Thudd!,
"Huh?", Ray stopped his words as he heard something dropping to the ground. He looked around and saw the dean standing in front of him with his eyes opened so wide that they threatened to pop out of his eye sockets. Furthermore, his forehead seemed to be covered in sweat.
Ray did not know if it was from shock or fear or both of them, but the expression on the dean's face surprised Ray a lot. The expression the dean showed was that of someone who had seen a ghost. As pale as paper. Moreover, the dean was not someone weak, he was one of the most powerful powerhouses of humanity yet he seemed to be scared stiff of something. However, after observing the dean, Ray realized that the source of the voice he heard before was not the dean, it was someone or something else. He looked around and saw something that made the hair on his back crawl while sweat trickled down his forehead.
Just beside the dean, he saw a strange humanoid creature kneeling on the ground. Ray did not even focus that the creature was kneeling towards him, he was just startled and afraid of its aura. It felt as if a god was kneeling in front of him. The creature had four membranous wings coming out of his back. Moreover, the wings constantly emitted pulses of dark energy.
The creature's back though, unlike its dark wings, was as white as snow and pristine as jade. It was not only its back but his whole skin seemed to be like this. However, the creature's hands were covered in some sort of bone that went up until its arms. It seemed as if it was wearing bone bracers.
Yet, these features weren't even that fearful, the most ferocious aspect of this creature was its face. Its face had two horns coming out of it while a blackish flame burned on its tips while its eyes were as black and deep as a black hole that seemed to devour anything in its path. Furthermore, they were shaped like slits, like those of a reptile. Other than that, instead of a nose, the creature only had flat holes that acted as nares for it to breathe while its mouth had two large fangs coming out of it. Other than that, there were two scars shaped like an X coming down from its eyes and reaching its chin.
This coupled with the terrifying aura it released scared Ray out of his wits and he calmed down only when Aurora diverted the pressure being released by the creature subconsciously due to its superior strength. Therefore, after calming down, Ray silently observed the creature and consulted Aurora for her opinion.
He asked her, "So.. do you know what it is and how it came here, most importantly why is it bowing down to me?".
Aurora could only shake her head as though Ray had felt a threat from the creature after being under the pressure of its aura. He seemed to be unperturbed by it all after the pressure vanished.
Furthermore, from Ray's tone of speaking, he seemed to feel no fear from such a ferocious and bloodthirsty creature while he only looked at it with curiosity. She did not know if it was due to her being Ray's system that he had gotten such boldness and courage or if it was something that Ray had deep within his bones as she could feel Ray's contempt for the creature that came from within his being. Therefore, she speculated it to be something related to strange energy within Ray.
After some thinking she spoke, "I know the creature's origins, it's nothing more than a manifestation of the dean's system and for it to bow down to you in such a manner, I guess you should ask it yourself".
Although Aurora said for Ray to ask for the reason as to why the creature bowed down to him, she knew that it was because of the words Ray had spoken earlier on. Those words were a part of prophecy predicted by a being above the celestial realm. That person had mastered the art of divination and he predicted the person within the prophecy to be one who would have fused with her. As that person would be able to bring out the full potential of the system and would be able to withstand its power.
At first, Aurora did not believe the prophecy but as time went on, there came a person who had fused with her. Her previous host was someone just as ordinary as Ray. However, he contained immense talent and he was the one who saved the race he belonged to before from complete annihilation. However, that person met a sad end just like everyone does, and just before he died, he told Aurora of the prophecy, that he was never meant to be the one who would complete the prophecy. He said to Aurora when on his last breath,
"Remember, you have such powers within your being that even dimensions would fight for you, yet the one in the prophecy would be able to even make your power obey its command. He would not drool over your power, at the end he would be your host, your master, yet he would never mistreat you".
Aurora still remembered those words said to her and these were part of her memory that she retained over her millennia-long slumber. And after meeting Ray, she knew that he was the one within the prophecy, to make the world yield in front of him. She did not know the future, but she believed that only he would be able to reach the unknown and stand at the top.
Hence, she asked Ray to speak those words to the dean as she knew that all of the systems that had awakened a consciousness would at least know of the prophecy, thus, making things easier for her.
Yet, even she did not expect to find an ancient system here. The system prostrating in front of her was an ancient existence just like her, however not as strong as her, and was someone who had been under her previous master's rule.
However, she simply said nothing to Ray and wanted to see the reaction on the face of the other party.
****
As Aurora's thoughts ran amok, Ray ignored the dean and approached the system. He stood in front of the system and asked,
"Who are you and what are you doing here prostrating in front of me". There was not even a shred of fear on Ray's face while stood in front of an existence that could wipe him out in a breath.
On the other hand, the creature stood upon listening to Ray's words and with a bow said,
"I am your utmost servant sir, the power you control had ruled over my kind for eons, although it's weak now. I sense its potential and am sure of my judgment. My name is "Roh", I am a demonic system. Although I would love to tell you more, my master does not approve of it".
Listening to the demon's words, Ray was at loss for words. He had a servant? and what power? was it Aurora?".
He then thought of asking Aurora but then dismissed the idea, because if the demon would have implied it for Aurora, he must have said so. However, listening to the last words said by the demon, Ray realized that it was a system belonging to the dean. He was about to ask the dean for more information and the dean snapped back to his senses.
***
Meanwhile, during the exchange between his system and Ray, the dean had been standing shocked while a myriad of thoughts crossed his mind. Although many thoughts were crossing his mind. There was one that remained reoccurring the most. The thought was, "I have to get this kid to remain with us and not be poached by someone else".
Moreover, another thought that came to his mind was, "This kid's talent and power must be hidden until the right time". With such thoughts, the dean made sure to nurture Ray the best he could.
After all, he had finally realized the impact only a percentage of power could have as the kid in front of him had forced out his system that remained high and looked at everything else with contempt. This kid has finally made his system kneel, meaning, this kid has made him kneel. However, the occurrence of such thought boiled the dean's blood with enthusiasm as he looked forward to the time when the kid in front of him would rule humanity to greatness, fight against what is to come, to defy the heavens.