บท 123: Tournament's jaw-dropping Rewards
Kai had expected it. He had anticipated it. Gods! He had even hoped for it, dearly.
Nothing could prevent him from opening his mouth, slack-jawed, and eying the reward. The Reward.
It had happened. Truly happened.
A thing like never before.
A Glitched Contestant had won the Tournament of Worth with the Theme—Survival.
Chaos' Glitched Contestant.
And the price?
10% drop in Selfless Breathing Proficiency.
The only thing that truly felt like a loss was his accumulated Calm. But one quick remembering of Black's 5th Skill's Effect, and Kai knew he could get back his Calm anytime he would want.
He had struck it big this time. He had come back from the dead again. And, once again, he got rewarded with the Glitch or at least a form of it.
[[
Kai Stormborn,
You have cleared the Tournament of Worth. Your current ranking is:
1. Blood Demon - 1st
Please accept your rewards:
1. Title: The-One-Who-Survived
2. Glitch Pupation
3. Set Assimilation
4. Worth +100
5. 3 million Mission Credits
]]
Kai stared at the 4 rewards. He stared at them hard. "Show me the 1st reward."
[[
You have unlocked 1 Title
Title: The-One-Who-Survived
Specification: Win the Tournament of Worth with Theme - Survival
Status: (1/1)
Effect:
1. Once a year, when the HP falls below 1 Point, refill the HP by 500 Points
2. The boosted HP will fall to the original value in 1 hour (if not consumed or used)
WARNING: Effect only applicable upon equipping the Title before HP falling below 1 Point
]]
Kai's eyes beamed. This was no mere Title.
This was a 2nd life.
Kai welcomed the Title with open arms and embraced it. His heart was already pounding, though.
Somehow, he buried the lure of looking at the 2nd reward. "Show me the 3rd reward."
High Worth meant more privileges and a boost in rewards in some cases. Kai didn't know how much Worth he would need to become the 2nd Ranked Contestant on Worth's Ranking. Still, it was better to get as much as he could when he did get the chance.
Moreover, no amount of mission credits was enough, if he was honest with himself. Still, 3 million were more than enough, he hoped, to carry out the plans he had made up. Especially the ones regarding Selene's evolution and Black.
Set Assimilation, though, looked more enticing than mere wealth.
[[
Contestant Kai Stormborn, a one-time privilege of Set Assimilation is now available to you.
Please refer to the following points before opting for it:
1. You are currently undergoing a Combined Mission of Difficult D+, representing the 2nd Set. You have the privilege to assimilate the entire 3rd Set into your mission
2. If opted, the difficulty of your mission will rise to C+, and all the in-world Characters will undergo appropriate changes to reflect the same
3. If opted, once you complete your assigned mission, all the Attribute Points of the 3rd Set's Quota will be given to you for free as one of the Main Mission's Rewards. A bonus of 5-15% Attribute Points will also be given based on your performance
4. If opted, once you complete the assigned mission, you can directly ascend to the 4th Set
5. If opted, you will be rewarded both 3rd and 4th Set's Life Halts
WARNING:
1. You must state your choice before returning to the Time Node
2. As the Random World will experience a steep rise in strength, danger, and, of course, opportunities, the Contestant is warned and advised to only opt for this privilege if he has full confidence in his capabilities
3. You can only get the Bonus Attribute Points if you have completed the Attribute Points Quota of 2nd
4. Set Side Missions, created or assigned, will have a Difficulty equivalent to the revised Main Mission Difficulty. Side Missions' rewards will reflect this change as well
]]
What in the name of… Kai cursed inwardly, his pupils trembling.
The value of this privilege had already surpassed anything that he could think of. The point that he could get all Attribute Points of 3rd Quota, and more in bonus, for free, was already something that defied common sense.
3rd Set wasn't like 1st and 2nd Set. Sure it rewarded Life Halt, but even the greatest Contestant faced the harshest time in completing that Quota before their time ran out.
Take Nexus, for example — the Supreme Protector from the 3rd Set of Order's Peak. He had been a Top-level 9th-floor Contestant when he was alive. That meant he had already obtained all Attribute Points of his Quota. Nevertheless, he had still gotten stuck in the 3rd Set, failing to ascend because of the Floor Ascending Mission and his old life.
Even Red Sun, Kai's Item from the 9th floor, and another Top-Level 9th Floor Contestant was no different. Sure, he had also gotten all the Attribute Points, somehow. But that was it. Now he was facing the tough decision to attempt Floor Ascending Mission or held himself back to earn extra Attribute Points before his Life Halt ran out.
Life Halt only added vitality. It didn't make one younger than he already was. And this fact was the true thorn in the Contestants' lives.
In the case one got a Life Halt of 100 years at 80, then if he didn't get another Life Halt in time before the 100 years Life Halt ended, he would begin aging from 80 years old only.
For Contestants, it meant disaster.
And this Set Assimilation took care of both problems for Kai. Not only he would get a bonus in Attribute Points, but he was also getting Life Halts. In Kai's case, these two things were most important. Especially now that he knew how long could the Joint Main Mission last.
This 2nd Set alone was 12 years long, and if he and Item-M were right, the 3rd Set's mission would last anywhere from 25 to 30 years. That was almost as long as the 3rd Set's Life Halt itself.
The 4th Set may last well over half a century, Kai thought, smiling. This is it. I have become strong enough to contend against the rise in danger, anyway. The only problem is the Occlumency and Legilimency of the enemies. Haha! With my plans regarding the Ad Infinitum and Blue Spider Lily, I will never have to worry about these two magics in my life. Great!
"Implement this reward," Kai said, taking a deep breath.
[[
A wise choice, Kai Stormborn
Your revised Mission is:
Mission: Transcending legacies
Mission Summary: Darcie Malfoy, 6, is the twin sister of Draco Malfoy, and daughter of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. While stepping down the stairs, she has suffered injury, resulting in loss of consciousness.
The Contestant is allowed to reincarnate into her body for a period equivalent to the Mission's Time Limit.
Mission Objective: Leave behind a legacy of death, destruction, madness, and doom
Mission Time Limit: 12 years
Mission Difficulty: C+
Mission Hint: Not Applicable
]]
Kai's eyes traced the Mission Objective for a moment and waited for the words on the screen to disappear.
A booming silence fell between him and the white wall-like screen.
No more delays. No more burying the elation and emotion.
Kai's face reflected a silly grin on his lips. A grin that could have sent all the people he knew in shock if they were to see it. A sense of great joy and happiness washed Kai's soul, widening his grin.
"Show me…" Kai said, almost laughing, "… the 2nd reward."
[[
Every being has an Individuality, Kai Stormborn; one's imprint on the vast cosmos. The one that was, is and will be, forever and beyond. Rules of Heaven restrict these Individualities from manifesting into the Material Plane.
The outline of some imprints is darker than others; their depths deeper. Hence, the price, the Worth, required to free them from Heaven's Rules also differs.
Rules can be broken, though.
Your Glitch is the manifestation of your Individuality, Kai Stormborn. It is an imprint on the vast cosmos. Hence, it can't undergo evolution.
Evolution of a Glitch is as absurd as the concept of one's shadow coming alive.
However, just like a shadow can transform, lengthen, and grow when faced with the right light, so can the Glitches undergo Transformations when paid the right price.
This Transformation is called Pupation, as it is more of a transformation of the already present Glitch's Stats, rather than addition.
As you have won the Tournament of Worth with the Theme — Survival, both Chaos and Order will share the burden of this Price.
But first, you must choose. Do you want your Glitch to undergo this pupation or not?
Once chosen, the Transformation is eternal.
State your choice, Kai Stormborn. Now.
]]
And the silly grin vanished.
Kai closed his eyes, remembering the time when the Systems had said something the same before the commencement of the 3rd Stage.
Once entered the 3rd Stage, the Contestant can't back out.
The memory was as clear as the consequences he had faced because of it.
Still, it hadn't prevented Kai from entering the 3rd Stage. It failed to prevent him from deciding now.
No doubts and no regrets. No second thoughts. You don't get a chance like this even in a thousand lives.
Kai had decided.
"Do it."
*****************
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