I created my own system

Apollo and Alicia stood in the clearing, the once glowing stone altar dimmer now, thanks to the artifact in Apollo's hand. He felt a hint of victory mixed with foreboding as he regarded the fragment of dark energy that had brought so much havoc. The throbbing sensation that had obscured his reasoning was now almost inaudible, allowing him to think clearly.

The system was now adapting to the energy from the artifact, fully functional despite its suppressive power. It was bearable, no longer a burden as it had been before.

"Alicia, I wonder if this artifact is safe now that I have taken it," he said, uncertainty still lingering in his voice.

"Why don't you study the artifact to find out? Aren't you good at that?" she replied.

"Unfortunately, this artifact is too high-level for me to analyze," Apollo sighed, though his eyes remained fixed on the screen in front of him.

[Name: CURRENTLY INFORMATION UNAVAILABLE

Rank: REVELATION

Origin: CURRENTLY INFORMATION UNAVAILABLE

Usage: CURRENTLY INFORMATION UNAVAILABLE]

[This is just a rough analysis. All I could do was identify its rank from the newly acquired data ranking. The hierarchy begins with Zenith, followed by Genesis, Exodus, Revelation, and Apocalypse. Currently, the system can't utilize too much power since it's prioritizing deflecting and adapting to the energy from the artifact.]

[Give me just a bit of time to analyze the artifact.]

"Thank you," he replied to Jeremiah, knowing that the close contact made his senses weaker.

"I wonder why both the system and I feel so much pain from this artifact. Is it simply due to its effects, or is there something else?" he pondered as seconds turned into minutes. As time passed, the two grew more suspicious of the growing silence in the forest.

"We should be prepared," he said, feeling the artifact disappear from his hand. It immediately entered his inventory, securing it from any other threats.

"Given our current situation, we must be ready for the worst. The energy here is still unstable, and we still can't tell who benefits from this situation or what other latent forces are present," Alicia said, scanning the forest for any signs of movement.

Apollo focused on calming his breathing, honing his senses to pinpoint the chilling sensation he had been feeling. He was already strong enough to produce an aura, so he should at least be able to locate any potential opponents. Slowly, he sent out a fragment of his mana. Upon contact with the nature mana in the plants, Apollo began to feel it, covering the entire area under his surveillance.

As he built a mental picture of the surroundings, he sensed something unusual. However, there was always something that obscured his senses.

"What's this?" Apollo dismissed the vague feeling and chose to rely on his instincts. In times like this, they were all he could trust. Suddenly, they heard the sound of dry leaves rustling. Apollo instinctively summoned the Sword of Light, gripping the artifact tighter as his body warned him of impending danger. He was ready for an attack, but Alicia appeared troubled.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" she asked, astonished that she couldn't perceive anything. She regulated her breathing, channeling her powers.

A sudden wave of intense heat washed over him, prompting him to assemble a set of barriers. Alicia, beloved by the element of fire, could command flames with just a thought.

"What are the professors doing?" Apollo cursed, realizing they were surrounded by unseen enemies. "I knew that order was foolish. Why did they tell us to hold our position when this island is so dangerous?"

"Alicia, the artifact is too dangerous to be left in the camp. Besides, the professors know what we are capable of," he added, frustration boiling within him.

Suddenly, Apollo noticed something amiss. Alicia wouldn't normally act this way; she would have an idea of what to do and a perfect understanding of the situation. He wouldn't typically feel this way either.

"Something is off," he began to realize, the scenario feeling all too familiar. A wave of cold chill traced down his back.

"Oppressor," he muttered. Whatever was happening seemed eerily similar to how his skill Oppressor worked.

[Oppressor (Rank X) {Active} - This skill allows the Creator to exert pressure on his enemies without doing anything. This pressure may cause confusion and errors in judgment, reducing their battle awareness. It momentarily halts thoughts and can incite chaos within someone's mind.]

"Could it be...?"

As his thoughts continued, the cloudy, heavy feeling in his head slowly dissipated.

"There's no way I wouldn't notice any spells causing debuffs. The system should have detected them as well. I could be wrong, but my instincts tell me I'm right. Someone has replicated my skill."

There was just one fatal flaw in that thought, how could someone replicate his skill and use it without Apollo noticing? Could skills generated by the system really be copied like regular spells?

"There is only one conclusion to this," he voiced, gripping the handle of the sword firmly.

The shadows crept in again, but this time the two remained calm. The sword's blade began to shine brightly as Apollo began to chant.

A gospel echoed through the clearing, causing Alicia, who was about to unleash flames, to retract her fire.

"Third gospel of the holy book. Don't do to others what you don't want done to you."

The third gospel, capable of copying any spells, now had the potential to replicate one of Apollo's skills. The boy wasn't sure if he was right, but he wanted to trust himself.

As the gospel's power took effect, he was able to negate the effects diminishing their abilities.

Suddenly, a notification echoed in his mind, breaking the weight of uncertainty he felt.

[Notification Alert!

An unknown power has been detected!]

[Notification Alert!

The gospel cast by the Creator has clashed with the unknown power, weakening its effect!]

[Notification Alert!

The system has detected the energy signature of another artifact!]

A map emerged before Apollo, and he took note of it as another notification appeared.

[Notification Alert!

The system has detected a looming spell currently in effect!

Proceed to cancel it?]

"Yes, cancel it!"

Upon Apollo's command, the sky cracked open, enveloping the entire island in a dome-like structure.

[Notification Alert!

One of the mysterious artifact's abilities has been identified!

It can amplify any spell's power while adding a stealth effect to it.]

[Notification Alert!

Spell has been identified!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

A familiar pattern indicating it to be the gospel from the Holy Bible of Nirvana.]

[Warning!

The system has detected a group of people with the same mana pattern as those from the Monastery!

Beware!

The system has detected a group of people with the same mana pattern as those from the Revolutionary Church!

Be prepared!]

A series of notifications emerged, but Apollo didn't feel threatened. Instead, he felt enlightened. A new clarity brightened his thoughts, lifting the burden from his mind.

"A gospel amplified by an artifact; so, they can cause this much havoc," he said, his previously contorted face relaxing into a calm expression. Alicia noticed this change and smiled, but her relief was short-lived as she sensed another presence approaching.

"They're coming, Apollo."

"I know."

Apollo had many questions, but he pushed them aside for now.

"Alicia, I believe what we heard on my communicator a while ago wasn't our professors."

"I agree. There's no way they could teleport here when the space wasn't even locked," she replied.

Then the temperature suddenly rose, igniting a spark of flames as Alicia unleashed her powers. The area erupted into a blazing inferno.

"I guess this will make our professors come here, right?" Alicia said, proud of the product of her action.

Apollo could only nod in agreement, watching as the flames engulfed the surrounding trees.

[Notification Alert!

The system has detected a group entering this clearing, and they aren't the professors!]