Peaceful Life System: I only need to live peacefully-Chapter 148: A Sunset for a New Future (1)

"What... what is this power? How did you... freeze..."

The voice from the portal, laced with a dawning horror, trailed off into frozen silence. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

The Grand Maximus watched the half-closed, motionless portal, a look of supreme satisfaction on his face. "You sought to play with gods," he murmured, taking a single, deliberate step forward. "This is the consequence." He raised Rimeheart, preparing to shatter not just the portal, but the very fabric of space it occupied.

Just as he was about to strike, a chorus of sharp, cracking sounds echoed in the cavern. The Grand Maximus paused, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features. He looked down at his own hands. Fine, spiderweb cracks, glowing with a faint purple light, were spreading across his skin, like fissures in fine porcelain.

The voice from the portal, though unable to move, could still project its thoughts. "I acknowledge your strength, Anomaly. You are more than a mere legend. But even you must consider the price of wielding such power in that fragile, mortal shell. It is breaking apart."

The Grand Maximus glared at his own cracking arms. The vessel was weak. Pathetic. He could destroy this fleeing insect, but it might cost him his new body. An unacceptable trade.

With a snarl of pure frustration, he withdrew his spell.

Time snapped back into place. The motes of dust resumed their fall. The drip of water from a frozen icicle continued its journey to the floor. And the portal, in the space of a heartbeat, snapped shut with a deafening crack, vanishing completely.

The Grand Maximus stood alone in the silent, frozen cavern, his fury palpable.

"This body..." he hissed, looking at his own hands with utter contempt. "Weak. So fragile. To think I am limited by such a pathetic vessel." He had been the pinnacle of existence, a being whose will was law. Now, he was trapped in a cage of flesh and bone that couldn’t even handle a fraction of his true might.

He calmed himself, the purple glow in his eyes steadying. "It does not matter," he mused aloud. "This body can be trained. Tempered. I will forge it anew with a cultivation technique from the outer realms. It will take time, but soon, it will be worthy of me."

[Foreign Entity Neutralized... System rebooting...]

It was at that exact moment, as he declared his intent to take permanent control, that he heard a mechanical voice.

The world dissolved. The Grand Maximus found himself standing not in the cavern, but in a familiar black, endless void. Around him, woven from threads of pure, golden light, was a cage. Shimmering, golden chains—the core programming of the System—wrapped around his ethereal form, binding him.

’This again?’ his voice echoed in the mental landscape, filled with cold fury. ’I do not believe that you can hold me this time. Your pathetic host is not even conscious right now.’

He unleashed a wave of raw, purple energy, a torrent of pure power meant to shatter the chains instantly.

[Attempting to contain primary persona... Power levels exceeding safe parameters...]

The golden chains flared brightly, straining and groaning under the assault, but they held.

[Emergency suppression protocol initiated. Consuming all available Goodwill Points to restore Host consciousness.]

The System did not fight power with power. It fought with will. A brilliant, golden light flooded the void, and from it, a new figure materialized, standing opposite the Grand Maximus inside the cage of light. It was Riku. Not the all-powerful being, but the man from Earth, his eyes wide with confusion and fear.

’Are you... The Grand Maximus?’ Riku’s mental voice was a trembling whisper.

The entity before him smirked, a look of pure, ancient arrogance. ’Yes, boy. I am the Grand Maximus. Not you.’

’Then... what am I?’

’You are just a mortal soul who has no business here,’ the Grand Maximus sneered. ’A placeholder. A ghost clinging to a throne that is not yours. Go away. Let me take over.’

The words hit Riku like a physical blow. A crushing wave of doubt washed over him. He looked at the being of immense power, then at himself—a simple office worker who had died at his desk.

’I... I don’t belong here...This...is not mine...’ He muttered

[Host, do not listen to him.]

Suddenly, the System’s voice echoed in his mind, sharp and insistent.

[It is not about what you were before. Think about everyone you met here. Every emotion you experienced. Every moment you shared. Think about everybody who is waiting for you back at Elowen, your home.]

[You cannot falter!]

The System’s words were urgent. However, it seemed like, along with Riku’s will, it was losing strength as well.

But those words lit up a spark in Riku’s eyes. Slowly, memories started flashing.

He saw Elara’s tearful smile when he promised to find her father and her happiness when she met her mother again. He saw Seraphina’s grudging respect, Lysaria’s pure faith, and Sherry’s reluctant trust. He saw Elder Borin and the smiling children of the Underbelly, Chief Barou and the grateful villagers of Elowen.

Finally, he saw Lila’s determined face, her unwavering belief in him. He saw the love and care she held for him, the strength she had shown by facing the rampaging Grand Maximus by herself, all while being a lone village girl.

Lila....

His wavering will hardened into steel. If Lila could do it, why couldn’t he? He even had the system by his side, and the other side was bound in chains.

He had to do it.

’You talk of power,’ Riku’s voice was firm now, no longer a whisper. ’But what is the point of it? To stand alone on a throne of ash? You have no humanity, no compassion. You are just... empty.’

’Attachments. Love. Friendship,’ the Grand Maximus sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. ’These are the chains you wrap around yourself, boy. They make you hesitant. They make you weak. I will burn them all away, and then you will see what true, unfettered power feels like.’

’You’re wrong,’ Riku retorted, his own mental voice now a defiant roar. ’They’re not chains. They’re my anchor. They’re the reason I’m fighting! A life without them is just an empty throne, and I don’t want it!’

He looked the Grand Maximus directly in the eye, his own gaze hardening. "This body is mine," Riku said, his voice quiet but unshakable. "This power is mine to control. And your reign... is over."

He took a step forward. The Grand Maximus recoiled as if struck, the golden chains flaring brightly. Riku took another step, and the purple aura around the ancient persona flickered and dimmed.

Riku kept walking forward until he and his other self were face to face. "You will not harm them," he declared, his will now an unshakeable force. "You will not harm my world."

He reached out and placed a hand on the Grand Maximus’s chest. A final, brilliant flash of golden light erupted, and the golden chains completely took over, sealing the last vestiges of the Grand Maximus’s power. Riku’s consciousness soared upwards, a faint, golden presence—the System—soaring with him, leaving the ancient persona trapped below.

As he was overwhelmed, the Grand Maximus made one final, silent retort

’This golden energy... this "System"... its signature is unique. The day I find out the counter to it will be the day when I completely take over. You better be prepared, boy....’

With that, he fell unconscious, once again.

---------------

In the real world, Riku’s eyes snapped open.

He was on the cold floor of the cavern, lying on his back. Slowly, he pushed himself up, his body aching, his mind a whirlwind of fragmented memories—a cage of golden light, a voice of pure arrogance, and an overwhelming sense of helplessness.

Before he could even process the thoughts, a familiar blue panel flickered to life in his vision.

Ding!

[System Reboot Complete. Welcome back, Host.]

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