Liam gaped in awe. When he was preparing to take such a big risk to come to an entirely different world just for the sake of the system shop, he was not sure if it would be worth it but now he was thoroughly convinced.
The system shop was beyond anything he had ever imagined. The resources and opportunities here could catapult him to new heights of power and understanding. With access to such amazing facilities, the older previously integrated worlds were only going to become more and more powerful. The younger worlds such as theirs almost had no chance to catch up to them unless something monumental happened.
It was no wonder that there were only a few empires in the entire sector that controlled multiple worlds. These empires would continue to conquer more worlds and become even more powerful. If anyone above the norms popped up in one of the new planets, then they would either be forced to submit to the ruling family or squashed before becoming significant.
The imbalance of power was staggering. The rich would get richer, and the powerful would grow stronger, all while worlds like his would struggle to even glimpse the threshold of such might. It was a sobering thought, one that ignited a flame within him.
He needed to become stronger. Knowingly or unknowingly, he had already abandoned his guild once. He couldn't let them fall behind once again. Before their world gets conquered, subjugated, or worse, obliterated in the grand scheme of these celestial giants, he needed to become strong enough.
Liam's eyes hardened with resolve. Seeing him, Dante scoffed in exasperation. "You are reacting the same way, I reacted a year ago." He shrugged. "Do you now understand the vastness of this universe?"
"Or I should say myriad realms." Dante scowled as he casually played with his system interface. "We can't do anything against these big shots. They have been here for centuries. Millennials. God knows how long. We cannot fight against them." "Our world is going to be taken captive and since it's a F-rank world, our men are going to be sold as mining slaves and women are going to be sold as prostitutes." "This is if we are lucky. Most B-rank forces would simply use us as fodder for some experiments or some other form of body bag. Our worth is only that much." "How am I supposed to single-handedly change all that? I couldn't even make it in a freaking game, how am I supposed to fight against these powerhouses of the myriad realms?" Dante sighed. "I was here in the exact same position you are now. I made a life for myself in this new world and I was living comfortably, slowly gaining power. This was the best I could do. You might think that I am selfish but I am simply not altruistic." "I am not some hero who is willing to die a useless death. My death won't do anyone any good. So I ran away. I do not think that deserves this sort of punishment." "You took my money and you got your access so now could you please void that agreement? Trust me. I will not do anything to backstab you or our people. You are doing what I am not able to do. I will not spoil it."
Liam turned to see that the guy was genuinely pleading with him, a hint of desperation in his eyes. It was a look Liam understood all too well. It was the look of someone who had faced their own insignificance in the vastness of the universe and had been crushed by it. It was the look of someone who had given up.
"No," Liam said simply, his voice firm. Dante's face fell. "Do you think that you are better than me? Do you think you can save them all? We are all ants in front of these people! Only a God can save our world. Do you know a God? Or maybe you think that you can become a God?" He spat in contempt.
But Liam calmly answered him. "I will void the contract after 10 years as the agreement says. Too much is riding on this for me to blindly trust your words."
Dante's gaze was seething but Liam shifted his attention back to the array panel. He had been running for as long as he could remember and now it was finally time for him to sit down and train. He needed to become stronger faster. The time dilation array here was a good start. He was not going to miss this opportunity.
Liam looked at the list of available options. He decided to first start with nether. This was for two different reasons. One he wanted to see how exactly the setup was. The second was to gauge the nether concentration here versus the nether concentration back in his world.
Was their world truly a F-grade world? Both he and Tilia thought differently and perhaps now he would personally see some proof for that hypothesis.
He selected the nether gathering array and also picked the time dilation option.
The fairy, noticing his choice, nodded and gestured him towards a designated area. "The Nether Gathering Array with time dilation is ready for you, Grandmaster Liam. Please follow me."
The fairy led him to one of the chambers and gave him a crystal etched in archaic runes. "This is the key to the array. Please use this to activate the array."
Liam nodded and opened the door. Inside, there was a simple platform surrounded by intricate patterns on the floor that seemed to pulse with dark energy.
"You can sit anywhere on the platform and simply placing the crystal on the platform would activate it." The fairy explained.
"Does this have a no-disturbance barrier or anything like that?"
The fairy paused for a second, trying to understand his question, and then quickly nodded. "Of course, Grandmaster." "The entire platform will be shrouded in a barrier after the array activates. As a secondary measure, the chamber will also be locked. You will not be disturbed or in any danger."