Chapter 78: The Apostates

Chapter 78: The Apostates

The subject of the origin of the System was very interesting to Zac. He had a hard time imagining an empire strong enough that it dared to wage war against a whole universe, and an individual powerful enough to change the basic rules of the universe by creating the System. Just a glance of someone like Emperor Limitless was probably enough to blast him into molecules.

The subject of Apostates also piqued his interest to the point that he actually put down his axe and decided to keep listening instead of resuming his mining operations.

So you mean that these so-called Apostates managed to actually change how the System worked? he asked intrigued.

The actual reasons are quite unclear. Some believe that the System rewards the Apostates for reaching the peak of their path by letting them design or change aspects of how it operates. Other say that they reached such a height that their ideals and convictions shape reality itself, and the System was forced to comply. None of the Apostate has actually broached the subject to tell us what the truth is. Alyn answered.

Are they still alive? Zac probed.

Its not clear, at least not to us in lowly D-ranked worlds. From what has been passed down through the multi-verse the last Apostate and change happened roughly 280 million years ago. Even with the enormous longevity of such supreme beings, they shouldnt be alive unless immortality is real. Besides, the Apostates reportedly disappeared roughly at the same time the change they brought to the system appeared. Thats why a third theory for the change is that the Apostates actually merged with the System.

Zac felt it was reasonable that even the school-mistress didnt have all the answers. These were the top characters in the multi-verse, and there should be many hidden things behind the curtains that the general population wasnt qualified to know.

So, what changes did they bring?

Well, we can begin with the latest Apostate. He is called the Apostate of Greed, but his real name was Orlan Stillsun. His contribution was the Mercantile System that Calrin and all other merchant organizations use. He was a progenitor of a planet just like you and rose to the peak in only a few dozens of millennia.

But his class wasnt combat-oriented, and there are very few mentions of him ever battling. The peak he rose to was through business, and his company is still around today, even though he is not. Being able to get a Stillsun Family shop in your Lordship is one of the greatest signs of your status in the multi-verse. Of course, they would never open a branch on a D-Ranked world, as they still are one of the most powerful entities in the multi-verse.

His accomplishments were only possible because of the Apostate of Mercy. I have no real knowledge of her, and I dont even know if there is a family line that can trace to her like the Apostate of Greed. She reportedly felt sorry for the myriad people in the multi-verse being forced into conflict. In her era, all classes were combat-oriented, and the only method to get stronger was to fight and kill.

And with every stage, the requirement increase one step. A D-Ranker needs to have at least a Rare class, a C-Ranker at least an Epic one and so on. There is an endless amount of individuals with greater ambition than talent that throw themselves into perilous situations to gain achievements in hope of gaining a better option for a class. Most die, but some succeed. Of course, the Fruit of Ascension you ate is a shortcut in a sense. Alyn stated with some obvious desire in her eyes as she mentioned the fruit.

What do the Fruits I ate have to do with class options? Zac asked confused. He thought they were only good for upgrading his Race, and that was why they were named after Ascension.

Ogras didnt tell you? Alyn asked surprised. She hesitated a long while before she seemed to have come to a decision. Well, this part you didnt hear from me then. The main goal of a Fruit of Ascension isnt improving your Race, although it is a good time-saving effect for most people, cultivators included. It is the effect it has on your class upgrades. Its only a D-ranked treasure, so its effect is limited, but essentially it improves your choices when you upgrade your class.

Even if a warrior normally only qualified for common classes when upgrading to E-Rank, after eating a Fruit of Ascension they would be guaranteed to only have uncommon classes to choose from. If you could already get uncommon ones, it is likely you will get Rare options. It can even help push you toward getting an Epic class if you were close to qualifying but falling a bit short. The fruit is a cheat, or a shortcut, that immensely improves a warrior's future prospects. That is why its considered one of the greatest D-Ranked natural treasures she finished with a longing sigh.

Zacs heart started to beat rapidly, finally understanding the gravity of what he had eaten. No wonder everyone had scrambled to get those fruits on the mountains. He had already heard that most warriors in the multi-verse, even on established D-Rank planets, started out as a Common class. This fruit would enable them to reach at least D-Rank in the future.

In his case the use was still great, as it might be what pushed him into getting an Epic class when upgrading. From what he understood an epic class was extremely rare and it would be a huge event if an Epic class emerged on a D-ranked world. He didnt wish to stay on this topic though, as he still had another fruit sitting in his pouch like a hot potato.

So what did the other Apostates change? he asked, changing the subject.

The one before Lady Mercy was called the Apostate of Order. He was a great scholar who strove to understand all Dao under the heavens. The change he brought was the codifying of the Dao. You should know it as the patterns, or fractals you see from everything from our weapons, to skills, even to your pathways. Alyn answered, jumping back to the original topic without any hiccup.

It is thanks to him we can gain Dao Seeds and further our understanding of the Dao through study of the fractals she continued.

What do you mean? Zac asked, once again getting derailed by an interesting topic. He still hadnt found a way to upgrade his Dao Seed, and had tried various tricks.

The fractals contain a hint of the Dao. It is most clear in the fractals awarded from the So-called Seed-quests, as they emanate the Dao itself. But it is possible to gain insight from almost anything, from the inscriptions on a piece of gear to continuous usage of a skill. It is generally more effective to study fractals than to sit in silent meditation, though many consider a combination of the two the best.

In any case. The two first Apostates do not actually have any Apostate designations but are rather called The Beast Progenitor and The First Defier, and they are strong contenders for the title of the most powerful beings since the inception of cultivation.