I Hate Systems

"Nooooo!"

Mystique wasn't even there personally. He was still trapped with Technocraft, Reincarnation System, and Transmigration System. But as the representative of Pandora's Box, his will was transmitted through his world.

The world was destroyed thanks to the Serpent Universe's tail flick. All the natives lost their lives in the process. But, life itself didn't seem to have been extinguished as the shattered fragments of the world latched onto the Serpent Universe's tail, amplifying Mystique's scream.

Kyaaa!

Stencil screamed in pain as she unleashed countless chokers, causing them to revolve like rings around her home world as she instantly teleported all her people into it. This way, she could protect them better.

"Ugh…" Earth Star grunted to his utmost effort, harnessing the energies of the Serpent Universe to resist the maddening shout's effects. But a moment later, the variable of madness seemed to have seeped and become one with the Serpent Universe too, especially its tail segment.

Immediately in response, he was partially corrupted, losing part of his strength as he had to exert more effort just to resist the maddening urge growing within him.

"Get inside!" Stencil screamed as she kicked Earth Star into her world, "Force yourself into a state of unconsciousness. You can resist and fight against the madness better that way!"

"Rhizen!" She shouted next, covering his world with her chokers too, resisting the madness.

"On it!" Rhizen rapidly expended massive streams of luck to affect the cause and effect of the region, barely able to slow down the seepage of madness.

During that time, Gehera lodged thousands of Totems into the ground and erected a formation, one that created a living entity that roared into the skies. It drew most of the madness towards itself and began to absorb it.

Of course, it wasn't able to resist that and became mad in a matter of seconds, but that was within Gehera's calculation. Her goal was only to divert the madness away from them. And, the creature she created had a very high capacity and hence, it was still absorbing the madness.

"Keuk!" The Fate System flinched in pressure, feeling his core dancing erratically, 'No, that aspect of me doesn't have any will. Once it surges, I would lose all semblance of sanity.'

But after a moment of thought, he thought of something, noticing that he was able to move his body thanks to the absence of Earth Star.

He immediately consumed a vast volume of fate to divert the pressure forces acting within him towards the lightning serpents, sending them spilling out of his body.

Mystique's scream was maddening, but he was able to resist that the highest. After all, he too was a creature of chaos.

Boom!

The Fate System broke free of the choker constricting him as he kicked Rhizen to the side, evaded Gehera's lunge, shot away Stencil's chokers, and took flight, "See you later, suckers!"

As the entirety of the armies created by Stencil's world within the second half of the Serpent Universe was desperately resisting the creeping madness, none were able to stop him from fleeing away.

"Shit!" Stencil gritted her teeth in anger, unable to divert her attention to capture the Fate System, for that would mean the worlds under her would collapse.

She didn't wish to sacrifice everything just to capture the Fate System. But by the time she could form a decision, it was too late already, as the Fate System had escaped beyond her reach. She still had to resist the madness here and support her team, for she had the highest resistance among them all.

Earth Star had the least resistance, since he wasn't equipped to deal with it. As for Rhizen, he had been dealing with corruption all his life, so he was able to endure. Gehera had some of Hazen's Totems to rely upon and maintain her sanity.

"Shit, we were close!" Stencil screamed after a few days had passed. The Serpent Universe had left the boundary and entered a sane universe where it lashed with its tail to shed off all elements of chaos latching onto there.

At least four universes were destroyed as a result before the Serpent Universe had completely shaved off the chaotic elements. Mystique's shout too had vanished once they had left his domain, allowing them to recover after some rest.

Of course, none were in the condition to fight for the time being, whether on Stencil's side or the invader's side.

"Quick, treat the injured!" Stencil shouted the moment she gained some control over her functions thanks to the support of the collective consciousness, "Gehera will treat the madness growing in everyone…"

She hadn't even finished her statement when Gehera's figure emitted a bloodthirsty aura, bolting off through the Serpent Universe as her shout resounded far and wide, "Gilthruuuuu!"

…

"Hah…haha…hahaha, I almost died. What monsters!" The Fate System grinned upon arriving at safety behind enemy lines, taking charge of the invaders as he too was a Grade 3 System, just like the Invader System that they followed.

Knock! Knock!

The Fate System smiled as he snapped his finger, causing the Serpent Universe to open its mouth. There, standing at the entrance were three people in total, looking alert.

Once the mouth opened, they flew in, watching it close immediately.

The Fate System landed before them, smiling upon observing the shock on the faces of two and the tensed expression on the final one, "Welcome, Slayer."

"I've made a great battlefield for you."

"I'll be running away the moment Zaira comes here." Slayer said, expressing his nervousness as he looked around, 'Invader System's entire forces are here, huh? So, this is what it prepared to face Compass. It would have succeeded had it struck a few months earlier.'

"I vow on my fate that you're all I've invited here." The Fate System said, "At least, until you're alive."

"So, Gehera is proving to be a pain for you, right?" Slayer figured out the gist of things, "Judging by your injuries, seems you've taken quite a beating from them."

"Well, yes." The Fate System didn't argue, "Which is why I want you to remove her from the picture. You want her powers anyway, right?"

"So, it's a win-win for us."

"Deal?" The Fate System asked, staring at Slayer.