Crimson Core

Kai had settled down in his makeshift chamber but still headed out to go see where he could get more knowledge of that merit points. It didn’t take long before he got to the missions unit.

Kai stepped inside and the first thing he saw was a big board-like structure that showed names and the missions assigned to them as well as the status of the mission; missions ranged from minor things like picking purple ink mushrooms to major ones like killing a thunder phoenix.

The merit points for each mission depended on the difficulty of the mission. Kai walked to the front desk to meet the academic bureau’s official in charge of assigning missions.

“Good day,” Kai greeted the official at the counter with a smile, tailored for her.

“What can I do for you?” It was clear that the young woman was frustrated about something. If only she was less stressed, her beauty would have been on par with that of prized noble ladies.

“I was wondering if you could explain how the missions came about.” Kai looked sincerely curious.

“You look unfamiliar, you’re new right?” The official asked.

“Yes, I am. Please the question I asked needs an answer,” Kai looked and sounded so polite.

“All right since you asked so nicely. The missions are brought here by the teachers or officials of the academic bureau. They make a deposit and the school assigns merit points to them then I and other officials assign them to capable students.” The young official tried her best to look normal while she explained.

The dead eyes she had while talking seemed to speak louder than her words. Her dark skin made her almost blend into the uniform she was wearing. Although she made an effort to smile, any one could see that is was forced.

“I have another question though, what makes a student capable?” Kai asked.

The official was silent for a while, before answering, “There are some other criteria that must be fulfilled, but first the student must be a second year and above, and second, the missions are assigned according to their ranks. There have been times where it made an exception though, but for special students. Anything else?”

The official tried to be friendly but it was clear that she had something bothering her.

‘She needs something, and you can give it to her, play your cards well~’ The deity chipped in.

“Yes but not for me.” Kai sounded so calm it became scary. His aura had changed from sunny and smiley to dark, gloomy and serious.

“Sir, what do you mean?” The official was taken aback by the way Kai sounded and the change in the air around him. it felt as if she was taking to an entirely different person.

“I can give you what you need…” Kai still insisted on his words.

“You think you can give me what I need?” The official looked and sounded skeptical.

“Try me…I will be in the Death Ring by midnight.” Kai turned around and left the missions unit.

After Kai left, the official was lost in her thoughts. ‘Can I trust him? I wonder what he thinks my problem is? I am so confused now. The way his face changed; it was scary.’ Kai had just placed the official in a dilemma.

After the bout in the missions unit, Kai navigated his way to the Death Ring. The building was colossal it looked so much like a Colosseum.

Its high round stone walls had seats for the spectators watching the mages fight. There was a protective array that protected the viewers from being injured by stray spells or arrows.

The Colosseum held different types of duels, sometimes the mages used only their magic, some other times they used only weapons and no magic and finally; the other times they used weapons and magic or had handicap matches for the excitement of the spectators that paid good money to watch them fight some other times to the death.

After every fifty duels, the new head of the Death table got 1 merit point the second on the table got 0.8 merit points and the third got 0.6 points, up until the fifth person on the table.

The Colosseum was the fastest way to get merit points but you would be fighting a hundred mages, to say the least.

Before a mage gets to sign up for the Death Table he would have to fight ten mages, If the mage dies he or she loses, if he wins he gets to fight in the Death Ring.

“Yeah! Make him suffer, whistler!!” Someone from the spectator area screamed, cheering on one of the contenders in the present duel.

The Whistler was a young man, dressed in white clothes, with defined facial features, he was handsome not too feminine or masculine, somewhere in the middle. His silver-colored scythe covered in green inscriptions carved on its blade. He gave off an aura that seemed to scream the fact that he was skilled with his weapon.

His opponent was a huge burly man with defined muscles, blonde spiky hair and shirtless. He looked so menacing and intimidating with his huge sledgehammer covered in dull yellow inscriptions.

The huge mage with the sledgehammer used only direct hits filled with brute strength directed at the whistler. Every time the whistler managed to dodge his direct hit, each time making whistling sounds as he slid through the air dodging the hammer every time by a hair’s breath.

After ten moves the two men stood opposite each other at the extremes of the Colosseum.

“Smasher, end him!!!!” Another spectator screamed from the bleachers. “Smash him into oblivion!!!” Another spectator said loud enough for Smasher to hear.

“This has gone long enough!” Smasher exclaimed, “Bring your face to my hammer… argh!!!”

Smasher rushed forward, swinging his hammer as if it were weightless. His every step shook the entire Colosseum but the whistler still didn’t look worried in the least.

“I was thinking the exact same thing, now come,” the Whistler said as he got into a pose to receive the Smasher’s attack

When the smasher got too close for comfort, the scene became a blur. Dust rose high in the air as a result of the smasher running, and only a whistling sound could be heard throughout the colosseum, leaving everyone in suspense.

By the time the dust settled, what people saw next made some gasp and others nod approvingly before someone shouted, “We have a winner! THE WHISTLER!!”

Smasher was on the ground, knocked out cold by the whistler who sat on the Smasher’s head with his scythe by his side.

“And that concludes the No magic duel, those who placed bets please come to the front desk and get your winnings. Have a good day…” The voice of the announcer died out suddenly as though he still had something else to say.

Kai found no joy in waiting for the whole Colosseum to be emptied before he walked out. He joined the swarm of people walking out of the Colosseum.

“You know if this was a magic duel, the smasher would have won,” one of the mages walking out of the colosseum said to his colleague.

“What do you mean by that, The both of them are count-level mages, their magic essence is about the same…” the other mage retorted.

‘They were Count level mages huh, I wonder if I could defeat them in my current state,’ Kai was lost in thoughts as he walked to his chambers. ‘Deity is it possible to raise one’s potential?’ Kai asked.

‘Well no, there are not, your potential as a mage is given to you, the only thing you can improve is the purity of your magic essence to increase its power and learn more spells. That’s why weak mages train their bodies and their minds, for if ever they meet an opponent with more magic essence than they. At least they would have a chance to win,’ The deity explained.

‘That’s odd.’

‘Yes it is odd, but that is how the Natural laws made it, Is there any other thing you want to know?’ The deity inquired.

‘Yes, answer me this, what do I have that I can give to that official?’ Kai was visibly distressed.

‘You would have to find out for yourself’

‘You are something else. Another question, Do I get stronger?’ Kai asked again.

‘Actually yes, you will get stronger. You are no longer mortal, you are the blood demon, remember that.’

A smile creped up Kai’s face as he entertained a few thoughts. ‘I am no longer human…huh?’ The corruption in Kai’s soul was already affecting his thoughts and actions.

After the conversation, some time had passed. The sun had set and the time was leaning closely towards his appointment with the official to wait for him at the Death Ring.

—Knock, knock—

Kai heard someone rapping at his door. “Come in,” Kai said when he opened the door to his chamber.

The person at the door hesitated a bit before coming inside. It was Darcy she was dressed in a red nightgown fairly transparent, slightly exposing her full breasts.

“Darcy, do you need anything?” Kai asked as he let her come into his chamber.

“I just wanted to see how you are doing,” she said as she sat on the bed in a very erotic way, trying to send signals to Kai. ‘What am I doing? I should stop, but I can’t, I want to feel him’

“Thank you very much,” Kai said as he sat on the bed next to her.

After talking for some time and Kai wasn’t making any moves on her, she decided to make it clear.

‘It is what it is’ Darcy decided to take the initiative. “Kai…” she called.

“What is it?” Kai asked.

“To put it plainly, Kai, I love you Kai, I know we just met but I love you,” Darcy said as she moved her hands closer to touch Kai’s pale face.

Before her hands could reach Kai’s face he stopped it and held it in the air. “No.”

“What?” Darcy was visibly taken aback. This was the first time she had ever been denied anything in her life.

“I have somewhere to go now, I’ll be back soon. If you can’t wait…use the door.” Kai let go of her hand and placed it gently on the bed before he put on his coat and left.

‘What just happened?’ Darcy questioned herself with wide eyes as she saw Kai leave the room and close the door.

‘It’s almost midnight, I need to get there quickly’ Kai walked as fast as he could to get to the Death Ring.

Luckily the official hadn’t come, or maybe she wouldn’t come and all the effort would have been in vain. Nevertheless, Kai still found a high place to see when the official would come without her seeing him.

Kai sat there waiting for what seemed like a couple of hours, ‘Is she no longer coming?’ Kai was about to come out from his hiding place and go back to his chamber when he heard someone walking.

—Tap, tap—

“Hel—hello, are you there?” A woman in a cloak dress said loudly to no one in particular. ‘Did I make a mistake coming here?’

“Well, you did not commit a mistake coming here…” Kai paused as he came out of his hiding place, the moonlight coming from the opening of the colosseum hid Kai’s face from being visible.

“…and you kept me waiting, but I forgive your errors.” Kai’s voice had changed it was now much more profound and melancholic.

‘Tell her to look you in the eyes.’ The deity suggested.

Kai walked down from the high place where he hid.

—Tap, tap—

He walked towards the official and stopped half a meter away in front of her. “Tell me, what…is…your…name?”

“My name is Samantha.” The official was hesitant but answered anyway.

“Now Samantha, look into my eyes…” Kai’s eyes were a deeper shade of black, so deep she could see her reflection in it. His words, so delicate that it seemed to touch the deepest part of Samantha’s soul.

Kai spoke again. This time his voice ever so alluringly suggestive “… Now tell me what do you desire.”

“Revenge…revenge for my sister.” Samantha broke down in tears but did not break the eye contact. Her shaking shoulders were more than enough to show the pain and agony in her soul as she sobbed silently.

—snap, snap—

Samantha’s eyes went back to normal. “Tell me Samantha…your sister what happened to her?” Kai walked to a seat on the bleachers and sat down. “Come.”

Samantha walked towards Kai and stopped in front of him. “She got murdered by her husband.” Samantha was already in tears as she answered Kai’s question.

“Who was her husband?” Kai politely asked this time still with his deep melancholy voice.

“He is a rich merchant, a fabric merchant.” Samantha replied.

“Here write his name and the location of his business.” Kai handed Samantha a piece of paper and a pen he happened to be carrying around. “Now tell me why he killed her.”

—Sob sob—

The sounds of Samantha sobbing filled the formally quiet colosseum. “She found out that he was cheating on my sister with another woman…”

“Write down her name as well…carry-on.”

“…sniff… Right, my sister’s name was Georgia, her husband’s name was Nelson and his mistress, that whore, his mistress is Lady Belisha the master of the blue pavilion inn and brothel.” Samantha paused to catch her breath before she continued.

“The corrections bureau did nothing about it because his brother is a high-ranking official there.” The sense of loss was clear.

Samantha was almost a mess now as tried her best to relay hat had happened.

She was too weak to avenge her sister, but the thought of someone else doing it for her gave her a glimpse of hope. The hope that her sister can rest peacefully in the grave.

Kai stood up to leave after he had taken the piece of paper from Samantha. “Rest easy…” Kai said as he walked away from the Colosseum.

After Kai had left, she, Samantha sat on the bleachers to assimilate what had happened, “How did he get me to say these things, he didn’t even request anything…” It all felt weird to her.

*****

Kai had walked for some time before he reached his chamber doors. ‘That was exciting.’ Kai entered his chambers and saw Darcy was lying in his bed. Kai was just too tired to do anything to or about her.

Kai moved Darcy a bit and slept by her side. During the time Kai moved Darcy she woke up but still pretended to be asleep.

She marvelled at how gentle he could be with her. ‘He is such a gentleman!’

Kai blew out the candles that lit up the room and lay beside Darcy. Ample time had passed but Darcy was still awake. ‘Should I do it now, he is asleep right?’

Darcy opened her eyes; she placed her hands on Kai’s chest as though she was still asleep. She made sure to make it seem as though she was doing all her movements while asleep.

She had been successful all this while mostly because Kai ignored it thinking it done in sleep. She tried to drag down his trousers when she felt a hand on her head and a voice that belonged to only one person, Kai.

Darcy was taken aback by the sparkle of Kai’s eyes in the dark, the eerie black of his eyes gave her soul shivers.

“Darcy dear, sleep we have a lot of errands to carry out tomorrow.” Darcy was shocked to see his eyes sparkle in the dark giving an eerie feeling.

Darcy lay back in bed. ‘What just happened? Why did I obey him without retorting?’

Darcy was flabbergasted she could not just wrap her mind around what had happened, The thought occupied her mind till it drifted off to sleep.