The heavy iron gates of the Thorne Estate groaned as they closed behind him. Dorian didn't look back. The air in the city of Oakhaven tasted different—less like expensive incense and more like coal smoke.
In his first life, he had walked these streets with his head down, trying to avoid the pitying stares of the merchants who knew his rank. Now, he felt like a wolf walking through a pen of sheep.
He couldn't believe he had done that, Dorian stared at his hands.
[Life Timer: 23:30:15]
[Mission: The Predator's Shadow — COMPLETE]
[Reward: 200 Chaos Points / Item: Cloak of the Unseen Antagonist (D-Rank)]
A weight settled on his shoulders. A tattered, charcoal-gray cloak materialized out of thin air, wrapping around his frame. It was surprisingly light, and as he pulled the hood up, he noticed the world around him seemed to dim.
[Cloak of the Unseen Antagonist (D-Rank)]
Effect: Passively reduces the "presence" of the wearer. Makes you 30% harder to notice in crowds or shadows.
Dorian tucked his hands into the cloak's pockets. He had 550 Chaos Points now. He reached the main thoroughfare, where the cobblestones were crowded with people gathered around a raised wooden platform. A familiar, golden mana was radiating from the stage—so bright it made Dorian's eyes ache.
On the platform stood a young man in polished silver armor. His blonde hair was caught in the breeze, and a practiced, humble smile sat on his face.
Silas.
He looked barely nineteen, but the arrogance in his eyes was already there, hidden behind a mask of "Heroic" duty. He was currently holding a heavy iron bar, heating it with his bare hands until it glowed white-hot, then bending it into a circle as the crowd cheered.
"Strength isn't just about power!" Silas shouted. "It's about the will to protect those who cannot protect themselves!"
Dorian felt a bitter laugh bubble up. The will to protect. He remembered that same "will" twisting a blade into his heart on the bridge.
[Notice: Spite levels are rising.]
[New Mission: Humility is for the Dead.]
[Goal: Sabotage Silas's public demonstration without being identified.]
[Reward: 300 Chaos Points / Skill: Void Lash (F-Rank)]
Dorian leaned against a nearby brick wall, his hood shadowing his face. He watched as Silas called for a volunteer to test their strength against his mana shield.
"Any man! Any rank!" Silas challenged, his eyes scanning the crowd with mock-kindness. "Come and see the power of the Light!"
Dorian's fingers brushed the hilt of the small dagger he'd swiped. He didn't need to win a fight. He just needed to create a little chaos.
As a burly blacksmith stepped forward to take the challenge, Dorian focused on the shadow cast by the stage's support beams. Silas was building a shimmering golden barrier, his feet planted firmly on the wooden planks. He was showing off, pouring more mana than necessary into the shield to make it sparkle for the audience.
It was time to test the system's reward.
Void Step.
Dorian vanished.
He reappeared for a fraction of a second beneath the stage, his hand reaching out to touch the main support beam directly under Silas's left heel. He didn't use strength; he used the Void Heart. He let a tiny, needle-thin spike of devouring energy prick the wood.
The wood didn't snap—it rotted. It turned to gray ash in an instant, creating a hollow pocket.
Dorian stepped back into the shadows of the crowd just as the blacksmith swung a heavy practice hammer against Silas's golden shield.
The shield held. The barrier didn't even flicker.
But as the force of the blow traveled through Silas's body and into the floor, the rotted beam gave way. Silas's left foot plummeted through the stage floor.
The "Hero" let out a sharp, undignified yelp. His balance shattered, and with it, the golden shield vanished into thin air. The momentum of the blacksmith's hammer, no longer meeting resistance, carried through.
Silas was hit square in the chest by the follow-through of the hammer, sending him tumbling backward into a rack of ceremonial spears.
The sound of clattering metal and Silas's pained groan echoed in the sudden silence of the square.
The crowd didn't cheer. Someone let out a muffled snicker.
[Ding! Chaos Act Confirmed: Public Humiliation of a 'Hero'.]
[Chaos Points: +150]
Dorian watched from the back of the crowd, his face hidden. Silas was scrambling to his feet, his face turning a deep, angry red as he tried to pull his leg out of the hole in the wood.
[Mission Progress: 75% — He still looks like a 'Hero' to some. Finish him.]
Dorian didn't stay to watch the recovery. He had already seen enough. He turned his back on the square, blending into the side streets.
"Enjoy the dirt, Silas," Dorian whispered. "It's where you belong."
Dorian stood in the mouth of a narrow alley, watching the commotion in the square. He looked down at his hand. There was no tremor. The transition from the estate to the city felt seamless, as if the decade of failure had been erased by the simple act of rotting a piece of wood.
He wasn't shocked. He felt a cold, grounding sense of logic. The System didn't feel like magic; it felt like a tool he should have had all along.
[Chaos Points: 700]
[Life Timer: 23:18:40]
Silas was still struggling on the stage, his polished armor caught on a splintered beam. The "Hero" was shouting at the blacksmith, his "humble" mask slipping further with every second he remained stuck.
Dorian pulled a single copper coin from his pocket—one he'd lifted from the guard earlier. He didn't look at Silas. He looked at a group of street urchins sitting near a fruit stall, watching the stage with mocking grins.
"You," Dorian said, tossing the coin.
The eldest boy caught it, his eyes darting to Dorian's hooded face. "Yeah?"
"The 'Hero' on the stage," Dorian pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "I heard he's drunk. He couldn't even stand up straight for a blacksmith. Tell the taverns, tell the docks. I want to hear the joke by sunset."
The boy looked at the coin, then at Silas's struggling form, agrin split his face. "For a copper? I'll have the whole city laughing by noon."
The boy disappeared into the crowd, his friends following.
[Ding! Mission Complete: Humility is for the Dead.]
[Reward: 300 Chaos Points / Skill: Void Lash (F-Rank) Unlocked.]
Dorian turned away from the noise of the square.
[Chaos Points: 1000]
He didn't feel a rush of adrenaline. He felt a calculation being confirmed. Silas was a reputation built on gold and stagecraft; Dorian was a reality built on Void.
"System," Dorian thought as he walked deeper into the city's underbelly. "Open the Shop. I have 1,000 points. What can I buy that actually makes me dangerous?"
The violet screen flickered to life.
[THE CHAOS SHOP - RANK UPGRADE]
Void Core Awakening (Phase 1): 1000 CP
Attribute Package [Physical]: (+5 Str, +5 Agi) - 500 CP
Skill: [Identify - Rank E]: 300 CP
Random Mid-Grade Weapon: 400 CP
Dorian stopped in front of a boarded-up
storefront. His Vitality was stable at 8, but his Strength was still 8. "Explain 'Void Core Awakening'," he muttered.
[Notice: The 'Void Heart' is a pump. The 'Void Core' is a furnace. Awakening Phase 1 will allow you to store and circulate Void Mana, removing the 'Defective' status from your mana veins.]
Dorian didn't hesitate. "Do it."