"I understand how it could be the best option to pick the Devourer System but tell me how is it the worst option," Nero said, taking a few moments to calm his roiled-up emotions.
"The Devourer system is not just a tool of power. It is a force of endless and insatiable hunger, a bottomless abyss that could never be fulfilled."
"I know little about the Devourer system, but what I know is more than enough to understand its terrible nature," Draven said with a grim tone.
"I can still consider it a viable option because I have seen what it could offer its host," he said before he paused for a moment, his expression hardening.
"It appeared out of nowhere, its presence getting recognized when hundreds of Chosen with King and Primordial Rank systems began to vanish without a trace, their bonded architects going silent as if they never even existed,"
"It killed more than ten thousand Architects and Chosen, and even then, it was not found, only revealing its presence when it came for the Architects of Knowledge," Draven said, his voice heavy with the weight of the past as if he lost some precious in that slaughter.
Nero felt a cold chill run down his spine as Draven's eyes darkened, and his emotions exploded with a mix of rage, thrill, and excitement.
"I fought beside the Architect of Knowledge against that nightmare," Draven said, his tone filled with a quiet, simmering fury. "And what we faced was not human, or it was a creature that existed in the darkest corners of the galaxy."
"It took everything two of the strongest the galaxy had to offer to bring it down, with both of us nearly dying," Draven's voice grew darker as he continued. "When he drew his last breath, its death scream was so terrible, it rippled through space and time, heard by all in the galaxy."
"It killed millions and made billions go mad with the curse of insatiable hunger, making countless worlds fall into uncontrolled chaos for nearly three decades," He paused, the weight of the memory heavy in the air.
"It took everything we had to extract mere fragments of memories from the host, who had long fallen under the system's influence, his sanity erased, leaving him no more than a puppet for the terrible system," Draven said, his tone steady now, a stark contrast to the storm of emotion that had surged moments before.
"All we managed to recover were a few years' worth of memories before it took its last breath and his soul departed, but they were enough to know how the system chose the host," Draven said, a rare smile gracing his face.
Nero looked at Draven in silence, understanding the system's threat and potential and his reasoning for considering acquiring such power.
His first thought was to stay as far away from that madness as possible no matter what it could offer, but a part of him also wanted such untamed and limitless power.
It was clear that to stand against the True King, they needed something in the realm of madness, and their best option was the Devourer system. However, if they failed to control such power, their fate would be the same as that of the individual who acquired it in the previous life.
There was also the issue of devouring others' powers, which, from what he could understand, meant killing the individuals before the system holder could devour their powers.
While he was not against killing since killing predatory beasts and bandits was normal, and he would not bat an eye if he needed to kill such criminals, killing innocents was a line he would never cross.
But for now, Nero first needed answers to questions like what power this True King wielded, what the Runic codex that Draven mentioned was, why he could not just get it, and why they could not just grow in silence for as long as they needed.
"I know you want to ask questions," Draven said with a wary smile before he continued. "Why couldn't we bide our time, growing stronger in silence for as long as needed? What exactly is the Runic Codex that I mentioned? And What kind of power did this True King wield?"
"We can not wait and grow because I was at the peak of the galaxy, and the only way to advance was to further study the laws of reality, and that was only possible by leaving the galaxy, which was not possible without dealing with True King,"
"I fought against him with the mightiest of the Galaxy, and it was not even a fight. We were butchered in mere moments, and all our efforts rendered meaningless like a candle of fire trying to dry an ocean," Draven said, his voice steady yet heavy with emotion.
"The Runic Codex is the book, a complete collection of the universal language, Runes, inscribed on the genome of every Race, as every living being had the entire codex written on their genes, but few can see it, and even fewer could understand a fraction of it,"
"As for how the codex, a single copy that could not be replicated, came into existence, it is completely unknown,"
"Its purpose is a mystery. The runes it contains are the base of all magic and describe the complete understanding of the cosmic laws, and it also contains the key to open our galaxy to the wider cosmos," Draven said, revealing the truth known to a few in the entire galaxy.
"Your last question, What kind of power did this True King wield to be so far above the reach of anyone," Draven said, taking a short pause as he stared him dead in the eyes. "He is the holder of the Runic Codex, and from it, he gained an ability called Cosmic Dominion," He added, the name alone being enough to tell that it was beyond special.
"It allows him to copy any ability, trait, skill, or anything that a living being could have except their physical and spiritual strength, like aura, mental energy, and memories," Draven said, each word he spoke only fueled his growing rage, far stronger than any emotions he had shown before.
"He could take these attributes permanently, and with him being countless years old, he is truly a monster with a vast arsenal of abilities at his disposal," Draven said, taking a short pause as he suppressed his anger, returning to his usual cold and distant calm.
"I am not even sure if acquiring the Devourer system would help us defeat that monster, but it is the best available option," He said, a calm smile stretching across his face.
"If you think it is too risky, then you are welcome to decide between the systems of Knowledge, Space, and Time, and you have twenty-four hours to make this decision," he added, leaving no room for not picking one of his given systems.
Nero was left speechless, as at this point, he did not even know whether to be happy or feel the dread of his fate because he was walking the path of doom. Either he would get killed by his older self or face a monster in the far future and suffer doom at his hands.
It was clear that Draven held little confidence that he could win against the True King even if everything went as he wanted, but he was willing to try it no matter what fate awaited him.
He was giving Alex a choice between bad and terrible, and it was still beyond him why he would even bother telling him such a truth. While he would rather have stayed in the dark, since he did tell him, he could do nothing about it.
Nero also understood that Draven was only doing what he felt was right to exact his revenge, and anyone in his position with such desire would do the same.
He faced the dilemma of choosing a system from several that all seemed incredible, and learning about their abilities only made the decision more difficult.
The Knowledge system was one of the first systems and had access to all forms of information, from magic and its forgotten spells to vast archives of ancient technology lost civilizations, and the hidden truths of the universe.
The Space System not only possessed an unparalleled mastery over the space element, an element powerful enough to rival time itself but also bestowed abilities to traverse the hidden planes of existence, such as the void and the spirit plane.
The time System allowed abilities related to the time element, which, while not broken enough to allow time travel, was anything but weak compared to the other.
The devourer system had already been explained to him, so he did not have to be reminded of its capabilities. At first, he did not even consider it because if he was going to march to his doom, he might as well live long enough to enjoy his life.
But the more time passed and he thought about it, the more he felt that it was the right choice because the devourer system gave him the best chance of surviving and even if he failed, he would only meet his end a bit sooner.