Soulless Players

Chapter 46: Northern Continent

After class, Philip immediately left the classroom without looking back. He went to the Alma Inn which is situated a block away from the university gate.

When he walked to the Inn, he noticed that Evans' men were nowhere to be found and wondered if they were also implicated in what had happened earlier.

Although Philip was curious about the aftermath of Professor Evans and his secretary Sid's arrest, he decided not to investigate further. He believed that time would eventually reveal the truth, especially since the Evans were well-known in both the university and town.

Upon entering the Alma Inn, Philip was greeted by a man in his thirties who stood behind the front desk. Though he recognized him as one of the inn's three employees, he had never paid much attention to him before. After exchanging a polite nod, Philip quickly proceeded to descend the stairs to the basement.

'I don't know but I feel that he is unique. He seems so hmm... distinctly introverted, as though he was suffering from a severe form of depression. Can he even do his job? I feel that being a receptionist is not suitable for him.' Philip pondered.

His observations continued as he encountered another employee, a woman in her fifties named Sita, who was busy washing the blankets. Though he acknowledged her with a nod, he refrained from initiating a conversation and simply continued on his path.

'Just like the man from the front desk, she also seems very unique and her actions were very systematic...'

Philip couldn't shake off the feeling that both employees seemed lifeless, almost like machines. Despite his curiosity, he ultimately decided to focus on the tasks at hand and left the matter alone.

'I have to understand first what I have read in the library this morning.' Philip sighed. He felt exhausted after a long day but still felt the need to study.

After washing and changing his clothes, he lay down on the bed and rested his eyes. He wanted to get comfortable first before entering into a 'Spatial Cognitive State' where he could effortlessly summon the wealth of knowledge he had gathered in order to process it more efficiently.

However, when he felt the soft touch of the bed and his eyes getting heavier, he sighed self-depreciatingly and reluctantly roused himself to sit upright in a nearby chair. He knew that he had to stay away from his bed to prevent himself from giving in to the seductive lure of procrastination.

After some grumbling and stretching to revitalize his body, he steeled himself to summon forth the imagined 100 documents, each containing a trove of information about the north.

Suddenly, illusionary pages appeared in the air. Philip then controlled each of them to form a map of the northern continent, categorizing its content into five sections by country. They are Northon, Norman, Nadia, Nova Principality, and Nordic Empire.

The Northon Kingdom, located in the southeast part of the continent, is where Philip currently resides. This kingdom shares its border with the eastern continent, the only country that connects the north to the east by land.

The southern land of this Kingdom is long and surrounded by the Nathaniel Sea, an area where citizens can travel by boat to reach the southern continent. The Northon Kingdom is a prosperous land with a thriving economy and a stable political system.

Northeast of Northon is the Norman Kingdom, which is the second-largest country in terms of land mass. The topmost part of the country is covered in ice all year, only melting in the summer. That is why, although the country is large, only a small part of the country is livable and arable, mostly in the south, close to the border of Northon Kingdom.

Among all the countries in the north, Norman is the most difficult to conquer. With its mountainous area and harsh weather, colonials would find it very difficult to cross the borders.

West of Northon is the smallest country in the northern continent, the Nova Principality. This country possesses the greatest power in the Nathaniel Sea and has the most fleet despite its size.

The masked prince, Calisto Darvin Nova, currently oversees the country. He is the son of the previous Emperor and the daughter of the princess of Nadia Kingdom. No one knows the true face of the prince, but his citizens remain loyal to him.

The prince is not allowed to marry or have children but can keep a harem, which adds an air of intrigue to the principality.

Out of all the countries, Nova Principality is the only one with a history of ruling for less than 400 years, which is considered new compared to the millennia history of other kingdoms.

The Nadia Queendom is located in the western and southernmost part of the continent, controlled by queens from generation to generation. This land borders the Lusca Ocean in the west and contains the Nathaniel Sea in the south.

Just like how Northon connects north to the east, this country also adjoins the northern and southern continents with a long bridge called the San Agusto Bridge. The bridge is a marvel of engineering and is an essential part of the trade and commerce between the two continents.

Lastly, the Nordic Empire is the largest country in the northern continent, formed by merging three kingdoms into one. Despite having a total governance history of only 700 years, the Nordic Kingdom, the empire's originator, boasts the longest traceable history in the north.

Interestingly, the year in the calendar is based on the Nordic Kingdom's history, with the current year being 1857, representing 1857 years since the establishment of the original Nordic Kingdom.

Additionally, the emperor's firstborn child will always be a twin. This twin then will share the authority of an emperor, with one who has the external influence while the other influences the court. To obtain a ruling, the two emperors must both agree.

However, only the firstborn of the twins could continue the legacy and gave birth to a new twin emperors. The second twin's child would be partnered with the princesses of the other kingdom and rule the principality.

This unique system of governance is the pride of the Nordic Empire and has contributed significantly to its stability and prosperity. It is said that the two twin emperors are born close to each other and under no circumstances would one of them die before the other, which adds a sense of awe to the Nordic Empire's legacy.

If one of the twins were to harbor hatred towards the other and commit murder, it would signify the end of the twin emperor's legacy and pave the way for the Nordic Empire to dominate and unite the entire northern continent. This is the prophecy that has been believed since the inception of the empire.

Thus, to prevent the Nordic Empire from gaining power, the three countries, together with the independent principality, formed an alliance. They built up their forces in case the foretold prophecy came true while at the same time, striving to ensure that the twin emperors cherished one another.

This bizarre and unusual relationship, where smaller countries hoped for the peace and stability of the emperors' relationship, has persisted to this day.

Philip closed his eyes for a moment before he slowly opened them. He touched his throbbing head as he breathed deeply.

'Maintaining this state is simply torture. I can only hold it for 5 minutes,' Philip clicked his tongue as he returned to his bed to lie down.

"Even though it can be uncomfortable after extended use, this ability is still very useful. I feel this is perfect for cramming last minute before an exam," he said with a chuckle. Despite his grumbling, he felt content knowing that he possessed a special ability other than his uniqueness.

'This is truly a marvel. What would happen if I allocate more to my mental? Can that make me do more than just the state of cognition?' Philip mussed.

Shortly, he opened his system to see his overall stats.

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Name: Philip Mckenzie

Story: The Misery behind the history of Britannia

Profession: Undercover Agent

Level: 13 (1101403/1638500)

Stats:

Physique: 18 (+50) [>]

Mental: 13 (+28)

Mana: 0

Spirit: 0

Attributable Points: 0

Karma: -10

Uniqueness:

> Mystique Identities - Active (Lv. 2)

-Transformed physical body to body the player is familiar with.

> Golden Eyes - Active (Lv. 1)

-See through the value of things.

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Quests: +999

Inventory: 2

Log: +99

Information: ...

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Main Mission: 1 vs 99 Soulless Players vs World

Description: Be the sole remaining player or survive the world's destruction in the year 1879.

Reward: 1 Wish and a Soul

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Mission: Kill a player

Reward: 5 Attributable Stat Points, 1 Experience level-up card, 1 Uniqueness level-up card, Steal Player's Uniqueness

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Mission: Reach Level 15

Reward: System's update (Store), +5 Attributable Stats, 1 Uniqueness Level Up Card

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Mission: Unite the Northern Continent

Reward: 500 Mana Base Stats, ???

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Mission: Unite the Southern Continent

Reward: 500 Spirit Base Stats, ???

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....

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