Chaos and Order - A Multiverse Fanfic

Fallen in an odd position, Kai groaned and threw an HP capsule in his mouth.

His HP bar had already reduced by over 50%, and it was falling at an ever higher rate.

One must not forget that normal weapons couldn't hurt Contestants of Kai's level anymore; at least not if one did not inflict the attack on their vital organs.

Then there were Perception and Kai's Instincts.

Neither of them had failed. But they hadn't worked as they intended and at the right time, either.

Something was wrong, Kai knew. Something was incredibly wrong.

Fuck! Kai cursed, daring not to move. Why is my Luck is getting influenced so much upon approaching Jack? Meg told me nothing about it. Tch!

"This ain't the armory."

Kai heard one of his two attackers say.

"Well, well, well," the other attacker followed. "Look what we have here, Twigg. Captain Jack Sparrow."

Suddenly, Kai knew what had happened, and what led to his abysmal situation.

He also got to know the identities of his attackers.

The timeline had diverged somehow, unknowingly; a variable in Kai's plans.

These two were Koehler and Twigg, two pirates of Black Pearl.

Kai had always known about them, and this too, that they would visit Jack Sparrow, thinking of the prison cells as the armory.

But, according to the main storyline, they should have already visited him by now.

Kai had always remained true to his plans, being at the right place at the right time.

This time, too, he had planned his arrival just after these two pirates had visited Jack Sparrow, letting him know that Barbossa and his crew of bloodthirsty pirates were indeed cursed.

Not that he arrived sooner than the planned event, but it was them who were late.

This is good, too, Kai contemplated, as his HP loss rate lessened. Jack must have seen me falling down the stairs, dead. I already had a mind to shock him before beginning any trade. What's more shocking than a dead man standing up?

Suddenly, another thought welled up in Kai's mind as his body remained sprawled on the ground, his hands and legs pointing at odd angles.

Hmm… Kai thought, bleeding. Is this what it means by the Luck at two extremities? I got ambushed to death by two common pirates, despite my Perception because of my Bad Luck. But then I got a better chance to carry out my original plans as well. It's all very abstruse…

Meanwhile, Jack's accusing words had led to Koehler reaching out and grabbing his ex-captain's throat.

It also made Koehler's hand come under the moonlight, falling into the cell.

The moment this happened, flesh disappeared off his hand as if it were a mirage, making Jack's eyes widen like a saucer.

"So there is a curse!" Jack Sparrow gasped. "That's interesting."

"You know nothing of hell," Koehler whispered, and then he pushed Jack back, his shove full of grudge and self-loathing.

Jack eyed the two mutineers, his eyes pensive. "That's very interesting."

It was then that another voice echoed off the lonely walls of the prison's long corridor.

"Is it?" the voice seemed far, but by the end, it had already come close. "And what can you do even if it is?"

Jack's eyebrows had reached the ninth heaven by the end of the question.

He saw the most absurd and logic-defying sight then.

The marine, who most probably had been stabbed and shot, stood up, adjusted his hat, and crawled toward him, taking one slow step after another.

The moment Jack saw the marine's face, his pensiveness vanished, replaced by an alert glint.

Murtogg!

Kai noticed the 50% dip in Abnormality Limiter, despite it being less sensitive than its cousin from the Game of Thrones Random World.

He knew this dip in the black bar would have surpassed the 80% mark if Jack Sparrow just hadn't seen his ex-crewmate's hand turning into bones.

Captain Jack Sparrow smiled.

"Lovely night, innit?" he remarked, nudging at the disappearing moonlight with his chin. "The way I see it, you are no marine, my unlucky friend. May I prevail upon you to provide an introduction?"

And… the flamboyancy just didn't go away.

A corner of Murtogg's mouth lifted from the left side, becoming an evil grin.

Suddenly, the light coming from the several candelabras dimmed as if an unseen icy gale had slapped at them.

The corridor darkened, and shadows stood up on their toes, taking over the corners.

Murtogg, grinning and almost laughing, took a step back, disappearing into one of those shadowy corners.

Just as the darkness took over his face, he stepped forward.

Jack Sparrow flinched at the sight.

Murtogg's face had gone as if the shadows had snatched it away.

In its place, there was another face, prettier, more evil and vile, and full of malice. His hazel eyes were like that of a snake and his white hair swayed without wind.

The entire corridor lightened back up, and the shadows crawled back from whichever hellhole they had sprouted.

Captain Red and Captain Jack Sparrow had come to a face-off at last.

"… Nice trick, mon ami," Jack said, after careful observation. "Whatever happened to the fellow whose… face you were wearing?"

Kai noticed the 90% dip in the Abnormality Limiter, nodded to himself inwardly, and ignored it.

First impressions mattered the most, and Kai thought he had already done a great job in that.

"He's in a better place," Kai told Jack. "Somewhere my hands can't reach. Not yet."

Jack Sparrow licked his lips. "So, it was you who stole my compass, eh?"

Kai flicked his hand and took out two boxes from his MRB.

When he opened one of them, there was a compass in it, looking exactly like Jack Sparrow's Compass.

Well, it was the original Compass; the Artifact.

"I am Red," Kai introduced, smiling, his eyes dead. "You must have heard of me."

"Eh… I don't think I have," Jack commented, cleaning his teeth with his nails. "But you smell like a pirate, that is better.

"Look mate, there is no sense in gentlemen of the same profession quarreling over trifles, is there? Why not help me escape, and I will help you in finding whatever you are seeking? What say you?"

Kai's eyes shone with a dull gray color, only noticeable to him.

A Side Mission had popped up because of Jack's declaration.

Kai ignored it mercilessly.

If other Contestants were to get to know that Kai rejected a chance to sail with Captain Jack Sparrow himself, then they would cough out blood on the spot.

Kai didn't want it, though.

His experience with Jack, considering his theory of Luck at two extremities, had already turned out to be the worst.

Moreover, he'd rather sail by himself on Actaea and with his crew than with Jack Sparrow.

Then there was the matter of Compass, his true purpose.

How could Kai afford to let his guard down against the temptation of a mere Side Mission?

"I have a better proposition," Kai hissed, coming inches close to Jack. "Trade the Compass with me, and I will give you what you want the most."

Jack's face showed nothing, but Kai had Advance Emotions Manipulation.

He couldn't manipulate all the emotions, other than snatching out the happiness, hope, trust, and confidence, and replacing them with anguish, fear, depression, despair, remorse, and horror.

But what he could do was enough — enough to sense the anxiety in Jack's heart, along with traces of doubt.

"And what is it that I want?" Jack Sparrow asked.

"What we pirates all want eventually…" Kai intoned, gazing deep into Jack's eyes. "Revenge, treasure, opportunities, power, life…

"… myriad forms one meaning — Freedom!"

The thin smile lingering on Jack's face vanished.

***************

AN: Only ONE chapter today. [Yesterday's Power Stone Count - 48]

Now you can access OVER 50 Chapters (across 3 Tiers) of Chaos and Order ahead of Webnovel on Patre0n (+ at least 80 monthly chapters). If you would like to access the exclusive content, while simultaneously supporting the fanfic, then do consider becoming a Patron

Bonus Chapter Deal - 50 Power Stones: +1 Bonus Chapter and +1 Bonus Chapter for every 10 Power Stones above that