Chapter 11: The Awakening of Chaos
Alex sat cross-legged in his shelter, his fingers drumming against his knees. The notification still hovered before him, taunting him.
[You have met the requirement to unlock the second Fragment of Chaos.]
[To unlock it, complete the following mission: Use the skill 'PLUNDER' as if it were your own power.]
His brow furrowed as he read the words over and over again. He had already tried activating Plunder, but it had always worked passively, only triggering upon a kill. Now, it was asking him to use it as his own power. What did that even mean?
After a long silence, he muttered, "Maybe I need to take something without killing."
It made sense. Until now, Plunder had only worked when he took the lives of goblins and other creatures. But what if he could extract abilities without killing?
The idea sent a surge of excitement through him. He had to test it.
A Failed Experiment
Alex stepped outside into the dim twilight of the Supreme Battlefield. The sky was a mix of deep purple and burnt orange, flickering unnaturally as if the world itself was unstable. Stronger creatures had begun to appear after the Goblin Lord's death, but there were still weaker monsters lurking nearby—perfect test subjects.
Activating [Identification], his gaze swept across the landscape.
[Lesser Night Wolf – Level 6]
[Skill: Enhanced Smell – Can detect prey up to 500 meters away.]
Perfect.
Alex crouched, eyeing the wolf. The creature hadn't noticed him yet. He extended his hand, willing Plunder to activate.
A cold pulse ran through his arm.
Nothing happened.
Frowning, Alex focused harder, imagining the wolf's ability being ripped from it. He visualized the skill leaving its body, flowing into him. He commanded Plunder to act.
Still nothing.
The wolf turned its head, finally sensing him. A deep growl rumbled from its throat.
"Tch." Alex clicked his tongue. "Fine, let's try it the usual way."
He lunged forward, his strength overpowering the beast in seconds. A quick snap of his fingers—
Crack!
The wolf fell lifelessly.
[Plunder Activated.]
[Skill Acquired: Enhanced Smell.]
Alex clenched his fists. "No… that's not it."
He had killed the creature. Plunder had worked the same way it always did.
He tried again.
Another creature. Another kill. Another failure.
He tried ten times. Twenty.
Each time, the skill only activated upon death. The mission remained incomplete.
Alex gritted his teeth.
"Damn it."
The realization hit him like a stone.
"I'm doing something wrong."
Dragging himself back inside his shelter, he slumped against the cold stone wall. He shut his eyes, replaying everything in his mind.
"Use it as if it were your own power."
What did that even mean?
The Revelation
Hours passed. Alex sat unmoving, deep in thought.
His mind drifted back to the moment he first received the Chaos Talent. The black card had appeared in front of him, and in his mind, a single phrase had echoed—
"Chaos is what gives birth to all. Chaos is what takes all."
His breath hitched.
What if…
What if Plunder wasn't about stealing?
What if it was about taking what already belonged to him?
His fingers twitched. Chaos was the beginning of all things. Everything was birthed from it. If that was true, then…
"Every talent… every ability… every creature… all of it is Chaos. Which means—"
"All of it is already mine."
A shiver ran down his spine.
If that was the truth, then Plunder wasn't about forcibly ripping something from another being. It was simply reclaiming what was already his.
His eyes snapped open.
"I need to feel it," he murmured. "I need to understand Chaos itself."
He shut his eyes again and began to meditate.
Minutes passed. Then hours.
The world around him faded.
A Glimpse into the Abyss
Something shifted.
Alex's consciousness trembled.
A heavy sensation weighed on his body as if he was sinking—no, falling.
Then, all at once, he was no longer in his shelter.
He was somewhere else.
Somewhere chaotic.
He opened his eyes.
A realm unlike anything he had ever seen stretched before him.
It was a space of contradictions—of everything and nothing.
The sky was purple, red, and gold—yet it was colorless.
The ground was solid, but at the same time, it wasn't there.
There was gravity, yet he felt weightless.
He reached forward, and his hand phased through the air as if it were passing through a mirage—yet at the same time, he could feel everything.
His mind pulsed.
"This is…"
The Chaos Realm.
He knew it.
Instinctively.
As if the knowledge had always been inside him, waiting to be unlocked.
This was where all things began. This was where all things ended.
Alex took a deep breath.
The air was thick with something alive—something ancient and unexplainable.
Then, he saw them.
Fragments.
Countless tiny specks of Chaos Essence floated around him. They were alive, writhing and shifting, taking the forms of countless skills, talents, and powers.
Every single one carried the presence of an ability.
Every single one felt like his own.
His fingers reached out on instinct.
He didn't try to steal.
He didn't try to take.
He simply called.
The fragments responded.
A pulse ran through the Chaos Realm.
Alex felt something rushing into his body, merging with him as if it had always belonged there.
Then—
A notification appeared before his eyes.
[You have satisfied the requirements for unlocking the second Fragment of Chaos.]
[You have gained a new ability:—]