The System’s Harvester

Mid Afternoon - Early Summer : Richmond, Virginia | East Coast United States

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- Bentley Horne ~

*Tap-Tap-Tap-Tap* -Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck...- Curses rang through my mind as I sprinted across the tarmac with several guildmates. "Everyone split up and find the people that need to get on the airship, and help them get on board! We need to get off the ground ASAP!"

"""Roger!""" *Woosh* They all simultaneously disappeared as they darted off in different directions before I continued up to the airship, racing inside and dashing straight to the captain's cabin.

"Hey!" *WOOSH* A blast of air from my wake blew through the cabin the moment I stopped. "What's the situation? We need to start moving!"

Slightly panicked, the co-pilot immediately turned to me. "W-We're trying! We are good on fuel, the engines are still warm, and the vital systems are all functional again."

"SO WHY AREN'T WE MOVING?!"

The head pilot was quick to respond without taking his eyes off the panel in front of him. "We don't have a tow. The mana wave ruptured the remote control artifacts, and the ATC lost contact with one of the only alternative super-heavy tow units, so we are trying to reach the military base a few kilometers southeast to see if they can bring a truck."

"Tch..." It was the last thing I wanted to hear. "You can turn the front wheel, right!? Kick on those thrusters and get us-"

"You want me to spray molten glass over everyone inside the airport?!" He instantly cut me off with a glare. "These engines aren't the same as the dinky ones you're probably familiar with in Europe. These would melt that glass wall in a heartbeat and cook everyone inside."

*Creaaaak* "FUCK!"Leaving several deep gashes in the door from my hand, I jolted around, grabbing my head as thoughts blasted through it. -We can't wait on the military...-

But the next thing I knew, I was breaking into a sweat and shivering.

However, it wasn't because I was cold.

It was fear.

Just moments prior, I was standing atop the roof of the airport, overlooking the countless people who had crowded there during the chaos while trying to calm the torrent of anxiety in my own chest.

But that was when it happened. Out of the corner of my eye, a streak of light zipped over the city so fast I didn't even have a chance to react before it passed over the horizon behind me. It was so fast that whatever it was couldn't have been living. To simply remain intact at that speed and be at such a low altitude, the object had to be sturdier than a hunk of mythril.

However, while I felt uneasy after fruitlessly trying to track the object through the sky, even though I was confident in my speed, it didn't turn to fear until I looked back at where the beam originated, and I watched a section of the wall fall behind the horizon.

I knew first hand how strong the material the United States used for their walls was. It was the same thing my guild used to construct our high-level arena, a place known to contain the fights of level 300s with ease. -But that wall... It had to be at least thirty or fourty meters thick...-

Unlike our arenas that were meant to contain players, the wall I saw collapse was meant to stop monsters well in excess of level 500. -'No apparent threat', my ass... Whatever the Entity is, it's already in the city...-

Biting my nails as I tried to use my stomach-churning anxiety to fuel ideas, thoughts began burning through my mind faster than I could keep track of them, before suddenly, it felt like a fire was lit through my body.

"FUCK IT!" Turning around before either pilot could say anything, I funneled my fear into anger, preparing to turn that anger into fuel. "You just turn the wheel in the direction you need to go, and I'll pull this giant hunk of metal myself!"

Both pilots immediately gave me a look like I was insane, but before he could say anything, I disappeared, darting out of the airship and zipping around the tarmac, looking for anything I could use to extend my reach before finding a rope the width of a watermelon. -That'll work...-

Bolting back to the front of the airship, I hopped up onto the massive tire, several times the size of me, and ran the rope through some old emergency tow hooks before jumping to the ground, wrapping my arms around each end of the rope and clamping them to my body.

-It's time for me to pull this shit like my life depends on it...- Digging my fingers into the rope, I quickly lowered my stance before trying to convert every emotion rampaging through my mind to energy and activating over a dozen skills simultaneously. *Blip*

*CRUNCH* The tarmac shattered beneath my feet as my muscles multiplied in size, my aura exploded, and it looked like my body was engulfed in flames. -Alright you fat fucking airship...- *CRUNCH* Stepping forward with every speck of strength I could muster, I felt the pressure of the rope on my shoulders ease slightly. -Let's get the hell out of here...-

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- Evren Lestir ~

"Hyup! HAH!" *Vwoom-Crunch* Hearing a man yell before a wave of mana blew over me, I glanced over to see a moderately tall man digging his feet into the ground, clamping onto a massive rope connected to the front wheel of the airship.

-Is he really trying to pull this thing?- Looking up the side of the airship, all it took was a glance at his presence for me to want to laugh, but...

*Crrrrrreaaak* Almost immediately, the wheels started creaking, and sure enough, the massive ship slowly began to move, one hair at a time. -Wow...- Quickly opening his system panel, I curiously glossed over it to see that he was a level 278 Berserker. -But even if he has the strength to move it, how is the ground not just crumbling?-

*Crrrrrunch* With each of his slow steps, the tarmac was mercilessly crushed to less than dust, but once getting about ankle deep into the ground, his footing firmed.

Out of curiousity, I gently tapped my toe into the ground, piercing through the dark grey ground before feeling something bend out of the way. -Huh?- It was a metal plate at least several centimeters thick. -Is the whole airfield built on this?-

But as I was about to ask why, a grey-haired old man covered in wrinkles, donning an intricate white robe, walked up from behind me. "It's a giant electromagnet, and it runs beneath the entire city wherever vehicles pass over." His voice was smooth and calm.

-To be hiding your presence so blatantly...- I didn't even have to look back at him to know he was moderately strong, at least on par with the berserker. "What's the point of it?"

"It works as a supersized emergency brake. It can even bring these giant airships to a halt on small runways like these."

-Small?- I quickly turned to look down what I thought was a gargantuan runway. -This is small?-

"The issue is when there is a mechanical failure, like with the other airship, the magnet pulls the airship into the ground." He gently motioned toward the neighboring runway that looked absolutely destroyed before finally walking up to me. "In any case, my name is Ashford, Ashford Kraw, a priest of the Church of Michael." He gently pulled his hand from behind his back before reaching for a handshake. "I happened to overhear that you were from the Church as well, I'm surprised I don't recognize you."

Dulling my gaze, I looked up at his predatory smile before extending my hand as well. "That isn't too surprising." *pat* The moment our hands touched, I felt his aura try to flood into my hand, but it was like a ripple trying to push back a tsunami.

*WOOM* His face instantly went pale as his eyes shot open, and he gritted his teeth. "HUEK-!" Releasing my hand, he immediately turned to the side and vomited on the ground.

"To throw up when shaking someone's hand. That's quite upsetting..." Looking at his system panel as he threw up and started sweating profusely, I quickly found that he wasn't actually lying about who he was, be it his name or about being a priest. -He must have thrown up because of my aura...-

Although it had been a long time, I was well aware of how it felt for your body to be flooded by an aura magnitudes larger than your own. It blurred your senses and made your anxiety explode as if everything inside your body was tied in a knot. -Considering I could change the data on mana sensors dozens of kilometers from me, that reaction should be expected...-

The thing that baffled me was that the reaction didn't happen until he touched me. -Considering how big my aura is, everyone even remotely near me should feel pressure from it...-

Yet no one showed any reaction.

"Haah..." -But I guess my confusion just means I have a lot to learn...-

However, as I let out a sigh and turned away from the priest to continue toward the airship, he stood up, shaking. "You... What are you..." Fear filled his eyes as his stance remained lowered like a dog with its tail tucked.

But as I glanced back at him, I took a moment to think before a smile crept across my face. "Why don't you ask those mighty gods of yours?"

His face was nearly instantly lit up red by countless system panels appearing in front of him.

"And while you're at it, why don't you tell them to fuck off." Looking in the air behind him, my eyes fell on a cloudy, vaguely human-shaped figure before snickering. -He really left his avatar to die, huh...- Finally turning back to the airship, I pulled a bagel out of my inventory before snacking on it with an irritated expression. "The more they try and fight me, the more they will lose."

But even though I said that specifically for the figure floating in the air, I knew they wouldn't listen. -If they're smart, they will leave me be... If they're dumb, they will lose everything they have control over.- It was a gamble, one banking on them realizing fighting me was a fruitless effort.

But unfortunately, administrators were not beings I knew to be smart... -I will be surprised if I don't have to kill a few more avatars before they realize...-

As I continued toward the airship though, I felt the faint presence of the floating figure behind me vanish, and looked back to see its clody figure scattered like a puff of fog.

It was a sight that made my eyes go wide. -Did he just.. die?-

Not feeling another presence nearby, I immediately tensed up.

But that was when 'he' appeared.

*Woom* Appearing in front of me instantaneously as the flow of time around me began to warp, I turned toward the presence to meet the gaze of a tall man with perfect white hair, grey eyes akin to a blind man, who was wearing a beautiful, ethereally white robe with a bright, blinding halo over his head, incomparable to the likes of the avatar.

He was an administrator on a completely different level from the one I had just seen.

One that was strong enough to put me on edge. -This administrator.. might be troublesome...-

But instead of finding myself several kilometers away, zipping through the sky from a punch, he gently pulled one of his hands out from behind his back and elegantly bowed, exposing a series of pure white feathered wings sprouting from his back. "~For a being of your stature to be curious in Earth. I'm honored.~"

His voice seemed to travel through a medium other the air, and while he gave off a great amount of light, the environment hadn't lit up at all. "I could say the same about you." My voice was filled with skepticism. "What is an administrator like you doing in such a low rank world..."

He slowly looked up at me as if trying to gauge me before smiling. "~You say that like my strength is troublesome to you.~" He paused as he straightened his posture while darkening the expression on his face. "~Am I perhaps an obstacle for you?~"

"Only if you make yourself one."

He paused again as he took a moment to look me up and down. "~Forgive me for being blunt, but what is your purpose for being here..? It appears my subordinate mistook you for a Destroyer.. a being who revisits old worlds they have been to with the system to destroy their societies... But if you were a destroyer, the planet itself would have been the thing to fall.~" His gaze slowly turned judgemental as he spoke.

"Earth is my home world, but I only now got the opportunity to return... It's been over 500 years. How could I not come visit."

"~500 years...~" His eyes widened. "~You must have been a part of one of the first groups summoned by The System when it was initially connected.~"

Not following what he was saying, I just tilted my head.

"~But while I do wish I could oblige and give you time to enjoy your return, it does not change the fact that you cannot be here.~" His tone firmed in an instant. "~You are no longer a being this world is capable of containing... If you remain here, this world will collapse.~"

"Hm.. that's a shame." I spoke without a hint of remorse. "Since my system was wiped when I returned here, I lost the ability to go to any other worlds willingly." I shrugged before looking up into his eyes.

"~Then I will forcefully transport you to a nearby system. I hope you will cooperate.~" He quickly reached out his hand and before what seemed like a system gate appeared around me. *Vwoop*

But by the time it closed, I was already behind him.

He noticed it as well. "~You cannot stay here. You do not have a choice.~"

He likely thought I was playing, and to an extent, I was. "I do, actually. You know just as well as I that the only thing that would suffer damage with our fight would be our surroundings."

Anger slowly began creeping into his expression. "~The longer you are here, the more your presence will raise Earth's rank within the system.~" His expression darkened in an instant. "~Even if I must forcibly relocate you, I will not permit your stay in this world.~"

He was serious. -Is that so...- "Then how about this." Not wanting to deal with such a troublesome administrator, I decided to compromise. "If you permit my stay, I will let you give me quests." My smile slowly turned greedy. "If you permit my stay, I will kill whatever you need me to, regardless of whether it is something humanity can handle, or not... Of course, with apt payment."

His expression warped as if he was cringing.

"But don't worry, I'll cut you a deal. I don't want items or gold. All I want for payment is help, whether I need information, or guidance with the system." Gently setting my hand on his shoulder, I pulled it down slightly. "Touche?"

He paused as he fell into thought, turning his gaze away from me, and looking to the west, toward where I killed The Warden. "~Tch...~" The click of his tongue was loud. He was finally reasoning what it would take to get me off the world without my compliance.

Long story short, it was far more trouble than it was worth.

"~Okay...~" He agreed with reluctance. "~What server are you using, and what is your System ID...~"

My smile quickly widened. "Evren Lestir. Central Server."

He immediately tensed as his eyes went wide, quickly locking onto me. "~As in.. 'The' Central Server?~"

I nodded.

And almost immediately I felt like I could see a bead of sweat form on his forehead. "~You will.. receive a 'Data Link' request in a moment... It will let me give you quests and let you interact with the local system as much or as little as you wish...~" His voice shook slightly.

"Is that so? That sounds quite convenient." A hint of joy began creeping into my voice as I watched the man endlessly continue to sink into thought. "If that's all, I will take my leave." Finally letting go of his shoulder, I continued toward the airship, and time around me seemed to resume. "I look forward to doing business with you, Michael."

Idly glancing down at my system while I walked, my smile only grew wider. -For administrators to have system panels too...- I simply couldn't contain myself. -How wonderful...-

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