When Nox begrudgingly promised not to run through the front door as soon as he saw an opening, Claude led him up to the second floor of the house into a neatly organized study.
Natural light filtering through the windows, outlining the modern furnishings and rows of books placed in alphabetical order on white bookshelves.
Nox ran a hand over the pristine spines, casually picked one out and flipped through the pages. To his disappointment, the contents were just as dry as its title. "The Geological Layers of Earth- The Core of Our World. Why would you buy something like this?" He waved the book in Claude's direction to get the other's attention.
Claude used to have a habit of picking up the strangest hobbies, but he didn't expect the other to get into geology.
The taller man took the book and placed it back on the bookshelf. "That's my father's."
Oh.
Well, that made more sense.
Nox could vaguely recall a tall, stubborn looking man with graying hair and an impressive scowling face that would make little kids cry.
"Then this house belongs to your parents? When did you come back?"
"I got back a week before the Eclipse."
"Did you awaken your ability overseas?"
Suddenly disappearing off the face of the earth, only to come back here right as the unnatural events began to occur.
Nox remembered the startling amount of accidents that week he faced his first trial- an unnaturally high rate of deaths were reported, although he hadn't thought much of it at the time. And later he had been preoccupied with Roxanne; it was the last thing on his mind.
Claude made a nonchalant noise in response, focused on the object he placed on the desk situated in the middle of the study.
"What's this?" Nox wandered over, peering over Claude's shoulder at the ancient-looking parchment spread out on the desk's semi-clean surface, having pushed aside the other contents clustering the top.
The wired pen cup wobbled precariously on the edge, saved by Nox just as it tipped over the edge. He used it as a paperweight to press down a curled corner.
Claude replied, "Something that will be useful."
A map of their country filled up the entire parchment. The edges were frayed and worn with time.
"...!" Nox started as blue dots began to glow on the map, slowly one by one until roughly a dozen spots were lit up. "This is-"
Claude pointed to an empty space near a glowing dot. "This is where we are. And here," he moved his finger to the dot, "is where a trial has opened up."
Nox fell silent, studying the map with scrutiny. "There are only this many?"
"Presently."
The light blue lights pulsed softly, reinforcing their presence. Nox traced a finger over the map, coming to a stop where Z City would be, south of B City. Two lights glowed brighter under his touch. "... I still think I need to get back." He couldn't stay without confirming for himself that Roxanne was still alive and kicking.
Although she would probably laugh in his face if he told her so.
To learn the truth of this world- no doubt, following Claude would give him somewhere to start climbing. Seeing the items the taller man had in his possession, he would be stupid to turn down his offer. Yet...
Claude leaned against the edge of the desk and crossed his arms, his sleeves rolled up to reveal firm forearms. "Even after what I just said?"
"I never said I would take your words into consideration," Nox rolled his eyes.
Right, he couldn't forgive what the wolf-eyed bastard did in the past. Even if they shared what they knew now, who wouldn't say the situation could change?
He was still at a disadvantage here.
The taller man fell silent, staring out the large window in the study. From here, there was a clear view of the ocean lining B City.
The whole thing was too peaceful for Nox's liking.
"What happened in the seven days I was in that trial?"
Claude shifted his weight, leaning back more. "The world came to know what chaos is."
Nox didn't know if the other man was being purposefully vague or if there were just no words to explain what had occurred.
Seeing the look of pondering confusion on Nox's face, Claude sighed and launched into a short explanation.
Most people who didn't make it into a safety zone finished their trials within one or two days, unlike Nox's group who took a week to clear theirs.
The Chaos Contract Nox acquired was what gave people abilities; no two abilities were alike, save for some exceptions. After entering a trial, not everyone could acquire a Chaos Contract, but they all had a status screen and had the ability to use skills and items.
There were already a number of organizations starting to form, including a prominent one in B City known as Arcadia. Some of the bigger groups required people to give some form of payment in return for supplies and protection.
"Making people pay right now is like blind robbery," Nox commented dryly.
The only thing that could be exchanged in the current setting would be basic supplies like food and water and weapons.
Everything else would not hold any value to those organizations.
Claude grunted, either in agreement or in annoyance that he had been interrupted. "Trials are split into two main types. One transports a person to a different place, the other happens in the real world at a specific location."
Nox thought about the first trial he had entered with Claude's little sister, Lei. When he had gotten out, hours had already passed by. That trial had taken place before the world fully 'merged,' after all.
"In my last trial, we met something called a Seed." Nox swiveled on the comfy desk chair as he asked the question, resting his arms on the backrest.
"Yes." There was a hint of steel in Claude's voice as his jaw tensed. "They aren't supposed to appear so fast."
Nox frowned, "Your ability as a prophet- how far does it let you see into the future?"
Claude replied, "The future is always changing. What I see might happen, and it might not. This ability isn't as omniscient as it seems." He paused, continuing, "Serpents will soon play a role in all of this. You'll see what they are capable of then."
Nox bit his lip, eyes scanning the parchment again. "Did you ever see a gray haired woman in your visions?" He recalled the image of the woman floating over the burning wreckage of Z City. "She can make things explode."
And if he guessed right, that woman had been a Serpent.
Some unknown emotion flickered past Claude's expression briefly. "Tell me more."
Nox quickly explained everything that occurred to him since the start of the Eclipse, adding on the visions he saw when facing the colossal tree monster the Seed morphed into.
Claude's face grew darker as Nox's explanation continued.
When Nox finished, Claude let out a long exhale and ran a hand through his hair. "What's changed about our world after the Eclipse is an addition known as Chaos energy. It's what allows us to use abilities and skills."
Nox stared at Claude blankly. "Why isn't it just called 'magic' then?"
Magic and ability levels were leveled up separately according to their status screen, so there had to be a difference somewhere.
"Because the nature of this energy is chaotic. It's different from magic because everyone can use magic, but not everyone can use Chaos energy." Claude abruptly changed the direction of the conversation, "Lei mentioned that you had an Overseer in your first trial."
"Yes," Nox nodded, taking in the other's words. "A man with a cat head. He called himself Hui."
"I had an Overseer named Ramu. Half ram." There was no light in his eyes as he spoke of his Overseer, clearing displeased with the experience. "He was an annoying bastard but he had a chatty nature."
Nox quickly understood what he implied.
"I see."
As he suspected, Overseers knew what was going on with their world.
No, it should be that they knew why this was happening.
Claude had been lucky enough to have an Overseer that willingly spilled the beans to the ignorant humans.
He scrutinized the taller man as he lounged on the plush black study chair, leaning back to make room for his long legs. "Tell me what's the most important thing I need to survive in this world then, oh Great Prophet."
"A source of hatred."
"... Really?"
"That was a joke."
"Your jokes aren't funny."
"Better than your trash humor."
Nox argued, "Not enough people appreciate dark humor."
Claude gave him a deadpan stare.
'… He's really not funny.' Nox sighed internally.
***
"I want to go."
"No."
"You're holding me hostage?"
"You're just being temporarily detained."
The trio hiding in the corner peeked their heads out, watching the two men fight.
If Nox and Claude looked over right now, they would see three pairs of eyes staring at them as if they were a particularly entertaining show.
"Didn't Uncle curse at Brother? Why are they being so casual now?" Lei wondered, watching her brother show an uncharacteristic amount of annoyance as he tried to convince Nox to stay.
She made sure to keep her voice low, although her brother could hear her easily if he wanted to.
Li Zemin failed to hold back a snort, "That generation gap makes Nox seem like an old man."
The purple haired teenager turned to him solemnly, "Uncle Li, that means you're old too."
"You little shit," Li Zemin whispered, knocking a fist on the top of her head. "Liam, are you okay down there?"
Fluffy blonde hair bobbed up and down as Liam nodded, squatting on the ground with his hands curled on top of his knees.
Roscoe disappeared somewhere again, doubtlessly digging around in where he shouldn't.
"Mister seems tired still."
Li Zemin sighed helplessly, "That guy doesn't know how to take care of himself." His comment was met by another round of arguing. "Why can't Nox just walk through the door?"
Lei had a devil-like grin on her face as she replied, "Brother has a territory item to prevent anyone from going out of the house. Thief's Barrier. Whoever enters our house can't leave without Brother's permission."
Liam asked tentatively, "What happens if they do leave?"
Lei blinked. "Ah? They can't leave. Brother's too strong not to notice something like that."
Liam pressed his small hands together uncertainly now, glancing around for his companion.
A reassuring hand rested on his shoulder.
Liam glanced up to see Li Zemin's friendly smile. "Don't worry, I'm pretty sure I saw Roscoe digging through the silverware drawer in the kitchen." The fat raccoon had grabbed a handful of silverware and shoved it towards the air, making it instantaneously disappear.
"Well, there's no point in waiting another two days if I'm going to heal anyway," Nox glowered as he repeated his argument. Dammit, he didn't even realize the door had been blocked when passing it earlier.
Claude stared down at him coldly, taking advantage of the fact that he was taller now. "Fighting with an injured body will only slow you down."
"I won't be convinced until I can hear from Roxanne herself that she's fine."
[Hello?]
Nox, "..."
Claude, "..."
The spying trio, "!"