105 Glitch's Limitation
[Ask.]
The notification appeared as if Kai's all thoughts were written on a paper only Chaos could see. Kai didn't like it. In this windowless room, only his thoughts were of his own. The rest had been taken away from him.
'I can't use my Items,' Kai reflected, an evil grin appearing on his face. 'I can't use my Inventory. I can't use my glitch. But bastard, this time I have got you.'
"I have many questions, Chaos," Kai said, a deep bronze light shining around him. "But the questions won't come from me. You won't mind me using a Skill, right?"
The moment Kai asked that question, a figure walked out of him. He had a neat formal doublet and breeches on him. There was a light stubble on his chin, and his hair was combed perfectly. His eyes were calm, with a slight smile on his face showing his curiosity and amusement.
He was Petyr Baelish.
Kai had used the Primordial Theater to imbue life into the tale. The last two times he had come here to the White Room, not having anything to counter the omnipotence of the System had pained him. So he used the Act Relentless Love and assimilated himself with the character Petyr. It was a chance discovery that he could let Petyr out of him if he would not use the Titan's buff ever.
The only downside to this was that he wouldn't be able to use the buff for some time.
There was an uncanny silence in the White Room. Kai saw Petyr looking around, nodding to himself. No notification came to confront Kai, either. It was like whoever was behind the notifications was too stunned to react.
Kai didn't trust Chaos. No matter how hard it had tried to flatter Kai just now, he just didn't trust this faceless thing. It was all a business. And in business, one only needed to smile until there was a benefit. Once Kai was to outdo his usefulness, what would happen to him? Kai had thought about it many times. The only answer was to show Chaos to not take him lightly.
Then there was Petyr, an awakened memory, words given life.
The Herald of Chaos.
"Petyr, you know what to do," Kai said, bringing the boy's attention to him. He had already made Petyr aware of everything about the Primordial Tower and its working. Character Petyr wasn't an in-world being, Kai knew. There was no such restriction that Kai couldn't tell anything to him. "Get me the answers at the least cost."
"I am not made to do this," Petyr answered slyly. "There are knots within me that restrict me and my thoughts. I can only negotiate two questions for you, I am afraid."
Kai knew what these knots were. It was the Book's grade that was holding Petyr back. But he would have to do what he got for now. "Don't worry about it," he said. "Do it."
Petyr stepped close.
"What is Kai Stormborn ranking in terms of Worth Stat?" Petyr asked.
Kai raised an eyebrow. He had given free rein to Petyr to ask anything that he thought was beneficial to Kai. In other terms, he had given him the charge of handling his Mission Credits. Kai could have asked those questions himself, but then he wouldn't be able to see Chaos' reaction. This question Petyr had asked, was inconsequential, and at one glance, it seemed to tell him nothing, Kai knew.
'Let's see where it's going,' he thought.
The notification appeared sluggish as if it wasn't pleased about this arrangement.
[Price: 50 Mission Credits]
"Done." Kai accepted immediately.
[
Primordial Tower Worth-Stat Ranking
3rd - Blood Demon
]
Kai's eyes shot open.
"Master," Petyr said, looking at Kai. "You see? You aren't that special. There are two Glitches more potent than yours out there."
"Is that why you asked the question?" Kai asked, his eyes squinting.
"No." Petyr chuckled, but his eyes didn't smile. "It was to confirm that the top Contestants in the Primordial Tower most probably already knows about you."
Kai's face paled. 'This… this is true,' he reflected.
"Go on," Kai said, sullenly. "Ask the next one."
Petyr bowed lightly. "What are the privileges given to the 3rd ranked Contestant in this list while ascending the tower?"
'Privileges while ascending?' Kai asked himself, seeing Petyr vanishing. 'Isn't it just killing Contestants and clearing floors one by one?'
As smart as Kai was, the years of senseless murders had forced Kai to only direct his cunning towards manipulating others and taking advantage of situations to survive. And when it came to killing, Kai would never choose another path. It was like accustoming oneself to a product in the market, even though it had a better alternative out there.
Killing just suited Kai. It was as simple as that.
The White Room shuddered. Another notification appeared, slower than the first.
[Price: 500 Mission Credits]
Kai smiled. This price was too low for the things he would get to know from Chaos. "Done," he said again.
[
Privileges available to the 3rd ranked Contestant on the Ranking of Worth-Stat
1. The Contestant can choose to ascend all three floors simultaneously at the beginning of each Set.
2. The Contestant can choose to reincarnate as legendary in-world characters in which case the mission will have no direct objective
3. The Contestant can temporarily switch worlds to complete a side-mission or task using Mission Credits
4. The Contestant can create Side-Missions without acting as the Captain of a team
]
'The Contestant can fuck you in the ass!' Kai fumed visibly, veins popping up like hundreds of red-blue rivers on his body. 'Motherfucker tricked me. It gave me two missions to choose from last time when I could have passed all the three floors with only one.'
And then an even more devastating realization struck him.
The chance was gone.
"Chaos!" Kai shouted, sneering. "I didn't know such a powerful thing as you dwell in tricking mere Contestants."
The notification blinked.
[
Chaos doesn't favor anyone, Contestant Kai Stormborn
You always had the right to question. The right to know. Thinking anything else is just hiding behind your own incompetency.
]
'Well, it changed its tone soon enough,' Kai thought, gritting his teeth. 'It's buttering its words to justify itself. I didn't trust it before, but I didn't hate it, either. My incompetency… I will show you my incompetency one day.'
Kai took a deep breath, burying the anger. There was one more question he needed to ask, like it or not.
"What are my Glitch's limitations?" he asked. The question had been hovering at the back of his mind for a long time. 'There is an obvious limit of three Blood Essences, but then what?' Kai had asked himself. 'Will my Blood Devour never awaken after that?'
If that was true, then Kai knew the next blood essence would become of utmost importance.
[Price: 300 Mission Credits]
"Just take it," Kai said grumpily.
[
Glitch Blood Devour
Limitations:
1. It can store only three Blood Essences at a time
2. The fourth beast can either be used as a pure supplement or you can store it, replacing a previous blood essence. In the latter case, all Elementary Abilities (below 100% Proficiency) and Skills attached to that blood essence will disappear.
3. It can't be updated using Mission Credits
]
Kai stared at the notification. There were many hidden details in it, Kai knew. But he just didn't want to stay a second more in this place.
"Send me to the Primordial Tower," Kai said, almost demanding.
[
Sending Contestant, Kai Stormborn, to the 2nd Floor of the Primordial Tower
Good Luck
]
This time Kai saw the Good Luck.
But the words looked nothing but empty to him.
*********
AN: Big Revelations are coming in this interlude before beginning the next mission. To keep the number of chapters low, I am increasing the word count of these few chapters (around 1400 to 1600 each). Enjoy. Please vote PS to support the work.
