Writing
FANTASY GAME
CHAPTER 3: THE INTRODUCTION OF NOSTRADAMUS
Nixon Ballot stood in the middle of the Frostfang Wilderness, surrounded by snow-covered mountains and freezing winds.
After listening to the Ultimate Announcer explain the rules of the death game, Nixon had been teleported to one of the most dangerous regions in the entire world.
The worst part was that he was only Level 1.
"Seriously, what did I do to deserve this?" Nixon complained while rubbing his arms to keep himself warm. "I'm supposed to be playing an RPG, not participating in a survival competition!"
Suddenly, a notification appeared before his eyes.
TEAM FORMATION AVAILABLE.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN AN EXISTING TEAM?
Nixon immediately selected YES.
"Of course! I'm not stupid enough to wander around this place alone!"
Another message appeared.
TWO TEAMMATES HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO YOUR PARTY.
Nixon blinked.
"Two teammates? Wait, who are they?"
Before he could examine the notification further, he heard footsteps approaching through the snow.
A young-looking man emerged from behind a large rock.
At first glance, he appeared to be an ordinary boy with pink hair and blue eyes. He wore elegant English men's clothing that looked strangely out of place in the freezing wilderness.
His appearance was youthful, almost innocent.
However, the way he carried himself suggested something entirely different.
He walked with the confidence of someone who had already calculated every possible outcome of the situation.
The young man adjusted his clothing and looked at Nixon.
"Ah, splendid. I believe you must be Nixon Ballot, my new teammate."
His voice carried a distinct British accent.
Nixon stared at him.
"Uh, yeah. That's me. And who exactly are you?"
The young man smiled politely.
"My name is Nostradamus."
Nixon froze.
"...Wait. Nostradamus?"
"Indeed."
"AS IN THE FAMOUS PROPHET FROM HUMAN HISTORY?!"
Nostradamus adjusted his sleeves.
"The very same, my dear fellow. Although, I must admit, I rather prefer being introduced without all the shouting."
Nixon stared at him in disbelief.
He knew that name. Nostradamus was one of the most famous prophets in human history, a man associated with predictions about the future.
And now, somehow, he was standing in front of Nixon as a young-looking boy with pink hair, blue eyes, and a British accent.
Nixon slowly opened his status window.
"Okay, this is getting ridiculous. Let me see your statistics."
Nostradamus raised an eyebrow.
"How terribly rude. However, I suppose curiosity is understandable in your circumstances."
Nixon selected the inspection function.
A status window appeared.
NAME: NOSTRADAMUS.
CLASS: UNKNOWN.
PROFESSION: PROPHET, PHYSICIAN, STRATEGIST.
SPECIAL ABILITIES: FUTURE SIGHT, OUTCOME MANIPULATION, EXTREME INTELLIGENCE.
SKILLS: NUMEROUS.
THREAT ASSESSMENT: UNDETERMINED.
Nixon's jaw dropped.
"WHAT?!"
Nostradamus tilted his head.
"Is something the matter?"
"You're a prophet, a doctor, and a strategist?! And you can see the future and manipulate outcomes?!"
"That is a reasonably accurate summary, yes."
Nixon looked at the screen again.
"Why does your status window say your threat level is undetermined?"
Nostradamus smiled.
"Perhaps the system finds me rather difficult to categorize."
Nixon couldn't believe what he was hearing.
He was a Level 1 beginner who had barely managed to defeat a single goblin.
Meanwhile, one of his teammates could see the future, manipulate outcomes through intelligence and strategy, and possessed an enormous collection of skills.
And that wasn't even everything.
According to the information available in the system, Nostradamus possessed enough power to destroy divine gates and renovate or restore advanced technology.
Nixon slowly closed his status window.
"Right. I'm definitely the weakest person on this team."
Nostradamus gave him a reassuring smile.
"Do not be so hard on yourself, Nixon. Every individual has a role to play. Raw strength is hardly the only measure of one's usefulness."
Nixon looked at him suspiciously.
"That's something a powerful person would say to make a weak person feel better."
"An astute observation."
"Wait, you're not denying it?"
"Why should I deny the truth?"
Before Nixon could respond, another voice came from behind them.
"Are you two going to stand there talking all day?"
Nixon turned around.
A young woman approached them with a katana resting at her side.
Her expression was calm, her posture disciplined, and her movements carried the confidence of an experienced swordswoman.
She wore practical clothing suitable for combat, and her hand rested near the hilt of her weapon.
Nixon immediately inspected her.
NAME: SUKISHI.
CLASS: SWORDSMAN.
TITLE: FAMOUS SWORD WOMAN OF JAPAN.
PRIMARY WEAPON: KATANA.
COMBAT SPECIALTY: SWORDSMANSHIP.
THREAT ASSESSMENT: EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.
Nixon's eyes widened.
"Wait a minute. You're Sukishi? The famous Japanese swordswoman?"
Sukishi nodded.
"That's right. And you must be Nixon."
"Yeah, that's me."
She glanced at his status window.
"Level 1?"
Nixon scratched the back of his head.
"Unfortunately."
Sukishi sighed.
"Then you'll need to be careful. This region isn't suitable for someone with your current level."
"Believe me, I already know that!"
Nostradamus chuckled.
"Now, now. There's no need to frighten our newest teammate."
"I'm not frightening him. I'm telling him the truth."
Nixon looked between the two of them.
"So, let me get this straight. One of my teammates is a famous prophet who can see the future and manipulate outcomes, while the other is a legendary swordswoman from Japan?"
"That is correct," Nostradamus answered.
"And I'm just an ordinary guy with two basic spells?"
"Also correct," Nostradamus replied.
Nixon covered his face.
"Oh, this is going to be embarrassing."
Sukishi folded her arms.
"Why? You're part of the team now. What matters is whether you can learn and survive."
Nixon looked up.
"That's easy for you to say. Can you even cut a boulder in half?"
Sukishi didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she turned toward a massive boulder partially buried in the snow.
She slowly drew her katana.
Nixon watched curiously.
"What are you doing?"
Sukishi stepped forward and swung her sword once.
A sharp flash passed through the air.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then a clean line appeared across the boulder.
The enormous rock split into two pieces and slid apart.
Nixon stood motionless.
His mouth opened slightly.
He looked at the boulder, then at Sukishi, then back at the boulder.
"...WHAT?!"
Sukishi calmly returned her katana to its sheath.
"What about it?"
Nixon pointed at the two halves.
"YOU JUST CUT A BOULDER IN HALF!"
"Yes."
"WITH A SWORD!"
"That's generally what a sword is for."
"THAT IS NOT A NORMAL THING A SWORD CAN DO!"
Nostradamus laughed softly.
"Ah, I see our newest teammate is rather expressive."
Nixon turned toward him.
"Expressive?! Your other teammate just sliced a massive rock in half like she was cutting vegetables!"
Sukishi looked unimpressed.
"If you spent less time shouting and more time training, perhaps you could accomplish something similar someday."
Nixon stared at her.
"Someday? I'm Level 1!"
"Then start at Level 1."
For a moment, Nixon had no response.
Sukishi was right.
Complaining wouldn't make him stronger.
He had entered a death game where every player needed to improve their abilities to survive.
If he continued relying entirely on his teammates, he would eventually become a burden.
Nostradamus seemed to notice the change in Nixon's expression.
"Excellent. It appears the young man is beginning to understand his situation."
Nixon sighed.
"Fine. I'll train. But first, can someone explain why I'm surrounded by people who are ridiculously powerful?"
Nostradamus smiled.
"Perhaps the system has a rather peculiar sense of humour."
Sukishi shook her head.
"Or perhaps you're simply unlucky."
"That's even worse!"
For the first time since entering the death game, Nixon felt a little more hopeful.
He was still weak, but at least he wasn't alone anymore.
He had a teammate who could see the future and manipulate outcomes, another teammate who could slice boulders in half, and a status system that allowed him to learn new skills and grow stronger.
Perhaps he actually had a chance of surviving.
However, there was one thing Nixon hadn't considered.
If Nostradamus and Sukishi were already this powerful, what kind of monsters would they encounter deeper in the world?
Nostradamus suddenly stopped smiling.
His blue eyes shifted toward the distant mountains.
"Nixon, Sukishi. I suggest we leave this area immediately."
Sukishi's expression became serious.
"What did you see?"
Nostradamus remained silent for a moment.
Then he spoke in his calm British accent.
"Something rather unpleasant is approaching. And judging by the possible outcomes, I would strongly advise against fighting it."
Nixon swallowed nervously.
"How dangerous are we talking?"
Nostradamus looked directly at him.
"Extremely."
A deafening roar echoed across the Frostfang Wilderness.
The ground trembled.
Far beyond the mountains, an enormous shadow moved through the blizzard.
Nixon opened his status window.
A warning flashed across the screen.
WARNING: POWERFUL MONSTER DETECTED.
THREAT LEVEL: UNKNOWN.
RECOMMENDATION: ESCAPE IMMEDIATELY.
Nixon slowly turned toward his teammates.
"...You know what? I think I'm going to start listening to everything you two say."
Sukishi drew her katana.
Nostradamus smiled faintly.
"An excellent decision, my dear Nixon."
And so, Nixon Ballot's journey continued, accompanied by two extraordinary teammates whose abilities far exceeded his own.
But whether their combined strength would be enough to survive the horrors of Fantasy Game remained to be seen.
END OF CHAPTER 3.
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