Gray cursed under his breath.
He intended to send him to another "territory." But he knew that this one was going to be even more unpleasant.
The director coughed.
"Don't worry, it won't be as bad as your last expedition. However, I called you here for other reasons and am going to get teaching. It is my duty to ensure you understand everything that you deem is unnatural. Is there any more questions?"
Gray stayed quiet this time.
"Good."
The man's voice became louder and clearer all of a sudden as his voice spread across the room.
"Starting off, I'll tell you about that system you've been seeing. The system is actually... an ancient artifact."
!!!
Gray showed clear signs of shock and surprise. When the continent of Nyxterra appeared, several expeditions occurred to find meaning and reason as to what Nyxterra really was, or why it had appeared.
During the 7th expedition, they had found something they called an "artifact."
An artifact was a powerful relic which held an ancient force within it, making it dangerous and those who wielded it powerful.
From further expeditions, a total of 7 artifacts were discovered and retrieved. As for how many there are now... no one knows. However, most of this information is sealed behind government rules and authorities. Even what he knew now was information leaked from well before he was even born. During the First Era.
"This artifact is known as the Celestial Engine. Its real name is Vossus. It's often referred to as the 'Brain of Nyxterra.' As for how it works... it's a supercomputer which runs the system. Thanks to scientists from the first generation, they were able to spread the power like electricity into other devices. Such as your wristband."
'Vossus... Brain of Nyxterra...'
Gray's lips twitched but he appeared composed.
'What retard thought of those names?'
"The system runs using your mind. With a thought, you can make the system appear or disappear, show more information or less."
"Now that you know what it is and how it works, I will now explain the details."
The director's wristband flashed blue, indicating it displayed the system. Gray followed suit, summoning the familiar blue screen.
"Everyone's system is unique and you cannot view or interact with other people's. It is used to display a variety of things, so let's get studying."
Gray pursed his lips.
Studying. He hated it.
"I will ignore the straightforward ones and skip ahead. Starting off."
Gray's screen changed, displaying his rank:
[Rank I: Marked - You are marked by the corruption.]
"Everyone has a rank. The higher your rank, the stronger you are. But it goes deeper than that. As you ascend, you become stronger, yes. But..."
His eyes became gloomy for a split second, but long enough for Gray to notice.
He spoke again, his voice quiet and deep.
"You will lose what you may consider part of you."
'Lose what is part of me?'
"Onwards. I will teach you about strains."
He quickly dropped the topic and his face returned back to before, his liveliness restored.
"In this world, there are two strains, or mutations. The Wither strain and the Lumen strain."
'Lumen strain? Is that what all the other kids have? Yeah, probably. That's why I'm a freak.'
Gray then mumbled something quietly under his breath, as if correcting himself.
"Unique..."
The director chose to ignore his words and continued with his lesson.
"The strains are caught when exposed to their respective origins. The Corruption and the Radiance. The Corruption brings death, disease and decay. Whilst the Radiance brings light, prosperity and life. But don't be fooled. The Radiance isn't a force sent from God to fight against the Corruption. No, no. It's far from that."
He made sure to emphasise the last part.
"It's hard to explain to you as of right now, but you'll understand when the time comes."
He then moved back on track and continued.
"The next bit... Passive Trait and Skills."
Gray sighed internally. His passive trait was apparently Unawakened and he only had one recently acquired skill.
'The others probably have 10 skills by now.'
"Passive traits are something which are guaranteed. No matter how weak you may be, you will always have a passive trait, and one that doesn't follow your strength level."
So if Gray awakened his... even a talentless fool like him could become strong.
'Pity I don't have one.'
"I can read your expression, Gray. Don't worry. Some people's passive traits awaken later than others."
Gray's eyes brightened up a little and he nodded calmly.
"As for skills..."
"They are quite rare. Not just for your rank, but in general."
'Huh?'
Gray blinked.
They were rare?
"For your rank, you shouldn't worry about skills. The higher your rank, the better your skills will be and the higher chance you will have of getting one."
Gray smirked but made sure he didn't let him see it, as he felt proud of himself.
"And lastly..."
"Talent and Evolution Threshold."
These words felt like ice poured onto Gray's head.
"For talent... Everyone has one, even if it's something niche. It is very useful if you don't intend to remain an active Strainer and wish to live peacefully."
Gray's expression darkened. He was essentially stuck as a working dog for whatever messed up company this was.
"The Evolution Threshold is perhaps the most important indicator. It shows how close you are to evolving your strain, or ascending in rank."
Gray raised an eyebrow. That was new.
The director gestured with his hand.
"Take a look."
Gray's screen shimmered for a moment, then a new line displayed itself:
[Evolution Threshold – 18%]
"It progresses based on mental, emotional, and physical strain. But more than anything, it thrives on one thing..."
The director paused. His gaze hardened.
"Near-death experiences."
Gray went still.
"Strains evolve when tested. When pushed to the brink of death, your soul either shatters... or adapts. And if it adapts, you evolve."
Gray didn't respond.
"That's why expeditions, despite their danger, are critical. It's not just about finding answers or reclaiming Nyxterra. It's about forcing growth."
Gray finally spoke, his voice dry.
"So you're telling me the only way to get stronger... is to nearly die."
The director leaned forward slightly.
"Exactly."
A long silence stretched out between them.
Then, the director's wristband flashed red.
He looked at it then at Gray
"You have been dismissed"
Gray's mind was in alert but he silently nodded before taking his leave.
After he had left he pressed a button on his desk, and an alert screen appeared behind him.
The director's mind started to became blurry and he quickly took some pills before focusing on the screen.
Something was coming.
Something big...