‘Struggle! Adapt! Unite!’ Ain’s words resonated within Chrono’s mind. This implied that there was a common enemy and was what Ain said was the key to survival for humanity, but was humanity really capable of doing so? Anyone was able to struggle for their lives. The survivors might even be able to adapt to Pandemonium, but uniting… Was humanity really able to unite? Like Yalda, Chrono didn’t think so.
The first thing most of the unique individuals that Ain had his eye on would do was to create a faction or backing for themselves, absorbing as much power and people as they possibly could. Not even an hour into their summoning and Big Dog had tried to draw Chrono under him. Who would willingly give away their authority and allow someone else to take control when the hierarchy had been reset on a new planet? The few selfless ones would be the first to die, while the selfish would create an internal struggle within humanity, completely ignorant of humanity’s ‘common enemy.’ There would be absolutely no unity until humanity had been pushed to the brink of annihilation. Only when humanity felt the threat of extinction would they truly unite, and by that time it’d already have been too late.
Chrono had no desire to save humanity, nor did he want to be absorbed into a power and be forced to work under anyone. The only thing he valued was freedom and excitement, but it seemed like he’d have to work for his freedom. What good was a playground if you weren’t allowed to play in it? It had become clear to him that the only way he’d truly be free from the solicitations of the other developing powers would be to become strong enough on his own, or to develop his own personal backing. He wasn’t limited to one choice either, so why not both? He had just discovered that his status could be raised when he killed a goblin a moment ago, now all he had to do was establish a faction.
Even humanity being summoned in separate groups and everything up to this point, it was like it was based on the premise of people and factions growing as a trial by fire. It hadn’t even been a day in Pandemonium, and yet Chrono had been able to put together most of the essential pieces of information.
‘I’m thinking too far into the future, for now…’ Chrono thought to himself as he continued to walk. His immediate priority was to leave the forest by night.
The group of survivors had just fled the pack of goblins and were now resting with their guards down, thinking they had escaped their hunters. Most were on their backs or knees panting with Chrono being the only one continuing to move forward. This undoubtedly drew the attention of others. It looked like he was walking aimlessly, but in fact he was carefully calculating his steps and position. At this point Chrono had already abandoned the idea of not standing out and acting as a nervous pushover. It was clear that the girl from the beginning had already seen through his poor act. It was more advantageous to stop the act because he planned on proving his worth and making a show of leaving the group to go his own way. This was all for taking over the leadership position of the group and establishing a foothold for the creation of his own faction. Even if his play failed, it didn’t make a difference to Chrono at all. It would just mean that there was less of a burden tying him down.
The stage was nearly set, and the final actor was entering the stage, stalking and targeting the group from above a tree. Due to their carelessness, no one but Chrono was able to detect this uninvited actor. A stray goblin. It was a runt of the litter that had come late to the raid. It must’ve been dismayed that it wasn’t able to make it in time to hunt for any food, and thought itself lucky that a group of exhausted and unsuspecting humans had delivered themselves right towards it.
The goblin targeted a ragged man that was collapsed, resting with his back to a tree. Coincidentally, this was precisely where Chrono was walking to.
The goblin jumped down with a dagger pointed downward right towards the head of the exhausted man. Just as the dagger was about to dig into the man’s head, Chrono’s short sword thrust right above him. The exhausted man was terrified, breaking out into cold sweat. Chrono’s actions from when he began walking to when he made the spontaneous thrust was seen by the entire group.
The short sword impaled the falling goblin in the stomach, pinning it to a tree. The goblin’s blood dripped and splattered onto the exhausted man’s head, the goblin still clutching the dagger tightly in its hands just inches above the man’s head. Only after he felt the blood dripping onto his head did the man make a delayed reaction of yelping and hastily rolling over to the side.
Chrono felt another small stream of power flow into his body as he yanked his sword out of the tree. Without saying a word, he took the small pouch tied to the goblin’s waist and pried the dagger covered in grime out of its hands.
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‘That makes three,’ Chrono counted as he pocketed the pouch. Goblins would fill their pouches with necessities like dried meat, nuts, seeds, and fruits in case of emergencies. Three pouches filled with rations. Food. This was the reason why the first thing Chrono did at the first goblin raid was to swipe the two pouches off the dead goblins. Food wasn’t a big issue as of yet, but as time went on…
Chrono was well versed in Human Psychology. Maybe he was the only one within the group that was enjoying this, but everyone else must’ve been utterly miserable. Witnessing bodies exploding before their eyes and death for the first time in their lives. Being forced to flee with uncertainty. Not knowing whether they’ll live to see another day. The continuous mounting pressures of Pandemonium. The tension and stress must’ve been unbearable for the average person.
‘It’s about time they reach their breaking point,’ Chrono mused.
When pushed to their limits, humans would do one of two things: overcome them and experience unprecedented growth, or… breakdown.
This was a part of the reason why Chrono didn’t want to travel in large groups. When people mentally breakdown, they become unstable and unpredictable. Insanity. They were capable of letting go of all restraints and giving in to their darkest desires. Things that were once taboo and difficult for them to do become as easy as breathing. Murder, rape, cannibalism. There was no telling what they’d do.
Just before people broke down was the easiest time to influence them. That was the moment that they’d cling onto anything. A beacon of hope. A leader, and at this time and place the person they’d cling onto was Chrono. The man who had developed the method to leave the forest. The man who had just easily slain a goblin before their eyes.
“I’m leaving on my own, the rest of you will only drag me down,” Chrono deliberately said loudly as he began to slowly walk forward after he grabbed his spoils off the goblin.
That beacon of hope was slowly fading right before their very eyes.
“W-Wait! We need to stick together!” A woman’s voice shouted at his back.
Chrono turned his head and coldly gazed at the policer officer who shouted. He ignored her and continued to slowly walk away.
“Don’t leave, or I’ll shoot!” The police officer screamed hysterically as she took out her gun pointed it at his back with trembling hands.
Chrono paused. With his back facing the group, no one could see the growing smirk on his face. He calmly walked back to stand in front of the police officer.
Thinking he had chosen to stay, the police officer lowered her gun and let out a sigh of relief.
Chrono abruptly grabbed the police officer’s wrist, dragging both of her hands holding onto the gun and pointed it straight at his heart.
“Do it. Shoot me.” Chrono said indifferently.
The police officer’s hands trembled uncontrollably.
“Do it!” Chrono yelled.
Beads of sweat dripped off the police officer’s face, and she couldn’t bring herself to move. She was filled with a stifling, engulfing fear that emanated from the man before her.
Chrono brought his mouth next to her ear and whispered, “You’re weak.”
He released her wrist and turned back around, walking away under everyone’s gazes.
The police officer crumpled helplessly onto the ground. On her wrist was five dark purple fingerprints, bruises.
Chrono didn’t walk far before...
“Let me come with you!” the brunette who had been watching Chrono from the beginning shouted, hastily running after him.
“I-I want to go with you as well!” the exhausted man from earlier with goblin blood still dripping down his hair added soon after.
Two followers quickly turned into three, three into four, four into five, and soon the entire group of thirty survivors called out to him. The bandwagon effect. The minority quickly turned into the majority.
In the end…
“Take me with you!” the policer officer scrambled after him.
Chrono on his own was more attractive to the survivors than a group of thirty others without him. That was the impression of reliability and aura he gave off.
Chrono’s form of leadership was no better than a subtle brainwashing. The actions and play he had set up had imprinted on the minds of everyone, ‘If I follow him, I’ll have the highest chance to survive. If I don’t, I’ll die like the others.’
He had become the unspoken leader in the eyes of everyone present in an instant.
He had established his own faction.
‘So the play was a success,’ with those thoughts, Chrono opened his status window as he continued to walk.