Chapter 16 – Random Knowledge
"That was a long day."
Cassius muttered with a subtle smile, lying peacefully on his back with his hands crossed behind his head, wearing his purple pyjama in his purple-coloured room.
His thoughts wandered to everything that had happened since the moment he opened his eyes in this new world, this new life.
To say it still felt unreal was being generous.
Everything had moved so fast — as if he had been yanked forward by some time machine — that only now did he have the space to take in the full picture of what he had actually accomplished.
In not even twenty-four hours after being reborn into this world, he had already changed a crucial part of Cassius's fate.
His Aspect was now usable. He had obtained his First Skill.
'I still have no real control over Bloodflame. But at least I have it.'
And he still had time before meeting Isolde. One week? More than enough to build basic control.
Even so…
'This alone should have already changed the story, right?' He shifted slowly, trying to get more comfortable. 'Not only did I increase my Capacity and obtain a skill, I became the Blessed of Ananke.'
That had never happened in the game.
In some strange way, Ananke hadn't chosen Emrys as her Blessed, even though she had given him the Absolute Fate Blessing.
Cassius had never thought too deeply about it while playing, too focused on saving the Desdemona and winning over Isolde while controlling a Protagonist who couldn't naturally interact with people on the villain alignment without issue.
'I should have wondered why.' His eyebrows knitted slightly. 'But how is it even possible to give a Blessing without making someone a Blessed?'
Too late to know now. Ananke had been refusing to respond to him no matter how much he'd pushed since their return.
He sneered provocatively. "You're the shy type, aren't you, Ananke?"
[…]
"Why won't you answer? I just want to talk. You're probably bored in that Gate of yours."
[…]
"Still nothing?"
[…]
Cassius's lips twitched. "Suit yourself." He relented. "I just wonder how long you plan on giving me the silent treatment. I already apologised for burning your Gate."
[Lady Ananke scowls at you.]
He grinned. "Finally a reaction. A scowl, but better than nothing. Can I ask you something, Goddess?"
[…]
He clicked his tongue. "Fine. I'll look over what I gained in your Fractured Land while you sulk like a child."
He didn't know how, but he could have sworn he heard someone curse him just then.
He shook his head and refocused.
Decision made, he summoned the rewards panel.
[Congratulations. You have completed the Fractured Land of Ananke — Goddess of Fate and Secrecy — in a manner never before achieved.]
[Your rewards have been improved.]
[Rewards: Random Knowledge (Tailored), Mind Barrier (Tier 5 Artifact)]
Cassius's smile widened, heart fluttering with excitement. This was the first time he had ever heard of the Tailored type of Random Knowledge.
Did it mean the knowledge would be personalised to him? He turned the thought over with barely contained giddiness.
And on top of that, a Tier 5 Mind Barrier was an entirely unexpected but very welcome bonus.
'With this artifact, I might be able to reach that man.' His thoughts jumped immediately to a particular figure, frowning slightly in the process.
Someone chained — or rather, trapped — somewhere inside the very Desde City his family controlled. An important person, for he was one of the few who knew how to enter their estate undetected.
'I don't know how Isolde found out about him. But she used him as a means to launch her attack on my family, while she was plotting my death on the side.'
The most important informations in the game were rarely shown outright.
'That was always its biggest weakness.' He closed his eyes, running back through his memory of it. 'I know most of the surface-level actions and players that caused certain events to unfold. Some hidden ones too. But that never explained everything happening throughout the full game. I lack many crucial points.'
It truly didn't.
Too much was veiled.
Isolde's involvement in his family's downfall had been clear enough. She had killed him, which sent his family into a frenzy, casting aside all formalities and attacking everything in front of them like mad dogs.
They made more enemies than they could manage.
And yet they held on for years. Years in which Emrys and the main characters grew overwhelmingly strong within Elysia Academy — their Blessings and bloodlines utterly abnormal — until they could slaughter his entire family without much effort.
And the worst part…
'They did it as a minor inconvenience before turning their attention to the true antagonist of the First Game.'
He sighed, eyes narrowing with open dissatisfaction. 'I hate this. And I will not let it happen again.'
He might not know everything. But he knew more than enough to start planning.
'And now that I've changed Cassius's fate and taken something from Emrys…'
The butterfly effect would do its work. Soon enough, the game would look nothing like what he remembered.
If it hadn't already started shifting.
But he didn't care. He never did. The more it changed, the better his chance of saving his family.
…Or so he thought.
Shaking his head, Cassius summoned the Random Knowledge. It appeared in front of him instantly; shaped like a blinking eye made of threads, radiating a calm, soothing aura.
He stretched out his hand, grasped it, and crushed it.
Light erupted from his fist — intense and fleeting.
A panel flickered into existence.
[Random Knowledge: The location of the Entrance Test of the Elysia Academy holds an echo of the Family of Monsters — Desdemona.]
Cassius's eyes went immediately wide. He jolted upright, sitting up sharply at what he had just read.
Yet it wasn't over.
[You have received a Quest.]
His Fated Villain's status finally moved.
[Quest: Loyal Companion]
[Description: We call it companion, but we know a Desdemona doesn't have companions. Choose one person of your choice and make their loyalty yours and yours alone.
Not because of the Family's prestige. Not because of external reasons.
Because of you.
Everyone needs someone. Even a Fated Villain.]
[Rewards: 500 Villain Points.]
—End of Chapter 16—