Arkas shook his head with a grin, then patted my shoulder.
"You can relax, Billion. I don't follow military rules that strictly. But as long as you're in Unit 02, you still have to call me Commander."
I nodded and let my shoulders loosen a little.
Arkas studied me for a few seconds before gesturing toward the massive cavern.
"What do you think this place is?"
I glanced around, taking in the pulsing pods, the heat, the magma pools.
"I think this is the orc Abomination's nest. You mentioned a powerful Abomination being caged here, right? Maybe this is where the orcs are created."
Arkas shook his head.
"You've got two things wrong, Billion. First, these orcs aren't Abominations."
I frowned.
"They're not? Then what are they?"
"They're creations of that powerful Abomination. The orcs, the golems, even the hounds outside, they're not independent creatures. They're puppets, maybe even just summoned pets. They were created using laws and Essence."
I narrowed my eyes.
"Laws? If it can create this many creatures, just how strong is this Abomination? And if it's that dangerous, why is it caged? Why aren't we killing it?"
Arkas cracked his knuckles.
"You're not strong enough to know those secrets yet. But yes, it's powerful. The way it uses Essence and laws… it's ingenious."
Then he turned to me, his expression shifting.
Arkas shook his head, a small grin tugging at the corner of his lips.
"The second thing you got wrong is that this isn't where they're created. But you were right about one thing, that this is a nest."
I nodded at his explanation, but before I could ask anything, he continued.
"Anyway, I've been watching you since day one, and you've really surprised me. Your growth rate is phenomenal. I've never seen anyone advance this fast in my entire life.
And I didn't expect you to make it this far. I thought you'd stay outside, waiting for more waves, but instead, you jumped straight in without hesitation. I'm not sure whether to call you brave or just an idiot."
I replied.
"Commander, I was confident in my strength. So I suggest you stick with bravery."
Arkas flicked me on the forehead.
"Cheeky brat.
But I like how you fight and how fast you're improving. Of course, there's still a lot of work to do. You need to learn proper unarmed combat techniques, how to use a weapon, and then there's your class, laws, and a hundred other things."
He paused before adding.
"I even tried to contact your grandmother to get her opinion, but she rejected my meeting."
My eyes widened.
"She rejected you? Why?"
Arkas shrugged.
"We don't exactly get along. She's the type who believes in strict military discipline.
Me? I prefer freedom. So she basically told me that you can handle yourself and that's that."
I chuckled.
"Yeah, that sounds like her."
Arkas placed a firm hand on my shoulder. His expression turned serious.
"Billion, you're already level 15. At this pace, you'll reach level 25 soon and gain your class. But here's the thing, I don't think this speed is enough. Every day we spend in the Eternal's captivity is a day they grow stronger.
Every day our world remains weak is a day we risk being devoured by stronger worlds.
We need people who can push past their limits, people who can reach their full potential as fast as possible."
I nodded. I believed that too. I had no interest in taking things slow. I wanted to grow strong and grow strong fast.
Arkas continued his tone lowering.
"And so, I have a proposal for you.
A path that, if you're not careful, could get you killed.
But as long as you survive, you'll burn like a meteor; blazing, powerful, envied by all. And if you make it through, you won't just be the strongest in our world… you'll have a chance to grow beyond it."
I blinked, my mind racing.
I wondered what the hell was the bald demon planning?
A plan that could either kill me or make me the strongest?
I wasn't sure what that could be.
So I asked.
"What kind of proposal do you have, Commander?"
Arkas nodded.
"Before I tell you, do you remember how levels are divided into ranks?"
I nodded.
"Yeah, we learned it in the academy."
And i explained to him what I knew.
The system divided the levels into Ranks. There were three ranks that we were taught at the academy.
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- Mortal Rank (Level 0 - 99)
- Master Rank (Level 100 - 199)
- Grandmaster Rank (Level 200 - 299)
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When a person gained their class, they also obtained the ability to use Essence at some level, granting them powers related to elements and other natural laws.
The major differences between ranks were also tied to Essence.
Mortal-rank individuals could only use Essence in limited quantities, either through their class skills or other specific skills. This stage served as their introduction to Essence, allowing them to grasp its basic applications. But Mortal ranks could never directly control Essence.
Upon evolving at level 100 and reaching Master Rank, everyone gains the Essence stat and their ability to sense and manipulate Essence expands significantly. Master ranks could wield minor laws, integrating them into their combat style, skills, and even their class abilities.
Grandmaster ranks possessed a deeper comprehension of minor laws than Master ranks, capable of understanding and utilizing multiple minor laws at once.
Our status only showed ranks after we gained a class. The strongest people in our world were Grandmasters. Even the Emperor was only Grandmaster rank.
Arkas continued.
"Right. Now, you must also understand that there are higher ranks beyond our world."
Then he told me the ranks beyond Grandmaster Rank.
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- Transcendent Rank (Level 300 - 499)
- Saint Rank (Level 500 - 699)
- Demi-God Rank (Level 700 - 899)
- God Rank (Level 900 - 1000)
---------------------------------------------
My jaw dropped.
Demi-God? God?
'What the fuck? Why would they use these names? Are they really that strong?'
I couldn't hold back my curiosity.
"God? Why call it that?"
Arkas smiled.
"Because they're like gods. So strong they could destroy our world with a flick of their hand."
I stared.
"That strong? Do they actually exist?"
Arkas shook his head.
"We've only heard rumors. No one's ever seen one. But if the system exists, why not God-ranked people?"
I swallowed. He wasn't wrong.
"Anyway, I have two reasons for telling you this."
Arkas took a deep breath.
"First, no one in our world has ever crossed Grandmaster rank. It's too difficult. To become Transcendent, you need strength, potential, and time. And by the time most of us reach the peak of Grandmaster, we're too old."
He sighed, shaking his head.
"And the second reason I'm telling you this is because there was a time when none of us had ranks, only levels. The system never divided levels into Ranks."
Arkas' eyes narrowed.
"But then the Eternals came."
His voice carried a weight that made me tense.
"We were shocked to discover that the Eternals had no levels," he continued. "And even more shocked to learn they had no system at all."
I froze.
No system? No levels?
That…. didn't make sense.
Every awakened person in our world had the system.
The system was the foundation of our strength, the very thing that dictated how we grew.
And yet, the Eternals, the most powerful beings we had ever encountered, didn't have it?
A chill ran down my spine. If they weren't bound by the same rules as us, then what kind of monsters were we really up against?
Arkas pulled me out of my thoughts.
"But then something unexpected happened.
The system updated itself and introduced ranks and that's when we realized the Eternals already had Ranks.
No one, not even the people of the Prime Galaxy, had ever recorded an instance of the system updating itself. It was as if the system was adapting just to recognize their power."
The system updated itself…that meant it wasn't some rigid, unchanging force like I had always believed.
It was adaptable.
The fact that it reacted to the Eternals meant it had the ability to evolve, to recognize something beyond our understanding and adjust accordingly.
But what did that say about the Eternals themselves?
Were they anomalies that even the system had to account for, or was the system always meant to reveal deeper layers only when the right conditions were met?
I looked at Arkas and asked.
"But Commander, if they don't have a system, how do they progress and grow stronger?"
Arkas exhaled, his gaze distant.
"I'm not sure about the higher levels, but just like we awaken the system, they awaken an Essence Core when they're young. And to advance through the ranks, they refine and upgrade that core."
'An Essence Core? So they don't rely on levels or stats, they have their own way of growing stronger?'
That completely changed how I viewed them. If they weren't bound by the system, did that mean there was no limit to their strength?
No predefined path to follow? It was unsettling.
The system was something I had always relied on, something everyone relied on. But the Eternals had existed without it, and thrived without it.
Did the system actually hold us back?
That thought unsettled me, and my brows furrowed.