Chapter 2
Chapter 2
I collapsed, clutching my eyes against the burning pain.
[Chaos Eye is activating.]
“Ugh…”
It felt as if someone were trying to rip my eyes out.
By the time the pain seemed to subside a little, my heart began to throb sharply.
[Chaos Dragon Heart is activating.]
[The body is being reconstructed to optimal condition.]
“──!”
A strange energy radiated from my heart, twisting and wrenching through my entire body.
I had no control; all I could do was scream.
[Power is activating.]
Exhausted, trembling and sobbing, strange markings appeared across my body, glowing briefly before sinking into my skin.
Hah… haah…
“I… I’m gonna die.”
I forced myself to endure, afraid of losing consciousness before I could see this through.
Once the process ended and I lay there for a while, vitality gradually returned to my body.
As I dragged my stiffened body to my feet, I immediately felt many changes.
'My vision is sharp… Has my eyesight improved? No, it’s more than that. Feels like my eyes have been completely replaced.'
Was this how a Mongolian with perfect vision sees the world? My previously dark, cave-like vision had cleared, letting me see far into the distance.
Focusing harder, I noticed something glowing in the distance, like a portal.
I checked if anything else had changed.
“Ugh… what is that smell?”
Looking around, I saw discarded waste from my body and what looked like shed skin, like a snake’s molting, scattered everywhere.
Checking myself quickly, my rough, tanned skin had become smooth and pale.
The body I had built through drudgery at the sh*thouse and the gym had been functionally realigned.
“But why am I naked?! Did the transformation strip off all my clothes too?”
With nothing to cover myself, was I supposed to walk around naked?
[Chaos is shocked that humans are bigger than orcs.]
‘Right… I’m not alone! But… can’t it at least give me something to cover myself?’
My body had changed—and grown in all the wrong places.
“Is there anything I can wear?”
[Chaos can only communicate, saying I have to stay naked for now.]
Sigh… it’s not like I’m dealing with humans here. I’d better set aside my embarrassment for now.
“Well, I’ve confirmed the body change. Next…”
[Chaos suggests opening a status window in your mind.]
A status window?
────
[???]
[Strength: E+] [Agility: E] [Endurance: E]
[Stamina: E+] [Mana: EX] [Luck: E-]
[Owned Traits] (Folded)
Chaos Eye
Chaos Dragon Heart
Minor Power
Universal Language
────
“So this is the status window? The gods used a system-like rule to lure people with this game? I guess I’ll have to rename it here.”
[Chaos confirms.]
“EX usually means extraordinary or the highest rank, right? Even if I paid a huge cost in causality, is this normal?”
[Chaos assures that there’s nothing wrong with the summoner’s status window.]
[Chaos recommends recalling each trait to view details.]
Then… start with Chaos Eye.
────
[Chaos Eye] [P]
Chaos, appearing suddenly between the primordial light and darkness. Uses part of her absolute vision through the user’s eyes.
─ Greatly enhances all eye-related abilities.
─ Allows viewing of status windows depending on the opponent’s level.
─ Enables seeing things normally hidden.
─ Nullifies mental attacks below the user’s mana rank.
────
‘Wait… If mana is EX, that means I’m immune to most mental attacks?’
────
[Chaos Dragon Heart] [P]
The blood of a Chaos Dragon subtly infused an ordinary human heart. Just the blood flowing from the heart through the veins continuously generates mana.
─ Mana rank fixed at EX.
─ Mana never runs out if the heart remains intact.
─ Usage and output of mana are proportional to the average sum of physical stats.
─ All physical stats increase by one rank.
─ The mismatched blood may slightly lower luck and rarely bring misfortune.
────
The two traits together created an enormous synergy.
Were these traits assigned by a god? Or completely random?
I carefully asked Chaos.
“Did the god decide which traits to give me when I paid the cost, like planning a character build in a game?”
[Chaos says no.]
[Traits are randomly selected from those suitable for the causality paid, and the god applies them.]
I had paid a huge price, yet luck had clearly favored me.
[Chaos says it’s the owner’s responsibility to adjust and apply traits, but she proudly claims the blood as her own.]
‘So the one I’m communicating with is a dragon? Makes sense, considering I call the god my master.’
“By the way, calling them ‘God’ feels strange. Now that we’re on the same side, how should I address them?”
[Chaos says I may call them Ceres.]
“Understood, Ceres.”
[Chaos complains jokingly about being called “Ceres-sama” without the honorific.]
Anyway, let’s review the rest.
────
[Minor Power] [P]
A minor portion of Chaos, absorbing light and darkness, transformed into a power.
─ Occasionally absorbs a random positive trait from an enemy when killing them.
─ Slightly increases resistance to holy and dark magic.
────
It’s also growth-oriented.
────
[Universal Language] [P]
Prepared by the gods for the summoner.
─ Eliminates most communication issues, including reading, writing, and speaking.
────
Good. Miscommunication won’t be a problem.
‘Feels like a growth-oriented character focusing on magic and energy. But if physical stats aren’t boosted, overall combat power will lag, so I need to focus there too.’
In short, I’m not suited to be a glass cannon using only magic.
I asked Chaos just in case.
“Do you know how to manipulate mana?”
[Chaos says the first step is to feel the mana and imagine its flow internally.]
Feel mana… The trait says my mana never runs out, yet I can’t sense any.
“Ugh…”
I focused hard, feeling the blood rushing to my head, but it was too soon.
“Damn it. When my body twisted, I felt something radiating from my heart. Why can’t I feel it now?”
[Chaos says a trigger might be needed and suggests leaving the unstable zone.]
“Got it. I just head toward the light, right?”
The Chaos Eye revealed a portal-like space in the distance—must be the exit.
[Chaos warns that exiting the rift might drop me somewhere on the first floor of the Great Labyrinth and advises me to be careful.]
Following Chaos’s guidance, I moved toward the exit.
Standing before the warped portal, my resolve to survive seemed almost laughable as tension surged.
Could I escape the first floor unarmed?
No weapon, no typical spells like fireball…
“Ha… I can do this. The traits I got are obviously overpowered. My body’s optimized and light.”
[Chaos encourages me, saying first-floor monsters are manageable with my current stats.]
“Right. No weapons? I’ll just punch and kick. No teeth? I’ll bite with gums if I have to!”
Since my transfer, I’ve been talking to myself far more than before.
Gripping my fists tightly, I stepped forward with determination.
Buzz─
[Misfortune strikes the user.]
“Ugh…”
I felt nauseous. Was it because it was my first spatial transfer? I sat down to catch my breath.
“Haah… is this the first floor? Do I have to endure this feeling every time I move inside the labyrinth?”
Weird… Chaos usually responds instantly, but now there’s no reaction.
I stood up, scanning my surroundings.
A dense forest. Sunlight pierced through thick trees and bushes.
‘I imagined a dark place… So each floor of the Great Labyrinth is an entirely different space?’
I tried to push through the branches.
[Chaos seems flustered and cannot respond.]
What?
[Chaos says this isn’t the first floor.]
“Then… where the hell am I?”
[Chaos says this is the third floor and urges me to hide immediately.]
Damn.
I ducked into nearby dense foliage.
Sharp leaves scratched me, but thanks to my endurance, I remained uninjured.
‘Chaos, can you hear me?’
[Chaos says she can faintly hear me internally and that this isn’t the time to hide.]
At least she can hear me.
[Chaos guesses my “rare misfortune” trait triggered when entering the portal and bites her lip nervously.]
Right! That moment at the portal must have triggered it.
Though “very rare” shouldn’t mean it happens immediately.
[Chaos reassures me that once this crisis passes, I won’t need to worry for a long time.]
‘So… can I survive on the third floor at my current level?’
[Chaos shakes her head: I could handle regular goblins, but not shamans or chief-level hobgoblins alone.]
Damn it… mana. My mana!
Where’s my never-drying mana if I can’t even sense it?
It was then, in my sudden anger…
Rustle.
Something was moving through the bushes, approaching.
Too late to run.
I braced myself, ready to strike.
“Keruk.”
A goblin-like monster emerged from the foliage.
Spotting me, it darted forward with surprising speed despite its small stature.
“Keruk!”
For a moment I panicked, but then focused to dodge its attack.
Time seemed to slow; its clawing movements appeared in slow motion.
A red trail appeared along its path.
‘Chaos Eye!’
Instinctively, I twisted my body.
“Kkrrk?”
The goblin tumbled past me in confusion, and time returned to normal.
Now!
I dashed forward, stomping on its back as it struggled.
It screamed and thrashed, but it was useless. I punched its head repeatedly.
Eventually it stopped moving. I kept striking until it was a lifeless pulp before I could relax.
“Ha… haah… hgh.”
I took a moment to catch my breath, then calmed myself.
[Chaos praises the user, saying it’s a good first fight, except for getting a bit excited.]
Chaos praised me, but I couldn’t care.
‘I think I sensed something…’
While hitting the goblin, I felt a strange energy brush past me, almost tangible.
I cautiously mentioned it to Chaos, who replied immediately.
[Chaos says most monsters possess at least a trace of mana, and hunting more might let me sense it.]
Good.
“Then let’s hunt the monsters Chaos mentioned. Even with just this eye, I should be fine against goblins.”
Ah! In my excitement, I spoke aloud to Chaos before realizing my mistake.
Rustle… crush.
Hearing the sound, a goblin group emerged from the bushes.
‘Alright. Let’s see who wins.’
First goal: mana.
I’d found a clue and would claim it as mine.
Before they closed the distance, I shook off my trembling hands and surged forward.