Episode 3. Predation (1)
Isaac gazed out the window.
It was early dawn, with pale blue sunlight just beginning to stream in. From the forest surrounding the monastery, the chirping of birds could be heard. It was an hour too early for a child to be awake, but for Isaac, it was the only time he could organize his thoughts.
It was the day marking one month since he, who had been Isaac, became 'Isaac'.
Having survived the raid of the Church of Undeath, he had awoken to find himself placed in this monastery. The abbot had only said that he had been rescued, without revealing anything more detailed.
To Isaac, who had expected to face endless interrogation or a barrage of questions, this was bewildering, yet also a relief.
In any case, even if they had asked for the full story, he would only have been troubled. For Isaac as well, that incident was not his foremost concern.
Isaac had spent the past month in something of a hazy daze. It felt as though he were dreaming, or perhaps he simply couldn't accept reality. Isaac had spent the month attempting to log out or going to sleep hoping everything would turn out to be a dream upon waking.
But as his consciousness gradually sharpened, he was able to fix his aim.
Today, he decided to abandon all such expectations.
Isaac was now 'Isaac'. He was now a resident of this world.
Since he had to survive in this world, until he found a way back, he had to thoroughly assimilate as a resident of this place.
Isaac clenched and unclenched his hand, testing his strength. The muscle power to struggle just to lift a slightly heavy branch.
The already incomparably frail strength of a Nephilim was further weakened by his young age.
He wasn't joking when he thought he was comparable to a child of about five or six years old.
*Damn it, if I'd known I'd end up living inside the game, I wouldn't have distributed my stats like that.*
The Nephilim were not a bad race. No, they were a good race—fortunate, even. They possessed the worst physical abilities, but in exchange, they had high Faith and Charm stats.
Attributes like Charm, Luck, and Intelligence were called 'hidden stats'. Because they didn't manifest obviously.
Among them, Nephilim had exceptionally high 'Charm' that earned them human favor, in exchange for poor relations with the gods.
Though it felt odd to say so about a face he had sculpted himself, in this world's setting, Isaac's current appearance was one that nine out of ten people would stare at in a daze.
*Well, it's because they basically threw a Korean online game-style beauty into reality... I can't believe I'm using that as an example even as I say it.*
But gaining human favor instead of an unavoidable poor relationship with the gods due to bloodline wasn't a bad trade-off. After all, on the outside, they simply looked like beautiful people. As long as Isaac hid it well, there didn't seem to be any cause for trouble.
The only problem was his pathetically weak body.
He was vulnerable to illness and could hardly wear proper equipment. Isaac found it hard to imagine just how vulnerable he was in this realistic—no, this medieval fantasy reality.
*I'm sure I heard that my physical abilities increased when I absorbed Kalsen...*
Could it be that after increasing, this was the level he reached? That might be possible, but he recalled that there had also been a message saying 'digestion delayed' because Kalsen's level was high. He couldn't believe it still hadn't been digested even after a month had passed, but that was the only explanation.
After all, the skill he had obtained then was also locked.
[*Watcher's Lighthouse* (Locked)]
*Watcher's Lighthouse... I really got something ridiculous from the start.*
Isaac had cleared *Nameless Chaos* eight times. Naturally, he had also played through the largest faith in the game, the Codex of Light.
Simply put, it was an ultimate skill that turned an area into 'Heaven'. However, as the term 'lighthouse' implied, it could also attract dangerous heavenly creatures that the caster did not desire.
It was a top-tier ultimate skill that a Paladin of the 'Codex of Light' could obtain. It was such an absurd ability that one had to be acknowledged by a Radiant Archangel to receive it, yet Isaac had obtained it just by chomping it down.
*Can I, a follower of a different faith, even have this?*
Perhaps the reason it was locked was because Isaac followed a different faith. Of course, even if he could use it in his current state, there was no telling what result it would bring. In *Nameless Chaos*, using a skill beyond one's standing didn't end with simply failing to use it—it led to exhaustion and disaster.
*If Kalsen had used this skill before he died, I might have been the one to die instead.*
Isaac felt a chill.
He had not forgotten the moment he had barely survived.
Without realizing it, he touched his chest. The scar from where Kalsen had cut him still remained on his chest. And he still remembered the scene where countless bundles of tentacles had flooded from that wound, sweeping away Kalsen Milteo and the undead of the Church of Undeath.
It was a scene that sent a chill down his spine before it made him feel nauseous.
*The authority of... Nameless Chaos. Probably.*
When creating his character, Isaac had chosen Nameless Chaos as his faith. And tentacles were the symbol of Nameless Chaos.
However, Nameless Chaos was a faith hostile to all other faiths.
*Nameless Chaos had caused the White Death (白死病), which killed all those who knew its name, and then vanished from the world...*
It was called the White Death because the body would turn white as if bleached, then scatter away like ashes.
It was said that in the southern desert, the cities destroyed at that time still remained buried under white ash from the corpses. That place was also one of *Nameless Chaos*'s highest-difficulty dungeons.
And so the Chaos God, who had once possessed a true name, lost all who knew it and became the 'Nameless Chaos'.
That was as far as Isaac knew.
Afterward, the civilized world was divided into the White Empire, led by the Codex of Light, and the Black Empire, led by the Church of Undeath. An enormous number of people had died, causing many kingdoms to fall, and afterward, every church had erased or sealed all records of Nameless Chaos.
This was all the more true at the 'Codex of Light' monastery where Isaac now resided.
Isaac had no idea how a follower of Nameless Chaos had ended up at a secret holy site. But there was one thing he knew for certain.
If his identity were discovered, he was as good as dead.
*It's a relief there were no witnesses.*
It was unfortunate that people had died at the holy site, but considering Isaac's life, it was a relief. And any potential remaining witnesses were the undead of the Church of Undeath. The priests of the Codex of Light would not heed their words.
Isaac agonized over it, but there was nothing he could do.
He had chosen the Nameless Chaos faith on a whim, but to a modern person like him, the faith with the closest values was the Codex of Light. He had to find a way to survive among them somehow.
He had no desire to become a mountain monkey or an animated skeleton. Above all, he absolutely did not want to become a slimy monster made entirely of tentacles.
Fortunately, Isaac had more than enough knowledge to survive in this world.
*I have the experience of clearing eight faiths, so of course I do.*
If he could overcome the Nephilim's notoriously brutal early game, he could manage somehow from there.
Survival.
That was Isaac's highest priority.
***
As morning worship approached, bells rang from outside. A young monk entered, woke the children, and led them to the chapel. Isaac quietly obeyed and pretended to pray as instructed.
But inwardly, rather than praying, he was fiercely thinking about how to survive. In truth, he didn't even have much time for such thoughts.
At the monastery, all Isaac could do was repeat the same four things all day: prayer, labor, meals, and sleep. He received no particular care or attention just because he was a survivor. The monastery itself lacked resources and manpower to spare.
*At least it's fortunate that this is a Codex of Light monastery.*
The 'Codex of Light' was the largest denomination among the nine faiths. Moreover, by Isaac's standards, it was a church that maintained universal social order.
Whichever faith one chose, they would eventually become entangled with the Codex of Light, for better or worse. Thanks to that, Isaac understood the systems, workings, and hidden secrets of the Codex of Light.
Although this monastery seemed to be a remote frontier one rather than the headquarters, it wasn't difficult to find useful information. If the game's world setting remained unchanged, hiding his identity and living within this monastery might not be too difficult.
*Above all, this world hasn't properly started yet.*
The reason Isaac could accept the situation with bizarre stability was because memories of living as 'Isaac' for fourteen years already existed.
To him, the phrase 'the world hasn't started yet' felt strange. But it was true. The 'present' of this world was roughly four years before the starting point of *Nameless Chaos*.
*In four years from now, the war between the nine faiths will begin.*
To be precise, it was a competition of alliances and conflicts centered on two axes: the 'Codex of Light' and the 'Church of Undeath'. Players had to lead their faith to victory. Or they could apostatize and participate in another faith's victory.
*Apostasy...*
Considering that Nameless Chaos was treated as a public enemy or demon, that didn't seem like a bad choice. But Isaac's race, the 'Nephilim', inherently had the Cursed Blood trait.
Nephilim with the 'Cursed Blood' trait had poor relations with all gods. One might wonder why it was so bad when they were simply half-angel, half-human, but according to the setting, Nephilim could steal miracles from the faith connected to their bloodline without the god's permission.
It wasn't that Nephilim lacked faith, but there must have been some who freeloaded. They could even serve a different god while stealing miracles.
Therefore, no faith welcomed Nephilim, regardless of which one they worshipped.
Moreover, the apostasy penalty was also a problem. Gods did not like their followers moving around as they pleased. Naturally, a curse followed, and if the wrong curse stuck, it was better to delete the character and restart.
But it was doubtful whether Isaac had the option to restart.
So, as he had decided from the start, he had no choice but to cherish and love Nameless Chaos while keeping it well hidden. Fortunately, considering the incident a month ago, Nameless Chaos did not seem to be a weak deity.
Though if discovered, he would be hunted.
*Four years of time given.*
It was long if long, short if short.
Isaac knew almost all the secrets, treasure locations, and history within the game. He wasn't sure if those treasures were really where he remembered, but recovering them as soon as possible would be safer and help him grow.
But the problem was that Isaac's body was incredibly frail right now.
Isaac looked down at his scrawny arms and legs. He wasn't being particularly abused. The monastery itself was poor, and the monks simply lived emphasizing austerity.
*I need to do something about this body first.*
He needed to build up his stamina to at least not collapse dead in the middle of the road.
***
*Nameless Chaos* was a game where the number of people who had cleared it was less than one percent of all gamers. Some said the gameplay itself was fun even if they couldn't clear it, but Isaac was someone who had cleared that notoriously difficult game a total of eight times with different faiths.
Having such a hero of heroes within the Codex of Light monastery could be considered an unprecedented blessing for the Codex of Light.
Yet the hero who might one day reclaim the holy land and stand against evil monstrosities was currently despairing in front of the dining table.
*Is this really a meal?*
Isaac looked at the white porridge bowl and pressed his lips together. Every day it was the same: thin, watery porridge, unpeeled boiled potatoes, and half a piece of black bread.
It was a simple, bland monastery breakfast.
The children sat at the table and quickly bit into the potatoes, skin and all. But Isaac couldn't help falling into anguish.
"Isaac, is your appetite poor?"
One of the monks asked kindly. Isaac had much he wanted to say, but couldn't bring himself to open his mouth. It wasn't a problem the monk could solve.
What shocked Isaac wasn't the poor diet or a lack of appetite.
*It's all carbohydrates...*
He knew this wasn't the time to be picky. He knew that this diet was actually quite abundant for late autumn, and that there were times when he should be grateful for even a bowl of wheat porridge.
In the game, one could go without a single meal, but in reality, eating like this would only turn him into a skinny monk like the rest. And indeed, the other monks were eating the same food, of course.
He was a child... and hungry?
He was a child... lacking protein and calcium?
He was a child... missing the chance to consume enough essential nutrients for his growth period, delaying his height and muscle development?
*To think I'd feel the gap between game and reality from such trivial things...*
As it was, Isaac's current body already felt like a skinny, dried-up corn stalk.
A child at the height of his growth. If he only consumed such an impoverished and unbalanced diet, he would clearly grow up to have a feeble body.
***
After the day's work, Isaac returned to the bedroom. Naturally, the children had no such thing as personal space. The orphanage children all slept together in one large room. Straw beds to avoid the floor's chill and thin blankets were their only personal spaces.
Even after returning to the bedroom, Isaac couldn't fall asleep and stared up at the ceiling. He couldn't sleep at all. It wasn't because the bed was uncomfortable, nor because he had awakened to his past life's ego.
*Do I really have to live like this?*
The monastery environment was too harsh for Isaac, who had been a modern person. If he could see any possibility of improvement, he could endure with effort. But what future did an orphan with no connections, left at a monastery, have? And in a place so poor, with no proper time for self-improvement?
*Should I run away from the monastery right now?*
That was an option. But right now, Isaac was just a young child of fourteen. No matter how much adult knowledge and skill he possessed, this was reality, not a game. And to Isaac, it was an utterly unfamiliar medieval era. It would be a blessing not to drop dead on the streets.
Isaac felt like praying. No, in fact, he had already offered prayers at least eight times today alone.
Of course, he hadn't recited proper prayers; he had only clasped his hands and closed his eyes while the monks prayed. Still, Isaac had set aside even Nameless Chaos and prayed quite fervently to the Codex of Light.
*I asked for meat to be served in the evening.*
For once, a slice of cheese had been served. It was an unexpected gain, but he couldn't tell if this was an answer to his prayer. It was far too insufficient for a growing child's body.
Even that had to be split in half and shared with the monastery cat, Murzik, who rubbed against him making cute sounds.
Isaac found this situation absurd. Tastes are terrifying; his body had once been satisfied with bland soup, but now he could only think of the dishes he had enjoyed in his previous life.
Even if not to that extent, the fact that this scrawny fourteen-year-old had to go to bed starving felt terrible.
*How the hell do I supplement protein? Should I plant beans or something?*
While Isaac was lost in such worries, the door creaked open. Thinking a monk had come to check on the children, Isaac quickly turned over and lay down. But the one who opened the door and entered was a small silhouette.
"Murzik."
The monastery's lazy tiger-wannabe... no, cat. It was Murzik.
Murzik was a cat kept by the monastery. It was more accurate to say they neglected it; they simply let it live as it pleased because it caught mice.
"Meow."
"Why so diligent today?"
Perhaps scolded for slacking off in mouser duty, Murzik held a dead mouse in its mouth. He briefly wondered if this was repayment for the cheese given at dinner, but it wasn't a very welcome gift.
But Murzik approached the bed and set down the mouse as if expecting praise. Isaac roughly stroked Murzik's head and picked up the mouse by the tail to dispose of it.
It was still warm, seemingly killed not long ago. Suddenly, an absurd thought crossed Isaac's mind.
*It is meat, technically.*
Of course, Isaac, who possessed the ego of a modern person, didn't have the slightest intention of eating a mouse.
[*Nameless Chaos gazes upon you.*]
"What?"
In the moment Isaac panicked at the unexpected voice, a stinging pain was suddenly felt in his palm.
"Huh?"
Wondering if the mouse had bitten him, Isaac threw away the mouse he had been holding in confusion. But with a splat, a red tentacle shot out from somewhere and snatched the mouse.
No, not from somewhere.
It was from Isaac's palm.
"?!"
Thin tentacles crawling out from Isaac's skin instantly devoured the mouse's corpse.
The field mouse, fattened after eating fallen wheat grains in the late autumn field, was larger than Isaac's palm. But it was sucked into his palm in an instant.
Crunch, crackle.
After preying on the field mouse, the tentacles disappeared back into his palm in an instant. The bedroom, where the sounds of breaking flesh and bone had vanished, quickly fell silent again.
Only Isaac and Murzik remained frozen, struggling to comprehend what had just occurred.
Then, another sound reached Isaac.
[*You have preyed upon a 'field mouse'.*]
[*Absorption efficiency increases through the 'Predation' trait.*]
[*Resistance to minor diseases increases.*]
[*The blessing persists until digestion is complete.*]