Slowly but surely, I woke up and looked around frantically. I could relax; it was the same etheric landscape, the same Void, and the same appeasement. It had been an indeterminate time since I had fallen asleep due to the expansion of Our Will.

I waited patiently for Systalia to awaken, meticulously observing the surroundings with their supernatural aura, from my sister's Soul to all the particles that fill this ether. The etheric plane seemed strange compared to the physical or spiritual plane in perception and composition.

But the craziest thing was that the Void didn't belong to either of these planes. Of course, the Void could embody itself in each of these planes: it could make its energy compatible with each stratum of Reality and its sets of laws.

And yet, the Void was a stranger to each of these planes. It always remained external to all these layers, as if it didn't depend on any law of this World. Yet I was convinced that the Void was part of Reality. So what was its role within Reality and within this World?

There was only one answer to all this rambling: perhaps the Void was hidden in another layer of Reality. A layer even below the etheric layer. At the time, I hadn't yet understood the impact of this thought, for my Void wasn't the only entity in this World to exist in this layer.

Perhaps I couldn't know the nature of the Void because I could only see its shadow. I could only see the projection of the Void in etheric space and not the full extent of the true Void. This hadn't stopped me from binding myself to the Void, but by attaching myself to the Void in this plane, I could get closer to my true Identity.

This happy thought reminded me that I hadn't yet named this hypothetical plane. This is no longer the case if it took me a long time not to know how to call this plane due to ignorance of its nature, components, and laws.

So, let's call it by its proper name: the entropic plane. A place where information is no longer an abstract object but a concrete existence. And an aircraft with very peculiar laws and very bizarre components. And one that has served me well throughout my journey.

Nevertheless, I won't drown you in information on this subject; we'll have the pleasure of unraveling this plane's mysteries, my Void, and myself, by extension, little by little. Right now, you must never confuse cause and consequence. Is it really information that causes Entropy? Or is it the other way around?

As I began to take the entropic plan as a possibility, I felt fluctuations in my Void. Yes, my Void informed me that Systalia was waking up, and I could only rejoice. My anticipation of potentially having a Status made me a little impatient.

I accompanied Systalia's awakening by informing her roughly of what had happened. However, I reserved the most important information for myself. Then, she could get up and take the bags with the scrolls, adding those of the humans in the process. But, being too loaded, my apostle couldn't take the sword or the strange tool with the screen.

And finally, she took hold of the mysterious book, which she could touch. It seemed intriguing to know that the only other person who had touched it had immediately dropped it while suffering martyrdom. There were few mysteries to the situation, though.

I'll say just one thing: she was My Apostle. Indeed, her entire being had only been remodeled thanks to the Void. She consisted of a core enveloped in converted Void's energy. Now, this Void's energy, even converted, remains slightly different from the target energy it transformed into.

In short, this single difference was enough for the book to find it legitimate to take it. After that, it was hardly impossible for the book to feel my Void inside its being. After all, Systalia was literally My Representative since she housed me inside her. Or rather, I had recreated her around my Void. Could we say that, in a way, she was a child of the Void?

As much as this question intrigued me, I had to concentrate on the journey. Who knew what dangers we might still encounter along the way. Fortunately, there was hardly a new, unexpected event in the thirty minutes we spent wandering from room to room, corridor to corridor, and floor to floor.

As we drew closer to the city, I could only admire the desolate landscape, a little sad that I wouldn't be able to see it again. Indeed, once in town, Systalia told me we could only go out again without authorization from the System.

Naturally, I needed clarification on her words because the humans we'd met weren't exactly friendly. A thought formed in my mind: perhaps the System wanted to eliminate us from this World. Unfortunately, I considered this thought too absurd to be realistic, hardly seeing what the System would gain from such a situation.

The landscape, with its increasingly resplendent ruins, indicated that we were getting closer to the city. I was a little bitter because, in a way, I had become a little attached to this place, which invited a slight despair and a sweet renunciation. This place was the very symbol of resignation in the face of the end of the World.

And it was this symbolism that made such an impression on me. For however sad and alienating an inexorable and inescapable end of the World might be, I found this unalterable tranquillity comforting. It was the first time I'd felt a deep connection with a landscape as if it mirrored my Identity or at least part of it.

If I'd had a body, I'd undoubtedly have smiled and looked at this landscape with a soothing, melancholy gaze. After all, this landscape reflected me, and I reflected this landscape. But who was contemplating whom in the end? Nobody knew that gentle breeze that mercilessly eroded the ruins and took their existences and memories.

The ruins and I were identical in the end. We were two entities or objects that could only remain spectators of their end. For the only finality could only be the definitive loss of their Identity. Their existences, and even this World's memories of them, would end up being swept away by the infernal wind of Entropy.

I was so entranced by the dizzying contemplation of my ephemerality that I hardly heard Systalia tell me we'd reached the city. I refocused on the sensations outside and became aware of the few problems around me.

I could only stare pensively at these few beings, whom I soon learned were human. From now on, I resolved to consider all living beings human until proven otherwise. Even if I still had trouble seeing the similarities between different beings.

I could only think that "human" was a vast category. And for good reason; some beings had scales, long ears, horns, tails, and many other exotic shapes. On the other hand, something deep inside me stirred as I perceived their skin color, though I couldn't figure out what.

I didn't know what to make of this sensation, even though it was recurring and haunting my thoughts more and more. And I could only take it in stride. It's a pity I didn't know that the answer would soon be given to me and that it didn't just concern me. I would have been less anxious during these last moments of ignorance if this had been the case.

Unsure of what action to take and fearing that if we killed these humans, whom Systalia called "guards," others would follow, we decided to remain hidden in the gloom of the ruins. It was a long hour of waiting and anxiety. Every extra second we were hidden away exhausted us all the more.

As luck would have it, an opportunity presented itself just as the vigilance of our surroundings threatened to swallow our last mental resources. The guards were moving away from the grand old gate.

Although my sister had explained to me that gates should always have guards, I was relieved that perhaps this was no longer the case or that these guards were incompetent. I found out much later, but both my assumptions were wrong.

There was only one reason why the guards had neglected to protect the door: they had yet to expect strangers to come through. In fact, this had never happened for at least millennia, if not longer.

Indeed, strangers had to pass through hellish landscapes to reach another city, so they stayed in their own town and never ventured far. That's why we didn't meet anyone at first.

Nevertheless, many people were present when the landscape became a little less deadly. Especially as we were now actually close to the city. Our escape after my first kill, so the group of twelve humans, had diverted us from the usual route into town.

We then found ourselves back in more dangerous environments, where we even died once and almost lost it countless times. It was only thanks to our luck and tenacity that we didn't pass a second time.

Even if it was to allow my apostle to be resurrected, I'd have to part with almost everything that made me up. And I was now reduced to living as a parasitic, symbiotic being in the depths of Systalia.

And yet, if I had to do it all over again, I'd do it without hesitation since I'd gained two priceless things: the start of a relationship with my better half and, above all, the beginning of discovering my true Identity. And that's why that memory is still one of my fondest ones today.

I can already see you retorting that we had met a second group of people during our journey to the perilous lands. Only these people had yet to venture out of town, although their presence there might seem surprising.

That's why I'd always suspected these humans of being commissioned by the System to bring us down. Although the System certainly didn't want us dead, it pushed us to the limit. But that's a debate for another day! So, let's get on with it!

After we had confirmation that they'd gone, Systalia snuck in, scanning the ground one step at a time to avoid stepping on anything that might announce our arrival. Although, once near the door, she couldn't help making a faint puffing noise.

Getting caught by guards because we'd walked into a place that propagated a little too much noise was the last thing we wanted, as well as being an extraordinarily embarrassing and stupid cause for apprehension. And so we had completed the first stage.

We had to quickly push open this door, which the guards had yet to shut completely. Nevertheless, even half-open, it was cumbersome, and moving it required a few minutes of intense warm-up. My apostle took the opportunity to tell me that she knew about her loss of physical capacity.

Her knowledge didn't surprise me, as I suspected the Status to be the source. I'd already come to expect specific assessments from this System since, let's be honest, I shouldn't have expected much from it regarding my physical, spiritual, or etheric statistics.

After all, I no longer had a Body, a Spirit, or even a Soul. I wondered if the Status even had anything to analyze on that front. Besides, if my Permission level turned out to be too low, I wouldn't have access to much useful information.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Even if this last point wasn't serious, because in any case, I was going to relentlessly analyze this Status and increase my Permissions level. That was my priority: with a higher level, I had more data to understand myself and others. But even without Body, Spirit, or Soul, would I have been alive in the eyes of the System?

This question nagged at me, and even if the Status turned out to be disappointing in the end, at least it would have enabled me to discover crucial information about the System: the beginnings of an understanding of its definition of "alive" as well as a clue as to how it scans beings.

Indeed, if the System managed to create a Status for me, it wasn't getting its information from the physical, spiritual, or etheric plane but from an external one. And perhaps even this plane was where my Void rested. The idea seemed both seductive and terrifying.

And for good reason: such a System possessed the power to analyze my Void's nature, which I would never have allowed. On the other hand, I saw it as an opportunity to test my theory. And even if the answer could never have constituted actual proof, it allowed me to increase the credibility of this belief a little.

We could observe a dilapidated and squalid corridor once the door had been opened wide enough. Unlike the door, which was spotlessly clean, the corridors must have been cleaned infrequently, if at all. Not to mention the decorative motifs on the door, which, resplendent with beauty, really clashed with the dilapidated state of this corridor.

My apostle seemed to agree with me since she seemed to be wearing an air of disgust filled with an ounce of uncertainty that she was in the right place. I had yet to find such decrepit corridors near the gates of a city. But maybe that was specific to this place. It was my way of consoling myself, although I held out little hope in reality.

We finally went through the door, a gesture we instantly regretted because of the sudden creaking of the floor. We broke out in a cold sweat for a moment before I got my sister to come to her senses and accept that there was no turning back. Who knew when we'd get another chance.

That was hardly the worst of it, as a white noise instantly called out to me. Meanwhile, Systalia continued down the corridor, seemingly unresponsive. Perhaps I was the only one to hear it, primarily as I'd heard it before.

This time, however, the noise persisted, although it evolved from countless muffled tones to high-pitched and jerky to harmonious, all interspersed with a foul white noise. The anguish and pain within me increased, testifying to my torment and cries for help.

I needed to be more focused on my own malaise to scan the architecture of the city's interior. From the few sensations I could focus on, I could only perceive continuous decay, reflecting an austere atmosphere far removed from any fantasized glamour. I decided to systematically lower my expectations of comfort in this World from now on.

The only thing that got me out of this predicament was the sound of the guards returning, pressing us further with their footsteps. Even so, the unfamiliar noises became more intense, making it harder for me to help my apostle monitor my surroundings.

As a result, I found it increasingly difficult to guide my apostle through these corridors, even though my basic sense of direction was much better than his. The pain drew me out of my thoughts, and I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. These noises pulled me out of my thoughts and burned me internally with all their power.

Nevertheless, I tried to stay focused on our infiltration of the city. Those minutes seemed to stretch for hours, and even though we could only move slowly, some guards occasionally brushed past us. Especially as Systalia was fully loaded with all our stuff. I only hoped to find a base where we could unload all this stuff.

From room to room, we moved away from the entrance to the city and our danger, at least for a while. In the faint thoughts that crossed my mind, I had nothing but anxiety for all the new threats. I even wondered whether staying in the ruins was a better choice.

The further we went inside the rooms, the more a rotten, off-putting smell permeated the air. I couldn't remember exactly what it was, being too absorbed in my internal sensations. My Void was trying to fight this intrusion, but I needed more success.

When I'd fainted and taken the book, I'd had a similar intrusion, which my Void had managed to repel. Today, however, it was different: this intrusion was no longer like small waves crashing on a shore but like a tidal wave sweeping away everything in its path.

The dam that was my Void, barely able to resist, was forced to give way under all this pressure, only to suddenly hear nothing more. The ocean was calm again, except the waves created furrows on the beach, which is my essence. A foreign entity infiltrated my essence.

Until a voice I'd heard before came to me amid my slow loss of consciousness:

"Resume... Reset... Status... Profile... Creation... Error... Adaptation... Solution..."

"Inherent characteristics... Error... Adaptation... Solution... Error... Adaptation... Solution..."

"Level... Error... Age... Error... Name... Error..."

"Last solution... Safe mode... Activation... Class... Success..."

"Name... Success... Inherent characteristics... Success..."

"Authority... Success... Magic..."

"Permissions... Interference..."

"Success..."

"..."

The space around me darkened, having realized only too late that I had fainted in the process. When I awoke, I knew instinctively that a disgusting entity had grafted itself into my essence. The System had won, and the protection of my Void had been lost. My only hope now lies in the latter becoming more robust.

I could only conclude that my infiltration of the city had been a success. Systalia now lay in an abandoned hovel, its only companions an appalling smell, a floor cracked on all sides, dusty furniture, rusty objects, and drops of dubious liquids running down dull gray walls.

Having fully regained awareness of my surroundings and remembering the next task, I relaxed and shouted, "Status!" in my mind. And suddenly... nothing. I wondered about the plausibility of the creation of a Status being a failure but dismissed the possibility for the moment.

Another theory seemed far more likely: I could hardly activate the Status as Systalia had told me because my being didn't have a standard data architecture. After all, my origin was not a Soul core but an essence and a Void. Thus, the activation of the Status could differ.

If my theory was true, my only option remained to activate the Status by Our Will. A possibility I immediately put into practice by forming Our Will and sending it into my essence. A clear Will to access this quantification of the information within me poured into my essence.

However, this unknown entity blocked my access as the Will intensified. I then had the foolish idea of lowering my Will, allowing this entity to deny me access to certain information. Today, I had lost, for this entity could easily divert my Will.

But I swore that one day, my Will would become so absolute that even this entity would have no choice but to submit to it unconditionally. I vowed to do so without realizing the implications of my words or the eavesdropping of a far too curious System. Somehow, my willingness to undermine the System forever sealed its appreciation of me.

Then the Status came to me, and what can I say except that I was half-disappointed and half-intrigued. In fact, after the initial shock, some elements disturbed me, while others fascinated me.

Here's my Status as I remember it:

Safe mode version enabled ❢〘 ⚠ 〙

Name 〖 RoRrE#yØaPvEoOtΩrHiTeDnRøE#eRrOr 〗《 Analysis failure: Unknown reason 》

Age〖 101 〗｟ Max: 10 ｠《 Law enforcement failure: Outside interference 》

Authorization〖 Lvl. 1 〗

Class 〖 None 〗

Magic 〖 None 〗

Authority〖 Lvl. 0 || #Error 〗《 Occasionally immeasurable: Unknown reason 》

Stats 〖 #Error 〗《 Analysis failure: Missing Body, Spirit and Soul 》

【 Buffs 〔0〕】

【 Debuffs〔1〕】

➨ Reduction of all stats 〖 Irreversible 〗《 Application failure: Missing Body, Spirit and Soul 》

【 Inherent characteristics 〔3〕】

➨ Colorless vision｟ All planes ｠

➨ Weird energy consumption｟ Body, Spirit and Soul ｠ 《 Application failure: Missing Body, Spirit and Soul 》

➨ Sleep immunity｟ Body, Spirit and Soul ｠

【Skills〔1〕】

➨ Unknown skill 〖 #Error 〗《 Analysis failure : Unknown reason 》

〚 System note 〔 2〘 2 ⚠ 〙〘 2 ❢ 〙〕〛

╚>〘 ⚠ ❢ Safe mode enabled 〙

『 Safe mode has been activated following several errors during your analysis.

As a result, system support and display are now limited and unstable.

As a result, bugs may occasionally occur, and some Status functions may work strangely.

Safe mode can only be disabled by the System.

The System will not be held responsible for any damage caused!

The moral of the story: you should never have been born! 』

╚>〘 ⚠ ❢ Authorization: Permission extension ⦃ From: 🔒 ⦄《 Sender name blocked: A higher level of Authorization is required 》〙

『 🔒 』《 Content blocked: A higher level of Authorization is required 》

What can I say about this Status? I had a thousand and one questions to ask. Even without seeing any other Status than mine, I knew I was abnormal. I needed some time to decompress before looking into it more seriously.

Besides, we had something more urgent to do first: go deeper into the city in case the guards might suspect our entry. Maybe I was paranoid, but I had to be as careful as possible in this unfamiliar terrain.

So I asked my apostle to take us between the rooms as discreetly as possible. I wanted to interact with others when I learned more about this city and its inhabitants. And then I could finally take this town for myself.

Indeed, my hostile encounters with various people reinforced my belief that I could never be protected until I had some control over my environment. After all, my lack of control over how the situation unfolded up to now had always worked against me.

Nevertheless, this objective had to wait until I could gain enough knowledge of this World. I knew I had to be patient and that my time would come soon enough if I gave myself the means. I knew it would be a long climb, especially as I had to start at the bottom of the ladder.

Even if it hadn't happened as planned, I would never have regretted the journey. In a way, I'm even happy about it because all this suffering has shaped my being and my peace.

And if I had to choose between a world of suffering and happiness, I'd choose the latter. Perhaps you will have differing views on my choice. And I can understand that, even if I'd find it a very strange point of view.

And so it was that Systalia and I arrived in this city of danger and mystery, determined to wander deep into its most unsavory corners...