Earth and humanity are no longer the same.
Ever since the Portal Crisis occurred, suddenly and without warning, dungeons in the form of dimensional portals began appearing across the globe, and with them, not only humans but the very environment around them changed completely.
A new era had begun, an era that, if mentioned just a few decades earlier, anyone would have dismissed as an idea pulled straight from fiction, yet it was real, standing right before people's eyes.
Dark dungeons, bloodthirsty monsters, mystical artifacts, humans transcending their limits, and much more defined this new age... yet, after so many surprises, a period of peace began, and humanity could hardly foresee what still awaited them...
Deep within an untouched dungeon, hidden inside a long-abandoned temple, in a small dark room covered in cobwebs and dust, a simple white mask lay in silence.
On the surface, it was easy to believe the mask was just another artifact, but within, it carried a special secret, something even it could not explain the reason for holding: a genuine, mysterious spirit.
"How long has it been since I awakened? A few days? And still not a single soul has come here!? Sigh... who was the genius who thought it was a good idea to give a spirit to an object that can't even move, anyway?"
In the blink of an eye, about three days ago, he had awakened. With no memories of any possible past life, yet, for some reason, from the very beginning he possessed a scarce knowledge of certain matters, like language, which allowed him to express himself.
Since awakening, the only thing different he had seen in that ruined room was the mysterious screen that appeared a few seconds after he came into this world, preceded by the soft chime of a bell...
[Evolutionary Mask System successfully awakened!]
At that very moment, catching him completely off guard, knowledge about the so-called system began flowing into his being, flooding him with new information which, even though he now possessed, still needed to be organized to be understood.
Ranks, evolutions, attributes, achievements, and more were among the things he discovered, including information about himself. That was when he realized that, despite being a spirit inhabiting an artifact, he held the lowest rank a magical artifact could possibly have.
[Current Rank: Bronze – Low]
Still, this did not discourage him, quite the opposite, seeing the golden opportunity before him, it was nearly impossible for his expectations for the future not to soar without end.
But well, in order to begin evolving, he first needed to acquire a host. And so far, not a single living being had reached the room where the mask lay, causing his excitement to slowly fade.
"At first I was happy with my first attribute, but it would've been far more useful to have one that let me walk around instead of this so-called Obsessive Charm—"
[Obsessive Charm – Bewitches and plants in your target's heart the irresistible urge to wear the mask, which may even grow into their deepest obsession.]
"I wasn't asking you to show me that again, System..."
And so he sank deeper into boredom, with nothing to do but drown in his own thoughts, until, finally, someone appeared.
"Wait!! Those are footsteps!?"
Faint, rhythmic, distant steps echoed through the silence of the place.
At first, he wished for a strong, intelligent host with great potential, the kind who could easily leave a trail of bodies behind and rise to the top swiftly. But now, he didn't care anymore, he just wanted to leave that room.
"Come on! Reveal yourself, my first host!"
His sight locked onto the entrance where the sound originated, waiting anxiously for the revelation of his long-desired host. And indeed, they revealed themselves, or rather, three of them did.
"Kiiiiiiiirrrrk..."
Three small beings with green skin, large pointed ears, yellowish eyes, sharp teeth, wearing nothing but leather loincloths and carrying wooden clubs.
Though he knew he had little choice, as a spirit bound to an artifact holding the Evolutionary Mask System, making it far more valuable than its rank suggested, it was hard not to feel his ego wounded at the sight of such pitiful creatures as his potential first hosts.
"... You know what? Screw it. I can't waste this chance."
Obsessive Charm.
With just those two words, the three goblins roaming casually around the room froze, feeling an invisible force seize their bodies, sink into their hearts, and ensnare their minds.
In unison, all three turned toward the mask sitting at the far end of the room on a crumbling pedestal amidst the ruins. Glancing at each other with wide, startled eyes, in the blink of an eye, the fight began.
"Kirrrrrrrrrk!!!!" they screamed in unison.
"Well then, may the best one win."
The first goblin, on the right, took the initiative, charging at the second goblin on the left. He leapt impressively, club in hand, aiming for his head, but missed by a hair's breadth as the second rolled to the side.
Unluckily for the second goblin, the third one, standing more toward the center of the room, had the same idea as the first and targeted him as well, striking his arm from a blind spot and knocking his club to the floor.
In mere seconds, the second goblin was disarmed and cornered by the other two. Without giving him a chance to breathe, the first goblin, screaming madly, lunged to deliver the finishing blow, but...
Crunch!
The sound of a skull being crushed rang out, but it didn't come from the second goblin's skull. No, he only stared in disbelief. The noise came from the first goblin, whose head now lay shattered on the ground, struck down by the sudden betrayal of the third.
Though the room was dark enough that even he couldn't see clearly, it was an ugly sight.
Like a smashed pumpkin, brain matter spilling out, shards of skull mixed within, eyes bulging from their sockets, and a pool of green blood spreading across the floor.
Either this third goblin was something special, or goblin heads were far more fragile than he had imagined. Whatever the case, he watched with a widening smile of satisfaction, hoping it was the former.
After the initial shock wore off, the second goblin regained his senses and pounced ferociously at his foe, trying to sink his sharp teeth into him. Yet, mid-air, he was struck full force by the third goblin's club.
"Holy shit!"
He stared in surprise at the goblin's clean, fluid motion, it was almost like watching a baseball player hit a home run with his former partner's head. Among the three, this goblin was indeed the ideal first host.
The inevitable happened. Lying among the ruins, with his arm broken, teeth shattered, and mouth split open, the second goblin looked at his foe with a weakened expression, tears streaming down his face as he awaited his inevitable death.
One strike, two strikes, three strikes... and so it continued for quite some time.
Whether this brutality was caused by his attribute or was simply in the goblin's nature, he couldn't know. But listening to the repeated thuds of the club plunging deeper into blood until it finally snapped, and watching the gruesome scene unfold, the only thought crossing his mind was just how savage his new host seemed to be.
Finished with his work, sweat dripping across his body, eyes wide with adrenaline, and drenched in the blood of his partners, the small goblin slowly walked toward the mask.
"That's it, come to me. I'll make sure to turn you into something far beyond a mere common goblin like your partners were!"
Dropping his broken club, the goblin carefully picked up the mask with both hands, observing it closely before finally placing it upon his face.
"Finally!!!"
Magically, the mask began molding itself to the goblin's face, stretching and reshaping until it covered nearly his entire head, making it impossible for him to remove.
The change was so sudden that even the goblin panicked for a moment, clawing at it desperately before finally giving in and accepting it.
The once plain, expressionless mask now had a far more unique appearance. Its material seemed wooden, with small vines sprouting from its cracks and holes.
Soon after, knowledge and memories of his new host began flowing into him as well. Due to the goblin's short existence, it was nowhere near as much as the information gained from awakening the System, but it would surely be useful in its own way.
[Congratulations! You have completed your first achievement! Achievement "Birth of the Demonic Mask" successfully accomplished!]
"Hm? Already my first hidden achievement? And a demonic mask, huh? Hmph! I don't recall doing anything to deserve that title."
[Birth of the Demonic Mask – Acquire your first host.]
[Reward: Attribute "Perfect Camouflage"]
[Perfect Camouflage – Grants the mask advanced camouflage, to the point where even the host wearing it cannot feel it on their face.]
"Interesting. It could be used in plenty of ways depending on how advanced this camouflage is. But well, no reason to activate it now, I actually like the way he looks wearing me, hehe."
Turning his sight to his brand-new first host, he noticed the goblin staring back at him, not only impressed by his sudden appearance, but also seemingly wanting to know something.
"Hm, so now that you've put me on, you can see me too?"
The goblin nodded, showing he understood at least the basics of what the floating spirit before him was saying.
Now things are starting to get more interesting.
[Notice: Your host wishes to know more about the identity of the mask's spirit. Please introduce yourself.]
It was only then that he realized he had never stopped to think about his name, or rather, what he should be called, since even the System didn't seem to care about such information.
But then, out of nowhere, a name surfaced in his mind...
"... Chaos... You may call me Chaos, a simple mask that shall fulfill your deepest desire. In return, I ask only for your cooperation, my dear goblin host."