The Villain's Story

477 [477] What are the Clear conditions?

A/N: Happy New years, everyone! 2024 is going to be better than 2023 no doubt!]

"What are the clear conditions exactly?"

He wondered. The tower only gave him the following statement:

[Objective: Clear the stage.]

It was quite the shitty objective, not giving the challenger any hints at all!

How must I clear the stage?

Genocide the Empire?

Destroy the church?

Make Stefan the pope?

Make Stefan a pagan? Or just outright kill him?

Make him run off with the princess he has rumors about?

There were so many options...but which one was right? Or were they all right?

[Which do you want to do?]

Suddenly, the tower's voice resounded in his ears.

James paused, clearly not expecting such a statement to come from the tower.

"You present me with such a choice?"

Frankly put, he could not understand it. With the way the tower presented that choice, either one of the previously put suggestions were right, or there were an infinite number of ways to clear the objective.

The latter seemed far-fetched, however, so James wasn't too keen on it.

Silently, he tried to see where the voice had come from, but alas, his efforts were for naught. No matter what he did, he could not peer through the fabric of this realm at his current state. However, the feeling of being watched was still there. It irked him. However, it wasn't as if it was impossible. He just needed a chance to do it.

James had an idea where the tower was watching him from, but did not make any gesture that would give it away, who knows what the tower would do?

The tower, as if displaying a crooked smile, said.contemporary romance

[How do you want to clear this stage?]

It asked once again, its voice so loud it reverberated through the room. It was so loud it made him think everyone in the church could hear it, But he didn't think the tower would be so keen on that.

James, simply smiled and looked up, towards the ceiling, and said.

"How many ways are there?"

He asked in a gentle tone, trying to mask his intentions.

[However many you want.]

"That's quite difficult to understand."

[What is so difficult to understand?]

James, in an attempt to gather more information, asked.

"Many, many things, care to explain in some easier terms?"

A snicker was heard, coming from all directions and reverberating like a bell.

James face was still the same. A gentle smile was still plastered all over it.

[You could choose to live out the life of a peasant until the church elections are over.]lights

[You could choose to start a coup and rule the empire!]

[Become the next pope!]

[Do nothing!]

[Accomplish Stefan's goals, or even kill him in the midst of this!]

[Destroy the church, or end the empire!]

[You can do...anything you want in these stages.]

"So there is no time limit? I can rule the empire till my death, and only then will I clear this stage?"

He feigned stupidity, Of course no one was dumb enough to try the longest clear, like starting a coup or ruling the entire empire even. James wanted to have fun, but not that much fun.

"Surely, the reward for each clear should be different, no?"

With so many clear conditions...the rewards each had to be different, no? The most lame would yield the most terrible reward, and the greatest would yield the greatest!

[Of course.]

"Alright... I get the general gist of it... But I have just one more question."

He pointed with his finger towards the sky, and asked in a heartless tone, throwing away the gentle demeanor he previously had.

This took the tower by surprise as well. The change was too sudden.

"Which way doyouwant me to clear?"

There was a round of silence in the room, the loud voice of the tower was completely gone, as if had vanished.

However, after about a minute, it finally answered.

[You can clear it in any way yo-]

"Oh come on, there must be an ending you desire to see as well, right?"

Taunted James, wondering if the tower would give him extra rewards.

If there was nothing it desired, he figured he would just cause the entire church to kill themselves. But he did have an inkling.

'It does want a specific ending.'

The tower's previous words gave him that idea, and he wanted to know which one it was. He had a guess that it was maybe related to Stefan, and all those about the empire were nonsense!

"So, Is there anything you have in mind?"

His eyes glowed an emerald green hue, piercing right through the realm for a moment and gazing right into the tower's eyes, enchanting them. This was only for a moment, but that was all that James needed. To coerce the conscious of this damnable structure...it was all he needed! They were like a snake, and James had procured his chance to see through the tower! And it was successful.

Like the tower had lost control of itself, it blurted out.

[Stefan...becoming pope...killing church. Greatest ending...]

It was as if it was in a trance. However, it did provide some resistance. James was far too weak to use his authorities with full power right now, The tower had managed to trump even a supreme being, his own supreme being.

But all it could do was provide some resistance, it still answered.

"I see..."

However, in the next moment, the tower went back to normal, escaping his grasp. But, it had no memory of such a thing having occurred at all! None! It simply answered the question again, with a completely different tone and answer. This was James special powers, which the star of the Jade snake had given him, this was but a fraction of what he was capable of.

[Do whatever you wish to do.]

It said, before promptly disappearing. James hid his smile, in case the tower was still here, and promptly laid down, formulating his plant.

done.co