CHAPTER SEVENTY SIX

We must obey the System, as long as it’s watching us

~

The chief spent quite a while explaining what they all should do

For in the whole world, those with strength to match their own were few

Aside from the war with the empire they’d recently fought

the world in which they lived now was as peaceful as it got

Portals may be dangerous but not a rarity

Appearing all over the place with regularity

This has always served to strengthen everyone alive

For in a world of monsters only fighters can survive

But since it inevitable that some grow faster

Heroes among heroes are born in a disaster

And powers that rise up become a great balancing act

For when a great power moves then another will react

Chief Max had experienced such issues long ago

In a foreign kingdom where he could no longer grow

He tired of politics and restless kings so he retired

And found the hidden village with the peace that he required

That is how most of the people in his town arrived

Running from the politics of battles where they thrived

Having learned the hard way when heroes go to war

They never find the type of battle they are longing for

His long announcement ended with advice for the heroes

“You should leave, but if you do, you best be on your toes

The world will need your help to put itself back together

But violence and politics are birds of a feather”

Chief Max rubbed his aching back, then left his town to think

Some folks had already left, and some began to drink

Many worried for the fate of places they were born

Some were quick to rush there but a lot of them were torn

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Pebble and his parents met with Log and Delilah

Unsure what to make of Max the elder’s idea

Leaf’s mother also approached them, looking quite upset

But she too had not come to her own conclusion yet

Of the five adults now gathered, Crystal spoke up first

“Going back to the capital now would be the worst

Dealing with these monsters is alright, but if we go

We’ll be pulled into Beam’s silly politics, I know”

Log agreed that it was dangerous, but he worried

“I don’t think we should hesitate, there are people in need

If the capital faced more attacks like this again

The whole kingdom would collapse, it’s just a matter of when”

Delilah was the next to speak, and her words weren’t a shock

“Come on people, we need to get moving, enough talk

Twig is out there, let the world defend itself for now

Worry for yourselves, the world will pull through this somehow”

Surprisingly, Leaf’s mother seems to agree completely

“It’s nice to see somebody make a decision quickly

I am with Delilah, for our fate is clear enough

We understand too little of this System message stuff”

At her mention of the System, everybody froze

Bringing their discussion to a temporary close

She looked around and nodded as if she’d confirmed something

“As I thought, the System doesn’t seem to be watching

Recently I started wondering about its rules

The System seems to take us mortals for a bunch of fools

In the past, we always feared the System’s attention

Rumours of a message causing great apprehension

But for Twig to see so many and still be alive

Doesn’t quite make sense to me, how could the boy survive?

If the System had a problem with Delilah’s son

Why didn’t it kill him instead of making him run?”

Looking at Delilah with sympathy, Boulder spoke

“You're saying that the System Messages were blowing smoke?

What about the legends of the System we all know

Entire kingdoms being erased not too long ago”

“Indeed,” Leaf’s mother continued, “those stories may be true

But doesn’t this whole situation seem quite off to you?

All our gods are lost and destiny is overturned

The System may not be as powerful as we all learned”

Delilah nodded with great satisfaction at her news

“Then it’s settled, after all our fate is ours to choose

Let the System do what it may, let’s go find my boy

Leave the capital to that guy, what was his name, Roy?”

She laughed while pointing at the messengers that had appeared

Making a break for it now that the monsters had cleared

“Hawk and Oak are better with that political stuff

Fighting monsters we encounter is more than enough”

The others shrugged and couldn’t disagree with what she said

None were keen to return to the heroes lives they’d led

Pebble couldn’t hold himself back anymore and cried

“Let’s go now, for all we know, the System could have died”

Automated System Message

Taboo words detected, issuing a first warning

Deletion by the system awaits those not conforming

Active resistance to System orders is unwise

Be assured that nothing can escape the System’s eyes

~