Beyond The System-Chapter 195: Return

Sound crept into my ears first, the soft hum of insects layered over the distant murmur of wind. Then came the sharp and acrid scent of burnt earth and scorched grass. My eyes blinked open.

“Guardians above…” Griffith whispered, breathless, staring straight into me as if he wasn’t sure I was real.

Elric stood beside him, body tensed like he meant to run forward, but instead, he just stared, frozen in place, dumbstruck. “I mean… I saw that you were okay at first, but at the end?”

I glanced around instinctively. Thea wasn’t beside me. She wasn’t with them either.

Elric finally stepped forward, still carrying the weight of disbelief in every movement. “You were covered, man. We were about to kill that damn thing, but when it just kept breathing fire on you… Why would it do that if you were dead?”

I followed his gaze and turned back toward the serpent slumped on the ground now, its great eyes closed. Silent and spent.

Luna?!

Panic jolted through me, and I whipped my head toward my right wrist and froze. “Um. That… isn’t right.”

Except it was. Luna was still there. A flower bloomed gently at the base of my hand, unmistakably her, and just to drive the point home, she responded.

I can cut it again if you want. Seriously, who only wants their hand to be part plant?

Whatever expression I made must’ve outstripped Elric’s, because even I could feel the astonishment in my face. My hand was just as it had been before: bark-like, rough and textured, shaped from thick, tree-rooted growth. But the arm above it… that was flesh. My own flesh. Clean and untouched like nothing had ever happened.

Maybe it had something to do with how the hand was fully gone before. The rest where flesh and Luna had merged was healed now, a strange blend of my body and hers before. Now just me.

“Nothing happened when I got the ice orb,” I muttered aloud, barely aware I was speaking.

There’d been no transformation like this. Was it something unique to fire? But then again, Water Force had helped me heal during purification too, and I hadn’t even begun to use fire energy yet.

“Peter?” Elric called, dragging me back to the present. “Don’t know how you did it, but well done. I’m assuming, since you’re not dead that you succeeded.”

I hadn’t tested anything yet. But I didn’t need to. I knew. With every breath I took, I could feel it. Something was different now.

I did too, by the way, Luna chimed in. I only managed to save your hand… Sorry.

Her logic never failed to surprise me, but I comforted her anyway.

It’s alright. I’m still part plant. Less now, sure, but thanks to you, I still have something. Without you, I’d be a gross, fleshy meat monster and nothing else.

She curled inward on herself, shyly retreating, giving no response.

“Where’s Thea?” I asked Elric, the concern I’d tried to ignore now fully surfacing.

He exhaled hard. “After we were both struggling in there, we bailed, but she wouldn’t let the commander lay a finger on you. She trusted you, but...”

“Didn’t want to see her boyfriend go up in flames?” I finished for him.

He nodded, expression softening. “Pretty much. She took off towards the ruined village. It was the right call, though. No way she’d have stood by and watched to the end. Took everything we had just to hold ourselves back.”

He extended a hand toward me. I took it and stood, my eyes flicking to Griffith. He met my gaze and drew in a long, heavy breath.

“Glad you made it,” he said, eyes distant. I didn’t press. I could tell he was already turning inward, lost in thought.

I turned back to Elric. “So… you guys failed?”

He shrugged. “I think I was starting to feel something, but then my hair started getting singed,” he said with a shake of his head. “Wasn’t about to risk that. No way.”

My eyes widened. “Y—you can’t be serious, right?”

He let out a low chuckle. “Only halfway. There were glimpses. Little sparks of memory, but once the heat ramped up again, they vanished.”

I smirked, just about to fire off some well-earned bragging, but Elric cut me off before I could even breathe it in.

“Before you start getting all high and mighty, I know that look. Keep in mind, you are talented at something,” he said, wearing that smug, too-knowing grin of his. “It’s obvious you’re uniquely gifted at sensing World Force.”

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He knew. He knew that was my moment. My one glorious chance to lord something over him, but nooo, he couldn’t just let me have it. He had to preemptively reframe it as some passive talent.

“So I get one thing?” I muttered, deadpan.

He nodded solemnly, like he was delivering some great wisdom. “And I’ve got dozens. Plus, just because you’re extra good at it doesn’t mean I’m not talented too.”

I groaned, already feeling the irritation rising. “Whatever, man. You lost. Get over it. At least you still have your ridiculous energy control and your flashy techniques.”

“And looks,” he added with zero hesitation.

I glared, narrowing my eyes into the sharpest stare I could muster, but he didn’t even blink. Just beamed at me like a victorious idiot, so I let it go.

“I want to see Thea.”

He turned and glanced toward Griffith. “We’re heading to the village, sir. Try not to get eaten or anything.”

Griffith responded with a casual wave, no words, just a gesture of dismissal. We didn’t press, breaking into a light jog into the woods without waiting for further permission.

“You guys planning to try again?” I asked, vaulting over a set of tumbled trees.

Elric picked up speed to match, stepping just ahead of me. “Of course. Thea’s talking about doing more Spirit Refining hoping it’ll shift things. But honestly? I’m tempted to just wait until the big thing wakes up again.”

I nodded. I got it. The urge to push forward was always there. I let my power surge through me and surged ahead, retaking the lead. Still, Elric managed to match my pace with annoying ease, staying on my heels despite my raw power edge.

Can't wait until I get more Body Refinement done. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a golden flash, then Elric pointed ahead to a stone column, perfectly aligned with the horizon like a finish line waiting to be claimed.

“Winner is the first one there!”

Before I could even open my mouth, a golden blade erupted from the ground beneath me, forcing me to swerve to avoid being skewered.

“You cheater!” I shouted, stumbling.

But he was already there, standing triumphantly atop the column like some smug champion.

The monster.

Speaking of monsters.

Has Wyrem been doing anything? I asked Luna silently.

She shifted slightly on my wrist. What? I’m starting purification again. So… I won’t really be paying attention.

Unbelievable. Her constitution was ridiculous. She didn’t even need to form a core to absorb an element she wasn’t attuned to. Wyrem, I clarified. I’m asking about Wyrem.

Oh. A pause. Umm… Wyrem? She called out mentally, then waited. Not here.

Thanks...

You're welcome!

“Thea!” I heard from up ahead. “Your wonderful partner has great news for you! Stop browsing for a love nest!”

I caught up and gave him a playful shove. “You’re such a weird guy.”

He snorted. “Give me a break. You two have been acting all star-crossed while I’ve been separated from both of my wonderful ladies. You’re practically asking for it.”

“I—” I opened my mouth to argue, then faltered. It was hard to refute. If he was here messing around while Thea was back home... “I’m not stopping,” I said instead.

He patted my back just as Thea emerged from a half-collapsed cobblestone structure. “Sure, bud. Anyway, your match should be coming up soon. I lost track of time, but it’s gotta be in the next few days.”

Thea spotted me and bolted, lightning sparking at her heels before I could even react. She threw herself at me, a blur of motion and joy, and I definitely wasn’t ready for it.

We crashed to the ground together, hard and graceless.

“You did it?” she asked, arms wrapped around me, her voice tight with emotion.

“Exactly what I was talking about,” Elric grumbled from above us.

I didn’t answer Thea right away. I mean, she already knew. The question was more of a reflex, but it was Elric’s comment before his snarky one stuck with me.

“We don’t have to go to the next island yet.”

Thea lifted her head, just slightly, and Elric’s eyes flicked wide. She looked like she was about to get up, but I tightened my hold.

“I have something now. Something that makes me stronger,” I said softly. “And this was only the first battle, remember? I don’t know for certain, but I highly doubt Serith intended for me to die just because I rushed forward blindly.”

Elric squinted, skepticism darkening his expression. “Still wish she’d say something. Why hasn’t she shown up? Not once since all this started.”

Thea laid her head back down against my chest, relaxing fully into the space between us. “Maybe she can’t. She mentioned not being allowed to interfere. What if she’s forbidden from appearing before matches altogether?”

He shrugged, unconvinced. “Could be, but at the end of the day, she’s the one who threw Peter into that mess. And—”

“I appreciate it, man. Really,” I interrupted. “But it is what it is now. No changing that, and who knows? Maybe in the long run, we’ll all end up better off because of it.”

I paused then, the words ahead feeling heavier like they needed careful handling. I chose them one at a time.

“After the first match… if we have time—it only took a day to get here from the first island—we could... go back?” I offered, the question blooming slowly into the air.

There was more we could do. Things that mattered beyond survival.

“We could share what we’ve learned. Maybe Miss Star has abilities like the serpent. Things that generate heat at first, then evolve into more. The way their system works isn’t exactly how Force works in cultivation, but there might be overlap. A bridge we can build.”

“There’s Vel, too,” Thea whispered, her voice small. “I’d like to see her.”

Of course she would. That was possibly her last family. Maybe the only outside piece of her that still existed.

“You’re okay with that?” Elric asked, all the teasing drained from his tone. He was serious now. “If you’re putting yourself in danger just for this...”

I shook my head, steady. “I want to go back. Even if you said no, I’d still fight for it. After my match and our training, we’re going.”