Chapter 3

Chapter 3. Predation (1)

Isaac gazed out of the window.

It was early dawn, just as the blue daylight started to seep in. The chirping of birds from the forest surrounding the monastery was audible. It was too early for a child to be awake, but for Isaac, it was a time to gather his thoughts.

It was the one-month anniversary of his transformation to Isaac.

Having survived the assault of the Immortal Order, he found himself in this monastery when he regained consciousness. The abbot only mentioned that he was rescued, with no further details provided.

To Isaac, who had expected to be bombarded with endless interrogations and questions, this was both unexpected and a relief.

After all, asking too many questions would only complicate things. The incident was not his top priority.

Isaac had spent the past month in a somewhat dazed state. It felt like a dream, a reality too hard to accept. Hoping everything was just a dream, he spent the month attempting to log out or wake up.

However, as his consciousness gradually became clearer, he was able to set his goals.

Today, he decided to give up all his expectations.

Isaac was now Isaac. He was a resident of this world.

As long as he lived in this world, until he found a way back, he needed to blend in as a local resident.

Isaac clenched and unclenched his hand, testing his strength. His physical strength was so weak that he struggled to lift even a slightly heavy branch.

The feeble strength of a Nephilim, weakened further due to his young age.

Isaac compared himself to a child of five or six years old.

"Damn it, if I knew I'd end up living in a game, I wouldn't have set my stats like this."

Being a Nephilim wasn't bad. In fact, it was a quite fortunate race. They possessed the worst physical abilities but compensated with high faith and charm.

Charm, luck, intelligence - these were 'hidden stats,' not explicitly shown.

Among them, Nephilims, although disliked by gods, had a significantly high 'charm' stat, which garnered human favor. Isaac's current appearance in this world was stunning enough to turn heads.

"It's like throwing a Korean online game beauty into reality... It's ridiculous even to me who set it up."

However, it wasn't bad to earn human favor, as long as Isaac kept his bloodline a secret. To outsiders, he appeared just as a handsome young man.

The problem, however, was his frail body.

He was susceptible to diseases and could hardly wear proper equipment. In this medieval fantasy reality, Isaac could hardly fathom how vulnerable he was.

"I remember absorbing Kalsen and gaining physical strength..."

Could it be that his strength improved only to this level? It seemed possible, but he also recalled a message about Kalsen's level being too high and causing a 'delay in digestion.' It was hard to believe that the digestion hadn't completed even after a month.

And the skill he acquired at that time was still locked.

[Lighthouse of the Watcher (Unopened)]

"Lighthouse of the Watcher... I've obtained something nonsensical from the start."

Isaac had cleared the Nameless Chaos eight times. He had even played using the faith of the 'Codex of Light,' the game's largest religion.

Simply put, it was an ultimate skill that could transform an area into 'heaven.' However, as indicated by the term 'lighthouse,' it could attract unwanted dangerous creatures of heaven.

It was a top-tier ultimate skill for a 'Codex of Light' paladin, given only upon recognition by archangels.

"And I, of another faith, have this skill? Why?"

Perhaps the reason it remained unopened was because Isaac followed a different faith. Moreover, he couldn't predict the consequences of using it in this world. In the Nameless Chaos, using a mismatched skill could lead to health depletion and disasters.

"If Kalsen had used this skill before dying, I might have been the one to die."

Isaac shivered.

He hadn't forgotten the moment he barely survived.

Subconsciously, he touched his chest where the scar from Kalsen's blade still remained. He remembered the scene where countless tendrils overflowed from that wound and swept away Kalsen Miller and the undead of the Immortal Order.

It was as horrifying as it was nauseating.

"The power of the Nameless Chaos... probably."

Isaac had chosen the 'Nameless Chaos' as his faith when creating his character. And the tendrils were a symbol of the Nameless Chaos. However, the Nameless Chaos was a faith opposed by all other religions.

"The Nameless Chaos once caused a plague called 'White Death' that killed all who knew its name, disappearing from the world..."

The White Death turned bodies pale as ash before disintegrating.

In the southern desert regions, cities destroyed by this plague still lay covered in the white ash of corpses. It was one of the most difficult dungeons in the Nameless Chaos.

Thus, the once-named god of chaos became 'Nameless' after losing all who knew it.

That was all Isaac knew.

Since then, the civilized world was divided between the Light-ruled White Empire and the Immortal-led Black Empire. Many kingdoms fell due to the immense loss of life, and all cults erased or sealed records of the Nameless Chaos.

Especially in the 'Codex of Light' monastery where Isaac currently resided.

Isaac didn't know why he, a follower of the Nameless Chaos, was in this sacred place, but he knew one thing for sure.

If his identity was revealed, he was as good as dead.

"Luckily, there were no witnesses."

It was a pity for those who died at the sanctuary, but for Isaac's own survival, it was a relief. And the potential witnesses might be the undead of the Immortal Order. The priests of the Codex of Light wouldn't take their words seriously.

Isaac had no choice.

He casually chose the faith of the Nameless Chaos, but to him, a modern person, the closest in values was the Codex of Light. He needed to find a way to survive among them.

He didn't want to be a monkey in the mountains or a walking skeleton. Above all, he never wanted to become a slime-like monster composed of tentacles.

Fortunately, Isaac had enough knowledge to survive in this world.

"It's obvious with the experience of clearing eight faiths."

If he could overcome the challenging early stages unique to Nephilims, he could manage the rest somehow.

Survival.

That was Isaac's top priority.

***

As the time for morning prayers approached, the sound of a bell rang from outside. A young monk entered, waking the children and leading them to the chapel. Isaac obediently followed, pretending to pray.

But internally, he was fervently contemplating ways to survive. He didn't have much time to think like this.

In the monastery, Isaac's daily life was limited to prayer, labor, meals, and sleep.

Just because he was a survivor didn't mean he received any special care or attention at the monastery. Resources were scarce, and there was a lack of staff to provide such care.

"At least being in a monastery of the 'Codex of Light' order is a blessing."

The 'Codex of Light' was the most powerful among the nine faiths. Moreover, by Isaac's standards, it was an order that maintained a universal social order.

No matter which faith one chose, eventually, they would have to interact with the 'Codex of Light' in some way. Isaac had a good understanding of the structure, physiology, and hidden secrets of the 'Codex of Light' order.

Even though this monastery seemed like a peripheral institution rather than the main order, finding useful information wasn't difficult. If the world's lore from the game still held, hiding his true identity in this monastery wouldn't be too hard.

"More than anything, this world hasn't really begun yet."

Isaac was able to accept his situation so calmly because he had memories of living as 'Isaac' for 14 years.

To him, the phrase "the world hasn't begun yet" felt odd. But it was true. The current 'present' in this world was approximately four years before the starting point of the Nameless Chaos game.

"In about four years from now, the war between the nine faiths will start."

More precisely, it's a competition involving alliances and conflicts, mainly between the 'Codex of Light' and the 'Immortal Cult'. Players have to lead their faith to victory or defect to another faith for their triumph.

"Apostasy..."

Considering that the 'Nameless Chaos' is treated as public enemy or demon, apostasy didn't seem like a bad option. However, Isaac's race, the 'Nephilim,' inherently possesses the trait of 'cursed blood.'

Nephilims with the 'cursed blood' trait are disliked by all gods. It might seem excessive for mere hybrids of angels and humans, but according to the lore, Nephilims can steal miracles from any faith lineage they're connected to without the gods' permission.

While it's possible for Nephilims to have faith, there are surely some who take advantage of this.

They could even steal miracles while worshipping another god.

No wonder no faith was welcoming towards Nephilims.

Moreover, the penalty for apostasy was also an issue. Gods do not like their followers shifting allegiances freely. The resulting curse could be severe enough to make one consider deleting and restarting their character.

However, whether Isaac had the option to restart was doubtful.

Therefore, as he initially resolved, he had no choice but to cherish, love, and hide his faith in the 'Nameless Chaos'. Fortunately, considering the event a month ago, the 'Nameless Chaos' didn't seem like a weak deity.

But if discovered, he'd likely be hunted.

"There are four years left."

It was both a long and short period.

Isaac had nearly complete knowledge of all the secrets and treasures' locations, and the history of the game world. Whether those treasures would still be in the same places, he didn't know, but it would be safer and beneficial for his growth to recover them as soon as possible.

However, the problem was that Isaac's current physical state was terribly frail.

Isaac looked down at his thin arms and legs. It wasn't that he was being mistreated; the monastery was poor, and the monks themselves lived in modesty.

"I need to do something about this body first."

At the very least, he needed to build enough stamina to not faint while walking on the road.

***

Nameless Chaos was a game that less than 1% of all gamers could clear. Some people find the gameplay enjoyable even without clearing it, but Isaac had cleared this difficult game eight times, each with a different faith.

For the 'Codex of Light' monastery, having such a hero among them was a cause for celebration.

But the hero, who might reclaim the holy land and confront evil monsters in the future, was feeling frustrated in front of the dining table.

"Is this really a meal?"

Isaac stared at the bowl of pale porridge, biting his lip. The bland daily menu consisted of thin porridge, unpeeled boiled potatoes, and half a slice of black bread.

It was a simple and bland monastic breakfast.

The other children immediately bit into the potatoes as soon as they sat down. However, Isaac was left in agony.

"Isaac, don't you have an appetite?"

A monk asked kindly. Isaac had much to say but couldn't speak out. It wasn't a problem the monk could solve.

It wasn't the poor diet or lack of appetite that shocked Isaac.

"It's all carbs..."

He knew it wasn't the time to be picky.

Even this meal was relatively generous for late autumn, and there were times when they had to be grateful for just a bowl of

wheat porridge.

In the game, one could survive without eating, but in reality, eating such food would only leave him as gaunt as the other monks. And indeed, the other monks were also eating the same food.

A child... and hungry?

A child... and lacking in protein and calcium?

A child... and missing essential nutrients for growth, leading to delayed development?

"I never thought I'd feel the gap between the game and reality in such trivial matters..."

Even so, Isaac's current body felt as thin as a millet stalk.

A growing child. But with such a poor and unbalanced diet, he was likely to remain weak and frail.

***

After his daily chores, Isaac returned to his bedroom.

Naturally, there was no such thing as personal space for the children. All the orphans in the monastery slept together in a large room. A straw bed and a thin blanket on the floor were the only personal spaces.

Even after returning to the bedroom, Isaac lay awake, staring at the ceiling.

He couldn't sleep. Not because of discomfort, nor due to realizing his past self's identity.

"Do I really have to live like this?"

The monastery's conditions were harsh for Isaac, who was once a modern person. If there was hope for improvement, he could endure and strive. But for an orphan without relatives, in such poverty, and without time for self-development?

"Should I run away from the monastery now?"

That was an option. But Isaac was still just a young 14-year-old boy. No matter his adult knowledge and skills, this wasn't a game but reality, and to him, a completely unfamiliar medieval era. He was lucky not to perish on the streets.

Isaac felt like praying. In fact, he had already prayed at least eight times that day.

Of course, he wasn't reciting proper prayers but simply clasped his hands and closed his eyes while the monk prayed. Still, Isaac earnestly wished towards the 'Codex of Light', forgetting about the 'Nameless Chaos'.

"I hope there's meat for dinner."

A piece of cheese had surprisingly appeared for dinner. It was an unexpected success, but whether it was an answer to his prayers, he couldn't tell. It was still insufficient for a growing child.

Even that was shared with Murzik, the monastery's cat, who mewed cutely and rubbed against him, so Isaac split the cheese.

Isaac found the situation absurdly unjust. Accustomed to tastier food, he now craved the variety of dishes he used to enjoy in his previous life.

Even if not to that extent, the fact that this frail 14-year-old boy had to go to bed hungry was horrifying.

"How do I get enough protein? Should I plant beans?"

While Isaac was lost in thought, the door creaked open. Thinking a monk had come to check on the children, Isaac quickly turned and lay down. But the silhouette that entered was small.

"Murzik."

The monastery's lazy 'champtiger'... no, cat. It was Murzik.

Murzik was a cat living in the monastery. Rather than being cared for, it was mostly neglected but left to roam free as a mouser.

"Meow."

"Did you finish your work?"

Whether scolded for shirking its mousing duties, Murzik carried a dead mouse in its mouth. Isaac briefly thought it might be a repayment for the evening's cheese, but it wasn't a particularly welcome gift.

However, Murzik, as if expecting praise, approached the bed and laid the mouse down. Isaac casually stroked Murzik's head and picked up the mouse by its tail to dispose of it.

It was still warm, recently killed. Suddenly, an odd thought struck Isaac.

"It's meat, technically."

Of course, Isaac, with his modern mindset, had no intention of eating a mouse.

[The Nameless Chaos is watching you.]

"What?"

Startled by the unexpected sound, Isaac suddenly felt a sharp pain in his palm.

"Huh?"

Thinking the mouse had bitten him, Isaac panicked and threw it away. But with a snap, red tendrils burst out from somewhere and snatched the mouse.

No, not from somewhere. From Isaac's palm.

"?!"

Thin tendrils emerging from Isaac's flesh quickly engulfed the mouse's corpse.

The plump field mouse, fattened on fallen grains, was larger than Isaac's palm. Yet, it was sucked into the palm in an instant.

Crunch, crunch.

After devouring the mouse, the tendrils quickly retracted back into the palm. The sounds of flesh and bones breaking vanished, and the bedroom fell silent again. Only Isaac and Murzik remained frozen, trying to comprehend what just happened.

Then another message reached Isaac.

[You have consumed a 'field mouse'.]

[Consumption efficiency has increased due to the 'Predation' perk.]

[Resistance to low-grade diseases has increased.]

[Blessing will remain until digestion is complete.]