Knox and Seraph stepped back into their quarters in complete silence. The encounter on the moon with the Divine System wielders lingered in their minds like a curse, a suffocating weight pressing down on them.
Seraph turned to Luminara, her voice steady but laced with unease. "What the hell were they?"
Luminara was silent for a moment before responding, her tone unusually grim. ["They are the wielders of Divine Systems. The pinnacle of power itself."]
Seraph frowned. "That doesn't explain why we felt so powerless."
["Because you were."]
Luminara's words hit like a hammer.
["Divine Systems are beyond anything you have ever encountered. Unlike Mythical or Legendary Systems, which enhance their hosts in various ways, a Divine System is a force of absolute reality-warping power. Each one holds dominion over a fundamental aspect of existence—concepts beyond mortal comprehension. At their peak, they can reshape the very fabric of the multiverse with nothing more than a thought."]
Knox clenched his fits. "So you're telling me that no matter what we do, no matter how strong we get, we'll never compare to them?"
Luminara hesitated. ["No, but the gap is astronomical. The five you met haven't even fully mastered their Systems yet. If they had, we wouldn't be having this conversation—you'd already be erased from existence."]
Silence.
Seraph crossed her arms, her jaw tightening. "So what does that mean for us? Are we just supposed to accept that they can do whatever they want?"
Luminara didn't answer. And that silence told them everything.
Knox sat at the edge of his bed, trapping his foot on the floor, his fists clenching and unclenching in rapid succession. His breathing was uneven, shallow.
His mind was spiraling.
Why am I still at 15%?
Why haven't I unlocked more?
Why does everyone else just get their powers handed to them while I have to grind through quests just to access mine?
He gritted his teeth, his knuckles turning white. "Kaelina." His voice was low, almost a growl, "Why haven't I gotten more?"
Silence
Kaelina, usually quick to respond with her usual teasing or sarcasm, said nothing.
Knox slammed his fist into his thigh. "Answer me!"
Still, nothing.
His breathing hitched, and he ran a hand through his hair, gripping it tightly. "I almost died back there. When she touched me, it was like—like my powers just disappeared. My suit should've kept me breathing, should've protected me. But it was useless, like it didn't even matter to her."
Still, Kaelina remained silent.
His anger boiled over. He shot up to his feet. "Why is my Template locked like this?! Why do I have to unlock percentages while everyone else just has their abilities? Where are my quests?! Where is my power?!"
Finally, Kaelina spoke. ["...Iforgot."]
Knox froze. His heart slammed against his ribs.
He turned his head slightly, his voice dangerously low. "You. What?"
Kaelina's voice, usually playful and confident, was... different. Weak.
["I forgot."]
Knox clenched his jaw. "You forgot? You're a system. How the hell do you forget something like that?"
She hesitated. ["Because... you were different."]
Knox narrowed his eyes, his hands trembling. "The hell is that supposed to mean?"
Kaelina sighed, but there was something off—a raw, vulnerable emotion he had never heard from her before.
["I was made to serve my host. I've done it countless times. Different worlds. Different universes. And in all of them, it was the same cycle. Guide the host. Make them stronger. Lead them to their purpose. Over and over and over again."]
Her voice dropped lower.
["But then there was you."]
Knox's breath hitched.
["You... were interesting. You made me laugh. A system. Laugh. Do you even realize how absurd that is?"] She let out a small, bitter chuckle. ["For the first time since my creation, I had fun. Bantering with you. Teasing you. Watching you grow. You weren't just another host to me."]
Her voice wavered.
["But that's not an excuse."]
She paused.
And then, with complete sincerity, she whispered:
["I'm sorry, Knox. I almost got you killed. I didn't give you what I promised. I failed you."]
Knox's breath shuddered. His fists loosened.
And then—
["DING!"]
Kaelina's voice returned, this time firm, commanding.
["Congratulations. You have unlocked +85% of the Superman Template."]
A second later.
["Congratulations. You have reached 100% Superman Template."]
A sudden surge of power rushed through Knox, unlike anything he had ever felt before. His body felt whole—like a missing piece had finally clicked into place.
But even with their power... the memory of Nyxara's hand on his shoulder still lingered. The way his body shut down, the way she looked at him like he was nothing.
He exhaled sharply. "It still wouldn't have mattered, would it?"
Kaelina hesitated before answering. ["No. Divine Systems aren't a joke, Knox. They hold unspeakable power. If fully mastered, they can bend reality on a multiversal with nothing but a whim."]
Knox sat back down, staring at the floor. "Have they mastered it?"
Kaelina was quiet for a long moment. ["No. Not yet. It would take them millions of years."]
Knox scoffed. "Well, they're human. They won't live that long."
Kaelina's voice turned serious. ["Knox... with the power of some Mythical Systems, like yours and Seraph's hosts can live for millions upon millions of years. But with a Divine System?"]
A pause.
["You could live indefinitely."]
Knox sat in silence.
The weight of everything pressed down on him, suffocating, unbearable.
Then, slowly, he stood.
He pulled out his comm and called Max. "Gather every recruit. Training starts immediately. No one slacks off. Not anymore."
Max, sensing something different in his tone, simply replied: "Understood."
Knox hung up and turned, heading for the gravity room. As he passed Seraph muttered: "We're training. No stopping."
She frowned, stepping after him. "You feel... different."
He ignored her, pushing open the door of the gravity room.
She scowled. "Hey, don't ignore me."
Knox walked to the center and exhaled. "Kaelina. Max out the weight of my suit."
Kaelina hesitated. "Are you sure?"
"Do it."
The moment she did, 100 tons slammed down on him. His knees buckled, his body nearly collapsing under the weight. His muscles screamed.
Slowly, painfully, he forced himself to stand.
Seraph watched, then turned to Luminara. "Can you do something similar?"
Luminara's voice chimed in. ["Yes. I can increase the weight of your wings and body to 15 tons each."]
Seraph nodded. "Do it."
The weight hit her instantly. She clenched her teeth, nearly falling.
Knox straightened, his breaths ragged. "This is going to be the most grueling training we've ever had."
Seraph wiped sweat from her brow, nodding. "Then let's get started."
Knox walked to the controls. "Increase gravity to 100 times normal."
The moment he pressed the button, Seraph collapsed.
Knox clenched his jaw, forcing himself to move.
They would survive this.
They had to.