“Chaos is not the enemy; it is the artist’s brush. Those who panic become its canvas. Those who listen? They become the masterpiece." —The Te of Slacking, Book 2, Verse 7
The lever hummed under my grip, and the platform’s weird light throbbed like it was trying to have a heart attack in Morse code. The frenzy creatures zipped through the air, leaving streaks of shadow and dread in their wake.
My HP bar, although much better than it was, was still flirting with extinction.
But I wasn’t just standing here waiting to die.
“Alright, James,” I said. “You know how this works. Rules, patterns, stupid loopholes. Be the cheat code, or you're toast.”
The Slacker, reclining midair like a half-deflated balloon, took another drag on the impossibly shrunken rollup. “Planning, are we? Very uncharacteristic. Not sure I absolutely approve. After all, improvisation is the way.”
“Unless you have any Beskar, you can hush for now,” I said, scanning the flying creatures. They were essentially motivated shrapnel, cutting erratic arcs as they swooped and climbed, and were fast, yes, but . . . interesting.
The way they moved was not entirely random. There was a pattern
Every time they approached the platform I was on, they followed the same angle. And largely came at the same speed. I could work with that.
“Okay,” I said, “I see it. They’re actually targeting the lever. If I let go for a moment . . .” I did so, and one of the things shrieked through the air straight at me. I quickly resumed my hold. “Yeah, it’s all about the lever.”
“Okay. So, what’s next, Professor Plan?”
“I’m going to overload their targeting system,” I said.
The Slacker tilted his head. “With…?”
“Chaos,” I grinned, triggering Borrowed Strength, feeling the platform’s peculiar power flood into me. My Constitution spiked, stabilising my HP just enough to keep me upright.
“I’m not wholly sure that’s how that Ability is supposed to work . . .” The Slacker began.
I pulled up the description.
Borrowed Strength (Rank 5): Your stats now shift dynamically based on the power of allies nearby. At this level, your boosted core stats (Strength Agility Dexterity or Constitution) increase by up to +30% when near stronger allies. The stat boost is recalculated continuously so your strength waxes and wanes with those around you
“The way I figure it, the best ally I have in the world right now is this platform. Seems the System agrees.
As if in response, the platform shuddered, its glow intensifying, and the frenzy creatures froze mid-flight, momentarily dazzled by the brightness.
That was exactly what I needed. I yanked my nventory open and started flinging everything I had—everything—off the platform. Potions, bits of scrap loot, random quest items. I had a lot of crap to give.
Scattered Resources Increase Frenzy Disinterest by 10%.
The frenzy creatures went berserk, chasing the debris as it spun out into the abyss.
And I wasn’t done yet.
“Do you reckon the overseer is attached to this thing?” I said, gripping the lever with both hands.
“Probably,” said the Slacker. “Why?”
I pulled the lever back and then slammed it forward.
The platform groaned like an old ship in a storm, sending out a wave of energy that rippled through the floor.
The frenzy creatures convulsed in midair, their patterns faltering, colliding with one another as they tried to regroup. Some even veered into the void entirely.
Frenzy Dampened: Movement Speed Reduced by 20%.
The Slacker whistled. “I approve of the ‘fuck it!’ energy on display here.”
“Good,” I said, gripping the lever again. “Because I’m just getting started.”
As I watched, it was clear that the creatures were slowing down and weren’t in the same flowing pattern as before. A few of them even crashed into each other, and one of them fell twitching onto the platform’s edge, its insides oozing something bioluminescent and… shard-like.
The glowing fragments that spilled from its body, bubbled with the same energy as the platform. “Those look useful”
“Oh, excellent,” the Slacker said. “Yes, do grab the glowing murder bits. Nothing bad could possibly happen.”
Ignoring him, I stretched out my free hand and snagged the nearest shard. A notification popped up immediately:
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
Loot Acquired: Frenzy Shard. Caution: Highly Volatile.
I could get on board with ‘highly volatile’ right now, so I didn’t stop collecting them. Another swipe, another shard. Three more notifications.
Unfortunately, the creatures started to notice what I was doing, their bodies converging on me like moths to a flame—or, I feared, more accurately, like knives to my kidneys.
“Any chance you’re going to tell me what you’re planning to do here …” the Slacker asked.
“No idea,” I said, juggling death shards and the lever like a man trying not to die. Funny that. “But how about we find out?”
I hurled one of the shards as hard as I could into the abyss. It spun through the air, trailing light like a comet.
Disappointingly, for a moment, nothing happened.
Then one of the shards detonated.
A wave of searing light rippled outward, and the frenzy creatures erupted, scattering like a kicked hornet's nest on steroids. They swarmed toward the explosion, abandoning their coordinated attacks on me to tear at the empty air where the shard had been.
Frenzy Shard Exploited: Enemy Coordination Reduced by 20%.
“Well, well,” the Slacker. “Seems you’ve found yourself a shiny distraction button to press.”
“Good,” I said, hurling another shard.
This one burst a bit closer to the platform, sending another burst of chaos through the swarm. The creatures collided mid-flight, their high-pitched shrieks harmonising into something that sounded suspiciously like a scream of rage.
Frenzy Shard Exploited: Enemies Distracted. Movement Speed 15%.
Encouraged, I grabbed the lever and yanked it up and down again, adding a fresh was of destabilising energy to the party. The combined shambles was glorious to behold. Creatures crashed into each other, veering wildly out of control as it sounded like the floor itself was beginning to groan.
“Look at you,” the Slacker said, grinning. “Breaking the Tower with its own toys. You might actually be good at this.”
“Don’t jinx it!” I said, bracing myself as the platform shuddered again. Notifications started popping up faster now:
System Alert: Contradiction Detected. Adjusting Parameters.
Warning: Tower Stability Compromised. Resolution Pending.
“Pending?” I yelled. “What the hell is with this system and ‘pending’?!”
“It means you’re winning, mate,” the Slacker said, puffing lazily on his roll-up. “And that’s got the Overseer in a right proper panic.”
“Well, let’s see if I can push it over the edge,” I said, grabbing another shard and flinging it out into the dark. I have to say, the effects of these shards were nothing short of spectacular—like dropping a lit match into a vat of pressurised petrol.
The resulting shockwaves sent creatures swirling wildly, their wings flailing as fireballs exploded across the chamber. Some of the fuckers disintegrated on impact, spraying the air with bits and pieces of roasted monster, while others twisted violently, their movements becoming even more erratic.
Nevertheless, some had already resumed their erratic attack patterns, weaving towards me and shearing off the platform’s light. I felt my HP bar flickered with every near miss, and the platform beneath me groaned louder each time it repelled an assault, cracks spreading across its surface like a spiderweb.
“In for a penny . . .” I said and then with both hands—one still gripping the lever—I flung every remaining shard into the abyss in rapid succession. Explosions erupted in all directions, painting the darkness in lurid, nauseating hues.
The creatures went berserk, tearing through the air with such violence they began colliding with one another in a frenzy of shrieks and flailing limbs.
Frenzy Shard Exploited: Enemy Coordination Reduced by 50%.
Warning: System Instability Detected.
The Tower itself groaned now, the cracks in the platform spreading outward, blistering across the floor like a physical representation of its anger.
"Congratulations," the Slacker said, still lounging midair. "You’ve officially pissed off a building."
"You think you’ve found a loophole, little Freeloader? You think chaos is your ally? Let me show you what true chaos looks like!" The Overseer’s voice suddenly boomed all around me.
The air above the platform shone, and a massive clawed hand materialised, followed by a second. The Overseer itself began to pull itself into the chamber, its body a writhing mass of shadow and teeth, all too solid and all too close.
"Okay," I said, gripping the lever tighter. "That’s bad."
"On the contrary," the Slacker said, grinning. "It’s perfect. The Overseer’s broken its own rules coming down here. That’s your out."
"My out?" I said, dodging a stray swipe from a frenzy creature. "What, I just tell it to stop?"
"Don’t be stupid," the Slacker said. "Overload the system. Let it break itself trying to contain all this nonsense."
The Overseer lunged toward me, slamming into the platform and nearly sending me flying. My HP bar dipped dangerously low, and every instinct screamed at me to run.
Instead, I yanked the lever back and forth, slamming it harder and faster than ever before. The platform spewed out light and sound, sprays of energy flowing out in every direction.
The frenzy creatures went even crazier, their shrieks merging into a single cacophony.
System Alert: Contradiction Detected. Stability at Critical Levels.
Warning: Overseer Interaction Violates Internal Protocols.
Emergency Shutdown Imminent.
"One more pull!" I shouted, putting all my strength into the lever. The platform cracked beneath me, the light blinding as the Tower itself screamed in protest
The Overseer roared, its massive form writhing as the Second Floor unravelled around it. The platform shattered, sending me hurtling into the air. For a split second, I was weightless, surrounded by shards of light and darkness.
System Alert: Floor 2 Cleared. Stability Reset Initiated.
A sudden burst of energy launched me upward, away from the collapsing platform and the screeching Overseer. The last thing I saw was the Slacker giving me a salute before vanishing into the void.
Then I was crashing onto the next floor in a heap, my HP bar scraping rock bottom.
Congratulations: You Have Defeated Floor 2. Reward Pending.
I groaned, dragging myself to my feet. “Pending? Really? Can I ever just have something?”
While waiting for whatever goody I was going to get, I opened my inventory, surveying the mess I’d made of everything Loot Leech had provided me with since I’d entered this world.
My potions were gone, my Frenzy Shards spent, and my gear barely holding together. But a new item glimmered at the top of the list
Loot Acquired: Overseer’s Shard. Passive Effect: Enhances Luck by 5%.
"Groovy."