The Over-Break System

“Our earliest estimate is that in the year 3728 BCSH, Before Central System Hub, the Mana levels of Vinestra may have been a steady trickle, just enough to make life on the planet abundant. However, this was when the first Egresses began appearing, throwing an already chaotic world gripped by war into utter pandemonium as the Ambient Mana levels spiked heavily.”

“It was this spike, later dubbed the Mana Burst, that caused the planet core to undergo unheard of changes. The planet rumbled and shook as if in a never-ending quake for years. Water levels rose, volcanos erupted, and the tectonic plates shifted so drastically that the formerly separated landmasses collided and fused into new continents. All the while, the beings from many races adapted and continued their brutal battles.”

“With the emergence of the first Egresses, The Gods directed their people to dive in and grow stronger by completing the challenges those dungeons gave. Inside the Egresses was like a completely different world, one free of the natural disasters everyone had become accustomed to. But what was at one time viewed as a sanctum was eventually found to be even more devastatingly dangerous than any natural disaster.”

At his mention of danger, the image of the planet warped and was replaced by a simulated high-level Egress. An animated battle between a group of Elven Warriors and a fully-grown dragon took its place, and from the way the elves were injured, it was clear that the dragon had gained the upper hand and was beginning to win the bloody battle.

The scene changed, showing a war between hundreds of humans vs. thousands of what Cynrik could only describe as Orcs. Their dark skin and hog-like snouts were a dead giveaway.

“Unlike the battles outside in the world, within the Egresses, all the races would be thrown into the exact same location and pitted against each other and the native feral creatures within. That is until the different classifications of Egresses began spawning. Before long, nowhere was safe. The worst places affected were the lands ravaged by years of war. Unable to clear the dungeons in time, the Portals into the Egress Realm were shattered, allowing the creatures who called them home free reign and access to Vinestra, which is how to this day, we can find creatures such as Packhounds or Fanged Rats in the wild.”

“This bloody way of life continued until the first beings reached the lofty goal of the Seventh Tier and rose to the rank of Champion for the Gods in approximately 800 BCSH. Vinestra had grown several times its original size by this point, and the Mana levels had reached about 70% of what they are now.” Unfortunately, when Professor Constantine finished speaking of the Mana Levels, he was interrupted by a fit of coughing. It wasn’t until a random student brought him a glass of water that he could get them under control.

Realizing that the old Professor had stopped his lecture, Cynrik chewed on the eraser end of his pencil in thought. Contrary to what he had come to believe, if everything the old man said could be considered factual, things were much worse than he could have imagined.

He could already conclude where the story would go next, and although he hoped he was wrong, there was only one logical conclusion given the story’s progression being told. Cynrik had seen world maps before, and they were incredibly different from the previous image of the planet he had been shown. Gone were the individual nine continents, and in its place were four massive landmasses.

This meant only one conclusion could be made: these so-called champions’ battles had radically upended the landscape.

As he had expected, the Professor soon confirmed Cynrik’s fears and briefly explained the devastation to the planet caused by over a hundred high-tiered beings fighting at full power. Then, professor Constantine narrated an epic tale where these Legendary figures would be felled one after another until only a handful were left alive. But the cost of their battle was too great.

Tens of billions of lives had been needlessly eradicated, and an unfathomable amount of races were forced into extinction, all for a purpose or goal unknown to them. They had obtained insane power levels, but that wasn’t all; many had become so stained and mentally damaged that their minds were shattered, and these once all-powerful beings lost their sanity.

Many of the students wore horrified expressions upon hearing this, but Cynrik’s face was stone cold. He was privy to a higher level of information, allowing him to be fully aware that what the Professor was explaining was yet another form of the Legacy Strife. These so-called champions were Charges, just like himself, Brance, and Selene.

But this brought up a new question for him. In the event that the Strife had been concluded with a clear winner, why would the current Strife, which he was part of, be triggered?

“One day, however, once again, everything changed, but this time, for the first time in thousands of years, it was for the better. Around 800 years after the Champions came into the limelight, only three remained. These three legendary heroes came together and decided something needed to change.”

“Standing against the will of the very gods who gave them power due to how tired of the constant fighting and needless bloodshed they had become, the Legendary Heroes banded together and created the original version of what would eventually be known as the Central System Hub. The names of these beings are written in the history of nearly every version told by the many Vinestran Races: Lord Norik Ackworth, a Tier-9 ArchMage from the Human race; Queen Elanalu Qikrana, a Tier-9 Elven Great Sage, and Queen Do’irra, a Tier-9 Blademaster from the Were-Tiger tribe.”

“Ancient Artifacts, Runic Inscriptions, and the highest form of Mana were used to create a foundation for providing every being with a soul and consciousness, the very same System we all now have, allowing them to become powerful beings with an adequate amount of effort.”

Just as Professor Constantine was getting to what could be considered the meat and potatoes, he tapped his cane on the ground a few times, turning on the lights in the room and powering down the Hologram machine.

“Unfortunately, my new students, that is all the time we have for today, the bell will be ringing shortly, and I wouldn’t want any of you to miss your lunch, as eating a healthy meal is vital for you all to grow and become strong.” The Professor said warmly with a kind smile creeping onto his lips.

Hearing the story-time was over for the day, nearly everyone, including Gabby, groaned loudly while mumbling their complaints. Leaving only one person silent and lost in thought, Cynrik.

He pulled his hood back up over his head and stowed away his notes using only one hand. Cynrik’s mind raced to try and find answers to his questions, all the while digesting what he had just spent the last couple of hours learning. These three Charges had rebelled against their Deities and banded together to give the ordinary people a chance to fight tooth and nail for survival.

To some extent, Cynrik felt a level of respect for their noble goal, while on the other hand, he also felt a large amount of disdain. Even though he had no clue just how powerful beings like Odin or Yahweh were, he thought that three charges at Tier-9 stood no chance against them if things came to that.

If history could be believed, these three beings achieved some kind of victory. They successfully created a platform that provided those at the bottom of the primordial food chain an opportunity to make a mark on the world.

Next to Cynrik, Gabby stowed away her doodle-covered notes before Cynrik could see them and glanced over at the boy. After the events in the Egress a few weeks ago, she felt nearly as lost as Cynrik was. She had already concluded that some things weren’t being told in their entirety, but her faith in her party leader allowed Gabby peace of mind since she believed he would figure things out and eventually explain them.

DONG DO DONG DO…DONG DO DONG DO

“I hope today’s lecture was informative and you each gained something from what you have learned. I will see you all the following Monday at the same time, where we will go into the lore surrounding the Central System Hub; until then, be well, young minds.” The Professor said with a smile, dismissing the students who filed out and spoke among themselves about the planet’s ancient history excitedly.

Realizing that everyone was leaving, Gabby stood up, pushed her chair in under the desk, and tapped Cynrik’s shoulder softly, pulling him out of his complex chain of thought.

“Big Bro Ivar, sorry to disturb your thinking time, but we gotta meet up with everyone for lunch.” She said cautiously. Over the years, she learned that Cynrik would usually be grumpy at anyone who startled him, but he simply nodded and got up to her surprise.

However, just as they reached the door, Cynrik felt the pressure of someone’s gaze on his back and turned to find Professor Constantine looking at him with his eyes wide open for the first time.

Not pleased that he was being grilled, Cynrik stopped, turned around, and looked back at the old man in his cushy chair across the room.

“How can I help you, Professor?” Cynrik asked, prepping himself in case of an attack.

“Hm, you seem to have a very high awareness for someone so young. But, Youngman, I only wanted to tell you that sometimes it’s better to not ruminate on things beyond your understanding. The past is the past, so although we can learn tremendous amounts from it, we can not allow it to hinder our growth and potential future.” Then, standing up with the aid of his cane, Professor Constantine stated, causing Cynrik to narrow his eyes in suspicion.

“That only applies to those who can not see how easily the past repeats itself, Professor.” Cynrik rebutted while using his right arm to nudge Gabby behind him.

Swoosh

“Un, indeed, but it is the job of the old to stop history from repeating; young minds like yours should just go about their school days, enjoying the adventure. They should not find their childhood being weighed down with so much stress and overthinking, leaving them in a state where they cannot function properly.” Then, taking a single step, Professor Constantine flashed forward, crossing the several-meter distance and standing inches away from Cynrik. The wind from the old man’s sudden acceleration blew back Cynrik’s hood.

However, Cynrik stood his ground and didn’t flinch. Instead, he stared calmly back at the old man, who showed no real hostility or intent to attack. He realized the Professor was only testing him, so Cynrik slowly blinked his eyes and responded.

“Again, something that only applies to people with weak minds and zero resolve to do what may need to be done. I appreciate your guidance Professor, but it seems you may be the one overthinking at this moment.”

Heaving a sigh of disagreement, Professor Constantine shook his head sadly and patted Cynrik’s shoulder before walking past him and Gabby out of the room.

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