Late afternoon, June 9
The Seagull
The ferry's fare was cheap.
Kai sat in his chair in a room, looking out at the sea through the small round glass window.
In front of him lay pages after pages of information on the Pokemon and Harry Potter World. Combined with the things he had got to know from the Thunder Faction, he now had a pretty good idea about these two worlds.
The Soul Points he had gotten from three 3rd-floor Contestants were so low that Kai dared not even think about them lest it would bring out his rage. All they had given him were 600 Mission Credits, and the return of the Title - Murderer.
By the morning, Kai had boarded Seagull, along with a depressed Meg, who did not know what had happened last night. Still, she was a shrewd woman, and Kai had an inkling that she had guessed some things after dealing with her abnormal state.
No wonder I got all the details so thoroughly, and so soon, Kai reflected. Suddenly he remembered the look of extreme fear on Morning Mist’s face while passing the notes. I can acutely sense fear… Why did she fake a fearful appearance?
This woman… troubled Kai.
As he looked at the high and low waves and a flock of Pokemon flying far into the horizon, Kai recalled the things that had happened after coming to the Pokemon World. His Snake Instinct's Proficiency had risen to 95% because of all the continuous activation in the last week. Fear Absorption had reached 75%. But the least growth had occurred to Twin-Saber Style, reaching 80%.
It happened when I used White Serpent for the first time, Kai recalled. Reasonable, I guess. If swinging swords could increase Proficiencies, then everybody would have possessed them by now.
It also made Kai solidify his guess even more. He needed a good battle. His Snake-Instinct and Twin-Saber Style depended too much on it, including the Slither Footsteps Ability.
Yet, the most welcoming change had happened to a Title.
Kai brought out the last notification about it.
…
[
Your Title status is updated…
Title: Poacher
Specification: Kill 10 magical beasts collectively. The magical beast’s grade must be equal to or higher than Contestant's equivalent floor number
Status: (7/10)
Effect: Agility +1, Perception +1, Charisma -2
Note: Only 1 Title can be equipped at a time
]
…
He had certainly killed over 5 Pokemon, Kai knew.
For the Status to rise by only 5 points, there could be only one reason. Some of the Pokemon's grades were lower than his equivalent floor number. So the System didn't count them as his Kills.
That's OK too, Kai nodded to himself. I am positive I can get this Title before going back to Alto Mare.
-Food.-
A hiss made Kai snap his head back.
Perched on the bed was Selene, her hood raised high and her forked tongue flicking up and down.
This was the thing Kai had been worried about when he had gotten to know the Milestone. He knew Selene would need more food of better quality after upgrading, that's why he had specifically gone after Ross and his Pokemon.
-I am hungry,- she hissed again.
-You just ate, Selene. We have little magical flesh left,- Kai hissed.
-I want to hunt. I smell food.-
Face hard, Kai told her again what he had been telling her since yesterday. -You can't.-
Selene puffed, yawning, showing her long, venomous fangs.
It all seemed like an exasperated sigh to Kai. He looked at her as she went over to the corner where on a plate were a few meatballs. They didn't seem to appease her as much as they once used to after she had tasted the Pokemon.
Kai looked at her in pure fascination, and in purer… horror.
Yes. Horror beyond imagination. For he could see things now that he couldn't when she was smaller. His eyes landed on her left eye. It didn't seem as harmless as before to him. Now that she had grown, he could make out infinite patterns within that eye that seemed to change as she moved.
Kai clenched his fists as he found those hideous patterns matching that of the Door he had seen in his Blood Prophecy.
Even the eye itself was beyond something Kai could look at for long.
One time it looked caved in, depthless, like a deep yellow chasm full of weird geometrical shapes that felt alive. Other times it seemed to bulge out like a telescope as if someone was on the other side looking hard at his magnified face.
Then there was her right eye.
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The illusions of hundreds of worms wriggling inside that black abyss had turned out to be the reality.
Kai looked into both of her eyes, not knowing what to do with her. One thought told him to just flung her away into the ocean and be done with her. Other thoughts told him to stuff her with more power first and see what would happen.
Of course, that other thought had generated because of Kai's curiosity, and her new Stats.
…
[
Beast: Ghost Serpent (magical beast)
Grade: E+ (growth)
Type: Unknown
HP: 110
MP: 190
SP: 110
Attributes-
Strength: 9
Agility: 14
Stamina: 11
Perception: 17
Correspondence: 19
Breath: 11
Abilities-
1. Intangibility
2. Soul Chill
Skills-
1. Ghost Neurotoxin
2. Earth Vibration Sense
]
…
With only one battle, Selene had gained 6 Attribute Points.
However, this wasn’t what attracted Kai to her the most. Despite retaining her Abilities and Skills, her nature had changed.
Unknown!
Ghost Serpent’s Type seemed to scream in Kai’s mind, sending a shiver running down his spine.
She was 2 ft long now; of the same length as he had seen in his Prophecy. That meant things were happening according to how they were meant to happen. Now, Kai couldn't have that, could he?
The one thing I don't understand is why in the hell I would chant unknown words, Kai thought, seeing Selene swallowing a meatball. I am not stupid.
Kai knew himself, and that's why the knowledge of his future self doing something that stupid struck him the hardest. Will I be forced? he asked himself. Who can force me to do something like that? If no one can force me, then… then will I do it voluntarily?
Yet, the most troublesome thought that kept him awake at night was something else entirely.
What will happen when I get that paper and the time comes to chant the things written over it? Kai asked himself for the hundredth time. The future is subjected to change as per my actions; the Blood Prophecy Stats have warned me. But if I were to decide to not chant those words, what will happen to my past self? Will it get that abnormal Elite Ability? Will it get the 50 points of Worth Stat? And what would happen to Selene's past self?
The questions made even Kai run his hands through his hair. He took pride in his knowledge regarding beasts, but this had nothing to do with them.
A Paradox.
That's what it was, and Kai, for the first time, didn't have any idea where to begin.
Or… if there was ever a beginning to this chain of events.
*
*
Morning, June 10
The Seagull
Something was odd about Meg.
It wasn't the first time Kai had this thought. He had been brooding over it for the last week. He thought about it from all angles, always coming to the same conclusion.
Something was disturbingly odd about Meg.
With his chair pointed towards the small window, Kai sat there in deep contemplation. In his hands was the False Wand he had obtained from Arlen. Despite visiting the Harry Potter Random World, now twice, he still had not gotten his hands on the Ability required to operate it.
Petyr was lying on the bed, going through the information which Meg had shared with him. When Kai looked at him, he turned his head to look back.
"You should throw it in the ocean," the Character said, smiling. "What's the point of having it if you can't use it?"
Kai frowned. He looked at the wand and the Stats hovering above it.
…
[
Item: Coreless Wand
Grade: Common
Specification: A false wand lacking a core
Requirement: Elementary Magical Aptitude
Attributes: Length - 10 inches, Wood - Mahogany
Skill: Magic Duplication
Effect:
1. Contestants can use it to duplicate the effect of genuine Wands
2. After casting Spell/-s of 200 MP collectively, goes in Cooldown of 1 minute
Warning: Casting high-level Spells can damage the Item
Quality: 76%
]
…
Kai couldn't help but agree with Petyr.
"Are you still thinking about her?" Petyr asked, sitting up and straightening his small hair.
Kai nodded. Staying quiet had helped him, but the moment he opened his mouth, the hissing came back like an old friend whom he didn't like at all.
"Let's not think about it in our usual way," Petyr mumbled, standing up. "Let's think about what she lacks and not about what's odd about her."
Kai snapped his head towards Petyr as the character paced within the small room. Has he found something? he wondered, knowing well Petyr would have never brought up the matter otherwise.
"What has she done in the last week, pray tell me, my lord?" Petyr asked, and when Kai opened his mouth to speak, the Character chuckled, cutting Kai off. "Oh, never mind. I can't understand you, anyway. Hear me out."
Kai too stood up, sending the False Wand back to his Inventory.
"Nothing," Petyr declared. "She has done nothing. If it was another 3rd-floor Contestant in her place, what would they have done? Certainly not keeping themselves in the room. Arlen is the strongest 3rd-floor Contestant we know, my lord. Can you guess the difference between Meg and him?"
Kai's eyes widened. Yes. Meg wasn't as strong as Arlen, but with her Abilities and Pokemon, she was near. Then she had the experience. Too much experience for a mere 3rd-floor Contestant. Yet, she lacked one thing.
"Greed…" Kai forced out the word, smothering the hiss.
Petyr’s brows rose and then he nodded. "Greed and ambition," he said, completing Kai's words. "She lacks both these things one can expect from a lower floor Contestants."
Then Kai frowned.
Petyr guffawed, knowing well what his evil master was thinking about. "Why did she go after Order’s Contestants and asked you to help her? This was also the thing that had puzzled me the most," he agreed. "But it's also the easiest to explain. The reason is… you."
Kai’s hazel pupils shuddered.
"Your very existence gives birth to curiosity, my lord," Petyr said. "The way you analyzed her Abilities, and the strange nightly events that followed your departure. Then there is the mysterious reason for you playing a mute and the strange vegetative state of your victims. It makes one curious, even if one lacks greed and ambition. She had to know more about you somehow."
Kai went back to the chair and sat down, tapping his fingers on the chair's arms.
Selene hissed menacingly, sensing his emotions. He knew if Petyr had decided to share these things with him, then he already had a plan.
Kai’s eyes became two reptilian slits as if following an instinct.
Petyr approached his master, crouching down to Kai's ears from behind. Then the Herald of Chaos whispered his plan.
But some whispers were better left unheard.