Chapter 44: Hidden Mission’s Hidden Hint - The Return of Simon!

Chapter 44: Hidden Mission’s Hidden Hint - The Return of Simon! Kai brought Jon Arryn just under the sewer’s entrance near the Tower of Hand. Only half an hour remained for his mission to be over. He let the old man slump down against the slimy wall as there was no strength in Jon Arryn’s legs, his knees wobbling, his hands searching for a hold he had no use for. "Easy," Kai said, patting the old man’s cheek. "Take a deep breath. Haha!" Jon Arryn’s nose squirmed when the real stench of the sewers hit his lungs again. But the old man couldn’t protest, much less let out a distasteful grunt. Kai took out a flask of arbor wine, gifted by Cersei, and two cups. He poured the wine and handed over one cup to the Hand. "My lord," Kai said, forcing the wine cup in Jon Arryn’s palm. "Drink this. You will feel good." Jon did as suggested. His hand shook as he sipped the wine and then drank it like water the next moment. Kai grinned. There is still time, he thought. Why such haste, old man? Kai took back the cup and refilled it. This time, Jon Arryn curled his fingers around the cup by himself. "This one is for our good time together," he said, smiling. "Sip it." Kai whiled away the time, drinking and making Jon Arryn drunk. When it was only 5 minutes to the Mission End, as shown by the Stats, he poured the last cup for the Hand. But this time, he planned to spice things up a little. Kai flicked his hand, taking a vial out of his Inventory. This vial was full of colorless Light Neurotoxin Kai had painstakingly collected in the last 7 days. With only one saber remaining, he must ensure it remained drenched in poison to give him an extra edge. Not only did this vial save Kai time, but it also prevented the loss of MP and HP, which the Skill Light Neurotoxin would have needed him. The only downside was that he did not know how many drops would it need to kill the old man before spitting out truths out there. So Kai added around 10 drops and hoped they would be more than enough for the task at hand. Jon Arryn had neither strength nor interest in noticing these things. His eyes were drooping from drunkenness, and there was a smile on his face, thinking of his family above this hellhole. Just after, Kai thought, repeating the words that had given him the idea. Just after, heh! There was one crucial hint hidden within the Hidden Mission given by Cersei. The Time Limit! The Hidden Mission’s Time Limit stated - Not Applicable. Not Applicable also meant that Kai could complete the mission even after the Main Mission. Even if he was wrong, Kai had nothing to lose. But if he won’t at least try the theory, he would never know. The prospects of losing a hidden mission’s rewards would have given him nightmares for many days anyway. Let’s just hope he will die timely after getting out of here, Kai wished. When Kai was done with the vial, he put it back in his Inventory. He was just about to hand over the poisoned wine to Jon Arryn when his Perception alarmed him about a danger nearby. A Contestant?! Kai incredulously thought, his free hand taking out a saber. But I made sure that there was no one else in the sewers. It happened then. The Perception, which at first was just alerting him, now screamed. Every fiber of Kai’s muscles screeched, his knees almost wobbled, and the hair on the back of his neck stood up at their ends. It wasn’t danger coming at him. It was death! Whoever it was, the person wasn’t trying to hide. Not anymore. Whoever it was, had already closed all the distances, without alerting Kai before the last moment. Whoever it was... must have been hiding in the sewers since last night... and had remained hidden despite Kai’s thorough search. As all such thoughts passed by Kai’s mind, the Blood Demon awakened within him, ready to annihilate all existences. There was no way he would fail the mission. Not now. Not ever. Kai saw a silhouette walking towards him, his figure blurry. First, his pupils became vertical, reptilian slits as he activated the Blue-tailed Boa Constrictor’s Blood Essence, his chest burning hot. Then, they gained a bloody red color, not because of Misdreavus’ Blood Essence, but because of his body readying itself to use the Forbidden Technique... once more. Then the torch’s light descended upon the incomer... ... and Kai’s wrath instantaneously turned into shock. "Simon!" Kai blurted out. Simon was a fellow guard in Kai’s Initiation mission. He was lean, blind in one eye, and the most eye-catching thing about him was the ever-present smile on his face. Kai hated that smile then. He hated it now. Was Simon always this powerful? Kai questioned himself, counting seconds. Even that Sparrow woman didn’t make me feel so... Simon approached him step by step, wearing a cloak of danger and doom. There was a smile on his face and a dagger in his right hand. But the moment he heard Kai calling him by name, he halted, his smile almost vanishing. Kai saw Simon stopping and his heart thumped as he realized how close they were to each other. A few meters. How can he come up so close to me? Kai thought. It’s like he didn’t make any sound while coming to me. Kai knew how difficult it was to not make any noise within the sewers. Filth, congested space, and closed walls all were against stealth down here. Kai could do it. He could walk through the entire sewers without making noise, but it would take him intense concentration. Simon took one more step. Kai forgot himself. "Move..." he said, his voice chilling bones. There was something about the one word he uttered that could even make death think twice before approaching him. "Move... and I will kill you." Blood Demon’s killing aura filled the sewers like an avalanche, replacing the stench. For a moment, even death got confused who to follow, Kai or Simon. If they clashed, one of them would definitely die, but who? Simon’s smile vanished completely. A wondrous and incredulous expression replaced the smile, making him take a step back. Then he smiled again, the dagger in his hand vanishing. "What did I say to you last time?" he asked, expressionlessly. "Tell me the exact words." Taken aback by the sudden turn of events, Kai’s face became ugly. What is this?! he thought. Why am I feeling so creeped out by this man? Something’s off with him. I know. Kai didn’t want to reply. This man was of course Simon, he could see it. Moreover, Contestants’ faces couldn’t be copied, as per the restriction of the Systems. But Kai was pressed for time. He had yet to make the Hand drink poisoned wine. So, he couldn’t help and blurt out the words. "A man knows Contestants like me," Kai said, repeating the words and not mentioning his Code Name. "A man searches for Killers like me. But a man can’t invite me. I am not ready. Not yet." Simon’s single eye lit up. "Is that what I said now?" he mumbled, smiling. "Do you have it?" Kai knew what Simon meant. He reached into his pocket and took out the coin. Simon had told him before departure after the completion of Initiation Mission that if he was to meet another Simon in a Random World, then he must show him the coin and say... "Valar Morghulis." Simon’s smile softened. "Valar Dohaeris." Kai frowned. "You have made tremendous progress... Red," Simon said, pressing on Kai’s Code Name as if hiding it had been nothing but futile. "If things keep going like this, then you will be ready by the next time you meet Simon, I am sure." Kai felt as if he was experiencing a Deja-vu. "Hmm..." Simon hummed, looking Kai up and down. He lifted his arm and showed his palm. "Take out the Sling Ring." Kai’s heart thumped loudly. How? He questioned himself, shocked. How does he now about Sling Ring. Kai had been already worrying about the stolen Item. He couldn’t find any buyer for it. Not to mention, he wouldn’t be able to take it with him, either. Things with Stats couldn’t be stored in MRB and the Inventory held only one’s own Items. Thinking of it as a trash, to begin with, Kai took out the Sling Ring and threw it to the one-eyed man. Simon snatched the Item midair. He rubbed his fingers on it as if he was testing its roughness. Then he threw it back. Huh? Kai caught the Item. Before he could ask what Simon did, his eyes almost popped out of his sockets. Kai could instinctively feel all his Items. He could always sense that he could send his Items back to Inventory with a mere thought. So when he stole the Sling Ring, he could already tell he couldn’t store it. Looking at its Stats was just a confirmation, nothing more. Now the same sense returned, but it had changed. With a thought, under Kai’s stunned gaze, the Sling Ring vanished, appearing in his Inventory. He lifted his head and found Simon looking back at him with his not-so-creepy smile. Then, as if he had just come to see Kai, Simon turned around and looked over his shoulder. His single eye went to the poisoned wine cup. "Ingenious," he remarked, sniffing. "Two more drops should do the trick. Haha!" What the... Kai cursed, gaping as Simon retreated into the filthy darkness. Is he gonna leave just like that... Didn’t he come to kill Jon Arryn?! Wait... Isn’t Simon Chaos’ Contestant?! The Simon of his Initiation Mission had already puzzled him. Now this Simon too left behind even bigger mystery and confusing questions. Then reality hit Kai. The Main Mission is safe... Kai’s body jolted like skipping a step while stepping down the stairs. For a moment there, he had thought he was a goner. With Simon gone, everything around him seemed to have descended into a strange silence. Kai eyed the poisoned wine cup, his heart banging against his chest with an odd rhythm.