That strange tool that allowed Frey to create the impossible...
a force even Nameless had never understood.
Frey himself had long suspected the System was connected to Nameless somehow.
He even believed Gehrman had interfered with it before—like when the System answered his question after the Victorriad.
"Gehrman is merely a mediator I allowed to assist you in mastering your power. He knows nothing."
The entity smiled—proving it could hear thoughts.
"So then... what exactly is this System? And why do I have it?" Frey asked.
The entity nodded.
"The simplest answer is this:
The System is your power as a Author."
"Author?" Frey frowned, hearing a term he had cast aside long ago.
"You mean the novel I wrote in the past?" he asked.
The entity shook its head.
"No. That has nothing to do with this.
What I mean is the power that allows you to create things from nothing—
to manifest real, physical existence from the void."
Nameless spoke for the first time.
"That’s impossible. Illogical. No such power exists."
The entity pointed at him.
"Correct. As expected of you. But—"
It gestured to the world around them.
"You are only correct within the physical world."
Frey’s and Nameless’s eyes widened.
"The source of this power is not the physical world.
It comes from this place."
The entity pointed downward.
"Here... in the Aether Realm."
The revelation hit both of them like a cosmic shock.
A power from another world ..
a world no physical being could reach.
It explained much...
yet not enough.
"Where is this place? What exactly is it?" Frey pressed.
The pale being smiled gently.
"This place... is where the Writers of History were born."
Frey’s expression darkened.
A completely new term ... Writers of History.
Fortunately, the entity continued.
"It is difficult to explain the true nature of the Writers of History. Even I do not know everything about them... but for now, let us say this: they are the beings who built the physical world as you know it today."
The entity spoke, and Frey froze for a moment .. then suddenly burst into laughter.
He laughed loudly.
"What is this nonsense? Beings who built the world? Are we talking about gods or something?"
Frey scoffed, finding it hard to believe what he had just heard.
"It is not a lie. You possess the very same power they once held. Remember... your ability to write, to create things."
"But your existence is fractured. That is why you cannot use your power correctly. So I rebuilt it into the form of a System, and I designed achievement points to limit and regulate how much of that power you could use."
The entity fell silent for a moment.
Frey clenched his fist, trying to process what he had heard.
"I don’t understand... who am I, exactly? If the Writers of History were as great as you say, then where are they? Why aren’t they doing anything about what’s happening in the world right now?"
The entity’s smile vanished for a moment before returning a split second later—this time tinged with sorrow.
"The Writers of History no longer exist in this world. They all died long ago, in the final battle against the Pale Devastation."
Frey reacted instantly.
"Pale Devastation?"
"Yes... I believe you call him Odin in the physical world."
At that moment, Frey remembered Audrey’s warning.
"The Pale Devastation is a being that was also born here, in the Aether Realm. A true monster, wielding power that transcends all reason."
The entity turned toward the empty expanse around them.
"I must speak quickly. He has already noticed us."
A pale mist began forming out of nothing.
A sign that something dreadful had become aware of their presence—held back only by the entity’s power.
"Remember my words well, Frey. We have no time.
The Aether Realm is real. Many beings were born from it .. some benevolent, others dark and twisted.
One of the clearest proofs of its existence... is the enemy you both know very well."
Nameless nodded.
"Agaroth," the masked warrior said.
The entity clapped.
"Correct. The Demon King was not born in the Aether Realm . But he uses a power that originates from this realm. I assume Nameless already knew this, since he fought him in the past."
Nameless nodded again.
He had always wondered about the nature of the Demon King’s terrifying power—something that simply should not exist.
If it came from the Aether Realm, a place beyond logic, then everything made sense.
"Agaroth is a monster who has reached a level of power that makes him the new Odin of this era. He is no weaker .. perhaps even worse."
The entity’s smile slowly faded as it spoke of him.
"He is a sinner... a traitor who must be destroyed at any cost. And that responsibility falls upon you, Frey."
It pointed at him.
"My responsibility?"
"Yes. After all... you are the one who created him with your own hands."
The words struck Frey like lightning.
Even Nameless turned toward him in shock.
At that moment, Frey remembered his first meeting with the Demon King.
That night... Agaroth had told him plainly:
You are the one who made me.
The Demon King had not lied.
As Frey stood there stunned, the void suddenly trembled. Cracks spread across the edges of the white canvas.
The entity sighed.
"It seems I cannot hold him back any longer."
"Hold who back?!" Frey shouted.
The entity moved closer.
"Listen carefully. I will tell you what will happen to you from now on.
By completing the Final Mission, you shattered the System completely. There is nothing left to limit your power. You will now be able to reach your true potential... your true talent.
By breaking the limiter, you will directly break into the SSS tier. Your power has accumulated enough to make that possible."
It spoke rapidly, feeding Frey as much information as it could.
"You will reach your full potential. But if you wish to use your power as a Author correctly, you must repair your fractured self and uncover the truth of who you are."
The cracks spread further, covering everything.
Yet the entity continued.
"If you seek that truth... you will find it in the Land Beyond Beginning and End—the continent that left the Aether Realm and pierced into the physical world !
There, you will learn everything. There, you will understand the truth!"
The entity shouted as the entire space began collapsing, pale mist flooding everything.
Time had run out.
The entity extended its hand, releasing an invisible force that blasted Frey and Nameless away as it turned slowly toward the Pale Devastation.
As Frey was flung backward, he saw the entity smile gently at him.
"If only... I could have spent more time with you... talked about many things. But we do not have that luxury."
It waved one last time.
"Take care of Audrey for me, Frey. I’m counting on you!"
The final cry changed something.
Frey’s eyes widened as the pale face finally took on a physical form.
For a brief moment, the entity became a child.
A child with blond hair, blue eyes, a frail body, and an innocent, gentle face.
He smiled brightly, waving wildly as the Pale Devastation attacked him from behind.
"Don’t forget me again, Frey!"
The child cried as he was engulfed.
Frey was hurled farther and farther into the dark void.
And suddenly...
A tear fell from his left eye.
A tear born from a suffocating pain in his chest—as if he had lost something precious... something very important.
Something he had forgotten long ago.
That child’s smile... that face...
Something trembled inside Frey.
And slowly, as tears streamed down, Frey closed his eyes.
Embracing himself, he fell into the endless darkness.
---
At the same time, in the physical world...
The warriors of the Shadow Sect leapt back as a violent dark force erupted from Frey’s body, wrapping him inside a massive black cocoon.
A cocoon so overwhelming that Gehrman rose to his feet in shock.
Facing that dark power, he finally understood.
"He is... breaking through..."
Breaking through the ceiling that had bound him for so long ... into an entirely new realm of power.