"I'm the multiverse's primary focus."
Zaira stared at the helpless baby that seemed no different from a normal baby. If not the fact that she had just seen it devour her physical body, she would have been convinced otherwise.
The entity before her might just seem like a baby, but it had enough power to destroy a world casually. Moreover, it was a System.
The baby opened its mouth and began to suck in the ambient Mental Energy, for a moment causing even Zaira to flinch at the consumption.
'What the heck is this creature?' She stared at the baby, wondering just what the heck had been created through her involvement with Mystique.
Two absolute peak beings had produced a terrifying offspring. Zaira's gaze alternated as she activated a Skill, observing through the System World that the baby was gradually turning into a System.
Moreover, as it absorbed Mental Energy, its level was increasing, going against the norms for its Core Skill had yet to form.
Level 1…2…30…70…Zaira stared in shock as the numbers continued to climb up steadily and soon, they entered the three digits. 'There wasn't even any resistance?'
110…140…190…201…by this point, she was in disbelief, having never seen a System that go against the norm like this. Eventually, the number stopped at 299 as she heaved a sigh in relief. But, it was still terrifying.
For, the baby was born as a System at the peak of Grade 3. This was unprecedented. Even the Main Character System, despite its absolute powers, still conformed to the basic growth process of a System.
Guaa!
The baby let out a smile of content as it stopped absorbing Mental Energy, flailing its hands towards Zaira as it seemed capable of sensing her energy body's presence.
'This is Arnark's back up plan. And it's supposed to be a turning point on my journey. But still, I'm nervous.' Thinking as such, Zaira lifted the baby and stared at it, observing it remain in a slumber. And in that pose, the two remained, for days, months, and eventually years.
Finally, after a decade spanned past, the eyes of the entity shot open as a boy's voice resounded, "I'm finally awake."
The baby had grown into a boy, healthy.
"…" Zaira stared at the boy, remaining in a pose that cradled him. She simply enlarged her energy-condensed form and had been observing him for the past decade, having used countless Skills to prob his nature.
The boy stared at Zaira, "Mom, about my dad…"
He hesitated a little and asked, "Is it Mystique or Arnark?"
"Where did this question come from?" Zaira asked. Had she still been in that human body, she would have been affected by the question. But now, she was like artificial intelligence, calmly analysing the statement to inquire in return.
"My inherent nature is Mystique, since even we Systems are just a self-governing race that had broken free of his influence." The boy spoke, "But, Arnark's actions shaped me and pushed me towards becoming a System instead."
"I have the powers of two fathers influencing me." The boy extended his hands wide to say.
"The answer to it is simple, child." Zaira let out a smile, "You must first complete your Core Skill. That's the key to determining all solutions."
"I knew you would say that." The boy smiled as he announced, "Don't call me child."
"Call me Arnark."
"Arnark is still alive. You're not him, even if you're something born out of his revival mechanism." Zaira said.
"Not for long." The boy tilted his head, "Arnark will lose to Compass Carburettor."
"What?" Zaira shouted in shock, "Arnark will never lose."
"He will though." The boy said as he stared up, "That's what they are saying."
"They? Who are they?" Zaira frowned at the statement.
"Who are they?" The boy seemed puzzled by the question, failing to find an answer, "They have always been here though, watching everything."
"Right, I think there's an appropriate term for them." The boy said as the Mental Energy in his body condensed into a pulsating Coordinate, formulating his essence as his Core Skill took shape.
"Fate."
Zaira stared in shock before bursting into laughter, "You're literally the symbol of absurdity."
Ding!
A ringing sound blasted through the entirety of the System World as immediately, Zaira could feel her power taking another qualitative leap. The cause was the boy before her, finally entering the ultimate realm that every System wished to attain one day.
Grade 3 System—Fate (Level 300)!
Immediately after, his body dispersed throughout the Multiverse, fusing with the concept of fate, for that was what a Grade 4 System did. It turned an entire concept into its Host.
And now, the boy turned fate into his Host.
'Of the three absolute concepts, I now control time and fate.' Zaira grinned, 'Now, only space is left.'
Regression, Reincarnation, and Transmigration controlled the three aspects of time while Fate pretty much had a monopoly of fate.
Gaining authority over a concept was tricky and insanely difficult. Even if one wielded enough powers of the concept, they still wouldn't have any relation to the concept itself.
Becoming a concept was being similar to the current Compass Carburettor in that everywhere Mortality existed in the multiverse, he was there.
Regression, Reincarnation, and Transmigration pretty much dominated the timelines. Though of course, even they couldn't casually mess up the timelines without any repercussions. There was causality involved for everything.
The reason the Systems were so powerful was that once they attained the peak of Grade 3, they naturally attained the qualifications to become a concept.
For any other entity like Compass Carburettor, they had to rely upon a multitude of favourable variables and chance encounters to eventually attain the same.
But for the Systems, as long as they attained the peak of Grade 3, they had a chance to gain possession of a concept in the multiverse.
The best example was the Grade 3 System, Apocalypse. It attained the concept of Apocalypse, being the sole representative of the same in the multiverse. That was why it was in a league of its own and played a major part in the previous war, with its Core Skill Manifestation capable of influencing even the likes of Magister.
Another example was Truck-Kun. Unfortunately, just like the other Concept Representatives in the multiverse, Truck-Kun was unable to unleash any peak effect like a Genre Representation.
The only one to break that was Compass Carburettor, who achieved it through Dreamcraft—as he possessed the power of Tell-Tale that allowed him to shape his powers according to his desire.
Without a power like Lore or Tell-Tale, an entity like Truck-Kun would never be able to enter the realm of a major Genre Representative like Magister and become capable of unleashing a Genre Representation.
Of course, the Systems were different, for every Grade 3 System and above were able to unleash a Core Skill Manifestation.
"Things have just become interesting." Zaira grinned confidently, "I only need to get space now."
After all, Adventure once embodied the concept of space before the implosion occurred. So, Zaira had some ideas to attain that authority, now that she gained possession of fate.
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