Chapter 695: System Cooking (2)

“......The existence that deceived you has now received punishment for its crimes and been annihilated!”

Before the eyes of countless believers.

Sergeant Shin Youngjun shouted.

“Now the time has come for that power to return to its rightful descendants!”

And.

Watching that scene, Jeong Sua thought:

‘As for how we should handle those believers...... I had thoughts of my own as well.’

They were a religious organization.

In that case.

She had thought that perhaps the ‘religious club’ she operated within the Legion might somehow be able to accept them.

In the end, they were people who wanted someone to guide them.

If the Legion fulfilled that role, she believed they would become incomparably loyal allies.

Even so.

Jeong Sua had not voiced that opinion during the earlier discussion among the officers.

The reason was simple.

‘Because it would never be as easy as it sounds.’

These were not people without firm beliefs, like those she had lured into the religious club until now.

These were people who had already built up a faith of their own.

Even if the System, the master of that faith, had been defeated.

That alone was not enough.

In the end, they had weakened the System and brought it down, but when it still held the faith of all the believers, even if one included all the Legion forces along with those other races, the System had still been stronger than all of them.

Against people who had witnessed such a sight, it was impossible for the weaker Legion to completely replace the position of that faith.

Yes...... for her idea to become reality, the essential requirement was—

‘A miracle.’

The power that System had shown.

Something beyond even that.

No matter what, she had believed such a thing was impossible.

That was why she had not even dared to voice it aloud, but.

She muttered blankly with parted lips.

“You truly.......”

And then.

Before her eyes.

[Status Window]

The system window she had always believed would never change.

That system window.

“You always accomplish things beyond our imagination.”

CRRRRACK.......

Was being [Prepared].

Exactly as it was.

***

CRRRRACK.......

I drove the kitchen knife into the system window.

A small translucent rectangular panel.

It was so thin that it looked as though it could easily shatter just from looking at it, but.

‘Actually trying to stab a knife into it...... is different.’

The mass I felt was beyond imagination.

Even trying to cut through a diamond would not be this difficult.

‘The knife...... is trying to get pushed back out.’

CRRRRRZZZZT.......

As the knife I had thrust in tried to slide back out from the overwhelming resistance.

I gripped the handle with one hand.

And pressed against the back of the handle with the other.

Putting even the weight of my entire body into it, literally using every ounce of strength I had, I forced the knife to move.

CRRRRACK.......

Into that hard texture.

The kitchen knife finally began to bite.

Originally, the system could not be penetrated in that translucent form.

There were many awakened who believed they had touched and manipulated it.

But most of them had not actually touched the system.

‘The system had merely operated according to their belief that they were manipulating it with their hands.’

Whether they stretched out a hand or swung a blade.

It simply passed through without any physical contact whatsoever.

Something visible only to their own eyes, like an illusion created within the brain.

But.

Now things were different.

‘The System devoured that flesh and gained the ability to interfere with the system.’

With that power.

The System had even deceived nearby people into believing it and the system were one and the same by transmitting system messages to them.

And conversely speaking.

‘If I can wield that creature’s ability.’

Then there was no reason I could not interfere with the system as well!

[Legatus Dagger]

This was a dagger containing the System’s abilities.

A power that allowed one to handle fragments of that ancient god.

And the system was a power originating from those fragments of the ancient god.......

‘This dagger fundamentally possesses the possibility of interfering with the system.’

That was why.

I devoured the System itself and seized that interference ability.

No, not merely seized it.

‘A power strengthened through my cooking and [Absolute Taste].’

The System had originally been low-grade.

Those low-quality ingredients had transformed into an incomparably excellent dish through my cooking.

And through [Absolute Taste], I had tasted that flavor more intensely than anyone else.

‘The current me...... can interfere with it even more deeply than the System could.’

And the result of that.

Was this.

CRRRACK.......

[Status Window]

The blade that had dug in from outside.

That blade passed through the section labeled Status Window.

After pushing the blade in with all my strength...... eventually.

[Status Window] ↯

The text written on the translucent window.

Beside it...... the rough scar left behind by my blade became clearly engraved.

“T-That’s impossible.”

“His Holiness’s knife...... is being engraved into the system.”

As I continued driving the knife in.

[Awakened] ↯

By the time my blade reached the section labeled [Awakened].

I could feel one strange sensation.

‘This system...... is made of two layers.’

The clear sensation transmitted through the tip of the blade.

No doubt about it.

This system was a structure made by layering together two thin membranes.

‘......Then.’

CRUNCH!

I violently twisted the blade embedded within the system.

CRACK.......

The two layers of the window that had been firmly attached together.

Using the blade that had forced its way between the layers, I pried them apart by force.

SLAM!

I shoved my hand into the gap I had created.

Then tore it apart with all my strength.

CRRRRRRRAAAAAACK!!!

[Awakened]

[Shin Youngjun - Lv.49 War Chef]

What appeared then.

Was attached beneath the status window visible to my eyes.

[Awakened]

[Awakening Conditions]

[Revival of the Earth]

[Possession of Fragments]

[Spirituality capable of blooming the fragments]

[Magic power possessing legitimate ownership]

“......Aha?”

The root of this system, hidden so deeply that even awakened beings could not approach it.

A depth that ordinary users would never be permitted to access, likely reserved only for administrators.

‘System settings.’

I could witness them with my own eyes.

‘Conditions for awakening, huh.’

Everyone vaguely knew about awakening methods.

But this was the first time I had seen the conditions for awakening laid out this precisely.

One must be a lifeform of this land.

One must possess at least some fragments scattered across the earth by that god.

One must possess enough spirituality to handle those fragments.

‘Magic power possessing legitimate ownership.......’

Humans were not born with magic power.

They directly hunted monsters, stole their magic power, and used it to activate those fragments.

Through that, the conditions for awakening were fulfilled.

Because only humanity had satisfied all those conditions.

The System had mistaken awakening as something that appeared only among humanity and created doctrines accordingly.

The researchers who had conducted experiments within that secret space.

They had likely forced the achievement of the third condition, something most animals and plants could not naturally accomplish, through some method.

In that case.

CRRRRACK......!

I moved the knife.

And prepared those settings.

‘There’s no point touching the other settings.’

To begin with, it was natural that the power of those fragments was necessary to access the system.

And it was also natural that magic power was needed to activate and strengthen those fragments.

If I tampered carelessly with those, it would likely only create major problems for awakening, which had otherwise been functioning perfectly well.

But.

One thing was different.

[Revival of the Earth]

Must be a lifeform of this land.

Because that condition existed, awakened beings who had gone beyond humanity were judged not to be lifeforms of this land and lost their abilities as awakened.

‘I understand the reason.’

A system ensuring that only lifeforms of this land could use the system’s power.......

No.

The judgment of the ‘collective unconscious of humanity’ that made up most of the system.

‘That beings not of this land cannot be trusted, and that they have no intention of sharing the power they enjoy with them.’

In the end, this had been created from the gathered unconscious of humanity.

So it was not strange for it to make judgments like that.

Yes.

I understand.

‘I understand, but......!’

Well, how should I put this.

Sorry while everyone apparently thinks that way, but.

“Unfortunately...... the post-apocalyptic world is pretty far removed from some democracy where everything’s decided by majority vote.”

With a grin spreading across my face.

I declared to the administrators who had created this setting, the judgment of all humanity.

“We’re going to need to change it......!”

A matter decided by the gathered will of all humanity.

That matter.

I, a mere individual, shamelessly ignored.

FWAAAAAAASH!!!

And through my own personal decision alone.

I drove the knife into that section.

[Revival of the Earth]

The clean phrase written there.

I roughly sliced apart those words.

Swoosh.......

The letters cut into two pieces lost their power.

And fell from the translucent window onto the floor.

[Revival]

Only two letters remained.

I stabbed the knife into that empty space.

CRRRACK.......

As I roughly tore apart the panel.

I engraved new words into it.

[Those who wish to live together upon this land]

The system text that had once been incomparably elegant.

Beside it were engraved letters that were unbelievably crude.

Since I had carved them roughly with a knife, it could not be helped.

Unlike the clean system messages arranged in perfect font, those rough letters engraved like carvings...... clearly looked completely out of place with the system.

But.

“......What!”

The change caused by that.

Could be understood immediately.

***

-Lord Patriarch! A strange window has appeared before our eyes.......

“Senior Sister. Can you see it as well?”

“T-This...... is no mere sorcery or illusion.......”

The ones showing signs of unrest were neither soldiers nor believers.

But Ariella’s vampires and the beastkin of the Thousand Mountain Martial Hall.

Even the elder of Green Mane, who always tried to appear dignified.

“......Honestly, Master.”

And.

The one standing far away with arms crossed while watching me.

Ariella let out a hollow laugh and raised her head toward the sky.

Not toward the temple ceiling beyond the empty air.

[You have awakened!]

“What kind of insane thing is this now?”

But toward the clean text appearing upon the translucent window.

[Due to a special awakening case, level adjustments are being applied.]

[Lv.68 Vampire Marquis]

[Lv.51 Martial Artist]

[Lv.49 Shaman]

Those who had no intention of conquering this land or driving out its inhabitants.

Those who wished to ‘live together’ with the life of this land and had promised cooperation.

The collective unconscious of humanity had ultimately failed to trust them.......

But they had trusted humanity and chosen to stand together with them.

‘Those guys ate my cooking.’

The fragments of the ancient god embedded within this land.

If not handled properly, those fragments would never have melted into those otherworldly beings.

‘But I’m a chef.’

Those who ate my cooking.

Naturally, those dishes had contained ingredients born and raised upon this land.

And within the bodies of those who ate my dishes, the energy of the fragments mixed into those ingredients remained fully intact and flowing.

[Emergency Patch!]

[Patch Notes 1]

[As of today, new races have been incorporated into this system!]

Those who had fulfilled every condition.

They had now officially been incorporated into the system.

[New Races]

[Green Mane Orc]

[Beastkin of the Myriad Beast Realm]

[Alfvenir Svart Branch Alaf]

[Karstein Bloodline]

[Neferat Bloodline]

[Alraune]

[B-36S Abnormal Mutation Specimen]

[Phantasmal Species Devouring Ghoul Mack]

[View More +]

Various names appeared before my eyes.

Among them were even names unfamiliar to me.

Those too must have been individuals who fulfilled the awakening conditions through some method.

And.

‘I can feel it.’

Now that I was directly touching the system.

I could clearly feel it.

‘Those who suddenly undergo awakening always see a status window announcing their awakening before their eyes.’

And I was currently clinging onto that status window, trying to rewrite it.

Which meant...... naturally.

‘They’re watching me.’

Those who awakened at this very moment.

Would be watching me through the status windows that appeared before them.

Stare.......

Countless gazes coming from somewhere.

The power of [Taste Bud Enhancement] sensed the ‘flavors’ contained within those gazes.

Confusion, shock, curiosity, interest.......

As numerous as they were, many different emotions mixed together as they turned toward me.

Feeling those gazes, I thought:

‘From my side, I can’t see them.......’

But since they were already watching anyway.

It felt a little awkward to simply ignore them.

‘Well, whatever.’

Since we were meeting for the first time anyway.

They say first impressions are important.

Grin.

I lightly smiled toward them.

And at the same time.

CRRRRSHHHHH!!!

“......!”

“That flesh......!”

To reach the system hidden at the deepest core.

I sliced the flesh the System had clung to as thinly as possible.

The flesh sliced so thinly that it filled the temple like curtains hanging across the sky.

After I reached the system, the flesh that had emitted beautiful aurora-like light.

CRRRSH.......

Rapidly shrank.

Naturally so.

‘Because the way I interfere with the system is identical to what the System itself did.’

Even if the efficiency had increased far beyond comparison.

In the end, I was still using the power of that flesh.

As I caused massive changes to the system.

That much flesh...... no.

A portion of the divine power that the ancient god had scattered across this land but which had not yet been absorbed into the earth.

Was consumed.

That thing was truly a gigantic mass of divine power.

The consumption of that mass was certainly a major expenditure, but.......

‘It’s not a waste.’

After all.

The system was not made solely from the fragments of that ancient being.

Awakened beings who learned how to use the power of those fragments.

Those awakened hunted otherworldly beings and absorbed their existence, accumulating experience.

The power of humanity strengthened in that way itself became part of the system...... and the system had continued growing stronger over time.

‘Conversely speaking.’

Awakened beings had once been incredibly limited in number.

But now that their numbers had suddenly increased.

Ding.

[Patch Notes 2]

Those who had newly awakened.

They too had become beings belonging to the system.

The lands they occupied.

And the power dissolved within their bodies.

[Through the emergency patch, the system’s power greatly increases!]

A power surpassing even the divine power of that flesh.

Entered into the embrace of the system.