Chapter 29: A Spark of Chaos

As I resolved to head toward the city, a sudden flicker of light crossed my vision. The familiar blue screen materialized before me, its text filling my gaze:

[Adjustment Period: 30 Days 23:53:13…]

Adjustment period? The phrase lingered in my mind, cryptic yet foreboding. Though I couldn’t discern its full implications, one thing was clear, I needed to prepare for what was to come. The echoes of my earlier trials, my brutal path of bloodshed and chaos, still reverberated in my mind. Each step I took felt heavier with the weight of that violence, yet also lighter with the knowledge that I had outlasted it all. I had transcended the mere challenge of survival. Now, there was something more, something deeper.

With renewed determination, I began my march toward the city. My pace was brisk, easily outstripping most of the crowd that had gathered in this strange new world. Yet, here and there, individuals matched my speed, their movements fluid and practiced.

I wasn’t the only one hardened by trials.

One such figure caught my attention. A slender individual with a graceful stride that betrayed latent power. His robes billowed slightly in the wind, and an aura of magic seemed to radiate from him. I activated my Devil’s Eye, the screen springing to life with information.

[Race: Human]

[Level: 45 (65.4%)]

[Title: Magician]

[Skills: Inspection (Unique-Grade), Magic Prodigy (Unique-Grade), Mana Control (B-Grade), Pyrokinesis (C-Grade), Aerokinesis (D-Grade), Nightvision (E-Grade), Terrakinesis (F-Grade), Swordsmanship (F-Grade)]

[Stats: Str-37, Agi-122, End-83, Int-178, Mag-195, Luck-38]

The stats alone were impressive, his Magic stat dwarfing my own. A twinge of competitiveness sparked within me. “Magician,” his title read. Curiosity piqued, I inspected it further.

[Magician][Rarity: Rare][Details: Increases Mag and Int by 30 each, increases proficiency gain rate for all magic abilities by 1.25 times.]

Titles had rarities? This discovery was unexpected but valuable.

I turned my attention to his unique skills.

[Inspection][Grade: Unique-Grade][Type: Active][Details: Reveals abilities and effects of items of Legendary grade and lower.]

[Magic Prodigy][Grade: Unique-Grade][Type: Passive][Details: Increases Mag and Int by 50 each, increases proficiency gain rate for all magic abilities by 2 times.]

This man was undeniably a mage, and a formidable one at that. Despite this, his arsenal of abilities seemed limited compared to mine. Satisfied, I shifted my focus to another figure, a hulking man whose bald head gleamed under the sunlight. His shirt clung tightly to a burly, scarred frame, and his eyes, cold and calculating, spoke of countless battles fought and won.

[Race: Human]

[Level: 78 (15.3%)]

[Title: Brute]

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[Skills: Barbarian Body (Unique-Grade), Mountain Crushing Fist (S-Grade), Mountain Fist (A-Grade), Explosive Muscles (A-Grade), Mountain Wall (A-Grade), Clairvoyant Gaze (A-Grade), Heightened Senses (C-Grade), Mountain Fist Footwork (C-Grade), Frenzy (C-Grade)]

[Stats: Str-273, Agi-196, End-248, Int-92, Mag-0, Luck-13]

A monster. His stats alone dwarfed mine. Strength and Endurance in the triple digits, this man was a walking tank. Just looking at him made my blood boil with exhilaration. So many powerful individuals gathered here, stronger than me for now… but I would surpass them all.

The city gates loomed closer, a magnificent structure of wrought iron and gleaming stone. Before them, a throng of people stretched endlessly, hundreds, perhaps thousands. The higher levels seemed to have arrived first, while those trickling in later appeared weaker. Many bore the expressions of those untouched by the horrors of the trials.

After an hour of waiting, it was finally my turn to approach the gates. A guard, clad in armor that glimmered faintly under the sun, stepped forward, halting me with a raised hand.

“Halt. You need to prove yourself first.”

His voice was commanding, carrying the weight of authority. Prove myself? The words sent a shiver of unease down my spine. Memories of the trials flashed in my mind, the slaughter, the blood, the raw brutality. I activated my Devil’s Eye, inspecting the guard.

[Race: Human][Level: 223 (47.2%)][Title: Guard][Skills: Swordsmanship (A-Grade), Footwork (B-Grade), Aura (B-Grade), Eagle Eyes (C-Grade)][Stats: Str-283, Agi-241, End-305, Int-40, Mag-7, Aura-197, Luck-30]

Far stronger than anyone I’d encountered thus far. He reached into a pouch at his side, producing a crystal orb.

“Place your palm against the orb,” he ordered.

The orb’s surface was smooth and faintly warm. As my hand made contact, it shimmered before turning a deep, ominous black. The guard’s expression tightened, a flicker of alarm crossing his face.

Before I could react, his blade came slashing through the air. By instinct alone, I managed to dodge, the edge grazing dangerously close. Panic gripped me as other guards began converging. I was outmatched, outnumbered.

My mind raced. Escape was my only option, but how? Then, a surge of clarity, or perhaps madness, hit me. My newfound intelligence lent itself to a desperate, calculated plan.

[Activating Despair Aura]

The skill’s chilling effect rippled outward, sapping morale from those I deemed enemies. Cries of unease broke out among the weaker onlookers. I needed more. A spectacle, something horrifying enough to incite chaos.

My gaze settled on a level 1 individual, trembling amidst the crowd. In an instant, I lunged, my hand closing around his neck. The crowd gasped as I hurled him into the air, leaping after him. My hands gripped his head and neck, twisting sharply. Blood sprayed in a grotesque arc as the head tore free.

The body hit the ground with a sickening thud. Holding the head aloft, I hurled it toward the crowd. Screams erupted, panic spreading like wildfire. The weaker ones, who were unarmed and defenseless, broke instantly. Fear spread like an infection, spreading to those around them. They had no weapons to defend themselves, and their uncoordinated movements only hastened their inevitable doom.

[Activating Dark Dominion][Finding Targets…][248 Targets Found!][Give Command][Duration of Control: 00:01:13…]

“Attack the guards,” I whispered, my voice barely audible amidst the chaos.

Like puppets on strings, the controlled surged forward, their frenzied assault buying me precious time. I darted away, weaving through the crowd as the sounds of battle erupted behind me. Screams of agony and the clash of steel filled the air.

“I won’t let your sacrifices be in vain,” I muttered, the irony not lost on me. The words tasted bitter yet strangely exhilarating. The carnage I had wrought sent a thrill through me. Was this… joy?

By the time the effects of my ability faded, the slaughter was over. Bodies littered the ground, the gates stained with blood. The controlled, still bound by the hive mind, had been slaughtered without a second thought, sacrificed as nothing more than pawns in a cruel game. Hidden among the fields, I allowed myself a grim smile.

The blue screen flickered before me, breaking my thoughts:

[Skill Acquired: Seed of Discord]

[Seed of Discord][Grade: D-Grade][Type: Active][Details: Amplifies emotions such as fear or anger, making affected individuals significantly more prone to irrational or extreme actions.][Proficiency: 0%]

This world was proving itself to be quite amusing. What else did it have in store for me? The city… it beckoned, an unconquered mountain waiting for me to scale its heights. I’d find a way in. After all, the game had just begun.