I Hate Systems

Knock! Knock!

Hearing the knocking sounds on his guest room, Compass Carburettor cautiously approached it, opening it when he was shocked, expressing fear, "W-Why are you here?"

"Indeed, you're able to cheat death." Standing before Compass Carburettor was a youth with short brown hair, his arms crossed as he stared at him, saying in a tone of seriousness, "I came to know that you can condense Mental Energy into something solid, right? Give me one of them."

Suddenly, he zoomed in, extending a hand out of which Origin Essence claws grew out of, almost reaching Compass Carburettor's neck as the youth spoke, "Don't try to escape. I'm faster and stronger than you."

"Are you…really Rhizen?" Compass Carburettor asked in shock, "You seem…different somehow."

"And, weren't you devoured by the Coincidental Luck System in the System World? How are you still alive for this loop?"

"Do you have that Mental Energy in solid form?" Rhizen repeated his question, "Depending on your answer, I may or may not end up as your enemy."

Compass Carburettor glared in response, weighing his options, able to calculate that fighting Rhizen was dangerous, too dangerous in fact. So, he took out a Mental Energy sphere from his storage bracelet and threw it towards Rhizen, "There you go."

"If I need anything else, I'll contact you," Rhizen said before his figure sprinted out of the hallway like a cat, vanishing from view soon after.

Compass Carburettor scowled, feeling a bitter emotion for being handled like this by Rhizen. He was the last person that he expected to run across in the Gaider Realm.

"This makes things more complicated." He felt a headache, because one of the enemies he had to fight in the Folkan Secret Realm next was Chenger, Rhizen's lover/girlfriend/wife.

If he killed her, then that would definitely turn Rhizen into his enemy. That was the last opponent he ever wished to face.

His mood was sullen as he prepared for the upcoming journey, silently packing up things the next day as he made his way towards the Secret Realm, his mood foul.

…

"Fucker, I won't kill you. Come out,"

Compass!"

Hearing Rhizen's shout, Compass Carburettor sighed, patting Grisha's cheeks.

Origin Art—Mind Transfer.

"Ugh…what happened?" Grisha slowly woke up, feeling a headache as she slowly gazed at his face, "Did we…win?"

"Somehow." He nodded, asking in concern, "Are you feeling alright?"

"Wait…" Grisha spoke, going through the newly appeared memories as she was brought up to speed, nodding in response, "It was indeed better to do as you did. If I fought myself, I would have been dead by now."

"Yeah, that's why I too have remained here with you." Compass Carburettor nodded, gazing at the pile of powder that formed a hill nearby. It was what remained after all the Origin Essence had been sucked out of the Essence Stones.

Aware that fighting Chenger would be risky, considering how even Grisha praised her fighting prowess, he schemed to deceive her from the very beginning itself.

He arrived atop the peak in the centre of the island and summoned a weaker version of himself from the Apocalypse World, one that had just obtained a rather powerful Core Skill.

Core Skill—Reality Marble!

He created a small world, the size of a normal house and filled it with Essence Stones. Moreover, he made it a small world with effects similar to a Martial Spirit in that it began to suck out Origin Essence from the Essence Stones and circulate it in the air.

Slowly, the density of Origin Essence in the air continued to increase to terrifying extents. This allowed his Blood Vitality Grass to absorb it rapidly, allowing him to recharge full capacity within a dozen seconds.

After that, he transferred Grisha's mind into the stomach of his Mind Frog, summoning the figures of both beyond the Reality Marble. They were the Compass Carburettor and Grisha that Chenger fought against.

And based on how the situation played out, he summoned variations of Compass Carburettor, taking advantage of Grisha's teleportation to bring him in and out of many locations. And during such instances, he swapped the summoned Compass Carburettor, allowing him to use a variety of abilities.

And, there was the weak Compass Carburettor standing beside him all along, maintaining the Reality Marble.

Now that everything was over, he sighed, causing the summoned Compass Carburettor to vanish once Grisha gathered her bearings, exiting the Reality Marble that vanished automatically.

"So, you were right here all along," Rhizen muttered to see the figures of Compass Carburettor and Grisha land a couple metres away from him.

"Just so you know, I didn't kill Chenger." Compass Carburettor said first.

"I know." Rhizen said slowly, "Her blood is on my hands. Anyway, let's not talk about that."

He then gazed at Grisha, "If I say there's a way to save our world, would you help me?"

"There's a way?" Grisha was shocked, "But, our world has been modified by a Grade 4 System. It's impossible to change that with our meagre power."

"I know." Rhizen said, "But, you're wrong about one thing. By saving our world, I don't mean to get rid of the time loop. I'll only get rid of the sufferings of the people."

"Then you should join hands with me." Compass Carburettor said, "Our goals are aligned."

"No, they aren't." Rhizen said, staring at Compass Carburettor, "Your goal is to save your daughter, only that. Everything else you're doing is pretty similar to what Warktor did in my world."

"Besides, you and the Systems are intricately tied together. Wherever you are, the Systems would continue to target you. But, I don't want to have anything to do with them." Rhizen spoke.

"I never thought you were this naïve." Compass Carburettor stated with mild anger, "Your world is owned by the Coincidental Luck System. And you're its go-to Host. You cannot have a more intricate connection with Systems than that."

"My connection with the Coincidental Luck System?" Rhizen snorted, stating, "Before you became the Main Character, your innate Luck had been exhausted. So, there's no way you could ever shed the trap of the Systems on your own and become the Main Character, not with that exhausted luck of yours."

Compass Carburettor's eyes widened as Rhizen spoke, "It was I that had supported you at the critical moment by providing you just the tiny amount of Luck necessary to succeed."