No More Pain For This Villain.

111 New System.

Ding*

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System Alert:

Do You want to Alter to the new version?

Yes/No

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This message popped up as soon as I stepped out of the hidden chamber, bombarding me with a lot of new information all at once. I had no chance to compose myself.

Brushing aside the system notification for the time being, I focused on the physical threat that stood before me. When I left the hidden chamber, I expected the Gorthan to be waiting, ready to tear me apart as the guardian of this chamber. But to my surprise, the scene that unfolded was far from what I anticipated.

"Why is it... chained?" I wondered aloud as Blaze returned to my side.

Blaze, always quick to provide information, informed me, 'It's not the binding from the Eldertree Pillar. These are... crystal golem cores. But how?'

"Crystal Golem cores?" The name rang a bell. "Weren't they the inhabitants of the seventh floor?" I asked, closing the distance between Gorthan and us cautiously.

Blaze followed behind me, cautious as ever. We still didn't know if the creature was dead or... what was more important, who put these chains here?

'These chains are made from ores of metal found on the same floor!' Blaze exclaimed as we approached the sleeping beauty.

'And what about these inscriptions?' I asked, initiating a mind transmission with Blaze.

I could see the spell inscriptions hovering in the air, continuously moving and channeling mana from my core into the chains. It was like a small magic circuit.

'I'm not familiar with these kinds of inscriptions... They don't have a familiar origin, but they serve a common purpose as those of Earth elemental binding spells,' Blaze answered, immediately shifting back into his cat form to conserve energy.

So, by the origin of the inscriptions, he meant...

The magic had no limits, but it wasn't without an origin. Magic was simply the manipulation of mana, and some mages, like myself, possessed the gift to manipulate mana with ease. However, there were things that couldn't be achieved solely through mana manipulation.

Inscriptions, like the ones present here, were a complex form of spell incantation. Most mages used non-verbal spells, like my fireball spell, because it was easier to conjure by simply thinking about it. However, there were others who delved deeper into the workings of magic, seeking a greater understanding. They discovered the use of inscriptions, allowing them to replicate spells by writing them with mana.

The language of inscriptions wasn't based on letters but on drawings. We had to draw the movements of mana. The inscriptions present here had a large ring with smaller rings inside, and patterns between two specific rings indicating the direction of mana flow within the inscription.

These mana channeling inscriptions appeared to be of eighth-grade complexity, as there were eight rings in each one and a total of twelve hovering in the air, around ten feet above the ground. However, not every non-incantation spell could be replicated using inscriptions. For example, a basic spell like fireball had an easily traceable pattern and could be replicated through inscriptions. But for a tenth-star non-incantation spell like "Nova," which could obliterate an entire village, the complexity of the mana pattern made it nearly impossible to trace.

The only advantage of these inscriptions was their usefulness for study purposes. Also They didn't require a mage to continuously channel mana into the spell, as the mana flowed unconsciously due to the small alterations made in its normal path.

'what now?'Blaze asked, perching on my shoulder.

I couldn't comprehend the true meaning behind all of this. Was there someone who had entered this place in my absence? Wasn't this location completely forgotten by the world over the passage of time?

'It doesn't seem that way,' Blaze interrupted my thoughts. "There's no one else in this room, and I doubt anyone apart from me or someone from my time would even know about this place, let alone take the time to let this creature live," Blaze defended.

...

I stepped back, creating as much distance as possible between myself and Gorthan.

"System," I muttered.

:But what about-' Blaze tried to ask, but I cut him off.

"No need to dwell on it more than necessary," I responded firmly. There were other pressing matters I needed to focus on.

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System Alert:

Do you want to alter to a newer version?

Yes/No

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The system displayed nothing beyond this alert. According to the system, it had already relocated my battery core

Sitting on the ground, I peered inside my body and discovered the azure flame spinning around my mana core.

I attempted to manipulate it, but it refused to budge even slightly, let alone be controlled as it was before.

So, it had returned to the state where it was implanted within my body, but this time, armed with my knowledge. I suppose I would have to request that entity to remove this tracker from my body once again.

And now, back to the system. 'Access the system store,' I commanded, but the blue transparent slate turned red, indicating that I couldn't access anything, including my stats, unless I granted permission for the new alteration.

'But I don't understand what's happening anymore,' I sighed, feeling exhausted as I lay on my back.

If it weren't for this message, I would have readily given permission for whatever alterations the system required.

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System Notification:

*New Owner Connected to Host.*

: The previous owner has not attached themselves to the host.

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This particular part irked me. It clearly stated that there were multiple individuals tracking me at this very moment.

It could be anyone: a Demi-God, a God, or someone with significant power. I just couldn't figure it out.

'At first, one person was tracking me, then someone was stalking me in the Dark Realm, and now a new owner is connected to this peculiar system,' I pondered.

'It's evident that there are at least two of them involved in this.'

And to make matters worse, the tracker was already operational, indicating that one of them had already discovered my location.

'It's not like you needed this system anyway. We already know that all the progress you've made so far wasn't solely due to this system thingy,' Blaze suggested, and he was right. I had never been overly reliant on this system because I never fully trusted it. But now, things were different.

'I don't think it'll be able to harm me any further,: I stated confidently.

'How? Isn't this already... pretty suspicious?' Blaze inquired.

"Because the being who wants to know about me is already aware of my location. As long as I have this tracker inside my body, I can't ask you to investigate anything from within me due to your recent changes," I explained.

"So, I don't believe that this system is meant to harm me. Instead, it might be here to help, maybe," I concluded.

The only truly suspicious aspect of this system was its tracking function. Apart from that, there didn't seem to be any cause for concern. Of course, I was aware that the owner of this new system was different, but that hadn't been confirmed. If that truly possessed the power of a Demi-God, there would be no point in playing this game. And if I recall correctly, I was initially given the system as compensation when I first entered this world, so I could live peacefully. Ah, Mr. Fireball.

'Why don't you just admit that you're curious about this new system and stop beating around the bush?' Blaze's serene voice echoed in the back of my mind.

Uh-oh. It seemed I had been caught.

"Well, if there are no other options, I am in need of food and new weapons, and I'd like to see if this system can provide them for me," I said, reopening the panel.

System Alert:

Do you want to proceed with the required system alteration for the new bloodline?

Yes/No

The prompt stared back at me, awaiting my response. It was a critical decision that would shape my future interactions with the system. I took a moment to reflect on the possibilities, weighing the potential benefits against the unknown risks.

"Access the new alteration of the system," I commanded, granting it access.

The system acknowledged my decision, and a wave of energy surged through my body, signifying the commencement of the alteration process.

"Wow."As I granted access to the new alteration of the system, a series of notifications flooded my consciousness once again.

A the alteration reached its conclusion, I opened my eyes, feeling a renewed-

The screen before me displayed a multitude of options and menus, each promising different enhancements and abilities.

"Show Stats." I said.

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STATUS WINDOW

[Ren Chris Hilton.]

Age:16

Race: Purebred Phoenix

Intelligence:9/10.