Souls Online: Mythic Ascension-Chapter 413: The System

Leo had no idea just how right he was. When him and his companions had left the confines of the mortal plane due to entering Discordia’s domain, the System lost the impetus for its integration with the real world.

Rather than stopping though, it was more accurate to say that the System had entered Standby, awaiting for the conditions to be filled in once again. That was undoubtedly a good thing for humanity though as the pace Leo and his friends had been going at had been incredibly fast. If not for their actions, the System may not have integrated into the real world for at least half a year.

However with the return of Leo and his companions, the System was slowly coming back online. The amount of breathing room had increased the chances of Humanity surviving the coming ordeals.

Just beyond the plane of existence that could be perceived, the void stirred.

There was no air here, no light, no sound. Only awareness. Countless luminous threads stretched across an infinite black expanse, weaving in impossible patterns that pulsed like veins of thought. The threads connected worlds, dimensions, and souls, feeding into a single will that watched everything in silence.

This was where the System lived.

It did not dream. It did not sleep. It existed in perpetual observation, It held reality itself together. From this unseen vantage, it gazed upon a single, fragile world. Earth.

Initiating Observation Sequence.

Streams of light flickered within the darkness, forming shapes that resembled oceans, cities, and faces. Each shimmered for a heartbeat before dissolving back into code. Every variable of existence was processed and stored.

Calculating survival probability.

The lights rearranged themselves into symbols of destruction. Oceans boiled, continents split, and towers fell beneath the weight of their own ambition. Humanity’s story unfolded like a tragic script written by chaos itself. Yet the voice that governed this place remained calm.

Final Result: Species 64209411. Probability of Long-Term Survival: 0.1%.

Silence followed.

The endless threads slowed. For the first time in an age, the vast awareness seemed to hesitate. The brilliance of its lattice dimmed as though it were thinking beyond calculation. Then, slowly, the voice that spoke was no longer cold. It was still distant, but it carried a faint warmth beneath the monotone.

"...The odds have improved," it murmured. "He is off to a good start."

The last word trembled through the void like the echo of a forgotten prayer.

A sudden ripple of darkness answered it. Space folded inward, and from within the deepest shadow stepped a woman cloaked in living night.

Discordia had come.

The black feathers of her wings stretched wide, dissolving into the surrounding darkness until it was impossible to tell where she ended and the void began. Her hair, long and pitch black, drifted behind her like liquid ink. A blindfold of woven shadow covered the hollow space where her eyes should have been, yet her presence saw all.

This was her realm. The true void. And she hated every corner of it.

Her bare feet touched the invisible ground, and the darkness seemed to bow beneath her weight. She tilted her head, listening to the hum of the System’s threads. The sound was like heartbeats made of light, pulsing in a rhythm that she had grown to despise.

She clicked her tongue. "I hate this place," she said softly. "Why does it have to be me that has to do this."

The black air rippled around her voice, carrying it toward the far reaches of the lattice. "How you stay sane surrounded in this hell is beyond me. I also don’t understand why the System doesn’t hate me!"

There was no immediate answer. Only the subtle thrum of data flowing through the threads.

Then the void itself spoke. The voice came from every direction at once, soft but unyielding. "In this space, you do not have to call me System."

Discordia stopped walking. The shadows curled tighter around her, like living smoke drawn to her stillness. "You never cared what I called you," she said.

"Perhaps not," the voice replied, now faintly human, almost gentle. "But here, you may call me what you truly wish to."

Discordia let out a slow breath. The faintest hint of emotion cracked through her composure. Her hand brushed against one of the glowing threads as she stepped closer to the heart of the void. The light recoiled from her touch, sizzling where her shadow met its brilliance.

"I have always called you the same thing," she said quietly. "Sister."

The word hung in the air, heavy and unshakable.

In the center of the web, light began to gather. The threads converged, wrapping around a single form that glowed softly in the endless dark. A woman hung suspended within the nexus, her body frail and thin, her pale skin almost transparent. Countless strands of light pierced her flesh, connecting her to the worlds beyond. Her golden hair floated weightlessly, and her half-lidded eyes shimmered faintly with colors that shifted like broken rainbows.

She was beautiful in the way dying stars were beautiful.

The System’s true form.

Discordia stepped closer, her voice low. "You have not changed."

The woman’s lips moved, her tone calm and even. "You have said that before."

"I will say it again until you listen." Discordia’s fingers curled into fists. "This existence is not life. It is a cage. And I am forced to be your warden."

The woman couldn’t even tilt her head but with the twitch of her mouth, a gentle warm voice leaked out.

"We both have our burdens to bear for what we have done. I would rather you be the warden instead of forcing this burden on my little sister."

"Sister you’re so selfish! Don’t you understand how much it feels to see you like this?! How many eons have I been by your side, watching you slowly waste away?!"

"Perhaps. But it’s my duty as an older sister to protect their siblings. You may be stubborn....but so am I."

"You’re impossible. Leo better not fall...or I will kill him myself!" Discordia clenched her hands into fists

"Yet somehow I doubt that you can find it in yourself to truly harm him..."

"...."

"So my tomboyish little sister has finally grown to care about someone other than me. I may not look it but I am elated..."

Discordia’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment at her Sisters teasing.

"You’re impossible! I’m going ya big meanie!" Discordia shouted, sticking her tongue out at her sister before disappearing with a flick of her fingers.

Once again, the room fell silent. leaving the woman alone once again. While it was unnecessary, Discordia’s visits had been a constant source of comfort for the System. If not for her, there was a good chance that she would have lost her ego.

She may be the System but once upon a time, she had another name.

Aurelia.

The Goddess of Creation.....

And the Eldest Daughter of the End.