Chapter 202: Ridiculous Privilege – The Beginning of a Magical Journey!
Points to be noted by readers —
1. Remember, from now on, Kai has completely and thoroughly taken over Darcie, including her memories, way of thinking, and emotions. As Kai can't think of reasons while Acting as Darcie Malfoy, readers must wait for the Identity Period for him to explain why he did something and how. For example, let's say Kai want Darcie to transfer funds to the Bank Account belonging to Contestant Red (himself). However, the mere thought of directly thinking this will shatter his Comprehension and, in turn, his mind. That's why, all manipulations must be extremely subtle, which readers will come to understand through chapters
2. Crisis Timer - 7 days (Kai he doesn't have to focus on it too much. If he don't change himself into his true form within this time period, then he will be forcefully transfigured into Kai Stormborn)
3. Identity Period - 3 hrs [Cooldown - 48 hours]. Let's say at time shown by Crisis Timer - 12 hours, i.e. at 12 hours to the end of 7 days, Kai used Identity Period, then he can remain in his original form for 3 hours. Just after three hours, he would return into Darcie's figure, and the Crisis Timer will reset to 7 days. Now, he can not use Identity Period for another 48 hours
Note: Kai must remain in his original form for 3 hours
Chapter Begins:
Kai gulped, the words lingering on the tip of his tongue.
"I, Darcie Malfoy," he said, squinting his eyes at his girly voice, "acknowledge that Contestants Red, Morning Mist, and Spawn have the destiny to become wizards and witches and that if not now, then one day they will become one."
The excitement was bubbling within him. Kai willed to return to his Original Self. Instantly, he felt himself going through a magical change. His flesh squirmed and bones expanded with a popping sound.
In a matter of seconds, he regained his Original body's constitution.
The notification welcomed him like an old friend.
…
[
Congratulations Kai Stormborn
You have gained Elementary Magical Aptitude
You are now eligible for all Mana based Skills, Items, and Titles across the Multiverse
]
…
Kai beamed, his heart filling with joy.
Not only because Petyr was right about all this but also because of what Petyr had said later.
If it works, Petyr had said slyly, then there is another matter that you can take care of, my lord. It won't be as easy as gaining the Ability and might take a lot of investment in time and effort. But the fruits will be worth it. Do you remember the condition of unlocking the tales of the Book?
Kai didn't need Petyr to remind him of this suggestion.
The moment he had heard about the Magical Aptitude loophole, he had already figured it out.
— To access this story, the Contestant must take the help of a main-storyline Character who can translate the runes —
Such was the condition to access all the five tales.
What if he were to take the help of the main-storyline Character he would reincarnate into? Yes. This notification had just confirmed the answer to this question.
It all came down to how to stir Darcie towards the fields of linguistics, epigraphy, paleography, runology, and, in general, the philosophy of languages. Even the Random World of Harry Potter had all these fields with their own magical twists and turns.
Then Kai had remembered something from his moments spent with the Existence — the user of the Rinnegan and the wielder of the Elder Wand.
— It is the origin of all languages, written or spoken, in all Universes, and it is much more than that as well —
Such had been his words about the Yellow Sign.
A heinous and outlandish plan had formed in Kai's mind, recalling the fate that the monster had bestowed upon him by cursing him.
Transcending legacies, Kai thought, taking out the Tales of Beedle the Bard. Let her become the master of the Yellow Sign as well, then. With my mind and her resources, the things I can accomplish in this Random World are nigh uncountable. Wandlore is must, but…
… why stop at that?
Kai neared the table, feeling the chill of night on his naked body, and took out many scrolls of blank parchments from the cupboard under the table. He dressed in the bed sheet and sat down on the chair, opening the Book in front of him. He had almost two more hours, plenty for the things that were dancing in his mind.
Kai then meticulously copied the entire five tales into their runic forms onto the parchments, taking his sweet time. When he was done and had revised them for any error of even a single stroke, he unrolled another parchment.
Kai took a deep breath, flicked his hand, and a box appeared in his hand containing small bottles of colors and brushes.
He took out the yellow color, dipped the fine brush in it, and then drew the Yellow Sign on it. By the time Kai was finished, he had some 60 minutes left.
He still didn't remember how he drew the Sign itself, as all memories related to it felt hazy to him. He shook off the oddness and scratched under the painted sign using the quill in legible English with an antique cursive touch to it.
— The Yellow Sign - a path to unparalleled greatness —
Now began the procedure of aging the papers. Kai had already practiced these steps so many times in the last month that they had become a part of his muscle memories.
He used a mixture of heat treatment and hot coffee for this process, all materials already stored beforehand in his Inventory, of course. In the end, all the parchments looked like a collection of archaic and mysterious documents from hundreds of years ago.
Kai noticed the timer.
20 minutes to go.
Kai did not know about this 3 hours allowance before coming here, so he had prepared himself to spend a few days as Darcie without separating himself from her.
Now that he had the allowance and could take care of all the preparations, he must not delay a single day. He threw the bed sheet off him and ran out of the room. No one would approach him, according to the System. No matter how magical one could be.
Down the winding stairs, following Darcie's memories, he went to the north wing of the house on the ground floor through the Great Hall where the Buttery was. Inside the Buttery, a staircase was running down to the beer cellar. In the darkness, Kai stepped down, pushed the unlocked oaken doors, and went through them.
He ran to the end where a brick-layered wall was concaving out.
Ignoring the smell, Kai made a fist and punched.
The stone crumbled under his power like sand and a dark, fist-sized hole with the depth of half a hand opened up. Kai threw the crumpled and rolled documents into the hole, loosely covered them up with the stone pieces, and ran back to the room.
Afterimages appeared behind him wherever he slithered, and in less than 90 seconds, Kai was back in Darcie's room, sweating from head to toe.
He had to do this. There was no other sensible way to make Darcie know of the Yellow Sign and be curious about it.
If he was to Act, then Kai would do it thoroughly, cutting not a single corner.
He looked at the timer.
5 minutes left.
Kai turned himself back into Darcie and returned to the bed after extinguishing the candle and making sure he had left no stain somewhere.
Sigh! He let out a breath as his back pressed against the soft bed.
Suddenly, he felt a bizarre sensation in his hands. He lifted them and realized that they were shivering.
What? Afraid, Blood Demon? A demonic voice inside him asked, snickering.
Kai had learned many things in these last few months, had undergone earth-shattering changes, and had also survived the events that were devastating enough to erase any other Contestant's existence.
But one thing Kai had never learned was arrogance. Yes, sometimes he had overestimated himself because of the lack of experience, but it wasn't a sin that had reached the boundaries of being arrogant. Too many people had died under his sabers for being careless because of it, and he would never repeat their mistakes.
So when he saw clear signs, Kai didn't hesitate to accept them.
Yes, Kai told his inner voice. I think I am afraid. Nervous and anxious as well. But mostly… I am excited.
He knew there was no turning back now. The moment he went to sleep, he must Act as Darcie Malfoy until he learns the True Essence of Facelessness and becomes a Faceless man. If not, maybe getting his existence obliterated by the System was better.
As Kai forced himself to sleep, he abruptly remembered the Clue. He had bought it in the auction and even Meg had rebuked him for spending so many Mission Credits on this pointless thing.
But there was an Instinct within him that kept roaring against all open criticisms.
Kai was dead sure that this Clue meant something other than some bastard playing tricks on Contestants. And this Clue had some relation to the Harry Potter Random World as well.
— I lie beyond the end —
At one glance, the Clue felt similar to the popular phrase — I open at the close, but there were subtle as well as obvious differences between these phrases.
Beyond the end, Kai repeated and kept chanting the words until the dreamland engulfed his senses once more.
The shiver in his hands vanished as determination and defiance took over, and as the old nightmares returned, the corners of his lips arched up.