Alex hadn''t realised it before, but these parchments dide from a more primitive time, one where the concept of one, singr entity being in charge of the whole universe and beyond, had yet to be conceived.

    They assigned different concepts, like heaven, earth, lightning, water etc a different god each, when in reality Alex knew that they were all natural forces of the universe itself.

    So, were the gods the parchment referred to… the System?

    Did Mikhail, somehow, wound the System itself?

    Alex was almost too scared to ask this question aloud.

    In fear of the System hearing it, and responding ordingly.

    It was supposed to be an all powerful, all intelligent entity, after all, so if one were to learn that it could be hurt, Alex could see it bing rather… angry.

    Alex leaned forward, pupils narrowing to the size of pin drops. His mouth dried up.

    If Mikhail truly had the power to damage the System, then what would the System do if it knew he was trying to find him?

    If Alex from a week ago asked himself this question, he''d lose all hope.

    After all, back then, he was 99% certain that the System could basically see and hear anything he said, no matter where he was.

    But now that he knew that the System could be hurt, he wasn''t so sure of that anymore.

    An all powerful being couldn''t be hurt by something not all powerful, unless it wanted to, of course.

    Alex didn''t get the vibe that the System wanted to be hurt though, so he was sure that it wasn''t as strong as it made itself out to be.

    And if it wasn''t all powerful, then there was a fat chance it was all seeing and all listening then.

    As for being all present…?

    Nah, Alex doubted that too.

    If it was omnipresent, then what would the need be to initiate civilisations into the System, and the Primordial Expanse after they had already existed for millions of years already.

    If it was all present, there wouldn''t be a need for such a thing, since it would already know of such civilisation''s existence.

    In Alex''s mind, the vast chasm that existed between the Sysem''s actual power and its perceived power started to widen.

    The once untouchable, unfathomable entity had now be more understandable in his eyes.

    Just like him, the System was a entity with emotion.

    Just like how it used to toy with him, mess with him and demean him from time to time – those words from the system were fuelled by emotion.

    What emotion, Alex didn''t know, but there was emotion behind it.

    With all this new knowledge, Alex had a clearer picture of not only Mikhail and his disappearance but now the System too.

    He leaned back, staring up at the ceiling with his thoughts fracturing in every direction.

    The very thing that had given him a purpose, given him his power – the very thing he once thought he could use to attain true freedom; freedom from suppression, freedom from all those powerful beings that could swat him down with just a look.

    That very thing, had turned out to be his enemy.

    It didn''t matter whether he wanted to fight the System or not, he was simply in too deep now to stop.

    Just his connection to Mikhail, through Virtue''s Edge and his never ending search for the man''s forge toplete the sword, was enough for the System to kill him.

    In fact, the System didn''t even need a reason – it was the ultimate being of the universe, of existence itself.

    It could do whatever it fucking liked, and nobody would question it or stand up to it.

    Apart from Mikhail.

    And he didn''t like that.

    This whole time he had been disillusioned – brainwashed topletely ignore the power the System held.

    He focused all his time and power on getting stronger so that he could resist against those who wished to persecute him, or might do so in the future, but the whole time he was under the System''s spell.

    He was like a pawn on a chessboard.

    The System could dictate what he did or could do whenever it wanted, veiled lightly as ''Quests'' or more well known as Requirements, limiting him from progressing his power further.

    The System could give him an impossible requirement for ranking up, and he would be doomed to stay at that same level of power until the day he died.

    In fact, the System could take all his power away at a moment''s notice, and there was not a damn thing he could do about it.

    Nobody, ever, could do anything about it.

    Or at least that was what he thought until a few hours ago.

    It turned out there was one man who could do something, at least resist this hidden in in sight enemy.

    Alex had no idea how he did it, since how could you even harm an enemy that was everywhere and was more like a concept than a physical entity? But that was for beings far more powerful than himself to work out.

    What he did know, was that he no longer wished to be subjected to this hidden suppression.

    It was like that saying; once you''ve tasted what the peak has to offer, you no longer wished to taste the stuff at the bottom.

    Except in this case, now that Alex knew the truth, he couldn''t ignore it any longer.

    He had to do something about it.

    He had to go against the System.

    And to do that, he had to follow in Mikhail''s footsteps.

    He had to find this realm where Mikhail had been sealed.

    He had toplete Virtue''s Edge.

    Once he did that, he didn''t know how he''d do it, but he knew for certain that those were the steps to take if he wanted to be on the right path.

    Now, all he needed to do was start walking on that path.