We call it by a lot of names. Destiny, Fate, Luck. Does it exist? Does its existence mean the absence of free will? No matter what you may say, it is hard to explain the chances of certain events occurring without the intervention of a higher power.

~ From a diary by an unknown author

'The fuck? Why did I have a dream of that?'

Chester's mind was stirring awake after realizing the entirety of events he'd just witnessed was him reliving a piece of his life back on Earth. He was quite bitter about that, feeling a slight pang of sadness upon recalling the tragedy that befell the Anderson family. Due to his chaotic life, he hadn't remembered them in years.

He opened his eyes blearily, blinking out the crust and feeling like he had been hit by a shuttle bus. Chester noticed that his surroundings were eerily reminiscent of modern technology. An IV was in his arm, feeding him nutrients through a tube. His clothes were a pristine white, and the room was extremely luxurious.

The primary reason Chester knew he hadn't woken up from a coma on Earth was for two reasons; certain items, such as his backpack and civilian clothing were put away neatly on a nearby shelf. Secondly, he knew that even with all his stolen wealth, there was no way he could afford such a lavish room like this within America's hospitals.

'Shit, I doubt with the funds I had before I fell into this world I doubt I could even afford a check-up.'

He gingerly touched the place where the shadowy assassin had stabbed him. He could feel layers of gauze where his wound had been. Chester's mind could only remember bits and pieces of what had happened. Squelching noises. Repeated headbutts until something caved in. Alda's shouts. The mess of red gore that he could barely see before blacking out. Turning his mind away from the horrible memory, he checked his status.

CHESTER EVERHEART

PERK(S):

Underdog II - Slay an opponent with a higher level and superior stat total. +10 to all stats. 10% increased damage dealt to opponents with a higher level or a higher stat total.

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Greater Endurance - Stamina recovery is increased. All damage taken is reduced slightly. HP gained is doubled for every point in END. HP regen gained is doubled for every point in END.

Greater Intelligence - Your ability to recall details and memories are enhanced. Your mental faculties are greatly increased. MP gained is doubled for every point in INT. MP regen gained is doubled for every point in INT.

Greater Agility - Your reflexes and eyesight will scale in proportion to your AGI stat. All agility-based abilities are enhanced by 10%.

Viva la Resistance - Persuading one to turn against their oppressors/superiors. Increased likelihood of turning enemies into allies. +5 to CHA.

Level: 36 (37 stat points to allocate)

Race: Human (Otherworld Variant)

Class: Illusionist (Unique) - A class that uses magic to disrupt, trick, and deceive opponents. 1.5x boost to INT, 1.3x boost to AGI and CHA.

HP: 2200/2200 (11 HP regen/min)

MP: 3700/3700 (18.5 MP regen/min)

PRIMARY

STR- 58 (68)

AGI- 100 (140)

END- 100 (110)

INT- 110 (185)

SPECIAL

CHA- 46 (74)

LUC- 9 (19)

Skills:

ACTIVE

Alter Self Level 2 - Assume a different form. You can change key features along with size. Illusion cannot be applied if extremely different to base shape. A maximum of two targets can hold Alter Self. -10 MP/min, No cooldown. A damage value of over 100 will dispel the illusion.

Darkness Level 4 - A radius around your target within 5 meters will be covered in darkness, obscuring vision. Radius of spell: 3 meters. -50 MP to cast.

Dream Level 1 - Control the subconscious to conjure powerful imagery. Targets experience a slower perception of time under the spell's radius and are subject to the laws and rules imposed by the user. Being touched in the physical plane will interrupt the spell. Maximum time elapsed in spell: 12 hours. Activation: 30 seconds, -250 MP.

Greater Invisibility Level 1 - A target becomes invisible upon use. Sounds and smells from the user are not revealed unless willed to. Being attacked will make the illusion vanish. -100 MP to cast.

Improved Minor Illusion Level 2 - You can create an illusion that can affect sight and hearing. Size of the illusion is restricted to a maximum of 2 cubic meters. -100 MP to cast.

Hypnotic Pattern Level 2 - Unleash a visual illusion that disorients your foes. There is a small chance of immobilizing the target for one second. -50 MP to cast.

Mana Blast Level 3 - Unleashes a non-elemental magic projectile upon the target, dealing 50% of your total INT stat as damage. -100 MP. 1-second activation, 5-second cooldown.

Greater Mana Infusion Level 2 - Infuse your body with magical energy. Boost stats by 10% while activated. -150 MP/min

PASSIVE

Sword Mastery Level 1 - Proficiency with sword-type weapons. Upon equipping a sword, 5% increase to damage dealt.

Hammer Mastery Level 2 - Proficiency with hammer-type weapons. Upon equipping a hammer, 5% increase to damage dealt.

Advanced Dagger Mastery Level 2 - Proficiency with dagger-type weapons. Upon equipping a dagger, 10% increase to damage dealt.

Advanced Flail Mastery Level 2 - Proficiency with flail-type weapons. Upon equipping a flail, 10% increase to damage dealt.

Advanced Illusion Mastery Level 3 - Proficiency with illusion magic. Your understanding of illusions grants greater precision and efficiency. 10% increase to casting speed of illusions.

Advanced Mana Mastery Level 1 - Proficiency with mana. Your understanding of mana grants greater precision and efficiency. 10% increase to magic damage dealt.

Poison Resistance Level 2 - You are resistant to non-magical poison and venoms. Immunity to weak poisons, and slightly reduced effectiveness against powerful poisons.

Mental Resistance Level 1 - You are resistant to low-level mind magic and psionic abilities.

The one thing he could remember doing was getting his END to 100 before the blood loss got to his head. His health pool had doubled, and his ability to take damage had increased by another magnitude. Chester couldn't remember getting a level-up in the Darkness spell, but he supposed that the repeated uses during the battle had been incredible for its progression.

But the main reward from his trials and tribulations wasn't present in the room. At least, not visually. Chester could feel his connection tethered to the Attainium, and its presence was residing within his bag. Reluctantly, he got up and brought the IV stand with him to where the shelf was and ruffled through his extra-dimensional pack.

A massive jar filled to the brim with iridescent fluid. The metal that he desperately searched for as a means of power. Damien thought it was a unique and powerful metal, but he didn't appreciate it the way Chester had. It could work as a weapon, armor, or even a regular tool. The possibilities for it were endless. The thief felt like it was a match made in heaven, and after using it to take down the bear in the Arcadian Forest he had developed an attachment to the magic metal.

ATTAINIUM

- A magic metal that can change shape according to the user’s will. It boasts great hardiness and durability. It cannot be destroyed through ordinary means.

- Weight: 10kg

Chester smiled upon realizing that the dwarves hadn't immediately seized his stash. He decided to use his time wisely and prepare a cover story for why he was in the vault, and how he got in.

The door to his room opened, and he froze upon seeing a dwarven nurse with a bucket of water and a washcloth enter.

"AHHH!"

"AHHH!"

They both screamed at the same time, and Chester's voice matched her higher pitch. He was especially jumpy after the events of the battle, but he quickly settled himself down. She urged him to sit down and rest before going off to call somebody. Fortunately, it didn't seem like he was in trouble.

The first one to arrive was Alda. She seemed perfectly healthy, although her heavy armor was replaced with civilian clothes instead. The theme amongst women's clothes was skirts and long dresses, but the dwarven general set herself apart with a pair of trousers. She hugged him, but carefully avoided the wound on his neck and the man greatly appreciated her for that.

"Woah, Woah, easy. It's nice to see you alive. I'm guessing we won?"

The woman's eyes were glistening slightly, but she wiped away any signs of tears before responding. "We won with a significant amount of casualties, but it was better than expected thanks to the efforts of Wisperium."

Chester didn't understand why the vampires were absent during the defense of the palace. He was miffed by them being credited when it was him and the dwarves fighting with their lives on the line.

Alda shook her head. "it's not that they wouldn't, but they couldn't. An even larger enemy force was at the front gates keeping them busy. It seems that the ones they faced were even stronger and more numerous than the ones at the palace."

"What?! Enough for them not to send any reinforcements?"

Before the dwarven general could respond, another person appeared at the door. Jet-black hair, and exhausted eyes, Damien seemed to have just woken up to meet the awakened illusionist. Chester didn't know what to say, because he hadn't heard much about the details of the battle at the kingdom entrance before he came in. The boy had no visible wounds on him, so the man assumed that the battle wasn't as intense as the one he fought.

"What's up, little ma-"

Damien made a beeline for the bed and gave him a massive hug. He was strong, and the thief couldn't even get out of his grip. But it wasn't hard enough to injure him. The vampire boy's head shook lightly, and Chester patted him softly on the head. He didn't think that his hospitalization would have such an impact on his sidekick.

The boy didn't cry. He had a big smile of relief on his face, tinged with a bit of tiredness. He finally spoke.

"You idiot. You nearly got yourself killed."

Chester didn't think much of it until now. There had been several instances when he nearly died, although this one had been the closest so far. "I'm fine now. Besides, isn't the Archbishop here? Why'd you put me in a regular hospital?"

"Your body was rejecting the healing magic. Whatever the healers used on you didn't work anymore because of how much it had taken already. It was barely enough to keep you alive with the Archbishop's magic."

The illusionist's eyes were wide. He didn't realize there was a limit to the amount of healing magic a person's body could take. Physically, he felt fine. But mentally, his wounds didn't disappear so easily. His hands felt the urge to rise and touch his neck once more, but he always expected a surge of pain or blood to start gushing out.

"So how did you guys treat me?"

"The hospital here isn't as advanced, but the doctors we had on standby worked together with the Archbishop to make sure you didn't die from blood loss. Your body is still recovering from the healing limit, so you shouldn't take any recovery potions or magic for about a week."

That explained why he was hooked to an IV tube. He could see how mundane and magical items worked together to provide him with an ideal place for recovery.

"You should thank Damien, he sent a letter back home begging his great-grandfather to send any support he could. He even asked for a vial of blood so they could turn you into a full-blooded vampire and accelerate your recovery."

The boy in question looked embarrassed, and Chester smiled a stupid grin upon hearing that piece of information. He didn't know that vampires had an ability like that, but he could tell that something like that was a big favor. Damien turned his eyes away and mumbled quietly. "I wouldn't say I begged..."

"Ah, I get it. You were going to miss your cool, awesome, hip, and ultra-skilled surrogate uncle. Give me a hug!"

"Agh! Get away from me! I regret this!"

Alda smiled softly as Damien ran away from the recovering illusionist. He had worn his formal attire today, with no sign of his armor on hand. She didn't say it, but she was well aware of the boy's attempts at ensuring he made a full recovery. The dwarven general couldn't afford to wait during the emergency surgery which lasted twelve hours along, having to fill numerous reports and inform the fallen soldier's families of the news. But Damien waited. Even after such a terrible battle, as soon as he recovered from his mental shock he waited anxiously by the doors of the surgery room until the Archbishop announced that the operation was a success. General Drake had to forcibly drag him away to make sure he got the rest he needed.

But she felt that giving Chester more ammunition to embarrass the vampire noble with was a bad idea. She watched as the man progressively got more on Damien's nerves, and decided to interrupt the bonding session between the two.

"If you're up for it, I'll need your statements on what happened in the vault. After what happened, the palace is on total lockdown and Pernatia is sending one of the Cardinals to hold down the kingdom while they were vulnerable. We'd like to fix up our defenses and pinpoint how the invaders managed to sneak past our defenses."

Chester agreed to come but asked for some time to get changed and properly discharged from the hospital. In the back of his mind, he carefully constructed his alibi while talking with Damien and receiving more details about the battle.

"So there was a vampire soldier on the other side? So he betrayed you guys?"

"Although Wisperium has the highest vampire population, it's not like we're the only place with vampires. Some humans can also evolve into vampires through experimentation, but it could lead to some side effects. Many factions try to reproduce vampires by forcibly kidnapping some of us, although the chances of them succeeding is a different matter..."

The way Damien talked about his time on the battlefield, he tried to stick to facts but Chester had a feeling he was downplaying just how it impacted him. The boy seemed avoidant when talking about how he felt, and the thief didn't want to open up any recent mental scars. If the boy wanted to open up, Chester would listen. But the thief knew that sometimes, it was best to let sleeping dogs lie.

"I helped out with taking down a ballista, but a lot of people on our side died during the process..."

For a brief moment, the boy looked guilty. He seemed crestfallen upon remembering the deaths of the soldiers he fought alongside, and Chester didn't know how to comfort someone like this. He was a thief, not a therapist.

"Take it easy, Dame. War is a shitty thing, and people dying is a natural consequence. I doubt the families blame you. Just focus on the good you did rather than the bad."

Chester was smooth with his words on most occasions, but he felt that the boy needed something genuine rather than something that sounded nice. The conversation turned towards lighter topics, and Damien idly mentioned that both of their armors had been sent to the master blacksmiths for some additional repairs. He was stunned to hear that General Drake lost an arm during the battle and that the Lieutenant General had lost an eye during the conflict. Apparently, regeneration of lost limbs and other body parts required intervention from more powerful healers that surpassed Archbishop Romero.

"Hopefully there's no problem, although they've kept Aunt Nat's arm preserved while they wait for the Cardinal to arrive."

The illusionist remembered that Arber owed him a hefty debt and planned on collecting it soon. With all his belongings packed, Chester left the room with Damien and began the trek downstairs to meet up with Alda.

"Shadow Servant."

"What're you going to do?" The thief asked. He eyed the massive hound that materialized from the shadows, tilting his head and giving it an intense look. Damien didn't think too much about it, and the canine sat obediently awaiting orders.

"I'll be doing patrols and helping with the rebuilding efforts. Our forces are depleted, after all. Maxwell's been great with patrols and he's just a good presence to have around. All the children seem to like him."

Chester stared at the dog and his master. Damien scratched it behind the ears, having a special connection with the magic animal that the man couldn't quite understand. But he felt a sense of deja vu the longer he stared. Over the sitting canine's figure, a silhouette of a similar animal with a vest appeared in his mind.

"Hey, Damien."

The boy turned around, and Chester looked at his face for the first time in a long time. He observed his facial features, his eyes, and his hair. The vampire noble tilted his head seeing the odd expression on his friend's face.

'If you changed the skin and eye color by a bit, he kind of looks like...'

"What was the dog's name again? Where'd you get it from?"

"Maxwell. I don't know, I think I might've read it in a book or something. It came to me pretty naturally." Damien didn't think too much of it. Many people he knew had familiars, so he always considered what sort of animal he'd have along with what he'd call it. The vampire knew that spirit animals and weapons from people's skills often took from the person's desires and shaped themselves accordingly. That was why there was little compatibility issue when people had skills that summoned magic animals and weapons; it catered to the individual's core.

"...Is there something you wanted to be when you grew up?"

Damien found the question odd. But regardless, he tried to answer it. The response he was thinking of now was vastly different than what it was a month, no, even two weeks ago. His sense of self had developed accordingly with the things he experienced.

"Well, it's hard to put it into words. I want to be strong, but not for fighting. Everything I've learned in life was always about optimization, efficiency, and victory. But I want to use my powers for good, for those who are less fortunate. I don't want anything like this to happen again. There are some things I can't control, but I'd like to say that you can always do something to help."

"...Something like a hero, then?"

The vampire gave an embarrassed smile and scratched the back of his head. "It's a bit obnoxious sounding, but I suppose."

Chester stared at him strangely for a few seconds longer. He patted the boy on the shoulder. "Well, you should aim higher then. Because I'd say you already are."

Damien stood there, wondering what that was about. The man's back gradually began to get smaller as he walked further away. He was surprised at the praise but took it to heart. He turned on his heel and began to look for soldiers to help with Maxwell at his side.

As Chester continued to walk, he couldn't help but think deeply about the dream he had. He simply thought it was his brain focusing on an event where he realized how fragile human life was, but he was beginning to think there was something more to it.

'It can't be...right?'

The man shook his head and met up with Alda. They both began the trek to the palace of Welton's Furnace.