Beyond The System-Chapter 268: The Same Master

With a violent, unseen tug, whatever force gripped me yanked harder, and my speed surged. His fingers hovered just beyond reach, trembling with hunger, but the wild light in his eyes never dimmed.

“Now I know!” he shouted, the sound reverberating inside my skull, echoing through marrow and mind, his pace perfectly matching my own renewed burst of flight. “You have it too!”

I didn’t respond—couldn’t. My mouth opened, but no sound came from me.

“You were only an irritating insect, but it was my arrogance, Peter—I’ll admit that!” he continued, his voice swelling into a manic sermon. “You are a BLESSING!”

The air itself began to twist, folding inward between us, reality bending like molten glass. His fingers inched closer, though his speed never changed.

Five inches.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One—

CRASH!

Before his fingertip brushed me, I slammed into another barrier. This one denser, sharper than the last—as though my entire body had struck an invisible wall of stone.

BOOOOM!

My pursuer’s hand collided with the divide a heartbeat later, yet nothing broke. No quake rippled through this space; even the sound seemed trapped, echoing only within the strange corridor I occupied.

Everything froze.

Something around me began to unravel slightly. I glimpsed luminous filaments glimmering in the stillness, drifting downward as if resting. The bird’s threads.

Our eyes met.

The Great Ancestor’s gaze flared with impossible brightness, then softened, the mania draining away until a near-human calm settled over him. Not fury. Not joy. Something eerily in between.

“Those damned animals,” he muttered, his words reverberating in layered tones that overlapped like a choir of himself. “Why can’t they understand that their time is over?”

He tilted his head, curiosity sharpening his expression. “That’s not your real body, is it? Unless you’re even more diluted than the last one…”

Still, I said nothing as the threads around me stirred again. They tightening around me, but with a steadier rhythmic patience this time.

The Perfect Being spread his arms wide, an imitation of welcome that felt insincere. “You sought me, didn’t you? You know where I am. Return to this layer, Peter. A fraction of you won’t suffice. I need all of you. Only a fraction won’t do.”

The echo of his final words crawled down my spine like ice. His conviction, the sheer certainty felt more tangible than anything I had ever heard. Yet despite the instinct screaming for me to turn away, I forced myself to speak, finding my voice again within the stillness of the barrier.

I swallowed hard and made the promise. “I will.”

He smiled. And in that instant, I was thrust through the other side, swallowed by a sea of stars. Each realm between the barriers shimmered with its own signature of reality: the White Void, stark and endless; the layer beyond it, almost pure darkness as if life was only a memory; the next, where he lay within pockets of light; and this one, alive with galaxies, nebulae, and drifting clouds of cosmic gas.

I had no time to marvel.

With a single blink, everything inverted. I was staring up into a clear sky, the roar of a storm raging like a tyrant around me. Gasping, I sat up, chest heaving, realizing I was back… in the calm eye at the storm’s eye.

You okay? Luna’s voice anchored me, soft but grounding.

I rubbed my forehead, wiping heavy beads of sweat. Yeah… just a bit shaken. We can talk—

“But you’re help!” Harua’s high-pitched protest tore through the wind nearby, shrill enough to pierce the chaos.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Serith sighed, pressing her fingers to her temples. A crescent ribbon of thread dangled from her elbow, fluttering in the wind.

She was wearing a new outfit, this one sleek and tailored to the harsh air around us with a deep orange hue catching the light and glittering with the sand around.

Guess she took some extra time to consider wardrobe… Still, she’d arrived faster than I expected. Then again, I had no real grasp of how much time had even passed.

“You all seem fine anyway. What possible help could I give?” Serith asked dryly. The thin layers of her breathable silk shimmered beneath the sun, almost translucent where the rays struck.

Harua shook her head, feathers ruffling, eyes full of troubled certainty. “No idea. But you’re help.” She emphasized the last word as though it were a divine truth that needed no translation.

I couldn’t help it. I enjoyed the exchange, letting their bickering peel away the lingering pressure in my chest.

“I swear,” Serith huffed, exasperation curling through her voice, “it’s always the same. You could stop diving into those memories, you know? What could they possibly still offer?”

Wait… what?

“They’re important,” Harua argued, folding her wings across her chest and turning aside—definitely noticing me, yet treating me as though I were part of the background. “You’re different too. Last time, you barely even talked to me…”

They both hesitated. My mind spun, trying to piece their words together.

“I was busy… I’m sorry,” Serith replied after a pause, voice softening. “But seriously, stop being so weird.” 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Harua turned back slightly, her feathers drooping. “S–so you’ll help?” she asked, her tone wounded and childlike.

“Rrrg!” Serith groaned, dragging her hands down her face. “What are you—no. You know what? Fine. Sure.”

“Yay!” Harua spun with unrestrained delight and, without hesitation, threw her wings around Serith in a full embrace. “Also, my student’s awake!” she cried, her voice carrying above the wind and immediately outing me.

You’re getting too many teachers, Wyrem teased, his tone trembling, as if proud of his own joke.

I didn’t even bother denying it. Instead, I pushed myself to my feet. “Glad you’re here,” I sighed, brushing the sand from my robe only to freeze mid-motion. “Come on! Really?” The fabric wasn’t ruined, but a constellation of small holes, each no bigger than my pinkie, peppered it.

Serith squirmed free from Harua’s hold and straightened her outfit with a huff. “It took a bit longer than I expected, but I’m here. So let’s gather everyone up and get back—”

“You said you would help,” Harua interrupted, her voice trembling like that of a scolded child.

Before the tension could spark again, I jumped in. “I still need to find Bristle. He’s probably worried after I vanished this long.”

Harua nodded quickly, grateful for the change in topic. “Yes. Your friend hasn’t seen you in so many days.”

I blinked, turning toward Serith, my head cocked. “How long is a day here, anyway?” I asked, hoping her experience in this world might translate into answers.

You were asleep for quite a while, Luna murmured before Serith could respond.

“Two days or so back home,” Serith said with a hint of urgency. “Which is exactly why we need to move. The rematch with Mei has to happen as soon as we’re back. Then they will return.”

My heart stuttered. The realization hit hard, though I took small comfort in knowing Sei would return with his daughter eventually.

“Right,” I exhaled, steadying myself. “Then let’s head back.”

Serith began to trace slow, precise movements through the air—likely the start of another portal. She never seemed to use the same method twice, so I could only guess. But before the portal could form, Harua darted forward, wings flaring to block her path.

“We have to walk!” she declared, feathers quivering.

Serith narrowed her eyes. “Why?” she asked, drawing the word out with visible suspicion. “Wouldn’t you at least prefer to fly?”

Harua extended her wings wide, flapping once with enthusiasm as she paced in tight circles, eyes gleaming. “I can do both! We all can!”

I turned to Serith for some kind of explanation for this bizarre insistence.

She pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned. “I am not going to wave my arms around like a maniac while walking. Why not just get there immediately?”

Harua froze mid-flap, turning her head toward my Guardian as if Serith had just uttered the most absurd thing imaginable. “How are you supposed to help if you don’t walk?!”

Stepping forward, I surrendered mentally before Serith even had the chance. “It shouldn’t take too long—flying over only took a few minutes,” I reasoned, hoping to end the argument before it spiraled.

It’ll give me more time to absorb what’s in the air, Luna noted, her tone thoughtful. Speaking of…

I realized it the same instant she did. I drew in a deep breath. Nothing. No pain. No burning. The air was still hot, but it no longer scalded my lungs. I can breathe here now? That’s… Why?

Perhaps your essence helped you adapt to this realm, Wyrem mused, his voice echoing like a scholar’s hum. Though without first training in this element, you shouldn’t—

Why worry?! his overeager student interrupted gleefully. I’m almost done refining a nice little gift for our next enemies!

Serith exhaled, shoulders slumping, her composure finally cracking under the weight of Harua’s hopeful stare. The bird-woman’s wide, shining eyes had the same effect as a weaponized pout.

“Alright, fine,” Serith relented, lowering her arms. “We can walk. Losing a few hours isn’t the end of the world.”

Harua’s feathers fluttered in triumph as she extended her wings in a sweeping motion, nearly enveloping Serith in a feathery embrace again only for the Guardian to sidestep in a blur of movement.

“You’re still so shy,” Harua grumbled, clearly feeling cheated, then rushed ahead until she stood beside Serith and me.

Together, we approached the natural barrier before us: a wall of roaring wind and sand. The world ahead shimmered, warped by the violent motion. We stopped there, the three of us standing shoulder to shoulder as Serith lifted her hands, tracing deliberate, geometric motions through the air.

And in that quiet interval, curiosity won out. “How the heck do you two know each other?” I asked.

Serith hesitated, parting her lips to answer—

—but Harua beat her to it, wings rising in pride. “I’m her sister!”