Chaos and Order - A Multiverse Fanfic

0173 The Existence

Kai shook his head, brought his mind to reality, and then walked towards the tent's entrance.

The guards didn't even spare a glance at him, but Kai's Perception did catch a hint of threat seeping out of them as if in the next moment their swords would come for his back.

There were two barricades in front of Kai as he entered. An official was demanding City-passes from everyone, standing in between them.

"Just ascended," Kai said, nearing him. The official nodded and opened the left barricade for him to pass.

An enormous hall opened itself to him, its walls lined with many counters. Contestants had lined themselves up, keeping a sizable gap between each other. Hard-faced Contestants, wearing a white overcoat with the royal badge on their chests, were making rounds in the Hall. Kai slowly joined a line and waited for his turn.

After some time, Kai found himself facing a woman, formally dressed and quite powerless.

"Code Name," she demanded.

"Red."

The woman didn't even raise as much as an eyebrow and just wrote the name, stamped a seal, and then signed over it hastily. It seemed she had had her fill with all gods, demons, devils, colors, and flowers, and now nothing could grab her attention anymore.

She handed the document to Kai and said, "Next."

Kai followed the signs on the walls to head towards the Portkeys counters, meanwhile going through the instructions mentioned in the document. All was as mentioned by Meg, Kai reflected.

Among the major points was that within the next 6 months, he must participate in the battle once after ascending to the 4th floor for the first time. Then, if he wanted to settle down for a long term in any nation, he must get a job within 6 months after his battle. If he managed to get a job, then he could report this to any local Custom Office and get his City-pass extended. Otherwise, he must take part in another battle that would automatically extend his stay by another 6 months.

Everything is quite methodical about all this, Kai noticed. Why leave the 1st Set as a lawless region then? Yeah, it's big. But with so much time in their hands, they could've gotten it all sorted out in a few centuries, if not decades.

The City of Assignments! As the name of the city ran through his mind, Kai suddenly recalled Meg's words, explaining the reason it was called so. So, Kai thought, smiling, they have deliberately left the 1st Set alone so that the top organizations could have their way with children and their parents. Wonderful!

It took him another hour to get a ticket to the Royal Station of Buckfastleigh.

Kai reached a room whose number matched the one on his ticket. A man in a white overcoat was already waiting for him, it seemed to Kai. "Hurry," the man told him. "You are the last one."

Kai entered the hall-like room and found over 10 men and women staring back at him. In the middle of the room, there was an earthen pot, its edges broken and worn.

"OK," the official said loudly, checking the time on his watch. "I don't have all day. Touch it already, you fools. What're you waiting for?"

They all hurried, pressing their fingers hard against the solid. Kai had heard about the Portkeys from Meg, but this would be his first time. As seconds passed, the faintest hint of anticipation in his heart became nervousness. He lifted his head to see around, and at this exact moment, everything spun.

Kai felt as if someone had hooked him from within around his navel and was pulling him away. As his sight blurred, the only thing he remembered thinking of was that he hadn't eaten something after his arrival. His finger seemed to have been glued to the pot, as he swirled and swirled, and before he knew it, he slammed on the hard floor. His hold over the pot finally loosened.