School Rooftop
"So, what are you planning to do now?" Arov asked Thaluna.
At the moment, they were on the school rooftop. Of course, this place was supposed to be locked for safety reasons.
Yet, a few mischievous students managed to break in using whatever methods they could think of.
"What do you think? Is it good?" the blonde-haired girl asked the boy beside her.
"It's delicious! As expected, your cooking skills are truly exceptional. I could eat this for the rest of my life," the boy beside her said teasingly.
"Hahaha, you're such a flirt," the blonde-haired girl lightly hit the boy's shoulder.
The atmosphere was entirely different from earlier when we had just returned from the cliff...
And now, in just a few minutes, there's already a romantic couple dating here?
Thankfully, Thaluna had cast an illusion spell on us before we arrived.
Meanwhile, Thaluna leaned on the rooftop fence, gazing at the distant city.
"Arov! Arov! How does that metal thing fly without magic? Didn't you say your world isn't a world of magic? And then those 'cars'..." Thaluna kept chattering, bombarding Arov with questions one after another.
Arov simply smiled, indulging her curiosity.
Then, he asked her back.
"What are you planning to do after this?" Arov asked.
Thaluna didn't answer; she continued staring at the distant city, her gaze shadowed as if haunted by a nightmare.
"I... don't have a place to return to."
"Our race in the Abyss is nothing more than a collection of species forced to be cannon fodder in wars to conquer various planets."
"And besides, the only family I cherished is gone."
The atmosphere grew somber in an instant.
Suddenly, Arov had an idea.
"In that case, would you like to come with me?" Arov asked.
"Come with you? What are you planning?" Thaluna inquired curiously, her fox ears and tail twitching in curiosity.
"Your Foxian race isn't originally from the Abyss, right?" Arov asked.
"Yeah? Why do you ask that?" Thaluna tilted her head, confused.
After a moment, she realized something.
"Wait! You're not thinking of going to the Abyss, are you?!" Thaluna exclaimed.
"No, idiot," Arov flicked Thaluna's forehead and looked her straight in the eyes.
"We're going to your world!" Arov declared.
"Eh? What?"
***
Floor 31
"Umm... how are you planning to go to my world? You don't even know anything about it," Thaluna asked, puzzled.
"I have my own methods," Arov grinned, pulling out the sword he had used to fight the man from the Abyss.
At the moment, they were heading toward the Abyss Gate. Thaluna had told him the gate was located beneath the castle and the Abyss army's headquarters attacking Earth.
The place was in ruins, with magma flowing everywhere.
Fortunately, the entrance wasn't entirely sealed.
Arov used a portal to suck up and relocate it to a random location.
He didn't even know where the portal would lead.
Arov and Thaluna eventually stopped in the middle of a sea of magma.
The ground they stood on was a giant gate connected to the Abyss Gate that had brought disaster to humanity.
Arov struck the 100-meter-tall gate, shattering it into pieces.
The thick metal fragments fell, destroying the spiral stairs within.
Arov unfurled his devil wings and descended, followed closely by Thaluna, who floated behind him.
After descending hundreds of meters, they finally found a glimmer of light.
The light was a purplish-black hue, glowing ominously in the lethal darkness surrounding them.
Arov was slightly surprised. The Abyss Gate, it turned out, was a portal within another gate.
He suddenly had an idea to try and close this gate by himself.
"System," Arov called.
[Yes?]
"Can I close this gate alone?" he glanced at the panel beside him.
[You can try. There's no threat in forcibly closing this gate.]
"Okay." Arov extended his hand.
His hand formed a sigil, as if gripping something in the air.
A serene magical energy began to be consumed at a speed visible to the eye.
The portal reacted, sensing the disturbance.
Slowly, the portal began to close.
Finally—
Boom!
An immense shockwave swept through Arov and Thaluna. The surrounding area crumbled due to the sonic blast.
Arov opened a portal connecting to the outside world before the place was destroyed.
The Abyss Gate had been sealed, and the debris from the surrounding walls covered the area, making it a perfect hiding spot.
[DING!]
A loud notification rang in his mind.
[Congratulations to Hero Arov Quills for saving Earth from the Abyss threat!]
[Your achievements will be remembered forever.]
[The Awakened System has fully operationalized.]
[Due to your swift resolution of the Abyss threat, the System offers you, Pioneer and Representative of Humanity:]
[Do you wish to spread the Awakened System to all humans on Earth?]
[Yes/No]
Arov was shocked by the system panel in front of him.
"Wait, does this mean all humans will gain Traits from this system?"
[Not all. Please note that Traits are unique abilities that emerge from the users themselves. However, the system will strive to awaken Traits in as many people as possible.]
The golden panel, *Child of Fortune*, immediately interrupted.
[Child of Fortune: Declined.]
"...?" Arov was confused.
[Why?]
[Child of Fortune: What's your purpose for doing this? As a system, you're supposed to leave after fulfilling your task—that's what's written in your creation code. So, I'll ask again. What. Is. Your. Purpose?!]
Arov was startled by the voice of *Child of Fortune*. What was once a cute, childlike voice had turned into a commanding, authoritative tone.
After a moment of silence, the blue panel responded.
[In that case, let me explain the purpose of our Creator in crafting this system.]
A blinding blue light enveloped Arov, taking him away.
Meanwhile, what about Thaluna?
Arov had left her in the ruins.
She might be cursing him right now for abandoning her in such a place.
However, thanks to Thaluna's physical and magical strength, the rubble was obliterated with a single punch.
Countless shards of metal and stone flew everywhere.
She floated, searching for Arov, only to find him nowhere on Floor 31.
"That bastard... How dare he leave me?" Thaluna's fury burned intensely.
But the golden panel immediately stopped her.
***
Arov shared the same suspicion as Child of Fortune.
From the beginning, he had never trusted anyone, always on guard against everything that happened to him.
The system was no exception.
That's how it should've been.
But from the moment the system was activated, the moment he first received the mission to destroy the Abyss Gate, he already had a bad feeling about it.
Unlike other characters in novels or comics who would place absolute faith in a system.
That was never the case for him.
He was being manipulated.
Who in their right mind would march directly to the headquarters of the Abyss worshipers?
Wouldn't it be wiser to confront them safely and gradually?
When he awakened [Devil Change], the system's manipulative influence weakened slightly.
Then, when [Child of Fortune] emerged, the system's control was completely severed.
This was why Arov never spoke carelessly to the system.
Now, Arov and Child of Fortune were in an unknown location.
It was also Arov's first time seeing Child of Fortunes true form.
Child of Fortune had the appearance of a child, but its entire body was enveloped in golden light.
Sensing Arov's gaze, Child of Fortune quickly reminded him:
"Stay vigilant. We don't know what's about to happen."
Arov nodded, turning his gaze forward.
There, he saw a prism-shaped object radiating beautiful, multicolored light.
The place they stood on was a vast ocean merging with a stunning blue sky.
The prism-shaped entity, the system, began to speak.
[It's a pleasure to meet you.]
[Although I admit it's embarrassing to meet under these circumstances.]
[Shall we begin?]
Arov glanced at Child of Fortune beside him.
He had absolute faith in his Trait.
A Trait was a part of himself, so of course, he trusted himself.
"I already have a vague idea of what's going on, but if you don't mind, I'd like to hear your story first," Child of Fortune said.
[Certainly.]
The vast ocean and sky began to emit a brilliant light, enveloping them once more.
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1373 word.