My Fate System

The dagger slashed the air apart as it reached the scarlet hair of the princess, cutting right through it. However, it was blocked by red energy as it was an inch from her neck.

"What are you doing?" she growled, and the fear grew larger. This time, however, Nikolai felt something having his back, so he pushed the fear aside.

"What I should have done since the beginning, psychopathic bitch," Nikolai grinned as he tried pushing his dagger to stab her neck, but it was no use. This was one of the princess's powers, and it made her unparallel in a close-range battle.

As he defied her once again, Nikolai's body began regenerating. His fallen flesh was being restored as a warm feeling spread on his back.

"It seems you have grown a backbone, Nikolai," the princess glared at him before turning to look behind him. "Is that who changed you to defy me?"

"Shut up and die," Nikolai aimed his gun at her in an instant and fired, but the bullet couldn't pierce through the elf's defenses.

"If that's why you aren't obedient, then I'll make sure that I kill him," the princess gave a grin as her eyes held infinite killing intent. "The illusion is broken, but don't think that you overcame my shadow."

After she said that nonsense, the princess dissolved into nothingness, and Nikolai retracted his guns as the room began dissolving as well. He turned toward the person behind him, who held a smile now.

"Are you alive?"

"I am nothing but a figment of your imagination, as you have even replaced my voice with yours," Shon replied in Nikolai's voice. "It wasn't me, but you who saved yourself. I am merely the person you wish to be saved by,"

"Ah, yes. You are certainly me if you are this annoying," Nikolai sighed before he smiled. "And I'm guessing you are also the skill manifestation?"

"Correct," Shon dissolved into a younger Nikolai, who grinned. "How did you like my gift?"

"To relive a trauma?"

"No!" Niko threw his hands up. "My reward is the chance to overcome your fear. How do you feel knowing that you stood up to the person who hurt you the most?"

"I feel nothing."

"Psychopath," Niko sighed before giving a grin. "Or a liar?"

Nikolai didn't say anything as he closed his eyes. Then, for some reason, it began to rain in this dark. As the droplets fell on his face, he felt at peace for the first time since he returned to the past.

Ever since he became a follower of Lilith, a seed of rage sprouted in his heart. The more he lived in this world, the more his anger grew. He felt angry toward everything and everyone, and nothing seemed to lessen it.

But now, despite not disappearing or growing milder, his rage took a colder form. If it was a burning fire before, it was now an ice shard that wanted to tear the world apart.

"Cold and infinite rage," Niko sighed helplessly. "It seems you have a long way to go, but this is a good start. At least, you won't burn yourself in the process."

"Shut up and give me my skill," Nikolai opened his eyes with a smile. "If you give me another one of your rewards of tests, then I'm going to dedicate my life to destroying this skill."

"Now, now," Niko took a step back with a twitching expression. "There are no more tests nor my handsome rewards. You've earned the right to use this skill. Therefore, how about you treat me a little better than this?"

"I'd rather not," Nikolai walked toward Niko and grabbed toward the kid. In response, Niko's body disappeared like smoke to reveal a single golden and transparent crystal with engravings on it.

"Let's break this world, Nikolai," a voice came from within the crystal before Nikolai tightened his grasp, breaking it. A stream of energy entered his body as Nikolai closed his eyes to feel a power taking root within his soul.

[You have acquired a Legendary Skill, Absolute Shield.]

[Absolute Shield: a legendary skill that prevents anything from harming the user, including physical attacks, elemental mana, or skills without hindering the user's attacks. The skill can be charged using valuable items such as gold, elemental gems, mana crystals, or ores. The amount of acquired charge depends on the item.]

[Absolute Charge: 10000.]

The skill was quite simple, as all great things are. Nikolai could use valuable items to charge the shield, which would protect him against everything as long as he had enough Absolute Charge.

At the moment, he had ten thousand damage, and that meant that if one hundred people with a strength stat of 100 attacked him, Nikolai's shield wouldn't break.

The absurdity of this skill lay in the fact that there was no limit to how much you could charge it. So, if a monster struck Nikolai with a million in its strength stat, he would survive as long as he prepared enough.

"Absolute Cheat should be its name," Nikolai grinned excitedly. "However, it is indeed a gluttonous treasure that would turn a rich man penniless."

Nikolai wasn't worried about that, though. When dungeons start appearing in the world, he would be the first to clear them and obtain the treasures within them. Then, as long as he had enough resources, he would be invincible.

"Of course, I shouldn't forget my luck," Nikolai smiled as he thought of ways to start gathering money. Gambling, enchantments, and mining were one of the few things that could help him.

However, all of this remained as plans only, as he had a few things to consider from now on. But, first, Nikolai needs to prepare for Val's trial before it arrives, which would be in a couple of months.

As long as he gets enough money before then, Nikolai would be safe against even Val himself. An image of an immortal necromancer appeared in his mind, and Nikolai almost lost himself to his excitement.

The space began to twist before crumbling down. After it did, Nikolai began to freefall back toward the island. He didn't try to use his darkness this time but threw open his hand to raise a golden shield around him.

Nikolai landed on the ground without any damage being transferred to his body. There was a giant crater beneath him, but the shield negated all force that would harm him.

[Absolute Charge: 9982.]

"Eighteen points already?" Nikolai sighed, but he knew he was not an omnipotent god just yet. At that moment, a monster appeared from within the sand, and Nikolai realized it was another Foxman.

The monster roared and rushed forward to attack him, and Nikolai didn't move. He wanted to test the skill he so desperately wanted, and the claws struck the barrier around him.

[-90 damages!]

The system reported to him, and Nikolai took out his blade to strike. His attacks passed through the barrier, which kept a distance around him without hindering Nikolai. The blades hit the monster, which screamed and attacked again.

[-37 damages!]

Nikolai's shield held firm as he took a step back, making the monster's attack lose a bit of its momentum. The process repeated itself, and the Foxman fell without being able to touch Nikolai.

A crystal appeared from within the Foxman, and it was an F-rank crystal with white color. As Nikolai absorbed the mana stat, he wondered how strong he would grow into with this bugged skill.

"However," Nikolai looked at the damage his shield could withstand, "I need to start making money. Lots of, lots of money."

***

The pillar of light was finally within his sight, and Nikolai almost excitedly shouted as he ran toward it. There was a simple fact about this island: it was full of monsters.

Even with his shield skill, Nikolai would be dead if he came across the A-rank monster that the skill mentioned. That's why he looked for the place that would reward him with another reward: the island's core.

Flying islands were masses with a meteor piece embedded within, and there was a way to control it. However, the amount of mana needed to control such an ore was almost ten times what Nikolai could currently use, so he opted for the next thing: hiding the island.

As long as he was the only one who knew of its location, Nikolai wasn't afraid about people finding it. That's why he would wait until he was strong enough before coming back to this undiscovered island and seizing control of it.

Of course, Nikolai knew that the reason islands were coveted by the powerful only was the countless monsters that would be on them. That's why unless he can kill an A-rank monster, he couldn't use this island as a hideout.

The pillar of light connected to the island's core, and it was also connected to the skill before. When he touched it, he was about to move the island toward its next hiding spot. After that, Nikolai would have to find a way back to Rohan.