Chapter 189: System Reset

After we had everyone on the Cursebreaker, we began preparations to go to Excelsis.

Since it was a divine realm, normal methods of access apparently didn't apply. A god would have to be present to open the way. For that reason, Iris was onboard the ship.

Vakra told us that the ship had the ability to deploy a pseudo-anchor for landing. Although he warned us that immediately landing on the ground of an unknown world was a terrible idea.

He explained that there were horrors beyond my wildest imagination lurking in the dark corners of creation.

He also said not to allow anyone or anything on the ship unless I could fully verify who or what they were.

Other than that, if one of us became lost, we would have to build an anchor platform for the ship if we wanted to bring the ship to us. Otherwise, we had to use our key devices to send a distress signal. Role call was very important.

Next, Vakra mentioned the issue of being transported to other worlds.

Occasionally across creation, lesser gods residing above certain worlds or even the people living in those worlds would call for or preform rituals for transferring individuals from other worlds to theirs.

Vakra called it: Getting Isekai'd. Whatever the hell that means. He got the term from Jin Takemoto when they met a long time ago.

Someone who was grabbed and pulled into another world might gain abilities based on the situation they end up in, the way they were transferred, or something based on their environment.

Regardless, it was usually just a method of calling for help.

Although sometimes it happened for seemingly no explainable reason.

Vakra created a barrier system that ensured none of that could actually happen to us while on the ship.

We were also given devices to carry on our person. They would root us to our physical location and render us incapable of being pulled.

Before leaving, I approached Vakra.

"Vakra. Thank you for-"

"Just shut up and go. I don't care about your sentimentality. Keep the ship in good condition and visit if there are any issues you can't resolve in it. Virtus should be able to help you with most things. The anchor platform will remain here and you can warp to it at any time," he said.

"You really are an asshole. But still, thank you," I said.

"Mhm...before you go...I... Ugh...blast it... Thank you, Mizik. You really did save Delvandal. NOW GET THE HELL OUT OF MY LAB!" Vakra said.

Next, I went back to the ship, did roll call, and we finally took off.

The ship flew smoothly into the air and we began moving very quickly.

Vakra made the ship to move at speeds normally impossible for regular aircraft. He called the Cursebreaker a 'masterpiece among masterpieces'.

On top of moving at extremely high speeds, the ship could also warp to other locations instantly using my magic.

I decided to check on it and connected it to my heart device.

Then I got a message on my status menu.

{Ship: 'Cursebreaker' now connected. Weapon systems online. Ready to move.}

Good. Let's get this started.

I imagined the desired location and immediately, the ship warped to the area above mount Gahu.

More than likely, I would have to visit a place first in order to warp there. Still, I didn't mind this.

Moments after we arrived, I deployed the gravity well and disconnected.

The Cursebeaker could act as an extension of myself while connected to me...and the same was for Isabella.

We could grant the ship increased offensive abilities or defensive abilities.

I took Isabella and went down to the temple on the mountaintop.

From what we could tell, the statues of Isabella were now properly clothed.

We walked into the front of the temple and saw that the pictures, paintings, sculptures, and other things were now depicting a more modest Isabella.

The androids certainly listened.

Speaking of which...

One of them walked over to us.

"Hello, Master! It is a pleasure to see you again!" The Isabella android wearing a maid outfit said.

Isabella glared at her.

"Hey...could you just act normal? Also, we're here to finally get you off of this weird mountain," I said.

As much as I enjoyed seeing Isabella in a maid outfit, she didn't seem to like it...

The android's face lit up with joy and she smiled.

"Yes! I'll alert the others and we can leave immediately!" She said.

"You don't have to tell Jin?" I said.

"Jin died a few months ago. His son has taken over. And he was informed long ago of our departure. It shouldn't be a problem, Master Mizik!" The Isabella android said.

"Hey! Just talk normally!" Isabella said angrily.

"O-of course! My apologies!"

"NORMALLY!"

"S-sorry! It won't happen again!"

Isabella seemed to calm down at this.

I could understand her frustration. She felt like she was being mocked whenever this happened.

She took it as a personal attack.

Regardless, we rounded up the Isabella androids and took them to the ship. The monks arrived to praise Isabella and pray to her...also to thank her for saving the world.

They vowed to keep her teachings forever.

Whatever the hell those were....

Isabella could not have been happier to leave that place...

After we boarded the Cursebreaker, Isabella took the androids to a small closet and put them in it. They powered down and finally rested again. Exactly as they wanted to.

It was possible that I...might check on them occasionally... I sort of enjoyed the outfits they wore...

Aldaril and Nasuria saw me when we had the androids board the ship, by the way...

Nasuria was fifteen now but still somewhat timid. She hid behind Aldaril.

"Master Aldaril...is he a pervert?" She asked.

"I don't know... He might be..." Aldaril said.

"DON'T JUDGE ME, DAMMIT! I DIDN'T BUILD THEM, VAKRA DID!!!" I shouted angrily.

"Umm...they wanted to be away from the mountain. So we...did them a favor..." Isabella said hesitantly.

Nevertheless, our crew was as followed.

Isabella, Cassandra, and myself were the commanders. We had administrative access to all data terminals, ship functions, and everything else.

Rastair and Rune were both operators. Rastair was the navigator and pilot, and Rune was the head of maintenance.

After that, the Enforcers were in charge of other things.

Carlos was head of R&D, Jallah was in charge of special operations, and Leiso was the commander of the onboard troops.

Aldaril and Nasuria also worked under Jallah as special forces. It should be noted that Nasuria had actually begun real combat training instead of just learning to use her powers like Aldaril had been teaching her.

She and Leiso became good friends.

The Enforcers, Nasuria, and Aldaril did not possess heart stone devices. Because of this, they had personal heart stone key devices allowed them operator access.

Lastly, the onboard troops had the user access which allowed them to normally use the ship's facilities among other things.

This was the crew that we currently worked with.

Iris was also onboard.

She would usually accompany Leiso who was labeled as the head of the Enforcers in order to access parts of the ship.

Without a heart stone device, it was impossible to navigate. This was done on purpose to lock out intruders. And for the most part, onboard soldiers would patrol or help with cleaning and routine maintenance.

Finally, we moved up into the sky and Iris helped us input the proper location.

Our destination was Excelsis. The objective was to meet with the Oracle.

I was absolutely dreading this.

The Cursebreaker moved into the sky and fired out a small beam from both of the frontal projectors on both sides. They connected in the air some distance away and a rift in the world's barrier was torn open.

The Cursebreaker passed through and soon after, the rift closed.

The Firmament spread out around us as we began swiftly flying through it.

There was a rumble on the Cursebreaker, and then it stopped.

"So this is the Firmament... I've never seen it so clearly before..." Iris said.

"I had a pretty good experience with it a long time ago..." I said.

Iris frowned at me.

"I'm sorry...if I weren't so late to the fight, then-"

"Don't worry. You were imprisoned. It wasn't your fault," I said.

"Of course... Thank you, Mizik," Iris said.

"Hey, Iris, can you take us to Excelsis from here?" Isabella asked.

She nodded.

"If I can connect to the core of the ship, I should be able to access the divine transit."

"Please do," I said.

I connected myself to the ship and Iris touched my hand.

Immediately, the ship shook again and we saw the area around it light up. There was a bright flash and we were suddenly located high up in the sky of another world.

"Woah...that was a lot faster than I thought it would be..." Iris said.

"Wait, is this Excelsis!?" Isabella said.

"Yes. Divine realm Excelsis. Home of the Guardian deity known as The Oracle as well as a resting place for lesser gods," Iris said.

From what I could tell, it looked like a highly advanced magical society.

I could feel incredible power from all of the people walking around...and I wasn't even on the ground yet.

Then Iris teleported outside of the ship as two people appeared. I did the same and allowed myself to float in the air.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" One of the men shouted.

"Calm down! I am Iris, goddess of balance. This is Mizik, the Chosen Hero destined to fight the Corruption. Please, he was invited to speak to the Oracle. Let us pass, Abbadon," Iris said.

The man had short blonde hair with crimson eyes and wore black armor. He had a large lance attached to his back.

"Fine...but make it quick. She's very busy," Abbadon said.

"We'll be watching you, Chosen Hero. Please come with us," the other man said.

"I'll be down in a moment. Let me get the other crew members I want to bring," I said.

"If the Oracle wants to meet with you, then you should come come alone," Abbadon said.

"I'll do whatever I damn well please. I don't actually have to meet with her in the first place," I said.

"You piece of shit... HOW DARE YOU!!!" The other man said angrily.

Then Abbadon held up his hand.

"Silence, Mazok. He's right. It's a miracle he even showed up in the first place.

After that, he and Mazok teleported to the ground below. Then Iris frowned at me.

"Mizik...Abbadon is the god of destruction. He's in charge of the Excelsis military force. Please try not to piss him off... He's...REALLY strong..." Iris said.

"Noted...and the other?" I replied.

"A member of the Oracle's personal guard. Also called The Oracle's Faithful. His name is Mazok The Storm. He's also really powerful," Iris said.

"I'll try to contain myself then. But no promises. I've been curious about whether or not I could slay a god in my current state, and Abbadon looks like a good candidate to test myself on," I said.

"By the Creator... Can we just go!?" she said.

I nodded and went to grab my crew members.

* * *

I grabbed Isabella, Aldaril, and the Enforcers.

We deployed the gravity well and exited the ship. Then we met up with Iris and Abbadon.

The other man, 'Mazok', walked beside Abbadon.

"Right this way...Chosen Hero..." Abbadon said angrily.

* * *

An hour later, we had approached a large white temple.

As I looked at it, my status menu flashed red. It flickered a few times and the text on it started glitching heavier than usual.

{DANGER: KILL THEM ALL! BURN IT DOWN! DANGER: KILL THEM ALL! BURN IT DOWN!}

I checked it with The Archmage and found nothing wrong.

"Usually it's just the second part... That's a weird message..." I said quietly.

And just like that, it stopped.

I disregarded it for now and continued walking.

After all, I still couldn't remember why I was seeing these messages in the first place. Every time I tried to remember, I would forget what I was doing. I paid it no mind.

Supposedly, there was a council building that the Oracle normally dwelled in, but today, she was within her own temple.

Appropriately named: The Temple of the Oracle.

We entered and went through a long hallway filled with many elite guards. They all stared at me curiously...

We traveled up several flights of stairs before approaching a set of massive white doors and found ourselves outside. I looked forward and a large stretch of white marble stairs towered above us at the end of a bridge.

We made our way up the stairs and into a wide open circular area surrounded by marble pillars.

I didn't like this place. Something about it felt ominous...

Just being here was causing my status menu to go wild. I shut it down for now because I was tired of looking at it.

I seriously needed to figure out why my status menu kept telling me to go on a rampage.

At the very back, I could see an ancient woman sitting on a small throne.

Somehow...I knew this place. It wasn't just similar to the Oracle's temple on Avernia. I had been here before.

I got that same feeling I did on Avernia when I saved Isabella and Ignitus before fighting Difar. It filled me with indignant rage as I looked at it.

It brought me all the way back to the day my father died...when I woke up from that strange dream.

Then...

My status menu forcefully opened and flickered again.

{Kill them all.

      Burn it down.}

I heard the echo very clearly in my mind as the words displayed in full view of my eyes.

What...?

Suddenly...I realized something.

The day I woke up...that wasn't a dream, was it?

There was only silence. My menu forcefully closed on its own.

Regardless, we approached the throne and Abbadon bowed.

For some reason, I was beginning to panic. I couldnt figure out why.

"To my side, Abbadon. Mazok, you are dismissed. Report to Savir," the Oracle said.

Abbadon stood up and moved to the side of the throne.

Mazok bowed his head and left the room.

As usual, the Oracle's eyes remained closed.

"You wanted to talk?" I asked cautiously.

"Yes...to discus the issues you currently face. I'm sure you have questions as well," she said.

The Oracle slowly got up from her throne and a wooden cane appeared in her hand. She walked down the steps below her throne and stopped several feet from me.

"My my... You've certainly become strong this time. It's truly a shame..." She said.

"Shame?" I said.

Suddenly, my body froze in place as a dark green energy went through all of our bodies.

"Wh-what is this!?" Isabella said fearfully as she froze in place.

"Silence. You should have died long ago. You are a nuisance..." The Oracle said angrily.

"You bitch... WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" I yelled.

"Oracle! What are you doing!? You said you only wanted to talk to him!" Iris shouted.

She simply ignored Iris.

"Now then, you have managed to slay a False Source. This has never happened before. How did you manage it despite being cursed?" The Oracle asked.

"Isabella helped me! Without her, it wouldn't have been possible! So there you go. She's useful and should remain alive!" I said angrily.

"Not true. If you weren't cursed, you could have done it on your own. You would still be far more lethal and would stop trying to form relationships with people. You don't need anyone else to accomplish your goal. You only need the power you have been given and the support of Excelsis," the Oracle said.

"WHY DO YOU GET TO DECIDE THAT!?" I yelled.

"Because I am your caretaker. It is my job to watch your growth and assist you in your quest. You have the power of the Deus Arms Overseer as well as the blessing of the Creator. Is that not enough to slay the Source?" The Oracle asked.

"No! It isn't! He's stronger than you know! He has some kind of Void being with him. Her name is Valtheim! She's the Avatar of the Void!" I said.

"No such entity exists. No matter how many times I look into the matter, I have never seen such a thing. Why do you lie to me so often?"

"I'M NOT LYING, YOU OLD BITCH!!!" I screamed in anger.

"Hmm...doubtful. Regardless, I am faced with a problem here... You have yet to unlock the full power of the Deus Arms Overseer. This is likely why you cannot slay the Source. While the girl lives, I doubt your ability to do this."

Everything was happening faster than I could process. We needed to leave...now!

I was panicking. My senses were screaming that I was in danger.

And the power radiating off of this old woman was beyond overwhelming...

But I couldn't move... I wanted to ask her questions about my sword. And why she couldn't see Valtheim...

"Deus Arms Overseer!? You mean Vengeance!?" I said.

"Yes. That is its name. The Deus Arms are the magic swords. They are weapons of incredible power capable of destroying worlds and saying gods. Vengeance, in particular, is much more powerful than all of the others combined. It is the Omni-Weapon."

There was no way in hell my sword was actually that strong... It was powerful, for sure, but to be capable of that...?

What were these things!?

Before I could speak, the Oracle seemed to ponder something.

"As much as I would prefer to leave you alive this time, I don't think that's a good idea. If Vengeance feels that it is impossible to awaken its full power, you must die again. Unfortunately you've become so strong that it would be impossible to kill you for most people. And then the girl is also defending you... Nevertheless, I must take matters into my own hands. I will ensure that she doesn't survive this time around. You must awaken the true power of the Overseer. This is how it has to be. She must die for you to truly follow the philosophy of that blade," the Oracle said.

What...? No! NO!!! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!!!

The Oracle raised her walking stick and tapped the device on my chest.

"STOP! PLEASE DON'T HURT HIM!!!" Isabella screamed.

"NO!!! I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK!!! ANYTHING BUT THAT!!! PLEASE! I BEG OF YOU!!! DON'T MAKE ME GO BACK!!! DON'T MAKE ME HURT MY PRECIOUS MIZIK AGAIN!!!" Cassandra screamed while crying hysterically.

"SILENCE!" The Oracle shouted.

A pulse of energy flew through all of us and suddenly, I couldn't speak.

I saw Isabella and Cassandra rapidly switching back and forth as they desperately looked for a solution...

Aldaril, Iris, and the Enforcers were also completely frozen and silent.

They could only watch helplessly as a dark green magic swirled around the stick that the Oracle held up to my heart.

Then...something shot out of the stick she held.

Something fired through my chest and shattered the Heart of the World.

I felt everything in my body freeze as my energy became increasingly unstable.

Then a message appeared on my status menu as my hp hit zero.

{WARNING: [HEART OF THE WORLD] HAS BEEN SHATTERED! YOU HAVE DIED!}

{WhY!? PlEaSe NoOoOoOo!!!!!}

What is this...?

{StOp KiLlInG mE!!!!}

Why does it feel...

{DoN't MaKe Me Go BaCk!!!!}

So familiar...?

{MAKE IT STOOOOP!!!!}

Suddenly, my vision went dark and I felt a feeling of floating...

I heard a voice in my head as I felt all of my memories being ripped away from me.

[Now, forget everything. Release your memories and go back...to the place where it begins.]

And with my final thoughts...I directed every last bit of malice I had at her voice.

I'll come back... Somehow. Some way...I will come back. I'LL KILL YOU!!! I'LL DESTROY EVERYTHING!!!

Finally...my consciousness faded completely.

END OF PART 3: HEARTS OF DELVANDAL