71 Afraid for the next Generation
Hello readers, just a small thing to say.
I noticed this after I posted the last chapter, and then a few readers pointed it out to me.
I screwed up the timeline a little.
So, Philip supposedly woke up around 7-8 am, had his breakfast, and went to the forest to collect his reward.
We know this because the Elven girls were up earlier than him, likely between 5-6 am.
From there, he had 24 hours to do everything, but instead of finishing around 8 am again, I let it finish in the middle of the night around 3 am.
So yeah, I missed a few hours there.
I had 2 options, change the chapter to turn night to day, or change the remaining time he had from 0 hours to 5 hours or so.
But for the latter, I think it might make some future readers pissed that he didn't wait a bit more, so changing the time isn't that complicated.
So, everything happened the same way, Philip went around the city with Viera and as she went to sleep, he went to the forest to ponder.
He stood in the forest the entire night because he couldn't sleep.
The construction workers already arrived and are working in the workshop, and most of the maids are already up and running.
Around 7-8 am, he grabbed MT and woke up Laplabe, made some basic food for him, his milk and snacks, and everything repeats from there.
So right now, it should be close to 8 am, Viera is likely waking up or already eating breakfast, so they might notice his absence.
With this all in mind, this is the last chapter before the time skip, next chapter we'll literally start with a few days later kind of thing.
Though first, I'll make a small skip to explain some things, then we'll jump several months.
Enjoy! And make sure to tell me your opinions later.
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/Inhale…/
/Exhale…/
'Breathing slowly, Philip thought about his choices for one last time.'
'He even smiled in a silly way, how many times had he thought this through? Imagined it? Had he ever been this careful with anything in his life?'
"..."
There are two things I would like to settle before choosing…
First, what is the true potential of a Pure Human?
'As he thought about that, he took out Dae's diary, it contained a lot of helpful info that he may need… But even then…'
This booklet contains everything Dae thought I would be capable of doing given the 5 months I was out in the world, including what I may possibly face and how to deal with it when it comes.
The problem is, Dae took the previous me into consideration, and even if he speculated my growth, a lot is missing from this book and I'm sure of it.
Some challenges he considered would be tough for me are actually easy now, or at least, I wouldn't have to put in that big of an effort.
One of his biggest miscalculations was the very existence of the Principal's shade and Laplabe.
Actually, it was around there things started to go off his predictions... When I got stronger with my Class and received training...
'He continued to flip the book.'
"Most of it is meaningless stuff."
Details I don't need to care now... Faces of people I never met... Plants I never saw...
/Poof.../
'So with a disappointed sigh, he stored the book in his inventory.'
I wonder, what was the endless potential Dae spoke of?
Taking a look at all my options, the only branch that seems to be the right one is Great Human.
If I take it as the right path, then choosing it will not only be good, but it'll also allow me to better receive support and help from that guy…
"Yet… Is being predictable a good thing?" He asked himself as his face grew darker
Dae is undoubtedly on my side, but after thinking for a long time over the course of the 2 months I stayed in this world, I can't really say for certain this will remain the case.
He wants to prevent disaster and save the people, perhaps not for a completely heroic reason, but more because saving them is the same as saving himself…
This may not even be the full extent of his wishes at all.
He may change as well, he may be corrupted by the same powers he wishes to take down and eliminate…
People change, and in a world where there are one in a thousand ways for you to lose control of yourself, how can I be sure of it?
"I'm sure he has his own countermeasures of it…"
He may even be thinking the same as me, raising a wall against me… And everyone.
The other option… Great Human is not the direct path of Evolution of a Pure Human, or at the very least, not what Dae envisioned for me.
Who knows? Perhaps my actions so far invalidated that path and now I'm completely on my own.
Now, the second option…
"Time."
'Philip stare at his Status screen, the options seemed to faintly gleam in their own tones, as if urging him to make a choice.'
After around 10 minutes, I see no changes.
However, it would be too much to assume it'll remain like this for long.
Worst case scenario it would make a random choice for me… Or none at all.
And given how many bad ends there is this time, I certainly want to avoid that at all costs…
Thinking about this makes my heart race.
"..."
'Philip breathed in and out as he raised his head, letting the golden rays of the sunshine on his face.'
Regardless, I have a few other options…
The Unnamed race seems interesting, but it's risky.
It could be what I'm thinking… But it could also be something else completely.
Type-Out is the third one on my list of priorities, however, if it's truly connected with the being known as the Judicator, what am I supposed to do with this information?
A truth too soon for me to understand...
It could also not be connected at all, however, the appearance of this Black System window and strange runes happened too close to one another for me to just brush it off as a coincidence.
Lastly, it would be the Lost Dimension whatever…
Look, it may be strange to even consider an abnormal race such as this one as a possible candidate, from a Human perspective,
But if it's for power…
"Hm…"
'He closed his eyes and dropped his head.'
I would like to believe I have enough prospects to ignore this, that I have enough talent to overcome the gap between species…
There are many High Humans that achieved greatness, and that is merely a Type 2 or 2+ species… Not say of Humans that became legends without having to rely on anything else other than themselves!
Do I need to become a Type 7 and abandon everything I am in search of higher, cosmic meaning?
What's the point of seeking out such shenanigans? It might not even work…
There is a difference between being born as something and becoming it.
I spent too many years as a good Human for me to switch to a possible cosmic abomination.
Of course, under normal circumstances, if I can even call this normal, if I became one such creature, I imagine it would be possible for me to alter my physical appearance for me to better get used to my new self or to not draw attention…
But in that case, why even change?
It seems frivolous to seek power but reject the side effects so stubbornly.
Besides, who is to tell me I'll just not be ejected from this world?
For a beast that lives beyond the limits of space, what is to be confined by it?
Would it be like a fish forced to swim in space? It might even kill me…
I may not even change forms at all, nothing may even change, though I won't be betting on that small chance, I have other problems at hand.
I simply don't know… I'm not really keen on drifting off in endless darkness.
"If I were to classify my options…"
The first is a safe, sure way, the Vanilla tag, in case I'm too fearful of giving myself to fate… Ironically…
The second is the 'Smart' bet, but a bold one, to believe in myself and the untold potential it hides within, one fate cannot decide.
The third is a mysterious option, the spicy choice, nothing more than that, at least for now.
The fourth is the foolish endeavor, to jump into a pit of vipers and risk everything I am, I may be wrong, or I may be right as I cannot tell what will happen if I follow the others.
"..."
/Silence…/
'For a while, Philip stood silent, he waited, and he even asked if Laplabe had gotten anything, but 10 minutes was too little…'
'10 minutes turned to 20, 30… Until an hour had passed.'
'Yet, nothing.'
'It seemed the world was waiting for him to make a choice, and it refused to let him progress until he made it.'
'The forest around him was silent, he didn't even hear the sounds of the construction workers outside the periphery of these woods.'
'So silent…'
"Staying like this won't change anything." Philip said as he got up all of a sudden
'Staring down at the blue screen he loved and hated at the same time, he just voiced down his decision to whoever was listening to him at this moment:'
"I have made my choice."
[You have chosen to evolve into a Type-2 Unnamed]
[Evolution shall commence]
/Shine…/
'Small sparks of light started to light up on his skin, startling both Philip and Laplabe.'
"MT! Make sure to record everything about me down to the smallest detail!" He exclaimed as he took off his shirt and shorts, he was already expecting them to get dirty
"Understood." Mt replied in its monotone mechanical voice
'Several mechanical apparatus suddenly opened, making MT look like a small Christmas tree.'
"..."
He asks me to search for books, then he takes off his pants and shines…
I can't…
'As he took off his clothes, Philip's ears continued to ring with the notifications of the System.'
[Your Stats are being remodeled based on your current set of abilities and future Race]
'He felt his body grow hot, but not hot enough for him to sweat.'
[The birth of a new Species]
[Remodeling halted]
[Parameters are being taken into account…]
[Calculation Error]
[Cause: Negative *****]
[Seeking solution… Solution found]
[Recalculating…]
/Silence…/
'The seconds passed in an incredibly slow Era, Philip believed he saw an entire bird break from its eggshell and rise into adulthood…'
'But in truth, the time he stood there was only enough for him to brush his hair slightly…'
[DING!]
[A new species is being born]
[Yet its characteristics remain a mystery]
[Build the legacy of your Species!]
[Title 0/1]
[Vital Info 0/2]
[Abilities 0/3]
[Skills 0/5]
[Traits 0/2]
[Talents]
[Host has an hour until evolution completes]
…
'Philip expected many things to happen…'
'He thought he would lose conscience, perhaps awaken as a monster…'
'He thought he would go through some heavy body modification, greatly dirtying his clothes.'
'He expected to experience heelish pain like none other, he was ready to scream his lungs out…'
'But out of all possibilities…'
"Build my own legacy?..." He asked with a frown as he checked the notification
That's all fine in itself… But why does it look so…
Gamy? Is that even a word…?
'Pushing aside his useless thoughts, he checked his first choice, Title.'
"?!"
'And immediately after, a long string of words appeared.'
"What is this?..." He mumbled in surprise
'He scrolled down, but there was so much to choose from…'
'But there was a pattern.'
I… I think I get it?
This is... Asking me to choose what aspect of my Titles my race is going to inherit?
Is it the same for all choices?
'To confirm his small theory, he opened the other options, and as he expected, it was similar, albeit not quite the same thing.'
"Urg..."
What a damn headache!
'Clutching his head due to how many things were once again thrown at him, Philip took a few steps back and decided to start from the first option.'
"..."
If I understood this right, these options are all based on my accomplishments… The things I did ever since I arrived in this chaotic and beautiful world…
And it's now asking me to sort it all out and make something out of it, mix it all up and call it a Unique species this world has never seen.
That in itself is strange, as depending on what I choose, nothing special will come out from the end result, just yet another strange Human…
Well... Perhaps being a strange Human is enough, similar, but not quite it, different enough to be called by its own name.
However, there are already enough hints of what I'm supposed to do.
When I choose Traits, Dragon Soul is listed, but it's grayed out, and I can't choose it even if I wanted to.
The same is seen with Greater Thu'um.
Does this mean these two choices are already in consideration or is it that I can't choose them at all due to some compatibility issue?
Even then, I have a greater question… Where is my Unique Skill? It isn't listed at all.
It isn't there.
Can't I choose it because it is Unique to me, or because it is… That absurd?
I still wonder how it came to be, this absurd ability, but then again, other Heroes received Skills just as bizarre such as the guy that inherited Sun Wokong's power, and some other dudes…
When you think about the fantastical abilities from fairy tales and mythology, my ability to draw abilities from games doesn't seem that impossible… If it was just that I mean.
Gamerverse seems to go a step ahead of just being some sort of Gacha where I can pull up random power-ups…
'Philip raised his hand, it was still glowing slightly.'
'What did this light mean?' He wondered
'He felt nostalgic as he gazed at it, its warmth made him remember of things he would rather desire to forget… Home.'
'In a sense, he even felt that it was mocking him as if slowly he was pushed further away from what he lived most of his life as… Himself.'
'It was odd to explain, and after thinking about it for a long time, the ringing of the system made him awaken from his delusions, he had things to do.'
'And as he realized he had been lost in thoughts, he smiled helplessly, even with his strange powers, he can still get lost in his own thinking.'
'It seemed he was still himself deep inside, and that was all he needed.'
"Alright." He said with some determination
Everything's starting to fall into place.
I don't know why and how, but it seems I can pick up aspects of myself and build something with them…
It's oddly similar to that damn Title I have… One of a Kind.
I wonder if I was given this opportunity due to its effects?
The Title also has the option to increase the strength of my Inherent abilities, so I question whether or not everything here will be affected by this?...
Though… There's no point wandering about it now.
'Philip checked all options one more time.'
Hm… There are simply too many possibilities.
If I were to follow its instructions and even… My understanding as someone that came from modern Earth, I can easily tell that I should try to make some sort of… "Build".
To stack several aspects on top of each other and thus, make a race that is very good towards something.
Elves live long, have some sort of Magical and Spiritual Affinity, albeit being weaker on the physical side, not like that's something that impactful on the larger scale of things.
You could even go beyond and point out a few features such as their hair coloration, ears, height, personality, and other things that seem to run in their blood.
I can't really go into such depth, but I can kind of shape something.
And in this regard, what sort of path should I take?
Physical power?
Mental strength?
Spiritual attunement?
Magic…?
In the end, it seems the path of an All-rounder is over for me… Albeit it's not like I was ever one, to begin with.
In the past, when I was still training in the Palace, I was a strong warrior with equally strong Mental abilities… No, they greatly surpassed everything I had together, all due to the fusion and evolution of my initial Traits.
At that time I was a solid warrior, but I lacked many things, and for that, I had my trusty tools to make up for it.
As time went on, I joined the Academy, received another Class, and my bodily attributes were enhanced as I received a Class focused on that area.
Then I met Fabrin, and he taught me how to stabilize what I had, because I grew too fast, and as such, never met an opponent that could even have me show everything I could do.
Because of that, I didn't know where my limits started, much less ended.
My combat style was fast, powerful, and deadly, but fragile.
He taught me how to balance things and achieve more for less, albeit he couldn't do much about the fact my own body wasn't resilient enough to handle the techniques I had.
Then, I met the principal, or what remained of him, and then his 'gift', like that, my race changed as I received the boost from the Attribute potions and stimulants.
More things happened, my Stats rose at an incredible speed, I can't even fathom how strong I am now…
I came to this city just 3 to 4 days ago with my Stats around the margin of 100 to 150, now, they are almost triple that.
And the only thing I fought was some sort of shadow that was tailing me back at Rafiel's party.
Not to say my most recent venture into the equally confusing world of Nyrn…
Now I hold magical abilities recognized by this world as Great…
If that wasn't enough, my rewards for that almost made me rise to the realm of Sage and Spiritual Lord…
Really, just what am I?... It seems it's time to figure that out…
'Philip smiled as he reached an understanding with himself.'
Then… What path should I take?
By taking a look at the numbers together with each option, I can see how much I can pass down.
1 Title, 3 Abilities, 5 Skills, 2 Traits…
As for the rest, I didn't quite understand what they meant, but at the same time, I think I did.
Vital Attributes is definitely talking about the 5 big numbers I see every time I open my damn Status.
But it's 0 out of 2… And I wonder what choosing even means in this situation?
Does choosing it increases the overall talent of this Species towards that particular attribute?
Or does it increase the overall limit?
In fact, if I am to speak of limits, where do they lie? Do they take my current Stats into consideration?
Does that mean… If I were to have a child, once it reached adulthood, would it have the same Level and Stats as I currently have?
If so… That would be a scary thought to have, extremely so.
I don't think it would be so absurd, I think it would even go beyond the natural order of biology as I can't imagine a living being naturally being capable of getting into that stage unless it follows some sort of methodical schedule or through outside means…
Again, I'm not a biologist of this world.
"I think the best way of dealing with this is to think about my current predicament instead of considering the future."
That way, things become a bit simpler…
What Title do I have to pass? Well, it's obvious.
My currently slumbering Title, Apex evolver, the very same Title that has been acting strange…
After all, its special effect, Endless Mutation, was supposed to fuse the Title with something else and created a brand new Title…
But instead, Apex Evolver suddenly decided to go out of its way to devour my Titles, and although I'm unsure if it's going to change completely once it awakens, it did acquire some of each of the devoured Titles' abilities.
That would be one… A few more to go.
I have 5 attributes, but I can only choose 4 as Mystique isn't listed.
I think that is normal, Mystique is a complex attribute.
So instead, I should go over the other 4.
Mind.
Physical.
Energy.
Spiritual.
If I were to say right off the bat, I would go with Mind and Energy…
Physical is indeed a good attribute, but muscular growth can only go so far in the face of magical and supernatural abilities.
While Spiritual is a new Stat, one I never really used for anything at all, it only appeared recently due to my new Trait… And if I were to think even further…
The Spiritual attribute is the reflection of the spirit and my affinity for similar forces.
The Spirit is the reflection of the Soul cast on the Physical body, hence… If I choose Physical, and as my Dragon Soul Trait is already grayed out…
Then the Spiritual potential would be just as great if not higher than Physical!
Perhaps I could even go further by choosing both it and Spiritual.
Of course, there are infinite possibilities as I said before…
For example… Hm… If I wanted to follow the path of a traditional Knight, then choosing Physical and Energy would be the right combination as far as I'm aware.
As even if the body's growth starts to lose in comparison to other things, having a high Physical potential is still a great boon for any close-quarters warriors, even if at higher stages, it becomes more of a technique and energy battle than anything else.
Not like I'm there yet to opine on the subject or anything…
Though… I'm always trying to look into the future because that's where I'm going to be.
What will I need, what sort of person I'm trying to become?
"Hm…"
I should jump this for now, even though I have a more or less definite answer in my head.
'He smiled like a small child entering L&go World for the first time.'
Here comes the fun part.
Passing my Abilities and Skills.
Different from Title, here, I have a 1-to-1 choice on the matter.
And that scares me even.
If I were to choose Command Magic… Would I create a race with Innate Magic control? The type of control most mages can only dream of?
Well… I can choose 3 Abilities, but there aren't that many abilities to choose from in the first place.
It's pretty much Armament, Command Magic, and the abilities tied to Mental domain and of course, my newly created Spiritual Domain.
Imagine… A race that is born with innate Spiritual and Mental domains, and as they grow older, they can control it and grow other powers related to it…
Or would they be cursed? Like, without the proper base, their powers would rather drag them down instead of pushing them into higher heights?
I don't really plan to have a kid anytime soon, but I sure would curse the entire existence of the Universe if my child were to die the moment it was born due to my choices now…
"Haa…"
'Laughing drily, he continued.'
Armament seems like a solid choice, even if I'm still unsure of what it actually is.
Armament is supposed to be the crystalization of all my martial arts and abilities before they evolved into something unknown… Twice.
I don't know what it needs to function properly, much less what it can do exactly, I wasn't given too much time to test that, and neither do I have the proper facilities to just let my power rage without consequences…
Last time I did that, I broke it, and I didn't even want to do that.
I'm reaching a point where if I sneeze and there is an iron bar between my butt cheeks, the bar will be crushed…
"..."
'Philip suddenly had some very devious ideas…'
In any case, the more I think, the more I actually realize my current powers are just a tad too over the top…
However… Perhaps I should just not care and go all out!
"Yeah, that's what I should do."
I'll leave the problems of the future to that… The damn future!
I have 3 options, so I'll go with Armament, Command Magic, and Mental Force, as after thinking for a while, I think this is for the best.
Mental Domain is more of an application of Mental force, not the other way around.
Like this, I made a race that will be born with Mental powers like the ancient Aetherians, great Magical Abilities, and a strange power even I can't properly understand…
Or so I think.
But that's just the beginning.
Skills…
There are some great options here, some fun, others wasteful.
I wonder how it would be to choose the Western continent language…
Would they be born with the ability to understand other Species? How cool would that be?
Though regardless, wasteful, and also not within my current goals.
Actually, taking a greater look at it, there aren't that many essential Skills here.
Greater Thu'um is already accounted for, and Gamerverse isn't really an option…
And when you take those 2 out, I'm left with 8 Skills, but I can choose 5, but of those 8, one is a language Skill…
Ripper Mode, Ignition Strike, Phantom Sword, and Great Scholar Vision, without a doubt, I'll choose these 4, they are the most solid options without asking.
But the last spot is a bit confusing…
I'm between Advanced Skill fusion and Origin of a Desire.
Both are pretty neat in their own ways, Skill fusion has been with me from the beginning, while I have barely started to touch upon the latter…
Honestly, the choice should be obvious, and I should move on with this section…
Yet still, I wanted to put some more thought into it.
Though… I think the thought of the future is interfering too much with my thinking process.
Instead of just thinking of myself, I'm thinking of how cool a race with the ability to see the innate desires of others would be… Or how scary.
"SIGH!"
Truly, something must be wrong with me, back on Earth, I didn't even bother to think about a girlfriend, much less having a damn toddler, now, for some reason, it's all over my head.
'He had a lingering suspicion it was all due to his most recent Titles…'
Perhaps they're having a deeper impact on me than I think…
'But after putting some more thought into the matter, he choose Skill Fusion.'
'And finally, it was time for him to choose his Traits.'
Castle Town is obvious, it's simply too essential to me.
It has done a lot, and at the same time, it holds a lot of things together.
So like that, it becomes a matter of choosing the best out of the remaining options.
Hardworking, Unyielding, Sword Heart, and the incomplete Spiritual Ascension.
Honestly, any do sound good, from both paths, the current me and the future.
Though some more than others…
For me, I'm between the Third and the Fourth options, because the third one is a great Talent boosting Trait while the latter is a Trait that holds untold potential just like Castle town.
However, I'm not pursuing the path of Spiritualism, so I might as well go with Sword Heart as Armament, my main combat Ability pulls greatly from such roots.
It does seem enticing to think of a race of hardworking people, or unyielding people…
After all, if I choose Hardworking and Sword Heart, isn't that pretty much making me the father of a Wuxia novel's protagonist?
/Chuckle…/
"..."
'Laplabe could only stare in silence as Philip laughed with himself from time to time, he was numb to his strange behaviors at this point.'
'He wondered if Philip was doing that to bother him, or if he truly forgot about him being there as it wasn't the first time such a thing happened, either way, he was offended.'
'But… Overall, I think this combination is good enough.' Philip thought as he stretched his back
This leaves two things, Attributes, and Talent…
Considering what I grabbed so far, I think I know what to choose now.
For Attributes, I'll go with what I said before, Mental and Energy.
If I could, I would get ahold of Physical as well, but that would be greedy of me.
And since I can't, I'll have to push it aside as it's the least important one out of the 3.
It's way easier to increase my Physical Stat as compared to my Mental and Energy Stats.
I may be shooting myself in the foot considering I'm mainly a Physical combatant, but I'm putting my faith a little in what the future has for me… Not my children, that's a bit too far in the future.
"So there is only one option left…"
Talent.
'By opening this section, he saw a lengthy selection of things, some good, some bad!'
'Out of this massive line of words, he had to choose what was supposed to be inherited, be it good or bad, even if the bad wasn't that terrible.'
It's a bit complicated, but it doesn't seem that hard…
I think I'll just go with everything!
I'll continue to improve, I'll continue to evolve, so why should I leave any of these behind?
My Golden body will accept it all, that is its purpose, so leaving any behind seems counterintuitive to me.
I may be losing on possibly correcting some mistakes, but hey, what can I do?
'Philip checked his timer, he had about 45 minutes left.'
I have plenty of time, but I don't think there's any need to ponder this any further.
Sometimes, just doing it is better than thinking it through.
Hesitation can be fatal and overthinking can kill… I experienced that a few times against that bastard…
So?... I think I'm set.
Do I… Press on the screen like always? Voice command?...
[Inheritance complete]
[A new bloodline has been stabilished]
[Evolution shall commence]
'The weak light around his body receded, but Philip felt discomfort rise to his throat…'
'Amidst his ever-increasing pain, the System decided to talk some more:'
[Please, name this new Species]
"Grr…"
'But Philip was too occupied trying to breathe than anything else…'
'Evolution had commenced!'
…
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Notes
Like?
These last few chapters were a chore to write I'll tell you all that.
Hopefully, it came out alright, honestly, I wanted this small arc to end, so I've been pushing it toward that purpose.
Above all, I wanted to write a bit more about him going and fighting, or just making use of his abilities.
Growth as growth, and not through the System.
It's strange, but so many chapters passed, and less than a week passed in this world, it's frustrating.
But I'm happy to have ended it here, it was good enough for me, and if there aren't any mishaps, for you too.
While you're still here, why not give me your opinion regarding his race's new name?
Also, do you think I missed anything? I always ask things like this just in case someone comes and mentions something from way early in the novel.
I had been planning to re-read those chapters and see what comes from them, and what sort of things I planned at the time.
Anyway, this is it for me.
If you wish to keep reading, today, I'll post the next chapter as an advanced chapter on my P@treon, so check it out if you wish.
You can check it out and a few chapters of my other Novel as well for barely 2 dollars...
Anyway, enough with the shameless promoting.
It's time for me to hit the gym, I'm on a week streak now, so if you all excuse me...
