Chapter 169: Chapter 169: System's Opportunist

"Creator, why do you always speak of the need for sacrifices?"

♢♢♢♢

Cassandra sat in her private study, the air heavy with the scent of ancient parchments. Her frog perched silently on her shoulder, its bulbous eyes fixed on the book in her hands.

She held the Creator's Diary, pausing to reflect on the question. Then she continued reading the Creator's response, her eyes tracing the chaotic scrawl that filled the page with both reverence and frustration.

The Creator's answer sprawled erratically across the page:

"Sacrifices? Oh, that. You see, it's... Sacrifice is the cornerstone of all true progress. In the system you have, which isn't utopian yet, but where comfort and safety are guaranteed, stagnation is the real enemy.

Sacrifices aren't just necessary, they're essential for growth and evolution.

Imagine a tree that's never pruned. Have you ever seen a tree? No, of course not, how foolish of me..."

After a long explanation about what trees are, of which there were a few in the central building's garden, and which Cassandra wasn't sure the explanation correctly described, the Creator continued his response...

"Well, imagine a tree. If you let it grow without pruning, it becomes a mess. It'll grow wild, wasting energy on branches that bear no fruit. But with careful cuts, we direct its growth, ensuring each branch is strong and productive. So it is with human society.

The sacrifices I ask for aren't cruel whims. They're precise calculations, designed to propel humanity forward.

But don't misunderstand me, it's not that I enjoy seeing people suffer. It's just that... how do I explain this? It's like cooking. Sometimes you have to break some eggs, you know? Although I suppose you don't know what eggs are either.

Bad analogy...

Each life given, each comfort relinquished, is an investment in a brighter future.

Without sacrifice, complacency takes root.

The point is, without sacrifices, people become soft. Like... like melted cheese. Another bad analogy. Forget that...

People become weak, dependent, unable to face the challenges that will inevitably come. But through sacrifice, we forge a stronger humanity, more resilient, more worthy of the system I've prepared for you.

Anyway, sacrifices. Necessary. Important. Don't be stingy with them. And remember, when everything seems dark, when people complain, just think:

'We're making diamonds!' Because that's what sacrifices are. Pressure that creates something beautiful. Although sometimes that pressure crushes some in the process. Oops, don't write that last part down.

"But Von Elio didn't... How...?" he began, but was interrupted by the sound of the door bursting open.

Four guards entered, their own rabbits at their side. Arturo paled, realizing too late the mistake he had made.

"You see, Arturo," Cassandra said, her voice laden with deadly calm, "power isn't just about having a summon. It's about knowing how and when to use it."

What followed was quick and brutal.

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The five attacked in unison, their combined attacks easily consuming Arturo's resistance. The man barely had time to scream before falling, his lifeless body on the study floor.

Cassandra approached the fallen body, her expression impassive. With her book, she absorbed Arturo's remaining cores and mana. "11,100 cores," she murmured.

"Well, your debt is paid, Arturo."

She turned to the guards, who remained silent, awaiting orders. "Dispose of the body through the hole. And make sure debtors like him receive the same treatment... Debts are paid, one way or another."

The guards nodded and carried Arturo's body away.

Cassandra returned to her desk, her mind already working on the next steps of her plan. She unsummoned her rabbit to look weaker... Her frog settled back on her shoulder, seemingly satisfied with the outcome.

"These fools," she muttered to herself, "think they're invincible just because they have a summon. They don't understand that true power comes from knowledge, from preparation."

She looked at the Creator's Diary, his words about sacrifice echoing in her mind. "Elio has given them a false sense of security," she reflected. "He's made them believe they can have it all without any cost. But the Creator knew the truth. Progress requires sacrifice."

Cassandra sat down, her determination renewed. The incident with Arturo had only reinforced her conviction that Elio's path would lead the city to ruin.

People needed order, discipline, not the false promises of an idealistic leader.

"Soon," she promised herself, "the city will see the truth. And when they do, we'll be ready to take control once again. For the good of all."

♢♢♢♢

After the incident with Arturo, Cassandra urgently summoned Saren and Angela. The three met in a secret chamber, away from indiscreet ears.

"We have crucial news," Cassandra began, her voice laden with anticipation. "My seductresses have informed me that Elio plans to cross to the other side of the wall tomorrow."