LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 2
I collapsed, clutching my eyes in burning pain.
[Chaos is being activated.]
“Ugh.”
It felt as if someone was trying to rip my eyes out.
As time passed and I felt the pain subsiding a bit, my heart began to throb, hurting intensely.
[Chaos Dragon Heart is being activated.]
[The body is being reconstructed to its optimal state.]
“──!”
An alien energy radiating from my heart began to tear through my entire body, causing my whole form to crack and twist.
With no ability to control it, all I could do was scream.
[Power is being activated.]
Exhausted and gasping, strange patterns glowed on my body, soon vanishing as they seemed to seep into my skin.
Huh. Haah.
“…I’m dying.”
After hearing advice to hold on, I desperately fought to stay conscious.
Once all the processes concluded, I lay there for a bit, and soon, vitality began to flow through my body.
As I stood up, I could feel that many parts had changed.
“My vision is sharp. Did my eyesight improve? No, it feels like my eyeballs have been replaced with something else.”
Could this be how a Mongolian with 6.0 vision sees? The vision that felt confined in a dark cave now opened wide.
Focusing a bit more, I noticed something glowing in the distance, resembling a portal.
I looked for any other changes.
“Ugh. What’s that smell?”
Looking around, I saw waste that had come from my body, and it looked like snake skin was scattered everywhere, as if it had shed its skin.
Hastily checking myself, I noticed my rough skin had transformed into soft and white skin.
The body that had been toughened from training and the gym felt like it had been functionally rearranged.
“Wait, but why am I naked? Did my clothes disappear along with my transformation?”
With nothing to wear, am I supposed to walk around naked?
[Chaos is appalled that a human is bigger than an orc.]
‘Right. I wasn’t alone! More importantly… can I at least get something to cover up?’
I hadn’t expected my body to grow this much during the transformation.
“Is there… anything I can wear?”
[Chaos says that since it can only communicate, you’ll just have to stay naked for now.]
Huh… Anyway, they aren’t even humans. Let’s put aside the shame for a bit.
“I can’t help it; I confirmed my body has changed. Next step is…”
[Chaos suggests trying to shout for the status window inwardly.]
Status window?
────
[???]
[Strength: E+] [Agility: E] [Durability: E]
[Health: E+] [Magic: EX] [Luck: E-]
[Abilities] (Fold)
Chaos Armor
Chaos Dragon Heart
Weak Power
One Language
────
“Is this the status window? So, the gods applied system-like rules by luring people in with a game? It seems I’ll have to come up with a new name here?”
[Chaos confirms this.]
“EX usually means out of standard or the highest rank, right? Even with a massive cost paid in causality, is this normal?”
[Chaos claims there’s nothing wrong with the summoner’s status window.]
[Chaos suggests that you can view each ability if you recall them.]
Then… let’s start with Chaos Armor.
────
[Chaos Armor] [P]
Chaos appeared suddenly between the primordial light and darkness. It borrows some of her absolute gaze to be reflected in the user’s eyes.
─General functions related to sight are greatly enhanced.
─The status window can be viewed based on the opponent’s level.
─Can see things that are hard to notice.
─Nullifies mental attacks below the user’s magic rank.
────
“Wait. If my magic is EX, does that mean I’m immune to most mental attacks?”
────
[Chaos Dragon Heart] [P]
The blood of the Chaos Dragon subtly permeated the heart of an ordinary human. Just the flow of blood from the heart through the veins constantly fills the body with magic.
─Magic rank is fixed at EX.
─As long as the heart remains intact, magic won’t run dry.
─However, the control and output of magic are proportional to the average of the physical rank sum.
─Each physical rank increases by one level.
─Due to the mismatched blood’s side effects, luck decreases by one level, and very rarely, misfortune might strike.
────
It appears these two traits interconnected to create an immense synergy.
Were these traits designated by a god? Or are they purely random?
I cautiously asked Chaos.
“Did the god decide which traits to give me when the cost was paid? Like arranging a build before leveling up a game character?”
[Chaos says that’s not the case.]
[Chaos explains that the traits are randomly selected from those related to each god, based on the causality paid, and then applied by the god.]
It seems I was lucky, even considering the heavy causality that went in.
[Chaos puffs her chest in pride, asserting that what entered is hers.]
“Well then, the entity I’m communicating with is a dragon? It makes sense since calling a god ‘master’ wouldn’t be ordinary.”
“Still, calling you a god feels strange since we just teamed up. I’m unsure how to address you.”
[Chaos replies that calling her Seres is acceptable.]
“Understood. Seres.”
[Chaos expresses her grievance about being called ‘miss’ and claims it’s unjust.]
Ahem. Anyway, let’s check the rest.
────
[Weak Power] [P]
A weak part of Chaos that absorbs light and darkness has now transformed into power.
─Winning against an enemy may rarely absorb their random positive trait.
─Slightly increases resistance to divine and black magic.
────
This too seems to be growth-oriented.
────
[One Language] [P]
The basic preparation laid out by the gods for the summoner.
─Most issues regarding reading, writing, and speaking are resolved.
────
Thank goodness. There won’t be misunderstandings due to language barriers.
‘If this were a game, I’d feel like a growth-oriented character focused on magic and techniques. But since I can’t improve physical abilities right now, my overall combat power seems average, so I need to pay attention to that too.’
In short, a glass cannon type that only uses magic from behind isn’t suitable for me.
Just to be sure, I asked Chaos.
“Do you know how to handle magic?”
[Chaos replied that feeling the magic and imagining the inner image for operation is the first step.]
Feeling the magic? It specifically states that I wouldn’t run out of magic yet I’m not able to sense anything at all.
“Ugh.”
I concentrated hard enough to feel blood rush to my head, but it seemed too much for now.
“Damn. When my body was twisting, I distinctly felt something stretching out from my heart. Why can’t I feel anything now?”
[Chaos speculates that an opportunity might be needed, suggesting we start stepping away from the unstable crack.]
“Alright. I just need to head towards that light over there, right?”
Indeed, I had just opened my Chaos Armor and spotted a space like a portal. That’s the exit.
[Chaos advises that when we escape the crack, we might fall somewhere on the Great Labyrinth 1st Floor and reassures me to brace myself.]
Heeding Chaos’s counsel, I stepped towards the exit.
Standing in front of a portal that resembled a distorting space, the resolve to survive grew faint as anxiety crept in.
Can I escape the first floor bare-handed?
I had no weapons to swing against monsters, and I couldn’t even use a basic fireball spell.
“Alright, I can do this. The traits I received seem blatantly overpowered. Thanks to that, I feel lighter and optimized.”
[Chaos reassures me that with my current stats, I shouldn’t worry about monsters at the first floor.]
“Exactly. If I lack a weapon, I’ll beat them with my fists and kick them down. If I have no teeth, I’ll gnaw with my gums!”
Since being transported, I feel like I’ve been talking to myself more and more.
Leaving behind the shivers, I clenched my fists and stepped forward assertively.
Squeeeak…
[Misfortune assaults the user.]
*
“Ugh.”
I felt nauseous. Was it my first time moving through space, or was the experience just gross and dizzying? I sank to the ground to catch my breath.
“Huh, is this the first floor? Am I supposed to endure this sensation every time I move within the labyrinth?”
What’s going on? Chaos, who would instantly respond to questions, was silent.
Feeling something was off, I stood up and surveyed the area.
A dense forest. Bright sunlight streamed through thick foliage and trees.
‘I imagined a dark place; does the Great Labyrinth have separate spaces for each floor?’
Just as I was about to push through the branches and move along…
[Chaos became flustered and couldn’t continue speaking.]
What?
[Chaos insists this is not the first floor.]
“Then… where the heck are we?”
[Chaos frantically says this is the 3rd Floor and urges me to hide.]
Damn it.
The moment I heard that, I dove right into a nearby thick bush.
The sharp leaves scratched my body, but thankfully, perhaps due to my durability, I was unharmed.
‘Chaos, do you hear me?’
[Chaos expresses that it prefers not to hear thoughts but acknowledges it can faintly hear them and speaks up.]
So it can hear me after all?
[Chaos mutters that the source of this situation likely stems from the ‘very rarely misfortune’ clause of the Chaos Dragon Heart and chews her lips in frustration.]
That’s right! I think I saw such a window when I entered the portal.
But… ‘very rarely’ doesn’t mean it should hit so soon, right?
[Chaos reassures me that if I can get through this crisis, I likely won’t have to worry for a while.]
‘What should I do now? Do you think I can survive on the 3rd floor with my current level?’
[Chaos nods, saying that while regular goblins shouldn’t be an issue, shamans and chief hobgoblins would be beyond me without magic.]
Damn that magic. Magic!
Where the hell is the magic that’s supposed to be inexhaustible? I can’t feel even a sliver of it!
Just as I became overwhelmed with frustration…
Rustle.
I sensed something approaching, making noise through the thicket.
It was too late to run now.
Preparing to leap at a moment’s notice, I stood ready.
“Keruek!”
Finally, forcing its way through the foliage was a creature that unmistakably resembled a goblin.
As soon as the goblin spotted me, it swiftly rushed at me, utilizing its small stature.
“Kerurrek!”
As panic subsided, I focused to dodge its attack.
Suddenly, its arm swiped toward me, appearing slow as if time had slowed down.
Along with the slowdown came a visible red trajectory.
‘This is Chaos Armor!’
Instinctually realizing the benefit, I twisted my body away.
“Krereuk?”
Watching the goblin tumble past me, I noticed the world returning to normal speed again.
Now!
As it struggled in confusion, I dashed forward and stomped on its back.
It screeched, flailing to escape, but it was futile. I hammered its head repeatedly with my fists.
At some point, the goblin’s movements came to a halt, and after pulverizing it into mush, I finally felt reassured enough to stop.
“Huh. Haah. Ugh.”
Taking a moment to catch my breath, I soon calmed down and collected myself.
[Chaos praised me, saying there was nothing to criticize apart from a bit of excitement for my first fight.]
Chaos complimented me, but I hardly had the energy to care.
‘That felt strange, like I was grasping something inconceivable.’
While I was frantically punching the goblin, I felt something surreal brush against my entire body, beyond merely the sensation of striking it.
Carefully expressing this to Chaos, an immediate response followed.
[Chaos revealed that most monsters possess a minuscule amount of magic, suggesting as I hunt more, I might be able to feel the magic.]
Nice!
“Then, let’s hunt more monsters just as you said. I feel confident that with this vision, I should be able to take on goblins just fine.”
Oops! In my excitement, I voiced my thoughts aloud before realizing my mistake.
Rustle. Crinkle.
Did the goblin horde catch wind of that? They started pushing through the thicket towards me.
‘Alright. Let’s see who wins this round.’
My first objective was to gain magic.
Having caught a glimmer of hope, I was determined to make it mine.
As the goblins drew near, I shook off my trembling hands and stepped forward to confront them.