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.
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.