Kai slumped down against the thick trunk of a tree after walking out of the settlement.

Never had he felt so troubled and gladdened about something at the same time. This encounter had made him realize his weakness that stuck out like an extra thumb.

Everyone, Kai thought, gritting his teeth. Everyone in the Primordial Tower is attached to some organization or backed up by one. Information… I lack information about all the things that even the weakest Contestant has access to.

This didn't mean that he would stop becoming a loner. Above all else, Kai cherished his freedom. Why did he want Absolute Power? This was the sole reason.

To do what he desired, whenever he desired, and howsoever he desired.

-Chaos, share my location with Party Member Morning Mist- Kai hissed.

…

[

Sharing Location…

Price deducted: 50 Mission Credits

]

…

-Initiate a Video Call with Morning Mist-

…

[

Initiating Video Call…

Warning: Both distance and time duration will be taken as the measure of the Price

]

…

A video screen appeared in front of Kai.

Meg was standing in some alley, with a bag thrown over her shoulder. Of money, Kai assumed.

"Yes?" - Meg asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kai wrote his answer and showed it to her.

"Meet me tomorrow at 10 pm at the shared location" - the note said.

Kai noticed the sudden tremble in Meg's pupils as she nodded in acceptance.

The Video Call cost him 30 Mission Credits.

"What are you doing?" Petyr asked. "I told you we can use her to get that box. There is no point in killing her."

Kai gave Petyr a deep, contemptuous look.

Yes. Petyr was too shrewd. No denying his cunning surpassed even that of Kai in some areas. But in some matters, Petyr Baelish failed miserably, as Kai found out.

Cersei would have understood my reason for calling Meg instantly, Kai thought. She believes in cunning, but even more in definite actions.

"I… need… Meg," Kai said, taking heavy pauses, his throat muscles bulging out with strain.

"That I know, my lord, but I…"

A murderous glare from Kai shut Petyr up. "Know… your… place…"

Selene came out of Kai and hissed so menacingly that Petyr took many steps back.

The Ghost Serpent slithered around Kai's shoulders. They both had felt the sheer helplessness of that situation being in the presence of Red Sun. Petyr could never understand that feeling, Kai knew.

-I need Meg- Kai hissed, running his hand over Selene's scales. -No. Not her Skills. Not her Abilities, her powers, her knowledge, or her body. I don't need even that damn box.-

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-You need her as you need me, master,- Selene hissed back, kissing Kai's chin with her forked tongue.

Kai's face lit up.

He stared into the serpent's blind eyes as if sensing her intelligence for the first time. A mere beast understood him more than Petyr. This thought made him smile, and then laugh.

-Yes,- Kai hissed, patting Selene's head. -Yes, I need Meg as I need you. That bitch hasn't shared with me even half a percent of her experience, I think. I need her in her entirety, Selene. She would compensate for my lack of joining an organization.-

"How… to tame a… wild horse?" Kai asked, grinning vilely at the Book’s Character.

"You… confront it," Kai answered himself, not waiting for Petyr’s cunning answer. "You don't… sneak up…” He took a deep breath, huffing and puffing. “Fuck… You… don’t sneak up… on it, but… tire it. Make it… realize… its… helplessness. Show it… your… dominance."

It took him time, and words, but finally a smile crept on Petyr's face as he realized his master’s intentions. "Then…"

Kai scoffed. "Then… you… ride… the motherfucker!"

*

*

10:00 pm, June 12

Ilex Forest

The wind reeked of murderous thoughts.

Over a flattened hill within the forest, Kai stood with his hands behind his back.

The Ilex forest was so dense that light could scarcely penetrate the defensive wall of trees' canopies during the day. Much less needed to be said about the layer of dark green blackness that replaced the forest at night.

The wind, yes. It was stronger at this height.

The hill rose above the trees, but not higher. Its flattened top looked like a bulging mound of earth with a radius of some 100 meters. The middle part of this open area was rocky as if there was an enormous boulder embedded into it. As one walked away from the middle, it became grassy and muddy, and some 150 meters away, the trees stood like sentries, giving out the last warning.

Beyond these sentries of trees, was a steep slope.

Kai amused himself with these details as he waited for Meg's arrival.

Not much he had done since the last day. He hadn't gone deep within the forest, either. Just roaming around the boundary and killing some weak Pokemon. They had given him 1 Soul Point, collectively, and a much-needed food supply. For his Title, Poacher, Kai needed some strong Pokemon to kill, and he wouldn't get them before going deep into the forest.

Selene had gone hunting yesterday evening and had just arrived back.

Kai wasn't sure what was the exact criteria for her Kill to be counted as his too. He remembered her killing Heavy Block with her venom. Yet, the System had counted as his Kill Count. But when she killed Pokemon by herself, Kai didn't receive any benefit.

There must be some rules, Kai wondered. But Chaos didn’t answer when I asked of it… Weird…

"She's here," Petyr said, standing a step behind him to his right.

Meg walked out of the trees from the opposite end. There was a grace in her walk, Kai noticed. He also observed her clothing, which seemed to have undergone a bloodier and darker change.

A long black cloak with a chin-high collar, and patterned with small red clouds.

Kai did not know the need for this drastic change in clothing, and he cared even little.

Meg's wild, red hair fluttered loosely behind her as the wind played with them. Her face looked stony and decisive. Beauty oozed out of her wild, brown eyes, but even it couldn’t hide the emotion bubbling off her.

The emotion of looking down on someone.

So… this is her true gaze… Kai thought, sensing the utter air of superiority within her.

Meg stopped some 50 meters away from Kai, with the rocky patch of land just in their middle.

Kai took a step towards her. Just one step. But before he could place his foot on the ground, Selene's head came out of his sole. The part under her head touched the ground, and as Kai's foot pressed, her head went back inside, turning into a puff of silver mist.

The action was so smooth that if Kai wasn't the perpetrator of this action, then even he wouldn't have felt something odd.

Meg narrowed her blue eyes at Petyr but asked nothing.

Now that Kai had met Red Sun, he found it extremely odd. When Morning Mist had first seen Petyr, she too must have not sensed him. Yet, there had been no emotion of utter terror on her face then. It was as if she knew Petyr couldn’t be a higher floor Contestant. Or… even if he was, it didn’t matter to her.

Now that he knew her real identity, Kai believed she had some unknown means to gather info. The tension between them had already reached an unprecedented degree. Kai had an inkling that she knew he had not commanded to come here for any good reason.

"What is it?" Meg demanded.

Petyr walked forward. He bowed towards her and then smiled slyly. "My master has a proposal for you," he said. "A rare benevolent one."

"Master?" Meg smiled. "Captain, I thought you'd come here to get yourself a custom Pokeball. Yet, this worm keeps appearing by your side. What happened to you? Can’t speak for yourself?"

Petyr was wearing his signature black doublet over black breeches.

The Characters from the Book could change their clothing to whatever Kai knew thoroughly. That's why when Kai had got a volunteer's t-shirt in Alto Mare, Cersei had come out of the Book already wearing the same clothing.

To Morning Mist’s surprise, the young Petyr neither blushed nor felt offended by her calling him a worm.

He laughed at Meg's comment. "Where are my manners? Let me introduce us all in a new light," Petyr said, turning sideways. "On my left, we have Red from the 1st Set, also known as the Butcher of the 2nd floor. On my right, we have…

“Priestess Margrethe II of House Ingrid, acting under the orders of the High Priest to kill my master."

With Petyr's every next word, Meg staggered back as if the earth was sliding under her feet.