Player 0.4 [You have died.] [Reset in progress.]

[ Intelligence : +2 ]

[ Intelligence : 41 ]

I stared into the air at the blue notification screen.

Did something about my conversation with Leona cause the stat to increase?

I frowned.

I thought the System couldn't read my mind? So how did it increase my Intelligence? Or was what I said aloud enough for it to make a judgment?

I glanced down at Leona.

"Peep?"

What is it? You have an odd expression on your face.

"The System is here. One of my stats increased," I explained.

Stats? What does that mean?

"I'll explain later."

There wasn't any time to explain anyhow. My view of Leona was blocked by the blue screen that gave yet another notification.

[ Congratulations! You have hit '40' in the Intelligence stat—or rather, you have hit beyond the required '40'. ]

[ New skill unlocked! ]

"Oh?" I smiled at the notification.

I obtained the Random Character Checker when I had hit '40' with the Perspective stat. It wasn't perfect because it randomly picked someone and selected a stat/skill to show through a slot-machine-like process. However, despite the drawbacks, the skill was certainly intriguing, and I had a few ideas on how I could potentially force it to show information on the people I wanted.

I wonder just what kind of skill I'll obtain with Intelligence?

[ Error. ]

[ … ]

[ Attempting to process. ]

"Huh? What does that mean exactly?"

I blinked at the notifications on the blue screen.

[ Error. ]

[ Unable to process the new skill at this time. ]

"What?? What do you mean? Why not?" I yelled.

"Peep?"

What happened? What did it say?

Leona fluttered on my leg, but I ignored her questions. I was utterly baffled and confused myself.

[ Unfortunately, due to you only having 40% access to standard game mechanics, a new skill for Intelligence was unable to be processed at this time. ]

"So I won't be getting a skill?"

[ Not at this time. However, I will continue to attempt to process this error. ]

"So I will get a new skill?"

[ I cannot promise anything. Again, as you only have 40% of access to the game mechanics, there's a chance you might not receive a skill. However, I will attempt to process this error, and it will take me some time, but I cannot promise anything. ]

I sighed and rubbed my temples.

"That 40% is going to be really frustrating."

[ You don't know the half of it. You can't even access the Game Store and points to purchase items like regular Players do because of it. ]

Damn it. I didn't understand what this so-called Game Store was and its benefits, but suddenly I felt like I was missing out on something important.

"Peep?"

Leona stirred on my leg.

Why are you staring at me?

I realized I had been staring at the screen this whole time, and in Leona's perspective, since she couldn't see the System, it appeared as if I was looking at her.

"Sorry, I was looking at the System. It was in front of you." I moved my eyes up.

Oh, what does it really matter? I didn't even know this Game Store existed and my lack of access prevented me from using it. Knowing that I can't access it doesn't actually fundamentally change anything.

Besides, I had far more pressing questions.

"Hey, System," I called out into the air. "Since my Intelligence went up suddenly, I assume you caught my conversation with Leona? From what I learned, this isn't the first time my world had a so-called 'Game' occur within it."

The phoenix's golden eyes looked up into the air. She was still sitting atop my leg, but she retracted her yellow wings from my hands, which were no longer shaking.

[ Luca, as I cannot read your mind—and I presume from the prior conversations you had with Leona that she spoke into your mind—I thus had not in your words 'caught all of that.']

Well, there goes one theory.

"Then how did you know to increase my Intelligence stat?"

[ While I cannot read your mind, I can sense how your mental state changes, similarly to how I can gauge your physical state changing. Thus, I do not need to read your mind to be able to increase your stats. ]

"Huh."

I felt a shiver go up my spine. I had thought the possibility of having my thoughts read was creepy enough, but this was far weirder.

But, it is what it is, I suppose. Dying and waking up each time in bed on the same day was already weird enough.

I propped myself up with a couple towels and adjusted my position on the cool quartz bathroom floor.

I initially intended to see Natalia Ashford and get wind of some gossip, particularly regarding the missing Daylan prince. Still, I realized it might be worth it to pick the System's brain—or whatever it was that stored all its information about my world.

"System, do you know where the missing Daylan prince is?"

[ No, I do not. I only have access to the information I gathered when attending to previous Players and the rounds I have spent with you. ]

I felt this would be the case, but it was still prudent to ask.

"Do you have any insight or information on the missing Daylan prince?" I probed, hoping it might have some information I could still use.

[ I do. ]

I perked up at this.

The System didn't know where he was but had information on him. So there was some hope of learning something useful.

"What do you know about him?" I asked.

[ I have come across him on only a few occasions. Three were with you, and seven were with different Players, in different variations. ]

"With me? When?"

I thought back to the two Daylan individuals I had seen. First, there was the man trying to purchase the phoenix egg. And the second was the eccentric young man at the ball.

It couldn't be…

[ In Rounds 5 and 6, you had come across him at the royal ball of Day One. And once, in Round 6, you came across him at the Ashford Bakery. ]

Damn it. That weirdo was an actual prince?

"How do you know he's the missing prince? I don't even know his name."

In retrospect, his name was probably one of the most basic things I needed to know if I was ever going to find him. It was also the easiest one to find out.

I just need to ask Micah; he'd know.

[ As I've stated before, I had come across him when attending previous Players. Obviously, I could recognize him by his face. However, his name never came up with any relevance to the Players or the Game, so I do not know it either. ]

I frowned at this. My mind began doing the math on the Daylan Dynasty royals.

Queen Yadana Daylan certainly had a lot of children. She bore nine boys and six girls. She loved her children dearly and blindly, hence why a missing prince within the Adovorian Kingdom was a complete disaster. The poisoned crown prince while vacationing at the Soslan Islands was enough of an example already.

However, her children did not share the same feelings toward one another. After her passing, the fourteen remaining children fought ruthlessly with one another to take the throne for themselves.

Even a song came about, poking fun at how each of her children passed away.

One was poisoned.

One had drowned.

One went missing; only his leg was found.

One got trampled by a mass of sheep.

Three were stabbed while in their sleep.

One jumped off a castle wall.

One collapsed at a fancy royal ball.

One was strangled by their scarf.

One choked and died on their own barf.

One tripped and broke her neck.

One passed away in an unfortunate shipwreck.

Only two Daylan royals remained alive.

One crowned King, while the other lost his mind.

"If you met him, it was during the Games, meaning it must have been sometime in the year 784 or later. When did you come across him in other Games?"

I was doing the math on which of the Daylan royals remained alive by that point. I didn't really remember their names either, but I knew their reputations and what their final fates were.

[ I came across the Daylan prince in the years 786 and 787 and then also in 784. It depended on the Player, the variation of the Game, and the number of rounds played. Only three Players that went through at least sixty rounds came across the prince at least once. Two came across him twice. Only one Player came across him three times. ]

"Year 787? That's when the war occurred. That's when I died, and this Game started for me."

My mind quickly narrowed down on the two possible royals. Only the second youngest prince, crowned King, and the youngest prince, who lost his mind, were the two left alive by the year 787. There was the possibility that the three Players that the System followed changed the events of history in some way. Perhaps the royals faced different fates because of that. Still, if the System didn't even know the name of the missing prince, it sounded like none of the Players meddled in Daylan Dynasty politics.

I adjusted my position on the quartz floor again. Laying on the hard floor wasn't all that comfortable.

A funny thought occurred to me that if I was going to spend this much time in the bathroom, talking to Leona and the System in the future, it might be worth bringing in a lounge chair.

The room is certainly large enough.

I gazed around the spacious bathroom that could have easily fit a dozen people comfortably.

"Peep?"

Did you finish talking to that System?

Leona hopped over onto my shoulder.

I want to go outside. I'm tired of being cooped up in here.

I looked out the large window filling the room with light. I had plenty more questions to ask the System, but it was probably best to see Natalia Ashford before it was too late. Until my usual information broker opened shop, Natalia was my best way to figure out where the missing prince went. And finding him took first priority.

"Yes," I nodded my head towards her. "We'll go out soon."

I pushed myself off the quartz floor and stretched my arms and legs. Leona fluttered atop my head.

"Peep!"

When talking to that System, did you figure something out about the missing prince?

"I did."

I explained to her my conversation with the System and my thought process.

"I know that the eventual Daylan King, is somewhere in his mid-twenties at this point in time. However, since the eccentric young man I met at Princess Evelyn's ball was closer to my age, the missing prince must be the fifteenth royal."

"Peep!"

At least the eventual King didn't go missing. Perhaps it's not so bad that the crazy one is missing?

I shook my head.

"No, it's actually worse that it's the youngest one. He hasn't gone mad yet at this point in time, and Queen Yadana Daylan loves all her children, especially the youngest one. He is her golden child."

I didn't remember much about the Daylan royals, not even bothering to remember their names. Yet, I did know one thing about the youngest one.

"There was a prophecy before he was even born that he would grow up and make the Daylan Dynasty prosperous as a great and wise ruler."

"Peep?"

But he lost his mind instead?

I chuckled and walked out of my bathroom.

"Yup, that he did." I lowered my voice to a whisper so that Henry, who stood guard outside my bedroom, wouldn't hear me. "But that doesn't change that many people at this point in time believe in that prophecy. They would be more than willing to wage war if anything were to happen to him."

I suddenly remembered Kaiden and how he had attempted to murder my brother because of something told to him by the Misfortune Sisters.

Tsk. Prophecies and fortune tellings make people do some incredibly idiotic things.

 

AlekAundra Another fortune, another mishap for Luca. And the poor guy has to deal with being only a partial player to top it off. \(⇀‸↼‶)/