《King of Nothing》 Ch. 1 The Start of Something Red droplets slowly trickled from the ceiling into a puddle of blood. In the surrounding darkness of an unlit room, mountains of corpses littered the floor. The air was chokingly humid, drowning out the pleas of anyone left alive. Atop the peak of the bloodied mount, a fresh body plummeted from the light that poured in through the ceiling. Blood sputtered from its mouth as it reached its arm upward, toward the roof of the confined space. It persistently stretched and grabbed to no avail and after a moment of meaningless rebellion, the arm limped and acted as if it had never existed. ... After laying there for some time, the light soon faded and another corpse fell from the roof. The two bodies collided, suffocating the former as it attempted to crawl out from underneath. Clawing for freedom, the corpse-like person rolled down from the pile of bodies. As the figure barrelled downward, they splintered into an old wooden door afoot the flesh mound. This frame revealed an entirely new room, a torture chamber of sorts. At the centre resided a surgical station and a chair with restraints along the armrests. The walls were decorated with torches and cabinets of various stature. In one corner, light seeped underneath another door. However, in the opposing corner, a body shackled to the wall could be made out in the dim light. ¡°Is¡­ is someone there?¡± the old man meekly muttered. The figure, still sprawled on the floor from the crashing into the door, lifted its head and silently stared. ¡°If someone is there¡­ please come closer near the light.¡± Hesitating, the corpse-like person analyzed the elder. He appeared non-threatening and they crawled closer. The elderly man had no shoes, wore white pants stained by blood, and was rippled with bruises on his torso. He appeared starved and in a severely weakened state. His face was dishevelled with ashy short hair and an unkempt beard. The old man shifted his body and leaned forward slightly. ¡°Ah¡­ a survivor of the body bank? Quite a rare sight.¡± Turning his head left and right, he brandished the shackles that had chained him to the wall. ¡°Do you mind, friend? Releasing me that is.¡± The elder watched as the figure attempted to stand. They struggled dearly but eventually made their way onto their feet. Once the figure rose from the shadows of the floor and into the dim light from the torches, their features became more visible. She had long dark hair tinged slightly violet and determined eyes. Her attire was simple, a murky green tunic and brown hemp shorts. ¡°Oh? I did not imagine my saviour to be a young miss. Intriguing¡­ how did you ever manage to survive the body bank?¡± Without answering, she moved toward the cabinets, rummaging for anything that could have helped in this endeavour. ¡°Try checking that top right cabinet. The monster that trapped me here opens that one quite frequently. Perhaps the keys to my cuffs are in there.¡± Opening the cupboard revealed a ring filled to the brim with metallic keys. Upon seeing the numerous keys, the old man merely sighed and began speaking in an unfathomable language. Once the chant was completed, he quickly uttered a description. ¡°Find the rusty copper key that has blotches of blue on it.¡± After hearing the depiction, the girl started flipping through each key, checking for any that had matched the description. Soon she came across a rusty old mortice key that housed oxidized blue spots. She then inserted it into the cuffs and a subtle click sound could be heard. ¡°I¡¯m finally free of those filthy shackles! Now, time to escape with haste, my friend.¡± He said while rubbing his wrists. The two then made their way toward the next door, however, the jingle of keys that the girl had pocketed would make their covert mission quite difficult so the old man paused and began chanting once more. A glow shimmered around the pocket where the keys resided and soon, the sound of their jingling faded. Enamoured by this, the nameless girl tugged at the hem of his pants and gestured frantically with her hands. ¡°You want to know how I silenced those keys?¡± She fiercely nodded with a glimmer in her eyes and the elder chuckled. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you once we depart from this forsaken hell hole. The name¡¯s Wiseman by the way.¡± Wiseman stared expectantly at the girl but she drooped her head and appeared uncertain. She did not seem to have a name or at least one that she knew of. ¡°Hmm, I suppose we can save the pleasantries for later. In any case, if I recall correctly, we will be needing those keys very soon.¡± The contents behind the next door displayed a plethora of jail cells replacing the walls of what should have been a simple hallway. In each cell were people similar to Wiseman, but, rather than chained to the walls, they were simply trapped by the iron bars of their cells. Before moving forward, Wiseman turned around and looked at the nameless girl. ¡°Let¡¯s free them, we¡¯re all in the same boat after all.¡± She hesitated but ultimately decided to aid the prisoners. His reasoning did seem to make sense. As the two began unlatching the locks on each cell, the remaining survivors cheered and praised their efforts. However, some continued their silence and appeared somewhat mentally unstable. Regardless, their headcount now increased to 13 people. With Wiseman and the girl leading the group, they made their way toward the next exit point. There lay a staircase toward the lobby of the establishment. ¡°Now everyone, we must act with extreme caution. As we all know, this inn houses monsters of rainy origins and I suspect it lies in the lobby.¡± Wiseman whispered toward the group behind him. Together, the group carefully tread up the stairs into the lobby of the building. The sounds of flesh and bones being gorged upon became louder in doing so. Moonlight shone through cracks in the roof, displaying tables and chairs that decorated the lobby alongside a bar countertop to the group''s immediate right. The staircase to the second floor could also be seen next to the counter. Across the room was then the entrance to the establishment as well as a reception desk. ¡®The exit!¡¯ thought the girl. However, her thoughts quickly dissipated as the location of the feasting sound could be finally identified. At the centre of the lobby was a lump of muscular flesh. It was kneeled over a miniature pile of corpses, stuffing its mouth with limbs and fingers. Overall, the monster was humanoid-shaped but had a larger stature than the average man. After finishing a general inspection of their surroundings, Wiseman motioned for the group to follow him toward the reception desk. However, before they could reach halfway to their destination, a few members dashed for the exit in fear. One slammed through the door into the outside and another followed suit. Soon, the entire group had stampeded the exit door, leaving just Wiseman and the girl. ¡®Those blistering imbeciles!¡¯ the old man scolded in his mind with a contorted expression. Before Wiseman¡¯s anger could be properly expressed, the duo froze as the lobby no longer housed the sounds of feasting. Rather, a low snarl could be heard. The monster had stopped gorging on carcasses and shifted its body to face where the exit was. It had yet to notice the two but its features could now fully be visualized. The head of the monster had no eyes or nose, instead there was only a mouth dripping with blood. Its chest then had one giant eye which was currently staring at the group that had run outside. Accompanying this enlarged eye was a pot belly for the sole purpose of digesting multiple bodies at once. ¡®What¡­ what is that thing!?¡¯ the girl thought. Still frozen in fear, something reached over her shoulder causing her to jump a little. Turning around, Wiseman had put his hand on her shoulder and made a gesture with his other hand. ¡®Shhh¡¯ with his index finger on his lips. Noticing that the monster was distracted, the elderly man guided his finger to the staircase. The two must make their way to the second floor before the monster had begun patrolling for stragglers who have yet to escape. However, this plan fell short once the two reached the base of the stairs and horrific screams could be heard from outside. Crimson liquid started to seep into the cracks of the inn and droplets landed on the nameless girl¡¯s hand. Upon closer inspection, the liquid squirmed in her hand like worms touching salt. It then quickly dried up and disappeared into her skin. ¡°Blood rain¡­of all times, why did it have to be now¡­¡± Wiseman quietly muttered. His complaining was quickly replaced by the inhuman shrills and yelling outside. While the girl could not directly see what was happening to the group of survivors, their shadows demonstrated a transformation of sorts. Soon enough, it would be confirmed as a few came inside to avoid the rain. However, it was already too late as they screamed in pain while their bodies contorted in various directions. Some grew horns and others had tails. Regardless, they were now monsters transformed by the blood rain. Amidst the commotion, the girl could feel the stare of something else in the lobby. The head of the monster that had been originally feasting on the pile of corpses was now facing her direction. Even without eyes, she could feel the burning sensation of eye contact with the horrific being. Then it began moving, shifting its entire body weight into a full sprint. It created a noisy gurgling sound as it charged the pair on the stairs. No longer frozen from fear, the girl¡¯s body kicked into action and swiftly made it up the stairs. Wiseman, however, struggled as his body had seen better days. He was old, starved, and currently very frail. By the time the creature reached the bottom of the stairs, Wiseman was only about halfway up. As the girl watched the situation, she frantically checked her surroundings for anything to slow the fiend down. With a miraculous turn of events, fortune favours the observant. ¡°Dodge old man!!¡± As Wiseman gasped for air, he looked ahead and saw a massive wooden block come rumbling down. Grasping the railing with both hands he braced himself alongside it as the piano rushed past. With a loud clang of musical notes, the heavy instrument knocked the monster back down the stairs. ¡°Good timing young lady!¡± as he moved with haste and rejoined the girl. Momentarily stunned, the monster rattled its head to regain its senses and sauntered to the top of the stairs. It no longer had visuals on its prey and instead turned toward the mindless abominations that had just reentered the establishment. Ch. 2 Concept Keeping an eye on the stunned monster, the nameless girl quickly assisted Wiseman in his step. The two made rapid pace to lose line of sight from the fiend. Turning into the second-floor hallway, various doors leading to private sleeping quarters were abundant. Picking one at random, the duo found a two-bedroom unit and ensued a brief moment of respite. As they entered, the young woman continued to hold her breath and braced her back against the frame. If they were successful in their retreat, then they would be able to recover some of their energy before attempting another escape. If not, then their time was extremely limited. Fortunately, all that could be heard was silence, allowing her to exhale and slide to the floor quietly. Once the girl¡¯s breathing had stabilized, she noticed that Wiseman had collapsed from exhaustion. His body was slumped over next to the bed with one hand still clutching the bedframe. While the elderly man had no open wounds, running with bruises, injuries, and starvation certainly did not contribute to his waning energy. ¡°I''m fine, I''m fine. I just¡­ need some rest¡± Wiseman spoke while gasping for air. With a concerned look, the girl helped prop him onto the bed as they reorganized their thoughts. Seeing as they were stuck for now, she decided to explore the room. Two beds lay side by side divided by a nightstand, looking like they hadn¡¯t been occupied in decades. Opposing the beds was a wide countertop drawer coupled with a pair of cabinets on both ends. Black lilacs also resided in the vases sitting atop the drawer. Near the door was a closet and across the room were windows displaying the outside world. The windows attracted her at first glance. Similar to her name, the memories she once held of the world appeared foggy, disjointed, and as if they never existed. However, basic concepts seemed unaltered such as food or items. While it felt strange for memories to be missing, it also felt right that her recollections did not exist to begin with. Given the opportunity from the window, this moment would not be forgotten for as long as she lived. These would be her first true memories after all. ¡®Is the world flat? Are there trees? Buildings? People?¡¯ she wondered. Then, her mouth gaped as she stared into the vast sea of sand-coloured buildings. They stretched as far as the eye could see, some were elevated and others were lowered. Buildings that once housed various purposes but have since lost them due to time. Old signs faded to planks of wood and clear windows now covered in dust filled the streets of the large kingdom. While most buildings seemed unsubstantial, a single structure trumped the rest of them all. An enormous castle perched atop the highest point of the land basked in the velvet-stained moonlit rain. The old man spoke while lying down across the room, ¡°I suppose you¡¯re looking at the kingdom castle, Drifting Peak,¡± On closer inspection, she noticed the castle had several wings keeping the upper segments afloat. ¡®One, two, three¡­ six!!¡¯ She counted. The girl was astonished, after all, how could such a building exist architecturally? ¡°That castle once housed our king.¡± Wiseman suddenly appeared emotionally nostalgic but he continued nonetheless. ¡°However, he has long since disappeared, forsaking this land and its people to the madness of the blood rain.¡± Finishing his thoughts, Wiseman gathered his energy once more and stood up from the bed. He then strolled toward the closet while the girl continued staring at the spectacles ahead of her through the window. Within the closet were various pieces of clothing. Robbing the storage of its wares, Wiseman draped on a black double-breasted lapel vest and a long-sleeved white dress shirt. He then replaced his blood-stained pants with regular black trousers alongside a pair of dress shoes. Finally, he threw over a white ruffled collar blouse, black trousers, and a sleek black trench coat to the girl. Holding up her newfound clothing, her eyes glimmered but then she quickly remembered something. ¡®You gonna leave?¡¯ she judgementally stared at Wiseman as she held the clothing in her arms with one eyebrow raised. Briefly confused, Wiseman dully questioned, ¡°What?¡± Nothing changed. Her stare persisted and pouting began. ¡°Ah! Apologies, every young lady needs their privacy. I suppose I can do some scouting before we depart.¡± Watching the expression on the nameless girl relent, he silently opened the door and attempted reconnaissance for the pair. The noise of a creature hounding on the flesh and bones of the dead once again filled the air. He moved closer to the balcony railings that overlooked the lobby and the one-eyed fiend could be seen feasting away at both human and monster carcasses. Then, a large oval shadow loomed over the monster from the inn entrance. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡®It¡¯s the egg-shaped bastard that chained me up here!¡¯ Wiseman thought. The new monster had an ovalish body and stick-like curved limbs, defying the regular anatomical structures of other animals. It wore a fancy suit equipped with a cane in one hand. Its face then featured a stylish mustache and a pair of scornful eyes. It scanned the room and threw a fit in rage, smacking the humanoid monster with its cane over the back. ¡°What happened here!!?¡± It loudly exclaimed. However, the larger monster failed to verbalize the situation and merely cowered. It appeared to struggle with higher cognitive load thinking. Instead, it pointed toward the second-floor balcony railings, insinuating that whatever had caused the wreckage in the lobby had gone up there. Recognizing their limited time, Wiseman agilely retreated into their room and found the girl changed and ready to go at a moment''s notice. ¡°Hmm, we¡¯re currently trapped. A monster capable of intellect has appeared and is on the way up the stairs, which if I recall, is our only exit.¡± The reason as to why Wiseman had been trapped in the first place was due to the ovalish fiend¡¯s cunning plans. It had lured him into the inn by using the survivors in the cells as bait. After being invited into the lobby, the muscular monster then ambushed him. The egg bastard enjoyed the screams of its victims and shackled them to the walls of the basement for torture. Wracking his brain of any knowledge that could assist him, he considered the variables in his vicinity. First, there were two enemies in their immediate surroundings. One functioned off instinct while the other had an intellect similar to humans. Second, there was himself and the girl. Neither of them had weapons, however, they did possess some level of teamwork shown in the last encounter. Third, the only plausible exit would be down the stairs and through the front door. Any other means would result in injury such as jumping out the window. So far, with only these variables, Wiseman believed their odds of survival to be bleak. Thus, he was left with requesting assistance from his meagre ability. He began chanting in an incomprehensible language and the whispers of knowledge from all sources rippled into his mind. ¡®Attempt a closer analysis of your enemies and don¡¯t forget your surroundings. Believe in her concept!¡¯ Listening to this hint, Wiseman ruminated about his adversaries once more. First, the one-eyed lump of muscle. The only advantage it truly had was strength. Otherwise, it had two major weaknesses, the massive eye on its chest and how mentally slow it was. Second, the egg man. While it was intelligent, perhaps its outer appearance would be a drawback. Similar to a genuine egg, the duo could potentially crack the fiend right open with ample force. Wiseman pondered while gazing at the nameless girl, ¡®Believe in her concept¡­? Perhaps she could awaken an ability in a crucial moment?¡¯ ¡°Young miss, would you like to learn that trick I performed earlier on those keys?¡± For a while, the girl had been carefully observing Wiseman as he mentally contemplated and was caught off guard by this sudden question. ¡®He wants to teach me his magic tricks? This seems like a bad time¡­but I''m not one to decline!¡¯ She thought as her eyes shimmered. Wiseman sighed but continued, ¡°Alright miss, as we have a limited amount of time, I will simplify it as much as possible.¡± She tilted her head in confusion. ¡°First, think of an idea or abstraction. These could be elemental or even philosophical. Sift through as many as possible then once a concept matches well, the process of resonation will ensue.¡± The nameless girl closed her eyes and attempted to concentrate on his instructions. As she had no recollections of philosophical topics, she prioritized simple ideas and emotions. ¡®Excitement¡­ Fire¡­ Nervous¡­ Cold¡­ Hopeful¡­ Wood¡­¡¯ Yet nothing changed. Cognizant of her struggles, Wiseman provided more detailed advice, ¡°Perhaps think of something that deeply impacted you?¡± ¡®Maybe¡­the feeling I had when I woke up in that room filled with corpses? The feeling of¡­ nonexistence.¡¯ As she ruminated upon her concept, the environment began to alter and Wiseman watched in near disbelief. He did not expect much in such a short amount of time yet the girl had succeeded right in front of his eyes. The surrounding air had gone numb and a static-like presence had taken effect around her. Once her concentration was broken, he quickly asked her, ¡°Well? What concept did you end up with?¡± Her eyes were as clear as mud, completely indecipherable but she responded truthfully nonetheless, ¡°Nothing.¡± The concept of nothing was quite extraordinary as it was abstract and philosophical. However, the powers and abilities of such a concept would solely depend on its user¡¯s interpretation. Wiseman sighed and explained, ¡°Now that you have a fixed concept, you will be able to conjure supernatural abilities using your interpretations of ¡®nothing¡¯. Remember this, the concept is an anchor or medium that channels your willpower. That being said, we can¡¯t wait around for you to invent an ability so let¡¯s focus on cracking that damned egg.¡± The girl was quite saddened by the concept she had attained. After all, she was hoping for something more useful. She felt as if anything could have been better than nothing. Nevertheless, their time was limited, so the two focused on hatching a plan to crack open the egg monster. With no weapons, the best resolution would be utilizing their environment. However, they were in a bedroom complex, not an armoury. Yet they had to make do if they wanted to live. After careful analysis and discussion, the plan was rushed but simple, one person would sit by the windowsill awaiting the egg to see them. This person would act as bait and actively taunt the fiend to rush closer. The second person would then slam the door on the egg, wedging it in between the frame and the door panel. If successful, they would be able to vertically curb-stomp the monster. Soon enough, footsteps on creaking wood flooring could be heard coming up the stairs. They were now in the hands of fate. ¡°I suppose we shall gamble with our lives on the line tonight,¡± Wiseman muttered as the girl opened the door. Ch. 3 Two on Two Wiseman stared into the hallway as the floorboards continued to creak. With each step that could be heard, anxiety began to build within himself and the nameless girl. As the two waited with anticipation, the stench of rotten eggs filled the air. Soon a hoarse voice had spoken out, ¡°I know you''re up here, my sweet prisoners.¡± A thin hand grasped at the door frame. The foul smell flooded into the room and the girl masked her nose with her hands, stealthily awaiting Wiseman¡¯s signal to slam the door shut. Sweat dripped from his forehead as the danger loomed ever so closer. Inch by inch, the monster slowly revealed itself in the moonlight. It was coloured white with blackened veins pulsating throughout its body. A wide grin appeared on its face with one hand grooming a fancily curled mustache. The other hand then held a walking cane with a t-shaped silver handle. Now fully displayed in the hallway door frame, it stared and watched Wiseman carefully. ¡°What''s your game, old man?¡± It inquired. ¡°No game, punk. Just wondering what I¡¯ll be having for breakfast tomorrow. Perhaps some scrambled eggs will do? But then again¡­ you smell like shit.¡± He taunted. The egg man¡¯s face quickly turned cross and it growled, preparing to charge inside. ¡®wait¡­ just a little more¡¯ Time had slowed down in Wiseman¡¯s mind. ¡®The second it¡­ no, the millisecond that its body is halfway in. That¡¯s when we will crush it.¡¯ Then, it had finally lunged. ¡°Now!¡± He yelled out. The mixed sound of a boot slamming into the door and an eggshell cracking suddenly filled the air. The duo both watched the rotund fiend as its shell shattered from the blunt force. Stuck between the edge of the door and its frame, the egg had fallen still. The cane it was holding had flown into the room from the attack. A few moments passed and just as Wiseman was about to exhale a sigh of relief, the monster¡¯s laughter echoed throughout the upper floor. Its shell had cracked open, revealing a sinister pair of eyes from within. The monster smirked, ¡°Did you dimwits think you could get rid of me that easily?¡± ¡°Slam the door again!¡± The girl then gave another kick to the door, however, it did not budge. If anything, it had slightly bounced back. Retreating from behind the door frame, the girl and Wiseman could now fully see what lay beneath the cracked shell. As the fiend stood in the doorway unphased from any damage, a similar physique could be seen. It had shed the shell and was now a proper hard-boiled egg. Its pulsating black veins were now more clearly visible, pumping some sort of dark residue throughout its organs. The mustache of the monster was now gone, however, its scornful eyes and the creepy smile remained. It pushed back the door and began walking into the room like a beast who had just cornered their prey. It then charged toward them once more. As the egg man approached, the girl leapt onto the bed while Wiseman stepped to the side near the cabinet and drawer. It turned to the old man first and began a barrage of punches. As it had stick-like limbs, Wiseman braced himself, believing that the monster would not have enough force to seriously harm him. However, appearances were deceiving and as the blows struck his guard, he could feel his muscles tearing away. While watching Wiseman¡¯s forearms bruise, the girl quickly scanned the room for anything to help. ¡®In such a barren room, what could be of help?¡¯ Then she saw the dropped cane on the floor from when she had broken the fiend¡¯s eggshell. Seeing as Wiseman was backed against the wall and struggling to defend himself against the monster, she swiftly grabbed the cane and attempted to whack the back of the egg. True to its shape and material, the strike merely bounced off like a toothpick trying to slice an egg. Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Stab it!¡± Wiseman yelled out. Realizing the properties of the monster, she placed one hand on the shaft and another on the handle, pushing forward. It pierced the body and not wanting to lose her weapon, she quickly retracted the walking stick. Black fluids began oozing out of the monster as it backed off from Wiseman and faced the girl. It held pressure with one palm on the wound, attempting to stop its innards from spilling out. Now cornered, the egg shouted out into the hallway as a last resort, ¡°Ogre! Come here!¡± Loud stomps could be heard rushing up the stairs and soon in the door frame stood the beast from before. With its singular large eye, it scanned the room for the situation and charged inside. Using one arm, the faceless monster slammed the girl into the wall and continued its rampage toward the elderly gentleman. Avoiding the attack, Wiseman sidestepped a downward thrusting arm. While successful in his evasion of one arm, he was met with failure when the ogre caught him in a chokehold with the other hand. Wiseman mustered all the strength he could, grasping at the wrists of the monster with his bruised forearms but it was to no avail. The ogre was simply too muscular. He looked to the side and saw the girl attempting to stand, she was still in the middle of regaining her senses. The situation looked dire and Wiseman couldn''t help but begin accepting their fates. However, fate had different plans for the two. The air went numb and silent. A wave of apathy washed over Wiseman. The feeling was lacking, in every aspect. He felt unmotivated to survive, to even breathe. He felt as if the embodiment of nothing itself had possessed him. This feeling had afflicted the monster as well, releasing its grip and dropping Wiseman¡¯s limp body to the ground. Soon, the monster also fell to its knees and just stared forward with an empty and dull expression. Just as Wiseman was on the brink of giving everything up, the feeling quickly faded. From the floor and in the corner of his eyes, he could see the girl reaching out with one arm. ¡®An ability..!¡¯ Wiseman watched as invisible waves distorted the air toward both the monsters. Merely looking at the phenomenon caused a sense of dullness. Looking away to prevent the same symptoms from appearing on him, he quickly shook his head and regained his senses. Observing the girl, he noticed her trembling figure and realized that time was of the essence for she could not hold on for much longer. Even with his energy expended, the adrenaline from a near-death experience puppeteered his body and he reached for the nearby fallen cane. Grasping the shaft and pushing the handle, he plunged the walking stick into the large eye of the muscular monster. It had zero reaction to the injury. After repeating this action a few more times to ensure its blindness, he swiftly continued a similar procedure with the egg man. It had a parallel effect in that it was unresponsive to any sort of pain. Its blackened blood drained from the veins and pooled onto the flooring beneath it as Wiseman repeatedly stabbed. Eventually, a noticeable change had occurred in the egg. Previously, under the effects of the girl¡¯s spell, it had merely sat like a doll with blood still pulsating throughout its body. Now, the body was no longer throbbing with vitality, instead, a corpse drained of any sustenance remained. Acknowledging this change, Wiseman returned to the humanoid-shaped fiend who was still kneeling on both legs. He then approached it from behind and hammered away at the back of both ankles. If stabbing at its eyes hadn''t killed it, then making the fiend unable to walk would aid in their escape. Once satisfied with crippling the bulky monster, he glanced over at the nameless girl, still channelling her newly acquired ability. Her body continued to tremble and her eyes were shut tightly, as if in a struggled concentration. ¡°It¡¯s alright now, release the spell young lass,¡± Wiseman spoke in a reassuring whisper. Breaking out of concentration, the girl collapsed to the floor. She held herself up with her arms stretched out and gagged. Upkeeping the ability seemingly took a tremendous toll on her body. Briefly regaining her composure, she sat upright and looked toward the monsters and then to Wiseman. He appeared ragged, tired, but relieved. The fight was now over and so she let the exhaustion wash over her, passing out onto the ground. Immediately after, the ogre monster roared loudly as its hands pressed against its giant eyeball. Blinded, it attempted to stand but failed in doing so. The tendons in its legs were completely mashed. As the monster was becoming accustomed to its crippled body, Wiseman had already lifted the girl onto his back. While the girl had successfully played out her role, he still had another job to finish. Wiseman needed to escape fast before more encounters with devilish beings occurred. Together, the two made their way out of the room and into the hallway. Aside from the occasional screaming coming from within the inn room where the fight happened, it was silent. But upon reaching the stairs, a loud smashing noise could be heard. It was the fiend from before and it was rapidly crawling to their location. ¡®This lump of muscle just won''t give up!¡¯ Wiseman thought with a mix of surprise and disgust. He quietly carried the girl down the stairs as the monster repeatedly smashed its head into the wall behind him. The two made it to the exit before Wiseman casted one last glance at the fiend. It had somehow stumbled down the stairs and was rampaging throughout the main lobby. Thinking he was fortunate to have met such a young ability user, he exited with the girl still on his back and closed the doors to the accursed inn. ¡­ Moments later, a veiled figure can be seen approaching the doorsteps of the inn. It opened the door and observed the crippled monster thrashing about. ¡°Hmmm.¡± The person then stretched out their arms and instantly, the entire building became wrapped in a long scaly tissue. Crushing anything within the serpent-like flesh, all that was left were planks of wood, rubble, and blood. Ch. 4 Kings Court A white hall reflected in the girl¡¯s eyes. Behind her was an infinite expanse and her front exhibited a grand marble door. As the large white door appeared to be the only point of interest in the impossible landscape, she began walking towards it. Upon closer inspection, the door itself was clean and smooth. It bore no fancy architecture and appeared like a clean slate. Similarly, the frame of the marble entrance was a simple and plain archway held up by marble pillars. Near the structure''s base was a regular-sized lectern with a single piece of paper and a plain white mask. The girl picked up the piece of paper and read the inscription. ¡®King of Nothing¡¯ Below the large text, smaller letters were written out, ¡®Goodluck, Laica¡¯ Thinking to herself, she pondered what the name Laica insinuated and concluded that, perhaps, it was her own name. ¡®Laica¡­ is that my name?¡¯ Suddenly, the door began to move. As it slowly opened with a loud rumble, a gush of pressure peered out toward the girl. She attempted to brace herself from being blown away but just as her grip on the ground was about to be lost, the door became motionless. A crack within the grand marble door could now be visible and behind it appeared to be another white room. With no other choice, she equipped the mask onto her face and proceeded forward through the small opening. Within the room were thirteen marble white thrones. They were placed in a circular formation with each throne facing the center. As the girl walked closer to the seating arrangement, she noticed others had claimed spots on certain thrones. Carved into the base of each marble seat appeared to be an inscription of the person''s title or epithet. Finding the words written on the paper she had prior to entering the room, she quickly found the throne that was designated for her. Sitting down, she examined and observed the other attendees and their titles. The first one she carefully analyzed was the Royal Slaughterer. He had a large muscular build and the mask he wore was blotted in blood red. His clothing seemed to signify a certain level of authority, perhaps that of a general in war. A blue officiate garment wrapped tightly around his torso as he crossed his arms. Noticing the girl''s stare, he glared back. ¡°Oh don''t be so mean, you murderous killer.¡± The voice came from the girl''s right, from a man dressed in a casual suit. His mask was framed in roses with musical instruments, writing utensils, and doves. Strangely enough, it was dyed with a blackish hue. His title at the base of his throne read out as the Tormented Lover. The Royal Slaughter grumbled and a sigh could be heard from across him. A man sat directly left of Laica wistfully looked at the killer. He wore pure coloured martial art robes and had a gentle demeanor. ¡°I miss the days when you were friendly.¡± Immediately, an invisible force rushed from the gaze of the slaughterer and attacked the robed man. However, a barrier appeared and bounced the pressure right off. ¡°Tsk.¡± Ignoring the killer, the gentle person smiled at Laica. He had a friendly and reassuring tone when speaking. ¡°Don''t mind him, he''s just cranky from having withdrawals. We appear to be unable to hurt each other in this sanctified space after all.¡± Curious, Laica quickly took a gander at his title. It was spelled out as Sword Memoralia. The art displayed on his mask was a simple picture of a single sword. ¡®Friend!¡¯ Laica thought to herself, relieved to find that some of the people here were accommodating. Soon, many others began entering through their respective doors. Noticing this, Laica peered around at her surroundings. Each door was similar to her own, albeit much different as well. While her entrance was plain and smooth, the other ones were decorated with sculpted events. Each one seemed to correlate with an important piece of history pertaining to the person. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. She analyzed the decor that was strewn upon the Royal Slaughterer¡¯s door. It displayed a bulky man wielding an ax, slashing it through multiple people. The expression found on the face of this man demonstrated pure ecstasy. Unnerved by this, the girl decided to check out a different door. Behind her on the left was the Sword Memoralia¡¯s entrance. A man performing a series of actions with a sword was carved into the marble. Following each step unveiled a final expression which exuded a sense of tranquility as the man embraced the sword to his chest. As the girl finished contemplating the symbolic significance behind the two doors, all the thrones finally had owners sitting atop each one. Once the attendees had settled down, a man and woman approached from nowhere to the center of the circle. The woman wore a black dress decorated in starry veiling which covered her dark violet hair. Her partner on the other hand, was completely draped in a shadow veil. She looked at Laica and smiled. It was a strange smile, however, it did not feel uncomfortable. It emanated a similar feeling to the Sword Memoralia yet different altogether. Regardless, she shook off the odd emotion and began to pay attention to what the woman was going to say. ¡°I see we have finally all gathered here today.¡± ¡°And where exactly is¡­ here?¡± Questioned the Tormented Lover. ¡°King¡¯s Court.¡± She replied About a quarter of the attendees appeared visibly shocked and confused, including Laica herself. ¡°It seems some of you may not have the required knowledge of this special place, so as the host, I shall perform the service of explaining it to all of you in due time.¡± In a bowing motion, she continued. ¡°First and foremost, I¡¯d like to congratulate you all for qualifying as King Candidates. As you know, the current king has been missing for the past few centuries. Even we do not know where he has gone, this world must continue. So, as the two left-hand men of the previous king, we have invoked the sacred ritual of crowning the next ruler.¡± ¡°Why now of all times?¡± A man who bore a mask of a lopsided scale asked. He wore a judge-like robe and beneath him was the title, Corrupt Judge. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Only in this time period have there been enough candidates to perform a crowning selection, am I correct, Concealer?¡± Another person responded. ¡°Correct indeed, Historifics.¡± Replied the hostess. Glancing at Historifics, his beige mask merely exhibited a pocket watch plastered onto a book. Thinking nothing of it, Laica continued to pay attention. The veiled woman smiled to herself and truthfully spoke out once more. ¡°We began this process some decades after we couldn''t find the king but there have never been enough candidates alive in the same era.¡± ¡®Alive?¡¯ Laica wondered. ¡°Ya must¡¯a killed ¡®em all, ya dirty slaughterer haha!¡± A young male voice boisterously jeered at the Royal Slaughterer. It stemmed from a man wearing peasant rags and a mask depicting various faces of differing emotions. Sometimes they were sad, other times they were happy. ¡°I would have killed you too if you weren''t so¡­ odd.¡± Replied the killer, somewhat disgusted. ¡°Aw, ya should¡¯a just not missed your swings. I could¡¯a been dead by now if ya didn''t.¡± The psychotic person now slumped back into his seat as if he was extremely sad. ¡°That''s enough bickering, Hysterical Serf, Royal Slaughterer. I have a question for Miss Concealer, how did we qualify as candidates?¡± This time, a woman in a red dress asked. Her mask displayed a simple smile. The inscription beneath her then spelled out, Sweet Tooth. Happy to answer any questions, the Concealer quickly replied with, ¡°The King¡¯s Court measures one¡¯s potential to create change.¡± ¡°Change?¡± ¡°Correct, the King¡¯s Court bases the selection process by what is most needed in the current times. During this era of¡­ nothing, I suppose that¡¯s what you could call it, a king that brings about great change will be necessary. This means, regardless of how many Marks of Mastery you attain, the King¡¯s Court requires one to have potential in change before candidacy.¡± ¡®Marks of Mastery? Wiseman didn''t teach me about that. Perhaps something to do with the efficiency of a concept?¡¯ Laica questioned to herself. The second host then shot a glance toward the Concealer. He tapped on his wrist and she nodded back. ¡°It appears we must abruptly conclude our question phase as we have run out of time. Ah, one final thing, beware of the Ruler Spirit.¡± The hostess then took a step back and allowed her partner to present himself. He had a raspy and stern tone and spoke with whispers. ¡°We will be watching over all of you during this process. You shall be summoned when the first cull takes place.¡± And with a wave of the Concealer¡¯s hand, a large curtain enveloped and spun around the centre of the grand hall. It spread upward to the air and bloomed into the surroundings, covering each candidate throne. Ch. 5 Awake Confused by the situation, Laica observed the curtains. They completely covered her and the throne, spinning at a moderate speed. As the dark violet fabric slowed their spinning, they lifted into the air. At the origin of these curtains was a large eye that stared downward upon all of the candidates. The drapes then spiraled into its pupil and a cube floated in the air, replacing where the previous hosts had stood. Darkness settled in the room, and a bright spotlight shone on the cube, displaying its peerless black surface. A second spotlight then beamed onto Laica, blinking from candidate to candidate in a clockwise rotation. Watching this phenomenon, she quickly realized that the Sword Memoralia was no longer seated by her side and was instead sitting a couple thrones more to the left. The new candidate appearing next to her was known as the Monster King. She had beast-like fangs carved into her mask and a makeshift fur outfit. The spotlight continued to blink from person to person, exponentially increasing its speed. While the secondary light spun, so did the cube at the centre. ¡®Dice?¡¯ Laica thought. Soon, the light had already done a full lap of the candidates and the die began slowing down. Once it''s momentum had halted, a simple diagram glowed golden upon each side. It depicted a rain cloud washing over monsters and beasts. ¡°Shit¡± The Monster King had cursed beneath her breath and Laica felt uneasy about what was about to unfold. Once the dice had been rolled, the secondary light had also begun losing its speed. The light shone onto the candidate seated right of Laica, then it ticked on her, and finally landed on the Monster King. ¡°Hey, Sword Memo, let¡¯s have a ceasefi-¡± ¡°Denied.¡± Laica was shocked by how abruptly the Sword Memoralia had shut down her request. ¡®I thought he was a kind person, perhaps there is a reason?¡¯ Flustered, the Monster King quickly looked around and attempted to wrestle a deal with Sweet Tooth. ¡°Sweet Tooth, c¡¯mon, let¡¯s make a deal.¡± ¡°And what sort of deal would I want to have with the likes of you?¡± ¡°The monsters under me will stop attacking your beautiful dream.¡± Laica then connected the dots in her head. ¡®Monsters under her? Does she control the monsters? Then the rain on the dice must signify the blood rain I saw with Wiseman before. But I thought it only affected those who weren''t monsters already¡­¡¯ As she continued contemplating the matter, the smile on Sweet Tooth¡¯s mask appeared to be growing wider. With her legs crossed and a hand lifted to her cheek, she scornfully looked at the Monster King. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°How ¡®bout a will-infused contract? We don¡¯t even have to meet, I can leave it somewhere for you to pick it up. Please!¡± ¡°No, let¡¯s meet. Alone. You better come to the Dream District soon or you can kiss toodle-oo to those precious monsters of yours.¡± The Monster King sulked into her seat and thought about the deal. No other voices echoed, just the silent frustrations of a defeated beast. ¡°... Fine!¡± ¡®She sounds like she''s crying. I thought she was the Monster King¡­ not an embarrassment. Poor Monster King.¡¯ ¡°Pffft¡­hahaha!¡± Sudden laughter then bursted into the court. It stemmed from the Hysterical Serf who had been clutching his stomach. ¡°I¡¯d never thought I¡¯d live to see the day that THE Monster King would be such an embarrassment to her title, haha!¡± Soon, more laughter ensued from other candidates. However, not everyone was elated by the unfortunate situation of the Monster King. Some were still confused and dazed by what had occurred, including Laica herself. ¡®What would have happened if the dice had landed on me instead?¡¯ As she continued to ruminate, the spotlights began widening to fill the entire room with bright light. It became more and more blinding as Laica forcibly shut her eyes in defence against the shining rays. Moments later, the light finally faded. Opening her eyes carefully, an unfamiliar ceiling flooded into perspective. Laica quickly sat up and surveyed her new surroundings. She appeared to be inside a library of sorts with rows of bookshelves lining the sides of the room. At the centre, was a marble countertop where a librarian would normally be stationed. However, considering that the reception table had cracks in its material, no one had likely worked in this library for years. Recognizing the abandoned state of the building, Laica wondered if Wiseman had discarded her as well. Standing up from the bench, she did a few stretches, satisfying her stiff muscles after resting on the uncomfortable wooden seat. Looking past the reception desk, a grand set of stairs could be seen branching into the second floor. ¡®Hopefully Wiseman hasn''t abandoned me already, I have to ask him about what a King¡¯s Court even is! Perhaps he''ll be on the upper floor.¡¯ She quickly made way for the stairs and upon entering the second floor, an overwhelming sensation sprouted within her. Compared to the main floor, the building appeared much larger than Laica had originally thought. Hundreds of bookshelves towering several meters lay in front of her with multiple piles of tomes and books strewn everywhere. In the distance, movements could be heard as something shifted erratically within a pile of books. Curious, Laica silently stepped closer toward the source of the noise. As she stealthily approached the small hill of tomes and was about to remove the first layer of books, a whisper pricked her ears. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Hey!¡± Wiseman sharply chirped at Laica and motioned for her to join him behind a different pile of texts nearby. ¡°I see you¡¯ve awoken finally, young lady.¡± Nodding in agreement, she then pointed toward the shaking miniature hill questionably. ¡°Ah, well, you see, a key infused with my willpower is trapped beneath those pieces of literature.¡± ¡°What?¡± she spoke innocently. He sighs and explains, ¡°I feel the utmost shame in having to tell anyone this, but as of currently, my powers are quite pathetic.¡± Hesitating to explain further, the animated key continued to thump beneath the layers of books. Wiseman looked at the visibly confused young girl and questioned whether he could trust her. Then suddenly, Laica cheered and sprung both arms upward. ¡°It''s okay old man, I think your powers are neat!¡± For the first time in decades, perhaps even centuries, Wiseman felt a warmth in his core. A signal that let him know, ¡®I can trust this young one.¡¯ With a warm smile, he calmly began explaining what the key truly was. ¡°As you may know, my concept is knowledge. It is capable of imparting pieces of information to me using my willpower. What do you think happens when I request knowledge outside of what I can handle?¡± ¡®He says that his powers are pathetic and now he''s asking what happens when he overdoes it? Did his concept absorb too much willpower from poor Wiseman?¡¯ While Laica connected the pieces of information, the old man continued. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can assume, my concept has indeed taken something away from me. What that exactly is¡­ lies with the key stuck beneath that pile of tomes.¡± ¡°Let''s quickly grab it then!¡± said Laica in a somewhat cheerful manner. ¡°If only it were that easy, the little bugger can fly. In fact, it''s been evading me this whole time and I was only able to get it stuck under there through sheer luck.¡± As the two quietly stared at the books trapping their objective, Laica suddenly recalled an important detail. ¡°Ah! What about my ability?¡± With a dumbfounded expression, Wiseman looked back at her and began laughing. ¡°Ha ha! How did I not think of that? Go on, try it out.¡± ¡°But Wiseman¡­ how do I even use it?¡± Recalling that he hadn''t taught her under the best circumstances, he reevaluated what needed to be understood about activating conceptual abilities. ¡°Now that you have created an ability from your concept, you must figure out its activation method. For example, thirsting for knowledge allows me to activate one of my abilities. Everyone has a different activation for each ability they possess, try to recall what you felt when you had paralyzed those two monsters.¡± As Laica perused her memories, she could remember an overwhelming sense of dread pouring into her being and the need to expunge it to something else. However, alongside this feeling was also a desperation so strong that it had felt like she would have died if she hadn''t used her ability. Slowly, she attempted to reenact these feelings. The dreadful emotion of feeling nonexistent washed over her with ease, however, there was a lack of desperation. Her ability had partially activated, causing only a mere tingly feeling in her body. ¡°Old man¡­ I''m not sure I can do it again¡­ I don''t feel desperate enough?¡± Her head hung gloomily. ¡°Desperation? Ah, I see. You had automatically used your ability due to a fight or flight response. Here, try using this to substitute that desperation requirement.¡± Understanding the issue at hand, he handed her the cane that was previously owned by the egg monster. Wiseman had been temporarily using it as a walking stick for himself. ¡°My cane!!¡± she said while gleaming at the walking aid. ¡°Ohoho, I didn''t realize you had taken such a liking to the stick young lady. In any case, it''s a good thing that you favour the cane, most conceptualizers have a medium of sorts alongside activation methods.¡± ¡°Then don''t you need this cane too, old man?¡± Hugging it tightly, it was clear that she did not want to give it up. Chuckling, he replied, ¡°I said ¡®most¡¯ have one, I do not require it as my entire body is a medium for activating abilities.¡± Relieved that she wouldn''t have to give up her beloved cane, she began the second attempt at using her ability. Pointing the cane at the literature stacked onto the key, a wave of numbing static oozed into the air. As it enveloped the messy stack of books, the erratic thumping paused. ¡°Aha! It appears that you''ve succeeded! Once this is over, let''s come up with a name for your ability together.¡± Laica nodded in agreement with a blank expression. Concerned, Wiseman mentally took note of her emotions for later and moved forward with the plan. He closed in on his target, believing that the key was experiencing a similar reaction as the monsters they previously encountered. Stretching an arm out, a faint blue glow wrapped around it. In order to protect himself from the girl¡¯s power, he had to use his willpower as a shield against the numbingness. Pushing his hand into the distorted air, he could feel his will being drained the longer he was exposed. Surprisingly, the young girl¡¯s ability had potential to permeate or shred through one¡¯s willpower. Adapting to this, he quickly reinforced the faint blue aura with more energy and rummaged through the pieces of literature. He soon uncovered the key, it was limp and bronze coloured. A wave of relief washed over him as he finally reunited with the key. Laica lowered her cane and rushed beside Wiseman. ¡°So what happens now that you have the key?¡± she spoke like a curious child. ¡°This.¡± Next to the pair, a door framed with a blue aura suddenly appeared with a large keyhole at its centre. ¡°Woah¡­¡± Wiseman stared at the odd door nostalgically and spoke softly, ¡°I must pass this trial presented to me now.¡± ¡°Can I come with you?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, you cannot.¡± Laica paused and pondered on why he had rejected her request. ¡°... Are you abandoning me?¡± Looking at the girl¡¯s frightened expression, he promptly reassured her. ¡°Oh heavens no. I¡¯ll be back very shortly, however, if this door disappears¡­ then you should leave as well.¡± As he stepped in closer to the door, he looked back at the young girl that he had survived through a life or death experience with. An awry smile was plastered onto his face, still hesitating to insert the key into the door. She had a worried expression, tears bubbling into her eyes and a large frown. Seeing this, Wiseman was determined to return as soon as possible. ¡°Don''t worry lass, I shall certainly return!¡± Twisting the key into the door, it opened and rapid winds pulled at the hem of his clothing and roared throughout the library. However, before he entered the frame, one last shout could be heard. ¡°Come back fast! I have a lot of questions! I also found out my name is Laica!!¡± The elderly man grinned. ¡°Found¡­? I suppose we have much to discuss when I am back, see you soon Laica!¡± And with that, the old man allowed the vicious winds to propel himself into the door.