, Philip finally got into his ssroom.


    The room was filled with 20 armchairs, seated on them were Philip''s ssmates, with a majority of boys over girls.


    In front, a huge chalkboard is attached to the wall. It had white markings written, mostly about numbers and forms on them.


    On the side were three windows showing the balding trees and orange leaves floating and slowly dropping to the ground.


    Philip sat near the middle window. Behind him was the tall Adolf minding his own business. Additionally, his ssmates were starting to disperse around him and take their books and notes to read.


    Seeing this, Philip sighed a relief. Conrad''s unexpected close rtionship with his ssmates bothered him. He needed a time-out topose himself and renew his identity.


    ''Based on Conrad, he is supposed to be a loner with no close friends to mingle with. In addition, he stated he was always being bullied by his ssmates... But from what I see, his ssmates obviously have good contact with him.''


    Philip felt frustrated with Conrad. Conrad was like a deeply introverted person surrounded by extroverts who wanted to adopt him.


    ''Maybe Conrad misunderstood their intention and closed his doors from them,'' Philip mulled. He then recalled his first interaction with Conrad, specifically the time he helped Maris with her job.


    ''Obviously, Conrad is like a cat at first who doesn''t want others to meddle with his life. But after meeting the second time, he epted him easily and asked for help...''


    ''So what changes? Is it because he aided him with Evans'' men?''


    Philip stopped thinking about it as it frustrated him even more.


    Only Conrad could understand himself the most. Philip was only an outsider whom he met twice. It wasn''t enough for Philip to know everything about him.


    When his ssmates were busying themselves with their notes, a woman with a fierce expression entered the room.


    She wasn''t wearing a uniform intended for students but a red long frock coat with a badge of a tower pinned on her left chest. On her arms held a thick book and index cards were inserted on them.


    When the students noticed her, they all stood up and greeted her,


    "Good Morning, Miss Leffindor."


    Philip immediately followed suit. Thankfully, none of them seemed to notice him greetingte.


    Miss Leffindor gestured, and the students sat at the same time. She also sat on the chair and took out the piles of index cards.


    She gazed at the students and announced,


    "Let''s start the oral examination.''

 Chapter 36: Class (2)

    <h4>Chapter 36: ss (2)</h4>


    "Let''s start the oral examination."


    The students around instantly became tense. They unanimously bowed their heads to their books, trying not to make eye contact with the professor.


    Philip was confused about the strange and suffocating atmosphere. As he had no idea of what was about to ur.


    ''What is an oral examination? And why do they look afraid of the professor?'' He then nced at Miss Leffindor, ''Yes. She''s kinda scary but is it enough for them¡­''


    Philip stopped. No. More like he was forcibly stopped by Miss Leffindor''s call.


    "Elise Mcflurry. Stand up."


    Philip didn''t know why but when he heard her calling out names from her index cards, his body uncontrobly trembled.


    "What is happening? Why is my instinct telling me to run?"


    It was then Philip was about to experience all college students are feared of:


    A graded and random oral recitation.


    Elise stood up and hesitantly looked at the teacher. She tried to keep her fingers from shaking by holding them tightly with her sweaty hands.


    Miss Leffindor took no notice of Elise''s small act as all her sight was on the opened thick book on the table.


    "What is the maximum spacing of vertical shear reinforcement for a beam of size 250 x 360 mm?" Miss Leffindor asked, her eyes still glued on the book and the index cardsid on the table.


    Elise heaved a sigh of relief after Miss Leffindor finished her question and answered confidently, "270 mm."


    "Good." Miss Leffindor took a pen and wrote something on the index card. Shortly after, she shuffled the index cards and called out a name,


    "Adolf Hitter."


    Elise smiled as she took a seat. Meanwhile, Philip heard a chair scratching the floor from behind. He nced back and saw the tall and expressionless Adolf standing firmly as he was about to enter the battlefield.


    "The width of stairs in a residential building should be at least¡­"


    "900 mm." Adolf smiled menacingly. His usual expressionless face turned into a criminal satisfied with his kill.


    "Correct." Miss Leffindor dered and continued calling out names.


    Philip was dumbfounded. If he still doesn''t understand what is happening, then he is an idiot!


    ''So this is an oral examination..'' Philip quickly opened his book in panic and buried his head in it.


    But when he saw what was inside, he felt like he was about to lose his breath and pass out.


    ''What sorcery is this?!'' He asked internally. He finally felt what his ssmates and all college students felt every time they had an important examination.


    ''I don''t understand everything.''


    It was understandable for Philip to know nothing about the subject. After all, he was focused only on Conrad''s social circle and mannerisms. As for his course, he never studied it nor opened his book.


    ''What to do?'' He asked himself nervously. The nervousness he felt was greater than when he faced life-and-death situations.


    ''Well, I can just say an incorrect answer and reason out an excuse for being absent for almost a month,'' He pondered, trying to run away from the problem.


    However, when he noticed his ssmates answered every question Miss Leffindor threw, he somehow felt ashamed for not acting like Conrad.


    Based on what Conrad had told him, while he was a loner in school, he had always maintained the first rank every semester. Meaning, that if he was Conrad, he would surely answer the question even if he was absent for a month.


    ''Today I am Conrad, not Philip. So I have to act like a real one.'' Philip decided. He didn''t want to risk Conrad''s first ce.


    ''Then, I think it''s time to use this.'' Philip said something under his breath, and an invisible screen panel immediately appeared before him.


    ______________


    Stats:


    Physique: 18 (+15) [>]


    Mental: 13


    Mana: 0


    Spirit: 0


    Attributable Points: 63


    ______________


    Philip then focused his sight on his Stats and noticed his Mental increased to 13 from 12.


    However, while he wanted to find the reason behind its increase, time limited him as anytime soon Miss Leffindor would call out his name.


    He quickly allocated 5 to Mental, hoping to increase his intelligence.


    [ Mental: 13 (+5) ]


    Immediately, he tried its effects by reading and scanning his book.


    After a short while, he cursed and groaned internally, ''I still don''t understand.''


    While Philip noticed his intelligence and memory retention improved, he still could not understand the subject.


    After all, even if he became smarter, he still had no clue about the topic. And with no foundation, he would still be dumber than someone with an average IQ who dedicated one hour every day to study the subject.


    Having realized this, instead of understanding the course, he only memorized what his brain could memorize.


    Philip flipped his book so fast that his seatmate took notice of him. However, while the seatmate was bothered by it, she never stopped him as she had yet been called out and had to quickly review her notes.


    This ridiculous action of Philip continued until he finally heard Conrad''s name being called out by the professor.


    "Conrad Davies. Stand up." Miss Leffindor said. Unlike earlier, her eyes weren''t on her book but on Philip.


    "You''ve been absent for nine of my sessions, Mr. Conrad," Miss Leffindor said sternly.


    "While I understand you have a reason, it is still difficult for me to let you off the hook." She continued, "I wanted to fail you in my ss, but you have always been at the top of our department that it''s a pity to have you out¡­"


    Miss Leffindor sat poker-faced, drumming the arm of her chair with her pen.


    "So to give you a chance, I will ask you 10 questions, and if you answer everything correctly, then I will just forget your absences." She nced at Philip and said with a smile,


    "I hope you studied your missed lessons during your absences, Mr. Conrad. As you can see, I also don''t want to fail the top one in my ss."


    "Yes, Professor," Philip answered slowly. His mind was still on the book, trying to recall every word and sentence he scanned.


    He stared at Miss Leffindor with a hazy gaze, waiting for the first question she would throw.


    "In an R.C. beam, the main reinforcement consists of 16 mm bars and coarse aggregate size used in 20 mm. The horizontal distance between two parallel reinforcing bars should not be less than?"


    When Philip heard the first question, his mind quickly moved and materialized an illusionary book floating in front of him.


    The book opened and flipped its pages, looking for the words ''R.C beam'', ''Horizontal distance'', and ''Parallel reinforcing bars'' within.


    Then a secondter, the book stopped flipping and showed page 45 with a highlighted sentence.


    "The distance between the two should not be less than 25 mm." Philip read the highlighted sentence out loud.


    Miss Leffindor nodded as if she had expected his answer and said, "Correct."


    She continued asking questions from the book, and Philip answered them correctly.


    And when Miss Leffindor''s eight-question was answered correctly, she could not finally control herself from letting out a smile.


    "Good. Good." Sheplimented, her face beaming with joy.


    All the students who had already called out were looking at Philip with proud gazes. While the students who weren''t done with the recitation buried their heads even more in their book.


    "Question 9," Miss Leffindor said, flipping the book even further.


    When Philip saw her action, he froze. He knew what wasing and this was also confirmed by his system.


    Ting!


    ______________


    [Karma sees the yer is doing well and chooses to make the yer suffer.]


    ______________


    Philip''s eyes widened from the sudden System''s notification and heard Miss Leffindor''s next question.


    "What is Characteristic strength?"


    The students unanimously gasped as they quickly flipped their books.


    Philip also looked deep into his memories. And when the materialized book stopped flipping to page 102, he realized the question was not in the pages he had memorized.


    Philip trembled as he had no way of knowing the answer. Additionally, he felt pressured because if he could not answer it, Conrad might fail the ss.


    The students murmured noisily. They also didn''t know the answer and quickly looked into their books.


    "Quiet!" Miss Leffindor mmed the table hard, silencing the students around.


    Philip remained frozen. He also wanted to look at his book. But with Miss Leffindor intently staring at him, he could not do so.


    Philip noticed his seatmate stopped flipping and unconsciously glimpsed at him.


    "Eyes on me, Mr. Conrad!" She scolded.


    Philip quickly took his sight away and looked straight at the professor.


    ''I saw it¡­'' He murmured. For less than a second, he managed to see what was written on the page.


    ''But aside from the bolded chapter title, Characteristic Strength, everything is hazy¡­''


    "Mr. Conrad, please answer the question. What is Characteristic strength?" She asked once again, giving Philip no time to think of an answer.


    However, no matter what Philip did, he could not remember what was written on the hazy part of his memory.


    "10¡­9¡­" Miss Leffindor''s countdown had pressured Philip more.


    Philip gritted his teeth. He had already invested in this exam and did not want to fail.


    Shortly, he nced at his system panel and decided,


    ''+12 to Mental.''

 Chapter 37: Class (3)

    <h4>Chapter 37: ss (3)</h4>


    What is it like to have an increase of 15 to your Physique?


    This was the question Philip had been wondering ever since he upgraded his Physique impulsively in the past. He wanted to know what benefits it brought to his strength and stamina.


    It was only when he was on the run for one week and experimented his newfound body that he realized how important each Stat point is.


    In Raven''s form, he had always been at the top with his initial 30 Physique and was the strongest and the fastest among the ordinary people.


    This was the result of his training in the previous life and the constitution of a main character of the story.


    And if he added 15 more, he could have the stamina to run for six hours straight at his fastest speed without stopping. This was like an increase of two hours from his original record.


    As for his strength, usually, he could carry 120 kilograms of weight but after the upgrade, he could now carry 180 for a long period!


    That was why ever since it came to his knowledge, he had been careful and stingy about allocating his Stats points.


    Ting!


    Mental: 13 (+17)


    Philip had always been smarter and shrewderpared to the other undercover agents. It was like his talent and intelligence brought him to the top of the food chain in the espionage world.


    So if that was the case before, what would happen to him now that he has a Mental of 30?


    It was like having an IQ of 300!


    After Philip confirmed the increase, his world stopped moving. No. It was more like everything was moving extremely slowly.


    The leaves outside were swaying mid-air as if they were opposing the force of gravity.


    The flipping of book pages also slowed down, leaving the visible air pressure they carry.


    Philip noticed the dust and other small particles floating around the ssroom. Although they were just a bunch of dirty dead skin cells and soil, in Philip''s eyes, they were beautiful, especially when they danced with the seven colors of sunlight reflecting on them.


    But Philip forced himself to stop enjoying the scenery as time limited him. He quickly controlled his mind to bring him to the past, specifically to the time when he saw the answer printed on the book of his seatmate.


    The world started moving, but backward and Miss Leffindor''s countdown returned from 3 to 10.


    Later, the time once again stopped, but now at the scene where Philip had glimpsed the answer.


    Philip became ethereal as he ejected himself away from his physical body. He moved towards his seatmate and looked at the book on his front.


    The hazy part had finally be clear to him, and he read each word in ecstasy.


    And after he scanned the answer, he returned to his body and back to the present. Shortly, he looked straight into Miss Leffindor''s eyes and answered the question confidently,


    "Characteristic strength is minimum assured strength + 1.64 times standard deviation."


    Miss Leffindor stopped her countdown and smiled, "Correct."


    When Miss Leffindor said the word, cheers and apuse echoed around the ssroom.


    Philip looked at his ssmates celebrating as if they were the ones who answered the question and could not help but smile.


    He might not like the attention they gave, but he was still happy with how friendly Conrad''s ssmates were.


    ''Now I''m sure that Conrad had misunderstood his ssmates,'' Philip thought while enjoying the cheers of his ssmates. He was thinking of having a long talk once Conrad returned. He wanted Conrad to know how lucky he was to have friends who celebrated his sess.


    "Okay stop shouting!" Miss Leffindor drummed the table, "Don''t disturb the sses next door."


    "Good job Mr. Conrad. As expected of the top of the department!"


    She then announced to the whole ss, "So ss, be like Mr. Conrad who studies the lessons in advance. You belong to the section one ss of our department. Surely, you don''t want to embarrass the university, right?"


    "Yes!" The students unanimously replied, their tone was burning withpetitiveness.


    ***


    A couple of hourster, Philip could be seen running towards the university gate. Only when he stepped outside he resumed walking at a normal speed.


    ''I never knew that a university is this scary,'' Philip murmured, his eyes were shaking as he nced behind him.


    But when he noticed people waving their arms at him, he quickly looked away and ran to the inn.


    Earlier, after answering all of Miss Leffindor''s questions and finishing her ss, his ssmates quickly roamed and pulled him closer to them. They were fighting for him as if he was thest discounted good in the store.


    While Philip could easily break free from them with his strength, he chose not to. After all, he was Conrad, not Philip.


    But when they started asking him academic questions, then he fought for his freedom and ran away from them. He no longer cared about ''Conrad''s persona'', all he wanted to do was to stay far from them.


    ''Hah. I finally knew the reason why Conrad thought he was being bullied.''


    Conrad could not be med for his misunderstanding as his ssmates were too fierce and forceful to answer their curiosity. And with Conrad''s shy and dense personality, he could not fight and exin he was hurting.


    Philip massaged his shoulders and thought about whether to solve Conrad''s problem or not. He didn''t want Conrad to misunderstand them. Also, he didn''t want his ssmates to continue their insensitive actions.


    ''Well, it is simply informing them about the truth. So I see no problem solving Conrad''s situation.''


    Philip stopped thinking and walked towards the inn. It was lunch break, so he had time to return.


    Because the inn was close to the university exactly just outside the gate, he quickly arrived at his destination.


    Philip entered the building and when he noticed that Evans'' men were not there to create chaos, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    ''It''s good they were still mindful about ethics.''


    He then noticed a man he had never seen before seated at the receptionist counter.


    He offered the man a slight bow, and the man also nodded in reply.


    ''So they also have other employees,''


    Philip thought that only Conrad and Maris ran the inn since he hadn''t seen someone else besides them.


    It was only when he talked with Conradst night that he confirmed three other people were working under them.


    Philip secretly observed the man. ''Why does he look strange?''


    However, Philip stopped his thoughts upon seeing a couple climbing down the stairs.


    "Hello, I hope you enjoy staying in our inn," Philip greeted. He knew the couple, especially the wife as she was the same bride he saw at the church yesterday.


    "Yes, thank you. We have a great stay here," answered the husband.


    The greeting was short as they immediately dispersed.


    Philip noticed the husband forcibly dragging the wife. She was clutching her stomach, and her stride was weak and short.


    Although Philip was slightly concerned about her, he didn''t poke his nose and help. He had enough of being meddlesome with Maris yesterday.


    Moreover, he had more important things to do.


    Philip entered a room on the basement floor. It was the room of Conrad and Maris.


    After Philip transformed into Conrad, they decided for Philip to stay in their room. This was made to convince Evans'' men that there was nothing wrong or suspicious going on.


    Maris was not in the room or in the inn as she was studying in a school four blocks away. Like Conrad, she has been away from school to apany his brother. Only when Philip arrived and acted as Conrad did she finally go back.


    Philip smiled. This was what he needed, a quiet and empty room.


    "Open System," he whispered.


    Shortly after, a screen panel appeared before him. Philip then focused his mind on the System''s Log.


    [The yer is under immense mental pain from continuously using his uniqueness. +1 Mental Toughness]


    After reading the new log, Philip finally knew why his Mental increased from 12 to 13.


    ''So, not only I can upgrade my stats with stats points but also with training.''


    Philip thought. If he trained his mind and body, his mental and physique might also undergo a change.


    However, Philip frowned at the thought of strengthening his body.


    ''Hah. How can I train if my initial body is disabled?'' Philip sighed. He decided to prioritize finding a medicine.


    ''To do this, I really need information¡­''


    Philip looked at the ''Information'' in the system panel and pondered, ''If only I could use this.''


    Philip nced at his karma getting more negative each hour.


    ''I almost got myself into trouble earlier with this¡­''


    ''As expected, I have to personally erase the reason for my karma getting more negative¡­''


    Philip fixed his clothes and nced outside the window. He saw the legs of a group of muscr men that had been following him since earlier.


    When one of the men noticed some movement in the basement window, he squatted on the ground and smiled at Philip.


    Philip narrowed his eyes as he quickly pulled the curtain down closed.

 Chapter 38: Bluff not working

    <h4>Chapter 38: Bluff not working</h4>


    When the stars began to glimmer in the sky, and the street market started to bustle, Philip could be seen fully clothed in Raven form, running.


    Philip carefully scanned the crowd and slipped out of Bryxton City, timing his actions to avoid detection from Evans'' men.


    It was only when he reached a nearby small town that he stopped running. He breathed a sigh of relief and shortly continued his way forward.


    After a while, Philip emerged from the shadow, his fingernails were covered with soil and dirt. He discreetly groped his chest, and when he felt a bulge under his trench coat, he took off and returned to the city.


    An hourter, when he made it back to the inn, he kept a watchful eye on the muscr men patrolling outside. Only when he determined they didn''t notice him did he let his lips curl up.


    ''Good thing they didn''t catch me.''


    What Philip had done earlier was to retrieve the pistol he stashed outside the city limits, the very same pistol he had used to shoot Steve just a week prior.


    ''Let''s see, it still has two bullets left,'' he said while fiddling with the gun in his hands.


    Later, Philip stopped ying with the gun, cleaned his dirty hands, and changed his clothes. He sneaked out again, bypassing Evans'' men surveilling him.


    ''I have four hours left before my transformation ends. Better make use of it.''


    It was 10 in the evening, and the stalls in the night market began to close. The crowd also dissipated, clutching their purchases andnterns.


    In the darkness, most people required a light to see ahead, but Philip was different. His eyes shone with a golden light, and he swiftly made his way northwest, unencumbered by the dark. His second uniqueness allowed him to see the world in bright and gold hues.


    ''This is really convenient,'' he marveled while sprinting.


    Shortly, he arrived in a district full of opulent mansions and grand houses, where the wealthymoners lived.


    Philip scanned around, and when his sight caught a building taller and grander than the neighboring structure, he stopped and narrowed his eyes.


    ''This is it,'' Philip thought while looking at the Evans mansion.


    Philip went through all this trouble to erase his umting negative karma.


    The Evans had made him a scapegoat to hide their involvement with the gun that Steve owned and had been dering through newspapers that he was a terrorist behind the steam lotive incident. This caused his name to spread, decreasing his karma even further.


    ''From what I see, karma is heavily rted to a yer''s reputation. The more a yer is painted as evil, the more he umtes bad karma.''


    Philip''s theory was not without a basis as his system continued to alert him of his decreasing karma.


    [yer''s evil deed has spread out to the city. -1 Karma]


    [The citizens are scared of the yer. -1 Karma]


    [The nobles read the newspapers and became aware of the yer. -1 Karma]


    ¡­


    Philip needed to clear his name before his karma hit the lowest point possible. And to do this, he had to stop the originator of the falsified news.


    ''I am sure they are hiding something,'' he thought. He spected that the reason behind the Evans'' painting him as a viin was because they were trying to cover up their own guilt. It was possible that they were in possession of illegal firearms or involved in their sale.


    ''Steve should have got the gun from his estate.'' Philip suspected while secretly looking at the dark mansion.


    Philip had a n, and the gun hidden in his coat pocket was an essential material toplete it.


    ''Isn''t it just returning the favor? If they used me as a scapegoat, then I must also use them as my shield,'' Philip smirked.


    While feeling the handgun on his inner coat, Philip stealthily proceeded to the mansion.


    However, Philip was forced to stop when he noticed a person spying the Evans like him.


    ''What the!'' Philip''s eyes widened upon seeing the person. He was not shocked by the presence of another spy but by the bright golden light emanating from him.


    ''For someone to glow like that means he is from Loen''s organization or the like,'' Philip mulled while looking at the said person. With the lightparable to Loening from him, Philip was certain he was not ordinary.


    "It''s a good thing I noticed him first," he whispered, and a relieved sigh came out of his mouth.


    Luckily for him, the golden light emanating from the man was so bright that he had noticed it earlier, giving him time to halt and reconsider his n.


    ''I''m not confident in fighting him¡­'' Philip was not stupid he was strong enough to counter the spy with a power presumablyparable to Loen.


    Loen''s end was because he was socent and overly confident that he failed to notice Philip''s kick behind him.


    In addition, Philip was not sure if his Stat upgrade was enough to close the gap between them. As their power was unknown to him, he needed to invest extra care. He would rather take his time to investigate than ce himself in danger.


    ''I guess it''s time to stop the n and retreat.'' he murmured sadly.


    However, when Philip was about to back off, his system rang and notified him of something he had been scared of.


    Ting!


    [ Karma notices the yer is doing too well and chooses to make his life difficult. ]


    Out of nowhere, an intense gust of wind surged through the area where Philip was taking shelter under the trees, causing the trunks to bend and twist like stic bands.


    Startled by the sudden disturbance, Philip instinctively turned towards the direction of the wind, only to find himself face-to-face with a mysterious spy who had materialized in front of him in a blink of an eye.


    The spy''s piercing gaze bore into Philip''s bewildered expression, his eyes red with suspicion and perhaps a hint of danger.


    "Who are you?" he asked.


    For a couple of seconds, Philip stood frozen. Everything happened so fast that he had no time to react. His mind was still processing the time when his system informed him about his misfortune. As for what after? He was too stunned to see what was ahead of him.


    "Answer my question. Who are you?!" the man put more force into his voice, making Philip shudder in fright.


    Philip quickly came out from his stupor and focused his sight on the man standing vigntly in front of him.


    ''It''s him! He really survived!.''


    Philip knew the man. He was the same person who cut his limbs in the forest and waster struck by thunder.


    Seeing Emile again, Philip confirmed that he was indeed from Loen''s organization and quickly thought of a solution.


    After a few moments of deliberations, Philip took the cloth that covered his face and answered,


    "I am Raven, the same man from the steam lotive incident."


    When Philip revealed his face, Emile started convulsing, and his eyes became redder.


    "It''s you!" Emile screamed, his body trembled in anger as the wind furiously gushed around him.


    "You killed Loen!"


    All of a sudden, the air thickened and condensed to the lowest point, causing Philip to struggle for breath.


    However, he didn''t show an ounce of fear. He remained standing steadfast among the swaying trees.


    "I didn''t kill him. I only killed the child," Philip reasoned and continued, "It was the child who killed yourpanion. I was only there in coincidence."


    Emile scoffed, "Hah! As if I believed you."


    Even though he said that, the pressure he was releasing decreased slightly, apparently not supporting his protestation.


    When Philip noticed this, he rified further, "It''s true! The Evan kid was the one who owned the gun and shot yourpanion."


    Philip then exined why he was roaming in the Evans'' property, "I am only here because the Evans has been circting that I was a terrorist!"


    Philip sighed dejectedly and grumbled, "This is so absurd and unfair. Who are they to me an innocent person like me?"


    "So, that''s why I am here. You know, hehe. I just want to have a deep talk with them."


    Emile became silent, brooding on whether to believe Philip or not. But while he was thinking, his gaze and the wind surrounding him remained sharp and frantic.


    "Then why are you in the lotive? And why are you acting like Steve''s guard?" Emile asked after a long silence.


    "My apologies as I can''t tell you about my mission." Philip bowed and continued, "But I can tell you which n I am from."


    Philip then took something out of his trousers and showed an emblem to Emile.


    "I am from the Twin Sword Moon n from the Eastern Continent. This is the evidence."


    The emblem Philip showed was the same emblem that his father gave to him. He had always been carrying the things his parents had given to him. This was to ensure that when something major happened that needed a change of lodging, he could avoid the inconvenience of returning to the inn.


    Emile examined the emblem on Philip''s hand and frowned.


    A little whileter, Emile stopped and looked straight at Philip and said,


    "Do you really think I care about what bullcrap you''re saying?!"


    Suddenly, the air around became heavy and visible. The air formed yarns squirming from Emile''s fingertips.


    Then, without any indication, the wind yarns moved like snakes toward Philip.


    Philip could only grit his teeth as he screamed internally,


    ''Damn! My bluff did not work this time!''

 Chapter 39: The might of 80 Physique

    <h4>Chapter 39: The might of 80 Physique</h4>


    Wind tentacles surged forward with an rming force, seemingly intent on strangling Philip.


    Upon seeing them, Philip immediately sprang away and sought refuge behind a nearby tree. Luckily, he managed to dodge and quickly tried to talk things out with Emile,


    "Wait! Why are you suddenly attacking me?" Philip screamed in frustration. A fight with Emile was thest thing he wanted to arise.


    "Are you not afraid to incur the wrath of our n?" Philip asked furiously, trying to bluff his way out again.


    After he said that, wind tentacles wiggled like worms and shifted sideways to the direction where he had escaped into.


    "Hah! Lying again?" Emile scoffed and tilted his head to look behind the tree, "I memorized all the warrior ns from the east and have not heard of Twin Sword Moon n!"


    "And even if it does exist, do you expect you can do anything in the North, the home ground of mages and magicians?"


    Emile stepped forward together with his wind tentacles. He clenched his fist so hard that his bones cracked out loud.


    "Especially after you kick Loen, one of the magicians of the North?"


    When he heard this, astonishment was quickly printed on Philip''s face. ''How did they know? Is it because of magic?''


    Emile finally stood a distance where he could see Philip hiding behind the tree. His unkempt hair swayed like the leaves and small branches in the wind.


    Behind the tree, moonlight shone toward Philip''s stunned expression. Seeing this, Emile chuckled, his eyes appearing red and teary.


    "Why the surprised? You didn''t think your shoe print would be left behind on Loen after you kicked him, did you?"


    ''Damn!'' Philip cursed internally as Emile''s assumption was urate. He did in fact never expected his lie to be exposed due to such a simple reason.


    ''Yes, I remember that Loen was using magic rted to Earth. It must be because I stepped on the soil debris¡­''


    Suddenly, a wind tentacle appeared behind Philip. However, unlike the tentacles around Emile, it was thinner and invisible.


    Fortunately, despite being invisible, it was still a wind. Philip felt the wind''s force against his back and instinctively dropped to the ground and rolled.


    Yet, Philip had no time to catch his breath as the tentacles encircling Emile swiftly lunged at him once more.


    Gritting his teeth, Philip evaded the attack by leaping away from his previous position.


    Afterward, he sprinted towards Evans'' property, his eyes glowing with a golden hue as he dashed into the forested area of the estate.


    "You can''t escape!" Emile shouted.


    Suddenly, Emile levitated in the air and zoomed forward at an incredible speed. It was so fast that he looked like he had teleported.


    Philip was caught off guard and eximed, "What?!"


    Emile materialized in front of Philip and gestured with his fingers as if he were manipting puppets. In no time, a fresh set of wind tentacles sprouted and shot towards Philip''s legs.


    Philip reacted quickly and sidestepped, sessfully dodging Emile''s attack once again. However, his relief was short-lived as Emile instantly reappeared in front of him.


    This time, Emile conjured a colossal cube-shaped cage that hovered above Philip, attempting to trap him as quickly as possible.


    Philip was disheartened as he realized that Emile was too swift for him to handle. He couldn''t help but feel dismayed that his strength was no match for Emile''s agility.


    Currently, his physique is at 45, with 30 from using Raven form and 15 from Stats allocation. This was his strongest card and the strength he had been relying on.


    But when he realized his speed was nothing to the magician Emile, his face shed a disappointed grin.


    ''I am just a small ant in this world,'' Philip felt enlightened about his position. Even with his status as a yer and the system supporting him,pared to the powerhouses of this world, he was still nothing.


    ''Maybe that''s the purpose of Karma in the System. It is to remind me to know my ce. That even with these unique powers I have, I still need to be careful and mindful of everything.''


    Suddenly, Philip''s eyes shed slightly in acknowledgment.


    ''I don''t have the right to be stingy with my Stat points,'' he said, then whispered something under his breath.


    Before the wind cage befell and trapped him, Philip opened his system and used all of his undistributed stat points.


    Ting!


    [Adding 46 to Physique.]


    [Error! Added Physique cannot be more than 50.]


    [Enforcing correction. Please wait.]


    Physique: 30 (+50) [>]


    Stat Points remaining: 11


    [Adding 11 to Mental]


    Mental: 13 (+28)


    Stat Points remaining: 0


    Philip initially wanted to go all in with Physique, but after seeing the sudden limitation, he could only back off and chose to upgrade his Mental.


    Instantly after the distribution, Philip felt an insurmountable strength flowing through his veins. His heart pumped extremely fast and his sensory organs itched ufortably.


    Philip suddenly realized that he could see much farther than usual, hear the sound of his blood flowing through his veins, detect danger in the air, taste the sweetness of his saliva, and feel the touch of dust on his skin.


    It was all so new and exciting, as if he had been reborn as an evolved version of himself.


    Philip then nced above, and when he noticed the cube was so close to him, he blinked his eyes.


    Suddenly, Philip''s world halted. No noise was heard around him, even his breath was non-existent in his world.


    Philip was familiar with this urrence as he had experienced it earlier during the day when he was answering Miss Leffindor''s questions.


    He called it the ''Spatial Cognitive State''. A state where his mind moved extremely fast that it created an illusion that the world had stopped.


    Additionally, Philip was in control of everything under this state. Meaning, he could observe the surroundings more clearly and remember a particr memory in the past.


    Philip controlled his mind to change the orientation. Instead of seeing from the first point of view, he sees everything as if he is a God.


    Everything was still golden, as he had yet to deactivate his second uniqueness. With this, the darkness was no issue to him.


    But not all was clear in Philip''s vision, after all, his sight was limited only to what he could perceive.


    To create a clearer and less hazy perspective, he imagined numerous screens appearing in front of him. These screens then showed the past, particrly to the short glimpses he took while he was on the run.


    Like a mosaic, everything becameplete to Philip, and could now see Emile - from his essories and clothes to his back. Even the smallest mark on his body was clear to him.


    Afterward, he peeked at the cube at the top of his physical body. He projected the possible oues and the direction of the fall, his best escape route, andstly the most ideal action to take.


    Philip''s world changed once again. Unlike earlier, numbers and lines were now present. They were designated everywhere likebels and blueprints.


    ''It''s time to stop being passive,'' he felt while looking at the world he created.


    At first, Philip was terrified of Emile''s power. But when everything wasid on his mind, he became less afraid upon noticing Emile''s weakness. No. It was more like the weakness of magicians.


    The screens in front of Philip showed Loen on the left, and Emile on the right. Both of them were wiggling their fingers.


    ''They are slow and systematic,'' Philip concluded.


    He suspected that for a magician to create magic, they needed time to cast through their fingers. And this casting needed to be perfect and with no errors.


    ''So what will happen if I interrupt them?'' Philip mulled while staring at Emile''s fingers.


    Shortly, Philip returned to his body and time started to move again.


    However, while the world returned to normal, numbers and lines still appeared in Philip''s vision. Moreover, a red bold line was pointed from Philip''s arm to Emile''s.


    Bang!


    Then, a loud detonation reverberated around. Along with this was blood streaming from Emile''s fingers, sshing through his face and to the ground.


    Emile''s bloodshot gaze quickly turned into horror. The cage-like cube floating above vanished as he looked at Philip''s hand.


    When he caught the sight of a gun in Philip''s hands, he quickly escaped, more likely teleported away from Philip.


    However, Philip did not give him the chance as he bolted fast, following another red bold line in his vision.


    ck!


    Philip''s feet managed to connect Emile''s backbone. His vertebrates cracked loudly and painfully.


    "Argh!" Emile screamed while dropping to the ground. His shock was clearly printed on his face as he looked at Philip standing behind him.


    "H-ow¡­" Emile murmured helplessly. While he was slightly stunned by how Philip had predicted his movement, he was more curious about Philip''s abnormal strength.


    "You are really from the east?" he asked, his voice having a hint of pleading tone within. It was as if he was asking Philip to spare his life.


    Philip looked down at Emile, loading another bullet onto the gun.


    "Now you believe me?" Philip smirked evilly.


    But while Philip might appear nonchnt on the surface, deep inside, he was also shocked by his strength.


    ''Damn, a Physique of 80 is this powerful?''

 Chapter 40: Question and Answer

    <h4>Chapter 40: Question and Answer</h4>


    "I have no intention to kill you," Philip said while lowering the gun. He then crouched down and faced Emile with a detached expression.


    "I am just doing my mission, you see." He paused as if mulling about something, "Yes. You are right. I did kick Loen in the past. But I had no intention of killing him. If I had, his spine would break like yours."


    Emile trembled upon hearing Philip''s words. Based on Philip''s strength, resorting to a physical fight was an easy matter for him. But he didn''t. He just gave Loen a kick. Nothing more. Nothing less.


    Realization dawned on Emile as he asked a question, breathlessly, "So then, what is your purpose?"


    Philip sighed deeply and replied, "I only meant to subdue him to save the child. After all, I needed him alive for my mission. Never would I have expected the child to have a gun and downright kill the magician...."


    Emile''s pupils dted and became alert. Philip''s words made no sense to him. Because if he needed Steve to be alive, why did heter kill him?


    Noticing his confusion, Philip smirked evilly, "Well, I happen to know after that he was the reason why I failed my mission."


    Philip stopped and thought about whether to continue or not. Meanwhile, Emile on the side waited for him to continue.


    "Anger blinded me, you see. It was onlyter I calmed down that I realized what I had done."


    Philip gazed at Emile with madness and yfully said, "Well, it''s an enjoyable pleasure. Hehe"


    Emile looked away, not wanting to see Philip''s eyes. ''He''s a lunatic!'' was what all on his mind.


    "You wanted to be spared, right? It''s simple. Just answer three of my questions and I''ll let you free." Philip smiled gracefully and said, "So, do we have a deal?"


    Emile had no choice but to nod in agreement. He wanted nothing more but to stay away from the lunatic.


    "First. Do you know where Philip is?"


    "You know that kid?" Emile asked, surprised about Philip''s first question.


    "Just answer."


    "No." But seeing that Philip was not content with his answer, he continued,


    "We did look for him after he fell from the cliff. But after more than a week, we still could not find him. It was as if he vanished from the phase of the earth."


    Philip nodded uninterestedly, but deep inside, he was smirking. This was what he was curious about. He knew they were investigating him but had no idea about its scope.


    ''So they can''t find me with their magic¡­'' Philip thought. It was good news to him as his transformation ability was good enough to bypass these so-called magicians.


    "Second, why are you looking for those kids?" Philip asked. He had always wanted to know about their reason. Are they simr to his parents and Auntie Marissa who somehow has knowledge about the game? Or are there any other reasons?


    "It was the job of the Magicians to investigate the abnormality happening in the mortal world. We perceived they were strange and different and wanted to know whether they used magic or not."


    Emile then said like it was obvious, "As you know, it was greatly prohibited to use magic against mortals. So if they were in possession of magic without rtions to any schools, we have the right to subdue them andter exact punishment."


    "Well, that is what we have been saying to everyone." Emile hesitantly said, his tone filled with embarrassment,


    "But the truth is, magicians as we are, we are obsessed with strange phenomena and powers... We wanted to study and dissect them."


    "A for this case, we are heavily invested with Philip and Steve, one who controls the weather and one who can perceive the strength of another."


    Philip shook, all of these were new knowledge to him. Besides, he was surprised by their conjecture. ''What controls the weather? Are they talking about me?''


    After some thought, he realized how they came up with the spection.


    ''Are they mistaking me for controlling the torrents and lightning in the forest?'' Philip looked at Emile, feeling amused.


    He didn''t correct them as it was advantageous to him. The more they don''t know about his real ability, the more he confuses them.


    Philip controlled his lips from curling upwards as he threw hisst question,


    "What''s that?" he asked tersely, gazing at the ring on Emile''s finger.


    Emile followed his gaze and looked at his bloody fingers. When he caught sight of the silver ring with a purple stone embedded at the top, he asked back,


    "This? You don''t know about this?"


    Philip just stared at Emile. Not confirming nor denying him. As he had to act like he was a strong person, he had to create an image of a superior bored out of his mind.


    While Emile was slightly surprised, he just answered his question,


    "Well, this is a spatial ring. It''s a reward from the Blue Moon event. You can also buy this at the Blue Moon marketce."


    Suddenly, a murky green bottle came out from the ring. Emile drank it, and shortly all of his wounds and fractures healed.


    ''What the hell!'' Philip almost jumped from fright. He had a lot of questions. Like how to use it, do they have a tracking device, or what is a blue moon.


    However, he was forced to stop upon hearing footsteps from a distance.


    ''They arrived so fast,'' Philip gritted his teeth. He knew that people woulde after he fired the gun. With how the country ced heavy restrictions on any firearms and painted them as evil weapons, it would be obvious for people to report to the authorities upon hearing a gunshot.


    Philip stood up. Emile also followed suit. They both look at each other, with one wanting to quickly flee away and one mumbling as if he wants to ask more questions.


    "Stop looking for Philip. He is a descendant of my n." Philip could only say these words. He hoped that they would not be too obsessed with catching him.


    While Emile was curious about this whole descendant thing, he nodded andplied. The people wereing, and his identity must remain hidden from the masses. After all, he was not an ordinary person.


    When Emile was about to walk away, Philip said, "Wait. Give me the ring."


    Emile bared his teeth as he slowly threw his ring to Philip. Even though he didn''t want to, he had no choice as Philip was stronger than him.


    Moreover, Philip possessed a gun, a perfect killing weapon for weak mages like him. So he really had no choice but to give in.


    Philip watched Emile flee with a downcast gaze. Shortly, he jumped up high from roof to roof, leaving the dried leaves and Emile''s blood on the ground.


    ***


    A little whileter, Philip returned to his room and saw Maris sleeping on another bed.


    He stopped for a moment before changing his clothes to a child. Afterward, heid down on his bed, now in his original child form. His eyes were opened, staring at the ceiling above.


    ''I failed at infiltrating the Evans,'' Philip sighed.


    His original n was to take and hide the gun inside the Evans. Andter, he would use the homeless kids to spread a rumor of them having firearms.


    He would then order someone to report to the police that he saw some suspicious people trading firearms at Evans. And finally, take them to the ce where he hid the gun.


    It was a simple n that Philip had constructed. And he believed that it would be a sess. However, Emile''s presence had utterly destroyed everything.


    ''It will be more difficult to follow this n again,'' He knew that the Evans would start to increase their security after the gunshot. Infiltrating their mansion would be risky to him.


    Philip rolled around, faced the wall, and thought, ''It''s a pity I failed, but it wasn''t totally an unproductive night.''


    He now knew some information about the mysterious side of the world and deemed it a great tradeoff.


    ''First, those who wield magic are called magicians or mages. The north is their territory, and they are conducting research about anything peculiar at sight.''


    Philip suspected that they must be observing him all this time after he escaped four years ago. They just didn''t touch him as he didn''t show anything magical these years. After all, they were restricted from touching ordinary people.


    ''Second, they don''t know about the game and the identity of yers.''


    Based on Auntie Marissa''s letter, she called herself a witch prophet. Meaning, a different spectrum from magicians.


    ''Are prophets not magicians? If that is the case, magicians could not peek into the past and the future.''


    This was good news to Philip as he knew that he was under the observation of the magicians. If they had a time-rted ability, then it would be easy for them to catch him.


    ''Seeing that they still had no idea about my whereabouts had further confirmed my spections,'' Philip breathed a sigh of relief.


    ''Lastly, about the Blue Moon event. What is it? Is it the other name for the ck market? Can I participate in this?''


    Philip had no way of knowing these as his knowledge was limited.


    ''Then I guess I have to be more aggressive in gathering information,'' This was Philip''sst thought before he closed his eyes and slept.

 Chapter 41: Library

    <h4>Chapter 41: Library</h4>


    The next day, October 6, 1857, Tuesday.


    Philip woke up suddenly from slumber, sluggish. His body was itching and ufortable. He could not help but scratch them irritably.


    "What is this? What is happening to me?"


    He quickly scanned his body, looking for insects that made him like this. But upon seeing no bed bugs and no bite marks on his body, his drowsiness immediately left his body.


    "What are you doing little brother?" Maris asked while rubbing her eyes. She sat on her bed and watched Philip scratching his body.


    Philip didn''t answer her as he hurriedly transformed his body into Conrad. Only then did the itchiness on his body stop as if it had never happened.


    Philip dazedly looked at the ceiling, exhausted. He had no idea what caused the abnormality earlier and had to think whether it posed him danger or not.


    However, after some mulling, he set this temporarily upon hearing a loud bell reverberating outside the window.


    It was six in the morning. A time when the church rang its bell for the first-morning mass. The morning sunlight streamed through the curtain and illuminated the room inside.


    "It''s nothing," Philip finally answered Maris'' query and told her, "Quick! Use the bathroom first."


    "Yes, little brother," Maris giggled and emerged from her bed. She took the towel hanging behind the door and dashed to the toilet with her toiletries.


    "I told you not to call me little brother!" Philip yelled, displeased by a child addressing him like he was the youngest.


    ''I should have never told my real age,'' Philip sighed. Maris had been doing this after she knew he was only eight, two years younger than her, and had been proiming she was no longer the baby of the house.


    While Philip groaned angrily, in reality, he was amused by this. He was happy that she, including the nowhere to be found Conrad, trusted him and considered him as if he was part of the family.


    Philip shook his head and controlled his face from letting a smile. He quickly hopped away from his bed and took off the tight shirt with difficulty.


    ''I should start not wearing children''s clothes in case something like this happens again,'' He thought while identally ripping his shirt.


    Shortly, he slid the curtains to the side, bringing more natural light to the room.


    ''I transformed too early today.''


    Conrad''s ss usually starts at nine o''clock and ends at four in the afternoon. This was perfect for Philip whose transformation ability was limited to eight hours. If he became Conrad at the right time, he could still secretly roam around the city as Raven.


    Now that he transformed early, he had no choice but to use all of his 2 eight hours transformation on Conrad.


    ''Well, better make use of this to stroll around the university,'' Philip decided.


    Bryxton University isposed of seven different colleges. Among the seven, the College of Engineering was the only ce he wandered to as it was the school that Conrad was under.


    Philip decided to take a look at each college today, hoping he could find something interesting.


    Aside from them, there was also a ce that Philip wanted to go to ever since it came to his knowledge.


    The library.


    Philip had not yet forgotten about the ''Blue Moon Event'' Emile talked about yesterday. He wanted to try to search the library, hoping to find clues about this.


    While Philip was deep in thought, the door clicked and opened, and Maris entered through it. She wore a long white skirt and a green blouse on top. Rolled over her neck was a red ribbon with a badge attached in the middle.


    Philip watched Maris, dressed in her school uniform, skipping energetically toward him. She grabbed a band on her bedside table and handed it to him.


    Maris'' attitude towards him was totally the opposite of their first encounter. Unlike before when she was shy and distant, now she was acting like she could not live without him.


    Philip could not help but be curious about the sudden change and asked while tying her ck hair into a ponytail.


    "Hey, Maris. Aren''t you being toofortable with me?"


    Maris'' eyes widened cutely. She nced at Philip, wondering where this question came from.


    Seeing her innocent and confused reaction, Philip could only chuckle and say, "No, forget about it."


    The room became silent. Only the birds chirping and the noise of footsteps outside could be heard. Philip focused his all on tying Maris'' hair perfectly, no longer thinking about what reason Maris had behind.


    ***


    An hourter, Philip stepped inside the library. He wore brown cks and a white long-sleeved cored shirt. Over his shoulder was a messenger bag filled with his books and supplies.


    Philip adjusted his silver eyewear as he observed the library ahead of him.


    Like any other library, Bryxton Library was filled with numerous books on different subjects. Each shelf was numbered and the books inserted on them were alphabetically ordered.


    It was early in the morning, but a lot of students had already arrived to study. This left the library with almost no vacant seats.


    Good thing for Philip, he managed to catch sight of a small table near the tall and big ss window with the sunlight coursing through it. It was too hot and bright, making the other students hesitant to use the table near it.


    Philip had no issue with the scorching light, with his abnormal physique, he could easily adjust his body temperature to make it as if it was only warm. He dashed forward and left his ck bag on the table.


    Shortly, he left and went to the librarian to ask,


    "Excuse me, madam. Where can I find books about history? Oh and also, books about the moon?"


    The old librarian replied without looking at Philip, "History on aisle 15, third shelf, from mid to bottom."


    "As for the moon," She paused, trying to remember where they were ced.


    "Just look at aisles 3 to 6. That is where the books rting to the College of Science are located."


    Philip thanked her and left. Since aisles 3 to 6 were closer to him, he went there to look first.


    "Blue moon. Blue moon," Philip murmured while scanning the bookshelves. This was one of his purposes foring to the library. He wanted to search for information regarding the mystical side of the world, especially the event Emile talked about yesterday.


    While Philip was aware he could not find what he wanted in a normal library, he had no choice but to look here as he was not well integrated into society. He had no one to ask and could only rely on books to search for clues.


    A little whileter, Philip went back to his seat. He held a stack of books in his arms. Because of its number, the pile became so tall that it shielded Philip''s sight.


    The students around peeked at Philip curiously and in astonishment. Philip was like a performer in a circus, who could bnce weights on his arms.


    Philip noticed the onlookers and his face became red from shame. It was not that he never thought of separating them into two. It was just that Philip didn''t want the hassle of going back and forth.


    Why not? He thought. With his strength, he could even easily carry more.


    Philip ced the books on the table and wiped his nonexistent sweat.


    He then sat on the chair and took the book from the top.


    However, when he was about to open the book, his heart leaped out upon seeing someone sitting in front of him.


    Philip stared at the man, surprise was evident on his face. He was embarrassed not just because he failed to notice the man, but also because of the man''s clothing.


    Unlike him and the students around, the man didn''t wear the same uniform. Instead, his coat was red, an indication he was a teacher.


    "I''m sorry." Philip quickly apologized.


    The man gave Philip a quick nce and chuckled, "No worries."


    He then moved his sight back to the book he was reading. He was expressionless, totally unperturbed by Philip''s rudeness.


    Seeing the man''s unconcern, Philip heaved a sigh of relief andid four books on the table.


    Slowly, Philip opened the book one by one in a particr order. Starting from The Northern Continent Timeline, The five countries of the Northern Continent, The History of the Northon Kingdom, andstly, the 1000 years'' legacy of the Nordic Empire.


    Philip closed his eyes for a moment and took a long deep breath. Afterward, he opened his eyes and moved his fingers to flip the book pages.


    Flip. Flip. Flip. Flip.


    The students unanimously frowned and nced at Philip. Their minds were in sync as they screamed internally, ''Is he crazy?''


    Philip flipped the books extremely fast with both hands. His action was so absurd that it looked like he was just fooling around in the library.


    Flip. Flip. Flip. Flip.


    One minute. Five minutes. Ten minutes.


    The flipping of books was so loud and disturbing that one of the students could not help but stand angrily and walk to where Philip was seated.


    However, the student was stopped by the teacher sitting across from Philip.


    The teacher looked at Philip, his once expressionless face changed into amusement.

 Chapter 42: Calendar

    <h4>Chapter 42: Calendar</h4>


    Flip. Flip. Flip.


    Philip''s disturbing action continued for an hour before a librarian came and put a stop to his behavior. The students around rejoiced and thanked the librarian with their shimmering gazes.


    Philip humbly apologized and closed all the books. Stopping was no issue for him as he was done with memorizing them.


    Shortly after, he closed his eyes for a moment to organize his thoughts and eliminate any redundant information. He condensed the plethora of books into a concise andprehensive hundred-page document in his mind, highlighting the most relevant and pertinent information.


    After doing this, Philip stopped, opened his eyes, and decided what to do after.


    ''I have to read and understand themter,'' He had only memorized the books and had yet to read them. To ensure a thorough understanding, he made a mental note to allocate ample time to read through the document.


    It was then Philip noticed the professor seated across from him had left, leaving a poster on the table.


    ''What''s this?'' Philip took the paper and read it.


    [ Mental Study Society ]


    Looking to expand your knowledge on the study of the mind? Join the club session every Wednesday, at 6 pm!


    Although Philip was initially confused about why it was on his table, he still kept the poster in his bag.


    ''Maybe I can find something interesting here¡­'' Philip thought. He decided to take a look and see what they were studying tomorrow.


    Philip then nced at the clock hanging on the wall to check the time.


    ''I have an hour left.''


    He picked up thest untouched book and looked at the table of contents.


    ''Blue Moon¡­ Blue Moon¡­'' he murmured, searching for the information. After finding what he was looking for, he quickly turned to the page.


    Chapter 14. Colors of the Moon


    1. Blood Moon


    The phenomenon whereby the moon in total eclipse appears reddish in color as it is illuminated by sunlight filtered and refracted by the earth''s atmosphere.


    2. Yellow Moon


    This is also called a Harvest Moon. The yellow color of the moon is caused by the atmosphere and an optical illusion that made it also appearrger. This phenomenon usually happens in autumn.


    ¡­


    5. Rainbow Moon


    Also known as the lunar moon or moonbow. This is an optical phenomenon caused when the light from the moon is refracted through water droplets in the air.


    Moonbows were very faint and rarely seen due to the limited amount of light avable even during the brightest full moon.


    6. Blue moon


    Among all the colors of the moon, only the blue moon isn''t caused by optical illusion but by misinterpretation. Although there is a blue-colored moon, the term "blue moon" is moremonly used to refer to the second full moon in a month.


    The misunderstanding started when James Hug misinterpreted the concept of the fourth full moon in a season being a blue moon.


    This usually happens once every 2 to 3 years.


    ¡­


    ''So this is the case¡­''


    Philip finally understood something about Blue Moon and quickly looked for a calendar.


    ''When will the second full moon in a month arrive?'' He murmured while flipping the calendar.


    As Philip reached the final page of his calendar, he discovered that there were two full moons in December. The first one would ur on December 1 at 10:57, while the second one was on December 30 at 21:34.


    ''So is this rted to the Blue Moon Event that the magician Emile talked about yesterday? I can''t answer this yet as Ick information. But still, it''s a good thing that I finally know something about it.''


    Philip heaved a sigh of relief. Only time would know whether there is something on these two full moons.


    After making short-term goals in his mind, he proceeded to the ssroom where his first ss of the day would ur.


    ***


    15 blocks away from Bryxton University, a man walked towards the steam lotive station. He wore a long milky white cloak with a hood that covered his entire face. His steps were steady yet slow and hesitant.


    When the man caught sight of a red brick wall ahead, he stopped for a while before murmuring something under his breath. Shortly, he walked straight to the wall.


    Once his body touched the wall, he vanished from the station. A child saw this happen and told his mother about it. But when he was about to open his mouth and speak, he stopped as if he had forgotten what he was about to say.


    The child could only scratch his head in confusion as he gazed around the station. But after not finding anything irregr, he paused and followed his mother, totally forgetting about the man earlier.


    On the other hand, the man who passed the wall arrived in another dimension. The streets were bustling with vendors shouting and promoting their wares to people passing by. But, unlike a typical market, none of the vendors were selling ordinary items.


    A bottle with fermented snakes and lizards within, dried hanging insects, books written in an umonnguage, and shiny stones and herbs were some of the items disyed on their stalls.


    Simr to the man''s clothing, most passersby wore a cloak, however, they were in different colors. Also, most of them wore a striking ring with arge captivating purple stone adorned on top.


    The man took no notice of the vendors and the other people around as he focused his all on walking towards a tall castle at the other end of the street.


    When the man was a footstep away from the castle gate, two winged stone creatures stopped him by crossing their spears. They appeared like tall bats, but their head had two spiral goat horns with them.


    "Identification card," The creatures said in unison, their eyes glowed red as they gazed at the small man beneath them.


    The man froze for a while before grabbing a ring in his pocket with a purple stone rtively smaller than others. He raised his hand with a ring on his finger and immediately, a golden card floated mid-air. Written on it was his name and rank: Emile Sanders, 1st ss wind magician.


    After seeing the card, the two creatures took their spears away and let him pass through the tall gate.


    Emile observed the castle ahead of him and bowed respectfully. The dark structure shimmered in response and opened its 20-foot hard ck wood door.


    Upon stepping inside, he was greeted by a majestic and venerable interior. Unlike the external appearance, which was enshrouded in ivy and adorned with foreboding ck walls, the interior was a pleasant surprise, spotlessly clean and adorned with walls of subdued earthy colors that evoked a sense of antiquity.


    The walls were adorned with enormous paintings of elderly but schrly individuals, each apanied by a description and the name of the person depicted.


    [Alessia Serpenti, 7th ss creation magician, Founder and Originator of Alchemy and Herbal Magic]


    [Harold Pletornia, 6th ss defense magician, Dean of School of Defensive Magic]


    [Griffin Alkansi, 8th ss death magician and 5-star spiritualist, Prophet and Creator of Alkansi Schools of Magic and Witchcraft]


    Upon seeing thest photo of an elderly man with a lengthy white beard, Emile leaned his upper body forward in reverence.


    Shortly after, he exit the hallway and approach a chamber with a door painted in acrylic bright red.


    He opened the door and greeted the middle-aged man seated behind the wooden table across. The middle-aged man''s eyes pierced through Emile. His gaze was fierce and filled with admonishment as he questioned Emile,


    "What happened to you? Why did you use such strong magic in the capital city of Northon?"


    Emile dropped to the floor, his body trembling in fear as he recalled everything that had transpired yesterday evening.


    The man listened attentively to Emile''s story, but his expression turned to one of displeasure when Emile finished.


    "Firstly, I highly doubt that he is a warrior from the East. They may be well-built, but they aren''t foolish enough to ask such questions," he said.


    "Secondly, there is no n named after the swords or moon. All the ns in the East are based on the 12 mythical beasts. Even if there were a Twin Sword Moon n, they should have been eradicated by now as those 12 major ns were fiercely territorial. They wouldn''t allow a new n to arise out of nowhere..."


    The middle-aged man named Salvador took a tobo from his drawer, flicked his finger to light it, and said, "So in other words, he was just fooling you."


    Upon hearing this, Emile''s cheeks be red from shame. His forehead wrinkled as his eyes shed in anger.


    But when Emile was about to say something, Salvador raised his cigar and blew smoke.


    "But maybe he might have a connection in the East, with his abnormal strength...."


    He paused and waved his hands,


    "Stop investigating Raven as he is dangerous for you first-ss magicians."


    Salvador then ordered, "But you must still look for the child named Philip. Perhaps he can lead us to something interesting..."

 Chapter 43: Lunch

    <h4>Chapter 43: Lunch</h4>


    At noon, Philip left the ss, exhausted. Following him from behind were his ssmates discussing the topic earlier.


    "No. To find the derivative of 25 cos sin squared tan x, you should multiply them first with d over dx to get 50 sec squared x¡­."


    "Wait! Where did you get d/dx?"


    "Idiot! That is the derivative solution!"


    "I know. But how did they arrive with that?"


    "I don''t know. Shouldn''t it be given?¡­ Let''s ask Conrad!"


    When Philip heard his name, he quickly sneezed and fluttered his eyes weakly.


    "Ahh. I really can''t make my brain work with this weak body of mind," Philipined, acting like he was sick and needed immediate medical attention.


    "Sorry, I think I should leave first." Philip turned around, covering his mouth. His eyes were watery and his arms trembled slightly.


    "See you in the next ss." He said goodbye and hurried away without waiting for a response.


    Once he was far enough away, he stopped pretending and chuckled bitterly.


    ''Even if I have a photographic memory, it will still be hard for me to understand math. After all, Ick the necessary foundation.''


    It was then Philip realized why some kids dislike going to school. School is difficult to understand, especially for him who had jumped directly into college without prior knowledge of primary and secondary education.


    Philip sighed and strolled around the campus. He still remembered his n to roam and search for more information.


    But when he was about to head to a different building, his stomach grumbled.


    ''Should I return to the inn first?'' Philip pondered while taking a bottle of milk from his shoulder bag.


    ''This is not enough¡­''


    Philip''s forehead wrinkled as he finished the bottle and realized he was still famished. He looked around and saw other students heading towards the west part of the university.


    Curious, he followed them and arrived at a huge single-floor building. Many students were entering the building, while some were leaving with a small wooden box in their hand.


    ''What is that?'' Philip took off his eyesses and focused his sight on one of the students. She stepped out from the stone pathway and sat on the grassy field nearby. Later, she grabbed some utensils from her bag and opened the box.


    Filled within was hot and steamy shrimp red pasta. On the corner of the container, fresh slices of cucumber and two small boiled eggs could be seen.


    Philip pped his forehead and said, "Oh, I almost forgot. A school is notplete without a cafeteria."


    He then took his sight away from the girl and nced at the building across. It was then he realized why the ce was so crowded.


    ''Well, I guess I should visit next time,'' Philip thought while touching his stomach. Seeing the crowd, he hesitated first before ultimately deciding not to go.


    Philip then turned around and ran towards the university gate, nning to eat at the inn. However, as he approached, someone called out to him from behind.


    "Conrad!"


    Philip jerked and hesitantly looked back. Then from the green grassy field, his eyes caught the sight of a tall man waving at him. The man sat on a stone round chair with a table in front. Held in his hands were a spoon and fork with a packed lunch box on the table.


    "Are you returning to your hotel?" Adolf said while chewing food in his mouth.


    "Yes, I am going to eat," Philip replied while observing him. Adolf was still the same tall and bulky young man with a cold expression. If Philip did not know his personality, he would have mistaken him as a goon with his stature and face.


    "I saw you staring at the canteen earlier. Why don''t you eat with me? My mother prepared so much for me." Adolf said softly, totally unlike his daunting expression.


    Upon seeing the food on the table, Philip''s eyes glowed in delight. What Adolf had said wasn''t an exaggeration. His mother had really prepared three towering lunchboxes for him.


    "Are you sure? Is that even enough for you?" Philip answered while scanning Adolf''s body. Bulkly wasn''t enough to express his figure, it might be more on the colossal side.


    Adolf''s cheek became red as he replied shyly, "Yes, I am trying to diet."


    ''What diet?! Diet won''t solve your issue!'' Philip had almost said this to Adolf.


    Adolf per se wasn''t fat. It was that his genes were so excellent that Adolf produced firm muscles without exercising.


    "If that is the case, then I''ll dly ept your invitation," Philip sat across from him and dived for the food.


    Philip was really famished. He had been experiencing this since he upgraded his physique to the maximum.


    ''This must be the downside of a strong body.''


    Philip took the extra utensils Adolf had out of nowhere and had him thinking whether Adolf kept extra with him all day.


    Philip nced at Adolf suspiciously. ''Was the lunchbox a lie and Adolf has always been packing more to share?''


    Adolf noticed Philip''s gaze and pinched Philip''s cheek unhesitantly.


    "Cute," Adolf said without a hint of shame on his face. He tried to smile but it even made his face scary.


    Philip''s eyes widened. ''What is he doing? Why the hell does this person like to pinch someone''s face so much?''


    "Uhm Adolf. Can you stop that?" Philip could no longer control himself from bursting.


    Hearing Philip''s stern voice, Adolf quickly dropped his hands. He bowed his head pitifully. He was like a wet dog. No, he was more of a big pit dog on the street.


    "No. What I mean, why are you always pinching my cheeks and telling me I''m cute?" Seeing Adolf like this, Philip''s heart pounded guiltily.


    "Well, my mother is always like that to me. I thought if I did it to you, you would also be my friend."


    Philip''s eyes almost popped out from disbelief. ''What nonsense is that?'' he thought. But when he saw Adolf''s sincerity, he stopped himself from bursting out.


    Philip had always known from the start that Adolf was not a bad person. He was just not good atmunication and was socially inept.


    ''Why is he like this?'' Philip mulled internally while watching a huge neen-year-old adolescent man shaking and biting his lips.


    "If you want to be friends, just say so. You don''t need to do those things."


    However, this didn''t make Adolf feel better. Instead, he was even more untrusting of Philip''s words.


    "Don''t you remember? I told youst year during the first-year orientation that I wanted to be friends with you." Adolf looked up with an unintentional condescending expression.


    "And you just ran away from me."


    "Damn¡­" Philip wanted to hit Conrad. Well, he could not me Conrad for misunderstanding. With Adolf''s scary face, even the most perceptive person would be restless. How much more with Conrad who was introverted and shy?


    "I always envy you, you see." Adolf sighed and continued, "People crowded to you without you making any effort. Even when you are not talkative and always running away, they will stille to you."


    "Unlike me, even if I give my all, people would still avoid me. I could not help but ask, what is wrong with me?"


    Philip stared at Adolf, and shortly, nced at his reflection in the spoon.


    Conrad has blond hair and blue eyes. On his cheek, slightly under his left eye, a tiny mole was seen, making him less manly.


    ''Probably it is all about face,'' Philip answered him internally. He had no guts to answer his question.


    "Well stop thinking about the past. Now we can be friends."


    Adolf smiled, this might be the first time Philip had seen him smile without looking scary.


    "I have been thinking this since yesterday, but I really felt that you''ve changed."


    Upon hearing this, Philip almost threw the food in his mouth.


    ''Man, you are not entirely wrong¡­''


    Adolf continued, "While I liked you in the past, I think the present you is better."


    It was then Philip recalled that he was supposedly acting as Conrad and should have not let his real personality affect his undercover.


    ''If I was Conrad, I should have quickly run away from Adolf. Moreover, I have no right to decide for Conrad. After all, I am just an imposter....''


    This made him think whether he was getting rusty again.


    Philip''s eyes shed slightly in disappointment. ''I can''t let that happen. I should train my skills again.''


    After thinking this, Philip suddenly saw a man in his early 40s surrounded by students.


    Adolf saw him staring at the man and asked, "Should we leave?"


    "Huh, why?" Philip asked back in confusion.


    "Oh no. I just thought you might be ufortable with Professor Evans."


    Philip almost jumped from his seat and quickly asked, "What? Evans? There is an Evans in school?"


    Adolf answered, "Don''t you know? Of course, there is. In fact, he isn''t just a teacher but the dean of the College of Business and Economics."


    Hearing this, Philip scowled, yet his lips curled up slightly.

 Chapter 44: Ronald Evans

    <h4>Chapter 44: Ronald Evans</h4>


    After lunch and bidding farewell to Adolf, Philip swiftly headed to the College of Business and Economics building. He wanted to meet and closely observe the main antagonist responsible for his decreasing karma.


    Along the way, he made several ns, including his original goal of nting the gun on Evans'' property andter have it be discovered by someone.


    ''Yes, If I sneak inside the dean''s office and ce the gun in the professor''s bag, I can then inform someone, a student perhaps, to make a report of this....''


    Philip halted, thinking about whether this was n viable or not. However, the more he thinks, the more he realizes the potential risks of this formted n.


    ''I seemed to be thinking as if this world is the same magicless world I lived in before.''


    ''If Professor Evans or someone close to him has a mysterious ability, my scheme could backfire. Not only would I implicate Conrad but also the student who would make a report.''


    Philip frowned, he had not thought of this problem before and quickly realized his inexperience. He should change his habit of thinking that everyone is simrly ordinary.


    ''Good thing I realized it...'' He heaved a sigh of relief. Thankfully, he did, or else he would be situated in a troublesome sooner orter.


    As he made his way to the old building, he finally caught a glimpse of Professor Evans, followed behind him was a man who looked very familiar to him.


    ''That''s the man who hired the woman to circte the fake news two days ago...'' Philip grimaced but quickly returned his expression to the usual.


    He observed as Professor Evans was surrounded by students who appeared to be asking him questions about business courses. Of course, there were some students present just to boot-lick the professor.


    "Professor, how did youe up with the double-entry method of bookkeeping?" asked one of the students.


    "Hahaha." Ronald Evans chuckled and continued,


    "It''s actually very simple. You see, the Evan family has been merchants for as long as we can remember so we have already discovered the problem of one-entry bookkeeping before. It was only now that we have finally found a better alternative did we publish to it the masses."


    The students around quickly showed appreciation.


    "As expected of one of the richest families in the Northon Kingdom! Your wisdom is unparalleled..."


    "Maybe you can call yourself as Father of ounting with this, Professor Evans!"


    Their talksted for a couple of minutes before they dispersed and Professor Evans, together with his secretary, returned to the dean''s office.


    Philip subconsciously followed them butter realized that he didn''t know what to do yet.


    He gave it some thought for a second before deciding, ''Gather information first before devising any n, and whatever idea woulde out from it, it has to bewful.''


    This was Philip''s judgment so that even if there were some supernatural powers that could perceive that he was the mastermind, they still could not move him as everything he does is just and legal.


    ''Yes, this n is inspired by Loen and Emile''s Organization.'' Philip chuckled upon remembering that this seemingly powerful yet hidden organization could only touch those who possessed supernatural abilities.


    When they reached the office and entered, Philip discreetly stood outside, pretending to read his notes while using his exceptional hearing to eavesdrop on the conversation between the two men inside.


    As he listened in, he heard a series of sounds, including footsteps on the wooden floor, the rustling of a trench coat being removed and hung up, and the murmur of voices.


    "What''s the news with Alisha''s syndicate." Professor Evans inquired tersely.


    Another deep voice responded inside the room, "It seems that after I delivered the funds two nights ago, she encountered a thief and robbed all the money she had. This made the spreading of the news slow down as she could not pay her employees. She''s hoping for us to help her out by giving more..."


    Suddenly, Philip heard a loud crash of ss echo inside, followed by Professor Evans'' angry outcry,


    "What! Why do we have to cover for her loss if she did it herself? If only she had been more careful, none of this would have happened."


    Professor Evans paced around while venting his frustration on the ss table wares near him.


    "Misfortune! I''ve been unlucky this past week!"


    The secretary, Sid, rushed over with a ss of water to calm him down, "Sir, please be careful with the shards on the floor."


    "ARRGGHHH!!"


    However, despite Sid''s efforts to cate him, Professor Evans continued to rage, making his voice slightly crack due to his intense cry.


    "Not only my beloved child die but also our chance of bing a noble be slimmer!"


    He then went behind his office table and sat on the chair. He nced at Sid who was looking at him worriedly and bemoaned,


    "You must know that our family has been preparing to be a noble for centuries. But look, here we are, still amoner without a fief!"


    "We started earlier and became the richest before the Williams family. But look at them. They became noble much faster than us!"


    Professor Evansughed hysterically, his voice was filled with insanity.


    "Yes, I know! The family has always known that there must be some sort of prerequisite to enter the high society. Something abnormal and out of the norm!"


    "What the people said was wrong. You need not be a militant or be a public servant to be a noble, but it has to be something special and... magical."


    He stopped for a while, his face and eyes increasingly bing red the more he expressed his frustration.


    "We finally have Stephen in our family. We have finally produced a child like those abnormal aristocrats! But what! But what!"


    The table turned and the books and ink scattered on the floor.


    "He died! Hahaha! He died!"


    Professor Evans'' voice then turned weak and had a tone of surrender within.


    "Not only did he die but he also left a gift to us."


    He stood up and picked up the scattered papers from the floor, which contained thepany''s financial and ie statement of ount.


    Although the statements appeared normal and without any errors, only those who studied and were proficient in ounting could detect something wrong with them. Especially the absence of centavos at the end of every digit and hidden interption errors.


    "Hahahaha!" Looking at the figures, Professor Evans burst intoughter and eventually copsed on the floor. He could not help but lose his mind. How could he not? The child he carefully cultivated had misappropriated thepany''s ount!


    His proud prot¨¦g¨¦ had embezzled thepany''s funds!


    Seeing Professor Evans like this, Sid quickly ran and crouched down to help him out. "Please calm down Sir. I''m afraid someone might hear you outside."


    Although Sid knew the room''s instion was thick and outsiders couldn''t hear the chaos inside, he still said it hoping to wake his master back to sanity.


    Unknown to them, Philip, who was pretending to read outside, overheard their conversation. His eyes slightly flickered as he mulled over some things.


    Their talk gave him a lot of information and answered some of his past queries.


    "First, it is likely that the high society is aware of the existence of magic and perhaps possesses them. They might be in control of the schools that Emile talked about yesterday. After all, he said that the northern continent is the home ground of mages and magicians." Philip deduced.


    "Is this the reason why nobles don''t mix withmoners and seldom show their faces?"


    This has always been a wonder to Philip as to why most civilians seem to not know the faces of the members of the aristocratic families. It was as if their paintings and photos were hidden from the masses. All themon people knew were just their names and rank.


    Philip had previously asked the Davies siblings if they knew anyone with supernatural abilities, but they had shaken their heads. He also questioned them about the high society, but they could not provide any useful information.


    It was also at that time that he realized that they seemed to not know the faces of their leaders including the king of the county!


    ''How can it be possible if the leaders don''t show their faces? Should they rely on charisma to rule the kingdom and assert dominance to maintain peace and order?''


    Philip continued, "Second, while the Evans family has business transactions with the nobles in the creation of the Mall, they seemed to be not well connected to them. This is totally different from the gossip he heard in the past."


    "Is the news about them being close to acquiring a nobility title a ruse?"


    Philip then thought of such discrepancy, "Perhaps, it was the Evans Family''s doing, just like how they spread misinformation that I was a terrorist. Are they pressuring the rulers to give them a title? But isn''t that idiotic?"


    As Philip was preupied with his thoughts, he suddenly became aware of a precise and orderly marching from his left side. Unconsciously, he turned his head in the direction of the sound.


    However, when he saw a group of men dressed in tight blue suits, his eyes widened.


    "What are the policemen doing in this university?"

 Chapter 45: Officers

    <h4>Chapter 45: Officers</h4>


    Seeing three policemen walking ahead, Philip quickly buried his head in his notes. He wanted to remain invisible as no matter what the policemen were nning to do would cause some chaos and he was afraid of being implicated. After all, he was currently considered a spy from the Engineering Department.


    The students passing by also noticed them and quickly gathered around to gossip.


    However, to Philip''s surprise, the policemen stopped in front of him. No, it was more like they stopped at the door beside him.


    His heart raced as he had assumed they were there for him, causing him to imagine different scenarios. He quickly realized they were likely there for the dean and hurriedly walked away to join the onlookers on the corner.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    The leading police officer knocked on the door. Shortly, the door slowly creaked open and Sid''s head popped out from inside.


    Seeing these men wearing blue uniforms, Sid''s eyes widened for a moment before asking,


    "What can I help you, esteemed officers?" While Sid carefully asked them, his body subconsciously hid the mess inside the room.


    "Is Ronald Evans here?" asked the leading policeman named Loid. The tone of his voice was in and without fluctuation.


    "Yes, he''s here. Why are you asking this officer?" Sid answered while he turned his head back to look at Ronald''s perplexed face.


    This time, Loid had noticed that Sid was seemingly hiding something in the room. However, while he was aware of it, he did not call him out. Instead, he informed his main intention ofing here.


    "Mr. Ronald Evans is to be called out to the station for questioning." He then took the document from his colleague,


    "We have the arrest warrant for illegal possession of firearms to the said person."


    Hearing this, the onlookers around gasped in disbelief, surprise was evident on their faces.


    They know the heavy punishment apanied by the said crime and rarely see someone who possessed them.


    All of them, including their whole ancestry, haven''t even seen a real gun in their life! This arrest was all new to them and could not help but be scared. But more than being scared was the curiosity over the unknown.


    The onlookers murmured loudly and more and more students and professors gathered around to gossip.


    Noticing the sudden attention of people around, Sid''s face darkened as he quickly looked behind him.


    Ronald had also heard their promation and could not help but scowl. He quickly went out and faced Loid.


    "Excuse me, officer. I have never seen a gun in my entire life, much more possessed them. This also included my whole family and ancestors. So I don''t really know what you are talking about..."


    Ronald stopped as if remembering something and continued,


    "Are you perhaps referring to the gunshot that was heard yesterday evening in my abode? We have already filed aint to the station and were deemed innocent of it. We don''t know those who trespassed on our property nor we are rted to them."


    What he said was the truth. The family also knew how grave the punishment was for it and didn''t consider possessing them nor involving in their sale.


    "Yes, we have received the report aboutst night but ouring here isn''t for that." Loid tersely acknowledged his plea and nodded to the officer beside him.


    The apanying officer immediately took a document from his pocket and delivered it to Loid. Shortly, Loid skimmed through it and passed it to Ronald and said,


    "This morning, we have received a new report that you''ve been burying firearms in your yards. Before we came here, we investigated the matter, dug your yard, and found out that the report was indeed true."


    Loid''s forehead wrinkled for a moment before continuing, "And we didn''t just find a single gun but boxes of firearms hidden underneath your garden."


    "So, we invite you to the station for questioning. Of course, your other members of the family are included in this as well."


    When Loid said this, the onlookers around gasped in chorus once again. They quickly looked at Professor Evans and his secretary with intense scrutiny.


    Ronald was also stunned by this. He didn''t know about them being buried in his yard!


    However, while his face showed an obvious surprise and confusion, deep inside, he was panicking.


    He recalled that their family, particrly the deceased Stephen, had previously been involved in a murder that involved firearms.


    In the past, he had a suspicion that it came from Stephen. After all, that child was abnormal. Furthermore, the child traveled secretly to the south alone and coincidentally died tragically.


    This made him think about whether Stephen had a way of getting firearms without other people noticing. That was also the reason why he immediately manipted the news into something favorable to them.


    This was an instinct of a businessman and also of a father. However, what he initially thought of as mere spection turned out into a reality!


    Ronald had always known that Stephen was unique and not acting at his age but he never outwardly showed it. He had lived for so many years and had some gist that the world appeared to be not as normal as it looked.


    Then, His initial confusion turned into support once he identally found out that the nobles he looked up to were also not normal. This was also the reason why he just let the child be involved in their business despite his young age. He wanted to test whether Stephen was their ticket to aristocracy.


    However, what he thought was a ticket to sess turned into a big misfortune.


    Hearing the police officer''s notion, he had finally confirmed his suspicion. Stephen did possess the gun in the lotive incidentst week. Moreover, the source where he got it from is just right before their eyes. No, it is right under their eyes. Their garden!


    Ronald froze. He was frightened but he quickly replied the whole truth to the group of officers.


    "Officer, our family really didn''t know about them. You might not know this but we have just moved into that estate five to six years ago. We don''t know who buried them there."


    However, upon seeing the stern gazes of Loid and his apanying colleague, he sighed sorrowfully. He knew that even if he exined and proved his innocence, he had no choice but toe with them to the station.


    He nced at the crowd around and could not help but be disturbed. Whatever the decision with this investigation, whether he was indeed innocent or not, would greatly affect his reputation. Perhaps in the future, he might be suspended as dean and his family business might suffer from this.


    Ronald and his secretary Sid followed the men under the hot scrutiny around, including Philip wearing a stupefied facial expression.


    How could Philip not be surprised? This was totally aligned with whatever n he initially had. This made him think whether he was sleepwalkingst night and performed everything as nned.


    Seeing the crowd slowly but loudly dispersing, Philip quickly made it to the Engineering building for his next ss. While he was walking, he created numerous causes for the coincidence.


    ''Of course, the sleepwalking thing is absurd and impossible. So... that leads us to Emile, the magician. Is he perhaps helping me revenge?''


    Philip quickly crossed that out.


    ''Why would he help him after all that he had done to himst night? But wait what if he is not helping me but helping himself? After all from his facial expression, he has a great fear of guns. This also happened to Loen who was killed by Steve.''


    ''Did he report it to his superior upon knowing that it was Steve who shot Loen and possibly the original possessor of the firearm? Yes, this spection cannot be denied.''


    While Philip felt he had found the possible reason for such coincidence, he didn''t stop thinking of a new one. Shortly, he came up with a new feasible hypothesis.


    "Perhaps, it might be from Evans'' enemies, particrly from the business side. They might have used the noisest night to attack them. Yes. this n has been meticulously nned for a long time. After all, the policeman said it wasn''t just a single gun that was found underneath but multiple crates."


    Philip stopped and his eyes widened upon thinking of another reason.


    ''It could also be from Conrad! He had finally informed his mother about their circumstances and her employer, the Semion family, helped them out. But based on what Conrad had said, he needed five days to arrive at their fief... and he had just left yesterday morning.''


    Philip shook his head in frustration. There were a lot of possibilities and he had no way of knowing the exact cause.


    He could only throw it into the back of his head and headed to his next ss where he had to learn about math again.

 Chapter 46: Northern Continent

    <h4>Chapter 46: Northern Continent</h4>


    After ss, Philip immediately left the ssroom without looking back. He went to the Alma Inn which is situated a block away from the university gate.


    When he walked to the Inn, he noticed that Evans'' men were nowhere to be found and wondered if they were also implicated in what had happened earlier.


    Although Philip was curious about the aftermath of Professor Evans and his secretary Sid''s arrest, he decided not to investigate further. He believed that time would eventually reveal the truth, especially since the Evans were well-known in both the university and town.


    Upon entering the Alma Inn, Philip was greeted by a man in his thirties who stood behind the front desk. Though he recognized him as one of the inn''s three employees, he had never paid much attention to him before. After exchanging a polite nod, Philip quickly proceeded to descend the stairs to the basement.


    ''I don''t know but I feel that he is unique. He seems so hmm... distinctly introverted, as though he was suffering from a severe form of depression. Can he even do his job? I feel that being a receptionist is not suitable for him.'' Philip pondered.


    His observations continued as he encountered another employee, a woman in her fifties named Sita, who was busy washing the nkets. Though he acknowledged her with a nod, he refrained from initiating a conversation and simply continued on his path.


    ''Just like the man from the front desk, she also seems very unique and her actions were very systematic...''


    Philip couldn''t shake off the feeling that both employees seemed lifeless, almost like machines. Despite his curiosity, he ultimately decided to focus on the tasks at hand and left the matter alone.


    ''I have to understand first what I have read in the library this morning.'' Philip sighed. He felt exhausted after a long day but still felt the need to study.


    After washing and changing his clothes, hey down on the bed and rested his eyes. He wanted to getfortable first before entering into a ''Spatial Cognitive State'' where he could effortlessly summon the wealth of knowledge he had gathered in order to process it more efficiently.


    However, when he felt the soft touch of the bed and his eyes getting heavier, he sighed self-depreciatingly and reluctantly roused himself to sit upright in a nearby chair. He knew that he had to stay away from his bed to prevent himself from giving in to the seductive lure of procrastination.


    After some grumbling and stretching to revitalize his body, he steeled himself to summon forth the imagined 100 documents, each containing a trove of information about the north.


    Suddenly, illusionary pages appeared in the air. Philip then controlled each of them to form a map of the northern continent, categorizing its content into five sections by country. They are Northon, Norman, Nadia, Nova Principality, and Nordic Empire.


    The Northon Kingdom, located in the southeast part of the continent, is where Philip currently resides. This kingdom shares its border with the eastern continent, the only country that connects the north to the east bynd.


    The southernnd of this Kingdom is long and surrounded by the Nathaniel Sea, an area where citizens can travel by boat to reach the southern continent. The Northon Kingdom is a prosperousnd with a thriving economy and a stable political system.


    Northeast of Northon is the Norman Kingdom, which is the secondrgest country in terms ofnd mass. The topmost part of the country is covered in ice all year, only melting in the summer. That is why, although the country isrge, only a small part of the country is livable and arable, mostly in the south, close to the border of Northon Kingdom.


    Among all the countries in the north, Norman is the most difficult to conquer. With its mountainous area and harsh weather, colonials would find it very difficult to cross the borders.


    West of Northon is the smallest country in the northern continent, the Nova Principality. This country possesses the greatest power in the Nathaniel Sea and has the most fleet despite its size.


    The masked prince, Calisto Darvin Nova, currently oversees the country. He is the son of the previous Emperor and the daughter of the princess of Nadia Kingdom. No one knows the true face of the prince, but his citizens remain loyal to him.


    The prince is not allowed to marry or have children but can keep a harem, which adds an air of intrigue to the principality.


    Out of all the countries, Nova Principality is the only one with a history of ruling for less than 400 years, which is considered newpared to the millennia history of other kingdoms.


    The Nadia Queendom is located in the western and southernmost part of the continent, controlled by queens from generation to generation. Thisnd borders the Lusca Ocean in the west and contains the Nathaniel Sea in the south.


    Just like how Northon connects north to the east, this country also adjoins the northern and southern continents with a long bridge called the San Agusto Bridge. The bridge is a marvel of engineering and is an essential part of the trade andmerce between the two continents.


    Lastly, the Nordic Empire is thergest country in the northern continent, formed by merging three kingdoms into one. Despite having a total governance history of only 700 years, the Nordic Kingdom, the empire''s originator, boasts the longest traceable history in the north.


    Interestingly, the year in the calendar is based on the Nordic Kingdom''s history, with the current year being 1857, representing 1857 years since the establishment of the original Nordic Kingdom.


    Additionally, the emperor''s firstborn child will always be a twin. This twin then will share the authority of an emperor, with one who has the external influence while the other influences the court. To obtain a ruling, the two emperors must both agree.


    However, only the firstborn of the twins could continue the legacy and gave birth to a new twin emperors. The second twin''s child would be partnered with the princesses of the other kingdom and rule the principality.


    This unique system of governance is the pride of the Nordic Empire and has contributed significantly to its stability and prosperity. It is said that the two twin emperors are born close to each other and under no circumstances would one of them die before the other, which adds a sense of awe to the Nordic Empire''s legacy.


    If one of the twins were to harbor hatred towards the other andmit murder, it would signify the end of the twin emperor''s legacy and pave the way for the Nordic Empire to dominate and unite the entire northern continent. This is the prophecy that has been believed since the inception of the empire.


    Thus, to prevent the Nordic Empire from gaining power, the three countries, together with the independent principality, formed an alliance. They built up their forces in case the foretold prophecy came true while at the same time, striving to ensure that the twin emperors cherished one another.


    This bizarre and unusual rtionship, where smaller countries hoped for the peace and stability of the emperors'' rtionship, has persisted to this day.


    Philip closed his eyes for a moment before he slowly opened them. He touched his throbbing head as he breathed deeply.


    ''Maintaining this state is simply torture. I can only hold it for 5 minutes,'' Philip clicked his tongue as he returned to his bed to lie down.


    "Even though it can be ufortable after extended use, this ability is still very useful. I feel this is perfect for crammingst minute before an exam," he said with a chuckle. Despite his grumbling, he felt content knowing that he possessed a special ability other than his uniqueness.


    ''This is truly a marvel. What would happen if I allocate more to my mental? Can that make me do more than just the state of cognition?'' Philip mussed.


    Shortly, he opened his system to see his overall stats.


    ______________


    Name: Philip Mckenzie


    Story: The Misery behind the history of Britannia


    Profession: Undercover Agent


    Level: 13 (1101403/1638500)


    Stats:


    Physique: 18 (+50) [>]


    Mental: 13 (+28)


    Mana: 0


    Spirit: 0


    Attributable Points: 0


    Karma: -10


    Uniqueness:


    > Mystique Identities - Active (Lv. 2)


    -Transformed physical body to body the yer is familiar with.


    > Golden Eyes - Active (Lv. 1)


    -See through the value of things.


    ______________


    Quests: +999


    Inventory: 2


    Log: +99


    Information: ...


    ______________


    Main Mission: 1 vs 99 Soulless yers vs World


    Description: Be the sole remaining yer or survive the world''s destruction in the year 1879.


    Reward: 1 Wish and a Soul


    ______________


    Mission: Kill a yer


    Reward: 5 Attributable Stat Points, 1 Experience level-up card, 1 Uniqueness level-up card, Steal yer''s Uniqueness


    ______________


    Mission: Reach Level 15


    Reward: System''s update (Store), +5 Attributable Stats, 1 Uniqueness Level Up Card


    ______________


    Mission: Unite the Northern Continent


    Reward: 500 Mana Base Stats, ???


    ______________


    Mission: Unite the Southern Continent


    Reward: 500 Spirit Base Stats, ???


    ______________


    ....


    ______________

 Chapter 47: Sensation

    <h4>Chapter 47: Sensation</h4>


    As Philip perused the list of quests in his system, he couldn''t help but notice one that caught his eye: the task of uniting an entire continent.


    ''What is the meaning of this? Is the system advocating the yers to conquer countries and kingdoms to form a new united nation?'' Philip pondered. At the same time, his mind brought to the information regarding the prophecy of the Nordic Empire, which also aimed to unite the continent.


    ''Could there be a corrtion between the two? Did the empire know about the existence of yers or the impending apocalypse 22 yearster?''


    Unfortunately, Philip had no way of knowing the answers. However, it still gave him an eerie sensation on his skin. He could not help but wonder that the world seemed chaotic and out of the norm.


    ''Is the world really a simted ce created just for the soulless game? I feel the world is just too perfect to use as a battlefield. I could not help but think that there''s more to it...''


    ''Or maybe it''s just my ignorance speaking. After all, I knew nothing about the mystery side of the universe.''


    This information had made Philip overthink. Still, whether the world is real or not, he chose to save it. His decision wasn''t only for his parents but also for himself. He felt a strong sense of foreboding that if he didn''t do his best for the world, he would regret it in the end.


    As he pondered, Philip''s eyes grew heavy and he eventually drifted off to sleep.


    ***


    "Little brother! Little brother! Wake up!"


    Philip was awakened by a young girl''s loud voice and shaking. He slowly opened his eyes, yawned, and looked at Maris lethargically.


    "We are finally safe! Those scary men outside are gone!" Maris quickly recounted what had happened earlier.


    Philip listened drowsily, still wanting to linger in the realm of dreams.


    When Maris noticed Philip was slowly going back to sleep again, she leaned forward, blew his ears, and whispered,


    "Wake up! It''s dinner time already. We need to eat."


    Feeling ticklish, Philip scratched his ears as he let out an inaudible response. It was only a few minutester that he had fully awakened and stood up. He followed Maris to the kitchen to eat while rubbing his eyes.


    Upon arriving at the basement kitchen, Philip saw one of the three staff members serving their meal on the dining table. He thanked her and invited her to eat with them.


    "I''m good. I have already eaten." Matilda, the kitchen staff, smiled as she stared at him with a clear and explicit gaze.


    Philip just nodded. He knew she would decline as he had been inviting her to join them for days yet always ended up with a refusal.


    This was also simr to the other employees. He could only say that they seemed to respect the distance between the employer and the employee.


    "Older Brother, look at my drawing!" Seeing that Matilda was still present, Maris pretended to call him his original brother.


    "Where?" Philip asked. He also wants to see what a ten-year-old child draws in school.


    Maris then quickly went to her bag and pulled out her sketch. It was also at this time that Matilda went outside, leaving the two of them alone in the kitchen.


    Seeing the salivating food on the table, Philip initially wants to eat but noticing that Maris isn''t present yet, he fights himself against it.


    "Here look! I included you in my drawing!"


    Curious, he takes his gaze away from the food and darts at the drawing she had presented.


    The drawing was almost realistic, and Philip was stunned by how talented Maris was. Featured on the drawing is Conrad on the left wearing a unique smile on his face. Philip is in the middle, sitting on a chair withplete limbs. On the right side was Maris smiling cutely. In addition, the two siblings held a lifelike picture of their parents.


    This was the first time Philip saw their faces and could not help but be enamored by them. On Conrad''s hand, he held a picture of a man in his 40s. He has ck hair like Maris'', blue eyes, and a mole on his cheeks like Conrad''s.


    On Maris'' side, she held a picture of a young and beautiful woman. She has golden blonde hair and her ck eyes are piercing. From this, you can tell that the woman looked dignified and strict. It was as if she held great authority and was used overlooking from atop.


    ''Didn''t they say that their mother is a headmaid in a Dukedome? So that''s why Maris drew her like that. Maybe it''s Maris'' impression of her mother?'' he mulled.


    "You are very talented Maris." Philipplimented honestly. If he didn''t know that it was drawn by a child, he would have thought it was made by a professional artist.


    Maris giggled, "I drew you a left leg and right hand so that in the picture you''replete, unlike what''s you in reality."


    She then raised her hands and gestured, "Chop! chop!"


    ''Hey, you don''t say that. That''s hurtful you know,'' Philip''s smile froze for a second before petting Maris in the head. "Yes, yes, thank you."


    He then noticed that other than them, Maris also drew a pack of people behind them.


    There he saw the three employees: Dino the receptionist, Sita the cleaner, and Matilda the chef. In addition, there were four more people unknown to him. The seven of them have distinct figures and mour yet their eyes are the same cold, detached, and lifeless.


    He was about to ask Maris about them when his stomach whined loudly, making Maris giggle.


    "Let''s quickly eat little brother."


    Philip could only eat first and decided to askter about them.


    ***


    After dinner, Philip and Maris returned to their quarters. Philip nced outside the window to see whether the Evans'' men were roaming outside or not. However, when he didn''t see their foot above, he finally concluded that they were noting tonight.


    He sighed, closed the curtain, and sat on his bed. He observed as Maris was preupied with her reading for the first couple of minutes and then eventually fell asleep.


    "..."


    Philip was speechless for a moment before letting a chuckle. He carried her to her bed and covered her with a nket.


    Shortly, he returned to his bed but remained seated, seemingly preparing for something. He still remembered what had transpired early in the morning, when he had to use his transformation ability much earlier than usual because of the abnormality of his real child body.


    ''This is it.'' Philip waited patiently as the time stopped at 10 p.m., the time when his ability expires for the day.


    "Arg..." Philip groaned as his body slowly turned small.


    As soon as the transformation came to an end, Philip''s skin started to itch uncontrobly, causing him to feel as though a bunch of tiny worms were wriggling inside him.


    ''What is happening to me?'' Concerned, he hurried over to the wall mirror and gazed at his reflection.


    To his surprise, he noticed his face was rippling like waves, and a part of his skin wrinkled for a moment before returning to its usual state.


    ''Is this the side effect of upgrading my Physique to the limit?'' Philip''s face darkened, not expecting this oue.


    However, after realizing that his pain was not severe enough to warrant immediate medical attention or life-threatening, Philip decided to return to bed to rest.


    Despite feeling as though he was being bitten by a swarm of ck ants, he opted to tough it out as hecked any means of remedying the situation.


    A minute turned into an hour until midnight came but Philip still couldn''t sleep.


    ''Argh!!'' Philip''s anger finally surged. He could not contain his restlessness and always had the urge to move his legs.


    ''I feel like it is more severe than the restless leg syndrome I felt in the past.'' Philip thought as he recalled something simr he experienced in his previous book life.


    Philip wanted to transform quickly to stop the unpleasant and ufortable sensation on his body. However, when he remembered the time limit of his ability and that he still needed to attend a Club meeting tomorrow afternoon, he summoned all the will to control himself.


    ''Should I use my other uniqueness level-up card...'' Philip thought but quickly abolished the n. His karma is still negative and there would be a time where he would be forced to use all of his hidden cards. If he chose to use it and exhaust his cards, he would have less to counter this bad luck. This would ce him in a much more troublesome situation.


    ''I will just see it as a training.'' Philip decided, thinking this was a good thing for him.


    It was then, for the whole night, that Philip suffered not only from difort but also insomnia.

 Chapter 48: Mental Study Society

    <h4>Chapter 48: Mental Study Society</h4>


    October 7, 1857 - Wednesday


    Philip trudged towards the university, his steps were heavy and sluggish due to theck of sleep he had endured throughout the night - Just as he expected from the ufortable sensation brought my upgrading his Physique to the limit.


    However, the good thing was, when the sun had finally shone, Philip noticed that his Mental base stat had increased by one and that the allocated stat points returned and could be used again.


    Stats:


    Physique: 18 (+50) [>]


    Mental: 14 (+27)


    Mana: 0


    Spirit: 0


    Attributable Points: 1


    This change made Philip realize that the attributable points were reusable and that the base stats were upgradable with growth and training.


    ''If that''s the case, then it''s good to suffer from insomnia and restlessness every night.'' Philip chuckled but his face darkened.


    While it was beneficial to him, he didn''t want to endure sleepless nights every day! Even though his physique keeps him from feeling fatigued at the moment, who knows what the future holds? He was uncertain if his mental state could handle the exhaustion every day.


    Philip sighed and allocated the one stat point to Spirit as he felt uneasy seeing it at zero. As for Mana, he would worry about itter if he had any excess stat points.


    After finishing his ss for the day and a quick dinner at the inn, Philip headed towards the College of Medicine where the Mental Study Society had their clubroom located.


    Along the way, when he set foot on the building, he noticed some students withrge eye bags dressed in white garments, which were different from the usual brown uniform.


    Simr to Philip, these students also noticed him and could not help but wonder. They stared at him with confusion and asked internally why a student from another college was present in their zone.


    Feeling out of ce. Philip hurriedly searched for the club room while keeping his head low. Internally, he was questioning himself whether attending the meeting was a good decision. After all, his major, Conrad''s major rather, is totally on a different spectrum from the club''s.


    Eventually, after a long walk, he found a brown wooden door with a sign in the middle that read "Mental Study Society" at the end of the corridor. It was perfectly located at the center which adds a sense of individualitypared to the other rooms on both sides.


    Checking the time on the watch he ''borrowed'' from Conrad, he saw that the long hand was on ten and the shorthand was close to six. With this in mind, ten minutes before the scheduled time, he grabbed the doorknob and entered the room.


    As Philip stepped into the room, he was taken aback by its sheer size. The space was equivalent to two standard ssrooms, with long tables running down both sides of the room, each apanied by rows of wooden chairs.


    Some of the chairs were neatly ced underneath the tables, while others were scattered around willy-nilly. In the center of the room, there was a tform with a bare, dirty-white wall. Philip could only assume that there was a chalkboard there previously, but it appeared to have been removed.


    Upon the tform, there was a wooden podium adorned with a circr logo of the club, featuring a brain surrounded byurels and the words ''Mental Study Society''.


    The room was well-lit, withrge windows on both sides, offering breathtaking views of the university and the trees outside. The borders of the windows were draped with thick ck curtains, adding a touch of elegance to the space.


    Overall, the room was immactely clean and gave Philip a fantastic first impression of the club.


    As Philip observed his surroundings, he noticed that there were four people in the room. Two of them were soundly sleeping while sitting near the left window, while a shy and nervous-looking girl was seated alone on the right side of the room, near the second long table. The fourth person was a man who smiled warmly upon seeing Philip walk in.


    "Hello there, did youe for the club gathering? If so, how did you find out about this ce?"


    Philip replied, "Yes, I saw a poster in the library and it piqued my interest."


    He dug through his bag and produced the poster he had found the day before.


    Seeing this, the man nodded, weed him with a smile, and said, "Great! Take a seat and rx, we still have a few minutes until the session starts."


    He then went to a cab near the entrance and retrieved some items.


    Initially, Philip wanted to assist him, but he decided against it since he was new and unfamiliar with the surroundings. Instead, he turned his attention to the only woman in the room, who was secretly scrutinizing him at the same time.


    He introduced himself with a smile, "Hi, I''m Conrad Davies, a sophomore in civil engineering."


    The girl, dressed in the same brown uniform he had, looked shy but managed to respond, "Yes, I know who you are. You''re quite well-known in your department. I''m Sarah Williams, a sophomore in primary education."


    After exchanging pleasantries, the two of them were left in an awkward silence.


    Philip suddenly felt ashamed. He had been living in the forest and had just arrived in the city for four days. So aside from Maris, his weird rtionship with Conrad, and his short talk with the scary Adolf, he didn''t know how to socialize with people of his age. Moreover, he had to act like he was Conrad and couldn''t be impulsive.


    Good thing that Sarah appeared to be in a simr situation and understood that the two of them could not talk without the presence and help of a third party, preferably an extrovert.


    Philip scratched his neck as he pulled up the chair next to her to sit.


    The man who had greeted him earlier looked at them and smiled again, but this time, his smile wasn''t friendly or weing - it was teasing and had a hint of mocking.


    The two of them looked down and pretended to clean the non-existent dirt in their fingers, trying to ignore the man''s behavior.


    A few minutester, a group of five people wearing the same white garments that Philip had seen earlier entered noisily.


    "What will we learn today? I hope I can finally master sleep paralysis today."


    "Have you tried it alone in your room?"


    "No, I wouldn''t dare. I always feel like something heavy is sitting on my chest when I do it by myself."


    They continued discussing their daily encounters and subjects in ss which Philip could not understand as they were filled with jargon and difficult words.


    Soon, more students entered the room. Most of them wearing white uniforms, while only a few had brown ones like his.


    As Philip observed the iing crowd, his eyes widened for a moment before narrowing them down.


    There, he saw, in the center of the crowd, the staff of McRonald he met on his first day in the city. The one who forced... no not forced... but drove him to order more unconsciously.


    The woman caught Philip''s intense gaze and instinctively looked over. When their eyes met, Philip immediatelyposed himself and slowly took his gaze away. However, it was toote as the woman approached him with the same annoying smile she had worn in the past.


    "You seemed to know me and despised me? Why? Do I know you? Have we met before? Are you perhaps one of my forgotten boyfriends? If so, want to try it again?" asked the woman who is the perfect depiction of contradiction as she appeared to be both alluring and boyish.


    Philip''s eyes flickered again. He had thought this in the past but he felt she was indeed very talkative leaving him no way out but to follow her lead subconsciously.


    While Philip was in mental turmoil, Sarah looked over them in curiosity. She stared at Philip first and at the woman then quickly bowed her head which was slowly turning into a tomato.


    Philip had no time to observe Sarah''s unusual reaction as the woman across bombarded him again with a series of inquiries.


    "You''re skin is so smooth. What products do you use? And you seemed so pretty. Oh if only you''re a woman you would have been prettier than me. Hehe. Oh, I think I know you! You''re the mascot of the engineering department! Haha. Why would someone from that dirt-loving major be here in the loving and delicate world of psychology?"


    Philip''s forehead wrinkled as his mouth twitched slightly. He also began to notice that the people around him were starting to scrutinize him and eventually, obtained the attention of all.


    While he was thinking of how to answer and how Conrad would act in this situation, a voice saved him,


    "Stop that L. You''re scaring the neers." Sam, the same man who had greeted him earlier, scolded.


    L just smirked as she gave Philip a quick wink before moving to the front.

 Chapter 49: Astral State

    <h4>Chapter 49: Astral State</h4>


    "Good day everyone! Wee to another session of the Mental Study Society. I am Sam Collins, a third-year psychiatry student and the presider of today''s week discussion."


    As soon as he said them, two illusionary doors emanating with pinkish lure suddenly emerged on the bare wall behind him.


    Philip''s eyes widened as he instinctively prepared to run. However, when he saw Sarah next to him had the same reaction but showed no fear, then he controlled himself from overreacting.


    Sarah and Philip''s eyes met as though conveying if the other could also see those bizarre doors. This silent contactsted for a second before Sam unveiled a fake human body''s framework he got from the cab earlier.


    "Today, we are to discuss one out of the ten body systems, the nervous system...."


    As Philip listened in one ear, he simultaneously darted his eyes to the students around. He wanted to see if they also noticed the doors. However, seeing that all of them were preupied and were marveling at the body framework in front, he quit investigating.


    Eventually, Sarah seemed to stop minding about the doors as all her thoughts quickly went to Sam.


    Philip initially wanted to follow her suit but when the doors suddenly opened, his body increasingly became tense.


    Then, from them, two entities in the form of spirits came out. Their structures were human-like and simr to the two men sleeping near the window.


    Philip nced at Sarah to see if she noticed them but when he found her face was nk and void of any emotion other than being enamored by the discussion, he stopped examining.


    He assumed that Sarah had seen them but chose to act as if she didn''t. After all, she also saw the doors earlier. It was unlikely that she wouldn''t see the spirits that emerged from them.


    Philip listened as Sam conferred on how important the nerves are and their connection with the brain. At the same time, he was also secretly looking for something amiss in the surroundings.


    Just the same as before, most of the students'' attention was on Sam. The only ones who weren''t were the two students who remained sleeping and the pretty but boyish... and rude L sitting at the front, close to the tform.


    She was bothering another student on her side by blowing his ears and brushing her hands at him flirtily. However, the said person just narrowed his eyes and pped L''s annoying hands.


    On the other hand, Sam, who was on the podium, continued talking in front. He held a stick he brought out of nowhere while taking nces at the student below.


    As for the two spiritual entities, they finally came out from the illusionary door and were now roaming around the room. At the same time, the two pinkish doors behind slowly disappeared.


    Philip initially thought that they would return to their sleeping physical body but contrary to his expectation, they began to move and disturb the other students around. It was as though they were looking for someone who could notice them.


    Philip''s sweat gushed like a waterfall and his legs began to shake. Although he knew that his action was improper for a former undercover agent and that he should maintain a calmposure, he could not help but feel fearful as they were mysteriously bizarre.


    Aside from the magicians and the strange medicine and jewelry box of Auntie Marissa, this was his third time seeing an anomalous phenomenon.


    Still, even though it was his third time already, he felt thatpared to the previous two encounters, this was the most horrifying.


    Who would not be afraid as the entities stopped one by one in front of the students? Their human-like spirit body changes into something despicable as they go along. It was as though they were the personification of a nightmare.


    They continued doing this until one of the entities reached Sarah, who was sitting next to him.


    "Hello, pretty girl..." He said while his lips curled up inhumanely. His smile was so wide that it brought an eerie sense of beau.


    However, when the entity saw that Sarah produced no reaction, he moved to Philip.


    Philip knew he was next after Sarah so he had been prepared not to react.


    The man''s face changed back to his original normal face as he stood before Philip. He leaned down close so that his nose touched Philip''s nose, and his eyes eerily gaped at Philip''s eyes.


    Although it frightened Philip, he fought the urge to show an obvious reaction. He continued to stare at the front, not dting his pupils.


    With a reaction that the entity wasn''t looking for, he showed dismay for a moment before he leaned back up and proceeded to the next target.


    While watching the spirit getting away, Philip was about to heave a sigh internally when an arm suddenly plugged forward to p his face!


    Philip''s fingers curled interceptively but never moved. He braced himself for the impact.


    "..."


    The entity''s hand halted and drilled in the center of Philip''s face. His arm passes through Philip''s internal, leaving his pinkish arm protruding from Philip''s nose.


    He chuckled for a second before removing his hand and moving to the next one.


    As for Philip, he was already dead inside as he had almost wetted himself. Good thing he didn''t react or else he would be found out.


    The two entities continued scaring other students and ultimately returned to their physical bodies.


    One by one, they woke up without fatigue. It was as though they were only pretending and resting their eyes for a moment.


    Philip continued showing no sign of abnormality as he took short nces at Sarah. But seeing her preupied then he also stopped worrying about the entities before.


    "That''s it for weekly discussion." Sam stopped as he gave a nce at the same two students sleeping near the window earlier. Seeing this, they then stood up and carried the nervous system back to the cab.


    "Now, let''s move to our weekly experimentation! First twelve students pleasey down on the table." Sam pped and then nced at the neers Sarah and Philip.


    "From what you''ve heard earlier, we usually explore the human mind and its connection to the physical body. This was the first part of the weekly session of this society." He informed.


    "We did this not just because we wanted to familiarize our body structure but also to prepare for the next section of today''s gathering."


    Sam cleared his throat and exined, "The focus of this club is on dreams. We''re interested in exploring the connection between the mind and the mysterious realm of dreand. That''s why most of our experiments revolve around sleeping."


    "Today, we''ll be attempting to remain aware within our dreams and take control of the events that ur within. This is also known as lucid dreaming."


    "By staying conscious in our dreams, we''ll be able to remember what had transpired in the dreand and explore it further."


    Sam surveyed the students as they prepared toy down on the table.


    "We need to approach this experiment with caution, as it can be dangerous. Thus, we must do everything as slowly and as carefully as possible."


    "With this, we strictly follow the order of strengthening the mind. For our first step is to train our minds by inducing hypnagogia, the transitional state between wakefulness and sleep."


    "This part is the most time-consuming in our experiment. Sometimes you can do it for the first time but most of the time, you can only achieve and enter this state with numerous practice and training."


    Sam sighed, seemingly recalling something, and continued, "However, even though we could achieve this, maintaining it would be a different matter. "


    "Many students stopped here as it is difficult to maintain a prolonged period and eventually leave the society. But there were still some who continued to persevere until today."


    Sam smiled as he looked at the students below, "Then if we could retain it for a long period of time, we could also maintain the second step of our experimentation: the sleep paralysis."


    "In sleep paralysis, we experience a temporary inability to move or speak. Sometimes we experienced hallucinations and was extremely dangerous. However, we must still do it as this is an ideal state to enter lucid dreaming."


    "Lastly, when we finally mastered the first two steps. We will then attempt to summon our astral body, the subtle body that connects our physical body to the world of dreams!"


    Sam proimed as he lit a brown candle. Unlike any other candle, it has a refreshing scent of the forest. When Philip smelled it, he felt as if he was transported back to the mountain where he had lived for four years in the past.


    "That is also the main goal of the Mental Study Society - to be proficient in entering and maintaining an astral state!"


    Sam''s smirk conveyed his excitement for the uing experiment.

 Chapter 50: Sleep Paralysis

    <h4>Chapter 50: Sleep Paralysis</h4>


    After Philip heard the goal of the society, he felt that the people around became instantly enthusiastic, even Sarah, who had been quiet, couldn''t contain her excitement.


    As for him, while he was indeed surprised and thrilled, he also couldn''t help but worry about the society''s ulterior motives.


    Questions raced through his mind: "Why do they want to study this? What do they hope to gain? Could it be dangerous for those who can summon their astral body?"


    The appearance of the strange doors and spirits, or rather, astral bodies, had left him feeling uneasy and suspicious. He had so many unanswered questions but could only watch as the experiment carried on.


    The twelve students, arranged into six per table, with two in a row and three in a column, finallyid down. The women grabbed some nkets to cover their skirts, while the men simplyid down, cing their hands beside their legs.


    "Enter into a state between wakefulness and slumber. Don''t let yourselves give in to fatigue, and at the same time, don''t be too overly conscious about the surroundings. Take a deep breath and focus all your thoughts on calming yourself."


    While Sam began to guide the students, he took pieces of colored paper cut into circles. He glues them on the students'' foreheads, in an area where their eyes can''t see.


    "If you manage to reach an astral state, look at your body and see the paper on your forehead. After you wake up, state the color to determine whether you have seeded or not."


    Soon, the room grew quiet and dark, with only the sound of breathing and the gentle glow ofmps and scented candles illuminating the area.


    Philip carefully surveyed the crowd, especially the sleeping students. At the same time, he unhurriedly positioned himself near the exit door, ready to leave if anything went wrong.


    After a couple of minutes of total silence, a sound suddenly broke the stillness. Philip jerked slightly as he quickly looked towards the source. However, when he saw that it came from a man who was snoring loudly, his forehead crumpled.


    Realizing the source of the noise, the students around chuckled in unison as they quickly woke the man up to prevent him from disturbing others.


    The man was drowsy and confused at first, but after hearing the reason, his cheeks turned red as he quickly blended into the crowd, embarrassed.


    However, his embarrassment was short-lived as other students, mostly his male friends, started snoring a few seconds after he woke up.


    Seeing this, he smirked and hurriedly woke them up, wanting to share the embarrassment together.


    Eventually, from twelve became seven. And after five minutes, the ones who failed to enter hypnagogia slowly began to rise, disappointment was printed on their faces.


    Finally, from seven students, only three remained, two of whom were women and the third was a man named Keith, whom L had previously disturbed during the discussion.


    Philip noticed their closed eyes were rapidly moving... No, it''s more like their eyeballs were moving behind their eyelids. The two women''s eye movements were particrly obvious and intense, even from a distance.


    He guessed that they had finally entered into sleep paralysis, where they couldn''t move their body but could still see and hear their surroundings.


    It was then that Sam, who had remained quiet all this time, finally spoke,


    "Remain calm! Everything will be okay!"


    After he said those words, the two women''s eye movements slowed down slightly.


    Encouraged, Sam continued, "Good good! Maintain thatposure. From now on, imagine yourself sitting. Yes, you will now try if you can eject your astral body out from your physical body."


    The other students around were breathless, suspense filling the air as they waited for a sessful summoning.


    Then, one of the women''s eyes began to move rapidly again, but unlike earlier, it was more intense and enthusiastic, as if she was panicking inside.


    "Casey, stop panicking." Sam stopped before continuing, "What you feel and see are just hallucinations. They are not real!"


    However, upon seeing Casey remained panicking and was starting to have difficulty breathing, Sam quickly expressed,


    "Okay stop! Stop! It''s not your time yet. Try moving your fingers or wiggling your toes."


    Just the moment he said them, Casey''s toenails twitched for a second before her eyes suddenly opened. She quickly sat on the table as she touched her chest, feeling the fast throbbing of her heart.


    Shortly, the other women also woke up. But unlike Casey who had a huge reaction, she had none. She just sat and moved away from the table after she woke up. Nevertheless, there was a hint of disappointment in her eyes but also understanding, seemingly this was not her first time failing.


    While everyone''s eyes were on the two women, Philip''s attention was glued on Keith, who was the only student remaining on the left long table.


    He was specifically captivated by Keith''s situation as from his eyes, Keith''s figures appeared to be fuzzy and out of focus.


    He looked around to see if others noticed it but seeing no great reaction around, he returned to observe Keith.


    Sensing that it would take Keith a long time to finish, Sam then silently guided the other students to lie down on the empty right table. Among the students who were called was Sarah.


    Upon hearing her name being called, Philip immediately became uneasy. He knew that after her, he was next.


    Although Philip also wanted to summon his astral body, he didn''t want it to happen under the audiences of many, especially before the two men who could summon their astral bodies earlier.


    Questions arose from his mind: What if they notice that something is abnormal with him? And if he ever seeds, what would happen after? What would the men do to him?


    Philip had a lot of unanswered questions and felt scared of the unknown.


    Luckily, Sarah was calledst, giving Philip who was next to her, time to prepare. He secretly opened his system and activated his ''Golden Eyes'' uniqueness.


    As everything turned golden in his eyes, he quickly shifted his gaze to the scented candle and the colored circr papers on students'' foreheads. He wanted to see if there was something peculiar or magical to them. However, upon seeing that they were emitting a light normal to their value, he sighed in relief.


    He then turned into the two spiritual men. From them, he saw they were shining far brighter than others. Their brightness was simr to the magician Emile, albeit slightly weaker.


    Simrly, the light that wasing from Sarah and Keith was intense, outshining the average students around. However, the glowing from them wasn''t enough to contend with someone who possessed supernatural abilities.


    But what truly astonished Philip was the light emanating from Sam and L. Their glow was so radiant and fierce that he found himself instinctively deactivating his ability and closing his eyes, overwhelmed by their sheer brilliance.


    ''So far, they are the most radiant that I''ve seen. Are they stronger than Emile and Loen? If so, are they also magicians or perhaps witches like Auntie Marissa?'' Philip mulled as he rubbed his eyes.


    Philip felt it was unexpected but at the same time within his expectations. Seeing that Sam was a presider of the Society and could order the two spiritual men, he might have been also unordinary.


    As for L... He doesn''t know what to feel. He still had an immature grievance against her due to the fast food affair and could not help but be bitter about it.


    ''I should not be continuing feeling about this...'' Philip felt that there was something wrong with his line of thoughts but chose not to confront it.


    As time passed, the abnormality in Keith became more entric. What was initially blurry turned into as if two Keith were lying on the table in the same spot.


    Philip instinctively moved his legs backwards, ready to escape anytime, but also leaned forward, curious about what would happen next.


    He didn''t have to wait long as Keith''s second body arose and sat, leaving the other body lying on the table.


    At the same time, Keith began to notice this peculiarity and gazed down, examining his body - it was illusionary and transparent, bordering him from head to toe was a weak pinkish hue that reminded him of a pleasant dream.


    Keith smiled with relief, having finally seeded in summoning his astral body.


    As he felt the paper on his forehead, he turned around to his physical body. His gaze turned up to his forehead as he whispered,


    "Red."


    Suddenly, after he whispered the color, another voice resonated on his side.


    "Congrattions."


    Hearing a feminine voice, Keith shifted his head to the right and saw L in her astral form.


    "Thank you," Keith replied, his voice filled with sincerity.


    Meanwhile, Philip leaned against the door closer. His eyes widened as he saw that aside from L''s astral body, her physical body maintained a standing position on the side. Additionally, her eyes remained open, indicating she was not sleeping!


    This was totally different from the two spiritual men earlier!

 Chapter 51: Hidden Agenda

    <h4>Chapter 51: Hidden Agenda</h4>


    "What do I do now?" Keith seemed not surprised by L''s current state. He just threw a question, waiting for a new instruction.


    "Why don''t you try standing up?" L replied. She still had that same annoying smile on her face.


    Keith wasn''t bothered by her smile as he controlled his body with difficulty.


    Starting from his right foot, he slowly ced them away from the table, swinging midair before the floor. After he was done with this, he carefully let his left foot follow.


    It was only when he was finally in a sitting position then he pushed his arms against the surface of the table, trying to stand.


    However, before Philip could witness everything, he was interrupted by Sam''s sudden announcement.


    "Since Keith will be taking for long, we will proceed with the next five students." He nced at Philip and nodded, indicating Philip to lie down on the table.


    Philip was frozen at first before moving to the left long table. Since he was first, he had toy on the front part. Meaning he had to be next to the sleeping Keith.


    Hesitantly, he sat beside Keith, containing himself from not showing a reaction indicating he could see the astral bodies next to him.


    As soon as hey down and closed his eyes, he felt something touching his be. He didn''t react as he knew it was the colored circr paper glued on him.


    ''So, what will I do now?'' Philip murmured internally, thinking of what to do.


    Since he still didn''t know the real motive of this society, he was thinking of pretending to do the experiment. Only when he felt that others could not do it then he would wake up and act as if he was disappointed.


    ''Yes, this is perfect action for now. I will observe the others first and wait for a couple of more gatherings to determine whether they have a malicious intention or not.''


    Philip then began to overthink, "But what if they will find out that I wasn''t serious and forced me? Then if I still don''t heed theirmand, will they punish me? What if they won''t let me out after knowing I wasn''t putting in effort?''


    However, while Philip was busy in his own thoughts, an ethereal voice chimed near him.


    "You don''t have to be scared. Whatever you''re thinking is totally different from the reality."


    Philip froze. He was wondering if the voice was dedicated to him or not.


    "Yes, I''m talking to you, Conrad," L said in a yful tone.


    Philip''s heart skipped a bit, ''She can hear my thoughts? That''s make it more scary.''


    He fought his urge to open his eyes. In his mind, he was already imagining that all the students around were looking at him, all in their astral forms.


    To add more fear to Philip, L''s voice suddenly came close to him, it was as though she moved from Keith''s side to his left.


    "Hehe. I can''t hear or read your mind. It''s just your emotions were too disarray and chaotic. It was easy for a mentalist like me to notice them."


    L stopped for a moment before continuing, "From what I saw earlier, you seemed to see the illusionary door, right? Yes, hehe, I am sure with this as you are very easy to read even if you do all your best to pretend you didn''t."


    "Furthermore, It''s so funny to see you act as if you didn''t see Chris distracting you. Hahaha, I thought you were going to wet yourself," L said with augh.


    While listening to her, Philip started to have doubts about his acting ability which was toughened with his previous book life''s profession.


    ''Was I really easy to read or is this the uniqueness of the mentalist?''


    Although L''s voice was carefree and without malice, he didn''t rx a bit. Instead, he became more terrified. He felt that under her watch, he was bare and naked - that all his secrets were out and open.


    ''Yes, since earlier, when she caught me looking at her, I felt weirded out by the situation. How she can seem to know that I have a grudge against her? Is it possible to know everything with just a nce?''


    Feeling that Philip''s thoughts became even more chaotic, L stopped saying anything. She seemed to be aware that she couldn''t make Philip calm down on her own.


    Philip felt the stillness for a while, only the sounds of Keith suffering to stand up were heard beside him.


    Suddenly, Philip heard another voice talking next to him. Unlike earlier when it was feminine, now it was deep and mannish. Yes, he was familiar with this sound, it was Sam''s.


    "Don''t be rmed, Conrad. Since you''ve been given a poster, we absolutely would not hurt you."


    Sam''s voice was clear and careful, evident that he didn''t want to frighten Philip much.


    "Yes, it is true that the society''s goal is to traverse the dreamworld and summon the astral body. However, in no circumstances are our motives malicious. We just wanted to look for talents that can be groomed into mentalists."


    "The one who gave you the poster seems to know that you have what it takes to be one of our kind. At the same time, you understand that you''re different from others. That''s why you wanted to try your luck and see what the mental study society does."


    Upon hearing them, Philip''s thoughts remained in disarray. Who would not be? This was exactly his thought process. He wanted to investigate society and see if he could gain powers simr to magician Emile.


    Feeling that he was utterly bare to them, he didn''t open his eyes nor speak. He just pretended he was just like others, normal.


    Sam sensed Philip''s guard tightening up but didn''t stop.


    "As for why we know this, weprehended this because of our unique powers. Aside from reading facial expressions, mentalists on our level can also see the colors of emotion. That was also the reason why L sensed you know her and felt you have a grudge against her."


    "We cannot tell you more about this as information on all levels requires a price. But what I can assure you is that if you practice with us, you have the chance to be a mentalist: capable of traversing to the dream world and knowing the other person''s thought process."


    Sam went silent for a while before he continued, "We have encountered like you who were suspicious of the society as we are indeed not ordinary. In fact, Keith was just like you initially. It took him weeks before he trusted us."


    He then expressed, "The truth of training mentalists is to assist us in the treatment of those who experience nightmares that could lead to death. Are you aware that some people die in their sleep? This is what mentalists want to prevent as one of our jobs is to stop dangerous nightmares and cate the minds of people."


    "Since being a mentalist requires talent, our number is not enough to foresee everyone. In fact, we''ve been overworking every night because of ack of employment. That''s why, the mental study society is created to make help us in this endeavor."


    Sam''s voice slowly weakens as time passes. Philip also heard Keith whispering that he could finally stand.


    "You can choose to leave and not return after the session. We promise we will not run after you or disturb you."


    "However, if your guard loosened and you''re willing to try, you can talk to us after the gathering or even in the next gathering. We will try our best to answer all your queries."


    Sam''s ethereal voice finally stopped and disappeared. Philip''s thoughts also began to ease.


    In fact, Philip was tempted to join them. After all, he has a battle to fight and requires more power. The only thing that was stopping him was hisck of knowledge.


    He knows that he is new on the mysterious side of the world and can easily be fooled. What if these so-called mentalists were simr to magicians, who wanted to dissect everything abnormal to them?


    Moreover, what he fears the most is betrayal. This can be traced to the ending of his previous book life. In fact, even with Maris'' seemingly good treatment of him, he still has a backup n in case she reports him to the authorities. Additionally, while he has a good impression of the Davies, he still puts some distance from them to prepare for the worst.


    Philip sighed, all he could do was gather more information and be careful. The good thing is he still has a levy, they seem to be unaware that he is not Conrad.


    When his thoughts moved in this direction, he quickly stopped. He couldn''t fully trust the words of mentalists. What if they could really read minds? He would be situated in a troublesome situation.


    Philip cleared his thoughts, not thinking about anything. All of his focus was to maintain peace of mind.


    However, he suddenly felt his body be light and heavy at the same time. Confused, he slowly attempted to move and open his eyes.


    ''Is this?''


    It was then Philip realized that he had unconsciously entered into sleep paralysis and had summoned part of his astral body.


    As he turned sideways, he instantly noticed L, who seemed to be very shocked to see him in an astral state.

 Chapter 52: Dreamwalker

    <h4>Chapter 52: Dreamwalker</h4>


    "How?"


    L''s eyes almost popped out, stunned at how Philip could achieve an astral state for the first time.


    ''How could this be possible? Even I took two months of practice just to summon my astral body.'' L mulled as she quickly looked at Sam, who at the same time, wore the same reaction as hers.


    Sam almost couldn''t control himself from maintaining his state, causing his physical body to woggle while it stood on the tform.


    ''Is this why the teacher gave him the poster because he is a talent that appears once in a century?'' Sam instantly recovered from his astonishment, his eyes beamed in delight.


    Simrly, Philip had also noticed their exaggerated reaction. However, he had no time to mull over them as he was fixated on his condition.


    ''How did I do this? Is it this easy to summon an astral body?'' Philip brooded for a while before stopping, seemingly examining his state.


    ''Hmm, this is very familiar. I think this is kind of simr to the ''Spatial Cognitive State'' I''ve done in the past.''


    ''Yes, like when I fought against Emile, I imagined to eject myself out of my physical body to see everything from the god''s point of view. So... was the cognitive state all along my astral state?''


    Suddenly, while Philip was busy contemting, he heard a series of coughs, as if trying to gain his attention.


    "Care to exin? You might not know this, but there has never been someone that can summon their astral body on the first try, especially if they were like you - unable to rx due to suspicions about the club.'' Sam asked. The tone of his voice was lukewarm.


    At this point, L, who had been motionless, finally recovered and quickly interjected, "Shouldn''t we be the ones to feel suspicious of you?"


    She stopped, then continued, "Come to think of it. You''ve seen the illusionary doors and were aware of the astral states of Chris and Topher. If this is the case, aren''t you already a mentalist? Because from what I know, only those who are mentalists can see them. So why would you still participate in this club? Why act as if you''re frightened about them?"


    Philip willed his body, astral form rather, to sit. He nced at Sam and L and answered honestly.


    "I''m as confused as you are. This is also my first time knowing I could do these things."


    Owing to the fact that Philip was very bewildered and curious, he methodically forgot his fear and quickly reiterated,


    "All I know is that I can enter this special cognitive state where everything moves extremely slow, and my intelligence and memory are greatly enhanced, making me recall even the short nces I took in the past."


    Upon hearing this, L''s contracted pupils rxed as she probed inquisitively,


    "What is your IQ? Do you have a special constitution of hyperthymesia, eidetic memory, or perhaps synesthesia? Or maybe you are a savant?"


    "..."


    Philip just looked at L dumbfoundedly. He could not understand a single word she was saying.


    L noticed his reaction but before she could continue her questioning, Sam quickly interceded and said,


    "No. What we want to know is, were you born with this condition or acquired it in one day and you suddenly noticed that something is different in you?"


    Philip carefully gave it some thought first. Since now that he knew that the astral state and his so-called invention ''Spatial Cognitive State'' were simr, he understood how he was capable of doing what a mentalist can do. It is due to his high Mental Stats.


    Facing these omniscient mentalists, Philip doesn''t know what to do or say. All he knew was that he could not just say that this abnormality was caused by the Soulless System.


    "No, I wasn''t born like this. In fact, my memory wasn''t this great in the past. It was only this week that I''ve experienced it..." answered Philip truthfully. He felt it was better to be honest but also be secretive in front of these mentalists.


    Hearing this, Sam also gave it some thought,


    "You are Conrad Davies, right? Yes, you have always been famous in the university because of you''re status as the son of the Alma Inn''s owner and the mascot of the Engineering department. I heard that you have been embroidered with therge project from Evans Family... Then, did you experience this sudden change after your father died?"


    "Ye-yes..." Philip answered hesitantly. He was able to enter into a cognitive statest Monday, so it was partially the truth.


    "So that must be the reason..." Sam sighed. He looked at Keith who was silently listening to them, and at Chris and Topher in the corner before saying,


    "The reason why the mentalists are so rare to the point we''re experiencing ack of employment is because of its rigorous and difficult process to be one. Aside from talent, an individual must undergo a series of challenging trials, some of which can be life-threatening and excruciating, in order to have a chance at bing a mentalist."


    Sam raised three of his fingers and continued,


    "There are three demands that one must aplish to be a bona fide mentalist.


    First, an individual must, at some point, unlock one of their core memories in their space of consciousness.


    The core memories are the person''s most special memory that affects their well-being and personality. Unlike other memories that are easily forgettable, these cores are sturdy, difficult to break, and are locked deep inside our minds.


    So if an individual unlocked one of his cores, he would temporarily possess extraordinary strength, tenacity, or otherworldly mind powers. This usually urs to save oneself or another from a tragedy.


    An example of this is when a mother obtained a supernatural strength to save her baby from being trapped in a zing building. This is somehow simr to adrenaline but more on the metaphysical side.


    However, unlocking these cores wouldn''t suffice as you need to close them afterward, or else, it would poison your mind and be the reason for your early death.


    To close it, one must, after obtaining abilities from core memories, ease their mind after the using it. This is simr to a mother having sessfully saved her baby. So if the child dies, even with the core memories'' support, the mother will live the rest of her life deranged and has the possibility of dying from it.


    The condition of locking the core memories varies from how important and impactful the unlocked cores are in shaping your personality. Yes, because of its unpredictability, it is very difficult to close them..."


    Sam stopped and looked sideways. Seeing that the students around needed his help, he returned to his physical body.


    L then continued the next demand,


    "Second, an individual must possess a genius level of intelligence and mental strength, this is equivalent to an IQ of 150 or in any simr mental strength quotations.


    This is the reason why a mentalist requires aptitude as not everyone is born gifted. However, the world is still fair. Intelligence and mental strength can be trained and improved. This is also the basis why the Mental Study Society was created."


    L looked over the students around,


    "These students once had unlocked one of their core memories and sessfully closed it. However, because their intelligence was insufficient, they had a hard time bing a mentalist. Thus, to help them, the first session of the gathering was created... "


    "Yes, unlike you, who could see the illusionary doors and the astral projection, these people couldn''t. Even Sarah can''t. She can only see a pinkish hallucination but would soon forget it."


    "So that''s why..." Philip nodded. Initially, he thought that Sarah could see the doors, however, after seeing her superb acting, he felt that there was wrong. Thus, hearing L''s exnation answered his spections.


    Keith who was silently listening at his side continued,


    "The third condition is, after aplishing the first two prerequisites, you must be able to summon your astral body and maintain it for an extended period of time. This requires practice for months or even years. As for me, it is only now in my third month that I could finally summon my astral body."


    "In addition to that, once you can maintain the state for more or less an hour, you can now try summoning the door leading to your space of consciousness. Only when you sessfully enter it then you will be a Dreamwalker, the first level of Mentalists."


    Then, Keith walked to the tform and raised his hands onto the bare wall with difficulty. Shortly afterward, the pinkish hue that bordered his body shook and gathered on his palm.


    Keith gritted his teeth as he willed the pinkish hue to spread out on the wall. However, before the hues touched the wall, Keith''s astral body became more transparent and slowly disappeared afterwards.


    Soon, Keith woke up in his physical body. Although he had some inkling that he would fail in summoning the door, he still could not help but be frustrated.


    "Why don''t you try it? From what I see, you can already easily maintain your astral body." Sam, who had returned to his physical body earlier, was in his astral state again. He gave Philip directions on how to do it.


    Since Philip had obtained a lot of information from them, he thought why not be more proactive?


    Hence, like Keith, he stood up and slowly walked to the bare wall.

 Chapter 53: Door

    <h4>Chapter 53: Door</h4>


    Although Philip had some doubts about this abnormal society, his desire to be a mentalist was too strong to ignore and believed that being proactive was the best course of action.


    ''If I want to be more powerful, I need the help of the society. Moreover, this is the perfect ce to start if I want to explore and be integrated into the mystical side of the world.'' Philip thought.


    After much contemtion, he decided to join the club while remaining cautious. He unhurriedly walked to the tform and raised his hand, channeling the pinkish hue in his body to his palm.


    Once all the hues had gathered in his palm, he directed them over the bare wall, slowly causing them to spread out.


    Suddenly, he felt his palm make contact with a door handle and quickly turned to look. There, he saw an illusionary golden doorknob emitting a pinkish smoke, reminding him of a pleasant dream.


    As he grasped the handle, the pinkish smoke scattered and slowly formed a wooden panel with intricate designs and images. From the handle, golden glitters appeared, magically gliding into the panel and colliding into lines and shapes like snowkes and dried leaves. Hazy images of the starlight over clouds also bloomed in the middle, making him feel sce upon witnessing them.


    While observing the door, he felt a deep resonance from within it. He sensed that whatever was inside the door, it felt an expectant emotion and also apprehensive and fearful over the unknown. It was then he realized that he and the door were one, and its emotions were his as well.


    When the door had finally fully emerged and formed pinkish borders on the edges, he felt as though he was floating. It was like being in the middle of the ocean, with waves pushing and pulling him back and forth.


    Philip was silent for two seconds before he turned to see Sam wearing a disbelief look, while L and Keith had envy in their gazes.


    As Philip became aware of their emotions, he suddenly felt confidence surging within him making him believe that as long as the door was with him, he could now stand on equal footing with them.


    But the feeling was fleeting. He quickly snapped out of his trance and let go of the door handle. He believed that if he continued to touch the door, his emotions would be greatly amplified and turned into something that was not his.


    "Congrattions." Sam said, sighing, "I can''t believe you managed to summon the door on your first try."


    "You see, summoning an astral body doesn''t mean you can now summon the door," Sam continued. "That''s why, even though Keith can maintain his astral state, he still couldn''t be called a mentalist."


    "As for you. You can now be considered as a bona fide mentalist as summoning the door automatically allows you to open and enter it."


    Sam then went on to exin the gifts and benefits of entering one''s space of consciousness.


    "First, you can maintain lucidity in your dreams and will be able to remember each of them. Additionally, you can cate one''s mind to prevent nightmares that can cause brain death.


    "Second, you can now traverse into a dreand where all the mentalists, mind creatures, and dream civilians gathered. This gathering is simr to a real-world city where you can buy and sell things. Yes, this is where the Dreamwalker name originated from.


    "Third, your astral body would undergo a transformation as well, allowing you to operate an astral domain to travel far from the physical body without being detected. This domain spans 25 meters in radius, stretchable to at most 2000 meters as long as part of the domain is connected to your main body. This made it ideal for infiltration and information gathering.


    "Lastly, opening the door would improve one''s intelligence quotient by one-third, meaning that the higher the IQ or mental strength before opening the door, the greater the increase would be."


    Philip listened intently to Sam''s exnation, changing his expression from amazement to surprise.


    ''This is great. Not only will I be able to possess great infiltration skills, but I can also visit a city where extraordinary sentient beings gather. This is especially beneficial for someone like me who knows little about the paranormal side of the world.''


    ''The only downside is that Dreamwalker doesn''t seem to enhance my fighting or physical abilities. It''s more geared towards utility. So, it''s not ideal forbat situations.''


    Philip paused for a moment and then concluded,


    ''But overall, bing a dreamwalker is a great starting point. I can''t wait to see what I can do with these newfound abilities.''


    "Go ahead and open the door! Don''t worry, no one can enter your space of consciousness other than you. So, there''s no need to be cautious around us," L scoffed, there was still a hint of envy in her eyes.


    Philip ignored L''s bitterness and focused on the door. He then raised his arm to grasp the handle, took a deep breath, and finally twisted it.


    "..."


    But to his surprise, the handle wouldn''t budge no matter he tried.


    "..."


    Sam noticed Philip''s dilemma and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Philip turned to him and answered with a question, "Uhmm. Don''t I need a key to open this?"


    "What are you talking about? Of course, no." Sam then hurriedly went to his side.


    L also followed, her mouth slowly curled upwards. "You can''t open it?"


    Philip''s mouth twitched as he tried to twist the handle again. However, no matter how much force he put into his fingers, the doorknob still wouldn''t budge.


    "Are you sure I don''t need a key?" Philip asked the second time to make sure.


    Sam looked at him incredulously and answered, "Can''t you see? The doorknob doesn''t even have a keyhole. Where would you put the key on it?"


    "..."


    L finally couldn''t contain hisughter and erupted.


    "HAHAHA!"


    ***


    "I will promise to look for information regarding this," Sam said weakly and continued.


    "This is also my first time to encounter something like this. You see, all this time, I assumed that once an individual summons their door, it is the same as entering it. ''Cause why would the door emerge if you can''t open it right? Just for decoration?"


    Philip slowly walked out of the university, dejected. On his side was Sam and following them from behind was Keith and L, who wasughing uncontrobly.


    "The world is still fair after all! Perseverance and hard work always win over natural talent!" L eximed.


    "But how could it be possible?" Keith asked. "Are you really sure you''ve unlocked your cores before? But if you didn''t, wouldn''t it be possible to enter into the astral state?"


    Sam sighed, "Yes that''s true. That''s why Conrad''s case is very unique. He passed all the prerequisites but still couldn''t open the door."


    Philip felt down listening to them talk about it repeatedly. How could he not? He was already expecting he could be a mentalist earlier but left in vain.


    "However, you''re still considered a Half-Dreamwalker since you can travel far from your physical body in an astral state," Keith said, trying tofort him.


    Philip nodded. He had discovered earlier that while he couldn''t open the door, he possessed the ability to create an astral domain and be able to travel secretly through it.


    This was the only thing that consoled him. At least he got something new in the gathering.


    "Be careful in traveling in your astral state. Although others can''t see you, mentalists are different. Not only can see you in your astral form but also can locate your physical body. This is because astral domain leaves marks between your astral and main body." Sam cautioned.


    "Yes. I will keep that in my mind." Philip answered gratefully.


    After saying goodbye, Philip made his way to the Alma Inn. He carefully navigated through the crowded streets until he reached his room andy on the bed, contemting the reason for his failure.


    He whispered "Open System," and an illusionary window panel appeared floating in the air.


    ______________


    Name: Philip Mckenzie


    Story: The Misery behind the history of Britannia


    Profession: Undercover Agent, Half-Dreamwalker


    Level: 13 (1101425/1638500)


    Stats:


    Physique: 18 (+50) [>]


    Mental: 14 (+27)


    Mana: 0


    Spirit: 1


    Attributable Points: 0


    Karma: -10


    Uniqueness:


    > Mystique Identities - Active (Lv. 2)


    -Transformed physical body to body the yer is familiar with.


    > Golden Eyes - Active (Lv. 1)


    -See through the value of things.


    ______________

 Chapter 54: Looking Back

    <h4>Chapter 54: Looking Back</h4>


    Philip silently stared at his system and noticed the addition in his Profession: Half-Dreamwalker.


    "..."


    He wasn''t sure if he would be irritated by the ''half'' or be happy since he was now a ''dream walker''.


    He chuckled to himself and turned his gaze to his karma.


    He realized that once his karma went back to -10, he would no longer experience sudden misfortune like before.


    This made him believe that only when his negative karma exceeded 10 would it bring him trouble.


    ''Come to think of it, my karma stopped decreasing after the Evans was caught yesterday...''


    Philip smiled and temporarily set this matter aside as he immediately focused on the reason for his failure earlier.


    ''There are three prerequisites to be a mentalist: First is to temporarily borrow strength from core memories; second is have at least an IQ of 150 or any equivalent measurements of mental strength; andstly, be able to summon the illusionary door.''


    Philip realized he was only capable of thest prerequisite and felt the problem may lie in the other two.


    He reflected back on his life, trying to recall the time he unlocked his cores.


    ''So far, there were only two instances where I was ced in great crisis. First is when I escape from the hidden government unit and the second is when I flee from Steve, a soulless yer.''


    He suspected he had unlocked his core memories when he was only four years old. After all, it was very unlikely for a child of his age at that time to defeat a force with more influence and power than his. Only with the support of mysticism, he would be able to destroy them.


    Philip had forgotten about the details of the escape and never gave it more thought after he started living in the forest.


    Moreover, as he grew, he noticed that he couldn''t recall them and initially thought that it may be because of his poor memory. However, now with his high mental stats, he could now try to recall them by entering into ''Spatial Cognitive State''.


    Philip closed his eyes for a moment before he summoned numerous illusionary screens that showed fragments of his childhood memories without him entering an astral state.


    From the screens, he watched himself eating hard bread with other children aged three to ten years old. There were also much younger but they were separated in another room.


    Then, the screens changed and showed children reading books with an old man holding a stick in front. The area was dark, illuminated only by torches andmps hanging on the wall.


    All the children''s actions were systematic, as though they were humans without feelings other than studying. If the child got sleepy orzy, the old man''s teacher would immediately punish the child by beating them with a long stick and not giving them food.


    Philip then saw himself in the far-end corner. Like others, he sat straight while holding a thick book in his arms. His gaze was dark and lifeless, and only the light from the torches beside him reflected in his eyes.


    The child, Philip paused for a moment before he raised his head at the ceiling. He darted straight to where the screen was located, as though sensing someone was spying on him from another timeline.


    Once the child''s and his eyes met, He felt insurmountable dark emotions surging through him, filling him with great exhaustion and hopelessness for the future. These emotions drowned him and made him forget how to breathe and live.


    Upon realizing this, Philip''s head immediately throbbed and quickly willed his mind to make the screens disappear.


    He buried his head on the pillow and gripped his chest, trying to calm his racing heart.


    This abnormality continued for minutes before he raised his head to look at the ceiling above.


    Breathlessly, Philip organized his chaotic emotion and thought,


    ''Why do I feel the four-year-old me noticed that I am looking at him? No, that''s ridiculous.''


    He shook his head andughed self-depreciatingly, trying to dispel this absurdity.


    ''But what I can be sure of is that I have no recollection of my agony. Yes, I could remember the other children and clearly could tell who was who, but my emotion that time? It seemed that there were none.'' Philip frowned.


    He realized that there was a big secret behind hisck of childhood memories before being adopted by Mother Theresa and Father Xiang.


    ''Did I choose to forcibly forget them because I knew it would only bring me pain and suffering?'' He considered.


    Although Philip had some recollection about them, like he knew he destroyed the unit and saved the children, he couldn''t tell how he did them. It was as though he wasn''t he before and the now him wasn''t the Philip that suffered back.


    At first, he wanted to keep going, but a sense of foreboding stopped him. He believed that whatever secret it was, he wasn''t ready yet.


    ''Is this rted to opening the cores?" he wondered. "I seemed to have a deep impression that I had a strong inclination towards self-destruction."


    Philip didn''t dwell on it, knowing his memories were iplete. Instead, he focused on the newer memory he had.


    ''Come to think of it, during Steve''s hunt, I remember being able to run through the forest for hours,'' he thought. ''Normally, with my current child body, I would struggle to run for more than 10 minutes. Is this the memory I was searching for?''


    Excited, Philip concentrated on remembering every detail of it and noticed that he had indeed temporarily possessed super endurance at that time.


    ''Yes, that time was indeed abnormal. Have I unlocked one of my core memories to save myself from the hunt?''


    Earlier, Sam had exined that the cores had different levels - the more significant and impactful the core memory in one''s personality, the more powerful the cores are. Thus, upon unlocking it, one would be granted a supernatural ability in retrospect to the core levels.


    Mainly unlocking one''s core was akin to an adrenaline rush and was difficult to distinguish.


    Mostly, cores will temporarily boost physical prowess and mental thinking. Some of the powerful cores will give mental powers like telekinesis and mind control.


    Philip spected that the core he had unlocked was the memory of being with his adoptive parents. When his peaceful life was interrupted by an attack from another soulless yer, he unconsciously borrowed tenacity and strong will from it, allowing him to outrun the mercenaries.


    ''As for how I close it,'' he thought, ''Maybe it''s when I find out my parents are still alive and are living somewhere unknown... or to the time when I deliver my revenge to Steve...''


    Philip smiled, knowing he had fulfilled the first prerequisites.


    ''So thates to the 150 IQ...''


    He then nced back at his system and noticed his mental stats:


    __________________


    Mental: 14 (+27)


    __________________


    Seeing this, Philip believed that he finally found the reason.


    ''Does a Mental stat of 14 equivalent to 140 IQ? But how about the 27 attributable stats?''


    Philip thought for two seconds before concluding,


    ''I think a mentalist requires a base stat and not the total mental stats I have. That is also the reason why I was able to summon the door but couldn''t enter it. Yes, the stat points made me as though I had satisfied all the requirements.''


    ''Does that mean that the attributable stat points are borrowed from the system and not considered as mine? So that''s why Sam expressed earlier that my case was abnormal. It was indeed umon for someone to borrow mental strength from others...'' Philip chuckled.


    Philip felt he knew the answer and heaved a sigh of relief. The only thing he needed to do was to increase his base mental stat.


    He quickly thought of ways to achieve this.


    ''First, I could memorize all the books in the library, understand, and master them. Yes, I can start with Conrad''s collection of books. This will also aid me in acting more like Conrad in school.


    ''Second is to squeeze my brain to maintain a cognitive state for more than 5 minutes and stay in an astral state for more than an hour.


    ''Third, I can make use of the pain brought from upgrading my physique to the limit and endure it...''


    Philip massaged his temple. Whatever way he chooses, it requires perseverance and hard work... and pain.


    Thus after he closed the system, he immediately took all books rted to Conrad''s major and sat on the chair to study.


    Just before opening the books, he realized it wasn''t enough. He quickly went to Maris and borrowed some of her books. He believed that before he started with college courses, he had to study the primary and secondary school lessons first.


    Later, when he felt it was enough, he quickly deactivated his ''Mystique Identities'' uniqueness. Only when he changed into his original disabled body then he started studying.


    Thus, for the whole night, Philip read all the books while enduring the restlessness and pain in his body.

 Chapter 55: October 8

    <h4>Chapter 55: October 8</h4>


    October 8, 1857 - Thursday Morning


    Early in the morning, Philip trudged to the university gate with a heavy step. The orange sunlight streamed through his ostensibly exhausted face.


    Philip, who currently transformed into Conrad, passed through the gate and walked on the stone pathway leading to the library. When he reached the College of Medicine building, which is the closest building to the library, he noticed Sam up ahead, yawning.


    As though Sam had eyes on his back, he turned around and waved at Philip.


    Philip was surprised at first but realizing Sam isn''t your normal Joe, he only chuckled and greeted back with a nod.


    "After my dutyst night, I asked some of my older colleagues about your situation," Sam said as he joined Philip''s side.


    Philip stopped walking and listened attentively to him.


    "I have gathered two possible reasons for your failure." Sam paused for the effect. "Years ago, there was a candidate named Michael Sammers who couldn''t open his doors despite passing all the prerequisites."


    "His failure was caused by his Dissociative Identity Disorder,monly called Multiple Personality Disorder. This is a condition where a person has multiple distinct personalities that will unconsciously or subconsciouslye out to take control of the main body from time to time."


    Sam went on to exin that this disorder is caused by unlocking a core memory of continuous sexual and physical abuse during childhood. This is then developed into creating ''alter'' personalities as a response to the traumatic event.


    Sam continued with excitement, "This kind of core is very rare and one of the most powerful and useful out of all the known core memories. In fact, because of this, some of the mentalists at higher levels forcibly ced themselves into abuse just to have this core."


    "This is because unlike most of the cores, which only provide one ability, this core can give the mentalist a multiple set of abilities depending on the number of abnormal personalities. One can give you superhuman strength, and the other personality gives you an intellect that surpasses the 99.99% of the world''s poption."


    Feeling that he had trekked away from the main subject, Sam coughed and resumed,


    "Back to Sammer''s story, what is different from him to other DID patients is that it''s his alter personality that dominates his body. As for the main personality, he hid inside his space of consciousness, not wanting to appear back to reality again."


    "This is where the problemes in. When the alter joined the society and attempted to be a mentalist, he could not open the illusionary door because the main personality forbids it. Yes, the main personality doesn''t want to be a mentalist and only wants to remain inside his consciousness."


    Sam then looked at Philip, wondering if he was an alter like Sammers.


    "There are two options for Sammers'' alter to open the door. One is he can obtain consent from the main personality."


    Sam''s gaze went dark and continued, "Or all alters in Sammers'' mind came to an agreement that it is better to kill the main personality..."


    Sam''s body trembled, frightened upon imagining the second option. He shook his head and quickly continued his research,


    "There is also another case when a candidate had unlocked a core memory that had long ceased to exist."


    "Take Alice Sansan as an example. When she was young, she unlocked the core memory of her loving older sister. This then gave her the supernatural strength to save her sister from falling off the cliff."


    "However, as she grew older and more mature, she gradually forgot her sister and their loving memories together. This was partly due to maturity and learning that her sister kidnapped her, making her live her life away from his biological family."


    This caused a chaotic transformation in her space of consciousness, weakening the impact of the memory on her personality. Over time, Alice''s love for her sister turned into indifference. No love, no hate, just treated her as a stranger and a mere part of her childhood. Eventually, the core memory was destroyed and never to appear again."


    Sam sighed and reminded Philip, "While core memories are crucial in shaping one''s personality and are difficult to forget and destroy, they are not permanent. People change, and so do their personalities."


    "That''s why for mentalists, it is essential to protect the cores that greatly benefit them, such as a ''DID'' core memory. Even though it is treatable, they would never destroy it due to its power."


    Sam finally concluded his research. He turned to Philip and asked tersely, "You seem too uninterested in the subject. Have you found the reason for your failure?"


    Philip went silent for a while before nodding in agreement.


    Sam opened his mouth to ask but realizing that it might involve a secret, he closed them and changed the topic.


    "So have you considered joining the society? Even though you''re not aplete dreamwalker, you still possess the ability to cate nightmares. If you join, it will be a great help in decreasing our workload..." Sam chuckled.


    Philip had previously thought about itst night and answered, "No, I think I''ll pass. I no longer want to be a mentalist."


    Hearing this, the corner of Sam''s mouth twitched uncontrobly. He looked at Philip as if he was insane but upon realizing something, he smiled and said, "If you say so."


    He then reminded, "Don''t worry, just like what I said yesterday, I won''t pressure you into it. But if you change your mind, you''re always wee to attend our gatherings next week."


    Sam smirked and uttered, "I hope to see you again Conrad Davies."


    As Sam walked away, Philip felt relieved. He knew he couldn''t deceive Sam as Sam was clearly a level higher than Dreamwalker, one that had a great emotional awareness.


    He was prepared to answer by saying that his circumstances won''t allow him - which is true as he knew he couldn''t act as Conrad''s forever. He had to leave sooner orter.


    However, when Sam didn''t ask further as though he understood without knowing the truth, his heart could not help but warm up.


    ''If I had a choice, I would dly join the society. Sam seems to be a good person.'' Philip stopped as if mulling over something and continued,


    ''But perhaps his goodwill is only limited to the people he knows or is familiar with, just like Conrad. As for me, who is not only an imposter but also a wanted criminal, I don''t think his treatment will be as warm as earlier.''


    Philipughed self-depreciatingly and stopped dwelling on it. Instead, he focused on his priority - reading and memorizing books to increase his intelligence.


    ***


    October 8, 1857 - Thursday Afternoon


    After ss, Philip left the ssroom with a content and proud smile on his face. He was especially d today as unlike the past few days, where he relied on his excellent memory to survive through every ss, he could now follow the lessons and understand them.


    ''If I continue reading every night without sleep, I might catch up on all the discussion in seven days.'' Philip giggled, but there was no longer a smile on his face.


    ''But if I do that, I might copse and never wake up again.''


    Although Philip continues to struggle with sleepless nights due to difort in his main body, not sleeping is another issue. He believes that even if it''s ufortable, once he''s tired enough, he will eventually sumb to sleep, not minding about the restlessness coursing through his body.


    ''Or I could allocate three hours of sleep before the transformation expires for the day. With that, I will no longer feel troubled for the sleepless night.''


    Philip''s smile returned. He felt that this idea was good.


    Shortly, Philip stopped by the pastry shop to buy a crate of milk. Upon entering, he spotted Alisha, who was previously spreading rumors of him being a terrorist, gossiping with fresh news again.


    "Do you know what happens to the Evans Family? Their business is going downhill! After they were invited to the police station and had to stay for a day or two, someone bought the majority stake in McRonalds and H&E, leaving the Evans family without control of thesepanies."


    "In addition, Ronald Evans was removed as the president of Evans Group of Companies because he had been misusing thepany''s assets and overvaluing worth."


    "Really? That''s a big news? Do you know who was buying the stocks?" chimed an old man.


    "No. But I heard it was a one-week-old start-uppany!" Alisha answered, the pitch of her voice was a little bit higher than usual.


    Another woman asked while ncing at the new-arrived Conrad in the shop, "How about the mall project across the street? Will it continue?"


    Alisha also noticed Conrad and responded loudly enough for him to hear. "No! I heard the Evans will auction the buildings to pay for their liabilities and appease their investors, making it highly unlikely that the project would continue."

 Chapter 56: Astral Domain

    <h4>Chapter 56: Astral Domain</h4>


    After Alisha''s response, the crowd turned their attention to Conrad, who was actually Philip in disguise. However, when they didn''t see any reaction from him, they could only continue their discussion.


    "Then what''s the current situation with the Evans? Have they been absolved of their crime?" another man asked.


    "Yes," Alisha answered. "It was found out that the Evans knew nothing about the firearms as they were buried way before the Evans bought the estate. You can say that they just got unlucky."


    Philip listened intently to the gossip but didn''t stay long. After getting his milk, he proceeded to Alma Inn to rest.


    As he walked, he couldn''t help but ponder about the sudden misfortune of the Evans Family. He joked to himself, ''It''s as if the heaven is helping me.''


    He had always been curious about the actual truth behind their downfall, but since hecked information, he kept his curiosity to himself. He decided to wait for Conrad''s return to ask if he had done it or if he knew who did it.


    ***


    While taking a short nap, Philip woke up with a sudden pain coursing through his body. He didn''t panic and just waited for the transformation to end while gritting his teeth.


    He checked the mechanical clock above and saw it was already 10 p.m., he stood up and leaped to his study table.


    He spent half an hour immersing himself in piles of books, memorizing them one by one. However, as he read on, he felt increasingly nauseous.


    Philip decided to take a break and muttered to himself, "I should rest. I''ve been studying for the whole day." He then contemted what to do next.


    ''Since I''m done with my job here and the Davies are not in immediate danger, I should start looking for a new identity.''


    Philip then wrote his requirements on a piece of paper,


    ''1. New identity: It should be someone who has no family but is well-known in the city. He should have a few social circles and can easily enter into a new one. Most importantly, he has to be dead but his death hasn''t been published yet, or had just died shortly.''


    For now, Philip had no ns to leave the city as he believed it was brimming with opportunities. Just look at him, he had only stayed for five days yet he had already be a half-dream walker. How much more if he stayed for a month or a year?


    Additionally, he had invested in the street children and wasn''t willing to suffer a loss. He was only waiting for the news to start building an information syndicate.


    ''Yes. I should also employ an adult. I can''t just use all the childbor.'' Philip pondered.


    Then he wrote, ''2. Look for a trustworthy person to run the syndicate.''


    Philip then considered, ''Next, after I be aplete dream walker and enter into the dreamworld, I should start actively looking for other soulless yers.''


    While he had always kept the soulless game in mind, he had never actively searched for other yers as he believed hecked the necessary strength to face them.


    However, after pondering, he realized that the other yers were likely still in their infancy stage of preparation like him. He believed that the earlier he acted, the better his chances of winning.


    Philip then wrote, ''3. Look for yers.''


    Lastly, Philip had been considering using hisst uniqueness card. ''Since my karma is stable now and the Evans has been dealt with, I think it''s time to use it.''


    Philip started to realize the limitation of transforming into two identities per day. Although he had been coping well till now, who knows about the future? He might required to change into multiple identities in a day.


    Initially, he nned to wait until he reached level 15 before using the card. However, after pondering, he soon abandoned the idea. He believed that it was better to upgrade his ''Mystique Identities'' further. After all, he had only two choices and felt out of the two, his second uniqueness had no use in countering whatever danger there was.


    Thus, without hesitation, he opened the system and finally used the card.


    Ding!


    [ Upgrading Mystique Identities to level 3 ]


    Ding!


    ______________


    [ Mystique Identities - Active (Lv. 3) ]


    -Transformed physical body to body the yer is familiar with.


    (2/5)


    ______________


    Just like always, the systemcks a detailed description of the ability. He believed he was already lucky that it showed the number of how many uses he had left for the day.


    Philip then transformed back into Conrad as he required concentration and didn''t want to suffer from restlessness for the moment.


    Shortly, he nced at the jewelry box on the corner and opened it. When he saw that the bottle of medicine wasn''t back yet, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    ''So far, there is no problem with the children. Yes, our agreed meeting is on Sunday, so I still have to wait for 3 days.''


    Afterward, he leaned down and retrieved the metallic briefcase he had hidden under his bed.


    ''My spoils from Alisha total 100,000 doli.'' he murmured as he counted the bills inside the briefcase. He then took the purse on the corner and counted the coins inside.


    ''The spoils from Steve are 100 gold coins.'' he said and examined the coins in his palm.


    Unlike normal gold coins he had seen in the past, Steve''s coins were heavier and more intricately designed. In front, an eye is engraved within, and embedded in the middle is a small white crystal that acts as its pupil. In the back, extended wings are etched, making the crystal in the middle appear to have wings as well.


    He had previously asked the people around and learned that each coin was equivalent to 10,000 doli. He also learned that these coins were globally epted, unlike the local currency, the doli, which was only eptable in the Northon Kingdom.


    So overall, his total asset is 1,100,000 doli, enough to buy a moderately luxurious house and live without working for a decade or more.


    ''And this doesn''t include the bills I have in my pocket, the money I gave to the street children, and Loen''s and Emile''s spatial rings. Hmm..e to think of it, once I enter the dreand, I will also actively search on how to open them.'' Philip then took the paper and wrote it.


    After returning his treasures to their hiding ce, he opened his system. However, when he saw that his mental state was still stuck at 14, he closed his system in disappointment.


    ''Now, all I have to do is increase it to 15,'' he thought to himself.


    Philip then created an astra domain, causing pinkish kes to appear in the air and a milky blue light to envelop him from the ground up.


    And when he transformed into an astral state, he felt a deep connection to the light below. Whenever he moved outside of the 25-radius encirclement, the blue light and pinkish kes followed him, connecting his astral body to his physical body.


    ''So that''s how other mentalists know my body''s location. There is literally a light connected to me,'' Philip realized.


    In his astral state, he could not touch anything. However, he can pass through the wall as long as there is a window or a hole. If the room is fully enclosed in which the naked eyes couldn''t see, then he could not pass through it. This made him discover that astral travel is highly linked to sight.


    Philip floated to Maris'' bed, where she was sleeping with a frown on her face, and surrounded her with the blue light. Soon, her expression changed, seemingly having a good sleep.


    Seeing this, Philip also smiled. What he used earlier was his ability to soothe nightmares and turn them into pleasant dreams.


    Philip then hovered and went up to the roof. He wanted to see the city in his astral state. When he reached the roof he was left stunned by the surrounding.


    It was dark, only the gas streetmps and a few lit windows illuminated the city. However, in his eyes, there were milky blue streaks of light connecting from one ce to another, and the tips of these streaks moved from building to building.


    ''This... Is this what Sam meant when he said that other mentalists can perceive you and locate your physical body?'' Philip frowned as he looked at his foot glowing with bluish light.


    ''While this ability is great for infiltration, it isn''t omnipotent.'' Philip thought. He decided to be careful when using this ability.


    He then looked back at the city and counted, ''So far, more than 20 mentalists are roaming around.''


    When he reflected on the night he confronted Emile the magician at Evans Mansion, a wave of difort washed over him.


    ''If that was the case, was I found out by mentalists when I fired the gun?'' Philip felt scared and admonished himself for his past ignorance.


    Despite this, he still tried to be optimistic, ''No, that time it was dark and the mentalists, especially dreamwalkers, don''t seem to possess night vision. Maybe they didn''t see me?''


    But when he recalled how he had escaped that time, he felt like crying.


    ''Wasn''t I too high-profiled jumping from roof to roof in the past? I am sure that one or two mentalists found out and followed me to the Alma Inn. Perhaps they have even been watching me in my room that time?''


    Philip trembled and quickly returned to his physical body. Once he woke up, he anxiously searched for any signs of mentalists watching him. And when he found no one, he let out a sigh of relief.

 Chapter 57: Finale

    <h4>Chapter 57: Finale</h4>


    After Philip calmed down, he pondered more deeply about this matter.


    "By that time, I had already upgraded my Mental stat above 15 and had partially summoned my astral body when using my so-called ''Spatial Cognitive State''. From that, I should also be able to see other astral projections. So, since I didn''t notice someone lurking at Alma Inn, it was highly likely that my true child body was still not known.''


    ''However, it was different for his Raven identity. Someone should have seen him.'' Philip covered his face in frustration. He made a mistake. A huge one!


    ''This is not only because of my ignorance, it is also a matter ofck of skills,'' Philip thought. ''No. It''s more like a disharmony in my skills.''


    Since arriving in the city, Philip had always felt he was easily angered and was very immature. If only he was what he used to be before reincarnation, he should have maintained calmness and repeatedly considered his ns to make it perfect.


    Since the first day, he had alreadymitted mistake after mistake. If he was just like before, he should have already leveled up his uniqueness to avoid being discovered by the Davies siblings.


    And if he was really what he used to be, he would have never agreed to Conrad''s request and impersonated him. He should have adhered to his n and not let his pity overpowered him.


    Moreover, since he knew that the world is different, he should have always kept it in his mind and made it the basis for the ns he formted.


    It was then at this time, Philip realized the truth. What he experienced in his previous book life is slowly losing its influence on him. He realized that when he was reborn into this world, he was changed into a nk te.


    All the skills he honed and all the struggles he overcame were nothing but an illusion!


    ''I knew I experienced them and I understand how my life went. However, I feel that everything was just something I spectated and not personally experienced.''


    He undoubtedly had the skills and learned them, but as for application? He felt he had none.


    It was like watching your mother cook every day but when you did it on your own, the product was totally different from what had expected and not up to the standard.


    "Hahaha," Philipughed, this realization hit him hard and broke him.


    At the same time, he felt confused. If this was the truth, how did he survive in the past? How did he manage to fool the mercenaries with a bear trap and with the so-called God''s messenger? How about the steam lotive? How did he manage to do them?


    As Philip looked back, he felt cringe at the way he acted. He believed his acting wasn''t that great and very foolish. It was as though he was a clown acting for theatre.


    ''I am like a kid ying around and acting as an adult. Yes, I finally realized. I had never been an adult but a child all along. What''s different with me to other children is that I had dreamed that I was a hero in the past and gained some maturity over it.''


    Philip felt that something stirred inside his mind as though a rope had snapped. Instantly, he dropped to the floor while touching his aching head.


    Suddenly, a bell chimed inside his head, indicating a system''s new notification.


    Even without looking, he knew what it was and was now sure that he could finally open the illusionary door.


    Without hesitation, he entered into his astral form and walked to the nearest bare wall. He extended his arm and willed all the pinkish hues in his body to rush over the wall.


    When the door materialized, it bore the familiar symbols of snowkes and dried leaves. However, the starlight peeping behind was reced with dark and weeping clouds.


    Philip turned the handle and finally entered it. When he passed through the door, he was weed by a field crammed with pampas grasses swaying with the strong wind.


    The area was dark and threatening. It was as though something dangerous was hiding under the grasses.


    As Philip walked inside his space of consciousness,rge droplets of water poured over his face. And the more he walked, the more he got wet.


    However, he didn''t mind them as all of his thoughts were on walking.


    Along with the muddy ground and the strong wind hitting his face, Philip''s gaze was simrly dark and empty.


    However, unlike his face, his feat was active and brimming with strength. Strangely, they were attracted to whatever was on the edge of his space of consciousness.


    The longer he walked, the more purple crystals he found floating above the grass field. If it weren''t for their light illuminating the field, Philip would have found himself walking in pitch-ck surroundings, not knowing where to go and where he was.


    Soon, his eyes finally caught a gigantic diamond-shaped rock formation floating on the far end. Separating Philip and the rock in between was a seemingly endless gap.


    Upon reaching the end of the cliff, Philip dazedly looked at the floating ind that appeared to be diffused by void and surrounded by falling ck snowkes.


    Philip sensed a strong connection within it. He felt destion, loneliness, surrender, hopelessness, and a bit of anger. It was as if all his negative emotions were locked on that ind.


    Although the ind was gigantic, Philip noticed that it had nothing aside from a small woven basket in the center. Moreover, this basket seemed to be the source of the void and chaotic emotions around.


    The more Philip examined the ind, the more he felt he wanted to surrender. He was starting to believe that everything he did was without a purpose - that his life was nothing but insignificant and without use.


    Philip''s gaze dimmed even more and unconsciously extended his arm to the nearest floating purple crystal.


    When he caught the crystal, it suddenly transformed into an old pistol, and immediately pointed the barrel to his head.


    But when he was about to pull the trigger, his peripheral view noticed a floating ind 100 times smaller than the gigantic ind.


    It was very small and almost unnoticeable. But despite this, Philip could not help but be enamored by it.


    The small ind cast a golden radiance around it. In the center, A treerger and taller than the ind firmly stood with dry leaves falling to the ground.


    Philip dropped the gun on the floor and hurriedly walked to the bridge that connected the cliff to the floating ind.


    And when he touched the handrail, the bridge glowed, and dried golden leaves danced in the air with him at the center.


    After seemingly a long walk, Philip''s left foot finally touched the edge of the ind. But when he was about to move his right foot, he was stopped by a transparent semi-circr wall and could only observe the ind on the bridge.


    In addition to the tall tree, there were also a few animals and insects ying around. On the corner, a cabin house with flowers surrounding it was seen.


    Seeing this, Philip felt happiness, normality, haven, peace, and salvation.


    Philip''s gaze lightened, and the rain finally stopped. The gloomy clouds also began to disperse, showing a sun in the sky, seemingly smiling at him. He also smiled and let the sunlight touch his skin as he continued observing the small ind.


    He noticed that it influenced him and gave him the tenacity to live and move forward.


    It was also at this time he realized things.


    How did he fool the mercenaries, Steve, and Loen in the past? It was because this special small ind he unlocked could influence other people.


    The more he believes something is the truth, the more he influences others to move in the direction he wants to.


    From the bear trap, instead of the mercenaries dividing into two teams, all of them searched above the trees to look for him, totally inconsistent with those who had a lot of experience in the area.


    As for them believing in him as if he were the messenger of god, this was also due to his core memory''s influence. From the start, they should have not believed in him as he was not only dirty but also frightened. Additionally, why would a messenger of God hide in the forest and be injured? Aren''t all those close to God powerful?


    As for Steve, he should have never hired Raven as his strength was very abnormal to appear in a small town. Moreover, the reason he whispered the magic word while he was with Raven was most likely also due to being influenced by Philip''s thoughts and goals.


    Philipughed. He finally found out the inconsistency. He was indeed right, he was only a nk state that acted as if he was all along an experienced person.


    Philip left the ind and slowly walked to the grassy field, he faced the blue sky above and said under his breath,


    "I walk in the dreams I believe to be the truths."


    -End (Dreamwalker)

 Chapter 58: Soulless Players No. 31, 19, 27

    <h4>Chapter 58: Soulless yers No. 31, 19, 27</h4>


    Outside the game world.


    Loud and thundering cheers echoed in the hall as a man dressed in a ck suit and ck top hat appeared. While holding a ck cane adorned with a golden egg-shaped handle, he turned around majestically and addressed the audience,


    "Hello Everyone! Wee to another episode of Soulless TV, where we bring you updates inside the simted world!" Osuda said, his lips curled up high. His excitement was palpable as he scanned the crowd.


    "Two weeks since the soulless yers had reached their eighth birthday and we now will vote for who is...."


    In a surprise twist, a holographic wheel materialized right by Osuda''s side. With the crowd cheering him on, he gave it a spin and waited for it to stop.


    When the wheel slowed down and gradually halted, he raised his cane and pointed to the wheel.


    "For the eighth year of the 100th Soulless Game, we will vote for the top 3 most unfortunate yers! The yers who have greatly suffered since the beginning of their childhood until now!"


    Osuda then faced the audience and dered, "Voting willmence in 3! 2! 1!"


    A loud ssical orchestra music reverberated throughout the hall as the audience quickly took the rectangr instruments that appeared once Osuda''s countdown hit one. Then after a minute, they disappeared, the music ceased, and a gigantic screen emerged behind Osuda.


    "I finally have the result here!" Osuda said, turning around to face the screen. When he saw the result, he chuckled as he fixed his top hat, "Hmmm... I see what you did there, my dear viewers!"


    The crowdughed as Osuda announced,


    "We have a three-way tie for the third ce, and interestingly enough, all of the yers were not human. Well, I can see that among the yers, those who are born as creatures and monsters are truly living their worst life out in the simted world! It''s not surprising to see them ranking high on the survey board!"


    "Starting with!" Osuda paused for the effect, "Here we have, yer No. 31, a.k.a Haruki Whirlson from the book ''Old Virgin Reincarnated into a Virgin Slime!"


    When Osuda read the title, the crowd burst intoughter as therge screen disyed a summary of Haruki''s life.


    Haruki was an earthling who had died heroically while saving a child from the iing truck and wished to be reborn as a man with a big package that could obliterate... no, satisfy any woman.


    However, out of all the Gods, the one who heard his prayers was the Goddess of Purity. Since she wasn''t pleased with Haruki''s pervertedst wish, she punished him by reincarnating him as a creature incapable of reproducing and... climaxing.


    Angered by this, Haruki set out to explore the world and be the strongest in order to seek revenge against the goddess. The book then concluded with Haruki sessfully capturing the goddess and bringing her to S.A. However, the pervert author chose to leave the ending open to interpretation, allowing readers to imagine their own conclusion.


    Osuda chuckled and remarked, "Since the book has an open ending, Haruki never got to experience intimacy. So he still ended up as a virgin."


    "And as for his new life..." Osuda halted and looked at the audience, "Well, since the simted world has no slimes, Haruki was reincarnated as a spit of Ancient God and was held captive by Magicians who conducted experiments on him every day. Even in its eighth year, Haruki remained imprisoned in theirb, and the magicians were still unaware of the spit''s sentience."


    The audience reacted with a mix ofughter and sadness. They felt sorry for the tragic life Haruki was forced to live and hoped that he could somehow escape his cruel fate.


    Osuda then stomped his cane on the ground as he yelled,


    "Next! We have yer 19, the mighty Lord of the dragons from the book, My Dragon Inheritance System, Falkor Dagahra!"


    As is typical in System Novels, Falkor, a low-species dragon, stumbled upon a Goldfinger while wandering in the forest. After finding the inheritance system, he then starts his journey to be the ruler of all dragons.


    Osuda asked, "So why did Falkor, who is revered as God in his previous world, be voted as one of the most miserable yers in the soulless game?"


    Osudaughed and revealed, "It was because Falkor was reborn into a small house lizard!"


    Falkor has obtained a uniqueness of Dragon Evolution Bloodline that allows him to be stronger with what he eats. At level one, his uniqueness is limited to three evolutions.


    "In most stories featuring this ability, the main character is usually overpowered. However, for amon house gecko Falkor, his power is greatly discounted due to his size." Osuda remarked.


    For the first evolution, he had eaten a fly and gained wings and numerous eyes, bing fast and greatly enhancing his sense of sight, but remaining tiny in size.


    For the second evolution, when he attempted to eat arger canine animal, he was seen and captured by a mad scientist. Recognizing the special trait of the winged gecko, the scientist experimented on him by forcing him to feed on his own excrement and other... unsanitary things.


    As a result, Falkor was forced to use the feces as a basis for his second evolution to break free from the scientist''s grasp. And just as he wanted, not only did he escape but also killed the scientist.


    "Yes, he seeded in the end but at what price?" Osuda smirked as he let the audience continue, "His smell!"


    Therefore from an almighty Lord of the Dragons in the past, he became the Lord of the Poop instead.


    "As for now, Falkor is still consuming the scientist''s decaying body for his third evolution. It is unknown when he will finish." Osuda halted and willed the screen to show a handsome ant.


    "Next is Anton Smith, yer 27 from the book ''Ant Colony."


    In the book, Anton is reincarnated as a monster ant and evolves by consuming monster cores. However, just like Haruki, there are no unique ant species like him in the simted world, and instead reincarnated as a normal working red ant.


    Despite this setback, Anton possessed a uniqueness that allowed him to convert food into power and enabled him to produce evolved offspring from it.


    However, he is limited in his ability to use his uniqueness due to his status as a working ant, and cannot produce an army on his own. Additionally, he can only eat part of the food he finds as he isn''t the queen.


    As a result, he ns to form a revolution to overthrow the current queen and be the new leader. However, since Anton has the intellect of a human and is vastly different from loyalist ants, this leads him to experience racism and istion.


    Forget about forming a revolution as he was immediately imprisoned by the queen and ultimately eaten before he died, making him the first soulless yer to die in the game.


    Silence enveloped the hall. Although all the audience gathered to watch and enjoy the game, they were still a group of entities that possessed humanity. Most of them had read these main characters'' stories and were previously a fan. It was difficult for them to feel nothing about their demise.


    "If only Anton left the society of ants, he would have a great chance of tracking his own food and creating an army of ants. However, the biological influence of his ant genes makes him believe that ants should always stay with other ants."


    "Moreover, he had lived as an ant for a long time in his previous book life. It is not a surprise for his cognitive processes and overall thought patterns to be greatly influenced by the ant''s way of living."


    Osuda casually remarked, "This is a negative aspect of society. Those who are different often suffer from the cruelty of others. Those who want to lead a change will always have to face the malicious words of their neighbors. Only those who are born in power and have control over society can influence it with their uniqueness...."


    Sensing the crowd getting more depressed, Osuda stopped and stomped his cane on the ground and a loud ssical music reverberated around the hall once again.


    "Hahaha! Okay, let us move to the second unfortunate yer in our ranking!" Osuda interrupted and said,


    "Let me introduce to you the life of our mighty vampire, d Bartholomew!"

 Chapter 59: Soulless Player No. 70

    <h4>Chapter 59: Soulless yer No. 70</h4>


    Eight years earlier.


    In a world not too dissimr from the pages of a fantasy novel, d Bartholomew found himself in the cradle, swinging back and forth. As his infant eyes blinked open, he whispered urgently, "Open System."


    The illusionary screen materialized before him, and d''s curiosity surged, and asked, ''What kind of Goldfinger I acquired in this strange game?'' His lips curled into a grin as he read the unique ability disyed on the bottom:


    Uniqueness: Vampire Bloodline - Passive (Level 1)


    The yer bes a low-level vampire and possesses its bloodline ability.


    In his past life, d had been a leader among the sanguine,manding god-like powers. He had transcended humanity, turning all humans into vampires and ending their need for blood. Under his rule, he ushered in a revolutionary era and established a harem of queens under him. His life was filled with everything but sorrow.


    However, this life ended when he was informed that he was nothing but a mere character in a fictional book.


    While d was initially stunned, he chose not to reveal any emotion. His life might have been a fabrication, a tale written for those who wanted to escape their reality, but it was a contented one, devoid of suffering.


    Thus, when offered the chance to participate in the soulless game, he epted without hesitation. Of course. He had to. What else could he do? If he declined, he would simply continue his fabricated existence and repeatedly live his life over and over again.


    After knowing his status, he craved a chance to obtain an identity of his own. To do this, he had to fight other yers and im the grand prize of the soulless game.


    Although his powers had waned upon reincarnation, he retained the bloodline of a vampire¡ªa trait he was intimately familiar with.


    Among the vampiric traits, one stood out as a source of sce: he had retained his extraordinary regenerative power through sleeping. This means that even if he did not eat, he would still be able to live as long as he hibernates. This is like a degraded version of immortality from his past life.


    "Moreover," d mused, "this uniqueness is upgradeable. What if I reach level 10? Could I shape this world as I did in my previous life?" He grinned, content with his newfound powers, convinced that time was his only missing ingredient.


    Yet, as days turned to months, d discovered something unsettling. He couldn''t stand the taste of milk; he needed blood for sustenance. In fact, one of the early quests from the system demanded that he consume eight blood packs daily.


    While had gained the positive traits of vampirism, the negative aspects also gued him!


    To make matters worse, his parents were human, making him a pure human with a vampire bloodline. He deemed it impossible to drink blood in his whole childhood!


    Could parents possibly provide blood to their infant child? No, they would surely kill him if they discovered his preference for blood over milk.


    Topound his plight, d''s parents frequently exposed him to the zing sunlight. While an ordinary vampire would have perished instantly, d''s unique powers allowed him to endure, though not without enduring agonizing sunburn. It was a good thing that his regenerative ability worked pretty well. As long as he slept, his parents would never notice his skin turning into charcoal then red, and back to white.


    However, this is where d''s life takes a devastating turn. A few months after his birth, his parents noticed his paleness, constant sleepiness, and aversion to his mother''s breast milk. In an attempt to remedy this, they exposed him to even more sunlight, believing it would provide essential vitamins.


    This unfortunate mistake pushed d''s pain threshold beyond his regeneration capacity, leading him into a deep, seemingly eternal slumber.


    He couldn''t fathom how long he slept, but when he finally awoke, he found himself inside a casket, buried underground.


    His parents had assumed he had died and buried him alive!


    Panicked, d wriggled his tiny arms helplessly, struggling for breath. As an infant, he was utterly powerless.


    Moreover, he was trapped underground, unable to breathe. He suffered not only from hunger but also from suffocation.


    d cried out in fear and despair as he was buried alive, tears streaming down his face. It was a horrifying ordeal.


    As time passed, d turned one year old but remained in the body of a newborn. Without ever having tasted blood, hecked the nutrients needed for growth, remaining a withered, wrinkled infant.


    But as d celebrated his first birthday, the system rang inside his mind, delivering exciting news. He had earned 100 experience points for surviving a year, elevating him to level 1 as a soulless yer, granting him 5 attribute points.


    Without hesitation, he allocated all 5 points to his physique and attempted to break free from the casket. Yet, his strength proved insufficient. He needed more physique, more attribute points.


    d resolved to wait for another six years, aiming to reach level 3 with a total of at least 15 physique. This would grant him the strength of a 15-year-old within his infantile body.


    And so, d waited, spending most of his time in slumber to conserve air and energy.


    Finally, at the age of 7, he awoke and made a desperate attempt to break the casket. Sess! The casket shattered, but earth and soil poured inside, burying him once more. Even with his 15 physique, he remained trapped beneath the weight of the soil.


    d cried out for help, but no one heard his pleas. He suffered once more, this time without thefort of space, as the umting soil closed in around him.


    His cries persisted until they seemed to exhaust even his capacity for tears. Then, something within his mind snapped, and his body took on an ethereal quality.


    Stunned, d instinctively crawled upward. Whatever this transformation was, it provided an opportunity to escape his never-ending imprisonment.


    When d finally reached the surface, heughed with pure joy. He was free atst!


    But his tion was short-lived as he realized his body had reverted to its non-ethereal infant form, and the chime of the system''s bell filled the air.


    He noticed a new addition to his profession: Half Dreamwalker. Yet his attention was drawn to a door that had materialized behind his tomb, radiating a ustrophobic aura.


    Despite his aversion to the door''s emotions, d was irresistibly drawn to it. Unconsciously, he entered an illusory state, which heter learned to be his astral state, leaving his physical body behind. He opened the door and stepped into his own consciousness.


    Momentster, his system''s bell rang once more:


    "Congrattions on being a dreamwalker."


    His mental stats had increased from 25 to 33, and the upper limit had expanded from 50 to 150.


    As notifications flooded his mind, d returned to his physical body,ughing uncontrobly. He stared at his grave and eximed downcastedly, "I''m the only vampire who dislikes his casket."


    He stood on two feet and walked away, hisughter filled with madness echoing through the cemetery. Fortunately, it was nighttime, and no one bore witness to this bizarre spectacle. Yet, the legend of the crying adult baby was born, based on the ounts of a few curious gravekeepers who had heard an infant''s cries and glimpsed an infant walking with the demeanor of an adult.


    As Osuda concluded his narrative, the audience sat in stunned silence. Some were lost in thought, while others had already left the hall.


    Osuda''s smile wavered for a moment before he announced, "It seems the life of our mighty vampire was far from easy."


    "Now, let us turn our attention to the story of Kairo Asher, our first-ce contender for the title of the most unfortunate yer."

 Chapter 60: Soulless Player No. 7

    <h4>Chapter 60: Soulless yer No. 7</h4>


    "Where am I?"


    Kairo''s voice trembled in the darkness that enveloped him. The world around him seemed to pulse and quake. Sometimes, he feltpressed tightly, while at other times, he felt a strangefort.


    Panic wed at Kairo''s chest. He had no idea where he was or who he even was.


    He had a lot of questions: Why is he trapped in this suffocating void? Is there a way out?


    As Kairo moved and attempted to strike out against the oppressive void, a feminine voice chuckled softly, its melodious tone echoed and wrapped him with totalfort and drowsiness.


    The voice then sang a song he didn''t know or recognize. Yet, paradoxically, it brought Kairo a sense of ease as though its lyrics were gently patting him to sleep.


    A few momentster, a time when Kairo didn''t know whether he slept for minutes or days, he was awakened by panicked cries of the same feminine voice he heard thest time. Her voice intertwined with the deep, resonant tones of a man and a few other tones he finds annoying to listen to.


    Kairo''s eyes snapped open, and in his confusion, he instinctively whispered internally the words, "Open System."


    A few secondster, an ethereal screen suddenly materialized before him. Curious, Kairo tried to reach out, only to have his hand pass through it, hitting a seemingly soft yet infinite darkness.


    However, when he touched that dark expanse, the voice of the woman turned even more frightful.


    It was at this moment that Kairo had fully awoken and realized the truth: he was an infant, still in his mother''s womb. Moreover, as the ethereal screen lit across him, memories of the soulless games instantly flooded into his mind.


    He finally recalled his identity, turned his attention to the screen, and read what was written on it.


    _________________


    Name: Kairo Asher


    Story: I am a G-level Hunter and I am the Strongest!


    Profession: Awakened Hunter


    Level: 0 (0/100)


    Stats:


    Physique: 0.5


    Mental: 15


    Mana: 0


    Spirit: 0


    Attributable Stat Points: 0


    Karma:0


    Uniqueness: 100% Probability Wish - Active (Unapgradable)


    One-time-use ability to forcibly manipte the yer''s fate to achieve a desired oue.


    _________________


    Kairo fell into a thoughtful silence, trying to make sense of the information he had read. Then, gradually, memories of his past began to resurface in his head.


    He hade from a world where supernatural powers weremonce, and individuals became hunters tobat the ever-emerging dungeons and the monsters within them. Kairo had been an awakened hunter, bearing the F-level skill "Strings of Luck," which allowed him to see the strings that projected the fates of people.


    This skill had been invaluable in protecting his team from unexpected danger and lived an easy life on the back of the team.


    However, when an SSS gate suddenly emerged and opened, it all changed. The gate threw humanity into chaos and his teammates, whom Kairo initially believed to be his friends, ultimately betrayed him to save their lives.


    Kairo waited for his death along with anger and surrender.


    However, what he thought would be his death had instead awakened his dormant power, elevating his F-level skill to G-level!


    Unbeknownst to him and to other hunters, what they initially thought was the lowest ranking was in fact the strongest. The "G" stood for "God," signifying that those with G-level skills possessed power even greater than SSS-level hunters.


    With his newfound abilities, Kairo had closed the gate and earned the title of a hero.


    As time went on, he had also met other G-level hunters and formed a team with them. He also learned that the hunter association intentionally misinformed the masses to protect them as there were monsters in human disguise infiltrating their world.


    Along with this information, Kairo, with his friends and a girlfriend he didn''t know where she came from or how he came to like her, had embarked on a journey to eliminate these threats.


    As the story reached its climax, the main antagonist, an H-level being¡ªthe highest rank in the power system¡ªhad finally arrived to wreak havoc on Earth. It was then that Kairo learned that "H" stood for "Horror," a harbinger of cmity.


    Thus, with a love for their mothend, Kairo and his team began to fight this cmity and ultimately won in the end.


    However, despite emerging victorious, they suffered from significant casualties. 99% of the world''s poption was gone and Kairo''s team had all died, leaving not even their corporeal bodies behind.


    In the end, Kairo had been thest one standing, dealing the fatal blow to the antagonist and, in the process, ascending his G-level skill to H-level.


    As Kairo had dealt the final blow to the antagonist, his G-level skill had been elevated to H-level. He was bestowed with the title of Probability Maniptor, giving him control over everything governed by luck and probability. Moreover, he had stolen the antagonist''s power, the "Authority of Time and Space."


    With powers involving luck, probability, time, and space, Kairo had reversed time, reducing the probability of gates and supernatural abilities appearing to zero, saving Earth from further suffering and returning to its normalcy.


    After recounting his past life, Kairo smiled upon seeing his uniqueness.


    His unique ability, the one he received, was the same ability he had used in the final moments of his previous life. It was akin to a wish¡ªa wish Kairo was confident that it would make him the strongest.


    He didn''t bother with its one-time use as he already knew how to make it work.


    Thus, without any hesitation, he made a very specific wish:


    "Make me, Kairo Asher, the winner of Soulless Game, granting him a soul."


    After making the wish, Kairo smiled as he waited patiently toe out from his mother''s womb. He thought confidently, ''With this wish, even if I didn''t put in an effort, I would still be a winner.''


    However, this is where Kaiser made a grave mistake.


    This world was different from his previous book world, where allws revolved around the main character. Here, there were strictws that every inhabitants had to abide by.


    Ding!


    yer is tampering with his fate! ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö woke up from his slumber and gazed at the yer.


    Ding!


    yer is interfering with elements they should not touch!


    Ding!


    Karma: -100


    Ding!


    Danger! Danger! yer is at risk of facing death. Please prepare.


    Suddenly, the umbilical cord tightened around Kairo''s fragile form as he was about to be born. It happened so swiftly that he had no time to react, and his vision reddened as he choked.


    Kairo''s life was extinguished the moment he emerged into the world. But because he hadn''t won the game and acquired a soul, his spirit remained in that state between life and death.


    Ding!


    yer''s uniqueness is activated!


    Ding!


    The yer''s luck is forcibly set to 100%.


    As Kairo''s lifeless baby body wasid to rest underneath the ground, a devil took notice of his peculiar situation and resurrected his lifeless form. The devil then made the baby its subordinate.


    Kairo was immensely grateful to the devil and didn''t hesitate to serve as its subordinate. After all, being alive was far better than being dead. Besides, the devil only had one wish¡ªto spread legends and horror stories.


    Kairo willinglyplied, spreading tales of the terrifying baby throughout the town.


    However, as he thought everything was going smoothly, his karma suddenly plummeted to -100.


    Ding!


    The world has noticed someone not abiding by the rules of life and death. Punishment shall be granted to thewbreaker!


    Kairo soon found himself being hunted by a group of people wielding torches, their voices chanting, "Burn the evil! Burn the evil!"


    He desperately sought out the devil, but when he returned to their abode, he found the devil dead and a figure of pure white, radiating light, with outstretched wings, holding a long staff.


    As Kairo locked eyes with the being of light, his spirit was forcibly ejected from his body and cast into the spirit world.


    ...


    Ding!


    Uniqueness activated!


    yer''s "Tianak" legend has drawn the attention of the citizens. yer''s spirit has strengthened and gained consciousness!


    ...


    Ding!


    Thew does not allow interference with fate!


    Karma: -100


    ...


    Ding!


    Uniqueness activated!


    yer has instinctively opened his cores and entered the dream world, not only with his astral body but also with his spirit. The probability of this happening has changed from 0 to 100!


    ...


    The sequence of events left Kairo utterly drained. While he had been alive, he had remained motionless, controlled by his uniqueness, ying and finding loopholes in the world''sws to keep himself alive. The entity that governed thesews had turned its unrelenting gaze upon Kairo, searching for a way to extinguish this stubborn spark of life.


    ***


    Osuda then smiled at the audience and fixed his hat,


    "This was amon pitfall for soulless yers, using their abilities without first understanding whether the world held power over their existence. They don''t know that in this world,ws governed everything, and everyone had to abide by them."


    "If only Kairo had known, he could have wished for his stats to be multiplied by ten or even a hundred. He might still have been able to win the soulless game."


    Osuda paused, his smile turned more eerily.


    "But no one knew whaty ahead for the yer 7, for while the uniqueness was not all-powerful, it still possessed incredible potential that couldbat the world''sws."


    "And so, the fate of the yers remained uncertain¡ªperhaps a certain winner had already emerged, or perhaps..."


    Osuda paused once again, allowing the weight of the unknown to hang in the air, inviting the audience''s imagination toplete the thought.

 Chapter 61: Preparations

    <h4>Chapter 61: Preparations</h4>


    "Open System"


    ______________


    Name: Philip Mckenzie


    Story: The Misery behind the history of Britannia


    Profession: Undercover Agent, Dreamwalker


    Level: 13 (1202507/1638500)


    Stats:


    Physique: 18 (+50) [>]


    Mental: 29 (+14)


    Mana: 0


    Spirit: 1


    Attributable Points: 13


    Karma: -09


    Uniqueness:


    > Mystique Identities - Active (Lv. 3)


    -Transformed physical body to body the yer is familiar with.


    > Golden Eyes - Active (Lv. 1)


    -See through the value of things.


    ______________


    Ding!


    [Hidden Quest Complete: Became a Mentalist]


    Reward: 100,000 EXP


    ...


    Philip gazed at his system with a sense of aplishment. ''I finally became a Dreamwalker,'' he murmured with a smile on his face.


    In addition to his Profession, Philip noticed his mental attribute had surged by 14, far beyond his initial expectation of 5.


    At first, he had anticipated reaching a mental strength of 20, based on themon one-third increase when one became a Dreamwalker. However, to his astonishment, the stat points he had previously allocated to his mental stats had been included in the calction. This boost had then returned 12 of his attributable stat points.


    Seeing this, Philip immediately invested one of these points into his mana stat, ensuring that none of his attributes remained at zero.


    ______________


    Stats:


    Physique: 18 (+50) [>]


    Mental: 29 (+14)


    Mana: 1


    Spirit: 1


    Attributable Points: 12


    ______________


    After this, Philip also noticed his negative karma had decreased and quickly checked his log to confirm.


    [Helped someone to have a peaceful sleep. +1 Karma]


    ''This can also be done like this?'' Philip wondered, the smile ying on his lips bing wider.


    If cating restless sleepers and turning their nightmares into sweet dreams would increase his karma, he was more than willing to take on the role of a Dreamwalker every night, as Sam had suggested previously.


    ''Speaking of Sam,'' Philip''s expression turned serious as he nced back towards the distant floating ind.


    ''Why didn''t he warn me about the potential dangers lurking within my space of consciousness?'' Philip asked internally, his fists clenched in frustration.


    Philip knew how grave his situation had been earlier. If it weren''t for the tiny ind waking him up, he would have made a life-threatening mistake. Although he didn''t know that dying within his own mind could lead to physical death, his instincts screamed danger.


    His instinct told him that if it wasn''t death, he might live the rest of his life insane!


    Philip narrowed his eyes at the swaying pampas grass around him, his fist tightening.


    ''You can''t really trust a person based on first impression.'' Philip scolded himself with a wry smile.


    He didn''t know why Sam had done it, but regardless of his intentions or those of his mysterious backer, Philip resolved to be more cautious.


    ''I should only trust myself,'' Philip murmured, ''And yes, I should see this as motivation to learn back my skills...''


    Since Philip had finally realized that his skills were just fragments of memories and never his own, he decided to actively learn them, starting from the basics.


    Raising his hand, Philip beckoned one of the floating purple crystals to approach him.


    Once it rested in his palm, he examined it closely. The crystal was the size of his thumb, with razor-sharp edges, and emitted an enchanting purple glow, alluding to its transformative prospect.


    ''What''s this?'' Philip tsked andmented hisck of knowledge once again.


    Although Philip didn''t know its other use than its seeming transformation ability, he still summoned all the purple crystals to hover around him and began to count them.


    ''Approximately 35,000.''


    Philip tapped his foot repeatedly on the ground as he pondered, but he couldn''t discern their purpose without additional information.


    ''I guess it''s time to go to the dreamworld.'' Philip decided.


    As a full-fledged Dreamwalker, Philip could intuitively ess a door to the city where dream citizens and other mentalists gathered. Additionally, he discovered he could sense movement within a 25-meter radius of his physical body in the real world.


    ''With this ability, even if I am roaming in the dream city, I can detect any lurking threats and immediately return to my real body to confront them,'' he mused.


    Shortly, Philip firmly grasped the crystal in his hand and, just like before, instinctively transformed it into something else: a mask.


    After donning the mask, he summoned a portal leading to the city.


    The door this time was different from what he had summoned the first time. It appeared as an unassuming brown door, almost indistinguishable from an ordinary one. If Philip didn''t know it was a portal leading to the city, he would have mistaken it for a normal entry door.


    As he was about to open it, he halted and delivered a sharp p to his own cheek.


    While looking at the mask that had fallen to the ground after the p, Philip winced in pain, then swiftly dismissed the door.


    He''d nearly made a grave error again. He couldn''t risk entering the dream world with his Conrad appearance, as someone might recognize him, even with the mask. This was his take upon realizing his thoughts were presuming everything was ordinary.


    ''I should stop seeing everything as normal and practice more vignce.'' Philip thought while gritting his teeth.


    Moreover, he knew nothing about this mysterious city, except that it was city-like in essence. Venturing without preparation could lead to dire consequences.


    Philip took a deep breath as he returned to his physical body. Confirming that Maris was still asleep, he sighed and projected his astral body, leaving their room.


    What he was nning to do right now was to find a suitable body to mimic, a means of concealing his identity as Conrad''s copycat.


    Philip realized the importance of maintaining his anonymity. Initially, he''d considered using his Raven identity or his original form, but both werepromised.


    Raven''s face had been seen by the magician Emile and some mentalists during their confrontation, posing a significant risk.


    Additionally, using his true form was out of the question, as it was not only disabled but also his real self, exposing him to even greater danger to whoever knows about the identities of soulless yers.


    Thus, with limited options, Philip traversed in his astral state and ascended the stairs to the guest rooms of Alma Inn.


    He chose the guests of Alma Inn as his target for his new disguise, as it was within his proximity, sparing him the need to travel on the city streets and inadvertently reveal his astral domain to the other mentalists on duty.


    Furthermore, what he needed the most was a naked body he could observe to study. Alma Inn was the only ce he knew that was renowned for hosting newlyweds, offering a luxurious honeymoon experience.


    Not only did the inn upy a central location within the city, but it was also conveniently situated near the church, just two blocks away. With this, Alma Inn was the preferred choice for most newlywed couples seeking to embark on their first honeymoon.


    Of course, Philip felt it was very perverted of him to watch others having intimate moments, but what other choice did he have? This was the only idea that came to his mind that offered not only safety but also convenience.


    ''I''ll justpensate the couple for something like free amodation or free breakfast. Yes, yes, this is only to alleviate my guilt...'' Philip pressed his palms together as he quietly phased through the door and saw a well-lit room with loud and livelymotion inside.


    ***


    A few minutester, Philip emerged from the room, returning to his corporeal body. He was in a daze as if he couldn''t believe what he''d witnessed.


    Realizing his abnormality, Philip shook his head.


    ''Yes, while my mental age is that of an adult, I am still a child. It''s natural to be shocked by such explicit and wild scenes,'' he mulled, patting his shoulder to calm his chicken-like skin.


    Once heposed himself, Philip then willed himself to change his body and facial structure to that of a man in his thirties. He gave himself brown hair, brown eyes, a slight paunch, and average height.


    Philip then went back into his space of consciousness and took some crystals to transform them into clothes.


    Shortly, when he put the mask on his face and clothes on his body, he summoned the ordinary brown wooden door and prepared to step through it.

 Chapter 62: Dream City

    <h4>Chapter 62: Dream City</h4>


    As Philip cautiously stepped through the ornate doorway, he was met with an astonishing sight¡ªa bustling crowd of wildly diverse creatures meandering through the cobblestone streets.


    His initial step had barelynded when the door abruptly swung shut behind him. Startled, he spun around, only to see it reopen just as swiftly. From the door emerged a hulking bear, standing erect on two sturdy legs.


    Philip''s heart raced as he instinctively sidestepped, allowing the bear to lumber past.


    However, to his astonishment, a sequence of doors flung open simultaneously behind him again, creating a cascade of entrances spewing forth an array of otherworldly beings. In response,


    Philip had no choice but to navigate the chaotic rush and cross the street to evade the tide of iing creatures.


    Once he reached the opposite side, he took a moment to collect himself. Surveying the spot where he had stood moments earlier, he found it filled with an assortment of ordinary-looking wooden doors.


    Some were anchored to the ground, while others hovered mysteriously about a meter above it. Above thisbyrinth of doors, another set stretched across the sky, forming a bizarre crisscrossing pattern that extended from east to west and from the ground to the heavens.


    Philip couldn''t help but feel overwhelmed by the surreal spectacle before him. It wasn''t just the peculiar doors; it was also the strange creatures emerging from them.


    Gigantic birds soared out from the tops of doors, colossal mantis-like insects glided into the open air, and majestic whales floated high above, their graceful movements defying gravity.


    But what struck Philip as truly peculiar was how these creatures behaved with a distinct human-like demeanor, adorned in trench coats, top hats, and suits for the men, and bos and dresses for the women. Some strolled on two legs, while others moved gracefully on all fours, especially those with more than four limbs.


    "Out of the way!" a deep, gruff voice called out from behind, jolting Philip back to reality.


    "Sorry," Philip mumbled reflexively, yielding to the ongoing flow of creatures.


    As he meandered among these fantastical beings, Philip couldn''t help but take in the surrounding architecture and the peculiar sky above.


    The buildings bore a resemnce to those in Bryxton City, but here they sported an opulent twist. Brick structures gleamed with gold and silver ents, wooden buildings shimmered with embedded gems, and the cobblestone streets beneath his feet felt solid and unyielding.


    The sky, on the other hand, was unlike anything he had ever witnessed. It wasn''t the familiar blue of the day or the deep ck of night. Instead, it was a unique blend of milky pink and aquamarine blue, with hues that asionally merged into vivid whirlpool-like patterns.


    Despite the absence of a visible sun or any apparent light source, the city was bathed in a soft, radiant glow emanating from the colors above.


    Philip found himself in a daze, allowing his feet to follow the tumultuous flow of creatures. While he had expected the dreamworld to be peculiar, this surreal and dreamlike city surpassed even his wildest imagination.


    "I thought my full-face white mask would make me stand out," he chuckled softly to himself, "but everyone here is more extravagant than I am."


    Philip decided to embrace the entricity of this strange ce, realizing that he was just one more curious figure in a world teeming with oddities.


    Amidst the fantastical elements, he couldn''t help but notice the presence of bizarre crystalline trees. These towering arboreal wonders possessed azure trunks and leaves made entirely of green crystals. Oddly, there was an evident absence ofkes or water sources in the vicinity.


    When the throng of creatures reached a roundabout at the end of the street, Philip finally found a moment to catch his breath. He slipped away from the crowd, positioning himself near a few less conspicuous beings.


    As he looked up, he observed a colossal wall encircling the outskirts of the city. None of the buildings within the city came close to a third of the wall''s towering height, emphasizing its immense scale.


    It was at this moment that Philip realized he had arrived from that very wall, and all the doors he had encountered earlier were positioned near it.


    Aside from this, he couldn''t help but notice that the area beyond the wall appeared dark, with the sky adorned by various dark orbs¡ªsome massive, others smaller. Some tiny orbs also emitted a soft, gentle white glow.


    Despite the city''s vastness, which rivaled that of a small country, it was extraordinarily overcrowded and overpopted.


    After a brief moment of observation, Philip decided to venture deeper into the city, where fewer creatures roamed. Simultaneously, he spotted a familiar purple crystal along the way.


    Philip slowed his pace, his curiosity piqued as he watched two creatures engage in a trade. One held the purple crystal, while the other possessed a finely detailed te. Both seemed content with the exchange.


    Moving on, he witnessed another intriguing transaction. One creature summoned a tiny door into existence, the door hovering above its palm. From it, a cascade of crystals descended, ttering onto a counter table below. The other creature, a bird-like being, watched with delight as the crystals emerged.


    Philip fell silent for a moment, his mind racing with questions. He decided to venture into a narrow alley, attempting to summon a simr tiny door. To his astonishment, it worked, and the tiny door released precisely the same number of crystals he had willed it to create.


    "Could these crystals be the currency in this ce?" he wondered, as he continued to observe the crowd. The more he watched, the more convinced he became that his spection was correct.


    Philip also attempted to use his unique ability known as the "Golden Eyes" to gain further insight, but upon use, he quickly decided to turn it off.


    "Everyone here seems to emit an abnormal amount of light," Philip noted, rubbing his eyes ufortably.


    Realizing that he couldn''t utilize his second unique ability, he continued to explore the city. While walking, he began to formte a n.


    "First, I need to find other humans in this ce." Although he had initially been hesitant about encountering others of his kind, he now recognized the necessity of gathering information quickly. He couldn''t afford to wander aimlessly without a clear understanding of how this city worked.


    "Furthermore, it appears that even though most creatures here speak the Northon Language, they seem to have their preferrednguages as well."


    Though he believed he could potentially learn thesenguages through observation within three days, he considered it a time-consuming endeavor.


    "While I seek out the mentalists or other humans, I need to prepare myself. I refuse to remain submissive, helpless, and ignorant."


    With newfound determination, Philip decided to prioritize acquiring essential knowledge andmon sense before actively seeking out others.


    Later, he found himself standing before a building that appeared to be a bookstore, based on its exterior design.


    "%>!@$%#" uttered a monocled brown dog behind the counter, engrossed in a novel about a female dog.


    Philip simply nodded, sensing the dog''s wee through its bodynguage.


    He proceeded to explore the bookstore, browsing its shelves filled with an assortment of books. Eventually, he arrived at a row of books written in anguage he recognized. Titles caught his eye: "About Human Mentalist Book 1," "Dictionary from Northon to Somnio Language," "All About Bryxton Dream City."


    Ignoring the fiction books, Philip gathered a stack of the volumes he needed and carried them to the counter.


    As he ced the books on the counter, the monocled dog smiled and began to speak. However, upon noticing that all the books were written in the Northonnguage, he nodded in understanding and continued the conversation in a simr dialect.


    "You must be a newly ascended human mentalist to require these kinds of books," the dog remarked, calcting the total cost. His monocle briefly flickered but quickly returned to its usual state.


    Philip chose to remain silent, believing that responding was unnecessary at this point.


    The dog seemed unperturbed by the silence and proceeded to state the total cost, "2500 tallums in total."


    Philip furrowed his brow, lifting his head to meet the dog''s gaze. "1450."


    Hearing his counter-offer, the dog gulped but managed to maintain hisposure. "2000 tallums, take it or leave it," he replied.


    Philip smirked and began to step away, indicating his intention to leave.


    While Philip had been examining the books earlier, he had utilized his "Golden Eyes" ability to gauge their worth based on the light emitted from his purple crystals. He was certain that the total cost of the books he had ced on the counter amounted to 1450 tallums, with "About the Human Mentalist Book 1" being the most expensive at 1000 tallums.


    Seeing Philip ready to exit, the dog hastily eximed, "Alright, alright, 1450 tallums. I was just joking."


    When Philip nced back and noticed the dog''s pout, he suddenly felt the urge to pat him. However, he quickly resisted as such behavior felt absurd in this surreal situation.


    The dog continued to pout while counting the tallums Philip had handed over. However, his expression changed as he dashed upstairs.


    Philip was about to follow, but the dog quickly returned, prompting a questioning look from Philip.


    "How about you purchase ''About the Human Mentalists Book 2'' for 6500 tallums?" the dog suggested yfully, his tail wagging. "I''m aware it should be priced at 5000 tallums, but you''ll find it challenging to acquire, as human mentalists don''t permit its sale in any bookstores."

 Chapter 63: Doug

    <h4>Chapter 63: Doug</h4>


    Upon hearing the dog''s offer, Philip immediately activated his ''Golden Eyes'' uniqueness to assess the true value of the book. However, once it confirmed that the dog was right, that the book was indeed worth 5,000 tallums, Philip''s focus shifted to a more pressing concern:


    ''Was the dog''s information reliable? Should I trust this peculiar canine and agree to the high mark-up price?''


    Sensing Philip''s hesitation, the dog continued, "It''s true. You can go to other bookstores to confirm this."


    "In fact, if it were me in the past, I would never vite this protocol. After all, why would I antagonize the guilds and ns of human mentalists over a single neer dreamwalker? Hehe. You can say I''m cing a bet on you, as I may need your help in the future¡­" The dog wagged its tail eagerly.


    Philip felt intrigued and rmed but didn''t show an obvious reaction. He mulled over the dog''s words carefully before saying, "5,500 tallums."


    The dog didn''t hesitate and quickly replied, "Deal!"


    With the transactionpleted and the initial offer price reduced by 1,000 tallums, it became clear to Philip that he had epted the dog''s request for assistance in the future.


    Although Philip had reservations about offering his future services, he believed it was a necessary sacrifice. He was currently vulnerable, and having an acquaintance who owned a bookstore, and was also knowledgeable, might prove valuable to him.


    As Philip considered the implications, he reminded himself that the debt was merely a verbal promise. If the dog''s future requests proved to be too demanding, he could conveniently im to have forgotten the agreement.


    "Hehehe," the dog chuckled, its tail still wagging. "Your thought process is quite transparent. That''s precisely why you needed this book... By the way, I am Doug As. Remember my name!"


    Philip nodded in acknowledgment but opted not to reveal his real name. Instead, he offered, "Raul."


    The dog''s smile widened, its tongue lolling out in satisfaction.


    "Raul, you''re a unique individual," Dougmented. "I enjoy taking advantage of neers, but I also know when not to. The moment you walked in, I sensed youcked the know-how. Yet, you surprised me with your knowledge of the pricing system, despite obviously having no n support."


    Philip remained silent as he listened to Doug. Although he wanted to respond, he refrained from doing so to avoid appearing ignorant and needy. Afterpleting the transaction, he promptly left the store.


    As he walked away, Philip pondered whether Doug had any means of finding him. Not only had he given a false name, but he also concealed his face and used a copied body.


    "Is there a way for other dream citizens to locate someone in this vast city?" Philip had no way of knowing the answer.


    Philip wandered through the streets and alleys before summoning his door and returning to his own space of consciousness.


    ***


    October 9, 1857 - Friday Morning


    Philip, mimicking a 30-year-old man, walked lightly along the sidewalk. His mind was unusually serene because of the knowledge he had acquired in the dream world.


    After spending the previous evening immersing himself in the books he had purchased, Philip had gained a profound understanding not only of his role as a Dreamwalker but also of the vital knowledge required for a fledgling mentalist, as stated in ''About the Human Mentalists Book 1.''


    Regarding the role of a Dreamwalker:


    Dreamwalkers like him, along with other high-level mentalists, needed to soothe the minds of sleeping individuals not only for duty but also to obtain tallums. These tallums, represented by the purple crystals he saw in his space of consciousness, served as the currency in the dream world.


    Tallums were generated daily by living beings based on their mental strength. The higher the mental strength, the more daily tallums they generated.


    This phenomenon exined why Philip had suddenly umted over 30,000 tallums in his space of consciousness as these were what he had saved throughout his life.


    Tallums were also obtained when a mentalist used their astral domain to calm the nightmares of sleeping individuals, providing them with pleasant dreams.


    As for themon knowledge:


    Philip finally learned about the human mentalist guilds, the rings he found in the two magicians, and the Blue Moon Event.


    To start with the guilds, there were many. There was the Academe, represented by the University, a government-backed entity shrouded in secrecy, mental hospitals with their ndestine affiliations, and a smattering of rogue groups, oftenprised of ouws and unaffiliated mentalists.


    Philip suspected that Sam and L came from the Academe since he met them at the university and they were actively recruiting and training in one of the university clubs.


    While reading, he also understood why Sam didn''t inform him about the danger of opening the door. It was because Sam didn''t want someone to be a mentalist with a dangerous core memory.


    The book stated that the Academe preferred those who unlocked a core memory rted to happy experiences rather than those who unlocked traumatic memories, as they wanted to avoid creating unstable mentalists.


    If Philip had been affected by his core memory,mitted self-harm in his space of consciousness, and died or became more unhinged, Sam and his organization felt it was better to kill him to avoid future troubles.


    This was also the reason behind the rise of numerous rogue guilds in Bryxton City as most of the members of these guilds were suffering from mental illnesses that proved to be dangerous not only to normal people but also to other mentalists.


    As for the specifics of the guilds and their operations, Philip remained in the dark, as they were shrouded in secrecy and not included in the book.


    Moving on to the rings he found, it was revealed that they were ''traveler''s rings'' and could only be obtained during the second full moon of the month, known as the Blue Moon. These traveler''s rings acted as storage devices and could only be opened by those who possessed otherworldly powers.


    Philip had also read about how a mentalist could open them, but for now, he couldn''t as he had hidden the rings far from himself. He decided to take themter this afternoon and open them to see what''s inside.


    Aside from the ''About the Human Mentalists'' Book, Philip also learned from other books he purchased about the dream citizens he encountered in the dream world.


    The reason the dream world was teeming with various human-like creatures was that they were influenced by the first creature they were born as. Every living being, whether human or animal, with a thinking brain had a corresponding dream citizen born in their space of consciousness.


    This was how they came into existence and moved from the space of consciousness to the dream city. Even if their counterparts died, dream citizens could persist as long as they had sustenance or the will to survive, leading to overpoption in the city.


    Unlike the living, dream citizens couldn''t generate their own tallums, necessitating their roles as vendors, crafters, or dream actors in exchange for the precious crystals required to sustain them.


    Every living being, mostly humans, was capable of dreaming. These dreams were influenced by two factors: external stimuli in a dreamer''s life and the dream actors. These dream actors represented and acted out various elements in a dream, like the table, the trees, or even the dreamer''s partner for making love.


    The more significant a role a dream actor yed in a dream, the more tallums they were paid when the dreamer woke up.


    However, in some cases, intense memories or excellent acting by dream actors could lead to nightmares. These nightmares could be lethal not only to the dreamer but also to the dream actors within. This was why mentalists were essential to save them by soothing the nightmares.


    "Moreover," Philip mused, "I read that a particrly potent nightmare can influence nearby areas, triggering a cascade of anguish and suffering."


    If a guest dies from a nightmare in Alma, it can trigger a chain reaction, turning other dreams into nightmares. If this continues and without a mentalist''s measure, it could lead to a catastrophe with multiple people dying in their sleep.


    Suddenly, Philip halted in front of a red building with a sign reading "McRonalds" and saw L working inside.


    He had been discreetly observing L''s work schedule after passing the restaurant multiple times in the past. He concluded then that she usually worked at the restaurant on weekends, including Fridays.


    Taking a deep breath to calm his mind, Philip prepared to enter the restaurant. He specifically came to this ce as he had an experiment in mind, based on the information he had gleaned from Book 2 he purchased from Doug.


    After a night of intensive studying, he had confirmed that the second level of mentalists was known as "Empaths." Most people and others in the field of metaphysics referred to them as "Psychos" because of their unique way ofmunicating and influencing emotions.


    Empaths, as Sam had previously exined, could perceive the colors of basic human emotions. This exined why Philip felt like an open book to Sam and L.


    ''Controlling facial expressions and bodynguage was one thing, but managing emotions required more practice and preparation.'' Philip noted.


    Initially, after reading the book, Philip had considered avoiding Empaths altogether. However, as he neared the end of the book, he discovered a way to bypass an Empath''s powers.


    This was why he was taking this risky action, to see if he could sessfully execute it.

 Chapter 64: Lala鈥檚 POV

    <h4>Chapter 64: L''s POV</h4>


    "Wee!" L greeted with exuberance, her radiant smile etched onto her face.


    As a man approached the counter, L''s smile grew even wider when she noticed vibrant orbs dancing around him, radiating with a luminous gray color.


    Being an empath, L possessed the unique ability to perceive the underlying emotions of every person she encountered. This extraordinary skill was always active, providing her with an unfiltered window into people''s emotions.


    From her keen gaze, she discerned that the man was surrounded by grey spheres, albeit tinged with a subtle, telltale darkness, a clear sign of anxiety.


    "It appears this gentleman harbors an aversion to social interactions," L thought to herself. "I''ve encountered many like him over the years, struggling with the simple act of ordering a meal..."


    She nodded inwardly, recognizing this as an opportunity. To enhance her empathic abilities and progress to the next level of a mentalist, L needed to stimte and engross herself with the basic emotions of individuals like this man.


    His fear was precisely what she sought. L needed his fear to be more spirited, allowing his fear to be felt by her, thus improving her own ability to perceive fear in others.


    The same principle applies to all other emotions. To grasp happiness, she''d evoke joy and smiles. Sadness? She''d uncover sorrow. Forplex emotions like surprise or disgust, L had to work harder, which was why she found her job at the restaurant rewarding her with a constant stream of human emotions.


    "What can I get for you, sir?" L inquired, deliberately adopting a more serious and slightly intimidating tone, aiming to intensify the man''s fear.


    "Meal B, please," the man stammered, his voice momentarily quivering.


    "That will be 5 doli, sir. But we also offer an upgrade for an additional 50 cents you can have..."


    However, before L could continue, the man abruptly cut her off.


    "No, that''s all," he stated, his fear orbs had suddenly extinguished, reced by a joyful one that danced around him.


    L was taken aback. She raised her gaze to meet the man''s eyes, puzzlement etched across her features.


    The man''s appearance was impable, his brown hair neatly groomed, and his attire exuding formality. Yet beneath his polished exterior, he slightly fluttered with awkwardness and anxiety, evident in his unsteady breath and trembling hands.


    What baffled L was the disconnect between the man''s outward expression of fear and the vanishing emotion inside him. How could his fear vanish when his bodynguage and demeanor screamed otherwise?


    This was a riddle that piqued L''s curiosity.


    "Hello, miss. Can you hurry? I want it as takeout," the man urged, his voice pitched higher than before, seemingly excited and joyful.


    "Oh, yes, of course," L replied, feeling a pang of embarrassment at her momentarypse in professionalism both as a crew member and as a mentalist.


    Once the man had departed, L swiftly summoned her astral body and trailed him. Shortly, he led her to Alma Inn, a block away from the restaurant.


    Seeing him enter, L decided not to follow further as she felt no need. After all, she already knew his destination and had memorized his face. She promptly returned to her body and took a brief break from her shift.


    In the restaurant''s back room, L seated herself and entered her own space of consciousness, embarking on a journey into the dream world.


    Unlike the bustling dreamscape of the night, the daytime dreamworld was tranquil, with only a handful of dream citizens and a few open stores.


    Ignoring the surroundings, L made her way to the central part of the city. Once she stood before a grand edifice reminiscent of a college building, she entered and called out, "Are there people here?"


    After a brief silence, a figure emerged from one of the rooms. It was none other than Sam, the same Sam from Bryxton University.


    "You''re still here? Aren''t your sses starting in five minutes?" L inquired, her voice tinged with confusion.


    Sam chuckled, "Yes, yes, but I stumbled upon a new anomaly in Dreamcity."


    L sat on a nearby chair and leaned in with intrigue. "What is it?"


    Sam followed her and said, "There''s a new dreamwalker who appeared through the city''s multiple entryways. Our scouts have determined that he didn''t arrive from another city but is a freshly awakened mentalist right here in our city."


    Sam then produced two purple crystals and willed them to transform into portraits. Two images of a man appeared: one with a full mask and the other unmasked.


    "He seems to have knowledge of tallums and knows their capabilities butcks the proficiency to alter them," Sam exined, sharing his findings.


    "This exins how we discovered his face despite him wearing a mask, as it was created without a full understanding of its construction."


    L listened intently to Sam. However, when she saw the portraits, her eyes widened and interjected.


    "It''s him! I encountered him earlier. This is also the reason why I came here."


    Sam turned his gaze to L, silently urging her to borate.


    L recounted the strange events with the man at the restaurant. She exined how his emotion had inexplicably shifted, yet his bodynguage remained the same, showing fear despite having joy orbs surrounding him.


    L''s voice trailed off as she pondered the situation. "I suspected he might be an unknown mentalist with knowledge of evading an empath''s powers. Seeing his portrait here validates my suspicions."


    Sam fell silent for a moment before responding, "From my observations, it seems this man became a dreamwalker on the same night he arrived in Dreamcity as such a novice mistake wouldn''t be made by a seasoned mentalist."


    He continued, "I couldn''t confidently im he''s part of a guild, as they wouldn''t allow such blunders. However, the question remains: How did he learn to elude empathic abilities?"


    Sam tapped his fingers on the table thoughtfully, concluding, "I believe he acquired a book on empaths and advanced mentalist techniques. Furthermore, he was aware of your existence and wanted to test his newfound knowledge."


    L posed a question, her brow furrowing, "But how did he know about me?"


    Sam remained silent for a moment before suggesting, "It''s possible he saw you traversing into the real world, quelling nightmares from house to house."


    Although Sam''s theory was usible, it didn''t provide a conclusive answer.


    Just as the two of them pondered this mystery in silence, another woman emerged from one of the doors.


    "I''ve found his information," she announced, cing a stack of papers on the table.


    "The man was Mateo Lloyd, a 30-year-old merchant who had just gotten married yesterday and was currently on his honeymoon at Alma Inn...."


    This revtion left the three of them baffled. Numerous questions swirled in their minds:


    "Did he be a mentalist on the first day of his honeymoon?"


    "Could he have unconsciously entered his space of consciousness during an intimate moment with his partner?"


    Despite their spections, theycked a concrete hypothesis.


    "By the way, isn''t Conrad the owner of Alma Inn? What about him? Did he finally open his door and be a dreamwalker?" L asked Sam, recalling how Sam had been waiting for Conrad at school the day before to discuss his research and potentially recruit him into their guild.


    "No," Sam replied. "Based on his demeanor and emotional state, he doesn''t appear to be a dreamwalker. However, it seems he discovers the reason why he can''t open his door."


    L continued, "Then why don''t we confirm today if he''s finally essed his space of consciousness? It''s vital to determine his current state of mind."


    Sam hesitated momentarily before responding, "If he has indeed entered his space of consciousness, he may have realized the danger his core memories pose. I doubt he''d meet me the same way he did before."


    L furrowed her brow. "I''m also curious why you didn''t inform him about it."


    Sam exined his reasoning, "Considering the timing of his awakening as a dreamwalker, it''s highly likely he unlocked a tainted core memory to escape Evans'' men. Given that, I wouldn''t want him to be a mentalist. I''d prefer he perished on the spot that day."


    L countered, "But that''s just a spection. What if he genuinely essed an untainted core? If that''s the case, we''ll lose his trust."


    Sam took a moment to reflect before responding, "Don''t worry. If he did be a mentalist and didn''t sumb or lose his sanity, it would confirm that he never possessed a tainted core. After all, why would he survive such an experience if he had such core?"


    "And if he did have a tainted core but remained mentally stable after, does that mean he possesses another resilient core memory to anchor him? If this is the case, then I''ll just say that I forgot to inform him as his situation at that time was too sudden."


    "In any case, if he''s truly be a mentalist, he''ll eventually have to cross paths with us. Then we will eventually recruit him to our guild" Sam concluded.


    Throughout Sam''s exnation, L remained silent. After nning on what to do with Mateo and Conrad, she left the room and ventured into the bustling neighborhood.


    She soon arrived at a small, inconspicuous shack and entered it. Inside, she found a towering man.


    "Why are you here?" he inquired.


    L proceeded to share the events of her encounter with Mateo Lloyd, their ongoing investigation, and details about Conrad.


    The man went silent for a moment before replying, "Those from academe are really ruthless."

 Chapter 65: Traveler鈥檚 Rings

    <h4>Chapter 65: Traveler''s Rings</h4>


    The imposing figure continued, "They should have realized that once you be a mentalist, some degree of entricity is almost guaranteed. Why would they still insist on the rule that only those who unlock cores from positive memories can be mentalists? Whether we unlock such cores or not, we will eventually be more unhinged in the future."


    Intrigued, L probed further, "Perhaps they have a hidden motive for eliminating them earlier?"


    The man locked eyes with L, his silence echoing in the room. After a few moments, he responded, "I know what you''re trying to do. Don''t push further. It''s not the right time for you to know..."


    Shifting the conversation, he continued, "For now, let''s focus on finding a way to inform Conrad about the danger. It would be tragic if he truly self-destructed upon entering his consciousness."


    L absorbed the man''s instructions before leaving to return to her duties, maintaining her pleasant demeanor as she weed iing McRonald''s customers.


    ***


    After his ss, Philip could be seen exiting the university, his mind slightly in a daze.


    Earlier, he had noticed Sam seemingly monitoring him at the university while in his astral state. Philip understood why Sam had approached him; he was likely attempting to ascertain if Philip had be a mentalist.


    Without concealing his emotions, Philip disyed his surprise. However, he merely nodded at Sam and chose not to initiate a conversation. After all, he wasn''t confident in interacting with another empath while concealing his true emotions.


    As Philip made his way towards Alma Inn, he spotted a bluish beam on the floor, extending from the street up to the third floor. Recognizing it as an astral domain, he knew it led to one of the guest rooms, specifically to the newlywed couple.


    Seeing this, Philip couldn''t help but smirk. He had expected this to happen.


    Recalling his previous encounter with L, he knew he couldn''t deceive an empath due to his inexperience. This was why he hadn''t used Conrad''s identity at McRonalds. Instead, he had chosen the appearance of the man he had mimicked the night before.


    Even if he failed, he wouldn''t arouse suspicion. Furthermore, his unique ability to mimic made it nearly impossible for others to trace him.


    "But even with this uniqueness, I still need to be cautious. I shouldn''t rely solely on this to escape every situation," Philip decided, making a mental note.


    He then thought back to his experiment earlier.


    What Philip had done at McRonalds was his first attempt to imbue his space of consciousness with the dominant emotion emanating from his core memory. With this, he could keep his true emotion orbs from showing up.


    Philip had chosen his second core memory, originating from a happy and carefree period of his life in the forest. This was also the reason behind L''s obvious shock that morning when he forcibly exchanged his nervousness and anxiety for joy.


    "While I can hide my emotions, it would still be difficult to conceal my outward expression and bodynguage from a mentalist," Philip concluded. He then made another mental note to further improve his acting skills.


    After a few minutes, when he no longer saw the astral projection at Alma Inn, Philip waited a little longer before transforming into a new identity, assuming the appearance of a 40-year-old middle-aged man.


    He had "borrowed" this man''s appearance from one of Alma Inn''s guests. Knowing that he was still resting and had no ns to stroll outside, Philip temporarily adopted his identity to venture out.


    This time, Philip''s objective was to retrieve the ''traveler''s rings'' he had hidden far away and inspect their contents.


    Philip traveled from city to town, and town to another town before arriving in a dimly lit and unpopted area.


    Philip easily located the rings'' hiding spots. His only concern was whether magicians or other super beings had a means of tracking them.


    However, when he found the rings undisturbed and without any traps, he quickly retrieved them and dashed to another location.


    Shortly after, he transformed again, this time into a woman who was the 30-year-old man''s partner in the previous night''s exercise.


    "This is rather ufortable," Philip murmured as he donned women''s clothing.


    He struggled with certain aspects of the transformation, especially the chest and lower parts. Thankfully, Philip was still considered a child so he didn''t experience any inappropriate sensations.


    With his new identity, he journeyed to a location two towns away from Bryxton City again. Following the instructions from the book he had purchased, he summoned a small part of his astral domain to envelop the rings in a bluish aura.


    Immediately, Philip was bombarded with information about the contents of the rings, as if the objects were floating before him.


    He also realized each ring had a storage space of 3 cubic meters and he could will the objects inside to emerge from the rings.


    Inside Loen''s ring, aside from umting mud and soil, he found a few items: a bag with 50 gold crystal coins inside, an identification card he believed belonged to Loen, a few books, and a diary.


    In contrast, Emile''s ring was a treasure trove: 5 bags with 500 gold crystal coins inside, his identification card, gemstones, medicine bottles, and a strange red envelope.


    Philip couldn''t help but widen his eyes at Emile''s wealth; he was even richer than Steve, a tycoon''s son! However, his attention quickly shifted to the identification cards, which revealed their ranks:


    [ Loen Lesse, 1st ss earth magician ]


    [ Emile Cruz, 1st ss wind magician ]


    "So magicians also have ranks, and they seem to be at the lowest, just like Dreamwalkers in Mentalist," Philip nodded in understanding.


    Next, he focused on Loen''s books. Most were about magic, but some were rted to mentalism.


    "Why did he have these?" Philip wondered internally, recalling Loen''s unusual behavior and apparent mental instability.


    "Come to think of it, Loen seemed to be not in his proper state of mind in the past. Yes, it is only now that I''ve be a mentalist that I noticed his abnormality," Philip mused, his brow furrowing. He had just unearthed yet another reason behind his seemingly abnormal sessful escape in the past.


    Philip decided to read Loen''s bookster, particrly his diary. He was curious about the reason behind his instability.


    His attention then turned to a peculiar envelope in Emile''s ringbeled "Form for Sexual Reproductive System Reconstruction (1)."


    "What''s this?" Philip''s curiosity was piqued, even though the content seemed rather perverted. He believed it must have held some significance for Emile.


    "Come to think of it, Emile was physically stronger than Loen," Philip mused. He recalled the moments when Emile had endured a lightning strike and a gunshot with no life-threatening damage. It was only when Philip kicked him that he promptly took his miraculous medicine.


    "Speaking of medicine..." Philip then examined the medicine bottles and, upon spotting a particr blue liquid, he rejoiced.


    "Yes, I finally found something that can help me regrow my limbs!" As a current woman, Philip''s smile was especially graceful and seductive. His happiness was palpable.


    "With this, I will no longer have to suffer from a disability, and perhaps I can use my original body for training," Philip thought optimistically.


    He had always believed that his mental capabilities had improved through continuous mental torture, and he hoped the same could be true for his physical capabilities.


    After formting his rigorous training ns in his mind, Philip returned to Alma Inn, bringing the rings with him¡ªone full and the other empty.


    Although he intended to hide them again far from himself for safety, he ultimately decided it was better to keep them within his reach, perhaps in the inn''s backyard.


    "After I heal my body, I should proactively cate nightmares to increase my karma and finally use the system''s information board," Philip contemted. "With it, I''ll never be as ignorant as before and won''t make as many mistakes."


    Philip quickly returned to the Alma Inn. As he entered, he noticed that the middle-aged man had gone out to check the night market. Simrly, the newlywed couple had also departed, enjoying the city view at night.


    Grateful that he hadn''t encountered the woman upon his return, Philip couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief. It would have been quite a trouble if she saw him and noticed the striking resemnce between him and her.


    Upon returning to his room and finding Maris'' absence, presumably in the kitchen, Philip reverted to his original child form. He then drank the contents of the blue medicine bottle. The process was excruciatingly painful, but Philip weed it, knowing it would grant him the ability to walk without difficulty.


    After half an hour, Philip smiled contentedly. Finally, he was back at his peak again!


    While happily examining his child''s body, he unconsciously was reminded of the poor street children''s condition.


    "I''m worried about them. I hope Gerald has finally managed to gather the street children," He walked toward his study table with newfound mobility.


    However, when he opened the jewelry box, shock washed over him as he found it was no longer empty. The medicine bottle was inside, containing a piece of paper within. Philip picked up the bottle, his hands stained with the blood,ing from the note stuffed inside.

 Chapter 66: Rescue on the way

    <h4>Chapter 66: Rescue on the way</h4>


    Along with Philip''s fingers stained with crimson blood, he heard a bell chime in his mind. Curious, he activated his system and read the new mission notification below the panel board.


    [ Mission: Save the Children! ]


    Description: Gerald and the other children are held captive by a dark summoner who intends to sacrifice them to summon one of the great devils of the mirroring world, Hodmeion. Immediate rescue is required.


    Reward: 500,000 Exp., ???


    Philip was taken aback when he read the mission''s detailed description, it deviated significantly from the usual stingy and terse style of the system. But when his sight caught the words ''sacrifice'' and ''devil'', he began to panic. He quickly retrieved and unfolded the blood-soaked note from inside the medicine bottle.


    The note contained vague figures drawn in blood. They were not letters or words, but rather a drawing of some sort.


    Seeing this, Philip frowned as he discovered another mistake of his in the past. The street children, especially Gerald, were illiterate. Meaning, they had never learned how to read or write. Philip should have expected this to happen when he told Gerald to write something on it.


    "I don''t know what''s going on in that child''s mind that he never informed me about my mistake," Philip thought, trying to figure out his next move.


    As he pondered his next course of action, Maris entered the room with a cheerful and enthusiastic expression. However, when she gazed down and saw Philip''s legs, she became more joyful.


    "You''re not disabled anymore, little brother?" she eximed, her gaze fixed on Philip''s feet and hand.


    Philip nodded and said, "Come here, Maris."


    He handed her a jewelry box and requested, "Can you help me open and close this box every ten minutes? If you see a medicine bottle with a note inside, can you assist me with it?"


    During this rescue mission operation, Philip''s primary objective was to ensure his safety, and considered it would be better to leave a way to maintainmunication with a third party.


    With this, Philip decided he would carry the bottle with him, and if he found himself in a life-threatening situation, he could use its connection with the jewelry box to signal Maris for help.


    "Okay, little brother," Maris replied, puzzled by the unusual request. However, she did not ask anymore as she sensed that Philip''s matter was urgent.


    "Thank you, Maris," Philip said with gratitude. He then stashed the concealed gun and a magical empty bottle inside his traveler''s ring. With that done, he left the Alma Inn as his child self.


    Since the couple had left and the 40-year-old man he had mimicked went somewhere, Philip judged he could no longer use their identities.


    The same went for Conrad and Raven, whose identities were unsuitable for this situation. And since he didn''t have time to look for another body to mimic, he could only use his child body to proceed.


    ''I''ll just have to be careful,'' he murmured, reminding himself of the risks associated with using his true form.


    Using his unique ability, the ''Golden Eyes,'' Philip navigated the city cautiously. He kept an eye out for anyone emitting an abnormal amount of golden light. If he saw them and felt they had a huge prospect of being superhumans, he would immediately change direction to avoid them.


    While on the move, he revisited the bloody note he had seen earlier. It depicted unclear, imperfect rectangr buildings. On the corner was a prominent tall rectangle with a circle drawn atop. Inside the circle were two sticks interconnected, with one pointing north and the other west.


    ''Looks like it''s the clock tower at 9 o''clock,'' Philip deduced. He then entered a meditative state and projected a holographic map of Bryxton City before his eyes.


    Gradually, he changed the orientation and zoomed in on a location that resembled Gerald''s drawing.


    "It''s on Windfall 15 Street," As Philip concluded the exact ce, he quickly dashed off.


    Upon arriving at the location and discreetly evading the astral blue beams of on-duty mentalists, Philip cast his gaze upon the clock tower. "It''s already 10:30," he muttered, his heart sinking as he realized he was an hour and a half behind schedule.


    Unable to change the past, Philip stopped regretting and continued to survey the area for clues. Suddenly, he noticed drops of golden light on the ground, seemingly leading to another location.


    Philip turned off his unique ability to inspect the drops more closely, only to discover that they were drops of blood, likely from Gerald.


    ''I''m impressed that the child thought of this,'' Philip smiled slightly and followed the blood trail.


    Shortly, he found himself in a narrow, dark alley with a dead end, where the blood trail abruptly ended in a sewage drain. Philip carefully removed the circr metallic cover and concealed himself in a nearby trash can.


    He then went to sleep and decided to proceed in his astral state. He knew he had to be cautious as he had no idea how many enemies he might encounter. In venturing into an unknown ce, he believed astral travel was ideal for reconnaissance and infiltration.


    As Philip ventured underground, he encountered a dim and foreboding sewage tunnel. The pathway stretched ahead, with damp ground underfoot and bits of debris floating in the murky waters that ran down the center of the tunnel. The stench was overpowering, a nauseating mix of filth and decay.


    Carefully navigating his way, Philip floated slightly above the side pavement, avoiding the foul waters below. He continued to follow the trail of blood that had be his source of direction. The asional drip from the tunnel''s low ceiling echoed ominously in the eerie silence, a stark reminder of the grim mission he was on.


    Given the filthy environment, Philip was grateful that his astral state couldn''t perceive smell. With this, he could put all his mind on the mission.


    However, as he continued to follow the blood, he suddenly felt a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. The surroundings then began to feel eerily familiar to him, and Philip realized that he had been in a simr ce before.


    "It''s the same ce as where the hidden government unit I came from in the past!" Philip eximed, stunned by the realization.


    However, when he felt his head suddenly throbbed painfully, he chose not to dwell on the past for now. He believed he wasn''t prepared to remember the entire event.


    Continuing his journey, Philip spotted three humanoid figures up ahead. Their golden light didn''t appear extraordinarily bright, so he made no effort to hide, confident that no one could see him in his astral state except for mentalists.


    "Are the children all ounted for?" asked the shortest man.


    "Yes, we''re just awaiting the ritual," replied the tallest, his voice filled with reverence yet silliness.


    Shortly afterward, they turned left and ced their hands on an unremarkable dirty wall, revealing a concealed brick door.


    Philip followed them inside and witnessed a grim scene: numerous children, some naked and others in tattered clothes,y imprisoned. They all slept soundly, oblivious to the brick door''s creaking and the men''s hushed conversations.


    Philip frowned as he saw the dark and oppressive aura emanating from the children''s heads¡ªa clear sign to a mentalist like him that the children were trapped in nightmarish dreams.


    Instinctively, he extended his astral domain to soothe their tormented minds.


    Once he had offered them some sce, Philip turned his attention to the center of the room, where intricate red paint drawings adorned the floor.


    However, as he attempted to approach for a closer look, his astral body suddenly could not proceed forward. Philip realized that he had strayed too far from his physical self, a distance exceeding his capability to astral travel - 2,000 meters.


    Furthermore, when the brick door waspletely shut, Philip was unceremoniously expelled from his astral state, finding himself standing outside the wall, the same ce where his astral blue beam had been on the floor.


    With a sense of surprise, Philip attempted to traverse the wall, only to meet with futile resistance. He recollected the limitations imposed on dreamwalkers during astral travel¡ªunless a room possessed visible openings, such as holes or gaps, or could be perceived by the naked eye, entry remained impossible.


    With a resigned sigh, Philip bowed his head outside the wall and promptly returned to his corporeal form. Now back in his physical body, he descended into the sewage, determined to press on despite the unpleasant surroundings. He dashed to the wall and concealed himself nearby.


    Using his exceptional sense of hearing from upgrading his physique to the limit, Philip leaned and concentrated on the sounds emanating from the other side of the wall, determined to glean any information that might aid his mission.

 Chapter 67: Summoning Master

    <h4>Chapter 67: Summoning Master</h4>


    Philip focused his senses on the soundsing from the wall. Additionally, he relied on his 25-meter radius surrounding awareness dreamwalker ability to sense movement behind it.


    A masculine voice ordered, "Cover your nose with the mask. The area is polluted with sleeping gas."


    After a few seconds, another voice echoed in the room, asking, "How long do we need to wait for the summoning ritual to begin? From what I can see, we have already gathered all 30 children as an offering. We also have some extras in case someone dies."


    A man with a slightly high-pitched voice replied, "The summoning master has been locked in his room. We have no idea when he wille out. So, while waiting, let''s arrange the children on the summoning circle first."


    As Philip listened, he also sought a way to bypass the wall, looking for holes or gaps. After all, it was impossible for the people inside to breathe without air venttion.


    However, as he continued to listen, he noticed that aside from the men''s conversation, he didn''t hear any wind pressure circting within. It was as if the air was stagnant.


    ''How could this be possible?'' Philip pondered, his face furrowing in disbelief. He couldn''t believe this was happening.


    Of course, his disbelief was not unfounded, as he had spent nearly a week as a student of civil engineering. In addition, he had been studying Conrad''s notes to betterprehend the subject. His understanding of structures was more than ayman''s.


    ''What''s the difference between a coffin and this room without venttion?'' he asked himself internally.


    It was then that Philip suspected that the room was not normal.


    ''Was this room designed to thwart mentalists'' astral travel? Yes, it''s highly likely. With this, it would be impossible for mentalists to see what''s inside the room.'' Philip frowned; this hypothesis made his infiltration much more difficult.


    As Philip contemted his next course of action, he heard a footstep not from the room, but from his left.


    Surprised, Philip saw two men brimming with golden light approaching him from a distance and quickly hid.


    Two men soon arrived in front of the brick wall, with the lead man cing his hand on the wall. One of the bricks was pushed back, and an entryway emerged, just like before.


    While Philip was hiding in the shadows, he overheard the group of men saying, "Where''s Jude?"


    "He''sing. He''s taking a break somewhere," the lead man answered, his nose twitching in disgust and amusement.


    After the brick door closed, Philip emerged from his hiding ce and quickly dashed off to where the two men had been earlier.


    When Philip saw an oilmp and a man sitting near the murky running water with his pants half-fixed, Philip pounced on him and delivered a strong kick. The man tumbled to the ground until hey unconscious near the wall, his breathing uneven.


    Philip swiftly removed the man''s clothes and memorized his facial and body features.


    When the man woke up, Philip quickly asked him a series of questions.


    "What''s your name?"


    "J-Jude Mores," the man answered, stammering.


    "Describe your personality."


    Although Jude was confused, he still answered honestly, "Well, I''m talkative and aedian. I like to tell dirty jokes. I also like to take advantage of women younger and smaller than me. Hehehe."


    Hearing Jude''s disgustingugh, Philip swiftly stopped his questioning and strangled Jude to death.


    Once Jude had died, Philip enveloped his dead, naked body with his astral domain and transported it to his traveler''s ring.


    Everything happened so quickly. Philip changed his clothes and shortly swallowed the ring to prevent someone who knew about its worth from finding out.


    After everything was done, he returned to the wall and gave it a knock.


    Immediately, the wall opened, and a man weed him.


    "What took you so long?" the man grinned as he looked down at Jude''s pants.


    "Well, I found an unconscious woman and gave her the time of her life. Hehehe," Philip joked, mimicking Jude''sugh.


    The men insideughed, and one of them said, "Where can you find a woman in this dirty ce? Unless it''s an animal!"


    "You''re right!" Philip smirked and joked once again, "I did the sewage rat a good release!"


    "The hell, man! Your jokes are getting weirder!" The man felt goosebumps on his skin, but there was still a hint of amusement on his face.


    ''Did I overdo it?'' Philip wondered internally and then asked,


    "Where is the summoning master? Haven''t we collected all the children? Why not start?" Philip copied the question he had heard earlier.


    The man replied, "Well, they said the master is still locked in his room. It''s unknown when he wille out. Hey, wear your mask."


    Philip epted the mask and surveyed the room inside. The children, who had been locked up in prison cells, were now released and had their clothespletely removed. They were also positioned around the outer summoning circle, spaced a meter apart from one another.


    It was then Philip had the time to observe the red drawings on the ground. They were filled with symbols and lines interconnecting to form a star with numerous edges.


    In the center of the summoning circle stood a huge statue of a horse-like monster with three heads, each having the horns of a goat.


    When the group of men saw this, they promptly knelt to the ground. Seeing this, Philip followed and shouted, "Oh, great devil Hodmeion!"


    The men worshiped the statue as if they were under its spell, their whole lives dedicated to the devil and its resurrection.


    Philip furrowed his brow as he silently examined the men''s mental state, wondering if they were brainwashed.


    Philip was familiar with this emotion from his past life. Even though he was now a nk te and was slowly forgetting his past life, he could still remember the feeling of being controlled.


    While he contemted this, a supposition formed in his mind: ''Maybe the person behind this was a mentalist capable of brainwashing others.''


    Of course, this was just mere spection. After all, he didn''t know much about the abilities of higher-level mentalists. He could only base his hypothesis on the limited knowledge he had, specifically from the books he had purchased and the core memory he had previously unlocked.


    The book mentioned that the higher your level, the higher the possibility of controlling others with a mere thought, much like his core memory''s ability to unconsciously influence others.


    ''But while it is highly probable, it is still a spection. I don''t even know if I can unlock my core memory again and use its ability of mind control.''


    Since the book he read stopped at Empaths, Philip couldn''t confirm his spections and could only search for more information.


    Nheless, Philip remained vignt. He believed it was better to assume than not to assume.


    With that in mind, he became more careful and covered his mind with the dominant emotion from his second core memory. This was made to shield him from empathetic powers.


    As he continued to survey the surroundings, he finally spotted Gerald, naked and lying on his stomach. But as a mentalist with high mental awareness, Philip could tell that Gerald wasn''t truly asleep like the others. He was merely acting.


    Philip quickly averted his eyes, trying to conceal the fact that he had discovered this.


    Shortly afterward, a middle-aged man emerged from the other side of the wall. His hair was graying, and he stood slightly hunched. He held a staff taller than his 170 cm height, with a red round crystal embedded at the top.


    When Philip nced at the crystal, he involuntarily closed his eyes and deactivated his second uniqueness. The light emanating from the crystal was more intense than any he had ever seen before, even brighter than thebined light from Sam and L!


    Philip frowned, he believed this staff was extremely dangerous. Moreover, the light radiating from the newly emerged man was simrly strong. Ifbined with the staff, the man was three times brighter than Philip himself.


    It''s important to note that Philip was no ordinary person. Not only does he possess two uniquenesses, but he is also a dreamwalker and has high physique stats. In fact, in terms of value, he was brighter than Loen, Emile, Sam, and Lbined.


    However, although brighter, this didn''t mean he was stronger than anyone else. He simply possessed numerous abilities.


    Despite this, Philip couldn''t help but be shocked by the intense light emanating from the man. He felt not only fear but also an intense feeling of wanting to submit.


    He didn''t know where this specific emotion came from, but he felt it deeply.


    When he realized his emotions were showing, he quickly enveloped himself with his second uniqueness, projecting feelings of joy and admiration toward the man.


    The other men had a simr reaction, quickly kneeling and bowing their heads when they saw him.


    "Greetings, Summoning Master, the great Gregorio Damion!"


    Hearing this, Gregorio nodded slightly and walked to the center of the summoning circle, facing the statue. With a raise of his staff, he murmured, "Sleep."


    Suddenly, Philip felt overwhelmingly lethargic and copsed to the floor. Alongside the other men, he fell into a deep, uninterrupted slumber.

 Chapter 68: His struggles

    <h4>Chapter 68: His struggles</h4>


    "Why am I here?"


    Philip suddenly found himself standing in his space of consciousness, his face etched with confusion.


    However, when he recalled being forcibly put to sleep earlier, Philip''s face contorted in a frown. Immediately, he attempted to wake up but his efforts were in vain.


    "Why is this happening?" he asked himself.


    At the same time, Philip sensed that his body had been relocated. He felt his clothes being gradually removed as he drifted towards the inner part of the summoning circle.


    With the Dreamwalker''s ability to perceive any movement within a 25-meter radius, he also observed other men undergoing a simr process, being ced a meter apart from each other, naked.


    Philip furrowed his brow, taken aback by this unexpected turn of events. He hadn''t anticipated that the men were also part of the sacrificial offerings and were not Gregorio''s subordinates.


    While surveying the real world, he noticed that Gerald remained awake, which piqued his curiosity.


    "Why can Gerald stay awake?" Philip wondered.


    He carefully observed Gerald and caught sight of his bleeding fingers. Seeing this, Philip spected that to remain awake, the body must be in constant pain.


    Philip thought he could achieve the same if he transformed back into his original child body. After all, he had been experiencing restlessness through pushing his Physique stats to the limit.


    However, he hesitated, realizing that doing so would risk exposing himself to Gregorio.


    With this option deemed uneptable, Philip promptly entered the dream world.


    Returning to the same ce he''d leftst night, he rushed to Doug''s bookstore to seek assistance.


    "Do you know someone who can ry a message to the human mentalists?" Philip inquired, his breathing agitated.


    Doug initially appeared surprised but, upon closer inspection of Philip''s face, he frowned slightly and asked,


    "Raul? Is that you? Why aren''t you wearing your mask this time? Wait, why has your face and body changed so suddenly?"


    Philip didn''t mind being discovered or answering Doug''s questions. He also didn''t inquire about how Doug knew his real face despite wearing a mask in the past. After all, he was in immediate danger and required immediate help.


    "Do you know someone or not? I''m in a hurry," he pressed, his toneced with impatience.


    "Yes, yes," Doug responded hurriedly, temporarily putting aside his questions, sensing Philip''s urgency.


    Philip ryed his location and current situation to Doug and offered him 500 tallums as payment. Afterward, he left and returned to his realm of consciousness to observe the real world.


    Philip noticed that Gregorio was taking his time to prepare for the ritual. Out of nowhere, Gregorio produced an intricate ck wooden table and ced it across from the devil''s statue.


    It was also within this observation that Philip realized Gregorio seemed to be unaware that Gerald was awake.


    Mentalists were expected to detect falsehoods, a gift stemming from their high mental strength that granted them heightened mental awareness.


    With Gregorio remaining clueless, it suggested he wasn''t a mentalist, making Philip feel safe to enter his astral state.


    Without hesitation, Philip returned to the real world in his astral form. He moved cautiously in front of Gregorio to test if he remained unseen. Once he confirmed Gregorio''s inability to perceive him, Philip surveyed the surroundings, searching for an escape route.


    However, even after he tried passing through the wall, he could not. It became evident that the room was securely sealed, just as he had assumed it to be.


    While scanning the room, he noticed some deceased children in a corner. Philip carefully observed them and memorized their body structures, thinking they might be usefulter.


    Afterward, he approached Gerald and noticed that his eyebrows twitched, as though they had been quickly closed when Philip passed by. With this, Philip made a conjecture.


    "It can''t be," Philip muttered, moving closer to Gerald and attempting tomunicate.


    "Gerald, can you hear me? I''m not an enemy; I''m here to help you," Philip said in a soft voice.


    Gerald appeared surprised but didn''t move or respond. Philip realized that Gerald was likely feigning asleep to protect himself. In addition, Philip felt that Gerald didn''t fully trust him yet.


    To establish a secure means ofmunication, Philip devised a system.


    "Just keep your eyes closed. Squint your eyes once for ''yes'' and twice for ''no.'' Understand?"


    After five seconds, Gerald twitched his eyebrows once with hesitation.


    "Good. Is the reason why you are not asleep like others because of your wound?"


    Gerald''s eyes squinted once, but before Philip could throw another question, they squinted two more times.


    Philip contemted this development.


    ''Since Gerald can perceive me, does that mean he has fulfilled the requirements to be a mentalist and is a sort of half-dreamwalker? And the only thing hecks is summoning his astral body and opening his door?''


    Philip inquired, "Do you feel that something is different about you? Is that what you''re trying to convey?"


    Gerald''s eyes squinted once.


    "Good. Follow my instructions," Philip said, guiding Gerald on how to induce sleep paralysis and summon his astral body.


    When Philip was done, he waited for Gerald toplete the process. But when he noticed Gerald''s difficulty, this forced him to give it some thought.


    ''Hmm, Gerald is lying on his stomach, not suitable for inducing sleep paralysis. Moreover, the tense atmosphere just made it more difficult for Gerald to concentrate and calm his mind.''


    As Philip pondered a solution, he could not help but notice the chilling culmination of the ritual. Gregorio hadpleted his preparations and ced the staff upon the ancient, weathered table. With an air of profound solemnity, he knelt upon the ground and mored.


    "You are the embodiment of cmity and tribtion," he intoned, invoking forces that had long haunted the annals of history.


    "The formidable guardian of realms mirroring our own," he continued, his wordsced with reverence for a power that transcended mortal understanding.


    "I beseech you to ept these offerings," he implored, his eyes locked on the sinister statue above. "And bestow upon me your benediction of ruin and catastrophe."


    As the words left Gregorio''s lips, a profound chill filled the room, causing the very air to thicken with foreboding. The dim candlelight cast eerie shadows that danced in macabre celebration of the ancient rite.


    With deliberate intent, Gregorio retrieved a wickedly sharp knife from his traveler''s ring. As the de gleamed malevolently in the dim light, he made a deliberate, agonizing cut on his right hand. The crimson blood that flowed from his palm dripped onto the table, mingling with the darkness of the room.


    "I beseech you to ept these sacrifices," he cried.


    "I implore you to heed the prayer of your devoted servant."


    In that ominous moment, the statue itself seemed to respond to his cry. The very earth quaked beneath their feet, and the slumbering children and men were trembling abnormally like a grotesque dance of suffering.


    Philip also felt an insurmountable pain rushing through him. It didn''te from his body or mind but something deep within him. And the more time he let the ritual continue, the more he felt his energy draining out from him.


    Philip then swiftly acted and transformed his body into one of the dead children he saw earlier.


    With an intense pain brought by the transformation, Philip instantly woke up from his slumber.


    While in the middle of his transformation, with seemingly maggots squirming deep within him and his muscles and bones reconstructed to be smaller, he plunged his arms deep into his stomach and retried the traveler''s ring he had swallowed earlier.


    He summoned the gun he had hidden in the ring and fired it at the statue in the center.


    He refrained from shooting Gregorio, as the light emanating from him was evidently abnormal. Unlike the statue, which emitted light simr to normal statues, indicating it might be destructible.


    BANG!


    As the bullet coursed through the air and was about to hit one of the horse heads, it stopped, as if an invisible barrier encased the statue and Gregorio.


    Gregorio turned to look at the child behind him, his eyes red and chilling but indifferent, as if he were observing a lifeless figure.


    Suddenly, when Philip had fully transformed into a child, he suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to resign and sleep - just escape from reality and return to the dream.


    Feeling that this emotion was not his and probably the effect of Gregorio''s staff, he broke his arm to counter the drowsiness with pain.


    Gregorio raised an eyebrow but remained motionless, fixed in his ce. However, when he gazed at the empty space within the summoning circle, his forehead creased.


    As a mentalist, Philip noticed Gregorio couldn''t move and was fixated on his position. He also recognized his reaction and perceived the link between the ritual and the sacrifices.


    Understanding the situation, Philip kicked the children out of the formation. He also injured the adult men around to forcibly wake them up from their slumber. Additionally, he conveniently kicked Gerald to make him lie on his back.


    "What''s happening?" one man asked, clutching his aching stomach.


    When the man realized they were inside the summoning circle, he inquired, "Wait, are we just being used as sacrifices?"


    Panic ensued, and some men rushed to the entryway wall to escape.


    However, as one managed to open the door slightly, everyone stopped and froze, their expressions vacant as they mechanically returned to the formation.


    Philip also halted and raised his foot, as if he, too, were under control.

 Chapter 69 Geralds POV

    69 Gerald''s POV


    The men around moved in eerie synchronization, stepping back into their designated spots within the summoning circle.


    Additionally, the children, whom Philip had callously kicked earlier, shuffled sideways back to their previous positions.


    On the other hand, Philip found himself moving uncontrobly; it was as though an invisible force enveloped his limbs.


    He was expelled from the formation and reced by another man who had been lying motionless near the prison cell. This man, too, moved as if controlled by an unseen force, taking Philip''s former ce within the formation.


    As everyoney down, Philip waspelled to move again, this time sliding across the circle, stopping just beside the wooden table and the staff ced on it.


    When everything was set, Gregorio, who had remained quiet all this time, spoke again. His voice carried a heinous and evil tone as he evoked,


    "Great devil, keeper of the mirror world, ept his abomination as my offering."


    Gregorio looked at Philip across from him and continued, "Grant me your blessing to be your deacon. Strengthen my spirituality so I may serve you better in the future."


    Gregorio''s blood continued to pour over the table until its earthy color changed into crimson red.


    "I pray to you. Come to this mortal world and hear your believer''s request!"


    Suddenly, the surroundings grew even more horrifying, and the ritual resumed again. An ominous aura emanated from the statue and began to swirl, forming red mists that enveloped the dark chamber.


    Seeing this, Gerald clenched his teeth, struggling to follow Philip''s instructions earlier. He tried to induce sleep paralysis to summon his astral body and to quickly travel into the dream world to urge the mentalists to arrive faster.


    However, the pain from his wounds and the sensation of his life force draining away made it impossible for Gerald to concentrate.


    Gerald stopped acting anymore and opened his eyes. There, he saw a ghastly transformation unfolding before him.


    He saw Philip had contorted into a pulsating, fleshy mass and reverted to a child younger than Gerald himself.


    Meanwhile, the men in the inner circle aged rapidly, their hair turning white with each passing moment.


    Then, Gerald also saw that the transformed child dashed towards the exit. However, he was abruptly halted andpelled to return to the crimson-red table again.


    And when he was inches away from the table, he transformed into an adult man Gerald was familiar with.


    "It''s Sir Raven!" Gerald eximed inwardly. "He really came to save us!"


    Yet, amidst his delight, guilt gnawed at him.


    "It''s my fault," he murmured. "If I didn''t inform Sir Raven, he would not be ced in this kind of situation."


    Gerald then reyed the events that had led him here.


    In truth, Gerald had already gathered a group of homeless and unaffiliated children yesterday. Simrly, he had also gained their trust. However, he didn''t inform Raven about his sess.


    Gerald wanted Raven to see that he didn''t make a mistake in cing his trust in him. He wanted to prove to Raven that despite hisck of education, he could still be depended on.


    When he recalled that Raven was looking for the ck market, he immediately went for it. He wanted that by the time he informed Raven about his sess, he had also informed him about sessfully finding the ck market.


    To do so, he and the other three street children had scoured the underground, searching for clues about the elusive market. Since he had previously learned that the ck market usually performed ''underground'', he started investigating the sewers and their hidden entrances.


    Little did he know that it would result in his capture by a gang of unruly men.


    "Am I really so untrustworthy? Can I ever prove that I''m useful?" Gerald questioned, his world shattering around him.


    He''d been alone since the age of eight, since escaping from an abusive home and seeking a better life in Bryxton City.


    But what he thought was an opportunity had only led him into a darker abyss.


    Who would want a child of his age to work? Who would help a homeless and dirty child like him in this world?


    Thus, for a year, he did nothing but look for food in the trash. And sometimes, he would beg for something to eat.


    This one year, all he did was wait and hope for luck to arrive. He didn''t cheat, steal, or do anything immoral.


    However, his ignorance and integrity changed when he was kidnapped and imprisoned by the age of nine.


    The good thing was he had escaped the next day with the help of a small child he could not remember who he was.


    But after this event, he left his innocence behind and resorted to a path to survival - stealing.


    For four years, whether the rich or the poor, he stole as long as they had money with them.


    Of course, he didn''t want to, but what choice did he have as a child? The world would not pity his upright side.


    Yet, just when he''d resigned himself to this kind of life, a man hade into his life - a man who chose to trust him and offered him a chance of a new beginning.


    It was then light had dawned for Gerald, and he''d started to believe in a brighter tomorrow.


    He thought his life would start to change. But when he was captured and put into a sack, Gerald felt he couldn''t ept this fate.


    Therefore, he struggled.


    And in the midst of despair, something within Gerald snapped. He felt a surge of unusual strength, intelligence, and rity. Even within the dark confines of the sack, he could see everything with exceptional rity, as if it were daylight.


    In addition, Gerald could perceive his surroundings. Even with the confinement, he could see what was on the outside.


    While he was perplexed by the sudden change, Gerald took this opportunity to think. He quickly brought out the empty bottle in his pocket with a dirty paper he had previously inserted within.


    Determined tomunicate their dire situation, Gerald bit his finger until it bled and drew a crude map of their location.


    Shortly, he ripped the sack and threw the bottle. Simultaneously, he poked his bloody finger out of the sack and let his blood drip on the ground. Even if it stopped, he would bite his finger again to let the blood flow more.


    ...


    Gerald stopped his thoughts as the events within the center of the circle grew increasingly chaotic.


    Raven extended his arm toward the staff, his ring began to glow purple. However, his face suddenly twisted in surprise and confusion as he had been violently struck down by an invisible force again.


    Just as Raven''s face hit the ground, he transformed again. This time, into a woman, flexibly springing to her feet and attempting to strike Gregorio.


    However, the unseen forces thwarted her again. It took her feet, tossing her around like a ragdoll.


    Gerald couldn''t bear to witness the spectacle and turned his focus to summoning his astral body. He needed to escape and search for other mentalists outside. But his concentration was shattered by Raven''s agonized cries echoing throughout the room.


    No longer feigning asleep, Gerald sprang to his feet and rushed to Gregorio, wanting tond a punch.


    At first, Gregorio was taken aback by the sudden movement in his peripheral view. But when he noticed the bloody finger on the child''s hand, he nodded as if understanding something. With a mere gesture, an invisible force hurled Gerald out of his way.


    Gerald braced himself for a painful impact, but instead, he found himself encased in a pulsating mass of flesh, courtesy of the partially transformed Raven.


    When the protective meat shield disappeared, Gerald barely had time to utter thanks before watching the half-transformed Raven being pressed into the wall, with seemingly invisible spikes plunging into his stomach.


    With this, Raven transformed into pulsating meat again and dissolved to the ground. Then, emerged an eight-year-old child, throwing up with blood.


    The child looked at Gerald and whispered, "Run."


    After hearing this, Gerald saw the child drop to the ground and be unconscious. His body floated back to the altar and was now lying beside the red crystal staff.


    With Raven incapacitated and unconscious, the ritual resumed, and the circle''s energy began to go haywire again.


    Gerald saw the men within the inner circle had be emaciated and lifeless, their skin stretched tight over their skeletal frames.


    It was then Gerald deduced that the men were now dead and judged that the next victims of this were the children in the outer circle.


    Suddenly, Gerald felt his body move without him controlling it. His body drove back to his position and forcibly pushed on the ground.


    Geraldy on the ground, his gaze fixed on the glowing summoning circle and the unconscious child on the altar, who appeared eerily lifeless. He also noticed that the statue''s horse leg had somehow transformed into something more lifelike.


    "Hahahaha!"


    And then, Gerald''s chillingughter echoed through the chamber.


    Gerald felt as though something had snapped within his mind again, but this time, the pain was unbearable. His head throbbed with agony, yet he remained silent, unable to react. Hey there, consumed by thoughts of his own inadequacy.


    "I... I want to help. I want to be an adult," he whispered, and in that moment, time seemed to stand still.


    While Gregorio''s eyes locked onto the statue, he suddenly felt an overwhelming telekic force pushing him forward.


    This chapter is heavily inspired by a child named Gerald at the orphanage where I volunteered in the past. While writing this, I couldn''t help but be reminded of a quote the sister told us before we left:


    ''Your help may be a whim to you, but for them, it''s a lifeline.''


    lorence_

 Chapter 70 Sildoun

    70 Sildoun


    A loud crack resounded behind Gregorio, and he turned to see the statue shattering into fragments. The rock crumbled to the floor, and the child with the shape-shifting ability awoke as though his sleep was only an act. With a deft movement, Philip made the staff vanish, along with his traveler''s ring brimming with purple luster.


    When the ring dimmed, the other children in the formation began to wake up. They rushed toward the exit as though they were mentally cued.


    Seeing this, Gregorio decided not to be passive anymore. He stood up and moved away from his position, his initial indifference giving way to anger.


    With the ritual failing, Gregorio''s body swayed for a moment, clearly suffering from a bacsh. Half of his face darkened, and his right arm withered.


    However, while his condition wasn''t at its peak, he could still threaten nearby Philip!


    Philip suddenly felt a force encasing him, as though numerous hands interlocked with him in between.


    Feeling that intense danger, he immediately transformed into a new identity and used the process to escape. His fats and meat disintegrated, hopping down from the ritual table, and going far away from Gregorio''s reach.


    Gregorio was about to move andpletely eliminate the cockroach, but he suddenly felt a strong force stopping him. In addition, he felt he couldn''t breathe.


    Gregorio then looked back and saw Gerald had somehow be older and more mature. It was as if he suddenly aged by ten years. His ck hair reached to the ground and his ck eyes were piercing yet filled with wisdom. Moreover, the previously naked Gerald had created clothes for himself.


    Seeing that Gerald was not something to be overlooked, Gregorio focused all his attention on him.


    "My wish for the day is to revert my strength to my peak form!"


    The moment he uttered these words, the charcoal part of his face disappeared, as did his withered hand. In addition, the surroundings became more tense as the pressure emanating from Gregorio suddenly erupted.


    Then, Gregorio vanished from where he was standing and flew towards Gerald, his hands extending as if to deliver a powerful punch.


    Yet, the moment it reached Gerald, Gregorio felt he hadn''t hit anything. He looked at Gerald turning into an illusionary with transparent white bubbles forming from within, attacking by wrapping Gregorio.


    However, the moment the bubbles touched Gregorio''s face and body, they immediately darkened and lost their tranquility.


    "Anything that touches me will be corrupted by the power of destruction!" Gregorio yelled, and Gerald''s bubbles turnedpletely ck.


    Gerald, who appeared a couple of meters behind Gregorio, finally showed an expression. His eyes twitched slightly as he saw the bubbles he produced earlier were fiercely attacking him and detonating one by one.


    Gregorio saw that Gerald''s clothes had tattered and could not help but smirk. He then pressed his palms together and evoked,


    "By the power of destruction, I plead, as a devotee of the Great Devil of Destruction, to eliminate all that touches me!"


    Starting from the ground that touched his foot, a dark force crawled, grinding anything that touched its aura. From the floor to the wall, and even Gerald suddenly disintegrated into dust.


    Gregorio looked at the pitch-ck surroundings with ecstasy. He believed he had won the fight. Shortly, he turned his gaze to Philip, who had been affected by the fight and turned into dust. He took the child''s purple ring with him and proceeded to leave the crumbling ck room.


    However, the moment he took another step, he suddenly felt severe pain in his right arm. He was momentarily stunned by it!


    It was then the pitch-ck room had a milky blue light with pinkish dust dancing around. They formed the ck wall, the crumbling ground, and Philip''s dust, resembling a pleasant dream.


    Gregorio''s eyes widened as he quickly uttered the words,


    "My wish for today: Illusion must be ineffective on me!"


    Suddenly, everything blue and pink vanished, as if everything were only a mirage. Gregorio then noticed that he had returned to his previous state, with half of his face dark and his withered right hand dropped to the floor. His earlier wish to return to his peak form wasn''t real but an illusion!


    Gregorio frowned. It was already 12:10 a.m. and could only make one wish per day. With this, he could no longer pray for his state to return to its peak form.


    Gregorio stopped thinking about this, as he had more pressing matters to attend to. He encased himself with his spirituality and looked at Gerald, who had returned to being a 13-year-old teenager. His previous adult form was only an illusion and wasn''t real.


    However, while the illusion had disappeared, Gregorio could still perceive the astral domain around him. The blue beam and pink dust on the ground materialized into spikes as they shot out toward Gregorio.


    Gregorio then hopped away from where he was standing to evade the iing spikes. Yet, the moment his foot touched the ground again, the blue beam suddenly shot out and strangled his foot. With this, he could not move from where he was standing.


    Gregorio gritted his teeth. Fighting against a high-level mentalist was difficult in his domain. It was also difficult for him to escape, as Gerald''s domain spanned a 300-meter radius. This meant that without a way to teleport 300 meters away, he would always be within the mentalist''s grasp.


    He quickly thought of a solution to his predicament and was about to raise his hand with his purple ring. But when he noticed that his right arm had been previously cut off, he quickly looked at the ce where it had fallen earlier.


    But when he saw the cockroach, the child who could shape-shift, possessed his withered arm with the purple ring on its finger. Seeing this, Gregorio realized that he had been fooled!


    ''These mentalists had nned to steal my traveler''s ring from the beginning!'' Gregorio gritted his teeth.


    Philip then quickly took the traveler''s ring from Gregorio''s withered finger. And immediately, he skimmed inside to help Gerald defeat the enemy.


    Earlier, while Gregorio was in a state of illusion and stood settled, he quickly nced at Gerald on the other end. Gerald also looked at him and nodded.


    Just as smart people canmunicate with a nce, mentalists can do the same, especially Gerald, who seemed to suddenly have be a mentalist at a higher level than dreamwalkers and empaths.


    Philip suspected that Gerald had unlocked one of his core memories rted to borrowing power from his future self. This was also the reason why Gerald had an illusion of bing 10 years older.


    ''Is this also the reason why Gregorio put the children and other men to sleep? This is to prevent them from forcibly unlocking their cores. Yes, this is highly possible. I should learn from this and make spections that are not ordinary.''


    But Philip was forced to stop his mulling as some changes urred in Gregorio. The blood flowing in his right shoulder moved as though it were ink from a pen. It streamed and coursed through the ground, forming aplicated circr symbol.


    In addition, Gregorio''s eyes turned red and slowly, starting from his foot, formed a domain simr to Gerald''s, but it was red in color and emanated a destructive and sinister feeling.


    Seeing that his domain was slowly getting engulfed by Gregorio''s, Gerald willed them to congeal near him. Instead of a 300-meter radius, it turned into 100. Furthermore, unlike earlier when only the ground was illuminated by the domain, the wall and the ceiling began to emit changes.


    With this, Gregorio''s red domain stopped at a 5-meter radius. But Gregorio felt it was more than enough as he put his hand on the ground where the new circr symbol made from blood was as he dictated.


    "I summon thee, the eternal guardian of the shadowed realm, the keeper of all that hides within the mirrored abyss! Arise from the depths and answer my call, Sildoun!"


    Suddenly, a grotesque, two-headed, ebony hound with jagged, spiky fur burst forth from the earth. Its menacing jaws revealed twin razor-sharp sabers, which gleamed ominously as it let out a bone-chilling, deafening roar.


    Without waiting for Gerald to make another move, Gregorio cried out,


    "I offer half of my strength to my summon, Sildoun!"


    In response, the two-headed hound underwent a grotesque transformation, growingrger and taller than a fully grown man. Its teeth and ws extended at a menacing rate, now poised to strike with terrifying force.


    However, just before the houndpleted its transformation, it lunged at Gerald and viciously bit his head.


    As Gerald''s blood oozed from its beheaded neck, the hound let out a blood-curdling howl, echoing through the dark sealed room. Its eyes glowed with an eerie crimson light as it spat Gerald''s head to the ground.


    Seeing the decapitated head form a sinister pool of blood beneath the beast, Philip, standing in the shadowy corner, felt a shiver crawl down his spine.

 Chapter 71 Geralds hope

    71 Gerald''s hope


    Amidst this gruesome spectacle, Gerald''s severed head and body inexplicably shifted to an illusory form.


    In Gregorio''s eyes, it appeared as if they had suddenly vanished. But in Philip''s eyes, Gerald had somehow exchanged his physical body with his astral body.


    Gerald appeared a couple of meters behind Gregorio, his arms raised, conjuring a ball of fire that burst forth with terrifying force. The fire emitted an ear-piercing screech as it struck Gregorio''s back, producing violent orange sparks.


    It did sessfully touch Gregorio; however, it failed to harm him. Instead, they swirled around him, coalescing into numerous fireballs.


    Simultaneously, Gregorio''s right arm extended, revealing a spectral and spiritual crimson arm. Together with his left hand, they both danced and wiggled as if controlling marite strings in a puppet show.


    Witnessing this strange disy, Philip couldn''t believe his eyes. He was familiar with these monotonous finger movements and surmised that Gregorio was also a magician.


    "Not only is his body stronger and faster," Philip pondered, "he can evoke wishes, summon creatures, and use magic. What is he exactly? Is he only a summoning master, as the system indicated?"


    The intense battle continued, with Gregoriounching a relentless barrage of fire, utilizing his summoned hound, and the invisible forces. He had the upper hand, as Gerald was forced to rely on astral body substitutions to evade the relentless assault.


    Moreover, Gregorio''s sessive attacks made it nearly impossible for Gerald to fight back, and he could only repeatedly defend.


    Seeing the urgency of the situation, Philip feltpelled to intervene. He quickly scanned the rings he had stolen, seeking anything that could aid in Gerald''s dire circumstances.


    His gaze thennded on the staff with a red round crystal on top, which Gregorio had previously used to cast a sleeping spell around. Without hesitation, he removed the staff from his traveler''s ring and raised it high, dering, "Sleep!"


    However, he didn''t aim the staff at Gregorio; rather, he targeted the summoned hound. He believed it would be more effective, as Gregorio was already suffering from constant pain and bleeding and was unlikely to be affected by the sleeping spell.


    To Philip''s relief, the creature did fall asleep, providing Gerald with a momentary respite.


    Yet, with Philip''s intervention, he was no longer invisible in Gregorio''s eyes. His gaze burned with fury as he darted back and forth between his summon and Philip standing in the corner.


    Suddenly, Gregorio intensified the mes surrounding him. With his fingers moving at an astonishing pace, the mes transitioned from red to a sinister blue.


    "Anything that touches me will be corrupted by the power of destruction!" Gregorio cried, and starting from his foot, the ground darkened and crumbled, moving at an rming rate.


    In addition, all the coalesced blue mes detonated, sending shockwaves through the dark room and causing debris to rain down. The ceiling began to break, and the moon above finally became visible.


    Caught in the zing explosion and the ensuing corruption, Philip had no time to react. He quickly transformed and used the brief interval during the transformation to shield himself from the destructive force.


    Philip had discovered that when he was in the midst of transforming between bodies, he gained a brief immunity to attacks.


    This newfound understanding hade from numerous observations throughout his use of his uniqueness, ''Mystic Identities.'' He had formed a theory that the transformation process conferred an extremely regenerative healing and constructive effect, allowing him to regrow his limbs and increase his height.


    Therefore, he surmised that this uniqueness not only enabled transformation but also provided short-term immunity. Thanks to this, Philip was able to evade Gregorio''s onught and emerge unscathed.


    However, this so-called immunity was exceedingly short,sting only five seconds. Before the destructive force had extinguished, he had already finished his transformation.


    With this, Philip had to suffer from extreme pain for another three seconds. After it stopped, he had already experienced a severe degree of burn, to the point it exposed his bones.


    Luckily, Philip had a solution to his predicament. He hurriedly reached for a blue medicine bottle and quickly consumed its contents.


    However, while he had solved the issue, its healing was agonizingly slow. Philip didn''t know what would happen with him being in this vulnerable state.


    With his body buried beneath piled of debris, Philip summoned his astral body to assess the situation.


    It was then he noticed Gerald, who was partly astral and partly real, desperately searching through the wreckage below. The moon cast a gentle light on his weary face, and when he saw Philip''s astral form emerging from the rubble, his face shifted to happiness.


    However, while Gerald wanted to rush to Philip''s aid, the battle with Gregorio was far from over.


    Gregorio had seemingly disappeared, and both his summoned creature and physical body were nowhere to be found. Yet, a sensation of malevolence and oppressive force bore down on Gerald, almost immobilizing him.


    Gerald''s thought process slowed down, and he struggled to move his body. He felt as though he was tightly embraced from behind, then encased within a suffocating cocoon.


    In his fatigued state, Gerald no longer wished to continue the fight. Thus, he decided to give his all to fight against the encasement.


    Suddenly, a deep core memory within his space of consciousness began to resonate, forming a brilliant golden bridge.


    The bridge connected his core memory ind to the edge of the cliff, bathing his inner world in radiant gold. With this, the invisible wall that encased the core memory slowly vanished until its shards sprinkled over thend.


    Everything, from the drought ground to the dark sky above, gleamed with a golden hue. Gerald''s space of consciousness filled with hope, a hope that had once eluded him, a strong hope for a better future.


    Gerald''s eyes turned golden, and a luminous golden light radiated from his body, enveloping a vast 300-meter radius, covering like a huge dome.


    Houses, buildings, roads, and people within this radius were bathed in the brilliant light, casting aside their despair and embracing newfound optimism.


    All the mentalists on duty in the city, a small group of mentalists who were seemingly on the lookout for something, and other supernatural beings near Windfall 15 Street turned their attention to this radiant disy. Their expressions shifted from grim to ecstatic, as the overwhelming brightness lessened their mental anguish, allowing them to envision a brighter tomorrow.


    While the effect was good for others, for Gregorio, it was nothing but devastating. His attempt to possess Gerald was abruptly halted by the blinding golden radiance. The brilliance seemed to pierce through the very core of his malevolent intentions.


    His mental state crumbled as he suddenly realized that the person before him radiated a profound sense of hope, a strong determination to survive and thrive.


    He, who was in a specter state, was swiftly extinguished. His mind plunged into chaos, and his physical form that was buried underneath the rubble withered away, turning into clouds of dust.


    The golden light persisted for a full five seconds before it receded, and Gerald''s eyes returned to their brown natural color. He swiftly turned left, looking at the astral body of Philip who was also peeking at him in silence.


    "Good Job, " Philip mouthed. He had a smile on his face.


    Seeing this, Gerald finally was hit by exhaustion and copsed, falling into a deep slumber. However, while he seemed lifeless, his lips curved upwards.


    Philip was about to rush to his aid, but as he saw the slow approach of the mentalists, he quickly returned to his physical body and activated his traveler''s ring to retrieve a magical empty bottle.


    With haste, he ced both rings inside and scribbled a note on a piece of paper that read, "I''m fine. You can now go to sleep," before tossing it out of sight. After a few minutes, the bottle with a note and rings inside suddenly turned translucent and vanished.


    Philip then used his fifth chance to transform for the day into the dead child he saw earlier. Shortly, he crawled up and over to Gerald''s side and the mentalists gathering around him.


    From now on, I will be releasing two chapters per day. While I mentioned in the previous chapter that I would be going premium today, I have decided to postpone that move. It might happen on the 20th, 25th, or next month, but it''s definitely in the works. Thank you for your continued support of this novel.


    lorence_

 Chapter 72 Xavier

    72 Xavier


    When Philip emerged from the rubble and reached Gerald''s unconscious body, he didn''t utter a word. He just stumbled there, dazed, and knelt beside Gerald. His gaze was especially dark and empty as though he had experienced the greatest cmity in his life and suffering from a severe case of PTSD.


    The mentalists around Gerald simply allowed the child to approach without interference. Their faces were marked with frowns as they observed him. Especially for those who were at least empaths in level, their frowns were particrly deep and concerning. "Hey, child, are you hurt?" a soothing female voice echoed behind Philip as if trying to calm his troubled mind. Hearing this, Philip turned around, his expression nk and devoid of words or reactions. He resembled a lifeless statue,cking any trace of humanity. Observing him, the woman shifted her gaze to a seventeen-year-old blonde-haired, blue-eyed teenager nearby and nodded, silently instructing him to handle the situation. However, the teenager remained simrly silent, his focus locked on Gerald''s condition. His eyes flickered as if trying to remember where he had encountered Gerald before, sensing an uncanny sense of familiarity from him. "He''s one of us. We will take care of him," he finally spoke after a prolonged silence, then shifted his gaze. "As for him..."


    He carefully examined Philip, who remained bare and naked like Gerald, and continued, "My organization will look after him as well."


    After this, the mentalists swiftly moved to locate the other survivors of the battle. Fortunately, it was not difficult as they immediately found over 30 children about 300 meters away, sleeping soundly in the damp, smelly sewage tunnel. "Most of these children are those who have been reported as missing due to kidnappings. Some of them were children of those men who believed in a great devil. Two of them were friends of that awakened teenager." The woman earlier reported. She then cast her look to Philip, "And as for this child, he is also the son of one of the believers who had perished from the ritual. Both of his parents are now deceased, leaving him as an orphan."


    Upon hearing the report, the mentalists split up to take the kidnapped children to their homes. Some of the higher-level mentalists were left behind to use their psychic and telekic powers to clear away the debris. "This is the remains of the spiritualist, Gregorio Damion. He hails from the southern part of Nadia Queendom and is a follower of one of the great devils in the mirroring world," one mentalist exined. "The other bodies of men and children, which have simrly turned into ashes, will take time to identify..."


    "Although we wished to investigate further, we can''t do so as ordinary citizens are starting to gather at the scene of the explosion. We need to prioritize the clean up immediately..."


    ***


    As the mentalists worked on cleaning the area, Philip and Gerald were brought to the sleeping quarters of one of the mentalist guilds. Currently, both of them were dressed tidily. While Philip sat near the unconscious Gerald, many children peeked at them with curiosity, their gazes intense and eager to understand the two neers. However while Philip noticed them, he remained unresponsive, a result of a corruption in his space of consciousness. Currently, Philip employs the same technique he used to hide his emotions from L. But instead of the second core, he drew upon the dominant emotion from his first andrgest core memory. Enveloped in this heavy emotion, Philip couldn''t think or react. He simply sat there, driven by an instinctual desire to protect and to stay near Gerald. The children, aged between eight and seventeen, watched the two of them with mixed emotions. While their feelings were distinct, their thoughts were simr.


    "This is the consequence of unlocking a tainted core memory, a memory filled with a person''s painful and sad experiences," they reasoned.


    Observing the two children, they could somewhat piece together what had urred.


    Gerald had unlocked two core memories. One had forcibly elerated his growth, granting him the ability to borrow strength from his future self; and second, allowed his eyes to glow gold, providing him with night vision and a powerful and brilliant light encasing a 300-meter radius field.


    The children surmised that the first stemmed from a collection of memories marked by a desire to escape weakness and childhood. This usually happened to children who had suffered abuse during their formative years and could not help but wish to grow up as quickly as possible. Although, based on the records, this core wasn''t especially rare and dangerous, in Gerald''s case, it was particrly unique and concerning. Normally, children who wished to grow up were only granted the strength and mental capacity of their adult counterparts. However, Gerald''s case offered much more than that as not only did he achieve maturity, but he was also given the powers of a mentalist. This indicated that Gerald was destined to be a high-level mentalist, one that he would grow up into the future!


    And this was also the source of the children''s worry. They were concerned about the potential mental toll on Gerald due to the strength of his unlocked core. Unlocking a tainted core came at a heavy price, often resulting in mental illness. The severity depends on the core''s strength and impact on the awakener. And given Gerald''s performance, it was to be expected that his suffering would be not small and negligible. Fortunately, Gerald had also unlocked another core rted to happy memories. From studies of core memory powers, the children around believed that Gerald had unlocked something rted to someone who gave him light and hope for his future. Seeing that their leader was in the middle of mental distress, they could only leave him alone with the 15:21


    other two patients.


    With this, it provided bnce within Gerald''s consciousness and mitigated the potential harm. So for now, the children''s worries were not that deep. However, for the child sitting next to Gerald, it''s a different story.


    For those who were at least empaths in level, they could see dark orbs fiercely swirling around him. Its pitch-ck color was especially ominous, representing thebination of extreme negative emotions within the child. Although they were unsure of what kind of power his core granted him earlier, they were certain it came from a tainted one. Given the gravity of his emotion orbs, they also surmised that the child was currently experiencing the aftereffects of unlocking it.


    The children''s expressions grew solemn as they contemted how to deal with him. They could only watch the seventeen-year-old teenager sitting at the corner, who appeared to be in a mental turmoil simr to the child beside Gerald.


    Seeing that their leader was in the middle of mental distress, they could only leave him alone with the other two patients.


    After a long silence, the teenager named Xavier finally reacted and whispered, "Yes, it''s him."


    Xavier looked at Gerald and reminisced, "I remember. He seems to be one of the children who had escaped from that experimental unit..."


    He recalled the time when he was only thirteen, running alongside other children to escape from a dark tunnel. He recognized he had caught a glimpse of Gerald at the front but had lost sight of him afterward. "Is he one of the experimental children locked in that room? Is that why he''s able to unlock two cores at once?"


    Unlocking a core memory and harnessing its potential power to escape from a dire situation was exceptionally difficult and required talent. It also poses a significant risk to one''s mental well-being, especially when a core is unique and powerful.


    Gerald''s situation was at high risk as not only did he unlock one but two powerful core memories at the same time.


    In fact, Xavier believed that Gerald should have perished and that there was no way he should have survived. However, seeing that he was not and was just unconscious, he could only assume that Gerald possessed immense mental strength and a powerful anchor that prevented him from sumbing to death.


    "Additionally, the strength of his two cores is on par, creating a delicate equilibrium," he mused. "However, this bnce is extremely fragile and could copse if heavily stimted. It might also lead to his immediate death..."


    Xavier then shifted his attention to the unknown child seated beside Gerald. He observed the dark orbs swirling around him, almost engulfing him.


    A sudden smile yed on Xavier''s lips as he sensed a profound familiarity in the child''s emotions, and he whispered to himself.


    "Philip?"

 Chapter 73 Hes back

    73 He''s back


    An overwhelming silence filled the room, drowning out any noise. If Philip were in his right state of mind, his emotions would have appeared chaotic.


    Fortunately, his mind was clouded by the dominant emotion of his first core memory, allowing him to slip away from Xavier and hide his anomaly. After a lengthy pause, Xavier''s chuckle reverberated as he muttered, "It''s impossible."


    The child''s visage bore no resemnce to the Philip he remembered and believed the two of them were two different people. However, while Xavier was lost in thought, a sudden knock interrupted the stillness.


    "Sir, we have the full detailed report for this night work shift."


    Hearing this, Xavier rose and headed to the door. But before leaving, he turned around and said to the child, "You can rest now and sleep. I promise you that no harm wille to your friend."


    "And of course that included you," He smiled warmly and closed the door. After a few minutes, Philip''s eyes finally flickered, and no longer listless. He nced around and uncontrobly let out a moan. Philip''s head throbbed so intensely that it felt like it might split. He clutched his head and repeatedly banged it against the soft mattress.


    When the pain subsided enough for him to think clearly, he swiftly tapped into the dominant emotion of his second core memory and let his space of consciousness be enveloped by it.


    Once he calmed down, he began to search his memory for what had happened earlier. And when he stumbled upon a particr memory of a teenager saying his real name, he jumped slightly in fright. Startled, he scanned his surroundings. But when he saw no astral bodies spying on him, he then turned his attention to Gerald''s condition. Gerald had a fever, his cheeks flushed, but he was peacefully asleep, devoid of dreams or nightmares.


    Seeing that Gerald was safe, Philip heaved a sigh of relief and hastily devised a n to escape. His current child''s appearance was not permanent, and his true identity would eventually be discovered if he stayed here. After all, he had exhausted his five chances during the fight and could no longer transform.


    Furthermore, Philip was convinced he couldn''t remain in this ce any longer, as someone knew his true identity. Maris, Conrad... and Gerald were already too much to handle, he couldn''t risk more people discovering his uniqueness. With a final nce at Gerald, he moved towards the door, his golden pupils gleaming as he tiptoed silently. It was 5 a.m., a time when people were beginning to wake up from their sleep. It was also the time when the on-duty mentalists hadpleted their shifts and were retiring for the day. With this, Philip believed this was the perfect opportunity to slip away from his current location. Philip''s hunch proved correct as there were only a few mentalists wandering around. Coupled with his ''Golden Eyes'' unique ability, he could identify those who seemed out of ce and evade them. Thus, with ease, he managed to make his escape. As he stepped outside the building, he realized he was near Bryxton University, which meant he was also close to Alma Inn. He turned left to verify his location and spotted the grand church he had seen on his first day in the city.


    This meant that the Alma Inn was directly across from him, slightly to the left, separated only by a road in the middle and an intersecting street.


    Philip chuckled at his good fortune and headed straight for the inn. However, as he approached the entryway, he noticed an astral travel blue beam on the ground, leading to the stairs and down to the basement. Upon seeing this, his initial reaction was to immediately retreat. Without hesitation, he hurriedly fled to a dark alley nearby and reverted to his original child form. With an astral beam heading to the basement, Philip knew Conrad''s identity waspromised. After all, he wasn''t in the inn. If he wasn''t there, who else could act as Conrad? Would the mentalists assume that Conrad had left early in the morning? No. Obviously, all mentalists are not fools! They would immediately surmise that something is wrong with Conrad. Although Philip no longer wanted to return, he had to. His belongings and treasures were in his shared basement room with Maris. He could not just not retrieve them and leave the ce. After contemting the situation, he ultimately decided to return using his true form. He reasoned that since the system hadn''t alerted him of a new mission upon seeing the beam, it meant that the situation wasn''t that particrly rming and dangerous. This further implied that whoever had entered the room was likely associated with Sam''s guild and perhaps was only there to spy on him.


    With this in mind, Philip ventured back once the astral travel blue beam was no longer visible. He quickly descended to the basement and entered the shared room.


    Upon opening the door, he found Maris sleeping on the right bed and the original Conrad seated on the left bed.


    "You''re here..."


    "You''re here?!"


    The two said in unison, but while Conrad''s voice was lukewarm, Philip was surprised and taken aback.


    ***


    A few hourster, Xavier, his hair damp, went to the neers'' room. When he opened the door and didn''t see the unfamiliar child anywhere, he furrowed his brows and closed his eyes, extending his senses within a 100-meter radius.


    When he couldn''t detect the child''s presence, he let out a dry chuckle and checked on Gerald''s condition. Once he confirmed that Gerald''s fever had subsided, he left the room and returned to his Xavier felt the child''s suffering and emptiness. Despite the cheerful escape and the golden light 15:23


    enveloping the children around the child, he seemed to be trapped in his own dark world, isted and own quarters. Sitting in his study, he closed his eyes and entered in his consciousness space.


    Standing in a cobblestone pathway, he could see a massive floating ind radiating a golden light from a distance. On the ind, children were running through a long, dark tunnel. Leading them was a small child, around three to four years old. While the other children behind him were following him with hope in their eyes, the child in front appeared dark and hollow. Yet, despite this, he carefully guided the others, helping them up when they fell and offering support when they grew tired. He didn''t let go of their arms, regardless of their age or height. Then, Xavier watched as the tunnel gradually brightened, and the children celebrated. However, the leading child''s gaze remained dark and empty. Xavier felt the child''s suffering and emptiness. Despite the cheerful escape and the golden light enveloping the children around the child, he seemed to be trapped in his own dark world, isted and disconnected. It was as though the child didn''t belong anywhere and was a stranger to everyone else. Tears welled in Xavier''s eyes, he knelt, looked up, and said, "Where are you, our savior?"


    After a long silence, Xavier wiped his eyes and summoned another door. Stepping through, he found himself surrounded by teenagers of his age sitting at a long brown table covered with stacks of papers. "It is said that while the children were experiencing a nightmare, someone had cated them. This happened way before Gerald turned into an adult and controlled the children around to leave the room." one of them said.


    "Furthermore, from the fight, it seems that the spiritualists faced two opponents. With one with Gerald as the primary attacker, and another providing support." "It is highly likely that Gregorio''s traveler''s ring was with that support. As for now, we couldn''t determine where that person went, as his traces were confusing and elusive."


    "Based on the aftermath fight scene, this supporter left numerous traces of different people, but when we carefully examined it, it was found out that there was only a single person. We deduced that he might be a warrior from the East or a person who possessed shape-shifting abilities."


    "Overall, we suggest a further investigation of this case and question Gerald about this individual when he wakes up."


    Xavier, seated at the center of the table, remained silent for a moment before letting out a deep, long sigh. "This just reminds me of someone who also disappears after saving us," Xavier chuckled and continued, "We won''t pursue this matter further. If he wants to hide, let him hide. I''m sure he''ll introduce himself to us soon."


    Although the mentalists around were confused, they ultimately decided toply with Xavier''s instruction. Xavier then gazed out the window. Looking at the pink and blue sky, a sincere smile graced his face.


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