10 represented the value of an average existence's Active Attributes when it resurrected in the Primordial Tower.
A 10 Strength was the measure of how well an average adult could exert his/her innate power. A 10 Agility was the measure of an average adult's reaction speed.
When taken together, Strength and Agility dictated flexibility, pure speed, endurance, coordination, athleticism, and combat effectiveness.
As these two Attributes scarcely varied from the base value, it was obvious at a glance that they weren't meant to give an edge to a Contestant over others.
Nor were these two influenced by a Contestant's previous life.
Then there were Stamina and Perception.
Where Stamina represented an average adult's Life Essence, Perception was much more complex, not varying in value, but how it was put to use by the Contestants themselves.
Perception was one of those Attributes that highly depended on a Contestant's experience, rather than what an average adult was capable of.
The same was the case for Correspondence and Breath. Most Contestants hadn't contacted Mana and Spirituality Concepts in their previous lives.
What did give a Contestant an edge, though, were the Passive Attributes!
Charisma dictated not only face card value, but also the capability of interactions with the storyline Characters and how, in general, a Contestant would be perceived by the others.
Worth was simply Worth.
There wasn't much to say about it, as there wasn't much to know about it, to begin with.
Only one thing was clear — if a Contestant got resurrected with a high initial Worth, then there was no stopping him from becoming a High Floor Contestant.
Luck remained the most complex among all the Stats.
Luck dictated the probability of obtaining Loot. It determined the number of random encounters and their nature. It also affected the appearance of Side and Hidden Missions.
But Luck wasn't limited to this.
Only when one combined Luck with Charisma and Worth, did one become the ultimate lucky man.
Because... in a world where one knew most of the future events... Luck was everything.
Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn
You have achieved a new Title...
Title: Master Curator
Specification: Collect 5 different Timeline Artifacts
— Timeline Artifacts define an entire Plotline within a timeline by themselves.
— A Timeline Artifact doesn't lose its Artifact-status after becoming an Item
— The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Original)
— Jack Sparrow's Compass
— Sounga - The Sword of Calamity
— Harry Potter's Wand
— The Philosopher's Stone
Black instantaneously switched the Proficient Collector Equipped Title with the Master Curator.
If Black didn't possess Observation Haki, then perhaps he might not have felt it.
If Black hadn't lost his comprehension regarding Luck in the Pirates of the Caribbean Random World, then he might not have felt it, too.
If Black didn't have the Cloak of Disguise, now invisible under the Lethifold, resonating his existence with the current timeline's Laws, then he would definitely not have felt it.
As these cases were no longer applicable to him, so he felt it.
He felt it like nothing else before.
And what he felt wasn't some incredible sense, sight, or phenomenon.
It was a mere sentence; a thought; a feeling, risen from the depths of his heart, but acutely perceived in the fraction of a fraction of a second —
— Nothing can go wrong, as long as I truly want it to happen.
-Come back to your senses!- the Dark Lord hissed with bubbling rage. -They are almost here!-
In almost all timelines, after his failed attempt to steal the Philosopher's Stone, Lord Voldemort escaped Gringotts using Professor Quirrell's identity.
With Quirrell's injury, and the Gringotts going under lockdown, it would be almost impossible for the Dark Lord to execute his previous plans now.
The restrictions already weakened their magic.
On top of it, Professor Quirrell wasn't the Dark Lord, but a mere object of possession.
There was no way the weakened Voldemort could show his true magical might here, even if he could somehow bypass the restrictions.
Moreover, he had just possessed the fool. If something were to happen to Professor Quirrell, then possessing someone again would drastically weaken the already weakened Dark Lord.
One could even say, that this was one of those moments where Lord Voldemort was really in an unavoidable pinch.
So of course... a feeling bubbled in Black's heart.
It was so spontaneous that even the Ad Infinitum failed to perceive its coming or to keep it from surfacing in Black's mind.
As a Contestant, this should be the moment when I receive a mission, no?
Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn
You have triggered a Hidden Mission
Hidden Mission: Death Eater
Hidden Mission Grade: C+
Hidden Mission Summary: Incapable of using his magical power, the Dark Lord, now possessing Professor Quirrell, is fated to succumb to the combined wrath of the Gringotts' Security Guards. It wouldn't have happened if the Contestant hadn't intervened, diverging the timeline
Hidden Mission Objective: Help Tom Marvolo Riddle escape the Gringotts
Hidden Mission Time Limit: Not Applicable
Do you accept the Hidden Mission?
"..." Black was shocked.
[Noting down the trigger point of Hidden Mission] the Ad Infinitum beeped excitedly, accepting the mission. [Processing the lucky feeling... Computing parameters to replicate it...]
A distant shout made Professor Quirrell jump on his feet. The bone jutting out of his right leg twisted further, making him scream.
Fortunately, Lord Voldemort numbed the fool's mind at the right time.
-How dare you betray me...- he hissed, now eying the Yellow Warlock with the most insidious stare.
Black ignored the Dark Lord once again.
Feelings were bubbling within him as if someone had lit a volcano's worth of fire underneath a lake.
The Philosopher's Stone... is only a Timeline Artifact... Black thought, the Ad Infinitum furiously trying to pinpoint the source of these feelings. Why didn't it turn into an Item? Why... Indeed... Yes. Yes. It hasn't done what it meant to do... It... hasn't acted its part... Of course.
At first, Black had planned to take the Timeline Artifact away with him and then let Voldemort possess him before disapparating with the help of Lilith.
Now, though, he was involuntarily thinking of the deep and hideous repercussions of those actions.
The Cause and Effect...
Under the stunned, slitted gaze of the Dark Lord, Black turned around the stuffed the pouch containing the Philosopher's Stone back into the unconscious Hagrid's pocket.
-What...- Lord Voldemort's hissed blazed.
But Black wasn't done yet.
Following the feelings, Black said, "Change of plans. You will remain with Professor Quirrell for the entire 1st year and follow your initial plans. We will change Horcrux at the end of the year."
Yes. Only then the Philosopher's Stone will serve its true purpose... Black's mind rocked with the sudden thought.
Before Lord Voldemort could let out another hiss, scores of security guards appeared out of one corner, led by the Head Security Guard himself.
The Dark Lord went silent. He stared at the Yellow Warlock from the back of Professor Quirrell's head with a profound murderous gaze... his wrath reaching unknown peaks.
Black... thought differently.
Why are we panicking? Why must we run? What have we done wrong? They are looking for intruders... Not us. Yes. Certainly not us.
"Lilith..." Black mumbled under the hood.
Instantaneously, the Lethifold lifted off him, becoming a cap.
Underneath, the Cloak of Disguise took the shape of a security guard's uniform.
Before the Head Security Guard gave the order to the raging guards to fire, Black screamed. "Merlin's beard! You are here, Sir. Help us! Please help us!!"
The Head Security Guard, a middle-aged wizard, was puzzled, his mouth open.
He stared at the young man... young security guard. He saw the sheer panic, fear, and a touch of despair.
"How are you here? Where's the intruder?" the wizard asked with concern.
The young guard gulped.
"Sir, Professor Quirrell ... and I ... tried to stop him," he explained, his voice choking. "But he did something to Hagrid and injured Professor before escaping... He was wearing a Yellow Cloak..."
"Yellow!" The Head Security Guard blurted with shock. He looked at Professor Quirrell and saw his broken leg. "Professor! Are you alright?! Why..."
"Sir!" the young guard cut in before the Head Security Guard could ask a sensible question. "The intruder went deeper. We must chase him. Also, Professor and Hagrid are injured. We must help them..."
"Help..." the old wizard mumbled, nodding. "Yes. You are right, young man. Of course.
"We must help them. Everyone! Follow me," he ordered. Then he looked at the young guard. "You stay here. I will inform the Goblins. They will help you with Professor and Hagrid."
"Yes, Sir," the guard replied with appreciation, his shoulders relaxing involuntarily.
"Let's go!" the Head Security Guard barked, taking all the guards with him.
Behind them, Lord Voldemort had gone quiet, his mouth slightly open, and his eyes refusing to believe what happened.