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World Defender
Chapter 4: Call for Chaos

Chapter 4: Call for Chaos

Chapter 4: Call for Chaos

“DING”

“System Operational.”

“Attention all residents of Primo,” the familiar chirpy voice echoed across the sky, cutting through the afternoon quiet. “The system is now functional. All combatants will now be issued a bracelet that will integrate with the system.”

Takeo barely had time to process the announcement before a faint, shimmering light appeared around his wrist. In an instant, a light brown bracelet materialized, cool against his skin. Around him, everyone else seemed equally startled by the sudden appearance of their own bracelets—everyone, that is, except for Domyric.

Domyric stood calmly, his expression as unreadable as ever, looking as though he’d expected this development all along. Even Takeo, normally collected and calm, felt a flicker of unease as he glanced down at the bracelet now fitted snugly around his wrist. His gaze shifted to Domyric, who appeared not only unsurprised but completely unaffected by this strange system’s sudden activation.

The announcement continued, filling the air with a new set of rules and incentives that made Takeo’s pulse quicken.

The bracelet emitted a soft glow, pulling his attention as a small holographic display appeared above it—a mini leaderboard, interactive and surprisingly responsive to his thoughts. Intrigued, Takeo leaned closer to examine the details, only to be met with the blunt reality of his current position.

There were 5 columns in the mini leaderboard.

Ranking: #8,004,321

Participant: Takeo

Takedowns: 0

Origin: Asedrian

Status: Protected

Takeo stared at the rank in disbelief. Eight million?! He knew he wasn’t in the top ranks, but this low?! He clenched his fist, the faint light from his bracelet flickering as if in direct response to his frustration. So, this was what the system thought of him? It was belittlement at its finest. Was Brutus that weak? Like come on now, Takeo was damn sure he wasn't that weak. He wanted to know how the system determines their ranking. Out of pure spite and of course, as a way to further progress in the tournament.

Nav appeared at his side, peering at Takeo’s ranking with barely contained amusement. “Eight million, huh? Looks like you’re the dark horse of this tournament. Or perhaps, the Dark Pony?”

“Not exactly how I’d phrase it.” Takeo muttered, frowning at the screen.

The display responded to his focus, shifting to show a newly uploaded rulebook —almost as if it were sensing his need for answers. With a mixture of curiosity and exasperation, Takeo began to read through the freshly implemented rules, his eyes narrowing as he absorbed each one.

The Bounty System: There were now two categories of bounties in play.

1. Inactive Participation: Combatants who failed to actively participate in events or battles would be marked as inactive, resulting in a bounty placed on their heads. Inactivity had a price, it seemed, and the system was determined to keep everyone engaged.

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2. Top 100 Bounty Ranking: A bounty would also be assigned to those in the top 100 rankings, with staggering rewards for taking down higher-ranked participants. The top spot offered an astonishing 1,000 gold pieces, followed by a gradual decrease for each rank.

The Top 100 Bounty Rankings will be updated live but it will be fixed only after the selection tournament. However, there will be priviledges offered for the Top 100 pre-selection tournament.

Takeo’s eyes widened at the last line. 1,000 gold pieces?! He barely processed the rest of the bounty system’s details—his focus was locked on that eye-watering sum. Takeo had never seen a single gold piece in his life - that was a testament to how valuable it was; 1,000 was just way beyond imagination.

The breakdown was as follows:

* Top 1: 1,000 Gold Pieces

* Top 2: 900 Gold Pieces

* Top 3: 800 Gold Pieces

* Top 4: 700 Gold Pieces

* …

* Top 100: 1 Gold Piece

He didn’t even need Nav’s usual commentary to understand the magnitude of the rewards on offer. If he could make it into the top ranks, even a fraction of those gold pieces would be more than he’d ever dreamed of.

“Thinking about joining the big leagues now, Takeo?” Nav’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “They might as well have named this the Anti-Takeo System, don’t you think?” It was almost as if Nav read his mind.

Takeo shot him a glance, torn between irritation and reluctant amusement. “It’s tempting, sure. A little brutal maybe, but tempting.”

Nav’s grin widened. “See? You’re warming up to this idea already.”

Before Takeo could respond, Domyric’s voice cut through the crowd, his tone authoritative as ever. “As mentioned, fighting within city limits is strictly prohibited. The Council has taken measures to protect all Asedrians within our territory.”

His gaze swept over the crowd, settling briefly on Takeo before continuing.

“The Council will be participating in the tournament, but rest assured, we will follow the rules we’ve set forth.” Domyric’s gaze sharpened and his face hardened, and for a moment, Takeo felt the weight of his words pressing down on him like a physical force. “Make no mistake. Enforcement is our forte."

And with that, Domyric was gone—a blur disappearing in a split second, leaving the crowd staring at the space he’d occupied moments before.

It was time to leave Aselite, the only place that Takeo called home. After 23 years here, it was finally time to journey out of the village and into the unknown. But before he left, he’d have to speak with the chief, Gaoru. Takeo wanted the old man to know he was finally setting out on his own.

The bracelet’s glow pulsed slightly, as if reminding him of what lay ahead. He had read that participating in events would not only help him gain power but boost his ranking if he emerged victorious. The potential rewards stirred something in him — a sense of excitement mixed with determination. He had never been put to the test like this but surely neither has everyone else right? Surely the system couldn’t rank him accurately this early on in the tournament. Right? He told himself multiple times that it was just the start—things would change soon enough. Although the gold pieces were a driving force for him, Takeo couldn't take it laying down that he was ranked as a weakling in the tournament.

Takeo turned to Nav, an idea forming in his mind. “Say, Nav, since you know I just made up my mind, want to go on this journey together?”

Nav looked at him with a faint smile, though it wasn’t his usual playful one. “Honestly, Takeo, I’d love to. But I think I want to head out on my own. I plan to rush the events, get stronger as fast as possible.”

Takeo’s face fell. “But I could come with you, Nav. You don’t have to do this alone. Two heads better than one right?”

Nav’s expression softened, though he seemed resolute. “Look Takeo, I already know your pace, and you also know mine. We’ll see each other again, I’m sure of it. But for now, this one’s something I want to do myself. At least for now.”

Takeo hesitated, finally nodding. After all, Takeo knew how stubborn Nav could be. “Alright… just don’t go getting yourself killed.” Takeo murmurred once again.

Nav chuckled, giving Takeo a quick, reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Same to you, dark horse. I expect you to move up from eight million next time I see you. Or at the very least, somewhere up there.” Nav pointed to the hovering leaderboard.

With that, Nav disappeared into the crowd, leaving Takeo alone with his thoughts and the glowing bracelet around his wrist.

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