“I’ll help you,” I said, but a powerful tremor drowned my words.

“I knew you would do it.” The man smiled, relieved. “Ready for a power-up?”

As soon as I pronounced the words, the slithering creature that roamed just outside my mana pool retreated. The quakes ceased, which was a relief because my mana pool was dilapidated enough as it was. The chubby man in the yellow polo shirt floated towards the wall and spied through a crack before sighing in relief. As much as I was relieved by the sudden disappearance of the creature, I feared that inviting the System Avatar would have permanent consequences.

“I’ll help you as long as your plan doesn’t interfere with my work at the orphanage,” I clarified. Sure, freeing the world from Corruption seemed like an excellent idea. So far, every creature related to Corruption had threatened to kill me, and I was positively sure the world could live without it. Now, I had to ensure the System Avatar wasn’t swindling me.

“My plan will not interfere with the orphanage, I assure you,” the chubby man said as he examined the sigils on the wall as if he were measuring his work area.

Each time he reached a crack, he clicked his tongue in displeasure. The damage was extensive. Even after [Favorite Teacher] and [Making the Difference] had gotten rid of part of the Corruption in my body, long cracks and deep tears covered the walls, leaving only a few patches of runes untouched. As the minutes passed, I couldn’t help but grow more suspicious.

“Can you at least give me the benefit of the doubt?” He asked.

Could I give him the benefit of the doubt? The System had the ability to rearrange the neuronal connections inside my brain. [Swordsmanship] was enough proof. The System had refreshed and made instantly available memories and experiences I had thought long lost. A shiver ran down my spine. If the System could edit my memories, it could force me to accept its demands unquestioningly. But it hadn’t.

“I am already giving you the benefit of the doubt, so you better start talking,” I finally said.

The chubby man lost interest in the sigils and looked me directly in the eye. I felt the System’s intrusion on my thoughts, an invisible hand digging through my most profound memories, reading and recording forgotten experiences. After a brief moment, the sensation disappeared.

“Okay, I know your main questions now, so keep quiet and listen carefully because I’m explaining this once. Knowing this will benefit us both,” the chubby man said thoughtfully. “Your theories are mostly correct. The System is an interface to ease the connection between mana users and the Fountain. The System is imperfect, though. You experienced it already; the reckless usage of Fountain mana produces Corruption. Corruption interferes with the System's proper functioning, creating more Corruption, more corrupted monsters, and more crazy corrupted magicians. A vicious circle of Corruption, if you may.”

I nodded in silence. The truth about the System and Corruption wasn’t so far from my initial theories. Sure, my proof was limited to my own experience with Corruption, but it made sense. The Wendigo’s flavor text pointed out that the creature was originally a magician whose powers came out of control.

The same happened with the Lich. Even if the creature could not be identified, it had made clear that it wanted power the System couldn’t confer it. More than a month had passed since my encounter with the Lich, but the memory of the electric blue eyes sent a shiver down my spine. If working with the System Avatar meant getting rid of creatures like the Lich, maybe it was worth it.

I had little proof that the System Avatar was lying. The Corruption patch on my chest grew each time I used more mana than the System allowed me to. I already suspected there was a correlation between using mana directly from the Fountain and Corruption. The words of the System Avatar only corroborated my theory.

“How do I know you are not just tricking me?” I asked. All the talk about dealing with Corruption seemed correct to me, and yet, Byrne’s first impulse after touching the Fragment was to flee back to Earth.

“There’s no trick! Is it that hard to believe I want to eliminate the errors in the System? Look. First, I will trust you with powers others can only imagine. Second, I can’t force you to do anything. I don’t have leverage in the material world now that the Pact of Silence has been erased. If you wanted, you could grab my boons and never fulfill your part of the pact,” the chubby man sighed. “This is a long-term plan, so ultimately, you’ll have the opportunity to jump off the boat at any moment. I don’t know what else to say to convince you.”

“Tell me the details of what I’m supposed to do, and we’ll see,” I said.

“The System is contained in several crystals similar to the one in Abei’s study. I know what fragments of the ‘code’ are producing problems. You will have to learn how to weave runes first. After you master the technique, you’ll edit the faulty runes, and we’ll eliminate Corruption. Easy as it goes.” The chubby man smiled, proud of his plan.

It was direct, simple, and, most importantly, safe. However, that depended on the actual location of the crystals. If I had to guess, the creator of the System hid them in the hundredth floor of a deadly dungeon. If it were me, I would’ve done that.

“Doesn’t sound like a long-term plan to me,” I pointed out. It smelled like the System Avatar was still hiding something from me.

“It is, actually. It will take you years to both master the runic art and improve your class to channel great amounts of mana safely, so yeah, it is a long-term plan. But it’s our best bet. We are against the clock. The more Corruption exists, the easier it is to generate more Corruption. We are fighting a growing snowball.” The System Avatar replied. “That’s the deal. You help me with the Corruption problem, and I’ll teach you how to weave runes. Think of the benefits for the orphanage of having someone capable of enchanting stuff.”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

I nodded in silence. Power was exactly what I needed to protect the orphanage, and the System Avatar knew it well. The fight against Kellaren had opened my eyes. In this world, the powerful could take whatever they wanted. The Marquis could conscript orphans. The royal army could send them to their demise deep in the Farlands. Kellaren could snatch Firana from our hands. Even regular bandits could simply kill me for a few coins in my current state.

“At the slightest sign of danger, I’ll abandon the deal,” I said.

“I’m counting on that,” The System Avatar replied, shrugging his shoulders like a man with little to lose. “You already know this, but you are not the first Scholar from the other world I have tried to strike a deal with. If it helps, Byrne dropped our deal, and he was unharmed. I can’t say why he did it, though. He doesn’t seem to be in this world anymore.”

“He probably thought your solution was too risky,” I replied.

I was thinking the same. Despite not having a background in IT, I knew that touching a single line of code was enough to derail the entire program. One wrong step and the whole System would collapse.

“Luckily for you, I’m not that risk-averse.” I smiled. The orphanage was my first priority. Not causing a world-class cataclysm was fourth or fifth.

“Thank God.” The System Avatar rolled its eyes. “Do we have a deal, then?”

“Yes. Deal.”

We metaphorically shook hands because I had no material form inside the mana pool. Then, the System Avatar started rearranging the runes in the walls to unlock my new rune-weaving skill. His hands shone with the white light I had come to recognize as Fountain mana. I expected to feel something, pain maybe, but the experience was as dull as watching someone code.

The task wasn’t as easy as I initially expected. The chubby man cursed like a sailor each time one of the cracks impeded him from assembling a full line of runes. I felt partially responsible for having my mana pool in such a disastrous state. However, I remained silent and observed, hoping to learn something. As much as I tried to understand the logic behind his movements, his intention remained hidden from me.

“Listen to me, Scholar.” The man said as he rolled up the sleeves of his yellow polo shirt. “I’m trusting you with great power, so please, please, stop using the Fountain’s mana so recklessly. We have enough Corruption already without producing more.”

“Recklessly doesn’t mean stopping altogether.” I pointed out.

“I’m not foolish enough to pretend that you, of all dimensional travelers, will stop using the Fountain.” The System Avatar said with the excitement of a plumber being distracted by banal conversation. “Did you know my creator was also native to Earth?”

“I assumed so, considering that Classes and Skills were taken from classic RPG games,” I said, just to be interrupted by a System prompt popping in front of my eyes. If I had a body, I would’ve fallen on my back.

New title acquired!

Researcher of the Hidden: A title for those who have learned the world's deepest secrets.

Class Reward: Greatly increases mana pool.

“Finally!” The chubby man grunted.

It was my first time achieving a new title inside my mana pool. Suddenly, the runes on the wall shone. Bright blue root-like protrusions extended from the holes, creating a new surface where there was nothing a moment before. I closed my eyes and embraced the sensation of Corruption disappearing. It felt great.

When I opened my eyes, I found the chubby man smiling.

“You are welcome.” He smugly said.

“You told me all those things about the System just so the Corruption would heal!” I replied with an accusatory tone.

“An artist needs a proper canvas.” The chubby man shook his lit hands in my direction, expelling sparks from his fingertips.

Minutes passed by until the System Avatar stepped back from the wall and dried his forehead. The bright white runes he had weaved into the mana pool stood out against the sea of blue runes. It wasn’t just a block of white but a myriad of runes scattered over the surface. Whatever the design of the System’s code was, it wasn’t linear.

“If I weave the wrong rune on the System code, I could destroy it.” I pointed out.

“You won't. Luckily for me, you love this world. Even if the Class system can cause injustice, you know it’s people’s fault, not the System.” The chubby man said with a tired smile. “Congratulations, Robert Clarke, you have joined the incredibly exclusive club of Runeweaver Scholars.”

With a hand movement, the man filled the last empty space. Something clicked within my mind —an abrupt surge of understanding of the world. It was the second time I experienced that sensation. Months ago, on my first day in this world, I had achieved [Mana Manipulation] and the ability to sense mana in my surroundings. It was akin to gaining a second sense of sight. This sensation was similar. Suddenly, it felt like I had learned to speak for a second time, yet I was speechless.

Speaking, I could produce words. Weaving runes, I still didn’t with certainty.

“It will take you time to master this skill. When you do, meet me. Any System Shrine will do the trick.” The chubby man said. Suddenly, he didn’t sound unfriendly anymore but profoundly hopeful.

I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out. The new power shone within my chest like a lighthouse against darkness. Vibrant. Eager. I unconsciously knew that my remaining Corruption hindered my rune-weaving capabilities, yet I felt stronger than ever before.

“One last thing before you go.” The chubby man said, buttoning up his shirt and unrolling his sleeves. “I never learned how to write an essay, yet I thought of my English teacher every week. You don’t have to be a great teacher to make a change. You just have to be there.”

Before I could reply, a blinding white light filled my mana pool, and I was back at the Scholar Tower in Farcrest, sitting in front of Abei’s desk. The sigils in System Shrine Fragment pulsated once before disappearing, leaving the lustrous blue surface entirely still. Through the window, I noticed the sun in the same position as before I touched the fragment. Then, I slowly turned around to find Firana’s big brown eyes fixed on me.