[NR] What The System Wants - Chapter 609 (Patreon)

Now, knowing the basics of what the System has done with the lines and what it was attached to, Jason simply has to figure out a way for him to apply it to his homespun lines. For the System, being a computer-like entity with the powers of a deity, it likely just has a one-size-fit-all intent it stamps on everything until it proves a need for something more. Which would also explain why his pinky was fixed after his death, despite staying frayed until then.

Death represented an entirely new body and so the System likely just stamps everything in as a whole and moves on. Though that does raise the question of if he will need to redo his lines after every death or if maybe Jason would entirely lose out on the ability to come back. If only he had known to ask when being trained in War Stomp, as that lady certainly knew the answer. After all, it isn’t like he is the only one trying to throw off the Systems yoke.

However, Jason believes he knows the answer to at least the second part. With Courtney’s help, he had been learning more about the families and companies that are on top in NeoRealm, specifically their “elders”. Which, yes, tended to be older people however, that wasn’t the thing that qualified them as elders. No, to be an elder on the surface was to reach max level. Except, even before learning all this new stuff, Courtney had been doubtful as there were others who were at the level cap and yet still weren’t elders.

So, with new knowledge, Courtney now believes that an “elder” in one of those families, companies, or whatever other kind of group means someone who has broken through the level cap. And none of them have ever lost that status. Which, if throwing off the System’s influence meant you wouldn’t respawn, would not be the case.

Sure, they and their group would try to hide it, but surely at some point one elder will have managed to kill another elder in NeoRealm and that would surely get around. So, since elders stay elders, it isn’t the System’s control that allows respawning. Rather, it is more likely that NeoRealm, the dimension itself, has something special going on with death, the afterlife, and bringing people back to life.

Though to find that out, Jason would need to talk to some deity level beings, because such things aren’t exactly easy to figure out from the inside of a dimension. Even in his last life, there wasn’t anyone who truly knew until he met literal deities. The only caveat with NeoRealm, is that the connection between his new home and NeoRealm might provide an edge to investigate things further. Because the System isn’t exactly going to tell him.

Not that Jason worries too much about it. So far, his only death was from his own hubris. Besides, much of his power came from his knowledge and not his level. Sure, if he ended up having to start over, the stat limits would in theory hold him back, but who even knows if those are innate to the realm or part of the System as well?

Though admittedly, Jason is more on the side of the stat limits, being a part of the dimension. That might just be from his experience in his last life, but just as with bottlenecks, some steps are probably System based to smooth out the advancement curve. Not that he wants to find out, and Jason also doubts that just getting rid of the System lines will mean truly being free of System control.

After all, the System controls everything within the world of NeoRealm, even the stuff that is not important enough to have lines. Even in the Deep Wilds, the Systems control hasn’t been removed, though it is certainly curtailed to the point of forbidden techniques becoming usable. More than that, if Jason’s past guesses are right, the System literally created this dimension and so in theory was a part of everything, even if limited to only directly controlling the world of NeoRealm. Which as Jason considers it, might be why so many places push towards taking land from the Deep Wilds instead of conquering other kingdoms.

After all, another kingdom would already be set up and liveable. Instead, most reshuffling of pre-existing kingdoms seems to come more from rebellions. In fact, rebellions don’t even tend to fully change a kingdom, but shatter them. Which would necessitate gaining more land.

From that history class, Jason knows the world of NeoRealm, when first created, was only the size of his own planet. However, even when people had more direct control over the System, it got to the point where they weren’t really sure. Also, why is it possible for land to be lost to the Deep Wilds?

Sure, the loss seems to be a natural part of the NeoRealm dimension, but the System should be able to stop it. Unless the System wants it to happen. Jason frowns, why would the shallows of the Deep Wilds be even partially under the control of the System, it is a separate area. So, what if the reason the System has control there isn’t because it is “leaking in”, but because those lost pieces of land are being used to spread the System’s direct control into the Deep Wilds?

Jason doubts the System would ever gain full control, it simply has too many limits on it. However, when dealing with astronomical scales and potentially infinites, even partial control of an area can represent a mind numbingly enormous area. Though these assumptions do mean that the System is being held back by the presence of players.

Before players were allowed into NeoRealm, much more expansion into the Deep Wilds had been going on. Almost one in five kingdoms were trying to grab more land. A number that quickly plummeted as the System was forced to prepare things for the players. Which could be worrying, unless the players represent another avenue for the System to grow. Then again, the System isn’t a natural being and so doesn’t have to have the usual evolution based desires for things like grabbing more power and territory. It might have only been growing so much in preparation for players, the thing it was created for.