Chapter 163: The Whims of Fate

Chapter 163: The Whims of Fate

Chapter 163 - The Whims of Fate

Kai stared at the folded paper in his hand and fought not to feel like an idiot. Virya had actually left a note.The original appearance of this chapter can be found at Ñøv€lß1n.

I almost wish she didnt.

Its blank, Ive checked with a backlight too, Flynn informed him. Is there some secret ritual to read it? Do we need to spill blood on it and chant a secret incantation?

Kai rolled his eyes, smiling faintly at the attempt to lift his mood. He was grateful Flynn never teased him where it hurt. It probably needs my mana. The cube was also attuned to my essence signature.

Oh thats boring.

Most magic is, we just like to pretend were wise and mysterious to fool you peasants. Kai theatrically waved a hand while he separated a strand of mana from his channels and prodded the sheet. Rows of dense and precise writing glowed to life, spreading on both sides of the letter.

Thats not very impressive. Flynn looked skeptical. I still dont see anything.

Kai gave him a mysterious smirk. Thats because youre a peasant without Mana Sense. The writing faded as soon as he retracted the strand. Its some kind of invisible ink that reacts to my mana signature.

Neat, Flynn squinted at the paper as if he could balance the lack of a sensing skill through sheer concentration. When that failed, he snorted his annoyance. Now I get who you took after, your teacher is even more paranoid than you.

Well, thanks.

It wasnt a compliment. What does it say?

I dont know, there are quite a few sentences. Reading with Mana Sense was an unfamiliar experience. The letters rapidly moved in and out of focus if he moved his concentration. Not only had Virya left a note, but she had also fit a surprising number of lines on the small piece of paper. Why dont you go cook dinner, Ill tell you everything while we eat. Im still starving.

Not that he could feel much hunger after the interrogation with Valela, but hed rather not have Flynn hanging over his shoulder. Patience and silence werent some of his friend's virtues.

Not that Im much better

Okay, but you better not leave out any details. Flynn punctuated with a suspicious glance. You also owe me half of that silver we found. Your crazy teachers pranks arent very funny.

Sure, just leave me alone.

Flynn blew him a kiss before disappearing into the kitchen. Blissfully alone, Kai sprawled on the couch. The wooden pieces of the puzzle lay inert on their coffee table where Flynn had left them.

Spirits, I feel like such an idiot.

All the trouble could have been prevented if he had checked first. The hollow pocket that had contained the letter seemed impossible to miss now. A physical reminder of his failure.

She could have put a clearer warning. How was I supposed to know the disk would activate with a light touch?

It was so like Virya to give him an artifact with no explanation and expect him to figure it out. Kai had not stopped to question it. He had spent countless hours working on the puzzle, lured by the promised reward. When a shiny artifact finally appeared before him, could he be blamed for not seeing anything else?

Am I making up excuses?

Next time he found an unknown magical artifact, he was going to take every precaution before touching it. Lesson learned. So perhaps Virya had done it on purpose, she let him put his hand on the stove to teach him how fire burns. One final loving lesson.

Nothing like a traumatic experience to make the lecture sink in. Damn, crazy witch.

Kai Inspected the paper for the beginning of the message and tuned Mana Sense to read the minute calligraphy. No point playing what if, it was time to get some answers.

My warmest regards, Kai, Im pleased youve found a way to solve this puzzle box within a year. Resourcefulness and flexibility are hard lessons to teach. Sometimes, to achieve an important objective, we must be willing to make sacrifices.

The object contained within this mana puzzle is known by most as a Fate Fulcrum. Through my centuries traveling Elydes, only one Fate Fulcrum has fallen into my possession, the one currently in your hands.

An entire book wouldnt be enough to explain everything there is to know about this artifact's history and purpose. If youre curious to research its origins, I wont discourage you, but Id advise you to be discreet about your inquiries.

Many organizations would consider the very existence of this artifact heretical, and all would deem it too dangerous to leave it in the hands of a child.

At its most fundamental level, a Fate Fulcrum's purpose is simple: it gathers Fate from its possessor to funnel it in a burst. The process comes with some caveats. While the artifact can control the amount and direction of the release to a degree, it cant control the result.

Unbound Fate is inherently unpredictable. Beneficial, harmful and anything in between. You can picture throwing a hundred dice in the air: remote coincidences and outcomes will rain upon you, while you cant choose on which side the dice will land.

Venting his annoyance noticeably improved his mood, and so did the disbelief and awe on Flynns face. If his friend hadnt witnessed the effects of the Fate Fulcrum tonight, there was no way he would believe a word.

Can I see it?

I told you it doesnt work right now, it needs an unspecified amount of time to recharge. Virya might not be omniscient as he believed years ago, but she must know that for sure. She just chose not to share that information to make his life harder.

I know, I just want to look at it. Flynn extended his grubby hands with a pleading expression till Kai caved in.

He accepted the silver disk with a look close to reverence, eyes wide with awe. His long finger held it lightly as if he feared the artifact would smite him if he grasped it tightly. I can keep it if you dont want it. He said with a cheeky smile.

Nice try.

Not a chance. He had worked too hard for it. Even if he found a common pebble inside the puzzle, he would keep it.

You said you didnt want it.

I said I was frustrated with it, hand it over.

Suddenly Flynn didnt worry about being delicate with his touch, and Kai had to pry the disk free from his hands. Honestly, he thought his friend would be scared by it.

Flynn always liked shiny objects and betting Well, too late for regrets now.

What are you gonna do with it? Flynn asked.

I havent decided yet, Its dangerous. We were lucky no one got hurt tonight.

Well, beside me meeting a stalker and almost having my skull cracked open.

If he understood how the artifact worked correctly, the coincidences it caused were neither good nor bad, just random events with a low chance of happening. Still, crowded cities were already prone to accidents without him turning the wheel and tinkering with Fate, and people were fragile things.

We need to be careful, Flynn agreed, though his tone made Kai suspect they had reached two different conclusions.

I asked around. The front store was actually poorly built, and the vase that fell on you wasnt properly secured to the railing. Flynn tapped on the table. The disk just makes unlikely things happen, right? Maybe none of these would have happened tonight, but they were always a possibility. We couldnt have found a purse of silver if someone hadnt lost it earlier.

He was considering what happened before I even came back

Kai had already made these considerations himself, but he had no time to confirm them yet. Even if youre right, no one can predict every possibility.

Not in a city, Flynn agreed again. So we need to find an isolated place where something rare we want could happen. Like, I dont know, we can go look for pearls and treasures at sea. Then click, you use the thingy and increase our chances to find something precious exponentially.

And the chances that an awakened beast will emerge from the deep sea to eat us. Why was it that, for once, when he wanted to be cautious, someone else tempted him with a crazy plan?

Well take the proper precautions and prepare an escape plan. Flynn talked like the decision had already been made. We can go when the tide is low. You cant meet dangerous beasts if there arent any nearby. And the sea isnt the only option, there are plenty of places in the archipelago where there are no beasts.

He must have thought this through

Kai followed the reasoning, the plan put order among messy ideas floating in his own head. Maybe it was what Virya meant about controlling the parameters. She wasnt just talking about the nubs on the disk but about the environment. The time and place where he chose to use the Fate Fulcrum.

Its not that easy, is it?

There would always be some threads he missed. The meeting with Valela was fresh in his mind, it was better if he restricted his reckless ideas for the time being. So he continued to play devils advocate. What if we get hit by lightning? The sky is pretty much everywhere.

Just choose a sunny day. Flynn easily dismissed the objection. Do you think the disk can affect the weather?

Huh, I dont know. Was there a maximum distance that the Fate Fulcrum could affect?

Then we should test it and find out. You said you could decide how much Fate to release, we can start with a tiny one.

Kai considered the idea. He might need to use the artifact again, be it only to create a distraction. Better if he knew how it worked before then. Even if I agree, and Im not saying I am, the disk is empty, it will need time to recharge.

Flynn shrugged. More time for us to plan.

Is it such a bad idea?