I Hate Systems

Swoosh!

Sea waves rushed onto the sandy beach, brushing past the network of intertwined roots originating from a forest that extended into the water body.

Seated on the shore was Hazen, staring at the horizon while letting out a soft breath, his mood heavy.

"What...just happened?" Alika arrived at the scene, asking as she brushed aside a branch to stare at his back, "Where did...that person go?"

"He left," Hazen said, letting out a gentle smile as he turned around to face her, embracing her, "He's not from this world in the first place..."

"Will the war he mentioned affect us?" Alika asked.

"There would be consequences." Hazen nodded, "As Immortal mentioned, the moment he attacks the Systems with our world's energy, they would trace the source in a matter of minutes. After all, plenty of Systems have journeyed in our world. So they have all the data pertaining to our energy characteristics."

"But, you needn't worry," He said, brushing aside her hair as he consoled her, "I'll prevent them from setting foot in this world."

"But how will you do that?" Alika asked, "The one you argued with...Immortal, I could sense from him a vast power with unfathomable depth, almost limitless. In contrast, even I can gauge your power."

"How will you face an enemy that even Immortal is apprehensive about?" She expressed her worries. Honestly, there was truth in her words.

Immortal derived strength from the hundreds of thousands of cultivation worlds. So, his power indeed seemed limitless.

In contrast, Hazen only had his power gained from the Gaider Realm. Even though he had attained Extreme Providence, that meant nothing before his enemies.

It had to be noted that even after attaining Extreme Providence, Balmer--The Blazing Sun Clan Leader--wasn't able to kill a System Host and struggled against them.

So, Alika's doubts made sense, especially since Hazen didn't seem to possess any other power. It made her wonder on what basis was he so confident to state that he would protect the entire cultivation world that contained more than a hundred Realms.

"Want me to show a demo?" Hazen asked, letting out a playful grin.

"Sure!" Alika nodded innocently, surprised to see her figure hovering in the air now. Hazen had extended an Origin Essence string and bound it around her, using it to carry her.

Moreover, the moment the whip wrapped around her completely, forming a cocoon, it turned transparent and vanished--according to her senses.

But immediately after, Alika screamed in horror, "What the heck is that?"

"A System," Hazen muttered, staring at the six-winded humanoid creature that was hovering above the Gaider Realm, trying to determine the means to enter the world that for some reason had been closed off.

"That's a...System?" Alika was shocked when suddenly, her eyes lit up with starlight as a surge of information poured into her mind. It was Hazen feeding her the necessary information, allowing her to truly understand the millions of universes out there, with each vastly different from the other.

It allowed her to understand the pedestal on which Hazen stood and observed their world, 'So many fascinating worlds out there. In comparison, our world seems pretty tame.'

"But this is the only one where you exist." Hazen smiled, gently caressing her cheek as he said, "It matters naught how vast or fascinating a world is. Your bonds with fellow people are what determines the fascination."

"That was...cheesy." Alika covered her eyes in embarrassment, blushing in response as she shied away from making eye contact with him.

"Look there." Hazen pointed at the massive figure, "This is a creature that contains a massive fragment of the Grade 2 Angel System."

"You mean to say, such a powerful creature isn't a complete Host to a System?" Alika was shocked as she spoke words spontaneously, one that she couldn't have made sense of mere seconds ago. It showed the terrifying level of control Hazen had over his powers, one where he fed her a mountainous sum of information without hurting her mind.

"Yep," Hazen nodded, "In truth, this creature is stronger than a Host with a Level 99 Grade 1 System. After all, the Angel System fragment in it is larger and contains more power than a Level 99 Grade 1 System."

"Y-You!" The six-winged angel stared at Hazen in shock, stammering in response as it failed to sense him until he was right before its face.

Origin Art--Gloss Over!

If Hazen didn't voluntarily reveal himself, it would have never sensed him.

Hazen motioned for Alika to stop speaking as he let out a cruel smile, causing the six-winded angel to break into a fluster as the two figures before it vanished. And irrespective of the Skills it activated, it was unable to detect them.

Shockingly, the duo was in the same place as before, in the void above the Gaider Realm.

"How can Gloss Over be this effective? Shouldn't an Origin Art be ineffective against beings of such stature?" Alika expressed her disbelief, "It should definitely possess Skills that can negate our entire power system."

"Power is just the means to an end." Hazen said, "I'm using Origin Essence just to fuel my abilities. If I just use an Origin Art, then just as you said, it wouldn't be effective against this creature. But you see..."

He smiled, snapping his finger to cause the void before him to ripple, "I'm using an absolute state of matter."

Upon seeing the ripples of the void move in contrast to his actions, Alika was shocked as she muttered, "You're using Cause and Effect?"

"Bingo!" Hazen clapped in praise, "In every world, irrespective of the power system, there's always a cause and effect. The fire unleashed by Spiritual Energy burns objects. The fire unleashed by a thermal projector also burns objects. The fire unleashed by contracts, such as hellfire or the samadhi fire also burns objects. The cause originates from different power systems, but the effect is always the same."

"Fire burns objects." Hazen gave his ultimatum, "My power relying on our power system allows me to control minds. That's the effect. So, I've simply gained control over all the causes that result in this effect, which allows me to do this..."

Saying so, he waved his hand, causing the eyes of the six-winged angel to dim in response as its will, ego, character, and consciousness were erased. Following that, a seed made its way into its mind, took root, and sprouted, absorbing all the memories.

Following that, the six-winged angel cupped its fists, bowing towards Hazen, "I greet master."

"See, simple right?" Hazen smiled while patting the six-winged angel, snapping his finger as the other party transformed into a Mental Energy figure and settled within his mind, stored there for the time being.

"This is why I'm confident in being able to protect our world." Hazen stated with absolute confidence, "Any System that dares come here would just become my subordinate. I've already gained dozens."