As time passed, he felt that his pathways were truly slowly healing, as every day he could sense his recovery speed had increased a bit. Still, the improvement was very limited, and he wasn’t sure if he’d make it in time for the beast horde.
If he had to point out one negative about his current lifestyle, it was the complete and utter lack of progression in levels. He’d unequipped his amulet long ago, and the few barghest he killed per day could barely move his level forward.
Zac had simply run out of targets on the island. The demons and their beast hordes were some sort of allies by now, leaving only the small critters in the forest. There also were the salamanders, but those huge lumbering beasts were too few and far between to actually be an effective target for improving further.
He knew that he would likely get more targets than he could wish for as soon as the beast hordes arrived, but it clearly showed the long-term problem that he had outgrown the island. If he wanted to improve further, he needed to venture out into the world.
77
What is the System?
Zac was wiping off some sweat as he sat down on a small stool. He had been mining and running back and forth between the tunnels and the plot of forest for over six hours and needed a break. This was the ninth day in the mines, and his speed of accruing crystals had progressed greatly as his mastery with his axes improved. He brought out a canteen of water and some food as he looked over to his companion in the tunnel.
Alyn was sitting in a comfortable chair, reading a book at the moment, seemingly unaware of the clangor in the tunnels. She had been extremely uncomfortable being left alone with him in the beginning but was starting to warm up to him a bit, it seemed. Zac unceasingly peppered her with questions about various aspects of the System during every break he took, and instead of being annoyed like Ogras, she seemed to be very much in favor of his thirst for knowledge.
“So you’ve explained so many things about the System to me. But you haven’t explained what the System itself is. Does anyone know?” Zac probed.
The demoness put down her book and looked over to Zac.
“I was wondering when you were going to ask. In fact, almost everyone knows what the System, as you call it, is and how it came to be. It is no secret. But to explain that, you first need to know about the Ancient Empire,” she said, quickly going into lecturing mode. “It is also commonly referred to as the Limitless Empire.
“Billions of years ago, the System did not exist. Instead, cultivators strove for immortality by cultivating the Dao without any guidance, windows, attributes, or prompts. They used their cultivation techniques to gather the spiritual energy in the cosmos, and improved by reaching higher and higher cultivation stages.
“In this ancient era, there existed an endlessly powerful empire, which stood on top of the cultivation world for hundreds of millions of years. It spread over myriad worlds in the universe and unceasingly kept expanding. Leading this great nation was a man called Emperor Limitless. He was said to have reached the peak of cultivation, and many still consider him the strongest being to have ever existed. Of course, many also believe that the System has allowed the powerhouses of the Multiverse to reach further heights compared to the ancient cultivators.
“Emperor Limitless had already reached the peak of cultivation long ago and instead set his boundless ambition upon his empire. His goal was to turn all creation into his empire, to control all life in existence.
“Therefore, he waged wars, fighting for millions of years, the empire ever expanding. The battlefields grew more numerous, and the empire actually started to run out of soldiers. Trillions of lives were lost in the battle across millions of worlds, and the empire had problems producing new powerful warriors. Almost all cultivators were forced into the battle, leaving few competent teachers behind to train the next generation.
“Emperor Limitless and a few of his closest generals and magistrates came up with a daring solution. They wished to create a synthetic being that would connect with every single cultivator in the empire and train them into strong warriors. A cosmic teacher that would lead the empire to further heights, as no potential genius would go unnoticed, and no cultivator would train inefficiently due to bad teachings.
“The creation of this entity took an astounding time, and everyone who worked on the project died, generation after generation, from old age, except Emperor Limitless with his almost infinite longevity. The resources that were poured into the project can’t even be calculated, and just a small fraction of it would cause a bloody storm to erupt, even on an A-ranked continent.
“But finally, they were done. The last step was to activate it and attach it to the Heavenly Dao itself, allowing it to spread to all space. Billions and billions of the strongest of the Ancient Empire gathered at their main continent, and together infused this construct larger than a sun with energy.
“The activation was a success, and the cosmic being spoke its first words to the world.”
“What words did it say?” Zac interjected, entranced by the story.
“‘Insufficient energy.’ Those were the first two words of the System, and every cultivator in existence heard it. What followed were the Dark Ages.
“Something had gone horribly wrong with the being, and it forcefully started absorbing energy. First the cultivators who were part of the activation were absorbed until they died. Even the emperor was almost killed. He escaped after paying a terrible price, but the System wasn’t done and started absorbing the ambient energy from the universe.
“The absorption continued, and soon once glorious cultivation havens were turned into wastelands due to lack of spiritual energy. Even worse, the Dao of the Heavens had somehow become clouded, and progression on the path of cultivation became impossibly hard. All the powerhouses in the Multiverse were furious, as Emperor Limitless’ experiment essentially cut off their path of progression.
“With the empire being weakened and all forces banding together, the Ancient Empire crumbled. Emperor Limitless was slain as well, as the System had stolen most of his power already. The chaotic times continued for a million years, and the sparse energy and obscured Dao became the new norm. Emperor Limitless was remembered as the sinner of the world of cultivation.
“But one day, it all changed. Energy came flooding back into the universe, and all cultivators once more heard the voice. This time, it said, ‘Initiation complete.’ After over a million years, the System had completed all the preparations, and then it started to actually diligently fulfill its purpose. It opened the path of progression again and started to train warriors and powerhouses. All cultivators who resided on planets that once were part of the Ancient Empire got integrated with the System, just like you and me.
“It soon became clear that many things had changed, as the System had constrained and categorized the myriad Dao itself. Gone were the cultivation levels and cultivation through meridians, and instead empowering through levels was introduced.
“The fact that the Dao was usurped is why a few factions in the Multiverse, such as the Technocrats, call the System ‘the Cosmic Warden.’ They believe that by constraining the Dao, it has cut off the avenue for new Daos, such as the Dao of Technology or the Dao of Guns, to emerge. Their goal is to destroy the System, and, in their words, ‘free the Dao.’ Other factions consider the System the liberator of the Multiverse, though, and are stuck in a perpetual war with the Technocrats,” Alyn animatedly explained.
The fact that the System was an ancient training system gone haywire seemed like a huge cosmic joke to Zac. An almost endless number of beings had been affected because this Ancient Empire wanted to streamline their war efforts. But at least it explained why it wanted people to struggle and take risks. Its very purpose was to create strong warriors and even powerhouses, and those could only be born through battle and hardship.
“So why did the System integrate Earth? If the System is only supposed to be a training system for this Ancient Empire, why bring us int
o the mix? Was Earth part of the Ancient Empire?” Zac asked.
“No. Earth isn’t even in the same universe as the Ancient Empire was located. The System not only fulfilled its purpose by training warriors, it also somehow inherited the goal of Emperor Limitless. Since the System’s birth all that time ago, it has kept expanding. After a while, it spread to the whole universe it resided in, and soon after, it started finding new ones to spread its influence into. Since then, it has kept ceaselessly expanding.
“Of course, this is just the most generally accepted theory of the System’s origin. The reason that it’s taken as the truth is that it is the history that is taught by System’s pixies in the Tutorial of all newly integrated worlds. There are some who believe that the System hides its true origins for some sinister purpose, but such things are far beyond us small F-rank individuals.
“The exact details can’t be confirmed for certain, as it happened in another universe an impossibly long time ago. We do, however, know that the Ancient Empire was real, and that it was ruled by an Emperor Limitless. There are multiple historic remains from the empire, and there are many collectors of relics from that long-lost time.”
Zac was truly in awe of the power of this synthetic being spreading through whole universes with nothing being able to stop it. At least if what Alyn said was true, Zac didn’t feel that the System was either good or evil. It was just an impossibly powerful AI let loose, eternally fulfilling its purpose. Unfortunately for Earth, that meant that it would throw the planet into struggle, heedless of the cost in lives. As long as strong warriors were created out of the turmoil, the System was happy.
He briefly thought about the Technocrats. They had to be truly brave or true lunatics to want to fight against the System. It was like going to war against the basic rules of the universe by this point, like trying to fight Death or Time.
It seemed that there were some parts missing from Alyn’s explanation, though. From her description, it seemed that the System was designed to train and strengthen cultivators for the Ancient Empire. But the System did much more than that. It also helped mortals become stronger, and it also seemed to work with beasts somehow.
It even had side features such as the Town Shop and the Mercantile System, which enabled trade over the vast distances of the Multiverse. And that was just what Zac had discovered so far in the scant two months since being introduced to it. Perhaps there were even more functions that waited to be discovered.
“How come the System affects all beings, then, like mortals and even beasts? Didn’t you say it was designed to train cultivators?” Zac probed.
“Good question. It is as you said: the System initially only trained cultivators, and only those able to cultivate were connected to the System. But the System has changed a few times throughout history, each change disrupting the way of life in the Multiverse. To understand these changes, we must talk about the Apostates. Those scant few who managed to throw the laws of the universe out the window and bend reality to their wills.
“The number of Apostates who have emerged since the System was created can be counted on two hands. Each was a being of unlimited power who actually managed to change the way the System operates. Very little is known about the first Apostate, not even his name. He is simply known as ‘the First Defier.’”
78
The Apostates
The subject of the origin of the System was very interesting to Zac. He had a hard time imagining an empire strong enough that it dared to wage war against a whole universe, and an individual powerful enough to change the basic rules of the universe by creating the System. Just a glance of someone like Emperor Limitless was probably enough to blast him into molecules.
The subject of Apostates also piqued his interest to the point that he actually put down his axe and decided to keep listening instead of resuming his mining operations.
“So you mean that these so-called Apostates managed to actually change how the System worked?” he asked, intrigued.
“The actual reasons are quite unclear. Some believe that the System rewards the Apostates for reaching the peak of their path by letting them design or change aspects of how it operates. Other say that they reached such a height that their ideals and convictions shape reality itself, and the System was forced to comply. None of the Apostate has actually broached the subject to tell us what the truth is,” Alyn answered.
“Are they still alive?” Zac probed.
“It’s not clear, at least not to us in lowly D-ranked worlds. From what has been passed down through the Multiverse, the last Apostate and change happened roughly 880 million years ago. Even with the enormous longevity of such supreme beings, they shouldn’t be alive unless immortality is real. Besides, the Apostates reportedly disappeared roughly at the same time the change they brought to the System appeared. That’s why a third theory for the change is that the Apostates actually merged with the System.”
Zac felt it was reasonable that even the schoolmistress didn’t have all the answers. These were the top characters in the Multiverse, and there should be many hidden things behind the curtains that the general population wasn’t qualified to know.
“So what changes did they bring?”
“Well, we can begin with the latest Apostate. He is called the Apostate of Greed, but his real name was Orlan Stillsun. His contribution was the Mercantile System that Calrin and all other merchant organizations use. He was a progenitor of a planet, just like you, and rose to the peak in only a few dozens of millennia.
“But his class wasn’t combat-oriented, and there are very few mentions of him ever battling. The peak he rose to was through business, and his company is still around today, even though he is not. Being able to get a Stillsun Family shop in your lordship is one of the greatest signs of your status in the Multiverse. Of course, they would never open a branch on a D-ranked world, as they still are one of the most powerful entities in the Multiverse.
“His accomplishments were only possible because of the Apostate of Mercy. I have no real knowledge of her, and I don’t even know if there is a family line that can trace to her like the Apostate of Greed. She reportedly felt sorry for the myriad people in the Multiverse being forced into conflict. In her era, all classes were combat-oriented, and the only method to get stronger was to fight and kill.
“She enabled the noncombat class system, also known as the craftsman class system. Thanks to her, it is possible to gain levels and improve classes without having to risk your life in constant battle. Of course, the craftsmen need to still arduously improve and practice their craft to gain Cosmic Energy and levels.”
“What about you?” Zac asked.
“It is generally a bit rude to ask someone about their class, but it doesn’t matter in this case. My class is simply Teacher, an F-ranked Common class. My skills pertain to knowledge retention and dissemination. I also get ocular skills that can help me see Cosmic Energy circulation in others so I can guide students’ cultivation practice. I even get some defensive spells to protect myself and my students, but no offensive ones. And I am actually gaining Cosmic Energy as I am explaining these things to you, as I am fulfilling the purpose of my class.”
“Are there upgrade paths for the Teacher class as well?”
“Any class has the potential to reach the peak of power, noncombat classes included. There are some restrictions in general when it comes to class upgrades. We explained some of it when we discussed Heritages earlier, but this is a good point to go over class upgrades,” Alyn said, swiftly jumping in between subjects.
“The first class upgrade is at level 75. There are generally three things that are needed to upgrade to E-grade: Race, Dao, and achievements. Your Race needs to be E-grade, you need to have grasped at least one Dao Seed, and your actions must enable the class. Some classes have even more restrictions, such as status restrictions or Title requirements, but those are exceptions rather than the rule. Classes with higher rarity almost always have more stringent requir
ements in Dao and achievements.
“If you don’t fulfill all three requirements, you will not be able to upgrade your class and progress from level 75. It is therefore known as the first bottleneck. Furthermore, many are able to upgrade their class but still choose to stay down there, even until the day they die.”
“Why would they not upgrade if they are able to?” Zac asked, confused. There seemed to be only upsides to upgrading and becoming stronger.
“There are a few reasons people stay on at F-class, at least for a bit. First, there are certain trials and titles that are only accessible before advancing. The Tower of Eternity is one such example. The second and more important reason is that people desperately try to gain access to a better class,” Alyn said.
“What do you mean?” Zac already felt pretty happy getting a Rare class, but if it could increase the rarity even further when upgrading to the next tier, that would obviously be better. The tower thing sounded interesting as well, but one thing at a time.
“Achievements is the third requirement, and the most diffuse. Only with a full Heritage can you know exactly what you need to do to be able to gain a class. But examples are to fight in wars, to have killed enough enemies, to have seen and explored certain areas. Generally to have grown as a being and have accomplished things above the norm.
“Warriors do not only wait to get a better class in order to gain better skills and attribute points, they do it since they do not want to cut off their path of cultivation. There is another minimum requirement for class advancement that is related to class rarity. An F-ranked class can be any rarity and still gain an upgrade. But an E-ranked class needs to be at least Uncommon rank to be able to advance further. So if you pick an E-ranked Common class, then your path of cultivation will end at E-rank, no matter how deep your insight of the Dao is or how grand your achievements are.
Defiance of the Fall: A LitRPG Adventure Page 44