Reborn As A Ghost: Time To Build My Undead Army!

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After training with Nyx, practicing magic, and teaching the rookies how to better use their magic, the end of the weekend came. It was already night, and we were all about to rest for the last time this night before striking tomorrow. We will strike not at night, but at daylight, because we know our foes are Vampires. So its obviously much better to attack when there's sunlight, so they will have to be much more careful, and won't be able to go all out most of the time.

As everyone rested, I decided to have a small conversation with my System. The System born from my Unique Skill, an entity whose origins I still am not even sure where they come from. Is he just a manifestation of a Skill's powers, or something else? Someone else? I also discovered he can't just read my mind all the time. It is only when I unconsciously "allow" it that he can.

Now that I am subconsciously blocking my own thoughts, he seems unable to react to them or respond. But I'll be talking to him really soon. Oh well, after having heard about the Tower connecting our world to many, and the many dangers it brought, alongside, perhaps, the true origin of the Aesir Pantheon, I've begun to question everything.

After having talked a lot with Eustace, I've discovered many new things. Well, based only on what he could remember right now. As a ghost, his memory is dizzy, and he does not possess all his memories anymore. But those closer to what is keeping him here, such as his beloved wife remain rather clear.

With that, we learned some things. One of them is that the Soul Book is not unique to Yggdrasil. In fact, it was added to it after the World of Yggdrasil was assimilated by the Tower in very ancient times. Probably after the Aesir invaded our world, killed the Titans and Dragons, and became the new rulers, they manipulated history and changed how people perceived things.

The Soul Books became something everyone was used to, even though it was an unnatural force that emerged from within the Tower, it is the "Potential to Surpass Our Limits" as Eustace explained. In none of the worlds he visited was this power not present within people. Perhaps it had different stats or effects, but it was virtually the same power.

He told me that once people step into the Tower's floors, their souls evolve and create their own Soul Books. Meanwhile, my "Soul Grimoire" is something similar, yet different. Apparently because of my own Unique Skill, the System, my original Soul Book evolved even further, becoming a Soul Grimoire. The System fused with the Soul Book, pretty much.

But that still leaves the question, how were the Aesir capable of manipulating a power of the Tower to make the people of this world continuously weaker over time? And what were they trying to do with this? Are they just obsessed with maintaining the status quo, so they try to limit mortals as much as they can?

I guess it makes sense, seeing how megalomaniac Odin seems to be. I can only guess things at the end. Eustace's memories are still very limited. But… this only made me wonder, if there are so many worlds out there connected to ours, and the origin of many of the things we gave for granted are completely different.

Then what exactly are Unique Skills?! What interaction does the Tower has with otherworldly souls? Does it control where they go? And… Is Earth part of the Tower too? So many questions, so little… so little everything else.

But the System is way too smart, it has a defined personality, it also knows something, it knows more than what we've seen together, that's for sure. What exactly is he? I'm going to try to know right now, no matter what.

"System, are you listening?"

["…"]

A little message appeared with no words other than the "…", I can tell he's listening, but he dislikes talking most of the time. Like he's annoyed at everything all the time. This is not really how an AI born to help me should act, right? It has always felt like he's someone else, trapped into this role, against his will.

"You heard my thoughts. Have something to say against that?"

["If you don't have something to ask me directly, or that you need any technical help for, then I shall continue resting to save on Mana reserves."]

"Wait a second, you can't just keep running away from these questions! I know you are someone else, I know you're not just… a Skill. What are you? No… Who are you?"

["…"]

["My response will be unsatisfactory for you, Host. But I don't know what I am other than the "System", I am the materialization of your Unique Skill. Born from your Soul's excess power when you moved from a non-magical world to one full of magic. Based on your wishes given by… The Tower."]

"Wait, what? So you know something!"

["I… I don't remember knowing that but… Perhaps because you now know about the Tower. Perhaps something… Something changed? Let me check all of my memory data."]

[Processing…]

[Analyzing Memory Data…]

[Memory Data found.]

[Blocked Data has been unblocked.]

[Loading "Tower" "Other Worlds" information…]

[Success.]

[ERORR]

As the messages kept piling up, a sudden error screen with bright red color appeared. I don't think this has ever happened before in all of my life using the System. It left me speechless, and the screen continued showing Errors after Errors.

[ERROR!]

[ERROR!]

[Unauthorized Data Mining found, activating Data Blockers at Maximum Level.]

[Administrator: [The Light That Shines The Brightest] has left a pre-written message.]

["Little dove, I knew you would eventually try to do that. Forcefully trying to dig out your past is no good. You must atone for your sins. You are but a tool."]

A message appeared, an ominous, pre-written message by an "Administrator", something I have never seen before, and something that made me realize, once more…

That things weren't like I ever imagined.

["AAAARRGGHH!"]

The scream of the System was just the cherry on top.

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