My Fate System

[Divergence: 49%]

The notification was blood red in the center of the darkness. Nikolai opened his eyes, and he felt pain everywhere in his body. The branches danced in the breeze above him, unhindered.

"You are mine," the voice, which felt like stabs in his ears, said. Nikolai flinched and jumped upward, looking in the direction of the source. Lilith met his gaze with a grin. "You are the dark being my generals met and the person who killed the serpent. You are no human."

It was wishful thinking to believe he could contend against Lilith with his darkness alone. However, it was already a miracle that he survived. Her interest was piqued because of his darkness and Limit Break.

"Is that why you are here?" Nikolai tried to stand up, but he found that his body was drained of mana and refused to listen to him.

"I came to ask Edward if he knew anything about dark beings around here, but I never expected to catch you so quickly," she said and stood up, her long and sharp eyes curving into a smile. "You are joining my group."

It was happening again, the same thing in his past life. Nikolai never thought that he would hear this a second time. However, the circumstances were different because he didn't have to survive the sick game she orchestrated like before.

'How did I ever fall for someone like her?'

Nikolai wondered as he looked at her. It was hard to call his feelings the word love because they were an obsession. Nothing mattered for him other than her, even after he learned of her plans against humanity. At that time, humankind gave him nothing but pain and hardships. He couldn't have cared less about them.

Then, it happened again. His belief that he knew someone, cared for them, and they cared back was broken again by the Elven Princess time after time. She wanted to break him.

Nikolai ignored her and looked around. They were still in the forest, but half of it had been destroyed. He was lying in a crater with the princess sitting on its edge, looking down on him.

"Looking for Edward?" she grinned.

"What do you want from me?"

"Other than payback for the damages?" Lilith shrugged as a dagger materialized in her hand. It was an identical copy of the one he used in his past life, given to him by the princess. "I want you to join me."

"I need to attend to some business first," Nikolai said as he began to stand up. "After that, I will join you."

"That easily? After risking your life to run away?" she asked with doubt and an unconvinced expression. "You will probably run away."

"Can anyone run away from you or Master Edward?" Nikolai asked with a helpless shrug. "We aren't meant to oppose monsters or gods."

"Wise," she grinned, pleased with his words. "Is your business related to Edward?" she asked, to which he nodded in affirmation. The Divergence was almost fifty, and he was sweating bullets.

The unknown was terrifying. The termination could mean the end of his second chance at life, and he would truly be dead this time. It didn't matter if Lilith knew everything about him because as long as he ended this vision, it didn't matter. His system constructed this, and the only anomaly was Master Edward.

"I will come for you later then," she grinned after gaining his approval. This was one of the inconsistent traits of the princess: she was unwilling to use force against those she desired. She could manipulate them or coax them then, but it was beneath her to threaten them into being hers.

Of course, that was only for those she wanted on her side. For anyone else, she might as well be the devil.

Nikolai stood up and started walking toward the ritual grounds under Lilith's sickening gaze. His body ached every time he moved it, and he discovered a new way to feel pain every step he walked.

The percentage of the divergence was still 49%, hanging by a thread. He had no idea what stopped Master Edward from knowing the future yet, but he could only hope that it would last.

The high walls appeared in his view, and he didn't know for how long he walked. There were sounds of battle in front of him, and Lilith seemed to have retreated.

"If I haven't shown her my abilities, there would have been no way that she leaves me alone. This is her way of leaving a good impression so that I join her willingly and never betray her."

Nikolai had to admit that she was suitable for leadership, but it was too bad that he could do everything to avoid her once this ordeal had passed. The knowledge that she was in this city and knew Master Edward could be considered the most valuable thing he got out of this vision.

The assassination of the princess was secondary.

The noises coming from ahead grew increasingly louder, and Nikolai began noticing how the ground shook. Then, finally, a shadow flew across the sky, and Nikolai squinted before he jumped to the side.

A giant tree trunk landed in his place, rolling on the ground and destroying several others in its wake. Nikolai jumped up and started running forward as several more trunks fell from the sky.

"Young master!"

Master Edward's voice came from ahead, and Nikolai brought his sprint to a halt, leaving trails on the ground. He entered his stealth and walked toward the two people, trying to glean the identity of the young man who was helping him.

"Why are you doing this?" Master Edward seemed annoyed by the young man's antics. Nikolai saw that they were still flying in the air, only that the young man had hundreds of trees flying behind him under the force of the wind.

"My friend asked me to," the young man said with a smile. "I believe there is a reason that you are this desperate to visit the ritual and a reason why Lyle wants to stop you."

"And you trust an outsider?" Master Edward seemed confused by the relationship that the two of them shared.

"I am also an outsider," the young man said with a grin as he raised his arm, stacking tens of trees together. "We orphans need to stick together."

"I don't believe this is the real world, and the answer lies behind those walls," Master Edward sighed as he raised his hand. A long red spear began materializing in his hand, looking as if blood flowed within it. "And I'll cut anything down to find my answer."

"A scholar to the bone," the young man smiled as Nikolai saw a drop of sweat roll down his face. "I always respected you and still do, so allow me to be impudent this time."

The trees fortified by the wind began stacking against each other to create a giant rod in the sky, taller than the walls behind it. Nikolai wondered about the identity of this young man to be so powerful yet so young.

The giant rod descended on Master Edward, and his long red hair flew in the wind. The strategist assumed his position as he raised his blood spear, pulling his hand backward.

'Why is everyone in this vision so monstrous?' Nikolai sighed as he saw the giant wooden rod descend on the strategist, and the man didn't flatter. Instead, he pushed his spear forward and met the massive attack with one of his own.

There was a brilliant red flash that flew across the sky, appearing like red divine lightning. And the aftermath thunder soon followed, ripping the sky and shaking the ground.

The giant wooden rod was slashed in half with an enormous gap between the two halves. The red flash of light ripped through everything in its path without pause, commanding everything to step aside.

As the wall of wind began wavering, and the trees started to fall, Master Edward retracted his spear, exhaling the breath he held. Then, when he smiled at the pale young man in front of him, a black flash of light appeared beside his neck.

Nikolai's scimitars were stacked on top of each other to slash away the man's neck, but he was still too weak to provide any real threat. With a single motion, the Master deflected his attack away with the blood spear.

CLINK!

"Ugh,"

A metallic voice ran as the spear met the scimitars, and Nikolai was sent flying by the mere pressure of the attack. His back struck one of the falling trees before he rolled to the side, heading toward the ground.

A breeze of divine wind arrived to cushion his fall, and Nikolai landed safely on the ground, although he was far from being unharmed. The young man landed beside him with an equally tired face as Master Edward looked down on them.

"This is the future," Master Edward looked at Nikolai. "And you know why we are here.. This is why you are trying to stop me."