V2 C20 Nemesis 1/2

After his dramatic performance, Alain's eyes calmed down. For some reason, the last few moments seemed distant, almost unreal. He got up quietly, then took a walk.

There was a quiet moment. The wind blew over Alan's body, restored since his death.

His surroundings turned dark. A deep dark that made him think he was blind.

"Finally," Said a familiar voice. Alain turned around to see no one. He wasn't sure the system was there. He didn't feel it, at least. "It's been so long, but I can contact you, Alain," whispered the voice.

It was Eva's soft, soothing, and motherly voice. Maybe more what he idolatrized than the truth.

"Eva, you..." His eyes darted with kindness.

"It's time to go home now; it will be too late if you don't come... Failure is not so bad... you sometimes have to fail to succeed... Alain, don't let your ego dominates you; if you cannot link them all, it is of no use to continue to add some more; it will only make it harder."

Alain's eyes strengthened with a fierce attitude.

"System!" He said with hatred. "I know it's you."

"Alain... please, stop resisting the system and just create your path to fight the demonic creatures," the voice had tears in her eyes.

"Stop!" he exclaimed. "I don't know why you let me live, but you won't control me."

"Why hating that system, Alain," asked the voice. The sob transformed into crying. "It's been eight months already. And here you go again... If you don't progress, they will devour you... Life has already warned you...I do not want you to be erased."

His heart aches.

Alain pulled his mind back together, and the scene disappeared before him.

It was a pretty perverse method.

He didn't know exactly why, but the system didn't seem to be able to get rid of him directly, or, at least, the cost of doing so was not profitable.

Either it depended on him to survive, or it desired something he had... like this world.

All inhabitants were from different worlds as if he were trying to make bridges to those worlds and invade them.

Could his 12 years old past-self have been sent there by the system?

Was the system being controlled by some law?

He made some guesses:

1 - the system would not or could not get rid of him.

2 - the system wanted to be universal and used this to protect itself.

3 - the system was quite fragile and was looking for more and more powerful hosts.

4 - it had the power to manipulate the mind like demonic creatures and had appeared near the border.

The only meaningful question was: was the system doing this for any life form it might have or to evolve?

It once said there were multiple systems. Was that a race between them?

That was, if his memories were true, which was already a big assumption.

Alain passed through the now inhabited plain, nearing the rift, longing the barriers, and sometime looking at the beautiful reddish-purple sky.

The villagers were all busy, but none did not salute him. This wasn't the kind of look of an inferior, but pure happiness.

Did the system make them like this?

He could continue to ask himself questions, trying to get out of here, fight, but... what's for?

He doubted he would ever be able to get rid of the system's omnipotence.

This world seemed to be a gift to buy peace.

It had nearly omnipotence, yet it did that. Maybe it was to make him evolve.

He obtended more in a single day than with all his life. Why couldn't he take it slow, focusing on himself in a world devoid of trouble?

The actions of the system suddenly seemed lighter to him. There was a kind of relief to feel you had nothing to hide, that no tricks were of use anymore.

----

In his tent, Jean finished devouring Alain's head, returning to normal, when a voice registered in his mind.

[You've organized a coup and got a part of the system!]

[Congratulations! You've just inherited the system]

'Are you the one who gave him information about him?' Jean asked calmly

[Indeed]

'All right, get out while I still give you a chance.'

[Go around the camp, and I'll go away.]

'No, you disappear here and now, or I take care of you.'

[I need a host.]

Jean thought for a few seconds. Then he pulled out a tiny wooden box that fits in his hand.

'It's a conscious artifact. Enter it or die.'

[The host must be human.]

Jean began to use his mental strength to kill the thing.

[Wait, wait! There is a way!]

Jean turned down the pressure.

What way?

[Make him a villager of Nirl, and he can become my host]

"B7, I want you to become a villager of Nirl. Do you agree to become a villager of Nirl?"

No response.

'There, it's done.'

[Are you sure? I -]

The pressure increased.

The system left his mind.

Jean opened the box in questioning and only saw emptiness.

"B7, go get some sleep, okay?"

He pulled out a slightly larger box that accommodated B7.

---

The tents of all important people were easy to notice: they had guards or energy formations. In Cleppe's case, invisible energies formations.

Emilie had been silently and invisibly watching the exits of these tents. She now spied Jean's tent after Alain openly said he was going there.

A few minutes later, Jean came out. He whispered something to a soldier he had just called and came back.

Soon, all of Cleppe's knights of Cleppe were gathered in front of Jean's tent, entering one by one. They came out shortly afterward, dispersing without any trace of Alain.

The day after, the demon army attacked.