《Chaos and Order - A Multiverse Fanfic》 Chapter 1: The Life of a Demon (1)

Volume 1: The Tales of Beedle the Bard

AD 3333,

Earth ¡°Mother!¡± Kai cried cheerily. ¡°Look! I solved it!¡± The 11-year-old child had an exhilarating smile on his face, and his brilliant hazel pupils were embedded in his eyes like two gems. Shoulder-length white hair flowed behind him as he ran to his mother, carrying sheets of paper. The one, who this child called his mother, created a stark contrast when compared to him. She was thin, her face was pale, and the dark patches under her eyes told a tale of great tiredness. Despite these features, she looked extremely beautiful somehow. Her face shared the enchanting character of the child, and her pupils were hazel as well, just a tinge darker. Long, light blond hair fell over her shoulder like sunlight. ¡°Let me see,¡± Edith Stormborn said, rubbing her son¡¯s head and glancing at the papers. ¡°Oh! You really did it, Kai. This gene sequence¡­ Wonderful! You saved us years of research.¡± Her words were cheerful, but there was a sadness hidden behind her smile as well. ¡­ Over 1300 years had passed since the virus Oxycron had struck the planet out of nowhere. In just a few years, it had wiped out most of the human population. By the time the last infected case had passed away, the population was dwindling on its last legs. The following decades saw an incomprehensible surge in the world¡¯s oxygen levels. The previously assumed fact that the virus didn¡¯t affect the animals faced its first challenge when the survivors of the pandemic found a mutated mosquito the size of a human head. The plants kept breaking their height limits, and animals kept becoming larger and larger. It was obvious at a glance that some unknown phenomenon was involved in this absurd evolutionary surge, defying the scientific laws as known by the humans. It was almost said that the Earth had forsaken the human species. Those who had survived were nothing but a part of the food chain, destined to go extinct. When all seemed lost, Hope finally arrived. Humans, at the cost of a pyrrhic victory, learned to harness the strength of those enhanced beasts in the form of their Blood Essence by assimilating it into themselves and obtain the power of that beast. Unfortunately, the beasts kept becoming stronger, and the planet kept becoming harsher, forcing the humans to work upon becoming more powerful. Yet, no matter how they tried, all failed to assimilate over one Blood Essence into their bodies as if there was a heavenly limit onto it. Thus came the period of great scientific revolution, giving emphasis on research and development based around the Multiple Blood Essence Assimilation. Humans also began experimenting with selective breeding, trying to pass on their assimilated Blood Essence¡¯ characteristics and give birth to the most astute minds with every next generation. And the one who led the humankind in all this, remaining at the pinnacle of both scientific and mystical stage, was the House Stormborn. After hundreds of years, two individuals, possessing the greatest minds of all times, rose from this House - Alan Stormborn and Edith Stormborn. Even when they were kids, the entire human race had burdened their shoulders with the heaviest hope. A hope, not to end their misery or finish the Multiple Blood Essence Assimilation program, but to give birth to a child. Because¡­ that child¡­ was destined to be a Messiah. ¡­ Hearing his mother¡¯s words, Kai Stormborn beamed. ¡°Hehe!¡± he laughed childishly. ¡°Can I look at it now, mother? Please.¡± Edith shook her head and sighed. ¡°Well¡­¡± she said, stretching the word, ¡°OK, why not? But¡­ you can¡¯t tell anyone.¡± Kai took two successive breaths, holding back the joy in his eyes. ¡°I promise,¡± he said, trying to look solemn, but his childish expressions betrayed him. ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone.¡± Edith giggled. ¡°Come then,¡± she whispered, putting Kai down. They were in a huge lab, with dozens of people in white coats. Every time they passed by a glass wall, Kai jumped to see into the room, hoping to glimpse the humongous tied beasts. ¡°Kai?¡± Edith turned around, raising an eyebrow. Color rose to Kai¡¯s cheek, making him blush, and he ran to catch up to her. It was a long corridor. Many scientists crossed them, greeting Edith with great respect on their faces. More kept taking secret glances at Kai, pointing at him, whispering about him. An even greater respect gleamed in their eyes as they looked at him. However, this respect had quite a dark shadow about it. It was rotten, and it reeked¡­ ¡­ of fear. This 11-year-old boy was a living nightmare. A monster who devoured knowledge like the ancient Taotie. At the age when other children learned how to speak properly and write, Kai had already burned his way through Evolutionary Biology and Evolutionary genetics. When the other children learned of this planet¡¯s troubled history and their ancestors¡¯ heroic deeds, Kai had left many leading scientists behind in the fields of Viral and Bacterial evolution, Molecular and Genome evolution, and Genetics of Speciation. And when other children learned how to hunt, Kai had already published papers on Analysis of Quantitative Trait Variation, Host-Parasite Co-Evolution, Sexual Selection and Sexual Conflict, and Natural selection in the Wild. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Edith Stormborn narrowed her eyes at greedy and fearful gazes, pressing Kai towards her. Soon they arrived in front of a giant metallic door. Edith put her left hand over it and closed her eyes. A formless power churned about her and the door shone with a white-golden light. With a click, it vanished, melting into thin air. Edith and Kai entered the House Stormborn¡¯s private lab, and the moment they crossed the threshold, the door reappeared. It seemed like they had entered another world. It looked more like a natural rainforest with overgrown vegetation and less like a lab. The mother and son walked into the forest leisurely and soon found themselves facing another glass wall. But this one was special. It was hundreds of feet high and was running for thousands of meters from left to right. Kai looked up at his mother with great anticipation. Edith smiled and once again put her left hand on the glass. Suddenly the glass rippled. Then they waited. Hisssssss! ¡°It¡¯s coming!¡± Kai cried, putting his both hands on the rippling wall of glass. ¡°There!¡± From the forest, a magnificent red serpent, over 300 ft in length, and with yellow-slitted eyes slithered out, hissing and puffing. The giant serpent flicked out its forked tongue, observing Edith, and then it looked at Kai. Its head came down in front of him, just resting over the leafy ground. ¡°Red! Did you find my father?!¡± Kai suddenly blurted out. ¡°You must have sensed him, right? I calculated it. Your genome structure is ideal for World Sense.¡± Edith was shocked as she heard Kai¡¯s words. Her shock soon turned into a great painful and saddened expression, her eyes reflecting the little figure of Kai. Alan Stormborn, the world¡¯s leading scientist, had disappeared right after his son¡¯s birth, shocking all. The giant red snake hissed, shaking its head. Kai looked quite flustered. ¡°Oh!¡± he breathed out, looking down. ¡°Never mind, then.¡± Edith crouched near him and lifted his chin. ¡°A man can lose everything, son,¡± she told him, ¡°but not the hope in his heart. Your father will come back. I know him.¡± Kai¡¯s eyes were misty. ¡°But why did he leave?¡± he asked, his breath heavy. ¡°How will you work alone, mother? It¡¯s killing you.¡± Knowledge didn¡¯t mean bliss for everyone. ¡°You tested my blood again, didn¡¯t you?¡± Edith asked, smiling. ¡°No, I am not mad at you, Kai. But you are wrong. I am not alone. I have you. You are my hope. You are this world¡¯s hope.¡± ¡­ ¡°I am Kai,¡± the 12-year-old Kai introduced himself shyly. In front of him stood a 14-year-old boy with profound black eyes and short black hair. There was no joy on his face. Nor was there any shyness, hatred, or, as a matter of fact, any perceivable emotion; only dead calmness. ¡°He is Brock from House Valeheart,¡± Edith interjected. ¡°Members of Valeheart House sacrificed themselves courageously for humanity¡¯s survival in the last beast tide. He will live with us from now on. I know you two will be good to each other, just like two brothers.¡± Kai smiled at that. His entire childhood had gone without having any friend. To have Brock live with them, he could have hoped for nothing better. ¡­ ¡°Brother,¡± the 13-year-old Kai ran to Brock, ¡°check this out.¡± In Kai¡¯s hands was a disc, projecting a hologram. The hologram showed a red mass that looked more liquid than air and it kept churning into itself, coiling, wreathing, and slithering. ¡°Is that?¡± Brock asked calmly, eying the hologram. ¡°The Essence Bead!¡± Kai declared proudly, smiling. ¡°Using father¡¯s old research, mother seemed to have figured it out, I think. See? She is awesome.¡± The Essence Bead was the culmination of centuries-long project, which could theoretically let humans assimilate over one Blood Essence within their bodies. Brock looked into Kai¡¯s eyes. ¡°She is awesome,¡± he nodded. ¡°But wasn¡¯t it you who helped her all this while with the Cohesive Genome Theory?¡± Kai scratched his head with a shy expression. ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°No¡­ why¡­ why is this happening¡­ mother¡­¡± The 14-year-old Kai¡¯s lips trembled. His eyes were bloodshot and tears fell down his chin like trails of shooting stars. In his lap was Edith, her chest pierced and bloody. Blood was seeping out from her eyes, ears, and mouth, the smile on her face widening with every next moment. Tired. She was too tired. Edith¡¯s hand touched Kai¡¯s heart. ¡°¡­ hope¡­¡± the word came out of her mouth like a breeze. ¡°¡­ live¡­¡± And she said no more, her hazel eyes looking at Kai with great pride. Kai¡¯s face became blue. He felt suffocated, choking on words, his face and body covered in the blood of his mother. ¡°I knew she would come here,¡± Brock said, stepping into the room, wielding the spear which was once the weapon of Alan Stormborn. ¡°Where is it? Give it to me, Kai. I don¡¯t want to kill you, too.¡± Kai¡¯s hand trembled as he closed his mother¡¯s eyes. Knowledge truly wasn¡¯t bliss for everyone. With a broken motion, Kai lifted his face and stared into those dead eyes. He was breathing like a beast, his body shaking, and veins popping up all over his body. ¡°She gave you a home¡­ I¡­ gave you a brother¡­¡± Kai muttered, as though the entire world had said it. ¡°Brock¡­ Brock¡­ ¡°¡­ I¡­ WILL¡­ KILL¡­ YOU!!!¡± ¡­ In the sewers under the city, Kai crawled on his hands and legs. He was nothing but skin and bones. Gone was the luster and the childish shyness on his face. Everything about him screamed of death. For how many days had he not eaten something? He didn¡¯t know it himself. Only his eyes were alive. Kai grabbed his stomach and rolled over, clenching it hard to bear the pain of hunger. The surrounding darkness was getting darker in his eyes, the filthy smell becoming sweeter. Was dying so bad? He would just need to close his eyes, and it would be over. Yes. Perhaps he wouldn¡¯t feel so cold then. Kai¡¯s eyes drooped, his breath misting, vanishing at last. ¡­ live¡­ The eyes shot open. A fuming breath entered his lungs as he feasted on the promise of revenge. He must not die. Not today. ¡­ ¡°There he is,¡± the voices echoed in the sewers. ¡°Found him at last. Who knew he was hiding here like a rat?¡± Kai saw them coming, beastly phantoms surrounding their figures like blankets. ¡°Red¡­¡± he hissed, his voice low. ¡°Teach me¡­ teach me¡­ to live¡­¡± ¡°Kill him!¡± ¡°Die, you bastard!¡± ¡°Where is it? Hand it over!¡± The crowd pounced on him, wielding weapons and powers of a hundred different kinds. And Kai¡­ slithered. ¡­ ¡°¡­ live¡­ I¡­ must¡­ live¡­¡± Kai chewed the rats, gnawing on their bones. ¡°¡­ I¡­ must¡­ kill¡­¡± ¡°Hey! Someone¡¯s there!¡± a shout reverberated. Kai¡¯s mouth kept moving, his eyes lost, and his ears ringing with eerie words. A gentle smile kept blurring in and out of existence in his mind. When the reinforcements came, they found Kai surrounded by scores of bodies. His entire figure was drenched in blood, and the sound of chewing nauseated all the listeners. ¡°He¡­ He¡­ He killed them all?!¡± ¡°This¡­ This demon!¡± Kai paused. He lifted his face, his eyes gleaming like a beast as he counted their numbers. The piece of tasty flesh dropped out of his fingers. He plunged his hands into the filthy blood lake around him and took out the first weapons they touched. The two sabers in his hands reeked of death as he stood up. ¡°Keke¡­¡± Kai¡¯s lips twisted. He slithered towards them, one step after another. Nothing about his appearance looked humane anymore. ¡°Kekeke¡­¡± the low psychotic laugh sent a shiver running down their spines. Kai lifted his hands, an unseen phantom of a giant red serpent appearing behind him. ¡°He¡¯s gone mad¡­ Kill him!¡± ¡°Kill!¡± ¡°Attack from all sides!¡± Heads flew, eyes got stabbed, and flesh was torn off their bodies like lambs getting butchered. Wounds were exchanged, but lives were only taken, seized by the Blood Demon. Chapter 2: The Life of a Demon (2) ¡°Hand over the Essence Bead, Demon,¡± Brock said coolly. His black eyes were emotionless, and his even blacker hair was smooth as silk. ¡°You are not worthy.¡± Reflected in his mirror-like eyes was a red figure, but its beastly appearance could be seen clearly even then. This figure had cloudy white hair, disheveled and sprawled over his shoulders. His body was covered in red armor from the neck down. The sound of gears turning and screws screeching against nuts kept coming out of it. From the joints of the armor, a burst of white and yellow steam came out now and then, jolting his body which hovered above the earth. But even this armor couldn¡¯t hide the most striking thing about this man. It was his eyes. Hazel, pure but defiant. The white of his eyes had been claimed by the dense blood-red veins, starting from the corner of his eyes and reaching towards the center. It was like thousands of lava-rivers were fueling those golden-colored seas in his pupils. ¡°How many innocent people have died under your hands?¡± Brock asked. Brock¡¯s question brought about a shout of rage from all the men and women surrounding the white-haired creature. All had known, publicly, the notorious and condemning deeds of the Messiah-turned-Demon. Massacres, assassinations, kidnappings, and rapes; name the crime and he had committed it. Old and young, none had survived under the wrath of his sabers, spilling their innocent blood over the floor like butchering pigs. The people in the streets talked about a demon, who had killed his father from his mother¡¯s womb. And then he waited, like the snake he was, for the right time before killing his mother too at the boyish age of 14. Only 2 years had passed since then. The 16-year-old Kai took in all the faces judging him for the crimes he had committed and the crimes he had been framed for. Anger and resentment coursed through his very veins, replacing the blood if there was some left. His entire body ached, the wounds felt stabbing into his bones, and he could feel the blood draining out of his body with every passing second. Only the armor was keeping him airborne. But for how long? Kai bitterly thought. The white-yellow steam coming out of the armor was growing thin. The grating noise of the armor¡¯s parts sounded like roaring the last goodbye. Is this it? Kai thought, his eyes moving up to see the vastness of the blue sky. Behind him, the gurgles of the thunder were approaching. Every other blast felt closer than the last. Soon the black clouds would take over the sky, and the light red sunshine of the setting sun. A storm is coming¡­ Kai closed his eyes for just a moment, but when he opened them, there were no more questions. His left hand swept by his left thigh. His actions made everyone straighten their back, taut like a drawn bow. He lifted his hand and unfurled his fingers, letting everyone see the content placed there. ¡°Is this the thing you all want?¡± Kai hissed. The Essence Bead! Kai noticed the looks of greed and hunger on all faces with murder in his eyes. A sudden gust of wind lifted Kai¡¯s white hair, signaling the storm¡¯s arrival. It also gave an unplanned signal to the others, and they lunged at him from all around. ¡°Purge the world of this filth,¡± Brock commanded. Kai closed his left palm, his right hand swept by his right thigh, and a long saber appeared in his hand. Behind him, a colossal illusion of a red, coiled serpent appeared. Lightning flashed through it, showing its forked tongue and red-slit pupils. In the next moment, the serpent''s image diffused and entered Kai. His blood boiled, a sudden burst of power overtook him, burying his tiredness deep within him. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Little by little, his round hazel eyes turned long and narrow slits. The same happened to the others as well. There were images of enormous porcupines, giant sea-birds, towering apes, and many more. As the images entered their bodies, a beastly growl came from their throats, challenging the Demon and vowing to eat him alive. A hiss slithered Kai¡¯s surroundings in reply. An old man, with giant eagle-like wings on his back, shot himself towards Kai. He was the strongest among them, just beneath Brock. He was also the fastest of them all. To the astonishment of others, Kai also lunged at the old man. There was an elation in the old man¡¯s eyes seeing this. Just when they were a few meters away from each other, Kai threw the Essence Bead towards the old man. ¡°Take it,¡± Kai said. The old man lost his bearings. His clawed hands clutched the object which all desired. Its touch felt the smoothest to him, and then the cold steel kissed his neck. Kai beheaded the old man with a heinous smile of greed still planted on his wrinkly face. Kai snatched the object out of the lifeless hands. He could see the wariness in all eyes. But time was not in his favor. If they won¡¯t come to him, then he would go to them. The gears of his red armor furiously rubbed against each other in agreement. Kai charged at the nearest Essence Cultivator. He was the one with the essence of Mutated Porcupine. The middle-aged man hated Kai no less than the old man, his greed even larger. But the fear of death held him at his place. ¡°Cover me,¡± the middle-aged man shouted. He faced his back towards Kai and shot out hundreds of over 1 meter long pikes at him. Kai again didn¡¯t change the direction of his flight. The middle-aged man was the only long-ranged attacker, and he would do anything to kill him. The pikes rained down on him from his front. His bones gave out a popping sound simultaneously. Another hiss resounded in the ears of listeners and then they saw Kai slithering among the pikes effortlessly. It was like a snake was slithering among the thorns but not worrying about their sharpness at all. They had heard of it, and a selected few had even seen it on screen. But the live motion of Kai''s movements had surpassed all imaginations. ¡°It was true,¡± one said. ¡°One with Beast,¡± another exclaimed. But they didn¡¯t have time to say more. Kai had emerged out of the pikes¡¯ rain without suffering a single injury. The middle-aged man had asked for help, but now it was too late. Before another round of pikes could come out of his back, Kai coiled himself on his back. All saw Kai opening his mouth, and the two black fangs protruding out in place of his canines. The middle-aged man couldn¡¯t even shout when Kai plunged his fangs into his neck. The man fell when Kai let go of him, but before he could fall even 100 meters, he turned into a pool of slimy blood. Fighting against a group was Kai¡¯s specialty. None doubted it now. Thunder was above them, and all other sounds had receded. The following few minutes were just men and women screaming and dying. Kai¡¯s back was caved in from the repeated blows of the Ape Essence Cultivator. A sword was running through his stomach, trying to hack his waist, and from the hilt of the sword dangled a wrist with a bloody stump. Kai¡¯s chest heaved, trying to find the elusive air. His nostrils flared, and his brilliant eyes were getting darker with every other strike of lightning in the sky. The storm was at its peak. ¡°Finally¡­ it''s you and me,¡± Kai said, looking at Brock, his grip tightening over his parents¡¯ legacy. ¡°I should have never trusted you¡­ traitor.¡± Kai took a last deep breath in his beastly form. His red armor felt alive, roaring its last battle cry. But Kai could feel that Brock, as ever, had no hint of panic on his face, his eyes still calm as winter lake. Just when Kai reached the peak of his speed, Brock vanished, merging into the surroundings in plain sight. It was as if the entire world had forgotten Brock¡¯s existence. Chameleon Blood Essence, Kai thought, gritting his teeth. It was his mother¡¯s gift to Brock, and Kai was the one who had suggested it. Kai had to stop. The hissing around him was dying, and his senses were dull. The blood loss was showing its effect, and the armor was on the verge of blasting into pieces. Lightning crack on his left and from his right came a shrill sound of air. A deadly feeling rose in Kai¡¯s heart. Click! Kai parried the spear and counterattacked, hitting nothing but air. His saber went by the empty air, sending him out of balance. The spear again showed itself at his calf, but Kai had no way to parry this one. A shower of blood burst out as his left leg got cut off. The armor could do nothing to stop the sharpness of that spear. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Kai suddenly laughed, a touch of madness in his voice. ¡°Brock, you bastard, you too want this, right?¡± He held his left hand high and then suddenly brought it to his mouth. ¡°Hmph!¡± A snort came to Kai¡¯s ears and a phantom hand flicked his left arm away from his mouth. Kai¡¯s joints felt rusty to even move when Brock thrust the full length of the spear-blade into his chest. A sudden twist of the spear made Kai let go of the strength through which he had been holding the saber. ¡°Some men are destined to rise, stepping on the ashes of the dead. You are not even a man, Demon,¡± Brock said. Kai looked into the dark eyes and smirked. For the first time, he saw panic written on Brock¡¯s face. This was the only thing Kai could do; he knew from the very beginning. He had no chance against so many, not when he was about to face Brock in the end. If he could get his revenge at the cost of his life, then the price was cheap indeed. His left hand twisted, and a snake-like mouth opened up where his fingers were. The snake devoured the Essence Bead in one gulp. ¡°YOU FOOL!¡± Brock roared. ¡°Haha¡­ Boom¡­¡± Kai said, with a huge smile on his face. His red armor was nothing compared to the spear, but it was the best of its kind. As soon as it got the command, it ballooned up with all the power left in it. Brock had no time to back up, even after letting go of the spear. The storm must have gone away, for Kai heard nothing. Before the darkness took over him, his eyes were just looking at the panic on Brock¡¯s disintegrating face. And oh, he so loved the sight of that panic. Chapter 3: Chaos or Order – The 1st Random World! (1) In a white room with no doors, two laser-like beams met each other. One was deep red, not unlike blood, but more dreadful and devious. The other was pale blue, like a colored mist, but more streamlined than its counterpart. At the point of their contact, a figure began to take shape. The two beams kept tracing the insides and the outsides of this figure as if it was printing it in solid form. It was certain by then that these beams had a certain blueprint to follow. Only a moment had passed after the two beams had completed the figure when it exploded with a booming sound. Blood, flesh, and bones splattered around the room, reaching to the corners of the roof. The two beams died away as the white walls absorbed the filth and soon the room with no doors was empty again. Four more beams came out of nowhere and made contact with each other. Two red and two blue. The process of creation had slowed down with the increase in the number of colored beams. But the figure was the same, and unfortunately, so was the result. The explosion came out at the same time as the last. More beams came, more blasts shook the room, and more time passed with every turn¡­ 100 years passed, but there was no one to appreciate the efforts of the creator. The numbers of the two different colored beams had risen to over ten thousand combined. Soon, cracks began originating from the white walls as well. A black slimy liquid came out of the cracks as if the walls were bleeding. The red room shook, chunks of walls fell into the blood puddle, gathering after each fleshly explosion, along with the slimy black liquid. Just as the time came for this figure to explode, the beams didn''t fade away but went inside this hideous red-black puddle. With an unseen ferocity, it condensed, forming a nail-sized object in no time. More solid than a liquid, but not solid enough either. All the laser beams fumed with exhaustion and pushed the queer object into the figure''s chest. Cracks appeared on the boy''s figure, and the time of the explosion had come and gone. The cracks kept appearing and disappearing, and the object embedded in the figure''s chest kept losing its size. The beams could take it no longer and disappeared, with no sign of coming back. The room had regained its whiteness, but the cracks in its walls stood out. The price had been paid. When the object had all but vanished in the boy¡¯s chest, the widening cracks on his body paused. Then they started to close up. The bones mended, the flesh sewed, and fresh skin formed. When the last crack over his chest was getting closed, a grain-sized thing could be seen churning just right of the figure''s heart. Whatever the object had meant to do, it did it wonderfully and¡­ survived. Finally, the figure was complete. A wave of freshness filled the room. It was like a sudden gust of wind, which comes and goes as it pleases. It engulfed the figure, filling its lungs, and all the organs, veins, and every other part of the body. The chest rose and fell. Once more. Kai¡¯s eyes snapped open, his pupils narrowing from the sudden whiteness. He had to blink several times to not get overwhelmed by the blinding color. What is this? Where am I? I¡­ Didn''t I die? Questions bombarded Kai''s mind. The moment he realized he could think, his eyes went down to his body. He was shocked. There were no injuries and only a phantom pain squirmed in his chest. Kai touched his chest, and the last scene of his death came back to him. Suddenly, his mind spun, and he snapped his head left, right, and back. But aside from the white walls, he could find nothing. He isn''t here, Kai told himself. He is dead. "Hello," Kai could do nothing but say out his thoughts aloud. "Is anyone¡­" As if waiting for him to say something, a reply came to him. ¡­ [[Welcome to the Primordial Tower, Kai Stormborn.]] ¡­ The voices echoed within the room, for voices they were. Kai could distinctly hear two different voices saying the same sentence. The strange thing was that he didn''t find it odd. It seemed perfectly natural for these voices to be together, as if they were meant to be like this. "Who is this?" Kai shouted, now warily. "Where am I?" Trust was a word Kai had erased from his mind long ago. He certainly had died. But the condition of his body told a different tale. He had revived, in a condition he could scarcely remember himself to ever in the last two years. All the more reason to be cautious, Kai told himself. Is it the fabled Resurrection? Kai waited, remembering what he could about a senseless topic he had never cared about, and the voices replied. ¡­ [[Kai Stormborn, you have been found worthy to be a Contestant of the Primordial Tower.]] ¡­ Worthy? Kai already doubted whatever was coming next. He had heard such tones and words many times. ¡­ [[ The Primordial Tower is a battlefield where Contestants put their lives on the line to use the benefits of the Systems. It is also the means to gain unmeasurable power and strength. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. In Primordial Tower, either you die a cruel death or get to live and become an overlord. There are only two paths and it will be YOU who will decide which path to choose. ]] ¡­ Two paths, Kai wondered if it was really so. But he restrained himself from voicing out his doubts. "System? Unmeasurable Power? I don''t understand any of it," Kai said. The big words sounded cool to him, and the prospects of gaining power which solely belonged to him were mouth-watering. But Kai had learned that every rise in strength comes with a price. What price will I have to pay this time? Kai remembered his life and asked himself. As if answering his thoughts, the space in front of him twisted and a hologram appeared. It was an immense tower, more like a spire than a cylinder. It hovered there, rotating on its axis, shining brilliantly in red and blue like an exquisite gemstone. Kai couldn''t take his eyes off it. Something about it made him uneasy, but not in a bad way. The feeling leaned more towards the expectancy than the fear of the unknown. ¡­ [[ The Primordial Tower has 7 sets of 3 floors each and every 3rd floor is a roadblock filtering out the worthless. The Contestants of the two Systems battle each other on each floor from time to time. Contestants can gain Mission Credits for completing a Mission and Attribute Points to increase their strength along with many Skills and Items in the Random Worlds. If the mission is not completed in the specified time limit, then the Contestant will be judged unworthy. ]] ¡­ Kai needed not to be told what the voices meant by the word judged. From the example and the emphasis on the Random World, Kai could tell that the only way to become stronger was to complete the missions. The battle within the tower was nothing but the price for that power. A world where strong becomes stronger, and weak becomes weaker, Kai thought, his expectancy turning in elation. I like it. He didn''t understand the idea of Random Worlds, and Credits and Attribute Points, but he was sure when it came to killing, he could hold his own no matter where he was to go. When he was young, Kai had believed knowledge was supreme. Seeing his mother and father, whose face he didn''t even remember, surrounded by people with happy faces, he could see himself as a scientist then. But the coming years had brought him to reality. Those who only seek knowledge will be slaughtered like animals, Kai told himself. What I need now is Absolute Power to serve as the backbone for my knowledge. Kai looked at the tower, like a precious treasure made only for him, when he noticed something odd. 7 sets of 3 floors each, he counted, but there are 22 floors on it. Before Kai could ask about the 22nd floor, the voices spoke again. ¡­ [[ All Contestants are divided among the two Systems of the Primordial Tower. Now you must choose, to which System you will give the authority to judge you, Kai Stormborn. Chaos or Order. ]] ¡­ Chaos or Order, Kai dared not answer. He had seen Order in his last 2 years of life when his eyes and ears weren''t clouded. What looked orderly was actually rotten from within. He had also tasted Chaos, a flavor of blood. One drop in the mouth, and one can forget to ever get rid of that sensation. That taste grew over you, consuming senses and thoughts alike. Kai wanted no more lifelong enemies. He only had one, and he had already killed him, blasting him to pieces alongside himself. ¡­ [[ All worlds, imagined or real, consist of both order and chaos. Order, as the name suggests, assign missions that are in the favor of balance. Chaos prefers imbalance. The direct battles of the Tower''s floors are the manifestation of the indirect struggles within the Random Worlds outside it. Aside from their inherent nature, both Systems work identically. They don''t do favorites, neither do they know mercy. In the end, those who are unworthy will be judged the same. ]] ¡­ Balance doesn''t mean good or evil, Kai reflected. He did not care about it either, but the lack of data given by the voices troubled him. He knew there was more to it than what was told to him. I just don''t know what to ask. The voices continued, uncaring of Kai''s furrowing brows. ¡­ [[ Before your first transfer to the Primordial Tower, you must undergo an Initiation Mission. By selecting one of the two missions that will be given to you, you can submit your choice. The Initiation Mission is to make you familiarize yourself with your Stats, Abilities, Skills, and general working of future missions. The difficulty setting will be the lowest, and your pain factor will be reduced for free this one time. If you complete the mission within the time limit, then you will be transferred to the Tower, otherwise, your existence will be erased. ]] ¡­ Cruel and blunt, Kai noticed. Now it feels more natural. The towering hologram disappeared, and rows of dull gray-colored words materialized in front of Kai. Kai couldn''t tell if the words had appeared in his eyes or in the room''s space. Seeing these words, he even doubted if the hologram of the Tower was real or not. ¡­ [ Mission: Assist Thunder Faction in saving the life of Beedle the Bard Mission Summary: Mr. Beedle has completed the book which can alter the course of the future. The book, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, is an anthology telling many strange stories. It is written in the runic alphabet and enchanted so that none other than the wizard himself can read and make sense of its contents. If he were to die before delivering the book in safe hands, the book will very well rot away without revealing its secrets. Because of the power of Magic, Mr. Beedle must hand over the book personally. The Thunder Faction is tasked to provide a safe passage to the wizard. Mission Objective: You will be a guard in the unit, where the Captain of the Guard will give you certain tasks which may be counted as part of this mission. Mission Time Limit: 48 hrs Mission Grade: E- Note:
  1. A Mission Grade can differ from Contestant to Contestant even if they are in the same Random World.
  2. A Contestant¡¯s Mission Grade can differ from the Overall Grade of a Random World
] ¡­ Kai stared at the sentences, reading them over once. The mission seemed simple, the details even simpler. But that hadn''t made him doubt what he was reading. Beedle the Bard? The Tales of Beedle the Bard? These words were strange to Kai. The words in Kai¡¯s eyes faded and a new notification appeared, shining dull gray, but with an unseen ferocity. ¡­ [ Mission: Kill a Thunder Faction''s guard assigned in saving the life of Beedle the Bard Mission: Assist Thunder Faction in saving the life of Beedle the Bard Mission Summary: Mr. Beedle has completed the book which can alter the course of the future. The book, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, is an anthology telling many strange stories. It is written in the runic alphabet and enchanted so that none other than the wizard himself can read and make sense of its contents. If he were to die before delivering the book in safe hands, the book will very well rot away without revealing its secrets. Because of the power of Magic, Mr. Beedle must hand over the book personally. The Thunder Faction is tasked to provide a safe passage to the wizard. Mission Objective: You must kill at least one guard assigned personally for the safety of Mr. Beedle to loosen their defense. Mission Time Limit: 48 hrs Mission Grade: E- ] ¡­ This left a bitter taste in Kai''s mouth. But there was one more pressing question. Which one is issued by the Order, and which one by the Chaos? Chapter 4: Chaos or Order – The 1st Random World! (2) Kai was in a conundrum. For all he knew, killing could restore Order, as much as saving, like a flutter of butterfly wings could cause Chaos. What to do now? Kai asked himself. Just as he finished reading the notifications, the vanished mission returned by its side. Both missions flashed, luring his eyes towards them, like the bait of a wild beast, and Kai dared not bet his future on a wild guess. This choice would dictate his future; his end if he were to be wrong. Kai closed his eyes. Scenes after scenes raced by his mind, like a blurry photo reel. Most of it was blood and pain. The rest was claimed by unending screams, and hidden in the gaps were events of Kai trying to deceive others, using them, manipulating them. I am a loner, yes, but without the people surrounding me, I am not truly alone, Kai realized. Only when there is Order, there can be Chaos. Kai''s eyes opened, the doubts were gone, hesitations, if any, erased. He knew what his choice was, or he had always known what it would be. "I choose to assist Thunder Faction in saving the life of Beedle the Bard." As soon as he spoke, the mission to kill faded, diffusing into the room''s space, leaving behind its counterpart to take the center-stage. Kai waited for more words to appear to show the results of his well-thought choice. But dizziness hit him sooner than that, rocking his mind to the gates of darkness. * * When vision returned to him, he found himself in a small room. He was laying still on a bed and the roof above was soggy wood. Then the smell hit him, damp and a touch of rot mixed in. Kai sat up and noticed there were clothes on him, unlike before. A short coat over loose pants. They were old, just by the appearance, and torn from the seams. Servant? Kai passively guessed. He stood up and looked around. There weren''t many things in the room. Including the bed, there was a table, a stool, and a closet, its handle all gone leaving a wooden stump. With brisk steps, Kai stepped to the table. A few yellowish papers were laid there, their texture felt like rough flaky skin when Kai touched it. Parchments, he recognized. Kai had read about them in one of his home lessons. Besides the parchments was a bottle of black ink, a cork dug deep in its mouth. Placed behind the ink-bottle was a quill, its nib blackened, and red-brownish feathers at the other end. Now what? Kai thought. The quill answered his thoughts. It lifted by itself. The cork over the ink-bottle popped out gently. As the quill dipped its nib in the mass of liquid blackness, a parchment left its restive post and hovered at Kai''s eye level over the table. Magic! Kai''s eyes shone with an unmatched brightness. Even in his previous world, there was only technology and death. All strange things had only one origin, Oxycron, the virus. If there was anything worthy to call magic in his world, then that was harnessing the blood essence of a beast. Kai straightened his back and eyed the quill kissing the parchment. Held by a force, he knew nothing about, it wrote in beautiful cursive writing: [ The history of Magic is as old as the time itself for some; even longer for others. It is everywhere, and yet only a few are worthy to see its wonders. To some, it remains elusive; to some, it grants power more than a man could ever need. Books aren''t enough to cover everything about it, only enough to amaze the feeble minds of readers. This is a world of magic, wonders, dreams, and desires that can either make you the brightest soul or can show you darkness, where even light is afraid to reach. 15th century AD, magic is booming, old myths are dying, and magical technology is advancing like never. But throughout history, Change has been resisted by people. Few look favorably to see Magic growing more than it already has. Mr. Beedle, one of the many wizards, is caught between these two extremes. Chaos welcomes you, Kai Stormborn - Help Mr. Beedle to spread his tales throughout the Magical World of Harry Potter. ] ¡­ So it is Chaos, Kai noted, ignoring the unfamiliar words like Harry Potter for now. Kai was happy with either of the two Systems, if he was being honest. Only power mattered. The Quill left the parchment, its nib trailing dry lines on the rough texture. A quick dip in the ink-bottle, and it was back on its task. ¡­ [ You are to be mindful of the following things from now on in all the Random Worlds:
  1. You must reveal nothing about the Systems or the Primordial Tower to any character within the Random World
  2. A Main Mission is subdivided into many Side Missions. To score a 100% clear rate, you must complete all the Side Missions. The Side Missions will give individual rewards, and the clear rate of the Main Mission will decide your overall rewards
  3. Hidden Missions can be triggered anytime during your stay in the Random World. Like the Side Missions, you need to do certain tasks or interact with certain in-world Characters to trigger them. The Grade of Hidden Missions is, generally, higher than your Main Mission¡¯s
  4. Your body stats are digitized from now on. You can access your stats by thinking or saying Status
  5. A storing space of 1 cubic meter and a weight limit of 1000 kg is accessible to all Contestants. You can access the space by thinking or saying Inventory. The space and weight limit can be increased using Mission Credits or as an effect of certain Titles, Skills, etc.
  6. Once your HP (Health Points) becomes 0, you will die. Once your MP (Mana Points) becomes 0, you will pass out. Once your SP (Spiritual Points) becomes 0, your soul will be damaged
  7. You can obtain Loot by killing Contestants of Order in Random Worlds
Note:
  1. You can decide to not accept any of the Side Missions. In that case, completing the Main Mission will be counted as passed with the lowest clear rate
  2. You can decide to not accept the Hidden Mission. Once accepted, the time limit will be adjusted accordingly
  3. Only Items with stats can be stored in Inventory
] Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡­ The quill had left the parchment, giving Kai enough time to read the notification many times over. So I can''t know about the Side Missions and the Hidden Missions beforehand, Kai thought with a grimace on his face. Troublesome indeed. What really caught his eyes, though, was the word - Loot. Not waiting any longer, Kai called out, "Status." A dull-gray colored notification window appeared right into Kai¡¯s eyes. ¡­ [ Status of Contestant: Kai Stormborn Code Name: Not Set System: Chaos Main Mission World: Harry Potter Main Mission Status: On hold Mission Time Limit: 48 hrs Mission Grade: E- Equipped Title: Not Applicable Mission Credits: 0 HP: 100 MP: 70 SP: 60 Active Attributes- Strength: 12 Agility: 14 Stamina: 10 Perception: 12 Correspondence: 7 Breath: 6 Passive Attributes- Charisma: 20 Luck: 2 Worth: 100 Abilities-
  1. Elementary Slither Footsteps (Proficiency 27%)
  2. Elementary Twin-Saber Style (Proficiency 35%)
Skills- Not Applicable Glitch- Blood Devour (hibernating) Items- Not Applicable Pain Factor: 0.5 (Beginner''s Benefit) Inventory: 1 Cubic Meter-1000 kg ¡­ Note:
  1. Your Stamina is a measure of your Life Essence and dictates HP
  2. Your Correspondence is a measure of your Magical Affinity and dictates MP
  3. Your Breath is a measure of your Spiritual Affinity and dictates SP
  4. A Pain Factor of 0.5 means 50% reduction in Contestant¡¯s pain stemming from physical sources only
] ¡­ Kai didn''t know much. Even then he could tell something was disastrously wrong with his Luck and Worth. Then there was this Glitch, Blood Devour. Without considering Kai¡¯s doubts, the quill scratched the parchment again. ¡­ [ Contestants can allot Attribute Points to Active Attributes only. You can know more about your Stats using Mission Credits or from other Contestants. Once you leave this room, a timer of 48 hours will be turned on. You must complete your Main Mission within the time limit. ] ¡­ Everything revolves around these Mission Credits, Kai reflected. The quill went for a quick splash and came back. ¡­ [ A one-time service of allotting a Code Name is available to all Contestants. This Code Name will be visible to all Contestants, in the Primordial Tower and the Random Worlds, during certain scenarios. Set your Code Name¡­ ] ¡­ A Code Name¡­ Kai took a deep breath. All the experiences of his previous life flashed by his mind. How the people cursed him, calling him Blood Demon¡­ How they framed him as a Murderer¡­ How they labeled him as a Monster¡­ Then Kai remembered the one being who had made it possible for him to exact his revenge. The beast who had sacrificed itself to be a part of him, granting him strength and identity. ¡°Call me¡­¡± The image of a huge serpent with slitted eyes bubbled in Kai¡¯s thoughts. ¡°¡­ Red.¡± A tussle of parchments arrested his attention. Once more, the quill lifted and scribbled all the details Kai had already seen before in the White Room - The Main Mission, its Summary, Objective, Time Limit, and Grade. The moment quill finished its task, it fell lifeless away from the parchments. A notification flashed dull-gray in Kai¡¯s eyes right away. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have triggered a Side Mission ¡­ Main Mission: Assist Thunder Faction in saving the life of Beedle the Bard Side Mission: Hand over the Proof Letter to the Captain of Guard Side Mission Summary: The Captain of Guard will have many guards serving under him. As it is impossible to see other Contestants Stats, you must provide a Proof Letter to him to prove your allegiance to Chaos Side Mission Objective: Acceptance of your Proof Letter Side Mission Time Limit: Not Applicable ¡­ Do you accept the side-mission? ] ¡­ ¡°Yes.¡± Kai grabbed the Proof Letter and walked out of the room. ¡­ [Main Mission Timer is triggered.] ¡­ The notification flashed twice before disappearing. The wooden floor creaked under Kai''s feet as he stepped down the stairs. First, it was the stinging smoke, then came the powerful smell of alcohol, both hit his nose unwantedly. They were closely followed by a cacophony creeping up in his ears from downwards. Down the stairs, with every next step he took, the noises became louder but distinct. ¡°The Wizard''s Council is at it again! I tell you¡­¡± ¡°I thank Late Ms. Ignatia Wildsmith every day. How in God''s name wizards used to commute before¡­¡± ¡°Go on! Don''t dawdle here, yeah, I am speaking to you¡­¡± A push shoved Kai down the stairs, and a plump man crossed him from behind, giving him a disgusting look. It was then their eyes matched. The plump man stopped and the disgusting look on his face all but vanished. Touching his hat, he gave an apologetic smile to Kai and then walked away. What¡­ was that? The stark contrast between the expressions on man¡¯s face before and after looking at him shocked Kai. ¡°It¡¯s your Charisma.¡± A voice crawled up the stairs. Kai¡¯s gaze followed the voice to its source. It was a black-hooded man, with a black-white stubble on his chin and a bald upper lip. Even though there was a cloak around him, Kai could tell the man was big, both in height and weight, just short of being called fat. The man turned around and began walking toward the main door of the inn as Kai stepped down, almost forcing him to follow. ¡°Charisma is not only a face-card value, but it influences a Contestant¡¯s interactions with the in-world Characters, too,¡± he continued. ¡°It also dictates how the in-world Characters will perceive a Contestant in different scenarios.¡± The System had informed Kai about the Captain of Guard. So it didn¡¯t come as a surprise to Kai that either the Captain of Guard had come himself or had sent another guard to receive him. ¡°Got me?¡± the man asked, his head twisting left and right warily as they walked out of the inn. ¡°What¡¯s there to get?¡± Kai shrugged. ¡°I am handsome. I know it.¡± The man suddenly paused, making Kai almost bump into him. Mechanically, he turned around and stared at Kai with a stunned expression in his brown eyes. ¡°Hahaha!¡± he suddenly broke out with a feat of laughter. ¡°Whoa! A newbie with a sense of humor?! How did you die? Rolled over the bed or something?! Hahaha!!¡± When Kai didn¡¯t reply, the man continued the walk through the alley, pitter-patter of rain buzzing in their ears. ¡°Name¡¯s Desmond,¡± the man introduced himself, taking a right turn. Kai kept following the man, his eyes darting around, trying to find the barest hint of any trap. After a few minutes, Desmond stopped. ¡°We are here.¡± It was a small hut, Kai observed. The trail of smoke coming out of its low chimney was thin and blurry under the drizzle. ¡°You have been trying too hard, you know,¡± Desmond said, knocking the hut¡¯s door rhythmically. ¡°Haha! Never heard of Harry Potter, have you?¡± Kai¡¯s hazel pupils narrowed. The hut¡¯s door opened with a creak. ¡°An advice¡­¡± Desmond smiled as he stepped in and said, ¡°Forget everything you have learned before dying. It won''t be of much use here.¡± Kai tried to follow Desmond, but his steps faltered involuntarily, an incredible expression surfacing on his face. What the¡­ Chapter 5: Awakening Glitch – Blood Devour! (1) Kai couldn¡¯t believe it. The hut, which looked like it could fall with a slight shake of wind, was even bigger than the Inn''s ground floor he had left behind. A hall, draped beds, closets full of books, and the blazing hearth. It was like stepping into whole another world. It was more mystical than anything Kai had ever seen in his previous life. It was¡­ Magic¡­ The word bubbled in Kai¡¯s heart, stirring the old, buried strings of a youth he had never experienced. ¡°Come here.¡± A commanding tone reached Kai''s ears. He took his eyes off the things and focused on the people. In the middle of the hall, surrounding a big round table, were three people. Desmond¡¯s hood had fallen back, letting others see his short black hairs. A few white patches lingered on his head as a sign of age. Kai approached the table, searching for an exit, but couldn''t find one. The door behind him had shut the moment he had walked into the supposedly small hut. A dangerous place, Kai concluded. In the middle, there was man, leaner and younger than Desmond. Clean shaved, he had shoulder-length blue hair, and his head was down, looking at the map. The third one was a woman, taller than both men. ¡°He is¡­ uh?¡± Desmond stuttered. ¡°Don''t tell me you haven''t even asked his name?!¡± the woman asked, shocked. ¡°It doesn''t matter, Sonia.¡± The same commanding tone came out from the middle. The blue-haired man struggled to take his eyes off the map, but he won the battle in the end. His eyes were blue, too. "Let me do the honors, Captain." Desmond stepped out, his face already red from the intense stare of the woman. "You know me, right? She is Sonia, and we both are from the 2nd Floor. Shae, the one glued to the books over there, is another newbie. Then there is Simon, from the 1st Floor. He is in the basement, guarding You-Know-Who." There is even a basement, Kai thought, feeling more amazed the more he got to know about it. ¡°You seriously have the gall to make jokes, Desmond,¡± Sonia rebuked. ¡°Oh, come on, that would have floored him if he knew what I was talking about.¡± Desmond felt wronged and shrugged at Sonia. ¡°You mean¡­¡± Sonia gasped. ¡°A newbie who knows nothing about this world¡­¡± the man muttered with a brilliant shine in his eyes. He looked Kai up and down, and smiled. ¡°I am Arlen Willey, Captain of Guard of the Thunder Faction.¡± Kai matched Arlen¡¯s gaze. ¡°Red.¡± Shae approached them from the other corner. Her hands were wrapped around a thick book, her hair was blond, and hidden behind her glasses were ebony-colored pupils. Kai noticed how Arlen kept looking at Shae as she came. His pupils narrowed. A weakness. These were all killers, according to the rules of the Primordial Tower. Kai felt he had to up his game if he wanted them to dance on his fingers. ¡°Go on then, hand over the letter,¡± Arlen demanded, looking away from Shae reluctantly. The casual atmosphere suddenly turned sharp. Even Desmond''s cheery attitude vanished at the mention of the letter. Sonia walked away from the table, and Kai found her stopping on his right. Shae was already on his left, backed up by Desmond. I am surrounded, Kai observed. With a flick of his wrist, Kai thew the Proof Letter toward Arlen, who caught it midair. Under the heavy silence, Arlen went through the letter, his blue eyes shifting left and right. Suddenly, his calm expression stirred, his face distorting in absolute rage. ¡°Apprehend him!¡± The Captain of Guard ordered menacingly. What¡­ Kai raised his eyebrows, every inch of his muscles entering the battle mode. Before he could get an explanation, Sonia was upon him. Kai had seen she was tall, but when her kick came, aimed at his head, she felt even taller. He ducked, moving to his left. The kick missed but followed his head. It had come fast, and now it was faster. The hair on Kai''s neck stood up, knowing the damage this kick would do if it were to land. He didn''t know what to do. But his body did, the muscle memories kicking in at last. Kai¡¯s toes applied a burst of force at their tip, and his legs slid like tracing the track of a snake, slithering and undulating as if they were on the sand. The kick landed on the floor with a bang, but Kai had dodged it, shifting to his left again in one smooth motion. Sonia was shocked. No way he just dodged all that! She was a 2nd Floor¡¯s Contestant, where Red was nothing but a newbie. Shae stepped back, keeping herself away from the fight. Desmond frowned, thinking the same. However, Arlen¡¯s eyes lit up, picking up the not-so-obvious detail. ¡°Humph!¡± Sonia snorted. She spun, kicking the floor, and sent kicks after kicks at Kai. Head, legs, hands, and stomach, her slim and large legs covered all. Her loose long pants couldn''t hinder her movements at all. It was just¡­ she couldn''t touch Kai. By the width of a hair, Kai dodged her kicks, sliding his legs on the floor in a slithering motion. He wasn''t even controlling them as this sliding motion was encoded in his muscles and bones. ¡°Grit your teeth, kid,¡± Desmond suggested. Suddenly, a heavy, nauseating feeling overtook Kai, almost making him vomit if he hadn''t gulped it down back. He looked at Desmond and noticed the light golden hue churning in his brown eyes. What''s this?! Kai was struggling to bury that deep nausea inside him, but Sonia didn''t wait to follow up on Desmond''s assistance. She sent a roundhouse kick at Kai''s chest, too fast to dodge. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Shockingly, Kai didn''t even try to move out of the way. He had been waiting for it all along. Sonia¡¯s kick landed right where he wanted. A trace of blood trickled from Kai''s mouth as he was sent flying backward. ¡°Sonia! This was not¡­¡± Desmond roared, but couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. What happened next left them all flabbergasted. Kai rolled on the floor, and just as he approached Shae, he jumped to his feet with unbelievable nimbleness. Shae was still petrified from the events when Kai lunged at her, climbed on her back, and wrapped his legs around her waist. Simultaneously, his hand went to his back and pulled out a knife hidden above his hips under the short coat. It looked like this wasn''t the first time he was doing something like that. The sequence of motion was too smooth. ¡°Ahh!¡± Shae cried, finding the knife¡¯s edge at her throat. Kai felt the slight tremors in his body as Shae trembled, but it didn''t prevent him from tearing the skin over her throat to give the knife a touch of blood. Ignoring Desmond and Sonia, Kai eyed Arlen and¡­ the wooden stick in his hand. The hair on the back of his neck stood up. He had already lost 20 HP, but the threat buzzing off from the wooden stick surpassed all nauseating feelings. ¡°Let her go,¡± Arlen said slowly, the wooden stick in his hand trembling. ¡°Huh!¡± Kai snickered. ¡°You guys attacked me for no reason, and now you think I would just let her go?¡± ¡°Arlen¡­ Captain, the kid¡¯s right.¡± Desmond stepped forward, eying Kai strangely. ¡°Sorry for testing you like this, Red,¡± he told Kai, sharing a glance with Sonia. ¡°Every small step and decision in this world can cause death¡­ and bring doom upon all members. We couldn¡¯t just let anyone be a part of the Team. We just wanted to make sure you can handle yourself or not. But¡­ things got out of hands¡­¡± ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± Sonia chimed in. ¡°Hey! Do you¡­ have an Elementary Ability?¡± ¡°Of course, he has!¡± Arlen barked, sounding angry, surprised, and greedy simultaneously. Desmond had his doubts, but now he gulped. ¡°Red,¡± he said, his breath pausing, ¡°wha¡­ what¡¯s your Worth?¡± Kai narrowed his eyes even further. He didn¡¯t tell them about having not one but two Abilities. Instead, he saw a chance to know more about this Worth which stood out among his Stats. ¡°Around 10,¡± he replied vaguely, keeping the value close to his Active Attributes. However, even with this value, Desmond¡¯s jaw dropped and Sonia¡¯s lips paled. Arlen¡¯s pupils shook, his grip on the wooden stick loosening. ¡°Damn it!¡± he tsked. ¡°What a headache! OK, I accept your proof letter. Let her go now.¡± As soon as Arlen said the words, a notification appeared in front of Kai. [ Side Mission: Hand over the Proof Letter to the Captain of Guard Side Mission Status: Success Side Mission Rewards: 50 Mission Credits ] * * Kai vomited¡­ for the third time. So this is a soul attack, effecting my SP, Kai reflected. Desmond had already apologetically told him about it. The sudden turn of events, and drastic changes in others¡¯ behavior around him, had made Kai see his Worth Attribute in a new light. He''d rather not think about what could have happened if he had uttered a bigger number. It would have been my doom! What else? Kai answered himself, remembering the greed in Arlen¡¯s eyes. He vomited again. ¡°Here, drink this,¡± Sonia approached him and threw a leather water pouch with a stopper at its mouth. ¡°And now we are even.¡± Even? The demon within Kai smirked murderously. There will come a time¡­ when I will let you know there''s no such word. Kai caught the water pouch, and a notification popped up above it. ¡­ [ Item: Sellsword''s Water Pouch Grade: Common Specification: Spring water mixed with rare herbs and spices. Capacity - 600 ml Requirement: HP > 0, SP > 0 Attributes: Not Applicable Skill: Not Applicable Effect: HP (+ 5) per 100 ml Quality: 70% ] ¡­ This was the first time Kai had held an Item. He could feel a strange aura coming off it as if it didn''t belong to him. Kai threw open the stopper and gulped down two big mouthfuls of the water. The moment it went down his throat, Kai felt a burning feeling in his stomach. In the next moment, the feeling spread through his entire body like fire. Kai¡¯s HP restored to its actual value within seconds. Impressive! ¡°Don''t mind her, she''s like that,¡± Desmond said, smiling and nearing Kai and Sonia. ¡°You two know each other?¡± Kai had noticed Desmond''s familiarity with the tall woman. Desmond smiled wryly and winked. Sonia rolled her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s this all about Worth?¡± Kai asked, handing over the Water Pouch. He¡¯d rather not remain in dark about his own Stats, especially after seeing Arlen¡¯s reaction. ¡°What¡¯s it got to do with having Abilities?¡± Sonia sighed, taking the Item. ¡°I should have realized that was an Elementary Ability the first time you had dodged my kick.¡± Desmond licked his lips. ¡°Worth is the trickiest Attribute,¡± he whispered, forcing the distant Shae to come closer to listen. ¡°Some call it The Tower''s Judgment, some System''s Wrath.¡± Sonia nodded. ¡°Abilities are the hardest to obtain in the Primordial Tower, because they are much more innate to a Contestant,¡± she added. ¡°If you have a high initial Worth after resurrection, then the chances of you having an Ability from the get go also rises. ¡°Moreover, the higher the initial Worth, the higher it will rise. There is no proof, but its theorized that Worth also affect a mission¡¯s progression and results. So, having a Contestant with high Worth in your team is a bonus no one would deny.¡± Ah! Kai nodded to himself. So that¡¯s why Arlen didn¡¯t act on his anger even when I was climbing his bitch! ¡°Get this¡­¡± Desmond said, smiling, ¡°¡­ me and Sonia are 2nd Floor Contestants, but our Worth is still 1. Arlen over there is a 3rd Floor Contestant, and his Worth cannot be greater than 3. Believe me. Not only that, if you can obtain more than 5 Attribute Points in your Worth within the 1st Set, then you will be called the luckiest Contestant.¡± Kai¡¯s pupils trembled. I¡­ must¡­ never¡­ reveal my actual Worth to anyone, he promised himself. ¡°Move aside,¡± Arlen said, putting himself between Kai and Shae. He threw a map between them and took out the wooden stick. Wand¡­ Kai called out the name, noticing the hate hidden behind Arlen¡¯s words. Desmond had already told him about the basics of this Random World and the magical tool used by the wizards and witches here. Kai saw the map. Two dots were shimmering over it, far from each other. The names of places were fluttering like flags in a storm, and tiny magical beasts were roaring, flying, and jumping, signaling their presence here and there. ¡°We have come here two days before you newbies,¡± Arlen said. ¡°Now we must take Mr. Beedle from our current location to here.¡± He pointed a red dot on the map, with the name Dufftown hovering over it, shining menacingly under its hue. ¡°So we are in London,¡± Kai said, looking at the blue dot. The distance was too far, and it didn''t seem to him they had the means to cover it in 48 hrs. ¡°How are we supposed to go there in such a short time?¡± ¡°That''s why we were waiting for you and Shae,¡± Desmond said, standing behind Sonia. ¡°We will need¡­ Broomsticks.¡± Kai saw Arlen mumbling something inaudible and suddenly a dull-gray colored notification appeared in front of his eyes. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have triggered a Side Mission ¡­ Main Mission: Assist Thunder Faction in saving the life of Beedle the Bard Side Mission: Assist Contestant Desmond in stealing a Broomstick Side Mission Summary: The distance between London and Dufftown is long and treacherous if covered by ground. The only sure way is to use Broomsticks and travel through the air. You must secure enough broomsticks to escort Mr. Beedle with Thunder Faction''s full strength. Side Mission Objective: Secure at least one Broomstick Side Mission Time Limit: Not Applicable ¡­ Do you accept the Side Mission? ] Chapter 6: Awakening Glitch – Blood Devour! (2) Kai followed Desmond as they traced the moonlight, walking with buried steps along the walls. "So the danger I picked up from Arlen was because of Perception?" Arlen had sent Shae with Sonia, but the Side Missions they had gotten were the same. Desmond nodded, his head shifting left and right. "Perception reflects all your senses," he told Kai. "It allows you to sense other¡¯s presence, their intentions, and dangers. The higher the danger, the quicker Perception will pick it up. "But it''s also a double-edged sword. The higher the gap between you and the other Contestant, the higher will be the chances for Perception to fail. If your attacker has an overwhelming advantage over you in Perception Attribute alone, he, or she, can easily trick you." Kai hunched in Desmond''s shadow, pondering over the consequences of having an advantage in Perception. "It took us an entire day to figure out where to get the broomsticks," Desmond said under his breath. "If it weren''t for Mr. Beedle, we wouldn''t have even gotten one." Kai had yet to even see Mr. Beedle. Arlen had forbidden anyone even stepping towards the basement. Arlen''s mission differed from even Desmond and Sonia''s, Kai had presumed. "Why can''t Mr. Beedle just Apparate to Dufftown?" Kai asked. Desmond had told him it was some kind of teleportation magic. "The man''s a Wizard," Desmond replied, using the nickname they had given him, "but I have never seen such a coward in my entire life. He fears getting splinched, and worse, he fears leaving that book of his behind. Let me not think of what dangers will be awaiting him in Dufftown. Arlen said there will be Contestants from the 4th to 6th floor there." Kai had felt the strength behind Sonia''s kick. He still remembered the pain, even after the Pain Factor had reduced it in half. And she''s from the 2nd floor, Kai reflected. How much stronger a Contestant from the 4th floor would be? "Where did you get the knife anyway?" Desmond asked. "I swear I had my eyes on you. You didn¡¯t steal anything." Kai kept quiet, but smirked inwardly. Desmond might have advantage over him as an experienced Contestant, but if someone like him could catch him thieving, then he wouldn¡¯t have been survived even a day in his previous life. Desmond shook his head. "Here," he pointed, taking a sharp turn into a dark alley. The walls on both sides successfully hid the moonlight, darkening whatever lay ahead. "Stand back." Kai put his back against the wall and took out the knife he had stolen from the inn. None had an Item to spare for him. Desmond looked around a bit before halting against an ordinary metal pipe jutting out of the ground. It was so small and dark that if one wasn''t looking for it, then it was almost impossible to notice it. Desmond gave Kai a look, and then, using all his strength, he pushed the pipe down. Click! A door opened right by Kai''s side, and a ray of light escaped out. Kai could have sworn there were real bricks by his side, but seeing the wooden door, he doubted himself. Kai peered inside and saw many miscellaneous things placed in an orderly and disorderly fashion. There were skeletons, animals'' organs, strange instruments, and colored potions in glass vials. "You heard something?" Desmond whispered. Kai shook his head. Desmond enlarged the opening with deft hands, stopping whenever the door showed signs of creaking. Soon they were inside the room, the wooden door vanishing behind them, turning into a wall. "It''s on the second floor," Desmond said, his head moving from one side to another. "It''s Rickon Piery''s Shop of Hundred Wonders. Don''t ask. I don''t know about the name either. The entrance is there, ten steps ahead on the first right turn. The entire shop is empty for 2 hours. If¡­" Desmond looked directly at Kai, a golden hue already surrounding his pupils. "If anyone comes, dash to the second floor and find me. DON''T ATTACK!" he said the last words, not whispering anymore, and then he walked away, as nimble as a cat. For a man of his size, he sure is swift, Kai thought, seeing Desmond''s disappearing figure. The right turn Desmond had spoken of was behind the stairs leading up the second floor. Left alone, Kai jumped to his feet. The sound left him as if he was just a wind''s sigh. He walked, picking up things, turning them over, and then putting them back, just as they were. Desmond was swift; Kai was swifter. Those who kill in the dark shouldn''t be friends with sound, Kai had learned. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Kai looked at the shelves of potions. A dangerous but mysterious feeling hit him as he thought of approaching them. His eyes shined. If not all, then at least one of these potions was an Item, Kai was sure of it. Kai stepped towards the shelf, his heart throbbing with expectation. Click! The danger shot through the roof out of nowhere. The sound was so loud to Kai''s ears that it felt like a bomb. Kai snapped his head and saw the metal door materializing. Unlike him, whoever was out didn''t need to peer inside before charging through the door. Kai remembered Desmond''s warning and dashed towards the stairs. A hooded figure was already standing there. One more person appeared from behind it. "Kill him," the hooded figure said and dashed up the stairs. "DESMOND!" Kai shouted, and took the left turn with the two other Contestants almost on his back. It was an ambush. I did not hear them coming, the thought shot through Kai''s mind involuntarily. A fist came hurtling at his back, but Kai dodged it easily, sliding his feet on the floor as if there was oil on the ground. It was a long corridor in front of him. Rows of doors were on either side and a single door at the end, blocking the path. In only 20 steps of distance, he would be cornered. They were already here when we had entered, Kai concluded. The man shouted behind him, frustrated by the missed punch. Kai could hear the second man walking leisurely towards their racing figures as if he had all the time in the world. "Just die, idiot," the man said, catching his breath. He was in his twenties, gaunt, but tall. His hands were long, his reach longer. There were greed and anger in his eyes, gleaming like two distinct lamps in a dark alley. A newbie. Kai didn''t take long to guess. Only a newbie would run at him with such greed and without weapons. Kai had noticed a hammer dangling by his waist, but the prospects of completing the Main Mission must have made him lose his rationality. And that made another fact pass by Kai''s mind. He knows I am a newbie too. So what if circumstances had forced Kai to become a killer instead of scientist; a demon instead of a messiah. The cold, calculative reasoning skills were as much a part of him as the muscle memories. "Calm down, Robin," a heavy voice reached Kai and his attacker from afar. "The kid has nowhere to go." Kai had reached the door at the end. He turned and put his back against it, touching the dry wood scratching his skin through the clothes. Robin stopped, too. The second one isn''t a newbie, Kai thought with dismay. A loud noise of something breaking hard against a wall came down from the upper floors through the stairs. The man laughed. His teeth were yellow and his eyes were brown and sharp. There was a thick mustache and a thin beard on his face. His hair was all but gone, his scalp reflecting the little light lingering in the corridor. A longsword appeared in his hand. An Item. "Kyle," Robin said, glancing at the man''s sword. "This is my kill. Don''t interfere." "Haha!" Kyle showed his yellow teeth again, his left hand tracing the sword length. "Don''t worry, I am just here to watch the show." Robin took out his hammer, shaking it fiercely left and right. Kai had no visible weapon on him. He had already hidden the knife the moment he had heard the click. Robin stepped forward. Kai was faster. The hammer wasn''t big, just a little less than the size of a fist, but solid metal. When Robin brought it down, it didn''t look like Kai would survive even a single blow. It touched Kai''s hair, then it passed down effortlessly, almost kissing his neck. The power behind the hammer was so great that it threw Robin off balance and hunched him forward. When the knife appeared in Kai¡¯s hand, it felt nothing short of magic. He threw his legs up, wrapping them around Robin''s waist, making both of them fell on top of each other. Mind-numbing shrieks came out from the dark end of the corridor. A wet sound of something being ripped off, chewed, and spit out. Kyle stood there with his longsword, stunned. Whatever was happening in the dark, whatever he was seeing, must have frightened him to dare not approach. Kai stood up. Blood was on his lips, his clothes, and his knife. There was a body between his legs. Of a man? None could tell, at least by not looking at its face. There was a finger-sized hole in the corpse''s ears as if someone had nailed screws from one end to another. A thick slimy juice mixed with blood was coming out of them. The body didn''t have any lips, its tongue was gone, and its eyes were wide open. Horror, terror, and helplessness, nothing could describe that expression. Kai charged toward Kyle like a bloody wraith. The sight of the corpse must have awakened Kyle''s strength, for he brought the longsword up in defense. Saber, Kai whispered. His knife struck the longsword on its flat as Kyle skillfully parried Kai''s attack. A broken saber, Kai told himself, thinking of his knife. He glided on the floor, his feet making no sound, and his eyes never leaving the sword. The longsword kept coming at him from left, right, top, and straight, trying to pierce a hole in him. Kai was just too slippery. Like a snake, Kai remembered. The sword eyed his shoulder. Kai gave up defending against it, and his leg went for Kyle''s thick leg. Steel entered, cutting everything in its path, but not deep enough. Kai had already tripped the swordsman. Then Kai was upon him. The prey struggled. Kai took his time, the knife doing its work, creating holes all over his prey. One time. Two times¡­ A hundred times, it went in and out. At some point, an eye appeared in Kai''s hand, and his knife was bent beyond repair. The pain hit, then. Kai¡¯s left hand fell, unable to lift itself. He was just too tired. The eye rolled away towards the stairs. Kai saw it stopping beside a pair of feet. It was the same hooded figure, just without the hood. Sunken eyes, long black hairs, and pale skin. Too pale, as if someone had sucked out her life. Kai gave the sword''s hilt a quick pull, blood showering off his shoulder. He pointed it at her, his feet already moving. She pointed a wooden stick at him in reply. A Wand! When her voice entered his ears, it felt magical. "Confringo!" Chapter 7: Awakening Glitch – Blood Devour! (3) [HP regeneration: -30% because of Blood Loss] ¡­ Kai got thrown backward, flying through the corridor like a twig amid a storm. His entire body ached, skin torn, and tiny squirts of blood kept bursting out. It felt to him as if he was blowing up from inside out. He could sense it, the taste of Death. Hard to forget such a taste once experienced before. The door at the end couldn''t stop him either. A creaking boom took over the entire shop as he broke the door and finally landed on the floor. Cough! Cough!! Blood and spit came out in a quick burst of endless coughing. The corridor had been dark, but this room was darker. The pain made Kai shiver, the cold of death creeping over him, trying to take over his mind. I must not close my eyes, Kai swore. He could feel the wetness in his ears, the thick liquid thinning as it ran down his face, reaching his neck. His vision was blurry, but he could see her. The light highlighted her kneeling figure in front of the stairs. She was vomiting. I can''t die here, Kai told himself, struggling for breath, seeing the red HP bar flashing, dwindling like a dying candle''s flame. Hisssss! The sudden familiar sound jerked Kai''s dwindling concentration. There was a time when he understood this sound. Now it was just an animal''s snarl. A snake?! Where? Kai used whatever strength he had left to lift his head and look around. To his left, a tall box of glass was leaning against the wall, and something was slithering in it. An instinct told Kai to approach the cage, urging him to hurry. Kai felt his toes pressing against the floor as he turned towards his left. He pushed, and sometimes he pulled using his chin, crawling over the floor. Blood never stopped abandoning him. He could feel his attacker rising, and he could feel her anger, which was hidden from him before. Time was running out! The notification appeared out of the blue, brightening his eyes with that dull-gray color. ¡­ [ Beast Proximity: 3 meters Glitch Condition matched Contestant Kai Stormborn is qualified to awaken his Glitch Do you want to awaken it now? ] ¡­ Kai mumbled something. It must have been a Yes, for the notification changed. ¡­ [ Calculating Worth¡­ Glitch is now awakened for 30 minutes in this World ¡­ Glitch: Blood Devour Specification:
  1. Devour a beast''s Blood Essence upon contact (Limit: 3 Beasts)
  2. Regenerate HP based on the size of the devoured beast. If HP is full, give a temporary boost in Strength, Agility, and Stamina
  3. Imitate Natural Abilities and Skills of Devoured Beasts (with constraints and requirements)
  4. Only one Blood Essence¡¯s Skills can be used at a time for 30 seconds with a cooldown of 5 minutes
] ¡­ A sudden hotness took over him, originating from his chest. Kai felt as if there was something alive, buried deep there. His blood boiled, and his skin became scalding hot, vaporizing the thin liquid all over his body. The sound of approaching steps came through the door. Kai stood up, injected with this sudden hotness. The burning sensation took over his senses like a drug. The longsword was still in his hand, like a drowning man''s last straw. Kai tightened his grip over it, ignoring the stats hovering above the Item. One quick slash and glass rained down, broken in hundreds of tiny shards. Hisssssss! The beast hissed and lunged. Kai felt dozens of sharp needle-like teeth digging into his neck, and its thick muscles wrapping around his torso, squeezing him, trying to break his ribs. Kai¡­ felt alive. "Blood Devour." The hotness exploded like a volcanic eruption. A crack appeared over his chest, unseen to Kai, and something wriggled inside. It was starving, raving for the beast outside. The snake sensed danger. Too late. A force, unimaginably stronger than the creature, broke it down into tiny pieces until it became a bloody paste and entered Kai''s chest. Only a hissing sigh lingered when Kai opened his eyes. His round hazels had become slits once more. ¡­ [ Blood Essence: Blue-tailed Boa Constrictor (rare non-magical beast) Grade: E Abilities: Elementary Snake Instinct (Proficiency: 10%), Elementary Snake Language (Proficiency: 0%) Skills: Light Neurotoxin (Grade: E-), Heat Sense (Grade: E) ] ¡­ Kai¡¯s sight was occupied by the words as the red HP bar started to refuel. 10, 20, 40¡­ Up to 70. The heinous wound on his shoulder healed first, then the tears of skin vanished, along with the pent-up tiredness. "What¡­ What are you?" A tired voice came from behind. Kai turned and faced the woman, the sword still in his hand. It felt too long for his taste, but it was more like a saber than a dagger. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. She lifted the wand, but Kai disappeared out of her sight, the instinct of a snake taking over his senses. Elementary Snake Instinct! Something moved in the corner. The wand followed. A crunch of broken glass on the opposite, and the witch couldn''t hold on any longer. "Confringo!" Whatever was left of the glass cage got blasted in the dust. The witch paled, her face becoming the color of a rotten lemon. Death slithered down from above. Kai pressed the longsword against her chest. Her skin was tough, but she was weak and defenseless. He looked into her eyes as he kept thrusting the sword into her, slowly, taking his time. Muffled words came out of her mouth with foaming blood. "You¡­ He lied." Kai only replied with a goodbye through his eyes. Blood was seeping out of the witch¡¯s mouth in two distinct trails. Her heart had stopped, but her last words rang, bouncing off the mild darkness. It was as if her ghost was crying a song. Kai took out the sword, slowly. Her blood turned into a puddle, drowning her figure in no time. So, this is Glitch, Kai thought, still drunk in the after-effects of using the Blood Essence. A single non-magical beast has given me two Abilities and two Skills. Kai found it hard to imagine what would happen if he were to devour a magical beast. His eyes returned to their original shape. Kai touched his chest and then noticed his right hand. There was a green-colored tattoo there, spotted with brown patches. It had the shape of the snake he had just devoured. The mouth of the snake was like an arrowhead, coiling around his arm, reaching his elbow. Its tail was blue, ending at the tip of his middle finger. His nail looked devoid of blood, deep blue, bordering violet. Now that he wasn¡¯t actively using the Ability, the tattoo vanished, too. ¡­ [Elementary Slither Footsteps: Proficiency 40% (+13%)] ¡­ This?! Kai remembered this Ability hadn''t changed when he had used it before against Sonia, and the two Order''s Contestants. He couldn''t help but relate this progression to his Elementary Snake Instinct. ¡­ [ You have killed 3 Order''s Contestants ¡­ Congratulations¡­ You now have the option to loot the dead Contestant¡¯s Inventory ] ¡­ A Treasure Chest hologram appeared over the dead witch''s body. Kai looked up and found no such thing on the other disfigured bodies laying in the corridor. A queer feeling rose in his heart, and he snapped his mind towards the woman''s right hand. The wand was gone. Damn it! Kai cursed, finding out what was happening. The yellow-toothed man, Kyle, must have only one Item on him. That''s why it didn''t return to Inventory, but the witch had quite a few. Kai focused on the treasure chest, and another notification appeared. ¡­ [ You can either opt to get a random Item from Contestant''s Inventory Or¡­ You can opt to get a collective value of Mission Credits, calculated based on the dead Contestant''s Worth, her Floor, and her Stats. The choice is yours. ] ¡­ It was Luck that decided the probability of obtaining an Item from Treasure Chest. To be on the safe side this once, and with his heart aching for the lost wand, Kai chose the second option. ¡­ [ Calculating collective remuneration¡­ Reward: +100 Mission Credits ] ¡­ The number soothed Kai''s heart. The Treasure Chest disappeared, and whatever secrets the woman might have hidden there along with it. The notification, though, didn''t give him time to think about anything ... [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have unlocked 1 Title ¡­ Title: Murderer Specification: Kill 10 Contestants in a single Random World. The Contestants must be from the same or higher floor than yours. Status: (3/10) Effect: Perception +2, Worth +1 ¡­ Note: Only 1 Title can be equipped at a time ] ¡­ Seeing the 1 Point increase in Worth, that too temporarily, Kai could see how hard it was to increase it. Kai felt the heaviness of the sword when the flood of notifications had gone dry. A good look at it, and he could see it was dented from many places. Most of the blade''s edge had been blunted from frequent use, but it was still sharp enough for a newbie. Kai¡¯s gaze landed on its stats, then. ¡­ [ Item: Castle Forged Longsword Grade: Common Specification: A sword discarded by Castle''s Apprentice Blacksmith Requirement: Strength 11, Stamina 9 Attributes: Base Damage 25 Points Skill: Not Applicable Effect: Strength +1 Agility - 1 Quality: 60% ] ¡­ Kai gladly put the Item within his Inventory. Then he searched through the woman''s clothes, stripping her naked. Nothing. Kai looked at her face and the events that had happened replayed through his mind. He was sure now that she and Kyle were already here when Desmond and he had come. The only thing out of place was why he couldn''t sense these two''s presence. Then it hit him. Perception, yes, she must have a quite higher Perception than me, Kai analyzed. After half an hour, Kai found himself again in the same dark alley. He looked up and saw the shattered timber of the window. It was dark, and it became darker as Kai kept walking ahead, the moonlight finding it extremely difficult to follow him. A deep sniff. The smell of blood hit Kai''s nose. Someone was there, wounded, and profusely bleeding to give the smell of death to the air. His shoulder was gone. What tissue or strands of muscles were keeping his left hand attached to his body; a profound mystery. "¡­ Water¡­" the dying man muttered. Kai looked in the direction as pointed by Desmond''s right hand. Sellsword''s Water Pouch! Kai could scarcely believe what he was seeing. Why would Sonia give Desmond her Item? Why would anyone part from such a precious life-saving thing? Two different questions, but they had the same answer. Kai picked it up and put the water pouch''s mouth against Desmond''s and let gravity do its work. The entire content got emptied into his stomach in no time. His face flushed. Kai took a deep breath and then scooched over to Desmond''s ear. "Desmond," he whispered, "I have something to tell you." "First¡­ tell me¡­ how are you still alive?" Desmond asked, catching his breath. "I ran," Kai admitted. "The moment that hooded figure darted for you, I ran for the main door." Kai wanted Desmond''s trust. So he needed to tell a good story. "How many were there, aside from her?" Desmond meekly asked. "Her?!" Kai feigned surprise. "There were two. One was a newbie. The other was stronger than Shae but weaker than Sonia." By now, Kai had confirmed that both Desmond and Sonia had gone easy on him during their light fight. Kai remembered the pale appearance of the witch, even though she was completely fine before going up. Desmond shows simple-mindedness, but he is a scary opponent, Kai noted. "He must be from the 1st floor then!" Desmond said, revealing the surprise in his voice. "You killed two of them, single-handedly?" "No, I didn''t kill anyone. I couldn''t kill anyone," Kai replied, not falling for Desmond''s obvious trick. "The stronger one had a longsword Item, I barely survived using my Elementary Ability." Silence took over their conversation then. Kai gave Desmond enough time to toss and turn on the things he had said to him. Anything other than that couldn''t have made any sense, either. Kai could have never killed the two Order''s Contestants, not before facing the injured witch. And she was certain death for Kai. If I didn''t have the Glitch, Kai added. "Sigh," Desmond seemed to have given up on thinking more about it. "So, what were you going to say?" "When we entered the shop, the witch and the guy from the 1st floor were already inside," Kai said coolly. "Impossible!" Desmond almost roared. "We were on time. They couldn''t have come before us unless¡­" Desmond couldn''t complete the sentence, Kai had already said his sentence for him. "Unless they knew we were coming." "How¡­" Desmond whispered, but the words dared not come out. "Only Captain knew of our plan," Kai snared. "And Sonia." "NO." Desmond rejected it with all the force he could muster. "Sonia would never do this." "There you have it then," Kai shrugged. Kai let Desmond mull over things this time. This course of events made much more sense than Kai surviving all three Contestants, including a witch as powerful as Desmond. Moreover, Kai was just a newbie. It wasn''t a status high enough to strike a deal with the enemy. "I will kill him," Desmond said, his teeth grinding almost in powder. Hidden from Desmond¡¯s burning, murderous gaze, Kai let out a demonic smirk. Chapter 8: Magical Acknowledgement and Beedle the Bard It was high noon; the sun enjoying the leisure of the cloudless sky. London''s streets were overcrowded by watchmen. Mixed among the watchmen were strange men, wearing stranger hats and holding wooden sticks. Rickon Piery''s Shop of Hundred Wonders was the center of attention. The talk among the officials was that they had found three bodies there, all badly mangled. The work of a beast. A huge venomous Boa Constrictor, who had escaped the glass cage and had attacked the three thieves. Close to this shop was an ordinary hut. Inside, Arlen was sitting with a heavy frown on his face. Sonia and Shae were sitting near the columns of books, but it was Sonia whose face was blank. Another Contestant had joined them in the vast hall. The Contestant from the 1st floor, Simon. He was around the same age as Desmond but looked older. He was lean, but his back was slightly hunched. His face was full of freckles, and he only had one eye. The moment a rhythmic knock rattled the door, Simon''s right eye was the first to react. Arlen was the second to jump up to his feet, his face gaining an ugly expression. Sonia had almost made a run for it if Arlen hadn''t stopped her by the gesture of his hand. "No one moves," Arlen commanded, taking out the wand. "Simon, stand back." Simon was quick, his feet moving like a pheasant darting around. Arlen flicked the wand at the door, and it swung open with a bam. The two figures didn''t linger outside more than they needed to. They were Kai and Desmond, each holding a Broomstick. "What have you two done?!" Arlen fumed, pointing the wand at them. "Where were you? And what is this mess you have created?" "Captain," Kai addressed gently. "We have no idea what you are talking about." "Yes, Arlen," Desmond nodded, his eyes searching for Sonia. "We just went in and out in a matter of moments. But then many official wizards began appearing around us so we had to hide for some time." None noticed the slight twitch of Desmond''s left shoulder when he moved around. Arlen must have sensed all eyes staring at his pointed wand, feeling his anger, so he put it down. "They found three people dead in the shop," Arlen said. "The wizards and witches from the Wizard''s Council are all over the place. Mr. Beedle is just on the verge of abandoning our service. If you two had come in time, then we would have left this cursed place by now." "What?!" Desmond''s jaw dropped, and he snapped his head towards Kai. ¡°Three corpses?!!¡± Kai''s jaw was dropped too. His mouth was even wider than that of Desmond''s. * * [ Side Mission: Assist Contestant Desmond in stealing a Broomstick Side Mission Status: Success Side Mission Rewards: 75 Mission Credits ] ¡­ There was not much difference in the Mission Credits, despite the bloody events that took place at the shop, Kai noted. It became obvious to him that, once assigned, Side Missions didn¡¯t take into account what happened later. If it wasn¡¯t for the ambush, then the 75 Mission Credits for break in and stealing broomsticks were reasonable. "Arlen will kill us if he thinks his mission is a failure," Desmond''s voice came from his side. "How the hell did those three die there?!" The question had a puzzled tone, but Kai knew what Desmond was trying to imply. "I don''t know, Desmond," Kai shrugged. "Maybe it is what they are saying. They got killed by a snake. This is a magical world. Who knows what truths lie under the guise of falseness?" "How can that be?" Desmond pressed his brows. "I could feel her power. She was stronger than me. If I didn''t have my Skill, you would have only found pieces of me in the alley." "Then why is the Wizard''s Council taking so much interest in it," Kai threw out a wild guess. "Maybe the snake wasn''t an ordinary creature." "You mean¡­" Desmond''s eyes shone with understanding. "It was a Shop of Hundred Wonders, right?" Kai said meaningfully. "Who says magical creatures aren''t wonders?" Manipulating people with the subtlest hints and nudges was one of the strengths Kai had developed to survive in his previous life. Not to mention, Desmond wasn¡¯t the brightest mind out there, to begin with. For a brute, Desmond has learned to overcome his weakness by asking questions after questions, Kai reflected, seeing the big guy going quiet. Kai¡¯s gaze fell on the three brooms leaning against the wall. The girls had also completed their mission, securing a broomstick. Now, Sonia was on duty in the basement, and Shae was still buried in books. "How can they be so magical?" Kai asked, pointing at the broomsticks. "They didn''t even have Stats over them." If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Haha!" Desmond roared in a way unique to him. "The presence of Stats just means that an Item can be taken outside the world and can be stored into Inventory. It doesn''t mean it isn''t powerful. Some things aren''t so clearly stated by the Systems. So don''t do anything stupid." Both went quiet then. The surroundings had become immensely tense at the sunset, blanketed by smoke and the approaching dusk. At midnight, they would leave this secured magical hut of theirs. They would leave London, flying on the brooms, but how many would reach Dufftown, Kai couldn''t guess. But I know who will not be reaching for sure, Kai''s eyes narrowed. Under Desmond¡¯s shocked gaze, Kai got up and neared Arlen. "Captain," he towered over Arlen, who was sprawled over the long sofa-like wooden bench. Arlen hadn''t left this place since the last hour, and Desmond had told Kai he didn''t like it, seeing Arlen so quiet. Kai had an inkling of what Arlen was thinking. But would he dare say it aloud here, when so many ears were listening? He shook his head inwardly. "What is it?" Arlen grumbled, without looking at Kai. "I couldn''t ride the broom,¡± Kai said, remembering the shameful incident, ¡°so I was wondering if you could teach me magic." "Teach you magic, you say," Arlen mumbled, scorning Kai''s words openly. "What is it, a vegetable?¡± "But I saw you teaching it to Shae," Kai said, pointing at the time an hour ago when Arlen had approached Shae to teach her about magic. "You can sell vegetables to her, and not to me?" A laugh escaped Desmond''s mouth, and even Simon let out a chuckle. Shae held her head high to see what the ruckus was about, unaware that she was the cause. Arlen sat up. He looked at Kai with those blue eyes of his, menacing and full of rage and murder. "Magic requires Elementary Magic Aptitude. Do you have it?¡± Arlen said, his tone full of mockery. ¡°Save your breath, I know you don''t. Magic also requires a wand. Do you have it? Do you know the price I had to pay to have one of my own? Do you know it isn''t even a real wand?" Now that shocked Kai. "And do you know?" Arlen had stood up, looking down into Kai''s eyes. "Magic requires an acknowledgment from a true wizard or true witch from the random world. They must acknowledge that you have the destiny to be a wizard, that if not now, then one day you can become one." Arlen left the bed, and walked off, leaving Kai drowned in his thoughts. None saw Kai deftly slipping a paper into Arlen¡¯s pockets as he walked away. "You didn''t know that, did you?" Arlen was still shouting, laughing a low laugh of derision. "Teach you magic, you said. Well, let''s have it then. It just so happens that we have a true wizard among ourselves." Desmond stood up in shock. Arlen hadn''t let the newbies even approach the direction till now. For the first time, he was walking towards it, the trapdoor of the basement. A tunnel brought Kai and Arlen in front of a metal door. There were no bolts outside, but it felt shut to Kai. Almost air-tight for the better lack of words. Sonia was sitting on one side of the gate outside, reading a book, sitting over a stool. The tunnel was well lit for the purpose. "Go up," Arlen commanded. "Mr. Beedle doesn''t like too many of us crowding him." Sonia gave Kai a rare smile and nodded at him before leaving the basement. When Arlen heard the clanking of the trapdoor, he looked at Kai. His hand went down to his coat''s pocket, and he took out a rolled piece of parchment. "And now," Arlen said, with a threatening tone. "You will tell me what''s the meaning of this." Arlen unrolled the flaky piece, letting out its content in open. Under the light of dozens of oil lamps, the single word written over it shimmered with a yellow-orange glow. That word was¡­ Confringo. * * 30 minutes later, The metal door opened up, its hinges creaking under its weight. Kai was standing behind Arlen, almost hiding under his figure. Whatever had happened in the last 30 minutes, it had left none of its traces on their faces. "My Lord, may I have some of your time," Arlen said, bowing a little. "It''s regarding one of my guards." Kai gawked at the room when Arlen had bowed. It was big for it to be called just a room but smaller than the hall over the basement. There was a single large table in the middle, and it was conquered by hundreds and thousands of parchments. Empty ink-bottles were scattered all over the floor. And quills were dancing like a many-colored peacock in the rain. Behind the table, on a chair, was an old man. He had a long, luxuriant beard. It disappeared under the table, like a water stream. Over his head was a pointy hat, and he was all garbed in a blue-black robe. His right hand was scribbling, snatching a dancing quill now and then, and then leaving it to do work on its own. It was his left hand that interested Kai. Clutched tightly in the grasp of his left hand''s fingers was a book. Its cover was deep dark, which made it lose itself in his robe''s foldings. The old man had pressed the book tightly to his chest as if worrying anyone would come and might try to snatch it away. "Come, come," an old and croaky voice replied. "Shut the door. First, shut the door." Kai hastily entered the room, and the metal door returned to its post, cutting them off from the outside world. "How are you faring, Mr. Beedle?" Arlen asked, giving Kai a shock that he could even talk so pleasantly. "What will you have for dinner?" "Nothing, nothing," Mr. Beedle said, shaking his long beard along with his head. "When are we leaving?" "Midnight, My Lord," Arlen said, with a sure voice. "We are just waiting for the hubbub to die down a little." "Hurry, hurry, you must hurry," Mr. Beedle abruptly stood up and started to look around. "It''s coming for me, I tell you. It''s found me." He is mad, Kai thought, becoming sure of it. Arlen turned around and gave Kai a blank look. "My Lord, the guard I was talking about," Arlen brought Kai forward and presented him to Mr. Beedle. "His name¡¯s Red. Can you help us find out if he has magical aptitude?" Mr. Beedle finally noticed Kai, and his old face brightened up suddenly. Kai saw he wasn''t as old as he looked, but he had a frail figure. His eyes were sunken deep in his skull. The pupils could have the color of obsidian once, but now they were dull black, gray, and bleak. Kai stepped towards the old man as the wizard came for him. Behind Kai, Arlen was flabbergasted, seeing the strangest event of his life. Beedle the bard was a legendary character and he had never shown such interest in others. In a few steps, Kai found the old man standing in front of him. They were of the same height. Mr. Beedle would have longer if he were to straighten his back, Kai noticed. He was still thinking about what to say when the wizard lifted his right hand. Kai didn''t move. Mr. Beedle put his hand on his face and caressed as he traced a finger towards his eyes. "Fascinating!" Mr. Beedle whispered, too indulged to say the words out loud. "These eyes¡­" Kai felt the coarseness of his hands on his face, ran down his neck, and then the hand reached down to his chest. There it stopped. The old wizard pressed his palm just over Kai''s heart, a little to its right. A sudden shriek! Mr. Beedle jerked his hand away as if something had swatted it. The old man''s face was already pale and dark before, but now it was aghast. A deep horror was in his eyes. Terror beyond death. "Merlin''s beard!" The old man shouted, stumbling away from Kai. "NO! He shall not do magic. This is false. Yes! Falseness beyond redemption." Kai had an ugly expression. He wanted to kill that stupid old fool. "Where''s my wand?" Mr. Beedle asked, fumbling around his table. "Where is it?!" "Come, let''s go," Arlen said, putting a hand on Kai''s shoulder. "We are done here." Kai silently turned around and walked off. As the metal door closed behind him, he put a hand on his chest. It was burning hot, whatever was in there. The hotness of rage and defiance. Chapter 9: Traitor (1) It''s been over half an hour since Sonia''s return. Desmond and Sonia were having a late-evening tea with a few biscuits. Shae was sitting close to them, noting down something from dozens of books around her on a torn piece of parchment. Simon was having tea too, but he was far in a corner, lost in his thoughts. Others had soon found out that Simon wasn''t much for a talk, and the way he looked at you with that one eye of his, it almost as if he was saying he knows what mischief you are up to. "I am worried about the kid," Desmond admitted to Sonia, taking a light sip. "I can''t wait anymore." Desmond put the cup down abruptly. And he would have stood up if not for Sonia''s hand on his. It was a light tap, but it could have been more than that. Desmond looked troubled, but ultimately gave up and slumped back in the chair, letting out a sigh. "2 minutes, and no more," he said. "If they won''t show up, we both are going in." Right then, the trapdoor opened and Arlen and Kai climbed up one after another. Desmond and Sonia shared a meaningful glance. Arlen was quick to deliver the good news to everyone the moment they had come back. An obvious ecstasy had lingered on his face when Arlen presented Kai to the others, proclaiming he might never use magic. Desmond walked to Kai. "Cheer up, Red," he said, putting a hand over his shoulder. "There are more magical worlds. This isn''t the end." After an hour, they had a sumptuous dinner. Roast pork, bacon, roast potatoes and onions, bread, bowls of both thick and runny gravies, and soups. They topped it with puddings and three fresh cakes. Even when he was little, Kai had a man''s appetite. No amount of anger and disappointment was enough to prevent him from eating a bellyful meal. When it was just two hours to midnight, Arlen, for the first time, called all the Thunder Faction for a meeting. The round table was surrounded by the six Contestants. "We will take two four-horse carriages to London''s northern outskirts," Arlen said, pointing at the map. "If it weren''t for the incident related to the three dead bodies, then we could have used brooms from right here." Arlen glared at Desmond and Kai as if he had pinned the unfortunate event on their luck. Even with no incident, London was heavily monitored by the wizards of the Wizard''s Council. There were eyes on London''s skies all the time. But the incident had doubled that force. "It will cost us an hour," Sonia observed. "No matter how vacant the pathways will be, carriages are still only carriages." Desmond nodded in agreement. "From there, we will make a beeline towards Peterborough," Arlen said, his wand drawing a line on the map. A clear yellow trail. "Then sidelining Lincoln city, we will not stop until we reach York." The wand had outlined a third of the distance between London and Dufftown by then. "Shae, tell them," Arlen said. There was a big smile on his face. Shae was on Arlen''s right. As Arlen called out to her, her face flushed. It took her a moment to step forward, trying not to look into others'' eyes. "There¡­" Shae stuttered. But then she took a deep breath. "There is a hidden mountainous region between York and Middlesbrough. If we avoid the region, then it will cost us another hour." There was no such region on the map. Desmond and Sonia showed their doubts outright with their pressed brows. Simon never took his eye off the map, as if it was revealing some deep secrets only to him. "Shae has confirmed it," the Captain of Guard said, placing a rough sketch Shae had drawn over a parchment. "The only issue is, it''s dangerous. Such regions, generally, are home of magical beasts, and the Wizard''s Council might have their officials posted there for surveillance." "Haha!" Desmond laughed. "Then, isn''t it better to just take the detour?" "Desmond is right, Captain," Sonia said sternly. "So what if we lose more time? Our lives are more important." Arlen''s smile crumpled, hearing their disagreement. "Humph! I don''t care about the dangers," he snorted. "We will take the coastline up to the seaside towns near Edinburgh. The fools of Order would think we will take the usual route over Edinburgh''s skies. But I have different plans." Desmond and Sonia gasped as they realized what Arlen was suggesting. Even Simon, the silent one, showed his interest by taking his eyes off the map. "From the shores, we will go over the north sea," Arlen said, his wand deviating from green inland to the blue corners of the map. "We will keep the brooms low. With Simon among us, we will have an advantage if they were to follow us. And I will not waste a single second before reaching the destination." There was tension between Desmond, Sonia, and Arlen. But the Captain had decided, and what he said made sense from a strategic point of view. There wasn''t anything they could do about it. "Don''t worry," Simon hissed. "You know, I am something of a magician myself." This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. No one was fooled by his humble tone, especially not Kai. The man wasn''t dangerous. Otherwise, Kai''s Perception would have picked it up. But there was something off about him, Kai could tell. "So that''s it then," Arlen said, his wand disappearing with a shake of his hand. "I am bringing Mr. Beedle up. Desmond and Sonia, you two go and make arrangements for the carriages. Shae, come with me, it''s time you get your Elementary Magical Aptitude. Simon, there might be some muggle-watchmen patrolling around. Find what you can about the route we will take through carriages." That only left Kai. Arlen looked at him, smiling wickedly. "Boy," the Captain commanded. "Go, warm some wine for us over the hearth. We all will share a drink before leaving." An hour later, The smell of spices hit Kai''s nostrils. Simon had directed him a little before going out. Kai knew nothing about warming wines. He had drunk alcohol before, but never to savor its flavors. Shae must have got her Elementary Ability by now, the thought suddenly passed by Kai¡¯s mind. Kai didn''t care. Shae had done nothing to him. Neither was she good to him, nor was she bad. Kai''s morals were twisted beyond sense, but he wouldn''t kill someone whose death wouldn''t be rewarding for him. Power and Revenge, Kai thought. They are the only reason for me to kill. The atmosphere made his mind wander. It was extremely quiet, just short of choking silence. The tiniest bubble popped over the calm layer of the wine into the pot, ruining the silence. Kai took off the pot and laid 7 mugs for each of his teammates, including Mr. Beedle. When he was done pouring the filtered warm wine in mugs, Kai stood up and turned his back to the main door. If anyone were to barge in, which was unlikely, they wouldn''t know outright what he was doing. Kai took a deep breath, remembering the feeling he had experienced in the Shop of Wonders and the basement after being virtually kicked out by the wizard. The hotness. The twists and churns. The rage and defiance. Those feelings overtook Kai, and he touched his chest with his left hand. Come forth, Kai willed, almost in a trance. Blue-tailed Boa Constrictor. His skin became hot suddenly, his blood boiling within him. There was a touch of redness on his face, and swirls of hot red air rose all around him. From afar, Kai''s figure seemed to wave, like the space above fire. His eyes turned into narrow slits. A hiss resounded in Kai''s mind, and an extremely lifelike tattoo of a snake appeared on his right arm. It coiled around there, its mouth reaching Kai''s elbow, and its deep-blue tail ending on the nail of his middle finger. Almost violet, Kai noticed. The color of poison. Then he concentrated on his Glitch - Blood Devour. It had gone to hibernation, but the Blood Essence it had devoured could be used whenever he wanted. The Abilities and the Skills were always there with him, for him to be used, for him to kill. ¡­ [ Activating Skill Light Neurotoxin Time Limit: 30 Seconds ¡­ Skill: Light Neurotoxin Grade: E- Specification: A toxin found in a rare species of Boa Constrictors. It needs to be injected into the prey''s body for it to be at its deadliest potency. The moment it leaves the serpent''s fangs, it becomes colorless, highly weakening and delaying its effects. Requirement: MP 10 Points and HP 5 Points (per drop) Attributes: Not Applicable Effect: One drop of Light Neurotoxin is enough to kill an Average Adult Contestant in 30 minutes, given the absence of any anti-venom and outside interference. The effects vary in potency as the Contestants'' Stats deviate from average. At its weakest, it can induce dizziness, confusion, hallucination, and rarely, damaged motor function. ] ¡­ Kai loved it. The Light Neurotoxin was nothing compared to the Body-Mind Melting Poison he could use in his previous life. A tenth of a drop of that poison was enough to kill hundreds of ordinary people instantly. What Kai admired about Light Neurotoxin, given its lowest grade, was the weakened and delayed effect. It was a weak point at a glance. Not for those who know how to use it, Kai told himself. Suddenly, his colored nail extended, turning into a pointy needle. The snake tattoo felt wriggling on his arm, slithering on his fiery skin. An abrupt pain shot through Kai''s hand as if someone was sucking out his blood. His eyes blurred for a moment and his MP and HP both decreased simultaneously. A violet drop of death shimmered against the fire in the hearth, like a polished gem. Kai held his nail over one mug and dropped it. But even before the drop could make a splash into the wine, it turned colorless. Drip! Kai used the Skill again. One more drop in a different mug, and he was done. The tattoo vanished, and then the hotness ran off. His eyes returned to their original shapes, leaving him drunk on the power he had just felt. So this is an Instantaneous Triggered Skill, Kai remembered what Desmond had told him about the Skills. ¡°There is no official division, but Skills can be of two types,¡± Desmond had told Kai. ¡°Driven Skills need a continuous supply of MP, SP, or HP. As long as you can supply them, the Skill will remain in effect, unless it has more constraints. Triggered Skills are again subdivided into two types. ¡°Charged Triggered, where you need to charge the Skills with MP or SP or even HP sometimes before unleashing them. The more you charge them, the more powerful they will be. The other is Instantaneous Triggered. These Skills devour a certain number of Points the moment you unleash them, making them the quickest and the deadliest too.¡± Then there were Abilities. ¡°They are like a craft," Desmond had added. "You practice them, learn them, and try to become proficient in them, hence the word Proficiency. To upgrade them, you need insights and constant improvement. They are difficult to get, very difficult, and even monstrous to upgrade. They have three levels; Elementary, Advance, and Master.¡± Click! The trapdoor opened on Kai¡¯s left, bringing him out of his reverie. Arlen, a beaming Shae, and Mr. Beedle walked out one after the other. The main door played a rhythmic knock, making Arlen swish his wand at it. Desmond and Sonia walked in, and two carriages could be seen behind them. Before the door could close as they walked in, Simon too appeared from the other side. In a few minutes, as Simon transferred the details he had found out, Kai brought the tray of mugs to them. Mr. Beedle''s pointy hat had disappeared, and his face was hidden under the shadow of a hood. But Kai could tell it was him from the constant murmurs surrounding him, and the tightly clutched book. "If it isn''t to my taste, boy," Arlen said, looking at Kai. "You will bathe in this very wine tonight." Oh, it is to your taste, Kai laughed inwardly. Kai handed over a mug one by one to them. Arlen reluctantly nodded, tasting the wine, and Desmond and Sonia laughed. Shae took a small sip, and Mr. Beedle was drinking it like water. Only Simon waited longer than others. And then he too drank a mouthful, taking in the last sniff. Kai was the first to drink the wine, but the taste at the tip of his tongue was of something else. It was the taste of¡­ Victory! Chapter 10: Traitor (2) "He fears me," Desmond said, his eyes glaring at Arlen''s back. "That''s why he doesn''t want me to be with him in the same carriage." Kai mutely listened, his face flushed from the all the wine they had drunk. Arlen had divided them into two groups. Arlen, Shae, and Sonia would guard Mr. Beedle in one carriage. On the other, Desmond, Simon, and Kai would have all the brooms. "Humph!" Desmond snorted. "We are doing it. Before taking the broomsticks to the air." "What?!" Kai spat. "This wasn''t the plan. We agreed to blackmail Arlen and get some Mission Credits and Items." "That was then, this is now," Desmond said, his eyes blazing red. "He is a wizard," Kai said sharply. "No kind of ambush guarantees our victory." "Don''t forget my Skill - Minor Soul Shaker,¡± Desmond said. ¡°It¡¯s a Charged Triggered Skill." "But he is the Captain of Guard." "Your Mission has nothing to do with what happens to Arlen. Or who the Captain of Guard is." Kai¡¯s eyes narrowed at Desmond¡¯s reply. "You want me to hold back Simon," Kai said, guessing as much. "I am not too sure about it." "You are worthy enough," Desmond said, with an iron certainty. "If you can escape the full might of a 2nd floor''s Contestant, then you can easily resist a weaker opponent for some time, can''t you?" He had Kai then. If Kai were to say no, then Desmond would surely get to know Kai was lying about the shop''s incident. So Kai nodded. He had to. * * Boom! 45 minutes into the journey, a sudden jerk jolted Kai, Desmond, and Simon. The horses seemed to have gone berserk. From afar, the sound of a boom came to their ears. But it was the ear-piercing voice that truly shook them up. "SONIA!" Desmond jumped out, kicking the carriage door open. Kai followed Desmond, with Simon behind him. Some dozens of meters away, Arlen was clutching his head. Blood was running down through his hand, dripping over the ground like a faulty tap. Half of his face was bloody, and in his right hand was the wand. Its tip pointed at the figure standing against him. Sonia was standing tall there. Her back was to the carriage, from which Shae''s face could be seen, horrified beyond doubt. There were two black daggers in Sonia''s hands, and a strip of paper was attached to their ends. "Explosive Kunais!" Simon exclaimed. "Red, help me! Throw the water can at the captain." Simon dashed towards Arlen, but Kai was upon him before that. He slid under him, tripping the one-eyed man, and before he knew what was happening, a knife was at Simon''s throat. Of course, Kai never remained weaponless for long. "What''s the meaning of this?!" Simon asked, a terror on his face. "Desmond, what have you done?" Arlen and Sonia didn''t look away from each other. Sonia''s hands lifted, and she was just about to throw the Kunais when a burst of Mana came out of Arlen. "Expelliarmus!" A brilliant flash of scarlet light came out of the wand, almost blinding Kai. In the next moment, the two Kunais were flying high in the air, and Sonia''s hands got thrown outwards like dead branches. Suddenly, Desmond¡¯s eyes lit up with the brightest gold color. "Hahaha!" Arlen laughed madly. "You! You two! Worms, do you think you two can take me on by just catching me off guard? You think I only know the Disarming Charm? Fools!" "You are right. They are." Kai''s gaze spun towards the darkness beyond the first carriage. The moonlight wasn''t as clear as it was yesterday, but he could see the figure. It walked towards them, juggling 3 Explosive Kunais in its hands. "You''ve lost my gifts, Sonia," the man said. Arlen was shocked beyond belief. His hands were trembling in rage and a stream of fresh blood escaped out of the wound on his head. "Traitors¡­" he muttered. "You fucking¡­ TRAITORS!" Kai saw a blurry hint of himself embedded in Arlen''s lone figure. In his previous life, he too had gone through the same emotions. "Desmond," Kai called out. "Who is he?" "Haha!" Desmond laughed, the terrifying gold in his eyes on the brink of bursting out. "He is a friend. You just keep Simon in check." Or I will suffer the same fate as Arlen¡¯s¡­ Kai knew what Desmond was implying. "Now we aren''t just two," Sonia said, taking a step towards Arlen. The Order¡¯s Contestant was the strongest of the three. Sonia had already injured Arlen and had made him use a Skill. Desmond could fire the Minor Soul Shaker anytime. If not for a miracle, Arlen was a man destined to die. If¡­ * * A few hours before, "And now," Arlen said, with a threatening tone, "You will tell me what''s the meaning of this." In the basement, Arlen unrolled the flaky piece, letting out its content in open. Under the light of dozens of oil lamps, the single word written over it shimmered with a yellow-orange glow. That word was¡­ Confringo. ¡°It is what it is,¡± Kai shrugged. "Don''t play games with me, boy." Arlen fumed. His blue eyes had almost become black, darkened by the abundant lamplight behind him. "It is a powerful Spell. Who told you about it?" The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "No one told me, captain," Kai said. He snatched the paper, tore it, and threw it into a lamp. The parchment became ash in no seconds. "It was used against me." "Haha!" Arlen let out a roaring laugh, but never took his eyes off Kai. "Used against you, you say. Am I talking to a ghost, then?" He doesn''t think I can survive, Kai thought. And why should he? I would be dead if it wasn''t for my Glitch. "A witch from the Order used the Skill," Kai said. A longsword appeared in his hands, not before the appearance of the wand in Arlen''s hands. The Captain of Guard took a step back, like a beast about to lunge on its prey. Kai ignored him. "There were two others with her. I got this from the Contestant of the 1st floor after killing him." "You? You killed a 1st floor''s Contestant?" Arlen asked, his voice full of doubts. But the longsword was proof even he couldn''t deny. The longsword disappeared back to his Inventory and Kai took a seat on the empty stool Sonia had left behind. "You see, Captain, I have two Elementary Abilities," Kai admitted. It must have shocked Arlen because the man''s mouth opened to say something, but no words came out. "He wasn''t as strong as Simon, I can tell. But there was a newbie with him." Then Kai briefly told him all about the ambush. "When the witch came downstairs, she was already injured," Kai said, adding some lies. "If I wasn''t already running for the door, the spell could have hit me. Let''s cut to the chase, captain. You already know what I am trying to say." "Desmond¡­" Arlen gritted out. "Yes." Kai nodded. "But he isn''t the mastermind." That shocked Arlen. "What do you mean?" "Sonia''s the one who had set up that meeting," Kai said. "But something went wrong between that witch and Desmond. Something, I don''t know." "What if it was I who had contacted the Order''s Contestants?" Arlen asked, his shoulders relaxing for the first time. "I asked myself that," Kai said. "After killing me and Desmond, you would have to kill Sonia too. You know it. It would have cost you two powerful guards and a meat shield. And for what? I refuse to believe there isn''t a Contestant of your caliber among the enemies. Why would he or she give up on the mission for just the three of us? "No, captain, you couldn''t have been in cahoots with the enemy. Because you had nothing to gain, and everything to lose." Kai''s reasoning was so flawless that even Arlen hadn''t thought from this angle. An awkward silence took over their conversation then. "Why are you telling me all this?" Arlen asked warily. "Desmond and Sonia''s plan is flawless." "Unlike you, they both have everything to gain and nothing to lose," Kai said. "I can only guess, but I believe it was Sonia who meant to go with me to the shop. But you paired her with Shae. And whoever newbie had gone to the shop was destined to be sacrificed as a token of Sonia''s goodwill. "But you would have gone mad if Shae had gone missing. So Desmond used me. If I am being honest, I feel a little offended." "Humph!" Arlen snorted at the mention of Shae. But he didn''t deny it was truly so. "It still doesn''t explain why you are helping me. You could have easily helped Desmond and Sonia too." "If I had helped them," Kai said, shrugging, "what would I have got in return? With them I have nothing to lose and nothing to gain. And I don''t like it one bit. Not at all! Thank you very much." Arlen and Kai looked into each other''s eyes. "Good thing I still have your proof letter," Arlen said, at last. "Otherwise, I would have thought you weren''t a newbie. Go on. Tell me what you want, then." "A Side Mission, all kills, and loot." Kai listed. "Loot?" Kai replied with an evil grin on his face. * * Presently, Sonia''s stride turned into a dash. But she hadn''t even taken the third step when she stumbled, falling on the ground, rolling and tumbling. The gold in Desmond''s eyes also dimmed when his knees buckled and he shook his head as if he couldn''t see clearly anymore. "What''s happening?!" the Order¡¯s Contestant asked, taking a step back. "What magic is this?" Arlen had already made a run towards him. "My head," Sonia said, struggling to even raise her hands. "My¡­" The brilliant gold in Desmond''s eyes became sick-yellow. He had managed to remain standing, but his knees were still shaking as if they were made of paper. Then terror struck Desmond as he snapped his head towards Kai. But Kai wasn''t there anymore. Nor was Simon. "Power¡­" Kai hissed, standing behind Desmond, in his shadow. "It had become enough a reason for me to betray." A scalding hot air blurred Kai''s figure. His skin had a hot pinkish color, and his eyes were two narrow slits. Elementary Snake Instinct! "Some betrayals bring more Power than others," Kai hissed, a longsword appearing in his hand. "And some Powers are sweeter than others." Kai hacked the longsword at Desmond''s neck. Blood showered, a deep gash appearing at Desmond''s neck. The power behind the slash wasn''t enough to behead him. Desmond fell, his hands motionless, and his eyes lost and confused. Kai brought down the longsword again, blood covering his body. The small red dots became a brilliant work of art on his handsome face. The longsword struck again. Desmond''s head separated from his body, the yellow in his open eyes still disappearing. ¡­ [You have killed 1 Chaos'' Contestant] ¡­ "But¡­" Kai mumbled, remembering a spear-wielded black-eyed man. "¡­ Nothing is as sweet as a well-planned revenge." ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have unlocked a Title ¡­ Title: Traitor Specification: Kill 10 Chaos'' Contestants collectively. The Contestant must be from the same or higher floor than yours. Status: (2/10) Effect: Correspondence +2, Worth -5 Note: Only 1 Title can be equipped at a time ] ¡­ From the massive 5 points drop in Worth, one could tell that killing the Contestants of same System was heavily frowned upon, even in the eyes of Chaos and Order. Kai, though, could afford it easily. Boom! From the other side, a booming sound followed a scarlet flash. ¡°No00000000¡­.¡± A man¡¯s scream. Kai stepped towards Sonia, ignoring Arlen¡¯s fight. Desmond''s head, after rolling down the road, had stopped just under Sonia''s eyes. There was a twitch in her body, but she couldn''t move. Her eyes were red, and tears were rolling out. "How¡­" A mere whisper came out of her mouth. "Poison." Kai told her what he had told Arlen. "It was impossible for you two to not take advantage of this chance. Arlen certainly couldn''t fight with more than 2 Contestants of your level. So I helped him. Desmond didn''t know, but I had taken a potion out of the shop''s shelf.¡± This was the same lie he had told Arlen, too. Otherwise, he had no justification for the poison. "It isn''t something great,¡± Kai continued. ¡°Its effects are delayed and weak. Just enough for you two to lose your bearings and give me and Arlen a chance.." "How¡­" Same question, different meaning. "How did you never get to feel the danger?" Kai completed her question. "I asked myself what causes dizziness, confusion, and weakness, but nobody minds it one bit. Wine. A lot of wine. You never questioned yourself why Arlen sent Simon for surveillance when it is clear I who has the greatest Charisma?" The question must have struck her hard. Kai had a greater chance to get information out of characters than Simon. Yet, none thought about it, because everyone knew Arlen hated Kai. After their return from the basement, everything was a ruse. The jests, the mockery, and the obvious expressions. Kai and Arlen didn''t even need to plan for it. They both were natural, as Kai had found out. Kai caressed Sonia''s hair. They were smooth, roughened from the wind, but smooth. So, he had to grip them tightly. Kai banged her head right on top of Desmond''s legacy. "Do you know why this is happening?" Kai asked. Another bang. "You can still think, right?" Kai whispered. A crunch. "You should know, shouldn''t you? For Desmond''s sake." Kai suggested. Something broke and fell off Sonia''s face. "OK, OK." Kai gave up. It was her teeth. "Pawn..." Kai sighed. The bangs had turned into muzzled squishes. "You shouldn''t have¡­" Kai had to catch his breath. She was already dead. "You shouldn''t have used me as a pawn." ¡­ [ You have killed 1 Chaos'' Contestant ¡­ Side Mission: Assist Thunder Faction''s Captain of Guard in killing the traitors Side Mission Status: Success Side Mission Rewards: 100 Mission Credits ] Chapter 11: Fighting Magical Beasts – Hippogriffs! (1) Kai looked back. In the carriage, Shae''s face was so low that only the top of her head was visible. Behind her was Simon, whom Arlen had already won over before starting the journey. Now, the one-eyed man was smiling at him creepily. Arlen walked up to Kai, dragging a person and ignoring the bloody mess Red had caused. The man, who had a long nose and broken lips, shuddered seeing Sonia¡¯s state. One of his legs was twisted, and his hands were bleeding. "No!" the man cried. "Kill me, you kill me first." "Be quick about it," Arlen said, throwing the man at Kai¡¯s feet. "The officials will come soon. We should have already gone by now." Kai took out the longsword and buried it in the man''s heart. A jerk and twist of the hilt did the rest. ¡­ [ You have killed 1 Order''s Contestant ¡­ Your Title Status is updated¡­ Title: Murderer Specification: Kill 10 Contestants in a single random world. The Contestants must be from the same or higher floor than yours. Status: (6/10) Effect: Perception +2, Worth +1 ] ¡­ A treasure chest hologram appeared over the body just like the witch¡¯s, followed by the same notification. Kai had already played it safe last time. As he wanted himself to be familiar with the process, he opted for the Random Item. A hologram key appeared out of nowhere. With a click, it opened the treasure chest, and then both the treasure chest and the key vanished. Kai waited for a few seconds, and then his face became ugly. Nothing?! Motherf¡­ "It''s already in your Inventory." Simon approached Kai, crouched and began examining Sonia¡¯s face. "What a waste! Anyway, the Systems are fair like that. Your loot, your choice. No one can know what you obtained that way." With a thought, Kai checked his Inventory, and, sure enough, there was an Explosive Kunai within it. "You must have got those Explosive Kunais," Simon said, his single eye peering into Kai. "That man had many. So you must have got like 3-5 of them, right?" Kai only smiled in return. The number of curses he had said in mind was a different matter. "What are you two doing?" Arlen asked, holding the three brooms. "Simon, go bring Mr. Beedle." "Captain," Kai said. "Leave one broom here. When officials would come, they would think these three had been fighting over the broom. Also, unlike this Order''s Contestant, Desmond and Sonia''s bodies match the bodies from the shop. They would have to relate the two events. It should give us some headway." Arlen¡¯s mind shook. Simon, who was walking away, suddenly paused. He turned around and planted his one eye on Kai. ¡°And I thought you were just crazy¡­ butchering them like that¡­¡± Kai shrugged. Doing extensive calculations before conducting experiments was as deep a part of his life as killing. Never had he taken a life, or butchered someone, without a purpose behind it. So why must he explain himself to anyone now? Arlen ditched one broomstick between the corpses. "Mr. Beedle will sit between us on a single broom," he said. "Simon and Shae will ride on the other." Shae was standing as far from Kai as it was possible. Arlen didn''t even hide how much this had pleased him. The smile on his face never vanished, even after standing over the broom. "Are you ready?" Arlen asked, but it wasn''t much of a question. A sudden gust hit Kai''s face, and they were already flying. * * 150 minutes later, "What happened there?" A voice asked, bringing Kai''s wandering thoughts to reality. "What happened there? Tell me." They were flying over the lowest layer of clouds. If they had the luxury of finding them on their route. Simon and Shae, riding just behind their broom, weren''t half as good as Arlen in controlling the broomstick. They were only two, but even then, it had become hard for them to keep up. Simon again smiled at him when Kai looked behind. Why does he smile so much? Kai asked himself, rubbing his misty eyes because of the wind. It was chilly and painful, but they were thankful that they hadn''t come to face any thunderstorm. In front of them now towered high and low hills, undulating like sand mounds of the desert. Just more colorful. Kai could feel a hint of Mana around him. Whatever lay ahead was covered for ordinary eyes to see. Arlen stirred the broomstick into the unseen Mana layer. The moment they entered, the moonlight seemed to intensify. The hills become mountains, and the lands become valleys. A thick smell of danger challenged Kai''s nostrils. Arlen must have sensed it too. He brought the broomstick as high as he could go. "Oh!" Mr. Beedle, stuffed between Kai and Arlen, exclaimed. "Why have you come here?" If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Their hearts gave out on the spot. Arlen''s face had become like a rotten onion. "My Lord¡­" he asked, "¡­ do you know where are we?" The four Contestants waited with bated breath. The wizard, meanwhile, gave his long beard two powerful strokes. "Yes, yes." Mr. Beedle mumbled. "I remember." "Where?" The Contestants asked simultaneously. "The Hidden Moor Hills¡­ The breeding grounds of the Hippogriffs." It was obvious that the information Shae had collected from the books wasn¡¯t complete. When Kai looked over in her direction, she was already crying. Going back wasn¡¯t an option, either. It would cost them double the amount. Moreover, if someone was monitoring the grounds, then it was easier to pick up small disturbances in the magical field surroundings the hills that happened twice at the same place and around the same time. "How much time would it take to cross it?" Arlen shouted over the wind. "At our fastest?" Shae thought, rubbing her eyes. "We will be out of its boundaries in 12-15 minutes." "Simon." Arlen gave the one-eyed man a look. "If we get separated, you know what to do." Simon nodded. "Let''s go then," Arlen shouted. And the wind stirred. The sudden acceleration made Kai almost lose his grip on the staff. The wind went into his mouth, blasting his cheeks. Everything blurred around him, and it felt like someone was pulling his long hair from behind. Arlen was losing height as the broomstick became faster. The lower they went, the faster it became. Cry! "Damn it! Damn it!" Arlen cursed, blabbering whatever was coming to his mind. These broomsticks had no variable function. They couldn''t add their Mana to it to make it fly faster. The advantage? It didn''t need a single MP to maintain its height or speed. Mr. Beedle had become a round ball between them, tucking in his hands and head. Cry!! It felt close. Almost on their back. Kai spun his head backward, his eyes moving up. There it was. A Hippogriff! The moonlight failed to hide the color of its feathers. Deep marbled brown, and patches of white and black on the belly. It had the body, hind legs, and tail of a horse, but the front legs, wings, and head of an eagle, with cruel, steel-colored beak and large, brilliantly orange eyes. The talons on its front legs were half a foot long and deadly-looking It cried again, flapping its mighty wings. A loud piping call, waking the entire forest from its deep slumber. "Captain!" Kai shouted at the top of his lungs. "It''s coming!!!" The Hippogriff dived and, in an instant, it was upon them. Arlen jolted the broomstick, spinning it completely like a screw, making the magical beast miss its target. The beast let out a deafening cry. When the broomstick returned to its normal state, Mr. Beedle''s head came out like a turtle and he peered at the beast. It made a round turn and was flying up, gaining distance with every flap of its wings. "Captain," Kai said, the broomstick gaining speed, but not fast enough. "Can we store corpses of the magical beasts in our Inventory?" "Of course! Why not?" Arlen replied, not thinking about what he was saying. But then it must have struck him like a bolt of lightning, for he thundered like never before. "RED! HAVE YOU GONE INSANE?!" The broomstick carried Arlen''s anger like a current. "You just have to swoop down and catch me from falling,¡± Kai shouted back, ignoring everything else. I¡± can take care of the rest." But Arlen was having none of it. The broomstick hadn''t stopped its crazed rush. 8 more minutes, and they would be out of these hills. "No!" Arlen roared. "If you want to die so badly, then jump off. I don''t care. Just don''t expect me to come for you." "1 drop of potion," Kai said, smiling slyly. "For you to catch me after I am done with it." Arlen had gone so silent, tasting those words, that they could hear Mr. Beedle''s snores then. The wizard had dozed off, feeling pleasingly warm between Kai and Arlen. "10," Arlen finally said. "I want 10." "One." Kai feigned reluctance. "I only have 3 of them left." "Then give me all of them," Arlen said. "Deal!" Kai said, fearing Arlen would realize what was going on. Kai''s fear was genuine. Arlen''s wind-battered face became as ugly as a hag when he found out Kai had ripped him off. Before he could cancel the deal, though, the broom suddenly became light. Kai had already jumped off. Hands and legs outstretched and bent, Kai looked at the magical beast rushing towards him. It wasn''t as fast as its dive from above, but it was gaining speed. Whenever it flapped, it generated a tremendous force, blasting away the surrounding wind. Sounds seemed to vanish then. Kai knew he would have to survive that massive bite first, as the creature would lunge at him with both its beak and huge talons. There was no other way. Arlen would have never agreed to bring Broomstick near the beast. Not when Mr. Beedle was with him. Come forth¡­ Kai called out. The blue-tailed Boa Constrictor reappeared on his arm. The wind blew away the rising hot air around Kai instantly. 100 meters¡­ 40 meters¡­ 10¡­ Just when Kai saw murder and rage written in the magical beast''s eyes, his eyes narrowed, becoming slits instantly. Elementary Snake Instinct! The beast cried a call of fury. A last flap of the wings, and it snapped its beak at Kai''s reddish figure. Its talons seemed to replace the world, coming from left and right. There was no escaping it now. The snake slithered then. Like a rope bending upon being punched, Kai''s spine bent as he twisted himself. A talon ripped his chest, taking away a big piece of flesh, but the rest of his body slid down as if he was slippering on oiled steel. ¡­ [ Elementary Snake Instinct: Proficiency 13% (+3%) Elementary Slither Footsteps: Proficiency 45% (+5%) ] ¡­ Kai hit its feathered head with a thud, and as he tumbled down, he also looked into its eyes. Round and big, red veins surrounding its orange pupils like a web. Then Kai was on its back. His hands caught the feathers, gripping them like his life was depending on them. He saw the stats hovering over the beast then. ¡­ [ Magical Beast: Hippogriff Grade: E+ Type: Steel, Flying HP: 140 MP: 50 SP: 30 Attributes- Strength: 16 Agility: 18 Stamina: 14 Perception: 17 Correspondence: 5 Breath: 3 Abilities-
  1. Advance Flying Maneuver
  2. Elementary Far Sight
Skills-
  1. Talon Prison (Grade E+)
  2. Griffin Bite (Grade E-)
] ¡­ The Hippogriff let out a cry and its rage doubled, being mocked by a puny target. It thrashed its wings, rolling and maneuvering in the air, trying to throw Kai off its back. But Kai''s grip only tightened with passing seconds. Cry!!! This wasn''t a cry of challenge, Kai observed. It¡¯s calling for others. The entire hills woke up. Hundreds, thousands, or maybe even more animals cried. Calls were being passed and the Hidden Moor Hills became a death zone suddenly. A red-black mass rose from behind many hills like a black sun. Kai saw them, and they were coming. Scores of Hippogriffs¡­ crying out loud, the sound of their flapping wings tearing through the night. Time¡­ was running out! Chapter 12: Fighting Magical Beasts – Hippogriffs! (2) A deadly feeling rose in Kai¡¯s heart, the sense of urgency shooting through the roof. Even if the Longsword could have made any difference, he couldn¡¯t use it. Not when lifting one finger would make him lose his grip over its Hippogriff¡¯s feathers. But there was one thing which neither needed him to let go of his grip nor considered the beast¡¯s outrageous Stats that made the longsword useless. Poison! The beast must have sensed the hotness on its back, for it looked back towards Kai with its orange pupils. It saw two shimmering golden-silver slits looking back; the moonlight playing games of myriad colors. ¡­ [ Activating Skill Light Neurotoxin Time Limit: 30 Seconds ] ¡­ Kai¡¯s middle finger curled, pressing into the leathery flesh of the beast. The toxin needed to be injected into the prey''s body for it to be at its deadliest potency. Like a syringe, the violet-colored nail extended, entering the beast''s flesh with almost no resistance. What happened next was instantaneous. Kai''s face paled. The beast turned around but its wings had become lifeless. Its mouth parted to cry, but no sound came out. It¡¯s legs, donning the steel-like talons, dangled motionlessly. 5 drops of Light Neurotoxin, at its maximum potency, brought a result Kai couldn''t have hoped for. In the first few seconds, the beast became a statue, and when it had lost half the height, it was a corpse. Kai''s mind was numb, vision abandoning him as he saw his HP and MP points reducing to a dangerous level. The demon wasn¡¯t a stranger to this condition of his body. In his previous life, he had almost constantly remained half-dead. So, even though he wasn¡¯t in a state of doing anything else, he still took out the Longsword. Now that the magical beast was dead, Kai had no fear of losing his grip. Slithering around the magical beast as they fell, Kai hacked with all his might at the Hippogriff¡¯s front legs many times as if he was cutting down huge trees. Then, as the legs separated the body with a blood squelch, Kai stored them into his Inventory. Almost at the same time, Arlen grabbed him from behind and threw him on the broomstick. Mr. Beedle wasn''t with him anymore. Arlen turned around and gave Kai a look, his face as emotionless as a stone. The stone cracked then. Kai and Arlen shared a devious smile. "That better be worth it, Red," Arlen said, the thrilling smile still lingering on his lips. "That better be worth it." CRY!!! Kai didn''t want to, but he did. He turned his head to look at the death''s hand. A great herd of Hippogriffs was swarming towards them. The depressions within the swarm made it look like thin long fingers, uncurling, and reaching out for the two of them. Kai could see their talons. The way they reflected light, he felt as if they were real steel. Their wingspan seemed to have no end and their numbers blanketed the moon and stars, moonlight struggling to seep from the gaps between their feathers. Fuck! Kai cursed. That''s all he could do for now. When he looked away from the sight, he finally gave some attention to the dull-gray notification. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have unlocked a Title ¡­ Title: Poacher Specification: Kill 10 magical beasts collectively. The magical beasts'' grade must be equal to or higher than Contestant''s equivalent floor number Status: (1/10) Effect: Agility +1, Perception +1, Charisma -2 Note: Only 1 Title can be equipped at a time ] ¡­ You can never have too much of Perception, Kai told himself. It took him time, but now he was understanding which Stats mattered more than others. Cryyyyyyyyyyy! This was almost in his ears. Kai looked over his shoulder. There it was, the fastest of the flock. He could only see its talons first; black, and as cold as frozen steel. I can''t survive this one, Kai reflected. The magical beast was gaining distance, its wings appearing and disappearing with every flap. Kai had to do something, and he had to do it now. He traced his Inventory and took out the newest Item. The black blade shimmered under the little moonlight falling over it. It was sharper than his longsword. The strip of paper attached to it had strange diagrams. Kai didn''t understand any of it. But this was Item; Items had Stats. ¡­ [ Item: Explosive Kunai Grade: Common Specification: Explosive Kunai of a Rogue Ninja Requirement: Perception 11, Breath 5 This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Attributes: Base Damage 20 points (Maximum 60 points) Skill: Condensed Explosion Skill Effect:
  1. Consume SP and detonate in targets'' proximity
  2. Explosion''s intensity depends on SP supplied
  3. +10 points to Base Damage with every 10 SP supplied
Quality: 80% ] ¡­ If I had more of these, Kai shuddered, thinking about the damage he could do. CRYYYYYY!!! The cry was almost a challenge. Kai found the mighty beast just behind him, eying him with its deadly red pupils. One more flap and it would use its Talon Prison Skill, Kai knew. Kai brought his legs up and sat on the broomstick with his back touching Arlen''s back. "What are you waiting for?" Arlen asked, shouting out his lungs. "Throw it!" A heavy, nauseating feeling welled up inside Kai. The SP bar dropped. Now, he was truly dying. His HP was low, MP was dwindling, and SP was almost there and not there. A sudden spark appeared on the Kunai''s paper strip, and it caught fire. This?! Kai knew he must throw the Kunai then. But the moment he aimed at the magical beast, it lost height. Kai suddenly aimed low, but then it went sideways. No matter what Kai did, the magical beast never stayed in one place. The paper strip was half burned. "Oh, for fuck''s sake!" Arlen shouted, his voice full of anger. He shoved Kai sideways, and the wand appeared in his hand. A powerful burst of Mana surrounded the broomstick suddenly. Kai''s ears rumbled when Arlen shouted out the incantation. "Petrificus Totalus!" Something flashed by Kai''s sight. Like an unseen intention, it rushed out of Arlen''s wand and hit the swift magical beast. For a moment, a tiny instant, Kai felt as if the enormous bird had become stone. "NOW!" Arlen roared. The beast fell, but it''s petrified wings had almost come back to life. The bird was so close to them that Kai could see its eyes. They were moving up and down. Kai shivered. It was now or never. The knife flew through the air like a missile. Three more adult Hippogriffs had caught up with them by then. Just as they were passing by the petrified magical beast, the Kunai exploded. BOOM! The shockwave hit Kai''s face almost instantly. He saw two of the magical beasts falling down, rolling round and round. Their feathers were on fire, and loud cries were escaping their mouths. They aren''t dead, Kai thought, noticing the absence of notification. But they are only two. Defying logic, two of the four blasted beasts flew through the fire globe in the air. In the moonlight, Kai could see their brown feathers were covered in blood. Just behind them followed a great host of Hippogriffs. The fiery globe of explosion failed to stop even a single one. "How long, Arlen?" Kai asked. "How much longer?" "2 minutes¡­" That''s all Kai heard. Somehow, that was enough. We won''t make it, Kai told himself. Not in 2 minutes. More and more magical beasts were coming from around them. Come then, Kai said, but it was not the words that came out. It was the longsword. It only gave him a boost of 1 in Strength, and somehow, Kai squeezed a drop of courage out of it too. "Come," Kai said, pointing the longsword at the Hippogriffs. The beasts let out a cry and then shut their mouths, raising their talons to use the Skill together. COME! Kai smiled, feeling the world compressing around him. And suddenly, the compression disappeared as if it was just imagination. Kai saw the strangest beautiful sight then. Hundreds of magical beasts were pounding on an unseen wall like darts. Something was keeping them off from crossing that boundary in space. Kai twisted his neck and looked back. and found Arlen looking right at him. The broomstick had almost slowed down, and the Captain was smiling, laughing, his blue eyes shimmering with unparalleled delight. "You lied about 2 minutes?!" Kai asked. "Now, that''s truly worth it," Arlen said, pointing at Kai''s mortified expression. "Next time, think twice before ripping me off, boy." Kai would never give this blue-eyed bastard the satisfaction of making a fool of him. He, too, let out a foolish and sly grin, sending the longsword back into the Inventory. "Oh, it was worth it, right?" Kai playfully said, turning around and sitting properly. "You don''t need the poison-drops then?" "Humph!" Arlen snorted, but the victorious smile on his face didn''t vanish. "You better sit tight, Red. I would not come for you this time if you fell." * * They had lit a small fire when Kai and Arlen touched the ground. Kai saw Simon pulling a few rogue twigs out of the broomstick. Shae was tending to the fire, adding lean, dry wooden sticks now and then. Mr. Beedle had a thick book in his right hand. And the stray tongues of fire were making the illustrations wave. Kai sat down, leaning against a rock when Arlen brought a plate of meat and eggs to him. Only then Kai realized how hungry he was. "Eat," Arlen said, placing the plate in front of him. "Your little adventure has cost us 30 minutes, boy. And I would like to have my drops first before continuing the journey." A vial appeared in Arlen''s hands. He threw it at Kai, who caught it midair and saw the Stats hovering above it. ¡­ [ Item: Storage Vial Grade: Not Applicable Specification: Capacity 50 ml Requirement: Miscellaneous Rent Box Attributes: Can easily store most liquids, solids (not exceeding capacity), and living organisms Skill: Not Applicable Effect: Preserve Freshness, Prevent Aging Quality: 100% ] ¡­ Kai put the drops in it and returned the vial. "Miscellan¡­ Ren¡­ Box?" he asked, immediately stuffing his mouth with food. If it weren''t for Mr. Beedle''s unexpected bowel movements, they would have already gone by now. "There are many things in the Random Worlds that can''t be outrightly stored in Inventory,¡± Arlen told him. ¡°Like a herb which isn¡¯t an Item. So you can use a vial to store it in the Inventory. Before teleportation to the Random Worlds, you can rent it through the system using Mission Credits. "Without the MRB, you can not bring non-Item things into the Random Worlds. Like food, clothes, and books. They all need to be in the box for them to get teleported along with you." Simon joined them. "It will block a fixed volume of your Inventory," he said. "You can not use that space then, even if the box has nothing in it. Of course, there are things in the Random Worlds without Stats, but you still can¡¯t store them in the MRB." Kai nodded. Then he saw Mr. Beedle pulling up his pants with one hand and clutching the book with another. After they were done with food, Shae brought a kettle and poured them a last cup of herbal tea. When she neared Kai, a faint blush came to her face. Shae had also brought a few books with her, and among them was a book with a hard black cover. Kai had taken a book with a hard black cover from Shae¡¯s personal collection for a light reading. "Captain, you revealed the plan to Desmond and Sonia," Kai said, closing the book. "They would have already told Order''s Contestant of it before coming back with carriages. Was that your intention all along?" "Yes," Arlen answered, taking his eyes off the wizard. "Better to fight on the grounds of our choice than run into an ambush elsewhere." Arlen didn''t wait for any longer after the brief tea session. * * After a few hours, Kai smelled he salt in the air. The stars had all but gone, leaving a persistent few behind. It wasn''t sunrise yet, but the surroundings had brightened up, from black to a muddy dark blue. "Good morning," Simon said, looking at Kai. He was seated behind Shae. "Shae was worried about you the entire time." "No, I¡­ I wasn''t." Shae became pale, hearing the tease. "Humph!" Arlen grunted, his eyes darting around, looking at the sea, and back at the land. "What''s so good about the morning? Can''t you feel it?" "Too silent," Kai said, noticing what Arlen had meant. "Not bad for your intelligence, Red," Arlen said, mockingly. "I can feel it. They are already here." "The sun will rise in half an hour," Simon said, looking at the sky. "Yes," Arlen agreed. "I mean to be on land before we see the first ray of sun." Swish! A little push and the broomsticks got fired towards the sea like bullets. They were just passing over a tiny island when suddenly the sound of a twister came up to them. Kai saw one, two, three¡­ Five stern-faced people were flying towards them, each having broomsticks of their own. Arlen must have sensed them too, for he dived and brought the broomstick to just above the sea''s high waves. "I am leaving it to you¡­" Arlen shouted, "Simon!" Chapter 13: Attack of the Order – Official Wizards! (1) The formation of their attackers made no sense to Kai. Of the five pursuers, the two broomsticks in the front were flying quite a bit faster. Both riders were wearing long coats and had a hat over their heads. Formal wears? Kai guessed, and then it hit him. They are official wizards! Kai had asked Arlen why the so-called Wizard''s Council would hunt Mr. Beedle. Wizards or men, Arlen had told him, all fear something they don''t understand. "STOP!" one wizard shouted. "Turn around and land on the island. Otherwise, don''t blame us for not showing any mercy." "Red!" Arlen shouted. "Be prepared for a sneak attack." Kai nodded. But it wasn''t the sneaky ones they should have worried about, Kai found out soon enough. The second official wizard didn''t give any warning. He flicked the wand, and Kai felt as if a train was coming at him. The very air rumbled as Arlen twisted the broomstick to dodge. What was that? Kai thought, his heart dreading that tremor. "Simon?!" Arlen glared at Simon. "If not now, then when?" Kai saw a shocking scene then. The broomsticks were flying at their top speed, but Simon, sitting behind Shae now, stood up. If it weren''t for his hunched back, there couldn''t be something straighter than him. The wind failed to stir anything other than Simon''s robes. Then Simon danced! Kai had never seen someone being so graceful before. Kai saw Simon looking at the water. Then Simon''s hands shot out like the snap of a bowstring. Tensed first, but thunderous afterward. They were flying low enough for Kai''s toes to feel the wet, chill in the sea. The two wizards had their wands out to fire those blasts again. Suddenly, something shot out of the sea. They were surrounded by so much water and foaming waves that Kai couldn''t see it. It was fast. And it was powerful. Bang! One wizard had almost got thrown off the broomstick . He would have fallen if it weren''t for him clutching the broomstick at the last moment using one hand. The second wizard''s broomstick lost balance completely, the twigs at its end blasting into pieces. Simon''s dance wasn''t over yet. He slouched, his hands going downwards, and then he stood up, his hands shooting up like bullets. Bullets! Kai saw them this time. They were water bullets. Tiny globules of water. No larger than a mouthful. No wonder I couldn''t see them before, Kai thought. At such a level, it''s hard to distinguish them from the thrashing waves. The wizard, dangling on the broom with one hand, must have seen them too. He flicked his wand, blasting the water bullet away. The other wasn''t as fortunate, though. His broomstick was going round and round, like a dead bird falling from the sky. The second water bullet hit right in his face. Kai saw a shower of blood, and then the wizard fell. But before the sea could claim his body, he disappeared. Kai could have sworn he heard a sound, like a crack of a whip. But it might as well have something else. He wasn''t sure. "Peter!" the first wizard roared, eying the drowning broom. The sea claimed it instantaneously. The three others, flying a considerable distance behind the official wizards, must have realized what was happening. They rushed their brooms towards the wizard. Simon''s hand had again gone down, his feet twisting on the wooden staff as if it was a floor. The wizard aimed the wand, and suddenly, Simon''s broom shook. At such a speed, that slight shake was enough to send the inexperienced Shae tumbling down on the waters. Simon broke his graceful dance and lunged at Shae''s outstretched hands. Arlen had to turn around to face the wizard. Otherwise, it meant death for both Simon and Shae. "Expelliarmus!" Arlen flung his wand-hand at the wizard. The wizard had already found his balance by then. Kai gaped, seeing the spell that had thrown Sonia''s hands getting thwarted by just a flick of the wizard''s wand. This?! Kai could scarcely believe it. It''s like we are children in front of him. The wizard gave Arlen a scornful look before shouting the same words. "Expelliarmus!" Kai had thought Arlen would lose his wand, then. What happened, though, was even more unbelievable. Arlen, along with his wand, got blasted off the broomstick. Kai lunged and caught Arlen''s foot. But then, they were completely open to the wizard''s magic. The wizard again pointed the wand, but something hit him from behind. Bang! It hit again. Then once more. Bullets after water bullets surrounded him from all sides, hitting his vital areas. Kai saw madness had overtaken Simon. The dance, though, hadn''t disgraced its charm. The wizard had to take the broomstick up, but the bullets followed until they couldn''t see him anymore. What''s this Skill? Kai asked himself. How can he use so many of them? "Simon!" Arlen called out, taking control of the broomstick, his face bloody. "They are coming. Let''s go!" Simon nodded. He dragged the drenched Shae and brought the broomstick to its maximum speed. The three Order¡¯s Contestants were just on their tail. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. There were two women among them. In the lead was a man, short of height but lean. He could have been bald, if not for his long braided ponytail. For a mustache, he had two whiskers, and a streamlined, threadlike long beard. All his hair seemed to run away from him as his broomstick cut through the wind. The woman on his right had a round face and saggy breasts. Kai could even see her nipples through the wet clothing over her. They were that close. There was one another, but Kai couldn''t see her face. She was on Simon and Shae''s tail. It was she who attacked first. Kai saw her taking out a gun, like the one he had read about in the archives during his previous life. It was short, one-handed, but her hands were steady. -Bang- "Captain!" Kai shouted. "This one is a newbie!" Kai gestured towards the woman with the saggy breasts. No weapon; her flight was shaky; and there was nervousness on her face. The ability to smell fear had become an instinct for Kai. Arlen must have realized what Kai was implying. Their broomstick was like a bullet, air sizzling about it, but then¡­ it stopped. The sudden break would have thrown Kai off the broom if he wasn''t expecting it. The two Contestants behind Kai, though, weren''t. Kai threw himself off backward. The man realized what was happening, but his momentum was too great. He stirred the broom towards the newbie woman, trying to huddle together. Kai smirked. "Hey, weirdo!" he shouted over the waves. "Wanna play catch?!" It appeared then. Two enormous legs, with half a feet long talons, appeared out of the blue, separating the man from the woman like a blanket. The longsword appeared in Kai''s hands, and the newbie''s broomstick did the rest. It brought her to him. The woman couldn''t even turn it before the steel kissed her. The power behind the slash was so great that it cut her open from neck to waist. The sea tasted the blood. Kai touched the corner of the Hippogriff¡¯s legs, sending it and the Longsword back to the Inventory. The execution was so perfect, and fast, that the woman firing at Simon and Shae hadn''t even noticed. Arlen made a quick roundabout, and Kai caught the broom''s wooden staff just over the bristles. The braided leader had been so shocked that he even forgot to chase them. He looked to his right, but the woman had gone. The sea had claimed her broomstick; the blood indistinguishable from the dark waters under them. Kai grinned vilely. He looked at the man and gave him a middle finger. ¡­ [ You have killed 1 Order''s Contestant ¡­ Your Title Status is updated ¡­ Title: Murderer Specification: Kill 10 Contestants in a single random world. The Contestants must be from the same or higher floor than yours. Status: (7/10) Effect: Perception +2, Worth +1 ] ¡­ ''Three more,'' Kai thought. He looked at the man and the woman. ''Three more.'' Kai pulled himself, slowly but surely. Behind him, the man had put the foot on the paddle, his broomstick shaking along with him in rage as he chased. -Bang- Kai''s ears rang. This bullet had come for him, he realized. The woman had given up on Simon and Shae, and now she was joining the man in the pursuit. Arlen took out his wand and aimed at the gun, but the woman flew away almost instantaneously. Kai realized Arlen hadn''t intended to use the spell either way. He was just creating distance between them. The chase lasted for the entire length of the sea, but the man and woman didn''t catch them. And except for the occasional sound of the gun going off, there wasn''t anything to hear. When the first ray of sun hit Kai''s face, even the sun had gone silent. A bad feeling hit Kai then. Something''s wrong, he thought. They aren''t trying hard enough. "Arlen!" Kai shouted. "Sit tight!" Arlen spat back. The sudden brown and green brought Kai''s thought to present. First, it was a line, and as they flew closer, it became cliffs. The sea water rampaging high rocks with endless anger and defiance. Soon, they crossed the sea. The danger gave no sign before it hit them. Boom! Kai instinctively wrapped his arms around Mr. Beedle. It also seemed like Kai had been dearly waiting for something like that to happen. They rolled, the rocks drumming on Kai''s back. The lower end of the broken broom fell just by his side. Kai lifted his neck, and then, he saw him. The man who had disappeared with a cracking sound. The official wizard, Peter. Kai''s hand slipped when he pushed against the ground. There was wetness on the rocks; moss and small puddles of water. He could feel it, smell it, and touch it; the decisive moment. Kai struggled to stand up, his eyes never leaving the official wizard. Peter''s face was swollen, beyond the humanely describable terms. His left eyes couldn''t be seen anymore under the protruded black-blue flesh. Traces of blood still lingered at the corner of his lips, and his wand-hand trembled with every step he took towards them. Thump! Kai hid Mr. Beedle behind him as he heard another crash. Simon and Shae''s broom exploded mid-air, throwing them off on the rocks. His eyes found Arlen then. The blue-haired Captain was standing on his feet too, his wand out in open. "Peter!" the second wizard landed beside Peter, his wand giving out a trail of smoke. "Are you alright?" Kai knew they were in trouble then. Arlen''s change in route had managed to injure two official wizards, but they weren''t dead. Kai took out the longsword. "Yes." Peter nodded. "You sure took your time, Dickon." Arlen, Simon, and Shae approached Kai. Arlen was still OK, but Simon could scarcely even walk. His left leg was broken, the white bone splintered and beaming out of the flesh. Shae supported him as they grouped around Mr. Beedle. He wouldn''t be dancing anytime soon, Kai thought dismayingly. The two Order''s Contestants caught up with the two parties facing each other. They got off their brooms behind the officials and scampered towards them. "I told you," Dickon commented, showing displeasure. ¡°We are just recruits. It would have been wise to bring more force. Wiser, yet, for a veteran to accompany us. Let me take out my badge¡­" Dickon reached out to the in-pocket of his doublet. Arlen broke into a sudden dash of madness then. Kai was at Arlen''s tail, running zig-zag, hiding from Peter''s eyesight. Peter let out a murderous grin, but just as he was about to use the spell, a water bullet hit the back of his head. "YOU!" He roared, stumbling to find the balance. "Petrificus Totalus!" Arlen shouted, his face becoming paler than the vanishing dark of the sky. Dickon couldn''t react in time and stiffened. Kai jumped over Arlen and slashed at the wizard. The steel had almost touched Dickon''s neck when he heard the rumbling incantation. "Incarcerous!" Kai got flung by what seemed like thick ropes. They wrapped around him, entangling his arms and legs. He didn''t hear the words again. But, in the next moment, he found Arlen blown away, too. Damn it! Kai cursed, trying to bring the longsword edge to the ropes. "That''s it!" Peter grumbled. Kai saw Peter shooting a glance at Simon, who was now lying on the ground. The official wizard came towards Kai then, the other half of his face also turning blue in rage. "I gave you a chance," Peter said, pointing the wand at Kai. Kai''s mind shook, his Perception screaming high. He saw Peter opening his mouth, but the incantation and intention, both felt dark even to him. "Crucio!" Ahhhhhh¡­ Kai howled, but no voice came out. It felt like his insides were twisting into themselves. Thousands of needles were pricking his flesh, and hundreds of knives were cutting him apart. Pain¡­ On and on. It kept going on as if the pain was eternal. And suddenly it became quiet. In the twists and turns, the longsword had cut the ropes apart. But Kai couldn''t find the strength to even think properly. Kai saw a blackness covering his eyes. Then came a roar, so loud, that Kai felt he had returned to the thunderstorm, surrounded by the old enemies who he had killed. This roar was Lightning; Thunder; Storm''s rage. This roar¡­ had come from Mr. Beedle. "WHO DARE USE DARK MAGIC IN OUR PRESENCE?!" Chapter 14: Attack of the Order – Glitch vs Pokemon! (2) Every fiber of his body ached. From the tips of his fingers to the depth of his bones, all were crying out, a howl of the bitter end. Kai was no stranger it, but never had he experienced such pain; spread thoroughly into him. If it was, the roar woke him up. The rope had almost loosened around him, but Kai couldn''t take his eyes off Peter''s face. The wizard was horrified beyond recognition. Half of his face was already swollen. The remaining half had turned pale blue and white. The colors of fear, terror, and confusion lingered on his face. Kai had to look beyond Arlen. There he stood, behind Shae''s pitiful figure, and over Simon''s broken body. Wrapped under an ugly coverlet, holding a wand. Mr. Beedle stepped forward, his sunken eyes beaming with just rage. Peter stumbled back, one step at a time. "WHO WAS IT?" Mr. Beedle roared, blasting the rocks and moss rolling away. Peter, the wizard; No! Peter, the fool answered by pointing his wand at the legendary wizard. "SO IT WAS YOU!" Mr. Beedle said, lifting his wand. All the heat vanished suddenly, and the chill came running to take its place. A breath of frozen air escaped Kai''s mouth. Then he heard that. The same word he had heard many times by now. "EXPELLIARMUS!" When Kai had seen it the first time, it was just a scarlet light. The second time, crossing over the sea, he didn''t even notice that. He had expected a flash this time, or worse, a bolt of lightning. What appeared, though, was a pillar. A pillar of holy light. The pillar shot straight towards Peter. Dickon got caught by the pillar''s edge and flung off to the cliff''s boundary some dozens of meters away. Peter wasn''t that fortunate. The Pillar hit him, engulfing his figure from top to bottom. And then a broken kite fluttered in the sky. Kai never saw him again. Hundred meters. Two hundred meters, or even farther. But no sound of Peter crashing on the rocks reached him. Kai threw the heavy ropes aside and stood up. Strength seemed to have abandoned him, though. The first step he took brought him to his knees. In a single attack, he had lost more than half of his HP. And for the first time, his SP had been damaged, too. He felt tired, feeble, and powerless. Now get rid of the other two, Kai thought, turning his head towards Mr. Beedle. What the¡­? The boldness and power the old wizard had shown weren''t there anymore. He was quivering like a leaf before facing the storm. His head was twisting from left to right, and then up. ¡°IT¡¯s here¡­¡± Mr. Beedle the Bard mumbled, shaking. ¡°¡­ DE¡­ DE¡­ DEA¡­¡± Kai looked at Mr. Beedle, but all he saw was a terrified old man. Suddenly, Mr. Beedle chose a random direction and ran off. Kai saw a blur chasing the mad wizard. It was the woman. She wasn''t the strongest of the two Order''s Contestants, but she sure was the fastest. And she had the gun. "Simon! Red!" Arlen shouted, almost running behind her. "Hold the other one." But Arlen didn''t need to give that order. The round-faced, long-braided man had already stood himself between Arlen''s disappearing figure and Kai. The man grinned. Kai gave a meaningful look to Simon and held the longsword with both of his hands. When he looked back, the man''s hand wasn''t empty. There was some kind of ball in his right hand. Its top half was red, and the bottom white. Kai could even see a small button over the seam where the red and white met. What''s that?! He asked himself. The man replied by pressing the button and throwing the ball. A sudden flash of light and his raspy voice echoed in Kai''s ears. "GO! Ekans." Hisssssss! Kai was the first, and the only one, to understand this hiss. No, he didn''t understand it. He just knew. It meant danger. Then he saw it. It couldn''t have been anything other than what Kai had thought. A giant snake. It had a striking purple color and its belly glowed yellow. There was a bright yellow band behind its head, and a yellow rattle at the tip of its tail. Kai found two large yellow reptilian slits, looking down at him. Even though it was coiled, Kai had to look up to meet its gaze. The snake was at least or over 3 meters. The man roared, "Ekans! Use Snare." A dangerous feeling rose in Kai''s mind. The Perception''s engine was blasting fuel to his legs, imploring him to run. Kai took a step forward, hotness spreading through his entire body. Suddenly, the creature''s eyes seemed to enlarge. A purple-yellow swirl in those slits and an ethereal wave emitted out, engulfing Kai and others. Bang! A hammer struck Kai''s head, his SP falling 10 points. The ethereal pain made him tremble, and he would have lost everything if it wasn''t for the heat. His chest was screeching bloody murder within him now. Thump! Kai snapped his head back and saw Shae falling face down over the rocks. Even Simon''s knees had buckled, and he was panting. One more attack and Kai was sure the one-eyed man would die. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. The man had given another order to the creature. "Ekans! Use Wrap." The magical creature lunged at Kai. Among the three of them, only Kai could face it. Only he was standing. Only he had the weapon. And only he knew how. The creature slithered, and so did Kai. It came at Kai with its mouth wide open, larger than Kai''s head. A foul breath hit Kai''s nostrils, and he ducked. The creature jerked and coiled around, trying to trap Kai, but he slid away. The longsword slashed at the creature''s defenseless head. Kai expected a blood-shower. Instead, he saw a shallow cut, barely deep enough to make him see the snake''s blood. A color of deep red-blue. Fuck! Kai cursed. What is this defense?! Hissssss! The snake hissed in pain, and its tail came for Kai''s open back. Kai didn''t turn around but put the longsword''s flat in between his back and the tail''s bash. Cough! Kai coughed out blood, stumbling forward. ¡­ [ Warning: The Castle Forged Longsword''s Quality has dropped to 20%. The Item will disappear once the Quality becomes 0. ] ¡­ The creature came for Kai again. It coiled around him, trying to squeeze out his breath. Its forked tongue kept coming out, hissing at him. Meanwhile, Kai¡¯s chest was burning up, hotter and hotter. Before the snake could put strength in its muscles, three water bullets hit its head. One went straight into its eye, and the creature hissed in tremendous pain. Kai managed to take the advantage of its confusion and slithered out of its grip. Suddenly, a misshapen piece of rock fell over the creature''s head. The creature backed away, and then Kai sensed why. There were two more of such rocks, hovering just above its head. Who?! Kai asked, looking back. His eyes went wide when he saw Shae''s blood-covered figure, her eyes staring at the rocks without blinking. How is she doing this? Is she like Simon? But she isn''t dancing. Is this Magic?! But she doesn''t have a wand either. Questions after questions appeared in Kai''s mind. And he would have found an answer if it wasn''t for Simon''s call. "Red!" he shouted, falling back on the rocks. "Attack!" Shae couldn''t seem to hold any longer too. Kai saw the two rocks getting hurled at the snake. He followed them. He knew how the snake would dodge the rocks, and where it would end up. Kai was familiar with the movements of these types of creatures. And then, Kai thought, narrowing his eyes. I would thrust the sword into its mouth. It was a perfect plan. Yes. If the snake had dodged the rocks. But it didn''t. "Ekans!" the man shouted, playing with his beard. "Use Sludge Bomb." From where had it come, and how had it come, Kai did not know. He saw the snake opening its mouth and then shooting out an enormous ball of mud like a cannonball. It was powerful enough to trap the rocks and bring them along with it. No! Kai was in its path. He lunged sideways, but the ball of mud caught the longsword. Kai had to let it go. Shae and Simon weren''t that lucky. They couldn''t even move. Boom! "Haha!" the man laughed, his hands outstretched and his face pale. "I knew it. This creature is the perfect slave. It does whatever I tell it to do." Kai kneeled over the rocks, blood dripping out of his mouth and nose. He had lost his weapon, and his strength had almost vanished. His head was drooping low, and the sound of panting was even louder than the man''s outrageous words. But¡­ Kai was grinning. Like a maniac. How could I forget that? Kai asked himself, his eyes turning into slits. A wriggling snake tattoo appeared on his right arm. The surrounding water sensed the heat coming off him and evaporated. Kai ran. With all the strength he could muster, he lunged at the snake. The man couldn''t see his eyes, Kai knew. "Ekans!" the man commanded the creature. "Wrap." Kai''s slits met those of the creatures. The snake out a loud hiss, uncoiling itself to slither towards Kai. Kai''s mouth opened then. No sound came out, though. Kai wanted to talk, but his throat felt stiff. But somehow, Kai transferred his thoughts. A slight exchange of eye contact. A passive thought. An intention. Elementary Snake Language! An ethereal hiss escaped Kai''s throat, like the sigh of the summer''s wind. His throat ached, his stomach twisted, and his eyes became bloodshot. Stay!!! The beast let out a maddened roar, shaking its head and thrashing its tail. It hissed, looking back at the man. It hissed louder when it turned to look at Kai. Kai was only a few feet away from it. Then Kai passed it. The magical creature''s entire body shook, the hissing never stopped. The braided man''s face was already pale, but seeing the snake''s state, it became blue and green. "EKANS!" the man roared out of his lungs. "Sludge Bomb." No!!! Kai hissed, passing the intention without looking back. This hiss brought bright blood with it in his mouth. Kai felt his throat''s muscles tearing with a cloudiness in his eyes. His HP Regeneration had been working non-stop till now, but it was slowing down again. Roar. Hisssss. The sound of madness came from behind, the beast struggling to carry out the order. But which one? Who to follow? What to do? A perfect slave, Kai thought, rushing at the man. What will happen if it doesn''t know who its master is? Kai punched out. The man stumbled, dodging the punch. It didn''t seem to Kai that the enemy was a skilled fighter. But Kai was weak, tired, and was struggling for breath too. The punch followed the kick, like the tail of the snake, slithering and invisible. It landed between the man''s legs. The red and white ball dropped out of the man''s hand. He clutched his manhood with both hands and let out an agonizing howl of pain and misery. His knees buckled, and in the next moment, he was on the rocks, rolling and raging. Kai followed. The man saw Kai, and then his eyes fell on Kai''s reptilian pupils. Fear must have overcome the pain then, as the man jolted up on his feet, and cried out. "Ekans! Wrap." The snake passed Kai, its speed more than double. The magical beast didn''t face any confusion about what to do. No hiss had come out of Kai''s throat. No intention had been passed. It didn''t wrap around Kai, though. It went for the man, and coiled around him, acting as a shield. Unbreakable. Impassable. "Haha!" the man laughed. "Wait! You just wait! I will take my time to fuck you, pretty boy." Kai was laughing too, as he had been waiting for it to happen. His vile smile shook the man. The hiss came bursting out of Kai¡¯s throat. Rip!!! Kai¡¯s reptilian slits sent a commanding gaze to the purple and yellow snake as if he was a lord, and his bidding must be carried out. The beast knew what to do then. The unbreakable shield became a prison, the snake''s body squeezing the man''s chest. "What¡­" a muffled voice escaped the man''s throat. It was too late. The snake might be a little stronger than the man, but it was faster. It was closer. Long black fangs bit into his neck. A crunch. Kai saw the beast taking out half of the man''s throat. Blood burst out in hundreds of liquid jets, turning the snake''s yellows to reds. Go!!! One last command and the reptilian slithered away. Kai was pressed for time. he forgot what his HP was, or if he was tired. He rushed, like a bull in heat. Kai''s hand reached first, at the man''s throat and went down. The man vomited blood on Kai''s face. Kai fumbled around, ripping everything inside the man, searching for something. He felt the heart¡­ and crushed it. ¡­ [ You have killed 1 Order''s Contestant Elementary Snake Language: Proficiency 5% (+5%) ] Chapter 15: The Tales of Beedle the Bard! (1) As the notification appeared, the magical beast gave out a last hiss and vanished, turning into a blue ray of light. Kai''s eyes followed. He saw the ray entering the red and white ball, but the ball disappeared too. A hologram of the treasure chest appeared over the man''s body. It wasn''t the time to enjoy the loot, though. Kai snapped his head, looking into the distance. He could hear the gun going off. A dim burst of light now and then. How much MP Arlen has left? Kai asked himself, his thoughts murderous. Should I¡­ go? Of course, he wasn¡¯t thinking of going and helping the Captain, but¡­ ¡­ [ Your Title Status is updated¡­ ¡­ Title: Murderer Specification: Kill 10 Contestants in a single random world. The Contestants must be from the same or higher floor than yours. Status: (8/10) Effect: Perception +2, Worth +1 ] ¡­ Kai ran, looking at the number 8. His direction, though, was taking him away from Arlen. A pile of mud was in his sight and two figures were struggling to come out from under it. Kai appeared like a phantom at the top of the mud. 33 points, he saw his HP crawling up. Tiredness, though, didn¡¯t have any step, and it HP regaining points didn¡¯t affect it either. Their was no replacement for what Kai need; Rest. Kai¡¯s hand went for the longsword''s hilt, its blade stuck in the mud. It took him time, a few seconds, but he pulled it out. It was bent. One edge had lost its sharpness. Kai looked at Simon first. Only his head and right hand were out of the mud. His face was flattened against the ground. His fingers were twitching, pushing the rocks, but in vain. He couldn''t even twist his neck. The weight of mud was too much to give the one-eyed man much freedom. Then he looked at Shae. She looked back. Her entire body was under the layer of thick, viscous mud, save her head. She was crying big, heavy tears. Her mouth became an ugly smile, then turned into a sad frown as she looked at him. A whimper came out of her throat. It could have meant anything. A loud boom resounded behind his back, but Kai was looking at the orange, yolk-like morning sun. Kai wasn''t an indecisive person, but cunning deeds needed thinking, and thinking needed time. He had to compromise and find a middle ground somewhere. What would happen next? Kai gave it a hard thought. There is no way to pin Simon and Shae''s death on the enemy. Am I strong enough to kill an injured Arlen? Kai asked himself. The answer was flat No. He could scarcely hold back the urge to vomit. His SP was still down, his soul weak. One flick of Arlen''s wand was enough to send him tumbling down. Can I poison him? The thought passed by. No, he answered. The Blood Essence was still in cooldown. If he were to lose more HP, he won''t have the strength to take Mr. Beedle to the destination. Huh! Kai snorted. And how will I take him? I can''t even use a broom. A victorious laugh followed the previous boom. Kai knew the meaning behind it. The woman''s dead. "Please," Shae finally forced out a word. Then another, "Don''t¡­" Kai asked the last question. Can killing Simon become a fatal mistake? It can, he reluctantly answered. The man was indeed a messy knot of tangled threads. Kai had seen men like Simon. He knew what had happened to those who weren''t smart about their choices regarding them. The answer might have come from his experience. Or it could have been an instinct. But both were important enough for Kai to not ignore them. Kai sighed. The thrill of killing, getting a Title, and becoming powerful got buried by a persistent will. He extended the longsword towards Shae''s head. She closed her eyes, muttering the names of gods, of whom Kai knew nothing about. She blubbered. Tears, snot, and saliva was running down from her face, diffusing into the puddle of muddy water under her head. Slap! Kai hit her cheek with the flat of the sword. "Hey!" he said, almost laughing. "What are you crying about?" He stepped off and hacked at the mud. Not heavily, but with enough force to loosen the hardened soil. Murderer, he thought, pulling out Shae. There is still plenty of time to get it. I have just arrived in this mysterious place. Shae backed away from him as soon as she came out in the open. Kai didn''t even spare her a single glance. He moved towards Simon. His longsword lifted and was just about to come down when the mud around Simon broke apart. Dozens of water bullets ripped apart the hardened soil, and Simon slid out, looking up. Kai''s widened eyes met the single pupil of the man. "Ah! Red," Simon said, a dry smile on his face. "Thank you, but I won''t be needing your help." Kai let the longsword return to Inventory. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. He looked at the one-eyed man and knew he had been lucky to not attack him before. Simon''s face was ashen, almost white. He was dying. But the water bullets could have injured Kai mortally. A dangerous opponent, Kai thought. For how long he was holding them back? "I won''t survive," Simon said, looking up at Kai. "I''ve lost too much blood." When he slid out of the broken pieces of hardened mud, Kai saw what Simon was talking about then. Simon''s broken leg seemed to have been crushed to pulp from the impact of the mud bomb. "Can''t you just eat and regenerate HP?" Kai asked. "Desmond''s injury wasn''t any worse." "Yeah," Simon said, grimacing with pain. "But Desmond had that water pouch, didn''t he? No water pouch for this old man, I guess." It struck Kai then. No amount of food was going to be enough for Simon. He needed to stop the blood loss, and let his HP regeneration overcome the HP drop. It was a feat that can only be done using magical Items. Should I take the risk then? Kai asked himself. "Do you want to kill me?" Kai didn''t respond. He stared into the old man''s one eye. It had lost all the brightness of living. His mouth was opening and closing for every puff of air. "Your death means nothing," Kai replied. "Not now." "Ah," Simon nodded, seeing the two approaching figures from afar. "What about my life?" What?! "Is it some trick question, Simon?" Kai asked, also noticing Arlen and Shae''s blurry figures in the distance. "What do you mean?" Simon watched Kai with that one eye of his as if looking into him. The dry smile was still on his face, but it didn''t look hopeless to Kai. "No trick, Red," Simon said, chuckling. "Only you can save my life." "I am done here," Kai said, taking a step away from Simon. "Live or die. It''s your business." "Wait!" Simon shouted. It must have taken him all his strength, for he couldn''t do anything for a few moments after that. Kai looked back and saw the dead man, fighting the urge to put a drop of Light Neurotoxin into him. "What now?" The wind had picked up momentum by then. Dawn turned into a mature morning, and Kai found he was hungry. His stomach grumbled as he saw his HP regenerating. Though the SP regeneration was almost half that of HP, it was rising too. "I am not joking," Simon said, taking another shallow breath. His hands found their grip in a muddy puddle, and he straightened himself to look at Kai. "You have the food that can save me." For a moment, Kai did not know what Simon meant. But it came fast to him. The food. The meaning behind Simon''s words. "Haha!" Kai laughed, amused over Simon''s foolish suggestion. "You want the flesh of Hippogriff¡¯s legs? Even ten of you isn''t enough for me to give it up." "No, not me¡­ I know," Simon said, his voice breaking. "But I have something which can match its value. More than enough, I would say." Kai''s brows pressed, hearing that. As much as Kai knew, Simon had nothing that Kai wanted. Yes, the man was more mysterious than Arlen. But what use of that mysteriousness when Simon couldn''t even save himself? Still, a dead man is talking, Kai thought. No harm in hearing him out. "Say it," Kai said. "If a trade you want, a trade you will get." "Yes¡­ a trade," Simon whispered, his eyes shining against the morning sunlight. "But not now. I can only give it after the mission¡¯s end before teleporting back to the Primordial Tower." Are you fucking kidding me?! Kai''s eyes widened. "No," Simon said, looking into Kai''s hazel pupils as if he could read his thoughts. "Think about it. A man of your nature must know when to take the advantage of an opportunity when presented. Also¡­ it¡¯s not like I am your match. You can kill me anytime if I back out and turn your¡­ 8 into 9." Kai¡¯s pupils almost became slits, hotness rising in his chest. How? Just how Simon got to know that he killed the three in the shops? Kai asked himself, his hands twitching to take out the longsword. Or is he just guessing? Simon chuckled. ¡°I am just a dying old man at your mercy¡­¡± Kai was as strange to mercy as the sky was to the earth. But¡­ his instincts had never betrayed him. So, he chuckled back. ¡°Alright, No. 9. You got yourself a deal.¡± * * "Tell me again," Arlen asked, eating the roasted chicken. "How did the man die?" Damn it! Kai cursed. He is not letting it go. The braided man''s death seemed to have troubled Arlen. If not in Stats, the enemy was as strong as Arlen in battle prowess. For him to die, even under the combined power of Kai, Simon, and Shae, could mean a lot of things. "He had taken out a snake type of magical beast," Kai said, repeating the same words. "¡­ and then the beast turned against him. I took the opportunity and killed the bastard." "Crushed his heart, you mean," Arlen said, narrowing his eyes at Kai. "Didn''t you fear the beast?" Fuck you! Just eat the meat, Kai thought, anger bubbling up inside him. "No," he said. "The beast had already disappeared into the red and white ball." "Pokeball¡­" A tiny, feeble voice came from Arlen''s behind. Kai could barely see Shae''s hair shining red and gold there. Pokeball?! Is that what the thing is called? Kai thought. How does she know? "Shae''s right," Arlen said, looking at Shae over his shoulder, making her blush. "That''s an Item from a Random World full of magical beasts." Thump! Kai felt his heart would have given out if he hadn''t eaten to his fill by now. He remembered the purple-yellow-colored snake, and a hidden smile surfaced on his face. "Which world is it, Captain?" Kai asked, looking at Mr. Beedle. "Can you tell me?" Arlen followed Kai¡¯s gaze. Even an idiot could tell Kai was using the man he had killed as a payment for the answer. "I know," Arlen chuckled, not minding Kai''s shameless attitude. On the contrary, Arlen even seemed to admire these little things about Kai. "The World of Pokemon." Pokemon¡­ Kai imprinted the name into his memory. "Go on then," Arlen commanded, finishing the meal. "Collect your loot. We will leave the moment Simon says he can handle the broom." "Captain," Kai said, standing up as if it was just a fleeting comment. "I think we should cover Mr. Beedle under a cloth. His state isn''t exactly becomingly, don''t you think?" Kai approached the corpse, leaving behind Arlen to mull over his words. The smell of death hit Kai, along with piss and shit. The man must have lost control of his bowels at the moment of death. Crabs had claimed his body, and some were even going inside him as Kai had left a big hole from his throat to chest. The treasure chest''s hologram beckoned him. The key appeared, then. Kai had already chosen the random Item option. Click! The key and treasure chest vanished. Kai scanned his Inventory, hoping it had enough space to hold whatever the System and his Luck had awarded him. A smile. "Haha!" Kai laughed, seeing the Item. He took it out. ¡­ [ Item: Pokeball - Generation 1 Grade: Common Specification: An Item to catch and store live magical beasts Requirement:
  1. Elementary Pokemon Trainer
  2. 2 MP per second
Attributes:
  1. Pokemon Catch Rate - 15% - 45%
  2. Current Status: Empty
Skill: Not Applicable Effect:
  1. Store magical beasts by converting them from matter to energy
  2. The beasts within the Item will become friendly with the Contestant
  3. Only E- to E+ graded magical beasts can be captured
  4. Any type of magical beast can be stored
  5. Magical Beasts HP, MP, and SP regeneration +100% (within the Item)
  6. Pokemon Catch Rate depends on the beast''s Stats while being captured.
Quality: 73% ] Chapter 16: The Tales of Beedle the Bard! (2) "The Primordial Tower has 21 Floors,¡± Arlen told Kai as they flew with Mr. Beedle pressed between them. ¡°The Two systems divide all the floors into two territories. One is called Chaos'' Valley, and the other, Order''s Peak. An Empire rules each territory, and a noble from the empire governs each set of floors. They are collectively styled as Set Lords." "So each System has its own Set Lords?" Kai asked, not expecting an answer. So he did the next best thing. Asking many questions, hoping to get an answer to at least one. "What do they do? What other powers do they have? Are they the strongest? How to become a Set Lord?" "Have you gone insane?!" Arlen looked back, rage welling up in his blue eyes. "Only one answer and that''s it. Pay me Mission Credits if you want more. Yes. There are two Set Lords for every three floors. The Set Lord of the 1st set of the Chaos'' Valley is named Baron Silvas." So there are 14 Set Lords, 7 on each side, Kai thought, summarizing. I wonder why Arlen didn''t speak of the 22nd Floor? Kai had just thought of breaking his mouth open when a distant rumble hit his ears. A massive thunderstorm had covered everything in their eyesight. Hidden amid the murderous Supercell winds was the place Kai had come to know as Dufftown. Run! Kai didn''t need to heed his Perception. All the fibers of his muscles, his bones, his soul were screaming, urging him to run. They all were feeling it. A monstrous danger beyond their capabilities, beyond reasoning. Kai looked back and found Simon. He was struggling to keep the broomstick at its height, his lips pressed into a thin line. Shae was almost petrified. Her eyes were wide open, wind smashing the white, making them red. Her blond hair flailed, like a thousand threads of silk made of sunlight. Arlen stirred the broomstick forward, slowly but steadily. Simon and Shae followed in the shadow of Arlen''s courage. As they kept nearing the town, the thunderstorm seemed to take one step towards them. The wind was intensifying every few hundred meters. And only one thing was in their favor. Mr. Beedle had woken up. "Yes, get me there," the mad wizard said. "Others are waiting for me in the town." "My lord!" Arlen shouted, balancing the broom. "Can something be done about the wind?" Kai got the shock of his life when Mr. Beedle took out his wand. Even Arlen forgot to blink at the sight. It was just a passing request, Kai knew. They had never thought that Mr. Beedle would really take action. "Sure can, good lad. You two!" the grand wizard said, beckoning Simon and Shae with one hand. "Stay close to us." Simon came rushing. The half creepy smile on his face had returned. When they had come close enough, Mr. Beedle flicked his wand, rotating his wand-arm in circles. Suddenly, the wind weakened. Kai could feel an invisible layer of Mana around them, much like the one around Hidden Moor Hills. Arlen picked up the pace then, unworried about the murderous wind. But even the magic wasn''t enough to cancel out the noise. If he couldn''t see it, Kai would have thought some high-tech bombs were going off. ROAR! The sudden roar thundered in Kai''s mind, seeping into him, in his blood, trying to burst his brain. Blood seeped out of his ears, and he could feel a sweetness between his teeth too. What was that?! Kai asked himself, panting, locking his legs around the broomstick. Arlen wasn''t faring any better. His face had gained a blue tinge, and the broom was shaking like never. If it wasn''t for Mr. Beedle''s magic, they would have already fallen. "Captain!" Simon called out, closing in on Arlen. "Shae''s gone¡­ What was that roar?" Simon''s state was bloodier than Kai''s. How he had managed to stay in the air was a mystery. It became an even bigger mystery when Kai saw he was keeping Shae''s unconscious figure from falling off the broomstick. "I¡­" Arlen struggled to utter words. "I don''t know, and I don''t think we should know." Kai and others looked at Mr. Beedle, hoping to get some answers. But even he looked puzzled. It didn''t take for the three Contestants to guess that the origins of that roar lay in another Random World. Soon Arlen landed the broomstick just on the Dufftown''s outskirts. The thunderstorm was all around them, and black-gray clouds had shadowed the sky. Lightning crackled, and beastly roars surrounded them, imprisoning their senses. We don''t belong here, Kai told himself. We are too weak for something at this level. Suddenly, the darkness receded. Everything seemed to have brightened up. It should have given Kai and others some relief, but their faces had become ashen. The Perception, which once had urged them to run, also gave up. You are dead, it said. None can save you. Kai, Arlen, and Simon all reluctantly lifted their heads, feeling the heat on their faces. A massive Fire Column; Fire Tornado; Firefall, if one must give it a name, was coming towards them. There was no escaping it, and there was no defense against it. Only Mr. Beedle was their hope, but he had become a mute again. I''ll kill him, Kai fumed. He had never found someone so unpredictable. "Simon¡­" Arlen whispered, stumbling back. But they all knew no amount of water bullets were enough to put out this fire. Everything had gone silent. Haha! The laugh came out of nowhere. Kai saw a hooded man appearing in front of them. He was tall, his back straight, and there was a power within him which made Kai''s mouth go dry. The man''s hands moved in quick succession. Kai couldn''t see what he was doing, but, in the next moment, he saw the man slamming his palms on the earth. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Earth Style: Mud Wall!" With a bang, a wall sprung up in front of them. It towered over them, like a beast made of mud and stones, crawling its way out of earth''s womb. Then the firefall struck it. Boom! ¡°Haha!¡± The laugh echoed again as the wall kept standing like an ancient giant. "My lord, it''s an honor!" Arlen bowed, followed by Simon and Kai. "Mr. Beedle," the hooded man said, ignoring the rest. "You seem rather shaken. You aren''t injured, are you?" "No! No!" Mr. Beedle replied, shaking profusely. "You must hurry now!" "At once, my lord!" the hooded man said, putting a hand over Mr. Beedle''s shoulder. Time seemed to slow down for Kai. Sweat, and an unbearable chill, engulfed his entire body. His throat felt dry, his lips quivered, and the tips of his fingers throbbed. There was hidden in his heart and mind, a secret. It all depended on what the higher floor Contestant would do next. Will he¡­ find out? Kai asked himself, his breath pausing. After a few moments, the hooded man looked at Arlen. "Haha! You guys have done a wonderful job. Mission Over." The hooded man vanished, proclaiming those words, along with Mr. Beedle. Kai felt as if they had become thin air, melting into the surroundings. But he couldn''t think more about it. The dull-gray notification had returned. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn¡­ You have completed the Main Mission ¡­ Main Mission: Assist Thunder Faction in saving the life of Beedle the Bard Mission Status: Completed Mission Time Limit: 48 hrs Mission Grade: E- Side Missions Attempted: 3 Side Missions Completed: 3 Hidden Missions Attempted: 0 Calculating Mission Clear Rate¡­ Mission Clear Rate: 63% Mission Rewards:
  1. +550 Mission Credits
  2. +2 Attribute Points
Warning:
  1. You can only get 20 Attribute Points in the 1st Set of the Primordial Tower
  2. You cannot leave the random world before the Main Mission''s Time Limit is over
Time Left: 1 hr ] * * "What does it mean I can''t get over 20 Attribute Points?" Kai asked. They had flown to a clearing miles away from Dufftown. Arlen was the first to arrive in the Random World. So he would leave first, as Kai had found out. Shae was sitting close to Arlen, and since their landing, Arlen had been whispering something in her ears. "It means what it says,¡± Arlen smirked. ¡°No matter how many missions you do, you can only get 20 points in total from the first 3 floors." "A word of advice, Red," Arlen added, his tone less mocking than before. "Join an Organization after returning to the Primordial Tower. There are many guilds serving the empire. And your loot and materials, use them well. You know what I mean, right?" The Captain of Guard stood up, after whispering a few last words in Shae''s ears. He gave a silent nod to Simon and then furrowed his brows at Kai. "Humph!" Arlen snorted, a blue light shimmering around him. "You are OK, I guess. Come to the Thunder Faction if you need any help." The blue light became a thundering flash. When Kai could see again, Arlen Willey had already disappeared. Shae didn¡¯t wait, either. She just climbed the broomstick and took off, not even saying a goodbye to the boys. Kai and Simon shared a smiled. Simon walked toward Kai. He reached into his pockets, took out a coin, and flicked it. Kai snatched it out of air. "Arlen is right," Simon said, planting Kai with his one eye. "It would be wise for you to join an organization." Kai observed the coin. It was iron. ¡°There might come a time when you meet Simon in another Random World,¡± Simon said, his smile gone. What does that mean? Kai frowned, feeling the cold iron markings rubbing against his fingers. He flipped it and saw the blurred relief of a hooded figure. ¡°When that happens,¡± Simon added, eying Kai knowingly, ¡°present the coin to him and say¡­ Valar Morghulis.¡± Kai¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°Repeat after me,¡± Simon insisted. ¡°Valar Morghulis.¡± ¡°Valar Morghulis.¡± Simon nodded. "A man knows Contestants like Red. A man searches for Killers like Red,¡± he said, creeping Kai out. "But a man can''t invite you. You are not ready. Not yet." A sudden flash. Then Simon disappeared, leaving the deepest impression in Kai¡¯s mind. What the¡­ Kai gaped. And I thought the old wizard was the craziest?! Oh, wait! I can¡¯t take non-Items with me¡­ So what will happen to the coin? Puzzled, Kai threw the coin in his pocket, and looked around. A silence had taken over his surroundings at some point of time, claiming every nook and corner. To the farthest eyes could go, Kai could see not a single living thing. Nor could he sense anyone. Now¡­ he was truly alone. ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Kai''s sudden chuckle creeped the silence itself. It seemed to run away from him, looking over its shoulder "Haha¡­" Kai held his hands high and laughed. He laughed like a maniac, his face contorting into that of a psychopath''s. "Hahaha¡­" The wind tried to bury the sound, but the laugh intensified. Kai''s knees buckled. No. Not in fear, but in excitement, pleasure, and victory. "HAHA!" The laugh had such an effect on him that tears streamed out of his eyes. His stomach ached, and he rolled over the earth, rocks, and grass, clutching it. What crazy, what madness, and what silence? Nothing felt crazier, more disturbing, and more demonic than this laugh. "HAHAHA!" Some said he had become a Demon after killing his mother. "HAHAHAHA!" Some said Edith Stormborn had birthed a Demon, not a Messiah. "HAHAHAHAHA¡­ Cough! Cough!!" The laugh turned into a sudden fit of coughs, and Kai panted for air. Finally, he stopped, the laugh vanishing into a thin smile on his face. He lay there on the cool ground, gazing at the sky littered with clouds, the low wind blowing on his face, like a maiden''s silk. The words echoed then. In Kai''s mind, they repeated themselves for the hundredth time. Your Mission is to Assist Thunder Faction in saving Mr. Beedle''s life, Desmond had told Kai in the carriage. It has nothing to do with what happens to Arlen. Or who the Captain of Guard is. Yes, Desmond, you were right, Kai told himself. It also had nothing to do with what would happen to Mr. Beedle after reaching Dufftown. And it also had nothing to do with what happens to that book of his. Kai''s lips twisted into a hideous, vile grin. He swept his hand towards the sky as if snatching the entire vastness in one curl of his fingers. The sky, though, didn''t move. It was still there. But Kai''s hand wasn''t empty either. A Book! Kai''s pale fingers were wrapped around its black cover, feeling its ancientness. In thick gray ink, the book''s name seemed to stare murderously at Kai. One last scorning chuckle and Kai¡¯s clear hazel pupils reflected the title written in embossed runic symbols. He did not understand that Runic title, but what could it mean other than¡­ The Tales of Beedle the Bard! Chapter 17: The Tales of Beedle the Bard! (3) The question was not about how, but when. It had to be fast. It had to be incredibly fast, for not even the legendary wizard to notice. Mr. Beedle was often in his scared, crazy state. Often didn''t mean all the time, though. So, Kai needed to be as fluid as thin morning mist, and as quick as the bolt of lightning. Yet, the question had persisted. When? When to swap? The moment Desmond had talked to Kai about his mission''s nature, this one thing had been taking roots in his mind; in his heart even more so. The lure was so great, so enticing, that Kai could scarcely think about something else. When he saw the similar-looking black book in Shae''s hands, during their break after crossing Hidden Moor Hills, that greed had erupted with a bang. Shae''s black book was the key. The opportunity had come so suddenly that Kai had to rely on his beastly instincts. It was the attack from the official wizard, Peter. With his hands around Mr. Beedle, Kai had crashed over the rocks. The legendary wizard must have high Mana, Kai knew. But Defense? It was another thing. The impact was tremendous, shaking both their figures. It was then. In a single motion, Kai had thrust the ordinary book in between Mr. Beedle''s hand and his chest. By the time he stood back up, facing the official wizard, he had already swapped the real book, sending it to his Inventory. Smooth! Swift! Snaky! All the time, Kai had been on his toes, thinking if Mr. Beedle would recognize the fake book. But the events that had followed turned out to be in Kai''s favor. Mr. Beedle''s wrath, his raging spell, and him getting scared witless all screamed in the joy that Kai had won half the battle. The only thing that had remained was to make sure no Contestant would ever get to look at the fake book ever again. By then, Kai had found out that one can see an Item''s Stats by touching or being extremely close to it. What to do then? Kai had asked himself. This question had the simplest answer. Mr. Beedle was covered in mud, his face filthy. No one could have recognized him as a legendary wizard. But the book was still visible, pressed against the wizard''s chest. So Kai acted. He acted fast and prudently. Hide the book! Hide Mr. Beedle¡­ under a coverlet! It was just an idea, but Kai had planted it in Arlen''s mind with absolute success. The next roadblock was to hand over Mr. Beedle to the upper floor''s Contestants. Kai had known what future awaited him if anyone would get to see the book up close. It was a risk Kai Stormborn had been willing to take. "The Tales of Beedle the Bard!" Kai spoke out loud as if thinking about it wasn''t enough to give reality to it. But even if he didn''t believe himself, how could the Stats hovering over the Item be untrue? ¡­ [ Item: The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Original) Grade: Common (Growth - 0/3) Specification: An anthology of magical tales handwritten by Beedle the Bard Requirement:
  1. Worth 55
  2. A Glitch
  3. Extreme Emotion
  4. Presence of Characters
Attributes:
  1. Store Magical Tales
  2. Current Status: 5
Skill: The Song of History Skill Effect:
  1. In the presence of Characters, automatically write a tale about them
  2. Proximity required: 10 ft.
  3. The Contestant must say the true name if multiple characters are present
  4. The depth of the written tale depends on the current grade.
  5. The tale can be expanded by repeating the procedure with the upgraded Item
Skill: Thousand Tales Parasite Skill Effect:
  1. Devour tales to upgrade itself
  2. Automatically writes a Hidden-Tale of the Contestant.
  3. When the Hidden-Tale is completed, devour the Contestant''s memories
  4. When opened, the Item gains an intention, rejecting an unworthy tale
Skill: Primordial Theater Skill Effect:
  1. Imbue life to the magical tales
  2. The Characters within the tale come alive and can be used by Contestant
  3. Activity Radius: 100 ft
  4. The strength of enlivened Characters depends on the tale''s completion-status
  5. Each tale and its Characters have their own requirements and limitations
WARNING:
  1. Only one tale can be imbued with life at a time
  2. The enlivened Character cannot exist outside the Activity Radius
Quality: 100% ] ¡­ Kai was happy. It felt like it had been months or even years since he had been happy. The last time he was so happy, he had blown himself up, killing the one man he hated the most. From just its requirements, Kai could tell what it was. Something that shouldn''t exist. The Worth. The Glitch. These two alone made it one of the most demanding Items in the Primordial Tower. Then there was the fact that it was a Growth-type Item. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Kai was holding it, risking everything, bringing up a sign of courage only demons like him could possess. He didn''t understand its Skills completely. Nor did he understand the meaning of Contestant''s Hidden-Tale entirely. But he knew he would figure it out. I will manage, Kai told himself. Like I always have. Suddenly, a blue hue enveloped him, soothing his entire body. The Item returned to the Inventory as Kai felt an unknown force squeezing and stretching him. But it wasn''t painful. Kai stood up, the boyish charm vanishing off his face, like a forgotten dream. His fingers balled into fists, his gaze became resolute, and the hotness in his chest burned furiously with anticipation. The blue blinded Kai''s sight then. When he disappeared, a distant rumble reached where Kai had been. The dark thunderstorm, which once was adamant to destroy the place called Dufftown, was coming right towards it. The thunderous sounds marching in its van felt like hundreds of raging roars. * * The whiteness greeted Kai. Kai had an inkling he would return to this place. But not in the state he was. His torn clothes had vanished, and he was as naked as his name day. The lack of pain, injuries, and bruises all had disappeared like a phantom memory. Everything about him was fresh, and he could even smell himself. A grassy, rainy scent, Kai told himself, taking many sniffs. Whatever happened to that coin? It was the same White Room in which he had found himself resurrected. Just quieter, and somehow emptier than last time. Kai took a deep breath, closing his eyes. The notification appeared the moment he opened his eyes. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn¡­ You have completed your Initiation Mission How are you feeling? ] ¡­ How am I feeling? What the¡­?! A chill went down Kai''s spine, seeing the question. No, it can''t be! Isn''t Chaos just a System? A medium to gain Power? It can interact¡­ This?! Why did Arlen, and others, say nothing about it? "I am alright," Kai said, reluctantly.. ¡­ [ Good. You are a valuable Contestant, Kai Stormborn Let''s check if you are Worthy as well, shall we? Analyzing Contestant''s actions in the Random World¡­ ] ¡­ Kai''s heart had jumped to his throat, and there it sat, waiting for the result. From the Main Mission''s Summary, Kai knew the value of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Chaos wanted imbalance, and the worldwide presence of the book was the key to it. ¡­ [ Analyzation Complete Judgment: Worthy Reward: Worth +10 Are you thinking about the Book, Kai Stormborn? ] ¡­ Kai had just felt relief when he stiffened again. "Yes," he said, not finding it reasonable to lie about the obvious. ¡­ [ Not all Contestants have the authority to interact with Chaos. It all depends on one''s Worth. Chaos prefers imbalance. When you stole the Book, you became the cause of an even greater imbalance. Chaos commends your unquenchable thirst for Power and the avarice that fuels your decisions even more. Though the Contestant must know¡­ It worked this time. Will it work the next time as well? ] ¡­ Kai wetted his thin lips, his tongue rolling up and down. There was a coldness in that warning. A chill. ¡°Display my Stats,¡± Kai said, ignoring the coldness within him for now. ¡­ [ Status of Contestant: Kai Stormborn Code Name: Red System: Chaos Equipped Title: NA Equippable Titles: NA Unequippable Titles:
  1. Traitor: (2/10)
  2. Poacher: (1/10)
Mission Credits: 875 HP: 100 MP: 70 SP: 60 Active Attributes - (1st Set Quota: 2/20) [ Unassigned Points: 2] Strength: 12 Agility: 14 Stamina: 10 Perception: 12 Correspondence: 7 Breath: 6 Passive Attributes - Charisma: 20 Luck: 2 Worth: 110 Abilities:
  1. Elementary Slither Footsteps (Proficiency: 45%)
  2. Elementary Twin-Saber Style (Proficiency: 35%)
  3. Elementary Snake Instinct (Proficiency: 13%)
  4. Elementary Snake Language (Proficiency: 5%)
Skills: NA Glitch: Blood Devour
  1. Blue-Tailed Boa Constrictor (non-magical)
Items:
  1. Castle Forged Longsword
  2. Pokeball - Generation 1
  3. The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Original)
Pain Factor: NA Inventory: 1 Cubic Meter-1000 kg ] ¡­ Kai noted a few discrepancies immediately. The Murderer Title in not here, he thought. It¡¯s Specification mentioned I must complete it in a single Random World. So it got locked again? Hmm¡­ Another thing that stood out was that even though he had unlocked the Titles, without completing their status, he couldn¡¯t equip them. Hippogriff¡¯s legs aren¡¯t mentioned either, Kai reflected, seeing his Items¡¯ list. I also have 2 unassigned points¡­ Kai¡¯s fighting style varied too much depending upon the circumstances and opponents. He had always found it prudent to keep some hidden cards, surprising the enemies during the heat of the battle. Let¡¯s keep them for now, Kai concluded. But the most striking things were the Abilities. I had only two, Kai noticed. Now the Blood Essence¡¯s Abilities are also there. Doesn¡¯t it mean¡­ From what he had learned, Abilities were one of the most difficult stats to obtain in the Primordial Tower. Even having one Ability could change the course of a Contestant¡¯s life. But, with his Glitch, Kai could practically farm the Abilities. Of course, he also noticed the lack of the presence of Skills, despite having two in this Blood Essence. If I ever discard the Blue-tailed Boa Constrictor, Kai analyzed, then the Skills will disappear with it as well. Fair enough¡­ ¡­ [ If there isn''t anything else, are you ready to leave the White Room? ] ¡­ Kai thought about it. But he still had much to learn before knowing which questions to even ask. So he said, "Send me away." ¡­ [ Sending Contestant, Kai Stormborn, to the 1st Floor of the Primordial Tower Good Luck ] ¡­ A bright blue flash, and Kai disappeared, beginning his journey in the Primordial Tower.

Volume 1: The Tales of Beedle the Bard - Ends!!!

Chapter 18: The First Bloody Battle

Volume 2: The Primordial Tower (Interlude)

When Kai felt grounds beneath his feet, he had to blink away the whiteness still lingering in his eyes. Before he could see, the cacophony bombarded his ears, though. He was in a Grand Hall with a domed roof, echoing, blurring the noise. There were at least a hundred more Contestants around Kai, all wearing a red martial arts uniform lined with blue at the seams. He looked down and saw the same uniform on him. Kai put his hands inside the pockets of his loose pants, eying a few girls who would just lay out all the information about their Initiation Mission without having him asking for it. Suddenly, his entire body shuddered, the tips of his right hand¡¯s fingers touching cold metal. As if time had slowed down, Kai took it out, his eyes wide in disbelief. The Iron Coin! How¡­ Kai couldn¡¯t believe it. He had arrived to the White Room buck naked. Then he came here, wearing fresh uniform. The coin wasn¡¯t in his Inventory, either. For it to appear in his pocket, just made it one of the most mysterious things Kai had experienced after his resurrection. "Here!" A powerful voice thundered in Kai''s ears. He looked straight ahead, and in the distance, found the silhouette of an armored knight standing right outside the main arched door. Even from a distance, the knight seemed tall. "Hurry up! You Mongrels!" Kai put the coin in his pocket and mingled with the crowd. Once he was nearer, he could see the knight clearly. His armor had a dull-silver color, covered in signs of heavy battles. Scarcely any part of the armor had remained smooth. A white cloak was fastened on his shoulders, fluttering high and low in the gusts of dry wind under the darkening sky. "I am Ser Morgan Tussy," the Knight introduced himself. "I am assigned the detail to drop you lot at the 1st floor''s city. I will say it one time. Don''t break the line. Don''t open your mouth. When I question, you answer. Simple enough, right?" Many gulped when the knight showed a grin at the end. "Then what are you all gawking at?!" Ser Morgan suddenly snapped. "Line up!" As the Contestants gathered in five long files, the knight shut his visor, his eyes hiding behind the metal. He whistled loudly, and the ground shook. Kai saw a tall, black destrier running towards them from far. Ser Morgan mounted the horse and trotted it between the Contestants, the snaps of hooves echoing in the hall. The knight returned after making a round and gave a hard look to all. "Haha! Thirty-three and a hundred," Ser Morgan Tussy said, chuckling, his destrier whining in excitement. "Let''s see how many of you will reach the city.¡± * * 6 hours later, Ser Morgan Tussy had been riding non-stop, crossing streams, barren hills, plains, and dense forests, following the game trails. It was just a trot. A casual pacing, as if he was enjoying the view. Except there was no view. No life. No sound. Nothing. And, yes. A group of the most haggard-looking people, trying to stay close to him. Kai¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and in his right hand was a raw piece of flesh. On and on, he kept putting one leg in front of the other, pushing himself a little more forward, and chewing meat. Just as it felt like the earth had slipped off beneath their feet, the Contestants heard the words. "We are here," the Knight suddenly said and stopped. Behind him, the survivors tried to roar out cheers, which came out as muffled grunts. It was a plain, grassy, and rocky area. Trees were sparse, and the dry air had a chill in it. But their destination¡­ the City¡­ was missing. Kai looked over his shoulder and counted. Only 17 had survived the journey, the rest falling behind, lost in an unknown, barren world. Then the knight laughed, his horse whining along with him. "Haha! Tonight is beautiful, isn''t it?" he asked, pointing at the moon. "Come on then. Look alive! Take out your Items, if you have any¡­ Haha! It''s time for your first battle." WHAT?!!!! ¡­ [ Commencing Battle Sequence¡­ Floor: 1 (1st Set) Kill Count: (0/20) Battle Number: 1 ] ¡­ Kai gawked at the notification as if matching the gaze of the strongest enemy. Arlen had already told him about the Battles, but not that he would be facing one right after his teleportation to the Primordial Tower. Motherfucker! Kai cursed, knowing well the blue-haired bastard must have deliberately kept the information. ¡°Each floor has a certain Kill Count,¡± Ser Morgan explained, ignoring the stunned look on the Contestants¡¯ faces. ¡°If you want to teleport to a Random World, get stronger, and seek opportunities, then you must complete the Kill Count first. It doesn¡¯t matter how many battles it takes, either. Both Chaos and Order have no shortage of cannon fodders. Believe that!¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Suddenly, the neighs of another horse echoed around them. Kai spied a golden knight mounting a stallion standing atop a low hill with some hundred meters between them. The knight''s silhouette was a blur, a spear gleamed dark in its hand. Both knights stared at each other. One looked up, and the other down. One looked battered, and the other a hero of ancient tales. ¡°You all will battle against the likes of you,¡± Ser Morgan continued, narrowing his eyes behind the visor. ¡°Order''s newbies, having a specialty in close combat, like you. They will be tired, like you. They will be almost dying, like you. And they will want to live too, like you. Kill or get killed. As the Systems like to say¡­ ¡­ the choice is yours.¡± The steel screeched against leather as Ser Tussy unsheathed his two-handed greatsword and pointed it at the Order''s golden knight. Up, on the hill, the spear¡¯s head fell, thrusting itself downhill. Charge! Charge!! Both knights commanded, louder than the other. The 17 Chaos¡¯ Contestants charged uphill. The Order''s newbies flew down from the hill, like tiny black birds, appearing one after the other. They were wearing dark blue-colored martial arts uniforms. There were no shouts, no battle cry. They wouldn¡¯t be getting loot here, either. Today, they only killed to live. Heat exploded in his chest when Kai saw a newbie charging at him, barehanded, weaponless. Kai''s eyes turned reptilian, his pale, tired body became red. His figure rippled under the scalding hot steam coming out of him, like the wind-battered banner Elementary Snake Instinct! Elementary Slither Footsteps!! Kai slithered uphill, the Blue-tailed Boa Constrictor appearing on his right arm, along with the longsword. A silver arc flashed, and his kick followed, landing at the gash left behind by his slash. One more kick separated the dangling head. Screams woke up the small hill when the two groups of newbies butted themselves against each other. Kai¡¯s eyes blurred. I am losing the power over my senses, Kai analyzed in the heat of the battle. What good are Abilities if I can¡¯t utilize them to their fullest potential even when I am tired? I need¡­ Another one dashed at him. Sunken eyes, disheveled hair, and bare breasts. She had come for an easy kill but met her doom. Kai had already hidden the longsword in his Inventory. When he took it out, the steel butchered her, almost parting her in two from her waist. Blood rained down, washing Kai''s head, dying his white hair in muddy gray and red. Perception is the key¡­. Kai hissed to himself, cutting her in two with one more strike. On his right, Kai saw three blue uniforms killing a red one. Their bodies failed to appear in his vision, the world blurring in the corner of his eyes. Kai wasn¡¯t the only one facing the repercussions of hours of long run, but he was the only one with enough experience to know what was needed. With a thought, the 2 Unassigned Attribute Points melted into his Perception. As if someone had snatched out a drowning man from the depths of sea, Kai felt a rush of senses, his vision expanding and his instincts returning with full force. Kai''s figure melted into the air as he slithered this time. A thud resounded in the three Order¡¯s Contestants'' ears. When they looked down, they saw something had appeared in the small space surrounded by their legs. Kai twisted his waist and jumped. The longsword flashed, carving out a silvery arc. Tink! Three throats opened like a bloody, clownish smile, a stunned and stupefied expression still planted on the dead men¡¯s faces. The longsword broke in two. ¡­ [ WARNING: Castle Forged Longsword - Quality: 3% ] ¡­ When Kai looked up, panting, the hill was in repose. Those who had the strength to kill, had already killed. Those who were destined to die, had already died. Now the survivors were barely slapping each other, clawing at each others¡¯ faces. Chaos, oh, Chaos, Kai frowned, taking one step after another. Were you mocking me by putting me with these¡­ fighters?! Kai¡¯s slitted eyes held murder, the Blood Demon of his previous life awakening once more. He towered over a blue-uniformed man, who was biting the ears of a red-uniformed woman. "ENOUGH!" A womanly, but powerful shout came from up the hill. "Fall back!" "Fall back!" Ser Morgan Tussy commanded his soldiers in return. Kai lifted his broken sword, his back facing the golden knight. "Humph!" the Order¡¯s Knight snorted, and in the next moment, she disappeared. She reappeared over Kai, her long spear charging at Kai''s back. Ser Tussy met her mid air like a silver wraith. Boom! The greatsword hugged the spear, and both Morgan and the golden knight got thrown away.. When they landed on the ground, a head was rolling down. Kai looked at the longsword as the steel broke down into tiny chunks of silver stardust and sighed. "What''s the meaning of this, Morgan?!" the golden knight fumed. "I need an explanation, and I need it now." "Explanation?!" Morgan said, his voice showing his puzzlement. "If someone needs an explanation, then that should be me, Elaine." "How dare¡­ you?!" Elaine shook in anger. "Have you no shame, Ser?" "Tch!" Ser Tussy clicked his tongue. "We gave the command simultaneously. But it takes time for the sound to reach the ears. It''s just that." Even a child could tell by now what Morgan was doing. "Black hearts, blacker thoughts," Elaine rebuked. "I will have none of your nonsense." "Oh?" Morgan said, a slight chuckle coming out of his helm. "I have other things to give you, my lady. You just never give me the chance." Kai could have sworn he heard the golden knight gritting her teeth in anger. If Desmond could tell that I have an Ability, then certainly these knights can too, Kai had told himself before activating the Blood Essence. He knew the Order''s Knight would come to kill him if he were to give any reason whatsoever. And he also knew Ser Morgan Tussy would have to come to save him. A newbie with Elementary Ability? None would want to lose such a prize. "Hand this criminal to me, Morgan," Dame Elaine commanded. "He will have to pay for his insolence." "Haha!" Morgan laughed, his voice booming against the hill. "Criminal?! We all are criminals, Elaine. Or have you forgotten that?" "Don''t put me with the likes of you," Elaine said, flinging the spear, the banner on it swishing with the wind. Morgan stepped forward and pointed his greatsword at the headless body. "Think about it, Elaine. Do you really want to do it? For a useless, weak, and dead newbie?" Both knights went silent for a moment. When Kai twisted his neck, he found the golden knight looking at him. He couldn''t see her eyes behind the helm, but he could feel her anger. "I have seen your face, kid," Elaine said, turning away, "and I don''t forget faces." The notification appeared then. ¡­ [ Terminating Battle Sequence¡­ Floor: 1 (1st Set) Kill Count: (6/20) Battle Number: 1 ] ¡­ When Kai looked around, the Order¡¯s Contestants had already gone. On the Chaos¡¯ side, out of the 17, only 7 had survived. "Boy!" Ser Tussy boomed, catching Kai''s attention. "Line up, or do you need an escort?" When crawled his way to the Contestants, they all backed away, letting him take the front position. The knight said nothing. Neither he asked for Kai''s Elementary Ability nor did he mention the golden knight. It was only after they had traveled a few dozen miles did he say something. "So seven, huh? That''s a number I wasn''t expecting," Morgan said, looking back, his visor wide open. "You all did OK out there. Not bad!" Kai could feel the knight looking at him, but he feigned ignorance. Suddenly, the knight stopped. Kai bumped into the destrier''s rear, making the beast neigh in annoyance. When he shook the smell off, Kai looked beyond the beast. They were standing on a cliff''s edge. And beyond the forest at the cliff''s foot, Kai could see high walls and towers. The flickering light coming off that place couldn''t have anything but the sign of life. "Look at it!" Ser Morgan Tussy said. "Isn''t it beautiful? That''s the Chaos¡¯ Valley of the 1st floor¡­ ¡­ The City of Assignments!" Chapter 19: The Two Empires of Chaos and Order The closer they became to the wall, the higher it became. Kai was no stranger to defensive walls. In his previous life, all animals had become giant monsters. The technology had advanced because of the virus-affected beasts'' materials, but it wasn''t enough to keep them all safe. To defend against a beasts'' rush, Essence Cultivators had built walls, so high that at their highest they kissed clouds. All those walls paled compared to what Kai was seeing now. From his right to left, there was nothing but the wall. If it curved somewhere, then the turn must have been miles away, hidden in the barren lands they had come out of. Ser Tussy, the silver-armored knight, hadn''t been so quiet after their battle. He was jesting freely, cursing loudly, but most of the time, he was boasting of his battles. Wooooooooooo! A loud, piercing call welcomed them. The sky was orange-pink of the morning, and the little skylight made the doors aglow like rippling waters. When the doors had opened into a slit, they stopped. Apparently, the gap was enough for the rider and the walkers to pass through them. A sudden noise hit Kai''s ears as if the entire world had come alive. They hadn''t seen a single sign of life beyond the Wall, and this noise seemed to fill the gap all by itself. In just a single glance, Kai could see dozens of horse carts rushing left and right in the distance. "Ser Tussy, what took you so long?" a voice came from Kai''s right, addressing the knight. "The others had come and gone hours ago." He was a middle-aged man, with light brown hair and eyes of the same color. A pointy chin, and a pointier beard besides. He was lean and was wearing a leather jacket for armor. He smiled at the mounted knight, but Kai noticed a sign of apprehension too. "Stuart," Morgan nodded, opening his visor, drops of sweat trickling down from his nose. "Your captain will be glad this time. These six should come in handy in the next major battle." Stuart smiled back, turning his face to look at the almost dead men and a woman. And then his smile disappeared. "Cough! My Lord, there are seven of them," the man said. "You must have counted wrong." Ser Morgan twisted his waist, his armor creaking from the action. With one hand, he reached out and grabbed Kai''s shoulder. Kai could have tried to dodge, or worse, he could have attacked if he had the strength to do so. Instead, he found himself on the horse, sitting behind the knight. "Are you calling me a liar now, Stuart?" Morgan asked coldly. "If I said there are six, then six they are." Kai saw Stuart gritting his teeth, his bony cheeks failing to hide the bumps over his molars. Morgan narrowed his eyes. Stuart suddenly laughed. "Haha! Yes, my lord," he said. "You are right. Now that I have looked again, they are six indeed. I''ve become old. Perhaps I should ask the captain to retire these old bones." Ser Tussy just chuckled in reply and brought the destrier to a trot in no time. ¡°Where are we headed?¡± Kai asked, not worried about the knight¡¯s intentions at all. All his actions, subtle responses, and even the bloodlust he had shown during he battle was nothing but a part of manipulating the knight to get what he wanted. Kai preferred working alone, but it didn¡¯t mean he would waste his time collecting information, too. "No need to worry, kid." The knight reined the destrier, bringing it to a stop. He looked back and whispered, "I am taking you in my personal squad. You are too worthy for those shit-stained units." Ser Tussy brought him to an inn miles into the city. Even then, Kai had no way to tell how deep the city ran from the Wall. When the other Contestants saw Morgan without the helm, they all gave him a wide berth. Kai secretly noticed that people knew him well in this part of the city. Kai stuffed meat after meat in his mouth, hunger still clinging to his guts. "Haha!" the knight laughed, tearing a chicken leg for himself. "Eat, eat. I will take care of the bill." Kai noticed the innkeeper grimacing at those words. It seemed it wasn''t the first time for Ser Tussy to take care of the bills. "Are all these people Contestants?" Kai asked, taking a pause. "How big is this city?" This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "Wait!" Suddenly, Morgan frowned, rubbing his chin. "How come I never asked your name?!" "Red," Kai casually said. "Well, most of them are technically Contestants," the knight continued, pointing out all the other customers and inn''s staff. "But some give up on power sooner than others. They never joined their battles, so naturally, they never went to a Random World. Isn''t that right, Putin?" The innkeeper growled at Morgan, serving two cups of beer. He was balding, and a few of his front teeth were missing. He looked into Kai''s eyes for a moment and then left without replying. "Heh!" Ser Tussy sniggered. "The city is enormous, Red. How big? Let''s say it''s big enough to call it a¡­ Planet?" What?! Kai''s eyes almost popped out, and he even forgot to bite off the meat on his lips. "The Wall covers the entire city if that''s what you are thinking," Morgan said, giving words to Kai''s thoughts. "What would you have expected? Not all ascend the floors. They stay here, they eat here, they shit here, and they fuck here. Where would their children go? So either they become slaves, or worse¡­" Becoming slaves isn''t worse? Kai thought as Morgan trailed off, drinking a huge mouthful of beer. "¡­ Or worse, they become Contestants." The knight completed. Kai silently mulled over the knight''s words and their meaning. His stomach was almost full, and the tiredness had all but receded. "You have an Ability?" Ser Tussy asked, finally mentioning the elephant in the room. Kai nodded again, feigning a prideful expression. "Good," the knight nodded. "I need Contestants like you.¡± Kai neither accepted the offer nor rejected it. "Let me give you a brief explanation before leaving," Morgan said as a serving boy took away all the empty plates. "Each Floor has two regions. One is called Chaos¡¯ Valley, where the Chaos¡¯ Contestants gather. The other is called Order¡¯s Peak. Both Chaos¡¯ Valley and Order¡¯s Peak, from 1st to the 7th Set, are ruled by two Empires.¡± The knight took out a dull, bronze-colored badge and pushed it into Kai''s hands. Kai felt its cool surface and turned it upside down. On one side it had the sigil of the Empire; a twisted red and blue Yin-Yang like symbol, with uncountable weapons jutting out from the red side. On the other side, a silver-colored helm was carved on it. "I am a member of Silver Hunters Guild," Ser Morgan whispered. "The 1st Floor''s branch of the Guild is under my command. When you reach there, ask for Marine Roland, and show him the badge. He will know what to do. Reaching the 2nd floor will be a piece of cake for you. Kill as many as you can in the next battle and ascend in a single go. I will wait for you there." They walked out of the inn without paying the bill. When the knight took the reign of the destrier, Kai remembered something and asked, "Where do I go now from here?" Morgan closed his visor, and a blue light shimmered around him. He outstretched his hand and pointed at the end of the street. Kai saw a two-story building there. At the top of the building, there was a banner fluttering with the image of a silver helm. "Remember the words of the R''lyeh Empire," Ser Morgan Tussy said. "Blood and War!" "Blood and War!" Kai repeated, almost rolling his eyes, and then the question struck him. "What is the name of the Empire ruling Order''s Peak?" The blue light had become almost blinding. But the knight passed the answer before disappearing. Kai''s face became ash. There was such a surprise on his face that he couldn¡¯t think anything, all thoughts vanishing to the furthest boundary of reality. How¡­ How¡­ Kai muttered, remembering the name. That name was¡­ ¡­ The Stormborn Empire! Kai never knew how or when he reached the guild''s gate. "Oi! Pretty rat! I won''t ask again," the shout came abruptly, making Kai finally see where he was. He was at the steps leading to the Guild''s main door. A guard was standing in front of him, wearing a half-open shirt and loose pants. A poorly drawn tattoo of a silver helm glistened brightly under the noon sun on his right cheek. The guard''s eyes were mean, and the look he was giving Kai had nothing but disgust. Kai stood there confused, his ragged appearance betraying his true strength. "What do you want?" the guard asked, and not for the first time given his tone. "We have no spare Mission Credits to give to the likes of you. Bugger off! Or you will get more than you have bargained for." "I am not here for Mission Credits," Kai said, taking his mind off the nonsense thoughts. "I need to see Marine Roland." The guard burst into a shrill laugh. Kai didn''t pay any heed to him and reached for the badge in his half-pant''s pocket. His Perception screamed danger out of nowhere! A kick! The guard''s foot was coming towards his chest. Anger exploded within Kai. His feet slithered, and the kick brushed past him. Elementary Slither Footsteps! The guard lost his balance. He would have fallen, if it wasn''t for Kai holding the guard''s outstretched leg, like a wooden stick. Kai''s other hand blurred, landing on the guard''s knee. Snap! The guard''s knee bent backward. Ahhh! The scream that followed was scarcely any man could hear and ignore. The guard fell, his other leg losing its strength. More guards came running out of the door, hearing the commotion. They all looked the same, and there were three of them. Burly, brute, and unreasonable. They saw the guard. They also saw Kai letting go of one of the legs. Then, they charged. Kai slithered. He slid in and out of guards'' attacks, rubbing his feet on the ground as if he was oil on steel. Snap! Bones broke like twigs. With his two years of experience and knowledge of human and beasts'' bodies, Kai knew exactly where to attack to inflict the most damage. Snap!! By the time Kai wrapped his fingers around a guard''s throat, the two others were lying on the ground. One had his ankle broken. The other''s elbow didn''t look like an elbow anymore. Suddenly, he felt a burst of power coming from his side. A huge fist flooded Kai¡¯s vision, appearing in the corner of his eyes with unmatched and unavoidable momentum. Chapter 20: Preparations – A Serpent’s Fangs! Kai''s legs slithered like a gentle gust had pushed him backward. The fist hit hair, making Kai narrow his eyes. Another fist followed, and he dodged it again by a hair¡¯s breath. The guard under Kai''s grip dangled like a cloth along with him. His finger tightened around the man¡¯s throat with every step he slithered, with every punch he dodged. The man behind the fists noticed it too. The punches stopped. The slithering stopped. The tightening fingers loosened. Kai got the chance to look at the man then. The guards were already burly, but this man was the burliest. Thick arms, thicker face. A bushy beard lingered on his face, along with an anchor tattoo on his right cheek. Kai didn''t want to kill anymore. The thrill had passed and he had more important things to do. "You are Marine Roland?" Kai asked. "Who''s asking?" the man replied, never taking his eyes off the purple-faced guard. Kai reached into his pocket and took out the badge before throwing it towards the man. "You need better guards." * * "When will the next battle be?" Kai asked, rolling the coin-like badge across his knuckles. Roland, the Branch Captain of the Silver Hunter Guild, had been eying the badge since Kai had thrown it in his face. "3 days from now, at evenfall," Roland answered, nodding at another guy. "We will ambush a Herb Gathering Party." The guy, who Roland had nodded at, brought a map and spread it on the table between Kai and Roland. By now Kai had got to know many miscellaneous things from Roland, without losing a single Mission Credit. ¡°Once a week, the world outside the Wall comes alive,¡± Roland told him. ¡°Beasts, herbs, trees, water, and mines, name it and you can find it out there. These things are the precursor for the battles. The City is enormous, and to sustain it the Empire needs resources. You can guess the rest.¡± Kai could indeed guess the rest. It is all a game for the Systems. By limiting the resources, it forces the Empires to fight each other. This happens on each floor, like a boring, endless cycle. No wonder all Contestants long to return to Random Worlds. Here life is monotonous, but there¡­ There is a world full of possibilities and opportunities. "What do you know about the Stormborn Empire?" Kai asked the question that had been bothering him for long now. "Don''t order me!" Roland fumed, eying Kai and the badge, but answered anyway. "I am just a 1st Floor Contestant. I know little, other than what I need to know and what I am told. The only thing that is publicly known and discussed is that it wasn''t always called the Stormborn Empire. "Some 100 years ago, a Contestant ascended to the top and single-handedly toppled the last Empire." What?! Kai could perceive absolute fear in Roland''s voice. The guy, standing next to him, was shivering. "Do you know his name?" "She¡­" Roland corrected. "Brienne Stormborn, the Empress of Justice, Balance, and Order." For a moment, just for a fleeting moment, Kai had hoped to hear his father¡¯s name. Alan Stormborn had disappeared right after his son¡¯s birth, becoming the greatest mysteries in Kai¡¯s life. For another fleeting moment, Kai had wished to hear his mother¡¯s name. But Brienne¡­ Kai searched for the name in his family tree, tracing the last 1300 years of history of House Stormborn. There¡¯s no Brienne. "Prepare a room for me," Kai almost commanded. "Tomorrow we will go to the Armory. You better not have any lack of Mission Credits." Kai saw Roland gritting his teeth in anger and rubbing his fists. But the badge turned out to be more powerful than Kai had imagined. In a few minutes, Kai found himself in a big room. Kai didn''t go to sleep immediately, though. There were a few things he needed to do before going back to the Random World. This was as good a time as any. "Chaos," Kai said, his voice booming within the room. "I want the Miscellaneous Rent Box." ¡­ [ Processing request¡­ Request Accepted Request Nature: Miscellaneous Rent Box Specification: A fourth of your Inventory will be reserved for miscellaneous storage. Effect:
  1. Contestant can conjure any container within this space
  2. The combined capacity of all the containers must not exceed the limits
  3. Only things with no Stats can be stored within the containers
Price: 100 Mission Credits The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Warning: Price subjected to change with rise in Mission Grade ¡­ Do you accept the transfer? ] ¡­ With one flick of his hand, Kai took out the Hippogriff¡¯s legs and said, ¡°Yes.¡± Immediately, he felt a corner of his Inventory graying out as if he didn''t have full access to it anymore. It was kinda like having a drawer within a drawer. Kai also noticed there wasn''t any reduction in total Mission Credits for now. If the System won''t get to deduct 100 MC before Random World''s teleportation, then he won''t be able to access the Miscellaneous Rent Box. Kai eyed the legs the, each donning half-a-foot long steel-like talons. It''s a little complex for Items like these, Arlen had told him. The System will allow it to be stored as long as you can distinguishably tell it is or was an Item or a Magical Creature. So if you were to store only a claw of the magical creature, the Inventory will most definitely reject it. Unless the claw is itself an Item. Got me? That''s what Kai had been worrying about. Hippogriff was a magical beast, and its legs were rich in Mana. Before taking it to the smith, he¡¯d rather store the flesh for later. It was bloody work. Kai manged to secure a dirk from Roland. He angled it perfectly, and cut through the muscles. On his left was a wooden chest. From the open lid, one could see strips of flesh. Kai took a weary breath. He was exhausted. When Kai was done, he put the wooden chest back into the reserved space of his Inventory. But when he tried to store the talons, the Inventory rejected them. Ah! Kai nodded, concluding Arlen¡¯s info. He wrapped the talons in a huge cloth instead. Now, I must do that too¡­ Kai had been looking forward to this the most. Ever since he had seen Arlen taking out that vial, he had been looking forward to this moment. He thought for a moment, and the System turned his thoughts into reality. Kai swept his hand, and a vial appeared out of his Inventory. It was the same vial Arlen had given him. And its purpose was also the same. I can''t depend on Light Neurotoxin too much in a battle, Kai told himself. It depletes my HP and MP and makes me incapable of using other Abilities of the Blood Essence. Its better to store it beforehand. Kai resolved himself, focusing on the ever-present hotness in his chest. Even after experiencing it many times, the heat still had an edge to it. A hot mist covered his entire body, and the tattoo of the Blue-tailed Boa Constrictor appeared on his right arm. ¡­ [ Skill Light Neurotoxin Activated Time Limit: 30 Seconds ] ¡­ Kai''s reptilian pupils shimmered in the well-lit room. The nail of his middle finger extended, turning into a serpent''s fang. Drip! Drip! ¡­ Kai paled instantaneously. 5 colorless drops of the poison had brought down his HP by 25 points. The drop in MP was enough to make him dizzy. But Kai persisted. Assisted by the maniacal will of his, Kai managed to remain awake until his HP and MP returned to their original values. The tiredness, though, kept piling on. Another activation. Eyes bloodshot! 5 more drops. And Kai couldn''t hold on any longer. The only thing he could do before losing his consciousness was to send the vial back to the Inventory. * * After a few hours, ¡°Why¡¯s the city so¡­¡± Kai was wearing a long black greatcoat that brought about the color of his white hair. They flowed down his shoulders like a waterfall of honeyed milk. His hazel gave him a ferocity unknown to the boys of his age. None could deny that as long as Kai didn''t show his true nature, he could be the most charismatic figure wherever he went. Even in this place, young and old, all women couldn''t help but take second glances at him. Some had controlled their emotions, but many blushed, their faces gaining the color of ripe peaches. ¡°¡­ so unimpressive?¡± Roland followed Kai with a half unbuttoned shirt, showing his gleaming oiled chest, and loose pants. On his shoulders he carried a sheet of cloth, having Hippogriff¡¯s talons in it. Men scattered at the first sight of silver helm¡¯s tattoo on his right arm. "Yes." Kai was indeed unimpressed. Accept a few signs of otherworldly power and the occasional stroll of Mana around him, Kai could scarcely say it was some kind of magical place. Children were playing in the streets. Most were naked or had a piece of cloth around their groins. There seemed to be no shortage of brothels, and the women were so open that one had even run at Kai with her breasts in her hands. "What did you expect?" Roland asked, shoving a drunk man dozens of feet away. "It''s all the same up to the third floor. Here lie the people who are too afraid to die, and too unworthy to ascend. The third floor would have also been the same if it wasn''t for a Set Lord being present there." ¡°Set Lord?¡± ¡°A kinda noble of Empire,¡± Roland explained. ¡°The Empire chooses one among the Top-Class 3rd Floor Contestants and grants the title of Baron or Baroness. Over on the Order side they do the same. The current Set Lord of 1st Set of the Chaos¡¯ Valley is Baron Silvas. But he¡¯s about to ascend to the 2nd Set, I heard.¡± Empires were everything in the Primordial Tower, holding most of the power. Kai could imagine the lure of a noble title for a Contestant when he wasn¡¯t roaming the various Random Worlds. Kai followed Roland as the burly man took a sharp right turn. . Two men were having a fistfight there, their nose was broken and their fists bloody. "10 Mission Credits," said one man, watching from a corner. "30 MC on the baldy," said another. A third well-dressed man rushed to them to accept the transfer. Beyond them, Kai¡¯s gaze fell on banner fluttering high over the multistory building. Two silver longswords crossed behind a round golden shield upon a gray background. It was ancient, Kai thought, feeling a hint of Mana seeping out of it. Thousand Armor Smithy! This place was so big, and crowded, that Kai felt like he was a bee and the building was a beehive. The buzzing noise was anything but comprehensible. No one was looking or hearing anyone, but running from here to there always seemed to be in a hurry. "Jack!" Roland shouted at a half-naked muscular man. His skin was black, and his big head covered up brilliantly for his short legs. "Marine Roland, my friend," Jack shouted back, shifting many eyes towards them. "Still searching for One Piece, are you? Haha!" For the first time, Kai noticed a twitch at the corners of Roland''s lips. "Don''t mock me, Jack," Roland said, shaking his thick hands with the guy. "I have brought you a customer. The one I told you about, remember?" Jack''s smile vanished, and he turned to look at Kai. "He?!" Jack said, his thick eyebrows crushing his forehead. "He is just a boy!" Kai stared into Jack''s eye, almost as if daring him to call Kai a boy again. But Roland shook his head and whispered something in Jack''s ears. "OK, Ok! You don''t have to remind me, Roland," Jack said, licking his lips. "Come with me." Kai found himself standing in a spacious smithy with heat billowing out of hearth and many men and women hammering here and there. "Let me see it," Jack said.. Roland put the bag down in an open area and unrolled the sheet. The thundering sound of hammers vanished suddenly. Jack''s jaw dropped, and even Roland looked rather shaken as he didn¡¯t actually know what was he carrying so far. Jack caressed the talons. "Magnificent! I can make top Common Grade daggers out of this. I will be famous. Haha!" Now that brought out Kai''s fury. What did he say? Kai''s eyes narrowed. In one step, he towered over the armorer, lifted his chin, and looked into Jack''s soul, making it shiver like never. "Sabers." Kai''s voice had a chill of winter rain. "I want Sabers!" Chapter 21: Twin-Saber Style – Leaving the Primordial Tower! Morning, Third Day Kai let Roland in the room and shut the door. "How much did they cost?" "What happened to you?" Roland asked, stunned. Kai looked like someone had sucked out flesh off a chicken, leaving behind feathers. His face was pale, and his eyes had dark circles under them. Roland continued, getting no reply. "400 Mission Credits for each saber and another 300 for the armor." 1100 Mission Credits, Kai reflected. I would have never gotten those many, at least not that easily. After a talk with Jack, Kai had made the armorer forge two sabers using the talons and an armor using crushed leftover talons and bones. Roland passed over the armor first. ¡°For the newly forged Items, whoever put them in the Inventory first will become the owner,¡± he explained. ¡°Also, you can¡¯t just put someone else¡¯ Item in your Inventory. If you steal someone¡¯s Item, and he or she were to die, then the Item will go back to their Inventory, regardless of where you are.¡± Kai nodded and held the armor then, his gaze falling on the dull-gray Stats hovering above it. ¡­ [ Item: Steel-Bone Brigandine Grade: Common Specification: A studded leather vest made of Hippogriff¡¯s hide, lined with its crushed talons and bones Requirement: Strength 11, Stamina 10 Attributes: Weight 3.5 kg Skill: Not Applicable Effect: Defense +7 Agility - 1 Quality: 66% ] ¡­ It¡¯s like wearing my own skin over myself, Kai thought, his eyes lighting up. He immediately wore it over his shirt. It was plain brown from outside, only showing blurry white protrusions where the lining had been carried out over chest and back. Wonderful! Now I can resume my fighting style, Kai thought, flexing his arms. "Why only 66%?" Kai asked, recalling the Quality. "I thought it would be 100%. Certainly, the materials were fresh." "No, it''s not that." Roland had almost left the room leaving the sabers behind. "Materials matter, but it is an innate flaw of Contestants who are also armorers. If you want an Item beyond 80%, you can only get one in the Random Worlds, or have it made by the armorers within the Random Worlds." "How much would that cost me?" Kai passively asked. "Humph!¡± Roland snorted in reply. ¡°Get ready, we are leaving in an hour." When the Marine had gone, Kai took out a black saber, his heart thumping in anticipation. ¡­ [ Item: Black-Steel Saber Grade: Common Specification: A saber forged using Hippogriff¡¯s talons Requirement: Strength 11, Agility 12, Perception 11 Attributes: Base Damage 35 Points Skill: Hippogriff¡¯s Fury Skill Effect:
  1. Mana Consumption: 5-10 MP
  2. Reduce HP Regeneration by 25-40%
Quality: 72% ] ¡­ A vile, creepy smile surfaced on Kai¡¯s face. With a thought, a glass vial appeared in his hand, and from the markings over it, one could tell there were around 7 ml of substance within it. "My precious!" Kai muttered, activating the Skill once again. * * Kai wasn''t a skilled rider, but the stallion was trained masterfully. He pressed his knee against the beast''s belly, gave a slight tuck to the reins, and it understood his commands. Roland was in lead, followed by his right-hand man, while Kai was in the middle of the team which comprised 4 men and 3 women. They weren''t the only ones, either. Bands of Contestants were marching out of the Barren Gate to a land that wasn''t barren anymore, and even before going out, they could see greenery from the opening in the gate. Distant cries of birds were sipping in the city, giving all the Contestants a cheery and expectant expression. Yet, there was one Attribute in Kai¡¯s Stats which just never wanted to let the things end smoothly. "YOU!" A shout came from Kai''s left. Kai remembered him from the time before they had entered the city. "In the name of R''lyeh Empire, I, Head Guardsman Stuart Gunther, confiscate you into the Barren Gate 3rd Unit." Luck was indeed a fickle thing. "Get down!" Stuart bellowed. "Guards! Close the gates. No one leaves before I make this boy kneel." "Haha!" Kai suddenly laughed, a shrill, cranky sound coming out of his throat. "Are you mocking the Empire, boy?" Stuart shouted again, his pointy chin becoming red. "Why bring big words into the game, old man?" Kai asked back. "I am mocking none other than you, of course." Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "You!" Stuart pointed his shaky finger at Kai. Many others also gasped at hearing Kai''s jest. It was well in Head Guardsman''s rights to confiscate a Contestant into the Empire''s direct service in the absence of the Captain of Barren Gate. But Roland and the other Guild''s members were calm. Kai''s hand reached down into his pocket and took out a badge. The bronze glimmered golden under the white sun. Stuart stumbled back, a horrified look appearing on his face. "This can''t be!" he mumbled. "Why do you have the Knight''s honor badge?" This time it was Roland who replied. "It is Ser Morgan Tussy¡¯s." A buzz resounded all around them. Ser Tussy wasn''t some elite warrior for him to be known throughout the city. But in the immediate region of the Barren Gate, his name was known by all. Only the captain of Barren Gate could talk to him on equal terms, and that too, if Ser Tussy wanted so. "Impossible!" Stuart said, finding courage out of thin air. "Ser Morgan would never... Still, all Contestants must service the empire when called upon. Even knights are not excluded from it. Come with me. When Ser Hostler returns, you can present your arguments." Fool, Kai rebuked Stuart. He should have backed away when he had the chance. Tch! "Yes, you are right!" Kai said, shocking the Head Guardsman. "But then, what of the orders given to me by Ser Tussy? He has given me his honor. He can as easily take it back." "He is right, Stuart," Roland chimed in. "Red must prove himself to me in this battle. Such was Ser''s command." A stalemate occurred between Kai and Stuart then. They both looked at each other. Kai knew Stuart must have learned of his first battle from the other newbies, and had somehow guessed that he has an Ability. No other reason could have been so pressing for Stuart to be so adamant about keeping him from going out. "It may be so, Roland," Stuart spoke after considerate deliberation, licking his lips up and down. "But I still can''t let him go. What if he completes the Kill Count and runs away to a Random World? How will I answer to the Captain then?" There was no question of what if. Stuart and Kai both knew he could easily complete any count. "Well, I have a simpler solution," Kai almost whispered, but his voice reached Stuart''s ears. "Why don''t you come with us? You can monitor me, and when I am done, you can bring me back. As a freeman or a prisoner. Huh? What say you?" * * 7 they were, but 15 they became. The Stallions and mares left behind a storm of dust as they galloped off to the place of ambush. Stuart had brought seven more guards along with him to outmatch the Silver Hunters Guild''s members. Roland took them around a small hill covered in tall trees and made them dismount. "Stuart," he said, addressing the tagalongs first. "I am taking my team to the other side of the hill. Don''t let your men make any noise. Otherwise, answer to Ser Tussy himself." "Humph!" Stuart snorted. "Don''t teach me, Roland. I was a Contestant even before your father had entered your mother." Roland didn''t bother to reply to the jest. He brought Kai and others to the opposite side of the hill, following a shadowy trail. They didn''t have any steel armor that could have revealed their presence in the noon either. It was a long, narrow valley there, covered in a purple-blue shine. "Those are the herbs they are coming for," Roland told them, pointing at the purple stems and leaves. "How much longer?" Kai asked. "30 minutes," Roland answered, scratching his beard. "40 maybe, but not longer. If you are late, I won''t wait for you." "That''s more than I will ever need," Kai smiled. Kai traced back the trail and walked to the group of men, hiding well under the shade of dense trees. "Why are you back?" Stuart asked at the first sight of Kai. "Don''t tell me you are a craven? Haha! Now that''s a surprise." The guards laughed along with him. Kai didn''t reply. Step¡­ His eyes became slits. Step! Two sabers appeared in his hands. Step!! Steam drops evaporated and his figure blurred behind the hot mist. Step!!! Kai slithered, the black sabers glistening like oiled steel even in the shadows. When Kai dashed towards the guards, they were still confused about what was happening. "To arms!" Stuart shouted, waking them up. They all took long spears out of their Inventory. Stuart had a longsword in his hands. Kai took a deep breath. For the first time, he was truly feeling alive. The guards charged at him, their spear points rushing at him. Stuart backed away, letting the guards take the van. The Head Guardsman''s face had turned pale from the red of anger. He must have seen them. Those two menacing slits, and the heat coming out of Kai. Twin-Saber Style¡­ One moment, Kai was coming at them. In another, he disappeared. The air seemed to hiss as he slithered in and out of the spears. The sabers danced, kissing one man after another. Some were kissed at wrists, some at legs, and one was lucky to even get a peck on the neck. Dance of the Giant Serpent! When Kai left the cut-up guards behind, he found Stuart shaking like a leaf. "Hah!" A mad charge. Stuart lifted the longsword as high he could and hacked at Kai. Kai slithered away. One saber blurred upwards, the other across, and kissed the middle-aged man twice. Blood showered from Stuart''s shoulder and waist. ¡­ [ Elementary Snake Instinct: Proficiency 16% (+3%) Elementary Slither Footsteps: Proficiency 47% (+2%) Elementary Twin-Saber Style: Proficiency 40% (+5%) ] ¡­ "Run!" Stuart let out a whimper, darting for the horses. The bleeding guards followed. But even before reaching the horses, they saw the notification regarding the 25% drop in HP Regeneration, their eyes going wide. Black-Steel Saber - Hippogriff¡¯s Fury! Still, this wasn¡¯t enough to prevent Stuart and others to rush toward the horses anyway. The thing was¡­ Kai had intentionally not put his weight on his attacks, letting the cuts remain shallow. Just enough for the steel to enter their flesh. Because he wanted to test something¡­ and these men were nothing but a part of his experiment. "Haha¡­" Kai laughed, not worrying about Stuart and guards mounting the horses at all. Thud! Then one guard fell off the horse, tumbling down like a dead weight. Thud! Thud!! The others followed one by one too. Stuart persisted, for a mere second longer, then he came down as well. What¡¯s happening? Why can''t we move? They thought. Kai stalked towards them, his steps sounding like the grating noise of death''s scythe in their ears. He looked at his sabers. These were his fangs, but unlike his previous life, they lacked one exceptional property. Venom! A stray ray of sunlight fell on the edge of one of the sabers. Kai saw an imperceptible layer of transparent liquid smeared over the cutting edge, and his lips arched up in a hideous grin. Light Neurotoxin! The rest was an ugly business. Kai had only left them alive to see the potency of his poison-smeared sabers. When the saber parted their heads, they couldn''t even blink. Under the afternoon sun, only the wind screamed for them. * * "No!" Slash! "Please! We are not soldiers!" Hissss! "You Demon! They were innocents!" Thud! "Huff! Huff!" Kai panted, taking his saber out of the guard''s heart. The report given by the informant had turned out to be true. Only one guard at Roland''s level had accompanied some 25 Contestants to gather the herbs, thinking the major fight was going on somewhere else. They had no Items and no Skills. In a way, they were indeed innocent. There is no such thing as innocent Contestants, Kai had told Roland, before descending on the Order''s Contestants like darkness. The bloodbath that had ensued was nothing but plain butchery. The other six guild members had joined Kai too ultimately. But Kai was fast, and the speed at which he killed could hardly be matched by Contestants like Roland. The poison did most of the work. It was hidden! And deadly! When the guard took his last breath, the thrill in the demon¡¯s eyes got buried behind the notification. ¡­ [ Terminating Battle Sequence¡­ Floor: 1 (1st Set) Kill Count: (21/20) Battle Number: 2 ¡­ Contestant Kai Stormborn, you have achieved the required Kill Count Are you ready to leave the Primordial Tower? Once declined, your Kill Count will reset to 0 The Choice is yours¡­ ] ¡­ "Don''t come back¡­" Roland said from afar. The rest were too scared to approach Kai''s bloody figure. Kai¡¯s grinned at Roland, sending him a shivery goodbye. Then he disappeared with a blue flash, leaving behind stiff corpses. Many had their eyes open, and a few might still be alive, dying slowly. Death would claim them the same. It was just a matter of time.

Volume 2 - The Primordial Tower (Interlude) - Ends!!!

Chapter 22: Glitch and Worth – Choosing the 2nd Random World!

Volume 3: A Game of Thrones

[How was your first visit to the Primordial Tower, Contestant Kai Stormborn?] ¡­ If Kai still didn¡¯t know that he was getting special treatment, then he wouldn¡¯t be Kai Stormborn anymore. The White Room was the same as always. It had no means of escape, a fact Kai hated to the core. Another thing which he didn¡¯t like was how it always appeared buck naked here. It was as if the System was saying he had no secret to hide in its presence. There was one another thing¡­ I wish I could charge the System for these questions, Kai grumpily thought. A 100 Mission Credits for each question will suffice, I guess. "It wasn''t anything impressive," Kai said. "The City of Assignments was full of empty bellies and even more greedy mouths. No wonder the Contestants from upper floors are thinning out the crowd by killing them off earlier." ¡­ [ A deed of necessities. Chaos doesn''t interfere in the game of men. So long as there are always Contestants to play the game and it never stops¡­ You seem to have questions for Chaos, Kai Stormborn. ] ¡­ Is it that obvious?! Kai rebuked himself. Fooling people is much easier¡­ "What are Glitch and Worth?" Kai asked. "How are they interrelated?" None in the Primordial Tower had spoken about them by themselves. It felt odd to Kai that Contestants like Roland knew of newbies with Ability, but not of Glitch. And he wasn''t foolish enough to mention it by himself, either. The System, though, was different. Here Kai could ask freely¡­ ¡­ [ Processing the questions¡­ Calculating the questions'' worth¡­ Analyzation Complete ¡­ As per you privilege, you can know the answers to these questions for free. ] ¡­ "¡­?" Privilege? Kai¡¯s eyes narrowed. But the lure of free answers was just too much for him to think about it for now. ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡­ [ Every being has an Individuality, Contestant Kai Stormborn. This Individuality is one''s imprint on the vast cosmos. The one that was, is and will be, forever and beyond. The Rules of Heaven restrict these Individualities from manifesting into the Material Plane. Rules can be broken, though. All things have a certain price. You would know that, wouldn''t you, Kai Stormborn? But the outline of some imprints is darker than others; their depths deeper. Hence, the price required to free them from Heaven''s Rules also differs. These Individualities when manifested into the Material Plane are called Glitches and the price paid for their freedom is called Worth. ] ¡­ So that''s how it is, Kai reflected, his eyes gleaming with realization. That''s why those of higher Worth get looked at in a different light. Because the System has deemed them worthy enough to pay the price for their Individuality. "I am ready to be teleported to the next Random World," Kai said, hoping dearly for it to be the Magical World of Harry Potter, or even better, the World of Pokemon. ¡­ [ Very well. As you have completed the Initiation Mission, a new function, "Milestone" is available. Milestones are hidden achievements that a Contestant can achieve in the Random Worlds. Unlike Titles, they aren''t triggered and result from the actions taken within the Random Worlds. Milestones often give rewards that have a permanent nature. ¡­ Analyzing Contestant Kai Stormborn''s Stats¡­ Analyzation Complete. Contestant Kai Stormborn, as per your Privilege, you can choose one of the two Main Missions. ] ¡­ This Privilege again¡­ ¡°Show me.¡± ¡­ [ Main Mission: Report the Infiltration of Team Minato in the Village Hidden in the Grass This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Mission Summary: Third Shinobi World War. The Village Hidden in the Grass has been invaded, and now serves as an important front between the Hidden Stone Village and the Hidden Leaf Village. The Kannabi Bridge within the country is a vital pathway to Hidden Stone Village''s line of supply. Team Minato of the Hidden Leaf Village, led by the newly promoted Jonin Hatake Kakashi, is given the mission to destroy it Mission Objective: You are a rogue practitioner seeking asylum within the Hidden Stone Village. But to get the privilege you must report the infiltration of the Team Minato with proof and their current location to the Stone Village''s Ninjas Mission Time Limit: 5 days Mission Grade: E ] ¡­ Ninjas¡­ Jonin? Kai tasted the word at the tip of his tongue. An infiltration team won''t be weak, right? He had trust in himself to scout and spy on others. But gathering solid proof needed more than silence. Sigh! Kai shook his head, putting the tumultuous thoughts at the back of his mind. He adjusted his eyes and looked at the second Mission then. ¡­ [ Main Mission: Thwart the Assassination of Jon Arryn Mission Summary: Year 298 After Aegon''s Conquest. King Robert of House Baratheon had dethroned King Aerys II, claiming the throne for himself. After his coronation, King Robert had named Jon Arryn, styled Lord of the Eyrie, as the Hand of the King. The Hand, Jon Arryn, has recently uncovered a secret that will cost him his life. His enemies have hired many assassins (including Contestants) to kill him before he can reveal the secret. Mission Objective: You will act as a page, newly hired by Jon Arryn, in the guise that he has become old and the younger pages don''t suit his needs. In truth, you are a sellsword who will be given exclusive duty to guard the Hand against the assassins. Mission Time Limit: 1 week Mission Grade: E ] ¡­ Page? Kai deliberated over the word. Isn''t that the title for a servant to Nobles? Kai felt conflicted. The first mission threw big and enticing words at him, promising great opportunities. But, when Kai looked back to his experiences, his heart quivered imagining the potential danger involved. What good all the opportunities would do him, if he wouldn¡¯t remain alive to convert them to power? Moreover, Kai didn¡¯t recognize the names mentioned in the mission itself. He didn¡¯t know who was Hatake Kakashi, or how powerful was this Team Minato. In the last three days, Kai had tried his best to gain as much information as possible. Alas, on the 1st Floor, the general info about the Random Worlds available barely scratched the surface. If I want some real data, I need to ascend to the 2nd Floor, Kai reflected before sighing again. Best not to gamble when I don¡¯t know the variables involved. ¡°I choose the 2nd Mission.¡± Kai then thought about something and said, ¡°Also, I would like to keep the Pain Factor value same.¡± Pain didn¡¯t bother Kai too much as the worst years of his life had passed in constant pain and hunger. However, from his Initiation Mission, he had learned there were many kinds of pain. He also didn¡¯t want them to affect his ongoing Mission in anyway. Moreover, with every minute rise in Pain Factor, the cost in Mission Credits rose exponentially. ¡­ [ An amount of 200 Mission Credits is deducted for the Miscellaneous Rent Box and the Pain Factor of 0.5 Sending Contestant Kai Stormborn to the Random World¡­ Good Luck. ] ¡­ What the¡­ Kai''s figure twisted and turned as a blue shimmer surrounded him and took him away. * * "Tarland!" a voice boomed. "3 jars of wine here." "Where is the stable boy?" another voice asked. "Ah! Ser, not here, please¡­" a girl squeaked. Even before Kai¡¯s eyes adjusted to dark, damp place, his face had already twisted in rage. Kai had expected to appear in a room again, cut off from the outside world and with no concept of time. He had already filled a vial of poison for himself in the Primordial Tower. After teleportation, Kai had been preparing himself to fill at least another vial before stepping out. The noises annihilated Kai¡¯s plans, though. Thump! A service boy, no older than 7, put a heavy cup filled with red thick liquid on the table in front of him. The place was full of leather-armored soldiers, common people in rags, half-naked girls running barefoot, and yes, the stink of piss, shit, smoke, and wine reigned proudly within this inn. Kai looked down at the mug. A fly was floating in the wine, and the wine looked like its filthy blood to him. But his gaze didn''t linger on the wine for long. There was a finger-length scroll beside the mug, which Kai hadn''t noticed before. Kai unrolled the scroll with bubbling anticipation. The beautiful cursive writing written over the parchment stood out like a lotus blooming in the mud. ¡­ [ There was a time when the roar of dragons was the sweetest song known to this world. Old Magic was feared, and the horrors were respected for what they were; what they signified! But no more. The last dragons had died many years ago, and magic had vanished from these lands, leaving behind nothing but a mist in its memory in very distant places. This has become a world of hard men and harder decisions. Seven Kingdoms there were, but now one. Yet, the ambitions of mortals never cease. This is a world where people battle at whim, die like flies, and get forgotten as if they had never existed. Chaos welcomes you, Contestant Kai Stormborn to the place called Westeros, but known better as the Game of Thrones. ] ¡­ No sooner than Kai had folded this scroll, another child appeared by his side. This time, a small, scrawny girl. She never looked at him, and Kai wondered if she was asking for something to eat. But then she ran away as if she had chanced upon this place by mistake. What the¡­ Kai followed her back to the inn''s main door and then lost her. When he returned to the task at hand, there were two more scrolls placed on his table. This?! Did the girl place them? Kai asked himself. When Kai reached for one scroll, he noticed his clothing this time. The armor, Steel-Bone Brigandine, was still on him. It covered almost all his upper body, including his arms. Under the armor, there was a blue tunic, and for pants, Kai was wearing brown-colored breeches. The leather of his knee-high shoes was biting at his toes with every shuffle of his feet. Suddenly, Kai remembered something, shoving his hands inside his pockets. The fingers of his right hand kissed cold metal. It was still there, defying all logic. The Iron Coin! Kai shook his head and unrolled another scroll. A jet-black bar appeared in front of his eyes. The three red, blue, and yellow bars hovered above it, but the black bar was longer than all the three combined. Unlike the HP, MP, and SP bars, this black bar didn''t have any values to show its actual amount. ¡­ [ The Contestants in this world are subjected to an Abnormality Limiter for the entire length of their Mission. Magic is nothing but a stranger to the people here. Here, swords, armors, and treachery rule supreme. Contestants must make sure to not get spotted taking actions that can be termed as abnormal and supernatural by any in-world Character from this world. The Abnormality Limiter bar shows the allowance given to all Contestants. Once the black bar becomes empty, the said Contestant will be judged unworthy. The Abnormality Limiter Bar will refill automatically, given no further such instances after a certain time limit. WARNING: Some actions can instantly bring down the allowance to 0. ] ¡­ Kai mulled over the words some actions and then unrolled the last scroll, not touching the wine at all. ¡­ [ As a starter, you are given a sum of 1 Stag and 15 Pennies. You are one of the many sellswords hired to act as a secret guard. The Hand, Jon Arryn, will personally select one of the sellswords. Your first Side-Mission will be to prove your worth to Jon Arryn and successfully enter his service. The moment you get chosen, a timer of 1 week will be turned on. You must complete your Main Mission within the time limit. ] ¡­ As soon as Kai read that, all the three parchments crumbled. The shout followed that without warning. "Haven''t you had enough, boy?" a manly voice shouted. "Come! Others are waiting for you. We are beginning with the fights!" Chapter 23: Jon Arryn’s Tricky Side Mission Kai followed the voice. It belonged to a plump man, with a heavy beard and heavier mustache. He was glaring at Kai as if he wanted nothing but to eat him alive. But the moment Kai''s eyes matched his dull brown pupils, the fat man smiled. Kai knew it was his Charisma that was working wonders for him. "Pardons!" he said, smiling back. "I was lost in my thoughts." "Ha!" the fat man laughed or at least tried to, slapping his big belly. "Big Waldo likes you, don''t worry. Follow me." Kai followed Big Waldo to the stable behind the inn. Five boys were already there, sneering at each other. As they saw Big Waldo coming towards them, they lost all will for japery. Three of the boys were like Kai, lightly armored with only a vest. They were of the same age as that of Kai and one of the three had a little stubble, the other two being cleanly shaven. The remaining two were older, but still less than 20. They had breastplates for armor, and their expression didn''t betray their battle-hardened nature. "I have called you all for a vital task,¡± Big Waldo said, sounding mysterious. ¡°The one that can make you rich overnight." He gestured to Kai to stand among the others. The sellswords were giving Kai a measured look, but he ignored them, already knowing their weaknesses from their postures. The oldest sellsword took a step forward, then. "I am not here to play, Big Waldo," he said in a hard voice. "Tell me what it is required of me, and how much money we are talking about." The others nodded in agreement. Big Waldo lost his cheery expression then. He gave a stern look to the two stable boys, and they scampered off, closing the fence, cutting them off from any interference. "A big figure needs shit like you to do some honest work for seven days," Big Waldo said, looking at everyone but Kai. "He is coming here to select one of you. You will see dragons by the time you are done, that I can promise." From the Stags mentioned by the System, while giving him coins, Kai immediately guessed that the man was talking about money, and not actual Dragons. "So," Big Waldo said, eying everyone menacingly, "if any of you scum wants to back out, this is your time. Once I bring him here¡­ Haha!" The moment Big Waldo finished, a notification appeared in front of Kai. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have triggered a Side Mission ¡­ Main Mission: Thwart the Assassination of Jon Arryn Side Mission: Get chosen by Jon Arryn for the job Side Mission Summary: Jon Arryn had ordered his trustworthy man, Big Waldo, to find him a young Sellsword who can effectively save him from assassinations. Big Waldo has gathered six Sellswords, including you, suitable for the task. There is only one way to stand out in Big Waldo''s eyes, and that is by killing the rest Side Mission Objective: Show your potential by defeating the other Sellswords Side Mission Time Limit: Not Applicable ¡­ Do you accept the Side Mission? ] ¡­ Kai saw the irony oozing out of the Side Mission. On one hand, the Systems did ask every time if he wanted to accept a Mission or not. On the other hand, there were some Missions which he just couldn¡¯t reject even if he wanted to. Because rejecting them was equivalent to rejecting the Main Mission itself. Just like handing the Proof Letter to Arlen, Kai reflected, accepting the mission. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. "Very well," Big Waldo nodded, getting no response. "May the Warrior give you courage, then." A tense silence engulfed the six men. Seconds by seconds, the six kept taking steps back, creating a distance between each other. Big Waldo returned as soon as he had gone. He wasn''t alone, though. Kai''s eyes squinted as he saw a gray hooded man followed by two well-armored soldiers. The presence of those armored guards made the sellswords uneasy, Kai could tell. The guards didn''t have helms, and there was a piece of cloth over their upper body, hiding the shine of metal underneath. Yet, from this distance, the clanking of the armor couldn''t be hidden. Much less needed to be said about the longsword at their waist. Roland had already told him about the absurdness of the Random Worlds like Game of Thrones, which, at first look, didn¡¯t seem abnormal at all. It was all a game of the Mission Grades, Kai had found out. With the rise in the Mission Grade, even the most normal guard would become a disaster for the Contestants. Kai¡¯s Mission Grade was E, so the danger his Perception was picking up from the guards was still acceptable. If he were to just drop into a Random World with Mission Grade of D-, without any change in his Stats, then even he would be pressed hard to block a blow from the same guards. "These are the best of their kind and their age under me," Big Waldo said, addressing the hooded man. "When I am done with them, you can select one of the remaining three." The hooded man nodded. "Tim," Big Waldo spat, "You will have at it with the pretty one." Tim gave Kai a look and chuckled. The laugh couldn''t have meant anything other than a sure victory. The fat man then paired the rest in pairs as well. Soon, the oldest sellsword and one of the younger ones took the center stage. The young boy was nimble and ran around the other, dodging one slash and another. But the older one had a breastplate, and that restricted the attacks to his legs. For a few minutes, they danced with each other, sweat trickling down their chin. But it was only the younger one who was panting. A sudden charge! The younger sellsword dashed to the opponent''s calves from behind. He is gone, Kai thought, shaking his head. The older sellsword suddenly sat down, and the longsword hit the metal on his back. Simultaneously, he thrust his sword up, and it bit into the leather over the younger sellsword''s shoulder. Blood showered, and the boy screamed. The longsword dropped out of the younger boy''s hand, and the older sellsword stood up, his face emotionless. He lifted his sword, going for the kill, and he would have separated the younger one''s head if it weren''t for the Big Waldo. "Enough!" Big Waldo roared. "You won Rock. Now move aside. Tom, Jerry, it''s your turn." None came to help the boy with the bleeding shoulder. He stood up and moved aside, whimpering all the time. Kai had been eying the movements of the hooded man along with the fight. He didn¡¯t miss the slight shake of Jon Arryn¡¯s head before Big Waldo stopped the older swordsman from killing the younger one. Hmm, Kai¡¯s eyes narrowed. Tom and Jerry stood facing each other, their swords in their hands. Jerry was taller than Tom, but they were of the same age. Their dance lasted even longer. Both were fast, and both were laughing all the time. Their dance was filled with feints and light scratches. But one slip of Tom''s foot, and Jerry plowed the longsword into Tom''s thigh. Jerry didn''t wait for Big Waldo''s cry. He snatched the longsword out and was about to thrust it into Tom''s belly when Kai suddenly charged and kicked him. Jerry went tumbling on the ground, and Tom fell, clutching his thigh. "What''s the meaning of this?!" Jerry blazed, swishing his sword at Kai. "Big Waldo, I''ll have his head for this." Kai ignored Jerry. His back was already drenched in sweat. I¡­ almost failed the Side Mission¡­ From his last observation, Kai had already confirmed there was something wrong with the mission itself. Then there the slight shake of Jon Arryn¡¯s head. It was then an idea struck him, making him face the hideous reality of his Side Mission, which he had already considered passed before. The Side Mission said to get chosen by Jon Arryn, Kai analyzed. It meant even if he won all the fights, he could still get rejected. Not only that¡­ if he just waited like an idiot, standing on the sidelines, then the chances of getting selected were also slim. Jon Arryn¡¯s approval was paramount here, not killing your opponent. Sure strength mattered, but that was only a criteria. These Side Missions are getting trickier, Kai took a deep breath, saying nothing as if what he had done was his natural disposition. Jerry marched murderously toward Kai. "You will have your own head before that," Big Waldo said, smiling wickedly at Jerry. The guards reaching for their swords. "You''ve won, right? Now bugger off!" Big Waldo whistled. Three gaunt men came and took away the two bleeding sellswords. Kai was already in the middle of everyone. Tim came striding out, unsheathing his sword. "Yield, boy," the older sellsword said. "Yield, and spare me from seeing your maiden blood." Jerry and the other winner, Rock, laughed. "I don''t need a sword to kill," Kai replied, laughing along with them. "Come! Come whenever you are ready. I don''t have all day for the likes of you." That angered Tim, and he charged. Kai could see the hooded man whispering something in Big Waldo''s ear, but the fat man only shook his head in return. A hidden smile surfaced on Kai''s lips. Tim slashed, and Kai slithered. The older sellsword followed with another cross slash, but Kai ducked, his hands still behind his back. Tim was swift too, but not near enough to Kai''s swiftness. Tim took a step forward, bringing down the sword in a powerful arc. Kai''s eyes narrowed. What happened next was too fast for the normal eyes to see. One moment, the sellsword was coming at Kai. In the other, Kai had sent the longsword whirling high in the air with a kick on his wrist. A second kick on Tim''s chest sent the poor guy flying back towards a wooden pillar. A muffled grunt escaped Tim''s throat, and when all thought it was over, Kai spun and lashed out with a third kick. It landed on the hilt of the sword before it could fall to the ground. Swish! The air shrieked as the sword became an arrow and blasted itself into the pillar. The wood splintered, sending small and big chunks flying here and there. Drops of blood streaked down from Tim''s chin, his face pale as if he had seen a ghost. The sword-arrow had cut his left earlobe. Kai brought his hands forward and gave the hooded old man a deep bow. "My Lord," he said. "I don''t need a sword to prove that I am better than these fools, nor do I need to kill to show what I am capable of." And none can lie better than me; that part Kai left unsaid. Chapter 24: An Unlucky Encounter with Prince Joffrey "Kneel, you scum!" Big Waldo roared. "This is none other than Jon Arryn, Lord of the Eyrie, Defender of the Vale, and the Hand to the King Robert Baratheon." Kai kneeled. The rest of the sellswords had already vanished. The older sellsword had protested. I did as I was told, he had said. Why is this pretty thing getting selected? Let me have at it with him then. I can cut him in half in one stroke. As the Hand and Big Waldo exchanged a few words, Kai stared down at the notification. ¡­ [ Side Mission: Get chosen by Jon Arryn for the job Side Mission Status: Success Side Mission Rewards: 100 Mission Credits ¡­ Main Mission Timer is triggered ] ¡­ "OK," Jon Arryn said. "Now leave us. I will have a word with this boy." "No, my lord," Big Waldo said, rejecting the order vehemently. "I won''t leave you with him alone. The boy is still a sellsword. And sellswords have no more honor than a sheep." Kai''s lips twitched upon hearing that. "He is right, my lord," one guard said. "It will be a grave mistake to be alone with him. Let me stay with you at least." They are not making any sense, Kai thought. As if sensing Kai''s thought, the Hand asked, "Are you hearing yourself?" The old man pulled down his hood, making Big Waldo and the guards flinch. "Haha!" he chuckled. "This young man is supposed to be my shadow for the coming week. If I can''t trust him now, then better put an army around me. Enough. Leave us." Kai could feel the stern gaze of the guards on his back as they backed away. Big Waldo left along with them, closing the fence behind him. "Stand up," Jon Arryn commanded. "Big Waldo has told me enough about you. You have good instincts and sharp eyes. But he didn''t tell me your name." "Arlen, if it please you my lord," Kai replied, standing up, and giving the old man''s face a good look. "Big Waldo has said the truth. I am all that, but even he doesn''t know my true worth." As the Hand looked at him, Kai observed the old man back. For an old man, Jon Arryn seemed strong with his broad shoulders. Half of his teeth were missing, and his eyes were blue. Under his aquiline nose was a long, healthy beard. What hair was left on his head shone almost gold under the noon sun. "Is that so? You are too courteous for a sellsword, I''ll give you that," Jon Arryn said, smiling amiably, but then his face became grave suddenly. "Arlen, I hope Big Waldo has told you the severity of the service I require of you. I am in danger, and that means you will be in danger, more than you can think of, given your age. Are you sure you want to do this?" "I have never been more sure, my lord," Kai said. "Assassinations or direct assault, I can handle anything." "That''s good then," Jon Arryn nodded, approaching Kai and putting a hand over his shoulder. "Do you know what your duties will be?" "Yes, my lord," Kai answered, following the old man out of the stable. "I am to act as a Page, and as you have said, your shadow the most." That made the old man laugh. Heh! Kai sniggered. Laugh all you want, old man. For the next week, you can''t die even if you want to. * * Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Kai followed the Hand''s litter on a mare. The moment he had neared the non-magical beast, his Glitch had awakened. If he wanted to, he could devour the mare. Even I am not that desperate, Kai thought, staring at the sweat-drenched people on the streets. By now, Kai had learned a few things about his location. Not to be found as abnormal, Kai had to ask in a roundabout way. He was in the largest city of the Seven Kingdoms, King''s Landing, the capital. Even while riding the mare, Kai could see three hills rising towards the sky. Aegon''s High Hill¡­ Kai remembered the name. It was the hill he was bound for. But Kai was more fascinated by the beast surmounting the hill. The Red Keep! Kai was no stranger to gigantic structures. Compared to the Wall he had seen in the Primordial World, this castle was nothing. But it had its charms. Like the red fingers of the demon, the towers of the castle were reaching out of the hill, trying to snatch the entire sky in one grip. Kai had even changed his attire. He was wearing a blue doublet over white breeches. His armor was under his jacket, and the guards had given him a simple longsword. The sword had no Stats, but it looked almost the same as his Castle Forged Longsword that he had lost. The castle kept becoming larger and larger as Kai neared it. The ragged-looking people had been replaced by patrolling armored guards. Their gold cloaks fluttered behind them as they watched Kai and others. Suddenly, a dozen horses came galloping towards them. Before Kai could tell what was happening, the nearest guard said, "Are you unlucky, boy?" Huh?! Kai could barely open his mouth, confused. "You must be," the guard said, shaking his head. "Otherwise, why did the prince decide to come out now?" In a haste, along with the guards, Kai dismounted, still utterly confused. Arlen had told him that Luck dictated Random Encounters, as much as it dictated Random Items one could obtain from the Loot. If it was his Luck that had brought about this encounter, then this meant nothing good for him, Kai knew. Kai felt it then. The distance must have been too large, and his Perception too low, for him to not feel it immediately. Now that the six enormous stallions were closer, he could feel it like the blows of a rainstorm. Danger! The only thing Kai could find was that it was coming from the Prince''s escort. In the front were two black-armored and gold-cloaked guards. On his right was a red-cloaked guard in red-black-gold colored armor. Two more of these red-cloaks were on Prince''s rear, following him with a trot. All came to a halt with a sharp command from the prince. The danger had become a tight grip around Kai''s throat. He looked at the prince then. A golden-haired, tall boy, in what seemed to be red and gold doublet over white breeches and hard red-leather boots. He''s a prince alright, Kai thought, seeing the scowl on the prince''s face. The prince wasn''t the source of that danger, though. Kai adjusted his eyes, moving them to the prince''s left. There it was! Dark stallion, darker aura. The guard was cladded in a dark armor, had a dog¡¯s helm, and an olive-green cloak billowed behind him. Even from this distance, Kai could tell he was no match for this thing. Kai licked his lips, and what happened next made him jolt. Thrumm! A vibration! Or an excited roar?! It was hard to say, but Kai sensed it as plainly as his breath. It wasn''t anything on him, or outside in the real world. This sudden shaking had come from his Inventory. From an Item within it. From the Book! The Tales of Beedle the Bard was quaking so much that Kai could feel it in his bones. The will to devour something alive. The madness! And he knew what it was looking for. Kai also noticed how the Book had shown none such shaking when he was with Jon Arryn, the Hand. Even then, he could tell this old man was a significant figure in this world. Yet, the Book hadn''t responded to his presence. There was a hint hidden in all this, Kai knew. His hands itched to take out the Book, to open it, to try out the Item for which had risked his everything. "Kneel before your prince!" one red-cloak guard said. The guards besides Kai kneeled at the command, and Kai followed them. "Don''t look up," the guard close to Kai whispered. "No matter what, don''t talk back to the prince." Kai nodded. "Prince Joffrey," Kai heard the old voice of Jon Arryn. "You will forgive an old man for not stepping out and kneeling I hope." "Heh!" the prince grunted. "Who is this white-haired boy? Some Targaryen bastard?" Kai didn''t like where it was going. He knew little about the world, but from the prince''s tone, he could infer this word Targaryen wasn''t some good thing. Why is my Charisma not working on this prince? Kai asked himself. It worked fine on the Hand, though. "Haha!" the Hand laughed. "There are no more Targaryens in Westeros, your grace. He is my new Page, Arlen Stone. His father had done me great service in the war. Just today, the boy arrived." "Page?!" a heavy, hoarse voice thundered in Kai''s ears. "Isn''t he too old for a Page?" It was the taller guard who had asked. Kai shook even more. It''s him! he exclaimed. The Book wants his tale. "Clegane," Jon Arryn addressed the black guard, "the young ones don''t suit my needs anymore. I need a quick mind and strong shoulders around me. The boy is just what I need¡­" The Hand would have spoken more if it weren''t for the Prince''s sneer. "Hah!" Joffrey breathed out. "So a bastard he is, then. Who knows, he might have some Targaryen blood in him? Capture him and send him to dungeons. A good whipping will bring the truth out of his mouth soon enough." What the¡­? Kai couldn''t believe what he was hearing. Is he crazy or something? Chapter 25: Jon Arryn’s Abduction The three red-cloaks dismounted and would have rushed at Kai if it weren''t for Jon Arryn stepping out of his palanquin. "There is no need for it, your grace,¡± the Hand said. ¡°I assure you, the boy is no Targaryen. If you insist, I can bring you and him to your father, and decide it there and then." A silence filled Kai''s immediate surroundings. The entire city came to life behind him, and the shouts of people washed over the silence like cold water. "OK," the prince finally said, reluctantly. "Take away your Page, then. Dog! Keep an eye on him. Cut him down if he''s up to something funny." "Gladly, your grace," Clegane said, a sharp laugh following his words. The horses galloped away soon afterward, leaving behind a heavy frown on Jon Arryn''s freckled face. Kai stood up and turned around to see the prince''s entourage disappearing far into the serpentine streets when the old man put a hand on his shoulder. "Don''t worry about Sandor Clegane," Jon Arryn said. "It''s the smaller, hidden ones I am worried about." "Yes, my lord," Kai answered, mounting his horse again. Jon Arryn went for his palanquin. But before vanishing into it, he gave Kai a deep look and sighed. ¡­ After a few hours, It was nighttime. Kai had been given the quarters bordering Jon Arryn''s bedroom. After a long, nice bath, he had his supper with a cup of sweet-sour red wine. Later, Kai followed the guard to Jon Arryn''s bedroom. The wall was lined with torches; the flames licking the stones, blackening them in shame. Two more guards were posted outside the Hand''s chambers. He found Jon Arryn brooding over the heaviest, thickest book he had ever seen. The moment Kai stopped in front of the Hand''s little table, the old man shut the book with a thud. "Be a good lad and pour some wine for me," Jon Arryn said, pointing at the jar of wine. "I have sent one more parchment to your room. It mentions your duties. You must know them, in case someone were to ask you." Kai approached the wine. It smelled of spices, and there was a richness to it. Kai dipped a finger into the jar, shocking the living breath out of the old man. "What are you doing?" he shouted, but Kai had already put the finger in his mouth. "I had told your guards too, my lord," Kai said, looking at the Hand''s wide eyes. "Let me taste everything before you eat or drink it. I have a high resistance to poisonous substances." Just a touch of poison won''t kill him and he couldn''t afford the man dying on him by the lack of precautions. "You think my food and wine are poisoned?" Jon Arryn asked, incredulously. "What nonsense?! The Maester would know of it soon enough then. No one can afford that kind of suspicion." Here I thought the old man would have some sense to him, Kai thought, scowling inwardly. "There are poisons that are hard to detect, my lord," he said. "This Maester you speak of, how well can you trust him?" "As well as I trust anyone," Jon Arryn answered, his brows furrowing, realizing Kai''s meaning. "You aren''t suggesting that it''s the Maester who wants me dead, are you? Haha! No, no. You don''t have to worry about him, either." Kai looked at the Hand as if he was looking at a monkey. By now he knew what this Maester meant, and who he was. Maester Pycelle was like a royal physician, and Kai had put the old man at one of the top positions on his list¡­ The list of people who can kill Jon Arryn as easily as swatting a fly. "There you are mistaken, my lord," Kai said. "I told you I will be blunt with you, at least regarding your safety. I have no reason to trust Maester, or just about anyone. I urge you again. Allow me to taste everything before it goes to your mouth." Kai could see the Hand was annoyed at his suggestion. He let the old man mull over it for a few moments as he saw the title of the book. The Lineages and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms! The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. That''s a long title, Kai reflected. "Alright!" Jon Arryn finally said, drinking a mouthful of wine. "Do as you please? Just beware of acting out of your place. Need I remind you not to even think of approaching the Prince and other royal members?" "No, my lord," Kai answered, looking away from the book reluctantly. "I know my duty." "Good then," the Hand said, standing up from his chair. "You are dismissed till the morrow." Kai didn''t move, though. He looked around the room, noticing the windows and the sleeping city. "I think," he said, approaching one window, "I should sleep here with you, my lord." "Huh?!" Jon Arryn''s mouth gaped at the notion. "No need for that. I am certain. There are guards outside whom I trust enough. And nobody can come through the window. We are too high for that." Kai ignored the old fool and looked at the distant towers some hundred meters away. Then his gaze moved down and went to the sewer opening just by the Hand¡¯s Tower. ¡°As you wish,¡± Kai said, a creepy, evil smile surfacing on his face, ¡°My Lord.¡± ¡­ Past Midnight, It was a moonless night. The air was silent near the ground, but upon the hill, it hummed lightly, passing through the ventilated halls and corridors of Red Keep. Crrr! The door made the lightest creak as it opened, and a guard walked out. Jon Arryn''s blurry shadow could be seen behind him, rippling against the candle¡¯s flame. The guard resumed his post as the door guardsmen along with the already present one. Thud! "What was that?" one guard said. "It came from the other end of the corridor," the other replied. "Rats?" "Must be," the guard answered with uncertainty. "I am going to check it out." The wind howled as the lone guard stood at the door, waiting for his companion to come back. Arghh! The guard snapped his neck, flinching at the sound. This was no rat, he thought. It came from a man. The guard looked around but found no source. Suddenly, from the corner of his eyes, he noticed a redness. A stream of red liquid! "Blood!" the guard let out a shocked whimper. A runny, long trail of blood was streaming out of the gap between the wooden door and the floor. "Isn''t that the room of that Bastard?" the guard muttered, already approaching, unsheathing his sword. "Arlen, was it?" Thump! The guard warily knocked at the door, but it opened at the lightest touch. The heavy oak doors parted, letting the guard peek into the room. It was too dark for naked eyes. "Oi!" the guard called out. "Arlen, are you there?" The guard looked down and found the trail of blood coming from deep within the room. He twisted his neck to see the other guard, but he was nowhere to see. "The fool should have returned from the corridor''s end," he muttered. "Damn it!" The guard steeled his resolve, finding no other choice. His grip on the longsword tightened, and he entered the dark room, pointing the sword at an arm''s length. The darkness receded as he kept going in. When he reached the middle of the room, he finally saw it. A cup filled with blood was tilted on the floor. Blood was dripping out of it, painting the floor in a steady stream like a single red stroke of the brush. "Where is he?" the guard mumbled. "Where''s the boy?" A hiss answered him. Goosebumps covered the guard¡¯s arms, then. He felt a sharp heat on his neck as if someone had lit a match on it. This heat had a bite to it, a raging sensation mixed with silent pleasure. The thought of slashing behind him had just crossed his mind when a sudden pinch on his neck followed the heat. The pain couldn''t have been more than a needle piercing the skin. The guard felt something moist entering him. It was the last sane feeling he had. Death had never claimed someone so quietly before. ¡­ Kai''s slitted eyes became round again, the long nail of his middle finger returning to its actual shape. He stomped, smashing the bloody cup to smithereens. Kai then used the guard''s sword to slash his throat open. When he walked out, none could even tell that the blood coming out of the room wasn''t from one person. There was no sound to Kai''s steps. He might as well have been a cat for the ears of any listener. Kai silently killed the torches, darkening the corridor outside the Hand''s chamber. When he opened the doors, they didn''t give out the slightest creak. Kai found the Hand still awake, sitting on the chair, his head looming down over the same book on the table. Jon Arryn spied Kai¡¯s shadow from the corners of his eyes and he looked up. ¡°Arlen!¡± he sounded surprised. ¡°Why are you here? At this hour¡­¡± Kai cut him off, though. "Tell me, what is the first requirement for a successful assassination?" ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?!¡± the Hand almost thundered, his voice feeble. ¡°Guards!¡± ¡°Humor me, my lord,¡± Kai said, chuckling. ¡°You know I mean you no harm¡­¡± Jon Arryn¡¯s eyes blazed. "Skill, stealth, and experience, of course," he said, after a moment of pause. "Haha!" Kai laughed, his voice booming off the thick walls. "That is true, but not entirely correct.¡± Jon Arryn opened his mouth to shout at the top of his lungs. ¡°For a flawless assassination,¡± Kai continued, slithering, ¡°an assassin must know the location of the target first." Indeed! How would they assassinate Jon Arryn, if they wouldn''t even know where he is? Chapter 26: Artifacts – King’s Landing in Chaos! Stealth was in Kai''s bones. The last two years of his previous life weren''t anywhere enough for him to become a master of assassinations. Not when Kai had only himself to rely on; only himself to learn from. But with the help of his Blood Essence, he had successfully bridged the gap of experience. How else he could have survived the wrath of an entire world? "Mmm¡­" However, the presence of Perception had made Kai warier in this new life of his. No matter how nimble and surefooted he was, a Contestant with higher Perception would sense him. Kai knew it. He had seen it happening personally. So Kai had decided to act fast, the sooner the better. "Mmm.." "Damn this smell!" Kai cursed, trying to pinch his nose without hands. "It sure brings back memories, though. Sigh..." "Mmm¡­ Hmmm¡­" "Shut up!" Kai spat. "No one can hear you down here, old man." On his left shoulder, wrapped up in the bedsheets, was Jon Arryn with his mouth gagged with a piece of cloth. From time to time, he was jolting, trying to wriggle himself free from Kai''s hold over him. Alas, it was in vain. The only thing the Hand did was to whimper, his shouts becoming nothing but a buzz. After seeing how Jon Arryn behaved regarding his security, Kai had found himself in a bind. He had realized no matter how much he would plead, the Hand would never take precaution against anyone. It was a little thing in itself, but for someone like Kai, who had seen people getting killed because of the simplest incaution, it was enough. Enough to kidnap the very man Kai was tasked with saving. But the act of kidnapping had turned out to be more fruitful Kai had ever imagined. Under his right arm, Kai had a book. In the dark, smelly surroundings, its title was impossible to be seen. He looked at the book and a discernible smile appeared on his face, making his eyes gleam with shrewdness. Haha! Kai almost laughed out loud, but the smell made him think better of it. Thank god I accidentally put my hand over it. Heh! So even Luck isn''t almighty, huh? Kai remembered the notification which had popped up, brightening his eyes with a dull-gray color. ¡­ [ Congratulations Kai Stormborn on finding an Artifact¡­ Artifact: The Lineages and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms ¡­ Artifacts are things of unparalleled significance within a Random World. They can be anything, from a book to a lock of hair. Artifacts are differentiated from common things by the imprints they have left behind or will leave on their world, turning unnoticeable events into momentous ones. Unlike Items, not all Artifacts have Stats. The Contestants cannot bring such Artifacts out of the Random World. Not even using the Miscellaneous Rent Box. WARNING: An Artifact will be counted as in Contestant''s possession, only if you hold it for 1 minute initially, and during your current Main Mission duration no other Contestant gets to hold the same Artifact longer than 30 seconds. Otherwise, you must repossess the Artifact. ¡­ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have unlocked 1 Title ¡­ Title: Novice Collector Specification: Collect 10 different Artifacts from any random world and timeline. Status: (1/10) If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Effect: Luck +3, Correspondence +3, Breath +3 Note: Only 1 Title can be equipped at a time ] ¡­ The emotions of seeing a 3 points of increment in his Luck still lingered at the tip of Kai¡¯s tongue. He could kill hundreds just to get even 1 extra point. Kai took a sharp turn and seeing a large enough area devoid of filth, he put the old man there. He slumped down beside Jon Arryn, panting, cursing all the time. After catching his breath, Kai finally took the piece of cloth out of the Hand''s mouth. "YOU!" the old man immediately roared. "How dare you?! Have you no honor?! I trusted you! How¡­ why¡­ how¡­" Kai stuffed the cloth back into Jon Arryn''s mouth. "Haha!" he laughed, looking into the Hand''s horrified eyes. "You trust too much and too soon, my lord. If I wanted to kill you, you would have already died." That almost made sense to the old man, Kai could tell. Jon Arryn squinted his old eyes at him, and for the first time, stopped whimpering. "Do you know where we are?" Kai asked, pointing with his free hand. "In the sewers." Jon Arryn wasn''t shocked. The retching stench they had been having was enough to guess their location. "We descended from the entrance beside the Tower of Hand," Kai recounted. "I think we are at least out of the castle by now, don''t you think? I must ask you to act according to your age and status, my lord. OK?" When Kai took out the piece of cloth this time, Jon Arryn only glared but kept quiet. * * 2 hours to dawn, King''s Landing The entire city had been thrown off the bed. A fire seemed to have been kindled by the sound of angry shouts and thunderous rampaging of hooves. Its cause? Red Keep. The number of guards charging in and out of the castle''s gates could have been easily mistaken as a preparation for some war. Such was the chaos. It had all started with an ear-piercing cry of a guard, calling for arms and swords. Jon Arryn, the Hand, had been kidnapped. All got to know this info soon. It was hard to hide such a shameful fact when a guard''s throat had been cut open, and the absence of the old man himself. Even more humiliating was the identity of the kidnapper. Oh, yes. The guards weren''t looking for a nameless person. The kidnapper was none other than the newly hired page, Arlen Stone. Though some had indeed pointed out a doubt. How could a mere boy have kidnapped an old man from his chambers and disappeared without getting noticed by the patrolling sentries? The question, along with many other details like the absence of Lysa Arryn when this event had taken place, got buried among the hubbub. And why not? The King had never been more furious. Jon Arryn wasn''t only the Hand, or an empty post, of the court. The king himself had been fostered under the old man''s care in his youth. It had been a long time since King Robert Baratheon had shown his wrath. None wanted to see the drunk king angry; that was plain. Unaffected, but not oblivious, to all this, Kai thrust his sword into another rat as it tried to approach the old man. The stench of the filth was unbearable, but it wasn''t the first time for Kai to hide within them. He was more worried about the old man sprawled beside him. Jon Arryn wrinkled his nose at Kai, a long piece of cloth tying his ankles together. "You can''t presume to continue this folly," the Hand said. "Eventually, Robert will send the guards into the sewers too. I know the man, boy. I know him." Kai cracked the stiffness out of his neck. It almost seemed Jon Arryn''s words had entered from one ear and out from the other. "This I know, my lord," Kai agreed. "Eventually, the king would send his guards down. But they won''t find us here." "This is wrong," Jon Arryn pleaded. "If I wanted to survive the assassination by hiding, I would have done it already. Why do you think I had gone to the trouble to hire someone like you? My place is near his majesty. He is surrounded by enemies, and without me, they will eat him alive." Kai weighed the old man''s words. Maybe he''s right, he reflected. But what kind of fool cares about another at the cost of his life? What does it have to do with me who would eat alive whom? My mission had said nothing about King Robert. "You are a just man," Kai said, frowning. "Yet, I must do my duty as well. You have hired me for seven days. I must see that no harm would befall you, even if you don''t like the method, I am afraid." "You¡­ you¡­" Jon Arryn stuttered. "You nutcase!" "I have been called by this name before." "You¡­ You maniac!" "Oh, that word brought back memories." "You¡­ You¡­ You bedlamite! "That''s new!" Kai said, raising an eyebrow. "I don''t know why you are so against it, my lord. Whatever I am doing, I am doing it for you. I want you safe, at least more than your wife." That brought an angry, shameful blush on the Hand''s freckled face. Kai could feel the hurt in his eyes mixed with loathing. "It''s a few hours to dawn," Kai commented, ignoring the stare. "Why don''t we talk about the secret, then?" Jon Arryn gasped. "What¡­ what secret?" he whimpered, his breath resisting to come out. "What do you know?" "Haha!" Kai laughed, trying to brush off his tension. "Well, isn''t it obvious, my lord? A person of your status hires a guard, and that too a sellsword under a false guise. You fear assassinations. ¡°Now, you don''t look like an insane person for you to hallucinate such things. What else could it be, other than a secret that can bring down mortal danger on you? Ah, yes! And on your family. That too. You are a family man, of course." Kai''s chuckle brought him nothing but scorn from Jon Arryn. "Know your limits," the Hand said, his tone sharper than ever. "You already stand to lose your head for kidnapping me. If you keep on with this farce about some secret, don''t count on me to plead for you once it''s all over. Fear Arlen, if you have not lost your wits entirely. Fear the king''s justice." Kai looked at Jon Arryn. He nodded, making Jon Arryn smile in relief. What Kai said next brought a roar out of the old man, which echoed for long in the long tunnels. "What was the name again?" Kai mumbled, squinting his eyes at the arching roof. "Yes! Robert Baratheon. I have learned another person named Robert, my lord. He happens to be your only son. No? I beg you. ¡°Tell me the secret, otherwise, I will unite the father and son by bringing him here piece by piece. I promise." Chapter 27: Fighting a Pokemon in the Sewers Time had no meaning in this place. Kai had to rely on his instincts to guess that it was evening outside. They had spent over 30-33 hours here. Till now, no one had come down to the sewers. The day would have been boring, with all the choking smells and filth around them, if it weren''t for the extraordinary tale Jon Arryn had told Kai. The old man had persisted as long as old men could when it usually came to their sons and grandsons. Then he had broken down too, revealing all the details of the secret. The notification that had followed then, was enough to make all this trouble worthwhile. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn¡­ You have achieved a Milestone ¡­ Milestone: Learn the secret of royal house Baratheon from an in-world Character Milestone Rewards: Correspondence +1 ] ¡­ "Haha!" Kai laughed, not for the first time. "I still can''t believe it. The queen and her brother? Is everyone in the castle a fool, my lord? You, the king, and other councilors didn''t find even a hint in all these years? Tch-tch! Three children they got away with. Three!" "Water¡­" a weary, broken voice came from Kai''s right. "Water, please!" Kai had already stored some essentials in the MRB (Miscellaneous Rent Box) before carrying out the kidnapping. The darkness within the sewers was enough to not let Jon Arryn know from where he was taking out food and water. Bag? Chest? For all the old man cared, it could have been anything. Kai took out a leather water bottle and threw it at Jon Arryn. Gulp! Gulp!! I can''t just sit here for the next five days, Kai reminded himself. To get power, I must take risks. Kai took out a torch and lit it up. The darkness receded like a scared prey, lighting up everything in their immediate surroundings. But there wasn''t much to see. Black gooey filth! It was everywhere. And, yes. Rats! Enormous rats! "Fire!" Jon Arryn gasped. "If you could light the fire all this time, then why didn''t you?" Kai grinned. "My lord, can you show me your hands?" he asked. Kai didn''t wait for the Hand to bring his hands up, though. He almost snatched Jon Arryn''s right hand and gazed at it. There were many rings on his old fingers, each with different gems. They glimmered soft yellow-gray under the flickering torch''s flame. Even the red one on the Hand¡¯s ring finger. Kai caressed the gem. "Take it!" Jon Arryn said, disgustingly. "Take it! But deliver me to the castle. Robert needs me, boy. If it is gold you want, then gold you will get. Just let me go." "I am going out, my lord," Kai said, his gaze deepening in contemplation. "I will bring more food and water. There''s still ample bread and wine here if you get hungry." "Don''t leave me!" the Hand shouted. "No, I beg you! Don''t leave me!" By now Kai knew it wasn''t fear that was making Jon Arryn say these things, but Duty. The old man had been begging Kai to let him go to Robert. Kai couldn''t take the chances, though. Not when the chaos up in the city would bring him nothing but more benefits. "I will come back." Jon Arryn licked his lips as their eyes matched. He must have seen some truth in them. "OK," the Hand nodded. "Where are you going?" "To the queen." The three words were nothing but thunderous blows of a hammer. Something must have snapped in the old man''s mind, for his right hand lunged at Kai''s throat. Kai grinned again, his hand shooting out, gripping both Jon Arryn''s wrist. "No!" Jon Arryn bellowed. "She will kill my son. You don''t know her." Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! "Haha!" Kai chuckled. "Trust me, my lord. She won''t do any such thing. But I can''t go empty-handed to her. And just the ring won''t mean much. Not to this queen, I think." "What¡­ what are you doing?!" Jon Arryn demanded. But Kai had already put the old man''s right hand under his knee. He put the torch against the wall, and using his free hand and leg, Kai unsheathed the longsword. Under the horrified eyes of Jon Arryn, the sword descended like a cleaver. "Ahhhhhhh!" "It''s OK, my lord," Kai said, storing the bleeding finger in his pocket. "The cut is clean. Press the cloth against it. I am leaving some wine and a kettle. Boil it, and wash the wound with it. You know the rest, I hope. I will bring you something to ease the pain. Don''t you worry, I won''t let you die." Jon Arryn looked at Kai as if he was a beast himself. Drool was dripping out of his mouth as long, slimy threads. "Huff!" the Hand panted, his eyes turning red in pain and anger. "Monster! You have no honor! I curse the moment I took you into my service." "Now-" Kai tried to soothe Jon Arryn''s raging emotions, but he broke off abruptly and looked over her shoulder. What was that?! Kai asked himself, every fiber of his muscles becoming tense. What was that sound? Sob! Whatever it was, it became clearer as Kai stood up and went deeper into the tunnel. Sob-Sob!! A crying child? Kai couldn¡¯t believe it. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a round, bluish-green face appeared in front of Kai, levitating above him. It carried the most creepiest smile he had ever seen, making him take a step back, while simultaneously taking out the sabers. ¡°Mis¡­ Mis¡­¡± the face with the creepy smile let out a squeaky noise as if.. ¡­ It¡¯s laughing? Kai reflected, his breath becoming rough. Then more shouts joined, making the hair on the back of Kai¡¯s neck stand up. "Misdreavus, what is it?!" one shouted. "Grim! I think she found someone-" It didn¡¯t take long for Kai to guess who was he dealing with. Order¡¯s Contestants! One moment, the two Contestants were guessing. In the next, Kai heard them dashing towards the turn. He didn''t care what was hovering above him now. He ran back, trying to use darkness to throw them off. "Misdreavus, where is he?" "Missss!" Kai was still running away from the old man, trying to misdirect the Order¡¯s Contestants. "Sai," the man named Grim commanded suddenly. "Light it up!" ¡°Misdreavus¡­¡± Kai almost faltered. His Perception, which hadn¡¯t sensed any considerable danger till now, was now screaming. ¡°¡­ Use¡­ Shadow Ball!¡± In that moment, Kai finally got to know what he was dealing with. Not much time had passed since he had dealt with something similar. He had heard these words before. Not the exact words, but the phrasing was just too similar for him to not able to connect the dots given his intelligence. A Pokemon! The dark, filthy tunnel truly lit up, then. A black-bluish ball of energy gathered at a point a few meters behind Kai. It wasn¡¯t exactly iridescence, but it was enough to make him see the thing gathering the pulsating Mana. It was a dark bluish-green, ghost-like Pokemon. It had no visible arms or legs and its lower half had several small appendages, resembling a ruffled dress. It also had five round red gems halfway around its neck and its long flowing hair was tipped lilac. Kai even got a good look of its eyes, shining dark under the gathering ball of energy. Round, red balls, upon a background of yellow. Those eyes were staring right at Kai. Then, without any further cue, the Pokemon spat the dark ball, firing it like a missile. A shiver jolted Kai awake. He had been slithering already, hoping to dodge the attack. But then he realized how pointless it actually was. The Shadow Ball was faster than anything Kai had seen so far. Moreover, from the danger he was picking up, he knew that even if he dodged it, the resulting blast would bring down half the King¡¯s Landing into the sewers ahead of time. Kai couldn¡¯t afford a search on a massive scale for now. So he did the next best thing. Gritting his teeth, Kai brought his sabers up and hacked with all his might. The Shadow Ball kissed the steel, and the filthy tunnels roared. Boommmmmmm! ¡­ [ WARNING: HP regeneration reduced by 20% ¡­ WARNING: Steel-Bone Brigandine - Quality: 62% (-4%) WARNING: Black-Steel Saber - Quality: 67% (-5%) WARNING: Black-Steel Saber - Quality: 67% (-5%) ] ¡­ The tunnel''s walls shook around him as Kai got thrown back, losing a third of his HP instantly. His hands, face, and legs all were bleeding. But the moment he was about to fall into the filth, he used the sabers to flick himself up and keep his footing. Kai licked the blood off the corners of his mouth, huffing and puffing. "Did you get the notification?" Grim asked, his voice echoing off the tunnels. "Nah!" Sai replied. "The bastard isn''t dead yet. I will blast the entire tunnel to smithereens this time." "No!" Grim shouted. "You will kill us both. Confuse him. He must be half-dead already.¡± Sai¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Misdreavus¡­ Use Con¡­¡± The explosion had lit the tunnel for a moment, but the filth overtook it soon enough. It was becoming dark, and it would become darker. Kai had been aiming for this moment since the start. A moment of utter darkness. Before Sai could complete the command, Kai slithered. His skin reddened as scalding heat evaporated his sweat and the filth off him. The area around his chest thumped, becoming hotter than hot. Kai''s eyes became reptilian slits, and he felt the tattoo of the Boa-Constrictor on his right arm slithering in pleasure. A hiss resounded in the filthy tunnels, welcoming the Glitch, Blood Devour. Then he activated the Skill like a serpent¡¯s ambush. Chapter 28: Devouring a Pokemon – First Magical Blood Essence! (I) The Blood Essence of Blue-tailed Boa Constrictor gave Kai two Skills. First was the Light Neurotoxin which had already shown its deadly potential many times to Kai, letting him poison his enemies both instantaneously and with a delayed effect if he wanted to. Now was the time to use the second one. ¡­ [ Skill Heat Sense Activated Time Limit: 30 Seconds ¡­ Skill: Heat Sense Grade: E Specification: Grant Contestants the ability to sense heat and chemicals Requirement: 2 MP per second Attributes: Skill-Zone ¡ª 10 meter radius Effect: Form Thermal Profiles of all the targets within the Skill-Zone ] ¡­ Everything seemed to have come alive to Kai. He could see them now. Three distinct figures, radiating yellow-red-blue heat. Two were standing over three arms apart and were still distancing themselves from each other. The third hovered above them; barely 2 ft tall, but colder than both men. Kai could taste the Pokemon at the tip of his tongue. He could feel strength abandoning him. The damage caused by the Shadow Ball was nothing to be scoffed at, bringing his HP regeneration down by 20%. If it wasn¡¯t for his sabers and armor taking the greatest brunt of the attack, then he would already be in the direst state. So, when Kai heard the man giving another order to the Pokemon, he knew it was now or never. Hissssss! Air sizzled and hissed as Kai slithered into the darkness and descended on Sai with both his sabers outstretched. "How¡­" The sudden appearance spooked Sai so much that words got caught in his throat and made him stumble back. Twin-Saber Style¡­ Kai¡¯s slitted eyes narrows as he gritted his teeth and jerked his hands, making him fall like a bladed tornado. ¡­ Kiss of the Giant Serpent! There was such strength behind the two slashes that the sabers broke the bones before they could even enter the flesh. Two screeching noises drowned Sai''s scream, and the serpent''s kiss cut his entire body into three parts. ¡­ [ You have killed 1 Order''s Contestant ¡­ Elementary Twin-Saber Style: Proficiency 46% (+6%) ] ¡­ Kai melted back into darkness, leaving the corpse''s pieces for the filth. "Sai!" Grim shouted at nothing; at no one. "Sai! what happened?! Misdreavus, did you see something? Can you find Sai?!" "Misss¡­" There was a fear in the beast''s voice too. This Grim is no less devious, Kai reflected. The Pokemon is actually his, but he let that Sai guy give the orders, making anyone listening think it was Sai who was the owner. Hmm¡­ Killing him outright would be a waste¡­ Kai put the sabers back into the Inventory and slithered behind Grim like a wraith. "Who''s there?!" the man barked, his Perception roaring, feeling the danger. "Misdreavus¡­ Use Tack¡­" Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Kai scoffed. He made a fist and planted it into Grim''s ribs with such a force that the man¡¯s feet lifted off the filth. Crunch! "Ahhhhhhh!" the man howled. "Misdreavus! He''s here! Tackle¡­" When the Pokemon came charging like a bullet, Kai had already melted away. The beast couldn¡¯t stop the charge and smashed itself into Grim. "Cough!" Kai heard him coughing and knew the game was already over. "It''s¡­ me!" Grim roared, his breath broken. "Misdreavus, it''s me! Go away!" The Pokemon retreated, but Kai returned. Punches, kicks, and then more punches followed by screams after screams. Kai''s eyes became round, but the Pokemon never returned. He reached for the Grim''s throat and lifted him. When Kai brought the man near his face, Grim let out another whimpering shriek. Kai''s face was covered in blood and filth. Even the white of his eyes had gained dense red veins. Blood was seeping out from the corner of his eyes. But that wasn''t the reason for the shriek. It was Kai! It was Danger itself! Kai''s face was expressionless, his eyes dead, and his lips shut in a thin line. Make a move, his face seemed to say, and die! "Misssss!" the beast roared, sensing the peril of its master, and came charging at Kai. "Call it back," Kai finally said, tightening his fingers around Grim''s throat. "Now." Grim was choking under Kai''s grip, but somehow he took the Pokeball out of his Inventory. A blue ray hit the crazed beast and both the Pokemon and Pokeball vanished. Only then did Kai let out a grin. "Well, well, my friend!" he hissed, taking off Grim''s mask. "How about a friendly chat, huh?" ¡­ Kai brought Grim to the sewers'' entrance near the Tower of Hand. He didn''t have any hope of gaining an Item from Sai, so he exchanged his treasure chest for remuneration of 120 Mission Credits. "Where are you taking me?" Grim asked, walking meekly in front of Kai. "What are you going to do with me?" Kai didn''t reply. When he made sure he was in the right place, he made Grim kneel with a sharp kick at the back of his knee. Kai took out one of his sabers and pressed it against Grim''s neck. The black cold steel made the man shiver with desperate fear. "No, please!" Grim begged. "Please, don''t kill me. I will do anything you want." "Haha!" Kai chuckled. "That you will do, I know. But I want answers, and for every lie, I will cut out a piece of you." The calm in his voice was enough to make one believe he wasn''t bluffing. Grim gulped. "How did you find out my location?" Kai asked. "We¡­ We¡­" Grim stammered. "We didn''t know. I just let Misdreavus roam freely. It suddenly entered the sewers and we didn¡¯t think much about it." Does he take me for a fool?! Kai''s nostrils flared in anger. He lifted the saber, and with a clean slash, cut off Grim''s right ear. Blood trickled and a scream followed it. Grim cursed, holding the right side of his face as his ear vanished under the filth beneath their feet. "Don''t lie to me again," Kai said coolly. "You only have one more ear." "I DIDN''T LIE!" Grim bellowed, half in pain and half in anger. There was no way to make sure if the man was lying or not. But Kai knew from experience that Grim¡¯s scream wasn¡¯t that of a liar¡¯s. How can this be?! So was it just a coincidence? Then¡­ Then Kai recalled something he had missed. Luck affects mission rewards, random encounters, and triggering of missions... Kai''s face gained the ugliest texture. Random Encounter! he thought, his lips twisting with realization. It was my goddamn Luck! It took Kai some time to take control over his emotions. He had rarely been so angry with himself. "Tell me everything about Pokemon World," Kai demanded. "All the details on Pokemon and how to get them." "Huh?" Grim grimaced painfully. "Pokemon world? I have never been to Pokemon World." "That''s it, motherfucker!" Kai spat, lifting the saber. "NO!" Grim turned around, shouting, pleading with his hands. "I am not lying! Why don''t you believe me?!" "You are not lying? Humph!" Kai snorted, narrowing his eyes. "Then how did you get the acknowledgment for Elementary Pokemon Trainer?" To use the Pokeball, one needed the Elementary Pokemon Trainer Ability, Kai knew, and like other Abilities, one could get it through acknowledgment in its respective world. "You are right," Grim said, licking the blood reaching his mouth. "You need acknowledgment for that Ability. But not from the in-world Characters." "Huh? Not from characters?" Kai confusingly repeated. It was making little sense to him. Grim nodded. "It''s the Pokemon who acknowledges you," he continued. "The Pokemon''s acknowledgment is all you need to get the Ability." Wonderful! Kai''s eyes widened in excitement. "Take it out," he ordered. "Take out your Pokemon and let it acknowledge me." "It won''t work," Grim replied, his knees slipping over the filth. "All pokemon can only acknowledge two masters. There are organizations in Order which give a pokemon to all Contestants upon joining. These Pokemon already have a master. So¡­ you see. I am the second master of Misdreavus." Kai¡¯s shot daggers at the kneeled man. He wanted nothing but to kill this useless piece of shit then. However, he also remembered what had happened last time when he had killed a Contestant with pokemon. The beast had vanished and when he had taken out the Pokeball as a reward, there wasn''t any pokemon within it. I can''t make that mistake again, Kai reminded himself, a creepy, demonic smile surfacing across his lips. If I can''t have the Pokemon, then there is another way. Grim the sudden appearance of the evil grin and shivered. "It''s OK," Kai hissed, tapping Grim''s cheek with the saber. "Don''t worry, I won''t kill you. Take out your Pokemon. Anything funny, and you will lose your another ear¡­ and more. I promise." Kai had shown Sai''s mutilated corpse to Grim before coming. The image of that would linger in Grim''s mind, he knew. The man took out the red and white Pokeball and pressed the button. A blue ray escaped out of it, outlining a blurry shape. The beast materialized soon after that. "Missss!" it roared, sensing its master peril. "No, Misdreavus," Grim cried, putting both his hands up. "Stay. I am alright." "Misss?" Kai felt amused seeing the conversation. Futile attachments! he rebuked. "Go on then," Kai calmly commanded. "Make it come to me slowly." Kai had been losing too much blood during the fight. So he hadn''t gotten the time to look at the notification. But he still remembered seeing a glimpse of it. Just as the pokemon neared within 3 meters of Kai, it appeared again, shining dull-gray in his hazel eyes. ¡­ [ Beast Proximity: 3 meters Glitch Condition matched Contestant Kai Stormborn is qualified to awaken his Glitch Do you want to awaken it now? ] ¡­ The evil grin on Kai¡¯s face widened. ¡°Yes¡­¡± Chapter 29: Devouring a Pokemon – First Magical Blood Essence! (II) Yes! The word echoed. In all senses, it seemed to be the call of judgment. ¡­ [ Calculating Worth¡­ Glitch Blood Devour is now awakened for 35 minutes in this World ] ¡­ The heat overshadowed the stench. Kai''s figure rippled in the darkness, scaring away the shadows. There was a madness about him, and the full brunt of this madness fell on Grim. His mouth gaped in sheer awe and fear, and he backed away, uncaring of the filth under him. The Pokemon had fared no better. It had sensed too. Kai''s all emotions came pouring out along with the scalding hotness about him. Desire! Hunger! Rage and Greed! As if poked by a primal nudge, Kai couldn¡¯t help but speak out loud. "Blood Devour!" "Missssssss¡­.." the Pokemon cried, half mad and half terrified. It backed away, releasing a tremendous amount of psychic vibrations. But there was a mysterious power around Kai, emanating from his chest, absolutely terrifying Misdreavus, preventing it form using any move whatsoever. Seeing no other option, a blue-purple hazy light burst out of the Pokemon. In the next moment, Misdreavus disappeared, hiding itself in the gems which were around its neck before. Kai sniggered. "What are you doing?!" Grim roared, standing, slipping, and falling. One twist of Kai''s head and a mean look shut the man up. Before the gems, containing the Pokemon, could shoot through the air and fly away, Kai¡¯s hand lunged at it like a snake and wrapped his fingers around it. It was the wrap of death. Kai had forgotten the count of people he had killed just by squeezing the air out of them like this. Then his chest cracked, a slit opening just right of his heart. Kai felt it again. The raw thirst for blood. Hunger at its purest form. Gluttony! Misdreavus got forced out of the gems. ¡°MISSSS¡­¡± it shrieked helplessly. One moment the magical beast was letting out a soul-shaking cry. In another, thin, black tendrils flailed out of Kai¡¯s chest and grabbed the Pokemon, instantly disintegrating it into a blood paste and crushing the magical beast so thoroughly that what left could be nothing but an essence. Blood Essence! Kai let out a breath as his chest closed up, drunk with power. There were still wounds on his body and his HP was still regenerating. The moment he devoured the Pokemon, though, it hit its maximum value with an unseen, unheard, loud collision. "Hah!" Kai moaned in pleasure. His entire body felt freshened, all hidden injuries melting away. A gigantic, ethereal image of Misdreavus appeared behind Kai, almost overlapping with him. And when he opened his eyes, his sclera had gone yellow, his pupils gleaming bloody red. ¡­ [ Blood Essence: Misdreavus Grade: E+ Abilities: Elementary Fear Absorption (Proficiency 0%) Skills: Pain Split (Grade: E), Shadow Ball (Grade: E+) ] ¡­ Kai took a breath. Deep, feeling his lungs with a mysterious feeling as if he wasn¡¯t surrounded by filth. It entered him like the smell of warm, spiced wine. His MP was still low. Suddenly, the MP Regeneration rate increased, letting him regain his MP at least 20% faster. So¡­ Kai ruminated, sensing Grim cowering by his feet. So, this is Fear¡­ You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Though the Ability only affected his MP Regeneration, Kai had a feeling that if his HP wasn¡¯t already full, then it would have been affected as well. He again took a deep breath and let it go. On and on, puffs after puffs, each longer than the last, he kept breathing in and out until there was no fear left. ¡­ [ Elementary Fear Absorption: Proficiency 1% (+1%) ] ¡­ Kai¡¯s eyes regained their hazel color, the Blood Essence within him going to hibernation until called upon next time. As if followed by an instinct, he put his hand over his chest and rubbed it. He could feel it, something within him, churning unto itself, ever-hungry and ready to devour all and anything. Kai remembered another thing that had given him such a feeling. Such endless, unquenchable thirst! Yes, he had loved that thing as much as he had loathed it. The Essence Bead! But it can''t be that, Kai thought, rejecting the idea as soon as it surfaced. This is my Individuality! My imprint on the Vast Cosmos! The one that was, is and will be, forever and beyond. There are similarities, yes. But the Glitch is far below the level of the Essence Bead I remember. Kai, of all, knew what the thing his parents had made was. That wasn''t some random Blood Essence devourer. That was much more complex, and there were aspects to it which even his parents had failed to find out. If his Glitch was a Seed, then the Essence Bead was the entire World. Then his eyes found more Notifications. ¡­ [ Your Title status is updated ¡­ Title: Poacher Specification: Kill 10 magical beasts collectively. The magical beasts'' grade must be equal to or higher than Contestant''s equivalent floor number Status: (2/10) Effect: Agility +1, Perception +1, Charisma -2 ] ¡­ Kai approached Grim. After losing all his fear, the man had gained an absolutely lost expression. As Kai stepped towards him in the darkness, a touch of horror and awe resurfaced on his cheeks, making him crawl away, his hands slipping off the filth. "Take out all your Items," Kai commanded. Grim did as he was told like a puppet. There was only a Mass-produced Dagger in his Inventory other than the Pokeball. Then he took an enormous wooden box out of his MRB full of rations. Toothbrush. Food and toilet papers. A few antidotes, masks, and¡­ "Condoms?!" Kai amusingly asked, raising an eyebrow. Grim was too stunned to answer, his hands shaking as he emptied the box. With a flick, Kai took out his saber. He smashed it on the Dagger two times and broke it. Kai had learned his lesson last time. He would never trust his Luck again, not for the Loot. "Mercy, oh¡­" Grim muttered. But his death was inevitable. To hear him plead and wait any longer would have meant toying with his prey. Kai never enjoyed that feeling, unless he had a grudge against the opposite party. So, in two slashes, he beheaded Grim too. ¡­ [ You have killed 1 Order''s Contestant ] ¡­ There was no treasure chest hologram. No option to choose remuneration. Kai had made sure Grim had died with only one Item. His loot¡­ The Pokeball! * * Midnight approached without banners. The dark sky was littered with twinkling stars. A thin outline of the moon must have come and gone for Kai didn''t find it anywhere. There was a salty light breeze over the hill, dancing its way through the Red Keep''s lofty towers. After killing Grim, and storing the newly gained Item, Kai hadn''t lingered long in the sewers. I hope I am not late, he thought. Those bastards delayed me. Kai cursed them, but there was a smile on his face too. His unexpected encounter had given Kai many gifts. Foremost, it was the Blood Essence of a Magical Beast. Then there was the Pokeball. Last, but not the least, was the Title - Murderer. With the death of two Contestants under Kai¡¯s hands, it had returned, showcasing Status of 2/10 for now. To make it equippable, one needed to kill 10 Contestants in a single Random World. Kai had to let go of achieving the Title in this mission, though. There is no way I would face so many Order''s Contestants, Kai had thought bitterly. Moreover, I don''t have any team members to kill either. Also, there was scarcely any foul smell about him anymore. It would have been a blunder to present himself to the queen with the filth of sewers on him. So Kai had taken some time to clean himself up in the nearest stable. There was plenty of water there, and none of the staff had anything special about them to notice him. With his new set of clothes and watery hair, Kai looked like a freshly plucked white summer flower. Suddenly, Kai¡¯s eyes landed at the colossal structure in front of him. It was a castle-within-a-castle. A massive square fortress inside the heart of Red Keep. 12 ft thick walls covered the entire holdfast, and a dry moat lined with thorny iron pikes surrounded it. Maegor''s Holdfast! The only way to access the holdfast was through the drawbridge which was patrolled by many knights. To go to the queen, he must cross the holdfast¡¯s outer walls first where the royal apartments were. One must not forget that the Contestants of the 1st Set were barely a version of stronger human beings. The only thing that let them stand out from non-Contestants were Skills and Abilities. That¡¯s why, going over the Holdfast¡¯s walls was no easy task. It was especially so with the looming threat of Abnormality Limiter. If someone were to spy a Contestant levitating or flying even an inch over the grounds, then the consequences could be disastrous. But what could have become the most dangerous and arduous task for others, became a child¡¯s play for Kai. He had always prioritized infiltration and escapes from heavily defended places even in his previous life where the walls were so high that the entire Red Keep would look like an ant in front of them. Then, he had the Blood Essence of Giant Red Serpent backing him up. Now, with Kai¡¯s Abilities, reaching the royal apartments without letting anyone see him was as simple as turning over his hand. Not to mention, the System itself had mentioned that there was no Magic in this place. So there couldn¡¯t be any magical trap waiting for Kai, too. He would just need to climb the Holdfast¡¯s wall, which was rough enough for him to do so, and then cross the 10 ft wide Patrol Path where scores of guards were patrolling constantly. Kai eyed the dark silhouettes and narrowed his eyes. I need¡­ he thought, his chest burning up. I need a distraction. Come forth¡­ An ethereal image of a bluish Magical Beast appeared behind Kai before overlapping with him. Sweat evaporated, blurring Kai¡¯s figure. His hazel eyes became bloody red, and the white sclera became murky yellow. ¡­ Misdreavus! Chapter 30: First Tale – The Lioness of Casterly Rock! (I) Standing in the shadow of the wall, Kai made a finger gun towards the distant stable house. Purple-black blots of Mana gathered at the tip of his finger, becoming a tiny, round ball, pulsating furiously. Shadow Ball! ¡­ [ Activating Skill Shadow Ball Time Limit: 30 Seconds ¡­ Skill: Shadow Ball Grade: E+ Specification: A damage-dealing Ghost-type move Requirement:
  1. Correspondence >5
  2. Perception >10
Attributes:
  1. Minimum Base Damage: 25 | MP Consumed: 50 | Accuracy: 100 meters
  2. Maximum Base Damage: 100 | MP Consumed: 200 | Accuracy: 10 meters
Effect:
  1. Forms a purple-black ball of energy by consuming Mana
  2. Base Damage increases with MP Consumption
  3. Accuracy decreases with the increase in Base Damage
] ¡­ It¡¯s a kind of a combination of both types of the Triggered Skills, Kai concluded, 50 MP vanishing off his Stats instantaneously. If I were to pour more Mana into it, it would behave like a Charged Triggered Skill, instead. The energy bullet hummed at the tip of his finger as Kai took aim, narrowing his eyes at the stable standing tall on the grounds some hundred meters away. Kai took a deep breath, stabilized his footing, and then fired the tiny Shadow Ball with almost no sound. The ball of energy screeched and hissed as it tore the air open like a bullet. The force behind the energy ball was so much that Kai almost stumbled back, falling over the spikes. Boom! In the silence of the night, the boom echoed far and wide as the Shadow Ball pulverized everything that came in its path and then landed on the wall. Kai heard the loud shouts of the guards, and saw the patrolling guards above the walls also rushing to look what was the commotion was about. Now! With a single, powerful dash, Kai rushed to the Holdfast¡¯s wall. His red eyes had become hazel, but they didn¡¯t stay round, becoming reptilian slits. On his right arm, a tattoo of snake appeared, its mouth biting his elbow and its tail ending on the nail of his middle finger. Blood Essene - Blue-tailed Boa Constrictor! There was a Cooldown of 5 minutes between using Skills granted by the Blood Essences. However, switching Blood Essences itself had not Cooldown. Kai lunged at the wall and then began slithering up, jumping from crack to crack as if he could feel what was the fastest way to reach to the top. Elementary Snake Instinct! Before the first guard thought that the explosion could be a diversion and then looked back to check for intruder, Kai had already crossed the wall. The moment his feet touched the ground, he dashed toward the shadow of a distant tower. Phew! Kai put his back against the stones and slumped, letting his MP Regeneration kick in. 50 MP was still over 60% of his MP, enough to make his dizzy. I need to up my Correspondence game. Kai¡¯s fighting style was heavily centered around Strength, Stamina, Agility, and Perception. Even almost all his Abilities rolled around these Attributes. However, Kai also realized there would be no surviving the missions without having ample Mana to use Skills. When he was done recovering, Kai recalled the window of the king''s chamber and walked towards it. Is she awake? Kai asked himself, seeing the flickering light coming out from the shutters. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Kai''s body was still pale red, steam puffing out of his pores, blurring him head to toe. His slitted eyes narrowed and then he began climbing the tower, making sure there was no guard who could see him. After a few minutes, Kai reached out, grabbed the windowsill, and canceled both his Skill and transformation. He pulled himself up. Just a peek. The noise hit him first. "He abandoned you!" said a sweet voice sharply. "You should be putting heads on spikes, not turning the entire city upside down." "Shut your mouth!" boomed a powerful voice. "Otherwise, it will be your head on a spike, woman. The guards at the city gates saw no one leaving. Both are here, I am telling you. Both Jon and that bloody bastard." "That''s what you do," whispered the sweet voice bitterly. "You drink, and you tell. But you do nothing. A mere boy kidnapped that old man under your very nose, they say. And here you are, as drunk as any whoremonger. There''s something amiss here. Can''t you see?" "You¡­" bristled the manly voice. "Don''t you dare take Lysa Arryn''s name again? Are all you Lannister women so pitiful that you see petty schemes in everything? She is his bloody wife. Seven hells! You really think she has a hand in it?!" "Blind, yes," the female voice hissed scornfully. "If there''s someone blind, then it''s you. Send that wretched woman to the dungeon, and the truth will come out before dawn." No reply. Kai brought his eyes up and saw the fattest man after coming to this world. He was red, fuming with rage. But there was a distinct kingly aura about him. With all his beard and clothing, he didn''t take long to guess who he was. King Robert Baratheon! The trembling came suddenly, then. Kai¡¯s entire body shivered as if he was experiencing a severe bout of cold and hunger. The Tales of Beedle the Bard was sending bursts of intense vibrations. Kai struggled to not lose his grip when the king roared. "That''s it!" bellowed Robert. "Not a word from you." "Go then!" snapped Cersei. "Go! Drown yourself in wine. Why not put a sword in my hands on the morrow and send me too for the search?" The king didn''t deign to answer. With long, powerful strides, he walked out of the chambers, slamming the doors shut. The book was still shuddering, hungry, thirsty, but it was enough to let Kai stabilize himself. A maid walked in as Kai was contemplating whether to go in or not. "Is my bath ready?" asked Cersei in a queenly tone. "Check it and let the guards know no one is to disturb me after going out." "Yes, your grace," replied the maid. Kai dangled from the window all the while. He saw the maid going in a small door accessible from within the chamber, and then coming out before finally leaving for good. Then he saw her. Curvaceous, blond, and beautiful. Slender and graceful above all. Kai was awestruck. He could only see her one side, and then her back as she entered the bathroom. But it was enough to make him understand what true beauty means. Kai''s throat felt dry, and no amount of dry gulps seemed to make it stop pinching from within. One quick pull and he found himself in the most luxurious room of the castle. Candles were burning hot in many candelabras. There was a thin scent of lavish perfumes and oils lingering in the room. The size of the bed was enough for over 10 people to lay side by side, and still have space left. Fruits and wines decorated small golden tables. Speaking of gold, it was everywhere. Kai walked toward the bathroom doors. His steps were as noisy as the sigh of a summer breeze, his breathing hushed. Kai stood outside the doors, smelling the fragrance of roses and dozens more flowers. But he didn''t go in. Many things had brought Kai to Cersei Lannister. Her beauty? Yes. Her power? Yes, that too. But the paramount reason was something else. A reason he had just confirmed minutes before. Kai flicked his hand, taking out a black book. There was a title engraved in runes over its front cover, and even if he couldn''t see it, Kai could feel it convulsing. In sheer pleasure! Kai held the cover and opened the book casually, and not for the first time. He had already opened the book once in the Primordial Tower, and then near the Hand, Jon Arryn. Both times he had got the same notifications. ¡­ [ Story: The Wizard and the Hopping Pot Story Status: Complete (locked) Warning: ] ¡­ Kai flipped the pages until he could make out the beginning of another tale from the bold, runic title over it. ¡­ [ Story: The Fountain of Fair Fortune Story Status: Complete (locked) Warning: To access this story, the Contestant must take the help of a main-storyline Character who can translate the runes ] ¡­ [ Story: The Warlock''s Hairy Heart Story Status: Complete (locked) Warning: To access this story, the Contestant must take the help of a main-storyline Character who can translate the runes ] ¡­ [ Story: Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump Story Status: Complete (locked) Warning: To access this story, the Contestant must take the help of a main-storyline Character who can translate the runes ] ¡­ Then came the final one. He could feel it. Emotions! There were hidden emotions in this tale. Alas, it also had the same notification hovering over it. ¡­ [ Story: The Tale of the Three Brothers Story Status: Complete (locked) Warning: To access this story, the Contestant must take the help of a main-storyline Character who can translate the runes ] ¡­ Kai also knew the reason for these tales to be locked. There wasn''t some mystery to it. He knew Mr. Beedle, the old fool, was supposed to decipher the tales. But Kai had stolen the book before the legendary wizard could have done so. He had got one of the mightiest Items from the Magical World of Harry Potter. But like an exacted price, Kai did not know where to go, whom to go to unlock these tales. One step at a time, a voice echoed within him. Take one step at a time. It is finally the time, Kai told himself, grinning ear to ear. Time to devour¡­ ¡­ The tale of Cersei Lannister! Chapter 31: First Tale – The Lioness of Casterly Rock! (II) The flames darkened, and the darkness dwindled. Kai stared at his prize, his everything. The risks he had taken to get his hands over it were nothing short of madness. This is power, he reminded himself. Kai had already learned the necessity of power. Without it, one shouldn''t even think of loving anyone, caring for anyone, he had concluded. Without power, there is nothing but endless suffering. That''s why in his previous life, even though Kai had knowledge like no other, he had realized it would mean absolutely nothing without irresistible power backing it up. And that¡¯s why, even after resurrection, Kai had only one goal. To reach the Peak of the Absolute Power! Never again he wanted to see himself at the mercy of others. Never again he wanted to seek revenge but hold back because of his powerlessness. Never again he wanted to kill someone at the cost of his life. This ambition to stand over everyone, this Will to surpass everything, this hunger, this thirst, and these feelings turned into what one could call Extreme Emotions. The thing that would have been impossible for most became as simple as reminding himself of his aspirations, letting Kai meet one of the Book¡¯s most complex requirement. He flipped the pages, reaching the end of the last tale. The book had many pages, and no matter how much Kai tried to reach the end, he couldn''t. It rejected Jon Arryn''s tale, Kai recalled. When I opened the new page in his presence, the Book closed itself almost instantly. But he had a notion this time would be different. The Book''s Skill, Thousand Tales Parasite, won''t reject Cersei''s tale, he knew. The moment Kai turned the last page, Kai felt a jolt. It wasn''t a true tremor, though. Kai felt as if the entire world was trembling, and only he was motionless, rooted to his post. The yellowish crispy page gave a blinding blue-red flash, lighting up everything around Kai. By now Kai knew only the owner of Item could see these colors, much like how only he could see the colored notifications even in the darkest parts of the sewers. It was as if these things weren''t happening outside but inside his very eyes. Odd! Magical! And sensational! Kai squinted, and let the things run their course. When the flash receded, Kai saw words materializing at the top of the page. Letter by letter! Full of pride and mysticism! ''-The Lioness of Casterly Rock-'' This wasn''t the end, though. When the title of the tale flailed like a banner in a storm, more words appeared under it in smaller font. The Book was writing a tale, and its character was within 10 ft. The Song of History! Word by word, letter by letter, the Book kept writing like a hungry beast gnawing on bones for the marrow. Cersei''s birth. Her childhood and relationships. Her encounters. Even her thoughts were narrated into a magnificent tale. Kai sucked on those words as if his life depended on them. He couldn''t help but think how much Cersei''s tale revolved around her brother as well. Then came the part where Cersei thought her betrothal to Prince Rhaegar would soon be announced. She brought two of her friends to a woods witch, Maggy the Frog. Cersei demanded the witch to do a prophecy about certain things for her. The witch initially refused, but on Cersei''s persistent demands, she gave in. The price the witch asked of Cersei was a drop of her blood, which Cersei paid without thought. Then the witch gave prophecies Cersei had desired, and much more. There the tale ended. Abruptly! ¡­ [ Story: The Lioness of Casterly Rock Story Status: Incomplete -Primordial Theater- Act: Blood Prophecy Grade: E+ Specification: The Skill will let the Contestant prophesy certain things depending on the blood sacrifice. More blood sacrifice would let the Contestant see things more clearly and farther into the future. Requirement: HP>0 Attributes: Limited to the Contestants Effect: Show glimpses of the future centered on the Contestant This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Note: Updating the Tale will update the Skill as well Warning: Future is subjected to change according to Contestant''s actions ] ¡­ Gulp! Kai was as horrified as he was delighted. There was only one thought in his mind as he scanned through the notification again and again. This Skill will be the death of me! Shaking his head, Kai stored the Book back in his Inventory. This was neither the place nor the time to test out the new tale. Using Blood Prophecy would drain his HP, and Kai had no intention of making himself vulnerable. All prophecies will have to wait, Kai placated himself. The task at hand is paramount. Kai could feel a hint of steam coming out of the doors, giving a little damp touch to the wood. He ran his hands all over, feeling the weight, its hinges, and the creaks if any. After a moment, Kai nodded. He put his hands awkwardly on the doors (-one at the top, the other at the bottom left-) and pushed them inward. Except for the splashes of water, no sound disturbed the eye-pleasing sight of the bathroom. Kai walked in, his feet almost gliding across the stony floor, and for a moment, he forgot to walk. A few feet away, in a big tub of hot water, Cersei''s back glistened with thousands of watery pearls. Steam surrounded her like a veil, behind which her hair brushed her back like many golden starry streams. Many assortments were lying around her. Soaps, essential oils, brushes, and perfumes. Customary a maid should have been with her, Kai knew. But he could guess Cersei wasn''t in the best of her moods to enjoy any lesser company. Kai could have never known these things, these thoughts, if not for the tale captured by the Book. The tale was incomplete and small, but peoples'' personalities scarcely transformed without a drastic change in their lifestyle, he knew. Kai noiselessly closed the doors as they were and neared the naked woman. The steam parted with his every step as if screaming, trying to warn Cersei of his presence. Alas, it had no voice either. Kai towered over her and took in all the beauty, piece by piece. The water was foamy, so he couldn''t see her breasts, but even without them out, Cersei was an angel. The air smelled strongly of perfume, but even that couldn''t overcome her natural fragrance. It seemed odd for a boy like Kai to have such desires. If he was a demon, then he was a demon of slaughter, not of lust. Then why? This desire of his for the women was the only leeway he had given himself in his previous life. No, not out of lust. But out of necessity. Kai was no stranger to sex. With the world population dwindling in his previous life, sex was the second most important thing in the people''s lives after a Beast''s Blood Essence. If there was an option, a man could have many wives. Even exchanging husbands and wives was encouraged to bring more genetic diversity. The women Kai had fucked were mostly the wives of men he had wanted to kill. All he had ever wanted to do was to gather the intel. But when this necessity became a habit, he couldn''t remember. That''s where the rumor of all the rapes had come from. Bitches couldn''t even see in my eyes when they accused me, Kai recalled. Was it my fault they poured everything out about their husbands when I was inside them? Kai shook his head and brought his gaze into the moment. He took a deep breath, taking in the scene, the smell, and the silence all in one. Cersei gasped. Water came roaring out in waves as she spun. The steam must have made her eyes blurry, for Cersei didn''t wait to see what it was and opened her mouth wide. The shout had just come out when Kai''s hand wrapped around her mouth, burying the scream in her throat. "Your grace," said Kai, humbly. "Don''t make any sound. I come as a friend." Cersei''s eyes were wide in shock. There was a little horror and fear mixed in that shock too. Kai absorbed her Fear, letting his Charisma work upon her. Elementary Fear Absorption! But the major part was still occupied by anger. Cersei flailed her hands, trying to grab Kai''s face. But in a single motion, he pressed both of them against her chest, using his free hand. They were very close now. Kai''s chest was on her back. He could feel it getting wet, and his stomach roiled with a funny feeling. "Believe me, your grace," he urged, trying to control his arousal. "If I meant you harm, you wouldn''t have been alive now." That must have made sense to Cersei. But Kai could still feel her apprehension. "If you still don''t trust my intentions," Kai whispered in her ears, "then call the guards, your grace. I am taking my hand off you. But then you will lose a great opportunity." Kai slowly let go of Cersei''s hands, and then reluctantly took his hand from her wet lips. The moment Cersei found herself free, she turned back and flung her hand at Kai. Slap! The sound echoed in the small, damp room. Cersei backed away, both her hands over her breasts. The scalding hot water had already made her pale smooth skin a little pink. Her fuming expression reddened it even more. "How dare you?!" Cersei snapped. "Who are you? Why are you here? How did you come unannounced to my chamber?" Kai chuckled. He stood up, the marks of the slap flashing red against his white skin. He picked the towel by his side and handed it over to Cersei, which she almost snatched from his hands. "Calm down, your grace," Kai earnestly said. "Look at me and you would know who I am and why I am here." Cersei pressed her lips into a thin line. Her eyes were glaring murderously at Kai, but then she looked at him. Blue breeches, black doublet, and long and wet white hair. His skin seemed like milk floating amid steam. It was already a sight that could make any girl''s heart flutter out of her chest. But when Cersei saw his eyes, she lost herself. They stared at each other; into each other. And with every passing second, Cersei became calmer. Then she blushed. "You are Arlen Stone," Cersei declared, a barely discernible gleam in her green eyes. "You are the one who has kidnapped Jon, aren''t you?" Kai nodded. "What are you doing here, then?" Cersei asked, confusingly. "Every guard is looking for you. Some think you have already left the city. Some are just waiting for you to demand ransom. Yet here you are." "Yet here I am," Kai said, repeating the words. "Why?" she asked. "Why here though? You want to kidnap me too? Humph!" Kai liked it. The way Cersei had sniggered made her look even more lovely than she already was. She had covered her bare skin with the towel, but somehow it had made her more alluring. He took in her sight in its entirety. She is the brightest color on canvas, Kai thought. How can someone be so beautiful and cruel at the same time? "Would that I could, your grace," Kai said. "But I am not here to kidnap you. Yes, it is true, I have kidnapped the Hand. But it was neither for ransom nor fame." He was experienced in manipulating people, especially someone like Cersei. So, Kai knew only lies would never work. He must trickle a bit of truth here and there. "You truly want me to believe that," said Cersei, amusingly. "Why did you kidnap him, then? Tell me the reason and I just might let you go with your head." Kai smiled. He neared her, but Cersei didn''t flinch this time. Yes, this is the Lioness of Casterly Rock, Kai told himself. Ever overconfident, when it seems everything is in her control. Kai reached out in his pocket. "I have come with a gift, your grace," he said, presenting Jon Arryn''s finger. The blood at its stump had almost dried, and the red ruby on the finger glistened dully under the light of the candles. "This?" Cersei¡¯s eyes widened. "There was only one reason for me to kidnap the Hand," Kai lied, lifting Cersei''s chin, and looking into her eyes. "It was to earn favor, your grace. The favor of Queen Cersei Lannister." Chapter 32: Cersei Lannister’s Hidden Mission Cersei swatted Kai''s hand off her face. Her eyes moved from Jon Arryn''s finger to Kai, and then back to the finger. "Have you killed him?" asked the queen. She recognized the gem, Kai could tell. He could see the slightest hint of a smile and victory on her face. He loathed to destroy that smile, but this had to be done, he knew. "No, your grace," said Kai, shaking his head. "He is still alive." The queen frowned. "Tell me then," she demanded. "What is this favor you speak of? And put this thing away for Mother''s sake." Kai did as he was told. "May I?" he held the brush and went behind Cersei. The queen narrowed her eyes at Kai but didn''t reject the offer. The brush had soft hair. Kai nuzzled Cersei''s back, making the queen feel she was still in power. "I have come from far, your grace," Kai told her. "I had no desire to see King''s Landing. Nor did I lack work and skills to come here, seeking opportunities." "Oh, then why did you come?" asked Cersei, playing her part. There was amusement in her tone. A touch of impatience too. Kai ignored that. "For you." A silence followed Kai''s answer. He rubbed her shoulders, his fingers brushing off her skin, leaving white trails over red. "I am a man almost grown, your grace. But even when they called me a child, I had made up my mind to see you. I am not of noble birth, and my prospects of becoming a knight were close to null. So there was only one way to come to King''s Landing for a skillful warrior like me." "Sellsword," echoed the queen. "What does this all have to do with the Hand?" "I am coming to that, your grace," Kai replied, caressing her neck with the brush. He brought down his mouth to her ear. He could smell her now. Kai remembered the fragrance of many flowers. But Cersei had her own scent. He took a whiff of her wet hair, making the queen shiver. Then he whispered. Kai told the queen everything. Whatever he could tell her, revealing nothing about the Primordial Tower and the Chaos, he did. He told her about Big Waldo, the other sellswords, and the minor fights. When Kai mentioned the Hand and how the old man had hired Kai to save him from assassinations, the queen turned her head and looked at him. She fears the truth, Kai realized, and she will kill me for it. "Then why did you betray him?" Cersei asked, turning back as if nothing had happened. Kai replied again, as calmly as he had before. A touch of warmth and adoration in his voice, some fake but most real. "For you." "For me?" asked Cersei, not letting the silence linger unlike before. "How?" A complete lie can never fool a half-cunning mind, Kai reminded himself. So Kai told her what he had guessed by himself. He said, "¡­ and that''s how from all the facts I had concluded that the Hand knows some secret. This secret must be related to someone who can easily kill him to prevent it from ever coming out." The queen shuddered. "So¡­ you know it then? The secret¡­" "No," Kai replied immediately, not letting the suspicion take root in her mind. "I just mentioned random names to lord Hand. When I mentioned yours, I saw sweat on his brows even when the chamber was cool enough. So I thought it must be related to the queen." The lie was ridiculous. But Kai could afford it. All the tales he had told Cersei, showing her his emotions, and mixing truth with lies, were enough to make her see some reason in Kai''s actions. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Humph!" the queen snorted. "Do you take me for a fool, sellsword? You want me to believe that you kidnapped him just because of a drop of sweat?" "Just?!" said Kai, feigning a shocked and pained voice. "This Just was enough for me, your grace. I can do much more for less than that if it concerns you." The queen looked back at Kai. The steam had made her eyes misty. Kai''s heart pounded, looking into those emerald green eyes, full of innocence and cunning. His hand reached for a lock of hair, curling it behind her ear. When her breath entered him, only then did Kai realize he was too close to her. It was too late to back away then. Their lips touched, their breath melting into each other like honey in the milk. Kai kissed the water drops before sucking on her lips. His tongue tasted the sweetness, and it reached for hers, parting her mouth effortlessly. The shove came suddenly. Cersei pushed Kai off, her eyes reddening in anger. But Kai also saw a desire behind that rage, and he just knew what it would take to bring that forward. "I have one more gift for you, my queen," Kai said, licking his lips. "I know there is some bad blood between you and Lysa Arryn." "You¡­" Cersei muttered in disbelief. "You heard us." Kai nodded. "I was just outside your window," he said, standing up, and ignoring the dip of about 30% in his Abnormality Limiter. "Haven''t you wondered where Lady Arryn was when Jon Arryn disappeared?" Cersei too stood up at the mention of Lysa Arryn and Kai knew he had her then. "Where?" she asked, covering herself with the towel. Kai took in her curves, the soaked silk playing a cruel game around her body. "To Petyr Baelish," he said slyly. In the hours he spent with the Hand in the sewers, Kai had already forced the old man to share great many things about major Characters of this world. After learning about Lysa Arryn and Petyr¡¯s past, he had already been having doubts. Then he remembered the tight security he had seen outside Petyr Baelish¡¯s chambers on the evening when Jon Arryn had brought him to the Red Keep. The Hand itself had arranged the guards for him to show him around the various parts of the castle. Moreover, Lady Arryn hadn¡¯t been in her chambers that evening. It didn¡¯t take Kai much to connect the rest of the dots. Cersei''s eyes widened. For the first time, Kai saw her permitting herself a full smile. "I hope you are not lying to me," she said, taking a step out of the bathtub. "Do you have any proof of this fornication?" "Not right now," Kai said, taking a step towards her. "I know you want to send her to the dungeons. I can find enough reasons with proof against her, if you so desire, my queen." Cersei brought herself to Kai''s face, standing on her toes. Her breast brushed against his chest as she planted a kiss on his cheek. "Do it then," the queen whispered. "Do it, and you will be rewarded." "I want no gold, your grace," Kai said, caressing her smooth cheek. "I only want you." Cersei chuckled. She went back to the bathtub, tip-toeing, and leaving behind a word. "After." The dull-gray notification appeared like a ghost in Kai¡¯s eyes. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have triggered a Hidden Mission ¡­ Main Mission: Thwart the Assassination of Jon Arryn Hidden Mission: Incriminate Lysa Arryn Hidden Mission Grade: E+ Hidden Mission Summary: With Jon Arryn''s disappearance, it makes Lysa Arryn the only person in Cersei''s eyes who may know about her secret. The queen doesn''t want to take any chances regarding it. You must gather enough proof that can incriminate her. Hidden Mission Objective: Give irrefutable proof against Lysa Arryn to Cersei Hidden Mission Time Limit: 2 days Do you accept the Hidden Mission? ] ¡­ Kai couldn¡¯t believe it. After his visit to the Primordial Tower, he had already learned more about these from Roland. Hidden Missions were not only abnormal, but incredibly rare to trigger. One could ascend through all three floors of a Set and never trigger one. However, all Contestants desired to trigger them. First, a Hidden Mission¡¯s Grade remained equal or higher than Main Mission¡¯s, promising not only better Rewards, but also Skills. Second, a Hidden Mission boosted the Main Mission¡¯s Completion Rate heavily, increasing the Main Mission¡¯s Rewards, too, in case one didn¡¯t attempt enough Side Missions. For Kai, getting a Hidden Mission now was like finding a cherry on top of the cream. Kai looked at Cersei¡¯s bare back and bowed, grinning vilely. ¡°I will find the proof for you, my lady,¡± he said, backing away with hushed steps. ¡°One way or another¡­ I really want to see what you have in store for me in your¡­ After¡­¡± Lying leisurely in her bath tub, the corners of Cersei¡¯s lips curved up ever so slightly. Chapter 33: A New Cersei Lannister – Blood Prophecy! Next afternoon, The Sewers Cersei never asked about Jon Arryn''s current location, Kai thought. What a cunning woman! She knows I will go back to her. He knew the risks, but there was still a sly grin on his face. "Why are you smiling?" Jon Arryn asked. "Does my misfortune amuse you, boy?" Kai faced the old man. There was no shortage of food, water, and even wine here, but the Hand looked like an overgrown rat. The wound on his left hand had been treated with boiled wine and fire, but it still pained him. "No, my lord," Kai said, shaking his head. "How would it amuse me when there is no misfortune to even speak of?" "Spare me your cunning remarks, boy," Jon Arryn chided, panting all along. "I don''t know what you have said to the queen. But remember, it won''t be long before the guards come down sweeping the sewers. Time is running out for you. Heed my counsel, Arlen. Heed. It''s still not too late for you." This time, Kai chuckled. "You are wrong, my lord," he said, amusingly. "Time has run out hours ago, you should have said. The guards you are eagerly waiting for had already come and gone in the morning. Oh! I feel so sorry for you." Jon Arryn gaped. His eyes widened in the sheer enormity of the lie Kai had spoken. If it was a lie, that is. "Nonsense!" the old man rebuked, terrified. "The sewer lines under the city are vast, yes. I agree. But not that vast for the guards to not scour it thoroughly." Kai, of course, had lied. He took a deep breath, absorbing Jon Arryn¡¯s fear. ¡­ [ Elementary Fear Absorption: Proficiency 3% (+1%) ] ¡­ Kai had sucked Cersei¡¯s fear, too, increasing his Proficiency by a percentage. Oh, this gonna come more handy than I previously thought, he concluded, knowing well how it could change the course of a deadly fight. Perhaps different kinds of fear will accelerate the Proficiency growth? Hmm¡­ "Worry less, my lord," Kai said, standing up. "I will be back soon." He ignored the Hand¡¯s pleas and walked away, readying himself for a massive HP drop. It took Kai some time to find another clearing where he could sit down. He took out a candle and lit it up. The flame brightened the dark tunnel as well as it could, reddening the moist walls. It will be very dangerous, Kai thought, his heart thumping like a hammer strikes on an anvil. But this risk I must take. If Kai hadn''t some issues with trust, he could ask someone to watch over him. If it would come to losing his entire HP accidentally, the second person could have forced Kai to cancel his Skill. Alas¡­ There were no such things as love and trust in his heart or mind anymore. Kai took a deep breath, shaking off chaotic thoughts. Let''s do this, he narrowed his vacant eyes, taking out the Book. The runes over the cover seemed to ripple under the dim glow of bright flame. Flashes of a thousand moments! A promise to himself! His goal! Emotions after emotions passed by his mind; his heart. Kai flicked the book open, the fire playing a murderous game with his hazel pupils. "The Lioness of Casterly Rock," Kai muttered, coming to the only story he could read. "Primordial Theater¡­" The two words didn''t echo, but melted into the world, blurring the boundaries of reality. Kai looked down at the story. The words were turning into runes, but there was an uncanny mysteriousness about them. They glowed with the seven colors of the rainbow, and then the colors exploded in a brilliant shower of white. Something seemed to have left the book. Something bodiless. A higher power! If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The dark space in front of Kai blurred as if a dense smoke had come there. The smoke churned, undulating unto itself. Then a figure walked out of the smoke as if the smoke was nothing but a veil to her. She had light golden hair which blazed dark red in the tunnel. Her eyes had an innocence even the stench couldn''t destroy, and her garments were that of a child. Indeed! Kai gawked at her. Why did I not think of it myself? This figure was Cersei. A Cersei of the past, when she was in she had just reached marriageable age as per the customs of this Random World. A Cersei who had yet to become a queen. Even then, Kai could see the pride in her eyes. They possessed an unquenchable thirst for power and authority. Authority is Power, Kai reminded himself. Two faces of the same coin. Cersei looked at him with a questioning gaze. Then her head bobbed, noticing her surroundings. Kai''s eyes squinted. She isn''t real, is she? He asked himself. How can that be possible? The young girl''s bright green eyes landed on the book in Kai''s hands then. She smiled. Kai''s heart almost gave out. What is this? What is she? How can she show such emotions? The questions bombarded Kai''s skeptical mind. These questions would have wreaked havoc, making him mad, if it weren''t for the notification. ¡­ [ Skill Primordial Theater activated¡­ Character Cersei Lannister is ready to play her Act Act Available: 1 ] ¡­ "¡­ Blood¡­" an ethereal voice came out of Cersei, directly entering his mind. Though this Cersei and Kai were of the same age, Kai had desire only for mature women. Nonetheless, he felt attracted to that smile of hers. It hasn''t changed, Kai thought, remembering his last encounter with the queen. She still smiles the same, as if the entire world is her playground. Kai nodded and bit his thumb, letting drops of blood trickle out. Blood Prophecy! Following an instinct, he extended his bleeding thumb towards the girl. Cersei giggled. She stepped forward and held Kai''s hand by his wrist. Her lips parted wide and under Kai''s widened eyes, she put his thumb inside her mouth. Kai felt his strength abandoning him as he felt the moistness of her tongue, though it was the affect of his HP falling, he knew. He could still see a playfulness in her eyes. It was the last thing he remembered seeing. The Character drank more and Kai melted away along with his blood. ¡­ If it was a dream, then it was disgusting. The entire world reeked of blood, and when Kai looked around, he realized it wasn''t imagination. It was blood. A blood ocean! Suddenly, gigantic towers protruded out of the blood ocean. They were blurry too as if many layers of semi-transparent red veils had covered them. When the towers reached a height, the blood ocean regained its calmness. Only for a moment, though. Little blood pools churned again, and a figure rose out. It was walking stealthily. Along the walls, it slithered, and from time to time, this figure kept looking in all directions. It was he himself, he could tell. Then, out of the blue, this Kai''s head jerked. This jerk had such a force behind it that half of Kai''s head exploded. The towers and the blood figure melted into each other, then. The blood ocean engulfed them back as anything else was just a drop compared to it. Kai''s eyes snapped open. There was a tightness in his chest, and the dull-gray notification in front of him had never glowed so red before. A menacing glow of death! ¡­ [ WARNING: Contestant''s HP is below 10% of its max value. HP Regeneration Rate is reduced by half ] ¡­ Did I just see myself dying? Kai asked himself, panting for air. He couldn''t believe what he had seen, or if he had seen something at all. It was all a blur to him as if he had a nightmare, but the grogginess caused by that nightmare after waking up was real, he knew. Kai''s vacant eyes deepened as he tried to remember the prophecy; the Blood Ocean. He straightened his back, shaking off his trance-like state. The young girl had disappeared, and when he looked down, he found the Book had returned to his Inventory by itself too. How? Kai felt confused. He hadn''t heard of any Item going back to Inventory by itself. Then again, it hasn''t been that long since I arrived in the Primordial Tower. There are many things I don''t know about. Kai looked around and found the candle still burning as dimly as it was before, concluding that there wasn¡¯t any time difference while having the Prophecy. It was a close call, Kai thought, his face turning ugly. If I hadn''t come out in time, I would have died while still glimpsing my future in that blood ocean. He put that thought to the back of his mind, though. There was no other choice. Even if Kai knew of the consequences, the Skill was so potent that it demanded this price of him. Humph! Kai snorted, finding himself having such thoughts. I will gladly pay this price for even an iota of prophecy concerning me. But one time isn''t enough. Kai stood up and went back to the Hand. Then he lied about Cersei ordering him to kill his son and how he was about to go and do the deed. The old man was so frightened that he began begging, clinging to Kai¡¯s feet. Kai drank his fear like wine. ¡­ [ Elementary Fear Absorption: Proficiency 6% (+3%) ] ¡­ I was right, Kai reflected, his HP Regeneration Rate rising. The Proficiencies advance more under extreme situations. However, the task which should have taken him only about 20 minutes, got stretched to 40 because of the reduction in HP Regeneration Rate. That too because of his Fear Absorption Ability, otherwise, Kai knew it would have taken him over an hour to bring himself to an optimum state. Kai went back to the clearing, which wasn¡¯t far, and invested around 15 minutes to clear his mind of stray thoughts. Then he took out the Tales of Beedle the Bard. He momentarily closed his eyes. When they opened, the book was already showing the title of the tale of Cersei Lannister. "Let''s do this," Kai steeled his nerves, sensing his heavy heartbeats. "Primordial Theater¡­" Chapter 34: Petyr Baelish – The Herald Of Chaos! Late evening, Red Keep Kai prophesied three more times after the first one. Every time he made some changes to his plan, to his thoughts, thinking that might change the future, but it didn''t. So Kai, not wasting his efforts, had called it a day for the prophecies. He looked incredibly pale now like the melted wax of a candle. An unseen flame threatening to go out any second. Yet, Kai was content. He did not know when or how the prophecy would become real, but he knew it would happen. Not to mention, Kai couldn¡¯t afford holing himself up. Not after already accepting a Hidden Mission. Kai''s feet slithered on the ground, stirring him through the deserted corridors of the Tower of Hand. Guards were patrolling like bees outside, but the inside of the tower was still relatively unmanned. Slowly, he approached his destination. Kai killed the torches, darkening the already dark corridor. There were many rooms here, but all were empty, with no sign of any patrolling guards either. On Lysa Arryn''s orders, Kai guessed. There was an old, oaken door behind which there were two people. Kai had already tortured a few guards, sucking their Fear, and making them tell where the affair was most probably taking place. With no other solution, Kai decided to go with the old way to eavesdrop on the things going on within the room. He imagined a glass cup, and his Miscellaneous Rent Box did the rest. The MRB gave all imagined vessels a reality if they were within the limits. Kai put the glass between his ear and the door. The very first thing he heard was a loud muffled moan, suggesting a woman''s orgasm. Kai heard her moaning, her buried screams, her gasps, and his thrusts. There was little the glass didn''t capture, and when it was finally done, the lovers whispered. Kai''s eyes narrowed. "How long? For how long, Petyr?" Lady Arryn asked, gasping for air. "For how long I must hold back my screams? I want to cry when I feel you inside me. I want to cry so loud that from Dorne to the Wall, everyone will know that Petyr Baelish is fucking Lysa Arryn." What the? Kai thought, feeling incredulous. "Now that would need some powerful lungs, my love," a sly voice replied. Kai noticed there was amusement in this voice, mischief, and it belonged to a man, but it might have belonged to a woman or a child as easily. "The entire King''s Landing is in Chaos, Lysa. You know that." "Yes, I know," Lysa said sharply. "But he is gone, Petyr. Jon''s gone. Yes, it''s sooner than we had planned, but it has already happened, and I won''t let them take my son from me. I won''t." "Lysa, my love," said Petyr in a hushed tone. "This is neither the time nor place to speak of such things. Red Keep''s walls have ears bigger than a dragon. How many times must I warn you?" "Not anymore," Lysa said brusquely. "Make this one the last, then. Take me Petyr. Take me away. Jon''s gone. I am telling you. That old fool would have never remained away from the king if he could. He''s dead. Dead! Dead! Dead!" Kai couldn''t believe the madness he was feeling in the voice. A shuffling of clothes followed Lysa''s outburst. From the steps, Kai could tell it was Petyr who had left the bed first. "A lack of body doesn''t mean he''s alive, I agree, Lysa darling," Lord Petyr hissed. "But without a body, it is also hard to declare someone dead. Wait. Hear me first. I won''t let them take away our sweet Robert to Dragonstone if you fear so. Believe me." "Oh, Petyr!" Lysa Arryn cried. "Tell me it''s true. Tell me." "Why would I lie to you, my love?" "Gods," the woman said thankfully. "But¡­ how? You told me they are sending him off tomorrow evening. It will be too late, Petyr." It''s coming, Kai reflected. Something''s happening tomorrow. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "Haha!" Petyr chuckled, a thin laugh screeching through the door. "Their evening will never come. Mariene is leaving the port for the fingers in the dawn. You and Robert will leave on the ship." Fuck! Kai cursed, a vein popping up on his forehead. This is too soon. How would I let the queen know of it discreetly? She won''t be alone today, she told me as much. Damn! "Petyr, my sweet¡­ Petyr," Lysa said, her voice breaking from the sudden tears. Then her tone turned into that of a puzzlement. "Me and Robert? And you? You don''t mean to stay here, Petyr, do you?" "Lysa," Petyr called her endearingly. "Someone must stay here to see that no harm will come to you. I am the Master of Coin. I can''t leave the city on a whim. You know that. I want you two to be safe in the Eyrie before thinking of me. Think of the boy first. We can''t afford to waste time, can we?" What a fucking devious tongue?! Kai was gobsmacked. I thought I was the master of manipulations, but this¡­ This is something else. I must have his tale. I must. The Book had been shuddering since the moment he had come near the door. Kai hadn¡¯t met Lysa Arryn before. But from the Book rejecting Jon Arryn¡¯s tale, he could guess it didn¡¯t desire Lysa¡¯s either. So, Kai could easily tell it was the man who was making the Book react so. "I¡­ I understand, my love," Lysa finally said, reluctantly. "Oh, you are so concerned for me and Robert. I will wait for you in Vale. I will keep me and Robert both good and happy for you, secured behind the high walls of Eyrie, I promise." "I know," Petyr whispered. "Let me kiss you before going out. The next time we meet, we will be in Vale." "Kiss me, yes," Lysa cried, stepping off the bed. "But let me love you first." "No, Lysa," said Petyr alarmingly. "I just put up my breeches. Wait¡­ Oh¡­ easy¡­" That''s enough, heh! Kai sniggered. Let Lysa wrap her mouth around his cock. I have better things to do. Kai let the glass go, and it disappeared. His hand flicked, and the Book came out. Kai took a deep breath, making all stray thoughts and emotions vanish. Only his ambition left. The Book''s pages flipped one by one, going past the latest tale. When Kai opened his eyes, the Book was already singing the Song of History. The entire world shook. Familiar red-blue flashes blinded his eyes, and the crispy yellow parchments felt alive. Then he saw. A new Title had materialized at the top. -The Herald of Chaos- Words flowed like black blood over the yellow parchment. There was something odd about the Title itself, Kai noticed. Something unnatural. The Lioness of Casterly Rock felt more of a story of a powerful woman with high ambitions. But this¡­ this Title reeked of the same smell like its name. Discordant! Kai read it. No word of the tale escaped his snaky focus. The tale started with Petyr''s Braavosian history. Then it came to the part of how young Petyr had come to the Riverrun to be fostered as a ward, and him becoming friends with three Tully children Catelyn, Lysa, and Edmure. The Book told of Petyr falling in love with Catelyn, and Lysa falling in love with Petyr. It also told of Petyr, now known as Littlefinger, taking Lysa''s virginity while drunk, thinking of her as her sister, Catelyn Tully. Then, it mentioned the duel between Petyr with five-year-older Brandon Stark for Catelyn''s hand. Brandon offered Petyr many chances to yield, but Petyr refused to give up. In the end, Petyr, staggering, bleeding from a dozen wounds, got cut with an almost fatal backhand slash. Petyr lost. There, the duel ended. So did the tale. ¡­ [ Story: The Herald of Chaos Story Status: Incomplete -Primordial Theater- Act: Relentless Love Grade: E+ Specification: The character assimilates himself within the Contestant''s soul, granting him a Titan''s buff for 30 seconds. The character can be assimilated beforehand, but as soon as the Titan''s buff is activated, the Act will be canceled after 30 seconds Requirement:
  1. 20 MP + (2 MP per second while using the buff)
  2. SP>50 (SP will not be consumed)
Attributes: A visorless warrior helmet will cover the head as a symbol of buff Effect:
  1. Strength +3
  2. Agility +4
  3. Stamina +5
Note: Updating the tale will update the Skill as well Warning: If SP drops below 50 before using the buff or while using it, then the Skill will be canceled automatically ] ¡­ Kai''s heart raced. This was an Act Kai Stormborn meant to play. He knew little about Magic, or soul and its uses, but this¡­ this he knew. The carnage I can unleash using this Skill, Kai''s thought trailed off, imagining his past self. There was a time when he had roamed like a demon donning his red armor and clutching two sabers in his hand. The rivers of blood that sprouted had created a path for Kai to the top. He was the supreme killer. The Blood Demon! Kai''s throat felt dry as he recalled his end by exploding himself. But there was a smile on his face too. Kai didn''t put the book back. He had been already feeling anxious about the Prophecy and seeing the assimilation feature of the Act, it made little sense to him to not use it there and then. One more¡­ Kai thought, caressing the parchment. One more tale and the Book can be upgraded then. "Primordial Theater¡­" Chapter 35: Death Prophecy – The Hidden Dangers Of Hidden Mission! Kai¡¯s voice melted into the space; the reality melted into the falseness, and the words melted too, turning into the mysterious runes. They glowed with the colors of the rainbow before exploding into a shower of white. The smoky veil returned. In the darkness, the gray smoke felt as black as anything could be. Then it parted, and a figure walked out as if a herald had announced its coming. This figure belonged to a fifteen-year-old boy, a year younger than Kai. He was wearing a black doublet, black breeches, and black leather shoes. There was a sly smile on his lips, hidden behind a light stubble on his chin, but his eyes were calm. Too calm, Kai observed. Calm enough to burst out into a storm. Into chaos! This boy was Petyr Baelish. ¡­ [ Skill Primordial Theater activated¡­ Character Petyr Baelish is ready to play his Act Act Available: 1 ] ¡­ Petyr bowed behind the Notification. "Are you sentient?" Kai found himself asking stupidly. His many encounters with Cersei''s character from the Book still weighed on his mind. He hadn''t asked this question before, but Kai couldn''t control his curiosity any longer. Petyr smiled. "I think so," he replied, the smile never leaving his lips. "All men are blessed with intelligence. It''s the use of this blessing which separates the puppet from the puppeteer." "What are you?" Kai asked, his grip tightening over the book. "A puppet or a puppeteer?" Petyr approached Kai, his solid figure becoming transparent with each step. "I am whatever you want me to be¡­ master," his voice echoed in Kai''s mind. "But foremost, I am a Character, and now¡­ It is my turn to Act." Kai looked into his eyes. He nodded and proclaimed, "Relentless Love!" When the words ended, Petyr''s blurry, semi-transparent figure lined itself with Kai''s and vanished. Kai could feel him, though. Another being was inside him like a parasite hibernating within an insect. When Kai breathed, he could feel Petyr breathing along with him. When Kai looked at things, he could feel Petyr''s calm eyes at the back of his pupils. With the knowledge of Lysa¡¯s planned trip back to the Eyrie, Kai already had gotten all the proof he needed. So he almost turned around to go back, but then paused. For an E+ Mission, wasn¡¯t it too easy? Kai asked himself, narrowing his eyes. By now, Kai had already confirmed one thing from Arlen, and then from Roland too. A Mission Grade had never been, and would never be, a true measure of a Mission¡¯s difficulty level. A Grade only told about the potential encounters, rewards, and opportunities that are available for a Contestant in the Random World. Moreover, there were Contestants who had almost suffered a disaster in a lower Grade Mission, while brushing past a higher Grade Mission later. So, when it came to difficulty, it all really depended on how a Contestant truly approached the Mission Objective. Step! Click!! The sound came abruptly. Kai sent the Book back to Inventory. He found a darker corner in the dark corridor and waited for the man to come out. Petyr opened the door and walked out with a hood over his face. "Be ready," he whispered into the room. "I have already instructed the guards to escort you to the ship." Only a light, sobbing grunt answered Petyr. As he saw Petyr going downstairs, Kai suddenly thought of something which he hadn''t planned. I got the proof against Lysa, he reflected. But this alone won''t be enough to incriminate Petyr too. The Hidden Mission mentioned nothing of the master of coin, Kai knew. Also, with the death prophecy looming over him, he would have never taken the risk. But things had changed within these last moments. In the prophecy, he was just prey. Now Kai could hope to become more than that. A predator! The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡­ Kai followed Petyr Baelish on foot. There was no other choice. Without knowing when and how the ambush would come, there was little sense in not conserving his MP if he wasn''t inside the safety of walls. There was one more man with Petyr, who looked like a personal bodyguard of some sort. But Kai felt as much danger from the man as he would have felt from a group of common guards. The only thing to be grateful for was that Petyr and his bodyguard were avoiding open areas, giving Kai no trouble to worry about being seen. Kai couldn''t fathom why the in-world Characters were so weak and yet didn¡¯t get killed by the Contestants. Especially the Characters having major roles. That black-armored guard with the prince was different, though, Kai recalled. I wonder if there is something I am missing in all this reasoning. Petyr took a sharp right turn around a tall tower. Kai waited for a little and then slithered against the wall, looking up and down. Suddenly, he felt like he had done this before. A deja-vu! Then, all hell went loose. Kai had expected it. He had been waiting for it. But never had Kai imagined that the prophecy would come so soon. Goosebumps jutted out like thousands of thorns all over his body. Time slowed down as it usually does when a man comes face to face with death. The world constricted around Kai, and within a single second, he felt an unavoidable danger coming for him. Kai''s eyes widened, a tremor passing through his entire body. In the Prophecy, he would die in the next moment. There, in the Blood Ocean, he had been powerless, his head exploding into a smithereens. Now, though, a magnificent, but ancient bronze-colored shimmer burst around his head. Bang! * * A few minutes before, Cuckoo couldn''t comprehend why a fool would follow Petyr Baelish of all. Aye, the castle guards can''t spot him, she thought. But is he such an idiot to think that there aren''t others monitoring the grounds? It was common knowledge that most in-world Characters were under some kind of protection. Contestants, starting from 2nd floor with no upper limit, always had one or other missions to act as Protection Task Force. Only a fool from 1st floor would act against these kind of characters, she knew. Is he the same person who had kidnapped the Hand? Cuckoo asked herself. She had been eying Petyr''s surroundings from behind an arrowslit of a tower. She knew where Petyr had gone, and how long it would take him and his bodyguard to return. But when he returned, she found an insect following him too. Look at him, tch! Cuckoo mused herself, curling a stray lock of hair out of her eyes. Idiot! ¡­ Handsome idiot! Cuckoo took pride in her beauty. Her hair was brown with trails of red here and there as if she had dyed them. Her eyes were light blue, her lips were full, and her breasts handful and firm. Not to mention, the attire of Indiana Jones gave her a charm that could make many heads turn. Cuckoo flicked her fedora hat for luck. She extended her slim right hand out of the arrowslit and aimed her finger at the man who had stopped at a place for no reason. Well, whoever you are, goodbye, she said a silent prayer. Cuckoo''s hand twisted. Her flesh squirmed as if the muscle fibers of her hand were coming off by themselves. Then her entire hand became a longrifle. The rifle had a mixed metallic and wooden shine, but it also seemed to have a fleshy feel to it. Bang! Cuckoo''s face paled before she saw the bullet hitting the target''s head. She took out a blue pill and threw it inside her mouth, refilling the massive drop in her MP. The rifle became a hand again as she pulled it in. She turned around, walking towards the long, spiral stairs. She didn''t care for the fate of her twice damned target. None. No one had survived her ambush. Cuckoo was the best sniper, and she would be the strongest Devil Fruit user of the Stormborn Empire, such were her ambitions. It didn''t matter to her that other Contestants looked at her scornfully just because she was the daughter of a Set Lord. The sudden frown on her face, though, seemed unwelcome. What''s taking it so long? Cuckoo asked herself. Where is the Notification of killing? The possibility of the guy bleeding profusely, begging for his own death, made her shiver. She was beautiful, but she wasn''t cruel. Her steps quickened to lift the man from his misery. If there was any loot, then she would take that too. What the?! Cuckoo gasped. There wasn''t a body. She ran, but she stopped meters away from the blood drops where the man should have been lying dead. Cuckoo sensed the rich Mana emanating from the blood drops which couldn¡¯t belong to a newbie. Magical Beast¡¯s blood? She guessed. Cuckoo followed the trail of blood drops, readying herself to fire another bullet. He couldn''t have walked this far from the blood pool, she reflected. Something''s off! Her both wrists twisted and became two semi-automatic pistols. Hissss! What''s that?! Cuckoo shivered at the whistling sound. Her hands itched to fire, but she shuddered thinking of the risks. If even one guard saw her, then her Abnormality Limiter would fall dangerously low. It just might get empty instantaneously. "Who''s there?" She demanded. "Sparrow, is it you? It''s me. Cuckoo." This couldn¡¯t be the same man, Cuckoo was sure. She had seen the bullet making a direct contact with his head. With a 1st Contestant¡¯s Stats, none could take it head on and then remain in a state of running away at least. Hisssssss! Something slithered in the corner of her eyes. She aimed both her pistols in that direction and would have fired uncaring of the consequences if it wasn¡¯t for the darkness. Whatever it was, it was just too fast and slippery to remain in the shadows and yet making her Perception scream. Twin-Saber Style¡­ "Who¡­ Who''s there? I¡­ I am Set Lord''s daughter¡­" ¡­. Giant Serpent''s Severing Whiplash! Cuckoo couldn¡¯t hold back anymore, sensing the immense danger, and fired. But then she was falling, her pistols aimed at the vast night sky which she couldn''t even see. She saw two legs in her vision as her head impacted the ground. They were slender. Her eyes moved up the legs, but above the knees, there was nothing. Only blood showered out of them in short, powerful bursts. Then Cuckoo realized why they looked familiar. They were her legs. "Well, well," a rough, panting voice entered her ears; her soul. "Someone''s being a little naughty bird." Chapter 36: Fighting a 4th-Floor Contestant – Mirror Dimension! A few minutes before, It was all a game of HP Regeneration Rate. No matter when the prophecy would have come true, it didn¡¯t matter. If his HP wouldn''t drop to 0 instantly, then his HP Regeneration Rate must overcome the depletion rate for him to survive. Kai would have never followed Petyr, knowing this, if it weren''t for the Titan''s Buff given by the Skill - Relentless Love. It wasn''t just a buff. No. It was his lifeline. A 5 point increment in Stamina meant not only a temporary higher value of HP but also meant a higher regeneration rate. Then there was the magical flesh of Hippogriff he had stored in his MRB for exactly such emergencies. Combine all this with the Elementary Fear Manipulation, and even the loss of a corner of his head couldn''t bring down Kai. The rest was a struggle. There was a dull metallic visorless spartan helmet over his head which shone dark bronze. A black-colored smooth mane crowned the helmet. The Titan''s helm had darkened Kai''s facial features, making it impossible for an outsider to see his eyes, but even it couldn''t hide the sheer amount of blood running down Kai''s neck. The Titan''s Buff kept eating away his MP, and Kai kept stuffing blood and meat into his mouth as he walked away from the crime scene. Even then, Kai didn''t forget to leave behind some blood to bait the attacker. There was murder in his eyes. And yes. Questions. Kai felt an unprecedented strength coursing through his veins. The only downside was¡­ well, he was dying. So he waited. It was a bullet, Kai told himself, his sight lingering at the boundary of light and dark; life and death. It was a fucking bullet! Kai had an inkling when he had seen the prophecy, but this new world had shown him too many weird things for him to think of only firearms like a simpleton. For all he cared, it could have been the work of an invisible person. Gulp! Gulp! Kai put the blood jar on his lips and drank as much as he could. More carrion went down his throat than he had hoped for. The bullet had scratched the top of his head. If it was any other time before the buff, Kai would have died there and then. But the ugly wound had all but healed now. The bronze helmet disappeared. Kai also felt the young Petyr inside him vanish then. But the task was done, and he was out of danger. The only thing that remained now was to let the HP and MP regenerate at their usual pace. Kai hid in a corner, keeping himself in the shadows. He wanted to prey on his attacker¡¯s fear, enhancing his HP and MP Regeneration Rates. It was then Kai thought he heard a noise. Not a killer, Kai reflected. No killer would walk so loudly anywhere. He switched between Misdreavus and Blue-tailed Boa Constrictor¡¯s Blood Essences. Hisssss! "Who''s there?" a high-pitched voice demanded. "Sparrow, is it you? It''s me. Cuckoo." Cuckoo? Kai''s slitted eyes narrowed. He took out the sabers and slithered. Before attacking her, it was best to make her fear him. Hisssss! The hiss surrounded him like armor, his red hot skin steaming in the darkness. As Kai dashed in the voice''s direction, he saw the silhouette coming alive. Kai kept dancing around her in the shadows, switching between the Blood Essences. With the girl absolutely terrified, she became the greatest source for him to regain his HP and MP for full. When the red and blue bars in his Stats hit the limit, Kai knew it was time to stop playing with her. With one swift motion, he dashed toward the girl. Then the danger banged against his Perception suddenly. Kai could see the silhouette holding two pistols, but they were pointed in the wrong direction. Twin-Saber Style¡­ "Who¡­ Who''s there? I¡­ I am Set Lord''s daughter¡­" Kai was running so low that for a moment, it seemed he was a snake slithering on the ground. Kai put one saber point into the handguard of the other, and suddenly his reach doubled. He didn¡¯t want to get accidentally shot at while cutting her up. ¡­. Giant Serpent''s Severing Whiplash! The two sabers in his hand became a metallic whip, and Kai lashed out. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. A crack resounded as the front saber''s edge effortlessly cut the knees of the silhouette in a single stroke. But this crack got outmatched by the sudden cacophony of the two pistols firing, not at Kai, but the sky. ¡­ [ Elementary Snake Instinct: Proficiency 21% (+5%) Elementary Slither Footsteps: Proficiency 51% (+4%) Elementary Twin-Saber Style: Proficiency 50% (+4%) Elementary Fear Absorption: Proficiency 11% (+5%) ] ¡­ Kai panted, approaching the silhouette. He had realized it was a girl, but he didn''t know she was beautiful. What a cutie! he thought, amusingly. Set Lord''s daughter, she said. Heh! Her Inventory must be full of riches then. "Well, well," Kai said, towering over her stupefied face. "Someone''s being a little naughty bird." * * Presently, The girl screamed, her throat bulging in a monstrous swell, but no sound came out. Kai had stuffed her handkerchief in her mouth so deeply that snot and tears ran down her nose and eyes. Losing her legs, she was in a world of pain. Alas, Kai couldn''t care less. "Take everything out of your Inventory, birdy," he commanded again. "I just might give you a clean death, I promise." "Mmm¡­ Mm-hum.." Cuckoo was begging, cursing, and if her hands weren''t tied behind her back, she would have flailed them too. But the only thing she could do in the state Kai had left her was to sway her half-legs, showering the ground with blood. She was dying. But Kai wouldn''t let her. He took out a piece of meat and stuffed it into her mouth, taking out the cloth. The girl clenched her teeth. Slap! Kai slapped her so hard that her eyes lost focus. He stuffed the cloth back down her throat after making her eat. He couldn''t afford for her to vomit the flesh. Cuckoo''s face was incredibly pale, and the beauty of her face was all but gone. Now five-fingered bruises had taken over the milky-white soft skin. Her hair, which had shone with brown and red, was getting pulled out as Kai kept dragging her towards the sewer''s entrance like a sack. It was hell. Kai reined this hell like a demon Slap! "Take out the pistols," Kai casually said, making her ear burst with blood. "I know you have them. I saw you firing. Take them out." "Mmm¡­ Uhmm¡­" Slap! Sigh! Kai let out a breath, pulling the girl towards a dark corner. The noise of their fight had woken up the entire castle. Guards were running here and there, trying to find even a hint of something alive. So Kai had taken a roundabout way to return to the Tower of Hand. He just couldn''t fathom why this girl wasn''t taking out the pistols. "You are forcing me now, you know," Kai scowled, throwing her onto a small pile of hay. "Last chance. Take out the pistols, and empty your Inventory. Then I will end your misery, OK?" Cuckoo, with all her might, twisted her head and looked at her hands. Then she looked back at Kai, giving him a disgusting and pleading look. Kai stared at her. She sure is gutsy, he thought. Bitch is still asking me to let her go. "Good," said Kai. "Very good. I like your spirit. Now let''s see if you like the feeling of your eyes exploding out with slimy juices." This was no empty threat. The simplicity with which Kai had declared his intentions got only bolstered by the calmness on his face. Cuckoo squirmed like a chicken who had just got to know her fate. She was going to be slaughtered by this butcher. Suddenly, the entire world cracked. Kai looked around and saw the cracks appearing everywhere like a broken mirror. The sound of glass shattering took over his senses. The girl scornfully grunted at the sight of mirror shards. What is this? Kai asked himself in awe. What''s happening? No! Kai''s mind roared, and he lunged for the girl. But in-between them, a golden ring appeared. Kai stepped back, distancing himself as he gawked at the scene. The golden ring was sparkling as if little fireworks were going off at its rim. Through the golden ring, Kai could see little buildings, a street, and a few people in rags. It was like the golden ring was nothing but a round door; a hole adjoining two worlds. The woman walked in then. She was wearing a yellow monk''s garb, and white-gray hair flowed behind her like some aged waterfall. On her face, there was a plain white mask. The mask had only two eyeholes, but Kai couldn''t see her eyes through them. The only thing he could see was the exquisite picture of a sparrow on the mask. Strong, Kai''s eyes widened with realization. Stronger than even Arlen Willey. She is from at least a 4th floor Contestant. Kai had met a 4th floor Contestant in his Initiation Mission. He remembered the feeling still. It was like an itch in his bones. Kai licked his lips. The golden ring behind her vanished, and new mirror-like cracks kept appearing around him. It was only then Kai noticed the strange ring on her left hand. It was a flat metallic slab, and it covered two of her fingers. The woman looked at Kai, who kept backing until his back hit the mirror wall. Then she looked back at the girl and her legs. Her eyes planted on Kai, she backed up, taking out a red pill. Kai took out his sabers. He saw her ripping out the cloth stuffed in Cuckoo''s mouth. The girl screamed, squealing like a pig on its way to the slaughterhouse. The pain didn''t make her feel better either. It ate her from below, her legs wreathing, bleeding out thick juices. "Aunt!" Cuckoo bellowed, crying bloody tears. "Aunt! Kill him. Kill him, aunt! It hurts so much." Aunt?! Oh, Haha! Kai grinned inwardly. So that''s how it is. This is getting interesting. Very interesting! It was amazing how he could still show this side of himself when he had almost no hope of winning against his enemy. When the woman fed the girl that red pill, in a matter of seconds, all the bleeding stopped. Her pale face became rosy, and her dead eyes brimmed with life. Kai could feel her strength rising with every passing second. "Lose your weapons, spawn of Chaos," Sparrow said calmly. "You must pay the price for this cruelty." "I don''t agree," Kai said, licking his lips lustily. "Her cunt wasn''t even worth a penny, I am afraid." "Humph!" the woman snorted, but there was no anxiety in her voice. "Give up all struggles, boy. You can never leave this Mirror Dimension without my permission." Kai''s gaze moved from the flat metallic ring on her fingers to the strange cracks around him. It was true. There was no sound coming in. Kai even saw a guard passing by, looking at them, or through them as if they didn''t exist. Kai gulped. Then he grinned even more. "OK, I give up," Kai said, stepping towards the woman. "Good, leave your¡­" Before the masked woman could finish her words, Kai dashed. His feet almost slid, slithering as if there was oil on the ground. His black sabers glistened silver in the dark. Chapter 37: Pain Split – Twin-Saber Style Forbidden Technique! There was madness in Kai''s charge. With the sabers almost hidden along his body''s length, Kai locked Sparrow''s figure with his round eyes. She didn''t move. Behind her, Kai could feel the burst of Mana coming out of Cuckoo. Whatever she was doing, it was refilling her Mana, Kai could tell. Kai slithered, both his hands lifting, outstretching towards his left. Sparrow didn''t even flinch. One step more, and she would be in Kai''s reach. Suddenly, Kai changed his direction. There was such a smoothness to his steps as if he was no creature of legs. Only reptiles could have achieved such a feat. Only a serpent could slither. Under the shocked gaze of the masked woman, Kai jumped towards the mirror wall to his right. As he reached the broken edges, his body whirled like a tornado. The sabers kissed the mirror wall, and the mirror shattered with a boom. Kiss of the Giant Serpent! Imaginary mirror shards fell on the ground as he landed. But Kai''s brows were pressed tight over his nose. Behind the broken mirror wall, there was another wall. More mirror shards kept appearing, breaking in a never-ending cycle. He slowly turned around and looked at the woman named Sparrow. "You done?" Sparrow asked, lifting her chin at him. "You have an Elementary Ability, I can tell. But I have seen many like you, overestimating themselves and then dying like flies. I hope you have learned something from this futile attempt of yours." "I did," Kai said, pointing his saber at her. "I learned you are an ugly old cunt." Kai''s words failed to rouse Sparrow''s fury. But the girl behind her had neither Sparrow''s patience nor her wisdom. "How dare you?" Cuckoo shouted. "How dare you use your filthy tongue for my aunt?" Kai grinned. But his grin turned into a shocked silence. Cuckoo must have freed her hands, for she was pointing them at Kai now. Then Kai saw the most unreasonable scene. Her hands twisted into two semi-automatic pistols, both barrels aimed at Kai. She fired. The foreboding sense made Kai slither to his left, trying to put the masked woman in between him and the girl again. Even then, he couldn''t dodge all the bullets. It was too soon, too fast. One of the bullets just grazed his right thigh. The other lodged itself deep in his left shoulder, making him lose his balance. Kai wondered how much pain he would have felt if it weren''t for the Pain Factor. He staggered, searching for balance that had become elusive to him. But this staggering had brought him out of Cuckoo''s line of sight, too, and the woman, Sparrow, seemed too proud to move out of the way for the girl to have a direct line of fire. Kai sniggered. What a fucking moron! He thought. She has the advantage of two versus one, and yet, she won''t take it. Tch! Well, good for me. If he couldn''t run away, then there was only one way to live. Kai buried the pain in his useless left shoulder and hacked at the woman. She effortlessly moved sideways, dodging the saber. Kai followed with his left saber, albeit rather slowly. She danced away from that too. Then Kai smiled. Time after time, he kept hacking at her, and Sparrow kept dodging. Cuckoo fired whenever she could in short bursts, but Kai never appeared in her line of sight again. Right, left, back, and forward, Kai slithered, hacking like a maniac as if he had no other way left to him. He couldn¡¯t use the Elementary Abilities granted by the Blood Essences without activating his Glitch. But Slither Footsteps and Twin-Saber Style were something he had resurrected with. Kai panted, and the tips of the sabers kissed the ground. The woman seemed to give him an approving look mixed with disgust. "Such potential," she whispered. "A waste! Stand down, child. Accept the judgment. For¡­ Justice is Balance, Balance is Order." "Let me try one last time, then¡­" Kai feigned a tired voice. He charged, both sabers pointed at the Sparrow. Just as she was about to move, Kai suddenly slithered back, his feet leaving the ground. His muscles screeched as if a parachute had swung open behind him while falling freely from an airplane. This was the hardest and fiercest slither step Kai knew, which he had mastered in many deadly battles. Giant Serpent''s Sky Hood! In mid air, Kai sent the sabers back to the Inventory and took out two Mass-Produced Daggers. They had almost no Damage capability, but they were coated in enough poison to trigger Perception. Kai threw one dagger at the girl. The other he threw at Sparrow. The masked woman, for the first time, lifted her hands hastily. But instead of rushing to save the girl, she was still rooted in her place. A glittering golden disc appeared on her left palm. The golden disc had many weird symbols and geometric shapes, and its edges kept giving off tiny sparks. The darkness ran away as the disc glowed all around, reflected by the mirror shards. She threw the disc in the path of the dagger bound for Cuckoo. The dagger struck the disc and bounced off. The second dagger hit her chest. Yet, even this one couldn''t do anything. It seemed the monk garb on her wasn''t simple clothing, but armor. Both dagger fell, the steel rattling as they touched the ground. "Aunt!" Cuckoo shouted in amazement. "You have mastered the use of Tao Mandals?" The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Only one," the woman replied, smiling. "But one is enough for today." Kai''s attack failed, as expected by Cuckoo. As expected by the masked woman, Sparrow. Strangely, as expected by Kai himself. Kai wanted his throws to work, but that wasn''t the last attack he had talked about. He knew, or he believed, Contestants from the 4th floor would have over one trump card up their sleeves. When his feet landed, his hazel eyes had already turned red, surrounded by yellow. Then he took out two things from his Inventory, which made the woman gasp. No. They weren''t sabers. "How can you have those?!" Sparrow asked incredulously, finally a touch of fear appearing in her voice. "You are a Pokemon Trainer, and a fighter, too?¡± Kai drank her fear, his MP and HP Regeneration Rate kicking up. Then he looked at the Items in his hands. Those two things were¡­ Pokeballs. Kai grinned. "Try to block these," he said menacingly, not betraying his true intentions. "I choose you¡­ Ekans! Misdreavus!" These were the only two Pokemon names he knew. So these two names he shouted as he threw both the Pokeballs towards Cuckoo. The woman, forgetting everything, hurled herself and her disc to save the girl. The disc hit one Pokeball, and she hit another with her backhand, her back facing Kai all the while. One moment passed after another, but no Pokemon came out. The Pokeballs weren''t the last attack either, but a diversion. A cunning diversion! If Kai had let out a more evil grin before, he couldn''t recall. He crouched like a tiger before lunging at his prey. A saber appeared in his right hand, and a bronze visorless spartan helmet on his head. The moment Kai had regained some of his MP, he had used the Primordial Theater Skill to imbue life in The Herald of Chaos. This was the best thing about the first Act of this tale, Relentless Love. He could let it sleep inside him and then burst out with the buff when the enemy least expected it. Titan¡¯s Buff! ¡­ Strength +3 Agility +4 Stamina +5 ¡­ Strength exploded. Under the darkness of his helm, his eyes became bloody red, his sclera glowing yellow. Steam puffed out of his helmet as if he was a fire-breathing monster. This was the thing Kai had been planning for since he had realized he was facing a 4th-floor Contestant. Kai breathed out, and scalding hot steam came out with it. He pressed his left hand against his chest as if he was punching himself with an uppercut. His right hand, holding the saber, went around the left hand as if he was hugging himself. The saber was so curved behind his back that its point peeked out from behind his right shoulder. Crrrr! His toes dug into the earth, the muscles of his thighs exploded, ripping off his pants, and his biceps ballooned up, tearing the cloth over them. Hundreds of red snaky veins popped over his entire body. Then pain overwhelmed him. In Kai¡¯s Twin-Saber Style, there was a move which he had only used once in his previous life. The use of the move itself was forbidden, for it left the user in a state worse than what could only be called suicidal. Even here, after his resurrection, Kai would think a hundred times before using that move. However, he had recently gained something which could theoretically let him spam it, as long as he was willing to bear the initial hideous shots of pain. Mana exploded around Kai. He had planned for this moment for a short time. But what was a few minutes for others, were enough for Kai, given his computing capabilities. There was a reason he hadn¡¯t used Shadow Ball. The Skill was great, but it also consumed too much Mana. Moreover, Kai needed Titan¡¯s Buff to support his fighting style, which would also eat his MP, he knew. It was then he had decided to go with this painful route, because there was a Skill he could use that could lessen the pain without draining his MP empty. Pain Split! ¡­ [ Activating Skill Pain Split Time Limit: 30 Seconds ¡­ Skill: Pain Split Grade: E Specification: A non-damaging Normal-type move Requirement:
  1. Contestant¡¯s instantaneous HP < 80% of Max. HP
  2. Correspondence >5
Attributes:
  1. MP Consumption: 30
  2. Accuracy: 100% within 10 meters
  3. Accuracy: 0% above 10 meters
Effect:
  1. Establish a Mana Connection between the Contestant and the Target
  2. Take the average of instantaneous HPs of the Contestant and the Target
  3. Assign the new HP as the instantaneous HPs for both Contestant and the Target
Warning:
  1. Contestant can gain or lose HP, depending on the Target¡¯s instantaneous HP
  2. If Target¡¯s HP is greater than 100% of Contestant¡¯s Max HP, then the Skill is subjected to failure
  3. Max. HP will include Buffs, if any
] ¡­ This Skill wasn¡¯t just a Skill. If Kai¡¯s HP was lingering below 10%, or was about to hit 0, then Pain Split was a second lifeline. Moreover, it was an Instantaneous Trigger Skill. So Kai didn¡¯t have to wait to charge it up. Under the effect of Titan¡¯s Buff, Kai¡¯s Max. HP now stood at 150 and his instantaneous HP was 90, still falling because of the transformation he was going through, preparing for his final attack. Still too stunned because of the lack of Pokemon¡¯s appearance, Sparrow didn¡¯t even get the time to think her next move. She hadn¡¯t lost any HP at all, which, including buffs, was 190. Suddenly, she lost 50 HP as if a ghost had sucked a part of her life. Even if she was a 4th-floor Contestant the combination of surprise and her HP loss was just too much for her to react. The only thing her Perception must have felt was a danger. A danger, so potent, that there was no avoiding it. She recalled the disc. Too late! Kai felt drunk on the sudden gain of 50 HP. It was like a shot of adrenaline. Twin-saber style Forbidden Technique¡­ As Kai¡¯s charged at her, ripping air apart, his bloody red eyes became hazel first, and then they became slits. Blue-tailed Boa Constrictor¡¯s Blood Essence kicked in, a snake tattoo materializing on his saber-wielding arm. Snake Instinct coordinated with the Slither Footsteps and his Perception, broadening his vision and letting him pick up all minute changes in his surroundings. ¡­ Serpent God''s Wrath! Boom!! Kai''s figure blurred. His left hand''s bone imploded as he pushed out his right hand with it. Even before the Black-Steel Saber could touch the woman''s waist, it was breaking into tiny silver sandy particles. When Kai reappeared, he was one step ahead of the woman. The Mirror Dimension vanished. Behind Kai, Sparrow fell to her knees, clutching her waist. Blood was running down, pooling under her like a red grave. Kai turned around. He slashed at empty air, flicking the blood off the blade. And under the bronze helmet, his slitted pupils glowed murderously gold. Chapter 38: Sling Ring – Massive Increase in Proficiencies! Kai stepped toward her. His knees buckled, and he came down, coughing globules of thick blood. He was bleeding internally, and his muscles were like shredded meat, making him wince with every movement. The saber in his right hand vanished into specks of sparkly dust. Serpent''s God Wrath was the most potent technique in Kai''s arsenal. As usual, he was supposed to perform it with two sabers. But he couldn''t because of the wounded shoulder. The cost? His left hand. All the built-up strength which he should have channeled into the saber found no outlet source. That strength rebounded, crushing his bone from within. The HP boost he had gained before executing the move didn¡¯t mean instant regeneration, letting him heal the wounds caused by Cuckoo¡¯s bullets. Not to mention, the use of Forbidden Technique had been eating away his HP way faster than his enhanced HP Regeneration Rate. Kai looked at the blackened left hand as if it had been mortified ages ago. The only thing that was keeping him sane was the Titan''s buff. Losing sensation in his left hand pained Kai, but not as much as thinking of letting go of the loot from a 4th-floor Contestant. Kai stood up, pushing the ground. Another step and the masked woman would be within his reach. Suddenly, a bright, golden glow appeared in his vision. Kai saw another golden ring carving itself in the space in front of him. The scene on the other side this time was of a lavish room. Kai''s heart thumped. Forget it! Forget her! Forget everything! Kai''s Perception screamed. Whoever was coming out was stronger than Sparrow. There was no time to waste. Damn it! My Pokeballs, Kai suddenly remembered. One of the Pokeball, which had struck the golden disc, was near him. He picked it up, his eyes searching for the second one. There it is! Along with the Pokeball, Kai found the guns'' barrels aimed at him. Cuckoo fired. Bang! Bang!! Her aim faltered, though. Kai struggled to not fall and decided to leave the second Pokeball, though reluctantly. As he passed by the masked woman, he activated his Misdreavus Blood Essence and absorbed her fear, enhancing his MP and HP Regeneration Rate. Then, like a snake eying a prey, his bloody eyes lit up. Kai suddenly crouched, still running, and swept his hand against Sparrow¡¯s ring-wearing hand. The 4th-floor Contestant was already on the verge of death. Seeing Kai robbing her like this made her cough blood on the spot. Suddenly, two enormous golden discs came flying at him from the another ring in the space, hitting squarely on his back. Boom! Kai felt as if a boulder had hit him. His entire body got thrown out, dragging, rolling over the floor like a pebble. Kai didn''t know if he was alive or dead. His body just lifted itself, and he dashed towards the Tower of Hand without looking back. Any moment now, the Titan''s buff could wear off, he knew. Kai would rather be in the sewers when that happens. Then, from afar, thunderous shouts of guards and hooves trampling the ground reached them. "Here!" a guard screamed in front of Kai. "He''s here¡­" Kai took out the remaining saber and hacked. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The guard hid behind the shield. But the force behind the blow was so great that the dented shield slipped out of the guard¡¯s grip, letting him see Kai¡¯s monstrous state. Fear oozed out of the guard like a geyser. Kai drank the fear before changing his Blood Essence again. A hiss resounded as he slithered around the guard, letting the saber nick at the back of his neck. The black saber tasted a few drops of blood before Kai stored it in the Inventory. Behind Kai, the guard remained standing for a few seconds with a confused expression on his face. Then he died. * * Past midnight, Sewers Kai¡¯s body was motionless as if it was him who had been poisoned with the Light Neurotoxin. Only the shine of a bronze helmet which kept appearing on his head after every half hour gave an indication that he had yet to die for a second time. I am alive, Kai told himself. I have survived. Haha! On one hand, Kai was excited that he had bested a death prophecy. On the other hand, his heart pained, thinking of the lost Pokeball. But then there were the things he had snatched out of this adventure¡¯s grip, too. Kai lifted his left hand and planted his gaze on the weird slab-like ring, a hint of a smile lingering across his lips. ¡­ [ Item: Sling Ring Grade: Uncommon Specification: A small two-finger mystical ring Requirement:
  1. Correspondence >10
  2. Perception >10
  3. Breath >7
  4. Elementary Sorcery/Elementary Magical Aptitude
Attributes:
  1. Mana Consumption: 0-100 MP
  2. Spiritual Energy Consumption: 0-50 SP
  3. Reach: 5000 km
Skill: Not Applicable Effect:
  1. Create an Inter-Dimensional Portal to another location
  2. The further the location, the more the Consumption
Warning:
  1. Subject to failure due to lack of accurate and precise visualization
  2. Each ring is uniquely crafted for its wearer
Quality: 73% ] ¡­ Kai¡¯s smile died. It didn¡¯t matter to him if he didn¡¯t fill the Item¡¯s Requirement. He was still new to all this. With time, he would certainly figure out a way to use it, Kai knew. But the second point of the Warning felt odd and ominous to him. A few people would have only saw the Warning and put the ring away, but Kai was Kai, so his gaze went to the Quality, too. He then remembered Roland¡¯s words about an Item¡¯s Quality, especially when crafted by Contestants. Is it¡­ Kai thought, biting his lips. Is it crafted by a Contestant¡­ exclusively for that Sparrow woman¡­? Sling Ring¡¯s Quality was 73%. It could have fallen naturally to this value from a percentage above 80, too. But Kai had already seen Sparrow¡¯s fighting style. It wasn¡¯t centered around much physical fight which could damage the ring. The only assumption that made sense to Kai was that it¡¯s Original Quality was already around 73%. She isn¡¯t dead, Kai then observed, seeing the Item not returning to the Contestant¡¯s Inventory. Well¡­ I can always find buyers for these things. Or¡­ Hehe! Maybe I can sell it to Sparrow herself¡­ Finding some solace in the imagined Mission Credits, Kai thought of the other rewards he had gotten out of the deadly fight. ¡­ [ Elementary Slither Footsteps: Proficiency 60% (+9%) Elementary Twin-Saber Style: Proficiency 65% (+15%) Elementary Snake Instinct: Proficiency 30% (+9%) Elementary Fear Absorption: Proficiency 20% (+9%) ] ¡­ Kai looked at the massive increment in the Proficiencies and nodded to himself. Fighting with an opponent way above my floor is totally worth it. I just have to survive¡­ Haha! Of course, Elementary Twin-Saber Style¡¯s Proficiency stood out even among these. Even if Kai knew the obvious effect, he wouldn''t dare to use the Forbidden Technique again. There was a reason this technique was forbidden. Kai looked at his left hand, which now looked gray like ash. It was healing, but any other wound would have healed a hundred times by now. Sigh! Kai let out a scant breath, taking his mind off it. Then he looked at another notification. ¡­ [ WARNING: Black-Steel Saber - Quality: 0% WARNING: Steel-Bone Brigandine - Quality: 45% (-17%) ] ¡­ In one slash, Kai had lost his brand new saber. Anger welled up within him, thinking of his Item. It erupted when he thought about how he had even failed to cut her in half. It was obvious that poison had failed to kill her as his Sabers were drenched in it. Kai almost shook his head, but his muscles refused the command. Now there was only one thing to look forward to. The Hidden Mission¡¯s Rewards! Chapter 39: Aftermath – Cersei’s Game of Thrones! Late morning of the next day, Red Keep The entire capital was in chaos. The beginning of this chaos lay last night when Jon Arryn''s kidnapper had infiltrated the castle once again. The gossip was that the white-haired kidnapper wasn''t alone, but he was a member of a trained group of thieves. The kidnapper would have gone in and out without alerting anyone, if not because of some internal fighting that had caught the guards'' attention. The entire Red Keep had been awakened by the thorough search that had taken place thereafter. Even after the search, the night was bound to be a sleepless one for them. This time, it was the queen. Even bigger figures were involved in this sleepless scandal. When the time was just shy of dawn, the queen, commanding the Kingsguards and her household guards herself, descended on the blackwater bay like a sun. The beggars at the port told later that in her royal garments, the queen looked so furious that even the waves had receded at her command. Well, that could have been an exaggeration, but the purpose of Cersei Lannister was not. Anchored at the port was Mariene. When the red-cloaked Lannister guards stormed the ship, under the command of Kingsguard Meryn Trant, they found Lysa Arryn disguised and hidden under the Captain''s bunk. The heir of Vale, Robert Arryn, was with her. Why? Where was she going? How did the queen know? The royal court must have demanded the answers from Cersei later. But first, she threw Lysa Arryn into the dungeon, accusing her of perpetrating the kidnapping of her husband, Jon Arryn. Even outrageous was Cersei''s action of sending Robert Arryn to her father, Tywin Lannister, via the same ship right there and then. But who would dare to doubt the queen''s explanation? "The capital is festered with kidnappers and thieves," she told the court. "I feared for the little boy''s safety. Lysa Arryn is half-mad. Who knows what she had planned to do with the boy?" The king had listened to this all as if his face were a stone. He hadn''t said a single word, nor had he refused the queen''s reasoning. But Robert Baratheon''s fury erupted when Cersei accused the Lady of Vale of having an affair with the Master of Coin, Petyr Baelish. "How dare you say such things?" the king had roared, they say. "My king," Cersei had replied innocently. "Lysa Arryn and Petyr Baelish had been at it under your royal nose for who knows how long. I say we should use a hard hand on her. All lies will spill out from her whore mouth before the sunset." That was the end. In the late afternoon, this sleepless night ended, with no more word from the castle. The only thing was sure that a storm was brewing, hidden under these events, which would soon engulf the entire Westeros. How could the lords, sworn to House Arryn, sit without doing nothing when their liege lord was kidnapped, and the heir of Vale was shipped off to the Warden of West? Something had tipped over the balance of the seven kingdoms. Someone had lit the match of discord. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. That someone was savoring wine in the company of none other than Jon Arryn. * * "You seem happy?" Jon Arryn asked feebly. There was a smile on Kai''s face. Happy? Yes, he was. After regaining his strength, the first thing Kai had done was to let the queen know about Petyr''s plan. It was a short meeting, barely enough to take in her sleepy face. Kai had to be content with that, though. Then he waited. Kai drank, ate, and healed, as he waited for the chaos to spread out, encompassing every nook and cranny of the capital. There was another reason for his happiness, too. ¡­ [ Hidden Mission: Incriminate Lysa Arryn Hidden Mission Status: Success Hidden Mission Rewards:
  1. 300 Mission Credits
  2. +2 Attribute Points
¡­ Note: All Attribute Points gained, either directly into the said Attributes or as Unassigned Points, will be counted within the Set''s Points Quota, unless exclusively specified ] ¡­ Attribute Points! Kai remembered seeing them with sheer elation. It was like completing a Main Mission in itself. My Main Mission¡¯s Grade is E, while the Hidden Mission¡¯s is E+. So I guess its reasonable¡­ Kai didn¡¯t think about how close he came to death while completing this Mission, though. What happened, happened because my choices, Kai reflected, as per his nature to analyze the data after conducting experiments. It had nothing to do with Hidden Mission¡¯s Grade. Hmm¡­ I can¡¯t really rely on guessing the potential danger just with Grade¡­ Moreover, with the newly obtained Attribute Points, Kai had now obtained a total of 5 Points out of the 20 Attribute Points one could obtain from the 1st Set. Unlike last time, Kai assigned the 2 points to his Correspondence right away. As most of his Abilities were advancing at a steady pace, Kai didn''t need to add more points to his Agility. But with all the Skills piling up, he severely lacked MP and HP to back them up. He could overcome the lack of HP through the Act, Relentless Love, but there was no other solution to MP. "Oh, I am happy," Kai finally replied, looking at the Hand. "I just don''t know how to spend this night." There was too much turmoil for him to go out. So Kai waited, the wine dulling the pain in his left hand. Yet, it was remembering the taste of Cersei''s lips that made him wince. Just as he remembered Cersei¡­ he remembered another Cersei, too. Damn it! Kai felt an itch in his bones. It was like an addiction. With one prophecy already coming true, and the way he avoided it, now he longed for nothing but executing the Act once more. So, reluctantly, Kai went to sleep, forcing himself to think about Cersei¡¯s After. However, in his dreams, there was only blood. * * 48 hours to Mission End Afternoon, King''s Landing''s sewers "Primordial Theater¡­" The thin veil of smoke parted and the young Cersei walked out in her lavish red-yellow frock. Her green eyes glistened black in the candlelight. Her head bobbled, examining her surroundings, and she frowned. Kai frowned at her frown. "Again?" she worded out aloud, sneering. "¡­ Blood¡­" Kai could feel the revulsion within her as if she wanted nothing but to go back to wherever she had come from. He didn''t blame her, though. Any place would be a welcome sight when compared to the sewers. Especially now. It was raining in the morning. Though it was but a drizzle, most of the rainwater had come down the drain to the sewers, bringing up the filthy water''s level to just below Kai''s knees. The girl had grime reaching above her knees as well, blackening the pure frock on her virgin body. Cersei didn''t complain outright if Kai was to ignore her condemning gaze. I should have known better, he thought, rebuking himself. After my conversation with the Book¡¯s Petyr, I should have known. "Don''t let me die¡­" said Kai, narrowing his eyes at Cersei. The girl played with her long silky hair, ignoring the smell as hard as she could, and giggled. There was a playfulness in her smile too. Kai dreaded it. He bit into his thumb and let her hold his wrist. Cersei smirked at him and then brought her head down before gently licking away the blood. Blood Prophecy! Chapter 40: Jon Arryn’s Side Missions! "How''s my¡­ son?" Jon Arryn asked. "Tell¡­" Kai looked at the old man as if he was nothing but a dead weight. Jon Arryn looked less like a man and more like a skeleton under the black filthy hide for a cover. There was no lack of food, water, and wine here; courtesy of Kai, as he called it. But sometimes, the very place a man stayed in did something to him that no external factor could counter. A family full of quarrels, cheating wife, unworthy son, and disrespectful daughter all could eat a man from inside. Something along the same lines had been eating the old man, Kai could tell. Whether it was the thought of his wife riding a younger man''s dick or his weak son, only Jon Arryn knew the truth of it. Kai didn''t reply, not bothering to repeat the same answer a hundred times. The old man had been asking the same question since yesterday. Two times Kai had used the Blood Prophecy Act. But all he got were some incoherent scenes and nothing else. The only thing out of the ordinary he could tell was seeing a tall man in a white greatcoat. How he could tell it was white in a world full of blood, Kai couldn''t say. It was just an instinct. It will be over in two days, Kai thought. But he wasn''t happy about it. The reason was simple. Kai clearly remembered in his previous Main Mission, he had attempted many Side Missions at the behest of the Captain of Guard. But after coming to this world, the only Side Mission he had got was the first one from the System itself. Side Missions didn''t reward Attribute Points, as much as Kai had figured out. Yet, the Mission Credits alone were a thing to be sought after, especially when the number of Side Missions would dictate his Main Mission''s completion rate. Kai obviously knew that his choosing to hole himself up in the sewers was a major reason behind the lack of Side Missions. Yet, there must be a way to get them anyway, right? But how? Kai asked himself. Last time, it was Arlen who assigned Side Missions. There is no Captain of Guard here. With this line of thought, he couldn''t help but give the old man another look. Perhaps¡­ Kai''s thoughts trailed off. "How are you faring, my lord?" Kai asked, prodding the old man. "You will have nothing to worry about in two days, I promise." Jon Arryn didn''t as much as glance at Kai. "I went to see young sweetrobin yesterday," Kai lied . The old man snapped open his eyes and sat up. He gawked at Kai, sending him an expectant look. The torch fluttered by his side, the flame dancing, revealing the bones under his skin. "You did¡­" Jon Arryn took a deep breath. "How is he?" "He is as good as a boy can be," Kai said, almost smiling. "I secretly told him you are OK, and soon you will go back to him." "That''s good¡­ that''s good¡­" the old man mumbled, falling back to his half-slumber. Oh, not so fast! Kai fumed, his hand grabbing Jon Arryn''s shoulder. "My lord," he said, slightly shaking the Hand. "I was wondering if you have some tasks for me." This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. "No¡­ no¡­ Let me sleep¡­" Jon Arryn whispered, and then his eyes landed on Kai''s face. It was as if a bad, hidden memory had awakened. The old man looked at Kai, and fury took over him. "You! It''s you! Because of you, I have suffered so¡­" "I am so sorry that you feel so, my lord," Kai said, holding back an itchy laugh. "You must think of young Robert. Yes, him. Don''t look at me like that. I won''t harm him. Now, is there anything I can do for you? Any task?" Jon Arryn looked into Kai''s eyes as if he was searching for something humane within them. He failed. "Two things," the old man begrudgingly replied. As he listed those things, two dull-gray Notifications appeared in front of Kai. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have triggered a Side Mission ¡­ Main Mission: Thwart the Assassination of Jon Arryn Side Mission: Return the book on Royal lineages to the Hand''s solar ¡­ Do you accept the Side Mission? ¡­ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have triggered a Side Mission ¡­ Main Mission: Thwart the Assassination of Jon Arryn Side Mission: Pass on Jon Arryn''s words to the king Side Mission Summary: Jon Arryn fears a state of intense unrest in the Seven Kingdoms if he were to reveal the secret. But he also knows his duty to his king. Jon Arryn feels he will not live to meet the king personally. So, to not let the wrong person know about the secret, you must pass the coded message to the king. The message is: "The seed is strong." Side Mission Objective: Let the king know Jon Arryn''s last words Side Mission Time Limit: Not Applicable ¡­ Do you accept the Side Mission? ] ¡­ Exhilarated, Kai patted the old man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ve made a wise decision trusting me with these things, my lord,¡± he said, making Jon Arryn twist his lips in disgust. ¡°I will see these tasks to completion.¡± ¡°¡­ Demon¡­¡± The Hand spat. Kai grinned vilely, hearing the most familiar word of his life. He, of course, couldn''t find any reason to not accept both missions. Also, it gave him a good reason. A reason to approach Robert Baratheon and devour a King¡¯s Tale. * * The water was bone-chilling cold. Kai dipped his entire body in it like he was a sponge, soaking every pore. As evening approached, Kai had come to the Tower of Hand again. With both Jon Arryn and Lysa Arryn''s absence, and the Hand''s post being empty, the tower was nothing but a ghostly ruin. Only the silence could match the cold of the water. The drizzle had persisted throughout the day, giving the approaching night a chill. There was water in the bathing chamber, but none had tended to make it hot. And for whom? Ghosts? Kai had hoped to bathe in warm water. But chilled water was still better than nothing. Huhoo! Kai shivered, pulling his long white hair backward. His left hand was working fine now, but it still looked pale and ashy white. He stepped out of the bathtub and wore a newly stolen black doublet over black breeches and black leather shoes. From the neck down, Kai looked like a night prince about to ride out on his white moon horse. His misty hazel eyes betrayed the innocent look on his face, though. Kai traced back the route he had taken last time for Maegor''s Holdfast. No more ambushes today, I hope. Kai wasn''t leaving his fate entirely on Blood Prophecy. But he had already done what he could in case of the possibility of an ambush. An instinct told him nothing would go wrong tonight. Nothing. Kai landed on the top of the tower just above the window of the king''s chamber. He smiled. There she was, leaning over the window, waiting for him. Chapter 41: A Steamy Night of Pleasure and Business – Cersei’s New Hidden Mission! Kai knew Cersei wanted to see how in the seven hells he would climb the tower. As much as he wanted to grant her this wish, he couldn''t. He rounded back to another window from which it was impossible to enter by just climbing. Slithering, Kai entered the luxurious chamber. For a moment, Kai let his Perception search for any hidden enemy, and took a breath of relief, finding no such presence. Then he approached a chair and sat down, enjoying the scenery. Cersei did not know Kai had already come and was sitting behind her, looking at her. And the way she kept shifting her posture couldn''t hide her state. She was anxious. It was bliss, watching her in a light green dress, so thin that Kai could see her entire back. Her skin was red hot, making him realize how cold he was. The realization made him shiver. Cersei looked back. No screams. No questions. They just looked at each other. Kai filled a cup of wine for both of them and approached her. It was only when he stood close to her he realized the queen was already drunk. But she hadn''t lost her senses. Rather, she seemed to be more aware of things than Kai himself. She took the offered cup and sipped the wine. Kai took a deep breath. "How was my gift, your grace?" he asked, showing no eagerness. "It was good." "Just good?" Cersei permitted herself a smile. "I must admit, then. It was better than good," she coquettishly replied. "How did you do it? How did you pass the guards?" "I flew." Cersei''s eyes widened. The wine shook, a drop escaping the bounds of the cup. The Abnormality Limiter dropped by over 50% instantly. There it stopped. She chuckled. The chuckle became a laugh. Kai let go of all the holds. He threw away his cup. His hand wrapped around Cersei''s waist and pulled her in. She was still holding her cup, her grip tight, but Kai could feel it. The bashfulness on her face, her warmness, and her heart''s rhythm. "Wait!" she gasped. "I''ve waited enough." He ripped off the beautiful dress as if it was paper. The wine-cup slipped out of Cersei''s hand. Kai lifted her as if she was but a child and took her to bed, their eyes never leaving each other. * * They were awake. Cersei squirmed like a little child, her head wobbling on Kai''s chest. But even her broken breath had pride in it. "What are you thinking?" She asked, her eyes closed. Kai took in her scent, his hand gently caressing her back and shoulders. "It wasn''t enough.¡± Cersei looked up. There was still a childish playfulness in her eyes. Her bright green pupils played their game as if Kai was a beast she would tame, no matter what. Suddenly, her eyes lost their focus. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Kai held her chin, his other hand gently caressing her head. "What is it?" He asked. "What troubles you, my queen?" Give me a Side Mission or Hidden Mission, he prayed within. Cersei looked away. "For a second, it felt like I saw him in you," she said, a faint shaking in her voice. "Who?" "Rhaegar." Kai knew very well who Rhaegar was. Cersei had wanted nothing but to marry him and be his queen when she was but a child. This Cersei would never open that side of her, he was aware. But the Tale had hidden nothing from him. "I have heard of him," said Kai gently. Cersei snickered. "Really?" She let her head down again on his chest. "What else do you know?" This time, Kai didn''t wait. The answer came naturally to him. "I know I want you," he said, embracing her, pressing her naked body to his as near as he could. Cersei let out a low chuckle. "Oh, I know what you truly want," she whispered, her hand reaching down. She gave him a quick, cunning glance and then let herself down as well. ¡­ The rain outside never stopped its music. Both sleep and dreams stayed outside, guarding the doors. When it came time to leave the bed, Kai knew Cersei in ways more than he had ever known another woman. She was lying on top of her as if he was the fluffiest bed. Her body rubbed itself on him, nuzzling. The lust had gone. The desire persistently remained. Cersei wrapped her tender arms around his head, and her eyes looked into his. Both were alive, aware of every shaking on each other. Kai felt the heat of her loins as she gave him a deep kiss. Suddenly, she pulled herself back. "Will you do something for me?" she asked. Her free hand went down, and she slid him inside her effortlessly, as if her body had molded to fit him perfectly. Here it comes¡­ Kai almost rolled his eyes, being extremely familiar to these moments and situations. In his previous life, he too had asked this question to many women. Will you do something for me? Heh! As he resisted the urge to just accept whatever Cersei wanted to say, Kai, for the first time, felt what the wives of those men must have felt. This urge to nod almost broke all defenses. But it was an old game, one that Kai truly liked to play. The reality of Cersei fucking him all night just to ask this question didn''t come as a big surprise to him. On some level, he had even expected it. "Command me," Kai said, ingeniously refusing to answer her question. Cersei noticed, but didn''t care. "Kill¡­ him," she said, riding him, moaning. "Kill Jon. I don''t want him to¡­ come back. You won''t let him come back¡­ would you?" The notification appeared abruptly. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have triggered a Hidden Mission ¡­ Main Mission: Thwart the Assassination of Jon Arryn Hidden Mission: The death of Jon Arryn Hidden Mission Grade: E Hidden Mission Summary: If Jon Arryn will come back, there is no saving Queen and her children. The king will kill them. Hidden Mission Objective: Kill the Hand, Jon Arryn Hidden Mission Time Limit: Not Applicable ¡­ Do you accept the Hidden Mission? ] ¡­ Motherfuck... Kai cursed, calling Cersei by names even she wouldn''t have heard about. He didn¡¯t dare to accept the Mission before knowing if it was even possible. Yet, he knew he would have to convince her before she finishes him. It was a game people like Kai and Cersei knew well. "Your grace..." Kai feigned struggle, pinching her nipples gently. "You know¡­ I am not alone. Yes, I had some issues with them, as the guards must have told you yesterday. But still... " Cersei waited. "I will convince them," Kai lied with an iron certainly. "Give me time till night, and I will come with another gift. I promise." Cersei smiled. She let herself down and kissed him, the movement of her waist speeding up. Kai felt himself breaking in half as she squeezed every drop out of him. "I will wait for you then, my boy Rhaegar," she hissed in his ears. "Eat well today." Kai nodded. For now, the nod was enough. This was a conundrum, a monstrous risk. But also an opportunity. "I have a request too, your grace," Kai asked boldly. Cersei gave him an inquisitive glance as she slid off him and lay down beside him. "Away with it then," she said, gasping for air. "What do you want?" Pleasure turned into business in seconds. Chapter 42: Showing Prudence – 100 Zanpakuto School!!! On the roof of the tower having the king''s chamber, Kai stood, watching the black sky turning blue. Dawn was close. Yet Kai''s prospects seemed dark from the sullen expression on his face. His eyes kept coming in and out of focus. Two notifications hovered in front of him, both trying to outdo each other. The first was the milestone that had come up after leaving Cersei. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have achieved a Milestone ¡­ Milestone: Have consensual sex with Cersei Lannister Milestone Rewards: Charisma +3 ] ¡­ Then there was the notification of a new Title. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have unlocked 1 Title ¡­ Title: Adulterer Specification: Have consensual sex with at least three of the following queens:
  1. Queen Alicent Hightower
  2. Queen Cersei Lannister
  3. Queen Margaery Tyrell
  4. Queen Sansa Stark
  5. Queen Frigga of Asgard
  6. Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons
  7. Queen Galadriel of Lothlorien
  8. Queen Arwen of the Reunited Kingdom
  9. Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom
Status: (1/3) Effect:
  1. Stamina +5
  2. Skill: Heart Rhythm
¡­ Note: Only 1 Title can be equipped at a time ] ¡­ Seeing the nine names, the corners of Kai¡¯s mouth twitched. It didn¡¯t take him much to guess that, most probably, all these Queens were married in their Timelines. He didn¡¯t even recognize any name, other than Cersei, of course. Moreover, it was the first time Kai was seeing a Title with an innate Skill. Suddenly, a frown appeared on his face, remembering the queen. Cersei hadn''t permitted him a second more in her bed, after replying to his questions, and that wouldn''t have troubled Kai if he had at least got a favorable answer. But he didn''t. There were three reasons for Kai to approach Cersei after kidnapping Jon Arryn. Foremost, it was to devour her tale. Then, it was to see her, one of the most beautiful women in Westeros, or so the scrolls had described her. Kai now found that statement lacking in adequacy. Last, he wanted to use her authority to get close to a powerful knight, like the black-armored guard with Prince Joffrey. The Hound. Kai recalled the name. Though he isn''t a knight. Weird. "So you have fantasies like other boys too," Cersei had commented upon hearing his request. "You have chosen the wrong time, then. Lord Rykker of Duskendale, that lickspittle fool, has again organized a senseless tourney. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°He even had the gall to ask Robert himself to be there. Like the king has time to free himself from whoring, humph! So he sent my brother, Jamie, there instead, to represent the king. The Kingsguards have fallen to this, mere figurines." The prince had also gone there with his entourage, Cersei had added later. Kai had dared not ask the queen to let him meet a Kingsguard, the strongest knights of the seven kingdoms. With her nature, she would have become needlessly suspicious. And Cersei''s suspicion was no short of a death sentence, he knew. So with a smile on his face, Kai had said her goodbye, leaving her naked figure sprawled under the silk. For a moment, a part of Kai wanted to just go back and lay beside her. But he had more important things to do. One of those important things was the Side Mission to pass Jon Arryn''s coded message to the king. Its best to just give the message personally, Kai thought. I will need to be within 10 ft to use The Song of History of the Book, anyway. If a queen''s tale has given me such a potent Skill, I wonder what a king''s tale has in store for me. Kai turned around. The king rarely slept with the queen, but in another chamber, on his bed full of young whores. He could still see the disgust on Cersei''s face whenever she had mentioned the king''s name. Kai grinned. The thought of gaining a new powerful Skill stirred his emotions. The option to go to the king from within the holdfast was a sure death wish. Even if he could somehow deceive Cersei, Kai wouldn''t survive the attack of the Kingsguards given his Abnormality Limiter. The best and easiest way to reach the king was to go over the holdfast''s roofs. Kai took an excited step, almost slithering. Then he stopped. He stood there as if someone had petrified him. Scenes from his last ambush rewound in his mind like an unforgettable reel. The prophecy¡­ Kai analyzed. Last time, the prophecy came true at a time like this. And those two Contestants had nothing to do with my mission, either. Neither Cuckoo nor Sparrow had mentioned anything about Jon Arryn to him. They had only come when Kai was following Petyr Baelish. It was like they had their own mission, their own in-world Characters, and he had intruded on their territory. After mulling over it a bit, Kai became sure of his reasoning, again going with his instincts. Am I intruding on a foreign territory again? Kai asked himself. Are all important characters surrounded by powerful Contestants? Cersei was a live exception to this question, Kai knew. No one had prevented him from approaching Cersei. But would it be the case if he just decided to kill her? Was it worth it to risk his life for the rewards of just a Side Mission? If there is a powerful Contestant around the queen and the king, then they already know my fighting style and the presence of Abilities, Kai thought, frowning. Then his heart shuddered thinking of the Book. All I did was open and close it within a few seconds. Sigh! As if this sense of foreboding wasn¡¯t enough, Kai suddenly remembered Chaos'' words. It worked this time. Will it work the next time as well? So was it really worth it? The answer came naturally to Kai this time. It wasn''t. It wasn''t worth it at all. Kai remembered the fresh Blood Prophecy he had done before coming here. It hadn''t changed. So, taking a deep breath and donning a heavy frown, he turned around. This Side Mission¡­ he would give up. * * As Kai crossed the moat outside the holdfast''s wall, slithering, a figure appeared on the spot he was previously standing. It was a man. He was wearing a long white greatcoat lined with black stripes at the edges. Loose white pants and white shoes made him look like a specter under the gray-blue sky. His brown hair was long and curly, and one stray lock of hair dangled on his forehead. On his waist, to his right, there was a long sheathed Katana, whose hilt was decorated with red and gold strings. "You let him go," a sweet female voice entered his ears from behind. "I was so sure you would act this time." The man glanced back, but there was no one there. Though, his eyes seemed to look at someone, as if he could see secrets others couldn''t. He didn''t reply to the voice. He saw Kai disappearing behind the wall, his speed a blur. "The way he used Mana," the man mumbled, ¡°why did it feel like a Pokemon¡¯s move?" "Why don''t you ask him?" the female prodded. "He is a swordsman too, you know." The man turned around, his hand lifting, landing on the Katana''s hilt. His one raised eyebrow seemed to ask, how does she know this? The unseen woman snickered. "I saw the guard he killed," the voice came out of thin air. "The back of his neck had been nicked using a sword. But it was the poison that killed him." "Poison?" the man said, frowning. "A coward''s choice of weapon." "A coward or not, he sure fucks like a man," the woman said, giggling. The man''s grip on the hilt tightened. "Spare me from the details," he said. "I don''t care how you handle your Missions." "Haha!" the woman laughed. "Very well. Though I wonder. What would you do if this coward were to join your 100 Zanpakuto School in the 4th Set someday? Now that would be a sight worth seeing, wouldn''t it?" There was one other thing the woman didn¡¯t tell him, because she didn¡¯t own him anything. The coward¡­ also most likely possessed a Grimoire. But she couldn¡¯t interfere with lower floor Contestants¡¯ missions, otherwise she would have looked into it more thoroughly. ¡°I wonder if he would return¡­¡± the woman chuckled, disappearing. ¡°Now that would be truly foolish¡­ Hehe!¡± The man loosened his grip over the Katana as the woman left. "What will I do?" he asked himself, turning around to see Kai, who was now stealthily hopping through the shadows. "Sword and Poison¡­ Weapons of cowards¡­ and the desperate ones." His voice cut the horizon, letting a red hue descend on the world. Then he disappeared, returning to his mission of protecting King Robert Baratheon. Chapter 43: A Last Gift for Cersei and Failed Blood Prophecy! 18 hours to Mission End Evening, The Sewers Kai could make any notification reappear in front of him. So he had been torturing himself by bringing it up in his eyes every 5 minutes. The thing in his eyes lured him, beckoned him, and only failure lay behind it, he knew. It was an impossible mission, as Kai had named it. The Hidden Mission. He read it, reread it, and then re-reread it again. Not a single word made him think of a way to go about with this mission. He wanted it. How? Kai thought, bitterly. The book on royal Lineages lay beside him like a dead beast. It had fared the worst down here in the sewers. The humid and insect-festered environment had always been the killer of knowledge since yore. But Kai would never let it go out of his sight before the Mission End. In the morning, Kai thought, nodding to himself. I will complete that Side Mission in the morning. What if some Contestant was to touch it like me? I can''t afford to lose my Title Status now. There was another thing that pained him. Novice Collector. If Kai could, he would do anything¡­ anything to invest his time entirely in search of Artifacts. But he didn¡¯t know what qualified to be an Artifact. The book had been a matter of coincidence. Nothing more. Not to mention, with a Time Limit of 7 days and the chaos he had spread like a disease throughout the capital, there was no way he could out and search for these things. Now I know the obvious strengths and weaknesses of group Missions, Kai reflected. One can accomplish a lot with a team of Contestants to watch over the Mission''s proceedings. However, being in a team also brings unnecessary risks. Kai didn''t mind taking risks. As long as he knew there was the power waiting for him behind the risk, then no matter how dangerous it was, he would at least give it a go. On the other hand, he wouldn''t even lift a finger for anyone else which teamwork expected of its Contestants. If I was Sparrow, Kai thought, I would have killed Cuckoo, and then easily blame the Chaos'' Contestant for her death. What did that moron do? Underestimate me. Tried to look cool. Got fatally wounded to save someone else. What good is being powerful if you don''t have the right heart to use it? Kai abhorred people like Sparrow, who thought only their actions were of supreme justice. Arlen, now that¡¯s a man I can respect, he thought. I wonder where is he now, in which world? He should have ascended to the 4th floor by now. The night was coming, Kai could feel it in his bones. He wouldn''t have felt it as strongly at other times if he didn''t know that Cersei would wait for him tonight as well. Another night with the queen. Kai remembered the moments spent with Cersei and, for the first time after getting the Hidden Mission, smiled. There wasn''t a thing he could do to her, that he hadn''t already done yesterday. Still, repeating them won''t be boring, even if he were to repeat them endlessly. I can''t, though, Kai reminded himself. I can''t go to her. Kai hadn¡¯t survived in his previous life just because he had a pretty face. At first, he indeed had no ability in the field of games these nobles played. Nor did he have the time to learn anything but research fields planned for him by the entire world. However, for vengeance, he had forced himself to become a manipulative demon. A rueful and awry smile rooted itself on Kai¡¯s face. He had always known he wouldn''t be going back to Cersei after spending that a night of carnal pleasures. It didn''t matter if he would accept or reject the Hidden Mission, either. He just wouldn''t go there. Death, Kai named it. Death is waiting for me there. No matter if I go with a positive or negative response to her, she will never let me come back. I know too much. Then there¡¯s that¡­ Rhaegar¡­ I remind her of someone she couldn''t have. "Aren''t you happy?" Kai asked, nudging Jon Arryn''s rotting feet. "You will go back to your life tomorrow." With nothing else to do, except wait it out, Kai had been playing with the old man. The Hand didn''t reply. His mouth parted, and then he closed it back. His eyes remained closed often now too, despite the flame by his side. The old man had lost something of himself in these last 6 days, and that something would remain a part of these sewers forever. Kai just didn¡¯t care. Jon Arryn was just a random Character of some Random World. It wouldn¡¯t be so bad to practice his traumatizing skills on him than let the old man have a peaceful moment. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. There was another reason. Kai didn¡¯t like Jon Arryn. If the old man had just trusted him with everything, then he wouldn¡¯t have needed to come to the sewers, robbing him of many opportunities. Fuck you! Kai thought. ¡°I heard your son, your sweetrobin, has gone to the den of lions.¡± Anger flashed across Jon Arryn. Helpless anger, twisting his wrinkled face. Kai took some joy in that. One should trust no one, he told himself. There are predators like me everywhere, just waiting to prey on these holier-than-thou people. "When I leave this place¡­¡± Jon Arryn said, taking a breath, ¡°I will shout. Just after leaving this place¡­ I will shout¡­ that I am not a rat. I¡­ do not¡­ belong to this wretched place. Just after... I will shout¡­ what a demon you are!" All expressions vanished from Kai¡¯s face. He looked at the old man as if thunder had struck him right then. "Just after¡­" he mumbled, matching his voice with the old man, his eyes narrowing. "Just after¡­ Just after¡­" Kai suddenly sat up straight. He spun and almost pounced on Jon Arryn, making the old man whimper. He held Jon Arryn''s shriveled face and kissed his cheek. The Hand tried to swat him off, but couldn''t. Then he turned Jon Arryn''s face and kissed his other cheek, too. "Hehe¡­ Hahaha!" Kai laughed maniacally, the flame failing to hide the evil grin on his face. "Yes, my lord. Yes. You will do all these things. Just after¡­ leaving the sewer, I promise." Kai brought up the Hidden Mission''s notification again. But this time, his face wasn''t sulking, nor were his eyes restless. He was beaming, his entire body trembling with pleasure. With realization! "Yes," he proclaimed, accepting the mission. Let this be a gift, Kai thought, his heart going to the beauty waiting for him; to kill him. Let this be my last gift to you, the Lioness of Casterly Rock! * * Morning, King''s Landing The streets welcomed too many strange people this weary morning. Too many people were going from inn to inn, from brothels to slums, searching for any sign of a white-haired boy. There was an anxiety on their faces, so potent, that one could have thought it wasn''t the Hand they were looking for but their own kin. Oh, yes. Everyone knew by now a white-haired sellsword had kidnapped the Hand. These groups of strange people were neither the first nor the last. Yet, they were the most nervous. Because they were Order¡¯s Contestants. ¡­ Last day¡­ It was the most important time. Kai had known people getting lenient just before a deadline and then paying it with their lives. He was neither lazy nor one of those people. So he had spent all night patrolling the sewers. Regardless of the reasons, it was one of the best decisions, Kai thought, thinking of coming to the sewers. Now that the Mission Time Limit was approaching, he knew many Contestants were getting eager to have their hands on Jon Arryn. Anxiousness can make a man bold enough to risk anything, Kai had learned. He didn¡¯t want to mess with desperate people. This was neither according to his personality nor his survival instincts. Also, Kai had already completed the Side Mission before dawn. ¡­ [ Side Mission: Return the book on Royal lineages to the Hand''s solar Side Mission Status: Success Side Mission Rewards: 110 Mission Credits ] ¡­ An hour before the time, Kai let himself rest a bit and decided to do one more Blood Prophecy. He was coming to like this Act more and more with every use. Why? Because it countered his rotten Luck very well, that''s why. Kai had never been more sure about anything else. His Luck brought up Random Encounters like distributing free food. But with Blood Prophecy, he could easily avoid those encounters. Though there was a downside to this too. I will never know if the Random Encounter is beneficial or hazardous for me, Kai thought, taking out the book. Given my Luck, though, I shouldn''t even think of the word benefit. The smoky veil parted and young Cersei walked out. Kai felt awkward, finding emotions on her face as she looked around, shifting her blond curls left and right. "Tch!" Cersei tsked. Then Kai noticed something new. Cersei looked as lovely as last time, but something was different about her. Her face was scarlet as if all blood had risen to her face. No. It wasn''t the candlelight playing tricks. She was¡­ Blushing? Kai asked himself, refusing to believe what he was seeing. What''s she on about now? Cersei brought her gaze forward and, slowly, the blush intensified, making her frown. "What?" Kai asked, warily. "You want something." He wanted to keep minimal contact with these animated characters until he got to know more about them. The young Cersei fumed at Kai''s question. ¡°Humph!¡± she snorted before gritting her teeth. ¡°Blood¡­¡± Kai suddenly feared for his thumb. He took a deep breath, bit his thumb, and gave it to her. Blood Sacrifice it was, but it might as well be a thumb sacrifice for Kai. It doesn''t matter if she is to chew it off my hand, he thought, looking at her sneering, fuming face. The Stats will make me as good as new, anyway. Cersei approached Kai, flicking her golden hair. Her feet splashed the filth with every next step. She held his wrist and brought his thumb near her face. But instead of putting it inside her mouth, she just licked the blood, her tongue slithering out like a red slim snakelet. Is this her way of showing¡­ indignation? The question passed by Kai¡¯s head before the darkness engulfed him. Beyond the darkness was a blood ocean. Still. Its surface was calm like dew on a rainy morning. Kai waited. He waited for that first wave that would bring out blood structures and bloody figures later on. But the blood ocean didn''t reply to Kai''s expectations. It remained as it is. A red blanket of uncanny liquidness. Kai returned to Jon Arryn after refueling his HP. He couldn''t fathom why the Blood Prophecy didn¡¯t work. "Let''s go, my lord," Kai said, lifting Jon Arryn by his hand. "It''s time for you to return to your home." It''s time¡­ for me to return to the White Room. Chapter 44: Hidden Mission’s Hidden Hint – The Return of Simon! Kai brought Jon Arryn just under the sewer''s entrance near the Tower of Hand. Only half an hour remained for his mission to be over. He let the old man slump down against the slimy wall as there was no strength in Jon Arryn''s legs, his knees wobbling, his hands searching for a hold he had no use for. "Easy," Kai said, patting the old man¡¯s cheek. "Take a deep breath. Haha!" Jon Arryn''s nose squirmed when the real stench of the sewers hit his lungs again. But the old man couldn''t protest, much less let out a distasteful grunt. Kai took out a flask of arbor wine, gifted by Cersei, and two cups. He poured the wine and handed over one cup to the Hand. "My lord," Kai said, forcing the wine cup in Jon Arryn''s palm. "Drink this. You will feel good." Jon did as suggested. His hand shook as he sipped the wine and then drank it like water the next moment. Kai grinned. There is still time, he thought. Why such haste, old man? Kai took back the cup and refilled it. This time, Jon Arryn curled his fingers around the cup by himself. "This one is for our good time together," he said, smiling. "Sip it." Kai whiled away the time, drinking and making Jon Arryn drunk. When it was only 5 minutes to the Mission End, as shown by the Stats, he poured the last cup for the Hand. But this time, he planned to spice things up a little. Kai flicked his hand, taking a vial out of his Inventory. This vial was full of colorless Light Neurotoxin Kai had painstakingly collected in the last 7 days. With only one saber remaining, he must ensure it remained drenched in poison to give him an extra edge. Not only did this vial save Kai time, but it also prevented the loss of MP and HP, which the Skill Light Neurotoxin would have needed him. The only downside was that he did not know how many drops would it need to kill the old man before spitting out truths out there. So Kai added around 10 drops and hoped they would be more than enough for the task at hand. Jon Arryn had neither strength nor interest in noticing these things. His eyes were drooping from drunkenness, and there was a smile on his face, thinking of his family above this hellhole. Just after, Kai thought, repeating the words that had given him the idea. Just after, heh! There was one crucial hint hidden within the Hidden Mission given by Cersei. The Time Limit! The Hidden Mission¡¯s Time Limit stated - Not Applicable. Not Applicable also meant that Kai could complete the mission even after the Main Mission. Even if he was wrong, Kai had nothing to lose. But if he won''t at least try the theory, he would never know. The prospects of losing a hidden mission''s rewards would have given him nightmares for many days anyway. Let''s just hope he will die timely after getting out of here, Kai wished. When Kai was done with the vial, he put it back in his Inventory. He was just about to hand over the poisoned wine to Jon Arryn when his Perception alarmed him about a danger nearby. A Contestant?! Kai incredulously thought, his free hand taking out a saber. But I made sure that there was no one else in the sewers. It happened then. The Perception, which at first was just alerting him, now screamed. Every fiber of Kai¡¯s muscles screeched, his knees almost wobbled, and the hair on the back of his neck stood up at their ends. It wasn¡¯t danger coming at him. It was death! Whoever it was, the person wasn''t trying to hide. Not anymore. Whoever it was, had already closed all the distances, without alerting Kai before the last moment. Whoever it was¡­ must have been hiding in the sewers since last night¡­ and had remained hidden despite Kai¡¯s thorough search. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. As all such thoughts passed by Kai¡¯s mind, the Blood Demon awakened within him, ready to annihilate all existences. There was no way he would fail the mission. Not now. Not ever. Kai saw a silhouette walking towards him, his figure blurry. First, his pupils became vertical, reptilian slits as he activated the Blue-tailed Boa Constrictor¡¯s Blood Essence, his chest burning hot. Then, they gained a bloody red color, not because of Misdreavus¡¯ Blood Essence, but because of his body readying itself to use the Forbidden Technique¡­ once more. Then the torch¡¯s light descended upon the incomer¡­ ¡­ and Kai¡¯s wrath instantaneously turned into shock. "Simon!" Kai blurted out. Simon was a fellow guard in Kai''s Initiation mission. He was lean, blind in one eye, and the most eye-catching thing about him was the ever-present smile on his face. Kai hated that smile then. He hated it now. Was Simon always this powerful? Kai questioned himself, counting seconds. Even that Sparrow woman didn¡¯t make me feel so¡­ Simon approached him step by step, wearing a cloak of danger and doom. There was a smile on his face and a dagger in his right hand. But the moment he heard Kai calling him by name, he halted, his smile almost vanishing. Kai saw Simon stopping and his heart thumped as he realized how close they were to each other. A few meters. How can he come up so close to me? Kai thought. It''s like he didn''t make any sound while coming to me. Kai knew how difficult it was to not make any noise within the sewers. Filth, congested space, and closed walls all were against stealth down here. Kai could do it. He could walk through the entire sewers without making noise, but it would take him intense concentration. Simon took one more step. Kai forgot himself. "Move¡­" he said, his voice chilling bones. There was something about the one word he uttered that could even make death think twice before approaching him. "Move¡­ and I will kill you." Blood Demon¡¯s killing aura filled the sewers like an avalanche, replacing the stench. For a moment, even death got confused who to follow, Kai or Simon. If they clashed, one of them would definitely die, but who? Simon¡¯s smile vanished completely. A wondrous and incredulous expression replaced the smile, making him take a step back. Then he smiled again, the dagger in his hand vanishing. "What did I say to you last time?" he asked, expressionlessly. "Tell me the exact words." Taken aback by the sudden turn of events, Kai¡¯s face became ugly. What is this?! he thought. Why am I feeling so creeped out by this man? Something''s off with him. I know. Kai didn''t want to reply. This man was of course Simon, he could see it. Moreover, Contestants'' faces couldn''t be copied, as per the restriction of the Systems. But Kai was pressed for time. He had yet to make the Hand drink poisoned wine. So, he couldn''t help and blurt out the words. ¡°A man knows Contestants like me,¡± Kai said, repeating the words and not mentioning his Code Name. ¡°A man searches for Killers like me. But a man can''t invite me. I am not ready. Not yet." Simon¡¯s single eye lit up. ¡°Is that what I said now?¡± he mumbled, smiling. ¡°Do you have it?¡± Kai knew what Simon meant. He reached into his pocket and took out the coin. Simon had told him before departure after the completion of Initiation Mission that if he was to meet another Simon in a Random World, then he must show him the coin and say¡­ ¡°Valar Morghulis.¡± Simon¡¯s smile softened. ¡°Valar Dohaeris.¡± Kai frowned. ¡°You have made tremendous progress¡­ Red,¡± Simon said, pressing on Kai¡¯s Code Name as if hiding it had been nothing but futile. ¡°If things keep going like this, then you will be ready by the next time you meet Simon, I am sure." Kai felt as if he was experiencing a Deja-vu. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Simon hummed, looking Kai up and down. He lifted his arm and showed his palm. ¡°Take out the Sling Ring.¡± Kai¡¯s heart thumped loudly. How? He questioned himself, shocked. How does he now about Sling Ring. Kai had been already worrying about the stolen Item. He couldn¡¯t find any buyer for it. Not to mention, he wouldn¡¯t be able to take it with him, either. Things with Stats couldn¡¯t be stored in MRB and the Inventory held only one¡¯s own Items. Thinking of it as a trash, to begin with, Kai took out the Sling Ring and threw it to the one-eyed man. Simon snatched the Item midair. He rubbed his fingers on it as if he was testing its roughness. Then he threw it back. Huh? Kai caught the Item. Before he could ask what Simon did, his eyes almost popped out of his sockets. Kai could instinctively feel all his Items. He could always sense that he could send his Items back to Inventory with a mere thought. So when he stole the Sling Ring, he could already tell he couldn¡¯t store it. Looking at its Stats was just a confirmation, nothing more. Now the same sense returned, but it had changed. With a thought, under Kai¡¯s stunned gaze, the Sling Ring vanished, appearing in his Inventory. He lifted his head and found Simon looking back at him with his not-so-creepy smile. Then, as if he had just come to see Kai, Simon turned around and looked over his shoulder. His single eye went to the poisoned wine cup. ¡°Ingenious,¡± he remarked, sniffing. ¡°Two more drops should do the trick. Haha!¡± What the¡­ Kai cursed, gaping as Simon retreated into the filthy darkness. Is he gonna leave just like that¡­ Didn¡¯t he come to kill Jon Arryn?! Wait¡­ Isn¡¯t Simon Chaos¡¯ Contestant?! The Simon of his Initiation Mission had already puzzled him. Now this Simon too left behind even bigger mystery and confusing questions. Then reality hit Kai. The Main Mission is safe¡­ Kai¡¯s body jolted like skipping a step while stepping down the stairs. For a moment there, he had thought he was a goner. With Simon gone, everything around him seemed to have descended into a strange silence. Kai eyed the poisoned wine cup, his heart banging against his chest with an odd rhythm. Chapter 45: Mission Over – Kai’s Privileges and Glitch’s Limitations! Kai almost forced down the wine in Jon Arryn''s mouth. He held the old man with one hand, opening the low hatch serving as the entrance with the other. 10¡­ 9¡­ 8¡­ 7¡­ "Well met, my lord," Kai said, hissing the last words in Jon Arryn''s ear. 3¡­ 2¡­ He flung the old man up like throwing a stone. The sound of Jon Arryn''s frail figure striking the ground had just entered Kai''s ears when the mission finally ended. 1. The world stagnated. Kai could feel it in his bones. He could also tell he was not a part of this world, even though he was standing in it. A blue shine covered him, slowly at first, then it gave out a blinding flash. ¡­ Outside the sewers, Jon Arryn fumbled to his feet. It was high noon, with guards patrolling like bees, and in the open area, the Hand looked like a dying rotten rat standing upright. Not a sight everyone wanted to look at, and not a sight anyone could miss. "Who''s there?" a tall, white-cloaked knight demanded. His helm was in his hand, and his face was of an old man. But he looked strong, incredibly strong. There was a power in his every stride, like an old elephant, charging among the young stallions. Ser Barristan the bold! Jon Arryn looked at him and smiled. Finally, finally, he was at home. He took a step towards the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, but then his entire body stiffened. It was like he was becoming a block of ice from the inside out. There was horror on Jon Arryn''s face, realizing what was happening. Ser Barristan saw that horror more clearly. More guards had come out, rushing towards Jon Arryn in their red cloaks and gold cloaks, each trying to outdo the other. Too late. The old knight held Jon Arryn''s hand and felt the rocky stiffness. Jon Arryn''s lips parted, letting out the last breath. Duty. Honor. Hate. All became the source of an unimaginable strength for him, and he said, "The seed is strong." Jon Arryn''s tale ended there. * * Kai materialized into the White Room. There was an anxiousness in Kai''s heart, thinking if he had succeeded or not. He didn¡¯t get to wait for long. ¡­ [ WONDERFUL! MAGNIFICENTLY DONE!!! ] ¡­ What the? Kai gaped at those words. He could almost imagine a man shouting out his lungs, his arms outstretched, beaming and roaring. The ecstasy in this notification wasn''t unreal, he could tell. The notification continued. ¡­ [ One should take a page out of your book to learn This is true chaos¡­ But you must be eagerly waiting for the result. Here it is then¡­ ] ¡­ A long list exchanged the previous words. ¡­ [ Hidden Mission: The death of Jon Arryn Hidden Mission Status: Success Hidden Mission Rewards:
  1. +400 Mission Credits
  2. +1 Attribute Point
¡­ Congratulations Kai Stormborn¡­ You have completed the Main Mission ¡­ Main Mission: Thwart the Assassination of Jon Arryn Main Mission Status: Completed Main Mission Time Limit: 1 week Main Mission Grade: E Side Missions Attempted: 3 Side Missions Completed: 2 Hidden Missions Attempted: 2 Hidden Missions Completed: 2 Calculating Main Mission Clear Rate¡­ Main Mission Clear Rate: 75% Main Mission Rewards:
  1. +600 Mission Credits
  2. +4 Attribute Points
] ¡­ It worked. Kai took a deep breath. He felt the taste of victory and power in his mouth. Sweet. Savory. Kai liked this feeling of being rich. But he also knew what would follow this flux of rewards. Judgment! This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡­ [ You have done an outstanding job of spreading chaos, Contestant Kai Stormborn Let''s check if you are worthy as well, shall we? ¡­ Analyzing Contestant''s actions in the random world¡­ Analyzation Complete ¡­ Judgment: Worthy Reward: +25 Worth ] ¡­ This was a huge increment from last time, Kai observed. He had got only 5 Worth Points after his Initiation Mission. Then there were the Attribute Points awarded by Hidden Mission and Main Mission¡¯s Rewards. Kai glared at his Active Attribute Points. At a glance, his Breath stood out with only 6 points in it. Kai hadn¡¯t found much use of Breath. But, from all the Items he had seen so far, he could tell that having all Attributes at 10 helped meeting many Requirements. Later, he could target individual Attributes without worrying about the Requirement at least. So, taking a deep breath, Kai put 4 of his Unassigned Attribute Points in Breath and 1 in Correspondence. First it was Perception, he thought, feeling the pressure. Now I must get as many points as I can in Correspondence, too. Sigh! ¡°Show me my Stats.¡± ¡­ [ Status of Contestant: Kai Stormborn Code Name: Red System: Chaos Equipped Title: NA Equippable Titles: NA Unequippable Titles:
  1. Traitor: (2/10)
  2. Poacher: (2/10)
  3. Novice Collector: (1/10)
Mission Credits: 2305 HP: 100 MP: 110 SP: 100 Active Attributes - (1st Set Quota: 10/20) [ Unassigned Points: 0] Strength: 12 Agility: 14 Stamina: 10 Perception: 14 Correspondence: 11 Breath: 10 Passive Attributes - Charisma: 23 Luck: 2 Worth: 135 Abilities:
  1. Elementary Slither Footsteps (Proficiency: 60%)
  2. Elementary Twin-Saber Style (Proficiency: 65%)
  3. Elementary Snake Instinct (Proficiency: 30%)
  4. Elementary Snake Language (Proficiency: 5%)
  5. Elementary Fear Absorption (Proficiency: 20%)
Skills: NA Glitch: Blood Devour
  1. Blue-Tailed Boa Constrictor (non-magical)
  2. Misdreavus (magical)
Items:
  1. Pokeball - Generation 1 (73%)
  2. Steel-Bone Brigandine (45%)
  3. Black-Steel Saber (67%)
  4. The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Original) (100%)
  5. Sling Ring (73%)
  6. Miscellaneous Rent Box [0.25 cubic meter - 250 kg]
Pain Factor: NA Inventory: 1 Cubic Meter-1000 kg ¡­ Blood Essence: Blue-tailed Boa Constrictor (rare non-magical beast) Grade: E Skills: Light Neurotoxin (Grade: E-), Heat Sense (Grade: E) ¡­ Blood Essence: Misdreavus Grade: E+ Skills: Pain Split (Grade: E), Shadow Ball (Grade: E+) ] ¡­ Kai stared at the long list. It felt good seeing the results of all the risks so openly. He let out a breath, preparing himself for the last task before returning to the Primordial Tower. Finally, it was the time to get some answers. ¡­ [Ask.] ¡­ The notification appeared as if Kai''s all thoughts were written on a paper. Kai ignored the oddness. Since his last appearance in the White Room, a word had been bothering him like a thorn he couldn¡¯t pull out from his skin. That word was¡­ Privilege! Where Contestants cried paying Mission Credits for answers, Kai got them for free. Where Contestants didn¡¯t even interacting with Chaos was a possibility, he was getting praises here. Kai dared not ignore this oddness. So, in the time he had spent in the sewers, Kai had been planning to get some answers. With the help of Petyr Baelish, he had narrowed it down to a few of the most meaningful questions whose answers he must know "What¡¯s my ranking in terms of Worth Stat?" Kai asked. This was Kai¡¯s uniqueness. His Abilities were because of Worth. His rewards were because of Worth. Even his mission progression was because of Worth. Not to mention, Kai¡¯s Worth was huge compared any other newbie. It was hundred times as high as newly resurrected Contestant. Kai must know what else Worth dictated for it to be so desired by all Contestants. The notification appeared then. ¡­ [ Primordial Tower Worth-Stat Ranking 3rd - Red ] ¡­ Kai''s eyes shot open. ¡°Who are at the 1st and 2nd ranking Contestants?¡± he blurted. ¡­ [Contestant Kai Stormborn, you cannot afford this question.] ¡­ Whoa! Kai was gobsmacked. All the free questions¡­ and suddenly he couldn¡¯t afford a question at all. If I am getting such a treatment from Chaos, Kai mulled over it, then they must be getting even more special treatment from the Systems¡­ Still, he had more questions to ask. "What are the privileges given to the 3rd ranked Contestant in this list while ascending the Primordial Tower?" Another notification appeared. ... [ Privileges available to the 3rd ranked Contestant on the Ranking of Worth:
  1. The Contestant can ascend an entire Set with 1 Main Mission
  2. The Contestant can reincarnate as Random World¡¯s Characters
  3. The Contestant can assign Side Missions
  4. The Contestant can switch Random Worlds during a Main Mission using Side Missions
] ¡­ The Contestant can fuck you in the ass! Kai fumed visibly, veins popping up like hundreds of red-blue rivers on his body. Motherfucker¡­ tricked me. It gave me two missions to choose from last time when I could have passed all the three floors with only one. Then a devastating realization struck him. The chance was gone. "Chaos!" Kai shouted, sneering. "I didn''t know such a powerful thing as you dwelt in tricking mere Contestants." The notification blinked. ¡­ [ Chaos doesn''t favor anyone. You always had the privilege to know. You always had the right to question. Thinking anything else is just hiding behind your own incompetency, Contestant Kai Stormborn ] ¡­ Well, it changed its tone soon enough, Kai thought, gritting his teeth. My incompetency¡­ I will show you my incompetency one day. He took a deep breath, burying the anger. There was one more question he needed to ask, like it or not. "What are my Glitch''s limitations?" Kai asked. The question had been hovering at the back of his mind for a long time. ¡­ [ Limitations of Glitch Blood Devour:
  1. It can store only three Blood Essences at a time
  2. Once the three slots are filled, a Blood Essence must be discarded to store the new one
  3. Upon discarding a Blood Essence, all Skills and Elementary Abilities attached to it will also disappear
] ¡­ ¡°What?!¡± Kai blurted out a shout. ¡°The Elementary Abilities will disappear, too? But they are in my Stats?!!¡± ¡­ [ Elementary Abilities granted by Blood Essences are shared mutually by the Blood Essences and the Contestant. To make them entirely yours, you must increase their Proficiencies to 100% first, leveling them up to Advance Abilities. Once a Blood Essence¡¯s Ability becomes Advance, you need not activate the Blood Essence to use it, as such an Ability will belong to your Stats. ] ¡­ Kai let out a breath of relief. So¡­ he thought, ¡­ I just need to increase Elementary Abilities¡¯ Proficiencies to Advance before discarding a Blood Essence. Reasonable¡­ There were still many hidden details in all these notifications, Kai knew. For now, though, he was done with his questions, his mind already thinking about his privileges. "Send me to the Primordial Tower," Kai said. ¡­ [ Sending Contestant Kai Stormborn to the 2nd Floor of the Primordial Tower Good Luck ] ¡­ Fuck you and your Good Luck, Kai cursed, a white flash taking him away.

Vol 3 - A Game of Thrones - Ends!!!

Chapter 46: The Temples of Tower

Vol 4 - The Butcher of the 2nd Floor (Interlude) - Begins!!!

When Kai walked out of the tunnel, there was anger within him. He wasn''t clueless unlike before. Kai had already learned about the 2nd floor during his stay with Marine Roland. The size of the city would keep becoming smaller as one goes up, Roland had told him. But only the Royal City has the size to be truly called a city. Kai found himself facing the immense Wall again. The City of Trades! After making sure that Kai was a Chaos¡¯ Contestant, and not an Order¡¯s spy, the guards had let him in through the gates. The process itself had been quite easy. Kai just had to reveal a part of his Stats to the guards, showing his Code Name and System. After getting in, Kai had been strolling around, taking a measure of his surroundings. Finally, he decided to head to Ser Morgan Tussy. "Where''s Silver Hunters Guild?" The man in front of Kai didn''t reply. He looked at Kai up and down and then puffed his left cheek, making a fist with his right hand near his mouth. ¡°Want one? 50 Mission Credits¡­¡± The look that Kai gave him scared the man away. "Big Brother¡­" someone spoke from Kai''s behind. He could already sense the presence, but in such a crowded place it was impossible to pinpoint who was friendly and who was not. Kai turned around and found a little boy looking up at him. He seemed 7 to 8-yr-old and had signs of dead bruises on his face. A resident? Kai guessed, sensing no Mana or Spiritual Energy from him. Non-Contestants represented the greatest share of cities at least till the 4th Set, he had heard. "What do you want?" Kai asked, giving a heaviness to his voice. "I heard you are looking for a guide," the boy said. "Don''t lie to me," Kai smiled thinly. "You have been following me for quite some time." The boy shuddered but didn''t back away. "50¡­ Only 50 Mission Credits," the boy said, raising first three, then hurriedly five fingers. "For 50, I will be your guide. I am very good at it. You can ask about Little Hao to anyone." Kai didn''t care about reputations as long as he got what he wanted. People here were strangely adamant about telling anything without Mission Credits. At least he would get to know more than Guild''s location in this way. "How will you get the payment?" Kai asked. "You aren''t a Contestant." Little Hao gulped. He looked left and right twice over his shoulders. Then he took a card out of his pocket. It looked like an ATM card, with a black stripe running over one of its surfaces. But on the other side, many numbers were blinking in and out of existence, as if it was just a hologram. "What is this?" Kai asked, seeing the boy putting the card back suddenly. Little Hao gaped at Kai. "You don''t know?!" he asked, disbelievingly. "You must be new, then. It''s a Credits Storage Card, made for non-Contestants. It won''t work for Contestants, but non-Contestants can use it freely." Is that why he was so jumpy while taking out the card? Kai guessed. If just any Contestant could access my Mission Credits freely, then I would be jumpy too. "What¡­ what are you smiling for?" the boy stepped back. "I swear Contestants can''t use it." Kai killed the uninvited grin on his face. "OK," Kai nodded. "30 Mission Credits and tell me about the major things in the city." Little Hao groaned. "Follow me," the boy said, without looking back. Even while walking, Little Hao''s neck didn''t stop twisting here and there in search of possible Card predators for the next 30 minutes. "There are three major organizations within 1000 km of the Yellow Sea Gate," the boy said, almost whispering. "One is the which you are looking for, Silver Hunters Guild. Then there is Thousand Armor Smithy. Everyone knows about that one." Kai saw the boy taking a sharp right turn as if he was hoaxing someone. "The last one is the strongest organization on both the 2nd and 3rd floor," the boy continued. "Thunder Faction." The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Kai''s eyebrows jumped, hearing the familiar name. "Tell me more about this Thunder Faction.¡± "Ugh!" Little Hao scratched his head. "I know little. The only thing they talk about these days is the Golden Mage." "Golden Mage?" Little Hao grunted in reply. "Yeah," he said. "They say she is the most talented magician in the last 100 years of Thunder Faction. She is quite beautiful too." Kai smiled. Shae was just a newbie some 12 days ago when I met her, Kai recalled. How come she became the most talented magician of Thunder Faction? Arlen, my dear friend, are you still selling vegetables to her? Little Hao pointed straight. "There, behind the Pillar of Trade. Can you see that massive silver tower? That''s Silver Hunters Guild." Kai could have called even the Pillar itself enormous. It was nearly 300 ft tall with a blackish metallic shine. Thousands of reliefs of miscellaneous things from weapons to potions, and from beasts to runic characters were carved on it. Behind the pillar was another silver building. It went on and on until Kai''s neck had almost bent ninety degrees backward. "They say the top of Silver Hunters Guild goes to the 3rd floor," the boy whispered. Kai looked down at the boy and saw the sneer lingering at the corner of his mouth. Does he think I won''t kill him? he wondered. Little Hao, not knowing that he was playing with fire, glared at Kai. "I think I have told you enough," the boy said. "Now my 30 Mission Credits." The notification appeared in front of Kai then. ¡­ [ Credits Storage Card ID: K22GOO is requesting a payment of 30 Mission Credits Do you accept the transaction? ] ¡­ "If I request the payment on this Id, can I get the Mission Credits in reverse?" Kai asked gently, accepting the payment. For the first time, a complete horror-struck expression appeared on the boy''s face. When the card in his pocket beeped as a sign of receiving payment, Little Hao jumped, running away. "Oh, boy!" Kai shook his head, stepping in Little Hao''s direction. * * Huff! Huff! Little Hao panted, his lungs searching for air in the congested tunnel of the city. The streets were empty, but wolves were hiding in every corner, behind every shadow that seemed to flutter. The boy ran. To his mother, to home, to the only place where he could safely deposit today''s Credits. Three more turns. Three more, and he would reach home. A home with a door that anyone could break, but won''t. Thump! A punch to the nose took Little Hao off guard, sending the boy rolling back, his nose bleeding. The boy looked up and found three burly men standing over him. From his squinting eyes, it seemed the boy knew who they were, but hadn''t expected them to be here. "Little Hao," the fattest of the three said, massaging his knuckles. "Hand over all the Credits. Your mother owes me so much that even her cunt can''t clear the debt." "Ah!" the boy shouted, his body founding the lost strength. "Don''t bad-mouth my mother." Little Hao rushed at the man, but the other two appeared from his side and kicked him. Another flurry of kicks and punches followed until the boy looked like any other rag in the street. One of the men took the card out of Little Hao''s pocket and threw it over to the fattest man. "Now, listen to me," the man said, biting the card between his yellow teeth. "Give me its Id and we will not go to see your mother after this." The other two with him laughed at the threat, jeeringly. "Ne¡­ Never!" Little Hao spat out defiantly. Another punch at the back of his head rewarded his bravery. "I will ask¡­" the fattest began, but his voice got cut off. "I know the Id." All three looked forward and backward, but the entire street was empty. "Up here, you morons." They looked up. A white-haired and hazel-eyed young boy was looking down at them; on them. In his right hand, a black saber glistened silver under the sunlight. "Who are you?" the fattest man demanded, backing up. "Who¡­" Kai descended on him before the man could complete his question. * * Kai fumbled with 6 cards in his hands. "2500 Mission Credits," Kai mumbled. "So, even low-life hooligans are richer than me." Three headless bodies were lying around him, with Little Hao in between them, glaring up at him. Kai matched the boy''s stare and smiled. "What?" he asked, taking out the 7th card. "You want your card back?" Little Hao looked through his blood-covered eyes, but fear kept him from asking for the card back. "I will give it to you," Kai said, crouching over the boy, "if¡­ if you tell me something which others don¡¯t know.¡± The boy gulped and managed a nod. Kai put the card back into the boy''s pocket and sat down beside him. "Go on," he said. "I don''t have all day, you know." "My father¡­" the boy said with a pained expression. "My father was a High Priest¡­" Somehow, strangely and mysteriously, Kai just didn''t want to hear what the boy was going to tell him. For the first time, the thing within his chest shuddered when there was no beast around to devour. In all his life before and after his resurrection combined, Kai had never felt like this before. It was a feeling unknown. "He told my ma," the boy continued. "He told that above all the Organizations, even above the Empire, there are temples called the Temples of Tower." Temples of Towers?! Kai frowned. "Only the nobles and few high-level Contestants know of their existence below the 7th floor," the boy said. "My father could only tell the names before he died." Kai waited without urging the boy. Little Hao listed. "Temple of Byagoona; HE who is the Master of Many-Faced Beings¡­ "Temple of Amon-Gorloth; HE who is the Distorter of the Reality¡­ "Temple¡­" The boy trailed off, catching his breath. "Temple of Hastur; HE who is the Devourer of all Luck." Chapter 47: Selena Hao Kai sat there like a lifeless man in the company of a child. It troubled him. The last temple, and what little Hao had told him about it, made Kai think that the game wasn''t as simple as he had thought. When he first came to the Primordial Tower, he had thought it would be just about killing, ascending, becoming powerful in the worlds, and repeating the process. Now, he would have to retake every step he had trodden, trying to find a cause, a reason which hadn''t existed before in his mind. The first of those steps was his Luck. Kai shook his head, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling in his mind. There was no reason to dwell on things that he didn''t understand fully yet. Let''s go to the Guild, Kai thought. Use my father and steal some Mission Credits, weapons, and materials. Go to the battle, and return to the Random World. Yes. Let''s start with becoming powerful. But just as he turned around, the boy who looked as if he had passed out called out to him. "Wait¡­" little Hao said meekly. "You going to the Silver Hunters Guild?" Kai frowned. "Yes." "Don''t go there," the boy said, opening his swollen eyes a little. "Mother said something bad had happened there 3 days ago." "What bad?" Kai asked, casually. "I don''t know, but my mother does," Little Hao said, trying to sit up. "You can take me there and ask for it from her. She will tell you, I promise." Is he setting me up for some ambush? Kai asked himself. But who can dare to attack me below the 4th floor and live to tell the tale? Kai smiled. He grabbed the boy''s hand and flung him over his shoulder. "Point the way." * * Knock! Knock! "Who is this?" a shrill, panicked voice demanded from inside. The wooden door looked hanging on its hinges and there was a plate bolted on the door saying¡­ This House is the property of the Empire. Kai stared at the plate as the boy put his mouth against the door. "Ma, it''s me!" The sound of hastened steps rustled out, reaching Kai''s ears. The doors flung open inwards, and Kai saw the woman, then. She was smaller than him but had long legs for her height. Common black-brown eyes and black hair couldn''t hide the frailty of her face. Though she looked ill, the paleness of her skin made her look even more beautiful. The woman gasped. "Hao, are you alright?" she asked, her hands running all over the boy, checking for any fresh blood. "Who did this to you?" Only then did the woman seem to notice Kai. She glared at him murderously, biting her lower lip. "How heartless can you be to beat a child like that?" she demanded, fighting back the tears. "What did my little Hao do to you? Tell me. You want Credits, right? How much does he owe you?" A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Kai smiled wryly. The boy came to clear the misunderstanding. "No, ma," Little Hao said. "He helped me. That fat rascal had caught me in the deserted street. If it wasn''t for the big brother, he would have taken my Card." At the mention of the Card, little Hao took out his Credits Storage Card and handed it over to his mother. She looked at the Card, her eyes fuming with anger and worry. "You!" she rebuked the child. "How many times have I told you to not go out with your father''s Card? Go in. Now." She looked at Kai apologetically. "I am sorry," she said. "Thank you for helping my son. But I am afraid those three will come back, anyway." "Ma, they won''t," the boy said, one leg inside the house. "Big Brother here has killed them all. I have promised him you will tell him everything about what happened at the Silver Hunters Guild." The woman''s eyes went wide. Helping the boy was one matter, and killing someone was another. Her left hand shook as it went to little Hao and wrapped itself around his shoulders as if trying to hide him from Kai''s eyes. "Yes. Yes," little Hao''s mother muttered to herself. "I will. Come inside, uh¡­" "Desmond." "I am Selena Hao. Come inside Desmond. From the old Haos, only we have remained. We have become poor, but we still remember the old ways. Come." Everything was plain inside. Just a pot for water, a makeshift bathroom, one room, and a kitchen where Kai himself would have struggled to stand upright. There was one wooden cot in a corner, and some make-up accessories besides a broken mirror. The woman took out a stool, dusting it off. "Please sit, Desmond," she said, taking out a medical kit. "Little Hao, come here. Let me look at you." Kai sat down, worrying if the stool would even hold his weight. It creaked and moaned, but kept standing somehow. Selena put salve on little Hao''s bruises and looked at Kai. "May I ask why you want to go to Silver Hunters Guild?" "No, you may not.¡± Selena nodded. "There was a mutiny three days ago among the members of the Silver Hunters Guild," she said, making sure the boy wouldn''t flinch away from her. "The Vice-Leader of the Guild hadn''t returned from his mission, presumed dead, and the seat went to Ser Morgan Tussy after him. But, overnight, the 3rd in command killed the old knight and took over the entire Guild on the 2nd floor." Kai''s jaw fell open. His face contorted, turning ugly. There was a genuine pain in his heart, thinking of Ser Morgan Tussy. Who killed him? Kai''s thoughts roared in his mind. Who stole the biggest pile of Mission Credits from me? "It all happened too fast," Selena mumbled, looking perfunctorily at Kai. "All things seem to happen too fast these days." "All things?" Kai wondered. "Are there more things of this nature that have happened?" Selena''s face became hard, then. "Yes," she nodded. "But I couldn''t relate them to each other, to be honest. It had happened just after this mutiny. Baron Silvas died of a heart attack. His younger brother, also a top 3rd-floor Contestant, took over the Barony, convincing all three organizations overnight. "You see. For Barony, one must have unanimous votes from the heads of top organizations on the 3rd floor. One must also be the Leader of one of those organizations. After becoming a Baron, he or she must relegate that position to their Vice Leader." Selena was right. Even Kai couldn''t find any relation. At least, not until she said the following words. "The late Baron Silvas was the Leader of Silver Hunters Guild before he became the Baron," she continued. "But his younger brother was the leader of the Thunder Faction''s branch on the 2nd floor. All were surprised how he convinced Silver Hunters Guild so soon. The delegates from the Empire had to grant him Nobility." Kai''s breathing quickened. His eyes shone like two bright stars, a smile creeping upon his face. He could feel it. The hidden politics throbbed at the tips of his fingers, tugging at his heart. "Are you alright?" Selena asked, closing the medical kit. "You seem rather pale." Kai brushed off the excitement. "I am just tired," he said. "Thank you. I must go now." "No, big brother," little Hao jumped at Kai. "Stay. Today we will have a party." ''Party?'' Kai frowned at the word. "Ignore him," Selena said, tapping the boy at the back of his neck. "Whenever we eat fresh bread, he calls it a party." Kai observed a deep rosy blush coming to the woman''s cheek. "Little Hao is right, though," Selena said, looking at some cobwebs she found interesting. "It''s almost evening. Stay here for the night. The inns are costly near the Yellow-Sea Gate." Price wasn''t the issue for Kai. He should have refused the offer. But, even before he had given it a proper thought, Kai found himself nodding. Selena smiled. "I am taking little Hao to a physician," she said, standing up. "The salve will only lessen the swelling and pain. Who knows how much damage those brutes had done to my child? We will be back by late evening. You can rest here till then." "You are leaving me at your home?" Kai asked, raising an eyebrow. "Aren''t you trusting me too much?" Selena smiled ruefully. "It''s not a matter of trust," she said. "What is there to steal in this room?" Chapter 48: Cersei’s Advice and Selena’s Warning Kai was lying on the hard, cemented floor for over an hour now. Then he sat up. Kai reached out into his Inventory, taking out the Book. The runic title over it glistened silver under the dim candlelight. "Come out, Petyr," Kai commanded. Petyr''s blurry figure came out of the body. He looked around before bowing. When he disappeared, Kai opened the page, having Cersei''s tale, The Lioness of Casterly Rock. After his last Blood Prophecy failed, Kai had no time to do it again. Its use would leave him powerless for some time, he was aware. But with his increased HP, Kai wanted to check if the Act would reveal something more to him. Kai used the Primordial Theater Skill, imbuing life into the tale. The surroundings darkened as the smoky veil parted and Cersei walked out. As always, she looked lovely and cunning. She didn''t look at him, though. Her head bobbed around, inspecting her surroundings. "It''s better," Cersei talked to herself, looking down at her naked feet. Kai hadn''t taken her out to listen to her mumblings. "Blood¡­" he had but just said the word when Cersei''s sharp, sweet voice cut him off. "We must talk," she said, looking at him. She blushed slightly when her eyes descended on him, Kai noticed. Nonetheless, she had a finality in her tone that he didn''t like. "What is it?" Kai asked flatly. "I am pressed for time if you don''t know." "I know enough," Cersei said, looking all over the ground in search of something to sit on. But there was nothing. She pressed her mouth into a thin line and sat down in front of Kai, crossing her legs on the hard ground. "Go on, then," Kai said, impatiently. "The homeowner would come anytime now." "This is home? Heh!" Cersei sneered, running a finger on the dirty floor. Kai was almost at his limit. One more useless word out of her mouth, and no matter how much he would dislike it, he would use the Blood Prophecy. "It is about your Luck," Cersei finally said gravely. "I have been thinking¡­" "My Luck?" Kai said, astonishingly, cutting her off. "You can think? Even when you are not out?" Cersei visibly fumed. "Have you ever wondered why its value is so low?" she asked, ignoring Kai''s condemning gaze. "I listened your conversation with Petyr. An average Contestant''s Luck is around 10, no? Even if you were unlucky, your Luck should have been above 6 or 7. With the value of 2, it isn''t a stroke of luck anymore but misfortune." The answer was plain. Kai never wondered. He had always considered himself unlucky. No man, or a boy, would consider himself lucky after what had happened with his parents. A disappeared father, a murdered mother, and two years of running, hiding, and killing had made Kai forget about his luck, to begin with. It had become something that was there, but he just didn''t care about it. That''s why when he saw his Luck Stat initially, Kai had cursed, but had blamed no one but himself. It was something he would manage like he always had. Only recently he had related it to something external, but even that was momentary. It is just running away from reality by blaming others for my luck, Kai had thought. Cersei''s words were like a hammer, nailing a thought Kai had been trying to pull out of himself. "Why didn''t Petyr emphasized on asking about my Luck in the White Room, then?" Kai asked, more to himself than Cersei. She answered it, nonetheless. "That''s how it is with ordinary people," Cersei said, contemptuously. "For many, talking about luck is nothing more than you whining over it. You mention luck once, they will ignore it. You mention it twice, they will reject you. And if you mention it often, they will hate you. But they wouldn''t truly hate you, but their own ordinary lives." As much as he didn''t like it, Kai found the words reasonable. Her edgy words made him think about everything from a fresh perspective. "So," Kai whispered, in a trance, "you think my Luck Stat isn''t natural?" "I think there is more to it," Cersei nodded, playing with her hair. "No person can be that unlucky from birth. Give a person enough bad luck, and he would think whatever bad happens is happening because of it." "The Temple of Hastur¡­" Kai uttered the words, his eyes narrowing into thin slits. Cersei stood up. "You know what you must do," she declared. Kai looked up at her. "There is only one way to find out," he said. "I must visit the Temple and look for an answer myself and there is only one way I can qualify to go there." The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Cersei giggled. "If I''m right about all this, you must promise me one thing," she blurted. "I will promise you nothing," Kai replied. "But speak. Let''s hear it out." "You must upgrade my tale as soon as possible when you can," she said, her cheeks becoming almost hot pink. Where is this going? Kai frowned. "I will think about it," he said grumpily. "Now, Blood Prophecy!" * * Why didn''t it work? Kai let out a forced smile, asking himself the same question again. The Blood Ocean had never been so calm. He could blame this failure of Blood Prophecy on the Primordial Tower. Yes. But then what about the last time in the Random World of Game of Thrones? Selena had come back some time ago. Even little Hao looked cheery, despite the pale blue bruises on his body. The boy has quite an endurance, Kai had thought, seeing that. I wonder what his Stats will look like if he were to ever become a Contestant. For the residents of the Primordial Tower, there was only one way to become a Contestant. Death. Die, and you will know you were worthy if you would come back to life. Simple and effective. Little Hao had claimed a wooden stick from outside, and now was whirling it like a saber in all directions. "Hisssss," the boy whistled through his teeth. "It was like this, ma. Hissss." Kai smiled. The boy had been telling his mother how incredible Kai was while dealing with the three hooligans. Little Hao had seen nothing, but he could still hear it. "Aii! They screamed," the boy said, gliding on the ground as his mother prepared broth for the supper. "Big Brother took their Cards after getting the Ids. Then there was a thud. Three times. Fatty''s head must have rolled the easiest." "Little Hao!" Selena rebuked, glaring at the boy. "Is it the time for these things? Where are your manners?" The boy meekly put the wooden stick down and slumped over the cot. But as soon as his back had touched the wood, the boy sat up back again. "Big Brother," he called out. "You are a swordsman, right? You must join 100 Zanpakuto School, then." Kai''s eyes shot open. "That''ll be enough out of you," Selena said, now almost fuming. "Don''t blurt nonsense." "It''s OK," Kai said. "Let him talk. I am quite curious." Selena hesitated. But the boy didn''t. He seemed already excited enough about it. "100 Zanpakuto School is the strongest organization below the 12th floor, like the Ancient Mystic Order from the enemy empire," little Hao said, his voice gaining pitch with every word. "The leader of the School is the personal student of one of the Gotei 13 from the Bleach world. Isn''t that right, Ma?" Selena nodded. "Bleach is the world all swordsmen wish to go to. It''s like heaven for them," she said. "A place where swordsmen can surpass their limits. If you are a part of 100 Zanpakuto School, your chances of going to the Bleach Random World increases, or so they say. But I doubt that." Thump! Kai''s heart pounded against his chest. Learning about the Pokemon Random World had made him excited, but even then he considered it an external power. Only his Movement Technique and Twin-Saber Style truly belonged to him. Bleach, Kai whispered in his mind. 100 Zanpakuto School¡­ "Not only that, Big Brother," little Hao said. "The School is supported by one of the three Temples I told you about." "HAO!" Selena stood up. Her scream echoed in the small room, the ladle in her hand dripping hot broth on the hard floor. She must have realized the meaning of the boy''s words, for her face paled like a dead leaf. The boy cowered, backing up, his legs shivering. She looked at Kai. "He¡­ He told you about the¡­ Temples?" she asked, terror gripping her throat. Kai almost sneered. "Yes," he answered. "That was the deal behind saving him. What? You''d rather see him dead?" "NO." Selena blurted, sitting down on her haunches in despair. "I have no right to ask this. But I must. Please do not mention the Temples to anyone else. They would know. They always find out." "I promise," Kai immediately lied. "Can you tell me more about your husband?" Selena gave Hao an exasperated look. But when she turned around to attend the broth, her voice had calmed down. "He was the youngest son of Count Sanderson," she said, tasting the broth''s saltiness. "Unlike his brothers, my husband became a Priest of the Temple of¡­ (-Selena took a deep breath of courage-)¡­ Temple of Hastur. He was pious and better than most men. After 10 years of service and prayers, he became the High Priest. It was only then he was allowed to marry." Little Hao must have heard the tale many times. But even he became silent, concentrating on his mother''s words. A proud expression appeared on the boy''s face, which hadn''t escaped Kai''s eyes. Nor had escaped the name of the Temple in which the boy''s father had served. "After a year, I had just come to know him more, when something happened," Selena continued. "One day, he came home muttering incomprehensible things. It scared me. I had never seen him like that. I thought it was related to the Temples, secret as they are, and it would pass with time. But it only became worse. "First, the Temple threw him out on the grounds of impiety and hubris. Then, the Count, half scared and half ashamed, refused to accept us, either. The only help I could get was from the Empire, but even that came at a cost, as you must have realized already." The silence became unbearable in the room. But it only took a giggle to wash it away. "Hehe!" Selena laughed, her face almost buried in the hot pan. "It''s been a long time since I talked to someone about it. Usually, it''s me and little Hao." The boy said nothing. He took out two plates from underneath the wooden cot. They seemed clean enough. One Selena passed to Kai, the other she kept for her and the boy. She put half a loaf of fresh bread into Kai''s plate, followed by two big spoonfuls of broth in a bowl. It was only then did Kai notice the fresh bread. It was hard, just short of going stale. "Did your husband say something other than the name of the three Temples?" Kai asked, breaking his bread into pieces and pouring the broth over it. "Anything that would have made sense." Selena shook her head. She put the remaining food, which was almost as much as she had given to Kai, on her and little Hao''s plate. As the boy broke the bread merrily into small crumbs, Selena gazed at the roof. "There was only one sentence," she mumbled. "There was this one sentence which he used to say most of the time¡­" Kai forgot the morsel in his hand coming for his mouth. Selena''s voice echoed like an ethereal song as she sang those words. "Memories and Possibilities are ever more hideous than Realities." Kai went silent. He repeated and repeated the words in his mind, an unknown chill running down his spine. Selena mixed the broth into the bread crumbs and used her hand to feed the boy. Shaking off the troubled thoughts, Kai watched them for some time. It didn¡¯t seem much at a glance, but the pair of mother and son seemed to be content, living their hard life happily. Together. Kai looked at the hand that went to the boy¡¯s mouth and he wondered how delicious it must be for little Hao to smile so. The scene slightly shook in front of his eyes, blurring out Selena''s figure. Kai¡¯s head drooped as he ate the simple food. The softened bread went down easily. It was just¡­ ¡­ It tasted a little salty. Chapter 49: Slaughtering Silver Hunter Guild! Midnight, A hooded figure walked out from the pillar''s shadow cast by the full moon. It was wearing a poncho, and in his hand a black saber glistened silver as if they had been recently polished. The figure walked towards the tallest building in front of it. The white structure seemed to reach out to the moon. This figure was none other than Kai Stormborn. He walked leisurely, approaching the tall doors at the entrance, guarded by 10 guards. "Who is this?" a guard shouted. Others became attentive, following the shout. Not all of them were Contestants. Though they wielded mass-produced weapons. "Stop! State your purpose," another guard demanded, pointing his spear. Kai stepped. Then he slithered. The screams were loud enough to wake up the dead, let alone the Contestants. Kai didn''t avoid the guards. He cut through them, dividing anything that came in between him and doors in two. Even those who lost their limbs died almost instantly, their body stiffening as if they had suffered a heart attack. Behind the door, dozens of Contestants positioned themselves in formation, each holding one Item or another. Unlike Thunder Faction, who took pride in their magical capabilities, Silver Hunters Guild''s members took pride in their sheer number and their close fighting. This pride¡­ was bound to be crushed today. The doors parted a little. Then it stopped. Suddenly, a football-sized black ball of Mana shot out of the darkness, searing the air. "Everyone¡­" one Contestant shouted. Too late. Boom! After 5 minutes, Kai walked in, his hazel eyes becoming vertical slits. Elementary Snake Instinct! Hisss!! ¡°Who¡­¡± The survivors shouted, covered in blood and gore of those who were unfortunate enough to be in the path of the Shadow Ball. Kai dashed toward them in reply, his figure a blur. He danced, hacking at all and everyone. Hand, legs, necks, and backs, the saber kissed wherever it could, leaving behind long bloody trails on the Contestants'' bodies. 5¡­ 10¡­ 20¡­ They kept dying like flies under the effect of Light Neurotoxin and the saber¡¯s innate Skill - Hippogriff¡¯s Fury, their bodies becoming a blanket of death behind Kai. Fear flooded the floors, waves of it washing over the Contestants¡¯ faces. Kai swam in it, his hazel, slitted eyes, becoming bloody. Elementary Fear Absorption! Kai had never experienced such a massive jump in his HP and MP Regeneration Rate. He felt drunk on this sensation. He threw the saber at a Contestant who was trying to take out a Pokemon. Then, like holding two guns in his hands, Kai pointed two finger guns at the crowd, Mana bursting off him in pulses. Bang-Bang! Bang-Bang!! The Shadow Balls left holes in the foreheads, chests, and then slammed into more Contestants, crippling them. "Haha!" Kai laughed maniacally. There was slaughter in his mind. Floor by floor, killing men and women alike, he ascended like death itself, leaving no one alive. Contestants were jumping out of the windows, fleeing from any hole they could find. Under the moonlit night, the entire building seemed to scream bloody murder. The Vice-Leader came then, with all the bravado. There was a pulsing hammer on his shoulder, giving out thunderous sparks. "Who the hell are you?!" he roared. "How¡­" Titan''s buff! Kai¡¯s head shone bronze as the spartan helmet covered it. The mane on the helmet fluttered as his figure boomed out of existence. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Kai appeared behind the Vice-Leader and flicked off the blood. Behind him, a thin red line appeared on the man¡¯s throat. Then, for the utter horror of the Contestants, the Vice-Leader¡¯s head rolled down, thudding on the floor, his eyes still asking the next question. Kai looked at the survivors, taking out his badge. He flipped it in the air and caught it back. "I am Ser Morgan Tussy''s heir," he declared. "I have come to claim what''s rightfully mine." Kai turned around but suddenly snapped his neck back, looking over his shoulders. Some pissed, and some lost control of their bowels, filling the air with the smell of shit. Kai grinned vilely. "I will come back again tomorrow." * * Next day, Death toll: 170 No injured Contestant. No serious or life-threatening case. All who had been even nicked by the saber were dead. The Contestants had seen their share of brutality after coming to the Primordial Tower in the battles. But this¡­ this was something else. They had even given him a name. The way the Butcher of the 2nd Floor had killed seemed like the work of an unstable and crazy person. He had come to the Guild''s building like an uninvited guest, going from floor to floor, killing everything and everyone. He had stolen nothing. Nor had he put forward any demand. Slaughter. The Butcher slaughtered and disappeared after he had his way with the Contestants. Only a few higher-ups knew the words he had left behind. Those who knew those words shuddered, thinking of what would happen tonight. Kai was aware of it all. After learning that he needed to increase his Proficiencies to 100% to keep them in his Stats, in case he discarded the corresponding Blood Essence, Kai had always been aiming to carry out a mass slaughter. He didn¡¯t want to meet a much-desired Blood Essence in the next Random World and then end up discarding a Blood Essence, losing the Abilities, too. There was, of course, one more reason behind the slaughter. No so direct as the Proficiencies. It hadn''t come without a price, though. His one ear had lost the sense of hearing. Half of his ribs had been shattered. Five broken teeth and even more had loosened. His entire body was now covered in various injuries. Acid marks, poisonous boils, and cuts and bruises that seemed impossible to heal. But it was worth it, Kai thought, smiling. It was all worth it. He recalled the final Notifications. ¡­ [ WARNING: Steel-Bone Brigandine - Quality: 38% (-7%) ¡­ Elementary Fear Absorption: Proficiency 40% (+20%) Elementary Snake Instinct: Proficiency 40% (+10%) Elementary Slither Footsteps: Proficiency 75% (+15%) Elementary Twin-Saber Style: Proficiency 70% (+5%) ] ¡­ Kai wasn''t worried about losing the armor''s quality. It was the sole reason he had got it made, to let him kill without worrying about himself. The rise in Twin-Saber Style¡¯s Proficiency, though, was an unexpected surprise as he had used only one saber. Kai jumped from roof to roof, heading in a specific direction. From what he had learned through little Hao, the entire Guild had called reinforcement to welcome him. The Guild''s leader himself had come from the 3rd floor. It would have been enough to shock anyone, but things didn''t rest there. A sizable force from Thousand Armor Smithy and Thunder Faction, led by their respective leaders, had also come to aid the Guild. An attack on one was being seen as an attack on all of them. Worse was the fact that even the Empire had sent a specialized troop to the 2nd floor as a backup. All this trouble for a mere crazed Contestant who had lost his mind. Kai sneered. He wasn''t a person who would indulge in the mindless killing of the innocents. But it didn''t mean he wouldn''t kill. Give him enough reason, and Kai would kill an innocent man as easily as a guilty man. It all came down to one word. Benefit. What benefit was there to him in rallying all these forces against him? Kai couldn''t take on the Silver Hunters Guild by himself, let alone the combined forces of the three strongest organizations below the 4th floor. Then there were three leaders. Kai could handle them, but not when they were backed up by thousands of Contestants. All were there, waiting for him, for they knew the words Kai had spoken after his killing spree. Kai guffawed. "Let them wait," he hissed. "When did I ever call myself an honest man?" A round dome-like blue building appeared in front of him. It wasn''t as tall as Silver Hunter Guild, but it seemed vast, like a lake. Even from afar, Kai could feel the Mana pulsing around the structure like gentle heartbeats. At the top of the dome, a banner flapped in the night wind. The image of a blue thunderbolt seemed to come out of it with every flutter. Thunder Faction! All the killing, all the words, and all the fear he had instilled in the Contestants were to come to this place. With most of the Thunder Faction forces concentrated around the Silver Hunters Guild, it had left a gap in their own branch''s defenses. Kai wasn''t here to carry out another slaughter, though. No. He was here to meet an old friend. It was a piece-of-cake for Kai to infiltrate the building full of 2nd-floor Contestants. Kai could be as silent as the wind if he didn''t want to reveal his presence. People were running about doing their errands, but most of them were sleeping, though uneasily. The site of action was Silver Hunter Guilds tonight, not the Thunder Faction. Kai picked the lock of a luxurious apartment, entering it noiselessly. There were no guards posted outside her house, as expected by him. Kai slithered over the floor, approaching the bedroom of the Golden Mage he had heard so much about. The entire house smelled of perfume, fresh plants, and rain. Magic was everywhere in this house. But it wasn''t enough to save her from Kai, it seemed. The doors to Shae''s bedroom parted effortlessly. Under the dim light, Kai''s figure looked like a black messenger of hell who was here to claim the life of sleeping beauty. Kai stepped into the room, and suddenly an electric current coursed through his body. The entire room jolted, lightening up instantly. Shae sat up as if she had awakened by a nightmare, her wand pointing at the door. "Don''t move," she said. In her nightgown, the golden-haired beauty looked as lovely as Kai had found her for the first time. But as she saw who had infiltrated her bedroom, Shae''s proud and powerful eyes lost her composure. The wand in her hand trembled, her mouth opening up in sheer terror. A deep, horrifying shriek escaped her throat when Kai smiled at her. "Well, well. We meet again," Kai said, looking away from the terrified Shae to the wardrobes on her left. "Arlen, my old friend¡­ "¡­ Or should I call you Baron Silvas now?" Chapter 50: Confronting Baron Silvas! Something stirred in front of the wardrobe. Kai could distinctly see an outline of a figure if he focused hard enough. It felt like a very cheap copy of Brock''s Chameleon Blood Essence to him. Not to mention, Kai had become very sensitive to these things for a long time. The illusion disappeared, then. His appearance had slightly changed. The blue eyes now glistened dark black, but the blue hair was the same. He was clean shaved, though there were minor changes about his face that ordinary Contestants could never see at one glance. He is Arlen, alright, Kai sneered. No Contestant I have seen till now was as prepared as him. "So, you could sense my presence," Baron Silvas said, his wand rising, pointing at Kai. "I hope you aren''t flattering yourself, Red. The fault lies with me. I have yet to master the Disillusionment Charm." Shae gaped at Arlen. She didn''t know Arlen was in her room, Kai could tell. The thought troubled her, but much of her fear still had its roots in Kai''s presence. "How did you know I was here?" the Baron asked. "The same way you knew I would come here," Kai replied, smiling. Both men then turned their heads to look at Shae. Her hand reached down to the blanket, wrapping it around her shoulders in response. Her right hand was still holding the wand pointed at Kai. "It all troubled me," Kai said without flinching. "The mutiny within Silver Hunters Guild. Late Baron Silvas'' sudden heart attack. The sudden rise of his younger brother, who was also the leader of Thunder Faction''s branch on the 3rd floor. Not only that, he somehow convinced all the three leaders of major organizations overnight as if he knew about the mutiny. "Tch-Tch! I only knew one man from Thunder Faction. You had once told me you intended to use those drops on a top-tier 3rd-floor Contestant. The rest was just a matter of calculated guesses." "A very far-fetched guess," the Baron nodded. "It doesn''t seem so far-fetched now," Kai said. "You are here, aren''t you? It''s your turn to talk." "Remember my last advice?" Arlen asked smiling as Shae covered her mouth in shocked silence. "I hinted to you to use your materials properly. Well, the first thing I did after returning to the Primordial Tower was to send my people in search of a Contestant with Hippogriff¡¯s Talons as material. "Eventually, you were bound to go to a smithy. I just didn''t know you were fool enough to go to Thousand Armor Smithy. Heh! It didn''t take me long to find you. It shocked me to learn about you being called the heir of Ser Morgan Tussy. I will give you that. Marine Roland told me a great deal after you had gone back for a mission, though. He didn''t survive my questioning. I am sorry." "Don''t bluff. I am not a child," Kai snorted. "So, when I proclaimed my intention last night, you knew exactly who was making trouble for the Guild. You came running for Shae''s safety, then. Am I right?" "Yes." The Baron nodded. "You lack morals, Red. But I never considered you a fool. I at least understand you that much." "Indeed," Kai agreed. "If you understand me that much, then you must know already why I am here." "You are here to meet me, Baron Silvas," he declared. "But¡­ Why do you presume I will grant your wish?" Just as Arlen asked that question, a monstrous amount of Mana exploded out of him. Shae gasped, again becoming a side character in between Kai and Arlen and the full brunt of that Mana''s heaviness fell on Kai and Kai alone. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Why is he so strong? Kai asked himself, trying not to quiver under the pressure. He is almost as strong as Sparrow. Then why hasn''t he ascended yet? Arlen is not that masked idiot. He will never underestimate me. A win against him will never come without a heavy irreversible cost as I am now. Kai gritted his teeth, but he didn''t falter. Suddenly, he took a step in Arlen''s direction. His entire body thrummed, becoming pale red, giving out a light trace of steam. Around his head, a light bronze hue shone, giving him a divine glow. Strength surged inside him, welling up, just on the brink of breaking out. The Mana pressure broke. Arlen''s eyes widened, his mouth parting in pure awe and¡­ fear. "How is it possible?!" he asked incredulously. "You are only a fresh 2nd-floor Contestant! How?!" Kai cracked his knuckles and neck in reply. "You done, captain?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Can we talk like civil people now?" * * Hall, Golden Mage''s apartment Kai sipped on the flavorful wine. Arlen and Shae were sitting in front of him. The blond beauty seemed uneasy, but Arlen''s hand over her hand must have given her enough courage to remember her strength. "Well, hello," Kai said, smiling at Shae. "How are you?" Shae looked away uneasily while Arlen squinted his eyes. "What?" Kai teased, shaking his head. "I thought you were innocent, Shae. The man sitting by your side has killed his own brother for authority. Don''t you know that?" "It isn''t like that!" Shae snapped, her eyes blurring. "He was a cruel person. He used to torture and rape female Contestants." "Oh!" Kai said, almost laughing. "Is that what Arlen told you?" "Enough!" Arlen said, raising his voice. "Get on with it. What do you want?" "I have a deal," Kai said, coming to the point. "A deal that can stun even you, Arlen." "Don''t test my patience, Red," Arlen said, his black eyes gleaming murderously. "Out with it already." Kai looked at Shae. "Perhaps," he began meekly, knowing very well that Arlen would reject him, "I mean, it would be better if we talk alone." Arlen glanced at Shae, then smiled gently at her. "She is part of Thunder Faction now," he said. "And my student. She has as much right to be here and listen to your nonsense as anyone." Kai shrugged, smiling within. Then he drooped the words like a bomb, his voice scraping the skulls of the listeners. "I want to visit the Temple of Hastur¡­" One line. Few words. Arlen bellowed like a dying man, losing all hope. "NO!" he shouted, standing up, throwing off Shae''s hand. "SHUT UP!" Words, like fired arrows, couldn''t be called back, though. They were out and had already reached the ears, which should have never known them. Kai had expected a shocked expression, but this took him off guard. Shock was indeed there on Arlen''s face, but it wasn''t alone. Fear. Horror. Raw Terror. They all ran over his face as if ghouls were dancing a dance of death. Arlen looked shaken. For the first time, Kai doubted if he should have pressed Arlen hard to send Shae away. He brought it upon himself, Kai thought. Shae looked appalled. It was the first time for her to see Arlen like this, Kai could tell. The Baron was oozing sweat like a twisted piece of wet cloth, his chest heaving up and down from the broken breath. "Arlen¡­" Shae said meekly. "What''s this Temple¡­" "NO!" Arlen again bellowed, dreading the words that could have come out of her mouth, as if that would have made the situation more devastating. "Go. Shae, go to your bed. Now." The finality in Arlen''s tone made the beauty tremble. She stood up, composing herself, and went away without looking at Kai. Kai noticed everything, like an audience without intervention. He saw Arlen slumping back into the comforts of the fluffy sofa and covering his face with his hands. This was also a gesture Kai would have never expected out of him. The moment Baron Silvas rubbed his face and took off his hands, Kai knew he was again looking at Arlen Willey, and not at some Baron. "You lack the wits to know what you have done," Arlen declared. "How do you know this¡­ Name." Kai smiled. "Does it matter?" he asked. "No. It doesn''t. What matters is the deal I¡­" Arlen cut him off. "Don''t even think about it," he snarled under his breath. "There can be no deal related to that. Do you understand me?" "Haha!" Kai laughed. His hand flickered, taking a small glass vial. The marking on the glass said that its volume was only 10 ml. Inside, a transparent liquid undulated as a sign of its presence. Arlen gawked at the vial, his eyes widening, his mouth parting, and his nostrils flaring as realization dawned on him. It wasn''t the end, though. Kai''s hand again flickered, taking out one more vial. It was also of the same size, and the same liquid joggled within it. "This can''t be¡­" Arlen muttered, his hand reaching out to hold the treasure. "You said you had only 3 drops¡­" Chapter 51: Tournament of Worth – Leaving the Primordial Tower! Kai shrugged. Before coming to Arlen, he had separated the contents of his almost 50 ml Light Neurotoxin into 5 small vials. "So," he said, leaning over the vials, "would you like to hear the deal now?" "Are you pissing out this substance?" Arlen asked. Kai took that question as a yes. He knew the Baron must have guessed something by now, but he didn''t care. "Now here''s the deal," Kai said. "I want to visit the Temple. 10000 Mission Credits or equivalent Items of my choice. All data that is available to the Thunder Faction on the various Random Worlds. A wand, false or real, I don''t care. And¡­ you will tell me why you haven''t ascended to the 4th floor yet." Kai had thought this through many times. 3 drops of Light Neurotoxin had made Arlen a Baron on the 3rd floor. The things a person like him could do on the 2nd Set with 20 ml of it at his disposal were beyond imagination. Sure, the poison would lose efficacy given the Contestants'' enhanced Stats, but he could also be more extravagant with it. For Kai, what he had offered was more than fair. Well, not exactly fair, he thought. What''s the point of making a deal where I am not at the better end of it? Arlen''s eyes had become red. Not because of anger but because of the internal struggle he was going through. His pupils kept going in and out of focus, looking at the vials at one time, conversing with himself at others. Then he shook his head. "No." One word and that seemed to seal the bottle of Kai''s prospects. "Let''s not even talk about why you think you will be allowed in¡­ in the Temple. There isn''t a Temple below the 10th floor, to begin with." Kai knew what was going on. Not that Arlen couldn''t do it, but the stakes weren''t high enough compared to the risk. Alright, he thought. Suit yourself, then. Kai reached into his Inventory, taking out another vial. Arlen''s eyes shook, his breathing becoming heavier. But Kai didn''t give him a chance to take control of himself. He took out the fourth vial, putting it beside the three others. Arlen beamed. "Done," he proclaimed, losing his sulky appearance. "I will arrange a visit to the Temple for you¡­ if you ever reach the 10th floor. It can take years, though. Haha!" Arlen¡¯s hand reached out for the four vials, but Kai was quicker. He put all the vials back into his Inventory. "What''s the meaning of this?" Arlen asked. "Don''t push me," Kai said, narrowing his eyes. "You will get the vials when I am in and out of the Temple in one piece. Let''s talk about the rest of my conditions." "Humph!" Arlen snorted but leaned back on the sofa. "You can''t get a better Item than the one made from the Hippogriff¡¯s talons below the 4th floor. You will have your 10000 Mission Credits. The data of Thunder Faction is not my property, but I will see about it too. The false wand? I can manage. And your last question is¡­ foolish at best, Red. ¡°What do you mean, why haven''t I ascended yet? It''s simple. I still have a point remaining in my 20 points quota of 1st Set." Kai was confused. So what if Arlen''s quota wasn''t finished? "Haha!" Arlen guffawed. "Don''t tell me you think you can make up the remaining points on the upper floors. Fool! There isn''t an endless number of points. If you leave even 1 point behind from your quota, then that point is gone. You will never get it back. I still have 1 left, so I reset my Kill Count to attempt one more mission before ascending." It was Kai''s turn to become shocked. He knew there was a limited supply of Attributed Points, but never had he thought that not having them all would leave him incapacitated. Kai gulped. "But why is it so important to have all the points?" he asked. "I have heard of many Contestants ascending the floors as quickly as they can ." Arlen tsked. "That''s why I told you, Red¡­" the Baron said, shaking his head. "That''s why I told you to join an organization. Let me tell you as a free charity. New Contestants like you make two grave mistakes. ¡°First, they think Grade E stands for Easy in the missions of 1st Set. Ask yourself, when has the System ever mentioned so? Never. There is no Easy mission in the Primordial Tower. The missions are only divided according to the Mission Credits and Attribute Points they offer, and nothing else. I have heard of an E- mission taking years to be completed and a D+ graded mission getting completed in an hour. So¡­ Don''t Assume." Kai''s mind roared with understanding. It opened up a path to him which he would have missed altogether, otherwise. "Second," Arlen continued, "the Contestants you mentioned aren''t clearing the 1st Set because they are formidable, but because they are in a rush to clear them, at the cost of losing Attribute Points from their quota. Life above the 3rd floor is much more comfortable than below it. No powerful Contestant in his right mind would ever let go of even a single point." Kai could sense it. Something more was there to it, hidden behind the last statement. "Why?" he asked, holding his breath. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Arlen grinned at Kai. "Tournament of Worth," he said. "The two Systems hold this tournament in which Contestants from both sides take part. The only qualifying condition is that a Contestant must have got all the Attribute Points from their Set. That automatically eliminates all Contestants below the 4th floor." Kai paled, seeing the mockery written on Arlen''s face. "When is the next one?" he asked, gritting his teeth. "What is the reward?" Arlen scratched his cheek, contemplating his next words, or enjoying Kai''s obvious ecstatic expression. "In 4 months," he said, controlling back a laugh. "And the Reward¡­" Arlen leaned forward, his face coming fatally close to Kai''s. When he opened his mouth, his breath smelled of peppermint. "Tell me, Red. Have you ever heard of¡­ ¡°¡­ Glitches?" Silence. ¡­ What the¡­ Kai¡¯s breath quickened. Nobody mentioned Glitches to me so far¡­ "Glitches?!" he feigned ignorance, his heart pounding with anticipation. It was too hard to control his emotions when one of the most important things in Kai''s life was being discussed. That too, by none other than Arlen. Kai had thought it was an exclusive privilege given to some Worthy Contestants. Now it seemed there were other ways to get it, too. Ways that were more common than having the Worth Stat with an abnormally high value. "What are Glitches?" Kai asked, showing a fake curiosity. "Just think of them as a direct ticket to the 5th Set," Arlen said. "Top organizations below the 12th floor select Contestants through the Tournament. You can call it a mass selection tournament too. Only the winner will be eligible to have the Glitch, and that Contestant has and will always go to the Empire. Imagine, Red¡­ imagine the endless source of Items, data, and¡­" Arlen took a deep breath as if holding himself back to say more. "And," Kai said, squinting his eyes. "Tell me, Arlen." "Blessings!" Arlen said, a greedy gleam appearing in his eyes. "Blessings from¡­ from the Temples. Don''t take them as an ordinary slap at the back, or an old street priest''s hoax. No. These are the real deal." Kai pressed his mouth into a thin line. "Why are you telling me all this, then?" he asked. "What is it for you in it?" Arlen chuckled. "Nothing," he said, but his eyes said something else. "You won''t even get to take part in it, so why would I trouble myself in plotting against you? Now take out the saber you had used last night." "Why?" "Well, I need to show those three fools waiting for you I have killed you," Arlen said, standing up. "There''s one more thing I am adding to our little deal. You will go to the next battle under the Thunder Faction''s banner. I will arrange a room for you. Now, get up! I won''t leave you alone with Shae here." Kai stood up. He took out the saber and handed it over to Arlen. The Baron examined it, raising his eyebrows at its sharpness. "You will get your Mission Credits, the wand, and the data shortly," Arlen said, almost walking away. "Just pay the man a vial of the venom in advance during the transaction." Damn! Kai cursed. He is too shrewd to have an upper hand over him. * * Room No. 301, Thunder Faction Three days had passed since Kai and Arlen''s last meeting. Kai had already participated in the Thunder Faction¡¯s Battlefield, completing his 2nd Floor¡¯s Kill Count of 50 Order¡¯s Contestants. Now, he was seated in the room, working on his Elementary Abilities. There was a smile on his face, refusing to vanish no matter how much he tried. The reason? Wealth and the wooden stick lying on his bed. Kai had spent the last three days going through the data on Random Worlds, learning as much as he could about them. It wouldn''t have mattered much before, but now he had a particular goal. The Title, Novice Collector. After going through all the data, Kai felt he could get the Title in a single mission if he tried hard enough. The wand was a disappointment, though. It had only one requirement, Elementary Magical Aptitude. It also had an MP output limit. But even this disappointment couldn''t hold him back from smiling while looking at it. It was as if a child had gotten his favorite toy, but he was too small to play with it. The child would eventually grow, Kai thought. Magic isn''t that far away from me. Kai''s concerns lay not about getting this Elementary Ability, but about the upcoming tournament and its rewards. It had pained him much, thinking of how he wouldn''t be able to take part in the tournament. Unlike what Arlen had thought, Kai wasn''t worried about not emptying his 20 Points quota. He had already secured 10 Attribute Points, courtesy of the two hidden missions. Only 10 remained, which Kai believed he could get on the next two missions. To ascend to the 2nd Set, he would need to reach the 3rd floor, and then he must also attempt a floor-ascending mission. So, he wasn''t worried about not qualifying, but qualifying within time. From what Arlen had said, the Mission Time Limit didn''t depend on the Mission''s Grade every time. But often, it did. Kai had gone through the statistics available, which revealed that over 90% of the time, the time limit would keep on increasing. An enormous probability, given the vast number of Contestants. If I take my last mission as a measure, Kai thought, then my next mission time limit will be around a month. Even if he would get 5-6 Attribute Points in that mission, the floor-ascending mission could vary anywhere between 3 to 4 months. Not enough time to gather all the points. Not at all. Kai was in a conundrum. No matter how much he thought about it, no solution came to him. Moreover, he really-really needed to join the tournament. Not to get another Glitch. That was impossible, Kai could tell from the answer he had got about Glitch. It was the manifestation of one''s Individuality and everyone had only one Individuality. No. The thing that made Kai''s heart palpitate was the idea that had come through an instinct. If a Contestant already possessing a Glitch were to win the tournament, can the Glitch be upgraded then? I must take part in the tournament, Kai reflected. I must. The question persisted, though. How? Suddenly, as if the memory just oozed out from his brain, Kai remembered the occasional times when he had found himself stuck with a calculation or concept in his previous life. At those times, he would always go to his mother. Talking it out with a second person, even if the other person might not be able to solve the problem, always open up more doors, Kai had learned. He didn¡¯t want to rely on others, but pride, honesty, and morals weren¡¯t something that could restrict a demon like him. At the end of the day, only results mattered. "Come out¡­" Kai called to the being within him. "Petyr."

Vol 4 - The Butcher of the 2nd Floor (Interlude) - Ends!!!

Chapter 52: Using Privilege – A Joint Mission!

Vol 5: The Devourer of Hope - Begins!!!
The blue light abated, and Kai found himself once again in the White Room. ¡­ [ Welcome Contestant Kai Stormborn You seem rather happy about something ] ¡­ Chaos greeted him as if their last confrontation had never taken place. Kai narrowed his eyes but didn''t deny it. He was happy. The smile on his face was solid proof of that statement. Just before going for the battle, Kai had visited the Thunder Faction''s Item shop. Arlen had been right about not having a weapon better than the sabers, but the Item shop had other things too. Kai had bought 5 HP capsules at 50 MC each, 5 MP capsules at 100 MC each, and 2 SP capsules at 200 MC each. The three different capsules were of different colors. The HP capsules were red, MP capsules were blue, and SP capsules were bright yellow, almost gold. Yet, all restored 50 points of their respective Stat. The exorbitant price of SP capsules had shocked him, but even after spending so much, he still had many Mission Credits left. If it weren''t for Petyr''s plan, Kai would have spent more on different potions of his liking. Then there was the Battle itself. Completing the Kill Count of the 2nd Floor in one go wasn¡¯t just for show. All his Proficiencies, except the Snake Language, had again undergone a major boost, nearing to their Advance version. "I am," Kai nodded. "I have some questions to ask first." Petyr Baelish had suggested to Kai that there were two major conclusions about the problem he was facing. First, it wasn¡¯t the Main Missions¡¯ Time Limits that affected Kai, but the actual number of Main Missions he would need to complete. Second, to complete the Main Mission¡¯s Objective but still not being able to come out before the Time Limit. This thing even Kai had not thought about. His eyes had shone brilliantly, then. But that brilliance erupted when Petyr proposed the viable solution. The solution was: ¡­ Buy your way out! "As per the privilege given to the 3rd ranked Contestant on the Worth Stat Ranking, I can opt for a single Main Mission to ascend the three floors of 1st Set," Kai said, smiling slyly. "I can take it as compressing the Main Missions into one. My question is, can the remaining Main Missions of this Set still be compressed, despite ascending the 1st Floor?" The Initiation Mission was a one-time thing. So, theoretically, a Contestant needed to complete 4 more Main Missions to ascend a Set, including a Floor-Ascending Mission. Petyr''s question had struck the root of the privilege given to Kai. Chaos'' greeting notification flickered as if even the System hadn''t thought about this before. But it might as well have been something else. Who could say? The notification changed. ¡­ [ Yes. However, the Contestant is hereby WARNED. Compressing the Main Missions into one would make the Contestant lose his privilege to choose between two Main Missions. ] ¡­ The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. That was unexpected. Kai¡¯s eyes narrowed. One must compromise where one can, he thought. With no reference, I can only learn from my experiences. There was another reason to go through with it. He didn''t have any other choice. Heh! Kai snickered. How ironic! He moved onto the next question, then, attacking the second conclusion Petyr had told him. "Can the time within the Random Worlds be compressed or stretched compared to the Primordial Tower''s time by the 3rd ranked Contestant on the Worth Stat Ranking?" Petyr had put his finger on this question when Kai told him about the timeless room he had found himself in. Kai was quite anxious about this question. Not because of the price, but because of its possibility, given other Contestants'' presence in the same world. ¡­ [ Yes. If there is no time difference mentioned in the Main Mission itself, the Contestant can compress or stretch time using Mission Credits. The price of such a service will depend on many factors calculated at the time of availing it. ] ¡­ Kai beamed ecstatically. "I think I am ready to see the mission now, Chaos," he said. "Compress all the remaining Main Missions of 1st Set into one." Kai stood still in the White Room where even a single moment felt like an hour-long to him. The notification arrived like a tide. ¡­ [ Main Mission: Three Heads of the Targaryen Dragon Mission Summary: Princess Daenerys Targaryen, also called Daenerys Stormborn, is one of the last confirmed members of the House Targaryen, along with her older brother Viserys. After her father, King Aerys II Targaryen, had lost the kingdom, the young girl was raised in exile, never knowing the meaning of a true home. Now, at 13, her marriage is arranged by Magister Illyrio and her brother to Dothraki lord Drogo, age 26. Young Daenerys would receive many bridal gifts at the ceremony. If not for a miracle, her destiny seems as bleak as cold ash. This mission will take place in three Random Worlds in sequence. The 1st Random World is Harry Potter. The identity of the 2nd and 3rd Random Worlds will be revealed after successful completion of the Join Mission¡¯s part in the previous Random World. You will be given a Side Mission in each Random World, explaining where and how you can get a dragon egg. After obtaining the egg from the 1st Random World, you will be immediately teleported to the next Random World. You must repeat the same process until you have all the dragon eggs. Thereafter, reach the wedding ceremony and pass the dragon eggs to Daenerys as bridal gifts. Mission Objective: Change Daenerys Targaryen¡¯s destiny by gifting her three dragon eggs Mission Time Limit: 5 months Mission Grade: E+ ] ¡­ A joint mission! Kai had gotten what he wanted, but his eyes kept going back to the name, again and again. "Daenerys Stormborn," he muttered. "Stormborn¡­" Kai shook his head and put the irrelevant thought at the back of his mind. The mission was simple to understand for Kai. The System would send him first to the Harry Potter world. He would have to get the dragon egg there, and then teleport to the next world. Get the dragon egg from the 2nd Random World before finally teleporting to the 3rd Random World. The 3rd Random World is most probably Game of Thrones, Kai reasoned, concluding from the data given. How else will I gift her the eggs? Hmm¡­ Also, I read that she got the dragon eggs in the Timeline from the Magister¡­ Maybe only I can give her the eggs to her in this Timeline¡­ Sigh! It¡¯s all fucked up¡­ Kai then looked at the Time Limit. I must complete the Main Mission as fast as possible, he reflected. Only then I can compress the remaining time and ascend to the 4th Floor in time. Only 4th floor Contestants, with their 1st Set¡¯s Attribute Quota fulfilled, could participate in the Tournament of Worth. Suddenly, a new notification appeared then. ¡­ [ Contestant Kai Stormborn, You have availed the privilege of your rank in the Ranking of Worth Stat. As completing this mission will allow you to ascend to the 2nd Set, you must complete the Kill Count of 3rd Floor within the Main Mission Time Limit. The moment your Main Mission is triggered, your Battle Sequence will be initiated. If you were to fail in reaching the required Kill Count, then the Main Mission will be deemed as failed too, regardless of the actual result. ] ¡­ What the¡­ Kai fumed. It was much, much easier to complete the Kill Count during the Floor Battles on the battlefield itself. From his experience, he could tell how impossible a task it was. It wasn''t just a matter of not being capable of killing, but finding so many Contestants. That too from only Order. Kai took a deep breath, closing his eyes. ¡°I am ready¡­¡± ¡­ [ The following amounts are deducted:
  1. 200 Mission Credits - Pain Factor (0.5)
  2. 200 Mission Credits - Miscellaneous Rent Box
¡­ Sending Contestant Kai Stormborn to the Random World¡­ Good Luck. ] ¡­ With a burst of light, Kai disappeared, leaving the White Room in the company of its emptiness. Chapter 53: Petyr Baelish’s Counsel – Robbing a Bank in Harry Potter Random World? Kai found himself sitting on a bench when he came to himself. He was wearing a long black overcoat over black pants and black shoes. There was a bowler hat on his head, and in his hands was a newspaper. He looked up and saw the mist receding as the sun rose, hidden behind the buildings which were bustling with grump-faced workers. "Good Morning." Kai adjusted his head and found an almost similarly dressed bearded man nodding at him, holding the tip of his hat as he passed by. A sense of wild exuberance danced on his face as if Kai and he were long-lost friends, and he would do anything if Kai just asked him. "Good Morning to you too." Kai nodded back, smiling. Well, the Charisma is working as it''s intended, I guess. As per his routine, Kai checked the armor, which was hidden well under his plain white shirt. Then he checked his Inventory, making sure he could access everything. The Iron Coin was also there, secured in a tiny case within his MRB. Kai brought his gaze back to the newspaper. He hadn''t checked it before for the date and place because¡­ it was blank. Kai wasn''t sure if the passersby could see this oddity or not. He certainly could. When the morning breeze brought with it a lingering scent of soot and mud, the words appeared on the vast white blankness. ¡­ [ November 3, 1981 London The one who-must-not-be-named has fallen. The wizarding world has been in an uproar for the last 2 days. Wizards, witches, and creatures alike are celebrating, forgetting themselves, and bringing unwanted attention from the muggles. The ministry has begun the hunt for escaped Death Eaters at their full capacity. Hidden wizards are coming out daily, bringing with them the dark tales of the cruelty of these darker wizards. But most of them are looking forward to resurrecting their ordinary lives, as it was before the time of the Dark Lord. Chaos welcomes you to the Magical World of Harry Potter again, but in a new time, and a new light. ] ¡­ You want me to turn this light into dark, don''t you? Kai jested, grinning. He couldn''t dwell on the thought for long. Another notification was appeared below the first one like a fresh article. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have triggered a Side Mission ¡­ Main Mission: Three heads of the Targaryen Dragon Side Mission: Snaglok''s delusion Side Mission Summary: Snaglok, a goblin, works at the Gringotts Wizarding Bank as a Bank Clerk. Like his brethren, Snaglok is greedy of nature and distrusts wizards. He cherishes his ordinary life, but the hubbub in the wizarding world has created an opportunity that he can scarcely ignore. The goblin needs skilled thieves, preferably out of the wizard circle. You are to meet him at Room No. 209, Leaky Cauldron, a popular wizarding pub and inn in London after three days at 03:00 pm. Side Mission Objective: Get chosen by Snaglok for his plan Side Mission Time Limit: Not Applicable ¡­ Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Do you accept the side-mission? ] ¡­ This again, Kai reflected, accepting the mission with a hard face. Don''t tell me I will have to wait for three days before the triggering of the Main Mission. Tch! ¡­ [ You have accepted the Side Mission As a starter, you are given a sum of 1 galleon and 10 sickles. ] ¡­ Kai was eager for the Main Mission. But his eagerness for the Initiation of the Battle Sequence was more than that. He couldn''t afford to waste a single day, let alone three days. I must use these three days to my advantage, Kai thought. I also need to locate Order''s Contestants. Kai direly needed counsel. So he called out his counselor. The colors of the rainbow flashed, and a white glob left the book. Petyr walked out of the smoky veil, wearing almost the same clothing as Kai. The people were in such rush they hardly noticed another man walking out of thin air and sitting on the bench. Petyr looked down at himself, nodding at his strange attire, and then his eyes wandered at the many motor vehicles, people with briefcases, and tall, bright buildings. "How extraordinary!" the character exclaimed aloud. Kai noticed the excitement in his tone, but he was in no mood to call out these little things. "Look at this," he said, handing over the newspaper to Petyr. "Can you see the words written over it?" Petyr took the newspaper and his eyebrows rose as he read the contents within. "I can," he said, a hint of a smile appearing on his face. "What is the mission?" Kai filled Petyr in on the mission Chaos had given him. He also told him about the answer to the second question they had asked and the Kill Count he now must complete within this mission. Unexpected to Kai, Petyr guffawed, hearing the last piece of information. "What is it?" Kai asked. "What have you inferred from it that makes you laugh so?" Kai considered himself a cunning man. But he would be a fool to not accept that compared to the character Petyr, he lacked wit in this game of cunningness. The simple truth would have wounded his pride, scarring him for life. Only if he had some pride left. Kai was shameless, through and through. Moreover, if he could distort the Book''s Skill Primordial Theater to converse with the Characters, why wouldn''t he? "This is the most wonderful thing that has happened to you, master," Petyr whispered slyly. "What happens to the Contestants when you kill them in the Primordial Tower?" Kai narrowed his eyes, hearing the question. It took him a second to realize what the question meant. Then his eyes bulged up like a frog, an unprecedented smile appearing on his face. "Haha!" Kai laughed. "Oh, how could have I missed that? Yes. This is nothing but a fantastic opportunity if I can find them all." Petyr nodded. "Loot," he uttered the word like chanting a spell. "But it isn''t the time for thinking about it before the Main Mission." Kai agreed. He looked at the Side Mission and discussed what was going on in his mind. "Three days," eh mentioned. "I must get my Elementary Magical Aptitude within that time. Who knows if I will get the opportunity after that or not?" Petyr chuckled, his finger pointing at a line on the Mission Summary, mentioning Snaglok''s greedy nature and his distrust for wizards. "I think you can get more out of this mission than a simple dragon egg, my lord," he said. "More, you say," Kai muttered, still thinking of the two things Petyr had pointed at. "How?" He asked, but by then he already knew what he must do. It was just that Kai felt disgusted at the idea he had concluded. The Character, though, was blunter with his words. "Give up," Petyr suggested. "Give up on getting the Ability for now." * * November 3, 1981 Evening, Leaky Cauldron Room No. 208 Kai slumped down into the chair, letting out a heavy but relaxing sigh. "Close the doors, Petyr," he said, opening a water bottle. "I am afraid someone has noticed us down there." From the data given to him by Arlen, Kai already knew that to even see the Leaky Cauldron, a Contestant must have over 10 Intelligence. Then one must stir his Mana upon reaching the location. Only then would the pub present itself to a Contestant who didn¡¯t have the Magical Aptitude Ability. "What did you feel, master?" Petyr asked, taking off his hat and his overcoat. Gulp! Gulp! "Too much!" Kai said, panting, sweat dripping down his chin. "The Mana was suffocating me too much." Kai could scarcely believe what monsters were dining down there, drinking merrily and chatting like everything was normal. The Mana within the small pub was so much that it had made him shiver. So Kai had to go out before coming back with Petyr as his companion. Being a character from the book, Petyr wasn''t subjected to the Mana fluctuations as Kai had. "How much did the innkeeper take?" Kai asked. "Can we stay here for three days?" Petyr shook his head. "Tom is his name," he told Kai. "The money was only good enough for two nights. I paid him for one." "Why?" Kai asked, not unkindly. He had already given Petyr full access to his funds, in-world money and Mission Credits both. They were external things to Kai. He liked them, but not enough to not gamble them by trusting a being who was the product of an Item that belonged to himself. "The Mission Summary¡­" Petyr said, leisurely taking a place on another chair. "We can''t go empty-handed to a greedy person. Never. Even if you are formidable, master, in this Magical World, it won''t be enough. So I have a plan." Kai stood up. He approached the window, looked out at the darkening sky, and closed the shutters. "What plan?" he asked, returning to his seat. "I hope you are not thinking that I would rob a bank or something." This was another thing that the data had mentioned. Do nothing stupid that would seem out of the norm at a glance. The wizards of Magical Law Enforcement would be upon you in no time. A Contestant of Kai''s level could never hide from them anyway. "Haha!" Petyr chuckled, a low derisive laugh. "I was indeed thinking of robbing the bank (-Kai raised his eyebrows-), but in the same way, all banks rob the commoners. Loan. We will rob the bank, but officially." "Explain," Kai demanded, closing his eyes. "Give me one HP capsule," Petyr explained. "I heard many wizards talking about potions down there. I will approach one of them and present the capsule as the new drug I am working on in the muggles'' way, but with better results. ¡°Then, with the help of that wizard, we will go to the bank and take a heavy loan for further research. No matter how tedious the process would be, I am sure with the help of a wizard it can be easily done within time." "Easily?" Kai mocked. "Aren''t you overestimating it by quite a lot? Why do you think any wizard would be interested in it? Why do you think any wizard would even give us a chance to explain? And why do you think any wizard would help us get a loan from a wizarding bank?" Petyr smiled. "It''s not that I am overestimating, master," he said, "but it''s you who are underestimating two things." "What two things?" Kai asked, narrowing his eyes. "Your face," Petyr said, a small smile dwindling on his face, "and my tongue." Chapter 54: Cersei’s Ambition – A Terrifying Blood Prophecy! Even when Kai had been shivering among the magical folks in the inn¡¯s common room, he had felt too many eyes lingering on his face; on his eyes. Kai tapped his fingers on the arms of the chair, giving Petyr¡¯s suggestion a deep thought. He nodded. "Very well. You can go." Petyr bowed. He was just about to vanish when Kai called out. "Wait!" "Yes, master?" "Petyr, how far can you go by yourself before disappearing?" "10 ft from you," Petyr replied, still smiling. Kai looked into Petyr''s eyes. "10 ft from me, or 10 ft from the Book?" For a moment¡­ For a teeny-tiny moment, the smile on the Character¡¯s face vanished, becoming a hideous scowl. It returned fast, just not soon enough for Kai to have not noticed it. "If you were to hand over the Book to me, I can go as far as you would like me to be, my lord," Petyr said, his eyes trembling a bit, his figure blurring. "Of course, I can''t activate the Book''s Skills by myself." Petyr Baelish vanished. Kai sat there, gazing hard at the place where the character had been standing. He craned up his neck and then stared at the roof. This stare lasted for quite some time. He ran his hands along the length of his silky white hair, feeling the sweat and tension. Then, after a while, the corners of his mouth twitched. The thing that could have been a smile became a frown, then a smile again. This maniacal tendency lasted for a while too, eventually blooming into a full-blown burst of laughter. What was going through his mind? What had been making him smile and frown? And what finally made him laugh? Kai and Kai alone knew the answer. He took out the Book, opening it to the Lioness of Casterly Rock. The Book imbued life into the tale and Cersei walked out. She had a bright ocean blue frock-like apparel on her. Her golden hair was loose, reaching far below her waist, and her earrings glittered red and green. Her face was rosy, matching the color of her lips. Cersei was about to say something when Kai strode towards her. She stepped back, shocked and confused. Kai pulled her in. And before Cersei could say something, his lips were on hers. ¡­ Knock! Knock! Her eyes were closed, her face flustered, and there was a slight tremble in her arm which passed to Kai''s shoulder where her fingers were digging deep into his flesh. Kai looked at her deeply as if trying to see just a hint of something. Something odd. Something incriminating. As her eyes opened, all he got in reply was a stare full of longing and ferociousness. This ferocity was a part of who Cersei was. The longing, though, Kai felt unnecessary and ill-timed. Thump! Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. A fist bumped against the door, and Kai had to leave her standing by herself. A brown-haired and dark-skinned waiter in a dark blue uniform was waiting outside when Kai opened the doors. Two trays were hovering magically over his hands, one having bread and a bowl of soup, and the other having two large mugs of Butterbeer. Petyr had ordered the meal while talking to Tom, Kai remembered. "Hold out your hands," the waiter said, scowling. Kai held out his hands, and both trays landed there, spilling out a little beer. The waiter then strode off, and Kai could have sworn he distinctly heard the waiter calling him a damn squib. He shook his head and closed the door with his leg. "Help me with it," Kai said. Cersei straightened her posture and approached him with every bit of nobility in her walk she could muster. "Why did you do it?" she demanded, placing the trays and handing over a beer mug to Kai. "Know your place," Kai rebuked, harshly, sitting back on the chair. "You are just words that have come to life. You are just a Skill. And you are mine! I can do whatever I want with you. So don''t question me. Do you understand? You are not Cersei Lannister, the Queen of Seven Kingdoms. You are Cersei Lannister, my power." This sudden declaration and words took Cersei aback. Kai looked at her deeper than he ever had. He observed the tiniest emotion on her face, her body language, the color rising on her face, and her beaming eyes. Even after hearing the sharp words, she maintained herself well, as one could expect from a high noble. Kai saw a hint of anger, some pride, and a struggle of unknown emotion, trying to come out. He had expected her to take offense, but the most obvious reaction on her face was not something he had expected. Not after what he had just said to her. Cersei reached down, picked a mug for herself, and drank the beer. She must have liked the taste, for she took another one. "Do it then," she said, looking directly at Kai. "Do what?" Kai asked. "You just said you can do whatever with me, right?" Cersei asked, stepping close to where Kai was sitting. "Do it then. You are right, master. A new life is what I am, not that Cersei Lannister. I belong solely to me. And to you. I am not the Queen of Westeros. Nor do I want to be. But I can be your queen. Why rule seven kingdoms when we can rule the entire world?" She towered over him, her long legs brushing Kai''s knees. Then she sat down on Kai''s lap in an imposing manner as if it was her throne, and Kai was just a commoner at whom she was looking down. Kai felt his blood boiling as her breath hit his face. For a moment, this Cersei looked as mature and commanding as the Cersei he had slept with. Cersei giggled. Her free hand probed Kai''s jawline, her eyes losing themselves into his own. She brought her face down, her entire body leaning over Kai. "Blood Prophecy!" Kai said with a stony expression, his eyes almost bloodshot. Cersei''s smile didn''t disappear. Her fingers reached down and pinched Kai''s erect manhood over the pants playfully as she stood up. Taking a deep breath, Kai bit his thumb, letting out a trail of blood which Cersei licked after drinking a mouthful of butterbeer. There is something off about these characters, Kai thought as he plunged into great red darkness. She is aware of me in ways even I am not aware of myself. She shows emotions, has her own ambitions, and her body trembles as if there is a greater life within her. Mystery attracts mystery, I knew. But what kind of mystery she is. Dare I ask this question to myself? Kai compared the things he learned from Cersei with the oddity he had noticed in Petyr, and he shuddered. He just hoped the Blood Ocean would take his mind off the things he had just concluded. Kai was aware of the still redness as if having a lucid dream. His heart was thumping, almost praying against another failure. But even before he could complete this prayer, the blood ocean stirred. When the blood waves took shape, Kai could almost tell he was in a place where no sunlight could ever hope to reach. Then he saw himself; for no one but he could slither like the way this blood figure was slithering over the walls, if walls they were. Kai could feel the panic in this blood figure. It was running from something. Kai forced himself to look away from the figure, a task unimaginably difficult only those who would know who had ever gained awareness of themselves while having a dream. Cold. A bone-chilling cold bit into Kai''s ethereal flesh. The red darkness, which couldn''t have possibly become darker, gained a color of that depthless abyss as his consciousness landed on those big red or black masses of churning gas and madness. Then a scream. A flash of spear followed by a deathly gasp. Thin blood erupted along with the sharp steel out of her chest, like molten lava. Blood. Blood. Blood¡­ Kai found himself twisting, lying on the cold floor. The murderous notification of HP reaching almost zero was flashing a deep menacing red in front of his eyes. The scream still echoed in his ears, crossing space and time, coming to haunt him from one life to another. Even in such a state, the Blood Demon''s survival instinct took over his thoughts and emotions. Misdreavus'' Blood Essence transformed his pupils red, surrounded by yellow. His body became hot, giving out steam. There was no one around him. Yet, Kai drank the fear¡­ ¡­ for this fear was oozing out of none other than him. Chapter 55: A Member of the Order of Phoenix Morning, November 4 Leaky Cauldron Kai closed the doors to the pleasant atmosphere of the comfortable room and headed for the pub downstairs. When he looked ahead, he found Petyr staring at him. "What is it?" Kai asked, his voice heavy and hoarse. "Nothing, my lord," Petyr said, shaking his head. "But if you were to tell me what you saw in the prophecy, I will give you good counsel based on it." Kai said nothing. He knew what he had seen, and that was enough for him. He didn''t want his mind to go back to that time, not now. Kai passed by Petyr, and the character followed. The pub downstairs was dark and shabby even in the morning. Petyr had made him come down at the busiest hour, but even the heaviest Mana fluctuation failed to make Kai shudder this time. His face and eyes were already ashen from the scream still echoing in his ears. One wrong word, one wrong eye contact, one wrong intention, and someone would die. "Master," Petyr said in Kai''s ears. "You must control yourself. Wizards seem to be sensitive to your bloodlust. Remember, we must solidify our deal. Just follow my lead." Kai nodded. He knew that only Petyr''s presence was making the wizards look favorably at himself. With no Stats of his own, Petyr could either be a common muggle or a powerful wizard, it was impossible to tell. Kai definitely was a squib in their eyes, he had confirmed. The pair sat down at a table deep in the shadows of a corner. "There," Petyr said, gesturing with his chin. "That''s the wizard I had heard, talking about some trade regarding potions." Kai looked at the wizard from the corners of his eyes. Thunder Faction wasn¡¯t a major faction, so the records they had were only modest in amount, i.e. they only covered the tip of the iceberg. Still, this little information when compiled about the various worlds could become a matter of life and death. The data from the Thunder Faction had mentioned quite a few major characters with a detailed description of their appearances, but this man didn''t seem one of them. He seemed drunk as he hastily exchanged words with another hooded person sitting in front of him. Kai and Petyr waited for some 15-20 minutes when the hooded person flicked his hand (-Kai hoped in anger-) and left the drunk wizard''s table. "Wait!" the wizard shouted, but the hooded person left the inn with long strides. "Now, master," Petyr said, standing up. "Let''s go." The wizard in question had his shoulders slumping down as he muttered curses under his breath. "Hello," Petyr said, taking a seat uninvited. Kai didn''t sit, but stood behind Petyr, almost hiding both Petyr and the wizard from others. The wizard looked annoyed and furious at this sudden intrusion. He was a short, with ginger hair, his head overlain with bald patches. His eyes were baggy brown, and he smelled of tobacco and alcohol, the same as the bar at Kai''s left. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Do I know you?" the wizard asked, squinting his eyes. "No, I am afraid," Petyr said, leaning forward. "I chanced upon you mentioning a trade of potions yesterday, and my client here has a tremendous opportunity to offer you." "Get off!" the wizard almost shouted. "I don''t have any¡­" But then his eyes fell on Kai. As much as he didn''t want to, Kai smiled at the wizard and nodded. Petyr grabbed the chance masterfully. "Just hear me out," he said, slowly but certainly. "You will become rich overnight, I promise you." The wizard''s eyes moved from Petyr to Kai, then back at Petyr. He finished his drink and for a moment, Kai thought he would stand up and leave. But Petyr suddenly lifted his hand and called out. "Another drink for my friend here." The waiter almost instantly came to them and filled the empty mug. "No¡­ No¡­" the wizard protested, but his words lacked spirit. He took another mouthful of alcohol and finally asked, "Who are you again?" "I am Petyr the potioneer," Petyr said, smiling. "And he is my sponsor, Arlen. You must have heard of the Silvas, a great magical family from overseas?" "A squib of the great magical family, you mean?" the wizard said, slyly. "Thrown out of the house, boy? Never mind." "So?" Petyr inquired. "Yeah, out with it," the wizard said plainly, but Kai could feel the greed in his eyes. "But make it quick." "Sure," Petyr nodded. "May I know your name, good sir?" The wizard raised his eyebrows as if he hadn''t expected that they didn''t know him. "Blimey! You really are new here," he exclaimed. "Fletcher. Mundungus Fletcher." The notification followed the name. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn¡­ You have achieved a Milestone Milestone: Contact one of the original members of the Order of the Phoenix for the first time Milestone Rewards: Charisma +3 ] ¡­ Kai beamed. For the first time after last night''s events, he permitted himself a genuine smile. Not only the rewards, but the Milestone itself was quite a heavy topic to him. He had read about the Order of the Phoenix in the data and knew what a monstrous thing it was. Only the top Contestants above the 2nd Set were in direct contact with some of its members. Though Kai couldn''t remember reading about this wizard, the System couldn''t have lied to him about it. Also, as apparent from the Milestone itself, Kai confirmed that just passing by an main-storyline Character won''t be enough to achieve it. One needed interaction or something similar. There were stricter conditions too, but they differed from Character to Character. Kai saw Petyr taking out the red HP capsule and Mundungus squinting his eyes at it. ¡°It¡¯s a vitality potion, made into a pill,¡± Petyr said. ¡°It can heal any minor wound instantly and can let a man survive even a mortal injury.¡± "Ridiculous!" Petyr chuckled. "Not at all," he said. "Why would we proclaim something like that without proof? Arlen¡­" Kai knew the time to hammer the nail had come. An ordinary dagger wouldn''t have worked on him. So, he took out the hidden mass-produced dagger, and under the shocked gaze of Mundungus Fletcher, he thrust it into his palm. Even then, only the tip of the dagger could enter into his flesh. If he were to add more force, the steel would have bent. The wizard flinched at the sight of the blood. Kai pulled the dagger out with a jerk and swallowed the HP capsule which Petyr had passed to him. The HP capsule didn''t speed his HP regeneration but instantly raised his HP by 50 points. The injury he had just sustained wasn''t even near to those points, so the extra points disappeared into the oblivion. The result was obvious. The wizard stood up as he saw the wound closing up, and then, in a few seconds, there wasn''t even a scar left on Kai''s palm. "Amazing, isn''t it?" Petyr asked, also standing up. "So, are you interested?" "Give me one," the wizard said, a brilliant spark of greed flaming in his eyes. Petyr took out another capsule and handed it over to the wizard. Mundungus gulped. He put it safely in his pocket and left the table, leaving behind the words. "Meet me here tomorrow at the same time." Chapter 56: Compressing Kill Count? – Meeting Mundungus Again! Evening, November 4 "You think he will come back?" Kai asked. "Yes." "How?" Kai wasn''t so sure about it. He had known people like Mundungus Fletcher, wizard or not. He could scarcely believe that the wizard would return with no trouble, but Petyr seemed to be sure about it. "Like I always have," Petyr said, playing with his bowler hat. "I have a knack for sniffing people who need immediate help." "Like now?" Kai asked, raising an eyebrow. Petyr nodded. Sigh! Kai let out a breath. He didn''t know how, but Petyr had somehow convinced the innkeeper to let them stay one more night by paying the rest of their allowance. Kai didn''t mind it the loss of money. The thing that had been troubling him was the Kill Count. After coming back to the room in the morning, Kai had commanded Petyr to sit and had forbidden him to get up before coming up with a solution. So there the Character was, his ass glued to the chair, his butt sweaty, and his forehead full of creases. The afternoon had come and gone, yet neither Kai nor his counselor had found a solution. "There are two things," Kai said, repeating the same words for the hundredth time. "First, the sheer number of Contestants. Second, how to find that many Order''s Contestants?" Arlen had told him he would need to kill 100 3rd floor Contestants to attempt the Floor-Ascending Mission. So, now Kai needed to kill that many before completing his Main Mission. Kai noticed Petyr, then. The 15-year-old boy looked like the man of a thousand shadows, hidden behind the bright, powerful people, plotting the world''s downfall. Suddenly, Petyr put the hat back on, his hand reaching for another mug of butterbeer. Kai had already lost the taste for that drink in his struggle to find a solution as soon as possible. "Time." Petyr wondered aloud. "First, it was the matter of time which tried to imprison us like a mire of hideous, brown quicksand. Compressing the time was the solution that came to rescue us as the sturdiest rope. If¡­ If only we could compress this problem somehow." Tunk-tink-Crnkk! Kai stood up so abruptly that his knee bumped into the mug, sending it flying across the floor. His eyes widened as he began pacing up and down the room, his gait deliberate and meaningful. It took Petyr a few moments to skim through the words he had unknowingly said that brought about such a change in Kai. When he was done, Petyr Baelish too stood up, leaving the abysmal chair for good. "My Lord, are you thinking the same¡­" Kai raised his hand to shut Petyr up. Then he looked at the character, who was now smiling at him. Finally, Kai smiled. The smile followed a curt nod. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. "We can''t compress people," Kai said, almost whispering to himself. "But we can assume what we would get if we could." "A bigger person," Petyr said, going along with the analogy. "A bigger person or a person of the same size with more power. So¡­ if you permit me, may I do the honors?" Kai nodded. He didn''t need to ask the questions aloud. Kai could just instead will it in his mind, and it would have served the purpose. But words gave these little things a sense of depth, a reality to this world that seemed imagined and unrealistic to an outsider. "Chaos," Petyr said, endearingly as if it was the sweetest word. "What is the equivalent number of 4th-floor Contestants one needs to kill to complete the Kill Count of the 3rd floor?" The notification appeared in an instant. ¡­ [ Kill Count (3rd floor): 100 The equivalent number of 4th floor¡¯s Order¡¯s Contestants are: 10 ] ¡­ No upper floor''s Contestant ever battled in a lower floor. So, this thing was meaningless in the Primordial Tower. But here, in the random world, this became the solution Kai had been looking for. Kai felt joy welling up inside him. But Petyr''s next words smothered that joy brutally, then. "Now that we are done with it," the Character said, "we just need to find them. Or you can leave it to your Luck, my lord." Kai grimaced. He was looking forward to the next morning. But a long night lay between him and money now, he knew. He could do away with sleep, but if history told him anything, then he also knew this second problem was monstrously more difficult than the first one. I still have some time, Kai thought. I hope it will be enough. * * Morning, November 5 "You came, my friend," Petyr said, merrily. Mundungus Fletcher came striding towards them as Kai and Petyr came downstairs. He looked as drunk as the last time to Kai, which was a good thing. He kept looking over his shoulders with every next step, and his hands were fidgeting, a detail Kai was sure Petyr must have noticed too. "Yeah, why wouldn''t I?" the wizard said, trying to smile. "Come with me. We have little time." Petyr and Kai exchanged a glance but followed the wizard. If he is taking us to the place I am thinking about, then I have struck gold, he thought. I have too many things to do there. Mundungus nodded at Tom, the innkeeper, and brought them to a small courtyard at the back of the Leaky Cauldron. The walls were lined with old bricks there, and except for a dustbin placed against the wall opposite the entrance, it was empty. Kai knew where he was. It was the most readily available information, and one wouldn''t dare to come here without the exclusive permission from the innkeeper, or so was mentioned in the Thunder Faction''s data. Still, Kai couldn''t help himself. "Where are we going?" he asked, his heart already thumping with excitement. Mundungus didn''t answer right away and took out his wand. Kai shuddered at the sight of that wand. Compared to that thing, his own false wand felt like a cheap child''s toy to him; a mere wooden stick. Then Kai waited with bated breath. He knew the process, had read about it, but that didn''t lower the intensity of the excitement building up inside him. He saw Mundungus Fletcher tapping the bricks over the dustbin using his wand. Then, as Kai had expected, but even more magical, the bricks shuffled out of their way, forming a brilliant, arching doorless gate. The sudden incomprehensible cacophony hit Kai in the face. Uncountable wizards and witches, young and old, and exposed and disguised, were marching in and out of shops. The street in front of him seemed to be a temporary passageway, making the people look like a school of a million fish. This was a legendary place, highlighted by minor and major organizations alike. Mundungus flicked his wand hastily once again. Three woolly black hooded cloaks materialized out of thin air. "Put them on," the Wizard said, cloaking himself up, and giving the briefest glance at Kai. "We are going to Diagon Alley." Chapter 57: A Shady Deal in the Knockturn Alley "Come on," Mundungus growled, pressing them to make haste. "Don''t make eye contact with anyone. Don''t stop to touch anything, look at anything, or smell anything. Stay behind me, or you are your own. OK?" Kai nodded, pulling the hood down. There are many Contestants here, he thought. It won''t be any good for me to bump into one from higher floors. Not now when I am already at the mercy of an in-world Character. But there was one thing he needed to do. After seeing the last Milestone, Kai''s greed had been kindled. By himself, there was no way to know what could or would be a Milestone. At least, not before knowing any precedent. A precedent like the name of a famous place. "Chaos," Kai said, whispering under his breath. "What are the quickest Milestones a 1st Set''s Contestant can achieve in the Diagon Alley?" ¡­ [ Processing Contestant Kai Stormborn¡¯s question¡­ Price: 200 Mission Credits ] ¡­ What? Kai¡¯s eyes widened. There¡¯s a price over it? My privilege doesn¡¯t cover it? Unlike him, who enjoyed the Privilege of having a high Worth, almost all other Contestants paid the Systems in Mission Credits for all questions. ALL QUESTIONS. This was the first time for Kai to find himself standing in their shoes. Gritting his teeth, he paid the price anyway. ¡­ [ Following are the quickest Milestones regarding 1st-Set Contestants:
  1. Diagon Alley Exploration (30%) - roam through the Diagon Alley, visiting some major and minor shops
  2. Buy your first magical creature
  3. Buy your first wand (only applicable if the wand chooses the wizard)
  4. Open your account in the Gringotts Wizarding Bank
  5. Kill someone on the street
  6. Steal an item from any shop and survive
  7. ...
  8. ...
] ¡­ From rapes to murders, curses to ransoming it listed all that one could do. They kept taking a dark, terrifying turn from there on, with occasional exceptions. Kai found himself inadequate to take in all the wondrous things the place offered him. The hood around his face didn''t make it any easier, either. On one side he saw owls screeching, polished and expensive brooms line methodically, tempting Kai''s heartstrings. On the other side, he noticed an apothecary, a clothes shop, and a shop selling second-hand books. Kai''s eyes narrow deviously at that. A tug at his elbow saved him from heading towards that shop. Petyr had been walking close to Kai, his head also moving in all directions. For the first time, Kai noticed a boyish glint in his eyes which assured him that the character indeed was just a boy like himself. "What?" Kai asked. "There," Petyr said, pointing with his chin. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Kai followed Petyr''s gaze and his eyes stumbled onto the small building all Contestants dearly wished to enter. The shop''s display was showing a wand placed over a dusty purple cushion. "Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC," Kai muttered, his pace slowing down. The book had been shuddering slightly since he had entered the alley, but now it roared. It wanted the tale of Ollivander, the Wandmaker, Kai could tell, even though he was nowhere near to the man himself. But dare he give this tale to the Book? There are wizards on duty who will Apparate to the shop at a moment''s notice, Arlen had told him. Then there are Contestants. A group of them from both sides monitor the entrance day and night. In case of the slightest doubt that the buyer was a Contestant, they tail him en masse. Never buy or steal something major from the Diagon Alley without a proper backup and power. Kai had taken the advice to heart. Though, he had to keep reminding himself that he was just a 1st Set''s Contestant. No matter what a monster he was compared to the Contestants from the same floor, no matter if he had a Glitch, some grounds would always need a lighter touch and deeper imprints to cross. "What the¡­?" Mundungus cursed, coming back to them with wide strides. "What the hell does a squib need to do with wands? Come on. Others are already noticing us." Kai held back his curiosity, as difficult as it was, and now he couldn''t help but think where the wizard was taking them. They had crossed much of the alley that Kai believed he would only need to visit a few shops, and the first Milestone would be in his bag. Only one majestic building left to gawk at in the Diagon Alley for him. The tall, enormous, and twisted mass of white stone and pillars. Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Is he taking us to the Bank for the loan? Kai thought incredulously. Petyr looked at him, and Kai got to know that even the character was feeling skeptical about it. He had thought that the wizard would take them to a potion shop, but they had already left it behind. So what was left now, other than the bank? Mundungus answered, separating their direction from the bank''s entryway. "When we reach the Knockturn Alley," the wizard said, "don''t speak without my permission. They don''t like squibs there. Do you understand me?" Kai felt a rush of blood up to his head. He nodded. But the nod didn''t seem to be enough for old Mundungus. He looked up at Kai, grabbed the sleeve of his hand, and asked again. "Do you understand? Speak." "I do," Kai said, narrowing his eyes. The wizard was playing with fire, though Kai knew it would be him who would get burned if he did something unusual. But¡­ again¡­ a teeny-tiny curious voice within him whispered; Let''s attack him and see what happens. The wizard took a sharp turn that took them away from the Diagon Alley into a dark, choking lane. Unlike the hubbub, the Knockturn Alley tasted sweet to Kai. The quiet, menacing stares. Whispers that could have been curses or a sign of madness. "Borgin and Burkes," Petyr called out the name for them. Mundungus glared at Petyr, who had the face of a boy but looked mature enough to be Kai''s father. "It''s an antique shop," the wizard said, taking off his hood. "You know¡­ of the other kind. You, Potioneer. We will talk to Borgin. The squib will stay out." "The squib will go damn where he pleases," Kai snapped. He had enough of this squib nonsense. Petyr interjected. "Mr. Fletcher," the character said, smiling. "The boy has no family left other than me. Let him come. He will stay out of our way, I promise." Mundungus'' face looked as if he was struggling with his emotions. "Very well," he spat. "Touch nothing in the shop. Otherwise, (-he looked at Petyr-) you will rue the day you got yourself involved with him." The shop was empty. Yet, Kai''s Perception was screaming bloody murder in his mind. In the Diagon Alley, with so many presences, it had been impossible to know the source of danger. But here, in an empty shop, it shouldn''t have been like this. Kai looked around and saw the strangest and vilest things that could shiver the soul of a man. Sinister warnings, in blurry and worm-like letters, were written under many of them, labeling them dangerous. But then what of the things that didn''t have a label? Kai gulped. Maybe the wizard is right, he thought. I don''t belong here. Not as I am now. Kai didn''t have a choice, though. For Petyr to be here, his presence was a must. "Borgin!" Mundungus shouted. "We are here." Mr. Borgin, the owner, walked out from behind the shelves, grinning a hideous smile. He looked at Petyr and nodded. Then his eyes found Kai, and he squinted his eyes. "Leave him," Mundungus said, flicking his wrist at Kai. "Look at this." Mundungus urged Petyr to start the negotiations, spitting his own remarks in between. The setting had changed from what Kai and Petyr had planned, but the Herald of Chaos wasn''t a tale to be taken lightly. The character looked as confident as anyone could ever be. Petyr''s hand reached in for the HP capsule but when he took it out, it wasn''t a red one but blue. A burst of solidified Mana hit the wizards'' faces, widening their eyes, nose, and ears. Petyr chuckled. "Oh, my bad," he said, stuffing the MP capsule back in his pocket and taking out the HP one. "I took out the wrong product. It was a capsule that can enhance magical powers, but it''s too expensive for you, gentlemen. Here is the healing capsule. Now, Mr. Fletcher, Mr. Borgin, are you interested in my research?" Kai smiled. In one sentence, in one simple sentence, Petyr had brought the wizards down to the level of ordinary greedy and gullible merchants. Chapter 58: Magical Contract – Shopping in the Diagon Alley! 300 Galleons. The stupendous amount Petyr had extracted out of Mr. Borgin wasn''t something Kai could fathom. And with what? A promise of 50 HP and 50 MP capsules to be delivered by the end of the year. But before he had actually got the bag of money, the notification had given Kai a little shock. ¡­ [ A Magical Contract is established between Contestant Kai Stormborn and Mr. Borgin, the owner of Borgin and Burkes. The terms of the contract are:
  1. Mr. Borgin will pay the Contestant a sum of 300 galleons
  2. The Contestant will deliver 50 HP and 50 MP capsules of the same varieties as shown to Mr. Borgin by the end of the year (timeline Primordial Tower)
Warning: Failing the contract will be deemed unworthy and will have serious consequences ] ¡­ It had come to him as an unexpected development, but not unwelcome. Mundungus Fletcher had claimed 30 galleons out of the total sum for himself after coming out of the shop. "Meet me in the evening by the entrance," the wizard had told them. "I have some things to take care of. Don''t do something outrageous." He had scampered off deeper into the twisting lanes of the Knockturn Alley after saying that. Only then did Petyr hand over the money to his master, triggering a notification. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have achieved a Milestone ¡­ Milestone: Obtain 100 galleons without theft in the Magical World of Harry Potter Milestone Rewards: Condition to trigger the Title Coin Master ¡­ Title: Coin Master Specification: Deposit 1 unit (100 Galleons) into your Gringotts account Status: (0/1) Effect:
  1. Charisma +2
  2. Luck +2
  3. Worth +1
] ¡­ After the Novice Collector, it had become the second precious Title Kai desired. This was the most strenuous thing about Titles. One wouldn''t know about them without triggering them, like Side Missions. Moreover, unlike Milestones, the price to know about the Titles was ten times more than the Milestones. Kai had already confirmed it. So, he could only work upon getting Milestones for now. The first, and most important, of them right now was opening a bank account. As Kai wasn''t a wizard, he would need to pay double the process fee and a fixed amount of money which would be deposited in his vault permanently as a security fee. It wasn''t a complicated process. Kai would have gone to the bank immediately if they didn''t need to bribe the goblin tomorrow. "So¡­ Did you ask him?" Kai asked Petyr. Petyr nodded. "Mr. Borgin had nothing that can influence a person''s Luck positively, I am afraid," he said, adjusting his bowler hat. "He did say that there is a potion named Felix Felicis, also known as Liquid Luck. Its effect seemed in line with what you are looking for, my lord. But¡­" Kai didn''t like the sound of that. "But?" "But it''s a very rare potion and only available on-demand," Petyr said, smiling. "In the entire Diagon Alley, there isn''t a single person who can sell it to us. Assuming that we can buy it." If Petyr was implying they wouldn''t be able to buy it, then there was no point in sulking over it, Kai knew. "And the other thing?" Petyr took out a piece of parchment and handed it over to Kai. There was no legible word on it, but runes. Dark and terrible, yet mysterious. It was a part of the first tale of the Tales of Beedle the Bard. Kai had copied the brief excerpt from the book, hoping that some wizard would translate it for him. So long, the result had been disappointing. "He didn''t know," Petyr said, as they entered the Diagon Alley again. "Nor did he know anyone who could translate these runes." Sigh! Kai shook his head. "Petyr," he whispered, now that they were a part of the magical crowd. "How much money do you need to bribe the goblin?" This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Petyr shrugged. "I don''t know," he said, contemplating. "I have never talked to one of them. It would be wise to just keep all the money with us before our meeting. But I think you have some other plans, master." It would be wise, indeed, Kai thought. But today is the last day of peace for me. My instinct tells me that whatever lay ahead after the meeting is nothing but pure chaos. "I need to buy a few things," Kai said. "You will be the one to handle the shopkeepers, though." "What things?" Petyr asked, raising an eyebrow. Kai kept whispering in Petyr''s ears as they arrived at the first shop of interest. The Second-Hand Bookshop. Quite a few people were going in and out of the shop. Kai felt suffocated by the Mana, but it had become such a common feeling by now that he just gritted his teeth and entered. Letting Petyr take the lead, Kai followed the character, trying not to stand out too much. "We are being watched," Petyr said, inconspicuously. "Let them," Kai said. "That''s why I had made you ditch the cloak. We are just another two people, buying a few things. By the time they would make a move, Mundungus would have come back. Just focus on the task at hand." The shopkeeper beamed towards Petyr as he saw them approaching him. He was an old wizard, his head full of dull gray hair. The shopkeeper squinted his eyes at Kai, but then smiled. "Hello, good sir," Petyr greeted, beaming back at the old wizard. "I need copies of two books." "Of course, of course," the wizard said, passing a book to another customer. "Do you have the names?" Petyr nodded. "One of them, at least," he said, looking around. "The Tales of Beedle the Bard and a basic spells book for budding wizards and witches. My little sister''s 9th birthday is coming up. She is one of those studious ones." "Ah!" the wizard exclaimed. "I know the types. My granddaughter is of the same age. She has scoured half the children''s books in my little shop already. Let me see¡­ Hmm, this will do for you." The wizard scooched down and took out a dilapidated book. Its black cover was almost coming off, hanging by threads, but other than that, it looked solid enough. "The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 1 by Miranda Goshawk," the old wizard said, placing the book on the counter. "It has all the basic spells which children of her age can safely read and practice in the presence of an adult. It''s also part of the 1st-year curriculum of Hogwarts." Kai could scarcely control himself to not lunge at the book. The wizard turned around, searching for something on the shelves. In a few seconds, he took out a smaller book, but in even worse condition than the first. Kai''s heart was in his mouth. "Here," the wizard said, placing the second book over the first. "The Tales of Beedle the Bard. It''s been through many hands, as you can see. An excellent book to read for all children, nevertheless." With all the five tales unreadable, Kai could only think of this method to know if the tales were even worth the trouble or not. Reading the already translated tales won''t affect the original book, but it would be a start. "How much?" Petyr asked, examining the torn parts of the book with his finger. The shopkeeper noticed Petyr''s gesture as his freckled mouth opened and closed, thinking hard to put the price over the books. "1 Galleon for both," the wizard said, smiling. As Kai had expected, Petyr didn''t haggle with the shopkeeper and produced the coin instantly. Saying nothing, Petyr took the books, and passed them to Kai as if he was his servant. Kai didn''t mind because he needed to touch the books anyway. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have unlocked 1 Title ¡­ Title: Books Connoisseur Specification: Collect 10 books mentioned in the main Harry Potter storyline Status: (2/10) Effect: +100% Inventory size ] ¡­ This was a Title he could achieve here and now, he knew. But Petyr''s intense look told him he was being unwisely greedy. Yes, Kai told himself. This is not the time. Not before buying everything I need and paying the goblin. So Kai walked out of the shop, clutching the two books under his arm. "This next one will empty our pockets by much, I am afraid," Petyr said, slyly. Kai didn''t argue against that. Petyr was right. He didn''t want one, but two things out of the next shop. They scuttled through the crowd, always aware of the eyes following them. Kai saw an Ice Cream Parlor and his eyes involuntarily went to the shop opposite it across the street. He smelled the creatures first before he could even see them. There were many cages on display with pets in them. Heart pounding, Kai followed Petyr as they made their way towards the shop, selling magical creatures. One and only, Magical Menagerie. The moment Kai neared the shop, the notification came up as he had expected. ¡­ [ Beast Proximity: 3 meters Glitch Condition matched Contestant Kai Stormborn is qualified to awaken his Glitch Do you want to awaken it now? ] ¡­ This wasn''t the first time this notification had come up. Nor would it be the first time for Kai to say, "No." Too many people had been walking around him, carrying one magical creature or another. Owls, cats, and Kai could have sworn he had seen some plant-like things too. For the same reason as the last time, he couldn''t afford to awaken his Glitch and devour a beast in the middle of these wizards. "Why do you want it, anyway?" Petyr asked as they entered the shop. "Don''t you already have a similar Blood Essence, master?" The shop was very cramped, noisy, and smelly. Cages, small and big, were dancing on the walls, the beasts within them gawking at the people within the shop. The saleswoman rushed at the sight of Petyr examining the many cats and toads, not noticing Kai''s craving stare. "Hello," the witch said, greeting merrily. "How may I help you?" "Good afternoon, my lady (-the witch blushed-)," Petyr said, taking his hat off. "I am a Potioneer, working on all kinds of anti-venoms as required these days." "Yes, yes," the saleswoman agreed. "Finally, they are gone. Filthy bastards! Oh, where are my manners? Who knows how the young Harry Potter survived you-know-who?" All morning Kai had been hearing about the topic. The excitement had died by now within him. "Indeed. A debt we all owe to the young Potter," Petyr whispered. "I will be direct with you. I need a serpent." "Ser¡­ serpent?" the saleswoman gasped. "Yes," Petyr said, frowning. "You know the times. I feel so guilty even buying a serpent for the benefit of the common people. What has the wizarding world become? It pains my heart to see you ignore the opportunity to earn wonderful gold like this because of the actions of¡­ Sigh!" The witch gulped. She looked around, licking her lips. "Come with me," she whispered back. "Not a word about it to anyone. Promise me." "Upon my family name, Silvas, I promise," Petyr said, solemnly. And I promise I will put the serpent to the greatest of use, Kai added, grinning hideously. Chapter 59: Buying the First Magical Creature They followed the saleswoman down a cellar as another man took over her position. Round and round, they kept going down, stepping over moldy stairs. A thick whiff of rusted iron hit Kai''s nose as the witch took out a large key, puffing for air meanwhile. The metal creaked quizzically when she opened the door. The noise of a million insects stridulating deafened Kai''s ears. The sound was so harsh, and yet enchanting, that Kai felt himself losing his mind in search of pleasant dreams. But when his eyes fell on Petyr, this sensation turned into horror. The character, who hadn''t been affected by anything so far, was blurring in and out of existence like a specter. If he wasn''t standing behind the witch, she would have seen right through him. "These rascals!" the witch cursed, taking out her wand. "Stop!" A tap from her wand on one of the wooden crates followed her shout. Kai felt the fluctuation of Mana and the buzz stopped. Petyr looked pale as if someone had taken a bucketful of blood out of him. He looked at Kai, and Kai understood one more unfortunate incident like this, and the Character would return to the Book. "Pardon, young men," the witch said apologetically. "I need to store many insects for the Potion-masters." "I¡­ I understand perfectly well, my lady," Petyr managed to say, though his one hand was still blurry like mist trying to become water. "Insects. Wonderful creatures for the strangest of the Potions. I thank you from all the Potioneering Community." "Oh¡­" the saleswoman hid a giggle. "Come. Here, let me light it up. Lumos!" The witch chanted and flicked her wand. Kai gawked like a boy as the tip of the wand lit up like a white bulb. The dim surrounding presented itself to them, then. Big, heavy wooden crates were lined up against the walls. The floor was full of wet straws and the smell was just short of retching. "Serpents¡­" the saleswoman trailed off as if she would talk about anything but serpents. "Well, they are not the most sought-after creatures. And that''s the nicest thing to say about them, with all the dark tales that revolve around them. I have only one magical serpent and a few ordinary serpents for milking." Kai took the lead, then. "Show us the magical one." The witch gave the nastiest look to Kai. Even Kai''s Charisma seemed lacking to counter her aversion to serpents, and to those who talked about them with odd enthusiasm and eagerness. She looked away from Kai, staring at Petyr. Her loathing calmed down, seeing Petyr frowning at the crates lying in front of them. "Magical one?" she asked, confirming Petyr''s will at this. Petyr nodded. "If it''s possible, my lady," he said. "Non-magical serpents won''t last the process." "Oh, yes," the witch agreed, taking out a smaller key. "I remember now. Very well." What the actual fuck?! Kai cursed, gritting his teeth. This bastard is spitting nonsense one after another, and the slut thinks he is a master of potions or something. Tch! Under the incredulous gaze of Kai, the witch opened the smallest rectangular crate. A sudden hiss resounded, echoing off the walls of the densely stuffed cellar. Kai felt complete hearing the hiss. The hunger within him was on the verge of exploding. Even the sheer Will didn''t seem enough to hold him back. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. A hand gripped Kai''s wrist. Kai jumped out of his trance-like state and saw Petyr looking at him. The character let go of his hand, and Kai licked his lips, approaching the crater silently, slithering with every next step. When Kai leaned over the witch''s shoulder, he saw white and silver intermixing into the purest form. The little serpent was coiled inside the congested box, its white scales glistening ghostly silver under the glow of the witch''s spell. "Ghost Serpent, a white cobra from India," the witch introduced. "It''s a 3-months-old hatchling, and 1 ft long. We have to keep it in an enchanted box. Otherwise, it changes into its specter form and passes through almost all things." Kai had never desired something so beautiful before. As if sensing his presence, the hatchling lifted its head and stared at Kai. Its eyes were red, peeking into one''s soul. A tiny black forked tongue slithered out before it yawned, opening its mouth wide. Contrast to the pure colors outside, the insides of mouth were stark black like staring into the abyss itself. Petyr meaningfully shook his head. "It''s quite young," he said, hesitating. "I will have to rear it myself. That can be a strenuous task, my lady. You know the times. A potioneer rearing an albino snake in his backyard. What would the people say? I don''t want the Ministry wizards knocking on my door." Kai knew what Petyr was doing. A play of words and emotions. But there was too much at stake for Kai to appreciate Petyr''s efforts. The anger was just hanging by the back of his throat. Fortunately, the witch replied in time. "No, no," she said, licking her lips. "They are highly venomous, and would need regular milking, but they are the quietest of their kind. Look at it. If it was another serpent, it would have raised its hood menacingly by now. It''s no pet, I know. But you won''t find a better deal anywhere else." "And what is that deal, my lady?" Petyr asked, kindly. "For this hatchling." Just pay her already, Kai''s soul screamed, his breath pulsating with anticipation. * * Morning, November 6 Leaky Cauldron The awaited day had come. Kai was sitting in a meditative position on the floor, steam rising off his glistening red body. There was a small box in front of him, with a key in its lock, just waiting for someone to turn it and let the being inside come out. 60 Galleons was the price they had paid for it. Not a single knut more or less. It was a monstrous amount, considering that the common pets were around 10 galleons each or less. But Kai would have paid up to 100 for it. Not that the witch hadn''t asked for it. Kai wondered if it wasn''t for Petyr''s glib tongue, how much he would have needed to pay for it. Kai¡¯s eyes snapped open. They were two serpentine slits, hazel and moist. He remembered the notifications he had gotten after leaving the shop. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have achieved a Milestone ¡­ Milestone: Buy your first magical creature Milestone Rewards: Breath +1 ¡­ Milestone: Diagon Alley Exploration (30%) - roam through the Diagon Alley, visiting some major and minor shops Milestone Rewards: A 10% discount on the first 10 items bought from the Diagon Alley ] ¡­ The serpent wasn''t the only thing Kai had bought out of the shop. A syringe was lying beside him, its needle capped. Kai had asked for a syringe that can penetrate the magical creatures with the thickest skin. The stare he had got in return was condemning. Nonetheless, Petyr had negotiated the price down to 10 Galleons. It wasn''t an Item. But it might as well have the strongest Item in his arsenal considering the future. "You are awake," a sweet voice came from his right. "I thought you have gone to sleep, sitting there like a priest." Kai didn''t have the time for Cersei. Like Petyr, he had left her on the bed, forbidding her to leave it without thinking of a solution for his second problem. But instead of gaining some words of inspiration, all he had got out of her were scowls and sulking shoulders. Kai again looked at the enchanted box and took a deep breath. It was now or never. With a grave, but anticipating, expression, Kai¡¯s hand reached towards the box and opened it. Chapter 60: Ghost Serpent – The Bane of Book’s Characters! The witch warned us to not take it out of the box, Kai thought. But I can''t let it live the rest of its life there. It''s no use to me in a fucking box. Petyr had asked him why Kai wanted another serpent when he already had the blood essence of Boa Constrictor. The thing was, Kai hadn''t bought the serpent to devour it. Though the Blue-tailed Boa Constrictor was a non-magical beast, Kai had yet to complete the proficiencies of its Elementary Abilities and devouring this hatchling would put it into the third empty slot, not replace the existing one. Even if he could replace it, Kai won''t. The reason was simple. Kai wasn''t sure if he would get the same Elementary Abilities or not. The chances were high, but if he had learned something after coming to the Primordial Tower, then that was to not rely on his Luck. The only reason for him to get a pet serpent was to talk to it. With all his Abilities experiencing steady growth, his Elementary Snake Language had fallen behind. Before dispensing the Boa¡¯s Blood Essence, he also wanted to increase its Proficiency to Advance. However, the only way to go about this process was to communicate with a serpent or serpent-like creatures. The white cobra hatchling slithered out of the box, leaving its enchanted prison. It lazily raised its head, glancing around at its surroundings. It was now or never, Kai knew. Once the serpent becomes a ghost, even he won''t be able to find it again. Hisss! Kai stirred his blood essence, and a hissing sound erupted from it as the surrounding steam blurred his figure. The effect was immediate, but not the one Kai had desired. The white serpent raised his hood, hissing back. Kai saw the scales on the underside of its hood were pale red. It took Kai''s hiss as a challenge, he could tell. He could feel the ferocity in its hiss. It was a magical beast, a noble creature. Kai''s hiss had come from a non-magical one. How could it ever tolerate the rudeness of such a challenge? "You dare!" Kai growled. For the first time, Kai stirred the thing inside his chest. The terror hiding in his chest churned, sending out deep, hideous pulses on his naked skin, trying to crack it apart. Cersei gasped. The serpent¡¯s state was worse. It thrashed its tail in defiance, in fear, in the horror of the thing that desired its flesh with such primal desire. This feeling was enough to make it let go of all its defenses. Under the devouring gaze of Kai''s slitted pupils, the white cobra bowed its head. Kai extended his right arm, and the serpent came slithering at it. Its forked tongue kissed Kai''s fingers before it coiled itself around his forearm, overshadowing the snake tattoo there. The stats appeared over its head then. ¡­ [ Beast: Ghost Serpent (magical beast) Grade: E+ (growth) Type: Poison, Ghost HP: 100 MP: 180 SP: 100 Attributes- Strength: 8 Agility: 13 Stamina: 10 Perception: 16 Correspondence: 18 Breath: 10 Abilities-
  1. Intangibility
  2. Soul Chill
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Skills-
  1. Ghost Neurotoxin
  2. Earth Vibration Sense
] ¡­ Kai stared at it, as it stared at him in return. Something was happening, something deep. An unseen bond was creating itself, attaching him and the creature with a string. Kai just knew what to do. His throat twisted, all his muscles screamed as words tried to come out of his mouth. Yet, what came out was only an intention. A hiss surrounded this intention like a mother''s embrace. -Hello!- Kai said, the veins on his forehead popping up. -Master- the snake hissed out her own intention. Kai didn''t know how, but he could tell that the hiss that had come out of its mouth was childish, and full of warmth and that the serpent was a female. "What a creature!" Cersei approached then, her hand reaching for the serpent to pet it. "NO!" Kai roared, knowing the Character must have thought that the serpent had been tamed by him. But it wasn''t as simple as taming. The emotions went deeper than that. Hissss! The hatchling opened its black maw at her, spitting two thin trails of venoms. Cersei''s figure blurred. But this time, it didn¡¯t solidify back at all. She was truly being forced back into the Book. The shock on her face was not something Kai had ever expected to see. She looked at him with terrified eyes. "Bring me out again, if you want to know the solution to the second problem." Then she exploded into a blackish-white smoky cloud. * * 5 minutes to the meeting, November 6 Leaky Cauldron Kai didn''t look as formal as he had at his arrival into the world. A white shirt, loose pants, and a cloak around his shoulders whose hood was down. Behind him, Petyr played with his hat and greatcoat, waiting for Kai to come out of his deep reverie. There were too many things going on in Kai''s mind. All morning he had spent conversing with the Ghost Serpent, increasing his Snake Language Proficiency by 5%. Although they had only shared their intentions, the taste of blood still lingered in his mouth. But no matter what, Kai couldn''t get the serpent to acknowledge him, letting him gain the Elementary Pokemon Trainer Ability. More like she doesn''t know what this acknowledgment is, Kai thought. The serpent was as confused as me about the meaning of Pokemon. Hmm¡­ maybe all Pokemon comes under the term Magical Beasts, but the reverse does not hold true. This made sense to him. Suddenly, a silver mist came slithering out of the bed next to him. Petyr backed away at the sight of it as far as he could. The silver mist was long, sometimes coiling on itself, and sometimes undulating. It passed through the chair as if it wasn''t there and just when it reached Kai''s shoulder, the mist solidified. First, the serpent''s head took shape, and then gradually its body. By the time it made a turn around Kai''s neck, the white cobra had already become solid. Hissss! The serpent hissed, its forked tongue slithering out, touching Kai''s bare skin. To Kai, though, this hiss meant much more. He didn''t have his Blood Essence activated, still, he could barely understand the meaning. -Food!- it had hissed, Kai could tell. The serpent lazily coiled itself around Kai''s neck and yawned, adjusting its fangs and ligaments. Kai took a bean-sized red-colored ball out of his pocket. It was the food the witch had given them for free to feed the serpent. He let the bean roll around in his palm. The Ghost Serpent reached out, smelling the food, and swallowed it in one gulp. Kai felt her scales pressing into his skin as the food went down to her stomach. He couldn''t understand why he was feeling so attached to her, given that they had just met. "Have you given it a name, my lord?" Petyr asked, still standing far. "Her." Kai corrected, not before the serpent raised her hood to look at Petyr. Kai smirked. He had been gobsmacked, seeing the Ghost Neurotoxin affecting his Characters so profusely. Not even Petyr had thought that the serpent would become a bane of their existence. This will keep them in check, Kai thought, turning around. They were becoming too wild these days. "Yes, her," Petyr agreed. "A name is very important. It gives things, alive or dead, a meaning." "Do you want a name?" Kai looked at the serpent. This was the monstrosity of the magical creatures. They could understand human speech, more than a regular creature, at least. It looked quizzically at Kai as if saying she hadn''t thought about it. Kai chuckled. "Did you read the books?" Kai asked, his eyes going for the two books on the table. "What do you think about the fifth tale?" "It doesn''t matter," Petyr replied. "Unless we get someone to translate the runes, it will never matter." The truth was harsh. Kai had spent all night reading the two books. For him, reading, or even memorizing those books, wasn''t too hard. Since he was but a baby, books had been friends to him, or they were forced into a friendship. Nonetheless, Kai had never objected to his parents'' decision. Daily reading, memorizing, and analyzing were as much a part of him as breathing. The thing that pained his heart now was that he couldn''t put what he had read into practical application. His hand throbbed to take out the wand and try out the spells mentioned in the book. But without Magical Aptitude, he might as well as burn the book. The serpent sensed his anxiety better than even Kai had. She again turned into a thin silvery mist, slithering down to his navel. There she entered his flesh as if she was part of his body, his blood and bones. His soul. Kai shuddered. A cool, calming sensation took over him, chilling his soul. All anxiety, ecstasy ran away, scared of the cold the serpent brought with her into him. Kai could feel it, resting just below his navel, curled into a small ball. She was sleeping. Ability - Soul Chill! It was the third time she had done this. Moreover, Kai could tell she wasn¡¯t using the full potential of this Ability on him. Suddenly, as if struck by thunder, his eyes shook remembering the Blood Prophecy. Hmm¡­ Kai¡¯ thoughts roared inside his mind, a vile grin struggling to surface across his lips. It¡­ can¡­ work¡­ "It''s time, my lord," Petyr said, finally taking out the courage to approach Kai. "We don''t want the goblin waiting for us, do we?" Kai put the bubbling thoughts in the back of his mind and took a deep breath. Taking the upcoming meeting lightly would make him fail the Main Mission even before it had started. Chapter 61: The Birth of Rhaegal – Creating a Side Mission! Snaglok was perched upon the chair like a fat doll. He had an overgrown, hawk-like nose, and there were many pimples on his face. Except for a few gray hairs dangling down his head, he was as good as being called bald. His eyes were black and mean and his thick lips were curled in a smirk and disgust. Two emotions Kai couldn''t fathom how one person could show at the same time. "What is this?" Snaglok demanded hoarsely. "They assured me I would meet only one." Petyr smiled. He was sitting on the chair opposite the goblin, and Kai was standing behind him. "We are one, my lord," Petyr said. "We have always been one." Kai had noticed Snaglok looking at his face many times by now. His Charisma was working, but not as much as it had worked before. His identity as a squib was doing more harm than good. Either he should have remained a complete muggle or a wizard. Snaglok grunted. "I can''t see anything special about him," he said, pointing at Kai. "I think I have wasted my time by coming here." "Haha!" Petyr laughed. "Don''t go on his age and appearance. He specializes in dealing with low-class wizards. Arlen, show him." Kai''s right hand reached into his left sleeve, and he took out the wand. Snaglok''s eyes widened, and before the goblin could sense its oddness, Kai thrust it back into his sleeve. But in reality, he had sent it to the Inventory where even the goblin couldn''t sense it. "A wand?!" the goblin asked, almost getting up from his chair. "That should be proof enough for his capabilities," Petyr said. "He hates the wizarding community for an apparent reason, as you must know by now." Snaglok couldn''t help but nod. There was no worse fate for a squib than being disowned by the great magical family. Hate was a natural emotion. An emotion Kai could easily bring upon his face and in his eyes. "But¡­" Snaglok muttered. "But I am still not sure about it." "Why not show a bit of faith in each other?" Petyr asked. "Don''t select him, not now. Let''s just trade. Gold for your plans, huh?" With that, Petyr took out 10 Galleons and put them straight into Goblin''s stubby palm. Some coins fell, but Snaglok, like a bloodthirsty hound, reached down and gobbled them up in no time. "Yes, yes," the goblin mumbled, stuffing the coins into his pockets. "Some months ago, I was going through the ancient records of the bank when I stumbled upon an unusual entry. It was a thousand-year-old entry, mind you. It mentioned a particular Vault No. 999 whose owner has never come to claim the contents even once in the last millennium. "Now there are older things stored in the abyss below the Gringotts (-the goblin''s chest swelled up in pride-), but someone had always come to check up on their contents, unlike this one." "You think the owner is dead?" Petyr added. "So, because of curiosity, you took it upon yourself to find out what is in the vault." Snaglok threw himself at the word carefully planted by Petyr. "Yes, I was just curious," he said. "But the search of what lies within that vault has emptied my pockets¡­" Petyr produced 5 more Galleons. "It''s a chest of petrified eggs!" Snaglok hissed. "Rare magical species which once roamed below and above the earth. Think of the gold even one egg will get me¡­ us, I mean. Think." "More than this, I am sure," Petyr said, slyly, handing over 5 more Galleons. The Goblin''s pockets didn''t seem enough to hold that amount, so he started to stuff the coins in his shirt. "Yes, more than this," Snaglok said. "After a long time, I could only find the identity of one egg. A Dragon''s egg¡­ Extinct Green-scaled Hungarian Horntail!" Kai and Petyr shared the briefest of the glance. "I am curious about something too, my lord," Petyr said. "You are an employee of the Bank. Why don''t you take out the egg? Surely it would be safer and easier, right?" Snaglok sniggered, his face looking like a rooster. "I am just a clerk," he said. "And only the Head Goblin of the Bank has the key to open the vault. The key is his both palms. I can''t just ask him to open the vault. There is no reason." "So that''s why you need our help," Petyr reflected. "Well, we will be glad to help you as a part of the trade, of course." This time, Petyr didn''t take out just a few Galleons, but a full 50. The Goblin gaped at the gold, almost lunging at Petyr to snatch them away. Snaglok, the poor, shrewd goblin, didn''t even know when the interview to select the thief had become a common matter of trade. "Very well," Snaglok said, his eyes never leaving the gold coins. "On 25th November, the bank will recruit guards for the Bank''s Security Task Force. I will push your name on that list. Three days later, I will fake an attack on Vault No. 999. The guards will have to go down there, along with the High Goblin, to check the safety of the contents. It will be on you to steal the biggest green-gold egg within the chest. Can you do it?" The successive notifications brought immense joy to Kai. ¡­ [ Side Mission: Snaglok''s delusion Side Mission Status: Success Side Mission Rewards: 150 Mission Credits You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡­ Main Mission Timer is triggered Initiating Battle Sequence¡­ Floor: 3 (1st Set) Kill Count: (0/100) Battle Number: Not Applicable ¡­ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have triggered a Side Mission ¡­ Main Mission: Three heads of the Targaryen Dragon Side Mission: The Birth of Rhaegal Side Mission Summary: Snaglok has already doomed himself by going against the Goblin''s code of conduct. Now he wants to steal the contents of the chest within Vault No. 999. Join the Security Task Force on November 25, and help Snaglok steal the eggs when the time comes. Side Mission Objective: Steal the green-bronze Dragon egg Side Mission Time Limit: Not Applicable ¡­ Do you accept the side-mission? ] ¡­ Kai looked into Goblin''s greedy eyes and grinned. * * "Chaos," Kai called out. "Create a Side Mission to Kill the nearest 4th-floor Contestant of Order. Adjust Mission Summary accordingly." This was the brilliant plan Cersei had come up with. Kai had known that he could create Side Missions by using his privilege as the 3rd ranked Contestant in the Ranking of Worth Stat. Yet, even he hadn''t thought of something so devious. The reason was simple. Whenever it had come to knowing information regarding another Contestant, the System had gone haywire, spiking prices up unnaturally. But with this Side Mission, Kai could easily ignore mentioning what he truly needed. The mission being given to him by Chaos itself, as Cersei had told him, would definitely give him a location. This plan was devious wasn''t because Kai could force the System to reveal a Contestant''s position, but because if he didn''t like the mission or the Contestant''s position, he could just give it up and rather ask for the second nearest option. Cersei''s devilish grin hadn''t ceased after telling him this much, though. For the first time, Kai had found out he had been looking down on Cersei too much just because of her extremely flirtatious nature. Once she had put her mind to figuring something out, she just didn''t find the solution. Rather, she had ripped the problem apart from the roots. If you don''t like any 4th-floor Contestant in this world, she had said, then just create a Side Mission including another world. You can easily go to King''s Landing now that you are familiar with the city, can''t you? Even though Kai had found it an excellent suggestion, he finally refrained from using the second method. There were two reasons for his decision. First, he would be spending Mission Credits for a mission that might or might not be completed. Second, every Mission Credit spent now would affect the Time Compression he had been planning at the end of Main Mission. ¡­ [ Analyzing the Contestant''s Stats¡­ Analyzation Complete ¡­ Creating Side Mission¡­ ¡­ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have triggered a Side Mission ¡­ Main Mission: Three heads of the Targaryen Dragon Side Mission: Kill Captain of Guard Heavy Block Side Mission Summary: Heavy Block, a 4th-floor Contestant, is in the command of the Prime Minister¡¯s Field Task Force for a month. His Main Mission includes guarding the official residence of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at 10 Downing Street. Side Mission Objective: Kill Heavy Block Side Mission Time Limit: before 23 November ¡­ Do you accept the side-mission? ] ¡­ Hmm, Kai deliberated over the mission. The Thunder Faction''s data had something about it. It said major figures are always protected by some Task Force of Contestants openly or from behind the curtains. Here, even the Aurors will be there, the wizards no Contestant would like to face in battle. Then it''s a Task Force. So I can assume he will have at least 5 lower floor Contestants. I will have to lure him away from his team somehow. Kai''s brows furrowed as he kept thinking over it. Suddenly, he felt a cold and soothing sensation moving across his temples. Cold, yes. Just cold enough to make him relax and close his eyes in bliss. Then Kai shuddered. What if the serpent wouldn''t control the chill she was imparting into Kai''s soul? What would happen then? Kai didn''t trust anyone, anything. Yet¡­ when the silver mist came out of Kai''s head and solidified, Kai couldn''t help but stare into those red slits with warmth. Magic. Kai had blamed this one word for the feelings of trust that were welling up in his heart for the Ghost Serpent. Kai''s entire body became red hot then, giving off light trails of steam. The hot steam met the cool mist from where the serpent''s half body was coming out of Kai''s head. A ghostly pleasant sensation coursed through Kai''s body. Even the serpent''s body shook under the effects of this thrill. Hisss! -What?- Kai hissed out the question as an intention. It had become an involuntary action to activate Elementary Snake Language. The serpent came close to Kai and her forked tongue kissed Kai''s chin. She hissed out her own intention. -Trust?- It struck Kai, then. The serpent was nothing but an untainted child. The category of living beings who Kai found the easiest to be manipulated. He grinned. The grin became a shrill laugh. The serpent felt Kai''s joy and hissed along, going in and out of Kai''s body in its intangible form. "Not even a year old," a voice came from Kai''s behind, "and you have already started its corruption." "HER," Kai said through his gritted teeth as he turned around. Petyr was sitting there on the chair with the Basic Spellbook opened on the last page on his lap. One day had gone by since their meeting with the Goblin. Today was the night of November 7. Kai didn''t have any plans to stay here any longer. "Let''s go," he said. "We are going out of here." "Hmm?" Petyr raised an eyebrow, closing the book. "Snaglok said the recruiters would come here on the 25th. We don''t have to go anywhere. Leaky Cauldron is the safest place, and now we even have all the money." Kai pitied the fool. "Power would never present itself to those who seek comfort, Petyr," he said. "I thought you of all would know of it." "Haha!" Petyr laughed, standing up, his figure blurring. "We two have a very different definition of Power, my lord. Yours will make you stand at the top and will let you look down at the others as if they are ants. Mine¡­ well, I am content with everyone dancing around on my fingers. So, where are we going?" Petyr asked, but he had already become a part of Kai by then. "London is a big city," Kai muttered to himself, collecting all his valuables. "And Big Cities always have good Sewer Systems." Chapter 62: Killing a 4th-Floor Contestant – Gate of Opening: Open! 10 Downing Street, November 20 London Kai had spent the last 13 days working on his Snake Language Proficiency, increasing it by a whopping 15%. The rest of the time he had spent monitoring the movements around 10 Downing street. Here, Kai for the first time got to use all that he had learned in the last two years of his previous life. Even though there were wizards in this area, he had managed to figure out the identity of his prey, and his daily routine. The man, as Kai had found out, was a beast in human skin. Kai had waited and waited, but he couldn''t find a single time which seemed right to ambush Heavy Block. With the Time Limit coming closer, he refused to wait anymore. It was past midnight. Kai was hiding in the shadow of a tall tower at the top of a building. This building lay in the path of the daily patrol route of Heavy Block. The man always came alone to do the first check of the surroundings. Only then would the other members of the team follow the nightly patrol, one by one. As he saw a vague shadow approaching his spot, Kai jumped off the roof. * * The shadow belonged to a short-haired man in black formal attire. Under the sleeves of his black suit, his hands were covered in white bandages, and his boots looked sturdier, reaching up to his knees under his black pants. Heavy Block was heavy. With a height of over 6 and a half ft and jacked-up muscles, it looked like just anytime he could rip apart his suits as if coming out of a cocoon. When he reached the checkpoint, a tower above a tall building, a shrill scream reached him from distant corners of the hell called London''s streets. "Hel¡­" Heavy Block squinted his eyes. He looked in the direction which he was supposed to go, but his feet were already moving towards the scream, which had now become shriller. "Help!" A cry for help. Even from a distance, anyone could easily tell that this soul-shaking cry belonged to a girl. Heavy Block struck his legs, shaking out two ankle weights off his legs. As they struck the ground below, a small boom rang out. But even that boom couldn''t bury the scream. "HELP!" Heavy Block''s speed doubled. His face contorted from the sheer pressure with which he was kicking the stony walls. One moment, he was three streets away from the screaming girl. In the next, he was standing dozens of meters away. A blond-haired girl was being forcefully dragged away by a hooded man. Her clothes were in tatters, her breasts out in open. She was hitting the man''s hand, grabbing her hair, and calling for help in this deserted street. "Leave her alone!" Heavy Block screamed, crossing the distance with one step. A powerful hurling kick at the man''s chest sent him flying towards the wall behind him some 7-8 ft away. The power behind the kick was so great that when the man slumped down, half the wall behind him came down with it. Heavy Block''s arms wrapped around the young girl''s figure. She was so scared that her entire body was trembling in fear. The girl flung her arms around Heavy Block''s neck, and her tears wetted his chest. "Are you alright?" Heavy Block asked. "Thank¡­ you," the girl replied, sobbing, crying, and shuddering. Her hands fumbled behind his back to grip him tightly. "He is dead," Heavy Block said. "Don''t worry. Let me take you to the hospital." "No," the girl shook her head. "No one can kill him." ¡°YOU!¡± Suddenly, Heavy Block roared. He threw the girl off him. But it was too late. Too late. There was a syringe stuck in his right arm, its content was almost half gone. He spun his head towards the girl. Well, there was no girl anymore. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. * * Kai couldn''t fathom why Heavy Block had become so fast. He had seen him jumping around and had already put some allowance on his possible Agility, but even then, the man had come a minute earlier than he had expected. Heavy Block¡¯s kick had broken several bones in Kai''s chest. The moment he heard the roar, Kai imbued life in the Herald of Chaos, sensing Cersei''s disappearance, and threw down one of the three HP capsules left on him in his mouth. A saber appeared in his hands, and a bronze visorless spartan helm took shape on his head. Under the helm, his skin became red hot, and steam came out as if he was some beast of winter. Time. Time was of the essence. "You bastard!" Heavy Block roared, his right arm dangling lifelessly. Fuck! Kai cursed. The Light Neurotoxin could only affect his right arm, he could tell. Kai''s muscles ballooned, veins popping out like a thousand rivers. His teeth shattered as the pressure buildup inside him. He took the pose, muscles ripping apart his clothes. Twin-Saber Style: Forbidden Technique... The very air sizzled as Kai disappeared, the saber in his hand trembling like a twig. Heavy Block shouted, spinning in midair. Kai pushed his right hand with his left. The monstrous strength erupted, entering the saber. ¡­ Serpent God''s Wrath! A boulder-like kick hit the saber. Leaf Ferocious Hurricane! Chink! The saber went right through Heavy Block''s leg, cutting his heel and his calf, before breaking into half. Blood showered out of Kai''s mouth like a fountain. On the other side, Heavy Block fell, Light Neurotoxin from the syringe and from the saber already coursing through his veins. Kai popped in the rest of the HP capsules. The Titan''s buff was still working as intended. The broken saber had yet to disappear, and the man had yet to see death. If Kai had learned anything from his experiences, then it was to kill first and ask later. Kai turned around with murder in his eyes, readying himself to absorb the man¡¯s fear. Suddenly, he shuddered, his Perception going haywire. "You Chaos'' treacherous abomination!" Heavy Block bellowed, standing up. His left leg was bleeding, making small pools of blood under it. "You think you can win like this? Hah!" Kai backed up. This wasn''t something he had expected. In front of his eyes, he was seeing the man getting stronger, giving out a higher danger than when he was whole. "Gate of Opening¡­¡± A dense wave of something ethereal hit Kai, quaking his soul. ¡°¡­ Open!¡± Whoop! The air popped around Heavy Block in short bursts, and he disappeared. Kai''s Snake Instinct caught the kick coming for his head. He crouched, and when his eyes looked down, he found another kick coming up. Every cell in Kai''s mind roared. Then, the kick hit him. Crunch! The kick hit him again. Crunch! One more kick and the bronze helm disappeared. Crunch! Crunchh!! Crunchhh!!! When Kai came to his senses, he found himself hovering mid-air, falling back. A voice entered from just behind his ears. "Primary Lotus¡­" Hundreds of bandage strips wrapped Kai''s figure before he could even move a muscle. Kai felt Heavy Block gripping him with his still working arm and wrapping his uninjured leg around his waist for stability. All the world spun as the two men fell, spinning, whistling. "¡­ Bloom!" Kai felt Heavy Block letting go of him, but for the love of God, he couldn''t shake off the bandages. His mind was shaking, banging against his skull. Then the ground came unannounced. Boommm! ¡­ When Kai opened his eyes, he found them soaked with blood. He dragged himself out of the crater. How much time he took doing that, Kai would never know. His HP bar was flashing dangerously; this he could tell. A few feet away from him, he could see Heavy Block coming toward him, dragging his left leg. The man was enormous, but he looked like a massive pillar of stone with that stiffness in his body. The Light Neurotoxin was finally taking its effect, but Heavy Block still looked too agile for Kai¡¯s taste. Something needed to be done¡­ Heavy Block lifted Kai by his hair and brought him up to his eye level. "No honor!" the man declared as he saw Kai''s defiant eyes. Kai punched, his hand moving slowly, lazily. The punch landed on the man''s face like a slow tap. ¡°Have you had enough¡­¡± Heavy Black asked, shaking Kai¡¯s head left and right. ¡°Hehehe!¡± Kai¡¯s laugh was the like the death knell. A burst of Mana exploded around Kai and, in an instant, Heavy Block¡¯s complexion paled as if some wraith had sucked out his life. On the other hand, Kai¡¯s cheeks became rosy, HP pumping through his broken veins. Skill - Pain Split! Heavy Block staggered, his grip over Kai¡¯s hair loosening lifelessly. Kai landed on the ground and, like a serpent, lunged at Heavy Block, keeping himself low. Before the 4th-floor Contestant could come out of the shock of losing his HP, Kai plunged the broken saber into his bleeding calf. A poisoned scream left Heavy Block, his knees buckling. The man fell and found himself looking into two hazel slits, with no humanity left in them. For the first time, Heavy Block¡­ feared for his life. Unfortunately, it was already too late for him. Kai¡¯s free hand snapped toward Heavy Block¡¯s throat and gripped it like the bite of a snake. A brilliant mass of silver mist erupted out of his palm, passed right through Heavy Block¡¯s flesh, and¡­ froze his soul. Soul Chill - Output 100%!!! Heavy Block eyes stilled, his skin gaining frost. Something inside him had truly died, but the man was still alive. -Kill!- Kai hissed. -Kill!- she hissed back. Their intentions, their wills, and their thoughts were alike at this moment. The silver mist seeped out of the man and the Ghost Serpent solidified, her black maw opening in intense anger. The two magical fangs dug deep in the leather-like skin of Heavy Block. The Soul Neurotoxin, whose potency was terrifyingly higher than Light Neurotoxin, entered the enormous man''s body. Just on the verge of victory, Heavy Block met a soul-chilling death! Chapter 63: High Risk-High Rewards – Ghost Serpent’s New Food! 6 hours later, November 20 London''s Sewers The street Kai had chosen wasn''t a coincidence. That street didn''t have a manhole, but it was at a distance from one where Kai could have dragged himself without hands and legs, if necessary. The moment Heavy Block had fallen, his eyes becoming two glassy hollows, Kai had taken the enormous man down the sewers, making sure he had left no obvious trail behind. The scenes of the fight didn''t matter as much. With a dead body on his shoulder, Kai kept walking until he reached the temporary asylum he had created for himself after coming down to the sewers. Using his last experience, Kai had turned quite a big opening within the sewer lines into a makeshift small room with a bed, chair, table, and other necessities. He threw the corpse in a corner and slumped down on a broken chair. Damn! Kai cursed, remembering last night''s fight. I had thought I would get him with Serpent God''s Wrath. What in the seven hells even was that? It seemed almost like my transformation of going beyond bodily limits. Kai had indeed thought of getting Heavy Block using his Forbidden Technique. Like always, he had also planned based on his experiences. What if an unknown enemy were to appear suddenly and attack him, or what if an Auror were to apparate next to them? What if the Light Neurotoxin wouldn''t immobilize him as he had intended? Kai had thought about all of that. But if only thinking of these things was enough, then he wouldn''t have been called a Blood Demon. There was always a trump card on him for the last moment''s unexpected scenario. The appalling thing about people like Kai wasn''t in having a trump card, but the Will to hold it back no matter what. Until the very last breath. Saying, imagining, and sneering over it as if it was a simple matter, had always doomed such ordinary thinkers. If one had the power to use it in a fatal battle, how many could restrain themselves from not using it? Ghost Serpent came out of Kai''s shirt and slithered around his neck, her scales sending a cool sensation into his skin. "You were good out there," Kai said expressionlessly as if stating a mere fact. The serpent hissed, her forked tongue kissing his chin in reply. Kai took a deep breath and finally recalled the notifications he had put aside. ¡­ [ Elementary Slither Footsteps: Proficiency 90% (+10%) Elementary Twin-Saber Style: Proficiency 75% (+3%) Elementary Snake Instinct: Proficiency 55% (+8%) Elementary Snake Language: Proficiency 40% (+15%) Steel-Bone Brigandine: Quality 15% (-23%) ] ¡­ Kai gazed at his Snake Language''s Proficiency. One single instance of momentary resonance between him and the serpent had increased it by 15%. If someone had told him that he would come this far just by owning a serpent, he wouldn''t have believed it. Then his eyes landed on the minuscule improvement in Twin-Saber Style¡­ despite using the Forbidden Technique. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Kai sighed. I really need good sabers¡­ Yes. This fight was necessary, given his Kill Count. But it had also cost him a lot. Now, he had again lost his fangs. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have killed 1 Order''s Contestant ¡­ Side Mission: Kill Captain of Guard Heavy Block Side Mission Status: Success Side Mission Rewards: 175 Mission Credits ¡­ Your Kill Count is updated Floor: 3 (1st Set) Kill Count: (10/100) ] ¡­ It was a refreshing scene, as much refreshing as the serpent''s silver mist form passing in and out of him. Finally, Kai looked at the corpse. Such a massive man, he thought, scrutinizing the bulky muscles. From which world he had got such strength, I wonder. Gate of Opening¡­ Gate. I think that Data mentioned a powerful technique¡­ some Eight Gates from the Naruto World. Was it that? It seemed a plausible explanation. The only thing that made little sense to him was why Heavy Block didn''t use chakra-based jutsus. I still don''t know enough, Kai reflected, shaking his head. I hope the 2nd Set will give me all the information that I need, eventually. Or I can just create a random Side Mission and hop into the Naruto World. Haha! The thought excited Kai. He had already rejected a mission from the Chaos regarding the World of Ninjas. But that turned out to be a life-saving rejection. Kai couldn''t think what he would have done against the monsters Chaos wanted him to spy on. Recalling the names and their info from the Thunder Faction''s data boiled his blood with as much in excitement as in fear. Kai stood up and approached the stiffened body. Even at the last moment, he didn''t take out any Item, Kai thought. I can''t get anything from his MRB, and to gamble on something which I don''t even think it is there would be the height of stupidity. Not to mention, Kai needed as many Mission Credits as possible, not knowing how much he would actually need at the end of the Main Mission to compress the leftover Time Limit. So Kai chose the next best thing. ¡­ [ Calculating collective remuneration¡­ Reward: 1200 Mission Credits ] ¡­ Oh! Kai''s eyes widened. This is quite a sum. At least hunting him wasn''t an entire waste. It pained Kai, losing his sabers. But he had been preparing himself for that scenario for a long time. Both his sabers and the colorless Light Neurotoxin were becoming outdated by the pace he was advancing. The sabers, though unmatched in the 1st Set, were almost useless against powerful 4th-floor Contestants. Even the high quantities of the colorless Boa''s poison were only affecting a part of their bodies, and even that with delayed effects. Kai would never count on being too near to his opponents to inject the lethal dose of the purple poison using his nail. They all would have a high Perception, he knew. If it wasn''t because the Character Cersei not having any Stats, he doubted she could have plunged the syringe into Heavy Block''s arm. Even then he had noticed her ill-intention at the last moment, Kai recalled, gritting his teeth. He broke the syringe too. Damn fucking idiot! Kai kicked the man''s head, and blood spurted out. Ghost Serpent coiled around his neck, hissing along with his anger. Kai brought out Boa Constrictor''s Blood Essence. -Food?- he hissed, passing his intention. It still strained his muscles, passing the intentions, but his body was getting used to it with every next word. -Food.- the Ghost Serpent hissed, agreeing with Kai. The supply of flesh beads, as Kai called them, had run out some days ago. Only one remained with him now. During his time down here, he had already analyzed them thoroughly. The flesh beads were like tiny meatballs made of many types of rodents'' blood, flesh, and bones. They did little to satiate the serpent¡¯s hunger, Kai had found out. Instead, he had concluded it was the wizards'' way of controlling her growth by feeding her as little as possible. Well, Kai had other thoughts about it. -Bad.- Kai hissed, showing the Ghost Serpent the last flesh bead, and then he threw it away into the filth. Then he took out a mass-produced Dagger, which he had yet to smear with poison. -Good.- he hissed, pointing the dagger at Heavy Block under his feet, his dead flesh rich in Mana. Ghost Serpent didn''t understand. But her master had spoken it was good, so it must be, no? -Good.- she hissed back. Kai grinned like a demon and then crouched upon the dead man, the dagger in his hand shining vilely under the dim light. What happened next wasn''t a tale any man of sanity should ever know and live to imagine. Chapter 64: Opening an Account in Gringotts Wizarding Bank – Coin Master! Afternoon, November 25 Leaky Cauldron Kai stood in the middle of three people. He was wearing a scarlet uniform with brown shoes, a glossy gold belt, and a sturdy gold cap. There was a badge over his left chest pocket, which glistened with the image of Gringotts. On his right arm was a black strap on which Gringotts Wizarding Bank was written in gold on the half side, and Security Task Force on the other half. In the morning, he, along with two other recruits, was supposed to head to the Bank for the commencement of his training. The chilly morning had come and gone, though. The afternoon would have been a pleasant time to take a walk, if not for the chaos that had taken place in London. "How did a squib like you get the job?" the recruit on Kai''s right asked, twisting his lips. He was a wizard, of course, and so was the recruit on his left. "You, white hair. Come here." The man standing in front of Kai, who had been keeping the three from going to the bank, called out. Kai''s entire body felt hot, his back drenched with sweat, and the serpent sleeping within him shuddered. The Mana around the man was heart-palpating. This man was an Auror. The thing was, he wasn''t the only Auror in the Leaky Cauldron. Two others were also questioning various wizards and witches. Some were complying with them and some resisted. The latter got taken away almost instantly with a whip-cracking sound. Their fate? Unknown. Another thing was that this had been going on for the last five days. The cause? A bombastic attack of terrorists at 10 Downing Street some five days ago. The series of explosions that had brightened London''s dark sky that night was terrifying beyond measure. Only the Aurors knew that there were wizards involved in the attack and it started with the disappearance of the Chief Security Guard of the Prime Minister''s Field Task Force, named Heavy Block. Kai could only guess what must have happened. The scouts from another Chaos team must have noticed the absence of Heavy Block at his usual patrolling time. The leader of that Chaos'' team, taking the chance, descended on the street with such wrath that all Contestants of Order must have been killed before the wizards could control the situation. It was a chaos Kai hadn''t unexpected. He was grateful for it, though. I hope I will get some extra Worth Points through it, he thought, taking off his cap as he stood at attention in front of the Auror. The High Guard of the Security Task Force was standing behind the Auror. Both wizards stared at Kai, their eyes narrowing on the list of names in their hands. "Name?" the Auror asked. "Arlen Silvas." "Place?" "Yorkshire." ¡­ and on and on they kept asking. Kai answered every question according to the secret identity Snaglok had prepared for him. One last question remained. The most troublesome. "Recommendation?" "Mr. Snaglok." "How do you know him?" the High Guard asked, his wand rolling in between his fingers. Kai licked his lips, his anxiety clearly visible on his face. "He¡­ He¡­" Kai feigned a stammer. "He owes gold to my family." The Auror and the High Guard looked at Kai in dumb shock. Goblins didn''t owe money, it was known. Everyone owed them. "No wonder," the Auror said, looking Kai up and down. "No wonder," the High Guard agreed. "So that''s how a squib got a job like this at the Gringotts. Heh! Go. Stand by the Diagon Alley''s entrance and wait for me." Kai scampered off like a scared chicken caught red-handed. The grin on his face would''ve been too hard to conceal otherwise. * * Kai followed the High Guard through the alley. The clamor that had shaken London''s government outside seemed to have little effect on the crowd of the Diagon Alley. "It was the work of some angry Death Eaters," one spat as if that would give it some reality. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The tales kept becoming weirder, taking a darker and wilder turn as they approached the Bank. The massive building loomed over the entire alley like an eagle stalking its prey from the sky. Also, what was above wasn''t even worth it to call it the tip of the iceberg compared to the abyss lying below the Bank. "From tomorrow," the High Guard said, "you will start your drills. Patrolling, knowing the shortcuts, and how to reach each vault the fastest will be a part of your training. Not yours¡­" The High Guard gave a nasty look to Kai. "You will be drilled in killing rats." The two wizards by Kai''s side sniggered at hearing that. When they entered the Bank, the two guards posted at the entrance nodded at the High Guard. "Sord, to me," the High Guard continued (-a guard patrolling inside the bank came running-). "Show these three to their rooms. They are the recruits." Sord nodded. The High Guard gave a last look to the three recruits, then stalked off towards the High Goblin. Kai finally got time to take a relaxing breath. Standing by that wizard was like walking into a sea of wool. For the first time, Kai looked around. Scores of Goblins were busy behind their desk. The hall''s ceiling could''ve easily been mistaken as a gold sky, such was its height. And an ordinary man could lose himself, walking around within it, such was its charm. "Oi," Sord shouted. "Are you coming or what?" Kai hurried off behind Sord. He had many things to do before the day was over. Unlike what he had expected, and to his dismay, the other two recruits didn''t bully Kai when they reached the Guards'' quarters. They just ignored him. Kai''s room was small, with one bed, table, chair, mirror, and a wardrobe. The low-level guards shared a common bathroom. Kai crammed his fake things into the wardrobe. Sord was passing by his room, probably returning to the Hall, when Kai walked out. "Where are you going?" Sord asked, raising an eyebrow. He was a gaunt man with a thick mustache and a clean chin. "You should rest. The drill will start tomorrow, but the theoretical part will start tonight itself. No one has time to take care of that during the day." "I am going to open a bank account," Kai said, patting his coat''s pocket. "Don''t wanna lose it on my first day, do I?" Sord frowned. "Very well," he said. "Come with me." Kai followed Sord to the Hall. "There," Sord pointed at a goblin. "Go to him and then return to your quarters immediately." "Yes, sir." Kai nodded. Kai approached the goblin. "Hello," he said politely. "I want to open a bank account." Snaglok had warned Kai to not stand out before the task. With so many wizards and magical beings around he, he wouldn''t have stood out, anyway. It was just a matter of moistening his tongue, a thing he was too familiar with. The goblin, though, didn''t care for Kai''s tone. He looked up at Kai, sniffed, and pressed his thick brows. He reached down, taking out a form. "Fill it," he said, returning to his work immediately. "Gringotts Wizarding Bank - Squibs and Muggles Bank Account Application Form," Kai read. The form asked little from Kai, but it told much. The processing fee alone was 10 galleons, double the usual case. Then, Kai would need to deposit over 50 galleons as a starter. Whatever amount he would deposit, 50 galleons from it would be blocked as a security fee. Kai wouldn''t be able to take it out before upgrading his account using another application form. Or in my case, by upgrading Title Coin Master, Kai reflected. He used the spare quill on the desk to write his code name, his birth date, and the amount he would deposit. Then he signed the form. At last, he pressed his thumbprint just below his signature. The goblin nudged his glasses, going through the details. "125 Galleons," the goblin demanded. Kai took out a big coin purse and handed it over. After clearing his account at Leaky Cauldron, Kai had some 126 coins left. He kept one gold coin with him and deposited the rest. The goblin licked his lips as he counted the coins, but he went only that far. "All well." The goblin declared. Kai couldn''t help but feel the excitement welling up within him as the goblin reached down again and took out a big iron key this time, labeled with No. 533. "Red, Vault No. 533," the goblin said as if declaring it to the entire world. "Gringotts Wizarding Bank welcomes you." The moment Kai took the key in his hand, the notifications bombarded him. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn¡­ You have achieved a Milestone ¡­ Milestone: Open your account in the Gringotts Wizarding Bank Milestone Rewards: +1 Sickle every month to your bank balance (Primordial Tower time) Note: Your bank account is now valid for all Harry Potter Random World''s timelines. The Vault no. in different timelines is subjected to change, which will be communicated to you through your Vault Key. ] ¡­ This¡­ Kai gawked at the reward. It''s free money! The most awaited notification flashed in existence then. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have achieved a Title ¡­ Title: Coin Master Specification: Deposit 1 unit (100 Galleons) into your Gringotts account Status: (0/1) Effect:
  1. Charisma +2
  2. Luck +2
  3. Worth +1
Warning: Only 1 Title can be equipped at a time. Once the current Title is unequipped, the Contestant can only equip a different Title after a Cooldown of 1 minute and the same Title after a Cooldown of 3 minutes. ¡­ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have unlocked 1 Title ¡­ Title: Rich Gentleman Specification: Deposit 10 unit (1000 Galleons) into your Gringotts account Status: (1/10) Effect:
  1. Charisma +5
  2. Luck +5
  3. Worth +10
] ¡­ With money comes luck, Kai thought, equipping the Title. Who the fuck said otherwise? Chapter 65: Ukrainian Ironbelly – A New Artifact! Evening, November 28 Gringotts Wizarding Bank Kai had been quite busy for the last three days. Most of the time he had spent underground, walking, racing, and falling through the many tunnels specifically for the guards'' use. Even though the High Guard had told him that his duty was to kill the rats, the training protocols required him to do all that the other wizards were supposed to do. The abyss below the bank was a damp, dark mass of black, stony walls and horrors. The thing that had made Kai furious beyond measure was that Snaglok had not warned him about the significance of the Vault Numbers. Nobody talked to him, but that didn''t mean he had forgotten how to listen. Monstrous things are guarding the Vault as one goes deeper into the abyss, Kai had heard one wizard say with unknown pride. There are dragons, giant crabs, enormous rats, and even sphinxes guarding those Vaults. Kai''s breathing had already lost its rhythm when the dragon was mentioned. How the hell will I bypass all the wizards and the magical creatures at the same time? he had asked himself. Not to mention, the Blood Prophecy still lingered like a gluttonous monster at the back of his mind, ready to devour him at a single instance of negligence. Now, Kai was getting a hang of the Blood Prophecy after repeating it many times. There was no true limitation of time, though it didn''t let him see much farther. It focused on Random Encounter, which, by all means, was bound to result in some unfortunate event in case Kai hadn''t known about it beforehand. So, the highest priority for him in the last three days wasn''t to marvel at the terrifying vistas below the Gringotts, but to prepare himself in case Snaglok just happened to decide to fuck him up. For that, Kai had to go out into the muggle world. Being a squib, the High Guard, though reluctantly, had ordered a wizard to take Kai out of the Diagon Alley via Leaky Cauldron. It had been a simple thing to ditch the wizard at the pub and then go outside on his own. The moment Kai made sure that no one was spying on him, he had gone down to the sewers where he had stashed his stolen muggle money, for just in case scenarios. Guns weren''t the things Kai would buy, he had decided. First, he wouldn''t have time to practice with them. Second, he had never used them. What Kai was looking for was something that would be as effective on the wizards as the muggles. Which would be easiest and fastest to use, to give him enough time to steal the egg and just teleport right after. What was the thing that the wizards share with the muggles? They are all humans, so they have the same senses, he had answered himself. Well, wizards'' senses are more heightened, a thing I can use to my advantage. After buying what he wanted, Kai returned to the Gringotts. A glance exchanged between him and the goblin, Snaglok, told him that the attack on the Vault would most likely happen tonight. So, Kai had spent the next few hours going through all the nook and cranny of his plan and all the actions he would take repeatedly in his mind. The High Guard was not pleased about his lack of focus in the afternoon, Kai could tell. Well, fuck him! Kai cursed, kicking a rat, sending it to fall off a cliff. "Good," the recruit, Solanky, said. "You are already training yourself for your job. Well, you can do that later. There is no shortage of rats. The High Guard has ordered us to go to the deeper vaults to familiarize ourselves. Let''s go." Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Kai''s eyes widened upon hearing the order. He couldn''t help but relate it to the glance he had shared with Snaglok. Is it just a coincidence? Kai asked himself. If we go to the deeper vaults now, then the first to react to any attack would be us too, no matter if we are a bunch of recruits led by the High Guard for training. Is the attack happening tonight because Snaglok already knew about it? Then, doesn''t that mean¡­ Kai''s eyes narrowed menacingly at the fact he had just concluded. When he saw the High Guard standing tall over the High Goblin, his eyes became even narrower. "Get in," the High Guard, Mr. Gilson, ordered the three recruits. The other recruit, Baken, was chatting with Sord. They were laughing, jesting at each other, complaining about the cart''s one-speed-limit. "Where are we going?" Kai asked Sord. Baken and Solanky scowled at Kai but didn''t interfere. "Deeper than Vault No. 700," Sord replied, not unkindly. "Even you should know why only fools think of robbing Gringotts vaults, I guess. Mr. Gilson has requested the High Goblin to oversee the recruits'' training for the deeper vaults. There are dangers there only he can handle." Kai gulped. There were two carts. Mr. Gilson and the High Goblin were in one, along with their cart operator. The rest were in the second one, packed shoulder to shoulder. Kai said nothing during the rest of the ride. Then they passed through the waterfall which could disable all disguises and charms upon passing under it. Sord''s eyes went to all faces one by one. Only then did he nod to himself. As the rest of the wizards dried themselves with magic, Sord used his wand to help Kai. He was aware of the judging glances around him, but a sudden bright red-orange flash caught their attention. ROAR! Kai''s mind shook, hearing that deafening roar. He couldn''t help but think of the time when they were hovering in the sky using brooms just outside the boundaries of Dufftown during his Initiation Mission. He had heard this type of bellowing cry then too. The cart was going up and down unimaginably fast, but even that couldn''t stop him from scooching over its side and taking a peek. A searing wave of heat hit Kai''s face as a massive cloud of fire passed by his head, disappearing into the far oblivion. Sord pulled Kai back with a jerk. "Do you have a death wish, squib?" he snapped, concernedly. The carts slowed down and, finally, Kai saw the most desperate and overwhelming scene of his life. It was an enormous Dragon. Metallic gray, its wingspan could have blanketed the entire Gringotts'' ceiling, Kai could tell. It was bipedal, and even from afar, Kai could see the wrath infused in those two huge red eyes. When it roared out pillars of flame, its steel-like scales flashed silver-black. Kai''s chest throbbed. His every cell was pulsing with raw hunger and thirst. For Power. "Ukrainian Ironbelly," Sord told them, as they approached the High Guard. "It''s the largest dragon species in the world. It guards the vaults in this row." Kai was half-listening, half-contemplating. His hand kept rubbing his chest as he thought about killing everyone here and getting that thing for himself. Dozens of scenarios passed by his mind, but he couldn''t find a way to just devour the beast before dying himself first. "Only goblins with clankers can handle this beast," the High Guard said. "So, never approach them by yourself." The High Goblin nodded at the end of Mr. Gilson''s warning and took out a magical device that made a drumming noise when the goblin shook them. The dragon wreathed manically, flapping its wings, and cowered in one corner. Kai found it amazing how this little thing could have such a profound effect on such a powerful beast. "We have trained the beast to expect pain at the noise." The High Goblin spoke for the first time. "With this in hand, goblins can approach a vault safely," he said. "Here, pass it through among yourselves to have a feel for it, just in case you ever have to use it." None of them was approaching the dragon, Kai noticed. The High Goblin passed the device to Sord, who didn''t hold it even for a moment and gave it to the recruits. Both wizards kept drumming the device, much to the dismay of the dragon. Even the Ghost Serpent was getting agitated by the tumultuousness of the emotions he was going through. Suddenly, the two recruits passed the device back to Sord. "Uh," Kai approached Sord meekly. "Can I have a look at it too?" Behind him, Baken and Solanky sneered. "OK," Sord nodded. "Don''t stop drumming it, though." Kai nodded in return. But the moment he touched the clanker, he almost forgot to shake it. The notification was even more unexpected than the dragon''s presence. ¡­ [ Congratulations Kai Stormborn on finding an Artifact¡­ Artifact: Clanker from the Harry Potter World''s main storyline ] ¡­ Artifact?! Kai''s heart was in his throat. How the hell am I supposed to have it for 1 minute? Chapter 66: Glitch vs Dragon – Kai’s Failure! What to do? Kai drummed the clanker in a trance. All eyes were upon him, watching him, staring at him for the idiocy he had just shown by asking for the clanker. 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 15¡­ for how long could he feign this awed expression on his face at the sight of this magical device? he wondered. "OK," the High Goblin said. "Give it back." Kai crawled towards the goblin at a snail''s pace. Now the condemning eyes were turning into that of questioning. It wasn''t any good sign. He must return it, Kai knew. 20th second¡­ 23rd second¡­ 25th¡­ BOOM! The entire platform of the cliff they were standing on shook as if it was a clanker itself, clutched by some unseen, monstrous hand. A shockwave travailed its way up, lifting dust and stones as if they were twigs. Thunderous noise echoed in the maze-like tunnels as heavy boulders, held by the tiniest frictional grip before, came tumbling down from their home, falling into the deeper holes of the abyss. The wizards fell, losing their footing. Kai had stopped the drumming long ago. 30th second¡­ ROAR! The dragon, not hearing the appalling sound, cried out its lungs at the puny things in front of its eyes. Pillars after pillars of red-white fire got belched out over them. The wizards scampered off, searching for any shade they could find. Solanky wasn''t lucky enough. It was as if the fire had taken a human outline and was dancing in the madness, singing a heart-wrenching song of death and destruction. The cries that Solanky let out that day, burning in front of the dragon, were bound to echo for years to come. "Stupefy! SHAKE THE BLOODY CLANKER!" The High Guard kept shouting, firing magical blue balls at the dragon. Kai was already slithering from the dragon''s blind spot towards it. There was a madness within him too. Power was just dozens of meters away from him. He would get it. He would make it his own. This power, this dragon, and this blood essence was his and his alone. 45th second¡­ The dragon let out fiery cries, trying to shake itself from the iron grip which the chains had on its throat. The wizards kept firing stunning spells at its mouth, trying to get that sweet spot before it burned away their mortal flesh. Kai grinned. The horned tail was in his sight. Over the fallen pillar, down the opening, slithering around a boulder, and at last, Kai had it. Yes. He had it. 55th second¡­ ¡­ [ Beast Proximity: 3 meters Glitch Condition matched Contestant Kai Stormborn is qualified to awaken his Glitch Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Do you want to awaken it now? ] ¡­ "Blood Devour!" ¡­ [ Calculating Worth¡­ Glitch Blood Devour is now awakened for 42 minutes in this World ] ¡­ Red hotness erupted and instantly got overshadowed by the fire shot out of the dragon''s mouth. As the steam blurred Kai''s figure, and the shouts of the High Guard and Sord got intermingled, now almost begging for the sound of the clanker, the thing inside Kai''s chest ripped his skin apart. A long, narrow slit opened on his chest as if some ancient being had opened its single vertical eye to peer into the futility of the diminutiveness of the mortal world. Whatever was in there, which Kai couldn''t see but only sense, churned manically, and for the first time, hysterically. It wanted the dragon; it desired this colossal being. The hunger had never been so vast and crazed before. The Ukrainian Ironbelly smelled the danger and it stopped thrashing its tail and vomiting out flames. Its ferocious draconian mouth snapped towards Kai. But he knew it was too late for the dragon in the same way it had been too late for the Blue-tailed Boa Constrictor, and the Pokemon Misdreavus. In the next moment, his Glitch would break it down, turning its massive body into the purest Blood Essence, and then it would devour it. No need to follow any plans, Kai told himself. With it, I can do the rest of the mission single-handedly. The thing that happened next smothered Kai''s confidence into the deepest abyss. ¡­ [ WARNING: Glitch Blood Devour is incapable of devouring this beast''s Blood Essence ] ¡­ Kai stared at the notification, stunned beyond belief. It must be my imagination, he told himself. The Glitch can''t possibly fail, can it? But the survival instincts that were engraved over his very soul screamed a hideous warning in his ears. The Dragon snarled, opening its mouth, and as the gurgling fiery breath was just about to come out of its throat. Kai''s body moved as if it was possessed. Tak-tak-takkkk! The clanker rang, and the dragon trembled, howling, baying, and cowering from the expected deathly pain that had been imbued in its thoughts. "I GOT IT!" Kai shouted, running for the High Guard who was hiding behind a pillar. There was deep pain and anger in Kai''s eyes, and his body shook, thinking of the loss. But it was his chest that throbbed in a mania that could never be from this world. The Ghost Serpent had always avoided passing through his chest, and now she had moved to the sole of his feet, shaking, trembling, and fearing the unbearable and unnatural rhythms. She was scared. "I got it," Kai said, throwing it to the High Guard, who immediately started to drum it. "It fell out of my grip and rolled over to the dragon''s tail. I had to get it from there." All wizards, and the High Goblin, looked at him with sheer gobsmacked expressions. Sord approached him and wrapped the squib in his arms. His body trembling from excitement and forgotten relief. "Thank you," he told Kai. "If only I knew you were so brave¡­" Sord shook his head. There was deep regret in his voice, which hadn''t gone unnoticed by Kai, no matter what unknown emotions were going through his mind. "Are you hurt?" Sord asked, his brows furrowing. "It''s nothing¡­ My elbow hurt a little, I think." Kai panted for air, clutching his left hand as if it had been injured. "What was that blast?¡± "Yes," the High Guard said. "It came down from the deeper Vaults." The High Goblin then lifted his hands and looked at his palms. "Oh!" the goblin gasped. "It''s Vault No. 999. Someone just tried to break into it. But¡­ What a coincidence! Mr. Gilson, isn''t that the next Vault you meant to show the recruits?" Mr. Gilson nodded, his face expressionless. "We must check it," he said. "I am sending a cart back to call for the backup. They must have felt the blast, but still, it''s best to come down prepared and in numbers." "What about Solanky?" the recruit, Baken, asked. He looked rather shaken from the incident. The High Guard scowled at him. "Get a grip on yourself," he rebuked. "Even a squib has shown more bravery than you, a wizard. Solanky is gone. Even his ashes are not there to gather them up. Think of living and go back with the cart. Useless!" With a pale and ashen face, Baken somehow slumped down into one of the two carts. The High Guard, High Goblin, Sord, and Kai hurried for the other one, where the cart operator was crouched low with his head down. "To Vault No. 999," the High Goblin said. "Hurry!" As they cramped themselves up into the cart, Kai looked back at the dragon. For a moment, it felt like the beast was looking at him with plain mockery. Kai had failed. He had been defeated thoroughly. But he hadn''t come out of this ordeal without a lesson. Though, the lesson was harsh. His Individuality wasn''t as invincible as he had given it the credit for. Time left to the hibernation of Blood Devour - 30 minutes! Chapter 67: Vault No. 999 – A Scheming Showdown! The rail became steeper as they kept going deeper into the abyss. Every other row of Vaults was farther than each other, Kai realized. The speed, though, was still the same. It was fast, with hell-wind blasting against their faces, trying to strip them off the skin. When the cart stopped with a jerk, the darkness wasn''t alone in greeting them. Cold; a bone-chilling gust of wind rolled around them like a blanket of death. The cold kept becoming colder. Some coldness were known to have animalistic tendencies, trying to bite into flesh, one layer after another. This cold, though, was just plain sad. It did have a vileness to it, and Kai doubted if he would be ever happy again. Something clicked in his mind, and Kai shuddered in terror. He wasn''t alone, though. "Take it out, sir," the High Guard growled. The High Goblin was shaking like a leaf. Mr. Gilson''s voice jolted the goblin and he hastily reached into his robes, taking out a black bag. The color of the bag was so dark that even the surroundings felt impotent compared to it. The High Goblin opened the cover, and a white sun rose, blinding the unseen depths of the abyss. Kai felt a rush of pure light around him. Eyes squinted, he looked at the thing. It was a fist-sized orb within which there was a sea of silver mist. It reminded Kai of the intangible form the Ghost Serpent took to pass through the solid objects. There was something in it, he could tell. Something alive. "A petrified Corporeal Patronus!" Sord exclaimed. The High Guard nodded. "Only two of their kind," he said. "Goblins had forged them ages ago until the Ministry banned its forging and seized the rest." Kai had no clue what was going on. But it must have been shocking, for Sord''s mouth had yet to close after seeing the thing. "Two¡­" Sord muttered. "Where is the second?" "In my chambers," Mr. Gilson declared. "Let''s go. Who knows how much damage the explosion has done to the vault? Wands out." Wands were already out, though both Kai and the High Goblin didn''t have any. Sord put himself in front of Kai, as the wizard, Mr. Gilson, towered behind the High Goblin, his wand pointed out over the goblin''s head. The orb in the goblin''s hand worked like a high-luminosity bulb, brightening up the cliff''s edge they were walking on. "This is the last vault where the guards may venture," Sord told Kai. "But even I haven''t come down here before." "There!" the High Guard said after a minute of walking. "Behind that looming edge of the stone wall, there is a right turn which leads to the vault." And, yes. There was a right turn behind that edge. But when the four took the turn, another sun was waiting for them, lying before the heavy iron door of the vault. The number, 999, glistened ghostly silver-gold against its light. "How can that be?!" the High Goblin exclaimed, looking taken aback. Sord stumbled back a few steps, his back hitting Kai''s chest. "It''s not possible!" Mr. Gilson said in hollow awe. "Who dares to rob my belongings?" I hope they never apply for an acting job, Kai sneered, almost rolling his eyes. After a momentary silence, the four resumed their amble, keeping to the right. On their left was a drop, where even the light from the silver orb couldn''t seem to reach. Kai was at the back of the group. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Suddenly, he noticed a triangular rocky platform jutting out of the cliff a few inches below their footing. Kai''s eyes widened. Following an unparalleled and unannounced instinct, he took out the single gold coin left on him and flicked it over to the rock. The coin struck the wide part of the platform and then rolled down to the pointy end. But before it could fall down the abyss, it lost its momentum and stopped, laying down on its flattened side. As the silvery light fell on the gold, it glowed, luring eyes and hearts alike. Kai walked away as if he had done nothing, nor did he know what had just happened. When they approached the second orb, Mr. Gilson picked it up and looked around. Kai had already been searching for any sign of Snaglok. A sudden blast of cold hit him above his head, chilling his skull. It was like the hot shower had suddenly let out a few drops of ice-cold water. Kai looked up and gaped at what he saw. A silent mass of black clouds was floating high above them. "I think we should check if anything was stolen or not," Mr. Gilson suggested. "Yes, yes." The High Goblin nodded, almost running for the large vault doors on his stunted legs. Kai''s heart was thumping with every next step. The time was coming, and he didn''t know if he was prepared enough or not. The goblin put both his palms against the door, and Kai heard a distinct clicking noise before the doors parted by themselves. All four walked in one by one, entering an almost empty chamber. In the middle of the room, something was hovering a few inches above the floor. It looked more like a small wardrobe than a chest to Kai. It reached up to his knees in height, and there were strange runes around its edges that seemed unfamiliar and yet mysteriously powerful to him. The High Goblin put both his palms again at the front of the floating wardrobe, the silver orb lying at his feet. Chaos descended over them unannounced. The High Guard, Mr. Gilson, and Sord roared almost simultaneously. "Stupefy!!" The thing was, the High Guard''s wand was pointed at the High Goblin, but Sord''s wand was pointed at the High Guard. How could Kai not join the party, then? Two Flashbangs appeared in his hands which he threw at his sides, not caring for anyone. Bang!! Two muffled bangs, followed by an intense surge of light, took over the small room. Even though their eyes had adjusted considerably to the light because of the orbs, the flash wasn''t something whose intensity one could compare. Sord''s stunner hit Mr. Gilson, and the orb in his hands got flung away, rolling out of the vault''s doors. Mr. Gilson''s stunning charm was a little late and missed the target, hitting the silver orb under the goblin¡¯s feet. Its contents burst forth with another bang, sending the High Goblin flying. The old goblin''s short, bulky figure hit Sord''s face like a boulder. All were blind, and for a moment, no one could see possibly into the vault without squinting their eyes. When the intense light receded, Kai, his eyes still closed, walked out holding the open wardrobe. It was still hovering above the ground, but it wasn''t locked anymore. There were three wooden racks within it one below the other, and on those racks, three eggs were glistening with colors that didn''t seem any human could perceive at a glance. Slowly, Kai opened his eyelids and looked back into the vault. A silver mist was roaming around, moving from corner to corner as if it had been lost to the sight of living for ages. Then Kai looked at the opened wardrobe. On the top rack, there was a tiny golden egg the size of his thumb. On the bottom rack, there was a fist-sized brown egg with blood-red strips. The Ghost Serpent within him shuddered when Kai looked at that egg. But it was the middle egg, which was the biggest. Green-gold petrified scales covered it, making it feel like the most beautiful carved sculpture. Finally, Kai looked at Snaglok. The goblin was standing some twenty meters away from him, holding the single silver orb which had been thrown out by the High Guard. "You did it!" Snaglok exclaimed. "Good. Give it to me." "You didn''t tell me you have made plans with both the High Guard and Sord separately," Kai said. "Bah!" Snaglok sneered contemptuously. "What does it matter? I told them the same things, but not about each other. I also suggested to them whom they were supposed to stun the moment the High Goblin was to open the wardrobe. It all turned out to be to your advantage, didn''t it?" It certainly did. Sord thought he was in cahoots with Snaglok. So, he fired his charm at Mr. Gilson. Mr. Gilson thought he was in cahoots with Snaglok, and he was suggested to stun the High Goblin first. It left Kai to do as he pleased, bringing out the wardrobe containing eggs almost unharmed. Almost. What a devious goblin, Kai grinned. If he hadn''t done one thing, we could be friend. Tch! "You are right," Kai nodded. "But you made one grave mistake, Snaglok." "Huh?" Snaglok looked confused. A dagger appeared in Kai''s hand, and he slithered towards the goblin. "You shouldn''t have used me as a pawn." Hahaha! Snaglok''s laugh turned evil, rising in notes with Kai''s every step. The goblin held the silver orb high and pointed at Kai. "Kill the intruder." Panic took over Kai''s soul when he was just half the distance away from the goblin. He looked up. Kai''s eyes, hands, and legs trembled under the pressure. The silent mass of black clouds was falling. But they weren''t clouds. They were¡­ Dementors! Time left to the hibernation of Blood Devour - 5 minutes! Chapter 68: Glitch vs Dementor – Kai’s Individuality! Snaglok''s laugh found Kai''s ears as he turned around to run. "Hahaha! You can''t outrun them. For a thousand years, this legion of Dementors is held here to guard this vault. They are bound to it and they have only lived on the death row criminals the Bank gets from the Azkaban to feed them." Neck craned up, Kai ran for the only opening he could see other than the way he had come from; a long, narrowing fissure in the wall behind the Vault. Above him, the black clouds had turned into a black foul mist. The cold that had made everything miserable returned, gnawing on his flesh and bones. A sudden wave of depression and despair hit Kai''s soul as he slithered into the fissure, slithering from one stone to the other. Kai shivered. Countless rattling breaths entered his mind, trying to pull him down. He could feel it, the hunger within them. On and on, the creatures were chipping away his SP, little by little. Kai looked back, and what he saw left him horrified. At least a dozen Dementors, he couldn''t say, were gliding behind him, their hands outstretched, trying to claw at him, at his soul. It was darkness beyond dark; the darkest creatures had no beginning and no end. Kai slithered, gritting his teeth, burying the overwhelming retching sensation down his throat. Suddenly, Kai wasn''t there anymore. He was again on the floor, holding his mother''s dead body, crying, shrieking, and cursing. Through the hole in her back, he saw her blood and flesh, dripping, disappearing into a red abyss. "NO!" Kai shouted, his face deathly pale. He had fallen in the gap, which kept becoming narrower as he crawled backward, his eyes never leaving the unholy figures advancing towards him. The scenes kept returning to him, making him go in and out of consciousness. Whenever he returned to reality, though, he found them closer than before. A time would come when he wouldn''t return to reality, Kai knew. And that would be something worse than death. "So this was my Blood Prophecy," Kai muttered, his eyes becoming hollow. He had seen this happening, and since then, he had an inkling of what type of things he would have to deal with. He knew little about these creatures, but had read about them as beings to stay away from at any cost. Nor he had thought he would have to face them so soon. But the Blood Prophecy had given him a chance. So Kai had done what he could. The narrow fissure forced the Dementors to come at him one by one. Kai was losing it. His mind was having trouble telling if he was screaming at Brock or in the process of carrying out his plan. Silent was the sound of Dementors gliding towards him, and silent was the sound of tears running down his cheeks. The closest Dementor was almost upon him. The terror of the cold that seeped into him was beyond anything Kai had ever experienced. He had never felt so helpless, so¡­ unworthy. Brock Valeheart, you motherfucker! The sadness suddenly erupted into monstrous hate. 5 meter¡­ 3 meter¡­ 1 meter¡­ ¡­ [ WARNING: Contestant''s SP is below 10% of its max value. SP regeneration rate is reduced by half ] ¡­ Kai had little SP, to begin with. All he had left now was his little plan, unknown to all but him and¡­ her. * * If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. In front of Vault No. 999, No one could take the treasure out of the Vaults other than the owner and the goblins. It was known. Terrible fates awaited those who discarded it as mere rumors. Not to mention, there were charms and jinxes on the individual Item themselves. These were the reasons Kai had not taken out the eggs and stored them in his MRB. He needed Snaglok''s help to do so. That was before the Dementors had chased him to a fissure behind the Vault. Not all Dementors had gone for Kai, though. A few circled the goblin, just far enough to get affected by the silver orb in his hand. The rest were hovering just outside the vault, banging themselves against the silver mist rampaging within. Snaglok didn''t wait. He rushed on his small legs towards the wardrobe. The greed in his eyes as he saw those three beautiful things was unprecedented. One by one, he took out the eggs and stored them in a bag. First, the biggest one. The dragon''s egg he almost threw in as if it was just a stone. Then the egg at the bottom. Snaglok licked his lips in fear and horror as he ran his thick fingers over the stripes on the egg. Then he also threw it into the bag. At last, he took out the golden thumb-sized egg. At this, Snaglok gazed at the most. His pointy nose kept sniffing at it as if the most precious thing he had ever laid his eyes upon. He, though reluctantly, threw it into the bag, too. Then, knowing that the reinforcement could come anytime, the goblin rushed for the cart to kill the cart operator and take his place. But before taking the left turn, something flashed in the corner of Snaglok''s eyes. Something of the color and shine of gold. The goblin stopped and brought forward the orb towards the abyss. Then he saw a triangular piece of rock jutting out from the cliff''s face just inches below the edge. And at the tip of the rock, was a gold coin. Gold. Wonderful gold. Snaglok looked left and right. The Dementors had followed him here, but they wouldn''t follow him after the turn. He had been hiding there in a little fissure when those four had come. So, before the backup would come, he could easily take the coin. Yes. It was a logical choice. A most reasonable one. The goblin put down the bag and crouched down, one hand clutching the orb, and the other reaching out for the coin. No. It was too far. He must step down on the rock. So he did. Though it was only a couple of inches down from the edge, the fear of falling made Snaglok tremble. Only the glow of gold gave him the courage to crawl towards the coin. One big stretch and he had it. YES. Snaglok laughed, his eyes shining, looking at the gold coin in his hand. He turned around to climb up the edge. "Do you need a hand?" a familiar voice rumbled in Snaglok''s ears. The goblin looked up and saw him then. Black formal suit and pants, a bowler hat over his head, and a dark, runic black book held tight in his left hand. Snaglok had met him before. "We meet again," the stranger said, as a Dementor brushed past him. The goblin shuddered, seeing that it did not affect this man. "You¡­" the goblin stammered. "I¡­" the man answered. "I am Petyr Baelish." Then Petyr kicked. And Snaglok was screaming, falling, down and down to the deepest hell of the abyss where he had already doomed himself to fall ages ago. The single gold coin was still clutched tightly between his fat fingers. * * The 10 ft tall Dementor towered over Kai like a vast blanket. A dozen more were cramping the narrow space, trying to have a peace of him, too. All the happiness Kai had ever known had left him. Only hate remained. Boundless, depthless, meaningless, and thoughtless hate. Kai grinned. His skin became red, giving out steam so hot like it had never been. His pupils became slits, and for the first time, in this madness, Kai spoke the word that he could never in the normal circumstances. Not with this clarity. -Soul Chill- the hiss escaped his mouth as the highest command. This was no intention. It was words, no doubt. Kai only had one thought after his Blood Prophecy that whatever was chasing him was harming his soul, sucking it out. For some time he had debated over the measure he would take in this case with himself, but the answer came in the face of a serpent. The moment he had seen the Ability, Soul Chill, Kai knew he would have a chance. The serpent would freeze his soul, but the thing from the Blood Prophecy, harming his soul, would keep sucking it out, resulting into an equilibrium, and giving him time to do what he wanted to do. The Ghost Serpent trembled inside him but obeyed the command, nonetheless. It hissed in return and burst with all the strength it could within Kai. His entire body became chilled-blue, frosty breath escaping his mouth. His eyes lost all the life within them, and his soul froze, becoming nothing but a frozen wisp of something that was neither alive nor dead. The Dementor approached Kai''s face and took a rattling breath. And life returned. The gamble had paid, and now was the time to reap the reward. Kai''s bluish right hand lifted and grabbed the foul creature''s neck. "Get¡­ over¡­ here." It had no eyes, and for a mouth, it had only a gaping hole. As the thing felt Kai''s hand tightening around its neck, it took deeper rattling breaths, which did nothing but free Kai''s soul from the frozen prison even more. Kai''s grip now was like five thin iron hooks. The Dementor flailed its hand and grabbed Kai''s forearm. As the magical creature''s decayed fingers scarred him for life, Kai pulled the beast closer, almost pressing its hooded face against his chest. The thing within him was already roaring cries, maddened from the lost prey it could have. Blood Devour! This time, Kai did see its true wrath. A blob of red and the blackest blood he had ever seen came out of his chest, churning unto itself. Millions of thin tendrils burst out of it, entering the Dementor in Kai''s grip in all possible ways. The other Dementors, sensing something fouler and something viler than them, flew away. As Kai saw the Dementor in his hand breaking down as if it was but black snowflakes, he realized what it was within his chest. The Blackest, the foulest, and the vilest thing that ever escaped the bounds of an imagination full of madness, into the pits of reality. That was his Glitch, his Individuality. That was him, Kai Stormborn. Chapter 69: A Growth-type Blood Essence and Selene The changes Kai had been going through weren''t for the eyes of mortals to see. Kai felt himself transcending what was life and ascending to the realms of death. Deeper and deeper into his emotions, he fell, reexamining them one by one from an eye he previously had lacked. A forgotten silhouette and laugh of his father. His mother''s cries and her warnings. The love of having a brother, and then ruing the same love for eons to come. Slaughter, and the pleasure within it he sought for himself. The satisfaction of revenge, but the remorse of not having it again. The thrill of sex. The changes of myriad emotions. Kai opened his eyes and the world wasn''t the same anymore. Nor was he. A dark hooded cloak of long ripped black cloth had covered his body, making him look like a wraith. His body was shriveled, graying, decaying, looking like a decomposed corpse. Kai lifted his skeletal hands. They were grayish, slimy-looking, and scabbed. But even then, on his right forearm, he could see the distinct imprints of ten long claw-like fingers. Even the previously devoured Misdreavus had failed to cause such thorough changes about him. Kai could feel himself more clearly now. There was a hellish cold around him, and it could freeze not only physical bodies but also the very thoughts. When he breathed, his breath was rattling as if he wanted to suck something more than air. Even though Kai was a squib, with his Intelligence just above an average Contestant, he could feel Mana around him. If not his own, then of others. It was a cooling, soothing sensation. Now Kai could feel another presence. Equally vast, but more apparent and different. If Mana was ice, then this other presence was boiled water returned to the room temperature. "Breath," Kai uttered the words. Of Kai''s body, only his eyes and his voice still told the tale of a living being within him. The rest was a creature of dark and terror. The notification at least didn''t butter the words. ¡­ [ Blood Essence: Dementor Grade: D (growth: 0/10) Specification: Devour souls to upgrade itself. The devoured souls will be digitalized, and the Contestant must fill the growth bar to upgrade the Blood Essence Abilities: Advance Emotions Manipulation (Proficiency: 0%) Skills:
  1. Breath Snatcher (Grade: D-)
  2. Dementor''s Kiss (Grade: D+)
  3. Dementors Progenitor (Grade: ? -locked)
Note: A Skill''s grade will upgrade automatically with the upgrading of the Blood Essence''s grade ] ¡­ What were the chances that his Glitch would work against this creature of darkness or not? What were the chances that the Soul Chill could even counter a Dementor''s soul-sucking ability? Sometimes, a man''s gotta do what a man''s gotta do, Kai thought, knowing the risk he had taken just now. Then he looked down. There was no mention of levitation or flying, but his skeletal feet were still hovering above the ground. The ripped strips of dark cloth billowed behind him like solidified mist. Kai stirred himself forward and glided effortlessly as if he was born to do this. A few Dementors were still gliding, looking at him. Kai stared back at them and saw them as they were. Soulless creatures; Hungry for souls more than being aware of themselves. "Move." Kai''s rattling breath came out as a command. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Many Dementors scampered off up and down. One remained, though, not budging at all. Kai''s temper flared. He flew towards it, his dark cloak flapping noiselessly behind him. Kai''s hand went for the creature''s throat and slammed the Dementor into the stony wall. Bang! Then again. Bang! ¡­ When Kai couldn''t feel any defiance from this Dementor, he let it go. Kai was hungry and a delicious meal was waiting for him just around the corner. He returned to the Vault''s front area and saw the empty chest-cum-wardrobe. But Kai wasn''t worried about the eggs. He had already made plans for it. Using Flashbangs wasn''t for blinding the wizards, although it did that too, it was to prevent them from seeing Petyr walking out of him. This was the second thing Kai had gambled on today. Giving Petyr the Book; nothing could be more dangerous than that. But where can he go? Kai had thought then. Down, deeper in the abyss, where no one will go to pick the book up. No. Petyr isn''t foolish. Both time and place will be in my favor. Kai approached the vault, covered by the stray Dementors. A rattling snarl came out of his throat, declaring his presence. The Dementors turned around to look at him, and then left one by one, in search of better prey. He glided to the vault''s open doors and was about to walk in when the silvery mist rampaging inside the room attacked him. "What the¡­?!" Kai was shocked, seeing his SP dropping by 5 Points. But then he realized that this mist had taken control of an entire legion of Dementors. He also recalled its name, Petrified Corporeal Patronus. Am I subjected to Dementors'' weaknesses too? He looked in and saw the High Guard, Sord, and the High Goblin still knocked out cold. If he could, he would suck away all their souls. Then Kai remembered. "Snaglok!" In a mad rush, Kai glided towards the turn at the end of the cliff''s platform. Petyr was standing there, examining the three eggs. As Kai approached the Character, it terrified him. He couldn''t feel an iota of Breath coming out of Petyr. If Dementors are foul beings, then how these Characters are any different, he asked himself. Petyr stood up. When he saw Kai''s new transformation, the Character raised his eyebrows. "What the hell are you?" Kai snarled, his breath still rattling. There was such a coldness about Kai that the bag lying on the floor was getting frozen too. A solid layer of frost appeared over it, whitening its brown appearance. Petyr smiled. "I am my lord''s servant," he said, bowing. "Nothing else I was. Nothing else I will ever be." Kai frowned. His shriveled, decomposed hand reached out for Petyr''s throat. It felt skin to Kai, but he could feel no emotion. Not a single one. He lifted Petyr in the air, examining him as the boy''s eyes bulged. Then he slammed Petyr down on the ground. "Cough! Cough!" Petyr panted for air. "Never¡­ never doubt that I won''t burn this Book before getting betrayed, Petyr the servant," Kai said, his hooded face almost touching Petyr. "Never." "Y¡­ yes." Petyr''s figure disappeared, and the Book fell. With a flick of his hand, he sent it into the Inventory and picked up the bag containing the three eggs. The notification appeared then. ¡­ [ Side Mission: The Birth of Rhaegal Side Mission Status: Success Side Mission Rewards:
  1. 250 Mission Credits
  2. +2 Attribute Points
¡­ You can teleport to the next Random World now, Contestant Kai Stormborn Time Limit: 1 minute ] ¡­ A blue shine covered Kai''s transformed figure. He canceled his Dementor¡¯s transformation and landed on the ground. The moment he returned to his human form, Dementors came rushing at him to prey on his soul and his emotions. Kai''s hazel eyes shone black and all his emotions got bolted deep within him under a heavy lock. The dark creatures loomed over him, searching for the emotions to prey on, but Kai might as well have been a block of ice. So this is the power of 100% Proficiency, Kai thought. Dementor¡¯s Blood Essence had granted him an Advance Ability right off the bat. It meant he didn¡¯t need to improve its Proficiency to make it his. The Ability already belonged to his Stats, not the Blood Essence¡¯s. It also meant Kai could use the Advance Emotions Manipulation whenever and however he liked. The Ghost Serpent slithered out of his body. She looked at him dearly, he could tell. Her forked tongue kissed his chin like always, concernedly. Kai couldn''t help but recall the monstrous increase in his Proficiency. ¡­ [ Elementary Snake Language: Proficiency 70% (+30%) ] ¡­ The serpent hissed, becoming silver mist. Kai looked up towards the Dementors, and then beyond them towards a nonexistent dark ceiling. "Everyone has a name," he muttered to himself. "Even these soulless beings have one, then why not you?" Kai looked at her as she came to rest in front of his eyes and raised her hood. The blue around Kai had now become bluer, just on the brink of teleportation. Kai brought out the Boa''s Blood Essence, his eyes becoming slits. -Selene- he hissed, almost uttering out another word. -Selene- she hissed back. And just as the flash took them away, Kai proclaimed, "Let you be the goddess of all moonless nights.¡±

Vol 5: The Devourer of Hope - Ends!!!

Selene: it is pronounced as (Si-li-ni). The first part "Si" is like the last part of "Hiss". The last part "ni" is like the last part of the "Nagini". In Greek mythology, Selene (meaning "Moon") is the goddess of the Moon Chapter 70: A New World – The Reason of Glitch’s Failure! The blue flash left behind white blindness. Kai squinted his eyes, but even with them tightly closed, he could see the whiteness seeping in as blues and greens. Sometimes, darkness wasn''t enough to keep the colors away, it seemed. His sense of hearing, though, wasn''t subjected to these effects of the teleportation. A wild combination of merry voices hit him from all around. Again? Kai thought. Why the fuck can''t Chaos teleport me to some empty room? After a few seconds, Kai opened his eyes, and before he could see, he smelled. A humid, fresh watery smell of rivers and lakes. Of animals, and foods. Of Power? When the whiteness vanished, he saw multi story houses and shops. But where the street should have been, there was a canal running from his left to his right. Short arched bridges were joining the walkway, where Kai was standing, to the walkway opposite to him beyond the canal. Suddenly, a fish jumped out of the water. Kai''s heart jumped along with it. ¡­ [ Beast Proximity: 3 meters Glitch Condition matched Contestant Kai Stormborn is qualified to awaken his Glitch Do you want to awaken it now? ] ¡­ ¡°Mom¡­¡± a child¡¯s cry entered Kai¡¯s ears suddenly. ¡°Mom! Look! It¡¯s Remoraid!!¡± It was a revolver-like light-blue fish. There were two dark stripes on its body that resembled the barrels of a gun, a single pelvic-fin like a revolver trigger, and two fins at the bottom that resembled the butt of a gun. Huh? Kai was quite surprised. Even a simple fish has a name¡­ Then it struck him like thunder. Kai¡¯s head snapped toward the canal where the fish had disappeared before he threw his gaze left and right, eying more such weird animals, accompanying people like pet¡­ but not exactly pets. A word roared in Kai¡¯s mind, his stunned expression turning into a demonic, vile grin. Pokemon! The fish Pokemon splashed down the canal, joining many others like it. It was a school of fish, Kai noticed. Another thing he noticed was the people pointing at him, and then whispering to each other. Only then did Kai think of something, and looked down. Damn! Kai snapped out of his boyish fantasies. My clothing didn''t change. He was still wearing the uniform of the Security Task Force of the Gringotts. It was torn from here and there from all the things that have happened after meeting the dragon. Also, he was still holding it; the bag of eggs. "Ah, hello?" a voice came from Kai''s left. There was a woman in a red skirt, holding many bright-colored leaflets, and looking at him with a strange, apprehensive gaze. But Kai''s eyes only stopped at her face momentarily and then dropped to her feet. Another Pokemon was there, looking up at him with the same look as the woman. Blue color, round body, black-white swirls on the belly, and gloved hands¡­ "Poli¡­" the Pokemon croaked. "¡­ whirl." What could be more strange than this? Kai wondered, his eyes shining like two hungry pits, just on the verge of gobbling the thing down. Somehow, he felt slightly dizzy, but a heavy shake of his head brought him out of the drowsiness. "He¡­ Hello?" the woman asked again. Kai reluctantly looked at her and smiled. The woman flinched and stepped back. The Pokemon now walked forward, making a squishy sound. Its body seemed to be covered in slimy mucous, smooth and slippery. "Yes?" Kai asked, thinking of Chaos'' new way of presenting the mission. He just hoped the System would hurry because it was getting too difficult to hold himself back. "Uh, are you here for the race?" the woman asked. But she didn''t wait for Kai to answer. Taking out a leaflet, she extended her shaky hand towards him. The moment Kai took it from her, she scampered off, followed by the pokemon. The characters are usually friendly to me, Kai thought. Now, with my Charisma even higher, she should have been friendlier, not the opposite. Is it all because of my appearance? Kai took his eyes off the many Pokemon walking around with people. His breathing was already getting out of rhythm, the smile never leaving his face. He looked at the leaflet, and suddenly, all the colors and writing on it vanished before he could read it. ¡­ [ From the void, a single egg came into being, which then hatched into the ORIGINAL ONE. From HIM came all the universe, for HE created the worlds, the dragons who control space and time, and the evil serpent, who is the traveler of Dimensions. HE created willpower, knowledge, and emotion. And when the creation was at its peak, HE created all beings, the life as it is known today. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. HE was ARCEUS, the Pokemon. Now, Pokemon, the magical creatures, live alongside humans. This is a world where both animals and plants are being supplemented and replaced by Pokemon. Most people respect them, treat them kindly, bonding with them for a better purpose. Yet, some take advantage of them, exploiting their abilities for their gain. Chaos welcomes you, Contestant Kai Stormborn, to the World of Pokemon. ] ¡­ Chaos sure knows how to shoot up my heart rate, Kai sniggered. But he would rather have it spitting the Side Mission and the details as soon as possible, and not some ancient tale of an even ancient Pokemon, which he had nothing to do with. As if reading Kai''s thoughts, the introductory words disappeared. Their place, though, was taken by a map, showing a blue and red dot, and a time counter of 20 minutes. The blue dot was flashing, and Kai couldn''t help but frown as he looked at it. He knew the System was telling him to go to the place marked by the red dot. I am having a bad feeling about it¡­ After 15 minutes, Kai came out of a dark alley, wearing a normal white shirt and loose blue jeans. On his head was a blue cap, and only that item was stolen. There wasn''t much space in his MRB, to begin with. Not with the enormous chest of meatballs made of magical flesh for Selene. Now that he also had to store the three eggs, it was jam-packed. He was only a few turns away from the destination and still had some five minutes left. So Kai didn''t hurry. There were too many stray thoughts in his mind to sort out before letting himself get involved in another situation. The first thing Kai thought of was also the most recent event that happened to him. Even while walking through the maze-like laneways, crossing canals after canals that ran like common streets, and passing by people and Pokemon, Kai was having a monstrous amount of difficulty controlling himself. So it was this thing that was affecting her, Kai thought, remembering the odd behavior of the woman and her Pokemon. I was unconsciously sucking out her happiness. Tch! Kai had yet to familiarize himself with the Advance Emotions Manipulation. However, for him, who had a knack for manipulating people, it was a god-given gift. From what the Blood Essence let him feel, using the Ability, Kai could erase all happiness out of a target. He could make the targets remember the most desperate and despaired moments of their lives, affecting their soul, and leaving them incapable of rational thoughts. Still, it was the effect of bottling his own emotions within him that excited Kai the most. If he wanted, and as he desired, Kai could hide all his emotions from someone who could perceive them, like the magical beasts. That''s all he could do for now, though. He couldn''t hide one emotion, leaving the other out. No wonder the Pokemon was looking at me oddly, Kai reflected. I had all my emotions hidden from the time when Dementors had come to me to suck my soul. Without emotions, my smile must have looked like a drawing on paper. Without emotions, my Charisma was getting affected as well. "Sigh!" Kai let out an audible sigh and unlocked his emotions. After careful deliberation, Kai had forced himself to give up on unleashing the evil on his surroundings before getting the Side Mission. If it was in his power, which didn¡¯t the case as of now, Kai would let the Dementor-Kai out and start sucking the souls. But it was the Side Mission that generally warned Kai about what he could do and what not. No matter how much Power Kai had got on his last adventure, he still hadn''t forgotten to respect the Power of the Systems. Kai moved on, both physically and mentally. His mind then went to the Skills. A series of fireworks went off within him, thinking of those heart-palpitating Skills, and the sheer destruction he could unleash using them. Though reluctantly, he left them alone for the moment he would get to use them. The only thing he was concerned about now, relating to the Dementor''s blood essence, was the locked Skill, Dementor''s Progenitor. Then there was the matter of 2 Attribute Points to Kai. With these two, he had only 7 Attribute Points left to get from his 20 points Quota. Kai refrained himself from assigning the points to any Stat, though. With too many Abilities and Skills, he was having a hard time solving this problem. At a glance, he wanted to add both points to his Correspondence. But then you could never have too much of Perception, either. I will add them to the Stat which I would need the most in the next battle, Kai decided. Hissss! A silver mist came out of Kai''s head, made a small turn, and returned to him. Selene is restless, he reflected. She hasn''t come out even once properly after the time of my ugly failure with the dragon. The dragon¡­ Now that brought an unpleasant, but crucial, memory out of Kai. Why the fuck my Glitch didn''t work? he asked himself. There was only one way to find out. "Chaos, why didn''t my Glitch work on Ukrainian Ironbelly?" Kai asked. He would rather know the true limitations and mourn them, than not knowing whom his Glitch could and could not devour. He dare not recall how stupid he must have looked at that time, touching the dragon''s tail, and his mouth gaping in disbelief as if he was ready to suck its dick or something. ¡­ [ Contestant, Kai Stormborn, your Glitch has no restriction on what it can and can not devour. Glitches, based on devouring a beast or a part of it, depend on the difference between the Will of the user and the Will of the target to function. If the Will of the target is too high than the user''s Will, then the target can resist the user, and the Glitch will fail. The Will of Glitch, Blood Devour, is already the highest among all Wills that exist within the magical beasts of infinite Random Worlds and the Primordial Tower. The reason for your Glitch''s failure lies not in it being a dragon, but in what the dragon represented. This Ukrainian Ironbelly, the dragon under Gringotts Wizarding Bank, is a major Main-Storyline Beast. When your Glitch tried to devour its Blood Essence, it wasn''t the dragon who resisted it, but the entire Timeline. Even the Will of Blood Devour can''t overpower an entire World, Kai Stormborn. ] ¡­ Kai gaped at the notification. So¡­ he thought, analyzing and asking. So¡­ if I were to devour any other Ukrainian Ironbelly, and not the one under the Gringotts, then my Glitch would have worked? ¡­ [ Yes. ] ¡­ Then how to know which Magical Beast was protected by Timeline or not?! Kai didn¡¯t ask this question, because he already knew the answer. I really, really need to gather comprehensive information on the Random Worlds as soon as I can, Kai reflected, his face going hard. I can¡¯t afford going for an obvious opportunity, but getting killed for it. The matter of killing also made him remember one more thing. Perhaps the most crucial. Kai licked his lips, feeling the dryness. I need a new set of fangs¡­ There was no serpent without fangs. There was no Blood Demon without sabers. One just went with the other, and that was the way to it. Simple. But this wasn''t the time to think more of it. Kai had reached the destination. A Pokemon Center! And the moment Kai took a step in, he got to know why he had had a bad feeling about it. Chapter 71: The Curse of Advance Ability Kai felt as though he was a ship in a thunderstorm with no hand on deck to lower the sails. The surge of pure emotions, ecstasy, anticipations, and joy that he was feeling, was drowning him, pulling him inch by inch towards the deeper depths of an unknown terrible sea, breaking his keel. Soon his mast would give away, and he would be left to roam the dark currents which only archaic ghost ships roamed underwater, from one sea to another, unseen and unheard. Unknown. From his port came the wave of unimaginable Power, carrying magical creatures, which he could devour, and yet dared not. From his starboard the water gave way, destroying the balance. He must spread despair, and destruction to stay afloat. Kai clutched his chest, his hazel eyes trembling to go in and out of focus. The blurriest hint of a black hood appeared and vanished across his face, his hands walking into the realm of the dead, and then back to life. The Thing in his chest was screaming, desiring the blood and flesh of so many magical creatures that have seemingly no end. For the first time, Kai doubted if he should have ever come to this place, this World, or not. Kai gritted his teeth, eyes bloodshot, fingers digging deep into his flesh. Step by step he walked through the crowd of young Pokemon Trainers and their Pokemon, through the jolly atmosphere, not hinting at the horror that was trying to burst out of him. It was then Kai realized that getting the Advance Ability directly wasn¡¯t a blessing, but the vilest curse one could have cast upon him. The Emotions Manipulation Ability was going out of his hand, forcing him to bring out Dementor''s Blood Essence and kill all the happiness. Never had he imagined that bypassing the Elementary Proficiency phase of an Ability could be this devastating. "Hey! Are you alright?" a boy asked Kai, trying to peer at his contorted face. There was a blue Pokemon walking with him, reaching his knees. It had round ears and a zig-zag tail with a blue ball at its tip. Kai ignored him or at least tried to ignore him. "Marill¡­" the Pokemon cried, sensing Kai''s distress. "Marill¡­ Marill¡­" "Huh? What is it, Marill?" the boy asked as Kai walked by him. Since the very first step he had taken inside the Pokemon Center, it had become a cruel journey for him. From the data of Thunder Faction, Kai knew a few perfunctory things about the Pokemon world. The concept of trainers, Pokemon types, battles and duels, research labs, and the Pokemon Center, having the letter P in front of the building. Why had the map guided him to a place for Pokemon healing? Kai did not know. The inside of this place was packed, with many computers lying against the walls. The map on the leaflet in Kai''s hand had turned to words again after entering the building. Not merely words, but a name. "Nurse Joy?" Kai asked the girl standing behind the reception desk. She had blue eyes and light pink hair. A big pinkish Pokemon, wearing a clinical hat, was walking behind her, taking medicine out of drawers and putting them back. "Oh, hello!" Nurse Joy merrily said, not noticing Kai''s agony as plainly as the Pokemon behind her. "How may I help you? Are you here to heal your Pokemon? May I see your ID?" Kai had no answers to any of her questions. He looked down at the leaflet. The words must have changed when he was looking at her, for they said to pass the leaflet to her now. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Kai, in no mood to talk, passed the leaflet to Nurse Joy. The pink-dressed girl took the leaflet, looking confused, and in the next second, Kai noticed her stiffening as if she didn''t have any life. In a tenth of the moment, Nurse Joy returned to life and smiled at Kai. "Oh!" she exclaimed, giggling. "You''ve come. She has been waiting for you. Room No. 11 on the first floor, if you please?" The girl said the last sentence, looking at the Pokemon behind her. "Chansey?" The Pokemon gestured at itself, and then walked off, dropping the medicine into a drawer. Kai took it as a sign and followed the Pokemon. When the magical beast came out in the open, he saw it had an egg stuffed in a layer of pink-skinned pocket. "Chansey¡­ Chansey¡­" The Pokemon skipped, calling out its name. When they reached the first floor, Kai finally took an exasperated breath. Something must be done about it, he promised himself. I can''t count on not being in such a crowded place again, having such open emotions of joy and excitement, and then not feed on them. "Chansey!" the excited cry of the Pokemon caught Kai''s attention. They have come to a door on which the number 11 was etched in golden lettering. Kai gave the Pokemon a look and recognized the most absurd weakness about him. Not knowing a Pokemon''s specialization, its powers, and its prospects. Something must be done about this too, Kai thought. The Pokemon, not waiting any longer, returned, leaving him alone. Nurse Joy had taken the leaflet, and now he was empty-handed. He couldn''t help but think why the System hadn''t just teleported him into the room. Kai prepared himself for what awaited him behind the door. If Chaos wanted to give him just a Side Mission, then the leaflet would have been sufficient. Something was waiting for him in this room for this mission. Something sinister. Click! The door unlocked with the slightest turn of the door-knob. When he entered, that something sinister turned out to be the most beautiful woman Kai had laid his eyes upon with both his previous and new life combined. Her long red hair was so dark that there was a tinge of purple to them. There were curves on her body that even the long black, greatcoat on her failed to hide miserably. She was standing near the window, looking out. Then she turned around, letting Kai marvel her wild, brown pupils. The notification appeared then. ¡­ [ Contestant Kai Stormborn, this Side Mission has been turned into an Officer Qualifying Mission. You must refer to following points for the rest of your stay in this random world:
  1. You are given the rank of Probationary Captain, allowing you to have one or more Assistants during your Mission
  2. Unlike the team members of a Captain of Guard, Assistants can reject any Side Mission issued by the Probationary Captain
  3. Probationary Captain is forbidden to kill Assistants without issuing a Side Mission to oneself, providing all the reasons
  4. At the end of the Mission, the Probationary Captain will be judged based on the feedback given by the Assistants. In case of a favorable outcome, the said Probationary Captain will get promoted to the post of Captain of Guard. In case of an unfavorable outcome, the Officer Qualifying Mission will be deemed a failure
The Privileges available to a Captain of Guard are:
  1. +10% Mission Credits (all rewards) - subject to change with higher posts
  2. +5% chance to get a second random Item as a Loot
  3. Can form a Party of up to 4 members
  4. Free Party Mission Assignment once per Set
] ¡­ So that''s why¡­ the realization dawned on Kai. So that''s why a person like Arlen became something as inconsequential as a Captain of Guard. No wonder. Kai could see the sheer manipulation Contestants like him and Arlen could do using this post. The Notification continued. ¡­ [ Current Assistant''s Data ¡­ Code Name: Morning Mist Floor: 3rd Set: 1st ¡­ WARNING: Collect Morning Mist''s leaflet to confirm her identity ] ¡­ Kai looked away from the notification and found beauty itself smiling at him. "Aren''t you too young for the post of the Captain of Guard¡­ Mr. Red?" Chapter 72: Meg – The Morning Mist Morning Mist was wearing a thin black overcoat over tight black jeans. Standing perfectly straight and holding her hands behind her back, she looked at him in sheer fascination. Kai looked back at her. He was just too curious about her Charisma¡¯. It wasn¡¯t just a face card, true enough, but beauty still remained the greatest factor contributing toward the Attribute. "Leaflet." Kai threw the word, expressionless. It was true he had a thing for mature women. It was also true he had complete control over all such urges. Unless there was a benefit in it, he wouldn¡¯t even smile at someone. Morning Mist smiled gently and threw out a paper plane towards Kai. At a glance, it didn''t look like a simple plane as it kept speeding up, flying across the room. From Kai¡¯s side of the room, a dagger flashed and shredded the paper plane. He didn''t need any parlor trick to know that he could kill this woman. It wouldn''t be as difficult a task as killing Heavy Block, but it wouldn''t be as easy as killing a mid-level 3rd-floor Contestant. Anyway, he had the element of surprise, and it would be his choice when to use it. "Leaflet," Kai demanded again. There was a finality in his voice, warning the listener that he would tolerate no further prodding. The red-haired woman reached into her overcoat''s pocket and took out a neatly folded leaflet. She threw it at Kai, but this time, he let it come to him. When Kai unfolded it, there were rows of texts on its blank side, stating Kai''s Code Name, her own Code Name, and her Main Mission, which was to act as Assistant to Probationary Captain. That''s it. That''s it had never been enough for the Blood Demon. "Move¡­ and die," said Kai, walking around the room. It was a single bedroom, but quite spacious. There was a sofa set, a wardrobe, a TV sitting over a table drawer, and a bathroom. It took Kai 15 minutes to go through every inch of the entire room, searching for anything that might be out of place. Morning Mist gawked at him all the time, her mouth opening and closing every time Kai paused and double-checked something. When he was done, Kai returned to his position. "When did you leave this room last time?" "I was teleported to this room 20 minutes ago," said Morning Mist, still standing straight at her place. Kai gave the woman a deep look as she gazed at him with open curiosity. "I accept her leaflet," he proclaimed, finding no other fault. The notification appeared then. ¡­ [ A temporary Party is formed between Probationary Captain, Red, and the Assistant, Morning Mist ¡­ Party Leader: Red Party Members: 2 Party Privilege:
  1. Members can find out each other''s location using Mission Credits
  2. Members can audio or video call each other using Mission Credits
¡­ This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Note: The price of these services will depend on the distance between the two members and their environment ] ¡­ Both Kai and Morning Mist looked at each other. Kai knew she was seeing the same notification in front of her eyes, otherwise using Code Names wasn''t Chaos'' style. "Desmond," Kai said, seeing her gaze coming out of focus. Morning Mist smiled. ¡°You can call me Meg.¡± Another notification appeared, breaking their eye contact. ¡­ [ For the next 3 hours, both Contestants are being locked in this room. Party Leader must carry out the following instructions: - Go to the right topmost drawer under the TV and take out the DVD box ] ¡­ Kai and Meg raised their eyebrows, seeing the notification. She smiled at him, pointing at a drawer. Kai didn''t move. There were a few things he needed to take care of before going along with Chaos'' instructions. "What can you do?" Kai asked, his eyes moving from her to the window. "Tell me all your Abilities and Skills. I need to know them to plan out the Mission accordingly." "My-my," Meg giggled. "You sure talk like a Captain already. Well, why not? I have two Elementary Abilities. Can you guess?" Kai hadn¡¯t been a Contestant for long after his resurrection. He still knew how hard it would be to get the answer to his question, even if he were to kill her here and now. I must take a go at it in a roundabout way, then. "If I guess them," Kai said, "you must answer all my questions for the rest of the Mission with no objection." Meg must have found it quite amusing, for she nodded confidently. Kai almost grinned. He crouched down and picked the shredded paper plane. His old scientific eyes narrowed, shifting left and right across the pieces before finally resting on the window behind Morning Mist. Closing his eyes, Kai''s mind ran like a machine, searching for all plausible causes that can lead to situation and position at hand, rubbing the paper pieces between his fingers. The next time he opened his eyes, all secrets felt naked to him. "There are folds in the paper, so minute, thin, and accurate that even if it wasn''t shredded, one would have not noticed them on inspection." Meg''s smile flickered, her brown eyes glinting like pearls. "Origami," Kai declared. "This Ability is related to Origami." Meg chuckled, shaking her head. But before she could say something, Kai continued. "Yet, an Elementary Ability can''t explain its exquisiteness. It''s too brilliant for that and too devious. Wonderful! A mere 3rd-floor Contestant has an Advance Ability related to Origami. Heh! Who would have known?" Meg''s eyes had gone so wide that she almost looked horror-stricken. "Impossible!" she exclaimed, meekly. "No 1st-Set Contestant is experienced enough to differentiate between an Elementary and Advance Ability unless they have their own¡­" Meg trailed off, and this time she didn''t just look horror-stricken. She was truly shocked. "How old are you?!" Kai dropped the pieces like snowflakes. He wasn¡¯t done yet. Kai walked towards the window and looked at the city. Many youngsters were walking with their Pokemon, playing, and challenging each other. Street Vendors were selling fruits, and many gondolas and speedboats were traveling up the canals, carrying passengers and cargo. "What were you looking at when I came here?" Kai asked, but it seemed like he was muttering to himself. "Any other Contestant would have been feeling anxious after getting a Mission like yours. Not you, though. You couldn''t have been looking at the Pokemon. There was no desire in your eyes. ¡°You couldn''t have been looking at the youngsters. There was no amusement on your face. No envy either. What could you have been looking at with such longing, and such regret, remorse, and guilt?" With Kai''s every word, sweat came pouring down on Meg''s pristine forehead. Her hands were trembling slightly, and she looked at Kai as if one looked at some wild beast, who had vowed to devour you next. "What is beyond this window that one sees but yet not?" Kai continued. "A picture, I think. A picture represents not only its components but also tells a tale. What does this picture of youngsters, their pokemon, the city, and these emotions tell me?" Kai looked at her with pity, his hazel eyes turning perceptibly gray, almost black, losing their colors. Though he couldn¡¯t control the Advance Ability from acting out own its on yet, these play of words was an inherent part of him, which got boosted by the Ability. Meg couldn''t see Kai''s true appearance. To her, his hazel-gray eyes had just become darker, gazing at her soul. A deep sense of despair jolted her, and a touch of cold seeped into her bones. She fell back onto the bed behind her and looked up into those hopeless eyes. "Adventure," Kai stated, breathing Meg¡¯s fear and hope. "You long for the adventure, Meg. You are a Pokemon Trainer. But it seems you have been out of the game for too long. Am I right?" Chapter 73: The Dark Truth of City Of Assignments Unlike the Origami related Ability, Kai hadn¡¯t figured out the Pokemon Trainer Ability just through his deduction skills. First, he created the facade of words, manipulating Meg¡¯s emotions and noticing her reactions. Second, the moment he mentioned the picture outside the window, he sensed the strongest reaction of mixed happiness and despair oozing out the red-haired beauty. That¡¯s how he confirmed the presence of the second Ability. If Kai wanted to, he could suck out Morning Mist¡¯s happiness, but that would have been too obvious. Coming out of the effect of Kai''s Emotions Manipulation, Meg stood up, taking a deep breath. "You¡­ you are right," she said. "I have Advance Origami Creation and Elementary Pokemon Trainer Abilities." "Good," Kai nodded. "Take out your Pokemon." Meg hesitated, but ultimately sighed, taking out the Pokeball. She pressed the button at the seam of the red and white part and a blue beam came out, zing-zagging on the floor. "Squirtleee¡­" An excited voice filled the room as the Pokemon took the shape. Kai looked at the little thing. It was a light-blue turtle-like Pokemon, standing over its hind legs. At a foot tall, and with purplish eyes, it looked more cute than dangerous. "Squirtle¡­ Squirtle¡­" The Pokemon looked about and then, finding no other Pokemon, walked to Meg. Only then did the creature look at Kai. Kai stared at it, his eyes moving from the Pokemon to Meg, and then back at it. "What is it?" he asked, losing almost all his interest. Meg frowned at Kai. "You don''t know Squirtle?" she asked, sitting down, caressing Squirtle''s head. "Which Pokemon do you have?" Kai didn''t lie, as it was bound to come out, eventually. "I don''t have any Pokemon." "What?!" Meg stood up so suddenly that even the Pokemon looked taken aback. "How can that be? But you are so young?" "What does age have to do with it?" Kai asked, pressing his brows. "Oh!" Meg gasped. "You are a solitary Contestant, aren''t you? Young, alone, and powerful beyond limits. No wonder you are so smart and cautious. No wonder." Kai''s heart thumped. There was regret in her words, he could tell, without even using his Ability. "Tell me," he almost commanded. "Age is very significant in the Primordial Tower," Contestant Morning Mist answered. "Pokemon is a Random World which favors the young, Desmond. If you are young enough, you can even become a Pokemon Trainer by just going to a Research Lab and getting your first Pokemon and many Pokeballs from a professor. Just like that." What the actual fuck?! Kai''s thoughts blasted his mind, but he didn''t let those emotions come out on his face. "That''s why I was shocked to see you so young, and yet not have a Pokemon," the old woman continued. "It means this is your first time in the World of Pokemon. And if my experience counts for something, then I can tell that if you don''t become a Pokemon Trainer this turn, then you can never come back here." Now Kai panicked. "Why?" he asked, calmly, but the Pokemon was giving him odd looks. "Explain thoroughly." Stolen novel; please report. For the first time, Meg addressed Kai formally. "Yes, Captain," she said. "You must know by now how to get your first Pokemon (-Kai nodded-). The obvious way is to become a part of an organization that gives you a used Pokemon upon joining them. I got Squirtle like that, after joining the Twin-Peak Organization." "I haven''t heard of it," Kai said, implying it must be some lame organization. Meg smiled ruefully. "There are three major organizations on the 1st Set," she said, picking the Pokemon up in her lap (- "Squirtle¡­" it affectionately cried-). "Both Silver Hunters Guild and Thunder Faction are standalone organizations. At least, the Silver Hunters Guild was before the massacre caused by the Butcher of the 2nd floor. It won''t remain too long, I think. "The third is Thousand Armor Smithy. But it''s actually a conglomerate of smiths from many tiny branches of high floored organizations. Twin-Peak is a 7th-floor mid-level organization, and it has branches on the 1st Set." "I still don''t understand what you are getting at," Kai said, annoyingly. "I am getting to it," Meg replied, smiling. "Have you ever wondered why so many organizations have their branches on lower floors?" No. He hadn''t. Now that he thought about it, it did feel odd to him. "There is another way to get Pokemon," she said, not waiting for Kai''s reply. "There are many worlds which favor the youngsters over grown-ups, like Pokemon and Harry Potter. But there is no guarantee of getting young Contestants. So, the Organizations send one or two branches to the 1st and 2nd floors and¡­ create them." Kai felt a monstrous amount of dreadful emotion in her voice. "They create¡­ Contestants?!" he asked incredulously. "How?!!" Meg giggled, but it was just an empty laugh, Kai could tell. "They kidnap children," she said. "Of course, they don''t call it kidnapping, but believe me, it is that. Then they train them in a specialized field. Like letting them bond with a Pokemon, or giving them magical books to read. When they become old enough, some 9 or 10, the organizations bring their family members to them separately. "Then, they force every child to watch as they torture their parents. Finally, they tell the children that if after becoming a Contestant they don''t come back to that Organization, they would kill the parents for good." "After becoming Contestants, you mean¡­" Kai trailed off. "Yes," the old woman said, her head down, looking at her Pokemon. "They kill those children. With such vast resources invested in them, around 1 in 1000 becomes a Contestant and return to the Organization. You see, the System analyzes children lives to give them Stats. By forcing them to bond with Pokemon, they almost ensure that the Pokemon World would be among their Initiation Missions." "The City of Assignments¡­" Kai muttered. "It''s a name given by the Empire," Meg said, again looking out of the window. "Not because the Contestants are getting assigned to different Organizations. But it assigns lives to the children of an entire planet-sized settlement." A silence took over the small room, following Meg''s tale. She let the Squirtle return to her Pokeball and took a deep breath. "The Missions you choose in your 1st Set are very important," Morning Mist said. "Your future progression depends on them. Many Contestants spend their lives not even hearing the word Quidditch. That''s why I said. If you don''t become a Pokemon Trainer this time, you might not get to become one ever. There is a popular saying from Twin-Peak''s leader. "Chaos gives choices, never chances. All unworthy are doomed eternally." Kai said nothing to her after that. Nor did he ask any further questions. The only thing that was going in his mind was¡­ What a fucking brilliant idea! Get the children to become Contestants. Send them to the Random Worlds with a specific purpose, and discard them later, facing almost no chance of future retaliations. Whoever thought of this must have been a mastermind. To Meg, though, he showed a concerned face. Bringing their attention back to the notification about the DVD, Kai gestured at her. "Have you heard something like this happening before?" he asked. "I am also seeing it for the first time," said Meg, shaking her head. Kai approached the table drawer. It had two columns of four drawers each. He first tried all the drawers other than the right topmost one, but they were all locked. When he opened the said drawer, there was a DVD box in it. Kai took it out, examining it front and back. One side of the box was completely black, but on the other side, there were well-printed images. The image showed the main protagonist of the Pokemon World, Ash Ketchum, with his Pokemon, Pikachu on his back. On Ash''s left, there were two flying Pokemon, one blue and the other red. The background was of a sea and a water city, much like the one Kai had walked through before coming here. But it was the words written over the DVD box that caught his attention the most. "Pokemon Heroes: The Movie." Chapter 74: The Birth of Viserion – A Pokemon Movie! The movie ended for the second time. Both Kai and Meg had watched it with their utmost concentration. Meg kept filling in Kai using the data the Twin-Peak Organization shared with its members, dissecting the movie part by part. By the end of the 3 hours time limit, Kai had got a pretty good gist of the movie and its setting. ¡­ This city was Alto Mare (-City of Water-) was an isolated island south of Azalea Town, Johto Region. The city was guarded by two legendary Pokemon, Latios (male) and Latias (female), also known widely as the Eon Pokemon. In the past, the father of these two Pokemon had saved the city from an evil trainer and his evil Pokemon, who wanted to flood the city. The father Latios had given his life to save the city by turning it into a water city. When that Latios died, it had left a jewel, called Soul Dew, containing his spirit. The entire movie''s plot revolved around this jewel and a machine called, Defense Mechanism of Alto Mare (DMA), which could be powered using the Soul Dew. One could use the DMA to control the entire city. The same was done by two Team Rocket members, Annie and Oakley, by stealing Soul Dew and the male Latios in the movie (-the son of the Latios who had died in the movie¡¯s beginning-). Ash, along with his friends and the female Pokemon, Latias, helped the legendary Pokemon and brought the two girls, Annie and Oakley, to justice. In the end, the male Latios died anyway, saving the city from an enormous tsunami caused by the destruction of the Soul Dew from a surge of evil energy. ¡­ "That should sum it up," said Meg, repeating the words. The notification had already occupied Kai''s eyes. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have triggered a Side Mission ¡­ Main Mission: Three heads of the Targaryen Dragon Side Mission: The Birth of Viserion Side Mission Summary: 11 months after the events of the movie¡­ Peace has returned to the water city, Alto Mare. With the death of legendary Pokemon, Latios, a new Soul Dew now sits on the altar within the sacred pool of the Secret Garden. The remaining legendary Pokemon, Latias, now guards the city, and another pair of young Latios and Latias lives with her in the Secret Garden. The Alto Mare Museum exhibits the DMA machine, along with the fossils of the evil Pokemon, Aerodactyl and Kabutops, that attacked the city in the past. Their fossils can be seen embedded into the Museum''s floor. Unknown to the Museum Curator, Lorenzo, and his granddaughter, Bianca, there rests another, but a more archaic fossil in the depths of the same floor. A cream-golden dragon''s petrified egg from another world, magically hidden in the past. Side Mission Objective: Use the DMA machine to bring the egg out of the confines of the magic into the Museum''s floor If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Side Mission Time Limit: 2 months ¡­ Do you accept the Side Mission? ] ¡­ Kai accepted it. Another notification followed it then. ¡­ [ Contestant Kai Stormborn, this is your first time in the Pokemon World. You must take notice of the following things:
  1. You can only capture Wild Pokemon using Pokeballs
  2. You can only store Pokeballs into the Inventory, not the Magical Beasts
  3. Eating Pokemon will not affect your Stats
  4. A sum of 100 Pokemon Dollars is given to you as an allowance
] ¡­ "What does it mean, eating Pokemon will not affect your Stats?" Kai asked. Meg smiled elegantly. "Where do you think we are?" she questioned him. "In the world of Pokemon, every animal is a magical beast." Kai almost gaped, hearing that. Yes, this is a place where people eat magical beasts as common food, he thought. If Contestants could get affected by this food, it would have been hard to prevent worldwide slaughters. But one thing puzzled him. "The people here seemed normal to me, though," Kai commented. "Shouldn''t they be much stronger than average adult Contestant?" "They look normal," Meg agreed. "But they have a monstrous level of Intelligence. It''s hidden within them, in their souls. That''s why they easily create bonds with magical creatures, and that''s why we, the Contestants, can''t perceive it." Kai''s eyes trembled as Meg mentioned souls. "So?" Meg asked, sitting next to him on the sofa. "What''s the Mission?" Kai looked at her oddly. By now, she had told him about the powers of her Pokemon. Squirtle was a water-type Pokemon and (-her Squirtle-) could use three powerful attacks: Water Gun, Hydro Pump, and Water Pulse. For defense, it could hide within its shell. "We are in the same city," Kai said, handpicking his words. "11 months from the movie timeline, to be exact. My mission is related to that DMA machine." Meg raised her eyebrow, almost asking for more details. Kai looked away, instead. "How can I become a Pokemon Trainer?" he demanded. "Given that I am not young enough to just barge into a research lab and get one." Meg let out an audible sigh. "I don''t know," she admitted, standing up. "Those were the only two methods I know of. The movie didn''t mention any research lab in this city either." In the movie, they had only seen the Pokemon Center. Ash and his friends had used the bunk beds on the second floor. On the first floor, there were single rooms for lodging. "Very well," Kai said. "I am giving you a Side Mission. Go out and find everything you can about the nearest research lab and how to get a Pokemon. Also, find out the major things that would happen in the city within the next month. Report back to me by dinner." Just as Kai finished declaring, a detailed Side Mission appeared to Meg, he could tell. "Yes, Captain," the old woman said, walking for the door immediately. Just when she was about to go out, Kai called to her. "Wait," he said, tapping his fingers on the sofa''s arm. ¡°If I were to kill everyone in the city, people and Pokemon alike, then what do you reckon will happen?" Meg looked at him, her mouth opening and closing. There was a heavy silence and tension in the room, and Kai''s casual question seemed to turn the pleasant atmosphere dark and bloody. "You aren''t serious, right?" she asked, dumbfounded. "Haha!" Kai guffawed. "Of course not. I am just curious." Meg''s face didn''t look as if she believed him. But she answered him, anyway. "You can do it," she said. "If your Main Mission Time Limit is about to be over, you might just get away with it. But many things can go wrong. Before long, Officer Jenny would show up with a task force of Pokemon Trainers and Pokemon. If you aren''t powerful enough to kill them and get captured, then the mission''s time will keep on expanding until you serve the prison time, or die in the prison, for all Chaos cares." "What if I am powerful enough to kill them?" Kai asked coolly. "There is no harm in making assumptions." Meg''s breasts were heaving up and down from nervousness. "In that case, you can continue killing more and more," she said, wetting her throat with a gulp. "Eventually, and undoubtedly, a Mythical Pokemon would descend and kill you." A Mythical Pokemon? Kai smiled. "OK," he said. "You can go." Contestant Morning Mist nodded and walked out. When he made sure that she was truly gone, Kai''s smile vanished, turning into an ugly scowl. "What do you think?" Kai asked. Petyr''s blurry figure walked out of him, solidifying as he took a seat on the sofa. He was wearing his usual clothes, a black doublet over black breeches and black shoes. Even before changing his attire, Kai had used the Primordial Theater to imbue life into the tale, the Herald of Chaos. Using the act, Relentless Love, and letting Petyr assimilate within him had become an automated task for Kai. The Characters could watch and hear everything, so Kai didn¡¯t need to explain it to them. Petyr put his one leg over the other and chuckled. "I think," the Character whispered, "my lord should solve his problems first¡­ rather than thinking of reasons that you can give to Chaos to kill that beautiful woman, no?" Chapter 75: Blood Prophecy – The King In Yellow!!! Kai sat in the middle of the room in a meditative position. A silvery mist came slithering out of his closed left eye, took the form of a white serpent, and yawned, adjusting her fangs. A light trail of blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, suggesting she must have had her lunch just now. Hisss! -Sleep- she said. Kai opened his eyes, and two narrow reptilian slits greeted his surroundings coldly. His body was red hot, emanating pulses of boiling steam that blurred his body. He parted his lips, the muscles in his throat contracting like twisted wires. Hisss! -Go- Kai said, almost turning his hissing into a word. The mist slithered to the part below his navel and coiled into a tiny ball of condensed coldness. Selene is eating a lot these days, as I had expected, Kai thought. The Contestants below the 2nd Set are just a stronger version of common people. From the 4th floor onwards, though, they truly enter the path of magical bodies. Though not of good quality, 4th-floor Contestants can serve as a cheap substitute for magical flesh. Kai had thought of this before cutting apart Heavy Block and turning him into meatballs. He wanted Selene to grow up as soon as she could by letting her eat better food. Neither Selene nor Kai knew what was the condition for her growth. But remembering that she was but a child, Kai figured out that she needed what all children need as a part of their growth process. A good diet. Does she have any restriction on eating Pokemon and benefiting from it? Kai wondered, a devious beam of light shining out of his slitted pupils. 4 hours had passed since Meg left. Kai and Petyr had scoured the movie many times over by now. Meg had dissected it, but these two had ripped the plot''s soul apart, putting forward schemes more vicious than each other. Kai turned his head to look at Petyr, who was still watching the movie for the umpteenth time. He is right, Kai sighed. I should focus on my own problems for now, and not on leveling up my Traitor Title Status. Unlike Meg, who was just here to complete her mission, Kai had many things to do within this Side Mission. Killing 4th-floor Contestants, leveling up his Proficiencies, Titles, and Dementor''s Blood Essence, watching over Selene, and now, becoming a Pokemon Trainer. The movie came as the most obvious god''s blessing to him, and that too, at the right time. With the help of the movie, Kai could find out the data on Artifacts available in the city. He had already found out the easiest Milestones he could complete by paying a price of 150 Mission Credits. It had all the stuff Kai had expected, and much more, always taking a darker turn at the end. "Your plan might work, my lord," Petyr said. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Kai had made a preliminary plan the moment he had seen the movie for the first time. After watching it many times over, he hadn''t changed it, instead its roots had only gone deeper into him. "Heh!" Kai sniggered. "Why wouldn''t I?" Though they didn''t mention what this plan was, Petyr and Kai exchanged a glance before breaking it for good. "I think I have found the solution for the trouble of Emotions Manipulation," Kai mumbled. "Mother always used to say that if you are having issues figuring out something from outside, then look within. I will do just that." "What? I hope you are not planning to become a hermit, my lord," Petyr jested. Kai didn''t deign to reply. "From tomorrow, I will go to the Pokemon Center''s hall during the daytime," he declared. "There, I will use my bond with Selene as an anchor to keep my urges to devour happiness from flaring up. Keeping myself in the company of so many Pokemon will also smother the will of my Glitch to just devour them by exhaustion. Hmm, it''s the hardest, but the quickest, way to be done with it." "And what will you do in the nighttime?" Petyr asked, but he had already put his head into the movie by the end of the sentence. The corners of Kai''s mouth arched up. My nights are already booked, he thought. But before making any further plans, I must do two things. "Disappear when you are done going through the last part. I need Cersei," Kai told Petyr. To Chaos, he said, "Create a Side Mission to Kill the nearest 4th-floor Contestant of Order. Adjust Mission Summary accordingly." ¡­ [ Analyzing the Contestant''s Stats¡­ Analyzation Complete Creating Side Mission¡­ ¡­ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have triggered a Side Mission ¡­ Main Mission: Three heads of the Targaryen Dragon The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Side Mission: Kill the Spinning Duos Side Mission Summary: The Spinning Duos are tasked to get a batch of Pokeballs handmade by Pokeball expert, Kurt of Azalea Town of the Johto Region. Their mission includes kidnapping Kurt''s granddaughter Maizie and ransoming her for the Pokeballs. Side Mission Objective: Kill the Spinning Duos Side Mission Time Limit: before 15th June ¡­ Do you accept the side-mission? ] ¡­ 15th June, Kai eyed the date. Today is 1st June. So, I have only 13 days left. I don''t even know where this Azalea Town is. Not to mention, the Duos suggest that there are two of them. Two 4th-floor Contestants? But the question that puzzled Kai the most was why there weren''t any 4th-floor Contestants in this town? Kai took out the book and a box of meatballs in case of emergency. "Primordial Theater!" he called out, opening the book to the Lioness of Casterly Rock. When the smoky veil parted and she came out, Kai found her wreathing in anger and disgust. Now what? Kai scowled. "What happened?" he asked, sending the book to Inventory. Cersei glared at him. She was wearing a lovely turquoise gown, and her hair was down like a golden waterfall. But on her face was fury, and that somehow made her look lovelier. "I wanted to see the Diagon Alley," she complained. "Do you think I can''t do what Petyr can do for you?" Where is this coming from? Kai felt annoyed. "All characters have their acts to play, Cersei," he said, trying to placate her. "You did a great job with Heavy Block, didn''t you? I couldn''t have called you in the Diagon Alley, anyway. You are too beautiful and too remarkable than two simple men walking down an alley." Cersei blushed. "But I want to do more. I can¡­" "Enough! I don''t have time for bullshit," Kai snapped. "Blood Prophecy!" ¡­ When the Act took effect, the Blood Ocean greeted Kai like a lucid dream. There was an awareness about him, letting him sense his surroundings. Kai waited. He waited for the waves, the shooting pillars, and the twisted whirls to turn into structures and shapes that would give some meaning to this world. The wait paid off. A blood figure rose out of the depths of this ocean, taking a humanoid shape. It walked and walked, holding something in its hand with over 3 ft long and slippery creature slithering behind it, following its footsteps. Kai followed this figure like an unseen phantom. It was him. The realization came suddenly. Kai tried to peek at what he from the future had in his hand, ignoring Selene¡¯s length for now. But every action other than just watching stupidly brought with it an impassable resistance. The moment he tried to do more than just follow the figure, his awareness dwindled, on the brink of disappearing.. Suddenly, the blood ocean shook like the static noise of a TV on losing the signal. The scene changed, and when Kai could perceive his surroundings, he found the blood figure kneeling, lighting what seemed like a candle. There were other things placed beside the candle, which he couldn''t make sense of. Then the blood figure spoke, chanting some words. The slithering shape behind it burst into many blood drops, melting into the humanoid figure. The future Selene just entered my body. The thought passed by Kai''s awareness. He couldn''t hear the words. Nor could he see where he was, and what he was doing. But he could tell there was a deep mystery about the words his future self was chanting. And then it happened. The Blood Ocean shook again. But this time, it was truly the ocean which was shaking. Dense yellow turbulent clouds took over the world which had materialized because of the Act, Blood Prophecy. Yellow lightning thundered, hitting the blood underneath. Tens of thousands of tornadoes rumbled along with the storm, throwing off enormous pillars of blood. Even the wind had a color, Kai''s awareness noticed. Yellow. Everything was yellow. And this yellow was taking over the red of this blood world. Only then did he notice the door. When did it appear? How did it appear? Of these questions, Kai''s awareness had no answer. Was it still a dream? A Prophecy? He dared not ask these questions. The only reality was the door. A monstrously gigantic door, reaching from the ocean''s floor and going beyond the ceiling of the sky. A disgust rose from the very depths of his soul. There were patterns on the door that repulsed Kai at the sight. Those patterns seemed to be of a geometry he had seen nowhere. Lines were circles, and circles seemed to be shapeless cubes. Concaves looked convex with every tilt of the head, and in the next moment, they looked like spherical holes. Dimensions were folding onto each other, ruining the meaning of existence. Everything was wrong. Only the door''s color made sense to him. Yellow. The door tilted from one side then. Which side? Was it opening outward or inward? He couldn''t know. The only thing Kai was sure of was when he saw a deep yellow mist churning behind that door, he gasped. In fear, terror, and genuine horror. Kai''s awareness shivered as he saw a long strip of tattered yellow cloth forcing its way in through that opening. It was then the Blood Ocean shattered, like a billion shards of a black mirror. When Kai''s awareness returned to his actual body, the world was black. He was lying on the floor, with jet black blood oozing out of his eyes. There was a tear on his chest, and thousands of thin tendrils flailed out of it, trying to grasp at just anything. All over his body were yellow spots, multiplying and disappearing like an uncontrolled mutation. The notification of HP drop was flashing so red that it almost looked black. Gritting his teeth, Kai wriggled for the only thing he cared about. The meatballs. The only time he had felt so much pain was when the official wizard had used that Cruciatus Curse on him. Following his survival instinct, Kai pushed himself to his right. Nothing. The food seemed to have been kicked away by him. -Need¡­ food¡­- Kai hissed out through his teeth. All the HP capsules he had were gone. Suddenly, when all hope seemed to be lost, and the world was getting darker, a burst of bone-chilling cold wrapped around his body. His blood, flesh, bones, and even his soul were being frozen. Hisss! This hiss rang in Kai''s ears like a sonorous play of divine flutes. A layer of white-blue frost appeared on him, but it was concentrated around his chest. The black tendrils that were flailing in madness and hunger calmed down and instantly went for the yellow patches that were still overtaking his skin. Selene slithered out of him and rushed off. To where? He didn''t know. The cold had numbed him, making the pain more bearable. Something pried open his mouth, and Kai felt the hardness of scales touching his teeth, tongue, and gums. Selene opened her jaw and passed on the meatballs directly down his throat. Through the gap of his eyelids, he saw the little serpent slithering in panic, going for the meatballs that had rolled away from him, putting one in her mouth, and then coming back to dump it down his throat. Kai found himself unable to think. Only a string of words repeated themselves in his mind as if someone had planted them there, in his consciousness. Kai latched himself on those words, fearing that he would forget them in the next second. When the last meatball went down to his stomach, he spoke them out using sheer willpower to give them a reality before passing out. "The¡­ The King in Yellow¡­" Chapter 76: Parseltongue – An Elite Ability!!! A frosty breath escaped his mouth as Kai opened his eyes. The warning notification was still flashing red, but his HP was slowly regenerating. He tried to lift his finger. Finding that he could, he brought out his strength to move his wrist. With the slightest motion, a book appeared by his side. "Sel¡­" Kai uttered half the name. The Ghost Serpent slithered out from his blindside. Kai''s eyes shook, seeing her state. Before, she was as smooth as milk, being covered in smoother white scales. Now, all of her scales were overlapping each other, giving the Ghost Serpent a distinct draconian appeal, like dragons. When she slithered, rings of alternate black and yellow color seemed to travel along her length from head to tail. Even her eyes had changed, becoming pupilless. Her left eye was just a mass of turbid yellow, like the color of the enormous door from his Blood Prophecy that made Kai tremble upon recalling it. Her right eye was pitch black, the color of utmost darkness. When focused, he felt an illusion as if hundreds of tiny black tendrils were wriggling inside that darkness, like worms. The most conspicuous change about her was the vertical gash on her forehead. It seemed like someone had tried to open her head by cutting it down, but then changed their mind and closed the wound hastily. Hisss! -Save- she hissed. -Save him- she cried. -Save him. He must not die- she roared. When the waterfall of notifications appeared in between him and the serpent, Kai knew his entire life had gone some momentous change in the last few hours. ¡­ [ Elementary Snake Language: Proficiency 100% (+30%) The Elementary Snake Language is leveled up to become Advance Snake Language ¡­ Advance Snake Language: Proficiency 100% (+100%) The Advance Snake Language is leveled up to become Master Snake Language ¡­ Master Snake Language: Proficiency 100% (+100%) The Master Snake Language is leveled up to become an Elite Ability ¡­ Elite Ability: Parseltongue ¡­ Contestant Kai Stormborn, you have become the fastest Contestant to level up an Elementary Ability to an Elite Ability. Reward:
  1. Access to the Primordial Tower Trade Market
  2. Market Access Fee: 0 (-100%)
¡­ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn¡­ You have achieved a Milestone ¡­ Milestone: Get your first Elite Ability This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Milestone Rewards: Worth +50 ] ¡­ Kai couldn''t help but gawk at the notifications with raw disbelief. What just happened? No Power had ever come to him without a cost. Now, Kai wondered what kind of price he had paid for this Power unknowingly. Then his eyes snapped to look at Selene as she approached the book. A deep sense of guilt and remorse took over his heart. Kai smothered those emotions brutally. His mouth parted, and he hissed as if all his life he had known this language. The strange twists of his muscles that had made him vomit blood before now only lingered like phantom pain. Hisss! -Selene, open the Book- he told her. The Ghost Serpent paused momentarily as if she couldn''t believe what she had just heard. -Master, you spoke?!- she said joyously, like a baby pet running to the owner after a long day. -The book- Kai insisted. The serpent hissed, slithering out her forked tongue. Kai noticed her head moving in random directions. She can''t see, he realized, his eyes widening at the fact. What the hell happened to her? Selene found the book and used her tail to pry it open from the middle. It wasn''t on the specific page, but Kai thought it should be enough. -Primordial Theater- He hissed out the words, and when he saw Petyr coming out of the smoky veil, he let out a relieved sigh. ¡°¡­ Time,¡± Kai said, struggling. It was as if he was speaking in a foreign language. Petyr looked at Kai, then at the snake, and finally somewhere up at the clock. "Not the time for dinner," he said, smiling. "But you two already seemed full, my lord." Kai neither had the time nor the strength to snap at Petyr. His HP needed healing, and he couldn''t afford for Meg to find him like this. He looked at the Character and pointed his chin toward the bed. Petyr did as he was told. Giving a wide berth to the blind serpent, he brought Kai to the bed. -Relentless Love!- Kai hissed. The moment Petyr''s blurry figure entered him, he activated the Titan''s buff. A bronze spartan helmet covered his head, buffing his Stamina the most. His HP regeneration rate shot up instantly. Kai took a deep breath. As color returned to his pale cheeks, Kai recalled the scenes from the Blood Prophecy. Face hard, and eyes harder, Kai forced himself to go through everything again and again. There wasn''t much to find out, to begin with. The only thing he could tell for sure was his future actions had somehow affected his past. The Blood Prophecy is much more perilous than I have given it the credit for, he reflected. What was that door, and that strip of tattered cloth? What was that color? But no matter how many times he asked himself, he couldn''t find anything. It was reasonable for him to not know about it, as it was something that had yet to happen. It was nothing but a distortion of time and events. All he had analyzed was that something had invaded his Blood World, using the connection between his future self and his current awareness. The only thing that he remembered was the words. Kai''s teeth clattered, thinking about what could have happened if the Blood Ocean hadn''t shattered at the right time. Then he remembered another thing. The Primordial Tower Trade Market, Kai brought out the notification. Market¡­ Let¡¯s ask Chaos. ¡­ [ The Primordial Tower Trade Market is a privilege available to all Contestants above 3rd Set and having a Worth above 25. You can upload and trade Items, Information, etc., using Mission Credits. Once uploaded, the Systems convert their values in Mission Credits, which can be used by the Contestants for accurate and precise comparison before trading. ] ¡­ The first word that came to Kai¡¯s mind after going through the notification was¡­ Sabers. Hmm¡­ Kai thought, reflecting. I must have a pair of Sabers. The only issue is Mission Credits¡­ but I also need to kill quite a many 4th-floor Contestants, too. So, its best to invest in Sabers and then hoard the Mission Credits after killing the Contestants. One more thing he noticed was that the notification only briefly described the Market. Perhaps Meg would know about it¡­ Kai thought, but doubted his own words. She was a mere 1st Set Contestant. Still¡­ there¡¯s something odd about her. She¡¯s also a member of 7th floor Organization, which is from 3rd Set. Let¡¯s see¡­ It was then Kai¡¯s gaze fell upon the silver magical creature. -Selene, come to me- Kai hissed the command. A mass of pure silver mist rose from the ground and slithered up to his chest, solidifying into the Ghost Serpent. Her mist form is still as silver as before, Kai noticed. Then why has her body changed? What happened to her eyes? Kai looked at her, and at the gash between her blind eyes. She seemed weak and helpless, coiled over his chest like a dying animal. She said nothing to him. Neither was she avoiding the region around his chest anymore like before. Now Kai realized the truth with a heavy heart. A Price had indeed been exacted for this sudden, massive growth in his Ability. And the one who paid the price wasn¡¯t him, but Selene. Chapter 77: Meg’s Strangeness and the Primordial Tower Trade Market Knock! Knock! "Come in!" Kai saw Meg walking in. The clock was striking eight, and the world had gone dark outside. Stars had come out, and the early moon was smiling down over the town from the horizon, just short of disappearing. Kai had changed his torn clothes and cleaned the room. His face was still light pale, but it was less from weakness and more from recalling what he had seen over the Blood Ocean. There was one more change. Petyr was standing by his side, acting as his voice. Kai didn¡¯t like it, revealing the Character so. However, he had no other choice as well. He had been already struggling with Advance Emotions Manipulation, hoping to get a good control over it. Then, out of nowhere, his another Elementary Ability became not Advance, but an Elite. It was as if the Universe¡¯ rules had overwritten what language meant for Kai. He knew the language he used to speak, but when he actually spoke, only hisses came out. Moreover, Petyr Baelish was a teenager in appearance, making it hard to relate him to the Master of Coin known across the Primordial Tower¡¯s Contestants. Kai could afford gambling on Meg now recognizing Petyr¡¯s real identity, but not her hearing his hisses and not realizing he was speaking Parseltongue. Morning Mist¡¯s gaze landed on the black-haired boy and her eyes widened. ¡°Who¡¯s he?!¡± From the Mission assigned to her, she knew Red had come alone to the Random World. He couldn¡¯t call other Contestants, too, for he wasn¡¯t a Captain of Guard yet. Not to mention, she had already concluded Red didn¡¯t belong to any Organization. For him to have contacts in this Random World, it didn¡¯t make any sense to her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me,¡± Petyr said, smiling. ¡°Please report your findings, my lady.¡± Meg frowned. She looked at Red and found her looking back at her with dead eyes. Something happened when I was gone, she thought. Something ¡®s changed. Morning Mist remembered a few things, looked at Petyr again, and her heart thumped. Across the room, Kai¡¯s heart thumped, too. For a moment, just for a tiny moment, his Perception had screamed bloody murder, the woman standing in front of him becoming the Ukrainian Ironbelly. However, in the very next moment, everything returned to normal as if what his Perception had picked was nothing but a mirage. Then he saw Meg approaching him and he found it hard to stay still. His hands itched. For the first time, Kai realized how much he actually missed his sabers. Meg crouched in front of Kai and spread a roll of map. "We are here, the town of Alto Mare, the setting of the movie''s plot. It is an island, south of Azalea Town of the Johto Region." Kai''s eyes narrowed seeing the names written on the map. Meg''s fingers then traced the coastline towards the Southeast and stopped over another town. "The closest research center is in New Bark Town," she reported. "It is home to the lab of Professor Elm, who gives out the starter Pokemon for the Johto region. To reach there, we must first take a ferry to Azalea Town and then go to the New Bark Town on another ship. The entire one-way trip can take anywhere between 10 to 12 days." Kai nodded. "And?" Petyr asked about the second thing Kai had asked her to do. Meg folded the map and passed it to Kai, taking a furtive glance at Petyr. "The Tour de Alto Mare, or the Water Chariot race we saw at the start of the movie, will be held on 28th June," she answered, taking a seat on the sofa. "I want to take part in it." If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Of course, you want to, heh! Kai sneered. Just taking part in it will give you a Milestone. Petyr and Kai exchanged looks. "Isn''t there an age limitation?" Petyr asked. "No, you just have to have a water-type Pokemon," Meg said, slyly, curling her stark red hair around her finger. "It is frowned upon, indeed. But we are Contestants¡­" "¡­ and by nature shameless," Petyr completed her words, smiling. "Good. Mission over. Another thing¡­¡± he said, letting Morning Mist go through the Side Mission Completion notification. ¡°¡­ Tell me about Primordial Tower Trade Market.¡± Morning Mist almost stood up. Kai sensed her emotions going haywire, but he still couldn¡¯t pick up any sign of fear off her. She¡¯s odd¡­ he concluded. She¡¯s very odd¡­ Meg, now beyond stunned, looked from Petyr to Kai and then back to Petyr. ¡°How¡­¡± ¡°Please answer, my lady,¡± Petyr said, leaning back in his chair. ¡°We can do away with these pretenses, no?¡± Suddenly, the emotional storm Kai had sensed oozing out of Morning Mist calmed down. It was so abrupt that his entire body jolted, his mind failing to process even the tiniest thought. There¡¯s no way¡­ Kai concluded, after analyzing all variables and clues he had picked up since his arrival to this room. There¡¯s no fucking way she¡¯s a mere 3rd floor Contestant. What kind of misfortune have I attracted this time? Meg¡¯s smile returned, her finger resuming its task to play with the hair. ¡°I can do away with pretenses,¡± the beauty said, eying Kai. ¡°If the Butcher of the 2nd Floor can hold back his obvious murderous intentions.¡± Kai¡¯s hazel eyes almost became slits, his chest boiling. Meg giggled. ¡°This is my Set Ascension Mission, Captain,¡± she told them, crossing her legs. ¡°I don¡¯t care who is this person by your side. I don¡¯t care what are your intentions, either. Let¡¯s just enjoy ourselves in the Pokemon Random World and complete the Mission before moving on to our separate paths. Deal?¡± You will die in this world baby¡­ Kai calmed down, feeling good about passing the judgment. Sitting on his left, Petyr looked at his master for confirmation and suddenly forgot everything. A smile was lingering across Kai¡¯s lips¡­ so devious and vile that only Petyr knew what it meant. The Character lifted his hand and rubbed his neck. ¡°Alright.¡± Petyr said, looking at Meg with¡­ pity. ¡°You use Sabers,¡± Meg said, looking at Kai. ¡°No wonder you are asking about the Trade Market. Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t know much about it, let me be clear. Let¡¯s see¡­¡± ¡­ Primordial Tower Trade Market wasn¡¯t an organization. It didn¡¯t have a definite location, either, for a Contestant above the 3rd Set could access this market from anywhere in the Multiverse. There was just one more condition, and this very condition disqualified over 90% of the Tower¡¯s population from accessing the Market. That condition was ¡ª One¡¯s Worth must be over 25. After countless millennia of research and experiments, Order and Chaos¡¯ ancient Contestants had concluded that the less the Worth, the lesser would be its growth. In the same light, the more the initial Worth, the higher would be the rewards related to the Worth and its actual value rewarded. The Primordial Tower Trade Market portrayed this disparity between Candidates openly for all. Here, Contestants could trade just about anything. Information, Items, Mission Credits, and almost everything could be uploaded via Systems for all the Contestants of the Primordial Tower to vie for them. Unlike the auctions, one need not worry about not getting the worth of their Uploads, either. The Systems turned the worth of everything into an equivalent amount of Mission Credits, letting all parties know how much and what they must invest to obtain that particular Upload. The only drawback of this Trade Market was that before getting one¡¯s hands over the traded Upload, there was no way to observe or analyze it. Still, those who could access the Market preferred it almost 9 out of 10 times over auctions. The reason? The two Systems. Order and Chaos didn¡¯t play the game of partiality. Nor were they known to be subjected to greed or any emotion. They were the only ones whom the Contestants could trust blindly, perhaps. At least when it came to the Trade of insignificant things. In the Systems¡¯ eyes, what wasn¡¯t insignificant? ¡­ Meg looked at Petyr before nodding at Kai. ¡°You can ask a higher floor Contestant from an Organization buy Sabers for you,¡± she told him. ¡°You may know about the Trade Market, Captain. But without Worth, accessing it is just a pipe dream, at best. ¡°At worst¡­ its a pathetic, boy¡¯s fantasy.¡± Chapter 78: New Sabers -The Return of Kai’s Fangs! (I) Past Midnight, June 2 Alto Mare High above the clouds over the bubbling city, a wraith blurred, flying left and right. As it shot through the air, thin layers of cloud froze around him, the frozen crystals shining silver. The wraith¡¯s tattered clothes billowed behind him as if they possessed some sinister sentience of their own. Its hand and face were scabbed, and rot patches were scattered across its body, reeking of death and despair. If there was life hidden somewhere in this vile creature, then it was in its eyes; hazel. They shimmered golden-white under the pouring moonlight. Dementor-Kai! After talking some details out with Meg, Kai had decided to leave the room as staying at one place accomplished nothing for him. He had also ordered Morning Mist to meet him at the port after one week. In this week, he had just too many things to take care of. First, it was to work upon his Advance Emotions Manipulation, letting his body and mind get used to the onslaught of emotions. Otherwise, in the crucial moments of battle or during a mission, someone could use his own Ability against him. Familiarizing with his strengths and weaknesses, and finding solutions for improvement, had always been a part of Kai, even before he became the Blood Demon in his previous life. Second, it was to enhance his Proficiency in Snake Instinct as soon as possible. The Blue-tailed Boa Constrictor¡¯s Blood Essence was non-magical. With him in the Pokemon World now, Kai couldn¡¯t put enough emphasis on be done with making all its Elementary Abilities into Advance Abilities as soon as possible. Third, it was the newly gained Elite Ability. Parseltongue! Kai had tried many times speaking normally after leaving the Pokemon Center. It was all in vain, though. No matter what he said, only hisses came out, incomprehensible to normal people. Also, Kai knew, unlike the Emotions Manipulation, it would take him months, if not years, to finally gain back his humane vocals. That too if he constantly worked upon it. Otherwise, there were chances he might not be able to speak standard language. Ever. I must find some alternate ways to communicate soon, Kai reflected, disliking the thought of taking out Petyr to act as his voice. Fourth, it was to test out the Skills and limits of his Dementor Blood Essence. Despite not having the form of Abilities, there were some inherent properties that his new Growth-type Blood Essence possessed. This cold seems to be an uncontrolled phenomenon about these magical creatures, Kai thought, noticing the frozen layers of cloud as they fell into the mist. For now it¡¯s affecting anything between 3-5 meters around me, but that easily change with further advancement. Though a potent ability, as it could hamper the movements and intimidate the targets, Kai wasn¡¯t much sure about it. It was to the point that he disliked it. It will give away my presence, Kai thought, frowning. Then there was the flying. That¡¯s why Kai had come so high in the sky, taking on his Dementor form. From what he had figured out, flying didn¡¯t increase his speed. Instead, he could feel he was at least 10-15% slower while flying when compared to his on-ground speed. My actual speed is a function of Strength, Agility, and Stamina, Kai analyzed, coming to a stop midair. However, with no ground to apply my strength to, the flying speed has become a function of Agility and Stamina only. Still, like the cold, its an inherent property of this Blood Essence. At least I can control it, so there¡¯s nothing to complain about, either. Sigh! Not to mention, the combination of cold and flying was a great retreating tool, now freely accessible to him at a mere thought. A pure, silver mist oozed out Dementor-Kai¡¯s filthy chest. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Under the moonlight, it shimmered like a fog of stars, slithering up and down. However, in the very next moment, it began falling, losing its momentum. No matter how much it slithered or struggled, it couldn¡¯t remain at the height of the magical creature above the clouds. It was obvious that the Ghost Serpent neither possessed a flying Skill nor an inherent property related to it. Selene canceled her Intangibility and slithered up to Kai¡¯s shoulder, kissing his chin. Kai looked at her muddy-yellow and wormy-black, blinded eyes, and he shuddered, remembering his Prophecy. Then his gaze fell upon the crack in the middle of her forehead. Hiss! Selene hissed, asking for food. Kai frowned. The magical flesh of Heavy Block is running low already, he thought, prodding through his MRB. I should hoard some more for Selene. It would be useless for me, but at least she can benefit from it. Kai looked down as if he could see the city through the clouds. A Pokemon hunt was awaiting for him down there. A hunt¡­ full of fear, despair, and blood. But before that¡­ I need my fangs¡­ Kai thought, contacting the System. -Chaos,- he hissed, his breath rattling. -Connect me to the Primordial Tower Trade Market.- This was also the reason for him to come here, taking shelter in the clouds. Kai didn¡¯t trust Meg, that was given. He could go toe-to-toe with her and could ultimately kill her, but he didn¡¯t underestimate her, either. Moreover, there was something about her that just didn¡¯t feel right to him. Since his mother¡¯s death, Kai had been developing and honing his Instincts to get his revenge; to survive. Never before had his Instincts had betrayed him. To doubt them now, and not take precaution when he could, wasn¡¯t in Blood Demon¡¯s nature. Up here, though, his only companions were the occasional sights of Pokemon, which were just too fast for him to capture. Suddenly, following Kai¡¯s words, a huge window appeared in front of his eyes. ¡­ [ Welcome to the Primordial Tower Trade Market, Contestant Kai Stormborn As it¡¯s your first time visiting the market, would you like a tour of the features available to you? ] ¡­ -No,- Kai hissed. Meg had already informed him about the basics. -Show me the Items Menu.- The System¡¯s question melted into the huge dull-gray window, and the title, ITEMS, flashed into existence at its top. Under it, hundreds of sub-menus appeared, each corresponding to a Category. There were melee weapons, accessories, consumable, sentient, etc. Under these categories, as Kai scrolled down, there were even more categories, each corresponding to different, or a combination of, Requirements, Attributes, and desirable Effects. Kai felt overwhelmed. ¡­ [ Contestant Kai Stormborn, you can use the Search function to input keywords and narrow down the options available. For your reference, Items, within a Grade, can be classified into following sub-grades:
  1. Low-level Item
  2. Mid-level Item
  3. High-level Item
  4. Top-level Item
] ¡­ Meg had told him about the sub-grades, Kai remembered. There was no way to tell the sub-grade of an Item from the Stats available to the Contestants. There are just too many variables included in this classification, Meg had said. What are the Requirements? What are the Effects? Quality, Cooldown, Accuracies, and Diversity. Any or all factors can be the deciding variables. Since the ancient times, there¡¯s only one way to know the sub-grades. Upload the Item to the Trade Market, Kai remembered, and the Systems will tell you its worth. To confirm his doubts, Kai took off his Armor and uploaded it to the Primordial Tower Trade Market. ¡­ [ Analyzing the Item¡­ Analyzation complete. ¡­ Item: Steel-Bone Brigandine Grade: Common Sub-Grade: Low-level Value: 50 Mission Credits Specification: A studded leather vest made of Hippogriff¡¯s hide, lined with its crushed talons and bones Requirement: Strength 11, Stamina 10 Attributes: Weight 3.5 kg Skill: Not Applicable Effect: Defense +7 Agility - 1 Quality: 15% ] ¡­ Kai¡¯s lips twitched. He had bought the armor at a price of 300 Mission Credits. Well, Marine Roland had paid for it, but it didn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s Quality had fallen to mere 15% from 73%. It reduced Agility, and demanded high Attributes Points in both Strength and Stamina for a Low-level Item. It might have started as a Mid-level Common Item, Kai reflected, downloading the Item and storing it into his Inventory. Will never know now, I guess. Anyway¡­ It was time to get to the task at hands. -Chaos,- Kai hissed, his breath rattling with anticipation. -Search for Dual Sabers-based Common and Uncommon Items, suited to my Snake Instinct, Slither Footsteps, and Twin-Saber Style Abilities.- Words melted away as the System processed his request. When the results got displayed on the screen, the very first option made Kai¡¯s heart skip a beat. ¡­ [ 540 results:
  1. Yabashiri (Mid-level Uncommon, 25000 Mission Credits)
¡­ Chapter 79: New Sabers -The Return of Kai’s Fangs! (II) Kai was gobsmacked as he looked at the sword¡¯s name. Yabashiri was a sword wielded by Roronoa Zoro in One Piece Random World before it got destroyed later on. For it to be at the top of the recommended list, it felt justified somehow. However, Kai would have to give up on buying it. He wouldn¡¯t be able to afford 25000 Mission Credits for a single saber even if died now and was resurrected again. Not unless he joined some Organization and asked for their help. Still, it was all a mere fantasy. There were no do-overs when it came to the Primordial Tower and its Contestants. So, reluctantly, and with a heavy heart, Kai moved on, scrolling the list up with his gaze. Kai kept seeing some familiar names on the list, but most were foreign to him, and all were exorbitantly pricey. He didn¡¯t find a suitable, and affordable, sword until he reached the 67th recommendation. ¡­ [
  1. Fang (Low-level Uncommon, 15000 Mission Credits)i
  2. ¡­
¡­ ] ¡­ At a glance, Kai couldn¡¯t afford this one, too. Yet, there was an i highlighted as a superscript on this option which caught his eye. Kai tapped on the letter and a pop-up window appeared just above the 67th option. ¡­ [ This Item contains a note from the Seller: ¡ª I have two Items with identical Stats. Both Items are Upgradable to Mid-level Uncommon. If you are interested, I can sell them for 25000 Mission Credits or any equivalent Item, Material, or Info. ] ¡­ This was another thing that made all Contestants with less than 25 Worth feel utterly helpless when it came to the Primordial Tower Trade Market. No matter which floor you belonged to, you couldn¡¯t transfer or trade any Item from the Inventory with others. The moment you got the Item, it belonged to you. Even if it got stolen, or given to someone else, the other Contestant can only use it, but wouldn¡¯t be able to store it. In the truest sense, that Item would never belong to the thief or any user, other than the original owner. The only way to get another Contestant¡¯s Item was to make sure somehow that you would get it as a part of the Loot. It was just like how Kai had done with the owner of Misdreavus Pokemon in the sewers under the King¡¯s Landing. In the Trade Market, though, once an Item got TRADED, it would permanently change hands, as such trade was sanctioned by the Systems only. Kai stared at the note and his heart couldn¡¯t stop beating hard. A set of identical sabers would of course be better than two different but high-valued swords, he knew. But¡­ he still would have to pay 25000 Mission Credits. Kai¡¯s gaze kept going from the Mission Credits to the Upgradable status of the sword. To be cautious, he scanned through the remaining recommendations, but they all didn¡¯t suit him as much as the Fangs. Moreover, the last Uncommon Item was 83rd, which was 11000 Mission Credits. He could always buy one Low-level Uncommon and one Top-level Common saber, but the disparity alone would make them useless. There were no other Upgradable Items, either. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Ah, fuck it! Kai shook his head in exasperation, his tattered robes billowing behind him with the cloudy gusts of air. Running a hand over his Dementor-head, Kai took a deep breath¡­ and selected the option. ¡­ The screen blurred and a tower¡¯s icon in start white against the dull-gray background kept flashing, bobbing up and down, as if it was processing something. Suddenly, the huge notification window shook and a blurry figure appeared on it. It was hard to tell if it was a man or a woman as it was extremely scratched, hiding all features. Moreover, when the figure spoke, even the voice came out mechanical. [Hello,] the other party greeted. [Are you interested in both or only one? I¡¯d rather you buy both. They have been in my Inventory for decades.] Kai¡¯s lips twitched. The privilege to access the Trade Market wasn¡¯t some wishy-washy thing. The blurry figure on the other side was at least a 4th Set Contestant and it didn¡¯t need to be mentioned that he or she also thought the same for Kai. The polite greeting was nothing but a form of mutual respect. -In both,- Kai hissed, letting System worry about translating his voice to the standard. He didn¡¯t want to say anything unnecessary here. -But I would like to see the Stats first, if possible.- To Kai¡¯s surprise, the other party didn¡¯t even haggle for extra Mission Credits. [Alright,] the figure nodded. [It¡¯s not a big deal. We all must take care of our juniors. It¡¯s natural.] Kai¡¯s lips twitched again. Does he think I am buying them for my junior? Hmm¡­ Yes. Why else a 4th Set Contestant would be interested in Uncommon Items? Sigh! [Have you been to Blue Exorcist Random World?] the blurry figure asked. The notification window had already changed, now showing a long katana with reptilian eyes blinking on the flat side of its edge. Kai licked his lips. -No,- he replied, mixing truth with false. -But I have heard of it. It¡¯s been a long time since I cared about other Random Worlds.- [Sigh!] The figure sighed out a long breath. [I can relate with the feeling.] Kai rolled his eyes. [Anyway, let me refresh your memory,] the figure continued. [These sabers are the replica of Named Sword Fang, which is a type of Demon Sword from the Blue Exorcist Random World. The original is a Rare Grade Item. It belonged to an in-world Lead Character, Shura Kirigakure. [Long story short, Demon Swords, or Maken as they are called in the Random World, are melee weapons that are endowed with the power of Demons, giving them special abilities. The replicas hold no such pact with any Demon, that¡¯s why they are Upgradable.] So I would need to make a pact with a Demon, using the Makens, to upgrade the sabers, Kai analyzed, not stating the obvious. Reasonable. Suddenly, the notification window flashed and the saber¡¯s Stats hovered at the top of it. ¡­ [ Item: Fang Grade: Uncommon Specification: A transformed fang from Hachirotaro Okami, the sealed Hydra. It has strengthened by the many years of cold air into an Iceblade Requirement:
  1. Correspondence >10
  2. Perception >12
  3. Strength >13
  4. A Serpent-related Ability
Attributes:
  1. Can make a pact with a Demon or Magical Creature
  2. Demon or Magical Creature¡¯s Grade must be at least E+ or higher
  3. A successful pact will imbue the Item and Skill with similar property
  4. Current Status: Empty
  5. Base Damage: 80 Points
Skill: White Serpent Skill Effect:
  1. HP Consumption: 50-100
  2. MP Consumption: 100-200
  3. Lengthens the blade by 5 to 10 times, depending upon HP supplied
  4. MP Consumption is in correspondence with HP Consumption
  5. Shoots out Mana Serpents upon slashing at the target that wraps around the target, binding them from head to toe
Warning:
  1. Once the original Demon or Magical Creature dies, the pact will stand invalid
  2. Magical Creature is limited to Serpent-like Creatures only
Quality: 77% ] ¡­ Kai¡¯s jaw dropped. His eyes shifted between the words Demon and Magical Creature, his heart thumping along with it. However, as much as he wanted to ask how to form a pact with Magical Creature, he didn¡¯t dare to. If the other party got even a hint of doubt related to him, he might lose the deal. Suddenly, Kai remembered Selene and his eyes widened. [So?] Kai took a deep rattling breath, calming himself down. No matter how much price he needed to pay, he must have these Fangs now. Chapter 80: The Uncommon Sabers of Blue Exorcist Random World – Obtained! Kai was in a conundrum. On one hand, he desired the replicas worth 25000 Mission Credits as much as he had desired power itself. There was not an ounce of doubt in his mind that these Items were the keys to becoming even more powerful in the Random Worlds for him. On the other hand, he already feared losing them. Kai had 14600 Mission Credits on him. Even if he invested the entire amount in trading the sabers, he would still need to pay 10400 Mission Credits more. Moreover, other than the Book and the Sling Ring, he didn¡¯t have anything on him that could meet the price. The Book was out of the question. So, only the Sling Ring remained. However, Kai remembered what Simon had done to it, rubbing off its restriction to be used by Sparrow between his fingers. Even if he had been an utter fool, he would have realized that there were some complex processes involved in obtaining the Sling Rings, especially when only one Contestant could use them. I can¡¯t trade Sling Ring, either, Kai reflected, frowning. It¡¯s gonna come in handy in future missions. Tch! Then there was one more thing. If he didn¡¯t pay all the Mission Credits in one go, then the other party would get too suspicious. What kind of 4th-Set Contestant traded cheap Items to meet the price tag of two Low-level Uncommon Items? No. This was just too risky. Contestants, by nature, always remained suspicious of each other. I must complete the trade in one go, Kai nodded to himself, thinking of a solution. Let¡¯s¡­ not shift away from the material wealth then. -I will buy both,- he hissed, gambling on his next words. -For price, I will trade info. If the information is worth more than the price of the Items, then you can think about covering the gap.- [Info? Hmm¡­ Information is always welcomed. What¡¯s it about? You must know that even if it has a higher price than the Items, if I already know it, then it wouldn¡¯t be of any value to me.] Kai wasn¡¯t stupid. He had already thought of something which no other Contestant would know. At least not so easily, as, to know what info, one must have a very high Worth. -I heard the next Tournament of Worth is coming up,- Kai hissed. -Would you like to know more about Glitches?- [WHAT?! I mean, yes. Yes. Of course. Sorry, my lord. I lost my composure.] Kai¡¯s lips twitched again. The sudden outburst did surprise him. But he refrained from asking the cause behind it. He muted the conversation and uploaded the info. What he shared wasn¡¯t exactly what Chaos had told him. It was just a line. Even if someone knew it, they couldn¡¯t make head or tail of it without accessing the full picture. Still, this line was something that his Privilege had offered him, having a foundation of 100 Worth Points. It should be enough, Kai thought, seeing the line. It should be more than enough. That line was - The Individualities when manifested are called Glitches. ¡­ [ Analyzing Info¡­ Analyzation complete. ¡­ Value: 50000 Mission Credits ] ¡­ Whoa! Kai¡¯s jaw dropped. The first thing that rushed into his mind was to exploit this info, gaining as many Mission Credits as possible. However, the moment this thought appeared, Kai crushed it. A serpent needed to be patient, always hiding to ambush its prey. Unnecessary greed, when it could be avoided, was the bane of all plans, powers, and ambitions. Kai had learned this lesson the hard way in his previous life, when he had gotten caught once, resulting in getting tortured for weeks. Trading it one time is already good enough, Kai reflected, nodding to himself. I don¡¯t need Mission Credits anyway. With my Side Missions of killing higher-floor Contestants, I will have ample Mission Credits eventually. Let¡¯s hold onto it until I have no other choice. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. With a thought, he let the other party see the value. [7 words for 50000 Mission Credits¡­] Kai almost advised the other party that he/she should gamble on it, as there was no way to confirm having the Info before buying it. Before he could do so, though, the person on the other side completed the sentence. [¡­ Deal!] Instantly, 25000 Mission Credits got added to his stash in the Stats and the two sabers appeared in his Inventory, already belonging to him now. The notification window disappeared as well. Kai immediately took out the sabers and felt them in his hands as the wind scattered his black robes. As he marveled at the blades, he could feel a rejection from the Items. It was good that I held from assigning my Attribute Points, Kai thought, assigning his 2 leftover points to his Strength and Stamina. Now I have an Item and Skill that consumes my HP. I can¡¯t have my Stamina left behind by my other Attributes. The feeling of rejection vanished and all the reptilian eyes lined on the flat side of the blades came alive, blinking at him. Kai felt a surge of acceptance and he let out a rattling breath. Selene came rushing out and circled the blades in her mist form. -What¡¯s this, master?- she hissed. -I feel¡­ good around them.- Kai felt elated. He could already feel the power coursing through the blades. Once he made a pact with her, what kind of powers it would imbue into the sabers? The sheer thought made him lick his lips. But he didn¡¯t know how to go about making this pact. So he asked the one being who knew all the answers. -Chaos,- Kai hissed. -My Ghost Serpent is already an E+ grade Magical Creature. How to make a pact with her to imbue the Makens with her properties?- ¡­ [ Contestant Kai Stormborn, you have already made a pact with your Magical Creature. To imbue the Makens with her properties, let her use any of her Skills or Abilities on the sabers. ] ¡­ Oh! Kai remembered the odd, but good, feeling he had after conversing with Selene for the first time. So that was making a pact¡­ Interesting. But he struggled for a moment to decide which of Selene¡¯s powers he wanted the sabers to possess. Earth Vibration Sense didn¡¯t make any sense to him in this case. Ghost Neurotoxin was potent enough to cause mortal damage, but he preferred coating the blades with poison, instead of combining it with Magic and then worrying about not having enough poison because of the lack of MP. Then there was Soul Chill. Kai almost worshiped this Ability. It had helped him survive the Dementors, let him kill Heavy Block, and now it helped him reign his Emotions. However, like Ghost Neurotoxin, there was an inherent flaw in it. Its potency would most probably also depend upon Mana supplied, Kai guessed. Below 70-80%, it would restrict targets¡¯ movements, making them incapable of using some Breath-based Skills in the best-case scenario. So, after weighing his options, Kai ultimately rejected the Soul Chill and went with the only, but the most suited, option left to him. -Selene,- Kai hissed, his heart beating a bit faster in anticipation. -Pass through the sabers in your Intangible form.- The Ghost Serpent cocked her head between Kai and the Items, tasting the steel with her forked tongue. Her blind, muddy-yellow and wormy-black, reptilian eyes blinked several times, the draconic, white scales on her body pulsating with alternate yellow and black-colored rings. With a whoosh, she puffed out, becoming silver, white mist. Then, under the smiling gaze of Dementor-Kai, the Ghost Serpent passed through the Fangs. And the Sabers came alive. Kai could feel it. The reptilian eyes on the blades at first had only given the hint of sentience. But now he could feel them observing him, marveling at his existence as he marveled at them back. The thin layers of clouds were already getting frozen near him under the effect of Dementor¡¯s Blood Essence. Now, a burst of cold exploded out of the two sabers, freezing the clouds in a 10-meter radius around Kai. The sky, once filled with soft, billowing clouds, now resembled a delicate latticework of ice, catching the sunlight and refracting it into a dazzling array of colors. The dull-gray notification appeared then. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn Your Items¡¯ Skills have gained your Magical Creature¡¯s property The New Stats are - ¡­ Item: Fang Grade: Uncommon Specification: A transformed fang from Hachirotaro Okami, the sealed Hydra. It has strengthened by the many years of cold air into an Iceblade Requirement:
  1. Correspondence >10
  2. Perception >13
  3. Strength >13
  4. A Serpent-related Ability
Attributes:
  1. Can make a pact with a Demon or Magical Creature
  2. Demon or Magical Creature¡¯s Grade must be at least E+ or higher
  3. A successful pact will imbue the Item and Skill with similar property
  4. Current Status: Ghost Serpent
  5. Base Damage: 80 Points
Skill: White Serpent Skill Effect:
  1. HP Consumption: 50-100
  2. MP Consumption: 100-200
  3. Lengthens the blade by 5 to 10 times, depending upon HP supplied
  4. MP Consumption is in correspondence with HP Consumption
  5. Shoots out Mana Serpents that wraps around the target, binding them from head to toe
  6. The Mana Serpents are Intangible and can bypass any physical barrier
Warning:
  1. Once the original Demon or Magical Creature dies, the pact will stand invalid
  2. Magical Creature is limited to Serpent-like Creatures only
Quality: 77% ] ¡­ Ignoring the one point of rise in Perception¡¯s Requirement, Kai stared at the 6th point of Skill¡¯s Effects and burst out in a feat of rattling laughter. Yes, Kai nodded to himself, grinning ear to ear. Now he was ready to take on this Mission and¡­ go beyond. Chapter 81: Spreading Despair – Dementor vs Pokemon! Past Midnight, June 2 Alto Mare Hidden under the shade of thick bushes, Kai spied on the Museum''s guards. The movie had shown no guards around the Museum, but it was one of those things that needed not be displayed outright. With the most important machine, DMA, being present in the Museum, it would have been stupid to think it lacked security. The only reason Annie and Oakley, two Team Rocket members, could go into the Museum in the latter half of the movie was that they had two powerful Pokemon and high-tech surveillance instruments. Kai had no plans to infiltrate the Museum. Not yet. It would have been useless without the Soul Dew, anyway. The DMA (Defense Mechanism of Alto Mare) needed that jewel to start, and then further required one of the Eon Pokemon as a power source. Kai had no time to deal with those issues. He had decided to first go to the New Bark Town and get Elementary Pokemon Trainer Ability somehow from Professor Elm. -Hunt!- Selene hissed, slithering over his shoulders. Kai frowned as he looked at her. The Ghost Serpent had already become a hidden, trump card for him. Now, acting as the Magical Creature in pact with the Fangs, she had become an even more crucial part of his power. Professor Elm is a scientist, Kai reflected, eying the guards. He must have high-tech equipments which I can use to carry out a deep analysis of Selene¡¯s strange state. At the end of day, regardless of his killing nature and terrifying thoughts, Kai of House Stormborn still carried the Will of a scientist in his heart. He longed to put his inborn skills to test, making them also a part of his power. However, ever since his mother¡¯s death, he had been on run. This was also the case after his resurrection in the Primordial Tower. For the first time, Kai felt like he could truly put his knowledge to test in this Random World. He could not deny it or hide it. The thought of experimenting and coming to meaningful conclusions excited him a touch more than acquiring the new Ability. -Hunt!- Selene insisted, hissing loudly in his ears. Kai could feel her determination to show him she hadn''t become useless. Stubbornness. A familiar crazed stubbornness was taking roots within her. The stubbornness to tower over the beings despite her obvious blindness. She wanted IT. Maybe as not much as Kai wanted IT, but no less either. -Power. I must have it- she hissed, showing Kai her fangs. Kai grinned from ear to ear. -A worthy ambition!- he hissed back as he eyed a guard patrolling the fence around the museum. -Did you smell the food?- Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. -Bird. Over there, on the tree, master- Selene said, her forked tongue flicking, tasting the air. Bird? Kai thought, narrowing his eyes. A flying-type Pokemon? Most of the Wild Pokemon in the city were diurnal. By night, they had gone to sleep. Yet, Kai had come out at night. There were decent reasons for it. First, from the movie, both Kai and Petyr had concluded one thing. The Legendary Pokemon Latias loved to roam around the city, watching various Pokemon Trainers and their Pokemon. She was attracted to the feeling of ecstasy and joy that one could find in abundance during the daytime in the streets of the water city. So, it being night, Kai won''t have to worry about running into Latias, as the Eon Pokemon had the skill to make themselves invisible. Second, it was the nature of Pokemon themselves. Unlike normal animals, Pokemon and other magical creatures were more like humans. They had powerful emotions and wills. And thus, Kai could affect them using his Dementor''s Blood Essence. -Go then- Kai hissed. Selene''s forked tongue kissed his chin and then with raw fury she slithered away, disappearing into the thick darkness, as her white draconic scales pulsated with rings of black and yellow. Kai looked at her. Let her spread her own despair, he thought, a bit of pride welling up in his heart. Show me what can you become. As the pride reached his head, Kai brought out the dark creature sleeping within him. No longer did he control the coldness. Nor did he try to bury his hunger to spread despair. The leaves and branches around him froze to death as a hooded cloak appeared over Kai''s transforming figure. His entire body shriveled up, becoming like a corpse with every passing second. The flesh left him, making him look like a walking skeletal being. Long strips of tattered black cloth billowed behind him without wind. His left hand went for his right forearm, and he felt the ten deep, rough impressions of long bony fingers where the original Dementor had gripped him. Then Kai slithered. The moment he saw that guard going to a blind spot of other guards, Kai flew towards him, freezing everything in his path. Hovering above the ground like a wraith, he swooped down on the guard¡¯s back. He could feel it, the raw emotion of happiness and hope. Kai''s mouth parted, and he sucked deep. His breath rattled, and he backed away, leaving the man shivering. The guard''s face had contorted, fear and old terrifying memories returning to him. An inconspicuous layer of frost appeared over his body, soaking him wet. He looked around but found nothing. Kai trembled in joy, the taste of devoured hope and happiness lingering at the tip of his tongue. He went for him again, like a shadow of a tall tree under a moon. But on this moonless night, he was an incarnation of darkness. One of the foulest creatures in the infinite worlds had started its hunt. Time after time, Kai kept sucking out his happiness until the guard dropped to his knees. "Who''s there?" the guard cried, shivering, crying, and finally sensing another presence. But Kai didn''t go for the kill. He waited, like the predator he was, sucking in the guard¡¯s fear. As he lost his fear, a bit of his courage returned to the guard. His hand reached for his belt, and Kai beamed, finally finding a practical use of Emotions Manipulation and Fear Absorption to manipulate others. "Come¡­ out¡­" the guard said, his life dwindling by a thread. "Yanma!" The bright blue beam outlined itself into a massive Pokemon. It was a red-green Pokemon that resembled a dragonfly, but bigger. It had three pairs of legs that could wrap around a grown man''s head easily, and its two pairs of wings had a red band over them. The Pokemon buzzed, fluttering mid-air, making sharp turns. Since the moment it had come out, it had been looking in Kai''s direction. Kai had been waiting for the Pokemon to appear. Like a mass of black mist, he lunged at the magical creature before it could come at him. It was so fast that it instantly flew away backward, its wings beating the air at high speed. But even that couldn''t prevent Kai from spreading despair into the Pokemon, and freezing its wings. Both Kai and the Pokemon danced around each other. Under them, the guard gaped at the monstrosity that was Kai''s figure. No. He couldn¡¯t let this dark creature play with the Pokemon any longer. ¡°Yanma!¡± he cried. ¡°Use Wing Attack!¡± The Pokemon¡¯s wings buzzed, glowing white. It¡¯s speed suddenly doubled as it threw itself toward Kai like a missile. Before Kai could even dodge, the Pokemon slammed one of its wing right into his chest. Chapter 82: White Serpent vs Bug Pokemon – Breath Snatcher! A boom rang out as Kai got sent flying back, his chest caved as if a hammer had struck him. He gulped down the blood rising in his throat and noticed the 20% drop in his HP. Despite the Fear Absorption Ability increasing his HP and MP Regeneration Rates, his HP was still slowly falling, struggling to come to an equilibrium. What a powerful move! Kai exclaimed, coming to a stop in midair. It¡¯s not just the move, though. The beast itself is too fast, making it impossible to dodge someone with my Agility. Tch! There was another thing that bothered Kai. With his habit and need of fighting with much stronger opponents, his Elementary Fear Absorption had been having a hard time catching up to the massive damage dealt to him in a battle. If his HP Regeneration Rate at least didn¡¯t counter the decrement rate, then there was no point in having it, anyway. More often than not, it was these little things that contributed to the outcome of a battle. Kai suddenly remembered absorbing his fear and took solace in that memory. With Advance Emotions Manipulation, all he could do for now was to lock his emotions and devour hope and happiness while simultaneously spreading despair. If he could control each of his emotions individually, then he could endlessly exploit the Fear Absorption Ability. Still, if he had to make a guess, then it wouldn¡¯t happen until he leveled up his Emotions Manipulation to Master Ability and his Fear Absorption to Advance. Moreover, if Kai wanted to end the fight, then he could have already ended it, not giving the guard any chance to take out the Pokemon. However, that would have gone against the point, though. Kai had always learned and improved in real scenarios, not in a training ground. A fight against a Pokemon was exactly what he needed to confirm his shortcomings and their plausible solutions. Kai noticed his HP bar rising again and took a deep breath, bringing his thoughts back to the fight. There¡¯s no winning such fights if I can¡¯t bridge the gap between my and the target¡¯s Agility¡­ Or¡­ With one hit successful, the Bug Pokemon buzzed, its speed a blur. It made a roundabout in the air and flew toward the dark, foul creature with another burst of its glowing wings. Two long katanas appeared in Kai¡¯s hands, reptilian eyes blinking on their flat sides. Mid-level Uncommon Items - Fangs! ¡°Careful, Yanma!¡± the guard shouted, too engrossed and concerned to run away and look for help. Yanma let out a buzz. The moment the Pokemon tilted its body and slammed its right wing again at the same spot, Dementor-Kai lifted his swords and hacked at the wing. Bang! Both got thrown back with almost equal force. But the Pokemon recovered faster, almost blurring out of sight with its superior speed. ¡°Yanma, finish it!¡± the guard commanded excitedly. ¡°Use Ancient Power!¡± Yanma¡¯s wings let out a blinding burst of light as it buzzed monstrously. A see-through image of another Yanma appeared in front of it before it spun on itself and became a silver-gray ball of energy. Then, with great force, the Pokemon threw it toward the dark creature. -Haha!- Kai hissed a ghostly, rattling laugh. White¡­ 50 HP and 100 MP disappeared instantaneously. The two swords in Kai¡¯s swords swelled, becoming five times their size. Under the stunned gazes of both Pokemon and the Pokemon Trainer, Kai crossed the massive Katanas and brought them up. The silver-gray ball of energy landed right between where the two swords crossed. A muffled boom rang out as the swords rattled along with the ball of ancient power. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. -Ha!- Kai let out a powerful, hissing shout and pushed the swords up, directing the ball of energy away from him. Up and up it went until it couldn¡¯t be seen against the starlit sky anymore. Before the guard and the Pokemon could process what happened, Kai brought down the huge katanas using the momentum and hacked at Yanma. ¡­ Serpent!! Hisssssssssssssssss!!! Two white Mana Serpents slithered out of the katanas and hissed their way toward the target. ¡°Yanma, dodge!¡± the guard cried. The Pokemon blurred between the Mana Serpents as they tried to catch up, bite, and coil around it. Suddenly, feeling overwhelmed, Yanma took shelter behind a tree¡¯s branch, hoping to throw the two serpents off. It was a mistake! The Mana Serpents slithered right into the wood as if it didn¡¯t exist there at all. If it was before making a pact with Selene, then Yanma¡¯s strategy might have worked. Now, though, the serpents were intangible and no physical barrier could stop them. The Pokemon buzzed, surprised, but it was already too late. The Mana Serpents bit into the Pokemon¡¯s flesh and coiled around it, restricting it from head to tail. No matter how furiously Yanma tried to buzz its wings, they didn¡¯t move at all. Like a rock, the Pokemon fell to the ground. ¡°Yanma!¡± the guard rushed, taking out the Pokeball to call it back. Kai descended on the guard like a wraith. The swords in his hands had already disappeared. With one powerful kick, he knocked the Pokeball out of his hands. With another, he knocked the breath out of the guard. As the guard hunched over, Kai¡¯s rotten fingers curled around its throat and lifted him, his mouth foaming with blood. Suddenly, Yanma, still immobile under the restriction of the Mana Serpents, buzzed furiously. Move - Bug Buzz! Kai¡¯s mind rattled as if someone had punched him from within. Then his eyes shook as a sudden nauseous feeling overtook him, his soul paining. Kai noticed the massive 50% drop in his SP and struggled to calm down. In pure anger, he turned around and hissed. -You dare¡­- Dementor-Kai slithered toward the Pokemon, still clutching the guard by the neck. -You just gave me another reason to test a Skill on you¡­- ¡­ [ Skill Breath Snatcher is activated Time Limit: 30 seconds ¡­ Skill: Breath Snatcher Grade: D- Specification: The Contestant can drain the targets of their SP points and regenerate their own SP Requirement: SP>0 Attributes: Distance between targets and the Contestant must be less than 2 meters Effect:
  1. Transfer 10% of the target''s drained SP to the Contestant''s SP points
  2. When SP is full, turn the drained SP to increase the SP Regeneration Rate
] ¡­ His breath rattling, Kai hovered over the Pokemon¡¯s face. He first drained Yanma of its hope, spreading despair to its bones. The Pokemon¡¯s brilliant, blue eyes almost became lifeless as it cowered in fear. Kai drank the fear, his HP Regeneration Rate shooting higher than ever. Then, like the foulest being he was, Kai brought his head down on the green mask of the Pokemon and sucked¡­ something more than air. Something did leave the Pokemon. Blurry, yet distinguishable. It seemed like air but water at the same time. The moment it entered Kai''s gaping mouth, he saw his SP bar refueling. Longer and deeper, he sucked, emptying the Pokemon of its SP points. When the 30-second Time Limit was over, the Pokemon didn''t even look like a creature, but a husk. Then Kai waited, hovering around to see if someone had realized the guard''s absence or not. But there weren''t many guards in the area where he had attacked the human. Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the bushes. Kai''s head snapped. A 1 ft long, white serpent slithered out of the bushes, heading towards him. It was Selene. From time to time, she kept raising her hood, flicking out her forked tongue to taste the air. There was a bulge around her stomach as a sign of a successful hunt. Just behind her head was a bloody wound, telling of her struggle with the Pokemon. Kai smiled. -How was the food?- he hissed, approaching her. Selene behaved as if the Dementor didn''t affect her at all. She turned into mist and materialized around his neck under his hood. -Delicious!- she hissed in his ears. -Tastier than the good meatballs- Kai had pointed at Heavy Block with his saber and had proclaimed him a better diet than the one she had before. Since then, Selene always called the meatballs made out of his flesh good. -Well, I hope you are not full.- Kai said, his rattling breath hitting her face. After Cooldown, Dementor-Kai finally loosened his grip on the guard¡¯s throat. No. He didn¡¯t mean to kill the guard, as such an action would attract unnecessary attraction from the Order¡¯s Contestants. What Kai was aiming for was to cause a distraction and test out his next Skill simultaneously. A Skill that would leave the guard in a state worse than death. Chapter 83: The Breath Farming Skill – Dementor’s Kiss! Dementor-Kai¡¯s breath rattled as he activated the most ridiculous Skill in his arsenal. ¡­ [ Skill Dementor''s Kiss Activated Time Limit: 30 seconds ¡­ Skill: Dementor''s Kiss Grade: D+ Specification: The Contestant can suck out the soul of a target, leaving them in a vegetative state. Requirement:
  1. SP>0
  2. The target must be devoid of all happiness and hope
Attributes: The target¡¯s soul gets digitized based on its quality and will upgrade the Status of the Dementor''s Blood Essence Effect:
  1. SP Regeneration Rate +10% to +25%, depending on the soul''s quality for 5 minutes
  2. +1 Breath upon upgrading the Dementor''s Blood Essence
Note: The Attribute Points gained through this Skill will not be counted within a Set''s Attribute Points Quota ] ¡­ Kai''s heart had come to his throat when he had seen this note for the first time. One must not forget that there were only a fixed number of Attribute Points one could obtain from a given Set, which came under the Set Quota. Whatever Attribute Points a Contestant gained above that value was a direct result of the risks and opportunities availed during a Mission. However, even such an approach had a limit. With Dementor¡¯s Kiss, though, Kai could practically farm the Attribute Points for his Breath Stat. Not only that, now that his Breath Stat was taken care of by his Dementor Blood Essence, he needed not allot any Attribute Point in this Stat, saving him from considering at least one choice. Excited, Kai brought his face near to the guard and sucked. It just like he had done with the Breath Snatcher. However, this time his intentions were much more sinister and colder than before. A thin trail of purest blue reached from the depth of the guard''s body and entered his rotten mouth. It felt like he was drinking the sweetest and the tastiest wine. Kai''s entire body thrummed, and Selene hissed, sensing his pleasure. ¡­ [ Soul Points: +0.1 ] ¡­ Kai''s hideous mouth twitched, seeing the value. This was one of the reasons Kai hadn¡¯t devoured the Pokemon Yanma. First, he wanted to confirm what was the difference between Soul Points granted by normal humans and Pokemon. He needed to know if carrying out a city-wide massacre was even worth it. If the difference was too large, then there was no point in risking the descend of a Mythical Pokemon. Second, if he devoured Yanma, then he must discard at least one Blood Essence. However, he still had his Elementary Snake Instinct to level up to the Advance, forcing him to hold onto the non-magical Blue-tailed Boa Constrictor Blood Essence. Third, Kai didn¡¯t know how draining a magical beast of its soul would affect his Glitch. To spare himself from embarrassing moments like the one with the Ukrainian Ironbelly, he also needed to have an experience with a soulless magical beast. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Dropping the guard as if he was a carrot, Kai flew toward the Pokemon. Selene left his shoulder, her forked tongue tasting the Pokemon. The Mana Serpents had disappeared, but, because of the despair and fear, the magical beast could hardly beat its wings, much less buzz away from the hunters. -Master, eat it,- Selene hissed. -It will give you power.- -This one is all yours, Selene,- Kai hissed back. Then his mouth closed on the Pokemon''s little mouth. If that human''s soul was arbor wine, then the Pokemon''s soul was divine mead. Kai''s hands couldn''t help but go for the creature''s wings and crushed them in excitement. ¡­ [ Soul Points: +1 ] ¡­ Whoa! Kai exclaimed, noticing the value. The Soul Points granted by Pokemon were ten times ore than the human Pokemon Trainer. Kai looked at the soulless magical food and took out one Fang. The human''s abnormal state would bring attention, but the Pokemon''s disappearance would become a distraction. Both things would spread such chaos that after a week, people would even fear coming out of their homes at night. Selene hissed madly as Kai put the sword¡¯s edge on Yanma¡¯s head and then lifted the saber, grabbing its hilt in his skeletal fingers. Then the Fang descended. Blood showered like a fountain, painting the Dementor¡¯s black, tattered robes in green. * * Afternoon, June 4 Alto Mare Lips pressed into a thin line, wearing heavy black shades, a blue cap, white shirt, and blue jeans, Kai roamed around the laneways of the Water City, sensing its joys and distress. Suddenly, a little white bird approached him, flying over the canal. Kai stopped and watched it. The white bird had some type of box clutched under her belly. When she fluttered to just above his head, she dropped the box. Kai caught it, still looking at the bird. He could sense no emotions in her. No life. For feathers, she had thin inconspicuous folds. It was a paper bird. An Origami. Quite a unique and useful Ability, Kai thought, as he saw the paper-bird diving into the canal after serving its purpose. Kai brought the box up to his face. Over it, in bold lettering, was written: Pokemon Cards For Beginners. The information over the box said that it had 50 cards, covering major local Pokemon and their next evolutionary stages. He opened it and took out a card. On one side of this card was the image of Pokemon and its name, and some stats which might as well have been random numbers. But the thing on the other side had much more meaning to him. The backside of the card had the data related to the Pokemon''s general abilities, its type, and against which type it was stronger and weaker. It wasn''t much, but with no Pokedex, Kai could use it to know what he was dealing with, or if it was worth devouring. Kai stared at the Pokemon Center ahead and continued after a brief pause. He took a deep breath and entered. The sudden surge of emotions and the many magical beasts'' presence hit his face as fresh as the morning sea breeze. Nothing seemed to have changed. But only he knew that the drop in his uncontrollable urge to devour all the happiness and Blood Essences was considerable. Kai walked to a bench in the corner and sat down, spreading the cards on the table in front of him. His teeth clenched tight, and his chest pounding hot, he tried to focus on learning the info on the cards. But even he wasn''t unaware of the surrounding tension. If before there was a sweet taste to the happiness in this place like cool river water, then now there was a bitterness mixed in it. A bitterness because of fear. This type of happiness tasted the best as Kai had found out. His hands trembled as he lifted one card after another, memorizing the details, confirming it with the prey he had already fed to Selene. A boy and girl came and sat down close to him. From their clothing, they seemed like local Pokemon Trainers, but it was what they were discussing that caught Kai''s attention. "It happened again last night," the brown-haired boy said, frowning. "What''s the count now? 5?" the green-eyed girl said with apprehension. The boy nodded, taking out a poster issued by the police. "Including the one from last night," the boy whispered, "the local police have found 3 citizens and 2 foreigners in a complete mental-breakdown state. All with their Pokeballs lying by their side and their Pokemon missing." The girl shivered. "And¡­" she trailed off but continued after a choking gulp. "¡­ that sign. The ''R''." The boy turned over the poster where the gruesome image of the sign in question was printed, along with the details. "They found the letter ''R'' written by their side¡­ in blood," he told her. "Some locals are saying it was the Pokemon''s blood." She gasped, her hands covering her mouth, and her face going pale in shock and fear. Kai shuddered, sensing her emotion. "But why ''R''?" she questioned. "How can someone be so cruel?¡­ so pathetic." The boy shook his head. "All Pokemon are so gentle and loving," he said, looking at his Pokeballs. "I can''t even think of something like that happening to us. Sigh! Yes. That ''R''¡­ Have you heard about Team Rocket?" "Is it them?!" the girl cried in shock. "But weren''t they caught around a year ago?" "Yes, they were," the boy said, folding the poster and putting it in his back pocket. "They say someone from Team Rocket is doing it as revenge. The Police haven''t released it yet, but my brother told me they found a letter in the morning after the first attack." "Oh, no!" the girl whimpered. "Don''t tell me¡­" The boy looked around. Kai dropped his head, minding his own business. "Yes," he said meekly. "The letter demanded the release of those criminals, Annie and Oakley. Police have yet to comment on it. But my brother thinks it''s some evil tactic to distract them." Kai marked this brother as his next victim instantly. Chapter 84: Pokemon Battle with a Main Storyline Character! The boy and the girl weren''t the only people talking about these sudden night attacks. All around the town, the same tale of people getting attacked was being passed around with some elements missing and some added drama. It wasn¡¯t all for the sake of spreading despair and fear, though. A city-wide panic would let him feed upon the people¡¯s fear, keeping his HP Regeneration Rate higher using Fear Absorption Ability. However, it was all in the preparation of the plan he needed to carry out after returning from New Bark Town where Professor Elm was. A more important reason was the Soul Points. By now, Kai¡¯s nightly adventures had given him 3.3 Soul Points, collectively. "Let''s go," the boy said. "I hope they won''t cancel the race." "Yeah¡­" the girl trailed off, standing up. Suddenly, she slipped, and fell back. Flailing her hands, she gripped the first thing her fingers came into contact with. Kai''s wrist. He could have avoided it if it wasn''t for the stiffness because of resisting the urge to devour. For him to master his hunger for the Blood Essences, Kai must remain calm and composed, without making much movement. This was one way the Blood Essence Cultivators used to maser their beastly urges in his previous life. Recognizing that he was going through something like that, Kai hadn''t waited to implement his theory. So when her hand came to rest on his wrist, Kai didn''t move and just behaved as a normal person. "Sorry," the girl said, the boy helping her up. When she let go of Kai''s wrist, she brought her hand to her face and touched her cheek. Her green eyes were staring at him hard, Kai could tell. "Your hand¡­" she whispered. "It''s so cold." Kai lifted his head. Behind the black shades, two hazel reptilian slits narrowed. Selene sent out another burst of soul-chilling coldness, preventing his skin from becoming red hot, and the scalding steam returned to him as summer sweat. Boa Constrictor''s Blood Essence had gotten no rest in the last three days. Kai had been using Snake Instinct constantly. Now, he only needed one good battle to level up this Ability to Advance, he knew. Moreover, Kai needed to learn to use his Glitch transformation without being noticed if he would need to. The answer was to let Selene use Soul Chill from time to time with just enough intensity to bring down the rising heat and color of his body. The calming of his voracious appetite to devour Pokemon had come as an unexpected but not unwelcome outcome. Now that Selene was resting just left of the thing within his chest, above his heart, her coldness was also positively affecting the sudden hunger pangs of his Glitch. "Umm, thank you!" the girl said, bowing a little. Kai smiled at her and nodded. -Go. Follow them.- A mass of silver mist left his back and disappeared underground. Selene didn''t need eyes to follow the prey on the ground. Her Skill, Earth Vibration Sense, let her sense and differentiate between all vibrations in a 100-meter radius using the sensory organ under her head. -Remember the path- Kai hissed out a warning. The next target was already set. * * 10:00 pm, June 7 Alto Mare A half-moon stood proudly in the sky and the Water City shone silver under it. Tonight was a special night. It was the time of Summer Acqua Alta (High Water), a name for Alto Mare''s exceptional tide peaks that occurred biannually. Certain geological and astronomical reasons would cause partial flooding of the city with overflowing canals. The water on the walkways besides all the canals almost reached the ankles during these times. If someone were to look from the sky, the city would look like a submerged island with houses jutting out of the ocean. The reflection of the moonlight made the town look like nothing short of a celestial city. Sitting at the top of one of the Guardian Columns of Alto Mare, Kai marveled at the beautiful sight, and the vistas of horror and terror hidden under the moonlit, watery layer over it. The last two days had turned out to be almost uneventful for him. Locals, along with Police, had organized a Volunteer Task Force to apprehend the criminals committing such heinous crimes. The result was, in the last two days, Kai had only attacked 3 more elderly and careless locals, all with a bug or some flying-type Pokemon, giving him some 1.7 Soul Points. It was another matter of attacking someone without Pokemon, like the first guard. Now that hundreds of people were voluntarily patrolling the laneways with their Pokemon, Kai had to be more prudent about his prey. Tonight I will compensate for the lost Soul Points, Kai thought. If it all works out as I have planned, then I will also get a Milestone. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The period of abstaining from speaking had brought some benefits to him. Now at least when he thought to himself he wasn''t using Parseltongue. The issues with his Emotions Manipulation and Blood Devour had also curbed substantially. Unlike his fits from the first time, now he could hold his own if he were to be thrown among a crowd of young Pokemon Trainers and their Pokemon. The only thing that had come to him as a surprise was the identity of the boy''s big brother. Ross. A main-storyline character from the movie. In the movie, he was the reigning champion of the Tour de Alto Mare (the Water Chariot Race) before Misty, with the help of her Pokemon, Corsola, broke his winning streak. Ross then gave Ash and his friends a tour of the city on his gondola (a flat-bottomed rowing boat). But these weren''t the reasons for Kai to become adamant about hunting this character. It was his Pokemon, Wailmer. In the movie, he had seen it. But the Pokemon Card told him much more about it. Wailmer was a water-type Pokemon, looking like a spherical whale with no tail. With a blue top and tanned grooves on its underbelly, it was a massive Pokemon weighing over 100 kg. It could store water within it and use it to bounce around. Its major attacks were Water Gun, Whirlpool, and Dive. Kai wanted to devour its soul. Then he would store it in his Inventory as a long-term food source for Selene. ¡­ [ Party Member Morning Mist is requesting a Video Call¡­ ] ¡­ Kai frowned. He had specifically instructed Meg last time to only contact him using Origami. He couldn''t afford to talk to anyone right now. Especially not to a Contestant. If she is contacting me despite that, then there must be some good reason, Kai thought and accepted the video call. A holographic video screen appeared in front of him. He could see Meg sitting in her room, surrounded by what seemed like dozens of Origamis. Little birds, bugs, and tiny worms were roaming around her. She is a dangerous woman, Kai had concluded. He didn''t look down on her because she was weak. No Ability was weak, at least not an Advance one. What mattered was how much it suited a Contestant. "A team of Order''s Contestants has joined the Volunteer Task Force" - Meg said. So? Kai raised an eyebrow. He had no interest in hunting 3rd-floor Contestants. This too, he had let her know. "I am going for them tonight. If I were to need help, can I count on you?" - the beauty almost requested. Kai shook his head. Why the hell would he deviate from his plans? He would hunt Ross and his Pokemon, and tomorrow he would leave the town for weeks. Plain and clear. Morning Mist bit her lips. "I will pay you. All my experience and knowledge about any world that I know, in exchange for one instance of your help" - Meg said, proudly. Kai smiled. That was enough for him. Everything had its price, and these days his time was the costliest. As Meg permitted herself a smile, Kai cut off the video call and stood up. He was wearing a white t-shirt, with the logo of Eon Pokemon. This was the wear of volunteers. He had also joined the Volunteer Task Force, of course. Kai let out a vile grin, looked down, and jumped. * * Ross was a carefree and passionate young man. But the events of these last few days had scarred his thoughts and his love for this town''s history. He rowed his gondola, followed by his Pokemon, Wailmer, by his side. "Wail¡­ mer¡­" the Pokemon came up the canal and expelled a jet of water through the blowhole on the top of its head. "What?" Ross asked, becoming wary. "Did you see something, Wailmer?" "Wail¡­ wail¡­" the Pokemon gave out two low shouts and then swam forward, asking Ross to follow it. After a few turns, finally, Ross heard it too. A shout. Someone was asking for help. He looked back and noticed that he had stirred off from the other volunteers who were following him. No. He couldn''t waste time going back. He gave a hard push using the oar and put the nose of his gondola for a run. "HELP¡­ HERE!" Then he saw her. No, he saw them. A boy and girl were stranded on a flooded walkway some distance away and were flailing their hands to catch his attention. The moonlight struck their clothing then, and Ross noticed they were volunteers. Taking a sigh of relief, he rowed towards them, Wailmer already approaching the edge of the canal. "What happened?" Ross asked. They seemed unfamiliar. Foreigners, maybe? That¡¯s kind of them to help, he thought, noticing the Volunteer Task Force¡¯s t-shirts on them. One was a white-haired boy, who smiled joyfully looking at him. The other one was a blond girl. It was she who had been shouting for help. "Oh, thank you!" the girl said, smiling. "We saw something off the corner and left our gondola at the bank to take a look. When we returned, it wasn''t here anymore. I was so scared." "Haha!" Ross laughed. "You don''t just leave the gondola at the canal''s bank. Come. You two are soaking wet." The white-haired boy said nothing, Ross noticed. He just followed the girl and came over into his gondola. "Thank you," the girl said, cheerfully. "I am Shae. He is my cousin, Arlen. And you¡­" For the first time, the girl showed some apprehension. Ross couldn''t help but shake his head. What had the times come to? Foreigners hesitating to ask for help in Alto Mare? "I am Ross," he said, coolly. "You must know me from the Tour de Alto Mare¡­ I was the champion from last to last year." The girl gasped. "Oh! I know you," she said, looking at her cousin. "My cousin is a big fan of the race. That''s why we had come to the town. To watch the event." The white-haired boy nodded. "Just watch?" Ross asked, raising his eyebrows. "Come to think of it, why haven''t you two taken out your Pokemon? Officer Jenny said we must have our Pokemon out." The girl ruefully smiled. "I¡­ I don''t have any," she said. "My cousin has one, but it''s not a water-type. He doesn''t like to keep it in the Pokeball , so it''s always out." "Huh?" Ross was shocked. He couldn''t see it. Where was the Pokemon? "Wailmerrr¡­" Suddenly Wailmer cried, and Ross lifted his head to the boat''s stern. There sat a white snake-like Pokemon, coiled around the boat''s curved tip. "Wow! It''s so beautiful," Ross exclaimed. "Which Pokemon is this?" Again, the girl answered. "It''s a Ghost Serpent from our village," she said. "My cousin can''t speak. So¡­" Oh! Ross remembered his manners and didn''t prod about it too much. Suddenly, the white-haired boy leaned over and nudged the girl''s elbow. The girl blushed. "Umm," she mumbled, hesitating. "Ross, Arlen is asking if you are interested in a Pokemon Battle?" Pokemon Battle?! Ross frowned. Now?!! "See, I told you!" the girl rebuked her cousin. "Ugh! Sorry, Ross. Arlen is a battle freak. He was so excited when we came here. But then, these things happened. And now¡­ Sigh! Too much gloom sometimes rises in his head. Don''t worry!" Ross felt a pang of pain. Why couldn''t he see so himself? This was the essence of Pokemon Training, wasn''t it? Why should they give up on who they were because of some filthy criminal? "Of course!" Ross said, finally feeling good. "Let us battle, why not?" For the first time, the white-haired boy grinned. Even the snake-type Pokemon lifted its hood and hissed. It, too, looked as if it was grinning. A creepy, snaky laugh. Chapter 85: An Evolution Milestone? – Ghost Serpent vs Wailmer! Kai was after a Milestone. He hadn¡¯t known about it from the start. Only the recent circumstances had made him come to face it. Selene had been hunting young Pokemon for days now. Unlike the search for the criminal, no one was searching for her. A wild creature hunting another was as common in this world as any. Yet, he had failed to perceive any obvious changes about her. There was a time when Kai had thought that if he were to feed her enough magical flesh, it would evolve her from E+ to D-. She must have eaten some ten Pokemon since then, including the ones that Kai had given her, but she remained the same. So Kai had done what he should have done ages ago. Chaos, what are the ways to evolve a growth-type magical beast¡¯s grade? He had asked. There were two ways, according to the System. First was the same as Kai had thought. Let the magical creature feed on other magical creatures. In this way, the growth would come slowly, but surely. There were no specific numbers as it depended on the size of the hunter and its prey and other crucial factors. It was the second way that had made the blood rush to Kai''s brain. Achieve certain World-exclusive Milestones. This was not only a quick but also a clear-cut way to upgrade a magical beast. It had very specific and atypical requirements. Though, like most things, it demanded some effort on his part. An effort like coaxing a Pokemon Trainer to agree to a Pokemon Battle at his Will. ¡­ [ Milestone: Win a Pokemon Battle using a Magical Beast for the first time. The Pokemon Trainer must battle voluntarily, without coercion Conditions to achieve Milestone:
  1. The Magical Beast must not injure the Pokemon over 90% of its HP
  2. The Contestant must not attack Pokemon Trainer directly or indirectly
  3. The Pokemon Trainer must accept the defeat
  4. Magical Beast''s grade must be less than D
Milestone Rewards:
  1. +1 to all Magical Beast''s Attributes
  2. For Growth-type, evolve the Magical Beast to its Grade-group¡¯s limit
Note: A Grade-group consists of three levels. For e.g. E- to E+, with E+ as the group¡¯s limit WARNING: If the Magical Beast is already at its group¡¯s limit, then raise the probability of Group upgradation by 50% ] ¡­ Kai¡¯s Ghost Serpent was already an E+ graded Magical Beast. Even if he achieved the Milestone, Selene wouldn¡¯t evolve to D-, he knew. Still, the Milestone also rewarded one point to each of her Attributes which was more than welcomed. It would also raise her chances to evolve to D- by 50%. Without this second reward, Kai didn¡¯t know how long she would have taken to evolve to the second Group. It seems, Kai had reflected, analyzing the System¡¯s notification, this Group upgradation is a much bigger deal than I have given it credit for. Is it the same for the Contestants? Does becoming a 4th-floor Contestant or 7th-floor Contestant bring some qualitative changes to the Stats? Kai had remembered Heavy Block first. Then he had remembered Arlen¡¯s reason to not ascend to the 2nd Set. Finally, he had recalled how only those who had fulfilled their Set¡¯s Quota could participate in the Tournament of Worth. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. At the end, he had nodded to himself, confirming his doubts. Since then, Kai had been searching for a Pokemon Trainer like Ross, having a massive Pokemon. Massive didn''t mean strong, but it did mean more food. ¡­ Presently, "You are at a serious disadvantage, Arlen," Ross shouted, his feet submerged to the ankles in the flooded walkway. "Even though your Pokemon can swim, Wailmer is a Water-type Pokemon." They had positioned themselves on the opposite banks of the canal. It was Kai''s idea. From this distance, Ross wouldn''t hear him commanding the Ghost Serpent. Hisss! Selene flicked out her forked tongue, coiling around Kai''s neck. Her blind eyes stared at the whale-like Pokemon with deep fascination and hunger. -Do not attack to kill,- Kai hissed out, though he shared her look for the Pokemon. -It''s edible,- Selene argued. Kai didn''t deign to repeat himself. She would follow his command, he knew. "The Ghost Serpent is an excellent swimmer," Cersei answered Ross, standing close to Kai. "Just go all out, Ross. Otherwise, Arlen would make you regret it." These events seem to have enthralled her enormously, Kai thought in amusement, looking at Cersei. In the last world, she didn''t get to do anything other than getting her dress ripped apart by me. She did play a crucial role in my battle against Heavy Block. Though, she had called that Brute Work. But this¡­ this is what she truly likes. Manipulating Ross has excited her too much. Sigh! There was a scornful smile on Cersei''s lips, looking at Ross and this situation as if none could have done it better than her. When she caught Kai looking at her, the young Character almost beamed and the anticipation in her emerald-green eyes glistened mystifyingly under the celestial moonlight. She is beautiful, Kai concluded, taking his eyes off her. And she knows it. "I am ready when you are," Ross called out, his eager emotions reaching Kai, crossing the overflowing canal. Selene slithered off Kai''s shoulder and landed on the water underneath. The moment her tail beat against the shallow water, her speed seemed to double. Kai''s eyes narrowed as he saw those illusions of black and yellow pulsating rings on her body not getting affected by the moonlight in the slightest. -Can you sense it?- Kai asked, knowing well that her Earth Vibration Sense will not work in water as effectively as on the ground. -Yes. This food is too noisy,- Selene hissed, slithering away from him, and entering the deep waters of the canal. The water current tried to sway her away with it, but the powerful beatings of her tail let her maintain a straight course. Not to mention her streamlined body, even her white draconic scales seemed to work better than her smooth scales which she had lost. "Wailmer, are you ready, buddy?" Ross asked cheerfully. "Let''s show them what we are made of, huh?" "Wailmer!" the Pokemon let out a cry, smashing its huge finger-like fins on the water. This smashing of fins had such a power that Kai felt like it could have thrown even him in a single direct hit. "Wailmer, start with the Water Gun!" The Pokemon lifted its mouth, lined with baleen plates that resembled teeth, and squirted out a powerful jet of water. Selene lied directly at the end of this attack. -Dive,- Kai hissed. One moment the Ghost Serpent was shining silver over the water, and in the next, she was nowhere to be seen. The Water Gun went far, missing its target. Ross laughed from the other side. "It was a mistake," he shouted. "Wailmer¡­ Dive!" This wasn''t just going down into the water to dodge, or to attack. It was a move. And all Pokemon''s moves were powerful Abilities and Skills in the System''s terms. A blue light shone around the Pokemon and it plunged into the canal. Kai''s eyes squinted, sensing the Pokemon rushing towards Selene. But he didn''t tell her any direction to dodge. Wailmer found her, went beyond her, and then from the deep, came back, gaining speed as it swam up. Selene had sensed it coming for her, he knew. But without his command, she wouldn''t dare to move. Bang! Like a huge water cannon, Wailmer hit her directly, sending her flying out of the water and then into the air. Hissss! She hissed madly, half in pain and half in anger. -Motherfucking¡­- she spat, trying to slither in the air vainly. Kai''s jaw fell open. Where the hell did she learn that word? He thought with sheer astonishment. "What happened?" Cersei asked, gazing at Kai''s ridiculous expression. But Ross was in form. "Wailmer¡­ Use Whirlpool!" "WAILMERRR!" the Pokemon let out its loudest cry, and a massive whirlpool appeared over its mouth, its water glistening with a blue shine. The Pokemon sent the churning mass of water towards Selene''s falling figure. Even then, Kai didn''t give her any commands. Ross was looking at him oddly from the other side, Kai could tell. But less with an accusing look and more in wonder. For all Ross knew, Kai was giving her command without speaking, and that was a matter of legends in itself. When Selene came down, she found herself trapped at the center of the whirlpool, not able to slither in any direction. Her wild thrashing showed her anger, much like Kai''s occasional impatient actions. "She''s just like you," Cersei commented, sneering. Kai scowled at her, and that seemed to have shut her up. "This match is ours!" Ross proclaimed. "Wailmer - Use Tackle!" The monstrosity named Wailmer rushed through the whirlpool effortlessly for the trapped Selene. It was indeed as Ross had said. This match was theirs. A direct hit from the massive figure of Wailmer could break boulders, much less The Ghost Serpent''s tiny figure. Selene hissed, venom dripping off her fangs, melting into the whirling water around her. A big blue mass was almost over her, intending to bury her underwater. It was then Kai commanded. Chapter 86: Ghost Serpent’s Minor Evolution – Latias Arrives! The command came hissing out of Kai¡¯s mouth. -Use Intangibility.- Just when Wailmer was about to hit her, Selene exploded into a swirling mass of silver mist. This was no mere mist that wind or water could affect. No. This was a phantasm that could pass through anything. Wailmer ran into the mist, and the mist entered it. With his second command, Kai finished playing with the childish game. -Use Soul Chill at 40% output.- Only Kai knew what Selene''s Soul Chill could do at its maximum potential. He had used it to freeze his own soul against Dementor''s soul-sucking ability. Selene couldn''t control this Ability before this thoroughly, but Kai making her use this Ability for the last seven days against his Glitch''s effects had benefited her too. A burst of chill spread outward from within Wailmer''s body. The Pokemon lost its momentum and fell into the canal, motionless. In just a moment, a thin layer of icy frost spread over its body, making the blue at its top look bluer. Ross gasped. "Wow!" he said. "It''s a Ghost, Ice, and Poison-type Pokemon! But¡­ ice-type moves don''t work well against Wailmer." Following Ross'' comment, the Pokemon''s entire body thrummed. A silver mist escaped its body and materialized into Selene''s snaky figure. She was tired, Kai noticed. "Wail¡­ MER!" the Pokemon cried, and the ice layer over it broke down into many shards. The water current carried those shards away, and seemingly all chances of Kai''s victory along with them. Or so Ross must have thought. For, in the next moment, the Pokemon shook its head as if it was drunk, drowsy, and under the effect of strong sedation. Its body looked stiff as if an ethereal layer of ice was still over it, freezing its metabolism with every passing second. This was the terror of Soul Chill. Its prey wasn''t the physical body, but the soul. That layer of icy frost over the physical body was just a consequence of the soul freezing within. "Wailmer!" Ross cried, seeing the oddness about the Pokemon. "Wailmer - come back!" But the Pokemon might as well have not heard it. It dolled like a lifeless object, its eyes going vacant like a candle flame about to go out. "Wailmer can''t fight anymore." Cersei stepped towards the canal and declared with a noble authority. Ross tried a few more times. But when he saw Selene still slithering around Wailmer, he finally shook his head and smiled. "Haha!" he laughed, approaching his gondola. "That was fun! Yes. We admit defeat." ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn¡­ You have achieved a Milestone ¡­ ] ¡­ Kai grinned¡­ ¡­ and Selene shuddered. Ross climbed over his gondola and rushed for Wailmer as Kai approached the Ghost Serpent, slithering towards him. She was trembling, he could tell even from afar. Water was bubbling off her in a low, continuous rhythm. -Hurts,- she hissed, shaking her head. -Hurts... It hurts so much.- Kai had never felt such emotions from her. He frowned as he crouched to pick her up. Then dropped her back into the water right away. She was hot. Seeing her white dragonish scales thrumming like a beetle''s shell, no one could have told the temperature of those beautiful things. Kai looked at his palm and saw the burned marks in the shape of those scales. His frown deepened. -Hurts¡­ Master,- she cried. I thought it would be like the Pokemon evolution, Kai wondered. What''s happening?! You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "Hey! Is everything alright?" Ross shouted a question, rowing the boat towards him. Kai bent down and picked her up again, but this time he didn''t drop her. He smiled at Ross and nodded. The plan would come first, pain later. Embracing Selene in his left hand, trying to hide her murderous hisses and trembles, Kai helped Ross''s gondola with his right hand. Behind the boat, Wailmer seemed to have come out of the effects of Soul Chill but still looked lethargic. The Pokemon kept bumping into the boat''s stern, pushing it over the canal. "It was such a good battle," Cersei said, smiling, stepping out from Kai''s shadow. "Let me help you." -Hurts.- -Shut up!- Kai snapped, his hiss burying into Selene''s mind. -Bear the pain.- -¡­- Selene didn''t hiss anymore, but her coils were becoming tighter around his arm, and the heat had truly become unbearable, almost burning Kai''s white full sleeve t-shirt. I must be quick about this, Kai thought, gritting his teeth and seeing the blood seeping out of Selene''s mouth. Ross, beaming because of the battle, reached out to shake Kai''s hands. The moment their palms touch each other, Kai snatched away that happiness. His eyes became dark, and when his mouth parted and sucked, a rattling noise reverberated. Ross'' knees buckled, and he fell with Kai still sucking out all happiness and hope that the Pokemon Trainer had ever known. The black hood of a tattered cloak covered his head as his feet levitated out of the water. Now he was the foul lord of despair, looming over Ross'' face, making him remember all that was wrong with him and this world. "Wailmerrr¡­" the Pokemon sensed Kai''s presence and roared, but he didn¡¯t have any time to spare. -Ahhhh¡­- Selene hissed so loud that it made Dementor-Kai almost put his hands on his ears. Her grip had become tight enough to break bones. His gaze landed on her body, and only then did he realize what was happening. Her white body looked murky, the color of rotten milk. A distinctive layer of skin was peeling off her, starting from her mouth. She kept thrashing her head, here and there, her fangs reaching for anything to just bite, just rip something off. She was shedding. First their souls, Kai thought, ignoring the maddening hisses. He was just about to execute Dementor¡¯s Kiss when the noise hit him. Bang! The water at the far end of the laneway exploded. Kai raised his head, and saw something rushing towards their position. Something powerful and fast. Incredibly fast. Like a jet. No! Kai trembled, realizing the incomer''s identity. Latias! It looked like an invisible jet plane was flying low, just over the canal. -Ma¡­- Selene buried a hiss and plunged her fangs into Kai''s shoulder. No venom came out, but they went deep, ripping his blood vessels and nerves. That would have been painful, but it broke the trance-like state Kai had slipped into. He looked at Selene and then at Ross and the Pokemon. Behind him, Cersei vanished. A furious rattling scream came out of his mouth and he threw away the Ross¡¯ almost lifeless body. Run! The word echoed in his mind. He wasn''t prepared to face a legendary Pokemon. Not when two other young Eon Pokemon could have been with the older Latias. He wasn''t fast enough, either. But the abnormal condition of Ross and Wailmer would keep Latias busy, he knew. Still, he dashed off with all the speed he could muster. Gliding low over the water layer like a mass of the filthiest black mist, Kai took several turns in succession to throw Latias off if she was chasing him. When the pain from Selene''s bite became unbearable, despite the Pain Reduction, he stopped, canceling his transformation into a dark corner. He grabbed the back of the serpent''s mouth and pulled out her fangs, almost ripping out his muscles along with them. The boiling hot skin crackled under his grip, but Kai didn''t let go. Soul Points¡­ Kai thought, his eyes bloodshot, remembering the massive Pokemon. My Soul Points! In his embrace, Selene wriggled like a twisted rope under tension. Now she was pulsating, now she was hissing, and now she was puffing. Her scales rattled like the buzz of a hundred insects. Then they broke off. Starting with her nose, her old skin came off, and Kai saw the sweetest and most beautiful thing under it. Such a white color even he had never seen before. Selene''s tail grabbed Kai''s forearm and she pushed herself more. The Skin gave away from her mouth, eyes, and then from the gash in between her blind eyes. Time after time she kept pushing, hissing low moans, and her forked tongue flicking out, kissing Kai''s burned arm. Like the peel of an orange, the skin left her almost effortlessly once the shedding started. One last push and she was out. Now almost 2 ft long, she hung around Kai like a scarf, panting for air. Kai couldn''t take his murderous eyes off her. His hand reached for the head, patting it softly. -Sleep,- he hissed, controlling the hunger in his chest. -Sleep and become stronger.- -Yessss¡­- Selene hissed back and then dozed off without even entering Kai in her mist form. Kai choked a moan as the wound on his back wriggled, healing by itself. The burns on his arms and his chest were so severe that the flesh had charred. But what pained Kai the most was the loss of Soul Points¡­ and the food supply. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn Your Magical Beast, Ghost Serpent, has undergone a Minor Evolution Rewards: +1 (All Attributes) ] ¡­ Kai was about to check Selene¡¯s Stats, when another notification followed the first. ¡­ [ Party Member Morning Mist has shared her location with you She is requesting an audio call¡­ Do you accept it? ] ¡­ Kai stored Selene¡¯s shedded skin in his MRB and stood up. With a hideous, raging scowl on his face, he brought out the Dementor within him. Let''s see how many Soul Points these puny things will give me, he thought, his breath rattling thunderously. Kai¡¯s feet left the water, leaving behind a dark layer of ice, pulsing with foul, murderous emotions. Chapter 87: The Unknown Ghost Serpent and Morning Mist’s Mystery Late afternoon, June 9 The Seagull The ferry''s fare was cheap. Kai sat in his chair in a room, looking out at the sea through the small round glass window. In front of him lay pages after pages of information on the Pokemon and Harry Potter World. Combined with the things he had got to know from the Thunder Faction, he now had a pretty good idea about these two worlds. The Soul Points he had gotten from three 3rd-floor Contestants were so low that Kai dared not even think about them lest it would bring out his rage. All they had given him were 600 Mission Credits, and the return of the Title - Murderer. By the morning, Kai had boarded Seagull, along with a depressed Meg, who did not know what had happened last night. Still, she was a shrewd woman, and Kai had an inkling that she had guessed some things after dealing with her abnormal state. No wonder I got all the details so thoroughly, and so soon, Kai reflected. Suddenly he remembered the look of extreme fear on Morning Mist¡¯s face while passing the notes. I can acutely sense fear¡­ Why did she fake a fearful appearance? This woman¡­ troubled Kai. As he looked at the high and low waves and a flock of Pokemon flying far into the horizon, Kai recalled the things that had happened after coming to the Pokemon World. His Snake Instinct''s Proficiency had risen to 95% because of all the continuous activation in the last week. Fear Absorption had reached 75%. But the least growth had occurred to Twin-Saber Style, reaching 80%. It happened when I used White Serpent for the first time, Kai recalled. Reasonable, I guess. If swinging swords could increase Proficiencies, then everybody would have possessed them by now. It also made Kai solidify his guess even more. He needed a good battle. His Snake-Instinct and Twin-Saber Style depended too much on it, including the Slither Footsteps Ability. Yet, the most welcoming change had happened to a Title. Kai brought out the last notification about it. ¡­ [ Your Title status is updated¡­ Title: Poacher Specification: Kill 10 magical beasts collectively. The magical beast¡¯s grade must be equal to or higher than Contestant''s equivalent floor number Status: (7/10) Effect: Agility +1, Perception +1, Charisma -2 Note: Only 1 Title can be equipped at a time ] ¡­ He had certainly killed over 5 Pokemon, Kai knew. For the Status to rise by only 5 points, there could be only one reason. Some of the Pokemon''s grades were lower than his equivalent floor number. So the System didn''t count them as his Kills. That''s OK too, Kai nodded to himself. I am positive I can get this Title before going back to Alto Mare. -Food.- A hiss made Kai snap his head back. Perched on the bed was Selene, her hood raised high and her forked tongue flicking up and down. This was the thing Kai had been worried about when he had gotten to know the Milestone. He knew Selene would need more food of better quality after upgrading, that''s why he had specifically gone after Ross and his Pokemon. -I am hungry,- she hissed again. -You just ate, Selene. We have little magical flesh left,- Kai hissed. -I want to hunt. I smell food.- Face hard, Kai told her again what he had been telling her since yesterday. -You can''t.- Selene puffed, yawning, showing her long, venomous fangs. It all seemed like an exasperated sigh to Kai. He looked at her as she went over to the corner where on a plate were a few meatballs. They didn''t seem to appease her as much as they once used to after she had tasted the Pokemon. Kai looked at her in pure fascination, and in purer¡­ horror. Yes. Horror beyond imagination. For he could see things now that he couldn''t when she was smaller. His eyes landed on her left eye. It didn''t seem as harmless as before to him. Now that she had grown, he could make out infinite patterns within that eye that seemed to change as she moved. Kai clenched his fists as he found those hideous patterns matching that of the Door he had seen in his Blood Prophecy. Even the eye itself was beyond something Kai could look at for long. One time it looked caved in, depthless, like a deep yellow chasm full of weird geometrical shapes that felt alive. Other times it seemed to bulge out like a telescope as if someone was on the other side looking hard at his magnified face. Then there was her right eye. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. The illusions of hundreds of worms wriggling inside that black abyss had turned out to be the reality. Kai looked into both of her eyes, not knowing what to do with her. One thought told him to just flung her away into the ocean and be done with her. Other thoughts told him to stuff her with more power first and see what would happen. Of course, that other thought had generated because of Kai''s curiosity, and her new Stats. ¡­ [ Beast: Ghost Serpent (magical beast) Grade: E+ (growth) Type: Unknown HP: 110 MP: 190 SP: 110 Attributes- Strength: 9 Agility: 14 Stamina: 11 Perception: 17 Correspondence: 19 Breath: 11 Abilities-
  1. Intangibility
  2. Soul Chill
Skills-
  1. Ghost Neurotoxin
  2. Earth Vibration Sense
] ¡­ With only one battle, Selene had gained 6 Attribute Points. However, this wasn¡¯t what attracted Kai to her the most. Despite retaining her Abilities and Skills, her nature had changed. Unknown! Ghost Serpent¡¯s Type seemed to scream in Kai¡¯s mind, sending a shiver running down his spine. She was 2 ft long now; of the same length as he had seen in his Prophecy. That meant things were happening according to how they were meant to happen. Now, Kai couldn''t have that, could he? The one thing I don''t understand is why in the hell I would chant unknown words, Kai thought, seeing Selene swallowing a meatball. I am not stupid. Kai knew himself, and that''s why the knowledge of his future self doing something that stupid struck him the hardest. Will I be forced? he asked himself. Who can force me to do something like that? If no one can force me, then¡­ then will I do it voluntarily? Yet, the most troublesome thought that kept him awake at night was something else entirely. What will happen when I get that paper and the time comes to chant the things written over it? Kai asked himself for the hundredth time. The future is subjected to change as per my actions; the Blood Prophecy Stats have warned me. But if I were to decide to not chant those words, what will happen to my past self? Will it get that abnormal Elite Ability? Will it get the 50 points of Worth Stat? And what would happen to Selene''s past self? The questions made even Kai run his hands through his hair. He took pride in his knowledge regarding beasts, but this had nothing to do with them. A Paradox. That''s what it was, and Kai, for the first time, didn''t have any idea where to begin. Or¡­ if there was ever a beginning to this chain of events. * * Morning, June 10 The Seagull Something was odd about Meg. It wasn''t the first time Kai had this thought. He had been brooding over it for the last week. He thought about it from all angles, always coming to the same conclusion. Something was disturbingly odd about Meg. With his chair pointed towards the small window, Kai sat there in deep contemplation. In his hands was the False Wand he had obtained from Arlen. Despite visiting the Harry Potter Random World, now twice, he still had not gotten his hands on the Ability required to operate it. Petyr was lying on the bed, going through the information which Meg had shared with him. When Kai looked at him, he turned his head to look back. "You should throw it in the ocean," the Character said, smiling. "What''s the point of having it if you can''t use it?" Kai frowned. He looked at the wand and the Stats hovering above it. ¡­ [ Item: Coreless Wand Grade: Common Specification: A false wand lacking a core Requirement: Elementary Magical Aptitude Attributes: Length - 10 inches, Wood - Mahogany Skill: Magic Duplication Effect:
  1. Contestants can use it to duplicate the effect of genuine Wands
  2. After casting Spell/-s of 200 MP collectively, goes in Cooldown of 1 minute
Warning: Casting high-level Spells can damage the Item Quality: 76% ] ¡­ Kai couldn''t help but agree with Petyr. "Are you still thinking about her?" Petyr asked, sitting up and straightening his small hair. Kai nodded. Staying quiet had helped him, but the moment he opened his mouth, the hissing came back like an old friend whom he didn''t like at all. "Let''s not think about it in our usual way," Petyr mumbled, standing up. "Let''s think about what she lacks and not about what''s odd about her." Kai snapped his head towards Petyr as the character paced within the small room. Has he found something? he wondered, knowing well Petyr would have never brought up the matter otherwise. "What has she done in the last week, pray tell me, my lord?" Petyr asked, and when Kai opened his mouth to speak, the Character chuckled, cutting Kai off. "Oh, never mind. I can''t understand you, anyway. Hear me out." Kai too stood up, sending the False Wand back to his Inventory. "Nothing," Petyr declared. "She has done nothing. If it was another 3rd-floor Contestant in her place, what would they have done? Certainly not keeping themselves in the room. Arlen is the strongest 3rd-floor Contestant we know, my lord. Can you guess the difference between Meg and him?" Kai''s eyes widened. Yes. Meg wasn''t as strong as Arlen, but with her Abilities and Pokemon, she was near. Then she had the experience. Too much experience for a mere 3rd-floor Contestant. Yet, she lacked one thing. "Greed¡­" Kai forced out the word, smothering the hiss. Petyr¡¯s brows rose and then he nodded. "Greed and ambition," he said, completing Kai''s words. "She lacks both these things one can expect from a lower floor Contestants." Then Kai frowned. Petyr guffawed, knowing well what his evil master was thinking about. "Why did she go after Order¡¯s Contestants and asked you to help her? This was also the thing that had puzzled me the most," he agreed. "But it''s also the easiest to explain. The reason is¡­ you." Kai¡¯s hazel pupils shuddered. "Your very existence gives birth to curiosity, my lord," Petyr said. "The way you analyzed her Abilities, and the strange nightly events that followed your departure. Then there is the mysterious reason for you playing a mute and the strange vegetative state of your victims. It makes one curious, even if one lacks greed and ambition. She had to know more about you somehow." Kai went back to the chair and sat down, tapping his fingers on the chair''s arms. Selene hissed menacingly, sensing his emotions. He knew if Petyr had decided to share these things with him, then he already had a plan. Kai¡¯s eyes became two reptilian slits as if following an instinct. Petyr approached his master, crouching down to Kai''s ears from behind. Then the Herald of Chaos whispered his plan. But some whispers were better left unheard. Chapter 88: Morning Mist’s Real Identity – The Temple of Hastur’s Scheme! Kai and Meg booked a room in a nearby hotel named The Slowpoke. There was no Pokemon Center near the Azalea Town''s Port, and Kai had already let Morning Mist know he had some business to take care of in the town. Meg wasn''t happy about it. Though she didn''t dare to object to Kai anymore. "I don''t understand," she finally said, sitting on a chair across from Kai. "The System has given us a Time Limit of 2 months. That means whatever your Mission is, it needs at least that much time of preparation. I agree you should go to Professor Elm to at least try to get your first Pokemon. But spending 3 to 5 days in Azalea Town makes little sense to me." Kai looked at her. She talk like old people who have seen too much, he thought. Petyr was right about her. She lacks the thrill of an adventure. She''d rather spend her time walking around Alto Mare''s laneways for weeks than using the opportunity to explore the world. "Not to mention," Meg continued, unaware of Kai''s thoughts, "we will have to face a team from the Order, too. Unlike us, they might spend their time reinforcing the defenses, if they have also got to see that movie, don''t you think? I don''t believe we will return to Alto Mare in time for the Water Chariot Race, either." Now Kai doubted Meg wanted to take part in the race genuinely. But he had already made plans to return to Water City using Seaplane. Though, it would need a lot of Pokemon Dollars. He reached into the pocket of his jeans and took out the list of tasks he had prepared Meg to do. The moment he threw the list toward Meg, she got a notification of a Side Mission. Meg raised her eyebrows. "How would I ever steal this much money?" she asked. Kai didn''t answer. Leaving her in the room, Kai walked out of the hotel and took a deep breath. The port was busy on this sunny morning, with people running about, doing their work. A part of the crowd belonged to the traveling Pokemon Trainers. He adjusted his blue cap and headed for the local bus stop. Azalea Town is a major setting in the Pokemon World, Kai recalled. Not only does it have a Gym to which Pokemon Trainer must go to get the Hive Badge, but it is also the hometown of a major main-storyline character, Kurt. No wonder the 4th-floor Order''s Contestants didn''t go for him and rather kidnapped his granddaughter instead. Kurt lived in the northwest portion of the town, which was accessible by buses. He studied Pokeball mechanics and was known far and wide as the Pokeball expert. Kurt specialized in making custom Pokeballs designed to work more effectively against specific types of Pokemon. "Slowpoke Well¡­" "Apricorn Forest¡­" "East edge of the Ilex Forest¡­" Kai heard the shout of the bus conductors and went for the last one. Everyone knew Kurt in the town. Kai had found out that many Pokemon Trainers visited the old man, requesting him to make custom Pokeballs using different apricorns. Kai didn''t have the luxury to search for the apricorns and then request something like that. But he did want the famous custom-made Pokeball. Kai took a ticket to the east edge of the Ilex Forest and sat down in a window seat. The bus was full of travelers, Pokemon Trainers, and locals. Kai looked at them and couldn''t help but recall the thing that he had found quite odd. I didn''t get any Title unlocking notification after killing the first Pokemon Trainer, he thought. I wonder if there are some strict conditions to unlock Titles related to the killing. Or is it to prevent massacres by the Contestants? Hmm¡­ The only reason Kai could think of the unavailability of this Title was that it was too easy to kill Pokemon Trainers in this world, making it highly unnecessary with no benefit. Meg had told him the consequence of killing too many people and Pokemon. He wasn''t sure that he wanted to attract the wrath of a Mythical Pokemon. Kai enjoyed the odd moment of peace, looking at the hustle and bustle outside as the bus made its way out of the port. There was a smile on his face as if he was just going out to enjoy the town''s scenery, like any youth of his age. Though the moment the bus crossed a boundary of some 1 km from the hotel-room Kai and Meg had rented, that smile vanished. Kai''s face became hard, a bloody, murderous expression replacing the calm in his eyes. "¡­ STOP!" He shouted, controlling his voice as hard as he could. The bus conductor squinted his eyes at him. "Next stop is still some distance away," he explained. "The Bus doesn''t stop in between the bus stops." Kai gritted his teeth, trying hard to not hiss. "I¡­ forgot¡­" he began, uttering one word after another. "¡­ my¡­ Poke¡­ mon¡­ belt." The bus conductor gaped at Kai''s stuttering admission. Even the other passengers turned their heads to check out his waist. And, yes. There wasn''t a belt holding Pokeballs, or any bag there, confirming Kai''s words. "You will have to go back on foot, young man," the bus conductor said, pulling a chain to ring the bell. The bus stopped, and the conductor looked at Kai with pity as he stepped out. Kai turned around to look at the crowded buildings of the port, starting some hundred meters away. He made sure that no one was watching him before he called out, "Petyr¡­" Petyr walked out of him, wearing a black shirt and black jeans. "Are you sure?" Kai asked, still looking at the Port, almost in the hotel''s direction, The Slowpoke. Petyr smiled slyly. "Almost," he said. "We will know soon, anyway. I know women like Meg, my lord. They can hardly wait long when the time is ripe. But she is no Cersei Lannister, much less Petyr Baelish." The merest sight of a black tattered cloak of Dementor flickered around Kai, showing his bloodthirst. Something was going on behind the scenes. Something sinister. All schemes were about to come out in the open. * * Morning Mist was old. She had not thought about her age for the last 30 years. But she remembered seeing the fall of an Empire like it was a matter of yesterday, and that was some 100 years ago when she had been a youth. It also seemed that only yesterday she had failed her last mission. Now she was Unworthy. In the Primordial Tower, all Unworthy were doomed to be thrown into the sea of madness. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. I would have suffered the same fate as others, Meg thought, her hands tightening over her long overcoat. I should have suffered the same fate. She looked outside the room, towards the disappearing sun below the distant horizon. The afternoon had come and gone, yet she had yet to move. When she thought of the reason for her stillness, she shuddered. "Red¡­" Meg muttered and gulped heavily. "What in Chaos'' name are you?!" She couldn''t fathom his sheer existence. In one moment, he seemed like any 2nd-floor Contestant. Greedy, ambitious, and always in search of more information. In the next, though, he was a shrewd old man, who could see into the very soul of his target and pry out secrets hidden deep. A killer beyond killers. An emotionless, cold, and raw machine. She had seen the many victims of this supposed vengeance-seeking Team Rocket. Their eyes were so vacant and dead as if the thing that had made them humans had been sucked out of them. She had suspected Red behind these actions, then. Though she didn''t know how he had been doing such things. I must find out the power behind his confidence, she had thought. And she did. Morning Mist had orchestrated her hunt of three Order''s Contestants to test out Red¡¯s capabilities. Never had she thought that she would suffer so much because of that. When the despair had come, overtaking her entire being, it brought out the happiest memories which she had forgotten. Then, she had watched that happiness leaving her, abandoning her, being snatched away from her. Meg trembled, remembering that feeling of helplessness as if she would never be happy again. "What are you?" she asked again. "No wonder they are so interested in you." Suddenly, a bird fluttered into the room through the window. It looked like a hummingbird, with blue and white colors shining over it as the last ray of the sun hit it. When the bird landed over her shoulder, it brought its beak towards her ears. What song it sang into Morning Mist''s head, none knew. The blue-white hummingbird then fell lifeless on the floor. Only then one could tell it was a lifeless thing. Not of blood, flesh, and bones, but paper. For a moment, its bulging eyes had seemed to be full of life, but it could have also been an illusion. If Kai had been here, seeing the bird''s erratic movements with his eyes, then he would have to admit that he had guessed Meg''s Ability wrong. It wasn''t an Advance, but a Master Ability. If he had seen a Master Ability before, then he could have guessed it correctly, she thought. Still, for him to have seen or even have an Advance Ability of his own¡­ Meg dared not think much about it lest her breathing got affected. The sunset seemed to be some sort of signal, for one more bird came to her, again singing a song into her ears. There was no sound, only the mere knowledge that it was passing information. This bird followed another, and then another. They kept coming, one after another, like a flock. When the hundredth bird had come, Meg stood up and closed the window. So he''s truly gone to Kurt, the Pokeball expert, she thought. How can he waste his time so? She looked around the room, then. It was a simple one. Just a bed in a corner, a table, a chair, a wardrobe, and an attached bathroom. On the wall opposite the bed was a TV, but it was off. On the floor was a red mattress with a blue-green floral design. The clock struck six, and she knew it was now or never. Her hands flicked, and she took out a fistful of something. Something squirmed within her grip, something almost alive. "Go," she said, throwing the things in her hands into the room. "Search every corner and every hole for anything hidden." Even under the light of the room, one would have trouble believing about those things'' nature. Beetles, mosquitoes, spiders, and ants. All were made of paper and the correct size. Within moments, these thousands of little white things covered the room''s insides like paint. Nothing could have hidden from them, and thus, nothing could hide from Morning Mist near her without her knowing about it. The little paper insects soon returned to her, disappearing into her Inventory at her merest touch. When the last insect disappeared, singing no song, she took a breath of relief. Meg rolled the mattress over the floor and put it in one corner. Her hands reached for something in the air, taking out a small golden-brown box from the Inventory. Her eyes trembled as she looked at it. There was a symbol at the top of the box. An unnatural glyph. Its geometry was so distorted that it neither looked like a character nor any known shape. There was a strange sinisterness about it that made her look away from it. She opened the box and looked at the things within it. It was the oddest collection of things. She remembered the origins of them all. It had taken her over 50 years to collect these things. Most were given to her, and some she had taken by herself. There were different colored empty Pokeballs from Pokemon World. A Sling Ring from the Marvel World. The tiniest Kyber Crystal from the Star Wars world. A tiny gun from the World of Men in Black. Two ninja scrolls from the Naruto World. And one fruit with mysterious shapes over it. A Devil Fruit! From the One Piece World. There were other things too, but of less importance. Morning Mist took a deep breath as she took her eyes off them. Her hand went into the box and she took out a long candle of the palest yellow color one could have ever seen. She went to the middle of the room and placed the candle on her side. Her hand flicked again, and she took out a dagger. It shone blue as she cut her wrist in one quick slash. The blood streamed down, but before it could run, her other hand went for it, drawing a certain shape. No one knew, and even she didn''t know, how she drew that shape. But when she was finished drawing it, it matched the strange glyph at the top of the chest. Her eyes blurred as she kept looking at it, everything going dark. So she broke eye contact. Then, she put the candle in the middle of this glyph and lit it. A pale yellow flame flickered into existence. Under the effect of this flame, even the blood shone yellow. Meg sat down on her knees and calmed herself down as she concentrated her gaze on the flame. It was then she spoke. ¡°The Dweller in the Depths¡­¡± With her first chant, foul darkness took over the light of the lamps within the room. Only the pale yellow flame seemed to be unaffected, now burning yellower. ¡°The Bringer of Madness and Doom¡­" With her second chant, a wind howled around her. It rattled as if uncountable beings were breathing down her neck, just short of choking her, burying her head down into the flame, which had become larger and longer. "The King in Yellow¡­" With her third chant, all the colors became yellow. This was the color of past, present, and future, the color from beyond. This was Yellow. HIS color. "HASTUR! I, Priestess Margrethe II of House Ingrid, sacrifice my blood and the Kyber Crystal, and request a cross-dimensional video call with the High Priest." Margrethe reached for the box and took out the Kyber Crystal, and placed it just below the candle. The yellow flame bulged as if something had just entered it, making the flame its abode. The Kyber Crystal lifted and entered the flame, disappearing eternally. A video screen appeared above the flames then, seemingly made of the flames themselves. And an old voice crawled out from the other side. "Ah, Margrethe!" the High Priest said, his voice shaking like the candle flame. "How is he?" She knew the sacrifice wasn''t good enough for the video to even last for a minute. So she hurriedly told the High Priest the most important thing she had found out. "He is blessed by a Dementor," Meg said. "He has an Advance Ability, and he is too strong for me." "A¡­ blessing?!" the High Priest muttered as if things didn''t seem as he had expected. "Are you certain?" "I am," Meg answered. "Very well," the High Priest said. "He knows about the Temple of Hastur. And he has already told someone about it. This Red is too wild. If we can not rein him, then we must kill him. You know what you must do." "But¡­" she hesitated and then steeled herself. "But I can''t take him on." "Humph!" the High Priest snorted. "Don''t forget why are you still alive? It''s HIS mercy. HE only took your Stats away, Margrethe, letting you live an ordinary life in the 1st Set. Now that your services are required, you must serve HIM. If you do this task, then I can think of letting you go back to the 13th floor. Think about it." "13th floor¡­" Meg blurted out, old memories coming out from older graves. The High Priest grunted. "It''s time," he said. "May HIS scalloped tatters hide Yhtill forever!" "May HIS scalloped tatters hide Yhtill forever!" Margrethe echoed with the High Priest, bringing both her hands over her face like putting on a mask. When she took off her hands, the flame had already died. The blood that was red before now looked yellow like pus. The darkness had receded, and the howling wind had gone. Morning Mist cleaned the floor and put the box back into her Inventory. She threw herself on the bed, thinking of the reward promised to her by the High Priest, and all the rewards that the Temple of Hastur had promised her once, but never given. Time seemed to stretch as tiredness hung, clinging to her eyelashes. As the stars overtook all the sky, she fell asleep. And when her breathing softened, a mass of spectral silver mist left the room unannounced. Chapter 89: The Yellow Sign! The stars shone yellow today. Kai looked at them in pale awe. From constellations to constellations, even the brightest blue star looked sickly blurry. Only one star was beaming red, almost outdoing even the distant moon in brightness. Like the eye of some demon, that red star glared back at him. Kai looked away. They had been waiting to see her for a long time. So, the moment he saw a wisp of silvery mist coming out of the ground and then going back in, he smiled. There was a wooden stick in his hand, using which he kept tapping the ground with a predetermined rhythm. Soon Selene found them and lunged at him. Kai couldn''t have afforded to go for her in the port''s region, so he had pointed one direction to her to come to after the task was over. The tapping took care of the rest. He wondered what tale Selene would have in store for him. I hope whatever Meg¡¯s doing behind my back is a reason enough for the System to allow me to kill her, Kai thought, as Selene solidified in her material form. His thoughts solidified along with her. When Kai held her, he found her trembling, burning with fever, and her left eye swollen, bleeding with red and yellow pus-like blood. She coiled herself into his embrace as if something was chasing her, some natural predator who hadn''t existed before, but now did. "What happened to her?" Petyr asked, standing in the shadows of the trees. Kai frowned. There was only one way to find out, but he wasn''t sure if he wanted to know, either. It would be stupid to deny that Selene, as she was now, was stronger than him. If it wasn''t for his Glitch, there was nothing on Kai that could have matched her existence, let alone having her as a pet. So the thing that could shake her to this degree, what it would do to him, this thought lingered at the back of his mind like a warning from his ancestors. He would have heeded that warning if it wasn''t for Kai''s nature. It was Power he desired, and it had never come to him without a cost. -Tell me,- Kai commanded. Selene raised her hood, flicking out her forked tongue. Though she was shaking, defiance rose within her, hearing Kai''s command and his murderous voice. Then she told him, one by one, all the things she had heard, hiding in that room. First the flutters of hundreds of wings, and then the crawling of even more insects. No life she had sensed in them, and as she mentioned this, Kai frowned. -No life in hundreds of birds and even more insects,- Kai repeated. It didn''t take long for him to realize what was going on. A Master Ability. This alone was reason enough to kill Meg. Did he need to hear more? This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. If it was before, then he would have never related this phenomenon to a Master Ability. Now, after having an Elite Ability of his own, he could make an educated guess, depending on the scale of Ability getting used by someone. Kai looked at Petyr and growled out his conclusion word by word, the muscles of his throat bulging out in defiance. By the time he was finished, Kai was panting. -I still need time to regain my vocals.- "Good thing we took a precaution of 1000 meters," Petyr said, smiling. "Your instincts were right, my lord. As always." -Then she took out a box,- Selene hissed, rubbing her left eye over Kai''s shirt. -Don''t do it!- Kai snapped, taking out a cloth and cleaning the space around her eye. -What was in the box?- -I don''t know,- Selene hissed, almost gritting her fangs as if she regretted not having eyes. -Powerful things, and some ordinary things. She took out a candle from it. Then¡­ then she cut herself. I tasted blood. Lots of it.- Blood¡­ Kai¡¯s face gained a heavy frown as he heard the word. When coupled with the other things Selene just told him, another word popped up into his head. Rituals! Kai felt an odd premonition. Blood Prophecy was a ritual, and so were the many things that he had heard about after coming to the Primordial Tower. Where is this going? Kai thought apprehensively. Something''s too wrong with what''s happening. -She then used her blood to draw a shape on the floor.- -Shape?- Kai hissed. -What shape? Can you draw it?- -No. But I can help master draw it.- Selene hissed, almost taking pride in her Earth Vibration Sense. Kai tore out a piece of paper from the notes Meg had given him. Taking out the pen from the random assortments he carried in his MRB, Kai nudged Selene to go on and do her thing. The blind Ghost Serpent coiled herself around his right forearm, pressing the underside of her head against the backside of his palm. -You draw, master. I will sense the vibrations to tell you how to proceed.- This turned out to be more difficult than Selene had made it sound. 2 hours, 3 hours, and then midnight came and went, as both Kai and Selene kept drawing that odd shape. Finally, well past midnight, into the hour of the wolf, a tired hiss from the serpent told Kai that this was the shape. A Shape was what Kai called it, for the lack of a better word. Looking at it rose such disgust from the depths of his heart that he wanted to tear that paper into hundreds of tiny pieces. What was it? A character, a glyph, or a hideous geometrical convulsion of distorted lines? Then a fact originated in Kai''s mind, like knowledge from the ancient times passed down as an instinct. It was just a Sign, drawn in the wrong color. Kai''s eyes blurred as he looked at it. All things seemed to dim around him, their shapes warping into terrifying and repulsive bends. He couldn''t say what he was looking at. If it was a sign, how could it have such a disgusting appearance? When Kai thought of describing it to himself, he failed miserably. [Image] One moment, it looked like a number 3, with distorted lines. In the very next moment, it felt like a question mark sitting over a tilted P. Kai was sure he saw something curled in the middle of this Sign. An illusion of a thousand-tentacled monster. The queer thing was that Kai didn''t remember how he had drawn it at all, despite the hours of slow and meticulous drawing it on the paper. A strange thought struck him, then. What would happen if he could master this Sign? he wondered. Is there some hidden Power in it? "You know what''s happening, right?" Petyr asked, looming over the paper in front of him. "You know what will follow it." Kai closed his eyes, fury rising to his face like hot iron. He knew. He knew what was coming and the thing that would follow this Sign. His last week had gone in thinking where had he got the paper, and the unknown words his future self had chanted in Blood Prophecy. Never had he imagined that it was he who would write those words. Chapter 90: Paradox – Sacrificing to Hastur! -Then she¡­ she said the names,- Selene''s white dragonish scales trembled as she hissed. -Stop!- Kai hissed loudly. He needed a moment to think about it. This was the decisive moment, he knew. This was the point of no return. If he went through with it, then there was no point in not chanting those words. Only at this instance, Kai could change the course of his future. Burn the paper, forbid Selene to speak about all of this, and kill Meg as soon as possible. These were the only sane thoughts Kai wanted to have but had he ever gotten what he wanted so easily? What? Scared, Blood Demon? A voice sneered within him, testing his courage and what his name stood for. Giving up on Power so easily? The Elite Ability, the Worth, you think they are so easy to get? No. They weren''t. Having them was also the reason that Kai knew how difficult it was to get them into the Primordial World. Kai licked his lips. Sweat had drenched his back, and above his head, the stars shone paler than ever. -Tell me- he hissed. -Don''t speak in one go, though. Pause in between.- Kai had no way of telling how these things worked. But if he had learned something from his future self, then he knew the moment he would chant those words, the prophecy would come true. So Selene hissed, breaking her voice now and then, and he kept writing. Words after words appeared on the paper, forming a sentence. When Kai completed the last line, his face crumbled. Kai felt terrified even repeating those words in his mind. He remembered that eldritch sequence of events that had happened after his Blood Prophecy. The strange yellow patches, and the appearance of words in his mind as if someone had planted them there. That was no mere coincidence, Kai concluded. -Then she said¡­- Selene hissed, telling him the strangest string of words that Kai could have imagined. Hastur. Priestess Margrethe II of House Ingrid. Sacrifice. Blood. Kyber Crystal. And the High Priest. ¡°Please do not mention the Temples to anyone else. They would know. They always find out.¡± Kai remembered the horror in Selena''s voice as she had said those words to him. The only thing that he couldn''t make sense of was the relationship between these three sentences and the Temple of Hastur. -Tell me the rest in one go,- Kai hissed, closing his eyes. Selene hissed for long then, with every change in words, Kai''s anger flared, his eyes becoming bloodshot under the lids. His breathing rose, and his knuckles became white as his nails dug deep into his palms. When she finished her hisses, Kai was already standing up, his Fangs in his hand. "Calm down, master," Petyr said, coming up to him from behind. "Tell me what happened." Kai glared at Petyr. But then remembered that indeed it was not like him to just barge into something. Especially when things had come to a level beyond his reach. So he wrote the things Selene had told him onto the paper and gave them to Petyr. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Petyr smiled slyly. "Do you think it''s wise to go to her?" he asked. "She said she can''t take you on. Nowhere did she mention she fears your strength. Then there is this talk of Blessing. Didn''t Arlen also mention something about it?" "You¡­ think¡­" Kai trailed off. Petyr nodded. "I think this High Priest ordered you to be killed only after hearing this matter of Dementor''s Blessing," he told Kai. "From her wording, it doesn''t seem she wants to kill you or has plans to do anything other than monitoring you. We can use these things to manipulate her, you know. Tell me, my lord, what is more important? Her life, or¡­" -That Box¡­- Kai knew it even before speaking it out. If she had lost everything other than her Ability, then only that box was important. "You know what you must do now," Petyr said, losing his smile. "Your past self is waiting for your actions." Kai brought the paper in front of his eyes and nodded. He walked into the light tree line on the roadside with Selene slithering behind him, and his gaze never leaving the paper in his hand. Petyr walked alongside him, his head craned up, looking at the stars. He wasn''t a part of my Blood Prophecy, Kai thought, never looking at Petyr. Hmm¡­ A flick of the saber cut a tree from the foot. Kai took out a candle from his MRB. After his first venture into the sewers in Game of Thrones Random World, he had kept the habit of storing a few of them, just in case. "Have you thought of what you will ask?" Petyr asked. Kai hadn''t thought of it. He didn''t want to ask for something that might be used against him in the future. There wasn''t much to think about, then. There was only one thing Kai needed the most in the present. His thoughts wandered to the time when Heavy Block had used that strange power-up technique. I know who I am dealing with this time, he reflected. But I don''t know their powers. ¡°What will you sacrifice?¡± Petyr asked curiously. Kai smirked, taking the Tales of Beedle the Bard Item out of his Inventory. ¡°What?!¡± Petyr went into a sudden shock. ¡°No¡­ I mean¡­¡± Kai looked at the Character, sensing Petyr''s broken breathing, and smiled. No emotions of their own, he thought. Then where are these expressions coming from? -Selene.- The Ghost Serpent burst into a silver mist and went inside him, coiling into a ball just over his heart. Kai took out a jar of Pokemon blood from his MRB then. No way I am gonna use my blood, heh! Kai sneered. If it works, it works. Otherwise, fuck it! He drew the Sign on the tree''s stump and lit the candle after placing it in the middle. "Think again, my lord," Petyr said, smiling a hollow smile. "The Book is a major part of your Power." Kai ignored him. He enjoyed the slight shaking in Petyr''s body as he kept thinking about why hadn''t he seen Petyr in his Blood Prophecy. Finally, he calmed his mind and prepared himself for what he was about to do. It felt odd, knowing that at this exact time, his past self was suffering because of his current actions. -The Dweller in the Depths- -The Bringer of Madness and Doom- -The King in Yellow- Kai''s hisses echoed like hundreds of snakes singing a deadly song. Darkness engulfed both Kai and Petyr, as the wind howled around them. Above them, all the stars shone yellow except one which glowed redder. The candle flame grew longer, larger, and bulged at the end as if someone had come, dwelling in it at the end of the sentence. -I, Red, sacrifice blood and a Coreless Wand, and request information about the Spinning Duos of the Order''s 4th-floor.- The moment Kai hissed it, an odd feeling rose in his heart. He felt like somehow, asking the Chaos questions, and then getting answers by paying Mission Credits was like this. But no matter how he thought, he couldn''t see the relationship. Time was not in his favor, either. Kai took out the wand, and as Petyr let out an audible sigh, he placed it under the candle. The wand lifted by itself and merged into the candle flame. A video screen flickered into existence above it instantly. Then Kai saw a boy and a girl, standing on the opposite side of the rim of a giant metallic pit. The boy laughed, taking out something like a fist-sized toy from his pocket, and attaching it to the device in his hands. The girl did the same. "Are you ready?" the boy asked, smiling. "Ready when you are," the girl sniggered back at him. The boy shouted then, along with the girl. "3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­ LET IT RIP!!!" Chapter 91: D- Hidden Mission – Perception Failed?! Afternoon, June 11 East Edge of the Ilex Forest There was a looming silence around Kurt''s house. When Kai approached it, he found the lack of zeal he had heard so much about quite apparent. Nowhere were the shouts of a gruff old man, which he was promised. Nor was there any crowd of Pokemon Trainers waiting for their orders, or about to place one. The silence had a bitter taste to it of loss and sadness. Kai beamed at this silence, this sense of loss, sadness, and helplessness. There was an opportunity here for him, which he would love to grasp at the merest hint. Knock! Knock! Petyr gently announced their presence. Kurt''s house had an old Japanese-style touch to it. The outermost gate had a big sliding door through which Kai could have just barged if he wanted to. But he needed Kurt''s favor, not anger. As he waited for a reply, Kai looked around at the small settlement. The sun was too hot here, and the ground seemed to sizzle, blurring the farther edges of the fields. The most conspicuous was the presence of the Pokemon, Slowpoke, in a vast number. They were all over the place. But Kai knew better than to hurt any of them. People here worshiped these Pokemon as some kind of rain-bringer, and if this place is still standing, then surely there was some hideous reason behind it. Kai would rather not find out that reason. He was here for a specific task, and then he would be on his way, as smoothly as he had come. Knock!! Kai banged with his fist. This one attracted a response. "Go away!" a shout came out. "I am not taking orders." "Mr. Kurt," Petyr said, "We are not here to order custom Pokeballs. We are here to help you." The door opened, and Kai and Petyr faced a short old man with long gray hair and two bulging eyes. The blackness under his eyes told of the sleepless nights the old man must have passed in these last few days. The Pokeball expert, Kurt, narrowed his eyes. "What help?" he asked, the slightest hint of hope returning to his eyes. Kai licked his lips, sensing the traces of happiness he could suck out of this man. Petyr continued, meanwhile. "Mr. Kurt, we are sorry to hear about the grievous news of the kidnapping of your granddaughter," he said sadly. "But the moment I heard about it, I contacted my friend here to help you out." Kurt looked at Kai as Petyr pointed at him. "What can he do when Officer Jenny and another hundred people couldn''t find them?" the old man rebuked. "Who even are you?" Petyr permitted himself a courteous smile. "I am Simon, a big fan of your work," he lied. "This young man here is Desmond, a reputed hunter of Pokemon Trainers who has turned to the dark side." This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "I haven''t heard either of you," Kurt grunted. But Kai could see the old man looking at his face, into his eyes with sheer fascination. Not just anyone could talk to Kurt or enter his confidence. With his Charisma, Kai could pretty much walk up to almost all Characters to talk with them. "Isn''t that a good sign?" Petyr said gently. "Our services are better not needed by gentle hearts like yours and your granddaughter. Will you permit us a short meeting? Time is running out while we stand at the door and waste it on mere prodding, don''t you think?" Kurt gulped, took a deep breath, and turned around. "Come then, you two," he said. "Red! Bring tea to the dinning room." Red?! Kai¡¯s brows rose high on his forehead There¡¯s someone else with the old man in this house?! Why didn¡¯t I sense his presence with my Perception¡­ Suddenly, he remembered his encounter with 4th-floor Contestant Sparrow and beads of sweat rolled down his temples. Only one conclusion followed the questions he had asked himself. This Red¡­ was a Contestant, of a floor so high that the difference between his Perception and Kai¡¯s was enough to make him invisible. He shared a stunned look with Petyr and followed the old man into his home, anyway. No point in making Petyr disappear anymore, Kai knew. This man who shared his Code Name musts have already picked up on their presences. There was a large open area inside, with a tree on one side. Kai observed the little white balls dangling from the tree and instantly knew that these were the famous Apricorns about which everyone was talking with enthusiasm. Kurt took them inside the house, following a gravel path. He pointed them towards a low table. Kai and Petyr sat down on the floor, with Kurt sitting down opposite them. "Be quick about it," the old man said. "I¡­ I have little time to meet their demands." "What are those demands?" Petyr asked, gravely. "We have come directly to you, and thus, know little about the current circumstances ." "10 Pokeballs each of one color," the old man said, gritting his teeth. "There are seven types of Apricorns of different colors, so that makes it 70 Pokeballs. They have given me time till the day after tomorrow, then¡­ Sigh! If I had known that Officer Jenny would fail in finding them, then I would have started making them ages ago. Now¡­ I just hope I am not too late." "Don''t worry, good sir," Petyr said confidently. "My friend here¡­" Kai sat there as Petyr spun the web around Kurt. Outside, he just smiled now and then whenever Petyr mentioned how formidable Kai was in dealing with these low vermin who dared to call themselves Pokemon Trainers. Within, he had been having immense trouble controlling his heartbeat. "I don''t mind if you want to give it a go," Kurt finally said, looking towards the kitchen. "But no harm must come to my granddaughter. Robin! Where''s that tea?" Kai didn''t focus on the answer. The notification had caught his attention already. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have triggered a Hidden Mission ¡­ Main Mission: Three heads of the Targaryen Dragon Hidden Mission: Bring back Kurt''s granddaughter, Maizie, safely from the kidnappers Hidden Mission Grade: D- Hidden Mission Summary: Two unknown persons have kidnapped Maizie, and have demanded a huge ransom, which Kurt must give to them by June 13. The Contestant must bring Maizie back to Kurt, making sure no harm comes to her Hidden Mission Objective: Return of Maizie Hidden Mission Time Limit: Morning, June 13 ¡­ Do you accept the Hidden Mission? ] ¡­ The moment Kai saw the Mission Grade, he almost forgot about the threat of a higher floor Contestant. D- ?! Kai was dumbfounded as he stared at it. He knew Hidden Missions remained a touch more difficult the Main Mission. But to surpass an entire Grade Limit was something else entirely. It didn¡¯t need him to analyze that this mission could very well turn out to be even more disastrous than he had previously thought. Suddenly, steps rang across the room, jolting Kai awake from his reverie. His heart thumped wildly as he lifted his neck and looked the incomer. No matter how much Kai tried. No matter how much he willed it to happen. His Perception was still saying ¡ª Everything¡¯s alright. No words could have been more terrifying than these two now. Chapter 92: Red Sun – A 9th-Floor Contestant! Kai did not have any idea about the strength of a Contestant above 4th floor. All he could do was to make an educated guess based on his experience and the Stat, Perception. His team members had told him during his Initiation mission that the higher the danger, the more susceptible his Perception would become to it. So, following that logic, the moment he had entered the house, his Perception should have been screaming bloody murder. But Sonia had added more to it. It''s also a double-edged sword, she had told him. The higher the gap between you and the other Contestant, the higher will be the chances for Perception to fail. If your attacker has an overwhelming advantage over you in Perception, he can easily trick you too. If it was only this, then Kai wouldn''t have named Red a monster. The thing was, Selene was within him. Her Perception was even higher than him. It was her second highest Stat. Yet, even she had failed to notice a Contestant''s presence. Then didn''t that mean¡­ Kai licked his lips, sweat drenching his back, chest, and ass alike. He looked at Red, who had stopped after just taking a step out of the kitchen. He was a muscular, green-eyed and red-haired adult, seemingly in his late twenties. He was wearing a loose white t-shirt over airy blue shorts. For a moment, Red just stood there at door, carrying a tray. Then Kai trembled, waves of emotions bombarding him like never before. His Perception had indeed failed¡­ However, the Advance Emotions Manipulation was still working fine as if it didn¡¯t care about the target¡¯s power level at all. So, yes. Kai trembled, sensing the exact same emotions oozing out of Red as those oozing out from himself. Moreover, Red¡¯s green eyes were terrifyingly planted on¡­ Petyr. Suddenly, something clicked in Kai¡¯s mind, his pupils widening beyond imagination. "What happened?" Kurt demanded. "Bring the tea or have you prepared it for the air?" Red slowly, taking one small step after another, approached them and placed the tray on the table. There were only two teacups on it. "Didn''t you look for how many guests there are?" Kurt said gruffly. "Well, it doesn''t matter. Serve them first. I will have mine later." Red did as he was told. He placed both teacups in front of them, but his eyes never left Petyr''s face. "You two drink," Kurt said, standing up. "Let me bring the map. Maybe it will be of some help to you." The old man left the room, walking with brisk steps. There was an odd silence in the room, with Red standing beside the table, looking down at Petyr. Kai¡¯s heart was thumping wildly, thinking of the conclusion he had just come to. He too looked at Petyr, hoping the Book¡¯s Character would stand true to his name, coming to the same conclusion as him. Inside him, Selene shuddered like a leaf, sending tremors after tremors, as goosebumps rose over his skin. Then it happened. Red suddenly fell to his knees, his head pressing down on the floor. "Contestant Red Sun greets His Noble Presence," Red whispered, not daring to lift his head. His back was drenched with sweat even more than Kai¡¯s. Kai¡¯s thoughts screamed in joy as he confirmed his doubts. I was right! He thought, calming down his breathing. Petyr doesn''t have Stats. So, like I couldn''t sense Red''s presence, Red must not have sensed Petyr''s too. That''s why he brought two cups of tea. Only when he saw Petyr did he realize that there is one more Contestant. A Contestant whose Perception is so high, that even his Perception got tricked. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. The situation was so laughable, and yet equally terrifying, that Kai did not know what to do. One wrong step, one wrong word, and Red would annihilate them to hide his shame. Kai stared at Petyr, who was calm despite the strange turn of events. Don''t fuck it up, Petyr, he prayed within. Petyr turned out to be calmer than Kai had thought him to be. He sipped his tea, looking down at Red. For a few seconds, he said nothing, and Kai noticed Red''s ears becoming red, and his knuckles going white. "Which floor?" Petyr asked, putting the cup on the table. Red sighed, standing back up. "9th floor, Sun and Moon Organization, my lord," he said, then trembled, hastily adding more to his words. "It''s a small organization. You must have not heard of it." "Guess my floor," Petyr said, smiling. Kai and Red both shivered, seeing that smile. It had an authority behind it, a sense of unmatched power lingering around at the corner of his mouth. "I¡­ I dare not do such blasphemy, my lord," Red said, his breathing going awry. "I dare not." "Do it," Petyr said, chuckling. "I command it. Take your best shot." Red bowed. "For you to fool my Perception," he said meekly, "you must be from the 12th floor." Petyr laughed. Red staggered back, his face becoming pale as he saw Petyr shaking his head. "Good guess," Petyr said. "But not correct." And that only meant one thing. Petyr was from a floor higher than the 12th. The sheer ridiculousness of the lie made Kai tremble. How far could they stretch this lie? The question struck his mind like a hammer. Red took an audible gulp. "I wonder what brought you to this place, my lord," he said, trying to smile. "Is he¡­ your disciple?" Red looked at Kai for the first time as if he wasn''t even worth a matter of discussion. Petyr nodded. "This little one has quite a Worth," he said, slyly. Red raised his eyebrows, and realization dawned on him. "Oh! So, my lord is preparing him for the Tournament of Worth," he said, nodding to himself. "Well, now I know who will be the winner. But¡­ I don''t know if throwing him against three 4th-floor Contestants is a good idea." Three?! Kai''s eyes widened. Where''s this third one came from? Red narrowed his eyes at Kai. "But that is good too," he said. "Only this kind of talent is worthy of being noticed by my lord." "How long have you been here?" Petyr asked. Red smiled wryly. "Well, we must do these things once in a while," he answered. "It''s been a week this time." "Haha!" Petyr laughed. "Ah, yes. I remember guarding Ash. That was quite a while ago." Kai¡¯s mouth almost twitched. One the other hand, Red¡¯s face lit up in awe, drowning his fear and horror under it. "Well, I wish I could help your disciple, my lord," he said. "But we know I can''t. So here''s something as my well-wishes to your disciple. I just hope you will remember this one''s name." Red took out a box after saying that, which seemed kind of like a cigarette case. He opened it up for Kai to see. Some 20 red capsules were lined inside it, all gleaming with a low redness. HP Capsules! Kai exclaimed, but he didn''t dare let any emotion come to his face. The ones that I bought never glowed like this, either. Their quality must be extremely higher than the ones I have consumed. Even then, there was a frown on Petyr''s face, and that frown made Red shudder. He hastily reached into his Inventory and took out another thing. "I think this lucky guy must be looking for completing his Attribute Points Quota. Let me give him a helping hand," Red said, smiling, and placing a rock on the table. "I have only one left, I am afraid. I know it isn''t much, but it works perfectly and meets the boy''s needs." A rock?! Kai thought, confusingly. He so wanted to touch and bring it to his eyes but refrained. Petyr didn''t humble himself. "A rock?" he asked, amused by its sight. "Huh? My Lord, you didn''t recognize it?" Red asked (-Kai''s heart almost gave away-). "Oh, you must not have been too much to the Harry Potter World. This is no rock. It''s a cake. A rock cake, made by Rubeus Hagrid himself." Petyr smiled, and Kai had an inkling that he wouldn''t ask for more things. The lie was stretched thin, now that they had taken gifts or bribes from this monster. Logic told them to just fuck off from this place as soon as they could. Petyr nodded, and Kai put the HP Capsules in his MRB and the Rock Cake in his pocket. "Red Sun from Sun and Moon," Red repeated, seeing the two things disappearing. "May I have the honor of knowing your Code Name, my lord?" Petyr looked thoughtful. "Red Sun, I will remember you," he said, after a few seconds. "You have the honor of being in the presence of¡­ Purple Mist." "Purple Mist¡­ Purple Mist¡­" Red muttered and was about to ask something again when Kurt entered the room, holding many documents and a large map. "What are you doing?!" Kurt rebuked Red. "Go prepare another tea for me." Red scampered off, not before giving a courteous bow to Petyr, ignoring Kai. The old man passed the documents and the map to Petyr. "Here, take this," he said. "Just do nothing stupid." Petyr gave an assuring smile. "Good sir, trust us," he said, leaning over for a whisper. "We have never failed. I think we must go then. The sooner we start, the better." From the corner of his eyes, Kai saw Red''s head peeking out from the kitchen, smiling sheepishly. 9th floor¡­ Kai gulped, looking away. All he wished now was to never ever cross paths with this man again. Chapter 93: Confronting Morning Mist – All Cards Out! Kai slumped down against the thick trunk of a tree after walking out of the settlement. Never had he felt so troubled and gladdened about something at the same time. This encounter had made him realize his weakness that stuck out like an extra thumb. Everyone, Kai thought, gritting his teeth. Everyone in the Primordial Tower is attached to some organization or backed up by one. Information¡­ I lack information about all the things that even the weakest Contestant has access to. This didn''t mean that he would stop becoming a loner. Above all else, Kai cherished his freedom. Why did he want Absolute Power? This was the sole reason. To do what he desired, whenever he desired, and howsoever he desired. -Chaos, share my location with Party Member Morning Mist- Kai hissed. ¡­ [ Sharing Location¡­ Price deducted: 50 Mission Credits ] ¡­ -Initiate a Video Call with Morning Mist- ¡­ [ Initiating Video Call¡­ Warning: Both distance and time duration will be taken as the measure of the Price ] ¡­ A video screen appeared in front of Kai. Meg was standing in some alley, with a bag thrown over her shoulder. Of money, Kai assumed. "Yes?" - Meg asked, raising an eyebrow. Kai wrote his answer and showed it to her. "Meet me tomorrow at 10 pm at the shared location" - the note said. Kai noticed the sudden tremble in Meg''s pupils as she nodded in acceptance. The Video Call cost him 30 Mission Credits. "What are you doing?" Petyr asked. "I told you we can use her to get that box. There is no point in killing her." Kai gave Petyr a deep, contemptuous look. Yes. Petyr was too shrewd. No denying his cunning surpassed even that of Kai in some areas. But in some matters, Petyr Baelish failed miserably, as Kai found out. Cersei would have understood my reason for calling Meg instantly, Kai thought. She believes in cunning, but even more in definite actions. "I¡­ need¡­ Meg," Kai said, taking heavy pauses, his throat muscles bulging out with strain. "That I know, my lord, but I¡­" A murderous glare from Kai shut Petyr up. "Know¡­ your¡­ place¡­" Selene came out of Kai and hissed so menacingly that Petyr took many steps back. The Ghost Serpent slithered around Kai''s shoulders. They both had felt the sheer helplessness of that situation being in the presence of Red Sun. Petyr could never understand that feeling, Kai knew. -I need Meg- Kai hissed, running his hand over Selene''s scales. -No. Not her Skills. Not her Abilities, her powers, her knowledge, or her body. I don''t need even that damn box.- If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. -You need her as you need me, master,- Selene hissed back, kissing Kai''s chin with her forked tongue. Kai''s face lit up. He stared into the serpent''s blind eyes as if sensing her intelligence for the first time. A mere beast understood him more than Petyr. This thought made him smile, and then laugh. -Yes,- Kai hissed, patting Selene''s head. -Yes, I need Meg as I need you. That bitch hasn''t shared with me even half a percent of her experience, I think. I need her in her entirety, Selene. She would compensate for my lack of joining an organization.- "How¡­ to tame a¡­ wild horse?" Kai asked, grinning vilely at the Book¡¯s Character. "You¡­ confront it," Kai answered himself, not waiting for Petyr¡¯s cunning answer. "You don''t¡­ sneak up¡­¡± He took a deep breath, huffing and puffing. ¡°Fuck¡­ You¡­ don¡¯t sneak up¡­ on it, but¡­ tire it. Make it¡­ realize¡­ its¡­ helplessness. Show it¡­ your¡­ dominance." It took him time, and words, but finally a smile crept on Petyr''s face as he realized his master¡¯s intentions. "Then¡­" Kai scoffed. "Then¡­ you¡­ ride¡­ the motherfucker!" * * 10:00 pm, June 12 Ilex Forest The wind reeked of murderous thoughts. Over a flattened hill within the forest, Kai stood with his hands behind his back. The Ilex forest was so dense that light could scarcely penetrate the defensive wall of trees'' canopies during the day. Much less needed to be said about the layer of dark green blackness that replaced the forest at night. The wind, yes. It was stronger at this height. The hill rose above the trees, but not higher. Its flattened top looked like a bulging mound of earth with a radius of some 100 meters. The middle part of this open area was rocky as if there was an enormous boulder embedded into it. As one walked away from the middle, it became grassy and muddy, and some 150 meters away, the trees stood like sentries, giving out the last warning. Beyond these sentries of trees, was a steep slope. Kai amused himself with these details as he waited for Meg''s arrival. Not much he had done since the last day. He hadn''t gone deep within the forest, either. Just roaming around the boundary and killing some weak Pokemon. They had given him 1 Soul Point, collectively, and a much-needed food supply. For his Title, Poacher, Kai needed some strong Pokemon to kill, and he wouldn''t get them before going deep into the forest. Selene had gone hunting yesterday evening and had just arrived back. Kai wasn''t sure what was the exact criteria for her Kill to be counted as his too. He remembered her killing Heavy Block with her venom. Yet, the System had counted as his Kill Count. But when she killed Pokemon by herself, Kai didn''t receive any benefit. There must be some rules, Kai wondered. But Chaos didn¡¯t answer when I asked of it¡­ Weird¡­ "She''s here," Petyr said, standing a step behind him to his right. Meg walked out of the trees from the opposite end. There was a grace in her walk, Kai noticed. He also observed her clothing, which seemed to have undergone a bloodier and darker change. A long black cloak with a chin-high collar, and patterned with small red clouds. Kai did not know the need for this drastic change in clothing, and he cared even little. Meg''s wild, red hair fluttered loosely behind her as the wind played with them. Her face looked stony and decisive. Beauty oozed out of her wild, brown eyes, but even it couldn¡¯t hide the emotion bubbling off her. The emotion of looking down on someone. So¡­ this is her true gaze¡­ Kai thought, sensing the utter air of superiority within her. Meg stopped some 50 meters away from Kai, with the rocky patch of land just in their middle. Kai took a step towards her. Just one step. But before he could place his foot on the ground, Selene''s head came out of his sole. The part under her head touched the ground, and as Kai''s foot pressed, her head went back inside, turning into a puff of silver mist. The action was so smooth that if Kai wasn''t the perpetrator of this action, then even he wouldn''t have felt something odd. Meg narrowed her blue eyes at Petyr but asked nothing. Now that Kai had met Red Sun, he found it extremely odd. When Morning Mist had first seen Petyr, she too must have not sensed him. Yet, there had been no emotion of utter terror on her face then. It was as if she knew Petyr couldn¡¯t be a higher floor Contestant. Or¡­ even if he was, it didn¡¯t matter to her. Now that he knew her real identity, Kai believed she had some unknown means to gather info. The tension between them had already reached an unprecedented degree. Kai had an inkling that she knew he had not commanded to come here for any good reason. "What is it?" Meg demanded. Petyr walked forward. He bowed towards her and then smiled slyly. "My master has a proposal for you," he said. "A rare benevolent one." "Master?" Meg smiled. "Captain, I thought you''d come here to get yourself a custom Pokeball. Yet, this worm keeps appearing by your side. What happened to you? Can¡¯t speak for yourself?" Petyr was wearing his signature black doublet over black breeches. The Characters from the Book could change their clothing to whatever Kai knew thoroughly. That''s why when Kai had got a volunteer''s t-shirt in Alto Mare, Cersei had come out of the Book already wearing the same clothing. To Morning Mist¡¯s surprise, the young Petyr neither blushed nor felt offended by her calling him a worm. He laughed at Meg''s comment. "Where are my manners? Let me introduce us all in a new light," Petyr said, turning sideways. "On my left, we have Red from the 1st Set, also known as the Butcher of the 2nd floor. On my right, we have¡­ ¡°Priestess Margrethe II of House Ingrid, acting under the orders of the High Priest to kill my master." With Petyr''s every next word, Meg staggered back as if the earth was sliding under her feet. Chapter 94: The Grand-Disciple of a Legendary Sannin! Meg¡¯s eyes had become so wide that they seemed to pop out in the next moment. Under her cloak, her breasts heaved up and down like air was struggling to stay in her lungs. Kai smiled seeing those expressions. Before Morning Mist could utter a single word, Petyr added more, a hint of a smile playing on the corners of his lips. ¡°Yes. I am a servant," he said, nodding. "You must know me from what you¡­ Contestants call Random Worlds. Almost none of you know my young appearance, so it''s natural none recognizes me. ¡°I am Petyr Baelish, also known as Littlefinger. Does it ring any bell?" The shock on Meg''s face had turned to appalling horror. No longer she was standing straight with her chin pointed up. The moon shone above them, showing the crumpling of her face. Oh, no. This wasn''t an expression. Her face really crumpled, many paper-like folds appearing on it. Then her entire body turned white, becoming nothing but a complex, giant origami. Kai again smiled. He had already known about this little trick of hers. Selene''s enhanced Earth Vibration Sense had already scanned a region of a 200-meter radius. She had picked up two more presences hiding behind the trees. Even if she hadn''t sensed those presences, Kai would have known that the Meg in front of him wasn''t real. With his Advance Emotions Manipulation, he could sense all emotions around him, especially when there was only one target. This paper-Meg had expressed herself masterfully, but it had also lacked emotions to back them up. Insects crawled, birds flew, and the leaves rustled as two more paper Megs walked out of the darkness. They too were wearing black cloaks with a chin-high collar, patterned with small red clouds. "Impossible!" one Meg said. "What nonsense! Humph! I have to say, you got me to lose my bearings, but that''s what it was. A mere shock. No Main Storyline Character can come out of the Random Worlds. There are no exceptions. I don''t care how you got to know about my name and my purpose, but it was a grievous mistake for you to just call me out here, Red." Petyr guffawed as the sneer on Kai''s lips became too obvious. "Let''s move on," Petyr said, looking at the two Megs. "Now that we have introduced ourselves, I must put forward the proposal. Margrethe II of House Ingrid, serve Red. Become his slave, servant, or whatever you want to name yourself. Serve him as I do¡­ "... and you will live." ¡­ A silence slithered over the hills, brushing against the dark leaves. Then, out of nowhere, an eerie laugh echoed, sending a shiver running down all spines. ¡°Hehe¡­ Hahaha!¡± The two Megs chuckled, sneered, snorted, and pointed at Kai with disdain. "Slave? Servant?" one Meg said, stepping out. "I have thought too highly of you, I am afraid, Red. I thought you were a shrewd person. Your aptitude and deduction skills are beyond your age, I agree. You may be the Butcher of the 2nd floor. I couldn''t have cared less. You have Dementor''s Blessing, and you caught me off-guard last time. I commend you for that. "But you dare to presume that you can take me on and threaten to kill me? Have you lost your mind? Do you even know who I am and what I am capable of?" Petyr replied to this admonition with a low chuckle of his own. "What ARE you capable of, pray tell?" If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Humph!" the second Meg snorted. "The little strength you have clouded your eyes," she said. "You haven''t even recognized my robes, have you? Tch! Tch! The first time I met you, I knew you had grand ambitions, but you are ignorant. Ignorant beyond redemption. ¡°Ambition and ignorance have always been a deadly combination, young man. How many Contestants like you have I seen dying because they reached out for something, and yet be ignorant about it? I have lost count, to tell the truth." Kai and Petyr shared a look. They indeed did not know what she was talking about, and what was the significance of those robes. "This is the exact reason my master wants you," Petyr said, his face now solid and expressionless. "Kneel, my lady. Kneel and serve him as you serve the Temple, which cares about you as one cares about shit." The paper Megs went silent. From somewhere, the real Meg was watching him, Kai knew. Yet, even Selene''s Skill hadn''t picked up on her presence. "You know nothing," one paper Meg said finally. "You may be strong, Red. But haven''t you heard?¡± A loud flap of wings made Kai and Petyr craned their necks up. High in the sky, the real Morning Mist was hovering midair, with two huge paper wings on her back. It was from her Kai learned the next words, which he would remember for thousands of years to come. ¡°Skills make soldiers, Abilities make Kings!¡± Then the three Megs said simultaneously, their voices resonating with each other, power brimming out of their paper-mouth like strikes of thunder on a cloudless night. "At the height of my career," they said, proudly, "I was the personal student of one of the founding members of Akatsuki from the Naruto World, Konan. You lack even the intelligence to show fear upon hearing this name, I know. ¡°I am the Grand-disciple of a legendary Sannin, you fool! I am over 100-years-old. Yes, I have lost my Stats, Skills, my Items, and my Tiles, but I still have my most potent Ability. You think I fear you? Wake up!" Kai felt the weight of those meaningless words on his shoulder. But it was the Character who rebuked Meg. "Words are nothing but wind if one doesn''t know what they mean," Petyr said. "You were this, you were that, but now, you are nothing. You may have been some prominent figure. Yet, now you refuse to see the truth in front of your eyes because it looks absurd and makes little sense?" Petyr went as far as he could toward Meg. "You speak of Abilities," he continued, "then let me tell you something. My lord has 6 Abilities. Four of them are Elementary. One is Advance. Now, listen it, my lady, and listen it carefully. ¡°One of his Abilities¡­ is Elite!¡± Meg gazed at Kai as if he was a monument that had just parted the earth, coming out into the world from an ancient past. She opened his mouth to say something, but Petyr didn''t give her the chance. "If Abilities make Kings, then my lord here will be an Emperor," Petyr proclaimed. "Kneel before him now, and you will not regret it like you regret your choice of coming into this world at the behest of the High Priest." Kai looked at Meg in her shocked silence. He had never thought of fighting her. All Kai wanted was to crush the meaning of existence for Meg. He had handled many enemies, and people like Meg submitted only to a force unimaginably greater than them. A fight had only one result, her death, Kai knew. But in this war of words, he could get much more. "These are just¡­ claims," Meg said, looking down at Kai. "Even if you have these many Abilities, and a Worth to match them, you can''t match the monsters of the higher floors. The High Priest would never let me go." It was then Kai knew that the time had come to let her know that he was the only monster she needed to care about right now, and forever. He stepped forward and kept walking until he reached the middle of the open area. Behind him, Petyr vanished, and the three Megs gawked at the sight. Kai''s hand flicked, and a Fang appeared in his hand, bringing their attention towards him. Another flick of his hand and a black-colored Book came out in the open. When he opened it, Cersei walked out of a smoky veil and sneered contemptuously at the red-haired woman. Then, a mass of silver mist left Kai and materialized as the Ghost Serpent. Selene slithered around his shoulders, hissing at the emotionless clones. For the first time, Kai opened his mouth, looking up. -If you want a reason to bend your knees, then I will give you one,- he hissed. The hiss echoed so loudly, terrifyingly, and filled with such potent murderous intent that all the nearby Pokemon cried, leaving their nest. Kai¡¯s chest burned hot as he called out the despair hibernating within him. A black cloak appeared around him, as his feet left the ground. The tattered strips of cloth billowed behind him without wind, and an overwhelming sense of despair and depression spread out along with blue-frosty cold. Kai looked up towards the sky full of twinkling stars and smiled. It was from him Meg heard the next words, which she would remember for thousands of years to come¡­ until her death. "I¡­ have¡­ Glitch." Chapter 95: Tower Battle, Old Ones, and Soul-Blood Oath – A True Servant! A pair of enormous paper wings flapped on Meg''s back as she landed. The moment her feet touched the grass, the wings broke off, tiny bits of paper flying away with the wind like snow. Behind her, the two paper Megs also crumpled and fell. Morning Mist stepped towards Kai, her eyes glistening like two silver pearls under the moonlight. The pride that she had shown before now vanished as she looked up at him. With every step, she trembled, an unknown shaking wreaking havoc inside her. Kai felt drowning in the intense emotions oozing out her. He had expected some kind of reaction from her, but not this, whatever it was. He had wanted to bury the fear of almighty in her heart by making her know he has a Glitch. There was only one thing he had wanted to say by showing her all his cards; either submit or die. There was no other possibility after knowing this much about him. Yet, this chain of events had strayed away from the expected path that he couldn¡¯t make any sense of it. "Is¡­ Is this true?" Meg whispered, looking at the Dementor-Kai. "Do you really have a Glitch?" Then it hit him. Out of nowhere, in the sea of emotions, a river of overwhelming happiness just hit him right in the face. The happiness was so potent, in fact, that even him, Dementor-Kai, felt he would fail to suck it out. Let''s see where it''s going first, Kai thought, nodding to Meg. "Finally, finally," she muttered, her knees hitting the earth with a thud. "Oh! If the High Priest knew you had a Glitch¡­ Haha! He will regret his command now. Haha!" Has she gone mad?! Kai wondered. He canceled the Dementor''s transformation and landed on the ground. Selene hissed, slithering around his shoulders, and then burst into a mist, entering his body. Kai looked back. Cersei came striding towards them with one look. Cersei looked at him, her green eyes matching his hazels, and Kai knew she understood what he wanted her to do. This thing he lacked with Petyr. "There is no shame in bending your knees for someone like my lord," Cersei said, smiling. "Lift your head with pride and look into his eyes. All those who serve him will know greatness, Margrethe. Serve him with your flesh and soul, and you will get back what was yours, and much more." The corner of Kai''s lips twitched upon hearing Cersei''s speech. Well, she always presents me as some god, he thought, amusingly, but denied nothing. Cersei knew what she was doing, and he wouldn''t steal her thunder if she wanted to show Meg her loyalty to him. Meg shook her head but looked up at him, anyway. "Can you¡­" she began but cut her words in between. "May I have the honor of seeing your Glitch?" "Presumptuous!" Cersei snapped. "You dare demand proof from him? Do you not know what awaits you? You should kiss his feet with that mouth of yours and not try to bite him with your blasphemous words." "Cough!" Kai felt his cheeks going red. Cersei was overacting, and if she wasn''t, then things had gone even more serious regarding her. Kai observed the beauty standing on his left with her back straight as if all his power was hers to take pride in, and all his goals were ambitions borne of her dreams. This wasn''t the time to confront her, though. "I dare not," Meg mumbled, staring at Kai''s feet. "For hundreds of thousands of years, there has never been a Chaos'' Contestant with Glitch. The mind sees, but the heart wonders¡­" Kai¡¯s heart skipped a beat. What?! The word boomed in his mind, his eyes widening. What the hell does she mean by hundreds of thousands of years? What about the Tournament of Worth, then?! Cersei picked up on Kai''s expression. Like Petyr, she too knew everything that was to know about Kai and his powers. "What do you mean by that?" Cersei asked. "Surely there are many Contestants with high Worth Stat in the Primordial Tower." Meg snapped her head up towards them. "You don''t know¡­" she said incredulously. "Yes. How would you know? You can only get Glitch before entering the Primordial Tower. Then no matter how high the Worth Stat becomes, it has nothing to do with Glitch." This?! Kai gaped and realized the mistake he had made by assuming things. A Glitch meant a high Worth Stat, but a high Worth Stat didn''t mean a Glitch. Individualities, when manifested into the Material Plane, are called Glitches. The Price paid for their freedom is called Worth. So the higher the Worth, the more price is needed to free the Individuality. Kai recalled Chaos'' words. The price was paid in the beginning, during the resurrection. The rise in Worth Stat later had nothing to do with this price. Realization dawned on Kai, but one thing still troubled him. Cersei took care of even that. "Then what about the Tournament of Worth?" she asked. "Doesn''t the winner get a Glitch as a reward? And what are these years you spoke of?" Meg took a deep breath as if steeling herself for a future she wasn''t sure of. "During the last Tower Battle, unknown ages ago," she said, "when the Old Ones fought for Authorities, Chaos lost the Authority to pay the price of new Contestants'' Glitches. ¡°Since then, only Order has been seen awarding Contestants with Glitches before their Initiation Mission. But only the top figures from the Temples and the Empire know of it. So, to hide the truth, they let the rumor spread that one can get the Glitch by winning the Tournament." If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Tower Battle? Old Ones? Authorities? Kai understood nothing. The one thing he was sure of was that Meg was a card worth paying a huge amount for if he would have to. There were secrets hidden deep under the simple knowledge of ascending the floors. And Kai wasn''t sure how much time it would take to unearth those secrets. Now that he had become involved in these things, he would have to know them eventually. "Only Order''s Contestants can get Glitch from the Tournament of Worth after winning it by dying and resurrecting again," Meg continued. "The winners from Chaos get hushed by the Empire. They buy their silence by compensating them, to be specific. That''s why¡­ I¡­ I beg you. Show me. Show me and I will swear a Soul-Blood Oath to serve you, regardless of the consequences." Kai rubbed his head. Too many things had happened out of his expectations. Too many big words, and too much incomprehensible information. Not that he didn''t want it, but he needed to sort out all these things. All he wanted was to overwhelm Meg and force her to become his slave. Though he hadn''t heard of his Soul-blood Oath, he had found out from Chaos that he could use slave contracts, performing the same function. The only thing that rocked his head was that showing Meg his Glitch meant letting go of the chance of devouring a Pokemon. One step at a time, a voice repeated the words in his mind. One step at a time. Kai looked at Cersei and nodded. The Character frowned, not liking that this old woman was forcing him to prove himself, he could tell. And her frown had cost many of their lives. Kai shuddered, thinking about what Cersei was planning now when she smiled a little. "Very well," Cersei said, sneering. "You want him to prove himself, right? Pay the price for it." "An¡­ anything," Meg answered, lifting her head. "Take out your Pokemon," Cersei commanded, smiling. "A life for your absurd request. That''s a good price, I think. Let you know what happens when a servant puts demands on his lord." Kai liked the idea, despite it being cruel. He knew how much Meg liked the Pokemon, and if she would let go of the Pokemon, then he would know she already belonged half to him. Meg trembled, but her hand was already reaching for her Inventory. Kai narrowed his eyes, sensing the emotions. The happiness and sadness within her were getting buried by the emotions of servitude. A blue light came out of the Pokeball, materializing into Squirtle. "Squirtle¡­" the Pokemon cried joyfully, sensing Meg''s presence. Selene slithered out of him and flicked out her forked tongue. -It''s not food,- Kai hissed. Selene yawned, kissed Kai''s chin, and went back to sleep. Meg gawked at this sight and at Kai''s mouth but said nothing. Well, she didn''t show any hesitation in giving up her Pokemon, so I won''t torture her, either, Kai thought. He glared at Cersei, who was smiling victoriously as she looked at Meg and her Pokemon. "Tell¡­ her¡­" he commanded Cersei and reached for the Pokemon. "Squirtle?" the Pokemon backed away, hopping towards Meg. But the red-haired beauty just looked at Kai, silent tears streaming down her smooth cheeks. Kai grabbed the Pokemon''s tail and lifted it as it cried for Meg to give it a command. "Squirtle¡­ don''t attack," Meg said, her voice breaking. "He won''t¡­ hurt you." The Pokemon calmed down, and Cersei sneered. "Marvel at the sight," she told Meg. "My master''s Glitch is Blood Devour. He can devour any beast''s Blood Essence and can get its Abilities and Skills. You saw his transformation, right? That one was from devouring a Dementor''s Blood Essence." "Blood Devour¡­" Meg mumbled, her eyes now red and purple from all the tears. Kai looked into those eyes. ¡°Blood¡­ Devour!" ¡­ [ Calculating Worth¡­ Glitch Blood Devour is now awakened for 60 minutes in this Random World ] ¡­ Red heat erupted uncontrolled out of Kai''s body. Both Cersei and Meg had to back away as puffs of steam came out, blurring his figure. A monstrous hunger roared in the language of gluttony inside his chest, and the full brunt of this gluttonous thought fell on Squirtle. The Pokemon''s survival instinct kicked in, and it wriggled maniacally, trying to get away. Squirtle took a deep breath, preparing to attack Kai. But then a mass of silver mist left Kai''s hand, holding Squirtle''s tail, and entered the Pokemon. A burst of cold froze Squirtle''s soul, and all resistance died. The thing in Kai¡¯s chest squirmed, and a vertical tear ripped apart his skin. Meg''s horrified gasps reached his ears as hundreds or thousands of black tendrils lunged at Squirtle. The Pokemon became a blood paste in almost an instant. The notification appeared then. ¡­ [ Blood Devour¡¯s all slots are full. Do you want to replace an existing Blood Essence? ] ¡­ Kai rejected the offer. All the Blood Essence from the Pokemon became pure HP and MP. Kai felt himself getting drunk from the overflow of power. All his muscles squirmed, hidden injuries melted away, and pleasure coursed through his veins. He felt like he could do anything in this state. Anything! "Kneel!" Kai roared, not aware of his booming voice. Meg fell to her knees. Her eyes were wide open, and her body shivered in fear and anticipation. "Chaos," Morning Mist spoke solemnly, "I, Margrethe II of House Ingrid, swear a Soul-Blood Oath that from now on I live at Red''s command and I will die at his command. That all that is mine is now his. And all that will be mine will be his too. I swear this. Swear! Swear! Swear! Thrice, I swear, in the name of Hastur; HE who is the Dweller in the Depths, the Bringer of Madness and Doom, the King in Yellow." The entire world seemed to echo with her words. Kai suddenly looked up and found the stars had again turned pale. Meg lifted her hand and pressed her finger to the middle of her head. Her face twisted with pain as she took off her finger. A dull, sickly yellow-colored drop hovered at the tip of her finger, which she flung at Kai. Kai didn''t know what to do with it, but following an instinct, he pointed his finger. It came to stop there and hovered at the tip of his finger. Then he pressed it in the middle of his forehead. Kai could feel the power that he now had over Meg. With one word, he could make her kill herself, destroy her soul, and obliterate her existence. Yes, Kai thought. Now, this is a true, loyal servant. "Rise!" he told her, his voice still booming. "Rise¡­ Not as Margrethe or some abandoned Priestess. Rise¡­ as if you have always belonged to me¡­ Rise! Meg!!" Morning Mist rose, her blood-clouds patterned cloak bellowing. The fervency and reverence in her eyes had reached so high that even Cersei paled at the sight. "Meg greets, master," Meg proclaimed, her wild brown eyes glistening yellow. "What is your command?" 55 minutes to Glitch''s Hibernation¡­ Chapter 96: Time’s Running Out – A Reckless Pokemon Hunt! Cersei briefed Meg about the ins and outs of Kai¡¯s goals and his current strength. All the time, Contestant Morning Mist, now Kai¡¯s soul-blood slave, kept gawking at the Character. Only a few moments ago, she had believed such a feat was impossible. Now, within a few moments since she had learned of her Master¡¯s Glitch, the word impossible was taking a new meaning in her mind. As Meg looked at Cersei, marveling at each word coming out of her mouth regarding Kai, he looked at Morning Mist with pure greed. If it was in his hands, he would rather give up everything and sit down to learn everything that was in Meg¡¯s mind. But time was of the essence. He had both his Side Mission and Hidden Mission to take care of first. Meg stepped towards him as Cersei finished. The awe on her face hadn''t vanished, but it had become even more apparent. The Book and its capabilities, the Glitch, the Ghost Serpent, his Privileges, and all the deeds that Kai had done after resurrecting in the Primordial Tower had become a sacred tale for her. Even more petrifying were his missions to hunt 4th-floor Contestants. Yet, it was Kai''s encounter during the Blood Prophecy and then him getting a reply from Hastur by sacrificing the Coreless Wand that had shocked her the most. Though, to Kai''s dismay, she was as ignorant about the Door, the Patterns, and the tattered strip of yellow robes as he was. Things hadn''t finished there. How can a mere Coreless Wand be sufficient for a reply? She had mumbled incredulously. Then she had told him that only the most exquisite things could bring a reply out of the prayer upon sacrificing them. Kai didn''t know if he should be glad about it or distressed. Meg also had not much to say regarding Red Sun¡¯s presence. I''ve heard of the Sun and Moon organization, she had commented . It''s nothing but a group of lowlife mercenaries. Red Sun, if I''m not mistaken, is the lickspittle founding member. Meg had also told him to not eat the Rock Cake unless Kai couldn''t finish his Attribute Quota of the 1st-Set through Missions. Otherwise, it would do nothing but waste an Attribute Point. The best time to eat it would be in the 2nd Set, where Contestants struggle to complete the Quota. Kai smiled after hearing all that. Meg is showing her usefulness quite early, he thought, beaming. I was right about her. There was a tinge of pain hidden behind that smile, too. It was hard to let go of his chance to devour a Pokemon. Not that he could without raising his Snake Instinct Proficiency to 100%, but Kai had been positive that after hunting the three Contestants, he would have closed the gap significantly. It was then that Meg approached him and kneeled. "Master, forgive me," she said sadly. "Because of me, you gave up on your chance to devour a Pokemon''s Blood Essence." Kai said nothing. He looked at Cersei, who came up to him and stopped beside him as if she was his queen or something. Well, she is almost useless for now, Kai thought, looking at Cersei. He had decided to not use Blood Prophecy ever again until he would have the power to break it in-between by himself. He''d rather not find him stuck in some unavoidable paradox, like dancing at the fingertips of some unknown and unimaginable eldritch entity. "I have some counsel," Morning Mist said, lifting her head to look at him. "I am not completely sure about it, as your circumstances and powers are unique, even for my experiences. If it works, you can hit two targets with one arrow." Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Cersei sneered and then blushed when Kai glared at her. He would have already sent her away if he didn''t need her to talk in his place. "Speak¡­" Kai commanded, concentrating. "The Spinning Duo are Bladers, according to the reply you have got from HIM. Then, this 3rd Contestant is likely to be a Pokemon Trainer. 4th-floor Pokemon Trainers either have two Pokemon or an evolved Pokemon, if they had got their first Pokemon on the 1st floor." Suddenly, Kai¡¯s eyes lit up. He already knew what Meg was suggesting him. As of now, all he needed was one good battle. The Spinning Duo, along with the Pokemon Trainer, were certain to give him a beyond-challenging fight. By the end of it, he was sure to have leveled-up his Elementary Snake Instinct to Advance. Then, if he played his cards right, he could devour the Pokemon of the unknown Pokemon Trainer. There were too many loopholes in this plan, though. First, if the Pokemon Trainer died before the Spinning Duo, then Kai might not even get the Pokemon. Second, if the Pokemon Trainer fled, then he would lose the Pokemon, too. Third, Kai didn¡¯t even know which Pokemon the enemy had. None could deny that it was a risk at best. Still, Kai had never feared taking risks. Not to mention, he didn¡¯t have a choice, either. "So, I counsel," the fallen 13th-floor Contestant continued, "to go to the forest and search for a Pokemon. Meanwhile I will search for those trio''s whereabouts. If I see the tiniest possibility of a good Pokemon, then I will share my location with you. Contending against three 4th-floor Contestants won¡¯t be easy even for you, master. But¡­" -But I have you as an Item now,- Kai sneered. ¡°Haha!" Kai¡¯s laughter boomed around the hill. He didn''t reply to Meg, but just turned around and dashed for the thick of the Ilex Forest. Behind him, Cersei disappeared, and hundreds of tiny bugs exploded out of Morning Mist¡¯s Inventory, spreading in all directions. A reckless hunt was about to begin, making the forest itself bleed. 40 Minutes to Glitch''s Hibernation¡­ * * The trees in Ilex Forest were packed so densely that it was nigh impossible to see the sky through them during the day. At night, it became the synonym for Darkness. The buzz of bug-type Pokemon and the stirring of leaves where even the wind couldn''t come, brought such a deep sense of terror with it, that few could''ve coped with it. In this darkness, on the ground covered in dead and rotten vegetation, slithered the foulest creature known across many worlds. Every time this creature breathed, a rattling noise reverberated as if it was trying to suck in more than just air. A black hooded cloak with long tattered strips billowing at the end covered this creature like mist rising from the depths of an unknown realm. This creature was a Dementor. Kai extended his shriveled, skeletal-like right hand. Despite its white-gray appearance, one could see long finger-imprints on his forearm where the real Dementor had grabbed him before succumbing to his Blood Devour. Selene''s head came out of his bony palm and touched the ground. -Follow me, master,- she hissed, slithering out of him. Kai glided behind her noiselessly. He could sense it. The sheer amount of Mana and Breath here was overwhelming. On every corner was life. -There. I can taste it, master,- Selene hissed, coming back to him. Kai was hovering over the ground like a black, horrifying, rippling carpet. He craned his neck up and saw the Pokemon, then. Some 20 meters up, perched on the branch, was an owl-like Pokemon. It was standing on one leg, and its body was round with a brownish color. It was cocking its head in a rhythmic pattern in all directions. -Selene. Go!- Kai hissed. The Ghost Serpent burst into a mass of silver mist and entered the trunk. Simultaneously, Kai glided up as if he was nothing but air. Air froze around Kai, a deathly cold spreading outward. When Kai was some 5 meters below the Pokemon, Selene descended over the Pokemon from above. She hissed so loudly that the Pokemon cried and lunged away from her. It¡­ flew downwards. "Hooot¡­ Hoothoot¡­" It was fast. Big and fast, an odd combination. Yet, in its flight running away from the predator, it forgot to sense Kai. Dementor-Kai''s fingers touched its feathers. A blue-white layer of frost appeared on the Pokemon, almost freezing it in the clutches of death. Kai brought the wild Pokemon near his face and saw that there was still a fight in its eyes. So he sucked deep. Happiness left the Pokemon as fear and despair replaced everything that it had ever known. One more deep, rattling breath, and fear also abandoned the Pokemon, leaving nothing but pure despair. Chapter 97: Hunting Pokemon – Showdown Begin! Before Kai could finish all emotions in it, the round eyes of the 2 ft large Pokemon shone blue. "Ugh!" Kai grabbed his head as the Pokemon slipped out of his hand. The pain was unbearable, and all things were becoming blurry. The effect didn''t last long, though. Kai shook his head as if he had woken up with the worst imaginable hangover. That was some kind of SP-based attack, he thought, remembering the blue-colored shine in the Pokemon''s eyes. There are too many moves I know nothing about. I will make Meg tell me everything once this is over. Kai looked down and saw Selene coiled around the Pokemon. -Don''t kill it,- Kai hissed, approaching them. ¡­ [ Skill Dementor''s Kiss Activated Time Limit: 30 seconds ] ¡­ An unseen, pure trail, like liquefied air, left the Pokemon and entered Kai¡¯s mouth. ¡­ [Soul Points: +1.1] ¡­ The husk, that was a Pokemon a while ago, looked vacantly at Kai. When he spoke those abysmal words that could put fear in all living things around him, the soulless Pokemon didn''t even flinch. "Blood¡­ Devour!" Kai didn¡¯t want this Pokemon¡¯s Blood Essence. However, the boost in Strength, Agility, and Stamina were enough for him to devour it anyway. Selene let go of the Pokemon as Kai''s Dementor-form receded and his body became red hot, letting out steam. The tear on his chest appeared, and black tendrils oozed out, lunging at the Pokemon. But the moment they touched the husk, the all-annihilating tendrils returned, the tear on his chest sealing itself as if whatever the Pokemon was now wasn''t worth it to even look at. What?! Kai''s eyes widened. What happened?! "Blood¡­ Devour!" he growled again, gritting his teeth. Right away, the hotness returned, his body steaming along with it. The thing within him ripped his chest apart, tearing it vertically. But this time, it didn''t even come out. Not a single tendril. In the next moment, everything went back to normal as it was before. This?! What''s happening?!! Kai asked himself, stunned. How can the Blood Devour fail? No. Wait! The Blood Devour didn''t fail. It worked. It just¡­ rejected the magical beast. Kai knew what his Glitch failing felt like. So he calmed down and analyzed the queer circumstance. -It''s soul, master,- Selene hissed, repeating Kai''s inner thoughts. -Yes, Selene. But I never thought Blood Essence had anything to do with soul,- Kai hissed. Now there was one more thing he needed to keep in mind before sucking the soul out of a Pokemon. Frustrated, he took out his Fang and plunged it into the Pokemon''s heart. ¡­ [ Your Title Status is updated¡­ Title: Poacher ¡­ ] ¡­ Oh! It was a comparatively strong one, Kai thought, patting Selene''s head. Selene took that as Kai''s permission to have the food for herself and lunged at it. As she swallowed the Pokemon, Kai recalled the theory behind the Blood Essence from his previous life. But no matter how he thought, he couldn''t remember it being mentioned anywhere that the Blood Essence had some connection with Soul. The concept of soul wasn''t some unknown and unpracticed in his previous life, where Beast Essence Cultivators cultivated using the principles of Yin-Yang. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. This isn''t the time, a voice roared in his mind. Hurry! Kai put the matter back to his mind, and the moment the Ghost Serpent swallowed the Pokemon whole, he called it back into him. -Time to move on.- Only the hiss slithered for some time at the crime scene as Dementor-Kai glided away for another prey. * * "Pineco¡­!" Boom! Boom! Kai got thrown off by the chain of explosions. In front of him, hanging from a tree, were many pine cone-like Pokemon. The moment he tried to suck the Soul out of the first sleeping one, all these Pokemon dropped and self-destructed. Fuck! Kai cursed, leaving the blasted area. Selene had gone to sleep after having her meal. So he had decided to just hunt by himself. But his lack of knowledge about Pokemon moves was becoming a great hindrance. Let me get a Pokedex, you stupid creatures! Humph! Kai slithered far in search of the Pokemon he could make sense of. The speed of his gliding was fast too, but compared to the flying-type Pokemon, it couldn''t be mentioned in the same breath. Suddenly, a cacophony of tweaking noises reached his ears. Kai glided upwards, his hooded head blending masterfully in the dark shadows. When his head came out of the canopy of the tree, he saw the hundreds of Pokemon flying over a cave, taking sharp turns now and then. Now the nature of these Pokemon was such that even he could tell. Bat-like Pokemon, Kai concluded. They had purple-blue bodies with two long tails. With fangs in their open mouths, Kai guessed like any bat-based organic form, they were using echolocation too. The creepiest smile crept on his rotten face. Kai knew the sheer amount of despair he could spread among these Pokemon amass. His heartbeat sped up as he thought of the number of Soul Points he could collect. Not even trying to hide anymore, Kai left the trees and flew towards them. He looked like a bloodthirsty wraith as the wind hit him, picking up the tattered strips of his cloak. But before he could enter the thick of this Pokemon Colony, a notification popped up. ¡­ [ Party Member Morning Mist has shared her location with you She is requesting an audio call¡­ Do you accept it? ] ¡­ Kai stopped immediately. He accepted the request, and a map appeared in front of him, as Meg¡¯s voice entered his ears. "Master, hurry! I found them. The 3rd Contestant is indeed a Pokemon Trainer, and he has an evolved Pokemon. This is the best Pokemon you can get in this region. I am challenging him so that when you arrive here, it is already out of the Pokeball. I have a plan. If we follow it, you can raise your Snake Instinct¡¯s Proficiency and devour the Pokemon in the same battle¡­" - Meg shouted out her message. Then, as she kept mentioning the plan, Kai¡¯s creepy smile vanished. When she was done, Morning Mist canceled the call, readying herself to attack the targets. Don''t die¡­ Kai thought, licking his dry lips, knowing well that she wasn''t a match for three 4th-floor Contestants. He had an idea how she would challenge the Pokemon Trainer when she didn''t have a Pokemon. Kai turned around and flew to the highest mountain in the distance. That was the location shared by his servant. Kai''s heart thumped wildly as he imagined the powers he would gain after devouring an evolved Pokemon. Then, with a prime sense of urgency, he flew over the forest, ignoring all the Pokemon. 15 minutes to Glitch''s Hibernation¡­ * * Kai flew down to the foot of the mountain where there was an enormous mouth of a cave. Low muffled noises like beasts grunting and snapping at each other were coming from the deep. The cave kept becoming narrower as he went deeper. When he reached some 400 meters in, it had become so narrow that a grown man would have to walk on hands and legs to go further. Kai easily glided through this passage too. The moment he passed a tunnel where one would have to go crawling, lying on their belly, everything suddenly expanded. The noises grew louder, comprehensible, and even the laugh of a boy and a girl was quite distinguishable. For 200 meters, Kai kept flying, keeping himself almost glued to the roof. Then came the grand opening. It had been so dark that Kai had felt like he was going down to the depths of the very hell. But what awaited him at the end of this cave wasn''t a quagmire, but a vista of uncanny beauty. Kai found himself looking at a hollow under the mountain. It was mysteriously glowing blue everywhere. The hollow was like a sphere, with a dome-like rocky roof. Hundreds of long protrusions of rock were hanging from the roof, pointing murderously at the ground underneath, and all were glowing blue too. The ground was as big as a football field, and on the leftmost side, there was a waterfall. The water was falling into a small puddle. It was shining blue too. This blue glow was coming from everywhere. From the heavy boulders spread throughout over the ground, from the high walls enclosing the ground, and from the vegetation on his rightmost side. It made it look like it was day within this mountain''s womb. Kai stopped at the mouth of this grand wonder. He looked down and saw the scene then. Meg was bloody beyond anyone could get bloodier. She had changed her robe to her usual black greatcoat and black jeans, but even they had been torn apart from everywhere. Just by her side was a Pokemon. It had the body of a canine, with an orange pelt marked by jagged black stripes. Its head, muzzle, and chest were covered in shaggy fur, and its tail was long, furry, and bent from the middle. A paper-Pokemon? Kai guessed. From time to time, this Pokemon kept growling under its throat at the beings in front of it. Some 100 meters away from the Pokemon was a boy who looked slightly older than Kai. He had black hair and black eyes and was only wearing blue-colored shorts. Behind him, sitting over a boulder, were a boy and a girl. Kai''s eyes narrowed at them. He had already seen them, using the sacrifice. They were the Spinning Duo, the Bladers! 10 minutes to Glitch¡¯s Hibernation¡­ Chapter 98: Blood Devour – The Return of Kai’s Instincts! Kai couldn¡¯t see the Pokemon Meg had mentioned over the video call. Also, despite the sorry state of his servant, he dared not barge onto the stage yet. These weren¡¯t the run-of-the-mill Contestants whom he had helped Meg kill in Alto Mare. They were 4th-floor Contestants. Not only they had high enough Perception to pick up his presence if he was not being careful about it, but they were also experienced enough to foil his plans before he even began with them. Time was, of course, of the most essence right now. Equally more important was to not fuck it up, losing his chance to devour an evolved Pokemon. "Hand over Arcanine to me," the boy in the shorts said. "Look at you, you haven''t been able to make it use a single move so far." "Carl, that was¡­ your name, right?" Meg said, catching her breath. "Why did you recall your Pokemon? It''s my dream¡­ to battle Order''s Pokemon Trainers." "Haha!" Carl laughed, looking behind him at the boy. "Are you seeing this? Didn''t I tell you that having me with you can be helpful?" The boy said nothing. Carl looked forward, sneering. ¡°Dream?¡± he scoffed, taking out a Pokeball, nonetheless. ¡°You are already dead¡­ What does it matter if you die by my hands or ¡­ my Pokemon? Heh!¡± Carl threw the Pokeball, pressing a button, and a blue ray of light escaped the Pokeball with a brilliant flash. ¡°Go! Finish her¡­¡± However, he never really got the chance to utter the Pokemon¡¯s name. Time slowed down in Kai''s eyes then. This was it! This was the time he had been waiting for! He must act now! Now¡­ or never! With one flick of his hand, he put away the Steel-Brigandine Armor back into his Inventory. It would hardly be of any use in this battle anyway. Not to mention, it ate away 1 point of his Agility. With another flick of his hand, he took out the Fangs. Simultaneously, he canceled his Dementor¡¯s transformation, letting the Blue-tailed Boa Constrictor¡¯s Blood Essence take over him once more. The snake tattoo coiled up on his right arm, turning the nail of his middle finger, where the snake¡¯s tail ended, purple. His hazel, round eyes became reptilian, the engines of Snake Instinct roaring. This roar echoed like an ethereal boom across the underground, dome-like structure. Heads snapped toward him. First, it was the pair of boy and girl. The Pokemon Trainer was a bit late, but still fast enough for him to frown, cutting his words short. Still, it didn¡¯t matter now. What happened next, was just fast enough for even them to do anything about it. The hands of both the bladers blurred as they took out their Beyblades. Carl, the Pokemon Trainer, took half a step back as if preparing to run to them. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. How would Kai ever give him such a chance, though? Pokemon Trainers needed high Correspondence. Bladers needed high Breath. None of these two types of Contestants could afford to be in-fighting freaks. This much Meg had already told him. Kai took advantage of this info with scientific precision. Boom! The rocky ground under Kai¡¯s feet cracked and the narrow cave behind him collapsed, a boom reverberating across the dome. Like a bullet, he ripped the air apart and landed in front of the Pokemon who had taken the shape. His hazel, vertical slits, full of pure greed and hunger, matched the red menacing pupils of the Pokemon. Its body was blue, and it was almost as tall as him. There was a red gem in the middle of its forehead which glowed as Selene at it, leaving Kai''s body. The Ghost Serpent had scarcely covered half the distance between Kai and the Pokemon when an unseen force took hold of it and flung it away. Kai smiled, slithering, his Instincts picking up on Pokemon¡¯s slightest intention. But Pokemon¡¯s intentions weren¡¯t the only things his Instincts were sensing this time. Within his eyes, the reptilian pupils shook, overloading, as Kai put his all and everything in the Snake Instinct. He sensed Carl¡¯s steps¡­ before they landed. He sensed the boy and the girl taking out Beyblades¡­ before they took them out. He sensed Meg substituting herself with a paper-Meg¡­ before she did it. This¡­ feeling¡­ Kai¡¯s mind rocked, time truly pausing for him now at this moment. Kai wasn¡¯t unknown to this feeling of sensing things beforehand. In his previous life, he had invested every moment of his life in preparing himself for the destined battle against Broke Valeheart. And¡­ Broke could become invisible¡­ to the point that even the entire World forgot about his presence. How could Kai ever hope to fight someone like that, and kill, if he couldn¡¯t even sense things to this degree? In this moment, as he pushed himself beyond his limits, those Instincts returned to him. The Snake Instinct was still stuck at 97% as of now. He needed to fight against the Bladers to truly level it up to Advance¡­ But¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t need Snake Instinct¡­ Kai realized, the corners of his lips lifting, becoming vile and demonic. From now on, I will rely on my Instincts alone¡­ ¡°Hehe-hahaha!¡± Under the shocking gazes of Meg, Carl, the Bladers, and the Pokemon itself, Kai roared out a peal of laughter and¡­ just walked toward the magical beast. This sight itself was so shocking, and bizarre, that none of the ones watching him could make any sense of it, their thoughts abandoning them. Never had they faced such a crazed scene, not even Meg. It was like Kai had even them a shock by entering the battlefield, but then suddenly decided to just¡­ die. What else could be the outcome of him facing an evolved Pokemon? Kai¡¯s Instincts screamed to just take one step at a time. He couldn¡¯t sense any of them making a move. So why wouldn¡¯t he just walk? Kai stepped forward as if he had all the leisure in the world. In mere moments, he found himself facing the stunned Pokemon, whose red eyes were shaking as if they were lost in some grand illusion. Kai hugged the Pokemon like the dearest friend, his Fangs crossing around them like a prison. He took a deep breath, sucking out almost all the happiness the Pokemon had ever known in its life. He didn¡¯t need to be in Dementor¡¯s form to manipulate such emotions, as the Advance Ability was a part of his Stats, not the Blood Essence¡¯s. -For how long¡­ have you remained a prisoner of humans, chained up in a ball?- Kai hissed, a vertical tear opening up on his chest. -Of all the magical beasts, you deserve salvation the most¡­- "Blood¡­ Devour!" Fear possessed the Pokemon. A fear, originating from the very depths of its existence. A fear whose roots ran deep, searching for the essence that made the Pokemon, a Pokemon. What could you do, when the snake had already tightened its coils around you? Nothing. Thousands upon thousands of thin, black tendrils flailed out of his chest like the fingerless arms of some hideous monster. They grabbed at the Pokemon with unimaginable hunger. With their slightest touch, the Pokemon became a bloody paste and got devoured, disappearing within the dark tear on Kai¡¯s chest. 0 minutes to Glitch Hibernation¡­ Chapter 99: Devouring an Evolved Pokemon – New Skills and Abilities and a Surprise! The world appeared to him as a mass of spiritual current. Kai''s skin became blue. His shoulder-length white hair fluttered as puffs of steam hit it from below. A ghastly, blood-colored oval gem appeared in the middle of his forehead. As if these changes weren¡¯t enough, when he opened his eyes, his pupils shone hazel¡­ ¡­ hazel encircling dark reptilian slits. ¡­ [ Elementary Snake Instinct: Proficiency 100% (+3%) The Elementary Snake Instinct is leveled up to become Advance Snake Instinct ¡­ Advance Snake Instinct: Proficiency 100% (+100%) The Advance Snake Instinct is leveled up to become Master Snake Instinct ] ¡­ This?! Kai didn¡¯t know how, or why, but in those final moments of regaining his true Instincts, the Elementary Snake Instinct had jumped to 100%, bypassing the last few, but the most challenging Proficiency gap. Not only that, but then it also gained 100% Proficiency, becoming Master Ability. Even among the Top-tier Contestants scattered across the Primordial Tower, such a jump in Proficiency was a matter of myth. Even Meg, a fallen 13th floor Contestant, would only say that it was an impossibility, unless he already possessed the Ability before. Truth was, Kai had indeed possessed such an ability before in his previous life, but the nature of that ability was much crueler, harsher, and murderous than Snake Instinct. Regardless of the reasons, this was the second time Kai had undergone such an experience. If it wasn¡¯t the ridiculous feat of gaining an Elite Ability, then this could already become a memory of a lifetime. Now Snake Instinct was his, not of the lost Blue-tailed Boa Constrictor¡¯s Blood Essence. Though he didn¡¯t need it anymore, Kai couldn¡¯t help but think about what it would happen once it became an Elite Ability. Putting these tumultuous thoughts to the back of his mind, he observed the changes he had gone through. Kai brought up his hands to look at them. They were webbed and had sharp claws. Inside his shoes, he could feel the same webbing in-between his toes. Kai''s head twisted to look behind. A long, slim but powerful blue tail was snapping furiously attached to him. Crack! He felt it again. The strong spiritual currents. In a zone of the 10-meter radius with him as the center, they were everywhere. The notification appeared then. ¡­ [ Blood Essence: Golduck Grade: D+ Specification: One of the fastest swimming Pokemon, Golduck can sense the spiritual waves in its surrounding atmosphere using its gem Abilities:
  1. Elementary Telekinesis (Proficiency: 0%)
  2. Elementary Telepathy (Proficiency: 0%)
Skills:
  1. Hydro Pump (Grade: D)
  2. Iron Tail (Grade: D+)
  3. Focus Punch (Grade: ? Locked)
Special Effect: Charisma +5 ] ¡­ Kai took a deep breath. He could smell the water and his high affinity for it. He could also sense the smoothness of his body, his rippling muscles. More than anything, he could taste the raging emotions of the Pokemon Trainer. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Carl bellowed, taking out a longsword. ¡°GIVE¡­ GOLDUCK¡­ BACK!¡± He lunged at Kai, raising the sword high, his face becoming purple with anger. Behind him, the Spinning Duos'' faces were pale too. Their Beyblades were already in the shooters, ready to be launched. Yet, they held back. It was obvious they wanted to test Kai out using Carl. With his single Pokemon gone, Carl was as useless as the boulder they were standing on. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Very well, Kai thought, grinning. Have a taste of it, then. Kai''s blue tail thrashed, the rocky ground caving in at the impact. The moment Carl entered within 10 meters, the blood-colored oval gem shone and he found he could control these spiritual currents. A layer of spirituality encased Carl''s body, and he left the ground, levitating under the affect of some unknown force. "What''s happening?!" the Pokemon Trainer shouted. "Let me down! Lee, help me!" But no matter what or how he roared, Carl couldn''t do anything. Like a puppet controlled by unseen strings, he floated towards Kai. Kai let go of the swords in his hands. However, they didn¡¯t fall, but stayed right where he had left them, now hovering by his sides like the most loyal sentries. ¡­ [ Elementary Telekinesis: Proficiency 1% (+1%) ] ¡­ Kai grabbed Carl''s neck, his long claws digging deep inside his skin. He couldn''t help but notice the enormous disparity in physical Stats between this Pokemon Trainer and Heavy Block. He sucked deep, his breath rattling as he sucked out all the happiness. Then he let go of the prey. Carl''s knees buckled and kneeled with a thud. Kai looked at the Spinning Duos, who were looking at him with a terrifying fascination. This show was for them, and Kai''s performance had never steered away from bloodiness and gore. ¡­ [ Skill Hydro Pump Activated Time Limit: 30 Seconds ¡­ Skill: Hydro Pump Grade: D Specification: Fire a massive Water Pillar at the target Requirement: MP 50-100 Attributes:
  1. Accuracy up to 10 meters: 100%
  2. Accuracy decreases because of Water Pillar breakdown beyond 10 meters
Effect:
  1. Minimum Base Damage: 70 HP (MP 50)
  2. Base Damage +10% with every +10 MP consumed over Minimum MP consumption
  3. Maximum Base Damage: 110 HP
  4. +20% Base Damage against the magical beasts of fire, ground, and rock type
Warning: Base Damage will decrease with accuracy ] ¡­ Kai parted Carl''s mouth using Telekinesis. He brought his mouth over Carl''s mouth and took a deep breath. All around Kai''s body, a light bubbly blue glow appeared as his 50 MP vanished from his backpack instantly. Then he fired it directly into Carl. A thick pillar of water with power over twice that of a fire hose escaped Kai''s mouth and blasted into Carl''s throat. Carl''s neck bent, the back of his head almost touching his back. On and on, the water kept going inside him, his stomach ballooning up at a visible speed. And when it seemed Kai was finished, Carl exploded. B-oo-m! It wasn''t exactly a booming sound, but it was more like a bucket of mud bursting apart. Carl''s entrails, organs, and bones got washed away along with the water. Kai lifted his head, with his victim''s upper half still grasped by the neck. This¡­ was enough. Both the boy and the girl jumped off the boulder and stopped some 50 meters away from Kai. The boy had long brown hair tied into a ponytail, and his eyes were brown. He was wearing a black-colored changshan over black trousers. The girl''s hair shone almost pink. She was wearing a white changshan with pink stripes at the edges. Her trousers were white, and she had a cat-like appearance. Kai had seen them fighting with each other on the holographic video screen. The things he had first thought of as toys had turned out to be the most lethal weapon he had ever seen after coming here. These things, called Beyblades, housed spirits of magical beasts, which then can be brought out of the Beyblades to enhance their moves or even directly attack the target. Kai had seen the havoc these two had caused, so when he saw them taking the launching pose, he didn''t find it funny. Not at all. "What are you?" Lee asked, his eyes never leaving Kai. "What the hell are you?" Kai saw their hands were shaking. He threw away the dead Contestant and took out an HP capsule, which he flung backward. Meg caught it and ate it immediately. In just a moment, all her injuries healed, and her cheeks became rosy. She approached Kai and looked at him with awe and reverence. "The boy is named Lee," Morning Mist told him. "The girl is named Mariah. Foolish way to name themselves as it gives away their bit-beasts identity." -/You are right/- Kai''s words echoed in Meg''s head directly. His blood-colored gem flashed again. -/Don''t interfere. Just distract them whenever and however you can. I will take care of the rest/- ¡­ [ Elementary Telepathy: Proficiency 1% (+1%) ] ¡­ Meg gaped at Kai. "Master, that''s¡­ Telepathy?" Kai nodded. "Are you ignoring us?" Mariah snapped. "You think killing that weakling was enough to make us fear you? Humph!" "Mariah, let''s show him that even if he''s an abomination, we aren''t afraid of him," Lee said, chuckling. Kai noticed their hands had become steady, and there were weird, fiery spiritual waves exploding out of them. Is that the¡­ Fighting Spirit?! Kai wondered, reaching out to hold his Fangs. "Yeah¡­" Mariah nodded, beaming. "We have overcome great odds, together." "3¡­" Lee began, a monstrous amount of Spiritual power and Mana bursting out of him. Kai dashed. Why would he give them a chance to launch? ¡°Master!¡± Meg shouted. ¡°Wait!!¡± The Duos smiled. Bang! Kai''s head slammed directly into an invisible wall. "Ugh! What the¡­" He shook off the pain and found the boy sneering at him. "You can not stop the Beyblade launch, fool," Lee said mockingly. "It''s the Beyblade World Restriction, valid in all Random Worlds." "2¡­" Mariah continued. "1¡­" Then the Spinning Duos both roared together. "Let it rip!!!" A black Beyblade spun like a dark star, and a pink Beyblade followed it, spinning around it in spirals. Danger! Kai felt it before he could see it. "Go, GALEON!" "Go, GALUX!" The world thundered as a blood-curdling roar came out of some unknown dimension, bringing with it a black lightning bolt. Along with it, the loud hissing of a demonic cat shuddered the bones. The Beyblades came towards Kai like two unstoppable beasts, chipping away the rocky ground under them. The destined battle¡­ had begun. Chapter 100: Golduck-Kai vs Beybladers – Viper Strike! (I) The top of the Beyblades glowed black and pink. Kai had seen them coming out on the holographic screen, but the actual sight surpassed the awe and the might of the pressure radiated by them on the night of sacrifice. From the black-colored Beyblade, an ominous glow burst out, and along with it came a towering bit-beast. It had a black body and a long, curved white mane. It was over 3 meters tall, and the moment it stretched itself, it let out a roar, full of fury and raw, wild ferocity. From the pink-colored one came out a deep, unsettling, and demonic mountain cat, washed in the color of pink, bordering purple. It hissed, and growled, lunging over the black tiger. Galeon and Galux, Kai remembered their names, eying them with a shivering fascination. The fist-sized Beyblades were faster than him, even after considering his Agility. They rushed at him, leaving a trail on the rocky ground as if it were mud. Kai''s heart thumped, but he didn''t run away. He had made a preliminary plan to deal with these two Contestants, after seeing their fighting style. But at that time, he didn''t have the Golduck Blood Essence. Now, he had better options. As the two bit-beasts charged at him, and came within 10 meters, the blood-colored oval gem on his forehead shone devilishly. Hmmmm! A red-colored outline covered the Beyblades and the bit-beasts alike, stopping them from advancing further. But what didn''t stop, or Kai failed to stop, was their rotation. Kai gritted his teeth, knowing well that he had just got the Telekinesis Ability and it would be extremely hard to constrict these monstrous things outright. Blue-purple veins popped up on his face and head, as Kai put all his concentration on controlling the Beyblades. But they were still coming towards him, slowly but steadily. The glowing beasts over them were growling furiously, trying to break out of this unseen prison. From afar, the Spinning Duos laughed. "Galux!" Mariah shouted. "Cat Slice." The pink bit-beast hissed demonically, and Kai felt unbearable pain in the region around the oval gem as if someone was trying to pull it out. The Telekinesis broke and Kai staggered back, a severe headache replacing his ability to even think. ¡­ [ Elementary Telekinesis: Proficiency 5% (+4%) ] ¡­ Galux came charging towards him, raising her long, sharp claws. Cat Slice! Kai wasn''t among those who were foolish enough to make himself incapacitated during a fight. He needed to know for how long he could restrict the Beyblades, though. It would have been impossible before, but not now. Not when he had a servant backing him up. Meg''s paper Arcanine rushed by him, putting itself in between Kai and Galux. The pink Beyblade struck head-on with the Pokemon, and under the shocked gasps of the Spinning Duos, ripped apart the Pokemon unobstructed. More paper birds, paper Squirtles, and paper Megs followed the now destroyed Arcanine and got sliced into tiny bits of paper. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. It was enough for Kai to come out of his momentary dizziness. He dashed toward the boy and the girl in a wide arc, avoiding the incoming Beyblades. This was the weakness Kai had found out after seeing them fighting. The video screen had shown them practicing their Beyblades attacks, and that had looked destructive enough for him to put them alongside Heavy Block. Avoid the Beyblades and attack the Bladers, Kai had thought. They are nothing without the defense of their Beyblades. However, in the next moment, as Lee and Mariah saw Kai slithering towards them with sabers in his hands, and their Beyblades getting overshadowed by the sheer number of paper-creatures, they broke apart with an Agility not less than Kai himself. "Well, well, well," Mariah laughed, dashing from boulder to boulder away from him. "You think we are a bunch of Carls? Humph!" "Abominations have less intelligence, Mariah," Lee quipped. "Let''s show them why we are the strongest Duos below the 5th-floor." He rushed at Meg, taking out a metallic chain over 5 meters long at the end of which the steel of a long scimitar flashed gray-blue. Following Lee''s command, Mariah hopped up to the boulder at the top of the hole from where the water was coming into the chamber, falling into the puddle on the ground. Her hand flicked, and she took out what seemed like a multi-barrel Gatling gun. "Take this!" she hissed, aiming the thing at Kai. Oh, shit! Kai thought, already running away for the cover. Trr-rrr-rrrr! The sound of hundreds of bullets echoed within the chamber along with Mariah''s shrill laugh. Kai hid behind a boulder, but in the next moment, the bullets blasted it apart, throwing him off. He again slithered off, zig-zagging magnificently, using his long, powerful tail. It was then the shout came. "Galeon! ¡­ Tiger Claw!" The dark Beyblade had freed itself from the suicidal paper creatures. Kai saw the black tiger bit-beast lunging at him from his right with its long claws ready to rip him apart. A long trail of hundreds of bullets blocked his left, killing his escape route. In the distance, he saw Lee hacking at Meg with his metallic-rope Scimitar as Galux sliced up the tangle of the remaining paper creatures. He must take this attack head-on, the realization dawned on Kai. A red shine covered the Fangs and Kai let go of them. It felt like the sabers were arrows, getting pulled behind Kai by someone using a flexible, powerful string. You could feel the sheer tension over them. The swords were shuddering as Kai gritted his teeth, pressuring them as much as he could using Telekinesis. Roar! Just as Galeon brought down its massive claws, Kai reversed the Telekinesis¡¯ pressured pull to exponential pull. Twin-Saber Style¡­ The sabers tore through the air, humming. In fact, the swords were so fast, that even Lee and Mariah, keeping an eye on him from a distance, couldn¡¯t see them anymore. Kai couldn¡¯t see them, either. However, his slitted, hazel pupils suddenly widened. He saw them coming. He saw their instantaneous locations changing, frame by frame. As if he was grabbing ghosts, Kai¡¯s hands lunged and grabbed the hilts of the two sabers. Then, using their shocking momentum, he spun in the air and met Galeon¡¯s giant claw with his Fangs. ¡­ Viper Strike! Boommmmmmmmm!! A black Beyblade got thrown back from the center of impact. It landed on the ground afar, wobbled a bit, but then resumed its mind-numbing rotation as if it wasn¡¯t the one who had faced the strike. The Bit-Beast over it skidded, going beyond the Beyblade¡¯s range. On the other side, a blue, bleeding figure rolled on the ground. With a flick of his tail, Kai landed on his feet, his hands shaking. Blood was running down from his nose, the part of his head around the red gem throbbing with unbearable pain. ¡­ [ Elementary Telekinesis: Proficiency 15% (+10%) ¡­ Elementary Twin-Saber Style: Proficiency 100% (+12%) The Elementary Twin-Saber Style is leveled up to become Advance Twin-Saber Style ¡­ Elementary Slither Footsteps: Proficiency 100% (+6%) The Elementary Slither Footsteps is leveled up to become Advance Slither Footsteps ] ¡­ With the headache blurring his vision, Kai didn¡¯t have the time to celebrate. Then the bullets rained down on him. Chapter 101: Golduck-Kai vs Beybladers – White Tiger Resonance! (II) Kai slithered away from the rain of the bullets as if there was no end to them. From the other end, Galeon had gained momentum, the Bit-Beast growling as it chased him. Fuck! Kai cursed, lunging from one boulder to another. If things remained like this, then he would surely lose this war, despite winning the battle. There was only one solution he could see now. One of them¡­ must die. Far away from him, Lee was overwhelming Meg with his long-range weapon. Then there was the bit-beast, Galux, who had just ripped apart the last bits of paper creatures. The pink Beyblade came blasting out of the shredded paper and rushed to join Lee against the old woman. "Galux! Cat Scratch!" Maria cried, her high-pitched voice echoing off the round chamber''s walls. The lynx-like mountain cat mewed, raising its front paws in a hugging gesture. Two enormous paper wings spawned on Meg''s back, and she took to the air, dodging the fatal hug. But then Lee descended from above, rotating the chained Scimitar. He slashed at her, letting out a powerful shout. Morning Mist flapped her wings, backing away, going out of the Blader¡¯s reach. Lee grinned, and his grip on the metallic chain loosened. More chain-links passed through his hand like losing the reel of a kite, and the Scimitar, which should have missed Meg, sliced her from the middle, passing through her in a clean arc. "Haha! Gotcha, bitch!" Lee laughed. Mariah''s horrified gasp followed it. For, the red-haired woman, whom Lee had just sliced in half, turned into a paper doll and fell. This meant that none had any idea where the real Meg was. "Ah!" Maria shrieked, firing her Gatling gun in all directions. "Galux! Slice apart everything." The pink Beyblade spun crazily. The entire earth vibrated as it blurred and then vanished. Long pink slashes appeared here and there, cutting boulders in half in search of Meg. Kai saw his chance. Using all his strength, Kai rushed in a beeline toward Mariah. Unfortunately, Lee noticed him. "Oh, no. No, no, no," he muttered, laughing witlessly. "You aren''t going anywhere. Galeon! Dark Lightning!" The dark Beyblade suddenly rumbled and spit out an enormous mass of Black Lightning. Its speed doubled, and it caught up with Kai''s rushing figure. The Beyblade rolled around him in a 20-meter radius, well away from his Spiritual Waves sensing limit. Black lightning bolts thundered, trapping him in a lightning cage. "Mariah!" Lee bellowed. "Now!" Mariah came to her senses and aimed the Gatling gun at the trapped blue figure. Kai saw her face had become extremely pale as if her life had been sucked out of her. Just as Mariah''s finger was about to press the trigger, the uppermost layer of the foaming puddle, where the waterfall was crashing down, crumpled. For a moment, it felt like the water itself was breaking down. Even if Mariah had noticed something odd, it would have been too late. Meg''s figure erupted out of the water, holding a massive paper Shuriken. This Shuriken didn''t seem like paper, though. A metallic shine was flickering over it under the dancing blue glow within the chamber. Hurling herself horizontally, Meg threw the Shuriken. The distance between them wasn''t that much, to begin with. In an instant, the blurry outline of the whirling Shuriken struck the Gatling gun and cut the barrels in half. It also cut Mariah''s hands along with the barrels. ¡°AHHHHHHH!¡± The girl let out a ghastly shriek of pain and anger Away from her, Meg vomited out a bucketful of blood and fell back into the water. "MARIAH!" Lee roared, already lunging for the girl. Kai smiled. His shoes dug into the ground as he pushed himself into a run. Black Lightning bolts struck his back like dark lances, but they failed to annihilate that vile, demonic grin off his face. The flesh on his back sizzled before getting ripped apart. You could see the bone there now, but they too cracked under the lightning barrage. It wouldn¡¯t be long until they hacked him down into pieces.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Blood Demon¡¯s grin widened, reaching his ears. Kai took out the HP capsule given to him by Red Sun and threw it in his mouth. Suddenly, his entire blue existence turned red as if he was burning under the reddest fire. Instantly, all his HP was restored. Not only that, the HP Regeneration Rate soared by a full 100%. Kai burst out of the lightning cage, fully intact. He rushed, slithering like the snake who had waited long for this chance. Lee threw the chained Scimitar at Kai from afar to break his rush. The gem on Kai''s forehead glowed as he used Telekinesis to fling the weapon away before it could even touch him. The boy landed beside Mariah, and ran away to the chamber''s middle, lifting her into his arms. Kai was hot on their heels. The puddle under the waterfall had become red from Meg''s blood, but he ignored both the color and the servant completely. He could sense it, the bubbling emotions. If he could just approach them¡­ "Kill them!" Mariah shrieked. "I will kill them both. Lee! Kill them!" Lee gritted his teeth, his face becoming red, blue, and then purple. "Let''s do this," he said, standing up. Mariah pushed herself up too, her murderous eyes planted on Kai''s incoming figure. There was still some 50-meter gap between them and him. Too far, Kai reflected, yet the grin didn''t go away. "Galeon!" "Galux!" Both Lee and Mariah roared together and a horrendous fighting spirit exploded out of them. "White Tiger Resonance!" The dark bit-beast burst with such a roar that the rocky lances hanging from the roof of the chamber fell, slamming all over the ground. The raging, pink demonic bit-beast disappeared like wind and appeared in front of the duo. Galeon appeared like a phantom shortly after it. The Beyblades started to revolve around Lee and Mariah in the opposite direction. The towering bit-beasts over them resonated with each other. A massive dark gray tornado took shape around them. Black lightning thundered, trailing up and down over this tornado, and purple demonic winds howled, cutting apart whatever came into contact with them. Lee and Mariah disappeared into the eye of the tornado as it expanded at an exponential rate, ripping apart everything in its path. Kai almost burst out with laughter. This was the exact Skill he had been waiting for them to use. Because, from the holographic video, he had found out that at this moment, Lee and Mariah were at their weakest, taking pills to heal themselves up. Kai would never give them that chance. White¡­ Kai raised the Fangs once more and poured all his MP into them, saving 5 points. Instantly, the sabers lengthened over 5 times their length. A blinding, whitish glow oozed out from them, coiling around them like smoke. The reptilian eyes on the blades¡¯ flat sides blinked furiously, and a burst of cold escaped them, freezing the water in their surroundings. Kai¡¯s muscles bulged, veins wriggling under his blue skin, and he hacked. ¡­ Serpent! ¡­ [ ¡­ Skill: White Serpent Skill Effect:
  1. HP Consumption: 50-100
  2. MP Consumption: 100-200
  3. Lengthens the blade by 5 to 10 times, depending upon HP supplied
  4. MP Consumption is in correspondence with HP Consumption
  5. Shoots out Mana Serpents upon slashing at the target that wraps around the target, binding them from head to toe
¡­ ] ¡­ Two, white Mana Serpents shot toward the massive tornado of lightning and¡­ slithered right into it, ignoring it as if it didn¡¯t exist there. Within the tornado, Lee and Mariah were seeing to their injuries. Hisss! The Mana Serpents lunged at them, giving them no time to even think. In a matter of moments, they coiled around them, each serpent binding Lee and Mariah from head to toe. With their lack of physical Attributes, they couldn¡¯t even put up a resistance. The tornado had sucked them dry of their Mana and Spirituality, keeping the Beyblades occupied. They had no choice but to call the bit-beasts back. Outside, Kai¡¯s mind phased in and out of blackness. Then, the tornado which was still coming at him popped out of existence like a bubble. Kai saw the Spinning Duos, restricted by the Mana Serpents. The Beyblades were rushing back toward them to help them out. ¡°Ha¡­ ha¡­ ha!¡± Kai laughed like a maniac, throwing an MP capsule into his mouth. It would restore only half of its rated value, as he had already used an MP capsule within the last 3 hours, but he didn¡¯t need full MP, either. The Act, Relentless Love, could already be considered a broken Skill. -Titan''s Buff!- The hiss rang in the Duo''s ears like a death knell. A bronze-colored spartan helmet appeared on Kai''s head, and he rocketed towards the Duo like a blue comet. Lee pushed Mariah back, putting himself in between her and Kai. Even the Beyblades changed directions and rushed towards Kai, trying to break his momentum. Under Lee and Mariah¡¯s urgent call, the Beyblades brought out the tornado almost instantaneously. Yes, almost instantaneously. Just not before Selene''s mist form could freeze Mariah''s soul. Like her master, the Ghost Serpent too had been waiting for her turn. She had always been underground, waiting for the chance. Kai hadn¡¯t even talked or commanded her. Moreover, Lee and Mariah¡¯s Perception was just too high to catch them off-guard openly. Mariah¡¯s skin turned blue, matching Kai¡¯s Golduck figure. The Pink Beyblade wobbled. And when Selene oozed out of the girl, took her material form, and plunged her venomous fangs into Mariah''s neck, the Beyblade vanished. The gem on Kai''s forehead flashed bloodiest. Still dashing like a bronze blur, blood ran down his nose and eyes as he flung the incoming dark Beyblade and the bit-beast away from Lee. The boy was so stunned he couldn''t even move when Kai approached him. -/Love. The happiness of mutual care and concern. Ah! This is the best./- Kai''s words echoed in the boy''s mind telepathically. Then he breathed. A breath that rattled as he sucked deep. Deep and deeper, drowning Lee in the deepest ocean of despair. Chapter 102: Aftermath – Galeon Attacker and Hidden Mission’s Rewards! As Lee¡¯s eyes lost all reasons to live, a frown replaced the grin on Kai¡¯s bloody mouth. ¡­ [ Soul Points: +0.05 ] ¡­ This was the amount Lee''s soul had given him. After seeing the number, Kai didn''t regret not sucking out Carl and Mariah''s souls, either. -Selene, kill him,- Kai hissed. The moment he let go of the 4th-floor¡¯s Contestant, Kai¡¯s knees buckled and he fell to the ground, panting, a severe headache rocking his brain. -Master¡­- Selene hissed, after giving a quick love bite to the soulless Lee. Kai didn''t get up. He laid back on the ground, taking deep breaths. Too many things had happened, and he needed to sort them out. Well, Boa-Constrictor¡¯s Blood Essence is gone, he thought. So is my Armor. During the fight, Kai had re-equipped the Steel-Bone Brigandine Armor once. However, it had been ripped out of existence by the barrage of lightning. The Armor wasn''t strong enough to handle the might of D graded Skills, to begin with. When that last black lightning bolt hit him, it had finally vanished for good. Moreover, both of his Fangs had lost 2% Qualities in this battle. The move, Tiger Claw, had done some massive damage to them. Not to mention, the new move of the Twin-Saber Style, Viper Strike, also promised a massive strain on the swords upon hitting the target; especially if the target didn¡¯t get cut into three pieces instantly. That was it, though. The losses couldn¡¯t even be compared to the gains. The new Skills and Abilities given to him by Golduck¡¯s Blood Essence. His original Abilities leveling up to become Advance Abilities. The 3% increase in Advance Emotions Manipulation, finally. These, in themselves, could justify all the risks he had taken so far to come here. However, the biggest, unparalleled gain remained the return of his Instincts. His Abilities were the closest that could represent his innate power. Yet, even those couldn¡¯t compare to his Instincts which even the Systems hadn¡¯t mentioned in the Stats after his resurrection. Kai could¡­ feel it. If Chaos could give him Twin-Saber Style and Slither Steps from his previous life, then why not his Instincts. There was something here; a mystery. He just couldn¡¯t put his finger on it. Then came the notification of his Side Mission. ¡­ [ You have killed 3 Order''s Contestants ¡­ Side Mission: Kill the Spinning Duos Side Mission Status: Success Side Mission Rewards: 350 Mission Credits ¡­ Your Kill Count is updated Floor: 3 (1st Set) Kill Count: (40/100) ] ¡­ Water splashed behind him, then. Kai twisted his head and saw Meg crawling out of the puddle under the waterfall.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. It must have cost her an enormous price to use that Shuriken, Kai could tell. Even then, he didn''t give her any more HP capsules. Two of the twenty had already gone, and from his experiences, Kai knew how big a difference their presence could become in a fatal fight. Let her heal by herself, Kai sneered, standing up. We have plenty of time now. He clutched his head, his eyes struggling to keep themselves open. The headache was now banging against his skull. He didn¡¯t know the exact reason behind this headache, but he knew it was related to Golduck¡¯s Blood Essence and his new Abilities. So he let go of the transformation. Kai¡¯s skin regained its color as his wounds began healing. Yet, what didn¡¯t change, or could never return to their original appearance now, were his reptilian, hazel pupils. Selene slithered up to his shoulders and kissed his chin. -Master, is this food?- she hissed, pointing at Lee with her mouth. Kai twisted his neck and looked at Lee and Mariah. -Of course.- Selene hissed in excitement. She burst into a mass of silver mist and entered his head. Using Soul Chill, she sent out tiny bursts of cold. Kai almost moaned as he sensed his headache receding little by little. It was still there, but the coldness was keeping it at bay. I need food and a night of good sleep, Kai reflected. But the rewards come first. Lee''s dead body was lying on the ground. Kai looked at it and thought if he should try his Luck or not. After struggling with it for some time, he decided to at least go for the Loot of one of the three Contestants. A holographic key appeared over the boy. With a click, it opened the treasure chest, and then both the treasure chest and the key vanished. Kai waited for a few moments before scanning his Inventory for a worthless Item. But when he saw what he had taken out of Lee''s Inventory, his breathing sped up. His hand almost trembled in excitement. Kai reached into the Inventory, and took out the Item. It was fist-sized, and if he hadn''t seen the absolute destruction it was capable of, Kai would have thought it was just a toy. The black blades over its rim glistened ominously dark under the blue glow of the chamber. -My-My,- Kai hissed in pleasure. ¡­ [ Item: Galeon Attacker Grade: Uncommon Specification: Galeon Attacker is a Balance-type Beyblade and was the first Beyblade of the main-storyline character, Lee. Requirement:
  1. Elementary Blader
  2. Beyblade Launcher
Attributes:
  1. Type: Balance
  2. Attack Ring: War Lion
  3. Wight Disk: Eight Heavy
  4. System: Spin-Gear
  5. Bit Chip Status: Empty
Skill: Locked Effect:
  1. Store Magical Beast''s soul (up to D+) in the Bit Chip
  2. Invulnerability during the Beyblade launching
  3. Beyblade must be launched within 5 seconds of equipping it to Launcher
  4. Base Damage: 65 HP
  5. Bit-Beast MP Regeneration Rate: +50%
  6. Bit-Beast SP Regeneration Rate: +50%
Quality: 85% Note:
  1. The Item upgrades itself upon storing a Bit-Beast
  2. Depending upon Magical Beast¡¯s soul grade, max. Upgrade: Top-level Uncommon
Warning:
  1. Skill is locked until a Bit-Beast is stored in the Bit Chip
  2. If Magical Beast¡¯s soul is lacking in grade, further upgrade is subjected to failure
] ¡­ Kai was a bit disappointed upon seeing that the Bit-Beast was gone, but he had expected it. The major issue was getting the Beyblade itself, and for that, Kai was truly grateful for the extra 2 points of his Luck because of the Title, Coin Master. Not taking any more chances with his Luck, Kai got himself 2700 Mission Credits from Mariah and Carl. Every day his Mission Credits were abandoning him, and he needed them to compress the Mission Time Limit at the end of the Main Mission. The more he got, the better his chances of not falling short. Or so Kai pacified himself with this excuse. Kai''s eyelids were becoming heavy, but he needed to do one last thing. The granddaughter of the Pokeball Expert, Kurt. Kai must find the girl, Maizie, before the morning. His Hidden Mission depended on it. * * Morning, "They had locked her into an underground chamber inside an iron cage," Petyr told Kurt, as the old man and the girl embraced each other. "You can see that she is not harmed. She is just a little shaken up by the events." Kurt lifted his head to look at Kai and Petyr. The old man looked at Kai a bit more who was now wearing black glasses, hiding his slitted eyes. Behind Kurt, from a window, Red Sun gawked at them, his mouth open wide. It was apparent that he hadn''t believed Kai could handle three 4th-floor Contestants by himself. Petyr waved his hand at the red-haired man. The 9-floor Contestant backed away, determined not to give any more gifts. "Thank you," Kurt said, crying tears of joy. "Here, take this as my thanks to you two." Kurt took out a belt. On the belt, three little balls shone in three different colors. Kai and Petyr exchanged a look, and then suddenly the notification appeared. ¡­ [ Hidden Mission: Bring back Kurt''s granddaughter, Maizie, safely from the kidnappers Hidden Mission Status: Success Hidden Mission Rewards:
  1. +3 Custom Pokeballs
  2. +2 Attribute Points
  3. Charisma +5
] ¡­ This mind-gobbling reward marked the end of Kai''s adventure into Azalea Town with a wide grin on his face. Chapter 103: One Path to the Peak – Multiverse Interdependency! (I) Afternoon, June 17 Wavebreaker The ship would drop them at the port of the New Bark Town on the morning of June 20. Golduck-Kai was sitting on a chair opposite Meg, his blue tail flailing non-stop left and right. Their eyes were bloodshot, and dark shades under their eyes marked their lack of sleep. For 3 days, none of them had left the room and none of them had had a dream. 3 days. The time was too much to just talk. They could cover a lot of things in three days, but not an entire life. Meg indeed had a lot to talk about. Over 80 years of her life as an active Contestant, and around 30 years of ideal life on the 1st Set. The first thing Kai did after booking a luxurious room on the ship was to make her tell everything about all the worlds she had been to. That alone had taken the first two days to cover. Then Kai had made her tell about all the Primordial Tower and all the floors she had been to. That lasted for the better part of the third day. At last, Kai had asked her to tell him everything about the Temples. There, he had met his first roadblock. All the Priests and the Priestess have a seal placed in their mind that forbids them to talk about the Temple''s secrets, Meg had told him. Only the High Priest had the authority to break it. Without it gone, the moment I think of telling even a trifle thing, I forget about them. As the High Priest was a 5th-Set Contestant, Kai had to give up on the plan of breaking the seal on Meg¡¯s memories for the foreseeable future. He had instead pointed out the ritual to her then. The words she had spoken, and the names she had uttered before talking to the High Priest, Kai wanted to know the significance of all of them. That is not a secret, Meg had explained. Almost everyone on the upper floors knows about these sacrificing rituals. Only on the lower floors, generally below the 3rd Set, the knowledge about them is controlled and monitored. That''s why the moment you had spoken Hastur in the Primordial Tower, the Temple had gotten to know about it. In the Random Worlds, taking the name doesn''t stir any old powers, though. So, they sent me to spy on you. Everything is possible with Mission Credits and a suitable sacrifice. Selena¡¯s face had flashed by Kai¡¯s memories, hearing these words. She had warned him about speaking or discussing anything about the Temples. However, her warnings had seemed more of a panic, than something with substance behind them. That¡¯s why, Kai had ignored those warnings. He didn¡¯t regret it, but if he had known that the High Priest would just outright decide to kill him, then he would have been a touch more prudent about it. Kai had then asked about what were the original orders from the High Priest. They follow the Protocol in these cases, Morning Mist had told him. If you were worthy to join the Temple, then once you had reached the Primordial Tower, a priest of Hastur would have contacted you, asking you to become a part of the Temple. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. In case you had refused to join, or I had declared you unworthy, then the same Priest would have changed your memory using Magic. Now that I have betrayed the Temple, I am afraid that fate will be worse for me. The High Priest will stop at nothing but destroying us. -/Can the Higher floor''s Contestants come down to the lower floors and kill just anyone?/- Kai had asked naturally, remembering Ser Morgan''s presence on the 1st floor when he was a 2nd-floor Contestant. No. That was the word Meg had said with iron certainty. For example, the System would place too many restrictions on a Contestant of the 4th-floor if they wanted to descend to the 3rd-floor, she had explained. The bigger the gap between one''s current floor and the descent-floor, the more unrealistic and absurd the restrictions would be. No higher floor Contestant would descend over 2 or 3 floors below him, as it makes them vulnerable to assassinations, leaving them powerless. To that, she had added more. However, the Priests of Byagoona are notoriously known to descend to the lowest floors. Some of them even restrict their Stats and enter low-graded missions in search of worthy future Priests. Quite foolish, I agree. But that''s how they are, a bunch of weird Contestants of the weirdest cult known in the Primordial Tower, the Temple of Byagoona, or the Many-faced God. Kai had fallen into silence then. Simon had kept appearing in his mind like ghostly thoughts. It seems Simon, or Simons, is trying to recruit me as Many-faced God¡¯s priest, Kai had reasoned. Maybe the Simon I met in my Initiation Mission was a higher-floor Contestant, too. Forget about us, with his Perception, he could have fooled even the 4th or 5th floor¡¯s Contestants. But this is something I will never know now. Meg¡¯s right, I guess. These priests of Byagoona are weird¡­ and I like it. Haha! It would have been pointless to ask her more about the other Temples when she couldn''t even tell him the secrets of her own. Then came Kai''s turn. Kai had told her everything. Not because of trust, but because she was his servant, bound to him with Soul-blood Oath. If he wanted her to suggest something, then she needed to know his strengths and weaknesses. Slowly and steadily, using Telepathy, Kai had told her about his Glitch in-depth, his Worth, the missions he had completed, and the things he had done during those missions. His Items, his encounters, both in and out of the Random Worlds, and his Titles. Then he had told her about his Main Mission and the plan he and Petyr had come up with. If the words "reverential fear" had a face, then it must have looked like that of Meg''s. With every next word, Morning Mist had gasped, frowned, blushed, and paled. This was the tale of a Contestant with a Glitch and a shocking Worth. These were the deeds of Kai Stormborn. This tale and his deeds hid the ambitions of the Blood Demon. Not just anyone could hear them and still hold on to their sanity. That brought them to the current time. ¡­ Presently, Meg closed her tired eyes and mind for a moment and then snapped open as if she had resolved herself to say something that she didn''t want to. "It''s a little late now," Meg began, "but I must tell you about this." Kai''s reptilian eyes narrowed. He was seated leisurely on the chair, his feet stretched out on the table. A single marble levitated over his right palm as he practiced his Telekinesis. This was the major point of making her his servant, wasn''t it? To learn all he had learned and hear her Counsel based on her experiences. Why wouldn''t he listen to her? He would even let his enemy blather if there was a benefit in it. Kai nodded to Meg. "I know you want Power, master,¡± the red-haired beauty said, reverentially. "There is only one known way to become one of the most-feared Contestants in the Primordial Tower." A chill ran down Kai¡¯s spine. It was one thing to have an idea of a path leading to the Peak of Absolute Power. It was another thing entirely for it to be known by all. It must mean that this path Meg was speaking of wasn¡¯t some twisted myth, but a tested reality. -/What is it?/- Kai asked, taking his feet off the table. Meg collected herself and said, "Multiverse Interdependency!" Multiverse Interdependency?! The words repeated themselves in his mind several times. Kai knew these words meant something extraordinary the moment he heard them. Why does it feel like I have heard of them before? The odd familiarity with an unknown concept bewildered him. Now, more than ever, Kai wanted to these words meant and signified. Meg¡¯s next words ended his restlessness and opened a whole, new path for him. Chapter 104: One Path to the Peak – Multiverse Interdependency! (II) The air around Golduck-Kai and Meg reeked of excitement and greed. "There are infinite Random Worlds each with their own infinite versions," Morning Mist began. "The Systems have a simple way to tell which world you have been to before, using Multiverse-Id or M-Id. So, the Contestants, who have access to an M-Id, can ask to carry out their Missions in a Random World they have already been to in the past." Kai could tell the benefit of knowing such a thing. If he could, then he would too like to go back to the Game of Thrones Random World where he had been during his last Main Mission. Similarly, if wanted to avoid that particular Random World, then also he would need to know that world''s M-Id. All-in-all, it was a great thing to know, Kai concluded. "Now, the many versions of the same Worlds, share the same set of Laws," she continued. "For example, all Pokemon Worlds will share the same history, same Pokemon, same evolutionary stages, and the main-storyline Characters. Within this set of Laws, there are certain laws, which match the laws of other Random Worlds that have nothing to do with Pokemon. These shared Laws become the basis of what we call Multiverse Interdependency." The mystery was unraveling itself in Kai''s mind, and though he was curious, he didn''t force Meg to make haste. -/Petyr, pour us some wine./- He ordered, the oval, red gem glowing on his forehead. Petyr was in bed, his eyes half-opened. It didn''t seem he was paying any attention to their conversation. Like Kai and Meg, Petyr too hadn''t left his position for a single moment. He got off the bed and took a vintage wine bottle out of the mini-fridge. Now, he wasn''t some trained sommelier. Even then, there was a grace in Petyr pouring wine in the cups that Kai couldn''t help but admire. After Petyr had handed over the wine and poured one for himself, Kai gently nodded, gesturing Meg to go on. "Let me elaborate all this with many examples," the servant said, sipping the wine, and easing herself onto the chair. "Naruto and Avatar worlds share the Laws regarding Elemental Affinities. So, the Contestants who have been to the Avatar world and have over one elemental affinity often would have over one elemental Chakra in the Naruto World too. "Again, Naruto and Beyblade worlds share the Laws regarding Spirits. The tailed beasts in the Naruto World are nothing but Chakra forms or Spiritual forms, not unlike the Bit-Beasts of the Beyblade worlds. So Contestants can use the sealing jutsus from the Naruto World to seal the Bit-Beasts within themselves, making them some kind of False-Jinchuriki. False, yes. But not weak at all." Kai¡¯s slitted pupils widened. This was a path in his life that had just appeared and yet became the most important one. It was like dawn, whose color was spread across the brightest pigments of the visible spectrum. If he hadn''t known what these words, which Meg had just spoken, meant, then he would have had trouble understanding the significance of all this. The last three days of sleeplessness and the excellent discourses were paying off.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. By now, Kai had already made Meg take out her famous Box. Inside that, there were 2 Custom Pokeballs. There was a Sling Ring, which he had instantly recognized. Unlike his Item, though, Meg couldn¡¯t use hers. This Sling Ring was also tailor-made for someone else. Moreover, Kai doubted Simon would help him regarding this if he asked. The rivalry between the three Temples ran deeper than any perceivable depths as he had found out. Then there was a tiny gun, which lacked the fuel to fire. Not to mention the ninja scrolls, which could only be opened by a Genin or upper-class Ninja. The most conspicuous and extraordinary was the Devil Fruit. Kai''s heart had palpated when Meg had told him about these power-granting fruits. Though he didn''t like the idea of drowning like a rock in all the oceans across the Multiverse, he did want one for himself. A powerful one. A fruit that could bring destruction and death. This particular Devil Fruit was named Minds-Minds fruit. As told to him by Meg, the user of this fruit could use Telepathy. So, that''s why she had looked at me so incredulously in the chamber, Kai had thought bitterly. She knew then that this Devil Fruit was useless to me then. Even if he wanted to eat it, Kai couldn''t. To eat the Devil Fruit, a Contestant was required to have the Title of Pirate or Marine. Or he must have spent over three years collectively in the One Piece world. The requirements were too crazy to even think about them. To sum it up, these things were what Meg had collected them for. Sacrifices. They still hadn¡¯t figured out why Kai could get a reply with a mere Coreless Wand, though. Kai gulped down the entire cup of wine and savored its strong taste as Meg continued. "Another major connection between different worlds is regarding the Laws of Powers," Morning Mist said. "Master, do you recall the three Hakis I''ve told you about from the One Piece world?" Kai did. How could he forget about them? Those were the only powers Kai had forced into his heart. Those were the only powers in Kai''s opinion that truly belonged to a person, independent of all external factors. "In terms of the Observation Haki, the One Piece world shares laws with the Star Wars world," Meg explained. "In the Star Wars World, one can use the Force to train themselves and do feats the same as the user of the Observation Haki in the One Piece World. So the monsters on the upper floors, who are Jedi or Sith in the Star Wars world, are also a great user of Hakis in the One Piece World." Kai tapped his finger on the arm of the chair as he listened to all this. "Master, to rise to the top," Meg said, finishing her wine, "you must find out these unique laws shared among Random Worlds. ¡°Generally, a Contestant can find them in the 1st Set itself. That''s why major organizations above the 12th floor recommend Contestants with great potential to pass the 1st set as slowly as they can, taking as much time as possible, and teleporting to all the different worlds. So it''s crucial beyond measure to understand which Worlds have the highest affinity to you, and use them to your advantage." -/Highest Affinity?/- Kai frowned. Meg nodded. "These are the Random Worlds that repeat themselves the most to a Contestant," she expounded. "In your case, master, these worlds are Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and I think Pokemon. Though logic dictates, seeing your initial Elementary Abilities, that your Initiation Mission should have been into the Bleach World. I don''t know why Chaos sent you to the Harry Potter world instead." It wasn''t Chaos who had sent him to the Harry Potter world. Both Systems together had sent me, Kai recalled. Now that he thought about it, it did make little sense. Given his starter Correspondence, there was no point in sending him to any other world than Bleach. Kai didn''t ask Meg about these doubts, though. His thoughts were already lingering over the two words with the nastiest grip. Multiverse Interdependency, Kai muttered again, closing his eyes. Well, now at least I have a direction to go. Kai couldn''t open his eyes again. A creepy, and yet genuine, smile hung over his blue-skinned face, his eyes fluttering under the eyelids. The world of dreams had already welcomed him. Chapter 105: Old Ones, Brienne Stormborn, and Life Halt! (I) Evening, June 18 Wavebreaker Kai woke up ready to kill. There was scarcely any night when he didn''t dream. Nightmares, that''s the word one should use in his case. Incompressible and incoherent scenes of killing, killing, and killing. A shout of power now and then, and that''s it. These were his dreams. Kai had made his deal with it. He stood up, yawned, and stretched himself. He was lying on the bed, he suddenly realized. "Master, freshen up," a honeyed voice entered his ringing ears. "I have ordered dinner." Kai grunted a reply and threw himself off the bed with a flick of his tail. With Parseltongue making him incapable of normal speech, Kai had opted to keep the Golduck¡¯s transformation in an activated mode permanently for now. Not only did it let him communicate swiftly and discreetly, but it also let him work on his Telepathy Proficiency, which had no other way to increase. The newly gained Elementary Telepathy had risen to 5% already. After some 15 minutes, by the grace of a cold shower, Kai''s eyes flashed brightly in the spacious room. All tiredness of the continuous hunting, fighting with three 4th-floor Contestants, and talking non-stop for three days using Telepathy seemed to have left him alone. When Kai came out of the shower, wearing a pair of blue t-shirt and black jeans, his stomach grumbled at the sight of the sumptuous meal. Meg must have sent the waiter away, for now, she was serving the food on the table from the food trolley. Kai took a seat at the table and nodded at her. -/Sit down. Join me for the dinner./- It must be said about Kai that though he now dwelt in filth and the heinous ways of killing, in his previous life, he was a noble of House Stormborn. The traces of this nobility were weak and blurry in his veins, but they were there, nonetheless. So, when Kai sat down and commanded, it left little choice for any listener. "But who will serve the dinner¡­" Kai raised his hand and cut off Meg''s excuse. When his hand fell back, there was a Book in his hand. Runes flashed over the cover like scores of twisted organic lives. Cersei walked out from the smoky veil, a red gown of unmatched beauty gracing her youthful figure. Two little earrings on her glowed golden under the well-lit lamps of the room. Her golden hair was falling low to her waist and would have felt silky if one were to run their hands across them. When she saw Kai, with his wet, white hair, smooth, blue skin, and his reptilian, hazel eyes examining her, Cersei¡¯s face reddened, her green eyes looking away in search of something. -/You look good/- Kai complemented, smiling. -/Now serve us dinner. I am so hungry I can eat a horse. Haha!/-Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. "Serve dinner?!" Cersei asked, confusingly. Then her eyes went to the food trolley and Meg, sitting at the table opposite Kai in her usual black overcoat and black trousers. Anger flashed across Cersei''s face, and she snapped. "You want me to serve a servant?!" I should have called Petyr, Kai thought. I should have known from her last speech that she would take offense to doing something like this. Sigh! -/If she is a servant, then what are you?/- Kai asked, not unkindly. But his words had a stony bluntness to them. -/Cersei, remember that you are an Item too. By definition, that makes you Meg''s sister. Now serve the dinner, as befit the time, or disappear. I have no use and need for Items that can''t do my bidding./- Cersei audibly gulped. Meg''s head was down as if she had heard nothing, and other than Kai''s naked feet under the table, nothing could interest her more. The Character said nothing and lined the table with the appetizers first. Fresh fruit medley, grilled mushrooms, escargot, chilled strawberry bisque soup, Magikarp medallions, sushi, and grilled tomatoes. Saliva flooded Kai''s mouth, and he helped himself to a portion of each. Soon, the strikes of spoons and forks filled the room as Cersei poured them wine. -/Have you recalled anything?/- Kai asked Meg, but he didn''t keep the spiritual currents from reaching Cersei, either. -/About that Luck epithet of Hastur./- Meg was eating the lightest portion of everything. When Kai''s question rang in her mind, she frowned, her eyes narrowing. "No, master," Meg said, shaking her head. "I was a priestess of Hastur for some 75 years before I got your blessing and was reborn as Meg. I have never heard of this epithet before. The Priest you mentioned, of House Sanderson, I am afraid I don''t know about him too. It must have been a matter when I was on the 1st floor. After sending me down to the 1st Set, the Temple didn''t keep me in the circle of their innermost hidden workings. I am sorry." The feelings of apology in her words were genuine. Kai had told her about his encounter with Little Hao and Selena and how he knew about the Temples. But when he told her about the epithet, the Devourer of all Luck, Meg refused to believe that there was such a chant regarding Hastur. She was a priestess on the 13th-fucking-floor, and if she said that there were only three known epithets of Hastur, then there must be some reason behind it. Kai thought about all this and decided to give a visit to the mother-son duo one last time. "I never heard Hastur has any relation to Luck," the Ex-Priestess added. "Not only Hastur but there is no Old One who is known to manipulate a Contestant''s Stats." Kai paused a little upon hearing that but resumed the dinner instantly. By now, he had a pretty good idea of who or what these Old Ones were. These were the Cosmic Beings, as told to him by Meg, that had always been in the Primordial Tower since the beginning of time if there was a beginning to all this. Not much was known about them, as prying their secrets and mysteries could bring unimaginable horrors and disasters. Kai remembered the repulsive patterned door from his Blood Prophecy and completely agreed with the statement. Their influences on the material world, inside and outside the Primordial Towers, were known as their Authorities. Even about that, only prominent figures within the Temple knew a little, let alone ordinary priests and priestesses. The only open knowledge was that you could sacrifice Items to these Old Ones, to get answers. But there was no guarantee to it, and if THEY didn''t like the sacrifice, or found one betraying the faith, then Contestants were known to face a fate worse than death. A double-edged sword, Kai had called it. Meg lingered in between these two edges. She had failed her mission and was about to be discarded by Chaos when she sacrificed everything to get another chance. Fortunately, or unfortunately, her sacrifice was accepted. That¡¯s how a 13th-floor monster fell to become a rat on the 1st floor. ¡­ When the appetizers were finished, Cersei served them a plate of Classic Green Salad. He heard the barest whisper coming out of Cersei''s mouth. "Useless servant!¡± Kai amused himself with the look on her face and ignored it. -/Tell me about this Stormborn Empire/- Kai asked casually. -/I am interested in the Empress'' sudden rise in power/- Meg lifted her head to look at Kai. "There is nothing sudden about Her, master," she said, with plain fear and awe. "Brienne Stormborn is an over 1000-years-old monster." Food almost fell out of Kai''s mouth. Chapter 106: Old Ones, Brienne Stormborn, and Life Halt! (II) For a moment, Kai couldn''t believe what he was hearing. How can this be? He thought, gaping. Didn''t Marine Roland tell me she¡­ no, She reached the top some 100-years-ago and toppled the empire by herself? "The Empress was never a noble or a Set-lord," Meg told Kai. "So, it isn''t a surprise that none knows much about her. "As I have told you, master, the 1st Set is called Baron Set, and the 2nd Set is called Viscount. Then comes Count, Marquess, Duke, King, and Emperor. Brienne Stormborn was already a King-level Contestant on the 18th-floor when, some 100 years ago, madness possessed her. I don''t know how¡­ Nobody knows how¡­ but She just ascended to the 21st floor, and brought about such slaughter and destruction that for the next 10 years blood dripped to the 1st floor of the Order''s Peak." Kai''s bones shuddered. In the back of his mind, he could see a towering monster holding a spear and brandishing it like a death whip. Blood running down like gurgling rivers, and flowing off the very world''s boundaries. This was the Absolute Power that Kai so dearly desired. What kind of level would he need to just go up and claim the throne for himself? He wanted it. He wanted it more than he had ever admitted it to himself. This blood¡­ this power¡­ this pure invincibility¡­ Even if he had to wash the entire Tower with blood on this path, so what of it? Kai licked his lips¡­ and someone gasped. The sudden noise snapped him out of his severe murderous state. Kai looked up and saw the appalling horror on Meg''s face. -/Pardon me./- he said, finishing his salad. Meg''s face had gone blue, her wild brown widening in pure terror. What thick bloodlust... she thought, looking at her fingers. The spoon she was holding in her hand was shaking beyond measure. It took her all her experiences and status to return to her normal state. "I¡­ I¡­" Meg stuttered, catching her breath. "They say¡­ She even wiped out the name of the last empire from the memories of every single Contestant. Such was her hatred. That''s why no one can recall the name of the last empire." This made Kai raise his eyebrows. -/Oh! You can do that? Wiping out a part of the memories of all the Contestants in the Primordial Tower, I mean. Isn''t she an Order''s Contestant?/- Now Kai could understand why there was such awe on Meg''s lips when she talked about the Empress. Meg shook her head, placing her cutlery on the plate. "Logic doesn''t apply to the Contestants above the 5th-Set," she said, smiling wryly. "And if anyone could do such an impossible thing, then it would be none other than the Empress. "She has a Glitch and is known to have the highest Worth in the Primordial Tower. Some even say¡­" Meg trailed off as if steeling herself to say the next words. "Some even say that her starting Worth after the resurrection was well over 1000." What?! Kai forgot to breathe, an ugly expression replacing the tranquility on his face. He sat there in stunned silence for some time, imagining the consequences of having such a Worth. Involuntarily, his hand lifted and rubbed his chest as if trying to get some deepest hidden answers from the thing churning inside him. Alas, he was bound to be disappointed. 1000, Kai''s chanted in his mind. Over 1000 Worth¡­ What kind of abominable Glitch does she have? Curiosity took over his thoughts with such a depth that even he had never thought it could have.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡­ [ Primordial Tower Worth-Stat Ranking 3rd - Red ] ¡­ Kai remembered the notification he had received from Chaos. With him being in the 3rd position, he could now guess who occupied the 1st. There could be someone else at the top, he knew. But his Instincts were screaming it was her. The way he had heard her name, and then now hearing about her again¡­ It all just made sense to him somehow. "So, you can now tell, master," Meg whispered. "When I heard you have a Glitch, it wasn''t just a matter of shock. Only that couldn''t have made me discard everything and come under your service. "It was the destiny that is attached to those who have Glitch that made me lose all my bearings. And though all must serve you irresistibly, I won''t recommend you reveal that you have a Glitch to anyone else. For so many years, no Chaos'' Contestant had possessed a Glitch. And many, more than many, would like to let things remain so." Kai wasn''t stupid enough to think otherwise. Meg was the only special case. He had such a grip on her fate, that if she hadn''t become his servant, he would have killed her. Now that he had her, there was no point in risking the knowledge of Glitch at least before reaching the 13th-floor. None spoke much after this topic. Cersei cleaned the salad plates and finally came to the main course. The entrees served on the cruise, Wavebreaker, were decadent and delicious. Pasta, Ducklett a l''orange, grilled Corphish tail, beef wellington, roast Pidgeotto, Pidove with berry sauce, and classic veal piccata soon decorated the dinner table. Kai let himself get drunk on the smell before diving into them. Cersei didn''t leave Kai''s side the entire time, always ready to refill his plates with just the slightest look. Meg ate a bite of everything and then sat back comfortably, watching Kai clean the food off the plates like some gluttonous beast. When the plates almost shone like there was never any food on them, Kai used Telekinesis to dump them in a corner. He rubbed the grease off from the corner of his mouth and tapped his heart. A mass of silver mist left him and solidified into Selene''s figure. She slithered around him, eying the clean plates, Meg, and Cersei. -Dinner?- she hissed in Kai''s ears, yawning. To the eyes of others, it looked like she was about to plunge those fangs into his neck. Kai chuckled, seeing Meg almost getting up, her face as hard as iron. -Look at her. She is nervous.- Kai hissed, patting Selene''s head. The Ghost Serpent hissed menacingly at Meg and then looked away. -She is weak,- Selene declared. "Ha¡­ Ha-Ha." Kai guffawed. Baffled at the exchange of these hisses, Cersei served the last item of the dinner. Desserts. Chocolate mousse, raspberry cheesecake, and classic apple pie were among the many sweet dishes. Before going in, Kai took out the corpse of a fish-type Pokemon he had bought from the cruise''s kitchen and let Selene dine over it. As the cake melted in Kai''s mouth, he suddenly recalled an important matter. -/I know that the Life Expectancy rises on the higher floors/- Kai addressed Meg. -/But I don''t know the exact details./- Unlike the previous dishes, Meg was eating dessert happily. "Master has asked you a question, servant!" Cersei chided icily. "You dare keep him waiting for the answer?" Kai didn''t interfere. Sometimes it was best to let the spark of rivalry remain among the servants. It helped in the long run, he had learned. Meg''s face flushed. She put down the spoon and looked at Kai. "Forgive me, master," she apologized. "The more popular term is Life-Halt. It first happens when you ascend to the 3rd-Set. The System will bless you with 30 years of Life-Halt. So, if you were 25-years-old, then you won''t age for the next 30 years. After 30 years, though, if you haven''t ascended to the next Set, your original life-cycle will continue until you die." Life-Halt, Kai repeated the word. Interesting! "The Life-Halt stacks upon ascending Sets," Meg continued. "For example, if you have 10 years left from your 30-years Life-Halt on the 3rd Set, and you ascend to the 4th Set, then not only you will get a fresh Life-Halt of 100 years, but the leftover span of 10 years will also be added to it, making it 110 years." -/Haha!/- Kai couldn''t help himself, realizing the obvious bait. -/So this stacking is just the System''s way to sway the Contestants from sitting idly and reaching the next Set as soon as possible?/- Meg nodded. Kai examined her smooth skin, her curves, and the obvious beauty she possessed. Cersei''s face went from Kai to Meg and then back to Kai. A primal fury flashed across her face, and the wineglass in her hand burst apart in hundreds of tiny shards. Kai ignored all the sounds. He looked Meg up and down, taking her in her entirety. He felt attracted, but somehow, he felt nothing more than that. Desire, yes. Kai put it into words. He lacked desire for Meg. Weird, Kai thought, now picking up on this obvious lack of emotion. -/So, how old were you when you ascended to the 3rd-Set?/- he asked, curiously. "27," Meg answered. "I was 27-years-old when I ascended to the 3rd-Set. I reached the 5th-Set within my Life-Halt. I still have some 530 years of Life-Halt remaining, I guess." Wow¡­ Kai shook his head, amusingly. She really is over 100 years old. -/Good./- he said, finally noticing the look on Cersei''s blazing face. -/After this, don''t disturb me before reaching the New Bark Town./- Now that he was done chatting with Meg, it was time to become a Pokemon Trainer! Chapter 107: Custom Pokeballs – Visiting a Professor of the Pokemon World! Afternoon, June 20 New Bark Town A brilliant, cloudless sky shone gray in Kai''s hazel, reptilian eyes behind the glasses. The sound of Pokemon was at every corner. There was a Pokemon Center in the middle of the town, and at the town''s western entrance was Professor Elm''s lab. Kai''s gaze moved down to the mansion. He was wearing Indiana Jones-like clothing. A brown hat over his head, a dusty white shirt, and brown pants. His belt showcased the shrank version of the three custom-made Pokeballs. The first of the three was a red, yellow, and white Pokeball. ¡­ [ Item: Fast Ball - Generation II Grade: Uncommon Specification: A Ball for catching fast Pokemon Requirement: 1. Elementary Pokemon Trainer 2. 50 MP per use Attributes: 1. Pokemon Catch Rate: 15% - 45% 2. Catch Rate Modifier: x4 (Magical Beast''s Agility >20) 3. Current Status: Empty Skill: Not Applicable Effect: 1. Store magical beasts by converting them from matter to energy 2. The beasts within the Item will become friendly with the Contestant 3. Only E- to D+ graded magical beasts can be captured 4. Any type of magical beast can be stored 5. Magical Beasts HP, MP, and SP regeneration +100% (within the Item) 6. Pokemon Catch Rate depends on the beast''s Stats while being captured Quality: 97% ] ¡­ The second of the three custom Pokeballs was red, blue, and white, with three yellow stripes. ¡­ [ Item: Lure Ball - Generation II Grade: Uncommon Specification: A Pokeball for catching Pokemon hooked by a Rod when fishing Requirement: 1. Elementary Pokemon Trainer 2. 50 MP per use Attributes: 1. Pokemon Catch Rate: 15% - 45% 2. Catch Rate Modifier: x3 (If the Pokemon is caught while fishing) 3. Current Status: Empty ¡­ Quality: 97% ] ¡­ All three custom Pokeballs shared the same Effects. But Kai liked the last one the best. ¡­ [This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Item: Level Ball - Generation II Grade: Uncommon Specification: A Pokeball that makes it easier to catch Pokemon that are at a lower level than your own Pokemon Requirement: 1. Elementary Pokemon Trainer 2. 50 MP per use Attributes: 1. Pokemon Catch Rate: 15% - 45% 2. Catch Rate Modifier: x2 (for 1 grade of gap between your and wild Pokemon) 3. Catch Rate Modifier: x4 (for 2 grades of gap between your and wild Pokemon) 4. Catch Rate Modifier: x6 (for 3 grades of gap between your and wild Pokemon) 5. Current Status: Empty ¡­ Quality: 97% ] ¡­ Kai tapped the three Pokeballs with a small on his face and looked to his left. In a plain yellow cassock, was Meg. Her hair blazed like a fiery fireball as it sat on her head, tied in a neat bun. Her breasts were challenging the looseness of the cassock, and her brown eyes kept looking around, in search of any trouble. Tiny paper insects kept leaving and coming to her, now and then. "Shall I knock, then?" a voice came from Kai''s right. Kai adjusted his head and saw Petyr cladded in formal black suits and pants with a bowler hat. There was a cane embedded with gems in his hand, which he had requested Kai to buy for him. They had come here with a plan, knowing well that there might be Contestants from the 2nd Set, or above, watching over Professor Elm with him being a main storyline Character. Kai had many things to do and all of them were centered on Professor Elm. Days ago, the moment he got to know about this scientist, Kai had searched him and his area of research using the Internet. Professor Elm specialized in Pokemon breeding and was credited for the discovery of Pokemon Eggs. According to the famous Professor Oak, Professor Elm was the best in the research of Pokemon Evolution. Kai''s needs matched Elm''s area of expertise perfectly. He had both the eggs and a matter of evolution that he needed him to look at. Not to mention the obvious task of getting a Pokemon and the Pokedex. But not just anyone could request the Professor''s attention. Our plan should take care of that, Kai thought, amusingly, and nodded to Petyr. Petyr knocked twice, and all waited for a response. The wait didn''t last long. The light wooden doors creaked as they opened, and lo-and-behold, they found themselves facing a Contestant in a butler''s garb. Kai choked on the sheer amount of Mana. Still, compared to Red Sun, this Contestant felt lacking. Just why someone like him, a 9th-floor Contestant, is watching over Kurt, Kai wondered, greeting his teeth. The man standing in front of him was powerful, but no way he was from a floor above the 2nd Set. So, it puzzled Kai the most. There''s some mystery about Red Sun. Hmm,,, This Contestant was a white-haired and white-bearded old man. Like Red Sun, he too couldn''t look away from Petyr after opening the doors. Petyr''s eyes were closed as if he couldn''t have cared less about what was happening around him. It was Meg who spoke, her voice crisp, sharp, and condemning. "Temple business," she hissed coolly. "Fuck off!" Only then did the monster turn his head to give Meg a look. He said nothing, but Kai could see the clatter of his teeth and the tremble of his jawline. Kai could guess what the old man was thinking about Meg and Petyr. A Priestess and a Contestant from above the 3rd Set. Both looked like someone who had come down to a low-grade mission by restricting their Stats. The silence lasted for a while before the Contestant gave a last, but disgusting, look to Kai and welcomed them in. "Wait here," he said, sneering. "Professor Elm is in his laboratory. I would let him know about your unannounced visit." The moment he disappeared behind a turn at the end of a long corridor, Meg sighed. "He should have kneeled at the merest sight of my clothing," she commented. "I wouldn''t have cursed him then." -/What''s done is done/- Kai told her telepathically, keeping Petyr in the loop. -/Petyr. Remember to hit on Professor Elm''s obsession./- "Oh, I know where and when to hit," Petyr said, slyly. "Don''t worry, my lord." -/If I have guessed Professor Elm''s nature right, then he won''t come to see us./- Kai couldn''t have been more right. Only a few moments had passed when the butler returned. Alone. "Professor is busy," he said, scornfully. "He won''t be seeing anyone. His research can last for days, so¡­" Heh! Kai sneered. He wants to say to us fuck off, too. "Young man," Petyr said, opening his eyes for the first time. "Go tell him we have found a new Pokemon species." The old man didn''t dare to smile while looking at Petyr. After a few seconds, he bowed and went back to convey the message. "We are walking on thin ice, master," Meg whispered, sweat drenching her back. "Contestants on missions like these don''t care about anything other than the main storyline Character''s safety. But it won''t prevent us from facing his wrath, either. Let''s hope he won''t persist in remaining with us during our meeting." Kai was a little worried about that too. There wasn''t much they could do about it, though. The noise of hurried footsteps reached them before they could see anyone this time. Professor Elm appeared in the corridor, taking big strides toward them. He was wearing a large white lab coat over green pants and brown shoes. His brown hair was messy and a pair of brown eyes greeted them from behind the huge, round glasses. "Where is it?" he asked excitedly. "Hello, I am Professor Elm. And you are?" Kai could tell the absentmindedness of the Professor from his jumbled way of talking. It was as he had predicted. Professor Elm was just on the borderline of being called a mad scientist. It was the good crowd around him, and his being seclusive, that was preventing Professor Elm from going off-course. The shaking came suddenly. Kai had been waiting for it. He had told Meg that he wanted to devour Daenerys'' tale, as he was bound to meet her at the end of his mission. The Mother of Dragons seemed like the worthiest tale to him when he had read about her from the data of Thunder Faction. She is useless, Meg had said bluntly. She would be a child when you would meet her, master. So the devoured tale would be about a girl, who escaped from the clutches of her enemies and is now sold to a Dothraki lord. That''s it. Professor Elm is a better alternative. The best would have been Professor Oak, but we won''t have time to go to him and return on time, I think. The thought had excited Kai too much. So, yes. There was this reason too for him to come here. To devour Professor Elm''s tale. Chapter 108: Fooling Professor Elm – Kai’s Essence! Petyr stepped forward and shook Professor''s hand. "I am Simon, an ancient-Pokemon enthusiast," the Character told Elm. "This here is my good friend, Desmond Jones, a great, yet quite a humble explorer of the ancient ruins and histories. On his side is Priestess Shae of the Ancient Temple of White Snake. "We have made quite a discovery on an island, hidden far away in the ocean, and have come right away to you. If it wasn''t for saving Pokeball Expert Kurt''s granddaughter from some evil people who had kidnapped her, we would have arrived here sooner. Quite a grateful man, Kurt. See, he even gifted Desmond a set of custom-made Pokeballs." Professor Elm didn''t give a damn if they had arrived late, Kai could tell. But the mention of saving Kurt''s granddaughter did bring some change to his youthful face. Professor Elm''s eyes went to the belt on Kai''s waist (-the butler was already looking at them-) and exclaimed. "Oh! Are these the Pokeballs made from the Apricorns?" Kai smiled and nodded. "May I see the Pokemon now?" Professor Elm suddenly snapped back to the topic. It seemed nothing other than his research could occupy him for long. Kai admired this attitude from his heart. The smile on Petyr''s face vanished. "The Pokemon''s state is quite grievous, Professor," Petyr said gravely. "I don''t think it''s a good idea for us to take it out here in the open." "Oh, yes," Professor Elm agreed. "Come to my lab. Burt, don''t let anyone in, and shift all appointments to tomorrow." The Butler didn''t seem happy about it but bowed and left the group. Meg let out an audible sigh in Kai''s ears. They followed Elm to his lab. It was a large spacious hall filled with all kinds of high-tech equipment. For the first time, after resurrecting, Kai felt a touch of home from this place. He took a deep breath and his mind wandered to the time when his mother had used to teach him to operate pieces of equipment. Though it wasn''t like she had any other choice, Kai could remember. But his curiosity was so high that often she had found him wandering around her lab, gawking. "Here," Professor Elm said, hurriedly passing some stools. "Now, can I see it?" Kai looked at Meg, who crouched to pick up the paper insects and nodded at him. Petyr didn''t speak this time. Yet, a voice rang in all minds, nonetheless. -/Hello Professor Elm,/- Kai said, smiling, a silver mist bursting out of him. -/Let me introduce you to the Ghost Serpent./- Professor Elm jerked up from his seat. A tingling sensation crawled across Kai''s body as Selene materialized and slithered around his shoulders, keeping most of her body towards the group. She hissed, yawned, turned her head from left to right, and then up and down as if showcasing her figure. It was all according to the plan. There was such a shock and awe on Professor Elm''s face that Kai almost felt bad about interrupting his thoughts.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. -/Professor Elm, on that island, there was an old village whose people worshiped the White Snake,/- Kai said, and finally caught the professor''s attention. "How are you doing this?" Elm asked, more curious than afraid. "How are you speaking directly into my head? Is it some kind of telepathic ability? Are you even human?" Kai smiled ruefully. Petyr tapped his cane, and the heads turned towards him. "I would request you to sit down, Professor Elm," he said, smiling. "You do want to know the origins of the snake-type Pokemon, don''t you?" Elm''s head snapped to the slithering snake and nodded. He took his seat, but his eyes never left Selene''s odd movements. -/I said was because now it is destroyed,/- Kai said and gestured at Meg, lying through his teeth. -/Only Priestess Shae of the Ancient Temple of White Snake is left of those people of the old ways. You see, the temple that the villagers worshiped was a burial ground and went deeper than any untrained and poorly equipped explorer could go. When Simon told me about this place, I could hear the call of an adventure like never before. So I went there immediately. -/It wasn''t easy to convince the villagers to allow me to explore the temple, though. I stumbled upon a narrow cave system, running deep into the temple. The villagers believed that the white snake came out of those tunnels during the full moon. I had some other notions. So, going against the villagers'' wishes, I descended through the tunnels. -/Now, I won''t waste our time by mentioning all the props and the traps, and the hideous hieroglyphic imprints which suggested anything but a benevolent identity''s presence down there. At the bottommost chamber, I found three petrified eggs. This Ghost Serpent is the hatchling from the biggest of them./- Petyr was just waiting for this fantastic but utter fiasco of a tale to be completed. He again tapped his cane. "This snake-type Pokemon bonded with Desmond Jones," Petyr said, pointing at Selene using the cane. "Now, Desmond here is a mute, but the Pokemon somehow allows him to talk to others using telepathy. It seems the Pokemon hears Desmond''s thoughts and then transfers them to those to whom Desmond wants to speak. Am I correct, Priestess Shae?" Meg nodded, almost rolling her eyes. "The moment Dr. Desmond picked up the eggs," she said sadly, "it must have triggered some kind of mechanism, secreting a fatal chemical on the island. It froze all of them to death. The only reason I survived was that I had secretly followed him into the tunnels, hoping to see the glory of the White Snake with my own eyes." A few drops of tears trickled down her face. Professor Elm''s expression softened for a moment, and then he suddenly asked, "Doctor?" Petyr chuckled. "Desmond here isn''t an ordinary explorer, Professor," he said, leaning forward. "He is a man of science, not much unlike you. Before dwelling into the old myths, Desmond was widely known as Dr. Desmond Jones." Professor Elm beamed upon hearing this information. "I must admit, I have never heard of your name, Dr. Desmond," he said, standing up. "May I know what field you specialize in?" -/Men like us shouldn''t dwell too much on social necessities, professor,/- Kai said, smiling. -/My expertise includes but is not limited to Evolutionary Biology and Evolutionary genetics. Viral and Bacterial evolution, Molecular and Genome evolution, Genetics of speciation, Analysis of quantitative trait variation, Host-Parasite co-evolution, Sexual selection, and sexual conflict, Natural selection in the wild, and a bit of this and a bit of that./- With every field mentioned by Kai, Professor Elm''s breathing sped up visibly. At first, he had looked at Kai with a mere glance, as demanded by social interactions. Now, though, a fervor and admiring glow was beaming out of him. There was a smile on that youthful face that must have shocked the crowd who knew him if they were to see it. Not only Professor Elm but even Meg was also gobsmacked, her mouth wide open. From the way Kai had mentioned his specializations, it didn''t seem he was bluffing. If he wasn''t, then didn''t it mean he was as qualified as a multi-doctorate scientist at the mere age of 17 or 18? This was Kai Stormborn. He might not have the brightest cunning like that of Petyr. He might not have the greatest sanity left after the death of his mother. Yet, even if one were to rip him off of all his powers, this one thing one could never snatch off him. His knowledge. The knowledge that was given to him by his parents was like the breast milk down the throat of a toddler. If there was an essence to him, then it was this knowledge. The weight of an entire world''s expectations and future used to lie on the shoulders of a boy when he was still in his mother''s womb. And that weight had ultimately crushed him. The one who was destined to seek Knowledge was forced to seek Absolute Power. The one who was fated to become the messiah became the Blood Demon to annihilate it instead. Chapter 109: Researching Ghost Serpent’s DNA with Professor Elm The stunned silence broke away with Kai''s renewed grave expression. -/That''s why I requested Simon to bring me to you, professor,/- he said. -/I lack the equipment to find out what is wrong with the last Pokemon of its species. This Ghost Serpent is blind. No matter how I looked at them, I couldn''t find anything about the rest of the two eggs either. Priestess Shae, please take out the two eggs for the professor to see./- Kai approached Professor Elm and blocked his sight. Behind him, Meg took two eggs out of her Miscellaneous Rent Box (MRB), which Kai had already passed to her. One egg was fist-sized, red-blue-brown stripes running over its dusty, rock-like shell. The other was a golden egg the size of a thumb. Meg handed both of them to Kai as Professor Elm ran his fingers over Selene''s dragon-like scales. If it wasn''t for Kai''s strict command to let the Professor do as he wished, the Ghost Serpent would have killed him already. "You are right," Professor Elm said. "There are many things out of place." -/Professor Elm,/- Kai said, his eyes glowing with expectation. -/How about you let me assist you in finding the exact nature of the Pokemon and these eggs? I have some days to spare./- If it was before, this kind of request would have seemed nothing but a jest. Professor Elm grinned at the notion. "Of course, Dr. Desmond," he said, already taking out glass cylinders to store the eggs. "I would be glad to hear your point of view regarding Pokemon evolution and their breeding habits." Professor Elm passed a white lab coat to Kai, ignoring the existence of Petyr and Meg entirely. Kai rubbed the coat, as memories of a time he had buried deep tried to resurface. He threw off his hat, keeping the sunglasses on his face, and donned the coat as if it were meant for him. It was then the notification popped up. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn¡­ You have achieved a Milestone ¡­ Milestone: Develop friendly relations with a Professor in the Pokemon World Milestone Rewards: Correspondence +1 ] ¡­ Kai smiled. Whether he was smiling at the reward, or at his nostalgic thoughts, who knew? * * Evening, June 24 Professor Elm''s laboratory Sleep seemed to have abandoned Kai and Elm. With the barest amount of napping, the duo had managed to bury themselves in the research for the last four days. Professor Elm had come out to be as every bit odd as it was known about him.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Not once he had asked about Meg and Petyr''s presence in the lab. Nor did he ask about arranging quarters for them. Food came on time, but unlike Kai, he had eaten little. Meg had told Kai that Professor Elm was so oblivious to his surroundings when carrying out his research that Team Rocket had stolen his Pokemon from right behind him once. Jessie and James had asked him if they could take away his Pokemon. In reply, Professor Elm had replied with yes, of course, take it away. Thrice the old butler had come, knocking on the lab''s door, asking for Elm''s health. Kai had persuaded the Professor to send the butler away without letting him in every time. "My god!" Elm exclaimed, nudging the glasses over his bloodshot eyes. "Look at this, Professor Desmond." Kai followed Elm''s gaze to the screen and saw the data. His eyes narrowed. For a long time, they had been waiting to see the results. On the screen, there was a DNA structure, slowly rotating. Half of the base pairs (the links connecting the spirals, also called the backbones) were blue, and half were white. Overall, those colors gave the entire DNA structure a ghostly and icy appearance. The trouble began beyond those colors. "Are you seeing what I am seeing, Professor?" Professor Elm addressed Kai, pointing at the nano-sized black tendrils on the blue half. "It looks like some kind of foreign pathogens trying to force their way into the DNA." Elm''s voice was incredulous. Kai shared his colleague''s ecstasy, but his eyes weren''t only on the black tendrils. Opposite the tendrils, towards the white side of the DNA structure, there were even tinier yellow rings. If Kai wasn''t so susceptible to everything yellow, even he would have ignored them. -/Elm,/- Kai said, looking back at the glass-encased Selene. -/Zoom on those yellow rings on the white half./- Selene lifted her hood and hissed, flicking out her tongue. -Master, I want to hunt,- she said, slithering into the confined space. -How much longer?- -Not long.- Kai hissed back the same two words for the umpteenth time. "Yellow rings?!" Professor Elm muttered, adjusting his glasses. "Oh my! I didn''t notice them." When the screen zoomed in, Kai saw what he had feared the most. The rhythm of his breathing broke, and blood rose to his head in sheer horror. Unlike the black tendrils'' obvious attempt to assimilate themselves into the DNA, the yellow rings were inconspicuous about their attempts. Not to mention the disgusting geometric patterns that made little sense and birthed such a repulsion upon seeing them that Kai''s entire face crumpled. -/A forced genome modification,/- Kai declared. Professor Elm snapped his head. "How can that be?!" he exclaimed, refusing to believe the possibility. "I have devoted my entire life to the genome modification Pokemon goes upon evolving. There is no one more mysterious and mind-baffling phenomenon. And yet¡­" -/Yet, in front of our eyes, something is trying to modify the Ghost Serpent''s genome./- Kai completed the words as Professor Elm trailed off. -/The question is not what is this external agent, professor? The question is what is keeping them from going in./- "Indeed," Elm agreed. "Seeing their number, and how these black tendrils and patterned yellow rings are being kept at the bay, there must be something that is naturally resisting them." -/Is it possible¡­/- Kai wondered, -/that these half-successful attempts had blinded the Pokemon? And that bulge¡­/- By now, Kai and Elm had already scanned Selene and the bulge in between her blind eyes, using all the means possible. One time would have been enough to conclude, but what they had found was so bizarre that they had to doubt the results and start the scanning anew using another method. To Kai''s dismay, the result hadn''t changed, though. The bulge was the mass of tissues, the beginning of an evolutionary stage of an eye. A third eye. "Not only that, Professor Desmond," Elm said as if he had figured out something. "But I think the change is irrevocable. If whatever that is keeping the Pokemon''s genome from being modified doesn''t stop, this struggle against these pathogens can permanently damage the subject." A true mad scientist, Kai thought. He looked at Professor Elm with wide eyes. -/You aren''t suggesting what I think you are suggesting, right?/- Elm nudged his glasses, almost behaving like he hadn''t heard or seen Kai. "I think we should push the pathogens in. Studying the change in DNA structure and the evolutionary stages of an ancient species can become the mightiest leap for science in the history of this world." Kai wasn''t sure about it. It was one thing, Selene becoming useless and Kai devouring her as a Blood Essence. It was another thing entirely to see what would happen once both the children of his Glitch (the black tendrils) and spawns of Hastur (the yellow rings) had corrupted Selene. What kind of creature would come into being after that? Kai shuddered at the thought. At last, curiosity came out to be victorious, trampling all hesitation in Kai''s heart. Better a monster than a useless worm, he thought, rubbing his hands through his white hair. Professor Elm''s next words pushed Kai beyond the line of no return. "If we follow the known data on the current Pokemon species," he began, mulling over every single word, "then I think a potent stimulant should do the trick. An extremely strong stimulant." Kai''s eyes shone with realization. -/Like eating a Legendary Pokemon?/- Chapter 110: A Magical Contract with Professor Elm! Eating a Legendary Pokemon?!! "Huh?" Professor Elm looked terrified at the suggestion. "That¡­ that¡­ Yes, that might work." -/I am just joking, professor,/- Kai said, laughing. -/There are other ways to replicate the effects of the results of that statement./- If there were, Professor Elm surely didn''t know, for he said nothing in reply to Kai''s joke. "-/I must say,/- Kai said, reminiscing, -/these last few days have made me recall many old memories. I am honored to assist you in this research, Elm./- Kai extended his hand and shook Elm''s hand. "You say you are much older than you look, Desmond," Professor Elm said, zooming out of the screen. "Well, it might be true. But I am not sure who assisted whom in this research." The two scientists laughed, sharing a smile between them. * * Morning, June 25 Professor''s Elm Laboratory After a much-needed sleep, both found themselves again in the same old lab. "Are you sure you don''t want to stay longer, Professor Desmond?" Elm asked, frowning. Kai chuckled. -/It has been fun, working alongside you, professor,/- he said. -/But if it wasn''t for the ancient Pokemon''s unusual state and the eggs, I wouldn''t have come out of retirement. The next adventure is calling me. I even dreamt about it./- Professor Elm shook his head. By now, Kai and Elm had already experimented on the two eggs rigorously, trying to incubate them. The answer they had found was to put them in a solution that would break their stony outer layer, gradually, and resume the embryos'' development. The only problem was, that the contents of the solution were based on the rare minerals and bacteria found in the Pokemon World. Not to mention that they needed to change the solution every other week. So, even if he wanted to, Kai couldn''t take away two solutions'' tanks with him. Behind him, Meg looked more haggard than either of him and Elm. The constant vigilance she had shown in the last 5 five days was not something a mere 1st-Set Contestant could replicate. Kai exchanged a look with her. They had discussed the problem and had already come to a solution. Now, it was time to take care of the prime reasons for his visit. -/Before leaving, professor,/- Kai said, smiling, -/I have a piece of good and bad news for you, and a request if you would grant me the honor to ask it./- Usually, Professor Elm would have never cared about this much talk. But Kai had left such an imprint in his memory that the young professor couldn''t help but weigh each of his words carefully.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "What could be worse than you not continuing this research with me?" Professor Elm said, his eyes reflecting deep sadness. "Still, let''s hear the bad one first, Professor Desmond." Kai felt a tinge of pity for Elm. It would be a lie to say that he didn''t like the professor. Their area of expertise overlapped, and so did their thought process. Like Kai, Elm cared little about the consequences if it could benefit the research, and their personalities matched their ambitions. If I wasn''t a Contestant, then we could have been friends, Kai bitterly thought. But now, I must use you, and for that, Professor Elm, you must know a little about despair. Kai''s breath rattled as he sucked out Professor Elm''s happiness and the sadness on the Character''s face spread even more. -/I must take the Ghost Serpent away with me,/- Kai said, as Elm gasped. -/Hear me out first, Elm. We both know she needs a potent stimulant, which we have no means to give to her. Not in the ethical ways possible. -/I travel all over the planet, searching for ruins and Pokemon history. So, who knows, I might stumble upon something more extraordinary that could help her. Last, but not least, she has bonded with me. And¡­ I have with her. I hope you would understand my concerns, professor./- If Kai hadn''t needed Elm''s help in getting the Pokemon, he would have never explained this much to him. Elm went into a stunned silence. But the lack of happiness within him prevented him from reacting too much against it. "I understand," he told Kai. "It''s your good nature that you didn''t add your ability to talk to people through her in your reasoning." Oh, I forgot that, Kai thought, recalling the telepathic ability. I must be careful to not let it develop into an issue. He had become so used to it, that with his inability to talk without hissing, he kept forgetting that it wasn''t natural for all to talk into others'' minds. -/Now the good news,/- Kai said, beaming. -/Here, eat this chocolate, professor. It would cheer you up./- After the bulk of info dumped on him by Meg, it would have been foolish to not add chocolates to his arsenal. Professor Elm''s sadness prevented an angry and ecstatic reaction to the bad news. Now Kai wanted him to react with joy instead. As Kai saw Elm''s eyes gaining some life upon eating the chocolate, he pointed at the two eggs. -/I have talked to Priestess Shae,/- he said, -/and she has permitted me to leave the eggs with you for incubation./- Professor Elm snapped his head up towards Meg. "Is it true?" he asked incredulously. "Oh! That''s wonderful. I agree to watch over them, only if I get to keep the Pokemon." "That''s out of¡­" Meg almost refused the offer, but one look from Kai shut her up. He could see the stubbornness on Elm''s face. The look wasn''t unlike his own when he used to see a potential benefit. He won''t change his mind, Kai concluded. And I can''t attack him, either. A higher floor Contestant would always be here watching over him. We are alive not only because of Petyr''s fiasco and the mention of the Temple but also because the old butler has sensed no danger to Elm. -/I agree./- Kai said. -/I agree to let you have one egg, Professor Elm. The golden egg was the most secure of the three, so I guess it''s also the most valuable. Am I right, Priestess Shae?/- Kai did not know that the Goblin, Snaglok, had also shown the most interest in the golden egg. The only thing he knew was that Selene had shown an interest in the egg with colorful stripes, making it the egg he wanted the most now. Meg wasn''t some naive bimbo to not take the hint. Her shrewdness outmatched most of the top Contestants. Not just anyone could have hoodwinked Kai and got the better of him. "Yes," she said solemnly. "The golden egg represents the birth of the cosmos. The other one represents the cycle of emotions. I wasn''t with Professor Desmond when he took the egg, but it makes sense that the golden egg was the most secure one." Professor Elm ate the chocolate and mulled over the hogwash fed to him by Meg. At last, he smiled at Kai and nodded. The notification came up then. ¡­ [ A Magical Contract is established between Contestant Kai Stormborn and Professor Elm of the New Bark Town. The terms of the contract are: 1. Professor Elm will incubate the two eggs, keeping the magical beast from the golden egg for himself upon hatching. The Contestant will get the magical beast from the other egg 2. The Contestant can request to teleport to this World Timeline once in three months, paying no Mission Credits for 3 hours Warning: 1. Failing the contract will be deemed unworthy and will have serious consequences 2. The Time Limit of visitation is unchangeable ] Chapter 111: Milestones after Milestones – Becoming a Pokemon Trainer! Kai beamed and shook Professor Elm''s hand. It was more than he had expected. Without Elm''s assistance, and his resources, who knew for how long these two eggs would rot in his Inventory? It was better to grab the opportunity when it was the best time to grab it. -/One more thing, Elm,/- Kai said, smiling, as Meg and Petyr joined him. -/One more thing, then I will be on my way. As you are aware, most of my adventures take me to some island deep into the chaotic ocean south of the main landmass. I encounter Pokemon on an almost daily basis but do not know their capabilities. So, I was hoping you could give me a Pokemon and a Pokedex. I am old, just not that old to not be a Pokemon Trainer./- Kai''s heart was racing. This was the decisive moment. This was the prime reason for which they had come here. To their surprise, Professor Elm laughed. It was odd to see him laughing when Kai had scarcely seen him smile. "Why not?!" Professor Elm replied. "I also give the starter Pokemon in the Johto Region. Generally, I don''t give Pokedex to the trainers, because of their low supply. I have one, though, and I can give it to you if you can accept a request of mine in return." Kai could do nothing but nod. "I know you travel far and into the strangest of places," Elm proposed, "so, I would like you to collect the data on unknown Pokemon into the Pokedex. I know you would find the task challenging. Do we have a deal?" Kai didn''t know. This request had no clear numbers. Nor did it mention the time and the exact nature of the request. Then he had no clue where he would find an unknown Pokemon. Kai took a deep breath and nodded. The notification came up again. ¡­ [ Your Magical Contract with Professor Elm is updated. The terms of the contract are: 1. Professor Elm will incubate the two eggs, keeping the magical beast from the golden egg for himself upon hatching. The Contestant will get the magical beast from the other egg 2. Professor Elm will give a Pokedex to the Contestant. In return, the Contestant must store the data of 50 magical beasts, unknown to the Pokemon World, within 3 years (Primordial World Time). Once a year, the Contestant must show the progress to Professor Elm. No less than 10 magical beasts at the end of the 1st year, and 25 magical beasts at the end of the 2nd year, are required to be shown to the Professor. Failure to meet these limits will be counted as breaching the contract 3. The Contestant can request to teleport to this World Timeline once in three months, paying no Mission Credits for 3 hours Warning: Failing the contract will be deemed unworthy and will have serious consequences. The Time Limit of visitation is unchangeable. ] ¡­ Kai let out an inaudible sigh of relief and smiled. Professor Elm went to a cabinet and took out a device. It looked like a flippable mobile phone, orange-colored, and there was a glassy black bulge over its top flat side. "As many of the Pokemon native to Johto are also native to the Kanto region," Professor Elm said, handing over the Pokedex, "this Pokedex will provide you data on both regions'' Pokemon." The moment Kai held the Pokedex, a notification appeared over it. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have achieved a Milestone ¡­ Milestone: Get your first Pokedex Milestone Rewards: 1. Live location in the Pokemon World (covering the regions of Pokedex entries) This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it 2. Charisma +1 3. Luck +1 4. Worth +3 ¡­ Item: Regional Pokedex Grade: Uncommon Specification: Introduced in Generation II, it contains the list of Pokemon, putting the Johto starter Pokemon first, and following them with Pokemon native to both Kanto and Johto in a different order, according to their evolution. It also includes fossil Pokemon and Legendary Pokemon from both the regions Requirement: 1. Elementary Pokemon Trainer 2. MP>0 Attributes: 1. Total number of Pokemon: 251 2. Weight: 250 grams 3. Mode: Pokemon, Map, New Data Storage 4. Empty Slots Available: (0/50) Skill: Not Applicable Effect: 1. Gives data on the recorded Pokemon upon pointing at it (Distance: 100 ft) 2. Stores a Magical Beast data upon capturing it (Capture Time Limit: 3 days) 3. Show live location on the map of the Johto and Kanto region Quality: 94% Warning: 1. Live location isn''t available on worlds other than Pokemon. 2. The magical beast must not die or escape within the Capture Time Limit ] ¡­ Only sheer willpower was holding Kai back from laughing out loud. If it was before, he would have never known how big a feat it was, to get a Pokedex. Meg had opened doors for Kai, which would have taken years to even show themselves to him naturally. "Come with me," Professor Elm said. "The Pokemon are too energetic to allow them into the lab." Kai and the others followed Elm out of the lab and to the small, open, garden-like area behind the mansion. The orange sun was almost glowing yellow, perched over the horizon like a fruit. All around them, the smell of morning and wet grass lingered, riding the wind, galloping away and towards them now and then. Splashing noises came from a water puddle that gleamed like a crystal-clear lake, reflecting the sunlight. The Pokemon came running toward Professor Elm, suddenly. "Chiko¡­ Chiko!" "Cynda¡­quil" "Totodileeee!" On the leftmost, and the fastest to come was a pale-green Pokemon with dark-green buds around its neck. It was 2 ft high, and its head was larger in proportion compared to its body. On its head was a large green leaf. It was the grass-type Pokemon, Chikorita. Meg had already told him much about the three starter Pokemon. She and Kai had decided on the water-type as it would let them participate in the Water Chariot Race. If it was in Kai''s hands, he''d rather not have any of these three. But he must get one to have the Pokemon Trainer Ability. The most energetic, and the Pokemon of their choice, was the rightmost one. Totodile, a blue-colored crocodile-like Pokemon. It was bipedal and had a height of just over 2 ft. Several sharp teeth lined its long jaw, and there was a V-shaped yellow marking on its chest. The two lively Pokemon were followed by a blue and cream, timid fire-type Pokemon, Cyndaquil. It had a long snout and on its back were four red circles. As Totodile rushed toward Professor Elm, it tried to bite Chikorita several times in between. Professor Elm laughed, welcoming all three of them. "Desmond, look," Elm said, crouching, and separating Chikorita and Totodile. "You will find a brilliant partner in Totodile. I know it''s quite feisty and dynamic, but an adventurer like you won''t have any problem with that, right?" For the first time in the last five days, Kai realized the difference between him and Elm, as he saw and felt the genuine happiness brimming out of the professor. He could see the love Professor Elm had for the Pokemon, and how he enjoyed their company truly. Kai couldn''t fathom these feelings. He couldn''t understand the reasoning or the purpose and benefit of it. When Kai looked at the three Pokemon, the only thing he saw was nothing but three potential food sources. -/Of course!/- Kai beamed at Elm, crouching down beside him. -/Hello, Totodile. Are you ready to go on an adventure with me?/- The sudden voice in its head baffled the Pokemon. It looked around, but it was then its intelligence shone. Totodile didn''t take long to figure out who was speaking, and it snapped his jaw at Kai. There was a playfulness in its bite, though. That seemed to be enough for the System. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have achieved a Milestone ¡­ Milestone: Get acknowledged by a Pokemon Milestone Rewards: Elementary Pokemon Trainer Warning: 1. Contestants with Elementary Pokemon Trainer Ability can only bond with 2 Pokemon at max. It doesn''t count Magical Beasts of other Random Worlds 2. To capture a Pokemon, the Contestant must defeat it using his own Pokemon 3. Catch Rate for the 3rd Pokemon - 0% 4. Only Pokeballs that are Items can take the Pokemon out of the Random World 5. A Pokemon can be traded only once 6. Disapproval from the Pokemon can affect the Proficiency 7. If a Pokemon leaves the trainer willingly, then Proficiency: -50% ] ¡­ "It looks like Totodile has already taken a liking to you," Professor Elm smiled. Kai took out his Pokeball unseen to Elm''s eyes. Before he could use it, Totodile himself came running and heat-butted the red and white ball. Then the tiny figure of the Pokemon turned into a mass of blue light and it disappeared into the Pokeball. Beep! Beep! Beep! A light trembling of the Pokeball followed every red-flashing beep. It didn''t seem like the sign of struggle Meg had told him, Kai recalled. After the third beep, the Pokeball gave the last sound and all the beeping stopped. Today is the day of notifications, Kai thought amusingly. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have achieved a Milestone ¡­ Milestone: Get your first Pokemon Milestone Rewards: 1. Elementary Pokemon Trainer: Proficiency 25% (+25%) 2. Correspondence +1 ] ¡­ Heh! Kai smirked inside. It seems I don''t need to worry about my Set Quota now at least. With this Attribute Point, he only needed 3 more Points now. The increase in Proficiency was a pleasant surprise. Kai stood up and saw Cyndaquil jumping around Meg. On her left, Petyr was playing with Chikorita with his cane. What happened next became the biggest surprise of today. Chapter 112: The Book’s Shuddering – Kai’s Gravest Mistake! Professor Elm smiled as he looked at Meg and Cyndaquil. "You have shown great faith in me by letting me keep an egg, miss," he told Meg, surprising Kai. "I think I should return the favor, no? Haha!" Meg''s eyes flickered, moistening instantly. In the next moment, she snapped back to reality. She shifted her gaze and looked at Kai, asking for his permission. Kai ignored the gaze. -/Quite generous of you, Elm,/- he said. -/I am sure Meg''s having a hard time controlling her emotions now. Haha!/- Inside, he thought, Come on! Give the third Pokemon to Petyr now. "Haha! You are right!" Professor Elm laughed back. Kai''s mouth twitched ruefully. On the other side, Meg''s face gained the brightest smile, gaining a new Pokemon. She took out her Pokeball and let Cyndaquil fill its empty status. "I truly hoped you could prolong your stay, Professor Desmond," Elm said, putting his hands in his pants. "But I won''t stop you from doing what you love to do. Take care of Totodile and Chikorita for me. Let us complete the paperwork, then you can be on your way soon." Kai smiled and followed the Professor back to the lab. He didn''t even correct Elm. By now, he had figured out Elm''s personality. Taking the name of the wrong Pokemon was nothing compared to what Kai had seen the Professor ignoring and blundering. It has been worthwhile, exploring the world and interacting with main-storyline Characters unlike the last Random World, Kai thought. Now just one more thing is left to do. As he noticed Meg closing the main door of the lab, Kai nodded at Petyr. The Character disappeared, and Meg caught his gem-embedded cane. Professor Elm was already typing on the PC, filling out details. With him being so air-headed, he didn''t even notice the Petyr''s disappearance. Kai had been putting away this task for a long time. But his interaction with Professor Elm had helped him in deciding one thing- Professor Oak didn''t suit his needs. Professor Oak specialized in Pokemon-Human relations, a field that Kai had no interest in. Professor Elm, though, not only matched his area of interest, but even his personality was favorable to him. Sometimes, it''s not the best option, but the most suitable one that matters, Kai reflected, taking out the shuddering Book. Making sure that he was within 10 ft of Professor Elm, Kai flipped the book open to the page next to The Herald of Chaos. The Skill, the Song of History, would write Professor Elm''s tale anytime now, Kai knew. With bated breath, he waited, almost grinning. Then with a bang, the Book closed itself. Where was the tale? Why did the book shut itself? Why was it shuddering before then? All these questions echoed, as one fact planted itself in his mind like a tree, its roots distorting Kai''s face in an ugly rage and maliciousness. That fact was¡­ Thousand Tales Parasite had just rejected Professor Elm''s tale. * * Evening, June 25 Pokemon Center New Bark Town There was pin-drop silence in the room. After saying a strange goodbye to his friend, Kai and Meg had come to the Pokemon Center. New Bark Town was a hub for Pokemon Trainers, and thus, they found it unnecessary to go to Alto Mare before the 27th.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Meg had already registered herself as a Contestant for the Water-Chariot Race. E Even the plans Kai and Petyr had made before leaving the water town, had undergone earth-shattering changes after the things Meg had told him regarding all the worlds, especially Multiverse Interdependency. But let us return to the silence. This pin-drop silence choked the joy of getting all the things they had gotten in New Bark Town. Kai was on a chair, wearing a black night suit, and facing the window. Stunned and stupefied. Behind him, on the bed, sat Meg. She, too, looked troubled as her eyes roamed about Kai. A blue velvet night suit, patterned with pink flowers, had replaced her yellow priestess garb. And her long loose red hair felt like fire dancing over the water. -/I don''t understand./- Kai thought openly. -/Never have I desired to devour a tale so badly, and yet, I couldn''t. Why? The Book shuddered, goddammit! It shuddered for five days!!/- Silence answered Kai. The stars twinkled outside. Tweets and cries of some wild Pokemon came now and then, lingering no longer than they were welcomed. There was sadness on Kai''s charming face, and a mirror on Kai''s right reflected this sadness to Meg. "Master, may I have a look at the Book?" she asked. Kai snapped his head towards his right. In the mirror, he saw her sitting on the bed gracefully. However, the breasts trying to pop out her smooth shirt buttons, and her long full legs, almost betrayed that gracefulness. Still no desire for her¡­ Kai realized, frowning. She was his servant, but he had never wanted a mute and mindless servitude. With the Soul-Blood drop that gave him all the power over her, Kai would never hamper her growth, let alone her words. -/Why?/- Kai asked, not unkindly. -/What''s the point of that?/- "I have had growth-type Items," Morning Mist explained. "I have seen many such Items of others too. But The Tales of Beedle the Bard seems to have toppled my understanding of growth-type Items. I want to see what''s so special about it." -/Curious?/- Kai said, raising an eyebrow. Meg nodded. Kai''s hand flicked, and he took out the Book. Giving her Item won''t make it hers, he knew. Until he dies, the Book would always belong to him. Though if Meg could use its Acts or not, Kai wasn''t sure. He threw the Book, and she caught it with a cat''s agility. Let''s see what the 100-year-old monster has to say about my most prized Item, Kai thought, permitting himself the tiniest hint of a smile. He observed her as she examined the Book''s stats. The tiny smile became full when he saw her eyes widening with every passing moment. Her breathing had sped up, her breasts vividly heaving up and down out of rhythm. She is reading about the Thousand Tales Parasite, Kai guessed, when Meg suddenly lifted her head to look at him. Their eyes matched through the realm of the mirrors before she plunged her thoughts back into the Book. Kai felt her riling emotions, her shock, and her incredulous amazement. He licked his lips. Now, this he did desire. He wanted to suck her dry of her happiness. He had a taste of her hoard in the town, Alto Mare. Happiness, hoarded for over 100 years, had a taste Kai could never forget. "Master¡­" Meg''s sharp call brought Kai out of his reverie. -/Yes./- Kai said. -/I know about the hidden dangers of it. You don''t have to repeat them to me./- Opposite to Kai''s expectations, Meg just shook her head. "No, master," she whispered. "I know a Contestant of your caliber must have already thought of everything that needed to be contemplated. No point in wasting time on those things. But I just wanted to ask one thing." Kai frowned. He stood up, fed up with looking at her through the mirror, and faced her. -/Go on, then./- Kai permitted. -/Ask./- "I went through the Book''s Stats over twice," Meg began. "But I couldn''t find any mention of what this shuddering you talked about." Kai silently laughed. -/No, it''s not mentioned./- he explained to her. -/It''s like an unwritten phenomenon. Whenever I meet a Character, whose tale is worthy enough to be devoured, the Book shudders to let me know./- Then Kai told her about all the shuddering he had felt, and about the moments when he had met Jon Arryn and Lysa Arryn but had gotten no response from the Book. Meg became silent for a while, listening to all that. After a few moments of deep brooding over something, she stood up and approached Kai. She was almost as tall as him, he realized. The smell of thousands of roses hit Kai when she came to a stop in front of him. Meg returned the Book and took a deep breath. "I will not sweeten my words, master," she said bluntly. "But have you considered that all this talk of the Book shuddering to let you know of a worthy tale is just¡­ rubbish? It seems you have mistaken an unusual response of the Item to be some kind of signal. I have no means to verify what you have told me, other than that it''s your assumption. And assumptions, by nature, are dubious, even if they have come from scientists of high intellect." Kai''s face paled instantly. Old memories bombarded his mind. Now it was the turn of his breathing to speed up. He remembered the first vibrations. It was him seeing Prince Joffrey, and the Hound, Sandor Clegane. He remembered the second shuddering. It was him seeing the King and the Queen. And then he remembered them all. Yes, it was true. All the time he had found himself facing a major main storyline Character the book had shuddered. But the statement, it had shuddered to let him know he could devour their tale, was nothing but what Meg had thrown at his face. An assumption. Oh, no! The words rumbled in Kai''s mind. What have I done? Chapter 113: Seeking Knowledge Above All – Kai’s Vow! Kai stood there with a horrified face as if he was seeing the Door for a second time. Only men of science like him could fathom how grievous a blunder it was to assume something without considering all plausible explanations. It was a horror beyond the hideously patterned yellow door from his Blood Prophecy. It put a question mark on his very intelligence and cunningness. Kai almost staggered to the bed, his mouth open. Meg sat down beside him. "I have never heard of an Item influencing the outer world before unless it''s out of the Inventory," she said, her sweet voice entering his ears. "If even the topmost Contestants were in your place, they would have made the same mistake, I am sure." Her words meant nothing to him now. Kai never compared himself to others like this. His ambition forbade him. He was the one who would stand at the Peak of Absolute Power alone. Others could afford to make a mistake like that. Not Blood Demon. With every second, anger welled up in his heart. How could he not see it before? Not knowing what your Skills and Items could do was a rookie mistake. Was he some run-of-the-mill newbie? Had he fallen so low that he now lived on his momentary assumptions? Kai''s face became red with shame, blood rising to his eyes, aiming for his brain. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. Yes, just like that, son, a voice sang within him. Every mistake opens a door to a hidden opportunity. Remember that those who have never blundered can never know the actual taste of victory. Kai calmed down and snapped the Book open. -/Petyr./- Petyr walked out, wearing a night suit similar to Kai. -/What''s the difference between Jon Arryn, Cersei Lannister, Petyr Baelish, Pokeball Expert Kurt, and Professor Elm?/- he asked, keeping Meg in conversation. But he had already found the answer. The reason for the Book''s vibrations was hidden within it. "The obvious difference is their names, my lord," Petyr quipped slyly. "That''s an odd question to test my intelligence." Kai glared at him. If there was ever a look that said he would kill Petyr, then it was this. Petyr chuckled. "I was wondering when you will ask me this question," he said, his tone becoming grave. "Jon Arryn is a match. You light this match, and boom, now you have a story. His tale is words forced together on the corner of a piece of paper. "Kurt and Professor Elm are more than that. They are the torches that light the path when one walks through a story. Yes, they are important, and their existence is crucial to the story. But they are nothing more than that." Kai gritted his teeth. The Book shuddered not to tell him he could devour the tale. It shuddered whenever he met a significant main storyline Character. It shuddered in excitement as it included these significant Characters in the tale it was writing. A Hidden Tale of Kai Stormborn! It was the fucking Thousand Tales Parasite, Kai cursed. Petyr continued. "Cersei Lannister and Petyr Baelish," he said, smiling, "Well, my lord, surely you must have guessed by now. They are not matches to begin a story, and they are not torches, either. They¡­" Petyr trailed off. Kai stood up, walked to the window, and completed Petyr''s words. -/They ARE the Story./- For long Kai gazed out, looking at the stars, his thoughts going beyond them.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. This was a moment that would either make him the most powerful Contestant in the Primordial Tower or a nobody. This idea that had just come to him after going through these emotional upheavals would dictate his destiny. Not his Glitch, his Skills, or his Abilities. It would be this sudden moment of realization, Kai knew. When he turned back, Kai was again himself. His face was calmer than it had ever been. -/I have decided./- Kai declared to himself. -/I will devour the tales of all the most significant scientists spread across the Multiverse. Characters of Science who won''t be a match or a torch, but who would be a Story by themselves. This will be the Multiverse Interdependency unique to me./- Meg stood up and fell to her knees. "Command me, master," she said, her voice shaking. -/Prepare a list, my servant,/- Kai said calmly, but his voice boomed. -/Prepare a list of such Characters. And put Orochimaru at its top./- * * Afternoon, June 26 Pokemon Center New Bark Town Cersei passed down a look of deep loathing and disappeared. On the floor, Meg was no better than a corpse. Her face had paled so much that it seemed all her blood had been sucked out of her. Saliva dripped from her mouth as if she were prey clutched in the jaws of a predator. These were the aftereffects of the Blood Prophecy. When an idea took root in Kai''s mind, he scarcely waited to test out the theory. He had wondered whether Meg could use the Acts from the Book or not. It turned out she could, to her misfortune. Her fate had nothing to do with Kai. But she was still his servant and was bound to stay with him. Not to mention, he needed to see if that foreign being would again infiltrate the Blood World or not. Kai certainly won''t risk facing that hideous, patterned Door again. So, the responsibility fell on Meg''s shoulders. Unlike him, though, she didn''t have the Fear Manipulation or Titan''s Buff to give her HP Regeneration Rate a boost. So Kai took out another HP capsule and stuffed it in her mouth. The capsule showed its potent nature instantly. Such was its power that streams of blood ran down her nose. Meg coughed profusely and sat up, facing Kai. "I¡­" she struggled to find words, recalling the scenes from the blood world. "I saw myself getting crushed to death under the coils of a massive snake." Kai''s eyebrows raised. He turned to look to his left and saw Selene slithering on the floor playfully. "No¡­" Meg said, rubbing away the blood. "It was bigger. Bigger than even me." -/A Snake-type Pokemon?/- Kai asked, his eyes gleaming with blatant expectation. Meg nodded. "Oh, I am so sorry, master," she apologized, a massive amount of sadness overcoming the tiredness on her face. "If I hadn''t made you devour Golduck, then you could have devoured this Pokemon''s Blood Essence." Kai snorted out a laugh. -/What are you on about?/- he said incredulously. -/Is there any point in regretting things I had no way to know before? There aren''t many Snake-type Pokemon, to begin with. So, it is Arbok or Seviper, I reckon. In either case, you would face a 4th-floor Contestant. But why were you facing off with a Contestant like that in the Blood Prophecy? Unless I would make you do so./- Meg gaped as Kai, word after word, kept dissecting the Blood Prophecy. Something seemed to have changed about him after his declaration. Before, Kai had a goal. To become the most powerful Contestant. But it was so far away, both in space and time, that even though Kai''s will was strong, he was just flailing his hands in the darkness, hoping to stumble upon some pillar for stability. The tales he had vowed to devour were now acting as major checkpoints between his ambition and his current state. Not only did it make things easier for him but also cleared his thought process. The results were more than obvious. Kai closed his eyes for a second. Then he smiled. -/Rejoice, my servant,/- he said, smiling. -/For, if I am right, then we will soon meet another "Carl"./- "Master, you mean¡­" Meg trailed off. Kai nodded, turning away from her. -/It''s time for another hunt./- he said. -/Chaos, create a Side Mission to Kill the nearest 4th-floor Contestant of Order. Adjust the Mission Summary accordingly./- ¡­ [ Analyzing the Contestant''s Stats¡­ Analyzation Complete Creating Side Mission¡­ ¡­ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have triggered a Side Mission ¡­ Main Mission: Three heads of the Targaryen Dragon Side Mission: The Legend of Thunder! Side Mission Summary: Northman is tasked with protecting Pokemon Trainer Jimmy, a main storyline Character. Young Jimmy''s adventure has yet to begin, and he lives with his family at No. 64, Surfer Street, Near New Bark Town''s Port. Side Mission Objective: Kill Northman and destroy Jimmy''s home Side Mission Time Limit: before 27th June ¡­ Do you accept the Side Mission? ] Chapter 114: Seven Tales and the Graveyard of Kings! Kai beamed as he saw the Side Mission''s Time Limit. -/Rest,/- he told Meg. -/You will have your part to play tonight./- "Yes, master," she grunted a reply, helping herself to the bed. "First, let me write the names." Kai snapped his head back at her. -/Oh!/- he exclaimed, obsessively. -/Have you thought them through? Remember, I won''t tolerate any more surprises like Professor Elm. Take your time, if you aren''t sure. I will not rush it./- Meg seemed to have decided. "Waiting longer is pointless, master," she said, picking up paper and pen. "I was a 13th-floor Contestant once. Though I didn''t ascend to the 6th Set, my knowledge isn''t lacking compared to those monsters. Being a Priestess had its own merits too." Meg scribbled down on the paper hastily but deliberately as she addressed Kai. When she was finished and flicked away the pen, Kai couldn''t control himself any longer. He rushed to her and snatched the paper off her hands. His heart was thumping against his bones. He walked to the chair, which was shining golden under the full brunt of the noon sun, and sat down. The first name was according to his instructions. In front of those names, she had mentioned their worlds. Seven¡­ Seven tales to rule the world. "First, Orochimaru from the Naruto World, master." Meg''s words reached Kai. "Second, Mayuri Kurotsuchi from Bleach. Third, Kisuke Urahara, also from Bleach. Fourth, Rintaro Okabe from Steins;Gate. Fifth, Reed Richards from Marvel Universe. Sixth¡­" Kai picked up from there. -/Sixth, Senku Ishigami from Dr. Stone,/- he said telepathically. -/And seventh, Dexter from¡­ What the fuck?! Which Random World is this?!! You never mentioned it to me before./- Meg took a deep breath. "The Graveyard of Kings!" she blurted out. "I didn''t mention it before because I didn''t think that even you could survive a single hour in that world, master." Kai''s eyes widened. "What¡­ did¡­ you just say?!" "In the Multiverse, only the Graveyard of Kings is a cluster of different Random Worlds," Meg continued. "Its name was given to it by Contestants, not by the Systems. The reason is simple, no matter how absurd it looks. Hundreds of King-level Contestants are known to never clear the missions from this place, dying there like pigs. All their power, Skills, Items, and Abilities are useless when faced with the logic of those worlds." Kai''s soul shuddered. What place could be so terrifying that could claim the lives of so many top-class Contestants? They were Kings. Kings! Kai couldn''t even fathom their power, much less the nature of this place Meg was talking about. -/What is it?/- Kai asked, steeling himself. -/Which Random Worlds can be so dangerous that they even changed the name of this group to such a horrifying degree? What twisted logic are you talking about?-/ Meg''s half-closed eyes matched Kai''s. She was trembling before even uttering the words. "The Worlds of Cartoons." Meg''s voice echoed as a lone cloud slid under the sun, darkening the room. "Everything is useless when one faces the Cartoon Logic, the Killer of Kings." * * 11:00 pm, June 26th No. 64, Surfer Street, Near New Bark Town''s Port -/Tell me what you can and can not do, again,/- Kai said, his breath rattling around him.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The moon was grinning thinly today. Bright yellow street lights lit up Surfer Street like tiny suns lined on a single path. Far at the end of the street, into a corner claimed by the shadows for themselves, Dementor-Kai''s tattered robes billowed noiselessly behind him. He levitated above the ground like a mass of foul black mist, as a thin layer of frost crawled about him, freezing anything and everything. Meg was standing behind him, lost in awe of Kai''s appearance. She had her signature Akatsuki robes on her, the color of her hair matching the blood-red clouds perfectly. There was a time when Kai did not know the meaning of these robes. Now that he did, he wondered if he would have handled things differently. No. The answer was a plain no. Her master had commanded her, and she must reply. Such thoughts passed through her head as Meg snapped out of her mooning expression. "I have a Master Ability," she told Kai. "I can control paper figurines within a radius of 800 meters, depending on the size and their numbers. There is no limit on numbers, either. Once given an initial command, they can function on their own. To get live feedback, though, I must use a combination of MP and SP." -/A Skill?/- Kai asked. Meg shook her head. "No, master," she answered. "In Elementary Abilities, you lay the foundation. In Advance Abilities, you explore the depths of the Ability. The further one can explore the Advance Ability, the better one will become. Master Abilities are the cornerstone of the higher floor''s Contestants'' power. In this stage, one must learn to combine the Ability with Stats and Skills. Before I fell to the 1st floor, I had just mastered imbuing Chakra and Mana into my paper figurines." No wonder, Kai reflected. No wonder she is so strong. "If I haven''t lost my Chakra Manipulation and Magical Aptitude Abilities, I could do much more using my paper dolls," Meg continued. "Now, they are only good for fooling and spying. I can use my HP to solidify one paper figurine, though." Kai remembered the huge Shuriken and how it had cut the Gatling gun''s barrels and Mariah''s hands like butter. Then, one more possibility struck him. -/Can you make paper dolls of me?/- Kai asked, expectantly. The things he could do with a bunch of him running around an enemy¡­ His breath rattled unknowingly. The dark of the night hid the blush on Meg''s rosy cheeks. "I can," she whispered. "But I must examine every single detail of your body first, master. How you walk, sit, run, think, and the many facial expressions. I must take every little detail of your body, from head to toe, into account. Even then, I am not sure about the results. I have never done it before. It''s easy to make paper clones of oneself. I had Arcanine Pokemon before, so I know it too. But¡­" Kai had already stopped listening to her. He smiled. -/Do whatever it takes. Before that time comes, you must have at least one paper clone of all my forms./- Meg kneeled, accepting the command gracefully. Suddenly, hundreds of tiny paper insects came crawling from all directions. They went to Meg and whispered in some unknown language into her ears, before disappearing into her Inventory. No, they weren''t Items, or so Meg had told him. The size of her Inventory was already big enough to surpass an entire mansion. The only things she lacked were Items to fill it up. "It''s a man," Meg told Kai the obvious first. "He is on the No. 64 house''s roof." A moist, salty night breeze found the corner they were hiding in. Kai turned to look at her from under his hood. She stepped back. -/Bring him out./-Kai said, melting into the shadows. * * "Haha! I didn''t know I would have big tits for dinner today." A thick, manly voice echoed in the surroundings. Meg, wearing a black overcoat and black trousers, was running down the alley, close to Jimmy''s house. A brown-haired, gaunt man chased her, catching up to her with every next step. There was a Pokeball in his hand, just on the verge of being thrown out. "Stop!" he shouted. "Don''t make me do this, love, or both of us will regret it." Meg sent back a disgusting look. When it seemed like she was about to take a turn, she paused and threw a Pokeball. "Cyndaquil, I choose you!" Surprised, the Order''s Contestant threw his Pokeball too. "Come out, Seviper!" Both Pokemon materialized out of a blue flash. This end of the street was deserted, with only one lamp lit some dozens of meters away. It wasn''t dark, but the vision wasn''t clear enough to notice the exact coloring of the Pokemon, either. "Cyndaquil!" The Pokemon squeaked timidly but stood his ground. From the opposite end, a hiss echoed. "Seviperrrr!" This hiss had come from over 8 ft tall snake-like Pokemon. It was covered in black scales, with several markings on its body that looked like yellow hexagons and purple-colored scars. It had elongated red fangs that protruded from its upper jaw and fierce red eyes. Its tail was partially red and had a blade-like shape. The Pokemon Trainers shout out almost simultaneously. "Cyndaquil, use Flamethrower!" "Seviper, dodge, and use Poison Tail!" A long, powerful stream of flames shot out from Cyndaquil''s mouth. But Seviper slithered away effortlessly. Its long body covered the distance between them in one long sweep, and then it whirled, lashing out with its tail, which was now glowing purple. The tail hit Cyndaquil head-on and sent him flying. Chapter 115: Power of an Elite Ability, Darkrai, and Order’s Defense! "Haha!" Northman bellowed. "That''s it? Come with me, slut! I will be gentle with you." Meg rushed to help the Pokemon stand up. "Cyndaquil! Are you OK?" she asked concernedly. "Come back. You did great." A blue ray of light hit the magical beast from the empty Pokeball, and it vanished to its security. Meg snapped her head toward Northman. "Never!" she said spitefully. "Oh! You still have some fire left in you?" Northman jested, licking his lips. "Maybe after seeing this, you won''t refuse me." The moment Northman finished, a cloudy, vacant look took over his eyes, and he sat down. Seviper, who was hissing wildly before, suddenly looked conscious of things more than a magical beast should have. Some 300 meters in the air, Kai observed these changes. The real Meg hovered beside him on her huge paper wings. "A Skinchanger!" she exclaimed. "He must be from a powerful organization to know this Multiverse Interdependency." Fortunately, Kai wasn''t clueless about these terms anymore. Skinchanger was an Ability one could get in the Game of Thrones Random World. These Contestants could enter the mind of a beast and control its actions. As he recalled this info, he saw Seviper''s slithering becoming deliberate, and an evil intent filling its hisses. It''s almost like a cheap copy of my Slither Steps and Elementary Snake Language, Kai concluded. The conclusion brought out his anger and disgust. As Seviper wrapped itself around the paper Meg on the ground, its tail tearing at her clothes, Kai plunged in a dive toward the Pokemon. The paper Meg couldn''t resist for a second and crumpled instantly. Seviper/Northman hissed confusingly, his hisses maddening with every passing moment. It was then Kai landed in between the Pokemon and Northman''s true body. A mass of silver mist burst out of him, solidifying into Selene. -How dare you taint the name of serpents?- Kai hissed furiously, sucking out Pokemon''s happiness with every breath. -How dare you let a human take over your consciousness?- -Unworthy beast!- Selene snapped, agreeing with an angry hiss of her own. Seviper hissed in denial, thrashing its tail and head here and there. Kai could feel Northman losing control over the beast at that moment, horrified, hearing the language coming out of Kai''s mouth. -Know what you are!- Kai hissed sharply, gliding towards the Pokemon. -Remember. Remember!- -Or die!- Selene''s hiss had an edge sharper than Kai''s. Seviper gave out the last struggle and fell, the Skinchanger within its mind bombarding against the walls of the beast''s consciousness. -I¡­- Seviper hissed, looking up at the dark tattered robe of Kai, billowing behind him. -I remember. They caught me, made me their slave, forcing me to do their bidding. I¡­ I have fallen.- Kai''s shriveled, skeletal hand reached for the Pokemon''s head and rubbed its black scales. -Worry not,- he hissed, spreading despair to the Pokemon''s bones. -I will free you from all these worldly desires. I will redeem you.- -I am Redemption!- Selene hissed, lunging at the Pokemon. Behind them, Northman screamed, shouting out words that sounded like incomprehensible hideous hisses. * * Early morning, June 28th Pokemon Center Alto Mare Kai was standing naked in the room. Meg was hopping all around him, touching him now and then, and taking measures using her fingers. She was every bit professional about it. Kai''s thoughts wandered to the time of his meeting with the Northman. Not counting the Contestant''s soul, Kai had got 1.2 Soul Points from Seviper. The status of his Poacher Title had increased by 1 as well, becoming 9. Now he needed to kill 1 more good Pokemon to get the Title. Kai hadn''t gambled on his enhanced Luck, either. Mission Credits were becoming his priority, now that he was approaching the Main Mission''s completion. So Kai had exchanged his rewards for 1550 Mission Credits. But the most rewarding was not something immaterial but Seviper''s corpse, which Kai had reserved entirely for Selene. She had already eaten half of it and was now sleeping noiselessly within him. The least interesting part had been destroying Jimmy''s house. If it weren''t for completing the Side Mission and its reward of 250 Mission Credits, Kai wouldn''t have even returned there after killing Northman. He hadn''t stayed there to count the bodies, but from the screams that had woken up the entire neighborhood, he could tell that at least someone had died.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. 5 more to go, Kai reflected, thinking about his Kill Count. "I am done," Meg said, making Kai open his eyes. "With this, now I know all your forms, master. But knowing your bodies won''t be convincing enough by itself. We don''t have time for more than that." -/It would suffice,/- Kai told her, putting on clothes. -/With the Water-Chariot Race going on, I am sure the adult Latias and the young pair of Latios and Latias will also be there, roaming around the canal-pathways in their invisible forms like in the movie. It gives me the perfect opportunity to begin our plan./- "So, it''s time," Meg whispered. "It''s happening tonight." -/It is,/- Kai grinned, devilishly. -/The town of Alto Mare will remember this night. Let them all know happiness now./- Meg nodded. She took the Pokeball, containing Totodile, from Kai and walked out of the room. Kai looked out through the window and observed the smiling faces and cheery calls. Let them get drunk on happiness, he sneered. The more the joy, the more drastic will be their fear. Haha! * * It was as if nothing bad had ever happened in the town. Water still ran in the canals, foaming at the banks. The alleys were packed with Pokemon Trainers. Some Pokemon were walking with their trainers, admiring the taste of the town with deep sniffs. To Kai, it felt like just yesterday he had spread the despair, putting a never-ending terror in the locals'' hearts. 20 days seemed to be enough for the people to forget about me, he mused himself. People indeed had forgotten about him, but the town remembered. The walls, the water, and the air remembered him and the hope he had snatched out of them. All over the town, there were posters of a black-hooded, wraith-like figure. Some were glued to the wall, the canals'' current carried with them a few, and some even found themselves flying, clutched in the claws of a stray gust of air. ¡­ Unknown Pokemon - Inform Officer Jenny at the sight. DO NOT CONFRONT. ¡­ Kai looked at the poster in his hands, and the bold letters, through the sunglasses. He choked on a laugh. At the bottom, they had mentioned that the Pokemon might be related to the elusive attempts at the revenge of the infamous Team Rocket. There was more information under that, too. Rows, describing the victims of evil Pokemon. The bottommost row told of town favorite Ross, who was the last known victim, and the worst case among all. Oh! Kai exclaimed, raising an eyebrow. Lost the will to talk, it says. He only mentioned the picture of this dark, hooded Pokemon with white hair, who resembles a Darkrai. Darkrai?! Kai repeated the name. A Pokemon? Now curious, he took out his Pokedex to check the data but found no such Pokemon. A Pokemon from some foreign region, Kai concluded. Yet, to even compare his deeds to a Pokemon meant this Pokemon was extraordinary. He would have made Petyr ask about the Pokemon from someone else if he wasn''t walking alone right now. The place he was headed to, needed him to be alone. He was wearing a loose pink shirt, patterned with rising waves, and white pants over brown shoes. Overall, it gave him a funny, touristy appeal. But when all were going to see the Water-Chariot Race, Kai was going in the other direction. His goal was a warehouse. Yes, the same warehouse from the movie where the Museum-curator, Lorenzo, had his Gondola workshop. The same warehouse that had the hidden entrance to the Secret Garden; the place where the legendary Pokemon lived. The same Secret Garden that also had the precious Soul Dew, said to contain the dead Latios'' soul (-current Latias'' brother from the movie-) as well as the power to destroy Alto Mare, housed in a pool of pure water. If Order has sent Contestants to save the city, then their first line of defense must be around the warehouse, monitoring all activities around it, Kai, Petyr, and Meg had concluded. But only Kai had mentioned that there might be a 4th-floor Contestant among them, as anyone lower than that wouldn''t make sense against him. Kai crumpled the wanted poster and threw it away in a dustbin. Then, he took out a leaflet. It was about the Water-Chariot Race. Time passed, and soon Kai found himself near the Warehouse, just a hundred meters away. He stopped. Kai closed his eyes, and for the first time, focused on all his Abilities, simultaneously. Emotions Manipulation, Telekinesis, Instincts; all were churning furiously, trying to pick up on any presence nearby. Then he felt them. Steel-like wires had surrounded the warehouse, like a meticulously woven web. He could feel the cool air around him getting cut from a hundred directions, telling him of their vast numbers. Only when he opened his eyes and saw the nearest, almost invisible, wires shining silver under the morning sun that he realize they weren''t wires at all. Hair. They were hair. Sharp, flexible, and resilient than steel hair was used to make an intricate castle around the warehouse. Kai looked back and noticed that this castle was stretched to over 300 meters around the warehouse. He was already standing in the thick of it. He was like a fly who had been caught in the web, before knowing of it himself. So, Kai amusingly thought. Where is the spider, then? "Hello," a sweet, inquiring voice reached him. "How may I help you?" Kai looked to his left, toward the water canal. On the bank stood a girl, wearing the white volunteer t-shirt, which had images of the Eon Pokemon, over blue denim shorts. Her long black boots were reaching her knees, and behind them dangled the ends of her long black hair. Kai followed them up and saw that there was a yellow Pikachu-ear plush headband on her head, keeping her hair away from her round face. Her eyes were two blue pearls. "Aa¡­ aaa!" Kai let out two quick noises, pretending to be mute. He pointed at his mouth, and then at the leaflet in his hands. The girl smiled. "It''s OK," she told him. "I understand. You just turn around and walk straight to the T-Point at the end of this alley, OK? There you will find the board which will show you the way to the race." Kai smiled. He nodded, bowed, and did as was told to him. With every step, the surrounding hair made way to let him pass. This he didn''t need to feel to know. He would have never left the place if the hair hadn''t moved away. It was a plain fact. When Kai reached the T-Point, he looked back. The girl was nowhere to be seen. The smile on his face vanished, and his heart thumped. What the hell was that creature? Kai asked himself incredulously. Dementor''s Blood Essence had made him susceptible to the changes in spiritual energy around him. The girl had been standing near enough for him to examine hers by stimulating his Glitch. There lay the problem. For the first time, Kai failed to find a single drop of Spiritual Energy from someone. Only one kind of beings in Kai''s perspective didn''t have any spirituality. He knew them like the back of his hands because he made them. Or that''s how his victims ended up after Kai sucked out their souls. So he asked himself again. What the hell was that Soulless Creature?! Chapter 116: Water-Chariot Race – Phase 1 of Kai’s Plan! "Go, Misty! Go Totodile! Show them what you got, buddy!" This shout had come from the least expected source. Petyr Baelish. He was standing among the crowd on a high arching over-bridge of the canal. Kai was on his left, watching the race enthusiastically. The Water-Chariot Race needed the participants to make two laps on a predetermined long map of canals, using chariots (-kind of like large bowls-) tied to a water-type Pokemon. When Kai had come to the spot, the first lap was just about to be over. The thing was that Meg and Totodile were in the lead. For a tiny, weak Pokemon, Kai reflected, Totodile is doing a fine job in the water. Meg had told him that there was a steep learning curve in training the young Pokemon. It took me 3 years to train Squirtle to the level of E+ graded magical beasts, she had told Kai, giving an antidote to Cyndaquil after their nightly visit to Jimmy''s house. I think he would have evolved this time, if¡­ Suddenly, the crowd burst into loud cheers. Kai saw Meg, standing on a yellow striped water-chariot, and getting pulled by Totodile like a speedboat. They had just passed down from under the bridge. From the whistles, it seemed all the boys and men were cheering her on, despite the obvious difference between her and other participants'' age. Well, it''s expected of someone whose Charisma stands at 65, Kai thought, sneering. Even becoming Unworthy couldn''t seem to have snatched that away from her. "Did you see her looking at you, my lord?" Petyr whispered in Kai''s ears. "I have seen only blood redder than the color on her face when she found you standing here. Don''t tell me¡­ Should I call her mistress from now on or my lady?" Kai didn''t deign to answer. More pressing thoughts occupied his mind as he saw her urging Totodile to go faster and faster, like a queen riding a war-chariot over the waves, heading for an oceanic battle. Her red hair blazed almost golden under the sun before disappearing behind a turn. "What''s her name?" Kai heard a young man asking a boy. "The commentators are calling her Misty, aren''t they?" the boy replied. "Isn''t that the name of the winner from last year?" Petyr added, joining the conversation effortlessly. "Who said there can''t be two beauties with the same name?" the young man chuckled. "Speaking of last year''s winner," Petyr mumbled, "didn''t her group have a friendly relationship with Curator, Lorenzo, and his granddaughter¡­ What was her name again?"Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Friendly?" the boy guffawed. "They saved the city from Team Rocket. Even the Eon Pokemon favored them. I have never seen Latias myself. A real bummer, right?" The young man patted the boy. "They remain invisible," he told the boy. "It''s hard to spot them. Don''t worry. Ah, yes. Her name is Bianca. Quite a beauty, Haha!" Petyr laughed sheepishly with them. "Any chance I can find her today," he said, leaning in as if he was a long-lost friend of the two. "I quite fancy her. Heard a lot about her, you know." The boy grinned. "There she is," he told Petyr. "The one with brown hair and hairstyle like Latias'' wings." Kai followed Petyr''s gaze and saw her, then. Despite knowing about her from the movie, he had no way to pinpoint who Bianca was. It was one thing to see an animated movie, and another thing entirely to identify the live human-version of the anime characters. "Who are the two boys on either side of her?" Petyr asked, frowning. "They seem close." "You don''t have to think too much about them," the young man said. "They are part of the Volunteer Task Force permitted by Officer Jenny to prowl the alleys at night. You know, in case the evil Pokemon returns." Both the young man and the boy shuddered. Petyr shuddered the most. "You don''t say!" he exclaimed. "But what can only two boys do against¡­ against you-know-who?" "They are trained professionals," the boy chimed in. "And they are a team of five. Three girls and two boys. The boys only prance around Bianca, though, like two Houndour. Tch!" The young man and the boy shared their annoyance with the two boys guarding Bianca, as Kai and Petyr exchanged a hidden look between them. The Commentators'' voices raised in volume, rising above the already deafening crows. -"And here comes Misty with her Totodile followed by Nick and his brother, Ross'' Pokemon, Wailmer. Nick is looking as courageous as his older brother, who had remained champion for three years in a row until a girl named Misty stole the crown last year. Now we have another Misty among us. Can she defeat the veteran Pokemon and its new trainer?"- The second commentator followed it. -"I think she can, and she will. Look at her go. That Totodile is quite something, huh? Here they come! Oh! Nick has snatched the lead. Wailmer is finally showing the true power of its experience. Totodile is struggling, caught in the wake of the bigger Pokemon. Wait! What is she doing? She is gone! Misty has gone underwater along with her Pokemon. The young boy seems confused by his chaser''s disappearance."- It happened then. Kai''s eyes almost widened as Totodile came bursting out of the water, followed by a drenched Meg on her water-chariot like a fire goddess leaving Atlantis. The bridge he was standing on was high, but the pair went even above that in a long, but powerful arc, like a cannonball. The scene was so mystifying and confounding that the crowd had lapsed into a stunned silence. Totodile and the water-chariot landed back on the water with a loud bang, splashing water all around. And their landing decided the winner. Meg had just won the Water-Chariot Race of the Alto Mare town. The crowd erupted with such a cacophony that even the max-raised volume of the Commentators vanished among them. Kai smiled, and his eyes narrowed. Now! A voice screamed in his mind. The engines of his Slither Steps Ability roared at their full capacity. He slid through the crowd as if he was a snake, touching all, and yet not standing out. The two 3rd-floor Contestants, guarding Bianca, sensed the danger. It was too late. Kai''s breath rattled as he sucked out the Happiness of the three individuals. Their knees buckled as despair took over their minds and hearts, fear bubbling within them like boiling water. He could see the horrifying look in the Contestants'' eyes as they gazed back at him in stupefying horror. The gaze couldn''t last even for a moment. Kai''s breath rattled a second time as he took a deep breath, emptying them of all hope, too. Selene lunged out of him, entering their bodies one by one, freezing their souls. Meanwhile, Kai''s hand wrapped over Bianca''s mouth. The girl couldn''t even resist and Kai merged back into the crowd. Phase 1 of the Plan - Success! Chapter 117: The true identity of Order’s Defense – Hair Demon! 09:00 pm, June 28th Alto Mare Kai examined the First Place Glass Medallion won by Meg. It had reliefs of the Eon Pokemon carved over it, and even in the dark, it threatened to burst out with a silver glow. Meg had plans to only get the Milestone for taking part in the race. Those plans had changed last night, though. Not only Kai had commanded her to put all her efforts into winning the race but also to be as pompous about it as she could. Kai''s first target was none other than the girl, lying beside him with her mouth gagged and her hands and legs tied. Bianca. The closest friend of the adult Latias. From the movie, and guessing the defenses of the Order''s Contestants, Kai had analyzed that if there was a sure way to enter the Secret Garden without alerting the entire town, then that was this girl. That''s why, after checking out the impenetrable security around the warehouse, Kai hadn''t waited to put his plans into action. They had made an educated guess that Bianca would come to the Water-Chariot race. They had also guessed that Order''s Contestants would guard her, and as these guards could call for help instantly using Mission Credits, Kai needed a distraction. When in the crowd, use the crowd, Kai had commented. First, Petyr will find out Bianca''s location from some strangers. Then I will use the ruckus caused by you winning the race, and ambush the guards if she would have them around her. So, you must win the race. Meg had frowned at that command. It will be extremely difficult, she had told him. Totodile is almost untrained and I have no practice whatsoever, either. I will try my best, master, but if I see I can not win, then still you can count on me. You will have your distraction. Kai hadn''t asked her what was this other way. Nor was he interested. His servant had accepted the command, and that meant he wouldn''t have to care about it anymore. But surprisingly, she won. Kai had used the minuscule time frame perfectly, kidnapping Bianca from under the noses of the invisible legendary Pokemon, which he was sure were there all the time, enjoying the race along with the audience. -/What did you get for it?/- Kai asked Meg, throwing the medallion back to her. -/Two Milestones in one day, not bad. Not bad at all./- Meg nodded in agreement. "Though by now all the minor and major Contestants in this town know I was a Contestant," she answered, "it was still worth the risk. For Participating in the race, I got a +20% chance to encounter a wild, evolved water-type Pokemon. Winning the race got me 2 Correspondence Points, 1 Charisma, and the Medallion. I can use this thing to get in favor of the many major main storyline Characters from the Pokemon Random World. It also enhances the Base Damage of water-type Pokemon up to D+ grade by 20%."If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. That''s quite a lot, Kai reflected. -/I also have a congratulatory gift for you,/- he told her, amusing himself at Meg''s shocked expression. -/Seeing that you have such chemistry with Totodile, it would be better to let you have the Pokemon./- "Master¡­" Meg fumbled for words, but Kai cut her off. -/Take it as a command,/- he said coolly. -/Totodile is a weak Pokemon, and I have seen Selene flicking her tongue at it whenever I had taken it out of the Pokeball. I am afraid one day we''ll wake up and won''t find even a trace of its existence. -/The only reason for getting the Pokemon was the Elementary Ability, anyway. I know I can only catch a wild Pokemon by defeating it in a Pokemon battle, using my own Pokemon. But you can do that too after getting Totodile, can''t you? Take it, evolve the two Pokemon, and use it to catch some good Pokemon for me, instead./- Meg kneeled. "As you command, master," she said. Kai could feel the bubbling happiness in her heart, but it wasn''t the time to play with her emotions. -/Have you recalled something?/- he asked her. After kidnapping Bianca, they had met each other just a few minutes before. Kai had taken Bianca into the sewers to hide for the day, and Meg had returned to the room. If the legendary Pokemon were searching for Bianca, then they wouldn''t have found her anywhere. The first thing Kai had done after meeting her was to tell her about the strange web of hair around the warehouse. He had hoped to get an answer instantly, but it seemed he had hoped for too much. "Not entirely," Meg answered, pressing her brows. "A soulless creature that can weave a web of hair¡­ I don''t know, master." -/Can it be that thing?/- Kai added, helping her thoughtful expression. -/You know, the Horcrux or something./- The moment he had learned about them, Kai had imprinted them on his heart. No. Not to replicate the idea, as he had found it extremely stupid to break apart one''s soul. The teachings from his previous world told that leaving even one aspect of Body, Mind, and Soul could be dangerous in controlling a Beast''s Blood Essence. It wasn''t a great analogy, but it was true. The reason he was interested in it was something entirely else. Meg giggled before Kai''s thoughts could wander far. "It can''t be that," she told him. "It''s top-level magic. Not to mention that you couldn''t sense even a trace of a soul from her. So it can''t be that. Wouldn''t it be stupid to hide her soul in an item¡­" Meg couldn''t finish her words. Kai saw her eyes widening mid-sentence. For a moment, he even thought Latias had found them without him knowing about it. "Wait a minute!" she mumbled to herself. "Soulless. Can control hair and make a web out of them. Why haven''t I thought of it before? I think I know what we are facing, master. You weren''t right about Horcrux, but you weren''t completely wrong either. She is soulless because her soul lies in another item." Kai stood up as Bianca wriggled behind him like a worm. -/What is she?/- "It was as you had guessed," she declared. "She is a 4th-floor Contestant. As I told you on the cruise to New Bark Town, I know little about this world, for it is completely out of my expertise. But I know the basics. Our enemy seems to have a part of the powers of Sakasagami no Yura, the Hair Demon, also known as¡­ Yura of the Demon Hair." -/Which Random World?/- Kai asked expectantly. Meg smiled. "One of your favorites, master," she told him. "The World of Inuyasha." Chapter 118: Manipulating the Eon Pokemon An hour later, Alto Mare The 2nd phase of Kai''s plan was to force the adult Latias to take him to the Secret Garden, where the Soul Dew was lying in the pool of Sacred Water. The Eon Pokemon were legendary not only in name but also in their moves. Kai wasn''t afraid of them, not more than he was afraid of death. Fear and knowledge of one''s capabilities were two different things. He wasn''t her (-Latias-) match, Kai knew. Especially not when she had two young Latias and Latios to back her up. But an even bigger reason was something else entirely. Why worry about the legendary Pokemon when my mission isn''t to fight them? Kai had quipped. Why go after the three legendary Pokemon from the beginning, when we can manipulate them freely? Yes. Kai''s mission was to use the Soul Dew, following the instructions and data given to him by the movie, and use it to get the egg. That''s it. Everything else was secondary. That''s where Bianca came in. Kai had seen the special bond she had with the legendary Pokemon in the movie. If he was right, which he knew he was, then he could coerce Latias to do his bidding, using Bianca''s life as a bargain. What a fantastic weakness these creatures have, Kai thought, heavy gusts of wind hitting him across his face. So powerful, and yet weak hearts. Love brings strength, they say. Fools! Love brings nothing but weakness. Let me show the world that though I am not a match for Latias, I can still treat her like my bitch. Heh! Kai was hovering high in the sky, well above the reach of all eyes. Even if someone were to squint their eyes to see, they wouldn''t have found him. The wind was angry up there, trying to rip his foul tattered robes for no apparent reason. But the wind was bound to fail. This was the foulest creature, a mass of black, rotten mist, for lack of a better description. This was Dementor-Kai. Clutched under his skeletal arms was Bianca, shivering, her pants already wet from peeing several times. This was a natural response from a normal human. Kai didn''t look down on the young girl for this. He had refrained himself from sucking out her happiness too much. Kidnapping her to force the legendary Pokemon was already pushing the things to limit. He won''t give the unrealistically powerful magical beasts any reason to attack him. At least not before approaching the end of Phase 2, Kai amused himself, waiting for Latias to show herself. So, that''s what he was doing, levitating so far up from the city. Kai had spent the day in the sewers, hiding from the Pokemon. Now that he didn''t want to hide anymore, he still needed to prevent Order''s Contestants from interfering with his business. All fights and slaughter will have to wait, Kai reminded himself. He looked up at the stars from under his hood and saw the darkness about them. Suddenly, his mind went to the Pokemon he had recently come to desire, even more than killing and sex. -Darkrai,- Kai hissed, and Bianca twitched and winced like a half-dead prey. -I will have you.- It is beyond even thinking, master, Meg had dared to say it to his face. Darkrai is an infamous Dark-type Mythical Pokemon. To even think you can devour it by any means is a suicidal thought. You told me you had met Latias before fleeing from Alto Mare that night, right? What did it feel like? Could you have taken her on, even if you had twice the strength? No. I will strongly advise you against going after Darkrai and its traces, then. That road is better left untrodden for now, master.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Kai had stared at her with unparalleled fury, but Meg hadn''t looked away, either. How could he scorn her, when this was the exact thing he admired about her? For anything related to Kai''s plans and path, she was blunt to an unmatched degree. Meg''s next words had made him give up on his thoughts altogether. Remember what you told me, master? She had asked him, not unkindly. Remember the list? That''s our primary goal now. Need I remind you of it every day? As declared by you, we will aim to devour the tales of the most prominent scientists in the Multiverse. Opportunities to gain power will come to us by themselves. It''s like clearing the concepts of maths. Once you understand the fundamentals, all problems can be solved by applying them in one way or another. Selene sent a cold burst, sensing Kai''s pulsating emotions. Meg is right, he concluded, rubbing his chest. I will walk on the path of that list, and whatever comes in that path, I will gobble it up too. Suddenly, the wind changed colors. A monstrous amount of life-threatening danger struck him like a chain of lightning bolts. He felt himself drowning in a quagmire, his feet stuck deep into the concrete-like mud. Even the billowing strips of his dark tattered robes behind him struggled to flap. Kai felt them then. Their emotions were too strong for him to not notice these presences. For a moment, he doubted if he could even suck out their happiness or not. But he soon buried that doubt within him, and let out a confident, rattling chuckle. -/Make a move, and she dies,/- he told the invisible legendary Pokemon, letting out his bloodlust. -/I''ve been waiting for you for a long time, friends. Show yourself./- The thick, moist wind was now roiling around him like a tornado. Kai got no response. -Selene.- Kai hissed menacingly. A mass of silver mist came out of Kai and materialized into Selene''s figure. Her dragonish scales shone silver, and her tongue flicked out, matching the intensity of Kai''s threats. She lunged at Bianca, coiling herself around her neck, and yawned. -/Show yourself,/- Kai told them again, chuckling, and sensing the wind losing its power. -/Or she will die. You are fast, I know, but are you faster than death?/- The silence was deafening. Then, as if space had given birth to them, the Pokemon appeared around Kai. He heard their low, strange calls, as he saw their colors. The largest of them was red, and it was also the strongest. Latias, Kai nodded to himself, before gazing at the other two. The young red Latias and blue Latios were half of adult Latias'' size, but together they were almost as powerful as her. -/You,/- Kai pointed at the adult Latias. -/Come closer./- His heart was racing. One moment of recklessness, and he would face certain death, he knew. Though Kai failed to imagine that the Pokemon might not kill him, it wasn''t a matter of discussion for now. The adult Latias cooed, her call gaining pitch, and then, like a jet, she came at him. Kai couldn''t even follow her flight path, let alone keep an eye on her. She stopped in front of him, her head touching Bianca''s hair. Selene hissed at Latias murderously. Kai could see through Selene''s facade, though. She was as nervous as him. But like Kai, she too was keeping her nervousness hidden well behind her sneering hisses. Her fangs, dripping with venom, were just short of entering Bianca''s neck. It was then Kai felt it. The emotions. It was like a deep well, the depths of which Kai failed to fathom. But they were there. A sea of happiness, floating above an ocean of sorrow. Kai had expected it after seeing the movie, and the fate of her brother, Latios. Yet, the real thing surpassed all his expectations. Kai''s breath rattled, and he sucked deep. Latias trembled. A thin trail of happiness and hope left her, as Kai traded it for despair. But he soon faced the problem, too. Latias'' emotions were like a thick, pulpy mango shake, and his Advance Emotions Manipulation was a thin straw. There wasn''t much he could take out of her, even if he tried. But when combined with Latias'' trauma of losing her brother, this negligible sucking seemed to be enough. Despair claimed her thoughts little by little, Kai could tell. Her gaze was melting in concern for Bianca, and the idea that Kai would indeed kill her if she did not meet his demands, weakened the highly intelligent Pokemon''s reasoning. The two young Pokemon sensed the adult Latias'' odd state, and they stirred their wings to come at Kai. Selene''s fangs touched Bianca''s skin then. The Latias near Kai cried with such intensity that he almost got thrown back. Then he laughed. -/That''s right,/- he sneered. -/Keep them off me. Now you know what will happen if you refuse my commands. Take me to the Secret Garden. Now./- Latias gave him a deep look of loathing and disgust and cooed again, turning around. The two young Eon Pokemon came to hover on Kai''s flanks. Then they all dived, the Pokemon''s speed matching Kai''s. When they were just about to hit the ground, the adult Latias'' eyes flashed blue, opening a big, round portal. Kai couldn''t help but let out an evil, rattling chuckle. Chapter 119: Kai vs 3 Legendary Pokemon! (I) Kai felt the overwhelming joy brimming out from everything as he landed on the grass. Other than the obvious threat of the legendary Pokemon going insane and attacking him, nothing could hinder Phase 2 now. No one, not Order''s Contestants, not Officer Jenny and her squad, not even Bianca''s grandfather, Lorenzo, would have in their wildest imagination thought that Kai could enter the Secret Garden like this. If I didn''t have Dementor''s Blood Essence, then it would not have been so easy, Kai thought, sneering, and looking around. Even though it was nighttime, the Secret Garden was more than alive. In the movie, this place was the home of Latias and Latios, bursting with wild Pokemon. Immense stone walls surrounded it, with brick fountains decorating its pathways. The entire field within the garden was grassy, and hundreds of fresh flowers swayed in passing gusts of gentle wind. Both natural and artificial ponds were glistening black and blue, and the sizes of trees varied from 10 to 100 ft. All this gave the Secret Garden quite a Venetian Gardens type of look. For Kai, the most beautiful thing, or better to say a beautiful fact, was that only a few people knew of this location. He and Meg had concluded that even though Order''s Contestants might have information regarding this place, they wouldn''t be allowed to come just because they were volunteers recommended by Officer Jenny. So they would center all their defenses on either the warehouse or the museum. Go to the museum and clear the area, Kai had commanded Meg after discussing all these points. When I come there, I must find no one other than the 4th-floor Contestant. Do not fight her by yourself. You are not her match in your current state. Well, Kai thought, his eyes landing on the three legendary Pokemon staring at him. Let''s hurry, I think. He smiled, still holding Bianca like a rag doll with Selene coiled around her neck, and glided towards the tallest and grandest pool shimmering under the light of stars. When he neared the pool, he put Bianca on the ground. -/Attack me and she will die,/- Kai warned the three Pokemon, before gliding off to the showering pillar of water. He could feel the adult Latias closing in on Bianca, who was almost in a state of comatose but only smiled to himself at that. The pool he was looking at was enclosed in a decorative metal cage of iron bars. The water in it had a distinct unearthly and spiritual glow, and it was falling into an open pond some 20 ft below the pool. This spiritual water seemed to be circulated throughout the Secret Garden through this pool. Fascinating! Kai thought, and then his gaze landed on the altar, submerged at the bottom of the pool. It wasn''t deep enough for him to not recognize the thing sitting over the Altar. It was a fist-sized, dark blue glassy ball. Thousands of silver-ghostly light were twinkling inside it as if there was a river of stars within it.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Soul Dew, Kai recalled the name, feeling immense waves of Breath emanating out of it. As he looked at it, his eyes beamed under his hood, and his breath rattled. This object was the cornerstone of Kai''s plans. But the grin on his face, causing his dry lips to reach his ears, told that Kai had a more hideous and heaven-shaking scheme in his mind. The two young Eon Pokemon were almost letting a growling coo. Kai ignored them. His eyes shone with an imperceptible red glow, and the Soul Dew lodged out from the Altar using Telekinesis. Like a bullet, it flew towards Kai and he snatched it out of the air. -Now!- he hissed out of the blue. All things happened simultaneously and instantly. Selene, who was already hissing furiously at the approaching adult Latias suddenly let go of Bianca and lunged at the Pokemon. Taken aback by this surprising action, the adult Latias flew back. But the distance between her and Selene was short enough for the Ghost Serpent to outmatch the Pokemon''s reaction. Selene''s figure burst into a mass of silver mist, disappearing into adult Latias'' body, and then, she exploded with a Soul Chill at her maximum capacity. Never had this Secret Garden known such a horrendous and agonizing cry, a scream of pure agony. A frosty layer of white-blue color crawled its way around the red adult Latias, as she fell to the ground, crashing, thrashing her wings and her hands. From the other side, the two young Eon Pokemon let out furious cooing noises. All the Secret Garden had come awake, suddenly. The water had lost its luster after Kai had taken out the Soul Dew too. Pokemon were coming out of the ponds, down from the trees, and out of the bushes. Kai recognized Yanma, Butterfree, and Poliwag among many others. But he didn''t have the time to do anything else. -Again,- he hissed. For the first time, the world got to know the horror named Selene, the so-proclaimed Goddess of Moonless Nights. Soul Chill, like Intangibility, was her Ability. It could momentarily freeze a legendary Pokemon''s soul, but it couldn''t prevent it from healing and shaking its effect off. Kai wouldn''t have used this move on the adult Latias if that had been the case. But constant bursts of Soul Chill at maximum output? Now that was something else. Yes. It put quite a strain on the Ghost Serpent for her to do so continuously, but that was her job. All Items must serve their purpose, he had told Selene. To that, Selene had just nodded, flicking out her tongue, as if Kai''s cruel words were the most casual statement. The adult Latias cried again, her coos becoming shriller with every next burst. The young legendary Pokemon came to action, then. They couldn''t do anything about the adult Latias, so like two immense powerful jets, they dashed towards Kai. An unprecedented amount of danger rocked his mind from all around, but in return, he just smiled. He wasn''t nearly as fast as them, and he wasn''t equipped with monstrous moves as them, either. But he had one thing, which these young Pokemon lacked. Brutality! ¡­ All their life, the young Eon Pokemon had known only happiness and joy. Kai could tell this from the way these Pokemon lived in the movie, and he had just the thing to counter those emotions. Other than his Advance Emotions Manipulation, Kai had nothing he could use to thwart the incoming Pokemon. Even if he could run, slithering, hiding among the trees and bushes, that wasn''t his plan needed of him. If he wanted to dodge Latios'' tackle, then he would have glided away by now. Kai''s intentions were bloodier than that. Just as the young Latios'' head banged into his chest, he took out 3 HP Capsules and threw them down his throat. Simultaneously, he took a deep breath, deeper than he had ever had, sucking out Latios'' overflowing happiness, hidden under his anger. Boom! Chapter 120: Kai vs 3 Legendary Pokemon! (II) Kai was thrown off, his dark, rotten chest, bursting apart with a tearing noise. But even the notification of low HP couldn''t come into existence faster than the HP boost given to him by 3 HP capsules, given to him by Red Sun, a 9th Floor Contestant. All tears, ruptures, and cracks within him vanished. It was then that young Latias'' tackle struck him in the chest. Boom!! Again Kai sucked deep, snatching her happiness. But this time, the aftereffects of the 3 HP capsules were enough to prevent any injury. Both Eon Pokemon shook their heads, as despair clutched at their throats. Behind them, the adult Latias kept crying in pain. It seemed to have angered the young Latios, and his eyes shone blue, matching the colored stripes on his body. Kai felt a powerful wave of spiritual current coming for him. He had been attacked with the same move before, he suddenly remembered. The owl-type Pokemon, Hoothoot, had used Confusion on him, as he found out later through Meg. But this Confusion was of a higher degree and could inflict serious damage to his mind. If Kai had not devoured Golduck''s Blood Essence, he wouldn''t have survived this attack unscathed. The Dementor''s filthiness vanished off him as his skin turned blue, a red gem appearing on his forehead. His tail thrashed like a whip behind him and his slitted eyes narrowed, a grin flashing across his face. The Blood Demon was ready to face the Eon Pokemon! Kai''s eyes let out a red glow as he used Telekinesis and Telepathy to influence the Spiritual waves around him. A massive headache welled up inside his head as blood streamed out of his nose. But the move, Confusion, failed to approach him. Kai couldn''t let go of this chance. The young Latias was nearest to him. He glided towards her, but the moment she saw him coming for her, the Pokemon turned invisible and flew away. Kai snapped his head at the young Latios, but couldn''t find him. The male Pokemon too seemed to have turned invisible. Kai was the last person who would have worried about their invisibility. The moment invisible Latios came to attack him with his powerful wings from an unknown direction, an image manifested itself in his mind, following an instinct. A fountain of blood spurted out from his shoulder as Kai sucked more happiness out of Latios. The young legendary Pokemon didn''t seem to have a better hold on their emotions, unlike the adult Latias. Kai''s second attempt at stealing the Happiness and Hope out of young Latios made it come out of its invisibility. It struggled to keep itself in the air, as despair made it tremble, sending it into a world of darkness. The young Latias appeared by its side, coming out of her invisible state. She cooed at her brother, concernedly, and then they both turned their heads to look at Kai. Their mouths opened, and Kai felt Mana from all around him and from beyond the limits he could perceive, rushing at the tip of their mouths, condensing into some kind of ball.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Dragon Pulse! Kai guessed the move, his heart thumping, and yet, the smile was still on his face. -/Haha!/- He sneered, his breath rattling, but his words were directed at the adult Latias lying on the ground. -/I have all the time. One by one, I will capture you both./- Kai was a hideous manipulator, to begin with. He knew he couldn''t keep fighting the young Eon Pokemon if they decided to go all out. So, he purposely let the adult Latias hear his words, feigning confidence. The only thing that remained now was to let Pokemon''s motherly nature kick in. For that, he needed her to speak. Following this scornful laugh and comment, Kai hissed, -Selene, slow down for a second.- The moment Selene''s Soul Chill dropped in intensity, the adult Latias lifted her head, and bellowed at the two young Pokemon, cooing at them, and looking at the unconscious Bianca. The young Pokemon cried back at her in defiance, but the adult Latias'' voice seemed to have more power over them. Well, well, well, Kai amusingly thought, clutching his head. I knew I could replicate this scene from the movie. In the events of the movie, which happened a year ago, the members of Team Rocket had also injured Latios (-now dead-). Later, the captured and injured Latios had convinced his sister, Latias, to abandon him and get help from Ash and his friends. Kai used the same tactic. To run the DMA (-machine at the museum-) he needed both Soul Dew and one of the Eon Pokemon. But Kai had plans beyond that. For those plans to work, he needed the two young legendary Pokemon to escape from the Secret Garden. -Selene, attack her at full output once again, and then drop it to 50%,- Kai hissed. The adult Latias let out an ear-deafening cry, and then slumped down, struggling to breathe. The two young Pokemon trembled, and forgetting about Kai, rushed for Bianca. Kai heard their cries as if they were gritting their teeth in anger, and then saw them taking away Bianca through a portal opened in mid-air. Kai sneered but didn''t drop his guard. He waited, hovering above the ground. But no one came from the massive entrance of the Secret Garden. That entrance was connected to the hidden door into the warehouse that Kai had visited before. Meg has done it, Kai concluded, smiling. One reason for him commanding her to attack the museum was to make the enemy concentrate their defenses around the DMA, leaving the warehouse to the web of hair. Finally, Kai canceled the Golduck''s transformation. The HP capsules had healed his injuries, but like his tiredness, they couldn''t affect his headache, either. Kai laughed, pushing himself to his feet. He approached the adult Latias, who was suffering from constant pain, her soul freezing and unfreezing continuously. Selene is giving it her all, Kai noted. -Keep varying the Soul Chill''s output between 20% and 80%,- he hissed, commanding Selene. -We don''t want her getting used to this feeling, do we? When you feel she is becoming immune to the freezing, hit her with a Soul Chill at 100%.- Selene said nothing, but Kai knew she had heard him. Only then did Kai give his attention to the Soul Dew in his hand and the notification in front of his eyes. ¡­ [ Congratulations Kai Stormborn on finding an Artifact¡­ Artifact: Soul Dew ¡­ Your Title Status is updated ¡­ Title: Novice Collector Specification: Collect 10 different Artifacts from any random world and timeline. Status: (4/10) Effect: Luck +3, Correspondence +3, Breath +3 Note: Only 1 Title can be equipped at a time ] ¡­ Things didn''t end there. More notifications popped up, to Kai''s surprise. ¡­ [ Advance Emotions Manipulation: Proficiency 10% (+7%) Elementary Telekinesis: Proficiency 25% (+10%) Elementary Telepathy: Proficiency 10% (+5%) ] ¡­ Kai could instinctively tell that the increase in the Proficiencies of his Telepathy and Telekinesis was because he had withstood the young Latios'' move, Confusion. He looked down at the adult Latias, and grinned, putting his foot on her head. -/Would you like to visit the museum now, my lady?/- he asked her, cackling evilly. His cackle was a mixed broken laugh, overflowing with hisses. Phase 2 of the Plan - ¡­ Success! Chapter 121: Essence-Drunk – The Beginning of Phase 3! An hour after midnight, The water gurgled and splashed as a massive red-blue creature leaped out of the canal near the museum. It had a long blue tail, two large red wings, four hands, two legs, two fins, and two faces. Quite an odd creature. Especially when its one face was of a human with an oval blood-colored gem embedded in the middle of the forehead, and the other face looked like the legendary Pokemon, Latias. Not giving the watching ghosts a heart attack from this hideous sight that suggested a horrifying attempt at breeding humans and Pokemon, Golduck-Kai let the adult Latias slide off his back. With the web of hair surrounding the warehouse, he couldn''t have come out from the hidden entrance without alerting the 4th-floor Contestant. She might not have picked up the disturbance around the warehouse from the museum, but Kai didn''t want to take chances with the Pokemon, Latias, on his back. There was only one known way to enter the Secret Garden, through the Warehouse. The other way needed the Eon Pokemon to open a portal to that place. But unlike going in, there was a third way to go out of the garden, as revealed in the movie. The tunnels of the canals. They ran from the garden to the city outside. After escaping from the Secret Garden in the movie, Latias had taken the same route to reach Ash in the Pokemon Center. Now, those tunnels were filled with water and ran deep with no opening. The Stats allowed Kai to possess greater power than an average adult Contestant, but he was still human. Golduck-Kai was another matter, though. One of the fastest swimming Pokemon, this was recorded in the Pokedex Kai had gotten from Professor Elm. It was true. With his webbed hands and feet, and using the long, powerful tail, Kai felt like a bird in the sky. The Dementor-Kai could fly too. Yes. But it''s flying bordered gliding at max. It was nigh impossible for Dementor-Kai to match a flying-type Pokemon''s speed. Not to mention, Dementor-Kai was restricted by Agility. Golduck-Kai had no such limitations. No longer was he obstructed by such constraints after diving into the waters. Depending on the activities performed underwater, he could hold his breath for hours. He could swim as fast as any Pokemon, and faster sometimes. He felt freer in the water than walking on the ground. Kai was getting Essence-Drunk, an official term his mother had invented in his previous life to describe the uncontrolled effects after fusing with a Blood Essence. He was aware of it, and that''s why the smile of unforgettable satisfaction on his face only annoyed him more.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. I just want it to be over, Kai thought. I''ve waited a long time to get my hands on the things that I desire. He looked down at Latias. Drops of water had frozen on her body, and long trails of icicles shimmered dark blue over her feathers. All over her body, a frost was lingering like a living ghost. The Pokemon kept letting out tiny whimpering coos, trembling with every use of Soul Chill within her. Kai wondered for how long Selene could keep it up. Now that he could feed her the flesh of a legendary Pokemon, he didn''t want her to die. He wanted to see what would happen if he were to stimulate those pathogens into the Ghost Serpent''s genome. Will there be a fight between my Glitch''s tendrils, and the yellow corruptive, patterned rings? Who would win? Can she survive that kind of change? And if she can, what will be the outcome? Questions like these hadn''t stopped bubbling in Kai''s mind like boiled water. Professor Elm had fanned the flame of curiosity within him, and he had been adding fuel to it since then. But I can''t harm Latias before taking out the egg, Kai reminded himself. So the sooner I get my hands on the DMA, the better. Kai looked to his right, and some 300 meters away, he saw the museum, as dark as a Dementor''s tattered robes. He did not know the canal pathways for him to swim here from the Secret Garden. But he had a map that pointed to something else. Or someone. -/Took you long enough,/- Kai said telepathically. -/Are all dead?/- Meg kneeled by his feet. "Yes, master," she said, her chest heaving up and down. "As you had commanded, I have taken care of the loose runts." Kai could see no Contestants, squad members of Officer Jenny, or any other local security force. That meant she had completed the mission perfectly. Kai had even tried to give her a Side Mission to bring him water. As one could expect, that attempt had failed. Kai wasn''t sure Chaos would accept which missions, so he had just decided to use the worst, and yet the best, method available for these situations. Hit-and-Trial. -/What about inside the Museum?/- Kai asked. -/Has anyone gone in or come out?/- Meg stood up. "No," she answered. "I sent many paper bugs and birds inside. None returned. It''s those damned hairs, I know. They sense everything." The Random World of Inuyasha had already interested him when Meg had mentioned the various mind-baffling swords in that world like Bleach. Kai knew this Contestant would be the strongest 4th-floor Contestant he would face after resurrecting. Not because she was about to ascend to the 5th floor, as Meg had predicted. But because her lack of a soul had nullified two of Kai''s strongest weapons ¡ª Selene and Dementor-Kai. Selene could kill a top 4th-floor Contestant with one bite. Her Soul Neurotoxin had a potency that even Kai was used to getting drenched with sweat while milking her. Any accidental nick could become fatal. He wasn''t even sure if he could make an antidote of Soul Neurotoxin, as it poisoned the soul, not the flesh. That''s why it was deadlier than Light Neurotoxin. Getting antibodies for an ethereal venom was already a futile task, he knew. Not to mention that making an antidote was a painstaking, resource-intensive, and time-consuming process. Time which Kai had severely lacked. Otherwise, Kai could''ve stored many of those by now. Then there was the matter of the Dementor''s powers. Kai had strong doubts that his Emotions Manipulation would work on this Hair Demon. Of Body, Mind, and Soul, emotions were the product of two of them ¡ª Mind and Soul. At least it was like that in my previous world, Kai thought, pressing his brows. That left him with Misdreavus and Golduck''s Blood Essences. His Fangs and newly gained Skills and Abilities. I will have to use all my power to kill her, Kai noted, taking a deep breath. A little help won''t make me any less shameless. Heh! -/I will go in alone,/- Kai told his servant. -/Take out the paper Golduck-Kai and control it from outside the museum. You just have to do one thing using it. Timing. Yes, timing will be of the essence. Listen carefully¡­/- Kai''s words rumbled in Meg''s mind, and her eyes widened, her lips arching up with every passing moment. Phase 3 of the plan had just started. Chapter 122: Blood Demon vs Hair Demon – The Defeated Fangs! (I) Kai walked into the museum with Latias on his back. The entire museum had been turned into a fortress with hair everywhere. Kai could see some that were not meant to be invisible, but the deadliest hid from his vision, sprouting from places where one least expected them. My recollection is foggy, Meg had told him. In the anime series, Yura of the Demon Hair was a main storyline Character. She could manipulate hair and use it in many strange ways. She could control humans, like puppets using hair, and she could combine many hairs to make pillars, but they remained flexible. Once caught by them, there was almost no escaping. But the strangest fact was that her human form was just a shell. Her soul was in a red comb in a skull, hidden within a thick tower of hair. This was enough for Kai. He was sure that this Contestant must have surrounded the DMA with her hair and put the Item containing her soul within it. It didn''t matter to her whether Kai had caught a legendary Pokemon. Unless Kai got to the machine, he couldn''t do anything. It was an irrefutable fact. Kai had to get to the DMA, though. The Defense Mechanism of Alto Mare was a machine from the movie through which Kai could control the entire city and the water in its canals, using Soul Dew and one of the Eon Pokemon. This was Phase 3 of his plan ¡ª Use the Soul Dew and Latias to take control of the city and bring out the egg from the depths of the museum. Yes. By the end of Phase 3, Kai would be ready to leave the World of Pokemon. There was just one thing keeping him from carrying out his plan. She was staring right at him. "I''ve been waiting for you," her voice boomed off the high walls of the museum. "Have you also seen the movie?" Kai looked around, not replying immediately. Unlike outside, there was light in the main hall. He could see millions of long strands of hair running from one wall to the other, like an endless web. As he had predicted, in front of him, there was a towering cylindrical formation made of hair covering the entire DMA machine. She was standing at its top. Kai still didn''t reply. He looked down and saw the two images that looked like bones embedded in the floor. These were the fossils of Pokemon; Aerodactyl and Kabutops, who were resurrected in the movie by the two Team Rocket members using DMA. Both Pokemon once belonged to an evil Pokemon Trainer who had terrorized the town (-It was mentioned in the movie setting-). The original Latios then had come to the city and using his powers, it had drowned the evil Pokemon and turned the streets into canals. That''s how the first Soul Dew had formed, which was destroyed in the movie. The current Soul Dew in Kai''s possession was a product of the sacrifice of the original Latios'' son. Kai then looked for the circle where he needed to put Latias'' body to start the machine. But strands of hair also guarded it heavily.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "I let you come in because I was getting bored," her voice again found him. "Your appearance has fascinated me. What are you? Some kind of fishman from One Piece? Come on, let''s chat a little. You can call me Nyra." Kai finally lifted his head to give Nyra a hard look. She was still wearing the same clothes from the morning. The Pikachu-ears headband stood out with all that black background. Now that he focused on her, he could see that she wasn''t exactly standing at the top of the tower, but hovering above it. Kai seriously doubted that she could levitate. Using hair as footing? Kai guessed, squinting his eyes. Unlike what Nyra had thought, there was only one reason for him to not answer her. She was too far away for his Telepathy. Sigh! Kai let out a breath. No point in talking when we have only murder in our minds. Kai dropped Latias'' body on the floor. The Pokemon let out a whimpering coo. Her entire body trembled now and then as Selene varied the output of Soul Chill within her. His hand flicked, and he took out the Fangs. Kai looked at his poison-smeared sabers and frowned, knowing that the poison was useless in this case. I miss my armor, he thought bitterly. Kai wasn''t among those who depended on external things too much. But the life he had lived had forced him to depend on a fighting style that needed him to have absurd armor on him. Take wounds, snatch lives. That was his motto. The death bout started with no bells. For a 1st Set Contestant, Kai''s Stats were already in the top bracket. However, the Stats were nothing by themselves. They needed to be paired with equally potent Skills and Abilities, too. The thing was, having a Glitch let Kai hoard Skills and Abilities that would have put even the 3rd Set Contestants to shame. Things had become so ridiculous now, especially after devouring Golduck''s Blood Essence, that any 4th Floor Contestant depending upon physic-based combat was no match against him. Not to mention, Kai still had 2 Unassigned Attribute Points on him. Like a serpent, he was waiting to use them with¡­ patience. Scores of people flew toward him like raindrops, hair attached to the back of their necks. From all directions, they came at him holding one weapon or other. Nyra laughed demonically, controlling her puppets from afar. "The weapons won''t damage you much, as they are from the 1st Set," she said, laughing. "But I have enough of them." She thinks I am a 4th-floor Contestant too, Kai realized, slithering away from dozens of swords hacking at him at once. Twin-Saber Style¡­ Kai danced, slithering between the attacking crowd like a snake, his sabers dancing along with him like two, black blurs. ¡­ Dance of the Giant Serpent! "Ararara¡­" Nyra snickered, her hands flickering like that of a puppeteer''s. "You just killed them like that. Well, what else could I expect from a filthy Chaos'' abomination?" As headless bodies rained down around him, Kai saw Nyra jumping off the tower of hair. A dense mass of hair came from all around, becoming pillars as thick as Kai''s waist. Nyra took out a short sword and controlled the hair to trap Kai. Thick bundles of hair came from Kai''s right and left, and mixed within them, were thin strands, trying to trip him, making him lose his footing. Kai had to use his Fangs'' inherent freezing ability and his instincts to slither out of them. From above, Nyra descended over him, brandishing her weapon. Steel clanked against steel, two sabers kissing a short sword. Kai''s heart came up to his mouth. TINK! The reptilian eyes on the sabers'' flat edges bled. Kai could feel the pain coursing through the Fangs as if they had been struck by not a short sword but a Top-level Uncommon Hammer of some sort. And when his gaze fell upon the notification, he already knew something was wrong. ¡­ [ Fang: Proficiency 50% (-25%) Fang: Proficiency 50% (-25%) ] ¡­ WHAT?! Chapter 123: Blood Demon vs Hair Demon – Blessing and Named Items! (II) The sudden tink making the sabers shudder surprised not only Kai but also the Hair Demon. Kai gawked at the Fangs in his hand, distancing himself from Nyra, who had stopped mid-air, standing on a thin strand of hair. This made little sense to him. He had used these sabers against Beyblades, and they were Uncommon-graded Items. If he had lost a percentage or two of Quality, then Kai would have made his peace with it. To lose 25% Quality, of both sabers, and in one move¡­ It was beyond imagination! "Ara¡­" Nyra giggled coquettishly, putting her hand over her mouth. "Fighting me without a Named Item?! Tch-Tch! Here I thought you recognized my powers when you marched into the museum with that confident walk of yours. Wasn''t it you who was sending those pathetic paper creatures to spy on me? You do know that I have a Blessing, right?" Kai''s heart thumped. Meg had told him about these Blessings. Exceptional members of elite organizations or priests and priestesses from the various Temples could have these powers. Blessings generally were a part of a power that belonged to some main storyline Character or some Magical Beast, yet their Potencies were vastly higher than any equivalent graded Skill. That''s why when Kai had sucked out Meg''s happiness the first time, she had wrongly thought of that as a Blessing. That was also the reason for the High Priest to order her to kill him, Meg had guessed. As they already knew Kai wasn''t a member of some major organization, then in their opinion, Kai was definitely a rookie reared by another Temple. And the rivalries between all the Temples ran deep in Chaos'' Valley. Then there were Named Items. These Items weren''t the replicas collected from the Random Worlds, or crafted by the Contestants in the Primordial Tower, but these were the original items possessed by the main storyline Characters in their respective Random Worlds. There were strict conditions to turn such items into Named Items. Still, given the same grade, nothing could match a Named Item on the same footing. Yes, her having a Blessing explains this Named Item, Kai thought, his lips pressing into a thin line. It must be the same sword that the original character Yura had from the Random World of Inuyasha. One thing you must never forget, master, Meg had told him. 9 out of 10 times, only a Named Item can match another Named Item. So if you are to face someone with a Named Item in the future, always go for the owner and not the Item. "Crimson Mist," Nyra told him, flashing the steel in his eyes. "It can cut through all flesh and bones in a single slash. Now die!" She lunged at him, raising the sword high. The irony was that Kai also had Named Item. Several, to be precise. The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Original). The 3 Custom Pokeballs. The Regional Pokedex. Even the Rock Cake, though it was a Consumable Item and didn''t belong to him. However, contrary to the definition, only those Items that directly contributed to the offensive or defensive abilities of a Contestant were called Named Items. Once again, if one needed to make sure if the Item was Named or not, the Primordial Tower Trade Market was the greatest and most trustworthy platform. Kai gritted his teeth and sent the Fangs back into Inventory. These were the only sabers he had for now, and the best available for him in the Primordial Tower Trade Market. He couldn''t afford to spend Mission Credits and get something better if these sabers were to disappear. At least not until he was done with this Main Mission.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Thick pillars of hair came at Kai, trying to bind his hands and legs. He slithered away effortlessly from them, but then more and more hair kept coming. Nyra was within 10 meters of him, but there was nothing he could do to her. His Telekinesis was useless without weapons to control, and on a strong opponent like her when he had yet to master his new Ability fully. He could use Skill, but if he failed to kill her in 30 seconds, then the cooldown of 5 minutes would be his death. I didn''t expect that I would lose the use of my sabers, Kai thought, dodging the puppets hacking at him. Good thing the Fangs were just one part of my plan. Kai''s hand flicked, and he took out four Kunais, two in each hand. As he slithered out of hair pillars, he threw them at the incoming Nyra. Surprised, she was about to run head-on into them. Suddenly, one of the hair pillars chasing Kai changed direction and became a wall between the Kunais and her. The Kunai hit the hair-wall, and fell to the ground, making a crunching noise. They were paper Kunais. Kai couldn''t store Meg''s Origami in his Inventory, as they weren''t Items. So he had emptied his MRB and stuffed it with many Origamis instead. These Origamis were the most important part of dealing with this Hair Demon. Nyra laughed. "So it was you indeed," she said, looking at the crumpled papers. "What it is? Elementary Origami Creation?" Kai didn''t reply. He dashed away from her, took out an Origami sword, and threw it at her. "Humph!" Nyra harrumphed. "I have enough of your bluffs." One hair pillar flicked at the sword, and it fell apart, bits of paper raining down like snow. Kai didn''t wait for her to catch up to him, though. He kept throwing Kunais, daggers, and even needles at her. The hair pillars flicked them away. After one point, she even stopped defending against them. They just hit her and fell, not even tickling her. Nyra snickered. "You think I am dumb, don''t you?" she asked, jesting. "All you men are the same. What gives you the right to think highly of yourself when you are at my mercy? You think you will mix real Kunais or Items with fake ones, and that would fool me? Do you even have that many Items? Would you like to see me using them?" Kai felt the danger before he could even see it. From all around, thin strands of hair lifted like dozens of feet tall snakes. At the tip of those hairs were Kunais, the black iron glistening gray in the dark. But things didn''t end there, to Kai''s dismay. Tied at the end of those Kunais were strips of paper with runic characters and symbols on them. Explosive-Kunai! The name thundered in Kai''s mind. There was a time when he had wondered how much death and destruction he could cause with a dozen of them. Never had he thought he would be at the receiving end of it. Like a rain of arrows, all the Explosive-Kunais got thrown at him, leaving him no direction to dodge. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Nyra backing away, laughing and sneering at him. Kai''s face showed the utmost fear when all the paper strips lit up simultaneously. But the moment the first explosion blinded Nyra''s vision, he smiled, the corners of his lips arching like that of a demon. It wasn''t a chain of explosions. A massive boom shook the entire museum, rocking its foundation. Kai was around the wall opposite the DMA machine with Nyra hovering on hair in between. That wall came down too, rubble falling, rolling all over the museum''s great hall. The rest of the explosion went toward Nyra, with a destructive power not less than with which it had brought down the wall. A humongous wall of hair came between her and the incoming explosion. It trembled, hair scorching from the fire. The explosion destroyed more than half of it, but it couldn''t go through the wall''s thickness. The wall, though, had done more than save Nyra from her own explosion. It made her blind to what was going on behind the wall. Not even Kai could have survived so many Explosive Kunais. Not without a powerful armor to enhance his Defense at least. But these days, Kai had a better and more potent alternative. A charred figure threw 1 red capsule in its mouth, and in an instant, a red glow washed over it. Every burnt part healed, a blue skin reappearing, glistening silver under the fire flickering around him. Not even the reduced HP regeneration rate could prevent him from standing up and taking a deep breath, throwing a piece of the wall off him. The thick smell of burnt hair spread across the museum and entered his nose. Kai''s eyes snapped open. The smile that had vanished after the explosion returned. His hand flicked again. But this time, he didn''t take out any weapon. It was another blue figure. The paper form of Golduck-Kai. Chapter 124: Blood Demon vs Hair Demon – Disc of Destruction! (III) The wall in front of Nyra vanished as the hairs untangled themselves. What she must have expected to see was¡­ Nothing. No corpse, no blood, and not even the smell of burning flesh. The explosion was potent enough to wipe out all signs of the abomination, irrespective of any inhuman transformation. So, the look on her face when she saw not one but two Kais glaring back at her, with not even a single wound or burn mark on them, was a thing to be painted and sold for thousands of Mission Credits. Nyra''s jaw fell, her eyes widened, and the Pikachu''s plush headband on her head slipped off her head. "How are you still alive?!" she bellowed, raging and screaming out of her lungs. "You think a paper clone can save you?! Huh?" Nyra brandished her Named sword, Crimson Mist, in a violent arc of fury. On the ground, one Kai was standing in front of the other. Then, the Kai who was being protected by others, shifted his posture, letting Nyra see the thing in his hand. It was only fist-sized but had an ominous glow. The surrounding fire made the Item flash in Nyra''s eyes, even though she was far into the air. It was a Beyblade. Nyra gasped. "You are a Blader!" she exclaimed, and then she crouched, waves of hair coming to form an enormous bow in front of her instantly. "You think I will let you use it? Fool!" The front-Kai, who had nothing in his hands, dashed towards the DMA. The back-Kai moved his hand as if taking a launching posture. It was evident that with launching the Beyblade, he was aiming for inherent invincibility. Time seemed to slow down. No hair came to become an arrow. Nyra was the arrow herself. A thin strand of bow acted as a bowstring, and she put her feet on it. The bow bent and the string got pulled back until it couldn''t anymore. Then, with a twang, she shot herself at him. "I¡­" Nyra''s figure blurred. "¡­ don''t have time to waste on clones." Boom! She was already faster than Kai. With this shocking technique, she surpassed anything that he could perceive. The front-Kai, still dashing in a zig-zag manner towards her, only heard a buzz in his ears before a sword passed through his waist, cutting him in half. Squelch! Only when she had plunged her short sword into back-Kai''s heart did Nyra''s figure appear for all to see. The Named sword, Crimson Mist, was so sharp that not even a drop of blood had tainted it. The Beyblade fell out of this Kai''s hand. Nyra smiled victoriously. It was then that two earth-toppling and heaven-shattering sounds rang in her ears. First was a low, moist swallow, which had come from her back. The second was a light crumple, which had come from the Kai whose heart had been pierced. Nyra''s head snapped back. There, the Kai, who should have been cut in two, was surrounded by a red glow, his severed waist healing visibly at an unimaginable rate. "Impossible!" she muttered. "You were the original?! Then the clone¡­" Some 200 meters away from the museum, Meg was sitting in a meditative position. The moment Nyra realized she was standing next to the paper clone of Golduck-Kai, Meg''s eyes snapped open. She smiled, and then coughed out a bucketful of blood, her face becoming pale. Inside the museum, the entire body of the clone trembled. Its body was crumbling before, but suddenly, a steel-like strength coursed through its body. Before Nyra could take the sword out of it, the clone wrapped her figure in a body-crushing hug.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. "Ahh!" she screamed, twisting her sword, trying to force the clone to let her go. The clone only smiled back at her. Kai looked at Meg''s Origami and chuckled. She could only solidify one origami before becoming useless. So he had gambled it all at this moment. Force the Hair Demon to go closer to the clone, and then trap her. This was the essence of his scheme against her. The Beyblade was nothing but bait. Not wasting any more time, Kai dashed towards the hair tower. Behind him, Nyra''s screams were getting shriller. "You can''t go past my hair," she bellowed. "Haha! You aren''t strong enough. Your clone can''t hold me here for long, either. Wait! Wait for me to¡­ Ahhhh!" She was right, Kai found out as he looked back. The hair pillars had surrounded the paper clone, trying to pry open his steel-like arms off her. I must be fast, Kai thought, slithering away from the incoming hair. No. I must be faster. The 2 Unassigned Attribute Points vanished, becoming a part of his Agility. Nyra was wrong about one thing, though. Kai already knew that he would have to use a powerful move to destroy the defenses behind which lay Nyra''s soul in an item. It turned out he had just the Skills for it. Act - Relentless Love¡­ Petyr''s figure, hidden within Kai disappeared. A spartan helmet covered his head, making his entire body shine red and bronze. ¡­ Titan''s Buff! Kai''s webbed legs pressed into the floor, and, as he pushed himself up, the tiles shattered. Crack! With an Agility of 16 backing him up, along with Telekinesis to keep him stable, Kai appeared to a stop directly above the Hair Tower. Nyra was watching him all the time, getting crushed by the clone. "Oh, no, you don''t!" she snapped. The hairs, which were tangled around the machine forming the tower, churned, untangling themselves. They rearranged themselves into the shape of a drill, whose tip was pointed at Kai. The drill then shot towards him like an arrow, not slower than a real one. Up in the air, Kai looked at the incoming massive hair drill with a stony expression. His mouth parted and words came out for the first time in a while. "Iron Tail!" Iron Tail was a full grade higher than Hydro Pump Though its reach was low, Iron Tail had one thing that even Hydro Pump couldn''t match. That was its nature. It was a Charged-triggered Skill. ¡­ [ Skill Iron Tail Activated Time Limit: 30 Seconds ¡­ Skill: Iron Tail Grade: D+ Specification: Give the tail a steel-like magical property Requirement: HP>0, MP>0 Attributes: 1. Consume HP and MP to give the tail a magical steel-like property 2. For every point of MP, two points of HP will be consumed Effect: 1. Base Damage: 50 HP, 30 MP 2. For every 10 MP consumption, Base Damage +10 (HP) +5 (MP) Warning: Base Damage limit - 200 HP ] ¡­ The hair drill charged up, and Kai came down whirling. His long blue tail kept becoming bluer and bluer until it shone silver. Kai had some 100 MP that he could let his absurd skill consume freely before becoming dizzy, but even after using Titan''s buff, he didn''t have the HP to match that MP consumption. He did have another way to cheat the System, though. The moment his HP was about to come down below 10%, he threw another HP capsule in his mouth. His HP Bar hit the limit instantly. The color of his tail, which should have stopped getting shinier, became almost ominous black. No longer did it look like some silver steel, but with Kai''s whirling figure, it felt more like¡­ ¡­ a black disc of destruction. Then, under the stunned gaze of Nyra, this disc of destruction kissed the massive hair drill. No sound came, no bang, and no boom. Like cutting hair with a scissor, the black disc passed through it, parting the drill in two. Nyra screamed, tearing her hands off to get out of the clone''s death hug. But it was too late. There was a red skull sitting at the top of the machine. Hairs were running down from the skull, disappearing into the distance. The disc of destruction kissed once more. This time, a sound echoed in the museum. It was like snapping a biscuit in two from the middle. Nyra screamed before breaking down into ash flakes. Thud! Kai unfurled his dark tail and landed on the floor with utmost grace, his slitted pupils shining red under the halo of the oval gem on his forehead. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn. You have killed 1 Order''s Contestant. ] Chapter 125: Looting the Strongest 4th-floor Contestant – Cuteness Overload! A crack resounded as Kai flicked his tail like a whip, cracking his neck. The hairs were vanishing all around him, turning into tiny blue globules. Near him, lay pieces of a broken red skull and a dull red hairpin broken in two, which once could have glowed demonically. Not anymore. Kai''s chest heaved up and down as he took deep breaths. This entire mission had cost him a vast supply of HP capsules given to him by Red Sun, the 9th-floor Contestant. From what Meg had told him, the HP Capsules restored 250 per pill. It was a ridiculous amount. If a Contestant were to take the second HP/MP/SP capsule within a 3-hour window after taking the first capsule, then he would get only half the original amount the capsule would have restored after the Cooldown was over. Despite this restriction, Kai could take two pills back to back without worrying about the loss of HP. The second HP capsule he had taken, to heal his charred self after the explosion, had given him only 125 HP, but it was still well over his HP. Now, he only had 12 of these capsules left. There was no other choice, Kai thought, consoling himself. I could have saved them if I had the time to do these things in a roundabout way. That would have taken much time, though. Using these HP capsules was the shortest and most effective way to get to the things I had planned without losing time. When Kai shook off the drowsiness creeping over him, he looked at the notification. ¡­ [ Advance Slither Footsteps: Proficiency 2% (+2%) Elementary Telekinesis: Proficiency 40% (+15%) ¡­ Your Kill Count is updated Floor: 3 (1st Set) Kill Count: (60/100) ] ¡­ Kai wasn''t surprised to see the 15% boost in Elementary Telekinesis. After jumping to the top of Hair Tower, he had forced this Ability beyond his limits, pushing against all objects to stabilize himself. Otherwise, without the ability to fly, he couldn''t have used the Iron Tail with such precision in midair. Kai neared the broken red hairpin then and lifted it. It looked ordinary to him after breaking in two, but in the scant moment when his Iron Tail had broken it, he had felt the demonic aura hidden within it. Now only a holographic treasure chest hovered over it. Kai stared at the treasure chest with greedy fascination. 2, that was his Luck value when he had started his journey. Not much time had passed since then. Some 3 months, to put a number. At this time, his Luck had risen to 5 with the help of Title, Coin Master. To gamble on Luck or not, had always been a question Kai asked himself at these times. He could get some regeneration capsules, Explosive Kunais, or even the¡­ Named Sword. Cough! Kai smiled wryly. Too far. I have gone too far in wishing that. Still, out of the six 4th-floor Contestants he had killed so far, he had only tried his luck out with Lee, getting the Beyblade, though without its Bit-beast. Nyra was the strongest Contestant he had fought so far and killed single-handedly. Now that Meg was his slave, she was but another Item in his arsenal. If he could store her in his Inventory, then he would have done so by now.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Let''s do it! Kai nodded to himself, feeling a touch anxious. The holographic key went into the treasure box. Then both the holographs disappeared, becoming shiny, golden blobs. Kai instantly looked into his Inventory. No smile. No frown. No emotion. Behind him, the tail stopped flicking itself. Kai took out the Item he had looted off Nyra''s non-existent corpse and stared at it. Finally, he took a deep breath and¡­ ¡­ sighed. * * From the corridor, Meg walked in, staggering, and blood seeping out from the corner of her mouth. Even before she could speak, approaching the blue figure standing in front of her, her master threw something at her. She caught it instinctively. Then her eyes widened. It was a plush hat, designed in the form of Pokemon, Pikachu. In the ordinary case, receiving such a thing from Kai would have already shocked her. It wasn''t the ordinary case, though. Hovering over the plush''s head were words in a dull-gray color. It was an Item. ¡­ [ Item: Pikachu Plush Hat Grade: Common Specification: Super Soft Warm Hat. Wanna look cute? Put it on! Requirement: A Head Attributes: Not Applicable Effect: 1. Charisma +3 2. Chance of encountering a wild Pikachu +3% 3. Chance of encountering an Electric-type wild Pokemon +7% 4. Chance of getting Ash''s favor, when encountered, +10% Skill: Cuteness Overload Skill Effect: 1. Charisma +10 2. Active Time: 5 minutes 3. Cooldown: 15 minutes 4. MP Consumed: 10/activation Warning: If the Contestant is already ugly, then the Skill can backfire or is subjected to failure Quality: 76% ] ¡­ "For¡­ me?" Meg stared at the Hat, then looked up at Kai, and then back at the Hat, a blush surfacing on her bloody face. Standing opposite her, Kai frowned. He had thrown the Item because it was useless, not as a reward. Tch! Whatever¡­ Kai looked to his left then. Now that the hair weren''t coiling around it, forming a tower, he could see the machine entirely. Its structure and components matched what he had seen in the movie. It was surrounded by protective metal pillars which resembled thick iron fingers, clawing at it from the ground. Kai adjusted his head to look towards the entrance. The wall just by the corridor had gone, becoming rubble on the ground. In one corner, the adult Latias whimpered, a distant fire threatening to lick its red feathers. Even from this distance, Kai could see a bluish frost over it, trying to compensate for the effects of the surrounding heat. -She had a Named Sword,- Kai told Meg. -Crimson Mist, it was called. My Fangs lost 25% Proficiencies instantly.- Meg looked up. She had already put the Hat on. With her red hair to contract the yellowness of the Pikachu plush, she looked even more cute than Nyra had ever. "Please repeat it," Meg said. "You spoke in Parseltongue." Kai pressed his brows. He was so fucking tired he couldn''t remember which language he had just used. Anyway, he repeated the words telepathically, the gem on his forehead pulsing red. "Oh¡­ that''s reasonable," Meg said, approaching him, "If they hadn''t, then it would have made little sense. I think the Named Sword was an Uncommon Item and of a level lower than your sabers, master. Otherwise, there''s no way your Items would have lost only Proficiencies." Kai imagined the worst, then. His Fangs shattering into black shards. -/Thank you,/- he said, frowning at Meg''s bluntness. Meg smiled, the sarcasm going over her head. "Thank you, master." Kai''s mouth twitched. Only now he noticed the blood on her servant. Meg had already served her purpose in his plans. As he didn''t need her to be in full health anymore, Kai didn''t waste an HP capsule on her. -/Let''s finish our missions then,/- he commented, going for the legendary Pokemon. Though tired and dizzy, Kai still lifted the legendary Pokemon easily. He took it to the circular-marked area, following the scenes from the movie, and threw the Pokemon at its center. -Selene,- Kai hissed. -Come out.- A silver mass left the adult Latias and solidified into Selene''s material form. Kai frowned as he looked at her. She looked like a beautiful rope, but a rope, nonetheless. After coming out of Latias'' body, she couldn''t even lift her head, let alone slither. Kai crouched and picked her up in an embrace. -You will have your food soon.- he hissed, not unkindly. -Remember to not die before showing me what you can become.- Selene''s tongue flicked out, kissing Kai''s hand in reply. The moment he left the circular-marked area, swirling rings appeared from the ground, taking the adult Latias high in the air. From the ground, the entire setup looked like a gyroscope as the rings swirled around her. From the circular-marked region, many electric circuit type of lines were running to the DMA. Suddenly, the swirling rings picked up the pace, rotating faster and faster, until they became a blur. The electric circuits lit up with a red ominous glow, then. In the movie, these circuits absorbed Latias'' power, using it to run the machine, Kai recalled. True to those scenes, the protective metal pillars lifted off the machine with a booming mechanical noise and mystically disappeared into the ground. Kai approached the machine and placed the Soul Dew at the top of the designated holder. The moment blue-twinkling Soul Dew got covered with a red shine, the entire machine thrummed. The Defense Mechanism of Alto Mare had again come to life. Only the devilish grin on Kai''s face could tell what a nightmare it would bring this time. Chapter 126: Going beyond the Mission – Return of Evil Fossil Pokemon! Miserable cries of the legendary Pokemon, Latias, woke up the old ghosts of the museum. The circular rings hovering high in the air and around the Pokemon spun furiously, chewing out her power and then transferring it to the DMA, using the huge red-glowing electric circuits that ran from the circular mark to the machine. With every passing moment, the dark blue Soul Dew was gaining an evil, murky red color, as the DMA used it to influence the material world. A metal arm on the DMA, at the end of which was a hollow spherical ball big enough for a grown man to sit, spun, and came down to stop in front of Kai. This was the Control Panel of the machine. Kai didn''t know how to operate it, though. In the movie, the two members of Team Rocket had just shown using it, and not explaining the procedure behind it. The System took care of this conundrum for him. ¡­ [ The Control Panel of DMA is now activated Please take the seat to have access to its function¡­ ] ¡­ Kai climbed into the spherical shell. The metal arm spun again, taking him high into the air. Now he was almost at the height of the DMA''s top and could see the sky from the top windows. It looked more blue than dark, a hint of whiteness lingering in the distant horizon. Dawn was approaching. A holographic blank screen appeared in front of him then, words flashing on it as if someone was typing them. ¡­ [ You now have access to a panoramic view of the entire town. The user can zoom in and out of any individual area freely. The following are the options available to the Contestant: 1. Revive the Fossil Pokemon - Time Limit 15 minutes 2. Lock the entire city - Time Limit 30 minutes 3. Take control of the water within the city - Time Limit 5 minutes 4. Take out the egg buried deep under the foundation of the museum ] ¡­ The moment the cursor on the screen stopped flashing, another screen appeared over this one. Kai could see the entire town as if he was hovering high above it. First thing first, Kai thought. -/Option 4,/- he said, not bothering with the lack of voice. A drumming noise came from the DMA. The adult Latias let out a soul-shaking howl, and the entire museum quaked. The floor lit up golden as if it was not solid but a lake, and then surreal ripples appeared over this golden lake. Starting with a round, scaly tip, a cream-golden dragon''s egg came out. It was beautiful, but dull, like a stone. This was the second of the three petrified eggs Kai needed to collect.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The egg of Viserion, the dragon. Phase 3 of the plan - Success! ¡­ Now what? It was all over at this moment. Kai just had to climb down and hold the egg. The Side Mission success notification would come up and let him teleport to the next world, giving him a time limit of 1 minute. But Kai wanted more. I want more out of this mission, he had told Petyr and Meg. The Soul Dew¡­ I want the Soul Dew. Meg had shaken her head at that. "I am positive that the Soul Dew in the Secret Garden is an Artifact with no Stats, master," she had told him bluntly. "You can use it for your Title and your Side Mission, but not take it out of the world." This was where Meg lacked, Kai had found out. It was actually Petyr who had realized Kai''s intentions. "If we can''t take the current Soul Dew with us," Petyr had said slyly, reading Kai''s thoughts, "then why not make our own." Meg had gasped. "You mean¡­" she had commented after a long silence. "You mean to use the adult Latias to replicate the events from the movie and create another Soul Dew? Creating an Item¡­ Yes. It¡­ It can be done, I guess." That''s where this desire to obtain an Item that couldn''t be obtained ordinarily had come from. Capture the adult Latias, but let the young Latias and Latios escape. When they would come to rescue the adult Latias, the DMA would go haywire, like in the movie, causing a Tsunami. To save the town, the adult Latias must sacrifice herself, and that would cause her soul to become the next Soul Dew. This was how Petyr had summarized Kai''s plan. But Petyr, too, had failed to fathom the depths of Kai''s cunning and his ambition. Yes. Kai wanted that new Soul Dew. But why have a Soul Dew made of one soul, when he could have a Soul Dew made of three legendary Pokemon''s souls? The grin on Kai''s face trembled as he recalled the next steps of his plans. The trick to this phase was to incapacitate all three legendary Pokemon to such a heinous degree that not one of them could sacrifice oneself alone to save the city from the impending peril. Kai looked at them all with a stony expression. There was no mercy in his heart. No sympathy, no empathy, no love, and no hate. These were magical beasts, and even if they were magical humans, he would have used them the same. At this moment, it didn''t matter why they had come into this world, for what purpose, and for what holy reason. All that mattered to Kai was that they must die together. -/Lock the entire city,/- he ordered as Meg stored the egg in her MRB. -/Show me the current location of both young Latios and Latias./- Metal bars sprouted magically in the alleyways of the city, blocking every entrance and exit. The screen in front of Kai shook and a new scene appeared on it. The young Latios and Latios were coming towards the museum, like two small but powerful jets. Bianca was with them too, riding on the back of young Latias. Kai chuckled inwardly. He motioned Meg to hide, and she scurried away, staggering all the while. Just as Meg disappeared into a corridor, the loud sonic booms blasted their way into the museum. The young legendary Pokemon had arrived. Loud coos came bellowing out of their mouths when they heard the heart-wrenching howls of the adult Latias, caged within the blurry spherical layer (-the metallic rings rotating at high speed-). "Latias!" Bianca shouted, and the young Latias let her down on the ground. "Grandfather! Grandfather, where are you?" He is dead, Kai thought, sneering at her. He saw the Pokemon, young Latios, glaring at him, as his sister went to help the adult Latias. Unlike before, Kai had no hostage to save himself. He had nothing that could save him from facing the full brunt of young Latios'' fury. The Pokemon flew towards Kai like a bullet; the wind whistling away from him. Only then did Kai call out in his mind. -/Revive the Fossil Pokemon./- The adult Latias let out another painful howl as DMA sucked out over half of her remaining power. The floor area, where the fossils of the ancient Pokemon were embedded into the stones, lit up with an uncanny, ghostly blue light, and the fossils left the floor, taking the shape of their previous self, which once had terrorized the town. These were the Fossil Pokemon ¡ª Aerodactyl and Kabutops. Aerodactyl was a dual Rock and Flying-type Fossil Pokemon. It was a pterosaurian, bipedal Pokemon, with several draconic features. Kabutops, on the other hand, was a rock and water-type Fossil Pokemon with two long sickle-like claws. Both Fossil Pokemon let out trembling roars as they gained shape. Phase 4: Going beyond the Side Mission - Begins! Chapter 127: Unlocking a New Stat – Cosmic Authority! Aerodactyl took itself to air as if none was worthy enough to fly in its presence. Kabutops buzzed, brandishing its razor-sharp claws, cutting the very air. It let out a rattling noise through its exoskeleton, and disappeared, leaving behind a brownish shadow; such was its speed. ¡­ [ The Fossil Pokemon have been resurrected for 15 minutes. The user can only give one order to each of them in the beginning for the rest of their time limit. ] ¡­ So this is how it is, Kai noted. Well, I already have individual orders ready for them. The screen in front of him lit up as if waiting for his orders. Kai took a deep breath and word by word commanded the Fossil Pokemon. -/Aerodactyl, keep attacking the young Latios without mortally wounding him. Make sure it doesn''t get to help his sister and the adult Latias./- To Kabutops he said, -/Stand by near the circular-mark under the adult Latias. The moment she comes out of the cage of metallic rings, sever her arms and wings./- Both Fossil Pokemon roared in acceptance. Aerodactyl stirred itself, firing a Hyper Beam to cut the young Latios'' flight path. It then followed with powerful bites, several wing slashes, and then another Hyper Beam. Like a machine, it let itself loose in pursuit of the young Latios, injuring the legendary Pokemon whenever it slipped up. Kabutops was more silent. It flashed from its position and appeared where Kai had ordered it to appear. It spread its sickle-like arms wide and became a statue, waiting for the exact moment of the adult Latias'' escape. Kai leaned back on his spherical seat and marveled at the chaos borne by his actions. Now he needed to wait. His gaze went down to the Soul Dew and saw that the red hue about it had almost overpowered its natural shimmering blue color. The moment the adult Latias would escape her prison forcefully, it would cause a short circuit, overloading the DMA. The Soul Dew would then turn completely red, becoming an evil, demonic item, rather than a sacred jewel. In the movie, when one member of Team Rocket had touched that red Soul Dew, it had burst apart, resulting in the Tsunami. Kai lusted for that moment. He leisurely observed Bianca running around here and there, throwing rocks at the blurry, spherical boundary that was keeping the adult Latias imprisoned within it. The young Latias kept bombarding the same boundary with her head, wings, arms, and several moves, tiring herself out. On the other side, Aerodactyl had shown the young Latios who was the true lord of the skies. The Fossil Pokemon''s steel-like legs had gripped Latios'' neck, slamming into a wall. -Ah!- Kai hissed in pleasure. -This is bliss, isn''t it, Selene?- Selene was within him, her life dwindling by a thread, he could feel it. But Kai wasn''t overly worried about it. She had served him well. She was his Item, his saber. And Kai knew well enough how to keep an edge on his sabers. Kai closed his eyes for one fleeting moment, and the time skipped itself. ¡­ A loud bang jolted him out of his nap, his eyes moist but clear. Kai rubbed the drool at the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand as he saw the young Latios getting blasted away by a Hyper Beam. Aerodactyl hadn''t come unscathed out of this fight, either. Its body was covered with ice, and there were signs of scorched flesh all over its body. But Kai''s interest lay in the events happening on the ground. The combined efforts of Bianca and a haggard-looking young Latias had breached the rotating metallic rings. The cage had come down to the ground but hadn''t stopped working yet. However, there was a gap in its blurry boundary, through which they were pulling out the adult Latias little by little. Kai beamed, licking his lips. The moment seemed to have arrived. Kai knew the Fossil Pokemon would disappear once the DMA machine lost its power source, whether the time limit of 15 minutes was over, or not. He just hoped Kabutops would live up to its name and the rumored sharpness of its claws. He jumped off the control panel, knowing well that it was dangerous with the DMA going haywire after the short circuit. His long, blue tail smashed on the ground, crushing rubble at the merest touch. "Come on!" Bianca pulled with her entire strength, helping the young Latias. "Ugh!" One last pull and the adult Latias almost got thrown out. All things happened at once then. Red lightning thundered around the DMA as it went haywire, losing its power source abruptly. Kabutops, its figure becoming blurry, dashed, brandishing its claws, and hacked at the fallen adult Latias. The legendary Pokemon wailed shrilly, as thick blood spurted out, painting Bianca''s face red.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! "NO!" Bianca''s throat burst into a saddened and horrified roar upon seeing that. Both young legendary Pokemon let out hoarse, painful coos, rushing toward the adult Latias. The Fossil Pokemon vanished, becoming small ghostly, blue blobs of light. Kai approached the Soul Dew, which was now letting out a menacing, red, demonic light. From afar, it felt like a red bubble, just on the verge of bursting out with a loud pop. From the movie, he knew it required a human touch for it to blow up. He steeled himself and extended his hand. "What are you doing?!" Bianca bellowed from his left, her eyes shaking at his appearance. "Don''t touch it! It will cause disaster!" Silly girl¡­ Kai sneered, his finger touching the Evil Jewel. Haven''t you realized yet? I am Disaster! Boommmmmmmm! * * Kai coughed out blood as he got slammed into the wall. He slid down and fell face-front on the floor. He couldn''t fathom why the blast was so powerful, as he thumped his chest for air. In the movie, touching the Evil Soul Dew had thrown the Team Rocket member only a few dozen feet away. Kai shook his head heavily and stood up. He had lost half his HP in this single blast, but he decided against taking another HP capsule, as there was no immediate need for it. Yet, the tiredness was distorting his expressions now, becoming a mask of annoyance on his face. He dragged his feet towards the DMA. Red lightning bolts were thundering around it, and all traces of any Soul Dew had vanished. Kai looked towards the group of legendary Pokemon then and frowned. The adult Latias was bleeding profusely, but it seemed Kabutops had failed to cut her arms. Only her wings were lying on the ground beside her. The two young legendary Pokemon hovered around her, cooing, their flight path dwindling as if they could fall to the ground at any moment. Kai had finally tired all of them out. The adult Latias cooed meekly, looking at the two young Pokemon. Bianca''s tears knew no bounds, flowing out like unending rivers. Her arms were around Latias, her head almost buried in her feathers. Latias cooed again, now more determined than before. Kai guessed she was urging them to take her outside when he saw the young pair of Latios and Latias landing on the ground. Bianca helped the adult legendary Pokemon climb the backs of the two young Pokemon. It took both the smaller Pokemon to lift the larger Latias, even after she had lost her wings. They flew her out of the museum, followed by a hopeless Bianca. Kai followed her, but not before storing the huge red wings of the Latias in his MRB, preserving the flesh and the magical blood within them. The city seemed to have woken up with people coming out of their homes. The horror on their faces was only lower than the terror in their eyes. Once again after a year, the water was receding, abandoning the city for the greater mass of the water outside its boundary. The ocean had called for it. But they knew the water would return, and it would return with such a fury that there would be no surviving it. When they could even see the sea floor surrounding the city, the entire city quaked. From the distant horizon, Kai saw a white sheet rising towards the sky. The sky had gained a purple-orange hue, and the first red-golden light of the day was just on the horizon. But the white sheet buried that light too. The ground rumbled more and more, as the distant white became blue and then bluer. It didn''t take long for all to see a stupendously high wave coming for the town, charging at it like the cavalry riding on sea horses. It was their inevitable doom, their nightmare. It was a Tsunami. "Latias, NO! Don''t go!" Bianca cried. "Please don''t¡­" Kai smirked. Finally, his plans were coming to fruition. If he wasn''t so damn tired, then he wondered if he could even hold back a laugh. High in the air, the three legendary Pokemon turned to give Bianca a deary look, cooing at her lovingly. A goodbye. Blood dripped off the adult Latias'' stumps where her wings used to be. The ground quaked again, and now they could hear a distant rumble as if thousands of humongous beasts were coming towards them. The two young Pokemon gave a last look to Bianca and then flew away, carrying the adult Latias on their back. The scene almost touched Kai''s heart. Maybe I should have killed this girl too, he thought, sneering. They wouldn''t have wasted so much time then. Kai took some solace upon seeing that the Pokemon were glowing silver like three tiny stars as they rushed towards the Tsunami, which seemed to have reached an incomprehensible height, blotting the sky. All sounds became a low buzz in people''s ears now that they could see the Tsunami as clearly as anything. The wall of water felt almost reaching for the clouds, and what lay in its path it would annihilate without precedence. All knew. None screamed, though. No single local ran away. No child cried, and no couple embraced themselves in a last hug. Such belief? Kai was astounded as he sensed the enormous faith of the town''s people in the Eon Pokemon. How foolish! The three tiny stars then became one point of hope and merged into the Tsunami. Kai''s eyes squinted as that point expanded, becoming a massive star, shining silver and blue. The entire length of the giant wave broke apart as people let out hysterical, booming cheers. The water from the ocean returned in many small waves, flooding the entire city. In the distance, the massive silver star blurred, losing its shine. When it looked as if it would go out, an even brighter pillar of light exploded out of it, going up and beyond the bluish sky. Kai smiled upon seeing that. This pillar of light meant that the legendary Pokemon had sacrificed themselves. He had made sure that the adult Latias was in no state to thwart the Tsunami by sacrificing herself alone. So either all three had seemed to sacrifice themselves or two of the three. It doesn''t matter, Kai snickered. As long as I get to have a stronger Soul Dew. Suddenly, a harsh, admonishing voice reached Kai''s ears. "It was you!" Bianca cried, her eyes almost red and dry. "You creature! What have you done? What did Latias ever do to you? What are you, monster? You Evil Pokemon!" Kai''s eyes widened. His jaw fell open, and his entire body shivered. His flailing tail came to a sudden stunned stop. Kai''s lips parted, but no sound came out. Nor a hiss. Never had Kai been shocked by something before in such a dumbfounded manner. These changes weren''t because of Bianca''s gaze or her words. They were because of the notification flashing in front of his eyes. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn¡­ You have unlocked a new Stat ¡­ Cosmic Authority: Outer One (1/3) 1. The Evil Pokemon of Alto Mare Lore of the Evil Pokemon of Alto Mare: The Devastating Despair The Blue-skinned Demon The Unforgivable Cursed One ] ¡­ What the¡­?! Chapter 128: A Top-level Item! Water blasted apart as a blue humanoid aquatic creature with a long tail leaped out in a brilliant parabolic arc. Kai took in a lungful of air before diving back into the ocean. The moment his entire figure entered the water, his tongue tasting the salinity of the ocean, Kai''s tail rippled furiously, and his webbed hands and legs flailed. Like a bullet, he shot towards the disappearing pillar of silver light in a straight line, ignoring the undulating silhouettes of small and large oceanic Pokemon alike. He was in a race. A race against time, and against the dozens of speedboats rushing in the same direction. By now, all the townsmen knew that the Eon Pokemon had sacrificed themselves to save the Water City. So they were headed towards the pillar of light for the same purpose as that of Kai. To collect the new Soul Dew. Kai''s instincts told him he must not let the Characters, no matter how inconsequential to the main storyline, touch the new Soul Dew. He had no way to be sure about it, but he could almost tell that if anyone other than a Contestant were to touch the Soul Dew, it wouldn''t remain an Item anymore if it was one now. For a moment, Kai had even deliberated upon killing all the pursuers. But he had already killed quite a few people and Pokemon, and Meg''s warning about the Mythical Pokemon''s appearance still crawled like half-dead worms in his mind. He won''t fuck things up. Not now when he was so close to having his hands on one of the most prized rewards of this Mission. Well, most prized, if I were to ignore those absurd notifications, Kai snickered, kicking the water. Cosmic Authority? Outer One? How am I to make sense of them? Kai was more skeptical about the sudden unannounced and unexpected notifications than glad about them. There was nothing in those notifications that suggested an immediate benefit. Yet, he wasn''t a fool to not realize what kind of abnormal and unrealistic gold he had struck. Though he knew nothing about the Cosmic Authority, he wasn''t ignorant about the style of the Lore, as Kai had chanted words in that style before. Hastur''s epithets are in that style too, Kai recalled, a chilled shiver running down his spine. What kind of heaven-trampling thing I have stumbled onto? First, it clearly stated he had got a new Stat. Second, it was the Lore, mentioning three lines. Kai guessed they were related to him, though he couldn''t make sense of the third line, no matter how he tossed it around in his head. Then there was the Outer One, thinking of which sent Kai into a grave silence. The strange thing was its requirement and reward. But the thing that made the least sense to him was the name of the Stat itself. By now Kai had become quite knowledgeable about these things, and he knew that this new Stat, Cosmic Authority, was neither an Attribute nor a Title or Ability. Moreover, Meg had told him the names of an Item''s possible grades.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. There were Seven, to be exact. Common, Uncommon, Rare, Heroic, Legendary, Mythical, and... Cosmic. Cosmic¡­ Kai repeated the word like a chant, firing himself through the water. I hope it is what I think it is¡­ Haha! Still, I must ask Meg about it. But if she knew about something like this, then she would have told me already, right? Kai shook his head and put all the thoughts about the new Stat to the back of his mind. There was no point in being pleased about it if he didn''t even know it was a good thing or bad. In no time, a glance out of the waves told Kai that he had come to his destination. The sky had turned almost bluish-orange as the first ray of sunlight came ripping apart the gloom left behind the pillar of silver light. He looked over his shoulder and couldn''t see any speedboat. A smile crept upon his face, taking pride in the strength of his Golduck''s blood essence. Kai swam around the location, searching for the Soul Dew, but couldn''t find anything. Don''t tell me it has sunk to the ocean''s floor? The thought struck Kai like a hammer. No matter how much he took pride in his newest Blood Essence, not once did he believe he could swim to the ocean''s floor, and still survive to live another day. The pressure at the bottom of the ocean was no joke. Despite his appearance, Kai was still a human, borrowing the power of a water-type Pokemon. Like everything, this form too had its limits. Kai''s face became ugly with every passing moment. For long he searched, but couldn''t find a trace of the Soul Dew. It was then he heard it. A distant call. Kai snapped his head up and saw a black dot against the blue background. His eyes widened. The black dot looked round and was flashing rhythmically, the color of which seemed to spread across the visible spectrum. It was the Soul Dew. Kai''s heart thumped wildly. His tail thrashed as he dived back into the ocean, and when he reached a depth of some dozens of meters, he doubled back. He kicked the water hard, and with a loud bang, shot out the ocean. The moment he cleared off the high waves, his body changed. The blues on his body became black, and a dark, foul, tattered robe replaced his visage. Dementor-Kai flew towards the Item of his dreams in a single, straight beeline. As Kai got closer, rising hundreds of meters into the air, he could see a fist-sized ball glistening with thousands of different colors. He beamed, licking his lips. There were no more effects or otherworldly sounds. Kai waited for nothing. His shriveled, skeletal hand reached for the jewel and grabbed it. Suddenly, his eyes shone with multi-colored light. Kai felt an illusion of leaving the planet and watching it from outside. The black space behind him tried to devour him, but then three imperceptible points of light came to revolve around him. After making two quick, but mysterious rounds, the three points of light rushed toward Kai and merged into him. Kai''s eyes snapped open. The Soul Dew was still in his hands, but it wasn''t shimmering with multi-colored light anymore. There was only one color that looked even more brilliant than the crown of the sun, rising above the horizon. Yellow. Nothing but pure yellow. But Kai''s eyes were planted on the Stats with such a dumbfounded look that he didn''t even see this change. The Soul Dew almost fell out of his grip, his body shaking as if he had encountered something beyond extraordinary. The strips of his tattered robes billowed noiselessly behind him. And Kai''s breath rattled as he read the Item''s Stats again. ¡­ [ Item: Eon Soul Dew (Corrupt) Grade: Rare (Growth) Sub-Grade: Top-level ¡­ Chapter 129: Eon Soul Dew – Corrupt Summoning! Late evening, June 29th Alto Mare Inside a room, Kai, Meg, and Petyr were sitting on the floor around a small round table. This room was in a building that had been abandoned by the locals for maintenance because of the flood. Even when they were confined by the musty walls around them, they could feel the heavy gloom of the town. But none of them cared for anything other than the fist-sized jewel placed on the table. The jewel was glowing with a light yellow color as if there were millions of stars within it, forming a yellow river of death. It was the Rare graded Item. Eon Soul Dew! Despite its obvious sickly, perverted color, there was an unearthly charm to this jewel that had caused the occupants of the room to lapse into an astounding silence. Yes, all occupants. Other than the low hissing Selene on Kai''s side. -More, master,- she hissed, almost panting. -I want more!- Without taking his eyes off the Item, Kai used Telekinesis to scoop up the last chunk of minced meat from a bowl on his right. Selene smelled the food and opened her fanged mouth wide, venom dripping off her fangs like saliva. With a gentle force, Kai thrust the magical flesh of the adult Latias down Selene''s throat. This was the first thing Kai had done after rendezvousing with Meg. Selene''s state was worse than he had thought. He could tell with one fleeting look that if she had feet, then they would have already crossed the doors of death. What had been keeping her alive before Kai hastily chopped Latias'' wings and fed them to her, he couldn''t say. The second thing Kai had done was to tell Meg about his new Stat, hoping that she could shine some light on the twisted reward, strange Lore, and incomprehensible third epithet. I have never heard of it, master, Meg had told him, without taking her eyes off Kai''s face as if she wasn''t looking at a human anymore, but some ancient demon. It seems to be related to your actions that have irreversibly changed the foundations of an entire timeline. I wonder if I can pray to you now, using those three minor epithets rewarded by the Cosmic Authority. Kai had refused her blatantly. The horror and helplessness of falling into the inescapable grip of a Time Paradox still lingered like a wraith in his mind. Without knowing what the result would be, Kai would never let Meg chant those words as a prayer. Who knew just what kind of Eldritch Entity would invade his mind this time? Kai never feared taking risks, but even his deadliest of the risks had some substance backing them up. This was a risk that had neither a beginning nor an end. He just hoped he would get to know what it was before the time came when he would have to use the Stat, anyway. -/Touch it,/- Kai told Meg. Meg lifted her head and looked at Kai with the utmost reverence. Her hand trembled as she went for the Item. As if holding something precious that could break with the slightest pressure, she caressed the jewel with her long, slender fingers. -/Anything?/- Kai asked expectantly. Meg shook her head. "I can''t even see the Stats." Kai frowned. A red shine covered the Eon Soul Dew, making the Item fly towards him. He snatched it out of the air and looked at the Stats once more. ¡­ [The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Item: Eon Soul Dew (Corrupt) Grade: Rare (Growth) Sub-Grade: Top-level Specification: A Soul Seed formed because of the sacrifice of three Eon Pokemon and using the Primal Chaos as the source. Because of the Legendary Pokemon'' resentment, the Item has diverted from its pure form, getting corrupted Requirements: The Blue-skinned Demon Attributes: 1. Devour the souls of the Legendary Pokemon to upgrade itself 2. The Legendary Pokemon must be of different species 3. The Legendary Pokemon grade must be C or C+ 4. Current Status: 2/10 Skill: Corrupt Summoning Skill Requirements: 1. Correspondence >15 2. Breath >15 3. Stamina >15 4. Perception >18 Skill Effects: 1. Summon the soul of a devoured Legendary Pokemon for 30 seconds 2. Summon''s grade will be lower than the devoured Pokemon 3. Consumption per Summon: 150 MP, 150 SP, 50 HP 4. Cooldown: 2 minutes Note: 1. Further Skills will be revealed with upgradation 2. Skills will upgrade themselves with upgradation Warning: As a Soul Seed, the Item may corrupt/consume the Contestant''s soul unless taken precautionary measures Quality: 100% ] ¡­ If only Meg could use it, then Kai could have ignored the warning. She was not the Blue-skinned Demon, though. Moreover, if he hadn''t got the new Stat, then he would have never known who the fuck this Blue-skinned Demon was and where had he come from, either. Now that he knew, it angered him even more. -/Why not all Items mention Sub-Grades in their Stats?/- "Lack of info is also info, master," Meg commented. "No sub-grade means the Item is of the lowest level, unless, of course, the Item''s level is upgraded later. Like your Fangs. For the rest of them, Sub-Grade is generally mentioned." Meg''s eyes reflected the Eon Soul Dew as if it had taken over her senses. She sighed. "Even among Contestants of the 3rd set," Meg said, her eyes down, "a Rare grade Item is something that can only be desired and not obtained. One can''t just have them on a wish. Power and Status mean nothing for Items of Rare grade and beyond, master. It''s their uniqueness that makes them special. A Top-level Rare grade Item of Growth type¡­" She just shook her head, lacking words. -/And why are you so happy?/- Kai asked, feeling the bubbling happiness in her heart. -/Is my helplessness in using my own rewards arousing you, Meg?/- The red-haired beauty fell to her knees, her voice shaking. "Never, master," she croaked. "I would never¡­" From Kai''s side, Petyr chuckled. He had been silent for the entire time, but it seemed he couldn''t hold himself back any longer. "My lady," he addressed Meg, "our master is just messing with you." Kai snorted out a laugh along with him. Meg snapped her head up and realizing it was indeed a jest, her face became red with shame. Her flustered expression caught Kai''s attention, as he bounced the Eon Soul Dew up and down. -/It''s just an Item like you,/- he told her, sending it to his Inventory. -/So what if I can''t use it now? I will figure it out, eventually. We just need to figure out what these precautionary measures are, no? It''s not a big deal. Moreover, the fact that I can use Corrupt Summoning, given I meet its Stats requirements later, means that it is the Item''s most basic Skill. It has yet to show its true capabilities, no? Hmm¡­ Very well. Let''s see the two Legendary Pokemon¡­/- Just as Kai was about to finish his words, Selene hissed maniacally by his side. Inside her, unseen, but not entirely unknown to Kai, the black tendrils and the patterned yellow rings seemed to tremble and pulse. A thick blue-red substance approached and got sucked by them. Suddenly, their efforts to break into Selene''s gene structure shot through the roof. With an ethereal cracking noise, they merged into the genes. But in the middle of this gene structure, where the black tendrils and the yellow rings came into contact with each other, a dull grayish new substance took form. Not only did this substance keep the black tendrils and the yellow rings on either side, preventing them from coming into contact further, but it also spread throughout Selene''s genome, becoming a part of her gene structure. The spiral gene structure, which once had looked blue and white, now glowed with three colors. The leftmost part was covered with black tendrils, which flailed about like millions of live gluttonous tentacles. The rightmost part had patterned yellow rings. They made it impossible to look at them without losing one''s mind to the ever-changing, hideous patterns and the convoluted geometrical shapes. In the middle of these two parts ran a dull river of gray color across the entire length of the gene structure. Outside, Selene''s hisses had caused a deathly alarm. Kai''s ears buzzed from her shouts, as he saw her eyes bleeding, and her dragon-like scales rattling like the call of a billion bugs. Then she burst out with a blinding flash. Chapter 130: Selene Evolves – The Birth of Ghost Basilisk! When the flash receded, they saw a silver mist had filled the entire room. Mixed in the silver mist were tiny black, yellow, and gray particles like different-colored smoke. The entire mist roiled, churned, and then, with no sign, became a whirlpool. All the mist, from all directions, condensed onto a single point and outlined the figure of a serpent. Danger banged Kai''s mind. He closed his eyes not knowing why. Such was the difference between his Perception and the arriving death. The extremities of his fingers and toes throbbed, as anxiety, bordering fright, took over his mind. Behind him, Meg had done the same. She had even turned her head away, her eyelids pressing so hard that they looked like hard, black lines. Petyr wasn''t blessed with Perception or any sense of danger, though. A 6 ft long, viper-like serpent with pure white draconic scales slithered into existence. Its tongue flicked out of its mouth, and when it moved, illusory black and yellow rings seemed to travel across its body. The serpent''s eyes snapped open then. The right eye was jet black, and only when one looked deep enough that one could see a sea of black tendrils. They were coiling around and over each other, their hunger seemed to know no bounds. The left eye was murky yellow. Uncountable and nonsensical geometrical patterns ran in that eye, like unsolvable equations of mathematics accompanied by many-dimensional geometrical figures. When it seemed it was over, the bulge between her two eyes parted vertically. It was as if someone had surgically planted a wet, gray stone into her head. Petyr stared into the third eye. Selene stared back. Then, Petyr became stone, his entire body gaining a dull, gray color of eternal petrification. ¡­ Kai had shut his eyes so hard that it felt like someone was trying to gouge them out. Selene''s hissings were ringing in his ears like the cries of a newborn baby. He wanted to take her in his arms to marvel at her evolved state, but the light crackling sound and Petyr''s gasps foretold an unavoidable danger beyond a perceivable source, making him think better of it. -Master, master,- she called out to him. -Master, I can see. I can see.- Kai felt maturity in her hisses, mixed with power and her will to prove herself to him. He could feel her happiness, and once more he found himself facing a being whose happiness he could not snatch. Meg had shown the same happiness when she found out about his Glitch. What Selene had found for her to show such deep and apparent emotion while calling out to him baffled Kai. -Good. Good,- Kai hissed, failing to think of something better to say. -I am proud of you.- To Kai''s surprise, Selene''s hisses became ecstatic, her scales rattling like the pattering of raindrops amidst a rainstorm. -Yes, master. Yes!- she hissed, beaming. -Now I am your strongest Power. I am more beneficial than her.- Kai noticed the menace hidden behind that her. There was only one her other than Selene with him in the room, and he wondered what Meg had done to earn Selene''s quirky ire. -Calm down,- he hissed. -Are you using a Skill?- He must find the reason for the danger first, Kai reasoned. There were only three beings in the room who could be the source. He was not, Kai knew. Meg''s state was worse than his, he knew that too, given that her Perception was lower than him. -Yesss,- Selene hissed cheerily. -I didn''t like how he was looking at me, master. So I killed him.- Killed?! The words thundered in Kai''s mind. But even more absurd was their implication. What did she say? She killed Petyr because she didn''t like how he looked at her?! Even Kai, with all his insanity and convoluted thoughts and reasoning, killed no one just because he didn''t like how they looked at him. Every kill must have a potential benefit, such words were the basis for him to hold on to his ever-elusive sanity.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Kai shuddered. He must not let this go on any longer. -Cancel the Skill,- Kai hissed authoritatively. -And I forbid you to kill anyone without my exclusive permission.- The absence of Selene''s hisses unnerved Kai. Then Selene said something that Kai would never forget. -I will kill anyone I want!- she hissed, snapping back at him with an attitude. But then her tone changed almost instantly. -Yes, as master commands, I am canceling the Skill.- To Kai''s astonishment, her tone changed once more after that. -Maybe we should just go back to sleep, as there is no benefit in staying up when our master has no use for us.- she lapsed into silence with this last hiss. What the actual fuck is happening?! Kai had never been so perplexed by something. It felt to him as if there wasn''t one Selene, but many versions of her hissing at each other, trying to come to a single rational conclusion. The danger receded as Selene stopped hissing. Kai, though still wary of an uninvited and unexpected impending danger, opened his eyes. As he had guessed, there was no sign of Petyr. If he hadn''t known that Petyr was nothing but memories given substance, then he might have frowned at his absence. Then his eyes landed on the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. She was color come to life. She was white, and white was her. All colors around Selene seemed to bow in defeat and shame. She had gained length again, Kai observed. Selene was around 6 ft long, but she was on the leaner side. She seemed more like a viper and less like a cobra or any other snake species to him. But there were elements to her that Kai failed to rule out. A new species! Kai concluded with utter fascination. She raised her head, flicked out her tongue, and then looked up at him. Kai''s eyes narrowed. -You still can''t see?- he hissed, questioning what seemed obvious to him. -Didn''t you tell me you can see now?- Her right eye had become darker than before, now looking like an ocean of black blood to him. Her left eye was pale, murky yellow, with millions of geometrical forms and incomprehensible many-dimensional patterns rippling within it. It repulsed him, Kai found to his distaste. Her dragon-like scales rattled with every tiny slither, and illusory black and yellow alternative rings traveled across her slim and sleek body now and then. -I can, master,- Selene hissed, defensively. -I can see only with my third eye. But my Skill activates itself if I were to open it.- Behind him, Meg slowly turned her head, and Selene''s head snapped in her direction. Kai''s instincts roared, prophesying a deadly but certain outcome. -Selene!- Kai hissed angrily. -You will know your place.- Selene stared at Meg with her blind eyes for a moment before looking away. Kai could swear he saw the vertical tear in the middle of her forehead tremble. Despite the unmatched fury on his face and in his words, within him, his heart was racing with wild excitement. Kai was more than happy. There was scarcely a word in the dictionary that could describe his feelings right now. One more being had just become a part of his power. And though in his Inventory now dwelt two absurd Items, Kai knew in battle prowess, even Meg wasn''t the match for Selene now. "What¡­ What is she, master?" Meg asked, utterly bewildered by all the hisses and the evolved serpent. "She looks different. She¡­" -/She feels different,/- Kai said, completing Meg''s words. -/Let''s find out what has she become after being corrupted by two alien parasites./- He crouched down. Selene didn''t need any command to slither toward him. She yawned; her mouth as black as the abyss. Then she kissed his chin, with the same familiarity as before, her forked tongue moistening his skin. Kai ran his hands over her scales, caressing her, as a hidden attachment welled up inside him. This was his bond with her. Selene slithered off the floor, her long body coiling around his waist and chest, and finally came to rest after taking a turn around his neck. She put her head on his shoulder, and within a moment, went to the realm of dreams. Kai felt the strength hidden in her muscles and adjusted his eyes to look at her Stats. ¡­ [ Beast: Ghost Basilisk (magical beast) Grade: D (growth) Type: Unknown HP: 160 MP: 190 SP: 110 Attributes- Strength: 16 Agility: 18 Stamina: 16 Perception: 20 Correspondence: 19 Breath: 11 Abilities- 1. Intangibility 2. Soul Chill 3. Lunatic Corruption Skills- 1. Ghost Neurotoxin 2. Earth Vibration Sense 3. Petrification ] ¡­ -Yes,- Kai hissed, gently. -I am proud of you¡­- Selene squirmed, turning into glistening silver mist, and melted into Kai''s body. Chapter 131: The Herald of Chaos Strikes Again! A heavy gust of cool sea breeze hit them across their faces as Kai and Meg stood atop one of the Guardian Columns of Alto Mare. Kai shivered. He was wearing a pink shirt imprinted with foaming waves and Meg had a blue frock over her curvaceous figure, her long hair blowing in the wind like thin strands of red silk. They had come to this height to say a last goodbye to this unfortunate town that had gifted them so much. Kai looked down and saw the entire town was almost underwater. If it was before, by now the entire town would have lit up under the bright light of many street lamps, making it impossible to realize that the night was approaching. It would take a lot of time and unending efforts to go back to the same lifestyle as before, he knew. He could already see many of the residents migrating to the main landmass in their ferries. -/I have seen enough,/- Kai declared. Meg sat down first, her long legs dangling down from the column''s edge. Kai lay down on his back and put his head on her lap. He sighed and then whiffed deeply. She smelled of the wet earth after the pitter-patter of the first rain. He stared at the sky beyond her face and looked at the stars, as thousands of questions related to the things that had happened in the last month ran havoc in his mind. -/Are you sure I can''t store you in my Inventory?/- Kai asked Meg, adjusting his eyes to look into hers. The question felt too absurd to ask even to him, let alone to Meg, who couldn''t help but smile wryly upon hearing that. Yet Kai''s intention was plain. She was his Item now, and Kai would do anything to get his hands on a way to store a live Contestant in his Inventory. If there was such a way, then Meg didn''t know it. "No." She shook her head bluntly. "You can''t, master. But there is another way to have me with you in your next Side Mission." -/Is it related to me becoming a Captain of Guard?/- Kai guessed. When Kai had come to this world, the System had changed his Side Mission to an Officer Qualifying Mission. Kai later found out that the High Priest of the Temple of Hastur was behind this change. Then he had sent Meg to monitor Kai, and if necessary, kill him. Kai had turned all that into a mummer''s show by making Meg betray the Temple instead. Now that she was his slave, it made little sense to even think what her response would be at the end of this mission. Kai already considered himself a Captain of Guard. Though, in reality, he would only get the rank after leaving this world. Meg nodded. "A Captain of Guard can form a Party of up to 4 members, master," she reminded him. "You can ask Chaos to add me as a Party member, to which I will assent despite being in the Primordial Tower." "The next steps are simple," Meg continued, biting her lower lip. "After two weeks, you can create a Side Mission, specifying that you need the help of a team. In these cases, Party members of the Captain of Guard are given priority. Chaos would send me to you with that Side Mission as my floor-ascension mission. The timing should match, though. So you must wait for at least two weeks." It was a straightforward process, Kai realized. He just wondered why someone like Arlen did not have Party members with him during his Initiation Mission. Arlen Silvas is a man of a hundred secrets, Kai thought, taking his eyes off her. Whenever I think I have figured him out, there always surfaces something new and baffling about him. He is not an ordinary noble, that I am sure of. -/Two weeks are too much,/- Kai told her. -/Can''t you complete your Kill Count in a single battle? They are just a bunch of 3rd-floor rats, aren''t they?/- Meg giggled womanly. Only in these kinds of moments, and often when she bluntly rebuked him as if he was but a child in her eyes, did Kai recall she was not as she seemed. She was over 100 years old, and though in the grand scheme of things, 100 years was too little, it was still a gap not small enough to ignore. Another gust of playful wind brought some loose hair in front of her eyes. "I am but a supportive Contestant, master," she told him, curling back those hairs behind her ear. "I assist other Chaos'' Contestants in battle. The System then counts my assists, those that result in successful kills, as part of my Kill Count. Without my other Abilities, it''s too hard for me to kill that many in a single battle by myself." Meg had already told him about these things. It was indeed as she said, Kai reflected. For her, killing so many Order Contestants in one week was stretching things too far. Kai lifted his head off her lap, his face becoming hard. -/I want you there in one week,/- he told her, his hand flicking to take some things out of his MRB. -/First, as you told me, the High Priest will send Contestants after you. I know you can look after yourself, but now you belong to me. So you must have all the means to kill anyone whenever and however you desire. Second, I want us to reach the 4th-floor together. I am sick of having Items I can''t use./-Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. An even more important fact was that Kai needed to complete his last Side Mission as soon as possible. However, he didn''t tell Meg that. Not yet. It wasn''t in his nature to reveal all his cards to a single person. No matter if that person was his slave. Two little boxes appeared in his hands and Kai placed them in between him and Meg. He opened the first one. It had little bone fragments that looked like finger joints and long strands of bright white tendons. Meg gasped, looking at them. These were the bone fragments Kai had taken out of the wings. The wings of the legendary Pokemon, Latias. The anatomy of Latias had bemused Kai. As he had cut her wings open, instead of finding a detailed bone structure as one could expect from a bird species, he had found these bone fragments. They were spread across her wings, connected with thin but extremely powerful tendons. So these are the reasons for her unflappable wings, Kai had guessed then. The number of these fragments was so low that Kai could neither use them to get himself a saber nor use them for some armor. Though Kai couldn''t see Latias'' grade in System''s terms, as she was a main storyline magical beast like the Ukrainian Ironbelly, she was still a legendary Pokemon. After seeing the two Legendary Pokemon''s souls, now imprisoned in the Eon Soul Dew, Meg had guessed the injured Latias was at least a C+ graded magical beast. The grades of the same magical beasts varied with different Timelines allotted at different Floors of the Primordial Tower. -/Take them,/- Kai told Meg. -/Get yourself a bow. Yes. A bow should be your first choice. Remember to dispose of the smith after using him or her. We don''t want high-floor Contestants to keep pestering us, do we?/- "Master, I¡­" Meg gasped, her cheeks going pink. -/Shut up./- He passed the box to her. Then he opened the second box. This time Meg neither gasped nor hinted of any refusal. Kai nodded to himself, seeing that. In the second box, there were two rows of tiny glass vials with 5 in each row. One row of glass vials had blue corks over them, and the other had white. Kai took out 3 blue-corked vials and one white-corked vial. All vials had colorless liquid rippling within them. He gave them to her. -/The blue-corked vials have Light-Neurotoxin,/- he told her. -/I have already told you about it thoroughly before. Smear them on the arrows, and you won''t have to worry about accuracy too much. We will worry about getting you an Ability related to Archery later./- Meg nodded solemnly. "Yes, master," she said. "And this other vial¡­" Kai closed the box, putting it back into his MRB. -/That''s only for drastic measures,/- he explained. -/It has Selene''s Soul Neurotoxin. Don''t let it touch your skin, otherwise, it will melt into you. Find yourself a way to use it in a better manner. You are a smart woman./- Meg took the compliment with a smile. -/OK,/- Kai said, standing up, and Meg followed him. -/This will let you kill as many as you want in your next battle. You have no more excuses now. Meg¡­ Mission Over./- Meg kneeled and instantly a blue shimmer surrounded her. Her hands flicked, taking out the cream-golden egg that Kai had yet to touch. She put it on the stone floor and lifted her head to look at Kai. Their eyes matched. The blues became bluer, and accompanied by another salty gust, she vanished. Kai stood there for a long time afterward, thinking about who knows what. But scarcely he brooded over something so much, and with such uninterrupted focus. -/What do you think?/- he asked a few minutes later. Petyr''s figure walked out of him. "What is there to think, my lord?" he jested. "You should have claimed her maidenhood, as I suggested to you. Women like her are often weirdly attached to men they lose their maidenhead to. Virginity is both an enticing and frightening thing. And a juicy fruit like her won''t ripen anymore but would only go stale." Meg had told her that the Temple of Hastur''s Priests and Priestess needed to practice celibacy for the first 100 years. Kai pondered over those words and compared them to his lack of sexual interest in Meg. -/No./- He shook his head. -/There is something wrong here, Petyr. Not having feelings for her is one thing. Not getting my dick up despite all the physical stimulations is another thing entirely. The Temple of Hastur only takes virgins as its members. The mystery lies here somewhere./- There was always a reason behind Kai''s actions; even those actions that made him seem a lecher. Kai crouched down and touched the egg, waiting no longer. ¡­ [ Side Mission: The birth of Viserion Side Mission Status: Success Side Mission Rewards: 1. 300 Mission Credits 2. +2 Attribute Points ¡­ You can teleport to the next world now, Contestant Kai Stormborn Time Limit: 1 minute ] ¡­ A blue shine covered Kai, marking his impending departure. From his side, Petyr chuckled. -/What''s so funny?/- Kai asked casually. "The question is not where the mystery lies, my lord," Petyr told Kai. "Rather, where lies her loyalty." Kai snapped his head, his eyes narrowing. -/She is mine,/- he told Petyr. -/Even now I can feel my absolute control over her soul and flesh. Not to mention she has already betrayed the Temple of Hastur./- This time Petyr guffawed. His figure became blurry, but he did manage to pass his next words to Kai''s ears. "The Temple of Hastur is not Hastur, my lord," Petyr said coolly. "Can''t you recall in whose name she swore the Soul-Blood oath?" The Herald of Chaos disappeared. Kai craned his neck, brooding over Petyr''s question, and gazed at the stars. They were bright, with no shadow of any yellowness about them. The blues of teleportation covered his figure, too. As his figure blurred, the corner of his lips lifted into an imperceptible smile.

Vol 6 - The Blue Skinned Demon - Ends!

Chapter 132: Return to the Game of Thrones – Seamenship and Captain of Guard! (I) Kai found himself swinging in a hammock, staring up at the musty and moist wooden roof. He sat up and saw that he was wearing a thin, loose shirt over torn shorts. His feet were damp and naked. Then he looked around. It was a big hall crammed up with many dusty yellow hammocks, which gave a hint that they might have been white a few ages ago. The floor was also wooden, long, soggy timber running across from one side of the hall to the other. Wooden casks were lying about in two of the four corners, and the entire hall reeked of a strong, bitter smell of booze and piss. A sudden creaking noise from his right caught Kai''s attention. Kai was on one side of the hall, with nothing but a wooden wall on his right, and now, words were appearing on the wood as if someone was scratching them out using a sharp knife. Even the noise had an edge, he realized, wincing with every letter. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have triggered a Side Mission ¡­ Main Mission: Three heads of the Targaryen Dragon Side Mission: Elementary Seamanship Side Mission Summary: Black Betha, a galley captained by Ser Davos Seaworth, is stationed at Dragonstone''s harbor. In the absence of the Onion Knight, the ship is under the command of the Quartermaster Matthos, Ser Davos'' son. You are a newly hired ship''s boy who is apprenticed to be trained in the ways of seamen. The second mate, Raul, will oversee your training and will assign you all the work any seaman ought to do on the ship. Once the second mate deems you worthy enough, he will present you to the Quartermaster for inspection. You must get Matthos'' acknowledgment to proceed to the third part of your Main Mission. Side Mission Objective: Get Elementary Seamanship Ability Side Mission Time Limit: 1 week ¡­ Do you accept the side-mission? ] ¡­ Wow! Kai was gobsmacked. The Systems itself is rewarding an Elementary Ability directly through a Side Mission?!! From what Meg had told him, only the most luckiest and worthiest Contestants chanced upon Abilities, and that too through Hidden Missions or as the reward of Main Missions. Then there was the Elementary Seamanship. It was one of the the most sought-after Abilities for those who wanted to make a name for themselves in the Random Worlds of One Piece and the Pirates of the Caribbean. Kai also noticed that there was no introductory notification this time. Maybe I will get it after completing this mission, he guessed and accepted the mission. The black bar of Abnormality Limiter has returned, though. After the mission''s acceptance, all the words etched on the wood disappeared.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. More rows of words followed this disappearance, whose structure suggested a personal nature. ¡­ [ Congratulations Kai Stormborn on completing your Officer Qualifying Mission Reward: Captain of Guard As an officer, your post grants you the following privileges: 1. +10% Mission Credits (all rewards) - subject to change with higher posts 2. +5% chance to get a second random Item as a Loot 3. Can form a Party of up to 4 members 4. Free Party Mission Assignment once a Main Mission Notes: 1. Party Mission Assignments must be initiated by the Captain of Guard 2. Party members can join an ongoing mission of the Captain of Guard, given the mission assigned to them by the Captain matches their equivalent floors 3. Party members from floors higher than the Captain of Guard''s floor will have their Stats restricted to match the mission grade assigned to the Captain 4. Captain of Guard can not kill a Party member without presenting an exclusive Side Mission related to it and after its subsequent approval by the System ] ¡­ It was quite a lengthy description, Kai noted. He went through the notification, being afraid not to catch all the hidden meanings behind those sentences. So, Kai thought after a few moments of deliberation, if I were to add a 6th-floor Contestant into my Party and make him come to my mission, then the System would restrict his Stats? Reasonable. It was reasonable, indeed, but Kai could also tell the obvious advantage of it. The top-class Organizations could rear many Captains of Guard by adding higher floor Contestants to their Party. Sure, the System would restrict their Stats, but it couldn''t restrict their experiences. It''s a typical young-master advantage, Kai reflected, sneering. It was then the voice boomed from outside. "Ship''s boy!" a powerful, manly voice called out. "Come out, you fucking whoreson!" The smile vanished. Kai''s eyes narrowed, and in utter seriousness, he contemplated what would happen if he were to just go out and kill this person. He jumped out of the hammock like a snake and donned the shoes lying on the floor. With brisk steps, he walked out, and was greeted by a man twice his size. He was bearded, broad-shouldered, and had a receding hairline. Behind him, Kai could see a towering mountain, bellowing out thick, gray smoke. Under the mountain was an even magnificent castle. Kai wasn''t an ignorant Contestant anymore. He had a powerful Item that served as a knowledge bank. Meg had already told him about all the things he needed to know regarding this world. That mountain was Dragonmont. And that castle was one of the major settings in the world of Game of Thrones. The Castle of Dragonstone! * * Evening, Day 3rd Black Betha A smack at the back of his head sent Kai rolling on the deck. "This is how you tie the knot, heh?" Raul asked, throwing the rope at Kai. "Get up! Do it again. Get up, I say or¡­" Kai pushed himself to a crouch and picked up the rope again. Someone had tattled on him, he knew. He wasn''t a welcome sight on the ship. Not when they didn''t need a ship''s boy who had the charms of a perfumed lady. His Charisma seemed to have run away, and Kai, after many smacks and curses, realized that this Attribute was a fucking unreliable cunt. That he was a mute hadn''t acted in his favor, too. Every joint in his body ached as if someone was stabbing them with needles. Kai had thought that him being a Contestant and having so many high Attributes would let him have a peaceful time following the orders and do an incredible job. Oh, how wrong he was! Kai shuddered upon recalling those arrogant thoughts. Not that the Stats hadn''t helped him, but the relentless work they made him do had made them almost useless. Meg had told him repeatedly that before reaching the 3rd Set, Contestants were nothing but a stronger version of their human self, kind of like super athletes. It was their Items and Skills that made them stand out too much from the normal humans. Kai learned that truth bitterly. In the last two days, the heaviness had clung to his eyes like an anchor to a ship. One moment of relief, and he had woken up with a smack, like the one banging inside his head now. And God, they hurt. Kai grimaced in pain. What troubled him the most was that he could not even try to resist the beating, as it wasn''t expected of a 14-year-old to get hit by that giant man and remain standing. Only once he had remained on his feet after Raul had kicked him for not climbing the foremast quickly, and that had brought down his Abnormality Limiter by over 25%. I should have known that it isn''t easy to get an Elementary Ability, Kai thought, somehow tying the right knot. It needed me to fool a higher floor Contestant to get the Elementary Pokemon Trainer. Tch! The outwardly simple nature of getting Pokemon Trainer has made me go soft. Big mistake. When he shifted to give the knot to Raul, he found the second mate had already gone. Fuck! Kai cursed, hurrying off to do the next chore. Chapter 133: Return to the Game of Thrones – White Serpent and The Devastating Despair! (II) It had been an excruciating three days for him. The things expected of him included managing sails. Extending, reefing, unfurling, and then sewing in case of any cut, all required him to go up and down the masts. By now, Kai had been to all three masts of the galley so many times that he had even forgotten the count. Raul had to just grunt in Kai''s direction for him to know that it was time to go to the crow''s nest once more. His thighs were chafed raw, and the blisters had come and popped, turning his soles into what seemed like hard leather. One thing that had been nodded at by almost all seamen was Kai''s serpent-like nimbleness. Life at sea was a life of youth and vigor. It demanded harsh ways, and harsher men besides. All had noticed Kai''s swift reactions, his slippery, gluey footing on the mast and the deck. Though he hadn''t gotten even a hint of any nod from Raul, Kai could sense the emotions of all. He knew he was heading in the right direction, and that seemed to have been sufficient for him, at least for now. The chores also included ropework, canvas work, boatwork, and correct stowage of stores and supplies. It scarcely felt like the work of a single man. Kai did it all with his mouth shut and his body sweltering in the heat of the thick, humid air. Then there was the almost hourly work of cleaning one part of the deck or the other. After helping the cook serve the food to all crew and the first and second mate, Kai returned to his hammock to get some shuteye. No matter how much he ate, the hunger didn''t go away. He regretted not storing more of the Pokemon meat in his MRB. Whatever was there, he had already finished it on the first day. His MRB wasn''t that spacious, to begin with. Now, with one more egg, it was becoming difficult to store miscellaneous things in it. I need a serious Inventory expansion, Kai resolved, shutting his eyes. Unfortunately, it can only be done outside the Random Worlds because of the MRB. Snores of men were already buzzing into the crew quarters. A few of the men were going out with hushed steps, hissing, whispering, and cursing each other to hurry. Booze had corrupted their brains, and now, only whoring was on their mind. Kai remembered Meg''s words, then. He had been holding back from forming a Party just in case something untoward happened. Three days had already passed, though. He had waited enough. -/Chaos,/- Kai said, -/I want to add 3rd-floor Contestant, Code named Morning Mist, to my Party./- ¡­ [ Sending the request to Contestant Morning Mist¡­ Request Accepted. Assign a name to your Party¡­Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ] ¡­ Kai scratched his head as he looked at the notification. Name? I did not know I would have to give the Party a name. Hmm, let''s see¡­ Kai felt a sudden burst of coldness in his chest. He looked down, his hand already lifting to rub the skin over his heart. -Selene- Kai hissed coolly. -Sleep. I don''t need you for now.- The Ghost Basilisk squirmed within him and went back to sleep as if it had never awakened. It did leave behind an idea for Kai. Or better would be to say, it left behind a name. -/White Serpent./- ¡­ [ Assigning the name¡­ ¡­ Party: White Serpent Party Leader: Red, Captain of Guard Party Members: 1. Morning Mist, 3rd-floor ] ¡­ Kai smiled. Just when he was about to go to the lands of dreams, someone nudged his feet. Kai adjusted his tired neck and noticed the fat seaman, Jared. He remembered him. If he was right, then it was this fatty who had gossiped about him tying a wrong knot to Raul, Kai thought exasperatedly. Kai flicked his chin up, asking what he wanted. Jared spit. "Wanna jo''n us boi," the fatty said, leering at him. "Ye'' ferst whore on us, huh?" Black Betha stayed at the harbor. All the supplies that were needed to be stored were already there. Stannis Baratheon, Lord of Dragonstone, and brother to King Robert had banned prostitution in Dragonstone. So men slid off the deck in the thick of the night to get some, hoping no guard would find them, and even if someone were to find them, then they wouldn''t rat them out. Everyone knew it, everyone did it, and yet none spoke about it. Kai stared into Jared''s eyes. Jared was well past the age of 50, and the grease in his joints had dried years before. The only reason he was in the war galley was that Ser Davos had taken pity on him. Kai did not know if socializing with the crew could affect the outcome of the Quartermaster''s acknowledgment, but he did know that it was nigh impossible to be called a seaman without knowing the seamen. And this was a great opportunity to at least have a taste of what it felt like to be a real man of sea and salt. Cursing all the way, Kai slid out of his hammock and followed Jared and the other crew members off the ship. They kept taking glances at him, passing jokes and jests at each other. Suddenly, Jared put his fat arms around his neck and blubbered in his ears, his mouth smelling of roasted onions, garlic, and alcohol. "Here boi," he said, pointing in a different direction from where the rest of the crew were headed. "Bes'' whore for ye'' there." Jared wasn''t as much asking Kai as pulling him along. He took him to a secluded corner hidden behind the towering ships. The darkness danced here with every roll of the ships. When they were well out of earshot and sight of others, Jared grabbed the back of Kai''s neck and threw him down. Kai choked a laugh down as he saw Jared fumbling to take out a long, rusty knife. "Pants down boi." Jared threatened Kai, pointing the knife at him, his hand shaking half in fear and half in lust. "Com'' on! Ye'' fucking mute." Kai stood up and chuckled. -/I was wondering how many Soul Points a soul from this world would give me./- he said, his breath already rattling. -/Let''s find out, shall we?/- Jared couldn''t see what Kai did. Nor did he hear the words in his mind. His eyes rolled back, his knees buckled, and with a thump, he fell. Happiness and hope abandoned the senior seaman as old and buried sadness resurfaced in his mind. The Devastating Despair let out its true form as dark, foul, tattered robes bellowed noiselessly behind it. Its murderous, unforgiving eyes stared at its prey. One deep, rattling breath, shriveled, dry lips touching the fat lips, and Jared''s soul left his body. The man got the kiss if not anything else. Chapter 134: The Red Woman Arrives! On the morning of the 5th day, the first mate, Grantt, told the crew that Black Betha would take to the sea in the afternoon for a routine patrol. Kai was overjoyed. The prospects of getting Matthos'' acknowledgment would rise if he were to do as good a job out in the sea as he was doing now. In the last two days, he had grown and learned so much that now his Abnormality Limiter kept flickering between 80 to 90, never truly becoming the normal 100%. No longer was the crew looking at him as if he was a mere gutless, charming bastard of some high lord. Raul, the second mate, still hit him, smacking now and then, and sending him rolling on the deck. But his smacks lacked heart, and the laughs these hits brought out of the seamen were more admiring than sneering. In just five days, Kai had made all forget that he was still technically a ship''s boy. Such was his Charisma, his mastery of grasping all things, and his physical prowess. Such was his fear. Yes. Most of the credit for him enjoying himself without worrying about any bullying and interference went to the senior seaman, Jared. They had found him lying witless on the next morning where Kai had left him. Like all his victims, Jared had become a husk, a walking human skin. They had all wondered and shivered to see Jared''s lifeless eyes. Most sickened and terrified among all Black Betha''s crew were five seamen who had gone off the ship that night. They had seen Jared taking Kai in a dark, secluded corner, but at the time of interrogation, not one of them told anything to the first mate. The Maester had then come out of pure curiosity, as Jared wasn''t important enough to garner high lords'' attention. Nevertheless, the fat seaman was one of the Ser Davos'' crewmen, and thus, the case caught much more attention than it would have otherwise. The fear on the five seamen''s faces had become a corporeal mask when even Maester Cressen showed his inability to put his finger on Jared''s abnormality. But, on a ship, there was no such thing as a secret among the crew. The eyes with which those five crewmen had looked at Kai soon others started to look at him with those eyes too. Mostly there was fear, and in some rare eyes was admiration and apprehension. It did nothing to Kai, other than solidifying his place on the war galley. After getting the first mate''s orders, the crew scampered off, checking on everything before the ship set sail. Kai flinched, remembering the Soul Points given to him by Jared''s soul, as he went to check on the stows. The Soul Points weren''t even in two decimal places but in three. Now, Kai regretted not achieving this requirement in the Pokemon Random World itself. I could have devoured the young Latios'' soul at least, Kai thought, fastening the rope around loose casks'' footing. I wonder how much he would have given me. An integer maybe? Kai was indeed disappointed. But the major reason behind his sullen expression wasn''t his finding of inferior quality of souls in this world, but the world itself. In the last two days, Kai''s skills had earned him a place in late-night drinking and japery. The seamen were indifferent to him but hadn''t shooed him away, either. Even without using words, Kai had a way to manipulate and direct the conversation in a particular direction. A direction at the end of which lay the late Hand, Jon Arryn. Kai recalled last night''s jests as he ran to the lowermost compartment to check on the bilge water; the worst job on the ship, according to what Kai had learned so far.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. His wife rode him so hard that the old man had a heart attack, one seaman, Tank the toothless, had mocked, as the other laughed out of their teeth. The speech hadn''t been so elegant and comprehensible either, as the words had been exchanged in many slobbers and stutters. No, no, another young seaman, Pryt, had rejected the statement brusquely. It was gas. Kai''s eyes had narrowed then. Maybe it was the sewers they were talking about, he had thought, and then soon had found that he was wrong. Gas? Tank had asked, booze spilling from the gap of his missing teeth. Yes. Pryt had nodded with all the seriousness a drunken fool could muster in a clown party. The Hand had eaten some pie. He farted his ass to death. Haha... One smack to the back of Pryt''s head had shut him up. Raul had stood over them, taking no particular notice of Kai. It''s some stomach disease that took the old man, he had added then, snatching the drink from Tank, and taking two big gulps, almost emptying the green glass bottle. King Robert has gone north. They say Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, will be the new Hand. Kai had listened to that with a stony expression. By the time Raul had marched off, he was sure that this wasn''t the same timeline. There was no talking of any kidnapping, no story of murderous sewers. After checking the condition of the pump, and making sure it was OK, Kai ran up to the deck and was about to climb the mainmast when Grantt bellowed as if a massive bull was roaring, standing on a cliff. "All hands on deck!" The shout made almost all seamen and the other officers leave whatever they were doing and gather on the deck. Even the rowers left their inspection of the oars and rushed to join the other crewmates. Squished among the men, Kai wondered what could keep the first mate from putting a brake on all legs just hours before they were supposed to leave the harbor. The reason shocked the living breath out of Kai. "In a few moments," Grantt said slowly, but clearly, "Lady Melisandre is about to join us on the ship, accompanied by Quartermaster. She has some questions to ask you all regarding Jared and his¡­ strange state. You will answer her properly if asked, I tell you. Or whatever you might have heard of her, I will make sure it comes true." All on the deck buzzed up with suppressed whispers. Kai saw many taking furtive glances at him, fidgeting like the lambs who were about to be slaughtered. Well, well, Kai thought amusingly. Now, this is an unexpected encounter. Just as Kai had this thought, he heard the buzz becoming a stunned and scared hush. He saw a young man, most probably the Quartermaster, Matthos, helping a woman come up on the deck. A long red gown was adorning her from top to bottom, and a scarlet cloak bellowed behind her listlessly. Around her neck, Kai noticed the most fabled red gold choker, containing a ruby. Meg had told him about her and had also warned him to not even for a moment think of harming her. Otherwise, more often than not, she would have seen it in the fire beforehand. Lady Melisandre, or the Red Woman, as all were calling her under their breath, had a beauty that couldn''t be put on paper. Words lacked in putting enough effort into describing her gracefulness. Her hair was the color of deep burnished copper, her eyes were unsettling red, and her skin was pale honeyed milk come alive. She was slender and almost a head taller than Kai. He looked at her full breasts, her elegant walk, and her narrow waist, and Kai''s throat became dry. He took a deep breath to steady himself. It was the long dry spell without sex and constant fighting that was making him lust for this woman, Kai thought, giving himself a hundred excuses. Meg had also told him another fact about the Red Woman. Among all the timelines known to the Contestants, two versions of Lady Melisandre were most the famous ones. Her first version was an old witch, taking the shape of a beautiful woman using the ruby in her choker. This version was based on the TV series. Her second version was more truthful, with the ruby in her choker only amplifying her magic, not giving her young appearance. In this case, her beauty truly belonged to her, not because of the effect of some old magic. Of course, the second version was more popular among the Contestants. Kai had been thinking about which version of the Red Woman he was looking at, when, suddenly, her head snapped towards him. Kai''s heart skipped a bit; more in terror than in lust. Chapter 135: The Horror hidden in Melisandre’s eyes! Lady Melisandre approached him as if the fire itself was lashing out with a fiery tongue. Meg had told him about her beauty and how it was known among Contestants that Charisma backfires when coming into contact with her. No denying her features had perplexed Kai, but he also wanted to have nothing to do with her. Stay away from her, Meg had warned. Not even higher floor Contestants like to be around her for any security mission. By now, Kai, with Meg''s help, had figured out this strange appearance of Contestants around some main storyline Characters. The Characters who were directly related to his Main Mission won''t have any security, he had concluded. Only those who had nothing to do with a direct mission would have Contestants watching over them. Kai still didn''t know how the System adjusted these things, though. Jon Arryn was a main storyline Character and a major one at that, and yet he didn''t have any security. Meg had made Kai recall giving examples. The Queen most probably had, but her security must have thought of you as nothing more than a bug, I guess. Similarly, Bianca and the adult Latias didn''t have security despite them being the main storyline Characters. Yet, Pokeball Expert Kurt and Professor Elm both had because they had nothing to do with your Main Mission, master. Kai had found those explanations extremely reasonable. That''s why, when he saw the Red Woman towering in front of him, he had to control his breathing from not racing lest any higher floor Contestant, if one was near, might sense something. There was magic around her, Kai realized. But he also felt as if its existence was too great for him to grasp. Head down, he stared at her feet, her toes, and the rippling gown showing her sweet, shiny ankles. "Who is this, Matthos?" her voice was deep and melodic. "He doesn''t seem to be of a low birth." The quartermaster hurried toward them, and Kai''s mind was racing. A sudden thought had just made him shudder with unknown fright. The Book! The Tales of Beedle the Bard had not trembled. Kai had already concluded that the Book shook within his Inventory whenever he met a significant Character. Who could be more significant than the Red Woman? Kai asked himself. He struggled to think of any justifiable reason for this abnormality. "Desmond, the ship''s boy, my lady," Matthos whispered. "He is mute." "A mute?" Melisandre showed surprise. "Look up, boy. Look at me." Kai''s lips were getting dry. If he had known that the vegetative state of a single nobody could catch her attention, then he would have been more discreet about all that. Too late for regrets now.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Kai lifted his head, and his hazel eyes matched her red. Kai saw a sea of fire in those eyes, blazing eternally. He could sense her soul, a massive fire tornado, wreaking havoc on the far lands of perpetual darkness. But there was something else too. Beyond her unfathomable emotions, her soul, and that darkness she was trying to keep at bay, Kai could feel someone looking back at him. The horror took him by surprise. Inside him, Selene shuddered in terror. They both had felt this feeling once before. It hadn''t been that long, as they had encountered this destructive sensation recently. That encounter had changed both of their lives. For good or for bad, they had yet to find out. Yes. They were thinking of the yellow door, patterned with hideous geometric configurations, and the one strip of a tattered yellow robe that had almost come out to meet Kai during the Blood Prophecy. Deep in Melisandre''s eyes, deeper than even she could have probably known, there was someone of that level, who had noticed Kai''s presence. If Kai hadn''t already come to face this sensation, he would have never compared the two. Kai wanted to run. He had already decided to have nothing to do with these eldritch figures until he had the power to defend himself against them. Yet, here he was, looking through the eyes of a magnificent beauty at some incomprehensible existence by the grace of an unlucky encounter. "Fire burns strong in this one," Lady Melisandre declared, smiling. "The Lord of Light has more need for him than this ship. I am taking him with me." Fuck! Kai cursed within. In the open, his face showed confusion, fear, and reluctance. "Beg your pardon, my lady," Raul, the second mate, said, hurrying towards them. "Desmond is about to complete his apprenticeship in two days. I wanted to see how he would fare out in the sea today." The guards who had come with the Lady suddenly unsheathed their swords. "Step away," one guard warned, eying Raul menacingly. The other guard didn''t even say anything, but took a step forward himself, raising the sword. Lady Melisandre gave them a look and lifted her hand, stopping both guards at their places. "No need for violence where it''s not needed." She turned around, looked at all, and smiled. Raul, Matthos, and pretty much everyone shivered. "And what is your assessment of him based on the last five days?" she asked Raul. Raul gulped. "Desmond has all the qualities to become an excellent seaman, my lady," he told her. "He just needs more experience and time." "Matthos," Lady Melisandre called. "I leave it to you then. Send him to me after two days." Matthos bowed in acceptance. Kai was having a hard time believing that she had given up on claiming him for herself just because Raul wanted to let him complete his apprenticeship. Something was off about her, and her thoughts, he reflected. It was like she had already guessed this proceeding. The Red Priestess turned to give Kai a fleeting look. Her hand reached for his long white hair and she brushed them off his face. "You will do R''hllor great service, boy," she told Kai, a hint of a smile lingering on her angelic face. "Be careful¡­ "¡­ for the night is dark and full of terrors." Kai saw her leaving, his back drenched with sweat. Even her swaying hips failed to make him think of doing anything but run in the opposite direction wherever she would be. Kai was almost sure that even though she didn''t look powerful, he couldn''t even harm a single hair on her head. Then there was that sensation of someone watching through her red eyes, peering out into the material world. Kai promised to himself then. No matter how much he wanted her and her tale, he would stay as far as possible from Melisandre. Sometimes it was best to go with instincts. For the night was indeed dark and full of terrors. Terrors like Hastur, the King in Yellow, Kai remembered, a chill running down his spine. Chapter 136: Seaman – The Birth of Drogon! The dusk of the 7th day found Kai facing the door to the officer''s cabin. Black Betha had stayed in the sea for a day, circling the volcanic island. Kai had proved himself as skilled as Raul had proclaimed him to be and much more. Whatever the mates ordered him to do, and was expected of him to do, he had done that with mastery as befitting a beginner Seaman. He still had a long way to him get named as an experienced Seamen, but for his age, and looking at the time of his training, he had already outsmarted over half of the crew. Now was the decisive moment, Kai knew. Doubtlessly he would get Matthos'' approval, what with Melisandre''s words and the queer interest she had openly shown in him. The thing that troubled him was the guards stationed on the deck, fully armed and alive, to take him to the Red Woman. Worse comes to worst, I will just kill everyone, Kai thought, pressing his brows. Meg warned me against carrying out unnecessary slaughters, though. Abnormality Limiter. Any happenstance of someone seeing me doing something extraordinary can cause my instant death. Tch! "Don''t be nervous," Raul told him, towering to his left. "You have done a fine job. There is the slight problem of you not getting along with other crew members, but¡­ we won''t need to worry about it, I guess." The pity in the brute''s voice was too much to ignore. Kai lifted his face and attempted a smile. Matthos'' voice seeped out from the closed door then. "Come in." The doors creaked as Raul entered, followed by Kai, who closed them after stepping in. The Quartermaster''s cabin was the only other cabin on the ship that housed a single occupant other than the Captain''s. Both the mates bunked together, followed by other officers who also shared a room. The rest of the crew bunked towards the ship''s bow, congested into a single giant hall. Privacy only existed until words were within mouths and dicks within pants. The ship and the sea knew everything else; every little secret and every petty gossip. "Ah!" Matthos exclaimed knowingly. "Desmond, is it? His apprenticeship is over, then?" Matthos was in his early twenties, Kai noticed. Short hair, black eyes, and gaunt stature. The first and second mates both were older than Matthos, yet none of the crew had any issue with accepting orders from the young man. It seemed to Kai that Matthos shared his father''s instinct and talent. Though, from what Meg had told him, the young man wasn''t half as wise as the Onion Knight, Ser Davos Seaworth. "Yes, sir," Raul replied for Kai. "The boy lacks the experience for me to call him a sailor. Other than that, he is a nice young lad. The best thing is he doesn''t scowl or talk back." Raul and Matthos shared a laugh as Kai sheepishly grinned along with them. After a few moments of deliberation, Matthos'' face became solemn, befitting his rank, and he looked at Kai with the eyes of a quartermaster. "As per custom," he began, mustering the heaviness in his voice, "we rarely raise a ship''s boy to a seaman before a few long sea tours, am I right? (-Raul nodded-). But our second mate thinks there is no point in you being called a ship''s boy when you are doing the work of over one seaman by yourself. I agree with him."This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Kai beamed. Matthos stood up, approached Kai, and looked into his eyes. "So I," he continued, "Matthos Seaworth, Quartermaster, and son of Ser Davos Seaworth, Captain of Black Betha, honors you with the post of Seaman." The appearance of the notification was instantaneous. ¡­ [ Side Mission: Elementary Seamanship Side Mission Status: Success Side Mission Rewards: 1. 300 Mission Credits 2. Elementary Seamanship ] ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have triggered a Side Mission ¡­ Main Mission: Three heads of the Targaryen Dragon Side Mission: The Birth of Drogon Side Mission Summary: Dragonstone, the volcanic island at the mouth of Blackwater Bay, created by the active volcano, Dragonmont, once was the seat of Valyrians, even before the Doom of Valyria. The Valyrians had brought with them magic, shaping the mountain and rocks, and birthing the Castle of Dragonstone. For long House Targaryen ruled this island, growing their Dragons in Dragonstone''s firepits and hatcheries. Now Stannis of House Baratheon goes by the name of Lord of Dragonstone, and ages have come and gone since Dragonmont''s fiery, sulphuric breath had kissed a dragon''s lungs. One thing hasn''t changed, though. It had been here before the Valyrians, and it will remain here for unseen ages to come. The lava! It runs in the veins of this island like blood. Within the tunnels of the Dragonmont are rich chunks of dragonglass, or obsidian, of many colors. It is known. What is not known is that there is one stone that has no name outside, and whose nature remains magical despite the ordinary times. Lady Elissa Farman had once stolen three eggs from the Targaryen dragon''s hatcheries on the island and had successfully smuggled them off into the lands beyond the narrow sea. Unknown and untold to everyone, Lady Elissa had stolen not three but four eggs, the fourth being the biggest one. But in haste and carelessness, the egg had slipped from the thief''s grasp, falling into the lava vein that runs deep under the island''s skin. Side Mission Objective: Find the missing egg Side Mission Time Limit: 1 month ¡­ Do you accept the Side Mission? ] ¡­ A loud smack at the back of Kai''s head brought him out of his reverie. "Well, seven hells!" Raul bellowed. "Bow, you bloody idiot!" Kai gave a courteous bow, massaging his head. It didn''t hurt, but not doing anything would bring his Abnormality Limiter down. Matthos returned to his chair, glancing at the map spread out on the table. "Now that you are a Seaman, Desmond," he said, without looking at Kai, "you have two choices. One, you can stay at Black Betha, where you will be at the lowest in the crew ranking. Two, you can seek crewmanship on a sailing ship, with my hand-written recommendation letter, of course. So, what will it be?" Raul said nothing. Kai could tell he was looking at him, but he wouldn''t recommend anything, not in Matthos'' presence at least. But Kai''s cunning and intelligence knew no bounds. He wasn''t a match for Petyr, true. But the events happening around him weren''t so complex for him to not squeeze the meaning out of them. If I choose the first option, Kai thought, squinting his eyes in a thoughtful expression, then I would probably get a Milestone, the Black Betha being a ship mentioned in the books (-major ships covered in his sessions with Meg-). The second option has many possibilities too. Hmm¡­ After a moment of repeating this thought, Kai raised two fingers, telling his choice. Both Raul and Matthos smiled. Chapter 137: Recommendation Letter – Selene’s Ravings! The Quartermaster took out a scroll. He unscrolled it and then used a quill to sign it. It seemed they had stored many recommendation letters beforehand. Raul went to take the scroll and then passed it to Kai. Another notification popped up, not entirely unexpected by him. ¡­ [ Item: Recommendation Letter (Consumable) Grade: Uncommon Specification: Recommendation letter issued by Black Betha''s quartermaster, Matthos Requirement: Elementary Seamanship Attributes: Chance of the Contestant being recruited on a ship as a Seaman ¡ª +80% Skill: Not Applicable Warning: The Item will disappear after using it once Quality: 98% ] ¡­ Kai stuffed the scroll under the cloth tied around his waist. "Now," Matthos said, twiddling his thumbs, "Raul will take you to the guards, who then will escort you to Lady Melisandre. If she has seen potential in you, Desmond, then surely you are destined to do great things in the service of the Lord of Light. You can deliberate on what to do next after reporting to her. OK?" Kai nodded solemnly, ignoring Raul, who had just taken a nervous gulp. "Go on, then," Matthos commanded, flicking his hand. "If you see my father, then don''t forget to give him the captain''s courtesy. Dismiss." Raul, not waiting for a moment, put his thick-fingered hands on Kai''s left shoulder and took him out the cabin''s door. His every next step seemed heavier than before as he approached the stairs leading up to the main deck. Kai had already planned his escape after leaving the ship with guards. So he walked quietly with Raul, and when the second mate stopped under the stairs, he stopped with him. They stood there for a few moments, making Kai wonder if the brute had forgotten something. "Desmond," Raul said with a hushed voice, "you are a good kid. I don''t know what you did to Jared. Yeah, I''ve heard the rumors. But unlike those whoremongers, I know it was not something any human could do. I heard the Red¡­ lady Melisandre and the quartermaster talking about it. I was there. She said¡­ she said, Jared''s fire had gone out. Some monstrous abomination had used dark magic on him to suck out his soul. She called it the work of a dark creature who stands opposite to the Lord of Light." Kai was dumbfounded. He did not know that the red bitch could figure out the darkest magic used by one of the foulest creatures known across the Multiverse. He could see Raul shivering too, and with his size, it felt like a massive storm was trying to upend a thick, old tree.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Where''s it going? Kai thought, seeing Raul taking a deep breath. "I won''t let her have you," Raul said, squeezing Kai''s shoulder. "I have talked about this with Grantt, and we''ve both agreed on this. Quartermaster is¡­ well changed. But we know Captain Davos will side with us if it comes to that. I will fake getting hit by you, catching the guard''s attention. You must run away at that chance. Find a ship leaving the harbor, and show the Recommendation Letter to that ship''s captain. By the time they would come for you, you would already be gone." Kai gawked at Raul. He nodded immediately. What happened next was smooth. Smoother than at least what Raul must have had in his mind. The moment Raul and Kai reached the main deck, Raul shoved Kai towards a corner and roared out of his lungs, falling back down into the officer''s compartment. The crew was still busy at work. The moment Raul''s scream echoed out, they came rushing towards the scene, and the three well-armored guards followed them. "The fucker tripped me!" Raul bellowed from down there. "That fucking mute son of a whore!" The guards shoved the crew aside, taking out their swords, and fumbled to do a panicked search of the main deck. One of them went off the ship to let other patrolling guards know about Kai when they couldn''t find even a single hint of him. It was as if Kai had vanished into thin air. But unbeknown to Raul, Kai hadn''t made a run for the other ship. Nor he had run off the ship on foot. He had jumped into the sea. ¡­ On the opposite side of the island, where the rocks were a thousand knives, and the waves were soldiers marching amass, bleeding thick white blood upon the impact, a blue creature leaped out like a fish determined to conquer the land. The moment it left the water, though, its blue tail vanished, and its figure squirmed, becoming a mass of nothing but dark, foul mist. Or that''s how Dementor-Kai looked when seen from some hundred meters away in the night. Kai had used his Golduck transformation to swim around the island, cutting out any possible interference. His Side Mission needed him to search for the last egg in the lava tunnels, spreading out like an enormous and complex web. There was no point in remaining in human contact for that. Kai did not know how any other Contestant in his place would have tackled this Mission, as even 3rd-Set Contestants couldn''t remain alive after diving into the lava if he was right about all this. Without powerful and ridiculous Skills and Items, no Ability could help any Contestant, either. But Kai was a different and almost a standalone case. He had an item that could swim into the lava as if it wasn''t there. -Selene,- Kai hissed, landing on the rocky beach. -Come out.- A silver mass burst out of him and materialized into a 6 ft long white serpent. It had three eyes, one black, one yellow, and a third that was closed as if someone had used a knife to open a vertical gash in the middle of her head in between her eyes. Its dragon-like white scales rattled as it slithered around Kai''s shoulder, illusory, alternate rings of black and yellow running across its length. -Master, it''s hot,- Selene hissed, flicking out her tongue, and kissing Kai''s chin. -It''s better for me to remain in my intangible form.- That''s a quite rational thought, Kai reflected, flying towards the volcano''s mouth. But then, almost immediately, she hissed again, sounding utterly different; Vile and evil. -I will Kill that bitch,- she hissed furiously, spitting out the venom. -She dares threaten you, master.- Kai''s face was stone. This sudden and involuntary, but equally mad ravings were annoying him. Is this her new Ability? he reflected, burying the annoyance bubbling in his heart. Lunatic Corruption¡­ Is she even aware that she is using it? This wasn''t the end, though. She hissed once more. Now more dreamy than murderous, and more visionary than calculative. -I can spend eternity on your shoulders, master,- she hissed reminiscently. -Nothing will make me happier than trampling the Peak of Absolute Power along with you.- Kai ran his shriveled skeleton hands through his hair under the hood. He did not know how he could use this Ability in a battle, but for now, it was truly pushing him towards lunacy. -Less talk, more action,- he hissed in a tone that meant Now. -Listen¡­- Then he whispered what he wanted her to do. To Kai''s surprise, Selene hissed, which sounded to him as if she was cackling evilly. -Search for an egg in the tunnels running underground?- she hissed, almost sneering. -That''s a piece of cake, master.- One moment she was coiled around him. In the other, Selene became a silver ghost, seeping into the lava. Chapter 138: The Mysteries of Kai’s Initiation Mission! A few hours later, Kai snapped open his eyes. He had canceled the Dementor''s form and was now sitting over a boulder. The surroundings smelled of ash and sulfur, as a cool sea breeze fought a never-ending battle with the heat. It was impossible to tell that there was an ancient town and castle on the opposite slope of this volcano. Wherever Kai turned his head, he could only see raw, wild nature. Kai hadn''t been idling, waiting for Selene to show up. Though she had made slight of the problem, he knew it would need her an excruciating search, time, and effort to stumble upon the egg. It was like finding a needle in a haystack. She could chance upon the last egg in the next second, or not even after a week. There was no way to tell. In the past week, Kai had asked Chaos about the hiring of team members. He pulled up the notification to give it another look. ¡­ [ A Captain of Guard must refer to the following points before asking for a team: 1. The Privilege of requesting team members is available once during a Main Mission. The Privilege Fee is divided into two parts. A one-time Privilege Accessing Fee of 300 Mission Credits and a Privilege Recruitment Fee, for any request about the members'' nature 2. Minimum Team Members: 2, Maximum Team Members: 4 3. Price/member: Newbie - 10 MC, 1st floor - 20 MC, 2nd floor - 50 MC, 3rd floor - 100 MC, Party Member - 0 MC 4. The order of team members'' appearance in the Random World can be stretched up to 1 week 5. The Main Mission Objective of all the members from the same floor must be the same. ] ¡­ These five points had solved many mysteries for Kai regarding his Initiation Mission. Moreover, the biggest mystery of his Initiation Mission wasn''t some fact or thing, but a person. Shae, Kai remembered, sneering. I wondered why such a useless Contestant was there along with other monsters. Now that Kai could see the 1st point, and from the fact that he could dictate the nature of members by paying a Recruitment Fee, he could tell that his old friend, Arlen Silvas, must have specifically asked for a pretty, blond newbie, irrespective of her Stats in that mission. It seemed incredibly stupid and creepy to do so. Not to mention, Kai had no way to tell if Arlen had even asked for a team or not. But when Kai recalled the constant annoyance Arlen had shown and his simpering behavior around Shae, he couldn''t help but accept this theory with iron certainty. No wonder, Kai thought, shaking his head. No fucking wonder that he hated me for flirting with her. Who knows how many Mission Credits he must have paid as a Recruitment Fee to get her on his team? Arlen-oh-Arlen, even I, with all my lust for older women, couldn''t have thought of doing so. Tch! Well, that''s one mystery solved, I guess. Another mystery, and of a more personal nature, was the room where Kai had appeared after teleportation. He had always wondered why he never returned to that timeless room in his subsequent missions. The 4th point untangled that mystery for him.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Arlen must have asked for a team two days before my appearance, Kai analyzed. He remembered Arlen had mentioned to him that they had come to the world two days before the Kai and Shae. So, he kept the newbies separated from the experienced Contestants by letting Desmond, Sonia, and Simon teleport into the Random World almost instantaneously, and keeping me and Shae on hold for two days. It all seemed reasonable to him, but he had deciphered more out of his analysis. If I am right, Kai thought, tapping his finger on the boulder, then I could have stayed in that timeless-room for max two days, as intended by Arlen. But the moment I stepped out of the room, the System compressed the remaining time. So, I can say that I jumped one and half a day into the future. Time Travel¡­ Kai shuddered, thinking of that. Not because he had unknowingly traveled through time even before entering the Primordial Tower, but because of his intentions of compressing time at the end of this Main Mission. By compressing the time, Kai reflected, his brows sweating, I will jump over that much amount of time. The Cost! How much the System will fucking cost me for this service? Kai gulped audibly, and he wondered if the Mission Credits he had stowed would be enough for the task or not. If not for Chaos putting an unimaginable price on this information, then he would have already got the answer to this question. I would only know the price just before compressing the rest of the time, Kai thought, nodding to himself, and rubbing the sweat away from falling into his eyes. Not wasting any time, Kai used his Privilege, as Meg must have been waiting for him to do so in the Primordial Tower. -/Chaos,/- he called out telepathically, deliberating his next words. -/Assign a team of two members, both from the 3rd floor, including Party member, Morning Mist. Their Main Mission Objective would be to assist me in delivering the last egg to Daenerys Targaryen. Keep them on hold for 1 week./- Kai gave a last nod to his words, and the notification followed. ¡­ [ Checking on Party member''s status¡­ Status: Available Assigning a random 3rd-floor Contestant¡­ Assigning Main Mission¡­ Main Mission Assigned Price: 400 Mission Credits ] ¡­ Kai paid the price, not without wincing. ¡­ [ Captain of Guard, Kai Stormborn, your team members have arrived in Dragonseed Inn at the western port on Dragonstone. They will be allowed to come out after 1 week. In case you are dead, or unavailable to accept their proof letters, their mission would be deemed successful with no rewards. ] ¡­ That''s quite fast, Kai thought and then sighed. At first, he wanted to let Meg appear right now on the island. But now he desired to know if his theory that the System would keep her in a timeless-room for 1 week was true or not. I just hope that Meg would guess my intention and won''t step out of the room, Kai thought. Because in that case, she would lose this free 1 week time and would just appear 1 week in the future. Suddenly, Selene''s intangible form slithered out of the ground beside him. She was burned, and her dragon-like white scales were glowing red as if they were of metal, Kai observed. Her eyes were closed, as he had already ordered her to not open her third eye without his permission. -I need Mana to go on,- she hissed calmly and calculatingly. Then her hisses became dreamy. -I wonder how far could I have pushed myself before dying in your service, master.- Kai said nothing. He was waiting for one last hiss. And, yes. There it was, more menacing and vile. -I want to hunt,- she hissed murderously. -Let''s start with that red bitch.- Kai threw a fish toward her and wondered about the mystery named Ghost Basilisk. Chapter 139: Training – The future of Telekinesis! Morning, 14th day Rocky shores of the Dragonmont Volcano Kai had had a busy week. To keep Selene in the best of her state had become his priority in the last few days. The raw heat of the lava had been troubling her despite her searching for the egg in her Intangible form, he had found out. It was a weakness he had expected but not tested, what with her having a combination of ghost and ice-type powers. He could see the obvious, but equally grave and perplexing, effect on her white dragon-like scales that would glow white-red, like hot iron, after every excursion into the depths of the volcano. Selene was extraordinarily vulnerable against heat, Kai had concluded; and by extrapolation, against anything related to fire and its infinite forms. So most of his time had gone into hunting fish for himself and Selene. She had eaten not one of his catches without severely and dismissively hissing at him, though. I must hunt by myself, she had grumbled every time, swallowing the fish whole. I must always. Kai couldn''t have that. It had been already becoming a task more than he could chew with Selene''s every tired and burned return. He couldn''t afford her idling in the seawater, slithering, and chasing after some fish, a case in which he could outmatch her easily in his Golduck form. All this had made him realize one thing which demanded no refusal and objection. He must have a mobile lab on him. All the time. Moving on with the decision, he had concentrated his efforts on his Abilities. Golduck-Kai was sitting over the same boulder, but now his hair looked rough, and there was a darker tinge to his blue skin. His eyes were closed, his pupils fluttering under the eyelids as if he was having some terrible nightmare. The gem on his forehead kept pulsating with red flashes. Several sharp-edged pebbles were hovering around him in a 10-meter radius. Sometimes they were revolving clockwise, sometimes they halted before resuming their revolution in the opposite direction. A few of them halted longer than the others as if they were trying to cling in the same direction of a clockwise revolution but ultimately failed. With no one to guide him, Kai had devised a plan to increase his Telekinesis Proficiency with his own methods. Using the knowledge he had attained, and the methods of cultivation, from his previous life, Kai decided to work on his Telekinesis with the phases of elements as the basis. In the Elementary phase, he would work on controlling solid matter, with the size, shape, and weight increasing with the Proficiency. Not only these, but he must also control the coordinates and motions precisely. For example, right now, Kai was working on keeping the pebbles still at their places while simultaneously revolving them on their axis. Where he did fail, though, was rotating some clockwise and rest anticlockwise. Kai believed when the time came he could do this effortlessly, he would already be nearing the Advance level of this Ability. Similarly, in the Advance phase, he would work on controlling the liquid matter.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. The Master phase would be the most difficult, he knew. Not only because it was Master, but also because he would need to control the air itself. Still, Kai rather have the variable decided by him, than remain unknown to them. The oval gem on his forehead let out a brilliant flash, then. Kai, who was still seated on the boulder, lifted, hovering a few inches in the air. It differed from the moment in the Pokemon Random World when he had pushed against many solid surfaces to balance himself midair using Telekinesis. Here, he had only the ground to work with, pushing and stretching his command over the Ability to the limits. Kai gritted his teeth, pushing the ground in a conical volume to balance himself. Suddenly, a few pebbles jolted as his control loosened. With small thuds, the pebbles fell one by one. Kai fell with them. My fucking head¡­ he cursed, clutching his head with both hands. It felt like someone was hammering it from both inside and outside, while simultaneously stabbing it with needles, swords, and screws. ¡­ [ Elementary Telekinesis: Proficiency 45% (+5%) ] ¡­ Kai had been tortured before, but this was something else entirely. For physical pain, he could rely on his experience and Pain Factor to bite it down. The pain stemming from using the Telekinesis seeped into his very soul. As he fought through the pain, Kai accidentally touched the red gem. Huh? Was it his imagination? Or the gem felt bigger than it had been before? Before Kai could ruminate over it more, a painful, yet thrilled, hissing sound enraptured his attention out of the blue, overpowering the loud crashing of the waves down on the rocky beach. -Selene?!- The hiss exploded out of his mouth. He stood up so fast that he almost lost his footing, and darkness covered his eyes momentarily. When vision graced itself to his eyes, Kai saw a black, charred, 6 ft-long figure slithering towards him. Its burned scales looked ashy black, and he could see a red hue of lava stuck under the scales, which he guessed were scales because he couldn''t distinguish them from the figure anymore. In the middle of the figure, there was a huge bulge as if someone had stuffed a big rock down its throat. The figure flicked out a forked tongue and tasted the scent of blood, and Kai flashed in the figure''s direction, taking out an HP capsule. -What happened to you, Selene?- Kai hissed, pushing the capsule down her throat. -What happened to you, master?- Selene hissed, lingering on the brink of death. The same nature of their questions threw them off guard, and Kai couldn''t help but let out a smile, as a red shine engulfed Selene, healing her instantly. -I was just having fun,- Kai told her, his gaze fumbling around the bulge in her stomach. -I had to materialize into my actual form to swallow the egg,- Selene hissed back, explaining the cause of her fatal injuries. So she was within the lava for a few moments, Kai thought incredulously. Does that mean¡­ she even swallowed a bit of lava?! How is she still alive?! To Kai''s surprise, Selene complained about nothing. Instead, she cursed, taking deep breaths. -One day, master,- she hissed murderously. -One day I would come back and blast this island from the face of the earth. Humph!- Kai let her go through the changes in her personality calmly. He could find no other reason for her to act so. He already had an idea, but being a scientist, he had made no solid conclusion without rigorous assessments. It did seem plain enough to him, though. There wasn''t one Selene in her body anymore, but three, Kai had concluded. Any more conclusions and findings would need countless experiments and time. All of which have to wait for him to have the luxury of indulging himself in something other than his mission. Suddenly, her entire body let out a crackling noise, and Kai''s eyes widened. He was wondering why the HP capsule hadn''t healed her charred external shell when Selene wriggled her way out of it. A pure white serpent slithered out, its white scales rattling, shining like freshly found pearls. Shedding?! Kai exclaimed. Chapter 140: Set Quota Complete – The Return of Simon! The Ghost Basilisk was shedding. The last time it had happened, her grade had changed, Kai remembered. He reached for the burned, flaky reptilian skin when Selene''s hiss reached his ears. -It''s useless, master,- she said, calculatingly. -My normal shedding has nothing magical about it.- She sounds more mature and detached in this state, Kai reflected, taking his hand back. Once more Selene opened her mouth like a maw of a black abyss and pushed the bulge in her stomach outwards. In a few moments, a moist, red-brown egg slid out of her mouth. It looked like the fire had solidified as this scaled egg ages ago. The slimy liquid over it evaporated in no time, and no one could tell if the egg was once within her at all. What havoc it must have been wreaking inside her? Kai asked himself, disbelievingly. He crouched and lifted the egg. It was hot. ¡­ [ Side Mission: The Birth of Drogon Side Mission Status: Success Side Mission Rewards: 1. 350 Mission Credits 2. +2 Attribute Points ¡­ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have achieved your 1st Set Quota of Attribute Points ] ¡­ Kai beamed. Not only he had achieved his Quota, but he had already surpassed it. Now he had 4 Unassigned Attribute Points, waiting to be poured into his Active Stats. With such a momentous occasion on his hands, Kai couldn''t help but bring his Stats forward. ¡­ [ Status of Contestant: Kai Stormborn Code Name: Red Officer Rank: Captain of Guard System: Chaos Cosmic Authority: Outer One (1/3) Lore: The Evil Pokemon of Alto Mare Equipped Title: Coin Master (Charisma +2, Luck +2, Worth +1) Equippable Titles: Coin Master Unequippable Titles: Traitor: (2/10) Poacher: (9/10) Novice Collector: (4/10) Adulterer: (1/3) Books Connoisseur: (2/10) Rich Gentlemen: (1/10) Mission Credits: 45520 HP: 110 MP: 130 SP: 110 Active Attributes - (1st Set Quota: 21/20) [ Unassigned Points: 4] Strength: 13 Agility: 16 Stamina: 11 Perception: 14 Correspondence: 13 Breath: 11 Passive Attributes - Charisma: 34 (+2) Luck: 5 (+2) Worth: 189 (+1) Abilities: Elementary Fear Absorption (Proficiency: 80%)If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Elementary Telekinesis (Proficiency: 45%) Elementary Telepathy (Proficiency: 15%) Elementary Pokemon Trainer (Proficiency: 25%) Elementary Seamanship (Proficiency: 27%) Advance Emotions Manipulation (Proficiency: 15%) Advance Slither Footsteps (Proficiency: 4%) Advance Twin-Saber Style (Proficiency: 2%) Master Snake Instinct (Proficiency: 1%) Parseltongue Skills: NA Glitch: Blood Devour Misdreavus (magical) Dementor (magical) Golduck (magical) Items: Pokeball - Generation 1 (73%) The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Original) (100%) Sling Ring (73%) Fang (x2, 75%) 9th-floor HP Capsules (11/20) - Restore 250 HP Rock Cake (98%) Galeon Attacker (85%) Fast Ball - Generation II (97%) Lure Ball - Generation II (97%) Level Ball - Generation II (97%) Regional Pokedex (94%) Pikachu Plush Hat (76%) Eon Soul Dew (Corrupt) (100%) Recommendation Letter (Consumable) (98%) Miscellaneous Rent Box [0.25 cubic meter - 250 kg] Pain Factor: 0.5 Inventory: 1 Cubic Meter-1000 kg ] ¡­ A couple months¡­ Kai realized, looking at Stats. It doesn''t feel like it, seeing all this. Where people struggled not months, but years to complete their Kill Count, ascend Floors, acquire even a single Item or Skill, and pray to get at least one Ability in an entire Set, looking at Kai''s Stats would have made them all cough out blood on the spot. Such ridiculous things happened when you were Worthy. Such stunning things happened when you had Glitch. A new notification appeared then. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have triggered a Side Mission ¡­ Main Mission: Three heads of the Targaryen Dragon Side Mission: Mother of Dragons Side Mission Summary: Voyage through the narrow sea and reach the free city, Pentos. There you would find the celebrations of a wedding already rumbling the city. Daenerys Targaryen will be the Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea. You must gift her all three eggs on or after her wedding day. Side Mission Objective: Hand over the eggs to Daenerys Targaryen Side Mission Time Limit: 46 days ¡­ Do you accept the Side Mission? ] ¡­ Kai nodded, storing the egg in his MRB. Now he had 4 unassigned Attribute Points, but he didn''t allocate them to any Attribute. Like before, he had decided to wait for the right time to assign them to the most needed Attribute according to the situation. Not only would it give him a boost, but it would also catch the enemy by surprise. It was quite an evil way of thinking and handling things. All the reasons for Kai to like it even more. Selene reached up to his shoulders, coiling herself around him. She brushed her scales against his neck and face affectionately, and then flicked out her tongue, kissing his chin. -I found the answer to my doubt, master,- she hissed in a dreamy tone. -I''d wondered how far I could push myself before dying in your service.- She had indeed, Kai remembered, caressing and running his fingers across her length. This was her thoughtful personality who was speaking now, he concluded. Full of intellectual reasoning and, strangely, most affectionate towards Kai. -What is the answer?- Kai hissed, a hint of a vile grin lifting the corner of his lips. She hissed in his ears before melting inside him. -Just a step beyond the furthest boundary.- Kai couldn''t hold back his outrageous, wicked laugh. * * Evenfall, Dragonseed Inn Kai was sitting far in a corner inside the inn, drinking a sailor''s wine. The smell of booze and salt was the thickest here. The inn''s hall was filled with traders, seamen, guards, and serving wenches. All were looking at them hungrily as if in the next moment they would pound on the girls and rip their clothes apart. None dared to do anything more than leer at them. Dragonstone was the seat of Lord Stannis Baratheon, and raping was a crime punishable by death here. Now death could scare most of the men from groping the breasts and full hips of the giggling girls, but it wasn''t enough for the lowest of the men hidden among the crowd. The thoughts of being burned alive by the Red Woman, though, were sufficient for the worst and the best men alike. Kai could still see seamen slipping one or two coins into the girls'' hands when no one was looking. Only to those who were willingly accepting them. It wasn''t a payment, Kai knew, but a kind of booking. It was their way of ensuring that the girls would keep it moist when they would visit them at night for a quickie. The guards noticed it, but they ignored it, anyway. Kai took another bitter sip, and pressed his cowl downwards, hiding his slitted eyes. For the entire time, when he was on board Black Betha, he had used Selene''s mist form to blur his eyelids. However, this method wasn''t a sure way to deal with the issue. It only worked on the ship because he was a mere boy and of no particular importance. Did the Red Woman notice something? Kai suddenly thought, gulping. No. Probably not. Otherwise, there was no way she would have delayed taking me away. It was different there, though. He wasn''t the only one wearing a hooded robe, so he didn''t stand out much. Highborns usually wore these cowls for fear of getting wet. A sign of cowardice, as they used to say on the ship. So other than occasional looks of disgust and spitting remarks, he was left pretty much alone to himself. It was then a figure walked down the stairs. Old, back hunched, and hands fumbling to find a hold. Her hair was white, and thin, gray strands on her head were grasping for their dear lives here and there. Her garb bordered rags, and her gaze seemed cloudy. The only thing that stood out, and could only be noticed by the likes of Kai, was the deliberation in her movement. She was waiting for something. Or for someone. She was Meg. Layering herself under her Origami, she had taken the appearance of some 60 or 70-year-old helpless woman. Kai needed no proof letter, no hint, and no questions to know that it was his servant he was looking at. The Soul-Blood drop resting in the middle of the forehead, and the feeling that he could snatch her life with one thought were proofs in themselves. The same went for Meg. The old woman snapped her head toward him as fast as permitted by natural constraints expected of a woman of her age. She smiled. Even from this distance, Kai could feel the bubbling heat of the pure, raw emotions within her. An ecstasy, anxiety, and affection that he had only felt from Selene so far. Who wouldn''t want weapons like these? Kai thought, taking pride in his Items. I can taste her happiness. All seemed to have gone smoothly, then. Let''s see what kind of Item she had got using the bones and tendons of a legendary Pokemon. Meg approached him with as much grace as she could muster, but slowly. She bowed and sat down against him. Just as Kai saw her opening her mouth, and imagined her full breasts and blazing red hair that he''d rather look at than this old hag, another person walked down the stairs. Only sheer will that he had gained from all the killing and his battle-trained mind kept him from standing up and bringing down heaven''s wrath on the middle-aged man he was looking at now. This man''s back was also hunched by a noticeable amount. He was lean, and his face was full of freckles. As he walked, it felt like a pheasant was darting around, hopping now and then. It was his eyes that stood out the most, however. Of which, he had only one. A black emotionless gem, embedded into a most ordinary face. If it was before, Kai would have felt nothing more than shock. But now he knew who or what he was looking at. Simon! Simon, a shared identity among a particular group of Contestants known for their eccentricity and secretiveness. The Faceless Priests of Byagoona! Chapter 141: The Temple of Byagoona – A Warning! As he stared at the stew, Kai recalled the Simon he had met during his Initiation Mission and waited for the Faceless man to speak. He didn''t know Simon''s actual identity then, but he strongly doubted that even Arlen was oblivious to it, what with him being the Set Lord''s blood brother. Nevertheless, Kai had noticed the oddity about Simon, despite him not finding out the reason for it. Then, on the very next mission, he had met him again. Kai had instinctively felt that the second and the first Simon were different, but only after listening to Meg''s explanation about the Faceless Men of the Temple of Byagoona did he learn the cause behind those instincts. Now, once again, the same instincts were prickling his mind. Those monstrous instincts screamed this Simon was neither the first nor the second, but a third person different from all, entirely. These instincts had no base, but had they ever let him down before? No. It was then Simon lifted the mug and spoke. "A man met you during your Initiation Mission," he told Kai, drinking a mouthful of wine. "Based on what a man saw, your Code Name got reported as a potential Priest. Now, more often than not, a man waits before checking up on the growth of the potential candidates. What happened next was entirely unexpected. A man met you again in this world, a different timeline of course, and then reported your inexplicable and unexpected growth to the Temple." -/That Simon was different,/- Kai said brusquely. -/Besides, the second Simon didn''t even recognize me./- The Faceless cackled. "A man is Simon, and Simon is a man, Red," he told him, breaking a piece of bread and dipping it into the scalding broth of the stew. "A man had never expected you to be there in the sewers. A man had also not expected you to be the kidnapper. Anyway, checking for tempered memories is a fairly common routine." Kai stared hard at the one-eyed man who blew on the morsel before putting it in his mouth. The Faceless man continued. "The Temple upped you on the list by quite an amount after that, almost to the top," he said, chewing at the same time (-Meg threw a nasty look at him-). "A man was waiting for a chance meeting, but then something happened which no one had expected. It was the most bizarre of the news." Kai waited for him to swallow the food. "The High Priest of the Temple of Hastur has sent a fallen Priestess to monitor Contestant Red," he whispered, smiling slyly. Meg couldn''t hold herself back. "Impossible!" she snapped, her voice matching her age; hoarse and feeble. "He is lying, Captain. This matter was only discussed among the top Priests and the High Priests. Ask him how he got to know it¡­"If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Kai didn''t need to ask. The Faceless man cut off Meg''s words, answering her doubt. "A man hears things, ex-priestess Margrethe II of House Ingrid," he said to her, sipping the wine. "A man is everywhere." Kai gulped. For the first time, he could sense a hint of apprehension bordering on fear. If he were to believe this Simon, then there were not one but many Faceless priests of Byagoona, hidden in the other Temples. How must it feel not knowing if the man who was standing next to you had another face? Kai asked himself. Not knowing that the person you thought to be your friend had already died, and now someone else was playing his character. Or not knowing if that friend had ever even existed. Questions rang in Kai''s mind, and from the gaped mouth of the old woman sitting opposite him, he could tell that Meg was also questioning herself and her existence. The Faceless man let the silence run its course before continuing. "A man had considered you dead, then, honestly," he said casually. "A man even regretted not giving you that gift himself. Nothing would have given a man more pleasure. "However, when it seemed it was all over, and nothing a man could do about it, another event happened that even shocked the High Priest of our Temple. The priestess, who was supposed to kill you, betrayed the Temple. It must be said, never has a man faced so many surprises from a single Contestant before. Since then, a man has been waiting to meet you. But our High Priest seemed to have other thoughts. "He found you worthy enough for him to sacrifice to the Many-Faced God and get the details of your mission. The only answer he got was that you would soon ask for a team. So here we are. And a man is here with a warning. A warning for both of you." Kai mulled over all that this man had told them. Not one thing he believed, but dare he ignore the warning that this Faceless man had come to deliver after his claims of sacrifices to an Old One? Meg had more to say about it, though. "For me?!" she sneered like an old hag. "You claim to know me, my name, and the reason for me to be here. Why would a piece of twisted garbage like you warn me of anything?" The corners of Kai''s lips twitched at hearing that. She hadn''t downplayed when she told me that the rivalries among the priests and priestesses of the different temples run deeper than the depth of the abyss. The Faceless man smiled. He passed a mystifying glance at the old woman with that one eye of his. "A man was curious about why a priestess, fallen or not, betrayed the Temple," he said, chuckling. "But a man has no business knowing such things. Our High Priest agrees with it. You were a Priestess, true. Now you are not. As you are with Red, our offer naturally extends to you." -/Cut the crap,/- Kai said icily. -/What''s the warning?/- No point in not hearing the man out, or so Kai reasoned with himself. Things had already proceeded too far for him to back away now. He almost knew something like this would happen when he had forced Meg to be his servant. But he didn''t regret it, and if given the chance to go back, he would do the same, Kai knew. An Item like her is worth just short of my life, Kai thought, waiting for the words Simon had brought out of the hell. "The Temple of Hastur is not happy." The Faceless man started with the obvious. "But the anger they are showing openly, and discreetly, was the cause for us to take such prompt action. There are whispers of enslaving you after your return to the Primordial Tower. "A man has no notion why Hastur''s spawns are going so out of their way regarding this matter. All sins naturally end with death. And thus, enslavement tells there is more to this than what is being shared among the clerics of Hastur. You perchance do not have any knowledge about the cause behind it, do you?" Kai was perplexed himself. What could be a more vile reason than him turning a Priestess against the Temple? Chapter 142: Valar Morghulis! Kai sighed inwardly, remembering the discussion he had had with his servant. Was it as they had discussed? Meg had told him that swearing the Soul-Blood oath must have already infuriated the top clergymen of the Temple. Not only did the oath mean Kai had now absolute power over Meg''s soul and flesh, but it also meant that the Temple could never claim her back. The locked memories and secrets of the Temple in her mind didn''t help their case, either. Or was it him having a Glitch? Nothing could be more disastrous than the Temples finding his greatest secret, he knew. However, Meg had also added that such a thing was impossible. No matter how much and who sacrificed, the Systems would never reveal it. Kai doubted her belief, though. Everything had a price, he had learned. Not to mention, Kai didn''t trust anyone, including the Systems. -/I do not know,/- Kai said finally. -/I can tell you that the Temple had made her life miserable. So when she came for my life and failed, I made her take a Soul-Blood oath and made her my slave./- Truths within lies. They were of the best kinds. And, yes. The most dangerous ones as well. Meg''s face was down, and not even once did she show any expression that suggested she wasn''t pleased about Kai revealing this detail. Kai nodded to himself upon noticing that. The major issue right now was to hide any indication that suggested any potential cause other than what he had given because it was his Glitch that had swayed her heart in the first place. The Faceless man looked at Meg, his mouth pressed into a thin line. Then he smiled. "Yeah, that ought to have done it," he whispered. "Even among the fallen, you must be the weakest for you to be forced into enslavement by a 1st-Set Contestant. Of course, a man does not deny that Red is an extraordinary Contestant, given him having two Abilities after his resurrection. Oh, yes. A man knows of it too. No less than that could have qualified to be considered for HIS service. Still¡­" The Faceless man left the words unsaid, but Kai could tell that unspoken part stung Meg the most. It made him wince, learning that his Abilities had been noticed during the Initiation mission itself. But Kai took solace in the fact that Simon from his mission was a Contestant from one of the higher floors, and it would have been impossible to prevent that Faceless man from noticing his use of Abilities, especially when he needed both of them to survive. -/OK. That should do it, then,/- Kai told him. -/You have given your warning. What now?/- "Forget about the Mission for a few weeks," the Faceless man, for the first time, said seriously. "You must have enough time. Go to the House of Black and White. Red''s slave knows all the pertaining details. With the blessings of the Many-Faced God, we will take care of your not-so-insignificant problem awaiting you on the 4th floor." Meg snorted. "How''s that different from the Temple of Hastur, pray tell me, one-eyed rat?!" she rebuked hoarsely. "Oh, I know all about you Faceless men! Humph! Spare me from that look. What are you asking is nothing but another form of slavery. At least, our enemies are not being hypocrites about their threats." The Faceless man said nothing for a while. He just ate the food, loudly chewing the hard bread with an open mouth. Fearing that the soup would go cold if he waited any longer, Kai too helped himself to a few bites, and a few bites in his case meant both his and Meg''s portion. She, on the contrary, kept herself on the edge of her seat, ready to bring down the wrath of some unknown god onto the Faceless man, given one good reason.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. "You know nothing," Simon blurted, looking at Kai. "HIS mysteries are not revealed to anyone other than us. Much less needed to be said about trying to fathom the nature of HIS secrets from a mortal''s perspective. Our High Priest has invested so much in you, Red. The sacrifice, time, and the prospects of open war. When has a man ever asked you anything in return? "Becoming a Faceless man, and HIS priest is a choice, not an obligation. That''s where the Temple of Byagoona differs from the Temple of Hastur. Not to mention, you are just a Candidate. Whether you will be a priest, that''s out of anyone''s hands." Meg wasn''t pleased, and that was an understatement. She harrumphed, slamming the mug onto the table. "Are you suggesting that you guys did all that just because my lord has the potential to become a Faceless man?" she grumbled. "You really want us to believe that? Outrageous!" Yet, Kai could see the pretense behind Meg''s words. She already believed the priest, he could tell. All priests of Byagoona were already known for their repulsive eccentricities and unpredictabilities. Whatever Simon had told them until now seemed in line with those traits. The Faceless man smiled and was about to open his mouth when Kai cut him off. -/No need to say anymore,/- Kai said coolly. -/I appreciate the goodwill of the Temple of Byagoona. But I won''t deviate from the Mission. Nor do I fear what or who is awaiting me on the 4th floor. I would rather visit your Temple in the Primordial Tower than waste my time voyaging to unknown places that have nothing to do with my mission''s objective./- It was all a ruse. Kai felt it was extremely stupid to even think of visiting any place that this Faceless man was recommending him to go to. If this person were to become his slave too, then that would have been another matter. Without it, he trusted him as much as he trusted Broke Valeheart from his previous life. But he also couldn''t ignore the free help he was getting from them. No point in giving a brusque refusal, for now, he knew. The Faceless man sent a deep look to Kai and nodded. "If that is your wish, then a man won''t press you further," he told Kai, smiling. "A man expected you to say something like this. So, the High Priest of our Temple has sent you a gift." Kai''s eyes narrowed as Simon, the Faceless man, took out a worn iron coin. Meg''s emotions stirred. Kai could feel them becoming chaotic as if someone had thrown an enormous boulder into a calm lake. His emotions, though locked, weren''t far from her state, either. He knew what this coin meant. Its purpose and presence, however, were nigh impossible to guess. Kai still had the iron coin in his MRB, given to him by Simon at the end of his Initiation Mission. Somehow, the coin in this Simon''s hand felt different. The Faceless man put the coin on the table near Kai. It had heavily blurred markings as if something once had been imprinted on this side of the coin. "It''s the Iron Coin of Many-Faced God," he said solemnly. "Keep it on you and break it before entering the 4th floor. A man will come to help you and escort you to the safety of our Temple." Kai lifted the coin and felt the cold iron markings rubbing against his fingers. He flipped it and saw the blurred relief of a hooded figure. It was the same coin alright, Kai reflected. Though it was neither an Artifact nor an item, he could tell it had its own mystery infused in it. "And now, a man will leave you to your mission," the Faceless man told Kai, pushing himself off the chair. "Not handing over the proof letter will count as you being unavailable. So, the System will send me back to the Primordial World after the completion of my Main Mission''s Time Limit, despite it not being triggered." That makes sense, Kai thought. Still, a doubt, birthed by his insatiable curiosity, lingered at the tip of his tongue. -/Are you Simon?/- he asked, not hiding the curious tone a bit. -/If not, then who exactly are you?/- The Faceless man guffawed, but no sound came out of his mouth. "No one," he answered, bowing his head a little at Kai. "Valar Morghulis!" Not waiting any longer, Simon scampered off, his gait looking like some pheasant darting and dancing. Kai stared at the Faceless man''s back as he left the inn. For the first time, he permitted himself a smile, and flicked the coin towards Meg, wording out slowly, but clearly. "Valar¡­ Dohaeris!" Chapter 143: White Serpent Pirates! Midnight, Dragonstone Harbor The entire harbor had come alive in the last hour. The hooves of hundreds of horses were thundering, racing from one stable footing to the other. Their eyes were flashing red, reflecting the burning ships. Fire. It was everywhere. Ironic however it was, the fire hadn''t played favorites with those who had recently changed their faith to the Lord of Light. It was merciless. Cruel and hot. Masts creaked, splintered, and then became ashy-black before snapping into hundreds of pieces. But the guards had nothing to do with killing the fire. They were searching for the white-haired boy who had committed this arson. Seaman Desmond, the escapee from the Black Betha, and wanted by the guards since then for not only traitorous acts but also for being ungodly. Traitor, impious, and now as cursed by many folks and seamen alike, a fool. Who would, in their right mind, declare where they were running off to after lighting up a good part of the trading harbor? Not anyone sane and just, of course. For the young, insane, and godless boy had done exactly that. Pentos was his destination, his hooded friend had declared with a blazing torch in his hand, because the boy was mute himself, or so was passed from mouth to mouth. The boy''s insanity hadn''t ended there, though. The group of two had seized a Cog at sword point, instead of a galley. How foolish could one be? All had commented, but when someone from Black Betha slipped out the dark tales about the boy, they sewed their lips together in case the shadows were to hear them. All agreed on one point, though. Even though a single runaway wasn''t important enough for Lord Stannis to dispatch his galleys after the cog, forgiveness wasn''t in his nature. Dragonstone was jammed with traders and freeriders who would gladly go into the sea and bring the boy''s head for good coins. They could hear it, the agonizing screams of a boy getting burned alive because it was the fate that awaited seaman Desmond if caught. Of that, there was no doubt. * * Miles into the narrow sea, a 20-25 meter long, single-masted ship was sailing towards the distant Pentos at a steady pace. The word Actaea glistened at its stern, proclaiming its name. It was constructed largely of oak and was propelled by a single, enormous, rectangular sail. At the tip of the mast, just above the crow''s nest, a black flag fluttered ceremoniously, announcing the ship as pirate''s; a proportionally large human skull embroidered on the cotton flag, sitting atop two white crossed sabers upon a black background, and a white serpent was running in and out of the skull''s mouth and eye, its mouth open wide, brandishing its fangs.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. This was the Jolly Roger of the newly formed pirate crew ¡ª White Serpent Pirates. The pirate crew had only two members as of now. A 16-year-old, 1st-Set Contestant as the captain, with a Glitch. The second-in-command was a fallen 13th-floor Contestant, ex-priestess of the Temple of Hastur, the personal disciple of Konan, one of the founding members of the infamous organization, Akatsuki, and the Grand Disciple of a legendary Sannin, Jiraiya. The crew had no reputation and no bounty to boast about. But it was a start, and Kai was damn well content with it. For now. Captain Red looked at the billowing flag, the white serpent on it slithering with the gusty winds as if it were alive. A smile crept up across his face. Kai had long forgotten the usual dreams of boys, and all pretenses about becoming someone other than a messiah, and then later a demon, in his previous life. But as he saw that flag, some kind of primal joy welled up in his heart. It felt like he had achieved a goal he had never desired. He had gotten no Title, Milestone, or any power up because of this as of now, and yet, Kai couldn''t help but take pride in that flag, fluttering high above everything and everyone. Almost as if some unknown dream had come true, Kai''s feelings bordered on these thoughts. He wanted to shout, give orders, and command the men. Stir the ship with his hands, and bellow the curses at the crew. A captain''s voice had charm and power enough to sway the hearts and minds. But Kai was mute. The fact brought back bitter memories and his helplessness. Something must be done about it. Something soon. But only he knew how much effort he had been putting daily in trying to get his voice back. The inevitable presence of the hisses at the tip of his tongue was like time, however. An Elite Ability wasn''t something to be trifled with. Kai had learned his lesson. "Magnificent plan, my lord!" Petyr barked. "Cog is a single-masted vessel associated with sea trade. Generally, it takes a galley in good condition to sail across the narrow sea and reach Pentos in 5-7 days. But this ship, given its size and crew, would take twice that time. Yet, you purposefully stole this one so that your pursuers could catch up to you before sighting the land. Truly magnificent. Even I couldn''t have thought of it. Not without deliberate considerations." Petyr was standing by his side, giving orders to the captured crew of Actaea now and then. The rest got taken care of by the ship''s ex-captain, who was too scared of what Kai had done and what he could do. Kai had given them only one choice ¡ª Obey and live. The mate, though, was a different breed from the other traders. He was a hulk of a man like a swarthy volcano about to burst out with glowing magma. Kai ignored the man. For now, at least. After the Faceless man''s departure, Kai and Meg hadn''t wasted a single second idling in the inn. He already had a plan to follow. First, he would make a commotion on the trading side of the harbor. Big enough to get noticed by the Highborn lords, but small enough to not get pursued by their war galleys. In that case, Order would issue missions related to his capture to the 4th-floor Contestants. The sea was already the playground of the Golduck-Kai. All this was to complete his Kill Count, otherwise, all the haste would be pointless, he knew. This wasn''t all that was to it, though. If Kai hadn''t gotten Elementary Seamanship, then things would have ended there. Yes, he would have had his fun in killing, but it would have been almost futile too. Now that he had the Ability, more doors had opened themselves to him. It was Meg''s idea to set up his Jolly Roger and turn the cog into a pirate ship. Once the bounty hunters fail in taking you back to Dragonstone, my lord, she had told him, then the crown would most definitely put a bounty on your head, calling you a pirate. All that seems ordinary now will become magical after reaching Pentos. You would get a Title, or even a Milestone, too. I am sure. It will become the official rise of the White Serpent Pirates. -/Order them to maintain a steady pace,/- Kai told Petyr. -/Then follow me to the captain''s cabin. Let''s see what Item and news Meg has brought us. I also need to tell her a few things./- "Yes, my lord," Petyr bowed. Kai gave a last look at the black flag, which looked as menacing as he could ever hope it to look, and then turned around. It was time to look at the bow and a prophecy. All Items must serve their purpose, and this was the most important reason for Kai to keep Meg by his side during the entire mission. Meg was an Item for him, and if something unnatural were to happen within the blood-world during Blood Prophecy, then by nature, disposable. Chapter 144: Top Uncommon Item – Jet Wing! The captain''s cabin on Actaea was almost as wide as the ship''s width. Towards the stern, there were bolted windows, waves threatening to blast their way in through them. The moment Kai entered, his gaze went to the dark sea, undulating like a black sheet of silk beyond the windowpanes. He couldn''t help but think that just two weeks before, he was as unfamiliar with the sea and ships as a maiden with blood before her first period. Now, it had become a routine, and yet, the thrill persisted. Against the wall, next to the window-lain stern wall of the ship, lay a bed as befitted the captain of a small trading vessel. Not too extravagant, but adorned with colors bright enough to boast of the post and power. In the middle of the room was a square table with two chairs, large enough for two men to sit and have dinner without their knees hammering at each other. Meg was sitting on one chair with her back to the windows. Their eyes matched. -/Be seated,/- Kai said, seeing her getting up. -/Tomorrow, by dusk, we will have our first guests, if I am not wrong about it. Galleys are a luxury freeriders and traders can''t afford. Nor I am expecting the Contestants to have them. So large trading vessels, propelled by many sails and oars, these are our pursuers. Just fast enough to catch us in the long run. But why am I telling you all this? You told me you have served on ships before, right?/- Meg still had her old appearance on her. Though she looked feeble and malnourished, her posture had an elegance that said otherwise. "You are right, master," she told Kai, filling strong wine in a mug. "I did serve on a ship, but I never had Elementary Seamanship. As you must have guessed, my area of expertise lies in reconnaissance. So in sailing, I have only rudimentary knowledge. Still, it''s enough to outsmart the mutinous crew working outside." Petyr barred the cabin''s door after coming in, and then, saying nothing, he disappeared. Kai acted as if he had seen nothing. He approached the chair, pulled it out from under the table, and dragged it away to have more space. The wine mug floated towards him as he sat down with his legs outstretched. He gulped down half the mug at once before the bitterness could even announce itself to his tongue. He let the silence linger in the cabin, letting the wine dull the constant headache, as his face flushed red and pink. -/Out with it,/- he ordered, massaging his temples with his thumb and middle and ring fingers. -/Take out the Item as well./- "I was quite shocked myself, master," Meg began, smiling, and her hand flicking at the empty air. "No one came after me, opposite to what we had thought. That hired Contestants and priests of the Temple of Hastur are waiting for us on the 4th floor, I agree with the one-eyed hypocrite on this. But as you said, we have nothing to fear. The 4th floor is too big, if not as big as the 1st floor. Contestants, coming down from the 5th or 6th floors, wouldn''t be too powerful for us to get caught by them. Those who would come down from 3rd-Set or above, are as good as dead. "Chaos puts harsh limitations on the Contestants going down to the floors within the same Set, but even harsher on those who go down below their Sets." These were Kai''s thoughts as well. But he didn''t mull over them for long. Meg had taken out an exquisite bow and a palm-sized box that looked like a steel matchbox. Both lit up the greed in Kai''s eyes like two inflamed wicks. The objects left Meg, as Kai let go of the wine mug, which floated by his side, and came to rest in his hands. First, Kai opened the steel matchbox. The moment his eyes landed on its contents, the corners of his lips arched up in an evil grin. -/Magnificent!/- he exclaimed. -/All disposable after the first use?/- Meg nodded. "As you''d ordered, master," she told him. "Getting so many of the same quality was already a challenge. If I''d asked them to be Items, even of the lowest grade, then it would have cost us a fortune. And time. Both of which we lack dearly." Kai shook his head, still pleasantly surprised as he looked at the box''s contents again. -/Not an issue,/- he said, putting the tiny box away into his MRB, and taking the bow in his hands. -/It will do for now./- He brought his attention to the bow now, his gaze lingering all over it as if it was the prettiest woman he had seen after a long time. The bow had the colors white and what looked like brown, bordering on gold. The bowstring was jet red like a thin trail of blood had been forced to change its properties. Kai ran his fingers along its length and smiled as he saw the Stats hovering above it.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡­ [ Item: Jet Wing Grade: Uncommon Sub-Grade: Top Specification: A bow constructed using the magical Hickory from the realm of Narnia, and enhanced by the crushed bones of an Eon Pokemon, Latias. The bowstring is made of Latias'' tendons with no foreign element Requirement: 1. Elementary Archery 2. Strength >15 3. Stamina >15 4. Agility >15 5. Perception >15 Attributes: Accuracy: 6 inch spot - 500 meters Skill: Blood propulsion Skill''s Effect: 1. Increases an arrow''s Base Damage 2. For every 1% pull on the Bowstring, the Base Damage rises by 1% of its original value Skill: Latias'' Tear Skill''s Effect: 1. At 100% pull, charge the arrow with Mana (200 MP max) 2. Penetrate the target''s Defense without losing the Base Damage, depending upon the value of MP infused. (-1 Defense for every 10 MP infused) 3. In case the target''s Defense is lower than the equivalent Mana infused, turn the rest of the Mana to increase the Base Damage. (+1 Base Damage for every 10 MP) Warning: 1. Arrows above Common grade may damage the Item''s quality 2. Accuracy is only valid for the 100% pull, and when paired with Common-graded Arrows 3. Only arrows that are Items can be infused with Mana Quality: 78% ] ¡­ -/Excellent! Beyond outstanding!/- Kai commented casually. -/Meg, you have done a good job./- Meg bowed, accepting the commendation. "As I don''t meet the criteria," she said humbly, "I can''t use the Skills. I can only pull the string to 13% (-Kai raised an eyebrow-). Oh! When you pull the bowstring, you can see the percentage pulled like a Stat. Though the most important thing about this Item is the Charge Triggered Skill, Latias Tear, for once, I know you haven''t praised me for the Item itself. Am I right, master?" Kai smiled knowingly at her. -/Trying to figure out my thought process now,/- he jested, flicking the bowstring, and testing its strength. -/Let''s hear it then. Why do you think I praised you?/- Meg blushed upon hearing that, but her old, loose skin didn''t do justice to her charming eyes, and the fervor in her gaze that she was sending towards Kai. "If I understand you, master," she said, regaining her blunt nature, "then you could have saved Latias'' bones and tendons for the future, instead of wasting it on an Item which you have no plans to use by yourself. The only plausible reason behind all this is that maybe you wanted to have a higher grade Item to test out a theory regarding some doubt." Kai was already looking at her admiringly. -/Go on./- "I asked myself what doubt is so grave and inexplicable for which you would trouble yourself such, master," she continued, now leaving the chair. "I needn''t think long, I admit. It''s the question marks, isn''t it? You wanted to see if not meeting the requirements of a high-graded Item prevents you from seeing its Stats or not. In other words, you wanted to see what would be the foundational difference between this Bow and the Locked Skills of your Blood Essences." For a moment, Kai stared at her. -/Never have I found you looking so beautiful, Meg,/- he said, not unkindly. -/Excellent servants know what their master wants. Keep it up, and I promise, you will be rewarded wonderfully./- Meg''s enormous breasts swelled with pride. Ignoring her, Kai lifted the bow in his left hand. His right hand was on the bowstring as if he was holding the arrow. He breathed in, lifting the bow, and then pressed the air within his lungs downward towards his dantian as he pulled the bowstring, stiffening his stomach. Veins popped up on his face, hands, waist, and back. The wooden floor under his feet creaked menacingly. The more he pulled, the more his brows pressed together. And just when his entire body shook, a fatal tremble running down from his head to toe, he let go of it. The twang was alive. It rocked the entire ship, deafened the ears, and shattered the mirrors. The windowpanes rippled as if they were sheets of water. Kai''s knees buckled, and he fell, sweat drenching his back, and the headache now booming and bombarding his skull. 57%, Kai noted, the number disappearing from his vision. So it''s not only Strength that decides the ultimate value of pull. Reasonable. It must be a combined outcome of all the four Stats mentioned in the requirement. He let go of the bow, and it flew back towards Meg, who stored it in her Inventory. Kai pushed himself up and stumbled back to the chair, clutching his head. Even his sight was getting blurry from all the pain. Wine. He needed more wine, Kai reasoned. The entire jug left the table, and he downed it, putting his mouth on the brim. Chapter 145: Mutiny on Actaea – A Storm Arrives! Twilight, 16th Day Narrow Sea Actaea glided over the uncharacteristically calm sea, shining golden under the vanishing might of the distant sun. The wind had turned to a cool, light breeze, dancing with the black Jolly Roger of the White Serpent Pirates. However, it felt like the wind could go out anytime like the sudden extinguishing of a candle flame. The sky was a clear sheet of dark blue and gray, darkening as the ship kept closing on the east, and one star was already twinkling just over the horizon to the southeast, heralding a starlit night. Kai''s predictions were late by one entire day to come true. The pursuers must have caught up to them by this time yesterday, according to what Kai had told Meg. Yet, there was no sign of them in any direction. Was it a good sign or a bad one? Or did it have another meaning? Kai did not know. He was too busy with other things to even consider those questions. First of those things was the Prophecy. It was the blurriest Blood Prophecy they had so far. Waves crashing against the ship, the color of the sea ¡ª a deep red, and loud, hissing sounds. A roaring thunder and a chill that could freeze the bones topped this strange picture. Someone was shouting, bellowing out their lungs, and a thrashing of a blue tail. Meg did not know if that tail had belonged to Golduck-Kai or not, as she had failed to comprehend the size differences in the blood world accurately. The prophecy had ended with a bang that jolted her brains out of the trance, her HP bar flashing red, warning of impending death. One thing was obvious to them, despite the nonsensical scenes. They would face a near-death threat before reaching the Pentos. The nature of the second thing was more realistic but equally bloody. Actaea had just tasted blood for the first time. When Kai had stolen the ship from the harbor, he had taken the captain hostage using the longsword stolen from some guard. The crew had retaliated, what with him being not old enough to be called a proper man and his pretty face. Kai had proved himself as bold and merciless by breaking limbs and snapping bones as the crew of Black Betha had been talking about him for the last week. The Abnormality Limiter Bar had dropped as low as 40% then. Nevertheless, Kai had never used the strength that one couldn''t expect from a trained knight. As he continued to use that strength, his Abnormality Limiter gradually returned to the max, stating that the crew had finally accepted the fact he indeed had skills and abilities suited to someone more than just a seaman. That''s what Kai, Petyr, and Meg had planned; to present Kai as some runaway lordling, and an heir to a fallen Noble House, to the crew, and not only a nobody ship''s boy shadowed by gruesome tales. Why the trouble? I need the crew, Kai had reasoned, speaking to Meg and Petyr. I knew something about sailing, and now I know it better. But I have no clue or confidence in sailing a ship across the narrow sea. No true knowledge of navigation, as I was too busy getting the Ability, and I have no way to man the ship by myself. So, yes. I need the crew and men who know how to handle them, too. So, even after presenting himself as a merciless, but still honorable boy, Kai had killed no one and had instead focused on lighting the harbor afire and sailing the cog into the sea as soon as possible. The ship demanded blood, though. It seemed to have taken a liking to the Captain and his name, Red. His dark thoughts and darker intentions must have influenced it besides, for not even two days had passed, and the crew carried out a mutiny. Or they tried to, at least. Meg had been keeping a close eye on all the whispers and actions outside the captain''s cabin, as Kai had spent his last day lying on the bed, his headache becoming worse. He had been saving his strength for the enemy to come, and the wait had pained him more, the anticipation turning into faint anxiety. It was then that Meg had told him that the entire crew was planning to run down the captain''s cabin and attack him. They had even stopped manning the ship. Now he couldn''t have had that, could he? Kai''s anger had been already bubbling up because of the fear that his Kill Count might not get completed before reaching Pentos, and hearing the report, it exploded. They had attacked him the moment he went out.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. These seamen weren''t trained for battle, but they knew how to defend themselves against pirates of the narrow sea, using the oddest collection of weapons. Kai had slithered through them, cutting off limbs and throats, and letting a few blows fall on him for the sake of the Abnormality Limiter. When he was done, out of 20, only 12 had survived, including the ex-captain and the mate. Now, he was standing on the deck strewed with limbless, bleeding, and dying seamen. No. They were already dead. The rest were still distancing themselves away from him as if he were some unholy creature. His Abnormality Limiter was flicking between 30 to 50%, and only when he panted and his knees shook vividly did the black bar rise again at a constant rate. Kai held himself up, using the longsword as a stick, blood trailing down on its edge as if the sword itself was bleeding, and eyed all the survivors. Wounds, scratches, and bruises, if not deep cuts, had covered all of them, running over them like sweat. It wasn''t hard to guess that they were not dead because Kai had intentionally spared their lives. Kai pushed himself up, his brain trying to burst out of his eyes; such intense was his headache. No sign of this pain came up on his face, though. He took a deep breath and lifted the sword, pointing at the captain. "You¡­" He fired the word like a bullet, and the entire crew gasped. "Come¡­" Not speaking isn''t enough, Kai thought, noticing a sudden, but slight, drop in the Abnormality Limiter. I must take more drastic actions to keep the crew in check. We still have miles to cross, and God knows I can''t afford to lose a single seaman now. The ex-captain, a middle-aged dragonseed from Dragonstone, dragged his way to Kai and fell to his knees. "My¡­ my lord," he stuttered, "you can speak?! Spare me, my lord. Spare me. I have children. It was the mate, my lord. The mate, yes. One of those fucking ironmen. You must have heard about their infamous raids and ill deeds. The entire lot of them smell fishy. Fucking squids! He riled us against you, I swear." The rest of the crew nodded and buzzed in agreement, distancing themselves from the bare, hairy-chested, long-bearded, swarthy male named Andrik. He had thick arms, and Kai had found him the fiercest, dauntless sailor. At one glance, the mate couldn''t have looked any less like a seaman, with his height of almost 7 ft. But Kai had seen the mate giving commands, and based on that, he could tell that Andrik was a proper sailor, alright. Andrik, the mate, had come at him with an enormous battle-ax during the battle a few moments ago, Kai remembered. With one large swing, Andrik had thrown Kai off the floor, sending him flying towards the ship''s hull, his breath leaving him with two huge bloody coughs on the impact. Later, the big man then had followed with agility unlike that of any common seaman. The agility that could have only developed from battles and slaughters. Kai''s surprise had been intense. Andrik hadn''t shown mercy to that surprise, following with large swings, one after another, and lashing with kicks and backhanded blows, now and then. And when he had charged at him, Andrik''s shoulder had felt like a massive boulder being thrown at him. Unstoppable. Unavoidable. If he hadn''t used Slither Steps at the right time, his cover would have blown up. For the first time, Kai had met an in-world, non-magical Character who had outmatched him in not only strength but also stamina. Kai had to use all his murderous instincts to maneuver himself, giving the giant man shallow cuts and tiring him out. He had decided against killing this man, as the mate was the most experienced among the seamen, and if he were to reach Pentos, then he would need Andrik with his head over his shoulders. Kai did all this while still defending himself from the occasional unlucky sailors who were trying to have a go at him. The fight with Andrik had squeezed every drop of patience out of Kai, to the extent that he had started to wonder if he could ever win against the towering man without using Titan''s buff, his Advance Abilities, or Items. There is something odd about him, Kai had thought, finally using Telekinesis to extend his longsword''s reach. It was Kai''s last, and the most shocking dance that had settled the mutiny for all the good it had done the crew. Now, Andrik was missing the pinky finger in his right hand. Even that bloody stump, dozens of cuts, and a scar running down from his left eye to chin failed to swat away the fierce look in the mate''s eyes, however. Kai had held back his attack, otherwise, it would have butchered that left eye as well. Now that he looked at Andrik again, he wondered why this Andrik hadn''t put more struggle at the harbor. It was then the mate stepped forward. "He lies, boy," Andrik said, spitting at the ex-captain. "We Ironborn pay the iron price, and that was my reason to join him. It was all his filthy Targaryen hybrid blood behind the mutiny. Now the coward is playing a turncoat? Heh!" Kai stared into the mate''s eyes. Willful and proud. This was a genuine man of the sea who had breathed the salt before, unlike the rest of the crew who had known nothing but a relatively peaceful life. But he didn''t need anyone to tell anything to him. He hadn''t made the ex-captain come to him without reason. Kai wanted the man to be less than 3 meters away from him. Because that was the limit of his Emotions Manipulation. Now that he could sense the emotions of the ex-captain, he tasted his fear, and the happiness mixed with the utter horror of death. Andrik was telling the truth about the kneeled ex-captain, if not about anything else. I guess I can afford one more kill, Kai thought casually, contradicting his previous reasoning, and lifted the sword. The thrill of killing had become an ephemeral panacea for his headache. Kill. He must kill. And with this kill, he would plant the deepest fear into the crew''s hearts, making sure no mutiny would ever happen again. A bright bloody, silver arc fell swiftly, separating the stunned ex-captain''s head in one smooth stroke. The surrounding pressure fell along with the sword. The light breeze halted into a stunned silence and then followed by a powerful gust that made the headless body fall, drenching the ship with thick, dark blood. The head rolled away from Kai, stopping at Andrik''s feet, who kicked it away and then nodded at Kai. Kai snatched his gaze away from the mate, slowly looking to his right, and saw dark cumulonimbus clouds rising higher and higher, galloping towards them. It was an enemy Kai dreaded facing the most in the sea. A storm was coming. Chapter 146: Pokemon World’s Fury – The Unforgivable Cursed One! The white snake slithered in and out of the skull as if it was running for its life; such was the power of the wind hammering at the flag. It hadn''t taken long for Kai to guess why no one had come behind them. They had already been warned about the coming storm. The strangest thing was there was no talk of this storm among the sailors when they had left the harbor. It was almost as if someone had put the storm over the Narrow Sea just for Actaea alone. The Red Woman! Kai had realized bitterly. Melisandre must have seen this storm using her sorcery. That''s why she made the freeriders and the bounty hunters delay their pursuit, thinking that by the time they caught up to the ship, the crew would have already died or been on the brink of death. A reasonable assumption. Cog was a ship that wasn''t built to survive the storm. Not a storm like the one Kai was seeing, at least. The bulging clouds had brought darkness with them, and within that darkness, white-purple thunder was booming, the crack resounding in the crew''s ears like whips of death. They wouldn''t live to tell tales, the crew must have thought, for now, they were shivering like naked men walking on glaciers. The best course of action was to steer the ship back to the nearest landmass and beach it, praying the storm would show mercy on it. Well, there lay the problem. The nearest landmass was Dragonstone. An even bigger problem was that they had come out way into the sea for them to avoid the storm with only 12 men on board. None had anticipated this storm''s arrival, despite this crew''s frequent voyages between Pentos and Westeros. "Lower the sail, damn you!" Andrik bellowed, blood dripping off the stump left behind his pinky finger. "Go see to the fastening of the casks. You there! Secure the rigging already, bloody hell! Helmsman! Steer the ship downwind. Now! Helmsman! Motherfucker¡­" Kai''s face was pale. He looked at the ironborn and heard him cursing as both of their eyes landed on the bald helmsman lying on the floor, blood running dry from his cut-open throat. Then their eyes met. Andrik looked down into Kai''s hazel eyes but didn''t order the captain of the ship. Nor did the ironborn ask anything of Kai. But they were both seamen, and Kai had learned to decipher the looks. Kai ran for the ship''s helm and then, controlling the rudder, fought against the monstrous wind to put the ship''s stern against the incoming storm, hoping against any possible capsizing. It was then the first bolt of lightning cracked near them. It hit the sea, blinding them all. The ensuing boom rang in their ears like someone was clapping inside their heads. Kai fared the worst of them all. Whatever was causing his headache had got an unknown signal, riling up even more. His face became ugly, and it kept becoming uglier with every pulsing sensation of unbearable pain within his head. There was no common medicine for it, Kai knew. The origin of this pain lay not in the physical but mystical realm. Otherwise, he could have used Selene''s Soul Chill to ease the pain already.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Hours or minutes had passed as Kai struggled his way, the ship''s hull getting bombed by small but thorny waves. "Brace yourselves!" Andrik roared with the voice that found the distant corners of the ship, and the first gigantic wave marched over, holding a shield of water twice the size of the ship. Kai felt the salt in his mouth as the wave went over them, wetting every dry piece of wood if there was any left. He held onto the helm, continuously maintaining the ship''s course downwind. The gales came next, bringing with it a hailstorm. Loud thudding sounds engulfed the ship, drowning the men''s voices and pleadings for help. The pellets of frozen rain stung Kai''s skin, and he had nothing to thwart this calamity. No Skill, no Item, and not even his Blood Essence could match the might of the purest fury of nature. The storm was alive, Kai felt. "Oh, Drowned God!" Andrik gasped and looked beyond Kai, a horror sweeping down his fierce looks. "What is this?!" Clutching his head with his left hand and the helm with his right, Kai turned around, and his eyes widened. The hailstorm had become a shower of arrows, and it bruised and cut him, but even that couldn''t prevent the terror that had run across his spine, making him shiver. A monstrous tsunami-like wave was coming for them, darkening everything over and behind it. Only once had Kai seen a wave bigger than this, and it hadn''t been that long, either. The tsunami in the Random World of Pokemon. Andrik fell, his knees striking the wood with a dull thump. "Storm God''s fury! Mercy, Drowned God!" Kai heard him mumbling through the booms of the thunder. "Mercy!" The crew had given hope along with the mate. It wasn''t supposed to be like this, Kai thought for the first time, his mouth opening wide in horror. How was this natural? How could a wave of this size come for them this early in the storm? No. What was wrong with this situation? This¡­ Was this a natural calamity? This wave would kill them, Kai knew, his heart pounding. -/Meg!/- Kai screamed, knowing well that she was about to erupt out of the captain''s cabin. -/Don''t come out. It''s beyond you, now./- No paper or metal wall could stop this wave. He looked at the crew. Dead men looking at their death. Then Kai looked at the ironborn, who was waiting for his divine death. -Run, you fools! Go below the deck.- Kai wanted to shout, but only a hiss escaped his mouth. The ship rocked, purple lightning striking all around it, caging it in, and the unrealistic wave seemed to tower above the ship''s stern like a God''s wrath taking a substance into the material world. Maybe it was God''s fury. The absurd thought crossed his mind, and strangely¡­ Kai chuckled. He feasted on his own fear as his heart shuddered. Yet, there was no end. The more he sucked, the more it oozed out of him. "Hehe¡­ Hehe¡­ Hahaha!" He giggled, and then his giggle became a strange maniacal laugh that caught the crew''s attention. The boy had gone mad, they thought. They didn''t blame him, though. Kai had truly gone mad. But he had approached this madness quite a few times in his life. Then, he had no means to suck the fear out of himself. It was the madness of seeing death coming for him. It was the madness of suddenly figuring out a puzzle; an unsolvable puzzle that had tormented him for long enough to make him think of giving up on it. So this is it, Kai thought, the veins on his throat popping like a hundred gurgling rivers. I''ve wondered what the third line of the Cosmic Authority Lore meant ¡ª The Unforgivable Cursed One! So this is it, isn''t it? The retaliation of an entire timeline has come to haunt me, crossing the multi-dimensional gap of the Multiverse. Interesting! Very interesting! The first line, The Devastating Despair, represented his actions in a Random World, Kai had concluded this in the last two weeks. The second line, The Blue-skinned Demon, represented how the denizens of that world had perceived him. But it was the third line that had befuddled him the most. Now it got cleared too. Action, Perception, and Reaction. These words rang in his mind, untangling the threads of doubt that had been troubling him for quite some time. But never could he have imagined that the fury of a timeline could seep into a different timeline and a different world. It surpassed the wildest theories and known facts. And in this moment of unavoidable crisis and death, the realization dawned on Kai like a high-voltage shock. The shock brought with it the understanding and jolted him awake. It also pushed him beyond the realm of men and pain. Chapter 147: The Will of the Supreme – Focus Punch! He must speak or give up on them, this endless pain told him, screaming in his ears. He must give them strength, words, and hope, or let them die, his prospects of reaching Pentos dying along with them. And he must do this now. Now! Kai thought, the pit of his stomach becoming an abyss. I must command them now! Frozen wind surrounded him, the hateful sea drenched his long white hair, and his grip on his head and the helm tightened. Wood splintered under his feet, its musty pieces rolling away. Kai opened his mouth, and just when the hiss was about to escape his mouth, he bit the tip of his tongue. Pain coursed through his body from head to toe, and he used this pain as an initiator. Initiator of a chain reaction of even more pain. The muscles of his throat pulled, grating over each other, and then they ripped, an audible tearing sound coming out of his mouth. All over his body, veins popped up, some kind of ethereal power concentrating on his throat. Twin-Saber Style ¡ª Forbidden Technique¡­ Never had Kai planned to use this technique in such a way, for he didn''t know what the result would be. But this time, Kai was amassing all the strength in his body into his vocal cords, lungs, and stomach. All flesh, without the backing of bones. The monstrosity of the risk he was taking shook his soul. There was no avoiding it, though. The wrath erupted, and a boom rang out. Its origin? Kai''s mouth. ¡­ Serpent God''s Wrath! "Andrik!" Kai bellowed, a crack running down from his ear to his lungs, showering out blood. "Full of shit too, weren''t you? Haha!" Another crack ran down within him, his left lung''s muscles snapping like taut bowstrings. Selene ran there and sent a chilling burst, easing his pain. Still, Kai coughed out blood, painting the helm in front of him thick red. He took out an HP capsule and popped it into his mouth. But he might as well have not taken it for the moment the cracks healed, they resurfaced. An Elite Ability wasn''t something to be taken lightly, and fighting against it was like steering the ship upwind into this storm. Incomprehensible, daunting, and full of bewildering madness. But not impossible. "Get up fools!" Kai roared, his throat swelling like a balloon. "Get up! Your captain commands you!" Not one of them could see him through the water, wind, and hail, Kai knew. Yet, his voice found them all. They couldn''t see the changes Kai was going through, but they could hear him, and the authority and might behind it. The sheer Will of a sailor and an adventurer. A Captain''s Will to defy the odds. Andrik was the first to respond to the captain''s order. The giant among men pushed himself up, took a deep breath, spat, and looked at Kai''s blurry figure rippling behind the helm. "Get up, you rascals! Heard the captain''s orders, haven''t you? Look alive!" he shouted, his thick, log-like legs shaking, and his hands pounding his enormous chest. "What is dead may never die!" More followed the mate, standing up one by one, finding strength even they had never thought they had as Kai sucked them dry of their deepest fears. "Hahaha!" Kai laughed in madness, thin web-like cracks appearing all over his body. "So you still have some salt left, huh? Take the crew below the deck. Go now. Let me sing in this storm alone." "Aye aye, captain!" Andrik grunted in reply after a shocked silence. The crew hurried off as Kai looked at the wall of water, making a canopy over the ship. His eyes, nose, and ears were bleeding, his knees were shaking, and his hands were dangling by his side, powerless. His throat felt like someone had punctured it with hundreds of swords. And his head¡­ not even the Cruciatus Curse had pained him so. After the last sailor had gone below the deck, Meg appeared by his side and grabbed the helm, her face looking like ice and stone. Her eyes were glued to the ship''s bow, refusing to turn around and see the wave beyond the stern as if it didn''t exist. For a moment, their backs brushed against each other before Kai walked off towards the taffrail, his figure already transforming to that of the Golduck. Dense hot redness stole his body''s cold, but he was already burning with a painful fever. Steam rose and eloped away with the powerful gusts of hail and icy water. Passion for battle and slaughter danced in his eyes, turning the hazel slits into two pale golden dots.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "I¡­ am a Stormborn." Kai sang, cackling, and vomiting blood. "I am the Devastating Despair, the Blue-skinned Demon, and the Unforgivable Cursed One. No one. No one can judge me. Not even Timelines, Old Ones, or Gods." His skin became red because of the heat first, and then blue, as a tail thrashed behind him, slamming on the ship like a whip. A bright red oval gem appeared on his forehead. This was a futile attempt, he knew. This was a death march, and even using all the remaining HP capsules to attack the wave with the blackest Disc of Destruction wouldn''t be enough. It was a fact. He couldn''t abandon the ship, either. They were too far into the sea for him to swim to the land using his Golduck form. Dementor-Kai could travel through the sky, but one look at the ominous, bulging clouds, and the purple lightning cage, thundering around the ship as far as the eyes could see, trampled that hope too. Otherwise, he would have just left the ship by now. Saving Meg hadn''t even crossed his mind. Now, he had none of those choices. He couldn''t do anything against this mind-numbing curse that had marched here stealthily to pass judgment on him. I will try, though. Kai smiled. If you want to cut my head off, then don''t count on me stretching my own neck. But something was different. The gem on his forehead that should have stopped protruding by now didn''t stop, and to Kai''s utter surprise, it fell out of his head, leaving behind a gaping, gruesome hole. Suddenly, the headache, the same headache that had made his life miserable for the last few days, vanished. The notification appeared as if fate had just decided to sing along with Kai. ¡­ [ Focus Punch Condition matched¡­ ¡­ Skill: Focus Punch Grade: C- Specification: Combine the Contestant''s Will and SP to release a shockwave Requirement: 1. Golduck''s mind-gem: Matured 2. MP 70, SP>0 3. A strong, defying Will Attributes: 1. Distance: 50 meters (one-directional) Effect: 1. Base Damage: 100 HP 2. +5 Base Damage for every 10 SP consumed 3. Bonus Base Damage depending upon the Contestant''s Will (limit: 0-100%) Warning: Base Damage Limit ¡ª 400 HP ] ¡­ Kai grinned demonically. He grabbed the oval ruby-like gem and it melted into his palm. An ancient-looking, bronze-colored Spartan helmet appeared around his head, and when he made a fist, it glowed blood red. ¡­ [ Skill Focus Punch is activated¡­ Time Limit: 30 seconds ] ¡­ "Are you ready to get punched?" Kai asked hoarsely, looking at the wave coming for him. 100 SP vanished off his arsenal instantly, bringing the Base Damage to 150 HP. Kai''s bones snapped, imploding, and his eyes seemed to be pushed inside his skull. ¡­ Kai grinned. A hideous, beguile, and bloodiest Will to slaughter everything and anything around him exploded out of him as if his aura had come alive. It contained his monstrous zeal to trample over everyone. It contained his unimaginable and imperishable intent to be lord of the Peak of Absolute Power. And it contained his contempt for all who would dare to stand in between him and his goals. It brimmed with his undying emotions. It was the Will of a man at the door of death with the ambition of becoming the Supreme Ruler. This Will had a color too. No. This Will was the color. And mysteriously, it was the color Kai hated the most ¡ª an imperceptible yellow, full of mad ravings, murder, and gluttonous wrath. Cra-cc-ck-kkk! Yellow bolts of lightning snaked around him before covering the entire ship. The ship shuddered, the hailstorm seemed to halt, and the wind changed directions. Behind Kai, Meg''s knees buckled, her eyes rolling back into her head, and she lost consciousness. ¡­ [ Skill Focus Punch is enhanced by 100%¡­ Total Base Damage: 300 ] ¡­ Kai pulled back his hand, unaware of everything but his Will to obliterate this doom. He gave a last look at the wave, his fist glowing redder and redder, and then he punched. The booms of countless peals of thunder and the bolts of lightning all paled as a red-colored shockwave left Kai and met the ridiculous wave head-on. Time stopped with the clash. ¡­ Booooooooooooooooooommmmmmmm! Like a soap bubble, the part of the wave in front of the ship broke apart, showering the ship with dead water drops. All sounds seemed to have disappeared, afraid of filling the hole left behind by the booming punch. Actaea shot through the massive gap created by the Focus Punch, and at the end, it left the sea momentarily as the remaining wave crashed down all around it. The entire ship flew in a picturesque silence, hanging in between churning sky and rippling sea, purple and yellow lightning cracking in all directions, and dark clouds looming over it like a blanket of the blackest sheet. In this silence, only one man cackled, his entire body covered in thin cracks seeping blood, his reptilian eyes blazing gold and red, but yellow the most. Once again, the Blood Demon was singing a song of death, destruction, and despair. And when he hissed, it wasn''t because of the lack of another option. Chapter 148: Forgotten Dream and the ridiculous rise in Proficiencies! In a blurry world, a yellow hooded figure towered in the sky, laughing demonically. This laugh had an uncanny and soul-shuddering feminine touch about it, seeping into the bones of all the listeners, filling them with repulsive, chilling horror. Over this figure, almost beyond the sky''s limit, a brilliant flash of yellow pulsated in hideous, nauseating rhythms. Below this figure, on earth, the realm of mortals, waves of strange, terrifying beasts, were wreaking havoc, leaving behind mangled flesh and blood in their wake. The figure''s surroundings were lit with bright green and red flashes, and the air smelled of slaughter and doom. Last words and dying screams seemed to have replaced the natural sound of the world. The scene blurred. Now the same figure was running, chased by some unknown fear. The tattered strips of the figure''s yellow robes bellowed noiselessly. The same yellow globe of light was still pulsating high in the sky, but it seemed to cut away as if the figure and the yellow globe were in two different realms separated by an unbreakable dimensional boundary. The pursuer was catching up to the figure. A terror, accompanied by chaotic and unheard murmurs, gripped the figure''s heart. The hooded figure stopped suddenly and turned around. It lifted its head to look at the pursuer. There was nothing under the hood but inexplicable and indescribable darkness. The Darkness of death, destruction, madness, and doom. In this darkness, a yellow sign shone like a phantasm on the figure''s forehead. A sign that was incomprehensible but equally mystical, formidable, and ghastly beyond humane understanding. A sign that couldn''t be drawn, remembered, or perceived by mortal beings. A sign that represented the creepiest, foulest, and most unnatural force of the universe. The yellow sign wriggled as if hundreds of thousands of tentacles were flailing in abominable madness. From the center of this sign, a gaze from an unknown eldritch realm came out, penetrating all the boundaries that separated the sane from insane, from mortal to immortal, and ¡­ ¡­ from order to chaos. ¡­ Kai''s eyes snapped open, his body shaking in feverous heat. A gasp escaped his mouth as he sat up too soon, points of light bombarding his eyes under the pressed eyelids. All the sights from the nightmare were becoming smoke, and he struggled to hold on to them with a futile but desperate emotion. His heart still pounding, he opened his eyes a little, and the first scene that he saw made him widen his eyes in shock. The black Abnormality Limiter Bar was almost transparent as if someone had siphoned out its blackness. In front of the bar, the value 3% blinked with a deliberate menace, forewarning the worst fate a Contestant could hope for ¡ª Annihilation. This fresh horror loosened Kai''s grasp over the already fleeting scenes from his dream and it would be many years before he would recall them in their entirety.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Under the emptied bar, a notification was flashing, just waiting for him to see. ¡­ [ Elementary Telekinesis: Proficiency 70% (+25%) ¡­ Elementary Telepathy: Proficiency 40% (+20%) ¡­ Elementary Seamanship: Proficiency 60% (+30%) ¡­ Elementary Fear Absorption: Proficiency 100% (+19%) Elementary Fear Absorption has leveled up to become Advance Fear Absorption ¡­ Advance Emotions Manipulation: Proficiency 20% (+5%) ¡­ Advance Twin-Saber Style: Proficiency 15% (+12%) ¡­ Master Snake Instinct: Proficiency 2% (+1%) ] ¡­ "Master!" an old yet contrastingly powerful voice rang in his ears. "You woke up." Kai shook away the fright. He saw Meg almost approaching him in two hurried steps, her face pale, but lips arched up in a genuine smile of relief, awe, and fervor. "Wine¡­" Kai said, savoring his resurrected voice as if he was still dreaming. "I am thirsty." Meg fumbled for a mug and poured the wine hastily before handing it over to him. Kai drank the wine in several slow gulps. Only after emptying the half-filled mug did he breathe again. He moaned, satiating his thirst, and suddenly realized this thirst couldn''t have resulted from a few hours. "How long was I out for?" he asked, looking around and noticing his nakedness. "Why the fuck is my Abnormality Limiter Bar so low?" Meg looked at Kai for a few moments, nodded to herself, and pulled a chair next to him, sitting down while sighing all the while. "Three days, master," she finally said, filling the mug with more wine. "It''s almost night. The good news is that the ship is on course and the crew is working fine without asking questions, except for one seaman whose leg seemed to have broken. The bad news is that the storm had thrown the ship off course by enough distance to lengthen our voyage by a week." Kai gawked at her. He saw the paleness of her face, the lines on her forehead, and somehow he knew that there was something worse than the bad news she had already given him. Sure enough, Meg took a deep breath before continuing her report. "Worse news is that, and I am guessing here, master, I think the mate, Andrik, saw you doing something extraordinary. No. I am sure he didn''t see your Golduck form, otherwise, you would have died already." Kai''s heartbeat quickened even more. "How can that be?!" he blurted out. "Weren''t you there behind me, and your eyes were towards the ship''s bow too, right? How could he have come on the deck without you knowing of it?" Meg looked appalled and ashamed. "I¡­ I indeed saw him coming up," she stuttered out, her body quivering in fear. "My mind was unfocused, I admit. But the moment I saw Andrik''s tall blurry figure standing on the deck, I almost rushed to create a paper wall. Before I could do so, though, I think you used a Skill, I really can''t say, and I lost consciousness. It was almost like someone had banged inside my skull using a sledgehammer. "When I woke up, I found you in your original form, covered in cracks. You looked dead, master. So I thrust the HP capsule in your mouth, which you had given me for a case like that. Only when I was taking you back to the captain''s cabin did I see Andrik lying on the deck? If I am correct, then he had only taken the merest glimpse of you before getting knocked out like me." [modern_footnote]1[/modern_footnote] Kai saw her hesitating after explaining herself. He was already angered enough to rebuke her for letting something like this happen. His mind, though, kept going back to the words One-directional he had seen on the Focus Punch Skill''s stat. That blast shouldn''t have knocked out Meg completely, when it wasn''t even directed at her, given her strength of a top 3rd-floor Contestant, he knew. Something was wrong with all this. So he kept his mouth shut and nodded at her to go on. "¡­ what troubling me is that," she continued, deliberating each word, "how Andrik is still alive after getting hit by the same thing as me? If it was your use of a Skill that had knocked me out, then Andrik''s existence must have been obliterated by the same. Don''t you agree?" Kai agreed, and his lips became thin as he repeated the same lines to himself. Chapter 149: Aftermath – Figuring things out with Meg! Kai repeated the sequence of the events in his mind. However, no matter how he tossed and turned them around, he couldn''t find a single instance of deliberate or accidental movement that could explain the abnormality. Maybe the Focus Punch had some hidden repercussions, Kai thought, but then shook his head. No. The Skill was one-directional, no doubt there. It wasn''t using the Skill that had knocked them out. Maybe building up the Focus Punch and adding SP into it? Kai had just thought of this question when Meg spoke again. "Not only I and Andrik, master," she whispered, "but also the entire crew had been knocked out. I found it later while making a quick inspection of Actaea. The ship hadn''t come out of the storm unscathed, either. No permanent damage, but it needs heavy maintenance. What did you even do? There¡­ there was nothing you could do against the wave, I think. Not to mention, all the time I was having a feeling that there was something unnatural about the storm and the sudden tsunami." Once again, Meg''s assertions based on her experience astounded Kai. It was also a type of instinct, he knew. He put the matter of this mysterious passing out of all the persons on the ship in the back of his mind, taking a deep breath, and knowing well that Andrik couldn''t have seen him clearly, otherwise, he would have already been dead. The only thing of importance was why the Abnormality Limiter hadn''t returned to its original value by itself by now. The answer lies with Andrik, Kai concluded. I must seek him out for a one-to-one session. "You are not wrong, Meg," he said, leaning back on the bed. It felt good to have his voice back. "It was unnatural. Everything about that storm and the ensuing murderous wave was unnatural, and as you said, I had nothing to match its power. But¡­" Then Kai told her everything. Less to see her reactions and more to hear her opinions, lest he overlooks a few details. He started with his realization about the Cosmic Authority Lore, at which she raised her old eyebrows. "Action, Perception, and Reaction," Morning Mist repeated the three words. "Quite ingenious theory, master. So, according to you, the last part of the lore is the Pokemon timeline''s Reaction to your Action, and it is based upon the denizens'' Perception of you? I must admit, though, I have never heard of it in my hundred years of life. But then again, a hundred years mean little in the grand scheme of things. May I know on what foundations you have come to this conclusion, master?" Kai nodded. "The first and second minor epithets, as you have named them, are quite obvious and simple to understand upon thinking a bit," he said, collecting his thoughts. "The third minor epithet is not only indecipherable but also has a retributive nature to it against me (-Meg narrowed her eyes-). When I saw the sudden incoming tsunami, the first thought I had was of the tsunami from Pokemon World that was on an even bigger scale. I think the third minor epithet makes me face the same disaster that I had caused in the previous timeline." Silence lingered between them for a while as Kai drank his wine. "Indeed," Meg said suddenly. "It may be as you say, master. Also, this retribution must be valid once per world, or it must have some enormous time gap between the two phases, otherwise, it would have returned by now in the last three days. Let me add that the retribution can only come for you while you are out in the sea. Such is its nature."If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Kai beamed. These were all the conclusions he too had come up with, and yet hearing it from his Item meant that all his investment into getting her was truly worthy. "What I don''t understand is," she continued to Kai''s surprise, "if this Retribution is the negative aspect of the Lore of the Evil Pokemon of Alto Mare, then what is its¡­ positive aspect? Because other than unlocking the new Stat, it has shown no definitive benefit, unlike the obvious drawback that almost killed you, master." Now, this perplexed Kai. It was in his mind, but he had forced himself to not think about it. For the answer was something he abhorred to speak out loud. If no benefit to his Cosmic Authority could match the destructive capabilities of the drawback, then didn''t it mean that all that he had done in the World of Pokemon was for nothing? For, surely, the Rare Item had turned out to be unusable until he met its Requirements. Kai licked his lips and just decided to move on for now. He mentioned his use of Serpent God''s Wrath to command the fallen crew, as that was the only way for him to use a Skill without getting killed on the spot by the System. This tale must made Meg remember the cracks running all over Kai''s body and the torn muscles of his throat. Her pallid complexion made her face look utterly terrified at some conjectured notion. Then, Kai told her his intention to use the combined power of HP capsules and the Iron Tail, and then the sudden dropping of the Golduck-Kai''s mind gem out of his forehead. When he mentioned the subsequent notification of fulfilling the condition to use the Focus Punch, Meg also jumped out of the chair. "You were right!" she exclaimed like a child. "So that''s why you were experiencing such an excruciating headache, master. Because the time of the mind-gem dropping out after reaching maturity was coming closer. Hmm¡­ I wonder. I wonder if, like the mind-gem, you have the other items related to the locked Dementor''s Skill and the Eon Soul Dew already on you." Kai couldn''t hold himself. He laughed outrageously. Again and again, Meg was hitting the vital points with uncanny accuracy and precision. "If I have them," Kai told her, looking at her satisfyingly, "then I don''t know any way to know about it. Not now, at least. This too, I must leave to the mercy of time, I guess." Kai then concluded the tale by mentioning the punch and how he had buffed it to such a degree that it had annihilated the entire wave like a bubble of soap before losing consciousness. Meg, though awed and bewildered at the might portrayed by Kai, didn''t go into the details of the buffs. The shock of a 300 Base Damage had already befuddled her mind. "Can you use it again, master?" she asked, holding her breath. Kai doubted it. With his headache gone, the logic stated that the mind-gem had passed maturity now, vanishing into his body. No harm in trying it out, though. "Let''s find out," he declared, stepping off the bed. As Meg blushed, a bubbling heat coursed through him from his chest, and steam rose from his reddened skin, blurring him. His naked figure transformed into Golduck-Kai smoothly. The tail came out, thrashing, avoiding the bed. His hands and feet became webbed, and all of his body turned blue. Before, a blood-colored oval gem, the size of half a thumb, was used to adorn Kai''s forehead. Now, there was only a pea-sized red dot, and only by concentrating on it, one could tell that it wasn''t a dot, but a curved surface protruding out of his head. When Meg pointed out this change, Kai nodded. "I''d thought as much," he said, canceling the transformation, his hand going for the clothes. "I can only use this Skill after the mind-gem''s next maturation. How much time would it take? We can only wait to know the answer." After dressing himself as befitting a captain, Kai rubbed his stomach, feeling the pangs of hunger. Meg noticed it and was about to rush to get some food when Kai motioned her to stop. "I''ll take care of the hunger later," he said, smiling at the immensely shocked Meg. "First, I must see to my Abnormality Limiter. "Call Andrik and let''s see what he offers in return for his life." Chapter 150: Andrik the Unsmiling – Drowned God’s Priest?! Kai noticed the burned stump on Andrik''s right hand as the mate kneeled in front of him. The over 7 ft tall giant ironborn had his head almost touching the musty floor. Kai noticed the slight trembling of his shoulders and his drenched back, and he also noticed how Andrik had been trying to not see into Kai''s eyes since he had come into the captain''s cabin. Using Selene''s mist form, Kai was still actively hiding his reptilian eyes. Did he perchance see my eyes? He thought, frowning. Is that why the Abnormality Limiter not returning to normal? Kai saw his Abnormality Limiter, the value at the bar''s end kept fluctuating between 2.9 to 3%, and he could have sworn this fluctuation matched Andrik''s shivering figure in rhythm. What could be the mate thinking that he was seeing the effect so obliviously? Kai didn''t ask this question straightway and instead decided to clear the doubt that had come to him after killing the ex-captain of Actaea, though the ensuing storm had kept him from having this discourse then. "Why, a warrior like you, an ironborn from the Iron Islands, a sailor that can chew out the other seamen both in strength and skills, is on a common trading ship?" Kai asked, churning the wine in his mug in slow rotations. "Why were you under the command of an idiot when you ironmen consider the captain of a ship equal to a king? I want answers, and I want them now, Andrik." Kai had unlocked his emotions after sailing out of the Dragonstone''s harbor, so now his Charisma was working fine. But no matter how much he tried, he couldn''t sense an iota of happiness in Andrik. The man had seemed to lose hope because of some unknown horror that not even the relief of surviving the storm could match in intensity. It all made Kai quite curious about what Andrik might have seen on that day before passing out. To Kai''s surprise, the mate didn''t even show the slightest hesitation before speaking out. "I am a spy, captain," Andrik said, his voice thick, but lacking in power. "Balon Greyjoy, Lord of the Iron Islands, had sent me to Dragonstone to spy on Stannis'' fleet. I was also ordered to contact the Targaryen prince in Pentos when the time came. I have yet to get any words regarding that, though. That''s why I was told to act the part of the mate on a trading ship." Kai sneered. "Lord Balon Greyjoy sent you personally?" he said, his tone incredulous. "I doubt¡­" But he didn''t get to finish his words. Meg''s eyes suddenly snapped open as if she had come to a monstrous realization. Kai saw her slowly standing up, her eyes planted on Andrik''s broad back, and her chest heaving high and low in a broken rhythm. She pointed a finger at Andrik, and exclaimed, "You¡­ you are Andrik, the Unsmiling?!" Kai narrowed his eyes. Andrik, the Unsmiling? He repeated the words to himself. Don''t tell me¡­ Is he a main storyline Character?! Andrik answered the question with a nod, his head still bowing low. "Some call me by that name," he declared. He is a main storyline Character, Kai thought incredibly. He saw Meg calming down, but her intense stare was still on Andrik. "You modest yourself," she said hoarsely, and Kai could tell her next words were for his ears. "Andrik, the Unsmiling, one of Lord Dunstan Drumm''s captains under the service of House Drumm of Old Wyk. Andrik, the fiercest living ironborn warrior, and the strongest man from the Iron Islands. Isn''t that what the singers sing?"This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Andrik sneered derisively. "They do sing of me," he barked. "Now they must light those songs afire or drown them into the sea. How can I be the strongest when I lost to a boy of¡­" His words got stuck to his throat, and the enormous man shuddered suddenly. "My lord," he said, shaking, "forgive me for the insolence. I didn''t mean it. Any of it." And then, Andrik, the fiercest warrior, slammed his head on the floor, rocking Kai''s chair. Kai and Meg exchanged glances. -/What''s wrong with him?/- he asked telepathically. -/Are you sure he is who he claimed to be?/- Meg gave a heavy nod in reply. What is it that has scared such a monster for him to act so? Kai asked himself and found the answer soon enough. It must be related to what he saw that day before passing out. Not waiting any longer for the suspense to make a mockery out of the situation, he took a deep breath. "I do not care who you are, and where your loyalty lies, Andrik," Kai said authoritatively, and with just a touch of iciness. "Now that I am the Captain of Actaea, you are under my command. So, answer this, sailor. When I had told you to go below the deck three days ago, why did you return?" "I¡­" Andrik began but paused, lifted his head, and then looked into Kai''s eyes. His dark black eyes matched Kai''s misty hazels and an enamored look flashed across his face, bordering on reverence and fervor which Kai had only seen on Meg''s face till now. When the mate resumed, his voice had more strength than before as if he had gambled his everything on the next sentence. "I must ask this, my lord," Andrik said, like a quaking mountain. "How did you oppose the Storm God? Are you¡­ are you a favored priest of Drowned God?" What madness is this? Kai thought, trying not to show his obvious disgust at the nonsense words. Meg had already told him about the major religions of Westeros and the general history, at least which she knew by heart. Drowned God is a sea deity worshiped by the ironborn of the Iron Islands in Westeros, Kai recalled what Meg had told him. The religion of the Drowned God is old, dating back to before the Seven Gods. The Storm God, who sends thunderstorms upon men, opposes the Drowned God. Both Gods are said to have been at war against one another for millions of years. But Kai couldn''t comprehend what all this had to do with Andrik''s odd behavior, contrasting his personality of a fierce warrior, and with what the giant must have seen on the deck amid the storm for him to act so. Then suddenly, like a bolt of lightning, the realization struck him. He isn''t relating my thwarting the storm and surviving the Pokemon World''s retribution to me being a Drowned God''s favored priest thwarting Storm God''s fury, is he? Kai couldn''t help but ask this absurd question to himself. Absurd or not, he could see the answer in Andrik''s eyes. Damn! He truly is thinking the same. Kai felt overjoyed. Yes. Despite his Abnormality Limiter fluctuating lower and lower, he was almost beaming within his heart, for Andrik''s questions hadn''t only let him know what the giant mate was thinking, but they had also given him an opportunity. An opportunity to manipulate him. Kai stared into Andrik''s eyes, a queer string of manipulation and fanaticism connecting their thoughts. Then, he smiled. If it was any other time, this smile could''ve meant anything. If it was anyone else other than the giant kneeling in front of Kai, this smile still could''ve puzzled the onlooker. But for Andrik, it meant only one thing. It was the answer to his question. As Kai''s kind smile was reflected by the dark eyes opposite him, Andrik the Unsmiling, for the first time perhaps, almost smiled along with him, two thick trails of tears running down his sea-worn face like cold, divine water. Chapter 151: Andrik the Twice-Drowned – Dimensional Leader! Sitting on the captain''s bed, her back hunched, Meg had the oddest expression on her face. It had happened just after Andrik had mentioned the Drowned God and the Storm God, and Kai being the favored priest of the former. There was a mixture of disbelief and terrified apprehension on her face as if some hidden memory was trying to burst out of her shocked eyes. But before Meg could turn the memory into words, some unknown and complex magic spun its gears in her mind, making her forget it in the very next moment. Kai was too busy with the sudden opportunity that his extraordinary mind had birthed for him to notice those expressions. Neither did he try to consult with Meg and Petyr, nor did he let them know what he was about to do next. He stood up, his facial curves mimicking the fanatical aura Meg always had for him. He must be not only practical now but also prudent and calculative with his words, as he knew nothing about the Drowned God other than what his Item had told him. Ordinary words were not enough to convince a true devotee. He must rely on the supernatural show he had already shown to Andrik that night, he concluded. "You are right," Kai said, looking out of the windows, towards the open sea. "You are wrong, too." Bullshit¡­ Kai was building a foundation around this word; a practice common among many fraudulent cults and religions, he had learned. "I am HIS favored, yes," Kai continued, noticing the bewildered look on Meg''s face for the first time, his eyes narrowing. "But I am not some mere priest, Andrik. For I have been to a place where no man could have been to, even in their dreams, and return alive to sing the songs of those unearthly vistas." Kai turned around and approached the giant whose head was almost touching his chest despite kneeling. He whispered, his voice echoing in the unnatural silence of the cabin, "I have been to HIS watery halls." Andrik shivered, tears running dry on his face. He gawked at Kai and didn''t dare to question the absurd proclamation with his mortal mind and will. Bullshit was working, Kai thought, laughing derisively in his mind. "You have seen how I thwarted the Storm God''s fury," he said, his voice high and eerie. "That was not a happenstance, but a true power of the Drowned God, materializing through me. Now, Andrik, I will give you the same chance. "A chance to let go of your past and serve the Drowned God''s purpose through me. A chance to go beyond the ordinary scuffles between Houses and Kingdoms. Oh, Andrik, the Unsmiling, a chance to visit HIS watery halls and discard your mortal self for undying piety and immortality. Dare you bow your head and kneel in acceptance?" Once more Kai''s voice boomed, "Answer me!" There was a mystery in Kais'' words apparent to all listeners. A watery shiver had run down both Meg''s and Andrik''s spines, unknown to Kai, and now both were looking at him with such intense fervor that made him think as if he had overdone it a bit. Nonetheless, the effect, though in the same direction as he had intended, had gone beyond his imagination and out of his hands. "I do." The words came by themselves out of Andrik''s mouth. Steam was already rising off Kai''s body, and Meg had stood up in shock. "Then close your eyes," he told Andrik, motioning Meg to stand down. "Let me baptize you in HIS waters afresh, washing your past sins away, and giving your life a new purpose and meaning."Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Andrik shut his eyes, steeling his nerves, and taking a deep breath as if knowing what was about to happen next. A sizzling heat seared Kai''s surroundings momentarily before Selene sent out a burst of chill, making it disappear. This brief event followed the morphing of Kai''s body into a blue-skinned demon, a tail swishing and flailing behind him as if it had a mind of its own. Once again Kai had taken the Golduck form, and from the appalled look on Meg''s face, he could tell that if Andrik were to open his eyes now, no supernatural explanation would be enough to save him from the cruelest fate known to Contestants. It did not faze Kai at all. Risks were a part of his life as much as anything. His instincts were sharp and meticulous enough to let him know he had this man figured out long before. Andrik was a warrior who lived by his words and blade. A proud and skillful seafarer who bowed to no one other than the God he worshiped, not even to the Lord he served. For the same reasons, this man would never open his eyes unless told so by Kai. Kai used Hydro Pump to spit out a bucketful of water, but he did not aim it at anything. The moment it left his mouth with a gurgling noise, the bean-sized mind gem shone bloody on his forehead. The thinnest layer of red covered the water from all around like smoke. With his teeth clenched hard, Kai controlled the direction of the water current and sent it hurtling towards Andrik''s head, who flinched as the water drowned his head. Yet, the man didn''t open his eyes. 2 minutes. 3 minutes¡­ Only at the end of the 5th minute did Andrik show signs of struggle, his head shaking, as his monstrous lungs grasped at escaping breath. Bubbles rose into the water sphere, and the struggle increased. Now, even Kai''s hands were shaking, and his face had crumpled in a hideous scowl, a thin trail of blood running down his nose. Suddenly, the last traces of air abandoned Andrik, and the man lost consciousness, his eyes on the brink of getting shut forever. Kai knew the time had come, and he canceled his transformation. Meg had told him about this ritual where the priest of Drowned God drowned the followers and then revived them, following a process called Kiss of Life. Kai was replicating the same, knowing well that this Kiss of Life was nothing but cardiopulmonary resuscitation. As he pumped Andrik''s chest and breathed air into his mouth using his strength, it only took a few seconds before the giant man returned to life, coughing out water and gasping for air. Kai laughed. "Rise," he told Andrik, standing up. "You have drowned in HIS waters and been returned to us. What is dead may never die!" Andrik rose, his muscles pulsating with power. "But rises," he said, growling like a beast. "Rises again and again. Harder. And stronger." "You do not belong to House Drumm now," Kai proclaimed, looking up into his dark eyes. "Nor do you have any obligation to any Lord. You belong to the Drowned God. Now kneel once more, but not as Andrik the Unsmiling. Henceforth, you are Andrik the Twice-Drowned." "Yes, Captain," Andrik spat, his knees bending once more. No longer he was trying to look away from Kai''s eyes, and no longer there was any meekness in his voice. He was once again the fiercest warrior from the Iron Islands, but now his loyalty was for Kai and Kai alone. The stagnated black color of the Abnormality Limiter bar shot up, becoming full instantly. It didn''t come as a surprise to Kai as he knew Andrik must have equated all supernatural scenes he must have seen three days ago to the power of Drowned God that was backing up Kai in his struggle with Storm God''s fury. Then the notification appeared in between Kai''s hazel and Andrik''s dark eyes like a divine message. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have unlocked a New Title ¡­ Title: Dimensional Leader Specification: Make 3 main storyline Characters follow you voluntarily and unconditionally Status: (1/3) Effect: 1. Correspondence +5 2. Worth +15 3. Charisma +25 4. Skill: Dimensional Summoning Note: Only 1 Title can be equipped at a time ] ¡­ Chapter 152: The Mystery of Cosmic Authority’s Lore! Kai sighed inwardly. "Now that we are done with the holy business, Andrik," Kai said, resuming their unfinished conversation, "answer me the questions I had asked of you. Of course, let me introduce you to Priestess Shae. She has come far into understanding HIS mysteries. If you would underestimate her because of her age, then you would presume too much." Both Andrik and Meg nodded at each other, though Kai noticed Meg''s stiffness. "I had followed your orders, Captain." Andrik began the tale, recalling the events of three days ago. "But no true ironborn would want to die hiding among cowards. So I had returned to the deck to let Drowned God''s waters take me and lose my life to the sea, rather than getting crushed by the shipwreck. "But the moment I came up, through the hail, black wind, and water, I¡­ I saw a blue figure walking on the deck. It had a tail, and I think I saw webbed hands and feet as well. (-Kai and Meg shared a glance-). From the old texts, I already knew that the Drowned God''s favored priests are half man and half fish." Andrik''s breathing was rising again, despite the calm in his voice. Silence pitched and rolled along with the ship for a few moments before Kai nodded, urging the sailor to go on. "I heard the words then," Andrik said, his eyes losing focus. "The words that had shaken my soul in awe, and I am ashamed to say, Captain, in fear as well." Kai was confused and surprised. "Words?!" he asked incredulously. "What words?" To Meg he asked, -/Did you hear words as well?/- Meg pressed her brows and almost immediately shook her head. Andrik gulped, cleared his throat, and then spoke with as much might and hoarseness as he could muster. "I am a Stormborn," he began, and Kai almost left his chair. "I am the Devastating Despair, the Blue-skinned Demon, and the Unforgivable Cursed One¡­ Then I think I saw a flash, like a yellow bolt of lightning. The next time I opened my eyes, Priestess Shae was standing over me." Yellow?! Kai felt odd, a queer disgust rising in his heart. Wasn''t the color of Focus Punch red? It was then he sensed an upheaval of intense emotions from his side. Kai turned his head and found Meg, shaking like a leaf, and her mouth opened wide. Her eyes were almost popping out of her skull, and she was extremely anxious about something, Kai noticed. "Leave us," he told Andrik. "Go tend to the crew and take note of all the maintenance that the ship requires." "Yes, Captain." Andrik bowed in acceptance and left, closing the cabin''s door behind him. "What''s going on?" Kai asked Meg, not unkindly. "What''s wrong with you? How come he, a normal human, heard me from so far away, but you, who was standing just behind me, heard nothing?" Meg looked at Kai in disbelief. Her legs shook, and she fell back on the bed, sweat pouring down from her forehead like thick drops of water. "I remember now," she said, her voice trembling. "I remember you saying something about a Stormborn. But that''s it. That''s it, master. I heard nothing after that¡­ Nor¡­ Nor¡­ "¡­ Nor did I hear a single word Andrik said just now." Kai saw the truth in her eyes, and an indescribable chill ran down his spine. * * Afternoon, the next day Officer''s cabin Actaea had made good distance after latching onto the course. From what Andrik had told the captain, no ship other than a galley could find them now. Kai had serious doubts about it, given that Contestants had the means to cover the distance and make predictions, that ordinary men couldn''t think of.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. This troubling news, however, wasn''t the reason for the unpredictable frown on his face that kept reappearing now and then since last night. Not even the wine could dull the chaotic thoughts rampaging his brain, much less needed to be said about the uncharacteristic silence of his Items. Meg was standing near the windowpanes, looking outside at the calm sea, her expression troubled and thoughtful. A flock of white sea birds was cooing, flying over and around the ship. Their loud calls penetrated the glass, entering the occupants'' deaf ears. On the bed, lying with his back straight, and playing with the Iron Coin, was the young Petyr Baelish. Neither Kai nor Meg had gotten any shuteye since her shocking declaration about the baffling, mysterious phenomenon regarding the minor epithets. She couldn''t hear the words Andrik had spoken so casually, though in palpable awe, in front of Kai, just a few feet away from her. It hadn''t ended there. It should have ended there. But, No. Captain Red had other plans. The part about Pokemon World''s retribution had been already weighing on his heart, especially when he could see no apparent benefit of the Cosmic Authority''s Lore. So, when he saw the chance, he grasped at it like a drowning man''s hands on a rope. In this very mystery lay his salvation, Kai was sure. It just needed him to root it out. That, in turn, needed experiments, observations, and raw efforts. The moment Andrik had left the cabin, Kai had stormed towards Meg to check for any physical disorientation or unknown effect of a Skill cast from a distance. Both turned out to be the cases he''d rather wish were true later. After careful deliberation and planning, he had started by speaking those words by himself. She didn''t hear them. He had then given the task to Petyr. She didn''t hear him, either. When speaking didn''t work, he started to write the words down, the black ink rippling on a white background. She saw spiders crawling, wraiths gliding, and dark mist churning over a white desert. She saw everything. Everything other than the words. Kai''s heart had been pounding by then. The most discomforting fact was that Meg knew these words by heart. Kai himself had told her in the Pokemon World to know what these words signified. She had denied having any knowledge regarding this new Stat of his then. And when she had asked Kai''s permission to recite those words as a prayer, he had rejected the request. All was the same then, and all was the same now. The only thing that had changed since then was the method of communication. Kai had used Telepathy to transfer those words into her mind in the Pokemon World, and Meg had shown no sign of having any issue recognizing them. Now, he had used human speech, and so did Andrik. "There is no other choice, my lord," Petyr said, sitting up. "Let her speak those words. Only then we will get another direction to explore. We have tried everything else." Kai closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. As much as he disliked it, he had already accepted that he was all those things mentioned in the Lore during that storm. Before, he had been putting it off in a concern of attracting the attention of some inexplicable eldritch figure. He didn''t have that fear now, at least. Kai nodded. Meg''s head snapped back, tearing her eyes off the sparkling sea waters. She didn''t wait for any bells to ring and said, "The¡­" She paused, her eyes puzzled, squinting to recall something. Something obscure. "What was I going to say again?" Kai gawked at her with a sheer marveled gaze. His eyes matched Petyr, who had already stood up, and they looked at each other before smiling. It was the smile confirming that there was indeed some power, some hidden benefit about these words, which Kai had been incapable of finding out because of lack of strength and knowledge. "Interesting!" Kai exclaimed. "It''s not unlike the magic of the Temple of Hastur that is used to keep the Priests and Priestess from divulging the Temple''s secrets, isn''t it?" "Indeed, my lord," Petyr said. "It''s like there is a hazy boundary between her consciousness and the outside material world that''s filtering out the minor epithets before they can leave her mouth. Your Telepathy must have ignored that boundary entirely, bypassing it, and feeding the words directly into her mind. Or it is also possible that this boundary is weak in her case for you to penetrate it easily using Telepathy." "So you mean to say," Kai began, tapping the arm of the chair, "that this boundary doesn''t exist for you and the storyline Characters." Meg must have figured out what had happened after listening to their conversation, for she looked as shaken as elated by this discovery. "It doesn''t fit, though," she said, taking a seat opposite Kai. "I had always recited Hastur''s epithets, and never had I learned in my over 100 years of life that someone had failed to speak them out, irrespective of age, race, and state." A chuckle echoed within the cabin like hundreds of mockingbirds crying at each other. It was Petyr. He approached the center table and stood straight and noble before whispering word by word. "Your devotion to our lord, my lady," he said, addressing Meg, "may be equal to the devotion you once had for Hastur, but it can''t change the fact that Red and HIM are two different figures and separated by not only incomprehensible distance but also unimaginable power. "Any comparison between the two is nothing but foolish. Didn''t you say that these are only minor epithets and not the epithets of an Old One?" Meg felt abashed in shame, Kai could tell, as he saw her old, paper skin crumpling. A soulless character had just called her a fool, figuratively, if not literally. Chapter 153: Parseltongue – The Tongue of the Old Ones! Kai shook his head inwardly, seeing that even a 13th-floor fallen Contestant didn''t have a will strong enough to resist Petyr''s play of words. "Pour us some wine," he told Meg, giving her something to do. Meg stood up, filled the mugs with dark wine, and returned to her seat, all the time her eyes fluttering in some deep contemplation. Petyr, after taking a sip, adjusted his head to look at Kai now. "My Lord, I have a suggestion," he continued, smiling slyly. "Slight difference, it may seem, but tongues have power. Even in Westeros, where Magic is nothing but an ancient song, men still believe that there are mysteries hidden in the Old Tongue, the language of First Men. "It has degraded to the Common Tongue now, which does not differ from the common human speech. This is the case with High Valyrian as well. There is power in each syllable of these archaic languages; in each rune and glyph. I think Hastur''s epithets are powerful enough to seep their strength into common speech. But yours¡­ These minor epithets need a stronger stimulation." Meg had stood with a gasp, her eyes lit like two suns shining within them. Kai could feel her emotions, but unlike her, his emotions were calm, his eyes calmer. With those calm eyes, he looked at Petyr. They both looked at each other for what seemed like a long time, and Meg had sensed the unannounced tension within the cabin as well. Kai finally smiled. "You came up with this suggestion by yourself?" he asked incredulously. "A little far-fetched suggestion and explanation, don''t you think?" Petyr smiled back, not looking unnerved at all. "Oh, hardly, my lord," he said slyly. "A most natural and spontaneous suggestion. All the magical and spiritual elements around me have influenced my thought process, I must say. After reading the two books from the Harry Potter World, I have been working on improving my logic and reasoning skills to counsel you in the best ways possible." Hundreds of thoughts, questions, and answers passed through Kai''s mind in those instances of eye contact, yet his face showed no expression. Kai had masterfully locked his emotions using Advance Emotions Manipulation already. "Meg," he said, still looking at Petyr, "have you learned these old languages?" Meg was about to respond, most probably in denial, but Petyr, looking unperturbed, interrupted in between. "Why the need to go for Old Tongue and High Valyrian, my lord," he said calmly, "when you already know one of the most ancient of the tongues?" This question brought out such a demonic fury within Kai that if he hadn''t suppressed his emotions, he would have lunged at Petyr''s throat like a snake lunged at its prey. His face, though, was still adorned by a sardonic smile. "Parseltongue," Petyr croaked as if Kai hadn''t figured out what he had implied before. "Didn''t, my lady, Meg, tell us that Parseltongue is one of the oldest and the most archaic tongues known across the Multiverse? Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. "The Tongue of the Old Ones." She had indeed told him so, Kai remembered. But he had buried this thought and the abhorring theory that he had inferred from her words, long ago into the deepest hole of his heart. Now, slowly but steadily, it crawled its way up like a hideous horror that had just awakened from a long sleep and was now coming to devour him. Because that theory was something about which Kai was helpless, and that made him feel as if he wasn''t in control of his life anymore. Parseltongue wasn''t a product of his efforts, of his sweat and blood. Nor it had resulted from his manipulations and devious cunning plans. It had been forced unto him by none other than Hastur. When he learned that this was an ancient tongue of the Old Ones, it made Kai feel like he was a plant, planted by an eldritch existence in a deep, calculative manner, to reap the fruit in the future. Kai had loathed Parseltongue as much as he had loved it then. That''s why, to keep himself from going insane by having that theory in his mind, constantly making him question his decisions, he''d rather stop thinking about it entirely. Now, it seemed he couldn''t do anything but face the situation head-on. He was bound to do so, he knew, but not this soon. It is too soon indeed, he repeated to himself. -Selene,- Kai hissed, ignoring Meg''s confused look. A dense mass of silver burst out from his heart and materialized into a 6 ft long dazzling white serpent. Ghost Basilisk''s red and yellow eyes were opened, but the single vertical gash in the middle of her forehead was shut tight. She slithered effortlessly on the musty floor, her forked tongue flicking out to taste the two presences other than Kai. -A gathering of bitches, master?- she hissed, mocking Meg and Petyr menacingly. Both flinched simultaneously, a vivid shiver running down their spine. Then her tongue changed, gaining a calm but decisive concern. -You are troubled,- she proclaimed. Then, once more, her voice swapped, becoming dreamy and affectionate. -If only I had the power to poison your woes¡­ Sigh!- Kai blinked away the annoyance. What use of her Lunatic Corruption was, if ordinary people couldn''t even understand her, he asked himself. To Selene, he said, hissing, as he caressed her dragon-like scales. -Listen, and you must do as I say¡­- Then Kai told her the words, reluctantly, and told her to recite them back to him. She was his Item, too, but if it was in his hands, he would rather not weigh her shoulders with this responsibility. The Ghost Basilisk was too precious to be called disposable in the same terms as he had called Meg a disposable Item. For one, Selene was a beast whose Blood Essence he would devour, making her his power. Second, she had the genome structure mutated by two of the most mysterious alien parasites, or pathogens, if her power was nothing but a sickness. It all made her almost invaluable. Time demanded a sacrifice from Kai, and he must know the mystery of his Lore before continuing with his plans. This must be done, Kai told himself, steeling his nerves. Petyr disappeared, assimilating himself into Kai, and Meg took out the Jet Wing and a steel-tipped arrow, nocking it instantly. Preparations were important for an undesirable outcome; to kill Selene, if necessary. -Now,- he commanded. Selene hissed solemnly, mystery slithering around her forked tongue. -The Devastating Despair; -The Blue-skinned Demon; -The Unforgivable Cursed One.- And the world trembled! Chapter 154: The Yellow Sign – A Key to the Old One?! This wasn''t the first time that the world had trembled for Kai. In fact, it had already happened twice before. The two times when he had devoured the tales of Cersei and Petyr, using the Song of History. It hadn''t been a true trembling then, and it wasn''t a true trembling now, as it was his perception of the world, his vision, and his very thoughts and senses that were trembling, giving the wrong impression of an inexplicable illusion. The intensity of the two tremblings differed, though. They differed so much that Kai was having a hard time keeping standing, a nauseating feeling churning the leftover wine in his stomach along with everything else. Yet, the most noticeable difference between the two wasn''t this intensity, but their sources. With the Tales of Beedle the Bard, it could be the Skill, the Song of History, or it could be the Skill, Thousand Tales Parasite. Kai had failed to put his finger on the exact cause. Now, he not only knew what was the source but also why it was happening. Inventory. Kai''s Inventory was rocking like a ship amid a thunderstorm. He had always perceived his Inventory as a space, separated from the material world. With just a thought, he could see its contents, their images materializing in his mind like objects, giving the illusion that he could just reach out and touch them. When he did desire to hold them in his hand, these objects would come out of the Inventory by themselves. That''s how the Inventory worked as known to the Contestants. Something mysterious was happening within Kai''s Inventory now. No. Something mysterious was happening to Kai''s Inventory. Kai felt as if his Inventory was a tunnel; a corridor with two doors at its ends. One door was opened as wide as it could for him, and through it, he could access everything within his Inventory. The second door was shut, but now it was rattling as if someone from beyond this unknown space was holding this door''s handle and was trying to pry it open. Yet, Kai instinctively knew that this door would never open, for it was locked. A lock that was more inexplicable and mystical of nature than everything he had seen or heard of so far. An unworldly comprehension dawned on him instantly, words and their meaning materializing in his mind like an insight gained through thousands of years of meditation and struggle. This insight told him he would need a key to open the door. A key or a¡­ Sign. So, this is how it works, Kai realized, taking a deep breath, and straightening his spine. The epithets, minor or major, link the chanter beyond the second, locked door to me through the Inventory. However, this second door needs a key to be opened, which the chanter must use along with the epithets. And this key is the Yellow Sign in the case of Hastur. No wonder¡­ No fucking wonder! Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. The Sign is a key that opens up the gate to an Old One! Kai, though not openly, had always been mystified by the Yellow Sign, whose mere existence had transcended everything that he knew of. It was neither Arabic, Chinese, Sanskrit, nor any known or lost human script he could think of. It had an insidious nature that made all the users forget ever drawing it, and its sinuous form welled a deep repulsive feeling in the seeing eyes, but it was all this that had made Kai curious about it. Now that he got to know what it does, his curiosity didn''t satiate but shot up through the roof. Who created this Sign? How could this Sign breach the boundaries of the Multiverse, opening a cross-dimensional channel to pass information and objects? What was it? Was it one of a kind? The last question made him snap open his eyes, and he found Meg staring at him with deep fervor and passion. She hadn''t sensed the trembling like him, he knew. Nor could she ever know the comprehension through which Kai had gone just now. The same comprehension that had made it feel like a long time had passed between Selene''s chanting the epithets and him opening his eyes, when in fact, only a moment had gone by in reality. A paramount illusion of Space and Time. "What do you know about the Yellow Sign?" Kai asked, reaching for Selene''s head. He scratched the underside of her mouth, and a distinct rattling of her Dragon-like scales portrayed her immense joy. -You did good, Selene,- he hissed. -Now, don''t speak those words without my permission.- Selene replied by kissing his chin, flicking out her forked tongue. She slithered up, through his arm, and coiled herself around his shoulders, her head resting majestically on his chest. Meg gulped. "It''s part of the ritual," she told him. "One must draw it using blood before invoking HIM using HIS epithets. Without it, one cannot sacrifice to HIM outside the Primordial Tower." Huh?! Kai''s eyes widened. "What do you mean ''Outside the Primordial Tower''?" he asked urgently. "One doesn''t need to draw it within the Primordial Tower," she replied immediately, sensing Kai''s urgent tone. "The mere invocation of the epithets would let HIS gaze fall onto the chanter. That''s why only core Priests and Priestess are told of Signs that they can use outside the Primordial Tower for obvious purposes." Kai''s eyes lit up as he heard Meg''s explanation. Interesting, he reflected, his eyes squinting. Very interesting! Is this because the Old Ones are known to dwell within the Primordial Tower itself, or because their Epithets are of a higher level both in power and mysteriousness than my minor epithets? Or both? It still doesn''t explain why speaking out Hastur, without uttering HIS epithets, leads to the Temple of Hastur knowing about it. Kai sighed. Things were becoming too dark and hazy compared to his growth, he knew. If it was any other time, he could placate himself by saying he must take one step at a time. But now, after facing the Pokemon World''s Retribution, and the threat of Hastur''s priests hanging over his neck like a sword, it was impossible for him to not face these situations head-on. "Listen¡­" Kai was just about to address Meg regarding his theories when a clamor blasted its way in through the cabin''s musty doors. What''s going on? Kai thought, exchanging a look with Meg, and approached the doors. Selene burst into a mist, melting within him, with no order. The moment he parted the doors, he saw the giant figure of Andrik, now his loyal follower, charging toward him. But as the mate neared Kai, he dropped to one knee, and said, "What is dead may never die!" "What is dead may never die!" Kai repeated the words solemnly. "Rise. What''s the commotion about?" "Ship!" Andrik barked, standing up with a jerk. "Barrelman sighted a ship due southwest, my lord. And it''s gaining on us. It''s gaining fast." Kai looked beyond Andrik toward the sea, an imperceptible smile surfacing on his lips. Finally, the enemy had caught up to them. Chapter 155: Kai’s plans for Actaea – A Ship of Contestants! A mixture of confusion and terrifying elation flashed across Kai''s face. With the last storm passing over them and going to the west, no ship other than a galley could catch up to them within three days. That''s why Andrik had been so sure about no interference before reaching Pentos. This new and supernatural appearance of a ship must have made Andrik question his seafaring skills for him to look so shaken, Kai knew. "No need to feel down, Andrik," Kai said, smiling. "I''ve been expecting our friends for quite some time now. Let''s go." He followed Andrik to the deck and saw a relieved expression on the faces of the men. They must have been seeing this pursuing ship as their salvation. Kai sneered. He approached the foremast and looked up. "Drop the far-eye," he shouted. The barrelman dropped a bronze tube with ground glass lenses at either end. It was a telescope. Kai caught the instrument, putting his one eye at its one end, and looked out into the sea. His chest rose suddenly. The least expected, and then later discarded, guess had come true, biting him in the ass. It was a galley, red of color, and Kai could even see the faintest hint of blurry oars, propelling the many-masted ship as if it was jumping like a frog. Andrik was right, Kai thought, taking the far-eye off his eye. The galley would soon kill the distance between them. Sooner than he could have ever hoped for. The corners of his mouth lifted. "ALL HANDS ON DECK!" Kai roared, turning around, his voice booming in the crew''s heads like forgotten thunder. The seamen, whispering among themselves, shook and processed the newly found might in Kai''s voice listlessly. It wasn''t until Andrik approached one of them, sending him flying with a slap, that they came out of their stupor and lined up. Kai nodded at Andrik and stepped forward. "Who wants to go home?" he asked, baffling the listeners. Among the 11 men, other than Kai and Meg, only 10 were capable enough to man the ship now, including Andrik. They had too lost consciousness, along with Meg and the mate, and had just an inkling that they had survived because of Kai, the captain. There was respect in their eyes and gratitude on their faces for him, as he had saved their puny lives, he could tell. But fear had trodden over those emotions mercilessly in their hearts. These men weren''t honor-bound to him, even though Kai was now Actaea''s captain. He was a pirate, and now an enemy of the crown. And pirates knew no honor. It was known. Kai almost smiled. "Let me ask differently," he continued, almost whispering. "Who wants to become a pirate on this ship? Who wants to loot as a freeman, live as a freeman, and die as a freeman, and who wants his wife and his children to not sleep with knots in their stomachs anymore?Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. "And who wants to keep their earnings to themselves, instead of giving almost all of it to a lord who would kill you with one dirty look? Is there someone who wants all this among you? If there is, then bend your knee and rise as a pirate of the White Serpent Pirates. As you all have helped me this far, I promise, I will set the rest free upon reaching Pentos." Silence engulfed the ship, following Kai''s proclamation. He had grand plans for Actaea, even after he departed from this world. And for those plans to work, he must have a solid, loyal pirate crew at the end of this voyage. Rest he would leave on the shoulders of Andrik, the Twice-Drowned. It was the mate himself who lunged instantly and bent his knee, his head almost approaching Kai. "I want all this, Captain Red," he shouted, his voice shaking the lesser men. "I swear my loyalty to the White Serpent Pirates. Let my honor know no salvation in the watery halls of the Drowned God after my death, otherwise." Almost immediately, 7 out of the 9 stepped forward, and fell to their knees, chanting, "I want it too, captain¡­" Kai stared at the 7. All were looking up at him, their eyes already blazing with the fire lit up by his words. Kai nodded thrice at them before putting his hand on Andrik. "Good," he said, looking at the 8 members of his pirate crew. "Now rise, as fledglings leave the confinement of the nest, first dropping, and then rising high towards the open sky. Rise, my pirates." And they rose, shouting, their hands outstretched, fists pointing towards the clear sky. Kai didn''t even spare a glance at the 2 men who hadn''t bent their knees. He let them have this moment, and when the joy seemed to bugger off, he said, "Here are your commands." When all of them had calmed down, Kai turned around to look at the ship that could be seen clearly with naked eyes now. "See that ship?" he said, pointing at the red dot over the horizon. "That''s another storm coming for us. You must have guessed by now about me. I am indeed a fugitive from a noble House. An heir, I was, but now I am Red, Captain of Actaea and the White Serpent Pirates. They are coming for me, and you would be a fool to think that any of you would remain alive to beach the ship on Pentos'' harbor. "Go now! Prepare the ship as you prepare it for a storm. Follow Andrik''s orders, and then¡­" he doubled back, his expression hard and undecipherable, "go below the deck again. For only there you would live to tell the tales later." They gaped at him like a toddler asking for his mother''s nipple. "NOW!" The crew ran off at the shout, almost falling over each other. All except Andrik, as Kai had expected. "Never again, captain," he told Kai. "Never again will I leave the deck when the ship''s under attack." "Honorable words," Kai commented. "Remember what happened when you tried to see what you must not see." Andrik looked gobsmacked, a terror dancing in his dark eyes, shaking his legs. He looked down at Kai, then looked away towards the incoming ship, and then back at him. Words, honorable or not, refused to come out of his mouth. "I will have to use Drowned God''s powers again, Andrik," Kai continued, holding back a massive grin. "It''s too soon for you to understand the profundity of HIS mysteries. Your time will come, as mine had come once. Till then, do as I told you." Andrik pressed his lips into a thin line, giving Kai a reluctant nod. He had just marched off, bellowing out orders, when Kai recalled something and said, "Andrik." The mate turned around, and Kai whispered, "Those two men who didn''t bend their knees. Be a good lad and kill them before reaching Pentos. We don''t want strange tales about us circulating in stranger lands, do we?" Andrik, who had once been called the Unsmiling as well, gave the briefest hint of a knowing smile. Chapter 156: Order’s Assault! (I) Kai could see men running around like ants on the incoming galley; the enemy was so close. Meg was standing near him, to his right, and looking out into the sea using the far-eye. She took the cylindrical bronze tube, tapering towards one end, off her eye, and took a deep breath. Like him, she too licked her lips as if the tastiest dish was coming to her in not but a few moments. "What do you think?" Kai asked, a gentle breeze playing with his white hair. "They have brandished the Baratheon flag on their foremast, true. But their zeal surpasses common bounty hunters and freeriders. A few Contestants might have slipped themselves onto the ship, but¡­" He couldn''t complete his words, as Meg was already shaking her head. "No, it''s not that, master," she said, dropping a few paper fish into the sea. "You are right, I think. The entire crew is made of Contestants. You are rising on Order''s kill list. An undeniably good thing, of course. It means you are advancing at a rate that even the Systems are thinking of you as a monster. Not to mention an even greater monstrosity that hides within you." Kai snapped his head towards her. "Are you talking about Selene?" Meg nodded, a solemn gaze flicking across her old eyes. "I have already told you about the uncharacteristic advantage of graded Magical Beast," she said, reminding him of a discussion they already had gone through once. "A magical beast, more often than not, has the capabilities matching many grades higher than itself compared to Contestants. That''s why when your serpent was an E+ magical beast, it could handle itself against Contestants from the 4th floor, which is equivalent to D- grade. "These gaps keep on decreasing as one climbs up the ladder of grades, though. It''s also the reason for the rarity of magical beasts above C+ grades. They are not only hard to find but also harder to get." Kai remembered the Eon Pokemon, and what she had told him about their grades, but didn''t interrupt. "With the Ghost Basilisk''s current grade," Morning Mist continued, after taking a brief pause, "I am sure she can make quick work of any 4th-floor Contestant on her own. And if I am not wrong about it, then she can even inflict mortal damage to 5th-floor Contestants. The only area where these magical beasts lack is intelligence. They are still beasts, after all. Add me to your power, master, and I wouldn''t question if Order were to even send a 5th-floor Contestant after us." Kai sighed audibly. He pitied the fool standing by his side, and he realized that not even 100 years'' worth of life was enough to give the people common sense when needed it the most. Moreover, in his previous life, he had already confirmed that women were meanest to each other than they were to men. "Is that what you think of Selene, Meg?" he asked her, not unkindly, sensing the pulses of cold sensation inside his flesh. Selene was mad, and that was an understatement, he could tell. Nevertheless, she would not harm Meg, not until he''s capable of commanding Selene. "You should guard your tongue with more care when around me. One day, you will die not knowing how and why. Not even I could do anything about it, then. Selene is not someone you can speak ill of off-handedly whenever you want, and remain alive. Not anymore. If I were you, I would fear every slither and every turn of her head. Don''t presume otherwise."If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. As Meg''s face gained a sickly hue of yellow in fear, terror, and shame, Kai couldn''t help but recall what he had learned after many experiments that had included fish and Selene''s new Skill, Petrification. A single gaze from her third eye could petrify any living thing. The rate of petrification depended on the target''s size, and if he had guessed right, on the target''s Stats. Yet, the horror of this Skill was neither in its rate nor its obvious effects, but in its very nature. Using hundreds of crude and unscientific operations, Kai found out that this petrification was limited to the outer layer of the live objects like an outer shell. It targeted only one organ. But that organ was the largest organ of all living things. Skin. Or an equivalent outer covering. Petrification petrified the skin, incapacitating all movements, but leaving the inner workings of many organs and the nervous system intact. It was then that Kai had concluded that this Skill wasn''t a killing tool, but an imprisoning one. "They are coming!" Meg''s sudden shout brought Kai out of his reverie. "Pass me the armor," he commanded her. "Stay around the ship, and assist me using Jet Wing whenever you can, but don''t kill anyone. I must complete my Kill Count first. Prioritize the ship''s safety. And take out Cocodile and Cyndaquil. It''s time for them to see some action as well." "Ahem!" Meg cleared her throat, passing Kai a deep bronze-colored military jacket. "It''s not Cocodile, master. It''s Totodile." Kai scowled and was about to reply, but thought better of it. He wore the jacket over his shirt and felt his Defense going up. This armor couldn''t be named in the same breath as his Brigandine Bone Armor, as it only enhanced his Defense by 3 points and decreased his Agility by 1. But this was the only Item she could afford with the tiny amount of Mission Credits she had, he knew, and anything was better than nothing. Shouts of men traveled over the salty water and reached his ears like the chattering of insects. Kai raised his head and looked at the incoming red beast. The galley was over twice the size of Actaea, and at its bow, Kai could see the silhouette of a single man standing upright like a mast. A 4th-floor Contestant?! Kai guessed, and then, he saw this man flinging his hand, throwing a stone out, toward the sea. He didn''t have to guess about this stone''s nature for long, for a flash of red-colored, noiseless lightning shot out of it, and went into the sea, disappearing in the black-blue waters. "A Pokemon Trainer!" Meg barked. "Which one is it? It must be a water-type if it has directly entered the sea." Kai didn''t get to deliberate upon this too. Suddenly, before he could even comprehend if his footing lacked strength or not, the entire ship rocked like a hand had grabbed it from the bottom, shaking it like a leaf. As he fell, from the corner of his eyes, he saw Meg taking herself to air, large paper wings appearing on her back, and for a moment, he thought of following her. But as he saw the sea, his mind changed. The thing living in his chest squirmed, and he called forth Golduck''s blood essence. Steam rose off his searing body, and his figure transformed, becoming a charming, blue prince of the seas. His kingdom welcomed him with a splash. What he saw beneath the rippling cover of the narrow sea widened his eyes. Less in fear and more in greed, bordering on grotesque hunger. Chapter 157: Order’s Assault – Sea Dragon! (II) What could he call it other than a Sea Dragon? Kai grinned, holding his breath. For others it could have been an unlucky encounter, he thought, leveling himself to the Pokemon''s eyes. But for me, it is nothing short of a blessing. It was indeed a blessing. An opportunity. And, yes. A prey. ROAR!!! The beast roared. Look at me! It seemed to cry. Look at me, you puny thing! The sheer amount of Mana surrounding the Pokemon overwhelmed Kai. He stared at it, taking in its every curve. It was over 20 ft long with a serpentine body covered in overlapping scales. It was mostly blue with a yellow underbelly, and its mouth was large and gaping, bearing four pointed teeth and yellow lips. Its small red eyes seemed to pulse like gurgling lava, and on its head, there was a three-pointed, dark blue crest. Its entire figure spoke of a tale of violence, rage, and destruction. Kai knew this Pokemon. It was in his Pokedex. Gyarados! The dual Water-Flying type Pokemon. Evolution from a worthless fish causes changes in its brain structure, resulting in its violent nature. Its magical scales are harder than steel, and it''s known for its fierce temper and wanton destructive tendencies since ancient times. That''s why, in some regions, Gyarados is called the Deity of Destruction. Kai recalled the information, a familiar greed boiling in his heart. The Pokemon thrashed its tail, sending strong, bombastic waves toward him. Yet, even Gyarados could barely match Golduck-Kai''s speed this deep in the water. He kicked and pushed the water, easily dodging the attack, and was about to lunge at it for a long, brutal fight, when a silver mist burst out of him. -It''s mine!- Selene hissed threateningly. -Haha! Hahaha!- Kai heard her maniacal laugh and knew Selene''s own destructive personality had taken over her mind. For a 4th-floor Contestant to have this Pokemon, Kai thought, reflecting for a moment, this particular Gyarados'' grade couldn''t be higher than D+. Hmm¡­ -/Don''t kill it,/- Kai told her telepathically, grinning. -/I need it./- Not waiting for a reply, he banged his tail, stirring himself in the galley''s direction, and fired himself towards it like a bullet. The water glided around him, and even before the Pokemon could notice, he had run out of sight. A roar and a hiss hidden behind it reached his ears, making his grin even more demonic. This would be a genuine test of Selene''s newly gained Skills and Abilities, he knew. And if she couldn''t show him a favorable outcome, then she would do him a favor by dying here now. When Kai leaped out of the sea, the air was sizzling with furious shouts and cries of victory. The entire deck was strewn with 3rd-floor Contestants, he guessed. Some had their longswords out, waiting for the galley to reach Actaea before taking action. Some were holding bows, arrows nocked, and waiting for the orders to let them loose. They all seemed to be a disposable force given to the Pokemon Trainer in place of ordinary laborers. Kai even saw at least three with wands, pointing at Meg, and chanting some incomprehensible spell. Like a phantom, he landed in between them. Shock, doubt, and fear weren''t near enough words that could hope to describe the expressions on the faces of Contestants. Not all even sensed that something completely out of their expectation had just happened, and only a few had seen Kai coming out of the waters like a monster from the deep sea. The grin on his face made them lose hope instantly. Kai''s hand flicked, and a steel-like cigarette case appeared in his palm. When he opened it, over 50 needles flew out, covered in a red shine. Their surfaces glowed gold under the sun as if they had been dipped in some kind of strange, cool liquid. Blue, frosty vapor rose off them in thin, smoky strands. These were the ungraded weapons Kai had ordered Meg to bring with her. He had already coated every single one of them in Selene''s venom, Ghost Neurotoxin. "What are you doing?!" the 4th-floor Contestant bellowed, turning around to look at Kai. "Attack him, you bloody fools!" Too late. These needles weren''t Items.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. They had only one specific purpose, and for that, their being of the toughest steel available on the 3rd-floor was enough. Kai only needed the needles'' tips to make the tiniest scratch on the Contestants'' bodies, after which, the needles would become useless. Ghost Neurotoxin would take care of the rest. The nearby Contestants lunged at him, raising their swords high. Fangs appeared in Kai''s hands, bringing a chill with them. A wave of spiritual current exploded out of him, freezing the nearest four Contestants. With a piercing scream, four needles rushed towards them, the pointy, poisoned tips entering their eyes effortlessly. Four Contestants died instantly. Then Kai slithered. With each slippery step, he sent a needle flying toward a Contestant, sending him to oblivion. His breath kept rattling, sucking out happiness, turning their rage into despair. Despair brought utter horror and fear. Kai feasted on their fear, sabotaging their survival instincts. This, too, was followed by needles, his fangs passing the throats of those who took longer to die. Left and right, dull thumps of bodies and clanks of steel hitting the musty galley''s deck bore through the survivors'' hearts like a death knell. Too weak! Kai commented, charging toward the three wizards. Were the 3rd-floor Contestants always so weak? And this was when he had yet to assign the 4 unassigned points to his Active Attributes. The three wizards raised their wands, their mouths opening to chant the spell. Kai''s bean-sized gem burst out with a red flash simultaneously. All three wands jerked out of their hands, and the wizards stumbled, losing their balance. Three needles finished them like pigs. The notification appeared with a pale, stony expression as if it had tired itself out in wait. What took you so long? It seemed to ask. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn¡­ You have achieved a Title ¡­ Title: Murderer Specification: Kill 10 Contestants in a single random world. The Contestant must be from the same or higher floor than yours. Status: (10/10) Effect: Perception +2, Worth +1 Note: Only 1 Title can be equipped at a time ¡­ Conditions to upgrade this Title¡­ Title: Serial Killer Specification: Kill 20 Contestants in three different Random Worlds/Timelines consecutively. The Status will reset if the kills are not done in order. Status: (0/3) Effect: 1. Perception +7 2. Agility +6 3. Skill: Murderous Lust ¡­ Congratulations you have unlocked the Title Serial Killer¡­ Status: (1/3) ] ¡­ Kai stopped. His eyes were closed as he lusted after the newly unlocked Title. From every direction, the remaining Contestants dashed towards him, and the archers fired their arrows, aiming at his every part. They had forgotten what kind of creature Kai was long ago; it seemed. This was an enemy, they must have thought. A butcher. What else could he be? The mind-gem glowed bloodiest, and everything seemed to stop. In 10 meters, the sword-wielders slowed as if their feet were buried in a mire, and the arrows quivered as if unseen strings were attached to them, forcing them to change directions. In this stillness, only the needles revolved furiously. Starting from Kai, they moved out in a spiral, becoming a hurricane. Whomever they kissed, died. Eyes lost focused all around him, and Contestants, who were powerful enough to lead their teams of lower floors Contestants, died like flies, swatted away by the monstrous Advance Ability. Someone had truly said right. Skills make soldiers, Abilities make Kings! The 4th-floor Contestant couldn''t keep himself away any longer, and rushed for Kai, holding his two-handed greatsword high. He had short red hair, a big belly, and a thick mustache. Kai knew his enemy''s MP was getting eaten away by the use of Pokemon, so he wasn''t worried about any powerful Skill. The moment the opponent closed on him, needles failing to puncture his sturdy skin, Kai''s eyes narrowed. White¡­ Kai''s Fangs enlarged, the reptilian eyes on the blades pulsating furiously. When he hacked, two white serpents left the blades like ghosts, bypassing all hurdles that lay between them and the target. ¡­ Serpent! The ghostly serpents coiled around the 4th floor Contestants, binding him from head to toe. The 3rd-floor Contestants, who gawked at this sight, died first. Instead of attacking the imprisoned higher-floor Contestant, Kai rushed toward them, beheading them with one circular slash. When he was finished with the remaining crew, his Kill Count was flashing the number 80. Two more, he thought, cracking his neck and thrashing his tail. Just two more 4th-floor Contestants¡­ Haha! In the distance, he saw the large blue Pokemon churning the entire sea, firing Hydro Pumps at Meg, as a silver mist kept trying to burst its way in through its steel-like scales. From high in the sky, Meg was firing steel-tipped arrows at it, trying to keep it away from the unmanned ship. Ignoring this all, and the notifications related to his Abilities, Kai approached the 4th-floor Contestant, who was trying hard to fight the serpentine binding. Kai wanted this man alive. He couldn''t afford to lose the Pokemon. However, just as Kai was about to use Emotions Manipulation to suck out this red-haired man''s happiness, the man lifted his head and¡­ smiled. The hair on Kai''s neck stood up. Danger! An unavoidable danger surrounded him, making his heart pound against his chest. A boom rang out behind him, throwing him off like a twig. Kai spun in midair, landing on his feet, and saw the thing exploding out from below the deck. Through the mass of splintered woods and frozen bodies, Kai saw a giant robot taking shape, its color dull gray, glistening silver. Kai''s pupils became points like the tips of the few needles revolving around him. Things have taken a daring, pleasant turn. There was not one, but two 4th-floor Contestants on the ship it seemed. And one of them, this robot, was someone even Kai had failed to perceive. Chapter 158: Mark 1 – Failed Skill and Dire Circumstances! (I) The first name that popped up in Kai''s mind as he saw this new enemy was Iron Man. Meg had told him about the basic facts from the Marvel timelines, just enough to go on in case of random encounters. She knew little about the vast timeline herself, and even the strongest organizations had yet to explore the mysteries lingering in its corners thoroughly. And knowing this was the exact reason that had puzzled him. Where was the usual red and yellow? Why was this suit, if it was a suit, looked more beast than a human? Why was it so big? Kai felt as if Andrik had come to him, wearing the bulkiest armor he could find in the entirety of Westeros. The metallic suit was gray, and it spoke of nothing but power. Raw power. "Blessing?!" a voice boomed out of the iron suit, guessing the reason behind Kai''s Golduck appearance. Kai narrowed his eyes. Before he could take action, the iron man lifted his hand, pointing at him. A dangerous feeling bubbled inside him, and in the next moment, a jet of scorching flame shot out, trying to burn him to ashes. Kai danced away, slithering low over the deck, the remaining needles still revolving around him. The Iron Man''s hand didn''t follow, and it seemed extremely slow to Kai, too. But what he saw next made him give up distancing himself from it. The flames weren''t meant for him, Kai concluded, raging. The heat had meant for the freezing red-haired man, who was now standing up, panting. There was something about those flames which made even the intangible serpents melt away. A figure landed behind the two 4th-floor Contestants, then. It was a paper-Meg. From the starboard and port, two blue figures climbed up, thrashing their tails ¡ª paper-Golduck-Kai. Another blue-tailed figure followed them, and then one more, until there were five Golduck-Kais on deck now, all looking equally menacing and cold. Three paper-Goldduck-Kais rushed towards the original, and the moment they entered within the 10-meter radius around him, he sent the needles flying towards them, which started to revolve around their head, just like the one revolving around him. This was the strategy Kai had planned to use in case of unexpected scenarios. "It''s the Model 1 Mark 1 armor from Iron Man!" Meg''s origami figure shouted, "Original Gray Armor! It has quite a few odd offensive and defensive properties, master, but it''s slow!" The person inside the Iron Man suit guffawed. "Slow?" the man said, turning around to face Kai, as the red-haired man threw a red and blue capsule in his mouth. "If you know about Original Gray Armor, then you must have heard these words as well. The Mark I Armor isn''t about pretty. It''s about power. It''s about iron and the man wielding it. You think a few clones will help you guys? Here? In the middle of nowhere?" "Don''t worry about him, Charles," the red-haired man spat, raising the greatsword, and eying the original Meg firing arrows at Gyarados. "Our plan has worked. The idiot must have already used too much MP while finishing all the weaklings, and then using those ghostly serpents. Do you see those needles? He has been using Telekinesis since the moment he showed himself. Heh! Blessing he may have, but brains? I doubt it. Keep an eye out for the Telekinesis." "Haha!" the iron man laughed derisively. "Let him try, Yannis. I will give him a pleasant surprise. But first¡­ let me do something about his Telekinesis."Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Kai had been letting the fools rant, trying to get some meaningful information out of them. But as he heard the last sentence, his Perception roared again, screaming in his ears. Run! Kai backed up, as one of the three paper-Golduck-Kais rushed for the Iron Man, and he sent a needle flying at Yannis. The needle didn''t reach even half the distance. A massive ethereal shockwave hit Kai, jolting his mind. Kai grunted, his knees buckling, and his hands went for his head, which was pounding in pain. He wasn''t the only one who had been affected. All the paper figurines around him, including paper-Meg, stumbled, falling on the deck like lifeless figures. The needles dropped too and fell below the deck from the gap between the planks. An Electromagnetic Interference?! The thought had just passed Kai when the iron man lunged at him, a jet of air bursting out from the sole of his metallic feet, and followed it with a punch. All directions seemed to abandon Kai at this moment, his own Ability working against him. The punch landed right on his chest like a train. Boom! Kai''s blue figure slammed into the ship''s hull like a bullet, blood oozing out of his mouth like a waterfall. His chest had caved in beyond humane comprehension. Just how many bones had broken with one punch he couldn''t say. He couldn''t even think, blindness threatening to take over his senses. Yannis, taking advantage of this brief opening, shouted out his lungs. "Gyarados! Use Hurricane!" An enormous roar shook the air over the narrow sea, and in the next moment, an even larger hurricane surrounded the battleground where Meg, Selene, and the Pokemon were having at each other. Still, even in the direst circumstances, Kai''s instincts roared mightier than Gyarados. He couldn''t take out the capsules to restore his HP, but he had already eaten an MP capsule. And he had just the Skill to regain a bit of his HP for such cases. The Golduck''s transformation disappeared and Kai''s hazel pupils glowed ominous red. Misdreavus-Kai grinned through his bloody teeth at the incoming, stunned iron man and activated the Skill. Pain Split! It was one of those Skills that Kai liked the most. There was no defense against it. There was no countering it. When activated, no matter what, Kai would gain HP as long as the flames of his HP were dwindling on the brink of going out. However, what happened next, sent a shiver running down Kai''s spine. ¡­ [ Skill Activation Failed! Target''s instantaneous HP is over 100% greater than Contestant''s Max. HP ] ¡­ What?! Kai couldn''t believe it. How could the man within the armor have so much HP? Unless¡­ There was only one conclusion he could draw from it. The Contestant within the armor wasn''t a 4th-floor¡­ but¡­ A 5th-floor powerhouse! Thud-Thud-Thud¡­ The Contestant approached an incapacitated Kai, his white hair drenched redder than red. Through the bloody pupils, Kai kept analyzing like a machine. Even if the enemy was a 5th-floor Contestant, he couldn''t have this much HP over him. The only way it could happen was if the armor itself enhanced his Stamina, buffing the HP. One thing was clear, though¡­ "What?" the robotic voice hummed out from the Mark 1. "No more running away¡­ creature? You look so pitiful. Let it be. I will give you a swift death¡­ a crushing one." ¡­ Misdreavus Blood Essence was becoming redundant as he fought stronger opponents. The Contestant raised a massive, iron fist. If it landed, it would pass right through Kai''s chest, pulverizing anything and everything. The fist descending, searing the air itself. Kai let out a bloody grin. A figure landed between him and the fist. The enormous paper wings wrapped around Kai, turning steel. Even before the fist landed, blood was seeping out of Meg''s mouth. Iron and Steel kissed¡­ ¡­ and sent both Meg and Kai flying into the sea, along with a great chunk of the ship. Booommmmmmmmmm! Chapter 159: Mark 1 – Devouring a Dragon! (II) With the blues of the sea, Meg thrust an HP capsule inside Kai''s mouth. In a matter of moments, the grievous injuries healed, flesh regenerating at a visible pace. The moment Kai regained his dwindling senses, he canceled Misdreavus transformation, while simultaneously activating Golduck Blood Essence. The Blue-skinned Demon grabbed an unconscious Meg and stayed within water. The Contestant with Mark 1 armor is too powerful, Kai reasoned, his powerful tail thrashing left and right. Golduck Blood Essence is useless as any disturbance in the Spiritual Currents incapacitates me. Dementor transformation is good, but it lacks the punch. Also, I will need to be quite near him if I want to suck out his happiness, which is fatal in itself. I am also not sure about Fangs ripping through the armor, otherwise, I could have forced my way to his throat. Hmm¡­ Selene''s Intangibility should work, but she''s busy with¡­ Kai''s reptilian eyes narrowed underwater. By now, it was obvious to him that despite drowning in Abilities, he lacked a finishing move. Focus Punch was the wildest card in his arsenal, true enough. However, there was no surety when and how it would mature enough to let him use the Skill again. He had yet to grasp the cycle of Headaches and its interrelation with Focus Punch. Just as he remembered Selene''s Intangibility, Kai also remembered the creature she was dealing with. Things couldn''t have been clearer to him at his moment. Bang! With one powerful lashing of the tail, Kai kicked himself away from the galley, going for the battle of Magical Creatures. He leaped out of the water like a blue wraith. Totodile, now bloody and beaten, was still fighting the dragon from the sea. From afar, standing at the hull of Actaea, Cyndaquil kept firing pillars of fire, but they did almost no damage. The terrain was just against fire-type Pokemon here. Then Selene came to his sight. She was perched on Gyarados'' head, hissing menacingly. Even this far, Kai could hear her and was probably the only one who could understand her. -I could''ve petrified you if I didn''t fear you drowning to a depth beyond my master''s limit.- -One day, he and I will become one for eternity. Inseparable.- -I will kill that red bitch, you will see. Oh, no, you won''t. Haha!- Kai''s eyes narrowed. Lunatic Corruption?! He guessed, sensing the irritation welling up inside him. The dragon wasn''t as lucky as Kai against Selene''s maddening hisses. Roarrrrrrr! It thrashed its huge head in all directions, its eyes rolling back into its head. When it couldn''t handle anymore, a burst of light exploded from its mouth. The hair on the back of Kai''s neck stood up. An incomprehensibly powerful attack was coming, and it was bound to annihilate Actaea. Standing on the galley, the Pokemon Trainer, Yannis, must have sensed something wrong. He took out the Pokeball to call the dragon back. Before he could do so, though, from behind him, Charles, the user of Mark 1, went furious as he saw the same blue figure jumping out of the sea well alive and kicking. Using Magnetism, he grabbed an enormous iron hook and sent it hurling toward Kai like a missile. In the air, Kai let out a menacing grin. Once again his body changed, becoming something much fouler and darker. He knocked back the iron hook using Telekinesis, threw Meg''s body down, and used the resultant force to propel himself toward the maddened dragon at twice his flying speed. "Gyarados!" Yannis shouted, his Perception running wilder than ever. "Come¡­"If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Ha¡­ Ha¡­ Ha¡­" Kai let out a rattling breath and then canceled Dementor''s transformation. He put a hand on the giant dragon''s head, his white hair becoming golden under the burst of light coming out of its mouth. Then he chanted the words, putting an end to Gyarados'' tale. "Blood Devour!" ¡­ [ Calculating Worth¡­ Glitch Blood Devour is now awakened for 65 minutes in this Random World ¡­ Blood Devour''s all slots are full. Do you want to replace an existing Blood Essence? ] ¡­ A searing heat erupted from Kai''s chest as he accepted. His chest cracked, a vertical tear running down like the deepest and filthiest gash. From this crack, millions of thin, black tendrils lashed out, grabbing at the source of their hunger. The giant Pokemon had already lost its bearing under Selene''s influence. Now, its survival instincts kicked in. Without waiting anymore, it oozed out the well of Mana contained in its throat, hoping to end the cause of the terror. Unfortunately, it was already too late. In a fraction of an instant, just as the golden-crimson Mana was about to leave the dragon''s mouth, its entire body disintegrated, becoming a bloody paste. If that wasn''t enough, then the bloody paste also cracked in the tiniest substances, becoming nothing but an essence. Simultaneously, all the black tendrils latched the Blood Essence and pulled it in, devouring it in one, big gulp. Then Kai burned. There was so much Life Essence and Mana coursing through him that he felt like he could rip the space apart. Every inch of his muscles squirmed, roaring with raw power. Dense blue-colored overlapping scales began surfacing on his back, his hands, and his legs. His chest gained a yellowish tone. A thick, finned tail, much more powerful than that of Golduck''s, rippled left and right, snapping like a whip at the air. On his head, a three-pointed, dark blue crest surfaced, crowning him like a dragon. Suddenly, a feeling welled up in his heart. Unable to hold it in, Gyarados-Kai opened his mouth and let it out, shaking hearts. ROARRRRRRRRRRRRRR! ¡­ [ Blood Essence: Gyarados Grade: D+ Specification: Once Gyarados appears, its rage never settles until the Pokemon has razed the fields and mountains around it Abilities: 1. Elementary Intimidation: Proficiency 0% Skills: 1. Hurricane (Grade: D) 2. Hyper Beam (Grade: D+) Special Effect: Hyper Beam''s Grade becomes C- while enraged ] ¡­ "Gyarados!" Yannis shouted. As if time had stopped, Kai let out a maniacal grin. Using Advance Emotions Manipulation, he riled up the rage within him to the highest degree. His hazel, reptilian pupils gained a bloody color. Veins popped up under his draconic scales, squirming with thick blood. His canines sharpened and lengthened, giving him a much beastly appearance. A feeling of utter destruction took over his mind. It was then Kai brought it out, starting from his stomach, imbuing all his Mana into this Skill. A brilliant burst of golden-crimson lit up the sky first. Then, under the stunned gaze of Charles, the 5th-floor Contestant, Kai opened his mouth and roared, firing the pillar of light which gave Gyarados the name of Deity of Destruction. Skill - Hyper Beam! ¡­ [ Skill Hyper Beam Activated Time Limit: 30 seconds ¡­ Skill: Hyper Beam Grade: D+ Temporary Grade: C- Specification: Attack the target with a powerful beam but cancel-out the next Skill used by the Contestant Requirement: 1. Correspondence > 10 2. Strength > 10 3. Worth > 20 Attributes: 1. Accuracy: 300 meters at Max. Base Damage Effect: 1. Base Damage: 150 HP | Consumption: 100 MP, 20 HP, 10 SP 2. Max. Base Damage: 350 HP | Consumption: 300 MP, 75 HP, 30 SP ] ¡­ The golden-crimson beam of light cut through the air, dividing the entire world into two halves. It was so fast that Yannis, a 4th-floor Contestant, didn''t even get the chance to react. The Hyper Beam fell, crushed Yannis, and then obliterated the ship he was standing on. BooooooooooooooooM! Chapter 160: The Wrath of Gyarados-Kai! The ship of Contestants existed no more. A giant whirlpool had appeared where the galley once had been, devouring all pieces of wood, metal, and flesh. Kai landed in the sea with a booming splash. Gyarados Transformation had enlarged him by a full size, it seemed. He felt fuller; physically, mentally, and spiritually. But, more so than anything, he felt powerful. It wasn''t even a buff. It was raw power. Gyarados-Kai floated waist-up in the sea using his finned tail. He looked at the notification hovering in front of him, then, notifying him about the killing an Order''s Contestant. However, in the very next moment, he frowned. Only 1 Kill? Kai realized. Boom! Kai didn''t even get time to think about dodging it. The massive Iron Man boomed out of the sea, hugged him, wrapping its metallic arms around his waist, and flew up and up. Two powerful jets were hissing out from its legs, propelling the two of them with a stupendous acceleration. With the boosted effects of devouring a fresh Magical Creature gone, Gyarados-Kai struggled to escape Charles'' inhumane grasp. He dared not use Telekinesis anymore. He did have one Ability, though. Kai''s breath rattled as he used Emotions Manipulation to suck out Charles'' hope and happiness beyond the metallic layer. Crack! Suddenly, thin bolts of electricity snaked around him as the Iron Man let out a massive electric discharge electrocuting Kai. His eyes almost rolled back in his skull, his teeth rubbing against each other, making an eerie sound. With every foot of height they gained, Kai felt short of breath, losing his senses. Air was blasting against his ears, and all sounds felt distant. Only a mechanical laugh resounded inside his head, telling a tale of victory. "No matter what kind of abomination you are," Charles said, his grin tightening around Kai. "You will pop like a balloon upon the impact. Now that would be a sight to see, wouldn''t it? Never imagined I would kill a Contestant with Blessing." Charles had seen Kai flying already. So what he intended to was to double down toward the sea and let go of Kai just before the impact, not giving him any time to survive. With the Mark 1 armor protecting him, the 5th-floor Contestant didn''t fear any mortal injury. Kai knew this very well, too. The thing was, he couldn''t use a Skill anymore. The use of Hyper Beam had sent him in a Cooldown of 5 minutes. He couldn''t use any Skill granted by Glitch before that. Not to mention, Kai didn''t have any Skill of its own. All Hidden Missions grant Skills, master, Meg had told him. That''s why Contestants accept them despite them being a grade higher than the Main Mission. The only reason I can think of, for you not getting a Skill as Hidden Mission''s rewards is, your Luck. However, it didn''t matter anymore. Even if Kai had possessed a Skill of his own, he couldn''t have used it at this moment. Hyper Beam made sure the next activation of any Skill would fail while consuming all the required Mana or Spirituality. This was the price of the power to destroy anything in his path.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Suddenly, Kai brought out his Fangs and clenched the blades between his teeth. He didn''t intend to attack the Iron Man with them. No. It was just to let them remain near the armor. A burst of cold spread out the moment the serpent-eyed sabers came out. Little by little, a layer of frost began appearing around the Iron Man armor, donning the metallic grey under a white-blue shine. But in the next instant, a blast of heat melted the frost as if it had been an illusion. "Told you, didn''t I?" Charles said, still rising higher and higher, and now crossing the thinnest layer of clouds. "The miniature furnace cost me quite a sum to use it. But a pleasant surprise for those who want to reenact the movie''s plot against me. Haha! And now¡­ Die, you filthy Chaos'' abomination!" After going beyond the last layer of clouds, Charles did what he had always intended. If going above was torture, then falling was an even bigger one. Kai''s eardrums had gone numb, blood rising in his eyes and brain. Whatever he could do, he needed to do it now. One moment they were still somewhere in the sky. In another, the sea had already replaced all sights in Kai''s eyes. Something snapped within him, then. "Haaaaa!" Gyarados-Kai let out a beastly growl and puffed his arms, trying to forcefully open the iron grin surrounding him. He could hear the laugh coming out of the Mark 1 armor, maddening him even more. It was clear that despite the power he had just obtained, the armor was just too strong. Charles thought so, too, because what happened in the next moment, smothered all the scornful laugh bubbling out of his mouth. Kai''s entire body got covered in a bronze shine. Then, like a mirage, a bronze-colored spartan helmet appeared over his head, his reptilian hazel eyes shining red and gold behind it. Act - Relentless Love¡­ ¡­ Strength +3 Agility +4 Stamina +5 ¡­ ¡­ Titan''s Buff!!! Under the shocking gaze of Charles, Kai let out a demonic grin and¡­ ripped open the iron grip. Before the 5th-floor Contestant could pull away, sensing doom, Gyarados-Kai grabbed the iron arms. His hold wasn''t just a hold, but the grip of death itself. Charles flailed his legs, cutting off the jet propulsion. However, they had been falling from so high that it mattered little now. Nothing and no one could prevent from happening what was about to happen now. Just before it happened, though, Kai gritted through the unbearable headache, using Telekinesis. He pulled the Iron Man under him, while simultaneously pushing himself up. Then, like a meteoroid, they fell into the sea, white, foamy waves rising as high as a small hill. BOOM! The impact must have shocked Charles into unconsciousness, because when he regained his senses, a blue-scaled demon was taking him down and down, into the depths of the depthless sea. "Have you gone insane?!" Charles'' robotic voice oozed out from the armor. "We will both die!!" The Contestant hadn''t lied. No matter how powerful Gyarados-Kai''s scales were, he couldn''t bear the pressure of the sea. Not at the depth he intended to take Charles to. Cr-a-ck-kk! Cracks began surfacing all over his body, his overlapping draconic scales almost on the brink of giving out. The pressure was intensifying so fast that all his organs were about to be crushed under its rage. The demonic grin on Kai''s face, though, became wider. And through this widening grin, Charles, whose metallic armor had been gaining dents all over, saw a red capsule between the abomination''s teeth. Kai sucked the HP capsule, crushed it, and gulped it down. Twin-Saber Style - Forbidden Technique¡­ He pulled Charles in front of him, the muscles on his right arm becoming strings of steel. Such wrath exploded from within Kai that the flesh, blood, and bones of his right arm overpowered the sea''s pressure. At any time, and any other place, this would have been a disaster, resulting in him losing his arm. Here, in the darkness of the sea''s depth, it was a blessing. -/You know,/- Gyarados-Kai said, sending the words to Charles'' mind. -/I don''t have a Blessing¡­ Ha¡­ Haha!/- Charles'' eyes widened. Then, Kai punched. ¡­ Serpent God''s Wrath!!! The boom surpassed the sound lingering over the sea. Kai sent the Iron Man flying deeper and deeper. He also used Telekinesis to push Charles as hard as he could, while simultaneously propelling himself up. However, even before he had risen by a few feet, he heard a crunching sound. The seemingly indestructible Iron Man had finally been conquered, imploding under the combined wrath of Gyarados-Kai and the Sea. Chapter 161: Kill Count Complete – Discussing Occlumency! The sheet of the blue parted as Gyarados-Kai leaped out of it and landed on Actaea. He canceled his transformation lest any storyline Character saw him by chance now that the chaos had ceased, calming the sea around him. When he looked over his shoulder, he could still see the aftereffects of Hyper Beam, though. The sea was still churning, whirling, devouring the remains of a long galley. What an insanely powerful Skill, Kai analyzed, his reptilian hazel eyes beaming. However¡­ Before coming out of the sea, he had already tried to use Hurricane, the D graded Skill granted by the Gyarados Blood Essence. ¡­ [ Skill: Hurricane Grade: D Specification: The user attacks by wrapping its opponent in a fierce wind Requirement: 1. Correspondence > 10 2. Perception > 12 Attributes: 1. Mark any spot within a 100 meter radius as the Hurricane''s Eye 2. Eye Diameter: 5 meters 3. Eyewall Mana Gale Force: 150 km/h 4. Time Limit: 10 seconds (Gale Force peak at 5th second) Effect: 1. Max Base Damage (at Eyewall): 140 HP 2. Minimum Base Damage (at Outer Bands): 25 HP 3. Mana Consumption: 150-250 MP 4. The further the Eye, the larger the Mana Consumption Warning: 1. 0 Damage at the Eye 2. Skill Cooldown, if any, will include the Skill''s Time Limit 3. Base Damage''s calculation assumes a stationary target for the entire Time Limit ] ¡­ Of course, the Skill''s activation had failed, despite consuming his Mana. I will need to be careful with it, Kai noted, pushing back his wet, white hair. One miscalculated use of Hyper Beam, and I will be in huge trouble. A dull thump reached his ears from behind. Kai doubled back and saw Meg, her face as pale as the sun behind a dust storm. She had lost her paper wings and turning them to steel, even momentarily, had sucked her dry of her MP and SP. But Kai''s eyes weren''t only on her slave. Embraced in Meg''s arms, he noticed, was Totodile, bloody and torn, with Cyndaquil sitting worriedly by her feet. I completely forgot about the fucking Pokemon! Kai exclaimed inwardly, shaking his head. Where in the seven hells was it, to begin with? Meg noticed him looking at the Pokemon. "Totodile was ever so brave, master," she told him faintly, but with pride, coming closer. "It didn''t let go of the Gyarados'' tail even once. Kept biting it, I saw." "Toto¡­ dile¡­" the Pokemon cried meekly, panting.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Kai looked at it, now deeper than he had before. Several of Totodile''s teeth were missing, and a few seemed loose. A gash was running across his blue snout, blood dripping off it in several pauses. Yet, it was the Pokemon''s eyes that caught his attention the most. Red, barbaric, and determined. A fury was pulsing in Totodile''s pupils, Kai sensed. He almost smiled. Maybe¡­ Kai deliberated upon something, thinking of the future. "I will take your word for it, Meg," he told her. "Work upon Cyndaquil, too. Make them stronger and then catch me a Pokemon worthy to be devoured." Meg kneeled, accepting the orders. "Your Master Origami Creation''s Proficiency seemed to have increased a bit, right?" Kai praised, remembering the simultaneous use of Origami Clones. "Making the opposite sex'' origami, and that too in different forms, does work, then." Meg blushed, or tried, at least. With her strength gone, dry lips, and shivering, wet body, it was impossible to tell her emotion only by seeing her face. Kai felt amused. "Bravery must be rewarded, I guess," he said, taking out the Lure Ball. He threw it toward Meg, who caught it with fumbling hands. "Take good care of Totodile for me." Meg nodded, finally smiling enough to tell it apart. After she had sent both Totodile and Cyndaquil to Pokeballs, she stood up and approached Kai. "Master, a word," she said, looking around at the destruction. "Hyper Beam is¡­ well and good. But you also missed quite a lot in exchange for ¡­ this." Kai had been putting this thought away ever since he had used the Skill. Every Contestant he had killed had been obliterated to smithereens, along with the 4th-floor Contestant Yannis. Then there was Charles, whose body probably was in a worse state at the bottom of the sea than Kai''s victims. Charles was Kai''s first 5th-floor kill. And it pained him to the core not obtaining Mission Credits or, at least, devouring Charles and Yannis'' Soul to update his Soul Points. Still, it wasn''t like there were no rewards, beyond the obvious Gyarados Blood Essence. ¡­ [ Your Kill Count is updated Floor: 3 (1st Set) Kill Count: (100/100) ¡­ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn¡­ You have achieved a Title ¡­ Title: Poacher Specification: Kill 10 magical beasts collectively. The magical beasts'' grade must be equal to or higher than Contestant''s equivalent floor number Status: (10/10) Effect: Agility +1, Perception +1, Charisma -2 Note: Only 1 Title can be equipped at a time ¡­ Conditions to upgrade this Title¡­ Title: Shady Hunter Specification: Kill 30 Magical Beasts collectively at the behest of the main storyline Characters. The magical beasts'' grades must be equal to or higher than the Contestant''s equivalent floor number. Only 3 magical beasts out of the 30 can be of the same species Status: (0/30) Effect: 1. Agility +4 2. Perception +2 3. Skill: Shade Scythe ] ¡­ Kai''s shoulders visibly slackened as the weight of the strenuous task of achieving Kill Count finally lifted off them. "Bring them out," he ordered Meg, sighing. "Let''s finish the Main Mission." As he saw a drenched Meg walking away, her curves threatening to melt with water, he shook his head. "Change first," he called her out. Meg frowned, looked down, and blushed, tip-toeing to the Captain''s cabin. And she''s over 100 years old? The thought passed by Kai''s mind, making him chuckle. * * Morning, 27th day Actaea A week had passed since they had butchered their way through the ship of Contestants. In the Captain''s cabin, Kai was drinking wine, with Meg sitting opposite him. On the table between them, there were various documents that she had prepared for him to go through. "Tell me about Occlumency," he commanded, picking the papers. "I know you have things regarding the Harry Potter World you want to talk about." "As I had mentioned before," Meg began, seriously, "both Occlumency and Legilimency are branches of magic Contestants must learn, who have the Magical World of Harry Potter as one of their core Random Worlds. For the same reason, I was never a skilled witch, master. My core Random Worlds were Naruto, Pokemon, and a combination of both Harry Potter and One Piece." Kai nodded, putting the papers back on the table. "We must start with Occlumency, as it is the most important of the two in the beginning," Meg continued. "It is the magic of closing one''s mind against the art of Legilimency, which penetrates the defenses within the mind to know the hidden and open contents. Occlumency helps protect one''s mind in three ways. Thoughts, memories, and emotions. "Thoughts linger on the uppermost layer of your mind and are most prone to Legilimency. Then come the memories of your conscious and subconscious mind. At last, we have emotions, the deepest and hardest to pry into among the three, it taken necessary precautions. You must learn to protect all three to resist an attack from a skilled Legilimens." Kai deliberated upon those words, and couldn''t help but commend his ability to lock his emotions. However, the moment he remembered Simon. he also realized he might not have pulled one over him with this Ability. And when Kai guessed that Simon had been just playing along with him, sensing those locked emotions, he winced. Kai''s mind went back beyond this realization and guess, however, to his Initiation Mission. Don''t worry, Simon had said. You know, I am something of a magician myself. Chapter 162: The Faceless Men and Solving the Mystery of Cosmic Lore! Kai had later thought that Simon had been talking about his Water-bending Ability. Now he couldn''t help but rethink his thoughts, sensing if there was more to that man''s words. A hidden scorn for the rest of us, perhaps, he guessed, now knowing how twisted these fellows were. "Then Simon¡­" Kai trailed off, expecting the worst. "Sigh!" Meg seemed to steel herself for something. "As much as I loathe to say it, the Faceless Men of Byagoona are indeed the most skilled Legilimens and Occlumens in the Primordial Tower. It''s their form of Multiverse Interdependency, and none had even come close to their mastery over this magic, I am afraid. It is known." A combination of the arts of Faceless, Legilimency, and Occlumency? One of the most brilliant spy networks of its kind? Wasn''t it the ultimate sort of espionage? Kai shuddered. Meg must have guessed his thoughts. "No matter Legilimency or Occlumency," she said slowly, "both need Mana. The moment the Priests or Priestesses of Byagoona come to the lower floor''s Missions by restricting their Stats, they almost instantly lose their use of such tremendous magic. You must understand that we are as much assisted by our Stats as we are hindered by them." "What about within the Harry Potter World, then?" Kai asked, looking at her. "If anybody can just read my memories, then am I not the most foolish person to even think of reincarnating in that world?" He had got the shock of his life when he had mentioned Mundungus Fletcher to Meg, Kai recalled. The most stupid and riskiest decision, she had named it. There was no guarantee that the wizard wouldn''t read Kai''s thoughts and memories. Or maybe he had but didn''t react to them because of the obvious greed for HP capsules. The only thing Kai was sure of was that Petyr wasn''t subjected to these things. Neither Occlumency nor any similar trick would work on the soulless character. A giggle escaped Meg''s old mouth. "We are not limited to Harry Potter World, master," she said, easing him. "We have Chaos to look after us. It blocks all thoughts, memories, and even emotions related to the Primordial Tower or anything related to the Contestants from the most talented magicians. "Yet, it still doesn''t stop them from accessing your mind. That''s why I am putting so much effort into this subject. In the days before reaching Pentos, I will teach the basic theory related to both Occlumency and Legilimency in the best manner I can. But¡­" "Hmm¡­" Kai raised an eyebrow. "¡­" Meg took a deep breath. "I would counsel you to go to the Temple of Byagoona and use your candidacy to learn these arts from a Faceless Man. Some Priests there have even surpassed the existing magicians from the Harry Potter World because of combining these arts with many external agents. As I have been insisting on it, there is no limit to Multiverse Interdependency. Those who have a knack for it have already etched their names into the history of the Primordial Tower." Kai could tell how much it must have pained her to give this suggestion, but he was also glad that her past wasn''t hindering her from thinking of the methods that suited him the best. "What about the Wandless and Nonverbal Magic you mentioned once?" Kai asked, suddenly remembering the words as they were on the relevant topic. Meg shook her head. "Only Contestants above the 3rd-Set have the luxury to indulge in these foolish things, master." "Foolish?!" Kai couldn''t fathom how practicing magic without a wand and chanting spells was foolish. "Indeed," Meg said, surely. "If we were not Contestants, and had resurrected only into the Harry Potter World without the Systems, knowing nothing about the existence of the Multiverse, then Wandless and Nonverbal magic would have some meaning to us. Tell me, my lord, how casting a nonverbal Expelliarmus wandlessly is any different from you snatching the three wands out of the wizards'' hands using Telekinesis."This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Kai''s eyes widened. "So you''ve realized," Meg said, smiling, and seeing his expression. "What are Skills and Abilities, if not a form of Wandless and Nonverbal Magic?" Then what''s the reason for such a high demand for the wands among Contestants? Kai needed not to ask this question. It wasn''t little tricks Contestants were after, but complex and high-level magic that couldn''t be replicated using any Skill or Ability. Not to mention, Meg had repeatedly told him that true Wands, not the fake kind he had hoodwinked out of Arlen, could use the Mana in the surroundings, greatly assisting Contestants'' own MP reserves. So that''s how it is, Kai nodded to himself and found that he was almost finished with the wine. * * Dusk, 33rd Day Actaea "Set the table," Kai ordered. "Call Andrik. He will have supper with me today." "He will?" Meg asked, raising an eyebrow. "You did say we need a guinea pig, didn''t you?" Kai said, sneering. "We will reach Pentos by dawn tomorrow. Let''s deal with the ugly business, then. No need to delay anymore." Most of the last week Kai had spent thinking over his theories regarding his Cosmic Lore Stat. Then he had told Meg about his theory of the Yellow Sign being a key and the minor epithets a way to access the doors to his Inventory. Her expressions had bordered on blasphemy at that time, Kai remembered. But soon, she too had flung herself deep into figuring out the mystery of his Lore. I think you are right, master, she had told him one night. Though I am still skeptical and against using HIS sign in combination with your minor epithets, we can still use a guinea pig to test it out. The thing that puzzles me is what''s the use of the Sacrifice then? It had taken the combined efforts of Kai, Meg, Petyr, and even Cersei to scribble down a theory regarding this doubt, after brooding over it for three days. If epithets establish a Channel, which was Kai''s Inventory, and the Yellow Sign could be used as a Key to unlock the door at the other end, then the only thing left was to pry open those doors. A sacrificial object did nothing but supply the force to open the door using its magical property, supernaturalness, or uniqueness. This was the closest they had come to solving the problem, but as Kai had mentioned later to the rest of the group, it had a monstrous flaw. That flaw lay with Kai himself. If the quality of the sacrificial object dictates the door''s opening, Kai had asked, then why, despite there being a ridiculous difference between our sacrifices, did I and Meg get almost the same response from HIM? The answer to his question had popped into his mind instantaneously, like lighting a match. Parseltongue! Kai had thought of this word as if a gasp had escaped after being stabbed. He remembered he had used Parseltongue to chant the epithets, unlike Meg, who had chanted the same in a common tongue. When Kai came out of his reverie, he found himself sweating, and Andrik barging the doors behind him. Spitting out his thoughts, Kai took a seat and observed the future of his Pirate Crew in this Timeline. Andrik had dressed for the occasion, it seemed to him. The giant was wearing a patched green doublet, trying hard to cover his upper body, and freshly washed sandy breeches. His long brown hair and dark brown eyes glowed in contrast to his clothing. Kai felt amused as he noticed Andrik had even trimmed his long beard, leaving behind a healthy fistful of it under his chin. "What is dead may never die!" Andrik saluted, bending his knee. "Indeed," Kai nodded. "Rise. Sup with me." "Yes, captain." After Andrik had managed to sit clumsily opposite Kai, Meg staggered near them and poured the wine. Kai knew some of the crew, especially Andrik, must have found Petyr''s presence outside the cabin, and absence within, abnormal. But he had an explanation regarding this as well. Priestess Shae once was a Faceless Men, he would say if questioned. He had taken extra measures to make sure that Meg and Petyr had never been seen together for the same reason. Nevertheless, none had dared to ask anything of him after the events related to the red galley. A bit of fear and awe go a long way, Kai thought, chuckling. Chapter 163: Pretending to be a God – Life Altering Moment!!! Kai let the difference between his and Andrik''s status become a wall of silence for a while. The swarthy mate looked around, taking deep breaths and licking his dry lips. When Kai saw him getting frustrated, noting the boundary of his patience, he tapped on the table, and the mate straightened his back in surprise. "Andrik," Kai barked. "You have done HIM great service by adhering to my orders in these last few weeks. I dare not speak for the Drowned God, but I can feel it in my heart; HE is pleased with you." Andrik''s breathing was caught in his throat, Kai could tell. The brown-haired giant humbled himself by emptying the entire mug of wine, wine dripping off the corners of his mouth. He slammed the mug hard on the table and nodded. No wonder he was named Andrik the Unsmiling, Kai amused himself, sipping his wine. "And thus, HIS loyal servant, Andrik the Twice-Drowned," he continued, slowly, "this meal isn''t an ordinary meal, but a reward. Priestess Shae, serve us the flesh of the Storm God''s spawn." The shudder that had coursed through Andrik shook the entire table. He would have stood up in shock if it wasn''t for Kai''s tap on his knee. "You remember the roars of our foe that I faced after sending you below the deck, right?" Kai said, distracting Andrik as Meg took two plates of cooked Pokemon meat out of her MRB. "It was a monster sent by the Storm God. But, using the Drowned God''s power, I slew the beast. Now, we will feast on its flesh." Meg put the two huge trays on the table, and aromatic steam entered their nostrils, making their mouths water. At one glance, none could tell if it was regular meat or magical. But Contestants could sense Mana around them, and thus, Kai could feel it, the magic lingering within this cooked flesh, hidden deep. Kai would have never shared this precious food with anyone, much less needed to be said about Andrik, who was neither a Contestant nor someone he needed to manipulate anymore to gain a favor. He just wanted to see how the magical flesh would affect an ordinary human, or more accurately would be to say, a main storyline Character. "Don''t wait for me," Kai commented and lunged at the meat. On his side, Andrik, almost barbarically, gawked at the meat and then tore a large piece. The moment he gulped the morsel, Kai noticed from the corner of his eyes that Andrik''s entire face had become red. Piece after piece, both kept eating, stuffing their bellies with the delicious meal. The sound of wine gurgling in their throats, chewing, and clutters of plates rang within the cabin for some time. They belched together and laughed. "Good," Kai said, nodding, and sloshing his wine. "How do you feel?" "Incredible!" Andrik bellowed, drunk on meat and wine, grease running down his chin and staining his patched doublet. "Hot and powerful. It''s like there are two of me inside one body. Now I just need a woman. Nothing''s like fucking a woman after a hearty meal and bloody fight." Kai''s lips twitched as he saw Andrik''s face turning to look at Meg. Aphrodisiac?! He thought, winking at Meg, who was looking back at him in a horrified, stunned stupor. Hmm, I need more experiments to confirm it. A white fog entered Andrik from the back. Selene sent a burst of Soul Chill at the minimum output, sending a shiver running down his entire body. The redness over his skin visibly receded, and as Andrik''s mind calmed down, a hideous fear flashed across his previously lustful eyes.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Kai noticed Andrik''s manhood was erect, like a huge iron rod trying to burst out of his breeches. He noted all these changes and then laughed. "You saw the deviousness of the Storm God''s spawn, Andrik?" he said, bullshitting again. "Such is the hold of that abomination''s flesh even after its death. Now that we have had our fill, look alive. We have more to discuss, and you have one more reward awaiting you." Andrik''s mouth opened and closed, fumbling for some elusive words. There is more?! He thought, stunned. Cleaning the grease off himself with a piece of cloth, Kai asked, "Do you know the¡­ Old Tongue?" "Yes," Andrik grunted. "I am from Old Wyk, the holiest island among the Iron Islands. It was also the first island colonized by the First Men, and they had left behind many secret and ordinary scrolls. We, children of Old Wyk, are taught the Old Tongue even before the Common Tongue." Kai felt elated, and this elation surfaced on his face like a proud smile. "Brilliant!" he thundered, smacking Andrik''s thigh. "Now listen, and listen carefully. Remember the words you have listened to before passing out that night¡­" And then Kai told him all the parts of the ritual and the process to follow. At last, he took out a piece of paper, on which he had drawn the Yellow Sign in black ink, and handed it over to Andrik. The giant stared long at it as if it were some divine symbol unknown to the archaic texts of the Iron Islands. "I see them¡­" he mumbled. "I see the billions of tentacles of the Drowned God." Kai''s eyes narrowed. But before he could ask anything, Andrik folded the paper, putting it under his belt. "Captain, all this is well," he told Kai, licking his thick lips. "But what can I, an ordinary man, offer HIM as a sacrifice? I¡­ I have nothing of importance." "Impossible!" Kai rebuked, plainly showing his dismissal. "Every person, young or old, poor or rich, or dead or alive, has something to sacrifice. Think, Andrik. You must have something. Something unique or¡­ probably dear to you." Something which will become an Item, Kai held himself from saying this out loud. Andrik looked out towards the dark sea, waves undulating like a black sheet of ink. "The Banner of House Drumm," he said after a while, a hint of longing in his tone. "Once I had given my everything to the House Drumm, in their service. Now, only the Banner remains as a symbol of that fealty." Kai and Meg exchanged a glance, and when she nodded, Kai beamed. "That''ll do then," he told Andrik. "Remember, it was Andrik the Unsmiling who had sworn fealty to House Drumm, not Andrik the Twice-Drowned. Now, go! Do your duty and show your piety. Let us see if the Drowned God accepts your sacrifice or not. Let us know what the future has in store for you, my loyal mate." Andrik jerked up, his breathing ragged, and bowed. The wood banged against wood as he barged out, determined to die, if necessary. Kai''s breath, too, was ragged, almost refusing to come out. The moment of truth was approaching him, step by step, he knew. Opposite him, Meg had already taken out Jet Wing again, in case something would go awry. Not with Andrik, but with Kai. He had ordered her to damage him fatally if it would come to that. The tension within the Captain''s cabin was tangible. Hours went by, but Kai didn''t lose patience. He knew Andrik must have been having trouble drawing the Yellow Sign, and then again, there was no telling if the combination of the Sign and his minor epithets was even workable or not. All this was based on nothing but a theory, after all. It was then Kai felt a tug and heard an incoherent murmur, and just as he lifted his head, the world trembled again. There was no time to waste. Kai snapped his head at Meg, who, getting the signal, took out a Common-graded Battle-Axe she had looted and threw it over to him. Andrik won''t be able to use its inherent power, but even the raw shine it held was enough to wreak havoc in this Timeline. Kai concentrated on the trembling, sensing the door at the other end of the tunnel. Suddenly, he perceived the door opening, little by little as if it was being pushed against some heavy sea current. Through the door, Kai saw images taking form, and the figure of Andrik materialized, sweaty, horrified, and impatient. There was a red banner in front of him, lying on the floor. Kai reached for it, felt the silk at the tip of his fingers, and snatched it in. At the same moment, he threw the Battle-Axe through the opening before the door could close again. The trembling stopped, all doors closed, and when Kai opened his eyes, there was a red piece of cloth in his hand, made of the smoothest silk. Meg stumbled her way towards him. They looked at each other. Their eyes sang a song of surviving a stupendous trial, making this ordinary moment a momentous one. They both knew that after this moment, their lives would never be the same. Chapter 164: Inheritance of a Necromancer?! Actaea, They had anchored the cog at Pentos'' harbor under the guise of an ordinary trading ship. As much as he disliked doing it, Kai had ordered to store the Jolly Roger away for the time being. The nature of their task demanded them to be low-key now, as they knew the news of any white-haired boy pirating on a stolen ship had yet to reach Pentos. Captain Red had sent one of his seamen to bring him the details regarding the wedding. All things would have to wait till then. In the captain''s cabin, Kai was lying on the bed, his back against the headboard, and he kept running his hands over the smooth red silk, a bone-hand embroidered on it with lean, long fingers. This was the coat of arms of House Drumm, according to Andrik, Kai remembered. He could still see in front of his eyes an ecstatic giant figure of Andrik, perplexed beyond any awe, marching into the cabin. The two-handed battle-ax had truly looked like some divine blessing the way Andrik was holding it. Kai chuckled, recalling the words Andrik had said then. The Drowned God has blessed with this Headcleaver Battle-ax, Andrik had told him, kneeling. Now I will use this to spread the name of White Serpent Pirates and HIS faith to the farthest waters known to men. I, Andrik, vow this upon my honor. Kai didn''t give a damn about honors, as long as Andrik would do what was expected of him. Once again, he ran his hand over the banner, and his eyes adjusted to look at the Stats above it. ¡­ [ Item: Banner of arms - House Drumm of Iron Islands Grade: Common Specification: A coat of arms embroidered on a square-shaped silken flag Requirement: 1. Willingly offered to Contestant 2. Charisma 20 Attributes: 1. Measurement: 5 ft x 5 ft (2.25 square meters) Skill: Not Applicable Effect: 1. Charisma +5 2. Eligibility to obtain the legacy of the legendary ironborn raider, Dagon Drumm the Necromancer Quality: 87% ] ¡­ Kai brought the silk closer and smelled the fabric. It was old, soiled, and tattered at the edges, but it had a familiar smell that had been making him delirious since the last night. It smelled of Power.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. You can''t just steal or snatch anything, hoping it to be an Item, master, Meg had almost rebuked him once. There are strict, complex processes involved in it. For the same reason, you can''t just steal a Valyrian Sword, which wouldn''t even be an Item, and risk your life for nothing. And it''s not like you can retrace others'' steps to get the same Item as well. Conditions keep changing from time to time, with distinct challenges and different paths. More often than not, getting an Item from the Random Worlds is an adventure exclusive to each Contestant. Remember the First Place Glass Medallion I won in the Water-Chariot Race? I could have just stolen the medallion too, but in that case, it would have been nothing but a useless thing. Kai wasn''t stupid to ignore her experience. That''s why he had to coerce Andrik to give up something willingly, despite not knowing what the giant could offer as a sacrifice. But it all paid off in the end. Kai had asked about this Dagon Drum and had learned that this legendary Character lived during the Age of Heroes. Even more shocking was the fact that Andrik had backed up the Item''s claim of Dagon Drumm being a Necromancer. Even Meg had been taken aback by this Effect when Kai had shown her. There are indeed Artifacts and Items in the Random Worlds related to Inheritances, she had commented. But this is the first time I am seeing a Common-graded Item having one. A Necromancer¡­ Kai knew what she had wanted to say. If he were to get this legacy, then it would not only boost his Power but would also make him an unmatched Contestant among his peers. "He is here." Meg''s words found him, and soon enough, they heard a knock on the door. "Enter," Kai shouted, leaving the comfort of the bed, and sending the Item to his Inventory. Andrik entered, gave the customary salute and greeting, and stood up, his head almost reaching the roof. "I bring words of the wedding, captain," he said. "The prince and princess are staying in the nine-towered manse gifted to Khal Drogo by the magisters of Pentos. Khal Drogo has camped himself outside the city walls along with his Khalasar; some forty thousand Dothraki warriors and uncounted numbers of women, children, and slaves. The wedding will begin in the morning on the 15th day. Gifts to the bride will be presented at dusk." 15 days, Kai thought. Today is the 88th day of my arrival in the Random Worlds. This leaves me with almost a month to return to the Primordial Tower before the commencement of the Tournament of Worth. I will still have to compress 1 month''s worth of time as the initial Time Limit of the Main Mission is 5 months. "Good," Kai nodded. "Time has come for us to part ways for some time, Andrik. I am no ordinary priest of the Drowned God, bound by waves, rocks, and the boundaries of Houses. I must travel to the edge of the world, and beyond if needed, preaching HIS faith and religion. But, I will return one day, sooner than one would think. Till then, I give you the command of Actaea and its crew." Andrik knew this day was coming. With an ashy look on his face, the mate kneeled, the Headcleaver flashing white fastened on his back. "Now, hear your orders," Kai continued, approaching Andrik. "Sail under my name, hoisting the flag of White Serpent Pirates. Let the white serpent on it slither as it likes. Recruit ironborns for our crew, those who want to serve the Drowned God most truly, replacing the cowards outside. "Kill, plunder, rape, and do anything, as long as it benefits our name, otherwise, what would be the difference between us and mindless Storm God''s spawns? Use the Headcleaver to butcher our enemies and let their blood turn the seas red. But above all, Andrik the Twice-Drowned, you must survive. Live to serve HIM, and HE will take care of you after death; What is dead may never die!" "What is dead may never die!" Both Andrik and Meg put their fist to their chest, shouting out their lungs. "Prepare for our departure, then," Kai told Andrik, as the mate pushed himself to his feet. "We will leave by afternoon." "Aye, aye, captain," Andrik said, bowing, and then stormed out of the cabin. Kai and Meg looked at each other, holding back their scornful laugh. * * Afternoon, Wearing a black doublet and black breeches over black boots, Kai looked at the current members of his crew lined up on the deck. All 7 were between the ages of 15 to 30, Kai had learned. The 2 men, whom Kai had promised to set free, had been freed some time ago by the Headcleaver. The sailor, whose leg had been broken by the storm, had joined them as well. Kai had also ordered Andrik to recruit more crew members from Pentos before reaching the Iron Islands. He turned his head to look at the mate on his left and nodded. Andrik kneeled once again, showing his ultimate loyalty. Saying no more, Kai stepped off the ship for the first time after arriving at the Pentos'' harbor. The moment his feet touched the platform, strewn with sailors and fishy odor, his eyes lit up with a dull, stony-gray color. Meg had already left the deck before him, and Kai had to control himself not to act inappropriately while being watched by his crew members. Only after they had reached a secluded alley, and he had let Petyr out, did Kai laugh maniacally. The list of notifications was anything but ordinary. Chapter 165: Captain Red of the White Serpent Pirates – Bounty! Standing next to Kai, Morning Mist was feeling incredibly agitated. This was the defining moment for her master, she knew. If that notification didn''t appear now, then it might as well would never appear. Kai sensed the bubbling emotions within her but ignored them. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn¡­ You have achieved a Milestone ¡­ Milestone: Cross the Narrow Sea for the first time Milestone Rewards: Free Cities'' citizenship ] ¡­ "Did you get it, master?" Meg asked impatiently. Kai ignored her. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You have unlocked a New Title ¡­ Title: Interdimensional Pirate Specification: Sail the pirate ship, Actaea, for 1000 nautical miles as its captain Status: 39% Effect: 1. Turn Actaea into an Item 2. Skill: Multiverse Voyage Note: Only 1 Title can be equipped at a time ] ¡­ "And?" Morning Mist asked nervously, grabbing Kai''s arm. He ignored her again. ¡­ [ The Baratheon Crown has issued you a bounty, signed by Lord of Dragonstone, Stannis Baratheon, recognizing you as Pirate of the Narrow Sea. All currencies in the Multiverse are interchangeable among themselves. Which currency do you choose for your bounty? ] ¡­ Kai had expected this notification. So he didn''t want to let the System know his answer. "Berry," he said, and Meg flinched, beaming. ¡­ [ Congratulations Kai Stormborn¡­ You have unlocked a new Stat: Bounty Bounty: 13,000,000 Berries ¡­ You have achieved a Milestone Milestone: Get your first Bounty Milestone Rewards: 1. Multiverse ID of Bounty Issuing Timeline: $$%%^&#@ 2. Standalone Title - PirateIf you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Note: Standalone Titles are Titles that need not be equipped as they always remain in an equipped state ¡­ Standalone Title: Pirate Specification: A person who sails on the sea and attacks and steals from other ships Effect: 1. Exclusive Stat - Bounty 2. Multiversal Synchronized Wanted Poster Note: Any subsequent changes in the Bounty will be reflected by the Wanted Poster everywhere else Warning: You cannot become a Marine ¡­ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You are now qualified to hunt for the treasure ¡ª One Piece ] ¡­ "Yeah, Meg," Kai said slowly, smiling. "I got it." * * Morning, 15 days later Pentos The streets of Pentos were a shade of blue and gold when they sat in a carved palanquin, hoisted over the shoulders of over a dozen rented servants. Slaves, to be precise, but nobody here would admit to that. Not in the Free Cities. Within the Palanquin, Kai was sitting leisurely, dressed in a lavish navy-blue doublet of velvet-silk with a white snake on the chest, its edges gold. His shoulder-length, white hair was sprawled loosely behind his head, swaying like threads of golden-white silk. Opposite him, in a soft green gown, was Meg. She had attended to her hair, it seemed. For the curls of her red hair were dancing with every shake of the Palanquin like fire dancing, lashing out with whips of flames. Her low neckline, and the deep, thin ridge in the middle, promised full, firm breasts. She found him staring at her and blushed, but couldn''t take her eyes off him. She stared back at his face, his hair, and the curves of his face, but mostly his eyes. Kai looked away, thinking, Charisma has its own uses, I guess¡­ To Meg''s left, smiling slyly over some unknown quip, was Petyr Baelish, dressed in a plain brown doublet with the same embroidery on his chest as his master. Kai, in silence, stole his gaze off his face and moved it to the chest resting in their middle, bound in bronze. Within this chest were three dragon eggs; the noblest House of White Serpent''s gift to Khaleesi from the Shadow lands beyond Asshai. 15 days were neither short nor too many, depending on how one had intended to spend their time. Kai and the group had too much to do indeed. After the initial joy and ecstasy of all the notifications had died, Kai wanted to return to the ship to increase his Status of Interdimensional Pirate. Meg had stopped him, though. Her reasons were too terrifying and urgent for him to ignore them. We don''t know if the Pokemon World''s Retribution would return or not once you have gone back into the sea, Morning Mist had told him, especially now that you have left the sea and the ship. You wouldn''t have the assistance of Focus Punch this time, either. Not to mention, we need to hire servants, clothes, and other necessary things to make ourselves presentable at the wedding. If we were to go in these clothes, with three eggs in a sack thrown over our shoulders, then forget the wedding, we wouldn''t even get to leave the city walls, master. Petyr had chuckled then. Or, he had quipped, we can sell my lady to a merchant and get her weight in gold if you are in a hurry. Now that would be a sight to see, wouldn''t it, my lord? So, Kai had spent the coming weeks being led around by Petyr. Among the group, only he had knowledge and wits enough to gather all that Meg had pointed out, without forcing Kai into another Magical Contract. Petyr had even broken the barrier of language using a single silver coin. The translator he had hired was as sly as him, if not more. The traffic within the city was such that they didn''t reach the venue by late afternoon. Kai wasn''t worried, however. They already knew the gift would be presented at dusk, and they had already sent a few servants ahead to let the guards know of their arrival. The sun burned bronze against his pale skin as Kai stepped out of the palanquin. Now he must act like a noble. Here lay his advantage. Kai was a noble, to begin with. His every turn of face, look, and movement brimmed with unmatched nobility. After running his left hand over his doublet, taking care of unwanted creases, he held out his right hand. Meg placed her hand, shining like honeyed milk, over his hand, and stepped out. The shock, lust, and desire for her on men''s faces were tangible. If Kai was the sky, then Meg was the sun. And if he was the storm, then she was the heat within coursing through him; one cloud to another like a red bolt of lightning. Petyr jumped out, never leaving the limit of 10 ft from Kai. The translator, an old, fat man, came simpering after him. Petyr smiled, sharing some whispered jest, and the man laughed along with him, his eyes finding Meg now and then. It took four servants to take out the chest. "Let''s go," Kai said, and Petyr neared him, the translator following the three like a dog behind the Khalasar. The Dothraki guards didn''t stop them. Arrangements had already been made before their arrival, and Kai''s silks were too bright, smelling of riches and power, that none related him to a white-haired boy, pronounced fugitive and enemy of the crown in Westeros; a filthy pirate. And even if they had a hundred eyes, Kai doubted they would have looked at something other than Meg. He had scarcely seen so many people in one place, nor so barbaric and roughened. Men and women were wearing painted leather vests over bare chests, and warriors seemed to have greased their long braids using the fat from the rendering pits. They were gorging themselves on horseflesh roasted with honey and pepper, washing it all down with what looked like fermented milk to him. Wines, japes, and blood were everywhere. To the senses of a Contestant, there was much more hidden behind all these details. A heart-palpating danger; another tsunami caused by a thunderstorm. But Kai knew even Focus Punch would fail in letting him live if needed against this sea of bronze-skinned warriors. There was a limit to how much annihilation he could cause in one go. And above the seething sea of bronze, over a mighty earthen ramp raised among the grass palaces, Kai found her sitting with a beast on her side and garbed in her wedding silks. Daenerys Targaryen, Kai''s lips pronounced the name, his breath seeping out noiselessly. A Stormborn¡­ Chapter 166: Gifting Dragon Eggs to Daenerys Stormborn! They were given a clean place to rest until the ceremony demanded their presence at dusk. Kai barely spoke a word after entering the venue, and Meg seemed to have noticed the absence of expressions on his face, their hands still together, and their fingers still entwined in each other. This was a dangerous place, and any moment of relief and lapse would cost them their life. It would have been foolish to think that they were the only Contestants here. For now, they must act as if they were some unmentioned storyline Characters ¡ª A lord and his lady. And, yes. A young, sly steward. The moment we present those Dragon eggs, Meg had discussed with him and Petyr one night, all Contestants will get to know that something''s wrong. Now, as your main mission is about Daenerys herself, then we can concretely assume that she doesn''t have any top-floor Contestant protecting her, and by extension, there wouldn''t be any Protector for Drogo or any main storyline Character worth protecting in the wedding those who are related to her. So our enemies will be hundreds of 3rd-floor Contestants and dozens of 4th-floor ones. But like us, they wouldn''t get to use their powers in the open as well. We must use the clamor after Drogo and Daenerys departure to teleport out of this world. The plan seemed flawless at one glance, but there were tiny loopholes that would only emerge while putting it into action, Kai knew. Still, no reason to discard the plan itself. There was no plan completely perfect in this world, he had learned in his previous life. The entire game was about marginal errors and allowances, and how impressively one would improvise once they would show themselves. The rest of the afternoon burned away as Kai gawked at the vista of pure carnage going on under the raised earthen ramp. Women were dancing, and then a warrior lunged at one of them, having her then and there like a beast. Then another warrior came into the circle, claiming the same woman for himself. A jape, a shove, an alien curse, and soon, their arakhs were out; long razor-sharp blades, half sword and half scythe, a weapon that Kai found quite fascinating to behold. Kai licked his lips as he saw the two warriors dance around each other, his blood boiling. They leaped at each other, whirling the blades, and spat insults at each clash. No one interfered. Another noticeable thing was the movements of their feet as if they were dancing in a rhythm. An Ability?! Kai exchanged glances with Meg, who was looking down at where his fingers had tightly gripped her own. -/Is there a movement Ability hidden among the Dothraki?/- he asked telepathically, ignoring her dazed expression. She lifted her eyes, misty like oiled pearls. "Uncountable," Meg replied. Kai''s heart pounded, and he looked back. It ended as quickly as it had begun. One Dothraki missed a step, Kai saw, his eyes squinting, and the other swung his blade in a menacing arc. Steel kissed the flesh just above Dothraki''s waist, and opened him up, spilling his entrails into the dust. As the loser died, the winner took hold of the nearest woman, and not even the one they had been fighting over¡­ and had her there and then again.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Slaves carried off the dead body, leaving behind a trail of blood and dangling flesh, and before the time of the gift ceremony came another dozen men had died. Now, Khal Drogo clapped his hands together, and all sounds came to a sudden halt. Both the bridegroom and the bride stood up to receive the bridal gifts. Kai saw as the prince, dressed in red silk with a dragon on his chest, gifted his sister three handmaids. A knight approached her then, leaving his seat that was just below the prince, and gifted the bride a collection of old books. It was time, Kai knew, as he saw the knight stepping off the ramp. Their moment had come. Both Kai and Meg stood up, eyes adjusting to gawk at them, at Meg''s unworldly beauty, and the immense chest, now being lifted by the servants. But before the clamor could die, Kai ordered Petyr to disappear, taking shelter in his body. He couldn''t afford someone recognizing the young man once they had gone up there, no matter how low and ridiculous a possibility it was. The translator followed them, his head bobbing around in search of the sly steward, but one bloody look from Kai showed him his place too. They stepped towards the ramp like two celestials ascending the stairs to the heavens. Not even Khal Drogo and Daenerys seemed to match them in the picturesque scene they seemed to portray in thousands of eyes, and only the power and status of the Khal and Khaleesi were keeping everyone from comparing these two couples to each other. As they neared the bride, from the corner of his eyes, Kai saw the prince, Viserys, eying Meg with two eyes filled with pure lust and hunger. The beggar king leaned towards Magister Illyrio, whispering something, but never took his eyes off her. The world was already shaking for Kai. Once again, the book was shaking, trying to rip apart the fabric of space and lunge at Daenerys'' tale, he knew. But Kai had no desire to devour her tale now. His path was already set. The translator came running forward, followed by the servants who put the enormous chest in between the two couples. Kai felt hundreds of ill-intended gazes on him through his Perception and instinctively knew that the Contestants had finally sensed something was awry about all this. Kai had no leisure to think about those gazes for long, though. He was eying the Khal, the monster of a man. Even at this distance, he could feel the heat coming off Drogo, making his Perception shiver. Drogo didn''t seem bigger than Andrik to him, but there was something about the Khal that screamed he wouldn''t win against the long-braided man without showing his Skill, in which case he would die either way. The translator introduced Kai and Meg as the heir to some distant kingdom and his queen, while the servants threw the chest open. A gasp escaped the girl''s mouth, and for once, Kai put all his attention on her. She is young, Kai realized, forgetting that he was a 16-year-old youth himself. 13, the system mentioned her age. Even younger than the young Cersei. As the bride fumbled with the eggs, Kai remembered the fate that awaited her tonight. He looked at Viserys over his shoulder and felt a deep disgust for the man who had sold his own sister to this barbarian. Oh, no. If it was in Kai''s hands, he would have sold Daenerys too for power, but not if she were his family. A hypocrite the world may call him, but the world could go fuck itself in his eyes. Never had he claimed himself as an honest one, to begin with. Even Demons had some things they cherished as they thirsted for power. Family, killing without benefits, and taking risks without reasoning¡­ These were the points where the Blood Demon drew his line. Chapter 167: Main Mission’s Rewards – Switching Random Worlds! "What are they?" Daenerys asked, her white hair shining golden over her shoulders. Meg smiled. "Dragon eggs, from the Shadow land beyond the Asshai," she said, the translator turning her words in the alien Dothraki for the Khal. Then she pointed at Kai. "My lord husband had gone to great lengths to procure them. Three dragon eggs, though the eons have turned them a stone, are the only things that can justify a Targaryen beauty, he had told me." Their eyes matched. Kai smiled at her, thinking about what would he have done if he were in Viserys'' shoes. "An honor to see you, princess," he said, gently. "Three dragon eggs for the three heads of the Targaryen Dragon." The little girl seemed confused but passed thanks meekly, anyway. Kai noticed she was shivering a bit, as he bowed in acceptance. Then they backed off, stepping down. Meanwhile, hundreds of magical gazes tried to decipher if Kai and Meg were Contestants or a product of the timeline''s deviation. As they stood aside, the notification came like a knock Kai had been waiting for too long. ¡­ [ Side Mission: Mother of Dragons Side Mission Status: Success Side Mission Rewards: 400 Mission Credits ] ¡­ Kai narrowed his eyes. No Attribute Points? ¡­ [ Congratulations Kai Stormborn¡­ You have completed the Main Mission ¡­ Main Mission: Three heads of the Targaryen Dragon Main Mission Status: Completed Main Mission Time Limit: 5 months Main Mission Grade: E+ ¡­ Calculating Main Mission Clear Rate¡­ Main Mission Clear Rate: 79% ¡­ Main Mission Rewards: 1. 1800 Mission Credits 2. Strength +1 3. Stamina +1 4. Perception +1 Warning: You cannot leave the random world before the Main Mission''s Time Limit is over. Time Left: 49 days ] ¡­ Kai''s mouth opened and remained open for some time. This was unprecedented, even he knew of this. Mission Grade was a paltry E+, and he was getting 3 Attribute Points just like that? Kai felt a tug on his sleeve and found Meg looking at him meaningfully. This wasn''t the time to stare at the notifications, she seemed to imply. Yes, this was the time to use his privilege.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. A hush rippled out from the center of the camp as the moment came for the Khal to present his gift to Daenerys. This was the last opportunity they would get. Once the Khal and the Khaleesi left the camp to consummate their marriage under the blanket of stars, a slaughter would happen here if they hadn''t gone by then. Which Character will have the honor of being your first companion on your fresh path, master? Meg had prodded once. Kai had no answer then. Since the moment Meg had told him about Multiverse Interdependency and had given him the list of Characters that suited the path he had chosen for himself, he had been thinking about who would be his first target. It can''t be anyone stronger than Kai himself, otherwise, finding such a Character and surviving would be a futile case. It was then he had remembered the profundity of an event that had once made him feel helpless. The time paradox! Kai had reflected that using the Blood Prophecy he could pry the secrets of the future, even if he couldn''t use it himself for some time. And if he could pry into the secrets of the past as well, then wouldn''t he be walking onto a supreme path? Mastery over Time! Now that thought had bubbled up a dangerous hunger within him. It had also pushed him towards a decision, a target, who suited his needs more than anyone else. Moreover, if he were to make a Side Mission about the Character himself, then he wouldn''t need to worry about any Contestant protecting the Character, either. Chaos, Kai thought. Create a Side Mission to¡­ punch Character Rintaro Okabe. The Random World of Steins;Gate! ¡­ [ Processing Contestant Kai Stormborn''s request¡­ Eligibility for the privilege confirmed Creating the Side Mission¡­ You have triggered a Side Mission ¡­ Main Mission: Not Applicable Side Mission: Punch Rintaro Okabe Side Mission Summary: Rintaro Okabe has forgotten to bring the drink, Dr. Pepper, from the market. He must apologize to Mayuri Shiina for this blunder. Punch him before he reaches his lab, and apologizes, creating a momentary rift between the two characters. Side Mission Objective: Knock Rintaro Okabe out Side Mission Time Limit: Not Applicable ¡­ Points to be noted for the Switched World ¡ª 1. A one-time fee will be deducted based on various criteria applicable to the Contestant while accessing the privilege (Fee: 10000 MC for 1 hour. 100 MC for every subsequent second for 1 minute. The amount will double with every next minute spent in the Switched World) 2. Only Party Members may teleport along with the Contestant 3. The Contestant can return to the Random World relevant to the Main Mission anytime. The Mission Credits will not be refunded ¡­ Do you accept the Side Mission? ] ¡­ Time was running out. Daenerys had already sat on her newly gifted silver filly. Soon she would gallop away, followed by the Khal. Kai felt a pit had replaced his stomach, his heart in his mouth. He was worried about Mission Credits. Chaos, he again barked inwardly. Calculate the Mission Credits I would need to compress the remaining time after returning from the Steins;Gate World in 1 hour. ¡­ [ Analyzing the Contestant''s Stats¡­ Calculating future scenarios¡­ Analyzation Complete Result: 47200 Mission Credits ] ¡­ This?! Kai''s eyes widened. It would just leave me with 520 MC. I wouldn''t be able to afford even a minute over 1 hour. Meg tugged at his sleeve again, sweat running down his forehead. The Contestants were closing in on them from all directions. Daenerys'' filly had broken into a trot, the Khal following her on his humongous stallion. It was now or never. "Yes, damn it! Yes. I accept it," Kai cursed, muttering under his breath, his face becoming ugly. The sea of Dothraki people erupted with a million voices, and from all around, men and women were rushing at them, danger crawling up on their spines like spiders. Meg had heard his voice, and using the commotion, threw two Origamis out of her Inventory, as they both backed up using their overpowered Agility. The two Origamis looked exactly like Kai and Meg, holding hands, and smiling nobly as they saw the married couple leaving the camp. As the blue light shone around them, Kai saw the faintest hint of several glints of steel approaching their paper forms. A hand grabbed the paper Meg''s blazing red hair, pulled them, and then her face crumpled like paper. A woman from the timeline saw this. She was an insignificant storyline Character. A darker than dark, fouler than Kai''s Dementor-form, and incomprehensibly grotesque-shaped rift, opened up like a maw over the head of the Contestant to whom that hand had belonged. The spatial rift engulfed the man whole, and the woman continued her joyous screams as if she had seen nothing. It was another reason for Kai and Meg to present themselves as ordinary people, as no storyline Character would relate any supernatural phenomenon to them, even if it were to happen in front of their eyes. The fate that should have belonged to Meg now became someone else''s. It wasn''t the first time for Meg to use this kind of treachery, either. It was just that only lower-floor Contestants were naive enough to succumb to such tricks. A chill ran down Kai''s spine seeing that scene. What if she had used such methods against me? Glad to avoid answering himself, Kai vanished, visiting his 1st Switched World. Chapter 168: The Tale of Insane Scientist Hououin Kyouma! (I) 2010, Akihabara Tokyo The timeline of Steins;Gate had a normal setting. There was no magic, no supernatural phenomenon, and no Gods and Demons. It was just a world of ordinary men, women, and science. Thus, when Kai''s eyes adjusted, blinking away the flash of the teleportation, he wasn''t surprised to see the black Abnormality Limiter flashing more menacing than ever. One. Just one wrong step and you would be obliterated Red, it seemed to warn. Kai was in a dark alley, huge dustbins smelling foul all around him. Suddenly, he felt a tightness about him. Kai looked down and found himself clad in a tight-margin-fitting black suit and pants, his polished black shoes reflecting silver sunlight like two convex mirrors. And black sunglasses were hanging from his chest pocket. He turned his head and noticed that even Meg was prepped in the same clothing. Somehow, the same tightness, that was making him feel odd, made her look extremely hot. Kai''s eyes went down her face and lingered over her breasts, the buttons of her white shirt under the black suit threatening to burst out. Even lower, down her back, he saw the state of her pants. What the fuck is wrong with Chaos? Kai thought as Meg shied finding him observing her so deeply. Why didn''t it change my clothing when I arrived at the Pokemon World from the Harry Potter World? The notification answered. ¡­ [ In the Switched World, Steins;Gate, the sensitivity of the Abnormality Limiter is 200% higher than the Random World of your Main Mission. For this entire Side Mission, the Contestant and his Party member are forbidden to take off the garments assigned to them. You have access to Switch World Timer as per your privilege. Once the limit of an hour is crossed, Chaos will start deducting your Mission Credits. Once all Mission Credits run out, you will be thrown out of the Switched World. ¡­ Switch World Timer: 01:00:00 ] ¡­ The moment Kai saw the timer, the numbers changed to 00:59:59. Fuck! he cursed. I don''t have a second to waste gawking at peach-like asses. Kai hurriedly shared the notification''s details with Meg, and her face lost all shyness in a matter of seconds. The lives Contestants lived in the Primordial World did teach them to get ready to face unwanted scenarios and possibilities like soldiers trained to get ready to fight anytime in a battle. "Let me find out how far we are from the lab, master," she said, wearing her sunglasses. "Chaos couldn''t have teleported us too distant from the main storyline Character given the Side Mission is about him." Kai saw her scamper off and soon found himself standing alone, surrounded by walls on either side and a maze of rusty pipes. Meg''s mission was just to assist him in delivering the eggs, and if he wanted to, he could have sent her on her way to the White Room before coming here. But there was a reason that she knew about this world despite it being notoriously infamous among the Contestants for giving no Skills or Abilities other than a chance to attend free lectures from the young scientists. Meg had once completed a mission to guard one of the main storyline Characters from this Random World. With her mind, and logical reasoning skills, she had imprinted the name of the main character, Rintaro Okabe, in her heart as an unparalleled genius. Kai recalled the things she had told him about this world. Rintaro Okabe was an 18-year-old, first-year student at Tokyo Denki University, according to what Meg had told her. He was a self-claimed mad scientist, who ran the Future Gadget Laboratory together with Mayuri Shiina, his childhood friend, and Itaru Hashida, a close friend, who was also an experienced hacker and an otaku.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. These three later found out that the cell phone-operated microwave oven in their laboratory could send text messages back in time. These text messages were later named D-mails, and only the main character could remember the changed past, an ability that he called Reading Steiner. The entire plot revolved around Okabe and his lab members figuring out the workings of this time travel and then later facing the dire consequences of messing with time. But Kai wasn''t interested in anything other than the character Rintaro Okabe himself. Meg had told him that the main character was a melodramatic, eccentric, and tsundere individual. He liked to assume his true name was Hououin Kyouma, using it to introduce himself to others. Okabe was socially inept with extremely poor social skills, and yet, he never hesitated to lend a helping hand to people he''d never met. He was also easily deceived, despite his intelligence. He liked to pose as an agent working against a certain Organization which he suggested was always after him. Though, in reality, he only did it, thinking this kind of image gave him a cool and mysterious aura. However, it all disappeared as the story progressed, once the bad things started to happen because of reckless tampering with time. "Master!" Meg''s shout jolted him out of his reverie. "I found it. Hurry!" Kai dashed. "Where?" he demanded, coming out of the alley. They were in some kind of market, lined with shops and restaurants on either side of the road. "Not too far," she said, looking troubled, "but considering the time we have¡­" Meg trailed off. "Can''t we hire a cab or something?" Kai asked, looking around, and saw no sign of any motorized vehicle. Meg shook her head. "We are way into the other side of the city," she said. "Let''s go," Kai said, cursing the System under his breath. "Good old running it is, then." Kai thought they would reach the lab in 15-20 minutes. Surely when she had said not too far, she would have meant only this much time. But he was mistaken. They had mistaken the labyrinth that this city was, and many times Meg had to stop, reconfirming if they were going in the right direction. Not to mention, they could only go as fast as humanely possible, otherwise¡­ The result was that they didn''t reach their destination even after a full 40 minutes had gone by. By then, Kai was getting anxious. "We are here," Meg said, fumbling with her tight suit. "Now we just have to wait for him to show up." Kai looked up and saw a television shop. Braun Tube Workshop was written over the shop in huge letters. This shop belonged to Mr. Yugo Tennouji, the landlord of the main character. Kai lifted his eyes and saw the second floor of this multistory building. That''s where the laboratory was, as known to the Contestants. "Come here, master," Meg said, pulling him to the shade of another shop, the shopkeeper eying them apprehensively. "It''s better if Mr. Tennouji doesn''t see us." Kai didn''t give a damn who sees him now. Time was ticking, and the timer seemed to run faster than the fucking time to him. He looked at the timer again. 00:17:35 When he took his eyes off it, he found Meg looking at him. She could see the palpable tension on his face. "Rintaro Okabe usually seems delusional and paranoid, displaying eccentric mannerisms like talking to himself on the phone and engaging in fits of maniacal laughter," Meg said, obviously trying to take Kai''s mind off the timer. "He also seemed to have a severe case of Chuunibyou, but there are several occasions I remember where he was quite rational, possessing great situational awareness." They went quiet, then, as Meg looked away for a while, trying to spy on the Character. Kai looked at the timer again. 00:14:15 Now Kai truly felt like the timer was skipping time. Surely she hadn''t taken 3 minutes, right? "It is known that this mad scientist persona is largely a facade he wears to make life interesting for his childhood friend Mayuri," she continued, taking her sunglasses off, "and he tends to drop it if the situation becomes serious. And¡­" This sentence would never reach the end. Kai had sighted the man he was looking for. With two large bags in both hands, wearing a long, white lab coat, and his small hair pushed back, Rintaro Okabe was making headway towards the stairs by the television shop, leading to the upper floors. Meg followed his stare, and her eyes widened. They both ran. Okabe was a lanky young man with a square jaw and bony cheeks. His eyes were brown and there was a light stubble on his chin and cheeks. He saw them running towards him. The young man dropped the two bags and ran in the opposite direction. "Help!" he shouted. "The Organization has found me in the end!" A fat head peeked out from the second floor, and from the shop, a small girl came running out. Kai passed them all, holding back his speed as humanly possible as he could. Meg slowed down, keeping her a few paces behind him in case someone intervened. "I am¡­" the main character cried, but couldn''t complete his words. Kai''s punch caught him right under his jaw. The young man fell with a thud, his eyes rolling backward. Ignoring the Notification about the Side Mission''s completion, Kai took the trembling book out of his inventory. Petyr disappeared from within him, and Kai snapped the book open before anyone could come, forcing him away from the target. He took a moment to calm himself. The world shook again, and the familiar colorful flashes livened up his surroundings. The Song of History was singing, and he must listen to it patiently. The pages flapped beyond the latest tale, and then words materialized on the new one, like words on a green computer screen. The yellow, crisp page felt alive. The Book had finally devoured another tale and its title was as insane as Kai''s thoughts. "-The Tale of Insane Scientist Hououin Kyouma-" Chapter 169: The Tale of Insane Scientist Hououin Kyouma! (II) Words appeared over the pages, some unknown fingers banging against the keys of a keyboard. The tale started with Okabe''s first meeting with the main-female character, Makise Kurisu, and then finding her dead in her own pool of blood. He then sent a text about it to his friend Itaru, the hacker, immediately after which, all the people around him disappeared. It was the first instance of Time Travel. The tale then proceeded to Makise Kurisu joining Okabe''s lab, and their subsequent finding of the time machine, a phonewave-operated microwave oven. Then they started doing experiments with D-mail, sending text messages in the past. It also mentioned him later bringing a rare PC named IBN 5100 to the lab to hack into SERN, a powerful organization, and finding that SERN experimented with time machines, using humans, in a program called Z-program. The tale hadn''t ended even there. It proceeded to mention Okabe''s experiments with the D-mail. He found that they only worked between 10 am to 6 pm. These text messages affected the past, altering the present, and only he remembered the change, as other members'' memories were altered to fit the new timeline. He decided to call that ability Reading Steiner. Abruptness was the nature of the Tales of Beedle the bard. The tale had ended like a waterfall falling off a cliff but never reaching the bottom. ¡­ [ Story: The tale of insane scientist Hououin Kyouma Story Status: Incomplete -Primordial Theater- Act 1: D-mail Grade: E+ Specification: The character uses his mobile to send a text message to the past, which will be transferred to the past Contestant''s mind directly. Requirement: 1. The Will of a true scientist Attributes: 1. The size of the text messages is 36 bytes only; any additional content will be cut off 2. There are 5 units available to the Act, D-mail 3. Charging 1 unit sends the text back to 1 day 4. Charging all units sends the text back to 5 days 5. Base Consumption: 50 MP, 50 SP 6. For every successive unit, Base Consumption +50% of its predecessor unit Effect: Reading Steiner 1. The Contestant will retain memories related to the change of timeline If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Note: Updating the tale will update the Skill as well WARNING: 1. The use of D-mail will generate a Divergence Number (DN) 2. DN remains between 0 and 1 with the suffix P 3. DN tells how much the timeline is affected by the use of Time Travel 4. 0P represents the minimal change 5. When the DN becomes 1P, the World will end. ] ¡­ "Run, master," Meg shouted in his ears, holding his hand. "We are running out of time." For the first time after his arrival, Kai found himself struggling to know what was going on. What time? Then his eyes found the answer. 00:05:03 What?! Kai''s expression crumbled. "You there!" someone shouted from behind. "Stop!" Kai looked over his shoulder and saw a bald man running towards them, his eyes raging. He kicked the road, disappearing into the nearest market, Meg leading the way. After a few minutes, they again found themselves in a secluded alley. Kai looked at the timer, leaning back on a wall. He still had 3 minutes left. The book was still in his hands, and now that the paramount task was finished, he recalled he needed to do one more thing using Meg. He called out Cersei, ignoring the upgraded Item for now. Cersei came out parting the veil dressed in the same black suit and pants. Kai was sure that she had deliberately come into these clothes, trying to look better than Meg. In a manner she did, he observed. Meg snorted. Cersei gave a peck on Kai''s cheek and then turned away, giggling at Meg. "Know your place, slave," she said, sneering. "Remember what happened to our dear Squirtle?" "Enough!" Kai snapped. "Meg, I need to check something using her Act. Cersei, use Blood Prophecy." When only a few seconds were left, Meg opened her eyes, her face pale. She was dying, and if not supplied with HP soon, it would take days to regain enough HP to get back her original regeneration rate. Still, Kai didn''t feed her any HP capsule. "I¡­ saw nothing," Meg said, trying to push herself up. Kai nodded to himself and picked her up over his shoulders. "I want to return to the Main Mission''s Random World," he said, grinning, finally figuring out the mystery behind Blood Prophecy''s odd failures. A blue shine covered them instantly, and they were teleported out of the Switched World. 00:00:00 * * It was almost midnight. They arrived outside Pentos'' city walls in their original clothing and took some time to move away from the crowd. Kai put Meg down and chuckled. "Well," he said, brushing hair off her face and tucking it behind her ears. "Wasn''t that something?" He stood back up and looked around. Desolation was everywhere, and in the distance, the flames of torches over the ramparts were dancing like tiny lit candles. "Chaos," he called out, "compress the remaining time." 47200 MC vanished, and Kai blinked away his ire. Only then did he look down at Meg, who was trying to sit up. "OK," Kai said. "You did extremely well. Don''t enter the city and follow the plan. Mission over. I would let the White Room take care of your HP. No need to waste an HP capsule when you are already going there." Kai was smiling, feeling quite good. Finally, the time was coming near for him to reincarnate as a main storyline Character, and that too in his beloved magical world of Harry Potter. Yes, he loved sabers, but he could practice that art by himself, too. Magic. Now that was something else entirely. A blue shine appeared around them, like a soft silk blanket. It was then that Meg lifted her face. Kai''s heart skipped a beat. In these last months, Kai and Meg had shared many days and nights talking to each other about one random world or another. They had made plans, discussed theories, and laughed over some hideous, cunning remarks. Was there ever a need for Kai to mention that there was a heart beating inside his body? Was there ever a need for him to say that in his veins ran blood just like it did in hers? And was there ever a need for him to share that they were alive because they could think? No. Such things were common, and one needed not to say them. Yet, there was one thing that Kai had taken for granted, thinking that it was as common as everything else. So when he saw confusion written over her face, the earth slipped away from under his feet. At this point, Kai just wanted to cancel this teleportation. His mind was beating, his heart screaming, and everything seemed not to make any sense. But the blues had become bluer, and there was nothing he could do about it. She opened her mouth, and Kai cursed. "White Room¡­" Meg blurted, taking deep breaths. "What White Room, master?!" Chapter 170: The Thousand Tales Parasite! A few minutes before, The Room For eons, there had been no wise men brave enough to change the definition of Room, adding windows as a quintessential part of the word. Now, though, any space enclosed by walls, a floor, and a ceiling was worthy enough to be pronounced a Room. This Room also adhered to the definition, doing the bare minimum. It had four walls, yes. White. So white that it almost felt as if the Creator of the universe must have referenced it while creating the color white. It also had a white floor and a white ceiling. The most conflicting thing was that there was no actual way to measure the room. It seemed to stretch in one direction if concentrated long enough, and its ceiling seemed to go on forever up and up in a never-ending cycle. It was as big as it was small. The points where the walls'' edges met felt wrong, too. Like a convolution of grotesque geometry, incomprehensible to sane minds. The room wasn''t empty and had over one color that didn''t belong to it. There was a bed lying against one wall. Its color was black, and even the sheets were black. A black mist was seeping off the bed and sheets like dry ice. Near the bed was a table. It was black too. On the table were many black flagons of red wine, black cups, and many miscellaneous accessories. On one side of the table, leaning against the wall was a black chair. A young Cersei was seated on it queenly, sloshing a cup of wine in her hand, and her gaze deep as if brooding over something hard. She was wearing a black gown, the light black mist lifting off it in many thin curls. Her shiny diamond-like earrings were black too. Opposite the wall portraying this scene was another bed. Simpler than the one that belonged to Cersei, but equally noble and clean. There was a table on its side, too. On the tables were flagons of wine and two books, the curls of black mist blurring their titles. In front of the wall, that was connecting these two opposite walls having beds, there was a simple black chair and a black table with no bed. On the table was a huge black Book, giving out the thickest curls of the black mist. It had a thick binding, and it was opened to only a few pages as if someone had just started to write or read it. There was an inkpot, a long quill with black feathers, and a black cloth, probably to clear away stray ink spots, on the table as well. It felt like every single thing in this room was placed to contrast the Room''s whiteness. Suddenly, a mass of black mist materialized in between the two beds, rising like a column, and becoming a tornado. Cersei''s eyes narrowed and stole her gaze away from whatever she was looking at so deeply. The tornado of the black mist took the form of a young man, almost 15 years old, with the faintest hint of stubble dancing under his chin. He was wearing a black doublet over breeches, all giving out the same vapory black curls. He was Petyr Baelish. Petyr turned to look at Cersei. "You must be happy," he said, smiling slyly. "You have craved for our master''s seed for long, I presume. If gods are in your favor, then he might just upgrade your tale after all." "You presume too much, littlefinger," she said, slowly, sipping her wine. "He will upgrade my tale, I know. Pity the gods have nothing to say in this, otherwise, I would have asked him to let you rot like a boy forever." Petyr chuckled, taking a seat on the chair by his own bed and table. "A new friend is coming," he told her. "Quite eccentric, this one. You must have heard her. Oh! I can''t tell how lovely she is looking in that strange dress. For one moment, even I thought our master would be foolish enough to rip her clothes and take her maidenhead. I did suggest this to him once." "You dare!" Cersei snapped, shooting up from her chair. "How dare you call him a fool?! Have you lost your mind?!" Petyr behaved as if he hadn''t listened to this outburst. He picked up one book, opened it up to the bookmark, mumbled something to himself, and only then looked up. The characteristic sly smile on his face couldn''t have been any clearer. "It''s you who have lost your mind, my lady," Petyr said, now looking up the same way Cersei had been before his arrival. "You really think he would make you his Queen once he sits on his throne? How naive are you? You think his lust for you means something else? It''s our master we are talking about, aren''t we? Don''t tell me you haven''t noticed his use of Emotions Manipulation these days to lock his emotions around us?" Cersei fumed, arrogance spilling out of her eyes. "He must have his reasons," she said, retaliating, but her voice lacked power. "He does favor me, and there will come a time when he will take me out of this prison for good. One day I will rule worlds, sitting by his side. And you? Humph!" By the time Cersei finished, the sneer on her face had returned. She smiled triumphantly, returning to her seat. Petyr seemed to be in the mood for another jape. "Favor? How long will he favor you once he gets to know that we are nothing but the Book''s puppets, created to spy on him in return for retaining our memories, I wonder?" he quipped. "Will he favor you once he gets to know that every time he calls us out there, he is writing¡­ "¡­ A Tale of His Doom?!" The situation with the Book''s Characters was a bit complex to understand at one glance. They had all their memories till the point when their tales had been devoured by Kai through the Tales of Beedle the Bard. They could think, talk, and see as if looking through Kai''s eyes from within the Book itself. However, the moment Kai called them out, they only remembered what had happened when they had been called out by him the last time, i.e. they didn''t remember anything from the time spent within the Room of the Book.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Utterly magical thing was that when Kai canceled the Skill, and let them return, the Characters didn''t lose any memory of their time spent outside. They also recalled everything they had done and thought before they had been called out. What they thought within the Room of the Book didn''t mean much in itself as, upon being called out, their every single thought and action remained in absolute favor of Kai. However, the Thousand Tales Parasite indeed stood true to its name, using the Characters to write Kai''s hidden tale without his knowledge. The color of Cersei''s skin had turned a shade of pale purple. She matched Petyr''s scornful gaze and uttered word after word. "I will never let it happen," she said, gritting her teeth. "I will even stop you if I must. No one can snatch power from my hands, and he''s mine!" Petyr guffawed. "Don''t talk like I am not loyal to him. I just like myself more," he said, slyly. "Tch! You are not the Cersei I have heard so much about, I must say. The Cersei I know has the Lannister blood in her veins, proud like a lion, but cunning like a fox. Don''t you see? He wants you to think so, my lady. Our master wants to create a ruse between us for the future if needed. How can you not see it?" Cersei had just parted her lips to counter Petyr''s reasoning when another tornado of black mist whirled in the middle of the room. The space left to Petyr''s bed, away from the table with the thick book, stretched, and another bed appeared there, with a table and chair of its own. The tornado took the shape of a short-haired, lanky young man, wearing a long black lab coat. "He''s finally here," Petyr said, smiling, closing his book. Cersei slammed her cup on the table, wine splashing out of it, and threw herself off the chair again as if knowing what her fellow character had in his mind. The young man stood there for a second, his eyes closed. Then, with a snap, his eyes opened. He narrowed his eyes, looked around, and then at Petyr and Cersei. Both characters nodded at him. Rintaro Okabe doubled back, almost as if he was following instructions, and approached the table with the huge, opened book. For some time, in silence, but with extreme speed, the young man went through the few pages like a machine scanning the pages. When he was finished, Okabe lifted his hands to his face and looked at them. "Oh, you are real enough," Petyr said. "No need to question your feelings, other than the unconditional loyalty you are feeling for our master." Cersei snorted. Okabe took a deep breath and then turned his head towards Petyr. "Is this the same White Room mentioned in the Book, then?" "No." Petyr shook his head. "When he was in that White Room to ask questions, we were still here, in this Room. However, we couldn''t see anything like we can see what''s going on outside now by just looking up at the ceiling. You see this black mist? We can use it to conjure anything that we want or can think of." There was a puzzlement written on the young man''s face. Cersei stepped in, probably worrying about Petyr taking in all the favorable impressions. "The moment we leave this White Room, we forget everything about it. All thoughts, all conversations, and all perceptions of this place vanish from our minds. We remember what had happened last time when our master had called us out, but not anymore. Only when we return do we recall everything again. "And while we are out there, the Book writes all that we see, hear, or sense about our master. Blasphemy! I call it. Gods were good, for we can''t read his thoughts, otherwise, the Book would have written them down as well." Rintaro Okabe showed none of the eccentric nature that he was known for now. There was something mechanical about him, something inhumane. "So that''s how it is," he mumbled. "And he doesn''t know of it?" "Oh, he does," Petyr said, a smile playing on his thin lips. "You see, our master has some kind of¡­ primal Instincts. He senses some things that seem beyond extraordinary more often than not. I''ve found him guessing and predicting things way ahead in the future as if he is omniscient. It''s like a seed that he knows it''s there, but he has yet to give it much attention. How colorful flowers would have bloomed if he had cultivated it, I don''t know. The seed of his bloodlust has certainly bloomed into a demonic Will. Though, he doesn''t know about it yet. "I feared these Instincts, and it''s in my nature to keep thinking of my fears. That''s how even after leaving the White Room, I managed to latch on to this thought. There was only one way for me to slow these Instincts down. It was to make him rely on someone against his nature. One can not question my loyalty, for I was indeed thinking of our master''s immediate benefit. So, when Morning Mist appeared in his life, I knew she was exactly what I had been looking for." "Presumptuous!" Cersei snapped again. "Our master decided to make a slave out of her." Petyr looked at her, smiling. "Did he now?!" he asked, slowly. "I wonder how many of his decisions you think are truly of his own. "Well, let''s not go down that road. What''s taking our master this long? He should have called out our new friend, initiating his true memories, and giving him some life." Rintaro Okabe stood near the table, silent, but not confused. Cersei must have found her remarks to push into Okabe''s mind, but suddenly, she burst out in a puff of black mist, disappearing from her place. Petyr raised his eyebrows before chuckling. "Well," he said, looking at Okabe, "he seemed to have finally realized the source of the failed Blood Prophecies. He could have just asked me. I would suggest giving the table some space." Okabe shifted away from the table. A black mist seeped out of the white floor and became an evil-looking, vile hand. Its long, misty fingers held the quill, dipped it in the ink, and then brought it to the latest entry. Petyr hurriedly brought his chair near the table and peeked into the book as closely as he could without disturbing the mist. ¡­ ¡ª Cersei gave a peck on Kai''s cheek and then turned away, giggling at Meg. "Know your place, slave," she said, sneering. "Remember what happened to our dear Squirtle?" "Enough!" Kai snapped. "Meg, I need to check something using her Act. Cersei, use Blood Prophecy." He saw as¡­ ¡ª ¡­ Petyr backed off, straightening his spine, and then looked up at the ceiling. Okabe had been looking up for some time already. "Don''t worry about her," Petyr said, leaving the chair. "Her arrogance has made her lose her wits. You can''t blame her either. Our master does look like Rhaegar a lot, her lost love. Cersei would do anything to have him within her, especially now that she knows that her older self couldn''t have the prince. That night he spent with older Cersei had permanently changed our Cersei as well. Let her weave her dreams until our master burns them to ashes. He is a demon, after all. If only he had the wits in a field other than killing, science, and what he thinks is manipulation¡­" "And what about you?" the not-so-himself Okabe asked, as Petyr trailed off. "What are your goals?" "Me?" Petyr let out a low smile. "You read the book, didn''t you? Let me ask you, then. What do you think Chaos is?" Rintaro Okabe said nothing because it wasn''t exactly a question. Petyr''s eyes narrowed, his right hand reaching for his throat, where dark imprints of five thin, long fingers should have been if he had a true body. When this hand dropped, his left hand lifted, both hands coming closer as if he was holding a ball. From all around, the black mist churned, rushing to the gap between his palms like a vortex in the depths of a white sea. When the black mist had gathered enough to look like a solid ball, Petyr stretched his hands away from each other. The black ball stretched along with them, becoming over 10 inches long stick, its texture wooden. He held the black wooden stick from one end, muttered something under his breath, and flicked it gently, and the tip at the other end of the stick lit up, a bright silver light expanding out with the wooden point at its center. "Chaos¡­ Petyr looked back towards the ceiling, and then at Rintaro Okabe. He smiled. ¡­ is a ladder."

Vol 7 - The Will of the Supreme - Ends!!!

Chapter 171: White Room, Price of the Questions, and Chaos’ Warning! Never had Kai felt imprisoned while being free. Never had Kai felt surrounded while being undeniably alone. As he stood naked on the white floor, with white walls around him and a white roof over his head, he felt all this and more. A red beam descended from unknown origins and traced the outlines of his body, healing hidden injuries. The piled-up tiredness vanished. But the heart was still pounding, and no amount of healing would work on it, either. At last, the red beam gave up, disappearing into nothingness, and leaving Kai behind in this Absolute Whiteness. When the first notification arrived, it covered the entire wall in front of him like an enormous poster. ¡­ [ Happy Birthday! Chaos congratulates Contestant Kai Stormborn to live to see his 17th birthday, though it has been a few days already. ] ¡­ Kai''s voice was stuck in his throat, his thoughts in his mind, and he ignored the notification after one glance. From all around, and for the first time, he was feeling a gaze on him, watching him like one watches a bug. Or was it just his senses playing a cruel and hideous trick on him? He wouldn''t like to know the answer, no matter the case. The notifications disappeared, slowly, and somehow, Kai felt it was disappointed with the lack of an enthusiastic reply. More dull-gray words appeared, now in a formal tone but equally big. ¡­ [ SPLENDID!!! Why don''t more Contestants go out of their comfort and spread chaos outside the boundaries of their Missions? From making news headlines in the Harry Potter World to becoming the cause of deaths of three holy creatures in the World of Pokemon, Contestant Kai Stormborn, you have almost left no stone unturned in your Missions and Stats. Never Chaos had been surer about a Contestant''s Worthiness. But Chaos can''t cut corners. Let''s be done with it, then. Analyzing Contestant''s actions in the Random World¡­ ] ¡­ Though Kai was feeling monstrous apprehension for the System, his mind was still astute enough to latch on to the words holy creatures the moment it read them. ¡­ [ Analyzation Complete Judgment: Worthy Reward: +50 Worth ¡­ Congratulations, you have ascended to the 2nd Set - 4th floor Rewards: Inventory Size +100% Note: The Contestant must increase his Miscellaneous Rend Box''s size manually ] ¡­ The moment he got the massive boost in his Worth, all words blurred, now becoming his updated Stats. ¡­ [ Status of Contestant: Kai Stormborn Code Name: Red [Pirate] Officer Rank: Captain of Guard System: Chaos Cosmic Authority: Outer One (1/3) Lore: The Evil Pokemon of Alto Mare Bounty: 13,000,000 Berries Equipped Title: Coin Master (Charisma +2, Luck +2, Worth +1) Equippable Titles: 1. Coin Master 2. Murderer 3. Poacher Unequippable Titles: 1. Traitor: (2/10) 2. Novice Collector: (4/10) 3. Adulterer: (1/3) 4. Books Connoisseur: (2/10) 5. Rich Gentlemen: (1/10) 6. Dimensional Leader: (1/3) 7. Serial Killer: (1/3) 8. Shady Hunter: (0/30) 9. Interdimensional Pirate: (39/100)% Mission Credits: 520 HP: 120 MP: 130 SP: 110If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Active Attributes - (1st Set Quota: 21/20) [Unassigned Points: 4] Strength: 14 Agility: 16 Stamina: 12 Perception: 15 Correspondence: 13 Breath: 11 Passive Attributes - Charisma: 34 (+2) Luck: 5 (+2) Worth: 239 (+1) Abilities: 1. Elementary Telekinesis: Proficiency 75% 2. Elementary Telepathy: Proficiency 45% 3. Elementary Pokemon Trainer: Proficiency 50% 4. Elementary Seamanship: Proficiency 80% 5. Elementary Intimidation: Proficiency 5% 6. Advance Emotions Manipulation: Proficiency 25% 7. Advance Slither Footsteps: Proficiency 8% 8. Advance Twin-Saber Style: Proficiency 20% 9. Advance Fear Absorption: Proficiency 3% 10. Master Snake Instinct: Proficiency 2% 11. Parseltongue Skills: NA Glitch: Blood Devour 1. Dementor (magical) 2. Golduck (magical) 3. Gyarados (magical) Items: 1. Pokeball - Generation 1 (73%) 2. The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Original) (100%) 3. Sling Ring (73%) 4. Fang (x2, 50%) 5. 9th-floor HP Capsules (7/20) - Restore 250 HP 6. Rock Cake (98%) 7. Galeon Attacker (85%) 8. Fast Ball - Generation II (97%) 9. Lure Ball - Generation II (97%) 10. Level Ball - Generation II (97%) 11. Regional Pokedex (94%) 12. Pikachu Plush Hat (76%) 13. Eon Soul Dew (Corrupt) (100%) 14. Recommendation Letter (Consumable) (98%) 15. Banner of arms - House Drumm of Iron Islands (87%) Pain Factor: NA Miscellaneous Rent Box: NA Inventory: 2 Cubic Meter-2000 kg ] ¡­ For once, Kai felt a bit of pride at seeing the fruit of his efforts. Yet the tension in his heart remained, and unless he did something about it, Kai knew he wouldn''t be able to put his mind to anything else. "Why am I the only Contestant who comes to the White Room?" he asked, steeling himself and readying his muscles for any unforeseen attack. A futile struggle it would be, but Blood Demon would not go down without trying, he told himself. ¡­ [ Words mean something in the Primordial Tower. Names matter. Meanings aren''t a thing to ignore. And Worth demands respect. Have you never asked yourself why was it named Glitch? You are a Glitch in the System. What else could be the reason for you to be in this place that is neither here nor there, neither up nor down, neither real nor illusion? You underestimate yourself, Contestant Kai Stormborn. ] ¡­ Does the river of all the questions culminate into one sea named Glitch? No. Kai stared at the words that seemed Chaos'' way of ridiculing a Contestant. He had learned when he was small that one word or thing couldn''t be the answer to everything. Possibilities lay everywhere, hidden in the tiniest, forgotten, and unimpressive corners, just waiting to be found. Chaos, Kai thought, refocusing his eyes on the words in a fresh perspective. You say it''s because of my Glitch, but I don''t trust you to take your words for granted, fucker! Still, it was enough to go on. It was enough to not lose his mind, thinking about why he was the only one who could come here. Turned out that he wasn''t the only one. If he could twist the System''s words, then didn''t it mean whoever had Glitch could come to the White Room as well? Chaos'' Valley hadn''t seen Glitches for a million years, but surely the Order''s Peak had. Here lay his advantage, then. I will confirm these words later, Kai nodded to himself, one way or another. Finally, after being troubled over this for quite some time, Kai pushed himself forward, putting his mind over other major issues. There were too many questions in his mind. "I have more questions," Kai began, now relaxing. "What is Cosmic Authority?" ¡­ [ The question is out of your privilege, Contestant Kai Stormborn If you want an answer, you must pay an equivalent price ] ¡­ Eh?! The corner of Kai''s lips twitched. This must be some joke, right? This was the first time Chaos had asked Price to answer a question. If he were to twist the System''s words, did it mean others have to pay the price to get answers every time? He couldn''t be sure about it now, because, like the existence of the White Room, he had always thought getting answers was ubiquitous to the Contestants. "What''s the price?" Kai asked, curious. Even if he failed to get an answer, he could analyze the question''s worthiness using the price assigned by the System, right? No matter the struggle or problem, Kai''s mind just never stopped thinking about the probable solutions. The notification appeared sooner than he had thought. ¡­ [ Analyzing question¡­ Price: 1,000,000 Mission Credits ] ¡­ What?! Kai couldn''t believe it. He waited for the notification to blur and restructure itself, admitting the mistake. The notification persisted, though. Believe it or not, now this is the truth, it seemed to say. Kai smacked his lips, took a deep breath, and remembered his next question. He had already figured out the purpose of Cosmic Authority Lore, but no harm in getting an official answer. "What is the significance of a Cosmic Authority Lore?" ¡­ [ ¡­ Price: 3,000,000 Mission Credits ] ¡­ Oi! Oi! Kai''s eyes widened. Are you on something?! Let''s move on, Kai told himself, but a weird premonition had already taken hold of his thoughts. "How to make the Dementor Progenitor Skill reveal its Stats?" he asked. Kai had already figured out that he needed something to trigger these locked Stats. But how much time would it take to find those things out? Who could say? ¡­ [ ¡­ Price: 10,000,000 Mission Credits ] ¡­ Kai just went quiet. Now he truly believed that Chaos was making the numbers up. 10 million Mission Credits? Kai doubted if he would ever get to see these kinds of numbers in the immediate future unless someone were to come and just hand them over to him. Was there any point in asking more questions of the same level, then? No, there wasn''t. But Kai was a curious lad, so he asked anyway. "What does Outer One mean?" A brief silence lingered, and Kai couldn''t help but furrow his brows, realizing that Chaos had scarcely taken so much time before putting a price on the question. Was it because of the price or the question? He didn''t know. The notification appeared, but slowly. ¡­ [ ¡­ Price: 10,000,000,000 Mission Credits ] ¡­ "¡­?!" "You know," Kai chuckled, "you didn''t even put a price on a Contestant''s information when I inquired about it. And yet, there are a bunch of Old Ones in the Primordial Tower, who just can''t seem to shut up, giving random details about Contestants to others for dumb sacrifices. I just can''t believe the sheer hypocrisy of this all." Another dull-gray flashed, popping up instantly as if Kai''s words had angered it. ¡­ [ One can''t compare what THEY do and don''t to words that apply to insignificant mortals. No one is outside the purview of rules set by the Systems. To even think you can surmise THEIR reasoning and actions beckon ridicule. You overestimate yourself, Contestant Kai Stormborn. ] ¡­ Kai smiled as he saw the last line. The smile became a grin before blooming into a laugh. "I am done here," he spat. "Send me to the Primordial Tower." ¡­ [ Sending Contestant, Kai Stormborn, to the 4th floor of the Primordial Tower Constant Vigilance! ] ¡­ Huh?! Kai had only looked at the last two words when it all blurred and darkness claimed his senses. The words lingered in the Absolute Whiteness for some time, even after his teleportation. Chapter 172: 4th Floor – The City of Leisure! 4th floor, The Primordial Tower Kai came out of the flashes of teleportation, with a rational mind and full of expectations. Unlike before, now he knew what he would face before entering the city itself. So the moment he looked down and found himself in a white shirt, black pants, and black shoes, he nodded to himself. "A very good afternoon, sir," a sweet voice entered his ears. Kai looked to his right and saw a teenage girl dressed in a long, blue soiled frock patterned with small red flowers below the waist. There was a large, thin hat over her head, shading her face from the golden, burning rays of high afternoon. Her eyes were common brown, her hair black, and her face simple. A resident?! Kai reflected. There was no way to sense if a person was a Contestant or not unless his Perception were to sense some kind of danger, or there was an enormous gap between the two Perceptions. Yet, Kai just knew this girl was no Contestant. He could feel her emotions, a tinge of warmth mixed with her happiness. More often than not, Contestants lacked this warmth for other unknown Contestants. "Yes?" Kai said, smiling. The girl blushed, her cheeks becoming rosy. "Are you a newly ascended Contestant?" she asked as if she had become familiar with the question. "If you are, may I have the honor of showing you around and giving you a tour before you depart for the City of Leisure? Of course, all this is for just 100 MC." Kai looked at her as the girl bit her lips, nervous about hearing a refusal. Meg had already told him about the City of Leisure while they were within the Random Worlds. If the 1st Set represented all that was poor and filthy about the Primordial Tower, then the 4th floor represented only one thing ¡ª Leisure. Meg had given him a clearer picture of how things stood in the Primordial Tower. The sizes of floors varied with Sets, but within a particular Set, they were almost of equal sizes. The first floor was the biggest, with a size comparable to a minor planet, and the poorest, lawless region as well. As one left the 1st Set, the quality of life enhanced drastically. The 2nd and 3rd Sets were mainly based on the late 1700s to early 1900s, she had told him. The sizes of the 2nd Set''s floors were comparable to the continents of Asia and Europe combined. Meg had then drawn comparable sizes to give Kai an idea. It kept on decreasing from there onwards with every subsequent Set, the technology and quality of life increasing along with it as if one was moving down the river of time and not ascending floors of a tower. That''s why millions of Contestants are in a race to reach the 4th floor, Meg had said. Not only do they leave a sick society behind but also get to live in comfort for the rest of their lives if they don''t dare to go out in the Random Worlds anymore. It was also the reason for it being named the City of Leisure. It had the highest concentration of non-Contestants if one didn''t count 1st-Set at all. "OK," Kai nodded and then bowed. "I am in your care, my lady." The girl beamed. "Please come with me," she said, gesturing with her hand. "My name is Lucy." "Desmond." Lucy took him away from the spot where Kai had teleported. He looked around and saw many flashes. In hundreds, to be exact. But unlike the 2nd floor, there was no hubbub and no forced conscription. Large tents were raised all around, with numbers on them in enormous lettering. People were going in and out of those tents in a scant, chaotic manner. "You must get a City-pass before leaving this Arrival Zone, Mr. Desmond," Lucy said, looking up at him from under her hat. "You are seeing the largest tent in the distance with the banner of the Royal Coat of Arms, right? That''s our destination." Kai could see it. How could he not? Largest wasn''t a word to justify how big it was. It was more like a castle atop a hill than a mass of cloth, the banner at its canopy fluttering like some white cloud. With every ripple, Kai could see the hideous sign of convoluted red-blue Yin and Yang, with a thousand different weapons jutting out from the red one''s periphery. "Use of Skills, Abilities, or any supernatural strength, is forbidden here and within the City to harm others," Lucy told him. Is she warning me? Kai thought, amusingly. All these things he had already known. But just marching by himself, especially when he was a newly ascended Contestant with no organization to back him up, would have been playing into the hands of his enemy. He was already on the hit list of the Temple of Hastur. No need to make things more difficult than they already were. Lucy led him to a road laid with granite pavement, horse carts running up and down on it. "If you want to join an Organization, Mr. Desmond," she said, walking on the side of the road, "then you can do so by entering the numbered tents. You can also trade materials, Items, and miscellaneous things within the numbered tents as well. Otherwise, you can just go to the Royal tent directly."This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Kai listened to everything, gawking at the tents lined on both sides of the road. Signs of scuffles, magic, and even death were there, just for the experienced eyes to see. It was quite a regulated place, he realized, remembering that, unlike the 1st Set, there was considerable Royal presence from the 2nd Set onwards. "Are we going to just walk?" Kai asked, eying the royal tent a few miles down the road. "Can''t we hire a horse cart?" Lucy blushed again, but this time, the colors were bordering on shame. "They cost extra MCs," she said meekly. "I¡­" Kai laughed. "I will pay, of course," he said. "You will?!" Lucy exclaimed, but then remembered her manners and apologized. "I am sorry, Mr. Desmond. I shouldn''t have assumed things beforehand. Let me hire a carriage then." Kai wanted to say she had assumed correctly. As of now, he was poorer than most Contestants ascending to the 4th floor. Still, many things became easier if you just acted like you had money, even if you didn''t possess it, he had learned. Not to mention, he always had information to trade at the Primordial Tower Trade Market, especially after gaining those new Stats. Lucy hurried away from Kai, taking small steps in quick succession. She returned with a Barouche behind her heels, the driver eying Kai in confusion and doubt. "50 MC to the Royal Station of Stantonharold," the driver said, demanding the payment affront, and taking out his Credits Storage Card. Kai paid him easily. Once he got the payment, the driver''s entire personality turned about. He smiled, jumped off his seat, and opened the door to the carriage. Kai climbed up, and let out a breath, taking a seat under the shade of a collapsible roof. The driver shut the door then. "Huh?" Kai looked down and found Lucy staring away back to where they''d come from. "You aren''t coming with me, Ms. Lucy?!" The driver spun his head, planting his fat eyes on him. "She''s a fucking resident," he spat, assuming that Kai didn''t know. "Let her run off." Meg told me nothing about this, Kai thought. He couldn''t relate how Lucy was any different from this driver, who was an old Contestant from the way he had just talked. Kai could kill them both if he wanted to, and that made them both equal in his eyes. So, the driver''s reasoning felt neither here nor there to Kai. "Come up," he said, opening the door with a kick. "Your voice is sweet." Kai couldn''t have bothered about Lucy if the driver hadn''t tried to force his ideals on him as well. Now that he had, it amused Kai to irritate him a little. Let''s see what happens; curiosity tickled him, whispering in his mind. Lucy looked up at him in disbelief, and climbed up in a stunned stupor, taking a seat opposite Kai. Behind her, the driver fumed. "That''s another 50 MC," he said. "Now." Kai threw the mission credits. The whip snapped once the ugly business was done. Kai felt the surge of emotions coming out of Lucy. He licked his lips, almost on the verge of sucking out her bubbling happiness, but thought better of it upon remembering the enchantments. "Continue," Kai said, looking around as the carriage picked speed. "Yes¡­ Yes, Mr. Desmond," Lucy stuttered and then took a deep breath to compose herself. "The City of Leisure is divided into 100 nations. Generally, Set Lords of the 1st Set are given the presidency of the nations. With time, each nation has come to hold a sizable number of noble families. Strong Contestants and these nobles hold many important diplomatic positions. But it''s the royal family that truly rules the city." The driver snorted as Lucy''s speech ended. Kai ignored him and nodded at Lucy, urging her to continue. "There are 307 major gates spanned across the City of Leisure, Mr. Desmond," she whispered, leaning forward. "The royal tent where you are going is the Train Station of Stantonharold nation. Steam locomotives depart for the nation''s gate hourly, and you can buy yourself a ticket just for 5 MC. If you want to go to another Arrival Zone outside the city walls, then you can do so from the royal stations as well. The Royal Wizards have established portkeys, linking the stations among themselves. You can pay 20 MC to go to any Royal Station you want. But you must get your City-pass first." Kai amused himself with the thrilling emotion dancing across Lucy''s eyes. He and Meg had decided to meet at the Royal Station of Buckfastleigh, before heading for the nation together. The reason was simple. Buckfastleigh had a major Temple of Byagoona hidden within it, and Meg had ways to find out its location without Kai breaking the Iron Coin. Lucy kept saying random things, her eyes brimming with enthusiasm, and by the time they reached the station, she was almost laughing. The driver didn''t spend over one second, opening the carriage''s door, and throwing a condescending look at Lucy as she stepped out, followed by Kai. He craned his neck up, seeing the royal tent reaching towards the sky like a lance. The flutters of the banner reached his ears like the flaps of a thousand Great Redshanks'' wings. As the driver drove off the carriage, Kai looked at the entrance of the royal tent; a huge flap of cloth, parting in the middle. Outside the tent, on the entrance''s flanks, there were two guards in white armor, a thin slit in their visor, letting them peek out at the world. Each had a greatsword in their hands, the tip of the swords pointing down. White cloaks hung down from their shoulders, and as an occasional gust lifted them, Kai saw the royal coat of arms on them too. A steaming whistle reached him suddenly, crawling its way up the tent. "The White Guards of the Royal Police Force!" Lucy shouted over the whistle''s sound, seeing in the same direction. "I have heard some Contestants say that they are very strong." They are strong indeed, Kai thought, sensing the pulsating Mana around them. Almost as strong as Yannis, but with those armors on them, I can''t say with certainty. "Mmm¡­" Oh, yeah! I forgot, Kai recalled. "100 MC right?" Lucy nodded, taking out her Credits Storage Card. When Kai had paid her, she bowed as low as her hat allowed her. "Thank you, Mr. Desmond," she said. "I will remember your name." Giving Kai a last deep look, Lucy stole her eyes away, turned around, and stalked off, keeping herself to the side of the road. Kai''s gaze followed her as her figure became a blue speck of light, before disappearing altogether, heading once again to Contestant''s arrival spot. After some time, Kai looked up and stared at the sky, thinking of a fate that could''ve been his if his mother had been alive. "If¡­". Chapter 173: The Existence Kai shook his head, brought his mind to reality, and then walked towards the tent''s entrance. The guards didn''t even spare a glance at him, but Kai''s Perception did catch a hint of threat seeping out of them as if in the next moment their swords would come for his back. There were two barricades in front of Kai as he entered. An official was demanding City-passes from everyone, standing in between them. "Just ascended," Kai said, nearing him. The official nodded and opened the left barricade for him to pass. An enormous hall opened itself to him, its walls lined with many counters. Contestants had lined themselves up, keeping a sizable gap between each other. Hard-faced Contestants, wearing a white overcoat with the royal badge on their chests, were making rounds in the Hall. Kai slowly joined a line and waited for his turn. After some time, Kai found himself facing a woman, formally dressed and quite powerless. "Code Name," she demanded. "Red." The woman didn''t even raise as much as an eyebrow and just wrote the name, stamped a seal, and then signed over it hastily. It seemed she had had her fill with all gods, demons, devils, colors, and flowers, and now nothing could grab her attention anymore. She handed the document to Kai and said, "Next." Kai followed the signs on the walls to head towards the Portkeys counters, meanwhile going through the instructions mentioned in the document. All was as mentioned by Meg, Kai reflected. Among the major points was that within the next 6 months, he must participate in the battle once after ascending to the 4th floor for the first time. Then, if he wanted to settle down for a long term in any nation, he must get a job within 6 months after his battle. If he managed to get a job, then he could report this to any local Custom Office and get his City-pass extended. Otherwise, he must take part in another battle that would automatically extend his stay by another 6 months. Everything is quite methodical about all this, Kai noticed. Why leave the 1st Set as a lawless region then? Yeah, it''s big. But with so much time in their hands, they could''ve gotten it all sorted out in a few centuries, if not decades. The City of Assignments! As the name of the city ran through his mind, Kai suddenly recalled Meg''s words, explaining the reason it was called so. So, Kai thought, smiling, they have deliberately left the 1st Set alone so that the top organizations could have their way with children and their parents. Wonderful! It took him another hour to get a ticket to the Royal Station of Buckfastleigh. Kai reached a room whose number matched the one on his ticket. A man in a white overcoat was already waiting for him, it seemed to Kai. "Hurry," the man told him. "You are the last one." Kai entered the hall-like room and found over 10 men and women staring back at him. In the middle of the room, there was an earthen pot, its edges broken and worn. "OK," the official said loudly, checking the time on his watch. "I don''t have all day. Touch it already, you fools. What''re you waiting for?" They all hurried, pressing their fingers hard against the solid. Kai had heard about the Portkeys from Meg, but this would be his first time. As seconds passed, the faintest hint of anticipation in his heart became nervousness. He lifted his head to see around, and at this exact moment, everything spun. Kai felt as if someone had hooked him from within around his navel and was pulling him away. As his sight blurred, the only thing he remembered thinking of was that he hadn''t eaten something after his arrival. His finger seemed to have been glued to the pot, as he swirled and swirled, and before he knew it, he slammed on the hard floor. His hold over the pot finally loosened. "Get up!" someone shouted. "I won''t have you dirtying the floor here. Take out your City-passes and Portkey tickets."If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Kai pushed himself up, gritting his teeth, as the nauseating feeling abated by itself in a few moments. The official exclaimed, checking the documents. "You must have been to a sea-based Random World," he said, giving him back the City-pass. "Sailors seem to be less prone to vomiting after using a portkey to travel." Kai walked out of the room, his mouth pressed hard. He could feel the hint of bile in his throat, an acidic, burning sensation. "Here!" Kai recognized the voice. He looked to his left, and there she was, a red goddess in a purple gown. Meg approached him, turning heads and eyes alike behind her. "Are you alright, master?" she asked, whispering the last word. "Yeah," he lied. "Have you got the tickets?" Meg nodded. "Next train is in half an hour," she said. "Would you like to eat something meanwhile?" "God, no!" Kai spat. "How long would it take to reach the nation?" "3 hours," Meg answered. "Let''s have supper on the train then." To that, Kai agreed. * * The coaches were clean on the train. They were about to reach their destination. Kai had bread, eggs, and tea, a light meal to stomach the food. Meg had added a cut of venison and wine in place of tea to her supper. "There will be an auction after a week, master," she said, passing him the newspaper. "If you are lucky¡­ Ahem! If we are lucky, then we might get a pair of good sabers for you as well." Fangs were good, but with the increasing difficulties, Kai was bound to face even stronger enemies. It was more so when he would compress the Main Missions of three floors into one, raising the overall grade. Not to mention, the Tournament of Worth was on the horizon. Kai nodded at Meg, rolling the Iron Coin across his knuckles. The train was losing its momentum with every second now. "Don''t worry," Meg said, giggling, noticing the Iron Coin. "Even the High Priest wouldn''t have guessed that we would arrive here." "He can, using the sacrifices, though," Kai retaliated. "Or am I wrong?" "No." She shook her head. "We aren''t 1st Set Contestants anymore, master. The quality of sacrifices increases with a Contestant''s Stats and floor. And once we get accepted as the Tournament of Worth''s Candidates tomorrow, even he wouldn''t be able to know anything about us." Her words did make sense to him. Yet, something felt wrong. An eerie sensation, a distant thread of an unseen web attached to the back of his neck. Or was it some aftereffect of portkey travel? Sigh! Kai stood up, seeing the platform approaching from the window. I will go with my instincts then. The master and servant stepped out of the train and headed for the exit. They were already in the city, Kai realized, as he saw the humongous Wall beyond the last train''s carriage looming over the roofless station. He put his thumb over the Iron Coin, which was still in his left hand, his heart pounding for some inexplicable reason. Meg was walking a step ahead of him, her head bobbing around in all directions. She had already asked what he was trying to say before teleportation. But Kai brushed it off, saying that he was making some jest. Suddenly, as he was thinking of the White Room, Kai recalled the words he had seen just before he arrived in the Primordial Tower. Constant Vigilance! "Hey!" Kai called out to her. "What these¡­" She looked over her shoulder, and their eyes matched. His pure hazels looked into his deep, wild browns. Kai blinked. Then she was gone. His heart bombarded his chest, and his thumb, like an automatic switch, pressed over the coin, breaking it in half easily as if it was forged to be broken. Only then did Kai notice he couldn''t hear anything. And how could he? There was no one around him. Every single person had vanished, leaving behind the platform in deathly silence. Then, out of nowhere, the sound of light steps echoed behind him. "Turn around," an unknown, ancient voice rippled. Kai''s body betrayed him, turning around involuntarily. If they could, his eyes would have widened, seeing the person¡­ no, the existence he was now looking at. Wearing pale yellow robes was an Existence. The Existence''s skin was as white as Selene''s scales. He had a bald head, and there were two curved, white horns over, rising high from his forehead. His right eye was shut tight, and his left eye was a mass of purple, covered in many black rings of concentric circles with what looked like three commas on the innermost ring. The Existence adjusted his right hand a little, and Kai saw he was holding something. A wand. Around 15 inches long, and had round spheres along its length. Quite ordinary. But Meg had once drawn this exact wand for him at his request, for she had told him this was the strongest Wand in the Random World of Harry Potter. The Elder Wand! And now, even Kai''s heart had refused to listen to his thoughts, calming down by itself. "Come, then," the Existence smiled. "We are looking forward to our nice evening walk." Chapter 174: The Creator of Soul-Blood Oath! Kai walked behind the yellow Existence as if he were his shadow. His feet moved; muscles stretched and contracted involuntarily. He blinked, pupils adjusting to the black of night; no sign of light anywhere, the houses around him dark and lifeless. He could think and sense the odd sensations coursing through his body. That''s all he could seem to do now. Kai felt it, his Abilities, Inventory, and Skills. He could use them, yes. But his body didn''t listen to him. The only thing he had managed to do was to lock his emotions for any plausible Legilimency. He wondered whether an Advance Ability would stand against this thing walking in front of him or not. As they strolled on the hard, straight street, Kai noticed that the man''s yellow robes were considerably longer, a foot of the cloth trailing over the street without getting soiled. And the rim of these robes was tattered as if once upon a time a million thorns had clawed at it. The Existence''s horns twisted as he slowly looked over his shoulder. "Walk by Our side," he said. His voice felt like birds singing and lions roaring. Kai''s body obeyed. When he reached the Existence''s left, they continued the walk. "Young ones are bold," the Existence said, smiling and looking at Kai, which creeped the soul out of him. "But also predictable. Tell Us, how does one catch something that is quite elusive by ordinary means?" What''s going on?! Kai thought, his mind racing. How can I speak when I can''t even open my mouth? "Oh, but you can, young man!" the Existence replied, shocking Kai''s conscious self. "Just concentrate enough. Turn your thoughts into your words, and they will come out." He¡­ He is reading my mind?! The thought terrified Kai. The horned being shook his head. "No, We aren''t," he told Kai. "At one point, it becomes obvious. Do you always question yourself before walking? Do you ask yourself whether to put the left foot first or right? No. Now, let''s try it once again. How does one catch something that is quite elusive by ordinary means?" They had crossed many houses by now, dark shades abandoning Kai as if scared by the man''s presence. Kai didn''t believe him but did as he was told. He thought about the answer, taking into consideration the monster walking beside him, and then concentrated hard. He felt as if he was funneling out his thoughts, and then suddenly, his lips parted, words coming out like strangers. "Run along with it," he said. "In your frame of reference, the running object would become stationary, eliminating the concept and need to catch it. How can something be elusive when it''s stationary by all definitions of science in your reference?" The Existence raised his eyebrows, his smile lengthened, and then he nodded. "We as well have thought of it once," he told Kai. "And doesn''t that say something about you, young man? Extraordinary. Alas! It''s been over 2000 years, but We have yet to catch the Roadrunner. This century perhaps¡­" What the¡­? Kai cursed, but then something else took over his senses. A multitude of bright flashes bloomed in the sky. Kai couldn''t lift his head, but even then it felt to him as if hundreds of stars were exploding, shaking the boundaries of space-time in unknown and incomprehensible colors. The Existence smiled, the commas in his purple eyes revolving and twisting. "Your friends?" he asked. "Show me your left hand." Kai''s body seemed too eager, lifting the hand with a jerk. The fingers uncurled, and then the broken Iron Coin came to open. "For you to break it in that instant was already commendable," the Existence told Kai, now ignoring the flashes altogether. "We didn''t know the High Priest of Many-Faced God is so interested in you for him to descend in person. Don''t worry. He won''t be disturbing our evening walk. The kid lacks what it takes to breach the boundary of my Limbo."The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Did he¡­ Kai''s thoughts rampaged within his mind. Did he just call a High Priest a kid?! A fucking kid?! Is he¡­ No! It can''t be. Why would someone like him descend for a nobody like me? By now Meg had told him enough about the structure of clergy in the Temples. All devotees were named Priests below the 4th Set, with each Temple having their own internal power structure differentiating between many priests. In the Temple of Hastur, such Priests were given titles of Deacons and a number according to their status. A High Priest was a Contestant who commanded all the devotees below the 5th Set, his seat of rest being the 15th floor itself. In the 4th Set, selective Deacons and the Priests of the 9th floor, upon ascending, were awarded the title of Bishops. They collectively formed a Council of Bishops led by the Chief Bishop, whose seat was on the 12th floor. Those who didn''t become Bishops even after reaching the 12th floor were simply called Priests or Priestesses. Meg was one of such Contestants. Priests, Deacons, Bishops, Chief Bishops, and then came the High Priest. For the Existence to call the High Priest a kid¡­ Kai was suddenly having an immense sense of foreboding, but¡­ there was a shadow of relief on his face as well. The Existence noticed that shadow and said, "Margrethe must have told you about top-floor Contestants becoming worse than ordinary people once descended so low into the Tower, right? She isn''t wrong. We are worse than a 1st floor dog right now. We can''t use our Senses, Skills, Abilities, or anything that makes us¡­ unordinary. True. But there are things beyond the realm of Stats too, young man. Here, take the left turn." Kai tossed and turned the words in his head, as his body took a left turn. Before they were walking on a wide street, but now, the street had almost become an alley. The white-skinned being turned his head to look at Kai and smiled again as if he knew what questions had risen in Kai''s mind just now. "The High Priest of the Temple of the Yellow King isn''t like the old one," the Existence began, talking slowly. "This kid has even more anger inside him than the anger We are sensing inside you. Anger leads to irrational decisions, like ordering a priestess to kill you based on absurd assumptions. He was indeed coming for you, but We decided against it. We already had important things to discuss with you. And now, after meeting you, it seems We have even more things to add to them." What''s he on about? Kai thought incredibly. Does he mean to say he isn''t here because of Meg? "No, We are not here for Margrethe," the Existence said, his voice pinning down Kai''s thoughts. "HE knows the child has suffered too much already. First from her fallen status, then from her subordinates. She has devoted herself to HIM, and those who have devoted themselves to HIS faith would never betray HIM. Our Temple is for HIS service, not for HIM, of course." This¡­ Kai remembered this last sentence. Petyr had once said something similar to him before his teleportation out of the Pokemon World. The Temple of Hastur is not Hastur! "When We created the Soul-Blood Oath," the Existence continued as if it was the most ordinary thing to say, "the purpose was to give strayed Priests and Priestesses a chance to distance themselves from the Temple if they desired so. But one can''t just come and go as one pleases in Temple''s service, either. So We designed it in a way that one would need to pay a heavy price for their freedom. That price was enslavement. "Ironic, isn''t it? It had amused Us for quite some time, but then we lost interest and forgot about it. So, no. We are not here for you enslaving her. However, We are indeed curious about knowing what made her betray the Temple. Would you share the secret with Us? No? Anyway, you did well not taking her virginity. It was promised to someone else, even though she may not remember it now. And that statement should suffice in itself." Kai felt overwhelmed by all the things said to him by this man. He created the Soul-Blood Oath? Didn''t Meg tell him that the Soul-Blood Oath had been in the Temple for thousands of years and its structure couldn''t be changed when he had asked for the reason for her taking the oath in Hastur''s name? Why did he have one of the most powerful things from both Naruto and Harry Potter World? Yes, he had recognized both the Rinnegan and the Elder Wand. The most perplexing thing was the claim that this man wasn''t here because of the Oath at all, despite Kai and Meg having been worrying and preparing about it since the moment she had come to his service. What was the reason for his presence, then? Kai''s thoughts were like a quagmire, dense, viscous, and filthy. He was sure he would go insane if he didn''t get some answers soon. "No need to panic," the Existence said. "We will start with the least important of the things." Kai stared back at the creature. White lips parted and the most ridiculous and puzzling question entered Kai''s ears. "Tell me, young man," the Existence asked. "What is your relationship with the Deep Ones?" Chapter 175: The Deep Ones of the Multiverse and the Old Ones of the Primordial Tower! How many Ones were there?! Kai couldn''t help but ask himself, as the horned creature waited for his answer, still walking elegantly, deeper and deeper into the long alley. As the silence persisted, the Priest turned to look at Kai. For the first time, Kai saw a puzzled look on his face. "You don''t know? How could you not know?" the Existence asked. "Do you even know of the Deep Ones, then?" Kai didn''t have to reply. What clues the creature saw written on his face, he didn''t know, but the creature smiled again, the puzzled expression vanishing like smoke. "We read the reports about the commotion caused by certain Red for enslaving a fallen Priestess, and the talks of this Contestant having Blessings from another Temple," the Existence said, looking forward again. "Then, We thought the kid from the 15th floor must have mistaken a Blessing from a Deep One with Blessing from a Temple, the latter being easier to acquire than the former, of course. "But you don''t even know what We are talking about, do you?" A chance! In this abominable situation, Kai''s mind reared with an uncharacteristic laugh, seeing a chance to know more about the topic. His instinct suggested nodding. Nod, and the creature would tell you secrets that would take years, or probably decades, to reach his ears, otherwise. Kai followed those instincts, but he failed to stir his head. "I don''t know what you are talking about," he said. "I have no Blessings." "Hmm¡­ We are not so sure¡­ Perhaps?" the Existence mumbled to himself, looking at Kai. "Priestess Margarethe would have told you about it all if it wasn''t a part of her sealed memories. Though, We are sure she must have tried to warn you at least once. It makes sense now. But that doesn''t mean We are done with this point. You are still marked by the Deep Ones, despite not having the benefit of it, and not by one, but three. "Let''s see¡­ Roll up the sleeves on your right arm." Suddenly, Kai didn''t know why, but he recalled the extremely puzzled expression on Meg''s face when he was hoaxing Andrik on the ship. His body followed, a dreadful feeling rising in his mind. He knew what lay under his long sleeve. Sure enough, as he rolled the sleeves up, dark, foul imprints of ten long fingers appeared visible even in this darkness. The Dementor had grabbed him before being devoured by Kai. The man lifted his wand hand and pressed the tip of the wand on one of those imprints. It burned! If Kai hadn''t lost control of his muscles, he would have winced already. Yet, the sensation of touching something extremely hot metal got sent to his mind, where his thoughts faced the full brunt of his unresponsive nerves. "Mark of Death," the man said, looking up at Kai, and smiling, "the Deep One from the Harry Potter Random World." When Kai thought the man would look away, he pointed the wand in his eyes. Now his eyes burned. An even more powerful, but equally actual heat bubbled inside his eyes. Kai couldn''t even close his eyelids, and thus, he saw the thinnest thread of flame coming out of his both eyes. These flame threads were so thin that even hair would have looked thick when near them. "Mark of R''hllor, the Lord of Light," the Existence said, flicking his wand, "the Deep One from the Game of Thrones Random World. But there is one more ¡ª " As the flame threads returned to his eyes, burning them, the tip of the Elder Wand touched the back of his neck, where the spine transitioned into the brain, and a watery shiver ran down his spine. He felt a thread-like river gurgling on his back, tracing the skin over his spine up and down. Finally, the Existence snatched the wand away and smiled. "Mark of the Drowned God," he said, "the Deep One from the Game of Thrones Random World as well. But it''s the strongest of the three. You didn''t piss HIM off, did you?"If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Piss HIM off? Kai had bloody pretended to be HIM! "I told you. I know nothing about the Deep Ones," Kai said, struggling to keep his emotions in check, as the Advance Emotion Ability almost failed when he heard the last question. The white-skinned being''s Rinnegan lingered on Kai''s face for a moment, and then he looked away. "You must know about the Old Ones by now," he said. "This memory wasn''t locked because it''s quite common in the Primordial Tower once a Contestant gains a bit of strength. Deep Ones are beings similar to the Old Ones of the Primordial Tower, but THEIR Authorities are scattered across the Multiverse. "Consider the Drowned God, for example. In each Game of Thrones timeline, there is a Deep One named the Drowned God. Such an Authority demands a price, young man. It indeed has helped the Drowned God to spread HIS influence close to infinity, but now HE is barely a HE. That''s why no Deep One has ever managed to infiltrate the Primordial Tower. "Oh, yes. THEY have tried, indeed. But one glance of an Old One is enough to thwart those attempts. It''s good that you asked this, as your fate doesn''t seem good. I hope you have enough Luck to counter this all." Kai became incredibly silent then, and even the man didn''t seem to have anything to say. They kept walking, taking turns, going deeper into the city. It was then that a fact struck Kai''s mind. "What about the Old Ones?" Kai asked, firing the question. "Can they infiltrate the Multiverse?" The Existence stopped, smiled, and then nodded. "Not bad," he said. "Took you only 3 minutes to realize the loophole. Maybe there is still hope for Chaos. Are you thinking about the Many-Faced God?" Kai nodded with his eyes, his thoughts steeling themselves for the answer. "HE is the only one among the Old Ones who had infiltrated the Multiverse countless ages ago," the Existence said, looking up at the sky as if recalling some ancient fairytale. "The rest of the Old Ones weren''t pleased with HIM. So THEY decided to push HIM out of the Primordial Tower for good. But by then, Byagoona had taken root in the Random World of Game of Thrones under the name of the Black Goat, dividing HIS Authorities between the Primordial Tower and all other Multiverse timelines. It is near impossible to kill that has the word Infinite attached to it, young man. "But the Old Ones persisted, for who knows how many millions of years. At last, when THEY were about to triumph in THEIR endeavors, Byagoona used HIS followers from the timelines to create a new identity. The Lion of Night. Once again, the process repeated. Then HE became something else. It kept happening until HE became the Many-Faced God. At last, the Old Ones made a last attempt." The Existence looked at Kai meaningfully. "That''s how we got the Seven Gods of Westeros in the end, making Byagoona the most peculiar among all the Old Ones," he said. "But We don''t think it was worth it. Look where it has left HIS followers. "Now the Temple of Byagoona is like a minor cult, whose priests think knowing secrets can compensate for the lack of power. Their eccentric nature has made them quite mysterious and unpredictable, especially when combined with their influence in the timelines of Game of Thrones, but it''s also the reason for their downfall. No wonder the Temple of Byagoona hasn''t seen a Contestant of King level in tens of thousands of years among their circle." They halted. The Existence narrowed his eyes, his face turning to look in some unknown direction. "The Temple of Byagoona is dying a slow, excruciating death," he mumbled, less for Kai''s ears and more to himself. "It doesn''t look good for HIM as well. The day when HIS priests will have to seek devotees from the 1st Set will be the beginning of HIS true annihilation. Let''s continue. We are almost there." Why did he tell me all this? Kai asked himself at last. And what are these Authorities? Is it the same as my Cosmic Authority? Nothing had come to him without a price, and this was the only reason he still hadn''t declared the System his enemy to himself. Chaos at least demanded a price for answering his questions. "The reason for Us telling you all this is the same as why We won''t tell you about the Authorities," the Existence said, regaining his smile. "All the things that you learned from Us, come under the price We needed to pay to use this Limbo on the 4th floor. Chaos doesn''t play favorites. Remember¡­ "Life never gives anything for nothing, and a price is always exacted for what fate bestows. "Thing is, the Deep Ones just don''t mark anyone without cursing or blessing them, and it''s not like one can just call THEIR names for THEM to consider one. So, what is the reason for three Deep Ones to leave THEIR marks on you? What is so¡­ Special about you?" Kai didn''t answer, concentrating all his thoughts on locking his emotions. It was his Glitch that had caught THEIR attention, he guessed. He didn''t know how, but what else could be the reason? He had nothing on him that came close to its mystery. "Very well," the Existence said, not asking the same question again. "We think the reason for this is related to another thing We have originally come to discuss with you." Suddenly, the man flicked his hand, taking out another wand. Inside Kai, Selene shuddered. She had been prudent enough to not show herself as per his orders. Even before leaving the Arrival Zone, he had told her to not come out unless ordered to do so. It now felt like a brilliant decision, for all thoughts blasted apart in Kai''s mind, his soul freezing in a chill of fright, as he saw that wand. It was the Coreless Wand that once belonged to Kai as his Item. The Coreless Wand that he had sacrificed to Hastur. Chapter 176: The Book – An Old One’s Desire! No one wand ever looked the same, not even the Coreless ones. Kai recognized it in an instant. It was his once, no doubt. He had sacrificed to Hastur. What was it doing with this monster? Had the Old One bestowed it upon him like he had given the Battleax to Andrik? And if HE had, then why? For what heinous purpose and for what cruel scheme? Kai''s eyes gawked at the wand, his body unresponsive to his tumultuous thoughts. The Existence brought his hand forward, letting Kai inspect the wand. "This must not come as a shock to you," he said, smiling at Kai. "One can''t just stumble upon HIM and back away with no repercussions, young man. We have served HIM for thousands of years, and We know beings like HIM could have no interest in you, no matter how special you may be in the eyes of the Deep Ones. "When We got the revelation about you, it surprised Us. Not because of your strength, but because of your foolishness. We won''t say sacrifice ''it'' to HIM. No. What is yours, will stay yours, and thus, it must be you and you alone who get to decide what to do with ''it''. Such are the rules adhered to by all in the Primordial Tower. But¡­ We must warn you. Nothing good has ever come from possessing a thing that THEY desire. "Sharing even this same desire can turn one into a simpleton." What is he talking about? Kai thought incredulously. What is ''it''? How is this anything relevant to the Coreless Wand and my sacrifice? Does he know about my Parseltongue? No matter what angle Kai used to look at the things said by the possessor of the Rinnegan, he couldn''t figure out what he was implying. The Existence flicked his hand again, sending the Coreless Wand back to his Inventory. He looked away, the smile on his face vanishing. "Surely your eyes aren''t suggesting that you haven''t figured out what We are talking about, are they?" he asked. "The Book. Would you let me have a look at It?" Kai''s mind went blank. Some primal demon rose in his heart, erasing all thoughts. At this moment, he had only one direction to follow. No matter what, he must not take the Book out or even accept that he had it. The Blood Demon had finally taken over. The Will to Defy had claimed his mind; stronger than ever. The Existence sensed something. He narrowed his eyes, furrowed his brows, and opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it. "We were told that the Book thwarted HIS attempts of knowing its secrets," the horned being said, unsmiling. "For the Book to break contact with HIM by itself, it must have a living characteristic. We saw an immense Blood World in our revelation, but the Book shattered the world before HE could seep HIS Authorities into it. Is that Blood World, an essence of the Book? Or is it yours? I wonder¡­ Speak. Have you forgotten how to speak?" Yes, I have, Kai told himself. Now, he just hoped like all the disappeared figures, Selene wouldn''t disappear upon letting her come out. He was ready to sacrifice her now. Contrary to his thoughts, the Existence suddenly laughed. "No need to be so nervous," he told Kai. "We must follow Chaos'' laws if We want to live any longer too. According to the System''s rules, We will trade the Book, of course, and the System will witness the trade itself. Would you like to hear what Our offer is? "Knowledge We can give you if that is your obsession. We can open paths for you to trigger the most hidden of the Hidden Missions. Of the Origin of the Force, Magic, and the Otsutsuki Clan, We know enough too. We can help you in becoming a personal disciple of one of the Gotei 13. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "And if you desire women, then We can arrange that as well. There are Kingdoms, full of main-storyline female Characters, in the conquered timelines. How does that sound? You can have your pick. Not a terrible trade, right? Do you agree?" No, I fucking don''t! Kai''s thoughts roared in his mind. He just knew that the moment he agreed to it, he would lose the Book. Words were winds, Petyr had told him many times. All things seemed undeniably tempting to him, but when he considered that even an Old One desired the Tales of the Beedle the Bard, without even knowing what it was, then he would do all that he could to hold on to it. Not to mention, now that he knew why the Blood World of his Blood Prophecy had shattered, preventing Hastur from infiltrating it, he couldn''t help but see a ray of hope. A ray of hope to stand against HIM. The Existence didn''t ask again. This trait was noticeable. He presented his words, his offers, and his questions, and if needed, he would repeat questions to clear doubts, but never did he urge or force Kai. It almost felt to Kai that this creature didn''t give a rat shit about anything. With these thoughts giving him strength, Kai kept his mouth shut, his eyes open and defiant. "As you wish," the Existence finally said, looking disappointed. "No good would come to you by holding onto that Book, let me assure you, young man." A threat?! Now Kai laughed inwardly. All things that had tried to belittle or judge him had fueled his defiance. Come, then, you white piece of shit! Why not lift your Limbo or whatever, and we will see who''s the demon here? "We are here," the Existence said, stopping in front of an ordinary two-story building. "Come. We will deal with the last and the most important thing inside." As the man stepped forward, the door opened by itself. They entered a corridor with stairs leading up to the upper floors. There was no sign of anyone here as well, and everything was gray, dark, and bleak. Kai''s body followed the man, heading for the stairs, and noting these details in the back of his mind. They stepped up. And then they stepped down. The sudden change of perspective took Kai by surprise, his mind reeling to perceive what had just happened. He had taken the first step on the stairs leading up, but now he was stepping down. "Little tricks," the Existence said, without looking back. "Nothing to be surprised about." Down, into the darkness, Kai could see a door lining itself up, marking the end of the stairs. Once again the door opened itself, and the Existence stepped in. As Kai stepped down the last stairs, his gaze landed on the top horizontal section of the door frame. Above it, carved into the wall, was a sign. Kai recognized it at one glance. By now, he had drawn it many times. It was the Yellow Sign. It clicked within Kai''s mind that they had come to some hidden location of the Temple of Hastur, unknown even to Meg, as she had told him that there was only one Temple in this nation, belonging to Byagoona. Or her memory of it could''ve been locked as well, he reasoned. Kai crossed the threshold with a calm heart and full of apprehensive thoughts, thinking what could be more important than an Old One lusting after his Item. The moment he entered, his eyes landed on the same Yellow Sign carved on the full length of the pale yellow wall opposite him. The entire room glowed with a sickly yellow color, bringing a hue other than ash to this world for the first time. A mat, embroidered with the Yellow Sign at its center, was placed in the middle of the room, its patternless boundaries extending on all sides to let people sit without covering the Sign itself. A wardrobe, a mirror, covered under a yellow veil, and a bookshelf were there as well. Kai noticed that this room had no other door or window, either. "Shut the door behind you," the Existence said, turning around. Kai''s hand went for the door''s handle and gently closed it, though he wondered why they needed to close the door when no one could see or hear them. "THEY can," the Existence told Kai, "even if others can''t. Precautions are necessary against THEIR gazes, as that''s all one can do. Sit. We have little time left." Kai''s body went to one side of the mat, and sat down, with the man sitting down crossed-leg opposite him, keeping the Yellow Sign pattern in between them. Suddenly, the Existence''s expression changed. And utter horror claimed Kai''s mind. Pity. Yes, that''s the word. Kai saw pity in that single, many-ringed purple eye. "The prime thing We have left to discuss has three parts," the Existence told Kai. "A Tale, a Gift, and a Curse. We will start with the tale first ¡ª "And you must not blame Us for what is about to happen, for HIS tattered robes have billowed and We must obey." Chapter 177: The Tale of Two Brothers! There was a fascinating silence in the room. The Existence stared into Kai''s eyes, trying to engulf this silence. "There were once two brothers," the white-skinned being began solemnly. "One was a year older than the other. They were orphans, and when death came for them, they died together as well. Both were resurrected in the Primordial Tower and arrived in the Chaos'' Valley. Their Initiation Mission took them to the Naruto Random World, and what they learned there became the outline for their future; their everything." Kai listened as the two words gift and curse nailed him down. He didn''t know what was the point of this tale, but he knew what would follow it, and the creepiness was crawling its way up from his heart to his mind. "It didn''t take long for their names to shake the Tower, either," the Existence continued. "But the reason for their stupendous growth was unknown to many. It turned out that in their Initiation Mission, the brothers had been Blessed by a Deep One. "The younger brother got the Blessing of Kekkei Genkai, Byakugan, while the older brother got the Kekkei Genkai, Sharingan. Now equipped with their Blessings, no one could stand in front of them, especially when the brothers combined their powers. By the time they reached the 15th floor, only Kings could hope to fight them on the same footing. "Such was the legend left behind by the brothers who went by a single name; Conqueror." Kai even failed to fathom what kind of power they must have possessed. "Alas, things changed once the brothers ascended to the 16th floor," the Existence said, his voice sharp, emotionless, but still solemn. "Both brothers loved each other deeply, but in between them now stood the very things that have brought them up. Their Blessings. The older brother, the user of Sharingan, thought that now they must look towards the Temples. In the Old Ones, he saw a path that seemed to have closed for him. "The younger brother thought otherwise. In the end, it''s one''s own strength that matters, such were his thoughts. He told his older brother that they should stick together, and one day they would surpass the limits of their Blessings." After saying those words, the Existence stood up. But Kai knew the tale had yet to end. He saw the horned being going to the wardrobe, and taking out a pale candle, a knife, and an iron pot. A terrifying thought crossed his mind, and Kai hoped the tale would never end. The Existence placed the candle in the middle of the Yellow Sign and then put the knife and the pot in between the candle and himself. Then he sat down again and looked at Kai. "This disagreement between the brothers became a conflict, and at last, they parted," he said, slowly. "The older brother joined the Temple, and the younger brother went back to the lower floors, restricting his Stats, and saying ''In restriction lies freedom.'' The pain of seeing his younger brother abandoning him tore the older one apart, and in a matter of days, the ensuing feelings of hatred also pushed his Blessing beyond the limits he had found impossible to surpass before.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "Yet, the younger brother didn''t return. With time, the Contestants forgot the name ¡ª Conqueror. The older brother climbed his way up effortlessly using his newly found powers, while the younger brother married, settling down on the lower floors." The Existence took a deep breath as if it was the first time in a long while that he had to breathe such strongly. He reached for the match and lit the candle. A long, weak flame flickered, yellowing the already yellow colors. "The younger brother trained his descendants in the way of Gentle Fist," the Existence whispered. "It was all in the hope that if trained from childhood, then they would have high chances to resurrect and have the Naruto Random World as their Initiation Mission after their natural death. And so it happened. "One after the other, the descendants of the younger brother were found to possess the Byakugan. It happened so many times that even the Empire took notice of them, giving them a special status. A time came when the Life Halt of the younger brother reached its end, and he died. The older brother''s arrogance and hatred prevented him from even visiting his brother''s funeral. "Yet, the descendants of the younger brother continued their progenitor''s teachings. But in the river of time, after thousands of years, they too died, leaving behind an uncommon legend of a great House. At last, only one girl remained of that bloodline. The last descendant." No¡­ Kai''s thoughts shrieked. No¡­ It can''t be. The Existence looked with an icy gaze at Kai. "The younger brother had named his family after his original surname from his previous life," he told Kai, before pausing, and then saying out loud and clear. "Hao." From the old Haos, only we have remained. We have become poor, but we still remember the old ways. Words rang inside Kai''s head like the clang of a million swords. But the tale was far from being over, and he must listen. He must. "The older brother, now in an unknown place with unfathomable power, cared less for these descendants," the Existence said, looking down into the frozen flame. "But with time comes wisdom as well. Thinking of the past, he arranged the girl''s wedding to a High Priest from a wealthy and honorable family. Yet, his husband turned out to be a fool, and died, leaving her broken and with a child. And, yes. With enemies too." Now, the tone changed. Its abruptness and implication terrified Kai so much that he almost ordered Selene to come out and lunge at the white man. "The older brother, going against the Empire and HIS revelation, helped the girl anonymously," said the Existence, narrowing his single purple eye. "He arranged for her to settle on the 2nd floor so that no Contestant having a grudge against her or her child would be foolish enough to descend and get himself killed under her supreme use of the Gentle Fist. "Then came a Contestant. He somehow made her child tell him about the Temples. The Contestant moved on, leaving behind a terrified mother. Seeing no other choice, and in fear for her son''s safety, the mother abandoned the safe house arranged by the older brother and went to the 1st floor, thinking this would bridge the gap between her and any Contestant descending that low in the Primordial Tower. "The beasts from the Temple of Amon-Gorloth responded soon enough, kidnapping her child before the news of all this could even reach the older brother. The City of Assignments has no mercy for children or their mothers. "She fought, killing hundreds. But numbers and Items overpowered her at last. They tortured her as her son watched. When they learned her ancestry, and that it was in the boy''s blood to resurrect and bring back Skills from Naruto Random World, they killed him. "In front of her eyes." Chapter 178: The Yellow Sign – Gift or Curse? The Existence lifted the knife, ran it over his wrist lightly, and let the blood fall into the pot. His blood had the color of a pale purple, with sprinkles of gold in it, like some divine mead. The wound didn''t heal, so the man tore his robe and wrapped it around the wrist. "The boy didn''t return," the Existence said. "The beasts couldn''t keep the broken mother for long, fearing a breakout and another slaughter. So they burned her and did that poorly. By the time the older brother found her, life was all but gone from her eyes." Only now the Existence lifted his face and looked into Kai''s eyes. "This is your Karma, Red," he told Kai. "And here the Tale ends. Now hear the rest. "We give you the life, body, and soul of Selena Hao, 10 Million Mission Credits, and a chance to untangle the highest Mysteries of the Primordial Tower and the Multiverse as a Gift. "However, under the rules set by Chaos and Order, We will have to Curse you in return. Do you accept?" Kai roared. Thoughts exploded in his mind, and using his bond with her, he passed his intention to Selene, ordering her to come out and kill this man. The silver mist, resting in his heart, churned and exploded out. But the moment it touched Kai''s skin, it bounced back as if whatever it was outside the boundary of Kai''s skin had repelled her. Once more, and then again. Selene kept trying to seep out from one hole or another, but by now, Kai had already given up on her. Now he shouted his minor epithets, hoping that it would let him resist the confinement of this Limbo. No reaction. Only one path left, Kai told himself, steeling his resolve. Come out, Petyr. He didn''t need to speak. Like his Items, he only needed to will for his presence and Petyr would come out of him, materializing into a soulless but solid being. Yet, like his inaccessible Inventory, even this failed. Now he had nothing left. His Instinct told him that if he wouldn''t accept it, then a fate unimaginably worse than this waited for him. "I¡­ accept." "Admirable!" the Existence praised. "You have the Will, Mind, and Attitude to become an Emperor." The white-skinned man flicked his hand, and a tank appeared in the room, filled with light green fluid. And curled inside this fluid was a mass of blackened flesh. Only when Kai concentrated enough did he make out hands and legs. Then came the notification. ¡­ [ Contestant ?!?###?!! is requesting to deposit a payment of 10,000,000 Mission Credits. Do you accept the transfer? ] ¡­ Kai had yet to take his eyes off the tank, so he just willed it. The hazels of his eyes were vacant. Yet, hidden deep in those eyes was profound ridicule. A silent scream of victory. The Existence again took a deep breath.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Kai noticed he couldn''t fill his lungs properly. The System''s restrictions were killing him just sitting there. The Existence lifted the Elder Wand, and then swished it in the air, drawing something unseen on the canvas of space itself. Yet, with every passing moment, Kai felt he was losing the tip of the wand, and he couldn''t trace its path. When the wand stopped, there hovered a pale sign in the air between the man and Kai. The Yellow Sign. "It is the Origin of all languages, written or spoken, in all Universes, and it is much more than that as well," the Existence proclaimed. "Even We have failed to master it, so deep are its mysteries. This is Our last Gift¡­ as well as the Curse upon you. "If you are capable, then you will find a way to gain immense powers through it. If you are not, then that''s also your Karma." Fuck you! Kai cursed, looking back at the man in sheer defiance. Then the horned being muttered under his breath, his speech incomprehensible. The flame over the candle brightened, swelled, and then engulfed the blood-filled pot. Some words appeared over the flame that Kai couldn''t see, but when they disappeared, he found the white-skinned man looking at him oddly. "Now this is peculiar," the Existence muttered, frowning, "but also interesting." Kai''s eyes widened. This was the first time he was seeing such an emotion on the Existence''s face. The horned being looked up, sensing the horror on Kai''s face. He smiled. "Something, or Someone, is preventing Us from finding out the Random World of your Initiation Mission. Hmm¡­ Let''s check it out." Under the stunned gaze of Kai, the Existence lifted his finger and put it on the part between Kai''s brows. Boom! The Existence''s entire right arm exploded, pale purple color washing the walls. What the¡­ Kai couldn''t fathom the progression of these events. What''s going on?! Interesting¡­ the Existence thought, uncaring of the lost arm. There''s a Seal on his mind¡­ He doesn''t seem to know about it as well, but it''s related to his Initiation Mission. Hmm¡­ I wonder¡­ I wonder if placing the Yellow Sign on him will weaken the other as well¡­ Now¡­ that will be an interesting development. Then the Existence said the words that Kai would remember for years to come. "You," the horned being smiled, his eyes beaming with interest, "are lucky, Contestant Red." Kai was gobsmacked, lacking the words for the ironic remark. "Tell Us the Random World where your Initiation Mission took place," the Existence asked. "Harry Potter," Kai replied unwillingly. "Is that so?" the Existence smiled again, the humor spilling out from his entire body. Before Kai could process that humor, though, words rang out from the horned being''s mouth, sealing his fate. "I, ?#???!!!#?, curse Contestant Red that until he resolves his Karma with Selena Hao, no true Wand, existing in the Harry Potter Random Worlds, will ever choose him as its master. And as HIS scalloped tatters hide Yhtill forever, let HIS Sign hides this curse from foreign eyes forever as well. I curse him. Curse! Curse! Curse! Thrice I curse in the name of Hastur; HE who is the Dweller in the Depths, the Bringer of Madness and Doom, the King in Yellow." When the Existence was done, Kai, now like a statue carved into a boulder, saw him pointing the Elder Wand towards his forehead. The Yellow Sign hovering in midair rushed in the same direction. The wand touched the point in between his brows, and the Sign entered him. Kai saw a profusion of yellow color taking over his thoughts, his skin prickling where the wand had touched him. Then, a snap resounded around him, within him, and in some distant ethereal place like tensed threads. The Yellow Sign appeared on Kai''s forehead, between his brows. It flashed thrice before disappearing, leaving no trace whatsoever. The Existence nodded to himself as he saw that, a blue light shimmering around him. "When the day comes that you have resolved your Karma," the Existence said, "then you can come and seek Us out for revenge. As We said, our meeting had nothing to do with Priestess Margrethe, so you must handle the Effect of that Cause by yourself. She is your responsibility now." As he said the last words, the Existence vanished. The gray and bleak colors vanished along with him, along with the room. The objects vanished, the carved Signs and the yellow-painted walls all disappeared one by one. Now, in a completely foreign room, only two were left as a hint of those strange events'' proof. Selena Hao''s charred body¡­ ¡­ and Kai, with a demonic grin planted on his face, his mind already tracing the boundary of a black book in his Inventory. Let''s see what you can do, Kai thought, lifting his bloodshot eyes. D-Mail! Chapter 179: The Upgraded Book and the Act – D-Mail! (I) Meg came blasting through the door, panting, her eyes bloodshot and her body sweating, anger and shame dancing across her face in a call of mockery. Kai looked at her. After confirming where he was, he had used the Party''s privilege to share his location with her. It turned out that he was in a hotel room, its rent already paid for the next month under his Code Name. It wasn''t even the same building where the Existence had taken him. Only half an hour had passed since those events, and yet, Kai felt like ages had come and gone, and waiting for her arrival had done nothing good for the agitation bubbling up inside him. "Oh, master!" Meg fell to her knees. "I''ve failed you. I¡­" "I don''t think you could''ve done anything, anyway," Kai told her, sitting on the bed. "Get up and sit on the chair. We have much to cover." Meg stood up sluggishly, and when she turned to take the chair, her eyes landed on the waist-high cylindrical glass tank, filled with light green liquid and the curled, charred figure suspended in it. Petyr Baelish was standing near the tank, his eyes gleaming with unseen curiosity. She snapped her head in Kai''s direction, her eyes widening in horror. Today she would learn a new definition of horror, Kai amusingly thought. The events had shaken him, but he was still non-perturbed, for he had a trump card, just waiting for him to use. Alas, when he ordered Petyr to come out, he learned that the Character, who had been within him, had seen or heard nothing, and had not even felt something odd. He would deal with this situation later. First, he must see to his slave. Meg sat, her head bobbing from Kai to the tank, and then back at him. "I didn''t know what happened and how it happened, master," she began, justifying her failure to see the danger beforehand. "One moment you were walking with me, in the other you weren''t. You¡­ you just vanished." Kai sighed, and then told her everything, starting from the Existence''s appearance. This already made her gasp. Meg seemed horror-stricken, glued to the chair like a pale statue. Her color went from red to white and then gained an unknown shade of purple. Clearly, she didn''t know who this person was, Kai reflected. He continued, now talking about the strange world the Existence called Limbo, him breaking the Iron Coin, flashy bangs, and then the details of the Deep Ones shared with him. By the time he paused, taking a breath, Meg''s hands were over her face. Kai didn''t give the respite she direly needed. He continued with the second thing the Existence had come to discuss. The Book. Her head snapped up and she mumbled something incomprehensible, but Kai was almost sure she had unknowingly prayed to Hastur, asking for HIS forgiveness. He didn''t blame her. If it wasn''t for the D-Mail in his arsenal, he might have been sitting in her place right now too. Then came the third and most horrific part. Kai took his time to tell her that, taking pauses and not missing any details. The room was so silent that a buzz from a mosquito could have thrown it into shambles. Meg''s eyes were planted on the part between Kai''s brows, tears trickling down from her smooth cheeks. The idea of the curse of not getting chosen by any true wand had pushed her beyond the gates of rationality. Kai smiled. "We still have one option," he told her. "No need to lose hope. The thing is, who was that creature? He certainly was from your Temple, and if I am to believe his fiasco of a tale, then there are high chances that he is the older brother of the two. But all this can easily be nothing but a ruse to just curse me. Who knows? Maybe it was him who perpetrated all this. Selena''s foolish actions to leave the safe house, then the child getting kidnapped¡­ It all seems quite a far-fetched coincidence. But if it''s not, then¡­"Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Meg looked up at the ceiling. "I don''t know either," she told him, without matching his gaze. "I don''t know¡­" Kai frowned. "He should be at least a King," he guessed. "There can''t be that many Priests above the 15th floor of the level of Kings¡­" She looked down, and Kai''s heart skipped a beat. A supreme, frightful expression was on her face that he could''ve never believed Meg could even show. Even when he had mentioned the Deep Ones, her face hadn''t looked so¡­ so lost. "When I reached the 13th floor," Meg said, airily, "we were told about the full structure of the Temple on the 5th Set. We were also told that there is only one devotee above the 5th Set with the power to match the Kings, and who acts as an overseer of the entire Temple and a go-between the Emperor and the Temple too." "Then certainly¡­" "No." The refusal in Meg''s tone shocked Kai. "The Existence you met couldn''t be this devotee, master. That devotee is named the Grand Seer. And¡­ the Grand Seer is a woman." Kai''s mouth opened, but words seemed to have left him. A woman? Only one woman of the level of Kings. Then was he¡­ No. Kai bluntly rejected his conjecture. He derisively laughed at himself for even having such a thought. That Existence couldn''t be from the 7th Set, Kai told himself. Never. Never¡­ And yet, Kai remembered the manners of the white-skinned being, his speech, and his gait; his eyes had suggested it could look down on even the empire when he had talked about it. The claws of fear gripped Kai''s heart. A chill burst out from his chest, and Selene took shape, her scaly body slithering around his shoulder. She flicked out her tongue, kissing his chin, the weight of her white figure pinning him down to reality. No. He could not afford to let himself be washed away by these absurd thoughts. He must not. The peak of the Absolute Power was too high, yes. So what if he had taken just a peek at it? At least¡­ now he knew what creatures he would deal with on the slope below this peak, didn''t he? Kai patted Selene, running his fingers across the length of her long, lean body. -Keep quiet- he hissed, worrying about her insane ravings. He neither had the time nor the patience to deal with them. Not right now. "Nothing makes sense," Meg grumbled, clutching her head. "I can''t recall anything about these Deep Ones, so I can''t confirm if the things he¡­ he had told you were true or false. I don''t know about this strange curse, so I can''t do anything about it, and I''ve never heard the name Conqueror before, either. Nor do I know anything substantial about the Hao family. I''ve never thought that even after being a 13th-floor fallen Contestant, I would fail to serve you, master." Kai could feel her emotions. The touch of self-loathing in her voice was so strong that it felt tangible. Given her age and experience, it wasn''t expected of her. But, because of the Soul-Blood Oath, Kai knew what truly pained her. It was one of the statements the Existence had told him, and it was eating her from within ¡ª You did well not taking her virginity. It was promised to someone else, even though she may not remember it now. Those words had sealed Meg''s fate. She couldn''t go back to the Temple, and even though she believed in Hastur, her loyalty to Kai wouldn''t allow her to have her heart in those prayers. For over 100 years, she had devoted herself to the service of the Temple, and now that she had broken off from them, she couldn''t even live her life as she desired. Kai couldn''t have her like this, he reasoned. She was his strongest Item, even more than the Book in a sense if he were to account for her experience and knowledge. He was no psychologist, but even then he could tell that if this goes on, she would lose a part of her ferocity, courage, and daring attitude forever. "You worry too much," Kai told her, laughing. "It was nothing but an odd bump in our life that was bound to come later, if not sooner. By the time I am done with it, you wouldn''t even remember it and I would have to tell you it all over again." Kai''s brusqueness and casual tone contrasted the dark aura lingering within the room. Meg gaped at him. "You mean¡­" Kai nodded. His hand flicked, and an ancient-looking black book appeared in his hands, its title etched on the cover in odd but fascinatingly complex runes. The Tales of Beedle the Bard had finally upgraded, and Kai couldn''t help but grin as he looked at it. An Item that even an Old One desired. Now that made him feel proud, giving a true meaning to the risks he had taken in his Initiation Mission. Sure, the Book had its own issues when it came to the Thousand Tale Parasite, but power without a price was not something he would ever have with open arms anyway. Kai brought out the Item upgrade Notification, and his eyes couldn''t help but spill joy. Chapter 180: The Upgraded Book and the Act – D-Mail! (II) ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn Your Item is upgraded to the next Grade ¡­ Item: The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Original) Grade: Uncommon (Growth - 3/5) Specification: An anthology of magical tales handwritten by Beedle the Bard Requirement: 1. Worth 80 2. A Glitch 3. Extreme Emotion 4. Presence of Characters Attributes: 1. Store Magical Tales 2. Current Status: 8 Skill: The Song of History Skill Effect: 1. In the presence of Characters, automatically write a tale about them 2. Proximity required: 20 ft 3. The Contestant must say the true name if multiple characters are present 4. The depth of the written tale depends on the current grade. 5. The tale can be expanded by repeating the procedure with the upgraded Item Skill: Thousand Tales Parasite Skill Effect: 1. Devour tales to upgrade itself 2. Automatically writes a Hidden-Tale of the Contestant. 3. When the Hidden-Tale is completed, devour the Contestant''s memories 4. When opened, the Item gains an intention, rejecting an unworthy tale Skill: Primordial Theater Skill Effect: 1. Imbue life to the magical tales 2. The Characters within the tale come alive and can be used by Contestant 3. Activity Radius: 200 ft 3. The strength of enlivened Characters depends on the tale''s completion-status 4. Each tale and its Characters have their own requirements and limitations WARNING: 1. Only two tales can be imbued with life at a time 2. The enlivened Character cannot exist outside the Activity Radius This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Quality: 100% ] ¡­ With one snap, Kai threw the book open to the latest tale. The Tale of Insane Scientist Hououin Kyouma in large computer typeface letters was written at the top. This was his trump card. His salvation. His counter. Come on, he thought, beaming. Part the curtains of your Primordial Theater. Now. "El. Psy. Congroo." - words rang out, crossing the smoky veil. The lanky figure of Rintaro Okabe walked out, wearing his long, white lab coat and holding a red-black flip mobile against his right ear. His short black hair was pushed back, and there was the faintest hint of stubble on his chin. The moment his golden eyes landed on Kai, he shut the mobile, putting it in the pocket of his coat, and threw his hands across himself. "I am the mad, insane scientist Hououin¡­ Kyouma! Muahahaha!" Kai gawked at him. "The God of Science has divined. From now on, I am Lab Member 001¡­" Okabe spun, standing at his place, and pointed his finger at Meg. "I declare you Lab Member 002, Ms. Virgin." Meg blushed, color rising to her pale cheeks. Then the young scientist pointed at Petyr. "And you are Lab Member 003, Mr. Finger." At last, Okabe looked at Kai again and bowed sarcastically. "We bow to Lab Member 000, Mr. Storm." Kai couldn''t believe it. Meg had repeatedly told him about the eccentric and delusional manner of this character, and those fits of maniacal laughter. Yet, the reality of having a scientist like Okabe trapped in such a body with those unique traits hit heavily on Kai''s thoughts. It was then Okabe noticed the tank behind Petyr''s figure, making him spring towards it. "An animated life suspension mechanism!" Okabe cried. "Who did this?!" Kai narrowed his eyes, thinking whether the young scientist had truly figured out the true mechanism of the tank or if it was just another random string of words. Suddenly, Okabe gasped, and Kai almost jumped to his feet. "What happened?!" Kai asked, preparing himself to burst out with strength. "It''s them!" Okabe cried, pointing at the cylindrical tank. He took out the flip mobile, flicked it open, and put it against his ear again. "The organization has attacked again. I repeat, the organization has attacked. One more innocent life now hangs between the doors of¡­" Kai heard the nonsensical rant and fumed. On the other side, the corner of Meg''s mouth twitched, and Petyr didn''t hold himself back either, laughing out loud. In just a few moments, the tense atmosphere had been turned upside-down. "D-Mail," said Kai, begrudgingly sitting down. He did notice that Meg was giggling under her breath, and couldn''t help but think that this weirdo''s presence wasn''t all bad for the group. Okabe paused, looked over his shoulder at Kai, and came running towards him. "Message?" he asked, now showing uncanny professionalism. "And the number of days." "Don''t come to the planned station," Kai told Okabe. "Remove the spaces if it''s over 36 bytes. Set it for 1 day." Kai didn''t like it. That he couldn''t control the actual number of hours troubled him. By now, he had already figured out that Blood Prophecy failed because of the Primordial Tower. Whenever he had neared the time limit of the mission completion, it had failed to work. That''s why it didn''t work within the Tower as well. And he had shared these details with Meg on the train. So, he was worried if the D-Mail would go back into the Random World or not, as one day ago, he was in the Random World of Game of Thrones. "Hahaha! That''s 28 Bytes, Mr. Storm," Okabe shouted. "I am adding the word loopyloo at the end to make it 36 bytes." Why?! Kai made a face but thought better than speaking of it. "Done!" Okabe cried. Kai smiled, closed his eyes, and waited. Nothing happened. He opened his eyes and found Okabe looking at him with a wry smile flashing across his thin face. "I meant I am done typing," the Insane Scientist told Kai, looking away. "OK. I am sending it now." A click sound reverberated, small and sharp. Kai''s eyes were glued to the mobile. Okabe tore his eyes off the mobile and looked at Kai. Then he pressed the send button again. Again and again. And again. "It''s not working," Okabe said meekly. "Oh, no! The organization has hacked it finally. I must delete my browser history." Kai lunged at the lunatic. "Give it to me!" he shouted, his hands wrapping around the phone. But no matter how much he pulled it, he couldn''t take the mobile out of Okabe''s hands. "Let it go!" Kai shouted, his anger exploding, and his heart thumping like the hooves of thousands of horses beating against the solid ground. "I am trying!" Okabe snapped back. "Mr. Storm, it''s the organization. Ms. Virgin, Mr. Finger, Help! They must be coming. Hide the tank." The muscles on Kai''s hand bulged, and he tugged so hard at the mobile that both he and Okabe went tumbling down on the floor. Send it! Send the fucking mail! Words bombarded Kai''s mind like a chant. A hand landed on his shoulder, light but firm. Kai looked back and found Petyr looking at him, his smile gone. "Accept it, my lord." Kai didn''t know what he was trying to imply. So, Petyr repeated. "Accept that the ACT can''t be played." Kai snapped. "No. The ACT can''t fail." "It hasn''t failed, my lord," Petyr said, the sly smile returning to his face. "When Blood Prophecy had failed, even then it had consumed your HP. Accept it." Kai''s grip loosened, and hope abandoned him like a traitorous friend. He never lacked in extreme emotions and opening the Book, whenever he wanted, was a testament to that. He also didn''t lack the Will to Defy; Focus Punch had proved it for him. Yet, it was the thing that Kai had taken so much pride in that had failed him now. All his life, he had considered himself a scientist. Then why couldn''t he meet the ACT''s requirement?! Kai felt lost, thinking that he, the son of the two greatest scientists, he, the Messiah, the Blood Demon, the genius of generations, lacked the Will of a true scientist. How could he ever accept it?! Chapter 181: The Will of a true Scientist! (I) Kai stared at the clock as the time trickled away. Tick-Tock! Tick-Tock! And the last one. With this ticking sound, now, even if he could use D-Mail, he wouldn''t be able to undo the events related to the curse. This last ticking sound marked the end of the 5th day. They had scarcely left the room in these last few days. Only Meg had gone and returned with news and plans about which Kai couldn''t have cared less. Something seemed dead inside him. Something he knew mattered much, despite not having it now. Five days he had spent thinking, tossing and turning, and rejecting theories after theories. Yet, Kai couldn''t find what he lacked that would count as the Will of a Scientist. Didn''t he have all the knowledge? Hadn''t he experimented before? Questions after questions kept birthing inside him, agreeing with him positively, and yet, he couldn''t play the ACT. A formless, lifeless, and emotionless Skill was judging him. And he could say nothing to argue for his case?! "You look like a girl who lost her maidenhood to the wrong man just before her wedding night, my lord," Petyr quipped, sitting on a chair. "Surely it''s not all that bad. Look at what you''ve gained from all this." Kai saw Meg throwing a deep, nasty, and loathing stare at Petyr, but that she didn''t retort meant she agreed with him. Even this did nothing to fill the emptiness of the pit in his stomach. "Consider the knowledge about the Deep Ones," Petyr continued, smiling slyly. "You told us that the price of knowing about the Outer One was 10 billion Mission Credits, right? Then the price of knowing about Deep Ones could have been easily equal to that, if not higher. One can''t just disregard this. In my opinion, even this knowledge is enough to compensate for the curse." These words meant nothing to Kai. He stared at the clock that had now gone beyond his reach, the ticking of its hands echoing in his mind in a never-ending cycle. Petyr stood up. "Then we have 10 million Mission Credits," he said, pacing around the room. "The auction is coming up. And god knows you need better sabers, my lord. Why are you fixated on a wand, anyway? There must be tons of Contestants who had never been to the Harry Potter Random World and yet managed to ascend to the top floors with other means. Isn''t a wand an external object? I thought you loathed such power in the perspective of the long term." It was Meg who answered. "It wouldn''t have mattered before," she told them. "There is a reason that worlds with the highest affinity exist for Contestants. Not only are they more suited to a Contestant but also more rewarding in all possible ways. No one had just disregarded their Core Worlds after knowing about them. Much less needed to be said about the World with the Highest Affinity." It wasn''t the first time Kai had heard these words. The ticking of the clock was like the ebb and flow of oceanic waves, hitting rocky beaches.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Suddenly, Petyr laughed. "You are intelligent, my lord," he said, jesting, "but not old enough to have wisdom (-Kai stared at him with dead eyes-). In your mourning, you have even forgotten that you will not teleport to the Harry Potter Random World, but reincarnate. What does a main storyline Character have to do with Contestant Red and his curse to never be chosen by true wands? "Nothing." This¡­ Kai''s eyes shot open. Yes. What did Harry Potter have to do with him? What did Draco Malfoy have to do with him? Even Meg looked shaken by Petyr''s words, her face beaming with brilliant rays of hope. "Now that we can''t do anything about the curse," Petyr said, returning to his seat, "I would counsel you to concentrate on the Tournament of Worth and the things we must do before your return to Random World, my lord. Why not go and have a girl? There must be quite a few brothels here, I hope. It would take your mind off these things. Not to mention that you look pathetic. You need some fresh air." Kai smelled himself. He reeked. Petyr''s words and this new hope had enlivened him, reviving his senses enough to remember the notification he and Meg had received days ago. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn You are eligible to be a Candidate for the Tournament of Worth Do you want to register yourself? ] ¡­ And then, upon nodding mechanically, a new notification had come up. ¡­ [ You are now a Candidate for the Tournament of Worth Candidate Id: Red Further details will be shared three days before the commencement of the Tournament ] ¡­ Kai shook his head. The ticking of the clock persisted, but it soon ebbed away for good, leaving his mind open. Petyr is right, he thought. I need some fresh air. "I am going out," Kai told them, standing up. "Meg, stay here and look after the tank. Petyr, go back to the Book. I am taking Okabe with me." Meg nodded, looking concerned. Petyr bowed and disappeared right after. Kai took out the Book, took a deep breath, and opened the pages to the newest tale. As the Primordial Theater prepared the stage, the smoky veil parted, and Rintaro Okabe walked out, holding the flip mobile and wearing the same long white lab coat. "Hahaha!" the lanky scientist burst out with a laugh. "I knew. I knew it all along. Only I can defy the advances of the organization. You did well to call me out, Mr. Storm. Where are we going? To the organization''s HQ?" "Come with me," Kai said, ignoring the nonsense. He was still wearing the same shirt and pants in which he had arrived here, and when they walked out, the evening was just becoming night. A blue-gray sheet of cloud had covered the sky, and the wind was gentle but strong, carrying a humid, rainy touch with it. The street that had been deserted once now looked crowded to Kai. Carriages with a varying number of horses were running up and down the street, and there was the smell of soot and dust everywhere. The shops were still open, but Kai noticed a few were closed, their lights going out. They were at a market hub. Life was brimming here, unconcerned to him, and unknown to everything. Kai kept to one side of the road. Okabe followed him, looking around, his hands in the pockets of his long coat. For long they walked, taking random turns, seeing ordinary and most irrelevant vistas. More lights kept going out of the shops, and by the time they felt they were lost, only a few were still glowing with a pale yellow color. The only question was¡­ ¡­ would someone recognize the insane scientist or not? Chapter 182: The Will of a true Scientist! (II) Kai wasn''t worried about someone recognizing Rintaro Okabe. It was nigh impossible to recognize a less-known main storyline character, especially when the idea of such Characters walking in the Primordial Tower was itself absurd. Giving wind to caution, he had forbidden Okabe to tell his name to others, though. Suddenly, a tiny drop of water fell on his nose, making Kai look up. More drops followed the last and soon the pitter-patter of a drizzle took over all sounds. "There!" Okabe cried, pointing in a direction, and ran off. Kai cursed under his breath. If the scientist ran out of the 200 ft Activity Radius, then he would disappear, catching all the attention of the Contestants. Okabe stopped under the shade of a street-side stall, an old vendor preparing to wrap it all up for the day. "It smells so good, Mr. Vendor!" Okabe exclaimed, peeking into the glassed sections of the stall. The old man eyed the two of them in return. He was clean-shaven, bald, and thin, but did not look weak, and his eyes were blue. "Are you hungry as well, young man?" he asked, looking at Kai. Am I? Kai asked himself and realized that the pit in his stomach that he had been feeling for so long could''ve been because of hunger too. Yes. I am. I am starving. He nodded. "Well, I think, I can do something about it," the old man said, gently unwrapping the containers. "Let''s see, we have some oysters, whelks, and cockles left to us. Some boiled and seasoned hot eels. What do you think? A serving for both of you?" The light breeze had gained a chill and a few raindrops left their path, showering on Kai''s face. He stepped closer to the stall, pulled Okabe back, who was trying to look into the rest of the containers, and nodded again. "How much?" he asked, knowing well that all things needed MCs within the Primordial Tower. The old man laughed. "No need," he told them. "I did some good business today. And it would''ve gone to waste, anyway." Steam was still rising off the cooked eels as the old man served them with a dash of vinegar. "You are a good man," Okabe said, taking his plate. "But you must be careful of the organization." Kai smiled. He blew on the eel and took a bite, his hunger making it many times more delicious. "So, you are a doctor?" the old man asked Okabe. "Muahaha¡­ Cough! Cough!" Okabe laughed and choked on the morsel, took a deep breath, paused, and only then continued as the old man looked at him oddly. "I am a mad scientist." "Oh!" the old man laughingly exclaimed. "We are of the same kind then."This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "How so?" Okabe asked, chewing on the eel. "Well, it took me years to perfect the seasoning on the eels," the old man said, pointing at a jar. "But I am still practicing, young man. Whenever I think I have got the right one, I feel I can do it better. Many times I just scrapped the formula of my seasoning and started over. See, we are both scientists." "Haha!" Okabe burst out in a fit of laughter. "You are right. Let me give you my lab coat. Wait." "No, no." The old man firmly rejected, seeing Okabe taking off his long white coat. For a few moments, they kept pushing the coat against each other, the drizzle still alive, but forgotten. A tear trickled down Kai''s cheek in silence. The casual words of the old vendor rang in his mind repeatedly. It seemed he had walled himself and his thoughts, becoming overconfident and foolish unknowingly. Those walls broke down now, one by one. "From childhood, I was made to devour knowledge," he mumbled, jolting the other two out of their ensuing struggle. "Never did I care what my parents were doing in their labs, and what their lab coats meant. I saw my mother mulling over something day and night, smiling over a newly found idea, but then sulking over another. Never did I think that just knowledge wasn''t enough to cover that gap." Kai walked out onto the deserted street, letting the rain lick at his hair as much as it could. The tiny drops wetted his face, washing away his imagined ideals and superfluous thoughts. Behind him, Okabe and the old man listened, surprised but equally interested. "I had mistakenly equated the knowledge that I have hoarded to me being a scientist," Kai told himself, a flame of an unknown, mysterious Will burning inside his heart. "No. A scientist isn''t a scientist because he has knowledge or he could do feats that normal people could never think of attempting. "A scientist is a scientist because of his Spirit." He closed his eyes, remembering all the moments spent with his mother, seeing her rushing to note down an idea, or scratching away another. He remembered her addressing her team members, sharing her thoughts, and then spending weeks working with new formulas. And he remembered her failures as well, looking lost, but then teaching him with the same zeal, and returning to her lab, to her team with a new day and new smile. At last, he remembered the old vendor''s words. "A Spirit that can be summed up in two words - Start Over." Kai opened his eyes, the drizzle becoming heavier. "A Spirit that can be summed up in words - Make it anew. A Spirit that means one sentence ¡ª "Failures are acceptable as long as one doesn''t give up¡­" Okabe laughed and the old man smiled along with him. "So what if no true wand existing in the Random Worlds will ever choose me," Kai said, his hazel, reptilian eyes burning with a Will. "I will make my own. Wasn''t there a time when the first person invented them? There is a start to all this, isn''t there? Then I can do it as well." Kai threw his hands out and now laughed, his voice even more maniacal than that of Okabe. "I will make a wand that this Multiverse has never seen. From mortals to gods, everyone will tremble at the sight of it. And if this path leads to failure¡­" Kai looked down, his eyes narrowing, his lips arching up in a demonic grin, "¡­ then I will just start over." Okabe nodded and threw his lab coat towards him. Kai caught in the air and donned over his shoulders. When his insight became a Comprehension, he didn''t know. But at this moment, he knew that if he were to use D-Mail, it would work. Yet, Kai didn''t want to anymore. This moment was too precious. Kai was drenched and happy, his stomach growling. And hot, cooked eels were waiting for him. Chapter 183: Thought Invasion – The Resurrection of Kai’s Wrath! (I) Dusk, 2 days later Buckfastleigh There was an electric thrill of wonder and newly found expectations in the Hotel''s room where Kai and Meg had been staying since their arrival. This thrill was more apparent on Meg''s beautiful cheeks that kept gaining the color of her hair, a bewitching smile surfacing on her thin lips now and then like a spell. Kai''s comprehension, declaration, and renewed attitude seemed to have lifted her spirits, making her forget the abysmal events of yore and focus on the things to come. Kai noticed these things and allowed himself a smile. His Items were as important as his Abilities and Skills. And among his Items, Meg had the most living characteristic. She was like a power that had come with a quirk. In her case, this power was her experience, knowledge, and strength, and the quirk was¡­ well, according to Kai, it was her ardent, reverential feelings related to himself and HIM. "Has the auction started, yet?" Kai asked, laying on the bed, and a few small objects hovering over his head using telekinesis. Meg snapped herself out of the dreamy expressions and nodded. "Yes," she answered, playing with a stranded lock of hair. "The 100 nations of the City of Leisure are grouped into 10 nations, making a Sector. The Auction is held by an independent organization, Seven Mystic Flowers, in all 10 sectors simultaneously. "This organization has its roots on the 12th floor, and it has the backing of quite a few top organizations, including the Imperial House. One can even say that the top organizations use it to flush out Items unimportant at their levels. Still, it has a reputation of presenting Items, materials, and miscellaneous objects on the platforms that are unique considering the 2nd Set." Kai''s eyebrows pressed. "2nd Set?" he thought aloud. "Then the 5th and 6th floor''s Contestants also show up in it" "Exactly," Meg blurted. "Many Contestants attend the auctions at the 10 Sectors, including those from the 5th and 6th floors. It is to make the auction impartial, as the 4th and 5th-floor Contestants can''t go to the 6th floor. And the descending Contestants don''t have to face mortal restrictions because of the same Set. "A combined task force of Royal Guards and Flower Commandos, of the Seven Mystic Flowers, oversee the auction. With their Items, Skills, and status, they are quite formidable. Not to mention, the Set Lord of the 2nd Set attends the auction too, making his presence known in at least one of the 10 Sectors." So, in its Sector, Buckfastleigh is chosen for the place of the auction this time, Kai reflected. Quite coincidental, but convenient. Meg stood up, placed the chair against the table, and then eyed the tank and the charred figure suspended within it. She let out a sigh, shaking her head. Kai noticed it all, but he had his own thoughts to deal with the same. "The auction will last for the next seven days, master," Meg continued, her eyes thoughtful. "I have confirmed that with every next day, the auctioned objects will keep becoming rarer. Generally, there is no way to know which objects will show up beforehand, but I will try under and overhanded means.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "Anyone can attend the auction on the first six days, but for the seventh, one needs a token varying from 10000 to 50000 Mission Credits. I will attend the auction for the first six days, monitoring anything out of the ordinary. You don''t have to trouble yourself till the seventh day." Kai matched her eyes and smiled. Meg''s face flushed, and she looked down, finding a black spot on the floor quite interesting. He knew what she was implying by her last few sentences, and it amused him she had to come to the point in such a roundabout way. "OK," he said, nodding at her. "I am sending you 1 million Mission Credits. Use them as you fit (-Meg gasped-). In the auction, give extra attention to full body armor, sabers, and materials that can serve as arrow tips for the Jet Wing. Buy some clothes for me and for yourself too. You have already scanned every part of my body, so that shouldn''t be a problem." The color of her hot cheeks excited Kai, and he couldn''t help but grin at her. The moment she received the sum, Meg almost ran off in shame, remembering some odd details that had happened in the last two days. Kai took a deep breath, calming himself, and eliminated the various images that had surfaced in his mind that included him and Meg doing strange things to each other. Not to mention, whenever it came to taking actual action, he had always lost his desire for her. Now was not the time to think about it, though. With the matter of the curse settled, he must do something about the person in the tank. Kai stood up, walked to the tank, and slumped down on the floor, his back leaning against the cold glass. For a long time, he sat there, thinking, preparing himself for a decision full of madness and uncertainty that had been bubbling up in his mind for the last two days. Not once Kai had believed that there could be Karma between him and Selena Hao. Karma had become a powerful concept in the world of his previous life after cultivating blood essences had become a thing. So, he of all had an idea of what Karma was and how cruel the repercussions could be in the future if not resolved. Yet, Kai just couldn''t relate to what Selena''s choice of leaving the 2nd floor and going to the 1st floor had to do with him. Yes, he could understand her reasons for doing so, but he couldn''t fathom how he was responsible for what had happened to little Hao and her afterward. By forcefully tying her fate with him, the Existence had not only put Kai''s future growth in mortal peril, but he had also forced Kai to be an eternal enemy of the Temple of Amon-Gorloth. Kai ran his hands through his hair. "Are you listening?" he asked, his voice echoing in the empty room''s silence. No one answered. He spun, faced the curled, charred figure through the light green fluid, and put his hand on the tank, his fingers kissing the glass. -/Are you listening, Ms. Selena?/- Kai asked telepathically. He could feel the spiritual currents within the 10-meter radius around him, and though he had discarded it before, he could feel the faintest disturbance around the tank. Yes. She was alive and awake, Kai told himself repeatedly before going with his decision. He had been thinking about his Telepathy since his arrival in the Game of Thrones world. But only after the week he had spent on Actaea with Meg debating over Occlumency and Legilimency did he see a path where this Ability''s destiny lay. If it worked, then Kai would take a major leap in these branches of magic, he knew. This was the time when he would take that first step, for words weren''t enough to reach a broken mother, even if spoken from mind to mind. Kai had learned some truths bitterly. -/I can''t bring back little Hao,/- Kai told her, words drowning into black oblivion. -/I can''t bring back those moments and his smile, either. But¡­ I can give you what you desire the most. In return, I only want one thing. -/But first, let me show who I am. Let me tell you who Kai Stormborn is. And let me sing to you a song of blood, slaughter, and revenge, the likes of which you would have never heard of. -/Let me¡­ try./- Chapter 184: Thought Invasion – The Resurrection of Kai’s Wrath! (II) Kai called out all the Emotions he could muster. They surfaced, and even the deepest emotion left his heart, racing to his mind. Those emotions blasted apart in a chain reaction, making him recall the oldest memories. At last, those memories became an ocean; an ocean of spirituality whose each wave represented a thought. Kai had been trying it, letting these thoughts linger in the front of his mind, the spiritual waves prickling the inside of his head like thousands of spiders crawling their way in and out. Yet, he never tried to push them out, because he needed a recipient to do so, and Kai would rather not share these thoughts with anybody, especially when he couldn''t control them yet. -/Accept them, Ms. Selena,/- he said, barely holding onto those thoughts. -/And if you agree to my terms, then let me experience your thoughts in return./- Then, with the gentlest of the push, Kai nudged the thoughts, like pushing someone off, standing on the edge of the cliff. It was the easiest thing to do. Now came the hardest part; to guide those thoughts to her mind, using the spiritual currents around him as passageways. Veins popped up on his head, blue and red. His teeth rubbed so hard against each other that the sound could alone make someone wince at it. Blood seeped out of his ears and nose in two thin streams, and a pounding headache assailed him just as his thoughts touched the black oblivion that was Selena''s mind. Then they vanished, one by one. His childhood, his life of learning and playing, his love for his mother and longing for a father, and his will to set things right for his family after growing up. His joy for a brother and then his wrath for the same, his loss, his anger, his anger, his anger¡­ And then his last smile after revenge¡­ all dropped into the black oblivion, melting into the blackness. The silence within the room was choking. Amid this silence, Kai''s thoughts of his new life reached Selena''s mind, as his HP bar kept losing points after points at an increasing rate, blood pooling below him, and the headache making him insane. His Glitch, his Will to defy everything and to reach the peak of Absolute Power, his adventures in the various worlds, his feelings while eating dinner made by her hands, his rising power, and his Items. Those words, those experiences, and those inexplicable and unknown vistas of inhumane slaughters and cold, calculative actions all got transferred to her. When the last thought trickled down, his HP bar was blinking, and the color of the floor had already turned red some time ago. Yet, Kai waited. He waited with the same concentration, with the same expectation and hope as before. -/Say something¡­/- he urged. -/Death is so vague, Ms. Selena. Life¡­ Now, life is full of possibilities. Speak¡­ Speak¡­ Now!/- Not much Kai had been expecting to listen. And not much he received, either. Just one word. One simple word that only someone like him could know the depths of; all thoughts, memories, and emotions compiled into that single word.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Revenge¡­ her thoughts told him, taking shape in his mind. Revenge¡­ Revenge¡­ Revenge¡­ A vein on Kai''s forehead burst, showering the glass cylinder with thick black blood. -/On my ambition to trample over all,/- his thoughts again found that black oblivion. -/I swear you will have your revenge. I will give you the power to kill them all. And if you agree to say the words, one day I will let you have at it with an Old One as well./- These weren''t words, but purest thoughts. Kai had not learned how to fake them yet, as his proficiency in the Ability was too low and his experience shallow. These thoughts were something he truly believed in, and the charred figure within the tank must have known it too. For the first time, the blackened flesh stirred, her hands and legs uncurling. There were no switches on the tank, but its lid burst open by itself, the light green fluid cascading out like a filthy waterfall. Kai opened his eyes, his sight blurry, pain coursing through his veins, and blood dripping down his chin. He looked at her as the air filled those burned lungs. He remembered seeing her, smaller, frail, her skin pale, but somehow she had a mother''s charm and ferocity. Now she had no skin, her flesh oozing out a mixture of black filth and green fluid. Somehow, she sat on one knee and lifted her head. Kai didn''t look away. He saw her eyes without eyelids, her head without hair, and her mouth without lips. He sensed her pain. A horrifying rattling and grating noise escaped her throat. Revenge¡­ "Say the words, Ms. Selena," Kai said, his voice quivering. "Say them." Their eyes matched, bloodshot, and burning with murderous emotions. "Chaos¡­" she spoke, words coming out of her throat as ashy, broken hisses, "I¡­ swear a Soul-Blood Oath¡­ live at Red''s command¡­ die at his command¡­ mine is now his¡­ will be his too. I swear... Swear¡­ Swear¡­ Swear¡­ name of Hastur; HE who is the Dweller in the Depths, the Bringer of Madness and Doom, the King in Yellow." The epithets came out of her mouth like bullets, and she slumped down, losing all her strength. A dull, sickly yellow-colored drop left her forehead and made its way towards him, their eyes still looking into each other. Kai''s finger lifted by itself, the drop landing on its tip before he pushed it into his forehead. Then he felt her. Such hunger for revenge¡­ He had only once felt it before; in himself. "Rise," Kai intoned. "You are not someone who the bastards had tortured and then burned. Not anymore. Now, you are my savageness, my sin, and my spite. Now¡­" He stepped forward, towering above her, looking down at her. "¡­ you are my Wrath." Selena''s neck crunched as her eyes followed his gaze, her feet slipped over the fluids, and her fingers cracked, bending at odd angles. But her eyes never left him. "Rise," Kai commanded her again. "Rise. Rise!" Burned, moist flesh crackled, and a thundering noise rattled out of her mouth. She pushed herself up, and when she had raised herself to his waist, Kai''s left hand reached for her hand, pulling her up, his fingers digging deep into her soft flesh. Only then did he let out a bloody smile. The grin¡­ was demonic. Kai''s right hand blurred like a mist. She gasped. In one thrust, Kai''s monstrous power had crushed her heart, his hand penetrating her chest, through and through. "We are monsters, demons, everything but human, Ms. Selena," Kai told her, tilting his head. "What do we need our hearts for?" A mass of silver mist burst out of his right hand, entering the burned figure, her eyes still staring into Kai''s reptilian hazels as she fell into deathly darkness. The Ghost Basilisk exploded with a Soul Chill at 100 percent, freezing her soul, a hellish frost crawling on her blackened body. Kai neared her, the grin on his face making him look like a fiend. If this did not work, then he had already lost the chance to resolve his Karma. Yet, Blood Demon''s instincts were singing a song of victory, and he sang along with them. "I will wait for you to come back, my loyal servant." Chapter 185: The House of Black and White! (I) Next morning, Buckfastleigh "Ticket please," the train conductor demanded. Kai fumbled around the chest pockets of his long black overcoat and took out a slim piece of parchment. The conductor examined it, marked it with a small tear, and then hurried off to the next passenger. Three hours had passed since he left the capital city of the nation, bordering the Wall. The Steam locomotive he was traveling in was nowhere near the quality and comfort of its counterpart running between the Arrival Zone and the nation and had only one first-class carriage, where Kai was now, seated on an upholstered seat near the window. Throwing the ticket back into his pocket, and adjusting his hat, Kai looked out through the window as the open fields rushed past him in a brown-green blur. His thoughts went back to the moments that had led to this unplanned and unavoidable trip. When she returned after attending the opening ceremony, Meg had found him healing, covered in blood, black and light green fluids, and charred flesh. A black, crumpled figure had been sprawled In front of him that was once alive within the broken tank, a fist-size hole in its chest telling a barbaric tale. Oh, no! Meg had gasped then. What have you done, master? Didn''t you tell me that an unresolved Karma can become a major hindrance in achieving Absolute Power? Why did you kill her? We¡­ Kai had indeed said those words to her, he remembered. If the Existence with the Rinnegan was right, then his actions of goading Little Hao to tell him the names of the Temples and the Old Ones, though unknowingly, had become a Cause. Yes, a Cause, whose Effect was the death of Little Hao and the fate of Selena Hao, making him fall into a Karmic Cycle, which if not dealt with, would become shackles for him in the future. As that Existence had told him, this was Kai''s Karma, and it must be him who had to resolve it. After thinking over it for many hours, Kai had come up with two ways. First, kill everyone related to the incident, and that meant killing all Priests and Priestesses of the Temple of Amon-Gorloth until he finds the one who had ordered little Hao''s kidnapping and then Selena''s death by burning her. It could take months, years, or even decades to root out every single rat hiding in some corner. It was the easiest, surest, and most time-consuming way, he knew. One day, this method would resolve his Karma, Kai had reflected. But when that day would come, he dared not guess. Kai had discarded this method the moment it had surfaced in his mind. Yes, it was less risky, but it would have undone all of his progress up to that moment as well; a thing Kai abhorred doing. The second method was the one he had finally gone with ¡ª Turn misfortune into strength, weakness into an advantage, and a burden into a benefit. All this had only one beginning, making the dying figure his slave; another loyal servant. Only then Kai could have brought himself to share with her his thoughts and emotions. But the very first step of this method was the riskiest. It all depended on whether Selena would resurrect.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. From the white-skinned being, Kai knew that the kidnappers of Little Hao had killed him after knowing about his heritage, even before training the boy as per norm, and thinking that it was in his blood to resurrect. Yet, the boy hadn''t returned. And there was no guarantee that the mother would return, either. This was a monstrous risk, like the ones Kai had taken many times before. His only reasoning behind this risk was that, unlike her son, Selena was a master of Gentle Fist. The kidnappers must have not known this, but he did because Kai had spent a significant amount of time with the mother and son. He could tell even then that the boy didn''t have any fighting experience, otherwise, Little Hao could have used such methods while fighting back to save himself from the goons, who were after his father''s Credit Storage Card. All Kai''s planning was based on this risk and hope. By making her his slave, he would make sure that Selena would never betray what she had learned from his thoughts, and then when the time came, he would use her ancestry as a springboard for himself. An even more hideous plan was that if she somehow managed to get the Byakugan, then he would steal those eyes from her as well. When Kai had told these things to Meg, she had looked at him as if he was mad, for only sheer madness could be the reason to gamble everything on an unprovable theory. He had made worse gambles than that, Kai thought, smiling. Moreover, it wasn''t like he had gained nothing out of it. His Telepathy''s stagnant Proficiency had risen to 70%. Still, there was much to figure out, he knew. For now, he could only do a mutual thought transference, but he also knew that this path was right, and once he found his footing on it, it would be a major boost in his power. This increase in Proficiency was the reason for him to be on the steam locomotive, heading to a distant countryside within the nation of Buckfastleigh. It''s time for me to visit the Temple of Many-Faced God, Kai had told Meg. Before the last day of the auction, I must go there to learn the secrets of Occlumency and Legilimency. I can''t postpone it any longer. Meg had advised him against venturing alone, considering that they were extraordinary Legilimens, and she couldn''t go with him either, for she needed to attend the auction. But Kai had other thoughts. They wouldn''t do that, he had reasoned. They know me, and they have an idea about my capabilities. Not to mention, we are on the 4th floor. Worse come to worse, I would just level the Temple down to the pits of hell if needed. Just let me know the location, and I will meet you on the night of the auction. Presently, he felt the train slowing down. It was his stop. The train stopped with a jerk, and Kai stepped out on the platform, the crowd running busy as the morning sun gained height. He followed Meg''s instructions and walked out of the station. He called out to the nearest horse carriage, paid him 20 MC to go to the Green Hills Bridge, and prepared himself for the meeting. It took the carriage around 15 minutes to leave every trace of the station and enter the thick of a country, resting uphill, and a stream running down the valley to the northeast. The Green Hills Bridge was just outside the village, and one must cross it to go further in the fields and reach the next village. Kai jumped off the carriage, took a deep breath of the cool, village air, and walked towards the stone bridge curving over the stream. A few men walked by, eying him warily, children running behind them carrying tiny buckets of water. Kai ignored them and stopped in the middle of the bridge, facing down the river. His eyes followed the stream and saw it disappearing into the distance against a small hill. When he made sure that he was alone, he took out the broken Iron Coin, tossed the two halves in his hand, and then dropped it into the stream. Then he waited. The morning became afternoon, and by now, the entire village knew that a strange man was haunting their bridge. Meg had told him that there were Contestants in this village too, but unless provoked, they wouldn''t confront him on their own. Kai tapped his fingers on the bridge''s parapet as the afternoon idled away in a magnificent evening. It was then he heard the steps ¡ª Buried, light, and almost imperceptible. The steps of an assassin! Chapter 186: The House of Black and White! (II) From the path running through the Green hills, opposite the one leading into the village, walked out a man in a black cowl. At one glance, Kai recognized the gait. That hideous walk, like a pheasant darting around. When the man neared Kai, he took off his hood. One-eyed. Smiling. Was this Simon? Kai didn''t even deign to ask this question now. It didn''t matter. "You are alive!" the Faceless man exclaimed impressively. "This is the second time you have proved a man wrong, Red." "I am not here to gossip like some roadside wench," Kai said slowly, taking a stance. "Am I still the candidate for the Many-Face God''s priesthood?" "You certainly are," the faceless man nodded. "It takes more than that for us to strike off a name from the list. The question is, why are you here?" Kai knew this question implied that his answer would dictate how things would play out from here onwards. But his answer was already sitting on the tip of his tongue. "I want to learn Occlumency and Legilimency," Kai told him. "And I have 6 days on me." Both men stared into each other''s eyes, the faceless man trying to learn some unknown secret from Kai''s face. But Kai had already locked his emotions. "Your slave has a big mouth, eh?" the faceless man quipped. "One can''t just come and learn our arts, Red, even if they are candidates." "I will pay¡­" "However," the faceless man said, cutting Kai''s offer, "the High Priest has given specific instructions regarding you to Chief Bishop. If you have something to say, then you can say it to him directly." "The Chief Bishop is here?!" Kai asked, his eyes widening. "On the 4th floor?" A Chief Bishop was a 12th-floor Powerhouse, to begin with. For him to be here, wouldn''t he face the harshest restrictions? Kai couldn''t fathom the reason for his presence on this floor. The faceless man smiled slyly and nodded. "Take me to him, then," Kai told the faceless man. "I will not go back empty-handed." Simon laughed. He lifted his hand, and under Kai''s stunned gaze, uncurled his fingers. There was a wet Iron Coin in his palm, broken in half. How?! He had just asked himself, when the man threw the two halves towards him, which Kai snatched out of the air. "Follow me," the faceless man said, donning back the hood. "The Many-Faced God has waited for you too long." As he saw the robed man stepping off the bridge, Kai narrowed his eyes before taking a deep breath and following him. Their destination lay somewhere in the sea of darkness, deep into the hills that were not green anymore. The black-robed and hooded Simon took Kai deep into the forest, treading on some unknown trail that had branched away from the main road a long time ago. "Keep with me," the faceless man said, without looking back. "You cannot find the temple by yourself." Kai skipped a few steps, catching up to the man. The forest had come alive, now that the stars and a bright moon had claimed the black sky. Odd chirping, slithers, and hoots of owls rang in his ears, and the leaves rustled as if someone was following them since they had left the bridge. By now, he had already told Simon that he had waited for a long time for him to show up after breaking the coin. But when no one appeared, he carried on with his plans. Simon had looked at him oddly then, wondering something, but Kai was determined to not tell them about his meeting with that man.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Suddenly, Kai felt like he had passed through a dense wall of air. An unannounced wave of Mana hit him, and the sounds vanished. In front of his eyes, there appeared an enormous building, standing high above the ground level. The same stream that he had left behind was now passing by the building''s left, its dark water shining silver. It was built upon a black stony mound, and the surrounding forest had been cleared in a 100-meter radius. Magic? Kai guessed, but he almost knew his guess was right. No Skills at the level of a 4th-floor Contestant could ever achieve such a feat. It was an effect of Item or combined use of Magic from many Contestants, Kai reasoned. "Come on," the man beckoned Kai. "There would be enough time to marvel at it later." As they neared the building, the full brunt of the building''s magnitude fell on Kai. It seemed they had made it in the image of the House of Black and White from the Game of Thrones Random World, and Meg had described the structure to him while discussing Braavos. Rows of steps led Kai to 10-12 ft carved wooden doors. The left door was weirwood, painted white, and the right door was ebony, painted black. In the center of the doors was a carved moon face, black ebony on white weirwood, white weirwood on black ebony. As the faceless man approached the doors, they opened by themselves, letting him and Kai enter a vast hall with a vaulted ceiling. The floor looked like a huge slab of gray stone and there were no windows. In the center was a black pool of water ten feet across and lit by dim red candles. Statues of gods were standing around the hall, too. There were tall statues of thirty gods, Kai counted roughly, and he also recognized a few of them, the Stranger from Westeros, the Black Goat of Qohor, and the Lion of Night, among many others. Kai wondered what would the faceless man say if he were to talk about the things told to him by the one-horned and white-skinned man that day. About the Many-faced God, and HIS excursions outside the Primordial Tower. But it was a fleeting thought, and Kai would never dwell on it longer than he should have. Silence was everywhere, but not because of the lack of people. When they neared the pool in the center of the Kai noticed many faces eying him, observing his icy features. There were sad faces, merry faces, faces with no expressions, and faces that even a child could read. All turned around to look at him as he passed by, but no one said anything to him. The faceless man stopped. When Kai turned his head to look forward, He was standing only a few feet away from him. When this new man had come and how, Kai did not know. But there he was, looking back at Kai with his dead, pale green eyes. Simon stepped aside and bowed. Even the various faces looking at Kai turned to look at those pale green eyes and bowed. Kai''s heart was pounding, and if he hadn''t locked his emotions, then he knew his face would have reflected his agitation. And why wouldn''t he be in such a state? A heart-palpating, but suppressed surge of Mana, was bursting out of this man. He had long brown hair like silk, his face was hairless, and his cheeks were slightly sunken. He was lean, and tall, and was wearing a long, airy cloak, half white and half black. His skin had the color of stale bread. Everything about this man could be defined in two words: pale and unimpressive. Yet, there was Kai, looking up in those eyes as if it was the first time he was getting to know what true strength was. Only the user of Rinnegan had jolted Kai''s thoughts to such a degree, but that was less from the Existence''s strength and more from the knowledge that the Existence was from above the 12th floor because Kai had failed to even fathom his powers. Now, despite the Chief Bishop''s Stats being restricted, Kai could feel it; a sleeping, hidden beast. Kai collected himself and was about to speak when the Chief Bishop turned around and walked away. Simon laughed, but no sound came out of his mouth. He gestured for Kai to follow the Chief Bishop, before leaving Kai standing alone, surrounded by all the faces. Kai shook his head and hurried off. The Chief Bishop entered a doorless room, sat down on a stone bed, and pointed at the floor. With his mouth pressed in a hard line, Kai sat down where he was told and looked up. "A man already knows the purpose of your visit, Red," the Chief Bishop said, his voice clear and articulate. "But a man can''t bestow the teachings of the Temple upon you, just because you are a candidate. A price must be paid." Kai offered nothing again, as the Chief Bishop had already taken out a brown folder, edges of white pages glistening gray from its ends. The Chief Bishop handed the folder to Kai after untying the red cord around it. Kai took the folder, narrowed his eyes, and then opened it. Its contents stunned him instantaneously. "Viscount Lucas of House Arbuthnot," the Chief Bishop began, as Kai gawked at the photo and the other details. "He will visit Buckfastleigh on the seventh day of the auction. If you want to earn knowledge, then you must gift his life to the Many-face God. "This is the price." Chapter 187: Occlumency of Faceless Men! (I) Kai turned over one page after the other, ignoring the Chief Bishop''s words, his mind already playing scenarios based on the incredible data written about the middle-aged Viscount. He could not believe how the Temple of Byagoona had figured out this much about a Contestant, given the System would have never told them. He closed his eyes, his mind running like a killing machine about to sign the death sentence of an unknown person. One stroke of thought and Viscount Lucas'' fate was set. Kai snapped open his eyes and nodded. "It can be done," he said, smiling a hollow smile. "I want to learn the principles of both Occlumency and Legilimency and along with it, I want a saber and armor. Items, of course." Kai already knew that the Temple of Byagoona knew he had two Abilities. One based on movement and the other on a weapon. That''s why he only asked for one saber, to throw them off on a false trail. The Chief Bishop''s face gave away nothing. "Life of Viscount Lucas for Occlumency and access to the Temple''s library over these Concepts," he told Kai. Kai almost smiled. "Deal." "A man can feel that you have somehow locked your emotions," the Chief Bishop said, as Kai put the folder into his MRB. "But that is not true hiding of emotions. This artificial lock doesn''t represent Control. Let it go." Kai stared back into those pale green eyes, contemplating what to do now. If this man were to use Legilimency on him, then he wouldn''t even know. "Don''t worry," the Chief Bishop told him. "Even the simplest use of Mana to cast such spells will cause dire consequences for Contestants of my caliber who have descended this low in the Primordial Tower.." This was the only reason Kai was here, to begin with. If it wasn''t for Meg''s experience, and knowing how abnormal these restrictions were, then he would have never come here. He took a deep breath and lifted the lock over his emotions, his face immediately welcoming them with open arms. "Is your Correspondence over 20?" the Chief Bishop asked. "No." There was no point in withholding such information when it could easily be guessed. Not to mention, it was he who wanted to learn, and if his instructor had demanded this data beforehand, then it must be relevant. The Chief Bishop nodded. "Contestants can perceive the surrounding Mana even when their Correspondence is lower than 10," he instructed. "But only after it rises to 20 that one can perceive Mana inside them. Consider it as a¡­ threshold. All Active Attributes have the value 20 as their threshold. So, if you have any spare Attribute Points, then raise your Correspondence as much as you can before we begin." This wasn''t according to Kai''s plans. Still, he had been keeping the Unassigned Points to use them for unforeseen scenarios; Scenarios like this. He assigned the Attribute Points to his Correspondence, bringing it to 17. "What do you know about Occlumency?" the Chief Bishop asked. Kai recalled his sessions with Meg and said, "It''s an art to defend one''s thoughts, emotions, and memories against Legilimency by creating a barrier. My slave had told me¡­" The Chief Bishop cut him off. "If all that you know about Occlumency is learned from your slave," he said, sharply, "then forget about it. Clean your mind of all the knowledge that has come from the Temple of the Yellow King. When did they become a master of this art for them to teach it to a Candidate of Many-faced God?!"Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Kai was gobsmacked. It had taken a week for him to learn from Meg the tiny details of Occlumency and Legilimency. And now this green-eyed man was telling him to forget about it. The Chief Bishop must have guessed Kai''s thoughts, or he must have read his expression, for his next words cleared Kai''s hesitation. "Outside the Temple of Many-faced God," he said, explaining himself, "almost all Contestants follow the theories on this magic taken out from the Random World of Harry Potter. "It''s simple, easy to learn, and has a standard form for average wizards to cast the spell. But these Contestants can never become as good as the main storyline Wizards. The ancient priests of Many-faced God had surpassed even them, using their unique ideas, formulas, and¡­" Kai knew what was the last thing. "Multiverse Interdependency?" For the first time, the Chief Bishop smiled, but Kai couldn''t tell if it was genuine or fake. The Chief Bishop nodded. "As a man can''t access his full Mana here," he told Kai, "you will be taught the basic principles and the underlying theory of the Occlumency in the coming week. You will also have access to the section of the Temple''s library relevant to this art, as per our deal. Shall we proceed?" Kai sighed, reluctantly putting away all the details Meg had so fervently told him about this magical art. "Our way of Occlumency is based on three core fields," the Chief Bishop said, nodding to Kai''s changed state of mind. "Neurophysiology, Cognitive Psychology, and Metaphysics. The human brain is one of the largest and most complex organs of the human body. It comprises over 100 billion nerves, also called neurons, that communicate in trillions of connections called synapses. You seem to be familiar with these things." Kai smiled. "You can say that." "That would make it all easier, then," the Chief Bishop continued. "These 100 billion neurons communicate with each other by transmitting electrochemical signals in between them, creating a web of one of the most complex pathways known in the universe. "Memories are nothing but a set of selective pathways among this web, and what seems to be a single memory is actually a complex composite of different areas of the brain being activated. Think of all this as messages being fired back and forth between neurons as signals. Let a man explain all this using an example." The Chief Bishop''s right hand went inside his loose, left sleeve, and took out a wand. Kai''s eyes burned with passion for the tiniest of instances, but even that got noticed by the man sitting in front of him. The Chief Bishop looked from Kai to his wand, and after a brief pause, flicked it. Letters of the English Alphabet from A to Z came flowing out of the wand in gold color and hovered between him and Kai. "Suppose these 26 letters represent the neurons in a brain," the Chief Bishop said, as the letters gathered together to form a group. "Then, a combination of these letters forming many pathways can represent a memory." The wand swayed, and the letters A, C, E, and Y came flying out of the group of letters. A green line then appeared, connecting A to E, E to C, and then C to Y. "This particular combination of neurons forms three pathways," the Chief Bishop said, pointing at the green line running between the four letters. "This is a memory. In the same way, all memories can be represented by a combination of a different number of neurons and the pathways running in between them. Here comes the concept of Magic." Kai''s entire mind was now focused on the lesson. Once again, he was a student, but instead of his mother, it was a killer who was teaching him. The zeal, tension, and interest in the topic being discussed, though, were the same. "When one can perceive Mana inside them and becomes proficient enough to control it with practice using Elementary Magical Aptitude," the Chief Bishop said, swirling the wand, "then one can give shapes to these pathways, turning what is one dimensional into multidimensional, and letting the real overlap with imaginary. One can trigger a particular set of pathways, i.e. a memory, and use Mana to assign an object to it." As he finished these sentences, the wand paused, and the 4 letters and the green line running between them, representing three pathways, disappeared. In their place now hovered a book. Simultaneously, the rest of the 22 English letters, hovering between Kai and the Chief Bishop, disappeared too, and in its place appeared a Bookshelf with many books already lined neatly on the many shelves within it. With another flick of the wand, the single book formed from the memory of the three pathways flew toward the Bookshelf and rested on one of its shelves. Kai watched the entire process with terrifying fascination. Chapter 188: Occlumency of Faceless Men! (II) "Now look closely," the Chief Bishop told Kai. "When one''s emotions are not in check, meaning Control, not Lock, these emotions trigger a memory in one''s mind." A red thread of light, representing unchecked emotion, came out of the wand and touched one book on the Bookshelf. The book left its row, opened up itself, and a set of letters with a green line running in between them showed itself to them. Kai knew the red thread of unchecked emotion had just triggered a memory. But it didn''t stop there. From the open book, many black threads burst out. Some of the black threads revolved around the opened book, but a few of them got thrown towards the Bookshelf. The moment they touched the books, they too flew out, opening up by themselves. "These black threads are thoughts," the Chief Bishop said. "When an emotion triggers a memory, more often than not, this memory triggers thoughts related to this memory. If not Controlled, then these threads trigger more memories, which trigger more thoughts. "It would keep going on until it all becomes a convoluted, never-ending cycle. So, have you realized how crucial it is for one to Control one''s emotions? By locking them, you are just timing the bombs. It''s a tested and rejected theory." Kai had to nod. The Chief Bishop flicked the wand again. The Bookshelf returned to its previous appearance with the books lined neatly in it, leaving behind one book that hovered outside the shelves and a single black thread revolving around it. One memory and one thought, Kai reflected. Then, a perceptible but transparent sphere appeared around the Bookshelf, including the stray book and the black thread. "Occlumency is Controlling your emotions, Accessing your memories, and Preventing your thoughts from getting accessed by a foreign party, using a barrier," the Chief Bishop concluded. "If your emotions are disarrayed, then it would cause an abundance of thoughts, which would in return weaken the barrier, making it easier for a Legilimens to access them. Once getting a hold of your thoughts, a Legilimens can trace them back to the source and access that memory. So all things must be in tune with each other." At last, Kai had to agree. He had to accept that the lessons he had received on Occlumency and Legilimency from Meg were like two children playing around at the sight of a new toy. "Now, most wizards who have arrived at this conclusion, by following some other theories but with weak foundations, assign books to the memories," the Chief Bishop said, as the Bookshelf and the barrier vanished. "And you can see the reason for it. "It''s simple, easy to access, and can be expanded as much as one like. With time, with just a thought, one can access any memory, even those from the past, eliminating the need for remembering. They combine it with a barrier of a maze, or other complex forms, structuring their entire defense around these things. But the ancient faceless men had come up with better alternatives, using Multiverse Interdependency." "How?" Kai asked, not getting the reason for it. "For example, in place of the Bookshelf, a man has a computer," the Chief Bishop said, flicking a wand. A PC appeared on a desk, its monitor showing a window containing many folders and files. "A man has assigned the memories to various files on this computer, and they can be accessed by a simple search function with pinpoint accuracy.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. "For the barrier, a man has used a wall of 56-bit encryption, i.e. there are 2 to the power 56 possible keys to breaking into the system. For a Legilimens to break into the computer, not only he must know about this type of encryption but he must almost need to be quick about it. Or, one can use brute force against it too, a way that would give a man enough time to secure the defenses even more tightly." This¡­ Kai gulped. This is ingenious! What a brilliant way to limit stray and unavoidable attacks. "It has its flaws too," the Chief Bishop continued. "A wizard with high Mana output could force his way into the System. Here lies the advantage of this structure. A man can just create new files and folders with random encrypted data and use them to hide files containing sensitive memories. "You must have heard of Professor Snape. He is a powerful wizard and a master of hiding his true memories under the false ones. It''s the same effect, but Snape''s process of getting those results is considered too crude among the faceless men. If a man can make it almost impossible for unlearned Legilimens to break into the System using only 56-bit encryption, then you can imagine what the result would be using 128-bit and 256-bit encryption." Kai licked his lips. The Chief Bishop then shook his mind. "A man knows it looks good at one glance," he told Kai, "but the best defense is the one which a wizard is the most familiar with. You must create your own structure for it to be unique and unbreachable. "For the next six days, you have full access to all the notes, mentioning the hundreds of different unique structures used by ancient faceless men as defenses using their own Multiverse Interdependency. Refer them, and in case of doubt, seek Simon. Simon is the best Occlumens below the 6th floor. He would be the most suitable guide for you. We will meet on the morning of the 7th day." Saying that the Chief Bishop stood up, and walked away without sparing Kai another glance, his black and white cloak billowing noiselessly over the stone floor. When Kai walked out, lost in his thoughts, he found Simon standing outside the doorless room. He smiled, making Kai recall how hideous it was. "Follow me," Simon said. "Let me show your chamber for the coming week." Simon took Kai through a hidden tunnel outside the gates of the 3rd-level basement and stopped in front of a barred door. Kai heard some incomprehensible whispers coming out of Simon''s mouth, but before he could make sense of them, the door opened. The smell of old books and scrolls hit his nostrils instantaneously. "It''s the library," Simon said, entering the chamber. "Simon will be your librarian, and you have free access to the Occlumency section. There are rooms behind the last bookshelf. We will stay there." The place was dark but clean. Kai was just about to ask for the light when Simon clicked something out of his sight, and hundreds of gas lamps lit up, lined in the little chambers into the walls. Kai even felt the faintest hint of a breeze, telling of a meticulous ventilation system. It was then Simon beckoned him with the gesture of a hand, and pointed at something. Kai neared him and saw his fingertip almost touching the wooden board hanging on the side of a bookshelf. It was worn, but even then Kai could read the word Occlumency clearly on it. Kai tilted his neck and saw the Bookshelf running farther into the library on and on like a wooden snake. He saw many books on various fields of psychology, magical theories, and ancient scrolls; probably on Multiverse Interdependency, he later guessed. A smile crept up on Kai''s face. "Only the books on this Bookshelf will open themselves to you," Simon said. "You are not to linger around the other Bookshelves." Kai heard and ignored. His hand went out for a book titled ¡ª Thoughts: An Aristotelianism View, pulled a stool to the table under the light of a lamp, and sat down. "Are you going to stand there for 6 days?" Kai offhandedly asked, his fingers opening the book. Simon chuckled, silently. "Of course." Chapter 189: The True Essence of Facelessness! (I) Six days didn''t pass in a blink of an eye. Kai remembered their every second, every minute, and the smell of dusty, old lamps over his head in the library. If it was in his hands, he could have stretched the time to sixty days. An end was inevitable, though. Kai was sitting on the same chair in the library, books, and scrolls strewn around him on the table neatly. His face was pale white, hair rough and tangled, and he had become leaner by such a degree that one could see the change. His eyes were sunken into his skull, but there was a perceptible glint within them, an unearthly desire and hunger for knowledge. Simon was standing at his side, and he was looking at Kai like he had never seen a thing like him. No Contestant with Kai''s Stats could stay awake for 6 days without using some Skill and yet function with the same output as the very first day. It was an inhumane, nonsensical, and mind-bending work of art, seeing Kai devouring books after books and scrolls after scrolls. As he sat there at the table, there was something about Kai that baffled all the eyes watching him. An amalgam of demonic and researcher''s Wills that could scarcely be found near each other, and when they did, it all culminated in one word ¡ª Insanity. By now, Kai had gone through all the books, documents, scrolls, and miscellaneous notes at least once. His curiosity and scientific mind had even shocked the Chief Bishop when Simon failed to answer the questions after the second day. The best Occlumens under the 6th floor weren''t enough to tackle the otherworldly, hideous theories that Kai kept coming up with. By the time the 6th day approached, even the Chief Bishop had to spend many hours thinking before answering his question. Kai could have downplayed it a bit, he knew. But he was also aware of the fact that he wouldn''t be coming back to the Temple of Byagoona for a long time. So, he let himself loose. Kai put down the last scroll, closed his burning, numb eyes, and his mind raced to the thousands of theories combining Occlumency and Multiverse Interdependency. His mastery of the three core fields specified by the Chief Bishop hadn''t reached the level of those who had been studying them for years, but it was still way ahead when one took into account the time of a mere six days. But no matter how much Kai tossed and turned, and tried to become a puppeteer of these theories, he failed to come up with a structure of his own. Ideas, more devious and vile than the last, kept coming to him, but he rejected them all. Nothing short of near-perfect was good enough for him. He wanted something that he could keep enhancing as his strength and grasp over the Mana grew. He wanted something absolutely unique that not only anyone had heard of, but would also fear coming in contact with. "It''s time," Simon said, his voice frail. "You must leave, now."This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Kai sighed, shook his head, and pushed himself up. A sudden weakness that he had never felt before pained his spine, neck, and every joint. Like a walking corpse, he followed Simon out, giving a last look to the library from over his shoulder. The words Occlumency on the wooden board were still as clear as he had seen them for the first time, and only when Kai reached the main hall did he recall that the section of Legilimency was just by its side. If he could stay here for another 6 days¡­ You would die, a voice told him, originating from his heart. Now you need rest and time to digest what you have learned. Selene is starving. And you have a price to pay. They found the Chief Bishop standing by the pool, surrounded by the giant statues of gods. The dim glow of the lit red candles flickered on his black and white cloak like a hundred horses galloping away. Kai neared him, and stood on his left, his eyes looking down into the stagnate black pool. He could see their faces reflected by its mirror-like surface, but something about these reflections repulsed him. Simon left the Chief Bishop and Kai alone and retreated farther to the comfort of some stone bed. "You have made a man wonder about your life before the resurrection, Red," the Chief Bishop said, his green eyes pulsating as he looked at Kai through the water. "No doubt a person like you had a Worth to get two Abilities just after coming to the Primordial Tower. But were you Worthy enough to get more? That''s a billion credits'' question, isn''t it?" Kai didn''t lock his emotions. He was weak, but his breathing was calm, and with every next breath, his agitation receded little by little. Control wasn''t easy, he had learned. He would need time and practice; lots of practice. The Chief Bishop lifted his face and turned to look at him. Kai had to reciprocate. "Before you leave the Temple," the priest told Kai, "let a man warn you. The nature of our deal demanded you receive your end of it beforehand. But in case you are to renegade from paying the price, your Candidacy will be canceled, and you will become the top enemy of the Temple. "A man need not tell the consequences of such a title attached to your name. Even after paying the price, the knowledge you have learned in the last six days belongs to the Temple of Many-faced God, and you must not transfer it to anyone without the High Priest''s exclusive permission. "Any such attempt will be known." Kai nodded. He just wanted to leave now. The desire to run back to the library was eating him from within, and he knew some emotions were harder to control than others. The Chief Bishop turned and walked towards the enormous doors. Kai followed him, and as they neared, the doors opened by themselves. A light, milky white mist was dancing over the green floor of grass way beyond the building''s knoll. And he could even hear water walking over stone and pebbles ¡ª soft, but determined. "You have read about all the Multiverse Interdependencies," the Chief Bishop said, stopping at the gate''s threshold. "But the most supreme of its kind wasn''t among them." Kai''s eyes narrowed, halting beside the faceless man. "A man hopes you would consider becoming HIS priest," the Chief Bishop continued, looking out to the golden horizon. "The Temple needs a Contestant like you, Red. So, let a man show you some goodwill. "The paramount Multiverse Interdependency that the true faceless men use to combine their nature with the concepts of Occlumency and Legilimency is based upon a Saying. "A Saying that has been passed down from ancient times before the first dawn. It has no true meaning, and every faceless man has interpreted it in a unique way, concluding a result different from all. "Listen ¡ª" Chapter 190: The True Essence of Facelessness! (II) Kai''s entire posture had straightened, the drowsiness getting smothered within him. He didn''t know what this Saying was. Nor did he know the implications behind the Chief Bishop letting him know of it. All he knew was that his Instincts were screaming that something truly amazing was happening, the hair on the back of his neck standing up. It was a primal feeling Kai had developed in his previous life. And the feeling had a unique smell, known only to him. The smell of ¡ª Opportunity. Kai stared at the priest, waiting to hear the words. The Chief Bishop opened his mouth, his pale green eyes solemn. "The Gates of the True Essence of Facelessness open when the White acts as Black and the Black acts as White." This¡­ Kai''s mind immediately ran, trying to fit this sentence somewhere, meanwhile deciphering what these words meant. A vast blackness fell over him. Then came the whiteness, intermingling purely, yet distinctively with the blackness. Kai couldn''t fathom the changes happening in front of his eyes; within his mind. A sudden push jolted him awake, and his eyes squinted as he saw the sun resting high in the sky. What?! Kai was shocked. Is this some hallucination? Another magical trick? But when he turned to look at the Chief Bishop, he saw the truth on his face. "How long¡­?" Kai asked, stunned. "7 hours." Kai gulped and wondered how much longer he would have stayed in that trance if the faceless man hadn''t bothered to bring him out. "You must be careful while meditating over this Saying, Red," the Chief Bishop warned. "Always have someone with you to bring you to reality. Otherwise¡­ "¡­ the Gulf between the Black and White will consume you." Kai ran his hands through his hair and felt their roughened texture. He was hungry, and delicious, roasted Pokemon-meat was waiting for him inside his MRB. But he would only have it after going well out of the Temple''s reach. Kai was on the last step when the Chief Bishop''s voice reached him. "Wait!" Kai doubled back and saw the faceless man looking down at him. "Are you going to attend tonight''s auction?" the Chief Bishop asked. Kai felt confused but nodded. He just knew that this man already knew he would attend. He was just glad the Chief Bishop didn''t raise any questions about Mission Credits. Kai wasn''t sure he could lie without getting found out. "Good," the white-black cloaked man said, nodding. "Remember, Red. The most important object in this auction is ¡ª a Clue." Eh?! Kai didn''t get to ask what this statement meant. The Chief Bishop turned around and went back in, the doors closing behind him majestically. Not knowing what to do, Kai just shook his head and traced his steps back. The moment Kai felt a tingling sensation, the House of Black and White behind him vanished.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. * * Inside the House of Black and White Main Hall The doors closed, and the Chief Bishop approached the Pool of Truth. Simon was waiting for him there, standing strong, his back slightly hunched. "What was the need of telling him about the Saying and even passing it onto him?" Simon demanded, his tone expressionless. "Red is not HIS priest yet." The Chief Bishop whispered something to himself before speaking out. "The strings of fate have been shaking since his arrival," he told Simon. "It was a gamble. Drastic? Yes. But necessary as well. Red will not come back to us. Not this Red, at least." Simon narrowed his eye and went silent. After nodding to himself, he asked, "Then what about the Clue? Do you think he can decipher it? Do you think he has¡­ it?" The Chief Bishop looked thoughtful. "If Red can trace the Clue back to its source successfully, finding The-One-Who-Returned¡­ Then, yes, he has it." Simon and the Chief Bishop exchanged a glance. Suddenly, they both laughed, but no sound escaped their throats. Their heads dropped to look down into the Pool of Truth, but unlike before, the mirror-like sheet of water wasn''t reflecting their faces. There was only a blur. A blur that kept shaking, transforming into a hundred faces. Suddenly, all faces collapsed, becoming a single face. White hair and reptilian, hazel eyes. It was Kai Stormborn, alright. Little by little, the corners of this Kai''s mouth lifted. Then he too laughed¡­ silently. * * 11:00 pm, The capital city of Buckfastleigh Wake up¡­ "Wake up, master," a sharp voice shook him. Kai opened his eyes and immediately felt as if there were tiny stones in them, burning hot. He rubbed his eyes, and sat up on the bed, trying to make sense of the place he was in. Someone dabbed his face gently with a cool, wet cloth, moistening away the sweat, and then used a dry towel to clean his face. By the time he smelled coffee and took the cup from Meg''s hand, old memories had already resurfaced. Six hours had gone by since Kai''s arrival at the hotel. Even before buying the ticket to the capital, Kai had eaten his fill, along with Selene. She wanted to hunt, she kept saying while swallowing as much flesh as she could. But there was no magical creature around them, and both of them were already more like two ravenous beasts by that time. A full stomach brought massive waves of sleep, and Kai had trouble recalling how and when he had arrived at the hotel. So the moment he had stepped into the room, a dreamless black gulf had claimed his senses. And now, Kai was feeling worse than before. There was such tiredness infused in his body that Kai couldn''t fathom the reason for it. He was a Contestant, not an ordinary human. Yet, he seemed to have pushed the limits of even inhumane Stats. He took a sip, a hot, bitter taste opening up his nerves as it went down his throat. Only then did he fully open his eyes. They were redder than blood, he knew, his face getting reflected by the tall mirror on the opposite wall. "Report," Kai ordered, turning to look at Meg. She had yet to ready herself for the auction that would start after midnight. Meg smiled, having a hard time controlling her emotions. He must teach her what he had learned in some roundabout way, Kai reflected and put the matter in the back of his head. "I got a sword for you, master," Meg said, her hand reaching to the table behind her. When she brought it forward, she was holding a long Katana gracefully. It had a square gray guard and red-colored hilt and sheath. Tied at the hilt''s butt was a golden-red string with a small cowrie shell at its end. Kai gawked at it, controlled his emotions, and then drank the rest of the coffee in one burning gulp. He threw himself off the bed, forgetting his immense tiredness, and snatched the sword out of Meg''s hand. Kai felt its power instantaneously. He gripped the hilt, and then with the faintest of a jerk, unsheathed the sword, taking it out inch by inch. The blade''s edge seemed as thin as sunlight, but the strength hidden in the steel couldn''t be faked. Kai felt a thrum inside his bones and smiled. The sword had accepted him, it seemed. If Meg had stored this sword in her Inventory, then this Item would have been hers, not his. "It''s a replica of a Named Item from the Random World of Afro Samurai," Meg told him. "Under Rare Grade, it''s one of the top swords." Kai ran his fingers across the blade''s length. Then, with a grin on his face, Kai''s eyes landed on the Stats hovering over it. Chapter 191: Afro’s Tachi and the Set Lord of the 2nd Set! ¡­ [ Item: Afro''s Tachi Grade: Uncommon Sub-Grade: Top Specification: A Mana and Chakra induced long, curved sword Requirement: 1. At least one sword-related Ability 2. Agility >15 3. Strength >12 4. Perception >12 Attributes: 1. Measurement: 102 cm 2. Material: High Carbon Steel (mono tampered) 3. Base Damage: 80 HP Skill: I will keep moving forward... Skill''s Effect: 1. With every consecutive strike, resulting in HP drop, Base Damage +5 2. Limit of Strikes: 4 3. Maximum Base Damage: 100 HP 4. Base Damage will reset after 4th successful, consecutive strike Skill: Ruthless Ritual Skill''s Effect: 1. With every successful kill, Base Damage +10 2. Maximum Bonus Damage: 50 HP 3. Maximum Base Damage (excluding other buffs): 130 HP 3. Base Damage will reset every 24 hours Quality: 74% ] ¡­ Kai smiled. What made Fangs special was their innate Intangibility, granted by their contract with Selene. In a battle, especially when he fought with someone who wasn''t a physical fighter, a timely use of Fang''s Skill could turn the board over in favor of Kai. Yet, they also had a major flaw. At one glance, Fangs and Afro''s Tachi had the same Base Damage, making one question what made the latter so special for it to be a Top Uncommon Item. At another glance, one would notice the distinct lack of mention of any Mana Consumption in Afro''s Tachi''s Stats. Where Fangs consumed an enormous amount of Mana for a single use of their Skill, the Top Uncommon Item worked purely on its own. Not only that, it suited just too much to Kai''s fighting style. To become stronger as the fight continued¡­ Kai had always preferred such a drastic, but effective method while killing his enemies.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Meg''s hand went to the table''s drawer, taking out another Item. "A Common String Beyblade Launcher," she said, handing it over to Kai. "Nothing special, but it fills one of the requirements. One can''t launch Beyblades, those are Items, using ordinary launchers, anyway." The launcher was red and white colored. Kai didn''t spare much glance and stored it along with the sword in his Inventory. Once more, Meg took out something from a drawer. It was a rectangular case. She opened it up and let Kai see its contents. There were 5 red, blue, and bright yellow capsules in it lined in three rows. "As you ordered, master," Meg told him, "I only bought one case for you. The HP capsules are 500 MC each, MP capsules of 1000 MC each, and SP capsules of 2000 MC each. All restore 100 points of their respective Stat. "As we have ascended to the 4th floor, the capsules of Common Grade are now 50% less efficient on us, and this number decreases drastically with every next capsule taken within 24 hours. "Now, these capsules are of Uncommon Grade and only work at 100% efficiency when there is a gap of at least 3 hours between two consumptions. If taken before, the next capsule will only give half the points. It will keep becoming half unless the Time Limit of 3 hours is met by the Contestant." Kai looked at the Capsules. Now he knew the HP capsules given to him by the 9th-floor Contestant, during his Mission in the Pokemon Random World, were of Rare Grade, awarding 250 HP with every consumption. No wonder he kept regaining his entire HP, healing instantly, with them. Now, he only had 7 of those capsules left. Kai closed the case and sent it to his Inventory as well. "How much for all this?" he asked. "Including a quiver of Common Grade Arrows for Jet Wing, 1 Capsule Case for me, our clothes, drinks, and a few other miscellaneous things, it all cost me 350,000 Mission Credits," Meg replied. "I wanted to spend less¡­" "We don''t have the time to waste, Meg," Kai said, cutting her off. He took out a brown folder. "Go through the data in it and make the preparations. The Price that I need to pay can''t even be compared to what you have paid for these things." Meg frowned, took the folder, and opened it. If she wasn''t a fallen Contestant from the 13th floor, the entire folder would have slipped out of her hands. Her head snapped up at Kai, her eyes singing a cruel song of disbelief and ridiculousness. "He''s a 6th-floor Contestant," she mumbled absentmindedly. "A Chunin from the Hidden Cloud Village. This is no empty power, master. Not even if he would have his Stats restricted. He would also have royal guards and flower commandos around him." "You don''t have to tell me about how dangerous it is," Kai said, not unkindly. "Go through it all, and on the last page, I have mapped out our plan. We still have some 40 minutes left. Make the preparations within this time." Meg, ignoring the documents, flipped to the last page. A deep scarlet color rose to her cheeks as she read Kai''s plan. "Yes¡­ Yes, master." * * 12:30 am, City Hall The crowd had gone extremely thin on the seventh day. Now, one after the other, luxurious carriages kept coming, bringing the nobles for the true auction. A red carpet was running from the carriage stop to Hall''s entrance, and on the carpet''s sides, lined with a gap of two hands between each other, were the White Guards of the royal police force in their white armors, their white cloaks fluttering behind them in the gray darkness. Outside the entrance, four Flower Commandos were standing tall in their blue armor, patterned with red, yellow, and white flowers. A rose crest over their helm, with seven-colored petals, stood majestically, telling a tale of one of the oldest organizations in the Primordial Tower, Seven Mystic Flowers. Just before the auction was about to start, two enormous, but equally luxurious carriages came to a stop opposite each other at the carriage stop. The horses whined, rearing at each other, as the driver tried to rein them into silence. Curses flew from each side and from the back of one carriage, three horsed White Guards trotted forward, holding pale white lances, shimmering silver. These are Items, they seemed to proclaim. "Back off!" one of the white-armored guards commanded. "How dare you block the path of Viscount''s carriage?" A deep, menacing chuckle escaped from the other in reply. "Haha!" the voice came out roaring. "My esteemed father told me about House Arbuthnot. I am honored to meet you, Viscount Lucas. Or should I call you¡­ Purple Spark?" Even the armored guards were stunned hearing that name. Who was this unknown person to call the Viscount by his Code Name? Both carriages'' doors opened simultaneously, and two figures walked out. One was wearing an exquisite white suit and pants, with a badge of purple lightning on the chest. He looked no older than 30 and had full, shoulder-length black hair and black eyes. His chin was bearded, and his mustache was neatly pruned. Viscount Lucas Arbuthnot; a Chunin from the Hidden Cloud Village! The second person had a black suit and pants on him, the linings of its collars and sleeves embroidered in gold. He had long white hair, and his eyes were hazels, pure but defiant. Kai Stormborn; the Glitched Demon! Two unworldly beauties stepped out following them. Meg''s hair was tied in a bun with ribbons on it, and she was wearing a backless turquoise gown. A necklace with red ruby embedded in it, and diamond earrings made her look like some angelic figure, stepping down from the stars. The moment she came out, metals clanked, as the guards'' helms scratched their gorgets, their heads turning to have a glance at her. Even the Viscount''s eyes stared at her with a red glint in them. From Viscount''s carriage, a long, curled, black-haired woman stepped out in a purple gown and purple tiara, glowing with tiny diamonds. Her eyes were black, a shade darker than those of Viscount. Both parties looked at each other. The showdown had begun! Chapter 192: Viscount’s Assassination – Setting the Stage! "Who are you¡­ my lord?" Viscount Lucas asked, at last, shocking the woman beside him and the three guards. Kai smiled. "You wouldn''t want to know," he said airily. "I just like to attend flashy functions and make friends." "Elenora," Viscount said, gesturing at the woman. "My lady wife." Kai bowed courteously at her, smiling. The woman nodded in return. "Sonia," Kai said, introducing Meg. "She''s whatever I want her to be." Kai''s words bordered on blasphemy, considering Meg''s beauty. But there was no sign of taking offense on her face, and following his words, she just smiled as if all that was being said about her was true. Viscount Lucas gulped audibly. "Lord Arbuthnot." A man in a black-colored formal suit came running toward them. "The auction is about to start. Please come. We have already arranged the topmost chamber for you." "Oh!" Kai exclaimed, approaching the three, holding Meg''s hand. "Why not share this chamber then, Viscount Lucas? The more the merrier." "Eh¡­" the third man licked his lips, fumbling for words. "You need a token for that, good sir. I¡­" His words got caught in his throat. Meg took out a platinum-colored card and threw it at him as if it was a spare change. Once again the Viscount stared at Kai and her awkwardly, and even the woman looked taken aback. That was the token of 50000 Mission Credits. Who could just throw that much money like that? Who were these two? They must have been thinking of these questions when Kai laughed. "What?" he asked, jesting. "You don''t like my company, my lord." Viscount Lucas came to his senses. "No, no," he said, smiling back at Kai. "Please. We will be honored to have you with us." "Yes," Elenora Arbuthnot said, nodding, her voice sweet like honey. "Mr. Black Rose, please make the arrangements." The man in the black suit nodded and led the way into the City Hall. They took the four of them to a spacious chamber on the topmost section of the hall with windows as walls. The hall had a semicircular arrangement, with three sections, layered in a stepped arrangement one over the other. Kai could see a sea of people gathered around an enormous dais, way down from his elevation. A gigantic screen was hung over the dais at the eye level of the upper two sections on which a rose with seven-colored petals kept flashing in and out. "The windows of this chamber have all manners of defenses placed over them, my lords," Mr. Black Rose said. "The uppermost section is reserved for the 6th-floor Contestants or those who have the token for it, and the middle section is reserved for the Presidents and upper bureaucrats. The rest are on the third and the lowermost section. Generally, other Contestants don''t come on the last day, and we have yet to release the info that you are among us, Lord Lucas."If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Kai ignored all this conversation as if he had nothing to worry about. In the chamber, there were two sofas placed near each other, pointed at the screen, and in front of them was a table with flagons of wine, baskets of fruits, and other snacks placed over it. Kai slumped down on one of the sofas with Meg, as the rest of the three stared at him incredulously. "Ahem!" Mr. Black Rose cleared his throat. "I will send two waiters to attend you, my lords¡­" "No need!" Kai said loudly, looking over his shoulder. "We have two beautiful ladies with us. Surely we don''t need anymore." Lady Elenora furrowed at the remark, but one glance from the Viscount made her bury her retort. Kai sneered inwardly. "And please send us your most exquisite collection of cigars, Mr. Black Rose," he said, looking at the third man. "And whiskey. Not this garbage." "Yes¡­ yes, of course," the man said, sweating. When the waiters had come and gone, and the Viscount and his wife had settled down as well, Kai cut the cigar''s tip, blazed it, and handed it over to the man sitting next to him on the other sofa. He then lit one for himself, and soon the chamber was covered in thin smoke, smelling of fresh flowers after the first rain. "I have yet to be honored by your name, my lord," Lucas said, blowing out a long trail of smoke. "Are you from¡­" "Doesn''t matter," Kai said impatiently, flicking his hand. "You can''t comprehend where I am from. Let''s enjoy ourselves. They are starting, I guess." The husband and wife shared a terrified glance, Kai noticed. Suddenly, the rose on the screen vanished, and in its place appeared a beautiful woman in her thirties dressed in a rippling black gown, along with Mr. Black Rose and a female attendant. "Good evening," she said, her voice magically booming to the farthest corner of the city hall. "Before we start, let me welcome an esteemed guest present amidst us, Viscount Lucas Arbuthnot, Set Lord of the 2nd Set." The entire hall buzzed up with incomprehensible murmurs and thundering claps. "You butter the loaves of their bread efficiently, eh?" Kai quipped, smoke twisting out of his mouth. Viscount Lucas laughed. "A bunch of hungry dogs, my lord," he replied. "Not something to be mentioned in your presence." "Well said," Kai nodded. "Sonia, be a good lady, and serve our Viscount a glass of whiskey." "No¡­" Lucas tried to reject, but the moment Meg left her seat, his words got caught in his throat. Kai eyed Lady Elenora mischievously. She sighed, left her seat, and poured him a drink as Meg poured one for Viscount Lucas. Elenora turned to leave, but Meg sat down in her place, a half-full glass of whiskey in her hand. "Please, my lady," Kai said, patting the sofa on his side. "How can we become friends without knowing each other?" Lady Elenora shot Kai a look that could have meant anything and walked around the table to sit beside him, her eyes now glued to the screen. Kai chuckled under his breath, sipped the disgusting whiskey, and smoked the repulsive cigar, his attention now landing on the screen as well. They had already brought out the first item of the auction. "Tonight, the Seven Mystic Flowers will auction 100 Items," the auctioneer said, smiling lavishly. "Our first Item is a map of a newly explored sea route from the One Piece Random World with a 10% chance of encountering an unclaimed Devil Fruit. The starting bid is 10,000 Mission Credits with a minimum increment of 500 MCs." The young female attendant came forward and lifted a cloth covering the tray, and all got to see a rolled piece of old, flaky paper. The very first item caught the crowd by surprise, and one after another the biddings came pouring in like a tide. "Not interested in adventure, my lord?" lady Elenora asked, sloshing wine in her cup. From the corner of his eyes, Kai saw Viscount Lucas and Meg engaged deeply in some discussion already. "I am," Kai said, offhandedly. "But I have unique tastes." The map was sold at 35,000 MC in the end. But this was just the start! Chapter 193: One-Half of the Power Sword and a Named Item! Kai wasn''t surprised at seeing the sheer wealth of these nobles. With the tax they levied on the residents of the 2nd Set, it was just a matter of time before their pockets started to spit gold. And the richest man on the 2nd Set was sitting with him in the same chamber. Smoke kept thickening in the chamber, and by the time the 20th Item got sold, all four of them were drunk enough to have a heaviness in their voices. "The 21st Item on our list is unique, my lords and ladies," the auctioneer proclaimed, as the attendant and Mr. Black Rose brought out a huge tray suspended in the air. "It is a genuine replica of a Named Item manufactured by a main storyline Character (-the crowd stirred with Whats?! and Hows?!-). "It looks like a sword, but its use grants the user an Armor, made of one of the most powerful energy crystals known in the Multiverse ¡ª Coridite. "Let us present, from the Random World of He-Man ¡ª One Half of the Power Sword!" The silk over the tray flew away, and an exquisite sword lifted itself, floating high in the air. Kai''s eyes narrowed, seeing the sword rotating on the vast screen. It looked like a longsword from advanced technology, and there was a distinct red metallic shine to it. He wanted it. "The starting bid is 25,000 Mission Credits," the auctioneer said, swishing her thin waist. "Every increment must be at least 1000 MCs." Not even a minute had passed, and the amount had already reached 50,000 MC. There it lingered for a few seconds, and then, for the first time, someone from the middle section called out. "51,000 MC." This¡­? Kai''s head snapped downward, looking diagonally at some unknown chamber. He recognized this voice. But with all the events that had happened after his coming to the 4th floor, he had never thought he would meet him ever again. Kai leaned back and smiled. "Now, where have I heard that voice before?" he mumbled aloud. "Oh, yes. Isn''t that the newly ascended Contestant¡­ some Silvas?" The name caught Viscount Lucas'' attention. "You are right, my lord," he said, his voice lacking power. "Granted Presidency to him myself. Not a bad kid, but not special either. It''s his fiancee, all are after." Fiancee?! Kai''s brows furrowed. Wait a minute! He didn''t¡­ "The Golden Mage they are calling her," Lady Elenora said with obvious contempt in her voice. "A natural practitioner of Wandless Magic. The man struck gold on the lower floors, to be honest. What were the chances of encountering someone like her among those filthy worms? Heh!" Kai sighed and shook his head. The bid had already reached 55,000 MC, and it didn''t seem anyone from the middle section could afford a higher amount than that for this Item. So, he nodded at Meg.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! "60,000," she called out, shocking both Viscount and his lady wife. Kai laughed. "Told you, didn''t I?" he quipped, winking at Elenora. "Unique tastes." Once a voice had come out of the topmost section, none from the middle one dared to bid on it any longer, and even the others in the same section held back this time. For all they knew, it was the Set Lord himself who had bid on it. "Sold." The sword landed back on the tray, and the girl took it backstage. As the auctioneer carried on, a knock resounded on the chamber''s door. "Enter," Lucas commanded, impatiently. A white-armored guard of the royal police force brought in the same tray, and placed it on the table, before backing out. Kai noticed the smoke escaping the chamber from the opening and frowned. His hand went to the sword on the tray, and with the faintest touch, it vanished in his Inventory. The auction kept going on, and by the time it reached the 50th Item, the distance between Viscount and Meg had lessened considerably. The man was almost leaning over her, and Meg kept refilling his glass with whiskey and lighting the cigars. On his side, Kai''s hand lifted and his fingers rubbed on Elenora''s earlobes, feeling their softness. She looked at him, her mouth pressed hard, but said nothing except for taking a large gulp of her wine. Viscount Lucas lusts for women like dogs for bones, Kai recalled the data on the 6th-floor Contestant. He has a strong taste for cigars and whiskeys from the 3rd Set or above, as he loathes everything from the 2nd Set. In his manor, Viscount Lucas holds weeks-long orgies, inviting other nobles, and the entire event is managed by his wife, lady Elenora. Unknown to the public, she is the strongest among the husband and wife, and her signature Skill is based on a powerful mutant, Storm. Kai''s entire plan was based on these points. When we meet them, Kai had told Meg, they would either think of us as genuine 4th-floor Contestants or stronger Contestants descended here from the top floors. Given that their Stats would be restricted, it wouldn''t be easy to tell the difference. We would have to woo them before they could sense something wrong. Wealth and beauty. Remember, these are our weapons today. Seven Mystic Flowers has some of the most potent whiskeys and cigars from the upper floors. It says so in the data as well. Then, you would have to get him heavily drunk and keep lighting cigars for him. I want the smoke in the room as thick as possible. Leave Elenora to me. I know women like her. "Now, for the swordsmen amongst us," the auctioneer said, making Kai straighten his back, "the 61st Item is not a replica and not an Item forged by Contestants. It is¡­ a Named Item." There was an eerie silence in the entire hall, and only Viscount Lucas was foolish enough to still chuckle at Meg''s unimpressive jokes. Kai''s fingers had stopped rubbing Elenora''s ears, and her eyes were so fixated on the screen that she had scarcely noticed it. A new tray came floating on the stage, covered in black silk. The moment it neared the auctioneer, the cover flapped itself aside, letting all see the Item placed majestically over a folded black cloth. It was a Katana with a red sheath, and over its red hilt, written in black with a white background, were tiny incomprehensible markings that looked like a combination of Chinese and Runic characters. "From the Random World of Akame ga kill! ¡ª One-Cut Killer: Murasame!" The auctioneer then briefly talked about the sword''s background, avoiding the sword''s capabilities, and started the bid with an initial amount of 100,000 Mission Credits. Kai had only one word ringing inside his head ¡ª Beautiful! At this moment, there was nothing more beautiful in his eyes than the sword. "I will have it," he declared slowly, leaning back, and pulling Elenora towards him. "Some things are too beautiful to not taste them at least once." Lady Elenora, for the first time, smiled and brought her face near him. Her lips tasted of rich wine to Kai, and her tongue was like a fresh cut of meat, juicy and warm. It was brief, but when they parted, her hands were on his thigh. Chapter 194: The Clue and the Gaze of a Deep One! Sitting next to the Set Lord, Meg straightened. The Viscount kept trying to touch her, but she was over three times his age and many times more cunning. All his attempts got parried here and there eloquently. She had heard Kai''s command, and it was on her to bid for the Item. This time, they didn''t wait for the others. "200,000," Meg said, doubling the amount instantaneously. "250,000." A voice from a nearby chamber in the same section as them rang out. Another 6th-floor Contestant, it seemed. "300,000," Meg said casually, and the hall became silent, awkward smiles lingering on all faces. Who could in their right mind compare to the wealth of a Set Lord? Nobody knew that the Set Lord and his wife weren''t the only Contestants in the chamber. But the same voice persisted. "320,000." "400,000." Meg declared as if she could do this all day. "Very well, have it then!" the voice snapped and gave up. When nobody raised their voices for a long time, even after the continuous urges of the auctioneer, they finally proclaimed the Item was sold. Once again the doors opened, and the guard left behind a tray on the table. Kai had to control his emotions like never before to not unsheathe the sword there and then, and instead sent the sword to his Inventory. "Did you feel it, my lord?" Elenora asked, sharply. "The sword is cursed, I think. I felt an incredible baleful aura before it disappeared." What''s she on about?! Kai thought but didn''t deign to reply. Now, things became quiet in their chamber. They kept drinking, smoking, and giggling, while the auction continued with one item after another. But all failed to catch Kai''s eyes. Elenora kept rubbing her hands on his thigh, almost leaning on Kai, and he knew even the Viscount had drunk enough whiskey to not look at him and his wife anymore. Even if the Chunin had looked at them, he couldn''t have seen anything, for the thick smoke of dozens of cigars, made of magical herbs, was curling all over the chamber, blurring the sight. Amidst these unimpressive, but sensual moments, Kai blew out another puff of smoke. But this puff was different. It was longer than the others and was more silver than white. When Kai stopped, the white curls in the room had a distinct tinge of silver in them. This silver smoke churned and glided towards the side of Viscount and Meg. And, little by little, with every next breath, it entered the drunk, and full of lust, Viscount''s nostrils. There was no ill intention, and no hint of any evil, about this silver smoke. At least, not yet. Well, Kai guffawed inwardly. Selene''s Perception is high enough for a 6th-floor Contestant with restricted Stats. "The 83rd Item on our list is one of those that keep coming up once a decade," the auctioneer said, giggling, as the attending girl brought out a small tray with a scroll placed on it. "Let me introduce my lords and ladies to the ¡ª Clue. A fresh Clue to the whereabouts of The-One-Who-Returned. "Let''s start it with 25,000 Mission Credits." The smile of victory left Kai''s face, and his mind roared with the Chief Bishop''s words. The most important object in this auction is a Clue, he had told Kai. And though Kai did not trust the faceless man, was there any harm in buying an item openly auctioned by such a prestigious organization? To Kai''s surprise, none bid for this Clue, and he couldn''t help but feel a bit out of place. In his haste to make preparations, he had even forgotten to consult Meg regarding this. He dared not use his Telepathy within the chamber, lest the defenses fire up automatically. He also did not know what charms they had placed on the walls surrounding him. "25,100," Kai said.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. A wave of laughter washed over the crowd, but none scorn aloud. The auctioneer smiled wryly and declared the Clue as sold. "I didn''t know you were interested in myths and fables, my lord," Elenora quipped, her thumb rubbing against his manhood. "So, you too are looking for The-One-Who-Returned." This was the first time Kai had heard of it, and thus, he latched onto it like an iron hook into a fish''s mouth. "Oh!" he exclaimed, raising an eyebrow. "You know about it too?" She giggled coquettishly. "Of course!" she answered. "All Contestants must have spent a part of their lives following the Clues blindly, I think. I was one of them too, once. The-One-Who-Returned¡­ That''s quite an infamous name among the top Contestants, but an even more loathed lesser-known name is ¡ª The Cartoonist! "The myth says that there was once a Contestant who had teleported to the Graveyard of Kings as the Initiation Mission and returned. This Contestant not only survived but also got an Ability, so powerful that even Kings were attracted to it. "So, upon knowing about it, they tried to kill this Contestant. It was then all traces of the Contestant vanished. Some say the Cartoonist is dead, killed centuries ago. But, now and then, these clues keep surfacing like messages brought by tides to the distant beaches. It''s been over 1000 years, but no one has ever found anything substantial." Kai felt incredibly conflicted by all this, and when the guard left the item on the table, he put it in his MRB absentmindedly. If he were to believe what Meg had told him, then Elenora was right, he thought. Even he felt a deep terror thinking about the Graveyard of Kings when he recalled the tales told to him by Meg. Suddenly, the area between his brows prickled with a burning sensation. Kai rubbed it and then concentrated on Elenora. Somehow, the burning sensation returned, now fiercer than before. What''s going on?! He thought incredulously. Has the Golduck''s mind gem matured so early? Kai took a deep breath, controlled his emotions, and focused on the task at hand. And in one instance of madness, the pain and burning sensation shot through the roof. "Ugh!" Kai cried, slipping off the sofa. Meg came running for him, almost obliterating the table in between them. "What¡­ what happened?" Elenora asked, a horrifying expression on her face. "I¡­ My lord, are you OK?" Even the drunk Viscount came to see, walking sluggishly. Kai somehow pushed himself to his feet, defying the pain and burning sensation. "It''s a condition," he lied. "It flares up from time to time. Take me outside. Viscount Lucas, my lady, please excuse us for a moment. We will be back shortly." Both husband and wife silently nodded, and Meg took Kai out of the smoke-filled chamber. Outside, four guards from the royal police force were stationed, with two on either side of the doors. They all eyed Kai and Meg menacingly, seeing them leaving the chamber. Even with the spot between his eyebrows boiling, Kai had enough awareness to know that he must do something about it. He made Meg pause and then looked at the guards. "We are going out for a moment," Kai said, remembering the Existence with a ringed purple eye. "Our guests are important to Us. See that they have enough wine to idle away the rest of the auction. Let''s go." [AN: here Kai is imitating the royal We] Kai and Meg slowly walked away, and behind them, the guards'' knees buckled before they fell to one knee in his direction simultaneously. Who in their right mind would try to imitate the royal presence? The flower commandos didn''t stop them as they went out of the City Hall, and now, Kai could scarcely hold back a roar. -/Take me¡­ out of the capital,/- he told her telepathically. -/As far¡­ as you can. We are done here./- Meg''s face had become hard. She took Kai to the hired carriage and took him to the city''s outskirts. Once the carriage had gone back, two enormous wings unfurled on her back, and she took Kai into the air. Kai was clutching his head, a searing heat coursing through the same spot as if lava was kissing him. By the time Meg distanced from the capital considerably, Kai was already flailing his arms and legs. This was a pain he had never felt before. Unable to keep herself and Kai in the sky, she landed on a grassy mound. "Argh!" Kai cried, rolling on his back. Standing over him, Meg kept calling out to him, three different colored capsules in her hand. But nothing seemed to be enough. At this moment, aside from the pain and heat, nothing else existed for Kai. Then, with an unheard boom, a dull, sickly yellow-colored drop came out from the spot between his brows. Kai lifted his head to look at it, his eyes bloodshot, and Meg backed away, now thoroughly horror-struck, for it was the Soul-Blood Drop that could never come back out of a slave''s master. It was ridiculous! Impossible! Kai''s eyes landed on the drop, and like seeing from a lens, he saw something beyond it. A place, full of towering flames, burning mountains, and men and women crying, roaring, as their bodies burned. And amidst all these flames stood a many-horned Being of incomprehensible size. Thick pillars of flames were spouting out of this figure, burning the oblivion. Suddenly, the figure''s head snapped, and it looked in Kai''s direction, into his eyes. A thick, hoarse, menacing, and evil voice reached Kai''s ears from some distant dimension. ¡ªI¡­ SEE¡­ YOU!¡ª The Soul-Blood drop sizzled, following the words, and half of it vaporized. The rest returned, rushing for the spot between Kai''s eyebrows, and disappeared. All became black in his eyes instantaneously. The three words still rang in the back of his mind, and in the darkness of sleep, huge flames kept appearing and disappearing, trying to take some hideous form from unknown origins. Chapter 195: Dream Lucidity – Comprehending the Extreme Contrast! The entire nation of Buckfastleigh had been put under curfew. Worse was the situation of the nation''s capital with thousands of royal police guards and hundreds of investigators turning it upside-down, hoping to find¡­ well, something. It all happened on the night of the auction, just after they had sold the last item. A scream had awakened the sleeping monsters in and out of the City Hall, and it was so heinous and heart-wrenching that it was impossible to relate it to a grieving woman, and the storm that had rampaged the city afterward. Viscount Lucas Arbuthnot, Set Lord of the 2nd Set, had been assassinated in his chamber at the topmost section of the Hall. That was pretty much everything the officials could say for sure then. A day later, when all the nobles, guards, and commandos had been questioned, the Royal Police Force released a statement that the late Viscount had died of Soul Shock. It was a frightening effect of various Skills using which a user could freeze, burn, or petrify the target''s soul completely from within. None could find the attacker, however. How could someone possibly attack the Viscount within the protection of the enchanted chamber walls? Soul Shock was an effect of Instantaneous Skills, so the attacker must have been near to him when the Viscount had died. Yet, aside from his lady wife, and now widow Elenora, there was no one with him. Not known to all, but among a tight circle of prominent officials and the other 6th-floor Contestants present in the same section, there was a talk of two unknown individuals who had shared the chamber of the late Viscount. It turned out that the other two individuals had paid for all the Items that were thought to be bought by the Set Lord. Even stranger and the mind-gobbling thing was that the Royal Police Force adamantly refused to release the sketches of the faces of these two individuals in this tight circle when demanded so. Not only that but they also refused to pursue the matter of their identity, stating that these two individuals had left the chambers half an hour earlier based on the statement of the lady Elenora and the four guards stationed outside the chamber''s doors. By the end of the third day, the mystery of Set Lord''s death had almost become the mystery of the vanished couple. It seemed Kai''s gamble of imitating the authority of Rinnegan-user had finally paid off, for the only ones who could have pulled that off were those who had come in contact with the white-skinned being personally. Unknown to all this, Kai was lying on a makeshift bed of wool and straw inside a straw hut. His face was calm, his eyes closed, and in between his brows, there was an uncanny redness. He had yet to wake up. Seven days of tiredness. No sleep. Continuous reading, learning, and questioning. And then the events that had played out on the night of the auction after leaving the capital city, especially that flaming figure and those three words, had resulted in something that had never been tried, experimented, or even thought of in millions of millions of years. These were a series of chain events that had never been combined before and would never happen again in the same sequence or of the same nature. Only one word could define Kai''s state ¡ª Unique. Even Glitch had failed to earn this word in the Primordial Tower. There was only one thing that had come remotely close to being called Unique in this place ¡ª Multiverse Interdependency. After losing consciousness, and seeing the attempts of many fire pillars trying to take the shape of the flaming being, resulting in failures, Kai fell into a strange state of inexplicable lucidity.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. He was dreaming, and yet, he was aware of his dreams. Kai was walking on the blurriest boundary separating the realms of wakefulness and the strangest oblivion of all, the Dreamland. He could perceive himself, his inner Self that was now reading, going through the same documents he had already gone through once before in the Temple of Byagoona. Yes, of that too, he was aware. The only thing that he couldn''t do was control the dream itself. Sometimes his inner Self was jumping to the seventh day, feeling reluctant to leave the library, and on the very next, it was walking with the Existence, making him shiver anew. Reading, writing, questioning, and then again going through the same. For hundreds of times, his inner Self traced the same steps, repeating the same process in an uncontrolled and unhinged manner. Then suddenly, his inner Self was walking out of the main hall of the House of Black and White, the black and white colors of the Chief Bishop''s cloak billowing in front of him as if two different worlds birthing and dying. A Saying that has been passed down from ancient times before the first dawn. It has no true meaning, and every faceless man has interpreted it in a unique way, concluding a result different from all. Listen¡­ the man, whose face was blurred, whispered these words in his self''s ears. The gates of the true essence of the Facelessness open when the White acts as Black and the Black acts as White. Boom! Randomness ended there with an explosion and then began a never-ending cycle of the most absurd events. A controlled meditative state of Kai''s inner Self, trying to comprehend the meaning of the Saying. Understanding that had always lurked in his subconscious and unconscious mind came flooding his lucid self. And from this abundance of bizarre happenings, birthed a question. Curious as Kai was, his true Self turned out to have surpassed even his conscious mind. This question represented Kai''s prime curiosity. If I am Black, then who is White? Days, months, years, and decades seemed to have passed, asking the same question in an infinite loop while all the knowledge and insights Kai had gained since his birth in the previous world flashed by his Self, again and again, his Wills kept extracting the essence out of them, feeding his curiosity. When comprehension crawled out from these extractions, like always, and following some archaic fundamental code of existence, it spurted out as another question. If I am White, then who is Black? The moment Kai''s lucid Self asked this second question to itself, he knew what he must do to achieve his Uniqueness. And as often goes with Uniquenesses, everything about what Kai had figured out was unique, from the beginning to the end. If I am to achieve Facelessness, then I must be Extreme. Not only mentally, but also physically. I must obliterate the mental restrictions arising from the physical barriers. With one Extreme Act, I must target my mind, body, and soul together. That would be my Essence of the Facelessness. That would be my Uniqueness! Amid this unworldly realization, Kai''s eyes opened with unseen serenity. He took a deep breath and found that some hidden knots in his mind had untangled themselves, paving a fresh path for him to tread. And now, he must walk on it, come life or death. "Black contrasts White; White contrasts Black," Kai told himself, his voice sounding ethereal. "If there is no contrast to Kai Stormborn, then I must¡­ create one myself." The Contrast Kai was talking about was not only physical, as per his Comprehension in the Dreamland. It was in its entirety, meaning he must find someone who lives on the very extreme end of the life that he had lived. Their Thoughts, Actions, and even Ambitions must be on the extreme ends as well. However, Kai knew none who could offer him such a Contrast. At least, there was no such Contestant. That''s why, he looked in the other direction, toward the System. A Privilege, only available to the Worthy Ones. Kai''s voice rippled the air and Meg came darting into the straw abode from some unknown direction, her eyes wide in shock and joy. Yet, the moment she was about to speak, she noticed his strange state and frowned. "How many days have passed?" Kai asked, looking around. "10 days, master." Kai nodded. "We must talk," he told her. "Sit." Kai''s bedding was on the ground, so Meg sat down near him, bending her legs quite ladylike. "Let me confirm something from the System first," he said, framing the question methodically in his mind. "Chaos, what are the instructions for a Contestant on the 3rd position of the Worth-Stat Ranking for using the privilege to reincarnate as a main storyline Character?" A detailed notification appeared in front of him. Chapter 196: Kai’s Extremities – The Three Contrasts! ¡­ [ Following are the points that a Contestant must consider after the reincarnation: 1. The Contestant will not have access to the Stats while in the reincarnated body. Everything that makes a Contestant, a Contestant, will be locked Note: Accumulated experience does not come under this point''s purview 2. The Contestant will replace the main storyline Character''s inner self entirely 3. The Contestant can transfigure to their Original Self for 3 hours, called the Identity Period 4. For these 3 hours, the Contestant will have complete access to their Stats 5. The Contestant can return to the Reincarnated Self only after the Identity Period''s end 6. There will be a 48 hours Cooldown between any two Identity periods WARNING: If any main storyline Character relates the Reincarnated Character to the Contestant''s Original Self with absolute certainty, then the Main Mission will be deemed as failed 7. A Crisis Timer of 7 days will be imposed on the Contestant as well Crisis Timer: If the Reincarnated Contestant were to not use the Identity Period in 7 days, including the Cooldown, a forceful transfiguration of the 3 hours would be imposed 8. Every use of the Identity Period will reset the Crisis Timer ] ¡­ Kai paused, looked at Meg, and asked, "Noticed something?" She pressed her brows, looking thoughtful. It took her a few minutes, but when she answered, there was no hesitation in her voice. "Gender!" she told him. "It says nothing about gender." Kai grinned. "Exactly," he said, his eyes landing on the notification again. "I remember the System''s instructions before my Initiation Mission. A Contestant can''t change gender before teleportation, but that point isn''t valid when the Contestant is Reincarnating into the Random World, as, in a way, the appearance will remain the same. It''s the replacement of the two inner selves, from the main storyline Character to the Contestant." Meg looked confused. "I understand, master," she said, frowning. "But I am not getting the point."The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. They had already decided upon reincarnating as Harry Potter, which was an obvious choice given his privilege. However, that was then; this was now. Kai took a deep breath and then told Meg everything that had happened in the House of Black and White, keeping the knowledge and the Saying shared by the Chief Bishop to himself. He also told her about the Clue, and then what he had seen in the Soul-Blood drop before passing out. As there was no limitation on letting her know about his Comprehension based on the Saying, Kai told her about the realization he had come up with. "NO!" Meg cried, her eyes horrified. "This is madness, master. You¡­" Madness, it may be, but Kai knew it was the only way. "Yes, there are Contestants with Glitches in the Primordial Tower other than me," Kai declared, in a tone that demanded no objection. "But in the Chaos'' Valley, there is only one. And there is only one Contestant with a Glitch who knows the Saying of the Many-faced God as well. This will be a Multiverse Interdependency unique to me. "I will Reincarnate in the body of the opposite sex. This will be my first Contrast, the primal conversion of Yang to Yin. "I will let her know every answer doesn''t lie in slaughter. This will be my second Contrast, the quintessential conversion of inner selves. "I will let her live a life with her own personality, thoughts, and goals. This will be my third Contrast, the ultimate conversion of existence. "In this reincarnation, I will open the gates to the True Essence of Facelessness. By pursuing these three Extremities¡­ I will become a Faceless Man." A light breeze entered the hut, lifting the end of Kai''s hair, and a drop of sweat trickled down from his brows. Everything failed to match the glint in Kai''s eyes ¡ª The glint of unwavering determination. "Also," Kai said, narrowing his eyes, "didn''t you mention the main storyline Character, Arya Stark? She could Act as opposite sex, wearing their faces, and yet not face any struggle whatsoever. My reincarnation will be equivalent to me wearing the face of the opposite sex as well, but it will also be on a much deeper level." Meg sighed. "You aren''t aware of the dire consequences of the things you have just said, master," she told him, her expression pained. "I remember hearing about the journey of Comprehensions of the Contestants above the 4th Set. And based on that, I can tell you this. "One moment. It would take one moment for you to lose yourself. If even for once you were to accept that you and the Character you would reincarnate into, while comprehending the essence of facelessness, are the same people, then all of your work will crumble down to nothingness, and your mind will shatter. "Such Comprehensions and practices bring with them inexplicable and unknown dangers with irreversible consequences. I beg you to reconsider. Why the need for these absolute restrictions?" Kai narrowed his eyes. Another row of words kept coming to his mind like an unforgettable horror scene. "In restriction lies freedom¡­" he mumbled, hoping to find some elusive meaning. What was the intention of the user of Byakugan behind saying these words in the Tale of Two Brothers? Was there more to these words than their literal meaning? Kai, for the first time, felt something hidden in these words. "Huh?!" Meg leaned towards Kai. "What?" "Nothing." Kai shook his head. There was no going back now. Meg could never comprehend what it had taken for him to come to this realization. If he were to let go of this opportunity, then he might not find another way in the next thousand years. Or worse, he might not find it ever again. "I have decided," Kai said, standing up. "This will be my path, and if the time comes to face the consequences, I will welcome them with open arms. There is nothing to worry about. I will not be hasty about it. If time can be compressed, then it can be stretched as well. "I will stretch the time limit of the Main Mission as far as possible using the remaining Mission Credits and then reincarnate into a child of about 4-5 years old. Then, it will be easy to mold her personality and other traits, garnering no unwanted attention towards her. Now, let''s go. "She''s about to come. We need to welcome her." Meg and Kai walked out, and the entire hut exploded in tiny paper insects, straw raining down on the empty ground where once he was living the oddest dream. Their destination was the 1st Set. With the incident regarding the gaze of the Deep One, it was yet to be seen what changes it had brought within her. To welcome or¡­ To kill¡­ Kai let out a demonic grin, feeling the excitement over the unknown. Chapter 197: Spawn – Kai vs the Girls of White Serpent Pirates! 1st floor, Teleportation zone of newbie Contestants Kai felt odd, as he stood there in the dry bleakness. Once again, he was standing on the earth where he had begun his journey many months ago. In front of him, there were hundreds of caves; dark tunnels running down into the pit of the earth. This was where she would come out from. "It was her Soul-Blood drop," Kai told Meg, who was standing by his side. "I don''t know who that flaming being was, but he had forcefully claimed half her soul, and along with it, half of my control over her. I can feel her. She is coming. "And if she doesn''t bend to my Will, then we will have to kill her. The curse has lost its meaning to me weeks ago already. Only Karma remains. And I think I can deal with my Karmic Cycle by myself too." "It will be difficult, master," Meg replied. "Our Stats are restricted, and we can''t use Mana, Spiritual Energy, and even the complete extent of our Abilities. Our Skills are locked, and though you can use your Glitch, it is nothing without the Abilities. We can use Items, but we don''t have the strength to back them up. Our City Passes allowed us to come here unhindered, and our pretense of bringing the newbies to the City of Assignments might work as well. But if even two or three of the newbies grouped against us, then¡­" Kai knew what would happen then. "They are here." A gust of dry, hot air breezed over the open mouths of the tunnels, and newbie Contestants came out one after another. Two, three, ten, forty¡­ Kai counted them all, standing far from the nearest cave. When the hundredth Contestant had come out, only then did his senses pick up her existence. He could feel it, his control over half of her soul and body. Even the very air had receded, leaving behind a choking silence. Then she came out. A red blur, Kai noticed, his eyes narrowing. An enormous red cloak with high collars flapped behind her as if it had a life of its own. Her body seemed to be covered in a red-black rubbery costume from head to toe. Even from here, he could see her eyes, glowing green. Four iron chains were flailing about her, lashing out at anyone unfortunate enough to come in her approach. All Contestants backed away as she walked towards him, her feet scarcely touching the beaten ground. She had sensed him as well. When she arrived a few feet away from him, goosebumps stood up on Kai''s hands and the back of his neck. A devilish hunger for revenge and monstrous waves of power were ebbing out of her, flowing towards Kai. Her entire face was hidden behind the black mask with white crescent-shaped patterns over her eyes. Suddenly, all iron chains snapped, whipping at the earth, and shattering the ground just under Kai''s feet. Boom! Kai stepped forward, shocking the already-stunned Meg. He grinned and a hint of his bloodlust seeped out of his hazel eyes. His slave trembled. The iron chains receded, melting back into her body, and her red cloak, billowing majestically without the wind, fell on the dirt. At last, she dropped to one knee. "Selena greets you, master," she said, her head down, and her voice echoing. "I have returned." "Who was he?" Kai asked, not wasting any time. "Not he, master," she told him, lifting her head. "He was a HE. Malebolgia was HIS name, a Deep One. I have HIS Blessing now. The Blessing of¡­ "¡­ Spawn." ¡­ "Haha!" Kai laughed demonically, less at the name and more at the irony of meeting another Deep One. "Spawn¡­ yes, that suits you best, I guess. Let it be your name. Haha!" Spawn had bent as Malebolgia''s servant, but the only one who rose was a slave. A slave of a Demon, nevertheless. Her iron chains slithered out, and her high-collared red cloak left the ground, billowing with a bloody aura. The green glow in her eyes exploded, becoming the epitome of revenge, hatred, and Hell. The tale of Spawn had finally begun. * * Huff! Huff!If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Kai panted, his right eye completely shut and swollen, its color purple. His upper body was naked, and hundreds of wounds had claimed his chest and back, bleeding and stabbing now and then. Just above his waist, there was an arrow running through and through his abdomen. Fangs hovered over his shoulders, their blade covered in green and red viscous liquids. Kai pressed his toes into the grass and mud under his naked feet, and grinned, his laugh low and demonic. "Come on, girls," he spat. "You can do better than this." With one jerk, and gritting his teeth, Kai pulled out the arrow, blood splattering on the dew-covered hilly ground. In front of him, dozens of meters away, was Spawn, her long, red cloak billowing, and her four iron chains flailing menacingly. Her body was covered in cuts even more hideous than Kai''s, and green juices were oozing out from them. But in the next instant, they closed up with a rate that defied even the monstrous healing abilities of the Contestants. Her green eyes blazed as they narrowed at him. Up in the air, with huge paper wings on her back, was Meg, nocking another arrow on Jet Wing. The ground around Kai was covered with her Origamis that kept ambushing him, testing his senses. Hisss! Kai looked over his shoulder and saw Selene slithering, coiling around herself, her tongue flicking out to taste the air. She dashed, becoming a white blur. From his front, a blurrier red figure came for him. Three paper Meg jumped out of the ground, each holding a sword, an ax, and a kunai. Two arrows targeted his chest and his legs. Kai let out a breath and took a step. Selene was slower than Selena, but she was closer too. She reached him first, her entire length lunging for Kai''s neck, baring her venom-infused fangs. Kai slithered. An afterimage appeared where he was standing, and Selene''s head went right through it. Kai grabbed her from the back of her head before she could become intangible and slammed her into the earth. A heart-gripping crunch racked the ears. -Stay down, my precious,- Kai hissed. The iron chains came for him, together with the arrows. Kai slithered again, as the sabers hovering above him blurred, and parried the arrows. The iron chains split the air apart as they came for him, but only found an afterimage in his place. With the barest touch, Kai was moving like a bleeding shadow, his long white hair swaying and taunting the Hellspawn. The paper-Meg threw their weapons at him, but before they could come close, invisible hands grabbed them, throwing them back. The origamis exploded, but now four more rose in their place, rushing for him. Spawn grunted in anger meanwhile. She was faster than Kai, as his Stats were restricted, but her chains failed to even scratch him now. Kai laughed at her attempts. Suddenly, something grabbed his ankle. Kai''s head snapped downward and saw a red cloth bursting out of rock, and coiling itself around his leg in a steel-like grip. Oh, shit! When Kai looked up, she was already in her stance. Eight Trigram Sixteen Palms¡­ The fastest Contestant in Kai''s group didn''t even give him time to think of an escape. Two Palms! Her hands blurred, hitting Kai''s shoulders. Four Palms! Now, all the iron chains hit his chest, blood showering all over. Eight Palms! Her two hands split, becoming four, and together with iron chains, they kissed Kai''s body at eight points. Then, eight more scythe-shaped arms jutted out of her black-red costume. Sixteen Palms! Kai was already coughing up blood, but at this point, he got a moment to think. One thought was enough to bridge the gap between his actual and restricted Stats. His eyes glowed red and the sabers hovering mid-air disappeared. Twin Saber Style¡­ Fangs were like arrows, their blades shuddering as the Telekinesis pulled them. Then, with a monstrous pull, Kai reversed the Telekinesis'' acting direction instantaneously. ¡­ Viper Strike! Boommmmmmmmmmm! The power behind the move was so great that the boom rang far, stretching for miles. It wasn''t just power, though. For long the Telekinesis had remained Elementary. No matter what Kai did, he just couldn''t move up its Proficiency after bringing it over 95. Yet, in this moment, it soared, surpassing even Kai''s expectations. ¡­ [ Elementary Telekinesis has upgraded to become Advance Telekinesis ] ¡­ Spawn got thrown off into the distance, but Kai wasn''t done yet. Using the Fangs'' great momentum, he threw one of them at the figure hovering midair. It was so fast that Meg didn''t even get the time to move. The reptilian-eyed blade cut right into her. Then Meg fell, becoming paper. Kai''s eyes narrowed. When did she switch?! He asked himself, shocked. Meg answered with an attack. One origami disappeared, showing a burst of speed impossible for its kind. Meg''s feet landed behind Kai, and she thrust the longsword into his back. The sword went in with no effort. In the next moment, Kai''s body blurred out of existence. It was an afterimage. Kai grabbed her from the back of her head and slammed her on the ground too, before lifting her back and throwing her somewhere far. Now, he looked at Spawn. She looked back at him. They lunged at each other, dozens of spikes protruding out of her costume, pointing at Kai. He saw her, felt her emotions, and concentrated on his thoughts. The moment she attacked him, Kai fired those thoughts in her mind and snatched her thoughts from her in return involuntarily. Kill! Kill! Kill! She was thinking. Ma, please don''t kill me! Kai mimicked little Hao''s voice in his thoughts. Selena suddenly halted, a spasm running down her body. "You are Spawn, not Selena anymore," Kai said. He was merciless. He made a fist and bashed it into her face. It was like hitting a solid wall of iron. One more punch, and then another. Kai rained down punches and kicks on her like a torrential rain until the flesh over his knuckles split apart, white bones surfacing out, tasting the air. When she was half buried in the earth, her red cloak lying lifelessly over her, Kai straightened his spine, his eyes bloodshot. "Pathetic!" he scoffed, walking off, heading for a small hut in the distance. "Today''s morning routine was the best," Kai told them, not caring if they were listening at all. "It''s time to go to the Random World of Harry Potter, I guess." Chapter 198: Kai’s 1st Reincarnation – Transcending Legacies! One month had passed since the events of Kai and Spawn meeting outside the Wall. Only once Kai had returned to the 4th floor to collect Selene. After that, he spent his entire time on the 1st floor, working on his Abilities. The restrictions on his Stats allowed him to push himself harder than he could ever have without them, Kai reflected. It would have taken him months to raise their Proficiencies, otherwise. This extra month allowed Kai to do many things. Most important among them were Spawn and her capabilities. My body is composed completely of Necroplasm (-a will-controlled magical substance found in Hell-), master, Spawn had told Kai. A sentient and constantly evolving hell-born parasite has made me its host, bonding itself to my central nervous system. It takes the form of a symbiotic costume. My shroud (-red cloak-), spikes, and chains are all its parts. HE told me that my body is as strong as my imagination, but I am still figuring it all out. If it weren''t for me rejecting HIS proposal of sacrificing my entire soul to HIM, then I would have gotten magical powers as well. Now, with only half of my soul in HIS control, I am only allowed to use the Symbiote within me. Kai had also learned that she could use Gentle Fist without Byakugan, as she had been taught the Chakra Network System since she was a child. But Byakugan was absolutely necessary for her to see Chakra Points within a target and sever their Chakra flow. Not to mention, she would need Elementary Chakra Manipulation along with the Byakugan to achieve that feat. Now, she could use her Gentle Fist Art to damage vital organs, and by targeting the Chakra Points, she could even break the SP consumption and regeneration rate. It wasn''t as Kai had hoped it to be, but somehow, his instincts were screaming to him that this parasite of hers was the best thing that had happened to him after Meg. A good portion of his nights, Kai spent sniffing out the group that had kidnapped little Hao and then had burned Selena. From the Existence, he already knew that it was an organization directly under the influence of the Temple of Amon-Gorloth. But even after killing hundreds of Contestants, Spawn ripping every single one apart in half, they failed to find the source of the target. It had been difficult to calm her down after every killing adventure, Kai remembered, entering the hut. Now the only thing in his mind was to get ready to leave the 4th floor. * * Seven days later, The White Room Kai appeared out of teleportation with a blue shimmer around him. The process of Battle on the 2nd Set was almost similar to the 1st Set but more formal in nature. After confirming his City Pass, they had assigned him to an infantry squad, led by a White Guard of the Royal Police Force. They met the enemy in an open field. From Meg, he had already learned that on the 4th floor, the Kill Count was 20 4th-floor Contestants, and unlike the 1st Set, this Kill Count kept decreasing as one ascended the 5th and 6th floors. On the battlefield, and amidst the chaos, killing one 4th-floor Contestant had been as easy for Kai as killing the 3rd-floor ones. One devious use of Selene''s Intangibility and her venom had been enough to allow Kai to not use his newly bought Items in the auction in the battle. The quietness of the nation of Buckfastleigh wasn''t enough for him. He had even changed the nation for the battle as well, avoiding the train station leading out of the capital city of Buckfastleigh completely. ¡­ [ Welcome back, Contestant Kai Stormborn Do you have more questions about Chaos? You certainly can afford the last ones now.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ] ¡­ Kai ignored the jest. There was only one reason for him to not ask Chaos the same questions he had asked the last time he was here. Time Stretch! "Chaos," Kai told the System, "I want to use my privilege to ascend all the floors of a Set simultaneously and to reincarnate as a main storyline Character." ¡­ [ Very Well Analyzing Contestant''s Stats¡­ Analyzation complete Privilege confirmed Please state your choice of the Random World and the identity of the main storyline Character ] ¡­ Kai and Meg had spent too much time debating over this as there weren''t many good options, to begin with. There were Hermione, Ginny, and Luna at the top, but Kai had ultimately rejected them all. When Meg had pointed out he would be nearest to the Main Character if he were to choose one of these, then he had only chuckled in return. I am not going there to suck Harry Potter''s balls, Kai had quipped. What I need are wealth and power. Influence. None of the three girls you mentioned can give it to me in early childhood. Only recently they had come to a decision. It was risky, but if it were to work, then nothing would be better than this. "I want to reincarnate into the Harry Potter Random World," Kai said, expectantly. "And the main storyline Character will be¡­ "¡­ the twin sister of Draco Malfoy, with an approximate age of 4-years-old." ¡­ [ Quite Specific Processing request¡­ Request accepted Finding the timeline¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Timeline found Assigning the mission¡­ ] ¡­ For a moment there, Kai''s heart had skipped a beat. ¡­ [ Main Mission: Transcending legacies Mission Summary: Darcie Malfoy, 6, is the twin sister of Draco Malfoy, and daughter of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. While stepping down the stairs, she suffered an injury, resulting in loss of consciousness. The Contestant is allowed to Reincarnate as her for a period equivalent to the Main Mission''s Time Limit. Mission Objective: Leave behind a legacy of death, destruction, madness, and doom Mission Time Limit: 5 years Mission Grade: D+ ] ¡­ Kai stared at the age. It was two years older than what he had planned but still better than the worst he had thought of. The Mission Objective looked impossible when combined with the Time Limit and the age of the girl, and if he didn''t have the Mission Credits and a plan for this scenario, then he would have been sweating by now. Kai had already increased the size of his Inventory to 40 cubic meters with a fourth of its capacity dedicated to MRB. He hastily got himself a pain factor of 0.5, burying the urge to get more, and only then did he ready himself for the next request. "Chaos," Kai said, gulping, "stretch the Mission Time Limit as much as possible based on the Mission Credits that will be left after all the deductions." There was no question of saving a single Mission Credit in Kai''s mind. If he hadn''t paid for the Items in the auction before he had come to this decision, then he would have given up on buying them as well. Every single day in the Reincarnated world mattered to him before, and now that his Multiverse Interdependency about the Facelessness weighed his shoulders, even minutes were important. The only reason he got his Inventory expanded was that he couldn''t do it after teleporting to the Random World. ¡­ [ Calculating possible extension¡­ Calculation complete Mission Credits transfer successful New Mission Time Limit: 12 years ] ¡­ This?! Kai''s eyes widened. Only 12?!! It baffled him to his core. He was at least hoping to get 20-25 years, even if he were to account for the increase in Mission Grade and the change in the Random World. Kai gritted his teeth. "Send me away." ¡­ [ Contestant Kai Stormborn, You have availed the privilege of your rank in the Ranking of Worth Stat. As completing this mission will allow you to ascend to the 3rd Set, you must complete the Kill Count within the Main Mission Time Limit. The moment your Main Mission is triggered, your Battle Sequence will be initiated. If you were to fail in reaching the required Kill Count, then the Main Mission will be deemed as failed too, regardless of the actual result. Sending the Contestant to the Random World¡­ Good Luck ] ¡­ Kai gave a last look at the whiteness around him and closed his eyes. The blue shimmer around him returned as he controlled his emotions, calming himself down. When he felt the familiar sensation of teleportation, Kai was only thinking about a few words ¡ª By the time he returned here next time, he would be all grown up. 0199 Malfoy Manor AN: ******************* Chapter Begins: 07:00 pm, 5 June 1986 England Somewhere south of Swindon, in the largest town in the Wiltshire County of South West England stood an ancient country house with bays that came forward and turrets that broke the skyline. At the height of the gray, cloudy evening, its weather-beaten sandstone looked dark. Its elevated position had left the mansion exposed to elements with wind and water continually taking a toll on it. Strangely enough, unlike similar cases, this manor had never needed the masons working on it constantly since it had been built. Any other building in its place would have been too deteriorated to leave unchecked by now. Gatehouse and heraldry walled and battlemented the courtyard; an echo of its feudal traditions, as the manor was not needed to be fortified and defended. Through the gatehouse, there went a gravel-paved alley to the main entrance of the manor, tall yew hedges towering on either side like green-armored sentinels. Somewhere afar, the cry of a peacock echoed, dying away slowly, and marking the true beginning of the night. In place of a small porch at the entrance, there were stumpy banded tuscan columns, resulting in an impressive italianate colonnade. Alabaster and black stones were used in the columns'' capitals for finer carvings. Each tower of the manor was crowned with a balustrade, and each of the 3 main stories had a ceiling higher than the one below, increasing in height per the status of the occupants of the rooms. The ground floor contained the Great Hall and service rooms, and the first floor, higher by a third, housed the family rooms. The second floor had great windows reaching from floor to ceiling, holding the state apartments. These windows provided the boldest views of the several hundred acres of the lands and sceneries surrounding the manor. The entire manor seemed to have a symmetrical layout full of dramatic adjustments. It spoke of diverse architectural traditions and elements, creating an effect of grandeur not through its size and scale but the sophistication of its planning. If there ever existed words that could describe the mansion, then they were ¡ª Splendid extravagance. This was Malfoy Manor. And it belonged to one of the most ancient pure-blood wizarding families and one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, the Malfoys. Today, the tall windows of the manor were letting out bright pillars of light, and the sounds of laughter and music were seeping out from the untended cracks and corners. Wizards and witches with their children were coming in through the fireplace at the gatehouse connected to the Floo Network. Those who were alone were apparating directly into the alley before walking off the rest of the length. The doors of the main entrance opened to a Great Hall, whose ceiling reached the roof of the first floor. Unlike the traditional placing of the hall at a right angle to the entrance, this Great Hall was along its axis and in line with the alley leading to it. It was placed symmetrically behind the entrance and stretched across the entire width of the building. And much of the decoration of the Great Hall comprised its wall hangings and embroideries. The hall was strewn with wizards and witches in lavish doublets, suits, overcoats, cloaks and cowls, and even stranger attires. One could even spot a few tall, pointed hats on the heads of some old witches.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. In the center of the hall, on a low, polished table of german origins, lay a many-layered cake with fairies and little men made of candies dancing around its edges. There was a magnificent fireplace in the great hall over which the coat of arms of the Malfoy family was carved in splendid colors of green, black, and silver, paying homage to the ancient wizard, Salazar Slytherin. It comprised the letter M in silver over a green-black shield with two winged-serpentine creatures on either side. Three spears with blades at each end were crisscrossing each other behind the shield. And inscribed in Latin on a silver banner were the words, Sanctimonia Vincet Semper ¡ª Purity Will Always Conquer. A processional route was created which began in the hall, followed a corridor, and reached the grand, winding staircase that rose through the entire building, linking all the important rooms on each floor. Tapestries were hanging along the walls beside the staircase in rich vibrant colors, depicting a forgotten time and the valor of ancient wizards and witches. Going beside the first floor, the stairs continued to the upper story on the second floor, containing the most important state rooms in the house, which included the High Grade Chamber, the Long Gallery, a withdrawing chamber, and many velvet rooms. The high grade chamber had been redesigned under the order of Lucius Malfoy I when he was pursuing the hand of Elizabeth I. The pursuit had turned out to be an unsuccessful one, but the redesigned chamber became the finest elizabethan ensemble of its time. Now it was furnished with tapestries, plastered works, a chimneypiece, Turkish and Persian carpets, and French and German furniture. The intended effect on the visitors was of regal splendor. Generally, this chamber was used to host a feast for high-class guests. Today, the most important friends of the Malfoy family, holding top positions throughout Britain''s wizarding community, were being served wine here far from the hubbub of the Great Hall on the ground floor. Among these collections of a few wizards and witches, standing upright, and holding an ornamental cane coated in shiny black lacquer, was Mr. Lucius Malfoy, the patriarch of the Malfoy family. He was dressed in a dark green doublet with a silver serpentine design embroidered over its edges. He had a pale, pointed face, with pale blond hair and cold gray eyes. The man, who was the embodiment of wealth, power, and influence in the wizarding world, was laughing merrily today, his eyes gleaming with a touch of both arrogance and pride, but pride the most. Today was the sixth birthday of his children, Draco and Darcie, and what better time to let the others see how noble and stately both of them were and would be in the future? Suddenly, Lucius spotted someone, excused himself from the party of wizards laughing along with him, and hurried off, his walking stick tapping on the carpet. "Severus!" he exclaimed, beaming. "A pleasant surprise. I thought you would be too busy to come." "I am," Snape said slowly, his large black cloak lying listlessly on the carpet. "The letter said it would happen at 07:00 pm." "Of course," Lucius replied oddly, but still kept a smile on his face. "Dobby!" With an audible pop, the house-elf Dobby appeared near Lucius, his shoulders slouching, and his long-snouted head pointing at the floor. "Master Lucius called?" "Go ask Narcissa if the preparations are complete and everyone has come," Lucius said, his lips twisting in visible disgust. The house-elf disapparated with another pop immediately, his shoulders sulking even lower than before. "Where are they?" Snape asked as if he had seen nothing, his dark, penetrating eyes looking around at the crowd. "The children are playing in the long gallery," Lucius answered offhandedly. "Let me introduce you to my friends at the ministry in the meantime. It wouldn''t take long, I promise." The winding stairs leading to this High Grade Chamber culminated into a Long Gallery that shared a door with this Chamber as well. The long gallery was stretched across the entire length of the manor. Two tables, three grand chairs, three stools, two benches, and two mirrors completed its furnishing. The gallery also had over 40 pictures, depicting a mixture of kings, queens, and ancestors of the Malfoy family, staring hard and high at the passersby and judging all who dared not bow in front of them. This vast place was heated with two elaborate fireplaces carved from local stones. Today, a group of small children had claimed this gallery, and at the center of attention of this group was a slender boy with sleek white-blond hair, cold gray eyes, a pale complexion, and rather sharp features. He was holding a broomstick with a polished black handle and sleek bristles ending in a soft, pointed end. "Nimbus 1500," Draco proclaimed with arching lips, looking at the broomstick. "Father gifted it to me. It''s not even out in the market yet." It awed the boys, but not all. Two particularly were standing out of the group, unimpressed. "Flint," Draco said, looking up at a boy with a trollish mouth. "You are going to Hogwarts next year, right?" Flint tore his eyes off the broomstick. "Yes," he nodded. "Why not have a go at it?" "Yes¡­" "Come on, Draco¡­" Goyle and Crabbe added, and even Zabini and Nott looked expectantly from the distance. Draco, now feeling the brunt of the pressure, looked away from the group towards the opening at the center of the long gallery which led into the withdrawing chamber. She was standing at the threshold of this opening. 0200 Darcie Malfoy Darcie Malfoy shared her family''s coldness in her eyes, but she had neither the gray of her father and twin brother in them nor the blues of her mother. Hers were green; the color of poisonous leaves at night. Her long, silky hair had more white than gold, and her face matched the complexion and sharpness of her brother. Even at 6, she promised beauty and grandeur. But those were not the words she was known for. If there was one word that could remotely hope to justify her little existence, then it was ¡ª Composed. Magic had embraced her early when she was just a baby in her cradle. From making the flowers bloom when her mother had taken her out for a stroll through the gardens to making the birds fly towards her with one reach of her hand, she had shown it all. Yet, none had ever seen Darcie crying or fussing over something since she had started to walk by herself. Draco had shown a great magical potential, too, but not till he neared 3, and she learned the meaning of this difference sooner than one could have thought. What had pained her in the years to come was that even after being the better of the two, her father had only given her love, not promises. It all had ever come to Draco to uphold the family''s pride after growing up, Draco to live up to the family''s greatness, and Draco to continue the family''s splendor, as he was the heir of the great pure-blood Malfoy family. Darcie had never hated her brother for it, for somehow she realized early that all these things that had pained her so had also pained Draco. Even more than her in ways she couldn''t understand yet, perhaps. Indignation, though, had welled up in her heart, anyway. Her composed temperament hadn''t let her express these indignant feelings by turning them into an outcry. Instead, she focused on Greatness. Her odd attraction towards learning about the grand wizards and witches, the history of magic, and magic itself had caught mixed responses from her parents. Lucius never restricted her from doing or pursuing anything she wanted, but he had complained often about her not wanting enough. We are Malfoys, her father used to say. And everyone must know that the pure blood of ancient wizards runs through our veins. On the other hand, Narcissa had never felt dignified about Darcie''s taciturnity, forcing her to attend to guests and entertain other children of her age. The result was that Darcie had turned into a laconic person who went along with people easily but not without unnerving them first. Her composed manner weighed on people more than she desired it to, and the stories about her magical aptitude were spread far and wide; courtesy of her parents. That resulted in her having no one to call a proper friend. Except for one, she remembered. "Father told us," Darcie said, looking at everyone but Draco, "that without our parents'' presence we are to use only toy broomsticks." The Long Gallery went silent. A few ancient wizards, watching through the portraits, nodded at her words. Darcie nodded back at them. For, dead or alive, she had learned they were grand wizards and had done great things. However, the nature of those things had yet to expound completely to her.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. She turned around and walked into the withdrawing chamber. Darcie was wearing a gorgeous beige-tone dress. The ivory bodice had a tulle over layer, elaborately decorated with gold floral embroidery, sparkling jewels, and pearl beads, and there were matching embellishments on the skirt and sleeves. The full pleated tulle skirt was ivory and glittery gold, over further white tulle frills and satin layers. With a silky lining, it was soft against the skin and it fastened with pearl buttons and a zip at the back. It was a stunning dress for special occasions and suited the daughter of the Malfoy family. Darcie disliked it. She disliked the pearl necklace on her as well. These weren''t the things that made her feel¡­ natural. One thing that she did like was cupcakes. The withdrawing chamber had a central, french sea-dog table, resting on four tortoises. It was one of the finest pieces of furniture to be found in its time, originally belonging to Queen Elizabeth I herself. French cupboards and tables, chairs, and tapestries, all celebrated Malfoy''s rich french ancestry. This was the room Darcie liked the most. With its distance from the lower floors, and the bay windows rising from floor to ceiling, she could spend as much time as she wanted reading and thinking while watching the distant greenery farther than ever. Darcie was reserved, but there was something about those open lands that called out to her. A few girls were giggling, sitting around the table on stools, but the moment she entered the withdrawing chamber, her eyes moving away from the dark sky outside, all giggling died away. On the table, there was an empty tray of cupcakes and pastries, and a glass of water. Should she call Dobby for more? The question surfaced in her mind, but Darcie ignored it. There was one stool left empty on one side of the table, and yet two girls were standing beside it. The younger of them was looking at the stool. The older one had a cupcake in her hand. "Daphne," Darcie said, looking at the older one, "thank you." Daphne had nordic blue eyes and hair like molten gold. She broke the cupcake in half, and gave one part to Darcie and the other to Astoria, who was a little version of her older sister, but with plump cheeks and black hair. "We brought the water, Darcie," one girl said jumpily. "Can you show us now?" Only then did she recall. Yes, they had asked this of her. Nowadays, all had been asking this and that, urging her to show some trick or other. They are guests, Darcie reasoned, and they are not asking much. Changing water''s color¡­ One must know about water. Then, one must know about colors. More important was to know which color. Yet the most vital was to believe; truly believe, and have the proper intent. If not, she would lose control; Control she had always had trouble with. The more specific she could be about it, the easier it would become. But this was just a little trick, Darcie knew. She had done it a hundred times before for her mother''s parties. She looked at the water, and the magic came to her. She could feel it, a cool, condensing sensation, at first chaotic, but as her thoughts concentrated, they became orderly. A deep red color burst out into the water like blood, turning the water red. The girls gasped. "My sister changed the hair color of our cat a few days back," Astoria suddenly blurted, chewing on the cupcake. The gasps turned into an outburst of laughter. "Yeah, right," Pansy snickered. "Did your sister shorten your height too?" This jest followed another round of laughter. Darcie looked at Daphne. She didn''t know how, but sometimes she could see the truth written in people''s eyes. And those blues weren''t of a liar, though Daphne had neither accepted nor rejected Astoria''s offhanded claim. This quietness of words and not speaking until it wasn''t needed was what had made Darcie and Daphne friends, to begin with. A pop resounded near them. "Miss Darcie," Dobby said meekly, "Madam Narcissa is calling all down to the Great Hall." Darcie nodded, and the house-elf disapparated, one girl flinching at the sound of crack as if it wasn''t a common happening at her home. She turned around, Astoria and Daphne catching up to her, as they were already standing. The three other girls followed them out of the withdrawing chamber with hurried steps. The boys had already gone, Darcie noticed, thinking that her father must have called Draco beforehand to introduce him to one of his friends. "I turned her whiskers green with her hair," Daphne said, walking by her side. Darcie remembered how she had explained it to her the last time. "When thinking of hair," she whispered, "you should have thought of length and thickness too. Be specific with thoughts, belief, and intent¡­" "¡­ otherwise Control won''t come," Daphne completed, looking thoughtful. "Or use a wand," Darcie added. Behind her, Pansy clenched her teeth, her childish face twisting with unwanted jealousy. Down the winding stairs, crossing the first floor''s landing, the girls were just about to step down the last few steps. The push came suddenly. 0201 Uncontrolled Magic - Reincarnation Successful! Daphne skipped a step, falling face forward. Darcie''s eyes widened, a sudden rush of thoughts exploding in the back of her mind, and her hand lifted by itself, her fingers uncurling toward Daphne. Magic was powerful, useful, and beautiful¡­ when controlled; when not¡­ there was nothing more hideous, cruel, and merciless. She felt the cool sensation of magic ¡ª uncontrolled magic ¡ª and sensed the bone-chilling iciness it had about it. A small force pulled back Daphne''s figure, sending her rolling on the landing behind her. A greater, and even mightier, force propelled Darcie''s back, throwing her off the stairs. The blunt attack of the magical force sent the air out of her lungs, making it impossible to think of anything. Then her head banged against a corner of the lowermost step. The muffled sound echoed, reaching ears and hearts alike. Narcissa Malfoy was waiting for her daughter so she saw all that happened, but too sudden and fast to do anything. The glass in her hand slipped and fell, wine splattering everywhere on the carpet. Both Lucius and Narcissa rushed for Darcie as she rolled forward, carried by the moment. Only when the mother was holding the daughter did words escape her throat. "Darcie!" she cried. "Darcie, open your eyes! Lucius, do something!" Lucius gaped at the sight, his eyes sunken. From somewhere, Draco came running, and the moment he saw Darcie with her eyes shut and hands lifeless, his face paled. With a snap, Lucius took the wand out of his cane, pointed it at Darcie''s chest, and chanted, "Rennervate!" A jet of red lightning hit Darcie, and her body jerked. But nothing happened. Tears welled up in Narcissa''s eyes. From above, the girls came down running. Daphne was the last to step down. She trotted to the front, her blue eyes staring dead at Darcie''s face. "It was her!" Astoria cried, pointing at Pansy. "I saw her pushing my sister." "Astoria!" Mrs. Greengrass rushed to the little girl. "Don''t spout nonsense." "Humph!" Mrs. Parkinson harrumphed, pulling Pansy away from the crowd. "What else one could expect from¡­" "Shut up!" Narcissa snapped, sobbing. "My daughter¡­" Meanwhile, Lucius kept using the same spell repeatedly, but the result was the same. "Take her to St. Mungo''s," someone suggested in an urgent tone. "No need," a heavy, crisp voice echoed. "Let me look at her." Snape''s cloak billowed as he neared the mother and daughter, his wand out. He pointed it at her, and ran it along her body, back and forth, all the while muttering something incomprehensible. "It''s magic," he declared, slowly narrowing his eyes. "Uncontrolled magic is wreaking havoc inside her. Lucius, take her to the bedroom. We must act now." Lucius lifted Darcie in his arms, as Snape told Narcissa that it wasn''t serious and she should stay down in the Great Hall for the guests, who reluctantly nodded. Daphne''s misty eyes followed the two men as they took Dacie upstairs, Draco running behind them. ¡­ After 30 minutes, Snape came down, Lucius and Draco following him. The deep shadow of fear had lifted off their faces. Narcissa lunged at their sight. "She is OK," Snape told her coolly. "She just needs rest now. I have given her a sleeping draught. By morning, she should wake up." "Oh, Severus," Narcissa said, sobbing, and smiling. "Thank you." * * 3 hours later, Narcissa and Lucius kissed Darcie''s head one after another and stood up from her bed after tucking her in.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. "Father," Draco said, his voice still shaking a bit. "Will she be alright?" "Of course," Lucius immediately replied. "Narcissa, let''s go now and let her sleep." Narcissa nodded, flicked her wand to kill the candles, and then they walked out, closing the door. From the windows, a trace of moonlight seeped in, passing through the gap between the clouds. In the dark room, Darcie''s figure looked pale and small from above. But, if one were to drop to half the room''s height, then one could see a hidden flutter of her eyelids as if she was having some grotesque nightmare. Drop more and more, until one''s nose was touching hers, and one could even see some unknown glow under her closed eyelids. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open. Green, mixed with unworldly, murderous hazel. There was no name for this color, for it was just a color out of space. ¡­ Kai found himself staring at the notification. ¡­ [ Reincarnation successful An allowance of 3 hrs is now being granted to the Contestant for him to get used to the host''s body and memories. In this period, no main storyline Character can interfere or approach the Contestant. The Contestant can freely transfigure between his Original appearance and the host''s appearance in this period. After 3 hrs, the Crisis Timer will activate, and the appearance will be forcefully changed to the host, and the access of Identity Period will be locked for the subsequent 48 hours. Allowance Time Countdown: 03:00:00 ] ¡­ Then it dropped by a second. Kai sat up, closed his eyes, and let his mind dive into the strange but fascinating memories of a 6-year-old girl; a witch, he corrected. He saw, felt, and lived those memories one by one, her every emotion echoing inside his heart and mind, but it was her feelings that left a deep impression on him. Indignation, Knowledge, Respect, Power, and Control, but Greatness above all. Words became a song of a saga, and Kai sang them freely. When he opened his eyes, the hazel hue within the greens had receded. He felt it, then. A supreme surge of cool and comfortable sensation in his surroundings and within him. It was in the tiniest particle of the space, and it was within his flesh, bones, his blood, and his cells. It was in his genes. Mana must have never presented much clearer to any Contestant before like this, Kai thought. Her personality and temperament are almost in line with what I wanted, Kai reflected. I wouldn''t have to bring drastic changes in them for her to Contrast me. This couldn''t have been any more perfect. Kai adjusted his head, and under the vanishing moonlight found a candelabra on the table opposite him a few feet away from the bed''s feet. Know the flame, Kai told himself. Know the braided cotton acting as a wick and Know the wax as well. Now comes Belief. With heart and mind as one, believe. And, at last, add the spark with Intention. Magic followed the bidding of his thoughts, and all the candles lit up, tiny flames flickering for a moment before calming down. Kai grinned. Then, slowly but surely, the grin became a demonic laugh. His hands outstretched, Kai laughed like a maniac until his tiny throat felt dry. Kai calmed himself, took a deep breath, and jumped out of the bed. He lifted his hands and looked at them. They were pale white and smooth. The tiny nails had a green polish on them, sparkling in silver. He looked at the timer. An hour had passed by for him to digest Darcie''s past, it seemed. Time was running out, but Kai wasn''t in haste. Not yet. There were a few things he needed to do before transfiguring into his true self. In the last month, Kai and Meg had done extensive study and planning for this moment. The first of those things was leaving Meg and Spawn in the Primordial Tower. If he wanted to, Kai could give himself a Side Mission and ask the assistance of his Party members from the System, making both Meg and Spawn teleport into this world. Yes. He had already added Spawn to his Party. But Meg rejected the idea bluntly. The reasons for this refusal were simple. By calling them in the Harry Potter World, it would hamper their future growth prospects by an unimaginable degree. At this point, they both needed to go to their Core Random Worlds and get the Elementary Chakra Manipulation from the Naruto World. It would never happen if Kai kept calling them in his World for their next missions, and at last, he had to agree with this reasoning. So, they all decided to complete their missions and get help from each other using Kai''s minor-epithets. One month had been enough for them to translate Kai''s epithets into Old Tongue using Meg''s experience on the 4th floor. The second thing had been more of a struggle for him. But it was the most important one in a way. To learn the ways of a girl, he had called it. His teachers had been Meg and Cersei. The young Cersei had taught him everything he needed to learn about a girl from a wealthy and influential family. And both of them had told him the subtle things about the girls, their bodies, and their behavior that books could never hope to cover. Even when he had decided to leave for the Harry Potter Random World, Kai wasn''t sure that he had learned enough. And you never will, Cersei had jested, smiling. You don''t need to, master. Not all of us are the same. Don''t worry. The third and last thing was the nature of the main storyline Character into which Kai would reincarnate. The idea had come from none other than Petyr Baelish. Two times you have been cuckolded from getting Elementary Magical Aptitude, master, Petyr had quipped. Do you remember what is the requirement for getting this Ability? Kai had then repeated Arlen''s words from his Initiation Mission. Magic requires an acknowledgment from a true wizard or true witch from the Random World, Arlen had once told him contemptuously. They must acknowledge that you have the destiny to be a wizard, that if not now, then one day you can become one. Petyr had only smiled then, and a fact dawned on Kai and Meg soon enough. A fact that they had ignorantly forgotten, like two simpletons. Wouldn''t the candidate for Kai''s reincarnation be a true witch from the Random World? Now that Kai was here, as Darcie Malfoy, what better time than this to find out? 0202 Ridiculous Privilege - The Beginning of a Magical Journey! Kai gulped, the words lingering on the tip of his tongue. "I, Darcie Malfoy," he said, squinting his eyes at his girly voice, "acknowledge that Contestants Red, Morning Mist, and Spawn have the destiny to become wizards and witches and that if not now, then one day they will become one." The excitement was bubbling within him. Kai willed to return to his Original Self. Instantly, he felt himself going through a magical change. His flesh squirmed and bones expanded with a popping sound. In a matter of seconds, he regained his Original body''s constitution. The notification welcomed him like an old friend. ¡­ [ Congratulations Kai Stormborn You have gained Elementary Magical Aptitude You are now eligible for all Mana based Skills, Items, and Titles across the Multiverse ] ¡­ Kai beamed, his heart filling with joy. Not only because Petyr was right about all this but also because of what Petyr had said later. If it works, Petyr had said slyly, then there is another matter that you can take care of, my lord. It won''t be as easy as gaining the Ability and might take a lot of investment in time and effort. But the fruits will be worth it. Do you remember the condition of unlocking the tales of the Book? Kai didn''t need Petyr to remind him of this suggestion. The moment he had heard about the Magical Aptitude loophole, he had already figured it out. ¡ª To access this story, the Contestant must take the help of a main-storyline Character who can translate the runes ¡ª Such was the condition to access all the five tales. What if he were to take the help of the main-storyline Character he would reincarnate into? Yes. This notification had just confirmed the answer to this question. It all came down to how to stir Darcie towards the fields of linguistics, epigraphy, paleography, runology, and, in general, the philosophy of languages. Even the Random World of Harry Potter had all these fields with their own magical twists and turns. Then Kai had remembered something from his moments spent with the Existence ¡ª the user of the Rinnegan and the wielder of the Elder Wand. ¡ª It is the origin of all languages, written or spoken, in all Universes, and it is much more than that as well ¡ª Such had been his words about the Yellow Sign. A heinous and outlandish plan had formed in Kai''s mind, recalling the fate that the monster had bestowed upon him by cursing him. Transcending legacies, Kai thought, taking out the Tales of Beedle the Bard. Let her become the master of the Yellow Sign as well, then. With my mind and her resources, the things I can accomplish in this Random World are nigh uncountable. Wandlore is must, but¡­The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡­ why stop at that? Kai neared the table, feeling the chill of night on his naked body, and took out many scrolls of blank parchments from the cupboard under the table. He dressed in the bed sheet and sat down on the chair, opening the Book in front of him. He had almost two more hours, plenty for the things that were dancing in his mind. Kai then meticulously copied the entire five tales into their runic forms onto the parchments, taking his sweet time. When he was done and had revised them for any error of even a single stroke, he unrolled another parchment. Kai took a deep breath, flicked his hand, and a box appeared in his hand containing small bottles of colors and brushes. He took out the yellow color, dipped the fine brush in it, and then drew the Yellow Sign on it. By the time Kai was finished, he had some 60 minutes left. He still didn''t remember how he drew the Sign itself, as all memories related to it felt hazy to him. He shook off the oddness and scratched under the painted sign using the quill in legible English with an antique cursive touch to it. ¡ª The Yellow Sign - a path to unparalleled greatness ¡ª Now began the procedure of aging the papers. Kai had already practiced these steps so many times in the last month that they had become a part of his muscle memories. He used a mixture of heat treatment and hot coffee for this process, all materials already stored beforehand in his Inventory, of course. In the end, all the parchments looked like a collection of archaic and mysterious documents from hundreds of years ago. Kai noticed the timer. 20 minutes to go. Kai did not know about this 3 hours allowance before coming here, so he had prepared himself to spend a few days as Darcie without separating himself from her. Now that he had the allowance and could take care of all the preparations, he must not delay a single day. He threw the bed sheet off him and ran out of the room. No one would approach him, according to the System. No matter how magical one could be. Down the winding stairs, following Darcie''s memories, he went to the north wing of the house on the ground floor through the Great Hall where the Buttery was. Inside the Buttery, a staircase was running down to the beer cellar. In the darkness, Kai stepped down, pushed the unlocked oaken doors, and went through them. He ran to the end where a brick-layered wall was concaving out. Ignoring the smell, Kai made a fist and punched. The stone crumbled under his power like sand and a dark, fist-sized hole with the depth of half a hand opened up. Kai threw the crumpled and rolled documents into the hole, loosely covered them up with the stone pieces, and ran back to the room. Afterimages appeared behind him wherever he slithered, and in less than 90 seconds, Kai was back in Darcie''s room, sweating from head to toe. He had to do this. There was no other sensible way to make Darcie know of the Yellow Sign and be curious about it. If he was to Act, then Kai would do it thoroughly, cutting not a single corner. He looked at the timer. 5 minutes left. Kai turned himself back into Darcie and returned to the bed after extinguishing the candle and making sure he had left no stain somewhere. Sigh! He let out a breath as his back pressed against the soft bed. Suddenly, he felt a bizarre sensation in his hands. He lifted them and realized that they were shivering. What? Afraid, Blood Demon? A demonic voice inside him asked, snickering. Kai had learned many things in these last few months, had undergone earth-shattering changes, and had also survived the events that were devastating enough to erase any other Contestant''s existence. But one thing Kai had never learned was arrogance. Yes, sometimes he had overestimated himself because of the lack of experience, but it wasn''t a sin that had reached the boundaries of being arrogant. Too many people had died under his sabers for being careless because of it, and he would never repeat their mistakes. So when he saw clear signs, Kai didn''t hesitate to accept them. Yes, Kai told his inner voice. I think I am afraid. Nervous and anxious as well. But mostly¡­ I am excited. He knew there was no turning back now. The moment he went to sleep, he must Act as Darcie Malfoy until he learns the True Essence of Facelessness and becomes a Faceless man. If not, maybe getting his existence obliterated by the System was better. As Kai forced himself to sleep, he abruptly remembered the Clue. He had bought it in the auction and even Meg had rebuked him for spending so many Mission Credits on this pointless thing. But there was an Instinct within him that kept roaring against all open criticisms. Kai was dead sure that this Clue meant something other than some bastard playing tricks on Contestants. And this Clue had some relation to the Harry Potter Random World as well. ¡ª I lie beyond the end ¡ª At one glance, the Clue felt similar to the popular phrase ¡ª I open at the close, but there were subtle as well as obvious differences between these phrases. Beyond the end, Kai repeated and kept chanting the words until the dreamland engulfed his senses once more. The shiver in his hands vanished as determination and defiance took over, and as the old nightmares returned, the corners of his lips arched up. 0203 Waking Up - The Act Begins! Darcie woke up with a splitting headache. The back of her head, just behind her left ear, pained her so much that it jolted her right out of her grogginess. She tore apart her eyelids and looked around. It was her bedroom, she realized. The same carpet, two sets of windows looking out to the southeast lands of her family, and the drapes that welcomed morning in all the seasons. Her head bobbed around, and in the colors of green, gold, and silver, she found some lost solace from this pain. Memories came flooding in, then. Daphne''s fall, her attempt to make her levitate, and then her losing control before it all went black. For the first time in a while, she felt anger for herself. Why couldn''t she have been specific enough? What if she had failed to pull Daphne back? This should have never happened, she thought, grimacing because of the pain. "Dobby," she called. The pop broke apart the silence, and the house-elf appeared in his filthy rag and with a swollen eye. "Miss Darcie!" Dobby squeaked, his spindly arms shaking. Darcie frowned. Her hand reached her heart and found that it was beating loudly against her chest. Odd, she reflected. She looked back at Dobby and the swelling over his left eye. "Was it father?" she asked. Dobby nodded. And then, instantly turned around, banging his head on the smaller table placed near the bed. "Dobby¡­ should¡­ not¡­ think¡­ ill¡­" "Dobby," Darcie said, feeling the swelling on her own head. "Stop and stand straight." The house-elf followed the command. Darcie reached for his head and patted it. "I told you to dress in new clothes and have a bath," she said, sniffing. "What happened? No. Never mind. Let mother know I am awake." The house-elf looked at her with his large pale-green misty eye and nodded before disapparating with another pop. Darcie shook her head. She didn''t like dirtiness, especially around the things that she was fond of. House-elves were the most loyal servants and pets, she recalled. Then why let them walk around in those clothes, rather than in proper garments? Not even allowing them to clean themselves up was the stupidest thing she had come to know. Dobby is clever by half a measure from other house-elves, her father had barked once in open disgust. Don''t you give him any clothes? OK? She had realized then that her voice didn''t have power in the house in this matter. All she could do before was ask her mother and hope for the best. "Darcie!" her mother came running into the room, followed by her father and Draco. She sat down beside her, her arms wrapping around her in a warm embrace. Darcie hugged her back. "I am alright, mother," she whispered, feeling the moistness on her shoulders. "Don''t cry."The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Narcissa pulled herself back, rubbing off the tears with the back of her hand. "How are you feeling?" she asked, her voice brimming out with concern. "How''s your head?" Darcie didn''t answer outrightly. "Good morning, father," she greeted and then smiled at Draco as little as she could, who was looking paler than ever. There was a red tinge in all their eyes. A sign of troubled sleep, or the lack of one, she reflected. She touched the swollen spot on the backside of her head. "It hurts a little here. I have a headache, too." "It''s OK," Lucius said, seeing Narcissa lunge at the spot where Darcie had pointed. "I have asked for the best Healer from St. Mungo''s. He will come shortly." Suddenly, a knock resounded before Darcie could ask what had happened. Her eyes darted to the doors, and on the threshold, she saw the three Greengrasses, one shorter than the other. Mrs. Rachel Greengrass had curly black hair and blue eyes, looking like an adult version of Astoria. Daphne''s blond hair was from her father, Mr. Meirion Greengrass. Her mother''s lips pressed into a thin line at their sight, Darcie noticed. It meant she wasn''t pleased with them. "The children wanted to see her," Mrs. Greengrass said, explaining the intrusion. "I have something to say as well." Her mother opened her mouth, but Darice was a step ahead. "Good morning, Mrs. Greengrass," she said, nodding at her. "Please come in." The trio came to stand at the foot of the bed, as Lucius and Draco stepped toward Narcissa. Draco especially was throwing a deep hateful look at Daphne and her sister. There was clear tiredness on the Greengrasses'' faces as they looked at her. "I am sorry," Mrs. Greengrass apologized, her eyes glistening. "Daphne told me what happened (-Darcie and Daphne''s eyes matched-). Thanks for saving her in that instant. I don''t have the words¡­" "No need for all this, Rachel," her mother replied flatly in her place. "I am glad that your daughter is standing all and well. Now, please leave us. I am sure you have many tidings to attend to back at home." It seemed they had spent the night at her home, Darcie reasoned. She saw them turning back to leave, and words came out of her mouth that she should have said some time ago. "Mother," she addressed, looking at Narcissa. "Can Daphne stay here with me one more day?" It wasn''t in Darcie''s nature to give overly long explanations. Yes or no, she would content herself with any of the two. Narcissa''s eyes narrowed, her head turning to find Mrs. Greengrass looking back at her. "Sure," her mother said, "if she wants to." "I do," Daphne immediately replied. "I want to stay with them, too," Astoria blurted. "No," Mrs. Greengrass said, looking at the little girl, and then her eyes matched Narcissa''s stare. "Daphne can return tomorrow, of course. Let the girls spend some more time with each other." Suddenly, with a pop, Dobby appeared near Daphne, startling her. "You!" Lucius fumed and poked the house-elf''s chest with his cane. "How many times have I told you to not apparate so near to the guests? What is it?" "Forgive me, master Lucius," Dobby said meekly, clutching his chest. "You told Dobby to let you know if a wizard in white and green cloak comes to the house¡­" Lucius'' expression suddenly brightened up. "That must be the Healer from St. Mungo''s," he said, looking at Narcissa. "I will receive him. And you, Dobby, go prepare the guest room and punish yourself. You are gaining a penchant for forgetting instructions." "Yes, master Lucius," Dobby said, sulking, and then disappeared. Mrs. Greengrass almost dragged Astoria out of the room, and Lucius hurried away to the Great Hall with Draco following on his heels. Only Narcissa and Daphne remained in the room, one on her side, the other standing at the foot of her bed, looking at her oddly. "Can''t you heal it with magic, mother?" Darcie asked. "Why trouble a Healer for a headache?" Narcissa smiled and then told her what had happened after her fall. "Severus told us to get you checked for any mind-related problem, as uncontrolled magic affects children the most," she explained. "A specialized Healer is a must in your case, and we won''t have anyone but the best for you. Don''t worry." "Then¡­" Narcissa nodded. "Mr. Jaxson Warris, Head of the Mind Healers in the Hospital," she said. "A very skilled Legilimens." Legilimens, Darcie repeated, the odd beating of her heart returned. 0204 Visit by a Legelimens?! Mr. Warris was a bald old man with a thick gray mustache and a flat stomach. He was wearing a white cloak striped with green, and when Darcie''s eyes met his, he smiled. "Good morning, Mr. Jaxson," Darcie greeted, remembering her courtesy. "Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule and coming to see me." Mr. Warris beamed, and behind him, her father nodded to himself. Daphne had tactfully retreated upon the Healer''s arrival and Narcissa had to leave on his request as well. The less magical interruption, the best it would be, the Healer had explained. "What a good little witch, Mr. Malfoy!" Mr. Warris praised, sitting beside Darcie on a chair, as her father placed himself on the bed near her feet. "I''ve heard about you, Ms. Darcie, and I have to say, I am not disappointed. The magical fluctuations around you are quite extraordinary. Please tell me how you lost control before we proceed?" Darcie gave a brief account to the Healer, looking unperturbed except with a slightly vivid nervousness. "I see," Mr. Warris nodded to himself and looked at Lucius. "Professor Snape showed marvelous expertise in sucking out the chaotic magical force from within her before it could do irreparable damage to her mind. Just to be safe, I will check if any trace of it has been left in her mind." Mr. Warris'' right hand reached into his loose left sleeve and pulled out a black-colored wand whose tip looked worn out. "Don''t be nervous," he smiled. "Do you know what I am going to do?" Darcie nodded. "You will look into my mind," she said calmly, "and learn all my secrets." Both men looked taken aback and then suddenly burst out in a fit of laughter. Mr. Warris affectionately pinched Darcie''s cheek. "I will certainly glimpse into your mind, Ms. Darcie," he said amusingly, "but you don''t have to worry about your secrets. A skilled Legilimens isn''t the one who can grab out all the secrets from his target''s mind. "It''s the one who has the control to not see all that there is to see and focus on a single task, like finding a needle in a haystack yet not touching the hay itself. And I think I am as good a Legilimens as anyone." The Healer winked at her and shared a look with Lucius, who nodded, permitting him to proceed. "Now," Mr. Warris said, "I want you to think of the moments just before you lost control, OK? That shouldn''t be too hard for an excellent witch like you, of course." Darcie nodded, and her heart calmed down, letting her fate rest in the hands of Mr. Warris; Or in the hands of luck, perhaps? She didn''t know when it happened, but only a second had passed and she already felt like a parasite had invaded her mind. She could feel this parasite, her Magic letting her know by playing unheard sirens. The realization came to her that if she wanted to, she could put up a resistance against this parasite.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. But she didn''t. With a focus she scarcely thought she had possessed, Darcie concentrated all her thoughts on the moment of Daphne''s fall and how things had played out. It was over in an instant. "Hmm," Mr. Warris mumbled, leaning back into the chair. "There is no damage, Mr. Malfoy. But I could feel something odd. It must be related to the chaotic magical force taken out by Professor Snape. Anyway, I would recommend Ms. Darcie to not practice magic for a few days. I will also send a list of potions later. They will help calm down any stray thoughts and her headache, as ordinary magic won''t work on them. For now, drink this." The Healer flicked his wand, and a little vial of clear blue potion appeared in his hand. He gave it to Darcie. She looked at her father, and once he gave her permission with a nod, she emptied the vial''s contents within her. An odd, mysterious sensation ran up to her mind and the headache she had been feeling until now vanished. "Feeling good, right?" Mr. Warris asked, smiling. "Not a permanent solution, but it will do for now." The Healer then put the wand back into his sleeve, stood up, and motioned at Lucius to go out. A thought welled up in Darcie''s mind suddenly. "Mr. Warris," she said, looking at him expectantly. "Can you teach me Legilimency and¡­ Occlumency?" Lucius opened his mouth to say something, but the Healer lifted his hand. He didn''t reject Darcie''s request outrightly and smiled at her. "Both these fields are as ancient as magic itself, young lady," he said, not unkindly. "Without proper magical foundation, it is nigh impossible to even think of attempting them. I have found that an analogy from the muggle world explains it better (-Lucius scowled at the mention of muggle-). "Practicing these fields of magic without experience and at a proper stage is like performing heart and brain surgeries without medical knowledge. Yes, there have been and are gifted wizards and witches to whom these magical arts come naturally. But, I am sad to say, you are not one of them. Why did you want to learn them, anyway?" It wasn''t in her nature to sulk over plain facts stated by such a great wizard, she thought. She felt conflicted about all this, though. "What if someone were to enter my mind like you?" she asked. "I want to learn how to protect my mind." This time, both men smiled simultaneously. "It has never been that simple," Mr. Warris explained, his shoulders relaxing. "Only 1 in 10 Legilimens is proficient enough to enter one''s mind without alerting the target. You must have felt my presence within your mind, right? A sign from your magical force? "It was because I didn''t hide my presence from you. You are perfectly safe at home, of course. If it happens outside, then you can let an adult know about it. Once you have become old enough and the ministry puts a trace on you, then they will get to know if someone were to use magic around you. The Ministry highly monitors any use of Legilimency and Occlumency around underage wizards and witches. "Not to mention, there is a ban on the use of these arts inside schools itself. One needs many permissions to even think of attempting them without suffering the consequences if they get caught. So, you are perfectly fine, until you become old enough to learn the arts yourself. OK?" Darcie had to nod reluctantly. It was her father who saw the doubts written on her face. "I will arrange a tutor for you once you are older," he said. "You are too young for all this right now." To the Healer he said, "Mr. Warris, thank you for coming over. Malfoys remember their friends. Let''s discuss the thing you mentioned to me earlier¡­" Then they walked out, leaving behind Darcie whose eyes had an unknown gleam within them. 0205 First Flight - Slithering in the Sky! (I) After having breakfast, Darcie penned down a letter to Professor Snape, thanking him for saving her life. Her father had laughed it off, saying Severus wouldn''t care about such things. Nonetheless, Darcie had taken extra care to mention her interest in newly encountered Occlumency and Legilimency fields and an attraction to Potioneering as well. Now Darcie and Daphne were walking onto a grassy lane lined with trees on both sides outside the manor. In silence, they strolled, side by side, until the manor started to look like a dark, rocky patch behind them. "I was pushed," Daphne declared. Darcie raised an eyebrow, but by then she already knew what Daphne was trying to ask. Should they pursue the matter or not? Now more thoughts sprang up in Darcie''s mind that she ought not to have. Whether to report Pansy to the parents? Whether to shame her? Whether to harm her? Whether to¡­ Whether to¡­ Whether to¡­ Darcie caught herself, took a deep breath, and said, "We are alive, aren''t we?" Her words meant there was no reason to hold on to the matter for now. Those words also meant that they would get the opportunity later, and then, they wouldn''t need to be this forgiving. Daphne smiled. Darcie spotted a twig lying over the dry, fallen leaves. She picked it up and rolled it in her palm. "Wand," she murmured, as Daphne looked at her oddly. "If only I had it last night¡­ It restricts but also lets one Control." Darcie held out the twig as if she was holding the wand, and before Daphne could warn her, she let her magic flow through it. The twig exploded, splinters raining outwards with her hand at the center. "Darcie!" Daphne cried shrilly. "What were you thinking? This is not how a wand works." "I agree," Darcie said, her tone calm and reserved. "That''s why I want to learn more about the wands. I want Control, too, but not at the cost of losing this..." Darcie outstretched her hands, closed her eyes, and her mind ran, thinking of her surroundings. Specific. The word exploded in her mind like the previously vanquished twig. The strewn leaves around her lifted and started to revolve around her. Suddenly, under the shocked gaze of Daphne, all the leaves transfigured to become butterflies of many colors in one fluid transition, their wings fluttering all over. Darcie pointed up, and the butterflies flew towards the sky like a stroke of a brush on a blue-green canvas, before raining down as tiny water drops. Only then did she look at Daphne. "Will you help me with this? Our little secret¡­" Daphne''s blue, innocent eyes had widened, but she didn''t look away. At last, she nodded, her expression awed and solemn. * * Monday, 9 June 1986 Morning The Malfoy Manor was quiet at night but quieter in the mornings.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. There were only 5 occupants in the house, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, Draco and Darcie, and the house-elf Dobby, who took care of almost everything that was to be taken care of in the manor. Almost four days had passed since the events of the birthday, the morning visit by the Healer, and Darcie and Daphne''s new bond tied by a string of secrecy and mutual trust and respect. The next few days had seen some subtle changes in Darcie''s behavior that had failed to go unnoticed by the eye of her mother. The young witch''s strolls into her father''s private library had almost doubled. If previously she had been learning at an outstanding pace, then now she seemed to have a purpose more zealous and targeted than before. Something about her had made her go even more reserved and solitary, to her mother''s chagrin. Sitting on a chair in the withdrawing chamber on the 2nd floor, Darcie looked thoughtful, her eyes gazing out at the reddening sky through the tall windows. In her lap, there was a copy of today''s Daily Prophet, opened on Page 16. She looked down and reread the headline ¡ª RECALLING THE LONGBOTTOMs TRAGEDY. Her aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange, was the star of this article, but the Malfoys were mentioned too, though not outright. "The-boy-who-lived," Darcie murmured, folding the newspaper, pictures moving on its crisp pages as if they had lives of their own. Harry Potter was a name she had been hearing about since she had started to make sense of her surroundings. She had also noticed how exuberantly her father kept mentioning his name in the wizarding circle whenever there was a social gathering or formal event. She had seen the accusing gazes full of doubts against her family, and she had also heard the blatant talks of her father being a true Death Eater in the support of the one-who-must-not-be-named. Darcie had learned to not dwell on these things. That time had passed, and she had too many things to learn and accomplish. Great were the wizards who had come and gone, and great would be she when her time would come. She didn''t have the luxury to question and seek answers related to anything that had nothing to do with her goals. And for now, it was only one. Wands! She must learn everything about them. But Darcie, in the last few days, had come to learn that it wouldn''t be that easy. For her to even start walking on that path, she must have basic knowledge of major Magical fields. There was only one way to do it ¡ª read, learn, and practice. Memorize everything! Time was running out, she''d thought last night. The longer she delayed taking necessary actions, the more arduous would be the journey later on when she would enter the school. Darcie took a deep breath and nodded to herself. "Darcie!" Draco''s voice echoed through the Long Gallery. She stood up, placed the newspaper on the table neatly, and turned around. Her brother panted, stopping at the threshold of the chamber. "It''s father," he said, beaming. "He''s finally letting me ride Nimbus 1500. Are you coming?" Darcie nodded. "Let me change first," she said. The front of the manor had many gardens with gravel-lined paths running through them. The back of the manor, though, expanded into a vast, grassy area with a small pond in the middle. It was a beautiful place for a pleasant stroll, and her mother hosted her tea parties here as well if the weather permitted so. Today, there were two chairs placed around a white round table. Her father was standing near the table, admiring a flock of albino peacocks darting far beyond the pond. Her mother was sitting on one chair, drinking her morning tea with freshly baked cookies. And on one side, holding three brooms over his thin shoulders, was Dobby, Draco kicking him and laughing as the house-elf fumbled to not drop the brooms. Darcie had changed into loose pants and a coat for the training. She approached her father and stood by his side. "You aren''t going to the Ministry today, father?" she asked. "Never go somewhere where money can reach first," Lucius told her, smiling. "Draco! Bring them here." Draco snatched the Nimbus 1500 from Dobby, gave him another kick, and ran towards them. The house-elf staggered on his little legs and followed. "I have charmed the brooms to not go above 40 miles per hour," Lucius said. "Don''t go beyond the lawn, OK?" The children nodded. Darcie stepped away and went towards Dobby. "Let me help," she said, grabbing the two brooms. "Sit down and rest." "Dobby thanks Ms. Darcie," the house-elf said, his voice squeaking out of his tired lungs. These brooms were last year''s birthday gift from her father. Two Comet 220s, though Darcie had shown little interest in flying. She had spent even less time on the toy broomsticks, and if it wasn''t for it to be a necessary skill, she wouldn''t have touched Comet ones either. Now she felt different about them. Seeing her brother with Nimbus and her newly developed magical powers, she felt more confident about the prospect of souring into the sky. Darcie noticed the words hanging on the tip of her tongue. Attraction. There was a feeling inside her¡­ she was meant to fly. 0206 First Flight - Slithering in the Sky! (II) Both Lucius and Narcissa had taken out their wands as the children took positions, Draco on his Nimbus and Darcie on Comet 220. "Now, listen," Lucius said, standing in between them. "Give a gentle push using your feet. Let the Broom glide until you have a feeling of control over it. Then stir the broom''s nose and fly to the pond and around it, and return. No fancy maneuvers and no gaining of height. OK?" Darcie nodded. "Draco, say yes," Lucius said sternly. "I will not have you make a mockery of our family name, even when no one''s watching." "Yes, father," Draco replied. But he seemed too engrossed in his broom for him to listen to the second part. "Do it, then," Lucius ordered and backed away. Darcie pressed her toes against the grass and mud, and the broom lifted her off the earth. She grabbed the broom''s handle, her legs resting on the two curved hooks at the joint of the handle and bristles. She could feel the effect of cushioning charm as well. But the moment she reached the height of some 15 ft in the air, all thoughts and planning disappeared from her mind. Draco, laughing and shouting, had already pushed the Nimbus into a run towards the pond. But Darcie stayed, her eyes closed. A light, chilly breeze confronted her, hitting her face and her long white-gold hair. She had felt this before. Many times. She knew the sky, it seemed to her. She knew the wind, its myriad forms, and the heat souring through the clouds. Gliding. Flying¡­ ¡­ Slithering. At the last word, her eyes snapped open. Magic exploded around her, but every bit was in her Control. She loosened her grip on the handle, leaned forward, and willed the broom to go forward. The wind screamed in her ears, engulfing the gasps of Lucius and Narcissa. Left, right, and straight, she looked like a green blur slithering in the air like ink strokes on paper. The moment she reached the pond, she let go of one of her footing on the broom. The Comet 220 wasn''t known for its swiftness in one place, but it had excellent stability. Darcie tilted at a 90-degree angle, and in a smooth arc, traced the edge of the pond, the peacocks taking to the air behind her. Draco gaped at her as she passed by him like a bullet and then she came to a stop just over Lucius, who had his wand pointed at her. A smile came naturally to her now. Darcie had never felt so free before. Why wasn''t she doing it already? Why wasn''t she already cutting through the air, clouds, and storms? What had been holding her back? "Darcie!" Narcissa came running for her. "Come down. Now!" Darcie pushed her weight down, and the Comet 220 followed her command like a loyal servant. Her feet touched the grass, and she found she was already missing it.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "What were you thinking?!" her mother asked, looking horror-stricken. "What if you had lost control again, and what if you had fallen?! How could you do this?!" Darcie saw her mother''s eyes glistening silver. The accident she had met on her birthday seemed to have affected her mother more than her. But Lucius was a different case altogether. Her father was staring at her as if it was the first time he had noticed that he had a daughter. His eyes were gleaming, and pride had taken the centermost position in all the emotions in his heart. "How did you do it?!" Draco asked astonishingly, landing behind her. He looked as troubled as awed by his sister''s bizarre stunt. Darcie shrugged. "I don''t know," she answered. "It just felt like I could fly. It¡­ felt natural." Lucius guffawed, putting his wand back into the cane. "Good," he said. "From now on, you both will practice daily before breakfast. Dobby, if anything happens to them, your head will be on the wall beside your ancestors. I will order another Nimbus 1500 for you, Darcie." Dobby shook, but except Darcie, nobody cared for the deep fear in his large green eyes. "No, father," Darcie rejected. "I think I will stick with Comet 220 for now. Once Draco becomes familiar with his new broom, he can help me with it." She would never steal this feeling from her brother. If there was one thing in which Draco felt he was better than her, then that was brooms, she knew. She wouldn''t let their parents'' expectations come in between her and Draco. With time, he would warm up with her new skills by himself, Darcie reasoned. Lucius scowled but nodded at her rejection, and Draco''s tensed shoulders slackened as well. "One more round," Draco asked expectantly. Narcissa looked as if she would refuse, but Lucius was a step ahead of her. "Yes," he said. "Focus on brakes and acceleration." Darcie''s grip on her broom tightened, the wind picking up, beckoning her back to its embrace. * * Later that day, Evening The kitchens of Malfoy Manor were on the ground floor, in the left wing towards the north. This section also housed a buttery, a larder, a scullery, and a chapel-turned-storehouse. The kitchen, well lit and logically planned, had a central area for preparing the food, a large hearth with an open fire for cooking, and ovens for baking. It was linked to the Dining Room, resting on the left wing of the manor''s first floor just above the kitchen, via service stairs. On a long table, Lucius was seated at the place of the head of the house. Narcissa was on his right, and the two children were on Lucius'' left. Darcie had just finished her dinner, sitting on Draco''s left, and furthest from either of her parents. The moment her father finished his drink, she knew it was now or never. She took a deep breath as her empty plates and glasses vanished. "Father," she said, eyes moving towards her. "I want a magical suitcase with an Extension Charm, big enough for an extensive library." Draco laughed under his breath. But her parents looked at her oddly. Darcie had scarcely asked for something that was valued this much before. She had a thing for books, but till now, an odd collection from her father''s study room had been enough to satiate her curiosity. Magical Suitcase? Now, this was a big step for her to take. "No." Narcissa refused flatly. "You already keep yourself holed up in the withdrawing chamber," she said, looking at her. "The last thing I want is for you to vanish into your suitcase. Not to mention, the Extension Charm is advance magic and highly controlled by the ministry." Lucius returned to his dinner while Draco just smiled, eating the dessert. Narcissa scowled, but the wine soothed the lines on her face. Darcie never asked for something twice. A yes, or a no, had always been sufficient for her. So when words came out of her mouth, Draco was the first to snap his head at her, looking completely shocked. "I need it," Darcie said, her green eyes brimming with pride, and looking at her father (-"Blimey!" Draco exclaimed-). "When did we start worrying about what the ministry would think or not?" Both father''s and daughter''s eyes matched. "Very well," Lucius said, smiling. "I will pull some strings." "Lucius!" Narcissa fumed. "Don''t encourage her¡­" "It''s OK," Lucius chuckled. "She is a Malfoy, and if she wants a toy, then she can have it. But promise me you would use it sparingly, Darcie." Darcie didn''t show her elation, unlike other children. She did look happy to her mother and her father, though. "I promise, father," she said. "I will also try to attend to more guests, mother." This did less to calm Narcissa down. "Don''t play with food, Draco!" she snapped. Under the table, Darcie''s fingers curled into a fist. With this, she had finally taken a big step onto the path of attaining greatness. Only books remained now. And Darcie and Daphne had already made plans for that. 0207 Updating Pokedex - Tournament of Worth Commence! Wednesday, 11 June 1986 Midnight The drapes on the windows of Darcie''s room were half closed, preventing the moonlight of a crescent moon from seeping in unwantedly. On the bed, a tiny figure was sleeping, a soft blanket covering her from head to toe. Only the soft noise of her breathing, undulating the cotton over her face, could be heard in this silence. On her left, between the bed and the windows, was another figure lying on the floor. It was even tinier than the one on the bed. Dobby had learned to sleep noiselessly in the Malfoy Manor even in the farthest, deepest, and darkest corners, where even if he were to shout, none would hear him. Today, Darcie had ordered him to sleep in her room, a gesture that Dobby had received with teary eyes. However, she had ordered him to not get up or open his eyes even if she were to get up before morning. Being a house-elf, Dobby was bound to obey, anyway. But, since her childhood, Dobby had received Darcie''s orders more eagerly and happily. Suddenly, the entire blanket squirmed as if giant roaches were crawling inside it. The figure lying under the blanket wasn''t tiny anymore. Kai threw the blanket off his face and sat up. In a matter of moments, sweat claimed his brows and back, drenching it as if he had been in a long run. His eyes flickered, and the tips of his fingers throbbed. His teeth gritted against each other and there was a nervous feeling coursing through his entire body. He looked to his left and down, and saw Dobby, sleeping like a dog. Kai had murder in his eyes. ... [ Beast Proximity: 3 meters Glitch Condition matched Contestant Kai Stormborn is qualified to awaken his Glitch Do you want to awaken it now? ] ¡­ Kai licked his lips, but then remembered the dragon beneath the grounds of Gringotts and how his Glitch had failed to devour the beast. All that would repeat itself if he were to let the thing inside his chest rampage on this little thing. Kai shook away his bloodlust and flicked his hand, taking out the Pokedex. He flipped it open and pointed the camera on its back towards the magical creature. ¡­ [ Accessing mode: New Data Storage Scanning the magical creature¡­ Scan Complete ¡­ Digitizing the Stats¡­ Data storedA case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡­ Mode: New Data Storage Slots Available: (1/50) Latest Magical Creature: House-elf ¡­ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn Your Magical Contract with Professor Elm is updated ] ¡­ Sigh! Kai let out a breath, sending the Pokedex back to his Inventory. Show me the Kill Count, Kai willed, bringing out the ignored notifications. And the notification related to the Tournament of Worth. With so many days already passed, the Tournament of Worth must have already commenced. Moreover, Darcie wasn''t a Contestant, so Kai had to wait to use his Identity Period to access the notifications. A dull-gray status window flashed into existence. ¡­ [ Initiating Battle Sequence¡­ Floor: 4 (2nd Set) Kill Count: (2/20) Battle Number: Not Applicable ¡­ Floor: 5 (2nd Set) Kill Count: (0/10) Battle Number: Not Applicable ¡­ Floor: 6 (2nd Set) Kill Count: (0/3) Battle Number: Not Applicable ] ¡­ Kai tapped his fingers on the bed, squinting his eyes. He didn''t have the Mission Credits to know the equivalent Kill Count, either. But he had already left all the killing till the latter half of his reincarnation. The notification blurred and more dull-gray words appeared in front of him. ¡­ [ Candidate Red, the Tournament of Worth has commenced. Please refer to the following points: 1. Theme of the Tournament ¡ª Survival 2. Total Number of Candidates ¡ª 1,000,000 3. Your Group ID ¡ª 7900 4. Local Time of Teleportation ¡ª 20 June 1986, 19:00 Details: 1. Tournament of Worth has three stages 2. Every stage has an approximate pass rate of 1% 3. Every stage will have its own rules, regulations, and rewards 4. The Stats of all Candidates in a Group will be standardized before each stage 5. Irrespective of place, ongoing battle, or conversation, all Candidates will be teleported out of their Time Node to their respective stages, alerting no other Contestant and main storyline Character 6. A one-time privilege of quitting the Tournament will be given to all the Candidates Notes: 1. Each Candidate can qualify as a Candidate only once 2. The Tournament, except the 3rd Stage, will be broadcast to the paying Contestants 3. These Contestants will have access to all Candidates'' Code Names but not their appearances ] ¡­ Kai brooded on each point for some time and then jumped out of the bed. The house-elf squirmed like a squirrel but didn''t dare to open his eyes if was awake. Kai slithered towards the table, making no noise whatsoever. He took out two parchments and scribbled down the happenings after his reincarnation on them for Meg and Spawn. Without knowing when or how he would get the opportunity to be free, they had decided not to use Kai''s minor-epithets to contact him beforehand. Otherwise, the sudden shaking of his Inventory could make him come out of his Act of playing the role of Darcie, even though he couldn''t access it. Good thing I instructed Andrik to not chant the minor-epithets before our next meeting, Kai had thought then. So, they had all decided to use Hastur''s epithets from Kai''s end to make an initial contact first. Thenceforth, they would contact each other at pre-planned times only, eliminating the need for unwanted interruptions. After he was done, Kai slithered to the bathroom, closed the doors, and prepared for the ritual. ¡­ -The Dweller in the Depths- -The Bringer of Madness and Doom- -The King in Yellow- ¡­ The darkness within the bathroom flickered, and an unseen, unheard, and unfelt wind howled around him. The flame of the candle, resting on the center of the Yellow Sign drawn on the floor with blood, burgeoned and painted the white bathroom walls into pale, sickly yellow. Kai didn''t have to look outside at the sky to know that all the stars had lost their light, except one. ¡ª I, Red, sacrifice blood and a mass-produced Sword, and request to send this letter to Contestant Morning Mist ¡ª Kai took out one Common graded sword he had collected specifically for sacrifices and placed it under the flame. The sword lifted by itself, and the flame devoured it along with the rolled piece of parchment. When all was done, Kai hurriedly repeated the same process, but this time mentioned Contestant Spawn. After that, he cleaned up everything. One glance at this, and even the stupidest wizard and witch would relate it to the forbidden blood rituals of the darkest kind. Then came the worst part ¡ª Wait. Suddenly, the world shook like a leaf unannounced after a long time. Kai concentrated on the door at the other end of the tunnel inside his Inventory. It parted a little, letting Kai see beyond it. Meg was sitting on her knees. The fervor on her face was mind-boggling. Kai ignored her and reached for the dagger and letter placed between the door and her. 0208 Towers ridiculous Authority - Kais dwindling mental state! The moment his hand came back, the door closed, and all shaking stopped. Not even one second had passed and the shaking returned. Again Kai followed the gap in the door and this time saw Spawn, looking like a lifeless doll. Kai didn''t know what she and Meg had talked about after his departure from the 1st floor where they had spent the last one month, but Spawn shared Meg''s fervor. He shook his head, snatched the dagger and the letter, and returned. The letter from Meg said that she was in the Random World of The Lord of the Rings. Kai then opened Spawn'' letter. The disappointment was apparent on his face. She was in the Random World of Ghost in the Shell; Like him, she must have completed her Kill Count in one sweep, it seemed. But there was one common report. Both Meg and Spawn had gotten Elementary Magical Aptitude. Kai sighed, hastily penned down his plans for Meg, and advised Spawn to use sewers as much as she could. The date he chose was 17 June at 12:30 am and mentioned the current time at the bottom. They could use their Mission Credits to know the time difference from their ends, he thought. He had already given them a few thousand points for the specific purpose. The way time worked in Multiverse and the Primordial Tower was strange, but also simple. The Primordial Tower, through extraordinary and mind-boggling means, kept itself in perfect synchronization with all the Random Worlds, i.e. all the timelines. It didn''t matter which Random World it was, either. May it be Naruto, Blue Rock, or Gintama, etc. The amount of time spent by a Contestant in the Random World of his Main Mission would be the amount of time passed in the Tower as well. On a stark contrast to Tower''s synchronization was Multiverse. No one Random World had the same passage of time as another Random World. That''s why the ability to Switch Random Worlds was one of the greatest and costliest privilege, available none but a few selected Contestants; Worthy Contestants. It was because with each Switch, the Systems, or the Tower per se, needed to impose its authorities to not let the lack of synchronization become a hurdle for the Contestant. When Meg had told him all this, even Kai had failed to grasp the scale of such a power. Shaking his head, when he was done, his Identity Period was ticking at 20 minutes. Following a hidden urge, Kai took out the Book, and used the Primordial Theater, calling out Petyr. The character came out, parting the smoky veil, and bowed. "My lord," he said, smiling. "You look pathetic." Kai didn''t deny it. Now that he had nothing to do, his heart was pounding. The Healer and the look Narcissa had given him for a few days, all had almost made him jump out of his Act. Kai lifted his hands. They were trembling again.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "This won''t do," Petyr said, looking around. "I know little about Faceless men, but what I do know is that playing Darcie is as important as playing Kai Stormborn. You did an excellent job in manipulating the girl, Daphne, was it? She would serve as the perfect scapegoat, as per Darcie''s need in future. But, my lord, tell me this¡­" Kai looked up and saw the slyness in Petyr''s eyes. "¡­ Why are you ignoring the mirror?" the Character asked, chuckling. "Afraid if you would see Darcie''s face in place of yours?" The sleeping terror in Kai''s heart woke up with an explosion. He ran his hands through his hair, slumping down on the bathroom door, his naked back sweating as if he had just taken a shower. "I think¡­" Kai mumbled to himself. "I think I will go insane if I don''t get to kill someone." Only one week had passed, and Kai had come to learn how horrifying it was to implement the vicious Saying of the Faceless Men into practical Comprehension. He must do something about it, and soon, for there was no turning back. Not now. Not ever. * * Sunday, 15 June 1986 Dawn Wisps of pale fog blasted apart as two black and green blurs swished through it, a golden, tiny dot popping in and out of existence here and there in front of them. Darcie''s hair was slick, and she could feel the sweat on her scalp. There were large goggles over her eyes, letting her see clearly despite the full brunt of the chilly air on her face. On her left, flying a few feet ahead of her, was Draco on his Nimbus 1500. His right hand was outstretched, and it looked like this time he would catch the snitch for good. Suddenly, the gold disappeared. Darcie, even though it was impossible to notice such a thing at her speed, got an impression as if a golden trail had just passed below her in the opposite direction. If it wasn''t for the green sea of grass in the background, she might have missed it. Draco seemed to have seen it too. His broom stopped with a precise intention, spun at its place, and flew away from Darcie in the snitch''s pursuit. Darcie''s lips pressed into a thin line. She didn''t have the luxury to break and lose the momentum of her Comet 220. She let go of one hook footing where her legs were resting and put her left foot at the joint of the broom''s handle and the bristles. With one great push from her toes, the tip of the broom zoomed upward like a rocket. The sky had gained an orange hue sometime ago, she realized, and before she could think more, Comet 220 had doubled back. Darcie, now riding the broom upside-down, dashed for Draco''s vanishing figure. Somewhere in between, she rotated like a screw, gradually returning to the natural position. But her one foot was still on the broom''s handle, the other resting on the hook for the balance. Draco looked over his shoulder and saw Darcie gaining on him. It was a mistake. Darcie saw the snitch fluttering to Draco''s right, and when her brother''s eyes returned ahead, he had lost the trail. She again pushed the broom, but this time to her left diagonally. The tip of the broom stirred just toward the snitch, and in one long sweeping arc, she closed the gap between the zig-zagging ball. In the middle of the lawn, standing on the rocky edge of the pond, was Dobby. His fists were raised high, and he was jumping on his tiny, wobbly feet, shouting, "Get it, Ms. Darcie! Get it!" Darcie pressed her chest against the handle, aiming for any gain in speed. Her hand reached for the ball. Her fingers touched its wings. Out of the blue, Draco came swooping down from above and snatched the ball away. The green in her eyes flickered before she caught her breath. Darcie straightened up, brought the broom to a stop, and turned it around in a low arc. "I got it!" Draco was shouting, flying the broom in circles, and jerking his hand. "Darcie, did you see me? The last move I tried, I mean." Darcie nodded, her eyes going for the house-elf, who looked every bit disappointed in her place. "That''s enough for today, Draco," she told her brother. "I am hungry." Dobby came running to her. "Ms. Darcie!" he squeaked out of breath, looking up at her. "Dobby will bake some fresh cupcakes for you." Darcie pushed back some wet hair stuck to her forehead, took off her protective goggles, and nodded at the house-elf. "Thank you, Dobby," she told him. "Don''t make them too sweet." "Yes, Ms. Darcie!" Dobby proclaimed and ran off as if he was going to march into some battle. Draco caught the sight of Dobby, stirred his broom, and landed a kick on the house-elf''s butt, sending the creature flying forward. Dobby rolled over the grass, and before Draco could come for him again, disapparated. 0209 Magical Suitcase - A Lesson in Malfoys! "Did you see him?" Draco guffawed, bringing his broom to her. "He looked like a toad. Haha!" Darcie didn''t like her brother''s hurting their house-elf. But she had learned that confronting Draco about this would only make it worse. So, she had left it to time, like many other things, before. Now, it seemed she couldn''t anymore. "Did you do it?" Darcie asked her brother, landing on the lawn. A ray of sunlight landed on the pale fog along with her, making it look golden, just like the snitch in her brother''s hand. Draco had convinced her father to get a practice snitch for them. And before he would show his skills to his friends, he had asked her to practice along with him. In return, and though she loved to ride the broom herself, Darcie had asked him to summarize their etiquette lessons from the last month for her. "No," Draco said, looking away from her. "I didn''t get the time." Darcie said nothing as they walked to the manor and then up the stairs to the first floor. But just as Darcie and Draco turned towards their rooms, she said, "You did have the time to kick Dobby." ¡­ After freshening up, they had their breakfast in the Dining Room with Narcissa on the other side of the table. A copy of today''s Daily Prophet was sprawled open in front of her as she drank her tea noiselessly. Darcie''s stomach felt like a pit. There were fried eggs, sausages, bacon, tomatoes, fried bread, and, yes, freshly baked cupcakes. She tasted a bite of everything before sliding the tray of cupcakes towards her. When she caught a sulky Draco spying on the cupcakes from the corner of his eyes, Darcie put one of them onto his plate. The brother and sister looked at each other, and Draco grinned. Darcie had to permit herself a smile as well. "OK," Narcissa suddenly said, her eyes on the newspaper. "What''s going on with you two?" "Nothing." Draco shrugged, devouring the cupcake. "Where''s father, mother?" Darcie asked, carefully tending to the crumbs. "This early in the morning and he''s already gone without even having breakfast." And this time, it was Narcissa who smiled. Suddenly, two distant whip-like cracks reached from the open windows into the dining room. "Darcie! Come down." Darcie recognized her father''s voice. She again looked back at her mother and noticed her meaningful smile. "Is it¡­" She didn''t complete her question, put down the half-eaten cupcake, and walked toward the service stairs. Draco mumbled something, stuffed the cupcake into his mouth, and followed her with hurried steps. Through the kitchen, and ignoring the sweet smell, she entered the Great Hall where two men were standing tall. One was her father, in his long black overcoat, and holding the snake-headed cane. The other was a beardless old man, properly dressed, but looked nervous and anxious. This man she didn''t recognize. "Good morning, father," Darcie greeted, and her brother followed with his own, but hastily. She then faced the guest and said, "Good morning sir, I am Darcie Malfoy. May I have the honor of knowing your name?"The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Lucius smiled and the old man came running towards Darcie, his shoulders now relaxed than before. "Ms. Darcie, I have heard so much about you," he said. "I am Pigplanter Hillam, not someone you might know¡­" But Darcie knew him. "You are the manager of Flourish and Blotts, aren''t you?" she almost exclaimed. "Enough," Lucius announced, smiling coldly, and then moved aside to let Darcie see the object placed behind him on the long table. With small steps, she approached the table and ran her hands over it. It was a brown-colored leather suitcase, big enough for a grown man to pass through it once opened. Darcie looked at her father, and Lucius nodded. With bated breath, she put the suitcase down on the floor, flicked open the locks, and pushed the upper lid up. Even Draco looked more agitated than her, standing behind her, looming over her head. The moment she saw a ladder, and the sight of a hall through the opening, Darcie knew her wish had come true. "Well, go in," Lucius said. Darcie stepped down the ladder, followed by Draco, her father, and Mr. Hillam. They landed in an enormous hall full of light and space. But it wasn''t the decoration, furnishing and the sheer comforting aura this place emanated that had caught her eyes. It was the shelves. The hall within the suitcase was twice as long as its width, and ceiling-high shelves occupied half of its length, lined up against three walls. Darcie walked towards the shelves, and the first one on her right beckoned her to itself. She and Daphne had made extensive plans to get books for themselves, as they knew the adults would never allow them to have such things. Not now when social interactions were more important in their eyes than their children''s wild goals and wilder dreams. They had planned to sell a few of their party dresses and jewelry with the help of their house-elves, and then use that money to buy books. It had sounded so good to their ears that they had almost giggled thinking about it, then. So when Darcie saw SCHOOL written over the top of this shelf, and its lower two rows filled with books with the brightest sheen on their covers, her neck couldn''t help but snap towards her father. Lucius was already smiling back at her, his chin high and his eyes brimming with pride and plain mockery for everything and everyone other than his family. "Only the first and second year," he said. She looked back at the shelf and moved forward. HISTORY OF MAGIC had the most books, and Darcie noted many that she loved to read when she had nothing to do. Biographies, tales and myths, and lost fields all had a place on this shelf. Then there were shelves for GEOGRAPHY, MAGICAL CREATURES, HERBOLOGY, and POTIONS as well, with at least a few books on each of them. And even then, her eyes hadn''t reached half the shelves on one side of the hall. "There are catalogs here, Ms. Darcie," Mr. Hillam said, pointing at the various tables placed in the hall, his finger shaking. "If you need any book, just write to us, and we will deliver the book right away. My lord¡­ if that''s all, may ¡ª may I go?" Lucius scowled at him and flicked his hand. The man almost ran away as if his life was at stake. Darcie had only the books in her eyes. "There''s a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a room for Potioneering as well," Lucius said, nearing her, and pointing at the doors in the latter half of the hall with his cane. "There''s a fireplace and you can control the brightness anywhere in the hall. The entire hall is enchanted to provide a peaceful environment. You can add more later when you are all grown up." Darcie saw the fireplace at the other end of the hall and Draco eying the tapestries there with an open mouth, his head bobbing around like a peacock. She looked back at her father, and with one quick step, wrapped her arms around him. Her head only reached his waist, and she buried it there. It felt warm and cozy. Lucius laughed, patting her head. "Just make sure nobody gets to know about it," he told her, not unkindly. "And don''t ask for any book without my permission. OK?" Darcie pulled herself back, looked up at him, and nodded. "But," she said, sounding as composed as was expected of her, "then what about Mr. Hillam?" Lucius put his hand on her back and took her to the middle of the hall. There was a smile of open disgust and scorn on his face. "Don''t worry about him, Darcie," he told her. "He would keep his mouth shut if he wants to keep his job." ¡ª And his life, the thought suddenly welled up in Darcie''s mind. Her brows furrowed, knowing that she shouldn''t think like that. Today was such a beautiful day. Even if her father had pulled some strings as he had told her, it was for her, and because he loved her, she knew. And for the first time, Darcie learned what the name Malfoy meant. She also learned, though begrudgingly, that wealth and status were nothing without a bit of fear hidden in the shadows. 0210 The Magic within Darcie - Specific, Belief, Intention! Wednesday, 17 June 1986 01:00 am Kai cleared away the last traces of the ritual after sending back the mass-produced daggers to Meg and Spawn. This way, they wouldn''t have to worry about being short of sacrificial Items for contacting him. The only issue was that Kai couldn''t use his minor-epithets to reach them from his end and had to use Hastur''s epithets instead. I wish I didn''t have to go such a roundabout way to contact them, Kai thought, putting back the half-melted candle. Hmm, a place where we can gather and discuss in person¡­ Kai didn''t dwell on this thought too much. His mind was stuffed with more important things right now. Darcie had only spent 4 hours in the last two days in the library. It wasn''t nearly enough for Kai to read even all the books on the SCHOOL shelf, but more than enough for him to remember the contents of one of them. Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling, Kai remembered the name, his eyes squinting. It had been hard to stay away from the rest of the books, but it wasn''t in his nature to just dive into the magic without knowing the theory behind it if he could learn it. This won''t do, Kai reflected. I must spend as much time as possible in the library. But first, he needed to tackle an even more drastic thing. Kai took out the Book and used the Primordial Theater to call out Rintaro Okabe. After his breakdown during the last Identity Period, Kai had ordered the insane scientist to think of a solution to his problem. He couldn''t think about these things while acting as Darcie, so the responsibility fell on his soulless characters. Rintaro Okabe walked out of the smoky veil, wearing his long lab coat, and holding the usual black-red flip mobile to his ear. At Kai''s sight, he put the mobile back into his pocket, and then threw his head back, his mouth opening like a maw. He was going to let out a roaring laugh, it seemed. "Ha¡­" Kai lunged like a beast, wrapping his hand around his mouth. "Mmm!" Okabe''s muffled groans and saliva wetted Kai''s hand, and he flail his hands, making obscene gestures. "Shut up!" Kai whispered in Okabe''s ears with gritted teeth. "Or I will never call you out." That quietened the Character, and Kai let him go. He sat down on the floor, his back leaning against the cool bathroom wall, and looked up at Okabe. The insane scientist crouched, sat down on his haunches facing him, and laughed, but no sound came out. "I have mastered the problem that could annihilate this universe," he proclaimed. "The solution is the key to heaven. Even the organization can''t do anything about it now. Hehehe!" "What is it?" Kai said, vividly aware of the mirror hanging above him, like a sword about to behead him. "Cough!" Okabe''s face gained a red color, and he sat beside Kai on the floor as well. "Mr. Storm, I think we can consider your situation as an exceptional case of Dissociative Identity Disorder. It''s not entirely the same, but it''s the one that suits you the best. Now, I am not a specialist in this field, but I have read a few cases, and based on them, I can say that you need extensive psychotherapy." Kai brooded over the comparison and nodded. "I have a recommendation," Okabe continued. "As it''s obvious that you don''t have the luxury for the optimum treatment, you must do it by yourself. How about keeping a journal?" "A journal?" Kai asked, raising an eyebrow.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Okabe grunted confidently. "Yes," he answered. "You must make yourself believe that all that is going on outside the Identity Period is nothing but an experiment and Darcie Malfoy is a test subject. Nothing more. "Then, in these 3 hours, you must write a summary of events in between the two Identity Periods and must focus on Darcie''s decisions, her reasoning, and how she came up with those results. But you must couple it with questions from Kai Stormborn. "You must think and write about what you would have done and how you would have tackled that situation if you were in her place. Yes, you would feel tremendous resistance from your psych while doing so, but it would also let you know if you are progressing with the matter of Facelessness or not. "When the day comes that you don''t feel any resistance while comparing Darcie Malfoy and Kai Stormborn, you will already be a Faceless man." Kai''s breath was ragged, but he didn''t jump to any conclusion or action. He closed his eyes, and for the next hour, thought deeply about this method. He would never take such a grave risk based on the reasoning given to him by the Book''s characters. Yet, after thinking about it from all angles, Kai had to agree with Okabe. This was the most suitable solution. Not only because of the feasibility but also because of the clear sign of Facelessness. "How long will it take?" Kai asked, hitting the hammer on the main issue. Okabe shrugged. "The cases that I read varied from 7-10 years," he told Kai. "But they were ordinary people, Mr. Storm. You are different. Even if we are to take the absurdness and supernaturalness of your case into account, it shouldn''t take you over 3-4 years in the best-case scenario and 5 in the worst. I must add that there are chances of failure¡­" Kai cut him off. "I am not afraid of failures," he said, permitting himself a smile. "If it works, it works. Otherwise, I will think of something else." Okabe nodded. "And if nothing works," he added, "then you can cry on my shoulders, Mr. Storm." Kai threw a disgusted look at him. "Go back!" he snapped. "One day I will just¡­" But the Character had already vanished, smiling ear to ear. Kai shook his head, calmed himself down, and then took a black-covered notebook and a pen out of his MRB. He knew he would do experiments in the Harry Potter Random World, so he had stored many miscellaneous things there. He put the notebook in his lap, opened it to the first page, and paused before putting the pen''s nib on the crisp paper. ¡­ Experimental Log - #1 Date: 6 June 1986 to 17 June 1986 ¡ª Darcie woke up with a splitting headache¡­ ¡­ It felt like Kai wasn''t writing on paper but on concrete, a threat of breaking the pen''s nib looming over him all the time. Yet, he kept going on. He must. This was the price he must pay for the power. He wasn''t worried about failure, but failure wasn''t an option, to begin with. Not when his mind was at the stake. * * Friday, 20 June 1986 03:15 pm Darcie snapped the book shut for the third time. Its title ¡ª The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1, glistened silver over brown. By now, she had gone through Magical Theory, A History of Magic, and this book many times. But only the last one made her feel like she had read it before in unknown dreams. Every word of this book was at the tip of her tongue, and her astute memory and remembering capabilities had even shocked her. "Already done?" a voice came from her side. Darcie looked over and saw Daphne staring back at her with a shocked expression, the book of Magical Theory lying open on the table in front of her. They were in the suitcase now. Though her father had told her not to talk about it to anyone, he had allowed Daphne because she was the only one who was on talking terms with Darcie, or who could stay in her presence without feeling utterly useless. Darcie nodded. "I still don''t understand how a wand works, though," she told her. "I know the spells, the movements of the wand, but what is the purpose?" Daphne replied with the same stunned look on her face. Darcie took a deep breath, closed her eyes and concentrated, the soothing surroundings of the library helping her. She held out her hand, uncurled her fingers, and thought. Specific. The word echoed in her mind. She must know what she wants. There was no place of doubt. Focus, and then focus more. An image appeared in her mind, slowly but surely. Now Belief, she told herself. She must believe wholly in her imagination. She did not lack specificity. Not now. She was already done with that part. At last, Intention. She intended for her imagination to become reality. To the most precise degree. Magic churned around her. She could feel it. It flowed, gathering at the tips of her fingers like a waterfall into the earth''s pit, and a burning sensation hit her nerves. From her side, Daphne drew a gasp. Darcie opened her eyes and saw the outcome of her creation. Her magic. Five points of tiny white lights were flickering at the tip of her fingers like five stars. They flashed, blurred, and then vanished, leaving behind a burning redness on her skin. Darcie looked at Daphne and said, "It''s just¡­ too easy." Only Daphne was the one who would never relate these words to arrogance. Because Darcie Malfoy was too composed and calm for such things. And if she said this was easy, then that was that.
Vol 9 - Harry Potter - A Unique Timeline - Ends! 0211 Aliens and Predators - Threat equivalent to 6th floor?! Friday, 20 June 1986 06:55 pm After having an early supper, Darcie felt extremely tired because of using magic non-stop throughout the entire afternoon. By now, she had tried every Charm mentioned in the Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1, at least once. The results had been the same. She could do all of them effectively, but the results were not up to par with her standards and hope. The Wand-lighting Charm had let her brighten up the extremities of anything, but never to a permanent state, eliminating the use of Counter-Charm. The Softening-Charm had let her soften any objects, but in this case, the size of an object became a great hindrance for her. Severing Charm had turned out to be the best, letting her cut small solid objects and fabrics with uncanny precision. The only issue was that the angle of these cuts tended to diverge midway. She had conjured a fireball in her palm using a Flame-Making Spell, but it exploded into tiny fireworks, and Daphne threw a bucket full of water onto her face, missing them all. Locks had gotten unlocked pretty easily, but sometimes they just rattled, before starting jumping up and down. And she had mended a shattered mirror easily enough. But upon close inspection by Daphne, they found out that a few chinks were missing at the edges and corners. They had ended the day with few conclusions. First, Darcie didn''t lack in any of the three parts of the self-theorized principles ¡ª Specificity, Belief, and Intention. Second, by the process of elimination, she lacked Control. Her magic had developed too suddenly, it seemed, based on the Magical Theory book, making her already dwindling Control over magic even worse. And there was only one way to test out the veracity of these conclusions. Wands! Darcie yawned, thinking of ways to get her mother''s wand somehow tomorrow and repeat the experiments. Experiments?! She thought confusedly. But by then her eyes were getting heavy. With one look, she extinguished the candles and closed her eyes. In the next moment, her breathing softened. * * The clock struck 19:00 and the entire world paused. The wind, flow of water, thoughts, and hideous, unseen gazes all halted in this Time Node. A tremendous squeeze, accompanied by a blue shimmer, jolted the figure on the bed in Darcie''s room. The shimmer brightened up, and then, with a flash, the figure disappeared. When Kai felt himself sitting on something solid, he resisted the grogginess and cracked his eyes open. A light buzz entered his ears, and he saw many figures all around him, their heads bobbing around just like his. Suddenly, a soothing symphony came from the background, overpowering the buzz of people''s whispers. They were in a round, white hall. In the middle of the hall, 20 benches were lined in ten rows and two columns. 5 Contestants were seated on each bench, bringing the total to 100, and there was a comfortable gap between the columns, rows, and two Contestants.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Kai looked down and saw that he was wearing a disruptive camouflage patterned military uniform. There was a similar patterned hat on his head as well. Kai looked to his left and saw a middle-aged man looking back at him. My eyes, Kai noticed. It had become a habit by now for him, to let Selene blur his reptilian irises. However, from the way the old man was looking into his eyes, Kai knew he could see the true color and form of his pupils. Ignoring the middle-aged man, he began inspecting his surroundings. Kai was seated on the right extreme seat of the 7th bench on the left column. The right column was two hands away from him. His eyes followed the path and landed on the giant screen a few dozen feet ahead of the front rows. The screen was hovering midair, and its size was big enough for anyone to see it clearly. The symphony died away gradually, and two voices took their place. Kai''s eyes widened. After so much time, he was finally hearing these voices again. Yes, these were the same voices he had heard after his resurrection. As the voice spoke, the same words also appeared on the screen. ¡­ [[Suppressing all memories related to the Alien and Predators Random World.]] ¡­ Gasps and curses escaped Candidates'' mouths, but it was too late. Kai felt a pain drilling his brain. A crack and it was over. By the time Kai pressed his brows after this incident, he didn''t rememberer hearing the voices or the words on the screen. Such was the case with everyone. The two voices spoke again, and Kai expressed his shock as if it was the first time he was hearing them. The screen reflected the same words. ¡­ [[ The Systems welcome all Candidates to the ?#?!?###? Tournament of Worth. For fairness, each Attribute of all Contestants will be suppressed, matching it to the lowest value among all the Contestants'' Stats. All Items above the Rare grade will be rendered useless. Bonded Magical Creatures'' Stats will be suppressed to 25% higher than Candidates'' Stats, if applicable. All Requirements based on Attributes are hereby stand waived off, granted that the Contestant could use the particular Item or Skill with original Attributes'' Stats too. The new Attributes will be shown at the end of the instructions. ]] ¡­ This¡­ Kai licked his lips. He looked around at the other Contestants, eagerly waiting for the voices to continue, and couldn''t help but pity them. Well, Kai thought with amusement, aren''t they fucked? ¡­ [[ All Candidates will be dropped one by one randomly on the island ¡ª T009. T009 is a tropical island with the ruins of an ancient civilization taken over by the rainforest. The island is infested with two species ¡ª Xenomorph and Yautja. Xenomorph is a highly aggressive endoparasitoid extraterrestrial species. The Xenomorphs are vicious predatory creatures with no higher goals than the propagation of their species and the destruction of any life that could pose a threat to them. Like wasps or bees, Xenomorphs are eusocial, with a fertile Queen breeding a host of subordinate castes. Yautja is an extraterrestrial species characterized by their hunting of other dangerous species for sport and honor, including humans. The Yautja is a sentient, humanoid race that possesses a level of technological advancement far above anything available to humans. ]] ¡­ Kai didn''t know if anyone else had recognized it, but he did. He was not unfamiliar with the word Endoparasitoid. An endoparasitoid is a parasite that lives inside another animal and ultimately kills it, Kai thought, his face giving up nothing but a passive expression. It makes the first species much more dangerous than the second. Hmm, let''s see. ¡­ [[ There is a hierarchy within both species. Xenomorph species have the Queen, her eggs, warrior drones, and the queenguards. The strength of these life-stages increases from eggs to the Queen. Yautja species have a clan-based system where the hierarchy is decided by accomplishments and growth stages. There are three such stages on the island ¡ª Un-Blooded, Young Blood, and Blooded, with Blooded being the strongest. A point system is assigned to the Survival Stage. By killing any of the two species'' members, Candidates can earn points. There is a daily cap of 10 points that a Candidate must obtain in 24 hours to continue with the next day. To pass the Stage, a Candidate must survive the island for 7 days and must have a minimum of 500 points. The 1st Stage''s rewards depend upon the total tally of the points at the end. Point distribution among the various members of the two species is available in the Candidates'' Tablets that would be issued before the commencement of the Stage. All species'' members, other than the Queen Xenomorph and the Blooded Yautja, will respawn every 24 hours. The collective threat level of the island, T009, is equivalent to an average 6th-floor Candidate with no Skills, Abilities, and Items. ]] ¡­ What the¡­ 0212 Survival on the infested Island T009 The last statement brought about an outrageous response. Some even stood up and openly cursed the Systems for taking things too far. The Systems ignored them completely and continued with their instructions. ¡­ [[ All Candidates will be dropped on the island randomly in pods. The timer of 7 days will start at the opening of these pods. A basic Survival Kit will be issued to all Candidates. All data relating to the Kit is available in the Tablets as well. Tablets are perishable and sophisticated pieces of equipment. They have a map of the entire island with key points marked on it, along with many other uses. Candidates cannot exchange points with each other, but killing Candidates will grant a fourth of their points to the murderer. (-the atmosphere within the white hall suddenly became cold-) ¡­ WARNING: 1. Inventories will be locked after the start of the Timer. Candidates are advised to take out their necessary Items and things from Inventory before the opening of the pods 2. A onetime privilege of giving up the Tournament is now granted to all Candidates. If opted, a Candidate must say clearly "I give up" for the Systems to freeze the relevant Time Node and extract the Candidate out. The candidacy for further Stages will stand forfeited thenceforth ¡­ The Normalized Attributes are: ]] ¡­ As the words had reached the screen''s bottom, all Candidates waited for the Stats to appear with bated breath. Only Kai''s face was relaxed, for he already knew the devastating blow the consciousness of these Contestants would suffer in the next moment. ¡­ [[ Active Attributes - Strength: 10 Agility: 10 Stamina: 11 Perception: 11 Correspondence: 9 Breath: 7 Passive Attributes - Charisma: 8 Luck: 3 Worth: 3 ]] ¡­ "What?!!!!!!" "Impossible!!!" "Motherf¡­"Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. "Who the hell is still alive with that LUCK?!!" The corners of Kai''s mouth twitched wryly. After the briefing and the curses, the Systems had directed them towards a corridor, at the end of which there was a cylindrical room. These were the pods that would take them to the island. Kai saw a woman entering the pod, and then its sliding door closed itself. In the next moment, the cylindrical pod slid down, and a new pod took its place. The process repeated itself two more times before Kai''s turn finally arrived. As the sliding door opened, he entered and looked around. Behind him, the door closed, and he could already feel the pod sliding downwards. The pod''s diameter was bigger than Kai''s outstretched hands, he noticed. And it was completely white and empty. The voices echoed suddenly. ¡­ [[Candidate Red, stand at the center of the pod.]] ¡­ Kai followed the instruction, approached the central area, and stood straight. A gentle force then appeared in his surroundings, pressuring him inward. It seemed like a holding mechanism in place of the usual straps and chairs. ¡­ [[Brace for the impact in 9¡­ 8¡­]] ¡­ Interesting! Kai thought, gritting his teeth. No weightlessness. A tremendous shaking of the white casing of the pod followed the countdown. The gentle force around Kai tried hard to keep him in place, but he still slid left and right like a leaf for a few seconds. Then it all stopped. The force vanished, and a new message appeared along with the voice. ¡­ [[ All pods throughout the island will open together after an allowance period of 1 hour. Candidates can familiarize themselves with the Survival Kit and use their Inventory freely within this time. Once the pod opens up, Candidates will lose the privilege to ask questions to the Systems. Good Luck. ]] ¡­ A timer of 1 hour appeared in front of Kai on the white wall, and a sliding noise reached his ears from behind. Kai turned around and saw a brown backpack lying on the floor. He sat down near it, and one by one checked its contents. It had a water bottle and food. Kai estimated it would last him three days if he would be frugal with it. Then it had a mass-produced, Common-graded knife. An insect net and insect repellent. A sewing and fishing kit. 2 HP Capsules giving 50 points each. It also had matches, timber, and a flashlight. At last, Kai''s eyes landed on the Tablet. The Tablet was around 15 cm long and 8 cm wide, and its screen was all black. Kai looked for any buttons, but couldn''t find one. He turned it over. There was a circular depression on the cover. Kai nodded to himself and pressed his thumb. The Tablet came alive, filling the white pod with bright colors. -[Tablet-89]- The name flashed and disappeared. It had a few icons on the home screen itself. Map, Points Distribution, and Points Tally had the biggest icons. At the bottom, there were three icons lined up, but in a smaller size. Messages, Clock, and Camera, Kai read and smiled. Don''t tell me the Systems want us to treat the Stage as a vacation? Haha! Now that''s amusing. Ignoring everything else, Kai tapped on the Points Distribution. A document opened up, with names, numbers, and points. ¡­ -[ Xenomorph: 1. Ovomorph (egg) - 1000 ¡ª Points: 1 each 2. Warriors - 20 ¡ª Points: 5 each 3. Queenguards - 4 ¡ª Points: 50 each 4. Queen - 1 ¡ª Points: 300 Yautja: 1. Un-Blooded - 10 ¡ª Points: 5 each 2. Young Blood - 2 ¡ª Points: 30 each 3. Blooded - 1 ¡ª Points: 100 ]- ¡­ Hmm, Kai brooded over the data, squinting his eyes. The numbers of Yautja are significantly lower than the Xenomorph. Is it related to their hunting behavior? If I am to take the points as a measure of strength, then both Blooded and the Queen are strongest among their species. Kai then went back and tapped the map. It showed an aerial view of the island with terrain, and a blue dot flashed on it, marking Kai''s position. He was somewhere southeast on the island, it seemed. He then opened the Messages, and found a list of Tablets, numbered 1 to 100, written there. Does this mean Candidates can contact each other? Kai asked, tapping his fingers on the floor. He again nodded to himself and opened the Camera now. After checking out the quality, Kai put the Tablet on one side. -Selene,- he hissed. -Come out.- A silver mist burst out of him, taking the form of a 6 ft long, lean serpent. Her third eye was shut, and her white, dragon-like scales gleamed with black and yellow ripples as she slithered up to him. -We both are hungry, master,- she hissed thoughtfully. -Best would be to eat as much as we can before going out.- Kai agreed. Darcie had to eat a limited and proper amount in Malfoy Manor. And it was nowhere enough to kill his monstrous hunger. The result was that he was always hungry in between the Identity Periods. Not to mention, he couldn''t let Selene out and hunt for prey herself. But that would change soon, Kai reflected, recalling his plans for Selene. The Ghost Basilisk had more to add, though. -Only if I could do anything for your mental issues,- Selene hissed affectionately. -I feel like Meg, master. Useless.- For the second time today, the twitch danced on Kai''s lips, fiercer than before. 0213 Pods Explode - The Hidden Gaze! Kai and Selene spent the next 30 minutes devouring the food, their stomachs rumbling with each swallow. When the plate was empty, he leaned back onto the pod''s wall, and Selene slithered up to his lap. As he ran his hands across her length, feeling her smooth scales, Kai pondered over which Items to take with him. The sheer mention of Inventory''s inaccessibility meant that the Systems didn''t think it was helpful for Contestants to travel heavily. Kai wasn''t unfamiliar with jungle survival, either. Most of his previous life had gone into learning about the mutated beasts and their habitats. No matter how dangerous the forest was on the island, it could never be as heinous as the carnivorous flora and fauna on his home planet, he knew. -Swords are a must,- Kai reasoned. -HP capsules, Pokedex, the Book¡­ Hmm, these should do. I can''t rely on my Glitch, either. The entire Stage is being broadcast to the Primordial Tower. This is a risk I can''t afford. I must rely on my Items and Abilities.- -What about Magic, master?- Selene hissed broodingly, coiling herself in a bundle in his arms. -Now you have Elementary Magical Aptitude, right?- Kai took a deep breath and shook his head. -Darcie''s Mana is like an ocean,- he told her. -As she grows up, she will be able to access it to its full potential. This is called Magical development. After her accident, the Mana that she can access has increased too much in too little time. That''s why she is having a problem with Control for puny spells. -For us Contestants, though, we carry our Mana in a water bottle with us. Yes, this water bottle can become a bucket, a tank, a pool, and even a lake with Contestant''s growth. But it would never reach the same potential as a main storyline Character. Of course, I can''t say the same about the Contestants above the 12th floor. There is only so much I can infer from Meg''s experiences. So even if Darcie can do mind-boggling Magic, I can''t. What I can do are little things like this¡­- Kai focused, repeating the same three words in his mind that he had countless times since his reincarnation in Darcie''s body. Then he snapped his fingers, and sparks followed the sound like little fireworks igniting out of thin air. His MP bar lost 2 points. He snapped again, and a portion of the empty plate shattered, making him lose another 3 points. With another snap, Kai''s hair cut around his neck unevenly, and as they fell, they seemed to melt into the white floor. No need to have such long hair in this terrain, Kai reflected, seeing the MP bar dropping by only 1 point. The Severing-Charm was the best magic he could do and with the least amount of MP. But Kai had concluded that there was no fixed relation between different magics and MP consumption. It''s like when I do magic, Kai thought, taking out his Items one by one, my Mana just spill out of the container. Yes, it lets me cast a spell, but most of it just goes to waste. No wonder Meg told me that Wandless Magic and Non-verbal Spells are useless for Contestants. We need wands more than the main storyline characters could ever need them. Tch!Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. The timer showed 5 minutes when Kai looked at it. -Selene,- he said, looking at her. -Don''t show yourself without my orders. Don''t kill. And don''t chase the prey.- -Hahaha!- Selene laughed maniacally. -What about a loving gaze, master?- Kai ignored the jape, wondering if her Petrification Skill would even work on these aliens or not. What about Soul Chill and Ghost Neurotoxin? He just hoped they would have a soul. Kai stood up, and Selene entered his body but stayed inside his left foot. He tied the two newly acquired Katanas on his waist to his left, keeping the Fangs in his Inventory. Hp capsules and Pokedex went into his pockets. At last, he held the Book and called out Petyr. The character bowed and entered him. Kai threw the bag on his shoulders, took a deep breath, and calmed his emotions down. The timer hit 0 and the sliding door of the pod opened up. Kai walked out into the thick of the night, heavy darkness pressing on him from all around. But it wasn''t quiet. Buzz of insects and rattle of nocturnal hunters echoed everywhere. Suddenly, something flashed red behind him. Kai looked over his shoulder and saw the white walls inside the pod turning red and white in a rhythmic order, like a beep. And the gap between these rhythms was decreasing exponentially. Kai''s eyes widened. Fuck! He cursed and dashed behind the thick trunk of a tree. Boom! The pod exploded with a thundering boom, and a mass of flames leaped to the sky like a balloon. The Systems had just announced all Candidates'' presence to the Island. * * 1st day, 01:00 am T009 1 hour had gone by since the Systems'' shitty move of exploding the pods to garner the attention of foreign elements on the Candidates. Kai had distanced himself as far as he could from the landing site, but no matter how far he went, he couldn''t shake off the feeling that someone or something was watching him. He had thought of using Selene''s Earth Vibration Sense to find any hidden animal that could have been stalking him, but then he remembered it would mean losing the element of surprise. Not to mention, she could only sense vibrations in an approximate radius of 110-120 meters. It was well and good anywhere else, not in the jungle, where the trees and plants were jam-packed, reaching a height where Skill could never hope to reach right now. Among the primal fears, the fear of the unknown was the most ancient and horrific, Kai knew. And the only way to get past this fear was to either face it head-on or get to know more about it. Both things he couldn''t do without knowing where this thing was. Up? Down? Or maybe hidden within the layer of spatial fissures? How come none of the 100 Candidates knew about the Xenomorph and Yautja? Kai asked himself, sitting inside a bush as if he was part of it. I can bet my ass that the Systems has something to do with it. It was the only guess he could make sense of, for if they had known about both species'' capabilities, then it wouldn''t be a survival test, but a chaotic hunt, with Candidates trying to grab as many points as they could. Suddenly, Kai felt a rustling to his right. This hadn''t come from the hidden watcher, Kai immediately guessed. He controlled his breathing and became as still as a corpse, his heartbeat calming down along with his breaths. It wasn''t enough. "Who''s there?" a woman shouted. "I know you are there. Come out or I will attack." Now, who can be this stupid, shouting like this in the thick of the jungle? Kai wondered. Or maybe it''s just a ruse to get any response by feigning stupidity? Hmm¡­ Kai''s mind went through many scenarios related to the hidden element that was chasing him for a long time, and came to a decision. 0214 The Hunt Begins! Kai smiled, his hand shooting up. "Easy, friend," he said calmly. "I was too scared to show myself." As he stood up, Kai saw a young woman with dark eyes and a slim figure perched upon a thick branch of a tree and looking down at him. The moment she saw him, Kai noticed her tensed shoulders relax. "Come out in the open," she said, her tone demanding, "and show me your Items." "Now, that''s an absurd request, my friend," Kai said, smiling. "Are you sure you want to make a commotion here?" An eerie silence lingered between them, as both parties seemed to be wary about the dark jungle. The woman then climbed down and approached him. Kai followed the gesture and stepped out of the bush. "How did you find me?" Kai asked as the woman eyed the swords on his waist. She said nothing but looked over his head. Kai lifted his head and raised his eyebrows. High above in the darkness, he saw two eyes. And then, little by little, the thing to whom these eyes belonged came down. It was a green spider-like creature, with red mandibles and a horn on its head. Kai recognized it. Spinarak, he recalled the name. An arachnid Pokemon. The Pokemon was hanging with an almost invisible thread of web attached to some branch lost in the darkness. It landed on the tree trunk near them and rattled its mandibles. Suddenly, both Candidates sensed a vibration. Their Tablets were shaking, but neither tried to look away from the other. "Well, I have always been a curious one," Kai whispered, and took out the Tablet from his backpack, ignoring the shocked expression on the woman''s face. Isn''t he afraid that I would attack him? She thought. Kai put his thumb on its back and the Tablet came alive. His eyes landed on the Messages icon, and the little red 1 written on its top. "We got a message," he told her. "I think you too got the same." "What are you?!" she wondered aloud. "Haha!" Kai laughed. "I have more trust in humanity. We have just landed on the island. What''s the point of killing each other? I am Red, by the way." The woman gaped at him and then shook her head. "Spinarak," she commanded the Pokemon, "follow the plan. Call me Spider." The Pokemon grunted a reply through its mandibles and crawled up, vanishing up into the canopying trees. Kai waited for her to take out the Tablet and then opened the message. It was from Tablet 47. After confirming that she too had gotten the message from the same Candidate, Kai opened it. ¡­ -[Stolen novel; please report. If you want to know about the species and what we are facing, then come to the location marked on the map. Time Limit: 11:00 am ]- ¡­ The word Map was highlighted. Kai tapped on it, and the Map application opened by itself. Aside from the blue dot, marking his presence, now he could see a yellow dot as well. A green line was running from the blue to yellow, showing the distance. 170 km, Kai thought. It''s getting interesting. "What an obvious way to lure Candidates?" Spider scoffed. "Like someone would fall for it. Humph!" "Well, I am going," Kai commented, once again shocking the woman. "I do trust in humanity, of course. Would you like to come with me? I am quite a skilled in-fighter." Kai pointed at the swords, and Spider narrowed her eyes. With one move, he had struck the disadvantage of having a Pokemon like Spinarak. She sighed and nodded. "I will take the lead," she declared. Kai nodded. * * 04:00 am They had covered a considerable distance in the last three hours. Kai kept walking under the orders of the woman as if he had nothing to worry about. But the hair on his neck was standing up now and then. The hidden foreign element was nearing them with every next hour, it seemed to him. Any moment now, Kai thought, repeating to himself. Come on. What are you waiting for?! The woman suddenly raised her hand, and Kai stopped. She stepped back towards him, keeping herself out of Kai''s reach. "Spinarak found something," she whispered. "Follow me." They came to a clearing nearby a puddle. On the other side of the puddle was Spinarak, and the Pokemon''s eyes were planted on the thing in the middle of the puddle. It was a brown, filthy capsule, and from top to bottom it was covered in wrinkles. "What the hell is it?" the woman murmured, walking along the puddle''s perimeter. Kai chuckled, the tips of his finger throbbing, as his instinct warned him not to approach the thing. "It looks like my balls in winter," he japed. "Try to scratch it." Suddenly, the capsule squirmed, and its top opened up like a flower. Both Kai and the woman jumped backward. What happened next made Kai widen his eyes. Squelch! Invisible blades pierced the woman''s chest, lifted her, and flung her away. The Pokemon fired purple-colored needles at the invisible thing, but they just went past, sizzling the thin air. And then, another spider-like thing broke out of the capsule and lunged at the Pokemon. Spinarak''s mandibles rattled as it backed away, but the thing was faster than it. It wrapped itself to its mouth, and Kai saw a snake-like tail coiling around the 1 ft tall Pokemon like a grip of death. Kai observed everything with dead eyes and impressive calmness. His hands went to the swords at his waist, and the steel screeched against the leather as he took them out. The hunt had begun. But who was the hunter, and who was the prey? Only time would tell. One thing was sure, Kai reflected. The Attribute, Perception, was almost useless against these things. Kai had nothing to rely on to know about any of the two species. But he had the knowledge and experience. Whatever was chasing him had shown all characteristics of a hunter to him, making him conclude he was dealing with a Yautja and not Xenomorph. Such knowledge wouldn''t have made a difference to most of the Candidates, but Kai was different. He knew nothing about the Yautjas, but he knew almost everything about being a hunter. This hunter was unsure about Kai, he had concluded. It would remain in hiding until it had gauged his strength. So when Kai saw the woman, Spider, he knew that in her lay an opportunity. With her, the two made a group. There was strength in the group, but there was also the concept of weak and strong in it as well. A hunter would always take out the weak prey first, Kai had learned. Not because of any cowardice, but it was in their nature to eliminate the substandard individuals. And, so it happened. It is invisible, Kai told himself, holding Afro''s Tachi in his right hand and Murasame in his left. That''s one thing more than I knew about it. Kai''s Instincts roared and a smile crept up on his face as he¡­ closed his eyes. 0215 Kais Instincts - One Cut Killer! If there was one thing that Kai felt absolutely no fear in facing, then it was an invisible opponent. He had trained his senses, pushing them beyond the limit, to align them towards an invisible opponent. No matter how invisible this new opponent would be, it could never achieve the true invisibility of Brock Valeheart. Things had especially taken a favorable turn during his mission in the Pokemon Random World when he had regained his lost instincts. Not to mention, his Snake Instinct Ability had also become Master then. Kai let out a breath, reined his breathing, and all sounds seemed to vanish around him. He had never talked about it, but he hadn''t gained his instincts from birth. They were a product of years of training in the monstrous jungle, and after the death of his mother, his frequent excursions with the wildest and cruelest beasts out of the Cities'' Defensive Walls. These were the instincts Kai had forced himself to learn to deal with the ability World Vanishing Camouflage that the Chameleon''s Blood Essence had granted his friend, his brother ¡ª his mother''s killer. Something was coming from his left, spinning, cutting the air like butter. It was almost noiseless, but for Kai, there was nothing louder than this. He threw Murasame and metal struck metal before dropping on the dead leaves and muddy ground. Almost instantaneously, something came for his heart from his front. Something long and sharp, and with an unimaginably fatal intention behind it. And he could tell there were two of these objects with the same sharpness. Kai''s eyes were still closed, and it seemed he had accepted his fate. But the moment these invisible blades were about to enter his flesh, Kai''s Slither Steps burst out, and he slithered to his left just by half a step. Crunch!!! Kai coughed out blood. His eyes opened, and he looked down. The invisible being had punctured through his bones and right lung and was now lifting him high in the air. Blood pouring out of his mouth, Kai raised the sword in his right hand and slashed down. Once again it struck metal, and sparks flew everywhere. Little by little, the thing lost its invisibility, and through pain and squinted eyes, Kai got to see what had come to claim his life, what had been hunting him for hours. It was around a 7 ft tall humanoid with a metallic mask on its face, a glint of red seeping out from its eyeholes. It had armor covering half of its left shoulder, over which there was a metallic tube that looked like a weapon to Kai. On both of its arms, below the elbows, there were gauntlets. From the right gauntlet, two wristblades were coming out, and it was through them Kai''s body was dangling right now. The left one was letting out sparks because of the sword''s strike, it seemed, making the Yautja lose its invisibility. The humanoid alien lifted Kai even higher, like a trophy, and let out a roar. Kai could feel its impressive strength, but his smile widened behind the waterfall of blood. Exchange wounds, snatch lives! This kind of imagined scenario was the origin of Kai''s battle motto. The fallen sword, Murasame, lifted by itself, and then, like a bullet, flew towards the Yautja.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The hunter sensed the sword coming, and with a jerk, pulled out the wristblades from Kai''s body, jerking away its hand. Kai fell and saw the unworldly agility the alien showed while jumping back, dodging the sword. The sword failed to enter its body, leaving behind the tiniest nick on its right shoulder, which didn''t have the protection of armor. A trail of neon green bioluminescent substance spurted out. Aside from that slight cut, Kai''s meticulously planted move of using Telekinesis to control the fallen sword, catching the alien off guard, seemed to have become a pitiful failure. The towering being looked at the sword that had lodged itself into a trunk, and then at its right shoulder. Finally, it looked down at him, and Kai heard a rattling noise coming from behind the mask. It was laughing at him. And then it choked on that laugh. Dense, black runic markings exploded out of that tiny cut, and in an instant, it covered the thing''s entire body like a virus. Kai''s tongue rolled, and he swallowed the hidden HP capsule in his mouth. It wasn''t the one that the Systems had given him, but one with the price of 500 MC. 100 points of HP coursed through his vein, healing his torn flesh and bone first, and then refilled his flashing HP bar with the leftover HP points. Kai stood up, approached the thing, who had already died, and crouched next to it, the notification of the Kill blinking in his eyes. ¡­ [ You have killed 1 Young-Blood Yautja Points: 30 ] ¡­ His eyes went to the tube-like object, protruding out from the armor on Yautja''s left shoulder. It looked like a weapon to Kai. Some kind of gun? He reflected. Why didn''t this idiot use it, though? But there was another question that kept coming to his mind. Of all the unlucky Candidates, am I still the unluckiest? Kai asked himself, stroking the long dreadlocks on the thing''s head with his left hand. Why else from the 2 Young-Bloods on the entire islands was I the one who encountered it the moment after coming out of the pods? The smile on his face now looked even wider than before. Demonic and hungry. Murasame, lodged into the trunk of a tall tree, slid out and hurled itself into Kai''s left hand. He narrowed his eyes, and all the mud on it blasted apart, leaving behind a silver shine. Once again, Kai felt no sword could be half as beautiful as this. He recalled the mention of the baleful aura by lady Elenora during the auction. He scoffed at those remarks, as he could only feel a deep attachment to the sword and nothing else. And none could match the Stats hovering above it. Not for a long time. ¡­ [ Item: Murasame (Named Sword) Grade: Uncommon Specification: A cursed blade Requirement: 1. At least one sword-related Ability 2. A heartfelt appreciation Attributes: 1. Measurement: 105 cm 2. Material: Carbon Steel 3. Base Damage: 80 HP Skill: One Cut Killer Skill''s Effect: Once the sword pierces the skin, a poisonous curse spread through the victim''s body, killing them within seconds by stopping their heart Skill: Little War Horn Skill''s Effect: 1. Strength, Agility, Stamina, and Perception: +5 points each (Time Limit: 60 seconds) 2. To use the Skill, one must discard their humanity. Only a truly demonic being can master the pain that the use of this Skill will bring forth on the user''s body 3. After 60 seconds, Strength, Agility, Stamina, and Perception: -3 points each (Time Limit: 60 minutes) 4. Cooldown: 24 hours Quality: 95% ] ¡­ One Cut Killer, Kai thought, looking at its first unfortunate target. Indeed. An even more hideous thought that had surfaced in his mind when he checked the Stats for the first time was what would happen if he were to combine the Skill, Little War Horn, with his Titan''s Buff, using the ACT ¡ª Relentless Love. A murderous bloodlust seeped out from Kai as his body thrummed with the imagined slaughter. He controlled his thoughts, licked his lips, and only then did he turn his head to look at the woman''s dead body, the open cylindrical thing, the Pokemon, and the alien thing wrapped around the Pokemon''s head. Then his eyes returned to the 7 ft tall Young-Blood Yautja, lying lifeless on the ground. Well, well, well, Kai told himself, smiling. Fortune does follow misfortune, it seems. Haha! -Selene- he hissed. -Look, so much food.- 0216 18th Floor - The City of Colors! The City of Colors, 18th floor The Primordial Tower Deep within a Castle made of purple stones, Contestant Shadow Origin yawned, lying on a bed of feathers, and with two naked girls in his arms on either side; both of different species. He squeezed their breasts, played with their nipples, and skimmed through the video projection hovering in front of him, in his eyes. "Around 4 hours¡­ it should be enough," he thought aloud. "Chaos, show me the list of top 10 Chaos'' Candidates on the points tally and filter the list to those who have swords-related Abilities." After paying an unimaginable hefty sum, the System showed Shadow Origin the list he so desired with an empty heart. ¡­ [ Top 10 Chaos'' Candidates with swords-related Ability on the Points Tally of ?#?!?###? Tournament of Worth: 1. Thunderclap - 150 Points 2. Master of Harem - 90 Points 3. Bastard of Zoro - 87 Points ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ 10. Red - 30 Points ] ¡­ Only 150?! Shadow Origin frowned, the shadow of disappointment apparent on his face. The quality of swordsmen is degrading with each Tournament. Fuckers are all running towards Magic. Heh! How naive! Yet, he had a job to do. Then, one by one, Shadow Origin started to playback each Contestant''s last 4 hours from the beginning, when they had left the pods. "Oh!" He raised his eyebrows and chuckled. "Chaos, you nasty bitch! You suppressed their memories of Aliens and Predators, didn''t you? Interesting¡­" Feeling quite impressed by the Candidate Thunderclap, Shadow Origin half-heartedly moved on to the Master of Harem. "Now, now," he remarked. "That''s quite an odd way to use swords. Haha!" After playing the videos at many times their original speed, he reached the last Candidate in some 10 minutes. Shadow Origin tsked. He hated such generic Code Names. Quite bored, feeling the content of this Candidate pointless already, he tapped on Red. As expected, nothing happened for an hour in the video. Then Red met a Pokemon Trainer and tagged along with her. He watched it expressionlessly as two more hours passed in the video. At last, Shadow Origin couldn''t help but wonder how large a colony of Ovomorphs this Candidate must have found for him to get 30 points at the end of the 4 hours. He carried on with the unimpressive trekking of the duo through the jungle, waiting for them to stumble upon at least 30 eggs worth 1 point each. Shadow Origin recalled only Thunderclap had managed to kill 2 Warrior Xenomorphs guarding the colony of 200 Ovomorphs for him to reach 150 points. Taking on 2 aliens by himself, while fighting off the Facehuggers, was quite impressive, he thought, nodding to himself. And such thoughts brought down his mood even more. Now he was losing the tiniest interest in this video. But time went on, and both man and woman kept going on at a steady, cautious pace. Shadow Origin had already sat up, both women lying on the bed on either side, naked, sprawled, and now, forgotten. ¡­ 45 minutes to 4 hours¡­ 30 minutes to 4 hours¡­Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. 10 minutes to 4 hours¡­ ¡­ What the?! Shadow Origin''s eyes widened as he saw them approaching a single Ovomorph. Then, the Facehugger burst out, lunging at the Pokemon, catching the two Candidates off guard. But something even weirder happened after that. Shadow Origin saw an invisible entity attacking the woman, piercing her heart, and killing her almost instantaneously. It didn''t take even a second for him to conclude. No, the conclusion wasn''t related to the invisible Predator. But that this Red had been using the woman to gauge the skills and abilities of this unseen threat. Didn''t that mean he knew the Predator had marked him as prey? All boredom vanished suddenly, and a hideous focus welled up in Shadow Origin''s eyes. What he saw next made him throw himself off the bed and ran out of his chambers. Shadow Origin didn''t know when he reached the King''s chamber, but only then did he realize he was naked. He took a deep breath, and his shadow rippled, becoming a tight-fitted suit and pants. He ran his hands through his hair and knocked. The doors opened up, and Shadow Origin stepped in and fell to his knee. "Long Live HIS Majesty," he declared, "King Purple Mist!" A man was standing near the open windows of this chamber, shrouded in a mass of purple mist. He turned around and nodded. "What news have you brought me, Viceroy Shadow Origin?" the King asked, his voice ethereal like gusts of air. "It must be something important for you to leave those girls alone so early in the morning." Shadow Origin gulped. He stood up and neared the king. "Your majesty," he said, his head down. "You must look at this." Shadow Origin shared the scenes of Red''s brief fight. "How impressive!" the king muttered, shocking the living breath out of the Shadow Origin. In his entire life, he had yet to hear these words out of the king''s mouth for anybody other than a few selective monsters. "Is that an Ability, your grace?" Shadow Origin asked. "Because that is not a Skill. With those conditions, it is impossible to maintain a Skill that can let someone sense and predict invisible attacks." "Your arrogance has blinded you, Viceroy," the king commented. "You are seeing it with your eyes, and yet you dare not believe it for the sheer rarity of it. That is not a Skill, yes. But that is not an Ability, either." "Then¡­" Shadow Origin mumbled. A sudden thought passed by his mind, and his eyes shot open, his head snapping towards the being engulfed in a cloak of purple mist. "No, that is impossible¡­" The King scoffed at the word, his eyes planted on the video screen. "Kenbunshoku Haki!" King Purple Mist proclaimed. "And at what a magnificent scale!" Color of Observation?! Shadow Origin recalled the name, an icy shiver running down his spine. Am I seeing the rise of another King? After so long¡­ The video then proceeded, showing this Candidate''s untraditional way of fighting, and then shockingly killing the Predator with only one cut. "Is that Murasame?!" Shadow Origin exclaimed, once more getting shocked. "But, wasn''t there a report, stating that a royal member had bought this Named Sword on the 4th floor just recently? Yes! That is One-Half of the Power Sword on his waist to his right. Who is this Red?!" The king hadn''t lost his composure like the viceroy. "Who is sponsoring this kid?" he asked calmly, his voice now low, like a calm stream flowing over smooth rocks. Shadow Origin checked, and for the third time, he was shocked by the Red. No one?! He thought. "No one¡­" he repeated aloud. "A lone Contestant?" "It might not necessarily be the case," the king mumbled to himself. Then they observed the video more, now at the normal speed. They saw him taking out a Pokedex and then pointing it at the dead Yautja, Ovomorph, and the Facehugger over the Pokemon, who had yet to return despite its trainer''s death. If this was odd, then what he did next was even nonsensical. He took out his Tablet, and then took many photos of his surroundings, including the dead woman and all the alien species. Then Red controlled the sword, Murasame, and nicked the Pokemon, killing it almost instantly, using the poisonous curse as well. He observed the changes and then saw the Facehugger bursting apart in a mass of acidic blood. The Red then hurled the 7 ft tall Yautja over his shoulders and marched on, only stopping after an hour quite a few miles away from the spot of ambush. He then took off the armor on Predator''s body and then used his other sword to cut the body, weighing over 200 kg, limb by limb, before cutting the torso into many pieces. "What in Chaos'' name is he doing?!" Shadow Origin asked, incapable of comprehending such a thing. Beside him, the King saw everything non-pulsed, but the color of the surrounding mist had darkened, gaining a color of deep excitement. "He will eat it," the king declared. "A Predator''s body has many healing capabilities and hidden powers if devoured along with a ritual or by other magical creatures." "Eh?!" Shadow Origin gasped. "But he doesn''t know this, your majesty. The Systems have suppressed the Candidates'' memories related to these things." No reply came out of the king''s mouth for a long time. When it did come, it came with obvious admiration. "It''s his nature," the king said. "Truly extraordinary." Shadow Origin lacked the words in reply to the king''s statement. The Red, whose face was blurred, kept one hand of the Predator to himself, throwing every other limb and pieces of flesh in random directions. This?! Shadow Origin gawked at it. "He is doing this because of us¡­" he uttered. The king looked at his viceroy and said, "Not bad." His head turned back to the video. "Yes, he knows that we, or other Contestants, are watching him like everyone else," the king reasoned. "That''s why he is spreading the food in all directions far away from him. He must have some companion with him or a magical creature whose existence he doesn''t want to reveal." "To think this ahead," Shadow Origin added. "What kind of life must he have lived?" The king didn''t reply to this question. The presence of Haki was an answer in itself to him. "The Sith must have him," the king commanded, at last, going back to the window. "Do whatever it must take." Shadow Origin kneeled his one eye on the purple mass, and one on the Red, who was eating the preparing a fire to cook the arm. "Yes, your majesty," he said, accepting the command. "It shall be done." 0217 Massacring the Candidates! (I) 10:45 am, T009 Kai eyed the ruins of tall buildings and domed halls from afar, hidden within the black and green shadows of the jungle as if he was a part of it. He had arrived here an hour ago. Since then, he had seen one or two Candidates darting out of the wilderness and heading to the ruins, thinking no one could see them. Kai wasn''t just any no one. 11, Kai recalled the count. 3 are still spying on the ruins like me from the outskirts, waiting to see a hint of a trap. He leaned back and slumped down on the branch with his backpack on his lap and swords on his side, standing like three sentinels with the brown, flaky wall of the trunk behind them. Even then there was enough space left for many to sit leisurely on either side, such was the thickness of the branches of this humongous tree. Kai took out his Tablet and tapped on the Points Tally. ¡­ -[ 1. Tablet-89: 67 points 2. Tablet-55: 33 points 3. Tablet-47: 31 points ¡­ ¡­ 77. Tablet-3: 1 point ]- ¡­ 33 Candidates are already dead or gone, Kai analyzed. Haha! Not everyone can handle bad Luck like mine. And those who have yet to get 10 points would soon leave the Tournament as well. Kai liked the idea of using their Tablets'' numbers for ranking, but not so much as his top ranking itself. After killing the Yautja, he recalled, he had used Pokedex to store their data. The only thing was that, unlike Pokemon, he couldn''t see their Stats other than their name. One such name had surprised him then. Facehugger, Kai remembered. The Systems didn''t mentioned it. Nor is it present in the list of species. But it didn''t take a scientist''s brain to conclude what this thing was ¡ª A hidden threat. It has come from the egg, Ovomorph, Kai had reflected. So it must be some in-between stage of evolution from the egg to the Warrior Xenomorph. The only question that had troubled him was how many such stages there were that gave no points on killing them. Not to mention, he couldn''t even get to operate on it, as it had exploded, splattering acidic blood everywhere. Kai had also noticed how the Pokemon had been forced to remain in the outside world, despite the obvious death of its trainer. Then, after careful deliberation, Kai had tested the potency of this acidic blood using the metal shuriken, which the Yautja had thrown at him and he had fended it off with Murasame.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. He hadn''t liked the results then, he didn''t like them now. If the swords were to remain in that blood''s contact, Kai reasoned, then they wouldn''t remain swords for long. But Kai needed blood. Not for him, but for his sword, Afro''s Tachi. He needed to bathe the sword in his enemies'' blood after killing them using the sword to enhance its Base Damage. These were the conditions of Sword''s Skill Ruthless Ritual. For the same reason, he couldn''t have used the blood of the Young-Blood Yautja, as it was Murasame that had planted the last kiss on that creature, not Afro''s Tachi. After noting his findings on the Tablet as drafts and taking pictures, a thing he had decided to make a habit of from now on, he had continued with his journey with the grotesque corpse on his shoulders, trying to distance himself from the battle site as far as he could. Grotesque it was, Kai thought, smiling, but it wasn''t unappetizing at all. If only I had taken out my box of spices from the MRB before coming out of the Pod, then I could''ve truly enjoyed that fucking lizard''s roasted arm. The single arm had invigorated him profusely, but other than that, it had brought him nothing. Selene, though, was a different matter altogether. He had chopped up the vast reptilian body of the Yautja and had thrown the pieces in different directions to hide the existence of his Ghost Basilisk. If he could afford it, then he would rather not let his audience know about her. After devouring her food, she had gone into a false hibernation. He could feel her squirming inside him like a lazy child refusing to get off the bed well past the afternoon. One strong simulation and it would push her grade up, Kai reflected. Blooded Yautja. Yes, I must have its corpse. Without knowing how hazardous Xenomorphs'' acidic blood is for her, I rather not feed her entities of that species. In contrast to the existence of his magical creature, Kai hadn''t hidden his swords and fighting style to lure bigger fishes from the top floors. He just hoped he would garner some attention from Contestants of the 9th to 12th floor. Loner and demon as he was, even Kai didn''t think that he could manipulate empty air for his benefit. For that, he needed men and women; strong Contestants, who were interested in him or his Items. Otherwise, what was the point of the Tournament of Worth? Unlike his counterparts in this Tournament, he was one of the few who knew that there was no Glitch award waiting for him at the end. The individual stages'' rewards were well and good, but on a greater scale, they weren''t enough. Kai sighed. His eyes again fell onto the Tablet and his 67 points. He had encountered 37 more of those Ovomorphs from his dinner site to here. Every single one of them had been cut in half before the Facehuggers could have come out and lunged at him. Kai had been extremely curious to just sit and experiment on those things, but time and place weren''t in his favor. Then there were eyes on him, watching his every move from the Primordial Tower. He''d rather not show every weapon in his arsenal to them other than his raw, ruthless fighting capabilities. So here he was, and it was now time to make a move. As he sensed the last three Contestants heading towards the ruins from three different directions, Kai noted the time, climbed down, and leisurely walked on a straight path, just hoping for his bad luck to make him encounter another Yautja. When Kai entered the boundary of the ruins, his Perception picked up blatant signs of murderous threats from his surroundings. Surely there were Contestants watching all the incomers and were spying on them. None had come like Kai, though. That was plain. Kai''s every step spoke one word ¡ª Careless. Yet, it was this carelessness that baffled the watchers, sweating their backs. These were hard Contestants, and their uncalled misfortune of 3 Luck had made them harder. To see a fellow unlucky Candidate coming as if he was walking in a park brought out their fury. Kai chuckled, feeling quite amused. He didn''t need directions to know where he needed to go. The Tablet''s map had such precision that it had shown him even the interior of the building from where Tablet-47 had shared his location. He climbed up the stairs of a multistory building covered in vines and rotten shrubs and entered a hall with broken stone columns. 14 Candidates were already in the chilly hall with its gray and red walls, and as he crossed the threshold of the entrance, 2 more entered through the window, bringing the total count to 17. "Time''s up," a soft voice called, hidden within the crowd. "Thank you for coming here, friends." Kai saw a tall woman coming forward from a corner. She was hiding it, but such subtle hints weren''t difficult to be noticed by trained eyes and brilliant minds. Kai surely noticed it, his narrowing as he realized the truth behind her presence. A Contestant from the 5th floor! 0218 Massacring the Candidates - Shocking Transaction! (II) "I am 47," the woman declared and then pointed at the two men behind her. "55 and 39." A hushed murmur echoed within the hall hearing those numbers. It seemed these three had grouped and had somehow chosen 47 to be their leader, despite the number 55 being higher on the Points Tally. The owner of Tablet-55 was a masked Shinobi, Kai noticed. 39 was a rough individual with gloved hands and hunched back. Both looked equally powerful to him. But then again, scarcely anyone could match Kai by oneself in this Tournament, especially with their Stats restricted and their rotten Luck. "Some of us have yet to get our 10 points," one man said. "You better be quick about what you have to say." Others nodded in silence. 47 giggled, quite unladylike. She looked over her shoulder at 55 and nodded. The ninja made an odd sign with his right hand and a thick stack of documents appeared in 47''s hands with a puff of smoke. "Every single paper in my hands contains detailed info on all the different stages of both species," she declared. "You can tell the value of such a thing in this Stage. I have called you all to sell it to you. The price would be 1 Uncommon Item." "Impossible¡­" one cried. "Liar¡­" another commented. "Bitch¡­" curses flew under breaths. "How am I to confirm that these details are true?" Kai asked, his voice tearing the buzz. "We all know nothing about them. What proof do you have?" Kai had a way to tell. He, for a matter of fact, knew that none of these Candidates had encountered a Young-Blood Yautja so far; much less killed one. But it was best to rile up the crowd and see 47''s reaction. How people handled themselves in such cases told much about them. The Candidates, all experienced and veterans of the Primordial Tower, agreed with Kai, forgetting him almost instantly. But 47 eyed Kai like a hawk and then smiled at him. "I am a Blessed," 47 proclaimed, bringing a choking silence in the hall. "And my Blessing is Download from the Matrix World. If I know the true name of anything, I can download its info. That''s the only thing I would say about it. If you know something that only you know, then you can verify the documents using my Blessing." What a monstrous Blessing?! All must have thought, their eyes wide, and their mouths open. Which Temple? Kai''s mind had only this question. By now he had got a pretty good idea to differentiate between Temples'' Blessed and Deep Ones'' Blessed. Temples used the power of the Old Ones to bless a Contestant with a unique Skill or Ability from Random Worlds, much like Nyra from Kai''s Pokemon World in his last mission. It was more precise. That''s why Meg had falsely assumed Kai''s use of Emotions Manipulation as a Blessing from another Temple. Deep Ones'' Blessings were more thorough, bringing changes at cellular and gene levels like Selena''s Spawn Blessing. It was also the reason for Deep Ones'' Blessings to be rarer than Blessings from the Temple. Not to mention, the price one needed to pay was unimaginably higher in the former cases.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. So, when Kai heard that 47 had only an Ability as a Blessing, he couldn''t help but relate her to a Temple. Contestants might or might not know about Temples'' existence, but they did know about Blessed. Those who had Blessings, their words carried weight. Yet, even though all desired their hands on these documents, they seemed reluctant to part with a Uncommon Item when every single Item could make a difference. "I have a name," Kai said, smirking. "Facehugger." All Candidates, including 47, 55, and 39, showed confusion at the name. "For your sake," 55''s heavy voice rumbled, "I hope you aren''t making it up." Kai just looked at 47. "Consider this as me showing my goodwill for you, my lady," he said. "You can decide later what to do with this info. But I would like to have the first claim on every knowledge you have about these species and more." 47 studied him and then nodded. "Guard me," she commanded the two Candidates standing behind her and sat down. In a moment, under the shocked gazes, a thin tube with a metallic protrusion appeared behind her as if space itself had been punctured by it. Then, with a jerk, it lodged itself in the back of 47''s head. Kai''s eyes narrowed as he observed all this, tapping his fingers on the hilts of his swords. And then, with a sudden burst of Mana, 47''s eyes snapped open, the tube lodged in her head vanishing like a blur. Shocked, and now afraid, she gawked at Kai, sweat shimmering on her forehead as tiny pearls. Kai smiled, confirming her Skill as true, and bowed to her. With her chest rising and falling, 47 neared him and asked, "Who are you?!" "If we are using our Tablets to address ourselves," Kai said, matching her stare, "then call me 89." The shock on 47''s face was palpable, and everyone backed away by one step hearing Kai''s words. This was the beginning. "Your face tells me that these documents are genuine," Kai said. "I will buy this info if you can add all that you know you haven''t mentioned in them. Price, yes. Here it is." Kai''s hand reached to his right, pulled out the sheathed One-Half of the Power Sword, and handed it over to her. The moment 47''s hand touched the sword absentmindedly, and her eyes landed on the Stats, she almost dropped the sword. "Now," Kai whispered, as others readied themselves to trade the info, "let''s hear what you have for me." * * 10:40 am, 2nd day T009 Kai was sitting on the roof of the same building where Candidate 47 had called the others to meet. An entire day had passed since the events of yesterday, yet he had yet to step out into the jungle. His Points Tally still showed 67 points, and if he would not get another 10 points by midnight, then the Systems would forcefully teleport him out of the Tournament of Worth. Yet, there was no hastiness about his actions, his yawns and nonchalant attitude speaking against the anxiousness he must have been showing by now. There was a stack of documents in his hands, and it was the umpteenth time he was going through them. These weren''t the documents 47 had given to the others at the price of 1 Uncommon Item each. The documents in Kai''s hands were more precise. But that wasn''t all that his Item, One-Half of the Power Sword, had bought him. 47 had told him in confidence that Candidate 55 knew the location of Queen Xenomorph''s colony. That''s why they had come up with this plan of hoarding as many Items as possible before raiding the colony. She had even invited Kai to join her, 55, and 39, but he had refused her. 47 had taken Kai''s refusal of joining her team as him looking down on her capabilities, and in turn, refused to divulge the location of the Queen''s Colony to Kai. Then she riled up the other Candidates, saying that they must remain in the group to counter their Bad Luck, and should instead raid the Queen''s Colony as soon as possible. Only Kai knew that remaining in a group wasn''t enough to go against their misfortune. At last, they had left him behind, with his prized sword at 47''s waist. And the moment they had all gone out of Kai''s sight, his lips had arched into a demonic smile. 0219 Massacring the Candidates - D-Mail! (III) Everything had gone according to Kai''s plan, and things had turned out to be even better than he had hoped for. Suddenly, he felt a stirring to his right. Kai''s head snapped in the direction and saw a burst of silver mist seeping out from the moldy roof of the building. The silver mist took the form of a long, slender, white serpent. Selene slithered up to his shoulders, coiled around him, and flicked out her tongue, kissing his chin. No longer did he care for the watching Contestants outside the Tournament to see her and connect the dots between Selene''s Intangible form and Viscount Lucas'' death. Nor did he care for anything that had happened in the last 24 hours. No, Kai corrected, scratching Selene under her jaw. I still have a few minutes left. -None of them sensed me, master- Selene hissed haughtily. -If only I could kiss that fucking bitch!- Then her tone changed to more rational. -That sword is too scary,- she hissed, her head bobbing thoughtfully. -I don''t know if my fangs could penetrate it.- Kai didn''t wait for her third personality to surface. -Spit it out,- he hissed back at her. -Let''s see where they have gone- Selene slithered to the concrete floor and pushed out the bulge in her stomach. It was the Tablet. Kai''s Tablet. He cleaned the slimy juices over it and pressed his thumb on its back. It opened to the Maps directly, and now, there was a blue trail running from his position to the faraway mark into the island and then coming back. "Haha!" Kai laughed like a maniac. -Good! Excellent job, Selene,- he hissed exuberantly, patting her head. -Even I couldn''t have done it any better.- "Let''s see," he mumbled, zooming in at the location of Queen''s colony where 47 and others'' trip had ended. "So, these are the coordinates. Well, let''s not wait any longer, then." Kai stood up, looked at the sun, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. -Selene,- he hissed. -From hereon, you are forbidden to come out of my body no matter the situation.- As the serpent cursed a hissing breath, diffusing within him, Kai walked to the edge of the roof and took out the Book, which he had put inside his shirt. He looked up and smiled at the sky. Kai knew none of his audience could see his face, but just looking up with a blurred face was enough to guess his expression. "Boys," he said, opening the Book to the latest tale, "feast your eyes on this."This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. A smoky veil manifested behind Kai, and when it parted, the insane scientist, Rintaro Okabe, walked out in his long, white lab coat, looking as smug as one possibly could. "Muahahaha!" Okabe roared, jumping to Kai''s side, and putting his hands inside his coat''s pockets. "So the time has come to take down the organization. I knew I was the key to all this. Only I, Hououin Kyouma, the greatest scientist, can take on such responsibility. Mr. Storm, how do I look?" Okabe ran his hands through his hair, pushing them back, and the sun''s golden light showered his youthful face with bright shimmers. Kai looked at him, his smile gone. "Pathetic," he said. "Thousands of people are watching you right now, and you had to look like an idiot. Tch!" Okabe clutched his heart and feigned a heart attack. Kai frowned, smacked the book on the back of Okabe''s head, and said, "You idiot! Is it time to dwell on playing games? D-Mail!" Rubbing his head, and cursing under his breath, Okabe took out the mobile and flipped it open. "Message?" Before he arrived at this place, Kai had one specific plan. He would gather all the knowledge, paying whatever cost. Then, after 24 hours, he would use D-Mail, sending a message to his past self, and saying that wait for 24 hours and don''t go to the 47''s meeting. In this way, after jumping to the second timeline, he would have all the knowledge about both species paying no price, as his past self had never even gone to the meeting. Now, though, things had taken a more drastic and murderous turn. The matter of raiding the Queen''s Colony demanded him to get as strong as he could before advancing with his plans. For that, he must attend the meeting orchestrated by Candidate 47. And, as he would go to Queen''s Colony just after the meeting, Kai needed the information on both the species, i.e. Candidate 47''s documents. So, he couldn''t afford to let his past self wait for 24 hours and do nothing. What Kai did need now was a massive boost in strength in a short period, letting him contend against the monstrous Queen. And he had just the Item to accomplish such a feat ¡ª Afro''s Tachi. Kai couldn''t use Xenomorph''s blood, for it was acidic and may react with the sword''s material if kept in long term with each other, decreasing its quality. On the other hand, Yautja''s numbers were few and far between. Not to mention, it wasn''t easy finding them. What Kai wanted was something that could let him enhance his sword''s Base Damage using Ruthless Ritual in as little time as possible. Then, he would use the enhanced weapon to raid the Queen''s Colony. It turned out he had just the targets in mind with red blood and a smooth touch. Other than him, there were 16 more Candidates in that hall. A number enough to increase his sword''s Base Damage by a drastic amount. Who would have thought¡­ Kai amused himself, grinning. ¡­ Who would have thought that their Bad Luck is my existence? "Kill all Ritual," Kai told Okabe, as the scientist typed it in. "Queen 9.7036S 160.0619E. Don''t use spaces and set it for 24 hours." "We are just making it," Okabe said, now serious, losing his childish behavior. "34 bytes. Should I send it?" Kai closed his eyes. Once Okabe sent this message, he would jump to the second timeline, not knowing how and what his past self had done in the last 24 hours after getting the message. But Kai knew himself. He just hoped his past self would be prudent enough to get the documents from 47 before slaughtering them. He let out a breath and said, "Do it." Let''s see if this all was worth it or not, Kai thought, smiling. "Umm¡­ Mr. Storm?" Okabe whimpered. "It''s not working." Kai''s head moved towards Okabe as if he wasn''t a human but a machine, slow and mechanical. His eyes were dead and demonic, and there was no smile on his face. The corners of the insane scientist''s mouth twitched apologetically. "Haha!" Okabe laughed ruefully, shying away from Kai''s gaze. "Sorry, sorry, Mr. Storm. Just joking¡­" And then Okabe pressed the button. Kai had expected something, but not this ¡ª An insanely vast image of a microwave oven appeared over him. It was so large that it covered the entire sky. Before Kai''s eyes could even move from one edge of this oven to the other, the entire world shook like a TV screen getting a poor signal. [Divergence Number: 0.1543P] 0220 Name Resounding Throughout the Tower! The Primordial Tower [DN: 0.1543P] Hidden currents had shaken the tower on the very first day of the Tournament of Worth. There were many Candidates, belonging to some distant or core branch of top organizations in this Tournament. Other than getting the rewards, they needed to prove themselves worthy enough for the higher-ups to keep investing resources in their growth. And there were uncountable organizations, just waiting to chance upon some hidden gems through this Tournament as well. Yet, something happened in this Tournament that hadn''t happened in hundreds of years. Something unprecedented and equally unbelievable. A King had moved. Those who were at a place to know about this movement had been utterly shocked. These Candidates, participating in the Tournament, were just puny Contestants playing uninterested games. Who among these runts could catch a King''s eye?! What could be enough to garner a King''s attention?! There was no threshold to such things, and this didn''t help in lowering the mysteriousness of this situation. When the official announcement came, it shook almost the entire Chaos'' Valley. It had come directly from the Viceroy of the Purple Castle, giving it a heaviness none could afford to weigh. The document with the King''s seal said only one thing ¡ª Red is mine. Some didn''t even know who this Red was. But few were as clueless as others. Not even an hour had gone by when another announcement engulfed the 5th and 6th Set like a tide. This one had come from the Viceroy of the Golden Castle, and it too said one thing ¡ª Red is mine. It was just the beginning. The Pink Castle and the Black Castle''s Viceroys issued the same announcement together. After this, things had gone quiet, if the massive surge of whispers among the Duke-level Contestants could be termed as quietness. When it seemed it was over, the last announcement came. It was this announcement that toppled everything, for it had come from the Red Castle. And knees had buckled when Contestants with lower Willpower had read this announcement''s contents ¡ª Touch Red and get obliterated. By the end of the first day, almost everyone below the 18th floor wished this Tournament would never end, for these Kings were monsters, sleeping Demons, Gods, and Devils. None knew how a clash between them would affect the lower floor Contestants. Only the most ancient of the Contestants, who were unfortunate to never reach the level of Kings but were still alive, remembered the time when two Kings had fought with their full strength. The entire population of Chaos'' Valley and Order''s Peak on a floor had disappeared then. ¡­If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Inside the Purple Castle, sitting on a throne made of shimmering purple crystals, was King Purple Mist, enshrouded in his signature dense purple mist. Through the mist, one could see two red glints, marking the presence of opened and narrowed eyes. These eyes were planted on the screen that encompassed the entire width of the Throne Room. The Contestant Red could be seen seated on a thick branch on this screen. Then Red stood up, put his swords at his waist, and was about to jump down when he halted. It was just a momentary stop, and he soon continued on his way. But the red glint coming off the purple mist had become even sharper. Viceroy Shadow Origin worded out his lord''s puzzlement. "Something weird happened just now, your grace," he said, looking at the blurred face of the Candidate. "Why did he stop then?" The king didn''t deign to comment. They saw him walking to the point of meeting, and after some time, handing over One-Half of the Power Sword, trading the Item for a document. "What?!" Shadow Origin blurted in confusion. "He gave up that Item? Does he have some plan to get it back?" "Give me the details on his Items," the King demanded. Shadow Origin, his brows still pressed in utter bewilderment, took out three documents and handed them over to the king. King Purple Mist held the three documents in his hands and went through them one by one. The first had the Stats of the Named Item ¡ª Murasame. After a glance, he slid this document to the back of the stack and looked at the second one. This one had the Stats of the Item sold by Seven Mystic Flowers on the day of the auction. ¡­ ¡­ [ Item: One-half of the Power Sword Grade: Uncommon Sub-Grade: Top Specification: The weapon endowed upon Prince Adam of Eternia, son of King Randor and Queen Marlena, by Sorceress of Castle Grayskull with the power to transform into He-Man Requirement: 1. At least one sword-related Ability 2. Worth >10 3. Correspondence >12 4. Stamina >12 Attributes: 1. Measurement: 101.6 cm 2. Material: Coridite Skill: Armor of Justice Skill''s Effect: 1. Mana Consumption ¡ª 10 MP/minute, +2 MP/minute for each successive minute (Max 5 minutes) 2. Cooldown: 2 minutes 3. The Sword covers the arm holding the weapon in a gauntlet, vambrace, couter, rerebrace, and pauldron, before ending in a breastplate, covering the torso of the Contestant 4. Once every 60 seconds, neglect the 1st Damage below 20 HP and reduce the 1st damage above 20 HP by 10 5. Generate an Energy Field around the Contestant in a radius of 1 meter which impedes and deflects the trajectory of incoming physical attacks Quality: 87% ] ¡­ The king looked at the Skill''s effect passively and put this one to the back as well. Now came the third Item whose identity had taken them some time to figure out. Afro''s Tachi! It happened then. Shadow Origin stepped forward, down a step, and couldn''t help but curse. "What the¡­?" Unsheathing a sword, Red looked like a wraith blurring in and out of the group of Contestants, as he cut them left and right. Blood showered everywhere under the horrified eyes, and before the stronger-willed caught hold of their senses, 4 Contestants were already covered in wounds, making them useless. When the 5th slash descended, it beheaded two Contestants in a single long arc. All hell went loose then, madness rampaging around, and unheard shouts echoing inside the screen. A few were about to make a run for it through the doorless windows, and the likes of 47, 55, and 39 had instead dashed towards Kai, almost thinking him dead already. Who could live after such a foolish attempt?! Suddenly, a could of silver mist burst around him, scattering to the further corner. It penetrated all armors and entered the bodies as if nothing could stop it. The Ghost Basilisk then burst out with 100% Soul Chill. Selene couldn''t execute this move in her mist form when scattered so much. Yet, the attack was sudden and on the soul, catching the Candidates by surprise and rooting them to their place. It was an attack Kai and Selene had developed, converting Soul Chill into an AOE attack ¡ª Soul Chill Reversal! However, there were those among the Candidates in the room who had major organizations backing them up. They had Skills and Items to secure such queer attacks on Soul, making such a weak use of Soul Chill useless against them. Something odd happened then. The Contestants who were rushing at Red from all around, almost unhindered by this chilly burst, stopped as if frozen in time when they entered a radius of 3 meters around him. Then they shook, their knees buckling like dry leaves. Those who were smiling lost their smiles. Those who were shouting became silent. Those who were looking happy lost hope. Gripped under the clutches of some unknown force against their will, now their faces only showed despair like never before. All happiness seemed to have abandoned them instantly. 0221 Afros Tachis Brilliance and Discarding Humanity! With one sword in hand, Red glided over the floor, his figure as blurred as his face. One, two, three, and four strikes on 4 different random Candidates, and then with the 5th strike, he beheaded Candidates 47, 55, and 39 in one smooth arc. "This Skill ¡ª I will keep moving forward...," Shadow Origin mumbled, "is too scary against a group." Even more shocking was that none of the three had put up any fight as if they had already lost their will to live. By the time Red killed the last frozen Candidate, the king had lifted the document with Afro''s Tachi sword and was now seeing its Stats. His eyes landed on the Skill ¡ª Ruthless Ritual. "HAHAHA!!!" The entire castle rumbled along with the king''s laugh. "Such battle Instincts!" he commented. "Ruthless, indeed." Shadow Origin gaped at the king, but words abandoned him. Then they saw Red washing the sword in each Contestant''s blood by thrusting it into their heart. With time, the sword in his hand started to glow with a bright red color, looking almost like blood. "He killed them all," Shadow Origin said, finally finding his voice. "How many Abilities does he have?!" It didn''t take being a king to guess that killing so many formidable opponents, even by surprise, meant only three things. First, Red was highly proficient in fighting against a group. Second, Red grew stronger as the fight continued. Third, Red had at least 3 Abilities. Add the knowledge of his ability to use Color of Observation, a fact only known to the kings and their factions for now, and none could question the reason for so many similar announcements. "The Red Castle will pose a serious challenge to us, your grace," Shadow Origin said, getting no reply from the king. "Especially after seeing this." King Purple Mist scoffed. "Let him try." Then they saw Red leaving the building, after getting his third sword back, and heading in a particular direction. The way he was running like a bullet meant he had a location in mind. "Where''s he going?" Shadow Origin thought aloud. "Did the documents mention something?" He looked at the king but got no hint of an answer again. When things seemed to calm down on the other end of the screen, they saw Red getting ambushed by 2 Warrior Xenomorphs from left and right. But they never reached him, as some unseen force like Telekinesis held them midair. Red jumped between them, as the black creatures thrashed their tails, and unsheathed the Afro''s Tachi again. The swordsman spun, and in one arc, cut down the two creatures in four parts. "The Ruthless Ritual has enhanced the Base Damage of the sword," the king commented, more to himself and less to his viceroy. "No wonder even the Warrior Xenomorphs, who are known for their hard exoskeleton, can''t defend against even one slash."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Then Red carried on to wipe out a massive Ovomorphs Colony that was guarded by the now dead Xenomorphs. None knew that things were only building up momentum. Red had crossed not even a few miles after this slaughter when a plasma blast got fired at him from nowhere. They saw him dodging the ambush as if he had already seen it coming, and Shadow Origin could''ve sworn that he heard the king chuckle. "A Yautja using the Plasmacaster," he told the king. "It''s the Blooded Yautja." Red then took out the Power Sword for the first time, held it high, and they saw a massive lightning bolt hitting the tip of the sword. The sword broke down into crystal pieces, and then like a liquid metal with chunks of solid, covered his arm and chest, turning itself into brilliant silver-green armor. With his two swords in his hands, they saw Red dodging every attack with nothing but pure instincts. His movements almost looked like the slither of a massive snake, leaving blurs in his wake. Red, jumping from tree to tree, hiding, appearing, and then vanishing into thin air, approached the invisible Yautja by retracting the trajectory of the incoming blasts. And when it seemed he had lost the Predator, he joined the hilts of the two swords and threw them to his right like a Chakram. The two swords went hurling, cutting branches and trees. The invisible Blooded Yautja appeared behind him from his left, plunged his wristblades into Red''s back, and lifted him in the air. Even the Armor of Justice couldn''t do anything against such a powerful creature, especially when attacked from so close. Red was done for; finally dead, it looked to all the audience. But the one who died was the Blooded Yautja. The Predator''s invisibility cloak was still working, so they couldn''t see what happened to it. What they did see was Red pulling himself out of the wristblades, eating HP pills he had looted off the Candidates after killing them, and then kicking the invisible Predator. As the predator fell, his gauntlets malfunctioned, and his invisibility wore off. It was a massive creature, taller than the Young Blood Yautja which Red had killed before, and stronger. Yet, his death remained a mystery. Once again, both the king and viceroy saw Red hacking the giant Yautja in pieces after getting his swords back and throwing the pieces in random directions. He feasted on half of the creature''s leg and moved on. After a few hours, Red reached the mouth of a cave, running into the earth. With no thought, he jumped down, stepping on the rock protrusions for footing. It was an elaborate system of caves, branching in all directions. Xenomorph''s eggs were everywhere. Even Red couldn''t eliminate all in time, and ugly Facehuggers rained down on him soon enough from all directions. Yet, none could reach him. A bloody sword cut them in half midair, and even their acidic blood only seeped out after the bodies fell to the ground. Such was the sharpness of the sword ¡ª Afro''s Tachi. Down and down Red went until he reached a humongous opening. There she was, guarded by four Queensguards ¡ª The Queen Xenomorph! The moment she sensed him, the Queen separated herself from the egg sack and roared at him. She was too big, and in comparison, Red looked like a dog. Her Queensguards, 4 overgrown Warrior Xenomorphs with exoskeleton twice as thick as common Warriors, rushed at him. Not to mention, the Queen herself, who had now freed herself too, had an exoskeleton many times thicker than her Queensguards. Red saw all of them coming for him and raised his Power Sword. Once again, the Armor of Justice covered his right arm and torso. "But that isn''t enough this time," Shadow Origin added. "Xenomorph is a species famous for its numbers, exoskeleton, and acidic blood. Armor of Justice¡­" But Shadow Origin couldn''t complete his words as what he saw made his jaw pause, opened. Red had just cut himself, using his sword. No. Not with Afro''s Tachi, but with¡­ ¡­ Murasame! What happened next made Shadow Origin refer to the Murasame''s Stats again. "How is it possible?!" Shadow Origin exclaimed. "Can he discard his humanity at this level?! When did it become so easy to do such things?" Giant red runic letters appeared all over Red''s body, starting from the wound. They couldn''t see his hair before, but now, little by little, a dense mass of blood-colored hair fell behind him like a waterfall, reaching his ankles. And even the Systems failed to hide his eyes now. 0222 The Kings of the Primordial Tower! For the first time, tearing the veil of blurriness, his eyes appeared in the audience''s vision. Pure red were his reptilian pupils with cursed runic marks in them, and the surrounding sclera wasn''t white, but black like a mass of even purer darkness. Those who didn''t know this change in appearance was the result of Murasame''s Skill, Little War Horn, could only think that Red''s true hair and eyes were of red color. As the 4 Queensguards lunged at him from all directions, Red blurred, leaving behind a redder shadow. The massive creatures fell, one by one, and the moment they struck the rocky ground, their bodies broke apart in a hundred parts. The king stood up, and even Shadow Origin''s eyes were shaking as blood rushed to his brain. "Red¡­" he muttered excitedly. "Is that what one looks like after abandoning their humanity?" "No." The King declared. "This one¡­ never had it, to begin with. Impressive!" Red left behind a reddish-black trail as he rushed to kill the queen, but her tail was faster than Kai, and stronger still. Like a whip it came down, swooping on him, and as he took a defensive posture, the tail changed direction midair and went for his leg. In one move, the Queen cut Red''s left leg from his knee. Blood splattered everywhere, and then the tail returned, even faster than before. It hit him in the chest and sent him flying. Boom! The tension in the Throne Hall was palpable. Did he have any trump cards left? Would he live or die now? Could he escape? The audience was drunk on adrenaline and excitement. "I never thought I would have these feelings again," King Purple Mist said, his voice ethereal. "I had forgotten how good it must feel¡­ fighting to the death." Beside the king, Shadow Origin''s face paled at hearing those words, a shadow of deep horror darkening his eyes. And then something stirred on the other side of the screen. Red came crawling out of the rubble. The Queen Xenomorph roared at him before rushing to finish the job. The red-haired, Blood Demon stood up on one leg, his swords in his hands. "Only 15 seconds left to his Skill, Little War Horn," Shadow Origin commented. "What can he do in 15 seconds?!" "Hehe-Haha-HAHA!" the king laughed, and a long, purple tongue, covered in strange diagrams, slithered out of the purple mist.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Shadow Origin backed away, terrified at the king''s state. On the screen, Red crouched with one leg and crossed his arms as if hugging himself. Suddenly, a bronze spartan helmet appeared over his head, and his entire body ballooned up, massive muscles bulging all over his body, his veins pounding under his skin. In this state, this puny Contestant looked like a raging Demon with his long hair flailing behind him, and the humongous Queen Xenomorph almost towering over him. Her tail, arm, and her mouth everything came to finish him at once. One moment Red was there. In the other, he was not. The entire screen felt frozen as if someone had paused it. Then one straight line appeared on the black shiny exoskeleton of the Queen, running from her head to her butt. Another line appeared across her body, around her waist. As the four parts fell, her acidic blood spurted out like a hot geyser. And behind this green acidic geyser, they could see Red, standing in the darkness like a God of Wrath, Rage, and Destruction. His back tall, scarred, and proud. This was how one needed to live. And this was how one needed to die. "No, your grace!" Shadow Origin cried. "Don''t!" But the king had already disappeared. ¡­ Somewhere in the Primordial Tower, there was a vast field with blood-sodden grounds. From the east, a purple hue rose, advancing towards the center of this field. As it came closer, the purple hue became a mist, until finally, one could see a tiny figure of a man inside it, walking with slow steps. He paused, looked up, and then a hideous purple Will exploded out of him, reaching to the furthest points in all directions. Purple bolts of lightning thundered around him, reaching from earth to heavens. No. These bolts weren''t ethereal. This lightning was as real as anything could be. As the world rumbled around this purple figure, another man came walking towards him from the west. He was wearing a black suit and pants, and there was a straw hat on his head. "You came ¡ª " the purple figure said, but the voice originated from the entire world, from the purple lightning, and the purple mist. "Hahaha!" the man in suit and pants laughed, the straw hat hiding his face. He seemed to stop, but then he lifted his right leg once more and put it down. With this step, a golden aura exploded out of him. Simultaneously, golden flames sprouted from the man''s body, and 21 black balls appeared around him. The Golden Haki clashed with the Purple One. A black tear ran down in between, the space breaking apart like a rotten piece of cloth. Both figures charged at each other. Two lightsabers appeared in the purple figure''s hands, and thousands of imperceivable beasts made of purple lightning materialized all around him. The one with the straw hat blew in his arm, becoming a massive round giant. With the Golden Chakra giving him a sun-like glow and the 21 black balls rotating around him, he looked like a planetary system by himself. "Hey!" a female''s voice echoed in their surroundings suddenly. "Don''t leave me behind." A pink comet fell from heaven, and as the purple and the golden figure were about to clash, it shouted, "United States of¡­ SMASH!" The three figures'' attacks landed at a point. But a child was already standing there. The child looked around 11 years old, had long, black hair, and was wearing a traditional Chinese Hanfu Cloak. Not caring about the incoming world-ending attacks, he shook his head. "Kids these days," he sighed. "Can''t even let an old man pray in silence." His tiny hands lifted slowly, and time slowed down. In this instant, all could only see his hands moving frame by frame, and then his palms pressed together. The three purple, golden, and pink figures looked up towards the sky. A black Buddha, as big as an entire world, with hundreds of thousands of arms was looking down at them with a devilish affection. ¡­ In some distant dimension, a being with dark red armor opened his eyes. Only a few knew his Code Name, but some said he was the strongest Contestant below the 7th Set. The King of the Red Castle ¡ª the Red God of Shinobi! 0223 Boundless Growth - Future Vision! 10:55 am, 2nd day T009 Kai felt a stirring in his mind as if someone was scraping off his brain using a chisel. He pressed his eyes, grinding his teeth, and hissed. The pain came suddenly. Excruciating and unforgiving pain shot through his left leg, shaking his entire body. Kai forced himself to open his eyes, and through the slit-like gap, he looked down. The source of the pain was right in front of him. His leg, below his knee, had gone, leaving behind a bloody stump. He was standing on one leg, and only now did he feel a stabbing pain in his chest as well. His entire body shook, and he fell. The moment he reached out for support, he realized he was wielding his swords. Kai let them go, and crawled to a nearby rock, turned around, putting his back against it. Only then did his eyes see the entire scene in his surroundings. Right in front of him, some dozen meters away, a massive, ugly creature was bleeding thick acidic blood. It had been cut in four pieces, and even from here, he could see its sleek cut exoskeleton as if it was made of black butter. Kai''s gaze moved inward. First he saw his Power Sword, and he guessed some powerful blow must have undone his Skill, making him lose the armor. Then, as his gaze proceeded inward, he saw his two swords. The bloody glow of Afro''s Tachi he had expected, but not the odd attraction he was feeling towards Murasame. The three swords lifted with his one thought, glided low over the rocky grounds, and landed beside him. I must have used Little War Horn and Titan''s buff to kill that fucking thing, Kai reasoned, having no recollection of this Diverged timeline''s memories. Is this attraction an aftereffect of that Skill? Kai looked down at his body again. Other than dark blue bruises on his entire body, and the bleeding stump on his left leg, there wasn''t anything remarkable to tell about the use of a Named Sword. His military jacket had been torn off in the fight, it seemed to him. His hat had gone too. Suddenly, he recalled. Where''s my backpack?! He questioned himself, his head bobbing around with a jerk. I must have put the Book and Tablet in it before attacking the lair. But no matter where he looked, he saw no sign of any backpack. What he did see were hundreds of Facehuggers crawling towards him from all directions. They were on the roof, on the walls, and the ground. Kai''s heart thumped. Since the first time he had read about them, he was as fascinated with these creatures as he feared them. Somehow, his Glitch wasn''t working after coming here. Kai had reasoned that it was because this place didn''t exactly fall into the definition of a Random World. Otherwise, he would have already devoured either the Yautja or the Xenomorph. Both species were at the top of the food chain with no limit on their growth. But it was these Facehuggers that had caught Kai''s attention the most. Kai winced, pain stabbing its way through his amputated leg with surgical precision. Then he recalled what 47 had written about these creatures on the document before passing it over to him. Xenomorph species started with Ovomorphs, or the eggs, laid by the Queen in her Ovipositor, also known as the egg sack. These eggs could remain hibernated for thousands of years until sensing a suitable host for the Facehuggers that lay dormant within them.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Once a host was detected, the Egg released a catalyst that unlocked the acids bonded into the chemical salts, releasing the energy being stored. These free acids were then transferred to the Facehugger, which only became live at this point. The top of the Egg then would split open into four sections that peel back like the petals of a flower, allowing the Facehugger to leap out. The Facehugger itself was the second stage in a Xenomorph life cycle and existed only for one thing ¡ª to implant a Chestburster within a living host creature via their mouth. As such, it had no real offensive capabilities and relied on stealth, surprise, or its victims being previously immobilized by an attacker to achieve implantation. Notably, a Facehugger died shortly after its task had been completed. The Facehuggers resembled a pair of skeletal hands fused, with a spine-like tail. It had eight long, finger-like legs which allowed it to crawl rapidly, and a long tail adapted for making great leaps. The underside of the Facehugger and its orifice resembled a human female''s vagina. Kai remembered how the first Facehugger he had seen had attached itself to the Pokemon, Spinarak''s mouth. After subduing the host, the Facehugger then used its proboscis to deposit a mutagenic substance into the host. This mutagen brought about a restructuring of the host''s cells, essentially causing the host''s body to assemble the Chestburster at a cellular level from its biological material. Once implanted, the host was as good as dead. But the moment Kai had read about this mutagen substance, which was not named in the document, he had fallen in love with it. In genetics, a mutagen was a physical or chemical agent that permanently changed genetic material, usually DNA, in an organism and thus increased the frequency of mutations above the natural background level. And genetics was Kai''s playground. Not to mention the change in Selene''s DNA and the black and yellow parasites that had brought about that change still lingered in his mind like a prime mystery. The things he could do if he could just get his hands on that substance¡­ Kai sighed. The Facehuggers were coming closer, and they had probably sensed that he wasn''t in any state to escape their clutches. No amount of HP pills he had bought from the 4th floor and the one given by Systems were enough to regrow a leg. If it wasn''t me, Kai reasoned, shaking his head, then an average lone-Contestant would have already died by now. The harsh reality of the Tournament of Worth had made Kai realize that Contestant without some kind of backing was better off not taking part in it. If it wasn''t for the rewards, in the end, Kai would have thought the entire Tournament was a way for the top organizations to showcase their power. Suddenly, a whining noise came from his behind. Kai put the Power Sword at his waist, held the other two swords, pushed himself up, and went behind the rock. There, tangled in thick slimy threads, were three Candidates. They were just coming back to their senses, it seemed. The moment they saw Kai''s face, they shouted for help. "Please¡­" "Take anything¡­" "We will help you¡­" But Kai knew it was already too late for them. Soon, the three convulsed simultaneously, like a fish out of water. Their faces crumpled with pain, becoming as ugly as anything could be. Then, with a sudden jerk, slimy, blood-covered, worm-like creatures burst out of their chests. The moment they came out, they bared their pointy teeth, opened their tiny jaws, and proceeded to devour their hosts. So these are chestbursters, Kai thought, nodding to himself. The third stage of the Xenomorph life cycle. In a few hours, they will become fully grown Warrior Xenomorphs. Just as he recalled the Warrior Xenomorphs, Kai remembered the Queensguards. Yes, he suddenly realized. My backpack must be around their corpses somewhere. Kai hopped on one leg, heading to the single opening up on the wall to his left. The pain was still there, but Kai had learned to ignore it if needed. There was no other choice, either. The Facehuggers had come, with long penises hidden inside their vagina-like mouths, and bent on ejaculating the substance down his throat. "Haha!" Kai laughed as he thought so. No matter how disgusted it sounded, he couldn''t help but think it was funnier than being scary. Kai used Telekinesis sparingly, flinging off a few Facehuggers, who were jumping on him from what they must have thought about hidden places. Somehow, he felt he could sense better than before. Frowning, he brought out the notifications related to the Abilities. ¡­ [ Elementary Intimidation: Proficiency 75% (+20%) Elementary Magical Aptitude: Proficiency 35% (20%) Advance Emotions Manipulation: Proficiency 40% (+10%) Advance Slither Footsteps: Proficiency 35% (+25%) Advance Twin-Saber Style: Proficiency 45% (+22%) Advance Fear Absorption: Proficiency 17% (+10%) Advance Telekinesis: Proficiency 17% (+17%) Master Snake Instinct: Proficiency 12% (+10%) ] ¡­ Whoa! Kai had never experienced such a thorough and massive boost in almost all of his Abilities. But the most amazing sight was the rise of 10% in his Master Snake Instinct. Even 1% rise in a Master Ability''s Proficiency can easily take decades, Meg had told Kai. Of course, Parseltongue is an exception in your case, master. Is Snake Instinct an exception as well?! Kai thought, flicking off another Facehugger. There''s something¡­ I can¡­ feel it¡­ Suddenly, an image formed in his mind, as if a Facehugger was coming at him from above, just behind his head. Kai looked over his shoulder and up. And, yes. There it was, but it had just¡­ left the roof. Confused, Kai could only put this oddity in the back of his mind and carried on. 0224 1st Stage Over - Customary and Ranking Rewards! From left and right, up and down from the holes into the earth, the Facehuggers lunged at him. But not one of them could reach Kai and get flung away like a mere stone. It was then did Kai see pieces of what could have been giant Queensguards once, and behind them, some hundred meters away into the tunnel was his backpack. Pain, he could ignore, but not blood loss. Stars were shining in his eyes, and with every other jump, darkness was getting to him. Every next Facehugger approached him nearer before Telekinesis threw it away. The last he had to cut down, acidic blood almost licking his Afro''s Tachi. Just as he reached the limit of 10 meters, Kai directed the entire Advance Ability to lift the backpack and threw it towards him. He hastily took out one of his most potent HP pills, given to him by 9th-floor Contestant, and gulped it down. A rush of heat coursed through his veins. The entire pill''s potent power concentrated on the bloody stump, and Kai saw his flesh squirm like bubbling water. Gradually, the entire leg grew back, and even then most of the pill''s effect had yet to vanish. As the Facehuggers kept dropping on him like raindrops, Kai''s injuries and wounds healed. Then his HP bar shot, hitting the limit with a bang. He took out the Tablet, went through all the images his Self from this timeline had taken in the last 24 hours, and smiled. Kai threw his backpack over his shoulders, looked at the second wave of the Facehuggers, and his smile widened. "Home¡­" he said, grinning ear to ear. With the Queen Xenomorph and Blooded Yautja gone, the island had lost its apex predators. But just now, a third Predator had taken their place. And this predator had only one purpose ¡ª To annihilate all life. * * Midnight, 7th Day A bright blue shimmer brought Kai back to the hall with white walls. In front of the tall screen, there was only one chair. Kai helped himself to it, sat down, and leaned back. There was a smile of prime satisfaction on his face, speaking of the murderous song he had sung in the last five days. By the end of the third day, their Bad Luck had wiped all Candidates clean off the island, except Kai, of course. He had kept himself in the cave''s vicinity, as the highest number of Ovomorphs spawned there. Soon, even all the Yautjas had started to come to the cave''s location in search of the single living Candidate. Carnage, yes. That was the word the island had come to know in the next 4 days. Invisibility was as useless to the Yautjas against Kai as the acidic blood and stealth to the Xenomorphs. By the end of the week, Kai had become bored killing the same creatures over and over. It didn''t mean he hadn''t killed the very last one of them at the mere sight. The final Points tally dictated rewards, and Kai hadn''t forgotten the same fact, either. Yet, the thing for which Kai was thankful the most was Selene''s upgrade.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. After eating the Blooded Yautja, his Ghost Basilisk had finally undergone another shedding on the 5th day, becoming a D+ ranked magical creature. Her Stats had changed little, Kai knew. But it was a step forward, and he was happy to take it, especially knowing that with every level up, it would become harder to upgrade her. The screen came to life now, and the two voices spoke along with the appearance of the text. ¡­ [[ Congratulations Candidate Red upon surviving 1st Stage Please submit everything other than your Items ]] ¡­ A table sprang up from the floor between Kai and the screen. He put his swords and other Items back into the Inventory and put the backpack on the table. The table slid down, disappearing under the floor. ¡­ [[ Processing Tablet''s contents¡­ Analyzing images, drafts, map routes, and points tally¡­ Analyzation complete Generating results¡­ ]] ¡­ "Hahaha!" The moment Kai saw the words images and drafts, he threw his head back and laughed like a maniac. He had questioned himself what was the need for the camera and messages on the Island. He could understand the function of sending messages to other Candidates, but then why the addition of keeping drafts? Seldom had the Systems done anything without a purpose to it, Kai had thought then. Thus, as a precautionary measure, he had decided to keep detailed data of the incoming week as images and drafts. The caution seemed to have paid off, Kai reflected. ¡­ [[ The results of the 1st Stage are as follows: Candidate Red ranking (Group-T009) - 1st Candidate Red ranking (Overall) - 1st ¡­ Congratulations Candidate Red on obtaining the top score in the 1st Stage. The Rewards are divided into two categories: 1. Customary Rewards - Depends on Candidate''s Point Tally 2. Ranking Rewards, - Depends on Candidate''s Ranking Note: Being the top-ranking Candidate, you can choose two out of the three Ranking Rewards freely ¡­ Customary Rewards: 1. +10 Attribute Points (Not applicable to the Set''s quota) 2. +5 Title Status Points (only applicable to a select few Titles) Ranking Rewards: 1. Yautja Genes (Consumable Item) 2. Yautja Weaponry (Set Item) 3. Royal Facehugger (Non-Magical Creature) ¡­ Please state your free choice first¡­ ]] ¡­ Whoa! 10 Attribute Points? Out of Set''s Quota?! Damn! Still, Kai was half-happy and half-mad. Even if the Systems had only given him the Customary Rewards, he would have made his peace with it. 10 Attribute Points and 5 Title Status Points weren''t something even 6th-floor Contestants could ignore, let alone him, who had yet to gain a single one in his Mission. But why then present the Ranking Rewards and limit him from having them all? Sigh! Kai let out a breath, bringing his attention to the screen. Let''s see what these rewards are, then I will decide. All Ranking Rewards had a bulge about them, so Kai knew they each had additional info. He thought of the first reward, and a new window popped open on the screen. ¡­ [[ Ranking Reward - Yautja Genes (Consumable Item) 1. Grants the Contestant one vial of ?#?#%?# substance 2. Once swallowed, changes the species permanently to Yautja 3. The Contestant can participate in Yautja Clan''s ritual 4. The Contestant can form his own Yautja Clan 5. The Contestant can divulge the knowledge about the Primordial Tower to Clan members 6. Children of the Contestant, within the Clan, will be granted Primordial Tower''s citizenship Note: Yautja Genes is equivalent to a Top Rare-Grade Potion ]] ¡­ This¡­ Kai''s eyes shone like two pearls. This is mind-blowing! For Kai, it didn''t matter if looked like a Yautja or a Xenomorph. As long as he could continue to climb toward the Peak of Absolute Power, without giving up on his current abilities, then there was no point remaining limited to this human shell. That''s why if it had been Xenomorph''s Genes in place of Yautja, then Kai would have considered giving up on it. However, the Yautja Genes were just too appealing, especially the Yautja Clan''s ritual and forming his Clan parts. Yautja gains strength, status, and experience through these rituals, Kai remembered the info on them. Doesn''t this mean that even though it''s a Consumable Item, it can also be considered a Growth Type, letting me gain secondary power-ups¡­ Kai grinned. "Interesting!" Another window opened up above the first reward, then. ¡­ [[ Ranking Reward: Yautja Weaponry (Set Item) ¡­ 0225 Top Rare Rewards - The Seals Clash! ¡­ [[ Ranking Reward: Yautja Weaponry (Set Item) ¡­ Jungle Hunter''s Bio-helmet (Top Common): It is linked to the Wrist Gauntlet, which controls many of its functions. The helmet grants the wearer access to multiple vision modes including zoom capabilities, facilitates Vocal Mimicry and includes breathing apparatus, diagnostics, and visual and audio recording systems. The helmet also incorporates a red targeting laser used with a Plasmacaster ¡­ Wrist gauntlet (Mid Uncommon): The left-hand wrist gauntlet incorporates hologram and touch-pad technology to control a Predator''s Bio-helmet, Cloaking Device, and Self-Destruct Device. The cloaking device uses Light-bending adaptive camouflage, allowing Predators invisibility, or at least translucence, rendering them incredibly difficult to spot. The invisibility effect has been known to be shorted out through contact with water or if the arm gauntlet is damaged, and it is susceptible to the effects of an electromagnetic pulse, at least temporarily ¡­ Wrist gauntlet (Mid Uncommon): The right-hand wrist gauntlet incorporates razor-sharp serrated, retractable wristblades built into it, typically in pairs, used for melee combat and the ritualistic mutilation of prey. The rituals of Yautja must be performed using these wristblades ¡­ Shuriken (High Uncommon): The Shuriken is a primarily thrown Yautja weapon. Constructed with six retractable blades, it is sharp enough to cut a Warrior Xenomorph in two. It can also be used as a slashing weapon ¡­ Plasmacaster (Top Uncommon): A Yautja long-range energy projector weapon with automatic targeting capabilities. Capable of firing armor-penetrating plasma bolts at distant targets, it is arguably the most devastating and technologically advanced offensive tool at the Yautja''s disposal. It can fire multiple long-range bolts of charged plasma. The power of each burst can be adjusted manually, ranging from a minor setting to kill individual prey to a blast powerful enough to breach most of the Common-graded armors ¡­ Body Armor (Top Uncommon): A protective but sectional assemblage of armor worn by Yautja across the body while on a Hunt. It is composed of a partial breastplate, pauldrons, gauntlets, and extremity armor and is Xenomorph''s blood proof. It provides excellent defense against all corrosive attacks, physical or magical Note: Yautja Weaponry is equivalent to a Top Rare-Grade Item ]] ¡­ Another Top Rare¡­ Kai licked his lips. Set Items were one of the rarest Items in the Primordial Tower according to Morning Mist, he remembered. It wasn''t just the difficulty to collect them from the Random Worlds, but each Item must need a specific Sub-Grade and Grade, perfectly fitting in the Set Item. Having hands-on experience with the weaponry while fighting on the Island, Kai knew how destructive and hideous these Items were if used properly. There was just one issue with the Set Item, though.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. It didn''t suit Kai''s fighting style. Now came the last, and the one Kai had been looking forward to the most. ¡­ [[ Ranking Reward: Royal Facehugger (Non-Magical Creature) 1. The Royal Facehugger, or Queen Facehugger, is a special variant of Facehugger that can implant an embryonic Queen by impregnating a host with a Queen Chestburster 2. Royal Facehuggers can implant over one embryo into multiple hosts before they die, typically as a second, regular Xenomorph embryo, which serves as a Guard for the infant Queen Note: Current Capacity ¡ª 1 Queen embryo, 2 Queensguards embryo 3. After fully grown, the Queen will have an equivalent grade of C+, being a Non-Magical creature herself. She will be capable of laying 100 eggs. The Warrior Xenomorph grown from these eggs will each have an equivalent grade of D+ 4. The 2 Queensguards Xenomorph will have an equivalent grade of C- WARNING: 1. Royal Facehugger can only be used in a Random World 2. Only the Queen Xenomorph will obey the Contestant''s commands absolutely 3. The Hive formed by the Queen, her 2 Queensguards, and 100 Warrior Xenomorphs has a threat level equivalent to a Top Rare-Grade Item ]] ¡­ Kai cursed the Systems. Threat level equivalent to a Top Rare Grade Item?! Are you fucking kidding me?!! Kai, of all, knew how utterly ridiculous such creatures could become when used by someone like him. It didn''t matter if they were Magical or Non-Magical. It all came down to the timing, planning, and intention. If Kai had to correct the threat level, then he would label it above Rare Grade. He was a scientist, having beyond-depth knowledge in such fields. In his hands¡­ ¡­ After a few moments deliberating on it, Kai knew what Rewards he wanted. The first one was already obvious. "I choose Yautja Genes," Kai declared. A tiny vial appeared on the table immediately. Kai picked it up and observed the substance within it. It was murky brown as if someone had scooped it up from a puddle of mud and worms. Kai stored it in his MRB. Now came the time to choose the second Reward. Surprisingly, this too was obvious. "Royal Facehugger." A large, cylindrical tube appeared on the table, making Kai squint his eyes at it. He approached the tube and saw the overgrown Facehugger, suspended in some green-yellow solution. A smile surfaced on his face involuntarily. Kai was about to ask the Systems to send him back to the Harry Potter Random World when the Systems let out another notification. ¡­ [[ Candidate Red, you can sacrifice your Skills and Abilities to receive the third Ranking Reward as well. Do you wish to continue with this option? ]] ¡­ Kai paused. Ah! I was wondering why it offered me three Rewards instead of just two, he thought, narrowing his eyes. But who in their right minds will sacrifice Abilities or¡­ Kai had to double back at the notification. He had forgotten one thing, it seemed. It was just him who wasn''t getting Skills through the Hidden Missions. And though he was drowning in Abilities, Contestants usually couldn''t get their hands on Abilities even if their life depended on it. Maybe¡­ Kai analyzed, pondering over the reason behind it all. Maybe it''s Systems'' way to let a Contestant flush out Skills from their hoard. Unlike me, who can just let go of Skills by devouring a creature, other Contestants can''t. Keeping track of so many Skills, especially low-level Skills with ascending each floor, became burdensome. Hmm¡­ to sacrifice those Skills is definitely a great idea in exchange for obtaining such a Ranking Reward. Still, whether it was the lack of Skills or an abundance of Abilities, Kai didn''t want to sacrifice anything to anyone. Nor was he desperate enough to get his hands on the Yautja Weaponry. So, he opted for the most logical thing to do. Kai rejected the option and moved on. "Send me back," he said, putting the Royal Facehugger into his Miscellaneous Rent Box. ¡­ [[ Very Well. Details of the 2nd Stage will be announced to you three days before its commencement. Sending Candidate Red back to his Time Node¡­ ]] ¡­ "Haha!" Kai laughed. "Well, that went quite smoothly..." He composed himself, for he would return to the sleeping Darcie, and he didn''t want to lose his comprehension. Yet, the moment he composed himself, this sudden calmness made him focus on his Instincts. "Something''s wrong¡­" Kai told himself, the blue shimmer becoming bluer around him. "I have¡­ I have¡­ forgotten something¡­ Wait!" On his forehead, the Yellow Sign flashed, its arms lashing out like a billion tentacles. Behind Kai, a gigantic red crystal appeared, containing a blurred shadow within it. Then Kai disappeared, losing consciousness.
Vol 10 - Tournament of Worth - 1st Stage - Ends!!! 0226 Practicing Magic with a Wand! Saturday, 21 June 1986 06:30 am "A girl should show more delicacy, Darcie," Narcissa said, breathing down her neck as she picked up the brush. "Do you have to play with Draco on brooms daily? It''s not like you have any interest in Quidditch." Darcie looked into the mirror and at her mother standing behind her, brushing her long hair. She had yet to learn the reason for this sudden intrusion. Her mother did attend to her now and then, but not this early in the morning. After a few more minutes of silence, Darcie got to know what she was waiting for. "Millicent Bagnold will have dinner with us tomorrow," Narcissa said, pausing, and looking thoughtful. "She must not see you in such an unrefined state." "The Minister of Magic?" Darcie reflected. "Will there be a party, mother?" "No." Narcissa made her stand up, looked at her up and down, and nodded to herself. "It''s some private thing between your father and her," she told her. "Just try not to be too reserved around her, OK?" Darcie didn''t know what to say. Narcissa sighed. "Come here, love," she said, taking her to bed, and making her sit beside her. "You are spending a great deal of time with that Greengrass girl these days¡­" Darcie felt confused. "Aren''t the Greengrasses a pure-blood family?" she asked, her confusion apparent on her face. "They are also a part of Sacred Twenty-Eight like us, aren''t they?" Her mother looked troubled. "They are, Darcie," she said, her eyes becoming hard. "But not all pure-blood families are the same. And the Greengrasses ¡ª Well, few of our kind favor them." "Is it because of their views regarding muggles, mother?" Darcie asked. Narcissa looked shocked. Now, a pained expression washed over her face like a tide. She ran her hand over Darcie''s head and said, "Sometimes I think you are growing too fast. Yes, love. Because of their muggle views. I am not saying you should distance yourself from Rachel''s daughter. Just spend some time with other children as well. What about Parkinson''s daughter¡­" "Pansy?" "Yes, that one," Narcissa nodded. "I know you two are not exactly of the same pot, but no harm in experiencing a change of scenery. Perhaps you may come to like her too, right?" Darcie won''t. She would never come to like someone like Pansy. She knew it, her mother knew it, and even her brother and father knew it. But the books had taught Darcie too much for her not to see the implications behind this request. Just a few days ago, she had heard her parents whisper about a political position that was in Parkinsons'' control by happenstance. "I will try, mother," Darcie said. "How about inviting them to brunch on Tuesday next week?" Narcissa beamed. She leaned and kissed her on the forehead. "Of course," she told Darcie. "Let''s go, now. I am hearing Draco''s shouts even from here. What spell did you put on him, anyway? He never waited before having breakfast without you."Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Her mother seemed pleased with her decision, Darcie reasoned. Perhaps it was the right time to ask about that. "Mother," Darcie mumbled, as they crossed the gallery, and entered the Dining room, "may I have your wand this afternoon to practice some basic spells?" Narcissa''s head snapped down towards her. Even among family members, sharing wands wasn''t a common practice. Not to mention, children had no particular Control over their Magic and did not know what kind of Spell they would perform unknowingly, resulting in some irreversible actions. Darcie''s request was too absurd to even consider. But her timing was impeccable. "OK," Narcissa said reluctantly. "But only in my presence. Just let me know before you need it." Darcie took a deep breath, smiled, arching her lips as high as permitted by her reservedness, and nodded. "I will be more than happy to have you beside me, mother," she said, as Draco looked at them oddly. "Draco can join us, too." "For what?" her brother asked suspiciously. Darcie helped herself to a sip of pumpkin juice. She put the cup down and found her brother''s head still moving from her to her mother, anxiously. "No!" Draco suddenly blurted, shocking Narcissa. "I will not have etiquette and dancing lessons anymore! I hate them!" Their mother laughed. Darcie looked at her mother, and couldn''t help but think that perhaps she should advise Draco to not spend too much time with those brutes, Crab and Goyle, either. Today''s morning was bound to be noisy. * * It was a windy afternoon, so Darcie, Draco, and her mother had instead come down to the suitcase-cum-library. Narcissa was sitting on a couch with the latest copy of Witch Weekly in her hands. Draco was engrossed in a far corner with Seeker Weekly, the only thing he took an interest in reading, or seeing the pictures within it. Darcie closed the book on charms, repeated her theories to herself, and made up her mind. "Mother," she said, approaching the couch. "May I have it now?" Draco looked over, and when he saw Darcie approaching their mother, he came running to them. Narcissa held her wand and handed it over to Darcie handle-first. "Now, you must be extra careful, Darcie," she said sternly. "When I say stop, it means to drop the wand, back away, and not speak a word. Am I clear?" Darcie nodded. She gripped the wand and felt the smoothness of its exquisite handle. It wasn''t the first time she was seeing it. Nor was it her first time holding it. But it was indeed the first time for her to have it, intending to use it. "The wood is Holly," Narcissa said, introducing the wand. "Its core is Dragon Heartstring. 11 inches and quite flexible. That''s how it was introduced to me. Seems like it was just yesterday¡­" Darcie heard her mother and took a few steps back. To say she could feel nothing extraordinary would be wrong. There was a slight prickling on her palm where the wood was touching her hand. The wand welcomed her but with a mother''s affection, not a friend''s. It didn''t feel like a part of her existence, as described in books to Darcie. More like something that just didn''t reject her. "Remember, Darcie," her mother guided her. "Speak loudly and clearly. Keep your hand steady and ¡ª" Narcissa''s words got caught in her throat. A brilliant burst of white light exploded from the tip of Darcie''s wand, illuminating the furthest corners. Draco squinted his eyes, and Narcissa stood up in stunned silence. Darcie flicked her wand, cutting off the magic. Now she repeated the same words as before to herself. Specific¡­ Belief¡­ Intention¡­ Her Magic tore its way through the wand, and she pointed it at the table between her and her mother. The table immediately softened as if it were made of jelly, not wood. Its leg shook, and the books placed over it made a deep depression. This was just the beginning. Darcie seemed to have stumbled upon something. It just seemed a hair''s breadth away from her fingers. Here lay some hidden aspects of wands and pure raw magic. Something elusive. Yes, she must practice more. Darcie flung her arm in a wide arc and pointed it towards the roof, and a blue-red ball of fire burst out of the wand''s tip the size of an adult''s head. "Darcie, stop!" Darcie''s eyes narrowed. But her fingers uncurled themselves, dropping the beautiful tool on the carpeted floor. She stepped back and looked over at her mother. Draco was behind the couch, his mouth opened wide, and his face pale. Her mother showed the same paleness, and, if Darcie wasn''t wrong, a touch of fear in her blue eyes. The blue-red fireball over their heads was still burning with unmatched brilliance. 0227 Transfiguration! Later that night, Malfoy Manor "Now with me," Lucius said, sitting opposite Darcie in the Great Hall. "Lumos!" Darcie held the Holly wand with her mother eying her standing on her left. Draco was leaning on the gallery''s railing on the first floor, watching them from above. Darice didn''t speak like her father. Nor did she follow the wand movement as shown by him. Like before, as she had done in the afternoon, Darcie focused her mind on the three words, letting her magic channel through her, into the wand, and the outcome presented itself. Lucius'' spell was gentle, controlled, and as much as one needed to make the darkness disappear. Darcie''s was like an afternoon sun, making all squint their eyes. Not only that, but it pulsated. Both father and daughter flicked their wands, canceling the spell. It seemed to Darcie she wasn''t the only one who could do magic non-verbally. Lucius then pointed his wand at the large pot resting on the table over its three hook-like legs. He muttered the incantation, and one of the three legs softened, wobbling like a worm. Darcie didn''t even point her wand at it. Once again, she focused, looking at one metallic leg, and let the wand carry her magic. Suddenly, the pot''s leg, which Darcie had cast her spell on, became as soft as rubber. It almost looked like water. Lucius shook his head. He looked at his wife. "You were right, Narcissa," he told her, putting his wand back into the cane. "Her magic is overpowering her intentions." "Then surely¡­" Lucius lifted his hand. "No, I agree with Darcie on this," he said, smiling as he looked at his daughter. "What she needs is more practice, not time away from magic. Narcissa, we both know what her doing non-verbal magic at this age signifies. Imagine the look on the fools'' faces when they get to learn how powerful she is; how pure our blood is. Heh!" "You aren''t suggesting what I think you are, Lucius!" Narcissa said brusquely, nearing Darcie with a concerned step. "I will let no one make my daughter a symbol of power and blood purity. Not even you." Lucius'' lips pressed into a thin line. "How foolish do you think I am?" he asked, not unkindly. "You aren''t the only one who loves our daughter. But to snatch this chance away from her is absurd. You know it, Narcissa. No, hear me for one second. "Why not let her practice with a wand so that she can familiarize herself with it, and keep the matter of her non-verbal magic in the family? After a few years, when the time comes to put our cards on the table, we can reveal it whenever we like." Darcie looked over her shoulder. There was a glint in her mother''s blue eyes. Surely, there was something between her mother and father regarding the future that the children weren''t told. And given the seriousness of the situation, it was something serious and big. Narcissa nodded, her neck stiff, almost as if she didn''t like this one bit, but had no choice. "Draco!" Lucius barked icily, looking up. "You heard us, right? Not a single word. And Dobby, I know you are listening. Come here!"Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Dobby came running from the kitchen on his thin legs, his head down. Lucius shot a disgusted look at him, gritting his teeth. "For your sake," he said, word by word, "I hope you will keep your mouth shut." "Do¡­ Dobby won''t, Master Lucius," the house-elf squeaked. "Not one word." "Mother, father," Darcie said calmly, "I don''t understand." Narcissa put a hand over her head and stroked gently. "It''s nothing, love," she said. "We will tell you once you''ve grown up a bit more. As much as I don''t like it, you can have the wand to yourself from now on. But only when I am around to look after you." "And Darcie, don''t forget," her father added proudly. "Non-verbal magic is nothing if you can''t imitate the effects of verbal magic, or can''t do verbal magic at all. Narcissa, keep Draco around you in these sessions. Maybe he will learn a few things from Darcie as well." Darcie saw her father leave, a hidden sneer planted on his face, thinking about some unknown future scenario. She and Daphne had planned this moment. Once Darcie revealed she could do non-verbal magic, her parents won''t make her do odd jobs like attending to too many guests and would let her spend more time in the library. Or so they had thought, children as they were. Now Darcie was just glad that she didn''t show them she could do Wandless magic as well. Even if she had little Control without a wand, the results were better than the ones she had gotten doing magic non-verbally using one. Though, why it was so, she had yet to find out. One thing she couldn''t deny was that things were finally getting interesting and in her favor. Perhaps she won''t have to hold herself back anymore now. She looked up, and her eyes matched her brother''s. Other than the extremely bored look on his face, she couldn''t see anything. "Darcie! Draco!" her mother''s shout reached their ears. "Bedtime. Now!" * * Sunday, 22 June 1986 06:45 pm Because of the meeting with the minister of magic, Darcie had been allowed to spend her entire afternoon in her library. One afternoon was more than enough for her to memorize the entire contents of the book, A Beginner''s Guide to Transfiguration, twice. She was getting better at it, Darcie thought. With every next day, she found she could recall everything that she had learned with more accuracy and precision than ever before. An effect of her sudden magic development, she reasoned. What else could it be? From the book, Darcie could tell that Transfiguration was quite harder to master than charms and required precise wand movements and incantations. Yet, it was also the field of magic she had found easiest to learn. All the mentioned formulas, the chapters on structure, and the theories felt natural to her as if they were the simplest thing. Darcie looked at the ladder leading up to the trapdoor, or suitcase''s lid, outside, and nodded to herself. She took out a match from the matchbox and put it on the table in front of her. Then she looked at it, her gaze darkening, focusing on the tiny thing. Specific¡­ Belief¡­ Intention... The match wobbled, squirmed, and turned into a needle. Darcie''s focus had yet to dwindle. With no thought, she poured all the matches onto the table. One by one, all the matches turned into needles, the silver metal shining gold under the light of the hearth''s fire. Things didn''t end here. Now Darcie was being more specific than she had ever been in her life. Her belief was at its prime, and her intention was nothing but pure. As pure as her blood. All needles shook, squirmed, and became tiny white worms. Upon a closer inspection, they didn''t look like worms at all, but white serpents, slithering, flicking out their tongues. A tiny hissing noise reverberated around her, fire crackling on her left, and silence on her right. Darcie almost smiled. The trapdoor was thrown open with a bang. All the white snakes almost instantly returned to being matches once her focus broke. She looked up towards the door and saw Draco''s head. "Mother''s calling you!" he shouted. "Look at your hair. Haha! You are in trouble now." Once her brother''s laugh receded as he ran back, Darcie felt her hair. From that height, Draco must have mistaken her white-gold hair, standing on their ends and lying here and there, as nothing but disheveled hair. But Darcie looked at them as what they were. Somehow, she had transfigured a few stranded hairs into tiny white serpents as well. Sigh! Darcie let out a breath, pinching a snake back to its original state. I shouldn''t be overconfident. It''s magic, not cupcakes. The thought of cupcakes made her recall how hungry she was. And an important guest would join them for dinner today. A great witch, Darcie told herself, pinching the last serpent out of existence. She looked into the hearth, the wooden logs crackling, bursting, hissing under the fire. Her dark, green eyes seemed to burn hazel along with them. 0228 Becoming friends with the Minister of Magic! Darcie entered the Dining Hall wearing a purple gown with silver embroidery at the edges. A simple silver necklace with white-gold pearls, matching her long hair, rested around her slender neck. Narcissa nodded to herself as she looked at her daughter. Draco''s jaw dropped. Surely, the time wasn''t enough to straighten the hair? He thought. Just below Darcie''s bedroom, there were two chambers on the ground floor, their windows facing south and southeast. It was there her father hosted guests and conducted business-related meetings. There were two paths for one to reach the Dining room from those chambers. The first was to barge through the Great Hall on the ground floor, and then via kitchen, up the service stairs, just step directly into the Dining room. It was the shortest route, but unrefined. Not to mention extremely rude. Such actions and paths were best left to children, the sick, and the old. The second was to follow the grand, winding stairs to the first floor. Then, keeping the family''s bed chambers to one''s left, one could pass through the Drawing room, where a gallery linked it to the Dining room. This route provided a splendid view of the tapestries hanging by the first floor''s landings, and a panoramic view of the Great Hall. Now Darcie heard muffled steps reaching her ears from the gallery. Narcissa grabbed Draco''s shoulder and thrust him near Darcie, as he was about to race to the kitchen. With her one piercing glare, Draco stiffened, straightened the folds on his tunic and little coat, and gave Darcie a side glance. With his hair oiled and pushed back, Draco''s face looked more pointy than ever, Darcie noticed. "What?" she asked. "How did you¡­" "Shut up!" Narcissa snapped. "They are here." Her father entered first, wearing a long, black-green doublet with rich embroideries. His cane was in his hands, and like Draco, his hair was pushed back as well, streaming down his back like a waterfall. He was laughing, looking over his shoulder, and then stepped aside, letting the guest have a full view of the Dining room. Millicent Bagnold had gray hair, blue eyes, a plain face that boasted lost beauty, and a straight back. Today she was wearing a long, rippling gown, red color with little, blue petals at the edges. There was a red-blue checkered jacket on her, making her look as formal as Darcie had seen her in the Daily Prophet often. Like her, the minister of magic also had one necklace around her neck. A necessary accessory for underage girls, unmarried women, and widows, Darcie thought, remembering a sentence from one of her mother''s magazines. And Millicent Bagnold fitted that sentence perfectly, for she was unmarried through and through. Narcissa left the children and greeted the minister first, welcoming her to dine with the family. Draco, her father had told them in the morning, you will receive her outside the gatehouse in the evening. I want you to be on your best behavior. OK? Narcissa, see that Darcie doesn''t look like her usual self, and I think that will suffice. Her parents had shared a laugh between themselves while Draco snorted out a laugh, pointing at Darcie, and calling her a white feral cat. In her defense, Darcie merely stated that she didn''t look as bad as her father made it sound. Nonetheless, the Malfoys can be as charming as desired on the occasions when needed to be, Darcie thought, recalling the off-handed whisper she had heard during the last party. As Draco merrily introduced himself again and stepped back, the minister''s eyes landed on her. Darcie gave the minister a curtsy, as was expected from her. "Good evening, Ms. Bagnold," she said, straightening herself. "I am Darcie Malfoy. It''s an honor to meet one of the greatest witches in Britain." Millicent beamed at her, gently nodded, and neared her. "How beautiful!" she exclaimed, looking down at her. "Thank you. Old as I am, I don''t get to hear such words often. But I must say, based on the things that I have heard about you, young lady, this feeling of honor is quite mutual." Lucius guffawed. "That is our Darcie for you," he said, clapping his hands (-the food appeared on the table immediately-). "But you shouldn''t dwell on the talks too much, minister. Those are only good tricks at best. Nothing more than that." Millicent Bagnold smiled at Darcie. "Only good tricks, huh?" she mumbled, only for Darcie''s ears. "I wonder." Her father escorted the minister to the seat right to his own, then. She, Draco, and her mother were to sit on his left, with her mother immediately by his side. The chairs slid backward by themselves as the three approached the table. Suddenly, Ms. Bagnold snapped her head towards Darcie. "Come here," she said politely, gesturing at the seat to her right. "Sit beside me. Rarely do I get to enjoy dinner with such pretty girls, forgive me." Her parents laughed awkwardly but didn''t reject the perfectly sensible request.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Darcie went around the table and helped herself to the chair. The flagons of wine poured drinks for the adults in the cup, and a jar of fresh juice for the children. Lucius then lifted his cup and said, "A toast, minister, to peace and prosperity." Narcissa followed her husband. "Peace and prosperity!" Draco mumbled something as well that could''ve been anything. When Ms. Bagnold repeated the words, the stiffness in her words failed to go unnoticed by Darcie. But she had added her voice behind her words, and her parents didn''t realize the lack of heart behind the minister''s words. Clearly, the minister''s idea of peace and prosperity differed from her father''s, Darcie reflected. And suddenly, like a cloudless bolt of lightning, a thought came to her. Her mother''s words from yesterday, her father''s odd, sneering grin, and the sudden meeting with the minister of magic; all combined to form a rational conclusion in her mind. Is her father planning to run for the post of minister of magic? Darcie asked herself. She looked at her father and his proud smile. She also saw the single drop of sweat on Ms. Bagnold''s forehead and realized this was the case indeed. Little as she was, she couldn''t comprehend the meaning behind such decisions. But she did know that this meeting meant much more to her father than he had shown them. As they enjoyed the food, Darcie thought of something. "Father," she said, heads turning towards her, "how about I give Ms. Bagnold a tour of the manor after dinner for a light stroll?" Narcissa frowned. It was not in the plans she had made for tonight, and it wasn''t in Darcie''s nature to initiate such things. But both Lucius and Narcissa also knew her odd attachment to the grand wizards and witches, so their expressions bordered shock only, not anger. It was the minister who looked more than pleased. "Now that would be wonderful," she commented, smiling. "I would love to be in your care then, young lady." So half an hour later, after finishing their dinner, Lucius reluctantly let go of the minister. Darcie started from the ground floor, introducing the rooms, and their old occupants, before heading to the first floor. She showed the minister her bedchamber, blushing lightly, and Ms. Bagnold seemed quite impressed by the sheer number of books resting on the table beside the bed. Then Darcie led her to the second floor, letting the minister enjoy the regal vista of the High Grade Chamber. Through the hall, they entered the Long Gallery. It baffled the minister, seeing how all the ancient wizards'' portraits nodded at Dacie first before her. After introducing the Malfoys'' ancestors, their tour ended in the withdrawing chamber. A plate of tea, biscuits, and cupcakes was already waiting for them there. Darcie sat down on one chair opposite the minister. The light in the withdrawing chamber was ample as per her liking; cold and a little dark. But Ms. Bagnold didn''t seem comfortable with it. Darcie lifted her hand and uncurled her fingers, pointing at the candelabra over their heads. All candles came alive suddenly, the entire chamber brightening up with a red-golden glow. It was one of the things that her mother had made her do countless times in front of other witches before. "How fascinating!" the minister blurted, looking at Darcie. "Only good tricks, your father told me. Haha!" Darcie sipped her tea and looked out through the bay windows. "I love this place," she said. "It reminds me of a time from the books when we of the wizarding community didn''t need to hide so much. Ah! Pardons, Ms. Bagnold. I just¡­" The minister''s smile widened. "Never mind, Darcie," she told her, cocking her head to look at the darkened lands outside as well. "Let me tell you a secret. I wonder so myself, sometimes. But such are the demands of time, and even wizardkind need to adjust, powerful as we are." "Are we?" Darcie asked, now looking up at the old witch. "Powerful, I mean." The minister seemed too stunned to answer Darcie''s sudden question. "My father once told me," Darcie explained, "that the entire wizarding community rests on the foundation of restrictions. Does being powerful mean losing one''s freedom, then?" Ms. Bagnold''s expression softened. "No, child," she said, shaking her head. "Your father told you the truth, I am afraid. We have indeed lost a part of our freedom for the greater good. But you won''t understand it¡­" Something about Darcie''s eyes made the minister think better of what she was about to say. Darcie now looked a little flushed and expectant. "May I ask you a question, minister?" she asked, placing her cup neatly on the table. The flame over the candles seemed to dim, focusing on the two ladies. Ms. Bagnold almost sighed in relief at the change of topic. "Anything, young lady," she said, and then chuckled. "Other than secrets, of course." Darcie took a deep breath. "Who is more powerful in Britain?" she asked. "The Minister of Magic or the Headmaster of Hogwarts." Once again, Ms. Bagnold showed her shock by raising her eyebrows. None could deny that Albus Dumbledore was more powerful than Millicent Bagnold. The only thing was, that considering their previous discussion, it seemed unlikely that Darcie had asked about the persons. She meant the positions. And so was the conclusion the minister must have reached, for she said, "I don''t know." Darcie nodded, not a bit affected by the lack of an answer. "I had vastly misunderstood the things I''ve heard about you, young lady," Ms. Bagnold said, sighing. "Underestimated is the right word. What do you think? Who is more powerful?" This was a thin ice Darcie was walking on. There was no right answer to these questions, and what she said next would dictate a lot of things related to the Malfoys and her life. But Darcie had no such thoughts. She was but a 6-year-old girl, who had just read too many books for her good. So when she answered, the words felt most natural and true to all ears. "No one," she told the minister. "We have a symbol of peace, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, in my opinion. We have a symbol of justice, the minister of magic. But, I couldn''t find any symbol of power, Ms. Bagnold." Both witches looked at each other. Darcie''s green eyes were pure, thoughtful, and dreamy. Millicent''s eyes were piercing, with an admiring stupefied depth. "Is that what you want to be?" she asked. "A symbol of power?" Darcie shook her head. For the first time, she smiled, and said, "I just want to live in a world where I can read and learn as much as I want, where I can go as my heart pleases, and where I wouldn''t need to hide." Ms. Bagnold laughed. "Merlin''s beard!" she blurted. "I never thought I would hear such words from a little girl, and a Malfoy at that. A symbol of peace, justice, and power. Now that would keep me up for days, I think. Sigh!" "I am sorry¡­" "No." The minister lifted her hand, gazing at Darcie in a renewed light. "You made me remember that one shouldn''t live on other''s notions too much," she said. "You have nothing to apologize for. Let''s go. Lucius must be worried, thinking if I have disapparated with you. To tell you the truth, I do have a mind to snatch you away from him." "Thank you for the compliment, minister ¡ª" "Call me Milli," Ms. Bagnold whispered as if it was a secret between her and Darcie. "Umm ¡ª Milli," Darcie said, leading the minister down the stairs. "Would you like to come to the Halloween Party?" "Of course!" Mr. Bagnold said. "And here we are." Lucius and Narcissa were standing together, looking like two beautifully carved statues. "Lucius," the minister said, "I think I have an answer for you." Under the shocked gazes of mother and daughter, Lucius and Ms. Bagnold left the Great Hall, disappearing behind the tall columns at the entrance. After a few minutes, following a low whip-like crack, Lucius returned. Narcissa ran to him, but he ignored her completely, coming to a stop in front of Darcie. "What happened up there?" he asked, looking confused, but delighted. "What did you tell her?" Darcie shook her head. "Nothing, father," she answered. "I just said I like the scenery around the manor." "The scenery around the manor¡­" Lucius mumbled and then laughed, his voice booming against the Great Hall''s walls. 0229 D-Mails Consequences - Divergence! Monday, 23 June 1986 01:00 am Kai sprang to the bathroom, closed the door, and took out the journal, slumping down on the floor with his back against a wall. As he waited for Spawn and Meg to contact him, Kai opened the journal to the blank page, and wrote, taking a deep breath ¡ª ¡­ Experimental Log - #2 Date: 17 June 1986 to 23 June 1986 ¡­ For the entire time, as he scribbled down his thoughts, comparing Kai Stormborn and Darcie Malfoy, he felt as if someone was poking red, hot iron into his brain. His teeth were grinding, and sweat had drenched his back long ago. When he was done some half an hour later, Kai threw the journal and the pen back into his MRB (-first putting them into a box-), and let out a relaxing sigh. Suddenly, his brows furrowed. What''s taking them so long? He asked himself. Has something happened? With their meeting already planned, Kai doubted the girls would indulge themselves in something else. For them to not contact them meant two things. Either they were dead, or they were incapable of reciting Kai''s minor-epithets. Kai''s frown deepened as he thought so. He tapped his fingers on the floor, wondering if they were already dead, then who might serve him as his next Items. He could perceive there presence through the Soul Drops in his forehead, but he understood the concept behind this Slave Oath no better than he understood the Yellow Sign. For all he cared, this perception of their presence was just a lingering aftereffect of their deaths. Good thing I didn''t invest too many resources into them, I guess, Kai reasoned, shaking his head. Spawn''s Blessing and Meg''s experience are worthy of being missed, though. After mourning these two things for another 5 minutes, Kai thought there was only one sure way to confirm their death ¡ª Hastur''s epithets. Kai hastily set up the ritual, took his sweet time to draw the Yellow Sign, before forgetting about it, and then penned down two letters asking for the reason for the delay. ¡­ -The Dweller in the Depths- -The Bringer of Madness and Doom- -The King in Yellow- ¡­ The entire bathroom felt like drowning in the hisses as Kai chanted HIS epithets. The candle''s flame burgeoned and devoured both letters simultaneously, sending them to their respective recipients.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Not even one minute had passed that Kai felt his Inventory stirring. Kai focused his mind and saw the door at the other end of the tunnel in his Inventory opening by little. Through the parted door, Kai saw a terrified Meg chanting his epithets repeatedly. In front of her knees, there was a letter along with a mass-produced dagger serving as the sacrifice. As the two things lifted by themselves and neared the door, Kai reached and grabbed them. The same happened again with Spawn, who seemed to be in a dark place so Kai only saw her two eyes glowing green. Now utterly confused, Kai opened Meg''s letter and read its contents. What the fuck?! His eyes widened. With no thought, his hand went to the Spawn'' letter and read it with a single wide gaze. Kai suddenly threw himself up to his feet. He took out the Tales of Beedle the Bard, and let the Primordial Theater bring out two Characters at once. Both Petyr Baelish and Rintaro Okabe came out, parting the smoky veil. One was wearing a black doublet, the other a white lab coat, and both had a little stubble on their chin. Kai threw the letters to Okabe, and asked, "How is this possible?!" The insane scientist went through both letters, raising his eyebrow. Petyr looked at them too, over his shoulder. "Both letters mention, other than the obvious words of concern, that you have never contacted them before now, Mr. Storm," Okabe commented, squinting his eyes. "Quite interesting." Petyr smiled slyly as if there was some knowledge only he was privy to. "If the letters say that you have not contacted them earlier," he chimed in, "then your contacting them after reincarnating here can be considered¡­ erased from the timeline, yes?" Kai had to nod. But no matter how much he thought, he couldn''t figure out what must have happened for it to be so. What was the reason? And if time had diverged, then by how much? Diverged¡­ Diverged¡­ Kai repeated the same word twice, before blurting out, "Is this because of D-Mail?" Okabe''s head snapped towards him. For the first time, he looked dead serious. "It¡­ is possible," he answered. "D-Mail causes divergence in a timeline, Mr. Storm. And if it has caused a divergence, then it is crucial to find which timeline." "You mean¡­" Kai whispered, now sensing the problem. "Yes." Okabe nodded. "From the properties of Time Nodes," he said, folding the letters, "I can tell you were teleported out of this timeline to a central nod, like a web server. And if the location of that web server was the Primordial Tower, then¡­" Kai couldn''t comprehend the scale of the divergence. First, he must confirm through Meg and Spawn if the time difference between their timelines and this Harry Potter World were still the same. Under the gazes of the two Characters, Kai set up the ritual again and penned down elaborate details of his circumstances. Keeping the future in mind, Kai also asked Meg about her Stage 1 results and rewards. It didn''t take long for him to get the answers this time, either. With the letters on the floor and their heads almost touching each other, Kai calculated the difference in pin drop silence. "It''s still the same," Kai said after some time. "They just didn''t contact me as per my orders." "And what does the Main Mission Time Limit say, my lord?" Petyr asked. Kai had already checked. "It''s still 12 years," he told them. Petyr looked as baffled as Kai before he had figured out the matter of divergence. "I think¡­ we got lucky," he said, smiling. Kai''s mouth twitched. It was Okabe who voiced Kai''s thoughts, shaking his head. "It''s not a matter of luck," he said, now looking more worried. "The thing to ask ourselves is, what else has diverged along with these minor points?" "We will find it soon enough," Kai said. "Spawn will be done with her mission in a month or so. Meg has cleared the 1st Stage of ToW as well, getting 7 Attribute Points and 3 Title Status Points, but no further rewards. She must have barely survived, I guess." "Now that you mentioned it, my lord," Petyr added, sneering ear to ear. "I think that Arlen Silvas played you for a fool. He didn''t have any good intentions when he told you about the Tournament, knowing that you have no organization backing you up. "He must have considered you dead already. My lady, Meg, has the Ability and Skills refined and battle-tested for survival. Otherwise, any other lone Contestants in her place would have died several times from what I have seen of that place and those creatures." With an expressionless face, Kai regarded Petyr''s words and saw the truth in them. His eyes narrowed, bringing with them a profound hazel hue of slaughter and bloodlust. "Arlen Silvas is dead," Kai proclaimed casually, hammering down the nail on Arlen''s fate. 0230 Assigning Attribute Points - Kais Plans for Darcie and Timeline! With the matter of divergence settled, Kai had no choice but to wait. "It wouldn''t do good to make the girls report to me every week now," he told himself. "Once a month sounds better." So with one last ritual, Kai sent two more letters to his servants, mentioning the new timing at the end of July, and cleared away all the traces. Only some 15 minutes were left to his Identity Period, Kai observed. Plenty of time to take care of a few things. On his right, Petyr went to the bathroom window and was now looking out in the darkness. Okabe was still mumbling to himself, the time difference calculations in his hand. Kai sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall. He had 10 unassigned Attribute Points. He tapped his fingers on the floor, thinking about what to do with them. Suddenly, Eon Soul Dew popped in Kai''s mind, along with a demonic grin on his face. Calculating all his possible Buffs, he added 5 points to Breath, bringing it to 16. Then, he added 3 points to Correspondence, recalling the Chief Bishop''s warning regarding the Stat''s threshold. With his Stamina dictating his HP and HP Regeneration Rate, he added 1 point to it. The last point he added to Perception, leaving both Strength and Agility; these two always got boosted through Buffs, anyway. Suddenly, as if getting a cue from unknown origins, Kai felt an aura coursing through is veins. It was like blood, but then the more he felt it, the more he realized it was scattered throughout his body, pulsing along with his heartbeats. Mana! So this is perceiving Mana within, Kai realized, taking a deep breath. I wonder what other Stats would let me feel once I reach their thresholds. Now only the matter of the Title Status Points left. And this was something Kai had been waiting for for some time. Two Titles would upgrade if he were to allot these points into them ¡ª Adulterer and¡­ Outer One, Kai thought, his breathing quickening. Outer One needed only two points to upgrade from its beginning stage, and yet, Kai could tell that it was just too easy. No harm in trying, though, Kai told himself and added two points in the Outer One Title. The notification seemed to be just waiting for him to try this. ¡­ [Title Status Points can not be added to Outer One] ¡­ Sigh! Kai wasn''t disappointed. Not too much.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Adulterer would give him a Skill, but Kai decided against assigning points to it. Instead, he assigned the entire 5 points to his Title Novice Collector, bringing the count to 9. Now, he needed only 1 Artifact to get his sweet Luck points. Not to mention, the sooner he unlocked the next stage of this Title, the better it would be. Petyr''s voice reached his ears then, bringing him out of his reverie. "Now that you have a library, my lord," he said, turning around to face him, "are you planning to visit Professor Elm for equipment?" Kai didn''t answer him outright. He took out the Pokedex and opened its New Data Storage option. ¡­ [ Mode: New Data Storage Slots Available: (8/50) Latest Magical Creature: Queen Xenomorph ] ¡­ "The Pokedex considered all Xenomorph''s stages as 6 different magical creatures and the Yautja as a standalone species regardless of the 3 ritualistic stages," Kai mumbled, narrowing his eyes. "What I don''t understand is why the Pokedex considered these species on the island T009 as magical creatures, but the Royal Facehugger I got is a non-magical creature?" After brooding over it for some time, Kai ultimately put the question in the back of his mind. He looked at Petyr then. "A visit to Professor Elm is on my mind, yes," he told him. "But I don''t have the Mission Credits to know the Time Difference between our timelines. Nor do I have the place to store the equipment yet. Once I have dealt with these situations, I will hop to Random World of Pokemon and grab whatever equipment I can before ordering more to his place for the next visit." "Reasonable," Petyr nodded and then smiled. "I have one more doubt." "Eureka!" Kai and Petyr''s head snapped toward Okabe suddenly and saw him standing up. In the very next second, the insane scientist sat back, looking at Kai apologetically. "Never mind. I misread¡­" Kai frowned, his fingers throbbing to choke the Character''s neck. "As I was saying," Petyr continued, holding back his laugh, "I have one more doubt. Why are you making Darcie a center of attention, my lord? That girl, Daphne, I could understand. But revealing non-verbal magic to family, and then manipulating the minister of magic, of all the witches, makes little sense to me. "I know how beneficial it would be for Darcie to have a friendship with an unmarried woman, transcending the age gap. You have played with her feelings of not having children of her own, true enough. But that''s a card you can''t play every time." Kai almost laughed. Even Okabe looked interested, losing interest in the pages in his hands. "Between me and Darcie, one was bound to be a pillar of light," Kai told them, grinning like the demon he was. "Keeping both Darcie and Kai Stormborn in the darkness would be futile. Not to mention, impossible. Let''s not forget, my dear Items, that leaving behind a legacy of Death, Destruction, Madness, and Doom is Kai Stormborn''s objective, not Darcie''s. "I will let her flame blaze through the entire Magical World of Harry Potter. Darcie will be an unprecedented talent, a figure of admiration, awe, and envy for many. Her name will be mentioned on the same terms as that of the ancient wizards. "And when this pillar of light, named Darcie Malfoy, will be at its brightest and its greatest height, she would cast the faintest shadow under it. I will wait for that time, sitting on my throne of shadows, with all preparations done. "Under the noses of these supreme wizards and witches, I will sweep through this entire timeline, spreading such hideous things that, for decades to come, they will beg for peace and prosperity. Hahaha! HAHAHA!" Okabe ran to him and put his hand over his mouth, even though Kai had controlled his voice. With one push, Kai threw him off and spat out the salty taste of sweat that had gone in his mouth. "And what preparations they might be, my lord?" Petyr asked, behaving as if he saw nothing. Kai coughed, and then his grin returned, thinking of something. He flicked his both hands, and two objects appeared in his hands. One was a small vial containing Yautja genes. The other had the Royal Facehugger, suspended in green-yellow solution. Both objects hovered over his palms, rotating, revolving, looking as menacing as anything could be. Kai''s chuckle escaped his throat like the snarl of a beast. He looked at Petyr and barked. "Oh, I have a plan in my mind." There was something too ominous about the way Kai had uttered those words. Yes. They reeked of blood¡­ of death¡­ ¡­ of demonic savageness. 0231 A House-elfs Loyalty! Saturday, 28 June 1986 03:00 pm Inside the library, Darcie and Daphne sat opposite each other, with a small table between them. On the table was a chessboard. Daphne had white pieces, and Darcie had drawn black. Now, these weren''t sets of magical chess pieces. No. Darcie had specially ordered a muggle chess set with nothing special about them. 16 pawns and 16 chess pieces, all wooden, stood lifeless, facing each other. The trick was ¡ª a self-imposed rule to not touch them. Daphne''s nordic blue eyes were narrowed into slits. Today, she was wearing a light green frock emblazoned with little silver birds. Suddenly, one white pawn moved, slid on the board, and came to rest at the square, e4. Darcie''s d7 pawn moved to d5 as if it was sliding on oil. Her dark green eyes were focused too, but it didn''t seem that moving just a pawn had been an arduous task for her. "What did Pansy say?" Daphne asked, her eyes searching for the next move. "Not much," Darcie commented. "She tried, but lost interest when Draco showed her a few tricks he picked from me." Daphne nodded. Her d2 pawn now crawled to d4. Darcie didn''t need to wait as she had many moves planned already. But this time, her eyes narrowed, her magic churning around her with unimaginable intensity. Opposite her, Daphne observed silently, taking in every minute change about Darcie; learning from her through games. It wasn''t easy, Darcie realized. Not at all. But she was specific enough, and her belief didn''t lack backing, either. Her intention was precise. All three words became a clear image of conjured imagination in her mind. The black pawn at d5 shook. It was a common pawn with a round top. But now, a face appeared on it, the contours of the face carving themselves on the wood like ink. It didn''t end here. The small column between the round top and the pawn''s flat, but equally round foot, split apart, becoming two lean wooden arms. Unfortunately, no legs appeared. No matter how much Darcie desired for them to be. The pawn, now with a face and two hands, turned around on its axis and bowed at Darcie. He then slid diagonally towards Daphne''s white pawn at e4. His long, wooden fingers wrapped themselves around the lifeless white pawn, lifted it, and then threw it off the board. Then the transfigured black pawn threw his hands up, screaming a soundless battle cry of victory. In the next moment, it returned to its original state. Darcie took a deep breath and leaned back for the comfort of the soft sofa. "How many spells were there?" Daphne asked, now not even shocked at the sight she had just seen. It had become a daily occurrence for her, and both Daphne and Darcie were too reserved to express shock over the same things repeatedly. "Three." "Three?" Daphne repeated the word, looking thoughtful. "One to transfigure the pawn, one to move the pawn, and¡­" "One to imprint it with rules," Darcie said, finishing the sentence. This was an uncanny and mysterious outcome Darcie had stumbled upon in her quest to learn about wands and their relations with magic and its users. Unlike a beginner spell, which had a precise effect, Dacie could be more creative with her desired outcomes, combining many spells by just being overly Specific and having an ingenious Belief. Her Intentions took care of the rest, giving her unbound imagination a substance. But only if she didn''t use a wand. The results had been so far to her liking, though the lack of Control still troubled her like before. Non-verbal magic using a wand made her magic overpower her intentions, as explained by her father. So that had been put aside by her for now, either. The only case where she got precise and textbook results was when she used the wand and verbally cast the spells. Neither Darcie nor her parents had been shocked by those results. Not after seeing her last stunts with her mother''s wands. Not to mention, Lucius had commented that not having her own wand might have influenced the results, too. But, as to that, he had added nothing further. Daphne looked at Darcie, her pearl-like childish eyes deepening with thoughts. Slowly, her head turned to look to her left. Darcie''s eyes followed her gaze. There, on a large table for studies with a lit candelabra resting in the middle, were a pile of books, notes, quills, empty ink bottles, and more books.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The four books nearest to the girls glowed gold, with their Titles dancing on their covers ¡ª Magical Drafts and Potions, The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. "You''ve read them all," Daphne said, her tone less questioning, more in wonder. Darcie nodded, knowing well that Daphne was still reading The Standard Book of Spells with dozens of doubts related to the Magical Theory''s contents. Darice had once thought that the book on dark forces would be the most interesting. Potions and magical herbs had been contesting for second place in her mind for days. Yet, to her surprise, it was the book on magical creatures that had fascinated her the most. Especially a few creatures listed so obscurely in it. "Father told me he is quite proficient in potion making," Darcie told her. "So from tomorrow onwards, he will teach me how to brew potions and everything about the processes involved. Busy as he is, it will go slow, I know. He has already ordered three sets of basic ingredients. Mother has also allowed me to practice spells in her presence, but only using verbal magic." At the mention of practice, Daphne''s eyes shifted from the books to Darcie. "What about the nursery?" she asked. "You told me it would be better for us to have our own." Darcie shook her head. "They are not allowing me to have it," she told her. Why? That question Daphne left unasked. "Father also told me I can only have books equivalent to the 3rd standard according to Hogwarts'' curriculum," Darcie said, looking at the distant bookshelves. "Anything above that, and it would raise questions to which we won''t have any answers." "We have some old books in our house," Daphne told her. "Maybe¡­" "No." Darcie rejected the unsaid proposal. "It''s not time to go that far. Let''s finish the game later. I think we best proceed with our plan." Daphne''s eyebrows raised. "But your parents are still here," she said, with the faintest touch of fear. "Are you sure?" Darcie almost smiled. "Dobby," she called out. The house-elf appeared by their side with a loud crack. His face was marked with old bruises, and a few fresh, blue bruises could be seen down his neck as well. A smell clung to him, embracing his frail figure like the ragged clothing he was wearing. Despite all this, the house-elf looked cheerfully at Darcie''s sight. "Miss Darcie called Dobby," Dobby squeaked, his large ears flapping, and his tennis-sized, green eyeballs bulging moistly at her. Both girls shared a glance, nodded, and stood up. "Follow me," Darcie commanded. Daphne followed her with a cushion in her hand, and Dobby, now confused, hopped to catch up with them. There was a strict hierarchy of orders for a House-elf in the magical world. A House-elf, who was bound to a House, owed the patriarch of that house unconditional loyalty. Any order from such a person was prime in house-elves minds. But this was an outcome of ancient traditions. Not because of magic. In Malfoy House, Lucius Malfoy''s orders were laws for the house servant, Dobby. Darcie knew it. She loved her father, but books had taught her that one need not like all things about a man or a woman for one to love them. A pet must be treated as a pet and loyalty can not be imposed, but only instilled, Darcie believed. And the word Belief meant too much to her for her to ignore Dobby''s misery. The little girls took the house-elf to the bathroom in the suitcase. A tub of foaming lukewarm water, soaps, and perfumes were waiting for them there. Dobby''s tiny head with a long nose bobbed up and down in all directions. Daphne put the cushion on one side, and then both girls grabbed Dobby''s stick-like arms and threw him in the tub. Dobby let out a cry, now drenched from head to toe, the hot water already cleaning the filth off him and becoming murky. "Clean yourself," Darcie commanded. Her father had forbidden her to give Dobby clothes, and the house-elf to accept clothes from any family member. But Darcie''s command was out of the purview of both statements. "Dobby must not, Miss Darcie," the house-elf said, looking horrified. "Master Lucius will punish¡­" Darcie''s words cut through the house-elf''s voice. "Are you afraid?" The pure eyes of a 6-year-old matched with purer, but courageous eyes of the beaten house-elf. "No, Miss Darcie," he told her. "Dobby is not afraid." And the house-elf washed himself then. His old cushion was so filthy that with two hard rubs, Dobby''s tiny fingers shredded it to pieces. When the house-elf was done, he stepped out of the tub, looking like a featherless turkey. The color of his skin was so white that one could not say if there was any blood within him. Dense red, blue, and pale yellow marks covered his tiny body, telling a tale of incomprehensible tortures, punishments, and cruelty. Standing beside her, Daphne sniveled, her fingers digging deep into the cushion. Darcie didn''t need Dobby to be naked and clean for her to see these marks. Most of the beatings had happened in front of her. Some in distant, dark corners, but even then, Dobby''s loud cries had nowhere to go. They had echoed in the Malfoy manor for days, ultimately becoming nothing but ghosts of the original wailing sounds. "Dry yourself, and put on perfume," Darcie ordered. Dobby did not know how to follow this command, so Darcie showed him. After that was done, Darcie turned her head to look at Daphne. "Give me my cushion," Darcie said, with obvious feigned anger. "No." Daphne rejected vehemently. The rejection was followed by a planned fight over the cushion, with Dobby looking at them dumbstruck. By the time they were done with the cushion, its cover had come off, now torn in three places. The cushion cover was red velvet with gold embroidery, and a tiny snake emblazoned at one corner. Somehow, with three torn pieces, the cushion cover just looked like a regal gown. Dobby''s gaze was longing as he looked at it. But even he, the house-elf proclaimed by her father as half-a-measure cleverer than all house-elves, couldn''t have predicted what happened next. Daphne lunged at him; a thing that both girls would never forget, for it wasn''t planned. In one stunning movement, the tiny girl put the cushion cover over Dobby before he could fight against it. Dobby, now utterly bewildered and deprived of the courage he had gathered before, cried. "Oh, no, miss!" he muttered, trying to pull the cover out. "Master Lucius will kill Dobby!" Darcie narrowed her eyes. "How dare you take off your clothes without my permission, Dobby?" she asked, the corners of her mouth arching up. Dobby looked up at her, and both girls giggled. A quite rare sight. Dobby wasn''t a fool to not see what had happened. His large eyeballs looked like pearls under the ocean as tears burst out, as he kept mumbling words that could''ve been anything. "Let''s go," Darcie said, turning around. "We have one more thing to do." Dobby followed his mistress out in his new clothes, smelling of freshly plucked flowers and earth beaten by the first rain. They headed for the potions'' room. When Darcie threw open the door, one could see a cauldron and other accessories in one corner of the dark room, but not without seeing a large table in the middle. As Dobby entered, Daphne shut the door, darkening the entire room even more. Suddenly, a single flame lit up, lighting up the entire table, and giving the entire room a pale yellow hue. Dobby, almost in a trance, climbed up on the table and saw the thing on which a small candle was flickering with a smaller reddish-orange flame. It was a cake. Dobby''s knees hit the table. He clutched his new robe over his heart and choked on silent tears. "Miss Darcie¡­ remembers¡­" he whimpered word by word. Darcie approached him and patted his tiny head. "A very happy birthday, Dobby." 0232 The Hissing Dreams and Darcies Potioneering! A great night of torment had followed the day of Dobby''s birthday celebration, for there was no hiding the house-elf''s new garb. Red as it was, it had stuck out like a bloody vein in Lucius and Narcissa''s eyes. A thunderous beating welcomed Dobby, and he and Darcie both had seen it coming hours before. Even after Darcie''s calm explanation that Dobby was forced to wear the cover, and not given, it had done little to abate her father''s temper. The only thing they had managed to do was to keep Daphne''s name out of it. Lucius had then punished Darcie by confining her up in the Cut-Velvet chamber on the 1st floor. This chamber adjoined the Dining room and was built especially for guests for them to retire after having a sumptuous dinner with the family. Marked by an exquisite four-poster bed, charming forget-me-not-colored walls, velvet and silk hangings, and a hearth, its windows gazed north at Malfoys'' lands and the two distant sister lakes. Any other person would have loved to spend their nights in this chamber. Not Darcie. She hated it, for books were forbidden to enter this chamber. Darcie and trouble, these words were scarcely uttered together in the Malfoy Manor. One could count such times on the fingers of a single hand, but when it had happened, this was her punishment. Three entire days without books, newspaper, and a stroll out in the meadows and stumpries. The most horrific times of Darcie''s little life. But this punishment had been nothing compared to the flogging Dobby had received. Nevertheless, both Darcie and Dobby had endured their punishments, for the bond that had formed between the mistress and her servant that day was not something pain and loneliness could hope to sway. Yet Darcie''s adventure of that day had followed her to her night. It was that night, the night Darcie had spent in that room as a punishment, that the whispers had come; along with the rustling dreams. Whispers¡­ like hisses. For days to come, Darcie had found herself waking up with disembodied whispers echoing in her mind like a nightmare. It was as if there was someone; something talking, whispering, and hissing in her ears after going to sleep every day. Darcie had confided her perplexing situation to Daphne, and both girls had agreed that hearing such incomprehensible murmurs wasn''t exactly a good sign even in the magical world. Somehow, her lessons on potions, practicing spells in her mother''s presence using her wand, and devouring books after books had let her focus her mind off those whispers. Her daily routine of catching the golden snitch in the morning with her brother, and then the broom''s maintenance, had also added a disciplined task to her schedule. Yet, the hissing blathers had continued, becoming intense and piercing every night until one particular August night, she dreamed. Darcie had never dwelt much in her dreams, but this one was different, even she could tell. She had dreamed of a long and lean white serpent with one black eye and one yellow. She had seen one vertical slit in the middle of the serpent''s head between its two eyes, and even in her dream, she had shuddered, fearing the parting of that slit. In that dream, that marvelous serpent, whose beauty she had admired for days to come by drawing it secretively, had coiled itself around her, resting on her shoulders, and kissing her chin. When Darcie woke up the next morning, she had found her chin moist, her body warm, longing for a smooth, scaly embrace. From that day onwards, Darcie had stopped resisting the intake of whispers, trying to sense some meaning within them. When Daphne learned of her dream, and Darcie''s subsequent acceptance of whispers, she had almost let her tongue loose to Darcie''s parents. This is dangerous! Daphne had said, looking concerned. Maybe it''s related to your head injury. We should get the help of Mr. Jaxson Warris, the Head of the Mind Healers from St. Mungo''s Hospital.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. No, Darcie had replied. After my encounter with uncontrolled magic, I would know if it were to pervade me. It''s not that. One thing that both had agreed upon was to look up the white serpent based on Darcie''s drawings. Yet, book after book had been read, searched and discarded, but the girls couldn''t find it. At last, Darcie had even taken Dobby''s help by sending him to the Diagon Alley and finding anything on the white serpent. They had only gotten a concrete result at September''s end. There was no magical creature matching the appearance of the white snake in the entire world based on Darcie''s drawing. To Darcie, it had come as a shock, for it only meant that her dream had nothing more to it and it was just that; a dream. Meanwhile, the whispers, hissing, and murmurings had continued, reaching a peak in October. ¡­ October had arrived wearing a cape of red and gold to Malfoy Manor, turning the vast green fields around the mansion golden-brown. The first half of October had been as warm as September, but by the end, it became wet and windy. The afternoon of 30th October found Darcie and her father in her suitcase''s potion room. The entire potion room had undergone the most drastic changes in the last few months. It was big enough for two large shelves that contained bottled ingredients. In the middle, there was a small table with all brewing accessories placed neatly over it. There was a standard-sized cauldron, a stirring rod, neatly placed ingredients, mortar and pestle, scales for measurement, and goggles and gloves. "Your mother told me you have been keeping a regular correspondence with the Minister of Magic." Lucius'' voice reached her ears from behind. Darcie put on her gloves and goggles, buttoned her coat, and turned around to face her father. Unlike her, he was wearing plain clothes, his wand out of the cane. She nodded. "We are friends," she told him. The corners of Lucius'' mouth arched up. "Do you know why only today I am letting you brew a potion entirely by yourself?" he asked. Darcie looked thoughtful. "Because I have memorized all the books in the library," she said calmly. Lucius'' chest swelled. "That''s right," he told her. "From now on, you must focus on mastering the things you have learned. Further studies will come later. Start whenever you are ready. Anything below perfect, and I will be extremely disappointed." Anything below perfect, and I will be disappointed more than you, father, Darcie told herself. She took out her mother''s wand, swished it chanting the incantation, and then pointed it at the cauldron. The cauldron lifted and came to rest mid-air. With another spell, a red-orange-blue fireball burst out of her wand, acting as a heating source. After adjusting the flame, Darcie added two scoops of dried nettles to the mortar and three 3-years-old preserved puffer-fish eyes. She crushed them into a medium-fine powder, the sound of the pestle grinding against the mortar echoing against the dark walls. Darcie then added two measures of crushed powder to the cauldron and followed it with two tablespoons of water. For the next half an hour, Darcie kept adding a little amount of water, stirring the mixture over temperature continuously. Then, she picked up the wand, pointed it at the mixture, and chanted, "Engorgio!" The mixture within the copper cauldron swelled, becoming murky brown and frothy. Lucius approached Darcie, leaned over to look at the contents, and nodded to himself. "How long will you leave it to brew, Darcie?" he asked, his cold, gray eyes narrowing at her. "110 minutes, father," she told him, taking out a paper to show her calculations. "I have made minute changes to temperature, powder measurement, and the stirring based on our last experiments with this potion." Lucius took the paper, went over them once, and smiled. "We''ll see, then." The pair of daughter and father returned after 100 minutes, but this time, Narcissa and Draco were with them as well. Darcie put on her goggles and gloves again, looked at the potion''s consistency, and noted the observation in her notebook. As the 110th minute approached, she pointed her wand toward her right, and a glass jar came floating toward her. This was the key ingredient of this potion, and yet, Darcie handled it as if she had all the time in the world. "What is it?!" Draco asked, disgusted by the appearance. "Bat spleens in a solution of formalin," Darcie replied, taking one red spleen out without looking at her brother. "Forma¡ª what?" Draco was about to ask more but Lucius'' glare shut him up. Darcie added the spleen, and the potion bubbled, becoming milky-white with red spots here and there. She stirred the potion four times, anti-clockwise, and let it brew for 30 seconds. At last, she pointed her wand at the potion one more time, and said, "Engorgio!" The potion swelled again. Darcie killed the fire with a wave of her hand, but let the cauldron float mid-air and stepped aside. Lucius stepped forward, took out a dropper, and used it to suck in a few drops of the potion. He then put a golf ball on the table, and under the observing eyes of Darcie, her mother, and Draco, dropped one drop onto it. In the next moment, the little ball shook, and in a controlled manner, swelled to the size of a football. Draco''s eyes widened. But Lucius said nothing. Not yet. He again took out the paper which Darcie had handed over to him and referred to the calculations on it. Only then did he smile. "It''s not perfect," he muttered, his lips arching up as if sneering at unseen figures. "It''s the most brilliant Swelling Potion I''ve ever seen in my life. A decrement of 10 minutes is quite substantial, Darcie. Yes. Now you can send a copy of the modified recipe to Severus, but stick to the recipe from now on. It was rather easy potion, anyway." Darcie knew her potion had turned out right. But her father''s praise meant more than reaching calculated results. And now, an even bigger thing awaited her. The Halloween feast ¡ª another night of endless requests and pointless gestures. 0233 Halloween - Subtle Manipulations! Halloween in the wizarding community was a nasty business. A nuisance, especially for the Ministry of Magic, and its employees, who had to deal with the flux of illegal magical objects at the bottommost levels. Malfoy Manor had served the gathering of upper-class wizards and witches for ages. With its pure-blood guests and ancient history of the family, the manor acted as an annual host of Halloween feast where countless matches had been made and would for years to come. Of course, it also served as a playground for children, providing many candies, cakes, and assortments suitable for the occasion. But the prime reason for the feast had always been to bring together young wizards and witches of marriageable age. Today, under the bone-chilling windy night, the manor looked like a huge candle in itself. All around the manor, hundreds of Jack-o''-lanterns were hovering, howling, cackling at the incoming guests. Some were singing, some were chasing children, and some were having an in-fight about who among them was the biggest and scariest. A huge bonfire was burning in the middle of the vast lawn backside of the manor. A few spare chairs were dancing on their legs, ghosts were roaming around, presenting themselves to the young and old alike, and children were prancing here and there with ever-changing robes that howled with werewolves costumes, glowed red with vampires costumes, and sprouted a long nose with hags costumes. Round tables with plates of Barmbrack (-a type of bread-), Bonfire toffee, Candy apples (-biting which revealed tiny figurines of magical creatures-), every flavor beans, fizzing whizzbees (-that caused a person who sucked on them to float a few inches off the ground-), Soul Cakes (-that mimicked a distorted facial appearance of their eaters-), and many drinks to wash these down glided from one end to another in the lawn. The Halloween feast was also the night when the patriarch of the Malfoy family, Lucius Malfoy, presented the richest collection of wine from the family-owned Malfoy Apothecary. Only the selected group of family''s closest friends knew that the Malfoy Apothecary was only a front, and along with winemaking, it served as a central hub of black market trades in many objects of darkest nature, illegally procured magical creatures, poisons, potions, ingredients, and even information. Tonight was about wine. And, yes. To show others that Malfoys only became rich with time, both in wealth and status, their blood being already the purest. Lucius Malfoy hosted the wine tasting in the High Grade Chamber on the 2nd floor, with children claiming the lawn for their own before the adults'' subsequent arrival later. Unlike the usual sight of old women gathered around Narcissa and her daughter, showering them with false praises and falser smiles, today the center of attraction on the lawn was Draco and his new tricks. Hours of practice with his sister had made him quite proficient in broomstick riding, and Draco, like his father, didn''t fail to let all know about it. The group of boys and girls gaped in awe as he swirled on his Nimbus 1500 through the round tables, chasing a particular piece of cake with a pointy chocolate hat acting as a snitch. When he saw the others getting bored and fed up with him being the only one flying, Draco instead started to boast about how he had brewed potions last month, and how he could do magic now, like his sister. The expressions on the children''s faces must have satisfied the young master of the Malfoy family, for he grinned majestically. Suddenly, he looked up towards her sister''s room, and saw her silhouette pass by the windows, glowing dimly yellow.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Inside her room, Darcie Malfoy paced around under the light of a chandelier hanging over her head by the chains on the ceiling. With the monstrous talent in reading, learning, and remembering that she had shown her parents in the last few months, she had earned herself quite a few privileges during social gatherings. Early retirement from the function was one of those. Alas! She had failed to deter her mother''s desire to show her off to other families equal to their status. Now she was waiting for a friend before calling it an early night. To prevent others from calling upon her, she had already changed into a green nightgown. "Are you really going to show the minister of magic this?" Daphne asked. She was wearing a black gown, tattered at the ends, and there was a crooked, pointy hat on her head. Both Greengrasses'' sisters had come acting as hags for the feast. Daphne''s aversion to her clothing could be seen clearly on her face, but for now, the scroll in her hands had caught her entire attention. Darcie grunted a reply. "I''ve hinted my theories to her in the last few letters," she told Daphne. "And Milli isn''t like others, believe me. She knows how to read and see things from a broader perspective." "I don''t understand it thoroughly," Daphne said, putting the scroll away. "What I do know is that people don''t take kindly to our families talking about Dark Magic." Darcie and Daphne''s eyes matched briefly, both thinking the same thing. Suddenly, Dobby appeared by Darcie''s side with a crack. "Miss Darcie," he squeaked, smiling ear to ear, and wearing the same red cushion cover the girls had forced him to wear on his birthday. "Dobby just saw her enter the manor." "Good, Dobby," Darcie nodded, patting the house-elf''s head. "Thank you." After half an hour, the minister of magic, Millicent Bagnold, entered her room, with Narcissa following her. She was wearing a long-sleeved purple gown with a Chinese hairpin holding her hair in a tight, but neat bun. "Good evening, Ms. Bagnold," both girls greeted her together. The older witch beamed at them. "It''s Ok, Narcissa," she said, looking at her host. "Let me have some time with the girls now. I will return soon. You know how busy it gets tonight." Narcissa smiled, but only Darcie noticed the glint in her mother''s eyes when she noticed Daphne. "Sure, minister," her mother said cheerily. "I will send some refreshments for you." "That will be wonderful," Ms. Bagnold replied. Narcissa then stepped out and closed the chamber''s door partially. "Now, young lady," the minister said, looking at Darcie, "why don''t you introduce me to your friend?" Darcie nodded. "Milli, this is Daphne Greengrass, my close confidante and a closer friend," she told her. "And Daphne, this is Milli." Ms. Bagnold chuckled. "Sit and tell me what you have for me. You sounded quite thrilled in the letters." Daphne passed Darcie the scroll, which she handed over to the minister as she helped herself to a cushioned chair. For a minute or two, Ms. Bagnold went by the scroll''s contents with a plain face. But as she kept reading, one of her eyebrows lifted, and a smile surfaced on her face. "Exciting!" she commented. "Now, here is something controversial. Haha! Did you write it yourself? No. Don''t answer that. I am not here to insult your intelligence, young lady. But you must know the basics of Dark Arts to even think of the underlying matter mentioned in the scroll¡­" Darcie nodded. It wasn''t something she had planned to hide. "We bought a few second-hand books using our pocket money, Milli," she lied, and Daphne nodded, her cheeks reddening behind Darcie. "Our parents don''t know, I am afraid. After our last talk, I became very interested in knowing more about magic and its history. So¡­" "That''s not something I would encourage," Ms. Bagnold said, shaking her head. "But if you were to promise me not to do it anymore, I would not tell both of your parents. OK?" Darcie looked at Daphne over her shoulder and then nodded. Ms. Bagnold grinned, pinched Darcie''s cheeks, and put the scroll away with a wave of her wand. "Let me read it further," she told her. "I will let you know through another letter. And now, I must go. Few knew I would come here, and the news must have already reached the Daily Prophet''s reporters by now. You must visit my home sometime and bring Daphne with you if you wish. Goodbye." "Thank you, Milli," Darcie said and escorted her to the door. "Please come back soon." The minister of magic giggled like a little girl herself, and then with brisk steps, disappeared behind the corridor leading to the Drawing room. ¡­ "I don''t think it was right to lie to her, Darcie," Daphne said, breaking the silence. The two girls observed each other. "As you said," Darcie told her, looking thoughtful, "people don''t take kindly to our families talking about Dark Magic. But history says that people don''t like absurd truths even more." Daphne looked troubled, biting her lips as she listened to Darcie. At last, she nodded, and said, "I understand." 0234 Darcie and Dobbys Nightly Adventures - Pursuing Greatness! After the guests had gone, the manor fell into silence. The embers of the Bonfire were glowing red even after midnight, molten fire dancing within as the wind kissed them. The many Jack-o''-lanterns were still hovering around the manor, but they were sleeping as well, a few snoring, blowing the candle within them. In her room, Darcie was sleeping, her eyelids fluttering as if she was having a nightmare. -¡­ Come ¡­ Darcie ¡­ Here ¡­ - Darcie''s eyes snapped open. She sat up, and gulped, her head bobbing around in all directions. She was just dreaming of the white serpent again, and she could''ve sworn that someone had called out her name in her ears. Despite her composed bearings, a trickle of fear was now welling up in her heart. Never had the whispers and the murmurs sounded so clear to her before. "Who''s there?" she demanded. No answer. Darcie had just relaxed when the wind whistled in her ears. - ¡­ Come ¡­ follow ¡­ - Darice''s head snapped towards the doors. There was something outside. With her heart in her mouth, and finding courage in her magical prowess, Darcie stepped off the bed, slipped on her sandals, and walked out of the bedroom. The corridor leading to the Drawing room was lit with braziers, fire burning low within them. Her parents'' bedchamber was to the left at the end of the corridor, and the drawing room was to the right. Darcie contemplated running to her parents. It was then she spotted the mist. Silver in white, like stars twinkling in a winter fog. A sudden burst of curiosity drowned her fear, and Darcie followed it. - ¡­ Come ¡­ here ¡­ - Whispers, like the hissing of snakes, kept drumming in her ears as she followed the mist down to the ground floor. It didn''t stop there and led her across the Great Hall to the kitchen. When she entered the Kitchen, she saw the mist disappearing down the stairs leading to the Buttery. "Miss Darcie?" a squeaky voice jolted her from behind. It took all her strength to not scream. A tiny figure of Dobby, with a fork in his hand, was looking up at her with wide eyes. Darcie put one finger on her lips, and said, "Shush! Come with me, Dobby." Both the mistress and her servant descended the steps, their steps light as feathers. Usually, the Buttery only housed casks of beer in the beer cellar. But Malfoy Manor''s Buttery was enchanted to store wine as well. And around a feast or social gathering, the doors to the Buttery were usually left open. Such was the case now. "Dobby will protect Miss Darcie," the house-elf proclaimed, knowing nothing about what was going on. He stepped forward and threw himself into the darkness, swishing the silver fork like a sword. Other than silence, he cut nothing. Darcie entered, and her eyes found the silver-white glow deep into the darkness. She raised her hand, focused, becoming specific, believing, and pouring her intention into her imagination. With a pop, a red-yellow fireball sprang up in her palm and hovered mid-air. It wasn''t big enough to light up the entire Buttery, but it did let her see a few steps ahead. Any larger, and she would''ve lost Control, Darcie knew. With Dobby walking in front of him, Darcie ventured forth, approaching the silver glow more and more. By the time she reached the end, only a pale glow of the fire in her hand had remained. Now, with her fear gone, Darcie felt extremely disappointed. And the hisses returned. - ¡­ Here ¡­ See ¡­ - "Who is it?" Darcie demanded again. "Dobby, did you hear it?" A shaking Dobby looked up. "Dobby heard nothing, Miss Darcie," he squeaked, now even lower than before. "Dobby thinks some ghost didn''t leave last night." No. It wasn''t a ghost. That much Darcie could tell after what she had read about them in the books. But even after looking around for some time, she couldn''t find anything. And the voices didn''t return either. Darcie didn''t want to be found by her parents here. She didn''t know if she could bear spending another round of three days in the Cut-Velvet bedchamber without books. "Let''s go, Dobby," she said reluctantly.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Just as she had walked a few steps towards the Buttery''s doors, something rustled behind her. Dobby shouted, lifted the fork, and ran into the darkness before she could stop him. "You will not harm Miss Darcie!" His voice was like a whistle, mixed with courage, shaking in fear. More rustling followed the previous one as if stones were falling. Darcie approached the end again and saw Dobby on the ground, covered in small rubble. "Dobby, are you OK?" she asked, nearing him. Suddenly, her eyes landed on the fist-sized hole in the wall. Under the dying light of the fireball in her palm, she could barely make out there was something inside the hole. Darcie took a deep breath, and let her left hand fall into oblivion. Her fingers touched the treasure that her mysterious adventure had begotten. And the contact between her nerves and the unseen, old crumpled papers inside that hole made her heart pound against her tiny chest. Darcie took out the ball of crumpled papers and gawked at them under the light of the fireball in her palm. It seemed to her as if someone had stuffed these parchments into the wall in supreme haste, not caring for the effect time would have on the contents itself. Suddenly, Darcie realized her heart was thumping loudly, and her left hand, holding the papers, was trembling with anxiety; with excitement. She brought the now marble-sized fireball closer to the hole but found no hint of anything within it. The silver-white glow had vanished, and no matter how much she waited or called to it, no whisper responded to her voice. "Dobby, are you alright?" she asked again, looking at the house-elf. "Get up! Someone will come, I am afraid. Hurry!" Dobby pushed himself to his feet and slapped his red cushion cover many times to dust it off. Once he made sure that there was not one stain that had remained, Dobby lifted his head and said, "Dobby must punish himself for dirtying the cover, Miss Darcie." Then, the house-elf put his hands against the wall and banged his head on it. She should have seen it coming. "Dobby!" Darcie hissed, burying her voice. "Not now! It''s OK. Let''s go." Dobby didn''t look good and kept muttering he must have banged his head at least two more times. Even his ears had drooped, now hanging down his shoulders like two pieces of lifeless clothes. Darcie brought the old, flaky papers to her room, the house-elf following her like a shadow. As she lit the candles and put the papers on the table, a tickling sensation bubbled up inside her chest. Never had Darcie felt so curious and enchanted by something before. Books had always satiated her thirst for knowledge, but it was something she was supposed to do. The only thing that had come close to this feeling in her heart was the time when she had decided to learn about Wands. "Dobby, bring me a glass of water," she said absentmindedly, searching for a safe way to straighten the parchments without damaging them any further. The house-elf snapped his fingers and a glass of water appeared on the table. What were these? Why were these papers in the Buttery and within a wall? How old were they? Questions begot more questions as Darcie wetted her throat. She took a deep breath, and with as much gentleness as she could muster in her tiny fingers, she unfolded the creases, pinching the papers at two ends. She didn''t know how much time it took her to undo the parchments, twisted at bad angles. When she was done and leaned back on the chair for a breath, she heard Dobby''s snores coming from under the table. The house-elf must have fallen asleep at some point, wrapping his arms around the table''s leg. Darcie brought her attention to the documents again. Now that she had parted them from each other, she could count there were six pieces of parchments, equally ancient to touch and mysterious beyond imagination. The first parchment on the top was full of incomprehensible runic writing as if ants were crawling over it. Darcie did not recognize it, but she knew it was related to runes, for she had seen such languages in several books on magical history. Covens and cults, older than civilization itself, were mentioned in some books that had developed some of the first ancient runes. Darcie had been fascinated by them, and her desire to learn more about them had no limit, but further books on these topics came under the category of field specialization, and those weren''t issued to common wizarding folks. Nor were they available in shops. As she saw the very first page, and the runic writing, an old flame lit up in her heart, her eyes burning to know more, to understand the meaning hidden behind these misshapen letters. Darcie carefully lifted the page and put it aside. One more similar page welcomed her. As she carried on, she found that there were five pages full of runic writings, but somehow independent of each other. She didn''t know how she could tell that, but there was an instinct within her that told her these five pages contained five different meanings. And then her eyes landed on the last page. Her eyes widened. This page had writing on it as well, but it was English, its letters curved beautifully like coils of a snake. Above those words, there was a sign. Painted in yellow, it both repulsed and attracted Darcie. For long she looked at it, and then her eyes went back to the words written in English under it. ¡ª The Yellow Sign - a path to unparalleled greatness ¡ª "The Yellow Sign¡­" Darcie repeated, her green eyes reflecting the unworldly image of that painted figure. "¡­ greatness." This was all Darcie ever wanted, not Power. Not Wealth. And not even Status. Only Greatness. All the books she had read, and the grand wizards and witches she had read about, were not great because of one thing. Some were great duelists, some were great potions masters, some were the greatest healers of their times, and some were great dark wizards. Dark, yes. But great, anyway. And thus, Darcie had decided to pursue greatness above all. At this moment, the memories of those condescending eyes that other magical folks had given her all the time passed by her mind. The accusing whispers against her family, the hidden meaning within the news articles, and the sheer malice people had associated with the name Malfoy. She recalled it all. Little as she was, Darcie had come to know that there was a good deal of false knowledge in this world, pursuing which led to nothing but a dead end. Yet, in this instance, as she looked at those runic writing, the yellow sign, and the one comprehensible sentence under it, Darcie knew here lay the greatest opportunity of a lifetime. Wasn''t this like the tale where a child stumbled upon an ordinary stone and found it was a powerful source of magic later? And wasn''t this like the fable of a young princess finding a rusty locket, which turned out to be the resting place of an old witch? Yes, this was entirely like that. She just knew if she were to translate these five pages and get to understand the yellow sign, she would achieve Greatness. If it was anything like those magical chronicles, then this was the beginning of her story, her tale. The tale of Darcie Malfoy! Now that thought was worthy for her to smile over. 0235 Unraveling the Secret Texts - Fusing Runes! Saturday, 1 November 1986 02:00 pm Covered under a blanket of books, scrolls, and cut out articles, Darcie looked pathetic. Among the plethora of old newspapers surrounding her, today''s copy of the Daily Prophet stood out. On the front page, the editors celebrated the 5th anniversary of the fall of you-know-who. No such celebrations had or would ever happen in the Malfoy Manor. At the bottom of the front page, a section was devoted to the brief visit of the minister of magic, Millicent Bagnold, to the Halloween feast hosted by Lucius Malfoy. Speculations were made in this article between this sudden closeness between the minister and Lucius Malfoy''s appointment as a member of the Hogwarts Board of Governors this very morning. Darcie''s gaze fell on that article for the umpteenth time, and she frowned. She had guessed wrong, Darcie realized. Her father wasn''t going for the post of the minister of magic, but only to become one of the twelve wizards who oversaw the running of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Milli hinted to me nothing, she thought, recalling their meeting last night. She must have thought it wasn''t of any concern to me. As she thought about the night, her brows furrowed further. She looked about her, at the piled-up books, scrolls, and notes. A sigh escaped her mouth, full of sleepiness, tiredness, and helplessness. After the initial thrill of stumbling upon those otherworldly writing and the yellow sign had died, Darcie had taken her sweet time copying one page on a fresh parchment. Those were ancient documents, and she couldn''t afford to damage them further by any mistake. Then, she tried copying the yellow sign, but no matter how much she tried, or how much time she spent, she couldn''t do it. The moment she drew one of the sign''s arms, for it had the shape of a mixed convoluted form of number 3, a question mark, and some kind of three-pronged wheel, she forgot how she had drawn it completely. It was even more magical, mysterious, and fascinating than anything Darcie had learned so far. The entire night had passed away like that, trying and trying, failing and failing. When the black of the night had turned blue, and Dobby had woken up, Darcie had made him try the same as well. Alas! The results had been worse. Dobby couldn''t even trace one of its arms properly on a blank paper. The house-elf had never held a quill in his life, and even if he had, Darcie doubted it could''ve changed anything. A restless morning had turned into an anticipated afternoon, but Darcie had found nothing that could point her towards the origin of these runic letters. She had stored the original documents in the library, hiding the flaky parchments in the book, Magical Drafts and Potions. One by one, the books kept piling up, becoming columns. As the evening approached, and her time to leave the library finally came, Darcie knew it was time to order the books that she had avoided before ¡ª Ancient Runes Made Easy and Rune Dictionary. Ancient Runes Made Easy was a beginner''s level book on Ancient Runes written by Laurenzoo, Darcie recalled the detail on it as mentioned in the Books'' catalog. It provided translations for twenty-one thousand different runes and symbols. On the other hand, the Rune Dictionary was a dictionary used to aid witches and wizards in the translation and understanding of runes. Students who took Study of Ancient Runes at Hogwarts used these books to decipher the meaning of runes. Now Darcie needed these books more than anything. With her father''s new post as the governor, she would get to see him less and less in the home, Darcie knew. So she hastily penned down a letter, demanding the said two books, to the manager of Flourish and Blotts, Mr. Pigplanter Hillam. She found her father in his study room, reading the congratulatory letters that hadn''t stopped arriving since morning. "Father," she said, knocking gently on the opened oaken door as she entered the room. "I need these books." Lucius beamed at seeing Darcie. He had credited Darcie as part of his success in becoming the governor. The minister''s visit last night was unknown even to him, but it had played out perfectly. The rumors did help him gain a reputation with the minister, it seemed. "Of course," her father laughed, opening the letter in the setting sun''s light seeping in through the windows. "Oh?! Why the sudden interest in runes, Darcie?" Darcie had already thought of an answer. "A major part of Magical History is derived from runic texts, father," she told him. "I think I should have a basic understanding of them." Lucius nodded, already signing the letter. He faced Darcie and smiled. "Can''t you tell me for what reason the minister visited you last night?" he asked, not unkindly. "Or is it a secret between friends?" Darcie looked thoughtful. "No," she said, shaking her mind. "It''s not some secret, father. If it is, it won''t remain for long." Lucius looked puzzled. He gestured for her to sit by his side and put down the letters off his lap on the table. "What is it?" he prodded. "Milli and I were working on the nature of the Dark Arts, father," she said, looking out the window at the dark greenery and purple sky. "I have been having some thoughts based on the books and case studies I have read and analyzed, and I have been sharing those thoughts with her in the correspondence. "It''s only yesterday that I could finalize my thoughts and put them on paper. Milli had come to take a look at them in person, it being a festival and all, and she looked ever so enthralled. If it works out, Milli told me we could publish it as an Argumentative Research Paper."This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Lucius'' puzzled and cheerful expressions had vanished. Now he looked plain, observing, and shrewd. "You are the smartest Malfoy, Darcie," he stated as a matter of fact. "And by smartest, I mean in the entire history of Malfoys'' ancestry. "Your only weakness is, dear, that you don''t know when to hold back. We Malfoys have always remained in the shadows and look where we are now. If it wasn''t the right thing to do, we wouldn''t have been enjoying the luxury of being wealthy and powerful. "Sigh! I know you must have given the minister proper reasoning on how you came to possess the books and other materials. That much intelligence is in our blood itself. But you must remember from now on that other than family, you can trust no one. Promise me." Darcie looked down at her feet. "Yes, father," she said meekly. "I promise." Lucius guffawed. "Come here, you little monster!" he shouted, pulling Darcie on her lap. "We won''t have much time to practice on potion-brewing from now on. So don''t do it yourself. And next time you write something, show me or your mother first. What do you think? If you were to shine like a sun in the wizarding community, would we stop you? "You are a Malfoy, Darcie, and that much is expected of you. Now go on, wash up for dinner. And keep an eye out on your brother for me, will you? I think last night''s attention is getting to his head." Darcie nodded, some of the tiredness washing away from her heart. There was just one thing in her mind as she left her father in his study room, only one more defiant thought. What if she didn''t want to shine like the sun? What if¡­ she wanted to be the Sun? Anything below that wasn''t Greatness, Darcie reflected. No one would understand her reasoning, her aspirations, and her actions. Not even her family. * * Wednesday, 5 November 1986 01:00 am ¡­ Experimental Log - #23 Date: 30 Oct 1986 to 5 Nov 1986 ¡­ After scribbling down Darcie''s life from two different points of view, Kai put the Journal back into his MRB and took a deep breath. He went to the basin, washed away the sweat, dried his face, and sat down back on the floor. Not much had changed about his routine in these last few months. That''s one thing that was common about Darcie and Kai. Discipline. Kai crossed his legs, straightened his back, and took a meditative posture. His breathing softened. One long breath through the nose was followed by a longer exhale through the mouth. Three more times and Kai found himself in the optimum state to dive within himself. Beginner as he was in the ways of magic, for the magic within oneself, he wasn''t even on the level of being called a rookie. But he was learning. And there was a reason that the entire world in his previous life had proclaimed him a monster when he had just started reading and learning. A monster with the combined mental prowess of his parents. Kai learned fast and remembered faster. All he needed was time. Time was the only thing he had been having trouble with in this timeline, despite being probably the only one in the history of Chaos'' Valley who had the access to unobtainable knowledge and resources. Kai focused on the magic within him, an endless sea of yellow mist. Though he could see it stretching endlessly, he knew acutely that this yellow mist represented his tiny MP. An entire 200 points of Mana were coursing through his body as uncontrollable vortexes. Yes, he could access it. Yes, he could use it to give his imagination a substance. But Meg and the Chief Bishop of Byagoona both had told him that no Contestant had ever controlled its flow within themselves, for humans lacked anatomy to support such a flow. And if there was an alien species who could, they lacked the knowledge about them. Nevertheless, Kai''s aspiration, though boundless, was perfectly in his control. For now, he was satisfied at the sight of this foggy ocean, his playground. Suddenly, pillars of fog shot up, curled around each other like thinner threads making rope, and when the churning stopped, a room appeared, floating over the mass of the yellow sea. Inside this room, which was completely white with white walls and a closed window, another Kai materialized, sitting in the same posture. His eyes snapped open, then. Kai made himself have a particular thought. This thought, in turn, generated memories, a collection of many pathways, spanning the last four days. Kai willed, poured imagination into his memories using magic, and two books appeared in front of him, hovering mid-air. These books were ¡ª Ancient Runes Made Easy and Rune Dictionary. By restricting Darcie''s study plan to only these two books, 3 days had been more than enough for Kai to remember the contents of these books by heart. Alas! If remembering could help him with his goals, then there was no need to go about such a roundabout way to handle such things. As the two books hovered in front of him, his another thought fired the second set of pathways, triggering one more memory. Now, a single page materialized between the two books. This page was one of the tales Kai had copied from the Tales of Beedle the Bard after his reincarnation in Harry Potter World. Kai stood up, brought his palms together, and the two books and the page pressed against each other, following his gesture. Then Kai threw his hands outwards. With an unheard explosion, the books and the page burst apart. Surprisingly, what had exploded out of them weren''t pieces of torn pages, but runic letters. Around twenty-one thousand runes and symbols from the book, Ancient Runes Made Easy, even more from the book, Rune Dictionary, and the incomprehensible letters from the unknown tale filled the entire space of the room like drops of black rain. Now Kai concentrated more, his hazel eyes narrowing into slits. All the black raindrops flashed, going in and out of existence, hammering at each other, and getting repelled. Some runes from Ancient Runes Made Easy melted into the runes from Rune Dictionary like they were drops of water. Some shattered on the impact, their corners breaking away, gaining new strokes until they too fused at last. But all the runic letters and symbols that collided the runes from the tale got repelled as if they were two ends of different magnets with same polarity. This fusing, shattering, and restructuring of runic letters, and the repulsion wasn''t without a basis. Every single thought, thing, and action in this room signified the ongoing calculations in Kai''s mind, his analysis, and his logical reasoning. It was almost like adding 2 and 2 in mind and getting the result 4. One didn''t need to think to get the answer in this case. But when one had to solve an entire mathematical problem on an unprecedented scale in one''s mind, the mental capabilities required in those cases were inhumane, to say the least. His mind and imagination fueled such method, saving Kai uncountable days of calculation, and bringing out results not even the brilliant minds could hope to get. More, he needed more. Outside, in the bathroom, Kai''s body shook, his closed eyelids pressing into themselves even further. Veins popped up on his forehead, and the sound of his teeth grinding met the silence in open defiance. Inside the white room made of Kai''s imagination, and shaped by his Mana, the fusion, shattering, and restructuring of runes sped up exponentially. It continued for long until the white walls cracked, and dense yellow mist came seeping out of those cracks. The entire white room trembled as if its foundation had met an earthquake, but the hazel in Kai''s eyes had deepened. The Blood Demon had stumbled upon something. In one corner of the room, one restructured rune was getting closer and closer to one of the many hideous lettering which had been used to write the tales. Chips over this restructured rune kept breaking apart with every next repulsion, and when new strokes got added to it, it became closer to the rune from the tale. Just when it seemed they wouldn''t come any closer, the restructured rune and the original runic character from the tale kissed. The first contact! With a bang, Kai''s eyes shot open outside. They were bloodshot. Blood was dripping down his nose, ears, and mouth, painting quite an insane picture. In this scene of unhinged madness, the corners of Kai''s lips lifted, his smile demonic. "Hahaha." Kai''s low laugh made it sound like the snarls of an imprisoned monster. "Soon," he told himself, licking the blood off his lips. "Very soon." 0236 The things Kai need the most - Time and Freedom! Kai stood up, his legs shaking. The uncontrolled focus on runic calculations had taken quite a toll on his body, it seemed. Kai cleaned his face again, mopped the floor, and then took out the food he had stored in his MRB secretly to feast on it. A silver mist suddenly profused out of the bathroom''s floor and took the form of a 6 ft long white serpent. Selene slithered up to him, kissed his chin, and then, for once, silently helped herself to the meat as well. After they were both finished, Kai scratched her under the jaw, milked her for the venom, and let her rest on her original form in his lap. Kai had specific plans for Selene and Darcie. Using her intangibility to impart Parseltongue in Darcie''s mind had always been Kai''s motive. Otherwise, there was no way for her to become a Parselmouth reasonably, knowing that he would have to use Parseltongue eventually in Darcie''s form. Those murmurs in Darcie''s ears as she slept would have given this phenomenon quite a mysterious touch and reasonable background. But Kai''s plans shattered like glass when Darcie came to know that the white serpent from her dreams didn''t exist. To a Contestant, it meant that the Ghost Serpent magical creature didn''t exist in this Timeline. After using Selene to make Darcie get the Yellow Sign and other tales, Kai initially planned for Darcie to meet Selene in reality, making the serpent her pet. It would have let her communicate with the serpent, and Darcie would have realized she was a Parselmouth too. Now, however, Selene would have to serve as Darcie''s guardian spirit forever, until Kai mastered the true essence of facelessness. Selene''s hisses were a sure and effective way to direct Darcie''s thoughts and actions towards a particular goal, without jeopardizing Kai''s Acting. Perhaps it is for good, Kai thought, looking at Selene. Somehow, he couldn''t help but sigh, recalling the data he had read about a certain magical creature in this world. When only half an hour left for his Identity Period, Kai took out the Book and called out Petyr and Cersei. The presence of characters had been helping him much in his quest to Act as a Faceless. Their conversation, their addressing of him as their master, and their acknowledgment of his existence all had been assisting Kai in not losing himself in this unimaginable state of Comprehension he had let himself fall. This was also the reason for him not opting for the privilege of changing his appearance before his reincarnation. Kai was extremely thankful to himself for being prudent in that decision. With even his face gone, the matter of Acting would''ve been even more strenuous, Kai knew. The smoky veil parted, and the boy and girl walked out. Petyr was wearing his characteristic black doublet and breeches, with a mockingbird emblazoned on his chest in silver. Cersei came out wearing a soft woolen jacket and pajamas. She, unlike Petyr, had been experimenting with the clothing of this world. Selene lifted her head, tasted the air, and then went back to sleep, finding the new arrivals not to her liking. "My lord." The characters bowed at their master. Then Cersei approached him and planted a kiss on his lips. If it wasn''t for Selene resting in his lap, she would have slipped in her tongue, Kai knew. "I told you she would agree," Cersei boasted, slumping down against the wall to his left. "Humph! Witch or not, I know women." Petyr chuckled, sitting down on the floor opposite Kai. "Well, it''s easier when you are one yourself," he quipped. "Ironically, we men lack one key ingredient. Haha! No. Not the one between our legs." Kai let the two characters throw japes at each other. For the last few months, Kai had been using Cersei to manipulate the minister of magic, Millicent Bagnold. This was a giant fish who had bitten the bait, and no matter what, Kai couldn''t afford to let her go. So, Kai had been extra careful about sharing Darcie''s thoughts with the minister, attacking the fact that she was unmarried, childless, and biased towards brilliant minds, something which Cersei had pointed out after reading the letters Darcie had received from the minister. "Master, may I have a look at the list of magical creatures?" Petyr asked, jolting Kai out of his reverie. Kai absentmindedly took out a folder marked with the title ¡ª Candidates for Blood Devour.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Petyr''s head drooped into the list of names. Kai shook his head. "Two things are keeping me from deciding on my next blood essence," he said, involving himself in the conversation. "First, I can only use Glitch once during the entire Main Mission. Second, I can''t use it in the Switched Worlds." As Kai''s Glitch worked on both magical and non-magical creatures, Kai had confirmed the second point in the World of Steins;Gate by approaching a common dog. "So," Petyr said, closing the folder, "you mean you will wait till departure before deciding the third Blood Essence, master?" "No." Kai put the folder back into a conjured box and threw it back into his MRB. "Like unassigned attribute points," he told them, "I will decide the third blood essence based on my immediate needs and opportunity. Remember, that which suits one the best, is the most powerful." Kai tapped his fingers on the floor, and Cersei eyed his fingers like a hungry she-wolf. When he sensed her gaze and turned his head to face her, a deep rosy blush surfaced on her cheeks. Kai smiled playfully. Petyr shattered the sultry conversation between Kai and Cersei''s eyes. "Your mention of immediate needs reminded me of another matter, master," he said slyly, his head bobbing from Kai to Cersei and then back to him. "What about the Horcruxes? I mean, the one which is in the possession of Darcie''s father?" Kai''s eyes narrowed at the mention of Horcrux. "Though Meg has shared with me details related to the Harry Potter world thoroughly," he mumbled, more to himself, and less to Petyr, "there are subtle things; little details that even she did not know. "For example, consider Darcie''s wrong guess about Lucius running for the next minister of magic. Meg had told me this wizard''s occupation, but when I asked her how he became a governor, and when, she failed to give me a specific answer. "The matter of Tom Riddle''s Diary is such a subtle detail as well. It can be anywhere. In this mansion, in the Gringotts'' vault of Malfoys, or someplace else. There is no sure way to know." Cersei''s sharp tongue cut through Kai''s thoughts. "It''s also possible," she said, sneering, "that the Malfoys don''t have the Diary in this timeline." Both Kai and Petyr went silent at this notion. It was possible, yes. And if that would be the case, then what about the rest of the Horcruxes'' locations? Kai let out an exasperated breath. "It was because of these unpredictabilities and unknowable details that I am keeping anything unrelated to my initial goals of knowing about wands and deciphering the five tales from the Book to the later half of this reincarnation," he grunted. "Meanwhile, I have already commanded Meg to find the Diary''s location in the original timeline once her mission gets completed." But here, too, things weren''t as simple as they seemed. Meg''s mission on the 4th floor had taken her to the Random World of the Lord of the Rings. But only recently had Kai come to learn that she somehow managed to involve herself in the wars of Sindar Elves, also called the Elves of the Twilight or Gray-elves. Meg had gotten a Hidden Mission, extending her stay in the Random World. And in return, the Elves would train her in archery, given that she must have shown them her Item ¡ª Jet Wing. Based on her experience, Meg had assured him it would let her gain an Archery-related Ability as a reward, making her extended stay both precious and profitable. The only issue was that her Mission Time Limit had increased to 50 months of Harry Potter timeline where Kai was right now. So, even if Kai wanted to make haste in the matter of the Riddle''s Diary, he couldn''t. Not that he wanted to, to begin with. Then there was Spawn, who had already cleared her mission, and now had gone to her second floor''s mission. The only relevant information she had told Kai was she had sensed nothing wrong within the City of Trades on the 2nd floor. That settled the matter of finding out the possible Divergence for Kai. He had expected this, for no one gave a fuck about the 1st Set in the Primordial Tower. So, regarding the matter of Divergence too, he would have to wait for Meg to complete her mission. In the same light, Kai had postponed his visit to the Pokemon Random World. Petyr''s next words struck Kai''s thoughts. "This is good as well, I guess," he said, looking thoughtful. "3 months of Pokemon Random World, where you went, are 15 months here. So, there is no hurry regarding the Magical Contract, master. "You told us true; only after getting the rewards from the 2nd and 3rd Stages of the Tournament of Worth does a visit to the Pokemon World makes sense. Otherwise, you would have to wait for quite some time in case you needed some specific instrument, based on the new rewards'' nature." "So, now what?" Cersei asked, her voice as sweet as honey. Kai looked up at the bathroom''s ceiling, and let her gaze fall to the window looking out in the chilly darkness. "Time." The word echoed in the silence, waking up Selene''s slumber. "What I truly need now is Time," he told himself, stroking Selene''s beautiful scales as she hissed words in his ears which made Kai chuckle. "I need time to put my calculations regarding many potions in practice, and further master brewing potions as well, familiarizing myself with all the ins and outs of this art. "I need time to digest the books I have read so far and continue my studies unhindered. I need time to learn about the difference between Wandless Magic and Magic using a Wand, both verbally and non-verbally. "I need time to learn Wandlore and I need time to decipher the contents of the Tales of Beedle the Bard. These two books on runes I got recently have aided me well, but they are not enough. "So, more than anything else, I need an extensive supply of books from both magical and muggle communities. Not to mention the ingredients for potions, and magical creatures to do experiments on. "I need a place to work with Wandless Magic and still keep myself focused on getting my own wand meanwhile." Cersei giggled. "So what you truly need, master," she said, "is not time, but freedom." Kai''s eyes shone with a red glint. "You are getting more beautiful every day," he told her, widening the smile on her face. "Yes. Freedom, that''s what Darcie Malfoy needs more than anything." "So, what''s your plan, master?" Petyr asked, getting up. However, Kai knew with Petyr''s sly nature and intelligence, he must have already guessed. "There''s one place in this world where all this is possible," Kai said, grinning. "A place where there is no lack of opportunities and no limit on freedom." "What is that place?" Cersei asked, puzzled. Kai and Petyr shared a devious glance. "I think," Petyr said, smirking, "it''s time for the little bird to leave the nest." Yes. It was time for Darcie to soar through the unbound sky! 0237 Name Resounding Throughout the Magical World! Friday, 7 November 1986 10:00 pm There was no business for the children to be up by this time of the night. Yet, Darcie and Draco both were up, sitting on the same sofa within the Drawing room. Darcie hadn''t gone to sleep, and Draco had been woken up when their father arrived some 15 minutes ago. Her mother''s voice was still as sharp and full of fury as it was then. "See!" they heard her. "I told you not to let her have her way with this library and all. Oh, Lucius! You must have listened to her in the evening¡­" "Are you really going?" Draco asked meekly, looking towards their parents'' bedchamber. "Mother won''t let you, I know." Suddenly, the pitch and red fury in their mother''s voice rose. "How dare you suggest that?!" their mother shrieked. "Have you been confunded?" The children shared a glance. Their father didn''t like this word. They heard the footsteps, heavy and hurried. Draco stiffened and pressed himself back into the soft sofas. Darcie took a deep breath and pushed herself to her feet. Lucius marched into the Drawing room, red-faced, his fingers tightening around his cane. He had spent the entire day at the ministry, and the traces of tiredness were apparent in his eyes. Narcissa followed her husband, teary-eyed and sobbing. Her father''s cold gray eyes and her mother''s blue settled on her face the moment they saw her. "Ask her who talked her into this, Lucius," her mother said, throwing her arm aside. "It must be that Millicent, that bi¡­ Just in the morning, her letter came. I knew she was doing something to our daughter. I told you¡­" "Will you just give it a rest?!" her father snapped. He threw his cane on the sofa, and Draco edged away as if it would come alive and attack him. Lucius let himself fall into the embrace of a chair with a tall back and cushioned arms. He took a deep breath and then looked at Darcie again. Darcie matched his gaze. "Did someone really tell you to do this?" her father asked as her mother''s eyes moved between them, waiting to erupt at any unlikable notion. "No, father," Darcie said, shaking her head. "It''s my decision. No one swayed me, and no one even hinted anything to me." "Don''t hide!" Narcissa hissed, tears falling down her cheeks in thin streams. "What business does a 6-year-old have in Diagon Alley?! Tell your father what you told me. Tell him." She was almost 7, but for once Darcie didn''t think correcting her mother was the right way to go about these things. "Is it true?" her father asked. "Why?" "I do want to go to Diagon Alley, father," she told him, her mother''s breathing speeding up. "I want to read, learn, and study, not attend to guests and spend most of my time playing the part of children (-"You are a child!" her mother snapped, but her father lifted his hand, letting Darcie continue-). "And it''s not about getting books and holding myself back, father. It''s about opportunities and freedom. That''s why I decided¡­" "Yes, yes," Narcissa added, shaking all over. "Tell him what you decided¡­" Darcie looked defiant. "That''s why I''ve decided that I will join the Flourish and Blotts Bookseller in the Diagon Alley with an Assistance Occupation," she declared. "An Assistant!" her mother spat, looking utterly disgusted. "A mere Assistant, Lucius! Did you hear her? Did you?" "I heard," Lucius said slowly, a deep frown weighing down his face. To Darcie, her father looked extremely sad, and if she wasn''t seeing wrong, disappointed as well. "First, no one will allow a 6-year-old to work in a shop¡­" Darcie cut in. "6 and a half, father," she corrected, now unable to let this go on any longer, "and I''ve already got permission from the minister of magic herself. The letter I got this morning was her approval, signed and stamped."The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Darcie suddenly picked up her mother''s wand, resting on the table where she had put it, and shouted, "Accio letter!". With a swishing noise, a letter came flying in her hands, passing between her mother and her brother. She handed the letter to her father. Lucius seemed to lack the words to say, so he silently opened the letter and began reading. Her mother ran behind the chair and leaned over her father''s shoulders to read it along with him. Darcie saw their lips moving, opening, and closing, and knew they were finished when they simultaneously lifted their head to observe her. "This is folly!" her mother commented, now looking beaten. "This can''t be happening, Lucius. That woman has other motives, I am telling you." Lucius put down the letter on the table beside him, poured himself a glass of water, and gulped it down. "Second," her father continued as if the matter of letter had never happened, "I will not allow the name of Malfoy to be drowned in the mud till I, Lucius Malfoy, is alive, Darcie. "What would people think, dear, have you thought of it? Darcie, the prodigy from the Malfoy family, the purest of her blood, works as a mere Page in a bookshop?! The entire wizardkind will spit on us. And here I have been having thoughts about you¡­" Her mother was already beaming, but then something happened that made her smile go away. Something that turned her face into stone, something that made Lucius stand up and Draco cry. One tear fell from the corner of Darcie''s eye. "What would they think, father?" she said, half sniffing, half smiling. "Don''t you know what they think? Why don''t you, when I heard the whispers all the time? Since I was small and smaller, I have been hearing them talk behind your back. About you, our family, and me. "We are traitors, they say. A family of Death Eaters! Your own friends call you turncoat behind your back, father. When the wizardkind says the name Malfoy, they are not thinking of a Great Pure-Blood family, but backstabbing hooligans. Oh, yes, father. I''ve just quoted a sentence from the Daily Prophet verbatim. "And I, Darcie Malfoy. The prodigy? Oh, mother, don''t you know what they say about me? You do, don''t you? Daughter of the Dark Lord. Child of Vol¡­" "Darcie!" Narcissa, now looking blue and purple, approached her with one step. Slap! "How dare you?!" she mumbled, her hands shaking in disbelief. "How could you?!" The silence in the Drawing Room was choking. Near the stairs leading down to the ground floor, a tiny figure of red-garbed Dobby could be seen, sniveling, trembling, hidden in the shadows. Darcie rubbed her eyes, but she didn''t look down. "I am sorry, mother," she apologized. "That is the truth. We have wealth and status, I know. But I''ve learned from history that has never been enough to stand at the top." Lucius had yet to add his voice to this rare silence. His cold gray eyes had become harder, and his cheeks undulated as he gritted his teeth. Clenching his fingers into a white fist, he turned around and said, "Go to your rooms, both of you. I will have no more discussion about this nonsense." Sleep didn''t come to Darcie, no matter how deeper she pressed her eyes shut. Lying on her bed, and gazing out at the full moon through her windows, Darcie thought she saw someone smiling on its spotted silver surface, its eyes hazel and reptilian. No. Not smiling. Whatever she saw on the moon, it was grinning ear to ear. A chill ran down her tiny spine. Where tiredness failed, apprehension succeeded, making Darcie finally fall into the dark oblivion of dreams, full of whispers and hisses. One thing was certain, though. Only five people stayed in the ancient Malfoy Manor, but not one eye out of the ten went to sleep dry that night. * * Tuk-tuk! Tuk-tuk! The thin layer of skin over Darcie''s eyes cracked open by the thinnest amount. Fingers of cold blue light were seeping in through the windows, and there was still the hint of a chilly fog outside. Tuk-tuk! Darcie forced her eyes open and saw an owl pecking at the windowpane. She recognized her. "Cyra?!" Darcie threw off the blanket, jumped off the bed, and opened the window. A light gust of icy wind and curls of fog rushed inside the room, and brushed against her skin, getting the rare chance. Darcie shivered. Cyra was a brown fish owl, female, and belonged to the minister of magic, Millicent Bagnold. The owl flapped her way to the table, and Darcie hastily closed the window behind her. When she neared her, Darcie noticed a cylindrical parcel tied to her legs. She let the owl have her favorite treat and untied the parcel. Unwrapping it, Darcie sat down on the chair and curiously eyed the rolled scroll first. It said ¡ª Congratulations, Page 10, Editor Recommendation. The understanding came to her now. With stiff hands, Darcie put down the letter and picked up the second cylindrical parcel over which the letter had been rolled by the minister. Darcie tore away the brown covering and unfurled the magazine. The faintest hint of a smile on her face looked like a defiant half moon in the blue morning. Magical Today was a monthly periodical, issued every first Saturday of the month. It was an old and renowned scholarly journal that published papers of every kind from various fields. The cover of today''s issue stood out, for the figures shifting on it contrasted each other brilliantly. One was Darcie, dressed in a gown, and trying to smile. The other was the minister of magic, smiling broadly and looking at Darcie. Darcie took a deep breath, composed herself, and opened the magazine to page 10. Bold letters attracted her dark green eyes to it instantly. ¡ª On the nature of Dark Arts, Magic, and Intentions, by Darcie Malfoy, *with comments from Millicent Bagnold (minister of magic, O.M. - first class) ¡ª Suddenly, Dobby appeared near her with an audible crack, his face towards the bed. When he realized she was already up, the house-elf nervously said, "Master Lucius and Madam Narcissa are calling you downstairs, miss." The way he was fidgeting made Darcie think of something. "What is it, Dobby?" she asked. "Is it the newspaper?" Dobby nodded. He neared her, looked up in her eyes, and squeaked, "Dobby saw you, Miss Darcie¡­" Darcie raised her eyebrows, standing up, her grip on the magazine tightening already. And as she turned around to leave, Dobby completed his words, following her like a shadow. "¡­ on the first page." 0238 First Step towards the Greatness! When Darcie reached the Great Hall, she found her parents looming over the Daily Prophet with their noses almost pressed together. The family must have experienced a broken sleep last night, but a part of the tension between the mother and daughter seemed to have vanished. The concerned expression on her parents'' faces was still visible, like the pale blue sky outside. "Good morning, father," Darcie greeted. "Good morning, mother." Her mother left the newspaper, neared her, and hugged her. The embrace felt warm and cozy, and she smelled of lavenders and tiredness. "Look at this," her mother said, taking the newspaper out of her father''s hands. "Things have gone out of hand, Darcie." Darcie took the newspaper and sat down. ¡ª WHO IS DARCIE MALFOY? ¡ª The headline read the question with its own mysteriousness, and below it, there was Darcie in her birthday gown, making people uncomfortable with her eyes even from the realm of papers and images. The article started with the details of her published paper in the journal Magical Today. Some of the noticeable sentences ran something like this ¡ª ¡­ ¡ª¡­ In her paper, Miss Darcie also cited historical examples, stating how the results of some of the most neutral spells had turned out to be worse than Dark Arts. One such example was the famously known use of the Shield Charm from the 15th Century which took place in the town of Poppleton. There, the tyrannical Earl of Paunchley held a jousting match. When a young Edmund Gaddlegate couldn''t attend the event because of falling out of a tree and breaking his leg, the Earl dragged Edmund and his mother to the castle. He said the mother had to watch while her child was tied to a horse and forced to compete in the jousting. (-a sport where knights run at each other with lances in their hands on horses-) But as the Earl was racing towards the poor boy, both on their horses, a witch in the crowd named Hannah Cockleford cast an extremely strong Shield Charm between the two. The Earl was "squashed flat in his armor" when the Shield Charm knocked him backward and his horse landed on him. The Earl of Paunchley did not die, but when he woke up, he was under the impression that he was a donkey named Hairy Cyril. Miss Darcie here has emphasized the use of the defensive spell with pure intentions for harming a muggle mortally. Though the Earl deserved it, if only results are taken into consideration when performing Dark Arts, such use of Shield Charm must be counted as Dark Magic as well. This was just one of the spells which the author has cited. She has also included the most common and neutral spells like Summoning Charm, Hovering Charm, and Shrinking Charm in her quest to expound on the nature of Dark Arts and Magic with examples, repeatedly claiming that it is Intention that matters, not the Process¡­¡ª ¡­ The article then moved on to describe Darcie''s personal life, focusing on the name Malfoy. That she had just turned 6 last June was mentioned many times in different formats. By the end, the article had turned into an interview, now bringing the minister of magic in light and her hand in this article. The former Ravenclaw of Hogwarts had much to say about the article itself, and her comments on the article.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. On questions regarding Darcie, Miss Millicent Bagnold said ¡ª ¡­ ¡ª¡­ Oh, she is brilliant, of course! Darcie Malfoy has the most singular mind I''ve ever witnessed. Her determination is extraordinary, to say the least, and the girl has an uncanny knack for deriving acute inferences based on a set of data. I met her during a chance visit, and we have been in contact since then. She has also shown interest in starting her education earlier than the children of her age and based on the published paper and a few classified results, the ministry has deemed her fit to pursue elementary education¡­¡ª ¡­ The remarks from the minister of magic were followed by the singular event from her birthday when she had suffered the injury. Speculations were made about her mental prowess, relating it to an unknown effect of the injury. Somehow, the reporter had unearthed the visit of Mr. Jaxson Warris, Head of the Mind Healers from St. Mungo''s Hospital to Malfoy Manor the day next to her birthday. When questioned about the same speculations, Mr. Jaxson Warris said ¡ª ¡­ ¡ª¡­ I think that''s the right load of old codswallop! I checked her myself, and there''s nothing wrong with her, let me tell you. The girl''s a natural¡­¡ª ¡­ The article then moved on to questions at the end. Questions not about the article, Malfoys, Darcie''s education, or the minister of magic, but Dacie''s background and the whispers and gossip. It said ¡ª ¡­ ¡ª¡­ Is it as simple as it seemed? Or is it just the ministry''s way to keep an eye out on the little prodigy from a House with a shady background? Is there some truth in the gossip surrounding the girl, or are they just hogwash? Read further comments on Page 10¡­ ¡ª ¡­ Darcie put the newspaper down. She didn''t need to go to the Comment Section to know what these gossips were, for she knew it must be the same whispers about her being the daughter of you-know-who. Darcie had seldom given thoughts of those whispers, but a part of her Will to prove herself had stemmed from burying such gossip in her heart. "It''s a mess," her mother said, slumping down beside her. "We¡­" Suddenly, a distant cry woke them out of their slumbering thoughts. An owl screeched its way into the Great Hall through the open entrance, dropped a letter in front of Darcie, and flew away. Darcie had reached for the letter when another cry came. One more owl found its way to her, and flew away, dropping another letter. This was just the beginning of an incredibly hectic day. Owls after owls, and letters after letters, kept coming for Darcie, some openly contrasting her theories, and some in her favor. But almost all admired her Correspondence and her perspective to look at things in a different light. By the time evening approached, the family had received and replied to so many letters that had left a vivid trace on them. Her father had a hint of a smile on his lips as he read letters from a few wizards who held prestigious positions in and out of the ministry. Her mother, though still worried and concerned, had seemed to have accepted the unavoidable fate that was to come as well. Just before dinner, the last letter came, which Darcie had been waiting for. It was from the minister of magic. She approached her parents and handed the letter to her father. ¡­ The letter mentioned that, if approved by the parents, the ministry would allow Darcie to work in the Flourish and Blotts Bookseller in the Diagon Alley with an Assistance Occupation five days a week as per her request, letting her pursue an elementary education under the guidance of the Manager. The minister would also allot an Assistant Manager of the ministry''s choosing in the Bookshop who would oversee Darcie''s education. The same Assistant Manager would also be responsible for her safety during her five days of stay in the hostel-cum-restaurant, Brews and Stews, in the Diagon Alley itself. Said arrangements would be put into effect from 1st December if so signed and stamped. ¡­ Lucius and Narcissa looked at Darcie as if it was the first time they were realizing what was happening around them. Darcie knew how difficult it was for them. She understood his father''s aspirations, and her mother''s attachment; their love. But this was something that needed to be done. "Father," Darcie said slowly, "you told me we Malfoys have always remained in the shadows, didn''t you? Would it be that wrong for even one Malfoy to step out of the shadows?" Lucius looked at her daughter, his cold gray eyes softening at her sight. He sighed. "What other choice do we have left?" he asked, picking up the quill. One stroke of black ink, and the M stamped over melted wax, opened the doors to an unprecedented fate for Darcie. If there was a path to Greatness, then Darcie knew that this was her first step towards the destination. 0239 Arriving at Diagon Alley - Darcies Mentor! November turned out to be the busiest month of the year for the Malfoys. With the new post of Hogwarts'' governor over his shoulder, and Darcie''s unavailability in the Manor for at least 5 days a week, the pair of father and daughter had spent a significant amount of their time down in the potions room of the suitcase''s library. Lucius had wanted Darcie to familiarize herself with all the basic potions before leaving. As some potions'' brewing lasted an entire day, they just had the time to go by the books this time, and not play with potions'' recipes. Darcie''s rest of the day and a major part of the evening had gone to practice verbal spells with her mother. Not to mention, her parents had strictly forbidden her to let others show she could do non-verbal magic. Darcie''s mornings had gone into playing with broomsticks along with her brother. Draco hadn''t talked to her for three days after they had told him Darcie''s eventual departure, but by the fourth day, things had gone old and stale, and the children''s routine of flying since the last few months had been enough to bring them together again. Lucius had even allowed Darcie to take her suitcase with her, given that she wouldn''t share its secrets with anybody. Then one day, the Malfoys invited Mr. Pigplanter Hillam, the manager of Flourish and Blotts, for dinner. After dinner, Lucius had taken his guest to the meeting room on the ground floor for a private audience. When the old man, with white side whiskers on his face, had departed, he had been sweating from head to toe. It hadn''t ended there. Malfoys'' next guest had been none other than the owner of Brews and Stews, Ms. Clutterbuck Crispe, where the ministry had arranged Darcie''s indefinite stay. Ms. Clutterbuck Crispe was a witch in her thirties with long black hair and brown eyes. Her hotel-cum-restaurant shop was just opposite the Flourish and Blotts Bookseller in the Diagon Alley, and thus, her property had been selected for this purpose, she had told them. She, too, had been taken down to the meeting room, nonetheless. This time, both Lucius and Narcissa talked with her. Unlike the manager of Bookshop, the proprietrix had departed with a beaming expression on her face and praising the generosity of the Malfoys. Darcie had seen everything and had heard all. Though she had not been let to be a part of these meetings, she knew that both Mr. Pigplanter Hillam and Ms. Clutterbuck Crispe now belonged to her father. Yet, even after her father''s excruciating efforts, he had failed to find out who would be the Assistant Manager allotted by the ministry. By mid-November, the weather had become mild and unsettled, with dense fog claiming the dusk and dawn and wet spells of storms and rain claiming the night. This somehow also put a stop to the uncountable number of requests from various news agencies to have an audience with Darcie for interviews. The ministry had not released when and how Darcie''s education would begin, as proclaimed by the minister of magic, so the mystery had been thick about it for many days. Yet, even with the unprecedented achievement of her theory getting published in a renowned Journal and making it to the front page of the Daily Prophet, there was only so much attention a 6-year-old could garner from the ever-bored wizarding community. As November''s end approached, only a few persistent ones held onto the little witch and the mystery about her. But no matter if it was a prominent wizard and witch, who had sent their letter of compliments to Darcie before, or the reporters, none had dared to call on the Malfoy Manor in person. The name Malfoy, though looked with aversion by many, still held respect, fear, and apprehension about it. But fear above all. November ended with the last meeting with the minister of magic, who had come with an official document for Lucius and Narcissa to sign and to ensure that everything had gone as it was supposed to. Ms. Millicent Bagnold hadn''t stayed long for Darcie to inquire about her new mentor, but with what little conversation they had, the minister had ensured she would be well taken care of by her. This, at least, had told Darcie that the Assistant Manager would be a woman. On 30th November afternoon, covered in wool and fur from top to bottom, Darcie ran around her room trying to remember if she had forgotten to pack something. On the right to her bed, a fire was blazing thick in the hearth, and Daphne was stretching her legs towards it, twiddling her little toes. "You should put on your hat, Darcie," she said, looking over her shoulder. "You are going to get a cold like this."If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Darcie picked up the soft, furry hat and pressed it on her head. As the hat came over her ears, she tapped it on both sides twice, feeling the muffled sound. She took a seat opposite Daphne, took off the shoes, and like her friend, stretched her toes towards the fire. "London is a big place," Daphne commented. "Mother said there are many dangerous things in London." Darcie knew Daphne well enough to perceive the longing in her voice. But this was a matter out of her hands, and no matter how much she desired, the ministry would never allow Daphne to work along with her, she knew. "Danger is everywhere," she instead said, looking into the fire with her dark green eyes. "So are the opportunities. One just has to look for them." Daphne and Darcie together lifted their faces and looked at each other. Their eyes matched. At last, Daphne nodded. "I understand," she told her. "You are going to Diagon Alley for Wands, right?" Darcie knew Daphne would figure it out, eventually. "It is one reason, yes," she accepted. "But I do want to have access to more books now, more than ever. Even the muggle ones, I am afraid." Daphne bobbed her head. "Well," she mumbled, "the Greengrass Manor is in Oxfordshire, you know that. If you don''t find any books, then you come there. Mother told me that there''s a big and old muggle library in the city." "I will," Darcie said, accepting the offer instantly. "Girls!" Narcissa''s voice, magnified by magic, echoed in the manor. "Let''s go. It''s time." Darcie threw her feet back into the shoes. They had already sent most of her stuff to her would-be room in Diagon Alley. Only a trunk remained, stuffed with her clothes, her enchanted suitcase, and other odd things. The girls picked it up off the bed, and then Darcie rolled it out of the room. Her mother was waiting for them in the Drawing Room, a thick bundle of freshly baked cupcakes and sweets in her hands. Color rose to Darcie''s face, making her blush. "Mum!" she exclaimed, exasperated. "This is the third one. You told me I can call Dobby to me anytime I want. Then¡­" "Nonsense," her mother rebuked. "Just put it in the trunk as well." After reopening and closing the trunk, Narcissa flicked her wand, and the trunk hovered mid-air by itself. The girls followed her out of the manor, where a neatly dressed Draco, drowned in thick woolen and fur clothing, and Lucius, were waiting for them. A tiny, shivering figure of Dobby could be seen running behind Darcie with misty eyes. They all walked to the gatehouse, hissing thin frosty breath out of their mouths. The ministry had permanently linked the Floo Network from the Malfoy Manor to the Brews and Stews, Flourish and Blotts Bookseller, and even the Leaky Cauldron, for just-in-case scenarios. "I will go first, this time," Draco declared. "Shut up!" Narcissa snapped. "Your father will go first, then the girls, and then you and me. Dobby will apparate to the place with the trunk." As the time came for her to leave the home truly, Darcie realized her mother''s temper was rising along with it. It was better to not cross paths with her. The Manor''s gatehouse had an enormous fireplace, modified especially for traveling through the Floo Network. There was a large pot resting on the mantelpiece. Lucius went to the mantelpiece and put down the pot on the floor. He took out a fistful of the glittering powder and threw it into the fire. The searing tongues of red flames instantly turned emerald green with a roar, rising higher than Lucius'' height. This wasn''t the first time for Darcie to travel in this way. But after her birthday, this would be the first time in a while for her to use Floo powder again. Daphne, on the other hand, had become used to it because of her many visits from her home to Malfoy Manor in these past few months. Lucius stepped into the flames, turned around, and then clearly said, "Brews and stews." With a bright green flash, Lucius vanished, and the fire regained its original destructive color. It was Darcie''s turn now. Like her father, she took the glove off her right hand, took out a fistful of the fine powder, and threw it in the fireplace. Once again, the flames became green and welcoming. Darcie stepped in and faced the rest of them. Then, with the faintest hint of nervousness, she said, "Brews and Stews." Darcie had her eyes closed, her elbows tucked in, and her legs pressed together. Even then, she felt things brushing against her as she rushed past them as if she was squeezing herself out of a thin tunnel. By the time a tingling sensation rose in her stomach, her feet had already made contact with solid ground. Remembering her training, and not letting herself fall into the pile of ashes, Darcie immediately stepped forward and came running out of the fireplace. Her father caught hold of her, his large arms wrapping around her thin shoulders. "Good," he said slowly, slapping a few patches of ash off her coat. Darcie looked around and realized they were on the ground floor of the three-floored property. The place seemed to have been closed today, considering Malfoys'' arrival. Darcie had just seen Mr. Hillam and Ms. Crispe, and one more woman, when she heard another pair of feet landing behind her. Daphne walked out of the fireplace, followed by Draco, and then her mother. Just after a few seconds, with a loud crack, Dobby apparated near them, holding the trunk by one end. It was then the unknown person stepped forward, bringing all attention to herself. She was a thin woman, around 30, and was wearing a large purple overcoat. Her color was dark, and her eyes were winter grey, giving her a delicate charm. She smiled at Darcie amiably. "Good afternoon," Darcie greeted the three people with whom she would spend a better part of her life. Then she looked at the unknown witch. "May I know the name of the mentor?" The witch''s smile broadened. "Hello, Darcie," she said, crouching to match her gaze. "I am Florine Villanelle. The minister told me we two share many interests between us. I am looking forward to having a great time working with you." "Yes, Ms. ¡­" The witch cut in, standing up. "No need for pleasantries, dear," she said, her eyes shining as she looked at her. "If you insist, just call me¡­ Madam Villanelle." Her parents took over then, finally getting the chance to meet the mentor. Darcie walked to the tall windows to her right, followed by Daphne. As the girls stood side by side and looked out, they could see it. Past the dozens of people running up and down the alley, they could see the green door leading into the Flourish and Blotts. And if Darcie wasn''t imagining it, then she was sure she could even smell the books, standing so far with two walls and an alley between her and them. 0240 Diagon Alley Infiltration - Success! Monday, 1 December 1986 07:10 am Darcie readied herself for her 1st day in the Bookshop. Brews and Stews had three floors, including the ground floor, and as one went up, the building became narrower to such a degree that there was a place for only three rooms on the 2nd floor, despite the use of Extension Charm. The Malfoys had rented the entire 2nd floor. Yet, the way Ms. Crispe had greeted Darcie in the morning when she had come to deliver the morning tea, it almost seemed they had bought the floor instead. The three rooms were arranged in the shape of a three-petaled flower around a central point. Darcie had a room of her own, with Madam Villanelle occupying the room next to her, and the third room for visits from Darcie''s parents. Out of the three rooms, only Darcie''s room had windows that pointed toward Diagon Alley. After patting down her coat and hat, Darcie went to the table near the fireplace and picked up the large folded parchment. This was Diagon Alley''s map with every shop numbered as per the street. Darcie had already memorized it, but the knock on the door had yet to come, and there was no other thing to do. So she sat down and unfolded the map on the table. According to the map, Diagon Alley had three sister alleys, the parent alley being named the Diagon Alley itself. One was Carkitt Market. It ran behind the establishment where she was right now, and it shared its entrance with the Diagon Alley just after leaving the Leaky Cauldron (2). The second was the Horizont Alley, the longest alley after the Diagon Alley. Its entrance lay between Quality Quidditch Supplies (15) and the Flower Vendor (16). The last was the Knockturn Alley, most famous for its black market and shady business. Its entrance lay down the Diagon Alley, way past the Gringotts Wizarding Bank (19). Darcie sighed. She was looking forward to a visit to the bank and the Malfoys'' vault under the bank with her father yesterday. But it turned out that her father had already taken out enough coins to last her for months. Not to mention, her food and other necessities in the hotel itself were already taken care of. Her mother had wanted to stay with her, what with this being her first night away from the family. However, Madam Villanelle had convinced her mother against it. How? Darcie couldn''t fathom. Perhaps the off-handed remark passed by her father to her mother that Darcie happened to hear had played some role in it. At least the minister was sentient enough to hire a pure-blood, her father had whispered in her mother''s ears. But this witch has the worm as well. What worm? Her mother had asked, puzzled. The same worm that Dumbledore and his likes have, her father had replied, his lips twitching in disgust. Darcie cared little about the worms, despite knowing well how her father hated those who had any distant liking for muggles and half-bloods. The knocks came suddenly. Knock-Knock! Darcie neatly folded the map and went to the door. Behind it, Madam Villanelle was waiting for her, dressed in a plain yellow woolen coat and a red scarf. "Good morning, mentor," Darcie greeted, giving her a curtsy. "I am looking forward to our first lessons."This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "Oh, my!" Madam Villanelle exclaimed, bending her waist. "You look adorable, Darcie. Quite eager, huh? Well, let us break our fast first. You must be hungry, right?" Darcie nodded. She walked out, and the doors locked by themselves. As the hotel was an old and prestigious establishment, there were dozens of charms placed around the rooms, preventing anyone other than the owners themselves from accessing them. Forget entering; even peeking inside would be a thing that would require an unimaginable magical prowess. Or that''s how the owner of the establishment had described it to her parents, Darcie recalled. They stepped down the spiral stairs. The 1st floor housed 10 rooms. A corridor was running down opposite the stairs, with 5 rooms on either side. Because of the space constraint, there was a legal Extension Charm placed on the rooms and corridor itself. These rooms served the purpose of a temporary stay for the traveling wizards, who wanted to stay out of the hubbub of the Leaky Cauldron. And, yes. Those who could afford to be extravagant, as the rooms in the Brews and Stews, like everything else, promised quality, luxury, and service well in-line with the price it demanded. When they reached the ground floor, lined with round tables and chairs well spaced apart from each other, they found Ms. Crispe indulged in her tidings behind the counter. At the sound of their footsteps, Ms. Crispe spun and her brown eyes settled on the two ladies. "Ah!" she drew a cheery gasp as Darcie greeted her. "Good morning, young lady, Madam Villanelle. Just one second, breakfast is ready. You won''t mind if I join you two, would you?" "Of course not," Madam Villanelle replied for the two. After they had sat down, Darcie looked around. The place wasn''t as empty as it had seemed at first. A gentleman was having his coffee while reading Daily Prophet in one corner, a witch with bushy hair had her nose touching an issue of the magazine, Witch Weekly, and an old man was having tea, looking at her, his old eyes narrowing. Darcie didn''t recognize him, so she looked away, her eyes landing on the windows looking out at Diagon Alley. Traffic was less in the chilly morning, with only shop owners running up and down, preparing for the incoming busy day. Across the alley, she could see lights glittering in the bookshop, and Mr. Hillam''s silhouette moving like a ghost here and there. The breakfast couldn''t have arrived at a better time. "Here we are!" Ms. Crispe said, darting around the table. Plates, mugs, and pots were hovering around her, and an even larger pot was crawling towards them on four legs, loudly grunting with every next step. Darcie found it quite amusing. She could break apart the spells used on all these objects, and that was a good morning exercise for her. "A plate of Savory waffles and crisp smoked salmon for all of us," Ms. Crispe introduced them to the breakfast. "And an extra large mug of juice for the young lady." "Does it remain like this often?" Madam Villanelle asked as the owner helped herself to a seat. "I had heard quite the contrary to what I am seeing now." Ms. Crispe let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh, you''ve heard the truth of it, I am afraid," she told them. "The place started with the restaurant, but the principal business these days comes from the travelers, not empty stomachs. "So, when I took over from my father, I limited the food to dining only. We start at 5 in the evening, and it goes on till 9 to 10 sometimes. As the chief attraction is seafood only, the number of customers remains quite the same throughout the year." Darcie said little and carried on with her breakfast. If she put aside Dobby''s cooking, then this was surely the best breakfast she had in her entire life. Fresh was the only word that came to her mind, with bits of pleasant smell and the sweetness of the juice. When they were done, and the spoons and forks were down, Darcie couldn''t help but say, "The Breakfast was quite good, Ms. Crispe." Alas! Neither Madam Villanelle nor the owner of the restaurant knew Darcie well enough to know that was the highest praise one could receive from her. Ms. Crispe gave a polite nod, anyway. "Lunch is served between 12 to 2, but if you get busy, then I can cook up something anytime," she told them, as Darcie and her mentor stood up and made their way to the main entrance. Darcie once again chanced upon the old man looking at her. So she neared Ms. Crispe and asked, "Who is the old gentleman sitting over there?" Ms. Crispe looked over Darcie''s head and suddenly laughed. "Oh, that''s good old Ollivander," she told her. "He comes often for breakfast here. Not to brag, but we do have gained a reputation in the Diagon Alley." Ollivander¡­ Darcie repeated the name to herself. She looked back, but the wandmaker wasn''t looking over at her anymore. Madam Villanelle was waiting for her at the door, and so she had to leave the greeting to some other time. An icy gust of wind welcomed them once stepping outside. Darcie so wanted to run amok, despite the wind and the chill, but she knew there would be plenty of time to do that later. With quick steps, they entered the Flourish and Blotts Bookseller, and the bells hung at the door announced their arrival. Mr. Hillam, the manager, came running over to them. "Ah, you are here," he said, smiling nervously. "A good morning to you as well, Ms. Malfoy. Ready to start your work and studies?" Darcie stepped forward, looked at the thousands, tens of thousands of books, and nodded. "I think I have always been ready, Mr. Hillam," she said, turning around to face the wizard and the witch. "My services are at your disposal." 0241 A day at Flourish and Blotts! Flourish and Blotts was not silent despite it being yet to be opened to the public this early in the morning. It didn''t need people either to be noisy, for the books, sheaf of parchments, and locked trunks were more than enough to wake the ghosts out of the deepest slumbers. Among the chit-chat and snarls of books, Mr. Hillam gave the Assistant Manager and the new Page a tour of the bookshop. "The place has seen its fair share of assistant managers," he told them, taking out a watch and noting the time. "Now with Madam Villanelle and Ms. Malfoy to help me sort out this mess, the shop will soon see better times. I''ve got strict instructions related to you, young lady. "First, unlike Madam Villanelle, who is now a full-time employee of the bookshop and will receive payment according to her post, you are on unpaid employment. Second, the timings for winter and summer differ, though not by too much. In winter, I usually keep the shop open from 8 in the morning to 6 in the evening. "As a Page, Ms. Malfoy, you will be required to arrive at the shop no later than 7:30 am. For quite some time, you won''t have to deal with any customers. In fact, I''ve prepared a list of your tasks, and you may not need to go out of the boundaries set by that list. If I remember true, then you are only to work till lunch, perhaps 12:30, right, madam?" Madam Villanelle smiled at her. "Yes," she nodded. "After lunch, we will dedicate at least 2 hours to your elementary education, based on the parameters set by the ministry of magic. "Once we are done with the lessons, you may pursue your own tasks as per your desire. You can remain in the shop, go back to your room, or, as I can tell by the look in your eyes, visit other shops. But under no circumstances you are to leave anywhere without informing me or Mr. Hillam first." Darcie gave a solid nod. "Come, ladies," Mr. Hillam said cheerily. "Let me walk you through the shop before starting with the day." Flourish and Blotts was quite a large establishment, Darcie observed. It was divided into two halves; front and back. The back half had two floors, ground and first, and the front half was a single, tall hall, with the floor''s size larger than the Brews and Stews, despite the latter being a restaurant. Stairs, bolted to the left wall of the bookshop, were leading to the second floor of the back half. "Because of the many events, book-signing, and customer''s general space," the manager told them, "this half of the shop is bigger than the back half. Most of the books remain here, at least those that are safe to be around customers. More cumbersome ones are on the back half, both on the ground and the first floor. Come, let me show you." Darcie''s head bobbed around non-stop here and there. Shelves after shelves and piles on piles were lying all over the place like bees around a hive. Though she was ecstatic about all this, a corner of her heart disliked the way these books were getting treated; the sheer lack of disciplined neatness despised her. "Hey¡­ who''s the new girl¡­" "Whooo¡­" "Bonjour Mademoiselle¡­" "Ah! Dear, do anything, but don''t touch me there¡­" Mr. Hillam''s face had gone all red. "Don''t mind them," he said, looking away and smacking a book with a backhand slap. "Now you see why I must store them here, away from the good eyes. Sigh!" These books were just the beginning. Darcie noticed a few pocket diaries fluttering away like butterflies as they noticed Mr. Hillam approaching deeper into the room. One book ambushed Madam Villanelle, shouting, "As per decree 167, this prey is now mine¡­" Many books were caged within iron bars, preventing them from gnawing at wood with their sharp teeth. And if she wasn''t mistaken, Darcie felt the aura of ghosts and ghouls from a particular corner as well. "You must not like this, Ms. Malfoy¡­" Mr. Hillam mumbled. Darcie took a deep breath, the dim light of the lamp around her hiding her small smile. "I love it," she said, hardly managing to hold back the eagerness in her voice. "I love it all." Madam Villanelle giggled at her words. Then Mr. Hillam led them out, and then up the stairs to the second floor to the back half of the bookshop. There were no open shelves in this room, but boxed shelves with locks over them. "You will not have to deal with these sections of books, Ms. Malfoy," the manager commented and then pointed at a black door. "Though you will have a list of the books here, I will request you to not approach the black door. Only I and Madam Villanelle will deal with the books in that little room."If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Darcie looked at her mentor and noticed the solemn expression on her face. "I understand," she told the manager. "I will keep myself to the ground floors." Mr. Hillam let out a sigh. But this sigh had different meanings for Darcie and Ms. Florine Villanelle. For the latter, it was a sigh remembering the dangers of the magical world. But for Darcie, this sigh was related to the talk her father had with Mr. Hillam in front of her last month. As the mentor allotted by the ministry might keep an eye over Darcie, her father had told them, she will let you know the books she desires to read, Mr. Hillam. Then you can send a copy of those books to her room secretly. We will generously compensate you for the additional charges, of course. The Malfoys know how to take care of our friends. Darcie did not know if Mr. Hillam''s trembling hands could be considered a sign of excitement or fear, then. But if she were to guess, then it hadn''t looked like Mr. Hillam wanted their friendship. Nonetheless, the secret affair had been agreed upon then and there. The manager brought them back to the main ground floor. "It''s five minutes to 8," he said, again looking at his watch. "You will learn more with on-hand experience." Mr. Hillam went to the main entrance and put the sign to OPEN. "Ms. Malfoy," he said, looking at her. "The list with all the books, the order they are supposed to be in, and your job description is over there on the manager''s counter." Darcie turned around to face the said counter. There were two counters in the bookshop. One was just by the main entrance, smaller than the other, but spacious. It belonged to the Assistant Manager. The main counter was just before the entrance to the back half of the shop on the ground floor. Darcie ran to it and found a thick book with stark yellow pages sitting on the desk with a piece of parchment on it. It had only one line ¡ª Keep the books in order. Just as she was about to open the thick registry, an owl hooted itself into the bookshop from the round opening over the main entrance. "Here we go!" Mr. Hillam cried. "First order of the day. Madam Villanelle, with the additional duty of managing Ms. Malfoy''s work, you will be responsible for taking orders, replying to them, and ordering books in case of shortage. Flourish and Blotts takes pride in its Inventory, and we have a reputation to uphold." "Have no worries, Mr. Hillam," Madam Villanelle said, taking the letter off the owl''s beak. "This is our home now. Darcie! I need a copy of My Life As A Squib." "Got it," Darcie replied, and repeated the name to the registry. The thick book snapped open magically and highlighted the book. "3rd shelf, Biography Section." She looked around and found the section, but the said shelf was too high. A ladder then came running to her, walking like an overconfident, stout man. Darcie climbed her way up, but she couldn''t find it. She looked down and found Mr. Hillam smiling wryly at her. "Didn''t find it, did you?" he asked, the corners of his lips twitching. He pointed his chin towards the hundreds of books piled on the floor, and said, "Well, it is here, somewhere. I know." Darcie and Madam Villanelle shared a glance, and shook their heads, knowing well that this place needed too much work to set things properly. * * The morning hours went by, sorting out the smallest pile, and replying to the orders. With Darcie''s tiny figure being hidden behind the shelves and books, none got to know that the young Malfoy who had made it to the Daily Prophet recently was working in the bookshop. Nevertheless, they knew it was just a matter of time before everyone would figure it out. To keep this quietness going on for a little while, Ms. Crispe had sent their lunch to the bookshop. After refreshing themselves with a cup of tea, Madam Villanelle made Darcie sit by her side behind her counter. Mr. Hillam was snoozing behind his desk, a few pocket diaries spying on him from above, fluttering mischievously. "According to the official document issued by the ministry," Madam Villanelle told her, reading off the letter in her hand, "for the next 6 months, I am to guide you in learning Basic Magical Theories, Magical History, and introduce you to elementary spellwork &c. &c." Her reluctance to mention all the listed things within the letter told Darcie much about the things to come. And sure enough, Madam Villanelle folded the letter and dumped it in some corner of a drawer. "Now," she said, smiling, "the minister had a private talk with me, and she told me you have personally requested a mentor with my qualifications. Someone who can teach you ancient mysteries, reading runes, and archaic tales. A mentor who can guide you through the different ways Magic is used throughout the world and why. Is that right?." Darcie nodded. This was a secret between her, Daphne, and Milli; a secret between friends. There was no need for anyone to know about this. "I did request her to do so," she told her. "Milli¡­ I mean, Ms. Bagnold must have told you I have already learned and remembered the curriculum listed in the letter. This is for the reporters if things were to leak out, or so the minister had reasoned." "You two are good friends, huh?" her mentor reflected. "I can see why. Even in school, she had an odd attraction to brilliant students. Don''t tell her I said that, OK?" "You were together in Hogwarts?!" Darcie was astonished. Madam Villanelle chortled. "I was her junior," she told her, "and her most prized possession, or so she had named me, I remember. So, when she told me she has found someone who outsmarts me by far, I couldn''t help but get curious." Darcie was too reserved to blush at the compliment, but her eyes betrayed her by looking away. "Well, here I am now," Madam Villanelle finally said, becoming serious. "A former Ravenclaw and a professional linguist. Though I can''t tell you the nature of my job in the ministry before this one, deciphering common and magical runes, visiting old tribes, and searching for clues about ancient magical civilizations were a part of my daily routine. "One can say I''ve been to places where most wizardkind can''t even think of going. Blimey! This is the first time I am seeing you smile, young lady. You should do that often, you know." Darice thanked the minister for finding the exact mentor she needed. "I will try, mentor," she said. "Please teach me." "Good," Madam Villanelle nodded. "First we will start with what you know and¡­" They had just begun when another owl came flying into the bookshop, and suddenly the pocket diaries lunged into the manager''s open mouth simultaneously. Both ladies saw the letter tied to the owl''s foot and Mr. Hillam falling off the chair, and a long, weary sigh escaped their mouths together. 0242 Exploring the Diagon Alley! Darcie''s first lesson ended at 3 in the afternoon. No books had been used. Nor her mentor had cited any resources. Madam Villanelle had instead focused on outlining the things she would cover in the next few months, and then the things had taken a turn to discuss her adventures. How time went by once her mentor had mentioned a particular meeting with a 300-year-old vampire? Darcie did not know. They entertained a few customers, but the crowd, as mentioned by the manager, would remain thin until the new year. From January''s end to February''s beginning onwards, with the new session of events and competitions, things would get busier. Madam Villanelle tucked Darcie''s purse to her waist and then took out a whistle. "If you encounter anything unpleasant, or feel anything unusual, then blow into it. OK?" she said, her eyes wary and concerned. "No matter where you are, it will let me know your exact location, and I will apparate to you." Darcie nodded. "I wouldn''t have to though," she said, putting the whistle into her purse. "I will have Dobby with me." "Dobby?!" Madam Villanelle raised an eyebrow. "Dobby¡­" Darcie repeated, "Dobby the house-elf." "Oh!" her mentor nodded knowingly. "That''s good. Off you go, then. Remember, keep to the main alley, and as per your parents'' instructions, you must be back to either the bookshop or hotel by 5 pm." Darcie knew it was Madam Villanelle who had suggested this instruction to her parents, but this was scarcely a thing to mention. For now, she could barely hold herself back from going out. "Thank you for having me, Mr. Hillam!" Darcie shouted, going against her nature. A choking voice replied to her from way back into the shop. Madam Villanelle gasped. "Oh, boy! They got him this time¡­" and then she ran off, taking out her supple, 12 and quarter inches Applewood wand with Unicorn tail hair as its core. Darcie saw her disappearing behind the pile of books on the counter by the entrance to the back half of the bookshop and helped herself out, the bells chiming on the door as she stepped out. The chilly gusts had abated with the coming of the afternoon, but it was still cold enough for Darcie to wrap her hands about her. She looked to her right and saw the entrance to the Diagon Alley from the Leaky Cauldron quite far away. Then she looked to her left and decided today she would explore this side. "Dobby!" Darcie called out. Crack! The house-elf appeared beside her, his face freshly bruised. Yet, the moment he saw Darcie, he flung himself to her frock. "Dobby missed Miss Darcie!" he said, rubbing his moist eyes against the soft wool, all the while trembling under his thin clothing. Nothing could be done about it, for now, Darcie thought. "OK, stop weeping, now," she said, patting his egg-like head. "Come, I want to see Diagon Alley." Dobby''s eyes shone suddenly. He took out an old fork from under his red gown-like robe and spun. "Dobby will protect Miss Darcie," he declared, pointing the fork at a passerby who flinched away in disgust. Darcie felt amused. "Yes," she nodded. "Dobby, you will be my knight." She should have not said that to him, Darcie realized. The house-elf looked over his shoulders and his eyes seemed swollen and drowned in tears. After placating him once more, Darcie and Dobby continued downwards into the alley, side by side. The very first shop, next to the bookshop, to her left, was Quality Quidditch Supplies. Darcie matched the number 15 to the shop, confirming the map in her mind. Like the bookshop, this one too had lesser customers from what she had heard. Nevertheless, Darcie pushed the door in, Dobby leaping to her front. One or two customers looked at her, but because of the heavy padding of wool and other clothing, it wasn''t easy to associate her with the grand image Daily Prophet had used on its front page. All seemed more interested in Dobby, who was eying everyone as if they were his mortal enemies. A tall wizard came running to her. "Hello, young lady," he said, smiling at her. "Fancy something? Alone, are you?" Dobby pushed his way between the wizard and Darcie and straightened his back. "Miss is not alone," he said, narrowing his rather bulging eyes. "Miss is with Dobby."Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "A house-elf¡­" the wizard muttered knowingly. The presence of House-elf said many things about the person accompanying it. Like wealth, status, and background. "I am just looking around," Darcie told him after a small greeting. "Of course, of course," the wizard laughed. "I am the assistant here. If you like something, just let me know. You seem familiar¡­" Darcie didn''t let the wizard stare at her for long. With a hand on Dobby''s shoulder, she walked off, gazing at the dozens of polished brooms and hundreds of different accessories. After some 10 minutes, Darcie walked out with a large box in her hand. "Dobby," she said, passing the box to him, "this is a Broomstick Servicing Kit. Give it to Draco for me, OK?" Dobby took the box, snapped his fingers, and the box came to hover by his side. Then Darcie looked straight across the alley. Opposite the shop she had come out of, there was J. Pippin''s - potions for all ailments shop at number 70. Though Darcie wanted to dive right into this shop, her father had instructed rather strictly not to let anyone know she knew anything about brewing potions until taught by her mentor. Reluctantly, Darcie tore her eyes off the shop and the thousands of jars and vials that she could see through its windows, and her gaze then landed on the shop next to it. Fine Enchanting Cauldrons, at number 69, showcased many cauldrons of different sizes. But she had no interest in checking them out. Not yet. So the pair then carried on down the alley once more. A gap to her left suggested the entrance to the Horizont Alley. Just after crossing this gap, at its other corner, was a florist''s stall at the same place where Darcie had seen number 16 on the map. Darcie neared it. The owner was a plump witch, and she looked cheerful enough to her. Once the crowd cleared, and her turn arrived, Darcie greeted the witch, and said, "I want to buy some flowers for my mother." The witch smiled at her, but suddenly her smile stiffened. "You are¡­" "Yes?" Darcie asked, knowing well that the witch had recognized her. "That¡­ oh, never mind," the witch said, shaking her head and regaining the broad smile on her face. "Which ones would you like? I have these little ones who would sing upon smelling them. These here will compliment on beauty, and the tall ones here will tap dance when placed out of the vase." Darcie looked thoughtful as the witch kept describing one flower after another. "Mmm," she hummed, eying all of them, "one of each will do, then." "One of each¡­" the witch repeated, shocked. But then her gaze landed on the purse at Darcie''s waist, and once again she shook her head. Darcie moved on with the florist''s eyes planted on her back; one more box, containing the bouquet, hovered beside Dobby''s thin arms. She then gazed enough at different shops, standing by the entrance of Horizont Alley. Opposite the flower stall was the Daily Prophet''s main office at number 68, and a book-publishing storehouse by the name of Whizz Hard Books at 67. As she carried on, keeping herself to the left, Darcie arrived at shop No. 17, Madam Malkin''s Robes for All Occasions. This establishment had the most customers Darcie had seen after coming out of the bookshop. It didn''t keep her from entering it, though. The smell of clothes was heavy inside, Darcie observed, keeping Dobby close to her. She knew a few witches here might make a scene over his presence, and it would be good to not give them those chances. After some 15 minutes, the proprietrix, Madam Malkin, came to her, dressed in a thick, purple gown. She was a squat woman in her fifties, Darcie noticed, and like the florist, all smiles and cheery. Unlike the florist, however, the witch recognized Darcie the moment she neared her. "Good evening, Madam Malkin," Darcie greeted. "I would like to see some shawls for my father. He likes to remain in his study room till rather late in the evening." Madam Malkin opened and closed her mouth at her until Dobby dared to poke the witch with the fork in his hand. "Oh, yes, of course," she said, flinching. "Only yesterday I was reading the article on you, Ms. Malfoy. Let me help you choose the best piece we have this winter. Here, with me, if you please." At the mention of Ms. Malfoy, all witches who had their ears perched up in their direction snapped to look at the three of them. Darcie ignored the gazes, the whispers, and the shuffles of feet. She spent quite some time selecting a particular green shawl, listening to Madam Malkin''s reasons to buy this one. "Thank you for helping me with this," Darcie said, after paying for it. "You were ever so pleasant, madam." The weight of an eerie tension over Madam Malkin''s shoulders melted away instantly. She smiled at Darcie amiably, and said, "It''s not an issue, dear. Do return anytime you want." Darcie walked out of the shop, with three things hovering by Dobby''s side now. They then spent a significant amount of time checking out many brooms at Broomstix, which was opposite Madam Malkin''s shop and had the number 66 on the map. Carrying on, Darcie bought a gold-sparkling quill for Madam Villanelle, and a flashing inkpot for Mr. Hillam from Amanuensis Quills, shop no. 18. Now came the building Darcie had only once visited when she was very young. At no. 19, Gringotts Wizarding Bank looked as majestic as its images in the newspaper, Darcie observed. It was an imposing snow-white multi-storied marble building, with a set of white stairs leading up to burnished bronze doors, and goblins flanked the doors in a uniform of scarlet and gold. Darcie stared at the goblins and realized they looked meaner than then their portraits in magazines and books. Dobby looked up at her mistress and saw her gazing at the goblins. "Goblins are weaker than house-elves, miss," he said proudly. "Dobby is enough to handle these guards." Darcie patted the house-elf. "Don''t talk like that," she told him. "We aren''t here to rob the bank." So, with the last look, they marched on, making their way past the back and ever downward in the alley. Darcie bought ice cream for Dobby from Florean Fortescue''s Ice Cream Parlour, who slurped it down merrily despite it being winter. As they went on, and it seemed to Darcie she should return now, they had just crossed a second-hand bookshop when her eyes landed on the black building whose windows were glowing gold under the dimming evening light. At one glance, it looked old, narrow, and shabby, but its name, in thin gold lettering, attracted Darcie to itself with unmatched fascination. Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. "Let''s go, Dobby," Darcie said, crossing the alley already. "One last stop." 0243 A Symbol of Power! 04:35 pm, London In a dark alley, surrounded by tall buildings on either side and with only one entrance, a hooded figure was standing with its face hidden under a darker cowl. Suddenly, an audible popping sound echoed from the closed end of the alley. From the darkness, this new apparated figure walked out, one step after another. As this second figure neared the hooded one, its face came out in the open. It was a woman, her color dark, and her eyes like the gray of winter. She was Madam Villanelle. "Did someone see you?" the hooded figure asked, her voice also feminine. "No." Madam Villanelle took out her wand, and swished around both of them, creating a light fog. "I am on a 10 minutes break," she told the hooded one. "Have no worry, minister." "Do you have to call me so, V?" Millicent Bagnold took off her hood and asked, smiling. "I will always be Milli for you." The ladies shared a glance, smiled, and hugged each other. "So?" the minister of magic raised an eyebrow. Madam Villanelle sighed. "You were right, Milli," she said, her eyes shining brilliantly. "The little girl has a near-perfect memory. I''ve heard the muggles call it photographic memory. However, things aren''t limited to it. "Not only can she recall everything read by her before, but she can also make logical deductions based on the stored information. Her hunger for knowledge astounded me the most. It almost felt like the girl was holding herself back, and if she were to be permitted to let herself loose, then she would devour everything. "Something is truly odd going on, I agree. Her mind getting affected by the Chaotic Magic might have some truth to it." The minister looked thoughtful, but her eyes shared the same glint as Madam Villanelle''s. "I knew it was the right decision to separate her from a blood-supremacist family like the Malfoys," she whispered. "Talent like her is an unprecedented gift, but in the wrong hands¡­ I dare not imagine the possibilities." "What do you mean?" Madam Villanelle asked, puzzled. "Oh, V!" the minister shook her head. "I don''t know how to word it out¡­" Madam Villanelle''s eyes narrowed. "Milli," she said, nearing her more, "you aren''t letting yourself become a victim of rumors, are you? How could you think that? I thought you and Darcie were friends. The girl admires you so much. Have you no idea?"This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "I do!" the minister gritted out the words, leaning against the cool wall. "And knowing this pains my heart no less," she told V, her eyes moist. "You were away, V. You weren''t here. "Otherwise, you would have known how helpless the ministry was; how helpless I was when Voldemort was running amok in the Wizarding Community. Oh, I don''t fear his name. Yes. But if there are rumors about him, absurd or not, then I will pursue them." Madam Villanelle''s breath quickened. "Darcie Malfoy, the daughter of the Dark Lord," she said as if reading off a paper. "Even absurdness has its limit, Milli. You are playing with the emotions of the most outstanding child I''ve ever met, and you hide behind your just intentions. Like a coward! Moreover, she is a twin child." "We both know that means nothing, V," the minister said, looking away. "Voldemort''s powers knew no bounds. Only a fool would say otherwise. Even Dumbledore agreed with me, when we last talked, that the Dark Lord had gone beyond the realms of known magic. "And don''t accuse me of a crime I''ve not committed. You don''t know Darcie as I do. The bounds of a mansion, family, and relationships could''ve never held her back for long. "So, when she suggested to me her intentions of leaving her home and come here, I had agreed, despite knowing the controversy it would cause. All I want is one confirmation. "One nod to tell me that there is no connection between Darcie and Voldemort and that the worst wizard known to wizardkind hadn''t tempered with this child. The ministry is corrupt, V. That''s why I had to call you back. I can''t trust anyone. Even now, Lucius Malfoy is trying to unearth your classified files." Madam Villanelle looked furious. It was obvious that the minister''s explanations for her actions had failed to garner her sympathy. "For this one time, Milli," she told her. "For this one time, I will help you; for the sake of old times. You called me back; I did. You told me to meet the girl and become her mentor; I did. So, what do you want now?" The minister took a deep breath. "All I want is for you to monitor Darcie Malfoy for one month," Millicent Bagnold ordered. "Watch her minutely during your time with her in the bookshop. Observe her actions and follow her movements. "Give me the nod, I so desire, V. Give me the nod that she has nothing to do with Voldemort at the end of this month. Nothing would please my heart more than that nod. Believe me." Madam Villanelle looked into the eyes of her old mentor. Then she nodded. "I will do it," she said, her voice bitter. "What if she has nothing to do with you-know-who? Then what?" "Then¡­" the minister paused, licked her lips, and continued to say, "I want you to prepare her." "Prepare? Prepare her for what, exactly?" "You wouldn''t believe, V," the minister mumbled, turning around with Madam Villanelle at her back. "The idea came to me from the girl herself. For many nights I couldn''t sleep after hearing the words she had said to me a few months back. "I don''t know if Dumbledore can stop Voldemort again, for there is no doubt he is alive, just biding his time to come back. There will be no 1-year-old Harry Potter to survive the curse and send him back anymore, either. And I''ve seen the documents on young Harry, V. He is no Darcie Malfoy, let me tell you. "I don''t want the ministry to be only good enough to carry rotten wands this time. I don''t want us to be only good enough to make statements when the better wizards and witches had already sacrificed themselves. This time, I want to be prepared. And if that would need me to bend and twist all rules of the ministry, then I would do that too." Madam Villanelle''s eyes had widened in shock. "You¡­" the words got stuck in her throat, but she forced them out. "You want to rear that child into a weapon?! A weapon!! And you claim yourself to be her friend? Have you no shame left, Milli?!!" The minister of magic spun around and faced her apprentice with a hardened face. "Weapon?" she repeated the word. "No, V. Not a weapon. I want her to be a symbol¡­ "¡­ A Symbol of Power!" 0244 First Meeting with Ollivander! Darcie felt like she had stepped into the past when she entered the Ollivanders. Except for the evening light letting itself in through the open entrance, no other lamp or brazier was flaming inside the shop. It was cold, dark, and dusty. Something which Darcie both liked and disliked. Dobby kept himself closed to her, and both of their heads kept bobbing around, their eyes landing on the thousands of narrow boxes piled right up to the ceiling on shelves and covered under a thin blanket of gray dust. Except for a single, spindly chair in the far corner, the shop was all empty. Darcie took a few more steps in, her breath white and misty. Clung to her frock, she could feel the house-elf shivering, and for once, Darcie thought it was too cold even for her. "Hello?" the voice came from behind. Both Darcie and Dobby spun on their feet and looked up. The same old man, whom Darcie had seen in the morning at Brews and Stews'' parlor, was now standing at the entrance, closing off their means of escape. But this wasn''t a children''s tale. Nor did Darcie need a pat on her back to calm herself down. "Good evening, Mr. Ollivander," she greeted, taking in a freezing breath. "It''s an honor to make an acquaintance with the greatest wandmaker alive." Garrick Ollivander was an elderly man with pale silver eyes shining like two blurry stars on a cloudy night, and his skin was paler still. His head was full of bushy, white hair, and now, his face was having a hard time holding back the broad smile trying to arch his lips up. "I know you, young lady," he said, nearing her. "I recognized you in the morning, yes. What can I do for you, Ms. Darcie Malfoy, and her friend, eh?" The house-elf swelled his chest. "Dobby is my name, sir," he declared. "Dobby is Ms. Darcie''s knight." Darcie shook her head and patted Dobby''s head. Mr. Ollivander looked from Darcie to Dobby, and then back to Darcie. There was an odd glint in his eyes that the coldness of the shop hid from the other gazes. "I''ve read so much about you, Mr. Ollivander," Darcie explained, now shivering a bit. "How you revolutionized Wandmaking and the Wandlore itself, and I''ve even read many papers published by you." "Oh, have you now?" the Wandmaker chortled. "Well, that''s something we share among ourselves, then. I''ve been quite fascinated by reading your views in Magical Today myself. I see the cold is getting to you, young lady. "Would you care to join me for an evening tea? I am afraid I made Clutterbuck tell me about your circumstances. Do forgive her for my sake. It''s getting hard to curb my curiosities as I get older, it seems." Darcie nodded. They went inside, making their way through the many shelves storing the boxes, each having a wand inside them. Darcie''s heart thumped wildly. Often a deep breath would have calmed it down, but not today. Nothing she could do but walk, follow the owner and push her bubbling curiosity deeper into her mind from where the thoughts of reaching out and grabbing a box were generating like chaotic gusts of wind. Mr. Ollivander took them to a small room with a bed and two chairs near a fireplace. With two flicks of his wand, a fire roared in the hearth, and a steaming teapot and three cups appeared on the table placed between the two chairs. "It''s not as grand as the Malfoy Manor," he told them, sounding older than he looked, "but more than enough for me." Darcie helped herself to a chair. Mr. Ollivander sat opposite her, and Dobby sat down on the floor, keeping himself near to the fireplace. "You don''t mind him having tea, do you?" the wandmaker asked Darcie, pointing his chin at Dobby. The little girl and the house-elf looked at each other. "Why would I mind that?" Darcie asked, confused. Mr. Ollivander nodded and mumbled to himself.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Darcie could''ve sworn she noted a hint of a smile on his face, but by then the cups were flying towards them, and hers had more momentum than others. Once they had got the cups, the teapot whistled a tune, spitting out steam. It poured hot tea into their cups and returned to the table with a sigh. Darcie sipped. It smelled of home. "Good, right?" Mr. Ollivander commented. "Madam Rosa from Rosa Lee Shop sends me a jar of her best tea in summer and winter. It was just yesterday when the young Hufflepuff had bought her wand from me. Time flies. Sigh! "So, you didn''t tell me what you are doing in my shop, truly? Oh, I don''t doubt you have read my papers. But there is another reason." Darcie straightened herself. "You are right, Mr. Ollivander," she told him. "I want to learn Wandlore." Her declaration was like a bullet, and it reached the recipient, tearing and burning the air. "Cough! Cough!" the wandmaker snorted out the recent mouthful of tea he had sipped. "Are you alright?" Darcie asked, concerned. "Forgive me," Mr. Ollivander said, cleaning the table. "So, Wandlore, huh? May I ask why are you interested in learning it? Surely there is no use for a¡­" Whatever the old wandmaker was about to say, he held himself back from saying it. Darcie had put down the cup on the table, and it seemed the words no use had offended her somehow. "Wandlore is as old as Magic, if not older, I''ve learned, Mr. Ollivander," Darcie explained. "You must have read about my accident in the Daily Prophet. Let me tell you, there is some truth to it if not being entirely true. "After losing control, I decided to learn about wands and their relation to magic. But as time passed, I became more and more interested in this field, to a point that I couldn''t help but enter your shop when I saw it." Darcie''s childish voice had an edge to it, but her words were meticulous, clearly telling of her high birth. Mr. Ollivander observed her deeply. "Wandlore is an ancient field, I agree," he told her, regaining his composure. "One needs an extensive amount of magical knowledge, aptitude, and knack for practicing their hands at it. Even then, Ollivanders'' Wandlore has always stayed in the family. I am sorry, Ms. Darcie." Darcie looked down but said nothing. She returned to her tea and took several sips in succession, the silence in the room becoming grand meanwhile. "You live by yourself here, Mr. Ollivander?" Darcie asked after some time. "Yes," the wandmaker nodded. "After the passing of my wife last winter, I had moved myself to the shop. With no children, work seemed to be the best potion for loneliness." Darcie stared at him with a sadness in her eyes clearer than their cold, green colors. "I am sorry for your loss," she intoned. "May I confide something to you, Mr. Ollivander?" "Oh, yes, please!" the wandmaker smiled, leaning forward. "Old as I am, even I don''t get to meet such brilliant youngsters often." "As I told you, I got interested in wands after my accident," Darcie whispered, leaning forward as well. "So, after spending some time learning many books on magic and basic spellwork, I tried my mother''s wand." "And?" "Well, it worked fine," she told him. "But it also didn''t feel natural. I did confirm a theory of mine, though." A flame of curiosity was blazing in Mr. Ollivander''s eyes now. "Really?" he mumbled. "What is this theory you confirmed, then?" Darcie composed herself. "Since I can remember, I have these words that I followed," she said, looking at the teapot. "The first word is Specific. I must be specific enough about what I want (-Darcie''s eyes deepened as she looked at the teapot-). "The second word is Belief. I must have true faith, unbreakable confidence, and hope in my creation; in myself (-a dense magical aura churned around her like a whirlpool-). "And the last word is Intention. Intentions that must never waver, and must be backed up by solid foundations laid by Specific and Belief." As she finished, Darcie outstretched her gloved hands towards the teapot and unfurled her fingers. The teapot instantly squirmed, folding into itself, and from this chaos, tens of little birds spurted out, tweaking a song of ice and fire. "Merlin''s beard!" Mr. Ollivander gasped, as the birds flew out of the room, making a raucous. Darcie had more to say. "After playing with my mother''s wand, and using it to brew potions, which require precise use of wands," she said, making the old wandmaker look at her again, "I got some results of my own." "Miss Darcie should not tell him," Dobby cut in. "Master told not to¡­" Mr. Ollivander''s voice overpowers the squeak of the house-elf. "What results?" he asked, color rising to his face, and his lips quivering. Darcie saw no point in hiding, unlike Dobby. "I may be wrong, as I haven''t learned enough¡­" "Please, continue¡­" Mr. Ollivander urged. Darcie nodded. "I think," she said, "a wand somehow eliminates the need of being Specific and having Belief in oneself. How? I could not figure it out." Mr. Ollivander''s mouth was open wide, and he stared at Darcie with an extraordinary fascination. "I must go, now," Darcie said, pushing herself out of the chair. "Please don''t mention my use of Wandless Magic to anybody, Mr. Ollivander. I don''t want to be punished." With a rare smile, Darcie held Dobby''s hand and walked out, the old wandmaker following them with a stunned look on his face. Dobby collected the gifts they had placed near the entrance, and the pair stepped down the stairs, leaving the proprietor at the entrance. Darcie paused and turned around. "You can play with us anytime at the bookshop, Mr. Ollivander," she said, looking up at him. "You are not alone. Thank you for the tea." The legendary wandmaker''s face contorted as he saw Darcie and Dobby disappearing along with the thinning crowd. Many times, he opened his mouth to call out to them, his hand lifting and falling with every rise and fall of his thoughts. Then, with a long, pained sigh, he went back in. And as he closed the doors, they seemed to creak louder today; in cold and in reluctance. 0245 Making the Characters dance on his fingers - A new Hunt begins! Wednesday, 03 December 1986 02:00 am The second day at the bookshop had passed while hampering the advances of many reporters. None had any thought of keeping Darcie''s new life hidden under an invisibility cloak. That''s why they had allowed her to roam free in Diagon Alley, keeping the future in mind. By the time Darcie and her mentor arrived on the ground floor for dinner the first day, a large party of reporters had been waiting for them. Yet, Madam Villanelle had let no one come near Darcie and had rather tackled questions by herself. The ministry had already decided on answers for these scenarios. Nonetheless, another article detailing Darcie''s Malfoy new circumstances and her mentor, Madam Villanelle, had brought no less than hundreds of customers to the bookshop on the second day''s afternoon. It had almost felt like people had been coming to peek at a new, exotic creature who had just arrived at the zoo. Once it had been made clear that no one would be allowed to converse with Darcie casually, the fake customers had lost interest by the evening. Despite the thinning of the crowd, Madam Villanelle had found it prudent for Darcie to stay in the bookshop or return to her room for a few days directly after her afternoon lessons. On the top floor of Brews and Stews, in Darcie''s room, there was a suitcase lying on the floor in the fading light of the low fire. Inside the suitcase, there was a long hall, which was divided into two halves. On one half, there were many bookshelves lined against three walls with a sitting area between them. In the second half, there were many sofas, a long table and chairs, and a fireplace. Sitting on one chair by the fireplace with the journal on a small table in front of him, Kai wrote the last sentence of today''s entry. After sending the writing material back to his MRB, Kai sat down on the floor, facing the roaring fire. The fire made the countless scars on his naked body seem like dancing wraiths. Above the yellow sea of Mana in his mind, a room hovered in the great emptiness. Inside the room, Kai''s figure appeared, surrounded by only two runes. The rune to his left represented the end product of a month''s analysis, endless restructuring, and mind-bending calculations. The rune to his right represented one tiny part of a tale from the Book. The two runes closed, like boats sailing towards each other. There was no repulsion, but no attraction between them, either. The runes kissed. The left rune entered within the right, and the right entered within the left. When they had overlapped by around 90%, the fusion stopped. And the resistance exploded out of nowhere like a volcano. Yet Kai had no mind to force this fusion. He sighed and opened his eyes, coming out of his meditative state. I need more data, Kai reflected, helping himself back to the chair. I saw many books on runes in the bookshop, but I didn''t get a chance to let Mr. Hillam know to send them to me. Kai took out the Book and called out Petyr and Okabe. The characters appeared one after another and sat down near the fireplace, bringing two more chairs. "How does it feel, my lord?" Petyr asked, a sly smile playing on his lips. "The feeling of the entire world dancing on your fingers must be great, right? No, let me correct. An entire magical world, I should''ve said." "Mr. Storm, I am hungry," Okabe said, picking up a book from the long table behind him. "And something to drink. Dr. Pepper, perhaps. Do they sell it in London? Let''s check out. Hahaha!"Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Kai ignored the insane scientist''s existence. "I must say," he told Petyr, smiling, "this feeling does have an odd addiction to it. But we are not there yet. For now, it''s just setting the pace. The dance will come at the end, one last brilliant performance. By the time all would get to know that they were part of a play, the audience would have already left after giving a standing ovation." "Aren''t you worried about this new mentor, my lord?" Petyr asked, leaning back in the chair''s comfort. "The Daily Prophet yesterday had mentioned nothing related to Madam Villanelle. You know what that means, right? The ministry buried the news on her." Kai smirked. "The minister, you mean," he corrected. "Darcie''s dearest friend is being naughty, yes. But this had always been within my calculations. "If I were Millicent Bagnold, a great witch who had failed to do anything during the war against Voldemort, other than giving out a wonderful statement at the end, then I would be wary of the minute things related to the Dark Lord, too. Oh, she is enthralled by Darcie and her prospects. There are no doubts about that. It must be the rumors of Darcie being Voldemort''s bastard that are itching the old woman. "If I were in Bagnold''s shoes, then I would first separate Darcie from her dark background, her family. We took care of that for her. Then, I would send someone to monitor this little girl for discrepancies in her behavior, trying to make sure that she had no relation with the vanished Dark Lord. "But the ministry is corrupt, and the name, Malfoy, brings fear with it to the hearts and ears alike. In that case, given I could not do these things myself, I would rather send a most trustworthy candidate to do the job. A candidate who would answer to no one other than me personally." "So," Petyr continued, "Madam Villanelle is this candidate. I agree, my lord. The question is, for how long will this observation last?" Kai massaged his head. "We would know soon enough," he said, frowning. "Remember, I did plant the idea of the world needing a Symbol of Power within the minister. Once Madam Villanelle finishes stuffing Darcie with children''s tales and gets down to real magical studies, then it would mean she had given a positive nod to the minister. "I can already see the hundreds of rules Ms. Bagnold will break to rear Darcie as a weapon. The bitch would sure call it something else; fucking hypocrite! Heh!" The scoff at the end made Kai wince again. "Your headache has returned, Mr. Storm," Okabe observed. "Golduck''s mind jewel, perhaps?" Kai nodded. "Not to mention," Petyr added, "your mental state is getting more unstable despite the use of the journal, my lord." Okabe rubbed his chin. "This was bound to happen, Lab Member 003, Mr. Fingerrrrr," he told Petyr in quite an animatic way, stretching out the last words. "The more Darcie interacts with others, the more Mr. Storm will have trouble suppressing his thoughts behind her true nature. "Add the return of headaches, and now he will have to suppress the pain these bouts of migraine will bring to Darcie as well. Pain will not differentiate between the two Actors. For it, both Darcie and Kai are the same. If I were to make a guess, then Mr. Storm''s condition would worsen before stabilizing for good later. An equilibrium will come, but it will take time." Only for these statements did Kai tolerate the annoying presence of the scientist. One would never know when he would say truly meaningful and crucial sentences. Not to mention, Rintaro Okabe had been developing a new field of Magical Engineering independent of Kai''s orders. After hearing a few of his raw ideas, Kai had decided to let the character read as many books as possible whenever he took him out. If only he would stop spouting nonsense, Kai thought, taking a deep breath. Tch! "The wandmaker gave Darcie a blunt rejection, Mr. Storm," Okabe said, chuckling. "I think it would have been wise to reincarnate into an old woman and give the old man a few children. Then¡­" Okabe''s words were cut short as Kai looked at him. "One day," he whispered, his voice creaking, "I will give you a body, Okabe. Then I will hack you into pieces and feast on you. Isn''t that something to think about?" "You wouldn''t like my taste, Mr. Storm," Okabe suggested, sweating. "Also, who is this Okabe? I am Hououin Kyouma, the¡­" "Anyway," Petyr said, his voice trailing like the tongues of fire, "when are we starting the another business for which you have come to Diagon Alley, my lord?" Kai''s eyes narrowed. "Today," he told them, noticing that there were still two hours to his Identity Period. "The sooner the better." "As you say, my lord," Petyr said slyly, standing up as well. Kai looked at his right hand, where the imprints of ten long fingers were visible like mysterious marks. He remembered what the user of Rinnegan had told him about it. I can''t worry about these right now, he reasoned, steeling himself. When the time comes, even Death will have to bow to me. I will get all the answers, then. "Come, Petyr," he commanded. "Let the hunt begin!" Okabe disappeared first. Then, with a bow, Petyr''s figure blurred and entered Kai. Outside the suitcase, embers were glowing like tiny, red stars in the hearth. The suitcase was lying on the floor, lifeless and motionless. Suddenly, its top half blew open, and a dense, foul coldness seeped out. A shriveled, skeletal hand, like that of a corpse, rose out of it and grabbed the edge of the suitcase. The foulest creature known to the wizardkind across the Multiverse was making its debut in this world. It was the return of Dementor-Kai¡­ ¡­ and there was a slab-like ring on its rotten, scabbed fingers. 0246 Witch Hunter - Dementor Blood Essence Upgrades! There were three prime reasons for Kai to nudge Darcie to come to Diagon Alley for indefinite stay. First ¡ª Knowledge. Second ¡ª Freedom to interact and make connections. Third ¡ª A solid alibi. Coupled with the Sling Ring, which Kai had been saving to meet its Requirements for so long, and he could let out his inner demon to the very ends of the world without getting prosecuted for it. ¡­ [ Item: Sling Ring Grade: Uncommon Specification: A small two-finger mystical ring Requirement: 1. Correspondence >10 2. Perception >10 3. Breath >7 4. Elementary Sorcery/Elementary Magical Aptitude Attributes: 1. Mana Consumption: 0-100 MP 2. Spiritual Energy Consumption: 0-50 SP 3. Reach: 5000 km Skill: Not Applicable Effect: 1. Create an Inter-Dimensional Portal to another location 2. The further the location, the more the Consumption Warning: 1. Subject to failure due to lack of accurate and precise visualization 2. Each ring is uniquely crafted for its wearer Quality: 73% ] ¡­ After gaining the Magical Aptitude Ability, there weren''t many places in this Random World where Kai couldn''t teleport to using the ring. Not to mention, he needed to hunt wizards for their souls and upgrade his Dementor Blood Essence while simultaneously obtaining Breath Attribute Points out of his Set Quota. Hunting the wizards and witches in Diagon Alley would attract unnecessary eyes, he knew. However, using the Sling Ring, he could be anywhere in moments, effectively taking care of any doubts regarding Darcie as well once the disappearances piled up. ¡­ Somewhere in England, Darcie had been to many wizarding communities. With Kai''s mind, he could perfectly recall those memories. A golden circle broke through the space and Dementor-Kai slithered out of it, bringing with it a bone-chilling coldness. -Selene,- he hissed, a broken breath escaping out of the creature''s mouth, hidden under the hood. A silver mist burst out of the floating figure and bellowed like the tattered black cloak around it before disappearing. The Ghost Basilisk''s Intangibility and Earth Vibration Sense were the most potent tools in Kai''s arsenal for explorations and hunts. At this hour, a dense fog had claimed the entire region. Kai flew down into the alley in front of him, drowning himself in the sea of gray mist. There was no sign of life, no sound, and no light other than the glow of the moon behind the clouds. Once the foul creature plunged itself into the mist, even that glow abandoned it. Wizards'' souls, Kai thought, the words making his heart palpitate. Last time, when he had arrived at the Harry Potter World, Kai hadn''t had time to perceive a wizard''s soul before departing to the Pokemon World. So he didn''t have any clue where these souls stood on his table of food sources with prime qualities. Now, however, not only did he have a clue, but he also found there was nothing better than it. Not even a Pokemon''s soul. There was something about the wizard''s soul that made his Glitch itch, arousing the Dementor within him.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. It made him hungry. His breath rattled as he sensed residents all around him. Her arrival couldn''t have been more timely. -Master,- she hissed, appearing to his left. -I found one.- -How many?- Kai asked, his breath an unnerving combination of hiss and despair. -Any sign of Contestants?- There was this one thing that Kai had learned about the wizardkind. No matter how potent their magic was, or how good they were at casting spells, they were weak, prone to be killed as easily as muggles. If he were to ambush one, keeping himself hidden and out of the wizard''s reach, then he might not need to face the wizard''s magic in an all-out brawl. The only problem was to finish the job as soon as possible. Because if his hunt were to alert others, or the wizard was to apparate, then it meant saying goodbye to further hunts. Then there were Contestants. Till now, Kai had not chanced upon any Contestant, and they would keep themselves away from Darcie, what with her being a main-storyline Character and a child besides. But these nightly hunts were another matter. If a Contestant was to see him attacking a wizard, then it would mean a reward for him. As he could then report a Dementor''s presence in the Diagon Alley to the ministry, or worse, try to catch a Dementor by gathering more Contestants. Such scenarios must be avoided, and there was only one way. -No.- Selene hissed thoughtfully. -There were no weak magical presences within a 200 radius around the target, master.- Now she hissed again, sounding more murderous than before. -I can''t wait to devour his flesh,- she told him. -Hurry. Follow me.- Kai could scarcely blame Selene. The tips of his fingers were already throbbing as he thought of the Soul Points. Selene took him to a secluded area deeper into the alley. It was then he heard footsteps. -You know what to do,- Kai hissed, gliding towards a corner. -Don''t kill him.- -Haha!- Selene''s laugh had an edge. She burst into silver mist and fused herself with the dense, cold fog around them. The wizard had come close now. His hand flicked, and Kai took out a gold coin he had stored in his MRB. He threw it in the middle of the alley. The moment Kai saw the wizard''s silhouette, he flew up, keeping himself out of sight. It was a stout man, covered under a thick woolen cloak and hat. Even in the darkness, the gold coin was easily noticeable. It caught the wizard''s eye, who immediately paused. "What huge luck!" a hoarse voice echoed in the alley. But the wizard didn''t approach it. He first took out a wand, looked around, and then warily walked to the coin. He crouched, poked the coin with the wand, and getting no response, picked it up. And the moment the wizard''s shoulders relaxed after putting the coin in his pocket, sensing false security, Kai lunged at him. Keeping himself to the wizard''s back, and just inside the limit of a 3-meter radius, Kai slithered up to him and took a deep, rattling breath. A profound chill took over the wizard as happiness got sucked out of him, replaced by despair. The wizard spun, his knees buckling. He pointed the wand at Kai and got stunned at the sight of Dementor, his hand shaking like a leaf. Kai couldn''t let go of this opportunity. He neared the wizard, now only 2 meters apart, and once more sucked out his hope and happiness. The wizard''s mouth opened wide. A scream, louder than the silence, was just sitting in his throat. And if he were to scream now, it was all lost for Kai. Suddenly, something took form midair between the wizard and Dementor Kai. An incredibly beautiful, white-scaled serpent. It had two eyes, both glazed, and there was a vertical gash in the middle. The gash parted like a slit. The wizard''s eyes fell on the stony-gray well of darkness, and he didn''t even get to cast a spell. All who looked at Selene''s third eye were bound to become stone. There was no moment to lose. Dementor-Kai held out his hands and traced a circular path using his left hand''s fingers, concentrating on Darcie''s room. A golden ring appeared in front of him, letting him see Darcie''s bed beyond its boundary. Kai held the petrified wizard in his arms and flew at his max speed to Darcie''s room. Canceling the Skill, he threw the Sling Ring back to his Inventory before any Contestant could trace it to Diagon Alley. Then, he plunged into the suitcase. Meanwhile, Kai kept repeatedly sucking happiness and hope out of the petrified target, preparing for his Skill. When he could sense no more sweetness on his tongue, Kai moved forward. ¡­ [ Skill Dementor''s Kiss Activated Time Limit: 30 Seconds ] ¡­ There was no describing this feeling. An otherworldly cool sensation coursed down his throat like drinking the divine mead. Where all previous souls had felt to Kai as a drop, this soul was more of a swallow. ¡­ [Soul Points: +3] ¡­ 3¡­ Kai saw the number, astonished. The number 3 also signified one more thing. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn Your Dementor Blood Essence has upgraded Upgrade Reward: +1 Breath (Not Applicable to the Set''s Quota) ¡­ Blood Essence: Dementor Grade: D+ (growth: 11.3/25) Specification: Devour souls to upgrade itself. The devoured souls will be digitalized, and the Contestant must fill the growth bar to upgrade the Blood Essence Skills: 1. Breath Snatcher (Grade: D) 2. Dementor''s Kiss (Grade: D+) [+3 Breath upon upgradation] 3. Dementors Progenitor (Grade: ? -locked) Note: A Skill''s grade will upgrade automatically with the upgrading of the Blood Essence''s grade ] ¡­ Kai beamed. An Attribute Point outside of his Set Quota was always welcomed. It was especially now when his Set Quota had become 50 Points for the 2nd Set. To Kai''s relief, his Skills had advanced as well, it seemed. Breath Snatcher upgraded to D from D-. Even though Dementor''s Kiss'' grade didn''t change, it now offered 3 Breath Points upon meeting the new Soul Points criteria. Then there was Dementors Progenitor¡­ a baffling mystery. But this wasn''t the time to pry into it. Kai took out Murasame and plunged it into the soulless wizard''s heart. More notifications followed the moment the cursed poison finished its duty. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn¡­ You have achieved a Milestone ¡­ Milestone: Kill your first wizard or witch from Harry Potter Random World Milestone Rewards: 1. Perception +1 2. Strength +1 ¡­ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn¡­ You have unlocked 1 Title ¡­ Title: Witch Hunter Specification: Kill 10 Wizards or Witches collectively Status: (1/10) Effect: 1. Correspondence +3 2. Perception +1 to +5 Note: The increase in Perception depends upon the quality of kills ] ¡­ 2 Points?! Kai tore his shocked eyes off the notification. He had only 20 minutes left until his Identity Period''s end. First, he stripped the wizard naked, searching for any Item. But found nothing of importance. He took the wand, then. Here, too, he found a wooden stick, and nothing else. It was too rare to encounter Items on wizards like this, but this was also the only way to get Items. One thing he had already confirmed was that he couldn''t just brew potions in Darcie''s form, and then use them as Items later. Meg had already told him that every Item, irrespective of the grade, would need a special course of action from the Contestant''s side to get it. So, without giving it another thought, Kai threw the clothes and the wand into the fire. The fire blazed, roared, and then devoured the wand, letting out sparks. The rest, as always, was a bloody and hideous business. Slithering around his shoulders, Kai could hear the saliva in Selene''s moist hisses. 0247 Robbery at Diagon Alley! Friday, 5 December 1986 03:05 pm "So the books are still there somewhere in England, then?" Darcie asked, her eyes shining brilliantly. "No one knows," Madam Villanelle shook her head. "One of the three original books was last seen in the 1700s near North Berwick. A few hardcore Warlocks are searching for it." There was no question about why they were still searching for them, and it was apparent that the search might last forever. Darcie believed the nature of such books, and the material they contained, was worth every moment spent in their search. Madam Villanelle shut the book in her lap then. It was a thick book with hard black and brown covers. Its title - Daemonologie, In Forme of a Dialogue: the Magical Truth, glistened silver against gold. They had started their studies in European Witchcraft and folklore two days ago. And with Darcie devouring the knowledge like a depthless mire, even though the sessions had lasted only for 2 to 3 hours, they soon found themselves face to face with an old myth that had been inspiring wizardry researchers, authors, and had assisted in the creation of contemporary witchcraft. The original book, Daemonologie, In Forme of a Dialogue, written by the high and mighty prince, James I by the grace of the God King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, listed a plethora of magical creatures, including demonic rituals to call them to the real world under one''s control. The Book, as of now, stood lost in the river of time but was not forgotten. "Is the chiaroscuro woodcut, The Witches, by the muggle artist, Hans Baldung, inspired by this?" Darcie asked, remembering a particular relief she had seen at her home. Madam Villanelle raised an eyebrow. "You are right," she told her. "How do you know of it, Darcie?" "We have the original print at our home," she told her mentor. "But¡­ that must have cost a fortune¡­" Madam Villanelle mumbled, shocked. "Ahem! Anyway, we will continue next week, and discuss the myth of the Witch of Endor. Go on, now. Look, your friend is here." Friend? Darcie repeated the word, confused. Suddenly, the tiny bells at the door rang behind her. Darcie''s back was facing the door, and they were sitting behind the main counter. She stood up, spun, and lifted herself onto her toes. With the stack of books in front of her, she barely saw the incomer. Yes, a friend, indeed. Darcie came out in the open and neared her. "Daphne," she said, bringing her to the main counter. "Meet Madam Villanelle. Mentor, this is Daphne Greengrass." Daphne had met with Darcie''s mentor, but because of Lucius and Narcissa occupying the newly appointed Assistant Manager, she hadn''t gotten the chance to interact with her. "Good evening, Madam Villanelle," Daphne greeted, giving a curtsy. "You look ever so lovely in purple. Darcie told me you are an incredible witch, with extensive knowledge of Ancient Magical History. It''s an honor to make an acquaintance with you." Then Daphne went quiet, standing close to Darcie. Both girls looked at Madam Villanelle with calm and composed eyes. The witch greeted Daphne back with an odd expression. "If I didn''t know about you two," she told the girls, "then I would have thought you were sisters. Both of the same pot, huh? I guess that''s the most you have spoken this month."If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "Yes." Darice and Daphne said together. Among themselves they shared a lot, but with a third person, the girls were as weird and quiet as anyone could be. The corner of Madam Villanelle''s mouth twitched. "OK," she finally said, letting out a sigh. "Now I know the reporters will not bother you, Darcie. The minister talked with the Daily Prophet and the reporters. Still, I don''t want you two to go beyond Ollivander''s shop. By 5, you two must be back, and off to your homes. Alright?" The girls nodded. As the studies were only planned for five days a week, it was decided by her parents and the minister that Darcie would spend the weekends at home, going to the Malfoy Manor Friday evening, and then returning by Sunday night after dinner. "Off you go, then." Madam Villanelle shushed them away. "And don''t forget to call the house-elf!" she shouted as the girls left the shop, her voice dying with the chiming of the bells. Darcie and Daphne kept close, their arms brushing each other. The evening chill seemed to have pervaded the afternoon. Every day felt like it would see the first snow of the season now. "Did your mother come with you?" Darcie asked, looking into the Brews and Stews through the windowpanes. "Mmm-hmm," Daphne nodded. "She told me to come straight home, though." "This is also my second time outside because of the reporters," Darcie told her. "Dobby!" A loud crack and the house-elf apparated by their side. "Dobby is so happy, Ms. Darcie!" the house-elf breathed. "Dobby brought you freshly baked cupcakes. Ah! Dobby didn''t know Miss'' friend would be here¡­" Daphne patted Dobby''s head. The girls were only slightly taller than the house-elf if it was not for his slouching stature. Darcie was an inch taller than Daphne, but with the winter clothing on them, it was hard to tell the difference. "Come," Darcie said, eying the cupcake and gulping. "Let me show you all the shops." The group of three marched on down the alley, with the various shop owners eying Darcie as she went by introducing Daphne to the shops. By now, the entire Diagon Alley knew that the daughter of Lucius Malfoy, the said prodigy, and the rumored child, was staying at Brews and Stews and pursuing her studies at Flourish and Blotts under the new Assistant Manager, about whom they knew little. "Are you practicing?" Daphne asked, her eyes darting around restlessly. It was her second time here in the Diagon Alley, but the first time without the company of her parents. There was a wildness in freedom, Darcie knew. She had already tasted it. "Yes, but it''s not satisfactory," she told her. "Without a wand, I can''t practice brewing potions. But I am learning new and exciting things. So that''s something." Then Darcie told Daphne about her last exploration, meeting with Mr. Ollivander, and the topic her mentor was teaching her now. If it was anyone else, they would have looked jealous. Not Daphne. But the absence of jealousy had nothing to do with the presence of desire. Like Darcie, Daphne too had a penchant for learning Magic, and her magical aptitude was better than most, if not at Darcie''s level. "We knew this would take time," Daphne said, staring at the Quality Quidditch Supplies shop. Darcie had to nod. Eating cupcakes, the girls crossed the entrance of the Horizont Alley. "Good evening, Ms. Tabatha," Darcie greeted the florist. The witch had come yesterday to the bookshop, bringing a flower for Darcie. "How are you?" "It''s winter, and I am not cold," the old witch said, smiling affectionately. "Who might this be? A friend." Darcie introduced Daphne. "Oh, well!" the florist blurted, taking out two blushing flowers. "Take these, you two. Don''t go too far. I heard somebody went missing in Knockturn Alley." "Dobby will protect the two Misses," the house-elf proclaimed, taking out his weapon; the silver fork. The girls then moved on. Darcie greeted Madam Malkin, who came out of the shop seeing her, looking quite cheerful than the last time they had met. The old witch took an immediate liking to Daphne and refused to let the girls go without showing them the new stock that had arrived yesterday. By the time they reached the Ice Cream Parlor, passing the Gringotts Wizarding Bank, it had already become too late. Darcie bought another ice cream for Dobby, whispering the house-elf''s favorites in Daphne''s ears. She then reached for the purse at her waist to pay for the ice cream. "Huh?!" Darcie exclaimed. "What happened?" Daphne asked, her eyes adjusting to see what Darcie was looking at. Darcie had opened the purse, but in place of Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts, there was only emptiness there. She had been robbed. Dobby was also looking at the purse, and his big, green eyes were bulging out in fury. "There!" Daphne suddenly shouted, pointing further down the alley. A black furry thing was running down through the wizards'' and witches'' legs. Darcie saw the faintest hint of gold in its hand before the glint disappeared for good. "Dobby will not let the thief go!" The house-elf lifted his both arms, carrying ice cream in one and the silver fork in another, and ran for the vanishing black blur. "No!" "Wait, Dobby!" The girls cried, shared a glance, and then fell into a run, the prospects of a hot pursuit making them smile. 0248 The Niffler and First Meeting with Hagrid! Darcie hadn''t recognized the magical creature at the first sight, what with it being blurry and running away from them. Now that she had glimpsed it twice, there was no mistaking it. It was a Niffler. The coat of black, fluffy fur, the odd gait with which it was dashing in a zig-zag pattern, and the way it kept stopping to look behind as if taunting its pursuers. Yes, all pointed in one direction. A rogue Niffler had robbed Darcie, stealing all her money and her belongings, including the whistle that Madam Villanelle had given her for emergencies. "It must have run away from Magical Menagerie!" Darcie shouted, running, covering as much distance as her tiny legs allowed her in a single jump. "The shop''s further down the alley!" The wizards and witches eyed the girls, running behind a house-elf, who seemed to scream at nothing. By the time someone processed what was going on, they had already passed them. Darcie and Daphne, panting, passed the second-hand bookshop, an apothecary shop, and then the Eeylops Owl Emporium. It was then the black, blurry magical creature took a sudden right turn and vanished. Dobby vanished, too, screaming, the ice cream already gone. Darcie slowed down, and Daphne was about to follow the two magical beings into the turn listlessly when Darcie grabbed her hand. "Wait!" she said, taking in successive bouts of icy breaths. "This is Knockturn Alley, Daphne. We mustn''t go there." "Knockturn¡­" Daphne repeated the word, stepping back. Suddenly, Dobby''s shouts reached their ears, along with a beastly snarl and scream. The girls looked at each other, took a deep breath, and nodded. Keeping themselves to the wall as if then nobody would see them, the girls crawled into the alley. As they went down, it kept becoming darker and darker. A few hooded wizards grinned at them from behind their cowls, and the hags'' eyed them greedily as they brushed by them, looming over them like a leaning tower. Darcie noticed the Scribbulus Writing Implements and Gladrags Clothing to her left, where the two shops were supposed to be as per the map in her mind. Near the second shop, the alley took a right turn, becoming creepier. And just at the turn, in a corner, they saw Dobby struggling with the Niffler, trying to get a hold of it. "Dobby, wait!" Darcie shouted, and ran towards him. Nifflers were dangerous creatures if provoked, but the house-elf didn''t know that. As the girls approached Dobby, they saw him rolling over the wet cobbled street with the creature in his embrace. The Niffler opened its mouth wide, and under the widened eyes of the girls, it bit the house-elf''s shoulders. A trickle of blood dropped and Dobby let out a tiny scream. The magical creature, now free, ran away. "Dobby, stop!" Darcie ordered. "Don''t go behind it. Take care of your injury first." The house-elf, though rejected and reluctant, obeyed the command of his mistress. It was now or never, Darcie knew. They must do something. "Daphne, give me a coin," Darcie demanded. Daphne nodded knowingly. She reached for her purse, but the moment she touched it, her hand stiffened. She slowly opened it, and it looked emptier than Darcie''s purse. Now what? Darcie looked around, and her eyes fell on the flower in her hand. She broke a petal off it, and the flower let out an anguished scream. "Oh, shut up!" Darcie told it and then concentrated on her magic. Specific. Belief. Intention. Her Magic followed her command, and the petal transfigured into a gold coin. It was larger than the official one, Darcie observed. But that was good as well in this scenario. She threw the coin, and it struck the ground with a tink. The Niffler stopped. It turned around, perched up its long snout, and slowly neared the coin that had rolled its way towards the creature. The Niffler held the coin in its two tiny arms, bit at it, and then put it into its pouch. And Darcie knew she had it then. She broke off another petal, transfigured it into a gold coin, and rolled it towards the Niffler. The creature approached the coin and put it into its pouch, too.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. One by one, Darcie kept making the Niffler approach them. Meanwhile, Daphne had moved away to her right and Dobby to her left. By the time the last petal disappeared, the Niffler had come just a step away from them, surrounded. "Now!" Darcie shouted, and the three lunged at it. She grabbed its legs, Daphne grabbed its arms, and Dobby poked at its back with the silver fork in his hand, though these pokes lacked the heart behind them. "Shake it," Daphne suggested, the Niffler squealing like a mouse. "Yes." And then came the roar. "Gulpin'' gargoyles!" the voice boomed behind them. "What yeh think yeh doin'' with him, eh?" Darcie, Daphne, and Dobby faced up the entrance of the Knockturn Alley. A giant shadow was standing there, its face hidden behind what seemed like black bushes. The black silhouette had covered half of the entrance by itself; such was its size, and now it was coming for them, the ground thumping with every step. From where the house-elf found his courage, none knew, but it threw itself between the giant and the girls. "Dobby will not let you hurt the two Misses," the house-elf squeaked, shaking, pointing a finger towards the giant. "Dobby is Ms. Darcie''s knight!" The giant stopped and looked down at them with his beetle-like eyes. Now that he had closed the gap, Darcie and Daphne could see the man surfacing out of the shadow. In front of him, the group of three looked like overgrown shoes. Darcie steeled her courage as well. "Why should we let it go?" she asked. "It stole our gold." Daphne nodded almost mechanically. "Stole?" the giant repeated the word. "Codswallop! Burby wouldn'' steal anythin''." "Burby?" "Burby," the giant nodded. "That''s me niffler, yeh got there. Steal¡­ Nah, mighta bin someone else. Isn'' that right, Burby?" But Burby didn''t know how to lie. The Niffler let out a self-condemning squeal and looked away from the giant. "¡­" An odd silence took over the strangest group of four, then. The giant licked his lips, and then his eyes fell on Darcie. He squinted his eyes. "I know yeh," he said, leaning forward. "Aren'' yeh the Malfoy girl from Daily Prophet? Thought I saw yeh somewhere. What yeh doin'' here?" Darcie lifted the Niffler higher. "Getting our gold back," she told him. "Who are you?" "Blimey! Burby, yeh damn¡­" he said, stepping back apologetically. "Call me Hagrid, everyone does. I''m Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts ¨C yeh''ll know all about Hogwarts, o'' course." Of course, she knew all about Hogwarts. Of course, she had heard about Hagrid as well. Rubeus Hagrid was the Keeper of the Keys of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A giant of a man, and if she remembered her father''s offhand remarks about him correctly, then a big oaf with no brains, too. Darcie had imagined a troll-like figure, then. Now that she saw him, Hagrid seemed to have more intelligence than a troll, at the least. Besides, even after remembering where he had seen her, Hagrid didn''t look at her with the same eyes as most of the strangers at the first time upon meeting her. For that, she was almost glad. "I am Darcie Malfoy," she introduced herself in return. "This is my friend Daphne Greengrass. And Dobby is our house-elf." Dobby''s chest swelled at the mention of his name. Hagrid regarded the two girls and the house-elf queerly. "Well, it''s best fer yeh ter not ter remain here," he smacked his lips. "Shady place, Knockturn Alley. Yer fathers would know everythin'' abou'' it¡­" "What''s that supposed to mean?" Darcie demanded, frowning. Daphne showed her puzzlement, along with her. "Ah, never mind," he said, looking away. "Le'' me help get yer gold back from Burby. Then I''ll drop yeh two ter the Brews and Stews, eh?" Darcie and Daphne shared a glance and nodded. "Dobby," Darcie called out, "let him pass." Dobby moved aside but kept his tennis ball-sized eyes on Hagrid with a mean look. Hagrid took the Niffler from the girls and then shook it. Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts came pouring out of its pouch, along with many random assortments. Darcie saw her whistle, a pair of earrings, a ring, and a gold tooth. The girls lifted their heads to look at Hagrid, whose face had gone all red in shame. When both girls had taken their share from the pile at Hagrid''s foot, the giant threw the Niffler into a pocket of his enormous moleskin overcoat. He first looked at the leftover shiny objects and then at the girls. Fumbling around his pockets for some time, Hagrid took out three brown-colored objects. "Here," he said, giving one each to the trio. "Rock Cakes. Cooked meself! Eh, this stuff¡­ would yeh mind not mentionin'' it ter yer parents? I''ll find their owners, o'' course." Darcie rubbed her fingers against the heavy cake in her hands. It truly felt like a rock to her. Though, the suggestion did seem best for all. If Madam Villanelle or her mother would get to know they had been robbed and that they followed the thief to the Knockturn Alley, then it would mean a generous flogging for Dobby. They might not allow her to spend her evening in the Alley anymore, either. Daphne must have been thinking the same. "Ok." They said together. Hagrid relaxed and let out a nervous laugh. "Come then, yer two," he told them, pushing them towards the entrance. "It''s already darkenin'' out there. Burby! Go back! I saw yeh." The Niffler squealed, dropping back into the pocket. They walked out of the Knockturn Alley and made their way up on the Diagon Alley towards Leaky Cauldron. Under the hulking figure of Hagrid, the girls and Dobby were nigh impossible to be noticed. Darcie looked at the cake again and saw Daphne trying to make an impression on it using her thumb. She had a mind to take a bite. Suddenly, a crunching sound came from their front. Dobby clutched the side of his mouth, taking out the rock cake that had bite marks all over it. The girls lost their appetite instantaneously. Going up, Darcie paid Mr. Florean for the ice cream she had bought for Dobby. She bought two new ones. One she gave to Dobby and the other she gave to Hagrid. "Thank yeh!" Hagrid took the ice cream shyly. "I get meself whenever I come outta here. Good man, Florean." They found Madam Villanelle waiting for them, standing outside the bookshop. "Where were you two?" she demanded. "Have you no regard for the time, young ladies?" Darcie and Daphne looked down. "Eh¡­" Madam Villanelle looked at Hagrid now and smiled. "Hello, Hagrid," she greeted. "Thank you for bringing them back. You must have recognized them (-Hagrid agreed listlessly-). You don''t remember me, do you? Well, never mind. It was so long ago. Would you stay for tea?" "No," Hagrid rejected the offer, his face becoming redder than before. "I must go now. Eh¡­ summat'' ter do with Nifflers. OK, yeh two, see yeh again." Then he ran off, taking bigger steps than his already big ones. Darcie and Daphne looked over their shoulders and saw the Niffler sneaking out of his pocket. "What was all that about?" Madam Villanelle asked, her eyes narrowing. The girls shrugged, sharing a small smile between them. 0249 Daemonologie, In Forme of a Dialogue - The Mysterious Book! Darcie couldn''t fathom why the weekend ended so fast. Her Saturday dissolved into flying broomsticks all day long with Draco, trying to counter the new move he had developed. It turned out he hadn''t faked the boast that Darcie won''t be able to catch him, especially using only the Comet 220. The Malfoy Manor had lit up with the children''s shouts, Narcissa''s warnings and concerned shrieks, and Dobby''s cheery hoorays. Lucius had returned late that night, so the father and daughter spent the entire Sunday brewing potions. Potioneering required precise spellwork which Darcie could only do using a wand, and that too only her mother''s. She had tried using her father''s, but the results weren''t satisfactory. Her constant practice of Wandless Magic, unknown to her parents, was coming closer to casting spells verbally, using a wand. But, like the overgrown transfigured gold coin, the Control still fluctuated now and then. When she wasn''t studying, Darcie had visited the many portraits of ancient wizards in the Long Galley on the 2nd floor of the Manor, asking for the myth of he book ¡ª Daemonologie, In Forme of a Dialogue. Only on Sunday evening, just a few hours before her departure, did she get to know something substantial. ¡­ "Good evening, professor," Darcie greeted the ancient witch. "I am incredibly sorry to disturb you so." "Humph!" the witch in the portrait scoffed. "Nonsense. Any Malfoy can approach me in need. Especially you dear. Tell me, how many mudbloods have you interacted with recently?" There was a nasty sneer on her face as she mentioned the muggles. Professor Elizabeth Burke was a witch and headmistress of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry before 1925. She was a hardcore Pure-Blood Supremacist, and it was clear to say that she hated muggles and their presence in the Wizarding Community. Now, this was not the only portrait that belonged to a Headmaster or Headmistress of the Magical Schools in Britain. But it was the most special. Professor Burke, when she was still alive and well, had gifted this portrait to her great-grandfather Septimus II Malfoy personally. In terms of sentience and living characteristics, this portrait was only second to her portrait in the Headmaster''s office of Hogwarts, her father had told Darcie many times. And Darcie, as composed and reserved as she was, was used to sharing a great deal of life with the portraits in the Long Gallery, where she spent most of her time since she could remember.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Greatness had many faces. These portraits were just a few of its appearances. "Not one," Darcie told her calmly. Professor Burke''s chest swelled with pride. She nodded at her, and said, "Well, out with dear. Ask away?" Darcie briefly told her the things she had learned last Friday and mentioned her interest in learning more about the book. The old witch observed Darcie from beyond the living realm. "Hmm," she hummed, looking thoughtful. "Your mentor told you the truth of it, dear." Darcie''s eyes were shining with curiosity. More wizards and witches had left their portraits and were gathering around the nearby portraits to listen. Professor Burke looked around, narrowing her eyes, but ignored them. Her eyes found Darcie then, and a smile surfaced on her face. "What do you know about North Berwick?" she asked, the hint of a test trickling in her tone. "I hope our little prodigy hasn''t gone soft after leaving home." The others nodded. Darcie didn''t know what the late headmistress was talking about. "I know that the place is most famous for its Witch Trials in the late 16th Century, around 1590-92," she told them. "But the Witch Trials are easily faked using Flame-freezing charm¡­" "Not these, my dear," Professor Burke cut off, looking satisfied with the answer. "North Berwick Witch Trials weren''t ordinary in nature, because they were held by the wizard population." Darcie opened her mouth in astonishment. Not even the book, Daemonologie, In Forme of a Dialogue: the Magical Truth, mentioned anything related to it. What was going on? "Now, I won''t call them Dark Wizards and Witches," the Professor continued, "but call them stupid, I would. The said group held their coven on the Auld Kirk Green, performing the darkest ritual wizardkind had seen in those times. "To thwart the incoming James VI, who was sailing towards North Berwick then, (-yes, dear, the author of the book in our discussion-), they had brewed potions, creating a rough storm in the North Sea. Alas! The ritual was forced to an end midway by the Ancient Wizard, who is supposed to have helped James VI create the Book." The mystery was thickening in the cauldron, full of Darcie''s thoughts. Yet, it troubled her, imagining what could be dark enough for even wizardkind to put their own at trial. "What was this ritual, professor?" Darcie asked with childish fanaticism. "What were they hoping to achieve?" Professor Burke smiled mischievously at her. "Death!" She spat the word like a dagger. "They were invoking Death itself, my dear. It is said that Satan himself attended the ritual. Muggle talk! What one could expect? It was Death beyond doubt they were invoking, I say. Well, it could''ve been the truth, had the ritual been completed in time." Death¡­ Darcie repeated the word. Was there truly something, someone called Death in this world? Her puzzlement was so clear on her face that Professor Burke turned her expression into words. "Why invoke Death, you are thinking, right?" she asked, smiling. "Darcie, my dear, can''t you recall anything related to Death?" Darcie''s eyes shot open, the dark green color looking even more poisonous. "The Deathly Hallows!" she blurted. "Aren''t they just a myth, professor?" The old witch shrugged stately. "There is a thin line separating myths and realities, my dear," she told her. "Some say that the entire purpose of writing Daemonologie was to hide the magical ritual held by that coven as coded language. Only by getting the Book one would know the truth, I think. You are just asking these for research purposes, though, right?" Darcie almost smiled. "Of course," she said. "I must go now, professor. How will I ever thank you for imparting me with such knowledge?" Professor Burke flicked her hand at her. "Go, go," she shushed, looking pleased. "There is no need to thank me. Just don''t let mudbloods approach you, dear. They have a nasty smell about them." "I will keep that in mind, professor," Darcie nodded and walked away. The words Death and Deathly Hallows kept ringing in her ears for long, though. 0250 The Hidden Wizard and the Personalized Random World?! Monday, 8 December 1986 02:00 am Two hours had passed since his Identity Period. Kai was sitting by the fireplace within the suitcase, his expression thoughtful. Opposite him, seated on a chair, Petyr was reading the book, Daemonologie, In Forme of a Dialogue: the Magical Truth. Standing behind Kai was Cersei, massaging his head gently. After the routine entry of the Journal and spending an hour in meditation, trying to decipher the tales'' runes, Kai had contacted Meg. The ex-priestess and the fallen 13-floor Contestant had never heard of the Book, though. She didn''t deny that she must have never come across it during her adventures, but it didn''t mean it was unreal. Maybe some of the top factions in the Primordial Tower knew of this myth and were actively pursuing it. There was no knowing it, however. Death¡­ Deathly Hallows¡­ Kai thought of the words and frowned. "Cough!" Petyr cleared his throat. "Hear this, my lord." Kai pushed Cersei''s hands away. She threw her head towards the boy with a feline''s fury. "Must we tolerate his existence?" she demanded. "Make him disappear, my love." Petyr smiled. "Tell me again, my lady," he said slyly, "when was the time you prophesied something for our lord?" Kai felt amused. Cersei''s ferocity made her look more luscious. Give her a glass of wine now, and that would be a scene to behold in itself, he imagined. "You dare!" she spat. "Cut it off," Kai broke the confrontation. "What is it, Petyr?" Petyr shut the cover of the book and put it aside. "The true mystery of this new adventure isn''t the Book, my lord," he said, smiling. "You get to know the name of the book, the place it was last seen, the broken ritual, and the ritual''s nature, including the fact that the ritual to call upon Death might be in the Book. "Yet, there is one more thing about it. Supposed, Unknown, and Hidden, all have used such words regarding the wizard that had accompanied the author, James VI, and who assisted him in writing the Book. There is some profound mystery here, and none are being prudent enough to realize it." Cersei giggled in Kai''s arms. She sniggered and said, "Littlefinger, you fool! Has your slyness blinded you finally? You think my love here hasn''t thought about it already? You presume too much. Even I can tell that there is some force in the background of this myth, making everyone dance at its fingers." The corner of Petyr''s mouth twitched ruefully. "When one has nothing to do," he quipped, "one often overreacts, my lady." "You¡­" "Enough!" Kai snapped, rubbing his temples with his thumb and middle finger. "That''s why I don''t call you two together. I''ve had enough of your bickering. Go, disappear. Let me spend some time at peace." Cersei''s face had gone all red in anger. She threw the nastiest look at Petyr, pecked Kai''s cheek, and vanished. Petyr stood up as well, and disappeared, giving Kai a bow. Kai sighed, shook his head, and leaned back. Only 10 minutes were left to his Identity Period, he observed. The notifications appeared then. ¡­ [If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Candidate Red, the 2nd Stage of Tournament of Worth is finalized. Please refer to the following points: 1. Theme: Survival 2. Total Candidates: 1263 3. Candidate Red''s ID: 37 4. Local Time of Teleportation: 11 December 1986 - 11:00 pm 5. The 2nd Stage will see Candidate Red teleport to a personalized Random World 6. Personalized Random World''s Criteria: Candidate''s Stats, Experience, and Projected-Growth 7. Candidate will be teleported out of his Time Node, preventing time loss 8. A one-time privilege of quitting the Tournament will be given to the Candidate ] ¡­ Fuck! Kai cursed, going through the 5th point again. This was completely opposite to the 1st Stage where the Systems had normalized various Candidates'' Stats to put them on equal footing and test their Survivability. Now, though, if the Systems were send him to a Random World, personalized to his Stats, Experiences, and Growth Potential, then Kai was as good as fucked. Because such a Random World would nullify the sheer advantage of Glitch. Yet, after a long time, a wide grin surfaced on Kai''s face. Despite the presence of Glitch, if there was one more thing that could hope to represent Kai''s Stats, Experiences, and Growth, together, then that was - Sabers. So, in this case, the chances of him teleporting to the Bleach Random World had just increased exponentially. Yes, it would not be a walk in the park like the 1st Stage. But who said Kai liked those walks, to begin with? Kai drummed his fingers on the chair''s arms and noticed the number of surviving Candidates had dropped by quite a lot. But these 1263 Candidates represented the cream of the crop below the 3rd Set. Moreover, by sending them to personalized worlds, the Systems were trying to test their surviving Skills using their own unrestricted Stats, Kai reasoned. Kai looked into the fire and saw the flames dancing over the logs, grinning at him. He grinned back. Bleach¡­ I will visit you soon. * * Afternoon, around 03:00 pm The Bookshop "So, the Witch of Endor was an Ancient Necromancer," Darcie summarized. "That''s right," Madam Villanelle nodded. "Not only that but she also had quite a horde of familiars, was proficient in creating Talismans, and could speak many archaic tongues, even that of Gods. "Furthermore, it is said that the Dark Arts of making Inferi, reanimated corpses, had been derived from the runic scripts that were found in the past, containing old magic that could''ve belonged to her. Impressive, right?" Darcie had to agree. "OK, that should suffice," her mentor said. "Help me put these books on their shelves. Then you are free for today." Yet, the longing to know more was clear on her face. Darcie obeyed regardless. She stood up, nodded at Mr. Hillam, who seemed to have woken up from his deep slumber, and then spent a few minutes doing her Page duties. When she was done, Darcie looked around. It was a difference between jade and mud. No longer there were books strewn all around like abandoned orphans. Nor was there any untidiness about the bookshop. More than anything, now the bookshop truly looked like a library. Yet, a few books were naughtier than others. The bells on the door chimed as a customer entered, and to Darcie''s dismay, dozens of books came whistling out of their shelves, shouting, giving reasons to buy them. She took a deep breath and had just moved when her mentor''s voice reached her ears. "Oh, Mr. Ollivander!" Madam Villanelle exclaimed. "You didn''t have to come by yourself," she said softly. "If you need a book, you could just let us know. I would''ve sent it to you via Darcie, our Diagon Alley''s special owl." Mr. Hillam guffawed at the joke. Darcie did seem to flutter from one end to the other to them. Darcie was between the entrance and main counter, and thus nearest to the customer. She neared the wandmaker and asked, "What book do you need, Mr. Ollivander?" Her gaze was like a still green ocean. Mr. Ollivander looked down at her, smacked his lips, and said, "Ah! That¡­" he mumbled to himself for some time before continuing, "Forgive me. In truth, I am not here to buy a book, Ms. Darcie." Madam Villanelle frowned. "Not for a book¡­" Darcie recalled their last meeting and the parting words she had told the old wandmaker. She went to her left, carried a little table near the main counter, and then lined two chairs at the opposite ends. All looked at her in profound puzzlement, her actions a storming mystery. Darcie then hopped to the back half of the shop on the ground floor and came back with a box in her hand, recently polished. She put it on the table and then looked at the old man. "May I amuse you with a game of chess, Mr. Ollivander?" she asked, almost smiling. "It does seem too cold outside. Perhaps it would be best for me to not roam in the Alley today." Madam Villanelle looked from Darcie to the wandmaker, and then back to Darcie, sensing some hidden meaning. Mr. Ollivander opened and closed his mouth, but this time he had collected more courage than before. "Of course," he said, nearing the table. "It will be an honor to play against you, young lady." As they took their seats, Madam Villanelle shook her head, smiling to herself. Mr. Hillam slumped down in his chair, falling asleep in the next second. And the main doors remained closed that day till evening, a light laugh of an old man seeping out from the round opening above the door, melting into Alley''s air that wasn''t so cold.
Vol 11 - Darcie Malfoy - A Unique Character - Ends! 0251 Demon Slayer Time flew by, flapping its wings in the foggy winter. Once again, after many months, Kai found himself sitting in the white hall on a chair, facing a giant white screen. However, unlike the last time, he was the sole Candidate here, surrounded by the plain whiteness and silence. Kai put his hands on the arms of the chair and leaned back, waiting for the Systems to brief him about the upcoming 2nd Stage and the personalized world. A bubble of anticipation glistened in his heart, sensing the arrival of the Bleach World where he should''ve been sent for his Initiation Mission, to begin with. The voices originated from Kai''s surroundings, and the same words appeared on the giant screen as well. ¡­ [[Suppressing all memories related to the Demon Slayer Random World]] ¡­ Kai had just processed the sentence when a drilling pain made him fall to his knees. The headache from the maturation of Golduck''s mind jewel had been already making his life miserable. This sudden pain shook his body to its core. Now, Kai could bear the pain, if he truly wanted to. Over two years of slaughter and walking on the demonic path had taught him that, at the least. But this pain that he was feeling right now wasn''t truly physical. Not to mention, there was no defense against it. Its origin lay in Kai''s spirituality, in his soul. Yet, knowing this didn''t ease his pain. The only one who had been making this pain bearable was Selene, using Soul Chill. Crack! Something shattered within him, and it was over. When Kai regained access to his faculties, he had already forgotten the reason for his fall and the excruciating pain in his head. Fuck! Kai cursed, massaging his temples and returning to the chair. The Systems are up to something. I remember this pain. Did they again erase¡­ Kai''s eyes widened. After returning from the 1st Stage, and through talking with Meg and Spawn, Kai had learned that the Systems had erased his memories regarding the Aliens and Predators Random World. Now, with the uncountable Random Worlds in the Multiverse, Kai didn''t claim he knew all by heart. However, he did know the basics of many, especially when one considered Meg''s rich experience. Which Random World''s memories did the Systems erase this time? Kai wondered. Never mind. I have a plan for that. Haha! Suddenly, the bubble of anticipation within him, which had been trembling in excitement till now, burst with a furious pop. Kai shot to his feet, veins popping on his head. The cause of his wrath was one word. One memory, to be specific. Despite knowing that he had lost the memory related to a Random World, he¡­ still remembered the existence of Bleach Random World.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. And that meant¡­ ¡­ Kai gritted his teeth. The voices returned uncaring of Kai''s rage, and the screen reflected the words as they echoed around him. ¡­ [[ The Systems welcome Candidate Red to the 2nd Stage of ?#?!?###? Tournament of Worth. The 2nd Stage, as communicated before, is personalized to match each Candidate''s capabilities based upon their stats, experiences, and projected-growth. As the location of this stage is a particular timeline of an entire Random World, the Candidate will be given a Main Mission with a Time Limit. To clear the 2nd Stage, the Candidate must survive the Random World for the said Time Limit in addition to completing the Mission Objective. For all sense and purposes, the Candidate can observe this 2nd Stage as another Random World teleportation with a Main Mission. Adhering to the last instructions, a visual feed of the Candidate''s actions will be available to all Contestants who will pay to access it. The facial features of the Candidate will be blurred in the same sense. The Main Mission is as follows: ¡­ Survival Mission: What is Demon? Survival World: Demon Slayer Survival Mission Summary: You have obtained the Package. Both Demon and Demon Slayer factions desire the same Package and will come after the Candidate to obtain it. As a Candidate, you must ensure the safety of the Package for the entire Time Limit, keeping it close to yourself. The Package must not leave a radius of 100 meters from the Candidate for over 30 minutes. An HP bar will be assigned to the Package as well. The Candidate must ensure that the Package''s HP will not drop over 90% of its value. Survival Mission Objective: Find the answer Survival Mission Time Limit: 1 month Survival Mission Grade: D+ Note: 1. Inventory will be inaccessible to the Candidate once teleported 2. Basic info on the personalized Random World is now available for the Candidate ]] ¡­ Following the notification, a table sprang up with a Tablet placed neatly over it. Yet, Kai didn''t move. His face was hideously contorted, with displeasure trickling off his bloodshot eyes. Dissatisfaction and betrayal were the words that could barely hope to describe the state of his feelings. Where was Bleach? He wanted to see it. He wanted to experience it. Live it! Then there was the matter of Mission Grade. D+ was the grade assigned to his current Main Mission. That was only because he had compressed three floors'' worth of missions into one. Otherwise, if he had gone with it all as an ordinary Contestant, then he wouldn''t have to face a D+ grade mission before reaching the 6th floor. There was no mystery about it, Kai observed. The fucking Systems had given him a mission that was normal for a 6th-floor Contestant, not a 4th-floor one. If he wasn''t wrong, then Kai strongly believed it was a direct outcome of him having a Glitch. Kai took a deep breath and stood up. He went to the table, snatched the tablet off it, and returned to the chair. As he pressed his thumb to its back, the screen came alive with basic info on the Random World. It briefly introduced him to the Demons, the Demon Slayers, and the unforgivable rivalry between the two factions. Suddenly, contrary to Kai''s expectations, he found some things that brightened up his mood. So, this world does have swords and sword-related Abilities, Kai thought, smiling. One more thought flashed through his mind like a bolt of lightning. Hmm, he wondered, pressing his eyebrows, would I be able to devour these Demons? Once he was done with it, Kai put the Tablet back on the table, which disappeared inside the floor. All things that needed to be told, had been told to him. But Kai knew it wasn''t the time to leave yet, for the time that he had been looking forward to the most had finally arrived. And sure enough, the voices returned, along with the words on the screen. ¡­ [[ Candidate Red, based on your 1st Stage''s performance, many Contestants have contacted Chaos to become your sponsor. Do you want to avail such a privilege? ]] ¡­ The entire Tournament of Worth was about showcasing one''s abilities and getting Sponsors. Meg had warned Kai about it already before his reincarnation. She had been a 13th-floor Contestant and naturally knew all about Tournament of Worth and how the Sponsor system worked. Though, as she hadn''t participated in the Tournament during her 2nd Set, she didn''t know the exact details. If she had, then Meg wouldn''t have been allowed to participate in the Tournament this time. Irrespective of fallen status, all Contestants could only be Candidates once in their lifetimes. Kai recalled what Meg had told him about the Sponsor system. And a sly grin surfaced on his face naturally now. 0252 Sponsors - Kais Greatest Shock! More often than not, Contestants became Candidates with an Organizations already backing them up. The leaders of these organizations acted as the initial Sponsors for the Candidates. Those who didn''t have any organization behind them, like Kai, depended upon their performance in the 1st Stage to garner attention from the observers who belonged to the top floors. If there wasn''t a tremendous benefit to it, Kai would''ve never showed-off his capabilities, to begin with. Every new Sponsor, from the 2nd Stage onwards, gives an Attribute Point, Meg had told him. As an unprecedented payment is involved to become a Sponsor, only those who are extremely interested in the Candidate would choose to do so. Even then, getting two or three Attribute Points is already a benefit that one could never ignore, especially when these points wouldn''t be counted as a part of the Set Quota. But this was not the most important benefit to the Sponsors. Once Kai was to select his Sponsors, only these individuals could observe him thereafter. They would be able see his face, hear his words, and observe his actions clearer than ever in return for the Mission Credits they had invested in Kai. This also served as a foundation for the ultimate selection before the 3rd Stage, where Kai would then choose a single Sponsor out of the many. More appropriate was to say Kai would sell himself to the highest bidder. Hence, Candidates showed off as much as they could in the 1st and 2nd Stages, as the benefit they would receive during the auction before the last stage depended on how interested these Sponsors were in them. There was one more benefit to opting for the Sponsors. Once Kai was to get the Sponsors, everyone else would then have to take the Sponsors'' permissions to watch him henceforth. These individuals would have to pay twice, first to the Systems, and then to the Sponsors, to just see Kai''s blurred appearance. Who would do that? No one was so stupid. Not to mention, Sponsors rarely let a third party watch their sponsored Candidate as they must unanimously accept such requests, resulting in a rejection almost all times. For Kai, getting Sponsors also meant restricting the showcasing of his abilities to a select group of Contestants, who truly wanted him to join their faction. So when the notification presented itself to him, Kai didn''t wait to nod at it. "Yes," he said, smiling. "Why would I not avail this privilege?" ¡­ [[ Candidate Kai Stormborn, you have availed yourself the privilege of having Sponsors. Please refer to the following points: 1. Once selected, the process is irreversible 2. Sponsors will have equal rights over observation 3. Sponsors will have access to the Candidate''s Mission details 4. Sponsors can forward questions to the Candidate during the Mission Time Limit 5. Candidate''s response may affect the final selection of Sponsor before the 3rd Stage 6. The Candidate will receive Boost, depending on the strength of the Sponsors Note: 1. Minimum Sponsor Selection: 1 2. Maximum Sponsor Selection: 10 ¡­ In what arrangement would you like to see your Sponsors? ]] ¡­ Kai narrowed his eyes at the six points. Even though Meg had told him about Sponsors, given that she hadn''t participated herself, there were many things she wasn''t aware of.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Hmm, the Mission Grade directly shows that I have something transcending the normal Candidates. Not to mention, I won the 1st Stage, so that will count to something as well. I just hope there would be at least one Sponsor from the 12th floor or above, or preferably from 100 Zanpakuto School. Though, there is no way to know that; not before the 3rd Stage. Still, I can have a general idea, if I choose the arrangement right. Let''s see how big the fishes I''ve baited into a trap this time. Heh! "Arrange them according to their floors in a descending order," Kai answered, collecting his thoughts. ¡­ [[ Congratulations Candidate Red. Five Sponsors have invested in you. These five Sponsors are: 1. Contestant Shadow Origin - 18th floor 2. Contestant Jade Beauty - 18th floor 3. Contestant Black Mountain - 18th floor 4. Contestant Ravana - 18th floor 5. Contestant Aphrodite - 18th floor Note: Selecting each Sponsor will give 1 Attribute Point, 1 Title Status Point, and 1 hour of privileged one-to-one conversation with one Sponsor ]] ¡­ Kai had stood up, his mouth hanging low. His hazel, reptilian eyes had widened with pure shock. A funny, yet horrifying, chill was running down his body, making him tremble slightly. Kai gawked at the words on the giant screen. Time seemed to slow down in his eyes. In stunned stupor, he approached the screen as if nearing it would change the words. His heart was racing, pounding against his chest. His mind had gone blank. Even with all the unparalleled knowledge he had, Kai, at this time, couldn''t help but disbelieve what he was seeing. No! How could it be? How was this even possible? This wasn''t mere imagination. This notification, these words, bordered on blasphemy. Yet, no matter how much he observed it, and irrespective of his widened eyes, the words stayed true to their nature. Kai licked his lips. He traced back his steps as if showing his back to the words would bring disaster upon him. As he sat down, even his headache failed to make him wince, his eyes staring at the screen in sheer stupidity. Kai wasn''t happy about it at all. Not one bit. Why were such figures interested in him? In him, a puny 4th-floor Contestant? Yes, he had showcased his sword-related Ability, and perhaps had given a hint about two more Abilities to spice things up, but those were nowhere enough to catch the attention of the names he was seeing on the screen. Had someone figured out that he had a Glitch?! This almost made Kai jump to his feet again. But then he shook his head. No, that was impossible. He hadn''t used Glitch at all. Had someone remembered him using the Book, then? No, that was impossible as well. The sheer nature of D-Mail didn''t allow such a thing, he knew. 18th floor! This number was enough to buckle knees at the mere mention of it. Even Meg knew almost nothing about it. And here he was, getting not one, but five Sponsors of the 18th floor. This changes everything! Kai thought, his mouth opening and closing like a simpleton. Could he hide his Glitch from such Contestants? Could he hide the fact that he had over three Abilities? Was revealing his face and sharing his voice with them prudent? There was no one answer to these questions. This could go either way for Kai, and he knew it. Not to mention, choosing one meant offending others. Now, Kai wasn''t afraid, but he wasn''t stupid either. That''s why he had accepted the curse of the Rinnegan-user, to begin with. Because Kai knew that if he was in the place of the Existence, he wouldn''t have let Contestant Red see the next sunrise, no matter the price. The only reason that Kai risked everything then was because he knew he wasn''t getting cursed only, but had gotten quite a substantial benefit as answers, like knowing about the Deep Ones and their marks on him. Now, Kai''s throat felt dry. He closed his eyes and entered a deep state of meditation, trying to see some sense in it. What must he do now? How to take advantage of this situation? Could he turn this absurd situation into a singular event of gaining more power? Dare he let himself associate with these figures, being aware of the monstrous secrets he hid in his Inventory and within himself? "He-he-he¡­" "Ha-ha-ha-ha¡­" "HAHAHAHA!" Kai threw his hands out and laughed like the maniac he was. His hands were trembling, his legs shaking, and his hazel pupils quivering, yet the Blood Demon found this situation quite amusing as well. Dare he?! What was this stupid question? Why wouldn''t he? His ambition was the Peak of Absolute Power, wasn''t it? Why would he care about these beings then, who were merely near to the Peak, anyway? No Risk without Reasoning! Yes, Kai''s motto checked out. There were plenty of reasons to take this risk. More than he cared to even think about them. Kai snapped his eyes towards the screen, his gaze at the Note mentioned at the end. 5 Attribute Points, 5 Title Status Points, and 5 hours of one-to-one talk with these inhuman beings. Yes, plenty of reasons, Kai reflected. He threw himself off the chair. A dense burst of hot steam covered his figure, making it blur like the heat of a scorching desert. His skin became red before a deep blue color surfaced as if someone was painting dying Kai''s body. A thumb-sized red jewel protruded out on his forehead, his hands and feet became webbed, and a long tail thrashed against the chair, sending it flying off somewhere. Long white hair swayed behind him like a waterfall, his Charisma shooting up to the roof along with the last change. The Golduck-Kai twisted his neck, bones snapping under his muscles, and grinned. "I choose all of them," he declared. "If they want to be entertained, then I will give them the performance of a lifetime. Heh!" ¡­ [[ Candidate Kai Stormborn, you have selected five Sponsors. Boosts: 1. 5 Attribute Points (Not Applicable to Set Quota) 2. 5 Title Status Points (Only Applicable to Beginner-level Titles) 3. 5 hours of privileged time with 1 hour of one-to-one talk with each Sponsor ¡­ Prepare for teleportation¡­ ]] ¡­ Kai took out Murasame, Afro''s Tachi, and One-Half of the Power Sword. He was sure the dual swords, Fangs, would be useless in this Mission, given its Grade. He also took out the Book, HP-MP-SP capsules, including the Rare-grade HP Capsules which the 9th-floor Contestant had given him in the Pokemon World, and Sling Ring for obvious reasons. Kai then pressed his brows and took out another Item, licking his lips deviously. One blinding blue flash and he vanished. 0253 Massive Titles Upgrading - Becoming an Adulterer! At the boundary of Tokyo, Saitama, and Yamanashi Prefectures on the island of Honshu, Japan stood Mount Kumotori, covered in thick snow and thicker cold. Trees seemed to have turned into defiant wooden pikes, and chilly gusts of wind slithered up and down the mountain, licking damp wood. Down the slope, the trees weren''t as sparse as at the mountain''s peak. Despite the dense snow and wind, many of the trees had won the battle in the winter, keeping a dark green shade about them. Suddenly, an eerie wind danced its way through the leaves of these crowded trees, reaching toward heaven like a tornado. When the wind settled, a figure could be seen standing where it had sprung up. Underneath an untied black Haori patterned with blood drops at the edges, this figure was wearing a black Kimono with a black belt over a thin white shirt. For pants, it was wearing black, baggy tobi trousers ending in white tabi socks and wooden Japanese Sandals with black straps. Yet, if one were to ignore the long tail at its back, then the most striking thing about this figure was its skin. Blue; The color of a cloudless sky on a summer''s day. This blue flowed like water over the figure, as though it would ripple if touched. On the figure''s forehead, a thumb-sized red jewel glistened like the thickest blood drop, and if one were to observe it from up close, then one would have noticed that this jewel was pulsing from within. Moreover, the rhythms of these pulses, though scarcely noticeable, were increasing with every passing moment. A stray gust of mountain wind flew up, and the long white hair of the figure looked like millions of white hands reaching towards the unseen peak. Under the holy sight, his demonic, reptilian eyes glistened hazel. This figure was none other than Kai Stormborn. Even before he could make sense of his surroundings, the Systems greeted him with a notification. ¡­ [[ Candidate Red, you are given an allowance of 30 minutes. You can familiarize yourself with the Package and consult the data again if you wish during this period. For the next 30 minutes, your presence has been cut off from the world, but you can not go beyond a radius of 50 meters, either. Once the 30 minutes are over, the live feed to your Sponsors and the Mission Time Limit''s countdown will begin. Your privilege to ask questions from the Systems will not work in this Random World. All such questions will be directed to the Sponsors instead. Good Luck. ]] ¡­ Kai nodded to himself. But where was the Package? Kai looked around and found nothing but snow and silence. It was at this moment he heard a thud behind him. Kai''s hands gripped the hilts of his swords instinctively. He spun around and raised an eyebrow, finding the freshly arrived object. It was a wooden box studded with iron plates and reaching up to the height of his knees. On one side, it had a handle, and opposite this door, on the backside, there were two white straps to carry the box on one''s back. Kai narrowed his eyes on it. He approached the box and crouched, bringing his nose near the handle. Out of the blue, the entire box shuddered. The grip on swords'' hilts tightened. There''s something alive in the box, Kai reflected. A creature? Hmm, so this is the package. Well, the Systems said nothing about not opening the box to look inside. Or do the box and the living creature inside both constitute the word Package? I will find out later. For now, there are more important things to do. Kai stood up and then brought his attention to his odd clothing. He had seen it in the archaic records in his previous life, but never wore it himself. The clothes were warm, spacious, and had ample pockets to store his Items. Kai could feel the Items he had taken out before teleportation inside his black shirt.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. He looked over his shoulder and saw his tail. The Systems seemed to have tailored the garments, taking his monstrosity into account. Kai felt quite flattered and chuckled. The only things that didn''t suit him were the socks. His feet were webbed, and it felt cramped with the strap over his feet, pressing into a web between his toes. Yet, it wasn''t something that needed immediate attention. Kai ran around here and there, climbing trees, jumping down, and then practicing with his swords, familiarizing himself with the clothes and the environment. Once he was done, Kai repeated all the movements with the box over his back. It was lighter than he had thought, but not something he could casually ignore, either. At last, he massaged his temples, easing the physical pain brought by the spiritual one. Inside him, over his heart, was Selene, sending slow bursts of Soul Chill. This pain was the reason for Kai to come here in his Golduck form. With the time of mind-jewel maturation approaching, Kai knew he would have to assume this form in this Random World, anyway. If he were to do it midway through Mission''s Time Limit out of nowhere, then it would definitely cause some concern in the eyes of the observers. Kai could not afford the slightest chance, though. Not now, with Contestants from the 18th floor watching him. And as far as the overall change was concerned, Kai could put the weight of this mystery on the rewards of the 1st Stage. No one knew what rewards an individual received at the end of the 1st Stage. With him being at the top, he could''ve gotten more personalized rewards as well. Heh! Let them bang their heads over it, Kai thought, scoffing. Kai let the newly gained 5 Attribute Points remain unassigned for now, grinning ear to ear as he thought of the unlucky bastard who would be the first to fall to the sudden boost in his Attributes. The word unlucky made him remember the Title Status Points, then. With no further thought, Kai put one point into the Title, Novice Collector. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn¡­ You have achieved a Title ¡­ Title: Novice Collector Specification: Collect 10 different Artifacts from any random world and timeline. Status: (10/10) Effect: Luck +3, Correspondence +3, Breath +3 Note: Only 1 Title can be equipped at a time ¡­ Conditions to upgrade this Title¡­ Title: Proficient Collector Specification: Collect 50 different Artifacts from any random world and timeline. Status: (10/50) Effect: Luck +15 ] ¡­ Kai''s mouth hung open as he noticed the Effect of the upgraded Title, Proficient Collector. Oh, how dearly his heart longed for this Title? There weren''t words to describe the tumultuous feelings coursing through his veins at this moment. Kai hurriedly exchanged his Coin Master Title with the Novice Collector and felt the boost it brought to his MP and SP simultaneously. This Title was better than the previous one, as it added points to his Active Attributes along with his Luck. However, he did notice the lack of feeling that he had perceived while bringing his Correspondence to 20. With the Novice Collector''s help, his Breath too now reached 20, along with Correspondence which reached 23. Perhaps there''s an inherent difference between One''s Stats and boosted Stats using Buffs, Kai realized, taking a deep breath. Now came the time to assign the rest of the 4 Title Status Points. Thinking over it for a while, Kai finally decided not to invest in the Dimensional Leader Title, which needed only 2 Title Status Points. What''s the use of having a Title like this and not having subjects to Summon, Kai thought, shaking his head. It''s better to walk the conventional path with this one. So, he added 2 points to the Title Serial Killer instead. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn¡­ You have achieved a Title ¡­ Title: Serial Killer Specification: Kill 20 Contestants in three different Random Worlds consecutively. The Status will reset if the kills are not done in order. Status: (3/3) Effect: 1. Perception +7 2. Agility +6 3. Skill: Murderous Lust ¡­ Conditions to upgrade this Title¡­ Title: Genocidal Maniac Specification: Kill at least 200 Contestants in a single Random World within 24 hours Status: (0/200) Effect: 1. Strength +10 2. Agility +10 3. Perception +10 4. Skill: Demonic Sight ] ¡­ Now remained 2 Title Status Points. There was an obvious choice in front of him now. However, like Dimensional Leader, it too demanded time, effort, and heavy interactions with the main storyline Characters. There was just one hiccup. It didn''t directly contribute to Kai''s power and ideologies. So, gritting his teeth, he added the rest of the 2 points t0 ¡ª ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn¡­ You have achieved a Title ¡­ Title: Adulterer Specification: Have consensual sex with at least three of the following queens: 1. Queen Alicent Hightower 2. Queen Cersei Lannister 3. Queen Margaery Tyrell 4. Queen Sansa Stark 5. Queen Frigga of Asgard 6. Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons 7. Queen Galadriel of Lothlorien 8. Queen Arwen of the Reunited Kingdom 9. Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom Status: (3/3) Effect: 1. Stamina +5 2. Skill: Heart Rhythm Note: Only 1 Title can be equipped at a time ¡­ Conditions to upgrade this Title¡­ Title: Heart Breaker Specification: Have consensual sex with at least seven of the following queens: 1. Queen Alicent Hightower 2. Queen Cersei Lannister 3. Queen Margaery Tyrell 4. Queen Sansa Stark 5. Queen Frigga of Asgard 6. Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons 7. Queen Galadriel of Lothlorien 8. Queen Arwen of the Reunited Kingdom 9. Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom Status: (1/7) Effect: 1. Stamina +15 2. Perception +10 3. Skill: Eternal Remembrance ] ¡­ What the¡­ It was like the System was bent on him fucking those women! 0254 Murderous Lust and Heart Rhythm! After cursing Chaos for a while, Kai brought out his newly gained Skills. ¡­ [ Skill: Murderous Lust Grade: D- Specification: Boost an Item''s physical effect using Contestant''s Perception Requirement: 1. Perception >15 2. Correspondence >15 3. Title: Serial Killer Attributes: 1. Mana Consumption: 50 MP Effect: 1. Perception +2 2. Item''s HP Damage: +25% ] ¡­ Kai instantly liked it for one reason. It was simple. Simple and Effective and easy to put to the test on the field. For someone like him, who had lived a life fighting, surviving, and killing with blades, this was a good Skill. Then, Kai brought out the second Skill. ¡­ [ Skill: Heart Rhythm Grade: D+ Specification: Cause resonance between two hearts Requirement: 1. Charisma >25 2. Title: Adulterer Attributes: 1. Only works on opposite sex 2. Proximity Limit: 1000 meters Effect: 1. Causes the Contestant and the target''s hearts to resonate upon prolonged interactions 2. Such resonance is noted by a distinct skipping of the heartbeat 3. The resonances have three parts: Resonance of Appearance, Resonance of Respect, and Resonance of Sacrifice 4. The Contestant must cause the three resonances by himself by any means possible 5. After the three resonances, having intimate relations with the target causes the final resonance: Resonance of Love 6. Once all resonances have occurred, the target will become an unconditional follower Warning: 1. The Contestant may fall to the effects of the Skill 2. If the target leaves the Proximity Limit before the first three resonances, then the Skill will not work on the same target againIf you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. 3. Resonance of Love will fail if the target doesn''t consent to the acts of intimacy 4. Once the Skill fails, it will not work on the same target again ] ¡­ Kai licked his lips. Now this was a Skill that could alter the courses of Missions. Moreover, D+ Skills weren''t just a way to divide the Skills into levels. They represented the genuine strength of a 6th-floor Contestant. If Kai didn''t have his Glitch and had enough Luck, then he would have gotten Skills from Hidden Missions, too. Yet, those Skills'' grades would have never crossed the equivalent grade of his floor. For example, Kai was a 4th-floor Contestant, and the equivalent grade that represented his floor was D-. Top powerhouses of the 4th floor had at most 2-3 Skills of this grade, and at least 1 or 2 Low-level Uncommon-graded Items. Rarely a Contestant from the 4th floor obtained a D or D+ Skill. Such a Contestant would be marked as a monster unanimously. The only reason that Kai enjoyed skills reaching above D- was because they were given to him by the Blood Essences. Magical Creatures, even at the equivalent grade, were stronger than the Contestants. This discrepancy of strength between magical creatures and Contestants vanished as one went up the floors, but not because creatures became weak; instead, it was their numbers that decreased with higher grades. So, it shocked Kai that a Beginner-level Title had granted him such an absurd D+ Skill. Not to mention, Titles, more often than not, had only two levels. Beginner and Advance. In rare cases, they had three, and four levels of Titles were almost unheard of. To get such a Skill at Beginner-level meant that the next Skill might be C+ or even B- grade. Kai''s breathing quickened. But these thoughts weren''t the only reason for his ecstasy. It was the 5th point under the Effect section of the notification ¡ª Once all resonances have occurred, the target will become an unconditional follower. Kai remembered another Title that required him to have unconditional followers. ¡­ [ Title: Dimensional Leader Specification: Make 3 main storyline Characters follow you voluntarily and unconditionally Status: (1/3) Effect: 1. Correspondence +5 2. Worth +15 3. Charisma +25 4. Skill: Dimensional Summoning Note: Only 1 Title can be equipped at a time ] ¡­ Like Adulterer, Dimensional Leader also granted Kai a Skill at Beginner-level. If he were to predict this Skill''s grade, then based on Heart Rhythm, there were excellent chances of it being at least a D grade as well. Now that guess excited Kai. But soon he frowned, his eyes lingering over the Heart Rhythm''s Stats up and down. There was no direct HP, MP, or SP consumption, true. However, there were no direct instructions to go about this Skill, either; especially when it came to the first three resonances. It seems, Kai contemplated, I must use a combination of manipulation and true feelings to achieve these Resonances. It''s a Skill that demands much but gives even more in return. Let''s hope it will be worth it. One more crucial point was bubbling in Kai''s heart, though. He couldn''t use this Skill for just anyone. If he were to get unconditional followers, then he must get the best of that Random World. Kai squinted his eyes, imprinting this thought into the back of his mind. Suddenly, another notification popped up. ¡­ [[ Allowance time finishing in 9¡­ 8¡­ 7¡­ ]] ¡­ Fuck! Kai cursed, looked around, and decided to go down the mountain''s slope. The moment the countdown reached 0, with an audible pop, Kai got exposed to the Random World. What happened next, Kai couldn''t have fathomed in a hundred years of contemplation. Kai''s reptilian pupils became the size of threads. Goosebumps covered the back of his neck and hands, and the extremities of his fingers and toes throbbed with rushing blood. The wind rustled the surrounding leaves, and lifted his Haori, blowing it up towards the mountain. His white hair seemed to hang midair as though time had slowed down. Kai''s instincts were roaring bloody murder. Then the shout came down the mountain, tearing the wind and cold alike, and making him shudder to the bone. "NEZUKO!!!" Kai looked over his shoulders, ignoring the intense trembling of the wooden case on his back, and saw a black spot dashing towards him, enlarging with every next moment. He kicked the snow and blindly ran down the mountain using his full Agility. It was too soon, Kai told himself. Other than the basic information on Demon Slayers and the Demons, he knew nothing. He had thought to get some information from a Sponsor before, but never could he have imagined that the Systems had already decided to fuck him in the ass. "Let go of her! Coward!!!" What''s up with this guy?! Kai thought, frowning. Icy wind blasted against his face, making his eyes water, but he kept running, his feet leaving deep impressions on the snow. Once again, Kai looked over his shoulder and got a tremendous shock. How can this be?! Kai asked, facing forward, gritting his teeth. How is he faster than me?! It wasn''t Kai''s fault that he doubted such a possibility. This was Kai''s first time encountering a main storyline Character from a Random World whose difficulty grade was D+. Yes, the Magical World of Harry Potter was also a D+, but that was because he had combined three floors'' worth of missions, and it focused on Magic rather than physique. Not to mention, the info Kai had received from the Systems mentioned that these Demon Slayers were human. He knew that below the 3rd Set, and if only the Active Attributes were considered, then Contestants were nothing but at the limits of human beings'' capacities. With Kai''s Agility of 16, it meant that whoever was chasing him was already near the threshold of 20 points known to the Contestants. The entire sky was blanketed by a thick layer of clouds, but even then one could feel that the sun had already set by the golden-pink glow shooting out of the horizon. And as Kai saw this glow, another image formed in his mind like a distant memory. A blade, surrounded by gurgling water, was hacking at him from behind. 0255 Clash of Sword Styles - Water Hashiras Chase! Kai''s feet slid against the snow, turning it into the water as he unsheathed his fangs. He spun around and saw a boy around his age with long, ruffled hair, with a flaming scar at the top-left of his head, hissing out a misty breath. His eyes were two red torches fueled by anger, and there was a Katana in his hands. Kai''s needle-like eyes saw the boy taking in a deep breath of air, and suddenly, the danger he was feeling shot through the roof. Total Concentration Water Breathing - Fourth Form¡­ Kai could see it. Water, in a lethal zig-zag motion, coming at him in a flowing fashion, aimed at his neck. ¡­ Striking Tide! This bastard! Kai''s breath seeped out with his demonic anger. With Murasame in his right hand and Afro''s Tachi in his left, he took the stance and lunged. Twin-Saber Style - Dance of the Giant Serpent! Blades flashed, steel kissed steel, and when the clash ended, blood spurted out, painting the snow red. Impossible! The word echoed in Kai''s mind. A giant scar was running down his neck, snapping his collarbone. If it wasn''t for him redirecting the quick successive blows using his sabers, then it would have landed on his neck. "Ahhh!" the boy shouted, spun, and hacked at Kai once again. No, this is getting out of hand, Kai reflected, dodging the attacks, slithering over the snow, and trying to nick the attacker with Murasame. If I am not wrong, then reinforcements will come soon for this guy, and then I will be surrounded. He must run. Now. "I said¡­" the boy hissed again, jumping towards Kai, "¡­ let¡­ Nazuko¡­ go¡­" Water Breathing - Second Form¡­ The boy vertically spun forward in the air, releasing a flowing razor-sharp water attack in a circular motion. ¡­ Water Wheel! Kai hissed back. He jumped forward, too, outstretching his hands to his left, and his body whirling like a tornado. Twin-Saber Style - Kiss of the Giant Serpent! A resounding boom blasted the snow between the two, and both Kai and the boy got thrown off in the opposite direction. But it wasn''t something in Kai''s favor, either. Kai slid on the snow and realized he was getting up and up towards the peak, and not down. Damn! He cursed, sheathing his swords. This pesky bug is trying to hold me back, even in anger. What a strategic play! The boy was already running up towards him again. Kai didn''t unsheathe his sword, instead, he threw his hands back, and with strained muscles, pushed forward. The red jewel on his forehead gave out an ethereal bloody glow.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. All the snow surrounding Kai slid down as though an avalanche had come, and swept the boy away, burying his shrill, angry cries. Kai had already shown his Advance Telekinesis Ability, and though others must have taken it as a Skill, he cared little about it. Seeing the opportunity lying in front of him with bare breasts, Kai grabbed at it. He again kicked the snow, gaining speed as he went down, and keeping himself in the thick of trees. The sky had already gained a darker shade, the clouds making it look darker than it already was. After running for half an hour continuously at his full speed, Kai climbed up a tree and sat down, puffing loudly for air. The snow had already made it worse for him to run. With his webbed feet stuck inside the socks, Kai was getting annoyed as well. The wound around his neck had already healed, but he could still feel the uncanny edge of the blade. There was something odd about that Katana, Kai recalled, but couldn''t put his finger on it. The wooden box shuddered again. Kai looked at it and wondered why the creature inside hadn''t come out, breaking the door. Maybe it can''t somehow, he guessed, breathing through his mouth. What did the boy call it? Nezuko¡­ After a few minutes, Kai dropped noiselessly over the snowy grounds and stealthily slithered down towards the yellow candle-like lights in the distance. Finally, he could see a village. Kai had just gone down some hundred feet when he stopped. It wasn''t him alone who seemed to have become a statue. Everything had gone quiet around him, Kai observed, sweating in the cold weather. The wind had abandoned him, the rustle of leaves had vanished, and something more than a dangerous feeling had come to rest in his heart. Inside him, Selene shuddered, her Perception being higher than Kai''s. It was then Kai felt it, too. It was then he saw him. A tall young man, wearing a mask of serious and emotionless expressions, was running towards him like a shadow. Fast! Faster than Kai could even think. One moment he was still coming at him, and in the other, he had already arrived. Anchored in the river of time, Kai felt like a boat that was fated to drown. Water Breathing - First Form¡­ He saw the man taking a stance midair, breathing, hissing, and suddenly, he wasn''t a man, but death. ¡­ Water Surface Slash! Something exploded in Kai''s mind. Something more than anger. Was he rooted to the ground with fear? No. He was just slow. With one thought, his socks and sandals burst apart, and with another, the 3 Unassigned points entered his Agility and 2 in his Stamina. And the boat wasn''t anchored anymore, but sailing, the wind high and mighty. There was no time to unsheathe the sabers, but this blue figure wasn''t Kai, but Golduck-Kai. Golduck-Kai''s tail burst with a bluish-white steely glow. Iron Tail! ¡­ [ Skill: Iron Tail Grade: D+ Specification: Give the tail a steel-like magical property Requirement: HP>0, MP>0 Attributes: 1. Consume HP and MP to give the tail a magical steel-like property 2. For every point of MP, two points of HP will be consumed Effect: 1. Base Damage: 50 HP, 30 MP 2. For every 10 MP consumption, Base Damage +10 (HP) +5 (MP) Warning: Base Damage limit - 200 HP ] ¡­ He spun, and the empowered tail slammed the incoming sword with audible tink. Run! Kai didn''t wait for the result. With the sudden, heavy boost in his Agility and Stamina, he flew like a bullet, his webbed feet gripping the slippery snow methodically. By the time Kai stopped, he had already crossed dozens of miles, leaving the village behind and entering the wilderness. Kai breathed in and out, calming his blood. The adrenaline rush left him, then. And the pain found the path to his brain. Kai looked back over his shoulder, and what he saw made him shake his head in dismay. It seemed he had underestimated the terror of facing the D+ Mission with his 4th-floor Stats. Half of his tail was gone, warm blood dripping over snow and mud like the pitter-patter of rain. A Random World to counter his Glitch¡­ Kai was only now feeling the true meaning of these words; barely. ************ Nezuko - Main Character''s sister The boy - Tanjiro The young man - Water Hashira Giyu 0256 Viceroy Aphrodite and an evaluation of Kais current strength! 18th floor, The Primordial Tower Inside the walls of a castle, the godswood''s multitude of trees created a dense canopy over old, packed earth and humus and moss. Among the many trees, the most common ones were ash, chestnut, elm, hawthorn, ironwood, oak, sentinel, and soldier pine. And at the center of this grove, standing tall over a pool of steaming, black water, was an ancient weirwood with a face carved into it. A heart tree. On the moss-covered bank of this pool, under the red shade of the redder leaves of the heart tree, was a woman. Her hair was golden pink, with a touch of redness at the ends. Her eyes were like a peacock; brilliant teal pupils, so fascinating that they could snatch the breath away at one sight. Her face was round, soft, pink, and devoid of the tiniest blemishes. She was wearing a thin, green silken gown, hoping to cover the voluptuous bosom marked by a cleavage that could very well be mistaken as a depthless valley. A beauty mark, just over her left breast, threatened to make men and women alike lose the hold on their senses. She was beauty; and beauty was her. One dared not speak of beauty and not of her lest one should do the folly, for she was Contestant Aphrodite, a Viceroy to the King-level Contestant. Aphrodite was seated on a round, plain rock, with a sword in her lap for a lover. Sword was a mild term to describe this thing, whose hilt was resting on her left knee with heavy majesty. It was over 6 ft long and around 2 ft wide, and had one edge, with thickness increasing to become several inches towards the edgeless side. The sword''s end wasn''t a point, but it was flat and blunt. Yet, it was the sheer sharpness of the sword''s edge, and the very steel carrying it, that made it a hazardous sight, drying throats, eyes, and minds alike. It was a Buster Sword, weighing several tons, and made of one of the rarest, costliest, and most desirable materials among the top Contestants of the Primordial Tower ¡ª Valyrian Steel. Today, Aphrodite was whetting the sword, her hand carrying the whetstone, stroking the sword''s edge in an even rhythmic motion. Her feet were bare under the sword, wet and soiled. However, even this only gave her an earthy smell, embellishing her otherworldly attraction. In front of her, towards the pond, hovering mid-air was a screen. Her eyes observed the complete whiteness of the screen, waiting for the live feed to commence. Suddenly, the screen shook. Aphrodite''s slender fingers paused, her eyes narrowing at the odd sight presenting itself to her. A blue-skinned and white-haired man, with mysterious hazel eyes, was standing at the place of the red-haired and red-eyed Candidate she was hoping to see. There was a blood-colored jewel embedded in the forehead of this man, and he also had a tail, thrashing at the snow under him. On his shoulders was a wooden case, strapped and bolted. "Ara-Ara!" Aphrodite smiled. "He''s handsome." The lack of humane appearance failed to bother her even for a second. She was a Viceroy; a Contestant just under the level of Kings. In her vast lifetime, one could count the things that could surprise her on one''s hands. And yet, she could remember that it was one of those things that had made His Grace command her to send out the Sponsor''s request for Red. Color of Observation¡­ Aphrodite recalled, her smile widening. That too, under the 1st Threshold, was it? Hmm, handsome, indeed. Candidate Red''s mission details had already been shared with her, other than the Mission''s grade. This she had expected. The Systems scarcely played games with the Tournament of Worth. However, how unique the Random World Timeline Red would face, it would be revealed eventually, she knew. Would it be what His Grace had predicted? Aphrodite asked herself, resuming the whetting. Now that would be amusing and quite erotic. Hehe!This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. A rosy blush, like that of sweet red wine, surfaced on her cheeks as she thought of the king''s prediction about Red''s Unique Random World. She felt an itch between her thighs. Aphrodite pressed together her plump and sensuous thighs, and an electric pleasure sprouted from her nether regions, making her bite her lower lip. Her right hand had just slid down, reaching under her gown, and aiming for more stimulation, when she heard the tink of a familiar clash. The strikes of swords. The thought of battle made her open her eyes and give the screen a look. She saw the fight between the Red and Tanjiro Kamado, their sword styles, and then the Red ran away, caught off guard by the sudden ambush. Then she saw the Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka, attacking the Red, who seemed to be rooted to the ground like a statue. Suddenly, the Red moved as though he had gained an incredible boost in strength and met Hashira''s slash head-on. Red lost half his tail and ran away like a bullet, causing a snowstorm in his wake, and preventing the Water Hashira from chasing him. She then saw Red hiding in a cave like a rat. That amused her quite a bit. For an entire day, Red didn''t go out of the cave, recuperating himself and regaining the lost flesh. One day was nothing but a blink of an eye for Aphrodite. At her level, days seemed to have lost meaning. She had been whetting her Valyrian Buster Sword for the last 30 years, and who knew for how long she must whet to reach a King''s level? A notification popped up, then. ¡­ [ Candidate Red is using his privilege to converse with Sponsor Aphrodite. Do you acknowledge? Once acknowledged, a countdown of 1 hour will begin. The time of conversation will be deducted from the hour-long limit. Note: Other Sponsors cannot hear or perceive the conversation ] ¡­ Oh! Am I the first, then? Aphrodite thought, licking her lips. That''s so exciting! Her thighs parted, and the whetting continued, as the Viceroy gave a nod of acknowledgment. A new chapter of the history of the Primordial Tower had just begun. * * A few minutes before, Random World - ToW: 2nd Stage Kai wasn''t weak. It did little to simplify the circumstances he found himself, though. Especially because he wasn''t weak that it baffled him the most. There were two reasons that Kai had to make a run for it a day before, hiding and recuperating within a cave without consuming an HP capsule First, he had only recently gained many Attribute Points. 2nd Set''s Set Quota had 50 Attribute Points within it. 1st Stage''s rewards had already given him 10 Attribute Points out of the purview of this Quota. Then, selecting the five sponsors again rewarded him with 5 Attribute Points. Not to mention, upgrading Dementor''s Blood Essence had also awarded him 1 Breath Point that didn''t come under Quota, either. 16 Attribute Points! This number wasn''t a joke. Generally, as a rule of thumb, 4th-floor Contestants could squeeze out 10 Attribute Points from their missions. 5th-floor Contestants could get up to 15-20 points on their floor based on the historical records, as told to him by Meg. Only the top-level Contestants, and more often than not those who were backed by top organizations, could reach the max count of 50. Otherwise, one could very well spend an eternity on the 2nd Set, and yet not fulfill one''s Quota. But time favored none. Even if one were to defy everything to get the entire 50 points, their life essence would run out before reaching their goals. That''s why uncountable Contestants ascended to the next Set, despite not fulfilling their Quotas. This created a discrepancy in the quality of the Contestants on the upper floors, dividing them into low, medium, high, and top-level Contestants of a single floor, just like the Items. Hence, Kai getting 18 Attribute Points, including the 2 he had received from Milestone, meant that when considering Attribute Points alone, he was already equivalent to a medium-level 5th-floor Contestant. Not to mention, having Items, Skills, and Abilities, and if used extravagantly, allowed him to have the battle-prowess of a top-level 5th-floor Contestant. Add the monstrous presence of Selene, and Kai could even remain alive or attempt assassinations of low-level 6th-floor Contestants. So, it baffled him that he couldn''t even defend against a single blow of the young man who had cut his tail, even if he represented the top power of this Random World. The second reason was directly related to the first. His attackers were no doubt human, Kai knew. So he could guess them being Demon Slayers. But, despite sharing the same power, he couldn''t figure out the reason for the gap in their strengths, for Kai could feel even then that both Demon Slayers had shared some water-based sword style. Kai winced hard as he remembered the Sword-Style. What even was that? It punctured his Twin-Saber Style as though it was nothing. Even the boy who matched Kai in strength penetrated his defense, giving him a deep cut. If it wasn''t for his instincts, that slash would have severed his neck. No doubt. So, after careful deliberations, Kai decided to do a few things before eventually going out, as hiding in a cave for an entire month wasn''t an option. His Bad Luck would work with others'' good luck to let them find him. Moreover, he wanted to obtain rewards, showcase his abilities to the observers, and use Heart Rhythm. Any of the three wasn''t possible with him playing at being a rodent in a cave. The very first thing he had decided was to not use HP capsules. Kai''s Stamina now stood at 15. That meant 150 HP and 7 per minute HP Regeneration Rate. In case of injuries to vital organs, internal bleeding, and missing limbs, both HP capsule and HP Regeneration Rate would deal with these in descending order. That meant, even if he had used an HP capsule yesterday, it would have just stopped the bleeding stump at the end of his cut tail before regenerating it, adding not a single point to his HP. Kai would rather not waste HP capsules like that. The HP capsules given to him by the 9th-floor Contestant were a special case. Those capsules let him play wild, wreaking havoc, and gaining excessive rewards. He could not afford to waste them anymore, especially when he only had a few left on him. The second thing he had decided to do was to contact a Sponsor and get as much info on this Random World as he could get, and if possible, to know why he had so much trouble yesterday against those Characters. Thus, after sharing his intentions with the Systems, and making sure that it had been 24 hours since he had arrived in this cave, Kai found himself face to face with a black screen, showing the countdown of an hour. And now was the time to get some answers! 0257 Getting Answers and Shocking an 18th floor Contestant! "Ara-Ara!" The sweetest voice reached Kai''s ears along with a screeching sound as if she was whetting a sword. Kai was too familiar with this sound to not recognize it. "Hello, handsome," she said. "You want to ask about the Random World you are in, don''t you? Is that why you haven''t left the cave?" Kai could hear the Contestant Aphrodite giggle. It didn''t shock him that his intentions were guessed so easily by her. What did the 18th floor signify? Kai couldn''t even imagine. All he could do was nod. "I can tell you," she told him. "What will you give me in return?" Kai frowned. Yes, how could he forget he had to pay Mission Credits to the System to get answers last time? What did she want, then? What could he possibly give her? "I want little," she intoned. "Just one thing." This didn''t please Kai in the slightest. With her taking the initiative to ask something, it meant she had already predicted that he would soon contact a Sponsor to get the Info. That she just happened to be the first, had just given an upper hand over others. "What is it?" Kai asked, refusing to say more than he was required. Once again she giggled, the whetstone honing the sword victoriously with a high-pitch sound. "Your Mission Grade," she said. "Tell me your Mission Grade and you will have what you desire, handsome." My Mission Grade?! Kai frowned. The System had already shared his Mission''s details with his Sponsors, if he remembered right. Then the only reason he could think of Contestant Aphrodite asking about the Mission Grade was that Chaos held the info from the shared content. Regardless of the reasons, Kai instantly and instinctively realized that there was something hidden in his Mission Grade. Like the demon he was, he latched on this fact, putting it in the back of his mind. For now, the irony of the situation prevailed, though. Kai needed Aphrodite more than she needed him. No matter who I selected to ask the questions, the outcome would be the same, Kai thought, smiling slyly in his heart. "D+." Kai''s answer came out of nowhere. For anyone watching him, it didn''t even seem that he contemplated the answer before giving it out. Suddenly, the screeching of whetting stopped. Contestant Aphrodite went silent after hearing Kai''s answer as though his mission had shocked her. Kai felt smug inwardly, knowing well that it was truly shocking to know that his Mission Grade was D+. Aphrodite''s next words shattered his smugness. "D+?!" she squeaked, shocked and disappointed. "Only D+?! Not C- or C?!!!" Huh?! Kai was gobsmacked. What did she say?! C- or C? Does she want me to die?!! Yes, he had Glitch. But even Kai doubted he was Worthy enough to get a C- grade for his 2nd Stage Mission. Yet, upon further consideration, Kai couldn''t help but think that he had no basis to know what Mission Grade justified his Glitch.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "It is D+," Kai said again, putting the matter into the back of his mind. "Now your turn." After a few minutes of silence, a sigh resounded in Kai''s surroundings. "Very well," she said, regaining the sweetness and playfulness in her voice. "Listen then, mysterious handsome¡­" Kai ignored the addition of mysterious to his supposed name, and became attentive, his eyes narrowing with utmost concentration. Then his Sponsor told him a story that took place in Taish¨­-era Japan, where a secret society, known as the Demon Slayer Corps, had been waging a secret war against demons for centuries. She told him about the King of Demons, Muzan Kibutsuji, and how Demons were created, and about supernatural abilities such as super strength, powers that demons could obtain called Blood Art and their regeneration capabilities. Aphrodite also told him that the Demons could only be killed if they were decapitated with weapons crafted from an alloy known as Sun Steel, injected with poison extracted from Wisteria flowers, or exposed to sunlight. Then she came to the Demon Slayers, who were entirely human. How they employed special breathing techniques, known as Breathing Styles, which granted them superhuman strength and increased resistance, helping them fight against demons. Thereafter, she listed all the Breathing Styles for him, covering their names and how to distinguish one from another. Then, Aphrodite mentioned the Hashiras, the strongest Demon Slayers, their names, and major main storyline Characters. At last, she told him the story about the main character, Tanjiro, and his sister, Nazuko, Kai couldn''t help but look at the wooden box placed beside him. And when she laughed, Kai knew the story had already ended, with him entering the picture as the unknown component. "You must know," Aphrodite told him, "that a Random World''s Timelines are like Symphonies. The change, presence, or absence of a single note doesn''t seem much, but it could cause drastic divergences. "Yeah? That should do it, then." Kai remembered it all, but this was not the time to process that knowledge. Only a few minutes were left to his countdown, and after learning what he was dealing with, more questions sprouted in his mind. "Can you teach me a Breathing Style?" Kai asked, smiling. "I will let you know which Abilities I have." The whetting of stone stopped again. This question could''ve bewildered anyone, much less Aphrodite, for, behind the scenes, it portrayed Kai as a mindless git. Why would he do so? Why would Kai, with the cunning he had shown so far, reveal his trump cards? Aphrodite struck the whetstone over the steel a little heavily. "It''s useless," she told him. "Even if I were to tell you, it would be meaningless. "A Breathing Style is an Ability. The only way to learn it is by practicing and training under a Demon Slayer and getting their approval. Moreover, one cannot learn the existing Breathing Style, as Contestants must create their own for the Systems to recognize it as an Ability. "All this will need too much time. Years, if not decades in your case. Think of survival, handsome. Or¡­" Her giggling intensified at the end of the sentence. Kai didn''t fret over the loss of the mysterious prefix. He stored the information and asked again, "Then can you at least tell me why I, a Contestant, couldn''t hold against the main character, who isn''t even the strongest in this Random World?" "Ara-Ara!" Kai recognized the playfulness in Aphrodite''s tone. "Can''t you tell by now?" she asked. "A Demon Slayer Breathing Style raises their overall Stats in terms of Contestants, and it accomplishes even more. "Tell me, handsome, how much your Strength, Stamina, and Agility differ from each other?" Kai''s face became ugly. "Now, now," she said lovingly, "don''t look so sad. It seems our time is over. Sigh! What will you do now, Red?" This was the first time she had called him by his Code Name, Kai noticed. It meant his answer would dictate her investment in him before the commencement of the 3rd Stage. Kai smiled. He reached into the pocket at the underside of his kimono and took out a Book with thick, black covers. The Book''s title was runic and when Kai opened it, the first few pages were in the runic script as well. "Oh, what is this? An Item?" Aphrodite asked. "Can you even read the Ancient Magical Script?" Kai''s eyes flashed with a demonic glint as he heard those last three words. He said nothing and opened the Tale of the Insane Scientist. The Primordial Theater opened the curtains and Rintaro Okabe walked out, laughing like a maniac, the flip mobile in his hands giving off blue light through its screen. "Rintaro Okabe?!" Aphrodite sounded utterly shocked. "How?!" "D-Mail," Kai said, activating the ACT. "Send the message - Do not contact anyone." "D-Mail¡­ Rintaro Okabe¡­ Time¡­" Aphrodite muttered, the dull sound of a whetstone falling in a water-body echoing in Kai''s ears. "Impossible! You¡­" But at this moment, Rintaro Okabe pressed the button, shaking the world under a giant Microwave. The new chapter of the history of the Primordial Tower that had just begun vanished like an episode of a hideous mirage. [Divergence Number: 0.2790P] 0258 Improvising the fighting style - Kai vs Demon Slayers! (I) Kai did not leave the cave till the next day. With his experience, he knew he could easily spend at least a week hiding in the cave without getting discovered, eventually. But this would have gone against the plans that were riling up in his mind. There were two reasons for Kai to not leave immediately after jumping to the different Timeline. First, he needed to figure out a way to bridge the discrepancy between his Strength and Agility. Otherwise, he would be forced to run away like a chicken upon meeting a Demon Slayer or Demon next time as well. Now, Kai was shameless enough to not mind being a chicken or running away, but if he were to gain something out of this Random World, then he couldn''t afford to be so narrow-minded. Not to mention, even though his Luck had been boosted by Novice Collector to 6 points, it was still horrible. When he would encounter something funny and unavoidable, Kai didn''t know. So, Kai spent an entire half-day creating a new fighting style for himself. Given his Correspondence and the help of the Mana Realm inside his mind that let him give substance to his imagination, this was already saying too much, showing how serious Kai was about this new method. Second, he needed to digest the story told to him by Aphrodite. This digestion wasn''t like making superfluous plans like a simpleton, thinking of wishful milestones. No. This digestion was like absorbing the crux of the matter, gaining the hidden meanings of the contents he had heard. Without the story, Kai had no particular direction to face and had only one goal ¡ª To Survive. But if that alone could have sufficed for those who had grand ambitions like him, then they wouldn''t be worthy to be glance at by the likes of Kings and other Contestants of the 18th floor. Even a cockroach survives, Kai had thought. Only those who survive attaining power and benefits along the way are worthy of stepping towards the Peak of Absolute Power. So, an entire evening and half a night had gone before Kai finalized a basic outline of his plans. This plan wasn''t foolproof, as it was restricted by two things. The first was that he couldn''t use D-Mail again. No matter what. It wasn''t a Stats restriction, but a self-imposed one. After a calculated conversation with Meg, who knew the events of Steins;Gate Random World, and Rintaro Okabe, they concluded that using D-Mail in a single Random World more than once could cause severe Divergence.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. As long as he was fine, Kai cared little about these Divergences. But he wasn''t, and this made him nod at their suggestion. Before upgrading the ACT, D-Mail, and having more mastery over it, Kai couldn''t afford a high Divergence, bringing unknown and uncontrolled factors into his life. The only reason Kai had used it so early in the 2nd Stage was because of the opportunity to learn everything about this Random World. This thing had been of paramount importance to him. Moreover, in the 1st Stage, he couldn''t get a response from the high-floor Contestants who were watching him. Yet, just before arriving here, the moment he had seen the 18th floor written against the Sponsors'' Code Names in the White Hall, he had decided to show one Sponsor the runic scripts within the Book, in which case he would have to use D-Mail, anyway. And sure enough, the very first Sponsor gave him the answer Kai had been searching for so long. Ancient Magical Script! Kai did not know what it meant, and he had never heard of it. But now he knew what to look for at least, and that was a boon in itself. If he hadn''t gotten a reaction from Aphrodite, he would have not used D-Mail, and had rather moved on to another Sponsor before using D-Mail in the end, despite the results. The second thing restricting the plan was that Kai could not afford to kill the Demon Slayers, or, as a matter of fact, any human whatsoever. Killing without benefits had always gone against Kai''s principles. But in this case, killing would not only give him zero benefits, but it would also cause him irreversible harm. Sponsor Aphrodite had clearly told him that learning a Breathing Style was an impossibility for him in this mission. However, Kai still wanted to try it. If he could, then he wanted to at least learn the principles behind it from the Demon Slayers themselves. But if he were to kill one of them or an innocent human, then that chance was as good as lost for him. Another way was to reincarnate into the world of Demon Slayers, Kai knew. But Kai''s future reincarnations had already been set by a combined effort of Meg, Petyr, Cersei, and him himself with a meticulous precision suited to his future progression. Yes, Breathing Styles were like sweet wine, and it became sweeter the more Kai learned about it. Yet, to change the Reincarnations Random Worlds just for it wasn''t a possibility. With these thoughts burdening his shoulders, and the headache pounding his head, Kai walked out of the cave about half an hour before dawn of the 2nd day. Kai did not know where he was, other than that he was in the thick of the wilderness. With the wooden case on his back, he chose a random direction and started running as though someone was chasing him. Kai had not gone even a mile in the forest when he suddenly felt an odd prickly feeling passing by him. It felt as though the wind itself had gained hands and was touching him all over. Kai had been waiting for something like this to happen. There was no way that he was out in the open and no Demon Slayer would find him. If it was before, then Kai would have no way of knowing what this feeling was or from where it had come. But after knowing the story, and the extensive details that Aphrodite had shared with him, he knew its origin. Beast Breathing - Seventh Form: Spatial Awareness! The Demon Slayer, Inosuke Hashibira, had finally found him. And if he was here, then surely there were others with him as well. The only thing Kai was worried about was whether they had a Hashira with them. The moment he thought that, his Luck surfaced in his mind, and Kai cursed. Suddenly, the cry of birds echoed in the wilderness. Kai looked over his shoulder and saw the black silhouettes taking to the air, and he knew they had come. The shouts reached him before he could even see them. 0259 Improvising the fighting style - Kai vs Demon Slayers! (II) "AHHHH!" "Nezuko-Chan!" Kai sighed. He had reached the bank of a shallow stream, running through the jungle. His webbed feet hit the water, and Kai instantly felt that he was in his element. First came the boy with a boar-headed mask over his head, shouting out of his lungs. Like Kai, he was also a dual-sword wielder. The moment he saw Kai, Inosuke jumped from the stream''s bank towards him. It was a mistake. Kai felt the boy entering the limit of 10 meters, getting surrounded by the Spiritual Currents. With one thought, he flung the Demon Slayer away, his figure splashing into the shallow waters. The second person was wearing a white-triangle patterned, yellow and orange gradient haori and had short yellow hair. Kai recognized him. He was also a Demon Slayer, named Zenitsu Agatsuma. After one mean look from Kai, Zenitsu fell to his knees, a chill running down his spine. Advance Intimidation Ability! "Nezuko-Chan!!!" Zenitsu said, shivering. "Save Nezuko-Chan, please, Inosuke!" "SHUT UP YOU CRYBABY!!! AHHH!" Inosuke shouted angrily. Zenitsu passed out after being so disgustingly rebuked, and Inosuke threw himself up to his feet and rushed towards Kai in a zig-zag motion. Kai narrowed his eyes, unsheathing his swords. Every use of Telekinesis was making his head bombarded with bouts of pain, making him lose focus. He must depend on his improvised fighting style. Beast Breathing - Second Fang¡­ Inosuke snarled like a beast and jumped again, taking a crossed-arm stance in mid-air. ¡­ Slice! A hissing sound originated from the mouth hidden behind the mask. Kai''s eyes glinted as he heard that breathing noise. Suddenly, he let go of the swords in his hands, making them hover by his side. And then he snapped his fingers. Two distinct clicking noises reverberated, drowned by the hissing breath of the Demon Slayer. It all happened in a blink of an eye, then. Inosuke was still breathing in, when he suddenly choked, falling like a lifeless log in the stream as a setback. Tongue-Tying Curse - Mimblewimble!Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Kai grinned. 10 MP vanished from his store as he broke the breathing motion of the Demon Slayer midway. This was his new fighting style to compensate for his lack of Strength in this Random World ¡ª Infuse Magic in his Sword-Style. Kai had been practicing Magic in his normal form for a long time. But till now, he had not faced a situation where he would have to use it, instead of his Skills and Abilities. The story he had learned from his Sponsor, Aphrodite, let him adjust this new fighting style quite a bit. Not giving him another chance to get up, Kai dashed towards the fallen Demon Slayer. Suddenly, his instincts roared. What is this?! The question passed by his mind, but Kai had already taken a defensive stance. Something incredibly fast had locked onto his neck. Kai spun, and his eyes landed on the boy who was crying just moments before. Now, the demon slayer had taken a crouched stance, his eyes closed, and his breathing almost complete. Thunder Breathing - First Form¡­ Lightning thundered around Zenitsu like a blanket. ¡­ Thunderclap and Flash! The hair on Kai''s neck stood up. He had felt this before, when the Hashira had come at him, eying him with his dead gaze. Zenitsu fired himself toward Kai like a lightning bolt, dead set on beheading him. The gears of Advance Slither Steps screeched, water kissed Golduck''s feet, and the Advance Twin Saber-Style used his boosted Agility. Thunder crackled, and steel rang against steel. Kai got thrown to one side of the stream, but it seemed he had survived. He huffed and puffed and realized his hands were numb. This is troublesome, Kai thought, seeing both Inosuke and sleeping-Zenitsu getting up to face him. BOOM! Huh? Kai looked over his shoulder. A massive dust cloud was rising in the distance. What was that?! "Orahhh!" Inosuke shouted and lunged at Kai again. To his left, Zenitsu took his stance as well. Kai''s eyes narrowed. Instead of running, he dashed towards them. The moment he heard the hissing noises again, he let go of the sabers. Kai gritted his teeth and focused. His numb hands trembled as he snapped his fingers again. 50 MP disappeared instantly. The upper half of Inosuke''s swords softened as though they were two pieces of clothes, and a jet of red light hit Zenitsu''s chest, forcing him to awaken. Softening Charm - Spongify! + Reviving Spell - Rennervate! Surprised, Inosuke stupidly eyed the swords, and Zenitsu flung his arms, hiding behind his fellow Demon Slayer. This was the perfect time to nick them both with Murasame. But he didn''t. Plans had changed since his last meeting with these Demon Slayers. He put a few scores of MP in his Skill, Iron Tail, and slammed it into Inosuke''s chest, sending both of the boys flying farther up the stream. BOOM-BOOM!!! This?! Kai looked back again. These booming sounds were coming from the same direction as the last. It seemed to Kai that a major fight was going on there. A fight between immensely strong beings. Kai''s curiosity was at its peak. He kicked the water and ran down the stream, keeping his feet in contact with the water. 15 minutes of running brought Kai to a cliff''s edge, the stream running down to the cliff, becoming a waterfall, but then disappearing into a mist before reaching the grounds. On the edge, Kai saw brilliant blue and purple flashes. He hid behind a tree and spied on the two people. One was a very muscular young man of above average height with skin so fair that it appeared bright green-tinged white, decorated by a pattern of thick blue lines. He had short, pink hair, and he seemed to have the upper hand. The other person was so bloodied that Kai even failed to discern his face. Kai only saw long hair, a sword, and a black kimono. This was a fight between a Demon and a Demon Slayer! "Haha!" the Demon laughed suddenly. "So strong! So, so, strong! Please become Demon, Hashira, and fight me for eternity! Haha! It would be so much fun!" Hashira?! Kai''s head snapped towards the Demon''s opponent. Fuck! If this person was Hashira, and even then he was so blooded, then didn''t it mean that the Demon was one of the Six Upper Moon, an elite force of Demons just under the King of Demons? Aphrodite had only described the appearance of the major Demon Slayers to him, not of the Demons. Even with his new fighting style, Kai''s magic could only qualify to be called mere tricks in front of these monsters. It was too soon for him to let himself mingle with them. With stealthy steps, Kai backed away, turning around slowly. It was then the Demon said something that stunned Kai. "Hashira!" he laughed. "Don''t die on me. It''s been decades since I killed a woman-Hashira, you know!" Kai''s eyes widened. Woman¡­ Hashira¡­ Weakened¡­ Bloodied¡­ About to die¡­ Words after words echoed in his mind, the corner of his lips arching up, becoming a hideous demonic grin. 0260 Facelessness 2nd Contrast - Attacking the Demon! Kai''s eyes darted like a pair of dragonflies as he tried to follow the flashes of lights that were Hashira and the Demon. With his new Agility, Kai had thought the gap between him and the top-level Demon Slayers had been closed. Only now he realized that was a foolish thought, to begin with. Forget about following their movements, Kai could hardly see the shared blows. The only thing that was letting him feel what was happening was his instincts. Kai had already exchanged Titles, equipping Adulterer instead of Novice Collector. The extra points in his Luck, Correspondence, and Breath had vanished, giving a 5 points boost to his Stamina instead. It also let him meet the requirements to use the Skill ¡ª Heart Rhythm! But Kai had yet to lock on the target. He wasn''t sure whether this female Hashira would survive this ordeal, and if she wouldn''t, then locking on her would be a waste of time. In that case, Kai would rather bide his time, re-equipping his Novice Collector Title. As much as he would like to gain an unconditional follower, he wanted Luck more. The distant horizon had turned bluish-gold, a tinge of pink forcing its way into the sky shyly. This would end soon, Kai thought, frowning. Sooner than I''d thought. By now, he had guessed what must have happened for the Hashira to be in such a pitiful state. If he was right, then this Hashira must have come for him, commanding both Inosuke and Zenitsu in her group. There must be others with her. But somehow, she had separated from them. Then she seemed to be ambushed. Kai remembered the bloody state of the Hashira and guessed that there must be another demon in the beginning who forced the Hashira into a passive state, lessening her defense. Otherwise, Kai could think of nothing that could remotely make a Hashira so miserable. Suddenly, the air burst apart over the cliff, and a broken, petite figure of Hashira slammed into the ground, bursting apart the solid rocks. The shrill laugh of the demon echoed far and wide from the cliff. "Hahaha!" the demon guffawed, the cuts on his body healing at a visible pace. "Accept my blood, Hashira! Become a Demon. Why die when you can live, huh? You think your poison will kill me? Fool!" Kai''s eyes narrowed at the word Poison. The dust cleared to let him see the female Hashira pushing herself to a kneeled position using her sword, her head drooping, and her blood dripping like frost in the morning.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Suddenly, another laugh echoed in the surroundings, and it had come from the Hashira. It was weaker than that of the demon. It smelled of death and madness. Kai shut his eyes and sighed. He knew this laughter. This laughter was a song, and he had sung it before. Every person got the chance to sing this song once in their lifetime, for this was the song of acceptance. This was the song of resolve. This was the song of the will to take the enemy down with you. Only a few moments left until dawn, but it was more than enough for the demon; for both of them. And unlike his song, Hashira''s song wouldn''t have a flashy ending, Kai knew. Kai''s mind ran like a supercomputer, scenes after scenes, plans after plans, and unfathomable scenarios passing through his mind. Three moments. Just three moments and Kai had decided. The Blood Demon stood up, opening his eyes calmly. But something was different about him. Something unrecognizable to those who knew him not. When Kai straightened his spine, his figure boasted of a grand majesty. An aura of extreme nobility flowed out from his eyes like the stream beside him. His lips were a thin line, threatening to take the title of the horizon from the world. And his long, white hair was whiter than the promised sun. This was not a Contestant. This was a being born to destroy the evil, and uproot the vile and wicked beings from this world. Facelessness - Second Contrast: the quintessential conversion of inner selves! Kai had not been playing Darcie''s role with no gains. He couldn''t do it with utmost mastery, but Kai had learned to give himself a false Self to fool the Characters. No matter who would see Kai now, they would never relate him to the shameless killer, for his entire stance told of a forgotten tale; of justice and truth. The only thing that still belonged to his previous Self was his mind. Kai unsheathed the swords, Afro''s Tachi and Murasame, as he saw the demon advancing towards the kneeling Hashira with a burning passion to kill. He crouched, his eyes never leaving the demon. Veins popped up on his legs, as Kai made himself recall he lacked Strength. But dawn was closer, and he must do something now. The flow of the river of time slowed down. Both the demon and the Hashira sensed something amiss, their heads snapping in Kai''s direction. Like a blue wraith, Kai dented the ground under his feet, gliding to the spot between both parties. He landed like a feather between them, their minds still processing the sudden intrusion. Twin Saber-Style - Explode! Kai slashed with Afro''s Tachi. The demon with strange scripted eyes flicked it away with his forearm. An extremely shallow cut, just enough to bring out a few drops of blood. First Strike. Kai brought down the same sword in reverse, hacking at the demon''s head. He flicked it away again. Another drop of blood fell. Second strike. With one thought, the muscles in Kai''s left hand ballooned. He slashed from two different angles, leaving behind illusions. The demon took a stance, flicking away both strikes effortlessly. "What are you?" he asked, disgusted by Kai''s presence. "I hate the weak¡­" Four strikes complete! Kai brought the Afro''s Tachi and slashed horizontally. It didn''t feel any different. Just another weak and meaningless slash. Only a moment had passed since Kai''s arrival and time had yet to regain its original momentum. Both Kai and the demon''s movements were two blurs, the Hashira watching the extraordinary scene with her listless eyes. The demon brought his hands up in defense like a boxing posture against Kai''s slash. Blood exploded like a geyser as Afro''s Tachi cut the demon''s hands from the wrists, leaving a hideous scar on his chest. Fifth Strike! "Even when I don''t see a way¡­" Kai mumbled, lifting Murasame, "¡­ I will keep moving forward." 0261 First Resonance - Eon Soul Dew Shines! The cursed sword entered the Demon''s bleeding chest just. The demon must have sensed it, then. A danger, transcending realms. "AHHH!" he shouted, strength exploding around him, and he jumped back. Too late. Horrific cursed poison traveled to the demon''s heart in the form of runic letters, and the same script appeared over his body like chains binding him from all around. "What is this?!" he asked, looking at the markings. And then his heart stopped. The demon fell to his knees, vomiting out a bucketful of blood. He looked at Kai with dense hateful eyes, cursing him with gritted teeth. Kai sighed inwardly. As he''d thought, the One-Cut Killer failed to send the demon to the afterlife. His face showed nothing, though. It looked like ice and wind at the same time. Kai lifted his sword and pointed to the distant horizon on his right. The demon''s eyes followed the sword, and saw the golden sky, gaining color with every next moment. His eyes widened. With one loud pop, his hands regenerated. "You weak!" he gritted his teeth, gave Kai a last look, and ran off, vanishing in the thick wilderness that was still dark. Kai sheathed his swords and turned around. The sword penetrated his stomach with a bloody squelch. Kai looked down. An edgeless sword was running through and through just above his waist, left to his navel. Its hilt was tied with a rope made of torn pieces of haori, a few butterflies still visible on the bloody white distinctively. The other end of this cloth rope was a few meters away from him, in the hands of the figure kneeling on the ground, and watching him with the same disgust and anger as the demon. Even at the death''s door, the female Hashira seemed to have enough cunning to kill him. "You will go nowhere," she told him, blood seeping out of her mouth. "Burn in the sun, demon." She wrapped the other end around her hand and tugged at the rope. Kai was already feeling an intense burning sensation coursing through him. The Wisteria Poison, he knew. And now, with this tug, he felt like a hooked fish. Kai realized the sword must be hooked at the point, like a stinger. With this realization, he finally got to know which Hashira she was. "Shinobu Kocho," Kai said, ignoring the pain, smiling. "The Insect Hashira." Her eyes were dead enough to not show the shock in her heart, her hair oiled with blood, and stuck to her face. On Kai''s right, from the wilderness, the rest of the Demon Slayers dashed out. Kai looked at them. Inosuke, Zenitsu, Tanjiro, and another Hashira, Giyu, all walked out one after another. "SHINOBU-SAN!" Tanjiro cried. Giyu unsheathed his sword, eying Kai with his emotionless eyes. Inosuke was propped up on Zenitsu''s shoulder, his chest bruised and caved in. Zenitsu was literally crying, his gaze lingering on the fallen Hashira.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Nobody moved, though. Even from afar, Kai''s fate was set in their eyes. After arriving in the Random World, Kai had yet to see the day. He had fought the Demon Slayers in the gray evening under the thick clouds, and then he had spent two days in the cave. This was his first time feeling the warmth of the morning sun. The golden-red sun peeked over the horizon, its light engulfing the entire world. A wind picked up, then, traveling its way up to the cliff. Kai''s white hair glowed gold as they danced in the wind, the sunlight making his eyes shine like two brilliant, many-colored pearls. The world gawked at the sight stupidly, and so did the demon slayers. Kai smiled at them, a smile full of gentleness. His spine was still straight, ignoring the intense loss of blood. With slow steps, he walked towards the Hashira, her mouth open under the perplexing sight. ¡­ If he was a demon, then there was nothing more majestic than his presence. If he was a man, then he was worthy to be called an emperor. If he was a god, then he was full of mercy and love. His gaze was a golden, depthless ocean of royal dignity. And his walks were an adventure in antiquity! ¡­ Kai crouched in front of the tiny figure of Shinobu, her face indistinguishable from the blood. Only her eyes were visible, two dead pupilless purple pearls. There was a beauty about her, he saw; a defiant and ferocious one. Cersei had sung many songs to him, and those words came naturally to him, like a bitter-sweet, spicy wine. He lifted his hand and put it on her head, letting it fall on her face, tracing the soft, beaten curves of her cheeks. He sang and the birds chirped along with him. ¡­ I loved a maid as fair as summer, with sunlight in her hair. ¡­ She looked at him, and he looked at her. The words played themselves in their eyes, full of longing and forgotten memories. And their hearts skipped a beat. Heart Rhythm - Resonance of Appearance! Shinobu''s eyes closed instantly. Losing blood had finally made her lose her consciousness, and if not taken care of with meticulous proficiency, then she would die within a day. No doubt. Kai wasn''t faring better, either. Purple-colored web-like veins were running over his body, telling of deadly poison. Kai scooped her up in his embrace and looked at the Demon Slayers. The shock of him standing straight under the sun was still visible on their faces. No Demon had survived the sunlight. No one. What was this blue-skinned being, if not a demon? "Put both of them down and come with us," Giyu shouted, almost on the verge of exploding towards Kai. "You have nowhere to run." Kai shook his head. He backed up, nearing the cliff''s edge with every next step. By the time they realized what was happening, Kai had already stepped on the last rock. One more step and he would fall hundreds of feet. Even Kai, despite his Stats, wouldn''t survive such a fall. Not unless he switched to Dementor''s Blood Essence, but it would defeat the entire purpose as the Sponsors were still watching him. Not to mention, he was losing HP by second now, his strength abandoning him with it. However, there was one thing he could now which he couldn''t have before. "WAIT!!!" the Demon Slayers shouted, and ran towards him. Giyu, especially, was like a bullet, as he advanced, tearing the morning chilly air. Kai pushed himself off the cliff, the shouts of demon slayers dying under the roar of the wind gusts shooting toward the sky. Suddenly, Kai lost a great chunk of Mana, Breath, and tiny part of his HP. A brilliant, blinding yellow blob of light shot toward the brightening sky along with the winds. There, high in the sky, it hung for a moment like a pale, yellow star whose light had yet to fade away with the morning. They all looked at it. Stunned. Eon Soul Dew! ¡­ [ Item: Eon Soul Dew (Corrupt) Grade: Rare (Growth) Sub-Grade: Top-level Specification: A Soul Seed formed because of the sacrifice of three Eon Pokemon and using the Primal Chaos as the source. Because of the Legendary Pokemon'' resentment, the Item has diverted from its pure form, getting corrupted Requirements: The Blue-skinned Demon Attributes: 1. Devour the souls of the Legendary Pokemon to upgrade itself 2. The Legendary Pokemon must be of different species 3. The Legendary Pokemon grade must be C or C+ 4. Current Status: 2/10 Skill: Corrupt Summoning Skill Requirements: 1. Correspondence >15 2. Breath >15 3. Stamina >15 4. Perception >18 Skill Effects: 1. Summon the soul of a devoured Legendary Pokemon for 30 seconds 2. Summon''s grade will be lower than the devoured Pokemon 3. Consumption per Summon: 150 MP, 150 SP, 50 HP 4. Cooldown: 2 minutes Note: 1. Further Skills will be revealed with upgradation 2. Skills will upgrade themselves with upgradation Warning: As a Soul Seed, the Item may corrupt/consume the Contestant''s soul unless taken precautionary measures Quality: 100% ] ¡­ Then the star fell. Fast! Coooooooooooooooooo! 0262 Second Resonance - Shinobu Kocho! Pull yourself together. I won''t allow you to cry. Stand up¡­ Shinobu, don''t you feel sorry for them? They are so pitiful¡­ Shinobu! Stand up! Do your duty¡­ Shinobu¡­ Shinobu¡­ Shinobu parted her eyes to a slit with her sister''s appearance and voice engraved into her mind. They felt heavy, inflamed, and moist. A fever, she thought, trying to see through the blur. Where am I? She tried to move, but her body rejected her command. An extreme bout of weakness with intense pain assaulted her suddenly, making her moan in distress. Was she dreaming? Or did someone just call her name? "Don''t move," a gentle voice entered her ears. "Your wounds will open up otherwise." Who was it? Why was she here? Why was she unable to move? The memories pounced on her mind like a ferocious beast then. The order to bring back Nezuko, the search and rescue party separating, a dreamy ambush, and the onslaught of the Upper Rank Three demon, one of the Twelve Kizuki. The realization struck her heavily and instantly. She lost. She failed to kill the demon. She couldn''t even use that power. Stand up... her sister had told her. Stand up, Insect Hashira Shinobu Kocho. Once you decide to defeat a demon, defeat it. Once you decide to win, win. Win, whatever the cost. You made that promise to Kanao and me, didn''t you? I did¡­ Shinobu''s lips opened and closed. I did¡­ But if she had lost, then why was she still alive? The question announced itself to her out of the blue, along with a stinging pain. "It''s OK," the voice returned, gentler than before. "You are healing faster than I''d thought." Yes! She remembered. No, not instantly, but like the blooming of a flower. He had landed between her and the demon when she had decided to take the demon to the grave with her. He was weak, but as he fought, he became strong. What had he said? Even when I don''t see a way, I will keep moving forward. With one strike, he had made the demon fall to his knees. But instead of killing him, the blue-skinned man had let him go¡­ She had thought he was another demon, then. They must be at odds to fight with each other. If she couldn''t take the first demon with her, then surely she could at least take this one to the grave, she had thought. She just only had to restrict him long enough for the sun to rise above the horizon. Sun¡­ A stray ray of fading light fell on her face, making the blurry surroundings blurrier. "Let me close the door," the voice said, now feeling fatigued and broken.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. A cool shadow soothed her frown, and the memory returned with even more momentum, like an avalanche. He had smiled, even though she was the one who had punctured his gut, poisoning him. He had walked towards her in the sun as though they were old friends, his blood already turning purple. He had crouched, patting her head, and caressing her cheek, the smile on his face full of mercy and love; like her sister''s. She could still feel the weight of his fingers, their wet coolness. They were trembling. And then he said something, taking her breath away. I loved a maid as fair as summer¡­ with sunlight in her hair¡­ And then a yellow star had fallen before the evil beast flew down from the heaven and took her away on its back. Yes. She still remembered those red eyes of the flying, blue beast covered in vile aura. Cooooooooooooooooo! Its call echoed in her ears, making her wince. That was the last thing she had heard, and now her eyes were fully open. She was lying on straw, she could feel. And she was naked! Shinobu''s breathing quickened, pain shooting through her body from every corner. "What happened?" the voice approached her, coming nearer with every moment. "Can you sense something internally?" She couldn''t speak. Shinobu tried to focus on the Total Concentration Breathing, but just as she thought that, a hideous premonition struck her. She would die with the slightest strain on her lungs. Where she found the utter willpower to move her head to look at him, she didn''t know. But she could see him now. Blue, the color of a cloudless summer sky, had been the color of his skin, if not for the tinge of faded purple and the black veins. Seated, his long white hair touched the floor, and there was a blood-colored gem in the middle of his forehead that seemed to ripple rhythmically. His eyes were full of concern and weakness. Yet, the smile was still there. Just like her sister''s. He looked like an abomination. A demon. Then why couldn''t the sun burn him? Why was she feeling as though she could trust him? Why was she smelling a fragrant aura from him, like that of a human, and not demons? All her life, she had hated demons. They had killed her parents, and then her sweet sister as well. It was her sister who had used to take pity on demons, thinking of them as nothing but pitiful beings. It was her sister who had used to think that demons and humans could be friends and that there must be a way to deal with them peacefully. She died under their hands, anyway. How many of her successors had died under demons'' hands?! How many of the girls'' families from the butterfly mansion had lost their lives to them?! How many?!! It angered her. It angered her so much. She hated them with all of her heart, and it burned with unquenchable feelings of revenge. Where was this anger now, as she looked at him? "I''ve stitched your wounds," he told her, taking deep breaths that became deeper as he spoke. "There are many broken bones, too. For¡­ internal bleeding, I''ve applied a salve¡­ of local herbs, whatever I could salvage from the near forest. You will¡­ live. Isn''t that wonderful, Shinobu?" His smile was peaceful, full of pain, passion, and death. No. Even if he was a demon, perhaps she would never come to hate him. Not because he had taken care of her injuries, giving her a chance to live. But because, despite stripping her, and healing her, he hadn''t used the antidote. The man faced right, looking out from the gaps between the wooden door. Another ray of the setting sun found its way to her as it lost height in the sky. It galloped its way from the door''s threshold and fell on the purple ends of her hair. His eyes followed it, landing on her hair as well. She saw the smile once more, widening as his eyes gained depth. Then he sang, his voice ethereal, like the flutter of a hundred butterflies; a lullaby of the deepest dreams. ¡­ I loved a maid as red as autumn, with sunset in her hair. ¡­ And her heart skipped a beat. His refusing to use the antidote while being so close made her respect him. Yes. Even if he was a demon, perhaps she wouldn''t hate him. But if he wasn''t a demon, despite the deformity, wouldn''t that be even better? The thought made her smile, knowing well that her feelings failed to surface on her face. And the world became blurry once again, his voice vanishing in the darkness, leaving behind a sweeter sound of depthless pain. 0263 Surviving Wisteria - Saving Shinobus life! Kai couldn''t find the antidote. The Corrupt Latios had taken them far with its massive flying speed. However, Kai had failed to battle potency. Using the Eon Soul Dew had already left him empty of Mana, Breath, and HP; HP that he direly needed. Not to mention, he had been carrying a dying lady, a sodden wooden box, with a person inside it, and a sword running through his stomach, poisoning him more and more with every passing moment. However, by afternoon, Kai''s HP had gone low enough for him to not ignore it. The Corrupt Latios had vanished after 30 seconds. The strangest thing was that the Eon Soul Dew hadn''t returned to him, but directly appeared in his Inventory. At anytime, such a mysterious effect would have pleased Kai. Not here. Not in this Random World. Now, Kai couldn''t take out the Top-Grade Rare Item even if he wanted as the Systems restricted his use of Inventory under the rules of the 2nd Stage of the Tournament. So the moment he saw a wide, cleared area on the river bank, just after crossing a village, he landed there. Kai looked around and the first thing he saw was a weather-beaten hut a few hundred meters in the clearing. All around him, tall trees were rising towards the sky, telling him a tale of the rainforest. He took Shinobu to the hut, made a makeshift bed using the straw, and laid her down over it, her breath broken and low. But his life came first. He searched her thoroughly but could find no antidote. Cursing under his breath, and with the package still on his back, Kai walked to the river again, making sure that the distance between the river bank and the hut was less than 1000 meters. It was not the time to take an HP capsule. Kai couldn''t take it, even if he wanted to. Times had changed. Now Kai wasn''t a 1st Set''s newbie anymore, and the Systems played it fair, keeping the absurdness of the Contestants in balance for those who were backed up by top organizations. The Common Grade HP Capsules, giving 50 HP points, were now 50% less efficient on him. If taken more than once within 24 hours, this 50% less efficacy would decrease by another 50%, and it would keep decreasing until the limit was met. So, they were pretty useless. The Uncommon Grade HP capsules he had now restored 100 HP. For him to get all the 100 points, he must take the second HP capsule after a gap of 3 hours. If taken before, he would only get 50 points. However, these capsules weren''t antidotes. Kai knew that taking an HP capsule now would only stop his bleeding and heal the wound. It was entirely the opposite of what he wanted, though. Kai slumped down near the river bank, his knees slamming over the wet, polished pebbles. He put the wooden case over to his right and undressed, keeping only his baggy pants on himself. Then Kai held the stinger-sword hilt running through his stomach and gritted his teeth. With one great pull, he took it out, blood and flesh spraying out all around him. With his HP bar flashing red in front of his eyes, telling him it had less than 10% of its original value, Kai took several deep breaths to keep himself from not losing consciousness. He hastily used Telekinesis to grab several fistfuls of water from the river, and flushed the pieces of flesh and blood into the river, erasing the foul scent. After a few minutes, when Kai saw that his HP Regeneration Rate had reached a balance with his HP loss, only then did he unsheathe Afro''s Tachi out of its scabbard.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. With the sword in his hand, Kai looked down at the wound and saw the mass of rotten flesh darkening with every breath he took. It must go, he reasoned. Now. Kai had spent a substantial amount of time in the wilderness in his previous life. He had experienced enough of it and had learned about it even more. Not to mention, he had learned enough about the poisons; his blood essence had been that of a serpent there, too. To survive this ordeal, he could see only one particular set of actions. Cut off the rotten flesh, and detoxify the blood. The blade entered his body with a muffled squelch, his face contorting to the ugliest degree. The only thing he could think of was that even with his bad Luck, he had been lucky for Shinobu''s sword to miss his vital organs. Kai swirled the blade around, cutting off a sizable chunk of his flesh, and threw it into the river. His HP bar was now roaring, flashing with the darkest red color one could find in the universe. It was horrifyingly low. Kai still didn''t take the HP capsule. One could see the resolve to live in his eyes, the defiance, and the sheer will to overcome the odds. Kai took the meditative position, taking deep breaths, followed by a deeper exhale. He would wait for the Regeneration and Loss rates to come to equilibrium again. As he waited for that moment, dying, he recalled the event from the cliff. First, Kai''s Glitch hadn''t notified him about the demon, making him conclude the demon wasn''t exactly a species that came under the definition of Magical Creatures. Then, he had seen the blade coming for him, his ever-dependable instinct letting him know of the danger. Yet Kai had decided against dodging it. He had trust in himself to survive the poison, then. What had mattered the most was to implant the first resonance as soon as possible, and at the first sight. However, Kai knew it would all come to nothing if the Hashira died, succumbing to her injuries now. He must look at her wounds as soon as he could. Yet, he couldn''t rush the ongoing process, either. One moment of haste, and perhaps he could not salvage the next loss rate of his HP. Kai saw the equilibrium point after another half an hour. With two precise incisions, Kai sliced off his wrists, letting the blood fall into the river. Then he waited. With time, he became paler and paler, but the purplish hue about him, and dense black veins, infused with poison, also lost their color. Kai''s HP kept going down and down, blood flowing out of him like a stream of water. The moment it dropped below 3% was the same moment when Kai finally took out an HP capsule and threw it into his mouth. 100 HP was a significant amount. It represented an average adult Contestant''s life essence. The wound on his stomach healed first, flesh regenerating at a visible pace. Then the bleeding stopped, and the cuts on his wrists closed up. Not one point increased in his HP bar, but Kai had already expected that. Next came the blood itself. It took longer than the previous healing of wounds. Much longer, in fact. But with every blink of an eye, fresh blood coursed through his veins, bringing color to his face. By the end of this procedure, Kai still looked pale, but the purplish hue over his face had receded much. Even the black veins all over his body looked almost blue and red. Nevertheless, these weren''t the things that made Kai take a relaxing breath. For the first time, his HP regeneration rate overtook his HP loss rate. Not by much, but it seemed enough to move on and do something about Shinobu. He put on his clothes, snapped his fingers many times to dry the wooden case, and strapped it on his back once more. Then he went to the hut, walking out with Shinobu in his embrace. He would have to go into the rainforest to gather herbs and other necessary items, and he couldn''t leave her behind, either. Some things would never change, no matter the Timeline or Random World, Kai knew. Water would taste like water, the common color of plants would remain green, a fire would still burn with the myriad of colors, and love and hate would always be the strongest emotions. So, in the next few hours, Kai improvised while gathering the local herbs, tasting them, smelling them, and chewing on them. After returning to the hut, Kai grounded the herbs into a paste, making a salve. He had also made a wooden bucket, which he used to clean her body after warming it up a little. He then used natural strings of plants'' stems to make threads, and stitched her wounds, applying the salve over them. But even then, it didn''t seem enough. Kai sighed, taking out another HP capsule. It didn''t work as well on the Characters as it did on Contestants, but it was better than nothing. After this one, Kai would have only 2 more Uncommon HP capsules left. Yet Kai had never been an indecisive person. He forced her mouth open and made her swallow the capsule. Then he leaned back, his eyes closing with a heavy bout of drowsiness. The things that happened next were a series of many lucky events. Shinobu''s regaining consciousness, her speechless conversation with him, and the song that just happened to come at the tip of Kai''s tongue. The skipping of his heartbeat had shocked him as much as her, it seemed. Heart Rhythm - Resonance of Respect! For a long time after her return to sleep, Kai couldn''t fathom what he did for the next resonance to happen. He already had a few plans regarding the Resonance of Respect. This singular event baffled him the most. The only conclusion he came to at last was that these Resonances could be triggered by any of the two parties; Contestant or Character. It seemed to him that the Resonance of Respect was triggered by Shinobu''s thoughts. Shinobu Kocho didn''t regain consciousness until the evening of the 6th day since Kai''s arrival to this Random World. Kai was sitting by her side, feeding her warm soup using a wooden spoon. His HP bar now stood at some 60 points. The poison had kept his HP regeneration rate in check, letting it crawl forward at a turtle''s pace. It was then her eyes opened. 0264 A hearty chat with Shinobu - Another Hashira descends! Kai gave her space to breath and observe. She seemed more relaxed than before, the worst of her horrifying injuries already healed. With the Emotions Manipulation at his disposal, Kai had sensed the deep anger boiling inside her the moment he had neared her. He didn''t know her history, but in this world, what else could it be other than something related to the demons? She looked at him, her dense purple eyes regarding him with a confused gaze. "What are you?" she asked slowly. "Why did you save me?" Kai smiled gently at her, the second contrast of Facelessness bringing out his false Self instantly. He rubbed a stray drop of soup at the corner of her mouth and put down the bowl. The door of the hut was open, and a damp, red light of a bonfire was seeping in, giving them ample light to see each other. "I am a Demon, of course," he said, shocking her. "But must I need a reason to save anyone?" Shinobu''s mouth opened and closed at Kai''s blatant acceptance. It went against everything she had seen on the cliff and what she had come to know about him. Kai chuckled merrily, the shadow of weakness due to poison dancing on his face. "There is much anger in you, Shinobu," he told her. "A strong lady like you must not bury these feelings inside. Not for long. Love temper resolve, refining a person''s will. So does hate. But anger¡­ "¡­ anger brings nothing but haste and weakness." Shinobu''s eyes were already shuddering like two purple pearls at the bottom of the churning ocean. Kai looked to his right, his gaze deepening at the burning sight of the fire. "I was a doctor, once," he sighed, weaving a well-planned web of lies. "The so-called and self-named demons and humans were, and still are, patients in my eyes. "For me, this change in their physiology was nothing but the worst disease that needed meticulous research to curb it out. Disease because it had come too suddenly, bringing with it absurd weaknesses, though the demons called it advancement. "One day while working in my lab, a freak accident happened, and I became like this. My research kept me from becoming one of them. That''s why the sun doesn''t burn me, and I don''t need to eat human flesh. But it also prevented me from gaining their powers. "I don''t have their absurd regenerative powers and superhuman strength. All I have are these swords, given to me by a mysterious old beggar. So when I heard that there is a demon who had withstood the urge to eat humans, I saw a ray of hope. I have yet to apologize for my actions, I know. I know the pain of Tanjiro, the love of siblings, and your anger. "So I ask again, must I need a reason to save you?" Kai brought his gaze back to her, with a distinct obsession about him.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Their eyes matched, the crackling of fire reaching their ears with every other flutter of light. There was no way to confirm Kai''s claim. However, all the facts, and the events that had happened, were in his favor. Mixing truths within lies always served as the strongest foundation for all manipulations, Kai had learned. "How can you feel sorry for something that''s killed humans?" she asked, gritting her teeth. "I''ve never heard of anything so absurd!" Kai shook his head. "It''s in the nature of living beings to walk on the path of advancement," he told her. "I know there is evil in this world. And such evil, vile, and filth must be purged from the face of this world¡­" Kai had said those words with strained breaths, but a brilliant aura of justice exploded out of his hazel eyes, shocking even the Hashira. It had appeared only for a moment, but one moment had been enough to send a chilly shiver down Shinobu''s spine. Even among Hashiras, this just willpower would have stood at the top. "¡­ but I can''t kill a patient, being ignorant of their sufferings, either," Kai continued, closing his eyes as though recalling distant memories. "I won''t say that demons eat humans as humans eat other animals, justifying their actions with this absurd example. "But let me ask you if eating a chicken would grant one more strength to resist the demons, how many of these creatures would the Demon Slayer Corps have slaughtered by now? Thousands? Ten thousand? It goes against my principles. All I want is to find a cure. A cure to make them feel love again. Is that so wrong?" Kai''s words were whispers, melting into the surrounding silence. Shinobu looked at him for a long time, color rising to her face with every passing moment. "You could''ve just¡­" she began, her voice weak. "¡­ come to the Demon Slayers and ask for Nezuko?" Kai completed the question for her, smiling wryly. "Look at me," he said, pointing at his face. "Who would have given reason to my words before beheading me? I don''t have the strength to resist the combined force of the Demon Slayers, much less a Hashira. No. It was the only way. I must carry out a few tests using Nezuko''s blood, then I will return her. "And without my medical assistance, you would have died on that cliff, you know it as well as I. So I had to bring you with me as well. Your internal bleeding and injuries are healed, but your vital organs are still delicate. Your ribs are fractured, along with hairline cracks in many bones. Don''t strain yourself and relax." Shinobu was aware of her state better than Kai, so his pointing it all out with pinpoint accuracy gave the truth to his words. He truly was a doctor. The Hashira closed her eyes and looked away. "He''s here," she told him. "You will never survive." Kai laughed, pushing himself to his feet. "I know," he nodded. "If it wasn''t for you being unable to move, you would''ve attacked me already. I know that, too." Shinobu''s head snapped towards him, finding him looking at her with grace in his eyes. "It''s OK," Kai whispered. "You have your path to tread. I have no reason to stop you. Nor have I any reason to stop him, either. This is life, Shinobu. All we can do is live every moment, taking one step after another, because¡­ "¡­ even if one doesn''t know one''s way¡­" Kai walked towards the door, his figure dark against the fire outside. "¡­ one must keep moving forward." Just before walking over the threshold, Kai paused. He took out a red capsule and flicked it towards the Hashira. The tiny capsule came to rest a few meters away from her. "If I don''t return," Kai told her, his smile burning brighter than fire, "then take this tomorrow evening. You will live because you are the strongest woman I''ve ever met¡­" He walked out, laughing, "¡­ and beautiful, too." Behind him, Shinobu''s lips quivered, her eyes straining to follow Kai''s disappearing figure, and beside her, the red capsule glinted with a bloody premonition. Outside, between the hut and the river bank, Kai came to stop with a deathly silence on his face. On the river bank, a man was standing upright, wearing a white haori with red flame patterns at the ends. His golden hair, ending with a red tinge, was wet. And there was a just smile on his face. After 3 days of peace, Kai''s bad Luck had finally attracted another top figure, and he recognized him with a heaviness in his heart. He was Kyojuro Rengoku, the Flame Hashira. 0265 Flame Hashira - Kyojuro Rengoku! Note: As already shared, if you decide to support the fanfic later as a Patron anytime in the future, Make Sure to go through these chapters again. Reading them with images and gifs on Patre0n will be much more enjoyable. *********** Chapter Begins: Kai observed the tall stature of the Flame Hashira. Kyojuro Rengoku had an athletic build and had an air of great optimism about him that Kai could even feel with hundreds of meters of distance between them. That meant using Advance Emotions Manipulation to suck out his happiness was a foregone conclusion. This Ability wouldn''t work on him, Kai knew it for a fact. The top-class Demon Slayer was panting, with a wide smile plastered on his face. His golden eyes seemed to be ever-opened, and locked on Kai. It didn''t take long for Kai to guess that the eccentric Hashira had swum down the entire river, looking for his signs. No wonder he found Kai. It was the only way, to begin with. Rengoku''s gaze went beyond Kai, landing on the wooden box on Kai''s back and the hut behind him, and then he suddenly burst out in a feat of laughter. "Hahaha!" Rengoku guffawed, folding his hands over his chest. "She fights on despite her disadvantageous physique! She deserves my respect!" Kai smiled back, knowing well that Rengoku was talking about Shinobu. "She is strong, I agree," he replied. "I know you are here for them, Kyojuro Rengoku. But I am afraid I can''t let you have them. At least not for the next three weeks." Rengoku''s laugh vanished, but the smile on his face persisted. "You are poisoned!" he declared. "I am." "You cannot regenerate!" Rengoku shouted, his eyes wide open like a statue. "Not as well as other demons." Kai kept agreeing as if they were just chatting, catching up like two old friends. "You are not my match!" Rengoku proclaimed. Kai grinned, with a touch of madness about his smile. "Now, now," he mumbled, unsheathing the Item, One half of the Power Sword. "That is yet to be seen, Rengoku." "Hahaha!" Rengoku laughed, throwing out his hands and putting them over his waist. "Those two are my juniors, demon! I will protect them with my life!" Kai took a deep breath and nodded. "I am sure you will, Flame Hashira," he said. "And I will do the same¡­" There would be no reasoning with the Demon Slayers, Kai knew. Even after the two Resonances, if Kai hadn''t put away Shinobu''s sword, she would have already attacked him at the cost of her life. This was some other level of brainwashing, backed by just reasons and past sufferings. No Demon Slayer would let him have Nezuko to himself for an entire month. Not until he would give them solid proof. Turning back into a human would do the trick, probably, Kai knew. But dare he take that chance, with the 18th-floor monsters watching him?The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. They weren''t as clueless as the lower floor''s Contestants. If Kai were to transform into his human self in front of them, then they would become suspicious. And their suspicion meant destruction for Kai. He couldn''t have that. Kai raised the sword in his hand towards the black sky, shimmering with billions of stars, and thunder fell. A blue bolt of lightning fell from the cloudless sky over the sword''s tip, and the cordite sword broke down, becoming silver-green armor. The armor covered Kai''s right hand, and his chest and waist. Armor of Justice! One half of the Power Sword ignored the first HP damage below 20, and reduced the first damage over 20 by 10 every 60 seconds. It also granted him an energy field with 1-meter radius, which impeded and deflected all physical attacks. It was an undeniable source of defense against opponents that were more powerful than Kai, he knew. But it also had two weaknesses. First, upon striking by a mighty impact, like that of Queen Xenomorph''s tail, it would break down, reverting to its original state. Second, the armor had a Time Limit of 5 minutes with a cooldown of 2 minutes. It meant Kai must finish the fight within these 5 minutes, and that too without losing the armor. Kai unsheathed his swords, with Afro''s Tachi in his left hand and Murasame in his right. Rengoku''s smile flickered at seeing the sudden appearance of Kai''s armor. "Those who bare their fangs at innocents," he said, his white cloak flailing without wind, "I and Kagutsuchi will burn them to ashes!" Kai''s eyes narrowed. Was there another Demon Slayer with him? But he had noticed no one. It was then that Rengoku unsheathed his Katana. An intense wave of heat assaulted Kai, burning his face. It was a white fiery blade with a red edge. The sword looked as though the swordsmith had just taken it out of the hearth. What is this?! Kai asked, baffled. Aphrodite didn''t mention this to me. Nor did she say that Demon Slayers'' swords have names. Something''s wrong. Something''s extremely wrong¡­ "State the name of your katanas, demon!" Rengoku demanded, smiling, his sword letting out a burst of actual flames now and then. Kai''s mouth became a thin line, and then he suddenly laughed. So what? he thought, his demonic laugh echoing far and wide. It''s just another fight, another roadblock between me and the Peak of Absolute Power. Yes. Even if I die ascending this path¡­ So what? "This is Afro''s Tachi," Kai introduced sincerely, flicking his left hand. "And this one here is Murasame. One nick from it, and you will die." Even though Kai had decided against killing a human, this hadn''t included the Hashiras. Fighting against them, without going all out and without having the will to take their lives, would be a mistake, Kai knew. "Is that so?" Rengoku said, taking a crouching stance. "Then I will just stay away from it¡­" With a pop, he vanished. Kai exhaled, his eyes narrowing to the size of the needle''s tips. The wind died, the buzz of rainforest melted into his bones, and the heat burning his entire moist body intensified. Kai didn''t have strength, but he had enough Agility and Stamina to hold himself against a Hashira. Flame Breathing - Second Form¡­ Rengoku appeared in front of Kai and slashed upwards, his Katana covered in scorching flames. ¡­ Rising Scorching Sun! The Energy Field turned air into water for the Demon Slayer, resisting and impeding the insanely swift slash. Kai let go of the Murasame in his hand, and under the shocked gaze of Rengoku, reached down to grab the burning sword. Heat, unimaginable red-white heat, burned the cordite gauntlet on his hand black and blue. An ear-splitting screech of steel cutting steel resounded, but the sword failed to cut the supreme material called Cordite. There was mercy in Kai''s eyes before the start of the fight. Not anymore. Murasame whirled, and like a bullet, it got fired towards Rengoku''s neck by Telekinesis. Some primal danger must have announced itself to the Demon Slayer. "HAAAA!!!" Rengoku let out a powerful shout, his sword replying to his call instantly. Heat exploded from it like never before, and Kai had to let go. Rengoku vanished again, Murasame nicking nothing but empty air. What insane reflexes! Kai felt amazed, recalling the sword back to him. A blurry image of Rengoku, dozens of meters to his right, and running towards the hut, manifested itself in his mind. Kai was getting a hang of these images now, associating them with his Instincts. Twin-Saber Style¡­ Kai''s katanas left his hands once more, getting stretched in the space as if some invisible being was using them as arrows. Then, with the mind gem pulsing vibrantly, Kai fired them toward Rengoku. ¡­ Viper Strike! Only now Rengoku appeared where Kai had thought he would. The two sabers cut off his path, but the Flame Hashira''s smile widened as if this was something he had been aiming for. Kai¡­ had lost his katanas. 0266 Blood Demon vs Flame Hashira - A Dance of Sword Styles! (I) That Kai could use Telekinesis must have already been found out by the Demon Slayers. Kai had to use it against Tanjiro just after coming into this world. Analyzing demons was a part of their daily routine for them, and more so when their life depended on it. Not to mention, Rengoku was a Hashira, with unparalleled instincts of his own, his strength, reflexes, and swordsmanship even greater than Kai. The moment Rengoku''s feet touched the ground, he vanished again. Flame Breathing - First Form¡­ The burning katana came for Kai''s neck horizontally, and this time, even the energy field failed to deflect or slow it down. ¡­ Unknowing Fire! Kai horrifyingly realized that the energy field hadn''t slowed the slash down last time, either. Rengoku had faked the resistance. An even more terrifying realization was that his Advance Telekinesis was fluctuating intensely as the sword got closer to him. Kai had already deduced that Electromagnetic Interference caused the Spiritual Currents in his surroundings to go haywire, resulting in the failure of Telekinesis. Now, he couldn''t help but relate his armor''s energy field''s failure to his Telekinesis'' failure as well. So, Spiritual Currents are useless, Kai concluded, the image of a burning katana enlarging in his hazel eyes. What about Mana, then? Kai put up his armored right hand for defense, but suddenly the incoming katana changed direction, now hacking at his waist. It didn''t seem he could avoid this slash. It was then a snapping sound broke the silence. An ethereal blow at Rengoku''s wrist redirected the katana towards the ground. Knockback Jinx - Flipendo! 20 MP vanished from Kai''s Mana store, making him scowl at the worst result possible. The sword landed on the ground, and with a boom, the shockwave threw both of them away from each other, a dust cloud roiling, churning between them. Even before the dust settled, Kai''s wraith-like, blue figure blurred around it, advancing towards Rengoku. The fallen swords lifted off the ground and flew towards him using Telekinesis. The Flame Hashira didn''t give Kai this chance. He appeared between Kai and the swords, and Kai lost control over the Spiritual currents, both katanas falling to the ground once more. Either Rengoku''s katana, or the Hashira himself, was disturbing the Spiritual Currents perceived by him, Kai realized. How? He didn''t know. Nor did he have the time to figure out this mystery. Rengoku hacked at Kai with his burning sword, advancing, pressuring him with every next move. Kai dodged the slash with the width of a hair. Those he couldn''t dodge got blocked by his armor.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. One majestic blow landed on his shoulder, and a bone-snapping sound creaked as the armor dented under the blow. "Ha!" Rengoku shouted and put more force into the blow, trying to penetrate the material. Kai smiled. The Flame Hashira had finally stopped. Once again, he snapped his fingers. 20 MP disappeared, and Rengoku''s figure looked as if one was watching a video, slowed down extremely. Impediment Jinx - Impedimenta! The smile on Kai''s face vanished as soon as it appeared, though. Flame Breathing - Third Form¡­ Rengoku''s eyes burned with ethereal fire, and his katana exploded with flames, a dense red-white blanket of heat wrapping around it, enhancing its sharpness. ¡­ Blazing Universe! The armor gave in, and the katana entered Kai''s body like a knife through butter. It cut his shoulder, and then traced an arc, running down to his waist. Blood sprayed out, and painted the Hashira and Kai''s faces alike. Kai''s eyes had murder in them. A burst of blue light surrounded his figure, and he took a deep breath, the demon slayer''s sword still inside his waist. Another 50 MP vanished, darkening his vision, and then Kai vomited out a jet of water. Skill - Hydro Pump! ¡­ [ Skill: Hydro Pump Grade: D Specification: Fire a massive Water Pillar at the target Requirement: MP 50-100 Attributes: 1. Accuracy up to 10 meters: 100% 2. Accuracy decreases because of Water Pillar breakdown beyond 10 meters Effect: 1. Minimum Base Damage: 70 HP (MP 50) 2. Base Damage +10% with every +10 MP consumed over Minimum MP consumption 3. Maximum Base Damage: 110 HP 2. +20% Base Damage against the magical beasts of fire, ground, and rock type Warning: Base Damage will decrease with accuracy ] ¡­ Bang! Because of the proximity, the minimal damage water jet became so strong that it hit Rengoku''s head, sending him flying dozens of meters away. The Skill would remain active only for 30 seconds, Kai knew. And by the time its Cooldown would reach its limit, it would be too late for him. With a sense of intense urgency, Kai took out an MP capsule and threw it in his mouth, regaining all his lost MP and his senses. Ignoring the scorched flesh and burning pain, he called out the swords again, and the moment he held them, Kai took another breath, deeper than before. 50 MP vanished, and another equally powerful Hydro Pump got fired towards the fallen figure of the Hashira. Rengoku flipped himself to his feet, his head and left eye covered with dark blood. Flame Breathing - Fourth Form¡­ He swung the katana in a circular motion, taking the incoming jet of water head-on. ¡­ Blooming Flame Undulation! Jets of even hotter flames evaporated the water jet, cutting it into several chunks, and turning it into boiling steam. Rengoku didn''t give Kai another chance to breathe. Flame Breathing - Fifth Form¡­ The katana in his hand blurred, and the Hashira slashed at Kai several times from afar. Flames snarled at Kai and rushed towards him, taking the form of a flaming tiger. ¡­Flame Tiger! One moment, the flaming figure was still coming at him, in the other, it had already arrived. Twin Saber Style¡­ Kai outstretched his hands to his left, and swirled, using Slither Steps to gain momentum. His two katanas met the flaming tiger, the attacks exploding on the impact. ¡­ Kiss of the Giant Serpent! The explosion threw Kai back, his figure rolling like a lifeless doll over the ground. With one flick of his hand, Kai landed on his feet, his eyes locking on the Demon Slayer. Cough! Cough! Several mouthfuls of blood got coughed out, making Kai fall to his knees. In the distance, Rengoku panted, his eyes moving from Kai to the wooden box over his shoulder. It must have astonished the Hashira, seeing Kai holding himself against him with the wooden case containing Nezuko still on his back. Yet, it seemed, for him, the fight was all but over. Kai and Rengoku were to the left and right of the hut, respectively, some 300 meters away. And now, the Hashira was closing this gap with every next step. Kai slammed his swords into the ground and pushed himself up. "Hehe-hahaha!" The Blood Demon laughed like a maniac. "You are strong, Hashira!" he shouted, knowing well that Rengoku was indeed the strongest opponent he had faced after his resurrection. "But¡­ don''t think me defeated yet. You have danced enough. "¡­ Now, let me show you my dance." Kai lifted the Murasame, with meticulous control, and nicked the flesh over his heart. 0267 Blood Demon vs Flame Hashira - Fulfilling Ones Duty! (II) Runic letters of cursed poison covered his entire body and his heart, making Kai feel pain like never before. Every single muscle and part of his bones felt like breaking down to the smallest particle. The maniacal grin on Kai''s face widened. His long, white hair became red, the color of blood, and so did his eyes. Runic letters also covered his pupils, and an unimaginable feeling of power coursing through his veins, along with pain and already present Wisteria Poison. Little War Horn! ¡­ Skill: Little War Horn Skill''s Effect: 1. Strength, Agility, Stamina, and Perception: +5 points each (Time Limit: 60 seconds) 2. To use the Skill, one must discard their humanity. Only a truly demonic being can master the pain that the use of this Skill will bring forth on the user''s body 3. After 60 seconds, Strength, Agility, Stamina, and Perception: -3 points each (Time Limit: 60 minutes) 4. Cooldown: 24 hours ¡­ Strength: 20 (+5) Agility: 24 (+5) Stamina: 20 (+5) Perception: 22 (+5) ¡­ His Strength, Stamina, Agility, and Perception each got 5 points, bringing Kai to a level he had never thought he would ever in this world. Kai eyed his prey, and with a pop, he vanished; just like Hashira had at the beginning of their fight, the ground exploding with a bang where Kai had stood before. Rengoku''s eyes widened. He clenched his teeth, and the Flame Breathing exploded with a hiss. Kai''s shrill laugh entered his ears, then, like the hiss of a serpent. Blood spurted from Hashira''s left shoulder as he parried the Murasame even before Kai''s figure materialized in front of him. Boom! Kai let go of the swords and slammed his fist into Hashira''s stomach. Before Rengoku could react, the swords were in Kai''s hands again. But the swords had changed hands, somewhere in between. Rengoku''s figure blurred, and the demonic figure of Kai matched his speed. Tink-kk-Tinkaak! Within the clearing between the hut and the river bank, only occasional clashes of steel against steel and red and blue flashes could be seen. Rengoku hacked at Kai, his katana blazing, but Kai''s tail got a hold of his ankle first. Kai whirled midair, slamming the tall Hashira into the ground with a bang, and then threw him away like a rag doll. Kai landed on the ground, his feet bursting apart the earth like mud. "Hahaha!" he laughed, his long, red hair flailing, and his tail blasting the air like a whip. "Hashira-O-Hashira, survive this¡­" Kai wrapped his hands around him as though hugging himself. Suddenly, a massive explosion happened inside him, the muscles of his arms ballooning up, becoming twice their original size.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Twin-Saber Style - Forbidden Technique¡­ Afar, Rengoku stood up, his bones broken. His left eye was shut tight, and blood was streaming down his chin, pooling under his feet. He eyed the monstrous figure of Kai and smiled. "Warriors who strive to save other people''s lives are precious!" he shouted at the demon. "Their pure and single-minded dedication is separate from their natural talent. They don''t risk their lives to earn praise. They simply feel that they must. "What they choose in that moment is a cry from the depths of their souls." Kai listened and ignored. He kicked, and his figure blurred, the ground bursting apart under him, pieces of earth breaking like paper. ¡­ Serpent God''s Wrath! "Hahaha!" Rengoku laughed, his chest swelling with the Total Concentration Breathing Art. Two flame-patterned Demon Slayer Marks appeared on his face, flashing red and hot. "Set your heart ablaze, Kagutsuchi!" he bellowed, smiling. "Flame Breathing - Ninth Form¡­ "¡­ Purgatory!!!" The world caught fire around the Hashira, flames covering his figure and his blade. He too kicked the ground, and his flame-covered figure looked like a flaming serpent; its mouth opened wide to devour Kai whole, carving out the ground in its wake as well. Boommmmmm! ¡­ Time seemed to have lost its meaning as they clashed. A giant pillar of flame shot towards heaven, becoming a fire tornado. When the flames disappeared, two figures could be seen, one nearer to the hut than the other. The one closer to the hut had blue-black skin and a gash running down from its shoulder to the waist. It was Kai. His armor had vanished¡­ and so was his right hand. Clutched in his left hand was Murasame¡­ drenched in blood. Suddenly, his red hair became white, and the cursed runic markings over his body disappeared. 1 minute of Little War Horn was over, and his Strength, Agility, Stamina, and Perception all lost 5 points from their original values. Kai''s knees slammed on the stones, and he coughed out blackened, burned blood. Behind him, Rengoku was standing tall, with Afro''s Tachi stuck in his stomach, Kai''s right hand still dangling at its end. His entire body was covered in cursed poison now. And then, like a plucked petal, he fell face forward, meeting the earth with a dull thud. Kai looked over his shoulder, his vision going in and out of existence. If it wasn''t for Aphrodite, letting him know these Hashiras could use another Breathing Art to control their blood flow, then he would have never used Murasame, to begin with. Telling the Hashira that he would die in one nick was nothing but an exaggeration by Kai. It was especially so when he had already confirmed that One Cut Killer wasn''t enough to kill a Hashira-level Character after seeing the demon survive his attack on the cliff a few days ago. Kai, trembling, falling, again and again, pushed himself up using Murasame. Squelch! Kai called out the Afro''s Tachi and his right hand, plucking it out from Rengoku''s stomach. "You lost¡­ Hashira," he said, barely holding on to his senses. "Go back. You will¡­ not believe me, but I have no intention to harm them." Kai sheathed his katana and grabbed the right hand that had just arrived. He pried its finger open, and sheathed the Afro''s Tachi, too, throwing the lifeless hand away like trash. Then, he walked towards the hut, almost crawling like a blue, beaten ghost. The mountain fell on his shoulders out of nowhere. ¡­ What else could it be? An unsurmountable, unmeasurable, and unimaginable pressure like that of a mountain crushed his shoulders, making him kneel. Resisting the headache that was trying to burst his head open, Kai gritted his teeth and looked back. Somehow, and somewhere in between the few steps Kai had crawled towards the hut, Rengoku had stood up, the two flame patterns on his face flashing furiously, and a third one appearing with a visible pace. The runic markings of the cursed poison were visibly burning as if lit by a match. Then, the Hashira said the words that changed Kai''s life, and his understanding, and toppled his knowledge of the Primordial Tower. These words made him realize why the Sponsor Aphrodite, a Contestant from the 18th floor, had mistaken Kai''s personalized Random World for a C- or C grade mission. These words told the world and all the observers, watching Kai and this fight from their seats, what kind of personalized Random World was worthy for a Contestant like Red in the Tournament of Worth. A Contestant, who had an Item coveted by an Old One, the Tales of Beedle the Bard; who had over half a dozen Abilities, including an Elite one; who had a hidden Skill, like Dementor''s Progenitor. A Contestant, who had Cosmic Authority, with its lore, and a Title like the Outer One. A Contestant, who had the Color of Observation, and that too under the 1st Threshold; an impossibility! A Contestant, who had the Color of the Supreme! A Contestant, who had Worth over 230! ¡­ And a Glitch!!! These words from the Flame Hashira justified everything. Only these words could match the abomination, code-named Red. Rengoku lifted his sword, which looked like molten fire. "Until the last breath¡­" he snarled, smiling, his voice hoarse, "¡­ I will fulfill my duty!" The burning Spiritual Pressure engulfed the entire clearing, and even the river, boiling its frothy waters. Rengoku gave a last look to Kai before running his fingers over his blade. Only then did he say, perhaps slowly and calmly, but Kai couldn''t tell. Those abysmal words were¡­ "Ban¡­Kai!!! ¡­ ¡­ Roar! Hi-no-Kagutsuchi!!!" 0268 The Myriad Manifestations of Perception - a Theory! 18th floor, Purple Castle The Primordial Tower Contestant Shadow Origin passed the vial, filled with flowing silvery, smoky liquid, to the King Purple Mist with a solemn expression on his face. It was a collection of memories! Shadow Origin had short black hair, black pearl-like eyes, and a youthful face. He was wearing a tight-fit pair of black suits and pants, with an odd purple geometric configuration emblazoned on the left side of the suit, just over his heart. The vial floated towards the king and vanished within the churning purple mist. A grunt of acknowledgement entered the Viceroy''s ears and his shoulders relaxed with an inaudible sigh. "The Butcher of the 2nd floor, Master of an ex-priestess from the Temple of the Yellow King, and the killer of a restricted Viscount¡­" Shadow Origin listed out the results of his investigation one by one. "This Red has done some significant things in only a few months of his arrival, your grace. "I failed to find the method he must have used to assassinate Viscount Purple Spark. Nor could I unearth the reason for the empire to drop the search for him regarding the same. But there are subtle clues that point toward him. And¡­" The purple mist surrounding the King paused. Shadow Origin gulped. "And¡­" he stretched the world as though it would bring the end of time, preventing him from saying the next words. "The Temple of the Many Faced God has taken responsibility for the assassinations under the hidden currents," he blurted, taking a step back. "They didn''t leave any clue related to their connection with Red." An eerie silence choked the soul out of the people present in the Throne Hall. Throne Hall of the Purple Castle¡­ It was a majestic hall, so humongous that one could fit several Sea Kings in it and still have space left to stuff more. A purple carpet was leading from the absurdly large entrance to the dozens of feet tall high-backed throne, climbing hundreds of steps up the dais. On both sides of the purple carpet, leaving a gap, were purple armored sentries standing with spears in their hands. Trr-trrrr! Now their armors rattled. Yet, none complained. Not even Viceroy Shadow Origin, beads of sweat donning his forehead. A few moments later, the pressure subsided and a majestic voice thundered in the Throne Hall. "It must have started by now," the king commented leisurely. "Bring up the screen." "As you command, your grace," Shadow Origin bowed, coming to stand by the king''s side, sighing in relief inwardly. The Viceroy of the Purple Castle waved his hand and a giant video screen appeared in front of them, hovering midair. It hadn''t come as a shock to him that Red had accepted all five of the Sponsors'' requests. Anything else, and it would have been a disgustingly disappointing decision.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. The video screen flickered and Golduck-Kai appeared in their eyes, his brilliant blue appearance getting contrasted by the snow in the background. Shadow Origin raised an eyebrow. "Genetic mutation?!" he mumbled, looking at the king. "Only a month has passed since the last stage. This doesn''t seem to be the reward of a Main Mission, your grace. It is perhaps the reward of getting the top place in the 1st Stage." With their wealth, it wasn''t a surprise that they knew the detailed passing-list of the 1st Stage. Though what rewards individual rankers had received from the Tower for their performance, the Systems would never reveal such a personal information about any Contestant without demanding a huge price. A price so exorbitant that it would have made the answer itself meaningless. However, when it came to the top 3 ranks, even paying price didn''t suffice. Not all things could be bought using the Mission Credits. The king didn''t comment on Shadow Origin''s theories. Such transformations were too common in the Primordial Tower for Golduck-Kai to receive another careful glance. The Mission details had already been shared with the Sponsors, so the audience left the wooden case and the sudden appearance of Tanjiro, the main character, unquestioned. They saw Kai fighting, running away, and then getting attacked by the Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka. Then the screen showed the sudden boost in Kai''s reflections and him meeting Hashira''s slash with his tail. The tail flew up, slashed cleanly by the sword. "This sword looks different¡­" Shadow Origin whispered, narrowing his eyes at Water Hashira''s katana. But the video screen was bound to follow the Candidate, so he didn''t think about it anymore. They saw Kai hiding in a cave and then recuperating without consuming the HP capsule. "A prudent decision," Shadow Origin commented, nodding. "He should contact a Sponsor now and get the details of the Unique Random World he is in." From his left, an ancient sigh escaped, echoing in the Throne Hall. Shadow Origin stupidly looked at the king, waiting for the words to follow the sigh. "Attributes restrict the Contestants as much as they assist them," the king mumbled to himself, his voice ethereal with a touch of remembrance. This?! Shadow Origin''s mind shook. "Your grace," he prodded carefully, taking control of his senses, "isn''t it a Saying from the Remote Antiquity?" The mist roiled as the king chuckled. "It is," he agreed. "What do you know about it?" Shadow Origin straightened his spine. "In the Tale of the Two Brothers," the viceroy began, reciting from memory, "the younger brother with the blessing of Kekkei Genkai, Byakugan, descended from the 16th floor and restricted himself to the life of the lower floors. "Despite this, in only a few centuries, the younger brother made a name for himself, getting the singular title of Scholar King from the Emperor in those times. "It turned out the younger brother was a stupendous genius in understanding the Systems, Stats, and the Multiverse. For many centuries, the Byakugan-user traveled across the Multiverse, figuring out the hidden meanings behind them." Shadow Origin paused, looking thoughtful as he saw Kai in a meditative posture. "Continue¡­" the king commanded. Shadow Origin jolted. "The theories summarized by the younger brother are mentioned in the tale," he continued, sweating. "He said that Multiverse holds infinite Random Worlds and Timelines together using glue. "This glue keeps the Random Worlds and their Timelines in check, and acts as the most primeval source of energy and shared essence among them. Without it, the entire Multiverse would fall apart, and even Chaos and Order would not be able to salvage the situation." "And this glue is¡­" the king intoned. "Perception." Shadow Origin answered, his eyes observing Kai with a meaningful gaze. "According to him, Perception has the property of being Omnipresent. It is everywhere and in everything. "Being Omnipresent, it is naturally present in the different Random Worlds, even in those that share no laws between them. "Whether sharing laws or not, Perception manifests itself in all the Random Worlds in one form or another. The younger brother listed out a thousand such forms, and named it ¡ª "The Myriad Manifestations of Perception." "You are right," the king said, his voice slow and mighty. "The tale says nothing about the ranking of these forms. But, with the passing of ages, Contestants have confirmed that there are differences in these manifestations; and the higher the rank, the more powerful a manifestation is. "What interests us kings the most is the theory mentioned under this list." 0269 Combining Extremeties and Words that shocked a King!!! "What interests us kings the most is the theory mentioned under this list." Shadow Origin''s eyes glinted with realization. "The Hypothesis of Restricted Stats¡­" he recalled, his breathing quickening with every next word (-was there any truth to this hypothesis, he thought inwardly-). "The younger brother said that the Characters within the Random World possess all the Attributes that of a Contestant, but are not digitized. And thus, they have the access to these Manifestations at the cost of the fact that they can''t direct their powers in a particular direction. "In contrast to the Characters, the Contestants'' Stats provide them the means of redirecting this source of power using Attributes, but being digitized, they must tap into these Attributes one by one at specific gaps to access the Manifestations." The king hummed in agreement. "And these specific gaps are¡­" The word was already on the tip of Shadow Origin''s tongue. "Thresholds!" But what does this have to do with Red? Shadow Origin couldn''t help but think that he was missing something. According to the Hypothesis of Restricted Stats, Perception''s manifestations can only be accessed by the Contestants after crossing a particular threshold. Manifestations above 100 rank are the most easily accessible, right after resurrection. The ones from 51 to 100 are only accessible after the 1st Threshold, marked by 20 or above points in each Active Attribute. 11 to 50 ranked Manifestations are accessible only after the 2nd Threshold, marked by 50 or above points in each Active Attribute. And the ones ranked from 1 to 10 are thought to be accessible only after the 3rd Threshold, marked by 100 or above points in each Active Attribute. But the top 10 Manifestations are unique and have baffled researchers for ages. "Hahaha!" The sudden laugh took Shadow Origin by surprise. He confoundedly stared at the purple mist, which seemed to laugh along with the king. "It has everything to do with Red and his current situation," the king said, still laughing, and almost reading the viceroy''s doubts. "Have you forgotten the condition of becoming a King?" Shadow''s Origin trembled. Yes! How could he forget that? It was he who had remarked it last time. "To be a King," he mumbled, more to himself and less to the king, "one must have access to at least one of the top-10 ranked Manifestations. As Perception is the glue holding the Multiverse together, one must use a Perception''s Manifestation as a glue too, combining Extremities of at least two different Random Worlds." "Good," the king praised. "That is correct indeed. Take the Golden King as an example. "Like Red, he had also accessed a manifestation under the 1st Threshold ¡ª Color of Observation; ranked 5th on The Myriad Manifestations of Perception.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Later, the Golden King combined one Extremity of the One Piece Random World, the Gomu Gomu no Mi Devil Fruit, with another Extremity of the Naruto World, sealing the Nine-Tailed Fox within him. "Huh! Ingenious, isn''t it?" Shadow Origin felt like a child being educated by a sage. He knew that there many Extremities in a Single Random World. But even with his status, finding these details about another king would have been a horrendous task. Yet here he was, lectured by a king himself. He couldn''t help but wonder which two Extremities His Grace, the Purple King, must have combined. But as soon as his mind wandered in that direction, Shadow Origin chastised himself. Blasphemy! He roared in his mind. You fool! You will die a horrific death by having these idiotic thoughts. Shadow Origin wasn''t a Contestant who had gained his position by asking questions he shouldn''t have asked. Not to mention, the topic at hand was still hot. "I get it now," the viceroy said, choosing his words meticulously. "With Red capable of using Color of Observation, the Systems must have selected a Unique Random World, keeping the said Manifestation in its analyzation. "And upon considering his Items, the mysteries surrounding him related to the assassination and the two temples, the previous stage''s rewards, and his Abilities and Worth, the grade of his mission must be at least C- or even C. "Yet, he doesn''t have the Stats to complement his oddities. You said wonderfully, your grace. "Attributes restrict the Contestants as much as they assist them." Shadow Origin closed his eyes, digesting the entire knowledge instantly. The king said nothing, then. After two days, they saw Red leaving the cave, and then fighting with two other characters. The snapping of fingers and the use of Magic made Shadow Origin frown. "Wandless Magic¡­" he said. "How unrefined¡­" However, he knew that by using this, Red had masterfully closed the gap between the discrepancy between his stats. But for how long? The question made him shake his head. Then they saw Kai''s absurd action of helping the Insect Hashira, the words he said, and then taking care of her for the next three days. The king chortled, to the viceroy''s surprise. "What is it, your grace?" Shadow Origin asked humbly. "Please enlighten me." "He is an Adulterer," the king replied passively. Adulterer? Shadow Origin repeated. Oh! Adulterer, the Title. Hmm, that makes sense. He must have put the Title Status points awarded by the Systems into the Title. Still, not just anyone can handle the ridiculous Skill ¡ª Heart Rhythm. Millions of Contestants have died pursuing beauties from the Random Worlds using this Skill. Tch-Tch! Now, the screen played the scene of Kai and the Flame Hashira facing each other. Kagutsuchi?! The viceroy frowned. When did the Demon Slayers start naming their swords? Perhaps a Timeline divergence. Yes. That must be it. He looked sideways but got no hint from the purple mist. With every passing moment, Shadow Origin couldn''t help but praise Red''s use of Color of Observation and the Wandless Magic in his heart. No matter what, he thought, smiling, as he saw Red once again discarding his humanity and then going for the final kill. This kid got style! The moment he saw a flame pillar rushing towards heaven, and the subsequent state of Kai and Rengoku, Shadow Origin folded his arms over his chest. "Haha!" he laughed. "It''s over. The fight was worth every Mission Credit." However, just when he had relaxed, seeing Red going towards the hut, he saw the Flame Hashira getting up. For years to come the Viceroy wouldn''t forget how he had stood near the king, stupefied, listening to those abysmal words. Rengoku Kyojuro''s spiritual pressure was almost visible on the screen, burning the very space in Red''s surroundings. It was then that the Flame Hashira said those words. Those abysmal words were¡­ "Ban¡­Kai!!! ¡­ ¡­ Roar! Hi-no-Kagutsuchi!!!" ¡­ Boom! On Shadow Origin''s left, the entire throne crumbled to pieces, as the king slowly stood up, the purple mist flapping like a roaring purple fire. Before Shadow Origin lost consciousness because of the king''s outrageous Haki, Shadow Origin only caught a few words, hammering them into his subconsciousness. "Verse Fusion?!!! Impossible!" the Purple King was saying, shocked. "No¡­ How can this be?! This kid¡­ this kid hides an immense secret!!!" 0270 The Cry of Cicadas - Kais Gamble! (I) The world blazed under the fiery wrath of Rengoku''s Bankai. There was such heat that the entire region around Kai, from the hut to the river, rippled like the space over the fire. Kai''s tattered robes disintegrated, becoming ash. His entire body became dry instantly, his webbed hands and feet longing for the lost moistness. The Golduck-Kai had finally shown its weakness. With the use of the Forbidden Technique, Kai had already lost the use of his bodily functions. Not to mention, the Skill, Little War Horn, had gone to Cooldown, taking away 3 points from his actual Active Attributes, other than Correspondence and Breath, for full 60 minutes! At this point, Kai was the weakest he had ever been after arriving here. Forget defending; it would be a miracle if he were to just stand up and move. Yet, Kai wasn''t a pathetic fool or weak-willed being. He wouldn''t face such an absurdity as Demon Slayers using Bankai while kneeling and looking over his shoulder. No. He must see in the eyes of his corrupted Unique Random World. He must get up! Miracles often needed a spark of unyielding will to be born. Thus, a miracle did happen, sparked by Kai''s thoughts. Held by his monstrous will, Kai stood up and turned around, his body trembling like dry, rotten leaves. What''s going on?! He thought, seeing the giant flames engulfing the Flame Hashira''s body. Why is a Character from this world using a move that is characteristic of Bleach Random World? If this Flame Hashira was a Contestant, I could''ve made my peace with it. However, he is a Character and a major main storyline Character at that. What the hell is wrong with this world?! The spiritual flames surrounding the Flame Hashira gradually lessened and gathered towards a point, entering a dark, red silhouette. From the lingering heat and rippling space, a figure walked out with a bare chest and baggy pants, a red cloak tied at the waist, reaching its ankles and flapping without wind. The figure had a red mask covering its nose and mouth, its eyes blazing in the open like two beads of molten fire, and its hair was yellow and red, looking like flaming threads. In the figure''s right hand, and resting over its right shoulder, was a scimitar-shaped sword. The sword''s edge was red, not because it was colored so, but because it was blazing hot; so hot that Kai could see the occasional explosions of tongues of fire bursting out of it. Of course, this figure belonged to the Flame Hashira, Rengoku Kyojuro. But he seemed to have undergone a definite, qualitative change and had become much more powerful.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. So powerful, in fact, that even with the option of using Titan''s Buff, Selene, and the Rare-Grade HP capsule, Kai''s instincts screamed that he wouldn''t survive. Not against this man, standing tall, with his fiery gaze planted on Kai''s broken figure. The only thing he could do now was to turn around and run. Only there lay a chance to live for another day. This thought amused Kai so much that the corners of his lips lifted, becoming a crazed grin. "Hahaha!" The laugh came naturally to Red. "And here I thought you had danced enough, Hashira," Kai shouted, blood seeping out of his mouth, nose, and eyes. "Show me, then. Show me the true power of this world¡­ "¡­ RENGOKU KYOJURO!!!" The Flame Hashira said nothing. Yet, the faintest nod of acknowledgment could still be perceived by the audience. Rengoku lifted his sword and slashed down, a brilliant red-white-yellow stroke of the brush against the black, rippling space. ROAR! A gigantic, over 100 ft long fire dragon burst out from the sword. No. It felt as though the sword itself had come alive, materializing as a dragon. The dragon was made entirely of blazing fire, had a thick, snake-like body, and had two hands and two legs with four claws each. The dragon''s head had two horns; coiling pillars of fire jutting out of the dragon head like two thorns. It had several thin whiskers; stray tongues of fire. And when it opened its mouth, letting out a majestic roar, one could see the sharp teeth in its mouth; all fangs made of fire as well. It flew towards Kai, burning, destroying everything in its wake. Kai smiled, his skin getting charred by the heat. He licked his lips, sending an intention to the Ghost Basilisk ¡ª Selene. The white serpent entered the ground through his feet, and with a speed surpassing that of the dragon, rushed towards the Hashira. Kai had finally decided to kill the Flame Hashira. Fuck Dimensional Leader! Fuck Heart Rhythm!! Fuck everything!!! For now, he would rather see Rengoku''s soul getting frozen, the light in his eyes fading with Selene''s presence within him. This was how he had killed Blooded Yautja in the last stage, by letting Selene enter its giant body through the shared branch over which Kai and the Yautja were standing. No wonder none could figure out how the Blooded Yautja had died, its death remaining a mystery. With Selene''s using Soul Chill at 100%, there was hardly anyone below the 3rd Set who could survive her wrath. The dragon and Selene crossed each other, one over the ground and the other several feet under; fire and ice, separated by thick sheet of graveled earth. It was then a new sound enlivened Kai''s surroundings. A buzz of thousands of insects took over the silence of the forest, and the most beautiful butterfly landed in front of Kai. Or so was the illusion she created. The Insect Hashira had finally decided to act. "Cry," she whispered. "Higurashi!" Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz-rkt! Kai''s face looked extremely dumbfounded, with a shadow of disbelief on his face. However, inwardly, he was roaring with laughter, calling back Selene before she could ruin the game using the connection he shared with her. The gamble paid off, it seemed to Kai. It paid off wonderfully! Before coming out of the hut, Kai had flicked an HP capsule towards Shinobu as a precautionary measure. Besides, he had also deliberately told her to take it the next day to make her believe he had no other motive for giving it to her. It was a risk, the likes of which had made his heart pound with excitement. The Insect Hashira could have sided with the Flame Hashira, or she could''ve ambushed him, preventing him from running away. Yet, all risks were bound to have solid reasonings. The reasoning behind this risk was the two resonances, Shinobu''s past, and the false tale Kai had fed her during the last three days. He didn''t believe in resonances, others'' pasts, and tales, but he did believe in himself. It was all hoping that the Insect Hashira would take the capsule, gaining some strength. Then, if needed, she could aid him against another Hashira, preventing Kai from taking the last measure ¡ª ¡ª running away and letting the Heart Rhythm come to an early end. The results of the gamble were there for all to see. 0271 The Cry of Cicadas - Shinobus Resolve! (II) The buzz of insects intensified as Kai saw Shinobu''s stinger-shaped sword glow with dense purple color, and shake like the flutter of the cicadas'' wings. The fire dragon roared, it''s rush unstoppable. Outstretching its claws and opening its mouth, it arrived, hoping to turn Kai to ash. Her sword met it first, like a wooden stick against a waterfall. Boom! Cough-Cough!! Shinobu got lifted off her feet, and her petite figure got slammed into Kai''s chest, both vomiting out blood on the spot. Yet, Kai managed to keep his feet on the ground somehow. Gaining her chance, Shinobu attacked with dozens of stinging strikes at the underside of the fire dragon''s jaw. Her speed was so great that Kai only saw around 10 out of who knew how many strikes. The power behind the dragon''s rush was great, but under Shinobu''s meticulous control, it all got redirected upwards. Roar! The dragon flew towards the starlit sky, roaring, coiling, and burning everything. With a dazzling boom, it exploded several hundred feet up in the air, portraying a great picturesque festival-like event. On the broken, scorched ground, littered with shattered rocks and blood, both Kai and Shinobu panted, one deader than the other. In front of them, Rengoku walked, approaching them with large, prideful strides. The point of his scimitar-shaped sword was dragging over the earth, leaving behind a trail of fire. "Explain!" he roared. Shinobu giggled, her voice weak and gentle. "The night is so bright, Rengoku-san," she said. Her sword was still buzzing, propped up in defense, and her back was almost pressing into Kai''s chest as if both of them were glued to each other. Kai could feel her heartbeat. It was slow, but not weak. And her hair smelled of life; of victory. "Shinobu Kocho!" the Flame Hashira shouted, pointing his sword at Kai. "He''s a demon! How dare you defend him?! You¡­ of all¡­" The Insect Hashira shook her head. "I am not defending a demon, Rengoku-san," she told him, breathing brokenly. "I am defending hope. My heart was conflicted as well in the last few days. Not anymore. "We, of all, must not judge by appearance. With his powers, he could''ve killed me off already. But I''m still alive. He has his reasons, and¡­ I believe him."Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. "Believe¡­" the Flame Hashira repeated the word, bringing down his sword. "What if your belief wouldn''t be enough?! What if he were to kill humans?! And what if he is just a pawn?! What about Nezuko?! Will you take responsibility for everything?!!" His words were fire, burning the crux of the situation. No matter what Shinobu believed, Kai could very well be a pawn of the King of Demons, Muzan Kibutsuji. The two Hashiras went silent, one on the verge of exploding, and the other about to fall, losing consciousness. "I will." Her voice echoed like a summer''s call. "I will kill him if all that you said were to come true. I will bring back Nezuko, too. I will do my duty as Hashira, Rengoku-san. I am Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho." "Very well." The eccentric Flame Hashira let out just two words before turning around and walking away. After nearing the river, Rengoku slashed upwards. Roarrrrrr! An even more majestic dragon came roaring out, boiling the river under it. The Flame Hashira jumped, landing over the dragon''s head, as the fiery creature swooped low before taking it to the air. In only a few dozen seconds, the dragon had crossed miles, becoming the flicker of a distant candle against the full moon rising above the horizon What the?! Kai gazed at the scene with an open mouth, recalling the strange personality of the Flame Hashira. The bout of weakness burst out of nowhere. Kai''s knees buckled, and he fell back, his remaining limbs refusing to answer his call. A hand on his back prevented his head from banging against the ground. Shinobu lifted him, putting his numb left hand across her shoulders. "You didn''t have to do that," he said, looking ashamed. "I was ready to¡­" "¡­ die?" she asked, completing his words, her face pale and blood running down her chin. "It''s so easy to die. But it takes courage to live. Also, if you had died, who else would have sung to me?" Kai looked at her, their eyes matching under the open sky, and a field of fire burning behind them. Even with her paleness, her cheeks gained a rosy color. And then they both burst out with a meek feat of laughter. "You can let out Nezuko," Kai said, smiling, and once again gambling, "but don''t let her go over 100 meters away from me. There''s a blood connection between us now. If she were to go out of 100 meters'' limit, all my life''s work would go down the drain." Shinobu observed the gentle smile on his face, which meant to say take her away if you would like. He won''t stop her. Somehow, the Insect Hashira nodded. The moment their feet touched the pile of straw on the floor, both fell together. Kai could feel her hot breath on his face; they were so close. The darkest sleep was trying to kiss his eyes, but Kai persisted, turning his head to take one last look at his prize. She was looking at him with her faded purple eyes, silver rays of the moon falling on her face along with the red shadow of fire through the open door. Kai opened his mouth, and words melted on his tongue like snow. ¡­ I loved a maid as white as winter, with moonlight in her hair. ¡­ Shinobu closed her tired eyes and then opened them again. And then she lifted her sword, bringing its hilt between their faces. With one flick, a hidden mechanism opened a tiny compartment on the hilt. Kai was already floating half in the realm of dreams and nightmares and half in the waking. So the moment he saw a red capsule falling out of the compartment, his pupils widened under his drooping eyelids. She¡­ never took the HP Capsule?! She¡­ How did she¡­ Kai failed to think properly for a moment. It went against everything he had thought before. "You¡­" Kai had just opened his mouth when Shinobu forced the red capsule into it and then took out a needle, stabbing it in his neck. All strength must have left her too, for her hand fell on Kai''s cheek lifelessly. They looked at each other, one in shocking, admiring amazement and the other with a gentle smile. Sleep snatched away their last remaining sense, their hearts skipping a beat in resonance. 0272 Verse Fusion - Resonance of Laws! (I) Kai opened his eyes with a splitting headache two days later. The cry of birds and the surrounding chill told him it was early morning, just short enough to call it dawn. With one deep breath, Kai assessed the state of his body. His right hand had regenerated, and the hideous scar on his body had also healed. His HP had hit its limit as well, showcasing the full 200 points. (-5 points buff by Adulterer Title-) But there was a fatigue stabbing in his bones, muscles, and tendons, making Kai wince as he tried to move his fingers. It was the aftereffect of using the Forbidden Technique along with the Little War Horn. Serpent God''s Wrath let Kai concentrate all the power of his body into specific parts of his body, turning them into ticking time bombs. That''s why Kai could never cancel this technique once implemented, otherwise, the concentrated power would implode, shattering his bones, organs, and almost everything. Not to mention, it strained every fiber of his muscles, overexerting them beyond the limit. To be called a Forbidden Technique had equivalent repercussions. Then there was Little War Horn, a monstrous Skill, in itself. Cutting himself didn''t mean Kai wouldn''t be subjected to the cursed poison. No. It worked the same as on the others, attacking Kai''s heart. The single function this Skill had was to give Kai a chance to resist the pain brought about by the cursed poison, stimulating more power out of him. And the only condition was that Kai must discard his humanity; every single time. The problem lay not in discarding, but the former part of stimulation. In essence, Little War Horn did the same thing as Serpent God''s Wrath. The only difference was that in the former case, the Stats reflected the Skill''s effects, while in the latter case, it was more personal. However, it didn''t alter the fact that using these two together was like squeezing out juice from a lime, despite it being already dried and crumpled. No wonder he couldn''t feel an ounce of power within him, despite his Stats being full to the brim. Sigh! Kai let out a breath inwardly, closing his eyes. Stats aren''t always reliable. One can''t judge someone''s condition based on the Attributes alone. Quite a loophole. Slowly, Kai turned his head left. A small girl was sleeping soundly there with a bamboo piece in her mouth. Kai immediately recognized her. The Package ¡ª Nezuko. To Nezuko''s left, Kai found Shinobu. Her face was still pale, but the shadow of death seemed to have abandoned her. Kai looked at her with a profound, complicated gaze. Even now he couldn''t believe that she had barged into the fight between him and Flame Hashira without consuming the HP Capsule.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. How could she move like that with her injuries, Kai had thought then. But her sacrifice of not using the HP capsule wasn''t the reason behind Kai''s complicated gaze. It was him not calculating it beforehand. As he looked at her more and more, his mind racing, Kai couldn''t help but accept he had indeed underestimated people''s foolishness. Well, Kai thought, willing his mind to push his body up. Early birds eat the worms. There were too many questions in his mind, and there was only one way to get the answers. Little by little, moving one muscle after another, Kai got up. His haori had been burned by the dragon''s flames, so there was only a kimono on him now, and under the kimono were the Book and other Items. Yet, Golduck-Kai had an affinity with water and had some resistance to cold as well. So the morning chill didn''t overly bother him. Kai went over to Shinobu''s side and checked her for hidden injuries. A few bones are still broken, Kai observed. But there is no internal bleeding, her organs are functioning properly, and her vitals are looking good, too. Hmm, this Breathing Art is truly a great recuperating method. Commendable! Kai made sure that she was truly out of mortal danger. He had already invested too much time in her. Not to mention, after seeing the Flame Hashira using Bankai, a primal desire had flamed in Kai''s heart. Now he wanted her more than ever. An unconditional follower like her would let him gain even more benefits. Covering both the girls up with their cloaks, Kai walked out of the hut, keeping himself within the 100 meters limit from Nezuko. Now, it was time to contact Sponsors. With his one thought, the Systems established a channel with Sponsor Ravana from the 18th floor, a countdown of an hour ticking simultaneously. "I have some questions," Kai said, keeping his voice low. "You finally contacted someone, lad," an aged voice entered Kai''s ears. It was heavy, belonged to a male, and was ringing with wisdom. "Speak. I will decide the price after listening to your questions." This was a most natural conversation, and Ravana''s words made sense at a glance. But inside, Kai''s heart pounded. He didn''t know why, but he could sense an apprehensive and greedy tone behind those words. "My first question is obvious, isn''t it?" Kai sneered, bringing out an arrogant personality to counter the other party''s apprehension. "What''s going on? Why are this world''s Characters using Bankai? And tell me straight, old man. Am I fucked or what?" "You are and you are not," the old voice replied. "I have the answer to your question, lad." "What do you want?" Kai asked, his heart already pounding. There was something odd going on, and this price would confirm his doubts, Kai knew. "Multiverse Id of your current Random World," Ravana demanded. "It''s quite cheap, considering your circumstances. Believe me." Oh, seven hells! Kai''s mind roared. I knew I was not having this odd feeling without cause. Tch! If Kai hadn''t contacted Sponsor Aphrodite before, then he could have never guessed it. These Sponsors had only one interest at the beginning of the 2nd stage ¡ª Candidate Red. Aphrodite''s asking him about his Mission Grade was related to Kai''s Stats. So it hadn''t surprised him. But this¡­ ¡­ this demand changed everything. The presence of Bankai in this world meant there was something wrong with the Random World itself, which in turn meant Kai had some immense secret about him. So, it would have made sense if Ravana had asked what was so special about Kai for the world''s oddity. However, demanding Multiverse Id meant the Random World itself had transcended Kai in importance. This wasn''t something that boded well for him. Not at all. "Humph!" Kai snorted. "Multiverse ID? I don''t even have it. How am I to give it to you? Have you gone insane?" Contestant Ravana chuckled, not minding Kai''s tone at all. "No worries," he drawled. "You will most likely get the Multiverse Id as a reward after the Mission''s Completion. You can swear an oath upon Chaos'' name, stating that you will give it to me after the completion of the stage and not to anyone else. Think about it. You need an answer more than me." Kai''s face looked thoughtful, but inwardly he sneered. Motherfucker! He cursed, repeating the suggestion. Does he think I am a twat? Multiverse IDs for brand new Random Worlds are almost priceless. The sheer amount of rewards and resources one could obtain from such worlds, because of the absence of other Contestants and it being an untouched world, is unimaginable. Not to mention, breaking an oath sworn upon Chaos'' name deducts random points from Attributes depending upon the quality and quantity of the oath''s contents. Meg told me that there are cases of even Abilities vanishing from the Stats. It''s a fucking trap! 0273 Verse Fusion - Resonance of Laws! (II) Kai shook his head. "I don''t know, man," he said haughtily. "I will contact others first, then I will decide what to do." "Haha!" Ravana laughed. "OK. Don''t be too late about it, though. Your situation is worse than you imagine." With that, the channel got cut off. Kai gritted his teeth, but there was nothing he could do about it. He was just thankful for the fact that the other Sponsors couldn''t hear or know that he had already contacted one of them. He hastily made the Systems establish another channel, this time with Contestant Black Mountain. A powerful voice demanded the Multiverse ID even before Kai had asked anything. After a few minutes of negotiations, this channel too got cut off getting no substantial results. A trace of extreme wariness was making Kai''s heart palpate now. With a hard face, Kai made the Systems establish a channel with Contestant Jade Beauty. A woman''s voice replied to his inquiry this time, demanding Multiverse ID again. This was a dead end too, Kai realized, cutting off the channel. How could he swear an oath without knowing what this world''s oddness represented? Kai knew the Sponsors were demanding this absurd thing from him because he had no other choice. If he wanted to survive, then knowledge was a must, because God knew he didn''t have enough power to survive what was to come. Only two Sponsors remained, and Kai''s throat was becoming dry now. Would he have to swear an oath? No. Kai shook his head. No matter what, he must not subject himself to their outrageous demands. Once he was to lose the initiative, it would all go down the road from thereon. It was the basic principle for any business. "Ara-Ara!" Once again the sweetest voice reached Kai''s ears, along with a screeching sound of whetting a sword. Kai couldn''t help but praise the D-Mail. Even the words were the same as though she was speaking to him for the first time. Well, it was the first time for her, at least. "Hello, handsome," Aphrodite said. "You want to ask about the Random World you are in, don''t you?" "Yes," Kai nodded. "May I ask what you want in return, my lady?" "I want little," she intoned. "Just one thing." With the sword of premonition hanging over his neck, Kai asked, "What is it?" "Tell me your Stats, swearing an oath upon Chaos'' name." This¡­ Kai thought, his eyes widening. This fucking bitch! Even after being rejected, Aphrodite didn''t let Kai cut off the channel, and kept prodding him about his Stats, his experiences, and the Random Worlds he had been to before. Only after half an hour had gone by did Aphrodite snort, cutting off the channel by herself. Kai was already sweating by then, the sun sitting above the horizon on its red-orange throne. Only one remained. If there was hope in Kai''s heart, it was less than being called minuscule. The Systems established the channel, and a refined voice reached Kai''s ears. "Hello, kid," Shadow Origin said, his voice neither grim nor cheery. "Don''t swear an oath on Chaos'' name to give your Multiverse ID to anyone."This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Huh?! The very first sentence shocked Kai. What the¡­ ?! Somehow, this suggestion made Kai even more warier towards this person. "I know you want to know about the current state of your Unique Random World," Shadow Origin continued. "Don''t worry. I will demand nothing absurd." Kai stared at the gurgling river in the distance and nodded. "What do you want?" "After learning your answer," Shadow Origin demanded, "you are forbidden to contact any Sponsor other than me." The moment Kai heard it, his heart surged with joy, but outwardly he showed a dense, pained, and ugly expression. When he accepted this request, it looked like someone had asked him to eat shit. Even if Shadow Origin wouldn''t be able to see Kai contacting other Sponsors, he could easily find out from the System how much time Kai had left with each Sponsor. So, there was no option to cheat, either. "Good," Shadow Origin praised. "First, let me ask, do you know why the Mission Grades don''t reflect a Mission''s Difficulty?" Kai had asked this question to Meg but had gotten no satisfactory answer. So he shook his head. It was time to listen as much as he could; not speak. "A Mission Grade tells how difficult it is to gain resources from that mission under the same circumstances as that of others, regardless of the difficulty level," Shadow Origin told him. "So, a E- Mission Grade may represents the same danger to a 1st floor''s Contestant''s life as a D- Mission Grade, but in the former case, it is comparatively easier to gain rewards. "And Contestants are nothing without rewards and resources, you must have realized by now." Kai had to nod. "But as one goes up," the 18th-floor Contestant continued, his tone becoming serious, "this difference between difficulties enlarges between subsequent Grades. For example, the difference between difficulties of D and D+ Grades is twice that of D and D-. By the look of your eyes, it seems you have realized where I am going with it. "The Systems do find Unique Random Worlds for Candidates during the Tournament of Worth sometimes, but it doesn''t mean it would keep increasing a Mission Grade, even if the said Candidate has absurd Stats¡­" Kai didn''t fall for the obvious trap and kept his face plain as though he didn''t know what the word absurd meant. "Anyway," Shadow Origin said, his voice gaining an edge, "when a Candidate''s Stats become so absurd that the Systems have to go beyond C Mission Grade, despite the Candidate having no chance to survive such a Random World, it doesn''t just go for the next grade, i.e. C+, because one can''t even compare all the missions from E- to C to a single C+ Main Mission. "In such cases, the Systems use a Random World Setting, known to the Contestants as ¡ª "Verse Fusion!" Verse Fusion?! The words echoed in Kai''s mind like a death knell. "Let me elaborate." Shadow Origin''s tone softened. "You can consider all the Random Worlds and their infinite Timelines in the Multiverse as distinct Symphonies. Even a single change of a musical note results in a drastic divergence. "Now, all these Symphonies may or may not share musical notes among them, but they seldom cross each other''s path. "Yet, under exceptional conditions, if two Symphonies share musical notes, then they can superimpose, resulting in a brand new Random World." Kai''s pupils trembled. "Are these musical notes you spoke of," he prodded, "Laws?" Silence. Only after a few seconds did the voice return. "Brilliant!" Shadow Origin sounded amazed. "If you have already guessed the identity of the musical notes, then you must have found out what these superimposed Symphonies represent, too. "Yes, you are guessing true, Red. "Verse Fusions are nothing but a source of natural Multiverse Interdependencies, where instead of Contestants, it is the main storyline Characters who show a fusion of Concepts from different Random Worlds." No wonder, Kai thought, amazed. No wonder they want the Multiverse ID of this world. They don''t want just random rewards, Titles, or milestones. They all want to learn about these natural Multiverse Interdependencies. If it wasn''t for Meg, Kai would have never known the weight of these two words. Multiverse Interdependencies were the ladder to the top. Without it, one could forget becoming a Top Contestant. Kai had Multiverse Interdependencies of his own. The Characters of the book, and Kai''s plans of using their Scientific knowledge as the ladder''s steps. Then there was Facelessness, combined with his Reincarnation privilege. And thus, he knew very well how horrendous a task it was to get one''s hands over a fresh Concept. Just when Kai had thought it was already a god-given opportunity, Shadow Origin said something that broadened his view beyond the world''s horizons. "But the true worth of Verse Fusion lies not only in its uniqueness," he told Kai, almost chuckling. "The core of Verse Fusion can be summed up with three facts. "First, it is a once-in-a-lifetime event. In the history of the Primordial Tower, only the Tournament of Worth is known to birth these Random Worlds. "Second, having the Multiverse ID of these worlds lets a Contestant treat these worlds as their playground. You must know the concept of the Open World Games. Something like that, but the only player is you. "And third¡­ "¡­ third makes kings, kid." Kai had heard this before. Meg had told him something like this when he confronted her to become his slave. Skills make soldiers, Abilities make kings! "Verse Fusion," Shadow Origin said solemnly, "lets a Contestant fuse Abilities." 0274 Conditions to fuse Abilities! Fuse Abilities?! Kai failed to fully comprehend the sheer possibility of such a thing. How could just one fuse Abilities?! What would he get if he were to fuse them?!! Seeing Kai''s puzzled face, Shadow Origin said, "Kid, Contestants like you must know the burden of having over one Ability. In a Contestant''s journey to ascend the floors, Skills serve the part of major support, and they represent the essence of having Stats. "Abilities, however, are needed to be cultivated. They don''t have any specific activation like Skills, which uses MP, HP, or SP automatically to work once activated. To use an Ability, one must think, calculate, and learn. "To use two Abilities, the same process must be done simultaneously. One can even say that using two Abilities is like solving two distinct problems side by side. "It''s not just multitasking, but it''s something that transcends that. The more the Abilities, the more difficult it becomes to use them together." Shadow Origin''s words resonated with Kai''s heart. Even Meg hadn''t told him about it. However, the truly horrific thing was that Kai felt no such burden. From his childhood he had been multitasking, solving not one, but half a dozen problems together. How could a puny thing like activating three or four Abilities could pose any difficulty to him? Not to mention, since his arrival, Kai had always used many Abilities simultaneously, feeling no awkwardness. If Shadow Origin were to know Kai''s thoughts, he might just cough out blood. The Sponsor, falsely assuming Kai''s puzzled face as a matter of shock and surprise, continued with understanding. "So, the most natural way to lessen this burden is to fuse the Abilities," Shadow Origin told Kai. "From your look, I can tell that you are questioning the concept of this fusion. "Hmm, you must have at least one Sword-related Ability and a movement-related Ability, right? Can''t you imagine the benefits of having a single Ability, encompassing the nature of both these Abilities?" This¡­ Kai''s eyes widened. How could he not imagine? He had even done it before. Why did Kai love his Snake Instinct Ability so much? It was because of this. Snake Instinct, though quite vague and unimpressive at a glance, let Kai link his Twin-Saber Style and his Slither Steps, boosting his fighting capabilities to another realm. In a way, Snake Instinct fused these Abilities, letting Kai gain Proficiency in them higher than if he were to use them alone. But here came the absurdity of fusion. Using Snake Instinct, Twin-Saber Style, and Slither Steps needed Kai to think of three things together.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Not to mention, with his increasing dependence on Telekinesis, Fear Absorption, and Emotions Manipulation, it became six. Then there was Magical Aptitude; an Ability needed for all Magical Spells Kai cast. Now, it didn''t burden Kai much having 7 things to do simultaneously, either. But he couldn''t help but accept that it did decrease the Proficiency he gained after each battle. What if he could do all that in just one thought? What if there was one Ability that could replace his sword, movement, and instinct? The things he could do then¡­ Kai licked his lips, thinking of the prospects. "There must be some condition to fuse the Abilities, right?" he asked, looking thoughtful. "It isn''t like any two Abilities can be fused." Shadow Origin chuckled. "You are good," he praised. "Generally, it depends on a Contestant and his fighting style. But there are conditions, indeed. "First, the Abilities can only be fused into an Ability that makes sense to the Systems, not some wishful thinking. "Second, one must grasp the precise timing of gaining this new Ability, matching it with the loss of Abilities one already has. If done correctly, the lost Abilities will fuse into the newly gained Ability. "For example, many magical-based Abilities can be fused. When one thinks of Magic, the word Mana naturally pops up in mind. But Magic has myriad forms, and Mana isn''t the only one necessary for it. "Some Magic need MP like the one in Harry Potter World. Some Magic need SP like Kido from the Bleach World. And some Magic needs a combination of MP, SP, and even HP like Sorcery from Marvel. These obviously can be fused into one. "Can you see the true potential of having the Multiverse ID of a Verse Fusion now?" Kai''s eyes were already shining. But one thing still troubled him. "What is the probability of gaining the Multiverse ID of this world?" he asked, his heart heavy. Shadow Origin sighed. "Almost non-existent," he said solemnly. "Yes, it''s likely that you would get it as a reward after the mission''s completion. But that too depends on your actions in the Verse Fusion Random World. "Let me ask, did you achieve any milestones after your fight with Flame Hashira?" The moment Kai heard it, his pupils dilated. Only now did he see the problem. There was no point in hiding it, so he shook his head in answer, already feeling the hideous consequences behind it. "You must have realized it, then," Shadow Origin told him. "In ordinary Random Worlds, no matter how personalized and unique, just sharing blows with a Hashira and an Upper-Rank Demon would have got you a Milestone and a Title. "You have spent so much time around the Insect Hashira, that too would have allowed you to have a Milestone. Where are they? "Verse Fusion is a monstrous thing, to begin with. Don''t count on its Mission Grade, kid. It is just for show because the Systems can''t leave it blank. "It is too hard to gain rewards in the Verse Fusion Random World. Hard! Hard! Hard!" Listening to the same word thrice from an 18th-floor Contestant was a severe blow to Kai''s aspiration. "But¡­" Shadow Origin stretched the word, luring Kai in like a fish. "There is one method that would almost guarantee you getting the Multiverse ID," he drawled. "The chances aren''t high, but they aren''t insignificant, either." Here it comes, Kai thought, gritting his teeth. How could he not see through such obvious manipulation? "What do you want?" he asked, his face emotionless. "You''ve already cut off my connection with other Sponsors." Shadow Origin chuckled. "Good," he said, not denying his intentions. "I want to know how you assassinated Viscount Lucas?" Kai''s heart thumped, but his face showed no expression. It hadn''t surprised him that the other side had found out about him assassinating the Viscount. 18th-floor wasn''t just a number, it was an embodiment of power and authority. But Selene was Kai''s strongest trump card. Why hadn''t he let her out in the open? Because trump cards by nature were meant to be hidden, only waiting to explode at the right moment when needed. Kai''s mind raced, weighing benefits with losses. Suddenly, he sneered inwardly, realizing the crux of the situation. What did Selene have to do with her former self? Hadn''t she already mutated, becoming a new species? Here lay his advantage, Kai knew. If knowing the method to get Multiverse Id wasn''t crucial to him, he would have never even considered it. "It''s a magical creature¡­" Kai said, his face becoming ugly in feigned anger. "¡­ Ghost Serpent." 0275 Kneeling today to Rise tomorrow! "Ghost Serpent¡­ Ghost Serpent¡­" Shadow Origin repeated in amazement. "One of the most unique oddity of the Harry Potter Random World. No wonder. "Intangibility and Soul Chill is quite a filthy combination. You must have some incredible Luck to stumble upon such a rare magical creature. It can only be found in a handful of timelines. As I said, incredible luck¡­ Tch-Tch!" The corner of Kai''s lips twitched. He didn''t know if it was Luck or something else that made him obtain the Ghost Serpent. However, he agreed with Shadow Origin''s one statement. Ghost Serpent was unique. Too unique. Even Meg, who was a 13th-floor fallen Candidate, had never heard of it before. The magical creature wasn''t even mentioned in Kai''s current Harry Potter timeline. Within him, Selene seemed to hiss in agreement. -I am unique, yes,- she told him. Kai''s mouth twitched again. "Tell me the method, now," he urged the 18th-floor Contestant, grinding his teeth to show his pained expression. "And it better be something implementable." "It is," Shadow Origin said. "Learn a Breathing Style. Fuse your sword and movement Abilities, creating a new Breathing Art." Motherfucker! Kai cursed the moment he heard it. But he couldn''t show it on his face. How would he explain the fact that he knew a Breathing Style couldn''t be learned even after practicing it for years? Yet, the Sponsor''s next words lifted Kai''s spirits to the ninth heaven. "Generally, a Contestant would need years of laborious training to learn a Breathing Style and then create one suited to themselves to turn it into an Ability," Shadow Origin said, hitting the hammer on the nail. "But this is Verse Fusion Random World. Here, ordinary logic doesn''t work. "What needs years to be gained in ordinary circumstances, you can do the same in months or days, depending on your abilities and the risks. The rewards are not guaranteed, but always remember this ¡ª "¡ª Chaos and Order count efforts as much as accomplishments. "You already have the means to walk on this path from this very moment. Use it." Kai knew what Shadow Origin meant. The only thing was that he hadn''t considered it before after learning the details from Sponsor Aphrodite. "We still have some 20 minutes left to us," Shadow Origin mumbled. "I will look forward to a performance worthy of being a Contestant who brought out a Verse Fusion Random World. Do not disappoint us, kid. The kings are watching you. Hahaha!"This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. With that, Shadow Origin cut off the channel. Kai fell into silence. He sat down on the rocky ground, falling into deep contemplation. Must he do it? He thought. Must he bow his head to a mere Character? Yoo-hoo¡­ Must he? The words kept repeating themselves in Kai''s mind. Yoo-hoo¡­ Kai sneered inwardly. Mysteriously, the voice that had seemed like gusts of chilly wind gained substance by his side. "Yoo-hoo!" Kai flinched, his hands landing on the hilts of his swords. How? The word exploded in his mind, along with the sheer disbelief. How could anyone approach him without him knowing about it? Why didn''t his instincts warn him? Was he that lost in contemplation? No. The problem didn''t lie in him, but the other party. Kai, like a puppet, turned his head left and saw Shinobu just inches away from his face, smiling at him. The Insect Hashira giggled. "So even you can show such an expression," she jested. Kai sighed in relief but gained a deeper apprehension of this lady in his heart. "Why are you out of bed and walking like this?" he asked gently, smiling. "It will worsen your injuries." By now, Kai had already figured out that the needle she had stabbed in his neck that night was the antidote. The Resonance of Sacrifice had surprised him. Kai had never thought Shinobu''s refusal to take the HP capsule, and instead saving it for him, despite her overexerting herself to go against the Flame Hashira, would trigger the third resonance. The more Kai experienced it, the less he understood the Skill ¡ª Heart Rhythm. It was all too mysterious, even for him. Not to mention, no matter how Kai looked at the current circumstances, it didn''t look like Shinobu''s mind had been tampered with by the Systems. The only thing Kai had done was to speak the truth, using a false identity. She was beautiful, no doubt. Shinobu saw Kai looking at her, his hazel eyes fluctuating under the morning sun, and she blushed. She sat down near him, wrapping her hands around her knees. "You can feel them, too," Kai said, recalling the sensation he had just after waking up. Shinobu nodded. "Demons," she whispered, looking out into the darkened rainforest. "They are everywhere." "It''s my fault," Kai chuckled and lied. "I caused too much commotion, exposing our location. They can also sense the connection I have with Nezuko. It draws them to us unknowingly. Sigh!" Silence took over then, as they gazed at the gurgling river and the scorched ground between it and them. After a few moments, Kai stood up and faced the seated Hashira. She looked up at him, expressionless. "As I am now," Kai said, a dense will to achieve greatness churning around him, "I can''t protect you and Nezuko. It''s because of me you two are in this situation. "A man should take responsibility for his actions. But I am not conceited enough to not see how weak I am against demons of Hashira-level or beyond." Kai looked up at the vast sky, closed his eyes to calm the doubt in his heart, and then looked at her again. Then, slowly, Kai kneeled in front of her, both his knees striking the rocks with a dull thump. Kai''s head followed, his forehead striking just inches away from her bare feet. "You¡­" "Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho!" Kai shouted, kowtowing, shouting, and shedding false but equally realistic tears. "Teach me the Total Concentration Breathing Style," he begged. "Give me strength¡­ Give me strength¡­ to protect you." Shinobu''s eyes reflected Kai''s snowy white hair. She leaned forward and rested her head over Kai''s, preventing him from banging his head. Her answer entered Kai''s ears with a giggle. "Umu!" she nodded. "I will take you as a Tsuguko. It''s just¡­ I don''t even know your name." Kai felt the weight of her head and smiled. "Just call me Arlen." It was good that none could see the smile on his face becoming a demonic grin. 0276 Training - Mission from the Demon Slayer Corps! 15th day, 2nd Stage Tournament of Worth Huff! Huff! Huff! Kai panted, running on a mountainous train and carrying the package on his back. Afro''s Tachi, in his left hand, was dripping with blood, and Murasame looked bloodthirsty enough to make the stones bleed. A demonic, beastly snarl reached Kai''s ears, making him look over his shoulder. A demon with a wolf-like head was biting the air, green saliva glistening on its teeth under the pale moonlight. Behind the wolf demon, a second demon with a white spider-like body and a contorted human''s head was laughing maniacally, his eyes planted on Kai''s tail like that of a bloodhound. The demons were gaining speed. Another careful observation made it feel like it was Kai who was slowing down. The wolf-headed demon was naturally faster than the spider one, and its beastly snarls became more hideous as it closed the distance between itself and the prey. 30 meters¡­ 25 meters¡­ 20 meters¡­ Kai''s ragged breathing seemed lost in the wind, every next step leaving behind a deeper impression on the solid ground. In his mind, the savageness of the demon was already taking shape. 15 meters¡­ He could even sense the sharpness of the demon''s teeth now, its smell hitting his nose like a bitter, rotten fruit. 10 meters¡­ And the wolf demon pounced, the rocky earth cracking under its thickened feet. Hissss! Kai''s clenched teeth opened a little, and a soul-piercing hissing noise escaped his throat, the air misting around him. Every cell in Kai''s body thrummed with joy. In sheer pleasure, his muscles, tendons, and bones roared, his lungs pumping the abundant oxygen in him like several pumps. 3 meters¡­ Kai vanished. There was no sound, no snap, and no pop. It was as though Kai was just running up the mountain slope, and suddenly he became the wind, melting into the chilly gusts coming down from the snowy peak. Steel screeched against bones, the swords blurring blue in the moonlit night. The pouncing demon landed on the ground, its head rolling upwards in the air. Blood showered in its surroundings, and only when the head had reached the highest point of its arc did Kai appear, his body surrounded by a thin mist seeping out of his clenched teeth.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The demon with a spider-like body and human head screeched, seeing its companion getting beheaded. Kai had landed between them, closing the gap with the spider demon. The spider demon spat out a steel-like web. Kai crouched, turning around simultaneously. The entire jet of web went over his head, and Kai kicked the ground, hoping to behead the spider demon as well. However, just as he put his weight on his toes, a spasm ran down his body, making him shake like a leaf. His lungs felt like two shriveled sacks of meat, emptied and vacuumed out of the tiniest ounce of air. Even the weight distribution of his muscles shifted, making him lose balance. His hands didn''t feel like hands, and his legs felt like pieces of clothes, sewn to his waist. The swords that were like his arms a moment ago now weighed a ton each, making him kneel with sweat drenching his back. No! Kai roared inwardly, the voice abandoning his throat. I failed. I failed once again. Around a week had passed since Kai''s request of Shinobu to teach him the Total Concentration Breathing Art of the Demon Slayers. On that day, a crow had come with a mission for the Insect Hashira, commanding her to take the demon Kai to the Entertainment District. Shinobu had told Kai that the Flame Hashira must have reported their situation to the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, and they could take this mission as a test of gaining his approval. But she had also told him it didn''t mean no other Hashira would come after them. It wasn''t in Rengoku''s nature to announce his fight and Shinobu''s rebellious actions to the other Demon Slayers. So, before this new mission''s completion, there was a high chance of being attacked by other Hashiras, if found. In light of that, they had left the hut by the river that very day, keeping themselves to the river bank. Shinobu had started Kai''s training too, teaching him the basic principles of Breathing Styles. Yet, the most troublesome thing was the constant pursuit and attacks of the demons. It was fine in the day, with plenty of sunlight now and then. But at night, one of them had to stay awake, keeping their guards up every second. Even then, the sheer speed with which Kai understood and implemented Breathing Style had astounded the Insect Hashira. She had even bought several earthen gourds of various sizes, making Kai breathe into them. The objective was to make the gourds explode with breath only. This was a training for lungs and endurance, and according to the Insect Hashira, it could take months or a year to go through it. Kai had even made the largest gourd explode just this morning, shocking the living breath out of Shinobu. In these seven days, it hadn''t looked like Kai was learning a breathing art. Rather, it had more felt like he was devouring the principles and hardships. Every time the Insect Hashira taught Kai a meditation style and way to breathe, and gave him a task to do, one could have seen a mighty will on his face to transcend heaven itself. It was as though his life depended on those things. Well, his life did depend on them. Yet, no matter how much Kai practiced, and no matter how much he improvised, he couldn''t find a breathing style that suited him. Every time he tried, the breathing style let him use its prowess for a few seconds before rendering him useless. The backlash had been so great that Kai had found himself on the brink of suffocation after every use. Such was the case now. Seeing that Kai had dropped to the ground, the spider demon laughed psychotically and crawled towards him like a bullet. Kai lifted his head, and his eyes reflected two pincer-like legs advancing towards his head. Suddenly, the pale surroundings livened up, a distinct buzz taking over the terrain. Something fell from the crescent moon behind Kai like an angel, the cries of insects deafening the ears. No. It was not something, but someone. Insect Breathing - Butterfly Dance¡­ Insect Hashira fell from the sky, passing Kai and the spider demon, and landed beyond them. The moment her feet touched the ground, the spider demon''s entire body shuddered, half a dozen stab wounds appearing on its white body. Blood bloomed like red lilies and the demon fell, its spider legs buckling under its weight. ¡­ Caprice! Kai sighed in relief. Just when his shoulders had relaxed, a heart-palpating howl reverberated behind him. The beheaded wolf demon had reattached its head, and thick fur had covered its human body now, its nails extending to become daggers. With an unimaginable speed, it pounced on Kai''s back. Boom! Out of nowhere, the door of the wooden box threw open, and a little girl jumped out, her figure enlarging, gaining both height and weight. 0277 Verse Fusions True Potential - Demon Slayer and Bleach! (I) Nezuko''s entrance was so sudden that even the wolf demon was caught off guard. With an overgrown might, she kicked, sending the recently attached wolf''s head flying again. Then, Nezuko landed behind Kai and growled at the fallen beheaded demon, veins popping over her body. Kai pushed himself up using his swords, his body shaking, and he put a hand over her head. "It''s OK," he said, smiling. "Calm down." Kai didn''t know how, but ever since the Insect Hashira had talked with the Package, Nezuko had somehow reluctantly accepted his presence. He could still feel a hidden hostility against himself in her hot pink eyes, but as long as she wasn''t trying to get away from him, he cared little. Kai letting her out freely did please the Hashira, though. "Ara!" her voice entered Kai''s ears, making him gulp. "Where did you go without telling me?" Kai turned around to face her. Shinobu was smiling at him, letting no sign of anger. But Kai could see a vein throbbing on her forehead, and her right foot, which kept stomping the vanishing spider demon''s head. Behind him, Nezuko shuddered and jumped into the wooden box, closing the door. "Traitor!" Kai cursed the package under his breath. "Not speaking now?" Shinobu''s smile widened. She walked up towards him, and Kai backed away. "Come on," she said gently, poking several holes into the wolf demon''s body. "Can you outrun me?" Kai smiled ruefully and sighed. His hand reached into his kimono''s pocket and took out the things for which he had gone out, leaving the Insect Hashira alone at their temporary camp. It was a big, pink salmon and a few snails. "You haven''t eaten something good for so long, Shinobu," Kai said, smiling. "I wanted to cook fish for you." The Insect Hashira gaped at Kai, then the fish, and then back at him. Her mouth pressed into a thin and she shot towards him, her stinger sword pointed at Kai''s heart. Kai closed his eyes but didn''t move. When no attack landed, he parted his eyes and saw Shinobu snatching the fish and the snails out of his hands. "There was no need," she said, walking away, her cheeks as pink as the fish in her hands. "But now that you have already done such a foolish thing, there is no point. Hehe! Vanish again, and I will kill you." Kai shook his head and followed her, the demon corpses disintegrating into ashy dust behind him. *This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. * The smell of cooked fish lingered around them like a thousand butterflies. Kai and Shinobu were seated facing each other with the fire to their left. On a rock between them, the cooked salmon was steaming, its flesh charred at the edges. Shinobu used some makeshift chopsticks to pry the flesh open and took a bite. "It''s hot," Kai warned, seeing her widened eyes. "Let me." He took out another small chunk of the fish, blew over it several times, and then extended it towards her, a gentle smile lingering on his face. Shinobu observed him for a moment. Suddenly, her hand flashed, taking off the flesh pinched between Kai''s chopsticks, and ate it. Kai couldn''t help but laugh. On their right, there was a little straw hut surrounded by snow. Inside the hut, Nezuko was sleeping soundlessly, curled into a little ball. Kai made sure that the Package was truly sleeping, and then helped himself to a bite, his stomach roaring to devour a beast by itself. With no sign of demonic hunger, Kai blew on another piece and handed it over to the Insect Hashira. This time, she leaned forward and ate it off his chopsticks. A snail popped to their left, fire crackling, dancing fiercely over the twigs and logs. In silence they ate, forgetting the worldly troubles and worries. Over their head, the crescent moon shone, showering them with silvery light. Kai''s hand lifted and reached for her face. Taken by surprise, Shinobu stiffened, her faded purple eyes landing on his innocent hazel pupils. Kai''s thumb gently landed on the corner of her lips, rubbing away a stray piece of morsel. Color rose to her face instantly. "You¡­" she said, furiously scratching her lips. "Don''t touch me like that." "Haha!" Kai''s laugh sounded playful, his gaze landing on the sky overhead. Words came naturally to his lips, as he sang, bringing his gaze back on her, his voice ethereal, and weighed with longing and sadness. ¡­ On the mountains the snow sheens white; Amid the clouds, the moon shines bright. Today the banquet we attend; Tomorrow we''ll part by the moat end. [1] ¡­ Her hand, carrying the chopstick and going towards her mouth, suddenly paused, and Shinobu''s pupils trembled. She looked up at him and found Kai looking back at her with the same smile. A buried sigh escaped her throat. "Why aren''t you using the Flower Breathing Style?" she reprimanded, her tone fueled with anger and pain. "Why are you so adamant about creating a new Breathing Style for yourself? "It takes months and years to create a brand new Breathing Style. If not for your stubbornness, you would have already become proficient in it." Even with her reprimanding words, the shock, praise, and pride were easily noticeable. Kai was a monster. Give him a hint, and he could unravel the deepest mysteries by himself. No teacher would have hoped to get a better student than him. And thus, the Insect Hashira hadn''t held back, either, pouring knowledge and experience relentlessly into his mind during the last few days. Kai took a deep breath and shook his head. "It doesn''t suit me," he told her. "No Breathing Style currently used by the Demon Slayers, as told by you, suits me. I know I can play it safe by just going along with the process. But is there any adventure in that? "Haha! Who am I? The brilliant Doctor Arlen, whom even demons couldn''t turn. No. I will create my own Breathing Style. And if I failed¡­" Kai took a snail out of the fire, used the chopsticks to pinch the flesh out of the shell, and threw it in his mouth. "¡­ Well," he said, his eyes beaming like stars, "then I will just have to start over, right?" Shinobu gawked at him, her eyes reflecting the majestic appearance of Kai and the gleaming red jewel on his forehead. Suddenly, she burst out with laughter as well. "I have nothing left to teach you regarding the initial Breathing Style, Arlen," she said, looking down. "And it''s too soon for you to know more than that. But I think, considering your circumstances, you must know a few details regarding Hashiras and Upper-ranked demons. And you are too humble to ask them from me¡­" The last sentence had barely come out as a whisper, buried under her breath. Kai had caught the words, nonetheless. However, he said nothing, keeping quiet. He knew she would tell him by herself. The image that he had created of himself inside her heart had already taken root. Shinobu sighed. "Now, I will tell you the entire journey of becoming a Hashira," she said, straightening herself up. 0278 Verse Fusions True Potential - Demon Slayer and Bleach! (II) Kai put down his chopsticks over the rock and focused his eyes on her lips. The moment words left her mouth, he would imprint them in his mind, Kai thought. "Yes, master," he replied, nodding at her. Shinobu put a hand over her lips and giggled. "What?" she jested, playfully. "Not calling me by my first name anymore." "Why?" Kai asked, raising an eyebrow. "You are already missing it?" Shinobu snorted, but her eyes looked pleased enough. "All potential Demon Slayers start their journeys by learning a Breathing Style," she began, tutoring Kai like a teacher. "Then the candidates undergo a test before finally becoming Demon Slayers. "During this selection, examinees must survive for seven days on a mountain top infested with demons with no aid from the outside world. "The passed candidates are then allowed to select Scarlet Ore for their swords, called Nichirin Swords, forged using Scarlet Crimson Iron Sand. "These swords constantly absorb sunlight, making them the only weapon that can permanently kill demons by decapitating them. Nichirin Swords take on a distinct color when first drawn by their owner, which is why they are also referred to as Color Changing Katanas. "Here things become more complicated if one''s mastery over their Breathing Style is lacking." Kai''s eyes narrowed to the faintest degree. "Now what I am going to tell you is confidential even among the Demon Slayers," Shinobu continued, showing her trust in Kai. "Only a select group of Demon Slayers, who excel in their fields, undergoing rigorous training, and achieving significant results under Hashiras, may know it. "Because knowing this before becoming qualified for it is useless. "I, Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho, choose to divulge this information to my Tsuguko, Dr. Arlen, now." What''s going on?! Kai thought, sensing the seriousness of the topic. Why the need for such words? Wait a minute! Is it related to¡­ Kai''s thoughts were on point. Shinobu looked extremely solemn as she began her teachings. "All living beings in the world consist of two bodies," she told him. "The first is physical, and the second is spiritual. "Physical bodies can be trained using various methods, surpassing known humane realms and limits. But the Spiritual bodies remain unchanged throughout one''s life. "Now, a Spiritual Body has two components. Spiritual Power and Spiritual Pressure. "Spiritual Power ¡ª Reiryoku, is the power aligned with the spiritual sensitivity and willpower of the user. "Spiritual Pressure ¡ª Reiatsu, is the physical pressure that a person''s Reiryoku creates when released." Kai''s heart was already thumping wildly. He forced himself to calm down, regaining his composure. This is exactly like the concepts of Bleach, Kai thought, recalling the things told to him by Meg. So this is the power of Verse Fusion. Magnificent!Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "A Demon Slayer''s journey is to tap into one''s Spiritual Body, awakening both Reiryoku and Reiatsu little by little," Shinobu continued. "That''s why Breathing Styles are necessary to become Demon Slayers. "Not only do they allow the Physical Body to transcend the humane limits but also stimulate the Spiritual Body, allowing the Demon Slayers to sense its presence. This stimulation is paramount¡­ for the birth of the Sword Spirit." Kai''s pupils trembled. "Sword Spirit?!" he asked but thought Zanpakuto Spirit inwardly. Shinobu nodded, a stray tongue of fire trying to lick the rock between them. "When a Demon Slayer, who has a firm grasp on the Breathing Style, gets the Nichirin Sword," she said, pointing at her sword, "the sword forcefully draws out the Reiryoku, changing color. "This change of color depends on the color of a Demon Slayer''s Reiatsu. And this forceful drawing out of Reiryoku and changing of the sword''s color is called Spiritual Awakening. "When the Spiritual Body awakens, inside the subconscious world of a Demon Slayer, also called the Inner World, the Sword Spirit takes form. "Sword Spirits are a part of Demon Slayers'' souls, and their appearances and abilities reflect this; as such, they also share their master''s resolve. "A Sword Spirit''s power is separate from that of its owner, and when a Demon Slayer draws on this power besides their own, they will become even stronger. "Some say that a Sword Spirit is ever-present in the Inner World in one form or another, even before the Spiritual Awakening. But this has never been confirmed." After saying this, Shinobu paused and prepared tea for them. Kai gazed at the steaming pot they''d got from a village, his mind racing, forming theories after theories. Shinobu poured tea into two cups and handed one to Kai, their warm hands brushing against their skins like profound ice. The Insect Hashira snatched her hand away, sipped the tea, and took a deep breath. "The next step on a Demon Slayer''s journey is to master the two releases of the Sword," she said, throwing a piece of charcoal at Kai''s swishing tail. "Shikai, or Initial Release, is the first release. "To activate it, the Demon Slayer needs to learn the name of their Sword Spirit. The Demon Slayer must be able to communicate and harmonize with their Sword Spirit effectively, which requires being able to speak to the spirit within its world. "Gaining access to one''s Shikai and releasing it for the first time is known as Manifestation. "The blade gains special abilities by chanting a Release Call. For example, Rengoku''s Roar and my Cry. Using the Release Call, followed by the name of the Sword Spirit, activates Shikai. "Achievement of the Shikai is a mark of control, and it is a requirement for advancement within the Demon Slayer ranks." Kai remembered how Rengoku''s sword, Kagutsuchi, had already been glowing red-white hot when he unsheathed it. So, he reflected, that was his Shikai. "Is the second release¡­" Kai mumbled, remembering the fiery, mountainous pressure and the Flame Hashira''s transformation. "Bankai." The word was like fire coming alive. "It is the final release," she told him. "Sigh! Achieving Bankai is very very very hard, Arlen. "One can even say that having Bankai, regardless of the contributions, is a one-way ticket to becoming a Hashira. There are many conditions a Demon Slayer must fulfill to even have a shot at it. "First, one must have the resolve to do or die, pushing oneself beyond limits. Depending on the amount of training and natural talent, such Demon Slayers can awaken many Demon Slayer Marks over their bodies in life-threatening situations. "Second, one must know the Bankai-name of the Sword Spirit. It is an upgraded version of their Shikai-name. This Bankai-name can only be learned by awakening over one Demon Slayer Mark and using the resonance between these marks to evolve the Sword Spirit. "The power of Bankai is easily over 5 times greater than Shikai. But if one fails to achieve Bankai, despite resonating the Demon Slayer Marks and evolving their Sword Spirit, then one''s life essence will be consumed. "This¡­ is the Curse of the Mark." Kai fell into deep silence, showing a downcast expression. Inwardly, he was roaring in astonishment. What the actual fuck?! He thought, repeating the lesson. Shikai is almost the same as the one in Bleach, but the Bankai is entirely different. Damn! No matter what, achieving Shikai and Bankai in this world without the Sword Spirit and Breathing Styles sounds impossible. Tch! Huh? Wait a minute¡­ "Did you say Bankai''s strength is over 5 times greater than Shikai''s?!" Kai asked, licking his lips. "Then why are the demons still alive?!! They don''t have the Nichirin Swords necessary to awaken their Spiritual Bodies, right?" Shinobu closed her eyes and sighed. "You are right." She nodded, her smooth fingers clenching the cup. "They neither have the Shikai nor Bankai. But¡­" She looked up at him, and Kai could''ve sworn he saw a trace of fear in her eyes. Her next words made Kai almost spit out the tea in his mouth. "¡­ but they have¡­" 0279 Kais Odd Predicament - Incredible Sense of Urgency! 23rd day, 2nd Stage Tournament of Worth On the outskirts of a town, there was an inn with several stories. Not only was it big, but it also had several facilities like a restaurant, bar, swimming pool, an in-garden, lawn, and over a dozen private tea rooms. Outside the inn, torrential rain was pouring down from the heavens along with the white-purple rumble of thunder. A light sheet of snow had already covered the grounds in the evening. Yet, it was the sudden intrusion of a hailstorm that had forced Kai and Shinobu to come to this inn full of humans. As much as the Insect Hashira had hated it, even she had agreed that they wouldn''t find a place to wait out the storm better than this. Not unless they were to go miles beyond the town into the jungle, a prospect that had made both her and Kai frown. The nightly attacks and ambushes of the demons had increased exponentially in the last few days. It was as though they had teased a beehive, and now the bees were following them with murder infused in their buzzes. The only way to get some respite was to dive into a body of water, making them lose their sense and smell. This inn was that body of water for Kai and Shinobu. The Insect Hashira had booked a room on the third floor. As Kai couldn''t show himself to others without scaring the shit out of the people, he had used the window to come into the room. The room wasn''t overly large with space only for one bed, a set of tables and chairs, a wardrobe, and a tall mirror, but it did have a private bathroom and the facility of hot water. And they both knew that they could use a good bath. Kai was seated on the chair, listening to the music of thunder and rain. On the bed, Nezuko was sleeping, covered under a white blanket. Behind Kai, from under the thin gap between the bathroom''s door and the threshold, hot curls of steam were seeping out, bringing with it a soothing fragrance. Kai took a deep breath, taking in a lungful of that fragrance. The billowing gusts of stormy winds rattled the window shutters. Kai looked outside, eying the intensifying storm. They were still some 6 days worth of traveling away from the Entertainment District. If the storm didn''t abate by morning, then it would become 7, Kai reasoned. Time was running out, and his heart shuddered as he remembered he had made no headway towards his goal. Kai was as lost in creating a new Breathing Style as anyone. There were several Breathing Styles, as told to him by Shinobu, and all were interrelated. For example, there was the Water Breathing Style, used by Water Hashira Giyu and Tanjiro, the main character and Nezuko''s brother. Then there was Flower Breathing Style, derived from the Water Breathing Style. Shinobu''s Insect Breathing Style had been further derived from the Flower Breathing Style by her.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Yet, there was one Breathing Style, also derived from the Water one, that the Insect Hashira had recommended to him the most. The Serpent Breathing Style! It was a Breathing Style that mimicked serpents, specifically their slithering motions, and replicated it with the user''s movements, techniques, and abilities. Most, if not all, known techniques and forms focused on twisting and bending the sword like the slithering of serpents. The attacks were not direct and constantly meandered, which could ultimately strike anywhere. This Breathing Style was owned by a single Demon Slayer; the Serpent Hashira, Obanai Iguro. Shinobu had seen Kai''s fight with the Flame Hashira, and the more she saw him in the coming days, the more she had come to understand his fighting style. Kai was aware of it because he had deliberately shown the ins and out of his Sword Style so that he could get a hint from her teachings. But it had all been in vain. From what he had come to know about Serpent Breathing, its foundation lay in the wave-shaped swords and a serpent''s movement. After nights of careful deliberation, Kai had reflected that he could turn his Slither Steps Ability into a Sword Style using the Serpent Breathing Style. It was enticing, but he didn''t want that. His goals was precise ¡ª to fuse his movement Ability and the Sword Style into one. So, Kai had eliminated the Serpent Breathing Style from his list of things to learn from this Verse Fusion Random World. Yet, the problem persisted with no foreseeable solution. Hours and days of meditation, practicing Total Concentration Breathing Art, and the Insect Hashira''s teaching was useless if he could not even create a Breathing Style, Kai knew. According to Shinobu, Kai already had the physique and knowledge to start his journey as a Demon Slayer, if he hadn''t been so stubborn about it. How could Kai tell her he was already pressed for time, and if he were to fail in creating a Breathing Style, then he would never return to this world? Then there was the matter of the Sponsors. Now, they all knew Kai was hiding a great secret in his Stats. The best choice would have been to use D-Mail after talking to Shadow Origin, Kai contemplated, drumming his fingers on the chair''s arms. In that case, I could have avoided the odd relationship I developed with the other four Sponsors by not replying to their requests related to the Multiverse Id. Sigh! This sigh wasn''t that of regret, but of knowing the limits of D-Mail. As hideous and indefensible the effect of this ACT was, D-Mail wasn''t infallible. First, if Kai had used D-Mail just after talking to Shadow Origin, it would''ve changed nothing. Because 24 hours before that moment, he had been unconscious. Even after receiving the message, he wouldn''t have remembered it and instead would have repeated all the actions he had taken after waking up, creating a hideous time loop. For this very reason, Kai had always been making sure that he was in good condition 24 hours in advance before planning to use the ACT a day later. Second, as D-Mail could send the mail up to 5 days back in the past, he could also set the timer for him to receive the mail 72 hours before (-as he was unconscious for 48 hours-). But that would have gone against the self-imposed rule of not using D-Mail over once in a single Random World. Not to mention, both Rintaro and Meg had already warned him not to use D-Mail twice in a row to send back a message 24 hours in the river of time, as the divergence resulting from those uses could be heinous, to say the least. Kai couldn''t even fathom the changes that would have occurred if he were to send a message 72 hours in the past, especially when he had already used it before. Third, he could''ve waited for 24 hours after waking up to contact the Sponsors and use the D-Mail, too. But after thinking about it for that entire day, Kai had concluded there was no benefit to it. Even if he could''ve undone the conversation between him and Shadow Origin, it wasn''t the problem he was facing anymore. It was the fact that they knew it was a Verse Fusion. And no matter what, with the time remaining in this Random World, they would''ve found it out, eventually. The thought of the remaining time made Kai wince. He put his thumb and two fingers on his temples and massaged his head, hoping to ease the headache. Inside him, Selene''s intangible form hissed concernedly, sending a burst of Soul Chill. A chill ran down his spine, freezing his soul by the faintest amount. 0280 Explosion of piled-up Misfortune! It''s coming, Kai thought, frowning. The mind-jewel can pop out anytime now. Tch! I can''t even use the Novice Collector Title. Not until the completion of Heart Rhythm. Unlike the Insect Hashira, Kai knew the reason for the sudden abundance of demons. With Kai''s Luck, he would''ve been attacked by Hashiras and Upper-ranked demons several times by now. Yet, by keeping himself near to Shinobu, he had somehow countered this Luck. The threat of Hashiras had drastically reduced, and even the stronger demons were wary of approaching him, seeing a Hashira around him. However, it didn''t mean his misfortune had vanished, as Luck remained the greatest contributor to a Contestant''s random encounters. If Kai were to judge his situation, then all his misfortunes had been piling up since his fight with the Flame Hashira. When the time came, these piled-up misfortunes would erupt, drowning him in the absurdest and the most fatal situation. Kai''s grip on the chair tightened, thinking about the eventual arrival of that time. He wasn''t ready to face an Upper-ranked demon. Not after what the Insect Hashira had told him about them. For Kai, any number of extra points in his Luck was far better than none at all. However, despite the three Resonances, he refused to unequip Adulterer for now. Who knew what circumstances would lead to the fourth resonance, and when? Kai couldn''t afford a single instance of losing opportunity regarding Shinobu. Suddenly, the bathroom door behind him creaked, and the thin, fruity and flowery fragrance flooded the room. Kai got up and turned around to look at the heavenly sight. Shinobu was still wearing her Demon Slayer uniform, but her face was glowing like a moon now that the hot bath had sucked some tiredness out of her. Her hair was wet, and she was patting them with a white towel. A stray drop of water ran down her chin, dropped on her collarbone, and then vanished under her kimono, tracing a path running through a thin valley. Shinobu threw her head behind, bringing her long, purple hair out of her eyes. She found Kai standing and her reflection in his eyes, rippling like a shy moon in the lake. "Ara!" she said, giggling. "Did I take too much time?" Kai said nothing. He could say nothing. With slow steps he approached her, advancing towards her like the coolest breeze on a summer''s eve. Shinobu stepped back in surprise. Behind her, the door betrayed her first, blocking her retreat. By the time she could step aside, Kai was already standing in front of her, his figure tall and his eyes clear and bright. Time seemed to have slowed down for them. The only sound that one could hear was the buzz of the crowd outside and the beating of hearts in the room. Their breaths steamed, and Kai took one more step.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. He could smell the warmness of her flustered, rosy cheeks. Kai lifted his hand and picked up a tangle of wet hair off her face, putting it behind her ear. His fingers then found her lips, and he rubbed away the trembling water droplets off them as well. When he leaned, there was no escape. Perhaps, no one wanted to escape. Their lips pressed on each other, their breath melting like snow inside them. And for once, she wasn''t Hashira, and he wasn''t a demon. Knock-Knock! Shinobu''s eyes snapped open, and her palm struck Kai''s chest, throwing him off. There was such a dominant force behind it that Kai flew across the room and slammed into the wardrobe. Wood splintered, and a few plates shattered. Nezuko woke up under the might of the commotion. "Cough! Cough!" Kai coughed, panting for breath. He slid out of the rubble and saw a fuming Shinobu, her face red, pink, and blue. "Come on," he breathed out, smiling and massaging his chest. "You didn''t have to hit me so hard." "Humph!" Shinobu snorted and with large strides went away to open the door. Kai motioned Nezuko to back away lest the waiter was to see her. They couldn''t afford to make a commotion now. A small gallery was leading into the room from the entrance, so whoever was at the door wouldn''t be able to see them without coming in. Kai stood up, saw the broken wardrobe, and shook his head. Near her, backed up against the wall, Nezuko eyed him, her glance full of blame. "Believe me," Kai whispered, patting her head. "I did nothing." Suddenly, he frowned. What''s taking Shinobu so long? He thought. Who''s at the door? A dull thud replied to him, the sound of someone falling on the floor. Kai''s eyes widened, his heart screaming, roaring, and screeching within him. He grabbed Nezuko and threw her towards the wooden box while dashing towards the gallery. The sight at the door awakened the demon within him on the spot. Shinobu was lying on the threshold of the opened main door, and a child was standing outside, smiling at Kai. It seemed the bucket of piled-up misfortunes had exploded at last. ¡­ Why didn''t you use Bankai in your fight with the demon on the cliff? Kai had asked Shinobu a few days ago. This question had been popping up in his mind for a long time. Especially after learning about Bankai, it made even less sense to him that the Insect Hashira had been beaten to a pulp by that demon. And sure enough, it turned out that Kai had assessed the situation, while spying on them, correctly. Shinobu had been ambushed, and not by a low-class demon. Before arriving in the mountainous region, Insect Hashira had been commanded to lead Zenitsu and Inosuke in search of Kai, with Giyu and Tanjiro making a second team. At some point, Shinobu separated her team into two groups, with the newbie demon slayers making one and herself another. It was then she had sensed the foul presence of strong demons. While pursuing the said clue, she had come face to face with a white half-hand, having a mouth and an eye, at that cliff, who sent her to sleep instantaneously. Recalling her experience, and depending on her astute instincts and analyzing skills, Shinobu had concluded a few points about that encounter and this demon''s Blood Art. Not to mention, her Sword Spirit had helped her in painting a clear picture of the situation as well. First, according to the Insect Hashira, this particular demon could force anyone into a deep sleep. Second, the demon could enter, manipulate, and control dreams. He could make his victims experience joyous dreams, suited to each person, taking advantage of their vulnerabilities and ensuring they could not differentiate dreams from reality. Thus, it rapidly seduced them to embrace the Utopian visions that lay before them. From her experience, Shinobu had told Kai that the dreams were too lifelike, and she had almost wished to not realize their falseness. She had also guessed that the demon could induce nightmares, too, despite not having them in her dreams. Third, and the most fatal, was the fact that the demon could enter the dreamer''s mind. This dream realm had clear limits with boundaries, beyond which lay a person''s subconsciousness, or the Inner World. This Inner World housed the Spiritual Core of a person, and for the Demon Slayers, their Sword Spirit as well. The demon could enter this Inner World, without letting the dreamer know about it, and destroy the Spiritual core, destroying the dreamer''s mind along with it. In Shinobu''s case, the demon had indeed entered her Inner World hoping to destroy her Spiritual Core but got thwarted by her Sword Spirit. From what her Sword Spirit had told her, they were evenly matched in the Inner World, making Shinobu guess the demon was at least a¡­ ¡­ Lower Rank Demon from the Twelve Kizuki ¡ª an elite under the King of Demons. 0281 Falling to the realm of Dreams - Demons Arrive! Shinobu later realized that the said fight between the demon and her Sword Spirit in her Inner World had been nothing but a stalling technique. By the time Shinobu had figured out a way to leave the forced dream, an Upper Rank Demon had already dealt a fatal blow to her vitals. No wonder she couldn''t awaken the Demon Slayer Marks and resonate them with each other to release her Bankai. She had been fighting two battles simultaneously, one outside and the other in her Inner World, using her Sword Spirit. When Kai had come, this demon had been forced to leave Shinobu''s Sword Spirit, but things had already become unsalvageable by then. Her death was an outcome set in stone if Kai hadn''t come to save her, and the further treatment he had given to her in the hut. ¡­ Presently, Kai saw the boy smiling at him, but his eyes weren''t reflecting the boy''s image. It was the hand propped up on the boy''s shoulder. This hand was cut just above the wrist, looked pale and white, and there was a mouth on the backside of its palm. To the right of this mouth, over the thumb, was a green toad-like eye. Kai''s hair stood over his neck as he saw the mouth open, rows of bone-white teeth salivating over the boy''s shoulder. It was the same dream demon! The realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. Behind him, he could feel Nezuko running towards Shinobu. If they fell to sleep now, it was all over for them, Kai knew. A red-green tongue slithered out of the mouth on demon''s hand and licked its teeth, and said, "Go to¡­" Kai''s webbed hands lifted along with the first two words, and as the mouth uttered the last word, he slammed his flat palms over his ears. "¡­ sleep!" Whispers of Forced Unconscious Hypnosis! The spell caused a formless shockwave to explode out of the mouth, directing it towards Kai and Nezuko. However, it was also the time when Kai''s palms landed on his ears. Smack! Kai had no way to tell if this dream spell''s origin lay in sound waves, Mana, or Breath. But, from what he had learned from Shinobu, he could surmise that listening to the words spoken by the mouth was the core of the demon''s trick. And Kai had always been a decisive person, even in extreme and hazardous situations. He wouldn''t have survived the onslaught of an entire world in his previous life otherwise. Blood burst from his ears, his smack rupturing his eardrums. A ring buzzed in his mind, and the world shook, rotating, revolving in his eyes. Kai gritted his teeth in anger and pain and somehow prevented himself from losing his balance. A tiny, sudden drop in HP was of no concern to Kai. The ruptured eardrums would heal in a few minutes, he knew. Before that, he must take care of this demon. Telekinesis burst out with fury about it, and sent the boy and the hand slamming into the wall behind them. The boy was a normal human child, and he lost consciousness after the impact. The mouth on the hand clacked its teeth and ran away on its fingers.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Kai didn''t pursue it. He spun and saw Nezuko lying on the floor. The dream spell had hit her head-on, making her sleep. Kai grabbed the package by the neck, stuffed it into the wooden box, and put the box on his back. Then he ran to Shinobu, who was sleeping as well, her brows furrowed and pressed together in deep struggle. Kai slapped her a few times, but when he didn''t see her waking up, he lifted her in one arm. In the other, he was already wielding Murasame. I must leave this inn first, Kai reasoned. Who knows where the rest of the demon''s body is hiding? Tch! So Kai spun around once more, running inside the room. Obviously, the easiest and shortest way out of the inn was through the window. The window was just a few feet away from him now. He could even see the sheet of rain beating against it, and the unheard roars of thunders lighting up the dark sky. One more moment, and he would be out of the inn. Hmm? A sudden thought bubbled up in his mind. This?! Isn''t this just too easy? Kai''s head was just inches away from the glass. It was then his instincts went wild. Not good! Too late. The window, which had an ordinary appearance until now, suddenly opened by itself like the parting of eyelids over an eye. No. It was an eye. The entire window had become a gigantic eye with strange characters embedded in its pupil. Shinobu didn''t know everything about the demon, either. How could she have known, or even imagine, that just speaking out with a mouth on its hand wasn''t the demon''s true power? The same formless shockwave, but with even more intensity, exploded out of the eye. Its target ¡ª Kai. Eyes of Forced Unconscious Sleep! Kai knew what he must do now. In that tiny moment, Kai''s brilliant mind had already figured out that he must blind himself. Alas! His Agility wasn''t high enough for such a tremendous reflex. Nor could he shut his eyes in time. Bang! Kai''s entire figure wavered as if a powerful gust of wind had hit him on the face, his eyes rolling back into his head. With a dull thud, both Kai and Shinobu fell to the floor, their eyes fluttering, their minds lost in the realm of dreams. No matter if it was because of the pounding headache dulling his instincts, or the dizziness caused by the rupture of his eardrums, Red had finally fallen into a brilliantly laid trap. Even Selene couldn''t help him now because¡­ ¡­ she herself had been dreaming about Kai patting her head and kicking Meg, Cersei, and Petyr since a while ago. * * In the land of dreams¡­ "Mother!" the 11-year-old Kai cried cheerily. "Look! I solved it!" "Let me see," Edith Stormborn said, rubbing her son''s head and glancing at the papers. "Oh! You really did it, Kai. This gene sequence¡­ Wonderful! You saved us years of research." Her words were cheerful, but there was a sadness hidden behind her smile as well. ¡­ It was a long corridor. Many scientists crossed them, greeting Edith with great respect on their faces. More kept taking secret glances at Kai, pointing at him, whispering about him. An even greater respect gleamed in their eyes as they looked at him. However, this respect had quite a dark shadow about it. It was rotten, and it reeked¡­ ¡­ of fear. This 11-year-old boy was a living nightmare. A monster who devoured knowledge like the ancient Taotie. ¡­ The giant red snake hissed, shaking its head. Kai looked quite flustered. "Oh!" he breathed out, looking down. "Never mind, then." Edith crouched near him and lifted his chin. "A man can lose everything, son," she told him, "but not the hope in his heart. Your father will come back. I know him." Kai''s eyes were misty. "But why did he leave?" he asked, his breath heavy. "How will you work alone, mother? It''s killing you." Knowledge didn''t mean bliss for everyone. "You tested my blood again, didn''t you?" Edith asked, smiling. "No, I am not mad at you, Kai. But you are wrong. I am not alone. I have you. You are my hope. You are this world''s hope." ¡­ "He is Brock from House Valeheart," Edith introduced. "Members of Valeheart House sacrificed themselves courageously for humanity''s survival in the last beast tide. He will live with us from now on. I know you two will be good to each other, just like two brothers." The 12-year-old Kai smiled at that. His entire childhood had gone without having any friend. To have Brock live with them, he could have hoped for nothing better. ¡­ "No¡­ why¡­ why is this happening¡­ mother¡­" The 14-year-old Kai''s lips trembled. His eyes were bloodshot and tears fell down his chin like trails of shooting stars. In his lap was Edith, her chest pierced and bloody. Blood was seeping out from her eyes, ears, and mouth, the smile on her face widening with every next moment. Tired. She was too tired. Edith''s hand touched Kai''s heart. "¡­ hope¡­" the word came out of her mouth like a breeze. "¡­ live¡­" And she said no more, her hazel eyes looking at Kai with great pride. Kai''s face became blue. He felt suffocated, choking on words, his face and body covered in the blood of his mother. "I knew she would come here," Brock said, stepping into the room, wielding the spear which was once the weapon of Alan Stormborn. "Where is it? Give it to me, Kai. I don''t want to kill you, too." Kai''s hand trembled as he closed his mother''s eyes. Knowledge truly wasn''t bliss for everyone. With a broken motion, Kai lifted his face and stared into those dead eyes. He was breathing like a beast, his body shaking, and veins popping up all over his body. "She gave you a home¡­ I¡­ gave you a brother¡­" Kai muttered, as though the entire world had said it. "Brock¡­ Brock¡­ "¡­ I¡­ WILL¡­ KILL¡­ YOU!!!" 0282 Lower Rank One - Enmu, the Dream Demon! "Ah!" Enmu moaned in sadistic pleasure. "How truly fortunate am I? A Hashira and two traitorous demons in the same room¡­ Wonderful!" Enmu was one of the Twelve Kizuki, a demon holding the position of Lower Rank One. He was a slender young man with average height with ringed blue eyes. His left eye showcased the Kanji for Lower One written on its pupil, and the right eye had a horizontal line, giving it a toad-like eye appearance. He had straight, chin-length hair of a dark black color which faded into a red-pink color near the ends. Today, he was wearing a black buttoned-up coat over a white shirt and pin-stripped gray pants. The mouth at the back of his left hand licked its lips as Enmu ran it through his wet hair, eying the inn. The hailstorm seemed to not affect him, other than impairing his vision. He had been tailing the blue-skinned demon and the Hashira for weeks now. However, he never got a good chance to attack. Now that the opportunity had finally presented itself to him, there was no point in delaying it anymore. As per orders, he had already contacted the upper ranks, but why would he let them enjoy all the glory? Why indeed, when the fruits were ripened enough to be plucked anytime? Enmu sneered, but he hadn''t lost his cool. He knew to get all the targets, he must plan it meticulously. And didn''t the inn serve as a brilliant stage for him? Enmu could fuse himself into large, inanimate objects, assimilating and transforming the said objects into his main body. Yes. This ability of his was still unknown to them, and he would use it now. Enmu had decided to fuse himself with the inn, turning the entire structure into his main body. But he would not touch the room where the targets were staying and their surrounding areas to not alert them. Then there were the residents of the inn. Humans, over 100 of them, were stuck in the inn. The mere thought made Enmu shudder. "Mmm-hmm!" he licked his lips. "Simply exquisite! To look upon someone shattered to the absolute core by misfortunes, squirming in agony, is like sweet nectar to me." Enmu was a very sadistic demon, who enjoyed the pain and suffering of humans, and his favorite method of torment was giving them a pleasant dream before turning it into a nightmare. He took pleasure in the suffering of others, enjoying the agonized expressions they made as he tortured them. However, Enmu was also intelligent and cautious in his approach to anything he executed, having a complete understanding of his power''s strengths and weaknesses and making sure to both exploit and avoid them respectively to succeed.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Yet, his newly gained powers of sending his prey into dreams and manipulating those dreams had made him slightly arrogant, overconfident, and greedy. It wasn''t a surprise that he thought he could handle a Hashira and two other demons by himself. Though, whether it was a rash decision was yet to be seen. Enmu cautiously approached the inn, keeping himself in the shadows. When he neared the inn, he looked at his left hand with the mouth on its back. The part above the wrist on this hand detached itself, scurrying away into pipes. I will first send one of them to the dreams by controlling a human, Enmu thought, giggling to himself. Then I will ambush the rest of the two by instantly fusing myself into their rooms as well. The only issue was that it would take some time. But in this storm, time wasn''t his major concern. Enmu touched a corner of the inn, and minute by minute, melted into the inn. By the end of an hour, the Lower Rank One demon had already assimilated the entire inn into himself, turning it into his body, except for the main room occupied by the Hashira and a few rooms surrounding it. And his left hand took control of a human child, too. A tender boy! Enmu thought, his mind unraveling the things he could do to the boy making him tremble. So many humans! Ahh! I will become so powerful after consuming them¡­ But first came the Hashira and two traitors, Enmu reminded himself. He sent the boy and his left hand, having the ability, Whispers of Forced Unconscious Hypnosis, which could send anyone to deep sleep just by saying Go to sleep to the room. The moment the door opened, and the Hashira looked down, Enmu knew he had struck immense luck. Even if the Hashira recognized his hand, it was already too late. No one could defend against his ability. Not even a Hashira. Enmu snorted in disdain, seeing the fallen, petite figure of the Demon Slayer. Then a commotion arose from the room. Oh, it''s so going according to my plans! Enmu thought, bringing his fused flesh closer to the room. But then a mishap happened. The blue-skinned traitor saw them, but just as his hand used the ability, the traitor smacked at his own ears, rupturing his eardrums. Enmu didn''t know this could counter his ability. Intense flames of anger burned inside him, making him mad. This sudden loss of bearing because of Enmu''s newly found arrogance gave the blue-skinned demon ample time to counterattack. He used some kind of force to throw the boy and the hand, making them slam into the wall behind them. Worried about his hand''s safety, Enmu made it run, as he didn''t want to let the traitor demon know about his assimilation. But strangely, the white-haired demon didn''t pursue his hand. So once the left hand had gone a few feet away from the room, it melted, fusing into the inn as well. Inside the room, under the focused gaze of Enmu, he saw the traitor demon running about senselessly, trying to save the Hashira. How naive! Enmu got the chance he had been waiting for a long time ago. The moment this blue-skinned demon crouched to lift the Hashira, Enmu rushed to assimilate the rest of the rooms. By the time the demon, carrying the Hashira and the wooden box, made a run for the window, obviously trying to leave the inn, Enmu had already fused himself into the room. Now the entire inn was his body. And with this, he could use another of his abilities ¡ª Eyes of Forced Unconscious Sleep. Before the blue-skinned demon could even know what happened, Enmu used this ability to send him into a deep sleep, as only eye contact was necessary for this. "Haha!" the floor inside the room squirmed, and sprouts of bloody flesh sprang up, becoming Enmu''s figure. Yet, his feet remained melted inside the floor, giving an impression as if he was just a branch of an entire flesh tree. Enmu slid towards the fallen figures and grabbed the Hashira before throwing her outside into the corridor. A Hashira has too brute survival instincts, he thought, smiling. I will send a human puppet inside her Inner World to destroy the Spiritual Core unlike before. Let''s see if her Sword Spirit will kill the boy or not. Haha! Enmu had learned from his past experiences. But this blue-skinned demon? He neither had Nichirin swords nor a Sword Spirit. Enmu wanted to personally torture this traitor and destroy his Spiritual Core, he decided. A giant flesh protrusion lifted off the floor and covered both Kai and the wooden box. Enmu melted back into the floor and brought the traitors to the roof. 0283 Kais Inner World - Sword Spirit?! Within the Dreamland, In the sewers under the city, Kai crawled on his hands and legs. He was nothing but skin and bones. Gone was the luster and the childish shyness on his face. Everything about him screamed of death. For how many days had he not eaten something? He didn''t know it himself. Only his eyes were alive. Kai grabbed his stomach and rolled over, clenching it hard to bear the pain of hunger. The surrounding darkness was getting darker in his eyes, the filthy smell becoming sweeter. Was dying so bad? He would just need to close his eyes, and it would be over. Yes. Perhaps he wouldn''t feel so cold then. Kai''s eyes drooped, his breath misting, vanishing at last. ¡­ live¡­ The eyes shot open. A fuming breath entered his lungs as he feasted on the promise of revenge. He must not die. Not today. ¡­ Kai saw them coming, beastly phantoms surrounding their figures like blankets. "Red¡­" he hissed, his voice low. "Teach me¡­ teach me¡­ to live¡­" The crowd pounced on him, wielding weapons and powers of a hundred different kinds. And Kai¡­ slithered. ¡­ "¡­ live¡­ I¡­ must¡­ live¡­" Kai chewed the rats, gnawing on their bones. "¡­ I¡­ must¡­ kill¡­" "He¡­ He¡­ He killed them all?!" voices echoed. "This¡­ This demon!" they gasped. Kai paused. He lifted his face, his eyes gleaming like a beast as he counted their numbers. The piece of tasty flesh dropped out of his fingers. He plunged his hands into the filthy blood lake around him and took out the first weapons they touched. The two sabers in his hands reeked of death as he stood up. "Keke¡­" Kai''s lips twisted. He slithered towards them, one step after another. Nothing about his appearance looked humane anymore. "Kekeke¡­" the low psychotic laugh sent a shiver running down their spines. Kai lifted his hands, an unseen phantom of a giant red serpent appearing behind him. "He''s gone mad¡­ Kill him!" "Kill!" "Attack from all sides!" Heads flew, eyes got stabbed, and flesh was torn off their bodies like lambs getting butchered. Wounds were exchanged, but lives were only taken, seized by the Blood Demon. ¡­ The 16-year-old Kai took in all the faces judging him for the crimes he had committed and the crimes he had been framed for. Anger and resentment coursed through his very veins, replacing the blood if there was some left. His entire body ached, the wounds felt stabbing into his bones, and he could feel the blood draining out of his body with every passing second. Only the armor was keeping him airborne. But for how long? Kai bitterly thought. ¡­ A storm is coming¡­ ¡­ Another hiss resounded in the ears of listeners and then they saw Kai slithering among the pikes effortlessly. It was like a snake was slithering among the thorns but not worrying about their sharpness at all. They had heard of it, and a selected few had even seen it on screen. But the live motion of Kai''s movements had surpassed all imaginations. "It was true," one said. "One with Beast," another exclaimed. ¡­ "Some men are destined to rise, stepping on the ashes of the dead. You are not even a man, Demon," Brock said. Kai looked into the dark eyes and smirked. For the first time, he saw panic written on Brock''s face. His left hand twisted, and a snake-like mouth opened up where his fingers were. The snake devoured the Essence Bead in one gulp. "YOU FOOL!" Brock roared. "Haha¡­ Boom¡­" Kai said, with a huge smile on his face.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. The storm must have gone away, for Kai heard nothing. Before the darkness took over him, his eyes were just looking at the panic on Brock''s disintegrating face. And oh, he so loved the sight of that panic. ¡­ And then the dream repeated itself¡­ Over and Over and Over¡­ Again and Again¡­ And Again¡­ Again! * * Outside, A tower of flesh sprouted from the inn, like a mound, and at the top of his flesh mound was Kai, his entire figure surrounded by flesh up to his neck. Sheets of rain fell on Kai''s face, fusing with the tears streaming down his chin, and when the thunder cracked, lighting up the darkness, one could see the faintest hint of unbearable sadness and longing on his face. From the same flesh mound, a pillar-sized tentacle branched off. The end of the tentacle squirmed and became Enmu''s head. He had already been making Kai dream joyous dreams and then nightmares. So the moment his eyes landed on Kai''s expression, Enmu blushed sadistically. "To be able to die while dreaming... just how lucky are you?" he said, smiling. "I must say, I like to show a nightmare after I show someone a delightful dream. I love to see the contortions of a human face! To gaze upon someone struggling with their grief and suffering ¡ª so much fun!" At the same time, another Enmu appeared in Kai''s dreams. This Enmu was the dream projection of the actual demon outside but could roam freely in the Dream World, unlike the person to whom the dream belonged. Enmu had appeared inside a sewage system, making him frown. Now that he was inside a dream, he didn''t wait anymore, his cautious nature urging him to finish the task as soon as possible. Every dream realm had limits and boundaries. In no time, Enmu found himself facing an unseen wall, beyond which he couldn''t go, no matter how much he tried. Now Enmu took out an awl made of his bones. Only this could tear this dream boundary, letting him enter the dreamer''s Inner World. Enmu stabbed the bone awl into the formless and unseen wall and then tore open a person-sized gash before stepping in. The stupendous sight of Kai''s Inner World shocked even this sadistic demon instantly. ¡­ It was a vast world, with no perceivable end. To the farthest point Enmu''s eyes could see, he saw that a thin layer of blood had covered the ground, making it look like a blood ocean. However, when he looked down, he saw that this blood only reached his ankles. Enmu lifted his head and marveled at the sky now. It was plain, extremely plain. Gray, cloudless, and dull. Nothing impressive, just telling an archaic tale of immense sadness, pain, and anger. Yet, it was the silence of the world that astounded Enmu the most. It was too quiet even for the Inner Worlds. Enmu walked forward, the bone awl in his hands flailing menacingly. Suddenly, he noticed two odd things. First, no matter how heavy or fast he walked, the blood sheet under his feet didn''t ripple at all, and no sound came out that one could expect from walking onto a water-like substance. He kicked the blood, sending several globules of blood flying far. Yet, when they fell on the blood sheet, they melted into it making no ripple or sound either. The second was the hole in the sky. Enmu squinted his eyes at it. It was too far away, but he could tell it was a hole. Perhaps the spiritual core was near that hole? He thought. The more time he would spend here, the greater the chances of the Hashira bringing annoying variables into the equation. So Enmu ran into the blood field, making headway toward the tiny hole in the sky. The nearer he got to the hole, the bigger it became. Only when he was several hundred feet away from the hole did Enmu stop. Not because he had found the Spiritual Core, but he found something else. Something that even made the demon take a step back. A giant waterfall of blood was coming out of the spherical hole in the sky, falling into the blood field below without causing ripples or sound. No. It was better to call this a Bloodfall. And standing between Enmu''s comparatively tiny figure and the immensely tall bloodfall was a gray pillar, around a hundred feet high and only a meter in diameter. Enmu took another step back. Someone was there, on the top of the pillar, standing tall and looking far towards the distant ends of the Inner World, or perhaps towards the end of times. It was a very lean figure, over 6 ft tall, and black. Its hands were taller than the supposed proportions, and its fingers were long as well, with claws at their ends. All black. There was no face, either. No mouth. No nose and eyes. Just plain blackness, ancient and alone. The only color it had other than black was yellow, and that too belonged to the figure''s knee-length hair. There was no wind in this Inner World. Yet, those long, yellow hair were flailing left and right, giving the impression of a banner amid the storm. How is this possible?! Enmu thought, shocked. A demon having a Sword Spirit, and that too without the Nichirin Swords? This is absurd! Who is this demon?! The only reason he hadn''t entered Hashira''s Inner World was that the prospect of fighting with a Sword Spirit made him uneasy. No. He must return. Now. Enmu spun at the spot, ready to make another run to the gash opened on the dream''s boundary wall. However, the moment he turned around, he found the same black figure standing in front of him. Thump! Enmu''s heart gave away, and he fell backward, the bone awl drowning in the shallow blood ocean. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the top of the pillar was now empty. Enmu had heard of the Sword Spirits having much greater freedom within the Inner World. But this? This was absurd, even for him. The tall black figure had no eyes. Yet Enmu could tell that it was looking at him. Suddenly, the black figure lifted his hand and pointed at the hole in the sky. Enmu gaped at this motion. Is it telling me that this hole is the Spiritual Core? He thought. How can a hole be a Spiritual Core? Spiritual Cores were the essence of a Soul, the Spirit. Even demons had it, much less needed to be said about the humans. Yet the truth was in front of his eyes. "Haha!" Enmu suddenly laughed, regaining his courage and sadistic personality. "So you are an empty shell. A shell formed out of obsessions and regrets. Huh! Take me to the Spiritual Core. I command you." The faceless figure nodded. Enmu grinned, picked up the fallen bone awl, and pushed himself to his feet. Then they started to walk towards the gray pillar. Suddenly, Enmu looked down and saw that the figure''s steps were creating ripples into the blood ocean. However, he pushed the uneasiness caused by this founding to the back of his mind. Then, under the shocked gaze of Enmu, the tall, black figure put its left hand over his right shoulder, and in the next moment, they vanished. They both appeared high in the sky, hovering midair in front of the hole. It didn''t shock Enmu. Now that he knew this figure was nothing to be afraid of, he had regained his composure. The hole wasn''t overly big, either. Just several meters in size, big enough for two or three people to enter together. And the bloodfall coming out of it was unimpressive as well. Ah! Such bliss, to kill someone! Enmu screamed in his mind, preparing to tear the hole apart with the bone awl. Silence. Only now did Enmu notice that he had lost command over his body. He couldn''t even close his eyes, much less move his limbs. Kekekeke!!! The eeriest and most hideous cackling Enmu had ever heard echoed throughout the entire Inner World. Yet, somehow he knew the origin of this laugh was this figure, clutching his shoulder with its long, black fingers. Kekekekekekeke!!! The demonic cackle intensified, and Enmu found himself gliding towards the hole. His heart was thumping wildly, but he couldn''t move or even speak. And then the most horrific sight presented itself to the demon, which even the king of the demons couldn''t have made him see. This sight brought such fear with it that Enmu pissed himself, his pupil trembling maddeningly. There was something inside the hole. Something more alive than both him and the black figure. Something vile, foul, and repulsive. Evil incarnate!!! ¡­ Outside, in the real world, an even grandeur scene was taking place, but much easier to comprehend. Flesh after flesh kept oozing out of the inn in large globules. And then with a bang, Enmu exploded, disintegrating into the grayest particles of ash. The Lower Rank One demon died, his hideous screams failing to penetrate the realms of dreams it had so lusted after. The only word that could remotely attempt to describe this series of events was ¡ª Bizarre. Yet, even this word failed to catch the essence of it, forcing the audience to just watch in silence¡­ ¡­ and move on. 0284 Upper Rank Three Arrives - Kai and Shinobu vs Akaza! Kai fell like a raindrop, his eyes closed and his brows furrowed. A rainy blur on the roof dashed towards him and caught him in its arms. Both the blurry figure and he landed outside the inn, a distant purple lightning bolt flashing on their faces. Kai opened his eyes and found Shinobu looking at him. I fell into the trap, he thought calmly. Shinobu told me that to leave the dream realm, one must kill oneself. She must have come out of the dream and killed the demon. Her timing just happened to match my suicide by exploding myself in the dream. Sigh! It was clear that Kai had mixed up a lot of things, making assumptions and filling the gap of memories while he had been dreaming. Because of the turmoil of emotions, he even failed to consider that he had blown himself up dozens of times within the dreams, so how could only the last explosion count as suicide? For a long time, what happened within Kai''s Inner World was bound to remain a mystery even to him. "Is everyone in the inn OK?" Kai asked, propping himself up. Shinobu observed Kai''s eyes for a moment before nodding at him. "They all are in a deep sleep," she said, looking at the wooden box. "How did you kill ¡ª " "¡­?" But just as the Insect Hashira was about to ask the same question that Kai was thinking of, a meteor fell some hundred meters away from them, splitting the rocks. Boom! Shinobu''s face paled instantly, and even Kai''s pupil shuddered, sensing the dense killing intent and the power behind it. He looked to his right, beyond the path leading to the distant town, and in the wide open, rocky field saw the demon crouching, looking at them. Upper Rank Three demon! The words exploded in Kai''s mind. He was the same demon that he had fought on the cliff. Only later did Kai get to know from Shinobu that by the time he had arrived, she had already poisoned the demon, weakening him by a significant amount. "Hashira!" Akaza shouted, his voice tearing through the hailstorm. "We meet again. And the traitor is with you, too. Haha! Splendid!" Kai and Shinobu stood up, both unsheathing their swords. The Insect Hashira, despite the heaviness on her face, giggled. "Ara!" she exclaimed, smiling, maneuvering the stinger sword in her hand with uncanny expertise. "Someone would mistake us as friends if we were to meet a third time after this." Unlike her sarcastic remarks, Kai knew the truth about their situation. Shinobu was still not at her peak. Inside him, Selene was still sleeping. Kai was stronger than the Kai who had fought the Flame Hashira. Yes.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. But was he strong enough to take down the Upper Rank Three demon? Kai scowled at the prospects. Her confession came unannounced, the storm slowing down to marvel at her fleeting voice. "The moon is beautiful, isn''t it?" What moon? The entire sky was hidden by the thickest and darkest layer of clouds, filled with snaky bolts of lightning. And between the eyes and those clouds was a storm; rain, hail, and sound, blinding the eyes and deafening the ears. Who could see a moon at this time, even if it was there somewhere in the sky, trying to pry open the clouds with its pale moonlight? But when Kai''s eyes turned to face her, he found Shinobu looking at him, her tiny smile filled with gentleness. Kai smiled back at her, taking a deep breath. "It is," he nodded, the leftover sleepiness and broken dreams abandoning him finally. "It couldn''t have been any more beautiful." A devastating punch had already arrived near Kai''s head. "Weak should die first." Akaza''s words reached their ears with a murderous outcome. Kai didn''t even flinch. Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! A new sound suddenly infused itself into the storm, like the cries of a thousand cicadas. Those who had already awakened their Bankai didn''t need to chant the Release Call of their Swords'' Shikai, Shinobu had told Kai. At this time, her sword, Higurashi, was already in its released state. Shinobu stung, her sword piercing through and through the demon''s arm before his fist could reach Kai''s head and flung him far away. Kai unsheathed the third sword, One Half of the Power Sword, slowly facing the distant demon. Akaza''s left hand had gotten sliced in half from its elbow to fingers by Shinobu, but in the very next moment, both parts attached themselves. Even for Kai, a Contestant, this regeneration was mind-boggling. Kai lifted his sword towards the sky, and a lightning bolt struck the tip of the sword. In the next moment, the sword became armor, covering his right arm, chest, and waist. In the distance, Akaza looked at this scene with sheer fascination. "You two seem to have decided to die," he said, taking a pose. "So here I come." Blood Art - Technique Development¡­ Akaza''s martial pose looked extremely domineering, and under his feet, a blue-colored light shone, creating a snowflake-shaped compass. ¡­ Destructive Death! Almost instantaneously, Kai sensed the demon could see through him, all his hidden tactics lying bare for him to see. A grin surfaced on Kai''s face. "Would you like to dance with me?" he asked, his eyes planted on the demon. Shinobu looked up at him. "Mmm-hmm." No more words and the three of them vanished. Insect Breathing - Dance of the Bee Sting¡­ Shinobu was like a purple stroke of the brush in the darkness, the buzz of insects becoming a screech in her wake. ¡­ True Flutter! Akaza''s fists were wrapped in blue light, and he punched at the tip of the sword. Suddenly, Kai appeared behind Shinobu, and the red jewel on his forehead rippled. Akaza''s entire figure slid towards the left as though he had just given up on defending, letting the sword pierce his chest. Higurashi entered Akaza''s chest with a bloody squelch! But before the demon could even do something, Kai pulled back Shinobu and her sword using Telekinesis and hacked at him with Afro''s Tachi. Akaza punched with his left hand, and a shockwave deflected the sword. His right punch landed on Kai''s chest, sending him flying. But when Kai''s feet left the ground, Shinobu''s petite figure pounced on Akaza like a hidden weapon, once again piercing Akaza''s chest, widening the already bloody puncture before backing up. Akaza let out a shout and threw out several punches at Shinobu''s retreating figure. Technique¡­ The barrage of punches created shockwaves and lifted the Insect Hashira off her feet as she tried to parry them using her sword. ¡­ Air Type! Kai used Telekinesis to pull down Shinobu, making the shockwaves fly overhead. Then, he lifted his sword, Murasame, like a spear, and threw it at Akaza. The cursed sword screeched as it went over Shinobu''s head, cutting a few of her wet hair. Akaza''s eyes widened! "Haha!" he outrageously laughed, perhaps sensing the deadliest feeling rising within him. "Disorder!" The demon motioned his hands in a spiral and then threw them back, creating a tremendous shockwave. Booommmmm! It sent Murasame flying off its path, struck Shinobu, and then slammed her into Kai! 0285 Dancing in the Rain - The Fastest Hashiras Bankai!!! (I) Shinobu used her sword to slow down the momentum by piercing the ground underneath. Kai didn''t let himself fall behind, and instead back flipped using his tail, while calling back the Murasame through Telekinesis. Pop! By the time both of them regained their bearings, Akaza was already standing between them, grinning ear to ear. Kai and Shinobu were facing each other, but the Demon was standing sideways with his shoulders pointed at them. Akaza crouched, his fisted arms at his waist, and then exploded with power. Technique¡­ Kai and Shinobu both had scarcely raised their swords for defense when Akaza struck at the air towards them with his open palms. ¡­ Annihilation Type! Cough! Kai and Shinobu coughed out a mouthful of blood, their figures becoming one with hail as they got thrown back. Kai somehow used his swords and tail to get a balanced footing, his entire figure shaking like a lead. It was then his instincts went wild. The image of a kick, splitting the air, appeared in his mind. Almost simultaneously, Akaza appeared in front of Kai and kicked at his chin. Too fast! Even with Kai''s Agility, Telekinesis, and abnormal instinct, there was nothing he could do to stop it. Akaza was too fast, even considering a Hashira''s standards. Technique - Leg Type¡­ The kick landed on Kai''s chin, creating a shockwave on the impact. ¡­ Crown Splitter! Kai''s head got thrown back, his eyes rolling back into his head. However, before he could fall back, Akaza attacked with a flashing flurry of powerful straight kicks so fast that they created afterimages. Technique - Leg Type¡­ The kicks landed at Kai''s chest, shoulders, waist, and stomach, creating tremendous blue-colored shockwaves. ¡­ Explosive Flurry! Kai flew back like a banner in a storm, but before he could go out of Akaza''s reach, he clutched Kai''s ankle and pulled him back. Technique¡­ Akaza grinned crazily, and before Kai''s feet could touch the ground again, he unleashed eight powerful punches, each strike creating large and strong shockwaves.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡­ Eight-Layered Demon Core! Three combinations of techniques, yet only a few moments had passed since the first. Kai''s knee struck the ground, his entire body numb, and his swords missing. The silvery armor on his body was cracked in several places, and blood was seeping out of his nose, eyes, and ears. Yet, at this moment, when none would have expected any movement from him, Kai grinned. Swish! Afro''s Tachi came at Akaza''s neck like a bullet from a blind spot. The demon narrowed his eyes and moved just by the slightest to dodge the attack. Suddenly, from this new blind spot, Murasame hacked at his neck. Even with Akaza''s speed, it didn''t seem he could dodge this attack. Well, he didn''t. Under Kai''s widened eyes, Akaza grabbed Murasame, his hand covered in a blue shine. "Weak!" the demon spat, throwing the sword. He made a fist, bones making a crunching sound. Rain, hail, and even wind exploded out, leaving Kai and Akaza at that spot. Technique- Crushing Typ ¡­ And then Akaza punched. ¡­ Ten Thousand Leaves Flashing Willow! If this punch landed, Kai''s head would burst apart into a thousand pieces. No doubt. The cicadas cried now, more enchanting than ever. Insect Breathing - Butterfly Dance¡­ Shinobu fell from the sky like a lone gust of wind, stinging the fist that was approaching Kai''s head with meticulous precision. ¡­ Caprice! Akaza pulled back his bleeding hand and jumped to his right, creating some distance. Shinobu huffed and puffed as she turned around to give Kai a delicate smile. Her forehead was covered with blood, and blood was seeping out from the corners of her mouth. Yet, the single purple butterfly tattoo on her right cheek could be seen distinctly even then. "You are incredibly fast, Hashira!" Akaza praised. "But you will die defending this weakling. A waste!" "Ara!" Shinobu forced out a giggle, looking at the demon. "We have very different definitions for Weakling." Then Shinobu and Akaza both vanished. The entire surroundings got covered with distinct purple and blue blows striking at each other and their blurs. One moment they were at Kai''s left, and at the other, they were at Kai''s right. Cicadas kept crying and powerful shockwaves kept burying their noises under the might of a razing storm. Kai looked at this sight like a mere side character, his ribs broken, and his entire body aching from toe to head. Afro''s Tachi and Murasame crawled towards him, their hilts putting themselves in his grasp with the help of Telekinesis. The next time Shinobu appeared on stage, her left hand was hanging low lifelessly, blood dripping down her fingers. Somehow, two more butterfly tattoos had appeared on her other cheek, bringing the total to three. Akaza landed some distance away from her and he was missing his hands from elbows. With a heart-wrenching pop, Akaza''s hands regenerated, and he laughed. "Enough playing around, Hashira!" he shouted, throwing his hands back. "Show it to me! Bring it out or die! You know what I am talking about, don''t you? Let it explode¡­ "¡­ Show me your Bankai!" Shinobu gasped for breath, turned her head to look at Kai, and then straightened her spine. The three butterflies on her face flashed rhythmically, giving an impression as though they were fluttering with sheer joy. The Insect Hashira lifted her sword arm and pointed it at Akaza. "Very well," she said solemnly. "Try not to die, then." She spun her sword in the air, grabbed it, and then slashed the empty air to the right as if flicking the blood and rain off it. "Ban¡­kai!!!" A gigantic burst of purple Reiatsu exploded out of her, covering everything within hundreds of meters. But, though equally magnanimous, this Reiatsu differed from the Flame Hashira. Kai felt Shinobu''s Reiatsu and compared it with that of the Rengoku''s. His was fire, scorching everything in its path, and weighted a mountain. The Reiatsu released by the Insect Hashira was like stingers, stinging each cell and blood vessel. When the stinging pressure receded, Shinobu''s figure appeared in Kai''s eyes. She looked taller than before, somehow. Shinobu was wearing a black, sleeveless, and backless kimono, and on her right hand was a black and purple gauntlet with spiral decorations. Attached to the gauntlet was a stinger-like purple blade, extending over Shinobu''s middle finger. "Haha!" Akaza laughed maniacally. "This is it. This is¡­" His words got caught in his mouth. Shinobu, who had been standing far away from him, was now crouching in front of Akaza. Her purple stinger was embedded deep into the demon''s chest, creating a giant butterfly pattern over his body. "Cry!" Shinobu whispered. "Koduko Higurashi!!" 0286 Dancing in the Rain - The Fastest Hashiras Bankai!!! (II) How does one resonate the demon slayer marks with each other? Kai had asked Shinobu one evening. The Insect Hashira had already chosen to impart Kai with all the secrets. Even then, she had taken a deep breath before divulging the said information. The appearance of Demon Slayer Marks opens the doors to two concepts, she had replied. Those two are ¡ª Transparent World and Selfless State. Then she had imparted the knowledge about these concepts in detail to Kai. According to Shinobu, the Transparent World was a special form of ocular extrasensory perception that altered demon slayers'' visions, allowing them to perceive other living beings as if they were transparent. The users could perceive the flow of blood, breathing, muscular contractions, and joint movements of the creature they were looking at. It allowed one to see inside an enemy''s body, letting them predict and evade their opponent''s attacks and find openings for their own strikes. Not to mention, it also allowed one to perceive the surrounding world in slow-motion, thus skyrocketing their movement speed and reflexes. The more the demon slayer marks, the better grasp over the Transparent World, Shinobu had added. When one truly attains mastery over the Transparent World, it causes the demon slayer marks to resonate with each other and hence allowing them to use Bankai. On the other hand, the Selfless State is quite mysterious and demon slayer marks'' presence doesn''t mean one can attain mastery over it automatically. Her explanation had cleared Kai''s doubt but had also made him seriously contemplate a higher realm from his previous life. Selfless State, also known as the Realm of the Highest and Domain of Supremacy, represented the zenith of physical combat. It was a supernatural, esoteric and mysterious state of being in which one completely erased their presence from the battlefield, getting rid of their will to fight, bloodlust, anger, hatred, malevolence, drive, and animosity. However, it did not enhance one''s own combat prowess. Once in this state, the Insect Hashira had told Kai, the user''s behavior becomes incredibly tranquil and focused. This behavior is often compared to that of a plant. That evening, and after listening to Shinobu''s explanation, Kai had shown no particular expression on his face. But inwardly, his mind and heart were roaring ecstatically, because this Selfless State resembled a higher cultivation realm in his previous life. Selfless State¡­ Kai had contemplated overnight. Why does it feel so similar to the State of Anatta?! In Kai''s original world, the Beast Essence Cultivation was divided into two realms ¡ª Mortal and Divine. In the Mortal realm, one was needed to assimilate a beast''s essence within one''s body. Then in a series of stages, lasting for years, one was required to reach a bodily constituency similar to the beast, to a state where with one thought one could bring out the beast''s essence in battle.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. To transcend the Mortal realm, one needed to harmonize with the beast''s essence, showing the characteristic of being One with the Beast. This step was also the transcending, transforming, and the first stage of the Divine Realm, and the underlying principle of this transcendence was ¡ª State of Anatta. Those who had reached this stage, after spending decades in meditation and comprehending the State of Anatta, could be counted on fingers. The human population had already been dwindling at that time, so it wasn''t surprising that only a few cases had been seen and recorded about this stage. This step of transcending and achieving Divine by comprehending the State of Anatta was a roadblock, and all were required to cross it to tread further on the path of the Beast Essence Cultivation. However, there was one exception. This person had not only achieved the realm of One with the Beast at the beginning of his Mortal realm but had also done it when he was a mere 14-years-old child. Yes. This person was none other than Kai of House Stormborn. After Shinobu''s lessons that night, Kai had recalled his singular experience in the sewers under the city when they had come to claim his life when he had been already on the verge of starving to death. In those filthy moments, when the demon within him had awakened, he had discarded his humanity to not do something extraordinary, but to just live. The very first time Kai had slithered, he already was One with the Beast. Yet, Kai couldn''t help but also realize that this Selfless State, though lesser than the State of Anatta, was a realm higher than his One with the Beast. It demanded something¡­ ¡­ more. ¡­ Presently, Kai stupendously gazed at the sight of Shinobu''s Bankai form piercing the demon''s chest in one move. Shinobu''s Bankai wasn''t as majestic as that of Rengoku''s, but especially because of this, she had condensed her Bankai, turning all her Reiatsu to get physical improvements. This form not only let Shinobu cover her lack of strength but, with the help of the Transparent World, it also allowed her to see her enemies'' weak points and openings in their defenses. Akaza let out a powerful shout and punched. He blinked and Shinobu was gone. Kai saw the most absurd scene, then. A purple blur appeared in his vision. Was it because of his instincts? he didn''t know. However, he could sense its presence. The absurdity of this purple blur was that it was stepping on air. Akaza and Kai both blinked again and, in the next moment, Shinobu''s stinger was embedded deep into the demon''s ear. Another butterfly tattoo appeared around the wound like a majestic curse. Shinobu disappeared and appeared between Kai and the demon, her figure tall, lean, and backless. A deadly premonition must have announced itself to the demon, for they all could see his wounds healing instantaneously, but the butterfly tattoos remained on his body persistently. Technique¡­ Akaza crouched, his Reiatsu boiled, and then he pushed his open palms towards Shinobu. ¡­ Annihilation Type! Shinobu was calm and collected, as though she could see through everything. Just before the powerful shockwave could hit her, she disappeared and reappeared in the sky. She kicked the air, disappeared again, and then reappeared at another place. Akaza kept punching shockwaves after shockwaves at her, astounded at the fact that she was walking in the air. Even Kai was dumbfounded. Shinobu had already told him about her Bankai. There were only two words to explain the essence of her Bankai ¡ª Speed and Precision. A successful attack of her Stinger created a butterfly tattoo over the target''s body, spreading the poison and condensing her poisonous Reiatsu within them. The second attack at the same point made the condensed Reiatsu explode, killing the target on the spot. These were already things that couldn''t be defended against. Yet, it was her speed that made Kai lick his lips. For him to not even see her, and his instincts to lose a grasp over her presence, she indeed was monstrously fast. How could Akaza, despite being a monster in a physical fight, retaliate against her battle strength?! Shinobu appeared over Akaza''s head like a blurry wraith. Technique¡­ The demon roared, punching the air over him with his two fists. ¡­ Disorder! Silence. Shinobu''s stinger had pierced the demon''s ear with a bloody squelch, its tip at the same spot as the last. Pop! Akaza''s head exploded, sending brain matter flying in all directions. 0287 Resurrección - The Power to counter Bankai!! Shinobu appeared near Kai, her breath misting in the rain. Kai sighed. He pushed himself to his feet, eyed the transformed Insect Hashira, and couldn''t help but shake his head. The Book had been shuddering in these Characters'' presence all this while. If it weren''t for his plans and the already decided Characters, whose tales he must devour, he would''ve considered devouring these Hashiras'' tales. But the spots in the books were limited, and he must use it to its fullest extent. It wasn''t like there weren''t other ways to bring them to his side, Kai knew. The prospects of obtaining the Multiverse Id of this Random World did cheer him up, giving him hope to have access to these abnormal Characters in the future. Nonetheless, these thoughts and reasonings couldn''t prevent him from feeling useless. "Don''t feel down," Shinobu said, smiling at Kai. "One day you too can reach this level. I know you can, and I have all the faith in you. Even among Hashiras, your potential is top-notch." Kai smiled ruefully at her, knowing well that she was indirectly pointing at his stubbornness to create his own Breathing Style. "My plan did work, though," he told her meekly. "We killed an Upper Rank Demon before he could..." Kai and Shinobu had already discussed the possibility of facing an Upper Rank Demon. Going against the Insect Hashira''s thoughts, Kai had planned to let the supposed Upper Rank Demon think it had a full grasp of the situation by beating the shit out of himself. These demons were overconfident to the core, anyway. So, Kai knew that the moment an Upper Rank Demon was to see that both he and Shinobu were losing, it would implore the Insect Hashira to use her Bankai, without knowing her abilities. The chances of this course of events happening were low, but not low enough for Kai to discard them. And Shinobu was too smart and decisive to let go of such a chance. The results were obvious. Shinobu shook her head. "You are too much," she reprimanded, but her tone lacked sharpness. "How are your¡­" ¡­ Boom! It was at this moment something happened that shocked the living breath out of the two. A dense, heart-palpating burst of Reiatsu covered them, rooting them to their places. The surrounding rain flailed like a banner, and even the thunder lost its voice. Kai and Shinobu, gritting their teeth, turned their heads towards the headless corpse of the demon. With a backflip, Akaza''s corpse stood up and crouched, taking a martial pose with one hand at his waist and the other facing Insect Hashira with an open palm. How could this be?! How was this possible?!! What willpower was this, keeping the demon alive even after losing his head?!! And then something happened that both Kai and Shinobu had been dreading since the beginning.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Something that ruined their already successful plan. Akaza''s open palm became a fist, and he punched. Not at Shinobu, but at himself! No! They must not let him continue. They would definitely die. "Shinobu!" Kai shouted. But the Insect Hashira had already vanished. Akaza''s fist entered his stomach, penetrating it through and through. Shinobu appeared in front of him, her stinger almost touching the butterfly tattoo on his chest. Another, louder boom! A tremendous burst of Reiatsu, accompanying an ethereal blue-colored shockwave, threw her back and pinned her down to the ground. Akaza pulled back his fist. And Kai''s heart sank, for that hole wasn''t regenerating. A blue pillar of Reiatsu shot up towards the sky with the demon at the center, and from that pillar came a roar, shaking the living and dead alike. The blue pillar of suffocating Reiatsu vanished, and the creature walked out of it with a majesty about its gait. Akaza''s head had grown back and now thin bone armor covered his head with two eye holes, behind which his eyes glowed blue and dark. The same bone armor had also covered his chest, his shoulders, and his knees. On his hands, there were gauntlets made of bones, too, and the part of the gauntlet over his knuckles had thorny protrusions. Yet, it was the hole in his stomach that stood out the most. Shinobu had told nothing more about this power to Kai, anyway. According to her, it was the demons'' way of copying the effects of Bankai, as they didn''t have Sword Spirit. The only thing she had told him with certainty was that only the Upper Rank Demons could use it. And unlike the Hashiras, the mastery and power of this process increased exponentially with every rise of rank in the demon. "You are strong, Hashira!" Akaza''s voice thundered around them. "Join me. Become a demon and live for eternity. Fight for eternity. Go beyond your limits. Everything else is nothing but waste." Shinobu pushed herself to her feet. "Never." One word was enough to show her resolve. And the demon seemed to have sensed it as well. Akaza said nothing and took a martial pose. His knees bent as he put one hand on his waist and outstretched the other, his palm open. With his bone-armored figure as the center, a grand blue-colored Reiatsu burst outwards, engulfing both Kai and Shinobu instantly. On the weather-beaten ground underneath, covered with snow and broken twigs and sodden leaves, a gigantic image of a blue snowflake appeared. This snowflake image was rippling rhythmically, and it had already covered hundreds of meters of area, with Akaza as the center. Suddenly, ethereal blue vapors started to rise from the blue snowflake, ignoring the might of the rain, hail, and the tempest that was wreaking havoc around them. Looking at the doom in the eyes, Kai remembered his conversation with Shinobu days ago. Did you say Bankai''s strength is over 5 times greater than Shikai''s?! Kai had asked. Then why are the demons still alive?!! They don''t have the Nichirin Swords necessary to awaken their Spiritual Bodies, right? It was then Kai had noticed a trace of fear in her eyes; fear that he had become too sensitive to given his mastery over emotions, especially with his Fear Absorption Ability. Even the very nature of this fear had failed to escape Kai''s scrutiny. Helplessness. Yes. The fear Kai had perceived within Shinobu had been oozing helplessness. It was then Shinobu''s next words had made Kai almost spit out the tea in his mouth. You are right, Shinobu had nodded after letting out a sigh. Her smooth fingers had clenched the cup tight, recalling something unpleasant. They neither have the Shikai nor Bankai. But¡­ but¡­ they have¡­ "Marvel at my power, Hashira!" Akaza roared, laughing. "Technique Development ¡ª Kai''s grip over his blades tightened as the screeching sound bombarded his ears. "¡­ Resurrecci¨®n Dimension!!!" Sensing a chill running down her spine, Shinobu popped out of existence. The entire area around Kai and Akaza, and even the space above them, got covered in purple zig-zag blurs. The sheer speed of this move was so grand that it could shatter well-built structures. Insect Breathing - Dance of the Centipede¡­ Air howled and cicadas cried, as the fastest Hashira showcased her fastest move. ¡­ Hundred-Legged Zigzag! Even Akaza looked confusedly at the scene, his head bobbing here and there, trying to follow Shinobu''s movement. She appeared just above his head, her legs towards the sky, and the tip of her stinger almost kissing the bone helmet on Akaza''s head. It didn''t seem like the demon could evade this sting. It was then that Akaza vanished and reappeared in the air with the same pose as before, but now his palm was almost touching Shinobu''s waist. Oh, no! Kai''s heart sank. He didn''t know how, but he could tell that this wasn''t speed. Only a Contestant like him could tell the difference. They could almost feel it. It was ¡ª Teleportation! 0288 The Heart of a Demon! Akaza''s fist, sitting on his waist, shot forward, a blue halo covering it with a destructive shockwave. It happened so fast that not even Shinobu, assisted by her Bankai, could react. Akaza''s punch landed on Shinobu''s stomach, and a supersonic sound thundered in their surroundings. A blue shockwave like a jet exploded out from Shinobu''s back as though the demon''s attack had passed right through her. The Insect Hashira''s figure got sent flying, rolling on the ground, accompanied by a bone-snapping sound. Crack-kk! Kai rushed towards her, putting himself in her path. She slammed into him with the force of a ram. Kai gritted his teeth, his feet and tail grinding on the snow to curb the momentum. When they stopped, Shinobu coughed out a bucketful of blood, and her stomach had turned blue, black, and green. She was bleeding internally, Kai could tell. This¡­ wasn''t an injury they could ignore. "Get up, Hashira!" Akaza roared, now standing on the ground with the same martial pose as before. "I can feel the fire within you! Let it burn! Hahaha! Show me your greatness, Hashira! Show me how far you can make me go." Shinobu grabbed Kai''s shoulder and pushed herself up, her breath slow and broken. She faced Kai and saw the concerned look in his eyes. "Ara!" she almost giggled, touching Kai''s cheek. "I can still dance..." ¡­ one last time¡­ three more words followed her sentence like ghosts'' whispering to each other. Shinobu straightened herself, her eyes almost closed; her entire figure bloody and beaten. Kai looked at her as she took a step, knowing well that her old injuries had resurfaced a long time ago. There was a chance for them if she had been in her peak condition. Now, with new and more hideous injuries piling over the old ones, it was a miracle she was even standing. No wonder the Hashiras were known for their otherworldly willpower. Even Kai was astonished and impressed. Her will to stand up and take that one step was already commendable in his eyes. No matter how much and for how long she was to dance now, Kai knew she wouldn''t live to hear the applause. Kai sighed, seeing her taking another step. His hand moved like a bolt of lightning. Thud! The butt of Afro''s Tachi hilt struck Shinobu at the bottom-left part of her back. Kai knew the weakest point of her body. And why wouldn''t he? It was he who had healed her, to begin with. Shinobu, stunned and stupefied, looked over her shoulder at Kai with her widened gaze. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. His gentle smile was the last thing she saw before losing consciousness. A purple mist exploded out of her, and her Bankai lost its form, returning to the appearance of the Stinger sword. Her old demon slayer uniform, now tattered and ruined, materialized as well. Kai grasped her as she fell and laid her down on the snow, covering her with nothing but wind and rain. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Akaza roared, his emotions churning wildly as he saw a strong opponent getting ambushed. "You bloody fool! You weak! You shame of a demon!" he shouted, pointing at Kai. "I will flay you to the bones!" Kai took several deep breaths, his ears ringing; his thoughts raging in his mind, and only known to him. And then he burst out in a feat of laughter. ¡­ "Pfft! Hahaha!" Kai found it too funny. Now that the Facelessness 2nd Conversion had vanished, he couldn''t help but laugh out loud, his crazy laughter intensifying with every next moment. "Shame of a demon?! Hahaha!" Kai found it so funny that he grabbed his stomach and almost rolled to the ground. "Tell me, Creature!" he demanded with a grin, pointing Murasame at Akaza. "What kind of pitiful demon submit to others, huh?! Look at you! You fucking pile of mutated meat and bones! You think you are a demon?! Do you even know what being a demon truly means?!" "¡­?" Despite the hailstorm roaring around them, the silence within the boundary of the blue snowflake over the ground was choking, to say the least. And in this choking silence, Kai laughed outrageously, the smile on his face mocking and condemning. Akaza was a battle-crazed demon who believed in the survival of the fittest ¡ª the idea that certain people became powerful in society because they were innately better. He purposefully drew out fights to savor every moment of them, also complimenting his opponents when they unleashed powerful techniques or landed blows on him. Akaza looked down on anybody he deemed weak, so much so that his skin would crawl at the sight of them. However, he genuinely respected those who were strong in his eyes, demanding to know their names, and would not stop until he found out; he remembered all the names he''s committed to memory as a tribute to their strength. In a sense, there was little difference between him and Kai. But this little difference was so deep that it only surfaced when Kai mocked Akaza. To be berated by someone who he had already deemed weak and pathetic?! It didn''t anger Akaza but he did regard Kai in a new light. How could a weak person muster the courage to mock a strong one?! So it didn''t come as a surprise when Akaza let go of his martial pose and asked with the world''s voice, "What is a demon, then?" It was a sincere question. Kai would never mock it. His laugh vanished, and he looked up, walking towards Akaza with slow, but steady steps. "What is a demon?" Kai repeated, the storm failing to bury his voice. "The essence of a demon lies in being demonic! A demon has his own demonic path, principles, and promises. "There is no one above that path and no one below. A demon and his demonic path are one in the foundational essence. Being demonic is not about outrageous abilities and power. Hell, it doesn''t even have a form. "It''s a feeling. You ask me, what is a demon?!" Kai stopped and looked hard at Akaza, his gaze profound, and a thin smile playing on his lips. "Then let me tell you!" his voice boomed. "I am a demon, and my path is demonic! Rest are bugs! All of them! "You, your so-called king of demons, gods, and devils¡­ all are nothing in my eyes! "In this world, there is only things that''s demonic¡­" Kai paused, his smile becoming a hideous grin. "¡­ my Heart!" Arrogance! Kai''s entire figure was beaming with a light of bloody arrogance. Only one path was demonic¡ª His. Only one thought was demonic¡ª His. Only one heart was demonic¡ª His. Killing with benefits, Risks with Reasonings, and Family¡­ All these words brimmed with stupendous arrogance. And only his arrogance was demonic. "Hahaha!" Kai''s demonic laugh oozed out of him like pus from rotten wounds. "You are not a demon, and you can never beat me. You know why? "Because I represent the one thing you loathe the most. You loathe it as much as you desire it." The bone plate on Akaza''s chest moved up and down with angry breaths. Even then, perhaps he was the only one among the Twelve Ranking Demons who dared to ask, "What is it?" "Freedom." Kai spat the word on Akaza''s face. "Even a shackled demon is more demonic than you, Creature! "And you will never become a true demon! Because¡­ "¡­ your heart lacks the most needed quality to walk on a demonic path!" Then, like a blue ghost, Kai disappeared, melting into the rain. 0289 The Demonic Attitude - Discarding Self!!! Kai''s steps became a dash, his eyes planted dead on the creature in front of him. He had been bleeding profusely before, with bones broken all over his body. Yet, with each step, his healing factor accelerated. A grand fear was bubbling in his chest, nauseating him beyond measure. Kai thrived on this very fear. First, he not only let himself calm down, but he also actively fueled this fear using Emotions Manipulation. Then, using Fear Absorption, he devoured his own fear, exponentially enhancing his HP Regeneration Rate. By the time the demons'' eyes met, Kai had all but regained his HP. Akaza appeared in front of him, his martial pose blooming with blue petals. Kai hacked, and the Afro''s Tachi landed on the bone armor. An intense vibration coursed through his left hand, making him lose his grip on the sword. Afro''s Tachi spun in circles, almost going out of Kai''s reach. He reached out with his mouth and bit on the sword''s hilt, his teeth clenching the wood in a grinding grip. And then he hacked once more. Whack! The sword landed on Akaza''s neck, bringing out a drop of blood. Akaza''s punch came at this time, covered in a blue shockwave. It landed on the silvery armor on Kai''s chest, and his chest caved in, bones shattering under his flesh. Crrrrkkkkkk! Kai''s eyes rolled in his head, profound darkness claiming his senses. ~¡­ To achieve the State of Anatta, one must learn to discard, son¡­~ Kai''s eyes snapped open with a bloody light. He gritted his teeth and forcefully made himself stay awake. Murasame landed on Akaza, steel screeching against bone armor like a dying howl. Akaza''s second punch landed on Kai''s chest. ¡­ Everything became silent for Kai, his pupils shaking like marbles rippling over water. The grin came out of nowhere on his face. A white mist, speckled with silvery dust, burst out of the ground behind Akaza and pounced on him. A fatal danger must have roared in Akaza''s mind, for Kai saw the blue pupils of the creature behind his bone helmet shake in apprehension. However, in the very next moment, Akaza vanished and reappeared behind Selene. This?! Kai could scarcely believe it. He can sense Selene''s intangible presence?! Akaza not only had sensed it but he also exploded with a mountainous Reiatsu, pinning Kai and Selene''s misty form at a place. No matter how the Ghost Basilisk struggled to diffuse, she failed. Akaza put both his fists onto his waist, and then punched, sending out a fighter jet-like shockwave. Boom! The shockwave hit Selene first, making the silvery mist burst apart, and then it landed on Kai. Kai felt as though a train had hit him, shattering his bones and rupturing his organs on the impact. The blue-skinned demon was sent flying, his figure bumping, bouncing on the ground. Akaza teleported above Kai, grabbed his tail, and then slammed him into the ground, making the snow, rocks, and rain explode. Cough! All the air was forced out of his lungs, and his heart slowed down. ~¡­ Son, you must learn to discard the world¡­~ The wooden box on Kai''s back finally gave in, despite the unreasonable assistance from the Systems. Nezuko''s tiny, sleeping figure got thrown out in the distance, and a timer of 30 minutes ticked like a death knell in the back of Kai''s mind automatically. Akaza ignored Nezuko and lifted Kai, his tail still in his hand, and slammed him into the ground once more. Bang! Then again. Bang!! Again and again. Bang!!! At the end of the 10th impact, the armor couldn''t take anymore, and it shattered, becoming One half of the Sword. Kai gulped down the Rare HP capsule and an Uncommon MP capsule he had hidden in his mouth. With a bang, his injuries healed, his mind still lingering in the darkness. Blue watery light shone around him, and Kai fired a Hydro Pump at Akaza''s face with pinpoint accuracy. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. They were just too near for the Skill to miss the creature. But Akaza teleported away this time as well. No. Kai suddenly realized the horrific truth. It wasn''t Akaza who had teleported away, but him. Only now did he understand that this Resurrecci¨®n Dimension let the mutated Upper Rank Demon control the location of all living objects in this space above the blue snowflake. Akaza appeared above Kai and punched, his fist covered in a blue shockwave. The thorn-like bone protrusions went deeper than the last time in Kai''s stomach. But, at this moment, there was no way for Akaza to teleport. Kai grabbed Akaza''s wrist, firing Afro''s Tachi at him using Telekinesis. Blood spurted out, and in the next moment, Akaza teleported away. However, Kai went along with him, his fingers digging deep into the bone gauntlet over Akaza''s wrist. Afro''s Tachi couldn''t have teleported with Kai, but at the last moment, he had again bitten on its hilt. Kai threw his head to the right, slashing at Akaza''s neck again. From below, Murasame hacked at the creature''s waist, landing on the bone armor. "You!" Akaza breathed out furiously. He didn''t defend, letting the attacks hack at him as they pleased. Instead, the demon''s left hand landed on Kai''s face and almost shattered his jaw. Once again, Akaza punched, and the thorn-like bones landed on Kai''s right ear. Kai''s entire head buzzed, his vision becoming black. Half the HP he had regained instantly using the HP Capsule vanished like a mirage. Finally, Kai''s grip on Akaza''s wrist loosened. Akaza grabbed Kai''s neck and threw him up in the air. ~¡­ Discard the reasons¡­~ Akaza appeared above Kai, their figures looking tiny against the black, flashy background; a stray bolt of lightning thundered red somewhere. The Upper Rank Three demon made a fist, and the air crackled around it. "If you weren''t so weak," Akaza whispered, "then I would have asked for your name." ¡­ When the punch landed, no sound originated from it. Kai''s bent figure left behind a snowy trail in the hailstorm and then struck the ground with the force of a cannon. BOOM! Akaza appeared like a bone ghost some hundred meters away from the pit that Kai''s fallen figure had created. Inside the pit, Kai was buried under the rubble of snow and twigs, his life abandoning him with the passing of every fraction of a moment. ~¡­ Discard the thoughts¡­~ Forgotten memories kept bombarding his mind nonstop. I am so hungry, mother, Kai complained under the bulging darkness. I am so cold. ~¡­ Discard the emotions¡­~ Why am I here? Questions birthed in Kai''s mind one after another. Who am I fighting? Why? Is dying so bad? I would just need to close my eyes, and it would be over. Yes. Perhaps I wouldn''t feel so¡­ cold then. A face surfaced in Kai''s mind, accompanying her smile. ~¡­ Live¡­~ she said. With a bang, Kai jumped out of the pit, his back straight, and his eyes barely open, but alive. Cra-ckk!! A tremendous wave of bloodlust exploded out of Kai, along with ethereal bolts of yellow lightning. The crackling thunder roared throughout the surroundings, overpowering the monstrous howls of the storm. The Haki pinned down Akaza''s powerful figure, making him widen his eyes in pure shock. His knees were trembling, the demon realized. He tried to teleport but miserably failed. "What''s this?!" Akaza looked at the dying blue-skinned demon. "What the hell is this?!!" Kai outstretched his hands as he looked up towards the sky. The sky looked not so dark to him. He felt every drop of the rain, every stray gust of wind, and the sound of the world. "If the world wants me to die then I will discard it." Kai declared. "If my reasons hold me back, then I will discard them. If my thoughts are against me, then I will discard them. If my emotions are not in control, then I will discard them." At this moment, a strange Comprehension dawned on him, the forgotten memories and realizations becoming a tune of transcendent epiphany. Kai closed his eyes, and his Advance Twin-Saber Style, Advance Slither Steps, and, shockingly, Master Snake Instincts vanished, melting and fusing, becoming something much more hideous, suited only to him. "If my Will is not demonic, then I will discard it as well," Kai told himself, cutting himself with Murasame. "But first, I will discard my Self. "I will name this¡­" Facelessness'' 2nd Conversion let Kai assume a false Self. Now, he was using this to discard the sense of Self itself. His hair lengthened, becoming red, and cursed runic markings covered his broken figure. A bronze-colored spartan helmet appeared on his head as his eyes became red and his sclera black, both covered in cursed runic marks. "¡­ Total Concentration Selfless Breathing." Hisss! Kai clenched his teeth and breathed out, a dense and abundant red-colored mist escaping his mouth in sheer joy. His skin wriggled as if millions of worms were wriggling under it. Afar, Akaza sensed the doom bubbling out from the depths of hell, and he roared. "Ahhh!" He shouted, forcing himself to move, and then threw his hands back. A tiny, blue-colored ball appeared in front of him, the air crackling, exploding around it. His blue Reiatsu vanished, getting consumed by the ball at an alarming pace. However, the ball kept becoming smaller and smaller. Blue Space Type¡­ Then, Akaza punched at the ball with both hands, the very space rippling around him. ¡­ Cero! A destructive blue jet of exploding Reiatsu got fired towards Kai, the earth-shattering under it like bits of old paper. The bloody mist escaping Kai''s mouth had now covered his entire figure. It almost looked like he was burning with blood flames, his figure becoming illusory like the space above fire. His arms shook, rippled, and flowed. When they stopped, an illusion of four more arms seemed to have appeared below them, making the total six. Above the arms, his head rippled along with them, leaving behind mirage-like silhouettes. And when the mirage disappeared, two more heads were hissing along with the original. The bloody mist exploded, and Kai''s doom-like figure charged towards the incoming blast of Cero. ¡­ Six swords roared in disgusting pleasure, their appearance as evil as the look in the eyes of the three heads. When the swords met the Cero, the blue blast disintegrated like shards of mirror. Kai was a wraith, who looked like he was slithering in slow motion. But in the eyes of an average person, he was only a blood point, ripping apart everything in his wake. The entire Cero became nothing but specks of light and, under the rooted and widened gaze of Akaza, Kai passed right through him, landing a few meters behind the demon. A dong sound echoed everywhere, like the ring of a giant bell, and the snowflake-like pattern on the ground shattered. Akaza stood up straight and looked up at the sky, the storm, and the world''s thundering hatred. Behind him, Kai towered tall, covered in fuming blood flames. "What is the most needed quality to walk on the Demonic Path?" Akaza asked, his words sincere. A tongue of blood fire snapped towards Akaza and brought a word to him from Kai. "Attitude." "Attitude¡­ Attitude¡­" Akaza repeated, and then he smiled. "What is your name?" The Blood Demon turned around, his three heads trembling behind the bloody curtain, and he sent his name directly to Akaza''s mind. -/Kai Stormborn./- Akaza nodded, and suddenly hundreds of bloody lines, thinner than paper, appeared on his body. Selfless Breathing - First Transformation¡­ One moment the Demon was standing, and, in the other, he was a pile of several hundred pieces of flesh. ¡­ Three-headed Vritra!!! 0290 Aftermath - Selfless Breathing and Huge Gains!!! 4 days later, ToW - 2nd Stage Kai blew onto the wooden pieces glowing hot, and fire came roaring out, trying to lick his face. Across the fire, Shinobu was seated in a meditative pose, her breath misting, coiling around her. Over the fire, a rabbit was propped up, its flesh smelling of hunger and promised deliciousness. They couldn''t remember who among them had woken up first. But when they came to their senses, Kai, with Nezuko on his back and Shinobu in his arms, was walking towards a distant hill covered in snow. Even the storm had ceased by then. In sheer deliriousness, Kai had constructed a makeshift hut by drying the sodden wood and straw using Magic. By the time he came to his senses yesterday, his injuries had all but healed, and he had found Shinobu sitting in the same state as now. However, Kai wasn''t as aloof about the process taking place within her as before. Shinobu was among the few Demon Slayers who could use the Total Concentration Constant ¡ª a Breathing state that one could maintain during the morning, noon, and night, and even while asleep. There was an immense difference in strength, speed, and stamina between someone who could maintain Total Concentration Breathing at all times and someone who could not. Not to mention, when coupled with Recovery Breathing, it allowed one to heal faster and return to an optimum state in the least time possible. So when Kai saw the blue, black, and green shadow of death on Shinobu''s stomach fading little by little, it didn''t surprise him. Kai looked into the fire, and the flames dancing within it made him recall the notifications he had received that night, which he had ignored in the heat of the battle. The very first notification had confirmed all the things told to him by Shadow Origin about the true worth of a Verse Fusion Random World. ¡­ [ Contestant Kai Stormborn, you can sacrifice your Abilities ¡ª Advance Twin-Saber Style, Advance Slither Steps, and Master Snake Instincts to get an Elementary Ability. Such an Elementary Ability will be several steps higher in terms of quality and will be more aligned with the Contestant''s nature. Do you agree to sacrifice the said Abilities? ] ¡­ The said Abilities, actually, had already disappeared from his Stats. All that was left to do was to complete the formality, i.e. quantifying his Comprehension. Moreover, Kai knew that even though Chaos was calling it Sacrifice, it was combining the said Abilities, turning them into a bigger and much brighter part than themselves. It would be like adding 2 and 2 but getting 10 as the sum. So, without letting the word deter him and with one thought, his three most prized Abilities melted away, becoming one; something more than just an ordinary combination. ¡­ Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. [ You have sacrificed your Abilities ¡ª Advance Twin-Saber Style, Advance Slither Steps, and Master Snake Instincts. Give a name to the newly created Ability. ] ¡­ I will call this, Kai remembered the name he had already given it, Total Concentration Selfless Breathing. Somehow, the Systems found the name too long, so they shortened it, to Kai''s chagrin. ¡­ [ You have created a brand new Ability ¡ª Elementary Selfless Breathing ¡­ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn¡­ You have achieved a Milestone ¡­ Milestone: Create an Ability for the first time Milestone Rewards: 1. Worth +50 ] ¡­ However, this notification was just the beginning of a long list. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn¡­ You have achieved a Milestone ¡­ Milestone: Kill the Upper Rank Three, Akaza, from the Twelve Kizuki Milestone Rewards: 1. Strength +3 2. Agility +3 3. Stamina +3 Note: Unless mentioned otherwise, all Attribute Points awarded to the Contestants come under the Set Quota ¡­ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn¡­ You have unlocked 1 Title ¡­ Title: Selfless Hashira Specification: Undergo the Hashira-level Demon Slayer Corps'' Training, get chosen by a current Hashira as successor, and then kill at least 1 Upper Rank Demon from the Twelve Kizuki Status: 1. Demon Slayer Corps'' Training - Process (0%) 2. Successor of a current Hashira - Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho 3. Upper Rank Demon Kill Count - (1/1) Effect: 1. Charisma +50 2. Demon Slayer Marks +1 (an additional mark, if already awakened) 3. Probability of achieving Transparent World Comprehension +10% 4. Skill: Undying Breath ] ¡­ Even after seeing the ridiculous Status and Effect of the Title, created only for him perhaps, Kai couldn''t take his eyes off the Milestone. How strong was Akaza for Kai to get a Milestone just for killing him?! Would the rest of the Upper Rank Demons also give him a Milestone then?!! 9 Active Attributes! Even if they had come from Kai''s Set Quota, he couldn''t ignore such a massive gain. It was like the Systems were telling him - Now that you have killed such an absurd being, have the Stats that reflect it as well. No one could deny that all these notifications, including the massive 50 points in Worth, were worthy of Verse Fusion Random World. It did incline toward Kai''s nature of taking high risks for higher rewards. Things didn''t end here, though. Ever since he had arrived in the Verse Fusion Random World, Kai had done nothing but fight, fight, and fight, pushing himself to death against the likes of Hashiras and Demons. The greatest beneficiary of all this, of course, was his Abilities. ¡­ [ Elementary Telepathy: Proficiency 100% (+25%) Elementary Telepathy has upgraded to become Advance Telepathy¡­ Advance Telepathy: 2% (+2%) Elementary Magical Aptitude: Proficiency 75% (45%) Advance Emotions Manipulation: Proficiency 60% (+20%) Advance Fear Absorption: Proficiency 50% (+33%) Advance Telekinesis: Proficiency 52% (+32%) Advance Intimidation: Proficiency 20% (+15%) ] ¡­ Kai couldn''t help but lick his lips. Now that was something he liked even better than Attribute Points. The rise in Advance Telepathy surprised Kai the most, but he had a theory behind it. Ever since he had gained this Ability, he had been wondering how to increase its Proficiency. First, while sharing his thoughts with Spawn, Kai had learned that there was no indirect way to go about it. It all stemmed in the ways of mind, thoughts, and exchanges of the said thoughts. However, it was during the heat of the battle a few days ago that Kai had hit the hammer on the nail. It wasn''t just about exchanging, Kai had realized. It was about how meaningful those exchanges were. It was about how well the target received those thoughts. It was about¡­ feelings. Telepathy¡­ such a simple word, but¡­ quite a complex Ability, Kai remarked. Rise in Magical Aptitude surprised him the least, given his improvised fighting style. Emotions Manipulation and Fear Absorption thrived in battles. So, the huge rise in Advance Abilities was truly welcomed, too. Telekinesis had already become a greater part of Kai''s active strength. No matter how much Proficiency it gained, it felt less to him now. That left Intimidation. Kai doubted he had intimidated Akaza, making his lips twitch. Except for that moment¡­ Kai couldn''t put his finger on it. But he remembered the Upper Rank Three Demon struggling to teleport. Wasn''t it because of Telekinesis? He asked himself. But, Kai failed to recall the distance between him and Akaza, putting all this in the back of his mind. This wasn''t the time to unearth dead mysteries. A much greater, and much more challenging task, awaited Kai now, he knew. The Fourth Resonance! 0291 Resonance of Love! (r18) Kai sighed and looked up and found Shinobu secretly peeking at him. Yet, the moment she noticed him looking at her, she closed her eyes and snorted. Kai''s mouth twitched, a rueful smile surfacing on his thin lips. Shinobu had said not one word to him after waking up. On the first day, when she had regained momentary consciousness in his arms, Kai had recounted the events related to him and the demon to her. When he mentioned him creating a new Breathing Style, Shinobu''s dead eyes had flickered, filled with great amazement, wonder, and if Kai had seen it true, admiration. But it was Kai''s ambush that angered her the most, he could tell. A vein kept popping up on her head now and then, and Kai knew it was the times she was recalling his strike, her eyes looking at him over her shoulder. "I am sorry we will not reach the Entertainment District in time," Kai apologized, his gaze lifting from the fire to land on her face. "I didn''t have the mind to jeopardize your mission." Shinobu opened her eyes, noticed Kai''s sincere tone, and for the first time in a while, sighed. "You have nothing to apologize for, Arlen," she said, her gaze softening as she looked at him. "There was no such mission, to begin with." Now that surprised Kai, making him raise an eyebrow. No wonder I didn''t get a Hidden Mission, he thought, recalling the time when the Insect Hashira received the mission, but hadn''t shared it with him. At that time, he had reasoned it was because of some oddity related to the Verse Fusion Random World. So it was like this. Heh! They were trying to probe my sincerity. A laugh escaped Kai''s throat, mixed with a touch of sadness. "So, have you found me sincere enough now, Shinobu?" he asked, making the Insect Hashira tremble. "Or should I kill one more Upper Rank Demon?" Shinobu looked down at her hands and mumbled, "I didn''t want to¡­" There was no wind to bury her whisper, and the fire was merciful enough to not crackle, letting her words approach Kai with her true feelings. Kai shook his head and stood up. The rabbit was done a while ago, it seemed. He pulled it off the fire and went around the fire to sit next to the Hashira. They had laid a coating of straw and moss over the snow to keep the cold away, and it was wide enough for the two of them to sit side by side with an ample gap between them. Kai tore off a mouthful of greasy flesh and passed the rest to Shinobu. She took it from him without looking up and nibbled on a tiny bite. In silence, they passed the rabbit to each other, taking one bite, then another. When the food was all but gone, Kai said, "I don''t blame you for lying to me. Sigh! I have lied to you, too." Shinobu''s head snapped towards Kai with a jolt, her eyes narrowing at him. "Tell me." Kai laughed and scratched his head, his long white hair reaching to the orange snow behind him. "Would you believe me if I tell you that the prime reason for me to bring you away from that cliff on the first we met," Kai whispered, smiling, "was because I found you too cute to not snatch you for myself?" Shinobu observed Kai with a stunned expression. Then she burst out with a giggle. "Ara!" she exclaimed, putting her hand over her mouth. "Umu, it does sound like something you would do." Kai turned to face her. Shinobu''s laugh gradually vanished, as the silence between them became hotter than fire. Even the surrounding forest didn''t dare to utter a buzz, and the moon over their head watched with bated breath, a few broken clouds irritating its moonlit gaze now and then. Kai leaned towards her and grabbed her left hand, bringing her closer. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. The kiss was too abrupt, but no time could''ve been better than now. Shinobu''s eyes widened, their breath mingling with each other. She lifted her right hand, her palm open, and then once again aimed it at Kai''s chest, the very air sizzling around it. Kai let her lips go and looked into her purple eyes, his breath broken and their hearts pounding. Her palm landed on Kai with the gentlest touch. Their lips met again, more passionately than before. Kai''s one hand went for her waist, pulling her closer, but gently. Her waist was slim, small, and injured, and she was a breath that must not be broken. His other hand lifted to grab her round face, his fingers caressing her warm, soft cheek, feeling the reserved movement of her mouth. The hand pounced on her ear then, his fingers coiling around it, massaging it gently. And her lips opened with a moan. Tongue met tongue, and taste lost meaning to them. Shinobu''s hands coiled around Kai''s neck, and he didn''t need to pull her any closer. No amount of time seemed enough and right to pull their heads away. Kai laid her down on the straw bed, with nothing but the open sky as a roof and him as the blanket. When they parted to take a breath, she smelled of spring in winter. Her cheeks had gained a furious rosy color, the blush rising from her neck and seeping into her eyes. They gasped for breath before pulling each other again. The fire crackled beside them in shyness. A stray gust of wind came like a breeze, blushing at the sight. Time seemed to have lost meaning, and lost were their identities. No longer was she a Hashira. Nor was Kai a demon. A touch of blood gleamed like molten fire on her thighs... ¡­ their hearts skipping a beat a thousand times every moment. * * Dawn, 2 days later Light snow pelted the lingering mist, and the sky turned pink and blue. Under the high covering of trees'' canopies, the fire roared, its tongues flailing around, licking the cold air. In the camp, a second hut had been raised at an angle with the first, with the fire just a few feet away from where their walls met. Inside the smaller hut, a tiny, curled figure of Nezuko could be seen sleeping soundlessly. The little girl hadn''t woken up since the Dream Demon''s spell had hit her. Kai had ruptured his ears to prevent himself from falling under the effect of the same spell, but he couldn''t do the same for her. The second hut was a little colder than the first, and its front was covered for the fire to see into it. Only a slit-like opening had been left unguarded, from where Kai could keep an eye over the package. Inside the second hut, within the blue darkness, Kai was lying leisurely and lazily with Shinobu''s petite figure on top; both naked. The butterfly-patterned haori was lying listlessly over them, covering Shinobu from her bare back to ankles. However, even this failed to hide her sensuous curves, and sheer lust spread around them like a smell that could make the hearts flutter. The very sight of them caressing each other was the height of carnal pleasures and deepest affections. Shinobu''s head was resting on Kai''s chest, her breast pressed against his stomach, and her legs entwined with his, the Golduck-Kai''s tail flicking up and down her leg with a mind of its own. "One day I''ll kill them all¡­" Shinobu said through gritted teeth, her eyes brimming with intense hatred. She had been telling Kai about her past, her sister''s death, and her resolve. Her tears kept pouring out as Shinobu brought out the hatred buried in her heart. It was hard not to share such things with her man, she had thought perhaps. Not when he had asked so gently for her to tell him about it. Kai sighed inwardly, his thoughts unknown. He patted her head, kissed her hair, and asked, "Which Hashira was it who showed up on the cliff?" Shinobu rubbed the web between Kai''s fingers with her thumb. "He was Giyu Tomioka, the Water Hashira," she said, her tone weaker than before. "I had a crush on him once." Kai''s eyes narrowed by the faintest degree. Shinobu turned her head to look up at him. "Ara-Ara!" She giggled, the smile on her face becoming playful. "Don''t tell me you are jealous? That''s quite cute." Kai smiled. "So what if I am?" he jested, flicking her forehead. As their eyes matched, Shinobu pushed herself up and kissed him, their sweat-sodden bodies gliding over each other like oil on water. She didn''t let go of Kai''s mouth, her tongue coiling around his, and determined to make him forget the recently learned names. When they parted, their minds felt fuzzy. Shinobu felt the hardness pressing against her hips and raised an eyebrow. "Again?" she asked incredulously. "You can''t blame me," Kai replied, pecking her lips. With their stamina and the hard-earned respite in their hands, he and Shinobu had already done it in all the manners possible. With time, Shinobu''s hidden personality and thoughts had come pouring out for Kai to observe, bringing them closer to each other. Yet, there remained a young lady''s reservedness, which Shinobu''s occasional shyness and tone showed openly. Kai knew it, and she knew it as well. Only time was the remedy for such things. Time which both could see running out. Shinobu''s hand left Kai and reached down, grabbing it with her small fingers. Her grip felt both hot and cold to him, and when she stroked it, the smile on her face was anything but playful. "How many times more will you do it?" she asked in a hushed tone, guiding the tip inside her. Kai caressed her face and pushed back a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Until you realize that keeping a count is meaningless¡­" Shinobu''s eyes widened and a dense red blush surfaced on her plump cheeks, her eyes reddening in shame. "How did you¡­" "¡­ know?" Kai asked, completing her question, and laughed. "Instinct." Shinobu pouted at the answer and then pressed her waist down, her body shivering in pain and pleasure. "Kiss me¡­" she moaned, looking at Kai with watery eyes. The entire hut was filled with suppressed moaning, squelching, and kissing sounds as Shinobu''s waist and hips went up and down over Kai''s length. The call of trees and the morning breeze whistled along with them, and somewhere a swallow chirped, singing a song of endearment. Kai''s hand traced her sweaty back and squeezed her hips before pressing them down even more. "Mhm!" Shinobu bit her lip and her head fell beside Kai''s, her breath hotter than blood. And then, moaning and crying, she whispered in his ear, "Why is it¡­ so big?" 0292 Corrupt Soul - Five Gambling Chips! When Kai and Shinobu were finished, now tired and satisfied, hunger found them finally. "I will catch some game for us," Shinobu whispered, patting her sweaty body with a warm and wet cloth. She dressed and snatched the soiled haori off Kai, leaving him naked. "It''s ruined," Shinobu sighed as he rubbed the cloth and smelled it. "I will have to wash it as well." "I don''t think that''s a good idea," Kai jested, lifting himself to sit upright. He and Shinobu had crossed too many lines to not understand the underlying meaning and the hidden intentions of each other. "You¡­" the Insect Hashira blushed furiously and then snorted before walking out with large strides. When she had gone, Kai slumped back on the straw and moss bed and smiled. After 5 minutes had passed, a silvery mist entered his back from the ground, unseen by all. -Has she gone?- Kai hissed, his lips parting slightly. To others, it just felt like he was talking to himself. -Yes, master,- Selene hissed back, as she came to rest over Kai''s heart. -Are you alright?- The smile on his face gradually vanished. The Headache had been pushing his pain-bearing capacity beyond the limits. But, since a few days ago, a new type of pain had been coursing through him, shaking his soul. It was like millions of unseen thorns were piercing his body, attacking every inch of his flesh. Yet, there was no injury to be seen. Kai sat up, letting out a deafening, silent scream. Ahhhhhhhhh! he screamed in his mind, complaining to himself. This fucking nuisance! He grabbed his head and hissed again, his mouth foaming. -Selene! Soul Chill at 40%!!!- -But¡­- -DO IT!- A burst of ethereal force froze his soul, and his body reflected it. Light blue frost covered Kai''s skin, and even his breath frosted, becoming white and blue. The intense bout of headache and thorny itches finally calmed down a little, and Kai took a relaxing breath. He massaged his temples with broken movements, finally getting the time to think over his ordeal. What''s going on?! Kai contemplated, frowning. His blue face had gained a bluer tinge. Did someone attack me? He shook his head. It was impossible, Kai knew. He always kept an eye on his Stats. Neither his HP nor his SP bar had shown any dip off battles. It intensified after the fight with Akaza, but¡­ Kai''s eyes narrowed. He had begun feeling the itch in his soul ever since he had fled away with Shinobu. However, because of Wisteria, he had given it no other thought. What could it be? Kai gritted his teeth. No one attacked my soul, but then¡­ Wait a minute! Soul¡­ Soul! Suddenly, Kai''s eyes widened. Eon Soul Dew! ¡­ Warning: As a Soul Seed, the Item may corrupt/consume the Contestant''s soul unless taken precautionary measures If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡­ Fuck! Kai cursed. I barely used it!!! No matter how he thought about it, he couldn''t find a solution to counter this corruption. Kai knew one thing for sure, though ¡ª If left untreated, the corruption would consume his soul eventually. Kai sighed. Only one way left, then. Putting the matter of his corrupt soul away for a moment, he focused on the more pressing things first. Only 1 day remained for his Mission Completion, and if he wasn''t wrong about it, then he had already found the answer to the Mission''s question. But first, Kai brought out the new notification. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn Your Title Status is updated ¡­ Title: Dimensional Leader Specification: Make 3 main-storyline Characters follow you voluntarily and unconditionally Status: (2/3) Effect: 1. Correspondence +5 2. Worth +15 3. Charisma +25 4. Skill: Dimensional Summoning ] ¡­ Kai let out another sigh. These unconditional followers aren''t the same as Meg and Spawn, he reflected, his lips pressed into a thin line. Yes, their emotions and their loyalty towards me are true. No doubt. But both of them are backed by severe conditions. With Andrik, if I were to disown the Drowned God''s teachings, or would try to make him follow another Deep One, he wouldn''t remain an unconditional follower of mine. It''s also possible that the Dimensional Leader Title''s status will regress. And Kai needn''t even think about Shinobu. As much as she loved him now, giving him her body, soul, and her everything, the moment he was to betray humanity, she would be the first to come for his life. In the last two days, Kai had been using Emotions Manipulation in a very suppressed and subtle manner to bring out the piled-up hatred and anger from her heart. These things were detrimental to Shinobu''s life in a battle, making her sacrifice herself just to bring down a demon. Now Kai couldn''t have that, could he? He had already invested so much time in her. It would be the biggest joke if she were to die after his return to the Harry Potter Random World. Kai had already formed grand plans for this Verse Fusion Random World. The only thing that remained now was to get the Multiverse ID of this world, and he was truly at the mercy of the Systems about it. Kai shook his head, made the notifications go away, and drummed his fingers on his knee, his eyes never leaving the package for even a fraction of a second. He still had 20 minutes left to converse with the Sponsor. In the vast White Hall, before coming to this Random World, Kai had undergone a deep state of meditation after seeing the names of 5 Sponsors and their floor numbers written in front of them. That state of contemplation had not been random. After leaving his meditative state, Kai had done five things. It had looked like an ordinary series of expected events, but his tiniest actions and decisions had hidden meanings. When Kai had thrown himself off the chair, he had already planned for this last conversation, knowing well that a Sponsor would ask these questions. The first thing he had done was to turn himself into Golduck-Kai. The reasoning behind it was simple, and if Kai wasn''t wrong, then it had already served its purpose. He didn''t want to let the Sponsors know he could change his form as he wished. If it was the reward of the 1st Stage, as Kai wanted them to believe, then the time passed was too short for a 4th-floor Contestant to figure out how to return to his human form. The second thing he had done was to take out the three swords. Kai wasn''t a fool. He knew that these Sponsors must have already found out about his Identity by using the Swords as a foundation. Kai hadn''t cleared all clues related to them on the 2nd Set, to begin with. How would he have known that such figures would show an interest in him then? So, by uncovering his swords, Kai meant to say that he had nothing to hide, and if necessary, then he knew how to compromise as well. This he had already accomplished in this month. The acceptance of one Sponsor''s terms, and rejection of the others, hadn''t been random, either. Next, he had taken out the Book; the third action. If Kai truly wanted to hide the Book''s presence from the 18th-floor Contestants, then he would''ve kept it in the Inventory. Rather, he wanted them to see it. Or, to be specific, he wanted them to recognize the runic script in which the tales had been written by the legendary wizard, Beedle the Bard. For him, understanding the runic script was as important as his Glitch. If an upgraded and incomplete tale of a Character allowed him to use an ACT like D-Mail, Kai couldn''t even comprehend how mysterious a complete tale would be, if deciphered. This, too, he had accomplished. The fourth thing Kai had done was to take out the Capsules and Sling Ring. Kai knew for a fact that the Sponsors would easily pick up on the huge HP granted by a Rare HP capsule when used. It would show them that even though he was a loner, he had his means of getting backing. This was one of the most crucial things he wanted them to take note of. Sling Ring had its own uses. It was a matter of the show, given the fact that these Items were custom-made, expounding upon the same detail as that of the Rare HP capsule. At last, Kai had taken the fifth action, taking out the last Item. This Item was the costliest gambling chip. It had no other purpose but to let Kai play¡­ ¡­ the riskiest gamble of his life at this moment. 0293 Fooling an 18th floor Contestant? - Kais gretest gamble! (I) Let''s do it, Kai thought, making up his mind. It will be one of the biggest gamble of my life. In the next moment, he took a deep breath and connected to the lone Sponsor with whom he still could. "Haha! I''ve been waiting for your call," Shadow Origin laughed. "Kid, you are truly a grade better than even the top Contestants I''ve seen on the beginning Sets. "Comprehending and confirming your beliefs amidst battle¡­ Brilliant! Don''t depend on Magic too much. Stick with this path, and you will go far." Kai said nothing in response. After a brief silence, he whispered, "How bad is my situation?" "Oh!" Shadow Origin exclaimed. "Not getting carried away by momentary achievements? Haha! No wonder¡­ No wonder. It''s bad, kid, but not as bad as you imagine it to be. "Verse Fusion Random Worlds are indeed a monstrosity. However, which King doesn''t have them? Not to mention, these Random Worlds can be artificially induced in the Tournament of Worth, if one dares to pay the price." Kai didn''t show any shock at this news. By now, he had already guessed a few things. "By manipulating a Contestant''s Stats, you mean?" he asked. Silence. From beyond the realms, the sound of clapping reached Kai''s ears. "Not bad, kid," Shadow Origin commented. "I wanted to trade this knowledge with you, but it seems you have already figured it out. "Yes, by manipulating Stats, one can artificially induce a Verse Fusion Random World. "Now, Attributes, Abilities, and even Skills can''t be manipulated. At least not enough to bring out such a response from the Systems. "Items, however, are another matter. Only forces above the 5th Set can afford such expenses. "Give a Contestant enough absurd Items, that would solely belong to him, and there will be good chances for the Verse Fusion Random World to show up. "But you know the repercussions of this, right?" Kai nodded heavily. "If the Contestant were to die," he said, showing a horrified and betrayed expression on his face, "then all the Items will vanish as well, and being a Verse Fusion Random World, the chances of this happening will be tremendous, because the Contestant''s Stats won''t match the difficulty." Shadow Origin laughed meaningfully. "So," he drawled, "care to share with me who fucked you up, kid? I will trade for the answer, of course. Don''t worry, the rest of the Sponsors won''t act against you, either. At least not before the Final Auction." Bingo! Kai roared joyously in his heart. This question. This very question he had been waiting for the Shadow Origin to ask. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. If Kai had divulged the information by himself, then the sponsor, perhaps, might not have believed him. Shadow Origin needed to ask this question by himself. Because this question diverted the truth towards falseness. Why had the Systems brought Kai to a Verse Fusion Random World? All knew the answer ¡ª There was something wrong with his Stats; a monstrous secret. But what exactly? It had yet to come out in the open. Attributes, Abilities, and Skills couldn''t be manipulated. So what remained? Items. Even in their dreams, the Sponsors would have never thought of Glitch being the prime reason. Not at least those who belonged to Chaos, and the ones from Order couldn''t Sponsor him, anyway. Kai''s risks depended on these reasons. Now came the time to toss out the final chip. Kai''s face contorted in false ugliness. "The Temple of Many-faced God," he answered, his eyes burning with red, hot fury. "It was them, and they didn''t even tell me!" Bullshit! Kai sneered inwardly. How could he not know that these Sponsors must have already found a connection between him and the House of Black and White, no matter how faint the trail was? His doubts had been confirmed when Shadow Origin had asked about Viscount''s assassination. A lone gust of breeze whistled by as Kai waited for Shadow Origin''s reply to his absurd claim. "So that''s how it is¡­" the 18th-floor Contestant mumbled. "Well, ask away then." Kai narrowed his eyes, knowing well that he was treading on thin ice here. So, without taking any pause, he asked the question that had been dancing on the tip of his tongue for a long time. "Why only 5 sponsors from the 18th floor?" Meg knew little about the 18th floor, but she did know something. The City of Colors was a floor where Kings lived in their stupendous castles. Now, if one followed the Empire''s general policy, then customarily only the Set Lord of the 6th Set was to be styled as King. However, the 6th Set shared a quality with the 1st Set in this case. In the 1st Set, too many Contestants reached the level of a Baron, creating a surplus of Baron-level Candidates. These supposed Candidates didn''t remain on the 1st Set, though, choosing to ascend to the 4th floor instead. This wasn''t an option available to the Contestants on the 18th floor. Contestants of the 6th Set had huge lifespans, and it wasn''t a surprise that one achieved a King-level strength every half a millennium. This too created a surplus of Kings on the 18th floor. Unlike the 3rd floor of the 1st Set, it wasn''t as simple as just ascending to the next floor to bring down this surplus. For the surplus Kings to ascend to the 19th floor, they needed to complete a mission, and this mission took place in the World of Cartoons. From here originated the name ¡ª The Graveyard of Kings. Because most Kings, who attempted this mission in haste as their piled-up Life Halt ran out, got killed at this stage. Hence, these Kings instead stayed on the 18th floor, preparing for their ascension. The fear of the Graveyard of Kings could be surmised from these actions. "Although there are many kings on the 18th floor," Shadow Origin answered, "their strength and influence aren''t equal. "When one reaches such a stage, even the name itself gets divided into realms. That''s something beyond your understanding, for now. "To be straightforward, those who selected you represent the top 5 powers of the 18th floor, who can contend against each other. Rest obviously turned a blind eye towards you." So that''s how it is, Kai nodded inwardly. No wonder only 5 Sponsors appeared. If I am not wrong, then these 5 Code Names aren''t kings but represent the kings behind them. Hmm, that''s the most natural reasoning. The next question Kai wanted to ask was what exactly it was that made them take an interest in him. However, after careful deliberation, Kai rejected this idea. What? You don''t even know what makes you special, and here I thought you were smart. Wait, what questions did you ask before this? Kai couldn''t afford any doubt to take birth in the other party''s heart. If not now, then he would soon find the reason for them choosing him eventually. Kai didn''t have the greatest of patience for things like these, but he wasn''t indecisive. So he gave up on knowing about it with a single thought. Now came the time for the last chip of the gamble; the most precious and absurd. Sure enough, Shadow Origin asked, "My next question is, what Item did they give to you and its grade" 0294 Fooling an 18th floor Contestant? - Kais gretest gamble! (II) Kai showed an expression as though he was going through an intense struggle in his heart. However, his heart was calm; his soul almost frozen. Kai knew words wouldn''t be enough to fool the kings. Only an idiot considered others stupid, and he had learned it already in his previous life. What mattered now wasn''t his acting, but material proof. Here came into play the ultimate thing Kai had taken out before his arrival. A thing that he had already showcased. A thing that even the Sponsor had been avoiding asking about so far. How could the falling of a star didn''t interest Shadow Origin? How could the arrival of a Legendary Pokemon didn''t catch an 18th-floor Candidate''s eye? Kai was but a 4th-floor Contestant! How could he have obtained such an Item at his level?! These were all the questions Kai had been aiming for when he had showcased the Top-Rare Item. "Why beat around the bush?," Kai chuckled dryly, showing his helplessness. "Haven''t you already seen it?" "You mean¡­" Before Shadow Origin could finish his words, Kai spat the gambling chip, "¡ª Soul Dew¡­ "¡­ Grade Legendary!" * * "What?!" the Viceroy exclaimed. Shadow Origin''s mouth gaped at the sight and hearing the answer. He killed the sound and looked to his left. "Your Grace," he said incredulously, "is this even possible?" The purple mist around the king churned, and it had been flailing furiously since Kai had answered the first question. The throne had been remade and hidden behind the mist, the king was leaning against it majestically. Now, his voice thundered with a nod. "It is," King Purple Mist said. "If he has a Legendary Item, then its definitely possible." Legendary grade Items, consumable or not, weren''t something even kings could look down upon. "Does the Temple of Many-faced God have such reserves?" Shadow Origin mumbled to himself. "Why would they even invest so much in Red, even if they can afford to?" Silence reigned for a moment before the purple mist hissed. "They have," the king confirmed. "Why would they invest? Heh! Fucking lunatics have never learned the word Reason in their lives." Shadow Origin licked his lips, for he knew he must not pursue the matter related to the Faceless Men with His Grace anymore. Yet, the king did resolve the doubt related to the Red. Stolen novel; please report. "Damn!" Shadow Origin cursed under his breath. "This Red''s Luck must be above 50. Otherwise, I am a fucking dog!" * * "Good, good," the Sponsor said casually after some time. "You did well by telling me, kid. Believe me. Now, ask your second question." Kai sighed inwardly. In the open, he cursed, moving his lips slowly to let the sponsor read them easily. "My answer is worth two questions," he said in a tone that sounded wounded. Shadow Origin chuckled ruefully. "Worry not," he told Kai. "If your question is not up to the level of your previous answer, then you can ask another one. But you must hurry, kid. You have only a few minutes remaining to your Privilege." Kai reluctantly nodded. "What can heal a corrupted or broken soul?" "Tch-Tch!" Shadow Origin tsked, sounding extremely displeased. "Another worthy Contestant about to enter the gutter, it seems. "Are you too planning to regenerate Voldemort''s souls after taking them out of the Horcruxes, kid? I have great expectations from you, and greater after seeing you creating a Breathing Style. Don''t let yourself fall into this hellhole." What the?! Kai gaped. This wasn''t what he had in mind at all. "Just give me an answer," he urged. Why would he show his true intentions when the other party had already wrongly imagined them? "Sigh!" Shadow Origin''s sigh was longer than Kai had expected. "No Item can mend a broken soul, kid," the Sponsor told him. "Forget it. "However, you can heal a corrupted soul; even a cracked one. "There''s only one Item that can do so to the greatest degree possible, making the Soul as new as it was before ¡ª " "What is it?" Kai asked impatiently. Shadow Origin chuckled. "The Philosopher''s Stone!" Kai''s pupil shook by the faintest degree as he heard the answer. Even his frozen soul trembled with excitement. This answer meant too much to him and was hideously important for the plans he had in his mind within the Harry Potter Random World. Who could''ve thought the answer would lie in that very Random World as well? "Well," Shadow Origin continued, "you were right. You can ask one more question. Be quick about it." Only a few seconds were left. Kai pushed down his joy and fired the next question, "In the Harry Potter Random World, what is the importance of the Book ¡ª Daemonologie, In Forme of a Dialogue?" "Oh!" Shadow Origin showed some interest. "Hmm, isn''t that the book which gives the Candidacy to an Inheritance?" "Whose inheritance?" Kai urged. "Haha!" Shadow Origin guffawed as the channel died. "The Inheritance of the Legendary Wizard ¡ª Herpo the Foul!" * * Dawn Last day of the ToW A streak of purple blur met a speckle of blood; cicadas cried in winter and the clash of steel against steel woken up the night. Hisss! Kai hissed out a bloody mist, his entire figure covered under bloody flames of the densest odor of bloodlust and slaughter. Under his skin, millions of worms and insects crawled and slithered, it seemed. Selfless Breathing Style! In front of him, and glued to his two sabers, was Higurashi in its Shikai form, its edge crying and shining with a poisonous purple charm. Behind the stinger sword was the Insect Hashira, her sparkly, round face adorned by two purple-colored, pearl-like pupils. The ever-present tiny smile on her face felt wicked and psychotic, but enchanting the most. Thrown back by Shinobu''s sting and the bloody power infused in Kai''s sabers, the couple separated and melted into the wind, their figures vanishing like a mirage. The entire mountain seemed to have become their training ground, an area of 1000 square meters around their hut becoming a home of purple and fiery blood-colored flashes. Now and then, Kai''s flaming figure kept appearing near Nezuko to reset the 30 minutes time limit. They appeared over two nearby canopies of trees. However, Kai didn''t have his swords in his hands. Shinobu''s eyes narrowed. In the next moment, Murasame swished towards her from the right, and Afro''s Tachi came at her from the left; both fast enough to leave behind blur in their wake. The Insect Hashira spun horizontally mid-air, and her petite figure passed in between the swords as the weapons flew over and below her, cutting nothing but air. When she landed back on the tree, a tongue of blood flame licked at her face. It was Kai! How could he let go of the chance when he had already used the swords to distract the Hashira? Yet, the moment his hands were about to land on her shoulder, Kai''s ears rang with a wild buzz, the sound so deafening that it disoriented his senses, making him wince. The hidden headache added misery to the stinging pain. By the time he forced open his eyes, the Insect Hashira had already melted away. The blood flames over Kai diffused as well, and he landed on the snow with a thud, panting and sweating in the cold. 0295 Saying Goodbye to Shinobu Kocho As Kai caught his breath, he processed and analyzed his gains and losses on this mission. The most important was none other than the Breathing Style. Hmm¡­ I can maintain it for half an hour, Kai reflected. Any more than that and my breathing fluctuates too much for it to be called an advantage. The Breathing Style boosts my base Strength, Stamina, Agility, and Perception, but it''s exhilarating to maintain this state for over 30 minutes. Base Attributes were those that didn''t have any extra points added or subtracted from them because of an Item, Title, or Skill. Not to mention, 30 minutes were more than enough to decide the fate of a battle at Kai''s level right now. However, if he were to take the Total Concentration Constant into account, these 30 minutes looked too pitiful. The Hashiras could maintain their Breathing Style day and night, and even their sleep. He was too far from that level, Kai knew. Nonetheless, after the creation of First Transformation, the endless training he had been going through with a Hashira had brought his Elementary Selfless Breathing''s Proficiency to a whopping 50%. Kai knew this 50% proficiency only looked better at a glance. Because, first, it had birthed from a combination of two Advance Abilities and one Master Ability. Second, the rate of increase in Proficiency in the Elementary stage couldn''t even be regarded in the same breath as that of the Advance. Now that the thought of Proficiency had pervaded Kai''s mind, he couldn''t help but shake his head as he thought of his swords. From his resurrection to now, Murasame''s Quality had dropped to 85% from 95%. Afro''s Tachi had fared no better, its Quality dropping to 60% from 74%. But the worst among them was still One half of the Power Sword. This sword/armor had taken almost all the otherworldly beating for Kai from his ridiculously strong opponents. First, it was Yautja and the Queen Xenomorph, and recently the Flame Hashira and the Upper Rank Three demon had beaten the shit out of him, forcing the armor to regain its original shape. As a result, this Item''s Quality dropped to 55% from 87%. It pained Kai''s heart. ¡­ "Given up already?" Shinobu''s playful voice rang around Kai like several musical notes. "Only 30 minutes¡­ This won''t do, Arlen." Kai pushed back his thoughts and stood up, the morning''s chill finally finding him, making him shiver by the faintest amount. Shinobu threw his swords at him, and they came to hover by his side. "You wound me, Shinobu," Kai jested, smiling. "You know better than anyone that I can last for over 30 minutes. And I have yet to break my fast this morning." Kai''s smile had a gentle but playful nature mixed in it. His white hair rippled in the morning breeze, and over the snow, his tall figure looked like a blue deity, not a blue-skinned demon. Or this was how Shinobu perceived him, at least. When she heard his words and understood the hidden meanings, her face fumed with a rosy blush, her ears becoming red and hot. Then she giggled. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Ara!" she put a hand over her mouth and exclaimed. "First catch me, Arlen. Then you can do anything you want." The fastest Hashira became snow and wood as her figure shook, leaving behind an afterimage. Kai sighed, and then clenched his teeth, a hissing sound reverberating around him like the crackling of an intense fire. In the next moment, he too became a speckle of blood before disappearing, trying to catch a hint of the puzzle whose name was Shinobu. For long the two trained, their laughter echoing up and down the mountain like a lost poem. At last, Kai caught Shinobu''s haori by its corner; the barest touch. Or she let him purposefully catch her. Who knew? It remained an ancient mystery of this snowy mountain for ages to come. * * The silly morning heralded a silent and heavy afternoon. Kai and Shinobu walked side by side, the snowy mountain becoming a silhouette behind them. Nezuko was on Kai''s back, her face resting on his shoulder. It was too quiet. Their feet left deep impressions on the snow, their breath misting and mingling with each other. The smile on Shinobu''s face never vanished, but her pupils kept trembling now and then, knowing she was as helpless against time as her man''s resolve. It had already been known to them that Kai would have to leave this evening, going back to hiding. Yet, as the time of separation approached, the dreamy imagination became reality little by little. The pain of the morning''s embrace still lingered between Shinobu''s thighs, but when Kai held her hand now, the smile on her face couldn''t help but widen. Perhaps this was the only pain she didn''t mind experiencing again and again, she thought. It was then Kai stopped, and her heart skipped a beat. Any more ahead, and they would risk someone noticing Kai. Kai looked down at her, and Shinobu looked up. Her eyes were neither moist nor tired, only pained. Once again, Kai commended the brilliance of the Insect Hashira inwardly. She truly was a strong woman. No doubt. Kai could feel her boiling love and loyalty for him in her heart, and yet, Shinobu said not one word to stop him. The smile on her face seemed eternal and immemorial. Kai sighed in his heart. He had no animosity towards Shinobu. If her death had brought him strength, then she would have died already. Also, if it wasn''t for Heart Rhythm, and her mere presence bringing him closer to the Peak of Absolute Power, then he wouldn''t have bothered with her at all. Kai liked older women, but it didn''t mean he disliked having sex with Shinobu. Nor did it mean he hated her. But to think that Kai could truly feel the same emotions as her, and enjoy the same feelings, would be the biggest lie. Gone were the days when he could trust someone; love someone. Now only one thing remained ¡ª Absolute Power. This was his Demonic Path, and only he could tread it. There was no place for Shinobu, Cersei, or anyone on it. The very essence of this demonic path wouldn''t tolerate anything less than the Will to Defy that Kai had. And he knew it. Yet Kai couldn''t deny that he didn''t hate this person. Not as she was now. Kai leaned forward and kissed Shinobu''s forehead and then hugged her, their warm bodies trying to leave something more than a feeling within each other. When they separated, time seemed to run a hundred times faster than before. "I will be back," Kai promised, his smile gentler than Shinobu''s false one. "And I will find you wherever you will be." It wasn''t the moment to think that he would never let his pawns roam free for long without having a grasp over their situations. "I know you will." The Insect Hashira nodded. She put Kai''s palm over her cheek and then pushed herself on her toes to kiss him. The world around them quietened down, their hearts knocking on their chests with an inexplicable rhythm. Kai said nothing after that. He carefully handed over Nezuko to her, patting the little girl''s head. "Go now," he told Shinobu. "Remember not to go too overboard." "Umu," the Insect Hashira nodded once more, her eyes never leaving Kai''s hazel pupils, their colors dancing in the vanishing sunlight with heart-warming hues. Shinobu turned around and walked off, her steps slower, her spine straight and determined. Kai''s face was ice; emotionless and cold. Suddenly, he felt a stirring on his forehead, and his eyes widened. The blood-colored mind jewel that had troubled Kai since the last month now fell off like a broken petal. The humongous headache pounding Kai''s head vanished instantly, and when he smiled this time, it was the most genuine one. But what to do with it? There was no point in firing a punch at heaven. Nor could he just teleport to the king of demons to test this Skill''s true might. So what? Just let it dissolve within him? A thought passed through his mind, and Kai shouted, "Shinobu!" The Insect Hashira spun so fast as though she had been waiting for his call. Kai lifted the jewel high, its surface glinting like a red-gold diamond under the might of the approaching twilight. "Told you my research will bear fruit," his voice echoed far and wide, reaching her ears, as Kai pointed at his forehead. "Goodbye!" Then, Kai threw the mind-jewel in the air. ¡­ Shinobu''s head followed the jewel''s trail, and when her eyes left Kai, he snapped his fingers. Red sparks exploded in the sky like fireworks as if the mind-jewel itself had exploded. When the Insect Hashira looked down, her eyes misty and trembling, Kai had already vanished. 0296 2nd Stages Greatest Reward - An Opportuinity! Blue grew against the white with arrogance, the flash of teleportation leaving behind an unforgettable impression in the vast White Hall. Kai found himself sitting on a comfortable white chair. He returned to his human form and threw his Items back into his Inventory. He was still wearing his tattered black kimono and trousers, Kai noticed. A testament to the absurd Verse Fusion Random World he had survived, perhaps? Kai put his arms over the chair''s arms and leaned back, taking a relaxing breath. His right hand lifted, and he sensed the illusion of the tiny red bead that had resurfaced on his forehead. The image of red sparks and Shinobu''s trembling eyes surfaced in his mind. Kai shook the memories away. The giant white screen in front of him was empty, but Kai wasn''t overly worried about the mission''s result. The Systems had already awarded him the best reward one could''ve given to him. No. It wasn''t the unconditional follower or the Ability Fusion. Those were the product of Kai''s own trials and tribulations. It was the mission itself. Kai had sensed its mysteriousness and uniqueness the very first time he had laid his eyes upon it. Even then, he had not forgotten that Survival was nothing but a theme of this Tournament. According to Meg, these themes let the audience assess potential candidates to join their factions. In its essence, the Tournament had always been about Worth, hence the name ¡ª Tournament of Worth. In the 1st Stage, the Systems had hidden this essence behind the curtain of surviving an infested island. However, the Systems truly meant to say ¡ª Survive with unfavorable Stats and prove your Worth. This time, in the 2nd Stage, even more emphasis had been given to Survival, hiding the truth behind two layers. For Kai, these layers were to protect the Package and to survive the onslaught of two factions , i.e. demons and demon slayers. However, the genuine test wasn''t Survival, but the Mission. Or, to be precise, the Mission''s Objective; the Question. What is Demon? At a glance, Kai could tell that this mission wasn''t ordinary. It demanded no obvious answers, either. The Systems had a great motive behind this question, Kai knew. And the more he thought about it, the more he felt he was right. This mission didn''t demand an Answer. It demanded Comprehension. What was Comprehension, if not understanding oneself, the world, and the interrelation between man and heaven? Kai still remembered the teachings of his previous world. So it didn''t come as a surprise that he had indeed figured out the meaning behind the Mission''s Objective. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. No wonder he thought the Systems had already given him the most outrageous reward. Because, in a way, they indeed had. It wasn''t anything material. It had no form. No correct shape or size. Not even something corporeal or that the senses could perceive. All it had was an ethereal sensation. A sense of its coming and knowing when to grasp it. Yes. The first reward the Systems had given Kai was ¡ª An Opportunity! Comprehensions, especially those that needed one to confirm one''s nature, were too heinous, to begin with. They couldn''t be forced. Neither one could just create artificial situations and circumstances to force them upon oneself. Comprehensions were spontaneous, and they descended on a being like a slippery fish in the river of time. All one needed to do was to grab it the moment it passed by them. Take Kai''s comprehension of the Facelessness'' three Conversions, for example. Even with his mind, he could''ve never predicted its coming. This comprehension resulted from three spontaneous events ¡ª A Deep One''s gaze (-Malebolgia, from Spawn Random World-), Kai''s one week worth of accumulated knowledge in the House of Black and White''s library, and the Dream Lucidity he had gained because of the Saying passed to him by Faceless Men. That''s why he knew that after gaining the Comprehension if he were to let this chance go, there would be no guarantee for it to return even after thousands of years. So when Kai saw the opportunity, he took it. Others might not see or understand his reasoning behind reincarnating in a girl''s body, he knew. Most of the world''s geniuses would even probably scoff at him if they were to hear his explanations. Fuck them! Kai''s thoughts were simple. This was his Demonic Path, and what others had to do with it. If he was right, then he would ascend to the Peak of Absolute Power using this Comprehension. Otherwise¡­ "Otherwise¡­" Kai mumbled, the grin on his face becoming vile and demonic, "¡­ Ashes to ashes and dust to dust. Haha!" As if replying to Kai, the white screen lit up and rows of words appeared on it with apparent pride and exhilaration hidden behind them. ¡­ [[ Congratulations Kai Stormborn¡­ You have completed the Survival Mission ¡­ Survival Mission: What is Demon? Survival Mission Status: Pass Survival Mission Time Limit: 1 month Survival Mission Grade: D+ Note: The Survival Mission has three Rewards. The Contestant can only choose 2 out of these 3 rewards, forfeiting the rest. ]] ¡­ Hmm? Kai raised an eyebrow. Not even giving the option to trade the rest of the rewards by sacrificing something? Let''s see what the rewards are first. Kai seemed nonchalant about it, but his heart was pounding in his chest. There was one reward he wanted the most. His desire to see it among these 3 rewards was only lower than the revenge he had gotten in his previous life. Kai licked his lips, and the voices returned, bringing rows of words on the white screen with no exceptional grandeur about them. ¡­ [[ Survival Mission Rewards: 1. 1 Million Mission Credits 2. Blue Spider Lily 3. Multiverse Id (Unique Random World) ]] ¡­ Kai''s laugh echoed far and wide, reaching to the furthest unreachable corners of this white hall. "I choose the Multiverse ID," Kai declared with no further thought. Instantly, the 3rd reward from the white screen disappeared, and appeared in his Stats, below the Multiverse Id of the Game of Thrones Random World, from where his other follower, Andrik, was. Only one more choice remained now. Kai took a deep breath, calming down his ecstatic emotions. Normally, he would have never lost his cool, no matter the reward. But this Multiverse ID had too much significance for Kai. He already had grand plans related to it. Not to mention, he had too much to learn from this Verse Fusion Random World; too much to explore. Kai closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he had already returned to an optimum state. Now he looked at the rest of the rewards. The very first reward looked intensely tempting to him ¡ª 1 Million Mission Credits! It was no ordinary sum. For comparison, the Uncommon Item, Murasame, which was also a Named Sword, had cost Kai 400,000 Mission Credits. Even among the nobles of the Primordial Tower, only the most favored and extraordinarily wealthy could afford such a price. If it wasn''t for the Existence giving him 10 Million Mission Credits, Kai might well have not seen such an amount for years to come. Not to mention, Kai was broke now, and Mission Credits meant too much to him. At least, more than they meant to an ordinary Contestant because without them, Kai couldn''t jump to another Random World. The offered amount was truly too much to just ignore. But it wasn''t something to lose one''s cool over it, unlike the Multiverse ID of a Verse Fusion Random World. So Kai said, "Show me the Stats of the 2nd Item." The Systems brought out the Stats of Blue Spider Lily at his request. And Kai''s eyes almost popped out. 0297 Money or Item - The Seals Clash Again!!! Kai''s memories related to the Demon Slayer Random World had been deleted by the Systems before the beginning of the 2nd Stage. Later, when he got to know many things from Sponsor Aphrodite, it almost took care of this problem. However, even then she had only covered the fat topics about the Random World and hadn''t mentioned the minute details, considering them unnecessary. Kai hadn''t believed everything told to him by these Sponsors. Not only Aphrodite, but he also didn''t believe Shadow Origin''s words completely. Forget what these Contestants might have held back from telling him, Kai even had a strong feeling that only 30-40% of the things shared with him were true, and the rest were well salted, to the point of tasting bitter. So Kai had been confirming the things learned from Aphrodite with Shinobu little by little. This Blue Spider Lily hadn''t come up even then among all the topics they had discussed during their late evening chats. So when the rows of words on the white screen showed him what it truly represented, it truly shocked him. ¡­ [[ Reward - Blue Spider Lily 1. Upon consumption, the Contestant will gain a Standalone Title ¡ª Demon King 2. Title Effects are: a. HP Regeneration Rate: +100% b. Skill: Demon Progenitor (growth type) c. Skill: Biokinesis d. Skill: Demon Manipulation e. Charisma: +35 3. The Item will also grant a onetime Life Halt of 100 years 4. Elementary Ability ¡ª Consciousness Manipulation WARNING: 1. Genetic Disintegration in the presence of Sunlight (Time Limit: 30 seconds) 2. All light-based Skills and Items are 100% more effective against the Contestant ¡­ Note: 1. Standalone Titles always remain in an equipped state, along with regular Titles 2. Blue Spider Lily is equivalent to a Top-level Epic-grade Consumable Item ]] ¡­ Kai was standing on the floor. When had his butt left the chair? He didn''t know. In sheer astonishment, Kai gawked at the Reward; In disbelief, he marveled at its Effects. Was he truly seeing it right?! How was this even comparable to 1 Million Mission Credits?!! Epic-grade Item!!! The very first which Kai could use right away, if obtained. Even if he were to put aside the monstrosity that the Standalone Title, Demon King, represented, the Life Halt and the Ability by themselves were worthy enough for Kai to salivate at their sight. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. This wasn''t just an Item in his eyes. This was Power!!! Yet, the more he contemplated with a rational mind, the better he understood the reason for its presence among his Rewards. Genetic Disintegration¡­ Kai repeated the word in his mind, narrowing his eyes. The 1st Warning alone has brought down the level of this Item to Rare-grade. No wonder the Systems put it in the rewards. Even if it grants such powers, the moment I was to remain in contact with sunlight for over 30 seconds, my genes would disintegrate. Tch-Tch! Unless¡­ Unless he were to somehow counter the Sunlight''s effect on him¡­ Now that thought was worth contemplating over. Kai had profound knowledge regarding the field of genes and its sister subjects. Not to mention, this Warning wouldn''t have mattered too much if Kai''s operations were limited to a single Random World. No. He was a Contestant. Kai must travel across the Multiverse, complete Missions, and achieve Rewards and Resources. And Sun was almost everywhere. It would be like crippling myself after gaining wings, Kai reflected, sitting back on the chair uncomfortably. Yet, even he couldn''t deny that the allure of those wings was too much to ignore. Kai tapped his fingers over the chair''s arms, falling into a deep state of contemplation. He wasn''t indecisive, but cunning deeds needed thinking, and thinking needed time. He had to compromise and find a middle ground somewhere. After a few minutes, Kai nodded to himself and looked up. His hazel pupils had regained their tranquilness, and doubts and hesitations had been erased out of them by sheer will. It all came down to the 1 Million Mission Credits and the Blue Spider Lily. Even now, the Mission Credits shone with an unmatched brilliance in Kai''s mind. The privilege of jumping to the other Random Worlds was just too outstanding. Now that he was in Random World, which represented the combined missions of the 2nd Set, every such jump would cost him an unimaginable amount of Mission Credits, Kai knew. He ran his hands through his hair and shook his head. "Haha!" A chuckle escaped his throat like the snarls of a beast. "What a predicament!" Kai exclaimed. "Even now the Systems are testing the Contestants. No wonder the Tournament of Worth is so dangerous. Am I right, Chaos, Order? You are trying to instill feelings of regret, right?" The Systems didn''t reply. That, too, was an answer in itself. Kai scoffed inwardly. There wasn''t a single thing he regretted. Not a single decision that he had taken, he would take another way, if given the chance again. Such things didn''t comply with his Demonic Path. If there was a regret, then it was to not have the Power when he needed it; when his mother was dying in his arms, urging him to live. Even that regret Kai had discarded with his revenge. So why would he regret choosing a reward now, and not choosing the other? This decision couldn''t even be talked about in the same breath as a few hideous risks Kai had taken in his life. "Blue Spider Lily." Kai''s answer was the strike of a hammer; Powerful and Thunderous. A white altar rose in front of the White Screen. Over it, stored in a cylindrical glass and planted in black soil, was a blue-colored flower that didn''t look demonic. Yet appearances weren''t always the strongest way to regard something, Kai had learned. With one flick of his hand, he stored it in his Inventory. ¡­ [[ Details of the next Stage will be announced to you three days before its commencement Sending Candidate Red back to his Time Node¡­ ]] ¡­ Kai smiled, the blue flashes of teleportation covering his tall figure like a blanket. Suddenly, just as his figure blurred, Kai''s eyes widened and his instincts roared wildly. Wait! This feeling again?! Kai asked himself. I thought this feeling was because the Systems must have deleted my memories related to the Demon Slayer Random World like the last time in the case of the Alien and Predators Random World. Then why?! Both Kai and Meg had lost their memories last time. As they were in their respective Random Worlds, they had no way to know about it without coming in contact with another Contestant, who knew about the Alien and Predators Random World. However, they had the privilege of having such a Contestant around them all the time. It was Spawn. When Kai shared his experiences with her, after returning to the Harry Potter Random World, it shocked Kai for her to say that she already knew about it. Moreover, it was Meg herself who had told her. It was a very mysterious feeling. So it had taken Kai a few days to realize and recall this theory after his teleportation to the Verse Fusion Random World. By then, he had already contacted Contestant Aphrodite. So now that he had already recalled him having forgotten about a Random World, Kai hadn''t expected to experience this feeling again. Not at all. It was the same feeling of forgetting something. At the last moment of his teleportation, Kai''s eyes had narrowed to a point. His instincts had never betrayed him. There indeed was something odd going on behind the curtains here, Kai reflected. It happened, then. ¡­ Boom! A titanic, red crystal appeared behind him, containing a blackish blur. Cracks were running down the crystals as if something had been hammering at it. Simultaneously, the Yellow Sign surfaced on Kai''s forehead, glowing hideously yellow. Billions of billions of tentacles oozed out from the yellow sign, getting hacked apart as if some giant was chopping them down with an axe. And as these eldritch entities rejected each other, Kai disappeared, losing consciousness.
Vol 12 - Tournament of Worth - 2nd Stage - Ends!!! 0298 Herpo the Foul (I) Vol 13 - The Order of the Immortal Lotus - Begins!!!
Chapter Begins: Wednesday, 24 December 1986 01:30 am Almost two weeks had gone by since Kai''s return to the Harry Potter World. On the third floor of the restaurant/hotel Brews and Stews, Darcie''s room was enshrouded in a thick orange-red color of roaring fire. Outside, one could see a thin mist through the windows and the silence of the Diagon Alley that was too vast to take in at one glance. Inside, the room temperature was soothing, warm, and cozy. However, the little girl was nowhere to be seen. There was a suitcase placed neatly by the bed, and other than the fire in the hearth, it was the only thing that looked alive in this room. Inside the suitcase, another fire was blazing hot in an even vaster hearth on one side of the giant hall. Near the hearth, Cersei and Kai were seated on one side of a small table. Cersei was wearing a green gown, and a fur cloak, and her hair were falling over her shoulders with royal majesty. She was nearer to the fire, and at Kai''s right. On the table, a chessboard was propped open, white and black pieces fuming hot breath out of their nostrils. Opposite Kai, wearing a red-green doublet and beige breeches, was Petyr. All had a glass of wine in their hands, savoring the taste of this odd silence. It didn''t look any impressive. But the sight of the table at Kai''s left was anything but ordinary. The long table was sodden with books and books from one corner to the other. At some places, the books were piled up so high that one couldn''t even fathom how many books were there. Some books were singing songs. Some were chatting with each other. Some were skidding, trying to run off the table, pursuing solitude. Cersei took her eyes off the books and her gaze landed on Kai''s face. When she sipped this time, it tasted sweeter than before. Kai drummed his fingers on the chair''s arms, his mind thinking of the next move and processing the knowledge he had gained in the last two weeks simultaneously. Life in December was somber in the Diagon''s Alley. Endless cold, gloomy travelers, and stale business. Not something a little girl could have coped with. But Darcie had grown wings in these last two weeks, her heartstrings nudged by Kai, gaining more and more power over her day after day. The resistance he felt while scribbling in the Journal was still as great as before. But Kai could feel he had gained a significant understanding of the Facelessness during the 2nd Stage. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Nevertheless, there was no breather for someone like Kai. Nor did he need one. On the very night of his return, Darcie had had a dream. The hisses of the silvery-white snake had returned. By then, Darcie had already linked this serpent to a leftover projection of an ancient Malfoy ancestor''s Patronus. So when she dreamed of it hissing out two topics, Darcie believed it was Patronus'' way to guide her on the path of Greatness. Those two topics were - Herpo the Foul and Ancient Magical Script. No wonder, of all the books piled on the table, around a third were on ancient wizards, especially containing records of the era around Herpo the Foul. On Ancient Magical Script, Darcie had found nothing, however. Not even an off-handed remark in front of her Bookstore''s manager had brought out any favorable response. Mr. Hillam had never even heard of these three words. So Darcie had done something which she had been stalling for a long time. A visit to Oxfordshire, where the Greengrass Manor was. Collecting books on magical runes, scripts, and old texts wasn''t a problem. Not when Darcie was a Page at an Assistant Occupation in the bookshop, Flourish and Blotts. She had already learned the names of all the books in the bookshop, except the ones that were locked behind a black door on the first floor over the backside of the shop. But Darcie had learned a language, magical or not, contained many secrets within it. For that, she must have a collection of such books from the muggle world as well. So she and Daphne, using Greengrasses'' contacts, had visited the Oxford library, and had gone through several books on ancient languages, symbols, hieroglyphs, bone texts and manuscripts, and whatnot. After returning to the Diagon Alley, Darcie had ordered all those books for her library in the suitcase. The next two weeks had passed by so fast that almost no one saw the little girl roaming outside in the Diagon Alley for more than an hour. On the chessboard, the black queen came alive, the lean, wooden column transfiguring into an enchanting, curvy waist. As she slid diagonally, a hand separated off the wood, wielding a sword. And when she roared, all the remaining black pawns kneeled. "Winterfell!!!" Then she chopped off the head of one of the white rooks, which had taken the shape of a white elephant. Hiss! Selene slithered up on Kai''s chair and came to rest around his shoulders, her head leaning on his chest as though it was her throne. She bobbed her head towards Petyr and Cersei, then flicked out her forked tongue to kiss Kai''s chin. -Go to sleep,- Kai hissed, fire crackling behind his voice in tandem. In the next moment, she diffused in her mist form and entered Kai''s body, hissing back something in his ear that made him chuckle. Kai looked at Cersei and smiled. "She''s saying you look beautiful today." Cersei frowned. They all knew that for Selene, beautiful almost meant delicious. She sipped the wine, and under her breath scoffed, "Animal!" "Sigh!" Petyr shook his head and leaned back in his chair. "All we know about Herpo the Foul after all this time is that he was an Ancient Greek Dark Wizard," he said, smiling. "Inventor of Horcruxes and the first to create a Basilisk. "He was a Parselmouth, too, my lord. A common subject between you and him. It isn''t mentioned outrightly, but as you observed, there are significant chances of him being a pioneer and a brilliant scholar in the field related to Soul and its applications." Cersei chuckled, a sneer dancing across her lips. "Good, Petyr," she jested. "The next time we need someone to summarize something, we will call you. Heh!" Kai kept drumming his fingers on the wood, his hazel pupils calm and hard. Cersei observed Kai from the corner of her eyes and put down the wineglass. "What powers he had is of no concern to us," she added. "The question is, was Herpo the Foul the same ancient wizard mentioned in the books everywhere, who had assisted James in writing Daemonologie, In Forme of a Dialogue? "Because if he was, then his achievements and capabilities, mentioned in these books on the table, aren''t even a tenth of what he was truly capable of. There is no doubt in the Harry Potter Random World, and based on the content of the the Daemonologie, this Dark Wizard surpasses all. "Even Voldemort seems nothing compared to this wizard. Add the fact that he knew how to call upon Death, and¡­ Humph!" Kai looked down at his right forearm. He could feel the impression of ten long fingers there. The mark of Death! The drumming of fingers still hadn''t stopped. Petyr gulped down the wine and smiled. "Everything you said is true, my lady," he said slyly, his eyes shining with mockery. "Sorry. Let me amend it. Almost everything, except one thing." "Let''s hear it then," Cersei demanded. Petyr chuckled. "Why Was, and not Is?" The drumming stopped. Kai looked up and regarded Petyr with an odd gaze. He couldn''t help but remind himself of the sheer, cunning, and brilliant mind of this Character. "What do you mean?" Cersei asked, confused. Kai took a deep breath and looked at her. "Petyr is suggesting," he mumbled, his eyes narrowing, "that Herpo the Foul, the legendary dark wizard and an overlord in magical attainment of his times¡­ ¡­ is still alive." "What?!" 0299 Herpo the Foul (II) Cersei sat up straight, her eyes widening to the fullest extent. "Have you gone mad, Petyr?!" Kai lifted his hand, making Cersei hold back her tongue. "I share his worries," he continued, "and my worries are not baseless. Petyr?" Littlefinger nodded. "First, as told to us by my lady, Meg," he said, leaning forward, "there is no mention of Herpo the Foul in the main storyline. "That means, if he is alive, then he has hidden himself well behind the curtains, to the point that not even Voldemort or Dumbledore could see a hint of him before their eventual death. "Second, we don''t know how many Horcruxes he had created. "Voldemort proclaimed in the main storyline that he was the only one who had trodden the furthest on this path. But that''s only valid in the absence of Herpo the Foul. "This ancient wizard is the creator of this Dark Magic, and if he''s alive, has lived for over 2000 years. The possibilities, dangers, and risks related to him are endless." At the mention of Meg, Kai frowned. His slave had brought no good news to him, Kai remembered. Somehow, Contestant Aphrodite had found out her Code Name and had become her Sponsor. Meg had told him that the Temple of Hastur would never divulge this info, despite her being an ex-priestess. The testament to her claim was the fact that other than Aphrodite, none of Kai''s remaining 4 Sponsors had contacted her. An even bigger matter of worry was that Kai was almost certain that Aphrodite contacting Meg was a result of divergence because of D-Mail. Originally, Kai had contacted Aphrodite first. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. But, after using D-Mail, he didn''t contact her until much later. Perhaps, in between the use of D-Mail and him contacting Aphrodite after seeing Rengoku''s Bankai, she just decided to contact Item-M? There was no way Kai could solidify his doubts, though. Cersei fell into a deep silence after hearing Petyr''s reasons and Kai''s acceptance of his words. "So," she said after some time, "this search the book ¡ª Daemonologie, In Forme of a Dialogue, is a trap." "It''s plausible," Kai nodded. "But the Inheritance is real, as confirmed by Shadow Origin''s answer." A silence fell over them, then. Cersei stood up, seeing the empty glass in Kai''s hand. She picked up the jar of wine and refilled his cup. Petyr swished his empty cup at her. He and his cup, she ignored. Cersei''s graceful figure and slender legs cast a thin shadow on Kai as she retook her seat by his side. "I don''t understand," she said, looking at Kai. "What''s the relation between Eon Soul Dew, the question you asked to Shadow Origin, and Herpo the Foul''s soul attainments?" "I had a mind to ask the same question myself, my lord," Petyr remarked. Kai smiled at her. "Well," he intoned, "without the Philosopher''s Stone in our hands, the answer to your question is meaningless. There is a second even more important reason. But I haven''t decided about it yet." "Before entering Hogwarts, it will be too hard to get the Philosopher''s Stone, no?" Cersei asked. "It will be," Petyr barked, pouring wine for himself. "However, need I remind you something, my lady? The Magical World of Harry Potter¡­ "¡­ isn''t the only Random World with the concept of the Philosopher''s Stones." Cersei paused, her gaze astonished. Kai gulped down the entire cup in one go. Yes. Ever since he had learned that he could mend his corrupted soul using the Philosopher''s Stone, Kai had been thinking a way to get his hands on it. With the limitations of Harry Potter Timeline, and having the privilege of being a Contestant, it was natural for him to not constraint himself to one Random World, and look elsewhere. "You lost, my lord," Petyr suddenly said, smiling, bringing his white knight out. "So what are your plans, my lord?" Cersei asked, ignoring Petyr. "Hmm, there is a feast at home on Christmas Eve," Kai said, smiling, the fingers resuming the drumming on the wood. "I think it is time to plant a traitor in the enemy camp. It is never too early to prepare for the unseen future. Hehe!" As Kai''s encrypted words rang in Petyr and Cersei''s ears, a black pawn laughed demonically, taking out a wooden dagger from its wooden body. It moved according to Kai''s intention and positioned itself far away from Petyr''s knight. However, with this pawn''s movement, the entire game changed, all formations of the white toppling themselves. Petyr looked at his white pieces, and then at the black pawn, and a hideous frown appeared on his face. One moment he had been winning. In another, he had already lost everything. 0300 Christmas Eve - Malfoys business proposal Christmas Eve, 24 December 1986 Malfoy Manor The gloomy darkness of the ancient manor was nowhere to be seen. Through the windows, one could see brilliant star-like many colored lights. The very air danced across the manor''s corridors with the fragrance of roasted turkeys in its bosom. Sweets, snacks, and drinks were lying on the long table in the Great Hall, the children coming and running away around it now and then. The feast of Christmas Eve was nowhere as grand as other parties and balls held at the manor during major occasions. It had always remained more of a semi-private affair for the Malfoys. As per traditions, the Malfoys did invite some close friends and their families for the feast. But, until this year, such invitations had always remained limited to the closest associates of the head of the family, Mr. Lucius Malfoy. Today, however, some fresh faces didn''t seem overly enthusiastic about their presence in the manor. Mr. Hillam, the manager of the bookshop, Flourish and Blotts, was drinking a rather large glass of Butterbeer in a corner, trying to hide behind a tap-dancing Christmas tree. Not far away from him, Madam Villanelle (-Darcie''s mentor-) and Ms. Crispe (-the owner of Brews and Stews hotel/restaurant-) were giving company to each other as they eyed the hustle and bustle about the other richly dressed guests. This wasn''t a crowd suited to them. Nor were they here for it. Darcie had invited all of them, and the older generation had been kind enough to not reject the little girl''s first invitation. Suddenly, a crack-like pop echoed outside the Great Hall. Madam Villanelle''s eyes lit up as she saw the person entering the Hall, dressed formerly, but plain. "Minister!" Lucius was the first one to show his sneer and joy. He hopped towards the lady with his stick in his hand and the pride hanging on his lips. "We have been waiting for you." "Governor." Ms. Bagnold smiled and nodded. Lucius Malfoy had been appointed a seat in the Hogwarts'' Board of Governors only a few months back. And the man hadn''t let go of any chance to remind all of it on all occasions, small or grand. A brilliant, victorious smile flashed across Lucius'' face. "Please," he gestured, welcoming the minister into the Hall. "Have a drink or two. We will start with supper soon." "That will be good, Lucius," Ms. Bagnold thanked, patting her plain green dress and the brown shawl over it. "I need to go back to the ministry right away after this." Lucius, though arrogant and selfishly proud, needn''t be reminded of the fact that the minister was here at Darcie''s request. So what? He inwardly sneered, perhaps. Wasn''t Darcie a Malfoy as well? Heh! Soon the guests and hosts had found themselves a seat on the long table. Lucius, keeping the minister and other guests in mind, had cunningly given up on seating at the place of the head, and had instead taken the seat with Narcissa on one side of the table. Speaking of the guests, there were only a few. There was Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass, as their daughter was a close friend of Darcie. Then there were Mr. and Mrs. Crabbe and Mr. and Mrs. Goyle as well, the boys from these families being playmates of Draco. All these were seated on one side of the table, with Lucius and Narcissa in the middle. On the other side were the Minister, Ms. Bagnold, Madam Villanelle to her left, and Darcie to her right. Daphne and Astoria were at Darcie''s right, followed by Mr. Hillam and Ms. Crispe. Draco and two other boys were at the far left of Madam Villanelle, already eying the fat roasted turkeys hungrily. Music took it to the air, and fairies danced. Over a snowy trail in midair, tiny reindeer pulled a shiny sleigh. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. A fat, little Santa showered candies and gifts on children''s heads, and Daphne had to pull Astoria down several times from making a scene. The minister and Madam Villanelle shared a smile at the sight. "Let us begin if it pleases you, minister," Narcissa said, beaming. "Of course." The sound of slurps and chuckles overtook everything in a matter of seconds. And whatever tension persistently remained between the grownups on the two sides of the table got bridged by the splendid dinner. The group from the Diagon''s Alley shared customary remarks, while the Crabbe and Goyle couple kept sending a meaningful look at Lucius, the minister, and Darcie. The Greengrasses kept their laughs to themselves, other than Astoria, who had already left the seat, chasing the deers and fairies. "So," Ms. Bagnold whispered, sipping wine, "how are your studies going, young lady?" Darcie looked at Madam Villanelle and then leaned toward the minister. "Boring." Daphne almost smiled, and Ms. Bagnold laughed merrily. "Well," she took another sip, "this news is worthy of the Daily Prophet''s front page." "Milli?" Ms. Bagnold eyed Darcie as the little girl called her meaningfully. "Oh!" she exclaimed, recalling the letter she had received this evening. "Yeah, I can manage a few minutes after supper. No problem." Darcie looked pleased enough. "OK, I will bring them to the Meeting Room, then." None heard the conversation between Darcie and the minister, other than Daphne. But then again, there were scarcely any secrets between the two girls, to begin with. When the feast was done, Narcissa took away the three couples to the lawn outside, where a bonfire was roaring hot. Lucius, Ms. Bagnold, Darcie, Daphne, Madam Villanelle, Mr. Hillam, and Ms. Crispe gathered in the meeting room on the ground floor. "A Chess Tournament?!" Ms. Bagnold repeated the suggestion. Darcie nodded. "Consider the current situation of the Diagon Alley," she explained calmly, her sweet voice hammering against the crackling of the fire in the hearth. "It is one of its kind in Britain, and yet, the business remains under expectations from early-December to late January." The little girl had struck a sore point for many adults with only her few sentences. The Ministry of Magic imposed heavy taxes on all the shops and businesses of Diagon Alley, while the owners had to pay fixed rents for the shops and the Extension Charm cast within the shops and restaurants. Magical or Muggle, this side of the business remained the same in both worlds; ugly and inflexible. "I think the solution to this problem lies in holding a country-level event," Darcie continued, nodding to Daphne (-she took out sheaves of parchments and distributed them to all-). "By giving sizable rewards, we can attract youths under the age of 11 easily. "Let us not forget that this is the time of the Christmas Holidays. So, if lucrative enough, catching the attention of participants above 11 will not be an arduous task. "Meanwhile, the various shops can use the tournament as well, by putting winter discounts over their products, turning the entire affair into a New Year Fair." This girl! Ms. Bagnold eyed Darcie with a complex gaze, her fingers pressing hard on the parchment in her hands. The Minister shared an unseen glance with Madam Villanelle after reading the content. On her side, both Mr. Hillam and Ms. Crispe''s faces were glued to the parchments, their hands trembling and their eyes shining with distinct brightness. "100 Galleons and 50% discount on all books for the winner''s School Curriculum¡­ and this is just for under 11," Mr. Hillam mumbled, not outrightly sharing his difficulty. It was all nothing but an idea. There was no way the girls alone could have come up with every nook and cranny related to this subject. Once Lucius Malfoy had come to know of this suggestion in morning, he formed a preliminary business plan in to time. "Haha!" Lucius tapped his stick on the floor. "Malfoys will be honored to sponsor the winning candidates, and in case of losses, I will take responsibility for Darcie''s place this time." Not only Mr. Hillam, but Ms. Bagnold and Madam Villanelle eyes lit up at Lucius'' proclamation. All looked at the minister, because Lucius'' words, though magnanimous, were meant for the ministry. None could deny the sheer profits that would arise from this New Year Fair would be tremendous. The prospect was just too grand for it to be not considered. "It''s not like it has never been thought of before," Ms. Bagnold shared, leaning back on the sofa. "But¡­" Darcie knew why this would work. "I referred to the past attempts, Mil¡­ I mean Ms. Bagnold," she added, blushing. "However, those attempts were too forceful and less open, in my opinion. Change needs to happen gradually. With the help of the ministry, this time there are significant chances for it to work." Madam Villanelle giggled. "How old are you again?" Darcie had the answer ready for this as well. "It''s not my idea entirely," she said, refusing to take the claim. "Most of the credit goes to Daphne for this." Daphne kept quiet as the others looked at her. She didn''t refute Darcie''s statement, because unknown to her, Darcie, and all, even the little Greengrass herself believed the idea of New Year Fair and Tournament was hers. What was the reason for Kai to nudge Darcie to keep Daphne close to her? This was it. A scapegoat. The two girls were odd, brilliant, and had great potential. Perhaps they indeed had come up with this idea together. But whatever the case, it was still better than Darcie holding the entire weight of others'' suspicions and expectant gazes. "I will think about it," Ms. Bagnold said after a few moments. "But I don''t see why we must not try it. Anyway, what would you want in return for your generosity, Lucius?" Lucius guffawed, but nobody was fool enough to trust the laugh of this old Malfoy. "All I am doing is for the children and to see the wizarding community grow as a whole," he said, his pale face adorned with a sneering smile. "If it doesn''t work out, then so be it. However, if it does, then 40% of the profits during the Fair will go to the Malfoys." All adults drew a sharp breath. But none refuted Lucius outright, for the losses in case of this try''s failure would indeed be heavy. After many heated negotiations, the end number came down to 23%. "Very well," Ms. Bagnold said, standing up. "I must discuss it further with other members of the ministry. Hopefully, by the 26th we will have an answer. And Darcie? Daphne? Good. You two better start practicing your hands at the game, then." Everyone shared a laugh over the remark. "We are," Darcie said, looking up at her. "Mr. Ollivander is a superb partner in chess. I''ve learned a lot from him." "Oh?" Ms. Bagnold raised an eyebrow, walking out with others. "What did he teach you?" Darcie looked thoughtful. "Well," she whispered, "I learned it is never too early to prepare for the unseen future." 0301 Diagon Alley Grand Fair and Ollivanders Obsession! Things happened too fast but with extraordinary management after the meeting on Christmas Eve. The ministry of magic appointed Mr. Hillam as the Head Organizer of the supposed New Year Fair by the 25th evening. The manager of Flourish and Blotts was needed to contact the various shops and enterprises within Diagon Alley to prepare a list of those who were willing to participate in the fair. The response was greater and swifter than everyone''s expectations. The entire Diagon Alley seemed to have woken up like an ancient slumbering dragon on the 26th morning. The various owners and managers could be seen roaming around in their shops with a red glint in their eyes. This opportunity was too great to not deal with their dying inventories and lazy business. By the morning of the 27th, the Daily Prophet had already announced it to the entire Britain. Diagon Alley Grand Fair!!! Such was the name they had given to it. It bombastically listed the bumper discounts all the shops would give on their commodities and products during three days, lasting from 31st December to 2nd January. As the Christmas Holidays ended by the 1st week''s end, these 3 days were best suited to provide a breather to the children and parents. Not to mention, the beginning of the fair was an overnight event. All participating shops, events, and restaurants would remain open on New Year''s Eve till 1 am. However, it was still the Chess Tournament that remained the star of the show. Malfoys'' name had been mentioned nowhere upon Darcie''s request to the minister. So the generosity of Mr. Hillam stuck out like a brilliant star in the face of the rewards. There were only two groups, with it all being nothing but a trial in the eyes of the ministry. One group was for Under 11 and the other was for Under 17. The registration fee was only a few sickles. To restrict the number of players, the ministry would make the players go through an elimination round. It would take place from the morning to the afternoon of the first day. All players would be required to solve a set of chess problems, and the time taken by them to solve the problem would be the deciding factor. In the end, only the top 20 players would enter the next round. The chosen chess format was Round Robin. In this, every player would play with every other player in the tournament. A win would award 1 point, a loss 0, and a draw would award half point. The player with the highest count, in the end, would be the winner, snatching first place. It was simple and the easiest to follow. For the U-11 section, the winner at 1st place would get 100 galleons and a discount of 50% on all books of the School''s curriculum for the first 3 years, when applicable in the future. The 2nd place would get 75 galleons and a discount of 33%, while the 3rd place would get 50 galleons and a discount of 10%. It was clear that the discount on the books was the prime heart-grabbing reward of the tournament. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. For the U-17 section, there were similar money rewards, but in their cases, the winners would get their next year''s books for free. To top it off, the ministry had even set up a board to grant ratings to the Chess players based on their performance. They were calling it the Alberta Toothill Young Wizard Chess Tournament in memory of a famous English medieval witch and duelist who, defying all odds, had won the All-England Wizarding Dueling Competition of 1430. The magical community seemed to have erupted like a volcano from this sudden news. It just happened too fast, and yet all became as excited about it as they would have anytime else. Even in the magical world, new things didn''t happen as frequently as one had imagined; especially those that allowed one to earn something extra. Only a few wizarding families were as rich as the Malfoys or came closer. The rest were still ordinary working wizards. Who would let go of such a chance to gain fame, wealth, and experience in one go? And the Grand Fair was already there to make up for the fun part. However, the greatest amount of elation, with a touch of nervousness, remained within the heart of Diagon Alley. The clamor was just too huge, and on a much grander scale, for it to be ignored. * * Monday, 29th December 1986 Flourish and Blotts In the chilly blues of winter evening, a little girl and an old man were seated opposite each other with a table between them. On the table, pieces of magical chess set were standing tall in formations, the white looking in an advantageous position at a glance. Darcie had drawn black pieces. If it was any other day, then by this time she would have returned to the Brews and Stews on the orders of Madam Villanelle. If it was any other evening, the alley outside the main entrance would have been conquered by cold and fog, the crowd vanishing every moment till night. Not today. When Darcie turned her face to look out through the tall windows, the only things she could see were people. Beyond the alley, the hubbub within the restaurant was greater than ever. Brews and Stews was a high-end hotel, to say the least. The moment Daily Prophet published further details about the Grand Fair in the evening issue on 27th, the owls had brought letter after letter booking every single room. The smile on Ms. Crispe''s face had yet to vanish, Darcie recalled. Both Mr. Hillam and Madam Villanelle were out there, managing the preparations of the fair, and acting as the go-betweens between the various shops, who had never contacted each other despite having their office in the same alley. Today, the shop belonged to Darcie, the Page of the bookshop. To accompany her, Mr. Ollivander arrived after both adults'' departure. Since his first visit to the bookshop, the old wandmaker had been coming often to have a round of chess with Darcie in the evenings. They talked little, but both found each other''s company more soothing than the ordinary talks full of nonsensical topics. "You will lose at this rate, young lady," Mr. Ollivander commented, eying the chessboard. "Something seems off about you lately, I am afraid." Garrick Ollivander had a sick fascination related to the powerful wizards. And this fascination crossed all moral boundaries when it came to match a wand with those wizards. It was no hidden fact that he treasured Darcie''s very existence. Her published paper, their first meeting over tea, her magical prowess, and then their subsequent shared remarks had drowned the old man in profound dreams. The only thing that restricted the old wandmaker was Darcie''s persistent request for him to teach her Wandlore. This was her obsession, but the old man had an obsession of his own, no matter how impossible it looked at a glance. Ollivanders'' Wandlore have remained in the family for generations, he would say every time Darcie mentioned it. Perhaps it would be best for it to die with him. However, the old man''s face betrayed him all those times, showing a pained and saddened expression. Couple it with Ollivander''s profound intelligence, and it wasn''t a thing to wonder that he showed an interest in Darcie''s current listlessness. For someone like her to let her mind wander during a game of chess was truly an eye-catching thing. It grabbed Mr. Ollivander''s attention the moment he saw it. Darcie took a deep breath and made her move, her legs swaying like pendulums under her chair. "There''s this topic I learned of recently, Mr. Ollivander," she said, eying her black pieces. "And I am not making any headway related to it." "Oh!" the old wandmaker raised an eyebrow. A topic that could make a young genius like Darcie so lost seemed to have piqued his interest more than it should have ordinarily. "Now that I think about it, you did mention an interest in linguistics, runology, and the philosophy of languages. Is this related to that?" Darcie''s face was as calm as ice, her poisonous green-colored eyes brimming with a child''s innocence and a scholar''s hunger. She nodded. "Haha!" the old man scratched his chin, chuckled, and picked up his remaining bishop to make a move. "Well, honor me with your doubt, then. Let us hear what is this great mystery that troubles you so?" Darcie opened her mouth, and words came roaring out like a clap of thunder. "Ancient Magical Script." The bishop fell out of Garrick Ollivander''s grip, destroying the beauty of the chessboard to the most hideous degree. 0302 Ancient Magical Script Darcie had never expected that these three words would ignite such a reaction in Mr. Ollivander. Who was Garrick Ollivander? None in the magical community could claim to be above him in Wandlore. Even in magical prowess, this old man was not someone to be messed with. If it weren''t for the likes of Dumbledore and the other monstrous existences, Mr. Ollivander would have stood at the top of the magical community. He certainly had the qualifications for it. Not to mention, he was old and alone and minded nothing other than his own business. No wonder people often ignored the grandeur of this legendary wizard and brilliant researcher. For him to tremble at the mention of the mere three words almost disturbed Darcie. "Have I said something wrong, Mr. Ollivander?" Darcie asked innocently, her eyes calm and curious. The old wandmaker came to his senses and hastily ordered the tumbling chess pieces to return to their positions. The pawns cursed the old man and slid back to their squares, the black and white pieces rubbing shoulders, eying each other with great animosity. "Haha!" the wandmaker laughed ruefully. "You must have read it wrong, Darcie," he told her. "There''s no such thing." Darcie regarded the old man with an odd gaze. There weren''t many times when Mr. Ollivander called her by her name. But whenever she brought up her intense desire of learning Wandlore, such times did occur, showing the old man was struggling now as much as in those times. "If it''s a taboo, then I won''t trouble you, Mr. Ollivander," Darcie said, her voice lacking any sadness. She pointed a finger at the chessboard, her eyes narrowed, and in the next moment, the black pieces lost the angry expressions on their faces, returning to their positions. Mr. Ollivander''s eyes widened at this sight. This wasn''t as simple as non-verbal Wandless Magic. Darcie had just tempered with the already infused magic, restructuring it minutely to have her way with it. One should know that it wasn''t a simple task; Mr. Ollivander certainly knew it. These pieces of chess and the very chessboard were given to Darcie for try-out purposes. They were infused with anti-cheat Charms and rules. It was Darcie''s job to find out the loopholes within those rules, if possible. No one in their dreams would have thought she could manipulate the already laid Charms. However small the trick she had showcased, it was too stupendous to ignore. The greater the achievements of a wizard, the better one would understand what had just happened. Coincidently, there was such a wizard sitting in front of her. Mr. Ollivander stupidly looked up at Darcie''s face and saw no hint of pride or arrogance in her eyes. His lips became dry. The old wandmaker sighed profoundly. "Where did you hear of it, young lady?" he asked gently. Darcie showed surprise at hearing Mr. Ollivander ask this question. Never had the old man brought up a dropped request again by himself. Would she dare lie to this wizard? She hadn''t forgotten what Madam Villanelle had told her about him. Mr. Ollivander is one of the greatest Occlumens, her mentor had whispered. And, more often than not, all skilled Occlumens have some mastery over Legilimency as well. If you ever encounter a warning from your magic in his presence, create a disturbance and use the whistle. Madam Villanelle hadn''t doubted Mr. Ollivander''s intentions. But Darcie was a little girl, after all. A genius she might be, however, in the ways of the world, she was inexperienced. Not to mention, unknown to Darcie, Madam Villanelle had been directed to protect and cherish this young Malfoy by the minister. The mysterious witch could afford no chance, no matter how small when it came to Darcie. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Father recalled these words when he found me deciphering old bone texts," she lied anyway, leaving it to luck and the old man''s moral integrity. "When I asked him more about them, he told me he had heard it from my great-grandfather." "Septimus II Malfoy¡­" Mr. Ollivander mumbled to himself. He smacked his lips, his eyes going through an intense struggle. Then he sighed once more. Under the confused gaze of Darcie, the old man stood up, went to the main entrance, and looked out through the windows. Every inch of his mannerism showcased as if a thief was about to carry out the most ridiculous robbery, or as if a spy was about to reveal the greatest military secret. When Mr. Ollivander returned to his chair, he seemed to be in a great hurry. "It''s not like these words are a taboo," he whispered, the very silence in the bookshop becoming magical around them. "However, these words are indeed best not to utter out carelessly." Darcie neither urged Mr. Ollivander to tell her nor did she hide the rosy color on her cheeks. Her mere presence in front of this wizard demanded an answer. "Even the greatest of wizards have forgotten about these words, to tell you the truth," he continued. "If it weren''t for the Ollivander family''s glorious history, even I would have lived twice my age without coming across them. "Let me ask you, young lady, how does one go about defining Magic?" Darcie remembered the words. "Magic is the supernatural force that lets wizards and witches change the aspects of the world at the fundamental levels." "Excellent!" Mr. Ollivander praised, losing himself in the conversation in seconds. "May I ask what are these aspects?" Darcie knew this answer, too. "Laws." "Brilliant!" the old man nodded, his face leaving over the chessboard, his voice becoming faint and hushed. "And what are Laws?" Darcie was about to give a bookish definition, but Mr. Ollivander didn''t wait for her answer. "Laws are projections of certain conditions in whose presence a particular natural or scientific phenomenon will always occur. "For example¡­" Mr. Ollivander put his finger against a white pawn, who tingled at the contact, and then he slid it diagonally. "¡­ When I pushed the pawn, it brought about changes in the pawn''s state in a particular direction. This change depended upon the pawn''s mass and the force that I applied to it." Darcie nodded. "I think I read it before," she said, looking thoughtful. "Isn''t it Newton''s 2nd Law? Force equals mass times acceleration." "Exactly." Mr. Ollivander shuddered in excitement. Gone were his hesitations and doubts. Gone was his struggle. A genius witch was sitting opposite him, and the topic had already enchanted their minds. The old man hastily got up and brought back a sheaf of parchment, a quill, and an inkpot. Darcie put the chessboard off the table. Mr. Ollivander dipped the quill in the inkpot and then scribbled a few words on the parchment. F = m*a "This¡­ is Law," the old wandmaker emphasized. And then he said solemnly, "Remember, only Laws can influence Laws, no matter natural or supernatural." He then passed the quill to Darcie, who grabbed it with a puzzled face. "What should I write, Mr. Ollivander?" The old wizard licked his lips. "Write the Supernatural Law that can change the aspect of this Natural Law, making the pawn move in the same way as before, but¡­ using magic." This?! Darcie looked thunderstruck. Her hand, grabbing the quill, trembled, and her eyes widened as she stared at the three letters, hiding a supreme force behind them. Mr. Ollivander took back the quill from Darcie''s fingers. "One can''t even think of expressing the Supernatural Law of Magic and how it influences Natural Laws using ordinary scripts and symbols," he said, underlining the three English letters. "I hope you have realized what we are discussing here." Darcie couldn''t take her eyes off the simple-looking formula. The old wizard didn''t show mercy, either. "There has never been a way to put Magic onto paper, young lady. At least not one that is known to wizardkind," he whispered, his voice becoming hoarse. "But it hadn''t always been so in remote antiquity." Once again, Mr. Ollivander looked at the main entrance, his eyes glued on the bell that would announce someone''s coming the moment the doors were to open. "There was this one script that allowed one to bring magic down on the paper," he said brokenly. "Charms, Jinxes, Hexes, Curses, and every magical intention are a part of the Supernatural Law called Magic. "Ancient Magical Script was the script that could give precise shape, meaning, and form to these spells. "But¡­" The old man looked incredibly pale. "¡­ but the opposite is true as well." "¡­ Opposite?" The word escaped Darcie''s mouth by itself. Mr. Ollivander took a deep breath. "Generations and millennia have passed, becoming ashes and dust, thinking about the Origin of Magic," he said, gulping. "Some say¡­ the first of their kind had used Ancient Magical Script to learn Magic in the first place!" "¡­?!!" Darcie''s eyelids fluttered in deep contemplation. Then why no one discussed or remembered it? Darcie was little but too brilliant to not understand this question. The ancient wizardkind had always called themselves the Great Pure Blood who could use Magic, making it some kind of splendorous fact. What would all say if they were to find out that Magic was nothing but a person projecting a script into reality? And if it was a script, then there must be someone who wrote it initially. It was Blasphemy against the supposed Origins of Magic at its core! No wonder the three words were lost in history, to where none remembered it. Now, Darcie even believed that they weren''t merely lost, but had been erased from existence. "But even history couldn''t erase the Script entirely," Mr. Ollivander said, jolting Darcie out of her reverie. "Ancient Magical Script had many forms, depending on the users and the magic involved. "One such form survived those times, persisting its way through the supposed deliberate attempts to bury it. "However, even its persistence couldn''t help it from becoming an obscured, hidden, and feared art, leaving its ancient users to pass it down only one way; Orally. "This art got distorted to the point that it almost became¡­ a bloodline trait." "What is it?" Darcie demanded, magic churning around with great rhythms. She would have the truth out of Mr. Ollivander. Even her childish cheeks seemed to roar in red curiosity. Mr. Ollivander opened his mouth. "It''s¡­" Ding-Dong-Ding!!! The doors got thrown open, and the bells over them chimed furiously. 0303 The Witch that annoyed Darcie! Mystifying waves of this stupendous revelation about the Ancient Magical Script were blasting the walls of Darcie''s little but vigorous heart. A customer at this time was truly an exceptional moment of a hideous eyesore. Nonetheless, she was in charge of the bookshop in her employer''s stead today, and the job must be carried out with uncanny professionalism. Toad! It was indeed the word that rang in Darcie''s mind that moment she saw her. Garbed in all pink, a short, squat witch, resembling a large toad, was standing in front of the shop, her face plastered with a toad-like smile. The witch had a broad, flabby face, a wide, slack mouth, and a little neck. Her eyes were bulging and pouchy, and in her mousy brown hair, there was a black velvet bow. Darcie observed the bow, and it made her reevaluate her first impression. A fly on a pink toad! Darcie recognized her at a glance. She was an avid reader of the Daily Prophet, and it was too hard to not remember a face who seemed to have tried laboriously to not let the people forget it. Dolores Umbridge, the Head of Improper Use of Magic Office. As Darcie looked at her, the witch, wearing a pink coat and skirt, was looking back at her. The young Malfoy noticed the flicker of Umbridge''s eyebrows, the flutter of her pupils, the scorn behind her toad-like smile, and the disgust, added with a touch of fear, on her face. Darcie was too familiar with these looks. If not all, then many adult wizards and witches looked at her so, thinking of her as the spoiled daughter of Malfoys and the rumored blood of the Dark Lord. Even then, Darcie couldn''t help but notice that the look which Umbridge gave her bordered hate and repulsion. It was almost as though even if there weren''t rumors about her background, Dolores would have still hated her as much. However, even this realization failed to prevent Darcie from acting calm and noble, as desired by her profession and status. "Good evening, Ms. Umbridge," Darcie greeted, giving a curtsy. The older witch had already welcomed herself in, her steps small and hopping. Mr. Ollivander stood up too, his face pale and white. How much did she hear? He thought. "You are Lucius'' daughter, aren''t you?" Dolores remarked, her voice high-pitched and quite girlish. "Where are Mr. Pigplanter Hillam and Madam Villanelle? And what might you be doing here, Mr. Ollivander?" "Mr. Hillam and Madam Villanelle both are out, managing the coordination between the various shops for the Grand Fair," Darcie answered, looking up at the bureaucrat. "Mr. Ollivander was kind enough to¡­" "Hem-Hem!" Umbridge interrupted Darcie''s explanation by clearing her throat. It felt like a toad was croaking somewhere far without rain. "Are you Mr. Ollivander, little girl? I think not. Then why are you answering for him? "And did I hear it right? Both the key staff of the bookshop are out, leaving the shop in your hands. That is a clear infringement of statutory codes. I must report it." Eh?! Darcie and the old Wandmaker had confused expressions on their faces. "No, Ms. Umbridge¡­" Darcie tried to clarify. "Tut-Tut!" Dolores tsked. "Talking back to a senior bureaucrat in the matter of laws¡­ Lucius didn''t seem to have taught you enough. It''s OK. Now that I am here, I will educate you in his place properly. Dotting parents don''t realize the importance of straightening out their naughty children at the right age, right?" Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Darcie shut her mouth and observed the witch with a stunned look on her face. How could someone be so unreasonable? Even more perplexing thought was why was Dolores Umbridge acting so against her. If it was any other child in Darcie''s place, then they would have lost their composure. But Darcie had tolerated worse insinuations and survived even worse whispers. Her calmness, even for her age, was a symbol of her nobility and composed personality. Rational thoughts bubbled up in her mind on their own now. Father is a Governor of Hogwarts, Darcie analyzed. However, in the upper circle, all know that he has no goodwill toward muggle-loving Professor Dumbledore. Not to mention, we are a Pure Blood Supremacist family. From what I have read in the Daily Prophet, Ms. Umbridge shouldn''t be acting so in front of a Malfoy. She has ill intentions, but I am not the ultimate target. I am just a medium. Then¡­ Darcie nodded inwardly. If she wasn''t wrong, then both she and the old man had fallen prey to the internal politics of ministry. Mr. Ollivander stepped up, now gaining color as he realized the matter of their discussion hadn''t reached this witch''s ears. "Well, considering the situation," he began, but then got interrupted again. "Oh, no, no, no, no," Dolores shook her head, beaming. "Before the closing of the shop at the proper time, at least one staff member must be present to receive a customer. Especially in a shop that sells wands. Your presence here demands an inquiry, Mr. Ollivander." The old Wandmaker''s face grew hard now. "I remember all the wands sold by me, Ms. Umbridge," he whispered. "Ah! Birch and Dragon Heartstring. 8 inches. An abnormally short wand, am I right? "The short length of a wand doesn''t necessarily reflect the physique of the wielder, let me clarify. Rather, these wands usually select those with stunted moral character." "What did you say?!" Dolores squeaked, her chin pointed up. But Mr. Ollivander had already passed her, his back slightly hunched, and his steps heavy. When he was about to walk out of the bookshop, he paused and looked over his shoulder, his gaze landing on Darcie. "Do you know what Salazar Slytherin was famous for?" he asked Darcie. Before Umbridge could turn around and look at the asker of this sudden, strange question, Mr. Ollivander winked at Darcie walked. It didn''t seem like he feared any inquiry whatsoever. Darcie frowned. Forgetting the customer for a moment, her mind raced about all the things she had learned about one of the four great wizards. Anyone else in her place would have needed some time. But, coupled with conversation they had been having, and where they were forced to leave it off, Darcie decoded the answer in a moment. However, even its persistence couldn''t help it from becoming an obscured, hidden, and feared art, leaving its ancient users to pass it down only one way; Orally. This art got distorted to the point that it almost became¡­ a bloodline trait. And Salazar Slytherin was a¡­ Parseltongue! The word exploded in Darcie''s mind. "Hmm-Hmm!" Dolores Umbridge cleared her throat, narrowing her eyes at Darcie. The young Malfoy forced herself to calm down. "May I ask which book you would like to buy, Ms. Umbridge?" "I am not here to buy any book," Umbridge said, looking around for anything out of the rules. "The ministry has seen me worthy to take the position of Head of this Chess Tournament." Darcie''s mind jolted at this declaration. Neither the minister nor Madam Villanelle had mentioned anything related to Ms. Umbridge until now. It wouldn''t be a surprise if she had been allocated this position only hours earlier, Darcie reflected. "A worthy choice indeed, Ms. Umbridge," Darcie said, shocking the older witch. "I''ve been following your outstanding work through the Daily Prophet. It''s truly worth praising." Dolores Umbridge looked too stunned to utter a single word. Suddenly, her toad-like figure swayed, and she smiled. "I am very much looking forward to getting to know you, then. And I''m sure we''ll be wonderful friends! Now tell me, where will I find your superiors? I must let them know about my arrival and their infringements." Darcie politely let the older witch know where Mr. Hillam and Madam Villanelle might be in Diagon Alley. "Good." Dolores croaked. "Until I return with them, you are forbidden to leave the premises." Darcie ignored the obvious threat hidden behind the word ¡ª forbidden. She followed the older witch out and found Daphne coming towards her from the Brews and Stews. She would stay with her in her room until the end of the Grand Fair. However, the crowd between them prevented Dolores from encountering the little Greengrass. Daphne came to a stop by Darcie''s side at the entrance, and followed her gaze, her eyes landing on the broad pink back of a short witch. "Who was that?" Darcie said nothing. Her eyes were set dead on Dolores, and with every breath, her pupils kept narrowing in her direction almost as though she feared she would lose Umbridge''s sight in the next moment. Daphne realized something was wrong, and she looked at Darcie. Her head turned from her friend to the vanishing witch, and then back at Darcie. "Darcie! Don''t!" Daphne cried. Too late. "Aaa-choo!" Dolores sneezed. She took out a pink handkerchief and tapped it on her nose. "Aaa-choo! Cough! Aaaa-chooo!" The crowd laughed notoriously at Dolores, seeing her suffering from the constant barrage of sneezes and her nose gaining a moist red color. "Who hexed me?!" Dolores croaked. "I am the Head of the Improper Use of Magic Office! Who dared to¡­ Aaa-chooo! I''ll have¡­ Aaaaa-chooo!!!" "Sternius¡­ Sneezing hex¡­" Daphne wondered aloud. Darcie broke her eye contact. She grabbed Daphne''s hand and walked back inside the bookshop. Even when the discourse with Umbridge had left her vexed, Darcie Malfoy seemed too composed to show her annoyance. 0304 Grand Fair and the Chess Tournament! (I) Wednesday, 31st January 1986 Diagon Alley From Leaky Cauldron to the end of Diagon Alley, from Carkitt Market and Horizont Alley to Knockturn Alley, thousands of wizards and witches could be seen, buzzing like bees. People had come from all over Britain, and the very morning of the Grand Fair had already surpassed both the ministry and the other organizers'' expectations. It seemed they had truly underestimated the craving of ordinary wizardkind for something like this. Owls were soaring overhead, accompanied by paper dragons and birds, bringing letters from one shop to another. Children were awing, mooning, and drooling everywhere, seeing one wonderful and mysterious thing after another. Custom broomsticks were on display, special objects of all kinds were being sold and bartered, sparks were exploding here and there, and the very air smelled of magic. A few wizards could be heard talking among themselves this time, if one cared enough to listen. "The only time I ever saw so many people was during the World Cup¡­" "Aye¡­ Blimey! Get away you rascal¡­" "What is this sticky substance?" "Did you hear? Someone is auctioning an Invisibility Cloak¡­" A clamor was everywhere and hushed discussion ran rampant like never before in the Alley. However, even among these discussions, few were almost inaudible; afraid, and alert. These few belonged to a different kind of people; from an unknown world. ¡­ "Damn! This timeline is too different, man¡­" "All the Mission Credits we used to buy some info are now gone down the drain¡­" "You don''t understand. Whichever timeline has Characters, who are not part of the main storyline, cause major divergences. We were just too unlucky to get teleported here¡­" "Darcie Malfoy! This girl is something, no? It is almost like those mysterious transmigration and rebirth tales. Don''t you think she is just too outstanding?" "What do you know? It does sound unbelievable, but it''s still possible. I heard she had some kind of accident on her birthday. God knows what kind of freak accidents can happen in the world of Magic¡­" "Heavenly Sage, weren''t you a world-renowned Doctor in your previous life? What do you think?" "My name is Earthly Sage! You fuck¡­ Sigh! Anyway, it could be a rare case of Savant Syndrome. But Magic is involved, so who knows?" "I went to Flourish and Blotts some days ago¡­" "You did? Did you meet her? Was there any senior protecting her?" "¡­" This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Speak bastard! Why bring it up if you meant to go mute?" "Scary! She was too scary, man¡­ I couldn''t breathe in her presence." "That powerful?! She''s just what? 6-year-old?" "I felt like she could look into my soul¡­ I ran out after having one look at her¡­" "Good." An old man, who had said nothing so far, finally barked. "So what if you have ascended to the 2nd Set? You all are still newbies. Worms. Our Sect Leader is from the 12th floor. I never met him, but there''s a great quote from him engraved in all the disciples'' hearts." "Please guide us¡­" "Yes¡­" The old man sighed. "All storyline Characters have a stupendous amount of Luck. The moment Contestants like us were to think of harming them, a series of terrible events would happen to us. So don''t mess with them, unless the Order has given a mission related to a Character specifically." The group of Contestants looked at each other, their pupils trembling. Another group of Contestants was also having a similar discussion at some corner. ¡­ "This Grand Fair is truly great for us Contestants. We can get many unique Milestones and Titles¡­" "I am going to register for the Chess Tournament in U17 group¡­ " "Squandering money for that?! Gone insane, are you?!" "Tch-Tch! You don''t understand. Children from British Wizardkind will be there. It''s CHESS¡­ Doesn''t that ring a bell in your goat-like ears?" "This?!" A family name boiled in their mind. "They will come then? Let''s go¡­ Interacting with all of them according to the Lord''s guidance gives super, unique Titles¡­" ¡­ Flourish and Blotts was the center of the world today. Parents and children were going in and out, carrying a slip in their hands. The players had started to come by 5 in the morning, even the winter''s great chill failing to hide the enthusiasm on their faces. The ministry had arranged a great number of staff members for the knockout round, which would last till the afternoon. There were so many people that it became too hard to monitor one person before losing them the next moment. In this great hubbub, Darcie, Daphne, and Dobby were eating cupcakes, eying the distant entrance of the bookshop from afar. To maintain the impartiality of the Tournament, Darcie had been relieved of her Page duties for the next three days. Both she and Daphne had already gone through their Chess problems and were quite confident in becoming two of the ultimate 20 players. "Did Astoria come?" Darcie asked, taking another cupcake off Dobby''s hands. Daphne pressed her brows, remembering the commotion her little sister had caused this morning. She nodded. "She is with mum," Daphne told her. "They have gone to the bookshop to let her have a go at the problem." The trio was standing near the Florist Witch by the entrance to the Horizont Alley. Both girls were buried under rich clothes, their hair falling down their shoulders like silken threads. Over their heads were woolen hats, and their hands were gloved and warm. And it was Dobby''s responsibility to look after the girls for the next three days. Dobby clenched his tiny hands into a fist and punched at the sky, imagining an enemy. Darcie observed her house-elf and raised an eyebrow as she saw this inexplicable scene. "Dobby, would you like to participate in the Tournament?" she asked. His eyes became misty as Dobby''s entire figure shook. "Dobby¡­" he choked, rubbing his eyes. "Dobby doesn''t know how to play, Ms. Darcie." Daphne scowled. "Rubbish!" she reprimanded. "We tried to teach you so many times. You never show interest. Don''t hide behind tears." With the time these three had been spending with each other, it wasn''t a surprise for them to become closer than friends. One girl belonged to a family whose history could be summed up with one word ¡ª Shady. She was a genius not seen even in a hundred years. People feared her as much as they loathed her because of the rumors about her. Those who were too simple and naive to not give thought to those rumors were too ordinary to interact with her, finding themselves unworthy and unwanted, even if that wasn''t the case. The other girl belonged to a family which belonged nowhere. The Pure Blood families disliked the Greengrasses, and the non-pure blood supremacist families wanted nothing to do with them, either. None wanted to befriend her because of her inherent taciturn nature. No wonder Darcie and Daphne became friends when they disliked the very notion of this word. Then there was Dobby. His fault and adversity didn''t lie in him being a House-elf, but a house-elf of the Malfoy family. All his life, he had only known punishments, beatings, and scars, whose phantom pain never vanished, no matter how much he loathed his life. These girls had brought gifts of hope and love for him, and Dobby would cherish them forever. Especially Darcie, who was the kindest person he had met in his life; a brilliant lotus floating above the mud. Not much time had passed for these three to come together. But the bond between them had already taken root in the deepest part of their hearts. 0305 Grand Fair and the Chess Tournament! (II) "Is that a House-elf?" a high-pitched voice squeaked in front of them. Darcie looked at her. The voice belonged to a girl of their age. She had flaming red hair and a freckled face. Not to be impolite, Darcie nodded at her. "Are you guys rich?" the girl asked again. "Does he like to be with you? Father says rich people treat house-elves like slaves. Are you a slave, house-elf?" Color rose to Dobby''s face, his large ears and nose becoming red. Daphne''s face became as cold as ice, and even Darcie frowned. Then the shout came screeching through the air. "Ginny! What nonsense are you spouting now?" A short, slightly plump witch came running towards the children with large strides. "Dobby is not a slave, miss," the house-elf squeaked, looking very indignant. "Dobby is Miss Darcie''s knight." The older witch looked horrified. She looked around and found the florist shooting daggers at the little girl with red hair and herself. "Did you call him a slave, Ginny? You have done it now, you silly girl. Just wait¡­ I am sorry. She is a very curious child, but is cursed with a bigmouth¡­" Suddenly, the older witch paused, her gaze finally processing Darcie''s face. "You are¡­" Daphne cut in sharply. "Identities and status have nothing to do with this," she said calmly. "She should apologize to Dobby." "Ah, yes!" the older witch absentmindedly mumbled, her eyes never leaving Darcie''s face. Pressed against her legs, Ginny had tears in her eyes. She looked rather shaken by her mother''s outrage, and somehow knew she had caused trouble. "I¡­ am¡­ sowwy," she choked out the words. Daphne''s eyes softened. The two girls shared a glance. The understanding between them was great enough for them to not talk about these subjects. They immediately realized that the red-haired girl didn''t really mean it. It was just they had faced similar situations before that made them raise their guard, causing the misunderstanding. Darcie shook her head. "We are sorry, too," she said slowly. "It''s clear she didn''t mean any harm. Dobby is our friend. So¡­" The older witch looked stunned as if she had never imagined she would hear such words from this girl. Darcie took a cupcake from Dobby''s hand and held her hand towards the sobbing girl. Ginny eyed the cupcake and stopped crying. She looked up at her mother, who seemed to go through some great internal struggle. The older witch closed her eyes and then let out a great sigh, a broad smile surfacing on her lips. "Take it." Ginny took the cupcake and bit into it, her eyes gleaming like two red stars. "Dobby makes the best cupcakes," Daphne commented, already forgetting the unpleasant incident. "I am Darcie," Darcie said casually. "This is Daphne, and he''s Dobby, the house-elf." "You don''t know who I am¡­" the older witch remarked. And Darcie repeated Daphne''s words. "Identities and status have nothing to do with this." The short woman''s eyes trembled. "You aren''t like¡­" she paused, the smile returning to her face. "I am Molly Weasley. And she''s my daughter, Ginny." Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Ginny ignored everything. The cupcake had vanished down into her little mouth half already. "She reminds me of Astoria," Darcie said. Daphne inspected the little girl and almost smiled. "Are you here for the Chess Tournament, Ms. Weasley?" Darcie asked. "Yes," Molly answered, looking at the bookshop up the alley. "Ginny''s brother, Ron, is participating. He is taking his test in the bookshop with Arthur." "Daphne!" Suddenly, Astoria came running towards them, her black hair flailing wildly as she rushed through the crowd, elbowing many wizards. "Astoria!" Daphne cried. "Where''s mother? We told you not to leave her side." Astoria ignored her older sister and snatched a cupcake out of Dobby''s hands. Only then she eyed Ginny and Molly. "I think it''s best we should go now," Molly said, looking at the group. "Thank you for the cupcake. God! Where are Fred and George? Those two¡­" Molly turned around, her hands gripping Ginny''s wrist tightly. However, the little girl didn''t seem that she wanted to leave. Her eyes kept roaming around from the house-elf to Astoria, and then at the two girls. The moment the older witch had introduced herself, Darcie had recalled the name Weasley. And with that, many other memories returned. Molly Weasley had won against her internal struggles after recognizing Darcie as the rumored child and Malfoy''s daughter. Darcie was going through the same, but her victory was already fated. "Ms. Molly!" she cried, making the older witch pause. "Results of the knockout round will be announced an hour later. If you don''t mind, Ginny can play with us till then. We have Dobby with us to look after us." Dobby regained his spirits instantly at the mention of his name, his chest swelling in pride and admiration. "Mum, please!" Ginny begged, snatching her hand out of her mother. Molly shot a perplexed look at the group of Darcie, Daphne, Dobby, and wild Astoria. And then let go of the little girl. "I want you all to be in the bookshop by 12, you hear me?" she instructed all, like a mother. "Don''t go too far." Ginny approached them with small steps, and Dobby gave her another cupcake. "Dobby made enough for everyone," he squeaked. "Come," Darcie said, turning around. "Where''s she going?" Ginny asked Daphne, and then pointed at Darcie. "Is she a princess? Are you two sisters?" Daphne patted Ginny''s head. "We are going to look at the Invisibility Cloak." Ginny''s eyes widened, her lips making an o shape. Darcie looked over her shoulder at the little girl. "Ginny, you were right about one thing," she said, almost smiling. "We are rich." * * The Invisibility Cloak turned out to be a counterfeit. All it could do was to make someone invisible for a few hours before losing its effect, and that too was detectable by the simplest of charms. However, this had failed to lower the air of great enthusiasm on the children''s faces. The group of Darcie, Daphne, Dobby, Astoria, and Ginny seemed like a flock of tiny birds fluttering here and there, chirping all over the alley. Sometimes they could be seen in Madam Malkin''s Robes for All Occasions. Sometimes they were fluttering in Eeylops Owl Emporium and in the playground between Ollivander''s shop and the Owl Post Office. By the time the hour of results arrived, Astoria was carrying several chocolate frogs, holding them tight against her chest. Ginny was playing with a Remembrall; a small, clear orb, about the size of a large marble, containing smoke that turned red when it detected that the person holding it had forgotten something. Now, it was almost bleeding with the reddest smoke. However, she couldn''t remember what she had forgotten. Daphne was eying a Sneakoscope in her palm; a miniature glass spinning-top that emitted shrill noises in the presence of deception, for instance, when an untrustworthy person was near or when a deceitful event took place nearby. The blue-eyed girl kept looking around her, trying to make a sense of the object in her hand, for the magical object was screeching at the highest pitch now. As the number of participants in the knockout round was too great, the results were going to be announced to each player individually via the slips handed over to them after their test. They were halfway to the Flourish and Blotts when Darcie felt a disturbance in the surrounding Magic. She wasn''t alone, though. Pretty much anyone who had the slip of the Chess Tournament had sensed it right now. Darcie showed no nervousness. She calmly took the slip out of her purse and unfolded it. All previous lettering had disappeared and a new sentence had appeared. Pass - Please report to the Head of the Chess Tournament at Flourish and Blotts by no later than 12:30 in the afternoon. Darcie casually folded the slip back and threw it inside her purse. "No!" Astoria shrieked as a few chocolate frogs hopped out of her grip and got squashed under the crowd''s feet. One croaked and landed on Ginny''s face, and then she shrieked as well. "Behave!" Daphne said, not unkindly. It had no effect. "Let''s go," Darcie gestured. "Mrs. Weasley must be waiting for us." Ginny''s face lost color and the red color of the Remembrall in her hand vanished. As they hurried, weaving a trail in the alley, a voice attracted Darcie''s attention. Not only she but Daphne and Ginny had also stopped, for they too had recognized the voices. And soon, even the faces behind the voices revealed themselves. 6 boys, three on each side, were bickering by the Daily Prophet''s entrance. On one side was a redhead little boy, backed by two taller redheads, who looked exactly alike. Opposite them, with two fat boys backing him up, was a boy with white-blond hair, his chin towering high towards the sky in feigned arrogance. In the cold, the temperature was high between Draco and Weasleys! 0306 Grand Fair and the Chess Tournament! (III) "You all must be Weasleys," Draco was saying, a sneer playing across his lips. "Think winning a few Galleons will make you rich, do you? Did the entire pack participate in the Tournament?" Crabbe and Goyle laughed mockingly behind Draco. The little redhead fumed with redder anger. "At least I passed the first round," Ron snapped. "Unlike you and your overgrown gnomes." "What did you say?!" Crabbe and Goyle simultaneously shouted. "Did you see it?" Fred suddenly asked. "I did¡­" George replied. "It''s round and red¡­" Fred barked. "And lumpy too¡­" George added. "What are you on about?" Draco scowled, looking extremely puzzled. "Isn''t it clear?" Fred almost laughed. George chuckled. "We are talking about the swelling on your head." "We heard you fell down the stairs on your birthday. No wonder you couldn''t pass the first round," Fred nodded. And then they both said together. "You have become stupid, haven''t you?" The three Weasley boys burst out in a feat of laughter. Behind Draco, Crabbe scratched his head, not realizing the hidden mockery. "You are stupid!" he suddenly shouted. "It was Darcie, not Draco." "Shut up!" Draco fumed. How could Fred and George let go of the chance? "Oh, wait!" Fred suddenly exclaimed. "You aren''t Darcie?" George asked, stunned. "We thought you were a girl with her bodyguards," they said together. Draco''s chest swelled in anger. "You filthy¡­" ¡­ "Draco." Darcie''s voice was neither loud nor sharp, but she was near enough to them for it to reach their ears clearly. The girls slid towards the boys, and Darcie eyed them one by one. Draco truly lost color as he saw Darcie''s expressionless face. Behind him, Crabbe and Goyle looked away under her gaze. Ron looked Darcie up and down, not recognizing her at all. But Fred and George had, and they were raised properly enough to show a shameful blush. Even among the children, Darcie''s presence could bring about a dense silence. Not to mention Daphne was standing by her side, both looking like two statues who had come alive. "Chess is not your strong area," Darcie told her brother. "Who can match you in flying on broomsticks? Tell mother I have passed when you meet her. She and father have gone to Gringotts." The crowd was roaring behind them, but among the group, there was pin-drop silence. Suddenly, Ron''s eyes found his sister. "Ginny!" Ginny found the chance to look away from the Remembrall in her hands. The brothers and the sister looked at each other. "Ginny, what are you doing with them?" Fred asked, pulling the little girl towards him. "Where did you get the Remembrall?" George asked. "What''s a Remembrall?" Ron chimed in. Ginny innocently replied, "Darcie gifted it to me." Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Fred and George looked at each other. Fred took the Remembrall from Ginny''s hands and said, "We don''t want it." "It''s mine!" Ginny shrieked. "It''s a New Year Present," Darcie told them. "You don''t need to return it." Suddenly, Astoria shouted once again. "No!" "What happened now?" Daphne asked, turning around. Astoria looked up and found all of them eying her. "I¡­ passed." "¡­" "¡­" Darcie and Daphne raised eyebrows, and Draco''s mouth hung open in shock. "There you are!" A woman''s voice cut through the silence, and Ron, Fred, George, and Ginny''s bodies shook. Molly Weasley came towards them with large strides. "You children are a headache," she complained. "Fred, George, take Ginny back to your father and Percy. Ron, come with me. Ah! You three are also selected, right, dear?" Mrs. Weasley smiled at Darcie and Daphne, and the girls nodded. "Well, come on, then," the witch beckoned them with a hand. "Hurry." Darcie swept her gaze at Draco one last time and then grabbed Dobby''s hand before walking towards Mrs. Weasley. And the strange group of little children finally broke off. ¡­ The afternoon passed by with no great revelations for Darcie. Daphne kept fidgeting in front of Dolores Umbridge, as the toad-like witch instructed the 20 children in U11 group about the rules with a tone that sounded more like a threat than advice. Each player was going to play 19 matches in the next three days. So they had waited no longer than it was required, starting the matches right off the bat. Darcie managed 5 matches before the clock struck 5 in the evening, winning all. However, she wasn''t the only one to achieve clear results on the first day. Both Daphne and Ron had won all their matches as well. Surprisingly, the aloof and wild Astoria won 3 of her 5 matches, drawing the remaining two. This result had truly shocked both Daphne and Ms. Greengrass. Nonetheless, as New Year''s Eve approached, all forgot about chess and worries, gathering in the Brews and Stews for a sumptuous dinner. The entire Diagon Alley looked like a starry river, its cobbled streets packed with wizards and witches. The major families had all decided to spend the New Year this year in Diagon Alley. More so when the Grand Fair would go on till late after midnight. The Malfoys and Greengrasses shared a table, with the adults discussing the shocking turnout the first day of the Grand Fair had showcased. All had doubted before that the ever-prudent Lucius Malfoy had finally lost his business sense. If they were to see the mocking and wide grin on his face now, that would be truly infuriating. With the New Year coming closer and closer, the hubbub within the restaurant kept reaching new heights. The Greengrasses had made Astoria retire for the day, as the little girl had dozed off somewhere in between with a candy in her mouth. Even Darcie and Daphne kept yawning, hidden in a corner, as they didn''t want their parents to see it. None of the girls had stayed up this late before. Darcie looked at her mother and saw Draco''s head on her lap. Her brother had finally lost the battle with sleep as well. Madam Villanelle was seated with Mr. Hillam and a few other shopkeepers, drinking butterbeer. And the thrill of music was everywhere. Dobby crawled towards her under the table, eying Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy from the corner of his eyes. "Dobby didn''t find him, miss," the house-elf squeaked in Darcie''s ears. "Who?" Daphne prodded. "Mr. Ollivander." Darcie had indeed sent Dobby to find out if the old wandmaker was among the crowd in the restaurant. Mr. Ollivander was a regular and old customer of Ms. Crispe''s Brews and Stews. So, she had thought he was here somewhere, lost in the noise. "I am going to bring him here," Darcie whispered, taking a silvery cloak out of her purse. It was rolled into a ball and looked like a sky adorned with stardust. "Dobby, come with me." "Darcie, it''s late!" Daphne''s hushed voice entered her ears. "Your mother will never allow you to go." "Then cover for me." Darcie didn''t let Daphne object anymore. By the time Daphne could say anything, Darcie had already thrown herself off the table, covering herself and Dobby under the counterfeit Invisibility Cloak. Avoiding as many as they could, they made their way out of the restaurant into the alley. The master and her servant kept themselves to one side of the street as they headed for the Ollivander''s shop. Only half an hour remained till New Year, yet the alley was still jam-packed. Grand fireworks were exploding in the sky, taking the forms of dragons, phoenixes, and qilins. They had just reached the entrance of the Horizont Alley, where there was supposed to be a stall of the Florist witch, when Dobby suddenly paused. "What is it, Dobby?" Darcie asked, alarmed. They were holding hands, and Darcie could feel the house-elf shaking as he stood there, rooted to the alley''s cold floor. One shouldn''t forget that even though this tiny house-elf looked innocent and harmless, his magical prowess knew no bounds. Narcissa''s letting her daughter roam free through Diagon Alley with him by her side was a testament to Dobby''s strength. So, for him to shake like this, most probably in fear, rang an alarm in Darcie''s mind. That none could see them because of the Invisibility Cloak, did nothing to calm Darcie''s trembling courage. Her hand reached into her purse, and her fingers found the whistle given to her by Madam Villanelle. "What is it?" she asked again. "Don''t be afraid, Dobby." The word afraid jolted the house-elf, making him regain his123 senses. "Do¡­ Dobby is not afraid, miss," he squeaked. "There¡­ there is a strange and terrifying magical object near us." "Where?" Darcie blurted, a shiver of dense excitement running down her little spine. Dobby silently pointed at the stall in front of them. The Florist had gone, and her place had been taken by a new, temporary stall. A wizard, wearing a cowl, and his face hidden, was sitting behind the stall. Even though the stall and the wizard were out in the open, they almost looked like they were cut off from the world. Darcie saw dozens of odd objects resting on the short stall in front of the seller, and her green eyes lit up like two poisonous stars. The call of an adventure had never been stronger. 0307 Cursed Objects in Diagon Alley?! (I) Darcie didn''t hurl herself toward the stall. She had many friends, but none were closer than calmness and composedness. Darcie thought of all she could, as much as her age and brilliant mind allowed her, at least. The first thing that struck her as odd was the seller himself. There was almost a guarantee that there were no cursed objects on display, as he wouldn''t have gotten the permit from the ministry to set up the stall without a thorough screening of the objects. However, a sense of oddity remained in her heart. The second thing was the low number of objects. There were truly too few, only a dozen or so. Darcie had not forgotten that it was a 3-day long fair, and this was only the first night. Logic told that one must put as many good items on display as possible to garner the attention of the customers. But this second point didn''t adhere to logic. Darcie reflected the seller wasn''t overly enthusiastic about selling the objects himself. It''s almost like he knows some people will come to buy his items by themselves, Darcie thought, her eyes narrowing. Should I call father? She did have a mind to bring her father into the picture. Once he was to know what Dobby had told her, he would take care of the situation in no time. Yet, Darcie knew her father would never let her come close to that object again. Dobby had classified it as a terrifying magical object. Once her father got to hear these words, the possibility of her seeing and researching this item would almost vanish as well. Darcie''s curiosity was at its peak, and her resolve arrived with a bombastic breath. She had decided. "Dobby," Darcie whispered, bringing the house-elf away from the crowd, "can you change my appearance?" Dobby blinked at her, his large green eyes trembling in nervousness. He nodded. "But it won''t be true change, miss," he told her. "They would still know that it''s not your genuine appearance, and the time limit will be short, too. Oh, no! Dobby has failed, miss. Dobby must punish himself." And the house-elf almost rushed out of the Invisibility Cloak, trying to bang his head against the wall nearby. Darcie pulled him back in. "That would do, Dobby," she hurriedly calmed the house-elf down. "Do it." The house-elf looked solemn, and then he snapped his fingers. In the next moment, Mana covered Darcie like another cloak. The color of her clothes changed, her height increased by several feet, and the contours of her face adjusted, giving her a mature appearance. The Invisibility Cloak was large enough to envelop her crouched figure. Darcie now looked like a 15-16-year-old girl, with quite a childish appearance. She touched her face in wonder and looked down at her clothes. A smile surfaced on her face naturally. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Dobby!" She shrieked out a whisper, pinching the house-elf''s cheeks. "You are the best!" Dobby''s chest almost swelled out of the cloak. Darcie crawled towards her left, bringing the stall into their line of sight. "Which one is it, Dobby?" "Dobby thinks it''s the black piece, miss," the house-elf replied, regaining his nervous tone. Darcie went quiet for a moment. "Listen," she whispered, bringing her mouth near Dobby''s large, floppy ears. "I will pretend to buy something. You keep yourself under the Invisibility Cloak. When you confirm that it''s the black piece, you give a tug on my jacket. "If you sense something truly harmful, then throw the cloak off and petrify him on the spot. We can''t let someone like him sell cursed objects so openly, OK? We will let father deal with him." "Dobby will protect you, miss," the house-elf thumped his chest. Darcie smiled at him, giving him a trustful nod. Then she waited to confirm that none had their eyes towards the corner they were at, before hurriedly coming out of the Invisibility Cloak. She looked down and felt Dobby pressed against her legs. If it wasn''t for this, then she would have no way of finding that there was someone just by her side. Not if she wasn''t specifically looking for a cloaked, invisible person. With brisk steps, Darcie approached the stall and acted as though she was just looking at the items casually. The hooded seller didn''t even flinch and kept his straight posture as if there was a statue underneath that black cowl. There were indeed very odd objects on display over the stall, Darcie noticed. There was an eyeball with a purple-slitted pupil, floating in a greenish liquid within a jar. A needle, with a red string running through it. However, the red string looked more like hair to Darcie, and that discovery unnerved her a bit. Then there was a knife, covered in blood spots and rust. From time to time, its edge kept giving off a silvery-red glow. The most eye-catching, and the one Darcie felt truly dangerous, was a hideous shrunken and decayed finger with a gold ring around it. Darcie''s heart screamed that if it wasn''t for the ring, just looking at the finger would have harmed her. Compared to these horrors, the black object truly looked unordinary and insignificant. It was only palm-sized and didn''t even have a proper rectangular shape. It almost looked as though someone had forcefully torn off a sizable piece from a wooden slab. Its surface was pitch black, but Darcie could see some odd depressions on its face. Darcie''s tall figure kept walking and pausing as if the only thing that was keeping her from moving on was the weirdness of the objects. However, she was nothing but a child. No matter how much farther she had planned, her experiences and interactions weren''t great enough for them to truly come to fruition. The silence of the seller kicked the tower of her plans to the ground in no time. What to do now? Why hadn''t he asked her something? How was this behavior of a seller? Should she initiate a conversation? Wouldn''t that make the leverage slip out of her hands? The tug arrived suddenly. It startled Darcie, making her come out of her reverie, and she looked around. In the very next moment, she went rigid, remembering that it was Dobby. A rosy blush popped out on her cheeks. Was she discovered? Darcie peeped at the seller, but his face was hidden thickly under the hood. She truly wanted to use Magic. But she advised herself against it. Her Magic, though non-verbal and Wandless, was not precise, and her control dwindled now and then. It would bode nothing good if she was to get caught doing magic now. Her mother would throw her into the velvet room, and who knew for how long? No. She couldn''t take the chance. Not here. "I want this," she blurted, pointing at the black object. With no other choice, being direct was also a strategy in itself. For the first time, the seller stirred. A hoarse voice gurgled out of the hood as if he hadn''t spoken for ages. "Then take it." Huh?! Darcie gaped at the words. What? Take it?! Just like that?!! Her mind went into alert mode instantaneously. Little she might be, but she wasn''t a fool. There was no free meal in this world, Darcie had learned from the books. There must be something going on under the rugs, it seemed. "Is it cursed?" she asked a little louder, trying to unnerve the seller. "Why are you giving it to me for free?" Silence. The seller had gone mute once again. Darcie fired a few more insinuating questions, making even others look at her and the stall. But after taking a look at the objects, no one stayed for long. The seller said nothing, no matter who came and went. Darcie bit her lips. "Good," she blurted. "I want all of them, then." To Darcie''s great astonishment, the seller''s broken voice echoed once again in her ears. "You don''t want them." Darcie was about to retort when she felt another tug. It meant her appearance was about to return to her original state. "Why don''t I want them?" Darcie asked, confused. Once again silence replied to her, almost sneering at her pretense. Today¡­ she seemed to have met her match. 0308 Cursed Objects in Diagon Alley?! (II) Darcie truly wasn''t experienced in the way of such communications. When she talked with Milli (-the minister-), she only shared her research topics and aspirations. There was a friendship between them, but not like the one she had with Daphne. Even with Madam Villanelle, her words were limited to mostly the academic field. Darcie''s hand slowly reached for the black object and picked it up. Its texture was wooden, glossy, and grainy simultaneously. She turned it over but found the same blackness there too. "What is it?" she demanded. Silence. "Where''s it from?" Nothing. "What does it do?" The seller didn''t even seem to breathe, much less hear her words. However, Darcie had no shortage of questions. Time, though, wasn''t in her favor. She felt a sudden distortion of magic around her and knew the charm was wearing off. With great haste, Darcie threw the black object in her purse, and ran off, giving a last look to the odd seller. I will let Mr. Ollivander question him, Darcie thought, running off to a corner as she regained her appearance. Let''s see if you would reply to him or not. The old wandmaker had dozed off, but seeing that it was Darcie who had come knocking on his doors, he reluctantly dressed for the celebrations. There was no need for the Invisibility Cloak anymore, so she stuffed it into her purse as well. They had only left the shop when a great commotion took over the alley. Hundreds of fireworks exploded simultaneously, and the wizards and witches burst out in a feat of cheers. Only now did Darcie realize that the New Year had arrived unknowingly. The little girl and the old man greeted Happy New Year to each other, and even Dobby looked quite cheerful, remembering the praises Darcie had showered him with. Through the people, they crawled their way out, almost crossing the entrance of the Horizont Alley to their right. "Your parents must be worried sick," Mr. Ollivander reminded her. "You did very wrong by coming to me at this hour, young lady." Nonetheless, there was a smile on the old man''s face that was impossible not to be noticed. "Let''s hurry, then," Darcie nodded in agreement. "Ah! Mr. Ollivander, there is this seller¡­" They had reached the entrance of the Horizont Alley when Darcie remembered to let Mr. Ollivander question the seller. However, when she turned to her right to look at the stall, she found the place¡­ empty. A great wave of horror ran down her spine like a chilly shiver, and near her, Dobby shuddered, his tennis ball-like eyes freezing in time. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. The master and servant looked at each other in trembling silence, realizing that they truly had acted quite recklessly by approaching that seller today. Darcie didn''t know what to do. Her fingers kept tracing the outline of the black object within her purse, worrying if what she had experienced was even real or not. * * Darcie and Dobby remained quiet after returning to the Brews and Stews with Mr. Ollivander. Even her mother''s scolding and her father''s frown failed to shake her mind, and her memories kept reaching the moment of her encounter with the silent seller, and his disappearance. First, the distance between the Horizont Alley''s entrance, where the stall was, and the Ollivander''s shop was just too great. Even if Darcie had left the Invisibility Cloak with Dobby, she was too famous for her own good, letting just any random wizard recognize her on the spot. Then there would have been no hiding the fact that she had been roaming Diagon Alley alone at midnight. It wasn''t the fear of punishment that made her decide against it, but the fate that awaited Dobby. Her father never listened to reasons when it came to the house-elf. Much less needed to be said if he were to find that Dobby wasn''t with Darcie at that time. Second, if Darcie had taken the Invisibility Cloak with her, then that would have turned out even worse. A lone house-elf, and one like Dobby, was just too conspicuous. Yet, the doubts persisted. Who was he? Had she been hallucinating? Did someone play a cruel joke on her? Were there spells that could replicate such a realistic scene? Questions kept surfacing in her mind, barraging her thoughts. However, two things shattered all doubts, telling her that her experience wasn''t a magically induced imagination, but reality. The first was the constant trembling of the house-elf, Dobby. He kept taking secretive looks at Darcie as if there was an enormous weight on his heart and consciousness. Darcie knew with the house-elf''s personality, he must have been thinking that he had thrown his mistress into an odd and quite dangerous predicament. The second thing was the object in Darcie''s purse, whose edges her little fingers kept tracing, fearing that it would vanish in the next moment. Yet, neither the object disappeared nor Darcie''s thoughts. And Daphne noticed it all. The hour was late, and they had stayed up for too long by then. Darcie decided against telling Daphne about her weird encounter and experimenting with the object that night, for the girls were going to share her room. The moment Darcie, Daphne, and Astoria fell on the bed, the girls became as sound as three logs. ¡­ With several matches planned on the second day, they were woken up early in the morning. The clamor was expected to be no less than the first day. As the shops buzzed in the Diagon Alley for the long day, the participants arrived at the Flourish and Blotts. To accommodate a large crowd, as suited to the occasion, Extension Charms had been used on the ministry approval. All U-11 matches were going to be held in the bookshop, while another place was booked for the U-17 group. The hour was still early, a chilled mist snaking around the people. Darcie was wearing a long woolen cloak, green of color and richly embroidered with gold. Daphne and Astoria had black woolen cloaks, with similar hats. Since the moment Darcie had told Daphne about her conversation with Dolores Umbridge, the girls had come to hate the color pink. Only players were allowed in the bookshop, and many had already entered by the time Darcie and the other two girls left the restaurant after having a light breakfast. As Darcie had spent a month in Diagon Alley by now, their parents weren''t overly worried about them. The same wasn''t the case for other children, though. "Good morning, Mrs. Weasley," Darcie and Daphne greeted the older witch. "Happy New Year!" Molly Weasley was rushing in from the Leaky Cauldron''s direction, dragging Ron by his hand. "Happy New Year!" the older witch replied with a smile. "You all look quite freshened up, aren''t you?" Darcie noticed that the two Weasleys'' clothing was only passable, bordering to be called ancient. Even though Mrs. Weasley looked vibrant, her son''s face was almost swollen as if he had just left the bed. Darcie ignored all this in the next moment. With Dobby in the Malfoy Manor, she had learned to oversee people''s garments quite early in her childhood. "Yes, Mrs. Weasley," Daphne answered, her tone reserved. "We usually wake up at this time." Molly''s smile broadened, and then she threw a nasty look at Ron. "Learn something from them!" she rebuked. "All night he played Gobstones. Humph! And god knows what Fred and George mixed in his pumpkin juice. Went to the bathroom six times in half an hour." Darcie and Daphne shared a look, not knowing what to say. On the other side, Ron''s face went red in shame. "Mom!" "Shut up!" Mrs. Weasley didn''t seem to want to hear any pleading from her son. "Let''s see the schedule first." Outside the main entrance, a board was hanging by the door, listing today''s matches. The very first match of the day garnered everyone''s attention. Darcie was paired with Ron Weasley. 0309 Darcie vs Ron and the mysterious Black Object! "Wonderful!" Molly exclaimed. "Go on, now. And Ron, if you feel you can''t hold it anymore, then let the staff know, OK? Don''t push yourself." "MOM!" "Hahaha!" Among the girls, only Astoria laughed. "His second match is with me," she childishly whispered to Darcie and Daphne. "Let''s make him lose two times in a row. Hehe!" Daphne shook her head and sighed. Under the penetrating and hateful eyes of Dolores Umbridge, the children took their seats. Darcie gracefully sat down. Opposite her, Ron''s face was as red as a tomato, matching his short red hair. They hadn''t even played 5 moves when Darcie saw the young Weasley squirming in his chair. After 5 more moves, Ron''s ears were almost steaming. Suddenly, he threw himself off the chair and ran to a staff member. All the children''s faces turned to look at what was going on. And from a corner, Astoria''s giggles pierced into the quiet atmosphere. When Ron returned, his eyes were low, and he didn''t look up at Darcie even once. However, despite his troubling circumstances, Darcie didn''t look down on her opponent. Even with her skills, she could see that Ron was truly the strongest player she had faced if she were to ignore Mr. Ollivander. Not even Daphne was his match in chess, and that was saying something in itself. Astoria''s wish might not come true, Darcie thought, playing the 25th move. And Ron resigned. The rest of the afternoon passed by smoothly for the players. As expected by Darcie, Astoria lost her match with Ron. Then she lost her match with Darcie, the only one she had been expecting to lose that day. Daphne and Ron ended in a draw, and Darcie won all her matches. It didn''t even seem that her opponents were trying to make her lose. The moment someone sat opposite Darcie, one could see hope abandoning them with every next move. By 3 in the afternoon, all the matches planned for that day were over. All players had only 5 matches left, but even then, none had any doubt about the obvious winner. Darcie was in the lead, and if it weren''t for a miracle, with her losing all the next 5 matches, she would without a doubt become the champion. The fight was for 2nd place, with Ron leading by a point, and Daphne just behind him. But these weren''t the things the girls were thinking about now. The fair was in its prime, and the joy of New Year could be seen everywhere. With Ginny''s return, the girls got together and let themselves loose in Diagon Alley, buying anything that looked interesting to them. Suddenly, Darcie saw someone she recognized instantly. "Hagrid!" Hagrid turned around and looked all over. He looked the same to Darcie. The keeper of keys was carrying large boxes, and high-pitch squeaking noises were coming from them. "Here! Down!" Astoria shouted, jumping and hopping. Hagrid looked down and his bead-like eyes widened. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. "Gallopin'' Gorgons!" He cried playfully. "Yeh all growin'' in numbers, aren'' yeh? Are yeh sure yeh not creatin'' a secret coven?" Darcie and Daphne smiled as Hagrid laughed out loud. The three of them could be said to be old acquaintances, even though they had only met once before. Darcie introduced Astoria and Ginny to him. "Anothe'' Weasley?" Hagrid raised an eyebrow, leaning down. Ginny hid behind Darcie. Suddenly Daphne''s eyes widened. "Everyone, hide your money!" Hagrid laughed ruefully, scratching his beard. A snout peeked from his coat''s pocket, and the niffler eyed Daphne with a pained look. This was none other than Burby, who had robbed Darcie and Daphne last time. Both Astoria and Ginny shrieked wildly before pouncing on the niffler. Hagrid then took the girls to Magical Menagerie, teaching them how to take care of nifflers. After he dropped the packages, the girls and the giant man slurped on ice cream before saying goodbye to each other. With her father and mother busy with the Grand Fair''s affairs, Darcie felt bold enough to invite Ginny for the supper with her, Daphne, and Astoria. "You eat this every day?!" Ginny asked, astonished. In front of her were several types of desserts, soup, and fish and crabs. The girl stuffed her mouth with a piece of everything, telling all about her family and home, the Burrow. "Kicking gnomes?" Astoria remarked. "That sounds so good. Daphne! I want to kick gnomes, too." "You don''t have gnomes?!" Ginny''s mouth hung open, morsels of cake flying all over the table. Daphne smiled. "We do have them," she said, elegantly slicing the cake, "but our House-elves take care of such things." After supper, Ginny''s older brother, Percy, came and took her away. Even Astoria was made to sleep with the Greengrasses, leaving Daphne and Darcie in the room alone. Of course, Dobby was with them, too. "What is it?" Daphne asked after the girls had changed. Darcie had already hinted to her she had something to share with her. So, after ditching Astoria, they both came down to the library in the suitcase. Darcie shared a glance with Dobby and then told Daphne everything. When the tale had been told, Daphne''s face looked paler than it already was. "That was not wise, I think," she commented. Darcie then took out the mysterious object and placed it on the table. Daphne observed and rubbed the object between her fingers, as Darcie had before. Meanwhile, Dobby kept eying it, sliding back with every moment. "I felt nothing," Daphne remarked. "Not even an ounce of Magic." Darcie nodded. "I think it''s something only the House-elves can feel," she told Daphne. "If it wasn''t for Dobby, I would have passed by it without even noticing it." "What do you plan on doing with it?" Daphne asked. Darcie took a deep breath. "I think the reason we can''t feel anything is this black glossy surface," she said solemnly. "If we were to dissolve the upper surface, we would know what''s lying underneath. I made Dobby buy some potions today. That''s why he was not with us. Let''s try them out." Daphne regarded Darcie with an odd gaze. "It could be a cursed object, Darcie," she suggested worriedly. "I think we should hand it over to the adults." Darcie shook her head. "With Dobby looking after us, there''s nothing to be worried about. Isn''t that right, Dobby?" The house-elf looked worried himself. But the moment Darcie asked him, his large green eyes blinked strongly at them. "Dobby will protect the two misses," he said, thumping his chest. "It''s a powerful item, but for Dobby, it''s nothing." Darcie smiled. Even Daphne looked taken aback. "If this goes on any longer," she whispered, following Darcie into the potions room, "then Dobby will become too conceited, you know." Darcie observed Dobby''s tiny back as the house-elf arranged various potions on the table. "A little conceit is nothing bad for him, perhaps." As Daphne heard Darcie''s words, even her expression softened. That night, strange, sizzling sounds kept exploding in the potions room, accompanied by wild screams and euphoric shouts. As the doors of the potions room opened way after midnight, black smoke came pouring out, burying the coughs under it. Three figures walked out, their faces covered in black, green, and yellow gelatinous substances. "What even is it?" Daphne asked annoyingly. Darcie lifted the object in front of them and saw its state. It was as glossy and smooth as before, and none could tell that only recently they had poured several potions over it that could reveal the hidden mysteries of almost anything. When everything had failed, they had even made Dobby try out spell after spell on it. Yet, the outcome hadn''t changed. Now they were too tired and lost to go on with it. "Should we take it to some shops tomorrow?" Daphne suggested. "Without knowing its origins, it''s pointless to keep experimenting with it." Darcie had to nod in agreement. She looked at Dobby, remembering his spell that had made her look like a teen. "We will be counting on you, Dobby," Darcie said, rubbing her face. "Leave it to Dobby, miss," the house-elf declared. But the way he kept looking at the palm-sized object in Darcie''s hand was just too ominous for the girls to not frown at it. "We will need to bathe again," Darcie said after some time. Dobby had already used the Scouring Charm to clean the grease and the traces of the experiments off them. But the girls still didn''t feel clean enough to call it a night. A nice, hot bath should do the trick, they knew. "I am getting sleepy," Daphne yawned. "Let''s bathe together. It''s already 2, and we need to wake up by 6." Suddenly, Dobby ran. After his last experience of bathing, he found that he didn''t like this activity much. "You aren''t going anywhere!" Both girls shouted and pounced on him. On this snowy night, one could almost hear the ghostly screams of a house-elf as he got carried away by two monsters, his tiny legs kicking the air for freedom. 0310 The End of Tournament and a Fallout! Friday, 2nd January 1987 Diagon Alley The third day of the New Year Grand Fair began with light snow. Darcie and Daphne sat opposite each other, eying their magical chess pieces. Both girls had traces of tiredness squirming under their eyes. It was clear that they weren''t used to such little sleep. Even though the top 3 places had all but grabbed, the children were still giving their all to the matches planned today. The Ministry of Magic would release Chess Rating for all the registered players in the Tournament tomorrow. The players with top 10 ratings wouldn''t need to go through the preliminary knockout round the next time, giving a tremendous advantage. None wanted to let go of this chance. The morning grew into a cloudy afternoon, and the Chess Tournament finally ended. ¡­ "Splendid!" Dolores Umbridge squeaked, her toad-like smile unnerving the children and adults alike. "Certificates and rewards will be handed after lunch," she instructed them. "Latecomers will lose their Ranks and Ratings automatically. A group photo will be published in the Daily Prophet''s evening issue as well. I recommend some of you dress accordingly." Her eyes paused on Ron, and his shabby clothes, for just a moment as she said the last sentence. Darcie and Daphne shared a secretive glance, realizing that. After a few more instructions, the Head of the Chess Tournament let the players go. The ministry had arranged a lunch at Brews and Stews for all U-11 players at noon. So all found themselves in the restaurant''s parlor just after leaving Flourish and Blotts. As the ministry did this to let the children interact with each other, family members were made to stay out of this small gathering. Even then, most of the players kept a distance between the undisputed champion and themselves. It was worth to be mentioned that among the 20 players, only four children were less than 9 years old. And yet, somehow it was these four players who had out-shined many in this tournament. Darcie was at the top with a spotless record. Second on the points list was Ron, with only one loss. Third was Daphne, with one loss as well. If she hadn''t lost her match with Darcie, then she would have grabbed the 2nd position easily. Then there was Astoria, the youngest and most unexpected player. Wild as she was, none could have remotely thought that she possessed some talent in chess. The little Greengrass had won 8 matches and lost 4, the rest''s outcome being a draw. Food magically popped out of nowhere, lining itself on the tables. As the children saw the dishes, they threw themselves on them. Some children had already formed groups. Some joined tables to sit together. One could even hear the giggles and laughter outside in the alley. On one table, Ron sat alone, with his face downcast. Many children hadn''t stopped laughing at him since his several rounds in the bathroom yesterday. Darcie, Daphne, and Astoria helped themselves to a seat at his table. Ron looked at them, his face red. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Suddenly, Astoria flung a piece of cake on his face and burst out in a feat of laughter. And the tension melted away like a dying ghost. Ron was quite talkative, like his little sister, Darcie noticed. Throughout the lunch, he kept telling them about his favorite International Quidditch team, and how his brother, Charlie, was the Seeker of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Darcie and Daphne talked less and kept nodding from time to time. "I will be in Gryffindor, I know," Ron barked, loudly chewing a large piece of the pie. "What about you?" Astoria seemed to have not heard Ron''s question. And the other two girls ignored it. As expected, Ron didn''t wait for an answer. "I heard Slytherin''s the worst," he casually said. "No good wizard has ever come out of that House." It was quite a thing to say to someone whose entire family had been through Slytherin Common Room. The girls ignored Ron''s that comment as well. When the lunch ended, Darcie and the other three rushed out of the restaurant. Parents were already waiting out there, receiving and consoling their children. To Darcie''s surprise, both her father and mother were waiting for her. She hopped towards them. Lucius smiled at her. "Good," he nodded. "But this much I''d already expected." Narcissa said nothing but only patted her head. From the other direction, Madam Villanelle approached them and shared some congratulatory words with the Malfoys. Then she winked at Darcie secretively before entering the bookshop. The 20 players and their family members gathered within Flourish and Blotts. A Daily Prophet reporter was taking Ms. Umbridge''s interview, and from time to time, the toad-like witch kept making the cameraman take several shots of her and her ID card. Another official then walked to the center with a parchment in his hand. "As I call your name, please come here in an orderly manner," he instructed. "Ms. Umbridge will¡­" "Hem-Hem!" Dolores cleared her throat, cutting in. "Ms. Umbridge, Head of the Chess Tournament and Head of the Improper Use of Magic Office." The official was gobsmacked. However, to not attract her ire, he added the two styles and continued. "¡­ will award the Certificates. The top 3 ranks will be dealt with in the end." Despite 20 players in the U-11 tournament, not all had gained a distinct rank. Many of the children shared the same points, and only the top 7 ranks belonged to an individual player. The official kept calling the players one by one, and the roar of claps attracted quite a lot of attention from the alley. Darcie noticed the Weasleys propped together a few feet away from her. She recognized Ron, Ginny, the twins, Fred and George, Percy, and their mother and father. One more boy was standing next to Mr. Weasley, taller than all. He must be Charlie, Darcie guessed. "And now, at the 3rd position," the official''s clear voice resounded after a pause, "Daphne Greengrass." Darcie applauded along with everyone as Daphne walked up to Ms. Umbridge. Her steps were little, and her gaze was reserved. Unknown to everyone, Darcie could sense the annoyance in Daphne''s blue eyes, even from afar. However, her face showed no hint of it. Dolores Umbridge awarded Daphne the Certificate and a pouch of Galleons. When Daphne returned to where her parents and Astoria were standing, the official waited for the clamor to die and said, "At the 2nd position¡­ Ron Weasley." All the Weasleys burst out with thunderous applauses. As the little boy walked to the center, Darcie looked up at her parents. Her mother''s face was still fine, but there was a nasty scowl lingering on her father''s face. Darcie sighed inwardly. Weasleys weren''t looked at with favor in her house, she knew. Blood-Traitors, muggle lovers, and red-headed country bumpkins were some of the most frequent words used by her father for them. Darcie found the three Weasleys she had interacted with quite OK. She didn''t dislike any of them. Ginny was talkative, but she wasn''t as wild as Astoria. And Ms. Weasley was one of the nicest witch she had come across. But Darcie knew if her parents were to know her thoughts, it wouldn''t bode any good for her. "¡­ Darcie Malfoy." The name rang in the ears, and instead of the expected applauses, the crowd became silent. Many had seen Darcie since the beginning of the fair two days ago. But none had dared to approach her or even tried to strike up a conversation. Her name carried too much weight. Even if one were to ignore her family name, Darcie had already created an image of herself in wizardkind''s hearts. She was almost like a sacred being, incapable of doing anything wrong. When Darcie walked towards Ms. Umbridge, eyes followed her with ten thousand emotions. Clap! Clap!! Clap!!! Suddenly, three people clapped. Daphne was one, Astoria, and surprisingly, Ms. Molly Weasley. The petrification spell cast on the crowd got broken and thunderous applause drowned the bookshop. Ms. Umbridge handed her Certificate and the winning amount, as the cameraman took several shots successively. Dolores Umbridge noticed the shots were only directed toward the little girl, so she made him retake all of them. "You dare!" The sudden explosive shout shocked Darcie, for she recognized the voice. It was her father''s. Darcie blinked away the lingering colors of the photo shoot, and her gaze fell on the people beyond the smoking camera. Lucius Malfoy and Arthur Weasley were involved in a fistfight, and her father''s lip was bleeding. From a corner, Mr. Hillam, the manager of the bookshop, rushed to separate the two gentlemen along with the others. Darcie was calm, but the faintest hint of anger flashed across her face unknowingly. All the Weasleys stormed off after another round of a verbal spat, the camera flashing in their direction with a thundering rhythm. None had expected that the Chess Tournament would end with something like this. 0311 Appraising the mysterious object - Garluk the Goblin! (I) One by one, everyone disappeared after the incident, not wanting to associate themselves with the vanished feud. Darcie approached her parents and observed the cut on her father''s lips. There was only a little smudge of red. "Are you OK, father?" she asked. "What happened?" Lucius'' eyes were fuming with anger. But the moment he heard Darcie''s voice, he seemed to calm down. "Don''t worry," he forced out a smile. "I will deal with it. Go have fun with your friends." Lucius snorted and walked out of the bookshop with Narcissa glued to his heels. Daphne neared Darcie and stood by her side. "Let''s go," she whispered. "We have many shops to cover." Darcie reluctantly nodded as she saw her father disappearing through the windows. Finding any clue related to the mysterious object was paramount to them. As the girls were about to leave the bookshop, they found Mrs. Weasley stomping her way in, her face red and blue. "No shame!" she was hissing. "What was he even thinking?!" The witch''s eyes fell on the two girls, then. An odd silence persisted between them before Molly Weasley suddenly smiled at Darcie and Daphne. "Forgot my purse," she pointed to a desk. "We are going back home now. Ginny''s screaming bloody murder, asking me to leave her with you two. Haha! She is the only girl among her siblings, and I think she''s gotten much attached to you all." Mrs. Weasley''s words truly took aback Darcie. She had met no one until now who could put aside the differences instantly and talk as if nothing had happened. "We will visit her on weekends," Darcie promised. "Ginny told us you cook delicious treats, Mrs. Weasley. I hope we will get to taste them, too." On her side, Daphne smiled and nodded. Only she could understand how big a deal was it for Darcie to promise a visit to another''s home, especially where her mere presence could cause controversy among the top figures in the Malfoy family''s circle. Molly Weasley''s eyes moistened at hearing that. She picked up her purse and rushed back in Leaky Cauldron''s direction. "Come on," Daphne said, pulling Darcie towards Horizont Alley. "We must know what''s so strange about this object today. I am getting a funny feeling whenever I recall your encounter with the seller." At the Horizont Alley''s entrance, Dobby was waiting for them, fidgeting and pulling his large ears. As it was the last day of the fair, the throng of buyers was at its prime. When the three grouped in a dark corner, Daphne asked, "Which one first?" Darcie took out the palm-sized object and took a deep breath. "Let''s start with Garluk''s Metallurgy." I must get to the bottom of this object''s origin today, she reminded herself, her eyes narrowing. For the funny feeling that Daphne had mentioned, Darcie had been experiencing the same since the very first day. * * Garluk''s Metallurgy was a famous shop in Horizont Alley. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. It was marked H4 on the map Darcie had received on her first day of coming to Diagon Alley. After taking the turn into the Horizont Alley from the Diagon alley, this shop towered tall on the corner of another right turn. There was a giant signboard over the main entrance, portraying a bone hand carrying many-colored jewels. Two tall witches, each donning even taller pointy hats that covered half their faces, walked into the shop. These two naturally were Darcie and Daphne, their appearances tampered with using Magic by Dobby. If one were to look at their faces, one would have found out that they looked like two little children stretched by odd means. Any skilled wizard or witch could recognize that these weren''t their genuine features. However, none cared. And why would anyone care anyway, when there were hundreds of others like Darcie and Daphne, hopping and crawling around in the alleys, trying to make the most of the last day of the Grand Fair? The shop was full of people, and the two new arrivals didn''t garner any special attention. Darcie and Daphne kept their faces low. Behind them, Dobby followed close, hidden under the Invisibility Cloak. For all of them to be out in the open sounded stupid to Darcie, so they kept Dobby invisible, providing support from shadows. Not to mention, if someone were to recognize him as a House-elf, trying to impersonate a wizard or witch, it would raise unwanted commotion; a thing the girls would rather not do before getting significant results. There were several employees in the shop, but the girls went straight to the main counter. Behind the table, they could see Mr. Garluk, the owner of the shop, seated in an upright and tense position. Garluk was a Goblin and had red penetrating eyes. With a quill in his fat fingers, he was scribbling something on a sheaf of parchment, his pointy nose pressing deep over the table. Garluk enjoyed quite a backing from the Gringotts, Darcie had learned in the last month. He ran the business in Horizont Alley, dealing with rare minerals, jewels, and materials that could be used in magical potions, formations, and items. One could find many cheap and expensive products, demanding high prices and buying at lower costs. And like all Goblins, his greed wasn''t a thing unknown to anyone. "Mr. Garluk?" Darcie inquired, trying hard to put substance behind her childish voice. "I need your assistance in appraising an item." Not all came to the shop to buy or sell. Many were like Darcie, who had chanced upon some odd object of unknown origins, trying to figure out their worth. The Goblins of the Gringotts didn''t do this appraising for just anyone, either. One needed to produce papers and reveal identities, not something all wanted to give out so easily. So Garluk''s Metallurgy enjoyed a major business in appraising items as well, giving a small portion of the profits to the Gringotts behind the curtains. This was all Darcie had learned from her father''s offhanded discussions. Garluk''s hand paused, and he looked up at the girls with his beady eyes. His nose crooked upwards as if he had smelled something funny out of thin air, but ultimately said nothing. "10 Galleons." No matter how powerful or worthless an item would be, a preliminary evaluation cost 10 galleons. It wasn''t a wonder that this business was thriving in the wizardkind. Nonetheless, if one thing Darcie had no worries about, then it was money. She nodded at Daphne, who took out an already prepared pouch from her waist and handed it over to the Goblin. Garluk counted each coin and then threw the pouch in a drawer. "Item." Darcie took a deep breath, pushed her hat a little lower, and brought out the palm-sized object. The moment this unimpressive object came out in the open, Garluk snatched his hand back. "Yi?!" a squeak escaped the Goblin''s throat, and his beady eyes widened, the red of his pupils becoming redder. Both girls shook as they saw this, not knowing what was going on. However, they were astute enough to tell that the old goblin had certainly recognized something at a glance. "It''s¡­" Garluk muttered under his breath and then spoke even more words in Gobbledegook, Goblins'' language. Yet, it was these words that unnerved Darcie. By now, Darcie had spent over 2 months learning, researching, and deciphering runes and ancient languages. Even if she couldn''t speak one fluently, translating Gobbledegook wasn''t an impossible task. Another one appeared after so many years?! These were the words the old goblin had cursed out, leaving Darcie in a frozen state. Garluk, not touching the object at all, looked up at the girls once more. Even an idiot could tell that he was looking at them as if he had seen no foolish witches in his entire life. "Where did you get this?" he asked, pointing at the object. When the girls didn''t reply, the goblin chuckled, showing his sharp yellow teeth. If it was any other children in their places, they would have truly been frightened off by this laugh. The goblin took out a pair of gloves, wore them, and only then did he take the object off Darcie''s hand. He tossed and turned it, sniffed its corners, and looked at it through a lens. From time to time, he kept spitting out words in Gobbledegook, which Darcie caught immediately. "Not simple¡­" "Huh? It''s different¡­" "Same, but not the same, either¡­" "Open¡­ Open¡­ Open¡­ What the?" "Truly sinister¡­" The last two words sent a shiver running down Darcie''s little spine. 0312 Appraising the mysterious object - Sealed Map! (II) Darcie wondered if it would be a good idea to just let her father handle this ominous object. Alas! As often happens to brilliant, but inexperienced minds, curiosity won over caution. "I think I know what is it," Garluk hissed to them, leaning over the table. "But¡­" he rubbed his fat fingers. Darcie and Daphne were prepared to invest all their pocket money and recently gained reward money to earth out this object''s origins today only. So, even before Garluk could turn his greed into words, Daphne took out another heavier pouch and put it on the table. There were 50 Galleons in it. The girls noticed Garluk licking his lips as he counted the money, and they decided they didn''t like this goblin one bit. "Follow me," Garluk spat, throwing himself off the chair. Darcie and Daphne shared a glance, and then looked down at the invisible House-elf, taking courage in his presence. There were security measures placed in the shop against invisible cloaks and disillusionment charm, but they would only trigger if Dobby were to touch or pick an item. Not something the girls needed to worry about, they knew. Then they followed the goblin, their steps neither slow nor hurried. Garluk took the black-cloaked witches to the basement. The girls kept eying the strange, eye-catching jewels and other items on their way. There truly was a charm about this place, they reasoned. This basement, however, wasn''t their stop. The shop owner put his small hand over an iron gate, and the settled dust over the heavy metallic door exploded with a puff. Magic pervaded their senses, the door opening with an ear-piercing screech in the next moment. "Come," the goblin said, without looking back. Darcie saw a flight of stairs vanishing down into the darkness beyond the threshold. She looked at Daphne and found her friend rather shaken, too. Should they leave? The question had just surfaced in their minds when Dobby tugged at their cloaks as an answer. The girls nodded, held each other''s hands, and descended into the unknown. It was a small room, smaller than her bathroom, Darcie observed. But the goblin was tiny, and the girls were pressed together, so all occupied space within the room without feeling congested. A lamp was propped up against a wall, lighting the floor underneath. The rest was darker than shadows, and they could see not a hint of anything. Suddenly, the goblin turned around and looked at them with a snap. "300 Galleons," he hissed. "I won''t give a galleon over it." Darcie was flabbergasted. What was this?! Why the sudden offer? If she hadn''t understood Garluk''s offhanded words in Gobbledegook, then she wouldn''t have asked these questions to herself. Just now the goblin was remarking on the object''s sinisterness, and now he was presenting a price. Did he truly want to buy it, or was there more to his actions? The girls didn''t know what to do. So they went along with their original plans. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. "This is not for sale," Daphne said, rejecting the proposal. "You?" the goblin fumed and then sneered. "You scoundrels! You think I won''t tell the ministry about what you are up to? Heh!" Darcie was inexperienced but learned enough to recognize the pretenses when she saw them. "Go ahead!" she retaliated. "Old fool! You think we don''t know what you goblins are up to?" Huh? Do we?! Daphne thought, doubting Darcie''s obvious false tone. Darcie knew nothing. But these were Goblins, a race always up to something, if the books and history amounted to anything. No wonder Garluk''s face paled. "What¡­ What do you know?" "Humph!" Darcie snorted, as practiced. "Just appraise the item. If you want money, then just say it, but it''s not for sale." Garluk''s color went from yellow to red, anger rising at the tip of his sharp teeth. Yet, the goblin held himself back and said nothing. "I''ve heard of these," he said, lifting the object in his gloved hands up to his face. "It''s an ancient way to seal maps." "Maps?!" Daphne exclaimed. "Hmgh!" the goblin nodded in agreement, grunting through his nose. "Maps are a diagrammatic representation of an area of land or sea showing physical features¡­" "We know what maps are!" Darcie cut in. She truly wanted to flick this goblin''s forehead. "Tch, so noisy!" Garluk complained. "Anyway, in olden times, wizards engraved maps on wood with magic, hiding some secrets within it." "You mean like a Woodcut?" Daphne prodded. "Yes," Garluk nodded. "Woodcut is a relief printing technique in printmaking. An artist carves an image into the surface of a block of wood¡­" "I know what a Woodcut is!" Daphne almost fumed, losing her composure. "It was I who brought up the word." The corners of Darcie''s mouth twitched ruefully. N either of the girls had been angered so much by anyone so far if they were to ignore the existence of Dolores Umbridge, who truly was an eyesore. "Tch-tch!" the goblin tsked. "Truly lacking. Where was I? Yes. The maps were carved into the wood as Woodcuts using a specific magical procedure, and then they sealed the Woodcuts, preventing anyone from accessing its secrets." "Sealed how?" Darcie inquired. "They created a potion, infused a code word in it, and then applied it on the Woodcut," the goblin replied, his pointy mouth lifting into a hideous grin. "To access the content of the Woodcut, one must speak the Code Word in its presence, and it must be in a specific language, as per the original creator''s intention." Darcie instantly recalled Garluk''s repetitively saying Open three times, and she knew what this dishonest goblin was trying to do then. She couldn''t help but frown as she thought of the consequences if the object would have reacted to those words spoken in Gobbledegook. But there was a major problem with what Garluk had told them. And sure enough, Daphne was wise enough to catch it. "No potion last for that long," she added. "No matter how efficient a potion''s effects are, with time, they vanish." Garluk suddenly laughed. "Not bad for a witch," he nodded. What''s that supposed to mean? The girls thought, their eyes narrowing. "It is indeed the case," the Goblin continued. "That''s why a specific ingredient was used for these potions that have the property to lengthen their age. This also lets one distinguish between the real Woodcuts and the counterfeit ones." "You mean to say that this can be a counterfeit?" Daphne asked. "Let''s find out." Garluk spat the words, and then took a few steps back, vanishing into the darkness. When he returned, there was an object in his right hand covered under a dark piece of cloth. Darcie felt Dobby''s fingers tighten over her cloak. She knew the house-elf must have sensed something for him to act so. But both the time and place weren''t in their favor for them to consult with each other. Garluk put the Woodcut and the new object on the floor, and the lamp''s light fell on them with an inauspicious glint. "What is it?" Darcie asked. The goblin answered by taking off the piece of cloth with a jerk. It was a glass jar with a green-yellowish liquid within it. And in that liquid, two large tennis ball-like eyes were suspended, looking extremely alive. Suddenly, the eyes blinked, and both girls stepped back. Under their horrified gazes, the eyes looked at the Woodcut on the floor and trembled with unmatched fury. There was such a fit of anger in those pupils that the thick liquid within the jar boiled. The goblin hurried and covered the glass jar with the cloth again. The trembling stopped gradually, and Garluk rubbed away the sweat over his brows. Then the goblin smiled. "It''s real," he said, picking up the object. "Were those¡­" Darcie asked, but she already knew the answer. No wonder Dobby was shaking so much, grabbing her cloak. "Eyes." Garluk sneered. "Eyes are a pair of globular organs of sight¡­" An unprecedented amount of Magic churned around both girls, making the goblin let out a squeak. "Yi? Uncultured brats!" Garluk cursed. "Yes, those were a house-elf''s eyes. Only that ingredient used to brew this sealing potion could bring out such a reaction from those eyes." "What ingredient?" Daphne asked, her face heavy. Garluk laughed vilely. "Bone Marrow," he hissed like a beast. "Bone Marrow, extracted from an alive house-elf." The girls'' eyes widened in horror, and that brought an end to their inquiries. When Darcie and Daphne left the shop, both were quieter than they had been in their little lives so far. Now they knew what this object was, and what they must do to know the mystery within. But this knowledge of how these Woodcuts were created truly left them feeling quite empty. 0313 The Restrictions behind Comprehension and Project Parseltongue! The Grand Fair seemed to have lost its colors for Darcie and Daphne. Things wouldn''t have felt so exaggerated, perhaps, if they hadn''t shared such a close relationship with a house-elf themselves. The arrival of the minister for the closing ceremony, a great front-page article in the evening issue of the Daily Prophet on the Chess Tournament, and even the premature departure of Daphne to the Greengrass Manor couldn''t bring Darcie out of her troubled thoughts. Darcie Malfoy had quite an open mind because of her special circumstances of the preposterous rumors and prejudice against her. Her published paper emphasized the intentions behind Magic as a qualifying measure, rather than just foolishly naming and dividing this vast field into white and black. Despite all that, even Darcie had to accept that extracting Bone Marrow out of a live house-elf could have no good intentions behind it. So what if it raised a potion''s efficacy, letting it last for centuries? It was just too cruel. So when Darcie holed herself in her room, just after Daphne''s reluctant departure, all thought that the little Malfoy had tired herself out by fluttering around the shops of Diagon Alley too much. When the time for supper came, Darcie ate little, just sipping on the juice and having a bite of the pie. From a corner, Madam Villanelle kept looking at her, but all that had gone unnoticed by Darcie. After having a grand celebratory meeting with the minister, Lucius and Narcissa returned to the Malfoy Manor with Draco and Dobby. As it was Friday night, Darcie was supposed to have gone with them, but she rejected the notion. There was just too much to study, and she had to decide what to do with this object as well. So, as the horde of wizards and witches merrily departed from Diagon Alley after the 3 days-long Grand Fair, Darcie drowned herself in the books, trying to see some sense of what she had learned from Garluk in the history. However, after hours of going through major history and potions books, the fog of doubts only thickened in her eyes. At some point after midnight, Darcie fell asleep, failing to keep her resolve of studying overnight. * * "What a fucking brilliant ingredient!" Kai, Petyr, and Rintaro Okabe were seated on three chairs around the fire in the library within the suitcase. The mysterious object, with a glossy black surface, was hovering over Kai''s palm, his hazel eyes trying to penetrate deeper into its mysteries. "I know who is behind this object," the insane scientist declared confidently. Kai''s eyes narrowed. "Who?" This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Rintaro Okabe frowned at Kai as if he was looking down at him. "Mr. Storm, don''t tell me you haven''t realized it by now?" he almost rebuked. "Of course, it''s the Organization." Kai stared at this ridiculous Character who thought this supposed Organization was behind everything in this world. For a moment, he wondered what would happen if he were to stuff Rintaro''s face into the fire on his right. Would he feel pain? Would he truly feel as much pain as fleshy beings? Rintaro gulped as he saw Kai''s eyes not leaving his face. "There¡­ there could be someone else, if not Organization," he forced out a few words. Suddenly, Petyr sighed. "It''s quite a predicament," he said, for once not smiling. "The consequences of falling into this chain of events for Darcie could affect our plans, master." Kai stole his gaze off Rintaro and put it on the object once more. The fingers of his left hand drummed on the chair''s arm, as his mind raced to contemplate the meanings of Petyr''s words. The conclusion was the same. It was indeed a predicament, and there was only one reason for Kai to not feel well about this mysterious object. This was unplanned. Things just happened too fast for Kai to influence Darcie against it. Dobby''s sudden announcement, the oddity of the silent seller, and then the disappearance of the stall. All this painted quite a magical and mysterious picture in Darcie''s eyes. It wasn''t in her nature to not be curious about these events. If Kai had forcefully nudged her against taking the actions she had taken, then he could have increased his chances of failing his Comprehension. This was a risk Kai could never hope to afford, for there wasn''t an inch of any reasoning behind it. "Wait a minute!" Rintaro exploded. "Mr. Storm, now that we know a code word, like saying OPEN, which can let us see the map and other mystery hidden behind this sealing potion, then why aren''t we going for it? If none of the known languages work, then we still have Parseltongue, right?" Both Kai and Petyr shared a glance as they heard this reasoning, but ultimately, the two cunning individuals shook their heads in rejection. "I am 110 percent sure that saying Open in Parseltongue would unlock the seal," Kai said, rotating the object over his palm. The insane scientist scratched the stubble on his face, looking densely puzzled. "Then why¡­" It was Petyr who explained, regaining his sly smile. "Let''s say our lord was to unlock the seal right now," he whispered, fire crackling to his left. "Then what?" The self-named Hououin Kyouma wasn''t as shrewd and as scheming as Petyr and Kai, but he wasn''t a fool, either. The moment he heard Petyr''s words, Rintaro''s eyes widened in realization. Kai nodded. "It seems you have understood the hideous consequences of such actions," he said, smiling. "The Darcie Malfoy this world knows has an uncanny knack for deriving acute inferences based on a set of data. "Imagine what would happen if she were to wake up in the morning to find this seal broken mysteriously. What should I do then? Nudge her to act stupid and ignorant about it? Or should I nudge her to just accept this sudden unsealing? "No. Things aren''t that simple. If Comprehensions were that easy, then anyone could have done it. I can''t Act as both smart and foolish with the same person. It would cause a tremendous, unsolvable paradox, shattering my comprehension on the spot." Silence. ¡­ Petyr and Rintaro looked at Kai, knowing well the monstrosity of this predicament. "So what now?" Rintaro asked. Kai drummed his fingers on the chair''s arm, his eyes trembling, lost in thoughts. Then he took a deep breath and sighed. "Nothing," he told the Characters. "This is Darcie''s adventure, and I can''t interfere with it. At least not openly and casually, unless needed desperately. Perhaps it''s a good thing, and we would gain something truly extraordinary in the end. Who knows?" "Then is it time¡­" Petyr mumbled. Kai gave a hard nod. "Indeed," he said brusquely. "It''s time to begin Project Parseltongue. "To proceed with her adventure, Darcie must know that she''s a Parselmouth. Not to mention, Ollivander is too reluctant to share the mysteries of Parseltongue with her. "He told her so much, but he might as well have told her nothing. I have a feeling that there''s something he knows about Parseltongue that can help me move forward in deciphering the tales for good." Then Kai hissed. -Selene.- A silver mist burst out of Kai''s chest and the two Characters backed up, pressing their backs into the chairs. -I know what to do,- Selene hissed wisely, kissing Kai''s chin. The Ghost Basilisk slithered off Kai''s body and exploded into a burst of silver mist before¡­ ¡­ vanishing into the sofa where Darcie had fallen asleep. 0314 Selfless Breathing and the Item Kai need the most! Kai threw the object hovering over his palm on the table from where he had picked it up. "What else is there to discuss today?" he asked. Rintaro fumbled around in his pockets and took out a diary. He opened it and scratched off the Project Parseltongue entry. "Uh," the Character mumbled, pressing his brows together, "I have a doubt, Mr. Storm." "What is it?" "Why aren''t you practicing your Breathing Style? Shouldn''t every second matter from what we have learned from Shino¡­ I mean Ms. Butterfly." "I had this doubt in my mind as well," Petyr added. Kai sighed. It truly was a brilliant question. Breathing Styles, by nature, depended on practicing the Breathing Arts. The more one trained on them, the better they would become. All demon slayers knew it, and such had been taught to Kai by Shinobu, too. So why Kai wasn''t practicing this Breathing Art all the time, rather than allotting only an hour from his 3 hours long Identity Period? The answer wasn''t something complex. It was because there was no point. The Breathing Styles, as known to the Demon Slayers, depended on regulating their blood circulation, bringing out power from its flow and rhythm. The more they practiced it, the better their grasp became over this regulation. With time, they could maintain this state longer, to the point that the top Demon Slayers, the Hashiras, could even maintain it constantly. Hence the name ¡ª Total Concentration Constant. Kai''s Selfless Breathing Style differed too much from these Breathing Styles, though. The power behind the Selfless Breathing Style didn''t just come from blood flow regulation, but it went even deeper. Even though Kai hadn''t derived this Breathing Style from Sun Breathing, it wasn''t like there wasn''t a model behind its creation. Twin-Saber Style: Forbidden Technique - Serpent God''s Wrath! This technique lets Kai squeeze out all power from his body and concentrate it on a singular part of his body, like limbs or throat. This power originated from every strand of his muscles, his tendons, his bones, his flesh, and his will. Selfless Breathing diffused this power throughout Kai''s body, boosting his base stats, with no chances of aftereffects. This was what gave Kai''s breathing a distinct bloody look as though his figure was burning in Blood Flames. This method of breathing brought Kai unimaginable power for a short time, but it also hindered further growth. With his current Stats, Kai could only squeeze out his body''s true potential for 30 minutes. Increasing this duration for even one minute could very well turn out to be an impossible task. It was such a difficult procedure that Kai believed even hundreds of years of Breathing wouldn''t let him reach the Total Concentration Constant. Stolen novel; please report. For now, he must take it slowly, Kai knew. Half an hour of Selfless Breathing wasn''t something one could casually overlook. Then there was the matter of Transformations. Unlike Demon Slayers'' Breathing Styles, which had Forms, i.e. the ways in which a swordsman was meant to use the sword, Kai''s Transformations weren''t so simple for one simple reason. The Transformation had originated from Comprehension, not training and hours of practice. ¡­ Take the First Transformation of the Selfless Breathing Style ¡ª Three-Headed Vritra. It was a result of Kai''s Comprehension during his fight with Akaza and this Comprehension revolved around only one word ¡ª Destruction! Men, Women, Animals, Beings, Mortal, or Divine¡­ Destroy everything! A monstrous frontal charge fused with raw power, annihilating everything in its path. Even Kai himself couldn''t alter its direction or stop it midway. The extra arms and heads that Kai gained in this Transformation weren''t real, but they weren''t virtual as well. Kai''s Comprehension used his Selfless Breathing Style to reforge his fighting spirit, his Will, giving it a Transformation. This Transformation manifested in the real world as Three-Headed Vritra, gaining ethereal substance. So, in a sense, it was both real and false; coexisting like a paradox. ¡­ Hence the word Transformation, not Form, as it was a transformation of Self. And it could only be done by first discarding it. This was a ridiculously powerful use of the Breathing Style, but it had similar drawbacks as well. One must not forget that it was a Comprehension that had birthed it. No one could train to comprehend or gain epiphanies and understandings because they just desired it. Comprehensions dawned spontaneously. Kai had learned his First Transformation in the battle because he was already Comprehending Selfless Breathing Style then. The next Comprehension might dawn on him in the next moment, or it might come after a thousand years. None could say. There was even a chance that he might never learn it, and the Selfless Breathing Style would die with only one Transformation to it. This was the sole reason for Kai to not force his training. 3 hours of Breathing wouldn''t change anything, so he might as well take it slow. Kai told all this to the Characters, and the shadow of doubt vanished from their faces. As he saw them relaxing, Kai nodded inwardly. It was he who had instructed them to ask any question related to him and his plans whenever they wanted. Not only did it let Kai double-check his thoughts, but it also let him advance in his Comprehension of Facelessness, letting his mind wander away from Darcie''s life. "Let''s move on," Kai said, gesturing towards the diary. Rintaro flipped the pages, and then his eyes gave out a brilliant glint, the red of the fire becoming redder in his pupils. "Yes, this one we must deal with first," he declared. "Mr. Storm, you should buy several packs of condoms¡­" "¡­" A trace of Kai''s bloodlust seeped out of his calm eyes, and Rintaro shuddered, scratching the point off. The scientist mumbled something under his breath, and then said, "We need scientific types of equipment for our research, Mr. Storm, and the sooner the better. Then there''s the matter of the Philosopher''s Stone as well. All in all, we need Mission Credits. Lots of them." Petyr chuckled at Rintaro''s side. "There''s even a bigger problem, my lord," he said, slyly. "Let''s inspect our situation and what we must get and do in the future. "Daemonologie, In Forme of a Dialogue, and its whereabouts. "The supposed alive, and hidden dagger, Herpo the Foul. "Ancient Magical Script and Parseltongue. "The matter with Philosopher''s Stone and Eon Soul Dew. "Heh! Let''s not forget about the minister and her plans. "Not to mention, our main objective of coming to this World, Wandlore, hasn''t even begun yet. "And now there''s this, the mysterious map of unknown origins, and obviously related to the Darkest Magic and era." Littlefinger''s every word was like a strike of lightning, jolting Kai''s thoughts. He ran his hands through his long white hair and couldn''t help but frown. "There''s a labyrinth made of the thickest and most poisonous mist around us, my lord," Petyr told Kai, continuing the thunderous barrage. "We have no way to know in which direction we must go. "From here onwards, every step would have drastic consequences on our plans. We can''t afford a single divergence from some irrelevant branch in his labyrinth. We need something to point us in the right direction. We need it now." Kai looked into Littlefinger''s eyes and he knew what this Character was trying to say. He closed his eyes, drummed his fingers, and let himself think over this suggestion for a few seconds. At last, he had to nod. "What''s going on?" Rintaro asked, his head turning from Kai to Petyr, and then back to Kai. "Am I missing something here?" "Petyr is saying that it is the most appropriate time for us to get our hands over that Item," Kai whispered, looking into the crackling fire. "Or one can take it as ¡ª Now or Never." Rintaro''s mouth gaped. "You mean¡­" Petyr chuckled slyly. "Yes, it''s even more important than a pack of condoms," he japed. Kai ignored the Herald of Chaos, his eyes burning deeper into the blazing hearth, and words came out of his mouth like tongues of fire. "Jack Sparrow''s Compass!" 0315 Buying the Philosophers Stone and a Warning! "An Item that points to the thing I want the most in this world is exactly what I need right now," Kai said, a touch of greed in his tone. "A visit to the Pirates of the Caribbean Random World is imminent, I guess." Rintaro frowned at the notion, though. "Didn''t Lab Member 002, Ms. Virgin (-Meg-), say that one needs a tremendous amount of Luck to even open this Item?" Kai laughed demonically as he heard that. "Haha! Who said it would be I who would use it?" he intoned, making both Characters'' brows jump. "Heh! Why do you think I have been bridging the gap between mine and Darcie''s goals so far since my reincarnation, letting her decipher the Book''s runes and search for Ancient Magical Script and Herpo the Foul, huh? Have you ever thought of it? "Of course, it was to connect my and Darcie''s desires so that when she was to hold the compass, it would point towards the thing we both want the most in the world. "All major storyline Characters possess immeasurable natural luck. Even if I cannot use the Item, Darcie can." "Reasonable," Petyr nodded. "However, there''s a tiny problem, my lord," he said, smiling slyly. "You need at least hundreds of thousands of Mission Credits. "Let''s not forget that you haven''t even checked the Time Divergence between Harry Potter Random World and Verse Fusion Random World. If you were to go back there one day and find that my lady, Shinobu Kocho, has died of old age, now that would be truly a matter of the ugliest shame, wouldn''t it?" Kai stood up, his back straight and proud. His gaze was traversing beyond this realm, reaching unknown destinations. Kai didn''t have the greatest of patience, but he had never been indecisive. "The path to the Peak of Absolute Power is full of sacrifices," he said, talking more to himself than to his Characters, who were gawking at the brilliant glint in his hazel pupils. "And one must always have the right attitude to know when to let go. Rintaro, pen a letter to Meg." "Ah! Yes, yes." Rintaro hastily brought a quill over and dipped the tip into the inkpot. "I am ready." Kai took a deep breath, his face hard, and then he worded out his command for Meg, his resolve hotter than fire. The moment he finished, Petyr threw himself off the chair. "My lord! This?! You must not¡­" Even Rintaro was having trouble believing what he had just written. Kai lifted a hand and put an end to the matter. "Let''s contact her," he said, taking the letter off Rintaro''s hands. "Then you two vanish. I have some new theories related to the Book''s runes that I must calculate. Hurry." Unknown to Kai, in a corner of London, two witches were staring at each other with a profound meaning hidden in their eyes. ¡­ If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "And?" one witch asked. The second witch answered with only a light motion of her head in response. It was a nod. A nod to decide the fate of a little girl. A nod to decide the fate of an entire world. * * Primordial Tower Trade Market, Today, the Market was in a tremendous uproar. A trader had just uploaded a Devil Fruit in the Market. A Devil Fruit! "Damn!" "Don''t know the meaning of heaven and earth¡­ shame!" "How extravagant?!" "Is it a senior?" "WHAT?! 5!!! This¡­" "Someone just got lucky, and now they can''t hold on to it¡­" "Sigh! This is good too¡­ Why beckon disaster on oneself, if you can just trade it for Mission Credits?" None were worried about Devil Fruit''s grade, as these weren''t Items in the first place. Devil Fruits, independent of the fact from which Mission Grade they had been unearthed, were Artifacts that one could take out from the One Piece Random World. Not to mention, these came under the category of Consumable products. "Which Devil Fruit is it?" "Telepathy-Telepathy Fruit? Never heard of it¡­" "It''s a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit. So what if you''ve never heard of it? Heh! Like you could get your hands on it. Haha!" "You!!!" "Go¡­ Hurry¡­ We must get that Devil Fruit. Our Organization''s top talent is Comprehending Legilimency using Telepathy. Empty the vaults!" To a few people''s dismay, and almost all traders'' misfortune, the Devil Fruit''s Uploader wasn''t looking for just Mission Credits. The Systems had valued the Telepathy-Telepathy Devil Fruit at 100 Million Mission Credits! Even so, the trader had put specific conditions for one to trade this Artifact. "Philosopher''s Stone?!" "Why not just ask for our lives?!" "Friend, please lower your conditions. I think you do not know what you are asking for, do you?" "Newbie! Do you not know the difficulty of getting the Philosopher''s Stone, no matter the Random World? So what if you have a Devil Fruit? Go fuck yourself!" "Benefactor, we are willing to trade this Devil Fruit at twice the value." The trader rejected all. There was only one demand ¡ª Philosopher''s Stone! "Junior who doesn''t know life from death! Let your Devil Fruit rot then. Don''t let me hear that someone has gained Telepathy-Telepathy Powers recently. Or this old man will directly pay a visit to that Contestant. Humph!" The trader ignored everything. After thousands of threats and even more pleadings, someone noticeable contacted the holder of the Devil Fruit. ¡­ Kai looked at the silhouette on the screen. [Where did you obtain the Devil Fruit?] the figure asked. "Do you have what I need or not?" Kai spat. [¡­] The figure answered with actions. In the very next moment, the holograms of three nail-sized red crystals danced in front of Kai, making him narrow his eyes. Simultaneously, the Systems responded with assigning a value of 33 Million Credits to each one of them as a testament to their authenticity. [Remember,] the figure warned, [these are Artifacts, not Items. And no where as potent, real, and worthy as the true Philosopher''s Stone obtainable from different Random Worlds. Do you know what I mean?] Kai could see a trap when he saw one. The other party was trying to confirm if he was someone who had chanced upon a Devil Fruit or was strong enough to obtain one himself. "I will let father deal with it," Kai answered slyly, beating around the bust. "Transfer the rest of the Mission Credits." [I will be more careful about the Philosopher''s Stones if I were you,] the figure warned, transferring the rest of the amount. [I am from Millennium Magical Alliance.] If Kai had not enslaved Meg, a 13th-floor fallen Contestant, then he would have fallen for this trap easily. What''s wrong with this Contestant? Kai contemplated, frowning. His every sentence is trying to figure out my origin. Did he¡­ recognize the Devil Fruit? No. There must be hundreds of same Fruits, if not less. "No wonder," Kai answered. "Father told me you guys are fucking idiots." [¡­] The figure cut the channel and the screen disappeared. Kai let out a sigh. In the next moment, his thoughts surfaced Inventory and looked at the Artifacts which had appeared directly into his MRB. The three, tiny Philosopher''s Stones were oozing bloody light hovering in the darkness! 0316 Great Divergence - Madam Villanelles Proposal! (I) Darcie woke up Saturday morning with a splitting headache. Uncountable whispers and incomprehensible hisses kept rushing in and out of her mind like forgotten dreams. Never had she felt so nauseated before, the feeling of not understanding something leaving her quite helpless. The only thing of comfort was that she knew the origin of this all. It wasn''t the first time that she had listened to her ancestor''s Patronus'' imprint in her dreams. The first time it happened, Darcie had gotten her hands on the mysterious documents and the Sign buried deep in the walls of Malfoy Manor''s beer cellar. Then she heard it hissing out two topics later ¡ª Ancient Magical Script and Herpo the Foul. Yet, those hisses had limited themselves to a few comprehensible words only. This time, it was different. It was as if the Patronus'' imprint was trying to teach her something, hissing in her ears constantly. She could hear it in her mind even now, and it wasn''t a good feeling, to say the least. Darcie threw herself off the sofa and gulped down a potion, instantly relieving herself from this pounding pain. I fell asleep, she thought, her eyes wandering on the table and the many books placed on it. Then her eyes fell on the black object, and she couldn''t help but let out a sigh. For the first time, Darcie felt guilty about the entire situation. Not because it was she who had gotten this item from a mysterious seller, but because, even after knowing its dark history, she still wanted to research it. Her curiosity to see the secrets hidden behind the abysmal seal of the black coating hadn''t satiated at all. Darcie thirsted for knowledge, and even more so for challenges. But this wasn''t the time to continue with this, she knew. Her mother had only permitted her to spend the night at Brews and Stews. Now she must go home. I will continue with this next week in Daphne and Dobby''s presence, Darcie planned, nodding to herself. She wasn''t afraid, but playing with this object did make her feel odd, especially when she couldn''t control her Magic to guard herself. After freshening herself up, Darcie arrived in the dining room on the ground floor from where she would take Floo Network to home. To her surprise, someone was already waiting for her there. "Good morning, mentor," Darcie greeted, not hiding her amazement. "Do you need my assistance today?" Unlike Darcie, the Assistant Manager of the Flourish and Blotts didn''t enjoy weekend holidays. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Madam Villanelle giggled and shook her head. "No," she said, gesturing at the seat opposite her. "Would you be kind enough to accompany me for breakfast?" Darcie saw no reason to deny her mentor''s request. A thin layer of snow had covered the cobbled streets of the Diagon Alley outside. It was still too early to know if the Grand Fair had brought some favorable changes to the alley''s business. For now, the light crowd hurrying up and down the cold street boded nothing bad. Darcie observed her mentor quietly. Madam Villanelle was quite a cheerful person. She talked when the situation needed it, guided when the time demanded it and gossiped when the hearts desired it. Other than that, she kept quiet, respecting her student''s inherent composedness. And Darcie liked all these things about her. "Good morning, Ms. Crispe," Darcie greeted the hotel''s owner as she came to deliver a light breakfast of boiled eggs and juice for her. The old witch had quite a wide smile on her face, her eyes dreamy, Darcie observed. An obvious result of the lucrative business the hotel had done in the last three days, perhaps? As Darcie and her mentor ate, a few more wizards and witches came down, taking seats around them. The air got filled with the smell of soot, delicious treats, coffees, and whispers. "Have you been feeling well?" Madam Villanelle asked. She was wearing a long green gown with rich floral embroidery, giving her a dense, regal appearance. Her silver-gray eyes shone like two cold stars, and on her head was a scarf, her shoulders carrying a plain shawl around them. Darcie sipped her juice and nodded. Madam Villanelle sighed. "I noticed your downcast expression during the celebratory ceremony," she told her. "Is yesterday''s matter still troubling you?" Darcie almost lost her composure. This?! Has her mentor found something from Garluk? She questioned herself. "Don''t think too much about it," Madam Villanelle comforted her. "The scuffle between your father and Arthur has nothing to do with you." Oh! Darcie released a gasp inwardly. She had indeed put behind the fight during the award ceremony yesterday afternoon. No matter who had been at fault, Darcie still believed that there was no reason for Mr. Weasley to raise the issue to a physical confrontation. She had felt quite indignant after seeing her father''s lip bleeding, then. But Mrs. Weasley''s sincere words and then her and Daphne''s findings related to the mysterious object made her let go of the topic. No wonder Madam Villanelle mistook her lost face for something else. Darcie didn''t trouble herself to clear the misunderstanding, though. Things had come too far, and it would be pointless to let her mentor know about the object now when she was close to unraveling its mysteries with her friends. A light nod was the best answer, and Darcie''s nods were already the lightest. Madam Villanelle''s smile broadened as she saw that. "Are you heading for home now?" she asked. "Yes, mentor," Darcie answered. "I have no strength to bear the burden of my mother''s wrath. If it was in my hands, I''d rather stay with you and learn more." Madam Villanelle couldn''t control her laugh. "Well, I have a better proposal for you, young lady," she whispered secretively, leaning forward. Sure enough, Darcie''s eyes lit up, and she skidded her way forward on the chair as well. "Already curious?" Madam Villanelle''s brows rose playfully. "I have some friends who would love to meet you, Darcie," she said, turning more serious than her usual self. "Would you be willing to join me for a short, adventurous meeting?" "Friends?" Darcie asked, feeling wondrous. For one, she knew little to nothing about Madam Villanelle, other than she had studied in Hogwarts. All her father''s attempts to unearth her mentor''s background had failed, to the point that they didn''t even know her last name, despite the registered accounts of Hogwarts'' students at the ministry. Then there was this feeling in Darcie''s heart that told her Madam Villanelle was no ordinary witch. Her mentor was too outstanding, knowing age-old secrets and events. Darcie even believed that if she had mentioned the words, Ancient Magical Script, directly to her, then she would have gotten a substantial response. But she feared her parents and the minister would find out about her ancestor''s Patronus in that case, so she instead only mentioned it indirectly, getting no results. If she didn''t have Mr. Ollivander to count on, then she truly wouldn''t have any other choice but to take her mentor''s help. Now that an opportunity presented itself, Darcie found it a matter of shame if she wouldn''t grab it. 0317 Great Divergence - The Minister of Magics Sincerity! (II) "It wouldn''t take long," Madam Villanelle said, her breath misting. "I will let your mother know. You will be back at Malfoy Manor in a few hours, anyway. So no harm done, right?" What else remained to think, then? "I would be honored to meet your friends, mentor," Darcie said calmly, but her eyes betrayed her enthusiasm. "When are we leaving?" Madam Villanelle stood up. "Now." Darcie had already finished her breakfast. She gracefully landed on the floor and stalked off towards the hearth, where the jar of floo powder was waiting for them. Behind her, the corners of Madam Villanelle''s mouth twitched ruefully, as if she didn''t know whether to laugh or not. "Darcie?" she called out, making the little girl turn around on the spot. "We will not use Floo Network." Darcie felt quite amazed. Not using Floo Network? Then¡­ Apparate! The word exploded in her mind. One must understand that not even the most skillful wizards and witches dared to take the chances of apparating with children, especially with those who were known to have great magical potential. There were two reasons for it. First, no matter how small, there were always chances of splinching during the apparition. With children, no parent was willing to take such risks. Second, the magic around budding children was notoriously known to fluctuate out of control. What if such episodes of unpredictable fluctuations were to occur midway during an Apparition? Would the wizard be skilled enough to take control of the situation, then? In light of these reasons, almost all avoided Apparition with children, using the safer routes of Floo Network and Brooms instead. For Madam Villanelle to even suggest Apparition, despite Darcie being a little girl and known to have undergone an accident related to control over magic, told how self-confident she was. Moreover, Darcie trusted her mentor, for the minister, her friend, had chosen her for this job. "Come," Madam Villanelle held out her hand. Darcie''s gloved fingers grabbed her mentor''s and then the pair walked out of the hotel, arriving at a secluded corner. "Relax," Madam Villanelle instructed. "No matter what happens, you must not let go of my hand, OK? (-Darcie nodded-). Hmm, as it''s your first time, you would feel a little nauseated. Still, you are used to traveling through Floo Network, so it shouldn''t bother you that much. Are you ready?" "No," Darcie blurted. "Good." Madam Villanelle''s response shocked the little Malfoy, and then everything happened at once. The two ladies spun as the very space around them liquefied, collapsing unto itself like a whirlpool. Darcie felt herself stretching from head to toe as if she had been forced to pass through a thin tube. Blurred faces, buildings, streets, and whispers moaned in her eyes and ears. And just when she felt like dying by suffocation, her feet landed on solid ground with a thud. Stolen novel; please report. Darcie staggered, and a hand on her back held her up. Everything was still blurry in her eyes, her mind spinning round and round. Suddenly, the recently eaten breakfast flew up from her stomach. As Darcie felt the acidic feeling at the back of her throat, she couldn''t help but frown, reflecting the need for her mentor to make her eat when she knew they were going to apparate. "The first time is also the best time to get used to this nauseous feeling," Madam Villanelle''s voice reached Darcie''s ears. "Control your breathing, vomit if you must, and you will be fine." Darcie forced down the acidity, however. She took several deep breaths and her sight stabilized in no time. A gloomy sight greeted Darcie as she opened her eyes. It was a long corridor, with black-tiled walls and a polished wooden floor. On the walls, torches were blazing with blue-white flames, curtaining the entire stretch of the corridor in a mysterious but deathly silence. Not to mention there were no windows and doors, startling Darcie even more. Darcie turned around, and at the end of the corridor, several hundred feet away, she saw a magnificent door. And outside the door, someone was standing, smiling at her. "Milli?!" Darcie exclaimed in surprise. Where exactly did they arrive? Madam Villanelle had yet to let go of Darcie''s hand. She brought her to the minister, their steps echoing off the silent walls far and wide. Alas! There was no one here to marvel at that sound. "Milli, I don''t understand," Darcie said, feeling lost. "Where are we?" Millicent Bagnold was dressed in a formal red-blue checked coat, a hat, and gloves. There was a smile on the minister''s face, but only when Darcie neared her did she notice this smile felt more saddened than joyful to her. Even with her brilliant mind, Darcie couldn''t make sense of this sudden gathering. She looked up and down, and left and right, trying to see a hint, a clue. Suddenly, her eyes widened. Her first experience of apparition seemed to have affected her. Otherwise, with her rich knowledge, she would have already found out where she was. As Darcie continued to observe, the answer naturally arrived in her mind. Sure enough, the minister said, "We are at the ministry''s headquarters. Please sit. I have some things to tell you. It would all depend on your decision." Darcie felt puzzled. The minister waved her wand and three chairs spun in existence in front of the giant door that looked strong and ancient. As Darcie sat, Millicent and Madam Villanelle eyed her with a profound gaze. Then they nodded at each other. The minister drew a scant breath. "I just hope you will forgive me after hearing this all¡­" And then, in the quiet and heavy atmosphere of the corridor, Millicent Bagnold and Madam Villanelle told her everything. With every next sentence, Darcie became quieter, not believing what she was hearing at all. They wanted to raise her to stand against Voldemort''s eventual return? They wanted her to become a Symbol of Power? They wanted her to live for one thing ¡ª to have the strength to defy the Dark Lord? Wasn''t this all¡­ just too selfish? How could they decide her fate for their self-interests? How could they?! Was there anything more absurd than this?!! If there was anyone else in Darcie''s place, then that person, child or not, fool or philosopher, would have surely asked these questions to oneself, feeling aggrieved. Not Darcie. "Oh, dear!" the minister rubbed away a stray drop of tear off her face, her eyes as red as blood. "I am so sorry," she apologized. "I know it''s too much to ask of you. You are not even 7, and yet here I am, an old witch demanding such a sacrifice from you without involving your parents. "If there was any other choice, any other path that I could take, then let me assure you that I would have taken it already. But¡­ Sigh!" Madam Villanelle was oddly calm, unlike her old friend. She faced Darcie with a smile. "Darcie, you can reject it all if you don''t want to do it," she suggested. "No one would think less of you, and it would remain among us friends, I promise. There is absolutely no reason for you to plunge yourself into these things." The minister nodded, but reluctantly. "It''s just that¡­" Millicent said, avoiding Madam Villanelle''s penetrating glare and her frown, "¡­ we have a good reason to believe that Voldemort''s up to something grand, grander than everything in the last war. "The sooner we start, the better it will be, for we don''t know when he will strike. It can be tomorrow, after a few years, or even after decades. A child, with talents as promising as yours, is our best bet." Madam Villanelle fumed. "Stop, Milli," she rebuked. "Don''t force her. Do you think she understands the severity of the things you are asking of her?" To both witches'' utter surprise, Darcie smiled at this point. Till now, her eyes seemed to have undergone a deep struggle. Even her thoughts were lost, wandering to the unknown depths of possibilities and events. But now? Now she looked exactly like she had always been to others. The most brilliant witch of her generation! "I understand," Darcie told them. "I know why Milli did this, mentor, and I think I understand it all." "What¡­ What do you understand?" Madam Villanelle prodded, looking astonished. Darcie almost giggled. Why wouldn''t she understand what the minister was trying to do? "Those who strive to achieve greatness must also carry the burden greater than everyone else." 0318 The Department of Mysteries Hall of Portkeys! Darice had desired nothing but true Greatness since the time she had learned the meaning of the word Desire. Millicent''s pupils trembled, and even Madam Villanelle looked taken aback by the sudden utterance of those words. Truly a mind and bearing transcending her age and generation! Both witches thought simultaneously. "I knew you would say something like that," the minister grinned magnificently, her worries becoming elation. "V, you heard her. I hope you won''t back out now. Let them meet her." Madam Villanelle took a deep breath, her gaze becoming hard and resolute. "I won''t. Let''s go." Huh? What''s going on?! Darcie once again felt something wasn''t right. "Wait! Milli wasn''t one of the friends you were talking about, mentor?" Millicent Bagnold''s eyes widened. "You told Darcie you would take her to meet friends?! You already knew she would accept my proposal?!" she asked Madam Villanelle. The Assistant Manager of Flourish and Blotts smiled mischievously. "Humph! You think only you know the girl''s heart?" The minister couldn''t help but smile at the question. She then looked down at Darcie. "Do you know where we are?" By now, Darcie had confirmed it a dozen times already. "Level 9. The corridor leading to the Department of Mysteries." The witches gave a hard nod. The minister tapped the giant black door with her wand, and the doors opened with a creaking sound. They entered an Entrance Chamber. It was a circular room with a dark marble floor that looked almost like standing water, candles emitting a cool blue light, and twelve handleless doors. Darcie had always known the description, and some more from her father, but the genuine feeling of standing here was truly matchless. Magic was thick here, Darcie observed. Thicker than the most mysterious places Darcie had been to so far. Even the costliest books didn''t mention what lay beyond these doors. So it truly fascinated Darcie to be here, about to enter one of these doors. It would have been even better if she knew where she was going, Darcie thought, holding back her curiosity. She just hoped Daphne and Dobby would have been here with her as well. Then she wouldn''t have to hide these things from them later. The Department of Mysteries contained the secrets of secrets, Darcie had learned. If there was anything that deserved to be called Confidential, then this department would top the list. Not to mention, only the Unspeakables could research and walk freely in and out of this department. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. The department enjoyed grand independence in its work, to the point that even the ministry could not influence it beyond a line. Why this was so, Darcie didn''t know. Nor did she think about it further. Daphne''s uncle is an Unspeakable, Darcie remembered suddenly. It was just that the girls never discussed him when they were together. "This way," the minister said, pointing to a door. The three witches headed in that direction, and once again, the minister tapped the handleless door with her wand. This time, when the door opened, someone was standing beyond it. It was a male, dressed in a black hooded cloak. He eyed them with an emotionless gaze, his black eyes seeing into the mysteries themselves. To Darcie''s shock, the Unspeakable ignored both the minister and her and did something that she could''ve never expected to see. The Unspeakable was bowing towards Madam Villanelle, his back bent at 90 degrees. This?! Darcie couldn''t make sense of this gesture. Who exactly was her mentor? What was Madam Villanelle''s true identity? An even bigger thing to be astonished of was that the minister looked quite calm as if she had known this would happen. The Unspeakable turned around and the older witches followed him in, Darcie catching up with them with hurried steps. "Where are we?" Darcie asked her mentor in a hushed tone. It was the minister who replied. "There are several chambers within the Department of Mysteries, Darcie," she told her, smiling proudly. "This one is called¡­ the Celestial Chamber." Darcie frowned. "It has another name," Madam Villanelle added. "The Hall of Portkeys." "Portkeys?" Darcie looked unimpressed. She had thought the Department of Mysteries was for researching profound mysteries. What was so great about Portkeys? "Ignorance is truly bliss," Madam Villanelle sighed. "How do you think the wizardkind learned to create Portkeys?" Darcie''s mouth became the shape of an O. "It all started here," the minister chimed in. "Not only do the Unspeakables monitor all the Portkeys created in Britain in this Hall, but they also research the origin and ultimate destination of ancient Portkeys found in every corner of the world that predates the known history of wizardkind." "Some Portkeys lead to strange places and dimensions," Madam Villanelle told Darcie. "A few are even believed to take the user to the unknown depths of Cosmos." Even with her intelligence, Darcie was having trouble believing what she was hearing. However, she couldn''t ask more questions, the sudden sight bewitching her senses. They had entered a majestic hall with a towering vaulted ceiling. Half a dozen Unspeakables were seated on desks, examining the oddest collections of objects. The moment they saw Madam Villanelle, they all stood up and bowed toward her. Darcie''s head kept bobbing in all directions. There were shelves piled with broken and dusty objects. She saw earthen pots, awls, bones, rocks, books, etc. All Portkeys. "When you meet them," Madam Villanelle suddenly said, jolting Darcie, "just be yourself, and don''t be nervous." "They are here?" Darcie asked, still trying to see as much as she could. "No." Madam Villanelle shook her head. "We will use a Portkey." They had arrived in front of another door, older than the several objects Darcie had seen so far. The Unspeakable paused beside the door, and said, "Only the Ancient is allowed in." The minister nodded and stood aside. "It''s all up to you, V." Then she smiled at Darcie, her eyes full of expectations. Darcie had already stopped thinking much about these strange turns of events. She saw Madam Villanelle whisper something to the Unspeakable, who narrowed his eyes at Darcie and nodded heavily. "Come." Madam Villanelle held Darcie''s hand and put her hand on the door. The metal rippled like water and they walked in without the door even opening. The most magical sight greeted Darcie in this chamber. ¡­ It was a small room and had plain black walls and a marble floor. In the middle of the room, there was a pool of black liquid that looked like a bottomless well. And over this pool, a sword was hovering mid-air, tossing and turning elegantly. It was a longsword sheathed into a blue and yellow scabbard. The sword''s hilt was as blue as the sky, and there was a yellow jewel at its end as a pommel. The very presence of this object spoke of power, majesty, righteousness, and justice. Even the very space around it seemed to bend, giving an impression as if it was nothing but a cloth wrapped around the sword. "This is¡­" Darcie eyed the object in sheer incredulity. Madam Villanelle nodded. "The legendary sword¡­" she whispered, her voice vanishing into the black pool. "¡­ Excalibur!" 0319 The Mythical Island! Excalibur! This was a name that boasted of power, and more so when one recalled all the legends related to it; its mysteries endless. Perhaps, for the first time in her life, Darcie was showing the expressions that a little girl like her ought to show on encountering such things. Her eyes were fluttering, her cheeks were gaining a rosy color, and her mouth kept opening and closing with every thought that passed by her brilliant mind. "Afraid?" Madam Villanelle asked, raising an eyebrow. Darcie tore her gaze off the space-bending sword and shook her head. The older witch giggled and then pinched Darcie''s cheek. "Just follow my lead," she said kindly. There was still a considerable gap between the sword and the black pool''s circumference where they were standing. With one step, Madam Villanelle stepped into the black liquid, the water rippling under her feet. Darcie followed. She looked down and saw her face rippling in the pool of black water. Her shoes were drowned an inch into the pool, yet there was no sensation of them getting wet. Even the surface she was standing on felt like a mirror to Darcie. It was all too mystical and strange for even her to comprehend. "Pretty, right?" Madam Villanelle commented, obviously talking about the black liquid. "It''s called the Well of Eternal Fall. "If someone were to step into it without fulfilling certain conditions, they would instantly fall into it, and would keep falling for eternity." Darcie''s heartbeat quickened and goosebumps stood up on her arms and the back of her neck. This was just too scary. However, Darcie wasn''t scared, her mind still holding onto rational thoughts. "Certain conditions like your presence, mentor?" Madam Villanelle said nothing, but a smile on her face answered everything. They walked up to the pool''s center, where the sword was hovering, tossing, and turning, sending out heart-palpating spatial ripples. There were no more words and warnings. Madam Villanelle''s hand lifted, reaching for the blue-yellow scabbard. The moment her finger made contact with the sword, both witches and the Portkey spun at their places, and disappeared. Crack! ¡­ Darcie had experienced her first Apparition only an hour ago. This, however, did nothing to prepare for the feeling of traveling through a Portkey. On some notes, it was even worse, Darcie concluded. It was as if there was a hook stuck in her stomach, wrenching her forward cruelly with no kind intentions. The sensation of her entire being getting squeezed through a fist-sized tunnel was not something to be praised, either. Her cheeks flailed, her hair looked like thousands of white-golden snakes hissing at the void, and her eyes moistened. When Darcie felt like she wouldn''t be able to bear it any longer, her feet struck solid footing, and a distinct sound of splashing of water entered her ears. "Good," Madam Villanelle praised, still holding Darcie''s hand. "Better than last time." Darcie took several deep breaths and propped herself up. She was still standing in a pool, her shoes drowned an inch into the water. But the liquid wasn''t black here. It was clearer even than water, reflecting Darcie''s face and the cloudy sky overhead. Suddenly, Darcie heard a buzz, and she snapped her head up. In front of her eyes, there was a bee-like magical insect buzzing midair. It had a vivid sapphire blue color, and its wings were on its head, rather than on the back. Its size was around half an inch, and the rest of its body was like a blue hook, ending in a stinger. By now, Darcie had just learned and read too much to not recognize it. "A Billywig!" she cried. The magical insect startled at the noise and vanished as if it had too apparated. Its speed was too fast for the naked eye to perceive its trajectory. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. This was just the beginning. Cry! Roar! Hiss!!! Great shadows engulfed the area where Darcie was standing. She craned up her neck and looked at the beings that had cast those shadows. The shock was so great that she couldn''t help but take a step back, her poisonous, green pupils trembling at the sight. There, with the vast sky as a witness, a copper-colored, and over 12 ft large, dragon was spitting fire at another flying creature. This second creature had the front legs, wings, and head of a giant eagle, and the body, hind legs, and tail of a lion. Half the time it was crying like an eagle, and half the time it was roaring like a proud lion. "Peruvian Vipertooth and Griffin¡­" Darcie mumbled involuntarily, drawing a long gasp. By her side, Madam Villanelle sighed. "These two¡­ are a headache," she complained, frowning. "Let''s go, Darcie." The little Malfoy walked out of the pool in a daze. She had yet to look down, her eyes following the two magical creatures as they disappeared on the horizon. Their cries, roars, and hisses reached her as if they were still over her head. Then Darcie looked over her shoulder and saw the legendary sword now hovering above the center of the pool, gently folding the space around it like a drape. Only then did Darcie get the chance to observe where she had arrived. However, words left her heart when she thought of describing the charm of this place. They were walking on a cobbled path, she realized. To her left, and stretched to the distant horizon, were sheets of meadows, forests with gigantic trees, and mountain after mountain, their tips dipped into a snowy ink. In those fields and forests, Darcie saw prides of Griffins, herds of Hippogriffs, a giant Sphinx resting on a grassy mound with grand majesty, and towering pillars of rocks near the foot of mountains. Suddenly, one of the rocky pillars stood up, and Darcie realized what it truly was. A Giant! All of those rocky pillars were Giants! Under the leafy darkness of distant forests, she heard thunderous pounds of raging hooves, and then several Centaurs appeared in her sight, chasing a Manticore, who let out a soul-shaking cry as hundreds of arrows pierced into its body. It was hard. It was just too hard for Darcie to look away from this sight, as they kept walking, and then turned her head to her right. Sure enough, the sight was as grand as the last, if not grander. There was an enormous lake, with large villages built around its edges. A horde of Flying Seahorses was jumping in and out of the water, and a long tentacle of a Giant Squid was trying to catch them. Purple toads croaked in shallow pools, and on small trees, Darcie noticed a few Clabberts; a magical tree-dwelling beast that resembled a cross between a monkey and a frog. The villages were nothing to be overlooked, either. Darcie saw humans, house-elves, goblins, and, if she wasn''t mistaken, Pukwudgies. Chirp! The sudden call brought Darcie''s attention to the path ahead. A plump, fluffy-feathered, and flightless magical bird was crossing the cobbled road, with two young chicks following its steps. Diricawls, Darcie recalled the name of the creatures. They waited before continuing with their stroll, the young Malfoy failing to shake off the stupor she was in. An enchanting giggling noise then caught up to them from behind. Darcie and Madam Villanelle stopped and turned around to greet the beings to whom these giggles belonged. There were three fairies, each carrying an earthen pot filled with water. Or that''s how Darcie perceived them, for they were just too beautiful for them to be called ladies. These fairies had moon-white skin, and their white-gold hairs were like a milky waterfall, sprinkled with a touch of sunset. Darcie knew who they were, for even if she hadn''t met one, she had read about them extensively. Veelas! The word popped into her mind. "Oh!" one of the veelas drew a gasp, and she flew towards Darcie. This flying was not true, as this Veela was indeed walking, but it was just a perception that her grace projected in others'' eyes. "Is she half-veela, Villanelle?" the Veela asked, tracing a finger on Darcie''s cheek. "She''s so pretty." Soon, even the other two Veelas also flocked around Darcie, commenting on her appearance. "Hmm, she does look like one, doesn''t she?" Madam Villanelle giggled, winking at Darcie. ROAR!!! The quaking roar shook them all out of nowhere. Darcie''s head spun to her left, and at the top of a mountain, she saw a black speck of light. This black speck threw itself into the air, and in no time, closed the gap that could very well be over dozens of miles. Darcie, with an open mouth, saw the black speck becoming a colossal black dragon as it flew by them, and then disappearing on the other side, turning into a black speck again. "That¡­" Darcie mumbled, astonished. "¡­ was a Hungarian Horntail." Madam Villanelle then shared a few more laughs with the Veelas as if the matter with the dragon was nothing new to them. Then they set off towards the unknown destination once again. Where had they arrived?! Darcie asked herself for the first time after arriving at this place. She kept looking all over, and the more she observed, the odder this place became. This place was just too big, and yet, Darcie could see a mist, denser than white, surrounding this piece of earth from all around like a cage. Darcie was still thinking about asking it directly to her mentor when loud chirping noises caught her attention. The cobbled path they were walking on was taking a sudden left turn a few dozen meters ahead. On the side of that turn, there was a palm tree. Those chirps were coming from a nest housed over a branch of that tree. There was something more than magical about those chirps, Darcie noticed but failed to put her finger on it. It was then she saw fire. It was then she saw the sun. It was then she heard it, singing a song of blazing heat and power; of majesty beyond beauty. A Phoenix flew down from the celestial dome and landed on the branch with the nest. It looked down, and Darcie could''ve sworn it was looking at her. She couldn''t hold it in any longer. "Where are we, mentor?!" "And here I thought you would never ask," Madam Villanelle giggled. "We are at a piece of history that only a few had the fortune to pass by, young lady. "A place, ever-shrouded by the mist of ancientness and immeasurable might. This is the island where myths were created, died, and buried, but not lost." Darcie''s heart was pounding, and a name was surfacing in her mind as her mentor kept talking. A name that could shake the entire world, magical and non-magical alike. "Excalibur was forged here¡­" Madam Villanelle declared, her tone now becoming reminiscent. She stepped forward, bringing Darcie with her, and then took the left turn. ¡­ A magnificently vast white castle-like tower was looming over the world at the end of this cobbled path, Darcie saw. And there was a short archway before the tower''s entrance. In front of that archway stood a white-colored beast, with a Chinese dragon''s head, dragon-like whiskers, two draconic horns, and a horse''s body, with scaled back. A white Qilin! Rarest, even among its species. "We are at¡­" Madam Villanelle continued, her entire aura changing to become regal and the most splendor. "¡­ Avalon!" 0320 The Order of the Immortal Lotus! Darcie had never seen such whiteness before. If there was something that could match the beauty of this Qilin she was seeing now, then it was the white-silver snake she had been seeing for a few months in her dreams; her ancestor''s Patronus'' imprint. Phoenix nested behind her back, Qilin stood at the end of her path. There was something beyond poetic about Darcie''s current situation; something truly out of a lost fairytale. This cobbled path from the palm tree to the archway in front of the tower''s entrance wasn''t long, but only a few hundred meters in length. Yet, it was this simplicity itself that made it stand out even more to Darcie. Avalon! Darcie recalled the name she had already guessed. So it is indeed that place. She had arrived on the island where myths were created, died, and buried, as introduced by her mentor. But how many of those myths Darcie had read were true, she didn''t know. Not yet. Madam Villanelle brought her towards the looming tower, stretching from earth to heaven like a white staff with unparalleled majesty. As they kept nearing the tower, Darcie had a feeling that the entire world''s magic was concentrating at this place, the density becoming thicker and thicker with every step. Soon they arrived in front of the Qilin, where Madam Villanelle stopped, and for the first time, bowed. Darcie looked up at the magnificent creature, her pupils widening to take in its entire figure. From the ground to the tip of its horns, the Qilin was over 8 ft tall. Its back was covered with glossy, white draconic scales. The whiskers near its nose were like two snakes, with a life of their own, flailing and swaying endlessly. Its breath was cool, warm, sweet, and soothing at the same time. But even these things couldn''t portray the true charm of this magical creature. There was a wisp of seven-colored mist that kept revolving around its entire body, giving a feeling that the Qilin didn''t belong to this world. Then there were its eyes; pure black sclera with no pupils. From time to time, Darcie saw rivers of stars rushing from one corner of its eyes to another. When the rivers vanished, a few leftover stars exploded, becoming stellar dust, which attracted another wave of nascent starry rivers. Darcie was just too stunned to question the authenticity of her observations. Creation? Destruction? These eyes contained not one, but all. The white Qilin''s nostrils puffed, and Madam Villanelle straightened her back. Then the Qilin marched off with regal splendor. Its first, second, and third steps were on the cobbled path; fourth, fifth, and sixth steps were in the void, and by the seventh, it was on the clouds, watching all beings underneath with a kind gaze. Cry! Darcie spun her head back and saw a fiery ball of fire spreading its wings, releasing a cry that shook the entire world. The Phoenix hovered several hundred meters above the earth, and then with a single flap of its blazing wings, it disappeared as well, crossing who knew how many miles. "Avalon restricts Apparition and similar methods," Madam Villanelle whispered, her tone incredibly respectful. "Outsiders like us can''t leave the cobbled path without special permission. "For thousands of years, or perhaps even longer, the island''s harmony hadn''t been corrupted. And it will remain so for eras to come." There was a finality in her mentor''s tone, Darcie noticed. A touch of reverence, fear, admiration, and loyalty as well. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Darcie thought it better to not ask about those emotions. Not to mention, her eyes just couldn''t leave the sight of a burning sun flying from one edge of the island to the other, and the distinct outline of the Qilin above a throne of a stagnant ball of clouds. "The island doesn''t seem big, right?" Madam Villanelle asked, prickling the doubt in Darcie''s heart. The young Malfoy nodded. Madam Villanelle smiled. "That''s a misconception," she told her. "In truth, Avalon is bigger than entire Great Britain put together." "What?" Darcie blurted, losing the composure she was so known for. And there was a good reason for it, justifying her behavior. "How could this be, mentor?" she asked, astonished. "Even Extension Charms has its limits¡­" Madam Villanelle didn''t answer directly. "You will understand later," she intoned. "Let''s go. They are waiting for you." The witches turned around and approached the archway. Only now did Darcie get the luxury to marvel at the grandeur of this creation. It wasn''t overly big, but it wasn''t small, either; just tall enough for the white Qilin to pass through with its head held high. The archway had two pillars, and there was an arch placed over the pillars, chiseled out from a giant piece of jade. All three components were filled with runes and hieroglyphs. Darcie couldn''t read them. She had been learning to decipher such runes for long now, but she still had a long way to go, it seemed. Nevertheless, there was one symbol that didn''t need any deciphering, and it stood out from others with its size and stature in Darcie''s eyes. On the arch, and exactly at the top-middle position, there was a seven-petaled lotus, with each of its petals showcasing a color of the rainbow. Madam Villanelle took Darcie through the archway and entered the Tower. Darcie found herself standing in a vast hall of an unprecedented dimension. It was round, with vaulted ceilings. The walls of the hall were naked with no tapestry, and there were enormous reliefs carved all over the circular hall, showcasing the scenes of battles, bearded wizards, flying witches, and a few incomprehensible meetings. In the middle of the hall, over a smooth, white marbled floor, there was a round table. And around that round table were seven high-back chairs. If that was all, then Darcie wouldn''t have felt as if her feet were losing a sense of life and courage. Six figures were seated on six chairs, their faces covered under hoods, and all waiting for her. Each figure had a mist around them, having one color from the rainbow. Not only it blurred their appearance, but it also gave them a mysterious aura as if they didn''t truly exist there. Madam Villanelle''s grip tightened on her fingers, giving her courage. "Come," she said gently. "There''s nothing to fear." Darcie took a deep breath, as much as her little lungs could bear to hold, and then walked along with her mentor, approaching these six figures. As she neared the round table, Darcie became calmer, now noticing more than the blurred figures and the high-back chairs. Each of these figures had an object hovering just over them, and the same mist that was blurring their appearance was connected to that object with a thin strand. ¡­ The figure, whose appearance was being blurred by the violet mist, had a violet-colored signet ring hovering above its head, but it didn''t remain a ring for long. It spun at its axis, and the ring became a violet key. Then, after a few moments, this key became a miniature violet throne. Darcie''s pupils once again trembled at this sight, and she threw her eyes toward another figure. On violet''s right, there was a figure enshrouded by red mist. Above its head, there was a miniature red cauldron, which kept becoming a red flower and a red wand from time to time. Above the head of the figure blurred by the orange mist, there was a book with an orange cover, which then shook, taking the form of an orange staff. At the top of this staff was a pair of wings, and two snakes were climbing their way up on it, coiling around each other. To this figure''s right, there was a figure in yellow. Above its head, there was also a book. However, its cover was blacker than black, and only a thin strand of yellow mist revolved around it. Darcie couldn''t help but have a feeling that this book was just too far from her, and no matter how much she was to approach it, she would not touch it. T his feeling of having this book both near and far unnerved her the most. The one hidden under green mist had grass hovering above its head. This grass kept transforming into a green-colored coffin, and then a green-colored skull. From simple to terrifying, this green mist seemed to represent everything. To its right, there was the figure in blue. And above its head, there was a wooden staff, blue mist circling it from top to bottom. But unlike the others, this staff wasn''t changing into anything. It was like this staff alone was enough to bear the weight of the sky; imperishable. The chair between the figures hidden under blue and violet mist was empty, and only a wisp of indigo mist churned there in solitude. ¡­ "Villanelle, is this the girl you were talking about?" the figure hidden in the red mist asked. "Not bad." "Introduce us." The one hidden under the violet mist commanded. Madam Villanelle gave a curt nod to all and then brought Darcie to a stop behind the indigo chair. The high-back chair instantaneously became transparent, letting Darcie observe all and let them observe her in return. "These are the ones who shoulder the weight of past and future, Darcie," Madam Villanelle declared, her tone solemn. "These six are the founding members of an ancient Order whose true age is nigh impossible to surmise¡­" Then, something happened that truly shocked the leaving breath out of Darcie. Madam Villanelle left Darcie''s side and walked around the table before coming to a stop behind the chair where the figure hidden under the green mist was seated. She pulled the chair back, and then, with grace and aura not less than the Qilin and Phoenix outside the tower, she merged with the blurry figure. Madam Villanelle''s entire face blurred under the green mist, and it kept fluctuating between her true appearance and blurred appearance one moment after another. "We¡­" It was then this green figure, who was Madam Villanelle as well, thundered, "¡­ are the Order of the Immortal Lotus!" 0321 A Shocking List of Students! The Order of the Immortal Lotus?!! Darcie didn''t recall any instance of reading, hearing, or dreaming of this name. Ever. She wasn''t conceited enough to claim that she had read all the books on Magical History, or knew everything, but she had indeed read a lot. Darcie had not even heard of the Immortal Lotus. Much less needed to be said about an Order created around this name. Immortal!!! Was this a word just anybody could add as a prefix? Darcie shook her mind inwardly. No matter how outrageous and unbelievable the claims she was hearing, Darcie believed she must not lose her senses because of it. Not here, where she could not tell if she had come among friends or foes. Darcie had not forgotten that, in the end, she was a Malfoy. Even if her family had proved its innocence after the Wizarding War, she had potent reasons to believe that her father had indeed sided with the Dark Lord. These were the things of the past, and Darcie had nothing to do with it. But she wasn''t foolish enough to take others'' mercy and thoughts for granted, either. Her sudden thoughts made Darcie raise her guard against these people, whose faces were hidden, and that guard brought a veil of calmness over her face. Somehow, the moment she became calmer, all the six figures nodded to themselves. "Praiseworthy!" the one hidden under blue mist commented. "I remember there was only one other wizard who had not lost his composure at this moment. "He was much older than you when he had come to us, and he was standing in the same spot where you are standing now, young lady. Quite impressive." The others nodded in agreement. Darcie had been questioning their intentions before. Now, curiosity barged unannounced into her heart. "May I know who this wizard you are talking about?" she asked, her tone childish, but brimming with intelligence. "Hehe!" the one under the red mist giggled. The voice belonged to a woman, sharp and enchanting. "You must have heard of him. The brat''s gone and accomplished a few things in the outside world," she commented offhandedly. "Isn''t that so?" To Darcie''s left was the figure hidden under the blue mist, and to her right was the color violet. It was the latter who nodded and ultimately answered Darcie''s question. "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," said the figure under the violet mist. Eh?! Darcie was so thunderstruck that she became even more silent than her usual self. This name meant too much to her. Even if her father hated this wizard, Professor Dumbledore represented everything that Darcie sought after. Greatness, Accomplishments, Loyalty, and Power, but Greatness above all. Yet, an even more shocking thing was the word the figure under the red mist had used to call Professor Dumbledore. Brat! This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Who in this world could address such an old wizard as Brat?! Who were these people?!! "Of course, he had come here in his adulthood," the one hidden under the orange mist told her. "You are indeed the first of your kind, Darcie. Not even a 7-year-old, and yet, one of us has already recommended you for the 7th seat." Darcie took a deep breath. "I don''t understand," she said honestly. Madam Villanelle, or the one hidden under the green mist, nodded at her. "Order of the Immortal Lotus'' members are those who don''t belong to this era," she told her. "There is only one rule to our workings ¡ª Not to meddle with the Present. "The only thing that concerns us is the dangers stemming from the Past and the Future which can influence the Present. "But from generation to generation, we all take students to fill up empty title of Indigo Seat and guide the happenings in the Present through them to a better future. "Albus Dumbledore was one of these students under the guidance of Blue Seat, and a potential candidate of Indigo Seat. But he wasn''t the first. Nor was he the last before you." Orange Seat chimed in, then. "I had taken a student before in the 14th century," he told Darcie. "He''s still alive." Waves after waves of curiosity and a speck of unbelievable anticipation were surging in Darcie''s heart. The question came naturally to her. "Who was it?" "Nicolas Flamel." This?! Darcie gaped at the answer. The supposed creator of the Philosopher''s Stone? Red Seat giggled. "Speaking of students¡­" she drawled, "¡­ I had several. But this one was quite special. Zygmunt Budge." Zygmunt Budge! One of the most accomplished Potioneer ever! Darcie remembered the name as well as he remembered her own. This was just too grand, even for her. All these names could cause a disturbance on a world scale, and that was saying something in itself. Compared to them, she was nothing, Darcie realized. Yet, the question persisted. "I still don''t understand," Darcie said, dejected. "Why haven''t I heard this Order''s name from anyone? Why is there no book that mentions such an organization?" Violet Seat nodded at her. "As Green Seat told you," he answered, "we are the ones who don''t belong to this era. Those who know about us keep it to themselves, for there''s no reason and benefit to do otherwise. "All mentions of the Order get erased as well, once written, spoken, and shared by non-permitted members. Not to mention, the Order of the Immortal Lotus doesn''t leave behind an imprint in the Present. Remember, we only guide, not indulge." Magic on such a grand scale?! Darcie questioned herself, now utterly flabbergasted. If what this person said was true, then it truly was no wonder that she hadn''t heard or read about them. Yet, at this moment, her eyes couldn''t help but fall on the transparent Indigo Seat, and an even grander question surfaced in her mind. "May I know the reason for this Seat to be still empty?" This was indeed a brilliant question, striking the crux of the situation. With wizards like Nicolas Flamel and Albus Dumbledore already visiting this place in the past, it made little sense that they couldn''t even fulfill the conditions, if any, to sit on this Indigo chair. A few of the six figures sighed at the question. "All of them indeed had their reasons to give up on this opportunity," Orange Seat explained. "Among all, Albus Dumbledore had come closest to achieving the unachievable, but he was against our policy of Inaction, resulting in him abandoning his recommendation. "And before the first Wizarding War, when we refused his demands of taking action for his side, he ultimately abandoned our Order, creating one of his own. "Albus had never come here since then. There was one more reason¡­" "Orange?!" Madam Villanelle raised her voice as if keeping him from telling Darcie some grave information. Red Seat giggled enchantingly. "Is the girl your recommendation or not?" she scoffed. "If she is, then don''t interrupt." Madam Villanelle''s face shook, and then ultimately blurred, the green mist overtaking her body. "As I said, there was one more reason," Orange Seat continued. "I told you that among all, Albus Dumbledore had come closest to achieving the unachievable, claiming the Indigo Seat for his own, but that is only half the truth. "There was another, between Albus and your generation, Darcie, who had surpassed him. If it wasn''t for a few circumstances, this Seat wouldn''t have been so empty now." Darcie could scarcely believe it. Someone in-between her and Dumbledore''s generation? Wouldn''t that put this man around her father''s generation? "You know him," Yellow Seat spoke for the first time, his voice quite unearthly as if he wasn''t here, but somewhere far. "I brought him in as a student. His name was ¡ª "Tom Marvolo Riddle." This name didn''t ring any bells in Darcie''s mind. "Who?" "He has another name, more infamous than his true one¡­" Green Seat addressed Darcie''s doubt. "¡­ Lord Voldemort, the Dark Lord!" 0322 Those Who Dont Belong to this Era! (I) Darcie couldn''t blink as she heard this name. "Of course, we didn''t know that he would become one of the darkest wizards of his era," Orange Seat explained. "Yellow Seat had brought him to us in a comparatively quiet period, during the 1960s. "He had ambition, and he had done several things one might say heinous to an unforgivable degree. "One can''t just hide such things from us. But you must not forget that we are not here to judge right or wrong, and we have absolutely no reason to go against our rule to not meddle in the Present, either. "Despite his distorted beliefs, if Voldemort could become the next Indigo Seat, then we would have allowed him." "Albus didn''t like our decision," Blue Seat added. "One can''t blame him, either. Somehow, Voldemort came to believe that we were purposely hindering his growth to give Dumbledore''s side enough time to prepare, and he retaliated. "Not only retaliation, but he even tried to siege a part of our powers. Haha! We banished him after that, but he did leave behind a scar." Suddenly, the wooden staff, as stable as the world, rotated, churning the blue mist around it. And, to her shock and fear, Darcie saw a long tear running in the middle portion of the wooden staff. Even if she didn''t know the importance of the staff, Darcie could tell that this wasn''t something anyone ordinary could hope to damage in one lifetime. "It''s also because of this that we gave a guiding hand to Albus later," Yellow Seat said solemnly. "Red Seat possesses one of the most powerful Sacrificial Love Magic from olden antiquity. We bestowed this magic upon a¡­ fated witch from Albus'' side." Darcie didn''t know what to say. Alas! None gave her a chance to process all this. "So, Darcie," Red Seat said mischievously, "after knowing all this, would you be willing to become a Candidate for Indigo Seat? "As per the custom that surpasses age-old eras, you will represent our will in the Present until the time comes for you to become one of us, someone who has transcended their era, not belonging to the Present. "You will be the manifestation of our guidance, leading the Present to a better Future, and if the need arises, you will also deal with the Past''s influences." Who are these figures?! There was only this question in Darcie''s mind. But now, after learning so many secrets from them, she had come to realize the depth of her situation. "Past''s influences¡­" Darcie mumbled, "¡­ like the Order''s blunder related to Lord Voldemort?" Silence. ¡­ Madam Villanelle''s face resurfaced, and she couldn''t help but laugh at this silence. "Didn''t I say she''s different?" she rebuked. "Are we going to repeat our mistakes? "I vote to prepare her for the eventual return of Voldemort first, for we all know what he had stolen that day. All things about Indigo Seat can be discussed later." "I second this vote," Orange, Blue, and Violet Seat said simultaneously. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Yellow Seat kept quiet, however. After another bout of silence, Red Seat scoffed and said, "Very well. It''s done, then." Darcie wasn''t done at all. There was still one thing she must know before deciding her fate. "May I know who all your distinguished selves are?" "Yes, it''s time you learn who we are," Green Seat nodded. "How about we all introduce the seat to our right?" All shared a nod of understanding. "Blue Seat," Green Seat introduced, her blurry face eying the one on her right, "is one of the most prominent wizards known to mankind. Even among us, he is no less powerful than the oldest. He is¡­ "¡­ Sage Merlinus Ambrosius." Darcie backed up a step, trembling all over. "Haha!" the Sage under the blue mist guffawed thunderously. "You praise me too much. No need to fear this old man, young lady. I know the name is too long and weird. Just call me Merlin." An even greater silence fell over Darcie''s heart. ¡­ What?! How could this figure be Merlin?!! Darcie found it too inconceivable, to the extent that no questions, doubt, or thoughts birthed in her mind for several moments. It was almost as if some inner workings within her had shut down momentarily. Merlin was but the greatest wizard known to the wizardkind and muggles alike. Even the likes of Professor Dumbledore and the Dark Lord could only step a foot behind him in accomplishments and powers if they were of his generation. Not to mention, the sheer shadows left behind by Merlin''s legends had already become a myth. Much less needed to be said about the person himself. And here he was, Merlin in his entirety, laughing merrily and donning a mysterious identity. Blue Seat of the Order of the Immortal Lotus! These words brought Darcie to reality, making her realize it was all but a cruel beginning, as there were five more colors. An even crueler realization was that this was a round table, with no one person acting as the leader. What did that mean?! Were the rest of the members comparable to Merlin''s might?! Who were these legends?! And how were they still alive?!! Then there was Madam Villanelle, the Green Seat. Her face was like others as well, blurred by the green mist. But, from time to time, she kept regaining her true appearance by which Darcie knew her. "Let''s continue," Green Seat urged, bringing a stop to the laugh. "Cough!" Merlin paused and looked to his right, his gaze briefly staying on Darcie before moving on to Violet Seat. "If there''s someone who deserves the title of Sage, then it''s you, Your Royal Excellency, the Beloved of God," the wizard proclaimed reverently. "When all would have asked for Wealth, Immortality, Powers, and old Desires, you were prudent enough to ask for Wisdom. You are the Sealer of Demons and Protector of the Faith. Darcie¡­" Merlin looked back at the young Malfoy, his unseen eyes penetrating her insignificant figure. "¡­ Violet Seat is the greatest monarch of this world," Merlin declared, gesturing at Violet Seat. "He is¡­ King Solomon!" Darcie mechanically turned her head to observe Violet Seat, who seemed to smile at her benevolently, despite the mist hiding his appearance. It all made sense to Darcie now. At this moment, she finally knew why the objects hovering over Violet Seat had seemed familiar to her. The signet ring is the Seal of Solomon, Darcie reflected, shocked beyond shock. The key is the Key of Solomon, but its true appearance should be a grimoire. And the throne is Solomon''s Throne, one of the greatest magical devices described in the ancient magical texts. Yet, the thing that jolted her thoughts the most was the discrepancy between Merlin''s and Solomon''s eras. Solomon''s era stretched from 1000 BCE to 900 BCE, while Merlin was from the early middle ages, way after Solomon''s time. How could these two be sitting together side by side, transcending time and any strand of logical sense?! Darcie couldn''t find her way around this question, and could only helplessly wait to get to the answer. However, it wasn''t like the name Malfoy was unknown to the kings. Armand Malfoy, the progenitor of the Malfoy family, had arrived in Britain with William the Conqueror. And even if they didn''t speak of it much, the Malfoys still took great pride in their French ancestry. Being noble and pure was in their blood. Darcie took a deep breath and gave a curtsy to the King as one was expected to give to a monarch, especially to a mythical monarch. "Darcie Lucius Malfoy greets King Solomon." King Solomon nodded. "No need, young lady," he said, plainly, but not unkindly. "Don''t think so highly of me. Not here, among these eminent groups of legends. "Let me introduce Red Seat, and you would naturally understand." "Be careful with your words, Solomon," Red Seat giggled. Even though it was a light, womanly chuckle, Darcie felt a terror lingering in the air. 0323 Those Who Dont Belong to this Era! (II) The Violet Seat of the Order of the Immortal Lotus looked at the Red Seat. "I always choose my words prudently," King Solomon said, not minding the laugh. "You are the greatest Potioneer known to wizardkind, and even if you were at second, then dare someone would claim the first place? "Your attainments in Transfiguration even surpass your Potioneering. Your lady mother was one of the three thousand Oceanid Nymphs, and there are still thousands of wizards, witches, and ordinary folks worshiping you in ancient cults, spread throughout the globe. "Yet, all these things pale in front of your beauty and charm." Darcie''s heart was thumping already. King Solomon''s head turned to give Darcie a look before eying Red Seat once again. "You are Circe, the myth beyond myths." (-pronounced Kirke-) ¡­ The old king had said it true. Darcie naturally understood why there was no ant in this group, but only titans, their identities grander than the last. Now that she knew who Red Seat was, how could she not understand why King Solomon hadn''t mentioned Circe''s father, but only her mother? Circe was one of the, if not alone, greatest witches from Greek Mythology, and was believed to be the daughter of Helios, the God of the Sun; a Titan. Her origins were truly unknown, lost in the fog of history. Moreover, Circe was believed to be quite notorious in her ways, the mightiest enchantress of her time. No wonder she didn''t appreciate her decision to force Indigo Seat''s Candidacy on Darcie getting voted out by others. She is trouble, Darcie thought, quite aware of her open mouth and wide eyes. It all made sense now. Zygmunt Budge, the greatest potioneer Darcie knew from the recent magical history, was quite eccentric as well. "You skipped half the good parts, Solomon," Circe said, giggling. "I know you still have many things to share about me." "No." King Solomon rejected the temptation. Darcie almost felt like the old king was a touch afraid of talking more about her. "Circe, please continue," Green Seat announced. Suddenly, Circe''s giggles paused and then vanished altogether. "Very well," she said, almost sneering. "If you were to call Orange Seat a god, then that wouldn''t be wrong, young lady." "Now, now," Orange Seat chuckled. "No need to create misunderstandings. I am no God. Just a man who knows some underhanded tricks." "Humph! Don''t interrupt!" Circe rebuked. "He is the one who knows the deepest secrets of the interrelationship between the material and the divine. Why say more when these words are enough? "He is the author of Hermetica, the epitome of mysteries, knowledge, and divine texts. And he is the mightiest Alchemist" Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. A name sprouted from Darcie''s tongue. "Hermes Trismegistus!!" Darcie''s gaze went up, landing on the objects over this figure''s head. There was a book covered in orange-colored mist, the Hermetica. Then this book took the shape of a rod, with two wings at the top, and two snakes coiling up on it, reaching the top. She had her doubts. Not anymore. That''s Rod of Caduceus! Darcie told herself. The mythical Staff of Hermes!! No wonder Nicolas Flamel was his student. If someone knew the secrets of the Philosopher''s Stone, then it was this figure; a person supposed to be the combination of two gods, the Greek God Hermes and the Egyptian God Thoth. "Don''t look at me like that," Hermes said, his tone rueful. "I just have some minor accomplishments on the path of Alchemy, nothing more. I dare not claim to be the greatest. Haha! Let me introduce¡­" "I don''t need others to introduce me," Yellow Seat said suddenly, his voice still as far from Darcie as it was near to her. "I am Abdul Alhazred." "¡­?" ¡­ What?! Darcie couldn''t help but express great shock at the name. She obviously knew him but had never once believed he was a real person, but only a fantasy. But if he was real, then what about all the evil things related to him? Were there beings in this world like the Eldritch Entities?! Abdul Alhazred was the author of the darkest book in the world, the Necronomicon; a book of magic so evil that it was known to invariably drive the users totally, irredeemably insane. If there was someone who was neck-deep in forbidden magics and rituals, the darkest of their kinds, then it was him. And even more infamous were his dealings with demonic, extraterrestrial gods. No wonder he is the one who brought Voldemort here, Darcie thought. What was this kind of individual doing here? Was he even real? How could the likes of Merlin, Solomon, Circe, and Hermes T. tolerate his existence? And then Darcie recalled something. This was the same Order who was going to let Voldemort become one of them, treating him on an equal footing with Professor Dumbledore. What was inherently wrong and deplorable for the entire world was passable for the members of this Order, perhaps. "Don''t take the myths to their words always," Green Seat guided Darcie. "Abdul Alhazred is the Gatekeeper of the Earth, far more important than all of us combined. His existence is irreplaceable. Now, be kind enough to introduce me." Darcie was processing Green Seat''s words and anticipating the revelation about Madam Villanelle''s true identity in the same splendid manner as the others. It was then Abdul Alhazred''s words thundered in her ears with no regard to her heart and thoughts. "Her origins stem from the Biblical era," Yellow Seat''s voice boomed. "She is the Grand Sorceress. She is¡­ "¡­ the Witch of Endor!" Darcie observed Green Seat in stunned stupefaction. The Witch of Endor! This wasn''t even a myth, and to persistently call it so would be nothing but blasphemy. For some, her tale was more divine than godly legends, and her powers could transcend the mortal world, entering the realm of angels and gods and descending to the boundless depths of hell. She was ancient among the ancients! Darcie could vividly recall that Madam Villanelle had devoted an entire day to teaching her the tale of the Witch of Endor, introducing her as the most influential Ancient Necromancer. Now she believed there was much hidden behind her mentor''s intentions, then. A reminder and forewarning, or a seed of trust, perhaps? Among all these individuals, who were powerful beyond conceivable thoughts, Darcie felt closest and most eased with Green Seat. So, it was natural for her to direct her next question toward this biblical figure, for it had been bubbling up in her heart for quite some time. "Are you all Immortals?" Darcie asked, her cheeks becoming rosy in anticipation of the answer. To Darcie''s surprise, the Witch of Endor replied immediately, and in quite an amiable and carefree manner. "There is no such thing as Immortality, Darcie," she told her. "There are only two beings on this Island who could be called Long-Life Beings, something infinitely close, and yet eternally far, from Immortality. You have already met them." This?! Darcie blinked astonishingly. Who are these two beings¡­ It was then it thundered in her mind. Yes. She had indeed met them. "A True Phoenix''s lifespan is 97200 years," King Solomon explained. "The one you saw on the palm tree has already lived for over a quarter of that period. It''s truly a life trajectory of endless rebirths." "The white Qilin is even more mysterious," Merlin chimed in, his tone reverential. "Its true age is unknown, and the years it has seen go by should not be lesser than the True Phoenix." All nodded in agreement at Merlin''s words. Yet, it was Yellow Seat''s next sentence that jolted Darcie the most. Abdul Alhazred stood true to his nickname, the Mad Arab, just revealing shocking truths like ordinary facts. "Both beings'' origins lie outside of our world." 0324 The Imperishable Artifacts!!! The Seats looked at Abdul with an obvious condemning gaze, not liking him saying more about this topic. What did it mean they were not from this world?! Were they aliens?!! But Phoenixes and Qilins had existed on earth since, like always, right?!!! Darcie couldn''t make sense of it and felt that these truths and revelations were just too out of her reach for now. So she decided to clear her doubts slowly, taking her time. "Then how are you all still alive?" Darcie asked, not letting go of her original query. "We¡­" Hermes answered this time, his tone relaxing, "¡­ are not alive." "Huh?!" Darcie''s eyes widened. "Are you all Ghosts, then?" An enchanting giggle entered Darcie''s ears, making her spin her neck towards Red Seat. "Now, who of our stature would be foolish enough to become such an unsightly creature?" Circe sneered. "Except Yellow Seat, who himself doesn''t know his status (-Abdul Alhazred stirred uncomfortably for the first time-), we have all died, naturally after living for countless ages. But Death''s Authority is supreme, not letting go of any individual in this world." Darcie could not make head or toe of these words. It was the monarch who came to her help. "Do you see the objects hovering above our heads, Darcie?" King Solomon asked, smiling. "It''s not they who are attached to us, but it''s us who are attached to them. You must be familiar with animated portraits of wizards and witches and the process behind their creation, right?" Darcie nodded. "A wizard infuses his memories, thoughts, and magic into such portraits before his death," Solomon continued. "Before our true self died, we had also done something like that, but on a much grander scale. "You can even say that we had infused a part of ourselves in these objects, making them ¡ª Imperishable Artifacts. "If you were to say that we are nothing but memories, who can have rational thoughts and think logically on our own, then that would be true. But if you were to say that we are as much alive as any living being, then it wouldn''t be wrong, either." Was this even magic now? Darcie questioned herself, feeling the grandness of such complex spells. "Haha!" Merlin laughed merrily. "No wonder you weren''t an excellent teacher, your royal excellency," he jested, making king Solomon laugh along with him. "No need to go mad in trying to understand Solomon''s words, Darcie. Just take us as magical objects that can think for ourselves. Not an accurate explanation, but it should suffice, for now. Look." Just as Merlin brought Darcie''s attention to himself, the Staff over his head shone with a dense, blue shine. The blue strand of mist, by which the staff and Merlin''s figure were connected, pulsed, and in the next moment, sucked him in. Merlin''s entire blurred figure disappeared, and now only the Staff remained, towering tall eternally. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Now when Darcie looked at it, her mouth open, she felt the Staff looking back at her, peering into her soul. Then, a blue mist around the Staff shone again, and Merlin''s figure returned. "It seems powerful, right?" Hermes added, making Darcie look at him. "But there are severe repercussions for this magical art. "No matter the fact that we can think and have our own will, we aren''t truly alive as per the innate laws of our world, making us infinitely weaker than our true selves. "We can''t leave the Island, either, and our every action that meddles with the Present brings back Karma, creating a chain of Cause and Effect that we can''t avoid with our remnant powers. "That''s why we need astounding wizards and witches like you to act in our stead for the greater good, for there are far greater horrors in this world than mere dark wizards. For us, a 7 or 17-year-old is the same. "For you to be here, it''s naturally an outcome of thinking several decades ahead. Otherwise, there was no need for the next candidate to be so young. Then there''s the matter of Voldemort, and none knows when he will strike next. "Precautions only work when taken at the right time." Darcie was now understanding little by little. She looked at Merlin, who was already looking at her. How could she not realize the underlying meaning of the greatest Alchemist of this world? Merlin, the grandest wizard known to wizardkind, was famous for his Prophecies and Shapeshifting prowess. Had he made a Prophecy related to her? Darcie didn''t know. Nor did she ask about it. But there was indeed a question eating her from inside. "Who is Madam Villanelle, then?" Darcie asked, looking at Green Seat. "Is she even¡­ real?" "Of course," Green Seat replied lovingly. "She is as real as you are. Sigh! "Unlike others and Abdul, my case is a little special. Near the end of my lifetime, I had been researching Reincarnations. I had already prepared an Imperishable Artifact for myself. So, just before dying, I took the risk, casting the spell that I had thought was completed beyond doubt. "Alas! It didn''t work as I had intended, making my true self fall into endless reincarnations. However, unlike a Phoenix, I don''t remain myself after the rebirth, becoming a different person altogether. "Only when someone brings me here in each life that I remember a bit of my past. Even then, my reincarnated self never truly regains my original powers and memories." "So Madam Villanelle is¡­" Darcie worded wondered aloud. "Madam Villanelle is Madam Villanelle, your mentor, with her own ambitions and desire," the Witch of Endor explained. "When she sits here on this seat, we resonate with each other momentarily. Nothing more." Just as Green Seat finished, Madam Villanelle left the seat, separating from the Witch of Endor''s blurred figure. She walked to Darcie and winked at her. "I truly desire to take this little thing under my wing," Circe giggled, making everyone shiver a bit. "We must not," King Solomon solemnly declared. "Unless the time comes for her to inherit the Indigo Seat, we can only guide her and must not indulge in teaching her. Let Madam Villanelle take care of her till then." "I agree," Hermes nodded. "It''s best for everyone," Merlin shared, his tone calm and composed. "Let us command our beneficiaries all over the world and begin Darcie''s foundational training from next week." A training spanning the entire world? Darcie repeated the words, rooted to her place. "What about my parents?" she blurted. "I don''t want to lie to them more than I already have." The Six imperishable beings shared a glance. ¡­ "She''s cute, isn''t she?" Madam Villanelle commented, standing behind Darcie. "A few lies are nothing for the greater good, Darcie," Green Seat said, smiling. "But you don''t have to worry. We understand your worries, and will naturally take care of these things for you." "And can I share this with my friends?" Darcie asked hurriedly. "Daphne and Dobby, I mean." The round table burst out in a feat of laughter. "Sure," King Solomon nodded. "However, the Order''s name and our true identities must not be revealed." "I won''t," Darcie promised. "Do you have more questions for us?" Circe asked, resting her head on her palm. "You will not meet us before the completion of your training, my love." "I¡­" Darcie thought hard but failed to sort out her chaotic thoughts. "I don''t know." Once again, it was Abdul Alhazred who fired the direct solution. "Let her have a companion." All went silent as they heard those words. 0325 Avalon - The Divne Land of Magical Creatures! "Incredible!" Circe finally giggled, her tone more enchanting than ever. "The Mad Arab is not so mad, I guess." The Necronomicon over Yellow Seat shook at the remark. "That would do." The Witch of Endor brought an end to the confrontation. "Wonderful idea, Abdul," she said before eying Darcie. "Ordinary creatures can''t find Avalon. However, those born and raised on the island itself can do so. "Villanelle, before returning, let Darcie enter the fields. If she is¡­ fated with one, then she can naturally take it with her." Madam Villanelle nodded, slightly frowning. Darcie, on the other hand, was stunned. Her mind went to her memories of the Phoenix, Dragon, Sphinx, and Griffin she had seen outside. "Can I even have a Phoenix as my friend?" she asked innocently. "Haha! If you share a fate with it, then why not?" Merlin said, laughing. "I remember one of the True Phoenix''s young had taken an instant liking to Albus." "You mean Fawkes, Professor Dumbledore''s Phoenix?" Darcie blurted, not believing the creature she had heard so much about had such origins. Her father had mentioned Professor Dumbledore''s great luck in possessing a Phoenix several times in the past. "Hmm, that''s the one," Merlin nodded. "I think it''s time you two returned," the Witch of Endor reminded. "Use the brooms. It would save you some time. "If no magical creature approaches you, then don''t be disheartened. It happens at the right time and age. Just focus on your studies. You can always try next time." "Go, then," king Solomon commanded. Darcie truly felt overwhelmed by all the things she had learned in such a brief time. No one could deny that the scale of this information was just too over the top for a girl of her age. But if she had been an ordinary witch, then she would not have had the chance to come here, either. Darcie gave a curtsy, as befitting her status and name. "Thank you," she said, almost smiling. "Thank you for this opportunity." This was her opportunity, indeed. The very Greatness existed at the end of this path, and she knew it. "Good, as long as you understand," Circe giggled. "Don''t forget to write to me. Remember, I am the best friend a lady like you can hope for in your teens." "Seductress!" Abdul Alhazred spat. "What did you say?!" Circe fumed. "Let''s go," Madam Villanelle said, grabbing Darcie''s hand and bringing her away from the round table. As they crossed the threshold, Darcie looked over her shoulder, eying the six veils of the mist of six colors, each representing a world-shaking figure. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. And among them stood the Indigo Chair with its indigo mist, looking back at her in solitude; waiting for the day of her return. * * Darcie and Madam Villanelle walked side by side, passing under the engraved archway in front of the tower''s entrance. Darcie looked over her shoulder and reevaluated the otherworldly charm of the seven-colored lotus in the middle of the arch. Never had she imagined that she would meet such figures before entering the tower. Nor had she known that the friends her mentor wanted to meet her didn''t belong to this era. As much as she loathed to just return to the mundane world, Darcie clearly felt a thrill bubbling in her heart, anticipating her meeting with the magical creature fated with her. Darcie had never met one, but she truly wanted to have a Phoenix, if it was possible. Not to mention the sheer powers and magical nature these creatures possessed, but they were also known to be the most loyal, becoming the best pet one could ever hope for. Then there was the fact that Professor Dumbledore had one; the greatest wizard on earth. How could Darcie, as much composed as she was, not let her thoughts run wild upon thinking about that, especially in this place, where myths cried majestically, becoming reality? If not Phoenix, then a Qilin will work too, Darcie thought. Suddenly, she realized that she indeed was having quite selfish thoughts, and that made her fluster in shame. Her neck craned up, anyway. Darcie could no longer see it, but she knew over those passing clouds somewhere, a giant white Qilin of unknown origins was watching everything with its starry eyes. Madam Villanelle noticed her gaze and the brilliant glint in her poisonous green pupils. The reincarnated Witch of Endor giggled elegantly. "Even the six friends you met can''t help but lower their heads in front of the white Qilin," she told her, not unkindly. "But it does have many descendants. One of the young ones might take a liking to you, perhaps." "Really?" Darcie asked, her eyes sparkling. "Sure, why not?" Madam Villanelle nodded. "We will go to them as a last measure if we can''t find a suitable pet for you. The adult magical creatures would never choose to leave Avalon. "They have already become too used to the rich Magic in this place. But they wouldn''t mind sending their young ones with you if one of them is fated to do so." "How will I know if I am fated with a particular magical creature?" Darcie asked, confused. Madam Villanelle smiled at her. "You would know." They kept walking on the cobbled path, approaching the palm tree little by little. Chirp! Even before they neared the tree, the cries of a chick entered Darcie''s ears. The True Phoenix had flown away, but its young was still here. Fated to her, Darcie prayed. Madam Villanelle shook her head. "It''s not truly a hatchling, Darcie," she explained, smiling ruefully. "This one is the direct descendant of the True Phoenix, and from its looks, it seems it has recently undergone a rebirth. Come on. Your opportunity doesn''t lie on this path. There''s a vaster world awaiting you." Darcie looked at her mentor and nodded. She gave a last look at the featherless chick and walked off with the older witch. "How many creatures and different species are there in Avalon, mentor?" Darcie asked, after taking the right turn and advancing a hundred meters. She had not forgotten Madam Villanelle''s offhand remark that this mythical island was even larger than Great Britain in size. The dark-skinned witch looked thoughtful, her silver-grayish eyes spinning from left to right. "Hmm, it wouldn''t be wrong to say that one can find most of magical species in the world here," she declared airily. "If there''s a rare magical creature, that has existed in the past on earth, then Avalon has it as well." ''What?!'' Darcie''s eyes widened. ''How is this possible?'' Madam Villanelle noticed Darcie''s astonishment. "It looks impossible, but it isn''t," she told her, smiling. "Avalon has always been known to be the Divine Land of the Magical Creatures. "There are humans, goblins, vampires, house-elves, and many other races here, too. But we keep their population in check by sending a group of them out into the world once every century. "The magical creatures, on the other hand, have created their own ecosystem, and don''t require outside interference. "When the need arises, the True Phoenix and the white Qilin take action by themselves. "Avalon''s dimensions aren''t fixed, either. It can be expanded or shrunk as per the need anytime." This was truly incomprehensible; a Divine Land indeed. Nevertheless, there was another thing that unnerved Darcie a bit. No matter how she looked at it, how she tossed and turned the facts she learned about Avalon, Darcie couldn''t help but realize that it all felt like a preparation for¡­ ¡­ an impending apocalypse. 0326 Searching for her Fated Companion! (I) Darcie thought against wording out her unnerving thoughts, leaving it to her mentor to bring up the topic by herself when the time comes. As they kept chatting, time and distance lost meaning to them. Only when Madam Villanelle stopped did Darcie realize that there was someone else who was standing on the path. It was an old man, lean, but not weak of the build. He was bald and had a light white beard. And he was holding a broom. "Good morning, Sir Loras Maddock," Madam Villanelle greeted. "Darcie, Sir Loras is the pioneer in researching broomsticks, and has good contacts in the outside world." "Good morning, Sir," Darcie greeted. "Haha!" Sir Loras laughed, his tone quite girlish. "How familiar are you with flying, young lady?" he asked, measuring Darcie up and down. "Can you handle yourself at high speeds?" Darice dare not overstate her abilities. "I think I am passable," she said. "Don''t undersell yourself, Darcie," Madam Villanelle said, feigning anger. "She is more than passable, Sir Loras. Is this the new broom you have been researching in the last few years?" "It is," Sir Loras nodded. "It still needs a lot of work, but safety-wise there are no issues. How about the young lady here trying it, huh? If you have brought her, then she should be able to carry herself accordingly, right?" Darcie frowned inwardly. It didn''t seem that Sir Loras approved of her being here at all. She wasn''t displeased, though. Darcie didn''t need to prove herself to others. But if needed and asked, then she would be happy to do so, anyway. Madam Villanelle''s thoughts weren''t far from Darcie''s, as shown by the pressing of her brows. "Have you given a name to this broom, Sir Loras?" The broom indeed looked like a product just out of the oven. Even then, it was a piece of art. It had slick twigs, footrests, and a polished, aerodynamic staff. Darcie had never seen such an impressive broomstick. She imagined her brother seeing this, and the clamor he would raise in front of their father to get this. "Hmm," Sir Loras looked thoughtful for a moment. "I think we will call it¡­ Firebolt!" Firebolt. Darcie etched the name in her mind. "I am sure it will be a state-of-the-art racing broom." Madam Villanelle said, giving a push to Darcie. The young Malfoy walked ahead, and under Sir Loras'' penetrating gaze, she took the broom off his hand. The first feeling she had when she gripped the handle was light. Darcie felt like she could easily stir the broom with her merest thought. "I have a location charm placed on it," Sir Loras explained. "So, we will know where you are, if needed. Villanelle, your broom¡­" "No need," Madam Villanelle shook her head. She then flicked her wand, and a broom came flying out of the distant village. It didn''t look as grand as the one in Darcie''s hand, but it was a finished product, at least. "Let''s go, Darcie," Madam Villanelle said, immediately taking the broom to the sky. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Darcie took a deep breath and mounted on the broom, feeling like an unfortunate test pilot. However, the moment she willed, stirring the broom up, the wind whistled in her ears. A scream escaped Darcie''s throat but got buried by the gusts of wind and the howling noise of the broom. It was just too fast. Madam Villanelle shouted something, but Darcie had already crossed her. And only when she approached clouds did she find the strength to lower the broom''s speed. Her heart was pounding. Madam Villanelle caught up with her and came to hover at her side. "That old man is crazy!" she spat. "If you can''t handle it, then you can exchange it for a different broom, Darcie. No need to feel the responsibility of proving anything to him. Believe me." Darcie shook her head absentmindedly. She had underestimated the broom''s speed and acceleration. Darcie took another deep breath, closing her eyes and calming her mind. Wind. Moisture. Chirps and cries. Her mentor''s breath and shock. She felt it all. A smile surfaced on her lips unknowingly. There were no more words and screams. Darcie sensed the power hidden in the broom, the comfortable charms, and the near-perfect precise controls. And the incomplete Firebolt slithered, cutting the skies of the mythical island. A blurry streak of radiance cut apart the clouds, whirling, swirling, and slithering in the sky, with a smile on its face. Darcie knew the taste of freedom. But how sweet it could become? This she didn''t know. Today, she got a hint. Darcie felt herself one with the incomplete Firebolt. With her one thought, the broom spun, turning on the spot without losing its momentum. With her another thought, its gear spun in reverse, instantly backing up. Even if she didn''t have wings on her back, Darcie didn''t mind it at this moment. Then there was the vastness. When one stood on the cobbled path, one could see the distant sceneries as if they were projected on the walls at the edges of the path, just like a TV screen. Only when one truly left the path, leaving those unseen walls, did one see the genuine grandness of this island. The earth, forests, and ranges of rocky, snowy, and naked mountains stretched endlessly under Darcie. She came to a rest midair, took a whiff of the fresh air and cloudy mist, and observed the beauty of this divine land. From behind, Madam Villanelle came flying, her mouth hung open and her eyes wide. She seemed to have lost her voice as she looked at Darcie, and only after several seconds of gusty silence did she say something. "¡­ you are a natural, aren''t you?" "I enjoy flying," Darcie said, not hiding anything. The wind wasn''t strong up here, despite their height. Darcie had a woolen hat over her head and winter clothing, and her long white-golden hair swayed lightly as she kept taking deep breaths, calming her wild emotions and heart. If it wasn''t for the charm placed by Madam Villanelle, her hat would have already fallen off. "What about the broom?" the older witch asked, eying the ebony handle with a newly found gleam. Darcie''s eyes were already shining, but ultimately she shook her head. "There are some problems," she told her mentor. "Braking Charm can be improved, and they can lower the intensity of Cushioning Charm to increase the turning speed. Acceleration is superb, but there are issues with continuous stops and changing trajectories while accelerating." Madam Villanelle no longer even dared to find how Darcie''s mind operated. As of this moment, the reincarnated biblical witch just accepted it. Darcie was the most outstanding and generations-surpassing witch of her time, and normal reasoning wouldn''t work if one tried to figure out her thoughts. "Well, you can throw these points at Sir Loras'' face later," Madam Villanelle giggled. "Now come with me. I know some great nesting areas. And try not to outrun me. God knows I can''t catch up with you on this broom of mine." Darcie gave a solid nod. Madam Villanelle took the lead, then. The two witches flew into the sky, heading deeper into the mythical island. Darcie gazed at the land underneath and found many magical creatures running around in hordes. It was then her mentor''s voice entered her ears. "The best pet is one which is not only fated with you, but it also must have the ability to travel long distances," Madam Villanelle told her, her voice booming through the air magically. "That''s why the flying-type magical creatures are preferred the most." After 15 minutes of smooth flight, Madam Villanelle brought Darcie to the foot of a dormant volcano. The scenery was lush green here, with patches of grassland running far and wide. A small lake rested in the middle of this grassland, and on the bank of this lake was a Chinese parasol tree. It was near this tree that the witches landed. Madam Villanelle slid down her broom and let it fall to the ground. Darcie threw herself off, too. But her broom didn''t fall, and instead hovered at a mounting height over the ground. They came to a stop under the shadow of the tree. Darcie felt like asking what they were waiting for, but as she saw the serene smile on her mentor''s face, she kept her lips shut tight as well. And soon she got to know the reason behind the smile. The sound reached her ears with a majesty of its own. Cryyyyyyyyyy! 0327 Searching for her Fated Companion! (II) The cry shook the world. A fiery red bird flew down the tree, flapping its majestic wings. It landed on Madam Villanelle''s shoulder and gently nudged her cheek with its beak. It was a Phoenix. Darcie had never seen one up so close. It had bright red feathers that faded to orange and yellow, and its tail was like tongues of fire, giving out a sense of heat. Not to mention, it was beautiful; its charm beyond comparison. Madam Villanelle whispered something to it, and the Phoenix released another cry. To Darcie''s amazement, two fist-sized Phoenix hatchlings flew down, fluttering like ballooned, red fur balls. She felt her feet moving out of her control, nearing the two Phoenixes on the ground. They couldn''t fly yet, so the hatchlings were hopping on the grass, beating their tiny wings. Darcie was in a stupor. She crouched near them and gently stroked their red plumage. A soothing, warm sensation entered her skin, and Darcie couldn''t help but ask, "Are you fated with me?" The hatchling of the legendary magical creature gently nipped her finger in reply. Then¡­ it ran off. Even the second hatchling let out a cry and rolled away from Darcie. An intense wave of disappointment surged in Darcie''s eyes, rooting her to her crouched state. Madam Villanelle approached her and patted her head. "Sigh! Don''t think too much about it," she consoled. "They aren''t fated to be with you now doesn''t mean it''s eternal. Moreover, several magical creatures are waiting for us. "We can''t even visit them in one day. Don''t forget that you must return home in a few hours. "Take it all as a tour, and try to enjoy it as much as you can. I will bring you back to this place once you''ve grown up a little." Darcie regained her composed nature in no time. She stood up and nodded in understanding. However, the disappointment persisted in the deeper regions of her heart, knowing well that the first encounter with the magical creatures meant a lot today. If it hadn''t, then the six giants wouldn''t have recommended to her to take away a magical creature. Madam Villanelle looked at Darcie''s little back and sighed once again, shaking her head lightly. The Phoenix over her shoulder nipped at her ears and then flew away, releasing cries of purest fire. Darcie mounted her broom in silence, her thoughts unknown. The witches flew up in the sky, leaving the lake, the tree, and the sleeping volcano behind. After another half an hour of flight, Madam Villanelle descended to the top of a mountain. A forest of bamboo, wild herbs and shrubs, and rare, leveled rocky patches could be seen here. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The two witches left their brooms behind and approached a gigantic mouth of a cave. A stream was running out of the cave, giving it an otherworldly, grotto-like appearance. Madam Villanelle made Darcie stop dozens of feet away from the cave''s mouth and advanced alone. When she was just about to enter the cave, the older witch flicked her wand and sent a globe of pure, gold light into the darkness. Then she backed up and came to stand by Darcie''s side. Roar! The sudden beastly growl took Darcie by surprise. Even before she could clear her doubt with her mentor, a gigantic beast lunged out of the cave''s mouth, howling and growling in its throat. It was a monstrously large feline-like beast with a striped body, scraggly mane, four fangs that curled out of its mouth, long sharp claws, and a disproportionately long, ruffled multicolored tail. Resembling like an elephant-sized cat, its four paws had long, hooked claws, and its eyes were round, like that of a puppy. "Zouwu!" Darcie cried in realization. This was but one of the rarest magical creatures, capable of apparating thousands of miles in a single jump. From what Darcie had learned, it could even ignore all precautionary charms against both Apparation and Disapparation. Zouwu''s long, ruffled tail was like a vast serpent, coiling and slithering in the air with a life of its own. Madam Villanelle flicked her wand, bringing a football-sized furry toy out of thin air. She threw it at the magical beast. Zouwu let out a cheery growl and pounced on the furry ball, playing with its long claws. Only then did Madam Villanelle find the courage to approach it. Once again, she whispered a few words, letting the beast know the reason for her visit. Zouwu didn''t let go of the furry toy. It spun around and faced the cave''s mouth before letting out a feline growl. Its mane glowed gold and divine, letting out an electric radiance. To Darcie, it felt no less magnificent than a Phoenix now. Suddenly, the space near Darcie shook. With a dazzling blue flash, a tiny creature jumped out of nowhere and landed on the ground. It looked like a kitten, with four pointy teeth curved upward, and a squirrel-like tail, twice the length of its body. It was Zouwu''s young. The little Zouwu meowed a growl at Darcie, hopping around her playfully. Darcie chased it around for a while, and then lifted it in her palms, caressing its fur and tail. She hadn''t seen these magical creatures before, but she had read about them more than any other child of her age, and even more than some adults, perhaps. The young Zouwu rolled over in her palms, clawing at her skin with its tiny claws. "Are you fated with me?" Darice asked, her tone incredibly expectant. She didn''t need to ask, Madam Villanelle had told her. But asking and putting her request in words eased the nervousness in Darcie''s heart, so she didn''t keep herself from doing so, either. The little Zouwu meowed and licked Darcie''s cheek in response. A glorious smile danced on Darcie''s face, making her look like a white fairy among the bamboo. However, in the very next moment, the little Zouwu blinked away, apparating to the giant magical creature. Darcie''s gaze couldn''t move away from her empty palms, the warmth of the creature''s tongue still fresh on her face. Even Madam Villanelle''s expression was downcast now. Even though she had said those consoling words to Darcie before, she had truly believed that the second magical creature would share some fate with her. Unknown to Darcie, her mere presence on this island had already made her worthy enough to share a fate with all magical creatures. In the past, there had been no candidate for the Indigo Seat who had needed to visit a third magical creature. This truly was out of expectations, even for Madam Villanelle. She didn''t know what to say to Darcie. No words and explanation could wash away the trace of disappointment on her face. What am I doing wrong? Darcie questioned herself stupidly, her calm and composed nature vanishing a bit with each rejection. "Let''s go," Madam Villanelle said, forcing out a smile. "The world is full of magical creatures, you know." Darcie reluctantly nodded. "Mentor," she asked, mounting the broom, "will we try dragons?" Madam Villanelle shook her head. "Dragons are quite vicious, Darcie," she answered, flying toward the sky. "Not to mention, proud. You must have read about them already, right? "Their size, growth, and nature don''t make them good pets. Not the ones like you need now. "The only dragon you can afford to have is the Peruvian Vipertooth, as it''s the smallest and the fastest among all the dragons. But¡­" "¡­ it causes Dragon Pox," Darcie finished. "It''s good that you understand," Madam Villanelle praised. "Hmm, the Malfoy family share a fate with Slytherin. Perhaps a serpentine, magical creature would find a liking to you. Umu, let''s try it out." Darcie didn''t know what to say. There was a feeling in her heart, though. She just knew that her fate with serpents had already brought out results, letting her come in contact with the white-silver serpent in dreams; the imprint of her ancestor''s Patronus. At this moment, soaring through the clouds of this divine land, Darcie couldn''t help but recall a quote she had read recently. Fate truly is a fickle thing! 0328 Disappointment after Disappointment - A mournful Cry! A sheltered creek marched through the vibrant jungle, the environment full of afternoon''s burning sunlight, cries of a thousand creatures, and songs of ghosts and birds alike. Madam Villanelle''s wand was out, her brows pressed together in a deep frown. A few steps behind her, Darcie marveled at the sight with a stunned expression. They had flown for quite some time before arriving here after they met with the rare magical creature, Zouwu. It was a lush forest, and even Madam Villanelle had to search for half an hour before pinpointing the location of the nest of the magical creature she had been looking for. Avalon was too big for anyone to scour its land thoroughly. Much less needed to be said to monitor all creatures all the time. Creatures with intelligence will never attack a human here, Madam Villanelle had told Darcie midway. It doesn''t mean that they will submit to us easily as per our desire. No matter what, they are beasts and have their own land, children, and pride to look after. There was a doubt in Darcie''s mind that suggested Madam Villanelle was just too familiar and had an odd way with magical creatures. Still, she had understood what her mentor meant to say, then. Even if Madam Villanelle could interact with certain creatures of high intelligence, she should refrain from acting too presumptuous in front of them. And now that Darcie saw this scene, she agreed with her wholeheartedly. There was an enormous boulder in front of them, oval-shaped, and its top was relatively flat. Over this flat-topped boulder was a nest. But it didn''t belong to a bird. There was a 10 ft tall winged-serpent coiling in this nest. It had azure-colored fur that looked like scales, and its mouth felt more like that of an eagle than a serpent. Its wings were huge as well, darkening everything under the boulder when it brandished them. The crown of azure plumage over its head gave it a majestic appearance. And if Darcie wasn''t mistaken, then she even saw a pair of bird-like legs on its belly, with sharp talons jutting out like hooks. It was an Occamy ¡ª a winged, serpentine magical beast. Madam Villanelle had brought Darcie to it exactly because it was a serpentine creature. However, Occamies were extremely aggressive and even more protective of their eggs, which were made of the purest and soft silver. Not to mention, they were choranaptyxic, meaning they grew or shrank to fit space. From this, one could guess how large the size of this nest was. The moment adult Occamy found Madam Villanelle approaching its nest, it let out an ear-piercing cry that was a mix of a bird''s call and a serpent''s hiss. It beat its wings, creating gales toward the two witches. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Madam Villanelle stopped. "Lola!" she cried. "Have you not recognized me?!" Then the older witch gently swayed her wand left and right, creating a green-golden path of sparks and flowers. The adult Occamy''s bird-like eyes followed the wand''s movement, and then her entire head swayed along with it. After a few minutes, the Occamy let out another cry, but its intensity was much less threatening than before. It coiled and coiled, beating its wings. Then the winged-serpent lunged at Madam Villanelle. The older witch joined her palms, making a cup, and Lola shrunk instantaneously. When Darcie walked forward, she saw a tiny serpent coiling and crying merrily in her mentor''s palm. "Let''s go," Madam Villanelle said, approaching the nest. The nest was just too high for them to see into it. So the older witch flicked her wand again, making Darcie and herself float up, bringing their waists to the nest''s edge. There were three young Occamies coiled inside many spherical broken pieces of glittering silver; the shell of eggs. "Try it," Madam Villanelle said, gesturing with her chin. "Just make a cup with your palms, and wait for them to approach you." Darcie did as she was told. The tiny Occamies slithered into her tinier palms, shrinking to become overgrown worms. Their fur felt moist and smooth to Darcie, and there was a bird-like smell on them that even their serpentine ancestry couldn''t get rid of. Just when it seemed all the young Occamies were getting comfortable in Darcie''s palms, all slithered back to the nest. Madam Villanelle caressed the shrunken adult Occamy''s beak, and then let it return to the nest where it returned to its original size. ¡­ Darcie said nothing while going back. Only when they were mounting their brooms did Madam Villanelle suddenly squeak. "Darcie, look!" Darcie looked at her mentor, who was pointing up at a tree, and followed her gaze. At some height, over a branch, there was a branch of Bowtruckles looking down at them. They all looked like several stalks of grass and green branches came alive. For their branch to be here meant that this tree possessed wand-quality wood. (-Branch: group of Bowtruckles-) And it signified even more. "There must be a colony of fairies nearby," Darcie mumbled, her eyes thoughtful. Madam Villanelle nodded. "Fairies are easily obtained in Diagon Alley," she added, praising Darcie''s acute remark inwardly. "But if there''s a Fairy Queen among them, then there would be nothing more wonderful than that." Fairies were small, humanoid magical beasts with large insect-like wings, which were transparent or multicolored. They possessed diminutive intelligence and lived mainly in woodlands. The fairy was a vain creature and allowed itself to be used as decoration by wizardkind. Because of their vanity, fairies were almost constantly grooming themselves. However, a Fairy Queen was a different matter altogether. Its intelligence was no less than that of a human, and unlike the normal fairies of its colony, it possessed great magical power and could even converse in human speech. Madam Villanelle flew over the jungle with Darcie, trying to find the fairies'' colony according to the description. It didn''t take them much effort to find it. Alas! There was no Fairy Queen among them. Not all colonies had such a creature, otherwise, it would be just too absurd. Cry! Suddenly, a mournful cry reverberated through the jungle, sending all fairies running in a clamor. This?! Darcie knew what was happening, and why the cry had sounded full of sadness and ominous. Despite the beauty of the fairies, even they were the prey of some creatures up the food chain. Darcie and Madam Villanelle looked up and saw a vulture-like creature fly by. "An Augurey!" Madam Villanelle named it. The Augurey, also known as the Irish Phoenix, was a thin and mournful-looking magical bird, somewhat like a small underfed vulture in appearance, with greenish-black feathers and a sharp beak. They were intensely shy creatures, and there was a time when wizards took its cries as an inauspicious signal of approaching death. However, it was nothing but a misconception. "Augureys don''t cry without reason," Darcie said, her eyes following the disappearing creature in the sky. "A rainfall is coming, I think." To her side, Madam Villanelle let out a breath. "Sigh! If it was anywhere else, then you would''ve been right, Darcie," she mumbled. "Augureys cry a lot here. I didn''t know we had inadvertently come so close to that place." Which place? Darcie wanted to ask, but when she saw a frown and a touch of apprehension on her mentor''s face, she didn''t. "I think I should try it," she said instead. "Augureys are quiet, and I like that." At this time, even if a creature was mute, Darcie would settle for that, too. Her face wasn''t showing it outright, but a deep sense of disappointment was lingering in her heart. She knew her capabilities, and she had not overestimated herself. It was this knowledge itself that made Darcie question her fate, to begin with. 0329 An ill-fated Encounter - Parting Ways! "Augureys are stupid," Madam Villanelle declared. "But you are right. They are indeed quieter than others. Let''s go. I think I know where its nest is." The witches left the dense patch of jungle and fairies'' colony and flew towards a rather steeper cliff. This cliff was covered in green, but sharp rocks were jutting out of the vertical wall here and there as well. Madam Villanelle brought the brooms to a stop at the top of the cliff. It was then Darcie heard the rumbles. Darcie let the incomplete Firebolt go and walked towards the cliff''s edge on the other side. Her eyes widened instantaneously. It was a vast valley, vaster than imagination, and guarded by two more cliffs from left and right. These two cliffs kept widening outwards, but even then Darcie could neither see the end of the rocky walls nor of the valley. Yet, it wasn''t the valley or the incomprehensible scale of the cliffs that had made her widen her eyes. It was the blackness of the distant sky. The entire horizon was drowned in black ink, and they could see occasional green and white flashes there, followed by gurgling rumbles. How big was this thunderstorm? Darcie couldn''t help but ask herself, astonished beyond astonishment. Madam Villanelle came to a stop near Darcie. "The Valley of Endless Rumbles!" "A fitting name," Darcie nodded. "May I know the reason for this odd environment, mentor?" Madam Villanelle took a deep breath. "I have never visited that place, to be honest," she said, smiling ruefully. "But my other self had told me that this entire valley beyond this cliff is the nest of an old¡­ Thunderbird King." Darcie drew a frigid breath. Thunderbirds were no less magical and powerful than a Phoenix, their temper even strange and erratic. A Thunderbird King was the leader of its flock, the mightiest of all, and some tales claimed that it could challenge even adult dragons¡­ and win. No wonder the Auguries cried here all the time. It was a valley of endless rain, lightning, and storms. Darcie looked down, then. The ground, squeezed between the distant valley and the cliff, was still comparatively peaceful. She saw hordes of Unicorns, running through the grassy lands and disappearing into the forests like white ghostly blurs. Beyond them, there were several Hippogriffs, flying and crying along with distant thunder. "Don''t worry," Madam Villanelle told Darcie. "We would not need to go beyond this cliff. Come with me. The Augury''s nest must be over the cliff''s side toward the tower." Darcie gave a last look to the bolts of lightning, blackness, and rumbles, and turned around. As they approached the other side of the cliff, Madam Villanelle told her more about the Thunderbirds. This cliff they were on right now was running from east to west and was north to the tower. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. The thunderstorm was even further north to this cliff, with an incomprehensible long valley between them. The cliff''s slope towards the tower''s side wasn''t as steep as the one on the valley''s side, but it still wasn''t something the witches could just tread on. Both of the witches peeked over the edge and noticed a nest inside a crack in the rocks. The Augury was perched there with two hatchlings, and another adult Augury was making a round overhead, searching for prey. "Umu," Darcie nodded. "I think it''s the one, mentor." Madam Villanelle had interacted little with Darcie. But then again, Darcie interacted little with everyone. Still, the time spent with the young Malfoy was enough for the older witch to know that it wasn''t like Darcie thought it was the one, but more like she hoped it would be the one. Meow! This sudden noise startled both witches. Darcie looked to her left, just above the nest, and found a purple-colored kitten, with spotted fur, large ears, and a lightly plumed tail, akin to that of a lion''s. "It''s a Kneazle," Darcie whispered to her mentor. "It''s going for the chicks!" No! How could this be?! What if one of the chicks was fated with her?!!! Questions popped into her mind instantly, making her eyes flutter. Kneazles had a top level of intelligence and an uncanny ability to detect suspicious and untrustworthy people. They made excellent pets, but pure-bred Kneazles were hard to find, even in the grand magical world. This particular kitten looked purer than any Kneazle breed Darcie had seen in the Magical Menagerie. There was one, named Crookshanks, in the shop, she remembered. An orange-colored old half-kneazle. Suddenly, something happened that none of the two witches would have foreseen. Just as the adult Augury flew off the nest, joining its partner in the hunt, the young Kneazle pounced on the baby Auguries. However, one of the kitten''s paws got stuck into a vine, and its pouncing posture got broken. One second, it was standing with a solid footing. In the next, it was already falling. ¡­ "No!" Darcie''s shriek pierced the air, startling all the Auguries and making them cry along with her. Even before Madam Villanelle could do something, Darcie stepped back to the broom, which was only a few feet away from her, and threw herself off the cliff. Air whistled in her ears, but it was the pitiful growls of the Kneazle that made her push the broom beyond its capabilities. The drop was high, giving Darcie a chance to save the kitten, but the cliff''s wall was full of vines and branches that jutted out like thorns. One of such branches hacked at the kitten, making it let out a painful growl. It did break its fall, though. Darcie had never flown so fast in her entire life, but she couldn''t have cared less. The incomplete Firebolt trembled as she saw the ground enlarging beyond the kitten. And just when the kitten was about to kiss the rocky patch, Darcie''s outstretched fingers wrapped themselves around its tiny body. The broom spun at its position, making an instant 90-degree turn. The twigs at its end brushed the ground, but the danger had passed. Sweating and huffing, Darcie stirred the broom back to the top and landed near her mentor. "Darcie!" Madam Villanelle came rushing toward her, her face full of fear and distress. "Are you OK? You? How can you be so reckless? What if something had happened to you? You could''ve¡­ Sigh!" Darcie didn''t know what to say. The kitten was still in her hands, and despite its smooth purple fur, she was feeling a moist sensation in her palms. Darcie loosened her grip and turned over her palm. It was glistening red. "It''s bleeding!" Darcie squeaked, her face paling as she saw the kitten. Even Madam Villanelle had gone quiet seeing so much blood. She took the kitten off Darcie''s hands and put it on the ground. The older witch cast several spells, bringing a stop to the bleeding, but she kept becoming quieter. "It needs Skele-Gro," Madam Villanelle said, sighing at last. Otherwise, it wouldn''t survive. This, she left unsaid. "Let''s go," Madam Villanelle said, shaking her head. "We will come back after you''ve grown up a bit. "After becoming a Hogwarts student, perhaps. It''s clear that the Augury''s chicks aren''t fated with you. Such an ill thing wouldn''t have happened, otherwise." Darcie didn''t move, though. "No." Darcie''s voice was defiant, the one that naturally comes to those who have struggled their way up. "I don''t want to give up so easily, mentor," she said, her tone composed, her eyes almost moist. "Please." Madam Villanelle was taken aback. She didn''t know that Darcie had this side to her as well. But she could understand her thoughts. How vile a blow it would be to her self-esteem if Darcie didn''t try her best today? Madam Villanelle knew the answer to that, too. "Your mother''s so going to kill me!" the older witch rubbed her head exasperatedly. In her hands, the kitten growled in pain. Madam Villanelle sighed once again. She cast a protection charm around Darcie, creating an invisible spherical shield. "Don''t go out of it. I will let the minister know that our return is delayed until the evening. Then I will come back. OK?" Darcie smiled and nodded. Madam Villanelle gave a last assuring look to Darcie, made sure that the protection charm was working, and then hurried off on the incomplete Firebolt. 0330 The Valley of Endless Rumbles! Darcie sat down on the rocky ground, still catching her breath. In the bloody commotion, she even forgot that she had eaten little today. Now that she got some free time, hunger found her, making her frown. This frown took over two hours to disappear. They had covered at least an hour''s worth of distance after leaving the cobbled path. So, it didn''t come as a shock to Darcie that even after two hours Madam Villanelle had not returned. Darcie was still contemplating her failures in getting a magical creature when the corners of her eyes caught a golden flash. She threw herself to her feet and craned her neck toward the sky. On that white and blue background, something gold was flying fast. Something incredibly tiny. Chirp! Darcie gaped, her pupils trembling as she recognized the creature. She could make out a blurry image of a completely round and fat bird, covered in golden feathers, with a long, thin beak. It was so erratic that if Darcie had not experienced such flight patterns before, then she would have not followed its trajectory. No, it wasn''t a Golden Snitch. It was a Golden Snidget ¡ª the extremely rare and protected species of bird that probably no one had seen in ages. Darcie pounced on the broom by her side, but then she recalled her mentor''s words. What to do now? Should she leave the protective shield or not? But what if she was fated with the Golden Snidget? On this vast mythical island, what were the chances of her encountering such a rare bird, and just when she needed a magical creature, as expected of her by those Six figures? If this wasn''t the calling of fate, then what was?! No. She had already failed enough. Moreover, this magical bird was on this side of the cliff, toward the tower. She would catch it in no time, Darcie believed. The broom wasn''t as good as the incomplete Firebolt, but it was still faster than her Comet 220. Darcie kept giving herself reasons, but it couldn''t change the fact that she had already flown out of the boundaries of protection charm. The Golden Snidget sensed Darcie, rushing toward it on broom, and fluttered away like a bullet into the clouds. Darcie followed. Up, down, left, and right, Darcie never lost sight of this bird, her right hand already stretched outward, just inches away from it. S he could feel it in her heart. This creature was truly the one who shared fate with her. Didn''t she like flying? Wasn''t she experienced in catching Golden Snitches? She had little interest in Quidditch, but didn''t she imagine herself sometimes as a seeker? The tips of her fingers touched the golden fur, and Darcie almost laughed. It was then it happened. ¡­ A giant bird swooped down from heaven, its claws wrapping around Darcie in a solid grip. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. The other claw grabbed at the broomstick, but it snapped in two. "Cough!" the force behind the blow was so much that Darcie''s mind went black instantaneously, blood seeping out of the corners of her mouth. With sheer will, the young Malfoy kept herself from losing consciousness and forced her eyes to look up. It was a giant bird with six wings and golden furs, which kept changing to become blue and white. These were the only things she could see. This much was enough, though. A Thunderbird! Cry!!! The bird released a cry and crossed the cliff with one flutter of its wings, leaving behind flashes of lightning in its wake. Darcie was feeling an intense bout of pain in her chest and could sense the iron grip of the talons that were wrapped around her. Didn''t Madam Villanelle say that Thunderbirds don''t come to this side of the cliff? Darcie asked herself, grimacing. She was not even 7, and her parents had never let her do anything that would have inflicted such pain on her body. To them, Darcie was no less than a Veela or Fairy, and a gem of their eyes. This one instance of pain shattered all experiences and knowledge for Darcie. She forced her eyes open, and to her horror realized that the magical bird was taking her deeper into the valley, flying faster and faster toward the Valley of Endless Rumbles. No! Darcie screamed inwardly. The moment we reached its nest, it would kill me! It was at this moment she remembered another thing that made her look up once more. This bird''s wings were nowhere as large as mentioned in the books. It was just a chick! The young Thunderbirds were inherently more vicious than the adults, Darcie knew. She must do something now. The wind was blasting against her face, and then with every moment, it kept becoming colder than before. The thunderous rumbles felt nearer with every flutter of the six wings overhead, and the flashes kept becoming more blinding, too. Darcie greeted her teeth and tried to squeeze herself out of the grip, but failed. Her one hand, which she had outstretched to catch the Golden Snidget, was still free. She lifted it and focused, creating a blurry outline of a fireball. But then the young Thunderbird jolted up and down in the stormy winds, and a wave of cruel pain coursed through Darcie''s body, staring from her chest. The fireball''s outline vanished. What now? With so much, how would she focus on doing magic? Suddenly, a name surfaced in her mind, like a flame of hope. "Dobby!" Darcie''s shriek was helpless and painful. However, for the first time, the house-elf of the Malfoy family failed to show up at his mistress'' call. A chilly sensation of fear and desperation ran over Darcie''s spine. She couldn''t help but think if the mythical island prevents the logic-defying Apparation of the house-elves as well. If it was so, then she was doomed. The darkness welcomed Darcie in her embrace, then. Several bolts of lightning hacked at her surroundings, and a sheet of rain drenched her clothes, icy rain droplets seeping into her woolen garments. Her white-gold hair got stuck to her face, and another drop of blood fell off her chin. Darcie was truly scared now. Wait a minute! She called something, making her eyes glow with a hazel glint. Her right hand fumbled at her waist, reaching for the purse at her waist. The whistle won''t work here, Madam Villanelle had told her. But there was something in her purse that could help her. Darcie forced her tiny fingers inside the rock-like skin of the bird''s legs and opened the purse. A few things fell out, but she had already grabbed what she wanted. It was a vial, full of bright green liquid. Darcie had brewed it at her home one weekend using her mother''s wand. She always kept a few small vials of these useful potions on her, especially if she had brewed it recently. Who could have thought it would come in handy like this? It was a Shrinking Potion. With a flick of her thumb, the stopper popped off, and a few drops came splashing out. Not waiting any longer, Darcie brought her trembling hand to her mouth and emptied the vial. A pi-pa sound came out of Darcie''s entire figure, and then with a generous pop, she blurred, shrinking to the size of a finger. Darcie fell out of her clothes, her shrunken fingers grabbing the white cotton gown she had been wearing under her woolen coat. Over her head, the young Thunderbird let out an ear-piercing cry as it felt the prey loosening in its grip. But the coat was still there, and the young one hadn''t developed enough intelligence to stop and give it a proper glance. So, thinking that it still had the prey, it kept flying, disappearing toward the distant mountain. Darcie was falling like a stray drop of rain in the storm. She wrapped herself up in the cotton gown, bolts of lightning making her blind. With a tearing thud, the cotton gown struck the wet canopies of trees. A few leafless branches hacked at the gown, making it stuck to them, and suddenly, Darcie''s shrunken figure fell out of it. With her being so small, everything in the world looked vaster to her. Even the distance from a low branch to the ground felt deeper than the drop from the cliff to the ground. Her hat had already loosened, falling off in the sky, and now even the gown got snatched off from her. But the pain wasn''t so bad now, and Darcie could focus once again. Her pupils dilated, and the magic churned. In the next moment, Darcie was almost gliding, swaying toward the ground like a leaf. Like a white-skinned fairy, Darcie landed on the ground, and when she straightened her spine, she found two murderous red eyes already glaring at her. 0331 Questioning Fate - Darcies Thunder Calamity! The sheer absurdness and craziness of the situation made Darcie laugh suddenly. Even Daphne would have never heard her laugh so, with such madness in her voice. Blood dripped down her chin, and there were countless scratches over her body. Yet, for the first time, Darcie felt truly free. None could see her here. None could stop her. Boom! Boundless Magic exploded around her, and she crouched, picking up a stray, tiny twig, her eyes never leaving the red, murderous gaze planted on her. In the next moment, the twig transfigured, becoming a needle-like lance. Darcie lifted her left hand, and her eyes narrowed to the size of a needle''s tip. Three fireballs popped into existence, burning like three tiny suns. Then an even tinier hurricane appeared around her, bringing pieces of rotten leaves with it. They, too, transfigured, becoming several icicles. Darcie had learned much. And now was the time for her to turn all her knowledge into practice; into power¡­ ¡­ Or die! The creature with red eyes circled Darcie, its gait quieter than silence. It was like a lion, but dark gray and green of color that bordered black. Its body was spotted with lighter patches of faded yellow, but they weren''t easily distinguishable. The neck of this creature looked puffy, with several needle-like hairs pinned backward, and even its tail ended in a lock of hair that looked like long, flexible needles. It was a cub, Darcie could tell. But even then, it felt like a dragon to her, with her being the size of a finger. She had brewed the Shrinking Potion meticulously, but the amount she drank was little. So, there were still a few minutes remaining for her to regain her size. Yet, these weren''t the facts that made her heart palpitate with boundless fear. There was a smile on her face, her magic thundering along with the endless rumbles above. This smile wasn''t because of confidence, but rather because of helplessness. What were the chances of her landing here, in front of this cub? For a moment, she even wished it had been a dragon and not a creature of this race. Then, she might have some chances of survival, perhaps. Nundu! Darcie hissed in her mind, her pupils trembling. A Nundu''s cub! That means the adult might be nearby as well. Nundus were infamous throughout the world for their viciousness and ferocity. They resembled a leopard in appearance. Moreover, no adult Nundu had ever been defeated by less than a hundred wizards working together. They were almost impervious to Magic, and their breath was toxic and filled with disease so potent, that it could wipe out entire villages of people. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Not to mention, despite its size, it moved so silently that it might as well have been flying. No wonder the magical species of Nundus were considered one of the most dangerous in wizardkind, from past to present, and to the foreseeable future. The creature Darcie was facing was precisely the cub of this race; her one foot was already in the realm of the dead. Yet, the smile didn''t go away. Grrr!!! The cub let out a beastly growl, and its puffy throat ballooned, gaining the shape of a ball. All the needle-like tiny hairs on its neck stood at their end, and even the lock of hair at the end of its tail tightened, now looking like a weapon similar to a morning star. Flashes of bolts of lightning lit up the arena of sodden and rotten earth in their surroundings. And the very darkness loomed over them, watching them with its dead eyes. Darcie had only one thought. Survive! Survive before this cub could use its breath. There wasn''t much known about this species, anyway. She didn''t know how many of its dark powers the cubs of this species had developed by this age. Then there was the fact that an adult Nundu might come here, for this was only a cub, separated from its leap. (-leap: a group of leopards-) With no sound, the young Nundu pounced. To Darcie, however, it felt like an ancient mammoth had thrown itself at her. Her face was pale, her skin white and drenched, and her expression hard. Specific. Belief. Intention. These had always been the source of Darcie''s magical prowess. Today, the world put them to the test. And failure meant death. The three fireballs burned like little flames, hurling themselves at the incoming cub. With a shua sound, they exploded near its mouth. They achieved absolutely nothing. The hurricane of icicles around her moved, then. Several dozen needle-like shards of ice thrust themselves at the cub from different angles. The young Nundu growled at them, trying to bite them off. But it wasn''t because they were hurting him, but because of its playful mentality. Even Darcie was nothing but a game for it, perhaps. The icicles shattered as they contacted its skin, and the cub lost interest. It did give Darcie a dearly-needed breather, though. What she needed was a moment to focus, as being specific and her intentions weren''t an issue for her. With the transfigured lance in her right hand, Darcie outstretched her left hand, her eyes narrowing at the cub''s mouth. Suddenly, ropes appeared out of nowhere, and coiled themselves around the cub''s mouth, shutting it tight. A puff of purple-blackish smoke escaped from the corner of its mouth, corroding the rope instantly. Darcie''s face paled even more, and more ropes appeared, wrapping above the last ones and sealing the creature''s mouth for good. The cub thrashed its paws at its mouth, trying to take the ropes off. How could Darcie give it this chance? A great magical force churned around her and the air under her feet blasted outward, throwing Darcie towards the young Nundu. Darcie greeted her teeth and lifted the lance, pointing at the creature''s shoulder. Tink! The tip of the lance bent. In the next moment, one of the wildly thrashing paws found her midair. Darcie''s eyes widened. She flicked her hand, creating a protective shield in front of her. The paw landed on the shield, broke it, and then blasted her figure out, sending it rolling on the ground. Whack! Darcie''s eyes rolled back in her head, and every inch of her body ached, going numb by seconds. If it wasn''t for the shield, her bones would have snapped on the impact. If she is fated with a magical creature, then she can naturally take it with her, the Witch of Endor''s words surfaced in her mind at this moment unannounced. ¡­ "Cough! Cough!" Darcie sat up, coughed out blood and spit, and smiled. "I understand now¡­ there is no such thing as fate." An incredible change was happening to her personality now, a change that none could have predicted. For the first time in her life, today Darcie had felt like her existence had almost no value when she met those six figures; the ones who don''t belong to this era. No matter how great she would become, could she reach their heights? Darcie had trust in herself, believing that she could be as great a witch as the wizard, Professor Dumbledore, in the future, and even greater. But what about King Solomon, Circe, and the likes of the Witch of Endor? Meeting them was as great a setback for her as it was a motivation. Then there was the matter of repetitive failures. Darcie had been hearing whispers about her dark origins, her birth, and her family ever since she could make a sense of them. Even then, she had never faced such humiliation, for she was a brilliant witch. For her to not share a fate with those grand magical creatures dealt quite a blow to her self-esteem. Yet, she preserved. But what her perseverance had brought her? The young Nundu growled under its throat, its needle-like hair trembling and throbbing. Its murderous gaze locked on Darcie''s figure, and once again it pounced toward her¡­ ¡­ to finish the game. 0332 Darcies Companion - the Darkest Fate!!! Darcie had always maintained a calm and composed appearance, burying the anger she felt toward this world that gave more importance to rumors than facts. Why had she been working so hard? Why had she been studying, learning so much? It was because she wanted to prove herself with actions, not words. Now the world and these eminent beings wanted to tell her she had no fate with magical creatures when even Professor Dumbledore got the approval of a Phoenix instantly?! "There is truly no such thing as fate!" Darcie shouted, her emotions all over the place, but her heart was resolute. "If I want something, then that naturally shares a fate with me!" The young Nundu came at her like an angel of death. Darcie threw her hands outwards. A burst of black smoke exploded from her palms, darkening everything around them. The cub thrashed its paws at the smoke, but couldn''t find the target. Darcie had already fluttered out of the smoke, feeling that it wouldn''t keep the cub occupied for long. She used a version of the Water-Making Spell, creating a large globule of water. The water ball hurled itself towards the cub, and covered its nose, making it hiss out bubbles. Then she used the Arrow-shooting spell to fire several arrows at its eyes, making it howl in pain. Meanwhile, the water ball didn''t let it breathe, either. "Cough!" Darcie coughed out more blood, knowing well that she had suffered great internal injuries. But this wasn''t the time to tend to them. Her hands moved, assisting her to focus on the spells, and then she used the Wings-conjuring charm to create a set of wings on her back. She fluttered to the space above the young Nundu''s head, avoiding its wildly thrashing tail, full of needles. Then, like the most elegant Fairy Queen, Darcie pointed at the cub''s head. A dense burst of blue flash exploded out of her finger and hit the skull of the cub with a loud thump. It was a Stunning spell. The focus needed for it was so great that the water ball vanished, and even her wings blurred. But Darcie didn''t take her eyes off its head and kept firing tiny stunning spells one after another, making the cub howl. If it weren''t for the deafening rumbles overhead, these howls could''ve awakened the entire valley by now. At last, Darcie pointed both of her palms towards the young Nundu, and for the first time, she decided to use a verbal magic wandlessly, taking no chance. "Bombarda Maxima!" An ethereal shockwave left the space in front of her palms. The young Nundu''s head got planted into the earth as if someone had stomped on it ruthlessly. Not even a painful howl could be heard, and from only the light trembles of its tail one could guess that the cub was still alive. With a thud, Darcie landed on the ground, feeling extremely tired because of the relentless use of Magic. Her hairs were disheveled, and dirt had covered her figure like a blanket. Inside her, pain galloped with no mercy. It was then a pi-pa sound that echoed out of her tiny figure, and then with a pop, she enlarged, regaining her original size. A dense bout of coldness made her shiver, and Darcie''s teeth chattered along with it. She observed the tiny cub with her poisonous green eyes but then shook her head, deciding against killing it. Darcie flicked her hand, trying to conjure a blanket to wrap around her, but failed. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Any single instance of magic made her wince, making her body ache as if needles were pricking her joints. But she must move, Darcie knew. The adult Nundu might come anytime, and even if she were to become as large as a dragon, she would not be its match. Darcie lifted the Nundu cub and noticed it had lost consciousness but was still alive. Then she chose a random direction and ran away, not remaining at this place a second longer. She couldn''t run forever, though. At this place, there was no concept of day and night. But, as she kept running, Darcie could feel that evening had come and gone an hour ago, and the cold of the night was now seeping into her bones. She would have stopped to warm herself if she wasn''t so scared of getting caught by the adult Nundu. One must not forget that even though Darcie had caught a cub, this was but the most vicious magical creature. Not to mention, unlike the cub, the adult Nundu would have greater intelligence. How could a broken and tired little girl survive something like that? So Darcie only stopped when her feet refused to move even an inch further. The game trail Darcie had picked half an hour ago brought her to a stream, its black waters reflecting the dark, purple bolts of lightning in the darker sky. From head to toe, she was trembling, and all her measures of keeping herself warm had failed. Not because she couldn''t do magic, but because the little magic she could do had gone in confusing the cub in her embrace, who had already woken up two times. The only thing to be thankful for was that it was sleeping now. Darcie put the cub down and collected a few twigs and branches, hoping to create a fire. Who knew when Madam Villanelle would find her? She would die of this cold before then. After several tries, she lit a light fire, letting in a deep, relaxing breath. This was the first time Darcie got to know how hard it was to transfigure something without proper focus and mental state. With her chest and limbs aching, and her bones shivering, Darcie couldn''t even manage to conjure a blanket for herself; much less needed to be said about transfiguring something into one. Her breath misted as the warmth of fire kissed the tips of her fingers and the soles of her feet. Sleep and dreams pervaded her mind, making her eyelid droop deeper every second. ¡­ It was then she noticed a flash, blacker than the black waters. Darcie felt as if everything had gone silent around her; a thing she blamed on her sleepy state. The air became colder; the fire crackled low, and the young Nundu sleeping beside her trembled even in its vicious dreams. Darcie lifted her head and noticed this flash had come from the stream, whose water was galloping without making the slightest gurgle. And the moment she realized what it was, her eyes widened, and her entire body went tout. It was a black cloak; a large black piece of cloth was gliding over the stream, and was just about to pass her. What was a cloak doing here? This question did pop into her mind, but only momentarily. Her nakedness wasn''t something Darcie had been feeling good about, and god knew she could use something to keep the cold away from her. Darcie threw herself toward the stream, her feet splashing the cold water underneath. And just when the black cloak was about to glide away over the black waters, she snatched it out with a smile on her face. Darcie brought it near the fire but suddenly realized that the cloak wasn''t even wet. Suddenly, she guessed where it must have come from. Those vicious Thunderbirds! Darcie spat, frowning. They must have caught more humans from the other side of the cliff to their nests in the past. It must belong to one of them. The realization that this cloak''s previous owner was probably dead made Darcie sigh. She rubbed the black cloak between her fingers absentmindedly. It was very smooth, the purest piece of silk. Darcie rubbed it on her cheeks, and she giggled. She didn''t know why, but when she looked at it and rubbed it against her skin, she felt quite sanguine, as though nothing would go wrong. A sense of mysterious happiness lingered on her face, making her lips curl upwards. She covered herself with the cloak and sat down, recalling her experience. Memories appeared like a veil in front of her eyes. Failures after failures, Madam Villanelle''s hidden looks, full of pity, and surviving death in this abysmal valley, and that too by the oddest flukes¡­ Darcie''s eyes moistened, and she longed to hug her mother. Half in shame and half in hopelessness, she buried her face in the black cloak wrapped over her knees¡­ and cried. Boom!!! The sudden explosive sound, different from the crack of lightning bolts, jolted Darcie. She looked up at the sky and saw green and red bursts of sparkles. "DARCIE!!!" The shout thundered throughout the valley, full of power and might. It belonged to Madam Villanelle. Darcie rubbed away the tears. It wasn''t the time to hold back her magic. She reached for the fire in front of her, her eyes narrowed, and then a lump of fireball shot up toward the rumbling sky, screeching through the air. Sure enough, in mere seconds, Darcie saw a blurry shadow approaching her from the depthless clouds, cutting the rain and wind alike. Darcie lifted the young Nundu and stood up. Madam Villanelle landed a few feet away from her, her eyes red and moist. She threw herself off the incomplete Firebolt and ran towards Darcie. "Oh, Darcie! I¡­" Madam Villanelle cried, but suddenly forgot the art of speech. ¡­ Under the calm and composed eyes of young Malfoy, the reincarnated biblical witch staggered a few steps back, her face losing color. Darcie had never seen someone so scared. Madam Villanelle''s eyes were trembling, and so were her hands, and then her entire body shivered. She kept muttering "This¡­". "This¡­", "How¡­", making no sense. Darcie looked down and lifted the young Nundu, realizing something. "It''s a young Nundu, mentor," she said, handpicking her words. "I¡­ found it sleeping." Even though it was a cub of the most dangerous magical species, Darcie couldn''t figure out the reason for her mentor to show such fear toward it, especially when it was sleeping so quietly. Madam Villanelle might as well have heard nothing. She took another step back, brought out her wand with her trembling hand, and pointed it at Darcie. And then, with an ear-piercing shriek, she blurted, drowning the rumbles of countless thunderbolts. "Lethifold!!!" 0333 The Disastrous Consequences and Dangers of Facelessness Comprehension!!! It was a boundless sea of yellow mist. Somewhere in this sea, a white room with closed windows was hovering three inches over the foggy surface. This sea and the white room were the projection of Kai''s consciousness; a feat he only achieved by bringing his Correspondence to 20. Today, the walls of this white room were bleeding, blood seeping from the cracks and corners and dripping into the sea in an unending stream. Inside the white room, Kai was seated on the floor cross-legged. This figure represented Kai''s focus and comprehension while controlling the physical body. In this state, Kai''s mind was divided into three parts. This was not as simple as doing three tasks at once, but it bordered on genuine separation. In this state, Kai was at his best and also at his worst, his thoughts dangerous and deeper than ever. The first his mind was controlling Darcie''s physical body and its reactions and responses. The second part was controlling and processing thoughts from Darcie''s perspective. The third part was entirely dedicated to the countless nudges. It was these nudges that controlled Kai''s advancement in Comprehending the True Essence of Facelessness, for they were the most¡­ treacherous. This third part not only bore the greatest pressure but also resonated with the other two minds, coordinating with them to Act like Darcie, even though from both body and mind the little girl was no one but Kai himself. The destruction of this third part would also mean the annihilation of Kai''s Comprehension, along with the thorough eradication of Kai''s mind. Now, this projection of Kai''s comprehending state, this meditating figure, was full of cracks. ¡­ Kai''s long white hair, brushing the floor underneath, was sodden with blood. His ears were bleeding, his eyelids were pressed hard in a frown, and blood was also seeping out from the corner of his closed eyes. From his clenched teeth, a heart-palpitating noise of grinding and shattering was reverberating. And, with a cough, several mouthfuls of blood came pouring out, intermingling with the bleeding floor. Even his body was cracking apart bit by bit. Hairline cracks were running from his chest to abdomen, from shoulders to wrists, and from forehead to chin. Kai was on the verge of losing everything. Before today, he had never come so close to failing his Comprehension, even though there had been some shocking events that had jolted his meditating projection in this white room. Today, everything had been toppled upside-down for him. It had started in the morning, with the thing Kai had been waiting for a long time; the Nod. He knew this was the day when things would truly start to pick up the pace, letting Darcie run amok instead of binding her true potential. Yet, when he had reached the so-called Hall of Portkeys, which just seemed to have popped out of nowhere, he knew something had gone wrong. Terribly wrong! Even then, the second part of Kai''s mind had not worried much. It was then the first crack had surfaced on his forehead; a blow worthy enough to be dealt by the legend of Excalibur. Even in his dreams, Kai had never imagined that things would take such a turn this morning, making him see this legendary weapon. One must not forget that Darcie Malfoy''s magical prowess was as grand as other major characters like Harry Potter, Ron, and Hermione; or a touch even greater, perhaps. For even her to feel stifled under the might of this supposed portkey signified how powerful this legendary sword was. Not to mention, the sheer shock, controlling the reactions and responses, and giving out apt replies and expressions, had brought out the first taste of blood in Kai''s mouth; sweet and sad; full of terrors. It wasn''t like this projection of Kai''s Comprehension hadn''t been injured before. It had. However, in those times, Kai always got a breather to calm his state down, healing the cracks as soon as they surfaced. Today, this bloody taste in his mouth was just a start, a cruel beginning to the most incomprehensible series of events. The second, and one of the longest and the deepest, crack on his body hadn''t surfaced because of him seeing the divine land for the first time. Nor had it surfaced because of him seeing the uncountable magical creatures. It had happened when the Veela approached Darcie. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. The first and second parts of Kai''s mind remained in a constant state of alert for Notifications, which even Kai''s Reincarnation couldn''t stop from popping up in front of Darcie''s eyes.; even though she wasn''t a Contestant. The Glitch! Blood Devour had never failed to let Kai know about the presence of a magical creature near Darcie, appearing and vanishing, and seemingly in a constant state of trying to break his Comprehension. Like the house-elf, Dobby, when the Veela had approached Darcie, Kai was prepared to ignore the Glitch Notification, with all the parts of his mind focused on this task as one. This was necessary, as this Glitch notification was the only thing that directly linked Kai to the Systems and differentiated his true self behind the curtains from his Reincarnation, Darcie Malfoy. When such times came, Kai could not afford even the faintest hint of risk. No notification appeared, though. Not a hint of it. Nothing. Imagine the stairs in your home, which you have already used thousands of times to go up and down, imprinting it in your heart and making it a part of muscle memory. What would happen if one day you were going down the stairs absentmindedly, and a few steps disappeared? This was not a feeling anyone could resist, no matter how much heaven-defying one was to be. The very heart surged to rest at the throat at these times, leaving behind an abysmal empty feeling in the stomach. Something like this also happened to Kai, but on a much grander and heinous scale. However, this was only the second crack of today. Kai''s instincts were sharp to an unparalleled degree, and it wasn''t like he could shut them off while Acting the part of Darcie. Knowing the true name of the place they had come to, seeing the Phoenix and feeling its inexhaustible powers and might with his instincts, and then standing near the divine existence of the white Qilin, all gifted a crack of their own to Kai. Glitch had not responded even then. What came next was a period of unmatched struggle that Kai would not forget for ages to come. Six existences to shake the world; Six reasons to break the Comprehension. How could things turn out to be like that?! Where did this Order come from?! These existences, these monsters, how could they be in the world of Harry Potter?!! Any of those Six could search Darcie''s mind on the spot, finding the truth about Kai''s reincarnation. This thought itself had made him cough out several mouthfuls of blood. Till now, Kai had been relying on the name Malfoy, Darcie''s age and status, and the minister of magic to not let anyone try something that stupid. What reason could Darcie give them against doing so?!!! Kai had not forgotten that this world was unique among the most unique timelines, to begin with. In this world, there was a major character on par with the main characters, but not a part of the original storyline ¡ª Darcie Malfoy. Meg had already told him that her very existence signified tremendous changes to the original timeline. Still, Kai had never imagined the existence of an Order of this scale, with these figures, even with his brilliant mind. This all was just mind-boggling. Not to mention, it all happened just too suddenly, like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky. There was an even more terrifying question that lingered at the back of Kai''s mind, making his blood surge and his skin crack. Was this Order of the Immortal Lotus a part of the infinite magical Random Worlds of Harry Potter? Because, as those figures kept speaking and explaining to Darcie, every single thing spoken by them and every single justification given by them had just fit too perfectly in the original storyline. It was as if this Order had always been here, in these infinite Random Worlds, unknown to all but a few, controlling the world from shadows. The only thing that paused the ultimate destruction of Kai''s Comprehension by learning such shocking truths was this Order''s motto ¡ª Not to meddle with the Present. The Order''s belief in Inaction meant it was as giant an opportunity for Kai as horrendous a risk it was. What he needed after that meeting was time to process everything with a free mind, putting all things in order. Alas! Abdul Alhazred''s suggestion had struck Kai''s mind like a whip on the bare back. Darcie was but a child. Even though she was magnificent in studying and in her ambitions, how could she have known the terror behind that suggestion? In light of this, Kai had not nudged her to think of the underlying meaning of the following words. Let Darcie take a magical creature with her, they had suggested, with the most casual tone. Only someone like Kai, who had played this cunning and underhanded game before, could figure out the hidden meaning behind these words. At that moment, Kai had come to realize that this was the most significant part of today''s meeting, otherwise why brought it up like that, in such a carefree manner? Then there was the fact that his Glitch didn''t work on these magical creatures, making them inherently special. Not to mention, Merlin had even taken special care to mention that a Phoenix had taken an instant liking to Dumbledore. So, Kai had indeed realized, with the help of his experiences and his instincts, that a failure in getting chosen by a magical creature today meant the failure of Darcie''s candidacy to Indigo Seat as well, regardless of the meeting and the Six''s praises. These were monsters; ancient wizards and witches with horrifying powers. If they were to accept just any brilliant individual so casually, then this Order wouldn''t have survived and remained hidden for so long. There was something more to this ritual of choosing a magical creature, a meaningful secret hidden behind the veil of pretenses, calling it a matter of fate. This realization in itself had made Kai''s brain explode, his ears bleed, and his teeth shatter. So, for the first time, Kai nudged Darcie with all his monstrous concentration to not return without a result, hiding this nudge under the veil of stubbornness. The consequences of this nudge were quite threatening, to say the least. It meant that Darcie would have to show her buried humane feelings and emotions to someone else for the first time, losing her ever-calm and composed appearance. And Kai had not prepared himself to let this little girl come to that so early. However, after leaving the tower, Kai had not thought that things would worsen, either. Even when his instincts had perceived the danger coming, the young Thunderbird turned out to be just too fast for Darcie to react on that broom. When the vicious bird''s talons had made the physical body cough out blood, it was also the time when the walls of the white room over the yellow sea had cracked, almost making Kai come out of his meditative state. Still, with sheer Will, Kai survived the fatal event, and then another one by subduing the young Nundu. It couldn''t have happened without bringing certain changes to Darcie''s personality. But changes in personalities had always remained a part of a child''s growth. Extreme lifestyles begot extreme experiences, and extreme experiences begot momentous changes in personalities. These changes, though unplanned, were also a part of his Comprehension. Yet, it was then when it all seemed to be over to Kai that the last blow arrived at his head. When Darcie had found the black cloak and brought it out of the stream, guessing its probable human origin, Kai too had thought the same. With the physical body shivering from the bone-chilling cold, feeling hopelessness and helplessness, and his Comprehension on the verge of shattering, Kai had no time to think much about it. In the end, he too had relied on Darcie''s senses, for the Glitch had already failed to work on this mythical island. It was just a black cloak, probably infused with Water-repelling Charm. What else? Was there even a need to think more? Could Kai think more, in his broken state, risking his already scattering Comprehension? Fear! The sight of stupendous dread on Madam Villanelle''s face had exploded like a bomb in Kai''s mind. And when the reincarnated biblical witch had called out the name, Lethifold, Kai''s head split open and blood spattered everywhere, dying the walls in the most frightening colors. 0334 Surrounded by Nundus! Darcie couldn''t speak, blink, think, or sense anything when she heard what her mentor had called the black cloak wrapped around her body. The corner of her eyes had gone red as if they were bleeding, and even a hint of blood could be seen clung to her teeth. All because of the internal injuries she had suffered, perhaps? Then what about the absolute rigidness of her body, and the cloudy blur blinding her sight? One could even say that for a mere fraction of a second, Darcie Malfoy had lost her life, becoming a puppet. It lasted for this tiniest fraction, though. An ethereal burst of profound will erupted within her. In the next moment, Darcie''s face regained color, and her eyes, though filled with terror, also brimmed with life, and her senses returned, along with her thinking capabilities. Whatever had caused her momentary listlessness must have dealt with by that sheer will, somehow. But it only seemed like a temporary measure. If she were to suffer such a shock again, then who knew she would regain her composure or not? Madam Villanelle couldn''t see these changes in Darcie, her eyes failing to leave the sight of Lethifold. Not even the young Malfoy was aware of these changes about her. Full of dread and absolute horror, Darcie looked at the cloak from the corner of her eyes. What she had taken as a light flutter because of the icy wind now felt like faint breathing to her. The entire cloak was stirring, ballooning, and deflating by the faintest amount that was almost impossible to be noticed. Not to mention, Darcie felt like it was crawling over her naked skin, as though a piece of silk was brushing her constantly. Darcie Malfoy was truly terrified now. Even with her magical powers and brilliant capabilities, not for one moment, she dared to think that she could put up a fight against this magical creature. Lethifold! This name itself was the primal fear for many. This creature was second only to the vilest and evilest creatures known to the wizardkind that crawled the earth, the Dementors. One consumed flesh, and the other devoured souls. An even more horrifying thing was that there was little to no information known about Lethifolds. Where they had originated from, what was their anatomy, what were their powers, did they have distinct sex, and the most asked question, how intelligent were they? The more Darcie thought, the more she shuddered. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. However, even then, her heart was strangely becoming calmer with time. No matter how terrified she was now, Darcie felt a soothing cold seeping into her through the cloak. The feeling in the deepest parts of her heart ¡ª Nothing would go wrong as long as she was with it ¡ª just didn''t go away. At this moment, Darcie realized something. What the entire wizardkind truly feared wasn''t the magical creature, Lethifold, but what it represented. The Unknown! This realization brought such joy and calmness to her that Darcie felt all the tiredness vanishing from her body. "I¡­ I feel good," Darcie blurted absentmindedly, shocking Madam Villanelle, whose wand was pointed at the black cloak. Hearing her own words made Darcie fluster, but she didn''t take them back. She did feel good, better than ever. Over their heads, the countless rumbles shook the sky, and the many-colored flashes of bolts of lightning lit up their surroundings, now and then. No matter what, Madam Villanelle''s silver-gray pupils never left Darcie. "Tell me¡­" she forced out, her eyes hard, her face harder beside. "Tell me everything. How did you come to have these creatures, Darcie? And don''t lie. I want the absolute truth of it, OK?" Darcie nodded, not planning to hide anything already. She did lie, though. A bit. As the Valley of Endless Rumbles rumbled endlessly, Darcie told about her getting captured by a young Thunderbird, at which Madam Villanelle''s face paled. Then she told the older witch how she had used the Shrinking Potion to free herself, and by sheer happenstance, fell near the young Nundu. As Madam Villanelle heard that, her dark skin almost became white, losing the barest hint of blood in concern. It was here Darcie adjusted her encounter a little, deviating from the actual happenings. Her ability to use Wandless Magic couldn''t be hidden anymore, or there was no chance a little girl of her age could have survived hours in the valley. So Darcie let Madam Villanelle know that out of fear she had conjured ropes binding the young Nundu''s mouth. She blamed it all on her instincts. Instincts, by nature, were dubious. Then Darcie told her how the potion''s effect had worn off, letting her regain her original size. When Madam Villanelle heard how Darcie had punched the cub, flattening it into the ground and making it lose consciousness, the corners of her lips twitched ruefully for the first time. The next encounter was even more bizarre, to say the least. The young Malfoy had been running naked in this abysmal forest until now. This mere thought was enough to make Madam Villanelle sweat and feel remorse out of concern. Then Darcie told her how she just happened to see the black cloak floating over the stream, and how she snatched it out, draping it over her body. She even took extra care to mention that she had felt nothing weird or threatening, either, but only the calmest piece and soothing cold. When Darcie finished her account, it was also then that Madam Villanelle regained her composure. There was still a touch of fear on her face, but it bordered more on complication. "I know I can''t keep it, mentor," Darcie said innocently. "I will let it go now." "Nooooo!" Madam Villanelle''s sudden shout jolted Darcie. These was Lethifold they were talking about, the darkest creature on the earth, and not something anyone could keep around themselves just because they wished to. Darcie wanted to put her doubt into words, but time and place weren''t in their favor. ROAR! ROAR!!! These roars shook the world, and even the endless rumbles felt insignificant compared to them. In Darcie''s embrace, the young Nundu''s eyelids trembled. Out of nowhere, a giant Nundu came lunging out of the forest, some dozen feet behind Darcie. A smaller, but fiercer, Nundu growled at Madam Villanelle from several feet away, the incomplete Firebolt hovering midair between the creature and the witch. But the magical creature was closer to it. It was a pair of male and female Nundus, the cub''s parents, and if Darcie wasn''t mistaken, the male seemed to be the leader of the leap. These creatures'' movements were so silent that before their roars the two witches had gotten no hint of their arrival or even presence. The two beasts snarled under their throats, their thorny manes puffing out with every breath. If there was some intelligence in those blood-red eyes, it seemed to have vanished with the disappearance of their cubs. "Darcie! To me!" Madam Villanelle shouted, forgetting Lethifold''s matter altogether. She, perhaps, didn''t know if this creature was a blessing for Darcie or not, but the two Nundus represented certain death for them. Darcie scuttled back to her mentor one step at a time, and the black cloak on her shoulders almost fluttered in response. The two beasts snapped their jaws at them as they prowled toward their prey. 0335 Daemonologie, In Forme of a Dialogue and a Shocking Fact! Howsoever will they survive now?! Darice thought, her heart restless. The young Nundu had been a different matter, she knew. Even if her magic hadn''t worked against it, the power behind the blows had been enough to make it lose consciousness. Nothing of that sort was possible with these massive horrors, though. Not to mention, they couldn''t apparate here. In fear, Darcie looked up at her mentor and got shocked when she saw the confidence on her face. Yes! Madam Villanelle was a reincarnated biblical witch. How could she be ordinary? Her very existence was a horde of secrets, knowledge, and power. The two Nundus opened their jaws, brandishing their razor-sharp fangs, and were about to let out the most lethal breath known to the wizardkind, when Madam Villanelle flicked her wand and cast a spell. ¡­ Darcie''s eyes widened as she saw a massive book with an ancient cover taking shape over Madam Villanelle''s head. The book''s cover was thick and black, and when it opened, a black mist surfaced out like the thinnest fog. The most fascinating thing about this fog was that it kept taking the shape of countless magical creatures as if they were ghosts. Only when the shock of this discovery calmed down did Darcie''s gaze fall on the book''s name. This?!! Darcie inadvertently shuddered as if a blow had been dealt to her consciousness, making it crack. Isn''t this¡­ ¡­ Daemonologie, In Forme of a Dialogue?!! Yes, it was exactly that. The legendary book that contained secrets of innumerable magical creatures, demons, and devils. No wonder Madam Villanelle had such an uncanny way with the magical creatures. No wonder her mentor had taken such a keen interest in teaching Darcie about this Book. And no wonder Madam Villanelle had smiled knowingly at her when Darcie mentioned if the older witch had too searched for the book before. Of course, she had. This book, this grimoire, was proof of that. Roar! Cry!! This roar and cry had felt to come from very far to Darcie. But, in the next moment, two creatures jumped out from the book and lunged at the two adult Nundus. One of the two creatures was a 10 ft dragon, and the other was an even larger griffin, and both of them were shrouded in a black fog, their appearance almost transparent. Darcie''s mouth hung open at the sight. Madam Villanelle had no intention to marvel at the upcoming carnage, however. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. "We will leave the cub here," the witch said, flicking her wand. Darcie nodded and let the cub go. Suddenly, the incomplete Firebolt rushed towards them, and with an apprehensive but bold move, the Madam Villanelle grabbed Darcie''s shoulder and made her sit behind her. In the next moment, they were already flying, the wind slapping against their faces with a grudge of its own. As they whistled their way out of the valley and crossed the cliff, Darcie noticed that the black cloak was not fluttering as expected of it. It was wrapped gently around her, but with a firm grip, keeping contact with her skin. Even when they had left the dangerous area, Madam Villanelle didn''t lower the broom''s speed and seemed bent on reaching the cobbled path as soon as possible. After an hour of flight, the two witches landed on the path, where Sir Loras was waiting for them. "We will talk later, Sir Loras," Madam Villanelle snapped, making the smile on Sir Loras'' face vanish. To Darcie''s utter surprise, the wizard didn''t even seem to give the black cloak a glance. "Let''s go," Madam Villanelle said. "I am scared to death imagining your injuries. You need medical attention, and you need it now. I am even more scared thinking of Narcissa. We are so in trouble, young lady." Darcie listlessly fluttered behind her mentor, her head surging with wave after wave of shocking questions. "Yes, it''s the book," Madam Villanelle said, realizing the distance to the Portkey was too great for the silence to last till then. "It contains the deepest secrets of magical creatures and¡­ things you shouldn''t be aware of yet. "But, in the end, it''s the wizard who matters, not the knowledge itself. "Do you know to whom this part belonged before me?" Darcie shook her head, her gaze innocent. "Newt Scamander." What?! Darcie''s eyebrows raised at the answer. "The same famed Magizoologist and the author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," Madam Villanelle continued, with her wand still out for any unforeseen event. "He learned from it, but never relied on it. "I have nothing but respect for such a wizard who can let go of the temptation of raw power like him." Darcie didn''t know what to say. As they kept hurrying, leaving Sir Loras rooted to his place, Darcie saw a blue-yellow glint off in the distance. The Portkey was but a few hundred meters far from them. It was then Madam Villanelle suddenly stopped. "Why did you go towards the Valley of Endless Rumbles, Darcie?" she asked, not unkindly. Darcie felt confused, and then realized she had forgotten to mention the most crucial part. "I didn''t go toward the valley, mentor," she explained, looking up. "I saw a Golden Snidget on the tower''s side of the cliff. I only meant to capture it. I¡­ I am sorry." "Golden Snidget?!" Madam Villanelle raised an eyebrow. And then such a fit of anger flashed across her face like the one Darcie had never seen before. "Humph! Old brute!" This anger, obviously, wasn''t directed at Darcie. Madam Villanelle patted Darcie''s head affectionately and said, "We can''t leave the island before you name it." "I am allowed to keep it?!" Darcie seemed enthralled. It was the Lethifold they were talking about, the darkest and vicious of their kind. What more reason one needed to part the little girl from them, fearing the commotion and massacre they could cause in the outside world? Could Darcie even hold them back? Even if she was the prospective candidate for Indigo Seat, was she that brilliant to keep them in check? "Sigh!" Madam Villanelle''s sigh was full of exasperation. "It''s not like you are allowed, Darcie. But you must keep it with you. There''s no other way. Not now." Darcie, though extremely tired and injured, sensed something was wrong with her mentor''s tone. "Why?" Madam Villanelle''s gaze softened as she looked at Darcie. "Do you know why Avalon is such a special place, Darcie?" she asked softly. "Even before the Arthurian times, it had existed, housing uncountable creatures. But¡­ "¡­ these creatures don''t exactly come under the definition of magical creatures." Something shuddered in the depths of Darcie''s mind. "I don''t understand, mentor," she said, frowning. Madam Villanelle sighed. "They are magical creatures¡­ and they are not as well." Then it came to Darcie like an unsung song. Her mouth was open, and her eyes were giving out the most poisonous glint. "Wait a minute!" she cried involuntarily. "Are they¡­" Suddenly, Darcie realized why the word Companion had been used by the Yellow Seat of the Order of the Immortal Lotus, Abdul Alhazred. Madam Villanelle nodded. "All these creatures¡­" she whispered, looking at the vast fields, "¡­ are Tutelary Deities." And a word exploded in Darcie''s mind. Familiars! 0336 Naming the Familiar, Forming a Bond - The Lethifold!!! Darcie understood now. It hadn''t been long since Madam Villanelle had taught her all about the Tutelary Deities. It seemed her mentor had been preparing her for this day for the entire month of December. "A Tutelary deity is a protector of a particular person, and Familiars are their sub-group," Madam Villanelle said, repeating her lesson. "Do you remember what I said about their identities?" Darcie forgot almost nothing. She did look pensive, though, trying to recapture the thoughts behind her mentor''s words. "Familiars are supernatural entities that are clearly defined and three-dimensional, have forms, vivid with colors and animated with movement and sound, unlike the ghosts with their smoky, undefined forms." As she worded out, Darcie looked at the black cloak. "You seem to have understood," Madam Villanelle nodded. "The definition itself is ambiguous, making one confused regarding the Familiars and the Magical Creatures. "It''s better to say that Familiars are supernatural entities that assume the defined characteristics, in contrast to the Magical Creatures, which are the characteristics themselves. "And from the olden antiquities, the process of a Familiar choosing a witch and wizard had always remained the same ¡ª A spontaneous encounter. "Some call this spontaneous encounter a calling of fate, too. The essence remains the same. "Your encounter with¡­ Lethifold¡­ was even more spontaneous than all I''ve read about. Not to mention¡­ you are still alive, and that means something in itself. "You must not forget, a Familiar is also called a Familiar Spirit and a Spirit Companion. "It is the alter ego of an individual. A Lethifold representing your alter ego troubles me. However, it doesn''t change the fact that even though Familiars may have an independent life of their own, they remain closely linked to the individual." "You mean to say¡­" Darcie looked shaken. Madam Villanelle drew a frigid breath. "If something were to happen to you, then these Familiars would eventually die, too," she told Darcie, saddened. "Even if they were to remain far from you for a long time, their life force would gradually dissipate. "Lethifold is no doubt your Familiar, now, but you must name it first." Darcie''s grip over her black cloak tightened. "Why must I name them, mentor?" she asked curiously. Madam Villanelle looked troubled as if not knowing whether to answer or not. "Sigh!" she let out a breath at last. "The magical laws outside don''t support the growth of Familiars, Darcie. "That''s why there are little to no Spirit Companions in our world. Only Avalon is special enough to let them flourish. "But to take them out, one must bond with a Familiar, and naming the Spirit Companion is the oldest way of bonding with it." Darcie looked at the black cloak, and the only thing that came to her mind was affection. An affection that was only second to the one she had for her family and friends. She turned around and gazed at the vast sky, full of stars. Then her gaze deepened as if she could see a darker sky, rumbling endlessly, where Lethifold had found her; in the times of her deepest solitude. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "May I know what Daemonologie, In Forme of a Dialogue says about Lethifold, mentor?" she instead asked. Madam Villanelle answered outright. "It says only one word¡­" she told her. "Avoid." Avoid¡­ Avoid¡­ Darcie repeated the word and then shook her head. "I think Lethifolds are vastly misunderstood creatures," she mumbled, more to herself and less to the world. "There are tales of them being the vilest beings on the earth and that they are more beastly than the mindless beasts. "But has someone given substance to these claims? No. I don''t think so. I¡­ I don''t feel so." Madam Villanelle looked utterly flabbergasted, not believing that she was hearing these words from this little girl. What had happened to her in the last few hours for her to act so mature, bringing such changes in her personality, for Darcie never talked this much? "If the world thinks of it as an evil spirit, a demon, then so be it," Darcie said, the green of her eyes becoming greener. "If it has the blackest heart and intentions, then so be it. "If all think of it as a creature of the night, then let the night represent it as well¡­" What Darcie didn''t say, however, was that she felt oddly aware of the time when she had met Lethifold. Losing sounds, the uncanny cold, and the calm; this night meant more to her and Lethifold than words could surmise. This was the day where it all began, she thought, recalling her meeting with the Six figures. And this was the night when she encountered such singular creatures. This Night¡­ was Lethifold; starless and darker than dark, but not evil. Not to her. "¡­ I will name it," Darcie declared, "Lilith!" Suddenly, the entire black cloak flapped rigorously without wind as if a monstrous storm had arrived unannounced. The most unnerving thing was that this flapping of the cloak didn''t make any noise as expected of a cloth. Then, Lethifold slipped off Darcie''s figure and came to hover behind her like a massive veil. Madam Villanelle couldn''t help but take a few steps back, her eyes shuddering as she saw the scratches on Darcie''s naked body. Darcie had already closed her eyes. She felt a calling, coming out from her heart. The word Lilith kept arising there like a bubble hovering in the void. For the first time in her life, Darcie felt like she had transcended some uncrossable boundaries. This feeling was truly indescribable. Lethifold fluttered behind her, coiling and flapping, and then fell over Darcie as if they were in the vacuum. The black cloak became a hooded robe, covering Darcie''s entire figure from head to toe, and wrapped around her in a tight grip. To Darcie, the tightening of this silk-like creature felt more like an affectionate hug. Darcie took a deep breath. Lilith breathed along with her. Under the hood, Darcie looked whiter in the darkness, and when her eyes snapped open, they shone green. Madam Villanelle composed herself, her expression still stunned. "This is good, too," she nodded in understanding. "No one can tell if it''s a Lethifold or just another robe. If I didn''t have the Daemonologie, then I couldn''t have found it in the first place, either." With the matter of naming and bonding finished, the witches carried on toward the end of the cobbled path, their surroundings full of nocturnal creatures'' cries and buzzes. "What about that Kneazle, mentor?" Darcie suddenly asked, her long cloak breathing in and out. Madam Villanelle''s heart trembled even now as she noticed that, but she ignored it. "It''s OK," she answered. "By tomorrow, it will return to its home. Darcie, now we both know our secrets. So, I hope to have a deeper interaction with you in the coming years." There was a smile on Madam Villanelle''s face, Darcie noticed. She also knew what these secrets were ¡ª One was her use of Wandless Magic, and the other was her mentor''s Grimoire. "How much can you control your Wandless Magic?" Madam Villanelle asked, now almost nearing the legendary sword. "Not much," Darcie answered honestly, shaking her head. "Can you cast spells non-verbally or do magic without the need for spells?" "No, mentor," she lied. Madam Villanelle nodded in understanding. A non-verbal Wandless Magic, and that too without the proper background of spells, was just too heaven-defying, no matter the times, biblical or modern. "Don''t tell the minister anything about what happened today?" Madam Villanelle reminded her. "Not that Milli would ask of you. She''s understanding in that regard, unlike her predecessors. "The Unspeakables have always remained out of the ministry''s control because they are supported by the Order. Few wizards know the reason, and they like this even less. "It would be best if things would not come out in the open now. I will take care of the matter with Lethifold for you. Don''t worry." Darcie nodded. However, one could see the faintest hint of curiosity and doubt on her face, now that the hood had come down. "If there''s something, then ask," Madam Villanelle said, smiling. "It''s just¡­" Darcie didn''t know how to put it into words. "Why is the Order named after the Immortal Lotus? What is Immortal Lotus?" The smile on Madam Villanelle''s face vanished. She took Darcie''s hand in her hand, and sighed, stepping into the pool of clear water and touching the Portkey. Only then words escaped her mouth; the lightest whisper. This whisper echoed even after their disappearance, ending their adventure to this mythical island for good. Those words were - "Immortal Lotus Blooms Seven Times With Seven Colors." 0337 A Monarchs Attitude and Merlins Prophecy!!! As the two witches took the Portkey back to the ministry, a Golden Snidget fluttered its way into the white tower built in the middle of Avalon. Chirp! In one flutter, it crossed the distance between the tower''s entrance and the high-back chair, where Blue Seat should have been seated. Then it spun and collapsed onto itself, transfiguring to its original shape ¡ª the Staff of Merlin! A thin strand of blue mist stretched out of the staff, and Merlin appeared on the chair with his blurred appearance. The Round Table came to a silence, then. The Six had vast powers in Avalon. They could see everything, hear everything, and sense everything. Nothing could be hidden from them. Not on this mythical island called Avalon. "A Lethifold¡­" Hermes dared to break the silence. And suddenly, all looked at Abdul Alhazred for some reason before breaking off their gazes. "It should not come as a surprise to us," Abdul said, his voice fading as if it was coming from very far. The other five shared a nod of understanding at that. "Astute awareness in early childhood is as much a curse as it''s a blessing," the Witch of Endor told them. "Rumors, whispers, questions about her birth, and endless criticizing looks¡­ "There''s a limit to how much a young girl can endure, burying and piling up the anger within her, donning a mask of calm and composure. Add a touch of an incomprehensible magical might to top it off¡­ "Do you still question if this was the same girl who had almost become an Obscurial even before the accident on her last birthday?" No. They didn''t. When a magical child was forced to repress their talent through physical or psychological abuse, they developed a parasitic magical force inside them called an Obscurus, resulting from their powerful emotions of distress. These magical children were termed as Obscurials. If Kai were to hear these insinuations now, then not only he would have been shocked, but he would also have to nod in agreement with them after mulling over it for a while. After his reincarnation, Kai had inherited Darcie''s memories, but he couldn''t know what had happened to the little girl subconsciously. And there had been many times where he had to accept his ignorance about the psychological field. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have needed Rintaro''s help to come up with a plan to deal with his growing disorder, especially when the Character himself had no experience in this field. It wasn''t like Kai had overlooked such a possibility. More accurate would be to say that with his ever-fluctuating plans, the matter of Acting, and his sheer busy schedule, he just had put little weight on how Darcie''s past must have influenced her subconsciously. To him, as long as he could Act like her, think like her, and live like her, it already meant he was heading toward the right destination. But the Six weren''t as ignorant as Contestants. And, unlike Kai, they had countless sources of information spread in the wizardkind for them to see a clear picture of the situations. "Such psychological abuse is absolutely intolerable by someone of her age," Hermes added, his tone indifferent. "It made her repress her magic unknowingly, turning it into a dark and parasitic force. "If it wasn''t for Snape''s brilliant and timely action of calming the chaotic magic within her, then she would have truly become an Obscurial. She could have even erupted into an Obscurus on the spot, causing unprecedented destruction. "Instead, it seemed to have granted her greater powers, letting her cast non-verbal and Wandless magic. Her actions, behavior, and changes in personality are not without basis. Nor the matter of a Lethifold being her Spirit Companion. "This was how it all should have played out, to begin with." They again nodded. "Snape''s a good seed," Abdul Alhazred commented. "Tch!" Circe tsked, sending a scornful look at Yellow Seat. "Like Albus will ever let him go." "Enough!" Green Seat brought an end to a budding scuffle. "We all know Wandless magic would run out, eventually. Why bring it up, then? "More important is, there are no Golden Snidgets in Avalon. Madam Villanelle must have figured out who impersonated it, causing the subsequent chain of events. She wouldn''t appreciate it." If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. "Does it matter?" Red Seat, Circe, spat. "She''s your reincarnation. Let her deal with it. It''s not like she would be the one to bear the wrath of this Karma. Heh!" As Circe mentioned Karma, all looked at Merlin. "For how long will you have to go into hibernation?" the Witch of Endor asked Blue Seat concernedly. "It''s greater than I expected," Merlin answered. "Around 10 years." What?! "Didn''t you say it would not exceed 10 months?" Hermes asked, confused. "All you did was to bring a young Thunderbird out of the Valley, and did not even interact with her¡­" The length of Merlin''s hibernation truly stupefied the group of eminent figures. "Sigh!" the Witch of Endor''s sigh was full of untold answers. "What were the results, Merlin?" Blue Seat took a moment to collect his thoughts. "Not simple," he said, describing Darcie. "There are¡­ irregularities in her soul, and it''s full of fluctuations that just erupt and vanish as if they had never happened." The Round Table didn''t dare to ignore these words. "Just search her mind and be done with it," Circe demanded cruelly. "What''s the need to give this matter so much time and such thoughts?" "And who among us will bear that Karma?" Merlin asked, leaning forward on the table. "You?" These Six stood at the top of this world, their magical might still unmatched, despite losing their true bodies. They feared nothing. The only thing that made them think something a hundred times over was Karma. Only when someone reached their level and attained such heights, did one get to know the absolute dread hidden behind this word. There was no resisting Karma, and there were no spells to obstruct it, either. The only thing one could do was to¡­ avoid it. Merlin interfered with Darcie''s fate when she couldn''t find a Familiar, but gave nothing to her to maintain the balance, and hence incurred the wrath of Karma, losing his powers for over 10 years on the spot. These Six didn''t belong to this era, to begin with. Karma was the embodiment of the blade of eradication for them. "Let someone from outside handle it, then," Circe said, at last, her tone still edgy, but calm. "No." The Witch of Endor shook her head. "Exactly these actions from our side had driven away both Albus and Voldemort. Need I remind you all this twice? "Even if Darcie wouldn''t get to know it now, what about after becoming Indigo Seat? How would she feel if she were to know that we had taken such actions against her? How can we expect her full support in our plans after infuriating her so much? "Tell me¡­ Kekeke! Her anger will burn us all, then." This instance of her low cackle sent a shiver running down everyone''s spines. There was no one leader of the Order of the Immortal Lotus. But who was the Witch of Endor? Not only was she the oldest of this group, but it was also she who had imparted the magic of creating Imperishable Artifacts to others. Her words carried weight. Her presence demanded respect. Circe was the dagger of this Order, but she knew when to sheath herself. Green Seat had voted out her suggestion, and none in this group would go against her reasonable words, especially with history serving as a hideous example. "Your royal excellency," Hermes called out at last. "Please guide us." King Solomon had remained quiet until now. With such figures discussing among themselves, there was no need to stand out, anyway. There was the Witch of Endor, her magical prowess unknown. Hermes and Circe together could topple the world up and down as they desired, bringing creation and destruction. Merlin had proved himself to be the soul of this Order, bringing timely prophecies and direly needed actions. And Abdul Alhazred¡­ Well, he was the author of Necronomicon. Nothing more needed to be said about him. Even then, all turned to look at Violet Seat at this moment, their blurred appearance expectant. For the monarch possessed one thing that one could not just have by gaining knowledge and power. Attitude! A monarch had the right attitude to overlook many things, and yet not forget about them. A monarch had the right attitude that was apt to take decisions for the greater good. A monarch with the right attitude symbolized eternal peace and prosperity. When King Solomon said something, it carried wisdom and sovereignty. He was one of the greatest monarchs of this world; the Sealer of Demons and the Protector of Faith. Now, all needed him the most, for this would very well turn out to be the night when it all began. "Abdul," King Solomon said, his voice hard, "what is the worst case possible?" Yellow Seat took a moment of silence. "Darcie Malfoy is possessed by an Outer One." The Round Table trembled slightly at the mention of the Outer One. "Indeed." King Solomon leaned back in his chair, his posture straight and mighty. "The question is, will Death and Timeline tolerate Darcie''s existence in that case?" Absolutely not! They all knew this answer and, perhaps, could see where the monarch was going with all this. "Darcie Malfoy, along with Harry Potter and his likes, are the face of the Present in this timeline," King Solomon told them, his tone full of warnings. "Any carelessness will bring us back centuries. "Conferring Indigo Seat to someone¡­ This must be our top priority. Only then can our plans come to fruition. As long as it''s not the worst case possible, Darcie Malfoy may as well have been the evil incarnate, it should not matter to us. "To fill the 7th Seat had remained our priority and must remain now as well. Nothing else matters. Nor should it ever." Thus, the Order came to a unanimous decision. Lethifold, Nundu, Voldemort, Dumbledore, and Darcie were nothing to these Six figures. What had they not seen and gone through? Their worries transcended the world itself. Much less needed to be said about the scuffle of power and authority outside. "Merlin," King Solomon said when everyone thought the matter was finished. "You don''t share your prophecies with us. We know the reason for it as well. I can even guess that your last prophecy must have been about Darcie''s arrival here. "Before going to hibernation, I want you to use all your powers to do another prophecy holding nothing back. Can you afford it?" It was a monarch''s request. At different times, it could have been his command. Who dared to ignore or reject it when it could be carried out? "I will be honored to do it, your royal excellency," Merlin said. All became quiet, their gazes coming to rest on Blue Seat. Even among them, the number of times when Merlin had done a public prophecy could be counted on hands. The Staff of Merlin stirred and bobbed up and down. In the next moment, a burst of blue flash exploded out of it, and the entire white tower trembled. Even the clouds in the sky burst apart, the air whistled, and the sleeping terrors shuddered in the vast fields. Creak! The crack on the wooden staff widened, and all Imperishable Artifacts shook in fear. Merlin''s projected figure broke apart, and only a few words escaped his vanishing figure like the rings of a bell heralding the apocalypse. "Death¡­ Destruction¡­ Madness¡­ Doom!!!" 0338 Lethifold - The Horror beyond Horrors!!! Darcie''s weekend at the Malfoy Manor passed in calming her mother''s wrath. As they''d expected, the Minister of Magic asked nothing of Darcie after their return. She did, however, show a great exhilarating smile as if a mountain-worth of weight had lifted off her shoulders. In just a few moments, the older witch had become much younger. The thing of astonishment was that even a great witch like Millicent Bagnold could not tell the real identity of Lethifold. More important and worrisome had turned out to be Darcie''s state, though. The scratches over her body were all but superficial. Yet, the injury she had suffered on her chest was no small matter. She had been bleeding internally, and the skin over her chest had become blue and purple. The only thing to be thankful for was that these injuries weren''t magical. It was the wind and trees who had given her scratches, while the chest injury had been inflicted by young Thunderbird and Nundu. The combined magic of both the Minister and Madam Villanelle healed Darcie to her optimum state in no time using the ministry''s resources, without leaving a scar on her body. Yet, it wasn''t the scars she had been worrying about, then. As expected, when Darcie took the Floo Network home, she found anger dancing at the tip of her mother''s nose. Darcie''s explanation of touring the ministry''s headquarters and sharing an evening tea with the Minister herself did nothing to soothe Narcissa, either. Spending time away from home, and that too, without writing a personal letter? The little girl seemed to have grown large wings lately¡­ Narcissa had found it would be good enough to clip the tips of those wings a bit, throwing Darcie into the book-less Velvet Room as a punishment. Darcie hadn''t minded it at all, as she had just too much to think about. Her mind kept going back to the events of Saturday, the meeting, and her experiences. And then there was Lethifold. But the most exhausting had turned out to be the ceaseless dreams of hisses and whispers, making her feel like she was dreaming the entire Sunday while wide awake. So, Darcie had waited for Monday''s arrival with great anticipation, hoping to know Order''s arrangements for her training that was supposed to start next week. Alas! Madam Villanelle had acted as if the matter of Avalon was just a mystical dream, and no such chain of events had ever happened, to begin with. Darcie could do nothing but wait for her mentor to bring up the matter by herself. Monday afternoon and evening passed by in accepting congratulatory remarks from the various managers and shopkeepers of Diagon Alley. Now, Darcie wasn''t just a young lady who had become famous or infamous because of the rumors about her birth, her shady background, her family name, and one published paper. She was the U-11 British Champion of the Alberta Toothill Young Wizard Chess Tournament, a National-level tournament that the Daily Prophet had covered with meticulous details. Not to mention, the wizardkind had seen this girl with their very eyes. At least, her brilliant intelligence and marvelous bearing weren''t in question anymore. Darcie Malfoy had finally done what she wanted to do from the beginning ¡ª To step out of the shadows and walk on the path to Greatness. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. * * Tuesday, 6 January 1987 02:00 am A black cloak, like a veil made of the purest silk, fluttered in the library within the suitcase. From dozens of feet away, Dementor-Kai looked at it with his dead hazel pupils under the hood, his thoughts unknown. Behind him, Petyr and Cersei looked at their master''s tall back and sensed the oddness of the atmosphere. An hour had already gone by since the start of the Identity Period. Hiss! Selene slithered out of Kai''s chest and came to rest on his shoulders. She flicked out her forked tongue and kissed his chin, not minding his rotten skin at all. Then her blind eyes came to rest on the Familiar like the rest of them. Kai didn''t know if Lethifold came under the purview of the System''s warning of someone relating his Self to his reincarnation. But, after careful deliberation, Kai and the group had confirmed these Spirit Companions were a major exceptions to everything related to the two Systems and Stats, as shown by his Glitch''s lack of response in their presence. One must not forget that the Glitch''s notification even activated in Darcie''s form, when there was no concept of the Systems. So its unresponsiveness meant that there was truly something strange about the Familiars. -What do you feel, Selene?- Kai hissed, his tone indifferent and full of biting-cold. -Absolute danger,- one Selene said profoundly. -It will never replace me,- another Selene said concernedly, her smooth, draconic scales rubbing against Kai''s neck, full of affection. Kai just wanted to hear the third one, for this Selene was the most daring, murderous, and wild of her three personalities. Sure enough, Selene hissed once more, hissing out only one word in the vilest tone possible. -Power.- Kai frowned. Then he flew toward the creature, icy fog roiling in his wake. Behind him, Cersei cried, "My lord¡­" Dementor-Kai ignored everything, and came to a stop a foot away from the rippling cloak, his tattered robes billowing behind him in silence. -I am leaving it to you, Selene- he hissed, closing his eyes. Selene''s entire body went tout, her body coiling around Kai''s shoulders. -This world will burn to ashes before I let something happen to you, master,- Kai blew out a foggy breath, relaxing his mind. With time, his entire body seemed to melt into his surroundings. To others, it must have even felt as if in the very next moment Kai would scatter, becoming one with the air. Just as it seemed Kai had done with these low breathings, Kai clenched his teeth and hissed out a red-colored breath. In the next moment, his entire body got covered in blood flames; there color a touch darker and sinister. Now, Kai already knew why his Glitch hadn''t activated upon nearing these creatures. They were Familiars, something out of the basic definition of Magical Creatures as per the Systems. Kai wasn''t trying to forcefully activate his Glitch, either. He wanted to sense the Lethifold, its intelligence, and its intentions, depending upon the dark and evil nature of Dementor''s blood essence. He wanted to know what it truly was at its core. Now, Kai''s awareness, his Perception, was greater than ever. He forgot everything, including his worries, plans, and soul-tearing pain he was experiencing now and then, because of the many cracks his imprint had experienced on Saturday, almost ending his Comprehension. And gradually, he even forgot himself. Kai didn''t know, but at this time, one could see a touch of yellowish ripples around him. His Instincts, the Observation Haki according to the Kings, had reached a never-known height now, concentrating on the vile magical being in front of him. With this, a new awareness presented itself to him; incomprehensibly vast. Dementor-Kai felt a great blackness in front of him. In this blackness, he was a speck of dust; almost nothing. And there was nothing here but absolute barrenness. It was then that Kai sensed gazes. One, two, three, four¡­ and they kept increasing, reaching an uncountable mark. An infinite number of gazes were looking at him, the dust, trying to make a sense of his worthless existence. Kai''s eyes snapped open. They had become redder than red. What a bizarre presence! He reflected upon his experience, the blood flames vanishing around him, along with his Dementor''s appearance. I have a feeling that if Darcie Malfoy had gone to Avalon before the reincarnation, even then this Lethifold had chosen her. It truly has nothing to do with me or anything upon me. No wonder it''s so passive to me and Selene. Darcie is childish to think that Lethifolds are misunderstood. This creature¡­ is a horror beyond horrors. Kai lifted his hand, making both Petyr and Cersei shudder in fear. He touched the silk, felt its smoothness, and rubbed it between his fingers. And then he sighed. Kai resolutely turned around and walked back to the chair near the hearth, where a fire was roaring and crackling with a life of its own. Cersei came to sit to his right, and Petyr''s place was in front of him. Both were looking at Kai as if they had never truly seen him, his madness, and his courage before. Selene hissed at them, flicking her tongue. It almost felt like she was sneering at their looks and their unseen expressions. With an explosion, she burst into a silver mist and entered Kai''s body, coming to a rest in his heart. That was her place; her home. "It won''t accept my commands," Kai said, at last, his gaze deep and dense. "It''s treating me as nothing but another Familiar watching over Darcie. Quite troublesome¡­" Kai''s gaze was deepening, thinking if there was a connection between Dementor and Lethifold. Petyr dared to end this thought, his question dealing with the elephant in the room. "What about Lethifold''s Stats?" 0339 The Statless Magical Creatures and Pressing Questions! Lethifold''s Stats was something Kai had been looking forward to the most. There was little to none known about this creature. So, the only way Kai could get to know about what it was capable of was through the Systems. However, when Kai''s reptilian gaze landed above Lethifold for umpteenth time, there were no numbers or names hovering in dull-gray color. Despite the lack of Stats, he had expected such an outcome. Kai drummed his fingers on the chair''s arm. "Meg had told me that not all magical creatures would have Stats, especially those who had or would interact with major storyline characters in the Random Worlds," he said, recalling a past discussion. "Take Hedwig as an example. No matter if I go near it now, or after Harry''s arrival, it won''t have Stats. "The same is true for Daenerys'' dragons and Ash''s Pikachu as well. I don''t know if it''s because of this, or because it''s a Familiar, that I can''t see its Stats. "Keep in mind, this Lethifold has already interacted with a major storyline character ¡ª Darcie Malfoy." The gathering came to silence, then. Such silence had never been presented to these three before, no matter the circumstances. But things had changed, and so had the time. It wasn''t in Littlefinger''s nature to remain serious for more than a few minutes. "It seems we have bitten more than we can chew this time, my lord," he jested, smiling. "This Order of the Immortal Lotus is your one-way ticket to failure." Cersei, for once, seemed to agree with her fellow Character. "Things are not as bad as they seem, Petyr," Kai told them. "I have a feeling that if we were to choose our steps carefully, then we could still gain something substantial out of it." Both characters raised their brows over this. Kai let out an evil sneer. "I can''t resist them; true," he said casually. "But can they do something to me? WILL they do something to me? "One doesn''t reach the heights like those Six by being indecisive. If they had the mind to act against me, then they would have already done so by now. "You grossly underestimate the word Karma. Has the matter with Spawn taught you two nothing?" It was Cersei who sang, then. She took Kai''s hand in her hands, and said, "All things aside, it''s Red Seat, Circe, that troubles me. She is a spiteful woman, I can tell. What if she were to do something behind others'' backs?" Petyr chuckled. "Women of the same mind know each other the best," he mocked. "You!!!" "That would be enough out of you two," Kai snapped, laughing inwardly. "Circe wouldn''t do shit to Darcie. Believe me. "Such Organizations are as much the wings of power as they are shackles on freedom. "The rest of the Six will never let her do something to Darcie. Not when they have already driven away Albus and Voldemort. I don''t know why, but I could sense a touch of desperation in their tones. "I have a feeling that even if Darcie were to become the next Voldemort or surpass him in carrying out the most heinous acts, even then they would turn a blind eye to her. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "As long as a witch of her capabilities were to become Indigo Seat, nothing would matter to them." Kai had figured out the crux of the situation, even when he had been Acting like Darcie Malfoy in Avalon. Especially when it came to Survival and taking advantage of a situation to gain Power, something like a primal being would awaken within him, making his mind race at unachievable speed and letting him calculate unpredictable thoughts and scenarios. Even he had no control over it, for this thing was as much a great tonic for him as it was a disease. "You¡­" Petyr stretched out the word, looking pensive, "¡­ might have grasped the truth of this, my lord. But it also confirms that those Six will not teach a thing to Darcie Malfoy before becoming the true Candidate of Indigo Seat. By then, you would have already gone." Kai''s eyes narrowed, and then he nodded. "One can''t have everything, Petyr," he said, his pupils trembling in calculations. "If it was that easy, then it would have been impossible for this Order to not stand out by now. "Yet, even Meg had heard nothing of this Organization. Not to mention, the more Darcie will interact with them, the greater the chances of raising their suspicions. "I think the best course of action is to learn superficial things from them by interacting the least, for what is worthless to them may be grander than everything for me. "Moreover, we still have years to ourselves in this world. It''s best to play our cards as per the development of situations. A more pressing matter now is Daemonologie." Cersei rubbed her smooth fingers on the back of Kai''s right hand. "It wouldn''t be easy to get that thing from her, especially now that we know her true identity," she said, scowling. "And let us not forget that it must be you who will have to get that grimoire. Otherwise, the Systems might not approve of it." Kai ran his left hand through his hair, sensing the rising of hidden dangers and twists and turns of the path ahead. No wonder, after gaining their Life Halt, Contestants take their sweet time in doing missions after reaching the 3rd Set, he thought, nodding to himself. A hasty step and hurried decision mean failure in both gaining power and retaining life. Tch! "Let''s move on to the tasks we have been waiting for quite some time," Kai suddenly said, smiling. "It''s been a very long time since I have felt rich. Cersei, serve us wine." Kai had already contacted Meg today, knowing the outcome of her trade. He took out a jar of wine and three cups from his MRB and placed them on the table. When Cersei had poured Kai and herself a drink (-ignoring Petyr, who poured for himself with a sly smile on his face-), she returned to her seat. "Chaos," Kai asked, sipping the wine, "what''s the time difference between my current world and the Random World having Multiverse ID: ?#?#?###?" Kai looked relaxed, but his heart was pounding. He hadn''t forgotten Petyr''s words about the plausible scenarios of Shinobu dying because of the time difference. Yet, the answer was something none of them had expected. "Cough!" The wine in Kai''s mouth almost spilled out through his nose. "This?!" "That bad?" Petyr commented. "Hahaha!" Kai burst out in a feat of laughter suddenly, taking the characters off-guard. "Brilliant! 10 days here is only a day in the Verse Fusion Random World." Petyr raised his cup as he heard that and smiled at Cersei. "To Shinobu Kocho, then." Kai didn''t mind and raised his cup along with him. "Humph!" Cersei snorted, looking at Petyr. Nonetheless, she raised her cup, too, begrudgingly. Then came the next question. "Chaos, if I were to jump to the Pirates of the Caribbean Random World next week, what would be the most probable time difference between that world and my current timeline?" asked Kai. It was all a matter of phrasing the questions, Kai knew. For Contestants, it was a trick one must learn to survive. This time, the answer brought no joy to Kai. "According to Chaos," he told the characters, "3 hours here would only amount to an hour in that world. Hmm, I would have to stretch the time. It''s good that we have no shortage of Mission Credits for now." "This will indeed be dangerous and troublesome, my lord," Petyr counseled. "This mission will concern the main character of a Random World. Any length of time seems less when I think of that." "You two should vanish now," Kai said after some time. "The thing I will do next may bring down the gaze of Death." It was like walking on a meadow and slumping into a cliff. The drop was too sudden for one to prepare oneself for it. Cersei''s face became hard and full of worries, and Petyr lost all his sneers and smiles. They knew what their master would do now. Petyr stood up, bowed, and vanished, saying no more words. Cersei put down her cup, leaned on Kai''s face, and kissed him for a long time. Long enough for her to sober herself up. She then pecked him on the chin and vanished. Kai licked his lips and found the sweet taste of Cersei''s tongue more than enough to his liking. His gaze remained indifferent, however. Indulgence never came to him without his permission. He took several breaths to bring his mind to an optimal state and then took out a box from his MRB. With his lips pressed into a thin line, he opened it up. Three nail-sized crystals hovered within the box, bobbing up and down. The Philosopher''s stones! 0340 Mending the Soul - DEATH Arrives!!! Eon Soul Dew, a Top-level Rare Item that Kai had obtained not because of a mission, but because of his obsession and greed; an ever-burning desire to obtain Power. In the Pokemon Random World, even after the completion of his mission, Kai had persistently refused to complete the last task, preventing his eventual teleportation to the Game of Thrones Random World. Instead, he had forced the self-destruction of three legendary Pokemon - an adult Latias and two young siblings, Latios and Latias, by creating an artificial tsunami. This tsunami could have easily annihilated the town of Alto Mare if it wasn''t for the three Pokemon. These abhorring acts had caused the System to bestow a new Stat upon him ¡ª Cosmic Authority. Moreover, Kai had also unlocked a Title, Outer One, whose mysteries he had yet to pry into. It was also then that Kai had gained his three minor epithets - The Devastating Despair; The Blue-skinned Demon; The Unforgivable Cursed One. Only later did Kai find out how to use them to create a channel from one dimension to another, linking two Random Worlds through his Inventory; an impossible feat for the Contestants without the help of Old Ones like Hastur. The third epithet did curse him to face a tsunami in sea bodies across the Multiverse, but it was a small price to pay for the promised boost in power. Yet, all this couldn''t compare to the ultimate gift Kai had given himself that day. The sacrifice of the three Eon Pokemon had created a never-seen and the most powerful Eon Soul Dew, and because there was a Contestant involved in its creation, it had turned out to be an Item as well. There was only one issue with this so-called gift. It corrupted Kai''s soul with every use. That''s why he had gone out of his way to ask for a solution regarding this from an 18th-floor Contestant. However, there was one grave issue with the solution itself. To use the Philosopher''s Stone to mend his soul, especially in the Random World of Harry Potter, might turn the very nature of the Stones. Because these Stones weren''t Items. They didn''t belong to the Systems. In a timeline, that itself possessed Philosopher''s Stone of its own, there were high chances of attracting the eldritch gazes of Deep Ones. Kai knew this all, but he didn''t have a choice. He could feel it. There was an itch creeping through him. If he waited any longer, then the corruption would become permanent, limiting his growth potential. Not to mention, it wasn''t like Kai wouldn''t need to use the Eon Soul Dew again. Kai''s gaze lingered on the ten imprints of long, dark fingers on his right forearm, and he sighed. Risks without reasoning had always gone against his principles. And there were enough reasons to take this risk. Kai turned his face and looked into the fire, its myriad colors and transformations. The thousands of tongues of fire licked at the void in front of Kai, sending a warm, burning sensation. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. In this feeling, Kai took solace, calming himself down to an optimum state. Then he picked up one of three crystals, the Philosopher''s Stone. The crystal almost looked like a densely crystallized form of tons of volumes of blood. Kai even felt something more eerie and unearthly about it. He didn''t know its true capabilities, for even in the Primordial Tower, there weren''t many who possessed it and had used it before. And even if they had, who would be foolish enough to publish the results of their findings? Kai took the Eon Soul Dew in his left hand, then. The fist-sized jewel was as smooth as Lethifold''s silk, and he could see millions of stars floating into a yellow starry river, giving it an otherworldly grace. -Selene,- Kai hissed. -Once again I am leaving it to you.- Within him, the Ghost Basilisk pulsated, sending a minor burst of cold, full of affection. If the Philosopher''s Stone were to fail in healing his soul as he activated the Eon Soul Dew, Kai would rather have Selene''s Soul Chill freeze his soul than let it get corrupted even more. Kai stood up, and with his one thought, the three chairs and the table got pushed far. Then he sat on the ground, facing the fire. Despite the previous instance of calming himself down, his heart was pounding. At this moment, Kai looked over his shoulder and eyed the Lethifold. It was the still hovering midair some dozens of feet away from him, flapping and fluttering endlessly. Kai didn''t know what made him do this, perhaps an unparalleled instinct, but he said, "If something happened to me, then Darcie Malfoy wouldn''t remain alive, either." Lilith, the Lethifold, showed no response. Kai narrowed his eyes and then turned his face around. It happened then. Kai activated the Item. The Eon Soul Dew let out a brilliant burst of yellowness before disappearing off Kai''s hand altogether. The roof over Kai''s head vanished as it became a night devoid of stars. Among this starless sky, a yellow star hung, flashing hideously in rhythmic bursts. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a mysterious sensation coursed through him. Around him, a wave of yellow-white color burst out, full of sparkling stars. One could even see a formless and ethereal figure of a white-haired man, wrapped around Kai. It was the outward manifestation of Kai''s soul. There were several black, filthy lines covering this soul as if they were cracks. Suddenly, from his right hand, a blood-colored wisp of ethereal mist entered him and began healing Kai''s soul. The stone itself began shrinking as if it was melting within Kai. The filthy cracks surfacing on Kai''s soul began shrinking at a visible pace, but, suddenly, the entire crystal had gone out. "AS IF?!!" Kai roared, sensing the remaining cracks resurfacing exponentially within him. The second crystal almost blinked into his right hand. And just as the last corruption got stomped by the Philosopher''s Stone it happened. ¡­ The scene to his left completely disappeared; the walls, sofas, paintings, tapestries, and many decorations all vanished. In their place, a vast emptiness surfaced, full of black fog, curling and roiling up and down. From this vast blackness, a bony hand came out, hidden within a black, silky sleeve. DEATH! HE had arrived. Kai couldn''t even turn his face, but he felt the presence. It was almost like dying, and Kai had already died once ¡ª Impossible to forget such a feeling when experienced before. The half-remaining Stone in Kai''s hand fell. In sheer horror, Kai looked to his left, bringing out everything he had on him to face this bony hand. Too late. Kai''s entire body cracked, and his muscles, tendons, and bones almost burst apart even before the bony hand made contact with him. He couldn''t even scream. Death was Absolute. It was then that someone dared to defy HIM. ¡­ Lilith moved. Lethifold, the evil and vile magical creature who was hovering with no reaction just a moment ago, reached Kai in a single flutter when the bony hand was just inches away from him. It coiled around him, wrapping itself around Kai''s entire figure. When it coiled one last time, Kai had already vanished from his place. The bony hand paused, and then suddenly reached for Lethifold instead. But the magical creature had more tricks up its sleeve. Lethifold expanded itself like a banner and threw itself in the air like a giant piece of cloth getting taken up in the sky by a thunderous tempest. It looked like the magical creature had stretched, the dimensions of the entire black silk expanding outrageously. And just when it seemed it couldn''t outrun Death''s reach, Lethifold shrunk instantaneously. With soundless pop, it vanished into the void, becoming a single speck of black point. In the library, the bony hand lost its target, and then vanished as well, as if it had never been there, and whatever had happened was nothing but a horrifyingly giant mirage. This¡­ was an absolute nightmare. 0341 Lethifold - Avoid or... !!! Kai had never felt so insignificant before that even the phantom pain lingering within him because of the soul-corruption got forgotten. He was hovering, floating, flying, walking, or lying¡­ he just didn''t know how to describe it. He could not make sense of his orientation. Nor could he tell how to put all this into words. Kai had never seen such blackness before. Absolute Dark! Only these two words could dare to take the challenge, putting Kai''s thoughts on paper. What else could it be? Kai had suffered grave injuries, with his skin cracking because of DEATH''s mere presence. If it hadn''t been because of Lethifold''s timely action, then his entire body would have gone through excruciating damage. Meg had traded a box of 5 Uncommon HP capsules for him, but there was no need to waste them when natural healing was already sufficient. So, as his HP regeneration rate kicked in, healing the superficial cracks covering his body, Kai had nothing to do but look into this vast darkness. His eyes were opened, and his thoughts were clear. But no matter what, Kai just couldn''t see anything. He did feel something, though. Countless gazes were falling over him from all around as if some hidden beings were marveling at his puny presence. Only a few moments had passed since his disappearance from the library. To Kai, it felt more like a hundred years as if many centuries would go by, traveling through this darkness with only his thoughts to accompany him. Kai didn''t get unnerved easily. However, this absolute dark did send him into a silent stupor. This realization, though, brought a sudden calm to his riling thoughts, making him ask the crucial questions. Where had he come? What was this place? Was he inside Lethifold? Did Lethifold even have a fleshly body, to begin with? And what were these gazes that were scouring him up and down, from all unseen directions? What was this darkness, and what did it represent? With no answer coming to him, Kai tried to use magic to light up his surroundings. Forget about magic. Not even the sound of snapping his fingers reached his ears. But Kai had many things up his sleeve. He decided to bring candles out of his MRB. What happened next truly stumped Contestant Red, for such a thing only the Systems could accomplish. He failed to access his Inventory. Kai''s slitted, hazel pupils trembled, and he forced himself to think more about this place. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Suddenly, an answer came to him, but it wasn''t the answer he had been looking for. A conversation resurfaced in his mind that had happened between Darcie and her mentor in Avalon. May I know what Daemonologie, In Forme of a Dialogue says about Lethifold, mentor? Darcie had asked. And Madam Villanelle had answered her that there was only one word this ancient grimoire said about Lethifold ¡ª Avoid. Avoid¡­ Avoid¡­ Kai chanted the word like a spell, and kept chanting it for a long time until it became a terrifying guess. Suddenly, his eyes widened, and his entire body shook as a theory bubbled up in his empty mind. Is it possible that Madam Villanelle deciphered it wrong? Kai asked himself, his lips opening and closing soundlessly. Is it possible that the biblical figure wrongly translated Lethifold''s description, counting two words as one? Is¡­ Is it possible¡­ that what the grimoire says about Lethifold isn''t Avoid, but¡­ A Void!!! Kai again looked at the absolute darkness enshrouding his tiny existence and tried to reevaluate and sense it. Alas! It was also then that he felt being squeezed by an unseen force. Kai felt as if his body was shrinking by an impossible degree, becoming less than the dimensions of a point. Then, with a soundless pop, his body fell on something more than ethereal. A cold gust of wind hit his face first and then came the feeling of wet, pointy rocks digging into his knees and palms. From his left came the roar of frothy waves, impacting on the rocky shore, and from his right came the sound of endless flutters. Kai forced himself to ignore everything and sat down in a meditative posture, trying to heal himself first. Only after a few minutes did he open his eyes, seeing his HP bar hitting the limit. Today, Kai truly had survived death. But this wasn''t the time to be worrying about what had happened, he knew. Only some 45 minutes were remaining to his transfiguration, and he didn''t even know where Lethifold had brought him. Suddenly, Kai sighed. His sigh was full of loss, thinking of those two crystals. He didn''t know what would have happened to them after his departure. The Stones were too crucial for him. Without them, he couldn''t use Eon Soul Dew repeatedly, unless he replaced them with something else. Kai let out a breath and threw himself to his feet before looking around. Lethifold seemed to have brought him near to a rocky beach, with cliffs rising high toward the cloudy sky. No matter in which direction Kai looked, he couldn''t see any hint of light or human settlement. Why did it bring me here? Kai asked himself, turning around to face the magical creature. Despite the powerful gusts of wind, Lethifold was flapping mid-air, coiling around itself like a banner. What exactly is this creature? Kai thought, confused. A Void? Or a Gateway to the Void? Does the place of Absolute Darkness within it represent a Void? Or is it just a medium to send one to that place? An even more pressing thought that rose in Kai''s mind was how Lethifold had apparated. Was calling it Apparation even right? For one, Kai hadn''t seen the actual process of it expanding and shrinking, becoming a speck of black point and puncturing into the void to bring him away. Second, Apparation and Disapparation had characteristic whip-like cracking sounds accompanying them, regardless of how loud or silent they were and which magical creature used them. A thing that Lethifold lacked entirely. Kai was just contemplating these issues when he stumbled on an astounding discovery. Lethifold looked like a black piece of cloak made of the purest silk one could find in the world. But now, Kai felt it had become too transparent, almost looking like a lace. It had become so transparent that he felt it would melt into the air and vanish in the very next moment. Is it how it disapparated from the library? Kai asked himself. By thinning its cloth-like body and vanishing? However, just as Kai was asking these questions, even in his wildest dreams he had never thought that the System would answer him. And this answer was a Notification. ¡­ [ You have triggered a Side Mission ¡­ Main Mission: Transcending legacies Side Mission: Feed Lethifold Side Mission Summary: When Lethifold uses its abilities, it spends its innate essence for them to work. It can only replenish this innate essence by consuming the flesh of the magical creatures Side Mission Objective: Find at least 30 kg of fresh meat of a magical creature for Lethifold Side Mission Time Limit: 30 minutes Do you accept the Side Mission? ] ¡­ 0342 An Unexpected Side Mission and a Terrible Feeling! As the salty wind whistled in Kai''s ears, he gawked at the gray-colored Notification in front of his eyes. His entire face contorted as he looked at the Side Mission. The consequences of failing this mission were obvious to him. Lethifold would die, and he would transfigure into Darcie here, with no explanation, making his Comprehension shatter. Kai had been already counting on Lilith to take him back. This notification toppled everything. Not to mention, there was an even bigger, and more hideous, matter that Kai was only now making a sense of. Why had Lethifold brought him here? This question Kai had already asked himself many times. But only when he saw the mission''s hint did he get an answer. Motherfucker! Kai cursed through his greeted teeth. I don''t have any magical creature''s flesh right now. The only way to get one is¡­ He stared at the frothing waves and his heart skipped a beat. What about the Pokemon Random World Timeline''s Retribution?! The effect of his minor epithet, the Unforgivable Cursed One, would definitely make him face a tsunami on the spot. There was only one way. Kai must hunt a magical creature with an unprecedented amount of speed, taking as little time as possible. There was not even a single second to waste. Kai let out Petyr, making him merge inside him, and then threw himself off the cliff. The wind rushing up the cliff hacked at his face, but Kai brutally ignored it. His entire figure blurred then, becoming hot. Dense blue-colored overlapping scales began surfacing on his back, his hands, and his legs. His chest gained a yellowish tone and a thick, finned tail, snapped at the space behind him. On his head, a three-pointed, dark blue crest surfaced, crowning him like a dragon. In the next moment, Gyarados-Kai appeared in the magical world of Harry Potter, wielding Fangs. Hisss! A burst of misty breath escaped through Kai''s mouth, and his entire figure got covered in blood flames. Selfless Breathing Style! With a splash, Kai tore his way into the sea. At the same moment, the entire cloudy sky and the vast sea trembled. Crack-kkkkkkkkk!!! One could see a gigantic storm brewing up, coming towards the cliff with a grudge so vile that the very wind started to reek of blood, thunder, and retribution. Kai buried the sense of doom within his heart. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. He, covered in blood flames, kept swimming down, his tail and legs flapping furiously, kicking at the water. Suddenly, he noticed movement in the corner of his eyes. It was a blue-red magical beast with the head and forequarters of a horse and the tail and hindquarters of a giant fish. Its various fins and scale-like body possessed hues of hundreds of colors, shining brightly even in the blackness. It was a Hippocampus! The moment it sensed Kai, the enormous creature beat its tail and galloped away. Kai''s eyes had gone red with anger and urgency. He hacked Fangs, activating White Serpents. The intangible serpents slithered through the water unhindered and coiled around the magical creature, binding it at the spot. In one kick, Kai neared the magical creature and thrust the huge swords into its body. Squelch!! A burst of blue blood exploded out of the wound, and the Hippocampus whined before dying almost instantaneously. Kai grabbed the giant beast and swam up. The moment he reached the surface, he became Dementor-Kai and flew up, leaving the sea. When Kai landed on the cliff, he lifted his head and looked at the sea. It was as if he was seeing the Valley of Endless Rumbles materializing into the real world. Yet, with Kai now out of the sea, both the sense of doom and the thunderstorm, accompanied by a world-ending tsunami, vanished gradually. Kai fell on his back, sprawling on a bed of wet rock and moss with icy gusts of wind as a blanket. To his left, the magical creature, Hippocampus, lay, bleeding, with its tongue hanging out of its mouth. Its body was slimy and its tail was still beating, hammering on the rocks as if it had some life remaining about it. Lethifold flew toward its food with one flutter, stretching and shrinking simultaneously. Kai saw the most baffling scene, then. The black cloak hovered above the dead body of the Hippocampus, stretched like a carpet. From its bottom side, thousands of black string-like tentacles wriggled their way out and coiled around the dead body. With a jerk, these tentacles pulled the beast into the black cloak. Crunch! With his already stumped gaze, Kai saw a mist of blood bursting out of Lethifold along with expressive crunching sounds that sent a shiver running down the spine of the very wind. Kai then saw the lace-like black cloak gaining thickness in seconds, becoming as thick as a woolen cloak. The Hippocampus must have weighed over 100 kg, but now not even its bones were left. ¡­ [ Side Mission: Feed Lethifold Side Mission Status: Success Side Mission Rewards: 1. 1500 Mission Credits 2. +4 Attribute Points ] ¡­ Kai couldn''t even say something, but he knew he must. "Take me back to the library," Kai almost begged, hoping that Lethifold wouldn''t refuse him. "Beware of traps, though. Don''t let me out if you sense HIS presence. OK?" Lethifold fluttered in silence. Kai pushed his weak figure up and staggered toward the magical creature. Lethifold''s woolen cloak-like appearance wrapped itself around Kai from head to toe. When it coiled one last time, Kai had already returned to the place he called Absolute Dark. In the next moment, Lethifold threw itself toward the sky, stretching like an incomprehensible long rope of silky and woolen cloth. Then, it shrunk into a black point and vanished. ¡­ This time, when Kai came out in the open, his expression wasn''t so listless anymore. Kai''s mind was alert, but only a few minutes were left. He must tidy up everything before becoming Darcie again. Kai had just thrown himself towards the hearth, trying to replace the chairs and table at their original position, when his sight landed on the two nail-sized crystals, shining like blood. Kai instinctively took several steps back. This?! He thought, his mouth gaping at the scene. DEATH didn''t take them?! Reluctantly, Kai used Telekinesis to bring a crystal near him and observed it. It seemed authentic enough. A deep frown settled on his face because of this inexplicable phenomenon. The answer came to him like a strike of a thunderbolt. Fuck! He cursed, almost throwing the crystal into the fire. HE is goading me into using the same method again. Damn! HE must have tampered with them already. I think even using these crystals to heal my soul in another Random World would be of no use to me now. Tch! Kai fumed in helplessness. With a flick of his hand, he put both crystals into the box and threw them into his MRB. There were still many ways to make use of these crystals, he knew. After all, they were Philosopher''s Stones, costing him 33 million Mission Credits each. I just hope everything goes well with Jack Sparrow''s Compass, Kai thought, seeing into the fire. He didn''t know why, but with so much happening today, he was having a terrible feeling about the upcoming jump. 0343 Interacting with the Lethifold?! Friday, 9 Jan 1987 Diagon Alley Darcie woke up with a light chill lingering over her shoulders, her breath misting as she yawned. For a moment, the dreamy hisses and whispers wreaked havoc within her mind, becoming comprehensible syllables every next day. Yet, no matter how much she tried, she just couldn''t make sense of it. With a look from her narrowed eyes, the fire blazed up even higher in the hearth, and soon the surrounding chill was forced to battle the incoming warmth. It was then her eyes landed on the black cloak rippling a foot over her bead, stretched like a woolen blanket. Lethifold looked like a single sheet of the black pool of blacker water, rippling, fluttering, and flapping constantly. "Lilith¡­" Darcie outstretched her hand, and Lethifold descended toward her. The young Malfoy snatched the magical creature out of the air, and curled its soft body around her, adding another layer of blanket. Lethifold: "¡­" Darcie curled herself in a ball, clenching her Familiar with her little fingers. But sleep had abandoned her already, and she had become too used to getting up at the right time, rather than lying on the bed for another 5 minutes. Still, this morning, her mind couldn''t help but wander. The entire week had passed in the most ordinary manner possible, making her feel as if the strangest events she had undergone last week were just a mirage. Her further prodding into the mysterious object and its seal had borne no fruit. Not to mention, Daphne had gone to Norway with her parents for the rest of January. She had come on Tuesday evening to let her know about this, but the visit had been an incredibly short one for Darcie to even begin the tale of her adventures. Then there was the matter of the Order of the Immortal Lotus'' arrangements for her training. Madam Villanelle had not even mentioned this topic to her this week. Much less needed to be thought about the further proceedings. Darcie wasn''t an impatient girl, but she was indeed one of the most curious ones. She liked the continuation of her Page duties and her lessons with Madam Villanelle. Yet, she liked field experience even more. When she thought of the fascinating studies she would undergo throughout the world, Darcie blushed, and tossed herself on the bed, tugging Lethifold like a doll furiously. Lilith drew a sharp breath, the entire black cloak puffing with air. After a few more tossing and turning over the comfortable bed, Darcie threw herself up. She readied herself and donned a long purple-colored coat, a hat, and thin gloves. Then she eyed Lethifold, who was hovering in peace in the middle of the room. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Lilith, what do you want to become today?" Darcie asked, looking into the mirror. Lethifold didn''t care to reply. The corners of Darcie''s mouth lifted by the slightest amount. She hopped her way to the magical creature, grabbed one of its corners, and pulled it down. "I''ve decided¡­" Darcie mumbled, nodding to herself. "Today, you will be a scarf." An imperceptible noise rippled out of the black cloak as if Lethifold had just sighed in defeat. It floated toward Darcie, and coiled itself around her shoulders according to her directions, becoming a luxurious woolen scarf. Darcie went to the mirror, looked at herself, and nodded. Lilith didn''t speak to her, but she shared much in the most extraordinary and mysterious ways. Darcie didn''t know if Lethifold was a She or a He, but she thought of her as a female. Instincts of a lady, perhaps? Despite her sulky days of the last week, Darcie''s time with Lilith had passed with stunning affection and in the strangest conversations. Darcie didn''t like to talk much, with Daphne as an exception. But Lethifold was another matter altogether. It just listened and listened, breathing, hearing, and floating as Darcie told it everything. It was during one of those conversations that Darcie discovered Lilith''s magical ability to lengthen and shorten with no perceivable limits. It was almost like Occamy, the winged serpents. But unlike Occamies, Lethifold didn''t need an existing volume serving as a measure to expand or contract its dimensions. To Darcie, it seemed to depend on Lilith''s zone of comfort; her mood, to be exact. Till now, the little girl had forced Lethifold to become a bandanna, scarf, shawl, and robe, with the experiments still going on. "Don''t you feel hunger, Lilith?" asked Darcie, hiding the suitcase under her bed. "What do you even eat?" The Lethifold-turned-scarf breathed gently, one of its corners brushing her chin. Darcie had tried to learn as much as she could about Familiars or Spirit Companions in the last four days. Alas! There wasn''t much written or researched about them. The books were indeed filled with theories and tales, but Madam Villanelle had already warned her to not refer to them. With her trusted friends ¡ª the books ¡ª failing to help her, she had only two ways to know more about Familiars. First, it was to get help from someone who already had them. And Darcie only knew one wizard who also had his own Spirit Companion ¡ª Professor Albus Dumbledore. Darcie didn''t even know how to go about this way. Just write a letter with a little cartoonish drawing of a seven-petaled lotus in one corner? Or visit the grand wizard in person? No. This wasn''t of any help, it seemed. The second way was the one that Madam Villanelle had advised her to follow. Interact. Interact with the Familiar, learn from each other, and just¡­ be friends. But how to interact with someone who doesn''t even have a face? Darcie had retaliated, getting no response. The business was booming in Diagon Alley, especially after the Grand Fair. Hordes of wizards and witches could be seen walking from one end to another in the afternoons, but the mornings were still chilly enough to keep many indoors. Darcie walked over the snow-covered cobbled street after having a light breakfast and entered the bookshop. Ding! Ding!!! The bells over the door of the main entrance registered her arrival, announcing it to the already present Assistant Manager. "Good morning, mentor," Darcie greeted, taking off her gloves and the hat. "Good morning, Darcie," Madam Villanelle replied, smiling. "A bundle of the newest edition of An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe arrived yesterday. I am leaving those to you, dear." Darcie nodded in acknowledgment. Just as she had stepped towards the back part of the bookshop on the ground floor, an owl fluttered its way in from the round opening over the main entrance. However, it was a common sight at Flourish and Blotts, and it couldn''t even make Darcie turn her head to look at it. Now that Madam Villanelle knew she could do Wandless Magic, Darcie enjoyed a bit of freedom within the bookshop when the manager wasn''t here. She did, however, keep casting the spells verbally, and often loudly, making sure that her ability to use magic non-verbally and Wandlessly didn''t come out in the open as well. "Wingardium Leviosa!" Darcie shouted, almost blushing at her own lie. Inwardly, she followed her self-made principles of Specific, Belief, and Intention to make the tall and thick bundle of fresh books hover in the air. Darcie walked out of the gloomy back hall and entered the main hall, with the bundle following her, bobbing up and down. To her surprise, she found Madam Villanelle standing in the middle of the hall, with a wide grin planted on her face. Darcie''s heart thumped, and the bundle of books came crashing with a thump. 0344 Training Begins - A Dimensional Jump!!! Madam Villanelle said nothing but passed the letter in her hand to the little girl. Darcie grabbed it and went through the content, looking calm and unhurried. Her heartbeat had quickened a bit, nonetheless. "Euro-Glyph School of Extraordinary Languages¡­" Darcie read out loud, her tone soft and childish. Madam Villanelle nodded. "I''ve been waiting for the minister''s official response," she told Darcie. "Almost every one of importance in the British wizardkind knows your interest in this field now. "Euro-Glyph School of Extraordinary Languages is an international wizarding language school focusing on obscure magical languages, such as hieroglyphs and ancient bone texts. "It has many branches, including London. The Headmistress of the London branch, Ms. Esmeralda Willow, owes a lot to the Order of the Immortal Lotus. "Through me, and with a tacit understanding with the headmistress and the minister of magic, the Six have decided that you will become an honorary student of the school from next week onwards. "You will study directly under the tutelage of Ms. Willow. However, that''s something for the rest of the world. "Other than the occasional presenting yourself in the school and taking the exams, you will not attend the classes truly." Darcie was feeling quite joyous as she heard her mentor and read the letter. The official letter from the ministry, stamped and signed, also mentioned that her Page duties in the Flourish and Blotts would be cut short to 3 days a week. Darcie would then spend the next 3 days at the school, taking classes from morning to evening. Only her Sundays were free. Darcie didn''t mind it, though. Not one bit. "From Wednesday afternoon to Saturday night, we will visit many wizarding communities throughout the world," Madam Villanelle continued. "If I am not wrong about it, then it will take us at least 3 years to complete all the preliminary training. "After your admission to Hogwarts, the Six will let us know the further plans. What? Something wrong?" Darcie looked quite white as if all colors had abandoned her face. "No." She shook her head, almost smiling. "It''s Lilith, mentor. She''s again sending bursts of cold. I think Lilith''s as excited as me." The corners of Madam Villanelle''s lips twitched ruefully, not knowing how to feel about Lethifold getting excited. One of the most mysterious, and known to be the darkest, magical creatures was resting on a little girl''s shoulders as a scarf, gently breathing out cold air on her neck. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Who in the world would believe this, even if shown the irrefutable proof? * * 02:00 am, Sunday Malfoy Manor "I can''t take you with me," Kai explained to the murderous cloak of carnage. "This isn''t how things work." They were in the bathroom. Lethifold flapped up and down at Kai''s refusal, almost acting out. But the magical creature refrained from doing anything in the end. Kai inwardly sighed as he saw it returning to silence. "I will return in 3 hours." There was no time to waste, to begin with. 3 hours in the Harry Potter Random World meant 1 hour in Jack Sparrow''s world. The more Kai waited, the more he would need to spend stretching the time after his jump. Once again, Kai used his disastrous privilege and created a mission, including a major storyline Character in it. This way, he wouldn''t have to worry about any top-floor Contestants guarding the major Characters in the Random World. Chaos, Kai called out in his mind. Create a mission to kidnap Elizabeth Swann before Black Pearl''s arrival at Port Royal. ¡­ [ Processing Contestant Kai Stormborn''s request¡­ Eligibility for the privilege confirmed Creating the Side Mission¡­ You have triggered a Side Mission ¡­ Main Mission: Not Applicable Side Mission: Fortune or Misfortune Side Mission Summary: Elizabeth Swann is an adventurous spirit. She has long been fascinated with the freewheeling world of buccaneers to the point of learning a song about pirates as a child. Over the years, Elizabeth has blossomed into a beautiful young lady, though she never feels satisfied with the affluent, domestic life she has been born into. With the coming of Jack Sparrow and Will Turner, Elizabeth''s notions of romance and adventure are bound to change forever, making her learn that all the rules she believes in are meant to be broken. Kidnap and isolate her before these fateful encounters, letting her realize princes don''t always come to a damsel''s rescue. Let her know the truth of the world, the hideous reality. Let her know¡­ Pain. Side Mission Objective: Kidnap Elizabeth Swann and influence her life trajectory in favor of Chaos Side Mission Time Limit: Not Applicable Do you accept the mission? ] ¡­ Kai noted that the data related to the One-time Fee and subsequent Mission Credits deduction were the same as the last time when he had Switch World, jumping to the Random World of Steins;Gate. "I accept," he said. "Chaos, stretch the initial 1 hour to 3 days." A blue-green portal had already opened in front of him. ¡­ [ Analyzing the Contestant''s Stats¡­ Processing current conditions¡­ Calculating future scenarios¡­ Analyzation Complete Price: 200000 Mission Credits Do you accept the transfer? ] ¡­ Kai drew a sharp breath and nodded. Even if the price was over half a million, he still would have accepted the transfer. Jack Sparrow''s Compass was just too crucial for his plans, especially when considering his Luck and ever-increasing difficulties. Kai stepped toward the portal before suddenly pausing for a moment. He looked at Lethifold, thinking if it was wise to leave behind this murder-machine in Malfoy Manor with Darcie''s family. "Darcie is a girl who cherishes her friends and family, you know," Kai warned, smiling inwardly. For a moment, he indeed contemplated what he would do if he were to return and find the three Malfoys turned into a bloodbath. Kai''s bloodlust seeped out of his demonic grin and Lethifold, for the first time, stirred in response. With a low laugh, Kai shook his head and then jumped into the portal. When the blue-green flashes had vanished, one could see that the black cloak, rippling in midair, almost trembled in fear¡­ ¡­ or in excitement. Who could say?
Volume 13 - The Order of the Immortal Lotus - Ends! 0345 Pirates of the Caribbean! Volume 14 - The Scion of Death - Begins!!!
Kai''s sight got taken over by the densest blue flashes possible, and when the color receded, he found himself standing in a secluded alley. The very first thing that hit him was the smell. It was the smell of fruits mixed with the nauseous odor of overflowing sewers. Then there was the odd mixture of rum''s flavor in that odor. But when the last smell approached, it overpowered all. Sea! The fragrance of salty wind had not vanished from Kai''s mind, despite the Pokemon World''s retribution. At some level, he had already made his peace with it. Now, this retribution was something he would just have to deal with now and then, until finding a permanent solution to this problem. No reason to fear stepping into the sea. If it wasn''t for the pressing matter of Identity Period, Kai would have rather faced retribution in the Harry Potter world there and then. No matter how and what Kai felt, time remained important, especially with the limit of 3 days on his dimensional jump. Like his previous jump to the Steins;Gate world, when Kai looked down at himself, he found the System had already changed his clothing. He was wearing seamen''s clothes; plain and airy. There was a white shirt on his body, tattered and sewed. Half of the shirt''s buttons were open, letting one see his chiseled chest and the several scars on it. On his waist was a red scarf, and under that, he was wearing knee-length pants. Kai lifted his hand and pressed down on his head, finding a crude straw hat over it. Under the shadow of the hat''s brim, his slitted, hazel eyes glinted gold. Selene''s misty form took care of that, clouding the slits with a silverish haze. The notification appeared then. ¡­ [ In the Switched World, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Contestant will be subjected to an Abnormality Limiter. You have access to Switch World Timer as per your privilege. Once the limit of 3 days is crossed, Chaos will start deducting your Mission Credits. Once all Mission Credits run out, you will be thrown out of the Switched World. ¡­ Timer: 72:00:00 Current Time: 07:00 am Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Current Location: Port Royal ] ¡­ Suddenly, a black bar appeared in front of him. Kai had already expected its arrival, though. Pirates of the Caribbean wasn''t as unknown to the magic as the Game of Thrones world Kai had been to before, but supernatural events were still an uncommon sight for ordinary citizens. However, it didn''t change the fact that the world Kai had arrived at was way more familiar with the presence of magic than Manaless worlds. That''s why this Abnormality Limiter wasn''t the same as others, either. Even though the name was the same, Meg had already let Kai know that this Abnormality Limiter''s sensitivity was around 75% less than the one he''d experienced in the world of Game of Thrones. This meant Kai enjoyed greater freedom in using his Abilities and Skills here. It didn''t mean that he could just start flying in the skies over people''s heads now. That would just be stupid and courting death. Nothing more. Time remained the prime issue for Kai, nonetheless. If I am to take the main storyline of the Curse of the Black Pearl movie into consideration, Kai''s mind raced, walking towards the main alley, then Jack Sparrow will arrive at Port Royal two days later and the Black Pearl will strike that very night. I don''t have a second to waste. Before Jack''s arrival, I must get my cards ready and in place as soon as possible. Kai pressed down his hat and entered the main alley. He had already gained a general map of the Port Royal from Meg, so it didn''t take him long to figure out his actual location and where he must go now. ¡­ "Tar! Ahoy! Brother, we apply the best! Only a shilling!" "Did you hear about that lass getting promoted?!" "Who? Norrington-something-ass?!" "Shhh! Pipe it! The port''s not the same as before, mate." ¡­ "Hey!" one of the wenches winked at Kai, trying to take a peek at his face. "Only a shilling for you." The main route was full of drunkards, merchants going about their business, and half-awaken seamen still dreaming about the cunt they had last night. Where there were hundreds of taverns and vast slums, it would be a miracle if one could remember faces. Yet, some faces were bound to stand out even then. Kai was just minding his business, his steps hurrying towards the Governor''s mansion, when he suddenly paused. His eyes widened, and his mouth opened and closed momentarily. On the tavern''s wall toward his left, there were several Wanted posters, some fresh, and some faded with time. One of the fresh posters was almost glowing with the darkest ink possible. The poster showcased a bloody face with white hair swaying wildly in the background. There was such a grin on this person''s face that it unnerved the onlookers. But it was his eyes that shook the gazes. Hazel. Reptilian. Demonic. The word WANTED was towering like sturdy pillars over the portrait, and under the figure, the words DEAD OR ALIVE were written in bold letters. Red! With a bounty of 13,000,000 Berries, he adorned the tavern''s wall like a piece of jewelry. Kai''s mouth pressed into a thin line and his steps grew springs. The bounty in Berries was something only he and other Contestants could see. For the storyline Characters, this amount must have been translated into local currency, Kai knew. This thought, however, didn''t bring him any joy. Kai couldn''t afford a chase from the marines of the Royal Navy. Not now when any careless step could comprise his plans. It didn''t seem the case, but Kai had come to this world for many things, and not only for Jack Sparrow''s Compass. First, he wanted to see if the Pokemon World''s Retribution would follow him into a Switched World as well if he hadn''t experienced it in the Main Mission''s World before. The second reason was related to the fact that this Random World was known as Artifact Land among Contestants. Any random Contestant could obtain some Artifacts here. Much less needed to be said about a Glitched Contestant, who could use his Privilege and create missions related to the major storyline Characters. There was an even more important reason, but this wasn''t the time to think about it. Suddenly, Kai collided with a drunken man. "Hey! Watch yeh steps, yeh fucker!" the man cursed. "Sorry," Kai apologized. The man snorted and marched off, disappearing into the crowd. After a few minutes, this man suddenly frowned and spat. "Fucker didn''t have a single coin. Tch!" He was a thief! While brushing his shoulders, he had tried to pick Kai''s pockets. However, he couldn''t find any money, making him curse. As a habit, the thief slapped his right hand over the hidden pocket of his pants. It was then his eyes became bloodshot. "You twatting buggard! My money!!" ¡­ Kai weighed the sack of coins in his palm and let out a frown of his own. Not much, he complained. A few more should do the trick. By the time Kai reached his first destination, he had already stolen enough money to last for 3 days. 0346 Infiltrating Governor Swanns Mansion! Whale and Waterspout was an inn that many sailors frequently visited, looking for a hearty meal and a place to sleep for the night. Not all innkeepers welcomed pirates but, at this inn, old Mr. Garret turned a blind eye, as long as his guests could pay their bill in full. When Kai entered the inn, the thick smell of booze and rum hacked at his nostrils. Even though it was early morning, the bar was almost full of sailors and seamen who were trying hard to not look like pirates. Kai felt many gazes on his back as he approached the bar. Contestants? His eyes narrowed as he sensed hints of Mana and Breath in some of those gazes, backed by Perception. It wasn''t uncommon, however. Not here, in Port Royal. This place could be taken as the most open-gathering of Contestants from both Order and Chaos. And unless there were enormous benefits involved in it, none was ready to cause a commotion, attracting the attention of marines, especially when there were top-floor Contestants among the marine ranks here, just like One Piece Random World. "Ale," Kai said, his voice hoarse as if he had just come from the sea. "Give me the spiciest." An old man eyed him eerily from behind the counter. In return, Kai lifted his head for the first time and narrowed his eyes. Mr. Garret''s old pupils trembled. "I want no trouble," he drawled, but loud enough for all to hear. Kai took out 3 shillings and tossed them to the old man. Thud! The owner handed Kai a large barrel-like mug and then forgot about him. Kai drank the ale slowly as if he had all the time in the world, savoring each mouthful of drink. He was waiting for someone to take action against him early on. Otherwise, once he began with his plans, he wouldn''t have time to swat random insects. No one moved, though. "One more," Kai shouted, his voice now thick. Mr. Garret refilled his mug and then sat down on a bench behind the counter, lighting a cigar. When Kai was half-done with the mug, a voice entered his ears. "Oi! Help a brother with a drink, eh?" He was obviously a Contestant. And a fool at that. Kai didn''t reply. "Oi! Bast¡­" the lone shark couldn''t finish his sentence. Kai''s hand, carrying the mug, moved so fast that it left behind afterimages. With a bang, it smashed into the Contestant''s mouth. All were watching this scene now. With Contestants like them, who were from the 4th to 6th floor here, this type of smashing of the mug was nothing. Yet something unexpected happened then. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Kai snapped his fingers as he slammed the mug, infusing it with Strengthening magic. So, the moment it struck the other Contestant''s mouth, his front teeth shattered, blood splattering everywhere. It wasn''t the end, though. Kai slowly left the stool as the other guy staggered. He then grabbed the hair and slammed his mouth on the edge of the table in front of them. Queer, heart-wrenching, and squelching sounds reverberated with every next pounding. When Kai was done, the Contestant''s face didn''t even look like a face anymore but a broken melon. Then Kai leisurely walked to the stool, sat down, and said, "Mr. Garret, next ale is on him." The old man puffed out a cloud of smoke, gave the badly mangled face of the Contestant a look, and then nodded. At this nod, all the other sailors, pirates, and Contestants in the inn turned their eyes away from Kai as well, completely shocked. With the Abnormality Limiter hanging like a sword on their necks, what Kai had done was a feat in itself. "Sir Red is always welcome at my inn," Mr. Garret whispered, passing a fresh mug of ale. "What can this old man do for you?" It didn''t surprise Kai that the old man had recognized him from the Wanted poster despite his eyes not being the same. "I want a room for 3 days," he said, gulping down half-a-mug in one go. "And a woman." "Rooms we have," Mr. Garret chuckled, a gold tooth shining among the whites. "A wench, though¡­ You will have to arrange one by yourself." Kai grunted a nod in reply. Inwardly, he took a breath of relief. It was these words he had been waiting for. What he was about to do next needed all to think of him as a lecherous and murderous pirate. Planting a wrong, first impression in the eyes of enemies was a basic, but often overlooked tactic. ¡­ The moment Kai entered the room, he sat down on the floor cross-legged, sensing his surroundings. As expected, his earlier little stunt had made many feel uneasy, preventing others from prying into him unnecessarily. Suddenly, a silver mist burst out of him. -Selene,- Kai hissed out a command, his eyes gaining their original appearance. -Go to the Governor''s mansion and keep an eye on the maid named Estrella. She is the personal maid of Elizabeth Swann. Where she goes and what she does, I want to know all of it.- -Hehe,- Selene laughed, her hisses sadistic. -I know what''s going on, master.- When Selene had slithered away, Kai took out the Book and took a deep breath. Even though there were tasks that needed his expertise, Kai truly wasn''t the star of this Side Mission. For his plans to work, he needed a spy in the Governor''s mansion, where the young Elizabeth Swann lived. Not only Kai wanted to kidnap her, but he also wanted to replace her. And there was one person who could take on this task masterfully, especially when considering her beauty, mind, and cunning. "Come out," Kai said, opening the book, "Cersei." Phase 1¡ª Replace Estrella, the maid, with Cersei ¡ª had just begun. * * 06:00 pm, 1st day Port Royal In the fashionable St. Paul''s district, and far from the stench and squalor of Port Royal''s docks and slums, towered the Grand Mansion of the Governor. It was this mansion where Governor Weatherby Swann lived, along with his daughter Elizabeth Swann and many servants. Among those servants, the noticeable staff members were the Butler, the head of staff, and Estrella, the personal maid to the young miss. At this time, the Butler and the staff should have been busy preparing for the supper. However, today an unexpected event happened that kept the Butler occupied, putting him in an inexplicable and troubling situation. Estrella and Amy both were personal maids to the young miss of the Swann family, but it was Estrella who was closer to Elizabeth and had a higher rank than her colleague. She was in her late twenties, married, and pretty, to say the least. Her husband was a sailor in a renowned merchant vessel, and thus she lived in the servant quarters. Like always, Estrella had gone to the port alone to collect the letters from her husband in the afternoon. The afternoon had come and gone, but there was no sign of Estrella''s return. Just when Elizabeth was about to inform her father to search for Estrella out of concern, a young girl announced herself at the mansion. This girl looked to be around 17-years-old, had soft green eyes, and silky gold hair. Her beauty was such that if it wasn''t for the presence of Elizabeth Swann, all would have just proclaimed her to be the most charming young lady. Yet, the most striking thing about this girl was the one earring in her left ear. It was short, and at its end was a black marble, giving the impression of a fake pearl. Still, something was enchanting about the earring that unnerved all who looked at it. This girl handed a letter to the Butler, proclaiming herself to be Estrella''s acquaintance. This girl¡­ was Cersei Lannister. 0347 Cersei Lannister - Elizabeth Swanns New Maid! "And¡­" the Butler''s old eyes ran down the letter in the dining room, "¡­ may I inquire about your experience, Ms. Lanny?" Lanny gave the Butler a coquettish smile, pulling a lock of hair behind her right ear. "I have served under the Housekeeper of House Stain, the owner of Sugar and Salt Co. in London," she told him. "You can refer to the recommendation letter from Mr. Stain attached to Estrella''s letter. "I am to return to London in 3 days, to be honest. If Estrella hadn''t been so kind to me, I wouldn''t have accepted her request." The Butler inwardly nodded. If this Lanny had said anything else, then he probably wouldn''t have believed her. Then there was the touch of¡­ arrogance in the young girl''s tone, a familiar thing only someone of his age and status could catch on to. This arrogance could only be seen who had come in contact with people of high birth and status. This Lanny wasn''t lying, he decided. Yet, it also made him crease his brows. The letter in his hands was from Estrella, and it said that she had to board a vessel immediately to go to London because of her husband. Till then, if the Butler and Miss Swann agreed, they could let Lanny take her place by the young miss'' side. "Very well," the Butler ultimately said, sighing to himself. "Come with me. Let me introduce you to Miss Swann. Remember to report to the Governor once he returns. He has a habit of visiting the Fort for his evening walks." Lanny smiled. "Believe me," she said, standing up and putting a hand over the Butler''s forearm. "Miss Swann will love my company." * * "Ahn! Ahn! Slow¡­ Oh!" Estrella moaned heavily, her head buried in a fluffy pillow. Just as Cersei was getting inquired by the Butler of the Governor''s mansion, Kai was fucking the maid, taking her from behind; for the 4th time. The prime issue with the Phase 1 they had planned was not implanting Cersei in the mansion, but her presence out of the 200 ft Activity Radius. But, this Activity Radius was not from Kai truly. It wasn''t outrightly mentioned in the Stats of the Tales of Beedle the Bard. Still, with the help of a simple experiment, Kai had found out that the Activity Radius remained with the Book as the center, not the Contestant. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. So, after arriving at the inn and sending Selene to monitor Estrella, Kai had called out to Cersei. Then Kai had taken a few hours to transfigure the Book into an earring, putting it on Cersei''s left ear. With the little magic Kai could do, it had turned out to be an excruciating task for him. Not to mention, the magic would run out by tomorrow afternoon if he was right about it. Letting Cersei carry his most powerful and promising Item wasn''t because of trust, though. No, Kai would rather cut his throat than do something that foolish. If there were some things that he trusted, then those were objects; non-living and empty of sentience. Then came beasts, full of animal instinct, easy to be manipulated, and questionable intelligence. People¡­ had been put aside by Kai long ago. So, no. This wasn''t Trust, but Confidence. Kai just had too much confidence in himself to let Cersei run amok with the Book, and believe that she would do nothing against him. He had just invested too much in controlling her. Then came the part of wooing Estrella, a thing Kai also had confidence in. When Selene returned with the news that Estrella had come to the docks, Kai had gone out of the inn, and charmed Estrella with his looks and remarks, manipulating her emotions meanwhile. Because the Side Mission was related to Elizabeth Swann, all major Characters that were and would come in contact with her didn''t have any higher-floor Contestant''s protection. Estrella wasn''t a major character, but according to the original storyline, she had maintained direct contact with Elizabeth. In light of this, Kai couldn''t just kill her, either. If he were to dispose of her, then he had potent reasons to believe that Order would just send a powerful Contestant to take her place, bringing balance again. No. Keeping her alive and occupied was the best route Kai had found. ¡­ "Sssss¡­" Estrella hissed out a moan, biting her lips. "I am¡­" Her toes spasmed and her fingernails dug into Kai''s thighs. A shudder coursed through her back as Kai pounded her. Just as the climax found her, Kai''s hazel pupils trembled with a profound glint. At this moment, Estrella''s mind was too chaotic; the best state to control her thoughts. Kai reached for her head and put his palm on it. Then he closed his eyes. His projection appeared in Estrella''s mind and saw innumerable thoughts, memories, and emotions. This was the first time Kai was putting Legilimency into action. With his Mana and control, especially without a wand, he had little trust in himself to go through with it. Not to mention, this was one magic that he couldn''t nudge Darcie to practice as well. The implications of doing that would be too great for others to ignore. That''s why Kai had manipulated Estrella''s emotions, letting her get used to the orgasms, and only then did he dare to toil around with her mind. That she was just an ordinary woman, defenseless against magic, also helped him a bit. Kai raced through her memories and thoughts, brought out the last few hours'' worth of sexual events and feelings, and put them into a loop. When Kai returned to the real world and snapped open his eyes, he had already slid out of her. Estrella had gone to deep sleep, and there was a smile on her face, full of passion and lust. Kai sneered. Like the transfiguration, this magic wouldn''t last more than half a day, either. So he would have to repeatedly cast Legilimency on her for the next 3 days. Kai put on his clothes and looked outside through the window. The sunset had gained a shade of blue and indigo, and the dark of night was dancing with the distant waves on the horizon. On the street, sailors were singing, drinking, and thieving. The cries of young women were everywhere, some in pleasure and some in pain. And the stench of sewers had already found a balance with the smell of salt in the chilly winds. A good time to kill, Kai thought, grinning. With the matter of Cersei replacing Estrella finished, Phase 1 of his plan had already come into motion. However, these phases weren''t planned to occur one after another, but together. Phase 1 was to replace Estrella with Cersei, and then it extended to Cersei''s replacement with Elizabeth on the evening of the third day. But this part only took care of only one side of the story, not touching the matter of Jack Sparrow and his compass at all. Now was the time to act on that. Now was the time to work on Phase 2 of the plan. 0348 Trapped in the Mirror Dimension - Phase 2 Begins! Kai walked out of the inn, donning his sailor''s attire and lowering the hat. Eyes followed him everywhere but kept away from him at the same time. Kai had already put up a front for others, doing everything that he had said he would do. By acting ruthlessly, he had shown his murderous side, letting others know he was a crazy man who didn''t even put Abnormality Limiter in his eyes. And then, by bringing Estrella to the inn, he had shown his lecherous and charming side, proclaiming that he was up to no good. So, at this time, when Kai walked toward the docks, almost none followed him. Walking slowly and taking many turns, Kai approached the dock where HMS Interceptor and HMS Dauntless were anchored. From what Kai had learned through Meg, Contestants usually stayed off from these ships as much as they could, for there was no benefit in just gawking at them. Only by boarding the ship as a crew member, or attacking it as a member of a pirate crew, there was some meaning to it. Kai, too, had no desire for these ships. At least not now, with his little strength and busy schedule. Yet, there was something in the ship''s direction that he desired the most. Or, it would be better to say, someone. At the dock, two marines were stationed permanently, and this was the time for changing of shifts. From behind a tree, Kai eyed four marines. After a few minutes, two of those marines marched off, heading in the fort''s direction. These two were also characters of the original storyline, and quite major at that. Mullroy and Murtogg! These two were the same marines who, according to the original storyline, had come in contact with Jack Sparrow. Not only that, there was an instance in the storyline, just after Jack had saved Swann from drowning when the marine Murtogg also held all of Jack Sparrow''s effects ¡ª his saber, pistol, hat, and compass. Kai was exactly aiming for that instance on the third day''s morning. Like Phase 1, Phase 2 too demanded a replacement. But in Phase 2, it was Kai''s turn to replace the Character, and this time, the target¡­ must die. There was just a teeny-tiny problem. Unlike Phase 1, where Estrella had no protection, Kai almost knew, with certainty, that a Contestant was watching over these two Characters. This wasn''t a Random World where Kai had reincarnated with the Main Mission revolving around a major Character. Even though he had taken care of Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, Barbossa, and other major Characters'' potential protection, there were still too many Side Characters who shared no particular interaction with Elizabeth Swann in the foreseeable future. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. And thus, they didn''t come under the purview of Kai''s Side Mission. For him to kill Murtogg meant Kai would need to go through a Contestant, who might have the power to fight and subdue even him. A chill ran down his spine as Kai thought about that, his bloodlust rising to the brim, spilling out just by a touch. Yet he controlled himself. This wasn''t the time to act on his thoughts. For now, he just wanted to grasp the timing of these Side Characters'' shifts. When the two characters had left, Kai approached the dock. He looked at the sea, expanding through the narrow entrance of the harbor into the vaster sea beyond. Then, with a splash, Kai jumped into the sea. Sea water drenched his clothes, his hair, and his hat, bringing a familiar taste to his mouth, and better than Estrella''s soft lips. When the rumbles of thunder didn''t reach his ears, the corners of his mouth arched up. "What are you smiling for?" ¡­ Kai''s eyes widened to an unprecedented degree. This question had come to him too suddenly as if the entire world had voiced it out. Then, something happened that made his pupils go even wider. Crack! A cracking noise echoed around him, and Kai saw a layer of mirror-like shards propping up, covering a ground of 200 meters around him. Its speed was so great that just as Kai saw it, it had already finished forming a spherical cage, confining him within it. Kai wasn''t unfamiliar with this cage, as he had faced it before. Unlike then, he now knew its origins and name ¡ª a power from the Marvel Random World. Mirror Dimension! "Speak," the voice returned. "I saw you looking at Murtogg and Mullroy. State your purpose, and I might just let you go. We both are from Chaos, after all." The voice sounded mechanical, with a touch of feminine in it, and it was coming from the skies. Kai knew he had miscalculated. He had thought that the Protector would never leave the Characters'' side. Who knew just because he had looked at them, this Contestant would mark him and confine him into the Mirror Dimension? Slowly, Kai lifted his head and looked at the source of the fatal threat that was making his back sweat. It was a Contestant, with red and silver armor, and hovering midair, fire coming out from the armor''s palms and soles like a massive jet propulsion. Iron Man Armor - Mark V! Kai let out a breath as he recalled the name. The Contestant with Mark V Iron Man suit hovered a hundred feet over the dock, eying Kai from behind the slits into its helmet. Kai felt as if a boulder was pressing onto his chest, the sheer quality and quantity of Mana suffocating him with every passing moment. He had expected the Protectors would be this powerful, but, even then, he seemed to have underestimated them. State your purpose, the Protector had demanded. Kai scoffed. A bolt of white lightning answered in his place. The moment One-half of the Power Sword appeared in his hands, Kai''s lips opened and closed, activating the Skill Armor of Justice. Mana vanished from his Stats, and the silver-colored Coridite armor covered his right arm, shoulder, chest, and waist, armoring him under the Energy Field. The Protector said nothing and continued to hover midair as if watching a mummer''s farce. The hat on Kai''s head lifted with a gust of wind and flew away, showcasing his short white hair. The sea foamed under Kai''s feet, waves constantly barraging his legs. However, when the waves returned this time, they met the tips of two swords, their blades covered in slitted eyes. Fangs! "Are you sure you want to do this, Red?" the Protector asked, obviously recognizing Kai from the Wanted poster displayed all across the Port Royal. "A Bounty of 13,00,000 Berries is indeed great. But¡­ is it enough?" Kai said nothing. With every next action, his eyes became more murderous and his heart became calmer, readying himself to erupt with the most powerful strike of his life at any moment. Yet, the display of taking out swords and armor was truly nothing but a mummer''s farce. Kai wanted to hide his hidden actions behind the flamboyant display of power. This battle¡­ was bound to be one of the scariest, and there was no avoiding it. Phase 2 ¡ª Replace Murtogg, the marine, with Kai ¡ª had just been forced to begin. 0349 Striking a Deal - Fighting a Protector! Kai''s feet were knee-deep into the shallow sheet of seawater near the docks, and his soles were kissing the wet earth underneath. From this contact, a burst of silver mist seeped out and entered the earth. Against a Protector, Kai dared not act too presumptuous and rather use all his cards from the get-go. These actions had been etched into his bones by his constant running, fighting, and killing in his previous life. He couldn''t control unexpected events, so he did the next best thing. Become powerful enough to survive those events. Still, this wasn''t his previous world anymore, and even Meg didn''t know everything. It would be even better to say that Meg knew more than exceptional 13th-floor Contestants, but in the grand scheme of things, that knowledge was only superficial at best. What happened next confirmed these points for Kai. The moment Selene''s mist form escaped into the earth, an imperceptible glint flashed into the slits of the armored Protector. "Oh!" the mechanical voice exclaimed. "A Ghost-type Pokemon or similar creature, eh? No wonder. I can play this game, too, you know." Suddenly, two ghostly butterfly wings appeared behind the armor covered in a rainbow glow. At first, they were small, but with time, they expanded, becoming twice the size of a person. Kai gawked at this sight in a stunned stupor. With the Iron Man suit and the ghostly wings, the Protector looked like an angel descended into the world of mortals from a comparatively advanced civilization. Then there was the howl and snarls. As the butterfly wings fluttered, rainbow-colored powder puffed out in the open, bringing with it thousands of beastly growls as if the very wind was screaming. The danger in Kai''s heart jumped even higher now. It was then Selene''s hisses reached him. -Master,- she hissed, her voice shaking. -I¡­ I feel bad.- This?! Kai trembled inwardly. What''s going on? Even Selene''s fearing those wings?! What are they?!! Kai was anything but indecisive. With things taking such a grave turn, it would be stupid to not adjust his plans. "I want Murtogg," Kai declared, saying nothing else. "Haha!" the Protector laughed. "Are you hearing yourself? Why do you¡­" The question had just echoed within the Mirror Dimension when Kai clenched his teeth and hissed, breathing out blood-colored air. A vast amount of power got squeezed out from his muscles, bones, and blood, engulfing his entire figure in blood flames. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Selfless Breathing Art! A shocking presence rippled out of Kai, making the sea around him surge with waves. The wooden docks near him cracked, and with his one look, all howling and snarling disappeared. The Protector went quiet, then. However, this silence only lasted for a moment. "As I said," the mechanical voice began unhurriedly, "we both are from Chaos. There''s no benefit in a life-death battle. How about this? "This Mirror Dimension will last for 15 minutes. If you can survive these 15 minutes, then I will let you have Murtogg. "No using the creatures, either. Just pure strength, Items, and Abilities. "Do you agree¡­ Red?" Kai frowned. Unlike before, he wasn''t as oblivious to these Protectors. Protectors were Contestants who could be said to be confiscated by the Systems for carrying out certain missions. Yet, this was one confiscation that no one minded, and instead, desired more than anything. These missions to protect storyline Characters weren''t Main Missions, but either Side or Hidden Missions. Not to mention, the Systems could assign them whenever it wanted. They had no special rewards or requirements, and one could not even reject them. However, these weren''t the things that everyone wanted. It was an Opportunity. Not all Contestants had such a disastrous privilege as Kai, letting him reincarnate into a Random World and create Side Missions about the major characters whenever he wanted. For others, a Protection Mission was the only thing that allowed the Contestants to interact with major characters. Take Robin, for example, who was the Protector of Pokeball expert Kurt during Kai''s mission in the Pokemon World. If the Ash trio were to visit the Pokeball expert during Robin''s mission time limit, then he could freely interact with them. This was something everyone longed for, but could not get just because they desired it. Then there was the matter of the Contestants themselves. Only the best of the best got confiscated for these missions, to begin with. All Protectors stood out from hundreds of thousands of Contestants based on their Stats and experience. It was such a momentous event that many major organizations in the Primordial Tower only allowed the Protectors to join them. Kai didn''t know the extent of his enemy''s power, but his instincts told him that this Protector was at least a low 6th-floor Contestant. To give up on Murtogg already screamed how much weight the armored Contestant was giving to Kai''s reputation and the ethereal flames surrounding him. Kai hadn''t forgotten that this wasn''t his Main Mission Random World, and he was only here for an Item. Risks without reasons had always gone against his principles, especially when the very reasons were against him. "What if I win?" Kai asked, the blood flames roaring around him with every breath. The Protector killed the fire under her boots and landed on the docks with a metallic bang. The butterfly wings behind the armor vanished as well. Selene had to return to his body. A crackling iron noise reverberated and the metal helmet folded, letting the hidden face come out in the open. It was a woman with blue eyes, blue hair, and thin lips. Her beauty wasn''t as great as Meg and Cersei, but there was an¡­ elegance about her appearance, snaring hearts and minds alike. She shook her head, letting her hair sway behind her. "Do you see this Mirror Dimension?" she asked, her smile enchanting. "It''s a dispensable Uncommon Item I got from a few Order''s Contestants who wanted to fuck Mullroy and Murtogg. "I still have three of these Items on me. If you win, I will gift one to you." Kai''s eyes narrowed. He feigned going under a deep struggle and then nodded. "Swear on Chaos, and we have a deal." The blues in the woman''s eyes flickered momentarily. "Very well." After both Contestants had sworn upon the System, the Iron Man suit''s helmet returned to the Contestant''s head. "Call me Moraine," the Protector''s mechanical voice echoed in Kai''s ears. No more words came out, then. Kai had just lifted his hands when a powerful force erupted from the armor''s shoes, bringing Moraine near Kai instantly. Her speed was so fast that not even Kai in his Selfless Breathing form could pinpoint her trajectory. He didn''t avoid the incoming block of metal, though. The blood flames roared, and Kai hacked at the armor. Something bizarre happened at that moment. One sword struck the incoming fist, letting out sparks, but another stopped in between its route as if an invisible wall had come up there. Even Moraine, who had readied herself to block the attack, got taken aback. This wasn''t some Skill of the Iron Man armor, but it was Kai himself who had oddly put a stop to Fang''s momentum. The muscles on Kai''s forearm screeched because of the sudden halt, and then he let go of the sword. Fang spun murderously in midair. With the power of Telekinesis fueling its engines, the sword fired itself into the eye slit on the helmet, its tip almost going in because of the proximity between the two Contestants. 0350 Moraine the Elegant!!! Moraine could sense a threat to her life, better than anyone of her caliber. If it wasn''t for that, she wouldn''t have degraded herself to confine a Contestant in the Mirror Dimension, who was doing nothing but look at Mullroy and Murtogg. With time, and as Kai brought out his Items and the blood flames, this feeling of death only multiplied. She had potent reasons to believe that this Red''s bounty was outdated, and he was at least a top-level 5th-floor Contestant. And now, as the sword''s tip almost entered the slit in front of her eye, this dreadful feeling of death became absolute. There was no more guessing that Red possessed the power to kill her. This sword itself meant death. "Haa!" Moraine let out a powerful shout, and the circular area on her chest exploded with a powerful blue flash. From her palms and shoes, a monstrous pillar of energy burst out, sending her flying in reverse. Kai grinned. As Moraine flew back, a speck of blood point chased her, and the black blade thrummed in pleasure, almost kissing her eye. Suddenly, the shoulder pads of her armor opened and fired tiny missiles. Two of the missiles homed on the incoming Fang, and another two rushed toward Kai. Kai''s hazel pupil narrowed and the two incoming missiles stopped midair before exploding as if they couldn''t bear the pressure. Yet, Fang too got blasted off because of this momentary distraction. Moraine instantly took herself to the air and came to rest dozens of feet over Kai, her eyes planted on the levitating sword and then moving to Kai. "Telekinesis?!" Her mechanical voice exclaimed. "Who are you?!" Telekinesis wasn''t an Ability that just anyone could afford or obtain. And Moraine hadn''t heard of a Contestant named Red from the 2nd Set who had risen to the ranks of powerful people recently, either. Kai lifted his right hand and grabbed Fang''s hilt. "No one." Silence. ¡­ "I must say, you caught me off-guard with Telekinesis," Moraine said, regaining her breath. "It won''t work twice, though." "You talk too much," Kai spat in reply. "Hmm?" Moraine sensed something wrong. Suddenly, something happened that made her gasp. Kai, who was just standing on the dock, vanished, his figure blurring as if it were just a mirage. Such speed! Moraine gasped, powering up the blast of the EMP. But how could Kai fall for the same Skill twice? If he had, then he wouldn''t have been cursed as Blood Demon. It was true that an EMP blast would render his Telekinesis useless, but only if the user could see and lock onto him, or if he was within the blast''s area. Kai dropped from the sky like a red meteor, his eyes murderous. Moraine''s Iron Man armor sent out an EMP, blasting the space of 3 meters around her. It wasn''t the specialty of this armor, to begin with. Yet, just when it seemed the EMP had hit Kai, he again vanished. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. This?! Moraine couldn''t make sense of it. How''s he changing direction in midair?! I am sure he can''t fly. Kai indeed couldn''t fly. Not without becoming Dementor-Kai, at least. He again threw himself toward Moraine like a bullet, leaving a red meteoric tail in his wake. Once more, an EMP got fired. Everything seemed to slow down for Kai at this moment, and he breathed, the blood flames roaring along with him. Before he could fall into the EMP''s area, one of the Fangs appeared in front of him. Kai''s feet landed on the sword, and he kicked it to change direction, bringing the sword with him using Telekinesis again. His speed was such that only a red blur got left behind, preventing others from seeing him. "Two should be your limit," Kai''s sneering voice echoed all over the dock. "What else can you do, Moraine?" "Humph!" Moraine let out a cold snort. The entire Iron Man armor shuddered, then, and with a pulsating blast, the Protector fired herself toward Kai. Kai was about to change direction by kicking a sword when the absurd firepower coming off the armor''s shoes lessened abruptly. A stupendous amount of dangerous feelings rose in Kai''s heart. Not good. The only thing Kai could do was snap his fingers, creating a magical shield in front of him to assist the Energy Field. It was then Moraine raised her palms and fired a high-density energy beam at Kai. The magical shield couldn''t even last for a moment and shattered instantaneously. Then the beam headed toward Kai got slowed down because of the Energy Field of the Coridite armor and struck his chest. With a boom, Kai got sent flying, the armor on his chest caving in, reducing the damage by 10 points. "Cough!" Kai coughed, forcing himself to regain his footing as the water under him splashed everywhere. Moraine threw herself toward him in no time. Once again, she fired the energy beam, but this time in short bursts. Kai took a deep breath and hissed out a powerful breath. The blood flames around him crackled with a mind-boggling roar, making him shudder with the power. He held his swords in a tight grip and kept slithering in and out of the energy beam blasts. Just as Moraine took the tiniest moment to catch her breath, Kai lunged at her with a never-seen ferocity. This was a pure display of power. Nothing more. Moraine raised her arms in defense, and both Fangs hacked down at her like the red gaze of a primal beast. Boom! Kai got thrown several dozen meters toward the sandy beach. But Moraine hadn''t come out of this exchange unscathed, either. Wood splintered where she fell, and one could see metal sliced through and through where Fang had hit her. Both Contestants huffed and puffed, gauging each other leftover capabilities. Kai crawled back up to his feet and eyed Moraine, who was also looking back at him. I refuse to believe that she only has the Iron Man armor, he thought, sneering. I haven''t even sensed her using any Ability, either. A bounty of 13,000,000 berries? Moraine licked the blood on her lips, recalling the Wanted poster she had seen. Bounty my foot! "You aren''t half-bad, Red," Moraine told Kai, metal screeching around her as she straightened her spine. "If you can block my next move without losing a single point of HP, then I will admit defeat in our little game." ¡­ A deadly feeling took over Kai''s instincts. Even before it appeared in the real world, Kai felt its presence, and Fangs trembled in response. Moraine swept her hand to her left, and a greatsword materialized in her grasp. It was Claymore, with a red handle, and a blade length 9 inches short of Moraine''s height. The double-edged sword pulsated with raw power, and even the very space within the mirror dimension seemed to be sliced open, as it appeared in the world. "I am Moraine the Elegant!" the Protector declared, raising her Claymore against her chest. "And today¡­ I will stand true to my name." Fuck! Kai cursed, the tips of his fingers throbbing like never before. At this moment, the danger he was sensing from Moraine had already surpassed the one he had felt from Akaza in the Verse Fusion Random World. Kai called out Golduck blood essence, hoping to dive into the sea to dodge the attack, for he knew there was no blocking it without losing HP. It was a wishful task. Too late. The Iron Man armor on Moraine roared, metal striking on metal with a piercing screech, and the entire world became gray. Kai had just thought of calling out blood essence when a blinding flash erupted from Moraine''s armor''s soles and she vanished. A hundred meters'' worth of distance melted away, and in the next moment, Moraine passed by Kai, walking with noble elegance. The Claymore in her hand swept up, aimed at Kai''s back. Crack! Everything snapped in Kai''s mind, then. Ethereal bolts of yellow lightning cracked in his surroundings, letting Kai regain the sense of time. Blood flames let out a magnificent roar, and three heads and six arms appeared on Kai. And his bloodlust was such that the very air cackled demonically around him. Selfless Breathing - First Transformation: Three-headed Vritra! It was the most powerful strike in Kai''s arsenal if he were to ignore complementing it with Little War Horn and Titan''s buff. With a bang, Kai charged ahead, becoming a speckle of blood point, destroying everything around him. Clank! The sound of metal striking metal was so loud that it shook the space. When Kai paused, his transformation disappeared and the blood flames flickered like a candle about to go out. Then, as if someone was playing a video at half the speed, the Fangs in his broke apart, becoming black dust. Their Qualities struck 0% and both blades vanished, hissing out their last breath. Only then did the world gain colors, the corners of Kai''s mouth arching up in victory. 0351 Valar Morghulis!!! Kai turned around, panting hard, and eyed the stunned Protector. Fangs were getting outdated. The single greatest thing about the blades was the Skill ¡ª White Serpent, shooting out intangible serpents which then bound the target bypassing anything in between. However, with the growing strength of Kai''s enemies, two things made the Skill useless. First, the intangible serpents weren''t nearly fast enough to match the speed of the target itself. Second, even if the serpents somehow coiled around the target, the binding power itself wasn''t enough to counter the innate strength of such a Contestant. So, Kai had been looking for an opportune moment to go all out with the swords, catching the enemy off-guard. No one in their right mind would take the burnt of an attack with such Items alone. Going against common sense had always been a trick up Kai''s sleeves. "Haha!" his laugh sounded harsh, and his slitted pupils glinted like that of a beast. "I won, Ms. Elegant." Moraine couldn''t speak. Blocking and surviving was one thing, but not even brushing him with her attack was something altogether. Elegance was her nature. Elegance was her Ability. And Red seemed to have survived both. This man isn''t simple, she thought, narrowing her eyes behind the Iron Man''s helmet. I must look into him more. Perhaps¡­ Moraine took out a many-colored pearl from her Inventory and threw it toward Kai. "If something happened to Mullroy, then consider yourself dead." Kai caught the Item and put it in his pocket without even a glance. Moraine flew up and swept her hand to collect the Consumable Item, which still had some time left in its usage. However, just as she was about to call back the Item, canceling the Mirror Dimension, she heard a hissing noise behind her. By the time she snapped her head back, the only thing landed in her sight was golden sparks. A giant wave of surprise overwhelmed Moraine, then, making her explode in anger. That fucker fooled me!!! ¡­ Kai took off the Sling Ring and threw it in Inventory. Mirror Dimension in exchange for Fangs¡­ Kai contemplated the gains with a smirk. Not bad. Not everyone has a Sling Ring. Once trapped, I can go all out without worrying about someone gauging my abilities¡­ and Glitch. Kai then recalled the Protector. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Moraine the Elegant¡­ Her face flashed in his eyes. Not simple. There''s¡­ something off about her. Shaking his head, he eyed Murtogg as the character took a piss, standing on the edge of the rampart. Moraine had given him a headway, but he didn''t want to show her what he was about to, either. The wind danced, and the distant sailors sang as he rushed at the marine''s back like a phantom. "Who?" Murtogg gasped, feeling an apparition''s presence and the cold steel running through him. Squelch! Murasame had already pierced his heart. Kai caressed the Character''s cheek from behind, breathing down his neck. And suddenly, a powerful urge welled up in his heart. This urge surpassed even his bloodlust like a hiccup that couldn''t be stopped. This urge was nothing but two words. As Kai saw the life disappearing from Murtogg''s eyes, these words seeped out from his mouth, just like the trail of black and blue blood dripping down from the corner of Murtogg''s mouth. "Valar¡­ Morghulis!" ¡­ Kai rushed through the night, cutting air and darkness alike. On his shoulders, Murtogg''s dead body was swaying like a hideous pendulum, and both time and place were not in his favor. This was the backside of Fort Charles'' barracks, where the Marines were stationed. After his fight with the Protector, Kai used the Sling Ring and killed Murtogg. This was already a major deviation from his plans, but what else could he do? Before, Kai had planned to kill Murtogg tomorrow night, but the odd and sudden actions of the Protector ruined those plans. Then there was the matter of Kai searching Murtogg''s memories to gain a better understanding of the Character. However, now Kai wasn''t sure if Moraine could find Murtogg if he were to remain alive, despite the distance between the Protector and the Protected Character. Meg had told him about the Side and Hidden Missions that the Systems assigned to the Protectors, and this too that they differed from each other erratically. There was no format for these missions. For one, it could be to stay within 100 meters of the Character, and for others, it could be 1000 meters. If the Protector didn''t want others to know, there was no way to tell. So before Moraine could come and find Murtogg, Kai had rushed in the opposite direction. Still, Contestants were crawling in the Fort like cockroaches as it was a major site for Missions and odd Milestones. Kai dared not to be careless. Panting, he came to a stop after running madly for a while. He threw Murtogg''s body on the ground, letting it fall like a log, and then sat down in a meditative posture. Selene burst out of him with a hiss and disappeared into the surroundings. 10 minutes¡­ 15 minutes¡­ 30 minutes¡­ Only when an hour had gone by did Kai open his eyes, confirming that no one had seen or followed him. Then came the ugly part; or beautiful, depending on the perspective. Kai swept his hand into the empty air and took a pristine metallic box out of his MRB. Using Telekinesis, he cleaned a few meters around him of dirt, insects, rotten leaves, and filth. Selene''s mist form then arrived, engulfing the entire scene into a white-silver fog. The box opened¡­ slowly. Kai caressed the collection of brilliant surgical tools, and the corners of his mouth lifted in a demonic grin. There was a major distinction between Kai and the Faceless Men from the Game of Thrones world. Kai hadn''t learned these arts from a Priest of the House of White and Black. His Comprehension had been birthed because of his struggles and serendipities, unlike the Priests of Byagoona who served the Many-faced God. And no matter the power or knowledge, Kai just couldn''t resign himself to serving anyone. If it wasn''t because of this, then he wouldn''t have needed years'' worth of risky contemplation and Acting to become a Faceless Man. Sure, he wouldn''t have been fast enough like the Character Arya Stark, but his speed still had been faster than the current timeline. So when Kai had reincarnated into the Harry Potter World, he had arrived with ample preparations. Everything had gone silent within the silver mist. The distant gurgles of the sea and the hisses of the wind came and went, sighing at the actions they were about to see. Dr. Kai donned the white gloves, cleaned Murtogg''s face, and washed his hair. Then he took the surgical knife in his hands, his face indifferent and his eyes dead. When the knife kissed the skin, it tore into it with no resistance. From the back of the left ear, down to the underside of the chin, and then up to the right ear¡­ A circle, from right to left ear, covering the backside of the neck¡­ The scalp was particularly tricky, but Kai had practiced enough and on many¡­ The rest was a slow business, slowly and meticulously peeling the skin, flaying Murtogg''s face without letting it tear. 0352 The Faceless When Kai was done with the procedure, only flesh remained, oozing stale and congealed blood. Once again, he cleaned the mask from the outside and inside, clearing it of all plausible pathogens and moisture. Then he let it rest, giving the skin ample time to regain its shape. Kai looked at his creation, and Murtogg watched him with his hollow eyes and gaping mouth. The body had to go, too. After wearing Murtogg''s uniform, Kai chopped him up in so many pieces that it started to look like mangled flesh. He would let the fishes take care of this mess, as Selene had already acquired a taste for Mana-rich food. Kai then took a bundle of documents out of his MRB. These documents were detailed info about the major and a few minor Characters from the Pirates of the Caribbean Random World. Kai had made Meg trade this info at a hefty sum, for he not only needed to know about the Characters'' personalities but also how they perceived each other. After an hour of going through the documents many times over, and nodding to himself, Kai threw them back into the MRB. "Sigh!" A long and heavy sigh escaped his mouth, as Kai forced himself to forget all worries and plans for a moment. He sat down in a meditative posture and within the white room in his consciousness, a projection of him appeared, his mind dividing into three parts, ready to control the body, mind, and countless nudges. Murtogg''s life, his conversations, his past, present, and future, everything flashed through Kai''s mind. Then the face lifted and came to rest in front of Kai, its hollow eyes judging its murderer. Facelessness Second Contrast ¡ª the Quintessential Conversion of Inner Selves! An earth-shaking shout echoed in Kai''s consciousness and the face turned around, slowly overlapping Kai as if he was just putting up a mask. A distinct, stupid look appeared on his face, all the muscles on the face contorting in convulsions. Something¡­ was missing. Facelessness''s First Conversion, the Primal Conversion of Yang to Yin, wasn''t needed until Kai was to Act like a female. The Second Contrast took care of the Self, its mysteries profound. But there was more to the people, to the Characters, than just the Self. It was personality, thoughts, goals, and desires. More words exploded within him, then. Facelessness Third Contrast ¡ª the Ultimate Conversion of Existence! These were understandings. These were Kai''s Comprehension. And these had resulted from his over half-a-year-long Acting. If Kai hadn''t reincarnated into the body of the opposite sex to comprehend the True Essence of Facelessness, following the principles of letting Black Act as White and White Act as Black, then he wouldn''t have obtained such drastic and profound results so quickly. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. At least not without bending the knee to the Many-Faced God. He still had a long way to go. But for now, and for such a short time, this was enough. Murtogg had died, killed by Kai in cold blood. But then again¡­ All men must die, eventually. * * Fort Charles'' Barracks, Port Royal "Where were you, Oi?" Mullroy spat, tossing and turning on his hard bed in the barracks. "Bad stomach, ugh!" Murtogg limped his way to the bed. "Ate too much." "Ate too much?!" Mullroy scratched his fat chin. "But you didn''t have dinner¡­" Murtogg was stumped, his listless expression making him look profusely dimwitted. "I didn''t?" he repeated, confused. "Must be breakfast, then. Right! Ate too much in the morning." Mullroy''s mouth opened, and he nodded in understanding. From afar, Moraine, the Protector, eyed the two dimwit Characters oddly. The System had given her the ability to hide from all Characters within 500 meters of Mullroy and Murtogg, letting her monitor them. As long as both Characters hadn''t died, Chaos wouldn''t interfere, and her Mission would continue as before. This wasn''t the first time she was hearing this absurdly illogical conversation between the two Characters, either. What truly stunned her was the return of Murtogg. Didn''t Red kidnap him? Why did he let him go? What did he do to him, anyway? Questions kept arising in her mind and heart but to no avail. She neared Murtogg, who was groaning in pain, holding his stomach, and looked at him up and down. Nothing. She didn''t feel an iota of threat or anything strange. Murtogg was a foolish and naive Character, and this was how she must have felt upon nearing him, to begin with. Yet, she couldn''t wrap her head around the fact that Red had let him go, just after kidnapping him a few hours ago. There must be some great mystery or Hidden Mission, Moraine rationalized. Not minding it further, and putting it into the back of her mind, she returned to a safe distance and kept monitoring the two. She had prepared herself for the disappearance of Murtogg altogether. Even if Mullroy alone remained in the plot line, things would still work as they were. Such things had already been confirmed by the Contestants. In the barracks, Murtogg sat back up and groaned again. "I can''t go to the sentry duty tomorrow morning, mate," he said, exasperated. "I am going to ask for a one-day leave from Lieutenant Gillette." "At this hour?!" Mullroy asked, fear flashing across his face. "I heard Ghosts march the corridors of Fort Charles after midnight." "Gh¡­ Ghosts?!" Mullroy staggered, thoroughly scared. But then suddenly, his expression changed as if he had recalled something profound. "Wait a minute!" he spat, slapping Mullroy''s bald head. "Gone insane, are you? Ghosts don''t have legs. How will they march?" Mullroy''s face became blank. He made an O shape with his mouth and nodded to himself. In the distance, Moraine shook her head as she heard this exchange, knowing well that she would have to go with Mullroy in the morning, leaving Murtogg behind. There was no way for her to be in two places at the same time. Not when the original Storyline had already seemed to have diverged from the usual track. Yet, as she saw Murtogg marching off like a scared squirrel toward the Lieutenant''s quarters, Moraine couldn''t help but think about Red, and what could he have possibly done to this minor Character. Little by little, that white-haired swordsman kept becoming a bigger mystery in her heart. * * Governor''s Mansion, St. Paul''s District "Lanny, is it you?" Elizabeth Swann sat up on her bed in the dark, eying the parting of the door of her bedroom. An enchanting beauty in the dress of a maid entered the room, hopping her way to the mistress. "Pardon my intrusion, miss," Lanny said, giggling. "I knew you were awake, and my heart couldn''t help but long for your company." Elizabeth smiled in the dark. They lit the candle by the bed and sat down on the bed, crossing their legs. "I truly miss Estrella," Miss Swann told her sadly. "If it was anyone other than you who had come as her replacement, I didn''t know what I would have done." Lanny twirled a lock of her golden hair. "Estrella is indeed marvelous, miss," she nodded. "But she''s old. We, on the other hand, know the lure of freedom and the open sea." Elizabeth''s eyes shone in the light flicker of the candle''s fire as she heard the word. Sea. Her desire, her curse, and her blessing. And, yes ¡ª The Pirates! "I couldn''t sleep," Miss Swann said, putting her hand on Lanny''s hand. "I kept recalling the stories you told me in the evening. Did you truly meet a white-haired pirate with a skull, serpent, and swords as the Jolly Roger?" Lanny couldn''t hold back the giggle. "I indeed met him, miss," she said, feigning pride. "He was the most handsome pirate I have ever seen in my life. His eyes were hazel and like a snake, and his smile stole my heart at one glance." Elizabeth''s gaze sparkled. "And?" Lanny looked as if going through a struggle. "Oh! The Gods must punish me, miss. They truly must." "Why?" Elizabeth prodded, her thin, soft fingers tightening on Cersei''s hand. "Tell me. I won''t tell anyone." Lanny leaned forward. "Well, I did something bad with him, miss," she whispered, blushing. "Something truly bad." Color rose to Elizabeth''s pale cheeks. "I want to hear it all." Lanny smiled in shame and nodded, her mind conjuring a false tale of pleasure, pain, pride, and passion. A tale she dearly wanted to come true. 0353 Wrapping it up - A Letter for Red! 2nd day, Port Royal The matter of Moraine forcing Kai to begin Phase 2 of his plans had left this 2nd day almost empty for him. If it wasn''t for that, Kai had planned to monitor Mullroy and Murtogg for a day, and then strike the Protector with all his power with a mind to kill. The fight at the dock had shattered those plans, though. This was life, ever-changing and full of uncertainties. But it wasn''t like this 2nd day was entirely free for Kai. He still had many things to do, for tomorrow was the day of the showdown. And if he were to overlook anything, then it would already be too late. So Kai, under the guise of Murtogg, penned down a formal request to visit the slums of the Port Royal, where the voodoo practice and healing were much favored. Murtogg was superstitious, to begin with. Thus, his actions perfectly fit his nature. One must not forget that Murtogg wasn''t Darcie. She was the source of Kai''s Comprehension; the very root. Unlike with Darcie, where Kai had to nudge her secretly to take action when it came to Murtogg he enjoyed much freedom. His control over the three contrasts of the Facelessness wasn''t that great, but unless a true Faceless or a much stronger Contestant were to observe him, none could tell any difference. This was his confidence, birthed because of the horrendous type of practice he had put himself through in the last 6 months. All this happened after Mullroy had gone for sentry duty, along with the Protector. And as Kai''s request was to stay in the slums until the next morning, it gave him ample time and space to move about. The moment Murtogg''s request got accepted, he rushed out of the Fort Charles barracks. In between somewhere, Kai took off the face, changing back into himself. His first target was none other than the inn where he had booked a room for the 3 days. And he couldn''t spare a moment of delay with that. Estrella, the maid from the Governor''s mansion, was still there, and if he didn''t put spells on her again, then she could wake up at any moment. This would be nothing but a disaster for him. Even though he had put up a ruthless and lecherous front for all, and there was an urgency to reach his room, Kai still hadn''t put down his guard. When he had reached some hundred meters away from the inn, he made Selene scour the entire inn and the area around the inn for anything that seemed out of place or traps. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Only when Selene had given him her nod did Kai enter the inn, wearing his usual open white shirt, black knee-length pants, a red sash around his waist, and a torn straw hat. With Kai''s already high Charisma, his attire and physique gave him quite an enchanting appearance, stealing the hearts of the several women at the docks who glanced at him. If Kai hadn''t been in such a hurry, and if he wasn''t here for a Side Mission, then he could have had some fun with these looks, enjoying himself to gain some hidden Milestones. Shaking off these thoughts inwardly, Kai entered the Whale and Waterspout Inn and approached the owner, Mr. Garret. The old man''s head was drooping over his shoulders, a thin trail of drool dripping from the corner of his mouth. Kai''s fist thumped on the wood and brought the owner out of his half-asleep state. "Which rascal¡­" Mr. Garret had just begun cursing the man who woke him up when words got choked in his throat. "Ah! It''s you, young lad," he laughed ruefully. "And here I thought you left the girl upstairs for me. I knew there was a catch, heh! Ale?" Kai grunted a reply. "My things aren''t something just anyone can touch and remain alive," he said, warning the crowd at the inn. "The door is still unlocked and will remain. I dare someone to step in. Hehe!" Kai ran his tongue over his lips and a silence swept by throughout the inn. Mr. Garret behaved as if he heard nothing. He placed a rather big mug of ale in front of Kai, collected the money, and went back to his chair. Kai drank the spicy ale, showing not a bit of a hurry. This wasn''t the time or place to let his worries seep out as frowns. Among the sailors and pirates here, there were Contestants; wolves haunched over their hind legs, always ready to pounce on the next opportunity. Kai dared not to be careless. He took his time to finish the drink, ordered a plate of food, and threw himself off the stool. Just when he was about to head toward the stairs, Mr. Garret shouted, "Wait! I forgot. Haha¡­ There''s a letter with me for you. Let me see, I threw it here somewhere. Hmm¡­" Letter?! Kai''s pupils flickered with a devious glint. Mr. Garret fumbled with the drawers and then took out a rather neat envelope. With a flick of his hand, the old man threw it toward Kai. Kai caught the letter and regarded it with an odd gaze. It was red on the front side and blue on the backside. There was a waxen seal on it as well, half blue and half red. The seal portrayed a tower with an extremely blurry appearance. This?! Kai''s mind shook as he saw that. He looked over his shoulder and his gaze swept through the entire crowd. None looked him in the eye, but many were sneering at him. Not waiting any longer, Kai went to his room and threw the letter into his MRB. Estrella was still lying on the bed, naked, and there was a bashful smile on her face as if she was dreaming a lusty dream. Kai threw a blanket over Estrella''s body, and sat down near her, placing his palm over her head. In the next hour, Kai cast the same spell on Estrella repeatedly, solidifying the foundation of the loop of sexual events even further. Only when he had made sure that she wouldn''t wake up in the next two days did Kai open his eyes. He rubbed the sweat off his face and nodded to himself. Then he threw himself out the window and headed toward the Governor''s mansion, where Cersei was waiting for him. Kai decided against directly marching into the mansion, letting Selene bring Cersei toward the backside, instead. After Cersei had reported to him about the events, Kai recast the spell of transfiguration on the earring, making sure it wouldn''t turn back into the Book. Even then, Kai didn''t return to the inn or look at the letter but went to the market instead. There, from a local shop, Kai bought a rather old and damaged black-green compass. This compass was the soul of Kai''s plans and an invaluable object. The morning had turned into the afternoon when Kai returned to the room. Only then did he take out the envelope. Kai let it hover midair a few feet away from him and ordered Selene to pass through it. When the Ghost Basilisk didn''t sense a bit of Mana or Breath in it, the letter hovered back in Kai''s hand. The seal came off, and a white-colored letter presented itself to Kai. ¡ª Red, As per the tradition carried out since the olden antiquity, you are invited to the Night of Truce at 2100 hrs, 3 miles southeast of the HMS Interceptor''s anchorage into the barren cliffs. All conflicts and fights are prohibited for 6 hours after the start of the event. Even if you can''t come, acting against other Contestants or jeopardizing their missions is forbidden. Please bring the letter with you, if you decide to join your fellow Contestants at the venue. The Primordial Tower ¡ª 0354 The Night of Truce! Kai let out a breath after going through the letter. So they are sending out letters this time, he thought, nodding to himself. Kai knew this would happen, but he hadn''t expected it to come as a letter. Meg had told him about this thing. The Night of Truce wasn''t something sanctioned by the Systems, despite the letter being signed under the name of the Primordial Tower. It was a traditional event that had been carried out by Contestants from both Chaos and Order since millions of millions of years ago. Dukes had attended it, Kings had attended it, and even Emperors had attended it; such was its prestige. At its core, the Night of Truce was the time just before a storyline entered the major showdown in a Random World. Like the coming of Jack Sparrow at the Port Royal, beginning a major series of events in the Pirates of the Caribbean Random World, or Harry Potter boarding the Hogwarts Express. There were many such Nights in all timelines, scattered from past and present to future. Nonetheless, their nature remained the same, and so did their purpose. A Break! A break from endless fights, conflicts, schemes, and struggles. This was a Night when all Contestants, regardless of the System they belonged to, gathered at a place and took a direly needed breather from the life that had been forced upon them. Not all were like Kai, who preferred being a Contestant because it gave him the means to tread the path to the Peak of Absolute Power. There were people among the Contestants who just feared dying a second time, and for good this time, making it the only reason they took part in the bloodshed and slaughter that the Missions represented. The ancient Contestants of both Chaos and Order from a forgotten era had come together, agreeing on this tradition that was still growing strong. As the letter said, any fight or acting against the interest of other Contestants was absolutely forbidden during this time, whether one attended it or not. If someone was foolish enough to do the opposite, then he would face the combined wrath of Contestants from both sides. Even leaving the Random World, or hiding in another world, wouldn''t be enough to keep one''s life, then. No matter how strong or magnificent one was to be, to survive under the gaze of the two Empires was just nigh impossible. In the beginning, Kai had been exactly aiming at the end of this event. He had planned to attack Mullroy and Murtogg''s Protector just after the event ended, catching the Contestant off-guard. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. But things had changed, and Kai had some interest in it as well. Meg told me that all Contestants from the Island would gather at the event, Kai thought, putting the letter back into the MRB. Items will be bartered, information will be exchanged, and the events change according to the mood. Moreover, I must learn more about Moraine, and how many other Protectors are on the Island. Kai didn''t show it, but there was a deep apprehension in his heart toward those rainbow-colored butterfly wings. He even believed that Moraine''s true power wasn''t the Iron Man Armor or the Claymore and her Ability, but those giant wings that had even made Selene feel a touch of fear. If it weren''t for Moraine putting up the terms of the fight, Kai wasn''t sure he could defeat her without adding Little War Horn and Titan''s Buff''s effects on his Stats over Selfless Breathing. Much less needed to be said about killing her. The Night of Truce¡­ Kai worded inwardly, grinning. Just another way for Top Contestants to put a veil on Reality. Heh! Murderers will remain Murderers, and the Weak will be slaughtered as usual. Hmm¡­ No harm in checking it out, I guess. Kai looked out through the open window, feeling the salt in the breeze, and sneered. The blatant hypocrisy of this Truce nauseated him. * * 3 miles southeast of the HMS Interceptor''s anchorage, the lonely cliffs birthed a lonelier patch of meadow and rocks, stretching far and wide. As the clock struck 9 in the Port Royal, one could see many shadows vanishing into the darkening night, heading toward those distant patches. Some people who were drinking, whoring, fighting, and scheming just dropped everything, got up, and crawled their way out silently. It was as if a spell had been cast on a vast scale, calling these individuals to a certain place. When 2 hours had gone by, Kai walked toward the venue in the most casual manner. He was still wearing the same pirate-like attire. His short hair was disheveled and the smell of liquor clung to him like an old friend. By the time he reached the destination, not a hint of any Contestant could be seen anymore. In front of Kai, a bone hand was protruding out of the ground, its fingers curled open in an inviting gesture. Selene''s mist form left the earth, who obviously had come ahead to scour the grounds, and entered Kai''s body through his soles. When she said nothing, only then did he take out the letter and place it on the bone palm. The skeletal fingers curled into a fist, crushing the letter, and then shot back into the earth. Suddenly, the space in front of Kai, and beyond the disappeared bone hand, rippled. A door-sized opening materialized there, but nothing could be seen through that opening as a chilled fog obscured the vision. Kai''s eyes narrowed, and he stepped in. The entire world changed, then. ¡­ It was a world-within-a-world, separated by a thin boundary using the Mirror Dimension. A gigantic bonfire roared in the middle, and several Contestants were dancing around it, singing merrily. Some were seated on chairs, some were sprawled on the grass, and some were just standing, enjoying the relief gifted by solitude. On one side, there were rows of tables, full of the most extravagant dishes. On the other, there were barrels of wine, beer, and ale. A few people noticed Kai entering, but most of them ignored his late appearance. This Night was just too important for them to indulge in who was coming and going. Kai leisurely walked and noticed that there were at least a hundred Contestants within the Mirror Dimension. Given the size of Port Royal, this number was neither small nor big. But it was certainly going to double tomorrow, Kai knew. Some dozens of feet away from the bonfire, four high-back chairs were placed side-by-side. They were empty. Four more high-back chairs, smaller than the empty ones, could be seen too, with two on each side of the middle fours. The latter four were occupied, though. On the left side of the four empty chairs, two Contestants were seated, eying everyone with indifferent gazes. One of them was wearing a standard Karate gi and was eating a rather large piece of barbecued meat. The other was a woman in her early twenties. When Kai looked at her, he felt like he was looking at the edge of a blade; so sharp that he felt an ethereal pain in his eyes. Kai instinctively raised the danger posed by the woman to an unprecedented degree. 0355 Kai - The Scoundrel! This woman was beautiful in the most ordinary way, with no hint of any makeup whatsoever. She was wearing a red and white loose silk overcoat, with sleeves longer than her hands. Around her neck, there was a white scarf. Her hair was light brown, and her eyes were black. At this time, there was a bowl in her hand, from which she was taking light sips of green tea. Suddenly, she turned her head and looked at Kai. Just as their eyes met, the woman raised her eyebrows, looking quite shaken. But Kai didn''t give her a chance to see more into his gaze, and he faced the right side of the empty chairs. One of the two Contestants sitting there was not unknown to Kai. Moraine the Elegant was wearing a light white T-shirt, her large breasts sticking out of them like two giant mounds. Under the t-shirt, she had put on jeans, and with her long legs, she looked like a famous model. There was a wineglass in her hand, held with the most elegance a person could muster. She too sensed Kai''s gaze, and the smile on her lips vanished for the briefest time before returning to an even wider scale. She nodded at him and then tore her gaze off. To Moraine''s left, there was a middle-aged man, with a rather lost look planted on his face. He had short orange-colored hair, and there were whiskers on his face for a beard. The most striking thing about him was the cut across his upper bald lip, branding the left corner of his mouth with a hideous scar. The Protectors! This wasn''t the 4th-floor, where Kai had met Viscount Lucas Arbuthnot, assassinating him later. Nor was this place the venue of the 1st stage of the Tournament of Worth which had restricted all Contestants'' Stats. It could even be said that this was the first time when Kai saw and met genuinely strong Contestants from the 6th floor. It was more so when one considered the fact that the Protectors already represented the true height of power a Contestant could achieve in the Primordial Tower within a Set. Kai took a deep breath, sensing the heart-palpating danger his instincts were catching off these four individuals, and finally looked at the empty chairs. Haha! He couldn''t help but sneer inwardly. If Kai wasn''t wrong, then these four high-back chairs were meant for the Protectors of the major Characters at the Port Royal, i.e. Elizabeth Swann, William Turner, Governor Swann, and Captain Norrington. Kai''s Side Mission in this Switched World had taken care of their presence already, though. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. If it hadn''t, then these Protectors could very well have turned out to be top-level 6th-floor Contestants. Such individuals didn''t give a reason for their absence. Nor could anyone demand it from them. If they arrived, they would naturally assume a seat for themselves on the four chairs. If they didn''t, then these seats would remain empty. Only Kai here knew that these seats were already fated to never feel the warmth of asses tonight. Seeing all that was to be seen, Kai walked toward the rows of tables from where a dense smell of meat was coming off. A few of the Contestants were picking some side dishes there, chatting rather drunkenly. ¡­ "Ahoy! Matey! Looking forwar'' to seein'' Elizabeth''s boobs tomorrow, eh?" "Hehe! I wouldn''t mind a touch¡­" "The Lead Protectors haven''t arrived yet¡­" "Hey! Who do you think among these four are from Chaos?" ¡­ The last question had come out of Kai''s mouth. The moment his voice echoed, silence fell upon the nearby Contestants. There was fear, hate, contempt, and murder in their eyes. "Attending your first Night of Truce, are you?" an old Contestant asked, not unkindly. "I would advise you to just enjoy, and be yourself, without raising unnecessary questions, young lad. You look pretty. Perhaps one lass will let you fondle her breasts, eh?" The nearby female Contestants frowned at the old man disgustingly. In return, the old man slapped the plump ass of one of them, resounding a Pa sound. Ah! "You!" the female Contestant fumed, her chest heaving up and down. The old man winked at Kai, ignoring the panting female. Kai suddenly felt a touch of respect growing in his heart for this old man. He was just trying to provoke the Contestants, trying to make sense of the limit to which he could stretch things. But this old man buried the growing tension in no time. "A kid like you should eat to your heart''s content," the old man neared Kai, as he sensed the anger flashing across the female Contestant''s face. "I heard the Protectors have brought many Pokemon and other magical creatures this time." "I am hungry," Kai said, smiling. "I think I will just eat everything." "Oh?!" the old man looked unconvinced. "If you can eat the meat dishes placed on the table, then this old man will gift you the condition of initiating a great Hidden Mission." "Is that so?" Kai laughed. "Keep your eyes open, then, old man." The commotion that the old man and Kai had caused had already garnered a bit of attention from many. Kai sat down on the ground and shouted, "Bring meat!" The old man''s eyes gave a rather playful glint, and he ran, bringing with him a large plate of meat and other dishes. Kai then tore off the leg and started eating, his speed neither fast nor slow. This wasn''t common flesh, but Mana-rich meat. It needed proper cooking, chewing, and digestion. Otherwise, it could throw off the balance of a Contestant''s strength. Meat kept appearing on the plate, as a courtesy of the old man, and Kai kept devouring it like a beast. At some point, someone placed a jug of ale beside him, too. The surrounding Contestants enjoyed the scene, betting on how much Kai would eat before giving up. But not all were looking at Kai with favor or enjoying this debauchery. ¡­ The two female Contestants, one of which had got her ass slapped by the old man, were among the latter. As they began speaking, most of the girls standing around them stepped close to hear their words. "Both this old man and this person are carrots from the same field," one girl spat, scoffing at them. "Humph!" the butt-slapped Contestant rubbed her ass and snorted. "Isn''t he Red, with a 13,000,000 bounty on his head? Heh! Who knew he''s not only a murderous lecher but a glutton, too." Her friend nodded, seeing Kai gulp down a mug of ale in one go. "But he''s so handsome¡­" she whispered. "Such a shame!" "Don''t be. I am sure it''s not his true appearance." "You mean¡­" "Yes. I know these kinds of Contestants. They take a handsome appearance before the mission, coax newbie female Contestants, and take advantage of them. "I almost fell into this ill scheme once, too. But I only gave my Code Name and demanded to meet the handsome Contestant in the Primordial Tower. "Tch! He turned out to be a fatty. This is even worse than the dating apps from my previous life." "This?! But can''t we confirm their appearance?" a girl on the sidelines gasped. "You are still naive! They rely on Polyjuice Potion..." Almost all the girls threw a nasty look at Kai. "Scoundrel!" 0356 The Five-Crowned Prince! The men, who chanced upon the conversation of the two females, eyed Kai with a disgusting look, too. None could deny that Kai indeed looked incredibly handsome, strong, and charismatic if one just ignored the beastly manner in which he devoured the meat and ale. His muscles were chiseled, not fat or thin, and there was a salty ruggedness about him that made the young girls'' hearts tremble with imagined tales. All such imagination came to a crash when they realized Kai had just assumed this appearance to coax women. All Contestants had changed their appearance a bit, using one way or another, but it wasn''t to this drastic measure. And even if Kai were to say that it was his true appearance, who would believe him? Scoundrel he might be, but was he stupid as well? The concept of Switched Worlds had long been buried and forgotten, and none here were Worthy enough to know such privileges. Kai listened and ignored everything, and kept eating, the taste of spicy and honeyed flesh melting in his mouth. He truly wanted to push the Protectors'' buttons, forcing them into an unavoidable corner. If he were to return, knowing nothing about them, then this trip would become meaningless for him, despite the food. -Master, master,- Selene hissed inside him. -Save a little for me.- Oh, right! Kai nodded to himself, took out a large box, and started to stuff bits of meat into it. "Damn! He truly ate everything!" the old man scratched his head. "Who knew?!" "Brother¡­ the dishes are free, but that doesn''t mean you will keep eating unscrupulously, either," someone said threateningly. "Indeed. We all contributed to these dishes. You just came and ate everything." "Make this lecher do something for us," the female, whose butt was slapped, sneered. "Let''s make him dance with female clothes. Haha!" Kai behaved as if he had heard nothing. He licked his fingers, rubbed his stomach, and then frowned. "Why did the food stop coming, old man?" "You!" the old man pointed at him, astonished. "You still want to eat more?" "What? I didn''t eat that much, did I?" Kai laughed, mocking the crowd. "Isn''t this the Night of Truce? Tch! I couldn''t even eat properly." "Here!" This shout had come from afar, making all look toward the bonfire. Moraine had stood up, and then flicked her hand, throwing a gigantic piece of roasted flesh. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. "This?! That''s meat from Uncommon magical creatures. "What luck?!" The roasted flesh landed on Kai''s plate and gave off a powerful aura, full of Mana and Breath. Kai grinned, looking at Moraine''s breasts. "Wonderful! Can''t wait to eat some ¡­ elegant meat¡­" Rascal! Scoundrel! The crowd cursed. "Told you he''s just a frog hoping to become a dragon," the butt-slapped female sneered. "I heard Ms. Moraine is ranked within the Top 10 of this Tournament of Worth. Don''t you fear that lightning will strike you to death, you scoundrel?!" Kai''s heart shook inwardly. A rank within the top 10 was truly a magnificent feat, especially when this rank included Contestants from both Chaos and Order. "Not only that, but Ms. Blade Singer, Mr. Hadoken, and Mr. Aloof, all had gotten a rank within the top 50," one Contestant said, eying the four Protectors. "HAHAHA!" This laugh was grand enough to make everyone shudder in fear and respect. The crowd parted, and the man wearing Karate gi walked toward them. "Mr. Hadoken! It''s an honor to meet you¡­" "Mr. Hadoken¡­" "How powerful! Mr. Hadoken, you truly are great!" Hadoken eyed Kai, who kept eating the elegant meat without sparing a glance for the Protector. His laugh then intensified, and he nodded at everyone. "Enjoy, eat, dance, and sing, fellow Contestants," Hadoken said. "My 42 rank is nothing, to be honest. You all must have heard of¡­ ¡­. the Five-Crowned Prince." A sudden, and suffocating, silence swept through all as this name was mentioned. Even Kai pressed his brows at the name, wondering who this person was. "My Captain is a member of a major organization, Mr. Hadoken," one bald Contestant said, walking out from the group. "He mentioned this name, but nothing else." "I know a few things," the old man mumbled. "The Five-Crowned Prince¡­ He is¡­" Moraine elegantly approached the crowd, and before the old man could complete his sentence, she added her own words. "The current leading rank of the Tournament of Worth," she said, smiling, her eyes dreamy with respect. "The Contestant¡­ desired by the Kings!" Kai: "¡­?" ¡­ Silence! Gasps! Shudders! "Cough! Cough!" Kai choked on a bone and had to hammer his chest to vomit it out. Mr. Hadoken scowled at him. "Now that is someone who truly deserves our respect, someone worthy and powerful enough to catch the Kings'' attention," he said, staring at Kai. "I wonder, what rank you got, my friend? Surely, with your appetite, you must have passed the 1st stage, right?" A wave of mocking laughter surged among the crowd, led by Mr. Hadoken himself. Only the Contestants who had passed the 1st Stage got a rank, whether they had given up during the 2nd stage later or not. It was known. All indeed laughed at him, cursing him and calling him a lecherous scoundrel. But four Contestants didn''t. Moraine, who was eying Kai with an odd gaze; Blade Singer, who was drinking her tea; Aloof, who seemed to be lost in his memories; and the old man. "How about this?" Mr. Hadoken said, putting an end to the laughter with a raise of his hand. "Why don''t we two have a friendly fight, huh? I will only use one hand. After eating so much, the least you can do is entertain others, right?" "That''s right¡­" "Serve him good¡­" "Beat the shit out of him¡­" Kai felt a surge of joy, but outwardly he frowned. "Are fights even allowed on the Night of Truce?" "Coward!" the butt-slapped female cursed. "Haha! No, they aren''t," Mr. Hadoken answered. "But with the absence of Lead Protectors, we four are the overseers of this event. For you, my words are the rules. If I say it''s allowed, then it is. What say you all?" Everyone howled in agreement, their blood pumping after getting drunk. Moraine, however, pressed her brows, sensing something was wrong. Kai threw the leftover meat into the box and then put it into his MRB shamefully. "Sure," he nodded. "But what if you accidentally killed me?" Mr. Hadoken smiled evilly at Kai. "Well, the thing about accidents is that they just happen now and then, kid." "Now, now, don''t be¡­" the old man said, eying Kai weirdly. But his voice got drowned by the cheers of the crowd. Kai held back his smile and nodded. "You are right, Mr. Hadoken," he said, licking his lips. "Accidents¡­ happen, more often than not." 0357 An Evaluation of Kais Strength Within the Mirror Dimension, Kai and Hadoken stood some 100 ft apart from each other. The bonfire roared stupendously to their right, and on their left was the crowd of Contestants, with their utterly disdainful looks, eying Kai with hideous mockery in their eyes. Behind Contestant Hadoken, some hundred meters away were the four empty high-back chairs, and the three Protectors were standing in front of them. The air smelled of erupting tension. Kai observed everything, and then he observed more, his slitted, hazel pupils seeing the hidden meanings and reasons for everything. He distinctly remembered that this Contestant, wearing Karate gi, had shown no interest in him and his doings until Moraine had given him the meat of a magical creature. A leech, Kai reflected, giving Hadoken a nickname. He must be pursuing Moraine''s affection. Or else there was no reason to get worked up over insignificant things. This also means that Moraine and Hadoken belong to the same System, Chaos, if she wasn''t lying to me. Moreover, seeing the expression of the other two, they must belong to Order or at least the System opposite to Moraine. Such balance couldn''t have been maintained otherwise. In Kai''s mind, this analysis didn''t even take a fraction of a second, letting him see the truth of the situation. Kai wasn''t some pure and sacred man, either. One could even say that his lust for mature women was greater than most men''s desire for power. The only thing that set him apart from everyone was that he wasn''t a puppet of that lust. To Kai, Indulgence never came if he did not desire it. His ability to direct his lust toward completing his goals was one reason that had let him survive in his previous life. It had become a habit, then, but this was one of those habits that Kai didn''t think was bad enough for him to discard. So, when Kai sarcastically sneered at others upon seeing them lose sense and reasoning for the opposite sex, he didn''t feel even a bit narcissistic about showing his contempt toward them. "Are you sure about this, young lad?" the old man asked, licking his lips. "He is a 6th-floor Contestant and a Protector. Don''t fall to his schemes. I can tell he wants to humiliate you. Nothing more." Since the beginning, the old Contestant had been standing near Kai, advising him to not go through with this mummer''s farce. Kai ignored him, the false prideful smile never leaving his face. If one followed the norm, then Kai had already obtained 15 Attribute Points (-with 4 unassigned-) out of his 2nd Set Quota of 50 Attribute Points by now. This had already pushed him up to the ranks of Low-level 5th-floor Contestant. Such qualifications and divisions only considered one''s Attributes, and not Items, Titles, Skills, and Abilities, for there were just too many possibilities and variations among those. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Then there were the Attribute Points he had gotten from the Tournament of Worth so far. These points didn''t come under the 2nd Set Quota, making a discrepancy in Kai''s true capabilities and what he should have possessed by now. In all, the total Attribute Points that Kai had obtained after ascending to the 2nd Set had brought him infinitely near to a Top-level 5th-floor Contestant. With his Abilities, Items, and experience, Kai could even face off against Low-level 6th-floor Contestants. Not to mention, if he were to use Selene, then he could even attempt assassinations of Mid-level 6th-floor Contestants. And this was without him relying on Glitch. In the history of the Primordial Tower, only those who possessed Blessings from Deep Ones could hope to achieve such feats. Even then, they could only hope, for Kai had a Glitch, something truly absurd on the scale of the Systems. But what truly made Kai stand out wasn''t the above-mentioned. It was the fact that he was Kai Stormborn. His Glitch was only a reflection of his Worth, which, in turn, reflected his Self. So, there was no reason for him to back down from a challenge from the Contestants of the 6th-floor. However, Contestants like Hadoken weren''t ordinary, either. They were Protectors, the best of the best. Moreover, these four had been to the Tournament of Worth. They couldn''t have obtained as many Attribute Points out of the 2nd Set Quota as Kai had, but they still had gotten a few. It was already enough for them to look at all other Contestants, even on their level, with disdain. Then there was the fact that no Contestants of their caliber just relied on the Attributes alone. Contestants, much less the Protectors, had their own Items, Skills, Abilities, and Titles to boast of. It all made comparing Kai and the other higher-floor Contestants directly an illogical task, for there were just too many factors involved in it. There was just one way for Kai to know who was better, and what was the extent of a Protector''s powers. Fight! A head-on challenge. Nothing else could accomplish Kai''s goals other than that. This was the only reason for him to provoke the Contestants, forcing the Protectors to take action. Hadoken''s actions, though unexpected, were still in Kai''s favor. There was just a tiny problem. Kai wanted these four Protectors to act out originally, letting him have a measure of their powers. The showdown was coming, and he couldn''t afford any uncalculated factors, no matter if the Protectors were known to not affect others'' missions. But, if he were to go with the current flow, then the other three Protectors wouldn''t go out of their way to show the danger they posed to his plans. Now¡­ Kai couldn''t have that, could he? There''s only one way, Kai thought, nodding to himself. Only one way to force the other three to lose their composure. Only a few moments had passed since Kai and Hadoken had taken their position, but the wind had already picked up, making the tongues of fire whip at the surroundings with a grudge of their own. "I won''t take advantage of you, boy," Hadoken said, bringing out a wave of laughter from the other Contestants. "I will give you three chances. If you can land even a single hit on me, then I will admit defeat. "But after each chance, you will have to take an attack from me. Don''t worry, I will be lenient. Haha!" "Beat him to a pulp, Mr. Hadoken¡­" "3 chances are too much¡­" "Make this glutton vomit all the food¡­" "Mr. Hadoken¡­ Just force him to show his true appearance¡­" "I just want his pretty face to be covered in blue and black marks¡­" As long as the Night of Truce served its purpose of entertaining the Contestants, making them forget about their usual worries, then there was nothing prohibited. Not to mention, the Lead Protectors weren''t here, so Hadoken''s decision couldn''t be challenged. The other three Protectors wouldn''t step in, either, for Hadoken was one of them, and a strong Contestant to boost. Even if Hadoken was a 42 ranked Contestant in the Tournament of Worth, Kai didn''t look down on him. Moraine''s rank was in the Top 10, but that didn''t necessarily mean she was stronger than Hadoken. Tournament of Worth''s ranking system, especially with the current theme of Survival, didn''t work like that, to begin with. Being ranked higher than Hadoken only meant that Moraine had greater chances of survival than her counterpart. Not everyone was like Kai, who had just toppled the entire world in the 1st Stage. Nor was there anyone who had gotten a Verse Fusion Random World in the 2nd Stage. That''s why, whenever a major Organization recruited Contestants based on these rankings, they were asked to reveal the theme of their Tournament of Worth along with it. "Come, then," Hadoken said, beckoning Kai with his hand. "Don''t waste my time." 0358 The Power that made Kai feel fear The sea sent a gale, sweeping the hat off the heads. Kai pressed down on his torn straw hat and stepped toward Hadoken. The crowd went quiet for once, and eyed Kai with pity, using the same gazes with which they eyed Hadoken with respect. 90 ft¡­ 70 ft¡­ 30 ft¡­ Kai kept taking one step after another, his eyes planted on the brawny Contestant. Hadoken seemed to be in his early thirties, had a square but handsome face, and his hair was short. There was a bluish glint in his brown eyes, and he was a head taller than Kai, who was already taller than the men of his age. Kai didn''t use Selfless Breathing Art. Nor did he take out his Items. For now, Kai decided to gauge Hadoken''s powers and the source of his confidence that had let him proclaim those words so openly. Not everyone could see the reason for Kai''s slow walk, though. "Tch! He''s just trying to be mysterious¡­" the butt-slapped female tsked, sneering at Kai. "I just want to see Mr. Hadoken sending him flying¡­" another female Contestant whispered under her breath. Kai frowned as he entered the distance of 20 ft away from Hadoken. He still couldn''t see any change in the expression on the man''s face. Even his eyes were shut as if he couldn''t have cared less about Kai. This was blatant disdain. Nothing else. The Protector Blade Singer still had her bowl of tea in her hands, seeping it now and then. Contestant Aloof was standing to Blade Singer''s left, but his eyes were just lost, planted on the distant sea. Only Moraine''s brows were pressed together, and the more Red approached Hadoken, the deeper her frown became. She didn''t know why he had not taken out his swords or had used those bloody flames, but she could guess the reasoning behind his actions. The thing that made her frown wasn''t Kai''s gait, but a doubt. Moraine couldn''t help but think that there was something more to Red''s actions, something vile. To her, he wasn''t a nobody, despite having a weaker appearance and being not a well-known Contestant. Even if Red wasn''t her match, he was at least a Mid-level 5th-floor Contestant and had Items potent enough to pose a threat to her. This meant that there was a major Organization behind him, supporting his growth. Then there was the image of a speckle of blood point engraved in her heart. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Moraine didn''t know how Red had avoided her slash. Then there was the matter of Sling Ring ¡ª a custom-made Item only available to Order''s Contestants. She had collected info on Red later, and couldn''t help but think that his lecherous appearance just didn''t match the decisive battle experience he had shown during their fight. For Moraine, Red was becoming a greater mystery every time she met him. It wouldn''t be wrong to say that she was truly interested in knowing more about him and his origins. So, despite knowing that Hadoken''s actions were wrong and not according to what they had decided, she was among those who were looking forward to this challenge the most. It could even be said that she had purposefully incited Hadoken for her selfish purpose. And as Red entered the 15 ft mark, even her heartbeat sped up. It was then Hadoken opened his eyes. It was then Kai stopped. ¡­ Kai was just about to take another step when he felt as if the entire world was squeezing against him. Not only the space, but even the very earth felt like a quagmire, his feet getting pulled deeper and deeper, making him rooted to his place. None of the Contestants could see the changes. Nor could they feel it. But to Kai, from the moment Hadoken had opened his eyes, everything had changed. He could see Hadoken''s gaze becoming profound and felt himself losing and drowning in his eyes. The only thing that Kai could sense was an ethereal pressure generating out of Hadoken, making him feel as if the very air had thickened, resisting his advance. Kai took a deep breath and gritted his teeth. His Mana churned around him, and even the little Breath around him pulsed along with his breathing. Kai took a step, and then another. Hadoken''s mocking smile had gone, but there his gaze was still indifferent. What the fuck is this?! Kai cursed, feeling as if he was facing a storm. How''s he doing it? It''s not Telekinesis, I can tell. I don''t think it''s a Skill, either. An Ability? Tch! "Ahh!" Kai let out a shout and then took several steps in succession, closing the distance between him and Hadoken to a mere 10 ft. It was then Hadoken opened his mouth after a long time. "Humph!" he snorted, eying Kai''s trembling figure. "Your attempt is pathetic! Not even a ton of magical flesh can make one strong. Let me show you what true strength is¡­" Hadoken''s arms were crossed over his chest. At this moment, he lifted his right hand sluggishly and opened his fist, his fingers uncurling, his palm facing Kai. Kai was just about to react when Hadoken''s pupils narrowed with a bang. All hell went loose, then. A monstrous shiver ran down Kai''s spine, his eyes widened, and a heart-palpating cold bit into his heart. This cold differed from the true cold, its meaning was more profound. Only a few knew this cold, and the Contestants were among them, for they all had experienced it in the past. This was the cold of death. This was the fear of losing one''s life. Kai couldn''t put his lifted foot down, and his eyes couldn''t turn away from Hadoken''s palm. The more he looked at it, the bigger that palm became, as if in the next moment, it would replace the entire world. "Begone!" Hadoken''s command echoed in Kai''s ears like a judgment, and then the 6th-floor Contestant flicked his palm. Boom! Kai''s figure became a straw in a storm and got flung away with a boom. He hit the ground even farther than the original 100 ft, rolled like a twig for many dozens of feet, and only then came to a stop. The crowd burst into a fit of mocking laughter and Moraine''s gaze deepened as she looked at Hadoken. Kai coughed out a mouthful of blood, noticed nearly a fourth of his HP vanishing, and cursed under his breath. Whatever Hadoken had used, it had felt like a train had hit him face-front, and there was no avoiding it. At that moment, Kai had even created a shield of magic, but even that had served no purpose. Not even resisting that blow with Telekinesis had worked, leaving Kai truly at the mercy of his innate Defense. Kai gritted his teeth and pushed himself to his feet, trembling all over. He had expected Hadoken to be strong, but that he wouldn''t be able to even resist his powers was something truly out of the imagination. "Haha! What an idiot!" "Serve him right!" "Mr. Hadoken didn''t even touch him, right?" "Go home and take a shit!" The mockery thrown at Kai entered one ear and passed from another. His face became hard, and his gaze even harder. It seems, Kai thought, I will have to put more effort if I am to force other Protectors to act. This¡­ can become ugly¡­ 0359 Fighting a Nen-User - Kais Bloodlust! Kai licked the blood off the corner of his mouth and smiled inwardly. Outwardly, he showed a pained expression, as if he was thinking of what to do next. The old man came running to him, then. "Back down, young lad," he advised, sweating all over. "You aren''t his match." There was more to the old man''s words, Kai reflected. "Oh!" he exclaimed, eying the old Contestant with short white hair and dark brown eyes. "Have you recognized what he had used to send me flying?" The old man licked his lips in fear. "My hair didn''t become white doing nothing, you know," the old man whispered. "If I am not mistaken, then that brute is a Nen-user. "It''s best if you don''t continue with his farce. Resisting Ren is difficult, young lad." A Nen-user?! Kai''s pupils trembled at the name, and then he called something that Meg had told him. 9 out of the 10 times, only a Nen-user can resist another Nen-user, she had said. The only other way is to suppress them with sheer will and power if you don''t have some special Skills or Items. Now Kai knew why the Mana and his Telekinesis didn''t work against Hadoken. Unlike the typical wizards and ninjas, Nen-users used Aura as fuel; the Life Energy stored in an individual. Nen was inherently linked to Stamina, making HP its source. To become a Nen-user, the most basic condition was to have at least 20 points in both Stamina and Perception. The more Kai recalled Meg''s words, the more he frowned. It wasn''t the time for him to go through all the instructions and warnings. Nor did he have the luxury to do so. "You have two more chances!" Hadoken''s shout arrived at Kai as a rebuke. "However, I don''t see the point in them¡­" This sentence brought out even more laughter from the Contestants. "Come on, lad," the old man begged. "Once he''s done with you, they all will find trouble with me. What did you even do to piss off a Protector, anyway? Just say sorry and¡­" Kai pushed the old man away and walked toward the 6th-floor Contestant. In between, Kai''s walk became a run, and then a gale. His Agility was already the highest among his Attributes, if one didn''t count the buff in Correspondence. So, when Kai spun his gears, bringing out his true speed, a shocking blur materialized within the Mirror Dimension. Kai was so fast that even the fire roaring to his right died down, darkening the world. Everything had gone silent for Kai, and all had become silent in the real world as well. Hadoken narrowed his eyes. "Osu!" he let out a powerful shout and then took a pose with his left fist pointed to the ground, his hand outstretched, and his right hand resting on his waist. Like a stroke of brush made of wind, Kai rushed at Hadoken and entered the mire of Aura. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Hadoken''s eyes narrowed even more, and he used Ren to make his Aura explode even mightier. Then he fused his hostile intentions into his Aura and threw it toward the incoming weakling. 20 ft¡­ 15 ft¡­ 10 ft¡­ 5 ft¡­ Kai''s eyes had gone bloodshot, his right hand almost touching Hadoken''s face. The monstrous feeling of impending doom squeezed his chest, making him tremble, and blood kept pouring out from the corners of his mouth. Hadoken spat. "Nothing more than a pathetic attempt! Fuck off!" Bang! Like a rag doll, Kai got thrown hundreds of meters away. But no laugh resounded within the Mirror Dimension this time. Just when it seemed Kai wouldn''t get up, they saw him flicking the ground with his hand, somersaulting to his feet, and sliding on the ground before coming to a momentary rest. His face was covered in dirt, his hat had been thrown away, and his white hair danced in the wind like threads of the smoothest silk. Even if they didn''t want to, the hearts of many girls trembled at this sight. "Hehe!" Kai''s laugh was so low and buried that only the old man heard it, making him shudder for an unknown reason. Even a fraction of a breath hadn''t passed for Kai to come to rest when he darted again. A final mad rush! Hadoken snorted. "If you don''t know your limits, then let me sort it out for you. Osu!!!" Hadoken''s shout shook the entire world within the mirror dimension. By now, some had figured out the nature of his powers. But few knew he didn''t possess any Nen-ability of his own. Still, his mastery over Nen wasn''t something a 5th or even a 6th-floor Contestant could vie against. Otherwise, with Hadoken''s talent, he wouldn''t have just ranked 42 in this Tournament of Worth. What he did possess was an acute mastery over Gyo. Ren focused on outputting a larger amount of aura, projecting it outwards explosively. On the other hand, Gyo was an advanced application of Ren by which a Nen-user concentrated a larger than normal portion of their aura into one specific body part. It increased the strength of that one body part but left the rest of the body more vulnerable. With this ground-shaking shout, a large amount of Hadoken''s HP burned, becoming Aura in the next moment. As his face paled slightly, Hadoken took a Karate pose. His right fist rested on his waist, and his left hand was outstretched toward the incoming blur, his palm and fingers open like a wall. This was a standard form¡­ before firing a punch. Unseen to others, and unfelt to most of them, an explosion of Aura burst out from Hadoken''s Aura Nodes. This Aura wasn''t directed forward like before, but it gathered on his right fist, making the surrounding space fluctuate. Kai''s speed seemed even a touch faster than before. Even then, his Instincts were sharp and absurd enough to notice the difference. To others, it seemed like Kai was rushing at Hadoken because his pride had gotten wounded. Yet, the moment Kai entered the distance of 10 ft from Hadoken¡­ ¡­ a hissing breath escaped his mouth. The hiss escaping Kai''s mouth replaced the wind''s howls and the lingering effect of Hadoken''s shout. Blood flames soared around Kai, power gushing out from his entire body. "Hehe!" he laughed eerily like a maniac, licking his lips. "Bloodlust¡­ I have it, too." Something happened then that nobody had expected. Kai''s face became expressionless, his eyes looked into Hadoken''s pupils, and then with a bang, his killing intent seeped out, engulfing everything in front of him. In all eyes, it seemed Kai was just using his trump card, covered in mysterious red-colored flames. Only Hadoken faced the brunt of Kai''s bloodlust. And because he was a Nen-user, he saw more than that. To him, Kai had become the embodiment of Demon. Kai replaced Hadoken''s world. Kai replaced the meaning of existence. Kai extinguished the meaning of logic and norm. Unknown to Kai, the end of his white hair glowed yellow. As Hadoken''s right fist stretched, punching at Kai, a primal fear originated in his heart, as if the world despised his existence. His gaze moved up, leaving Kai''s face, and came to rest a few feet above the white-haired Contestant. Within those blood flames, a yellow-colored demonic grin could be seen, eying him with the vilest gaze a man could know. Hadoken''s teeth chattered, and his fist trembled as it advanced. His legs lost their sense of power, and he felt his bowels going loose. Nobody from the 2nd Set was worthy enough to sense the crisis Hadoken was facing at this moment. No one. At this time, Kai raised his right hand and curled his fingers inward as if he wanted to hammer it into his opponent''s face; they had come so close. The blood flames had already taken over the vision of many, blurring Kai and Hadoken''s existences. Just when it seemed it was all over for Kai, Hadoken''s wide punch almost landing on his face, the trajectory of the incoming fist shook and stirred away. Something even weirder and heart-palpating happened, then. In Kai''s right hand, a sword appeared, pointing at the dark sky murderously. The moment the sword appeared, the blood flames around Kai became so red and dense that they blinded everyone. Kai''s eyes brimmed with murder. Today¡­ he wanted to kill. 0360 The Protectors Act - Moraines Shocking Power! Kai''s bloodlust seeped into Hadoken''s bones, and tears fell out from the corner of his eyes. Hadoken''s soul begged for mercy, and his mind became chaotic, making him incapable of having a tiny thought. Murasame descended with an unmatched fury, its thoughts even more murderous than Kai''s. Time slowed in the Mirror Dimension. Someone was about to be killed during the Night of Truce, for the first time in uncountable years. Who would take the responsibility? Who would take the blame?! Who would survive the wrath of Empires?!! The bowl in Blade Singer''s hand shattered, and she vanished from her spot. Aloof brought his gaze from the sea to Kai, his face devoid of any aloofness. Moraine''s Claymore had already come out, granting the entire world a touch of gray. Kai simply hacked. This attack embodied his bloodlust, his Breathing Art, and his Will. This attack was the prime of his capabilities. This attack was death. So what if Hadoken was a 6th-floor Contestant? Murasame was an Uncommon Named Item. Unless one could bring out at least another Named Item from the same grade, or a Rare Item, then it was nigh impossible to stop its advance. And the cursed sword was One Cut Killer. Murasame''s edge flashed across Hadoken''s eyes, almost kissing his face. It was then Blade Singer appeared to Kai''s left. A sword materialized in her hand, and she thrust it in between Murasame and Hadoken. Moraine appeared next, and she grabbed Hadoken''s shoulder, pulling him back. Contestant Aloof''s eyes became the size of a needle, and a force manifested in between Kai and Hadoken, hitting Kai''s chest with never-seen force. Tink! BOOM!!! Kai got thrown hundreds of meters in the air and struck the ground like a boulder, creating a small pit. "Ugh!" he groaned and threw an HP capsule in his mouth before crawling up to his feet. Everyone had fallen into a stunned stupor, not knowing what had just happened. In the distance, Blade Singer was holding a green-handled short sword, eying Kai with a murderous glint, her pupils trembling and her hands shaking. Moraine was trying to lift Hadoken, who just refused to stand up and kept crawling back on the ground. Aloof slowly walked toward the other Protectors, his gaze never leaving Kai. "Haha!" Kai suddenly laughed, holding his blackened chest. "I recognize your sword, Blade Singer. Ryoku Sui ¡ª the Green Spike, isn''t it? If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "So you are the renowned 5000-Man Commander from Order''s 2nd Set with powers from the Kingdom World. Magnificent! "And you, Aloof, I can tell the use of Telekinesis when I see one. Care to tell me from which world?" Aloof said nothing for a moment, and then answered, "Mob Psycho 100." "Are you insane?!" Blade Singer asked, her killing intent rising higher and higher. "Using¡­ that Sword here, during the Night of Truce. What if¡­" "What if?!" Kai''s laugh echoed like a hideous cackle. He lifted Murasame and showcased its blade. A drop of blood was running down its edge, glowing dark in the night. Kai brought the blade near his face and licked the blood. "Hmm¡­ Not elegant!" It seemed as if a bolt of lightning had struck Blade Singer. She lifted her sword and saw an infinitely small chunk missing on the blade''s edge. Then her head spun to eye Hadoken. Hadoken''s face had nothing but fear. On his right arm, however, which he had used to punch Kai, was a nick. Suddenly, this nick turned black. Thousands of curse runes exploded out of it and rushed toward Hadoken''s heart. Hadoken howled in pain, sensing death approaching him for good. This?! Not one Contestant in the crowd could make sense of what was happening. They just heard Murasame and guessed that Red must have used some underhanded trick. They hadn''t sensed Kai''s bloodlust. Nor had they seen how Kai survived a full-powered blow from a 6th-floor Contestant. Only the Protectors of the 2nd Set lost their expressions. "Save him!" Blade Singer shouted, losing her composure. But who could save Hadoken now? Aloof couldn''t, as he was already sighing, shaking his head. It was then Moraine stood up, narrowed her eyes at Kai, and then snorted. "Humph!" ¡­ With a muffled boom, both Mana and Breath exploded out of Moraine''s body, making Blade Singer and Aloof step back. Gigantic Butterfly Wings appeared on her back, which took her into the air. With the Claymore in her hands, Moraine looked like an otherworldly Valkyrie. "Those¡­" the old man mumbled, the fear making his face go pale. "Those are the Wings of Grim Butterfly!" Grim Butterfly?! Kai''s eyes narrowed at the mention. He had never heard of this magical creature. Once again, howls and snarls took over everything as they had when Kai fought Moraine before. The butterfly wings sparked with seven colors, and then they fluttered. With only one flutter, a rainbow-colored burst of powder escaped the wings, making the space around Moraine tremble. And then, this powder entered Hadoken. Kai''s pupils shook as he saw the curse runes disintegrating upon contacting the rainbow-colored powder. The huge butterfly wings vanished, then. Moraine landed on the ground, her face devoid of any color. Hadoken groaned and lost consciousness, the scratch on his right hand healing instantly. And the crowd erupted suddenly. "Kill him!" "How dare he use underhanded measures! Kill him!" "Scoundrel! Mr. Hadoken was showing you mercy, and you tricked him?!" "Report him to the Empires!" Moraine eyed them all. "Shut up!" she snapped before turning her head to look at Kai. "Get out! You are not welcome here." Kai raised his eyebrows and licked his lips. For the first time, he felt Moraine was indeed a beauty. She must have realized what Kai had been hoping to achieve by coming here, and this too, that if he stayed here for long, then the Protectors wouldn''t be able to guarantee others'' safety. A true decisive person, Kai nodded inwardly. To others, his licking his lips and the glint in his eyes made him look like the most perverted Contestant. As they spat curses at him, not daring to do the deed by themselves, Kai laughed and turned around to go out. Murasame disappeared with a flick of his hand, and Kai inscribed the words Grim Butterfly in his mind. The old man came running toward him. "Wait! Let me go with you. Don''t leave me behind." A door-shaped opening materialized, and Kai walked out into the real world. "You have Murasame!" the old man exclaimed after walking for half an hour. "You aren''t simple, young lad. "How did you contend against Hadoken''s Ren, anyway? If the Protectors weren''t worried about their necks, then they wouldn''t have let you go so easily. "And now you have made all your enemies¡­" "Why are you following me?" Kai asked, his thoughts unknown. "Heh-Heh!" the old man laughed ruefully. "Come on now. Don''t be so rude to senior citizens." "Senior Citizen, my dick!" Kai cursed, kicking the old man. "Fuck off! Or I will kill you." The old man showed a pained expression on his face. "Tch! Young people nowadays are truly without manners. Very well. Just be careful¡­ You know what they say, right?" Kai looked up at the countless stars and grinned. A fork appeared on the trail they were walking, then. Kai took a path other than the old man''s and disappeared into the darkness, leaving behind a row of words. "A bloodbath follows every Night of Truce!" 0361 The Showdown Begins!!! (I) After half an hour leaving the Night of Truce''s venue, Kai suddenly paused. Selene''s mist form seeped out from the rocky patch of earth and entered her master''s body. -And?- Kai hissed, his breath escaping his mouth as a mere whisper. -Nothing,- Selene hissed back. -The old man entered a bar and began courting a lady.- Kai''s brows pressed together. He shook his head and forget about the old man. Dawn was just about a few hours away, and he needed to go through with his plans once again, making minute changes to compensate for the Protectors and their abilities. Then, with a pop, he vanished. ¡­ Just as Kai vanished, the entire space around that spot broke as if countless mirror-like shards had shattered. However, these mirror-like shards differed from that of a Mirror Dimension. There was an order to them, a specific geometrical characteristic. From these many-geometrical mirror shards, a person came out, donning a blue-colored overcoat. On the man''s head, there was a mysterious gold-colored Corinthian helmet. The sheer presence of this helmet in this world brought the space close to destruction. From behind the slits of the helmet, the person eyed the direction where Kai had vanished. "Color of Supreme?!" A ghostly, and quite ethereal, voice escaped from the helmet as if it was deliberately masked. "Is he¡­ Sigh! A disaster is brewing¡­" Then, with a flick of his hand, this person vanished, submerging back into the countless mirror-like shards. ¡­ Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate''s life for me. We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, and loot, Drink up me hearties, yo ho. We kidnap and ravage and don''t give a hoot, Drink up me hearties, yo ho¡­ ¡­ The prow of a ship torn apart the veil of the grey and unnatural fog, sailing in the Caribbean sea. On the main deck, a 10-year-old girl, richly dressed, was singing under her breath, her fascination with the pirates growing stronger with every sentence. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her shoulder, and the young girl gasped. "Quite missy!" Sailor Gibbs warned, looking at the surrounding silent waters with apprehension. "Cursed pirates sail these waters. You don''t wanna bring them down on us, do you?" Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. "Mr. Gibbs, that will do," Lieutenant Norrington intervened. This ship was Dauntless. And this place was Elizabeth Swann''s dream. Eight years ago, Governor Swann sailed on the Dauntless to arrive at the Port Royal. Elizabeth was just a young girl then, and her curiosity about anything related to pirates knew no bounds, despite the concerns of her Lord father. As they sailed, the Dauntless chanced upon the wreck of a merchant vessel. It was just before then that Elizabeth spotted the young Will Turner lying unconscious on a piece of driftwood. After being brought aboard the Dauntless, Elizabeth then noticed a gold medallion about Will''s neck, which, after seeing a skull, gave her the thought that he was a pirate. Fearing that the adults would have Will hanged, the young girl took the medallion from Will before he was taken below decks. As Elizabeth stood on the bow of the Dauntless, looking at the medallion, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Looking up, she saw a tall ship with black sails moving silently through the thick fog. As the ship slipped quickly into the fog, Elizabeth widened her gaze upon realizing it was a pirate ship. Fearing the black-and-white flag billowing in the wind, Elizabeth shut her eyes. It was then her dream shattered. It was then the showdown began. * * A wraith-like, and the evilest and vile, creature crawled a few inches over the sheet of filth in the sewers. Wherever this dark creature passed, a thin layer of frost froze everything in his wake. Cold fog surrounded this figure like an overcoat over its already tattered robes. And when it breathed, the creature''s breath rattled as if it wanted to take in more than just air into its rotten lungs. This figure was naturally Dementor-Kai. At this moment, he was crawling in the sewers under Governor Swann''s Manson. There was a bundle of documents in Kai''s scabbed and decayed hand. It was the plot summary Meg had given him in detail of the original storyline. Hmm, Kai contemplated, his breath freezing the papers. Elizabeth must have woken up by now after having that dream. It also means that she has worn the gold medallion around her neck. Time¡­ Time is of the essence. I must be accurate and precise now. Cersei¡­ I am counting a lot on you. Don''t disappoint me, my greatest pawn. Not unknown to Kai, the entire mansion was covered under the gazes of dozens of Contestants. This was the moment when Governor Swann gifted her daughter the corset, which led her to suffocate later. This corset was an Artifact. Not only the mansion, but the entire island of Port Royal had also already welcomed another hundred Contestants by now. Everyone had gone alert, sitting on their haunches like wolves. The coming few hours would decide who had come out victorious and who had fallen from the grace. Of course, losing meant death. But Kai hadn''t come in the sewers for the golden medallion, as it was nigh impossible to get one''s hands over it without causing the descent of higher-floor Contestants. Nor was he here for the corset, which had already squeezed Elizabeth''s breasts flat. His goal was a sword. And its smith, Will Turner, could be entering the mansion at any moment. Only the inside of the mansion was still safe from the penetrating gazes of the Contestants. And unless one could enter the mansion officially, it was just impossible to interact with these major characters during this momentous setting of the original timeline. Unlike Kai, not everyone had Cersei Lannister to rely on. There was no true beginning to the next Phase of Kai''s plan for Phase 3 wasn''t something intangible, but had corporeal form. Cersei was Phase 3. The countless Artifacts were Phase 3. Blood and Fire were Phase 3 as well, and so was obtaining Jack Sparrow''s Compass. Phase 3¡­ had already begun with no bells. * * Just as Governor Swann had called out maids, heading toward Elizabeth''s room, Cersei found a chance to swap places with another maid. In the last two nights, she had gained the favor of young Swann, telling her half-lies and fascinating tales. If it wasn''t for Kai''s plans, she wouldn''t have missed a chance to help Elizabeth with the Corset. Kai needed her on the ground floor, so there she would be. Cersei was playing with a lock of her hair when she heard the knock on the main door. Her eyes lit up, and she scurried toward the main hall. "Ah! Good morning, Mr. Turner," the Butler greeted back the young smith. "Here to deliver the sword, I presume." "¡­ yes," William Turner nodded, his eyes darting all around. The Butler smiled at him. "Do wait in the main hall for a moment," he told Will. "Governor Swann is busy with something. Let me announce your presence." William Turner nodded shyly. Just as the Butler vanished up the stairs, Cersei sauntered her way to the young man, smiling coquettishly. 0362 The Showdown Begins - Jack Sparrow Arrives!!! (II) Will had just broken a hand of the candelabra and, looking all around, he was hiding it in the vase on the floor. "William Turner, am I right?" Cersei whispered, making the character jump. "So you are him." Cersei was not much younger than Elizabeth, and her beauty was no less than the main character, either. Even though she was garbing a maid''s wear, it only made her look even more enchanting. Her long golden hair was tied in a ponytail, and there was a playfulness in her soft green eyes. The moment Will looked at her, he blushed. "What¡­ what do you mean by him?" Cersei giggled. "Well, I am quite close to Miss Swann, Will," she said, winking at him. "She has talked about you to me often. You can call me Lanny, if you please." "Has she?!" Will asked, astounded, his cheeks gaining an even rosier color. "What did she say?" "Something girls can''t tell a man," Cersei answered, smiling. William Turner gulped, looking quite expectant and troubled at the same time. Cersei''s eyes flashed with a cunning glint, then. "It''s not like I can''t share," she whispered, approaching him and running a finger down Will''s chest. "Any friend of Miss Swann is my friend as well. How about this? "I have heard so much about your smithing skills from Elizabeth. The case in your hands must carry a sword, right? "Let me have a look at it, and I will tell you some secrets. But you must hurry, or¡­" "This sword¡­" Will didn''t know what to say. At last, he nodded and opened the box. "This is the sword for Captain Norrington," he told her, taking out the sword. "The blade is folded steel. There''s gold filigree laid into the handle." Will unsheathed the sword, spun it in the air, and then handed it to Cersei with both hands. Cersei wrapped her smooth fingers around the handle and marveled at the beauty. "Quite impressive," she praised, her eyes sparkling with feigned admiration. "You are so brilliant, Will. But¡­ Elizabeth told me you are valiant as well. Are you?" Will smacked his lips as he heard how Elizabeth thought about him. "Of course," he nodded, puffing his chest. "I practice with swords in the smithy daily." "Do you, now?" Cersei hissed, smirking. "Well, you wouldn''t mind if I were to challenge your claim, handsome." "Huh? I don''t understand¡­" Will had just frowned when Cersei darted away from him, laughing and giggling whimsically. "Ms. Lanny!" Will shouted, chasing her with brisk steps. "Please stop, Ms. Lanny. The sword''s rather sharp. You will get cut." Cersei had already taken a turn, her knowledge about the mansion far surpassing that of William''s. "Well," her spirited voice echoed in the empty corridor, "you better catch me fast, Will!" Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! William Turner hurried and took the turn beyond which Cersei had disappeared. What awaited him were several rooms and even more corridors, branching off the main one. Suddenly, the sound of the Governor and the Butler coming down reverberated. William looked at the long corridor, and then at the main hall, knowing not where to go. ¡­ Cersei had lost her smile, and a distinct pride kept flashing across her eyes as she ran toward the sewer''s pothole at the back of the mansion. The sword was pressed against her dress, and there was a springiness in her steps. She knew she had little time, and soon the Butler or the other maid would come looking for her. This was the first time her master had put so much trust in her, letting her carry the weight of such a monumental task. She couldn''t disappoint him. She mustn''t disappoint him. Never. Since her childhood, there was a grand place for power in her heart. With power, she could rule, enjoy, and live. With power, she could do anything. With power, she could be a queen. And for her, Kai had already become all the Power she could ever desire. He was hers. Other girls would come and go, she knew. Only she would stay with him forever, ruling by his side; his throne. A blush flushed over Cersei''s cheeks as her thoughts inadvertently lost themselves in the future, recalling the kisses, warmth, and sense of power. Like always. By the time she reigned her dwindling imagination, Cersei had already arrived at her destination. There was no need to signal her arrival, for her master had already sensed her. She could feel him, as he could feel her. My love, Cersei thought, seeing an icy fog escaping from the opening pothole. I didn''t disappoint you. * * ¡­ [ Congratulations Kai Stormborn on finding an Artifact¡­ Artifact: The Sword of Destiny ] ¡­ Kai''s rotten hands caressed the blade, his hazel pupils shining with greed under his tattered hood. There was no need to mention that Kai dearly wanted it to be an Item. But it was easier said than done. Items, especially the ones like the Sword of Destiny, had strict requirements and ever-changing procedures. Moreover, they needed to invest a long time to get them. If Kai had the luxury of time, he could have attempted such a thing. Not now. ¡­ [ Your Title Status is updated¡­ Title: Proficient Collector Specification: Collect 50 different Artifacts Status: (11/50) Effect: Luck +15 Note: Only 1 Title can be equipped at a time ] ¡­ Kai reluctantly handed the sword back to Cersei. There was no time to waste. Not only Governor and Elizabeth were about to leave for the Norrington''s ceremony, but Jack also was about to arrive at the dock. And one of the main reasons for Kai''s jumping to this world, and to this timeline, was related to the exact time of his arrival. It was only second to the matter of the Compass, and that was saying something in itself. -/Brilliant!/- Dementor-Kai praised Cersei telepathically. -/You have done a marvelous job, Cersei. Your devotion to me isn''t going unnoticed. Go, now. You must have caused quite a ruckus already. And don''t forget to apologize to the Governor./- Cersei''s smile widened from ear to ear. The pothole was just open by a margin, so she couldn''t see Kai, but she had heard him. That was enough. With large strides, Cersei hurried back into the mansion, and Kai slid back into the sewers. The small grin on his hideous mouth went entirely unnoticed. * * The theme music of the Pirates of the Caribbean buzzed in all minds as a ship entered the watchers'' visions, plowing toward the docks of Port Royal. It was a Dory; a small, shallow-draft boat of approximately 5 to 7 m (15 to 22 ft) in length, with a single mast and sail. At the top of its single mast''s rigging, a person was standing tall, garbed in a pirate''s attire. One could tell that he was gazing keen-eyed at the harbor. Captain Jack Sparrow had arrived. The music intensified in the thoughts of many inadvertently, and the greedy eyes watching the incoming main character shone even more brilliantly. Noticing that his boat was filling up with water, Jack Sparrow jumped down and began bailing it out using a bucket. Jack then spotted the skeletal remains of three pirates, still clad in buccaneer rags, hanging from gallows erected from a rocky promontory along with a fourth unoccupied gallows bearing a sign that said ¡ª "Pirates Ye Be Warned". Pausing, Jack Sparrow took off his hat and placed it above his heart¡ªa moment of exaggerated respect for the doomed pirates as he sailed by them. Unlike the main storyline, Captain Jack Sparrow wasn''t alone in giving respect to these hanging pirates. 0363 Protectors of the Characters and Jolly Mon heralding the Bloodbath! The moment Jack Sparrow took his hat off, a short-haired young man in seaman''s clothing also took off his hat and bowed toward the gallows. At this moment, this young man was standing on a cliff, eying Jack Sparrow and his actions. Simultaneously, the tip of a shark''s fin peeked out from the distant sea. Then, a woman rose on this fin as if she was standing on water. She, too, took off her slim hat and bowed at the gallows. Somewhere else, a dark-skinned young boy, prowling the harbor, also paused. He had no hat, but only a bandanna. The young boy took off the bandanna and bowed at the distant gallows. At the bottom of a nearby cliff, the water rippled, and a figure made of water shot up. It looked like this man was made of water, and even his face seemed almost transparent. A hat materialized on his head, and he, too, took it off and bowed at the gallows. A young man, wearing a torn straw hat, half-open white shirt, knee-length pants, and a red sash around his waist, was standing on the sandy beach close to the docks. Just as Jack Sparrow gave his respect to the pirates hanging at the gallows, he took off his straw hat and bowed at them, like everyone else. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn¡­ You have achieved a Milestone ¡­ Milestone: Pay respect to the corpses of Pirate Sven the Vicious and his two brethren along with Captain Jack Sparrow (Only applicable to Contestants with Pirate Title) Milestone Rewards: 1. +3 Charisma 2. If you were to get executed by Marines, your corpse would get replaced with one of the two unknown pirates by Sven the Vicious'' side among the various Pirates of the Caribbean Worlds in the Multiverse ] ¡­ As Kai saw the milestone, a grand weight lifted off his shoulder. This milestone looked simple, but it was one of those that had serious consequences. For one, it only applied to the Pirates. Second, it ensured that, if captured, the said Pirate wouldn''t be beheaded but hanged, keeping the corpse intact. Then the said Contestant had at least some chance to become an undead, rather than losing life for good. However, this was only a tale spread throughout the Primordial Tower; unconfirmed and unreliable. It couldn''t keep the Contestants from not getting this Milestone, though. Unlike Kai, the Contestants'' arrival to this World, especially around The Night of Truce, with Jack''s arrival on the next day, was completely random. Not achieving a Milestone when they were already here would be just plain stupid. However, this paying respect, with the main character of a Random World, was just a premier to the incoming bloodbath. Only Kai in this world knew how vulnerable Jack Sparrow was now, for he didn''t have any Protector. ¡­ Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. In the Multiverse, all Protectors of the Characters were the most powerful among the Contestants. So powerful, in fact, that not even the top Characters of those timelines, which didn''t have any Abnormality Limiter, could hope to pose any threat to them. For example, if Kai''s Main Mission hadn''t cleared his Main Mission''s timeline off all the Protectors, then Harry Potter might as well have been enjoying protection from a Top-Level 6th-floor Contestant with absurd Skills, Items, Titles, and Stats. One could guess the dread hidden behind such a Protector by remembering the four Protectors who were present at the Night of Truce. They all were around mid to high-level 6th-floor Contestants and represented the heights a Contestant could achieve in the Primordial Tower within a Set. If Kai''s exploding strength and bloodlust hadn''t caught Hadoken by surprise, then he wouldn''t have scared the Nen-user off so easily, like the case with Moraine. That''s why, in a given timeline, the Protector of the Main Character was called Prime Protector. A level below them were Lead Protectors, protecting major Side Characters. Only then did normal Protectors, like Moraine, Blade Singer, Aloof, and Hadoken, come into the picture, who protected minor Side Characters. Their strength also varied in the same order with Prime Protector almost always represented by a Top-level Contestant within a Set. No wonder all were just eying Jack Sparrow from afar, not daring to approach a radius of several hundred meters from him. They couldn''t see the Prime Protector, but they knew he/she was there, somewhere. Kai sneered inwardly as he guessed others'' concerns. If Jack Sparrow wasn''t so important to his plans, then he would have acted by now. But there was no benefit in harming Jack Sparrow, only endless suffering. Such things had already been tried and forgotten in the Primordial Tower. No. Kai wasn''t here for Jack Sparrow. At least not for some time. It was the boat he wanted. It was the boat they all wanted, their desire for this sinking ship rising through the roof with every passing moment. Jolly Mon!!! Jolly Mon was a small fishing dory and obtaining it was a task second only to the Jack Sparrow''s Compass for Kai. It was unknown when the Jolly Mon was built, but it was one of five boats owned by Anamaria''s family (-a female Character who appeared later in the main storyline-), who used it for smuggling. Jack Sparrow had stolen this boat from her. Before arriving at Port Royal, Jolly Mon made port in Shipwreck City, where Scarlett and Giselle (-two wenches-) were convinced by Jack that he would marry them. Jack Sparrow had obviously tricked them. However, unknown to the pirate captain, and knowing his treacherous nature, Scarlett had taken four nails off of the Jolly Mon, in case Jack would get cold feet before their wedding. That''s why, by the time Jack arrived at Port Royal, the Jolly Mon had already begun to sink beneath the waves. For Kai, this sinking boat was just too important. If a Contestant were to take this boat back to Anamaria, and convince her to sell it to him, then Jolly Mon would become an Item; it was known. And if a Contestant were to sail the entire Caribbean Sea using Jolly Mon before carrying out the above-mentioned task, then it even had the chance to become a Named Item. Still, such things prominently depended on the Contestant''s experiences during this voyage. Kai wanted to accomplish neither of these tasks. He wanted it as it was ¡ª an Artifact! However, this wasn''t any ordinary Artifact. For someone like Kai, who was not only a Pirate but who was also a Captain and had a crew and a boat, this Artifact was a source of prime nourishment. Actaea was an Item in making, Kai knew. If he could get Jolly Mon, and fuse it with his ship, then Actaea''s grade and Stats would experience a substantial boost upon completion. If the Jolly Roger was a Pirate''s Identity, then the Ship was the crew''s Spirit. How could any Captain let go of such a chance? As Jack reached the ports, his boat kept sinking lower and lower into the sea. Kai''s hazel pupils narrowed, and he walked into the sea, taking one step after another. Ahh! A scream melted into the bustling harbor, but no one put any mind to it. Such things were common in this era, to say the least. Only Contestants like Kai knew the bloodbath had already begun, and it would reach its prime in the next 15 minutes. As Kai gawked at the Main Character, Jack made an unusual yet graceful entrance to the Port Royal harbor, stepping onto the wooden dock from the masthead. He made port just in time, despite bailing as fast as he could, his craft sinking silently beneath him. And as Jack stalked off flamboyantly, the boat reached the docks, leaving only the top of its single mast above the water. Later, Jack bribed the harbormaster to ensure that his name would not appear on the ledger. Nevertheless, this already had nothing to do with the Contestants. Splash! With an elegant dive, Kai rushed into the sea, his body becoming red, giving off scalding heat. Even before he could submerge himself entirely, Gyarados-Kai had already come into being, thrashing the seawater with its monstrously powerful tail. The shark fin, protruding up from the sea surface, vanished. The dark-skinned young man, who had been prowling the harbor, had already disappeared. The young man, who was standing on a cliff, had already jumped off moments ago. The water-like entity had melted back into the sea as well. These weren''t the only ones, though. There were more; dozens, at the least. And all wanted one thing¡­ Jolly Mon! But this boat demanded sacrifice like it always had in the various timelines spread across the Multiverse. A sacrifice of blood, rage, and slaughter! 0364 Contestants Gather - Slaughter Begins! Crack! The sky over Port Royal was as clear as a mirror. It was especially because of this that people''s hearts shuddered as they saw a bolt of lightning striking at the open sea, the thunder cracking and roaring like a beast. Water gurgled off Gyarados-Kai''s powerful figure with one kick after another. His tail stirred his swimming direction, providing him another boost of power. On his right hand and torso, One Half of the Power Sword had already materialized as the Coridite Armor. If Moraine were to see him now, she would have instantly associated him with Contestant Red. But, with so much chaos ensuing on the island right now, she couldn''t even afford to go 100 meters away from Mullroy. Much less needed to be said about her presence among the struggles of other Contestants. Protectors enjoyed the privilege of interacting with Characters if they wanted to, but it also shackled their freedom, preventing them from meddling in others'' businesses, more often than not. Gyarados-Kai tore the water currents and approached the area around Jolly Mon. It was then Afro''s Tachi materialized in his hand. Kai had decided to not use Murasame and kept his identity as Contestant Red identity separate from this transformation. Because of the Night of Truce, many knew who possessed that sword now. It was just a product of his precautionary nature. If he wanted to, he could take the One-Cut-Killer out anytime, striking a stupendous surprise attack. Such hideous and underhanded methods of fighting had already taken root in his bones. The moment Kai reached the boat, it was also the moment that others arrived. With a sword in his right hand, Gyarados-Kai came to rest some dozen meters away from the Jolly Mon. The water level here was deep enough so that only the very tip of the boat''s mast was protruding out of the sea surface. From another direction, a woman came riding on a penguin-like Pokemon. Around her head, there was a bubble, providing her ample air to breathe. Kai recognized both the woman and the Pokemon. She was the same female whose butt got slapped by the old man, and who had been cursing Kai, calling him a scoundrel, during the entire Night of Truce. And the over 2 ft tall Pokemon, Prinplup, was fast enough for her to enjoy much flexibility underwater by grabbing its neck. At the same time, another Pokemon arrived, tearing through the seawater. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Kai could tell even from afar that its linear speed was much greater than his own. It was a Sharpedo! This Pokemon was over 6 ft large and was shooting a powerful jet of water from its rear end. With the speed it possessed, Sharpedo looked more like a dark blue water missile fired from a tank than a magical creature. Over the Pokemon, there was a woman, too. She had golden hair and blue eyes. Unlike the master of Prinplup, she was just crouching at the top of Sharpedo''s head, having no visible means of breathing. From another corner, the water rippled, and a man with a bare chest floated out. There was a mask over his face, covering his mouth and nose, and on his waist, there was a utility belt with several pockets. Just as this masked-man appeared, from a different direction, another Contestant came charging in. He was dark-skinned, and there were spiral tattoos on his hands, running from palms to shoulders, glowing arctic blue. Wielded in his hands were two gun-like weapons, from which two powerful water jets were bursting out, pushing him no less fast than Sharpedo. And then the last Contestant appeared, almost walking on water. His long black hair was swaying with the water currents, and in his hand was the handle of a sword, which looked as if the blade of the sword had been broken off. Only a few seconds had passed for this standoff to come into the picture. There was no more Chaos or Order in this game. They all were pirates, and they all wanted the same thing. Kai wasn''t a newbie anymore, especially when one considered his servant ¡ª Meg. If it had been before, he wouldn''t have guessed the powers of others. Now, however, he could, with almost certainty. The masked-man is a Ninja, Kai observed, his thoughts racing faster and faster. I can sense a dense Breath roiling inside him, coursing through specific paths. It''s a clear sign of Chakra. The dark-skinned boy has a Set Item, Water-Bearers. It''s Aqualad''s signature weapons from DC World, focused around Young Justice. And there is him¡­ Kai looked at the long-haired man, and his eyes narrowed. It was he who had been giving Kai a touch of a threat since his coming. Better would be to say that it was the sword handle that was extraordinary. Ensui! Kai''s taste in swords had already made him remember most of the powerful sword-based Items from Multiverse. Ensui was a magical tool, wielded by Tokiya Mikagami from the Flame of Recca Random World. It could control all three phases of water. As Kai was observing others, they were also discerning the capabilities of each other. Most of them were taking second and third glances at Kai, frowning at his mutated figure and nonchalant state within the sea. There was no need for any warning, either. Whoever could make others run off would earn the right to have this Artifact. Boom! This boom had originated from Kai, who had shot himself like a massive bolt of blue lightning toward the boat. Sharpedo''s master commanded her Pokemon at the same time. A drill-shaped tube of water covered the Pokemon, and its speed boosted even further. Aqua Jet! Sharpedo couldn''t propel itself at such a rate for long distances. But its power was still great enough for this Pokemon to be known as the Bully of the Sea. The dark-skinned Contestant brandished his Water-Bearers, a sneer dancing across his lips. From one Water-Bearer, a whip-shaped water construct materialized. Using another, he propelled himself toward the boat, too. Ensui glowed and exploded with an aquatic flash, then. From its broken handle, a blade of water propped up, so sharp that it seemed to cut the sea in front of its wielder. He, too, shot himself toward the boat. Only the bare-chested ninja and the butt-slapped female didn''t move, watching the ensuing chaos with mockery on their faces. It was then something happened that shocked everyone. Gyarados-Kai, who was rushing at the boat at an unprecedented speed, suddenly changed direction. The shocking matter wasn''t this change of direction, but that he hadn''t seemed to have experienced even a bit of loss in speed. This was the power of Gyarados-Kai, having the blood essence of the raging beast of the sea. So what if Gyarados wasn''t as fast as the other Pokemon in a single direction? Gyarados could maintain its shocking speed and lethality omnidirectional, letting it stand out from the masses. There was an indifference on Kai''s face, his eyes planted on the penguin-like Pokemon and its owner. As the Sharpedo, dark-skinned Contestant, and Ensui''s wielder rushed at the boat, eying Kai with a strange expression, the Blue-Skinned Demon had already closed the gap between him and Prinplup. The slaughter had already begun! 0365 One Breath — One Kill! Prinplup''s master still had mockery lingering on her face, the same as she had last night. She let go of the Pokemon, and commanded, "Prinplup! Use Metal Claw!!" None could hear her words other than the Pokemon, though. "Prin¡­" the Pokemon let out a shout, and then shot itself toward Kai, rotating like a drill. "¡­ pulp!" The light blue tips of its wings started to glow with a silver light so sharp that it made them look like true steel, full of Mana. The corner of Kai''s lips arched up, then. If Kai''s change of direction, while maintaining his speed, was a shocking thing, then what happened next was just plain dreadful. Gyarados-Kai''s menacing, slitted eyes narrowed like that of a cat. Ability - Advance Intimidation! Prinplup was still coming at Kai with its razor-sharp wings aimed at his neck, hoping to behead him. Suddenly, the world replaced itself in its eyes, a bang rocking its brain. A primal fear of draconic wrath overpowered its existence. The tips of its wings lost the metallic luster, just when the Pokemon was a few feet away from Kai. This was the most absurd, indirect effect of Advance Intimidation ¡ª It could force the target to cancel the Skill involuntarily. Especially when the opponent lacked the will to defy Kai''s own will. "No!" the butt-slapped Contestant screamed, taking out her Pokeball to call the Pokemon back. Too late. Prinplup''s momentum was so great that in a fraction of a second, it brought the Pokemon into Kai''s reach, who was already coming at him with even greater speed. Afro''s Tachi flashed, and Prinplup''s wings got cut off, blood melting into the seawater like salt. "NO!!!" the butt-slapped female''s face became blue in convulsions, her hatred shooting through the skies. Kai grinned. He thrust Afro''s Tachi into Prinplup''s chest. "Prin¡­!!!" The Pokemon had just let out a mournful scream full of pain and reluctance, when Kai''s hand blurred once again, even faster than before, and beheaded the magical creature. 4 strikes! And Afro''s Tachi began glowing with a bloody-red glow. Four consecutive strikes and one kill had brought Afro''s Tachi''s Base Damage to a whopping 105 HP, a combined result of its lethal Skills ¡ª I will keep moving forward and Ruthless Ritual. ¡­ [ ¡­ Skill: I will keep moving forward... Skill''s Effect: 1. With every consecutive strike, resulting in HP drop, Base Damage +5 Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. 2. Limit of Strikes: 4 3. Maximum Base Damage: 100 HP 4. Base Damage will reset after 5th successful, consecutive strike Skill: Ruthless Ritual Skill''s Effect: 1. With every successful kill, Base Damage +10 2. Maximum Bonus Damage: 50 HP 3. Maximum Base Damage (excluding other buffs): 130 HP 3. Base Damage will reset every 24 hours ¡­ ] ¡­ The 5th strike, with its 110 HP damage, was enough to shock all, Kai knew. He would not waste that attack on morons. With a flick of his hand, a box appeared, and Kai threw the dead Pokemon into his MRB. Unlike the case upon Contestant''s death, where the Pokemon would return to Pokeball by itself and then vanish, dead Pokemon wouldn''t return, becoming battle spoils instead. ¡­ This?! All Contestants paused momentarily as they saw Prinplup getting killed and thrown into Inventory. They couldn''t figure out why the Pokemon didn''t attack and let this mutated Contestant kill it as if it wanted to die. "I will kill you!" the Pokemon trainer screamed, several whip-like tubes of seawater manifesting around her. The old man had told Kai about this female Contestant, even though he didn''t know about her being a Pokemon Trainer as well. She possessed water-based Skills, based on Wannai Kinuho Character from A Certain Magical Index Random World. Alas! Her opponent was Kai. She had Skills to manipulate water, but Kai had Telekinesis, an Advance Ability. And he was already within the 10 meters limit. The sharp and threatening whip-like water tubes hurled themselves at Kai, tearing seawater. Suddenly, they paused midway. Kai felt a searing pain bubbling in his head. He didn''t have full mastery over controlling liquid substances using Telekinesis, but it was still enough to restrict such a low-grade Skill for a moment. If Kai had used Intimidation again, in such a short time, then others would have instantly recognized what had happened with Prinplup upon seeing the female Contestant''s listlessness. Kai knew he was a genius, but he never believed others were brainless idiots. A terrified look appeared on the female Contestant''s face. She was just about to cancel her Skill, taking out another Item, when Kai''s speed increased even further. One moment, he was several feet away from her. In the next, the palm of his left hand was already resting on her forehead. The moment Kai''s palm pierced the bubble and landed on her forehead, he closed his eyes. Within the butt-slapped female Contestant''s consciousness, a tsunami of yellow fog came out of nowhere and flooded her thoughts, memories, and emotions. No matter how much her Mana resisted the onslaught of this yellow fog, without being a practitioner of Occlumency, she had no chance to prevent what was about to happen to her. When the yellow fog in her consciousness drowned everything, a white room materialized, hovering three inches above the mist. Over the roof of this white room, Kai''s projection appeared, with his hands behind his back, his eyes closed in calm and composure. With a bang, those eyes snapped open, churning the yellow mist underneath the white room. The moment Kai opened his eyes, rune after rune escaped from his body in an unending stream, and engulfed the entire space around him. 100¡­ 1000¡­ 10,000¡­ 100,000¡­ 200,000¡­ 500,000¡­ By the time the number of runes reached the 500,000 mark, the colorless sky of the female''s consciousness had already turned black. These runes weren''t normal, to begin with. Mixed within them were variations, some meaningful, some useless. The number of these runes represented Kai''s one instance of calculations he had allotted himself during every Identity Period; only 1 hour of his meditation over the runes, trying to figure out the Ancient Magical Script. If it had ended here, then this wouldn''t have been too shocking. "Haa!" Kai slammed his palms together and let out a powerful shout. It was as if a dam broke. So many runes burst out of Kai that the endless blackness of the sky overhead became even darker, to an infinite degree. And the number of runes reached¡­ 1,000,000! Kai''s Mana projection laughed like a maniac in the butt-slapped female Contestant, and said, "Have a taste of my calculations¡­" In the real world, not even a breath had passed for these things to happen. To others, it seemed as if Kai had just used some mysterious method to approach the Pokemon Trainer and put his hand over her forehead. In the very next second, the entire figure of the female Contestant shuddered. Blood seeped out from her nose, ears, mouth, and eyes. And then, with a BANG, her head exploded, her skull cracking apart and sending brain matter everywhere. One breath ¡ª One kill! Kai turned around and eyed the other Contestants who were already looking at him as if he was a maniac. His face was covered in blood, and the seawater was licking at his face, trying to clean up the mess. Behind this blood-mist was a hideous grin. Afro''s Tachi kept pulsating with a bloody glow, and Kai shot himself toward the boat once again, his movements unpredictable and murderous. This was just the beginning of this massacre; this ageless ritual of sacrifice¡­ And Kai was more than happy to carry it out. 0366 Summoning a Bakugan?! One breath ¡ª One kill! It was a killing method Kai had developed inadvertently in the last six months while deciphering, restructuring, and transforming an endless amount of runes. This method used the principles of Occlumency and Legilimency, along with Kai''s understanding of these principles. Using this method, Kai could suppress all thoughts, memories, and emotions of the opponent. Then, he forced the target to undergo the calculations equivalent to his 1 hour-long session, compressed in one breath. It didn''t mean he remembered 1 million runes, though. Kai remembered a lot. True enough. But even he had a limit. Nor had he ever believed in randomly imprinting things in his mind. What Kai truly depended on, and took confidence in, was his mastery of understanding the principles of runic variations. He remembered tens of thousands of runes, and how to deconstruct and reconstruct them to gain a new rune, letting him increase the number to a million. It was like understanding a mathematical concept or principle by heart. Then, if needed, one could just derive many formulas based on that concept according to the applications. This was where Kai''s monstrosity lay; the chosen and promised prodigy of an entire world. Aside from his Selfless Breathing Art, this was the second method that entirely belonged to him. Even Kai himself would become a simpleton if he were to undergo an hour''s worth of his calculations in one breath. Much less needed to be said about someone like the butt-slapped female. But only this wouldn''t have been able to overload her brain, making her head explode. At the core, this was a killing method based on Legilimency. So, naturally, it contained Kai''s Mana, a wisp of which was contained in every rune. Counting together, it might not have come close to even 20 MP, but in the matter of minds, this was enough. This absurd and hideous killing method wasn''t infallible, however. If a Contestant''s Mana were to be significantly greater than Kai''s, then he wouldn''t be able to suppress the thoughts, memories, and emotions so easily. Moreover, if the Contestant had some mastery over Occlumency, complemented with Magical Aptitude Ability, then Kai would fail in that case as well. The reason for the latter was simple. Even after reaching the 20 points limit in Correspondence, Kai had not begun working on a mindscape in his consciousness like the Priest of Many-Faced God. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. This mindscape not only would have helped him with Occlumency, but it could also attack others'' mindscapes in their minds using Legilimency. Kai, however, had chosen not to do so, leaving it almost empty, if one were to forget about the sea of yellow mist and the white room. It wasn''t like he couldn''t create a complex defense or attack system in his consciousness on the scale of Priest''s 56-bit encryption, either. It was just¡­ ¡­ what Kai wanted was Perfection. He was waiting; waiting for that spontaneous opportunity that would let him stumble upon the greatest mindscape one could develop, becoming an unparalleled master of Occlumency and Legilimency. Only then he could truly make the best use of being a Faceless man once he became one. Kai knew it all, and thus he had been patient with it, despite the allure of such killing methods. ¡­ Presently, As Kai rushed back to the boat, tearing the seawater, the first one to reach wasn''t the three closest to the boat, but the bare-chested Ninja. The mocking smile under his smile had vanished after seeing the female Contestant''s head exploding just from a touch of Kai''s palm. Then there was the sword, glowing and pulsating with a murderous blood light. The thought that Kai could change directions at any moment to kill him sent a shiver running down his spine. At first, he had thought to let others tire themselves out underwater, watching the chaos from beyond the fence. Now, though, even his palms were sweating. A part of Kai''s focus was indeed on the bare-chested man, but this time he was truly aiming to kill one of the three Contestants ahead of him. At this moment, he saw the Ninja taking out a card from one pocket in his utility belt. The palm-sized card floated in front of the man, bobbing up and down. And then, a shocking power erupted from the card, full of piercing Mana. Even Sharpedo and its master, dark-skinned boy, and Ensui''s wielder paused and eyed the scene to their left. The bare-chested man lifted his hands and made several seals in succession. Then, he slapped his right palm on the card as if he was pushing it down. Kai''s eyes narrowed as he saw several columns of tiny runic letters originating from the card, running outward like serpents, and the name of a Skill exploded in his mind. Summoning Jutsu! "Come out¡­" ripples echoed out of the Ninja''s mouth, "¡­ Bakugan Balista!" Not only was it a Summoning Art, but it was also one based on Multiverse Interdependency. Summoning a Bakugan using the Jutsus from the Naruto World? Kai reflected, frowning. It''s a pity that these creatures aren''t magical creatures, but physical forms based on Breath. Hmm¡­ he must be fueling the card with his Chakra. Not simple. Roar! A dense roar, full of vile and evil aura, burst out of the card, and a blue lizard-like creature walked out, freezing the surrounding water. The moment Balista appeared, it charged toward the three Contestants near the boat, and the Ninja swam behind it closely. The first one to back up was the dark-skinned boy with Water-Bearers. He was at the leftmost of the three, and nearest to the incoming creature. When he saw the Bakugan coming at him with an evil grin on its face, the tattoo on his arms glowed. From the water-bearers in his hands, a sword and a shield materialized, both glowing with the same colors. Under the command of the ninja, Balista fired a water cannon at the dark-skinned boy, and both of them began an intense fight. Kai had nearly caught up with the three, his eyes locking on the Sharpedo. Just beyond the woman, and the nearest to the boat was the black-haired man with the water blade. He, too, had sensed Kai approaching the Sharpedo as the Pokemon lost the momentum of its Aqua Jet. Suddenly, the user of Ensui paused and turned around. The golden-haired female eyes widened instantly. She had been already feeling a great apprehension because of Kai. Now, even the other Contestant seemed to have targeted her. Kai saw it all, and a smile of understanding surfaced on his lips. It was then the woman said, "I think I don''t like this boat that much¡­ Sharpedo, let''s go!" Under the shocked gazes of both Kai and Ensui''s user, Sharpedo let out a snarling noise, turned to the right, and used all its power to fire another jet of water. Midway, the Pokemon used Aqua Jet again, boosting its speed. The corner of Kai''s mouth twitched as he saw the Pokemon Trainer vanishing in the distant sea. 0367 Tense Situation - Marines Arrive! Kai looked at the disappearing female and shook his head, deciding against using Hurricane Skill. ¡­ [ Skill: Hurricane Grade: D Specification: The user attacks by wrapping its opponent in a fierce wind Requirement: 1. Correspondence > 10 2. Perception > 12 Attributes: 1. Mark any spot within a 100 meter radius as the Hurricane''s Eye 2. Eye Diameter: 5 meters 3. Eyewall Mana Gale Force: 150 km/h 4. Time Limit: 10 seconds (Gale Force peak at 5th second) Effect: 1. Max Base Damage (at Eyewall): 140 HP 2. Minimum Base Damage (at Outer Bands): 25 HP 3. Mana Consumption: 150-250 MP 4. The further the Eye, the larger the Mana Consumption Warning: 1. 0 Damage at the Eye 2. Skill Cooldown, if any, will include the Skill''s Time Limit 3. Base Damage''s calculation assumes a stationary target for the entire Time Limit ] ¡­ Only these kinds of Contestants could remain alive in the Primordial Tower, who were decisive, and who knew why and when to give up. The lure of Jolly Mon, and it being an Item that could become Named Item, was great. But was it great enough to lose one''s life over it? Even though the matter of the woman escaping had shocked Kai and the other Contestant, their momentum hadn''t decreased. Bubbles escaped the mouth of Ensui''s user, and he hacked at Kai with his long water blade. Kai still didn''t use Afro''s Tachi. It was now packing the power to inflict huge HP damage, and there was no way he wouldn''t make it count. Kai outstretched his left hand, and a ball of water appeared in front of his open palm. The moment Ensui''s water blade arrived, the water ball exploded with a bang. It was just a complex use of Telekinesis. It was so weak that it couldn''t even harm a 4th-floor Contestant. Much less needed to be said about the Contestants here, who were all Top-level 5th-floor ones, at least. Kai hadn''t aimed to harm the black-haired Contestant, either. When the water ball exploded, it did nothing to the incoming water blade. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Instead, all the power of the explosion was directed at Kai himself. A sharp pain coursed through his left hand and chest, making Kai grit his teeth, and he got thrown toward the place where the dark-skinned boy and Balista were fighting. Meanwhile, the Contestant with Ensui in his hand was still covered under a layer of chaotic seawater behind him. Suddenly, Gyarados-Kai''s tail thrashed as he kicked the water, his speed exploding even further. In his previous life, blood essence cultivators used to say that Kai became stronger as he fought. However, it wasn''t because he could use some otherworldly skills or arts, but because he was Kai of House Stormborn. No matter what field he chose to be proficient in, he would eventually master it to an unprecedented degree. Kai became strong with the progress of battle because he could access the minute changes in scenarios, and could observe and analyze his opponents'' weaknesses in no time, letting him take advantage of the situations as he desired. Both the dark-skinned boy and ninja saw Kai coming, but his speed was just too fast and unexpected for them to react. The Contestant with Water-Bearers turned his shield construct toward Kai, hoping to use the blow to swim away from the disadvantageous position. Alas! He miscalculated. Kai lifted the Afro''s Tachi and hacked. And the sword went through the shield, the dark-skinned boy''s head, chest, and waist like a knife through butter. When the Water-Bearer Item parted in two, one could see disbelief written over the boy''s face. This was the last emotion he showed, and Kai''s smile was the last thing he saw. ¡­ [You have killed 1 Order''s Contestant] ¡­ Just as the notification appeared in front of Kai''s eyes, making his smile widen, it was also when the seabed exploded beneath the three Contestants. Boom! "Don''t let anyone go!" a muffled shout penetrated the sea through the sand and shells. "Catch them all!" Wherever there were pirates, there would naturally be Bounty Hunters as well. But the moment Kai saw others'' appearances and get-ups, he knew they weren''t Bounty Hunters. In the lead, there was a Contestant in Atlantean Elite Commando Armor from the DC extended universe. There was an Atlantean Steel Sword in his hand, the edge of its blade pulsating with blue plasma. Behind the Elite Commando, there were two more Contestants in Atlantean Standard Armors, both carrying Hydro-Pulse Rifles. To the left of these three, there was another Contestant in blue armor. He was also carrying a sword, but it had a yellow handle and a blue disc, which was rotating with a blinding blue-white flash. Kai recognized that sword. It was a Secret Playback Katana Shinkenmaru, with a Secret Disk attached to its hilt. It also made him learn the identity of this Contestant. Shinken Blue from Samurai Sentai Shinkenger Random World, Kai thought, his face becoming hard. They are not Bounty Hunters. They are¡­ Marines!!! ¡­ Mirror Dimension! Kai named his guess, narrowing his eyes. They must have buried themselves under the seabed before casting Mirror Dimension around themselves. No wonder we couldn''t pick up their presence. Tch! Kai, the Contestant with Ensui, and the Ninja, all shared a wary glance, nodded and came to a mutual understanding. If the Marines stayed together, then they would cherry pick the Pirates. And the Pirates distrust each other too much to come to short moment of agreement. Suddenly, 150 MP vanished from Kai''s Stats, his reptilian, hazel eyes letting out a blue, magical glow. Skill ¡ª Hurricane! On the seabed, just where the Marines were, intense winds churned. A gigantic whirlpool materialized, throwing the Marines in random directions. Kai lunged at the Elite Commander with the Atlantean Energy Sword in his hand. Ensui''s user brandished the water sword and swam toward Shinken Blue, whose sword''s disc was already letting out a dense blue glow. The Ninja and his summoned Bakugan, Balista, rushed toward the two Standard Armored Contestants, who were carrying Hydro-Pulse Rifles. The edge of the Energy Sword''s blade sizzled red and blue as Ionized Plasma coursed through it, using the plasma gauntlets of the Elite armor and the pommel of the sword. This was a fatal combination of Items, Kai knew. It didn''t mean he feared it. The Elite Armored Contestant''s boots fired a blast of plasma, making him come at Kai like a missile. Red hacked at the same time. Boom! A vacuum seemed to have appeared as the swords kissed, and as the water imploded and erupted back, it sent Kai and the other Contestant flying backward. The moment their momentum vanished, they both lunged at each other again. Another clash, and then once again. Metal rang against metal, and both of them looked like blurs under the dwindling sunlight that had penetrated the depths of the sea. But this fight was already becoming disadvantageous for pirates. Ensui helped its user to last long underwater, but not breathe. Even the Ninja was showing signs of fatigue. Gyarados-Kai could last far longer underwater and enjoyed much flexibility, but it also impaired Kai by not letting him use the Selfless Breathing Style to its full extent. If it was before, then this wouldn''t have mattered much. These Atlantean Armors were different from the main storyline ones. Such armors were restructured to do the opposite of their intended purpose, letting ordinary Contestants breathe underwater. So, if the fight were to last longer than expected, then they would definitely capture the pirates. Now, Kai couldn''t have that, could he? 0368 Telekinesis Superiority - The Eight-tailed Water Demon!!! As the Elite Armored Contestant charged toward Kai again, he saw something that left him dumbfounded. Not only he but even other Contestants were forced to pause for a moment at the shocking sight. Kai let go of Afro''s Tachi and sat down mid-water in a meditative posture, his fists touching each other, resting in front of his dantian region. Then he closed his eyes. It had been a long time since Kai had figured out the path to his Advance Telekinesis Ability. He had theorized that in its Elementary version, he could manipulate solid objects in a radius of 10 meters around him. This manipulation was also limited by the number of objects manipulated at a time. In light of this, Kai believed that with the Advance version, his manipulation of solid objects, their numbers, and their weights should be enhanced. Not only that, but he could also manipulate liquid with time. And this case had already come true. Even if Kai couldn''t truly call himself a manipulator of water, he could still bring out a devastating power if he were to just focus on manipulating it, forgetting everything else. Kai could, and would, never attempt such things while fighting a 6th-floor Contestant. But these were only from the 5th floor, and the strongest among them was only a top-level Contestant. When would Kai get a better chance to test out his abilities? Then there was the fact that he needed to be with Mullroy soon enough. Jack Sparrow could reach the dock where the HMS Interceptor was anchored any time now, hoping to commandeer a ship. And all Kai''s plans would come to nothing if Murtogg wouldn''t even be there to welcome the famous captain. He needed to deal with these Contestants fast, and he needed to do that now. ¡­ The Hydro-Pulse Rifles fired short plasma blasts. Shinken Blue''s sword transformed to become a blue bow, Water Arrow, firing short arrows made of water and full of Mana. And the Energized sword in the Elite Armored Contestant''s hand thrummed. As these things happened, a water sprout originated from the joint between Kai''s tail and his back. It elongated like a giant tentacle and grabbed Afro''s Tachi, before flicking it, cutting the seawater. This wasn''t the end, though. One more water tentacle materialized, and a mass-produced Common sword appeared at its end. Common grade Swords couldn''t do shit to Contestants from the 5th floor, but this was only true to their numbers, and the person who used them. Another water tentacle appeared, and then they kept appearing until their number became eight. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Seven tentacles were holding Common Swords, while the eight held Afro''s Tachi. Advance Telekinesis: Eight-tailed Water Demon! It was then Kai''s eyes snapped open. They were bloodshot. The Elite Armored Contestant flinched, floating away apprehensively. Then he snorted. "Humph! Flashy, but nothing more than that. A scum will always remain a scum." Gyarados-Kai said nothing. His huge, meditative figure floated toward the Contestant, and the eight tentacles hacked at him murderously. The Contestant brandished his energized sword in return. Three Common Swords shattered instantaneously, four landed all over the armor, chunks of their blades broke off, and Afro''s Tachi couldn''t be seen anywhere. When did one of the eight tentacles lose its sword during those flurry of attacks? Nobody knew. "Ahhh!" A shrill, watery scream reverberated across the sea. The Ninja, who had been using Balista to fight off two Contestants with Hydro-Pulse Rifles, was now featuring four Sword cuts, blood seeping off them in four thin trails. 4 strikes! Afro''s Tachi returned to Kai''s tentacle, and three more mass-produced Common Swords appeared around him. No one could figure out what had just happened. The ninja eyed Kai with intense hate, but he was already having a difficult time dealing with his opponents. On the other side, Ensui''s user''s face had become almost blue because of the lack of oxygen. The Contestant with Shinken Blue''s powers was getting an upper hand over him with every passing moment. No one had the time to scrutinize Kai''s maniacal actions. But these very futile actions had not only enhanced Afro''s Tachi base damage again, but they had also made the Elite Armored Contestant put up his guard, pressuring him even further. Common Swords were still nothing to be mindful of, but a disappearing sword¡­ It was death. Once again, Kai''s eight water tentacles blurred, hacking at his opponent from unknown directions. The red armor of the Contestant let out powerful plasma bursts from his boots and gauntlets as he sensed a great danger from these swords. He managed to parry five of the blows this time. Among the remaining three blows, there was an Easy-Grade Sword, which landed on the back of the Contestant''s neck, where the armor was thinnest. A dent appeared there before the sword shattered, an obvious mark of the power behind this blow. Another was Afro''s Tachi, which also landed in the same location. This one, however, packed a punch. The moment Afro''s Tachi kissed the red armor, a soul-shaking screeching noise echoed off in the surroundings, making all wince. The Top-level Uncommon Sword bit into the armor, creating an opening, but failed to injure the Contestant. At last, came the third sword. It also landed at the same location, entering the opening created by Afro''s Tachi. And when it returned, the faintest touch of blood could be seen in the water. The Elite Armored Contestant must have noticed the tiny damage inflicted by the last sword, for he remarked, "All this¡­ just for 5 points of HP?" This was the last thing he said. Ever. Murasame blurred and returned to Kai''s Inventory as silently as it had appeared. Behind the transparent cover of the armor''s helmet, Kai could see the stiffened look of the Contestant, his face covered in dense cursed, runic marks. A smile surfaced on Kai''s face seeing that look, and when combined with his bloodshot eyes, he truly looked like a demonic being. One moment, Kai and the top-level 5th-floor Contestant were still fighting with each other. In the next moment, all saw the Elite Armored Contestant falling lifelessly on the seabed. ¡­ [You have killed 1 Order''s Contestant] ¡­ The pirates had already seen Kai killing the butt-slapped female mysteriously. Coupled with this bizarre incident, a guess surfaced in their minds. A Low-level 6th-floor Contestant! Who else could kill mid and top-level 5th-floor Contestants so easily? The ninja was the first one to break. A blue flash blinded his two opponents as he put the Bakugan Card away and almost fired himself in the distance like the Sharpedo. The two Contestants with Standard Atlantean Armors didn''t dare to come for their leader''s body, either. They were the second to disappear. Kai''s meditating figure then shifted to look at the remaining pair of a pirate and a marine. Behind him, eight tentacles thrashed along his tail, creating a massive vortex, blades flashing and disappearing within it like dwindling sunlight. Kai''s bloodshot eyes narrowed, giving a look that warned of death and destruction. The Marine backed up, then, putting away his Shinkenmaru sword. Only Kai and the Ensui''s user remained, whose face had almost become purple. Suddenly, a glint flashed across Kai''s eyes, and all his tentacles disappeared. With a powerful dash, he rushed at the black-haired Contestant. 0369 Kais Instincts - A Call Transcending Dimensions! Taken aback by Kai''s murderous charge, the water blade at the end of the 5th-floor Contestant''s sword, Ensui, exploded, becoming scalding hot steam. A sheet of water exploded in between Kai and the other Contestant, letting him dash away with unprecedented urgency. Kai ignored the bubbling hot water and was about to chase his opponent when his eyes suddenly narrowed. He came to a sudden break and seemed to undergo a struggle of emotions, his thoughts unknown. Then, he turned around, collected 20000 Mission Credits from the two corpses of Order''s Contestants, and returned to Jolly Mon. Kai''s feet landed on the prow of the boat gracefully, where he kept standing, seemingly catching his breath after a strenuous fight. For the boat to count as his Artifact, Kai must maintain contact with it for 1 minute. It was then it happened. A hand made of water rippled inches behind Kai''s head, becoming a dagger. There was no warning or notion to this hand''s appearance. It was as if the seawater itself had generated a hand, hoping to kill Kai off because of some past grudge. Its appearance, and the speed at which it thrust itself toward Kai, was so fast that there was no avoiding it, even if Kai had felt it coming now. This dagger brought absolute death with it. And even a Low-level 6th-floor Contestant could have never hoped to survive this blow. It was just that¡­ this dagger''s target was Kai Stormborn. The moment the tip of the water dagger was about to kiss Kai''s hair, his head twisted to the right as if it was the most basic motion. There was no unnecessary force behind this twist of the head. Nor was there any reason for it. It was almost like Kai had always known this dagger would come for him, and this too that it would come from this direction. The horribly fast attack missed the target with the slow turn of Kai''s head. The moment this water dagger''s momentum carried it past Kai, a silver mist burst out of his back and froze everything in a meter radius behind him. As Kai looked over his shoulder with his dead eyes, a figure took form slowly. He was the same Contestant who had emerged out of the sea in water form during the Milestone related to Jack Sparrow, paying respect to hanged pirates. -/I''ve been waiting for you,/- Kai said telepathically, recalling the images he had experienced just before chasing the Ensui''s user. -/You aren''t a water clone, and you were patient enough to wait it out as well. -/If it wasn''t for your murderous thought lingering in the sea, I wouldn''t have found you out./- There was such disbelief written in the Contestant''s eyes that he looked like a statue. And then he became one, his fear getting devoured by the demon in front of him. The Ghost Basilisk''s Soul Chill, at 100% output, froze the Contestant''s soul instantaneously. His eyes lost all hint of life, and a hint of frost could be seen welling up on his body like death itself was crawling in pleasure. Kai frowned as he didn''t get to know what absurd power this Contestant had. Then his frown deepened as no notification appeared., making the water body a Chaos Contestant. In displeasure, Kai decided to use this Contestant as an emergency food source and threw his body into MRB after chopping it up. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. It was also then the notification appeared. ¡­ [ Congratulations Kai Stormborn on finding an Artifact¡­ Artifact: Jolly Mon ¡­ Analyzing Pirate Red''s Stats¡­ Analyzation Complete ¡­ Contestant Kai Stormborn, you fulfill the conditions to merge the Artifact Jolly Mon with your ship Do you accept the merging? ] ¡­ Kai nodded. Suddenly, a teleportation vortex appeared in front of Kai, and the entire boat under his feet thrummed. In the very next moment, the entire dory became globules of energy and entered the vortex. Through the portal, Kai could see a ship rolling and pitching on the mighty waves; sailing the narrow sea in solitude. Kai''s heart suddenly trembled, then. He could perceive a connection, growing stronger as he looked into the portal. This was the same connection he shared with Selene, Meg, Spawn, and the three Characters of his Book. The same connection he shared with Andrik and¡­ Shinobu; from heart to heart, from mind to mind, and from soul to soul. Kai could feel it¡­ He could hear it¡­ ¡­ a call. Captain! It was saying; screaming. Command me, Captain! Sail me to the end of the seas! Kai felt as if his heart was getting torn open by an unbending will. The portal disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared, cutting the connection that had transcended the dimensions. Kai closed his eyes and took several bubbly breaths to calm himself down. When he opened his eyes, they were dead and dull-gray. ¡­ [ Elementary Seamanship: Proficiency 100% (+15%) Elementary Seamanship has upgraded to become Advance Seamanship Advance Seamanship: Proficiency 5% (+5%) ¡­ Elementary Selfless Breathing: Proficiency 60% (+7%) Advance Fear Absorption: Proficiency 55% (+4%) Advance Telekinesis: Proficiency 70% (+15%) Advance Intimidation: Proficiency 30% (+6%) Advance Telepathy: 10% (+4%) ] ¡­ Selfless Breathing''s Proficiency increased because Master Instinct has become a part of it?! Kai, unknown to the ridiculous strength of Observation Haki, once again related the images surfacing in his mind with Master Instinct, which had merged with his Twin-Saber and Slither Steps Abilities to become Selfless Breathing. Ultimately, looking at the Seamanship, he just shook his head. Time to get the compass, Kai thought, rushing up to take a lungful of air. Time¡­ Time is of the essence. There was no fluctuation in his thoughts. In his mind, though, a distinct call lingered for quite some time, fainting into the distance as it sailed over the waves of a foggy, yellow sea. * * Just as Kai disappeared after letting Actaea devour Jolly Mon, Jack Sparrow appeared near the military dock and spied on the ship, HMS Interceptor. It was this ship he wanted to commandeer. Most of the marines were gathered at Fort Charles for the promotion ceremony of Captain Norrington to Commodore. This left the security at the military dock lacking in strength. The best time to try out one''s luck. Dozens of powerful gazes were concentrated on this scene; at this moment. The incoming progression was the key to the beginning, and there were countless missions based on it. If someone wanted to prevent Barbossa''s arrival at the Port Royal, then it was the most appropriate time for them to take action. The sea around the general docking area had already dyed red; courtesy of Kai and other pirates. Now, even the streets were getting painted red, murder after murder, and assassination after assassination, taking place here and there. Moraine had nothing to do with this. She had one job, to look after Mullroy and Murtogg. Murtogg had already gone, his whereabouts unknown. She couldn''t afford anything to happen to Mullroy. Not now. With her privilege to keep herself hidden from all Characters, major or minor, she was just standing some hundred meters away from Mullroy, clad in her Mark V Iron Man armor. Even the armor failed to hide her plump breasts and seductive curves, though. And her presence, so open and upright, said only one thing ¡ª Approach Mullroy within these 100 meters, and die! But just before Jack Sparrow could come, as he had in countless timelines according to the main storyline''s plot, someone dared to approach the sentry post. Someone who Moraine had never expected to see here. Murtogg! Moraine''s eyes flashed with a curious glint behind the slits of the helmet. If Murtogg had come here, then she could conclude that it was related to the Red. He might be around, perhaps. This thought alone made the 6th-floor Contestant raise her alertness to a never-known degree. Moraine had personally tasted Red''s strength. And her inquisitiveness toward this Contestant had become even higher after the events that had taken place during the Night of Truce. She hadn''t gotten to understand how Red had scared Hadoken so much that even after the event''s end, the Nen-user had refused to utter a single word. Not only she but even Blade Singer and Aloof had also failed to see through the mystery. It did let them know that Red wasn''t as ordinary as they had thought of him before. For him to be around here meant nothing good for her, Moraine knew. But it was also true that if he meant to kill Mullroy or Murtogg, then he would have done so already. What does he want to accomplish? Moraine contemplated, frowning. Red¡­ Red¡­ Sigh! It seems I must take the Temple''s help in this matter after returning to the Tower. Tch! A pure disgust flashed across her face as she thought of Temple as if she abhorred its very existence. But there was also helplessness mixed in her disgust, like a damn parasite. 0370 Luck at Two Extremities! As Moraine was going through the upheaval in her thoughts, Murtogg had already rushed to the post he had been commanding to a day before. The sun was showering with pure heat, and at the beach, its might was even greater. Everything was glistening under the scalding, rising temperature; sweat and seawater seemed alike. "Why are you here?!" Mullroy asked, his expression full of shock. "They told me you had gone to some voodoo healer." "Well," Murtogg said, smacking his lips, "I got healed." "Ah!" Mullroy drew a knowing breath, but then he immediately frowned. "They did something to you, didn''t they? There''s no such thing as Voodoo Healers. I think they fooled you, mate." Murtogg frowned. "Voodoo Healers are real!" he retaliated with a shout. "Are they?!" Mullroy asked, throwing the rifle from one shoulder to another. "I''ve never seen them." Murtogg snorted, flicking the sweat drops off his forehead. "Dogshit!" he cursed, poking Mullroy''s rifle. "You haven''t seen London, have you? It doesn''t mean it''s not real." "London is real," Mullroy snapped. "There are maps of London." "Well," Murtogg said, leaning forward, "there are drawings of Voodoo Healers, too." "¡­" Mullroy opened his mouth to retort, but couldn''t find a word to say. Then, he mulled over it more, which gave him a headache, especially when his temper had already gone bad because of it. "Why are you standing over the dock?" Murtogg asked, astonished. "We can stand under it as well." This truly stumped the foolish character, especially when it had come from Murtogg, who was no less a fool than Mullroy himself. Both Characters stomped their way to the underside of the dock and leaned against the wooden pillars for shade. It was then Jack Sparrow arrived. It was then the theme music buzzed in the Contestants'' minds once again inadvertently. Jack Sparrow saw the two marines, ignored them, and kept walking as if the entire world belonged to him. Mullroy and Murtogg spotted the stranger, picked up their rifles, and rushed to catch up to him. "This dock is off-limits to civilians," Murtogg shouted, as he put a pause on his momentum, coming to a stop by Mullroy''s side. According to the main storyline, and as expected by Moraine and other Contestants who were monitoring the situation, Jack Sparrow was supposed to reply with, "I''m terribly sorry, I didn''t know. If I see one, I shall inform you immediately." Something unexpected happened, however. Murtogg had already turned around to face Jack Sparrow, but then his left leg slipped suddenly. The momentum, that had all but gone, gained vitality, and pulled the marine along with it. Murtogg, astonished and bewildered, stumbled to catch his footing, but then fell into the sea behind him with a splash. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Unknown to everyone, this was Acting. The sudden slippage of footing had shocked Kai the most, but it didn''t mean he could use his capabilities to keep standing, either. He was Murtogg, and Murtogg must fall humorously upon losing his balance. Mullroy hopped to his fellow marine and pushed Murtogg up to his feet. The seawater had drenched his red uniform entirely, and mud had covered his hands and nose. Jack Sparrow sniggered at them. "It is a terrible thing to be drunk on duty, mate," he jested in a hushed tone. "But I can understand the temptation." Murtogg adjusted his hat and came to stand in front of Jack Sparrow, with Mullroy to his right. "You are¡­ drunk!" Murtogg said, stammering. "Well, of course," Jack Sparrow laughed, raising his hands. "As guilty as a maiden wench, meself." Then the captain turned around and began staggering toward the Interceptor. Mullroy and Murtogg rushed like rabbits to intercept him. Jack Sparrow paused and eyed them as if he was looking at two idiots. "Apparently, there''s some sort of high-toned and fancy to do up the fort, eh?" he commented. "How could it be that two upstanding gentlemen, such as yourselves, did not merit an invitation?" As the Contestants heard these words, their expressions relaxed. Even Moraine''s frown lightened at the end of Jack Sparrow''s words, for these words were according to the storyline progression. It wasn''t like they feared divergences, but for them to have an idea about the timeline, and to gain as many benefits as possible, it was better to let things progress normally. The entire world sighed at these thoughts, however. Things had just started to deviate, and just as everyone took solace in Jack''s comment, another unexpected thing happened. "Someone has to¡­" Murtogg had just begun uttering the dialogue as per the storyline when Mullroy cut him off. "It''s because of him," he said, pointing at Murtogg. "He ate too much and then went to a Voodoo Healer. Heh! Like they really exist." Jack Sparrow raised an eyebrow. "They apparently do, my round friend," he said sluggishly. Murtogg got stumped as if for a moment he didn''t know what was going on. But the Act must go on. "See!" he shouted, grinning. "I told you they are real enough. Next, you would say that Black Pearl is not real as well." Mullroy frowned. "No, it isn''t." "Yes, it is," Murtogg retaliated. "I''ve seen it." "You''ve seen it?" Mullroy mocked. "You''ve seen a black ship¡­" As the two marines entered a bout of a scuffle, Jack Sparrow slipped away and boarded the Interceptor. When Mullroy and Murtogg paused for a moment to get Jack''s reaction to their argument, they noticed he had already gone. As they looked all over, they found him playing with the boat''s wheel. The Marines burst out into a run, with Murtogg leading the way. "Hey! Hey!" they shouted. And as they climbed down the stairs to the ship''s deck, Murtogg fell again. ¡­ Kai, Acting as Murtogg the marine, rolled several times before banging his head into barrels. Mullroy again pulled him up, finding nothing wrong with the situation. They neared Jack Sparrow and aimed their rifles at him. However, it was the captain who spoke first. "You don''t seem to have any luck, mate," he said, pointing at Murtogg. "If I were you, I would revisit that Voodoo Healer, savvy?" "You¡­" Murtogg stammered, catching his breath, his hat hanging on his head at one side. "You don''t have permission to be aboard there¡­" "I''m sorry. It''s just ¡ª," Jack Sparrow explained hurriedly, "It''s such a pretty boat. Ship." "What''s your name?" Murtogg asked. And then the plot progressed with no more deviation. But the Contestants were already feeling a bit out of place by now. It was more so the case with Moraine, who couldn''t help but keep taking glances at Murtogg. She even believed that this Voodoo Healer was none other than Contestant Red. ¡­ At the same time, newly promoted Commodore Norrington had brought Elizabeth Swann to the ramparts. Because of the tight corset, the young lady had already been getting suffocated, the hot sun poking at her agitation. So, just as Commodore proposed to her unexpectedly, it squeezed the last breath out of Elizabeth Swann. And she fell off the cliff. A loud splash echoed off in the surroundings as she fell into the sea, making Jack and the two marines look over at that side. When Norrington noticed her gone and then saw foaming waves in the sea, he shouted, "Elizabeth!" He was about to jump, but the other officer held him back. Over to Jack''s side, he nudged his chin at Mullroy, and then asked, "Will you be saving her then?" "I can''t swim," said Mullroy. Shocked, Jack Sparrow looked at Murtogg, who shook his head as well. "Pride of the King''s Navy, you are," Jack Sparrow spat, taking off his hat and giving it to Mullroy. "Do not lose these." Then he slammed his sword into Murtogg''s chest hurriedly. After that, he took off his coat and handed it over to Mullroy. Murtogg''s eyes had a dull gray in them. Behind the Character''s face, Kai was seeing a Notification, his heart racing in expectation. 0371 Artifacts after Artifacts - Compass Uniqueness! ¡­ [ Congratulations Kai Stormborn on finding an Artifact¡­ Artifact: Jack Sparrow''s Hanger ] ¡­ The time Kai had been waiting for, longing for, had already come at last. Jack took off his belt, then. This belt had not only contained his pistol but also a Compass that didn''t point north. This belt¡­ Jack slammed into Murtogg''s hands. To other Contestants, it was just a normal progression. The music was high and loud in their minds when Jack Sparrow climbed up the hull and jumped down into the sea with a perfect dive. To Kai, the entire world had gained color. ¡­ [ Congratulations Kai Stormborn on finding an Artifact¡­ Artifact: One Last Shot ] ¡­ This notification was regarding the pistol. And then there was another one. ¡­ [ Congratulations Kai Stormborn on finding an Artifact¡­ Artifact: Jack Sparrow''s Compass ] ¡­ Shocking. If Jack Sparrow''s Compass was an Artifact, then why wasn''t there any sign of failure in Kai''s eyes, but only elation? It was like¡­ like he had known this would be the case. Indeed, Kai thought, his mind racing. Jack Sparrow''s Compass is an Artifact. Meg had told me true. Among an almost infinite number of Items scattered throughout the Multiverse, this Compass was one of the most unique Items. There was a reason that Kai had not bought it from the Primordial Tower Trade Market. And that reason was ¡ª he just simply couldn''t. No one, absolutely no one, could or would sell Jack Sparrow''s Compass Item to anyone. There was a Characteristic of this Item, inherited from the Pirates of the Caribbean Random World ¡ª it cursed tremendous Bad Luck on its owner if traded. The Compass had a special supernatural connection with its owner, whom it would obey willingly and blindly for as long as the owner remained loyal to the Compass in return. But, while the Compass was extremely loyal to its owner, if the owner dared to betray the Compass'' loyalty by dishonorably trading it or giving it away without expecting it to return, the magical object would unleash the previous owner''s greatest fear in retaliation. When it came to this punishment, the reach of the Compass'' powers was so incredibly vast and powerful that it could release powerful specific forces anywhere in the world. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. According to the storyline of the movie, The Trident, Jack Sparrow himself traded his Compass for rum. The Compass reacted to that action as a betrayal and loosened its hold on the Devil''s Triangle, releasing from it every pirate''s greatest fear - the notorious Spanish Captain Armando Salazar and his crew of pirate hunters, now turned into a terrifying army of ghosts. The fear of this curse of Bad Luck wasn''t the lone factor behind the Contestants'' miseries, though. The Compass would always conspire to help the owner''s inner desires, even while in possession of other individuals. Jack lost or loaned away the compass on nine different occasions. Six times it was taken from him when captured, one time he gave it to Elizabeth Swann to find the Dead Man''s Chest, one time to Will Turner to lead Lord Cutler Beckett to Shipwreck Cove, and one time to Mr. Gibbs for him to find the Black Pearl. On all these occasions, Jack fully expected to get the Compass back somehow, therefore never betraying it in the process. That''s why, Kai couldn''t and wouldn''t obtain the Compass from the Tower''s Trade Market even as a limited-time borrowed Item, for no matter what he would do, or how, the Compass would have always worked in the favor of its original owner, if borrowed. Unless Kai were to obtain Jack Sparrow''s Compass as an Item from the Random World itself, he knew it would never belong to him. It wasn''t like Kai enjoyed wasting time by coming to the Pirates of the Caribbean World, but he had to. And there was only one way to turn this Artifact into an Item ¡ª Make Jack Sparrow trade the Compass with the Contestant. Kai already had plans regarding that, but for them to initiate, he must get his hands over the Artifact first. Meanwhile, all Contestants were eying the location where Elizabeth had fallen. The golden medallion was still around her neck. The moment it came in contact with the sea, a monstrously powerful shockwave coursed through the entire sea, vanishing into the distance. This was the call; this was the key; this was the beginning. None could stop Black Pearl''s arrival, now. Pirate Captain Barbossa and his crew would come tonight to pillage, plunder, and kill, spreading terror into the Port Royal. Hooooooooo! Suddenly, an icy wind picked up, whistling across the island. The sky gained a sinister gray color. Mullroy lifted his head and gawked at the chilly gusts of wind, eying the flag on the Interceptor curling inward as if it was fearing something. None had their eyes on the two Characters, now. Except for Moraine, their Protector. "Oi!" Murtogg shouted. "Let me try the hat." "You want to put on this filthy hat?!" Mullroy frowned, smelling the hat. "Mr. Smith (-the self-given name of Jack Sparrow-) wouldn''t mind," Murtogg commented. "Here, I will trade it with you for the pistol and sword in my hands." Moraine''s brows pressed together. Even she didn''t know if something like this had happened in the original storyline or not, for the plot was following Jack Sparrow''s actions of rescuing Elizabeth at this moment, not the two Side Characters. "Alright!" Mullroy nodded. Just as they were exchanging the objects, another Compass, of almost the same size and appearance, slipped out of Murtogg''s sleeves. Kai was not unknown to the sleight of hand. He might not be the greatest thief, but he knew enough to fool a 6th-floor Contestant, who was standing some 100 meters behind his back. This was how he had obtained the Tales of Beedle the Bard in the first place ¡ª by stealing it! By the time the marines had exchanged the objects, Kai had already replaced the original compass. Not only that, but Kai had also managed to get another Artifact. ¡­ [ Congratulations Kai Stormborn on finding an Artifact¡­ Artifact: Jack Sparrow''s Hat ] ¡­ "Oi!" Mullroy shouted, pointing at the sea. "Let''s go. He''s bringing a person. It''s a lady!" Murtogg fumbled with the hat and the faulty compass and broke into a run with his fellow marine. Jack Sparrow brought Elizabeth to the docks, and the marines laid her down on the wooden platform. "She''s not breathing!" Murtogg exclaimed. "Move." Jack Sparrow crouched near her and ripped her corset into two before throwing it toward Murtogg, who had already put down the hat and compass on the platform. Another notification appeared, then. ¡­ [ Congratulations Kai Stormborn on finding an Artifact¡­ Artifact: Elizabeth Swann''s Corset ] ¡­ Just as Jack Sparrow found the golden medallion, leaving him astonished, Captain Norrington arrived at the scene with the other marines. Not much changed in the plotline after that. Governor Swann arrived next, and as he looked at Jack Sparrow, he ordered the marines to shoot him. But Elizabeth convinced him otherwise. Later, Norrington discovered Jack''s pirate identity via the tattoo on his right hand. There were two tattoos there, one common to the pirates, and the other of a sparrow. "Well, well, Jack Sparrow, isn''t it?" scorned Commodore Norrington. Jack''s reply was already fated to be phenomenal. "Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please." Mullroy picked up the hat and other Jack''s items and handed them to Norrington. "These are his, sir." Norrington first scrutinized the pistol. "No additional shots nor powder." Then, under the trembling pupils of Murtogg, the Commodore held the compass and pried it open. "A compass that doesn''t point north." However, Jack''s eyes were still planted on the compass, despite the mocking smile and words of the naval officer. He just couldn''t take his eyes off the compass'' cover. Jack then looked at Mullroy and Murtogg, but ultimately said nothing. It was then that Norrington pulled out the sword. "And I half-expected it to be made of wood. You are without doubt the worst pirate I''ve heard of." Jack didn''t let go of the well-presented opportunity and said, "But you have heard of me." Under the recurrent protests from Elizabeth, Norrington ordered Lieutenant Gillet to put shackles on Jack''s wrists. And just as they all relaxed, Jack threw his hands over Elizabeth''s head and took her captive. 0372 Fortune or Misfortune - Hint or Warning?! "Commodore Norrington, my effects please," Jack Sparrow shouted. "And my hat." Norrington had to accede, and he handed the said items to Elizabeth, who put them all on Jack as he slyly grinned at the marines. "Gentleman, my lady," Jack declared, pointing the pistol at Elizabeth''s head, "you will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow." And then he threw Elizabeth at Norrington. He grabbed the nearby rope, kicked the mechanism, and flew up. At the same time, the cannon, hung by the rope''s other end, came falling toward the wooden platform. Coincidentally, and diverging from the plot line, the rope swayed a bit, making the cannon fall just ahead of Murtogg, who was backing up. With a bang, Murtogg went down into the seawater below the wooden platform along with other marines. Though unexpected, Kai used the ensuing chaos and slipped away underwater. Even Moraine hadn''t expected such a thing to happen. She was about to rush toward the broken platform when Jack Sparrow carried out a miraculous escape, and Norrington ordered the other marines to chase him. Mullroy was among those marines. Knowing well that there was something wrong with Murtogg, for now, she decided to avoid a direct confrontation with Red over it. So, she decided to head on with Mullroy. All Contestants around the scene had already dispersed as Jack Sparrow vanished into the town, heading toward William Turner''s smithy as per the storyline. But that had already nothing to do with Kai. None noticed a blue-skinned, lizard-like creature swimming away, strangely dressed in a marine uniform. * * Despite his flashy escape, Jack Sparrow got himself incarcerated in Fort Charles'' prison after John Brown, William Turner''s employer, knocked him out, leading to his eventual capture by the marines. The afternoon had become evening, and over half the newly arrived Contestants had already died. The chilly wind had become gale some moments ago, and a light fog had claimed the vacating alleys like hungry dogs. There was a thrill in the air; mixed with horror and vile ¡ª the Black Pearl would arrive in a few hours. It was then the bloodbath would reach its peak. At this moment, Governor Swann''s mansion had gained an eerie quietness. The matter of the young lady falling into the sea, her subsequent rescue, and then later getting captured by the same man, who turned out to be a notorious pirate, had left the family shaken, to say the least. Hence, after having their supper, Elizabeth decided to call it a night, ending her day with a light read of her favorite book on a young princess getting rescued by a pirate. Lanny the maid accompanied her, despite the stunt she had pulled in the morning. Even Governor Swann, who was the most displeased by her actions, had kept his silence, postponing the matter to the next day. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. As usual, the Governor had gone to Fort Charles for his after-supper walk with Commodore Norrington. Aside from Elizabeth Swann and Lanny, there were only the Butler, another maid, and a few other staff members in the mansion. No. There was one more. Cersei had let Kai in through the sewers even before Elizabeth and her father had returned to the mansion. Since then, he had been hiding in the wine cellar in the basement, preparing for the Side Mission. Kai had not forgotten about the Objective, although it wasn''t the reason for his arrival in this Random World. He had just wanted to move Elizabeth out of the picture for his plans. It was Chaos who had other things in mind, however. Now that he was already here, there would be no sense in not carrying it out. The only thing was that this Side Mission wasn''t as simple as it seemed at a glance. Kidnap Elizabeth Swann and influence her life trajectory in favor of Chaos ¡ª this was the Objective. That meant not only Kai needed to influence her life trajectory, but he also needed to guide it toward Chaos. And Chaos was Imbalance. Kai had not forgotten that, too. Then there was the matter of Mission itself ¡ª Fortune or Misfortune. These weren''t the words Kai ever wanted to see in his Missions, but it also didn''t mean he feared them. After careful deliberation, Kai had concluded that it wasn''t his fortune that Chaos was hinting at in the Side Mission, but Elizabeth''s. There was solid reasoning behind his findings. First, the mission was about the main storyline''s major Character, Elizabeth Swann. If his Luck had been a deciding factor in this mission, then Kai had already failed it by now. Second, Kai knew that all the major Characters of a Random World, like Ash, Harry Potter, Jack Sparrow, Elizabeth Swann, and yes, Darcie Malfoy, possessed tremendous Luck. No matter the floor number of a Contestant, or their strength, any instance of harming such Characters would incur the wrath of their Lucks, making the preparators undergo a heinous backlash of the Timeline. Now, Kai''s Side Mission didn''t say to kill Elizabeth Swann. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have needed to wait till now to do the deed. The mission emphasized her life, meaning he must not kill her. So, in a sense, Fortune or Misfortune wasn''t a hint, but Chaos'' Warning. Kai dared not be too presumptuous after coming to such a conclusion. If he could complete the Side Mission according to his plans, then he could obtain greater benefits in the next few coming hours. ¡­ In Elizabeth''s bedchamber on the first floor, Lanny and the young Swann were giggling over some unknown topic, sitting side by side. There was a book in Elizabeth''s lap, the words on its pages dancing under the dim light of the candles. "Hehe!" Lanny stifled a laugh, pressing her thin lips. "Let me bring your evening tea, Elizabeth. I will tell you more later." "Very well," the young lady nodded. "I have something to share with you, too." "Oh!" Lanny, Cersei''s assumed identity, raised her eyebrows. "What it must be about, I wonder. That William Turner¡­ now that is a fine lad, isn''t he?" "That is too bold!" Elizabeth rebuked, blushing. "No, it''s not related to him. It''s about Commodore Norrington. Come back, then I will tell you more." "I will be back in a second, then," Lanny squeaked, almost running out of the main door. Cersei didn''t head to the kitchen, though. By now, everyone among the staff members had gotten to know that their young miss cherished this new maid''s company. Lanny had already proved herself in the way of words, despite her rebellious and naughty actions. So, even if the old servants didn''t like her much, they tolerated her presence and her commanding gaze, for they knew she could very well gain a high post among the Staff members soon. Cersei approached the Butler first and said, "Elizabeth has commanded that no one is to come to her chambers. She is too tired and troubled because of the morning''s events." "Be that as it may," the old Butler nodded, accepting the command, "but you mustn''t forget the propriety and call the young miss by her first name, Lanny." The old man was standing in the main hall, and other servants were listening to the discourse as well. As they heard the Butler reprimanding the new maid, they all nodded as if Lanny had it coming to her. Cersei sneered inwardly, but in the open, her face was emotionless if one could ignore her raw beauty. "Would that I could," she said, shaking her head. "Miss Elizabeth insists I call her by her first name. I dare not refuse her friendly intentions. Now, please excuse me. I am taking Elizabeth''s evening tea to her room." These people were just too honest and upright to see through Cersei''s cunningness and her play of words. When the Butler saw no way to retort, he just lifted his chin and stalked off. "Shouldn''t you be making that tea by now?" Cersei spat, looking at the other maid. "Go on, it''s not good to keep the young miss waiting." The other maid frowned and ran toward the kitchen begrudgingly. When the tea was done, Cersei snatched the plate with the kettle and cups from the maid''s hands and took it to Elizabeth''s bedchamber. But before she entered, Cersei took out a vial from her bosom, and poured it into the kettle, smiling evilly. It was a sedative! 0373 Traumatizing Elizabeth Swann - Tell me the Truth!!! An hour later, when Elizabeth came to, she found her mind filled with groggy thoughts. Aside from the blurry darkness, for a moment she couldn''t make sense of anything. Had she fallen asleep? Or was she dreaming? The young miss of the Swann family couldn''t tell. It was then cold kissed her, sending an icy shiver running down her spine. With great horror, Elizabeth realized she was naked. The absurdness of this realization made her snap open her eyes suddenly, and the darkness receded. But before sight graced her eyes, pain announced itself to her with sheer boldness. Her wrists were bound, and so were her legs from the ankles. A terror the likes of which the young lady had never imagined existing took shape in her vision. This terror was a man, no older than her, with white hair tumbling down to his shoulders. His hazel pupils were reptilian, and there was such a charm about him that if it wasn''t for her current circumstances, it could have made her heart flutter. This terror-incarnate was wearing a pirate''s attire and was looking at her with a dead gaze. So dead, in fact, that he made Elizabeth feel like she was standing in front of a corpse, cold oozing out of him, seeping into her bones through her bare skin. Yes! Why was she naked?! The same thought again made her eyes widen, and now she was fully awake. Her hands were outstretched in the shape of Y, bound at the wrists via ropes. Her legs were also bound in an up-down Y shape, her feet bare, wet, and cold. Her private parts were in the open as well¡­ A deep sense of shame and disgust coursed through Elizabeth''s veins, and tears welled up in her eyes almost instantaneously. There was only one thing left on her by this vile man as if he dared not take it off. The Gold Medallion! "Who are you?!" Elizabeth shouted, crying, twisting and pulling her hands, squeezing her thighs, hoping to hide the shame. "Where am I?! HELP! PLEASE HELP!!" "Hehehe!" This laugh was enchanting, full of youth and vigor, and told a tale of nobility and cunningness mixed oddly. The horrific thing was that this laugh hadn''t come from the man, who was looking at her up and down like she was some common whore. Even more horrifying and the heart-wrenching fact was that Elizabeth had recognized the laugh. She had heard this laugh many times in the last two days. She had laughed along with this laugh. And she had come to like this laugh. Cersei walked out from the shadows behind her, giggling merrily. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. She was wearing Elizabeth''s clothes, and with her height and bearing, she indeed looked like the young Swann, if someone hadn''t met her before. Under the pained and shocked gaze of Elizabeth, Cersei approached the white-haired man and¡­ kissed him. To Elizabeth, it was as if her entire world had been toppled upside down. "Lanny?!" she blurted absentmindedly, forgetting even her nakedness. "What¡­ How could you¡­" The disbelief in the young Swann''s tone clashed against the tone, making her shudder. "She''s all yours, my love," Elizabeth heard Cersei say to the man, pecking his cheek. Elizabeth couldn''t say anything but just look at her maid, her friend, her heart getting torn apart to shreds. Only one word came out of her mouth, full of sadness and anguish. "Why¡­" * * Kai marveled at the sight of this major Character. Elizabeth was truly beautiful, despite the hateful and saddened look about her. No matter what, Kai found comparing her charms with Cersei just too pointless, so he gave up on it soon. After making her fall asleep, Kai and Cersei brought the Character down to the Wine Cellar. Then, using his pitiful Mana, Kai had put an Imperturbable Charm on the door so that no one would hear a young lady''s screams, for she was going to scream; louder than ever. Kai had no intention of defiling Elizabeth, either. No. What Kai wanted to accomplish was to give her a trauma, so vile, that it would topple her personality forever. And betrayal had always served as the greatest source of most of the traumas. Kai hadn''t sent Cersei to the Governor''s mansion just for show, commanding her to become close friends with Elizabeth Swann. This was the most important reason behind those actions. Kai was no psychologist, but he knew torture, both mental and physical. Every scar on his body had a tale of its own, but most of them only screamed of tortures and punishments. The people from his previous life couldn''t kill him before getting the Essence Bead upon being captured. So they did the next best thing, trying to force it out of his mouth. His sabers had already judged them all for their lack of decisiveness. Kai eyed the golden medallion around Elizabeth''s slim neck, and his eyes shone with a profound glint. He had already held it long enough for it to count as his Artifact, and he also knew how to turn it into an Item. It would need him to sail with Jack Sparrow to the Isla de Muerta, where the rest of the medallions were stored. But it wasn''t something Kai could even remotely hope to do in this world before getting thrown out by Chaos. It was these thoughts that had made his eyes look so dead to Elizabeth. When Cersei giggled while approaching him, and then kissed him, these thoughts finally broke. The trauma''s betrayal part was over; now came the rest. Humiliation, Lunacy, and Nervous Breakdown. Just as Elizabeth asked ¡ª Why¡­ Kai stepped toward the Character like a monster. He ran his fingers over her bare breasts and waist, his eyes never leaving the sight of Elizabeth''s burning gaze. There was an incredible will inside Elizabeth, Kai knew. If there wasn''t, then she couldn''t have become the major Character of a Random World. Elizabeth was adventurous, and she yearned for excitement, danger, and freedom. She was an increasingly strong-minded and determined woman who often knew her mind, having a fiery attitude and being headstrong. In the Primordial Tower, someone even said that the true main character of Pirates of the Caribbean worlds wasn''t Jack Sparrow, but Elizabeth Swann. If it wasn''t for Kai, this would be the day when her tale began. Alas! This timeline was bound to be disappointing. ¡­ "I heard you find the pirates quite¡­ fascinating, Miss Swann," Kai whispered, speaking for the first time. "Well, now you''ve met two of them. What do you think?" "You better let me¡­" SLAP! Kai controlled his power and slapped the young lady so hard that her left cheek gained a purplish hue instantly. He waited for the Character to process what just happened, letting her reevaluate her condition. Then he demanded, "Tell me the truth." The shock of the slap jolted Elizabeth awake from her expectations to leave this place unharmed. "Truth?!" she repeated, her teeth chattering. "What truth?!!" SLAP! Another back-handed slap, not lighter than the previous one. "The Truth, my lady," Kai said, pressing his tone. "You know what I am talking about." "I DON''T!" Elizabeth shouted in retaliation. Kai looked into her eyes as Elizabeth looked back at him. Then he smiled, the corners of his mouth arching up to become a hideous grin. Elizabeth shook as she saw Kai''s grin, cold becoming colder, and a sense of raw despair taking over her mind. All the happiness she had ever known and felt seemed to get sucked out of her, replaced by terror, helplessness, and hopelessness. It was just the start of this hours-long torture. And by the time Kai was done with her, who knew what would have become of this young lady; of this Character who was called Elizabeth Swann? 0374 Black Pearl Arrives - Parley?! As the night approached the town of Port Royal, an uncanny silence had made the alleys its home. Light fog lingered like ghostly sentries everywhere. Clouds had taken over the promised full moon''s moonlight, and even the very sea had gone quiet as if it dared not whisper the announcement of the devil. It was ghastly and bleak weather, to say the least; the most unique and ominous of its kind. Amid this fog and silence, a large black ship, with tattered black sails, glided over the sea, engulfed by an eerie mist on both sides. It was the Black Pearl! The Gold Medallion had called them here, and it was that coin for which they had come. And, yes ¡ª to pillage, plunder, kill, loot, rape, and murder. That, too. Governor Weatherby Swann and Commodore Norrington were walking on the Fort Charles'' ramparts when the first whistling sound reached their ears. At the next moment, the cannonball had already arrived. Boom! It was just the start. As Jack recognized the sound of his ship, the Black Pearl bombarded the entire town with ceaseless cannon fire. Homes exploded, bridges collapsed, and dozens of people died under the might of the vicious ghostly crew and their wrath. "Ahhh!" "Clear the dock!" "It''s the Black¡­" "Mamma!" Even the cries of toddlers got buried under the rubble. Several pinnaces (-small ship''s boats, propelled by oars-) sailed their way to the docks, boarded by at least a hundred pirates. From their ferocious expressions and murderous shouts, their savageness spilled out, mixing into the smog and the sea underneath. Two of these pirates were Pintel and Ragetti, who had been commanded to bring the gold medallion back to the ship. Their destination? Governor''s mansion! As the streets got taken over by pirates, who just blatantly began to loot, kill, rape, and plunder, William Turner armed himself in the blacksmith and walked out courageously to resist the pirates'' atrocities; to defend his home. "He-ha! Come back!" A pirate roared, chasing a young lady across the street. William chanced upon the scene and threw his axe at the pirate. The sharp axe plunged itself deep into the pirate''s back and he fell dramatically before William came and snatched it out again, and marched off to another battle. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Over at Fort Charles, the ramparts had gotten decorated with hundreds of cannons, and the newly promoted Commodore Norrington had taken charge to defend against this sudden besiege by the infamous ghost ship. As the entire Port Royal fell into a clamor, something unexpected was going on at the Governor''s mansion. The mansion was already quite a distance from the main harbor and the markets and slums. Around the mansion, there was a stillness as if the living had abandoned it long ago. Nonetheless, signs of life could still be seen if one was desperate enough to look for them. ¡­ From the balcony of Elizabeth''s bedchamber, Cersei eyed the smog, shouts, flashes of cannon fire, and the raw raucous caused by dying people and their killers. She was still wearing the young Swann''s nightgown, and around her neck, there was a gold chain from which hung the famous gold medallion. There was no hint of any worry on her face. Nor was there any sign of anxiety. This day was hers. Cersei had already proven her worth to Kai, but she knew she needed to do more if she wanted his true acknowledgment. With the matter of Blood Prophecy, she had gotten few chances to show her capabilities and how useful she could be. One could even say that this Random World bestowed the greatest stage upon Cersei to act, showcasing the might of her tongue and cunning. Perhaps, the major character Cersei, whose memories had given her this form, indeed had some weaknesses. But she wasn''t that Cersei, to begin with. Her experiences, thoughts, and goals were entirely different from the main storyline character. So, it was natural for her personality and thinking process to differ as well. With such reasoning, the young Cersei, as proud and scheming as she was, even believed that this entire thing was just Kai''s way to test her out. Whatever was going to happen next would dictate how much her lord would invest in her growth later. She could not and would not afford failure. Not now. The corner of Cersei''s lips arched up in a sneer as she rubbed the gold medallion between her fingers. Power¡­ was in her grasp! It was then that gigantic iron-bar gates leading to the manor got thrown open by the pirates, who were carrying fire torches, brandishing swords, and pistols. Cersei narrowed her eyes at them and vanished back into her bedchamber. Down at the main hall, the Butler strolled toward the main doors of the mansion upon hearing knocks. Unlike the main storyline, Elizabeth Swann didn''t come down to warn him against him; her fate unknown. Nor was there the maid Estrella in the mansion. All servants had retired to their quarters. And the moment the Butler opened the doors, Pintel the pirate shot his head off with a loud bang, walking them all up. Screams, full of fear and rage, flooded the mansion like mighty waves. "Up!" Pintel said, nodding at Ragetti. As the other pirates ran off to find pretty maids and pillage the gold, Pintel and Ragetti ran up the stairs. By now, the main storyline had already undergone drastic changes, and no one could stop it from falling off the cliff and plunging into the deepest darkness When they burst into Elizabeth Swann''s bedchamber, holding sword and pistol, they found Cersei looking back at them, sitting on a chair like a queen. "Thrown your hands at your fate, poppet, eh?" Pintel asked, grinning through his fat cheeks. Ragetti laughed at the word. "Hehe! Poppet!" "You''ve got something of us, Poppet!" Pintel spat out through his missing teeth. "Give it to us, and we promise we won''t hurt you." Ragetti looked taken aback by this declaration. He faced his crewmate and asked, "We won''t!" Cersei couldn''t tolerate this foolery any longer. She threw herself off the chair and hissed, "Parley!" "Parley?" Pintel repeated listlessly. Boom! A cannonball found its way to the main hall of the mansion, and struck a pirate face-front, bursting apart wall and flesh alike. "I invoke the right to Parley," Cersei declared nonchalantly. "According to the Code of the Brethren¡­" "I know the Code," Pintel cut in, his lips twisting in disgust. "To blazes with the Code," Ragetti spat, his fake eye rolling back into his head. "She wants to be taken to the Captain!" Pintel barked in Ragetti''s ear, pointing the pistol at Cersei. "And she''ll go without a fuss. We must honor the Code." After pillaging enough, the remaining pirates took Cersei toward the docks, marching through the bloodstained alleys. At the same time, in the streets of the town, William Turner survived death at the pirate''s hands, depending upon the characteristic tremendous Luck he possessed. Just as he was heading toward another pirate, from the corner of his eyes he saw the group of pirates and a young lady. Will''s eyes widened and terror flashed across his face. "Elizabeth¡­" a breath escaped his mouth, like a vanishing call. 0375 Will Turners Fury - Kai Got Shot?! The pirates had surrounded Cersei, and her back was toward Will, making him mistakenly assume that she was Elizabeth Swann. Unlike the main storyline, Cersei didn''t lift her head to let him inspect her face, intensifying the mystery even further. Will was about to rush toward her when a pirate confronted him, holding bombs in his hands. He pointed at Will''s feet and grinned like a joker. Will Turner looked down to find another bomb sparking just in front of his feet. However, when it came time to go off, it turned out to be a dud. William smirked and raised his axe, but almost at the same time, another pirate came rushing at him from behind, and smacked the back of Will''s head with a stolen silver utensil, shouting, "Out of my way, scum!" William lost consciousness on the spot and fell back. Several Contestants were eying this scene, for the axe and the sword used by Will had already gained the conditions to become Items. They just needed to grab them, and then use them to kill 10 Contestants associated with pirates to turn them into Uncommon Items of Mid to High-level Sub-grades. There were even chances of them turning out to be Top-level Common Named Items. To the Contestants'' utter surprise and dismay, the same pirate who had hit William''s head, and who had disappeared after this plot according to the main storyline, didn''t run away. Instead, this unknown pirate, with a rugged appearance, crouched and picked up both the sword and the axe before breaking out in a mad dash toward the docks. This?! The Contestants almost cursed and chased him, taking out Items to finish him. But after chasing him for a few minutes, they lost him; the pirate had disappeared into the thick of smog, which was already getting thicker and thicker. "Fuck!" "Motherfucker!" "How could a Lead Protector let such a thing happen?!" "Let''s go!" Just as these Contestants popped out of existence, the pirate they''d thought gone missing walked out of the smog as if he had materialized out of thin air. There was a shaggy and rugged beard on his mud and filth-covered face, and over his head, there was a tattered hat. Yet, one could not find a single instance of lackadaisical thought on his face anymore. It was as if the bearing of hoodlum was beneath him. It was as if¡­ ¡­ his face didn''t belong to him. This pirate looked at the sword in his hands and frowned. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Then he threw the sword away like another piece of rotten iron. The axe, however, had something special about it, like the pirate who was holding it. This pirate was none other than Contestant Red, Kai Stormborn, the budding Faceless. Kai had been aiming for the event related to William Turner and a pirate attacking him from behind for a long time. The moment Black Pearl''s pirates landed at Port Royal''s docks, he killed another pirate (-not part of Barbossa''s crew-) at random, who matched the profile mentioned in the main storyline. Then, he waited for the said pirate to enter the area near William Turner. The moment he saw one carrying a silver object, as described in the documents, he knocked him out and took his place. None had been wiser to notice anything out of place because of his Acting, either. Kai held the axe in his right hand, feeling its weight, and nodded to himself. Both the sword and the axe weren''t Artifacts, despite their appearance with William Turner, a major Side Character. But, unlike the sword, the moment he held the axe, he had gotten a notification. ¡­ [ Congratulations Kai Stormborn¡­ You have triggered a Side Mission ¡­ Main Mission: Not Applicable Side Mission: Will Turner''s fury Side Mission Summary: To defend his home, William Turner had armed himself with the axe, hoping to thwart the bloodthirsty pirates. Alas! The young Turner couldn''t accomplish his goals, losing consciousness because of an ambush. The axe, however, still desires blood, fueled by William Turner''s desire and fury. Side Mission Objective: Kill at least 10 Contestants associated with Pirates using the axe Side Mission Time Limit: Not Applicable Do you accept the Side Mission? ] ¡­ A pleased look flashed in Kai''s eyes, but this wasn''t the time to indulge himself in the Side Mission. A more pressing, and most important, task awaited him in Fort Charles'' prison. Jack Sparrow! The moment Kai recalled the famous Captain''s name, the matter of today''s morning surfaced in his mind, making him frown. Kai couldn''t tell why, but he had a feeling that whenever he neared the main Character, his Luck, which was bad enough as it was, worsened even more. It was like two binary opposite poles attracting each other. Jack had the highest Luck one could hope to have in the Multiverse, it was known. So there was no effect of these extremities on him. Kai, however, was a different case altogether. The only thing in which he took solace was that he couldn''t do anything about it. Kai threw the axe in his MRB and, with a reddish pop, disappeared. ¡­ Over at Fort Charles'' side, thick smoke and commanding shouts had taken over every nook and corner of the castle-like behemoth. The prison cells of the fort were in the basement, but still way above sea level, propped up against a rocky cliff. At this time, one of the many cannonballs, fired from the Black Pearl, bombarded the wall of a cell just by happenstance. BOOM! Rubble exploded everywhere with blasting fury, creating a gigantic hole in the prison''s wall. This wall, however, didn''t belong to that of Jack''s prison, but the one next to his. There were half-a-dozen pirates imprisoned in that cell, and all bade goodbye to Jack, calling him unlucky. From behind the bars, Jack watched the pirates run away after getting back their freedom. In the sky, the clouds parted, and the dense blue moonlight of a full moon fell over Port Royal like a waterfall. A stream of this moonlight even found its way into Jack''s cell. Captain Jack Sparrow then began to lure the dog, in whose mouth were the keys to all cells, using a bone. At the same, Murtogg appeared in the corridor from where the stairs led down to the prisons. Naturally, this Murtogg was Kai. After taking care of the matter related to Will''s axe, Kai rushed toward Fort Charles, putting on his marine uniform. With chaos reigning all over, none noticed a stray marine heading toward the prison cells. Kai was just about to step down when an unprecedented danger announced itself to him. His eyes widened, and the sheer fatality of the threat his Instincts warned him of, gave him goosebumps. What''s this?! Kai shuddered and snapped back to look at the threat in its face. Too late! A sword plunged itself deep into his guts, and then a shot got fired at his chest, sending him flying back. Kai fell down the stairs, rolling and tumbling, and hit the wall at the end with a loud bang. For his attackers, the marine was deader than dead. 0376 Captain Red of White Serpent Pirates and Captain Jack Sparrow! Fallen in an odd position, Kai groaned and threw an HP capsule in his mouth. His HP bar had already reduced by over 50%, and it was falling at an ever higher rate. One must not forget that normal weapons couldn''t hurt Contestants of Kai''s level anymore; at least not if one did not inflict the attack on their vital organs. Then there were Perception and Kai''s Instincts. Neither of them had failed. But they hadn''t worked as they intended and at the right time, either. Something was wrong, Kai knew. Something was incredibly wrong. Fuck! Kai cursed, daring not to move. Why is my Luck is getting influenced so much upon approaching Jack? Meg told me nothing about it. Tch! "This ain''t the armory." Kai heard one of his two attackers say. "Well, well, well," the other attacker followed. "Look what we have here, Twigg. Captain Jack Sparrow." Suddenly, Kai knew what had happened, and what led to his abysmal situation. He also got to know the identities of his attackers. The timeline had diverged somehow, unknowingly; a variable in Kai''s plans. These two were Koehler and Twigg, two pirates of Black Pearl. Kai had always known about them, and this too, that they would visit Jack Sparrow, thinking of the prison cells as the armory. But, according to the main storyline, they should have already visited him by now. Kai had always remained true to his plans, being at the right place at the right time. This time, too, he had planned his arrival just after these two pirates had visited Jack Sparrow, letting him know that Barbossa and his crew of bloodthirsty pirates were indeed cursed. Not that he arrived sooner than the planned event, but it was them who were late. This is good, too, Kai contemplated, as his HP loss rate lessened. Jack must have seen me falling down the stairs, dead. I already had a mind to shock him before beginning any trade. What''s more shocking than a dead man standing up? Suddenly, another thought welled up in Kai''s mind as his body remained sprawled on the ground, his hands and legs pointing at odd angles. Hmm¡­ Kai thought, bleeding. Is this what it means by the Luck at two extremities? I got ambushed to death by two common pirates, despite my Perception because of my Bad Luck. But then I got a better chance to carry out my original plans as well. It''s all very abstruse¡­ Meanwhile, Jack''s accusing words had led to Koehler reaching out and grabbing his ex-captain''s throat. It also made Koehler''s hand come under the moonlight, falling into the cell. The moment this happened, flesh disappeared off his hand as if it were a mirage, making Jack''s eyes widen like a saucer. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "So there is a curse!" Jack Sparrow gasped. "That''s interesting." "You know nothing of hell," Koehler whispered, and then he pushed Jack back, his shove full of grudge and self-loathing. Jack eyed the two mutineers, his eyes pensive. "That''s very interesting." It was then that another voice echoed off the lonely walls of the prison''s long corridor. "Is it?" the voice seemed far, but by the end, it had already come close. "And what can you do even if it is?" Jack''s eyebrows had reached the ninth heaven by the end of the question. He saw the most absurd and logic-defying sight then. The marine, who most probably had been stabbed and shot, stood up, adjusted his hat, and crawled toward him, taking one slow step after another. The moment Jack saw the marine''s face, his pensiveness vanished, replaced by an alert glint. Murtogg! Kai noticed the 50% dip in Abnormality Limiter, despite it being less sensitive than its cousin from the Game of Thrones Random World. He knew this dip in the black bar would have surpassed the 80% mark if Jack Sparrow just hadn''t seen his ex-crewmate''s hand turning into bones. Captain Jack Sparrow smiled. "Lovely night, innit?" he remarked, nudging at the disappearing moonlight with his chin. "The way I see it, you are no marine, my unlucky friend. May I prevail upon you to provide an introduction?" And¡­ the flamboyancy just didn''t go away. A corner of Murtogg''s mouth lifted from the left side, becoming an evil grin. Suddenly, the light coming from the several candelabras dimmed as if an unseen icy gale had slapped at them. The corridor darkened, and shadows stood up on their toes, taking over the corners. Murtogg, grinning and almost laughing, took a step back, disappearing into one of those shadowy corners. Just as the darkness took over his face, he stepped forward. Jack Sparrow flinched at the sight. Murtogg''s face had gone as if the shadows had snatched it away. In its place, there was another face, prettier, more evil and vile, and full of malice. His hazel eyes were like that of a snake and his white hair swayed without wind. The entire corridor lightened back up, and the shadows crawled back from whichever hellhole they had sprouted. Captain Red and Captain Jack Sparrow had come to a face-off at last. "¡­ Nice trick, mon ami," Jack said, after careful observation. "Whatever happened to the fellow whose¡­ face you were wearing?" Kai noticed the 90% dip in the Abnormality Limiter, nodded to himself inwardly, and ignored it. First impressions mattered the most, and Kai thought he had already done a great job in that. "He''s in a better place," Kai told Jack. "Somewhere my hands can''t reach. Not yet." Jack Sparrow licked his lips. "So, it was you who stole my compass, eh?" Kai flicked his hand and took out two boxes from his MRB. When he opened one of them, there was a compass in it, looking exactly like Jack Sparrow''s Compass. Well, it was the original Compass; the Artifact. "I am Red," Kai introduced, smiling, his eyes dead. "You must have heard of me." "Eh¡­ I don''t think I have," Jack commented, cleaning his teeth with his nails. "But you smell like a pirate, that is better. "Look mate, there is no sense in gentlemen of the same profession quarreling over trifles, is there? Why not help me escape, and I will help you in finding whatever you are seeking? What say you?" Kai''s eyes shone with a dull gray color, only noticeable to him. A Side Mission had popped up because of Jack''s declaration. Kai ignored it mercilessly. If other Contestants were to get to know that Kai rejected a chance to sail with Captain Jack Sparrow himself, then they would cough out blood on the spot. Kai didn''t want it, though. His experience with Jack, considering his theory of Luck at two extremities, had already turned out to be the worst. Moreover, he''d rather sail by himself on Actaea and with his crew than with Jack Sparrow. Then there was the matter of Compass, his true purpose. How could Kai afford to let his guard down against the temptation of a mere Side Mission? "I have a better proposition," Kai hissed, coming inches close to Jack. "Trade the Compass with me, and I will give you what you want the most." Jack''s face showed nothing, but Kai had Advance Emotions Manipulation. He couldn''t manipulate all the emotions, other than snatching out the happiness, hope, trust, and confidence, and replacing them with anguish, fear, depression, despair, remorse, and horror. But what he could do was enough ¡ª enough to sense the anxiety in Jack''s heart, along with traces of doubt. "And what is it that I want?" Jack Sparrow asked. "What we pirates all want eventually¡­" Kai intoned, gazing deep into Jack''s eyes. "Revenge, treasure, opportunities, power, life¡­ "¡­ myriad forms one meaning ¡ª Freedom!" The thin smile lingering on Jack''s face vanished. 0377 Boarding Black Pearl - Shocking Captain Barbossa! Meanwhile, Cersei and the pirates had already arrived at Black Pearl using their boats laden with swag. Pirate Pintel and Ragetti boarded the ship''s main deck with Cersei. Once up and steady, and surrounded by grim-looking pirates who were looking at her with raw lust, Cersei turned her head toward the ship''s stern and spied on Captain Barbossa''s silhouette. Richly dressed, and with a Captain''s bearing, Hector Barbossa was eying everyone and everything from the quarterdeck. He was looking down at the main deck with his dark eyes, his gaze reaching to the forecastle and going beyond to the figurehead. "I didn''t know we was taking on captives," a thick voice reached Cersei''s ears, and she frowned. This voice belonged to a humongous man, dark-skinned, cruel-faced, and body covered in ritual facial and body scarring. His chest was bare, and there was displeasure in his eyes. He was Black Pearl''s Boatswain and First Mate ¡ª Bo''sun. Cersei had known to not open a lady''s mouth in front of such savages even when she was a pup. Much less needed to be said when she was almost a woman grown. Pintel showed fear, but his head was high; a pirate''s courage, perhaps. "She''s invoked the right to Parley with Captain Barbossa." The first mate eyed Cersei up and down cruelly, and when he got no response out of her, he lifted his hand to hit her, anyway. "Ye''ll not lay a hand on those under the protection of parley," Barbossa hissed, grabbing Bo''sun''s hand. His tone meant business. "Aye, sir," the first mate spat, and then snatched back his hand. Cersei observed the Captain from close. A monkey was sitting over his left shoulder, and despite his ill reputation, Barbossa''s speech had a finesse that few of his kind possessed. "My apologies, miss," Barbossa said, smiling. "Captain Barbossa," Cersei said coquettishly, stepping in, her smile even broader. "I am here to negotiate with you on behalf of the White Serpent Pirates'' Captain, Red." Kai had always known that there were chances of a few Contestants being a part of Black Pearl''s crew. But the main storyline had already changed drastically and he cared little about it at this point. No matter what, he couldn''t have hidden Elizabeth''s absence when the young lady who boarded the ghost ship didn''t even look like her. So what if they heard, saw, gasped, or took action? There weren''t many in this timeline who could threaten Kai''s plans. And Kai was certain that a Contestant of that caliber couldn''t be a part of Barbossa''s crewmen so easily. This was one of the reasons for him to get a measure of Protectors'' strength during the Night of Truce. Captain Barbossa frowned and made an odd face at Cersei. "There were a lot of long words in there, miss," he commented, bringing a chuckle out of everyone. "We''re naught but humble pirates. I, for once, never heard of White Serpent Pirates or this Captain Red." "It'' some new pirate, Captain Barbossa," a crewman told them. "I saw a torn Wanted poster in town. Looked a babe still livin'' on mother''s milk." If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. A current of mocking laughter coursed through the crew. Captain Barbossa''s smile widened. "A mere scallywag?" he japed, calling Red an inexperienced pirate. "I''m disinclined to acquiesce your request. Means No." Anger was already flashing across Cersei''s eyes as she heard the mockery directed toward Kai, although he had exclusively warned her to not lose her mind over petty things. But this was Cersei; bold, cunning, and manipulative, and yet her anger flared now and then out of her control, especially when power and her children were concerned. This Cersei had no children, but she had Kai. Cersei was about to fume when she took a deep breath and snatched the chain off her neck. "Fine!" she spat, her green eyes burning. "Live like the cursed beings you all are¡­ forever!" Cersei held the chain with the gold medallion, her hand outstretched beyond the hull. Then, under the shocked and silent gazes of the Black Pearl''s pirates, she loosened her grip, letting the medallion fall and stop with a jerk. With this jerk, the entire crew gasped. "No!" Cersei sneered at the horrifying look on the pirates'' faces, her eyes glinting with cunningness. "Scallywag or Seadog," she warned Captain Barbossa, "no one gets to mock our Captain." Barbossa regarded Cersei with an odd gaze for some time and then burst out in a feat of laughter, stepping toward Cersei. "Hahaha! You have a name, missy?" "Lanny¡­" Cersei looked unsure about giving her first name only. Kai hadn''t commanded her about these trivial things. "Lanny Stormwind." "Aye, Lanny Stormwind," Barbossa repeated, pressing his gaze onto Cersei. "And how do we know you are indeed who you say you are?" Cersei scorned inwardly. Kai had already guessed that Barbossa would raise this question, especially in front of the crew. If Cersei were to fail in proving that the White Serpent Pirates weren''t ordinary, then it would give Barbossa a chance to belittle the upcoming negotiation. It was especially so when Kai didn''t have much reputation among the pirates of this timeline. Not yet. In this, both Barbossa and Jack Sparrow were alike, as both needed a shock factor before putting someone in their eyes. Cersei stepped aside and let the entire crew take a good look at her. This wasn''t a show Kai had prepared only for Barbossa, but it would also serve as a warning to the Contestants in Barbossa''s crew if there were any. To the utter surprise of the undead crew, Cersei opened her mouth, and then kept opening it until it looked like she would soon let out the most powerful scream of her life. No sound came out of her mouth, however. "What''s she doin''?" a pirate asked. "Eh, yeh think she want us ter¡­" Just when this pirate was going to say something truly deplorable, Cersei belched as if she was going to vomit the next moment. And then a touch of white flashed in her throat. A white that bordered silver. In the darkness of night, this silver shone everywhere. As they kept watching Cersei, glued to this mystifying sparkling color, both white and silver grew, enlarging exponentially. Captain Barbossa was the first to step back, and the entire crew followed his action soon, too. A shocking presence emitted from Cersei as the center as Selene slithered out of Cersei''s mouth, hissing and spitting, flicking out her forked tongue. If there was any Contestant on the ship, her Perception and might alone were enough to scare the shit out of them. This was the shock factor Kai had prepared for all, risking the dip in his Abnormality Limiter. Cersei was Kai''s Item, and thus, her doings were Kai''s doings as well. It was just like how Selene''s kills also counted as Kai''s kills when they battled together. If Cersei gained an object, as per the Contestants'' procedure, then it would be equivalent to Kai''s gaining that object, turning it into an Item. That''s where the advantage of letting Cersei roam on her own lay. Only Cersei could do such things, for Kai didn''t have the confidence to let either Petyr or Rintaro out on their own. However, the reason for both men differed quite a much. Then there was the fact that Selene couldn''t enter the Book''s Characters in her mist form without forcing them back into the Book. But, in her original shape, Selene could control herself from damaging the Characters inadvertently. The moment Selene came out, she looked at Cersei with her blind eyes, almost eying her with disgust. But Kai''s command was paramount for both of them. With a puff, Selene burst into silver mist and hovered over Cersei''s head. Then, this mist churned and roiled, taking a ghostly shape of a skull sitting over two crossed sabers, and a white serpent slithering in and out of the skull. White Serpent Pirates'' Jolly Roger! "What sorcery is this?!" someone gasped. "Ghost!" "She''s a Witch!" the words came out like a curse. "Captain Barbossa," Cersei said, snickering, rubbing off the wetness from the corners of her mouth. "Dare I ask for a private audience now?" Hector Barbossa had lost a part of his nonchalant attitude. His upper lips twisted, and then he let out a grunt. "Arrgh! Follow me." As Cersei gracefully walked behind Captain Barbossa, the silver mist in the air dispersed. But Selene was still there, hiding in the fog lingering around the Black Pearl, for Cersei was her responsibility tonight. Better would be to say it was the Book Ghost Basilisk cared about. Nothing else. 0378 Shock, Trust, and Ruthlessness - Offering the Philosophers Stone?! As Cersei and Barbossa entered Captain''s chambers, in the prison cells of Fort Charles, Jack Sparrow broke out with a chuckle. There was a look on Captain Jack''s face that said he hadn''t heard anything more absurd than Kai''s words before. "Freedom¡­" he tasted the word, licking his lips. "Aye! That is indeed what I want. But the only freedom that I need now is to leave this place. You can forget about the Compass, my friend." For Kai to bring the Compass back to Jack Sparrow already said that he knew about the Compass'' specialty. Jack Sparrow was shrewd enough to see through it, but Kai had no intention of hiding it, to begin with. Only the greed of even greater power could force Jack Sparrow to even consider trading the Compass, for no one wanted to go through the wrath of betrayal. Much less needed to be said about one of the Luckiest beings in the Multiverse. Yet, Kai also knew that Jack Sparrow had indeed bartered the Compass in the future part of the main storyline. Even if he had done so in a drunken stupor, there was no changing the fact, either. Kai smiled. "Won''t you even hear what I have to offer, eh?" he asked, glancing at the other box. "I am asking for much, but I am giving you even more in return." Jack Sparrow played with his ear for a while, showing no interest, and then said, "Let''s hear it." This was the power of the first impression. So what if Jack Sparrow didn''t fear him? The ex-captain of Black Pearl at least knew him better than before. It was enough to get an opportunity, and an opportunity was all Kai needed. Half part of the negotiations could already be considered over. "The first thing I''ve to offer you is a name," Kai said, knowing well that Jack Sparrow had gotten little time after his arrival at Port Royal to prowl around for information. "Let it be a gift from pirate to pirate, and from Captain to Captain." The shock factor had already served its purpose. Then came the matter of establishing trust. This gift was Kai''s attempt at building that trust. An attempt he knew would surely work, especially after Koehler''s and Twigg''s (-two pirates from Black Pearl-) recent visit. Looking at Jack''s face, one could not tell if he believed a name would garner any attention from him. But he was listening. "William¡­" Kai told Jack. "William Turner." For a moment, Jack showed no change in expression. But Kai could see the glint in his eyes and the waves the fluctuation of his emotions had caused, letting him perceive them. Kai had got him! "The second thing I am offering is this person''s current location," he continued, making Jack fall into a rare silence. "The third thing is your freedom; from this prison, of course. The fourth thing is a piece of information that will bring you great joy, and I am sure it will soothe the spite in your heart you carry for your ex-crewmen." Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Till now, not one thing that Kai offered seemed to have garnered Jack''s attention. It was then that Kai put forward his last offer. "The last thing I am offering," Kai whispered, his face solemn, "is Life." "Life?" Jack repeated, flicking the bone in his hand up and down. "No, thank you. I already have it." Kai sneered. "That''s good," he said, nodding in agreement. "What about another? Two lives are always better than one, no? Haha!" Jack''s face crumbled for the first time, and his eyes involuntarily landed on the second box. "Get over here," a command escaped Kai''s throat like a beastly growl. The dog, who carried keys in his mouth and who had run off before the two pirates and Kai''s arrival, was still resting at the foot of the stairs, leading further down the prison corridor. With this command, Kai stimulated his Glitch, making the dog near him shiver as if being eyed by the bloodthirstiest predator. The dog yelped and approached them under the shocking gaze of Jack Sparrow. Even he hadn''t managed to make the dog come near to him. The dog dropped the keys behind Kai and sat down on his haunches, yelping all the while. "Wait!" Jack suddenly shouted. Too late! With a bang, a corner of the dog''s head shattered, blood splattering everywhere as Kai stomped over it. Shock, Trust, and Ruthlessness. These were the three reasons behind Kai''s risk. If he hadn''t had faith in these reasons, then he wouldn''t have carried out this plan. Jack had gone incredibly silent. This was thin ice Kai was walking on. But even if the ice would have been thinner, he still had the courage and confidence to run over it. The box flew open, then. The second one. Under the penetrating gaze of Jack, Kai took out a blood-colored crystal, shining bloodier than ever. It was the size of a nail, and there was such a thick aura around it that even an ordinary person could have sensed its mystery. Jack Sparrow, though an ordinary man, was the most extraordinary Character even among the extraordinary. Kai held the tiny, half-used Philosopher''s Stone between his fingers, crouched, and let it kiss the badly mangled wound of the twitching dog. What happened next made Jack Sparrow draw a stunning breath. Flesh, blood, and bones regenerated off the broken head at a visible rate as a bloody light pulsated out of the Artifact in Kai''s hand. In no time, the dog''s head had returned to as it was before Kai''s cruel actions. Sssss! The dog drew breath, and its eyes snapped open. With a final yelp, it ran away, not staying a bit longer near its murderer. This was the Philosopher''s Stone; capable of healing even the most grievous wounds, even those that had been inflicted on the vital organs. In terms of the Primordial Tower, the Philosopher''s Stone supplied a substantial amount of HP almost instantly, attacking the most horrendous wounds in the target''s body. Its effect was nearly perfect and instantaneous, but there was a major drawback. Using the Philosopher''s Stone to heal anything that possessed a definite form consumed it. That''s why, for Contestants, to use one of the most rare Artifacts to heal fatal wounds, when this could easily be accomplished using HP capsules, was an unforgivable crime; punishable by death. There were better and more mysterious uses of the Philosopher''s Stone that no other Artifact, Item, or Skill could accomplish with half as much efficacy as it. Like healing a damaged Soul. As Kai saw the crystal''s size shortening, he frowned inwardly. In the open, he pushed himself to his feet and looked at Jack Sparrow. "No matter the lethality of a wound," Kai told him, "this stone can grant you one more life. This should be enough for the Compass, right? This should be more than enough for anything." Kai had indeed planned to trade the Compass for the Philosopher''s Stone. So what if the stone had cost him 33 million Mission Credits? So what if it could heal his soul if he were to ignore the matter of Death''s tampering with it? And so what if he could sell it again to get back the Mission Credits and use them for something else? Jack Sparrow''s Compass¡­ was priceless. It was one of the most unique Items that could only be desired but not obtained. Not to mention, getting the Compass from Jack Sparrow himself would automatically turn the Artifact into a Named Item. How many things were there in the Multiverse that led one to the thing they wanted the most? None. And how many ways were there through which one could create their own Philosopher''s Stones? Countless. Creation of Philosopher''s Stones was indeed a logic-defying task, but with Kai, it wasn''t an impossible one. It was especially so when he had already seen their effects, his greed for them surpassing skies. If he wasn''t apprehensive about these Philosopher''s Stones being marked by Death, perhaps he wouldn''t have given them to Jack so easily then. And it wasn''t like just anyone could approach Jack Sparrow with the Philosopher''s Stone in one''s hand and ask him to trade the Compass. One must not forget what led to this moment; the combination of two monstrous concepts. Glitch and Facelessness! 0379 Magical Contract with Jack Sparrow - A Shocking Note! Glitch and Facelessness! This combination already made Kai stand out not only from the Contestants of Chaos but also from the Contestants of the entire Primordial Tower. Why had Kai been so adamant about learning Facelessness? What were the reasons for him to pursue its true essence with such zeal, taking such a risk regarding its Comprehension? This was it. If Kai were to become a Faceless man, then he would be the single Contestant, and possibly the only one in the billions of years of history of the Primordial Tower, to have both Glitch and mastery over Facelessness. Yes, the Glitch already let him tower over other Contestants of his generation. But it wasn''t like there weren''t other Contestants with Glitches of their own, either. This was Kai''s answer to that; this was his preparation¡­ to subdue all beings in the Primordial Tower, irrespective of their uniqueness. "Jack," Kai said with a touch of finality in his tone. "Do we have an accord?" Jack''s breathing had quickened, and that was saying something in itself. "3 years," he ultimately said, feigning a pained expression as if Kai hadn''t picked up on it. "I can lend it to you for 3 years, but you must return it to me after that." Kai''s face had gained a dark tinge. He knew he had entered the last and most troublesome phase of his plans. Haggling with Jack Sparrow. Kai had confidence in himself, but his haggling skills weren''t half as good as that of Petyr. Not to mention, Jack was a master haggler; armed with the most powerful persuasive skills one could find in the Multiverse. The ice had just thinned even more. "You are fucking with me, right?" Kai cursed; ruthlessness, already established and shown, flashed across his eyes. "On one side, you would need to face your worst fear, and on the other side, a second chance at life. Your Compass for my four offers. You better think it over, Jack. Time is running out for both of us." Jack smacked his lips and kept watching the two boxes as if he wanted to both of them. Well, what could one expect from a pirate? Even Kai himself wanted to have both the Philosopher''s Stone and the Compass. But he was a Contestant, and he had no other choice but to trade it with the owner. At last, Jack Sparrow drew a long breath and¡­ shook his head. "No, mon ami," he said, smiling. "Me. Me a simple man. I love¡­" The moment Kai heard No he already knew he needed to go all in, and he needed to do it now. And Kai was anything but an indecisive person. So, even before Jack Sparrow could spit nonsense, his words got stuck in his throat because of Kai''s actions. Kai''s left hand, holding the box that contained the crystal, reached behind his back and took out another box. Moreover, it was already open. There was another blood-colored crystal inside the box, bigger than the other one. "I agree¡­" Jack instantly shouted. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "Humph!" Kai''s snort cut his words short. "Do you take me for a fool, Jack Sparrow? It''s almost three lives¡­ three! You think your Compass is enough for that." The corners of Jack''s mouth twisted with a knowing smile. "What is it that you want, my lucky friend?" he asked, reaching for the two boxes in Kai''s hands. "Go on, tell me." Kai knew that there were just too many Artifacts on Jack''s body. But the ones that were worthy enough for him to get, Jack would never trade them, and those that weren''t, using Philosopher''s Stone to get them, would be even more foolish. He had an even better idea, planned for this very scenario. "I want a promise," Kai said, a smile returning to his face. "A promise that no matter where you are or will be in this world, universe, or beyond, you will help me with one of my adventures unconditionally, serving on my ship, and as my crewman." A Magical Contract! Not just any magical contract. No. Kai had learned from the existing ones. This was a Magical Contract that would most probably be valid in all Pirates of the Caribbean Random World in the Multiverse. How would Jack Sparrow be manipulated according to the Magical Contract in those worlds? Well, that was Chaos'' headache, not Kai''s. There was no point in thinking about that. Jack looked at Kai, mulling over the proposal. Here came to help the first two things Kai had shown to the Character. The shock factor and trust. Anybody could be ruthless if needed. But mysteriousness, and that too genuine, wasn''t something skilled eyes couldn''t decipher. Moreover, there was no reason to not trust Kai, especially when, in Jack''s heart, he knew Kai was at the losing end already. "Very well," Jack nodded. "We have an accord." Jack Sparrow spit on his right hand and stretched it out through the bars. Kai did the same. Then they shook their hands over it, grabbing each other''s forearms. Both Kai and Jack looked at each other, not letting go of their arms. Then, as if following an unheard and unknown signal, both looked at their surroundings, their head bobbing up and down. Jack Sparrow was looking for a sign of misfortune and curse he knew was coming now that he had traded the Compass. Kai, on the other hand, was searching for the Magical Contract''s Notification, knowing well that the Compass would become Named Item only after carrying out the actual trade, i.e. after handing over the Philosopher''s Stones. No ominous sign appeared in Jack''s case, making him grin from ear to ear. In Kai''s case, a dull gray color appeared in front of his eyes slowly as if a lot of processing power was being taken to force the notification out. This thought made him frown. ¡­ [ A Magical Contract is established between Captain Red and Captain Jack Sparrow The terms of the contract are: 1. Captain Jack Sparrow, across Multiverse, will help Captain Red in one of his adventures by serving unconditionally on his ship as a crewman Note: Knowledge of the Primordial Tower can be divulged temporarily in such a case 2. As the length of such an adventure is impossible to calculate, Contestant Kai Stormborn will need to Sacrifice an Item, Artifact, Skill, Ability, or Attributes to Chaos to continue the validity of Clause 1 going on. 3. The frequency of these Sacrifices, and the initial time of Sacrifice, will depend on the World''s Overall Grade and the Contestant''s Main Mission Grade Warning: Failing to Sacrifice, equivalent to the sacrifice demanded, will lead to the Contract''s failure ] ¡­ The moment Kai''s eyes landed on the Note. This?! Jack suddenly lunged at the two boxes in Kai''s hand with his empty hand. When did he throw away the bone, even Kai hadn''t realized? Kai pulled both his hands back and snorted. "What?" Jack asked impatiently. "I already agreed, mate. It''s natural that I receive my end of the bargain." "Not so fast," Kai spat. "I offered you four things in the beginning to show my sincerity. But you rejected it and then forced me to add a fifth, and an even better offer, on top of it. "Do you take me for a fool? I want more. Don''t worry, I wouldn''t ask for more than what I''ve already offered." Jack looked over his shoulder and eyed the big hole in the other cell, and then nodded. "Pirates, eh? All are alike. Spit it out." "It''s not much," Kai shrugged. "I just want to hold a few things you have on you for a few moments each." Jack looked up and down at Kai and then ran his hands over his pants in a knowing way. Even Kai frowned as he realized how odd the words he had just uttered sounded in his head. "I said things," Kai repeated. "Stop playing the child with me, Jack!" "Ahem!" Jack Sparrow cleared his throat. "That is all well, but¡­ I must know the answers to those three offers first. Start with this William Turner''s location, eh?" Kai looked over to his left and said, "Well, he will naturally come to find you by morning." Jack instantly frowned upon hearing that, sensing something wrong. It hit him out of the blue. All this while, he had been thinking that Red had gotten the short end of the stick, but he hadn''t come out of this hellhole unscathed, either. With such a realization, Jack hurried with the second question. "What about my freedom?" Kai looked back at the Captain. "When William Turner comes in the morning, he will naturally free you from this confinement." Jack was gobsmacked. "And the piece of information¡­" "Ah, that!" Kai scratched his chin. "Your old first mate, Hector Barbossa, will be missing his prized hat soon enough." Jack: "¡­" 0380 Cerseis sly tongue - Negotiating with Captain Barbossa! Captain''s Quarter, Black Pearl As Jack Sparrow processed Kai''s bewildering words, on the ghost ship, the sound of a fist banging on the table could be heard echoing off in the distance. "My hat?!" Captain Barbossa fumed. "Lass, do you even know what you are askin'', eh?" A hat wasn''t just a decorative item for a pirate. It was especially so when it came to a pirate like Barbossa. His hat symbolized his status as the Captain of the Black Pearl. Asking for his hat was almost equivalent to asking for the captaincy of Black Pearl. The gall! Barbossa was a man of a hundred talents. Confident and persuasive, ruthless and cunning, Hector Barbossa combined experience with almost reckless daring. At first sight, he seemed more of a gentleman than a pirate. Though his bearded face was lined and weathered, and the whites of his eyes were more yellow than white, he wore a fine feathered hat and long, black dress coat. A gnarled, weathered man, Barbossa was grim and rough-edged, to say the least, but he had a knack for dry humor. Yet, his love for hats was the most known among the Contestants. Currently, Captain Barbossa was wearing a huge, navy blue hat, battered and ragged from extensive use. It was decorated with blue ostrich feathers as a show of vanity. Barbossa had obtained this hat just after the mutiny of Black Pearl, after which he had become the Captain from the previously held post of the First Mate. For the Contestants, and especially those who were pirates, as well as Captains, this hat was just too grand an Item to pass upon. If given by Barbossa willingly, or traded with him by a member of a Contestant''s crew, then it would become an Uncommon Item. There were even chances of it turning out to be a Named Item. Kai could not let go of this chance. And the responsibility fell upon Cersei''s shoulders. "Humph!" Cersei snorted, biting her teeth into a green apple. "It''s just a Hat. My Captain is offering you an opportunity to do away with the curse that troubles you and your crew so. "You are just giving up on his sincerity when he admires and looks up to you? All he wants is a hat because we all know yours is the best among all the pirate Captains. "Now, my Captain has a ship, sword, woman, and crew. He does lack a hat with some story behind it. Not that much of a big deal now, is it?" Barbossa eyed the morsels of apples going down Cersei''s throat as she licked her lips. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. He gulped. The curse had eaten away everything of the Black Pearl''s crew, including emotions and senses. Lust Barbossa had known, but he desired touch and taste even more. "Your flattery won''t take you anywhere, missy," Captain Barbossa sneered, already well-versed in such pretenses. "My Hat is off the table!" "Oh!" Cersei raised an eyebrow, looking like a ghostly fairy amid cursed pirates. "Off the table? Is it, now? I wonder, Captain Barbossa¡­ I wonder what your crew will think if they get to know that you gave up on the chance to lift the curse¡­ just for a hat." Barbossa''s eyes gave off a glint. In return, the Lioness of Casterly Rock smiled. "You will regret this, lass," Barbossa warned, chuckling. "And your Captain¡­ Red, eh? He will regret it all the more. According to the Code of the Brethren, a Pirate Captain''s hat¡­" "Code?" Cersei''s voice cut in like a sharp knife. "My Captain says the Code is more what you''d call guidelines than actual rules." "¡­" Captain Barbossa got stumped. And then he burst out with a thunderous laugh, finding humor in Cersei''s words. "Is that so? You wouldn''t mind if I were to overlook the definition of Parley from the Code, would you?" Cersei shared Barbossa''s humor. She took out the Gold Medallion, and flicked it up midair, making the Captain''s eyes follow its trajectory. "I would not," she told him, putting it in her bosom. "But please tell me this, Captain. Do you think the medallion is real or not?" Barbossa''s laugh broke, his hands quivered, and he eyed Cersei with ruthless ferocity. "I don''t know what you''re playing at, but I know the medallion is real enough. I¡­ I can feel it in my bones." "Can you, now?" Cersei asked and then giggled. "Have you not seen what my Captain is capable of?" Barbossa went quiet once more. Someone truly said ¡ª A well-planned first impression can lead to even greater and better opportunities later on. Kai Stormborn knew what he was doing, to say the least. The memory of a white serpent coming out of Cersei''s mouth and the Jolly Roger of a skull, serpent, and sabers resurfaced in Barbossa''s mind. "Too long my fate has not been in me own hands... No longer," said Captain Barbossa after a long pause. "The hat for the medallion and the boy''s name and location. Done." "Not so fast," Cersei whispered, putting one leg over the other, and drinking wine. "What am I? Some spoiled wench? No, right? Then why do you treat me as one, Captain Barbossa? The hat I will naturally take away with me. "Besides, you must swear on your blood that you or your crew or anyone upon your direct or indirect order will not harm or conspire to harm me or my captain once I disembarked the Black Pearl; and that you are giving your hat willingly, with no malice in your heart, and no desire to obtain it back by any means whatsoever. If you swear so, then we can come to an agreement." Kai had meticulously worded the entire oath so that Order wouldn''t send a higher-floor Contestant to Barbossa, getting a Mission of bringing the Hat back. He also needed to make sure that the Hat became an Item. If Barbossa harbored any idea of obtaining the Hat back, just like if Jack harbored any intention of getting the Compass back, then the Artifact would never become an Item. Barbossa looked at Cersei. Even with his cunning and years, had never met such a beautiful yet vile lass. Sweet Poison! Yes, these were the only words that came to his mind. Captain Barbossa scowled dejectedly, and said, "This Red knows how to choose his crew, eh? Aye! But no soul, alive or dead, will know of this after this moment. Or yer Captain better start countin'' his days." Cersei stood up and raised the cup of wine, "After this moment¡­ May your anchor be tight, Your cork be loose, Your rum be spiced, and your Compass be true!" "You know some old sayin'', I will give you that," Barbossa said, raising an empty cup. And then he took off his hat and slammed it at Cersei''s feet as if he had discarded it. Cersei didn''t mind. She picked up the hat, dusted it off, and only then flicked the gold medallion toward Barbossa. Then she told him about William Turner and where they would find the young blacksmith. "Prepare a pinnace for me," Cersei demanded, smiling, imagining the praises Kai would shower her with. Captain Barbossa bit the gold and then marched toward the chamber''s doors, but gave no such order. He then looked over his shoulder and slyly said, "And why would I do that, Miss Lanny?" "How dare¡­" Cersei was just about to rebuke when she suddenly realized that how she would go back wasn''t a part of their agreement. "Bwahahaha!" Captain Barbossa roared out a peal of laughter, running his hand through his wig. "To the harbor once more, you scurvy dogs! And you, missy. There''s the sea, yeh see it? Wet that tongue o'' yers, eh? Haha!" Cersei dared not stay on the ship anymore. Fuming, and throwing daggers through her eyes at Captain Barbossa, she ran and threw herself off the ship, striking the cold sea with a splash. 0381 Artifacts after Artifacts - Captain Jack Sparrows Gift! Over at Fort Charles, the two pirates, who had come to an agreement while cursing each other, were drinking and singing, their faces flushed red and pink. The voice wasn''t that of a singer, but it had an aloof charm to it. "Yo ho...ho ho ho ho! Hardy har har. Drink up, me hearties, yo ho!" Jack Sparrow sang, raising the bottle of rum. Kai slammed the empty bottle in his hand on the floor, and let it go rolling in the distance. The rum bit at his throat and lungs, but there was a lover''s pain about it, too. "Another?" Kai asked, taking out a bottle of ale. "I can still go on, Haha!" Jack wiggled and waggled, almost sprawled on the floor. When he saw a fresh bottle in Kai''s hands, he smacked his lips, pulled out a ring from his left thumb, and threw it toward him between the bars. Kai, though heavily drunk, snatched it off midair with great swiftness. This was the 7th Artifact Kai had made Jack give him to hold after their last bout of negotiations. Kai still hadn''t handed over the two crystals to Jack, refusing to do so before holding each and every Artifact on the Captain''s body for a minute. Captain Jack was a walking armory of Artifacts, to begin with. There was a knotted striped-red sash tied around his waist, where he would stow his pistol. The sash was made for him by Amenirdis, one of his love interests. It was said the sash had the magical ability to protect Jack from injuries, sickness, or harm. Wrapped around his head was the red bandanna, a gift from Jack''s lover Esmeralda; another Artifact. Then there was the piece of eight; the most famous of Jack''s possessions, if one were to ignore his lost items and the Compass. His hair adorned several beads, and two of them were given to him by Tia Dalma herself as a means of unlocking the eye of Stone-Eyed Sam; two more Artifacts. And Rings! Moreover, there were five of them; all Artifacts. The ring in Kai''s hand, a silver and jade oriental dragon ring, was the second ring and the 7th Artifact, he had gotten out of Jack if he were to ignore Jack''s hat, sword, pistol, and the Compass from the morning. But Jack Sparrow hadn''t made it easy on Kai, either. For each of my belongings, you want to hold, you will have to empty a bottle, mate! Jack had said, grinning. So, Kai had gone and returned with dozens of bottles from the marines'' cellar. "Why not gift this ring to me, Jack?" Kai offhandedly commented, feeling a bit dizzy. By now Cersei would have already left the Black Pearl, obtaining Barbossa''s hat, he guessed. And the moment he gave the crystals to Jack, the Compass would become an Item as well. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. No point in staying in this world after that, Kai knew. "Still not a pirate from heart, eh, eh?" Jack laughed. "We steal and plunder, mon ami. Gifts¡­ they don'' suit our business." Kai''s eyes shone as if he''d stumbled upon something. Nevertheless, once he got the notification, he threw it back at Jack, who put it on his left thumb again. Kai put the bottle of ale to his mouth and began gulping it down. He wanted all of them. Three rings remained; three more Artifacts. Kai needed a total of fifty Artifacts to become a Proficient Collector, which would let him raise his Luck by a whopping fifteen points upon equipping the Title. Fifteen! Kai could slaughter an entire floor for even ten if given the chance. Much less needed to be said about getting drunk in the company of one of the greatest pirate Captains. ¡­ Jack Sparrow twisted and turned the ring on his right ring finger, taking several mouthfuls of rum. It was a gold onyx Spanish flower ring that he stole from a wealthy Spanish widow. However, his thoughts weren''t eying this ring, but another; already lost. Before he turned to piracy, Jack had received a gold ring from Amenirdis. That ring could summon Amenirdis when Jack sailed near her island, Kerma. However, that ring was lost when Cutler Beckett threw it into the sea before he branded Jack as a pirate. Many years had passed since then, and yet, the memory was still as fresh as the smell of the sea. ¡­ Captain Jack Sparrow eyed the ring on his finger, thinking of the lost one, and mumbled, "Say, have yeh ever loved someone?" Kai let the bottle''s butt kiss the floor and became quiet. He lifted his head and looked at the full moon through the gap in the walls, at the moonlight, and the vast blankness of night. The drunkenness had already turned his sight blurry. Kai could lie at this moment. He could use the Facelessness'' Contrasts to fool both Jack and himself. Yet, when Kai asked himself what would be the point of doing so, he found no answer. "No," Kai said, shaking his head. "Love¡­ is not for me." There was no sadness in Kai''s words, no pain, no remorse, and no regrets. It was as if he had come to accept the fact that the emotion of Love and he would never come close to each other like the north and south poles of the earth. Forever distant and unknown! Jack Sparrow looked at Kai deeply as the white-haired pirate gulped down another bottle. The ex-captain of Black Pearl once more twisted and turned the onyx ring, looking thoughtful. Then, as Kai groggily let the empty bottle fall, Jack pulled out the ring and threw it toward him. Kai''s tongue had gone numb. Still, he didn''t fail to grab the ring with a rare, genuine smile. One more Artifact! This was enough to make him smile, no matter how empty it must have felt to others. Once Kai was done with it, he was about to throw it back. It was then that Jack laughed. "Keep it, mate. You wante'' a gift, eh? Well, there yeh have it. May it help yeh in findin'' love¡­" Kai frowned. The moment Jack said that he could keep the ring, Kai could feel that the Artifact had transformed somehow. Artifacts couldn''t be brought out of the Random World or put in Inventories. Only certain Artifacts, that were Items, or could become Items, as well but had no Stats, could be put into Inventories (-including MRB-), just like Devil Fruits, the Compass, and the Philosopher''s Stone. The gold onyx Spanish flower ring shone with a dull color, Kai perceived. But when he took more looks at it, the ring showed no changes. Dejected, Kai put it on his right ring finger, the same one on which Jack had been wearing it. Then Kai took out another bottle, throwing another to Jack. "Say," Jack drawled, "I am runnin'' nowhere, mate, eh? Why not just give ''em to me?" Kai paused and contemplated. The only reason he hadn''t handed the crystals over was that he feared Jack would not let him hold the Artifacts. Now that there were no more Artifacts to hold, there was no point in holding back. Well, I do want to have a look at the Compass, Kai reasoned. Let''s see what kind of absurd Stats it even has. With this thought, Kai opened the two boxes and took out the two blood-colored crystals, both giving off a bloody glow. The empty boxes disappeared once the crystals had roped Jack Sparrow''s eyes. With a flick of his hand, Kai threw them toward the Captain. Time¡­ stopped, then. ...
+5 Bonus Chapters for every Rating!!! 0382 The Shadow Lord - A Timelines Anomaly!!! The wind died and the sound of waves crashing against rocks and on each other choked. Sheets of ominous clouds veiled the bright moon, darkening the entire land and sea alike. A sinister howl echoed everywhere as if ghosts and the dead were crying, welcoming some unnamed pagan deity. Both Kai''s and Jack''s heart thumped instantly, the two crystals of the Philosopher''s Stone crossing the gap between the iron bars. This was the sign they had hoped, looked, and waited for, but forgot when trading the Compass had brought no changes to their surroundings. It was even more so true for Kai, for he was a Contestant. Kai knew the moment he was to hand over the crystals to Jack Sparrow, they wouldn''t remain Artifacts anymore, as this Random World had no concept of Philosopher''s Stones, to begin with. They would become special mystical objects after interacting with the Timeline''s laws. This very thing was happening right now, and somehow¡­ this process of transformation seemed to have resonated with the Compass'' wrath over Jack Sparrow''s betrayal. Kai had never cared for what kind of misfortune Jack would face after his return. But it was Jack, the main Character¡­ he would survive, as he had always. Or so Kai had thought. This sudden change caught even him off-guard. It was as if a strange power that he could never resist was pressing down on him, preventing him from stopping the trade; preventing him from calling the crystals back. Even Jack Sparrow wanted to snatch his outstretched hand back, it felt. Too late. BOOM! This boom wasn''t loud. Nor was it real. This boom had exploded in the hearts and minds. In the real world, a pulse, just like the one the gold medallion had sent after coming in contact with the sea, exploded in all directions starting from Jack Sparrow and Kai Stormborn and then engulfing the entire Port Royal, the harbor, the sea, and vanishing into the dark horizons. The moment this pulse stirred through the port, all Contestants felt it. But only one person felt it the most, in his heart; and he¡­ wasn''t a Contestant. ¡­ In a bar with demolished walls, a white-bearded man, tall and bulky, but telling a story of lost handsomeness, was drinking rum. His eyes were cloudy gray as if he had seen just too much of the world. His breath smelled of rum, ale, and wine; alcohol seemed to be coursing through his veins. When the broken people of Port Royal looked at him, after being raided down by the pirates, there was nothing but disgust on their faces. It was then that the pulse arrived, making the old man tremble. The bottle of rum fell out of his hand, shards of glass shattering and flying everywhere. A hundred meters up in the air, glass shards like that of a mirror dimension separated, and a man with a golden helmet walked out. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. He, too, was trembling all over. "This?! What just happened?!!" he blurted, shaking, looking at the old man in the bar. "No! This is¡­" The old man in the demolished bar, who had shown no emotion other than that of a drunken fool, suddenly threw himself to his feet and looked toward Fort Charles. "Life Stone!" a hoarse, ancient voice escaped his mouth. "I can feel the aura. Yes. It''s the Life Stone. Hahaha!" Under the shocking and bewildered eyes of all, and the helmet-wearing man hovering up midair, the old man laughed outrageously, throwing his hands up. And then, with a bang, dense black fog burst out of him, becoming a coat and a hat. It was as if the shadows themselves had come alive. "My time has finally arrived¡­" the old man mumbled, laughing like a maniac, "¡­ once again. The Day of the Shadow will return, and this time there would be no one who can stop it. "SHADOW ARMY! RISE!!! DEVOUR EVERYONE! BRING ME THE LIFE STONE!!!" Hands, legs, heads, and torsos, dead and rotten, shot out of the ground and the walls, and every non-living thing. It was as if the dead had taken the forms of shadows, crawling their way out of cold hell. The logic-defying combination of the Compass'' wrath and transformation of the Philosopher''s Stones had woken up a hibernating legend. This was a power that was not supposed to be in this timeline anymore, for it had already surpassed the level that was known to the Contestants as the 7th floor. This power¡­ belonged to this old man. A Character, who shouldn''t exist in this timeline, not with the Overall Grade allotted to this World. A Character, who would become the nightmare of all Contestants. Pirate Lord Henry Morgan¡­ ¡­ The Shadow Lord!!! This was a title most of the Contestants familiar with Pirates of the Caribbean world had heard of. Even then, they would have never imagined hearing the name of this legend in this timeline, and at this point in the main Storyline. The Shadow Lord, or Sir Henry Morgan, was a legendary Character; a Pirate Lord of the Brethren Court. At the dawn of the Golden Age of Piracy, Pirate Lord Henry Morgan had helped write the Code of the Pirate Brethren with Bartholomew, another Pirate Lord. Not only was he a knight of England, but, in his later years, he had also become the lieutenant governor of Jamaica, of which the town of Port Royal was a part. In his times, Sir Henry Morgan''s atrocities and reputation knew no bounds, reaching to the furthest seas a man could find. Later, the other Pirate Lords betrayed him, selling him to the Government. Nonetheless, Henry Morgan had turned that foul episode around miraculously, too. One could even say that he was the Jack Sparrow and Hector Barbossa of his time. But these things couldn''t even come close to the prime tale, which had turned this mere Pirate Lord and knight of England into an Immortal Legend. According to various lores, Morgan died in Port Royal on August 25, 1688. Only later did the world find out that, through unknown circumstances, the Pirate Lord had moved to a secret laboratory on a remote island where he began to study Alchemy. Morgan then spent years studying all sorts of science, sorcery, and black magic. Not only that, but he also discovered a way to live forever, prolonging his life. When the world came to know about this, by the 1710s, Pirate Lord Henry Morgan had already become the Shadow Lord; a master of Alchemy. With his power, the Shadow Lord created the Shadow Army; an army of inanimate objects brought to life by magic. Remembering the injustice done to him long ago, the Shadow Lord was bent on having his revenge on the Pirate Lords on the Day of the Shadow; a self-created event when he would rise and all the world would be crushed beneath his boots. However, the Shadow Gold, a magical elixir and the source of his power was stolen from him by Tia Dalma''s Zombie, Alex, and scattered throughout the world. Later, when the time came to resist the Shadow Lord once and for all, Tia Dalma sent Jack Sparrow to collect the scattered pieces. This adventure later came to be known as ¡ª the Quest of the Shadow Gold! At last, the Pirate Lords and Marines collectively defeated the Shadow Lord, ending the disaster. Who knew he hadn''t died, but biding his time to stumble upon an infamous theory he had drawn ages ago? The Life Stone!!! And who knew the Shadow Lord would just happen to be at Port Royal at the same time Life Stone appeared in the world? There were just too many coincidences as if the negative forces of nature were guiding the events of the mortal world. Then there was the fact that Characters like Henry Morgan, though abnormally powerful, weren''t a part of the ongoing main storyline anymore. One could understand the significance of their presence from the fact that their powers exceeded what the timeline offered to the Contestants, according to the Overall Grade. This Pirates of the Caribbean Random World had an Overall Grade of D+, equivalent to the 6th floor. That meant the strongest Contestant allowed in this world could be the most powerful Top-level 6th-floor Contestant. But no matter how strong, the Contestant from above 2nd Set just couldn''t teleport here. The moment the Shadow Lord had sensed the Philosopher''s Stone, he brought out his hibernating power like a tempest, his strength already reaching the level of a strong 7th-floor Contestant. And it was still rising! These Characters were just not allowed to co-exist with the ongoing storyline, for their presence signified only one thing ¡ª An Anomaly!!! 0383 Countering the Anomaly - Supreme Protector! An Anomaly was a severe and disastrous deviation from the main storyline, triggered by an even more incomprehensible action of a series of events. Then how did the Primordial Tower deal with it? The Primordial Tower could only do one thing when it came to Anomalies ¡ª Contestants. These Contestants were the Tower''s caution against any unpredictable event, called Anomaly. These Contestants had only one job ¡ª to prevent disasters like the Shadow Lord from waking up, as much as possible. These Contestants were the hidden weapons of the Primordial Tower. So, it was natural for these Contestants to be strong to such a degree that they could suppress all anomalies whatsoever. That''s why such Contestants always had a Stats cap of the highest strength from the next Set in the Primordial Tower, i.e. ¡ª a Set above the Overall Grade. These Contestants were called ¡ª Supreme Protectors! If Kai hadn''t taken care of all Protectors in the Harry Potter Random World using his Main Mission, then Gellert Grindelwald most probably would have enjoyed the watchful eyes of such a Contestant. This didn''t mean that the imprisoned Grindelwald was stronger than Professor Dumbledore, who had equivalent strength as that of a 7th-floor Contestant. No. It meant that if Grindelwald were to become a part of the main storyline, then whatever circumstances led to this would make him a terrifying existence of the level of 9th-floor Contestants. This was the power of a Timeline Anomaly. If it weren''t for sensing the Life Stone, the Shadow Lord wouldn''t have released all his hibernating powers in an instant, either. However, the concept of Supreme Protectors was only valid up to the 5th Set, above which every floor was powerful enough to contend against all the floors beneath it; combined. The man with the golden helmet trembling midair was such a Contestant. A Supreme Protector¡­ ¡­ a Top-level 9th-floor Contestant!!! Fight Anomalies with Anomalies, this was the Primordial Tower''s way; its preparation. Being such an existence, the Tower placed heavy and fatal restrictions over the Supreme Protectors. They could use a part of their strength only if they sensed a Timeline Anomaly that could temper with the ongoing main storyline. No wonder the Supreme Protector with the golden helmet had been monitoring all the Contestants on the Night of Truce from the shadows. But even he couldn''t have predicted the coming of this Timeline Anomaly. Because this Anomaly had birthed from the greatest anomalies in the Primordial Tower; the most desired anomaly that one could only seek but not find. Glitch!!! It was Kai who had brought about the anomaly called the Shadow Lord. He was the embodiment of his Glitch, Blood Devour. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. It was he who had begun this nightmare¡­ And it was just the start! ¡­ The wind returned to Port Royal, becoming a gale, howling and screaming. Moonlight returned, too, bringing a touch of blackness mixed in its serene moonlight. "Ahh!" a woman screamed. A shadow creature, looking like a frail person with exaggerated long limbs, a gaping hole for a mouth, and no eyes, crawled out from the shadow and grabbed her ankle. Shadowy claws left dark marks on the woman''s body as the shadow soldier brought its entire figure out. The woman seemed to have lost her senses, and other than letting out hideous screams, she couldn''t do anything. Rip! When the claw reached the woman''s bosom, it tore out her heart, then her limbs, her head, and everything until she lost any resemblance to her former self whatsoever. It was as if these creatures despised the living. Moreover, this wasn''t happening only near the bar where the Shadow Lord was, eying everything with his dark, furious eyes full of loathing. It was happening all across the island. ¡­ Contestant Hadoken was at the easternmost side of the island''s market. He, too, had sensed the pulse, and then the subsequent changes in his surroundings. After the incident with Kai, he remained quiet as if a lot was going on in his mind. But when the Shadow Creatures crawled out from the shadows, eating away walls, trees, glasses, and casks, a glint flashed across his eyes. Grr! Several Creatures growled through their hideous mouths and lunged at Hadoken, but a burst of Ren sent them all flying. They all were just too weak for a Protector like him; a 6th-floor Contestant. It was then an even deeper and threatening growl reached his ears. His own shadow lengthened and distorted under Hadoken''s shocked eyes. Then, a hand shot out of the shadow, too thick and welling with overgrown muscles. The hand grabbed the earth and brought out its entire figure little by little. It was over 7 ft and looked like a dwarf mountain. Every inch of its body was covered with muscles, and its long hands were brushing the ground. Even its face was hideously disfigured. But¡­ Hadoken couldn''t help but feel a familiarity from that face as if that face belonged to him. A monstrous presence, which Hadoken had only felt from other Protectors, and infinitely near to¡­ Contestant Red, burst out of the Shadow Creature. The Creature howled before putting his right hand at his waist. Goosebumps took over Hadoken''s entire body as a shiver ran down his spine. Hurriedly, he too took the martial pose, concentrating his Nen on his fist. Then both punched. BOOM! "Cough!" Hadoken coughed out a mouthful of blood and got thrown dozens of feet away. The Shadow Creature, too, staggered a few steps back. But it was obvious who had come out victorious in the last clash. Hadoken rubbed the blood off from the corners of his mouth and stood up, his eyes trembling with a never-known bloodthirst. ¡­ On the other side, toward the docks, Blade Singer danced through the Creatures, cutting their heads and limbs. It was then that her shadow, cast by the moonlight over the seawater, rippled and a 10 ft tall Creature crawled out of it. Strangely, the Creature''s over 7 ft long hands looked like two sharp swords, and its face resembled Blade Singer''s as well. Contestant Blade Singer''s eyes widened, and she hacked at the newly arrived Shadow Creature with her full strength. In the next moment, the 10 ft tall Creature disappeared with defying agility and hacked at her back with the same move, but greater strength. This?! ¡­ Contestant Aloof wasn''t faring any better. His entire right hand was missing as if it had been torn off his body in a very forceful and raw manner, his flesh dangling from the stump at his shoulder like bloody threads. In front of him was a 2 ft tall Shadow Creature, hovering midair, growling like a beast. All around its tiny body, there were uncountable spatial fluctuations. ¡­ Then there was Moraine the Elegant. Mullroy was at Fort Charles'' ramparts, helping the other marines with the cannons. So, she was here too. At this time, she couldn''t care about the Character in the least. A 20 ft tall, humongous Shadow Creature was advancing toward her with large strides. There was armor on its body that looked like Iron Man Mark V but entirely made of shadows, black fog churning off the armor''s pieces like sinister steam. But this alone wasn''t Moraine''s horror. The Contestant, who had obtained under 10 rank in the current Tournament of Worth, could see a touch of seven-colored hue around the Shadow Creature. It was this hue that had made her tremble, for she knew it was just utterly impossible. ¡­ In Fort Charles'' prison cells, Jack Sparrow shuddered, sensing a familiar presence. "It''s him!" he exclaimed, his tone brimming with a rare seriousness. "I can feel him. How is it possible?!" All the drunkenness seemed to have pushed back to Kai''s mind. In his hands, Afro''s Tachi and Murasame appeared, as he threw the Compass into his Inventory without even looking at it. There was just one thing in his mind ¡ª The Tales of Beedle the Bard! 0384 Multiverse Clusterfuck - Inheritance Land! Kai''s thoughts were simple. What did he have to do with any of it? He would just get to Cersei and then jump back to his Timeline with a mere thought. It was then that the pieces of flesh, which had been smashed apart from the dog by Kai''s stomp, wriggled as shadows of iron bars fell over them. A shadowy hand crawled out of the scattered shadows, and Kai''s eyes trembled for an unknown reason. However, unlike the case of other Protectors and Contestants, the moment this hand took shape, it crumbled. It was as if Kai had something about him that this Shadow Creature couldn''t copy. Jack Sparrow, though, wasn''t so lucky. From the corners of the prison cell, several Shadow Creatures crawled out, and one of them looked exactly like Jack, despite its convoluted figure that looked like bricks piled up together. The Notification popped up then. The most horrifying fact was that it wasn''t just a dull gray-colored notification, but voices accompanied it, and there were two of them. ¡­ [[WARNING]] [[WARNING]] [[WARNING]] [[ All Main Missions, Side Missions, and Hidden Missions are being put to a Delay Status starting now. The Abnormality Limiter''s limitation now stands null. The current venue within this timeline, Port Royal, and an area of 50 square kilometers around it is now being transformed into the Inheritance Land. All Contestants present on and around the Island are now being given the Candidacy of the Inheritance. ¡­ Inheritance Land: Pirate Lord Henry Morgan, the Shadow Lord Inheritance Land''s Grade: C+ Inheritance Land''s Summary: 1. The Inheritance is divided into 7 parts based on the 6 major storyline Characters present on the island: Jack Sparrow, Hector Barbossa, William Turner, Elizabeth Swann, Weatherby Swann, and James Norrington 2. The first 6 parts contain 10% each, while the 7th part alone contains 40% of the total Inheritance 3. To obtain the Inheritance, a Contestant must escort at least 1 major Character out of the Inheritance Land''s venue using any means 4. Nearing within a meter of a major Character will automatically give a Contestant a temporary rank of Protector. Such Contestants will be confiscated to escort the nearest Character from them 5. In the case of groups, the Inheritance (- a part of it, depending upon the number of major Characters escorted by the said group-) will be divided into portions before being awarded to the top 5 contributors. 6. Once all major Characters are escorted out of the Inheritance Land''s venue, unharmed, the 7th part can be obtained by defeating the Shadow Lord and his Shadow Army Inheritance Land Objective: Kill the Shadow Lord A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Inheritance Land Time Limit: 12 hours WARNING: Confiscated Contestants will suffer a backlash from the two Systems if they are to refuse from escorting the Character. It is advised to stay away from major storyline Characters if such Contestants aren''t confident in their abilities. ]] ¡­ Gobsmacked, Kai gawked at the Notification. No matter how strong he was, when it came to a C+ mission, only death awaited him. Knowing his limits better than anymore, Kai''s body was already moving away, but even he wasn''t that fast. ¡­ [[ Contestant Kai Stormborn¡­ You are hereby confiscated to escort the Main Character Jack Sparrow out of the Inheritance Land. A temporary rank of Protector is granted to you. Good Luck. ]] ¡­ Motherfu¡­ Kai choked on the curse, his eyes bloodshot. The Shadow Creatures had already surrounded Captain Jack Sparrow. Kai wasn''t the only Contestant who had received the notification about the Inheritance Land. Nor was he the only one who had heard the voices. The moment Abnormality Limiter''s restriction became null, shocking presences exploded everywhere on the Island. Yet, there was one presence that engulfed the entire Port Royal with such ferocity that even the Protectors'' knees shook, forcing them to the ground amid the fight. This presence belonged to the Supreme Protector, a Top-level 9th-floor Contestant. "Everyone¡­" his voice boomed to the furthest corner of the Island, using some unknown power. Strangely, only the Contestants could hear this mighty voice. "¡­ I am the Supreme Protector of the Shadow Lord. Few of you know the meaning behind these words. To the others, just take me as a 9th-floor Contestant. "I don''t want to cause a massacre. Please leave the Inheritance Land approaching no major Character. I will give you 10 minutes. "Lead Protectors and the Prime Protector, you have 1 minute to show yourselves." All Contestants'' minds trembled as they heard those words. "9th¡­" "What¡­" "Supreme Protector¡­" "Damn it¡­" Normally, there should have been 5 Lead Protectors and 1 Prime Protector on the Island as of now. However, 1 minute came and went, but no Contestant of their caliber announced their presence. "Don''t make me¡­" the Supreme Protector had just begun when the entire world shook. This was an Inheritance Land of C+ difficulty. That meant all Contestants of the 9th floor and below, who had the Candidacy of this Inheritance, could come to this World to vie for the Inheritance. It was this reason for which the Supreme Protector had been hurrying to force the Contestants out of the Inheritance Land, for only Top-level 6th-floor Contestants like the Lead Protectors and Prime Protector could hope to just stand on the Island and watch the proceedings. The rest were bugs. All of them. 1 km into the sea from the docks, a gigantic vortex appeared, painting everything in blue. From this teleportation vortex, a galley sailed out, cutting the seawater like paper. "Hahaha!" a resounding burst of laughter awakened the sleeping ghost. "So, this time has finally come!" This laughter belonged to the man with blue hair, standing tall over the galley''s figurehead. He was wearing a marine''s uniform, and his eyes were beaming with greed and lust. Over his head, space warped as many ghosts howled and cried, announcing his presence. A 7th-floor Contestant! Another vortex, smaller but not lacking in might, appeared in the air under the darkness of stars. From this vortex, a man with a black coat and high collars walked out and kept hovering in midair. The collars were so large, in fact, that only his eyes were visible; black and sinister. Another 7th-floor Contestant! The moment these Contestants arrived, they too felt the stifling pressures originating from Port Royal. The source of this pressure belonged to two powerful people. The Shadow Lord, whose might was still increasing, had already surpassed the level of Mid-level 8th-floor Contestant. The other was the Supreme Protector. Shockingly, his status of Supreme Protector hadn''t been lifted after the appearance of Inheritance Land, making him incapable of vying for the Inheritance. A grave expression fell on the faces of the two 7th-floor Contestants as they sensed the explosive ripples spreading out from the 9th-floor Contestant. Obviously, Systems had already shared with them the details related to the Inheritance Land. There couldn''t be only two 7th-floor Contestants who possessed the Candidacy. By now, even more 7th-floor and a few 8th-floor Contestants should have arrived here. Naturally, after seeing the details, and guessing a Supreme Protector''s presence, those Candidates refused to get teleported, saving their Candidacy for another chance. For only these two to still come here meant that they knew something that the other Candidates didn''t. Sure enough, a massive teleportation tear ran through the sky as if the night itself had been torn apart in two halves. CRACKKKKKK! "This is¡­" the Supreme Protector mumbled, and for the first time, his pupils shook behind the helmet. From the tear, a single person descended. Once more, every Contestant other than the Supreme Protector, was forced to bend their knee. Some even lost their lives on the spot because of the relentless attacks from the Shadow Creatures. Another 9th-floor Contestant had arrived! 0385 Red Sun and Nexus - Top-level 9th-floor Contestants!!! This newly arrived 9th-floor Contestant had a headful of red hair and an overly muscular build. He was wearing a loose, white t-shirt over blue jeans shorts. It didn''t look like he had come here to obtain Inheritance, but as if he was taking a mere walk in the park. Others weren''t so lucky, though. The moment the flash of the tear subsided, and the Supreme Protector saw who had come, his entire body went taut. "Red Sun!" he exclaimed, his tone incredibly grave. "The leader of the Sun and Moon Organization¡­" Yes, he was none other than Robin, the 9th-floor Contestant Kai and Petyr had fooled during their mission in the Pokemon World. Contestant Red Sun, expressionless, watched the entire land with his black eyes. Only a few moments later did he look at the Shadow Lord and the Contestant hovering at the same height as him, hundreds of meters away. "The Helmet of Fate¡­" Red Sun said, raising an eyebrow, eying the lustrous gold helmet. "¡­ And the strength of the Top-level 9th-floor. I know only one such Contestant. You must be Nexus from Order." A world-shaking fight was about to begin, but for others, like the two 7th-floor Contestants, it was a chance as well. A chance to fish on the troubled grounds! ¡­ Boom! Over at Fort Charles, a boom resounded, and Kai leaped out from the broken wall, carrying Jack Sparrow over his shoulder. His face had a touch of flush because of the excessive drinking, but it wasn''t something that could hold him back from using all his strength, either. Not when the blade of the crisis was hovering inches above his neck. Murasame hovered around him, cutting through hundreds of Shadow Creatures lunging at them. In his left hand was Afro''s Tachi, hacking at the tiny, flying Shadow Creatures, who looked like bats. "It''s over, mate," Jack Sparrow mumbled as if there was a life-threatening danger to be worried about. "Yeh don'' know what it took last time to defeat him, eh? It''s over¡­" Kai couldn''t have cared less. In his mind, there were only two words. His Items! Kai, too, had heard the words the Supreme Protector had said magically. He, too, had felt the pressure of a 9th-floor Contestant. He, too, had sensed the coming of strong Contestants, and an even stronger presence that didn''t lose to that of the Supreme Protector. This wasn''t a world anymore where he could vie for benefits, Kai knew. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. But things had scarcely gone according to his wishes. Kai had become Jack Sparrow''s temporary Protector, so he must take him out of the Inheritance Land now. It was especially so when he didn''t know what the Backlash of the two Systems meant. But it didn''t need one to be a genius to know that it meant nothing of the good sort. Then there was the matter of Cersei, wearing the Book in her left ear as an earring. Selene was with her, yes. But Kai had sensed that these Shadow Creatures neither had a soul nor a real body. Not much the Ghost Basilisk could do to them in that case. For now, Kai had only one plan he needed to carry out in the least time possible ¡ª Find Cersei and Selene, using the inherent bond they all shared, and then Commandeer a ship, taking Jack Sparrow out of the Inheritance Land. Flying in Dementor-Kai form, carrying a major Character, seemed extremely stupid to Kai. It was especially so when the Shadow Lord would deliberately target Jack Sparrow, and a 9th-floor Contestant would instantly recognize a Dementor and Kai''s oddity. This wasn''t the time for him to remain alone and do things stealthily. If Kai wanted to survive, then he needed to involve as many Contestants in this mess while not letting them sense anything wrong about himself. Once out of the area mentioned by the Systems, Kai could instantly teleport back to the Harry Potter World, running away from this mess. If he could obtain a part of the Inheritance meanwhile, then he wouldn''t say no to that, either. Suddenly, a bang rang out as Kai was heading to the docks, where he had sensed Selene and Cersei were, and a figure slammed into the rocky grounds just dozens of meters away from him. A beastly growl followed the echoes of this impact. Kai''s eyes narrowed as he saw a 20 ft large armored Shadow Creature holding a Claymore of almost the same size, charging toward him. From the soles of the Shadow Creature, shadowy energy beams were firing out as the one Kai had only seen or heard about coming from Iron Man''s armor. The most terrifying fact was that there was a seven-colored hue shining around the Shadow Creature, which even made Kai''s heart pound with anxiety and a touch of powerlessness. It was apparent that this Creature had stepped into the boundary of a 7th-floor Contestant at a glance. It was then that a figure flew out of the rubble. Clad in Iron Man Mark V armor, wielding Claymore, Moraine the Elegant flew out of the pit with a powerful jump. She was a mess. The red and silver armor on her left had vanished to the elbow, and the broken part was sparking, sending out electrical bursts. All over her body, Kai could see several dents on the armor. Even more in numbers were the razor-sharp dark slashes, almost cutting the armor and body part underneath. The moment Kai saw her, Moraine also saw him. A tremendous shock shook Moraine''s heart as she saw Kai, and Jack Sparrow hanging over his right shoulder. "What sort o'' device is this, mate?" the pirate Captain jested. "Can yeh do all sorts o'' things wearin'' it?" "How is this possible?!" Moraine shouted, shocked. "Why do you have him? Where is the Prime Protector? Wait! Why aren''t you being pursued by a Shadow¡­" Before Kai could answer, the Shadow Creature had already arrived. Despite its vast size, it possessed great speed using the shadow boosters of its armor. It raised the dark Claymore and hacked at Moraine, both swords becoming a blur at the impact. Kai''s eyes flashed with a cunning thought suddenly. The moment he saw Moraine using the impact to create distance between her and the Shadow Creature, he hacked at the back of Jack Sparrow''s neck, making him lose consciousness. Then, with a boom, he charged toward Moraine. Moraine was parrying the powerful blows of the Creature when her eyes widened because of a horrifying scene. She saw Kai rushing toward her. "No!" she screamed, her voice mechanical as it rang out of the helmet. "Don''t come closer!" Even though she was a 6th-floor Contestant, and could survive an onslaught of Top-level Contestants using her Wings, Moraine didn''t think for a second she could vie for an Inheritance of C+ Grade. It was beyond her capabilities, to begin with. So, when she saw Kai coming at her, Moraine instantly figured out what he was trying to achieve with such actions. If she was in his place, then she would have done the same. At any other time, Jack Sparrow would have been the greatest treasure box. But now, he was nothing short of a fatal disaster. "Red!" Moraine screamed out of her lungs, seeing Kai coming nearer every second. "I will¡­" Grr! The Shadow Creature growled, its every blow heavier than the last. Too late. Moraine had just fired the energy blast on her shoes, hoping to create distance between her and Kai, when something weird happened. 0386 Kai and Moraine vs Shadow Creature! Kai''s Instincts roared, and he almost felt as if he could see Moraine going in a direction that would let her put the Shadow Creature between her and him. The moment energy blasted out of her shoes, a hiss escaped Kai''s mouth, bringing out blood flames along with it. Selfless Breathing Art! Kai''s speed enhanced instantly, and with an exploding kick, he landed near Moraine; the distance between Jack and her was less than a meter. It was also the moment the Shadow Creature hacked. Murasame and Afro''s Tachi flashed and struck the shadowy Claymore, making both Kai and Moraine fly in the opposite direction with a boom. Covered in blood flames, Kai held Jack Sparrow and grinned at Moraine. "We meet again," he said, his hazel pupils brimming with cunningness. "Running away like that? Not so elegant, eh? I will be in your care for some time. Haha!" "You!!!" ¡­ Kai and Moraine ran toward the docks, the Shadow Creature hot on their heels. Blood Flames flickered around Kai, crackling, and roaring like burning wood. On his right, Moraine was dashing in her Iron Man Mark V armor, firing short bursts from her repulsors. She dared not go up in the air, for the Shadow Creature was faster than her. Two-headed dog-like Shadow Creatures were also running along with them, snarling at their sight. No matter where Kai looked, every inch of the ground seemed to have been covered by shadows and the hideous beings sprouting from them. A two-headed dog lunged at Kai, aiming at the back of his neck. Murasame flickered and returned, hovering a few inches over his head. The dog lost its head and melted back into the ground like water. Behind them, the armored Shadow Creature, Moraine''s exaggerated copy, hacked Claymore from afar mercilessly. The world kept trying to become gray, but failed every time; a clear sign of the shadow creature failing to use an Ability. "Brute copies!" Moraine spat, her voice mechanical. "They seemed to have gained an image of Contestants, and they have great power, at least belonging to low 7th-floor Contestants. But they lack intelligence and can''t use Abilities. Animals!" Kai didn''t need to turn his face to know that Moraine was eying him murderously right now. After forcing her to become a temporary Protector of Jack Sparrow, Kai and Moraine instantly decided to head for the docks to commandeer HMS Interceptor, and then use the ship to take the main Character out of the Inheritance Land. Kai hadn''t told her that the prime reason for him to go for the docks was that Selene and Cersei were there, too. He would not, could not, and dared not leave them behind. Not once did Kai and Moraine think about rescuing Commodore Norrington and Governor Weatherby Swann. They would have thrown Jack Sparrow already if they could. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Too late to do something like that now. Boom! Fuck! It''s using that again! Kai cursed and kicked the ground ferociously. Behind him, the Shadow Creature had just used the repulsors on the sole of its shoes to fire a short burst of shadowy energy. With a powerful lunge, it almost arrived near Kai and Moraine, towering over them like a wrathful deity. This wasn''t the first time it had used such a method to catch up to them, either. But with its low intelligence, unless Kai and Moraine weren''t about to lose it, the Shadow Creature didn''t use those energy bursts. "I will leave it to you," Kai offhandedly said, putting the 6th-floor Contestant between him and the Creature. Moraine gnashed her teeth at Kai''s shamelessness, the metallic pieces of her armor grinding furiously over each other. Shuuu! A gigantic Claymore hacked at them, cutting the air with a sound that felt like scalding hot steam rushing out of a geyser. The repulsors at Moraine''s shoes and a right hand shot out energy bursts, and she spun at her axis. In her left hand was her Claymore, looking quite unimpressive against its incoming brethren. Bang! A bang rang out as metal kissed the shadowy substance, sending Moraine flying back. "Cough!" the lady coughed out a mouthful of blood, which seeped out from the slit-like opening in front of her mouth. The moment Moraine got sent flying, the shadow Claymore of the Creature also trembled in response, despite the gap in strength, creating a rare opening in its wielder''s guard. Kai''s eyes flashed as he saw this happening, as he had predicted. He lunged back, stepped over Moraine''s metallic head, and hacked at the Shadow Creature with Afro''s Tachi, Murasame blurring along with its sister with the matchless bloodthirst of her own. Afro''s Tachi landed on the Creature''s right wrist, almost hacking it off. Meanwhile, Murasame stabbed itself into the Creature''s neck, slicing an enormous chunk off it like butter. With a puff, dense and dark shadowy fog escaped from the two wounds, making the Creature howl in pain. "Aghhhrrr!" It was a beastly growl but belonged not to the living. Kai wasn''t feeling any better, either. The power he had used to injure the Creature got rebounded at him with double the force, sending him flying. He clenched his teeth, burying the welling-up blood in his throat, and landed on his feet near Moraine. "Thank you for the opening, my lady," Kai mocked, grinning through his bloody teeth. "That was truly elegant of you." "Red!" Moraine roared, pushing herself up and continuing the run. "You anger me to death!" Kai sneered and looked at Moraine''s chest. There was a circular area on it, flashing blue and white; a clear sign of Mana being poured into it. The thought of having such armor on him made him lick his lips. "Die! You pervert!" Moraine covered her large breasts with her left hand that had lost armor up to her elbow. Kai laughed at the misunderstanding but cared little about clearing it up. Yet, the thought of armor just didn''t go away from his mind. Kai knew little about all Iron Man armors, but with the help of Meg, he knew more than other Contestants of his floors. Mark V is much thinner than the regular plating of Iron Man armor and has a weaker armor composition to reduce the weight and size of the suit, Kai recalled the info. Apart from its lack of heavy weapons and its lightweight, it can still fly. However, it cannot reach high altitudes or speeds and is limited in the weight it can carry during flight. Compared to the Model 1 Iron Man armor Kai had previously faced, Mark V drastically lacked in power. Nonetheless, Kai adored this armor from his heart. There were two reasons for it. First, like all Iron Man armors that were Items or Set-Items, Mark V wasn''t fueled by an Arc Reactor. Rather, it was the Contestant''s Mana that fueled it. Arc Reactors weren''t Items just anyone could obtain, and were among the most rare Items in the Multiverse, to begin with. Second, Mark V was composed of inter-weaving bands of small plates, instead of interlocking large plates. It lowered the Defense, compared to other Iron Man armors, but it also provided greater flexibility; flexibility that swordsmen like Kai and Moraine dearly needed in battles. Not to mention, the armor itself added quite a few points in Strength, Agility, and Perception, making it highly desired by in-fighters. Add its ability to fly in a limited area and up to a set altitude, letting one go in and out of the fight, and it was absolutely the best armor Contestants like Kai could hope for. Kai''s Coridite Armor, granted by One Half of the Power Sword, was an absolute monster as well. Then there was its ability to reduce and deflect incoming damage. But it was bulky, and affected Kai''s flexibility, too. After half an hour of this cat-and-mouse chase, Kai and Moraine finally spied the Interceptor in the distance. The only problem was there were just too many Contestants surrounding the ship. However, the moment Kai saw the Contestants, a smile surfaced across his bloodied lips. Moraine snorted in disgust at the sight of his smile, but even she knew it was the only way to survive this chaos. Involve as many Contestants as possible! 0387 Black Wasp - The 7th-floor Contestant! The moment Kai and Moraine arrived at the docks, pursued by the gigantic Shadow Creature, others noticed them as well. "That''s¡­" "Isn''t she Protector¡­" "A shadow copy of Moraine the Elegant¡­" "RUN!!!" With a massive boom, Kai and Moraine landed in between the Contestants'' groups, and instantly their expressions changed. "Jack Sparrow!" "No!" "Get off¡­" Too late. The Notification had already arrived in front of their eyes. These were all 4th-floor Contestants and a few of them were 5th-floor as well. They had no chance of surviving alone, to begin with. When the notification appeared, they instantly gave themselves up to their fates. Just as Kai and Moraine were about to rush toward the boat, two more incoherent booms reverberated in the distance. Kai''s head spun to his left, and his eyes narrowed. Suddenly, his expression changed. From afar, Blade Singer and Aloof were coming toward them, carrying William Turner with them. A hideous Shadow Creature with extremely long limbs and a dwarf Shadow Creature, around whom the space kept fluctuating, was chasing them. But this wasn''t the reason for the change in Kai''s expression. Contestant Aloof, who possessed the power of Telekinesis from Mob Psycho 100, was missing his right hand. And according to Kai, he was the strongest among all the Protectors, if one was to ignore Moraine''s Wings of the Grim Butterfly. Kai''s gaze landed on the dwarf Shadow Creature, and his frown deepened. It was then that his heart stirred, sensing a connection. Kai threw Jack toward Moraine, making her gasp, and with a burning roar, he dashed toward the incoming 6th-floor Contestants. Both Blade Singer and Aloof got shocked as they saw Kai''s sudden charge, but they also noticed his eyes weren''t looking at them. Kai indeed had lost the sight of Contestants. In his eyes, there was a young lady, wearing a nightgown and a black earring in her left ear. A few feet away from her, a white-silver mist was slithering, fending off the claws of the countless Shadow Creatures. Even then, her gown was tattered, and there were several bloody marks on the young lady''s arms and face. She was naturally the young Cersei. The Characters from the Book didn''t possess a true fleshly body, but until they returned to the Book''s White Room, there wasn''t a difference between the forms they assumed and a genuine human body, either. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Only Dementor-Kai could sense the lack of Breath within them; their lack of a Soul. And only Selene''s venom could instantly force them back to the Book, making them lose their bodies on the spot. Other than that, they were just like any other human being; full of pain, love, and anger. Kai obviously wasn''t worried about Cersei. But Selene and Cersei had inadvertently come between Aloof and the dwarf Shadow Creature, and he couldn''t let others see her disappearing just like that. Not when all Contestants'' eyes were on the Shadow Creatures pursuing the Protectors. To others, it seemed like Kai was heading to save Aloof and Blade Singer. Only Moraine knew it wasn''t the case, but even she couldn''t figure out the reason for such an outburst. The moment Kai rushed past Aloof, making the Contestant narrow his eyes, he grabbed Murasame and hacked at the dwarf Shadow Creature with all his strength. The Creature''s tiny eyes trembled, and the space between them exploded, sending Kai, Cersei, and Selene in three different directions. Kai used the chaotic scene to send the command before they got out of his Telepathy''s range. -/Board Interceptor. Don''t talk to anyone and wait for me./- The best-case scenario would have been to let Cersei return to the Book, and then use Selene to swallow the earring. But, with 9th-floor Contestants watching over the entire Island, Kai dared not take such a chance. This was the Book, an Item desired by an Old One. If a 9th-floor Contestant were to take a liking to it, then Kai didn''t have the strength to resist him. No. It was better to let Cersei hide among the Contestants, and then disappear with her after going out of the Inheritance Land. As Kai forced out blood, giving an impression of being injured, Contestant Aloof turned around and added an attack over Kai''s, forcing the dwarf Creature back even more. Aloof then nodded at Kai, eying him eerily. Kai rubbed the blood off his mouth, and silently rushed toward Interceptor, maintaining a distance between himself and William Turner, who was swaying over Blade Singer''s shoulder. The moment they boarded the ship, the Contestants separated into two factions. On one side were Kai and Moraine, and the Contestants forced by them to become temporary Protectors of Jack Sparrow. Ensui''s user, which Kai had fought underwater, and the marine with powers of Shinken Blue, were part of this group. On the other side were Blade Singer and Aloof, and the other, forced, temporary Protectors of William Turner. "Set the sail!" Moraine took the command, standing tall at the Poop deck. "Take the charge of ropes and rudder!" Both Blade Singer and Aloof had quiet personalities, so they didn''t object to Moraine''s commanding their end of the Contestants, either. They instead took the job to fend off the Shadow Creatures along with a hundred other Contestants, keeping them off the ship. The Contestants steered the ship off the dock in no time, a heavy gale assisting their survival. In the distance, some hundreds of meters away from the docks, the sound of cannon fires was resounding, echoing over the foggy seawater. Black Pearl and the 7th-floor Contestant''s galley were having at each other, trying to bring the enemy down. Kai and the other Contestants took a long arc away from them, hoping to bypass this fatal encounter. It was then that a yellow flash appeared in all eyes, blinding them instantly. When the flash receded, the hearts of Kai, Moraine, Blade Singer, and Aloof trembled simultaneously. At the top of the foremast, a man, with a black coat and high collars, was standing casually, looking down at all Contestants as if they were bugs. In his left hand, there was a head, blood dripping off the bloody stump, marking its freshness. This head belonged to Hadoken, the Nen-user, a 6th-floor Contestant. In his right hand was also a head, but it belonged to a Shadow Creature, whose face oddly looked similar to Hadoken. This head was giving off a shadowy fog, and in no time, it melted like gelatinous liquid. The 7th-floor Contestant shook his right hand, flicking the filthy substance off it, and threw Hadoken''s head on the deck. Thud! "I believe¡­" the old monster drawled, his gaze pausing on Kai, Moraine, Blade Singer, and Aloof, "¡­ you children are being rather naughty, aren''t you?" "Black Wasp!" Blade Singer gasped, taking a step back. "A High-level 7th-floor Contestant with Heavenly Body Magic ¡ª Meteor!!" Black Wasp''s eyes narrowed, making it look like he was smiling under the high collars. Then, with a blinding flash, he disappeared. Pop! Kai''s pupils trembled when he couldn''t even see the trajectory. But, in the very next second, Black Wasp reappeared at the same spot, carrying one more head. This?! Everyone drew a horrifying gasp, but only Kai recognized the head. It belonged to the ninja who had used Summoning Jutsu to call a Bakugan. "Running away underwater¡­" Black Wasp commented, his voice ghostly and ethereal, "¡­ this is bad. This is¡­ very bad." 0388 Nexus vs Red Sun - The Might of the Top-level 9th-Floor!!! (I) Just as Black Wasp, the 7th-floor Contestant, arrived on Interceptor, up in the air, Contestants Red Sun and Nexus were eying each other in silence. The Supreme Protector looked over his shoulder and eyed the Shadow Lord, who was still going through his transformation, his power rising, entering the realm of 9th-floor Contestants. This was a C+ Grade Inheritance Land, to begin with. That meant Pirate Lord Henry Morgan was bound to become an existence higher than Top-level 9th-floor Contestants, becoming the true nightmare for everyone. By the look of every inch of the island getting taken over by Shadow Creatures, it didn''t seem he would need much time; a few hours more, perhaps. Time was running out for both of them. But Contestants at their level didn''t reach their heights by acting out on a whim. No matter how precious the time was, Nexus and Red Sun looked at each other, observing the proceedings on the island. The Supreme Protector narrowed his eyes behind the helmet''s slits, and a touch of apprehension flashed in his heart. He had heard nothing good about the monster hovering in the air hundreds of meters away from him. Every bit of stories he had come across was filled with blood, treachery, shamelessness, and¡­ power. Regardless of the ridiculous tales, Red Sun was a monster, Nexus knew. Only a fool would think otherwise. But he had confidence in taking him on as well. The Helmet of Fate he had was an Item based on the true Helmet of Fate from the Prime Earth of the DC universe. It was nowhere as logic-defying as the original one, or the one from the New Earth, with the powers of Fate. Nonetheless, it was strong enough for him to not rely on any other Item, letting him tower over other Top-level 9th-floor Contestants like an impenetrable wall. Moreover, only those favored by the Positive side of the Multiverse could equip it. The Supreme Protector swirled his hands, creating a gigantic hurricane around him and the Shadow Lord. Rain pelted, hammering at the living and the dead alike, and wild wind slashed at the survivors, eroding their hope. Fire came roaring, then, becoming a 12 ft spear in Nexus'' hand, and a boulder exploded out of the earth, chiseling away as it approached its maker. By the time it reached the Supreme Protector, it had already become a round shield, its surface shining almost metallic. Elemental Control! The Helmet of Fate granted Nexus the power to control Air, Water, Earth, and Fire in a 500 meters radius around him. This limit over his control was enough to bring down 3rd Set''s monsters; enough for him to get confiscated as a Supreme Protector. He was already old; old to the point that if he were to fail this Mission, then his chances to ascend 3rd Set would almost become null. He could and dared not take chances, even if he would have to protect a nightmare. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. On the other side, Contestant Red Sun eyed Nexus'' preparations with an almost dead expression. From Contestants getting killed to their commandeering Interceptor, Red Sun had seen it all. Nothing going on in the Port Royal town and docks could escape his Perception. Absolutely nothing. He had also noticed Jack Sparrow and William Turner, and Contestants'' ridiculous attempt at taking the two major Characters out of the Inheritance Land. Red Sun also knew the location of Commodore Norrington and Governor Weatherby Swann. With Captain Barbossa on Black Pearl, fighting it out with the puny 7th-floor Contestant, it already made them 5 out of the 6 major Characters marked by the System. But where was Elizabeth Swann? Wasn''t she supposed to be on Black Pearl by now? The main storyline seemed to have diverged in this timeline, Red Sun concluded, crossing his arms over his chest. The key to obtaining the inheritance wasn''t the Shadow Lord alone but finding the young Swann as well. For him to see through the hidden details so early and easily, Nexus had thought true. Red Sun was indeed a monster. However, life hadn''t gone easy for this ridiculously powerful 9th-floor Contestant in the past few months. It had all started when he had met them. The moment Robin recalled those two existences and the subsequent events that had followed the meeting, a shiver ran down his spine. There was fear on his face, turning his face dark and pale. Such a fear that it bordered on being called dread. Red Sun gulped. Many a night became day, lying awake, tossing and turning on the bed, ruing the day he had asked for the Code Name of that existence. Purple Mist and his disciple!!! Now, Robin wasn''t a fool to just let this Code Name slip out to anyone, bringing unwanted attention to himself. This wasn''t how he had become a 9th-floor Contestant. Yes, he had never been confiscated to become a Supreme Protector, but that was because the only time the System had made him a Prime Protector, he had caused severe and foolish changes to the timeline because of his personality. Chaos wasn''t known to give second chances, anyway. So, no. Robin hadn''t slipped out the Code Name. The horror hadn''t begun because of that. It was what happened after the 1st Stage of the Tournament of Worth that stirred the pores of Red Sun, making them itch like never before. Robin was the leader of the Sun and Moon Organization, one of the top organizations of the 3rd Set. So he naturally shared great relations with other organizations, too. Some of those organizations were only branches of even bigger powers from the 4th and even 5th Set. With his personality, Red Sun had taken little time to develop contacts with those particular powers. It was through one of those powers that he had learned a piece of earth-shaking news. He was probably the first Contestant under 5th Set who had learned of those announcements, Robin believed. Red is mine, the announcement had read, issued by none other but a King ¡ª The King of the Purple Castle. Robin had even learned of the other Kings, including the strongest known among them, the Red King, issuing similar statements. Even then, he just couldn''t take the words, Purple Castle, out of his mind. Purple Castle¡­ Purple Mist¡­ Purple Castle¡­ Purple Mist¡­ Red Sun had chanted these words like a spell for days to come. At last, he ended up with a horrifying guess. A guess that became his most serendipitous event, as well as the most hideous curse. Purple Mist is the Code Name of the King of Purple Castle, Robin had guessed, sweating over it. So, that kid from back then is his disciple, Red. Doesn''t it mean¡­ Doesn''t it mean that those two are just playing with other Kings?! If this was true, then it would cause the entire Primordial Tower to tremble, Robin knew. For none could make the slight of a King''s honor; not even the other Kings. Now, Robin had a habit of taking advantage of opportunities, and because of personal circumstances, this habit had taken deep root in his heart. Most didn''t like the way he dressed, and some even called him a lickspittle, he knew. But he didn''t mind. Let them call me whatever they want, Red Sun used to think. When they die or fall, losing their Worth, I will still be here, moving up one floor at a time. With this mentality, he created the Sun and Moon Organization. To achieve his dreams, and¡­ for him. Alas! This habit brought doom to Red Sun, and he didn''t even see it coming. Robin had held his thoughts and guesses to himself till the end of the 2nd Stage of Tournament of Worth. But when he heard even the Contestants of 4th Set calling the lead Contestant of the Tournament, the Five-Crowned Prince, he knew he couldn''t keep it any longer. Otherwise, once everyone got to know, Robin wouldn''t gain anything out of it. Thus, he had done the very thing he had been preparing to do, but couldn''t because of his lack of courage. Robin had let the information slip out, in the very gentle and hidden manner possible. 0389 Nexus vs Red Sun - The Might of the Top-level 9th-Floor!!! (II) Red Sun sighed, his shoulders itching as he recalled what had happened next. One day he was still feeling good, hoping to gain immense benefits because of the info. At the next moment, he had already lost consciousness. When Red Sun came to himself, he was surrounded by many figures. And an existence was looking down at his kneeling figure with shadowy eyes; so dead and profound that not for once Robin believed he could resist that Contestant. That existence had called himself... Shadow Origin! Shame, fear, terror, and anger all flashed across Robin''s eyes as he remembered what had happened next. The remembrance of those emotions brought out his rage, making his face crumple as he looked at the Nexus'' hurricane and this mummer''s farce called an Inheritance Land. Fuck it! Robin fumed. First, I will obliterate this Shadow Lord! "Go home, Nexus," Red Sun said after a long time, taking out a Pokeball, and lying through his teeth. "Go home and let me handle the Shadow Lord. You could still ascend to the 4th Set, if you tried enough." However, this Pokeball was quite different, and extraordinary, to say the least. It was so different that it didn''t even look like a Pokeball at the first glance. Robin''s Pokeball was dark blue with light blue rings running from one end to another like earth''s latitude. Two more light blue rings acted as the dark blue Pokeball''s longitude. The entire Pokeball was covered in a casing of yellow spikes as if a yellow-clawed beast was holding it in its grasp. A Beast Ball! A Pokeball especially designed to catch Ultra Beasts ¡ª a group of extra-dimensional Pokemon originating from Ultra Space. Nexus eyed the Pokeball in Red Sun''s hand, and a grave expression fell on his face. "Never!" Robin''s eyes were already bloodshot. "A fight it is, then!" he shouted and hurled the Pokeball. "Come out¡­" With a blinding flash, as if a sun had materialized in the sky, a magical creature took shape in midair. With a height of over 30 ft tall, it was a gargantuan orange-colored cyborg dinosaur, standing on its hind legs. It had amber eyes, spikes on its right shoulder and jaw, and orange fur on its head. The tip of its tail was gray, and it had blue stripes on its legs, neck, and mouth. It wore a red chest plate, a metallic helmet with three horns on it, and also had red mechanical wings with three cannons on each. And, in place of a left arm, it had a massive revolver. The moment it came out, superb bursts of Mana exploded from its wings, making it fly. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. It was then that both the magical creature and its trainer threw back their heads and shouted ¡ª RizeGreymon! It was a Digimon! "What are you trying to do?!" Nexus shouted. "RED SUN! Have you lost your mind?!" RizeGreymon was no ordinary magical creature. The offensive power fired from the gigantic revolver on its left arm was said to rival that of a single nuclear warhead. "You fucking lunatic!" Nexus screamed out of his lungs, bringing the entire power of the Helmet of Fate. Robin snorted. "RizeGreymon! Trident Revolver!!!" "Roar!" RizeGreymon roared, and the entire world seemed to shake along with it. It spun the revolver''s barrel and smacked it back into the revolver before aiming it at the Shadow Lord. "Trident¡­ ¡­ Revolver!" Bang-Bang-Bangg!! From the revolver, RizeGreymon fired three successive blasts, and all Contestants coughed out a mouthful of blood, their knees buckling under the magical might. The three blasts spun around each other as they headed for the Supreme Protector, burning everything around them. And when they landed at the target, an enormous mushroom cloud tore through the sky, lightning and fire cracking and thundering everywhere. BOOM!!! Not everyone was like Kai, giving a Code Name to themselves at the start of the Initiation Mission based on their experiences. Many were like Robin, too, earning one in the Primordial Tower. From afar, this mushroom cloud looked like a giant red sun to the blurry and teary eyes of all who were lucky enough to have survived its shockwaves. This¡­ was the origin of Robin''s Code Name. * * A few minutes ago, "This is bad¡­ This is very bad¡­" Black Wasp''s mocking words seemed to rock the ship, the ninja''s head in his hand showering the deck with a red rain. "Jack and Will!" Moraine shouted out of the blue, Mana exploding from her armor as a Claymore appeared in her hands. They couldn''t care about getting assigned the role of temporary Protector. Not anymore. Aloof and Blade Singer brought William Turner to Kai and Moraine and put him down near Jack Sparrow. The four Contestants surrounded the two Characters from four directions. "Hahaha!" Black Wasp burst out with a peal of laughter. Suddenly, a chill ran down all Contestants'' spines. 4th-floor Contestants felt it, 5th-floor Contestants felt it, and 6th-floor Contestants felt it as well. It was the same for all of them. The chill of impending death! Black Wasp had killed Hadoken, who wasn''t much weaker than anyone on the Interceptor. If they didn''t work together, then there was almost no chance of them surviving this doom. They all knew this, especially the Protectors. Hisss! Blood mist escaped Kai''s mouth like a steam engine whistling out puffs of steam. His entire body squirmed, squeezing out every ounce of strength it could muster. In his hands, Afro''s Tachi and Murasame trembled, and from the soles of his feet, Selene returned to her master, ready to petrify all at one command. Crack! Thunder roared as a bolt of lightning struck Kai, and Coridite armor covered his upper torso except for his left hand and head. Afar, Ensui''s wielder, and Shinken Blue''s bodies trembled, recognizing the Blue-skinned demon. Even Black Wasp narrowed his eyes at Kai, his laugh vanishing. To Kai''s left, dense Breath churned, as Blade Singer brandished her sword, Ryoku Sui. The very space around her seemed to bend as her feet wobbled with a mysterious rhythm. Suddenly, a chant reverberated out of nowhere around her. Ton, Tan Tan. Ton, Tan Tan! All things became still for Blade Singer, letting her see the very drops of sea hammering at her face. "Kyou Kai''s Priestess Dance from Kingdom World," Black Wasp worded out, shocked. "Hmm¡­ You don''t seem to have broken the Soul Territory¡­" To Blade Singer''s left, Aloof''s eyes rolled back in his head. His short orange hair lifted at their ends, and the wood beneath his feet shattered, a shocking might of Telekinesis fluctuating about him with unmatched ferocity. "Mob Psycho 100¡­" Black Wasp mumbled, letting go of the head in his hand. It tumbled down and landed on the deck with a distinct, squelching thud. To Aloof''s left and Kai''s right was Moraine the Elegant; her Mana densest and richest than all. A blinding light exploded out of the circle over her chest, making everyone squint inadvertently. Then the color of rainbows washed over all like the most gentle wave. Large, but extremely beautiful, butterfly wings manifested on Moraine''s back, shining with seven colors. The wind howled and ghosts screamed along with it. Black Wasp''s eyes widened in clear terror! 0390 Kais Instincts - Black Wasps Killing Intent! "¡­ Wings of Grim Butterfly from Inuyasha World," Black Wasp almost exclaimed. "Impossible! That existence is¡­ No, wait! Those aren''t the real wings granted by the Grim Butterfly. Heh! So that''s how it is¡­ You have a Blessing! No wonder." Kai''s mind shook as he heard the word Blessing and the origin of Moraine''s Wings. But he couldn''t think over them. The moment Black Wasp finished his sentence, letting the strongest four bring out their power as if eying a show, yellow light shone around him. It was also the moment everyone''s heart palpated. The wind was high, but their backs had already got drenched with sweat. The tips of their fingers throbbed, and their toes went taut, ready to kick the wooden ground underneath. "How naive!" Black Wasp sneered, and¡­ disappeared. "Ahh!" A scream rang out on the deck and all saw a head flying in the air, still screaming. "No!" "Ugh!" "¡­" No matter where Kai saw, he just couldn''t find Black Wasp. Only a light trail of yellow could be seen, and wherever it passed, it left behind headless corpses as a mark of its presence. It was then that Kai''s eyes widened, his pupils becoming the size of a needle. All sounds, screams, howls, and senses vanished from his mind. Someone was coming at him from his right. A blade was aimed at his neck. He was going to be beheaded. Words appeared in his mind as facts. Kai''s white hair swayed and time paused¡­ Black Wasp appeared where Kai had perceived he would, but the speed of the 7th-floor Contestant was so fast that he hadn''t even blinked, his heart yet to beat a second time. Move¡­ Move¡­ Move¡­ Move¡­. MOVE!!! "Arghhh!" A profound will exploded as a beastly growl exploded from Kai''s throat. His body couldn''t move, but his thoughts were faster, and he had already seen Black Wasp coming¡­ somehow. From right, his thought pulled Moraine toward him against her will, forcing her to act as a shield. From left, another thought snatched Blade Singer off her feet, the chants still ringing about her. When Black Wasp''s blade, Moraine''s armor, Blade Singer''s blade, and Coridite armor made contact, only then did the world regain life. Boom!!! Wood cracked as a resounding boom threw everyone off in all directions. The Coridite armor on Kai''s body shattered instantly, becoming One Half of the Power Sword. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. However, it didn''t remain a sword for long, and it too shattered, becoming points of ethereal light like stars in a starry river. Kai''s chest almost exploded, making him cough out several mouthfuls of blood, and this was when others had already reduced the damage from Black Wasp''s blow by more than half. With a bang, his back hit the hull, bringing closure to his momentum. Bleeding, and experiencing tremendous pain, Kai lifted his head and looked at the spot where his Item had vanished, and he frowned. For a long time, One Half of the Power Sword had remained with him, assisting him in battles like a loyal soldier. Then, it was gone, just like that. One blow¡­ One blow was all it took for a 7th-floor Contestant to bring Kai and other Protectors to this state. Far from him, Moraine''s state wasn''t any better. The Iron Man armor around her waist was gone, and her ribs were protruding out, flesh hanging off her like hideous threads. The Wings of Grim Butterfly on her back fluttered once, secreting multi-colored powder. Suddenly, the howling and screaming ghosts took form out of nowhere, becoming Yokai from Inuyasha World. As the powder touched them, the Yokai disintegrated and melted in Moraine''s wound, making it glow with seven colors. Her flesh regenerated at a visible pace, but even then she failed to stand up, falling on the deck helplessly. Opposite her, Blade Singer''s blade-wielding hand was twisted at an odd angle, a bone sticking out of her arm like a bone spear. She was still standing, her face pale. Breath was fluctuating about her like never. The chants were growing stronger and louder, her feet kept dancing rhythmically as if they weren''t in her control. In the middle of these three stood Black Wasp, looking at Kai with a gobsmacked glint in his eyes. Kai, Moraine, and Blade Singer had survived their fates, but Black Wasp was still holding a head. In his right hand was a short dagger, glowing sinisterly. In his left hand was a head with orange-color hair, its eyes rolled back into the head. "Who are you?!" Black Wasp asked, stepping toward Kai slowly, wood cracking under his feet. "Just who the fuck are you?!!" Black Wasp was one of the fastest Contestants of the 7th floor. No one¡­ just no one under 7th-floor could hope to survive his assassination. For Kai to achieve this mind-boggling feat meant only one thing. He saw me coming! Black Wasp''s thought, astounded. He saw! He¡­ must die! Kai''s grip over his swords tightened, and a touch of demonic grin surfaced on his lips as he saw Black Wasp coming at him. He still had many tricks up his sleeves, but the enemy was just too powerful; too fast. He¡­ lost. "Haha!" The thought made Red laugh like a maniac. Kai pushed himself to his feet, blood squirting off his chest, becoming a puddle. Interceptor was still sailing, bobbing up and down, forcing him to stagger. But Kai had got sea legs long ago, allowing him to straighten his spine and look into Black Wasp''s eyes. They were just too close. "No one." Kai''s answer came out with a silly grin. "Fool¡­" Black Wasp dropped Aloof''s head and lifted his right leg, his entire body glowing yellow. This time, there won''t be any more unexpected scenarios. This time, this white-haired Contestant would definitely die. The moment Black Wasp''s right leg touched the wooden floor, it was also when the Supreme Protector created a hurricane, surrounding himself and the Shadow Lord. Moreover, Red Sun''s thoughts seemed to have taken time, but they hadn''t lasted for even a fraction of a second. Just as the hurricane appeared, and the quick conversation between two 9th-floor Contestants ended, was also when Robin hurled out the Beast Ball. A mountain-worth of pressure fell upon Contestants, pressing over them like heavy boulders stacked upon each other. "RizeGreymon!" The shout reverberated from one end of the Inheritance Land to another, and two more words followed it, echoing far and wide. "Trident¡­ Revolver!" Kai couldn''t even lift his head, his back bent, his knees almost touching the deck. And the moment the Digimon fired three bursts of shots out of the revolver, it was like instantly doubling the pressure everyone had been experiencing so far. "Cough!" Kai coughed out even more blood, a touch darker than before. He wasn''t alone in it, though. Moraine''s head was pressed into the wooden floor, blood pouring out of her mouth. Blade Singer''s dance paused, making her face turn blue, and her eyes losing sign of life, bit by bit. Even Black Wasp, the 7th-floor Contestant, was no different, coughing out blood like all others, his entire body trembling like a twig amid a storm. Some 4th-floor Contestants, who had just ascended the 2nd Set, even lost their lives in an instant, their necks breaking with a distinct snap. Luck at Two Extremities! Kai''s mind roared, recalling the theory he had come up with. If Black Wasp''s arrival and his singling out Kai was his misfortune, then the 9th-floor Contestants acting out against each other was Jack Sparrow''s Luck influencing the events because of the proximity between him and Kai. Kai''s Luck was bad, but it wasn''t even that bad for it to bring certain death upon him. It was Jack Sparrow''s presence that had turned it worse¡­ and better. Even now, bleeding and clenching his teeth, this reasoning brought out a smile on Kai''s lips. Resisting the might of Mana ripples falling over him like several boulders, Kai lifted his head to look up at the sky, his muscles screeching and his skin rupturing with every inch of movement. The 9th-floor Contestants were too high for him to see them, but Kai did see three fiery scarlet dots, spinning, and rushing toward the distant hurricane, like meteors. And the moment they hit the target¡­ ¡­ the world lit up, welcoming a red sun! 0391 The Appearance of Seals - Lost Comprehension!!! A sharp stab of pain in his chest woke Kai up, his eyes struggling to open, heavy with an unknown burden. The sound of a ship rolling and pitching, dying groans, and painful grunts entered his ears like an incomprehensible buzz. Every inch of his body hurt as if needles were prickling his flesh, trying to see whether he was alive. And when he tried to move, bones rubbed against each other, forcing a groan out of him. "Ugh!" "Don''t move," an old voice guided him, not unkindly. "I fed you an Uncommon HP Capsule. Let the natural healing take its course now." Kai frowned at the familiar voice. Someone pulled him up and made him lean against the ship''s hull. Kai felt a thin, bony hand pressing into his shoulder, propping him up. Only then he felt free enough to recognize the stifling feeling of suffocation he was in before. Kai drew a long, sharp breath, filling his lungs with salty air, and opened his eyes. And the moment his hazel pupils landed on a bronze helmet, they widened, ready to explode with power. "Calm down, kid," the voice urged, laughing ruefully. "Look at yourself and then look at me. We are beyond the line of fighting now." Kai''s breathing quickened, but he did as he was told. First, he looked at himself and his frown deepened. His chest had healed a lot, but there were still deep gashes bleeding there, a touch of white peeking out through them. Not to mention, all over his body were fine cuts, and hairline fractures were running over his ribs, making them sting with every movement. Then he looked at the old man. Kai had recognized the Helmet of Fate; hard to find such a powerful Item on ordinary Contestants, to begin with. Yet, this old man was in worse shape than his own. The helmet wearer was barely alive; his left hand was missing, and so were his legs below the knees. A part of his right shoulder seemed to have vanished as if cut out by a bowl with a sharp rim. If it weren''t for the sea-like presence of Mana coming out of this Contestant, Kai couldn''t have known that this was someone even more powerful, almost irresistible, than Black Wasp. A Contestant above 7th-floor?! Kai''s mind shook. He¡­ is the Supreme Protector, the 9th-floor Contestant. But his voice¡­ The Supreme Protector had announced his presence just after the appearance of Inheritance Land''s notification. So, it wasn''t hard for him to make guesses about this helmet-wearing Contestant''s identity. The 9th-floor Contestant eyed Kai''s dead gaze from behind the helmet, and then slowly took off his helmet. Under the Helmet of Fate, there was an old face, full of wrinkles and dull, gray hair, but his eyes were bright vale, a touch of yellow surrounded by green; alive. He was the same old man who had followed Kai throughout the Night of Truce, who had slapped the butt of a female Contestant, and who had felt a touch of Conqueror''s Haki within Kai''s bloodlust. He was Contestant Nexus, the Supreme Protector! No wonder Kai couldn''t sense the old man''s presence. Perception had always been a double-edged sword, to begin with. Not to mention, for a 9th-floor Contestant, fooling the likes of Selene was just too easy, even if he hadn''t truly seen the Ghost Basilisk following him. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Burying the anxiety of sitting near such a Contestant, and that too from Order, Kai craned his neck, looking around at his surroundings. Wherever Kai could see, corpses were sprawled on the deck, dying the wood red and black. Some 50 Contestants seemed barely alive to him, missing one limb or another, incapable of even lifting heads. Ensui''s user and the Contestant with Shinken Blue''s power had survived as well. But Kai could tell¡­ these 50 Consonants hadn''t survived by happenstance. Someone had saved them, along with himself, just at the right time. However, Black Wasp was nowhere to be found. It was then Kai''s eyes landed on two figures, leaning against the broken foremast. Moraine the Elegant and Blade Singer! Moraine''s face was pale and drenched with blood. The armor over her left arm, up to the elbow, and around her waist had been already gone. Now, the damage had worsened, fine and coarse cracks running over like hideous scars. The Wings of Grim Butterfly on her back had dimmed, too, becoming smaller than the toddler''s height. Blade Singer''s right hand was still twisted at an odd angle, her face paler than Moraine''s. Her chest kept puffing up and down as if she was having an intense battle with the art of breathing. Blood was dripping off her chin, falling on the sword in her left hand. The moment Kai looked at them, both ladies also lifted their heads, their eyes matching Kai''s. Those pair of eyes were full of hate, murder¡­ ¡­ Complication? Respect? Why was there complication and respect mixed in those beautiful, bloodshot eyes? Kai couldn''t tell. "I heard you saved Jack Sparrow and William Turner," Nexus drawled, licking his lips, pointing at the two Characters who were lying unconsciousness afar. "Not only that, but you also saved the two strongest Contestants who were also acting as temporary Protectors. "Your contributions in bringing the Characters out of Inheritance Land surpass everyone by far, kid." Eh?! What''s he talking about? Kai asked himself, confused. When did I save anyone? But Kai was cursed with a brilliant mind, letting him draw theories based on the faintest hints available. When Kai sensed Black Wasp coming, aiming to behead him, he pulled Moraine and Blade Singer toward himself, hoping to let them act as shields. The only reason he had done so was to reduce the damage of the hideously powerful blow directed at him. What had happened next had been nothing but pure acts of coincidence. Both Moraine and Blade Singers, though grievously wounded, had survived. And the lone Contestant, Aloof, who had remained unmoved, fell under the hands of Black Wasp as a result. But this all happened only from Kai''s perspective. To others, however, it seemed as if Kai, at the cost of suffering fatal wounds, had saved Moraine and Blade Singer by pulling them toward him, leaving no targets for Black Wasp except Aloof, who was the strongest of the four. This was nothing but an act of courage and unprecedented bravery. A hero! The fuck?! Kai''s face crumpled inwardly as he concluded these facts. How absurd things could even get? Tch! No wonder Moraine and Blade Singer are looking at me with both murderous and complicated emotions. Moraine even more so, for she didn''t have a good impression of me at all. But how did they reach such a misunderstanding¡­ ¡­ Wait a minute! This?! Kai''s head suddenly snapped toward Captain Jack Sparrow, and even his soul trembled. Misfortune¡­ Coincidences¡­ Misunderstandings¡­ Luck at Two Extremities¡­ Kai kept repeating these words in his head at an incredible rate. It was as if he was about to understand something great, something extremely profound. Kai even felt like if he could just grab the end of this thread of understanding, then he would never have to worry about his Bad Luck. This feeling became stronger and stronger, soaring through the sky. This was the beginning of a Comprehension; the dawn of an Epiphany. Some called it the Grand Dao; some named it the Principle of Universal Laws; some thought of it as the Force. And some even felt it as a manifestation of Perception, the Omnipotent Entity present across the Multiverse; the mightiest among all. The essence remained the same, nonetheless. Kai''s entire existence seemed to have fallen into stunned silence, his eyes losing life and his presence vanishing, falling deeper and deeper into this Comprehension. Unknown and unseen to anyone, the Yellow Sign pulsed into existence on his forehead, glowing hideously. As if that was a cue, a gigantic image of a red crystal with a shadow within it appeared behind Kai''s back. CRACK!!! Ethereal cracks rang within Kai''s mind like countless mirrors shattering simultaneously. Kai didn''t know what was going on, but he was having a feeling. No matter how much he let himself dive into this Epiphany, he wouldn''t see the thread or its end before he succumbed under its influence. If this went on, he would lose himself in this state eternally, just like the time when he had fallen into the gulf between black and white upon hearing the Faceless Saying for the first time. NO!!! A loud shout tore through the shattering mirrors backed by his will to survive. Kai suddenly coughed out a mouthful of blood, taking the Supreme Protector by surprise. Even Moraine and Blade Singer snapped their heads toward him, their pupils trembling. "What happened?!" Nexus shouted, holding Kai from falling face-front. "I thought your injuries were healing¡­" "Cough! Cough!" Kai rubbed the blood off his mouth, his gaze lost, both the Yellow Sign and the Red Crystal vanishing. Nevertheless, there was a glint in his eyes, hidden ¡ª a sign of him sensing the vast greatness of Perception and the lingering effect of an Epiphany. If the day came when he could Comprehend the Epiphany he had stumbled upon just now, then¡­ 0392 Missing Servants - The Beginning of Nightmare! "I am alright," Kai remarked offhandedly. "What happened? I can''t recall anything." Nexus eyed Red oddly, recalling the things he had theorized about him. For a moment, he said nothing, and then he sighed. "Sigh! I''ve become truly old," the old man lamented, smacking his lips. "We underestimated him. We both did." "I don''t understand¡­" Kai''s eyes narrowed. As Kai looked at the injured 9th-floor Contestant, for just the tiniest moment, the thought of killing him rose in his heart. He stomped over that feeling in the very next breath, however. Kai had already found out through Chaos that he would need to kill 40 5th-floor Contestants or 5 6th-floor Contestants from Order to fulfill his Kill Count Quota of the 2nd Set. If he were to ignore the two 4th-floor Contestants he had killed before his reincarnation, then he had only killed two 5th-floor Contestants of Order. And that too recently, during the deep sea showdown. Killing even a 7th-floor Contestant would instantly let him do away with Kill Count. Much less needed about a 9th-floor one. But¡­ this was the 9th floor! So what if the Supreme Protector was injured, looking like a dying old man? Kai could tell that the 9th-floor Contestant had weakened significantly, his strength falling to the level of a 7th-floor Contestant. But this strength wouldn''t take much time to rise, either. Kai didn''t even know why he was still alive. If he was in Nexus'' place, he would have killed everyone by now to prevent others from having second thoughts about attempting something foolish. "Who''s we?" Kai added, his thoughts all over the place. "Who did you underestimate?" Even Moraine and Blade Singer had crawled toward them by now, putting their ears against the Supreme''s words. From time to time, they kept glancing at Kai in disgust and loss, but in loss more often than not. Contestant Nexus caressed the Helmet of Fate and turned his head to his right. Kai, Moraine, and Blade Singer lifted their heads to look in the same direction as well. Beyond the bobbing stern, Kai saw a faint screen of darkness, so vast that it seemed to have no end. It had a dome shape, and it was covering the entire Inheritance Land within it. Kai and others could even see flashes of light through the dark layer as if there was an intense battle going on within the dome. It was also then Kai''s eyes landed on the sky, the faint indigo and blue mixed with a touch of red and orange. The dawn was near! Kai''s heart suddenly pounded. It was about time he returned, he realized. It''s good that I¡­ Kai was just thinking when his pounding heart stopped. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. His face became white, his lips dried up, and his entire body faintly trembled in anxiety and confusion. Kai couldn''t sense her. Kai couldn''t sense his Items. Cersei and the earring on her ear, the Book, both were lost to him, gone somewhere incredibly far, it felt. And then Kai found another one of his servants missing. Selene! ¡­ With so much going on after waking up, and the subsequent matter of lost Comprehension, Kai only now felt such vast changes, his memory triggered by the changing hues of the sky. None noticed Kai''s odd state, though. Contestant Nexus flicked his hand, creating a screen in front of him. Kai mechanically turned his head to look at it; dazed about what to do and where to look for his irreplaceable Items. "We underestimated Shadow Lord," Contestant Nexus began, the scene after the explosion appearing on the screen. "Pirate Lord Henry Morgan somehow used the energy from the blast to speed up his maturation. "At first, we thought he wouldn''t be able to copy us and our Items (-us here obviously means Nexus and Red Sun-). At least not my Helmet of Fate and his¡­ Digimon. Haaa! We were both right and wrong¡­" As the Supreme Protector let out an exasperated breath, the screen showed them a towering being, wearing a vast, rippling cloak that seemed to have been sewn using shadows. His eyes were deep black and his long white beard swayed left and right as if it was alive. The Shadow Lord! They saw him raising his hands as if he was holding the entire sky, and then three cyborg-dinosaurs-like beasts sprouted out of the ground covered in shadows, each having a revolver for their left arm. Another convoluted shadow, wearing a shadowy helmet, levitated out of the ground, the very space fluctuating around him. In his hands were a shadow spear and a shield that felt made of earth, but wasn''t. From another side, a colossal Shadow Creature emerged, over 100 ft tall, and the three shadow Digimon came to hover around him like planets around the sun. This was Anomaly; the true Nightmare! "Shadow Lord couldn''t copy the Items exactly, true enough," Nexus continued, eying the Shadow Creature wearing the dark helmet. "But he just created many of us with the strength of 8th-floor Contestants. "The blast had already forced the other kid''s galley (-the unknown 7th-floor Marine-) and Black Pearl out of the Inheritance Land. He not only got the 10% Inheritance but also captured Barbossa and his crew. "Interceptor, however, was on the verge of capsizing. Shadow Lord must have sensed Jack Sparrow, for he rushed toward the ship." The screen shook, and another scene appeared. Kai and others saw the towering Shadow Lord emerging out of the shadows on the ship and eying everyone with indifference. His gaze landed on Jack Sparrow, but Black Wasp was nearest to the Character. An incredible and heart-palpating scene presented itself, then. Shadow Lord pointed his finger at the 7th-floor Contestant, and shadows rushed at him from all sides, dark veils coming to life. In no time, the shadows covered Black Wasp from head to toe, and then his figure distorted, becoming an ugly Shadow Creature. It was also then that the Supreme Protector appeared near the Interceptor. "Shadow Lord could only create Shadow Creatures out of non-living things before," Nexus commented. "He must have gained some further understanding in the Alchemy in this world for him to turn a person into one of his Shadow Creatures. I tried my best to save the Contestants, but¡­" This also meant Pirate Lord Henry Morgan''s Inheritance in this Random World would be better than the others with C+ Grades. Nexus left this unsaid, though. "What about the other 9th-floor Contestant, senior?" Blade Singer asked as she was from Order as well. "He¡­ he didn''t help." "He¡­" Nexus frowned, clenching his teeth. "¡­ He is Red Sun." "What?!" Moraine blurted in sheer shock. "Red Sun, the leader of the Sun and Moon Organization? Red Sun¡­ the 2nd Ranked Contestant during his Tournament of Worth with the theme ¡ª Relentless?! He is¡­" "¡­ a lunatic!" Blade Singer completed the words, her voice shaking. Robin¡­? Even Kai, his thoughts tumultuous, couldn''t help but recall the 9th-floor Contestant he had fooled during his past mission. Why¡­ Why was he acting as a mere Protector, then? "Red Sun saved Governor Swann and Commodore Norrington somehow," the old man told them. "But 20% of Inheritance wasn''t enough for him. "I don''t know why, but he couldn''t find Elizabeth Swann. Not when getting attacked by my two copies, and three shadow Digimon blasting him from all sides. There are still a few hours to the Inheritance Land''s end. And Red Sun is¡­ indeed relentless." Kai couldn''t savor the flavor of Red Sun''s illogical strength for long. The screen trembled again, showing the scene of a beaten and bleeding Supreme Protector running away, bringing the Interceptor with him. And just behind him was the Shadow Lord, surrounded by countless Shadow Creatures. Suddenly, Kai saw something that made him tremble, his blood boiling in his veins. Shadow Lord reached out with a vast shadowy claw and snatched a person off the ship. She was a young lady, with wet golden hair and an earring in her left ear. 0393 Kais Attitude - An Emperors Descendent?! The moment the Shadow Lord grabbed Cersei, a mass of white-silver mist followed her as well. "Who was that?!" Blade Singer exclaimed, narrowing her eyes. "This I couldn''t tell, either," Nexus mumbled, licking his lips. "I did hear Shadow Lord say something¡­ Unnatural Lifeform, yes. It was also then that he gave up the pursuit, and I got the chance to bring you guys out of the Inheritance Land." Cold coursed through Kai''s veins with bubbling ferocity. He pushed himself to his feet, his eyes bloodshot. Afro''s Tachi and Murasame appeared in his hands and Kai stepped toward the hull, stumbling and limping. "She was with you?!" Nexus exclaimed, his old eyes giving off a profound glint. "If I knew¡­ She''s as good as gone, kid. Don''t attempt something crazy. "The moment you were to step on the Island, you would die. That is not a battlefield where a mere ant like you can crawl onto!" Kai listened and ignored; the image of a Book, his power, appearing and vanishing in his mind. "She¡­ is mine." Moraine looked at the girl on the screen and then at Kai, her thoughts unknown. Blade Singer frowned as well, agreeing with the old man. Moreover, the Supreme Protector looked incredibly furious. But, unseen by Moraine and Blade Singer, the Helmet of Fate resting on his lap had given out a faint golden shine. Once more, Nexus was using the same Skill through which he had let all Contestants know of his presence. This time, however, the Skill was directed only toward Kai. -/¡­ Your Imperial Excellency,/- the 9th-floor Contestant''s words rang in Kai''s mind like Telepathy.-/Senior, you are a reincarnated descendant of the Emperor. Must you lose your sense over a mere girl?/- Kai suddenly paused. Thousand hearts; Ten thousand probabilities! By now, Contestant Nexus had indeed made some guesses about Kai''s origin. With his experience, only the direct descendant of the Emperor bloodline could show a hint of Conqueror''s Haki so early in the Primordial Tower after the resurrection; especially before achieving the 1st Threshold. Not just anyone could ignore the restrictions of Thresholds, Nexus knew. Only these kinds of Contestants, the promised Kings, could even breathe the power of Supreme, to begin with. Nexus was over 90% sure that his guess was right. Not only that, but his guess had also birthed more theories. The Supreme Protector, too, had heard of the Five-Crowned Prince. He, too, was interested in knowing what exactly could interest 18th-floor existences. When he brought Red into the picture, and because this 2nd Set Contestant was from Chaos, it made this 90% go infinitely near to the 100%. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Who in the entire Primordial Tower would even believe that Red possessed the Color of the Supreme not because of the Emperor bloodline, but because he was Kai of House Stormborn? No one. Only the Conquerors could see through the true origins of one''s Color of the Supreme. Rest were unworthy. And this was when people didn''t know about Kai having not one but two Haki. As Nexus didn''t know about Kai''s Observation Haki, the Kings didn''t know about his Conqueror''s Haki. The day when these two facts were to come to light, would be the day when earth-shattering changes would happen in the Primordial Tower. The Supreme Protector''s theory related to Kai was also the reason for him to stake out everything to save him. However, that wasn''t the only reason. Kai''s mind had already gone blank after seeing his Items getting snatched by someone. He turned around and his dead gaze landed on Nexus as if he was eying the most stupid person he had ever looked at. And then he spat, "You are weak." Moraine and Blade Singer''s eyes popped out. Everyone who heard Kai gasped, anger flashing across their eyes as they heard their savior being called a weak person. Only Nexus'' eyes trembled. You are weak¡­ these were the same words Red Sun had said to him before he left the Inheritance Land, the Supreme Protector remembered. In a world where killing and massacring were a common sight, where no one cared about anyone but themselves¡­ was thinking of others, saving innocents, and doing something right so wrong? So wrong that they would label him as weak? Nexus had never questioned his methods before, believing in himself and his acts. Now, however, hearing the same words from a reincarnated emperor''s descendant made his heart tremble. "How dare you?!" Blade Singer fumed, her eyes burning. "Take those words back." Kai didn''t even look at her. With one last gaze at Nexus, he threw himself off the ship, jumping into the sea with a resounding splash. This was his Attitude! And only his attitude was Demonic! So what if the threat was beyond him? All he needed was one reason to take on the risk. And the Book was the most prominent reason Kai could ever have. If he were to just run away, giving up on his hard-earned power, without even trying, then what right would he have to call himself a Demon? Heh! Kai sneered, scalding heat coursing through his veins as Gyarados-Kai came into existence. With one powerful kick and flick of his tail, he threw himself toward the Inheritance Land, entering the dark dome. Over at Interceptor, Moraine eyed the ripples under seawater vanishing beyond the dark covering around Inheritance Land. Blade Singer was still breathing hard, blood dripping off her chin. "Humph! What an idiot!" She didn''t have a habit of speaking so much. But Kai''s remark had brought out her fury. Even her voice had a sword-like edge, cutting through the hearts. "Go die! Just who the hell he thinks he is?" The Supreme Protector, too, was looking at the disappearing ripples, and he had seen much more, including the strange transformation. "He¡­" Contestant Nexus opened his weary heart. His voice was only for Moraine and Blade Singer, entering the ladies'' ears and hearts like the most powerful boom of heavenly thunder. "¡­ He is the Five-crowned Prince!" ¡­ This world had become the realm of shadows. Dark, dense clouds were hammering sinister bolts of lightning at the land. The wind had gained an ominous aura, howling like a hungry wolf upon seeing the prey. Among the dying screams of half-dead Contestants, one could hear the pelting of rain; silent but heavy. And thousands of Shadow Creatures prowled the land, killing, ripping, and tearing off the very flesh of the living. This was the true appearance of an Inheritance Land of C+ Grade. Kai could feel himself cut off from the world outside the dome''s dark boundaries. This world had no place for him. So what if he had Glitch? So what if he had mastered the art of Selfless Breathing? So what if he possessed a Will like none other before him? This world¡­ could show disdain to these all. Yet Kai still came, his eyes bloodshot but brimming with a defying glint. He would not and could not lose his Power. Not again. Gyarados-Kai lunged out of the water, wielding Afro''s Tachi and Murasame. He lifted his head and eyed the entire island of Port Royal. It was like he had arrived in some strange land, having its own hideous environment within the dome''s boundaries. Kai saw a gigantic shadow, over 100 ft tall, surrounded by 3 humongous beast-like Shadow Creatures. The beasts were further backed by more Shadow Creatures. Kai recognized the shadow copies of the Protectors. But only one of the two Supreme Protector''s copies was among them, unlike the scene he had seen on the screen on Interceptor. The other one was missing¡­ 0394 Red Suns Transformation, A Deal with Moraine, and Crossing Threshold!!! Kai dearly hoped that the missing shadow Supreme was already dead. A group of insanely powerful shadow creatures was fighting with a cyborg dinosaur, with a giant revolver for a left arm. Even from afar, Kai could sense its ferocity as it roared and pummeled at the heads of the Shadow Creatures using the revolver''s barrel. Yet, he could also see the dimming of energy surrounding its mechanical wings that were letting it fly so high. A clear sign of Mana running out. A Digimon! Kai recalled the name. It''s on its last breath¡­ Bang-Bang! Suddenly, two successive bangs rang out, and a Shadow Digimon''s head exploded. Kai snapped his head away from the real Digimon and looked over it. Who else could it be, but Red Sun, the Top-level 9th-floor Contestant? However, this Robin didn''t look like Robin that Kai remembered. The same Contestant, who had given an impression of an overgrown child with a loose white t-shirt and blue shorts, was now clad in a long, crimson trenchcoat with a high collar, assorted straps, and black buttons. Underneath his coat, he was wearing form-fitting dark pants and knee-high combat boots. And Kai could even see the distinct glint of light amber-colored glasses in front of his eyes. Even Red Sun''s red hair had lengthened, becoming blond, and looked like needles standing on their ends. The most striking was the origin of those cannon-like bangs. In Robin''s right hand, there was a long, silver revolver, its barrel as long as half a hand. A loud boom rang in the atmosphere every time Red Sun fired it, exploding the head of a Shadow Creature. Such marksmanship! Kai was impressed. To which world do his powers belong? Meg had mentioned no such getup and revolver. Suddenly, both Red Sun and his Digimon moved out of sight, forced by the Shadow Creatures, letting Kai see what lay beyond them. It was then his eyes stirred. It was then his mind went blank. ¡­ High in the sky, surrounded by Shadow Creatures, was Shadow Lord. His long, white beard was swaying in the wind like a banner, and there was a large cloak of shadows over him that rippled like it was the black wind itself. But it wasn''t the sight of Shadow Lord that had constricted Kai''s pupils. Shadow Lord''s large hand was resting on a head, almost gripping it like a ball. This head belonged to none other than the Tales of Beedle the Bard''s Character ¡ª Cersei Lannister. Kai couldn''t see it clearly, but what he felt made his breathing quicken. A layer of blackness was crawling up Cersei''s body from her toes, reaching up to her neck. And it was still going up! Kai didn''t know why, but he had a feeling that once Cersei fully became a Shadow Creature, he would lose his ownership of the Book as well. It was almost like him giving the Philosopher''s Stone to Jack Sparrow, transforming their status from Artifacts to objects of the Timeline. A low growl came out of his throat like that of a beast, his breath gaining a touch of bloody mist. Kai didn''t see Selene anywhere, but he had sensed her. She was alive, and she could handle herself, he knew. It was time to call her back. The moment Kai''s eyes landed on Cersei, her blurry green eyes also saw the Blue-skinned demon. Two teardrops fell from the corner of her eyes, making her shut her eyes tight. It was also when Shadow Lord opened his dark eyes and looked at Kai. "Kill him." Two words, and he gave no more attention to the puny creature. All the Shadow Creatures, other than that were attacking Red Sun, howled and rushed toward the docks where Kai was. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. However, it wasn''t them who neared Kai first. Kai snapped his head back and looked at the red and silver dot flying toward him. Moraine the Elegant landed behind him on the dock, and her helmet folded back, letting her long blue hair fall like a serene waterfall. Her face, though, was full of tiredness and bleakness. Yet, Kai saw a burning glint in her blue eyes; a resolve like never before. The moment Moraine''s feet landed on the docks with a mechanical clink, she staggered and fell. Her eyes never left the sight of Gyarados-Kai, the shock apparent on her face. " Are you¡­ the Five-Crowned Prince?" she asked, gulping, her look expectant. Kai said nothing, his eyes still remembering the blackness covering Cersei. "I know you are¡­" Moraine mumbled, drawing large breaths. "I¡­ want to believe you are him, Red. Help me. Only¡­ you can help me." Kai looked down at her and contemplated if he should kill her. He couldn''t afford another variable in this fight; not when the chances of getting the Book back were already almost¡­ "I don''t keep friends," Kai told her. And she wasn''t worthy of becoming his slave, which he left unsaid. No Blessing of the Old Ones could come close to the monstrous transformation that Blessings of Deep Ones bestowed upon Contestants. Spawn had the potential to surpass the level of Supreme Protectors with her Hell-Spawn Blessing. What right did Moraine the Elegant with Wings of Grim Butterfly have to garner Red''s attention? "My armor¡­" Moraine said as if she knew she would be rejected. "¡­ you need it, Red. You do. I will give it to you." Kai''s heart stirred. The Shadow Creatures were coming at him from all around, like a tide of beasts, howling and roaring. He did need armor, letting him rush past them. Moreover, killing Moraine would send her armor back to her Inventory, and as she was of Chaos, he couldn''t attempt Looting her Items as well. Kai''s grip on his swords tightened. "State your terms." Moraine pushed herself to her feet, gasping for breath. She had used what little Mana she had left for coming here. Now, her mind was going dizzy, losing the sense of time and place, but her words were ready. "Promise me one instance of help, and this armor is yours," Moraine said, looking into Kai''s hazel pupils, her eyes moving from his face to the mind jewel on his forehead. "Promise it on Chaos." "This armor is already gone¡­" Moraine''s chuckle cut into Kai''s words. Even now, in her half-dead state, the Protector looked as stunningly elegant as she had to Kai the first time they had met. "Yes, you are right," she sneered. "But you need it more than I do." What a cunt! Kai cursed, his chest heaving up and down. "Very well." He nodded. "But I will not bet my life over your nonsense." "Good enough for me." Moraine nodded back. The moment Kai and Moraine swore oaths on Chaos, the half-broken armor folded unto itself and fell on the dock as a metallic suitcase. Moraine kicked the Item toward him as hard as she could, sending it toward Kai. Kai let his swords hover by his side and his vision burned with the sense of power he was feeling from the Iron Man armor. He put his feet into the suitcase and pulled it up. Metallic clicking rang around him as the armor covered his entire body, except for the part below his left elbow and around his waist. This missing waist part also let his long, powerful tail out, giving it ample space to move. The moment the helmet covered his face, a dense burst of power exploded within Kai, forcing him to draw a sharp breath. Kai clenched his fingers and looked at the Item''s Stats. ¡­ [ Item: Iron Man Mark V Suit Grade: Uncommon Sub-Grade: Top Specification: The Mark V is an Emergency Suit, and was the fifth Iron Man Armor designed and created by Tony Stark. It is the first armor to feature a new portable system that can fold itself into a briefcase and be deployed for use in civilian areas Requirement: 1. Correspondence >20 2. Perception >20 3. An Ability Attributes: 1. Armor Class: Basic Iron Man Suit 2. Armor Type: Emergency Suit 3. Armor Color: Red & Silver 4. Armor Height: 6 ft Effect: 1. Strength +3 2. Agility +3 3. Stamina +3 Skill: Repulsors Skill Effect: 1. Consume 0.1 MP/second to fire a continuous charge of energy through the repulsors at the palms and soles of the armor 2. Consume 50 MP to fire short bursts of energy through hand-mounted repulsors 3. Consume 100 MP to fire a Unibeam through a chest-mounted repulsor. Warning: 1. Mana Consumption doubles with every 300 meters of altitude 2. The Suit''s Effect and Skill are subjected to fluctuations underwater Quality: 43% ] ¡­ Kai''s breath quickened and he instantly poured his 4 Unassigned Points into Perception, meeting the Item''s Requirements. ¡­ Strength: 21 (+3) Agility: 25 (+3) Stamina: 21 (+3) Perception: 21 Correspondence: 23 (+3) Breath: 20 (+3) ¡­ This wasn''t truly surpassing the 1st Threshold. However, using the buffs given by the Novice Collector Title and the Iron Man Mark V Suit, at this moment, Kai had theoretically pushed himself above the threshold. He felt power coursing through his veins, and his eyes behind the helmet''s slit lit up. There was no AI interface in this Item, but with the Contestants'' Perception, there was not much need for it, either. "Add me to your Party," Moraine demanded, Claymore appearing in her hands. "My Code Name is¡­ Stark Blue." "¡­?" Ignoring the Code Name, Kai remembered the two empty slots in his Party, the other two belonging to Meg and Spawn. As much as he disliked allotting one of them to Moraine, he did do it, anyway. Kai gave Moraine one last look, and then turned, metal clinking all over him. He lifted his left hand and grabbed Afro''s Tachi. Murasame kept hovering around him, thrumming with pleasure. Grr! Aooo! Rarrrr! Seeing the murderous tide coming at him, Kai threw a Rare HP capsule in his mouth, given to him by Red Sun. Then he closed his eyes. Everything vanished for him. Moraine''s gaze at his tall back... all worries and random thoughts... Red Sun''s powerful image... and the Shadow Beasts... Everything but one. His obsession. Power. Who in this world could take away his Power? Who could hold what belonged to him and not turn to ashes? Who?! Hisss! Dense blood flames whistled out of Kai''s mouth, engulfing his armored figure like fire over a metallic-wooden log. Kai had felt such strength before ¡ª a strength resulting from Little War Horn and Titan''s Buff, when he had fought with Akaza. But¡­ was it enough? The repulsors at his right palm, his soles, and his chest shone blue as he poured Mana into them. From the soles of his feet, and hidden by the flashes, a white-silver mist entered Kai, burning with anger. And then his eyes snapped open, bloodshot and merciless. "Explode¡­" Kai hissed, his voice mechanical, shooting himself toward the incoming shadowy army. "¡­ my Instincts!" 0395 All Out - Kais Rage and Infallible Instincts! The wood under his metallic boots exploded as Kai''s new armor fired bursts of energy, firing him toward the incoming army. There was a madness about Gyarados-Kai''s eyes; a zeal like never. An obsession. He would kill them all. He would slaughter the entire world before losing his Power; the Power that belonged to him. The power of Iron Man Suit''s repulsors was such that with one lunge, it brought him into the thick of the shadow army. The Shadow Creatures, copies of none but Contestants, attacked Kai from all around with Skills, Items, and an Ability here and there, hacking at him. The world went silent for Kai. Selfless Breathing! The blood flames roared, and Kai''s swords blurred. Wherever they passed, heads flew as if they didn''t like their bodies anymore. It didn''t even feel like Kai was looking at where he was slashing. It was just an¡­ Instinct! Murasame hacked to his right. No one was there. But just as it felt like Kai had gone mad, hacking at nothing but air, a Shadow Creature landed in Murasame''s path as if he had just decided to put his neck against the blade. The head separated. "He is¡­" Behind Kai, Moraine''s mouth hung open, her entire body shaking as a taut string flicked vigorously. Still, she was a Protector, a 6th-floor Contestant, ranked 7 in the Tournament of Worth with Survival Theme. Stark Blue''s hand flicked, taking out several capsules. She threw them in her mouth. "Haaaa!" A powerful shout thundered from her throat, Wings of Grim Butterfly sprouting from her back. "I¡­ am¡­" The world turned gray as she brandished the Claymore in her hands, every flutter of her Wings shattering space and Yokai around her. "¡­ Moraine¡­ the Elegant!" Kai suddenly turned to the left, slithering with his eyes wide. From his right, Moraine walked out. It looked like she was strolling through a park. Wherever Moraine passed by, the world shattered. Kai''s repulsors fired along with her, dancing at the same rhythm. With every next shot, he slithered faster, hacked faster, and advanced faster, making him feel like the entire world had slowed down for him. "Haha!" a laugh escaped his throat. The blood flames soared even higher, squeezing out as much power as possible, enhancing his Strength and Agility even more. From above, one could see a speck of blood point, slithering through the blackness with such a speed that eyes teared up. Wherever this blood point passed, the blackness melted, becoming gray and white. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. A hammer appeared in Kai''s vision, coming from his blind spot. And then a hammer did come, the air folding under its might. Moraine''s eyes widened. Too late. The hammer was just too fast, the power of Shadow Creature wielding it already surpassing that of a Top-level 6th-floor Contestant. The hammer landed on Kai''s head as well, and¡­ ¡­ passed through it. It was just an afterimage. Kai appeared above the creature, the soles of his feet bursting with power. With a monstrous spin, Afro''s Tachi beheaded the monster, its head tumbling down, falling on the shadow hammer. Then the Mana churned even more. The repulsors of Iron Man''s suit burst out with a continuous charge, sending Kai flying into the air. All the Shadow Creature sprouted bat-like wings and chased him, some even appearing in front of him in an instant. Moraine still had to come out of the shock of Kai''s surviving that blow. Her pupils contracted and then she lunged toward Kai, the Wings of Grim Butterfly letting her fly. Kai slithered midair, passing through the creatures like wind through the water. Suddenly, a dwarf Shadow Creature appeared in front of Kai, its dark, hollow eyes blurring in and out of existence. The shadow copy of Contestant Aloof. These Shadow Creatures weren''t as strong as Black Wasp, but they still had entered the boundary of the 7th-floor Contestants. "Ahhh!" Kai shouted and rushed at the dwarf creature. Alas! Some gaps weren''t that easy to be closed up using Items alone. Boom! Kai''s blurry figure got sent back with twice the monstrous speed he had flown. With a bang, he struck the ground, rubble and dust flying everywhere. "Cough!" Kai coughed out a mouthful of blood, his entire body feeling the power of a telekinetic blow. Murasame hummed to Kai''s side, asking to let herself loose. Kai threw himself into the air once again. No other Shadow Creature approached him anymore as if the dwarf creature was enough to hold him back. "Don''t¡­" Kai mumbled, throwing 2 MP capsules in his mouth. "¡­ underestimate me." His rage boiled like never before. The overlapping scales on Kai''s body, under the armor, shook, vibrating like leaves. The crown on Kai''s head hummed with the wrath pulsing within his veins. Gyarados-Kai outstretched his hands, the world blurring in his eyes, and roared. ROARRRRRRRRR! A massive pillar of yellow-black energy shot toward the sky, the space rippling around it. Skill ¡ª Hyper Beam! ¡­ [ Skill: Hyper Beam Grade: D+ Temporary Grade: C- Specification: Attack the target with a powerful beam but cancel-out the next Skill used by the Contestant Requirement: 1. Correspondence > 10 2. Strength > 10 3. Worth > 20 Attributes: 1. Accuracy: 300 meters at Max. Base Damage Effect: 1. Base Damage: 150 HP | Consumption: 100 MP, 20 HP, 10 SP 2. Max. Base Damage: 350 HP | Consumption: 300 MP, 75 HP, 30 SP ] ¡­ The Shadow Creature''s eyes again shone, but, in the very next moment, the Hyper Beam struck its chest and blasted through it. The overloaded Hyper Beam didn''t vanish, though. The color kept becoming denser and denser. No matter who came in front of the beam, it shattered on the impact. Then, little by little, the Hyper Beam''s pillar-like existence became yellow thread before vanishing altogether. Panting and growling, Kai again threw himself toward the Shadow Lord. Suddenly, three more creatures appeared in front of him. One had exaggeratedly long limbs, the shadow copy of Blade Singer. The other had armor just like his, and in his hands was a Claymore. Its entire body was giving out a seven-colored glow. It was the shadow copy of Moraine. The last one was a twisted shadow that seemed to wear a high-collared black coat. Black Wasp, the 7th-floor Contestant! It was no Shadow Creature, though. Black Wasp''s genuine body had been transformed by Shadow Lord using Alchemy. Kai''s expression was dead. Blade Singer''s copy and Moraine''s copy lunged at Kai from the right and left. Black Wasp''s body glowed yellow, and he blurred, coming at Kai from the front. Kai threw himself to Moraine''s copy, dodging the Claymore, and slammed into the Creature''s chest. Both Afro''s Tachi and Murasame stabbed themselves into its body, going deeper than ever. Blade Singer''s copy screamed shrilly, its long limbs almost hacking at Kai''s defenseless back. Selene shot out of Kai''s back like a silver phantom. She was powerless against these Creatures that had no soul, but there were still many things she could do. Her third eye shot open, a blood drop dripping off its corner. Blade Singer''s copy stiffened as if a higher power had frozen it in midair. Petrification! Selene slithered herself around the petrified Shadow Creature''s neck and started blathering in its ears, making it tremble. Lunatic Corruption! Both Blade Singer''s copy and Moraine''s copy exploded simultaneously, becoming black raindrops. 0396 Kais Buffs - Soaring Stats!!! From confronting Moraine and Blade Singer''s Shadow Copies to making them explode as black raindrops, it took Gyarados-Kai only a few moments. But all this had been done with Kai not caring about Black Wasp. It was as if he had given up on his fate; the fatal threat of a 7th-floor Contestant. No. Black Wasp felt even stronger than before. The yellow shadowy figure had already come near Kai, its Agility surpassing his infallible instincts. Suddenly, a figure appeared between Kai and Black Wasp. The Wings of Grim Butterfly on Moraine''s back were pulsing with seven-colored hue brighter than ever. In her hands, the Claymore looked like the epitome of elegance and death. Her eyes boiled with an unmatched resolve. The repulsor on Kai''s soles fired, and he flew around Moraine and Black Wasp without giving her a fleeting look. Behind Kai, a massive boom rang out, a defying scream, and an earth-shattering burst of power. Nothing could make him look back. It was then a creature appeared in front of Kai whose power he couldn''t even measure. ¡­ The newly arrived obstruction was a colossal cyborg dinosaur beast, over 30 ft tall, and its giant revolver was pointed at Kai. With a bang, it fired 3 shadowy bursts. There was a time when Kai had looked at red meteors, wondering about their absurdness. There was a time when he had wondered, what it would be like to have such a power of his own. There was a time when he had asked himself, what would it be like facing such an attack? If he didn''t do something, then he would soon know the answer. With the power that was infinitely nearer to the 8th floor, these black meteors felt like heralds of doom. Kai had never been so sure of death. Not when he could see it coming at him, spinning round and round. To left¡­ To left¡­ Move to the left¡­ Go there and you will survive¡­ Instincts were roaring in Kai''s mind. Thoughts followed those Instincts, sending electrical signals to his muscles. Not fast enough. He was just not fast enough. He knew what to do, and how to survive, but even with his Agility, his body refused to move. "Murasame!" Kai roared and the cursed sword blurred, slashing at none but her master. "Titan''s Buff!" ¡­ Skill: Little War Horn Skill''s Effect: 1. Strength, Agility, Stamina, and Perception: +5 points each (Time Limit: 60 seconds) 2. To use the Skill, one must discard their humanity. Only a truly demonic being can master the pain that the use of this Skill will bring forth on the user''s body Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. 3. After 60 seconds, Strength, Agility, Stamina, and Perception: -3 points each (Time Limit: 60 minutes) 4. Cooldown: 24 hours ¡­ Act: Relentless Love Specification: The character assimilates himself within the Contestant''s soul, granting him a Titan''s Buff for 30 seconds. Effect: 1. Strength +3 2. Agility +4 3. Stamina +5 ¡­ Strength: 29 (+11) Agility: 34 (+12) Stamina: 31 (+13) Perception: 26 (+5) Correspondence: 23 (+3) Breath: 20 (+3) ¡­ Something snapped within Kai. He had never felt this powerful before. Never. This was the height of Buffs over his Stats, a combination of Iron Man Armor, Novice Collector Title, Murasame''s Little War Horn, and Petyr''s Relentless Love. Today, for the first time, Kai felt he could see something greater than the Power he desired. The first of those shadow bullets had already come close enough to Kai to make him feel hot through the Mark V armor. To the left¡­ Kai''s body blurred as if the entire world had shifted to the right. The shadow bullet passed by inches away from his helmet, and it shattered, metallic pieces sparking, falling off the armor. The second and third bullets also arrived, and the world shifted once more in Kai''s eyes with another thought. They couldn''t even scratch him this time. BOOM! A black mushroom cloud erupted behind Kai, and it was also then his hair fell out of the armor, the entire world gawking at the sight. His hair had lengthened, becoming redder than red. The white sclera of his eyes had become black, and his reptilian, hazel pupils had gained a dark, bloody color. All over Gyarados-Kai''s blue, scaled face, one could see cursed runic marks running up and down. There was no humanity about this person. Not anymore. Kai Stormborn was a Demon to the core. Kai''s demonic eyes pulsed and he blurred out of sight. At the same time, the colossal Shadow Digimon blurred as well. Both appeared in the middle. And then Kai rushed past it, the beast''s head tumbling down like a piece of a log cut down by a chainsaw. For the first time, Shadow Lord opened his eyes and gave another look to Kai, and at his demonic appearance. His grip over Cersei''s head tightened. "Ahhhh!" she screamed. "She is mine!" Kai growled, looking at the earring, and sensing the acceleration of shadows on Cersei''s body. That was her last scream, for the shadows had crawled up to her nose now. Kai felt a tug at his heart. Time¡­ was running out. It was then that a Shadow Creature appeared in front of Kai that shouldn''t have. Not on this battlefield. This Shadow Creature had a black helmet on its head ¡ª a copy of the Supreme Protector, Contestant Nexus. Now, its strength lingered in the realms of 8th-floor! There was no thought, no Instinct. This wasn''t an opponent Kai could take on even with the absurdly piled-up Attribute Points. The Iron Man Armor, Little War Horn, and other buffs, along with Instincts had let him take on Shadow Creatures with the strength of 7th-floor Contestants. But that was only because they had almost no intelligence. Kai was their natural enemy, especially with his rich battle experience. Yet, this Shadow Creature had the true strength of an 8th-floor Contestant. And everything failed against raw power, eventually. Contestant Nexus'' copy flicked his hands, and a miniature world-ending hurricane materialized in front of Kai. The hurricane slammed right into his chest. BANG! Kai became the red meteor he had so admired and struck the earth with such a boom that everything exploded around the impact. ~Heh! Weak!~ Whose voice is it? Kai asked himself, his mind going blank. Who is calling me weak? ~You know why you are weak, don''t you? Power¡­ You lack true Power, Blood Demon!~ I lack Power¡­ ~Do you know your mother begged me to not kill you? Do you know why? Heh! She knew, she knew how weak you were. Your own mother¡­ pitied you.~ She pitied me¡­ ~One with Beast? So what? You lack Power, Kai Stormborn. You will never have it.~ I will never¡­ BOOM! "¡­ let someone snatch my POWER! AHHHHHH!" Kai''s figure floated up, shaking and trembling. His long, red hair swayed in the black wind, and the cursed marks in his eyes fluctuated like ripples in water. But it was the blood flames around him that experienced the change. Yes. He was weak, Kai realized. But this weakness wasn''t because of his Attribute Points¡­ It was because of his body. If his body had been stronger, he could have squeezed out more power in the 30 minutes of Selfless Breathing. He could become more powerful. He must become more powerful. 0397 A Conqueror Awakens! Kai''s flesh dried up, and the skin on his face got stuck to the bones as if there was no flesh underneath it, too. His entire body shook, squeezing the last drop of power, and eating away his flesh. Drip! Drip! The ethereal blood flames gained substance, becoming liquid, and rained down on Kai himself. A red color fell upon his swords and they looked like blood swords, power rippling along their blades. Kai''s entire body became a mummy as he pushed his limits to the extreme. And beyond. Then one more transformation occurred. The blue of his skin became black, and his tail vanished. A tattered black cloak manifested around him, becoming one with the Iron Man armor. A chilly breath melted within the blood flames. The evilest and vilest creature known across the Multiverse had presented itself to this world. Up in the air, Red Sun had gone silent. His very heart was shuddering since his eyes had fallen upon Kai''s transformation after using Little War Horn. That existence, Shadow Origin, had shown him an image. That image¡­ was exactly like that of Kai, with red hair and red pupils. The Five-crowned Prince! Moraine threw herself at Black Wasp again, her left hand missing. Her eyes stared at Dementor-Kai, a horrifying¡­ hideous¡­ heaven-defying guess surfacing in her heart. Three heads and Six arms materialized on his body, earth shattering under Kai''s feet. It was then Dementor-Kai''s eyes landed on the Supreme Protector''s body. In the next moment, he appeared behind it. And then he continued shooting up, heading toward Shadow Lord. Selfless Breathing: First Transformation¡­ Behind him, Contestant Nexus''s copy fell apart, sliced into hundreds of pieces. ¡­ Three-headed Vritra!!! ¡­ Biting through the abysmal pain and shock, Contestant Stark Blue looked at Contestant Red''s wraith like figure. Before, she had doubted why he wasn''t using Sling Ring to cross the distance between him and the enemy with one jump. However, she had found the answer to her doubt soon enough. It wasn''t like Red had forgotten using the Sling Ring to reach the Shadow Lord. It was just that there was no point in using that Item in this fight, Moraine realized. Sling Ring might let him appear right next to the Anomaly, but then what? Not only it would consume his precious Mana; Mana, which he was using to fuel the Iron Man Armor; but it would also make in vulnerable. Iron Man Armor was boosting his Stats. There was no such Effect in the case of Sling Ring. If he wanted to commit suicide, then surely using the Sling Ring to reach the Shadow Lord made sense. ¡­ On the other hand, Red Sun was dealing with his thoughts as well. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. He wasn''t someone who lost the sense of time mid-fight. However, it did happen. Red Sun''s heart just couldn''t disregard the realization of this Contestant being the Five-Crowned Prince. With this realization, another fact appeared in his mind. He had been wondering how the kid was just dodging and slaughtering the Shadow Creatures all over. At that time, he had guessed it as a hidden Skill of Iron Armor or a massive buff to his Perception. Now, however, Red Sun knew what it was. Contestant Shadow Origin had told him a fact about the Contestant Red, forcing him to swear an oath on Chaos. Observation Haki! ¡­ Red Sun and his Digimon, RizeGreymon, were fighting his own Copy and the two other Shadow Digimon. The moment his heart shook, creating a gap between his onslaught, the colossal Shadow copy of Red Sun disappeared. Kai was just 100 meters away from Cersei; from the earring; from the Tales of Beedle the Bard; from his Power. He could see Shadow Lord''s indifferent gaze and the World''s disdain. Kai cared for nothing. He just needed the Book back. It was his. It must be returned to him. Naturally. It was then Red Sun''s copy blurred into existence between him and Cersei, the shadow crawling over her body blinding her eyes; her gaze never leaving Kai''s scabbed and dead face. A massive revolver of dozens of feet long barrel appeared in Red Sun''s copy''s hand, the barrel''s tip landing in front of Kai. And the Shadow Creature fired as it was the most natural act. BANG!!! The wind blew, rain fell, Red Sun roared, and Moraine''s sword beheaded Black Wasp, her heart shattering as it looked at the scene. Almost as if the space had been torn apart, Kai''s entire body below the waist disappeared as if someone had erased it. Red Sun appeared near his copy''s head and fired his revolver, forcing it to hold back from firing another shot. But¡­ was another shot even needed? Everything under his waist had gone; erased by a single shot. Kai''s upper body fell and his swords fell along with him. -Master!- Selene''s hisses tore through the space. Over half of her body was missing and all her eyes were bleeding. With a thud, Kai struck earth and the minor Shadow Creatures lunged at his broken figure. From above, Red Sun''s shadow copy fought through original Red Sun and RizeGreymon, obviously coming at Kai to finish him. Shadow Lord seemed to have labeled him as a greater danger. From another side, the remaining two Shadow Digimon also flew toward Kai, aiming the muzzles of their shadow revolvers at him. Who could save him now? A redness had replaced everything for Kai. He didn''t know in what state he was. He couldn''t see anything, either. There was only one thing on his mind ¡ª The Tales of Beedle the Bard. It was his. It must be returned to him. Hmmmmmmmmm...¡­. Humming, Dementor-Kai''s remaining body stirred under the stunned gazes. Levitating, Kai lifted his face and saw Cersei, the shadows almost covering her entire head. He also saw the sneer dancing on Shadow Lord''s lips. But in his bloody eyes, there was only one reflection that lingered the most. The earring. ~Did you see it? You saw, didn''t you? Did you¡­ see the disgust in your mother''s eyes when she died in your arms?~ Brock¡­ Kai recognized the voice. You¡­ were wrong. No one¡­ No one can take away the thing that belongs to me. Not anymore. That Book is mine¡­ The last thread of shadow covered Cersei''s head. Almost. "¡­ SHE¡­" Kai''s hoarse voice echoed far and wide as if the entire world had gone silent. He clenched his fist, his entire body trembling with a never known ferocity. "¡­ IS¡­" Shadow Lord''s, Red Sun''s, and Moraine''s hearts shuddered. "¡­ MINE!!!" SILENCE. ¡­ First, the entire world imploded, all auras gathering at Kai, ethereal ripples of shockwaves converging at one point. And then, as if Kai had become a world, yellow bolts of lightning exploded out of him, engulfing every corner of the Inheritance Land. CRAC-CKKKK-KKKKKK!!! Wherever these bolts of lightning slithered, the Shadow Creatures melted apart. Moraine was still looking at this scene, dumbfounded when her eyes rolled back in her head. Cracks covered the bodies of the two Shadow Digimon. The colossal Shadow Creature, Red Sun''s copy, shuddered, hairline fissures running down its head and its dark figure. Even Red Sun lost his hold over the revolver in his hands, the amber-colored glasses on his face shattering in tiny shards. The most pathetic was RizeGreymon, for it was a magical beast and it had sensed a primal fear, so vast that it scared him back to the Beast Ball. Shadow Lord stood up, but his hand didn''t leave Cersei''s head. It was then it happened. ¡­ Under the stunned gazes of both Shadow Lord and Red Sun, the entire Inheritance Land gained a bloody hue, as if reality itself was getting replaced by a foreign world. And then a hiss originated from this new world. No. At first, it indeed felt like the very wind was speaking. But, if one were to listen closely, they would have felt like it was coming from Kai. But Kai wasn''t speaking, either. So where did this voice come from? None noticed a distinct beat before the voices as if a heart had awakened. A demonic heart! It was this heart that was speaking, using the world as its mouth. ¡ª I¡­ am¡­ the¡­ blood¡­ in¡­ my¡­ bones¡­ ¡ª Another explosion occurred from Kai, from his heart, and the bloody hue of the world became corporeal, a demonic cackle echoing to the farthest corners. ¡ª LIMITLESS BLOOD FIRMAMENT! Kekekekekeke!!! ¡ª 0398 Replacing Reality - Limitless Blood Firmament!!! It was a vast world, with no perceivable end. Stretched to the distant horizon, there was a layer of blood, like a red ocean without waves; soulless and dead. The sky was unimpressive as well; gray, cloudless, and dull. This world was a painting, colored with immense sadness, pain, and anger. Yet, it was the silence that suffocated the living, the dead, and those who wandered in between the realms. This silence had a chill about it, a weight that pressed upon the chests like the blow of powerful waves. This silence was indeed the life of this world. And this world, this picture, was Kai''s Inner World. -I¡­ am¡­ the¡­ blood¡­ in¡­ my¡­ bones¡­ LIMITLESS BLOOD FIRMAMENT! Kekekekeke!!!- The words rang throughout the world like the most primal chant, but no sound reverberated, and no one heard them. Nor could anyone hear the demonic cackle that had followed those words, the sinister mockery. These words had come like a wind''s sigh, the gentlest gale sweeping the dome of skies. These words had also come like a serpent''s slither ¡ª a hiss! These words¡­ had been spoken in Parseltongue. The moment this chant ended, a fathomless ripple originated from Kai''s broken figure and the entire world around him disappeared, taken over by blood. Shadow Lord and Cersei, grasped in his right hand, appeared in the sky, hovering several hundred meters above the blood ocean. Red Sun was there, too, fighting off his dwindling senses, his appearance fluctuating between that of a blond man in a red trenchcoat and a short, red-haired man in a white t-shirt and blue shorts. Moraine, Contestant Stark Blue, was sprawled over the blood layer, wielding her Claymore. Underneath, the red ocean showed no sign of ripples, as if her existence couldn''t make it stir; unworthy. And then there were Shadow Creatures, who were strong enough to survive the onslaught of Kai''s demonic bloodlust. Those shadows were Red Sun''s colossal copy and RizeGreymon''s two copies, all shaking like a rope tied across a gusty valley. All of them, living and non-living, were trapped, unwillingly brought under the silent sky. Even their vast strength felt useless and an illusion. ... In this world, there was a gray pillar near these trapped beings. Dementor-Kai was hovering at the top of this pillar, looking at the sky in a daze and remembrance. Tears poured down from the corner of his eyes, tracing a rough path over his scabbed face and dead heart. A teardrop fell off his chin and dropped into the blood ocean like a single instance of rain. Drip! The sound tore through the silence, and ripples originated where the tear fell, undulating as if they were alive. "¡­ home¡­" Kai''s words came out, choking. This was the sky of his original world. This was the only sky he knew, the sky under which he had played, cried, killed, and died. -Cry not for what is lost, Kai Stormborn. This sky lies in your heart, not in your memories, and we still have people to kill. Keke!- If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Kai brought his dazed eyes down and looked at the being hovering to his left. More tears welled up in his eyes, but they weren''t because of remembrance. The moment he looked at this being, it was like countless swords were stabbing into his eyes, into his body, slashing every single thread of his muscles. It was a very lean figure, over 6 ft tall, and black. Its hands were taller than the supposed proportions, and its fingers were long as well, with claws at their ends. There was no face, either. No mouth. No nose and eyes. Just plain blackness, ancient and alone. The only color it had other than black was yellow, and that too belonged to the figure''s knee-length hair. There was no wind in this Inner World. Yet, those long, yellow hair were swaying left and right, giving the impression of a banner amid a storm. The tall black figure had no eyes, but Kai could feel it was looking at him, its gaze gentle. It had no mouth either, but he knew it was smiling. Though its presence was cutting into him, Kai felt an immense sense of familiarity echoing from this being into his heart. A connection, deeper than ever and beyond. Kai looked over his shoulder and eyed the hole in the sky, through which a waterfall of blood was falling into the blood ocean, creating no sound and ripples. The moment his eyes fell on the hole, he instinctively touched his chest, feeling something viler and eviler than the vilest and evilest creatures known across the Multiverse churning inside him. Alive. -Who are you?- Dementor-Kai hissed, looking back at the black figure, his breath escaping his mouth like a freezing gasp. -Where am I?- -Keke!- the black figure cackled and hovered to a stop at Kai''s left on the pillar. -First, let me take care of these nuisances.- It was then Kai''s gaze fell upon Shadow Lord, Cersei, and the other Shadow Creatures. Pirate Lord Henry Morgan''s old eyes were trembling as he continued to back up, his gaze moving up from the hole in the sky to the yellow-haired being. There was such a fear on his face that not even the prospect of impending death could have made him show. This was a dread, far surpassing any conceivable thought. As Shadow Lord backed up, he hurled his hands and ordered the vastly powerful three Shadow Creatures to attack the two beings standing on the gray pillar. Immediately, Red Sun''s copy and the two RizeGreymons'' copies, all with a strength equivalent to 8th-floor Contestants, charged toward the over 100 ft tall gray pillar. Roar! Grrr!!! -Watch closely,- the yellow-haired being hissed for Kai, lifting its long and lean right arm toward the world in front of them. -This is the power of your Inner World. This is the power that¡­ you must make yours.- The being to Kai''s left unfurled its clawed hand as if it were holding a ball in its hand. No. It was as if it was beckoning someone or something. And then it slowly raised its entire arm. -That which is devoured, will be reborn!- the hiss roared, shaking the entire silent world. -Rise¡­ Misdreavus!- Hummmmm! A resounding hum reverberated throughout the blood world. The sheet of blood ocean between the gray pillar and the incoming shadows ripple, before protruding up as if something was rising. Yet this simple rising of the blood layer caused furious ripples in Kai''s heart. The size of the blood layer was just too big. So big, in fact, that even the gigantic RizeGreymons'' copies felt tiny compared to it. Misssssssssssss...¡­..!!! A voice boomed throughout the blood world, and this voice was followed by a Pokemon, lunging out of the blood ocean. This was an enormous Misdreavus, over 30 ft tall. Streams of blood fell back from its rippling body like rivers through ravines. There was no hint of life in it, only bloodlust. It was a creature reborn to kill, massacre, and slaughter. The yellow-haired being wasn''t finished, though. Its arm was still rising as if it wanted to lift the entire sky over its palm. -Rise¡­ Golduck!- Boom! A humongous blue-skinned lizard-like creature''s head protruded out of the blood ocean, followed by its even bigger body. It was over 100 ft tall, and the will to slaughter in its dead eyes was no less than that of Misdreavus. The moment it came out, it let out a heart-wrenching cry toward the Shadow Creatures. The giant mind jewel on its forehead shone bloody, and all three creatures stopped midair as if time itself had been frozen. But the black, lean hand was still rising. -Rise¡­ Gyarados!- ROARRRRRRRR!!!! The roar itself shook the world. A humongous, over 300 ft long, Gyarados shot out of the blood ocean, its tail unseen. The moment it came out, a stupendous, blinding Hyper Beam thundered out of its mouth like a massive laser beam. The Hyper Beam was so thick it covered both RizeGreymon''s copies and pulverized them. Kai was looking at this scene with his dazed and dumbfounded gaze. His heart was already expecting¡­ expecting to hear the next words. Sure enough, the black arm lifted once more, before curling the clawed fingers into a fist in a show of absolute might and power. -Rise¡­ Dementor!- An icy breath took over everything and everyone, their hope abandoning them forever. Then, a mummified, scabbed hand crawled out of the blood ocean. This hand followed another hand, and then it used the vast blood waves as a platform, pulling out the rest of its body. Calling it gigantic was doing it an injustice. A sinister and hideous presence engulfed the distant corners of the world as over 500 ft tall Dementor hovered 3 inches over the blood ocean, its even longer tattered black cloak billowing behind it like vaster waves. When it breathed, souls shuddered, despair taking over the senses; absolute despair. -Keke! This is your Inner World, Kai,- the yellow-haired being cackled, its hisses murderous. -This is Limitless Blood Firmament¡­ -... your Reality Marble!- 0399 Spiritual Awakening and Reality Marble - Multiverse Interdependency between the Primordial Laws Kai''s pupils trembled, but he said nothing and only gawked at the sight, his thoughts unknown. The giant Misdreavus fired a massive blue-black ball of energy. The 100 ft tall Golduck opened its enormous mouth, firing a pillar of water so powerful that it deafened the ears. Both attacks landed on Red Sun''s Shadow Copy, the explosions booming across the Reality Marble. Suddenly, the colossal, Dementor''s black cloak fluttered, and with one sweep, it closed the gap between itself and Red Sun''s copy. It pressed its mouth on the Shadow Creature''s mouth and sucked. The Shadow Creatures possessed no soul, but it didn''t matter it seemed, the copy shattering under the might of Dementor''s Kiss. -You are the Sword Spirit,- Kai''s hisses came out as a mumble. -But Reality Marbles¡­- -Keke! Do you remember what Shinobu had taught you?- the Sword Spirit hissed back. Dementor-Kai''s eyes shone under the dark hood. -A Demon Slayer''s journey is to tap into one''s Spiritual Body, awakening both Reiryoku (Spiritual Power) and Reiatsu (Spiritual Pressure),- he remembered Shinobu''s teachings, hissing out his words. -That''s why Breathing Styles are necessary to become Demon Slayers. -Not only do they allow the Physical Body to transcend the humane limits but also stimulate the Spiritual Body, allowing the Demon Slayers to sense its presence. -This stimulation is paramount¡­ for the birth of the Sword Spirit.- The moment Kai finished his words, his pupils trembled as they had when the Insect Hashira had given out this lesson. -When the Spiritual Body awakens inside the subconscious world of a Demon Slayer, also called the Inner World, the Sword Spirit takes form,- Kai continued, eying the world-shaking battle of colossal creatures. -This is called Spiritual Awakening. -A Sword Spirit''s power is separate from that of its owner. Some say that a Sword Spirit is¡­ ever present in the Inner World in one form or another, even before the Spiritual Awakening.- A demonic cackle cut Kai''s hisses short. -Keke! Have you realized, then?- the Sword Spirit hissed carelessly. -In normal circumstances, and with the rate you were mastering Selfless Breathing, you would have NEVER sensed my presence. The Stimulation had just never been enough. -Yet, the moment you pushed your body beyond the discernible boundary of return, both your Reiryoku and Reiatsu got stimulated, Awakening me. -I have always been in this world, but I couldn''t interact with the outside world; the Reality. The Spiritual Awakening lifted a kind of shackles over the Inner World, granting me vast powers. But¡­ -I still couldn''t bring you here. Neither your Breath nor Mana was enough.- Kai fell into a rare moment of contemplation. He looked down and saw that his missing body had already regenerated. -Sword Spirits can bring their wielders into the Inner World,- Kai hissed, his voice cold and distant. -I never got the Demon Slayer''s Nichirin Sword from Verse Fusion Random World. Nor did I have an Asauchi (-the nameless Zanpakut¨­ which all low-class Shinigami wield-) from Bleach World. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. -Both are necessary for the Sword Spirit to bring me into the Inner World as per these two worlds. -I am not Ichigo, the main character, who didn''t need these initiator swords because of the hybrid presence of Shinigami, Quincy, and Hollow inside him. But¡­- The Sword Spirit broke out in a feat of mocking cackle as Kai reached the end. However, this laugh was only for Kai, others weren''t worthy to hear it. -But¡­- the yellow-haired being hissed vilely, -¡­ you are a Contestant. You aren''t restricted by the laws of a Timeline. Your Stats assist you as much as they hold you back. -The concept of the Inner Worlds¡­ is vast enough to surpass Timelines, and it is spread across the Multiverse. I couldn''t pull you in, true enough. So, I did the next best thing.- BOOM! Golduck''s tail shattered the head of a Shadow Creature, and Kai hissed, -You brought yourself out¡­- -Keke! Reality Marbles are nothing but a projection of Inner Worlds onto Reality,- the Sword Spirit told Kai, repeating what Meg had taught him, once. -Following the World Egg theory, the actualization of a Reality Marble results from switching the Self of the user with the Real World while keeping the same boundary. -The size of the Self and the World is switched, enclosing the World in a small container, called Word Egg, while the Self is expanded.- Kai''s eyes narrowed, and once again, he looked over his shoulder, giving the hole in the sky a fleeting look. -This¡­- he mumbled back, -¡­ shouldn''t have been enough.- -True,- the black being without a mouth hissed. -Three things made it possible for me to cast this beautiful but grand spell. -First, I needed a significant amount of power. You couldn''t have given it to me, anyway. Yet, the Spiritual Awakening bestowed an even greater strength, and this strength was independent of you and your Stats. -This also means I can never cast a Reality Marble from my side ever again. This is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of opportunity.- How could mere Spiritual Awakening grant such vast power to the Sword Spirit? Kai asked the question to himself inwardly. It was especially so when he could see that this power had already crossed the discernible boundary of the 3rd Set, even scaring Shadow Lord away from them. What just happened? Kai''s heartbeat quickened. What did the Sword Spirit do? -Second,- the Sword Spirit continued, -your stimulation had originated from Selfless Breathing. The discarding of Self made it easier for me to project your true Self onto Reality. -This Reality Marble seemed to have no sense of your Self because you were using the Selfless Breathing Style. -It is abstruse, but you can say that if your Breathing Style had been anything other than that of Selfless, then this casting of Reality Marble would have failed.- Kai knew what was to follow. -Third,- he hissed, adding his own brilliance to the Sword Spirit. -The third thing was: Facelessness Second Contrast ¡ª the Quintessential Conversion of Inner Selves!- A sound entered Kai''s ears as if the Sword Spirit had licked its lips, an image of a long, snake-like tongue manifesting in his mind. -Keke! The World constantly attempts to crush the Reality Marbles,- the Sword Spirit hissed, chuckling. -The moment I projected your Self onto Reality, I forced the Reality Marble to discard its Self once again. Otherwise, even with the powers granted by Spiritual Awakening, it wouldn''t have been possible to maintain the Reality Marble for so long. -It''s ironic, right? The System allowed us to cast such vast magic, however, none of the three things that made it possible belong to it.- By now, Kai had calmed down, the anxiety in his heart vanishing bit by bit. He could see Cersei''s transformation had stopped a long time ago. -You were listening,- Kai hissed, looking to his left, into the eyes of the eyeless being. -You have always been listening.- -Keke! I quite like that girl, Cersei,- the Sword Spirit cackled. It took a step forward, almost stepping off the pillar''s edge, and outstretched its long hands. -I know you are wondering why the Spiritual Awakening generated such an absurd amount of Power, right? I also know you must have guessed the answer by now. -So, what do you think of it? What do you think of the Power that you had thought you would never obtain? Not for a long time. -What do you think of this Multiverse Interdependency¡­ -¡­ an Interdependency between Mana and Breath, the Primordial Laws! Kekekekekeke!!!- 0400 The Sword Spirits Challenge - Can You Comprehend? Indeed, only such an illogical and almost impossible conjoining of primordial laws could have given birth to such power. But what was the extent of this power? No matter how shocked, Kai couldn''t help but thought of this question. As Kai looked at the swaying yellow hair of the Sword Spirit, and heard the ever-growing demonic cackle, Meg''s words rang in his mind inadvertently. Each Shinigami carries a Zanpakuto, and each Zanpakuto is unique, the fallen Priestess of Hastur had told him. The Zanpakuto, or the Sword Spirit, are reflections of its wielder''s power and soul, and sentient beings unto themselves. These beings can vary in appearance and have distinct personalities, which are similar to their owners. Similar to their owner''s¡­ Similar to their owner''s¡­ The rows of words repeated themselves in Kai''s mind. It was then the Sword Spirit turned around, its demonic laugh vanishing. Still, when it hissed, there was a murderous vileness about it that refused to go away. It was like a bloody taste that lingered in the mouth, after devouring a creature alive. -You asked for my identity, my name,- the faceless being hissed. -Are you worthy?! So what if you are Kai Stormborn? So what if you are a genius? Are you worthy enough to wield me and slaughter your way up? ARE YOU?!- Bang! A tremendous bang rang in Kai''s mind, and blood seeped out of the corners of his mouth. He staggered back, almost falling off the pillar. -I have linked the concepts of the Spiritual Awakening from Verse Fusion World and Bleach Random World with the Reality Marbles from the Fate Random World,- the Sword Spirit hissed, its voice like the edge of a sword, -This means, unless you have the power to cast a Reality Marble by yourself, you won''t be able to come here. -This is your opportunity, Kai Stormborn. And perhaps the last as well. If you can know my name, then my power will belong to you. I will help you in your obsession with obtaining Power. -Otherwise¡­ Keke!- Kai said nothing, his bloodshot eyes under the sinister hood asking all the questions for him, showing his resolve. The mouthless Sword Spirit seemed to sneer at this sight. -This Reality Marble is your Inner World,- it said, its hisses gaining an ancient air. -The Inner World is your Self. This Reality Marble is me as well. -I will give you an opportunity to comprehend the true essence of this Reality Marble, Kai Stormborn. -One opportunity. If you can understand it, learning my name, right here and now before the time runs out for us, then it will be your serendipity. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. -If not, then not only you will lose the Book, but you will also lose your claim over my assistance. Dare you accept it? Dare you face this difficulty of my standards; our standards? Or¡­ -¡­ would you prefer running away as you had before, leaving your mother''s corpse at the mercy of Brock Valeheart? Keke!- Anger¡­ pure wrath boiled inside Kai''s heart, shaking his entire body. The end of his long, white hair under the cloak glowed yellow, his eyes burning, his breath quickening like that of a predator in heat. Comprehensions, by nature, were spontaneous. None could force them upon oneself. This wasn''t just difficult, anymore, for even difficulties gave the impression of success. Not of absolute failure. The Sword Spirit didn''t even look at Kai. It had put its hands behind its back, eying the distant horizon beyond the puny existences as if it had done so for countless ages. There was an extremely archaic presence about the Sword Spirit''s stance that felt like billions of beings were prostrating under it, looking up at it with reverence. Kai shut his eyes, and then snapped them open. He drew a sharp breath and looked at the sky. The sky of his home. -Only fools think running away from difficulties brings happiness,- Kai hissed, his gaze burning with desire. -No. This shit follows you everywhere you go. Like a fucking shadow. Letting yourself fall into the darkness of self-pity is a solution. A weak, temporary solution. -But if you want to grow, ascending toward the Peak of Absolute Power, then there is only one way. Face the difficulty, no matter its size and nature, and crush it. -Rip it from the roots and burn it to ashes. Only take the next step when you have made sure that not even the faintest shadow has been left alive behind you. -This is¡­ my Demonic Attitude. Hehe!- Kai''s tongue slithered out and ran over his decayed mouth. -I will take on this opportunity. Otherwise¡­- Kai hissed, completing the sentence which the Sword Spirit had left unsaid. -¡­ ashes to ashes and dust to dust!- The yellow-haired being gave Kai a look before lifting its finger and putting it on his forehead. It was then that the Blood World stirred. It was then the sky changed color. Boommmmmmmmmmmm!!! ¡­ The sky of the Reality Marble, Limitless Blood Firmament, was dull, gray, and silent. Not anymore. Night, the blackest, vilest, and evilest of all, had descended upon the blood world. It was as if one was looking into the vastness of space, the darkest hidden secrets of unknown existences. And as one kept looking at this darkened sky, one felt a stirring in their soul, as if they would crumble in the very next moment. This night hadn''t come alone, though. It had brought pressure with itself. This pressure was greater than anything. This pressure restricted space and time, the flow of Mana and Breath, and the entire world. It was so for Moraine the Elegant, who had regained consciousness a while ago. Now, she was struggling to look up at the Night, her mouth hung open and her eyes stunned. It was so for Red Sun, the Top-level 9th-floor Contestant. The fluctuations about his appearance had receded, but his knees were pressed deep into the blood layer. His neck was craned up, his eyes feeling the might of the Night through the amber-colored glasses. And it was so for Shadow Lord, the existence just a touch above the 9th-floor strength, as well. The tall and powerful Pirate Lord was still backing up, grabbing Cersei''s head, when he suddenly paused. Shadows churned about him, around him, and yet, the Night forced him to look at it, its unsaid command suffocating all the defying thoughts. ¡­ Kai''s eyes had rolled back into his head. He couldn''t see the Night. Nor could he feel the pressure. In his mind, rows of words were appearing, originating from the deepest parts of his soul. -Know whiteness, Maintain blackness, and be a model for all under heaven. By being a model for all under heaven, Eternal integrity will not err. If eternal integrity does not err, You will return to infinity.- What these hisses meant, and what they signified, Kai didn''t know. However, as the words kept hissing in Kai''s mind, the Night above him also began changing. In the sky, nine yellow stars materialized, twinkling with filthy hideousness. There was something truly horrible about their presence, chilling the sights. What truly strange was that eight of the nine yellow stars were in the sky, but the ninth star was in the center of the hole in the sky. Unknown to everyone, a tenth star had twinkled into existence as well - in Kai''s heart. And if that wasn''t enough, then these stars seemed to form a constellation. Kai couldn''t see them, yet, words escaped his mouth like a ghostly hiss. -The Tree of Life!- 0401 The Power to Seal the Universe - Parselscript and the Yellow Sign!!! Kai had already fallen into a mysterious state. Inside his mind, those words that had originated from his very soul became runes. Millions of millions of runes exploded, bombarding each other as Kai kept trying to figure out their essence. If one were to look into his mind, then it was like countless stars exploding and birthing repeatedly, each explosion suggesting a new, unique rune. Only this morning he had forced himself out of this situation when he was about to lose himself to the announced and heinous Comprehension of Luck at Two Extremities. That could have resulted in his absolute death. No doubt. Yet, this time was no less different, either. 10 minutes¡­ 15 minutes¡­ 30 minutes¡­ Crack! Moraine''s head banged into the blood layer! As the 60th minute passed, a gigantic crack appeared in the sky, running from one end to another. The world was finally giving out. The horrifying powers brought out by Kai''s Spiritual Awakening, and used by the Sword Spirit to create the Reality Marble, were failing to keep it intact. Time was not in Kai''s favor. 70 minutes¡­ Crackkk!! Red Sun''s body almost shattered, blood splattering everywhere! 80 minutes¡­ Rumbleeee! Shadow Lord dropped, touching the silent blood ocean for the first time. The moment he landed, his knees buckled, his old eyes never leaving the sight of the yellow stars as if¡­ as if he could see a meaning in it. 120 minutes¡­ BOOM! This was no mere crack anymore. A piece of the very sky had fallen, and black and blue bolts of lightning rumbled here and there, concentrating on the gap in the sky. Strangely, Moraine''s body was still intact, and a reddish-black fog was seeping out of her heart, canceling the immeasurable pressure. The Sword Spirit had already gone silent as if it would welcome victory or failure with the same expression; blank and ancient. It was then, just as it seemed the sky wouldn''t be able to take on the barrage of the bolts of lightning, that a sigh slithered into existence. It was like someone was trying to breathe more than air, its breath rattling. Kai slowly opened his eyes, a strange understanding shining within his hazel pupils. The Chosen One of an entire world¡­ The Contestant worthy enough to have a Glitch¡­ The Promised King, Contestant Red, the Blood Demon¡­ This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡­ had once again shown the world, and himself, why he alone could vie for the throne at the top of the Peak of Absolute Power. -So, it was like this¡­ No wonder¡­- Kai hissed, his eyes looking at something more than the sky, more than paths, more than stars, and more than the broken world. The Sword Spirit turned around and faced him, demanding an answer; the result of Comprehension, Epiphany, and Understanding. -Limitless Blood Firmament- Kai hissed, looking at the blood ocean, his voice cold and ethereal. -The part Limitless of my Inner World is this ocean of blood. It incorporates the concept of Infinity. -The part Blood Firmament of my Inner World is the vast Sky. This Sky; this Night; this vast blackness, incorporates the concept of Supreme.- Kai then again looked at the blood ocean, which rippled for none but him and the Sword Spirit. -My Inner World is not a Reality Marble to resurrect the beings that I have devoured. -Limitless Blood Firmament is a¡­ Seal!!!- BOOM! An ethereal boom rang out from Kai as if some kind of shackles were breaking under the might of Kai''s understanding. But the Sword Spirit had yet to look away. Kai lifted his head and looked at the constellation in the breaking sky. His eyes traced an unseen yellow path between the stars, his gaze deepening, along with his epiphany. His mouth opened and closed as if¡­ ¡­ he was reading something, mumbling to himself. With every next moment, the unseen yellow paths in his eyes become strokes; the strokes of a brush. And if they were strokes of a brush, then the brush naturally followed the rules of a script. Kai raised his arm and pointed at the sky. Then, using his hand as the brush and the Sky as the paper, he wrote, creating one stroke after another, connecting the stars. -Know whiteness, Maintain blackness, and be a model for all under heaven. By being a model for all under heaven, Eternal integrity will not err. If eternal integrity does not err, You will return to infinity.- Kai''s hand looked to be moving straight, but it also looked like the tip of his finger was slithering like a snake. -Limitless is the ink and the Blood Firmament is the paper,- Kai hissed, power rippling around him, the unknown shackles loosening even more. -And where is this Ink?- the Sword Spirit intervened for the first time. -In the 10th star of my Tree of Life,- Kai answered, looking at the constellation. -¡­ in my heart! -The ink is my Will, and like this blood ocean, my Will, too, is Limitless. -When my Will touches the Blood Firmament, the Script is originated, sealing everything under heaven. -This Script¡­ is the true essence of my Reality Marble; my Inner World.- -And the Script is¡­- the Sword Spirit asked with a touch of admiration in its voice. Kai lifted his hand and pointed at the breaking sky. The lingering power of Spiritual Awakening, still infinitely vaster than his own, got consumed by his Will. And then Kai wrote, his finger tracing a distorted, hideous path that was neither straight nor curved. All the bolts of lightning vanished, the gap in the sky closed up, and the world regained its silent dullness; sealed under the might of a single stroke. -Parselscript!- Crackkkkkkkkkkk!!! The unknown and unseen shackles seemed to have shattered. Suddenly, just as Kai said Parselscript, a brilliant light erupted from his forehead. This light was almost similar to the starlight falling from the pale yellow stars, but it blinded everything and everyone. A Sign manifested on Kai''s forehead, between his brows. This Sign was hideously beautiful, and there was a sinisterness about it, enchanting and disorienting all eyes. To some, it looked like the number 3, written in a broken, twisting serpentine form. To others, it looked like a round beast, flailing its long tentacles. This was the Yellow Sign; a seal placed over him by the Existence in the Primordial Tower. The same Yellow Sign, which the Existence had proclaimed to be the source of all languages written or spoken. The same Yellow Sign, which Kai had theorized to be the key, belonging to an Old One ¡ª Hastur! The Yellow Sign between Kai''s brows wasn''t yellow, though. It was almost colorless as if it was just a transparent ink; hidden from all gazes. Yet, the moment Kai said Parselscript, one of its three arms shone, letting out a blinding burst of light. Little by little, starting from the end of this curved arm, the Sign began gaining color, and only when it reached half the length of this arm did this coloring stop from advancing. By then, a full half of one of its 3 twisted arms was glowing yellow, hinting ancientness. Strangely, this half-a-length looked exactly like the stroke Kai had drawn between the stars; and this half-a-length also looked like the slither of a serpent. When the Sword Spirit saw this yellow stroke on Kai''s brows, it broke out in a feat of an evil cackle, the entire world booming under its hisses. This was indeed Parselscript, the true essence of Kai''s Inner World. Seal the beasts, Seal the man, Seal the earth, and Seal the heaven¡­ This was Limitless Blood Firmament... .... a Reality Marble that could Seal the entire Universe. 0402 A Millionth of Epiphany - Fooling Oneself?! Nine stars twinkled in the sky, showering the blood world with pale yellow starry light. The tenth star burned in Kai''s heart, brighter than all. After sealing the broken piece of Reality Marble''s sky, the dull, sinister silence had returned. The pressure falling over all beings was still as great as ever, rooting them to their place. None could move, none could react, and none could see¡­ None could see that there was a yellow stroke on Kai''s forehead, glowing with a sickly glow. This stroke was neither straight nor curved, and its geometry would have forced others to nauseate on the spot if they could look at it. But the seal placed on Kai by the Existence was still active, making it impossible for even Deep Ones to know the Yellow Sign''s existence on him. Much less needed to be said about half part of one of its three arms. But it was this half-arm that had changed everything for Kai; his fate, his destiny, his life trajectory, and almost everything about him seemed to have changed. Or it was better to say it had evolved, transcending his previous Self. Yet, something was missing about him. Something only Kai could feel. -I can''t sense my Reiryoku and Reiatsu,- Kai hissed, looking at his body. -The Spiritual Awakening should have awakened by Reiatsu Vents. -But I didn''t get System''s Notification about it. Nor can I sense any Spirituality within me. Is it because of my low Breath?- Kai wasn''t as unaware of things as he had after arriving at the Primordial Tower for the first time. If there was a gain that could be truly said to be a life-changing event, then that was his enslaving Meg. With her came not only a loyal servant but also an enormous source of knowledge. ¡­ We differ from the storyline Characters of Bleach , Meg had told him after his return from Verse Fusion Random World. When we go through our Spiritual Awakening, we also awaken our Reiryoku (Spiritual Power) and Reiatsu (Spiritual Pressure). It''s just like how we have SP, but it doesn''t mean we can use it as Chakra. It''s also like how we have HP, but it doesn''t mean it can be used as Nen. No. We must first bring our Stats to an appropriate limit, and only then the System will notify you about it, allotting your new Stats. In the most general cases, a Contestant will need 20 points of Breath and acknowledgment from a Shinigami, Arrancar, Quincy, or similar existences from Bleach Random World. One can even go to Inuyasha World, as the concept of Reiryoku is quite broad and spread across many such Random Worlds across the Multiverse. Only then, upon Spiritual Awakening, the Systems would allot the Stats Spiritual Class and Spirit Class to a Contestant. But with the matter of Verse Fusion of Demon Slayer and Bleach Worlds, things seemed to have gone off-course in your case, master. I think you don''t need acknowledgment anymore. ¡­ It could even be said that Kai had already gotten all the acknowledgment he needed, as the Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho, was a major Character in her own rights. A shocking burst of light kept seeping out from the yellow stroke on Kai''s forehead as he frowned. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. -According to Meg, there are Six levels of Spiritual Class and Twenty levels of Spirit Class,- Kai hissed, recalling the info. -Even if my Breath is below 20 points (-as the buffs didn''t count-), I should have gotten the lowest level of Spiritual Class, Basic Spiritual Power, and the lowest rank of Spirit Class, the 20th¡­ Something''s wrong.- It was then the evil cackle of the Sword Spirit rang in Kai''s ears. Kai''s eyes under the Dementor''s hood shifted to look at it, demanding an explanation. -Keke!- the yellow-haired being''s hisses were full of mockery. -Kai, oh, Kai! Did you think you could just fuck around with Luck without facing the consequences?- Kai''s pupils trembled at the mention of Luck. A bang rang out in his mind, forcing out a buried memory. Mechanically, Kai''s gaze landed on the Equipped Title on his Stats, which could appear in his vision with the faintest command. Poacher was written in bold letters there. ¡­ [ Title: Poacher Specification: Kill 10 magical beasts collectively. The magical beasts'' grade must be equal to or higher than Contestant''s equivalent floor number Status: (9/10) Effect: Agility +1, Perception +1, Charisma -2 ] ¡­ This?! Where was the Novice Collector Title? Where were the extra 3 points of Luck? After gaining the Novice Collector Title, only once had Kai switched to another Title, and that was to gain Shinobu as his subordinate. Never had he even contemplated putting off Novice Collector Title, for it brought down his Luck to its original value ¡ª Three! Yet, it was exactly what he had done. Not to mention, Kai himself seemed to remember this switching of Titles only now. What was going on? -On Interceptor, you lost your Comprehension about Luck at Two Extremities,- the Sword Spirit hissed. -But you did gain a part, say a millionth, of that Epiphany before it truly vanished. -When you pushed the Selfless Breathing to the extreme to get the Book back, despite knowing it meant sure death, it wasn''t just because it adhered to your Demonic Attitude. No. The risk was just too great. -The reasoning that forced even you to discard the prospects of sure death¡­ was that you were adamant about testing out the part of that Epiphany gained by you.- Kai''s face grew hard, remembering the time when he had switched the Titles ¡ª just before the ethereal blood flames had gained substance. -Kekeke!- the yellow-haired being cackled. -Your Luck would bring upon you doom, you knew. -Yet, you also had gained an Understanding that¡­ if you were to survive that doom somehow, you would gain immense Power. -The moment these thoughts had risen in your heart, you used the Facelessness Contrasts to fool yourself, nudging your Self to believe that you only wanted to save the Book, and had no other purpose. -Otherwise, you couldn''t have forced yourself to transcend your current capabilities, going beyond. -It was also because of this that you ended up awakening your Spirituality, gaining this serendipity. Now that''s¡­ truly demonic. -A demon for others and a demon for oneself. Keke!- The words rang far and wide as if the entire Reality Marble was praising the hideous resolve someone like Kai could show. -I still don''t understand,- Kai hissed, not commenting on his risks and reasoning. -Limitless Blood Firmament is the immense Power you were hoping to obtain,- the Sword Spirit told him. -The Multiverse Interdependency has linked your Spiritual Awakening and Reality Marble. -Or, you can say that your "Spiritual" aspects are now inherently linked with this World. It has created two major problems. -First, considering the absurdness of your Reality Marble, and according to my understanding, you would have needed at least 50 Points of Correspondence to even activate this Reality Marble. -Now, you need 50 Points both in Correspondence and Breath, as the Reality Marble will consume both your MP and SP. -Keke! Are you getting how crucial this meeting of ours is, now?- Kai''s face instantly crumpled. 50 Points in both Correspondence and Breath?! This was too far from him, Kai knew. One must not forget that there were Six Active Attributes, Kai was in the 2nd Set that had 50 points in Set Quota, and that Tournament of Worth was a once-in-a-lifetime event. An Attribute gaining 50 Points was the minimum requirement for one to be called a Top-level 9th-floor existence, to begin with. And that, too, only was the case when such Contestants didn''t lack in other Attributes, maintaining a balance. -What''s the second?- Kai demanded. -You can not Release me outside the Reality Marble. Kekeke!- What?! Kai almost lost his composure. What''s the point of Spiritual Awakening if he could not use Shikai? Suddenly, the Sword Spirit''s cackling intensified. Kai''s bubbling anxiety paused with this rise in cackles. Now that he had Comprehended the true essence of his Inner World, his Reality Marble, the Sword Spirit had already accepted him worthy enough to wield it. That also meant the connection between it and Kai had undergone a momentous change, deepening more than ever. Kai could feel that the Sword Spirit, despite the two foul problems it had told him, didn''t share his anxiety. -Keke! Now, those two were the horrid problems caused by your Luck,- the Sword Spirit hissed. -It''s natural that you gained an even greater fortune out of it.- 0403 Sword Spirits Two Aspects - The Sealer of Swords! Dementor-Kai''s tattered cloak fluttered as the Faceless Sword Spirit hissed. -First, if you can raise your Correspondence and Breath to 50 Points, regardless of using Buffs, then I have the confidence to let you project the Reality Marble onto Reality.- Kai''s pupils trembled. Buffs fueled the Stats and they also made it possible for the Contestants to equip Item and Titles. However, there were some obstacles, some thresholds, that didn''t take buffs into account, looking directly into the originality of the Stats. Reality Marble, and all Grand Magical and Spiritual abilities on this scale, also belonged to such a group of obstacles. One must not forget that such typical abilities, like Bounded Fields, Reality Marbles, or even Domain Expansion, were neither Skills nor Abilities, i.e. they weren''t fueled or restricted by the Systems. Naturally, the buffs, that were part of the major supplementary accessories for a Contestant didn''t work in their cases. Or that''s how it was theorized anyway. None knew the actual reason. Kai wasn''t sure when he would reach a level to have 50 Points in both Correspondence and Breath. But, considering his recent buffs, which had pushed two of his Stats above 30, it wouldn''t be long. The Sword Spirit continued as Kai smiled over the fortune. -Second, my existence,- It hissed. -My one aspect is Limitless. My other aspect is Supreme. -The Limitless supplements the Supreme, while the Supreme supplements the Limitless, birthing the Parselscript. It is this Script that seals everything in between my two aspects. -We are the Sealers. We are the Devourers. How could my Individuality differ from yours? -How could the Imprint cast by my existence on the Vast Cosmos differ from yours?- His expression didn''t show it, but Kai''s heart was racing wildly. Individuality and the Imprint cast on the Vast Cosmos. Both were the terms Chaos had used to describe Kai''s Glitch, Blood Devour, the manifestation of his Individuality. Kai was already shaking with excitement, his gaze expectant. -You mean¡­- -Keke!- the Sword Spirit cackled, looking at Kai. -All Zanpakuto need base swords to release themselves. All, but I. I don''t need them. -All swords, dead or sentient, possess a will. I can Seal this will between my two aspects, devouring their existence. This means¡­ -I can be Released using any two swords. Keke! As long as you possess two swords, whose wills don''t contradict your Demonic Will, then you can use them to bring out my Initial Release. -Not only you can use the powers of my Released form, then, but I can also devour a part of those swords'' powers. -I am¡­ the Sealer of Swords! Get over here! -Murasame!- The Sword Spirit raised its long arm outward and commanded the sword to appear. Boom! The silent world shook, and a pillar of blood exploded out of the blood ocean, its height reaching hundreds of meters. From this blood pillar, a heaven-shaking presence of a sword emanated, making the hearts tremble. A long Katana blurred out of this blood pillar, tearing through the space. Shuuu! A loud, screeching whistle echoed everywhere, and the Katana''s hilt landed on the Sword Spirit''s left hand. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The moment those long, clawed fingers wrapped themselves around Murasame''s hilt, a yellow stroke appeared on the blade, just under the hilt. This yellow stroke was the same as on Kai''s forehead. Yet, it was also different. If one were to even try to find out what exactly was different between these two strokes, then that person''s mind would shatter, crippling his consciousness. Such was the power hidden within the Parselscript. Some mysteries¡­ were better not be pried into. -I couldn''t save Afro''s Tachi,- the Sword Spirit mumbled. -To increase Murasame''s Quality, I infused a part of our Spiritual Awakening, letting it drench in the Blood Ocean. From now on, Murasame''s Released form will be called¡­ -Limitless Murasame!- An ethereal boom rang out as the Sword Spirit called out the sword. Kai could always feel a Will inside the sword, a cursed presence. A Will that wanted to curse everyone and everything. Yet, it had never become sentient. Now, however, this Will was waking up, its level of existence transcending under the might of the Sword Spirit. It didn''t gain true intelligence, Kai could tell. Even then, he could sense a hint of emotion within the sword. Suddenly, in Kai''s mind, an image appeared ¡ª a girl. This girl was extremely pretty, with long black hair that reached down to her knees. She had red eyes and was wearing a black top over a black skirt. Her legs had black socks and black shoes, and her hands were gloves as well. Yet, despite this apparent beauty, the girl''s entire figure was covered in cursed black flames. Her very existence felt extremely evil as if no one was worthy to look at her and only she could show disdain toward all the living. Kai recognized the girl. It was the exact image of Akame, the major storyline Character. The sword seemed to have birthed a will in her image. -Keke! Stunningly beautiful, isn''t it?- the Sword Spirit cackled, eying the Katana and its evil presence. -Time is running out¡­ for both of us. You must use the swords to Release me before the Reality Marble crumbles. -Your first use of Shikai will also open your Reiatsu Vents, letting you access both Reiryoku and Reiatsu. -It''s also possible that the System will recognize your transformation, awarding you those two Stats.- Kai''s breathing quickened. -The second sword¡­?- Afro''s Tachi was already gone. So Kai needed another sword to act as the Supreme aspect of the Sword Spirit. Not to mention, this new sword''s will must be in line with Murasame''s will, which, in turn, was already in line with Kai''s will ¡ª both Demonic, through-and-through. -Keke!- the Sword Spirit cackled. -It''s impossible for you to not have sensed its presence when its evil aura is already exciting my lust for it.- Kai''s head slowly snapped toward his right, his eyes landing on a blue-haired figure. He indeed had sensed it. An evil presence so great that it could engulf the entire blood ocean. A strength so vast that not even the Shadow Lord had made Kai''s heart tremble so. That''s why he hadn''t thought about obtaining that sword. Howsoever would he obtain such a heart-palpating weapon? -It''s powerful. Shockingly powerful,- the Sword Spirit hissed, its tone gaining a rare touch of graveness. -I had sensed it beheading the Supreme Protector in one stroke, along with all life other than Jack Sparrow and William Turner on the ship.- "What?!" Bitter words exploded out from Kai''s mouth in shock. Supreme Protector was dead?! -There''s a seal on the girl''s heart, sealing the sword,- the Sword Spirit mumbled. -I will use all the remaining power of your Spiritual Awakening, temporarily increasing your Correspondence and Breath to 50 Points. -Obtain this sword and call out my name. Release me and you will have the Power you have always so desired. -Are you ready?- The tips of Kai''s decayed fingers and toes throbbed in excitement. Was he ready? When had he not been ready? The Sword Spirit didn''t wait for an answer. It could feel Kai''s heart, and the murderous intention hidden within it. The yellow-haired being cackled and then flicked its hand. In the distance, Moraine the Elegant''s hair was disheveled, her entire figure shaking under the might of pressure. If it wasn''t for the evil, reddish-purple mist seeping out from her heart, she would have already burst apart into thousands of bloody pieces. Yet, it was this mist itself that had brought the dreadful expression on her face, a sense of apocalypse in her heart. It was then the pressure hammering at her heart suddenly vanished. It was like a substantial amount of pressure was being generated by a flood, and then the dam''s massive gates suddenly burst apart. BOOM! With a massive boom, the seal on her heart broke, and the mist exploded from her heart, becoming an evil, foggy pillar, reaching the dark sky. "No!" Moraine screamed, her eyes red. "It will kill us all! Don''t let it out! Not again!" Kai''s eyes widened as he looked at that reddish-purple pillar. He also heard the screams. -Save her,- he hissed. The Sword Spirit instantly disappeared, and when it returned, its one hand was on Moraine''s shoulder. ¡­ "FREEDOM!" A colossal voice boomed through the Reality Marble. "I HAVE FINALLY ATTAINED FREEDOM!" Under the gazes of Kai, Moraine, and the Sword Spirit, the entire Sky gained a purple hue, drowning all the stars into a purplish sea of fog. All but the pale yellow star in the hole in the sky. "What have you done?!" Moraine mumbled, her head down, her entire body shaking under the despair caused by Dementor-Kai. "You have no idea. You¡­" The Sword Spirit''s grip over her shoulder tightened, making her gulp down the next words. Kai ran his tongue over his lips, his hazel pupils burning, imagining what was to come. "What is it?" he asked. "It''s¡­ It''s an Artifact sealed inside my heart by the Temple of Amon-Gorloth because they couldn''t control it," Moraine forced out the words. "An Artifact that is destined to become¡­ a Top-level Rare-grade Named Item. "It''s the Sword of Death. "It''s the Sword of Hell. It''s¡­" "¡­ Sounga, the Sword of Calamity!" 0404 Unsealing the Sword of Calamity - Sounga!!! An endless purple hue spread over the veil of night, drowning all 9 stars in the sky under an evil, purplish light. "HAHAHA!" a laugh boomed over the blood ocean, shaking the entire Reality Marble. This laugh also felt like a dragon''s roar, its might irresistible, its command unobjectionable. "THIS WORLD SHALL KNOW EVIL!!!" Kai looked at the giant foggy purple pillar with an extremely grave expression. This power was just too overwhelming. If he hadn''t come to know the Sword Spirit''s true might in this Reality Marble, especially when backed by the powers of his Spiritual Awakening, he didn''t know what he would have done. Yet, he also knew it must be him to subdue this sword, not the yellow-haired being. Otherwise, even if the Sword Spirit could forcefully trample over this purple presence, there would always remain a gap between Kai and Sounga. An uncrossable ravine. It must be him. I will make you bend your knees, Kai thought, his eyes narrowing. Evil? Heh! Standing by his side, Moraine''s expression was nowhere near as elegant as the time she had first seen Red. Things had taken a much more drastic turn just too fast, surpassing her capabilities. However, there was a resolve in her eyes as well. The moment she had learned of Red being the Five-Crowned Prince, even though it had felt more like the Supreme Protector''s guess, she had used a forbidden method to loosen the seal over Sounga. Moraine was elegant, but not foolish. There were many Contestants on that ship. Some were from Chaos, some from Order. It hadn''t changed the fact that the 9th-floor Contestant and Blade Singer, the strongest, were from Order. All of them, other than the Supreme Protector, were Candidates for 20% of the Inheritance. Their death meant only Kai and she would remain alive to share it. Not to mention, if everyone got to know about the Five-Crowned Prince''s Code Name, then how would she use this info for her benefit? The Primordial Tower was a cruel world. This cruel world had forced Contestant Stark Blue to become a pawn of one of the three Temples. So, when Moraine saw a light of hope, she dared not let it go. But even she hadn''t imagined in her wildest dreams that the Five-Crowned Prince¡­ was not someone she could take advantage of. Nor that a time would come when Sounga would be released again, for she could only guarantee her safety that one time. Sounga knew no mercy. ¡­ "The Sword of Calamity, Sounga, is a Yokai Sword; a Demon Blade, from the World of Inuyasha," Moraine whispered, trembling. "It possesses enormous Demonic Powers. "Tessaiga, Inuyasha''s sword, was the Sword of Destruction, with an ability said to kill a hundred demons in a single stroke. "Tenseiga, Sessh¨­maru''s sword, was the Sword of Heaven with an ability said to save 100 lives in a single strike. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. "Sounga, however, hadn''t originated from Inuyasha''s father like the other two. "It''s the Sword of Hell, able to summon 100 souls with one swing. And¡­ it''s said to be stronger than both Tessaiga and Tenseiga. In the main storyline, only the combined power of these two swords could overpower Sounga." Moraine''s words seemed to sting in the ears. Sounga''s lethality didn''t lie in being stronger than the two swords wielded by Inuyasha, the main character, and his brother, Sesshomaru. It lay in Sounga itself, as it contained the spirit of an evil dragon from the depths of Hell. It was a sentient sword. "Like the Devil Fruits¡­" Moraine continued, her face pale, her breath forced. "¡­ this sword is an Artifact. There are only two ways to subdue it. "Either seal it in someone''s heart using the sealing method from the Naruto World, allowing one to let it rampage by itself when needed. The other is¡­ "The other is to find someone eviler than the sword, subduing it with a Will viler than its own. But that''s just impossible. "The Temple couldn''t find any Contestant meeting the criteria below the 4th Set. Many tried, but all failed, their fate worse than death. "Moreover, only with the second way Sounga can become a Named Item. Otherwise, if forcefully subdued by upper floor Contestants, its grade will fall absurdly low. The High¡­" Boom! Suddenly, a shocking boom rang out, with the foggy pillar at the center. Kai could see the image of a long, thin sword, with a large, spherical pommel extending from the grip. It was from this pommel a world-engulfing purple glow was emanating, covering earth and heaven. Then, the sword blurred, disappearing from Kai''s sight. The next time it appeared, it was already near Shadow Lord. With one swing, Sounga cut the Shadow Lord''s left hand over the elbow, blood splattering from the stump, falling into the blood ocean. "HAHA!" Sounga''s roaring laugh boomed. "A WORTHY BODY!" The bleeding left hand lifted itself and grabbed the sword''s hilt. With a bang, hundreds of purple tentacles burst out of the sword''s hilt and wrapped themselves around the giant arm. It didn''t end there. Some kind of deformed body began to generate from the bloody stump on the tentacles-covered arm. In no time, Sounga created a body for itself, with the Shadow Lord''s arm serving as the base. In the main storyline, the Sword of Calamity had done the same using Sesshomaru''s left arm. ROARRR!!! Sounga''s newly created headless body roared, purple ripples coming out of it, quaking the entire world. "LET ME OUT!" -Keke!- the Sword Spirit cackled. -It''s time.- Boom! With the yellow-haired being''s one step, the entire Reality Marble trembled. It let go of Moraine''s shoulder and vanished, bringing Kai along with it. They appeared high in the sky, under the night, nine stars glowing hideously purple over their heads. Murasame appeared in Kai''s hand, its cursed Will seeping into his heart. The Sword Spirit appeared behind Kai and put its long, clawed hands over his back. -Here we go,- it hissed, its yellow hair swaying without wind. -It might¡­ sting a bit.- Suddenly, the entire blood world shook, and all the pressure which was keeping the Shadow Lord and Red Sun rooted to their spots rushed into Kai through the Sword Spirit. Booms and bangs rang within Kai, his bones crackling, his muscles screeching, and his entire body trembling under the might of the shocking power. Kai felt a scalding heat coursing within his veins. His grip over Murasame tightened, and his teeth rubbed against each other. The tattered black cloak of Dementor-Kai billowed furiously as if a storm was raging within him. It was then his MP and SP began to rise, surpassing a realm he could have ever imagined. It was then the Reality Marble trembled, losing the power that was keeping it together under the wrath of Reality. And it was also then the power pressuring Shadow Lord and Red Sun completely vanished. "Ahhhhh!" the Shadow Lord shouted like a maniac the moment he gained mobility. "I will kill you all!" Red Sun coughed out a mouthful of blood. He looked at Shadow Lord, at Kai, and then at the world, his thoughts unknown. Kai''s mind was blank. Power. Raw Power was bubbling inside him, making him drunk. Low-level 7th-floor¡­ Top-level 7th-floor¡­ Mid-level 8th-floor¡­ Low-level 9th-floor¡­ And it was still rising. BOOM! A massive explosion of Mana and Breath rippled out of Kai as his strength surpassed that of even those who could call themselves half-step away from the 10th floor. A touch more, and Kai would become an existence at the same level as Shadow Lord. But the power of Spiritual Awakening ran out at this moment. Nonetheless, Murasame thrummed with excitement in Kai''s right hand. He kept drawing deep breaths, a chill seeping out of his body, colder than ever. The presence rippling out of Kai forced all to look up at him. Shadow Lord''s furious expression became grave once again. Red Sun''s eyes trembled, his mind coming to a decision. Moraine''s mouth was wide open, blood dripping down her chin. Only one being was still laughing, roaring, and mocking all. "Haha!" Sounga''s laugh pierced through all hearts, its voice finally gaining a more realistic touch. "So it''s you who unsealed me, huh? Let me properly thank you, then." Space shattered as Sounga''s new body flew toward Kai, its evil presence clawing at the very souls of people. -I..- Kai mumbled out of nowhere, closing his eyes. -¡­ I feel great.- 0405 The True Evil - Kai the Blood Demon vs Sounga the Hell Dragon!!! With a bang, Kai''s closed eyes snapped open, his hazel eyes glowing with a murderous glint. The Power of Spiritual Awakening hadn''t changed his Attributes, other than MP and SP. But a virtual amount of 50 points in both of them was enough for Kai to trample over all beings. The broken Iron Man armor, covering his chest and right arm, was still on him, enhancing his Active Attributes. Not to mention, the change in Murasame had seemed to reset the cooldown period of Little War Horn. But this wasn''t a fight of physical power, to begin with. It was a struggle of Wills. -Keke!- The Sword Spirit hovered at Kai''s side, cackling in his ears. -Go, get it. I am itching to let myself loose.- Hisss! As Kai used the Selfless Breathing Art, blood flames soared high, tackling the purple hue covering the night. "Murasame¡­" Kai mumbled, his breath rattling. An ethereal image of a black-haired girl appeared behind Kai. In her right hand was a sword, looking exactly like Murasame. She was the cursed sword''s will ¡ª Akame of the Demon Sword Murasame. The girl raised the transparent sword and thrust it into Kai''s back, its tip coming out from his heart. No blood splattered, as the wound wasn''t real. But, the moment the sword and the girl disappeared, dense cursed runic characters burst out from his heart, covering his entire body. Kai''s long white hair under the hood became red, his pupils also glowed bloody, and his white sclera gained a black color. It didn''t end there. Kai snapped the fingers of his left decayed hand three times. With every snap, his MP vanished, making his body shine with a blue glow ¡ª Strengthening Magic! Space seemed to distort around Kai by the end, his entire presence rivaling that of Shadow Lord. Kai looked at Sounga, coming at him with a logic-defying speed, and with a pop, he too vanished. When he reappeared, Kai was right in front of the Sword of Calamity. Sounga raised its left arm, where the sword was, and hacked at Kai, its entire body glowing purple. Blood flames crackled around Kai, Murasame trembled in excitement, and the end of his hair glowed yellow. -Evil?- Kai hissed. -You¡­ are not evil enough!- BOOM! The swords met with a boom, blood waves rising and falling like tsunamis, the purple fog tumbling here and there. Kai''s bloodlust hacked at Sounga along with Murasame''s murderous will, pressing Sounga''s evil presence under their might. With another boom, both Kai and Sounga separated and hacked at each other the very next moment. Rip!!! Boom! The entire sky got covered in purple and red blurs as if two meteors were hammering into each other, ripples of powers breaking the sky. The Reality Marble kept breaking apart. And, shockingly, Red Sun had taken out RizeGreymon, holding Shadow Lord from interfering with Kai''s fight. Why? Only Red Sun knew the reasons behind his decisions. But there was a resolute look in his eyes as if whatever decision he had taken he would see through it. Boom! This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Bangg! Boooom! Kai got thrown off, coughing blood all over. Hundreds of meters away from him, Sounga staggered back, chips of armor falling off it. "What¡­ is¡­ this power?!" Sounga kept saying, seeing the demonic face that Kai''s blood flames had assumed over his head. "This Will¡­" "Hehehe!" Kai laughed like a maniac, a dense coldness bursting off him. "Evil? EVIL? I will show you what true evil looks like. HAAAA!" Kai raised Murasame, the blood flames seemed to become a blade along with it. Then he hacked. A long, red scar tore through the world, cutting the very space in its wake. "Humph!" Sounga snorted. "This power¡­ is not enough. Dragon¡­ Twister!" The headless being raised its left hand, and a shadowy, evil, purple dragon took shape, coiling around the sword. Everything around Sounga shone purple, and when the sword hacked, no sound was generated. Suddenly, a tornado manifested in front of Sounga. There was such a power contained within it that blasted apart a significant part of the sky. This was Dragon Twister, Sounga''s signature move! The red scar, a manifestation of the Severing Charm using the blood flames, and the Dragon Twister kissed each other. And the world lit up. Rumbleeee!!! ¡­ Over the blood ocean, Red Sun kept bombarding the Shadow Lord using the revolver in his hand, along with the Digimon. Yet, the moment Dragon Twister and Kai''s red scar made contact, Reality Marble''s entire sky fluctuated. One could even see a hint of a town through the sky''s fluctuations; a town of shadows and death. Pirate Lord Henry Morgan''s eyes suddenly lit up with a profound gaze. It was as if some unknown means had been cutting off his source of power, and now he could use them again. "IT WAS A SEAL?!" Shadow Lord fumed, growling. "WHO DARE SEAL ME? SHADOWS!!! DESCEND!" The greatest Alchemist was truly brilliant to see through Kai''s Reality Marble at the faintest hint. Just as Shadow Lord realized that this place had been sealing his powers, and he felt the source of his powers through the fluctuations, all his powers burst forth with a never-known ferocity. He was still holding a black body in his right arm, the top of the skull of which was still that of a human. He then pushed this figure into himself, calling out to the shadows. A sea of shadows descended from the shadow world, bubbling out of him. In no time, Pirate Lord Henry Morgan became a 1000 ft tall colossal monster. "KILLL!" Shadow Lord''s voice boomed, sending a massive punch at RizeGreymon and Red Sun. ¡­ Up in the sky, Kai''s figure tumbled out, his chest exploding, and his eyes bleeding. On the other side, a corner of Sounga''s armor shattered, the purple hue around it rising, becoming more ominous than ever. "You dare injure me?!" the sword bellowed. "I will end this world with this strike. I will send you all¡­ to Hell! DRAGON¡­" This time, when the purple light shone, it was as if a purple star had birthed in the sky. It replaced everything. It replaced the enormous Shadow Lord''s roar, Red Sun''s transforming right arm, RizeGreymon''s burning revolver, Moraine''s Wings of Grim Butterfly, and the indifferent gaze of the Sword Spirit. This was the power of an Artifact that could become a Top-level Rare-grade Named Item. This was Sounga, the Sword of Calamity. 3 giant purple dragons roared, coiling around the sword attached to the headless being''s left arm. It was then Sounga finished its words; the sword descended along with it. "¡­ TWISTER!!!" The blood ocean boiled, over 100 ft waves surging high towards heaven. An enormous crack ran down from one corner of the Reality Marble to another, becoming a deep-sea trench. The sky rumbled, shattering into a hundred pieces. A humongous, purple tornado rushed toward Kai''s falling figure, evil winds hacking, tearing everything around them. Dementor-Kai spun and came to a rest after skidding back hundreds of feet in midair. "Boil¡­ my blood!" Kai roared, squeezing out even greater power, blood flames liquefying around him. "Haha!" Ethereal yellow bolts of lightning rumbled within his red eyes. "What is evil?!" Kai demanded, his shout tearing through the incoming world-ending tornado, reaching Sounga. "Evil means having No Attachments! Evil means discarding everything for one''s goal! "Evil means living by one''s Principles, come hell or high water! Evil means bearing the burden of Guilt, and still keep moving on! "Evil means walking toward the Peak of Absolute Power! You¡­ "You who don''t have ambition¡­ "You are not evil enough!" Dementor-Kai''s entire body rippled, a mirage of six arms and three heads overlapping with his tiny figure. His fingers snapped, consuming over 300 MP, and he cast the Doubling Charm over Murasame. Six Murasame trembled murderously in Kai''s six arms, his six eyes burning with power and bloodlust. Selfless Breathing Style - First Transformation... A red comet manifested in the sky, a moth flying toward the flame. All eyes fell on the sky inadvertently at this moment, the scene shocking the living breath out of them. The massive, sky-shattering tornado''s mouth coiled like a dragon''s head and devoured the red comet in one gulp. Silence! Everything seemed to have gone silent. Even the very time seemed to have stagnated. It was then a red trail could be seen shooting through the purple tornado. It was like this tornado was an actual dragon, and there was a vein running down from its throat to its end. This vein lacked blood before. Now, the appearance of that red trail filled it with life, as if blood was coursing through its veins. But the appearance of this life meant death for the tornado. With a boom, forcing blood out of the ears, the entire tornado exploded, purple gales storming through the entire blood world, and going beyond. The red comet, the evilest of its kind, shot toward the headless being and passed through it. ¡­ Three-Headed Vritra!!! Crackkkkkkkkk! "NO!!!" The headless being roared before disintegrating into pieces. Only a straight sword left in its place, the pommel at its end glowing purple, but dimly. The hold of Shadow Lord''s cut arm over Sounga''s hilt loosened, and it fell, disappearing from all visions. 0406 Immeasurable Spiritual Power and Shocking Spiritual Pressure!!! Kai''s transformation melted away, and his entire bloodlust flooded every inch of the evil sword. "Either you submit to me.." he said, his Haki rippling around him out of his control, "¡­ or I will Seal you for eternity. Not even gods will be able to save you." Sounga shot itself toward Kai in reply. But the more it closed on him, the more its purple glow dimmed, the entire sword shaking like a twig amid a storm. By the time it reached Kai, it had already stopped. A shocking power fell upon the sword, lighting it up with purple and black flames. This power didn''t belong to the sword. Nor did it belong to Kai. This was the power of transformation. An Artifact was becoming an Item. "Humph!" Kai snorted, raising his scabbed palm covered in blood flames. "I¡­ don''t like straight swords." Then Kai slammed his palm over the evil sword''s tip. The transformation ended, revealing a long katana as the black flames vanished. The Katana''s blade glowed purple, and at the end of its hilt, there was a purple marble. Kai wrapped his left hand''s decayed fingers around the Item''s hilt and drew a sharp breath. What a shocking might! Kai exclaimed, sensing the power coursing through the blade; through him. It was then a giant, black fist replaced the sky behind Kai. Kai''s eyes became the size of a needle, sensing it coming. But the use of First Transformation had consumed a lot of his Powers, making him unable to dodge. Shadow Lord''s fist landed on Kai and sent him flying. Boommmmmm! This was a boom of Kai striking the blood ocean, creating giant pillars of blood. This was also the boom, marking the beginning of the end. -Keke!- A cackle rang throughout the half-vanished Reality Marble, and all heard it, their souls shivering. -Call¡­ Call my name!- Call my name! The wind had sighed those words. Call my name! The broken sky had cried those words. Call my name! A serpent had hissed those words. Red Sun lifted his neck, trembling all over, a primal fear coursing through his veins. His right arm was missing, blood dripping off the stump on his shoulder. His silver revolver was nowhere to be seen, his red trenchcoat was full of holes and tattered, and his Digimon, RizeGreymon, was missing. Call my name! The words entered Red Sun''s ears as if someone had whispered them in the back of his mind, in his heart, and in his very soul. In the distance, Moraine was lying face down in the blood ocean, almost floating. Her clothes were all but missing, letting her smooth skin out in the open. Her curves could have jolted the emotions if it wasn''t because of the bones protruding out of her back. It was as if she had wings and someone had pulled them out. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Call my name! Moraine''s lips trembled, her unfocused eyes stirring in response. Towering with a colossal height, Shadow Lord''s head seemed to surpass the sky, looking down at the nine stars. There was a massive hole in his waist to the lower left side, running through and through. It felt like some absurdly powerful cannon had blasted away that portion of Shadow Lord''s body. Seven-colored powder glittered within that hole, shattering the shadows that were trying to close up the wound. Call my name! Shadow Lord''s gigantic eyes fumed, bloodshot. "HUMPH!" he snorted, ears ringing under his might. "THE DAY OF SHADOWS WILL RISE ON YOUR ASHES!" And then the shadow titan sent a fist hurling at the spot where the puny existence had fallen. BOOM! ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn¡­ You have unlocked two new Stats: 1. Spiritual Class: A measure of Contestant''s Spiritual Power (-Reiryoku-) Note: Spiritual Class is a power aligned with the Spiritual Sensitivity and Willpower of the Contestant. It has six levels ¡ª Basic, Average, High, Great, Immense, and Immeasurable 2. Spirit Class: The density of Spiritual Pressure within a Contestant Note: Spirit Class has twenty levels with 1 representing the highest and 20 representing the lowest densities ¡­ Contestant''s Spiritual Class: Immeasurable Contestant''s Spirit Class: 1 ¡­ The Spiritual Class and Spirit Class of Contestant Red is the highest possible¡­ Error! The Spiritual Class and Spirit Class of Contestant Red surpasses the allotted levels¡­ Error! Error! ¡­ Analyzing Contestant''s Stats¡­ Processing experience¡­ Projecting potential¡­ Analyzation complete¡­ Zanpakuto confirmed¡­ Zanpakuto confir¡­ Zanpakuto¡­ WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! ] ¡­ Call my name! Every inch of Kai''s body pained; all limbs, threads of muscles, marrow within his bones, and even his soul. Yet, the moment Kai got the notification, his Reiatsu Vents opened, and power coursed through him from head to toe. It was as if some shackles placed on his very existence had been lifted. Kai couldn''t fathom what was wrong with his Spiritual Class and Spirit Class. Immeasurable and the highest density of Spiritual Pressure; only beings like Ichigo, the Main Character, were known to possess such Reiryoku and Reiatsu. The System must not have taken his temporary gaining of MP and SP into account, Kai knew. Still, was the System telling him that his Spiritual Power and Spiritual Pressure were even above the Main Character?! Kai didn''t have the time to think over it for long, though. The leftover power of Spiritual Awakening had granted Kai almost 50 points in Correspondence and Breath. Mana had all but run out. Breath was all he had left. Now, it all became his true Spiritual Power, his Reiryoku. If he was a fierce tiger before, this transformation bestowed upon him wings ¡ª the wings of a devil. Reiatsu had many colors, depending on the individual. The moment Kai felt his Spiritual Pressure, bubbling out of him, it took the form of the very thing it came into contact with. The Blood Flames! No longer those flames were hovering between the boundary of corporeal and incorporeal. Those Blood Flames linked the concepts of Breathing Art and Reiatsu (Spiritual Pressure), gaining true presence of their own ¡ª such was the might of the highest density of Spirit Class. As they soared high and high, the most hideous demonic face appeared within it, grinning ear to ear. It was as if the flames themselves had come together to birth this creature. The Reiatsu had assumed a shape. The most shocking sight was that the ends of those flames, as they melted into the space, were glowing yellow. To others, it seemed like the demon''s face, a shape assumed by his Reiatsu, had a headful of yellow hair. Call my name! -¡­ name¡­- Kai hissed, dense Spiritual Power coursing through him, his hazel eyes dazed and lost. Little War Horn''s effect had run out, the Iron Man Armor had shattered, and there was no Mana. Yet, Kai felt drunk on his Reiatsu. This Power¡­ was sweeter than Mana, spicier than Aura, and it stung, making his body tremble in excitement; and his swords along with him. Boom! The colossal fist came again, hitting him like a gigantic train had struck him from the front. Dementor-Kai''s figure skidded on the blood ocean like a flat stone over a body of water, hitting, jumping, rotating, and tumbling. Call my name! At first, Kai had thought that the starry constellation in the sky, taking the shape of the Tree of Life, represented the concept of Sefirot. Then, Kai had guessed that the name of his Zanpakuto could be nothing but Ein Sof. How else could his Sword Spirit create a constellation that resembled the Tree of Life, a form assumed by the 10 Sefirot? Call my name! Kai''s figure came to rest. Using the swords, he propped himself up and looked at the vast, crumbling sky. There they were ¡ª the nine stars. However, Kai could see even more; a meaning within them. Boom! Another fist arrived, sending him flying. But, if one were to look carefully, they would have realized that the density of Kai''s temporary Reiatsu was so high that the colossal fist just couldn''t touch him, despite the power and momentum contained within Shadow Lord''s punch. Kai again rolled over the blood ocean, creating ripples wherever his body came into contact with the bloody sea. Call my name! 0407 Zanpakutos Might - The Sealing Tree of Death!!! The Sword Spirit had caused rows of words to appear within Kai, originating from his soul. At first, Kai had thought these words were nothing but a way to force him into a state of Comprehension. At first, he had thought that the yellow strokes joining the nine stars were nothing but a way for him to gain an Epiphany of his Inner World''s essence; to devour, to seal; the Parselscript! He had thought that the yellow strokes of Parselscript running in between the stars had taken the shape of the Path of the Flaming Sword; the order in which the 10 Sefirot were created by Ein Sof. So, this path must represent his Sword Spirit''s ultimate technique. And at first, Kai had thought that the yellow-haired being''s hisses belonged to a male. Those guesses now turned out to be wrong. -Call my name¡­ I am the Pre-Existential Entity, the Embodiment of Darkness, Evil, Impurity, and Chaos.- Kai flicked his swords and resumed a standing position midair, his decayed, bare feet hovering three inches above the blood ocean. Only after gaining Comprehension did Kai truly understand that what he considered his Tree of Life, for others, it was¡­ ¡­ The Tree of Death! Sefirot were the emanations of God and there was nothing holier than them. Holy? What had this word had anything to do with Kai, his Individuality, his Imprint on the Vast Cosmos? No. The starry constellation in the night was not holy, but something entirely opposite. It was Ein Sof, who created the ten holy Sefirot. But Ein Sof was the God, and God said, "I Am That I Am." Only later did Kai come to know that his Sword Spirit was darkness to light, evil to good, chaos to order; everything that God was and represented, she was Not. -Call my name¡­ I Am That I Am Not.- The entire blood world was now fluctuating between the boundary of imaginary and real. A projection of a town, covered in shadows, was trying hard to collapse this world, replacing the Reality Marble with Reality. Shadow Lord roared, black and blue lightning rumbling around him as the sky collapsed. He saw the tiny being, engulfed in blood flames, standing upright, and his blood boiled. A massive foot descended, stomping Kai. Boommmmmm! -Call my name¡­ I Am Nothing.- Only after his Comprehension, Kai realized that his Sword Spirit had created his Tree of Life, marked by the nine stars in the constellation, in the reverse order. According to the Path of the Flaming Sword, Ein Sof had created the 10 Sefirot, starting from the Crown at the top to the Realm at the end. Kai''s Sword Spirit had instead begun with the 10th Star ¡ª his heart. She had used Kai''s Will, and then she had proceeded to create the next nine Stars in the reverse order, reaching the Crown, the pale yellow star that existed within the hole in the sky. She was NOT Ein Sof. The yellow path generated by Parselscript was NOT the Path of the Flaming Sword. The starry constellation in the sky was NOT the structure of the 10 Sefirot. Kai was lying over the blood ocean, his hands outstretched. His gaze went beyond the sky, to the darkness he had seen before the appearance of the stars. -Your true form is said to be incomprehensible; a mass of absolute darkness that extends infinitely in all directions,- Kai hissed, his breath rattling. These words were etched in his soul as if he had always known them. Then Kai stood up and hovered midair. The Blood Flames had become even denser, his Reiatsu burning the surrounding space. -And when you show yourself,- Dementor-Kai hissed, looking at the vast blood ocean, -you take the form of an¡­ expanding field of endless blood.- If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. It was at this moment Kai realized why¡­ just why the Blood Prophecy always took the shape of figures rising from a blood ocean. It was not Cersei''s ACT that made it happen. Blood Prophecy¡­ those prophecies generated with Kai''s Inner World as the basis. Kai''s gaze deepened as he looked at the vast bloody field. Within the blood ocean, which was no deeper than ankles, one could see an endless rippling blood-like mass, almost as vast as the mysterious depths of the cosmos. -You¡­ are not Ein Sof, the God,- Kai whispered out a frigid breath. -You were there even before him. And you were there¡­ even before the universe was created¡­- The moment Kai''s hisses stopped, a figure took shape within the blood ocean, replacing Kai''s blurry, bloody reflection. This figure was entirely black, had long clawed arms and legs, and its hair was yellow, swaying high without wind. It had no face, either. It was just a being. She was Kai''s Sword Spirit. -Keke!- the Sword Spirit''s cackle thundered evilly across the Reality Marble. -This one will be called Supreme Sounga.- Instantly, a yellow stroke appeared under Sounga''s hilt, just like the one under the hilt of Murasame. And Kai let go of the swords. The tip of both Limitless Murasame and Supreme Sounga''s blades kissed the blood ocean and fell into it without creating ripples. The Release Call appeared in Kai''s mind, along with Zanpakuto''s true name in his heart. "Devour¡­" Kai mumbled, his Reiatsu finally reaching the might of a Contestant infinitely near the strength of the 10th floor. "¡­ Ayin!" BOOMMM! The moment the swords vanished into the blood ocean, the entire world shook. The incoming, raging Shadow Lord trembled before pausing as if some kind of constraint had been placed on him. Strangely, when the swords went inside the blood ocean, within his reflection, their hilts appeared first. Ayin, the Zanpakuto, grabbed the two swords and instantly stabbed them back into the blood surface that was acting as a mirror between her and Kai. Rumble!!! Two massive hilts protruded out of the blood ocean. Kai''s scabbed hands grabbed those hilts, and he flew up, pulling the swords out. Calling them mere swords would do them incredible injustice. These swords were massive, as long as Kai, their width almost wider than his waist. In his right hand was Limitless Murasame, but it was no Katana anymore. It had become a black and white curved heavy sword without a guard. The moment Kai''s Reiatsu, the blood flames, drenched the sword, they became sinister, cursed black flames. In his left hand was Supreme Sounga, its shape and color exactly similar to Murasame. When Kai''s Reiatsu drowned the enormous blade, it gained the form of purple flames; pure evil. "HAHA!" Shadow Lord''s laugh boomed. "SO WHAT? YOU THINK TRANSFORMING SWORDS WILL LET YOU LIVE?! THEY ARE STILL PUNY! THEY ARE¡­" The colossal Shadow Lord got choked on his words. This?! Others couldn''t see Kai''s Sword Spirit in his reflection, but they could see a reflection. And because of Shadow Lord''s 1000 ft tall stature, he could see that reflection clearer than anyone. That reflection didn''t contain Kai, but it did have two swords. Yet, these swords were so large, so gigantic, that they felt like two metallic mountains. 666 ft! This was the length of the swords'' blades, going endlessly deep into the reflection, becoming bloody darkness itself. This was also the true size of Kai''s Zanpakuto. If Kai hadn''t Comprehended his Inner World''s essence already, he couldn''t have controlled their size. Much less needed to be said about even wielding them. "YOU¡­" Shadow Lord voiced, his enormous pupils trembling, "¡­ MUST DIE!" The shadow titan raised his fists as if he wanted to hammer Kai, shattering the world along with him. Kai, too, lifted the massive curved heavy swords in response and poured his entire Reiatsu within them. Shuuuu!!! All the blood flames around Kai vanished, becoming black flames around Limitless Murasame and purple flames around Supreme Sounga. Endless cursed runic marks manifested within the black flames, and within the purple flames, three evil dragons roared, forecasting a world-ending tornado. Kill him! Supreme Sounga''s voice echoed in Kai''s mind. Kill him! Murasame''s cursed intention seeped into Kai''s heart. -Keke!- Ayin''s evil cackle shuddered his soul. -Kill him! Unleash me! Unleash my power! Kai Stormborn!- "Path of the Ascending Flames¡­" If the path of the flaming sword represented the flames that had descended from Heaven to Earth, then the twisting, serpentine yellow path created by Parselscript represented the flames rising from Hell to Earth. The 10th star in Kai''s heart lit up as he fused his Demonic Will into the swords. And as the shadowy, miniature sun-like fists darkened the sky, Kai hacked. Purple and Black Flames soared like the most ominous flames from the netherworld, and in an instant, they reached Shadow Lord. Almost at the same time, nine stars lit up on Shadow Lord''s titanic figure, in the formation of the constellation in the sky. The 10th star glowed hideously on the Pirate Lord''s forehead. Shuuu! Hisss!! The purple and black flames slithered from one star to another as if someone was using a brush to draw strokes on paper. Their appearance was the same as when Kai had drawn the yellow strokes on the sky. Shadow Lord couldn''t even move. He couldn''t say, see, hear, touch, taste, or feel. As the purple and black flames slithered up, creating the illusion of a demonic, sinister snake coiling up a tree, everything about Shadow Lord got sealed. In just a fraction of a second, the flames reached the last star, the 10th. The Tree of Death lit up on Shadow Lord''s body and... it ended. RUMBLEEEE! Shadow Lord''s colossal body rumbled and shattered, his very existence getting sealed under the might of Zanpakuto, Ayin. It was also then the swords in Kai''s hands descended and he finished his words. "¡­ Qliphoth Genesis!" 0408 The Greatest Inheritance - Shadow Lords Soul! The entire Reality Marble had gained an illusory appearance. If one were to look at Port Royal from way up in the sky, but not outside the Inheritance Land, they would have seen the fluctuations of a blood world, going in and out of existence. Sometimes this blood world felt real, sometimes false. But, more often than not, it was as if a colossal illusion was cast over the island. Just like a hologram. Two figures were falling from the sky within this hologram, their existence fluctuating along with the blood world itself. One was an old man with a huge stature, his figure looking lifeless. The other was a black humanoid creature. When one inspected minutely, the appearance of this black creature seemed to feel like that of a girl, her entire body covered in a shadowy substance. A distinct glint of an earring could be seen on her left ear, too. These two were none other than Shadow Lord, Pirate Lord Henry Morgan, and Cersei Lannister, the magical existence birthed by the Tales of Beedle the Bard. Dementor-Kai eyed them, hovering above the blood ocean, his long, tattered black cloak billowing without wind behind him. Gone was the boundless feeling of Mana and Spirituality. Gone was the covering of blood flames and the abundant presence of Reiatsu. Gone was the sense of Power, making Kai feel as if with his one thought, he could seal the entire universe. Yet, under the dark hood, his hazel eyes were giving out a profound glow. The moment he saw Shadow Lord and Cersei falling freely, he flew toward them, his wraith-like figure leaving a black trail of icy fog in his wake. When he opened his mouth, his breath rattled, and then he licked his lips. The moment had arrived. Finally! The Inheritance of Shadow Lord, Henry Morgan, a master of Alchemy, was indeed mouth-watering for many. Kai was included in them as well. But if it had been 100% of his Inheritance, then it would have tempted him even more. A temptation, at least enough for him to overlook his other desires. But circumstances had turned out such that he could only obtain 20% of it, and that too will be divided between him and Moraine. Killing Shadow Lord would have let him obtain a part of another 40%, for Red Sun and Moraine were involved in this fight as well, even though their contributions were smaller than Kai''s. But that had been only possible in the case if the temporary Protectors would have escorted all Six Major Characters out of Port Royal. Kai and the Contestants on Interceptor had escorted Jack Sparrow and William Turner out of the Inheritance Land with the help of, now dead, Supreme Protector. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Another Top-level 7th-floor, and by far the most prudent, had caught Captain Barbossa and his crew, taking them out in the open sea as well. Not to mention, Red Sun had already sent out Captain Norrington and Governor Swann, bringing the count to 5. Yet, one remained ¡ª Elizabeth Swann! If Kai knew how things would turn out, he would have done something about it. But, by the time he returned to the island, his goals had already deviated from the originals. The Inheritance would most probably give him a Skill, Kai had thought. But even if it didn''t, he wasn''t much attached to it. Then there was the matter of obtaining Shadow Lord''s inheritance related to the Alchemy. Now, it did make Kai tremble with joy, but this joy was only on the surface, not seeping into his bones. Kai had already made ample plans of learning Alchemy from the Fullmetal Alchemist World. Not to mention, he believed in learning such things by himself, creating his own theories, and understanding his own principles. Still, he wouldn''t say no to a part of Henry Morgan''s knowledge if the System would grant it to him. So, no. The reason for him to nudge himself, forcing himself to forget the changing of Titles from Novice Collector to Poacher, was not this Inheritance. The reason for him to let himself fall into such a desperate state, hoping to fish for greater power into the sea of his misfortune, was not this inheritance. The reason was something much greater and darker, viler and eviler, and more wicked than normal reasoning. Yes, he wanted to save the Book. Yes, he wanted to kill Shadow Lord. Yes, he wanted to obtain unprecedented Power. He wanted these all things, but not without obtaining the true Inheritance. An Inheritance only he could get in this Inheritance Land¡­ for he was the foulest creature that walked the earth across the Multiverse. He was not only Kai Stormborn, Contestant Red. He was Dementor-Kai, the Glitched Blood Demon!!! Now, more than the Inheritance, Kai desired Shadow Lord''s soul. Dementor-Kai had always aimed to devour the soul of this powerful being, the Character surpassing the known boundary of the Top-level 9th-floor Contestants. Nothing else could even come close to it. A foul mass of black fog rushed toward the sky like a sinister meteor. Around it, two curved heavy swords swirled, both giving out a murderous and evil glow. The swords seemed dull at a glance as if someone had sucked out their power, but their blades were still hideously sharp. Moreover, one of them could even kill with one cut. Kai reached out with his right skeletal hand, the figure of an old man enlarging in his eyes. In the next moment, he rammed into him. Shadow Lord, though infinitely close to death, had yet to truly pass away. His old eyes were barely open, his breathing scarce. His ancient face had gone pale and cold as if some fiend had sucked out his blood. And there was a yellow stroke on his forehead, shining with a sickly yellow, starry light. There was a Seal on his existence. Shadow Lord shouldn''t exist; mustn''t exist; neither in the past nor in the future. Just as Kai''s thin, bony fingers wrapped themselves around Shadow Lord''s throat, a dense cold profused into his skin, muscles, and bones. Happiness had already abandoned the Pirate Lord ages ago. Now, even hope got snatched out of him. This monstrous hopelessness was followed by the loss of Shadow Lord''s happy memories, one by one getting sucked out of him like a mead. In between, Kai activated the Skill ¡ª Breath Snatcher, which could suck out Spirituality from the target, fueling Kai''s SP. However, it never activated because of Hyper Beam. Ignoring the canceling of Breath Snatcher, Kai sucked deep, deeper than ever, and a sweet sensation ran down his decayed throat. This was the preparation before the final kiss. This was the condition to use the Dementor''s Kiss. Even the despair of death could not hope to come close to what Shadow Lord was feeling at this moment. "¡­ No¡­" he mumbled, his long, white beard freezing under an ominous cold. "¡­ for¡­give¡­ me." "Forgive?!" Kai''s breath rattled, his 2 meters tall body wrapping itself around the giant old man. "Forgiveness and mercy¡­ is not in my nature. And¡­" It was then another figure arrived from above, falling like a blob of shadow. Kai''s left rotten hand lifted, and that figure gradually came to a stop before gliding toward him. Kai wrapped his glistening, grayish arm around Cersei''s waist, and felt her emotions; buried under the shadows. The curved heavy swords, swirling behind Kai, rippling along with his billowing cloak, struck each other. A screeching metallic clink rang out, forcing even the souls of listeners to shudder. "And¡­" Kai''s cold breath rattled, the Book appearing in his thoughts, "¡­ no one¡­ no one gets to touch what belongs to me, and remain alive¡­" 0409 100 Soul Points - The Rise of Dementor Blood Essence! Suddenly, a diagram of ten stars lit up on Cersei. This diagram was exactly like the constellation of still glowing in the sky. Nine stars were on Cersei''s body below the neck and were arranged in a formation of fruits hanging at the end of branches, giving the entire diagram a tree-like appearance. The tenth star glowed blindingly yellow on her forehead. As the tiny points of light appeared on Cersei''s forehead, a yellow line slithered up on her body, joining the ten stars ¡ª The Path of the Ascending Flames! This Structure represented Kai''s Shikai''s ultimate power ¡ª Qlipoth Genesis! This Structure also represented Kai''s Reality Marble''s Essence ¡ª The Seal of Parselscript! However, this Seal differed from the one claiming the Shadow Lord. The Seal on Cersei wasn''t on her existence. Moreover, this was nowhere near the ultimate technique of the Zanpakuto, Ayin. Not to mention, Kai''s Reiatsu, which powered the technique, had long run out. This Seal was for the shadows! Bang! The thick layer of shadows covering Cersei exploded, a mass of black liquefied air bursting out like water from a balloon. It was then the yellow star on her forehead shone, and became a black hole, attracting and engulfing all the shadows. The diagram created by the ten stars had already vanished, becoming transparent, leaving behind that yellow point on Cersei''s forehead. Now, the shadows surrounded the sealing mark like a cocoon. A black diamond, with a marquise shape, manifested on Cersei''s forehead, and within it was a yellow stroke, enchanting the hearts of all onlookers. All this hadn''t taken even a moment to happen. But, at this moment, the fate of Cersei, a magical existence, had changed forever. ¡­ From Kai using Telekinesis to catch Cersei, and then sealing the shadows inside her using the Parselscript, only a breath had passed by. Cersei hadn''t seen what Kai had done to her, but she had heard the words he had said to the Shadow Lord. Gently, her eyes opened, and her green pupils shone black; the black of shadows and death. By happenstance, as the blur in Cersei''s eyes vanished, the first thing she saw was Kai''s hooded, decaying face, and him sucking out Shadow Lord''s happiest memories. This scene etched itself in her heart; and if she had possessed a soul, this scene would have engraved itself on it as well. If one were to see the skies of this holographic blood world now, one would find this scene utterly bewildering, mystifying, and shocking, to say the least. There, in the sky, was a dark and foul being, its very aura deathly cold. In his one arm was an old man, dying, trying to beg for forgiveness under the effects of raw despair and hopelessness. In his other arm was a pale but stunningly beautiful young lady, eying this rotten being with a gaze burning with such a zeal that it surpassed a drowning man''s desire for straw. Alas! Instead of kissing her, this filthy being was leaning over the old man. That was good as well, saving others from the repulsive sight of such a being kissing a young maiden. ¡­ Kai had never experienced such a feeling. The moment he took a sip of the mead coming out of Shadow Lord, heartfelt drunkenness possessed him, making his sight blurry. Kai had sucked out the soul of a common wizard in the Harry Potter Random World. Because of the commotion caused by that single disappearance, he never attempted it again, postponing it to later, after becoming stronger and stealthier. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Yet that encounter had let Kai make a wild guess about a certain scenario. A scenario of him sucking out Dumbledore''s soul. Kai had guessed that if he could do such a thing, then he would surely get at least 50-60 Soul Points out of the most powerful wizard, effortlessly. It was this guess that had jolted Kai''s heart when he had begun planning for this moment. Pirate Lord Henry Morgan was a nigh Immortal Being, his magical might almost boundless. '' Not to mention, his strength had already surpassed the 9th floor, infinitely nearing the 10th floor. To top it all off, Shadow Lord was a storyline Character. What Kai wanted was Shadow Lord''s Soul, the horde of Soul Points, and Breath¡­ ¡­ Breath out of Set Quota! Soul mead ran down Kai''s throat as if he were drinking immortal wine, his entire existence swelling up. Suddenly, this feeling of swelling became so vast that Kai felt like he would explode. Boom! This explosion had not occurred outside, but within Kai, his decayed hands shuddering and his tattered cloak billowing as if a tempest had come. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn Your Dementor Blood Essence has upgraded Upgrade Reward: +3 Breath (Not Applicable to the Set''s Quota) ¡­ Blood Essence: Dementor Grade: C- (growth: 25.1/50) Specification: Devour souls to upgrade itself. The devoured souls will be digitalized, and the Contestant must fill the growth bar to upgrade the Blood Essence Skills: 1. Breath Snatcher (Grade: D+) 2. Dementor''s Kiss (Grade: C-) [+5 Breath upon upgradation] 3. Dementors Progenitor (Grade: ? -locked) ] ¡­ Breath Snatcher upgraded from D to D+ Grade and Dementor''s Kiss arrived at C-. The only one that didn''t show any changes was the Dementors Progenitor, a question mark showing in place of its Grade. Things, however, hadn''t slowed down. Rather, they had become even faster; tastier. Pirate Lord Henry Morgan kept trembling like a fish out of water, his eyes horrified, and his face contorted with dread. Kai sucked and sucked, uncaring of time and the vanishing Reality Marble. Even the notification mentioning that his 3 days period will be over soon got ignored. 30¡­ 35¡­ 40¡­ 49¡­ Boom!! This explosion was mightier than before, its meaning vaster and viler. ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn Your Dementor Blood Essence has upgraded Upgrade Reward: +5 Breath (Not Applicable to the Set''s Quota) ¡­ Blood Essence: Dementor Grade: C (growth: 50.1/100) Specification: Devour souls to upgrade itself. The devoured souls will be digitalized, and the Contestant must fill the growth bar to upgrade the Blood Essence Skills: 1. Breath Snatcher (Grade: C-) 2. Dementor''s Kiss (Grade: C) [+10 Breath upon upgradation] 3. Dementors Progenitor (Grade: ? -locked) ] ¡­ Breath Snatcher upgraded to C- and Dementor''s Kiss arrived at C Grade. No change to the last Skill, still. Things had just reached the peak, though. Cersei gulped as she saw Kai sucking out Shadow Lord''s soul, the very meaning of beauty taking a strange psychological turn in her mind. Behind her, Limitless Murasame and Supreme Sounga kept swirling, thrumming, thriving within the evil aura of Dementor-Kai. On the blood ocean, Red Sun had sat down, his eyes trembling at the stupefying sight he had been seeing for some time. Why did the mighty existence, Shadow Origin, never mention the Five-Crowned Prince having Conqueror''s Haki? Why didn''t he mention that Red was a resurrected descendant of the Emperor''s bloodline? Red Sun''s guess had deviated little from that of the Contestant Nexus. Only this was the most plausible explanation. What else? Yet, the resolute look in Robin''s gaze never vanished. He had already let something slip out of his mouth; a King''s Code Name, forcing him into that hellhole. No. He would question nothing anymore. He had decided. This was his ladder to the top. This promised King was his ticket to the 18th floor. On the other side, Moraine''s half-opened eyes looked at the foul mist pressed upon Shadow Lord''s face. Her thoughts were all over the place. Kai cared for nothing. 60¡­ 75¡­ 80¡­ 92¡­ 96¡­ 98¡­ 99¡­ 99.4¡­ 99.8¡­ 99.9¡­ Just when the well containing Shadow Lord''s soul had all but gone dry, Kai sucked out the very last drop with a resounding slurp. BOOM! ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn Your Dementor Blood Essence has upgraded Upgrade Reward: +10 Breath (Not Applicable to the Set''s Quota) ¡­ Blood Essence: Dementor Grade: C+ (growth: 100.2/200) Specification: Devour souls to upgrade itself. The devoured souls will be digitalized, and the Contestant must fill the growth bar to upgrade the Blood Essence Skills: 1. Breath Snatcher (Grade: C) 2. Dementor''s Kiss (Grade: C+) [+20 Breath upon upgradation] ¡­ Breath Snatcher advanced to C and Dementor''s Kiss arrived at C+. Kai let go of the dead old man, raised his head toward the dark sky, and let out a rattling roar. This was all he had hoped for. These many Soul Points, these advancements, and these upgrades were all he had hoped to gain; his Greatest Inheritance. Yet, something happened then that Kai had never imagined in his wildest dreams. Not here, at least. Not now. His eyes landed on the notification and saw that it had yet to show in its entirety. Then, like a bolt out of the blue, a new notification appeared in front of his pupils, and the entire world became silent along with him, his gaze trembling at the sight. ¡­ [ Dementors Progenitor Condition matched¡­ Skill: Dementors Progenitor Grade: B- ¡­ 0410 Dementors Progenitor!!! The sudden silence that followed Kai''s rattling roar became an abyss-like pit. 18 Points¡­ 18 Active Points¡­ 18 Active Points out of the Set Quota!!! Kai''s Breath now stood at a tower so high compared to his other Attributes that they couldn''t even see it. Even if one ignored the buff of Novice Collector, Kai''s Breath had risen to 35! Even in his wildest dreams, he had never thought he would see this number here. But when Kai saw the last notification, it jolted him alive, his icy breath speeding up, his heartbeat booming. Kai''s eyes under the dark hood had become two hazel-colored, reptilian gems embedded in his rotten skull. He just couldn''t tear his gaze off whatever he was seeing, reading, thinking, and feeling. Cersei was still in his embrace, so she felt it even more. Never had she seen Kai so... agitated. Her green eyes gained a grave look, her thoughts full of concern and doubts. Only a full minute later did Kai take a deep rattling breath, his grip on Cersei''s waist tightening. -... Can it be done?- Kai hissed, his voice shaking. -Can you do it?- No one could even understand what he was saying. Much less needed to be said about knowing to whom he had asked those questions. An evil cackle answered Kai, gaining a sharp edge with every passing moment. -Keke!- the Sword Spirit, Ayin, cackled, her hisses piercing into Kai''s mind and soul. -Things sure took an unexpected turn, eh? -Who would have thought the conditions to activate this Skill would be... Keke! -Hmm... If I burn my Source, I can provide you enough Mana. But, then, I will have to hibernate to recover, and you will not be able to communicate with me for a couple of years.- Kai''s gaze became incredibly hard as if he was ruminating over a decision that could dictate life and death. -50 points in Correspondence and Breath won''t happen overnight,- he hissed, his ripped black cloak billowing noiselessly behind him. -A couple of years is not an issue. But... - Kai couldn''t complete his words, as the Sword Spirit had already burst out with a hideous cackle. -Worried about the Skill''s Warning?- Ayin hissed in Kai''s mind. -Well, you are already marked. Things wouldn''t possibly worsen more than that, would they? -Kai, are you really going to pass up on an opportunity like this? It will be such a disappointment...- The Reality Marble had thinned out to such a degree that it felt like a layer of dust left behind by a sandstorm. Saying that it was on its last legs wasn''t even enough to show its dwindling strength. This blood world had already become the last flicker of a candle that was about to go out. Passing up on this chance would truly be an unprecedented disappointment for everyone, Kai knew. No matter the consequences. -You are right,- Kai''s hiss came out with a defying resolve, his evil aura churning around him once again. -Let''s do it.- -Keke!- Ayin cackled like a psychotic maniac. The two curved heavy swords swirling behind Kai suddenly began burning with blood flames, as if someone had poured oil over them before lighting them up. In the next instant, the flames died, and in their place, two katanas appeared. With just a thought, Kai put them away and took a deep breath, steeling his nerves, and bringing his mind to an optimum state. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. On the ground, Red Sun and Moraine could only gawk at this sudden silent picture, knowing not what kind of shocking and horrifyingly repulsive things were about to happen. The Sword Spirit appeared behind Kai, her long, yellow hair tumbling and swaying from head to knees. Her lean figure seemed to be the embodiment of everything dark in the world. And when she hovered midair with her spine straight, it felt like she was the overlord, her might supreme and unquestionable. Ayin lifted her long-clawed hands and put on Kai''s cloaked back. -Keke!- the Sword Spirit cackled, her hisses entering Kai''s ears like needles. -Ready?- Kai gulped, his heart throbbing half with vile ecstasy and half with great dread. -Ready... I think I have always been...- Boom! Ayin didn''t give Kai the chance to finish his words. The entire length of her long hair almost lifted as if a yellow-colored waterfall had suddenly changed direction, aiming for heaven. Endless Mana exploded out of her, entering Kai, forcing him to let out a sky-shaking, rattling roar. Kai could feel Ayin''s existence vanishing, melting into the world, but he couldn''t even think properly. In just a few seconds, the bluish-yellow Mana soared up and down with Kai in between, linking the blood ocean to the night sky and the constellation that was rippling like a mirage. 300... 400... 500... And Kai''s MP was rising and rising, crossing the boundary that had already felt heaven-defying to him before. There was no pleasure in this. Not anymore. This amount of Mana was enough for him to make him explode a hundred times over. Stop... Kai roared in his mind. Stop... STOP!!! -Keke! Be careful what you wish for¡­- Ayin''s hisses still carried a sharp edge of mockery, but her voice felt like coming from millions of miles away. It was low enough to proclaim that it was coming from the past itself. Even her very figure had gone blurry, becoming incredibly transparent. 700... 800... 980... 1150... Boom! Boom!! Boom!!! Space-tears rained down all over the Inner World, black and blue lightning bolts rumbling, hacking at the blood ocean with the fury of gods, demons, and devils alike. -Do it, now,- Ayin hissed with a tone of urgency. -Activate it, you fool! I¡­ can''t¡­- Everything had gained a touch of blue in Kai''s mind. The sky had vanished, stars and their starry light gone, and even the sounds had become scarce, melting into his befuddled mind. This much Mana within his body wasn''t a serendipity anymore, but a lethal dose of incurable poison. Strangely, there was a cure for it, Kai felt, his will to survive warning him of the impending doom. He must Activate something. Yes. T hat would solve his problems. But activate what? Why must he Activate it now? Why must he Activate it here, in this abysmal place? And why must he activate it at such a cost, what was at stake, what kind of opportunity would slip out of his hands? -ACTIVATE IT!!!- A hiss exploded in Kai''s mind, and for the faintest moment, he regained his thinking capabilities. When it came to Kai, one moment of thought process was enough; enough for him to answer all of his questions. Kai inadvertently hissed, thinking of the words. -¡­ Dementors Progenitor!- ¡­ [ Skill Dementors Progenitor Activated Time Limit: 30 seconds ¡­ Skill: Dementors Progenitor Grade: B- Specifications: 1. The Contestant can nurture Dementors 2. The Laws of the Universe prohibit Dementors'' unnatural coming into being. To use the Skill, the Contestant must isolate himself using a Bounded Field 3. Dementors are amortal beings. Hence, once brought into existence, they can''t be killed 4. Dementors are the embodiment of Despair, Depression, and Hopelessness. The Contestant must create the ideal conditions for them to manifest themselves and then guide their growth, using his own traumas. The deeper the Contestant''s understanding and experiences of despair, the better will be the results 5. Upon coming into being, Dementors will need extraordinary nourishment to sustain themselves. The Contestant must let them feed upon his happiness, hope, good feelings, and happy memories to create a bond Requirement: 1. Soul Points >100 2. Elementary Magical Aptitude 3. An Emotions-related Ability 4. Bounded Field 5. The Contestant must have experienced true despair before Attributes: 1. Once activated, a D-Meter will be accessible to the Contestant. 2. The D-Meter will show an abstruse value of the Despair, Depression, and Hopelessness lingering within the boundaries of the Bounded Field 3. Consuming D-Meter Points and MP, the Contestant can bring a Dementor into being 4. Dementors will have d-meters which will decide their levels 5. The points in the d-meter will decrease at a fixed rate. When the d-meter loses all its points, the Dementor''s existence will be eradicated 6. To revitalize the d-meter of a particular Dementor, the Contestant must let it feed upon the feelings of hope, happiness, and happy memories 7. Letting a Dementor perform Dementor''s kiss can instantly refill the d-meter, depending upon its quality 8. All Dementors will have the abilities of Dementors found in the Multiverse Effect: 1. Dementor lvl 1 ¡ª D-Meter Points needed: 1000 ¡ª Consumed MP: 300 ¡ª d-meter: 100 ¡ª d-meter decrement rate: 2/day 2. Dementor lvl 2 ¡ª D-Meter Points needed: 3000 ¡ª Consumed MP: 900 ¡ª d-meter: 450 ¡ª d-meter decrement rate: 3/day Note: 1. Skills and Items, based on positive forces, can cause severe loss of d-meter points 2. All souls sucked out by a Dementor will be digitized and 50% of them will be added to the Contestant''s Soul Points WARNING: The Dementors coming into being will bring the gazes of the Deep Ones of Multiverse upon the Contestant ] ¡­ 0411 The Creation of Dementors - DEATHs the Deep Ones!!! Rumbleee!!! Dense Mana pulses rippled out of Kai, the entire world shuddering along with him. The Reality Marble, Limitless Blood Firmament, was so large it seemed to cover an area larger than Port Royal''s town, its boundaries indistinguishable from real to false. Nothing was alive in this region. All manners of life had already been killed and ceased to exist under the shadowy wrath of Shadow Lord before Kai had even returned to the island. That''s why it was an irreplaceable opportunity for Kai, its temptation irresistible. This place, this town, this island ¡ª had already become the widest and greatest source of despair, depression, and hopelessness. So what if it wasn''t he who had caused these changes directly? As long as he could benefit from it, then there was no reason for him to not go for it. Such a town-wide destruction, spreading from one corner of the island to another, wasn''t something Kai was capable of. Not until he could defy the greatest strength in the Harry Potter World. Then there was the fact that his Reality Marble was on the brink of collapse, making its boundary hang in between corporeal and incorporeal. And all Reality Marbles were Bounded Fields, to begin with. Kai wasn''t sure when he could recast Reality Marble in the future. Much less needed to be said about him recreating these series of events. This opportunity couldn''t be missed. So what if the Deep Ones'' gazes would fall upon him? As Ayin said, it wasn''t like a few of the Deep Ones hadn''t already marked him. If someone wanted to watch him, then Kai would let them see the greatest show. RUMBLEEE!!!! Detestable rumbles echoed out of Kai, as Mana ripples exploded and imploded with him at the center, quaking the very fabric of Spacetime. A gale arrived from the netherworld and the wind howled. Ghosts wept and devils cried, sensing the foul aura bubbling in the heart of this dead town. Ma! Save me! Papa! The shrill cries of a child pierced through everything, echoing off the decimated walls of Port Royal. Despair of innocence! Rob! Where''s my Rob?! Waaa! Give me¡­ my son back!!! The wails of a woman shattered into the ghostly howl, seeping into the bones of devils. Despair of mothers! Don''t leave me! You¡­ promised! You¡­ a young lady sobbed, her heart breaking in a thousand pieces as the man in her arms breathed his last breath. Despair of lovers! Haha! What a fucking fate! I was an accomplished pianist in my previous life¡­ I had a good life! You forced me to kill! And¡­ this¡­ Haha! This life¡­ is so sad! A young man mumbled, blaming the System for his shadowy death. Despair of life! Come! Who am I? The great sorcerer! Humph! You think these creatures can kill me, heh! I will fight my way out! I will hack my way through them¡­ an old man roared, thin shadowy hands running through his body, his organs spilling out on the floor. Despair of death! Power¡­ Why didn''t I''ve Power¡­ Ha-ha-ha¡­ Mother¡­ I failed you¡­ Maa¡­ I¡­ Heh¡­ Cold¡­ It''s so cold¡­ I am¡­ so alone¡­ Despair of hope! BOOM!!! Boundless Despair seeped out of the earth, air, and skies, and hurled itself toward Kai like a dark fog, guided by his own traumas. The entire world had become cold. But it wasn''t the cold of death. Nor was it the cold of loss. This cold had something repulsive about it; something filthy. This cold was the very embodiment of everything foul with the world and the living within it. And this cold was the cold in Kai''s heart as well. Dark, ethereal fog swirled around Kai like a massive typhoon, the howling winds of which were devoid of all peace, hope, and happiness. Suddenly, the entire typhoon collapsed as if it couldn''t bear its weight, just like the death of a massive star. All the Despair gathered at a place in front of Dementor-Kai, becoming a cocoon that felt both real and unreal. It was emanating such a cold that the very air froze in its surroundings, and its color wasn''t just black, but it was a hue darker than dark; a hue impure, sinister, and dreadful. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. It was then a bar appeared over the cocoon, its dull gray color getting reflected in Kai''s dazed eyes. 1000¡­ 2700¡­ 3000¡­ 4200¡­ The D-Meter kept gaining the numbers, the cocoon of Despair feeding it constantly. Just as the last wisp of Despair got sucked out of the dead town by Dementors Progenitor, the D-Meter hit the limit. 6000! Kai absentmindedly looked at the cocoon, his mind reliving the old despairs, over and over, and then more. He felt as if he could divide this cocoon into more parts. So he did. Kai lifted his grayish, decayed right hand, the sleeves of his dark cloak pulling back. Mana seeped out from his trembling fingers, a total of 1200 MP, and the cocoon got divided into 5 parts. The 5th part was shockingly over twice as big as the other ones. As Kai''s Mana entered the first four cocoons, they throbbed hideously, letting out biting cold. The 5th cocoon hovered a moment more, and then upon getting no Mana, collapsed, imploding with a hushed boom. Kai''s dazed gaze fell upon the disappeared cocoon, and an abrupt bout of sadness took over his heart, mind, and soul. It was as if someone had snatched the child from a mother even before it was born. Despair of belief! A rattling breath escaped Kai''s throat, as if he was sobbing, crying, wailing, and roaring, his gaze never leaving the place of the 5th cocoon''s disappearance. Crack! It was then cracks began appearing over the four remaining dark cocoons. But they weren''t actual cracks, either. They felt more like an evolution, the outer layer melting into itself. A chilled fog seeped out of the cocoons, and surrounded them, along with Kai, blinding them out of others'' gazes. And then, under the biting coverage of this icy fog, the four cocoons exploded. Boom! The four cocoons became four masses of filthy blackness, and they were hungry. Called by a primal urge, these four masses lunged at Kai. It was feeding time! If this scene hadn''t been so full of revulsion, one could have even compared this sight to a mother feeding her newborn. Yet, there were no such emotions involved in it. Not even remotely. The masses of blackness swirled around Kai, Cersei, and Ayin, sucking out all happiness, hope, feelings, and memories. Yet, none complained. Cersei was soulless, to begin with. Ayin was a Sword Spirit, her very existence transcending the definition of living and non-living. Only Kai could feed them, the collection of hope and happiness within him low enough to be called malnourishment. Screams shuddered his soul, the distant memories of his mother and early childhood days distancing themselves even further. His thoughts were already cold, and now, even his body gained a whiter touch, his eyes dying along with his feelings. Every time the black masses sucked out more than air upon nearing Kai, they transformed, gaining a hideous shape. The foggy mass kept becoming tattered dark cloaks, rippling noiselessly. Tiny hands and feet manifested within the fog as well, but couldn''t gain life, no matter how much they fed upon Kai. Eyes appeared over their faces under the hood, but exploded, melting back into the fog as if they were destined to remain estranged from the beauty of the world. And as they sucked deeper than deeper, it left their mouths taking the shape of a gaping hole, their breath rattling like the cries of newborns. "My children¡­" Kai mumbled, words arising from the very depth of his soul. "¡­ my¡­ Creations!" BOOM!!! This boom had resounded nowhere near Kai. Nor had it occurred outside the Inheritance Land. Hell, it hadn''t even happened inside or outside the planet. This boom had originated from the falling of gazes, tearing through the dimensions. The Gazes of the Deep Ones!!! Kai felt as if someone was stabbing his soul with a red-hot iron. Yet, there was something familiar about these sensations as well. He seemed to have felt these gazes before if not exactly similar ones. Lethifold! The name appeared in the back of Kai''s mind like another explosion. When Lilith, the Familiar, had saved him, it had taken him to a strange dark dimension. Kai had then devised that the Systems-less place was nothing but Void itself. There, too, he had felt countless gazes, eying him with plain mockery. These gazes, stabbing into his soul, were similar, the existences behind them more shocking and mind-bending than the last. Yet, there was no mockery within them. ¡­ [ The Deep One, DESPAIR¡­ ¡­ ] ¡­ The notification couldn''t even completely appear when it suddenly ¡ª vanished. This?! If Kai was in complete control of his urges and thoughts, this disappearance would have shocked the living breath out of him. It wasn''t just this disappearance that was mystifying and bewildering, though. On Kai''s decayed right arm, there were ten imprints of long, dark fingers. If someone didn''t look carefully, they could mistake them as some odd tattoo or birthmark. Only Kai knew what they truly were and what they represented. Just as the notification had appeared in front of Kai, all these ten marks gave out a blinding dark light, taking over the dull gray color of the words DESPAIR. ¡­ [ERROR!] [ERROR!] [ERROR!] ¡­ Suddenly, an overlapping image of a blue lizard-like creature appeared around Kai. It had a blood-colored mind gem on its forehead, and its tail was long and thick, ready to shatter a boulder at a mere flick. Around Kai''s head, a crown''s transparent image appeared as well, oozing out the might of a dragon. The notification reappeared, shining ominous gray. However, this time, it was bound to show all the words. ¡­ [ The Deep One, ARCEUS THE ORIGINAL ONE, is watching you¡­ HE acknowledges your Creation ] ¡­ The four masses of foul darkness around Kai had already grown over 1 meter, gaining solid shapes. Yet, their hunger seemed to know no bounds. ¡­ [ The Deep One, NEKRON OF THE DARKNESS, is watching you¡­ HE acknowledges your Creation ] ¡­ The gazes that had come from afar, collapsing dimensions, shattering realms, seemed to have still the time, bringing a halt to the proceedings of events. The breaking of Reality Marble had stopped, too, as if the very time dared not move under the might of those gazes. Kai''s filthy children kept feeding off him, uncaring and unknowing. ¡­ [ The Deep One, DEATH OF THE ENDLESS, is watching you¡­ SHE acknowledges your Creation ] ¡­ This gaze seemed to have brought a laugh along with it, its nature mischievous. ¡­ [ The Deep One, SPECTER OF DEATH, is watching you¡­ SHE acknowledges your Creation ] ¡­ The four foggy masses had already gained definite forms, some kind of sentience manifesting within them because of the nourishment. But, it also felt like they hadn''t had their fill of hope and happiness, as their size had encountered a limit, stopping at 2.3 meters. Another notification appeared, marking the end of 30 seconds and putting a stop to the ten glowing finger imprints on Kai''s right arm. ¡­ [ The Deep One, DEATH THE ARTIFICER, is watching you¡­ HE acknowledges your Creation ] ¡­ Bang! Kai''s dazed mind and eyes, full of eternal cold, regained a touch of bloodlust. Dementor-Kai opened his mouth and his frozen breath rattled, four Dementors swirling around him, creating an icy fog of despair around their creator. -Keke!- Ayin cackled, her form flickering in and out of existence. -Things¡­ have become quite interesting. Kekeke!- 0412 The Five DEATHS!!! High in the sky, a cloud of fog swirled, cold air getting slashed open by four foul creatures. One could even see one of them mistakenly lunging out of the foggy cloud like fish out of the water, and then instantly gliding back into the thick of coldness. No matter who saw or perceived it, none could deny the absolute dread caused in the souls of the living by those four Dementors'' existence. The very thought of those impure beings coming close sent a chilly shiver running down one''s spine. Hidden amidst this cloud of swirling fog was Dementor-Kai, smaller than his four children, but his presence was much greater than all of them combined. Kai''s face under the dark hood had gone expressionless, gaining a hue whiter than white; a hue of cold and death. Nothing about him felt human anymore, as if all the living characteristics had been sucked out of him ages ago, leaving a dark, foul husk in his place. In his left arm, grabbed around the waist effortlessly, was Cersei Lannister, her head resting on Dementor-Kai''s shoulder. From time to time, a 2.3 meters tall Dementor glided toward her, its rippling cloak brushing against her face, arms, and back. Yet, they could not sense an iota of hope and happiness within her. The irony was that Cersei Lannister had never felt such happiness after her coming into being. There was a euphoria coursing through her veins as if it had come alive, along with despair, a few moments ago. Besides, whenever her gaze fell upon Kai''s stony expression, her eyes beamed with intense rapture. Kai had not only saved her, but he had also bestowed upon her a gift. A gift that others could only seek but not find. A gift of Power. If it wasn''t because she knew Kai was mulling over something, she would have never remained so silent until now. She looked down and her eyes narrowed. It was as if she could see through the cloud of fog, her green eyes glowing with a dark hue. "Humph!" she snorted, a sneer dancing across her thin, red lips. "Do not let them go. Especially that wretched whore. Something off about her, I can tell." -Keke!- Ayin cackled, her entire long figure fluctuating in and out of existence, burning hot. She lifted her left arm and her clawed finger caressed Cersei''s flushed cheek. -I adore her. She''s quite fascinating, isn''t she? Living in her own imagined world¡­ What a vile young lady! She will be useful... very useful¡­- Cersei ignored the yellow-haired being''s touch and even its very existence as if there was no one around her and Kai, other than their children. A lady, especially one with ambitions like her, must know when to comment and remain quiet around her man. A lady like her must know when to open her mouth to kiss and when to open it for much-needed counsel. A lady like her must know that if Power could be bestowed upon someone, then it could be snatched away as easily, too. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. And Cersei wasn''t just a lady. She was a Queen! * * Kai could feel the four Dementors in his heart as if there was an unseen and unknown bond between them. These foul, soul-sucking fiends had little sentience, he knew, but they also possessed rudimentary intellect. The four Level 1 Dementors were loyal solely to him. Not even their inherent desire to suck hope and happiness could surpass the restrictions of Kai''s commands. They could follow basic instructions, carry out certain tasks, and kill as Kai desired. Also, as long as their d-meter points didn''t vanish instantly, Kai could always bring them to their peak. They were amortal beings that weren''t alive, to begin with. So, it was natural for them to have no concept of death. No wonder the Laws of the Universe didn''t tolerate their unnatural coming into being. Was it the only reason, though? Kai didn''t know. His silence wasn''t because of this question, anyway. Using Dementors Progenitor, and nurturing the Dementors, letting them feed on himself, had left Kai incapable of perceiving the notifications. So, the moment Kai regained his thought process, he brought out the recent notifications to have a look at them. It was these notifications that had forced him into a silent stupor. Kai had already made his peace with the matter of the Deep Ones'' gazes falling upon him because of the Skill. Yet, he could have never thought or imagined that interference would occur, caused by none other but another class of Deep Ones. DESPAIR¡­ The name flashed by his dead eyes, his silence becoming graver. I should have gained the acknowledgment of DESPAIR-personifying Entities. But¡­ Kai''s eyes landed on the imprints of ten long fingers on his right arm, and for the first time, a frown creased over his forehead. Not one, Kai mused, his mind racing at an astonishing rate, but it seems all five DEATH-personifying Entities had caused this interference. Their purpose¡­ He recalled the names, then. ARCEUS THE ORIGINAL ONE, Kai recognized HIM easily enough. HE was the Deep One from Pokemon Random Worlds ¡ª a Mythical Pokemon, the said creator of the entire Pokemon universe, along with the lake guardians and creation trio. Kai couldn''t tell what HIS relation was with DEATH-personifying Entities, or if HE had an aspect similar to those existences. But he was almost sure that it was him possessing Golduck and Gyarados''s blood essences that had played a bigger role in HIS acknowledgment. Then there was NEKRON OF THE DARKNESS, the Deep One from the DC universe. Kai knew little about HIM, but he did know that HE was the Lord of the Unliving and the Cosmic Force of Evil, and HE was the physical manifestation of the concept of Death as a cosmic certainty. Of DEATH OF THE ENDLESS, Kai knew more, but not enough, either. SHE was, too, a Deep One from the DC universe, part of the seven siblings who were known as the Endless. Kai was even sure that the first name, DESPAIR, he had seen in the notification, belonged to HER sibling. What would HE think of HIS sister acting behind HIS back? The thought amused Kai a little, lifting his bitter mood. SPECTER OF DEATH had an even more extensive history, to say the least; a Deep One from Marvel Universe. SHE had come into being along with the universe itself. Moreover, the tales of HER seducing Thanos to do HER bidding, using HER human manifestation, were quite popular among the Contestants. It was evident to Kai that SHE was nothing but trouble. But then again, which Deep One wasn''t? The only name that brought the greatest and heaviest silence over his heart was the last. DEATH THE ARTIFICER! It was the only Deep One about whom Kai had heard nothing as if even the billions of World Travelers, Contestants of the Primordial Tower, had never come to know HIS name. Yet, it was also the only Deep One whom Kai knew the most. Why wouldn''t he, when he had already met HIM once? DEATH THE ARTIFICER, Kai imprinted the name in his heart, etching them as real as HIS mark on his right arm. Turning a mere pebble into the Resurrection Stone, forging a mere branch into the Elder Wand, who could do it but the Greatest Artificer? HIS is a name¡­ well deserved. Yes, if Kai was right, then this DEATH-personification was none other than HIM, who had created the Deathly Hallows. The DEATH from the Harry Potter Random World!!! 0413 Red Sun - the Top-level 9th-floor... Swindler?! Just as Kai was reflecting on the matter of the Deep Ones, a notification appeared. ¡­ [ Contestant Kai Stormborn, your 3-days Time Limit in the Switched World will end in 7 minutes. An amount of 100 Mission Credits will be deducted per second for 1 minute henceforth. Then, the rate of deduction will double with every next minute spent in the Switched World. When all your Missions Credits run out, you will be thrown out of the Random World. ] ¡­ Kai''s eyes shone gray under the incorporeal light of the notification. Yet, he didn''t hurry. Not now. Cersei was right, he knew. Kai must not go back without doing something about Red Sun and Moraine. These two weren''t like Meg, a fallen Hastur''s Priestess from the 13th floor. All she needed was hope in those times. What else could be the biggest hope other than a myth coming alive? Glitch! It was Glitch that had swayed her heart. Nothing else. Only later had she come to know what kind of existence Kai was, even if he was not to have the assistance of Glitch. But that was a different matter altogether. Spawn was a special case in herself, to say the least. Not to mention, Kai had already decided against revealing the matter of Glitch to anyone. No matter the circumstances. The Reality Marble had all but gone. One couldn''t even see the blood ocean anymore. Nor could they see the starlit night. The gray pillar had vanished, along with the hole in the sky. Only the faintest touch of red remained, the lightest smell of blood. A shadow of Kai''s monstrous Spiritual Awakening was still lingering in Reality ¡ª a result of the illogical and incomprehensible connection between two Primordial Laws. The four Dementors seemed to howl in response to his thoughts. Kai tightened his grip around Cersei''s waist and flew toward the black, dead ground at the same time. -Keke!- Ayin''s cackle echoed in his ears, her voice lacking substance. -¡­ Until we meet again¡­ Kai Stormborn.- * * On the ground, Red Sun, missing his right arm and amber-colored glasses, had already gone incredibly silent a while ago. His Mana, Breath, and even Life were dwindling on the very bottom. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. He had regained his original appearance; red short hair, wearing a white t-shirt and blue shorts, his muscular figure standing against his child-like get-up. How to make sense of what he had just seen? How could he, with all his intelligence, believe his eyes in which four foul beings were getting reflected, flying in and out of a cloud of fog? Red Sun knew no answers. But the cold that bit into him, the cold of despair, felt so real. The moment the Top-level 9th-floor Contestant saw that icy fog descending toward him, Red Sun''s teeth clattered. His memories were all he had¡­ He lived because of the hope in his heart. He fought and killed for it as well. The reason for him belittling himself in front of others, making them call him a lickspittle, was also this hope. Red Sun had never believed that anything could scare him. Yet, as he saw four Dementors swirling around a blurry figure, a true feeling of dread imbued itself in his heart. Bang! Suddenly, a pressure fell over him, planting him into the earth with his face upward. He wasn''t the only one, though. A woman in tattered clothes had appeared to his left. She was lying just like him with her face upward, her eyes regarding the blackness of Inheritance Land and the lingering pressure of Kai''s Spiritual Awakening flattening her full breasts. How was she even alive? No one knew. Endless cold and despair pelted over them like raindrops amongst a downpour. Both Red Sun and Moraine''s figures shuddered, their eyes losing focus, as the four Dementors pounced over them, sucking out their happiness. The sound of their breath rattling together shattered all hopes. They were the foulest and vilest beings that walked the earth, the impure forces. Not even 9th-floor Contestants stood a chance to keep a hold over their senses against them without using Skills and Items of positive forces. "Enough," Kai''s voice tore through the coldness like a frozen blade. "Get away from them." The four Dementors returned and swirled around him, creating even more icy fog. The very sight of Kai coming toward them, commanding the four Dementors, could force all knees to bend. Dementor-Kai canceled his transformation, returning to his original appearance. His, white hair tumbled down to his shoulders and his reptilian, hazel eyes glistened with a never-known sinisterness. Kai sauntered toward the two Contestants, holding a beauty in his left arm. He put one foot over Red Sun''s chest and pressed it down. His gaze, though, fell on Moraine''s face. A touch of his bloodlust seeped out of his eyes, filled with blade-like iciness. Four Dementors hovered behind him like sentries, their long, black cloaks rippling without wind, noiselessly. "Give me a reason¡­" Kai''s whisper boomed in their ears. "¡­ one reason to not kill you two." He had not expected an answer without forcing them against a cliff. But an answer did enter his ears just as he demanded of it. "One?!" Red Sun almost shouted, his face pale. "I can give you two! No! Three!! I can give you four reasons!!! A total of five!!!!!!" Kai frowned inwardly. Meg had mentioned once to him about Red Sun''s infamous fawning personality. But even he had never assumed that such a ridiculously powerful Contestant would grovel at the merest hint of threat. Seeing this dark being''s silence, Red Sun licked his lips and blurted, "I am almost a 10th-floor Contestant. I have an organization at my disposal. You can act as the hidden leader for all I care. "Not to mention, I have many contacts. They aren''t reliable, true enough. But I know how to have my own way through them as well. You can ask anyone! Oi! Big breasts, tell him!!" Kai was indeed tempted by all this, but he also knew Red Sun hadn''t told him everything. Then there was a doubt in his heart that Robin had recognized him somehow, but had mentioned nothing of that meeting. There was something truly odd about that. Red Sun''s heart shuddered, getting no response. He had indeed decided against bringing Contestant Shadow Origin into the conversation. Who knew if this was a test as well? Who knew if they had set their eyes on him, and this was nothing but a way to see his sincerity? No. He could not and must not lose his ticket to the 18th floor. This was his opportunity. The only one. "I¡­" Red Sun stuttered, gritting his teeth. "I have two Multiverse IDs. I swear on my famous and real name, Robin the Swindler, that I will serve you to the end. "Please become my Liege Lord, Red¡­ I mean, my lord." Under the hood, the corner of Kai''s mouth twitched ruefully. So he had recognized me? What''s wrong with him, anyway? Hmm, 2 Multiverse IDs. Yet, it was the sight of Digimon that kept resurfacing in his mind the most. Kai then shifted his gaze toward Moraine, her elegant gaze going beyond him, but unable to look through the cold fog around them. It seemed as if¡­ she had already accepted her fate. "I¡­ have nothing to give to you," Moraine breathed out, her voice lost. "Hehe!" Red Sun suddenly laughed mischievously. "Big breasts is lying¡­" 0414 Moraines Shocking Background and Cerseis Shadows! Red Sun licked his lips, unraveling the mysteries surrounding Moraine. "She''s quite famous even among 5th-Set''s Contestants," he began, looking at Kai. "Stark Blue, Moraine the Elegant, a Contestant with Blessing from the Temple of Amon-Gorloth. "And it''s not some simple Blessing, I heard. It''s the one related to the Grim Butterfly; a terrifying existence." Red Sun winked three times as if Kai knew what he was implying. When Kai didn''t show any emotion, Red Sun cursed and continued anyway. "If that''s not enough, then consider this," he said, eying Moraine''s breasts, "In her Initiation Mission, Moraine became the successor of Hysteria the Elegant from the Claymore Random World, inheriting the most beautiful technique of all ¡ª Elegance." Kai''s mouth was almost hung open. Even Moraine''s eyes had widened, knowing not what to say. Did the Dementors really suck out any hope and happiness out of this man?! They both thought. "You¡­" Kai said, losing his frozen composure, "¡­ seemed to have heard a lot." Red Sun grinned, seeing hope. "You must already know why I am called Red Sun by now¡­ Cough. Sorry-sorry. Please don''t put pressure. Where were we? Oh, yes. Code Name¡­ Hehe! Do you know why her name is Stark Blue?!" Moraine''s hopeless figure shook. "No!" she screamed. "How do you¡­ How do you know that?!" The absolute surge of emotions within Moraine surprised Kai. "Tell me¡­" he said, eying the blue-haired, trembling woman. Red Sun looked at Moraine from the corner of his eye. "I became curious when I heard that a Priest from the 4th Set, who had descended to 2nd Set, took a liking to her," he said, Moraine''s pupils constricting. "It''s a rumor, alright. Don''t look at me like that. My lord, when she refused the Priest''s advances, he sealed a demonic entity in her heart out of spite. But I heard another rumor later¡­ "¡­ the Priest had descended for her, to begin with. There''s a rumor that Moraine the Elegant is favored by the Avengers. Then I found out why she chose Stark Blue as her Code Name." Red Sun again winked three times at Kai. Kai felt a vein throbbing on his forehead. "Just tell me!" "Don''t you realize it yet?!" Red Sun asked, holding Kai''s ankle. "She is a resurrected Storyline Character¡­ "¡­ Morgan Stark ¡ª Tony Stark''s daughter!" Silence. ¡­ Kai listlessly stared at Moraine who kept looking at Red Sun with fuming eyes. He had asked Meg once if Storyline Characters resurrected in the Primordial Tower or not. However, when she couldn''t recall any information on it, getting obviously blocked by the Seal placed on her mind by the Temple of Hastur. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Kai hadn''t received any answer, then, but he at least learned that there was a major secret about the Storyline Characters'' resurrection. Never had he imagined that he would be seeing such a Contestant himself, though. Promise me one instance of help and this armor is yours¡­ Promise it on Chaos¡­ Fuck! Kai cursed, not knowing what had he thrown himself into. Red Sun fought against the pressure pinning him down and slammed his chest. "You see then, Red¡­ I mean, my lord!" he proclaimed, blood seeping out from the corner of his mouth. "I can be quite useful in your Party. AND you must not believe any rumor about me circulating in the Primordial Tower. "You might hear that I bring disaster upon my Party Members. "You might hear that I am the biggest black spot in the name of Top-level Contestants. "Also, you might hear that I like little boys¡­ Not true. Absolutely bullshit! "I like girls, especially with round asses and big breasts. I swear upon Chaos." Kai: "¡­" Moraine: "¡­" Cersei: "¡­" "Haha!" Kai suddenly laughed, making the Dementors howl along with him with rattling breaths. "Very well. Serve me and you shall know what it means to have true Power. Show them." Kai suddenly let go of Cersei. Her entire figure glided up, coming to rest a few feet above all. Even the Dementors flew around her as if they didn''t affect her at all. This sight was alone enough for Red Sun and Moraine to tell that she was no ordinary Contestant. They didn''t know that she wasn''t even a true living existence. Boom! A massive amount of fog exploded out of Cersei''s forehead where the marquise-shaped dark diamond was glowing sinisterly, a touch of yellow-colored stroke slithering within it. This fog wasn''t cold or full of despair. Though its nature deviated little from the one surrounding them all. The fog churning around Cersei felt comprising countless shadows as if the dead had come back to a life full of grudge and malice. The shadowy fog swirled around Cersei and then collapsed over her slim figure. In no time, a skintight black costume manifested over her, covering her from the tip of her toes to her neck. Her curly, golden hair swayed as if they were thousands of slithering serpents, reaching her waist. Only her green eyes were out in the open, glowing bloody dark and evil. Bang! With a resounding bang, two giant bat-like wings appeared on her back, and shadows rippled around her, begging for command. Red Sun''s eyes lit up. "Top-level 5th-floor Contestant?!" he blurted, astonished. He knew this young lady had no simple background. Even then, he had sensed no threat from her. Hell, he had sensed nothing out of her, to say the least. If Red Sun hadn''t seen her getting captured by the Shadow Lord, and the Five-Crowned Prince toppling heaven and earth to save her, he would have even thought that she was a King-level Contestant as well, descended to watch over Red. So, all he had guessed was that she was a 4th-floor Contestant with a mysterious origin, and the luck to have Red''s attachment. Yet, the moment that shadow suit materialized, a power that belonged to the Top-level 5th-floor Contestant erupted out of her. Kai marveled at the might of Ayin''s ultimate technique, Qliphoth Genesis, and truly felt it was a monstrous sealing method. This power was indeed something he had sealed into Cersei. The same powers that were bent on turning her into a shadow being, Kai had sealed them into her, despite her having no concept of an actual body. This was the power of the technique that could virtually seal anything. This was Parselscript! "Haha! This is what I offer. Power." Kai laughed maniacally. "Now it''s your turn," he said, grinning vilely. "Swear your loyalty upon the Soul-Blood Oath¡­ Or¡­" Red Sun seemed to be waiting just for these words. "Soul-Blood ¡ª Semen-Blood, I am willing to swear any Oath!" Kai: "¡­" Moraine''s lips twisted in pure disgust. She then looked at Kai with a complex gaze. A memory of the guess she had made regarding Red surfaced in her mind, along with her sudden loss of consciousness just when all seemed to have been lost. Was that truly¡­ Conqueror''s Haki?! At last, Moraine sighed. Together, Red Sun and Stark Blue swore loyalty to Kai upon the Soul-Blood Oath, just like Meg and Spawn had done. It was also then the pressure pinning them down vanished. Red Sun looked at Moraine from the corner of his eyes and his gaze landed on her plump breasts. Suddenly, his head snapped toward the devilish beauty hovering over Kai''s head, covered in a shadow suit. This?! Fuck! Red Sun cursed, his fists trembling. Why didn''t I realize it before?! I¡­ I don''t have boobs!! 0415 The Scion of Death!!! Kai looked at Red Sun and recalled a pending Magical Contract. "I have another command for you, Red Sun," Kai said, flicking his hand, and taking out the Pokedex. "Fill it up with as many Digimon as you can, including their evolutionary stages. "Meg will contact you through the Primordial Tower Trade Market, giving you further orders. From now on, all her words are my words." As Red Sun frowned, Kai sent a Party link to him. Party Members could see who else was in the Party. So, as Red Sun saw three Contestants in the party, with one Code Named Spawn, and the other Stark Blue, he instantly realized whom Kai was talking about. He also realized all three Party members were women, making him look at his chest again. "Do you have HP capsules?" Kai asked Red Sun. Somewhere along the line, Kai had already consumed all his Rare Grade HP Capsules which Red Sun had given him in the Pokemon Random World. Now, Kai didn''t even have his Uncommon HP capsules. Since the descent of Reality Marble, Selene had been sleeping in Kai''s heart. She had suffered much, losing her entire body below her head, and had shown no sign of waking up. "No, my lord. Those were 3rd-Set''s premium grade HP Capsules. I gave all my savings to you¡­ I mean¡­ I lost them." Red Sun winked. Kai''s jaw dropped. What?! Kai was shocked. How much of a boot-licker was he to give all his savings to Petyr in the Pokemon World? Even Moraine felt utterly flabbergasted, stepping away from him as if she feared catching a disease. Over Kai''s head, Cersei giggled, but her voice didn''t leave the shadow mask on her face. Kai knew well his 3-days Time Limit was already over, and his Mission Credits were vanishing at an astonishing rate. So he just shook his head, forgetting about HP Capsules for now. Kai threw a look at Moraine, then. "You will have your orders soon enough," he told her, looking her up and down. "Till then, do as you please." Moraine looked back at him, her long, blue hair stuck to her face, drenched in blood. "Don''t forget the Promise." Kai didn''t deign to reply. He flicked his hands, and turned around, disappearing in the dark, with Cersei flying behind him. On the ground, Red Sun and Moraine eyed Kai''s blurring silhouette with complex gazes before giving each other a look and scurrying away in different directions. Kai showed no haste, running casually over the desolate island. But just as he made sure that they had gone out of Red Sun and Moraine''s sight, he pulled Cersei toward him. A teleportation vortex appeared in front of Kai as he sent Cersei back to the Tales of Beedle the Bard, ignoring the blush on her cheeks. Then, with a last look at the Port Royal, he threw himself into the vortex. However, just as Kai was about to step into the vortex, something happened that made him stop. His eyes widened, a great shock chilling his spine. Covered in filth, bubbling shadows, and wrath-despair-sadness beyond bounds, she was looking at him from the sides. Kai couldn''t believe it. He just refused to believe it. Was it truly¡­ ¡­ Elizabeth Swann?! Why was she¡­ Why was she¡­ here?!! * * A few minutes ago, In the sewers under the Governor''s mansion, there was a figure, nailed to the arching, filthy wall. Nails were running through her palms, embedded into the grime-covered wall, and her feet were dangling, filth reaching up to her waist. These sewers weren''t well-developed, to begin with. Their size dwindled between 4 ft height, max, to 2 ft minimum. In such a cramped place, naked and alone, was Elizabeth Swann. After spending an entire night in sewers, breathing the wretched smell of filth, and the booms overhead rocking her figure, Elizabeth had survived. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. But, if one were to hold their breath to keep the putrid smell out of their noses, they could hear a whisper. A form of jumbled words as if someone was chanting or praying something. Only when one neared Elizabeth''s mouth did these words gain a discernible form. "Truth¡­" she was saying, drooling. "¡­ I¡­ must know¡­ the Truth." It was then something stirred within the filth, like a fish in the water. It bobbed up and down as if it was trying to come out, but lacked strength. Elizabeth gave it no attention. Then, with a soft bang, a hand protruded out of the grime. It was a bony hand, only half a foot. And black. So black, in fact, that one could call it a shadow. The tiny hand clawed at the wall and pulled its body out. It was a frail and stick-like body, completely black from head to feet. From all over the body, a black fog was emanating, along with drops of black liquid, melting into the filth underneath it. The black shadow had no comprehensible face, but the subtle curves and its eyes did match a certain existence. The Shadow Lord!!! Pirate Lord Henry Morgan, the mightiest Alchemist of the Pirates of the Caribbean Random Worlds, was still alive! No. He wasn''t still alive. Better would be to say he had resurrected within one of his shadow creatures. Shadow Lord had indeed died. But it wasn''t the first time Shadow Lord had died, either. In the past, the Pirates Lord, with the help of Captain Jack Sparrow, had already disposed of him once using the shadow gold; the substance that gave him powers. However, it was this substance that had allowed him to gain a further understanding of his arts, enhancing his knowledge. That''s why, since his resurrection, Shadow Lord had been biding his time, waiting for the right opportunity. Yet, even he failed to fathom the mystery of the being who called himself Red, and his powers. "Cough!" Shadow Lord coughed, tumbling to gain his footing. "¡­ What¡­ is this power?" On the shadow creature''s forehead, a yellow stroke glowed hideously. Qliphoth Genesis¡­ was a Seal on Shadow Lord''s existence which even resurrection could not dispose of. It was then that Shadow Lord faced Elizabeth, eying her state. "Cough! Cough!" Shadow Lord''s cough intensified, and his left arm fell off, becoming black fog. "I¡­ can''t survive." Once more he looked at the young lady; if there was anything about her that could be said living. "Who¡­ are you?" he asked, his voice breaking. "What are¡­ you doing here? Let me have a¡­ look." Some said that if the notorious pirate Edward Teach, commonly known as Blackbeard, was a demon, then Henry Morgan was a downright devil. He had no sympathy or mercy for anyone. For his benefit, he could do anything. In these things, Shadow Lord was exactly like Kai. But there was one thing more that they shared, a soft spot; if one dared to give it a name. Family! Shadow Lord touched Elizabeth Swann''s head and her memories flashed in his mind. After a few seconds, he let his hand fall, strength abandoning him because of the Seal. "Elizabeth¡­" he whispered, an ancient presence filling his voice. His own memories went to the past, searching for a face he seemed to have long forgotten. "¡­ Mary¡­ Oh, Mary! Would things¡­ be different if you were at my side? Would they?" Few remember, but Sir Pirate Morgan wasn''t a loveless man. There was one woman he loved the most, to whom he had given his everything ¡ª Mary Elizabeth, his wife! Elizabeth Swann''s name had resurrected an old memory, bringing Shadow Lord''s mind to a point in the past he had never imagined he would visit. Endless emotions found him, embracing him like a lost friend. "Sigh!" Sir Henry Morgan sighed, a touch of serenity lingering in his breath as if a tremendous weight had lifted off his shoulders. "Perhaps¡­ Perhaps it''s time for me to move on." Shadow Lord gave Elizabeth a decisive look and put the tip of his index finger on her forehead. "Live, Elizabeth," he mumbled, endless black fog seeping into the young lady''s naked body. "Live for revenge. Kill the one who brought you suffering, the pirates who forced you to go through everything, and the marines who couldn''t save you. "Kill this Captain Red of the White Serpent Pirates. Kill all and everything. "Let the Day of the Shadows descend on this world once more. Take my legacy and become¡­ the Shadow Princess!" Elizabeth, for the first time, lifted her head, her eyes darker than dark, deader than dead. "I¡­" she whispered, shadows rippling in her mouth. "¡­ I will know the Truth." The tiny shadow creature crumbled, his head falling off. Dying, once again and for the last time, Shadow Lord''s gaze seemed to pierce through the sewers'' walls, eying a smiling face. He smiled at that smile. "Mary¡­ I have finally come." Bang! A shadowy bang rang within the sewers, the filth surging like waves. A cloak of shadows covered Elizabeth''s figure. Her hair gained a shade of the blackest color, and when she breathed, black, evil fog escaped her mouth. In her eyes, there was a distinct hint of knowledge, as if she had just come to know some deeper mysteries of the universe. The Shadow Princess had taken birth! * * Shadows howled around Elizabeth Swann, the Shadow Princess. She had recognized Kai as the Demander of Truth ¡ª the Pirate she must must must must Kill! "Hahahlyhehahaliue!" Elizabeth laughed, cried, and cackled, standing in her position. The Shadow Lord''s Powers were still uncontrolled and unknown to her. She looked around and saw nothing but death. Her friends, family, and life¡­ gone. Nothing mattered now. Elizabeth looked at Kai and saw the cause of his madness; this death; this despair. "I CURSE YOU!" the Shadow Princess cried, digging her nails into her shadowy face. Her skin peeled off along with the blackness. "I CURSE YOU!! I WILL KILL YOU!!!" With soul-chilling abruptness, a notification appeared in Kai''s eyes, washing his pupils with grayness. ¡­ [ Activating Cosmic Authority¡­ Outer One Title confirmed¡­ ¡­ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn¡­ You have orchestrated a new Lore ¡­ Cosmic Authority: Outer One (2/3) 1. The Evil Pokemon of Alto Mare 2. The Demander of Truth Lore of the Evil Pokemon of Alto Mare and the Demander of Truth: The Devastating Despair The Blue-skinned Demon The Unforgivable Cursed One The Scion of Death ] ¡­ Boom! The Shadow Princess shot toward the Pirate, annihilating everything in her wake. Kai''s gaze had gone harder than hard as he looked at the 2nd Cosmic Authority and its Lore. He had been already feeling apprehension about the DEATHs gazes. But this Lore seemed to have hammered the nail deeper into his consciousness. Kai stared into Elizabeth Swann''s dead eyes and, as if mockingly, slowly melted into the vortex. Behind the void that he left in his absence, the shrill, maniacal, and revengeful screams of a hopeless creature echoed across the obliterated Port Royal.
Volume 14: The Scion of Death -Ends!!! 0416 Parselscript and Ancient Magical Script Volume 15 - The Dark Scroll - Begins!
Wednesday, 14 January 1987 03:30 am Diagon Alley In the library within the suitcase, a cold fog was crawling, spying on the hidden corners and the hundreds of books and documents. If one were to step into this enchanted suitcase now, the scene within could have scared the living breath out of the most highly trained and courageous wizards and witches. And why wouldn''t it? Two of the vilest creatures known in the magical circle across the Multiverse had infested this place. Dementor and Lethifold! The four lvl 1 Dementors, all 2.3 meters tall, were gliding here and there, their long, tattered black cloaks billowing noiselessly in the cold fog. Wherever they passed, the thinnest layer of frost claimed the objects as if they were deliberately and presumptuously leaving a trail of their presence. In the middle of the library, the Lethifold, Lilith, fluttered endlessly. The Dementors kept howling, gliding around it in circles, but the Familiar gave them no mind. Not to mention, Lethifold was levitating high above the soul-sucking fiends. It was as if it was eying them with distaste and disgust; as if Lilith considered her presence higher than the Dementors; a noble among the peasants. Not much had happened after Kai''s return, especially considering that he had transfigured into Darcie almost instantaneously. Then, on Monday morning, Darcie had returned to Diagon Alley, resuming her Page Duties at Flourish and Blotts Bookseller, the bookshop under the managership of one Mr. Pigplanter Hillam. However, this week was bound to differ for the young Malfoy. Darcie Malfoy''s life had already taken a strange, but interesting, turn on the last weekend, when her mentor, Madam Villanelle, had taken her to the mythical place, Avalon. There she had learned of the existence of the Six members of the Order of the Immortal Lotus and their identities that surpassed the concept of time. Those Six were the ones who didn''t belong to this era, she had come to know. Madam Villanelle was the reincarnation of one of the Six, the Witch of Endor. That, too, she had learned. To top it off, because of a series of queer and fatal coincidences, Darcie had obtained a Spirit Companion for herself - a Lethifold! The Order had decided to prepare Darcie for her Candidacy of the Indigo Seat; the only Seat that was empty among the seven rainbow-colored Seats. Her training would begin this week on Wednesday afternoon. It was then that Madam Villanelle, in the guise of taking her to the Euro-Glyph School of Extraordinary Languages, would instead accompany her to visit hidden magical communities to begin her training. Darcie Malfoy, though calm and composed, couldn''t help but feel a tremble of excitement whenever she thought of that time. If there was a change worth mentioning, then it was Darcie''s sudden interest in the concepts of Kabbalah, which she had even mentioned to her mentor. Well, I am rather fascinated by the magical symbolism portrayed by Kabbalah, Darcie had told Madam Villanelle upon being questioned. I also read that the Tree of Life and the Sefirot, mentioned in its various concepts, are related to Alchemy. I can''t practice Potioneering without a wand, anyway. Alchemy is much more theoretical, right? I like theories. This all, however, was only one side of the coin. For, hidden behind the innocent face of the young girl, was the most ruthless demon, fooling all, including himself. Once in three-four days, in Darcie''s room on the top floor of the Brews and Stews (-a restaurant-cum-hotel in Diagon Alley under the ownership of Ms. Clutterbuck Crispe-) this demon came out in the open, planning his hideous deeds with his ever-loyal fiendish subjects that were neither alive nor dead. This demonic being was none other than Contestant Red ¡ª Kai Stormborn, the Blood Demon. It was Kai who had nudged Darcie to direct her research toward this new concept and mention it to Madam Villanelle so that he could learn it from a magical perspective. ¡­ Near the hearth in the library, in which red-white fire was blazing high, trying to fight a bitter battle with the cold fog, Kai, Rintaro, and Petyr were seated on three high-back chairs. From this afternoon, Darcie''s training would begin, Kai knew. If he had played his cards right, then he knew which training Darcie would undergo first. Along with her, Kai too wanted to dive deep into the various magical theories, putting his mind and heart into studying the ancient art of magic. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. So, before forgetting all worries and plans, Kai decided to evaluate his gains and losses, resulting from the recent visit to the Pirates of the Caribbean. But even Kai had to agree that things had surpassed the level and goals that he had hoped to accomplish in the Switched World. Kai had just entered his Identity Period of 3 hours. Unlike the routine, where he would first make an entry in the journal for his psychological problem, this time he refrained from doing so. There were two reasons for that. First, after his visit to the Random World, knowingly and unknowingly, Kai had made drastic progress in his Comprehension of the true essence of Facelessness. Much of the credit for this went to him acting as Murtogg, fooling not only the Contestants but the main Character as well. Then there was the fact of his Sword Spirit using one of the Faceless Contrasts to discard the concept of Self from his projected Inner World, letting it last longer than usual. The second reason was that Kai had much to do and plan before the Identity Period ended. Yet, in his hands, there were no newly gained Items, but a book. No, not a book. The Book. Kai eyed the first tale in the Tales of Beedle the Bard, a yellow stroke glowing sickly on his forehead. Other than the Sword Spirit, birthed by his own subconsciousness, none could see this yellow stroke, though. This yellow stroke represented the unlocking of half of one of the three arms of the Yellow Sign. It also represented Kai''s absolute mastery over the Parselscript. And this yellow stroke also represented his understanding of a part of the Ancient Magical Script, in which the old wizard, Mr. Beedle, had written these tales. Kai''s eyes kept moving up and down, left and right, his fingers flipping one page after another. As he approached the last page, his gaze landing on the last runic letter, Kai sighed. Both Petyr and the mad scientist looked at Kai, hoping to see some hint of his findings. Kai shook his head, took a deep breath, and closed the book. "It''s not that bad," he commented, observing the two characters'' expressions. "If I am right, then Parselscript represents over half of the Ancient Magical Script. "Hmm, you can take Ancient Magical Script as the 26 letters of the English Alphabet. Then Parselscript will have at least 15-16 of those alphabets in it." Kai didn''t say it, but his understanding of Parselscript had taken his knowledge of runes and ancient texts to never-known heights. Comprehensions, by nature, were absurdly complex, their power immense. Kai''s Comprehension of his Reality Marble, learning Parselscript as the result, was almost equivalent to his studying runes, bone texts, glyphs, and symbols for hundreds of years. One could even say that Kai''s knowledge of these subjects, languages, and scripts had even surpassed his knowledge of other scientific subjects. This was the power of Comprehension; the Epiphany. This was also the power of creating a Multiverse Interdependency of the Primordial Laws. However, Kai had yet to put his newly gained knowledge to the test. He still had ample time, and his schedule was already set for the foreseeable future. Petyr''s eyes shone with understanding upon hearing Kai''s words. "No wonder," he mumbled, rubbing his chin. "No wonder, among all the parts of Ancient Magical Script, only Parselscript survived, taking the form of Parseltongue. "The question is, why in the Mother''s name Beedle the Bard possessed the knowledge of Ancient Magical Script? Sure, he might be the greatest of his time. But his time wasn''t that far away into the past, either." It was a brilliant question, Kai had to agree. "He-He.. Ha-ha¡­ Hahaha!" The sudden peal of laughter made Kai''s and Petyr''s eyebrows jump simultaneously. It was as if some grand schemer had trapped his archenemy and was now relishing in the torture he would inflict on him. This laugh had originated from a young man in a white lab coat, with a light stubble on his chin. In his right hand was a flip mobile, and his left hand was in his coat''s pocket, giving an impression as if he had just stumbled upon the greatest mystery of all. Who else could be, but the self-claimed and self-named insane scientist Hououin Kyouma? As Rintaro realized Kai and Petyr eying him with stony gazes, his laugh came to a gradual stop, becoming a rueful twitch at the corner of his lips. "Cough! Cough!" he coughed, and then his face gained an incredibly serious expression, making Kai and Petyr narrow their eyes. "I think¡­ I think I just peed a little." Motherfucker¡­ Kai cursed, balled his fingers into a fist, and drew a deep breath. Petyr chuckled, his sly smile dancing across his lips. "Sure, sure," he mumbled, patting Rintaro''s back. "Shower us with the theory you have come up with just now." Rintaro was stunned. "How did you know, Lab Member 003, Mr. Finger?" he asked, his brows raised high. "Oh! Haha! I get it. So¡­ you, too, have fallen under the influence of my absolute charisma. Heh-heh! That makes you the second one after Lab Member 002, Ms. Humph." Kai rubbed his temples, sighing inwardly. Lab Member 002 was none other than Cersei Lannister. Her wrath could have burned the entire world when Rintaro had named her ¡ª Ms. Humph; because she had just snorted at something, then. Petyr shared a glance with Kai and then cleared his throat. "Ahem! About that theory¡­" "Ah!" Rintaro smacked his lips as if he had forgotten about it already. "Remember what Ms. Virgin (-Meg-) had said about the Parseltongue. "It''s the tongue of the Old Ones. So we can assume that THEY know Parselscript. And if THEY know Parselscript, then we can also assume that THEY know Ancient Magical Script as well, right? "I think¡­ I think Mr. Beedle got to learn the script from either some unnamed entity or through some great secret. But he must not know the true significance of his findings, either. "Remember what he kept shouting all the time¡­" "IT''s coming¡­" Kai recalled the words, his gaze widening. "IT''s coming for me¡­" Rintaro nodded. "How could the Deep One, the Sovereign of the Harry Potter Random World, tolerate such meddling?" he continued, smiling. "Maybe that''s why HE was haunting the old wizard." Kai fell into a stunned silence. No matter from which angle he revisited Rintaro''s words, it all seemed just too far-fetched. Yet, as far as it seemed to him, a troubled feeling couldn''t help but rise in his heart. "HE and you seemed to be fated, my lord," Petyr jested, smiling. "I think it was right for you to command us to not speak HIS true name in the open. Even if there are some grounds behind our good friend''s theory, it isn''t like we could go back in time and do something about it. "I am more interested in hearing your gains. To be honest, I quite envy our missing companion. "She had struck a fortune this time, gaining powers I would have never imagined we, who don''t even have a proper form, could possess." Rintaro suddenly gasped. "Ah! Mr. Storm." He fell to his knees, tears welling up in his eyes. "Please seal the powers of Clear-Clear Fruit in me. Please¡­" "About the gains and losses¡­" Kai began, ignoring Rintaro''s entire existence. Suddenly, a great mass of dull-gray fog appeared inside the hall, shocking the living breath out of them.
A Brief Summary of Characters (penned by Rintaro): 1. Name - Unknown [Code Name - Red, Blood Demon, Five-Crowned Prince, Lab Member 000 - Mr. Storm] 2. Margrethe II Ingrid (Meg) [Code Name - Morning Mist, Lab Member 005 - Ms. Virgin] 3. Selena Hao [Code Name - Spawn, Lab Member 006 - Ms. Silence] 4. Robin [Code Name - Red Sun, Lab Member 007 - Mr. Swindler] 5. Moraine [Code Name - Stark Blue, Morgan Stark, Lab Member 008 - Ms. Big] 6. Selene [Ghost Basilisk, Lab Member 004 - Ms. Lunatic] 7. Cersei Lannister [Book''s Character, Act - Blood Prophecy, Lab Member 002 - Ms. Humph] 8. Petyr Baelish [Book''s Character, Act - Relentless Love, Lab Member 003 - Mr. Finger] 9. Hououin Kyouma, Act - D-Mail, Lab Member 001 0417 Bounty Went up - Captain Red! (I) The call of a seagull pierced into the ears of Kai, Petyr, and Rintaro. This wasn''t just possible! What kind of magic was this?! How could a creature, surrounded by thick fog, just enter the space within the Suitcase?! A hiss almost escaped Kai''s mouth as he prepared himself for the worst. However, it was then he saw the full appearance of the Seagull ¡ª it was wearing a uniform! It was wearing a hat and carrying a bag on its shoulder. A News Coo! Kai''s mouth opened as he found it absurd. What was an animal from the One Piece Random World doing here, in the Harry Potter Random World?!! The News Cook fluttered to Kai and landed on the table between the three men. The dense fog it had brought with itself was still lingering on the distant wall as if connected to some other dimension. "Look¡­" Petyr pointed at the bird''s hat. Kai''s gaze landed on the hat and his pupils narrowed. On the hat, an incomprehensible, but still somehow distinguishable image of a Tower was visible. The Primordial Tower! The News Coo let out another call. The notification appeared in front of Kai simultaneously. ¡­ [ As a Pirate, you have the privilege to access the Primordial Tower Newsletter. Price: 100 Mission Credits ¡­ Do you accept the payment? ] ¡­ Kai mechanically nodded, bringing the total Mission Credits down to 810,000. Much of the remaining Mission Credits, after stretching the Side Mission in the Pirates of the Caribbean Random World, had already disappeared because of his brief overstay at Port Royal. As the 100 Mission Credits disappeared from Kai''s Stats, the bag hanging around the News Coo''s neck shone dull gray, marking the successful payment. The bird reached into its bag, grabbed a newsletter with its beak, and dropped it on the table. Then, letting out another cry, the News Coo flew away and disappeared into the dense fog. The fog itself fell back as if getting sucked by a giant, melting into the wall. And the silence fell on the men. ¡­ Kai noticed that the Newsletter on the table had four pages, front and back. The first page had nothing but a giant image of the same incomprehensible, but distinguishable Tower with Primordial Tower Newsletter written under it. Kai looked at Petyr and nodded. The Herald of Chaos reached down and picked up the Newsletter. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. But the moment he held it vertically to open it, several posters fell out. Even if all the posters fell facedown, Kai had recognized what they were. Wanted Posters! Without needing any nod, Rintaro collected all the posters and held them in his hands, his popping out almost instantly. "¡­ What?" Kai asked, an exciting chill coursing his veins. Rintaro held the topmost Wanted Poster and slammed it on the table with a bam! The poster held an image of a figure shrouded under a tattered black cloak and wielding dual, curved swords. Even just looking at the image gave the feeling of intense despair, the overcast background overwhelming the hope within the watchers. Under it, RED was written in bold letters. Bounty - 200,000,000 Berries "¡­" Kai looked at Petyr, who had already opened the newsletter. Littlefinger looked up briefly and then began reading. ¡­ Captain Red of the White Serpent Pirates (previous Bounty - 13,000,000 Berries) has come out to be the ultimate victor of the C+ Grade Inheritance Land of Shadow Lord from one of the timelines of the Pirates of the Caribbean Random World. Other than two crewmen, both 4th floor''s Contestants, from Black Pearl, who were carrying out their Main Mission, and Marine Yoshu, a High-level 7th floor Contestant, and his crew survived the Inheritance Land that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It is unknown what occurred after Marine Yoshu captured the Black Pearl and took it away. However, from the facts gathered by the various Organizations, a few things have already been confirmed. First, there were two Top-level 9th-floor Contestants in the Inheritance Land. One of them, Contestant Nexus, died. Second, Red Sun, another Top-level 9th-floor Contestant, survived and joined Contestant Red''s Party. Third, the rookie, Stark Blue, a 6th-floor Contestant and 7th-Ranked in the Ongoing Tournament of Worth, famous for her Blessing and association with Temple of Amon-Gorloth, joined Contestant Red''s Party. Fourth, Contestant Red possessed the Named Item - Murasame. With all the facts in hand, it has been theorized that Contestant Red from the Shadow Lord''s Inheritance Land and Contestant Red, the current 1st-Ranked Candidate in the Tournament of Worth, are one and the same. Contestant Red is the Five-Crowned Prince. ¡­ Kai licked his lips. This wasn''t the Primordial Tower talking through the Newsletter. These words were among the most shared whispers and rumors not only within the Tower but in the Multiverse. Only then the Bounty updated, not otherwise. However, things had gone out of Kai''s hands the moment the Anomaly had awakened in the Pirates of the Caribbean Random World. There was nothing that Kai could have done past that moment. "There''s no mention of Supreme Protector, Anomaly, and Reality Marble," Petyr told Kai, smiling slyly. "I don''t know if that''s good or bad." It was, of course, good because having a Reality Marble on a mere 4th-floor would raise such questions that Kai wouldn''t be able to sleep at night. It was, of course, bad because not having a power like Reality Marble would raise questions about Kai surviving at all in the Inheritance Land. Still, there was a reason for Kai to be at the 1st Rank of the Tournament with the theme ¡ª Survival! Kai let out a breath, letting go of the unnerving thoughts. Then, he grinned. 200 million Berries!! That was something worthy to smile over. Kai recalled the ordeal he had gone through to get the Book back. Involuntarily, he brought out the notifications he had yet to look at after his return. ¡­ [ Elementary Magical Aptitude: Proficiency 100% (+18%) Elementary Magical Aptitude has upgraded to become Advance Magical Aptitude¡­ Advance Magical Aptitude: Proficiency 2% (+2%) ¡­ Elementary Selfless Breathing: Proficiency 90% (+20%) Advance Emotions Manipulation: Proficiency 80% (+16%) Advance Fear Absorption: Proficiency 75% (+17%) Advance Telekinesis: Proficiency 95% (+20%) Advance Intimidation: Proficiency 90% (+70%) Advance Telepathy: 40% (+10%) ] ¡­ The absurdly huge surge in Abilities wasn''t just because Kai had pushed himself beyond limits. It was also because he had fought Shadow Lord, the Anomaly itself. It was also because he had undergone Spiritual Awakening, gained a Reality Marble, and attracted the Gazes of the Deep Ones. It was also because he had consumed the emotions of an entire Island. Not to mention, after mercilessly sucking the soul of a near 10th-floor existence, it didn''t come as a surprise to Kai that Intimidation surged by 70%, despite it being an Advance Ability. One couldn''t even comprehend the sheer difference between raising the proficiency of an Elementary and Advance Ability. Here he was, rising almost all by dozens. Despite gaining a new Item and a part of Shadow Lord''s Inheritance, Kai adored Abilities. These Abilities were something that truly belonged to him, unlike the Skills and Items and Titles. It was just like the Reality Marble, who represented his Inner World, a power the System couldn''t interfere with. Bam! The sudden noise brought Kai out of his reverie, the notification disappearing. Only now Kai noticed the oddity as Rintaro lifted his hand off the table. His Wanted Poster was already on the table¡­ ¡­ then whose Wanted Posters Rintaro was still holding in his hands?!! 0418 Bounty Went up - The White Serpent Pirates! (II) The Wanted Poster sitting on the table looked more red than Kai¡¯s one. It showed a man with golden spikes for hair, wearing amber-colored glasses. He was wearing a red trenchcoat. In his hand, a silver-colored revolver was shining dark. Under the image, RED SUN was written in bold letters. Bounty ¡ª 680,000,000 Berries. Kai¡¯s haw dropped. Six hundred and eighty million¡­ The three men shared a glance and knew one thing ¡ª Kai had caught another big fish this time. Petyr fumbled with the newsletter and began reading. ¡­ Red Sun, infamously known as Robin the Swindler, has done it once again. Ever since he had deviated an entire timeline of Kill la Kill Random World beyond repair, just after ascending to the 7th floor, Red Sun had never ceased to amaze the Multiverse. The Contestant who secured the Inheritance of Vash the Stampede in his Initiation Mission has a way with Digimon. However, it''s his erratic personality that makes him stand out the most; or become a pain in the ass, as most Contestants say. It wasn¡¯t surprising that the entire Island of Port Royal had been obliterated. Once it became known that Red Sun had teleported to the Inheritance Land, such an outcome was already set in stone. The death of another Top-level 9th-floor Contestant, Nexus, is also rumored to be his doing. What did come as a surprise was Red Sun becoming a Party Member of Contestant Red, a mere 4th-floor rookie. This raises a much-needed question about Red¡¯s background and the rumors of him being the Five-Crowned Prince. For those who know Red Sun, though, this series of events seemed most natural. ¡°He would have begged to become his Party member,¡± a Contestant whispered. ¡°¡­ on his knees,¡± another Contestant added, whispering somewhere else. Regardless of the rumors, whispers, and talks behind backs, none can deny that the value Red Sun possessed before the Shadow Lord¡¯s Inheritance event has gone up. With him already destined to ascend to the 10th floor after his current Main Mission, Red Sun, and his Sun and Moon Organization, are bound to become one of the top powerhouses of the 4th Set. ¡­ Kai remembered the shameless red-haired man and his lips twitched. Despite Red Sun being a Top-level Contestant, Kai wasn¡¯t sure if he was overall a piece of good news for him and his crew. This man is unpredictable¡­ Kai realized, shaking his head. Bam! Rintaro slammed another Wanted Poster on the table. Kai looked at the Character. ¡°Can you not do it every time?¡± The mad scientist shook his head. ¡°Where¡¯s the drama in that?¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. The Wanted Poster showed a blue-haired female, wearing Iron Man Armor and holding a helmet in her hand. Her beauty would have stand out the most, if it wasn¡¯t for the threatening spark she carried in her blue eyes. STARK BLUE! Bounty ¡ª 60,000,000 Berries!! ¡­ Kai looked at the Bounty and nodded to himself. For a typical High-level 6th-floor Contestant and a Pirate, the Bounty varied between 20-30 million Berries. All such Contestants had their own Blessings or Inheritances, making them stand out from the rest. Moraine¡¯s Bounty being over-double that amount signified her odd relationship with the Temple of Amon-Gorloth and her being a resurrection main storyline Character. Petyr didn¡¯t even need to read the newsletter. Moraine the Elegant was someone opposite to Red Sun, her admirers surpassing the boundary of Floors and Sets. For her to also become a Party Member of Contestant Red, though, did attract a few ires. It was especially so for the Priests of the Temple of Amon-Gorloth. ¡°You were already destined to be an everlasting enemy for them,¡± Petyr said, chuckling. ¡°This has done nothing but hammered the nail deeper, my lord.¡± To be an enemy of the Temple, with irreparable relations, Kai didn¡¯t know what to think about that. It was more so when he had done absolutely nothing against the Temple. Not directly. Kai sighed and then laughed. ¡°Eh!¡± he shrugged. ¡°Fuck them.¡± And that was that. Bam! The moment Kai looked at the next Wanted Poster, he knew the Temple had already begun acting against him. The poster held the image of a woman, donning a skin-tight black suit, a great, red cloak flapping around her like a huge, tattered banner. She seemed to be the very aura of destruction, a wasted field lying around her. Under her image, SPAWN was written in bold. Bounty ¡ª Kai licked his lips, disbelieving it. ¡ª 120,000,000 Berries. ¡­ One of the fastest Contestants to rise to the 4th-floor, Spawn, had already etched her name in the 1st Set¡¯s Most Wanted list, issued by the Temple of Amon-Gorloth before her ascension. Her unknown vendetta against the Temple came out in the open when Spawn, right after her ascension, infiltrated one of the Temple¡¯s premises and killed 79 Priests, 52 of which were Contestants. Later, when rumors began to spread, it came to the Contestants¡¯ knowledge that Contestant Red had gone to receive her on the 1st Floor, where she had kneeled in front of him. Spawn, who has a Blessing of Hellspawn from Spawn Random World, has become the deadliest and most feared Contestant on the 4th Set because of her unknown origins and murderous personality. The Contestants who met her in The Boys Random World described her as a psycho who kept talking to herself. To obtain a vial of Compound V, perhaps as per her Main Mission, she laid waste to the city, killing hundreds. Does this reflect on Contestant Red¡¯s Modus Operandi as well, whose Party Member Spawn is? Such raw carnage within a Chaos¡¯ Contestant is not unknown, but her sheer rate of destruction and incomprehensible actions put Spawn at the top of the list of Contestants to watch out for on the 4th Set. Will making an enemy out of one of the Temples hinder or fuel her growth? Or are her actions nothing but Contestant Red¡¯s orders? One rumor seems to be true that if Contestant Red is the Five-Crowned Prince, the Kings will have much to explain to the Temple of Amon-Gorloth. ¡­ Kai remembered a smiling mother, feeding her son in a nondescript room. With a boom ringing in his mind, he squashed the emotion. Petyr and Rintaro looked at each other but said nothing. Kai kept staring at Spawn¡¯s poster and waited. And waited. Hmm?! When Kai shifted his gaze, he found Rintaro staring at the poster in his hands, dumbfounded. With the Temple of Amon-Gorloth already making things difficult for him, an ominous premonition took hold of Kai¡¯s nerves. Not waiting for Rintaro to slam the poster on the table, he snatched it off the Character¡¯s hands. Kai¡¯s pupils narrowed, becoming hazel needles. The image was that of a woman, wearing a black robe with red clouds¡¯ pattern scattered on it. Behind her, a red moon showed eerily with a touch of hideousness that wasn¡¯t apparent at first, but, as one kept looking at it, the redness kept shifting to yellowness, numbing the senses. Meg¡¯s red hair glowed black in the image, her brown eyes darkened by the shadows as well. However, neither the red moon nor the dark shadows could prevent the beauty that she held about her. Even in the wanted poster, Meg looked stunning beyond extreme. What made Kai narrow her eyes wasn¡¯t the beauty, but the Bounty written under the MORNING MIST name. ¡ª 20,000,000 Berries. This?! ¡­ Contestant Red seemed to have a thing for beauties. Why else would he make Morning Mist, an ordinary 4th-floor Contestant, a Party Member? Strangely, there are no rumors surrounding her. However, merely sharing the Party with the likes of Red, Red Sun, Stark Blue, and Spawn makes her worthy enough to look out for. ¡­ Kai looked at Petyr and knew what they both were thinking. The Temple of Hastur had hushed all rumors¡­ and perhaps the Contestants, too. 0419 1st Threshold Achieved - Commander of Guard!!! With a combined Bounty of 1.08 Billion Berries, the White Serpent Pirates had already become the talk of the Primordial Tower. And this was with the rumors surrounding Kai. If they were to know about the Observation Haki, Conqueror''s Haki, and the Cosmic Authority, then¡­ Kai, too, remembered the strange Lore of The Demander of Truth that added The Scion of Death to his minor epithets, as he called them, and frowned. With five DEATHs already Gazing at him across the Dimensions, he didn''t know what to make out of the new epithet. Moreover, Elizabeth Swann had come out of nowhere, giving Kai no chance to avoid the fate. Suddenly, Kai recalled the Side Mission ¡ª Fortune or Misfortune¡­ Even after completing it, Kai didn''t know if it was the former or the latter who had come back with him. ¡­ [ Side Mission: Fortune or Misfortune Side Mission Status: Complete Side Mission Rewards: 1. 2000 Mission Credits 2. +4 Attribute Points Do you accept the mission? ] ¡­ Kai looked at the four Dementors still gliding around the Lethifold, the Wanted Posters lying on the table. With four Attribute Points, Kai could finally make all his Active Attributes 20. 1st Threshold¡­ Kai remembered what Meg had named it. Before allotting the Points, though, Kai took out the Rock Cake and devoured it, a loud, crunching echoing in the hall. Petyr and Rintaro stared at him from the side, guessing his actions. It was then the notification popped up. ¡­ [ Contestant Kai Stormborn, you have consumed Rock Cake (Consumable) Rewards: +2 Strength ] ¡­ And that left Stamina. Keeping two points unassigned, Kai instantly added 2 points to Stamina. It happened then. Like a storm. BOOM!!! ¡­ Mana, Spirituality, and Life churned around Kai as a many-colored, windy storm. The two Characters got pushed back and even Selene was forced out of Kai, her misty form struggling to keep itself intact. Kai felt as if he was transcending some unknown boundary. He could feel the Mana in his surroundings, clearer than ever. He could feel his immeasurable Spiritual Power and the dense Spiritual Pressure. He could feel the Aura within him, too. A yellowness was his bones, a reddish, crystalline demon cackling behind him. On his forehead, the half arm of the Yellow Sign glowed ominously. Behind him, a giant Red Crystal, containing a dark figure, surfaced, countering the filthy Sign, both Seals eroding each other. Boommmmmm! With this implosion, the Mana, Spirituality, and Life condensed back into Kai, becoming one with him. Kai took a deep breath. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. He felt alive. 1st Threshold¡­ In Kai''s mind, there was only one thing now. Only one goal. ¡­ Now I can aim to learn Haki. Silence. ¡­ Just as the storm around Kai died, another notification sprang up in his vision. ¡­ [ Congratulations Kai Stormborn, your Rank has upgraded Reward: Commander of Guard As an officer, your post grants you the following privileges: 1. +25% Mission Credits (all rewards) - subject to change with higher posts 2. +15% chance to get a second random Item as a Loot 3. Can form a Party of up to 10 members 4. Free Party Mission Assignments Notes: 1. Party Mission Assignments must be initiated by the Commander of Guard 2. Party Members can join an ongoing Mission of the Commander of Guard 3. The Commander of Guard must ensure that the mission assigned matches the equivalent Floors 4. Party Members from Floors higher than the Commander of Guard''s Floor will have their Stats restricted to match the Mission Grade assigned to the Commander 5. The Commander of Guard can not kill a Party member without presenting an exclusive Side Mission related to it which will be subjected to System''s approval ] ¡­ Assigning the leftover 2 points to Perception, Kai finally sat down, releasing a breath. Instinctively, he brought out his Stats and marveled at them. ¡­ [ Status of Contestant: Kai Stormborn Code Name: Red [Pirate] Officer Rank: Commander of Guard System: Chaos Cosmic Authority: Outer One (2/3) ¡ª Lore: The Evil Pokemon of Alto Mare ¡ª Lore: The Demander of Truth Bounty: 200,000,000 Berries Spiritual Class: Immeasurable Spirit Class: 1 Equipped Title: Novice Collector (Luck +3, Correspondence +3, Breath +3) Equippable Titles: ¡ª Coin Master ¡ª Murderer ¡ª Poacher ¡ª Novice Collector ¡ª Serial Killer ¡ª Adulterer Unequippable Titles: [Unassigned Points: 0] ¡ª Traitor: (2/10) ¡ª Books Connoisseur: (2/10) ¡ª Rich Gentlemen: (1/10) ¡ª Dimensional Leader: (2/3) ¡ª Shady Hunter: (0/30) ¡ª Interdimensional Pirate: (39/100)% ¡ª Witch Hunter: (1/10) ¡ª Proficient Collector: (28/50) ¡ª Genocidal Maniac: (0/200) ¡ª Heart Breaker: (1/7) ¡ª Selfless Hashira: (0/100)% Mission Credits: 812,000 HP: 200 MP: 230 SP: 380 Active Attributes - (2ns Set Quota: 21/50) [Unassigned Points: 0] ¡ª Strength: 20 ¡ª Agility: 22 ¡ª Stamina: 20 ¡ª Perception: 23 ¡ª Correspondence: 23 (+3) ¡ª Breath: 38 (+3) Passive Attributes - ¡ª Charisma: 35 ¡ª Luck: 6 (+3) ¡ª Worth: 288 Abilities: ¡ª Elementary Pokemon Trainer: Proficiency 50% ¡ª Elementary Selfless Breathing: Proficiency 90% ¡ª Advance Emotions Manipulation: Proficiency 80% ¡ª Advance Fear Absorption: Proficiency 75% ¡ª Advance Telekinesis: Proficiency 95% ¡ª Advance Intimidation: Proficiency 90% ¡ª Advance Telepathy: 40% ¡ª Advance Seamanship: Proficiency 5% ¡ª Advance Magical Aptitude: Proficiency 2% ¡ª Parseltongue Skills: NA Glitch: Blood Devour ¡ª Dementor (magical) ¡ª Golduck (magical) ¡ª Gyarados (magical) Items: ¡ª Pokeball - Generation 1 (73%) ¡ª The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Original) (100%) ¡ª Sling Ring (73%) ¡ª Galeon Attacker (85%) ¡ª Fast Ball - Generation II (97%) ¡ª Lure Ball - Generation II (97%) ¡ª Level Ball - Generation II (97%) ¡ª Regional Pokedex (94%) ¡ª Pikachu Plush Hat (76%) ¡ª Eon Soul Dew (Corrupt) (100%) ¡ª Recommendation Letter (Consumable) (98%) ¡ª Banner of arms - House Drumm of Iron Islands (87%) ¡ª String Beyblade Launcher (67%) ¡ª Murasame (99%) ¡ª Blue Spider Lily (100%) ¡ª The Cursed Hat of Vanity (100%) ¡ª The Compass of Desire (100%) ¡ª Sounga - The Sword of Calamity (100%) ¡ª Miscellaneous Rent Box [10 cubic meter - 10000 kg] Pain Factor: 0.5 Inventory: 40 Cubic Meter-40000 kg ] ¡­ "So¡­" Kai asked as the Characters followed the suit, "¡­ where were we? Ah, yes. Gains and losses." He twisted the onyx ring on his left finger and instantly remembered the sword ¡ª Afro''s Tachi. Afro''s Tachi had assisted him much in his bloody path, adding a shocking burst of power to his fighting style. But the Shadow Lord had destroyed the weapon in one attack. Kai''s Fangs, the dual swords, with Selene''s Intangibility attribute, were also gone. In return, he had gained a Mirror Dimension Bead. "Dispensable Mirror Dimension just creates a Mirror Dimension of Uncommon Grade in a 100-meter radius," Kai told them. "It can trap almost all Contestants below the 3rd Set for at least 5 and at max 15 minutes. Good thing is, it consumes nothing. Maybe that''s why it is dispensable." Dispensable Mirror Dimension had been given to him by Moraine, now his servant. But, of course, this gain couldn''t even be compared to the elephants in the room. "The greatest gains are, of course, the Reality Marble, Spiritual Awakening, Parselscript, and Zanpakuto''s Shikai," said Kai, mentioning the things that Stats didn''t consider. "Be that as it may, my lord," Petyr chuckled, the sly grin lifting his lips. "I am a simple man. I am more tempted by the three Items if I am being honest. I see gold and I know the man is wealthy. Claims of riches¡­ don''t suit well with me." Rintaro scratched his head, knowing not what the shrewd Littlefinger was pointing at. Kai regarded Petyr with amusement in his eyes. Only people like him and Petyr were cunning and blunt enough to understand the meaning behind those words. Why count the power when you can''t even use it? Petyr meant, his tone mocking, to say the least. In his eyes, other than the three Items, only Red Sun, Moraine, Dementors Progenitor Skill, the lvl 1 Dementors, and the Inheritance could truly be called gains. "Captain Barbossa''s Hat¡­" Littlefinger said, mentioning the first elephant in the room. "Sounga, right?" Rintaro blurted out the name of the second elephant. Kai licked his lips, naming the third elephant. "¡­ And Jack Sparrow''s Compass!" As soon as they had sat down, the three again stood up. There was a small, square table, pressed between the cold fog caused by the Dementors and the blazing fire in the hearth, acting as the sole intermediary. Around this small table, standing tall and lean, were Kai, Petyr Baelish, and Rintaro Okabe. As the Characters waited with bated breath, Kai flicked his right hand. A hat appeared on the table. It was a round hat, navy blue, and there were smooth ostrich feathers on it, giving it a quite flamboyant appearance. Captain Barbossa''s Hat! 0420 Captain Barbossas Hat and Sounga!!! The moment the Item appeared on the table, its Stats appeared in Kai''s eyes. ¡­ [ Item: The Cursed Hat of Vanity (Named) Grade: Uncommon Sub-Grade: Top Specification: Barbossa''s most cherished hat, which he wore during Jack''s search for the Shadow Gold and his mutiny against Jack. He continued to wear this hat during the ten years under the curse of the treasure of Cortes. Because of remaining in contact with the undead constantly, the hat has gained curse-like properties. Captain Barbossa harbored incredible spite toward the Contestant for forcing him to trade the hat. Hence, the hat has gained a Condescending semi-Living Characteristic. Requirement: 1. A seamanship-related Ability 2. Pirate Captain 3. Correspondence >20 4. Charisma >25 Attributes: 1. Color: Navy Blue 2. Decoration: Blue Ostrich feathers 3. Charisma +3 Skill: Blood Mutiny Skill''s Effect: 1. Within the ship, know the location of all living beings 2. Every 3 hours of equipped state, randomly consumes Contestant''s 5 HP 3. For 1 green apple, it can stretch the time limit to 6 hours (Slurp!) Skill: Undead eyes Skill''s Effect: 1. Mana Consumption: 50 MP 2. For 1 hour, increase eyesight in foggy and stormy areas 3. AOE: 500 meters Skill: Captain''s favorite Skill''s Effect: 1. Mana Consumption: 100 MP 2. Curse all who dare to question the Captain''s authority 3. All cursed beings lose life essence equivalent to 10 HP 4. AOE: 100 meters Quality: 100% WARNING: The hat has an inherent property of getting swept by the lightest wind ] ¡­ The corners of Kai''s mouth twitched unwittingly. Condescending semi-living Characteristic¡­ the three words rolled in his head repeatedly. This Blood Mutiny is nothing but trouble, too. What if I am dwindling on the brink of death, and it consumes 5 HP? Damn! Other than that, though¡­ It lives up to the name of Named Items. "Cough!" Rintaro cleared his throat, an unquenchable curiosity drying his throat. Stolen story; please report. A blank paper flew over to the Item''s top, and Kai projected the Stats on it. Both Petyr and the insane scientist leaned over it, their heads almost bashing into each other. A sly chuckle escaped Petyr suddenly, and even Rintaro burst out with a peal of laughter. "Try it, my lord," Petyr suggested, lifting the Hat, his fingers running over its brim. "Quite a¡­ unique Item." The mocking tone couldn''t have been more evident in Petyr''s voice. But Kai was no less a curious one than Rintaro, his eyes already narrowing at the Item. He snatched the Hat from Petyr and put it on his head. The sight of a navy blue, round hat over Kai''s headful of silky white hair¡­ just didn''t suit each other. It was then the Hat trembled, and a mouth-like crease appeared on its round portion. "Humph!" the Hat snorted. "Captain Barbossa could have put meself over his head more properly." Kai: "¡­" "Hahaha!" Rintaro couldn''t hold it in any longer. Laughing, clenching his stomach, he fell into the chair, a hint of tears glinting in the corners of his eyes. "This¡­ is the best Item, Mr. Storm. Let me try it." Kai was gobsmacked. How could he have ever known that even such a thing was possible? Helpless, Kai was about to take the Hat off his head when he drew a sharp breath. It was as if someone had stabbed him in the back, making him gasp. Kai''s HP bar flashed, and 5 points vanished from it instantly. Damn, fucker! Now thoroughly enraged, Kai slammed the Hat on the table, cursing it inwardly. How shrewd? Sucked out my HP just when I was about to take it off¡­ Petyr let out a knowing, sly smile, realizing what must have happened for his lord to slam the Item. Rintaro, however, gave no further look to Kai, almost instantly grabbing the Hat and throwing it on his head. "Humph!" the Hat snorted again. "Captain Barbossa''s hair smelled better." Rintaro''s laugh died. He gently took off the hat and put it on the table. Both Kai and Petyr frowned at this, knowing not what was going on in the insane scientist''s mind. It was then Rintaro turned around and pulled out a wooden log from the hearth, its end blazing red with fire. "It''s better to burn the Hat, my lord," he mumbled, his eyes shining red against the fire. "Such cursed Items shouldn''t exist." "Fuck off!" Kai kicked Rintaro and put the Item back into his Inventory. ¡­ After some time, Kai and his two Characters eyed the empty table once more. Unlike before, the atmosphere had gained an ominous vibe. Even the Dementors had stopped running after the Lethifold, hovering like four wraiths in one place. Lilith''s endless flutters had also died as if the very wind had vanished from the face of the earth. Kai nodded to himself, and flicked his hand, taking another Item out of the Inventory. And the world got drowned in purple! "Hahaha!" a laugh, brimming with stupendous evil, boomed into the library. "Time to kill!" What awaited the evil dragon, though, were three beings eying him with hard faces and greedy gazes. It was the sentient sword, Sounga, the Top-level Rare-grade Named Item! During its transformation from Artifact to Item, Kai had fused his will into it, forcing it to become a katana with a purple blade, with a small jewel embedded into the pommel of its hilt. It was this jewel that was letting out the evil purple glow. And it was this jewel that represented the evil dragon spirit living in the sword. Kai reached out and grabbed the katana''s hilt, an evil feeling coursing through his very veins. Sounga was longer than Murasame, he could tell. And, though Murasame was One-Cut-Killer, Kai couldn''t help but admire the very existence of Sounga, the killing sword from hell. As Kai marveled at the sword, his fingers caressing it, running up and down the blade, Sounga was already getting impatient. The small, round jewel at the pommel glowed with a purple light, and the evil dragon roared, "Oi, brat! This Dragon was taking a nap! A nap! If there''s nothing to kill, don''t take me out!" Sounga''s roar entered from Kai''s ear and left from another. He ignored everything, forgot everything, and only one thing remained in his eyes. The presence of a dull, gray light. The more Kai looked at Sounga''s Stats, the more his throat went dry, the tips of his fingers throbbed, and a smile flashed across his lips, becoming a demonic grin. This is no sword, Kai thought, exulting in Sounga''s Stats. This is¡­ Power! ¡­ [ Item: Sounga - The Sword of Calamity (Named) Grade: Rare Sub-Grade: Top Specification: Sounga is a Demonic Blade. It contains the spirit of an ancient evil dragon from Hell, giving the Item living characteristics. Sounga can call out the spirits of the dead, reanimating them as mindless corpses. Requirement: 1. At least one Sword-related Ability 2. Demonic Will 3. 1st Threshold 4. Correspondence >30 5. Breath >30 Attributes: 1. Measurement: 110 cm 2. Material: Unknown 3. Base Damage: 200 HP Skill: Reanimation ¡ª A combination of Mana and Spirituality will be consumed for all Reanimations ¡ª The consumed MP and SP Points will become the Corpse''s MP and SP Stats ¡ª Until all MP, SP, and HP run out, the Reanimated Corpses will keep regenerating ¡ª Every corpse will have a generalized Base Damage ¡ª Such corpses will have their original Abilities and Skills, though restricted, if any ¡ª To use Items, the corpses must fulfill their requirements Skill''s Effect: 1. Reanimated Corpse lvl 1: (Consumption: 25 MP, 25 SP) ¡ª 25 MP ¡ª 25 SP ¡ª 100 HP ¡ª Base Damage: 20 HP 2. Reanimated Corpse lvl 2: (Consumption: 50 MP, 50 SP) ¡ª 50 MP ¡ª 50 SP ¡ª 200 HP ¡ª Base Damage 30 HP 3. Reanimated Corpse lvl 3: (Consumption: 100 MP, 100 SP) ¡ª 100 MP ¡ª 100 SP ¡ª 300 HP ¡ª Base Damage 45 HP Note: The Reanimated Corpses can''t exceed their original strength. With non-Contestants, equivalent strength will be considered. Skill: Dragon Twister ¡ª Dragon Twister is divided into 3 levels, creating an evil tornado with AOE damage Skill''s Effect: 1. One Dragon: ¡ª Mana Consumption: 150 MP ¡ª Base Damage: 120 HP ¡ª AOE: 200 meters radius 2. Two Dragons: ¡ª Mana Consumption: 280 MP ¡ª Base Damage: 220 HP ¡ª AOE: 300 meters radius 3. Three Dragons: ¡ª Mana Consumption: 400 MP ¡ª Base Damage: 310 HP ¡ª AOE: 500 meters radius Quality: 100% WARNING: If the Contestant were to lack the willpower to subdue the sword, Sounga could take over the Contestant''s consciousness ] ¡­ 0421 The Compass of Desire - Divine Providence!!! Kai looked at Sounga with greed in his eyes. Greed because he couldn''t equip it, yet. The Sword demanded a Correspondence greater than 30, which Kai couldn''t supply even if he were to use Buffs. Most of the buffs he had were directed toward Strength, Agility, Stamina, and Perception. Especially the Little War Horn and Titan''s Buff which acted as additives over the Title''s Buffs. Kai couldn''t help but admit that a high Correspondence, regardless of him being an in-fighter, was a must in the Primordial Tower. Top-level Rare-grade¡­ Kai looked at the Grade and smiled. If he were to ignore Blue Spider Lily, equivalent to a Top-level Epic-grade Consumable Item, then this was the second Top-level Rare Item in his arsenal, the first being Eon Soul Dew. However, unlike the latter, Sounga wasn''t a Growth-type Item; and unlike the former, Eon Soul Dew corrupted his soul. Rare Items are very tricky to equip, Kai realized. Each has its unique qualities and difficulties. Another thing that suddenly made Kai frown was the corruption. Philosopher''s Stones aren''t a permanent solution, he thought, remembering the destruction they had caused in the Pirates of the Caribbean Random World. I must find a permanent, feasible solution. If I could use Eon Soul Dew on Port Royal, then I would have been the first Contestant to escape the Inheritance Land. Still, this thought was a double-edged sword. In that case, Kai would have undergone the Spiritual Awakening. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!!" The pommel at the end of Sound let out an evil, purple glow. "¡­ LET''S KILLLLLL!!!" The evil dragon''s next words got cut off as Kai threw it back into the Inventory. ¡­ Now came the time to bring out the last Item; the prime reason for Kai''s visit to the Pirates of the Caribbean Random World. Not giving Petyr and Rintaro any breather, Kai flicked his hand, and an ancient compass appeared on the table. There was nothing extraordinary about it. It possessed no charm of the Hat. Nor had it roared out, filling the very air with evil power. No. It was simple. Yes, simple, if simple meant the most absurd existence of all. The chill of the cold fog found Kai, and excitement, mixed with iciness, made him shudder from head to toe. There was one more thing mixed in them, however. Excitement, fog''s iciness, and¡­ ¡­ Compass'' Stats! ¡­ [ Item: The Compass of Desire (Named) Grade: Uncommon Sub-grade: Top Specification: An unusual navigational instrument most notably used by Captain Jack Sparrow, which he bartered from the voodoo mystic Tia Dalma and later inherited from his captain on the Wicked Wench. Its domed cover is made from pure lapis lazuli. The inside lid is detailed with a map of the heavens, the central shadow vane makes the compass work as a sundial, and the compass disk itself is sliced from a walrus''s tusk. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Requirement: 1. Luck >50 2. At least One Timeline''s Divine Providence 3. Absolute loyalty towards the Compass Attributes: 1. The Compass'' Will is connected with the user''s Will 2. Reach: One Celestial Body (regardless of size) 3. The Compass is semi-sapient and it is quite temperamental Skill: Rose of the Winds Skill''s Effect: 1. Mana Consumption: 350 MP 2. Direct the owner to whatever he wants most at the moment 3. Even if the desire might be fatal to the owner himself, it works as intended 4. One Charge of the Skill will last for 3 hours Skill: If you don''t know what you want, then how should I know? Skill''s Effect: 1. Mana Consumption: 200 MP 2. With the owner''s incapability of projecting a specific desire, the Compass loses efficacy 3. Point to whatever it thinks the owner wants the most at the moment 4. Does not consider the desire''s potential threat or usefulness Skill: Despicable Conspirator Skill''s Effect: 1. The Compass will always conspire to direct all users'' desires in favor of the original owner 2. The Compass will always conspire to go back to the original owner Quality: 100% WARNING: Upon betrayal, release the owner''s greatest fear Note: For those who know how to use it, the Compass is the Key to Everything ] ¡­ A silence fell over all as the three men eyed the Compass'' stats. The very first striking thing was none other than the Requirement of over 50 points in Luck. It was so absurd that it bordered on being called impossible. One must not forget that Luck was a Passive Attribute. Kai could comprehend the meaning of over 50 points in Passive Attribute, though. Meg''s Charisma stood at a whopping 66. Her breathtaking beauty, charm, and charismatic personality were the prime reasons behind her attracting the Temple of Hastur''s gaze, to begin with. It was even said that not even the main storyline''s female Characters could match her beauty, making her the most sought-after Party Member one could hope for. Or, it was at least so when she hadn''t fallen from the 13th floor. Her Code Name had been different in those times, making it impossible to relate Morning Mist to her old self. If Kai didn''t have a Glitch, he probably would have cherished Meg''s otherworldly Charisma even more. Even then, it was just Charisma, allowing a Contestant to interact more beneficially and easily with the storyline Characters. Luck was more hideous, to say the least. Yet Kai wasn''t worried about it. Because it wouldn''t be him who was going to use it. "Divine Providence¡­" Petyr worded, pointing at the second requirement. Kai''s eyes fell upon these words again. "Meg mentioned it to me," he mumbled, recalling the info. "In layman''s terms, you can take it as Timeline''s favor. But it goes deeper than that in the truest sense. "Almost all major Characters of a particular timeline enjoy the Divine Providence. It is believed that what is Worth for Contestants, Divine Providence is the same for the storyline Characters. "Not only that but depending upon a Character''s experiences during a particular period, Divine Providence increases or decreases, causing stunning changes in the timeline. "If Divine Providence decreases, then the fate of that Character becomes bleak. "However, if it increases, then the Timeline bestows great fortune upon that particular Character. This fortune, more often than not, presents itself as abnormal successive coincidences." Petyr narrowed his eyes before immediately relaxing them. "I guess my future self in the Game of Thrones Random World must have lost the Divine Providence for him to die so," he jested, smiling slyly. "The Divine Providence of your real Self also seems to fluctuate, Rintaro." Kai ruminated over Petyr''s words. "That is not entirely the case," he added, picking up the Compass. "There are timelines where you are the King of Westeros, Petyr. "In some timelines, Rintaro isn''t even a scientist. I think¡­ "¡­ Divine Providences are more the effects of storyline Characters'' choices, not so much the experiences." ¡­ Rintaro was still lost in the study of Compass'' Stats. "What is it?" Kai asked, noticing the insane scientist''s frown. "I was thinking¡­" Rintaro whispered, making both Petyr and Kai narrow their eyes. "¡­ what would happen if we were to give this Compass to a ¡ª Deep One?" Kai''s eyes almost instantly widened. Even Petyr looked shaken upon hearing those words. They both looked at each other, drew a sharp breath, and buried the scenarios bubbling up in their minds. After the last meeting with DEATH, and especially after getting the minor epithet ¡ª The Scion of Death, Kai had decided to never discuss the matter of a Deep One, and anything related to THEM, so casually. But two words kept resurfacing in Kai''s heart. Despicable Conspirator! Kai put the Compass back into the Inventory. "Disappear," he commanded, a grave look appearing on his face. "It''s time to settle the last business." Petyr bowed before returning to the Book as always. Rintaro was still lost in his thoughts, so Kai had to kick him again. When they had gone, Kai penned down letters to all four Party Members, sharing the upgraded Cosmic Authority, Lore, and the Minor Epithets, without which they wouldn''t be able to contact him across dimensions so easily. What came as a shock, though, was that neither Red Sun nor Moraine had heard of anything remotely familiar to Kai''s Stats. Cosmic Authority and Outer One were becoming a bigger and graver mystery for Kai. After a few moments of silence, Kai said, "Cersei." Cersei walked out, wearing a loose white t-shirt and blue denim, her long, golden hair tumbling down to her waist. On her forehead, the marquise-shaped black diamond glowed dark, shadows howling within it like voiceless wolves. "Are you doing it now?" the young lady asked, her green eyes gaining a blackish hue. Kai replied with a flick of his hands. A black crystal appeared in the library within the suitcase, bobbing up and down, hovering between him and Cersei. It was indeed the time¡­ ¡­ Time to assimilate Shadow Lord''s Inheritance! 0422 Shadow Lords Inheritance and the Lord of Light! Kai was seated in a meditative posture in front of the blazing hearth, eying the thousands of tentacles of fire. Behind him, Cersei stood tall, covered in a tight suit of shadows from the tip of her nose to her toes. Two giant bat-like wings were curled on her back, failing to hide her sumptuous curves. The Characters in the Book had no concept of aging. However, her experiences had even surpassed that of her main storyline Self, especially under the influence of her lord, Contestant Red. This all gave a mature appearance to Cersei that one just couldn''t help but admire. The sight of four soul-sucking fiends hovering just behind her ruined that appearance, giving it a hideous, ominous tone. The four 2.3 meters tall Dementors levitated on Cersei''s left and right like sentries. Their long, tattered black cloaks were rippling noiselessly. And, way into the back, hovered Lilith ¡ª the Lethifold. The piece of smoothest black silk fluttered, coiling and uncoiling into itself, caring nothing about what was to happen. It was then Kai lifted his right hand, a black crystal bobbing up and down, hovering over his palm. The moment he had left the Switched World, the Inheritance Crystal had appeared in his Miscellaneous Rent Box. Not waiting anymore, Kai took a deep breath and pushed the crystal toward his forehead. The moment the Inheritance Crystal touched Kai''s skin, ripples originated around it, and it melted into him. Within the space containing a sea of yellow mist and a white room, a giant black crystal appeared. Then, with a bang, the entire crystal shattered. It dyed the entire space, representing Kai''s consciousness, into a hue of the darkest black. Outside, everything about Kai went still as if he wasn''t alive. His heartbeat slowed down. His breathing became indiscernible. Even his infallible instincts seemed to have gone drowsy, losing the sense of his surroundings. The Shadow Lord Inheritance had begun! Instantly, Cersei''s figure went taut, and even the Dementors began revolving over Kai, howling with a rattling breath. At this moment, Kai was at his weakest. Even a 1st floor Contestant could kill him easily if he could approach Kai unhindered. This was the flaw of assimilating the Inheritance. There was nothing one could do about it, except preparations. And Kai trusted no one. He had called out Cersei to watch over the four Dementors, using her newly gained powers. He had ordered the Dementors to watch her in return. The group of Cersei and Dementors would monitor Lilith. The Lethifold, in return, would monitor both Cersei and Dementors. ¡­ Inside Kai''s consciousness, though, everything had changed. The sea of yellow mist had vanished, along with the white room. In their place, a giant cave could be seen, glowing red under the light of several lanterns. Everything about this cave was a blur, except the middle portion. There, a middle-aged bearded man was reading a heavy book. Suddenly, the middle-aged man snapped his head up. Bang! An ethereal bang rang out, shaking the entire cave. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. When the trembles died, the middle-aged man''s head drooped once again. But something about him seemed to have changed. Kai felt incredibly odd. One moment he was seeing the middle-aged Pirate Lord Henry Morgan, in the other, he was the Pirate Lord. All his memories and experiences jumbled with that of Shadow Lord. No. Perhaps it was better to say Sir Henry Morgan wasn''t Shadow Lord. Not yet. Compelled by some unknown and irresistible force, Kai/Henry Morgan began reading the contents of the book again. However, upon taking another glance, it became evident that it was not a book, but a collection of rough-handed notes. The notes contained vast knowledge of Alchemy, directed at the dark and shadow magic. There were thousands of ingredients based on plant and animal lifeforms, hundreds of types of minerals, dozens of types of water, and several collections of oils and spirits. Not to mention, thousands upon thousands of half-created formulas using those ingredients as a basis. Kai/Henry Morgan felt like he was reading this all for the first time, but it also felt like he was just reconfirming his notes. His eyes fell upon an ingredient Mutated White Whale Oil, and then, a shadowy ripple originated in front of him, taking the form of the said ingredient. It didn''t end there, though. Whenever he thought of a particular ingredient, it would appear in front of him. This occurrence brought neither joy nor sadness to him. It was as if he was incapable of showing emotions. Not only emotions but even time seemed to have lost meaning in this place. The middle-aged man kept reading, learning, and experimenting with those ingredients. Days passed¡­ ¡­ and then weeks melted away. Kai/Henry Morgan had now understood the basic principles of Alchemy, the ancient art of shattering, restructuring, and making anew, keeping the balance of equivalent exchange. When the principles of Alchemy took root in his heart, he began the study of runic diagrams that would assist him in carrying out practical applications. Kai/Henry Morgan learned how to use these alchemical runes to attack a particular set of ingredients and elements. Thousand ingredients - Million possibilities! If it was the original Henry Morgan, he would have taken years to go through this process. But this middle-aged man wasn''t Henry Morgan, per se. He was Kai, too. When Kai/Henry Morgan arrived at this stage, it felt to him as if he had done something like this before, deriving countless formulas based on a single principle. That he possessed an astonishing memory, recalling all ingredients and their elemental affinity with one thought, also assisted him greatly. Weeks became months and two years passed by in this cave. The middle-aged man wasn''t seated in the cave anymore. He was crouching over the rocky ground, drawing a complex geometric diagram using black blood. This diagram comprised three circles, twenty-three triangles, and a pentagram. However, that wasn''t all. Wherever the intersecting lines of pentagram and triangles were creating another, smaller polygon, he had drawn a runic script there; a complex sigil of some sort. Kai/Henry Morgan then placed several ingredients ranging from solids and liquids to vials of foggy, shadowy substances over those runes. Then he placed his hands just under the two vertexes of the pentagram. Called by a bubbling sensation in his heart, the natural force of the world poured into the alchemical runic diagram. A brilliant dark light shone into the cave, beginning the process of deconstruction and reconstruction. When the light faded away, a jelly-like shadowy mass bubbled in its place. This newly formed shadow creature looked more like slime, trying hard to gain shape. However, this experiment was a failure. It was fated to never know success. Not with the Inheritance''s percentage Kai had obtained. Ultimately, with a soundless boom, the jelly-like shadow creature exploded into a mass of black fog and entered the middle-aged man''s shadow. It was then that the world trembled, the entire cave shaking like a twig amid a storm. Rumbleeee!!! The entire cave shattered, and an unseen force pulled Kai''s consciousness out of this imagined world. ¡­ In the library within the suitcase, 90 minutes had already passed by. Gently, Kai''s eyes opened, a shadowy hue rippling within his hazel pupils. The moment he came to himself, Kai''s shadowy eyes landed on the countless tongues of fire. Red, orange, white, and a touch of blue were dancing over the burning logs, sending warmth in all directions. To Kai, however, the entire fire had gone silent, becoming a mirror. A Mirror of fire! A red fire burned into the deepest parts of Kai''s eyes, becoming an enormous fire tornado. The eye of this fiery monstrosity looked as if some distant eldritch being had cast a Gaze toward Kai. In the mirror of fire within the hearth, Kai saw himself, but he possessed no face. It was only a blur. Suddenly, this blur stirred, and Henry Morgan''s face appeared in the place of Kai. It was as if it wasn''t Kai who was looking into the fiery mirror, but the middle-aged Henry Morgan. Before one could even blink, this face blurred once more. This time, Murtogg''s face appeared in Kai''s place, judging his murderer with hollow eyes. Then it changed again and Darcie''s face appeared, calmly looking back at him. It didn''t end there, though. Cersei''s face followed Darcie''s, and Petyr''s face followed Cersei''s. Rintaro¡­ Meg¡­ Spawn¡­ Arlen¡­ Shae¡­ All faces kept appearing, blurring, and vanishing one after another. At last, when it felt like there was no end to these changes of faces, all faces vanished, leaving behind a constant blur in their place. Only one moment has passed for all this to happen. Kai gently closed his eyes and opened them again, the red fire tornado that was burning in the depths of his eyes vanishing as if it was a mirage. No longer could he see any mirror of fire. Nor could Kai see more blurry faces. There was no elation on Kai''s face or any sign of victory. Only a frown originated because of a thought. What the fuck HE was trying to tell me through the fire?! Since his meeting with Lady Melisandre, this was the second time Kai had felt the mark left by HIM, the spark of fire burning deep into his eyes. A mark of another Deep One¡­ ¡­ The Lord of Light, R''hllor! It was then a notification materialized in front of him, like a splash of cold water. 0423 Inheritance Rewards - Kais Skills!! The presence of Glitch, Blood Devour, let Kai tower over all Contestants of the same Set. It showered him with Abilities, a thing that all wanted but only a few possessed, and that too only after treading upon a bloody path full of bloodier difficulties. It also gave him Skills with varying uses, letting him enjoy a broader spectrum of power than his peers. For Kai, however, whose fighting motto was ¡ª Take wounds, Snatch lives, and who grew stronger the longer he battled, Blood Devour provided the greatest means for him to ascend toward the Peak of Absolute Power. Blood Devour was Kai''s Individuality. However, there were two major drawbacks to Blood Devour, as it was now. First, it was the Cooldown. All Skills obtained by Kai through Blood Devour could only be activated for 30 seconds, and then he must wait for five minutes to use Skills again. Five minutes! This duration was neither short nor long, for it depended upon the circumstances. But, with Contestants, this was an incredibly long time. Five minutes were plenty to decide the fate of battles and lives. Five minutes were plenty to level grounds against enemies. Five minutes were plenty to change one''s destiny. It was especially so for Contestants like Kai whose fighting styles were quite fast-paced and leaned more toward dealing accurate and precise blows than toward depleting the opponent''s stamina. The only reason he had been able to use Dementors Progenitor, right after using Dementor''s Kiss was because of the absurd Sealing Powers of the Zanpakuto ¡ª Ayin, who had used Kai''s Spiritual Awakening as the foundational bypassing agent. It was just like how the Spiritual Awakening had reset the Cooldown of Little War Horn after Ayin had tampered with Murasame''s Quality. Ever since Kai had gained his first Blood Essence, he had been trying to find ways to shorten the Cooldown. Alas! Only after enslaving Meg did he get to know that it was impossible. There was nothing in the Primordial Tower that reduced or even changed the Cooldown. It was as if this Cooldown of 5 minutes over his Blood Essences'' Skills was a natural restriction on his Glitch''s potential. If it was only that, then Kai could have made his peace with it. Yet, when Meg had broken the pot of his expectations related to his Glitch''s Skills'' Cooldowns, she had also ruthlessly told him another piece of heavy news. Skills, granted by the Primordial Tower, had NO concept of Cooldown! It had been also her first time hearing Skills possessing Cooldown, to begin with. And this brought forward the second drawback of Blood Devour ¡ª Unlike the Abilities, the Skills Glitch blessed Kai with, disappeared with the Blood Essence. There are three widely known ways of obtaining Skills, master, Meg had told him. First, most of the Items have Skills. If one fulfills an Item''s requirements, then one can freely use its Skills. Second, almost all upgraded Titles give Skills. Here, too, only switching Titles has the concept of Cooldown. Not Skills. Third, and most widely known, are the rewards of Hidden Missions. It was then Kai came to know that all Hidden Missions awarded Skills, their grade varying from the lowest to one''s Main Mission''s grade. Of course, this knowledge had brought no joy to Kai. By then, Kai had already carried out Hidden Missions. Sure, he had obtained greater rewards, including Mission Credits and Attribute Points. But his Hidden Missions had awarded him no Skills. However, what Meg had failed to mention was that there was one more way to get Skills. And though the chances of Skills'' presence in this way depended upon Contestant''s own efforts, they weren''t null, either. This other way was ¡ª Inheritance. There was no sure way to know if an Inheritance would give Skill or not. Sometimes, even after obtaining 100% Inheritance, one didn''t get a Skill, and sometimes, with only 5% one could get two Skills. The grade of Skills in those cases was bound to be the lowest, true enough. But that was a different matter altogether. It was because of all of this that even after obtaining a greater chunk of the Inheritance, Kai wasn''t expecting any Skill. For him, if he were to gain Shadow Lord''s Alchemical Inheritance, then that would have sufficed as well. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. So, when the Inheritance''s notification appeared in front of him as he was ruminating over the matter of a Deep One, his eyes popped out. And why wouldn''t they, when there wasn''t one Skill in the notification, but¡­ two! ¡­ [ Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn¡­ As the Temporary Protector of Jack Sparrow, you have gained 5% of the Inheritance allotted to the task of escorting him out of the Inheritance Land. As one of the Contestants who brought down the Shadow Lord, you have gained 30% of Inheritance allotted to the task of handling the Anomaly. ¡­ Inheritance Grade: C+ Inheritance Obtained: 35% Rewards: 1. Elementary Alchemist: Proficiency 5% 2. Skill - Shadow Space 3. Skill - Shadow Link ] ¡­ Kai couldn''t believe it. He had escorted Jack Sparrow out of the Inheritance Land as a Temporary Protector along with Moraine. If Sounga hadn''t killed all Contestants on the ship, then he would have never obtained 5% Inheritance related to Jack Sparrow, as the other 5% now belonged to Moraine. Not to mention, the greatest chunk belonged to dealing with Shadow Lord. Kai had obtained a whopping 30% out of the 40% allotted to the task. Another 10% must have been shared with Red Sun and Moraine. Still, to gain not only an Ability, but two Skills out of the 35%¡­ This was unprecedented. These weren''t Skills granted by the Glitch. These Skills now entirely belonged to him¡­ without Cooldown! Kai''s head was still full of the years'' worth of alchemical practice he had undergone during his artificial comatose state, the countless ingredients, diagrams, and formulas occupying his thoughts. Nothing could prevent him from shooting himself to his feet, though. "What happened?!" Cersei blurted concernedly, eying Kai''s tall back. "Did everything go alright?" Kai stopped her with a raise of his hand, his eyes shining bright. Skills! Skills! He, the unlucky one, finally got Skills! And not one, but two! "Hahaha!" Kai suddenly threw his head up and broke out with a burst of thunderous laughter, lifting his fists toward heaven. "Finally! Finally! Brilliant!" Behind him, not only Cersei but even Dementors and Lilith seemed to be stuck between the layers of time, not knowing what to say or do. They all just gawked at Kai, his dark silhouette darkening the blazing fire. Cersei''s eyes shone with the greatest elation. Never had her lord lost his composure. Not like this. Something truly stupendous must have happened, she knew. And, just by happenstance, Cersei was intelligent enough to make an educated guess. "Congratulations, my love," Cersei said, bowing, the shadow suit melting back into her forehead. "At last, you have obtained a Skill." Ignoring her, Kai licked his lips and brought out the first Skill, then. ¡­ [ Skill: Shadow Space Grade: D+ Specification: Turn the Contestant''s shadow into a portal to the Shadow Realm Requirement: 1. Correspondence >20 2. Presence of Contestant''s shadow Attributes: 1. MP consumption rate: 5 points/second 2. Size: 300 cubic meters (flexible) Effect: 1. Open a portal to the Shadow Realm 2. Assign a space of set volume to the Contestant 3. The portal remains open as long as the Mana is supplied 4. All manners of things can be stored in the Shadow Space 5. Degradation of organic things doesn''t pause in the Shadow Space 6. The Contestant can go in and out of the Shadow Space as per his will ] ¡­ Kai rubbed his hands, his palms itching to activate the Skill. This wasn''t the time, though. His urge to see the second Skill was greater than ever, rising with every moment. With a thought, he brought up the second Skill. ¡­ [ Skill: Shadow Link Grade: C- Specification: Brand shadows and link the Contestant''s shadow to them Requirement: 1. Correspondence >20 2. Perception >20 3. Skill - Shadow Space Attributes: 1. One Shadow Brand - 100 MP 2. Area: 500 meters radius 3. Time Limit: 24 Hours Effect: 1.The Contestant can brand a shadow in a set area using Mana 2. The Branded Shadows are portals to the Shadow Space 3. Once a Branded Shadow is used, the Brand will vanish WARNING: Shadow Link is not a Cross-Dimensional Skill. All Brands automatically vanish upon crossing Dimensions ] ¡­ Kai''s heart skipped a beat. These two were not mere Skills. These were a set of complementary Skills! And not just any complementary Skill, either. These were the best assassination tools one could ever hope for. For the first time after coming out of the forced comatose state induced by the Inheritance, Kai turned around and eyed his subjects. Cersei was already beaming at him, curling a lock of stray hair. The Dementors sensed Kai''s happiness and lunged at him, sucking away bits of it. Kai didn''t mind, his face gaining an aloof and cold expression. For now, only he could feed them. Behind them, the Lethifold, Lilith, hovered nonchalantly as if it had nothing to do with Kai or his four children. "Let me show you something," Kai said, his gaze landing on Cersei. "You of all will certainly like it." Just as Kai finished his mystifying words, 100 points from his MP bar vanished as he activated Shadow Link. With his Perception now standing at 23, and as he had the Title Novice Collector equipped, he already met the Requirements of the Skill. Cersei''s shadow rippled in Kai''s eyes, and he could feel a brand on it, linked to his own shadow. Then, he activated the Skill ¡ª Shadow Space. Kai''s shadow was stretching far because of the fire behind him. Suddenly, the entire shadow became still like a frozen lake. It felt like someone had nailed the shadow to the ground. Under Cersei''s expectant eyes, Kai stepped forward and fell. One moment was Kai standing on the floor, in the other, he landed in a vast hall, completely black. As the Volume of Shadow Space was flexible, Kai could feel he could manipulate it to give any shape. Not to mention, the moment he fell into the Shadow Space, his MP began falling as well, vanishing at the rate of 5 points per second. He wasn''t meant to stay down here much longer, Kai realized. Kai lifted his head and his eyes shone as he saw two round openings on the roof, through which he could see outside into the library. One belonged to the point from where he had fallen. The other¡­ Kai walked into this soundless and dark room and eyed the shadow portal. He saw Cersei looking left and right, her brows furrowed. With one thought, Kai levitated, his hand reaching for her ankles. Outside, from Cersei''s shadow, Kai''s hand stretched out noiselessly like an illusion. "Ahh!" Cersei shrieked as fingers curled around her ankle in an iron grip and pulled her in. When they were both inside it, Kai landed next to her and asked, "How is it?" Cersei stood up and looked around, her eyes widening like two saucers. "I knew it," she hissed. "We finally got them. Skills. This¡­ beckon celebrations, my lord." Kai felt his Mana draining out and nodded. "There''s much wine¡­" But before he could finish his words, Cersei threw herself at him, her smooth hands wrapping around his hand. Her lips fell upon his, and she smelled of the richest wine, tasting of a sweet summer flower. This was also a way of celebration. Alas! There was no knight or maiden involved in this lascivious sight¡­ ¡­ Only a demonic being and a lifeless form, warming each other in cold embraces.