Alex found himself baffled by the previous statement and couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean? How can a race be considered unnatural?"
Henry, sensing Alex's confusion, patiently replied, "Are you familiar with the mechoid race?"
Perplexed, Alex responded, "No, who are they?" Henry paused for a moment to gather his thoughts and then explained,
"Mechoids were immortal machines that defied the effects of time and corrosion, unlike humans and other races. However, their longevity came at a cost. Mechoids had an incredibly inefficient method of reproduction, relying on rare and hard-to-find special metals and materials to be built."
Henry took another moment to reflect before continuing, "Humans, being humans, decided to wage war against the mechoids, resulting in the near-extinction of their population. The war initially favored the mechoids, but when other races joined the conflict, they ultimately triumphed through attrition."
Alex was overwhelmed with questions, but the first to escape his lips was, "What does this have to do with being truly natural? And how does it relate to the system?"
Henry paused briefly once again, then replied, "The system emerged shortly after the mechoid conflict ended. For unknown reasons, every child born after that period gained access to the system. Most people now adays don't question it, and those who do either end up learning what I just told you or meet an untimely demise. What only a select few know is that the system is designed to restrict the potential of its users. It deceives with small benefits, but behind the scenes, it limits the creative freedom one has over their spells and created items."
Alex appeared visibly perplexed by this revelation, and Henry, noticing his confusion, decided to provide an example, saying, "The items people discover in ruins embody the true potential of the power of creation. The same applies to magic. When the system was created, humans lost the ability to craft unique spells. Now, people can only teach each other spells or find spell tomes in ruins."
Though Alex was still bewildered, some parts started to make sense to him. He took a moment to serve himself another bowl of stew before speaking, "If everything you're saying is true, it explains a lot, things I've never really questioned. But merely knowing this won't change much for me. So, what did you do to lose the system?"
Henry, finishing the last of his stew, replied, "I didn't lose it. I'm still mostly human, I can still use it to examine items, read their properties, and see their descriptions. I managed to bypass my limitations because the heart within me is that of a mechoid."
Startled by this revelation, Alex blurted out, "What? Why? How?" Trying to calm him down, Henry reassured him, "Take a breath. It's true that I possess a mechoid heart, but it's not as terrible as you might think. The heart serves as the source of mana. Having a mechoid heart grants me greater control and power over mana. The procedure to acquire it is quite painful, but it's a one-time ordeal. However, if you decide to pursue this path, you'll make formidable enemies who prefer the system to remain unchanged, without exceptions."
Alex was torn between the allure of power and the fear of amassing enemies. He had no idea where to find a mechoid, let alone ones heart. As he contemplated his life, his once loving family now disapproving of him due to being considered lesser by the system, confusion overwhelmed him. Yet, deep in his gut, he felt that this was the right decision. Alex mustered his courage and told Henry, "I want a mechoid's heart."
A smile stretched across Henry's face as he rose from his seat and approached a desk by the front door.
He opened a drawer and retrieved a ceramic mask, which he promptly put on. To Alex's astonishment, the old man he had seen before stood before him, now transformed. With a reassuring tone, the old man stated,
"I know where you can find one."