When Valt finally regained consciousness, the first thing he noticed was Helena.
She was sitting peacefully in front of the blue tree, just as she had been before.
Valt's eyes widened.
Without wasting a second, he immediately sprang to his feet and assumed a fighting stance.
Helena noticed his awakening but remained silent.
Valt glanced around.
Ace and Theo were lying unconscious behind him.
His expression darkened.
His fury began to build once again as he clenched his fists and charged towards Helena.
Helena let out a quiet sigh.
But just before she could even turn around—
A tiny blue creature intercepted him.
It flew directly between the two, stretching its tiny arms wide open as if begging Valt to stop.
Valt's fist came to an abrupt halt.
He stared at the little creature in confusion.
It slowly turned around, flew towards Helena and wrapped its tiny arms around her.
Then...
It began to cry.
Valt stood there, completely bewildered.
What the hell is going on?
Suddenly, Helena broke her silence.
"Valt..."
Valt froze.
His eyes widened.
...How does she know my name?
"I'm only here to help. I have no intention of harming any of you."
"H-How do you know my name?" Valt asked cautiously.
Helena glanced at him.
"When I held your hand for the first time, I wasn't looking at you..."
She paused.
"I was looking at your system."
Valt's expression changed.
Before he could ask anything further, a couple of familiar voices interrupted them.
"Huh...? Is this heaven or hell?"
Theo slowly opened his eyes, looking around with a confused expression.
"Neither, you idiot. We didn't die..."
Ace responded while rubbing his head.
Valt ignored their usual nonsense and immediately turned his attention back to Helena.
"Do you know what the system window is?"
A faint smile tugged at Helena's lips.
"If you wish to learn about the system, you'll have to undergo my training."
Valt gritted his teeth. He thinks of the possibility of her using the training as an excuse to quietly kill them, and Valt has to figure out a way to go back outside as quickly as possible as he figured Aqua and the others will be in trouble.
"Fine."
He turned around, intending to ask Theo and Ace whether they were willing to accept her offer.
However, before he could even open his mouth—
"We were going to undergo her training before you pounced on her."
Ace crossed his arms, clearly annoyed.
"Yeah. I never sensed any bloodlust or harmful intent from her. Her voice was pure. And that little creature seems to like her too."
Theo's words left Valt and Ace momentarily speechless.
After all, Theo's instincts were the real deal.
He had spent much of his life around violence. A street fighter, and occasionally a street thug, Theo was someone who rarely backed down from a fight.
Eventually, however, he had been caught.
And when that happened, only his mother came to bring him home.
His father was an alcoholic who frequently took his anger out on his mother whenever Theo or his brother weren't around.
Growing up in such an environment had taught Theo to recognize something most people overlooked.
The difference between someone who wanted to hurt you...
And someone who wanted to kill you.
He knew that look.
And Helena didn't have it.
Unfortunately, Valt and Ace were beginning to realize something else.
Their anger was reaching its absolute limit.
100%.
Helena, still sitting peacefully beside the blue tree, smiled.
"Wait... Why are you two looking at me like that?"
"You should've said that BEFORE I attacked her! We wouldn't have gotten beaten up otherwise!" Valt exclaimed.
Ace cracked his knuckles.
Valt did the same.
Both slowly turned towards Theo.
A suspicious smile appeared on their faces.
Theo blinked.
"...?"
Praise the gods...
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
A Little While Later...
The three of them were now sitting behind Helena.
Theo sat in the middle.
His face was swollen and covered in bruises.
Meanwhile, Valt and Ace sat on either side of him, wearing rather satisfied smiles.
Helena paid no attention to their little dispute.
"Tell us everything you know about the system window..." Valt demanded.
"Do not be greedy, Valt."
Helena glanced over her shoulder.
"Learning everything about the system is only possible when you reach the status of a god."
She paused.
"Still, I'll tell you what you need to know."
Valt leaned forward.
"The system window is the one that controls all."
She began explaining.
"It is essential for every being to possess a system. Think of it as a breathing mechanism for mana and aura. Without it, you would be unable to properly circulate either."
"There is an enormous amount of mana and aura in every world. Without something to regulate their flow through your body, you would eventually succumb to the atmospheric mana pressure."
Her expression became slightly serious.
"It is a horrible death. Beyond comparison. Even the gods fear it."
The three listened quietly.
"However, every single being in existence possesses a system. Only when the highest gods align together can they remove someone's system."
She paused briefly.
"Of course, for that to happen, the individual must commit something that goes against the traditional uprising."
...
Silence.
Well, almost.
Theo had fallen asleep halfway through the explanation.
Valt looked thoroughly confused.
Ace, on the other hand, appeared genuinely astonished.
"I have three questions to ask you..." Valt finally spoke.
"Ask. I shall answer your curiosities."
Valt rested one hand against his chin.
"What is a traditional uprising?"
Helena tilted her head slightly.
"Hmm..."
She seemed to be thinking about how to explain it.
"A traditional uprising is when the system grants a world the opportunity to undergo the Tutorial and eventually enter the Main System."
She continued.
"Think of the Tutorial as a ticket to the Main System. Without completing it, a world cannot properly enter."
"So the Tutorial is only the beginning?" Ace asked.
"Yes."
"Hmm. Alright, then."
Valt raised another finger.
"Second question... What's mana and aura?"
Helena froze.
Her expression changed slightly.
She looked at the two of them as if they had just asked something completely unimaginable.
...
Praise the gods...
"Children..."
She spoke rather slowly.
"Does your world not possess anyone who knows how to use mana or aura?"
Theo continued sleeping peacefully on the floor.
"Yeah. That's why we're asking..." Ace replied.
"That's..."
Helena looked genuinely taken aback.
"Rare."
She sighed.
"I suppose I'll have to start from the very basics."
She adjusted her sitting position and began explaining.
"Mana is the essence of this world. It is what gives life and takes it away."
"Mana is the soul itself. It is the language of nature."
She raised one finger.
"However, aura is the language of the body. It is the essence of breathing. It is embedded within the blood of every living being."
"Learning to use both is nearly impossible. Yet, throughout existence, some have managed to achieve it."
She briefly glanced at her own hand.
"I myself can only use one."
Valt and Ace exchanged glances.
"But there's something interesting..."
Helena turned towards Theo.
"Theo seems to have already learned how to use mana. He's practically overflowing with it."
...
Valt and Ace slowly turned their heads.
Their eyes landed on the sleeping Theo.
Snore...
...
Their expressions immediately changed to one of utter disgust.
This idiot?
Helena chuckled at their reaction.
"Only a select few individuals chosen by the system can fully utilize its abilities."
With that, she slowly stood up.
Valt nudged Theo, attempting to wake him.
The three eventually got to their feet.
Theo rubbed his eyes and yawned.
"Is it over?"
Helena didn't answer.
Instead, she turned towards them.
Her long hair shifted slightly as she revealed her beautiful face once again.
She raised one hand, holding her palm close to her face.
A faint blue glow appeared above it.
Slowly...
A small orb began to form.
It flowed and moved like liquid, constantly changing its shape while maintaining a perfect spherical form.
The three stared at it.
"This..."
Helena glanced at them.
"This is mana."
The blue orb floated gently above her palm.
"If you want me to teach you more about this world, its secrets, and the powers that govern it..."
Her smile widened.
"Then you'll first have to learn how to materialize mana just like this."
The three looked at the orb with different expressions.
Valt observed it carefully.
Ace seemed fascinated.
Theo was still trying to wake himself up.
Helena slowly lowered her hand.
A mischievous smirk appeared on her face.
"Now then..."
She took a step forward.
"LETTHE TRAINING BEGIN!"