Back on Zandor, the war was still ongoing. With the greatest advantage the East had – their superior wielders – now gone after the Tool Of Blessings was stolen, things didn't seem as bleak as before. Although the entire planet was facing a crisis, people were calmer now. Possibly the calmest group of people were living in the Western Empire. Within the Kingdom of Neces, a family of gods lived. Presently, this family was divided – literally. Alexis was at the North, taking charge of the things there, leaving Ray and Mane behind. Currently at Mane's home, his friends were speaking to his father.
"So you're saying that you want to get stronger?" Ray rubbed his chin and looked at the children sitting before him. There were four boys and one girl.
"Yes Uncle Ray. We realized how lacking we were when we got to the East" Frederick said and grabbed the hand of Selina who was sitting right next to him. The two teenagers shared a two person couch and acted a little more intimately than they did before. Seeing this, Ray smiled suggestively at Frederick, causing the young boy to cough awkwardly. Selina blushed slightly at Ray's tactless reaction.
"By 'we' you mean yourself and Selina?" Ray decided that he would tease the two later and asked.
"Yeah. Although it was only a week ago, when I remember how helpless I was, I feel like trash" Frederick sighed. "I don't want to ever feel that way again" he continued
"Yeah. I want to be able to help and not just be a damsel. I am not a dead weight" Selina added.
"I see" Ray sighed. He had heard about the events of that day from the children. He was a little scared as he listened to their narration and got to understand just how dangerous the mission was. He expected that the Master would be strong, but the plan didn't include a direct confrontation. Although he asked Mane to kill the man when he met him, he wasn't expecting his son to do so now. After all, dealing with a Heaven Realmer with just earth realm level strength was no joke. Luckily, they generally came out unscathed.
Due to the grand scale of the battle, the runic circle of teleportation had been tampered with. The children didn't realize that there was a rune missing and proceeded to use it. That was very dangerous. They could have been teleported anywhere; however, once again their incredible luck saved them. Although they weren't teleported to Neces, they found themselves outside the borders of the East and close to the South. They had traveled by foot and had only arrived yesterday.
As soon as they found themselves on familiar soil, their tensed bodies embraced the calm of the West. And once they were home, they began to identify their shortcomings.
"But Mane told me you're a Master Artificer. Wouldn't you want to concentrate on improving your skill? That would also be a great help to the team" Ray suggested to Frederick. Although Mane wasn't here, the first person he spoke to when he came was his father. He had briefed Ray on the details of their mission, so Ray knew that Frederick was an artificer, and a highly talented one at that.
"That wouldn't be necessary. My ability to understand artefacts grows with inner energy. So currently, it's my lack of inner energy that halts my progress" Frederick replied whilst ignoring the strange looks he and Selina were receiving from the others.
"That's new. I have never heard of that before. What about you Mentor, ever heard of something like that before?" Ray turned to the side and asked. His actions stunned Mane's friends who were wondering who Ray was talking to when someone replied thusly,
"It is strange, but not impossible. When someone is chosen by a law, they don't have to work hard to understand that law. Take the Law of Water for instance. As long as one is chosen by this elemental law, they wouldn't need to work hard at comprehending it. As long as they increase their inner energy, the law would grow with them. It seems Master Frederick has been chosen by the Law of Creation, allowing him to do as he pleases with artefacts as long as he wills it. So as long as he grows stronger, the ability would grow on its own."
The person who answered Ray was Butler Fin.
"It's basically a free ticket to godhood" Ray smiled. He knew this already, he just wanted the kids to know. He would have loved to tell them, but things unrelated to battle were difficult for him to explain to others. He might have ended up confusing them.
"When did he get here?" Jake whispered to John. Even Abe who was sitting next to them didn't hear what Jake said, but Butler Fin heard him.
"To answer your question, Master Jake; I was here since the beginning. You just didn't perceive me" Butler Fin smiled. What a joke! He was a Sensor God and could cloud the senses of even Elder Gods, much less a group of children.
"When Mane said you weren't ordinary, I thought he was just being oversensitive" Abe raised his brow in amazement.
"Of course my mentor isn't ordinary. He is one of the most powerful gods in the entire universe" Ray smiled proudly and boasted. The children looked at Butler Fin in amazement. They knew Mane's father was very powerful, but for him to proclaim another as one of the most powerful gods in the universe must mean that this person was likely stronger than him; and more importantly, was a god!
"Young Master Mane has always been a sharp child" Butler Fin smiled bitterly as he recalled the time Mane had come to find him before the mission. The young boy was so sure he wasn't a normal man that he had pestered him until Butler Fin gave up. That was the first time he had seen Mane act so forcefully. But when he confessed, all Mane did was to excitedly ask what his father was like as a child.
"He still acts like a child now, so I was just wondering how he acted when he was really a child" That was Mane's answer when Butler Fin asked why he wanted to know.
"But being oversensitive isn't bad. It is actually the true path of a scholar. You'd best remember that, Master Abe" Butler Fin told Abe
Abe shook off the strange feeling of being called 'master' by a god, and looked at Butler Fin in puzzlement. What did he mean by that advice?
"You better listen Abe. My mentor is a Sensor God and is superior to your master" Ray saw his expression and informed the young prince. Abe's gaze towards Butler Fin changed after he heard Ray's words. Alexis was a Scholar Empress, but Butler Fin was a Sensor God! He wasn't just a bit more powerful than Alexis, he was a lot more powerful!
Butler Fin smiled bitterly when he saw Abe's gaze. He knew what that meant. "It looks like my carefree days are over" he thought with a wry smile. For Ray to tell the boy this, meant that he wanted Butler Fin to help the boy out with his training until Alexis returned.
"As for Frederick, Mane asked me to write a letter of recommendation for you and Selina to attend a God Academy. But their recruitment isn't for the next ten months. So I can do something else for you" Ray plucked a grape and tossed it into his mouth.
"Do you think you can open a portal to Systema for them?" Ray turned to Butler Fin and asked.
"I can, but do you think it's a good idea?" Butler Fin furrowed his brows in worry when he heard Ray's words. "Mane would grill you alive if his friends get hurt"
"I already told him about it. He asked me to leave it to them. He said it was their decision to make" Ray expressionlessly stated.
"What is Systema?" Jake asked the question running through everyone else's mind.
Ray looked at Butler Fin and nodded his head. The Elder God sighed and began to explain, "Systema is a unique world. Once a person arrives in Systema, he or she would be tested by the World's Will to determine if he/she are worthy of its strength. The test usually lasts for a few months. The longest I have heard of is 3 months. But after completing the test, the tested become massively stronger and receives a gift, which is the true reason for the name of the world – a system. No one knows how it works, but Systema's World Will equips the person with an interface that helps the person to grow, and by killing monsters and other races, the person can continue growing explosively until the peak of the Nobility Realm"
"That's amazing!" John exclaimed.
"But there is nothing free in this universe" Frederick furrowed his brows and said.
"Rightly said, Master Frederick. Indeed, there is nothing free in the universe. Initially, several gods coveted Systema for this impressive ability. Everyone was eager to train an army in this world and they fought over it. In a bid to defend itself, Systema waged war against the gods who sought it for their own greed – and won"
"What?!" Selina exclaimed. All this while they were under the impression that gods were extremely powerful and without equal; yet a group of gods had fallen to one planet?
"It's nothing strange. Systema was a higher world that had an unusually powerful World Will. With the aid of their World Will, they were able to drive the gods off, but at no small expense. Systema's World Will entered a deep sleep and their strength fell as a result. Before long, they fought against each other for the few resources left and now, it is a world plagued by war and strive. Although its World Will is awake now, it has grown eccentric and distrustful, and doesn't pass on its power as easily as it did in the past. Over the past few millions of years, only a hundred people have successfully come out of Systema alive. Out of that number, only 25 acquired the power of systems. Master John, do you still think 'it is amazing'?"
The atmosphere turned somber. Such odds were not in their favor.
"They would still go" Ray smiled and said. Frederick nodded his head in agreement. He turned to Selina to try and convince her to say but changed his mind when he saw the resolute expression on her face. He knew her long enough to know that when she made such a face, it meant that nothing would sway her decision.
"We will all go" Jake stated.
"No you wouldn't. Indra already told me what has to be done for you and your brother. There is an inheritance for you here on Zandor, right in the Wielder Academy. It is in a passage guarded by the Academy, but with your strengths sneaking in should be easy. You would go there to train. Trust me, it is your destiny to inherit 'their' power"
Jake and John were stunned at the sudden revelation.
"As for Abe, I'm sure you already know what to do" Ray smiled. Abe nodded and said, "I would stay here and learn from Sir Fin". He was a scholar. Going to Systema wouldn't be of any benefit to him, especially when there was a Sensor God he could learn from here. The young prince stood up and bowed slightly to the Elder God, "Please direct me in my master's steed, Sir Fin"
"I don't really have a choice" Butler Fin said bitterly.
"So that means we would be the only ones to go to Systema?" Frederick asked.
"Not quite" Ray smiled mysteriously.
"What do you mean Sir?" Frederick wondered. Was Mane coming with them?
"Mane would sleep for a long time. His sleep may even last for months." As if he could read Frederick's mind, Ray dashed his hopes of having Mane accompany them. If Mane went with them, he would protect them the entire time. That wouldn't be good for them.
"So who else is coming with us?" Frederick asked. Selina was just as curious.
"Well, it's someone you know, and he was more than eager to go when Mane told him about it. Oh wait, here he comes" The door unlocked on cue. Ray smiled at the person who had come in. And the others were stunned when they saw him.
"I'm going with you. And don't even think of forcing me to stay. My master has given me his permission and Dad is okay with it" the newcomer quickly said to the stunned Frederick.
"Wait, Aegeus?"