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Especially, for those who were considering supporting me and the Fanfic, you will be getting a 50% discount effectively immediately. Just check out the post for details.
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Chapter Begins:
Tuesday, 30 July 1991
11:00 pm
England
Lilith flailed like a yellow banner across Kai's shoulders amid the storm.
A wild, dark thunderstorm had overtaken the sky, bolts of lightning cracking white and blue. Regardless of the vastness of the storm, the rumbling thunder failed to bury the overwhelming sound of waves crashing against the rocks jutting out of the cliff.
Kai adjusted the hood over his face, his hazel eyes looking into the sea's rippling dark sheet.
For the last hour, he had been waiting to encounter a World-ending Tsunami - the Pokemon Timeline's Retribution. It still hadn't shown any sign of its existence, though.
Item-M and Red Sun shared a glance behind Kai.
Behind them, Item-S stood straight in her Spawn's appearance, her red cloak flapping against the gusts of wind. She observed her fellow Items hesitating and shook her head. Muscles squirmed as she crouched and jumped over Item-M and Red Sun to land near Kai.
"Master," she said, standing straight next to the Demon King. "We are losing time."
Kai frowned.
After the Set Assimilation raising the Mission Difficulty to C+, he had yet to encounter the Timeline's Retribution. Kai would rather find the power behind it himself than the tsunami appearing out of nowhere during a mission.
Still, if it didn't show up, then there was nothing he could do about it.
"Sigh!" Kai let out a breath, the storm overpowering his voice. "Let's do it." He turned around and nodded at Item-M.
Red Sun licked the raindrops and poked Item-M's elbow with his knee as she crouched.
The Ex-Priestess of the Temple of Hastur had her original appearance, with red, curly hair and brown eyes. "Touch me…" she said, not looking up. "… Come on. Do it again."
Red Sun's mouth twitched. "… No." He took a furtive look at Kai, who was talking with Item-S, and sat down near Item-M. For a moment, he watched as she prepared the ingredients for the ritual. "Will it work?" he asked, not able to hold himself back. "I mean… you know it's kinda… impossible, no?"
Item-M, of course, knew what Red Sun was talking about.
Unlike Milestones, which were vastly centered around historical Timeline events across the Multiverse, and even Side Missions, Hidden Missions had no set condition behind their appearances during a Main Mission.
Moreover, there were Hidden Missions which were outright impossible to attempt, much less complete in the Random Worlds.
- Seal the Nine-Tailed Fox in Naruto without causing any divergence in Timeline
Item-M recalled one such Impossible Hidden Mission known to Contestants. It wasn't that hard to deal with the beginning part, she knew. But to seal the Tailed Beast without causing any divergence in Timeline was utterly impossible.
Because… doing that… was the same as becoming the Fourth Hokage and Naruto's father, Minato Namikaze.
It didn't come as a surprise that the few Contestants who were offered these Hidden Missions by the Systems outright rejected them. Not only they would be banging their heads against the impossible, but it could also affect their Main Mission.
Not to mention, a Hidden Mission's Difficulty was a touch, or in a few cases - a full grade, higher than the Main Mission.
Only a fool would even think of triggering such a Hidden Mission.
"You went to get the Milestone, too, right?" Item-M asked Red Sun, grinning ear to ear. "What happened? Where's your Milestone?"
Red Sun went silent. He again licked his lips, but he dared not look at Kai anymore.
Yes. Impossible. So many impossible things had been becoming possible since the moment he had become a member of the White Serpent Pirates. Since he had come under the service of a…
… Glitched Contestant!
Red Sun remembered the details regarding the Milestone Kai had shared with them.
…
[
Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn
You have achieved a Milestone
…
Milestone: Witness Darcie Lucius Malfoy receiving her Acceptance Letter
Milestone Rewards: Intelligence +3, Charisma +3, Luck +1
]
…
"I still can't believe it…" Red Sun mumbled under the roaring thunder, half talking to Item-M and half to himself. "How could Darcie… I mean, Master replace the Main Character of a Random World? It just doesn't make sense…"
Item-M scoffed.
She looked at Kai's tall back and secretly blushed before regaining her composure. "You are mistaking one thing, rookie," she jested. "It's the Anomaly who has replaced the Main Character, not the Master. Or have you forgotten why Anomalies are called Anomalies?
"Have you never wondered if there's already a Prime Providence offered by the Timeline to the Main Character, then why does it also have a Supreme Providence?! Tch! Such a rookie mistake…"
Red Sun's lips twitched again. "You know, in my opinion," he said, standing up, "it's better to be a rookie than a hundred-year-old virgin…"
…
A loud boom echoed across the little island.
Kai and Item-S were talking about her mental state, the Ad Infinitum trying to bypass the constraints of her Blessing, when they both frowned and looked in the same direction.
"It's like you can't leave them alone for a second…" Item-S commented, her black muscles squirming on her face.
Kai chuckled wryly. "Do they remind you of someone?"
"Yes," Item-S answered. "They remind me of children."
"Haha!"
Kai walked toward the ritual, ignoring the loud blasts occurring overhead, and closed his eyes. Item-S' eyes glowed green as she followed him.
And then, under the loud booms and rumbles, he hissed.
…
- The Eternal Architect of Demise -
- The Sinister Forger of Mortal Fates -
- The Ancient Weaver of Inevitable Ends -
…
DEATH's epithets slithered into the world's seams.
Kai's Instincts roared as the Ad Infinitum began processing with all of its might, trying to make sense of what was happening around him.
In Kai's vision, a black veil, as vast as the world itself, enshrouded the sky, falling and falling…
Then, it was over.
Crack!
In a tattered, black-hooded cloak, the Lord of Azkaban, Ekrizdis, apparated in front of Kai.
As if following a cue, both Kai and the Inferi pulled their hoods back simultaneously, revealing their faces.
One was the most charming man one could have ever hoped to see. Despite all his beliefs, experiences, and goals, this one thing hadn't changed about Kai.
Moreover, his Charisma was soaring as of late, affecting the in-world Characters in his presence more and more.
On the other side was a rotten being. His skin was pale white, patches of rot scattered across his face and bald head.
As if following another cue, both Kai and the Horcrux twisted their necks, cracking the bones.
"We meet again," Ekrizdis said, showing his teeth from his ripped cheeks. "Lord Yellow Warlock."
"Lord Ekrizdis," Kai nodded, smiling.
"What is it this time?" the Inferi asked, his voice raspy.
"A few things," Kai replied. "First, another batch of humans…"
"Again!" Ekrizdis growled. "I have… caught hundreds of them… The Order's dogs are pursuing me wherever I go…"
Kai almost rolled his eyes. "So what of it?" He shrugged his shoulders. "Perfect results need countless experiments."
"Results…" Ekrizdis tasted the word, remembering what was hidden under the Cunestune's land. "Hahaha…" he couldn't hold back a laugh. "Very well. One hundred. No more."
Kai ignored the no more comment. "Second, Gellert Grindelwald."
Ekrizdis scoffed. "Another ambitious, old fool," he remarked. "I will think about it. It's… troublesome."
Kai again ignored the second half of the Inferi's reply. "Third, I need you to kidnap a certain… wizard and keep him out of Dumbledore's reach for a day."
The Lord of Azkaban frowned, narrowing his worm-filled yellow eyes. - I am not your puppet! - he hissed.
Kai looked into Ekrizdis' eyes.
Crack!
White bolts of lightning tore through the sky.
Crackkkk!!
Yellow bolts of lightning slithered around Kai, the ends of his short, white hair burning hideously, black and yellow.
- Puppet or not, - Kai hissed, grinning ear to ear. - You will do it. -
Ekrizdis licked his lips, a long tongue slithering out of his mouth. He rubbed the wood of his wand under his robes. His ears kept twitching, hearing the hisses of Death.
"Name."
Kai looked toward his left as if he could see an unnamed island with a hut on it. "In about an hour, over there," he said, looking back at the Inferi. "You might not have heard of him. His name is…
"… Rubeus Hagrid."
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AN: Over 28 chapters are available on Patre0n now at the same price.
Mass Release Goal Progress: 85%...