Requiem sat atop a chair, leading the carriage with his driver a slave. He had changed into new clothes, made his eyes and washed his face. He had not believed that he, the greatest of all, was now reduced to nothing but a husk of himself. A weak and worthless child beneath human.
"I will first rid myself of this disgrace then build myself back to the one I once was. I will strike to become a monster once again and the world would—" he paused, then chuckled, "—bow before me? I cannot recall, but I feel it — this vague sensation — that I have already achieved it."
The scenery shifted as he sat there, and he found himself transported to a different reality. There was a sense of familiarity in his heart as Requiem stood surrounded by mountains and greenery, the wonder in his eyes immense as he glanced around the beauty of this 'hidden dimension'.
Except for himself, all that existed here was a computer. Just like this dimension, he forgot about the use, and turning it on to realise in addition, its password. The air was clean, cleaner than what he breathed back there. It was like a sterile nourishment for his soul.
⦗Accessed the Spatial Link!⦘
He glared at this screen out of the corner of his eyes, then scoffed, "All that he needed to reclaim what he had lost might be there, staring back into his eyes like the bottom of the abyss." He turned to the side, wondering if whatever he said here would be heard outside.
⦗Day 1, Sign-in — Consume 1 Divine Point (DP)?⦘
This system as explained by the manual was simple — every Destiny Point he earned would get spent at the sign-in of the next day. The more points he can accumulate, the better his chances with gaining a high tier rewards. Rewards were ranked based on rarity (E) — (S).
"Yes."
⦗Signed-in Day 1⦘
⦗Destiny Points 0⦘
⦗Unlocked, Dagger of Poisoning (E)⦘
He paused for a second. Well, items like this could be upgraded with time and he could care less for their use. In all his life, he had never used a dagger to battle and lived and died with his staff and sword — Order (A) and Chaos (A). Their grace was beyond a as generations.
⦗Sign-in for seven consecutive days to unlock, Order (A)⦘
⦗Requirements on the seventh day, DP beyond 100⦘
"Well, shucks." Requiem clicked his tongue. He waved his hand and the dimension faded away to reveal the reality, he was glad to find himself sitting in the same position. He looked around, leaning back as the carriage slowed to a halt. He heard doors unlocking as the others alighting.
The slaves he rescued gathered outside and helped him open the doors to his compartment of the vehicle. After opening the door, they all stepped back and placed a good distance between them and the stone-faced Requiem who turned to the open door, glancing out silently.
He got off the carriage with his driver and they all collapsed to their knees while he remained in his position, gawking at the dominant castle that stood at the end of this road. Its tall spires towered into the heavens, piercing the sky before him and its walls emanated an ancient aura.
Requiem tugged at his collar. Nothing had changed in this rebirth, the world as he knew it was a web of mundane annoyances governed by the noble. In this life and in his past, he was a prince who was deemed unfit to be king because of his love for games — they branded him a child, a fool.
It was the same in this life and in the past, a tale narrated by one slave too many. If he told them that he was the fool of a prince, they would not believe him. They would ask how would a 'prince' be sold off to nobles as a slave? Even in his past life, that was absolute suicide.
That was one thing different in his rebirth — his lost memories. They must have noticed that the foolish prince had finally removed himself from their way by loosing everything and discarded him a second later, donning him the rags of a subhuman. One to be hunted forever as a slave.
He snapped his finger and to the shock of the slaves, a dagger appeared out of thin air. Its blade gleamed in a sharp purple light, and its hilt adorned with masterful and exquisite embroidery. A cold gleam shone in his eyes as he turned to them, "I will hand this blade, a (C) rank to whoever wants it."
The slaves all gawked at him with shock, their eyes gleaming and mouth foaming at the idea. Not a single one here has ever touched a Rank E item much less a Rank C! In the E, D, C, B, A, S ranking of items system — C was lower intermediate, and its power was desired by many.
"Fay, my dearest screamer, stand to your feet and come stand by my side." He glanced into their eyes, his command like a sharp knife that collapsed upon the gathering, butchering their will. After a second, the woman of earlier limped forward, her head bowed and hands sifted.
She stood beside him, two heads taller than he was. She was dressed in raggedier clothing, and a few wounds inflicted on her body were left untreated. Under the fierce gaze of over a hundred slaves and standing beside a heartless demon, her eyes watered up and she felt like breaking down.
"Don't worry, she did not offend me in any way." He turned around to the castle as Fay breathed a heavy sigh of relief, one loud enough that he heard, and smirked in response, "In a few seconds the guards will come to eradicate the threat. Impress Fay with your dagger techniques and be rewarded."
He threw his arms around Fay, "Impressed her with your strength and be granted the power that will be feared by peasant and nobility alike!" he turned around to the slaves, over a dozen who had a level of past training, armed with the slaver's weapons, "I, Requiem, commands you!"
⦗Blessing Active!⦘
The gates opened, and as the first guard stepped out, a arrow whizzed forth and in a blink struck home, lodging itself into his head through the gap in his helmet as blood spurted. The others took an alerted stance, drawing swords and raising shields as a volley of arrows collapsed upon them.
Fay watched as the area descended into a chaotic mess in an instant and only a few slaves knelt back, people like her with no an ounce of battle proficiency. At least she learned to read short words and count to a hundred, and she prayed that granted her even a little level of usefulness.
"Why me…" she asked him, her head bowed as he turned to her with a lifted brow. She turned to the side and when she met his gaze, she retreated it viciously, like a frightened rabbit, continuing her speech with her face turned away, "Why do I get to decide who get power or not?"
Requiem grinned, 'That is the neat part — you don't.' He turned to the fighting before him. There had never been a time where he had to indulge in these mundane activities as a prince. Everyone he faced was inferior in one way or the other but in a virtual environment, every player started equal.
He enjoyed reminding them that the gap of superiority within them mattered little if he started at the same level or far behind. Even today, existing in the husk of his former self, he would remind the fools that had discarded him that the difference between heaven and earth was immense!
⦗Quest: Destroy the Slavers, 1/3⦘
⦗Reward: Destiny Points + 50⦘
'A quest broken into parts?' his brows jumped, 'This would make an interesting massacre.'