Homesteading in a fantasy world

I was being escorted by four guards. It took me a while to figure out what was going on, but eventually, I understood why I was able to get along with every guard so well and even convinced them to let me have a proper place to stay.

It was my commander ability. As soon as they had even a little bit of respect for me, they started acting more and more like they were my subordinates. Thanks to this, I had already won the first engagement, and that’s how everyone saw me. I was no longer viewed as a criminal but someone who was defending against an accuser.

One of the tours I was given took me close to a wing of the building that housed some powerful people. In fact, they were so powerful that at least three of them were able to constantly monitor me, and I suspect everyone else around them.

Because of this, I had a slight headache as I’ve been maintaining the best defence I can to hide my energy body as well as possible so I wouldn’t be discovered to have any cores. Fortunately, by the end of today, I would either be killed, so I wouldn’t have to worry about it, or I would be able to go home where I don’t have to constantly keep my camouflage at such a level.

It didn’t take long until we reached the doors beyond which was so much power. I ignored it for a moment and concentrated on looking unworried. As soon as the doors were opened, silence fell on the previously noisy room.

"The accused has arrived," was announced by someone, and I was brought into the room where I could finally view everything. The place was large, easily able to handle the 1000 plus people sitting on old courtroom-like seats in a half-circle.

In the middle, in the lowest area, was an open space with three tables; two of them being on the filled side of the room and the other towards the empty side where only seven other people sat high above everyone else.

I ignored them for a moment, but their power almost suffocated everyone else in this room. Even then, at least half the people here could easily kill me in a one-on-one fight. I took the stairs downwards until a familiar face stood out just to the right of me. I stopped as soon as we were at the same level, and the guards didn't interfere or push me to move downwards.

"Hi there, Meredith. It’s been quite a while," I said to the adventurer I met some time ago. She was hesitant, but as I presented my hand for her to shake, she cracked under the pressure of so many people watching. She stood up, shook my hand, and although she tried to speak, she couldn't find her voice.

"It's so nice to see a familiar face. I see you have progressed quite a lot and are close to reaching the second rank. Congratulations," I remarked. She once again didn't know how to respond, but I just smiled broadly and looked her over.

I let myself appear worried, as I genuinely felt that way. She hadn't trained her energy control much, and there was quite a little of it compared to how much mana she had. I could already see that her mana channels were starting to push into her energy body more, which would lower her lifespan significantly.

"Getting stronger is always important, but always know the cost of it. You should really work on your energy side of things more. I'd really like to catch up more, and hopefully, in the future, we can run into each other again. But I must go now. Bye, Meredith," I said. She still couldn’t respond, but I put her condition behind me. I probably shouldn’t be so concerned about an enemy, but seeing potential go to waste kind of hurts me inside.

We continued downwards and finally reached the table where I was going to sit. I only had one chair, while the other table had three, but I wasn’t concerned. "Thank you for the escort," I said to the guards, shaking hands with them.

After that, I sat down in a quite comfortable chair and finally looked at the seven people shrouded in darkness. The queen wasn't here yet, and I’m pretty sure that I was brought here earlier than intended. I guess I'll have to thank my guards for that.

As I looked at them, I controlled my camouflage the best I could but still channeled some more energy into my eyes. Slowly, the darkness unraveled, and I could see the seven pinnacle existences in this world.

There were more than only seven, and these were probably not the strongest, but they had still reached rank 5, the absolute limit of this world. I guess I have to thank Luana, Horus, and Adam for constantly talking about the most powerful existences in this world, as any teenager would when they dream about standing on top of the world.

They could probably snuff me out with one thought, or perhaps they would actually need to lift a finger. My ethereal sight also confirmed the rumours I heard in the dungeon about rank five people. But I was quite certain that what they were saying had to be what they were talking about.

There was a clear limit to how powerful you could be before the system interfered. No one knew what happened, but when someone reached rank 6, no matter how much they fought, they disappeared from this world.

That was the only case when the system acted so forcefully, but it wasn't the only way to disappear. Currently, I have legendary classes with a limit of level 80. Next comes mythic classes with a level limit of 160. Not many get a choice of class after that, but some do, and if you pick it, you will also disappear.

If you are in rank 5, you would just have to mentally let go and accept the system's offer, which will also make you disappear from this world. There should also be a way for rank 4 people to disappear as well, but Adam said that you needed a ritual for that.

Now, no one knew for certain where you disappeared off to. Many believe that you die and are simply consumed by the system, but the current most likely belief is that you are taken to some other dimension or world.

While I didn’t know much and my only source of knowledge was three teenagers, the last explanation made the most sense to me as I was also from another world. But seeing how the dimension weaved around these seven individuals, almost like making a cocoon for them, was incredibly interesting to see. But even more so was how the world itself seemed to reject their presence.

I had always wondered what stopped a singular madman, who got strong enough, from killing everything or making himself the God of this world. It looks like there is an actual power limit, and of course, not to speak of the system itself, which can be quite firm on some aspects, especially people controlling other people.

Every form of system slavery or even magical slavery is forbidden, and if performed, will give you a red achievement page marking you for death. I was so consumed in examining this phenomenon that I almost missed it when the queen and her party were announced.

She didn’t look like much, but there was determination in her eyes, which at least let me understand how she had gotten this far. To her right was the bodyguard who was sneering at me, and when I smiled back at him, he moved his hand to his weapon, which made me smile even more.

To the left of the queen was a much more dangerous opponent. She was quite short, but that was to be expected of a dwarf, and her blue hair was quite striking. She was the leader of the camp that supported the queen and had their own agendas. The only reason I knew that was because I was approached so many times by the camp opposing her camp.

I stood up but stopped looking at them and instead looked towards the speaker. He would be the most important person here well besides the seven, and from my understanding, every speaker is completely neutral.

While they will take into account the whole situation, they will focus first on the actual laws that even rank five people are subject to. Now, whether they will be able to enforce those laws on those people is another question entirely. But both the queen and me aren't strong enough to even try to go against those laws at least for now.