We continued to travel through this lonely and frightening landscape for the next two hours. Until we came upon a totally different and even more terrifying landscape. From the doorway alone, we could sense how inhospitable and disturbing this place was.
And from the very first step, we knew we'd been well served. In fact, we were reluctant to turn back, but unfortunately, when Systalia turned around, the door was locked. And even when she tried to open it, it refused to open.
I was tempted to use my Void's energy through Systalia, but I was afraid she'd hurt herself, and I wouldn't have a ship. Especially as my Void didn't have enough energy to heal her if the after-effects were too severe. Even without considering that, opening the door required a not inconsiderable amount of Void's energy.
Ultimately, the risks seemed too great to ignore, and we could only resolve to continue. Accompanied by a faint, flickering light that once again seemed to come from the objects and air themselves, my sister advanced step by step over a creaky floor.
The reason for the creaking was wholly unknown and incongruous. After all, the floor was made of rugged, smooth metal that hardly seemed to move underfoot. The sounds of this floor were indeed a mystery.
On top of this, a foul-smelling viscous liquid was sticking to Systalia's body, making her cough repeatedly and breathing erratically. This liquid could only have come from the micro-droplets in this strange sticky mist where the wind blew randomly.
The deeper we sank into this mist, the harder it became to move forward. Each additional step required more effort and aggravated an ever greater exhaustion. Especially as my sister looked physically weaker than before.
No matter how I turned the problem over, there was only one answer: my Apostle had inherited my physical debuffs. Perhaps because she had been recreated from my Void's energy, we were now more connected than a simple Void link.
Indeed, Systalia was now a part of my Void and, by extension, of me. She could only live with me, just as I could only live with her for now. And this relationship, halfway between symbiosis and parasitism, since she depended more on me than vice versa, had become our reality, for better or worse.
In any case, this loss of physical ability was a significant concern for the future. I hoped that one day I'd be able to remedy it, especially as if I managed to untie myself from her, there was no doubt that this physical debuff would return to me.
What's more, it also raised the question of the mental debuff I possessed before. This may be part of why Systalia was more accommodating, having a mind of lesser capacity.
However, a mind that lost too much intelligence over time would be difficult to manipulate. After all, manipulation worked best with intelligent people in the long term, which was reason enough for Systalia to remain at least a little clever.
Nevertheless, in the shorter term, debuff of any kind was to be feared, especially physical debuff in our current situation, if my sister's blurred vision and wheezing were anything to go by.
Systalia was threatening to collapse from exhaustion at any moment despite the many stops we had made to rest her. And although her physical capabilities were still superior to my previous body, they were rapidly declining, moving ever closer to me of yesteryear.
On top of this, my comrade occasionally mutters in puzzled tones about the duller-than-usual colors in this room, although I saw no change from usual.
But perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the situation was the various objects strewn across the room's surfaces. More or less decomposed corpses, oozing more or less dried blood and emitting an unhealthy, extremely foul-smelling smoke.
Not to mention the various objects that had undoubtedly once belonged to the dead, which emitted a discontinuous shrill noise as they literally melted and emitted the same smoke as the corpses.
And yet, this was nothing compared to the vegetation, which was set with countless eyes following us with a predatory gaze that seemed to emanate from these trees. The trees seemed to be predators, feeding on our prey.
And perhaps that comparison was accurate, given that rivers of blood spilled at the foot of trees and older corpses piled up near the trees. Of course, needless to say, Systalia could only watch with wide eyes, her body trembling.
I was utterly stunned; we were prey for the first time. It was then that I realized that nothing was inferior to us in this world and that our powerlessness was matched only by our ignorance of our place.
Of course, we'd survived people and the environment so far, but that was mainly luck, and I couldn't afford to rest on it forever. I thought I'd learn from my mistakes bit by bit, but it was all in vain.
Such a process could only work if we didn't risk death with every action. I had to outdo myself now. I had to become more observant, resourceful, perceptive, cunning, and innovative, to name but a few qualities.
In short, I had to become the best judge I could be, who would make the best possible decisions in all circumstances. And even if I wanted to manipulate Systalia in the long run, I also had to ensure that her judgment was within my bounds if we were to survive in this world.
For the moment, I was merely blustering with fantasized judgmental abilities that I didn't even know were attainable by me. One thing was sure, however: I didn't know how far my determination could take me down such a dangerous path before I snapped for good and committed the irreparable.
And as if to echo my Will, the air became more breathable, the mist receded, the lights stopped flickering, the smoke of corpses and blood faded, and my Apostle... collapsed to the ground, exhausted.
For almost half an hour, I could only contemplate etheric space, accompanied by my Void and deprived of bodily sensations. I scrutinized the infinite abyss of my Void, sparking an idea in my mind: perhaps true happiness could only be found in the Void.
However, this thought never came to fruition, interrupted by renewed physical sensations, a sign that my host was gradually regaining consciousness. The idea immediately vanished from my mind as if it no longer wished to be pursued by anyone.
As the vision returned, allowing me to admire a ceiling of shifting, alienating grey, I cut it off momentarily. I'd promised never to look at a ceiling again, and just catching a glimpse of this new nightmarish ceiling vindicated that determination.
So I waited a little while for the sensation of my legs rising to reactivate my vision. And what a surprise it was to see a staggering sight. The vision of the last moments before Systalia lost consciousness was true.
Indeed, all around us was peaceful: the mist, the flickering lights, and the smoke of corpses and blood were avoiding us as if by magic. They were being deflected by a supernatural force beyond comprehension. Indeed, it was a force that had to be accounted for by the famous "Magic".
On closer inspection, during the last battle, I have seen Systalia perfectly deflect our opponents' attacks. At least, before the eleven people attacked at the same time, undoubtedly furious at the death of their companion.
I wanted to learn more about the System, and now that we had the opportunity to have a more leisurely stroll, I could seize this chance. But that would have to wait until my host stopped turning her head or putting her finger to her mouth while lowering her eyes. Something unknown seemed to be puzzling her.
Fortunately, the awkward silence didn't last forever. Systalia broke it of her own accord in an intrigued voice: "My Goddess, do you know why my magic manages to create such a feat?"
Her question hardly enchanted me, forcing me to ask a question while retaining the dignity of my title: "Why do you think this would be the case, My Dear Apostle? Don't you believe in your Will?"
She immediately seemed astonished and thoughtful about my strange question, stammering finally: "That is to say, normally, my magic cannot deviate over such a large perimeter. Now that I remembered, I had felt a mysterious, foreign force coming from the bowels of my being pass through me and increase the perimeter of my power tenfold."
I could only remain circumspect in the face of her words, for there was no possible doubt that the Void's energy must have passed through my Apostle and perhaps completed her breathlessness. My Will must have seeped into her, even if I didn't know by what means.
What's more, I didn't know why the Void's energy affected her magic, nor what conditions had to be met for such a result. I felt the weight of my ignorance on our own powers. As Void, what was the scope of Our Will?
If I could answer this question, I could understand my place in this World. But for now, failing to provoke them, I could only learn from my own successes and hope to fully understand myself one day.
At least, I could console myself with having enough elements to formulate a correct answer: "Do you know that nothing is impossible for the Will of a Goddess. Even for the weak and incomplete Goddess that I am. But as long as you live, I'll be your protector until my Will finds its zenith and the fulfillment of your dream."
Her mouth opened wide, and her head swayed in amazement. Nevertheless, she thanked me warmly, even though she also tried to learn more about my power. I could only skilfully dodge the question while gradually diverting the subject to the System.
And this was our main conversation during this calm journey, the magic remaining stable. Incidentally, this fact titillated my curiosity: how long could Our Will survive, cut off from its roots? It was a fascinating question, even if not as intriguing as our conversation.
Indeed, it was a genuinely enriching chat in which I learned much about Status and its various components, at least as far as Systalia knew. Her Permission level inevitably restricted what she could see about her Status or those of others.
All I had to do now was make judicious use of this information. But that had to wait until I could see my own Status. I wouldn't be lying if I said I was apprehensive about this moment despite a hint of excitement and curiosity inside me. And that was perfectly normal; a Status seemed to be a fascinating object.
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But first, we finally went into town to see my Status. Indeed, the city area protected the System against the hostile environment. Of course, the System was present everywhere in this World since it was an integral part, but certain parts were left to decay for some obscure reason.
For the people of this World, this was a sign that the World itself didn't want to take care of this place. Even stranger was that the World was not seen as divine but as Nature itself.
So, for them, it was expected that Nature could carry within it a Will without the divine and incomprehensible dimension that would generally go with it. This conception of the World was fascinating, although I wondered if I had understood its essence since I must have missed essential points in their understanding.
And so we traveled through this landscape for an hour. If it seemed horrifying at the time, now that it's just a distant memory I could step back from, the only emotion it inspired was melancholy.
A landscape as much a harbinger of the end of the world as of ultimate despair. Above all, it is a harbinger of the madness and gloom of this World, a senseless World that has turned away from its history, forgetting its roots and purpose, leaving it alone with an inescapable decline.
Slowly, the landscape changed, revealing objects, rotten wood, rocks, and half-cracked bricks. I was just aware of the change when the corpses and carnivorous trees ultimately gave way to these objects and ruins.
Numerous ruins rose, all different in size, shape, material, and architecture. The only thing they had in common was the profound sadness their sight engendered. Through them, we could feel all their loneliness and their abandonment by an all-too-pitying World.
At least, that was how I felt from the moment I breathed in a faint woody odor, rancid and frankly sickening. And the moment we became aware of it, the emotions of inexorable despondency came to an abrupt halt, as if their existence had always been a chimera.
We'd been fooled by that smell! This simple thought led to another question: since when? The only possible answer was that the scent had appeared when I realized we were in a different landscape.
I was delighted to learn a little more about Our Will. Even though I was disenchanted with the use of Will. In fact, the mechanism was simple: my will seemed to take effect as long as I believed that the conditions of effect remained the same, regardless of any external reality.
For example, the effects of my Will continued to last as long as I was convinced with all my being that the environment was always the same as the one in which I had cast my Will. These effects were immediately broken when I noticed the incongruous elements and instantly concluded that the scenery had changed.
This power could prove helpful, but it was too conditional and dangerous. And for good reason: to remain active, I had to stay unaware of changes in my environment, exposing myself to further dangers not covered by the effects of my Will and, thus, to certain death.
What's more, if the activation of Will persisted in an environment whose characteristics made the effects of Will henceforth harmful to us. The only choice then was to be on the lookout for any change from the initial conditions to avoid leaving our luck to chance.
However, even this position proved problematic since it invited us to consider every different detail as a radical environmental change, even if this was objectively false. Thus, we are deprived of the effects of Will in the landscape in which it was initially activated, drastically increasing the chances of our death.
So, I could always decide not to use Will, but this choice was also too damaging. We were in a World that had shown us no mercy or concession so far. Ultimately, not using this power and not knowing when to stop it were proving too damaging.
As I desperately tried to find a way out of this dilemma, I was distracted by a sound: My Dear Apostle's voice, which sounded tinged with worry and nervousness.
"Say... I'd like to ask you a question: since earlier, something about my vision has been bothering me..."
However, she never got to finish her sentence because, from an adjacent door, we heard two people shouting words that were incomprehensible to me. A third person seemed to be speaking in a lower, agitated voice.
As the translation of words was not included in the physical sensations, I could only rely on Systalia to convey the meaning of their words. Although I didn't need to understand their words to know that the two people were arguing.
Systalia then quickly hid in one of the nearby ruins before the opening was complete, and their eyes could scan the room. We were so nervous that my sister could have had a heart attack, and so could I if I'd had a body.
We could hear them moving slowly across the room, their every step terrifying us. Systalia stood motionless, her breath caught and cold sweat all over her body. We heard them walk away until the third one informed the other two of something that worried Systalia.
I wanted to ask him what was wrong, but was interrupted by footsteps approaching our position at high speed. Ultimately, I could only shout at Systalia to run with all her might.
Emerging from her torpor and looking confused, she seemed to understand the current situation soon enough and sprinted with determination toward one of the room's random exits. I also took the opportunity to ask her how they had detected us. And the answer was simple: low-level radar magic.
Nevertheless, this radar magic gave me ideas for future tests, should we still be alive to cross paths with other humans. Indeed, although their appearance, even from a distance, seemed radically different from the others we'd met before, they were all unmistakably human.
All three had strange tools with them. One had a touch-screen device with which the human seemed to be communicating. Another carried a device projecting a holographic sword, which did some real damage if the surrounding rocks were anything to go by. And the last held a bag resembling our scroll bags.
With every passing second, our survival seemed more and more uncertain. After all, these humans were hunting us relentlessly, closing the distance at an alarming rate. So much so that we were already caught up and surrounded after just a few rooms.
In the meantime, the humans had dispersed and seemed more coordinated than the previous group, which could only lead to our encirclement. While each was at a roughly equal distance from the other two, their distance from us decreased, and our escape route disappeared.
One thought we both agreed on was that fighting became our only chance of survival. We plucked up courage and looked at our enemies with doubt, apprehension, and unsuspected determination.
For the first time, I had the impression that Systalia and I shared the same feelings and that we were a single Will united in adversity. Of course, these were just my unverifiable perceptions, even if I hoped the situation was actual because, in the end, my vision of reality was all that mattered to Our Will.
And we weren't the only ones who had prepared for the confrontation since our enemies now had scrolls. When they'd passed them to each other was a complete mystery, but at least it told us they were ready to kill us in earnest.
The human with the sword was the first to move, trying to hurl a bolt of magic at us with his blade, but Systalia managed to deflect the blow back at him. But the human quickly and nimbly dodged the bolt, which crashed into some debris in the distance.
The person then came straight at us with his sword, which Systalia almost avoided, receiving only a tiny wound from which arcs of electricity were emanating. I didn't realize until it was too late that the wound was profound, preventing her from moving her right arm.
And that wasn't the end of it, for almost immediately afterward, the human followed up with more sword blows, cutting into my sister's skin with complete success this time. Electric arcs and smoke covered Systalia, who was unable to move and was gradually losing consciousness.
The worst was about to happen, despite my determination. The group still hadn't used their scrolls - perhaps they were more expensive than initially assumed. If so, I would have to use these scrolls sparingly in the future.
And even if I wasn't sure I had a future, I couldn't give up, not until I'd slaughtered these people. I had rage. After all, I didn't want to die, and, above all, I was fed up with this situation of constant death.
We'd let our guard down, and that brought us to the brink of death. This realization alone was a reminder of my failure as a person. I had promised myself that I would improve, but I had never begun to do so. I had never set out to do so, not at any time since our awakening, and this end was our just punishment.
However, accepting this end was another debate I didn't accept, not that we didn't accept. After all, we were the Void of this World, those who surpassed the Will of this World, those who corroded the Will of the System.
Suddenly, we felt free, Our Will exploding and wanting to show itself to the world. And so it was: the energy of the Void poured like torrential rain into Systalia's Body, incarnating itself in the physical plane.
My Apostle was surprised by her sudden burst of energy. I could only retort in a solemn, confident voice: "My Dear Apostle, today we will chastise these fools for their arrogance towards a Goddess and her Representative in this World, so let your Will find itself again and dream of that glittering future your Desire seeks so much."
Thanks to my speech, Systalia's Will grew stronger, mingling with Our Will and resulting in a Will of ever-increasing strength. Drunk with our power, our confidence was brought to a climax, surpassing any determination we might have had in the past.
Systalia rose despite these wounds, and I didn't know what they felt about our presence at the time, but the humans cast every spell in their scrolls in unison. It was as if their Will was one to drive us from this World.
Unfortunately for them, we needed more in our current state. And all their spells were deflected even as they materialized from their scrolls. Under Our Will, the spells were returned to their scrolls before the astonished eyes of the group of humans.
Even as fright flashed across their faces, they didn't flee. They were paralyzed as if fear of what they saw prevented them from making the slightest movement. Moreover, the one with the sword hadn't used it, even though this person was closest to us and, like his two companions, seemed to be moving away from us.
But I'd never let them get away, and Our Will was determined to deliver a punishment they'd never forget, even in death or their future reincarnation if it ever came to that. For even that, we wanted to forbid them with all Our Will.
They may not have deserved it, but they will take our repressed emotions from the recent adverse events of this last inferno, which is the sole purpose that Our Will designated for them.
As We delivered Our Judgment, the World was tinged with blackness and whiteness, cracking into a kaleidoscope at the revelation of the proper form of this Void. In that brief moment when the Will of the Void subverted the logic of the World, the purest madness took hold of humans.
Their Souls seemed unable to comprehend what they were witnessing, as the Void engulfed them whole, leaving no information about what these beings called "human" might one day have been in the eyes of this World.
Last time, I'd lost consciousness before the show ended, so I hadn't seen it unfold. But now I'd finally discovered the mystery of the absent bodies: my Void had converted these Souls into Void's energy. I'd killed them, and yet all I felt inside me was an appeased Void.
In any case, as far as my Void was concerned, the only value of these beings lay in their potential to serve as food, and I couldn't blame him, for in the end, was I so different?
How could I know which parts of my personality were genuine? Unless they were all false or true? Or both? Or neither? Or didn't even the concept of personality apply to me? After all, did a Void have a personality? No one could know, not even the Void in question?
And so, me and Systalia sank into the abyss of unconsciousness after our crime, a few wards from the city, our bond somewhat strengthened by our complicity in our affront against this World.
But that was just the beginning, the slow start of our journey despite ourselves towards the Reason of the World and the Will of the System.