Artifacts

Stealth was in Kai's bones.

The last two years of his previous life weren't anywhere enough for him to become a master of assassinations. Not when Kai had only himself to rely on; only himself to learn from. But with the help of his Blood Essence, he had successfully bridged the gap of experience. How else he could have survived the wrath of an entire world?

"Mmm…"

The presence of Perception had made Kai warier in this new life of his, though. No matter how nimble and surefooted he was, a Contestant with higher Perception would sense him. Kai knew it. He had seen it happening personally. So he had decided to act fast, the sooner the better.

"Mmm.."

"Damn this smell!" Kai cursed, trying to pinch his nose without hands. "I would have brought a mask if I had known it would smell this bad."

"Mmm… Hmmm…"

"Shut up!" Kai spat. "No one can hear you down here, old man." On his left shoulder, wrapped up in the bedsheets, was Jon Arryn with his mouth gagged with a piece of cloth. From time to time, he was jolting, trying to wriggle himself free from Kai's hold over him. Alas, it was in vain. The only thing the Hand did was to whimper, his shouts becoming nothing but a buzz.

After seeing how Jon Arryn had behaved in front of his wife, Kai had found himself in a bind. He had realized no matter how much he would plead, the Hand would never take precaution against Lysa Arryn. It was a little thing in itself, but for someone like Kai, who had seen people getting killed because of the simplest incaution, it was enough. Yes, enough. Enough to kidnap the very man Kai was tasked with saving.

Even before walking out of Jon Arryn's chamber, Kai had resolved himself for this. The only thing that had deviated, and had almost turned his plan to a failure, was Lysa Arryn's nightly adventure.

"Do you know where your lady wife has gone, my lord?" Kai asked, kicking an enormous rat, making it burst out in bloody pieces. "I had plans to kill her, you know. Just to exclude the possibility of any interference. But when I peeked out of my room, I saw her sneaking out of your chamber. What would you say about that? Was it her luck? Or…"

Kai noticed how Jon Arryn had gone silent at the mention of Lysa Arryn's disappearance. 'He knows!' Kai reflected. 'Tch! And he still believes her. I am finding my decision to kidnap the fool more and more timely.'

Under his right arm, Kai had a book. In the dark, smelly surroundings, its title was impossible to be seen. There was a heavy scowl on Kai's lips. But the moment he thought of the book, a discernible smile appeared on his face, making his eyes gleam with shrewdness.

'Haha!' Kai almost laughed out loud, but the smell made him think better of it. 'Thank god I accidentally put my hand over it. Heh! So even Luck isn't almighty, huh?'

Kai remembered the notification which had popped up, brightening his eyes with a stony-gray color.

[

Congratulations Kai Stormborn on finding an Artifact…

Artifact: The Lineages and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms

]

"Artifact?!" Kai had asked Chaos. The answer of which had cost him 50 Mission Credits.

[

Artifacts are things of unparalleled significance within a random world. They can be anything, from a book to a lock of hair. Artifacts are differentiated from common things by the imprints they have left behind or will leave on their world, turning unnoticeable events into momentous ones. Unlike Items, not all Artifacts have Stats. The Contestants cannot bring such Artifacts out of the random world. Not even using the Miscellaneous Rent Box.

WARNING: An Artifact will be counted as in Contestant's possession, only if you hold it for 1 minute initially, and during your current mission duration no other Contestant gets to hold the same Artifact longer than 30 seconds. Otherwise, you must repossess the Artifact.

]

Another notification had followed the answer then.

[

You have unlocked 1 Title

Title: Novice Collector

Specification: Collect 10 different Artifacts from any random world and timeline.

Status: (1/10)

Effect: Luck +3, Intelligence +3, Breath +3

Note: Only 1 Title can be equipped at a time

]

'I had almost cried,' Kai recalled. 'Three Attributes! Three Points increment! And, luck. My Luck!'

Kai would have killed hundreds if he had to just for 1 point of increment in his Luck. When he saw +3 there, he had almost let out the Demon. The only thing that had saved him from carrying out a bloodbath was his mission.

Kai took a sharp turn and seeing a large enough area devoid of filth, he put the old man there. He slumped down beside Jon Arryn, panting, cursing all the time. After catching his breath, Kai finally took the piece of cloth out of the Hand's mouth.

"YOU!" the old man immediately roared. "How dare you?! Have you no honor?! I trusted you! How… why… how…"

Kai stuffed the cloth back into Jon Arryn's mouth. "Haha!" he laughed, looking into the Hand's horrified eyes. "You trust too much and too soon, my lord. If I wanted to kill you, you would have already died."

That almost made sense to the old man, Kai could tell. Jon Arryn squinted his old eyes at him, and for the first time, stopped whimpering. "Do you know where we are?" Kai asked, pointing with his free hand. "In the sewers."

Jon Arryn wasn't shocked. The retching stench they had been having was enough to guess their location. "We descended from the entrance beside the Tower of Hand," Kai recounted. "I think we are at least out of the castle by now, don't you think? Now, I will take out the piece of cloth again. And I must ask you to act according to your age and status, my lord. OK?"

This time Jon Arryn said nothing but one word. "Why?"

"My lord, you wound me by doubting my actions," Kai said scornfully. "Tell me, what is the first requirement for a successful assassination?"

"Skill, stealth, and experience, of course," Jon Arryn said, after a moment of pause.

"Haha!" Kai laughed, his voice booming off the moist, thick walls. "That is true, but not entirely correct. For a flawless assassination, an assassin must know the location of the target first."

Indeed!

How would they assassinate Jon Arryn, if they wouldn't even know where he is?