Zero Fate Against the World (New Version)

Enjoy!

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/Somewhere far, far away.../

/Tap... Tap... Tap.../

Sitting on a simple stone chair on a balcony overlooking a forest that stretched onto the horizon... A man with long blond hair was lost in thought as he stared at what was seemingly a board of chess.

(Image)

It wasn't like ordinary chess, as the board was far larger than usual, with exotic pieces adorning the game.

Weirdly enough, he played alone, yet something seemed to be on his mind as he found it hard to even move his hand...

"... Your Highness, how long have you been sitting there? You've missed both lunch and dinner."

Deep in thought, the man failed to notice an elderly man approach from the side; his voice echoed behind him, dissipating as it went down the woods.

Far... Far down...

"Hm... Let me finish this game first." He replied without turning around, his gaze locked on the pieces

Sometimes, his hands would twitch before stopping. A thousand moves were considered, but he never acted on any.

Hesitant, but not fearful... Quite the contrary even...

Excitement and curiosity were plastered on his cold, pristine face.

"You've said the same to me before, and the moment before that as well... What troubles you so much to bind you to that chair? For all I know, you always complained about it being uncomfortable."

"Relaxation is meant for leisure... Whenever I sit down before the board, it is never to play."

"This chair is a reminder of the focus and commitment I must maintain."

"Of course... But I'm afraid you've spent far too long in here... I'm starting to believe you've lost all sense of touch down there..." The old man added with a light chuckle, prompting the other man to turn around

A hint of a smile could be seen as one of his eyes fell on the elderly man, and with it, his golden hair swayed sideways, revealing his long and sharp ears...

"I'll admit it, this time, I fear I've met my match."

His gaze returned to the board, and his smile receded, his expression tense like before.

"It wouldn't be fair of me to leave this board without making a move..."

The old man opened his eyes a little further, surprised, but at the same time, glad.

"That is certainly rather unusual. How long has it been since you had such fun?"

"Fun?... Right. You could call this fun..."

After a moment of silence, the man got up from his seat.

"Standing before the board won't change anything. And I've realized that my stubbornness has clouded my judgment. I'll return once I'm done with my affairs."

"I couldn't ask for less, your Highness..."

/Clack.../

""!""

But just as the man was about to turn around, one of the many peons on the board fell down, rolling to the side before falling from the table.

It bounced back a few times before rolling out of the balcony, vanishing amidst the leaves soon after.

Seeing this made the young man's eyes sharpen like never before. And with a resolute step, he walked past the old man, his eyes glittering with light.

"It seems that I've lost the momentum... Another piece has been taken out from the board."

"Come, let's waste no time... I must return as soon as I'm able..."

'And prepare for my counterattack.'

This had been the first time, in all of his life, that he had lost a piece... Without even understanding the circumstances behind it.

No... He had lost like this before, long ago when he was but a toddler.

A challenge for once, but an obstacle as well... How do you describe such a feeling?

Who was messing with the board, he spent so much effort to prepare?

...

/Meanwhile.../

Inside the tree was a surprisingly large space. A hole wide enough for him to crawl through, and upon reaching its end, he came upon what seemed to be a small cavy room.

However, that wasn't its end. Behind a false wall was a set of stairs leading them to a spacious room made of old bricks and decaying wood.

It was hard to say what this place once was, but Philip merely assumed it was yet another legacy of the Heroes of old left to rot.

Upon throwing the three thugs on the side, Philip cracked his neck as he turned to Dae:

{{I guess we can talk normally now, right? I'm starting to grow a little... Faint}}

{No. Just in case, let's continue talking mentally}

"..."

/Cricket.../

It was quite a strange scene. In a dark room underneath a tree, the only sounds in this place were the breathing echoes of six individuals as the many alien noises coming from what he assumed were bugs hidden from view.

Taking a deep breath as he tried to push his headache away, Philip asked:

{{What now?}}

{Carry them to that red circle over there; I'll handle the rest}

The more he explored the place, the more he felt this place looked like a Church. But the severe damage all around made it hard to decide on the answer.

After placing the three dudes on the red circle, Philip went towards a bench where Dae was also sitting.

Meanwhile, Petter was placed with his back against the wall.

{{Just what is this place? It looks like a church, but it's underground...}}

{You are right to think that; You see, this entire valley that is now the Royal Garden used to be a massive holy place}

/Cut.../

Dae bit his thumb and started to write several symbols on the ground near the circle with his blood...

{As you probably read in the books, due to some event, historical information dating to before 1000 years ago has disappeared, right?}

{{That's true; the earliest thing I have is some war where Humans emerged victorious, everything else is a bit odd and vague, which is quite frustrating now that I think about it}}

'I didn't have the time to go through much of what I forced down my mind but there seems to be a gap in the history of this land...'

{That isn't a lie, although the truth has been distorted to an unbelievable degree... Even the Royals seem to believe that as well, although in a sense, they aren't wrong}

{A massive war happened between the races, and we "won". After a long period of suffering, the slaves of the other races, the Humans, won a war so brutal that it ended up wiping all others from everywhere on this continent}

{If you go to the North, aside from a few villages here and there, you won't find anyone out there... Those that are still there are either descendants from the few survivors of that period, settlers from the South, or some of the extremely rare hybrids between the species}

{All of this is right, but the causes and the process are wrong… A lie}

{{So what is the truth? And why does it even matter?}}

{... I don't know what's right and what's wrong. And as you said, it doesn't really matter. This is ancient history; I never had time to search for some meaningless history in my memories}

{What matters is the context of this place... After all, what happened here is directly linked to why we're even here in the first place}

{{That looks promising}}

{Where to begin...}

{This used to be part of a Human civilization from before the war... Quite far from it even}

{This garden we now reside in was once a holy area for a God that is now forgotten; this is one of the many ruins that still somehow stand. Even after the destruction of most of its architecture, not by our enemy's hands, but by our own hands...}

Saying that, Dae shook his hand slightly to clean it of dirt and dust before resuming his drawings.

{{Why?}}

{Who knows? Humans will attack each other for any reason, really, even in times of war, if they believe there's something to gain, something to protect, or even just out of envy and spite...}

{We're notorious in that department. There aren't that many species as inclined to turn on each other as us, but funnily enough, we're the kind to stick together when the foundations we built begin to shake}

{Ironic, isn't it?}

{{Isn't that just natural?}}

{Perhaps for you... But we're straying from the topic}

{... This place was once trimmed with large and glorious structures, but all traces are now gone. The few that remain, such as this place, can only hint at the grandeur this land once contained}

{They perhaps destroyed most of the ruins to hide the fact that this church existed in the first place}

{The only building still in public sight is the main church where we appeared. Now redecorated to fit the Dynasty's culture and religions... They couldn't bear to destroy the particular building due to its significance}

{{And that is?...}}

{You already know Philip. It's because the church houses the artifacts... They were responsible for their creation... Or so the records say. It's hard to say if they were truly their creators or merely their overseers}

{Were they relics from a bygone era, recovered by our ancestors, or were they treasures made with lost technology and methods?}

{Some secrets are likely not meant to be known... Still, I wouldn't be surprised if, centuries after, someone found a small burnt scroll buried deep inside some secretive chamber explaining a portion of the truth... Alas, we work with what we have}

"..."

{{... Couldn't they move elsewhere?}}

{If only I knew... But if they could, I suppose they would have placed them right in the middle of their prized castle, inside its deepest layers...}

{And before you ask, I don't think moving the center of the political power here would've been wise... Not when both places hold significance to them}

{{Okay... So are you telling me that such a powerful society fell all of a sudden?}}

{For current times, they were strong and mysterious. But for their time…}

{{Who can tell? Bla bla bla...}}

{Humph... I know what you are thinking, and I am with you in this. If they were destroyed, disbanded, or fated to fall, their legacy remains, cursing us with a thorny path just as it did to them} 

{Anyhow... I'm almost done here}

Dae had almost finished a full circle of bloody runes on the ground. It was almost impressive how he could speak and paint those symbols simultaneously... Almost...

{A piece of advice... Don't get heated up about these subjects. Their old history is mostly meaningless to us. And at the end of the day, the artifacts aren't the only way to return to Earth}

{Whatever force they tap into to bring us here, we can tap into to bring ourselves back... We'll return without a shadow of a doubt... Once we're done with what we're meant to do}

{Because even if we return, it doesn't suddenly mean we can rest in peace... Time moves equally for all}

"..."

{Annnd… Done}

/Shunsh!/

Like cogs in a machine, the blood runes fused with the red circle, casting a blinking red light in the room.

An ominous feeling emerged within him, a heavy and strong one, reminding him of memories he wasn't so fond of, so he asked: 

{{What's going on?}}

{Blood magic, with a little bit of sealing magic and a tiny flavor of healing magic}

{{From the books I read, wasn't Blood Magic Illegal? And healing magic of all things?}}

{Blood magic is only the catalyst… As for Healing magic, it's only that in name. People categorize things into sections but forget those are only conventions}

{There was once a crazy magician who learned how to reverse Healing to cause Decay... A famed mage once said: "Every magic is useful for something. A master of Ice magic can create a firestorm"...}

{Magic is based on mana, shaping it into something else entirely. Even if it takes another shape, you can still transform it into something else because it is still, at its core, Mana. And this can be applied to many other areas as well}

Philip understood his words, but the strange feeling did not vanish. Either way, they both waited for a little while longer as they conversed before Dae got up and started to chant in a low voice...

"~*&!#)!@#$~..."

His words were strange and alien, something beyond the range of his Skill.

In fact, he even wondered if Dae was speaking in any language at all...

The chant went on for around ten minutes until the light disappeared. And with it, Dae took a deep breath as he cleared his throat, satisfied with his progress.

"Phew… We are done with these guys."

"Erm... Can we finally talk?"

'I feel like my head's about to burst.'

"Yes...!"

/Tud/

Suddenly, Philip felt a cold and sharp blade press against his neck.

"Stop right there."

Petter had woken up, and he didn't seem happy. 

But rather than lose his composure, Philip scoffed as he turned to the side:

"Didn't you say that the sedative would last an hour? It has been barely half an hour."

"It must have been his Skills… But hey, it lasted long enough."

"... You seem very calm for someone with a blade on the neck."

/Slit/

Petter's voice was cold and heavy as he applied force, cutting into his skin.

/Screach.../

But only the sound of metal being scratched was made...

"..."

"..."

"..."

Everyone looked at each other in silence for a few seconds...

/Crack!/

The knife cracked under the pressure, and its fragments fell onto the cold, hard ground, a quiet and saddening demise...

"Cough!... How long are you going to stand there? Talk with him and do your thing!"

"... Ahem, sorry, sorry…"

Dae removed his cloak after clearing his throat, revealing his face to Petter.

"Dae… Kyoung?!"

Petter then pulled Philip's cloak, his expression twisting as confusion took over his eyes.

But he didn't remove the knife from his neck... What remained of it... 

"What's happening? This is..."

"Petter, please, let Philip go. Let's talk calmly…"

"No. And I am calm... Pardon me for doing this, but I was suddenly knocked out only to wake up in a dark place with two cloaked dudes invoking some dark magical shit on the bodies of those three bastards."

"... He has a point."

"... On which side are you?..."

As he looked at Dae, Philip realized it was his time to shine.

Just as planned, he took the reigns of the conversation, saying:

"Look, petter, we aren't your enemies here. Much on the contrary. We came here to help you." 

"What do you mean, man? Help me? I... Didn't I tell you to get out of my business?"

"That's grand coming from you. Do you even realize what you were about to do?"

"I am grateful for your help, and yes, I was!... I was this close…"

"This close to dooming yourself." Philip interjected with a scoff

"... What? What do you mean?"

"You fucking idiot, think! What do you think would happen after you kill those three dudes?"

"..."

"Even on Earth, it was a crime; what made you think it wasn't one in here as well?"

"You let your emotions get the better of you. There are so many ways to solve things... And you chose this one?"

"I don't know what they did to you... But don't let them doom the very future you fought to reconquer, man!"

"!"

Petter's eyes opened wide, Philip was right... What point would there be in vengeance if he could not live the life he was striving to reach?

"The moment those three died, you would have the Crown or whatever on your ass. This includes all of those Purple knights, Red knights, the instructors, and whatever more troops they have."

"... They wouldn't…"

"Petter. You're not anyone, you are a summoned Hero, an asset for this country. They aren't going to let you go so easily for ending three others."

"I..."

Petter finally let go of the knife as he took a step back to sit on a bench, causing it to creek heavily.

"Shit!..."

"Much better… It's your call now. I need to cool my head a little more."

Before Philip could walk to the side, Petter held his cloak as he tried to sort his chaotic thoughts.

From immense rage to confusion, it wasn't an easy situation to take in.

"Wait! Before we continue, I would like to ask one thing... How did you guys find out about this event?"

"I found out about it easily with my Skill."

Dae took a step forward, he already had his lines ready...

"You? But you don't have any such Skill… Wait, did you... Did you lie?!"

"Not really. I told everyone about all of my Skills at that time in the Gymnasium, but I got more since then. Aren't you the same?"

"I... Right... But why go to such lengths for me?"

"It's like this... It all started when the Orb did what it did~…"

"Wait, time out. You aren't going through that long story again, right? Didn't you say we didn't have time or something?"

"... Yes, yes... You're right... Killjoy."

"What are you two talking about?"

"Do you think we got here without trouble? We had to hide, else people would be on our trail."

"Philip is right, this is a fight against time… I have an idea."

Dae took out a coin from his inventory; it was the same one as before.

"I would've preferred to share some context with you first, but we don't have time, and neither can I let you go back the way you are, so... We can circumvent the rules a little by using a trick. I will offer a contract…"

"DON'T!... Don't say those words…"

""...""

"... Sorry, everyone… I just... Don't like the word."

"It's okay. Let it out… As I was saying, we can circumvent this using a trick."

"I don't like the fact you can twist such an important contract with a trick... Makes it sound like everything you told and did before, cheap..." Philip added with a frown

"Cough... Give me a break will you... I won't do this again anytime soon. And even if I do, you'll know."

Philip shrugged.

"... Here, I'll answer your question, and you offer to keep quiet about this; the coin will ensure you learn everything in a second… The only problem is that it might hurt… and you will get a headache later..."

But as he said that, Philip whispered through the Thought Bridge:

{{Is this fine? To just add more people to this?}}

{I know what I am doing. Apart from him, I don't have anyone else in this place with whom I would share this kind of information. Only some bits and pieces...}

{I told this before: we can't do this alone; we all have roles to fulfill; I ask for your trust once more...}

{{Sigh, out of everyone, I hoped it wasn't someone I knew... Follow whatever plan you have}}

"... Do I even have a choice right now? I don't have the energy to move, and you two seem quite strong…"

"Of course you have a choice, and that is forgetting about this situation... But that would also remove your chances of getting stronger..."

"!!!... What did you say, Philip? Is that true? What are we talking about, exactly?"

"..."

'He bit that pretty quickly… This might be easier than I thought.'

{{It's your turn now}}

{...}

"... He isn't wrong… Although I wanted to leave that for later… Me and Philip are in a…"

"Corporate deal." 

"... Yeah… We are helping each other grow stronger… Among other issues..."

"And let me guess, you want to invite me in? Why?"

"If you decide to cooperate, I can explain it to you…"

{{That wasn't very convincing, you're selling him a product but aren't even explaining what it is? I've seen scams more elaborate than this}}

{What can I do? I don't have the time to go over the whole story again!}

"I accept."

""...?""

"So quickly? Why don't you think a little bit more…"

"He made his choice, Dae; we don't have time to rummage through it. We aren't in a classroom."

"... Sigh, sure. Here we go…"

/Cling!/

The coin flickered in the air and parted into two parts, one entering Dae's head and the other Petter's. 

"..."

For some time, Petter just stayed there with his eyes closed as if he was meditating. Five minutes later, he opened his eyes, all of his confusion gone, replaced with certainty and confidence. 

"I understand now… I was being shortsighted… I am sorry! For the both of you!"

Petter bowed his head slightly, twice toward Philip, as he apologized for what he had done before.

"It's okay, man."

"No worries."

Petter's expression relaxed a little as his lips curled a little, but soon enough, his eyes sharpened as he added:

"I would like another contract. The old one only says not to divulge information about this event, but I think that's too shallow for what I have received... It's the minimum that I can do to pay off this debt."

"Above all, I'd like to know more... The truth this time."

"I had enough of being the one in the dark."

"... Sigh..."

"... Why are you exhaling, Philip?"

"Nothing... poor thing..."

"What did you say?..."

"AHEM!... That's simple to do; as long as both parties accept, the contract can be redone. I will offer you something similar to Philip's."

"Do it. I'll pay the price, whatever it may be."

"..."

'That's why you were in such a ditch to begin with, man...'

"Then we're in agreement."

Golden light shone on their foreheads, but it didn't last long before disappearing. 

"... Mission accomplished, I suppose?"

"Not yet. There are two things we need to do first."

"What is it, Kyoung?"

"Petter, you don't need to be so formal… It feels odd. Just call me Dae like all."

"Sure thing, man."

"Good... Anyhow, you Haven't finished your Quest yet, right?"

"I... Yeah, that's right, but how did you… Right. It seems that Skill of yours is indeed true, huh…"

"Oi oi Petter. You believed him too quickly. You agreed way to easily..."

"Hey! Shut up if you aren't going to help! Don't try to create a fire."

"He's always been like that; it's fine, so calm down, you two…"

Petter looked down as he stared at his stained hands, clutching them tightly...

"As I grew up, I learned how to judge people. And I feel you two are quite trustworthy… And what I saw… Plus, the message from the system window… I think I can believe you."

"... I am glad you trust me, but I would say for you to not trust the system that much..."

{{What did you even show him?}}

{Our previous conversation in the library, but I cut out some details like the Origin Orbs and your personal information to make this situation easier to deal with, especially since he's not like you, his head can't process that much information at once}

{{Man... Once again... Doesn't this breach the contract?}}

{Technically speaking, you being here is a form of silent agreement... But I won't do this again anytime soon. I am speaking the truth this time. Besides, what he saw was so different from what we experienced that it may as well be something else entirely}

{I can show him my actual memories of our conversation if you want; that way, we'd all be on the same page}

{{It wouldn't change anything... Just don't do it again, I'm already stressed out as it is, and it wouldn't be nice to have another thing to worry about}}

{Haha. I didn't plan to do that again either. Three people knowing this sort of information is already enough for me}

"Haa... I might've even shed a tear if I still had some."

"..."

'I feel as if something's odd here... They just stood still for a good minute in silence... Are they like... Speaking telepathically?!'

Petter's unruly imagination was coincidentally right for once...

"It's simple then... Let me help you finish your Quest."

"But how? I can't really kill them now… This way, I'll never fulfill the Quest's requirements."

"Petter... You're not looking at the bigger picture."

"... There are worse things than dying in this world."

"!"

'T-That was cold...'

"What do you think would be a fitting end for those three? They took everything from you… Why don't you take it all back?"

"Wasn't that the very thing you were after from the beginning?"

"..."

"You already have everything needed; their spirit is also broken after what you did to them, making the job easier."

"I... But how? What should I do?"

"Rob them of everything they have of worth. Their Abilities, Skills, Powers, everything... Their hope and potential, steal them all for yourself."

"How do I take their Skills? I don't have a Skill like Loan Shark… And even then, I don't even know how it works..."

"Yes, you don't... But we can force it to cooperate. After all... Loan Shark… Is a Skill with a conscience."

"!"

"Erm... What does that mean?"

"Wait a minute. Wasn't that supposed to be super rare?"

"Guys?..."

"Indeed. But everyone here is a Hero. The chances of one of us having one such Skill is very high, but let's go back to the topic."

"..."

"Loan Shark is an egotistical Skill. Meaning, it looks after itself over the safety and progress of its master. It's an entity with a will, one that supersedes its host."

"Ironic... Only Foust would ever have such a thing..." Petter added with a scoff and a dry laugh

"The System never fails to amaze me. Creating life just for the sake of it..."

"... Consequently, if it determines its Host cannot provide what it needs… It will switch hosts. And that's when you jump in."

"Go to Foust and take his Skill! But you can't just take it; you need to have it submitted to you. Otherwise, it will only be a trash skill that can go berserk anytime."

"Lone Shark has immense potential limited only by its user's willpower and control."

"... Alright. It doesn't hurt to try..."

Without hesitation, he agreed. Making Philip sigh in pity... Just how much had he suffered to make him change so much?

Meanwhile, Petter stopped right in front of Foust and asked:

"What do I do now?"

"Whatever you wish. Try speaking with it. Considering the person where the Skill was born… It might understand you better if you use a similar language to those delinquents."

"I will give you some instructions during the process, but most of it is up to you."

"Hm..."

Petter turned to Foust, thinking about what to say.

Meanwhile...

{{Will that really work?}}

{For this particular Skill… I would say the chances are around 30%. Mostly because this is a Hero-generated Skill. For everything I said and affirmed... It's up to the System to determine if our efforts today will bloom or not}

{Let's wait and see how things go.}

"... I think I know what to do…"

After thinking for a moment, probably about what he would say. Petter began: 

/KICK!/

"... Oi! You piece of trash!... No, I am not talking with the piece of garbage Foust, I am talking with you right there! Show your sorry ass to me!"

""...""

Philip shook his head as his face grew heavy, meanwhile Dae sighed...

/Gurgle gurgle.../

However, to their surprise, a faint blue shadow resembling a large fish jumped out of Foust's body and started to swim in the air around them, displaying its large bloody teeth in defiance!

"So you appeared… Heh... Since you're here, it means you are unsatisfied with that piece of crap right there, right?"

"..."

The shark didn't say anything and just looked at Petter. His large white eyes were full of emotion. Even so, it remained calm, as if trying to look past his facade.

It knew who Petter was... It wasn't taking him seriously at all!... Yet... It listened, and Petter knew why.

That was everything he needed.

"Let's make a deal. Come with m,e and I will make you stronger. There is only one condition… You need to submit to me!"

"!"

/GROWL!/

The shark's eyes narrowed as it showed its teeth once again, it was clearly unsatisfied... 

/SLAP!/

Petter didn't even flinch as he slapped the blue shark in the air! Sending it crashing down against the ground like a sloppy fish!

/GURGLE!!/

The shark made some strange bubbly noises before opening its maw and rushing at Petter. 

It was fast. Like a sports car driving at full speed!

But Petter remained calm.

/BITE!/

/SLAP!/

With one step, Petter evaded the shark and slapped it once again into the ground.

"A beast will remain a beast no matter how smart it is I guess. Coming in a straight line? Come on, even those bunnies in the forest are more deadly than you."

/KICK!/

He lifted one foot and kicked the shark.

"You're just like that buffon. All bark, no bite. Is that what you want to remain as?"

And he did so again.

"I can make you surpass him. The little potential that traps you... I'll shatter it. But in exchange..."

And again, and again…

"You'll give me your everything. That's how the game's always been? Right?"

Until…

[DING!]

[Loan Shark is begging you to stop! It accepts your deal]

"Oh yeah? But I don't think so… The terms have changed. If you aren't going to give me something in return, then I will not accept you."

One foot over the sharp, he looked straight into its eyes as he smiled deeply, just like Foust used to do whenever he faced him in the past.

[Loan Shark is confused]

"You better make up your mind. What could be worse than dying? If you don't take my hand, your destiny will be forgotten forever. No, in fact, you will be turned into food for that guy over there."

Petter suddenly pointed at Philip.

"..."

'What do you want me to do? Sigh…'

{{What did you say to the kid?}}

{Just do your thing. Trust me, I think this will work.}

{{This isn't the problem, just how did you find out...}}

{PHILIP JUST FUCKING DO IT}

"Tche..."

[Predator's presence LvMax has activated!]

Philip tried his best to act like a beast, but his expression didn't matter at all because...

[!]

At that moment, Loan Shark remembered him! 

It tried to swim away, but it realized that... It could not return to its host's body!

Right, the moment it gave up on its host, it lost the ability to dwell within him.

Like fish outside the ocean, soon enough, it would drown.

"Give me their Skills, and Stats… Make sure to gobble everything apart from Traits unless they have two. If you do that, I can consider having you under my wing."

"As a treat, I will give you all of the useless abilities for you to eat… Food enough to make you roll over for days on end... What do you think?"

"This won't be the last time I'll offer you such a feast."

[... Loan Shark accepts the offer]

Petter smiled. He raised his hand to the sharp, and it reached forth as well.

/Sheen.../

The shark vanished, taking residence within his body. A faint mark ignited within his palm, officializing their connection and his mastery over the Skill.

Today, the beast had found its master, the one who would set it forth on the path of consumption!

Its limits unleashed, it opened its maw...

[The conditions have been achieved! The Skill, Loan Shark has activated]

[You are collecting your debt. Total value equal to the amount of suffering they imposed on others during their lifetime]

[Loan Shark is looking for an equally valuable Skill]

[Loan Shark has found its prey]

"... How the world turns… Take it all. Leave just enough for them to breathe."

Bluish, dark light gathered on his palm as it spread in the room, reaching out for the trio...

The light condensed into mist, taking the shape of multiple teeth...

It bit down, but something prevented Loan Shark from taking another bite.

[DING!]

[Error! A strange force has blocked Loan Shark from devouring the Skills]

"!"

'This again?... I don't know what to feel… This saved my life before by making the Shark go berserk and devour that Useless Trait of mine, but it is now saving my enemies...'

'It pisses me off.'

[Processing… The conditions are suitable. The Skill, Loan Shark has been given free rein to act]

/Growl.../

The mist condensed into the shape of a Shark.

It swam in the air, taking its first bite.

It's old host, now a pathetic shell... It would enjoy its meal, and present everything...

To its new master.

...

[Loan Shark has devoured the Skills, Tax evasion Lv2, Blunt Strike Lv7, Intimidate Lv8, Command Lv8… Would you like to fuse with them?]

A long list of Skills spread out before Petter as time passed, and as he read through it, Petter exclaimed in surprise and even a little bit of fear:

"This is… It... It even devoured their Classes?"

"It seems you were successful. You can relax and think for a bit while Philip and I do something else."

"Choose the Skills you feel will be the most useful. Everything else can be fed to the Shark. And even if you have second thoughts, you can always feed whatever you have to the Shark... Although it can't spit back what it ate..."

'Not right now, at least.'

"Where are you two going… Pardon me! I didn't mean to intrude. I understand you two have an agreement and..."

"We are only going to that fountain over there. We will be back in a few moments. After you finish going over your rewards, come to us."

"We're in this together. So don't be a stranger... Philip may act like that, but he doesn't really bother."

Dea pointed towards a broken fountain in the furthest wall to our position. 

"I can hear you just fine from across the room, you know?"

It was Dae's turn to shrug as he turned around.

"Okay. I'll end this quickly..."

[Loan Shark is nervous]

"Hm?..."

'What?... I guess you did a good job. Here, have these useless things…'

Petter wasted no time, feeding the three Classes he stole from them to the Shark.

[Loan Shark's hunger has been satiated]

[Loan Shark Lv4 -> LvMax]

'What? All the way to... Of course... I've essentially fed it three whole Heroes. If I feed it their Skills too it would be like condensing three entire Heroes into a single Skill. Something was bound to happen.'

[Loan Shark is overjoyed with its meal; its Hunger ceases]

[Loan Shark has pledged complete loyalty to its new Host]

[All conditions have been achieved]

[The Skill is mutating]

[Loan Shark has changed into Predator of the Depths Lv0]

[Recalculating proficiency...]

[Predator of the depths Lv0 -> Lv1]

/Crack.../

The shark began its metamorphosis, its skin changing from a light blue hue to a full dark blue color.

Its eyes became silver-colored, shining a kind of mystical light.

Several luminescent stripes formed across its body, shimmering with its every move.

It had a smooth appearance but its ferocity disappeared, being replaced by a calmer aura...

It also grew a little more tangible. And although still hazy, if placed underwater, it would indeed look like a fish from a certain distance.

(Image?)

"Hoo... I like your new look. The previous one was rather ugly."

[;-;]

"... Tche."

'No wonder Foust spent so much time managing this...'

Petter looked at his window tab and couldn't help but click his tongue. 

'This is a mess, so many unrelated Skills...'

"I can clean this later. They aren't going anywhere. Let me see what those two are doing…"

[DING!]

[You have finished the quest; Vengeance is best-served cold]

[To make a dog bite its own owner… And he won't even be able to use that hand forever… Never forget the pain and humiliation of this day until his last breath!]

[A fate worse than death!]

[You've stolen another's powers, changing your Fate and striving for an unknown future!]

[An incredible achievement!]

[Your vengeance has been given a high degree of completion!]

[Your vengeance was given the Rank of S]

[You have received the Title, Revenger]

[You have gained the Skills, Beginner Skill Fusion, Counter, ...]

[Your stats are being adjusted to balance the recent changes]

[You have gained a great amount of Skill proficiency]

[Predator of the depths Lv1 -> Lv2]

[...]

Another long list of changes spread out before Petter, but he paid it little heed... Mostly because he didn't understand just how great of an action he had done.

"Good, with this, I am stronger than before, right?"

"Hm?...!"

Distracted, he did not notice a strange figure from behind him... But once she did and he took notice of her, Petter's heart skipped a beat.

A translucent woman in a long dress stretched across the room; behind her were two somewhat blurred people: a man and a woman.

Their expressions were blurry, but their emotions were evident...

They went to the stunned Petter and hugged him. Taking whatever breath he had left with it...

The blurry girl was the first to speak:

"Never lose sight of who you are… I love you, brother…"

The confused Peter regained his senses, screaming in both excitement and fear: 

"Sis?… SIS!"

But before he could talk back, they all vanished like smoke 

"Sis… Mom… Dad…"

'What just...'

[You have been blessed by a spirit of fortune]

[A new Trait blooms from deep in your Soul]

[You have acquired the Trait, Focused]

"..."

Petter cleaned his eyes and turned around.

He had already cried a lot, but he couldn't help but shed another tear. However, this would be his last.

His last tear for a past far too painful to live on.

The first step was heavy and hurtful, but he knew... They had told him... It was time. He had dabbled in the past long enough.

It was time to move forward.

...

.

.

.

Notes