Chapter 426: The Difference of A Higher Being  

"My name is Diniel."

"Hrmp!"

The female systellion had already been wanting to get out of her confinement since she saw her friend's figure slowly being materialized right in front of everyone watching. She was sure he had been killed earlier, so what exactly was happening now?

Of course, it wasn't only her. Everyone was shocked to see what was happening-- was it some sort of hologram? Even Apollo was confused as to what was happening first, but as soon as he realized that the one that Van just… summoned was a systellion, his eyes started turning wide.

He didn't even see any signs of the Bracelet of Souls, and yet Van was able to call forth one of the Souls he had just collected. Truly, a being of mystery.

"Diniel…" Van then whispered as he stepped closer to the soul. He was about to try and touch Diniel's shoulder, but stopped an inch from doing so as a part of Diniel's soul started to stretch out, as if it was starting to get absorbed by him.

So he was able to absorb the Souls by making 'physical' contact with them?

"..." Why was everything so complicated now? Van thought as he took a few steps back. Everything was simpler when he still had the System; Azrael should've at the very least left a fucking manual for the abilities he got from her.

"You," Van then let out a small sigh as he looked Diniel straight in the eyes, once again stepping back to avoid accidentally absorbing his soul; as Van wanted to learn more about his powers before he did so.

"Do you know her?" Van then gestured towards the female systellion, who quickly shook her head as soon as her and Diniel's eyes met.

"She is Rechiel, daughter of Cleric Adimus."

"...A Cleric?"

"A position of authority," this time, it was Apollo that answered Van's question, "They rule over a small section of each ship."

"Like… a mayor?"

"Perhaps that is the most fitting comparison, good job, King Evans."

"..." Van could not help but slightly move away from Apollo as he suddenly started talking with a slight respectful tone towards him. But after a few seconds, he turned his eyes to the captive systellion, Rechiel.

"And you said you were no one important?" He then smirked, causing Rechiel to slightly flinch as she took a step back, only for a slight sizzle to whisper in the air as her back was scorched by the lights of the pentagram.

"And are there any other important people that were killed earlier?" Van asked.

"We are all children of Clerics."

"..." Van could not help but blink a couple of times as he glanced at Diniel, "And you all just happened to be together? How were you able to detect me and come out of your ship?"

And as soon as Van asked that, smoke… or perhaps clouds started to emerge from Diniel's feet as several more other figures started appearing around them-- similar to the visions he has whenever the [Penalty of Hades] was activated.

But seeing as the others inside the dome were all backing away in fright, it wasn't only him that was able to see it. And soon, Daniel's body began to float as the jellyfish-like aircraft started materializing around him.

"What do you think we'll find out there?"

Van then moved to the side as a familiar voice suddenly passed by his side; he looked, only to see Rechiel also inside the ship. But unlike Diniel's figure, even ethereal, was still quite clear compared to Rechiel's figure; which was almost transparent if it wasn't for the white lines wrapped on her silhouette.

"Probably some big scary beasts."

Another figure floated in the air, catching everyone's attention as his ship started changing… into the shape of some kind of 6-legged creature.

"They… could change the design of their ships by will?" Diana furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at the real Rechiel. All of them had initially thought that being compressed and wrapped around her body like armor was the extent of what the ship could do… but to think they could actually change it into any shape they wanted.

"Hrg!" Once again, Rechiel's muffled expressions whispered in the air. She was probably waiting for a chance to expand her ship again-- but now that everyone in the vicinity knows what she could do, everyone's eyes were carefully watching her now.

The shape-shifting ships were not the only ones that Van noticed-- it would seem that inside the spherical surface of the sun-sized ship… were also other ships of the same design floating everywhere. It almost made it feel like the entire composition of their ships were… organic.

"Perhaps we should just go home?" Another voice then reverberated in the air as another systellion appeared in frame, "If we do find a creature out there, it's not like we could just tame it-- what if it's dangerous?""Stop being such a coward, Risnuch," Rechiel's soul then circled around the young man, "It's not like we're going to give you any of the treasures we find out there."

"But… what if we find creatures as strong as the Olympians?"

"Then even better! Imagine having something as strong as an Olympian as your pet!"

"Ho… let's go! Let's go out there!"

Hearing the words of systellions, the locals could not help but feel their breaths slightly disturbed.

Creatures, tame, treasures… pet?

Their kind and the systellions could clearly communicate with each other. But… they think of them as nothing but akin to pets-- No, to objects?

At first, they were just like any other teenagers trying to seek out thrill and fun-- but as their conversations went on, their words became more and more… callous.

As for Van, he was currently looking at Apollo, "What's that you mentioned about them being your friends?"

"They… they are not all like that!"

"So it just so happened that the first 6 systellions we make contact with are pieces of shit?" Van let out a small scoff as he continued to watch the visions presented to them.

And soon, small rumbles started to shake the scenario.

"What's that?" Diniel muttered as the angle quickly started to change-- until they saw what seemed like a blazing fire trying to open up the ship's outer shield.

"Could it be… this place has dragons!?"

"A dragon? Those giant lizards!? We actually get to see one of them!?"

And with those words echoing through the systellions' ears, they quickly rushed to the source of the vibrations.

"It… it was able to pass through the mothership's defenses! Maybe… maybe we shouldn't approach it!?"

"Coward! First to get to the beast gets it as a pet!" Rechiel's figure then quickly became smaller as she disappeared in the scenery; with Diniel and the others left to just look at each other in the eyes.

But after a few more seconds, they decided to follow her out of the cavity that was created from the ship's outer shields before it closed.

And of course, what followed after was a massacre as Van killed them off one by one. The others could only watch in horror as the bodies of the systellion seemed to just explode in pieces, without even having the chance to fight back.

They all then looked towards Van, taking in a small gulp as they finally realized what he could truly do.

"Wait…" But as the others were busy being mesmerized or awed by Van, Pauline Serre suddenly stepped forward, "Look at what Diniel is doing."

"Hm?" Van then turned his focus at Diniel, who was currently floating near the ship's outer shield, begging to be let in. But if one were to look closer, he seemed to be pressing something on his arms-- a sort of… projection.

But soon, the images stopped as the clouds returned to Diniel's body, signaling his death.

"What were you trying to do before you died, Diniel?" Van then quickly breathed out as soon as Diniel's soul began to stabilize.

"I was trying to get inside."

"...By tapping your arm?"

"I was accessing my Integrated CyberSpace to present my ID in order to be let back inside."

And as soon as he said that, Van slowly turned his head towards Rechiel and smiled, "Do you need to be alive to access this… cyberspace thing?"

"Yes-- as it is powered by the flow of our blood."

"It would seem you get to extend your life a little while longer, Miss Rechiel," Van then let out a small burst of laughter as he stared at Rechiel, "Athena will know what to do with you as soon as they are here. But for now…"

Van then returned his attention to Diniel's soul-- if he was right, then he could only access moments of their life that held a heavy significance for them, as that was what it was like during the [Penalty of Hades].And it would seem he was right, as when Van asked Diniel to show a memory of what happened to him the day before, nothing happened.

"...Show me your happiest memory, Diniel."

"King Evans, I don't think that's wise!" Pauline Serre then quickly rushed towards Van, "They… are our enemy. Knowing their life would… cause us to falter."

"It's fine," Van waved his hand, "Only you, Diana, and that Mcgregory guy would be useful anyway."

"T… that's--"

And before Pauline could say another word, the dome was once again filled with clouds-- and soon, the clouds formed into some sort of cylinders, thousands of them. No… perhaps millions of them, each getting smaller as Diniel's view gets farther and farther away.

And they were not just cylinders, but tubes… tubes with people in them. Van had seen something like this once… when Hermes's corpse was being used to create the Enhanced Humans.

They could only hear the sound of water flowing, partnered by muffled steps and voices. But soon. Was… Diniel also inside one of the tubes?

And soon, their questions were answered as the glass covering Diniel's tube opened up, causing him to slide and seemingly fall to the ground. They could hear him coughing as 4 individuals slowly made their way towards him.

"This… is our child?" The voice of a woman then whispered in the air, "He… looks like my father."

"Yes, we had images of your father still stored in our database-- you're quite lucky as we usually erase them." Another voice then joined in as Diniel's body seemed to be lifted from the ground.

"But… why is he already this big?" A woman's face then could be seen in view, "I thought we would get him as a baby?"

"I am afraid… his potential is not that good-- he won't survive being an infant."

"But… my husband and I started as infants..." the woman then let out a small sigh, as she slowly embrace Diniel, "I suppose it doesn't matter, we'll take what is given to us."

"We could throw him away and get another one, my love," another voice then joined in, looking at Diniel with almost an apathetic expression.

"No! He is our child regardless of our potential!"

"...Very well," the man then let out a small sigh, "Maybe the next one would be stronger."

"Ssh, the child could hear you!" The woman then tried covering Diniel's eyes, "Your father is just grumpy… okay? We…

...love you."

And with that, the clouds once again dispersed as they were absorbed by Diniel's soul.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Systellions could no longer give birth."

Apollo was the one to break the eerie silence that suddenly surrounded the dome.

"That's…"

"What does he mean by potential?"

With the other somewhat expressing a somber tone, Van's eyes were completely focused on Diniel.

"Those who have… better abilities."

"System Holders…" Van then muttered as he approached Diniel's soul, "And they could throw away their children if they are not up to standard?"

"That… is usually the case."magic

"Do you know where this… baby factory is located?"

"...Why?"

"Because that's the first thing…

...we need to destroy."