I Hate Systems

"I'm expending Mental Energy to defend against their laser beams. And I don't have the means to gain enough to offset the expenditure. These Vastras aren't producing any Mental Energy to help us." Aronaut said, "This means that eventually, I'll run out of energy to fight, especially since all our means to escape have been cut off."

"This is indeed bad," Stencil nodded as she looked around, announcing suddenly, "There's a way."

"What is it?" Aronaut asked.

"We're still under the influence of the Fantasy World. It means we're in the same universe." Stencil said, "That means, we can return as long as we destroy this world."

"That should be impossible." Aronaut shook his head, "You might not have sensed it, but at that time, that scary existence had activated more than a million Core Skills to create this world. Even if my strength is on par with a Grade 3 System, destroying this world would be hard."

"That's where you're wrong." Stencil smiled as she gently hugged the figure of Gehera that just woke up, "We have this cutie with us."

"What can she do? She can only siphon the power of an individual..." Aronaut stopped speaking, his eyes widening in surprise as he looked at Gehera, "Have you stolen 'that' from Slayer?"

"Where is this place?" Gehera stared in confusion, blinking in realisation when Stencil activated a Skill to fill in the details from when she fainted.

After comprehending all the memory, Gehera made eye contact with Stencil to ask, "Is it possible to summon your dad here?"

Of course, that was what Stencil was attempting to do here. It was to summon her dad back using Gehera's power.

"You'll only be stealing his power." Stencil nodded as she flashed her Anthozoa, "But with this in my hands, I can use it to absorb all the totems you create by stealing my dad's power. It would be easy to condense his body after that."

"He has the means to do that, which is why I think he left his gun with me."

"Can't your Ruin of Amagoth target this world itself, Gehera?" Aronaut asked, "If it's possible, we'll have an endless supply of power of our own."

"The target needs to be a living being for my power to take effect," Gehera said as she pulled out a totem from her Ruin of Amagoth and threw it with all her might, stabbing it into the chest of a Vastras.

"Keww!" The Vastras exhaled in pain before which it writhed chaotically, exploding in a matter of seconds to turn into dust resembling pollen that spread around, landing on the nearby Vastras.

"Kew?" A Vastras tilted its head in confusion when its body began to itch suddenly, causing its skin to peel off, before soon, its body too exploded, producing more of the pollen that travelled further outward.

In this fashion, the pollen spread around rapidly, evolving into whatever form that best served its purpose, killing the Vastras faster and faster.

"What...is this ability?" Aronaut was shocked, staring at the Vastras that were dying in droves now, feeling a chill creep up his spine as he didn't wish to retract the dome he had erected.

"Plague..." Gehera said, "It's the primary ability of the Plague Doctor Profession. Currently, the professions have yet to create the means to counter this ability. As it's brand new, its effectiveness is unstoppable. So, I used it."

"Plague Doctor?" Zaira stared in surprise upon seeing the Vastras that she had created die in droves.

"Shall I create a channel between the two worlds?" Conjurer asked, "The Vastras have yet to realise their true potential without invading Slayer's world. Only by using the bodies of his world as raw materials to manufacture stronger Arma would they grow in strength."

"It seems it wouldn't make much of a difference." Zaira said after a moment of thought upon staring at the figure of Gehera, "A simple army is pretty useless against them. If not a plague, something else might affect them similarly to wipe them out in droves."

"It would end in an instant if you take action though," Conjurer said, flinching upon being glared at by Zaira.

"At times, I wonder where the cunning Saint of Calamity went." She sighed, "When resisting Magister, you were damn scary. But now, you've mellowed out to a terrifying extent."

"It seems developing without any threat has dulled your fangs." She mocked before pointing at Slayer, "The reason I dare not step foot in this universe is in fear of him."

"Fear of...Slayer?" Conjurer didn't mind the mockery in her tone as he looked at Slayer before eyeing Zaira, "You can even control time. What is there for you to fear?"

"Did you forget that Slayer can not only refine and gain control of my strength but also has the means to create Systems just like me?" Zaira shook her head, "Leave it, why am I even arguing with you."

She pointed at Gehera, "Ignore the other two. Kill her first. If you can, then I'll steal some of Mystique's power and give it to you."

"Mystique's power?" A moment of shock later, greed enveloped Conjurer's expression as his figure vanished, appearing before the trio.

"He's become a mere lackey..." Zaira muttered in disappointment before realising something, "I see, the moment he became a representative of a world, his character was affected by the natives. And since the majority of natives in every world are kind of stupid, it seems his intelligence has taken a sharp hit."

"No wonder he doesn't scare me like the Saint of Calamity of the past." She nodded in comprehension, "That is why it's so easy to fool Immortal."

Her expression then hardened, "It also makes sense why I've failed to dent Mystique's power to date. Rather, he has grown stronger through this ordeal."

She felt a headache as she stared at Conjurer's rather excited expression, "It would have been better if he remained an Apostle in this world. Even though he's a million times stronger now, he's not even the least terrifying as compared to the Saint of Calamity."

She shook her head, feeling offended upon being stared at by Slayer with a gleeful smile, 'What is this fucker planning now?'

The first time she faced Arnark, she faced tremendous losses, losing one of the most valuable Grade 3 Systems under her. It was why she was careful in dealing with Aronaut and the rest, for this time, even she could sense that the number of players had increased.

If she wasn't careful, her powers would be stolen. And if someone like Mystique were to gain his hands on that, the days of her hegemony would be numbered.