Mysteries.
It was one of the most intriguing and broken concepts of not only the Multiverse, but also the Primordial Tower.
However, it was only the Fate Bubble that had explored it to the extreme.
As The Root was Omnipresent, so were the Mysteries.
A Mystery's essence lay in concealment, being powered by The Root itself — a Concept common for both Contestants and Characters, regardless of Bubbles, Systems, Void, etc.
A Mystery thus held meaning specifically because it was a mystery; if it were to be understood, it would lose that force.
A Mystery could take the shape of anything, as long as it held to its own definition.
It could be a Knowledge — like True Magecraft, Divine Words, Ancient Magical Script, Magic Crests…
Or — a mere secret letter — like D from One Piece Bubble.
It could be an object — like The Tales of Beedle the Bard.
It could be a lifeform, artificial or natural, too — like Black.
It could be Corruption — like Eon Soul Dew.
Not only that, but a Mystery could be a Concept as well — like Luck, Worth, Instincts, Emotions, etc.
Almost all Concepts that were Mysteries were Elite Abilities. That's why a Mystery accumulated and grew stronger over time.
However, not all Elite Abilities could become Mysteries.
Perception — The Mysteries of Mysteries — The Root of The Root — was the glue that kept the Bubbles and their timelines in check, and acted as the most primeval source of energy and shared essence among them.
Without it, the entire Multiverse could fall apart, and even Chaos and Order would not be able to salvage the situation.
Perception manifested itself in all the Bubbles in one form or another.
This was called — The Myriad Manifestations of Perception!
To become a King-level existence, the single most accepted condition by everyone, Characters and Contestants, was that one must have access to at least one of the top-10 ranked Manifestations of Perception.
As Perception was the glue holding the Multiverse together, one must use a Perception's Manifestation as a glue too, combining Extremities of at least two different Bubbles.
In essence, one must use Mysteries to combine one's Extremities before ascending to the Throne of a King on the 18th Floor.
That's why there was a Saying popular among the Contestants of the Primordial Tower, known to even those of the 1st Set, without ever knowing its true significance.
And that Saying went something like this —
— Skills make soldiers, Abilities make Kings!!!
It was true for the Golden King, holding Extremities of One Piece and Naruto Bubbles, using the Mystery of Color of Observation to combine them.
It was true for the Purple King as well.
Of course, for a Mystery to reveal itself to its holder, certain conditions needed to be met.
For Kai, it happened the moment he became Nyarlathotep, elevating his existence.
Even though he had possessed the Mysteries before, they hadn't truly manifested themselves.
However, there was a caveat in all this knowledge, too.
One couldn't just use any Mystery to combine the Extremities.
The Mystery's nature itself must align with the Extremities for successful fusion.
For example, there was a reason the Golden King had used Color of Observation to fuse Nine-Tailed Fox and Gomu Gomu No Mi Extremity of two different Bubbles, because the Mystery itself was something common between them.
So, if an Extremity itself came with its own Mysteries, one's chances of fusing it with another Extremity became the highest, almost ensuring success.
For Contestants, it meant that as long as one remained alive, one was destined to become a King.
So, when Zelretch said that the Extremity of True Ancestor he was offering him came with Mystery of its own, Kai knew exactly what He meant.
And that alone made Kai almost say yes on the spot.
Almost because — Kai D. Stormborn's Instincts were advising him against it.
Almost because — Never had a Power come to him before, without him paying a price for it.
Almost because — Kai's heart was of a Demon's, and it refused to bend its knees against the demands of submission.
If Kai could let himself die during the Third Stage of the Tournament of Worth, instead of changing his attitude, then he could hold himself back from saying Yes as well.
Taking a deep breath, as if Kai was facing the greatest tribulation of his lifetime, he closed his eyes and unleashed Calm.
In front of him, Zelretch's eyes almost widened.
But Kai had better things to do than observing the Deep One.
…
The Ad Infinitum — What's the trick in all this?
Lucky Intuition — A Vampire is subjected to the control of a Parent Vampire.
The Ad Infinitum — But Zelretch is a Deep One. All Blessings are subjected to a Deep One's influence. This can't be it.
Lucky Intuition — A Deep One is also subjected to Vampiric Impulse. Spreading it among strong Contestants as a Blessing can help in mitigating it.
The Ad Infinitum — That wouldn't make sense unless He lied about the true number of Contestants He has bestowed the Blessing upon. There's something here… That Instinct — Why did Zelretch show murderous desire?
Lucky Intuition — …
Out of hundreds of thousands of possibilities, the AI was picking up the most optimal Intuitions, using them as a checkpoint to move forward.
However, against a Deep One's desire, even the Lucky Intuition failed to come up with anything.
And then, just as the Luck was running out, the Intuitions chanced upon something crucial.
Lucky Intuition — If there's nothing wrong with me, then there's something wrong with Zelretch Himself.
…
Kai opened his eyes, realizing that he had reached the end.
Beyond this point, what he knew and had experienced wasn't enough.
And even though he couldn't consult Death the Artificer or Harry Potter's Timeline regarding it, even though he didn't have a trustworthy enough backing in the Primordial Tower, Kai could ask someone for guidance.
The Storm Pirates!
"May I know how much time I have to make a choice?" Kai asked with Calm.
Zelretch looked at Red, disbelieving that a Contestant could bury the urge to accept His Blessing.
He turned around, the spacetime bending in His surroundings, and said, "… till the death of the first Servant in this Holy Grail War."
Then, Zelretch vanished, putting the matter of choosing Red as a Protagonist...on hold.
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