Chapter 15: The System

Alice and Cleo returned home(Cleo's home) while Morningstar stayed in the spare room in the guild building. Clair said that Arthur would return in the morning, so they could compare notes on what they know about the disciples and the crystal. Before Alice left, Clair told her about a new commission they could take, which she said she would give tomorrow. Alice had the rest of the day to herself. This was the perfect chance to get some sleep, and she chose not to. It was too early, and she wasn't feeling tired, so walking around the city was the plan. She could see the palace, standing as tall as ever. Alice wondered if she'd be let in if she went now; if so, she'd have no idea where to go. Lady Astar was nice, Alice would want to see her again, but she had no idea if she was still here in Yvrial or not. Alice reached a town square, not the main one, but one of them. A large church sat across from her; it was pretty. The inside wasn't as impressive as the out, but it was still nice. Alice wasn't big on churches, so she wasn't sure what to do. The sound of talking could be heard in the next room. Making her way in, she found that not many people were here, aside from the man leading the prayer, who she assumed was the father, and a couple of...nuns? Sisters? Honestly, Alice didn't know what the difference was. She decided to take a seat near the back and listen in. The Father concluded the prayer before holding a minute of silence. The sisters( she had decided they were sisters) got up and returned to their duty; about 5 of them were about as old as Clair, while the rest were around her own age and younger. Before she could leave, the Father approached her, and seeing him up close, made her question her own eyes. The man was scary. He towered over Alice, his face was rough and had a scar that ran down the side of his face, but he was smiling warmly.

" You must be new. My name is Father Rhan, the head of the Church of Null Space," Father Rhan said. Now she knew that Yvrial worshiped a god of some kind, " My name is Alice. I arrived here a few weeks ago." Upon mention of her name, Father Rhan looked surprised, " So you're Alice, Arthur spoke about you often." He suddenly says as he walked ahead, gesturing for her to follow, he led her down a hall into a new room, which looked like an infirmary. "You have a guest," Father Rhan says, moving to one of the beds. Alice should've left after the prayer ended. Arthur stared at her in a mix of confusion, surprise, and annoyance. She felt the same.

"I'll let you two catch up," Father Rhan said, leaving them alone. Alice pulled up a chair so she could sit in silence. Arthur would be the first to speak,

" What are you doing here?"

"I was walking, saw the church and was curious," he stares at her speculatively. " You seem to be doing just fine. Why are you still here?" Alice poked at him with her question,

"It's a long story," Arthur sighs heavily. He explains his long story, how he was investigating a disciple hideout and had a face off with an Apostle and an Elder, in exchange for his story Alice tells him about the Archbishop she had fought against with Hana, " During the fight I forced my body to use all my blessed energy, which is why I'm still here, but forget that for now, you fought with the Thousand wars Immortal!?" Arthur asked, bewildered, Alice hit him with a smug smile, "I'm her apprentice," She says proudly. He grunts, " I guess it makes sense. You unlocked your blessed stat, I see," He says. " I did." He said.... stat? Why would he refer to it as a stat? Unless everyone used that term, " I know about the system," He abruptly says, properly catching her off guard.

" How do you know it!" Alice yelled, he flinched in annoyance at her raised tone, " I know about it cause I also have it."

After the insane lore bomb that Arthur dropped on Alice, she simply sat there for a minute in silence, her head resting on the back of the chair as she stared upward. "You're level 55, I take it you did the ascension quest?" He asks, slowly, Alice levels her confused gaze at Arthur, who merely exhales, annoyed, as if what he said was super obvious and she should know what it means. " The ascension quest, is unlocked when you hit level 50, you should've been capped at 50 untill you cleared it so Im not sure how your 55," He explained as Alice had pulled open her quest tab, up at the top next to the main quest header, was a new tab she'd never seen before called " Ascend", going into it showed a new quest, as Arthur had said. This one was different from the others; it required her to accept it to begin. Doing it now would mean not having to do it later, so she taps the start button. Her surroundings begin to warp as she's teleported into a digital world. The area was one large cube; the walls and floor were made up of blue and white lines. She yelps in surprise, startled by the thing next to her, lying on the floor, glaring at her, was Arthur.

"So, what do we do?" Alice asked, bobbing from one foot to the other. Arthur had stood up, seemingly bored with just lying around. " You, not we, just you. It's your trial after all," Arthur walks off to the side as a larger version of the text thing appears a few feet away from Alice,

" To ascend, ascend past yourself," Is what it said, though she wasn't 100% sure what it wanted her to do. Suddenly appearing in front of her was a digital clone of herself, though the clone was red; now she understood what it wanted. It wanted her to fight herself. Could've just said so. Her clone started the fight by drawing her weapon and immediately using Hunters' Surge. Alice was able to parry the first strike after coating her arm in ice; everything after was just stupid, annoying. Since she was fighting a clone herself, everything she did was countered in the exact same way the real Alice would. She would have to steal someone else's fighting style; in this case, it would be Hana. Hana's fighting style was rough; it seemed to rely on her speed and strength, as well as the Heaven series, though she's only seen the first form. She had also learnt that the final cleave she had performed against the sub prisoner was a different move altogether. She focused on her moving; she had to catch the clone off guard. Her first attack successfully landed, but she would have a hard time doing it again. Her speed stat wasn't anywhere near the level of Hana's, so pulling this off was annoying. But one thing was off. If the clone was on the same level as her, why didn't it use rupture? It should know that Alice wouldn't be able to dodge it... Unless it can't? Maybe the clone was a copy of her before she learnt the star technique. Alice put distance between herself and the clone, " I'd stay low if I were you!" Alice yelled out to Arthur, who crouched down. Alice took stance. She could feel the energy welling around her blade,

" Star Blessed, first form: Rupture." She swung her blade, and an arc of energy erupted. The arc went through the clone and slammed into the wall above Arthur. He stared at it in shock before returning his sights to the fight. The clone had been carved in two, it's upper half floating severed from the bottom. It should've fallen. Why isn't it falling? If it's not dead, then Alice will be. Rapture was meant to be a one-shot move; she's got nothing left... Well, there was one thing she could try, but it was a very risky move. Alice levelled her sword and, carefully, pierced her own chest. It hurt a lot. Pulling it out was worse. But this would ensure her health would drop dangerously low, which means her passive skill, Last Dance, would trigger. The skill would boost her abilities by 50% and prevent her from dying until it ended. Paired with Hunters Surge, she was now well over the clone's strength. Alice pushes forward, continuing to use Hana's style of attack; this time, she'd be able to better replicate it. Their blades clashed, the clones' one shattering against Alice's, and in one final swipe, the battle was over. The clone dropped to the floor this time, disappearing as the room flashed green, indicating her success. Alice didn't know it would happen, but she had some hunch that when the fight ended, the system would heal her of any wounds sustained during the fight, which it did (fortunately). " You're an idiot, you know that, right?" Arthur says, walking over to her, " It was pretty smart." She remarks. A new pop-up appears, congratulating her on succeeding and that she can now continue to level, also something about the stars?

" Did you also get this?" She asked, he nodded, " Yeah, but that last line was different. It must have something to do with your true power-" Arthur manages to say before getting teleported back, the text window closes, and a large blank one opens,

" Hello, User," Spoke The System. Alice waved.

" I will answer any of the three questions you have," It says

" The dungeons, are they natural, or can I stop them from appearing altogether?" Alice asked her first question.

" Dungeons are a natural phenomenon, but dungeons 7-star and higher have a source; without it, they will cease to spawn. Next?"

" Why me? You could've chosen someone with more skill and experience. My sword skill, for one, I know for certain that I was never this good. Did you do something?" Alice asked her second question.

" That is technically two questions, but since you are my favourite, I will allow it! I chose you as I thought it would be more fun, picking someone who was experienced would show no struggle, how boring that would be. As for your sword skill, I implanted the basics into your being so you wouldn't struggle too much; everything else was your own doing. Next?"

" Why can I kill so easily? You tampered with my conscience, I know it," Was her final question.

" I did tamper with your conscience. I did so to make you more efficient at killing. If you were to be burdened by a heavy conscience, then your progress would be hindered greatly. If you wish, I can turn this off. But the weight of everything you have done will hit you all at once."

" Clear conscience: OFF." Nothing happens, and then it really hits her. She killed so many people, she staggered back before clutching her mouth, dropping to her knees as she swerved her head to the side to throw up. The memory of death surfaces, the faces of those she cut down so effortlessly. Her entire body quivered.

" Would you like to turn it back on?" It had asked, a hint of worry in its voice. If she did, she'd just be ignoring it. Wiping her mouth, she stands, and she shakes her head no. Had Arthur turned his off, too?

" Do not worry, Player. What you are doing is right, though the killing will continue, you will eventually grow to understand that this feeling will never go away. Only you will live with it." Alice wasn't sure what to do; she could turn it back on and numb herself to the feeling, or she could accept it for what it is.

" Until next time, dear player!" The system proclaimed that Alice was teleported back to the church. When her vision cleared, Arthur, Father Rhan, and some sisters were here. " What took you so long?" Arthur asked,

" I spoke with the System."

" You spoke with it? How? What did you ask it?" Arthur sounded envious; maybe he didn't get to ask the system questions like she did. " Hmm, so you too wield this, 'System". How interesting, though she doesn't seem very proficient with it," spoke the sister. She still had no idea who she was. " This is Sister Wies, she's been with us the longest, but despite that, she tends to speak her mind, even regardless of how rude it may seem." Father Rhan explains, chuckling. Alice introduced herself,

" This is nice and all, but I'd still like to know what it is you asked the System, and how it responded," Arthur reminded them. She could tell him, orrr.... " Nah," she says, smirking mischievously. The two would then get into a fight, Father Rhan and Sister Wies would eventually split them up.

                                                                 -MAIN OBJECTIVE-

Reach Level 900

REACH DIAMOND RANK IN 5 MONTHS AND HAVE ARTHUR JOIN YOUR TEAM

THE STARS BECKON YOU, ANSWER

                                                              -SIDE OBJECTIVES-

FIND AND CURE CLEO OF ENTROPY POISONING

PROFILE: ALICE

LEVEL 58

ATK:228

SPD:212

DEF:240

STAM:240

MANA:200

INT:194

BLESSED: 25

(available stat points: 185)