A dull ache pulsed into Dos' temples as the world swam back to focus. His eyelids twitched as he opened his eyes, his senses sluggishly returned.
'Where am I?'
An unfamiliar scenery warmed his sight. The warm light emanating from a luxurious chandelier filled him with serene, washing off the dreary landscape of the barren hill from before.
The ceiling adorned with ornaments of gold calmed his thoughts. He was no longer in survival mode.
His tiny body was all healed but the indescribable pain from landing etched in his head, hunting him with pain from time to time.
Bits and pieces of what happened flickered in his mind like a broken reel—voices, flashes of movement, the sharp sting of pain—until he finally opened his eyes.
'I just killed a person,' Dos recalled.
Despite being in the dark of what truly happened, Dos knew that the blood and mashed bits of flesh from when he landed was Dos'.
Nonetheless, he firmed his mind.
'I have survived, and that's what matters.'
He has survived.
He didn't know how much time had passed since then. He was now locked in the four walls of a crib - golden in material.
'I can perceive colors better now?'Dos pondered seeing the colors he perceived.
'It must be because of the system notifications I received earlier'
He recalled receiving several notifications before passing out. As he couldn't do anything at the moment anyway, he called out for the system.
[You have killed Dos Calinga]
[Congratulations! You are the 10th person to complete the mission!]
[Transferring of Role will now commence…]
[New role obtained]
[Role: Extra 001 —> Dos Calinga]
[You have survived!]
[A skill has been obtained from the stolen role: Sword Mastery (D)]
[Congratulations! You are the first to steal a role]
["Skill Coupon" has been awarded]
[A new rule has been unlocked]
[A new rule has been unlocked]
[A new rule has been unlocked]
[A new rule has been unlocked]
….
..
[You have survived the prologue. A minor system update is awarded]
[You may now access your Status Window]
Dos was bombarded with incessant notifications. He was skimming through it when another notification resounded.
[Scenario 2 will commence in a minute]
It was the start of scenario 2.
'I do not remember much about the novel but I think it is about time that we get to be baptized', he pondered.
The events from the novel he read years ago were blurry in his mind. He planned to write whatever he could remember once his tiny body could.
'For now let me scroll through the rules', Dos brushed off the "Skill Coupon" and hastily slid through the rules section.
A set of rules unlocked were unfolded,
[Unlocked Rules
General:
1.The plotline will proceed as intended.
2.The number of survivors in an event is predetermined. The characters involved have to fight for a slot to survive.
3.Characters not involved in the main scenario (off-scenario) may go about their lives freely, otherwise, characters are required/forced to fulfill their part in the main plotline.
6.Characters may steal or switch roles by killing the current holder of the desired role.
11.If more than half of the characters involved figure out the rules, then it shall be publicized, otherwise it will be exclusive to those who figured it out.
Personal (Exclusive):
7.Killing or stealing a role grants the corresponding skill of the targeted role.
14.A bountiful reward will be granted for achieving any "First" milestone.]
The rules were divided into general and personally unlocked rules.
'I have two exclusive rules. This can be my advantage'
General rules were rules unlocked and available to all the transmigrators for viewing. While personal rules are exclusive only to oneself.
Dos checked out the rules one by one.
'For rule 1, it is right that the plot went as intended with only ten survivors and they all act up according to the plot if I remember it correctly. Banaur has always been powerful since birth. However, I have survived and stolen a role which is not the same as the plot, then…'
Dos mulled over, grasping the unlocked rules.
'I guess only the number of survivors, their actions, and the plot are fixed but who will play a role can be changed.'
He then scrolled through the exclusive rules.
Since he was the only one to have killed someone, the corresponding findings supplemented his rules unlocked.
'So at the moment, only I know that killing others will give you their skills. But the rewards for achieving any first milestone… I have to monopolize it.', he was amused with the significance of these rules.
Each could be a game-changer yet he had two of them.
Calling for his status window, a new screen filled his sight.
[Status Window
Role: Dos Calinga
Skill/s: Sword Mastery (D)
Rewards: Skill Coupon
>Rules
>Kills]
The kill section allowed him to rewatch his killing. Dos put it off as the scenario entered his mind again. He had no habit of replaying such scenarios in his mind.
He closed the system and then gazed at the countdown to the 2nd scenario.
[Remaining time before scenario 2: 5 seconds]
With only 5 seconds remaining, he let the warmth of the light caress his tiny body. His back softly pressing against the foam with a hound toy beside him.
'It looks bad', Dos commented on the toy
It was big, almost the size of his head, and was outright hideous with veins bulging its ripped-off head. Its body was disoriented in a torturous manner.
'Is this even a toy?'
At last, the countdown ended.
[Now Commencing]
[Scenario 2: The Baptism
Mission: None
Characters: Banuar Calingan, Dos, Sadiri…. 7 other Calinga brothers
Survivors: 10]
Unlike before, the scenario didn't have a mission attached to it. The survivors were equal to the number of characters.
'So it will be a safe scenario?', Dos presumed
The creaking of the door echoed in the small room. A bulky person draped with steel silver armor covering his torso, peeked through the crib.
Threads of white hair screams his age along with wrinkles looming around his face that exuded intimidation. His fiery eyes scanned Dos from head to toe and after nodding in satisfaction to his neatness, the old man placed a bronze brooch around Dos' neck.
He then pulled the newborn out of the crib, getting off the room right after.
Dos watched himself being carried by the old man, his head touching the latter's chest covered in silver armor.
'I think I'm gonna fall', Dos worried about his safety
Aside from the old man's wrinkled face, his sight loitered at the bright ceiling until at last, when the door creaked open, the old man bowed his head and entered the new room.
"Now everyone is here, headmaster.", a gentle voice of a man resounded in the room.
The silence was loud with everyone waiting for the headmaster's words. He who spoke less, gazed at the 10 newborn before him.
Nine of which were held by their respective trainers. Dissatisfaction loomed in his face as he momentarily gazed upon them.
He didn't spare them any ounce of attention anymore. His hunter eyes locked on the newborn that was kneeling before him.
It was Banuar, his 10th son.
While others lie comfortably in their trainers' arms, Banuar was even acquainted with the proper manners.
"I, Banuar.", Banuar spoke, his small voice carried dignity and power - unusual for a one-day-old baby.
"HA-HA-HA-HA-HA", akin to a thunder rumbling, the headmaster laughed wildly with the talent demonstrated by Banuar.
His voice was deep and resonant. It was over-bearing.
Since the day he built the Calinga family, it was only this time that such a talent appeared. It was even close to himself.
"Great, someone finally carried my blood for real this time!", the headmaster spoke more words than usual, displaying his elation over this newfound talent.
Pulling himself from his seat, his tall figure of 210 centimeters was unearthed. His compact and denser muscles emanated a strong physique. His appearance itself was nothing noteworthy but to these powerhouse who could discern through his aura, kneeling in submission was the only reaction.
'Being one of the 3 people in the entire continent to reach the level of Sword King, the headmaster himself is one of the strongest in the continent.', Dos recalled the description of the headmaster in the novel
Sword wielders are divided into several ranks: sword novice, sword apprentice, sword warrior, sword knight, sword specialist, swordmaster, sword grandmaster, sword king, and finally sword saint.
Sword Saints were a mythical figure and only Banuar was mentioned to have reached such a level.
The headmaster then unsheathed his sword. Drawing an arc that chills the air and cuts the light of the sun, a looming shadow befell on the area.
The day ended with the draw of the sword. The silence was deep and the shadow of the night was endless.
A single entity shone darker than the night. Wherever the tip went, chaos followed. The night grew deeper until nothing no longer existed and finally, the night ended.
The room regained its light as the baptism ended.
To end their family's baptism, the headmaster uttered.
"Under the gaze of the eternal night, I bless your hunt. Take their crowns, claim their lives, and let your legend be carved in crimson and fear. By the edge of darkness and the whispers of the void, I bless you. Let your strikes be swift, your judgment merciless, and your hunt unending."
"The heads of the unworthy are ours to take. Let their blood mark our path, and may our blade never dull in its purpose.", the others hymned.
The Calinga family - the family of headhunters.
They, who hunt at night, were feared throughout the continent.
The hymn marked the end of the baptism. Immediately right after bowing their heads, the trainers took the newborns with them, walking out of the room. Their lips tight and their eyes ablaze.
From here onward, the newborns were under their care…
'If I'm not mistaken, after baptism, they were sent to the training house… shit', recalling the harsh training that the newborns had to endure, Dos cleared his throat in repetition.
'3 years, I only have to endure for 3 years', he steel his resolve to persist through the training. His survival was at stake.
[You have completed the scenario 2]
[A slight increase in strength has been awarded]
[Scenario 3 will commence in 3 years]
….
..
Under the starry night, the worn-out little body of Dos laid in his untidy and hard crib. Heaving for air, his lethargic eyes drew elation at the translucent screen before him.
[You have used your skill coupon]
….