Chapter 12 – Fated Villain
[Absolute Fate: Fated Villain.]
Cassius's gaze was fixed on the bright crimson panel. To him, it felt like intangible blood was dripping from it, accentuating the strange feeling bubbling inside him.
'So this is what I get.' He mused. 'This is my Fate. And now that I know it, I can no longer escape it.'
He twisted his tongue inside his mouth, pushed himself up, and sat cross-legged. His eyes were clouded by thoughts parading through his mind.
The Goddess said nothing, only watching him come to terms with the situation he had brought on himself.
As for her, she would assess the way forward in her own time.
'Let's hope what I have summoned upon myself is not a ruinous risk.' She smiled tensely, then closed her eyes.
'I can't say I'm surprised.' Cassius continued, fighting off a grin that threatened to crack his face apart. 'I can't be anything else…not with the bloodline in me, not with who Cassius was, and not with who I am myself.'
The past Noah had always loved Villains. To most, it would look like a choice made just to go against the current. To be different.
But no, it was far beyond that.
Far beyond mere childish behaviour of wanting to be noticed by people who cared only for themselves.
Yet if anyone had ever asked him why he loved Villains…Noah, now Cassius, would never have been able to answer. The same went for his obsessive love for dangerous women.
Or maybe he could. But that would mean reliving memories he wasn't ready to face again.
So he closed that part of his mind, and let his love for villains and dangerous women stand as something simply ingrained in him.
'I have obtained what I wanted.' He whispered inwardly. 'In the Game, Emrys only managed to find this dungeon and obtain his Absolute Fate thanks to Isolde.'
It was almost laughable, the girl he had overlooked for another had given him one of the most life-changing powers in the story.
Because in the game [Chosen Ones], every Main Character had their own path. Their own Fate.
A path shaped by their bloodline, their dreams, their character. A path that would collide with others, creating {Events} — situations that changed the Game completely.
That was exactly what made the Ending different every single time. The players never made the same choices, so the outcomes never aligned either.
The creator of the Game had made sure to replicate one of the fundamental aspects of reality: The World is Surprise.
Nothing was set in stone.
And in such an environment, knowing one's Fate was primordial. It was the difference between getting through every hurdle and setback, or being swallowed by them.
There was a famous quote about it, found in the Tale of The Fool: 'The one who knows the destination walks in peace; the one who doesn't walks in noise.'
And the best way to know the destination, or at least the illusion of it, was…
'…through the Absolute Fate's Blessing of [The Lady Who Reads The End].' Cassius stroked his chin pensively. 'For it activates the Hidden Feature of the System, guiding you along your path with Quests and rewards, as long as you don't go astray.'
That was the first cheat code.
And in a game where even Main Characters died like worthless pawns if one thing went wrong, this was primordial to have.
Cassius grinned, thinking briefly of how Emrys would fare now that he had lost this opportunity. But it didn't matter. The man wouldn't even know he had lost something.
And maybe that was the worst part.
Shaking his head, he swept his hand from left to right and dismissed the notification panel.
He took a deep breath, chest constricting, nostrils flaring.
He focused deeper, sensing the Essence he had spent during the ritual begin to regenerate, then increase exponentially.
He grinned, whispered, and his status appeared.
[Name: Cassius Desdemona]
[Age: 18]
[Title: Last Born of Desdemona]
[Blessed: Absolute Fate – Lady Ananke]
[Aspect: Legacy – Blood Type]
[Slot: 0/1]
[STR: 20 (+6); AGL: 20 (+5); CONS: 24 (+4); PER: 25 (+10); CHA: 40 (+5); Essence: 50 (+48)]
"Oh my Lord." Cassius exclaimed, eyes wide at the leap in his attributes, but more importantly, his Essence.
In his excitement, he ripped open his white suit and looked at the Birthright Mark on his chest. The glow was brighter now. Far brighter. Bright enough to rival those of the Main Characters.
His lips split into a wide smile. Then he snapped his head back and barked a laugh so loud it thundered through his chest like drum beats.
"I did it!" He bellowed, clenching his fists. "Fuck yes!"
His loud voice and crude words made the Goddess — whose true name was Ananke — frown her beautiful silver eyebrows.
"Do you want me to throw you out of my Gate, Spawn?" She grated, irritated by the noise.
She hated noise. No, she loathed it.
"Oh, Goddess!" Cassius whirled and dashed toward her.
In an instant he was an inch from her face.
"You probably poured so much of your power into this Blessing for my Birthright to improve this much. I always knew you loved me. Were you just too shy to show it?"
"You will make me regret that decision if you keep this up." She said flatly.
"Wow. Let the man celebrate his victory, would you? Would that kill you?"
"There is no reason to act this way. We have more important things to discuss."
"I have one important rule…"
Ananke rolled her eyes.
"…always celebrate the small wins before the big ones." Cassius smiled, his excitement settling slightly. "And believe me, this is not a small win, Ananke."
"Call me Goddess, or by my title." She scowled.
Cassius ignored her complaint, knowing full well she could no longer harm him.
"And do you want to know why?" He resumed, sitting back cross-legged, eyes locked onto hers.
Bitten by annoyance but curious despite herself, Ananke answered after a moment.
"Your Aspect." She said with certainty.
"True." He nodded. "I can finally use my Aspect and obtain my First Skill."
Ananke tilted her head at those words. "First Skill?" She said, confused. "You have an Aspect but no skill? How is—!"
She closed her mouth. Her eyes widened in sudden realisation.
"You…" she whispered, her heart strangely picking up speed. "You have a Wondrous Aspect?"
The words themselves made the Gate of Fate and Secrecy waver — like a boat straining to stay upright in raging water.
Cassius bared his teeth into a grin.
"I know nothing about Wondrous Aspects. But…"
He activated his Aspect with all 50 of his Essence.
"…an Aspect like mine is highly unlikely to exist anywhere else. That, I am certain of."
A searing crimson-black light shrouded Cassius's entire body.
Ananke hissed in surprise, then broke into a wide smile as a sigil appeared above him.
The Snake Eating Sigil of the Desdemona.
Not one, but dozens of them, each glowing with a different colour, a different feeling.
She covered her mouth gracefully and cackled.
Cassius parted his lips.
"Now, give daddy a good one, my sweet baby!"
—End of Chapter 12—