…

/5 minutes later…/

"This place is truly gorgeous…"

I said this many times before, but there are times when I forget I am in another world, and by seeing such things, I realize I am far away from home…

'The garden was very pretty so Philip stopped every once in a while to take a look at the exotic plants as he made his way to where the girl was.'

'He ignored the students, he even recognized a few… Including the girl he saw in the Dungeon shop a week ago.'

'She didn't recognize him though, she seemed to be okay though since she had a group and they were all smiling at each other.'

"It's good to see that at least a few of these students are having a normal school life… Or at least that's what it looks like." He said as he walked deeper into the woods

She should be around here…

'Philip followed the instructions of the Nexus and arrived at a secluded area with a single paved path in the middle of the woods.'

'Further down the path was a bench, and in it was a girl sitting under a lamp…'

'She turned her head and looked at him, she got up and waved. At that moment, her hair was swept by the wind, showing her face…'

"..."

Dafuq? She is too different from her picture…

'The girl's hair shined under the light, her face was smooth and not filled with pimples, Philip did notice that there were one or two pimples, but there weren't as many as in the photo.'

'She held a staff in her hands, it was a red metal rod with 3 spirals on one end of it, circling an uneven green crystal. It was a magic catalyst, also known as a wizard Staff. It was quite big being 1.5 M tall.'

'As for her body…'

(OI!... She's like… 16? Yeah, no way dude)

'Humph! You never get laid like this!'

(At least I won't be in jail...)

"... She's completely different from what I expected…"

Why does this feel so… Romantic?

'He shook his head for a moment and smiled slightly, making his way to the girl.'

"..."

'And just like Philip gazed at her, the girl also looked at him, evaluating him.'

'Her unique violet eyes gazed at him, evaluating his every move, what she thought was a mystery.'

[Someone has tried to access your Level]

[Scholar vision has blocked their attempt, how would you like to display your level?]

'Philip's concentration was broken by a sudden system notification.'

Hum? Did she try to check me? This never happened before… It's quite novel to me.

She is truly a box of surprises!

I heard that there were many ways to check other people's information, but so far, I never received a warning like this…

This either means I was never checked or the people that tried it bypassed my defenses and never even gave me a chance to do it… And that makes me worry...

But I can't think about this 24/7, so...

Display my true Level… She won't believe it anyway…

'And at the same time, he also tried to evaluate her…'

[Lv 20]

'Philip was once again surprised, while the girl's eyes shook for a small moment before they recovered.'

20?...

Well... It makes sense from a few perspectives...

'People only have so much time in their hands, and most students would divide their time between studying, socializing, and training. Perhaps even more.'

'Her case seemed to completely neglect training, or perhaps she did, but her Level did not increase, however, since she is a 5th Circle magician, she is definitely knowledgeable...'

'Thinking about these things, Philip greeted her:'

"Nice to meet you, I'm sure you already know, but I'll do it anyway, I'm Philip Vinten, a 5th-year student, nice to make you acquainted." He said with a slight bow

'The girl seemed a bit surprised, but she smiled and said:'

"Viera Ert Almon, 2nd-year student…" She said in a low tone

'They exchanged a handshake and made themselves acquaintances.'

'But it was clear there was something she wanted to ask. Philip noticed it and asked:'

"Before we start, how about we learn a bit more about each other? Ask me anything."

'She was once again surprised by his goodwill, so she opened her mouth and asked:'

"Why did you… A student from the Fifth year decided to party up with me? A Second-year student?"

'Her face was serious as she asked this, depending on his question, her entire view of him might change…'

"Simple really, I did not choose you directly, instead, it was the Nexus that recommended you to me."

Time to use my social skills...

"I've been looking for a group for a while now, but I'm a bit too strong for most of the students, and the strong ones already have their own groups, or they are a bother to party up with…."

"I bet you already understand how most of the students are in this place…" He said as he shrugged

"And since I didn't want to lose too many points by parting with a weaker group, I continued to search, and eventually, the Nexus showed me your request as a potential team…"

"To be honest, I don't know how strong you are, but considering the situation, you must be at least 5th Circle… Don't tell me! Are you a 6th?!" He said with a fake surprised expression

'When he finished talking, he noticed her expression, she was looking at the ground while she grasped her staff.'

'She raised her head and said:'

"So you think that I, a second-year student, am as strong as you?" She asked with a serious expression

"Hm? Yeah? I don't understand your question. Was I supposed to doubt the Nexus or something?"

"Hum… Are you insinuating you are stronger than me? Interesting!" He said with a wide smile

I can't do much more than act dumb here... It would be much simpler if she were a Fifth-year...

'She looked into Philip's blue eyes, but she eventually let out a sigh and said as she turned around:'

"You're weird…"

"You're one to talk, Second year and already this strong…"

/Chuckle/

'She let out a chuckle before she turned around and bowed once again.'

"I'll be in your care than Mr. Vinten."

'Philip smiled and did the same.'

"The same goes for me, Miss Almon… Although, please. Call me Philip, no one calls me Vinten, it even feels a bit weird…" He said awkwardly

Not even my parents call me Vinten...

'She nodded and said:'

"I'll do so, and in that case, call me Viera as well, no need for the prefixes. They'll only get in the way if we become overly formal down there."

'Philip nodded, saying:'

"I'll do so… Viera."

"..."

'Viera looked at Philip's smile but she said nothing.'

'Being a commoner isn't easy, and ever since she came to this place, the only thing she has ever felt was aversion from everyone else…'

'She couldn't even socialize with other commoners due to her current magic level, and commoners from further years tend to look down on lower year students…'

'She had no allies, no matter where she looked, and even if she tried, she couldn't force herself to become friends with people who couldn't understand her… She tried once and the only result was an emotional scar…'

'Her only ally was her master, someone who discovered her talent when she was living a terrible life in her poor village, teaching her for years before bringing her to the Academy so that she could further her own magic knowledge.'

'She loved studying, and the time she shared with her master…'

'But her master couldn't remain with her forever as even he had his own responsibilities…'

"So!... I don't want to sound too straightforward, so how about I show you what I am capable off first?"

'Her thoughts were suddenly cut by Philip.'

"That's… I already asked something of you, so it would be rude to ask for more…"

'Philip shrugged, saying:'

"That doesn't really matter, it's just a demonstration."

'Hearing his words, she just nodded.'

"Thank you… Firstly, my magic knowledge is barely passable, so I will have to rely on you for that."

"Most of my strength comes from my swordsmanship and my body… So I can act as a vanguard for you."

'Viera nodded.'

"As you said, I am a 5th Circle magician… An unofficial one since I didn't pass the Institute of Magic test yet… However, I'm more than capable of utilizing medium complexity spells such as Thermal Explosion and…"

'She listed a series of spells Philip had no fucking idea what they meant or did, so he just nodded.'

"High Complexity spells are possible, but I need to rely on my staff to do so… As for my body… It's unremarkable, so I'll rely on you to be the vanguard."

"I can also act as a support and a healer, but I am not that good in either schools of magic… In fact… I am quite bad with single target combat since I tend to… Miss the target… So I'm better with just blasting everything… I'm sorry."

'The more she talked, the lower her voice became, she was very much so, embarrassed.'

'Philip smiled and said:'

"That's exactly what I wanted, if you were also good at single target combat I would be pretty much useless … Thankfully, my forte lies with single target combat, so it's perfect."

It's not a full lie since it's true that my full strength only comes in single target combat, and it's also true that I lack wide destruction moves.

"Going from my swordsmanship, I also know hand to hand combat to a point I can assure you I won't let you down if I lose my sword, and lastly, I also have a strong mental power… That's pretty much it for me."

Anything else is unnecessary... Although I wouldn't mind showing a bit more of myself over time, not now, else I may overwhelm her.

'She thought for a moment before she nodded and said:'

"It's hard to test our own strength over here, so let's leave it for when we are down there… what do you think?" She asked

"Took the words out of my mouth."

'Philip was happy everything went well, so he sat on the corner of the bench and started to talk with her in the hopes he could learn a bit more about her.'

So far, there wasn't anything that confirmed it... I'll have to take a closer look later.

Please... Be the one I'm looking for... It would be a pain to search the Academy otherwise…

"Oh yeah, I forgot to ask, but did you sign in for any missions?" He asked as he looked at Viera

'She nodded, showing him the mission.'

"Only one though?..."

"Well, most missions require us to move the bodies of the creatures we take down to the outposts."

'This made Philip confused.'

"Outposts?"

"... You don't know about this?" She asked with a bit of suspicion

"I don't." He said honestly

'She looked at him with a surprised face and said:'

"You… Aren't you embarrassed? Most people would try and create excuses by now."

'Philip smiled.'

"I'm certainly unique and definitely not part of 'most people'."

/Chuckle/

'She let out a small chuckle and said:'

"I guess so…"

'She thought for a moment before replying:'

"Since the main point of the Great Hunt is for the gathering of resources and thinning out the monsters on the underground..."

"Outposts were built all along the underground in order to facilitate this process; they also offer support and other services if needed and they can also act as temporary bases for the examiners on site."

"As for me, I only choose one mission since… I am only one person, and I only have two hands… Having multiple missions would make it very hard to carry the materials back with me in order to exchange them for the rewards."

'Philip nodded and said:'

"Makes sense, although, I don't think that will be a problem for us." He said as he took out a small box from his internal chest pocket

'Viera was very surprised by this action.'

"Is this… I see." She said with a disappointed tone

'She suddenly got sad and distant again. Making Philip confused.'

"..."

Why does the mood change? I just showed my inventory tool? Shouldn't she be happy?...

These things are pretty expensive and one of such size would be even more so… Only a few of those Noble kids would… Wait… Is this why she is upset?

"Hum… This is the first time I saw someone react like this… Is something wrong with my box?" He asked

"..."

'She still didn't look at him.'

"Are you okay?..."

"I think we should part ways here." She said coldly

"..."

What?! No way?! Did I choose the wrong option?

'She got up and started to leave without even looking back. Making Philip panic a little.'

"Wait! Why are you doing this? It's because of my special tool isn't it?! I'll be clear here, but I am not a Goddamn Noble!" Philip said loudly

'To his words, she stopped in her tracks and turned again.'

"If they hear you, things are going to get ugly for you." She said with a serious expression

'With a small headache, Philip replied:'

"Please don't do this again… I really need a team…"

I somehow fixed this mess...

'Seeing him crash against the bench with a relieved expression made her smile a little, so she walked and stopped in front of him.'

"My master taught me to treat all people alike, but after living in this Academy for two years, I can't say I still see and treat everyone the same anymore… So pardon me for reacting like this."

"As you said earlier, Nobles are… A bother to associate with most of the time, and even if a good Noble tried to make themselves acquaintances with me, I would just ignore them without a second thought."

"It's childish, but this mentality has saved me of trouble many times."

'Philip looked at her with an annoyed expression.'

"That was more than just ignoring, it was as if had decided to dump me…" Said Philip

"..."

'She blushed a little but she soon replied seriously:'

"I-I wouldn't say it like that…"

"Really? You just turned around and left…"

'Her expression remained serious but she looked away from him in embarrassment.'

"In any case, I won't do it again… Still…"

'She did not continue her words, but it was clear that she was curious about the item.'

"In simple terms… Someone owed something to another person, and in the end, the second person left this world and I was the one who ended up getting this as payment…"

"..."

'Viera was lost in thought before she said:'

"An interesting story… You were lucky as well, in these scenarios, people tend to forget about their debts and move on."

"... Yeah, you're right… I was lucky…"

'This subject ended right there, Viera knew there was more to it, but she didn't pry into his matters, while Philip was happy to not think of an excuse.'

'The two continued to talk, waiting for the Great Hunt to start...'

…

/Around 20 minutes later…/

'Philip continued to talk with Viera, and it was at that time he realized how bad he was at this.'

'Most of his tries at breaking the ice ended up in failures and silence, making him a bit depressed.'

'Cut Philip some slack, he has no problem with talking with girls, the problem is finding a subject to talk about… And that can be a hassle when you aren't from this world to begin with.'

'However, his actions were by no means useless as Viera herself seemed to see this situation from another angle…'

"..."

It's the first time… A guy talked so much with me with such honesty… I don't even know how to reply properly… Master didn't teach me that.

He's a bit different from those Noble boys… Just a bit…

'She took a side glance at Philip, who was currently looking at the stars at the fake sky, thinking deeply.'

"Hum?"

'He noticed her gaze and smiled, saying:'

"It's almost time, how about we make our way to the entrance?" He said he got up

'Philip grabbed his silver sword on the ground next to him and gave her his left hand.'

"..."

'This gesture confused Viera, but she soon understood it… She held his hand and he helped her up with no problem whatsoever.'

'As for his sword, Philip took out his Darklight sword during his conversations with Viera, it was one of his most successful icebreakers…'

'Of course, his sword is still in its sealed state with the chains around the blade, Philip's mental power had grown massively, so he wasn't afraid of backlash from the sword, however, this wasn't the case for the people around him.'

'Besides, this sword was much more in line with the culture of this world, and hence, it attracted considerably less attention than his Samurai sword…'

'It also looked pretty cool with the chains around it. That was what Philip thought at least.'

…

/Whispers Whispers…/

'Philip and Viera arrived at the area near the entrance, but everywhere they looked there was someone waiting for the entrance to open.'

"It's overly crowded." Said Philip as he looked around

And hot... Dammit! Can't those mages make this place at least a bit more comfortable?

"Everyone wants to be on the frontline ahead of others, especially those…"

'But Viera stopped as she looked around.'

'Seeing she was uncomfortable speaking in this crowd, Philip tried something else…'

{Speak freely now} He said to her telepathically

"?!"

'Viera immediately looked around in confusion, but before she could ask again Philip said:'

{I told you I knew some things about Mental manipulation… Although don't worry as I am not skillful enough to read your mind nor do anything to it… In fact, if you wish you can cut this whenever you wish}

"..."

'Viera calmed down and said:'

{L-Like this?}

{Yup, I can hear you loud and clear}

{...}

{Did you hear what I just said?} She asked shyly

{No, it's pretty easy to hide one's thoughts so don't worry. Still, from now on, let's try and communicate through this since it's better and more secure}

{... Isn't it taxing for you?}

{Barely so, although it may be turned off if I focus too much on something or if I lose concentration, but since this is a link, it pretty much self regulates on its own as long one of us is focused}

'Viera nodded to him and turned her attention to the crowd… Or at least she tried to, but she was barely over 170 Cm, so she couldn't see everything.'

{Can you see what is happening?} She asked Philip

{Not much more than you… No, wait… It seems some students are having a bit of a quarrel in the middle of the crowd}

'This wasn't a surprise for Viera though.'

{It's probably the top students and their respective factions, they're always fighting for literally everything, and it makes sense since their leaders are the respective heads of many Noble groups of the future}

{What we see is simply the Dukes and Barons of the future in their younger years}

{Resources, influence, power, and more. As long as an opportunity arises, a group or an individual will try to make use of it, in this case, the first group to descend will certainly have an advantage}

'But Philip didn't seem very impressed.'

{This isn't a race so starting a few seconds before someone doesn't make that much sense…}

{It does… A lot of. First, it shows your group is the most capable out of all, and if they move fast enough, it should be enough for them to arrive at an important resource area first}

{And for Nobles who are always trying to show off, that makes all of the diference}

'Philip remained silent, enjoying the show while Viera tried her best to remain on her tiptoes. But Philip just used telekinesis to make her float a foot above the ground.'

"..."

'She said nothing and only blushed a little, but her focus was soon drawn to the fight between the students.'

{That is… Verimir Ji right?} Asked Philip as he saw a new group arrive at the circle

{Yes}

'Currently, there were 3 groups fighting. One group had all of its members hidden beneath black-red robes, another group was filled with pretty women, and the new group had its members wear fancy white clothes.'

{Isn't that against the code of conduct?} Asked Philip

{Sigh… Did you forget where we are? The rules are as hard as rubber in this place, besides, their case is more than special since they are part of the strongest factions, and as such, they can have their own exclusive attire}

{Cool}

{It's not cool…}

{Come on, don't tell me it isn't Unique?}

{Being Unique is not equivalent to being cool}

{I was just stating my opinion… Besides, I wouldn't go around with a full white shirt while everyone else is wearing something else… it would make me feel weird}

{...}

'The conflicts between the groups started to escalate further and eventually, 2 more groups arrived, and like that, all of the top 5 groups were gathered here.'

'It seemed the other groups in the top 10 were either hiding, or they thought this conflict was unnecessary to be part of.'

'It was during this mess that Philip also saw Fabrin's daughter, he kept an eye on her and as expected, she was alone.'

'The conflict between the groups did not escalate into a fight, much to his disappointment, but it seems they had arrived at a solution…'

"..."

{This is bad} said Philip As he heard what they said

{What is bad?}

{What they said}

{You can hear them? They are rather far… And everyone is whispering to each other}

{That doesn't matter, the problem is what they agreed upon…}

{Don't be dramatic, spill it out}

{It seems they decided to cooperate… And rip off everyone at the same time}

{... What?}

{It seems they will set up a tool station after they all enter, preventing people from leaving, is that even allowed?} Asked Philip to Viera

{... It is a bit of a stretch, but it's possible and within the rules as long as some things aren't crossed}

{Wouldn't that be counterproductive? People would just search for an outpost}

{That's simpler said than done, outposts are scattered around the place, and arriving at one means you have to pass through a series of tough monsters… The Great Hunt only lasts a day, so people can only go so far}

{... I see, so even if they can't get everyone, that actually works better since this would prevent them from clashing with other capable people…}

'Viera nodded.'

{This was done in other years, but not to this extent. Last year I heard one of the groups locked access to a critical outpost, and some students even died due to that, since they couldn't pay the toll and weren't allowed to access the medical facilities inside…}

{That's brutal… What about the Academy's response?} Said Philip

{It's just how they are, people tend to care more about themselves followed by their immediate companions…}

{As for the Academy, this was simply treated as a causality although I heard this caused some problems outside of the Academy. But you know how little the Academy cares about such things}

{Now, let's get inside quickly and make our way to as far away as possible from them so we can hunt in peace}

{No problem}

/CLONG!/

'With the loud sound of a bell, the ground at the center of the garden started to move, and like a lid from a box, the ground slowly rose to the sky and it eventually vanished.'

'People started to move and shout, pushing each other, Philip even saw a poor guy be pushed on the ground and be stomped…'

"This is annoying…"

"?!"

'Philip saw his mission target jump in the air and dive into the hole, ignoring everyone else. Some people tried to stop her but she shot them down… Violently.'

'Philip didn't want to be left behind so he grabbed Viera's arm and pulled, carrying her like a princess, he vanished from his position and entered the hole…'

'Several teachers saw that, and they were pleasantly surprised by the speed of the student in question, and some even thought it was one of the students' guards rushing inside.'

'And they weren't completely wrong.'

…

'A few seconds after he grabbed Viera, they arrived at the first floor. It looked like an ordinary cave with the exception of the fact that all walls were filled with artificial lights and even the floor was paved.'

'This was clearly an area with dense infrastructure...'

"Sorry for being rude, I am simply not that patient."

"... It's fine… If I knew you were this fast I would've asked you to do this long ago."

'The first thing Philip tried was to access the Nexus, but he saw it wasn't possible.'

"I can't seem to be able to access the Nexus…" He said to Viera

"That's normal, you'll only be able to connect to it in the Outposts, another reason why they are so important, that is the place where you claim your rewards and receive new missions after all…"

'Philip looked around and asked:'

"So, where are we going?"

"I don't know… My plans changed greatly with your arrival… And considering how many missions we collected, no matter where we go, we'll be able to find one of our targets."

"So it's up to you, or you can leave it to me. I'm fine with both."

'Philip nodded and pointed at a cave.'

"So how about there?"

'Viera nodded and grasped her staff tightly, things were about to get tense…'

…

/At the same time, somewhere far away…/

"HAAAA!"

/Clack!/

"HAAAAAAA!"

/Clack!/

"Haa… I can't…"

/Ploft!/

"... Good work, but still, this was less than last time."

"Urg! And whose fault is it?! You increased the intensity of the night training and now I can barely do the morning training!" Screamed the collapsed and tired man

"It was only a light exercise though…"

"You call this light? My body is bleeding!"

"For you, bleeding is the same as sweating, no?"

'The collapsed man's expression twisted before he closed his eyes in pain. While the other person raised his head to gaze at the distant mountains.'

"..."

'The collapsed man opened his eyes and noticed what his teacher was doing, asking:'

"It's been a week already, how do you think he is?"

"... Right now?... Hopefully, he has arrived at his destination safely… But we don't have time to worry about Philip, now, chop-chop! Get up and let's continue Petter!" Said Dae with a smile

'But Petter remained unmoving on the ground.'

"I can't, my arms and legs died."

"Dying isn't a word in my dictionary." Said Dae as he took out a sword and slashed down

/Thud…/

/Splash…/

"URG?!" Grunted Petter in pain

[DING!]

[You have suffered Fatal damage! You are losing blood at a fast rate!]

[Your Skill, Beaten dog Lv 16 has activated]

[Bleeding rate has massively decreased]

[Risk Runner has activated. Your injuries are being healed at a fast rate]

[Your Title-related Skill, Death run Lv11 has been activated due to your near-death state. All of your stats have massively increased temporarily]

[You are fighting against a being much stronger than you while in a state of extreme exhaustion!]

[You are at a massive disadvantage!]

[Your Skill, To live another day has activated! Adversity gives you great strength!]

[Your stats have massively increased temporarily]

[To live another day Lv14 -> To live another day LvMax]

"... A Level up is always good but…"

It's not enough… It's barely enough!

'Petter tried to get up, his body trembling, but he was determined to go through with today's training.'

[A change has been brought forward within your body]

[Your Skill, To live another day has broken its own limits!]

[To live another day has evolved into, To Persevere through Adversity]

[To Persevere through Adversity has activated! Fighting for your life enhances your body!]

[Your Stat ratio has increased slightly]

[Your body wants to rest, but your Unshakable will propels you forward]

[You have activated the Ability, Soul Phantasm]

A grayish shadow started to materialize behind Petter, it gazed at Dae with an annoyed look.

[Soul Phantasm has been successfully formed]

[It demands payback!]

[Satiate its desire to get a reward]

"Fucking Hell… So be it Dae! Today I will get back at you! So prepare to die!" Screamed Petter loudly as he punched the ground with his remaining hand…

/BOOM!/

'The ground shook due to the force behind it, creating a small crater beneath his fist.'

[The Skills, Fighting spirit, Desperado, Berserk, Final breath, Endure, and Blood to Power have all activated]

[Your powerful Will cannot dissipate, Berserk side effects have diminished]

[Your blood is being burned, increasing your Stats temporarily]

'Petter grabbed his left severed hand and reconnected it with his arm, his rapid healing almost immediately reconnected the two again.'

[Your focused will brings your body to its peak condition despite your mental exhaustion]

'Petter smiled and gazed at Dae with bloodthirst eyes.'

[Through constant suffering, you overcame your own fear of injuries and are now a step closer to your true potential]

[You have awakened the Skill, Body severance Lv0]

[The Skill, Body severance Lv0 has activated, your physical limits have been partly removed]

'Petter's body irradiated a dangerous energy, making Dae's clothes move slightly.'

'But despite the dangerous situation, Dae smiled gently.'

"That's it, barely fit for the 'Revenger'."

Each day, you come closer and closer to your true potential, but that isn't enough for you isn't it.

To grow stronger with every fight, this is the monster you were meant to be… What you will become.

"If I were to say, you would be barely capable of fighting Philip the way you're right now, and remember, this only happens when you are critically injured, not only that, your body is being pushed to its limits, and hence, you won't be able to maintain it for long even with your body healing rate."

"Philip would've killed you a few times before you even had the chance to get that strong, so before you whine on the ground like a little kid remember what you wish to do."

"And this was one week ago… In fact, if we talk about time, Philip had less time with me than you, so why are you whining so much? Philip never whined that much."

I may say that but it's already impressive how many times his strength increased at once…

He is growing within the desired rate, and that is good since I increased my expectations by a lot after meeting this timeline's Philip and helping him.

As long as he can reach a state where he can maintain this power at all times without damaging his own body in the process… This is the day when the 'Revenger' will be born.

Albeit a very weak Revenger… That isn't enough for it though, the Revenger is a monster capable of fighting forever against an army that is stronger than him…

Hum… Should I even call him Revenger?... What should I?...

/Fwoosh!/

/Clang!/

'As Dae thought, Petter dashed forward and swung his dagger down, but Dae effortlessly blocked it with his sword.'

"..."

It doesn't matter for now.

"Alright, Petter! Time for us to continue our training!"

I also need to step up my own training, else even this guy will surpass me… Ha! As if I will allow that…

'Petter and Dae continued to train in the middle of the forest.'

…

.

.

.