An Act (1)

" What? Are you shocked? Isn't my plan the best?"

[ User, are you sure about not taking any action? Could it be that you believe that some divine intervention will save you?]

Flavian snappily replied, " Shut up and just watch my grand plan come to fruition!"

[ It seems that I should keep a lookout for a new user.]

Flavian roared, " Don't jinx me you bastard!!"

[ Then how will you breakout?]

" Who said that I can only survive by escaping the castle? Didn't the mission state that I have to 'survive the breakout'? Well, I won't participate in the breakout, so there shouldn't be any problem in case the breakout fails.", replied Flavian, a sly smirk across his face.

That was the plan formulated by Flavian! He had realised that the captors had some sort of motive for going through all the hassle to train a bunch of teenagers. He had also realised that as long as he complied by the captors, he would be safe, atleast for now.

In fact, as he recalled about the layout of the castle, he realised that the castle seemed as if a small training camp specialized in raising the elites!

He had seen a fair share of such camps in various terrorist-ridden countries in his previous life, though they had guns instead of the primitive weapons. The camps were specifically set up to raise a bunch of hounds that would tear apart anyone upon the master's bidding.

Flavian would be able to leverage the situation to gain more expertise about various things required to survive in this world! This was one of the reasons that he wasn't in a hurry to escape.

He would find it hard to come across anyone else that provided such guidance for free. The world of intelligent beings was a pragmatic place. A person had to pay to obtain something, just like in his previous life where schools and universities accepted hefty amount of fees for imparting knowledge. No one wanted to engage in a fruitless endeavour.

Flavian had no idea whether the training he received within the castle was expensive to acquire in this world or not, so he couldn't act recklessly prior to acquiring any alternate means! The System might have a solution to his predicament, but he had to complete his mission first. He had to follow his captors' whims until then.

However, the possibility remained that the captors weren't trying to raise hounds, but pigs to be slaughtered. Flavian was taking a great risk to not try to turn the situation around. But he had no choice!

The most important reason for him not trying to escape was that he knew almost nothing about his captors. He knew that this world had knights and magi, as some description about them had been present within the books he read.

Supposedly, the strong presences in this world could single-handedly destroy armies of common humans, change the weather, see an ant scurrying tens of kilometres away, fly in the sky and escape within the ground.

Flavian didn't know whether the description was exaggerated, yet he didn't dare to ignore various obscure abilities that his captors might grasp. He had already combed through his present life memories and didn't see any way out of his predicament. Recklessly trying to escape will only bring forth his demise!

The most important reason for his success in previous life was not his abnormally strong body, it was his patience. Without patience, he would have been peppered with bullets many times within his career.

He would wait, just like a snake in the bushes, to bite his captors the moment they gave him a chance.

[ It seems I wasted the System's energy reserves for nothing. Rather than awakening your previous life's memories, I should have just found a better user.]

" Why are you trying so hard to make me escape?", asked Flavian, as he became suspicious of the A.I.'s motives. He felt that the A.I. was egging him on to jump into a pit filled with lava.

[ I am considering your safety and well-being.]

" I would have been more susceptible to believe you if not for that robotic and emotionless voice.", Flavian rolled his eyes as he replied. He then ignored the A.I. as he went back to his musings.

" Damn! It seems that I will have to exercise my mind more from now on." Flavian muttered as he got up from his bed and went towards his desk.

He moved the books aside, only to find a steel dagger behind the books. The dagger was about one feet long, with the blade measuring about eight inches. The blade was double-edge and tapered at the tip.

' Who provides a dagger to their captives?', Flavian asked himself. He became more solemn as he watched the dagger, as this represented the level of confidence his captors had over their own capabilities.

He carried the dagger on him and once again laid down on the bed, keeping the dagger under his pillow. He was mentally exhausted after awakening his memories and then going through a long thought process. He needed a lengthy sleep to sweep away his mental fatigue. It took him less than a minute to enter into a deep slumber.

Few hours went by, as the night deepened. Suddenly, a teenager having dark brown hair and a mean expression on his face slammed the door of room open, and entered while speaking in a very loud voice, "Flavian! I knew you won't wake up on time! It's a pity that Kapten was adamant on helping everyone escape. If it were up to me, I wouldn't want a baggage like you to drag me down. WAKE UP, BASTARD!!"

Flavian jolted awake as he heard the shout, and saw a teenager, whom he suddenly recognised, " Edward! What are you doing here?"

" Hmmm? It seems that you have become quite gutsy, Flavian, to even dare to question me now.", said Edward, as a cold glint flashed across his eyes.

Flavian was wide awake by now, and began to act just like he usually acted during trainings. He said in a trembling voice, " Edward! I don't want to be a part of the plan anymore! Go away!"

"Oh? That's even better! Now I have an excuse to beat you up for betraying your fellow teammates at the last moment! But you don't have to worry, as today will be the last day you get beaten up by me, because I will become a free person after today, while you will remain a captive." said Edward, as he came closer to Flavian with a malicious expression on his face.

Flavian retreated, as he stealthily clenched the dagger which was present under his pillow, all the while acting pitiful and afraid as he repeated 'Go away!' continuously.

Just as Edward was about to pounce on him to pummel him, Flavian said in a low voice, " I know that you have already colluded with the captors."

Edward suddenly paused as his pupils shrunk, as he asked fiercely, " What? How did you-", just as he was about to finish the question, Flavian suddenly bounced off the bed and stabbed Edward right upon his chest.

*Stab*

Edward paused his speech as his gaze slowly moved towards his chest, he slowly lifted his head as he said," You-"

"Just die already."

*Stab!Stab!Stab!*

Again, Flavian did not give Edward any chance to speak as he repeatedly stabbed his chest about five or six times, after which he pushed Edward and sent him down the floor. Edward slowly stopped breathing as his eye dimmed.

Flavian started searching Edward's body and found a dagger. He was not surprised upon seeing the dagger, as each captive possessed one and kept it close when they are outside the safety of their rooms.

[*Ding* User received 11000 E.P.]

" What is 'E.P.'? What is it used for?", asked Flavian as he rubbed his own blood-stained dagger all over his shirt, seemingly making it look like he struggled to kill Edward.

[ E.P. or Elementary Points are the points you get at the start of your path towards the Almighty. Any occasion of showing your might causes fluctuations in the Causal Cycle. These fluctuations are the source of Elementary Points. E.P. can be exchanged for any available product within the inventory of System.]

" What products are available right now?"

[ User will have to succeed in the 'Initiating Mission' to open the Elementary Store.]

"...."

Flavian ignored the A.I. as he walked towards the mirror and carefully slashed two shallow scars across his chest using Edward's dagger, and placed the dagger back in Edward's arms, making it seem that Edward had struggled a bit before dying.

Of course, he was not foolish enough to think that his captors will believe him easily. But he had already planned everything the moment he saw Edward walking in his room. Now, all he had to perform an act that would make his captors to not bother about Edward anymore!

In fact, as soon as he woke up and realised Edward's presence, it was as if a mist had lifted to reveal the final picture about everything that happened recently within his mind! And Edward was the final piece that solved the puzzle in Flavian's mind.