Chapter 455 (1/2)

There were several sharp shocks about this statement. The first, and most pressing of which, Randidly blurted out without even thinking. “You can speak about the Calamity?”

He had, for so long, dealt with forces unable to speak because of the watch of the System, where it would warp the language they were speaking, even between two individuals that spoke the same original language. Although Randidly was aware that the Creature had made changes to the speaking software, somehow, he figured that was only able to overwrite what a person said, delivering a different message, not somehow bypassing the System’s block on information regarding the Calamity-

But then Randidly’s eyes widened because he considered another possibility.

The Creature adopted one of her usual smirks. “You have undoubtedly noticed that there are… perhaps two Systems in place. Your antics, actually made me realize it was done in such a sloppy manner that it can be bypassed so easily. Yes, we can speak of the Calamity; it is the way by which the true System, determines what to do with those planets that it absorbs into its greedy maw.”

Even though Randidly was excited to hear news of the Calamity, he was careful about how much of the information she was giving he would hold as true. Even so, he put down all of it to memory, so that he could ascertain the veracity later. But what was interesting, and slightly disturbing, was that Randidly wasn’t able to bring up his menus currently.

The Raid Party chat had been silent for a while, and Randidly had been worried. It turned out, it had just been unable to penetrate through this… Exofact. Which reassured him in a way, but also made his heart sink. The Creature would have known that this radio silence would initiate, and if it planned to make a move, it would have gone immediately after he had gone out of range.

Too late to worry about that now, however. What Randidly did wonder was how you could go on Paths without the menus. Would you just gravitate towards one instinctually? That made a certain amount of sense, in one way, but on the other hand, how much PP would you put into a Path? A point every time you got one? Would it take a while sometimes to determine what was next, if you didn’t take any significant actions?

It was fine for now, as his Soul Skill turmoil had stopped him dead, in terms of upgrading his paths. Could PP get through right now?

Randidly didn’t plan on remaining here long enough to find out.

“What are you so afraid of?” Randidly asked, curious, but also more interested in keeping the Creature talking than letting it think of a way to blindside him. Randidly, too, was moving to have an advantage over the monster, but that was now in the hands of his little minions. Stalling was his current game.

“Heh, a long-coming fate that it would be difficult to understand. There can be compromises between us, you know. But you must fail the 3rd test. It would be even better if you would be willing to fail the second, but I can understand why that would be… a point of contention, for you.

“As I said, the Calamity is the System’s way of judging what stage a planet should be placed at. If you fail the first test, the planet is deemed trash, and the System pulls away, leaving a planet as it was before, as if the System had never arrived.”

“What about all the people who died?” Randidly asked, something rising in his heart. It was half hope, and… if he was being honest with himself, half worry.

The Creature seemed amused, coming back into her positive humor as she rubbed his face in his lack of knowledge. “They remain dead. And before you become too enamored in a prospect, know that this comes with a rather bloody cleanse of all those touched by the System’s taint. I suspect… you would end up being the only remaining human afterward if such a thing interests you.”

Randidly’s blood turned cold. The Creature continued speaking. “...that and newborns, I suppose. Those without a Class. If the first test is passed, then your planet becomes eligible to have its people populate dungeons. If the 2nd test is passed, you become a ‘Strife’ planet. That is what your teacher’s, Shal’s planet is. These planets form the main base of energy for the System to expand. The hatred, the twisted images… all those fuel the System in growing larger.”

“And the third test?” Randidly spared Cyndra another glance. The entire discussion, and then in the brief Aether confrontation, she had stood, completely still. The longer such a frozen state lasted… the more Randidly felt nervous about what it meant about her.