SYSTEM ASCENSION

”I didn’t have a plan to catch him.”

Elias’ words froze her. ”Huh? You could have...at least, lied.”

”Alright! That’s enough.” Claude clapped. ”The reason why we’re here is simple. I have noticed this for a while but it seems our system differs from each other.”

”Differ?” Davon sat on a fallen tree. ”The information or the overall settings?”

”The overall settings.”

”How did you know this?” Tiana asked.

”I once ran into a group of students who were talking about something similar. First, I didn’t attribute it to our situation, but Kael confirmed it yesterday when he said the same thing. I experienced it myself too.”

All eyes glanced at Kael and back at him.

”As we know, he activated his system ability yesterday, but his options are different.”

”Different options?” Tyler mumbled.

”It’s just a guess of mine, but can we read out our titles? I’ll go first,” Claude raised his hand. ”Claude, sector one. I was an upholder until last week. It got changed to a protector.”

”Protector?!” They chorused.

”Kael, sector three. Protector.”

”Tiana, sector four. Upholder.”

”Davon, sector eight. Upholder.”

Fayera raised her hand. ”Fayera, sector fifteen. Protector.”

”You too?” Davon raised a brow.

”I was a protector from the start. I assumed everyone had this.”

”Tyler, sector twenty two. Upholder.”

”Quil, sector seven,” Quil yawned. ”Protector.”

”Did you get promoted to it, or was it like that from the start?” Tiana asked.

”From the start.”

”So four protectors,” Claude nodded. ”Elias, what about you?”

All eyes turned to him.

”I.... can’t see my screen.”

”...”

”...”

”Huh?” Quil asked.

”At first it was just stats that were unknown,” Elias waved his hand in the air. ”But now I can’t summon the screen.”

They continued to stare at him. No one knew what to make of this information.

”I can still use the ability though.” Elias added.

The stare continued.

”You...can’t see your screen?” Claude repeated, like he could wipe off the absurdity of the speech if he simply said it again.

”Did you do something to annoy it?” Fayera asked.

Davon glanced at her. ”Is...that a thing? Is that a thing, Fayera?”

”I don’t know,” she shrugged. ”Sometimes it feels like the system has a mind of its own. He might have annoyed it.”

”That makes sense.” Tyler nodded.

”Elias is naturally annoying, I’d admit.” Quil added.

”Is anyone actually going to discuss a solution instead of criticizing my brother-in-law?!” Tiana yelled.

Tyler choked. ”Brother....in...law?”

”What’s wrong with it?”

”You’re interested in Elias’s brother?” Davon narrowed his eyes. ”Yish, I don’t know how your gender reasons.”

”What’s wrong with him?!” Tiana snapped.

”I dunno, I don’t think I can’t stand him.”

”That’s because you’re a male Davon,” Claude yawned. ”You’re repelling each other. I can’t stand him either.”

”Are we all okay with her saying she likes Elias’s brother?!” Tyler snapped.

They all glanced at him.

”What’s wrong with it?” Fayera asked.

”Everything is wrong with it!”

”Chill out man.” Quil muttered.

”Don’t tell me to chill out, strange human!”

Quil palmed his face. ”Wow.”

”Can we just get back on track?” Fayera asked. ”About the upholders and protectors? Elias’ issue is a different case.”

”Right,” Claude nodded. ”So we have...Kael, stand up.”

All eyes turned to Kael who chose to sleep when they were arguing. He sat up and turned his eyes to them.

”Come to think of it, I saw something one day,”

”Huh?”

Kael scratched his head. ”A man died.”

”A man?” Claude asked.

”It was my dream, but it was vivid. And...his ability was the same as mine.”

”Same as yours?” Fayera asked. ”The one you just awakened?”

He nodded.

”You’re sure he died?” Quil asked.

He nodded.

”What else did you hear?” Fayera asked.

Kael tilted his head. ”Something about...reincarnation? Protecting? ...he mentioned names...um...what was it...”

Tiana narrowed her eyes and whispered to Claude. ”That doesn’t feel like Kael at all.”

”He’s pissed and still afraid of Elias.” Claude whispered back.

”But he’s hanging out with Mona.”

”I guess he sees them as different people.” Tyler answered. ”Plus, he and Mona also share similar looks right now.”

”Jun is gone,” Kael began to repeat the words. ”Piena too. Gazel. Rai. Guio. Favy. Liumin. That leaves Nel...Jacob and...”

He glanced at Elias. ”Richard.”

”Richard?” Tiana asked. ”That’s Elias’s father, right?”

”So, he said some are gone, and some are not.” Claude muttered. ”You mentioned ten names. Ten names...just like the art in that temple.”

”I’m sorry, what?” Tiana raised a brow.

”A temple where Lady Sienna took me to. I saw someone that looked a lot like Kael in the paintings.”

”Liumin.” Elias spoke.

They all looked at him. ”What?”

”He’s an ancient protector of a Qld.”

”A protector?” Fayera asked.

”Every world in our accessible universe has a disciple and a protector,” he leaned against a tree. ”If he’s dead, then he chose Kael.”

”There are loopholes in this story,” Tyler raised a hand. ”Every accessible world has a disciple and a protector? If this Liumin...guy, is the protector of Qld, and his ability were given to Kael, then what about the rest?”

He pointed to Quil, then Claude and Fayera.

”Are there more protectors for one world?”

Elias didn’t reply. He didn’t need to. He just stared at those that were pointed at.

”Actually,” Fayera raised her hand. ”I’m not from Qld.”

”What?”

”Me too.” Claude added.

”Wait, you both are not humans?”

”At this point, the word humans becomes meaningless,” Quil yawned. ”Let’s just go with saying we’re not the same species.”

They agreed.

”But that doesn’t rule out why I was chosen.” Quil muttered. ”Could I be some sort of hybrid?”

”Who are you asking?” Tiana snorted.

”Not you, shortie.”

”What was that?!”

”Woah, calm down.” Tyler held Tiana back from going to Quil. ”I think we should all check out the temple Claude talked about.”

”I think so too.” Claude nodded. ”I also want to know about a protector who uses an ability like mine.”

”Right,” Tiana turned her gaze to Claude. ”It’s a totally unrelated question but, what’s your ability?”

”What?”

She shrugged. ”I mean, you are a judge. A system ability, but what is your ability before the system?”

”Oh...” he huffed with a careless shrug. ”I was unawakened.”

”...”

His words carried more weight than he’d expected. They all stared at him like he had something disturbing on his face.

”You were what?”

”I did not come from an awakened family.”

”But,” Fayera spoke. ”Your father is...”

”Unawakened.”

”What?” Davon laughed. ”Lord Tell cannot be...”

Claude tilted his head and raised a brow.

”Has anyone seen Lord Tell’s ability?” he asked.

They all shrugged.

”Are you saying a leader of a leading family is unawakened?!” Tyler asked. ”I thought he was the strongest.”

Claude stared at him for a moment before grinning. ”He’s unawakened. It’s safer that way.”