The Blood Essence of Blue-tailed Boa Constrictor gave Kai two Skills.

First was the Light Neurotoxin which had already shown its deadly potential many times to Kai, letting him poison his enemies both instantaneously and with a delayed effect if he wanted to.

Now was the time to use the second one.

…

[

Skill Heat Sense Activated

Time Limit: 30 Seconds

…

Skill: Heat Sense

Grade: E

Specification: Grant Contestants the ability to sense heat and chemicals

Requirement: 2 MP per second

Attributes: Skill-Zone — 10 meter radius

Effect: Form Thermal Profiles of all the targets within the Skill-Zone

]

…

Everything seemed to have come alive to Kai.

He could see them now. Three distinct figures, radiating yellow-red-blue heat. Two were standing over three arms apart and were still distancing themselves from each other.

The third hovered above them; barely 2 ft tall, but colder than both men.

Kai could taste the Pokemon at the tip of his tongue.

He could feel strength abandoning him. The damage caused by the Shadow Ball was nothing to be scoffed at, bringing his HP regeneration down by 20%. If it wasn’t for his sabers and armor taking the greatest brunt of the attack, then he would already be in the direst state.

So, when Kai heard the man giving another order to the Pokemon, he knew it was now or never.

Hissssss!

Air sizzled and hissed as Kai slithered into the darkness and descended on Sai with both his sabers outstretched.

"How…" The sudden appearance spooked Sai so much that words got caught in his throat and made him stumble back.

Twin-Saber Style…

Kai’s slitted eyes narrows as he gritted his teeth and jerked his hands, making him fall like a bladed tornado.

… Kiss of the Giant Serpent!

There was such strength behind the two slashes that the sabers broke the bones before they could even enter the flesh.

Two screeching noises drowned Sai's scream, and the serpent's kiss cut his entire body into three parts.

…

[

You have killed 1 Order's Contestant

…

Elementary Twin-Saber Style: Proficiency 46% (+6%)

]

…

Kai melted back into darkness, leaving the corpse's pieces for the filth.

"Sai!" Grim shouted at nothing; at no one. "Sai! what happened?! Misdreavus, did you see something? Can you find Sai?!"

"Misss…"

There was a fear in the beast's voice too.

This Grim is no less devious, Kai reflected. The Pokemon is actually his, but he let that Sai guy give the orders, making anyone listening think it was Sai who was the owner. Hmm… Killing him outright would be a waste…

Kai put the sabers back into the Inventory and slithered behind Grim like a wraith.

"Who's there?!" the man barked, his Perception roaring, feeling the danger. "Misdreavus… Use Tack…"

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Kai scoffed. He made a fist and planted it into Grim's ribs with such a force that the man’s feet lifted off the filth.

Crunch!

"Ahhhhhhh!" the man howled. "Misdreavus! He's here! Tackle…"

When the Pokemon came charging like a bullet, Kai had already melted away. The beast couldn’t stop the charge and smashed itself into Grim.

"Cough!"

Kai heard him coughing and knew the game was already over.

"It's… me!" Grim roared, his breath broken. "Misdreavus, it's me! Go away!"

The Pokemon retreated, but Kai returned. Punches, kicks, and then more punches followed by screams after screams.

Kai's eyes became round, but the Pokemon never returned. He reached for the Grim's throat and lifted him. When Kai brought the man near his face, Grim let out another whimpering shriek.

Kai's face was covered in blood and filth. Even the white of his eyes had gained dense red veins. Blood was seeping out from the corner of his eyes. But that wasn't the reason for the shriek.

It was Kai! It was Danger itself!

Kai's face was expressionless, his eyes dead, and his lips shut in a thin line. Make a move, his face seemed to say, and die!

"Misssss!" the beast roared, sensing the peril of its master, and came charging at Kai.

"Call it back," Kai finally said, tightening his fingers around Grim's throat. "Now."

Grim was choking under Kai's grip, but somehow he took the Pokeball out of his Inventory. A blue ray hit the crazed beast and both the Pokemon and Pokeball vanished.

Only then did Kai let out a grin. "Well, well, my friend!" he hissed, taking off Grim's mask. "How about a friendly chat, huh?"

…

Kai brought Grim to the sewers' entrance near the Tower of Hand.

He didn't have any hope of gaining an Item from Sai, so he exchanged his treasure chest for remuneration of 120 Mission Credits.

"Where are you taking me?" Grim asked, walking meekly in front of Kai. "What are you going to do with me?"

Kai didn't reply. When he made sure he was in the right place, he made Grim kneel with a sharp kick at the back of his knee.

Kai took out one of his sabers and pressed it against Grim's neck. The black cold steel made the man shiver with desperate fear.

"No, please!" Grim begged. "Please, don't kill me. I will do anything you want."

"Haha!" Kai chuckled. "That you will do, I know. But I want answers, and for every lie, I will cut out a piece of you." The calm in his voice was enough to make one believe he wasn't bluffing.

Grim gulped.

"How did you find out my location?" Kai asked.

"We… We…" Grim stammered. "We didn't know. I just let Misdreavus roam freely. It suddenly entered the sewers and we didn’t think much about it."

Does he take me for a fool?! Kai's nostrils flared in anger. He lifted the saber, and with a clean slash, cut off Grim's right ear.

Blood trickled and a scream followed it.

Grim cursed, holding the right side of his face as his ear vanished under the filth beneath their feet.

"Don't lie to me again," Kai said coolly. "You only have one more ear."

"I DIDN'T LIE!" Grim bellowed, half in pain and half in anger.

There was no way to make sure if the man was lying or not. But Kai knew from experience that Grim’s scream wasn’t that of a liar’s. How can this be?! So was it just a coincidence? Then…

Then Kai recalled something he had missed.

Luck affects mission rewards, random encounters, and triggering of missions...

Kai's face gained the ugliest texture. Random Encounter! he thought, his lips twisting with realization. It was my goddamn Luck!

It took Kai some time to take control over his emotions. He had rarely been so angry with himself. "Tell me everything about Pokemon World," Kai demanded. "All the details on Pokemon and how to get them."

"Huh?" Grim grimaced painfully. "Pokemon world? I have never been to Pokemon World."

"That's it, motherfucker!" Kai spat, lifting the saber.

"NO!" Grim turned around, shouting, pleading with his hands. "I am not lying! Why don't you believe me?!"

"You are not lying? Humph!" Kai snorted, narrowing his eyes. "Then how did you get the acknowledgment for Elementary Pokemon Trainer?"

To use the Pokeball, one needed the Elementary Pokemon Trainer Ability, Kai knew, and like other Abilities, one could get it through acknowledgment in its respective world.

"You are right," Grim said, licking the blood reaching his mouth. "You need acknowledgment for that Ability. But not from the in-world Characters."

"Huh? Not from characters?" Kai confusingly repeated. It was making little sense to him.

Grim nodded. "It's the Pokemon who acknowledges you," he continued. "The Pokemon's acknowledgment is all you need to get the Ability."

Wonderful! Kai's eyes widened in excitement. "Take it out," he ordered. "Take out your Pokemon and let it acknowledge me."

"It won't work," Grim replied, his knees slipping over the filth. "All pokemon can only acknowledge two masters. There are organizations in Order which give a pokemon to all Contestants upon joining. These Pokemon already have a master. So… you see. I am the second master of Misdreavus."

Kai’s shot daggers at the kneeled man. He wanted nothing but to kill this useless piece of shit then. However, he also remembered what had happened last time when he had killed a Contestant with pokemon.

The beast had vanished and when he had taken out the Pokeball as a reward, there wasn't any pokemon within it.

I can't make that mistake again, Kai reminded himself, a creepy, demonic smile surfacing across his lips. If I can't have the Pokemon, then there is another way.

Grim the sudden appearance of the evil grin and shivered.

"It's OK," Kai hissed, tapping Grim's cheek with the saber. "Don't worry, I won't kill you. Take out your Pokemon. Anything funny, and you will lose your another ear… and more. I promise."

Kai had shown Sai's mutilated corpse to Grim before coming. The image of that would linger in Grim's mind, he knew.

The man took out the red and white Pokeball and pressed the button. A blue ray escaped out of it, outlining a blurry shape. The beast materialized soon after that.

"Missss!" it roared, sensing its master peril.

"No, Misdreavus," Grim cried, putting both his hands up. "Stay. I am alright."

"Misss?"

Kai felt amused seeing the conversation. Futile attachments! he rebuked.

"Go on then," Kai calmly commanded. "Make it come to me slowly."

Kai had been losing too much blood during the fight. So he hadn't gotten the time to look at the notification. But he still remembered seeing a glimpse of it.

Just as the pokemon neared within 3 meters of Kai, it appeared again, shining dull-gray in his hazel eyes.

…

[

Beast Proximity: 3 meters

Glitch Condition matched

Contestant Kai Stormborn is qualified to awaken his Glitch

Do you want to awaken it now?

]

…

The evil grin on Kai’s face widened. “Yes…”