-oOo-

-oOo-

Faded Star was smaller than the Academy butte.

Sylvia could see from one side of the island to the other. The terrain was remarkably flat, to the extent that Esmeralda's microplane could be called a disk or a circle. By diameter, Faded Star was roughly three hundred meters. Most of the land held little life, the majority being dirt, grass, or brush. Only at the core could be found a sparkle of beauty. A grove of trees, branches laden with fruit. A charming, two-story house not much bigger than the one young Eric called home.

The perfect lawn and flower-filled gardens were like an icon of suburban life fit for the cover of a magazine.

At the plane's center was Faded Star's foundation, a cosmic ash. The craggy tree rose twenty meters tall, its trunk and branches transparent as though made from glass. The canopy of leaves was a shimmering curtain of crystal. Inside the tree's body were veins of green, a luminescent sap beset with threads of twinkling black.

Right now, the cosmic ash looked sad.

The tree's leaves drooped, as though stricken by relentless summer. The burden of operating the gate had been heavy. Though the cosmic ash didn't provide ether directly, it served as fulcrum for all the enchantments. Thus, a torrent of magic large enough to transport a quarter of a million droms had been shoved through its roots.

It'd be months before the ash could recover. Years, perhaps.

Voomp.

Esmeralda Vallenfelt stepped through the gate.

The baroness emerged just behind the silver-haired witch. With her passing, the light dimmed. The swirl faded into sparks. Then it was gone. The empty arch standing beside them would never shine again.

The Starlight Nether Witch Academy had met its end.

Sylvia felt a touch nostalgic.

Eyes of fractal pink turned toward her master. What Sylvia experienced was nothing compared to the weight pressing down upon Lady Vallenfelt's heart.

"Is it done?" Sylvia asked.

"I set magics to remove the Academy's gate. If I have not erred, the waystone has already been destroyed and the frame scattered," Esmeralda confirmed. The green-haired witch set a hand on the stone arch. Delicate fingers ran along the smooth surface recalling lost memories.

"A shame we couldn't bring the components with us," Sylvia said.

They could really use the realm brick. Though, not all the materials could be recycled, two thirds could've been repurposed for a new gate.

"I will rely on you to dismantle this one for me," Lady Vallenfelt said. Her smile turned gentle. "I will be relying on you for a great many things in the days to come. I must say, I chose well when taking you as my apprentice."

"I chose well," a cute voice refuted.

Emily hurried from the house. With her little legs, the emeraldette witch rushed forward. Glomp. Two dainty arms wrapped around Sylvia's waist, pulling the girls close. Sylvia didn't hesitate to return the hug.

"My Sylvia came back to me," Emily murmured. "And she's even wearing her pigtails."

The clone glanced to the side. A gorgeous nebula of shadowy green gazed into its perfect mirror.

"She did keep them the whole time, right?"

"She did, indeed," Esmeralda confirmed. "Though, I believe it is time that Sylvia chooses her style. Fashion cannot be forced. It must come from the heart."

The baroness spread her arms. Emily let go, rushing to pull her older self into a warm embrace. It was like looking upon sisters older and younger. Beauties clearly related, though their features were deviant enough that neither would be mistaken for a copy of the other.

And in many ways, this sense was correct.

Emily wasn't a mere clone of Esmeralda Vallenfelt. Her soul fragment had been placed within the body of Emily Clark. Just as the soul shaped the self, the body shaped the soul. The neurons in that child's brain had forged their own path, dendrites entangling in a different set of roots. In the nether, the code imposed upon the soul. In the material world, the body was the cup that shaped the essence of a person's being.

Thus, Emily was distinct from her source.

Compared to Esmeralda, the younger emeraldette was three inches shorter. Her frame was cuter and more delicate. Her face was younger, though the distinction of age was difficult to evaluate. While it was commonly presumed that demons were ageless creatures, this wasn't entirely true. Many bloodlines had a concept of age. Asteri started their life appearing as girls in their late teens. As the decades flew past, they'd become women in their mid-twenties.

Only for their time to be reset after transmigration.

So it was hard to say whether Emily looked younger because her soul had changed or if her apparent youth was simply the result of her demonic years being stripped to a decade instead of a century.

And since the two souls would join, the question would never be answered.

"Mmm." Emily hummed unhappily. "I'll let her choose as long as it's cute."

"A certain degree of loveliness is required," Esmeralda agreed. The woman set a finger against her chin as she pondered. "And I do concede that she is extraordinarily adorable. The look you've arranged suits her. Our apprentice would be well advised to follow along this path."

"Right," Emily said enthusiastically. "That's why we have to shepherd her until the cuteness sinks into her bones!"

"I'm being ganged up on," Sylvia muttered.

Sylvia wasn't a doll for these two to dress as they pleased!

Seeing her grumpy expression, the little imp giggled.

Belkis approached. The prisma's golden brown locks glowed in the light of the false sun. The dark-skinned witch spread her arms wide as she approached.

Emily ran over and glomped onto her oldest apprentice. Belkis swayed back and forth before letting go.

"Master," the witch greeted with a curtsy. Then with a loose grin, she addressed the others with similar decorum. "And little master. And little sis."

Sylvia sighed and returned her sister's curtsy. Emily was far more joyful when she did the same, though the gap in status meant the emeraldette was free to ignore such niceties.

"Belkis," Esmeralda returned with a mere nod. "I trust you've had time to relax."

"I've been busy moving things and getting them sorted," Belkis said, shaking her head. Then she shot the adorable emeraldette a look. "And discussing our future plans."

"Then, for the next day, I ask you to set aside your work."

As she spoke, Lady Vallenfelt took the lead. The baroness brought them to a gazebo overlooking a pond. Beneath the stone roof was a table set with a white cloth, the edges embroidered with fine lace. Four wooden chairs surrounded. Crystal cups had been set atop, waiting to be filled by the bottle in the center.

"Master," Belkis addressed, pulling her chair back. Eyes of molten iron were stern. "When are you going to merge your souls?"

"Not for another year," Lady Vallenfelt said, elegantly taking her seat.

Belkis looked like she wanted to snap. "Master, it's not healthy to wait that long. You should've merged your souls two years past."

The baroness gestured. Sylvia read the intention, moving to grasp the bottle and pop the cork. Emily got to it first. The imp stuck out her tongue and started filling cups.

"I prepared a soul fruit before I set out on this venture," Esmeralda disagreed. Dark liquid filled her cup, sparkling with astral light. "There is far too much work for me to give up my strength. And, I trust that my heart has not deviated so much as to cause alarm."

The witch gazed at her clone. Emily smiled before pouring wine into her own cup.

"Mmm, mmm." the emeraldette sounded in agreement. "We're both committed to creating the netherworld's cutest apprentice."

"Are you old enough to drink that?" Sylvia questioned, raising a brow.

"Sylvia!" Emily squeaked.

"I had forgotten how fun master is when she's young," Belkis teased, resting her chin on her knuckles.

"Then I apologize for my excessive maturity," Esmeralda interjected. Seeing the prisma looked properly chided, the baroness raised her cup. "A toast to a new world, a new dream, and a new future."

The glasses clinked. Sylvia took a sip, the familiar taste playing upon her tongue. The sweetness of space. The dry undertone of stardust.

"And I would remind you that you were quite easy to tease after your last transmigration," the baroness added, swirling her wine elegantly in her cup.

"You are cuter," Belkis whispered into the emeraldette's ear.

Emily giggled. "Yes, but Sylvia is cutest."

Belkis pondered the sour, silver-haired girl for a moment.

"Little sis has potential, but she still needs a little work." With that said, the prisma stood raising her own glass. "To grand adventures!"

Clink. The crystal cups met again. Sylvia let the wine slide over her tongue. There were many adventures waiting for them in the Cloud Island Wilderness. Perhaps too many adventures. Sylvia was hoping for a little peace and quiet.

A murderous peace where monsters quietly accepted their end and gave her their precious experience points.

"Before you head out on future adventures, I will be reviewing your education," Lady Vallenfelt reminded.

Now it was Belkis's chance to droop. Esmeralda was not pleased. She'd raised a lady, not a hooligan who ran around the wilderness blowing things up.

Sylvia almost pitied her senior sister. Almost, because the more time Lady Vallenfelt spent on Belkis, the less time the witch would spend on her.

"My turn!" Emily exclaimed. "To my friends, my apprentices, and all my adorable witches. May we live happily together for centuries."

Clink. All four witches drank. Belkis smiled, looking dotingly upon her little master.

"I thought you'd toast to a new academy," she joked.

"Mmm," Emily noised unhappily.

Belkis frowned, detecting something.

Sylvia sighed. The silver-haired witch stood and raised her own cup, the contents already half drained. "To change, progress, and a new civilization."

Without waiting for a response, the witch gulped down her wine. Though the day was supposed to be for relaxation, there were secrets that had to be told. Secrets which no longer needed to be kept because the listeners were now safely imprisoned on a new plane.

Not all of those secrets would be revealed, of course. Esmeralda and Sylvia were in solid agreement that Lucifer's involvement would not be mentioned.

Lowering her glass, Sylvia waved a hand. A map of the Cloud Island Wilderness was projected over the table.

The bulk of the illusion was displayed in blue wire frame, the scant detail collected by virtue of Sylvia's eyes. There were two blobs of color coating the map opaque. The first ran along the coast of Starlight, deepest near Chaos Lagoon. The other, the Beginner's Village on the western side of Axis.

Connecting the two was a thin river, a spindly line of color where the contour of the land was displayed in perfect detail. Here and there, the river forked. Pathways taken then abandoned. Missteps through the Black Silk Swamp. The venture into the prairie then the dusty plateau before they found a way through Snake River Valley.

Finally, a series of probes along the mountain before the great rush to Yaalon Lake.

"That's an impressive illusion, little sis," Belkis complimented. The prisma stood so that she could get a better look. "This is the Cloud Island Wilderness, I take it?"

"That's right," Sylvia answered with a nod. "The parts in color have been explored. The rest is virgin wilderness. We'll be entering here, at Gate Point."

With a gesture, the asteri spun the map. A second movement and the image zoomed in. Pyrinas and the other islands vanished. Now, the only land seen above the table was Starlight. There was no need for Sylvia to point. The System, always helpful, labeled the locations.

Belkis's frown deepened. She looked up, molten eyes fixed on her teacher.

"How accurate is this map?"

"Very," Esmeralda answered. "I had wished to cover this later, but to withhold it now would only spoil the celebration."

"Thank you, master," Belkis said politely.

Lady Vallenfelt waved a hand in dismissal. "There is no need. I would have shared this with you earlier, if not for the seriousness of the portent."

The prisma's expression was sharp. Molten eyes veered off to study the silver-haired witch.

"As you have no doubt noticed, Sylvia's talent is exceptional," the baroness continued. "What I have not shared is that her talent was not chanced upon by luck. Instead, it results from a computational structure known as the System."

"Wait," Belkis asserted, expression dark. "You let that shady organization experiment on my little sis?"

Belkis sounded angry. Esmeralda's response was quick.

"Sylvia's soul bore the System long before we met," the green-haired witch corrected. "It was only later, when I found the System, that Sylvia became my apprentice."

"In other words, if you want to blame someone for getting our teacher involved with the 'shady organization', blame me," Sylvia said.

"No way," Emily rejected. "I chose you myself."

"Emily is correct," Lady Vallenfelt said evenly. "You are a child. You had little say in my involvement. In fact, if I were to return to that day, you would not be offered three options, only one."

"So let me get this straight. Little sis was involved with the shady organization from the start," Belkis said. "Then you found out about it. Afterwards, you were invited in."

"That's the gist of it," Sylvia confirmed.

Though they were skipping over a lot of details.

"And you think this shady organization can be trusted?" Belkis questioned.

"I do not," Esmeralda said firmly. "However, we are already amidst the wave. We either ride it or we drown. The capabilities of the System are far greater than you can imagine. This image you see here is just a taste of its capacity. But we will discuss that in more detail later. I wish for this day to be a pleasant one. So, instead of talking about ill matters, I would rather deliberate on our new home."

The baroness gestured toward the map. Sylvia took over since she knew the plane best.

"Right now, my house – "

"Cave," Esmeralda said firmly, tone utterly serious.

Sylvia's eye twitched. Belkis grinned.

"My cave," Sylvia said, sounding aggrieved. Her tone elicited a giggle. "Is set up at Chaos Lag – "

"Sylvia's Landing," the cute emeraldette interrupted.

Sylvia glowered. Lady Vallenfelt sipped her wine, unperturbed. From the way Belkis's iron eyes danced, Sylvia knew her senior sister was laughing at her.

"Chaos Lagoon is the name of the harbor," Emily explained, tone haughty. "The town is called Sylvia's Landing."

"Do you want to do this, or me?" Sylvia asked, dead eyed.

"No, no, no," Emily refuted, clapping her hands together adorably. "You're perfect."

Groaning, Sylvia started again. "Right now, my cave is set up just off of Chaos Lagoon."

Pastel pink eyes shot Emily a look, daring the imp to interrupt. The emeraldette stuck out her tongue. Lady Vallenfelt clicked hers. Emily blushed. The emeraldette instantly adjusted her posture so that she was a perfect princess.

"Chaos Lagoon is the plane's only natural harbor. Which is why I chose it as my landing point. However, the terrain surrounding it isn't well-suited for a city." Sylvia marked the short beach and tall mountains behind. "Instead, I think we should move fifteen kilometers down the coast."

Sylvia dragged the map, then thrust a finger into the hologram. Moving west brought them past a curved peninsula. There could be found a divot in the landscape resembling a cup. When Sylvia had first piloted the Utrecht along Starlight, she'd hoped it'd serve as a harbor. Unfortunately, the astral flow against island created a nasty eddy in the cup's center.

"The whole of Pyrinas spins clockwise, the four poles with it. This means powerful currents of chaos crash into the land here. As long as we carve out a few blocks of land and string them out as shield islands, we can break the back swirl, turning this entire ten-kilometer stretch into an artificial harbor."

As the silver-haired witch explained, she drew a line along the inner curve of the peninsula and about five kilometers of northern coast.

Lady Vallenfelt leaned forward in interest.

"The mountains to the south look passable," the baroness commented.

"They do, but that hasn't been confirmed yet," Sylvia admitted. "At the very least, it'll be easier to cut a pass through them than at," her nose scrunched, "Sylvia's Landing. And with access to both starside and skyside, we have the makings of the largest port of the plane. Which is why I'm calling the new city, Starport."

Sylvia smirked. Emily's glower was delicious.

"That's a big dream, little sis," Belkis commented. "But you forgot that we brought less than four hundred souls with us to this world."

"The population won't stay at four hundred for long," Sylvia replied.

Lucifer had eyes on an eight billion soul prize. Today, that number remained a distant dream. The Cloud Island Wilderness couldn't fit so many gamers, regardless.

However, once Sylvia finished Soul Vector, the Devil could add hundreds of gamers to the plane every month. And with Yaalon's vast reserves of raw crystal, the rate they could gate souls could be greatly expanded. As in, by a factor of ten to one hundred.

A century from now, the Cloud Island Wilderness might host ten million demons.

Or fey, she supposed. Technically, they were fey because the Cloud Island Wilderness wasn't a colony of Hell and existed under a structure similar to the Law of Wood.

"The astral currents breaking upon the peninsula should provide plentiful ether for cultivation," Esmeralda considered.

"Cape Moonlight!" Emily interjected.

"A lovely name," Lady Vallenfelt praised.

Tch. Those two just liked naming things after the light of celestial objects. Starport was a far cooler name. Seriously. The harbor was going to be filled with starships. And one of them would, undoubtedly, be named Enterprise.

It was impossible to get cooler than that.

"From a pure, strategic military sense, I'm not sure this is where we should set up," Belkis noted. "Little sis, would I be right to say most of the plane doesn't touch the starry void?"

"Of the major islands, only Starlight and Nemesis touch the void," Sylvia affirmed. "Anything else would demand a skyship to access."

Airships flew through the air. Astralships sailed the starry void. Skyships were hybrids built to do both. Because they were several times more expensive than their cousins, skyships weren't popular among commercial entities. Typically, they were military vessels, where the versatility outweighed the cost. Smugglers were also fond of them, since they could easily bypass the port authority.

"Then, if there's a war, Starport will be the first city hit."

"Asteri require astral ether," Esmeralda reminded. "We can hardly avoid the coast. That is the fate of my bloodline. Furthermore, Starport can be made into this world's crown jewel. To own it is to grasp wealth which would inspire an archduke's envy. We will need this advantage, lest we be left behind by those whose talent is greater than our own."

"It'll also put you well away from Axis," Sylvia added. "Which should reduce conflict over resources and living space."

At least until the Cloud Island Wilderness was fully populated. But, by then, Starport would've hopefully grown a gamer population of its own.

Belkis studied all the witches. "I think it's time you explained this shady organization to me."

"Mmm," Emily hummed in agreement. She looked at her older self. "It needs to be said."

"You are right. As long as the System and the organization's plans are not described, the root of our decisions cannot be understood," Lady Vallenfelt agreed. "Belkis, as I have already mentioned, the System plays into Sylvia's talent."

"It's impossible to miss how incredible my little sister is," Belkis said. She flashed the silver-haired witch a grin. "Reaching the second consolidation in your first two years. You're amazing."

"I'm not the one who is amazing," Sylvia said. "It's the System that's amazing."

"You sell yourself short," Esmeralda contradicted. "However, Sylvia is not wrong. I have, perhaps, undersold Sylvia's talent. She has perfect compatibility. And this is despite her unfortunate mortal past."

Sylvia didn't think there was anything unfortunate about being born as a man. She also knew better than to voice her opinion, lest Esmeralda think her mind sullied and in need of a good washing.

Belkis shook her head. "Perfect compatibility is a myth."

"Those were my initial thoughts as well. Now that your sister has reached the second consolidation, I can no longer deny what I have seen," Esmeralda said. "To be succinct, even if Sylvia's compatibility is not perfect, it is so close that the distinction is irrelevant.

"What is more, the organization will soon use my gate to bring souls like hers into the netherworld. Though, I doubt your sister's flawless talent can be replicated en masse, we can guess the worst of these talents will far exceed my own. Indeed, it is likely the talent of these 'gamers' shall match those of legendary figures such as Zeus, Mab, and Abaddon."

Molten eyes turned dead serious. "How many?"

"Thousands a year," Sylvia answered. "Accelerating to tens of thousands by the next decade."

"Do you know what that means?" Belkis said, voice tight.

"War," Esmeralda answered. "The three great powers will not suffer the growth of a fourth. For now, this plane remains hidden. The longer it is so, the better it will be for all of us. But when our numbers spill out into the netherworld, chaos will descend upon the planes."

The prisma drew in a shaky breath. "I'm starting to see why you were keeping all this from me."

"It was not a lack of trust, but rather that these secrets carry too much weight to be easily shared," Lady Vallenfelt confirmed. Then she gestured toward the map. "And talent is but one of the boons the System offers. It gifts divinations matching those of the greatest oracles. It provides 'skill books' which transform children into masters after a single night of sleep."

A curious thought tugged at Sylvia's mind. How did Lucifer plan to keep the System hidden as more and more gamers were added to Earth? Would the System clamp down on a million minds? Or would he simply let the truth be shared? Or perhaps, the Devil would leave the System quietly sleeping until truck-kun isekai'd the poor soul to the place all isekais actually went.

The netherworld.

Belkis grimaced. "This is a lot to take in."

"Which is why we must prepare," Esmeralda said. "We will start by building Starport. Our greatest advantage is time, skill, experience, and numbers. However, having witnessed Sylvia's growth, this will only buy us a decade at most. In the long run, there is only one solution. We must adopt the System ourselves."

There was no avoiding it. The transformation the System brought had no equivalent in human history. It was a technological revolution as large as the gun, the printing press, and the steam engine combined. A change on that scale would sweep through everything. Even if Heaven crushed Lucifer tomorrow, they'd have no choice but to create a System of their own.

Because if they didn't, somebody else would, and then they'd cease to exist.

"This is why I don't want to build a new Academy," Emily said sadly. "If everyone is like Sylvia, will my beautiful school even have a purpose? Will the System give me cute witches? What's the point of an academy if I don't have cute witches?"

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Sylvia gave the emeraldette a look. Did she know how sexist that sounded?

"I think you're overselling the System on that point," Sylvia interrupted. "Merit points aren't free. And, as more gamers join the netherworld, there will be less high-level quests to share among them. There is still plenty of space for traditional learning."

A brand-new player could spend two thousand merit points on System features without touching a skill book. Furthermore, of the skill books Sylvia had used, half came from the Wizard Means Wise quest chain. Would the next wave of gamers be offered this quest, or was this a freebie Lucifer provided to get Sylvia started?

On that note.

"In fact, it's probably possible to tie a new academy into the System," Sylvia mused. "The System likes to treat the world as a game. If we present the classes using the right structure, it might well be willing to offer free skill books to any student who earns a good grade."

Lots of games used a school as a backdrop. The more Sylvia thought about it, the more she felt it would work.

"Mmm!" Emily sounded happily. Her umbral eyes gained a marvelous spark.

Adopting the System didn't just mean having a System, Sylvia realized. It meant learning how to lean into the System's goals. The trend of the times was like an invisible river. If they put paddles into the flow, they could use that energy to mill their wheat.

"A worthy consideration, but not one we need chase today," Lady Vallenfelt said. Her gaze shifted to her younger apprentice. "Sylvia, how close are your quests to completion?"

"98 and 90," Sylvia supplied.

Sylvia had finished Starter Class: Mage two months ago after chewing through Esmeralda's store of blood codes. Unfortunately, they came up short on warrior and hunter.

"We also have to close out System Node and the Beginner's Village chain," the silver-haired witch added.

While Sylvia had erected the skeleton of the Beginner's Village, this wasn't in itself sufficient. The Item Shop had to have items. The Guild Hall and Inn required furniture. The Resurrection Hall hadn't even been started. Only the Road to Adventure was complete.

"Quests?" Belkis questioned.

Since her senior sister looked out of her depth, Sylvia flicked open a series blue windows for the prisma to peruse. This probably wouldn't be enough for Belkis to 'get it', but it'd leave some bread crumbs to help things congeal.

"How long do you think we can delay?" Lady Vallenfelt asked.

Sylvia shrugged. She wasn't an expert on what went through Lucifer's skull.

"Yaalon fell asleep after accepting the System. According to Lenape, he'll be napping for another three to four months. After that, the guardians will be called to receive their copy of the System's code. So, a year maybe," Sylvia guessed.

The Devil might let them dawdle longer than that. But if they left the main quest proverbially 'dangling off the side of a cliff' while they chased side quests, he'd eventually force the situation by issuing those quests to the immortal beasts.

"Though I hate to surrender Faded Star, System Node and Soul Vector are high priority," Emily said. "Sylvia will be able to accomplish more if she can earn those merit points back."

Sylvia was grateful Emily mentioned this. Skill books for smelting and alchemy had become especially important since they'd need to build a supply chain for lots of advanced materials.

"It would be better if those two were saved for last," Esmeralda noted. "But so be it. Sylvia is due a reward and I expect the organization will be reasonable so long as we operate in good faith."

"The Starter Class chain is going to be hard without more bloodline codes," Sylvia pointed out.

Emily shook her head. "Sylvia, have you forgotten where lineages came from?"

Right. Phantasms. The existing lineages arose when wild fey awoke during the Age of Myths. These bloodlines were then passed onto new generations, repeatedly refined by the grand mutations. This chain of evolution had brought demons closer and closer to human in both form and nature.

"So we harvest nether code from phantasmal beasts, then," Sylvia concluded.

"Nether beasts as well," Esmeralda said. "Every nether beast has undergone a mutation and is thus unique. These quests should not be delayed as they may well be completed the moment Yaalon wakes."

"Then our best bet is to leave the Guild Hall and Inn unfinished," Sylvia decided.

"I'll leave this to you to ponder," Lady Vallenfelt said. "But let us not spend more hours weighing the future. We have all endured a great labor. Today I set aside for rest."

So said, the baroness stood, refilling every cup.

-oOo-

"Welcome to the Beginner's Village," Sylvia announced. "For the foreseeable future, this will be your new home."

It was Wednesday of the fourth week of Men-Ignis. Men-Fulgur, the month of lightning, was just around the corner. For once, Sylvia felt little pressure. Sure, Lady Vallenfelt wanted Starport up and running before the first gamers appeared. But that was just a nice-to-have.

Sylvia hadn't been this relaxed since her first year in the Academy.

The Beginner's Village was much as she'd left it. After Sylvia returned to the Timeless Beryl Wilderness, Emily's time had been consumed by the gate. So the town had languished, ravaged by the storms and the wild. The wards had kept the phantasms out, but entropy had taken its toll. Rocks and timbers had reverted to their prior form, leaving roads broken and walls askew.

Sylvia would have to spend the next few days cleaning it all up.

"Do we have a place to sleep?" Riley questioned, studying the ghost town.

Sylvia pointed at the large building on the high hill. "The Inn is right over there. Just don't expect a bed. Or windows. Or doors, for that matter."

The rooms were more a suggestion than a fact last time Sylvia had checked.

Oh, well. Most of the girls were used to sleeping three per room anyway. No matter how you looked at it, this was a major improvement to privacy!

"We're allowed to go back to Sylvia's Landing, right?" Willow questioned nervously.

Sylvia's eye twitched. She really hated that name.

"The baroness wants to keep you three separate from the others," Sylvia rejected. "And I have better things to do than drain my mana pool moving you there and back, so you're stuck here for the next few months, like it or not."

It'd been two weeks since the evacuation. The first days had been spent resurrecting witches and setting the foundation of Starport. Since Sylvia was the only witch with a System, she'd been granted divination duty. The silver-haired girl had flown up and down Cape Moonlight, casting Observe Terrain and Observe Resources until the coastal map was complete.

To preserve Sylvia's creation, Emily had magicked up a three by three meter model of the territory.

Sylvia thought it was pretty snazzy. Not as good as the System map of course. The lack of a zoom function was crippling. But it was better than paper.

Afterward, Sylvia had proceeded to architectural duty. Which mostly meant holding up illusions while Belkis, Emily, and Dianna discussed the design.

Which had culminated into a second 3D model. This time a sketch of the cape town instead of the terrain.

Only then had Sylvia been sent on her way. Mostly because Esmeralda had finished modifying the souls of three witches. The guinea pigs being Riley Smith, Natalie Ward, and Willow Hunt.

And that brought them here, to the town square of the Beginner's Village. A space far from Vallen's refugees where the girls might share the System's secrets before Lady Vallenfelt was ready.

"Since we'll be spending most of the year together, let's start by introducing ourselves," Sylvia offered.

The silver-haired witch pulled a rounded rock from her soul. Sylvia lazily tossed it from hand to hand.

"Really? We're going to do that?" Riley scoffed.

Har. Har. Har. Riley was always a good friend. And Sylvia knew her bud was just having fun.

"As I'm leading this expedition, I'll kick us off," Sylvia continued. "My name is Sylvia Swallows. I'm thirty-one years old by mortal standards and two years by the netherworld's measure. Before my death, I was known as Eric Swallow. Yeah. That's right. I was a man."

Sylvia allowed time for her admission to settle. Facing herself was one way to prepare for Awakening. Sylvia felt no shame of her male past, though she did worry how others would react when she shared it.

"No way!" Willow rejected. Eyes containing a swirl of blue and amethyst were wide. "I don't believe it."

"It is hard to believe, isn't it?" Riley commented with a grin.

"She wasn't always so prissy," Natalie said, flipping her forest green hair. "Her cutesy style comes from the little princess."

Natalie's words were as cold and as prim as her face. Sylvia detected a hint of disdain. For all that Natalie held herself to the standards of a lady, she scorned those who favored their appearance too highly.

Which was probably why she'd split from Heather Grenier after their first year.

"What are you implying?" Riley said with a hint of warning.

"I didn't imply anything. I was merely stating facts." Natalie returned.

"Settle down, both of you," Sylvia said blandly. "And a word of warning. Emily Clark is Esmeralda Vallenfelt's clone. Be careful what you say to and about her. Now that she has revealed her station, Emily is under no obligation to respond as though she's your peer."

Like Natalie, Sylvia was stating facts. Emily had grown up on Earth and had, to a certain degree, embraced freedom of speech. Esmeralda, on the other hand, had grown up on Ayu and had lived her life in a regime where peasants were to be beaten if they were impolite around their betters.

Sylvia honestly didn't know how Emily would behave around students when she had title and authority on her side.

Riley's expression tightened.

Emily and the freckled tomboy had their talk. Sylvia could tell that Riley was still struggling with what she'd learned. For the blonde, the Academy had been her enemy for much of her first year, a force of authority which had abused its power to kidnap girls and force them to live as witches.

This impression wasn't entirely wrong.

Sylvia's situation was a bit more complex. After becoming Lady Vallenfelt's apprentice, the Academy had become both a feared force and a stalwart ally. Sylvia knew well that the baroness was a shield, a guardian protecting her girls from the darker aspects of Hell.

As for Emily? She was still the enemy. The fashion enemy.

The little imp was never going to let her go.

"Continuing from where I left off," Sylvia resumed, "I was born male with no siblings. I never got along with my parents. They did what was necessary to raise me and nothing more than that. The day I turned eighteen, they threw me out of the house. After, I made my way through community college while racking up debt. Once I graduated, I worked as an 'administrative assistant.'"

Sylvia made air quotes when she gave her job's official title. In truth, her position had been a single step up above data entry.

As for her parents, she hadn't seen them once in the five years leading up to her death. Some said hate was the opposite of love. What her family had wasn't hate. It was apathy. Apathy was a far colder and more irreconcilable emotion. Sylvia imagined, in the two years since Eric disappeared, his parents had yet to notice he was gone.

And she wasn't even angry about the fact.

Because her apathy was just as deep as theirs.

The witch weighed the stone in one hand, then she tossed it in Natalie's direction. The aloof asteri caught it. Sylvia wondered what Natalie had to say.

For a second, silence reigned.

"My name is Natalie Ward," she announced coldly and clearly. Her deep, blue eyes studied the group. "I was raised by my grandfather because my father was a deadbeat wastrel."

The green-haired witch paused there. For a moment, Sylvia thought Natalie would end it at that. Instead, she bobbed the stone in hand, her posture conveying poise and arrogance.

"My family was extraordinarily rich," she continued. "My grandfather was a great man, but he was strict. He feared, if he did not raise me firmly, I would turn out like his son. So he promised me nothing and forced me to work for everything. And I did. I graduated from high school cum laude and served as valedictorian of my class. My brightest day was when I received a full ride scholarship to Princeton.

"It was only a week after that our car was struck by an irresponsible drunk. My grandfather died on impact. I was left paralyzed from the waist down. Receiving the Academy's invitation was poor recompense for all the things I lost, but I intend to make full use of it."

Without waiting for a response, Natalie handed the stone to the pink-haired Willow Hunt.

"Umm," Willow sounded, unsure how to proceed.

"Just introduce yourself," Riley encouraged.

Sylvia nodded.

"Okay," she said. The twin-tailed witch put on a bright smile. "I'm Willow Hunt, and I was fifteen years old when I entered the netherworld. Hopefully, that doesn't make me the youngest girl in the group, he he. Umm, I was also the oldest of six sisters. I miss all of them. But I have lots of little sisters to look after now at the Academy and I miss them too."

The pink-haired girl slowed.

"As for my life on Earth…. I don't want to talk about it. Is it okay if we don't talk about it?"

Willow peered uncomfortably at Sylvia with her blue-amethyst eyes. The witch's short tails made her look very young. Despite her appearance, Sylvia knew Willow took her role as an Academy 'corporal' very seriously.

"It's fine. Nobody here has to share more than they want," Riley interjected. Intense green eyes found fractal pink. "Right, Sylvia."

"Right," Sylvia confirmed. "And I'll add to that, the war is over. I'm not anyone's superior officer. You don't have to follow my commands. Please think of me as your guide and your mentor for this 'Gamer Club'."

The witch's lips quirked. Gamer Club was already better than Charm Club.

"I'm good, as long as you don't make us wear poofy skirts," Riley joked.

"I won't," Sylvia promised. "But who knows what Emily is planning."

The tomboy grinned. "We both know she only has eyes for you."

Now that was the sad, sad truth. While Sylvia slumped, Riley snagged the stone from the pinkette.

"The name's Riley Smith, twenty-two years old," Riley greeted. "Well, twenty-four now, I suppose. I like sports and hate being cooped up inside reading books. I'll admit, I'm not great at magic or being a witch, but I'm not afraid of hard work, if that makes me useful. The thing I hate most are bullies and abusers. Though, I'm also the forgiving type, should someone turn over a new leaf."

The blonde's green eyes met Natalie's for a moment. The witch with forest green hair raised her nose and ignored the tomboy.

"Beyond that, there's not a lot to say," Riley continued. "Everyone insists I'm a tomboy. I don't know why. I think I'm plenty girly as is. Though, obviously, I'm not as girly as Sylvia."

With an evil smirk, Riley tossed the stone back to the silver-haired witch. Sylvia hit her friend with her best glower.

Then her expression turned vicious. "I suppose I should mention that Emily and I will be holding classes to help you girls catch up with your education."

Riley's unhappy visage brought Sylvia joy and satisfaction.

And she wasn't kidding, either. There was a lot of work that needed doing here in Axis. While the girls would eventually accumulate enough skill books, if Sylvia wanted to make good use of them now she'd have to teach them how to do their job.

Plus, Emily insisted. By forcing Sylvia to teach, the emeraldette hoped to spot the holes in Sylvia's eclectic education.

"Shit," the tomboy grumbled.

"Now that we know each other, it's time to address the elephant in the room," Sylvia said. With a flick she projected a giant copy of her status screen for everyone to see. "This is the System."

Name Sylvia Swallows Class Elite Witch Level 329+90 Exp 2119 / 3300 HP 597 / 597 MP 848 / 1587 Str 25 Mag 105 Vit 15 Spr 119 Agl 59 Wit 105

The blue rectangle floated in the sky marked with blocky, white lettering. Sylvia had known the System for decades. Its face and shape were more familiar to her than the back of her hand.

"Just so you know, the first thing I looked at was my status screen," Riley commented with a loose grin.

"Don't undermine our teacher," Willow scolded.

"Mentor, not teacher," Riley reminded.

"Can we focus on what our 'mentor' is saying?" Natalie interrupted scathingly.

Sylvia broke in before the conversation could deviate further. "Since you've all seen your status, then let me ask, have you seen this?"

The silver-haired witch flicked another window into the air.

Strength 16 + 9 Magic 84 + 21 Force 220% Dominion 572% Scaling 125% Mysticism 205% Vitality 6 + 9 Spirit 98 + 21 Toughness 176% Integrity 634% Resilience 115% Resolve 219% Agility 41 + 9 Wit 84 + 21 Celerity 182% Awareness 239% Precision 150% Capacity 205%

While the three witches were still comprehending the second screen, Sylvia threw up a third window to emphasize her point. This one showed the abilities she had unlocked.

Traits Flawless Astral Core, Pure Starlight Eyes, Silken Mana, Basic Elemental Palace (Water), Deep Reservoir I, Ether Affinity I System Features Observe Opponent, Observe Item, Observe Terrain, Observe Resources, Track Target, Networked Grimoire, Forum Access, System Camera, Architectural Overlay, Share Window Consumed Skill Books [(Not in the library), Epic]

The Lesser Codex, The Great Codex I to IV, (Basics of Cultivation), (All About Wind Blade), How to Fast Cast, (More on Fast Casting), Fundamentals of Arithmancy, Waltz of Flowers, Basic Combat Magics, Advanced Combat Magics, (Magical Combat), (Gate Construction and Enchantment), Basic Astrogation, Introduction to Magical Construction, The Breath of Ether, Hawk Eyes

"The System buries a lot of useful information," Sylvia said. "Sometimes breadcrumbs can be found in the event log. Other times you just have to know what to ask for. And, whenever you think you have it figured out, it'll quietly add another layer."

"Pardon me," Natalie interrupted. "You make it sound as though the System is being updated as we speak."

"That's because it is," Sylvia stated.

"Wait. Then who is doing the updates?" Riley questioned.

"The System is an artificial intelligence," Sylvia answered. "It adapts, learns, and grows by using our senses to collect information. As for who, specifically, is behind it? That's classified. For now, you can refer to them as The Organization."

Sylvia took a page from Belkis's book, blaming a group rather than an individual. It was probably more accurate, anyway. There was no way Prometheus had put together something on this scale on his own. Lucifer probably had an entire company of engineers and scientists working underneath him.

Which explained why MrDeepPockets could exchange cash for merit points.

Willow raised an uneasy hand. Sylvia nodded.

"Then… can we trust it?"

That was a tricky question.

"The benefits the System offers are very real," Sylvia answered. "As for how much we can trust it? Well, that's why the three of you were provided a System for a second round of testing. During the next few months, Lady Vallenfelt will be gathering data on how the System affects your nether code.

"And here's the good news, to better see how the System integrates with your soul, the baroness will assist you in reaching your first class advancement. That's what the System calls consolidation, by the way. Therefore, each of you will be fed as much astral amber as you require."

Though all three witches had a status sheet, none of them had received the System's full feature set. One of those missing components was carnivorous consumption. A real shame too, because Sylvia had hoped to power level the whole crew.

Instead, they were going to empty a chunk of Esmeralda's reserve.

If they were lucky, all the missing features would show after consolidation. If not, they might have to wait for a grand mutation before the System could fully integrate. Which would take years.

"Should everything work as expected, Lady Vallenfelt will give the System to a second wave of students. A third and fourth wave will follow, with the option eventually provided to every demon who followed us from Vallen."

What Sylvia kept quiet were the potential threats Esmeralda was looking for. A back door into the soul. Their main concern was one of privacy and security. Because of the Heavenly Will, the Devil couldn't do anything truly harmful. But that wouldn't stop him from acting like a perverted voyeur gazing out through the eyes of any girl he possessed.

Personally speaking, Sylvia didn't think much of it. She'd grown up as part of the internet generation. She just kind of assumed she had no privacy in the first place.

Corrupt corporate dill cakes had pretty well ruined that.

Tch. That baklava, Lucifer, was probably selling her information to Earth side data brokers as they spoke.

"Okay, okay, we get it. We're guinea pigs," Riley said. "Enough about the risks. If things don't work out, we're all screwed anyway. What do we get from volunteering? Don't tell me it's just a fancy screen which shows my stats."

Nice redirection. Sylvia wanted to flash a thumbs up.

"There's a lot. Let's start with the biggest one, talent." Sylvia's expression was serious. "You girls haven't been out and about in society, so maybe it doesn't feel too important to you. But let me tell you, talent is huge. The better your compatibility with your code, the faster you gain levels. This adds up quickly. Especially, once you hit level 200 or so.

"But if that's too esoteric, let's talk consolidation. The System automates the process. One press of the button and you'll go from Apprentice Witch to Common Witch. No risk of failure. No chance of a mistake."

Willow showed immediate interest. For Riley and Natalie, consolidation was still a bit off, being third-year babies. Willow, on the other hand, would be in her seventh year if not for the war. With her talent, consolidation was front and center.

"But what you'll love most is the merit shop," Sylvia continued. "Now that you have a System, you'll be allowed to collect merit points by completing quests or otherwise helping the System with its tasks. These points can be used to buy various System features, including skill books. You can take another gander at my window if you missed them."

Sylvia nudged the third blue screen forward.

"Wait, Forum Access," Riley suddenly noticed. "Don't tell me you've been shitposting on the internet?"

"You bet your tush I have," Sylvia replied proudly. She was a fully operational trolling machine. "Though I haven't picked up Web Access yet, so I'm stuck on the intranet instead of the internet. Apparently, we need to shore up our wireless connection if we want to do serious surfing."

Sylvia had faith Yaalon would prove the world's biggest antenna.

"Does this mean we can call home?" Willow hedged.

Ah. That's right. The pinkette left behind a swarm of sisters.

"In theory, yes," Sylvia replied. "But I haven't tested it myself. Don't be surprised if the System cuts you off."

Back when Eric lived on Earth, the System hadn't given two crepes if he mentioned the blue windows in his head. Sylvia, however, had discovered that the System clamped down hard when the System feared it might actually be revealed.

So it was no surprise when, as the number of gamers swelled, the restrictions had grown tighter. There were several Forum posts discussing the trend.

"How useful are skill books?"

It was Natalie Ward who spoke. The forest-haired witch was shuffling through her windows by using her fingers. Sylvia found the sight of the girl fiddling with virtual objects highly amusing.

"Very," Sylvia answered, pleased that Natalie had noticed how many books Sylvia had bought. "In fact, I recommend everyone here saves up to buy three books at a minimum. The Lesser Codex, How to Fast Cast, and Basic Combat Magic. They're a must.

"The System will tell you skill books grant a thousand hours of practice with the named subject. Don't be deceived. They're worth far more than that. A skill book throws you into a mental simulation where you have infinite mana, infinite focus, unlimited resources, and biofeedback to boot."

Sylvia's gaze swept the three witches. She could tell they still didn't get it.

"I'm not overselling. I'm underselling. A thousand hours is technically equal to half a year of schooling. In reality, its value is closer to one to three years of dedicated study."

How much, exactly, depended on the subject. Using a skill book to learn a boring, resource intensive subject gave the biggest bang for its buck.

Riley gazed up at her screen again. The tomboy grimaced. "Sylvia, if I'm counting right, you've got nineteen books."

"Which translates to nineteen years of education, at a minimum," Sylvia said. "There's a reason Professor Fischer can't match me in a fight. Ten skill books and you could graduate with a starlight witch certificate. Twenty and you could be teaching at the Academy."

Sylvia's knowledge base might not be as scholarly as that of the professors, but she had little doubt she was their equal.

"I see," Natalie asserted. "It was thanks to these skill books that you were at the top of our class."

"Still can't let it go, huh," Riley retorted.

"No, she's absolutely right. I was a B-average student in college. There's no way I could keep up with a valedictorian set for Princeton," Sylvia said. "Skill books are the apple crumb cake."

Riley snorted. Sylvia scowled. Let's see how you feel after Emily washes your mouth out.

"I'm a cheater," Sylvia added unapologeticly. "Nay. I'm a beater. A beta-cheater."

The blonde facepalmed. The other two didn't get it. Philistines.

"Merit points buy skill books. The better your skill and the higher your level, the faster you can complete quests," Sylvia continued. "Which means more merit points. It's a feedback loop to success. Luckily for you, I'm the de facto governor of the Cloud Island Wildness, which means I can create all the quests you'll need."

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! The System bell rang as Sylvia unleashed a series of quests she'd prepared.

New Quest: Beginner's Village: Rocky Road

New Quest: Beginner's Village: Breaking Bedrock

New Quest: Beginner's Village: Lakeside Path

New Quest: Beginner's Village: All Around the Watchtower

New Quest: Beginner's Village: Howls of the Forest

"You can look at the others if you want, but we'll be starting with this one," Sylvia said, projecting the screen into the air.

Quest: Beginner's Village: Rocky Road

To the north of the Beginner's Village lies a quarry of stone. This is an important resource used to construct roads and buildings. Alas, the trip is a trial. To facilitate the transport of goods, create a road from town to quarry fit for a wagon. With this, newbie players will find it easier to complete their daily quests while the Guild Hall will benefit from greater resources.

By order of the governor, players may participate in this task as a daily quest. * 0 / 10 labor slots have been used

This quest was issued by Governor Sylvia Swallows.

Quest Reward: * Up to 200 merit points on completion (based on contribution) Objectives: [ ] Create a level path between the village and the quarry [ ] Pave the road with stone

"You'll notice this quest doubles as a daily. Daily quests are simple tasks whose effort is scaled to your level. Everyone is allowed to do two per a day, with each rewarding one merit point. In other words, you'll be able to pull double income. Eight hours of work for 2 merit points plus a juicy 200 merit point prize at the end."

For Sylvia, daily quests weren't worth much. At her level, she could earn more merit faster by completing quests directly. Newbies didn't have this luxury. With their pitiful skill and petty mana pools, they'd be doing well if they could match a tenth of Sylvia's labor. If she were nice, Sylvia might've suggested other means of earning merit, like filling the System database. But she wasn't nice. She was a witch.

Also, Sylvia had already plucked all the low-hanging fruit.

"Now, I know you're all eager to get started, but first let me refresh you on the basic earth moving spell."

The girls' pitiful glowers brightened her day.

-oOo-

System Codex

Talent Rating

The System defines Talent Rating as a percentage number. This value can be as low as 25% or as high as 100%. This rating represents a multiplier on the experience cost required to gain a level. For instance, someone with a talent of 100% needs 10xp to reach level 1. Those with a 50% talent must obtain 20xp.

Though this is rather minor at first, the exponential nature results in huge differences in experience requirements.

Level 100% 50% 33% 0 1x 2x 3x 100 1x 4x 9x 200 1x 8x 27x ... 900 1x 1,024x 59,049x

It's important to note, this is a multiplier to the experience required to reach a level, not gain a level. Therefore, it takes four times as long for a 50% talent to reach level 100 as someone with a flawless talent.

Talent is a complex measure most directly related to the compatibility between soul and code. It's tempting to assume that compatibility means the nature of the soul suits their body. However, in truth, these concepts are only loosely related.

Instead, compatibility was better described as "how well the clothes fit". A perfectly tailored code results in perfect talent. This is true even if a 'buff man' is thrust into a 'wedding dress'. Personal desires play little role in the compatibility of the soul.

Sylvia's Notes: The System first displayed Talent Ratings after Riley, Natalie, and Willow were added. Their Talents Ratings are 65.8%, 63.7%, and 62.5% respectively. Mine is a perfect 100%.

Talent Levels

Newly born demons come with widely varying levels of talent. Though divination can, to a degree, guess which souls are better suited for certain bloodlines, there is still a large degree of luck in the choosing. In general, pure souls have better talents than chimeric souls. This is because the soul is not polluted with extraneous code that clashes with the primary bloodline. Pure souls typically have talents ranging from 33.3% to 66.7% whereas chimeric souls run from 25% to 50%.

Throughout the netherworld, those with poor talent are doomed to serve in the lower classes. Demons with such pitiful talent that they fail to rise past the unconsolidated state are considered duds or cripples. Heaven, however, does not disdain this population. Indeed, Heaven's caste system means that most celestials never reach the first consolidation.

Talent Ratings are not fixed. Talent improves as the soul adapts to the code and as the code adapts to the soul. Time induces the soul to change, improving talent. Someone with a rating of 50%, for instance, might see it improve to 52.5% after their first transmigration. If they consolidated in their first life, the jump can be all the way to 57.0%.

This results in the common seesaw pattern of growth. Cultivate. Consolidate. Transmigrate. If talent is insufficient even after transmigration, then the demon can simply wait for multiple lives before trying again. Acquiring piles of high quality cultivation resources can aid a demon by allowing them to brute force their way past a consolidation barrier.

Though rare, there are tools and methods which can permanently improve talent. The Apple of Idunn provides this effect. So too does a soul fruit, though only by inducing faster than normal maturation of the soul. Splitting the soul and placing it in a mortal child is another ancient method. Even for geniuses, several of these means must usually be deployed to reach Apotheosis, as tiny differences in talent have a major impact when reaching levels between 2000 and 4000.

Sylvia's Notes: Esmeralda believes that simply adding the System immediately improved talent by a fair margin, namely by reshaping the outer membrane. But it's difficult to say by what degree, as we don't have an accurate way of measuring Talent Rating until after the System has been installed.

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