Surviving in my Own Unpublished Failed Novel

[Fruit of Chaos]

A fruit from the mysterious tree in the middle of Nihilheim, the Place of Nothingness.

The tree was cultivated by the Goddess of Night for various reasons, but mainly out of boredom. A food of beings with the trait of Chaos.

Rank: Ancient

Classification: Consumable

Effects:

- Growth Rate will increase by four times. (Sharable)

- Your overall stat excluding Charm and Luck stat will increase by 400. (Sharable)

- The Symbol of Night carved in your heart will strengthen your Trait of Nihility. (Exclusive)

...

Russell held in his hand a dark blue fruit a size similar to an apple, its dark blue aura was shortly assimilating before vanishing in the air.

'I guess this fruit can be cut because it can be shared...'

He thought because of the 'Sharable' part in stats, as well as the growth rate.

'It's a pity that I can't share this with Amery...'

Amery Blight didn't have the Chaos Trait, thus sharing this fruit will certainly be detrimental and might cause absolute death through mutation or corruption.

'Although my Goddess asked me before to keep an eye on her... 'She' didn't say anything after that... Is 'She' leaving it to my judgment?''

If he thought about it, there was nothing wrong with Amery, but probably he was the one who only knew a part of her past, superficially so, because of the 'Blood Swordsman' profession that came out of nowhere when he checked her Status Window before.

'I guess she hesitated first to do just that.'

There were professions that can be passed down via a simple ritual based on the information in his unpublished novel. Although those kinds of professions needed the consent of the predecessors, it's a way to let the next generation become stronger in this world.

'If I'm not wrong, Amery's parents must be dead by now even if I don't ask about it...'

After pondering for a moment, lying on his bed while looking at the bluish moon where the starry night sky was painted everywhere, showing its resplendent stars, Russell recalled the professions that can be inherited.

Blood Swordsman, Black Mage, Holy Priestess, Green Farmer, Gray Miner, Blue Fisher.

One profession for the melee combat class; one for the range combat class; one for the support class, and three for the agricultural-related class.

Alchemists and Blacksmiths in general cannot be inherited. A 'player' must have it as their profession or else, learning how to concoct potions or hammer a weapon in an anvil would be a pipe dream that no matter how someone tried, it will be all beyond crude products that can be destroyed with a slight stirring or application of force respectively.

'Sigh... F*ck it.'

After thinking about some things for some time, he sat on his bed, return the Fruit of Chaos in his Dimensional Inventory, and looked at the wall clock hanging slightly above his dorm's television.

'It's early...'

As he thought of that, he texted via smartwatch his younger sister and Amelie; the contents of the message are different.

"Are you with Amery right now?"

It's the message he sent to his younger sister while for the latter, he asked Amelie about her location and if she was going to be busy tonight.

After a few seconds, both of them replied in a different way but contained a single meaning.

"I'm at Amery's dorm room right now, Oppa. Why?"

"Russell, I'm with your sister and Amery... If it's late night, no, I have nothing to do."

It just means that both of them are with Amery, in her dorm room. He didn't reply after that, rather he organized himself before putting on a white dirty mask with 45 degrees slanted X symbol on its forehead.

The Mask of Night.

...

When did it start?

Why do I feel this way?

I'm one of the oldest children in the orphanage. Ever since my parents died... or killed rather, my soul broke into pieces that felt beyond repair.

Their blood... splattered on my clothes and painted on my tiny hands.

Their smile, full of genuineness as they held my hands, spoke... 'Live... my baby...' before their breath left this f*cked up world.

Why didn't 'he' kill me?

Why did 'he' kill my parents?

What's the reason?

Just because... just because of what...!?

She closed her eyes, hugging her mother's and father's bodies as her perspective of another side of reality was opened, revealing its disgusting, inhumane side.

That man with deep black hair and purple eyes was only reflected in her eyes through the help of the bluish moonlight as his face was blurred by the dark.

With Amery's soul crushed during that unforgettable night, she couldn't believe what she was feeling right now in front of her two classmates from A-1 class.

Feeling of being left behind again...

After a weak exhale, Amery, clenching both her fists while looking at the floor, avoiding Freya and Amelie's gaze who was sitting on the couch, spoke with a poignant tone...

"Are both of you hiding something from me??"

Freya and Amelie glance at each other, momentarily at a loss for words, even their train of thought seemed to hit an invisible wall.

"W-what do you-"

Freya was just about to ask what Amery was talking about when the three of them heard a slightly loud voice in Amery's kitchen.

"Yes, they are."

Russell Moon — who came to Amery's room with the use of Shadow Encroachment enchantment of the Mask of Night — walked out from the kitchen, holding a plastic, square tray with four glasses filled with Bhaskan Cocoa drinks.

...

At Dormitory Room 04, Rigel Building

Rumia Flora — who was cleaning the dishes, not wanting her servants to do it — recalled today's events.

'I miss the festival...'

She thought poignantly as she remembered what her mother, the Queen of the country, Nereia, told her.

It was her first time not being able to attend the festival in her hometown because of Obelisk Academy's rules of NOT leaving the academy premises unless it's after the midterm and final exams where the window for vacation will be given. Although she's a princess, special treatment wasn't allowed when it comes to that rule because being in the Obelisk Academy means preparing them of being independent for their future.

"Sigh... I should have that kind of Purification skill, maybe I can use it to clean dishes instantly."

She muttered, washing the plate she used to eat. She recalled Elizabeth's peculiar Purification skill, it's different from a player who has the profession of Priest, rather than being spiritual in nature, Elizabeth's Purification skill focuses on the physical aspect of nature.

After a few minutes, she washed her hands, walked up to her bed, and sat on it before letting out a weak exhale.

Looking at the bluish moon hanging up on the night sky for a few seconds, she retracted her gaze before tapping on her smartwatch, sending a message to Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth, do you plan on fighting Samantha on the last day of the event?"

...

In Room 02, Elizabeth's Dormitory Room

Looking at herself in the bedroom mirror, Elizabeth's light green eyes reflected on it as she pouted while combing her wet blonde hair as drips of water fell into the floor, she just finished taking a bath with a towel wrapped around her body, shaping her beautiful figure.

At that moment, a notification sounded on her smartwatch, prompting her to leave the comb on her head to pin some of her blonde hair.

She then read the message that came from Rumia before replying with a smile on her face.

"How about you try? But, speaking of challenging a classmate, Leon probably will fight Jiho."

After that she sent her reply, Elizabeth's body emitted a yellowish glow before the droplets of water on the floor vanished as if it didn't become wet in the first place.

...

Back at Amelie's Dormitory Room.

After an unknown period of time had passed, Russell cleaned up the dishes while Freya and Amelie Rose looked at Amery, lying on her bed, as her body goes under the Body Reconstruction process.

Russell decided to tell Amery everything excluding his reincarnation that probably only the Goddess of Night knows about. He'd stopped thinking about it for some time because he loved his new life.

He convinced Amery by telling her about her Profession: Blood Swordsman including the process of inheriting it. Those details caused Freya and Amelie to have shocked expressions as their eyes widened in disbelief. Although Amelie sold drugs called Dark Tears in the Thorn of Rose Black Market, she didn't expect that passing down one's profession was possible much more the process of how to inherit it.

"Drinking 5 ml of one's kin blood."

Amery — who heard Russell's words at that moment — looked at the floor as her fists clenched, reminding her of the tragic deaths of her parents with unknown motives even on this day.

Amery knew before long about how to inherit the Blood Swordsman profession. Her mother was the Blood Swordsman, but the difference was that it was given by the System itself, and not inherited, while her father has a rare type of Blacksmith profession called Wood Smith that specializes in making wooden weapons that can be as hard as metal.

"I want to be strong..."

She muttered with intense resolve.

...

Russell — who's washing the dishes — paused for a moment before he thought of notable things based on his conversation with Amery which includes Freya and Amelie.

He just realized the reason why he wasn't being asked by his younger sister, and Amelie about how he knew such things like the existence of the Black Market and just now, which was the Blood Swordsman ritual of inheritance.

Russell was being heavily misunderstood!

Freya and Amelie thought that he knew such things because he was getting help from the Goddess of Night. He almost lost his composure earlier when Amelie said that it was thanks to his Constellation that he knew such things.

'She even looked at me with eyes of certainty.'

Russell heaved a sigh of resignation as he washed the dishes before going back to the couch beside the bed... a combination of living and bedroom.

...

In Room 38, Rigel Building

Sitting on his bed, the man from the A-1 class from the first year that has a simple build, short black hair, and brown eyes looked at his multipurpose Personal Obelisk Account where an email from Disciplinary Committee could be seen.

At first, Bailey Clarkson wore a confused expression, thinking that maybe someone did something ridiculous and put the blame on him, he first thought of Dexter and Daven, his buddies.

After a few seconds, he tapped the email with the title, 'DCO Notice', then he read the contents of the email.

[DCO Notice]

Bailey Clarkson of first year A-1 class, you have been challenged in the upcoming event, 'Ranking Exchange Battle'!

As a Rank 38 of your class, you have the responsibility to defend your position against the challenger or else you will lose your privileges as an A-1 student, effective immediately.

Here is the information about the student who evoked the 'Challenge of Exchange', and the schedule of your battle according to the Disciplinary Committee President.

Name: Russell Moon

Age: 16

Year – Section: First Year – A-11

Profession Type: Fighting

Challenge of Exchange Schedule: July 22, 2062 – 12th Match, 5:00 P.M

Please remember the rules of the Ranking Exchange Battle.

Click the links below:

Ranking of Exchange Details...

Rewards of Winning the Challenge of Exchange...

Sender: DCO Secretary, Aisha

After reading the contents, he pondered for some time before his lips turned into a wicked smile.

...

Second Day of Emergence Anniversary Event.

Early morning, Amery woke up as the light of dawn started to envelop the sky.

She saw Freya and Amelie, talking with each other while munching on some biscuits of various shapes, the low sound of television entered her ears before asking with a hoarse voice like someone who just woke up from a good sleep.

"Where's Russell??"

Her words prompted Freya and Amery to look at her, smiles forming on their lips.

"He's in the kitchen."

Freya said as she turned off the television which shows morning trivial news. Then, with the television sound gone, the trio heard the sound of a knife cutting into something.

After thirty to forty seconds, Russell walked out of the kitchen with a single plate in his right hand.

"Breakfast is ready."

As soon as he placed the plate on the table, the trio saw something that they inwardly judged as a fruit, split into four pieces, emitting a thick dark blue aura that vanishes midair.