491 Death's favors and the Price
[A homunculus?]
Death's hushed voice sounded surprised to Kai. Yes. He did want another Kai Stormborn. A Clone. A homunculus. Whatever that could replicate him in his entirety. Only such an Item Kai needed if Death itself was going to forge it.
"Can you do it?" Kai asked, a thrill of anticipation rising in his heart.
"Can he do it?!" the Cartoonist repeated, shocked. "You are speaking to The Artificer, doc. Damn! Do you even know what that means? Nah! You don't. Tch! You should eat carrots, that you should. Keeps the brain active. Like yours truly."
Kai ignored the yapping and waited for the answer.
[I can.] Kai beamed, though no emotion appeared on his face. [But—] Kai's face fell.
[But the ingredients needed to forge a homunculus are demanding, my Scion. Are you sure you want it?]
Was he? Was there any other way? Could he create a homunculus of his own by himself? Perhaps he could. Perhaps he couldn't. All Kai knew was that it would take him an enormous amount of time, and even then, there was no guarantee of creating one.
Moreover, no matter when or how he would create a homunculus, according to the Red Sun and Item-M, such an attempt would always involve a Deep One. And all Deep Ones were the same in Kai's eyes. Well, except The Artificer, who seemed too eager to help him. There was something in that. Kai could feel it. But he could do nothing about it. Not now.
"Don't you have a Glitch?" the Cartoonist asked, chewing something. "Why not make Baldy tell you about creating a Homunculus, eh?"
"Baldy?" Kai couldn't remember anyone who went by this name, and who also knew about Homunculus.
"You don't know Baldy?!" the Cartoonist exclaimed. "White skin, nose missing, and have a serpent as a pet. I think he has some serpent fetish. Yeah. That, or he is short down there."
Voldemort? Kai found it hard to believe. Why would Voldemort have… Wait!
I vote to prepare her for the eventual return of Voldemort first, for we all know what he had stolen that day.
Kai remembered the words Madam Villanelle had said when Darcie had visited the Order of the Immortal Lotus, when they had told him about Voldemort being a candidate for the Indigo Seat in the past, just like Professor Dumbledore.
Kai had asked himself what could the Voldemort have stolen from the Six. It must be something that the Contestants already knew about, as such was the nature of the Multiverse. A hidden detail. Magic or knowledge, looked over by readers, audience, and visitors.
Now… he knew.
[In almost all Timelines, Voldemort gets the recipe for the Homunculus potion from the Order.]
No wonder, Kai nodded inwardly. This is the magic he would later use to create a body for himself, using Harry Potter's blood as one of the ingredients. Though, if I am recalling it right, the magic itself had no such requirements. It was what Voldemort insisted upon using, aiming to cancel out the protection over Harry because of his blood.
[It won't work.]
"Why?" Kai asked.
No reply.
"Why, bro?" the Cartoonist asked.
[That potion is exclusive for the users of Horcruxes.]
Exclusive for the users of Horcruxes? Didn't Death just say that Voldemort got it from… Kai's mind jolted. "You mean…"
[Yes. This Homunculus potion is Herpo the foul's other creation. The members of the Order think that Voldemort betrayed them because he felt they were helping Dumbledore. Only Merlin knows the reason behind it.
[Voldemort had somehow sensed the true nature of Merlin's Staff. It was why he had attacked it, hoping to obtain the knowledge hidden within it. He presumed too much of himself. Merlin's Staff, or the Horcrux, defeated him. But Voldemort did get to learn the Homunculus potion recipe before getting banished from Avalon.]
Kai took a deep breath. "I am sure, then. This is what I want. This is what I need."
[Very well. But first, I must know the nature of favor you want of me, my Scion. It will not be easy contacting me once you have returned.]
Returned… the word stung as much as it kissed Kai. When he died, he had never thought that this moment would come. Kai smiled. "I need two favors."
[No. Only one.]
"Two," Kai repeated, rather sharply. "Or the deal is off."
The Cartoonist gasped on the other side. "You are mad…"
[Don't you want to live, once more?]
"I sure do," Kai admitted. "Still, this place isn't so bad, either."
"No!" the Cartoonist screamed. "It's just another favor, Death! Let him! Consider one of my favors repaid. Anything to make him go!"
A sharp storm raged on the other side of the receiver as if Death had taken successive breaths.
[Very well. Two favors, it is. However, I can't do any favor which would need excessive tampering with the Timelines.]
"I have already considered it," Kai told Him.
Kai knew why Death never even asked how or when he would complete Death's task. There was no choice in it. If he wanted to live, and if he wanted to continue living after gaining Death's Blessing, then he must complete the task, eventually.
[Good. What are they?]
"First, I want an Item that can mask a foreign element's presence in a Timeline, replicating its inherent characteristics or characteristic."
This had been going in Kai's mind for ages. It was just too easy for in-world characters to tell the Contestants apart from them.
For example, in the Harry Potter World, Kai couldn't replicate the ocean-like pool of Mana's presence, available to the wizard and witches. They just had to look at him to know his oddity. It was the same for a Contestant in Naruto World, where Mana got replaced by Chakra.
With Kai's privilege of Switching World, it was the greatest shackle on his freedom.
"Whoa!" the Cartoonist exclaimed. "You are not brainless, doc! You just don't use it all the time. Pity."
[I accept. Upon your return to the Timeline, you will learn my Epithets, using my mark. Chant them, and Sacrifice something equivalent. You will have your Item. I can't cover all the unique abilities of different Timelines. You will need to make do with whatever I come up with.]
"Good enough for me," Kai said. He didn't mention the requirement of Sacrifice. By now, Kai had learned that these Sacrifices were less because of greed and more because of rules. Not that they were needed, but they must be followed.
"Second," Kai began, hoping it would work, "I want you to add a name to Hogwarts' Book of Admittance."
"What are planning to do, doc?" the Cartoonist asked, his tone curious. "Book of Admittance? Isn't that the Book that holds all the names of would-be students of the School?""
It was so, indeed.
The Quill of Acceptance and the Book of Admittance constituted the only process by which students were selected for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was said that no child had ever been admitted to the School whose name had not first been inscribed on the book's yellowing pages.
It was the Book of Admittance, whose sternness in letting the Quill write a potential student's name in itself, kept the Squibs out of the school. And its record was perfect. For those who weren't naturally born wizards and witches, there was just no chance of them being chosen as Hogwarts' students.
Of course, Darcie didn't have such a problem. There was no way her name wasn't in that Book already, or in any such Books, if there were more in other Schools. Still, Kai hadn't asked this favor with Darcie in his mind, to begin with.
[Ah! Haven't gotten the reward, but you are already planning for the future. I admire this preparedness in you, my Scion. This is troublesome, as I will have to add the name in all Timelines. Still, acceptable. It shall be done.]
Kai almost laughed in glee.
"Hey! Someone tell me what has happened!" the Cartoonist shouted, but obviously got ignored.
"Let's do it, then," Kai said, clenching the telephone handset. "What ingredients do you need to create the Homunculus?"
[Hahaha!] Death's sudden laugh smothered the calm smile on Kai's face. [The ingredients are the best, fun part of the potion. You want a Homunculus of yourself, so naturally, the ingredients must come from you as well.]
A deep sense of foreboding fell on Kai's mind. No regrets. It was he who wanted this.
[All creations, no matter Homunculus or natural, consist of three parts, my Scion.]
Did he truly want it? Kai shook away the doubt.
[Body—to create the body…]
Kai balled his left hand into a fist.
[Soul—to create a soul…]
The fist reddened.
[Mind—to create a mind…]
"You…"
[This is the price of what you desire, my Scion. A part of your body, mind, and soul to create your Homunculus; a second you. Are you still willing?]
Kai found himself lacking the words. In the end, he could do nothing but force out, "Tell me more."
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AN: Access up to 21 chapters ahead of WN on Patre0n and Ko-Fi, along with all the chapters to be published.
Mass Release Goal Progress: 30% [See the links in synopsis]
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