久久大陆

As he slowly opened his eyes, vowing not to look up at that dreaded scenery, he stared at the dark floor, seeing a stream of fresh blood traversing the grooves of the flooring.

There was nothing except his own name visible on his personal interface–there was no longer a party of players, but just himself now–alone.

The unison of anger, sadness, and despair spiraled in his gut, flowing through his limbs and out of his body through the tears he silently wept.

He wanted to scream, but there was no strength in his conceded body to do so.

Cah-In stepped in front of him, bending to the side as he forcibly met his gaze with his absent eyes, "It burns, doesn't it? Utter powerlessness. Ingrain it into your flesh and never forget it, never let the flames of Hell burn away that lamentation–let it ignite your suffering for an eternity."

Though he was being spoken to directly, he paid no mind to the crazed man's words, lost in a world of utter despair.

As if trying to coax him into speaking, the cruel man snapped his fingers to release the bindings on his mouth, but he let out no words.

…Kamou…He thought.

There were a lot of thoughts swirling in his mind, but none bore themselves to the forefront; such a mixture of emotions kept him unfocused and lost in that moment. He stared at nothing, hardly processing the fact that the snow-haired leader of the viscous cult was speaking directly to his face.

…I want to kill him…He thought.

…I want to kill all of them…He wished.

…I want to slaughter them all…He yearned.

It was then that time itself seemed to crawl to a complete halt for everything except himself as even his breaths left his lips stagnant.

"--"

Through the little movements he could make with his chain-bound neck, he looked to see that the black-robed followers were as still as statues, and in front of him, Cah-In was frozen midway through a movement of his lips.

What's going on…? He questioned.

There was a ball of light in front of him, glowing with an emerald iridescence that reflected off of his similar eyes; he didn't know what it was, but it seemed sentient.

[Jeong-Hui.]

It was a male voice, though unlike the one from the Angel System, it wasn't monotone, but instead possessed some semblance of personality.

"...Wha…?"

[In your current situation, death is inevitable. With the strength you have cultivated so far with the Angel System, you can't do anything here.]

"...I know that…"

[However…]

[There is a way out of this. A way you can get what you want.]

"...How? What the hell even are you, anyway?...Is time frozen or something…?"

[No.]

[Time is not "frozen". More precisely, your perception has been altered in such a way that you're experiencing time with me at such an infinitesimal level that it seems that way.]

[For your first question…]

[I am your strength.]

[That is, if you accept me.]

"My…strength?" He asked through a choked up voice.

[You're a curious one.]

[That's fine.]

[I am your personal system. Something cultivated and crafted specifically for yourself, Jeong-Hui.]

"Personal system…? Don't I have one already…?"

The verdant ball of light flickered in front of him as if becoming impatient with his onslaught of questions amidst the crawl of time.

[The Angel System is different from myself.]

[Think of it like a shared reservoir between the entirety of the human race, something everybody taps into indifferently.]

[I am exclusive to you. There is nothing shared with others. You will cultivate this system yourself, unbound by the regulations and limits of God.]

"--"

Part of it felt like madness.

Was he deluded by the flood of emotions and regret he felt? Was this a spawn of his imagination? Some way to handle the pain, and grant his wish through childish dreams?

Or was it…real?

"...I don't get it very well, but if I use you, I can kill them, right…?"

[It would be well within your means.]

[Your system is in itself intertwined with the Angel System. It's current status is equal in experience and level to your Angel System, so when it is fully manifested–there will be a plethora of new power at your disposal.]

"...What's this system, anyway…?"

He looked weakly at the verdant sphere humming just before his weak, tear-drenched eyes, waiting for his answer in the fractions of fractions between the stratifications of time.

[...It's the "Sage System"...]

"Sage System…?"

The first thing that came to his fractured mind upon hearing this was the unique ability he possessed–"Sage Period", and it seemed the sentient sphere recognized this question instinctively.

[As you may be thinking, the Sage System is indeed your Sage Period ability, in a way. It's been dormant this entire time, or rather purposefully hidden within the Angel System itself to allow it to properly cultivate.]

[The Sage System is about "optimization" rather than obtaining divine, magical skills like the Angel System.]

[That's all. We're out of time.]

[If you wish to continue on, manifest the Sage System with all of your heart.]

"...How…?"

[That's up to you to figure out. Search for it within you, and use what comes to mind.]

With that, the sphere was gone from his vision in what felt like an instant, and the frozen-seeming time resumed to its normal ways, with Cah-In continuing to speak maddened delusions directly to him.

"Soon, it'll be your time to rest in the belly of Barbas. Are you prepared?" Cah-In asked.

He hung there in the chains for a moment, holding his mouth agape as he slowly attempted to formulate an utterance.

"Pardon? I can't hear you?" Cah-In cupped his own ear, leaning closer.

His glasses slid off of his face, shattering against the floor, but he didn't require them.

Just then, he stiffened his entire body in anticipation, yelling out with everything he had–all of the lamentation, sorrow, and rage:

"Unravel, Sage System—!"