493 Black
Calm. The Emotion that had made him bury his perpetual wrath.
Calm. The Emotion that had made him remember the value of friends.
Calm. The Emotion that had made him trust. Again.
Calm. The Emotion that had made him… feel love.
"Is there no other option?" Kai asked, opening his eyes. "What about anger, rage, and passion?"
[Your rage would have sufficed. The last time I had sensed it, it was blazing like a volcano. Now it is a mere pouch of cold ash. I can't use it as an ingredient. It must be Calm. You know it.]
"What are you so worried about, Doc?!" the Cartoonist asked, now wearing a swimmer's glasses out of nowhere. "HE did say it's temporary. Death can't lie, you know. Haha!"
[…]
"…" There was some sense in it, though. Kai had to accept it.
The Homunculus created in such a way was almost like a Shadow Clone from Naruto World, if not exactly the same. Was there any difference between the two Shadow Clones? No. The only difference was that Kai's "shadow clone" wouldn't disappear. As long as Kai remained alive, it would do so as well. The opposite wasn't true, of course.
"Do it." Kai nodded. "But first… Tell me how to take the Cartoonist with me?"
"No!" the Cartoonist screamed. "Death, don't!"
[Haha!] That voice sounded pleased. [If you can complete my task within your Mission's time, then I will let you know.]
"You!"
Kai ignored the Cartoonist's outraged squeaks. There might be instances in these conversations where Death withheld some information. Kai was sure of it. Still, not for once he believed he was anything but a sword for Death. Just a weapon to do His dirty work.
That was good enough for the peace of Kai's mind. He didn't mind being a weapon. Not when it was he who would gain the most benefits. It was only being forced into playing a Pawn that went against his beliefs.
"OK."
And the call got cut with a beep.
Kai put the telephone handset back and looked to his right. A massive storm was building up over the ocean, marching toward the white beach with rumbling rhythms.
The might of the dark storm sent shivers running down Kai's spine.
Death. HE had arrived.
All things lost colors. The happiness, if the sand and ocean had it, disappeared. Hope lost. Eternal darkness claimed the world.
And, in this darkness, Kai heard the call. No. He sensed it like a tug at his heart.
[Body…]
Kai had no physical body. It didn't save him from feeling the excruciating pain, though.
It was as if his flesh was leaving him, torn apart by bare hands, claws digging in, kissing his bones.
[Soul…]
What Kai expected was something more than pain.
What he got, instead, was the sense of incredible loss. A part of him left him, plucked away from him like a flower.
[Mind…]
Calm… left him. The Emotion, which Kai Stormborn had accumulated in over 1000 years of meditation.
The emotion, which someone with only his mind, his genius, could accumulate.
Feeling like an abandoned child, from the corner of his eyes, Kai noticed the Cartoonist seated on his Beach Chair, pulling on his rabbit ears. The man was feeling even worse than Kai himself, it seemed.
[Haha! My Scion, it's time to return.]
Then everything went dark.
*
*
Kai opened his eyes, and the whiteness welcomed him.
He had come here again. After so many years.
The White Hall.
Kai looked around him and then looked down. He was seated on a chair, dressed the same as the time before he had left for Island X. When he looked up, he found the white screen hovering midair. Blank.
Kai immediately brought forward his Stats. Yes. There it was.
His Advance Selfless Breathing Proficiency had fallen to 40% from 50%. Other than that, there were no changes.
[[Congratulations, Candidate Kai Stormborn]]
The voices felt both familiar and foreign. Kai sat straight, clenching his jaw in irritation and apprehension. If the Systems were to sense the Paradox caused by his presence here, then he might not even get the chance to go to the Boundary this time.
However, it seemed, if there was misfortune involved somewhere in his life, it had already passed.
[[
You have successfully cleared the 3rd Stage of the Tournament of Worth.
A commendable feat.
Please receive your reward...
]]
Please? Kai frowned upon that word. It wasn't the Systems' style to say Please.
Yet, no thought could prevent Kai from jumping off the chair and walking toward the platform, rising in front of the screen.
On the enormous platform, there was a black coffin, black fog rippling around it; from it. Kai controlled his breath and paused near the platform, marveling at the sight of this beautiful creation.
He ran his hand over the coffin and noticed a sign near the top.
It was the sign of the Deathly Hallows.
And then Kai's eyes lit up.
Yes, the Coffin itself was the Item, holding the Homunculus within it.
[
Item: Black
Grade: Common (Growth)
Specification: Black is…
Error!
Error!!
Specification: NA
Requirement:
1. The…
Error!
Error!!
Requirement: NA
Attributes:
1. Unkn…
Error!
Error!!
Attributes: NA
Skill: The Artificer
Skill's Effect:
1. Black can exchange Kai Stormborn's any Ability, Skill, Titles, or Abstract and Ethereal Concepts like emotions, experiences, and thoughts
2. Black can exchange only one concept at a time
3. During the time of holding the exchanged concept, Kai Stormborn will not have access to the same
4. Effects, if any, of the exchanged concept will apply to Black, not Kai Stormborn
5. Black can grant any concept that belongs solely to it to Kai Stormborn. This includes accumulated experiences, but not physical changes
WARNING:
1. Black must be granted a part of Kai Stormborn's consciousness to come into being
2. Black's Source is the same as Kai Stormborn's Source
3. Black's Attributes will remain 20% lower than Kai Stormborn's
4. Black's Grade is dictated by Kai Stormborn's Set
….
….
Error!
Error!!
WARNING: Black is Calm
]
Sweat had drenched Kai's back.
No. Let's go through the Stats once again. Kai dismissed the Stats and brought them out again.
No. Still the same.
A profound silence fell over Kai. For a long time, he just looked at Black's Stats.
His heart boomed in elation.
This was it. The answer. Black was the solution to all problems.
All the time I delayed consuming Black Spider Lily because it made me vulnerable in the sunlight, Kai thought, the tips of his fingers trembling. Now, though… I can just transfer it to him… No, transfer to me, the Homunculus, as it don't have any concept of genes, to begin with.
It wasn't like he couldn't see the Errors. And it wasn't like he couldn't see the Warnings. Nor was it like he couldn't see the name of the Skill - The Artificer.
Kai ignored them.
Sometimes… No. More often than not, Power came at a cost. It was just a matter of if the price was worth paying or not. Were the Benefits outweighing the Risks?
And if they did, then there was no reason to not laugh.
"Hahaha!" Kai laughed. He laughed as he had never in these last hundreds of years. "Life. Death. Black. White. I am fucking alive! Hahaha!!!"
With one sweep of his hand, the Coffin vanished.
[[
Kai Stormborn.
You have cleared the Tournament of Worth. Your current ranking is:
Blood Demon - 1st
Please accept your rewards:
1. Title: The-One-Who-Survived
2. Glitch —
*****************
AN: Break Tomorrow
I hope those who have been on the verge of exploding regarding Kai's Calm, now got an idea that it isn't the case after seeing Black's Stats. Seriously, have some patience peeps. Haha! [Kidding, me didn't have any either... :p ]
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