Kai's memories related to the Demon Slayer Random World had been deleted by the Systems before the beginning of the 2nd Stage.
Later, when he got to know many things from Sponsor Aphrodite, it almost took care of this problem.
However, even then she had only covered the fat topics about the Random World and hadn't mentioned the minute details, considering them unnecessary.
Kai hadn't believed everything told to him by these Sponsors.
Not only Aphrodite, but he also didn't believe Shadow Origin's words completely.
Forget what these Contestants might have held back from telling him, Kai even had a strong feeling that only 30-40% of the things shared with him were true, and the rest were well salted, to the point of tasting bitter.
So Kai had been confirming the things learned from Aphrodite with Shinobu little by little.
This Blue Spider Lily hadn't come up even then among all the topics they had discussed during their late evening chats.
So when the rows of words on the white screen showed him what it truly represented, it truly shocked him.
Reward - Blue Spider Lily
1. Upon consumption, the Contestant will gain a Standalone Title — Demon King
2. Title Effects are:
a. HP Regeneration Rate: +100%
b. Skill: Demon Progenitor (growth type)
d. Skill: Demon Manipulation
3. The Item will also grant a onetime Life Halt of 100 years
4. Elementary Ability — Consciousness Manipulation
1. Genetic Disintegration in the presence of Sunlight (Time Limit: 30 seconds)
2. All light-based Skills and Items are 100% more effective against the Contestant
1. Standalone Titles always remain in an equipped state, along with regular Titles
2. Blue Spider Lily is equivalent to a Top-level Epic-grade Consumable Item
Kai was standing on the floor.
When had his butt left the chair? He didn't know.
In sheer astonishment, Kai gawked at the Reward; In disbelief, he marveled at its Effects.
Was he truly seeing it right?! How was this even comparable to 1 Million Mission Credits?!!
The very first which Kai could use right away, if obtained.
Even if he were to put aside the monstrosity that the Standalone Title, Demon King, represented, the Life Halt and the Ability by themselves were worthy enough for Kai to salivate at their sight.
This wasn't just an Item in his eyes.
Yet, the more he contemplated with a rational mind, the better he understood the reason for its presence among his Rewards.
Genetic Disintegration... Kai repeated the word in his mind, narrowing his eyes. The 1st Warning alone has brought down the level of this Item to Rare-grade.
No wonder the Systems put it in the rewards. Even if it grants such powers, the moment I was to remain in contact with sunlight for over 30 seconds, my genes would disintegrate. Tch-Tch! Unless...
Unless he were to somehow counter the Sunlight's effect on him... Now that thought was worth contemplating over.
Kai had profound knowledge regarding the field of genes and its sister subjects.
Not to mention, this Warning wouldn't have mattered too much if Kai's operations were limited to a single Random World.
No. He was a Contestant. Kai must travel across the Multiverse, complete Missions, and achieve Rewards and Resources.
And Sun was almost everywhere.
It would be like crippling myself after gaining wings, Kai reflected, sitting back on the chair uncomfortably.
Yet, even he couldn't deny that the allure of those wings was too much to ignore.
Kai tapped his fingers over the chair's arms, falling into a deep state of contemplation.
He wasn't indecisive, but cunning deeds needed thinking, and thinking needed time. He had to compromise and find a middle ground somewhere.
After a few minutes, Kai nodded to himself and looked up. His hazel pupils had regained their tranquilness, and doubts and hesitations had been erased out of them by sheer will.
It all came down to the 1 Million Mission Credits and the Blue Spider Lily.
Even now, the Mission Credits shone with an unmatched brilliance in Kai's mind.
The privilege of jumping to the other Random Worlds was just too outstanding. Now that he was in Random World, which represented the combined missions of the 2nd Set, every such jump would cost him an unimaginable amount of Mission Credits, Kai knew.
He ran his hands through his hair and shook his head.
"Haha!" A chuckle escaped his throat like the snarls of a beast.
"What a predicament!" Kai exclaimed. "Even now the Systems are testing the Contestants. No wonder the Tournament of Worth is so dangerous. Am I right, Chaos, Order? You are trying to instill feelings of regret, right?"
The Systems didn't reply.
That, too, was an answer in itself.
Kai scoffed inwardly. There wasn't a single thing he regretted.
Not a single decision that he had taken, he would take another way, if given the chance again. Such things didn't comply with his Demonic Path.
If there was a regret, then it was to not have the Power when he needed it; when his mother was dying in his arms, urging him to live.
Even that regret Kai had discarded with his revenge.
So why would he regret choosing a reward now, and not choosing the other?
This decision couldn't even be talked about in the same breath as a few hideous risks Kai had taken in his life.
Kai's answer was the strike of a hammer; Powerful and Thunderous.
A white altar rose in front of the White Screen. Over it, stored in a cylindrical glass and planted in black soil, was a blue-colored flower that didn't look demonic.
Yet appearances weren't always the strongest way to regard something, Kai had learned.
With one flick of his hand, he stored it in his Inventory.
Details of the next Stage will be announced to you three days before its commencement
Sending Candidate Red back to his Time Node...
Kai smiled, the blue flashes of teleportation covering his tall figure like a blanket.
Suddenly, just as his figure blurred, Kai's eyes widened and his instincts roared wildly.
Wait! This feeling again?! Kai asked himself. I thought this feeling was because the Systems must have deleted my memories related to the Demon Slayer Random World like the last time in the case of the Alien and Predators Random World. Then why?!
Both Kai and Meg had lost their memories last time.
As they were in their respective Random Worlds, they had no way to know about it without coming in contact with another Contestant, who knew about the Alien and Predators Random World.
However, they had the privilege of having such a Contestant around them all the time.
When Kai shared his experiences with her, after returning to the Harry Potter Random World, it shocked Kai for her to say that she already knew about it. Moreover, it was Meg herself who had told her.
It was a very mysterious feeling. So it had taken Kai a few days to realize and recall this theory after his teleportation to the Verse Fusion Random World. By then, he had already contacted Contestant Aphrodite.
So now that he had already recalled him having forgotten about a Random World, Kai hadn't expected to experience this feeling again. Not at all.
It was the same feeling of forgetting something.
At the last moment of his teleportation, Kai's eyes had narrowed to a point.
His instincts had never betrayed him. There indeed was something odd going on behind the curtains here, Kai reflected.
A titanic, red crystal appeared behind him, containing a blackish blur. Cracks were running down the crystals as if something had been hammering at it.
Simultaneously, the Yellow Sign surfaced on Kai's forehead, glowing hideously yellow.
Billions of billions of tentacles oozed out from the yellow sign, getting hacked apart as if some giant was chopping them down with an axe.
And as these eldritch entities rejected each other, Kai disappeared, losing consciousness.
-------- Vol 12 - Tournament of Worth - 2nd Stage - Ends!!! ----------
AN: Thanks a lot for giving the fic a try if you have come so far.
As I had said, the plot related to Darcie won't affect the fic's tone. It's just a phase, which will soon be over before you know it. Anyway, as we have crossed 12 volumes, any fresh review or take from you guys will be most welcome. If you haven't posted a review yet, feel free to write a few words for new readers.