Chapter 2018: One out of Billions

Ning eventually left the region around the pulsar and wandered through Crownus’s galaxy without any particular destination. He visited a few empty systems along the way and spent some time looking at worlds that had never developed intelligent life, but he avoided the regions directly involved in the war.

Crownus had said they would deal with that later, and Ning was willing to leave it alone until the System was ready.

Some time later, Ning found himself sitting on a small asteroid drifting through an otherwise unremarkable system.

The asteroid was barely large enough to deserve the name, with an uneven surface covered in loose rock and dust. Ning sat near the edge of a crater and watched a distant star while considering whether there was anything else worth doing before Crownus returned.

That was when he felt Crownus approaching.

The smoky figure appeared nearby, the floating goat’s head looking just as unsettling as before despite Ning having already become accustomed to it.

Ning turned toward him.

"Finished?"

Crownus nodded. "I have completed it."

He raised one hand.

Before him, a silver-blue helmet appeared, gently floating between them.

Ning stood and walked closer to inspect it.

The design was clearly based on the helmets used by the humans of Avelis, though Crownus had simplified several parts and altered others. It looked advanced without being excessively decorative, and Ning could see the structure hidden beneath its physical shell.

More importantly, he could feel a strong power within it that could only be the System.

"Looks good," Ning said and handed the helmet back.

"What now?" Crownus asked.

Ning looked at the artifact for a moment. Making the System had only solved half the problem. They still needed someone to use it.

That person would have to survive long enough to make proper use of what Crownus had created, but Ning did not want to simply hand it to the strongest or most influential person he could find. Someone like that already had options.

The more interesting choice would be someone who could actually grow because of it.

Ning smiled slightly.

"Give me the helmet and leave the rest to me."

Crownus nodded and did as Ning said.

Ning turned around. "System, find everyone between the ages of 15 and 17 who has not yet received their Calling and lives on a planet governed by the Heavenly Federation. The main requirement is that they do not have a helmet of their own or have had one destroyed recently. They must also be someone with a good heart."

<Done. 2.8 Billion individuals who meet said requirements have been found.>

"Hmm..." Ning needed to bring that number down. "Discard all whose family have above the median income."

<Done. 495 Million people found.>

"Discard anyone who belongs to a family invested in the war. They cannot profit from the war."

<Done. 383 Million people found.>

"Incredible," Crownus said from the side as he listened to Ning’s conversation with the System.

Ning turned around. "What’s that?"

"The speed at which your System gathers information. It’s beyond anything I could ever do," Crownus said. "I am very impressed."

Ning smiled a little, turning his attention back to the search. "I need someone with a chance to get their Calling soon. Discard anyone who has no feasible means of getting to Avelis soon."

<Done. 149 Million people found.>

That was indeed a lot of people discarded, but it wasn’t enough yet. He still had nearly 150 million people to choose from.

Ning considered another option, one he didn’t want to go with, but considering everything, he thought it might end up being just what he needed.

"System, keep only those who have had a bad life. Those who have lost someone due to the war, and not because of the Mekharans, but because of Avelis. But I don’t want anyone looking for revenge. Only those who wish the war would end."

<Done. 13,239 people found.>

Ning took a deep breath. "Discard all who have someone they love. Someone who takes good care of them. Someone they can’t leave."

<Done. 3,586 people found.>

Ning didn’t think he was going to do any better than that.

"Turn it into a list and give me information on person number 2222."

<Naysha Flores. 16 years old. Planet of Origin: Truimal. She is an orphan whose parents died during research into new weapons. Currently in a military orphanage, soon to take her test to see if she’ll join the army or not.>

Ning raised an eyebrow. "She’s trying to join the army despite what happened to her parents?"

<She believes the best way to fix something is from the inside. She wants the war to end, and she’ll go to any length to end it. That includes becoming a high-ranking official in the army and taking it from there.>

Ning was quite surprised. "Alright, that’s our System holder then," he said, turning toward Crownus. "Do you want to go check her out?"

"No, you go. I’ll see everything from right here."

Ning shrugged. "That’s fine. Teleport me to Truimal then."

Crownus nodded, and suddenly Ning felt the space around him wobble for a second before everything changed as he was teleported away from the asteroid and onto the planet of Truimal.

The planet was one of the many human worlds descended from Avelis, though the city Ning arrived in looked very different from the mountain settlement where he had first encountered the Heavenly Records. Truimal had been shaped by war for generations, and it showed in nearly every part of the city.

Ning looked around. "System, where exactly am I?"

<East Commercial District, Gornshu City, Moria.>

Tall metal buildings crowded together beneath a gray-orange sky, their upper levels connected by enclosed bridges and transport rails. Military vehicles moved through the wider streets while civilians stayed closer to the edges, many of them wearing the helmets Crownus had described earlier. Some were simple communication models, while others looked significantly more advanced, especially among the soldiers moving between checkpoints.

Ning ignored most of them.

He had already found the person he was looking for.

Naysha Flores was walking several streets away.