3 Save or Kill

Order or Chaos.

Kai dared not answer.

He had seen Order in his last 2 years of life when his eyes and ears weren't clouded. What looked orderly was actually rotten from within. He had also tasted Chaos, a flavor of blood. One drop in the mouth, and one can forget to ever get rid of that sensation. That taste grew over you, consuming senses and thoughts alike.

'You must not make haste, son,' Kai's mother had reminded him. 'A decision in haste is an enemy for life.'

Kai wanted no more lifelong enemies. He only had one, and he had already killed him, blasting him to pieces alongside himself.

But a choice must be made, Kai knew it. "May I know more about it?"

Kai was a killer, not a fool. He did not know who was behind all these voices, or if someone was even there or not. Asking nicely won't make him a lower person. Kai had stooped lower than that. The things he had done to kill hundreds of people were the acts of a cold and cunning killer, not of a proud one.

[[All worlds, imagined or real, consist of both order and chaos. Leaving any of them can bring imbalance in the river of time. Order, as the name suggests, assign missions that are in the favor of this balance. Chaos prefers imbalance. The direct battles of the Tower's floors are the manifestation of the indirect struggles within the random Worlds outside it. Aside from their inherent nature, both Systems work identically. They don't do favorites, neither do they know mercy. In the end, those who are unworthy will be judged the same.]]

'Balance doesn't mean good or evil,' Kai reflected. He did not care about it either, but the lack of data given by the voices troubled him. He knew there was more to it than what was told to him. 'I just don't know what to ask.'

The voices continued, uncaring of Kai's furrowing brows.

[[Before your first transfer to the Primordial Tower, you must undergo an Initiation Mission. By selecting one of the two missions that will be given to you, you can submit your choice. The Initiation Mission is to make you familiarize yourself with your Stats, Abilities, Skills, and general working of future missions. The difficulty setting will be the lowest, and your pain factor will be reduced for free this one time. If you complete the mission within the time limit, then you will be transferred to the Tower, otherwise, your existence will be erased.]]

'Cruel and blunt,' Kai noticed. 'Now it feels more natural.'

The towering hologram disappeared, and rows of blue-colored words materialized in front of Kai. Kai couldn't tell if the words had appeared in his eyes or the room's space. Seeing these words, he even doubted if the hologram of the Tower was real or not.

[

Mission: Assist Thunder Faction in saving the life of Beedle the Bard

Mission Summary: Mr. Beedle, a bard, and a wizard, has completed the book which can alter the course of the future. The book, titled "The Tales of Beedle the Bard", is an anthology telling many strange stories. The book is written in the runic alphabet and enchanted so that none other than the wizard himself can read and make sense of its contents. If he were to die before delivering the book in safe hands, the book will very well rot away without revealing its secrets. Because of the power of Magic, Mr. Beedle must hand over the book personally. The Thunder Faction is tasked to provide a safe passage to the wizard.

Mission Objective: You will be a guard in the unit, where the Captain of the Guard will give you certain tasks which may be counted as part of this mission.

Mission Time Limit: 48 hrs

Mission Difficulty: E-

Mission Hint: You can learn magic in this world.

]

The blue hue of the words rolled in Kai's eyes. He stared at the sentences, reading them over once. The mission seemed simple, the details even simpler. But that hadn't made him doubt what he was reading.

'Beedle the Bard? The Tales of Beedle the Bard? Wizard…?' The words felt familiar to Kai. 'Where have I read them before?'

No matter how much he thought about them, he couldn't find what he was looking for. His childhood had spent learning about what could kill him, and what would keep him safe. That was a long list in itself. Time was slowly returning where children could play outside without losing a limb or two, but not for a Stormborn. There were only three of them, including him. The world couldn't afford to lose the prodigy if he was anything like his parents in the coming future.

So, if there were any thoughts of play and fun in Kai's mind, they died a cruel death under the hands of time and expectations as he grew up.

The blue words faded, and a sudden redness took over their place. Words were words, but Kai felt a ferocity; a ferocity he was familiar with; a ferocity he was fond of.

[

Mission: Kill a Thunder Faction's guard assigned in saving the life of Beedle the Bard

Mission Objective: You must kill at least one guard assigned personally for the safety of Mr. Beedle to loosen their defense.

Mission Time Limit: 48 hrs

Mission Difficulty: E-

Mission Hint: You are not alone

]

This hint left a bitter taste in Kai's mouth. If he were to choose the first one, then it was likely he would get to learn magic, and if he were to choose the second, then the chances of success were high.

But there was one more pressing question.

Which one is issued by the Order, and which one by the Chaos?

***************

AN: If you want to know more about MC's past, why he thinks what he thinks, his power-hungry nature, and convoluted thoughts, then you can read Chapter 325 on Webnovel. It wouldn't effect your pace. Still, I will personally recommend not to do it, even though there aren't much spoilers involved. Reading it at its natural place will be the best. At last, its your choice. [Don't comment spoilers if you happen to read ahead. Thank you.]

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