Chapter 2: Special Trial - Sin and Karma
Beep, beep, beep…
Inspector Sato stopped in his tracks. Officer Mizuki looked at him, confused.
"What is it, Inspector?"
Sato pulled out his phone. It was an old model, a clear relic from a bygone era. It had a black and red case, with a small, dim screen glowing with a faint yellow light on the top half and a physical keypad on the bottom, completely unlike the smartphones of today.
"Confirmed: Reincarnator codename [Phantom Sword], Ryo, is believed to have ambushed and eliminated a squad under the command of [Nexus Throne] last month during an unknown mission in the [One Piece Derivative World]. It is suspected he seized a special [Card]. Card face, type, and sequence are all unknown."
"At present, our department has detected members of multiple squads converging on Umikaze City, including elite teams from [Nexus Throne] and [Azure Sky]."
"Divination confirms that [Phantom Sword] Ryo contacted Kaito Shirogane in some form before his death. The content of the communication is unknown. The observation level for the individual [Kaito Shirogane] has been raised to [Dangerous]."
Mizuki saw her mentor staring at that strange phone again and tactfully turned away. She knew that some things, once you got involved with them, were impossible to escape.
Sato pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn't believe he had misjudged the situation so badly.
That thing couldn't be allowed to remain in Umikaze City. It was far too dangerous…
"Mizuki, head back to the precinct. I want you to pull up every file we have on Kaito Shirogane—his entire life story, his relationships, his complete history."
Mizuki froze, understanding the implication, but she still had to ask.
"And you, Inspector?"
Sato rolled his shoulders, turning to look back at the distant dormitory building.
"I need to find a way to have another… chat with our young friend, Kaito-kun. About his… transfer arrangements."
The instant Kaito Shirogane pressed [Yes], the letters before his eyes dissolved into a torrent of silvery-white data.
The world seemed to stretch into infinity. An overwhelming flood of information poured into his brain. Countless images, scents, sensations, and feelings assaulted his senses.
The flood of information eventually bleached into pure white, and the sensory overload finally caused Kaito to lose consciousness completely.
[Selecting Trial World…]
[Special Item detected on Trial-taker: Mark of Sin. Trial protocol is being altered.]
[Special Trial Initiated: Sin and Karma]
Whoosh… Whoosh…
He didn't know how much time had passed. The sound of a strong wind, carrying with it a damp mist, rushed into Kaito's senses, slowly drawing his consciousness back into his body.
Kaito opened his eyes. The ceiling above was made of elaborate wooden beams, fitted together with the incredible mortise-and-tenon technique found in traditional Eastern architecture—a miraculous construction method that required no nails to build structures that were both intricate and sturdy.
It was a shame such craftsmanship had been all but abandoned by the modern world of steel and concrete.
I'm not in a modern setting anymore, am I?
Kaito sat up and found himself on an equally simple, classical wooden bed. Even the pillow was a hard, solid block of wood.
The carved wooden window was open, and the mountain wind gusted in, carrying a damp chill that sharpened his mind.
He knew this wasn't a dream. That card had truly sent him into the so-called "Infinite Dimensional Adventure."
As the thought formed in his mind, the palm of his right hand began to burn. He looked down and saw the character for [SIN] glowing faintly.
[ID# EX051 has regained consciousness. Commencing initial data calibration.]
[Calibrating…]
[Calibration Complete.]
…
Text appeared before Kaito's eyes again. He tried closing them, but the words remained, projected directly into his mind.
Clearly, this was no mere VR or AR, but something far more advanced.
[ID#: EX051]
[Codename: Kaito Shirogane (Can be modified based on Trial-taker's self-identification)]
[Lineage: Human (Black-Iron Rank, Native Species)]
[Talent: Calibrating… (Requires more adventure data for anchor points)]
[Proficiencies: Street Fighting Lv3, Hand-to-Hand Combat Lv4, Footwork Lv4]
[Four Foundational Attributes]
Strength: 13 (5) (Represents physical output and explosive power. Value in parentheses is the standard for an adult male of this lineage.)
Agility: 12 (5) (Represents neural response time and physical flexibility.)
Constitution: 9 (5) (Represents endurance and resistance to abnormal statuses.)
Spirit: 9 (5) (Represents mental fortitude and the strength of spiritual energy.)
[Three Hidden Attributes (Not normally displayed)]
Luck: 4 (5) (Represents the probability of chance events resulting in a favorable outcome. This value fluctuates.)
Charisma: 14 (5) (Represents personal appeal based on the mainstream aesthetic of one's species.)
Energy: 0 (0) (Represents the user's control over non-physical energy.)
Kaito wasn't surprised by his high base stats. He'd known since he was a child that he was different.
When he was thirteen, during one of his "episodes," he had put seven grown men in the hospital. He knew then that he wasn't like everyone else.
Not in his physical abilities, not in his mentality, not in the way he saw the world.
He once thought that everyone must be like him. But in reality, everyone else was just fragile. Weak.
So weak that eventually, they all began to look at him with that same mix of fear and disgust, as if he were an alien.
They fear me because they are weak. They can't understand me because they are weak. Heh…
The only thing that disappointed him was his lineage being classified as a mere Black-Iron Rank Native. He had always assumed his strength came from some superior bloodline.
Knock, knock.
A rapping sound came from the door. Kaito turned his head. He could see a figure through the crack, but they made no move to enter.
"Hey! Time's almost up! You're here for an apprenticeship, right? Don't keep the master waiting. He's not a patient man. People die!"
The person grumbled and walked away, their voice fading down the hall. Kaito could vaguely make out curses like "bunch of lunatics" and "delusional fools."
[World Load Complete]
[Mission World: Dragon Ball Derivative World S2653 (This world has not yet been influenced by other Reincarnators)]
[Mission Type: Special Trial]
[Challenge Difficulty: Low ~ Unknown (The difficulty scaling in this world is extreme. Trial-taker is advised to explore with caution.)]
[Time Limit: 30 Days]
[Notice: Due to the effect of the Mark of Sin, your appearance and identity have been altered (modifications are influenced by your Hidden Attributes).]
[Notice: You have been granted universal language comprehension for the duration of your stay in this world.]
[You can unlock the following Milestones in this world. Milestones will affect your final mission rating and potential Title acquisition.]
[Champion]: Win any martial arts tournament.
[Martial Artist]: Learn and practice any style of martial arts to gain a new proficiency.
[Genocider]: Kill over 100 human beings.
[Gourmand]: Taste over 10 unique local cuisines.
[Cryptozoologist]: Encounter over 10 types of special demonic beasts.
[Dragon Seeker]: Find all the Dragon Balls and summon the Eternal Dragon.
…
Information cascaded down in front of him like a waterfall. Kaito found that while he couldn't touch the text, he could focus his gaze on any specific line to receive a detailed explanation—a special perk for first-time trial-takers.
For instance, when he focused on [Dragon Ball Derivative World S2653], an explanation appeared.
A Derivative World is not the prime, canonical world, but a unique reality that has branched off from the original. Its timeline and plot developments may differ significantly.
S2653 is the unique designation for this specific world.
This world, S2653, was clearly a freshly generated instance created for his trial, hence why it remained untainted by others. It was a pristine, original copy.
"So, that means other derivative worlds have probably been completely screwed up by so-called Reincarnators…"
The world of Dragon Ball, huh. Kaito stood up and searched the room, finding nothing useful. The only object of interest was a poster on the desk, which was emitting a faint glow.
He picked it up. The poster depicted a sinister-looking middle-aged man with a long, black braided ponytail. He wore a pink, traditional robe with the character for "Kill" emblazoned on the chest.
Mercenary Tao!
Kaito flipped the poster over. On the back, new lines of text began to appear, seemingly written in fresh blood.
[Special Trial: Sin and Karma]
[Mission 1: Earn the acknowledgment of Mercenary Tao and acquire any new proficiency from him.]
[Mission 2: Prevent Squad #64323 from assassinating Mercenary Tao.]
[Optional Objective: Eliminate at least one member of Squad #64323.]
[Failure Penalty: Annihilation.]