Ashley

I go ahead and reread through the skill as I wait for my wounds to finish up the last bit of their healing.

{Chaotic Surge – Allows the user to send chaos energy through their body in a rampant surge, increasing their physical capabilities and granting random effects to all of their attacks. Both magical and physical.}

The skill will be very useful for me. Quite a bit more than any of the skills I can currently unlock in my Skill Trees.

So I’m glad I was given the chance to unlock it.

It’ll also be my first skill that directly increases my physical capabilities. Which would’ve been rather helpful against that mini boss.

And on the matter of that mini boss, I’m sure I would’ve died if it weren’t for that health restore that everyone got after finishing the quest. There’s no doubt about that.

I continue lying here for several minutes until my wounds are finally gone. Leaving my health bar at around two-fifths filled.

Good enough for me to hunt.

Not like there are that many strong monsters in the maze outside of this Domain anyways. Especially when I got that level boost from the mini boss.

And I really want to test this skill.

So after I get up, I think about activating the skill. And the moment I do, I feel a flood of energy rush through me as crimson and black energy runs through my veins, shining through my skin. Meanwhile I see my eyes glowing an eerie crimson in the reflection of the knife lying down near me.

I glance at my status, quickly finding my Chaos Energy bar to have dropped by one unit. But it’s not moving any more than that.

Hmm. Doesn’t seem to cost much so far, but I need to check to see how long a unit lasts.

And while I do that, I go ahead and pull my fist back after stepping up to the corpse of the mini boss. Then I slam it into the corpse, startling me when a bolt of crimson lightning suddenly shoots off from the point of contact. Scorching the corpse a bit.

Huh.

My fist also cracked the stone a little. Not much, but still a little.

Which is more than I can say would’ve happened before.

I go ahead and try again, punching it with my other fist. And this time, a spout of black flames shoots out from between my fist and the stone.

Very interesting.

I try over and over again, gradually cracking the stone with my fist while watching my Chaos Energy to check how often I can do this. And at the same time, seeing what sorts of effects I can get.

To my surprise, though, it looks like a single unit of Chaos Energy can last for about ten entire minutes. Regardless of how many attacks I dish out.

On the other hand, it looks like the effects are extremely varied. They range all the way from attacks, like the electric charge and the flames, to status effects that affect the body of the target, and even curses.

Although the sheer fact that I know all that despite testing it on a corpse is interesting in its own right.

I just sorta understand every effect that it induces the moment it is induced. Regardless of if it works on that target or not.

Overall, a very useful skill.

Not all of the effects are incredibly useful, though.

One of them even nullified the effects of whatever magic was previously cast on the target.

Which was interesting. But it could also harm me in the middle of a battle if I have any sort of effect on the enemy.

I only got that one once out of a couple hundred punches, so I doubt it’ll be much of an issue. But still.

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It’s a bit of a risky skill even if it’s powerful.

For some reason, though, that excites me ever so slightly.

Makes me wonder if I like taking risks. So long as they aren’t bothersome.

I should probably avoid going to casinos if that’s the case.

There were also effects that were nothing more than making the affected target sneeze once. Which is hard for a large and dead and in pieces golem to do.

Anyways, I turn my attention from the mini boss’s corpse to the items. And without hesitation, I bend down and grab the ring. Putting it on right afterwards. Then I go ahead and reach down to touch the other items, storing each in the ring one after another.

Only to pause when I’m about to grab the knives as I realize what I just did.

Why do I know how to use a storage ring?

I stare at the knives for a few seconds before shrugging.

Probably used one before my memories went away. I’m pretty sure I was from a rich family after all, so it wouldn’t be too shocking.

I grab the knives before moving them around a little, swinging one and then the other once each. Then twice. Then I swing both at the same time, slicing through the air.

Hmm. Much better than the other knife I was using. And I don’t need to hide these either.

After all, I have a good reason for having them.

What I don’t have a good excuse for is how I was able to kill a boss on my own. Because, judging by those contribution results, I might’ve been the only person who killed one on their own.

Were we not supposed to do that?

I purse my lips for a few seconds before deciding that what’s happened has happened.

No changing it now.

What I need to do most right now is get used to these blades. So I’ll spend another ten or so minutes doing that.

Then I’ll go ahead and leave this Domain.

However I do that.

----------------------------------------

Outside of the Domain

Alexander Winters stares straight at the sealed Gate leading to the Domain of the mini boss the Successor of Chaos slayed all on her own. He ignores the few dozen other people all gathered around on this platform as well despite many of them staring at him and whispering about his own contribution to the quest. And he ignores the woman who got the third highest contribution on the quest and was in charge of the assault on the serpent.

He even ignores the enforcer who is staring at the Gate as well. An enforcer he recognizes as one serving directly under the Black and White Enforcers. The two most powerful and influential enforcers in all of Val.

Because the only thing on his mind is the woman, or girl, who killed the mini boss by herself.

The girl who more than a few people are speculating might even be the daughter of those very enforcers.

A member of the Sinclair family.

But more importantly than her family, there are just too many things he wants, no, needs to know.

What reward she got for slaying a mini boss on her own.

What a Spire is that she got permission to claim.

How she managed to slay a mini boss on her own. How strong she is to be able to do that. Or even if her mini boss was just weaker than the one Alexander fought.

Although he does at least realize that if she really is their daughter, then her strength would make sense. Even if she just woke up from a coma.

No one ever knew the girl’s real ability since she never showed anyone it. Some even started speculating on if she had one, but those speculations were shot down since everyone had an ability.

And he isn’t the only one curious about her, as even when he rushed here as soon as he saw the notification about her defeating the mini boss, he was still greeted by the sight of over two dozen other people already at the Gate. A number that has only continued to grow since.

But no matter how long he’s waited, she still hasn’t shown herself.

Which leads Alexander to a few different possibilities.

Either she got injured and died, an unlikely solution due to the fact that the Gate is still there, or she got injured and is still recovering inside of the Domain.

Or for all he knows she could be wasting time in there or even training.

No one can find out the truth, though, because no one can enter the Domain.

So he waits. And waits. And waits even more.

Eventually, after over an entire day has passed since the notification, a flash of light shines from the Gate before it disappears. Soon replaced by the girl Alexander remembers seeing in a hospital gown back in the tutorial’s first room. Except now she is wearing a black shirt and pants with a black and crimson jacket and a black belt.

But what catches his attention is the sight of the two knives of slightly different sizes and a deep black and purple hue sheathed on her waist. Both without any sort of scabbard, and poorly made connections tying them to her.

Alexander’s eyes narrow a little at the sight of her and those knives, quickly coming to the conclusion that they were rewards that she got from the mini boss. He also notices what looks like a fancy sort of storage ring on her finger on top of the knives, and an amulet barely sticking out from her collar, with part of it covered by her shirt.

Despite seeing all of the items that are likely her rewards, Alexander frowns a little as a single thought comes to mind.

Does becoming a Successor de-age you?

He tilts his head a little, still frowning. Because he’s seen the girl before on the news. Or at least, one who looks almost identical to her and without the color in her hair other than black or the wings on her back. Or the crimson pools that make up her eyes.

All features he saw Chaos’s clone having.

How he didn’t notice before is beyond him.

She really looks like a younger version of Ashley Sinclair, with Chaos’s feature added on…

To his surprise, though, the girl in question just twitches once at the sight of everyone around her. She doesn’t even say a word or make a sound when people begin moving towards her asking one question after another.

And when Alexander is about to step forward as well, she suddenly flaps her wings and flies over everyone’s heads before leaving the area.

All still without saying a single word and without showing any sort of emotion on her face.

Alexander narrows his eyes again as he follows her with them. But she quickly leaves his line of sight.

And while everyone else quickly begins to either complain about waiting for so long for nothing or talk about the girl in general, Alexander’s thoughts take a turn.

He just contemplates about how useful it must be to have wings like her.