Zero Fate Against the World (New Version)

I'm here, not dead!

Now then, where were we...

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—

The two left the library under the cover of the cloaks, avoiding all as they dove into the forest.

As they ran, Philip realized that with every step, they walked further from the shimmering lights of the Palaces, diving deeper into the unknown.

However, despite being in the middle of the night, the forests were full of activity. While he didn't know if his companion could, Philip could hear echoes and tremors from all over the forest.

Some were recognizable, while others weren't. Voices, metal clashing, wood breaking... Flesh tearing...

The Heroes were out there, training, even in the middle of the night.

/Shuaa.../

With the assistance of the magic cloaks, they delved deep into the woods, far away from other people's eyes. 

...

{It's here}

Dae's voice echoed inside Philip's mind as they climbed a small hill overlooking a small patch of the forest containing a beautiful lake and an old, abandoned building.

The building was eerily similar to the library Philip tended to frequent. It is likely a piece of architecture from the same time period. However, its worn-out state told another story.

Too little time had passed for it to have broken down that much ever since the last generation of Heroes departed, but he could not tell why it had deteriorated either.

That said, his unruly thoughts were soon brought to an abrupt end:

{{What do we need to do in this place?}}

{There is someone we need to help, or should I say, stop}

{{Stop?}}

{Yeah... There's someone we must prevent from becoming a criminal}

{{... This seems like quite the story}}

{You'll understand soon enough. There isn't much I need you to do since I'm confident handling this myself; however, I'll need your help communicating with our target. And if something does happen... Well, you know what to do}

{{Simple enough. Very well... Still. While I don't mind trying, I'm not exactly the most charismatic man. Wouldn't you be the better option for that?}}

{You'll do fine. I'm sure of it}

{{If you say so... Anything else?}}

{No. Let's end this quickly before anyone notices anything odd. After all, even if we were sneaky, our target hasn't been particularly discreet. It's only a matter of time until the agents come looking for them, even if just for the sake of it}

{We'll take care of this silently and efficiently}

{{This much I can do...}}

{No guns}

{{I... Already understood the mission...}}

{My apologies; it seems my thoughts slipped into the thought bridge; forget what I just said}

{{Ashole}}

{What did you say?}

"... Humph."

…

Resting on the trees, both waited silently under the strong moonlight until a group of people arrived by the lake.

Seeing events happen as predicted was quite strange for him, but Philip understood this would be the first of many times he would experience such a thing, so he shook his emotions, calming down as he focused his gaze downward.

Thanks to the moon, the area around the lake was quite visible. And although such a factor was inconsequential for him, he wondered how Dae fared given his ordinary body.

That said before he could even comment on their appearance...

{They are here. Get ready; we'll act once things reach the tilting point. Also, before we begin, do you have any spare equipment? Something you won't have to use anytime soon}

{{Like spare clothes and whatnot? Yes, quite a few}}

{Good, put one of those on, the more we do to make it seem we were never here, the better}

{Don't lose focus}

"..."

'He's taking this rather seriously... I wager this is quite an important moment in time. Even though it doesn't look like it... But I guess this is how the present is. Unnasuming.'

'Only in the distant future would people look back and give meaning to our actions, regardless of how effortless and inconsequential they were to us.'

Underneath his robe, Philip quickly changed clothes, putting on a set of dark and plain garments that helped him blend in with the surroundings.

Meanwhile, he took out a long walking cane and lodged it on the ground, ready to move at any moment...

[Threaded Cane +9

Description

One of the trick weapons of the workshop commonly used by hunters in their duties. It is sufficiently deadly as a rigid-bladed cane but also serves as a whip when its blade is split into many.

Concealing the weapon inside the cane and flogging the beasts with the whip is partly an act of ceremony, an attempt to demonstrate to oneself that the bloodlust of the hunt will never encroach upon the soul.

]

'One of the old reliables... Can't say I've used it much given it wasn't entirely meant for combat but more as a spiritual anchor... It was the thing most Hunters needed at the end of the day.'

'I strengthened it as much as possible, mostly for practice, but the last few materials were painful, so I left it incompleted.'

'Blood Rocks only tended to form on ridiculously large beasts. Or whenever too much-corrupted blood flowed onto a container...'

'Such areas were often far beyond the reach of most Hunters. Which only made them harder to acquire.'

'Interestingly enough, the Arcane rituals used to tamper with the material are still fresh in my mind. At the very least, not all exotic knowledge I acquired in the memories was sealed or deleted.' 

'Issue is, I don't have much of them left, and in this world, I can't quite say if I'll ever be able to find another... No... I won't... I'll have to look for an alternate material.'

'That shouldn't be an issue given...'

{... Even though you can control which thoughts cross through the Thought bridge, be aware that its quite sensitive. While I'm unable to tell what you're thinking, I can say for certain that you're thinking too much}

{Focus on the task at hand}

"..."

...

/Whispers.../

Philip could barely hear the conversation from this high up in the hill. 

Several individuals had gathered at the edge of the lake; there was tension in the air, almost palpable...

{It has started, follow me and wait for my signal. Our target is the boy with the crooked dagger, the one who is alone. Just wait for my signal, and you will knock out the other people while I engage the lone boy}

{But if you think he's about to snap... You can act on your own since your reaction time should be higher than mine}

Philip raised his hand, giving him an "ok" sigh.

/Fwush!/

They jumped from the Hilltop, sliding down the rocky slope as they silently approached the group.

…

/Meanwhile.../

"... So this is your choice? After all I have done for you?"

"Pfft! Don't make me laugh! You are a psycho bastard! I am tired of you and your fucking schemes!"

The boy holding the crooked dagger, Petter, angrily gnashed his teeth as he looked at Foust.

His eyes quaked as he stared down at him, as if struggling to jump out of his face.

Foust noticed this, and for a moment, he stood still, pensive... But soon enough, once Petter said his lines, he replied:

"Oi oi oi… The last time was a deal. I got what I wanted, and you cleared part of your debt."

"Part?..."

"Of course! Your debt was way bigger than the value of the Skill I got.

"I... I see... ha… HAHAHA!"

Petter lost control of himself as he began to laugh.

"I knew you were a fucking psycho! You made a promise, but the first thing you did was act as if it never existed! You did this before; that's how you operate..."

"You know, I was hesitating... I didn't want to be here, I wanted to cast this side of me aside and live on. That's what they would've wanted... But you don't seem interested in any of that."

"Your point?"

"You're an emotionless monster. But... This is good. I have another reason to finish this now."

"For everything..."

Petter raised his dagger as his eyes grew firm, meanwhile, Foust understood everything as he chuckled lightly.

From the looks of it, this hasn't been the first time he had seen or experienced such a scenario.

"Kill me?... Ha! Look at him, guys! He is saying I am the bad guy, but he is the one who wants to kill me…"

"You're a lunatic! You said the same thing after you did that to my sister in the hospital!!"

Petter held his knife with such strength its grip began to crack...

"Not this again, Petter… It was her fault; she was the one who interfered and attacked me and…"

"STOP TRYING TO BE THE VICTIM! YOU F... FUCKING BASTARD!"

"SHE WAS TRYING TO PROTECT THE BOY... T-The same one you were about to kill!"

"But instead... She was BEATEN and... and R-RAPPED BY YOU FUCKERS!!"

Petter's heart beat incredibly as he grew enraged, and the pressure within him was so high his eyes began to turn red.

[Skill, To live another day Lv6 starts the countdown]

[1... 3... 7... 17... 29...]

Petter looked as if he was about to explode.

'They never had any remorse, it was all... Business.'

'From the very beginning, those fuckers… The police, the school, everything was under this bastard's control. Even the video footage mysteriously disappeared one day...'

"Business... Money... For everything you have done… To my family and those you have toyed with, I will fucking murder you slowly! Then, when I go back to Earth, it will be those fuckers in the police!"

[Skill, Power Fantasy Lv0 responds to your desires]

[Quest, Vengeance is best-served cold shall begin]

[32... 46...]

"... He… HAHAHA! Look at this bastard…"

"Petter, you have lost your goddamn mind. Let's make this simple... Just hand over your Skills, and I can think about letting you go intact. Otherwise, you might wake up without some fingers…"

While Foust treated Petter as some fool, he did not treat those around them the same.

'Those purple knights and instructors will probably not care if he loses a few fingers, right? No… They will not care since they can heal him pretty easily… Alright. This is easy.'

'As long as I don't push this that far...'

"So Petter? What will it be? A few fingers or your..."

/Swing!/

/Splurge!/

"What the…"

In an unbelievable sequence of events, Petter stabbed himself in the chest! 

"Cough!"

Petter spit some blood on the ground, but instead of looking weak, his aura continued to rise more and more.

His stained eyes turned fully red as his veins burst under his skin, and with a sickening smile, the System replied:

[DING!]

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

[Your Skill, Beaten dog has activated]

[Bleeding rate has greatly decreased]

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

[Your Title-related Skill, Death run Lv5 has been activated due to your near-death state. All of your stats have massively increased temporarily]

[You are fighting against multiple enemies while gravely injured!]

[You are at a massive disadvantage!]

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

[To live another day Lv6 -> To live another day Lv7]

[Your stats have massively increased temporarily]

[65... 78... 92... 107...]

[While the countdown is in place, you shall not fall. Adversity gives you strength!]

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

[You have activated the Ability, Soul Phantasm]

A greyish shadow started to materialize behind Petter, it raised its head, looking at Foust and the others...

One of its arms pointed forward.

/Sheen!/

Immediately after, a glowy mark appeared before Foust, but he did not seem to realize it.

[Soul Phantasm has been successfully formed]

[It yearns for revenge]

[Satiate its desire to get a reward]

[The Skills, Fighting Spirit Lv3, Desperado Lv2, Berserk Lv4, Final Breath Lv5 have activated]

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

[Your body is starting to fall apart due to the pressure]

[235... 273... 309... 308... 307...]

Biting his lips in pain, Petter's thoughts slowly cooled down as he retained a figment of his rationality amidst his body's imminent destruction.

'I should be able to maintain this state for about 5 minutes... I have more than enough time.'

'Even with a hole through my chest, my heart still beats; that's all I need.'

"... Don't worry. I too, have a promise to fulfill."

…

"..."

Seeing this unfold, Philip frowned as he turned to the side.

{{Dae… I don t think those guys can even last a second against him… Is that really Petter and not some berserk Demon?}}

'This emotion I'm feeling from him... If I close my eyes, it would be like the Dream all over again... It's not the same, but Petter is not some bloodthirsty beast.'

'Whatever happened to him, my senses tell me he won't be that easy to take down.'

{… Don't worry. Right now, Philip is not in his sound mind... But for our benefit, he won't take them down... Not without fulfilling his own desires}

{We can interfere when the fight reaches that stage. By that point, he will be weakened, and we can strike. Our sole goal is to stop him from going too far}

'… The Revenger… His weakest moment is when the fight starts; from there on, he only gets stronger and stronger over time.'

'Currently, he still has many weaknesses. He doesn't understand what is happening nor how to properly use his abilities... It won't be too hard to stop him.'

'What scares me even more is that I'm going to help him get stronger earlier… But I have no choice in the matter. We need him, a monster of our own.'

{{... Aren't you a little cruel? Leaving those guys to be tortured like this? I thought you were the Hero}}

{I stopped caring about being a Hero a long time ago... We are Heroes to some and Devils to others. For those three... I'd rather be the Demon}

{You dont know what they did... Those bastards are beyond Human at this point... I can save someone who will become a beast, but I cannot redeem those who already are}

{Once you abandon your Humanity, you must be ready to be treated like an animal. This is the rule of this world}

{{... So much for fantasy}}

…

"Wh... T-This guy… Are you trying to kill yourself as a last resort?!"

'Is he trying to put the blame on us?? I must say, I underestimated him. But at the same time, I don't think it's impossible for us to prove our innocence either!'

'You win. I'll admit it, this time, you've bested me... It's a shame I won't be able to eat his other Skills; I should've been able to upgrade Loan Shark by one or two Levels otherwise.'

However, there was a strange feeling in Foust's tongue. Something was odd with Petter, the fact he stood standing despite piercing his own chest was proof of that.

He wondered if the boy had grown stronger like him, maybe that was the reason he could still stand. Either way, he turned around with a scoff.

The less he interacted with him, the less evidence there would be of him.

"So be it, boys, pack up and let's go home…"

The moment he turned around...

/FLING!/

/SPLURGE!/

"?..."

'What is this strange feeling of lightness?'

/Tud/

"Fo-Fo-Fo-Foust…"

"What is it?"

"Yo-Yo-Yo…"

"I asked what is it?!"

And then he felt it, something was wrong…

So he looked at his left arm…

"My arm?... AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

"MY ARM, MY ARM?! WHAT HAPPENED?!?! DO SOMETHING, YOU BASTARDS!"

… And from here on… It was a slaughter-fest.

/SWOOOOSH!/

"MY FINGER! NOOO! STOP!"

/FWOOSH!/

"PLEASE! I-I DIDN'T WANT TO! I WAS…"

/SLASH!/

"P-PE-PA-PLEASE ST-ST…"

/CUT!/

""...""

Although this was a very brutal and violent sight, neither Dae nor Philip felt much.

They had already passed through things much more brutal than just this. And those guys... were not deserving of any mercy.

{... I've seen enough, I'l; try to talk with him, you go heal those bastards. Take these potions}

{{I thought it was my job to talk with him?}}

{And it is... After me}

…

"..."

'I'm tired.'

Petter… Didn't feel good.

Even though he got his revenge in the best way possible, killing and healing these pigs repeatedly, he still couldn't get the satisfying feeling he expected.

No… He knew this feeling would never come.

His mission will soon end together with all of his past regrets… It's time to move on, hopefully for a better future.

He looked down at the twisting man at his feet.

Even for a man of such power, everything came down to such a simple thing.

"I... I will live a better life... Sister… For you, mom, and dad too... And … A life that I can be proud of... Not one like theirs."

/Sheen.../

For a moment, he felt as if he could see the figure of a beautiful woman dancing in the water, smiling back at him.

"I..."

Petter started to cry as he remembered his happy days when his family was still together.

But now he was alone...

"Is this enough for you, sister? I hope you are safe out there, looking after me in whatever sky you are on now…"

He whipped out his tears, telling himself it was unmanly to do so.

"This is enough. Let's end this."

"Me-Mer-M-Mers-Mershy…"

Foust, now a nugget of a man, without legs and arms, teeth and eyes, and many other parts either mangled up or missing, continually tried to ask for mercy despite being unaware if he could even speak or not.

He couldn't even think coherently anymore. He just wanted to live. The words he never uttered before came instinctively, the overwhelming Human perseverance... Was unbefitting in such a twisted Soul.

"..."

'It's not empty... But it isn't fulfilling either.'

'I'd rather be forced to clean the dishes forever than to resort to this... To hear their nagging for all time... The never again.'

'... This is a farewell. To them, my world, who I was before.'

'This world will not wait for me.'

/Swoosh!/

Petter lifted his knife and slashed down.

It was slow yet steady. There was no emotion behind the blade.

/Clang/

But midway through its path, a sword deflected the strike.

"What…"

/BAM!/

Petter's face caved in as he received a punch in the face, being immediately knocked out.

"..."

{{Is this what you call talking?}}

{Shut up and give those three the potions! We don't have much time; these guys' screams are bound to have been heard by someone}

{{...}}

Philip gave each of those guys several potions so, at the very least, they wouldn't die of blood loss.

Unfortunately, all of their limbs had been destroyed by Petter's onslaught, so he couldn't reconnect them... Not when there was little to bring back together...

{{What do we do about their… Not so great condition?}}

Once he was done, Philip approached Dae as he overlooked the scene with a sharp gaze, making quick calculations in silence.

{I have a solution for that… Do you see those bone fragments? Sprinkle some of that gray potion I gave you. That is going to regenerate those limbs, then you need to reconnect them}

{{What? This potion can restore limbs?!}}

{Not from zero, but yes. However, it is better to use it on the limb fragments rather than the main body due to the immense pain it causes. They may die from shock or have their mind broken completely}

{{Okay… That's a brutal potion}}

{A small price to pay not to become handicapped. Besides, this is enough to ask from a potion that can be used anywhere}

{It's also the perfect training material for pain resistance since this potion doesn't hurt your body}

{{...}}

...

And so Philip went and regenerated the body parts. The gory sight of seeing three pairs of arms and legs and a few ears and fingers didn't shake him in the least, but it did make him sigh out loud.

'Just like when I was a kid… Just connect the Legos…'

{You know that the Thought bridge is still on, right?... Legos… Legos of all things... I knew you were a little fucked up, but damn...}

{{Fuck you! Everyone thinks shit in their head!}}

Without warning, he cut off the connection with an upset gaze.

'That fucker… I can't relax for a moment, and my thoughts drain through the bridge...'

…

/A minute later.../

{{What do we do now?}}

{Wait a little bit; I am almost finished here… Okay, done. Pick up those guys and follow me; remember to step exactly where I tell you to}

{{Okay}}

…

It wasn't hard picking three dudes up, but it was very unpleasant.

Just when he was getting used to having his body clean of blood and gore, he now had to carry three bloody dudes.

{Put their bodies near that tree… And now, we wait}

/Shaa shaa.../

Dae put his hands together to form a strange symbol. As he pulled them away, a faint mark was left in the air, hovering above the bloodstained field.

As the mark collapsed, dark smoke started to rise from the ground, and all signs of conflict slowly disappeared as the grass regained its previous form.

{{This is pretty cool. What's going on though?}}

{Magic. I am using several folded spells to clean this area of evidence, and also making sure no one can use any magic to peer into what happened here… Quite a troublesome thing to set up, but I did it on time}

Although he tried to speak confidently, Dae's hands were trembling as his face was pale.

{Of everyone currently in this Palace, only three people can use magic to see what happened in this place after I've dealt with all of the evidence; that's why we needed to hide our identities}

{But we can't have that... I need to make sure that they can't see anything at all}

{After this, we will clean ourselves and these people before moving them to a safe place I set up beforehand}

{After that, it should be pretty easy. We just need to move them back into their rooms. They will wake up thinking this was all a dream after I change their memories a bit}

{{Whatever you say… But while we wait, why is all of this necessary? We could've stopped this from the beginning}}

Dae unsealed several potions and started to drop on top of the dudes as he replied:

{Fights between Heroes are common; they even incentivize that. That's why the Crown did nothing when Petter was being bullied and abused. They want the strongest to fight and work for them}

{The weak will become a supplement for the strong; from the ones that last, they will be trained to become supportive units for the strong... But this is beyond their designed limit}

{If Petter had killed anyone in here, he would be prosecuted by the Crown to keep appearances for the rest of the Heroes. This would lead to a series of events that would end up killing millions}

{{So tragic? How could this...}}

{You can't even imagine… Think about it: There have been multiple times in history when a simple event led someone down the path of destruction. And while we could've stopped Petter from doing this, I'd rather have him experience this than save these guys}

{Now think about the Crown's perspective: even if Petter did not take the final step, someone still needs to be disciplined... Given his actions, the risk of him getting corrupted is too significant… In short, he'd become too high of a liability to maintain}

'And if they decide to keep Petter alive... The future would change wayyy too much... Before, they tried to take him down, but he lived'

'He somehow managed to escape their pursuit and grew up to be the monster that he was. The pressure undoubtedly contributed to his growth, but if he was to receive proper teaching...'

{So I am hiding and covering for him while keeping to the original sequence of events somewhat... We were never meant to be here, and if everything goes as planned, we won't be}

{I am sure that tomorrow, they will most likely notice that something happened and will check on the memories of those three bastards, including Petter's. So we can't appear in them just to be safe}

{Although, as I said, I will change their memories to make sure everything matches up}

Philip touched his head as he thought about it all, exhaling deeply as he looked at Petter.

{{That's quite a deep plan you have there… But I think these guys aren't going to forget such a thing this easily}}

{They won't, but I have a plan...}

{{Of course you have}}

…

After splashing the potions in their surroundings, together with another round of Dae's magic, they ran into the darkness, leaving the secluded lake behind.

…

"..."

'Fucking hell...'

Philip cursed as he looked at Dae's immaculate spot... The safe place was nothing more than a hole inside a tree…

{{Is this it? I don't see anything in here}}

{Tsk tsk tsk. Don't underestimate this place! This isn't just a hole in a tree, there are deeper secrets within...}

{But if you can't see anything, this only means this place is truly well-hidden, no?}

"..."

'I am not convinced…'

{And also! You'll also benefit from this endeavor, this place's connected to one of the Title's you're looking for}

{{Really? Just when I thought I could repay you a little...}}

'A relationship can only last when the two sides benefit… A one-sided relationship cannot last.'

'Besides... I was unaware Petter was going through this. We may not be close friends, but I wouldn't want anyone I know to go through this.'

'For that, I owe him a little.'

{It's so cute of you to think like that. Kya! You are making me blush}

{{...}}

Philip terminated the connection. 

'... How many bottles of that Laxative do I have left?'

…

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Notes