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
]
…
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…