0003: Chosen by Chaos I

The final stage of Avatar creation required players to read the Golden Constitution of Rivia; a 500-page document outlining the world's laws, game mechanics, and user interface.

{Carefully read the Golden Constitution of Rivia}

Pain glanced at the first line, and before he even finished reading it, the full contents flooded into his mind. He knew everything already. There was no need to waste accept.

{Rivia invites you to Hell's Foundation. Do you accept?}

"I accept."

From what Pain could recall, refusal wasn't an option. So long as a player had been targeted by the System, there was no escape. Any player who declined the invitation would be left to starve in the endless green fields until they caved in.

{Congratulations, Player Demonic Angel. Avatar creation process is 100% complete.}

{Player Demonic Angel will be sent to Beginner Village: 2025/10,000.}

The world around him dissolved into darkness. Then, a tunnel of light appeared ahead. The system pulled him forward, no walking required, guiding him toward the bright exit.

Pain's vision blurred for a moment as he emerged on the other side. A welcome message echoed in his ears:

{Welcome to Hell's Foundation! In the world of Rivia, everyone can be reborn. No matter what your past identity, in Rivia everyone starts as equals. Rivia is full of beauty, adventures and mysteries. Above all, you must Survive!}

When Pain opened his eyes and carefully observed his surroundings, another system message sounded in his ears.

{You are currently in Beginner's Village number 2025. To officially start your journey in Hell's Foundation, you are to attain a Class as soon as possible.}

Pain could barely hear the second system message because of the chaotic sounds that attacked his ears when he entered the Village. He looked around and in every direction, he could only see one thing.

People!

There were even more people who continually appeared around him in flashes of white light. Everywhere he looked, players spawned in flashes of white light. Some immediately sprinted toward NPCs, eager to start questing. Others stood frozen, admiring the hyper-realistic graphics. Some grouped up, chatting excitedly. A few wandered aimlessly, unsure of what to do next.

The sooner they start to increase their level, the more advantage they can have over the rest of the players. Naturally, no one who desired the top would be wasting their time with things that can be done later.

The village Itself resembled a medieval city. Stone buildings lined the streets, wooden market stalls overflowed with goods, and NPC guards in gleaming armor patrolled with spears and swords. If not for the floating nameplates above NPCs and shop signs, this place could be mistaken for reality.

The structures around were created with an ancient style, similar to the medieval era when there were commoners, knights, nobles and kings. It was like a scene cut out of a fantasy anime. Pain took it all in with a sharp eye.

But amidst the bustling streets, his gaze landed on an unpleasant scene.

A spiky-haired player grabbed a pretty female NPC from behind, groping her perky breasts through her clothing. The NPC gasped, struggling to free herself, while nearby players either ignored it or watched with sick amusement.

Pain stood to watch. Not because he was enjoying the view but to see what the approaching NPC soldier would do.

Heavy boots clanked against stone.

Just as Pain thought, the soldier pulled the player off her body and without a care in the world, swiftly drew his sword and separated the player's head from his body. There was a splash of blood from the player's severed neck and his lifeless body dropped to the ground. A pool of blood seeped out of his neck.

Unlike other VR Games, Blood and Gore was an immense feature of Hell's Foundation. If it were any other game, the player's body would have instantly dissipated into sparks of light.

"You should've read the constitution," Pain smiled.

{Global System Announcement: Player 'Pervy Sage' has been eliminated from Hell's Foundation…}

Although he knew the player's chances of resurrection was very low, Pain felt no pity for him. He shook his head and began to move faster. However, just as he left the large bustling square he was in, the System message he had been anticipating ever since his attribute point allocation echoed in his ears.

{For an unknown reason, one of the Chaos-grade entities in Rivia, the 'Rings of Ra' have chosen you as its master and you can not refuse it}

Pain froze mid-step.

He had barely stepped into a quieter alley before the weight of the message hit him.

Chaos-grade object?

His mind raced.

Items in Rivia were divided into twelve tiers, from the weakest to the strongest:

Steel

Iron

Bronze

Silver

Gold

Diamond

Immortal

Blessed

Saint

Demon

Arken

Chaos

At the beginning of the game, every player received a Steel-grade weapon and armor. If someone was extremely lucky, they might start with an Iron-grade weapon.

At this stage, Silver-grade equipment was nearly impossible to obtain. Possessing one would immediately attract envy and attention. Gold-grade gear could only be earned from killing very high-ranking monsters, and only players with extreme luck or skill could acquire it early on.

As for Immortal-grade equipment, they were rare, legendary even, and only a handful of players would secure them in the later stages. Blessed-grade items were even scarcer, appearing only through hidden missions. Worse, they were temporary; Once the countdown ended, the system would erase them permanently. The number of equipment of Blessed-grade in Rivia could be counted on the fingers on both hands.

Saint- and Demon-grade equipment? Those were pure fantasy. Players could only dream of attaining such a powerful equipment. They had a one-in-a-million chance of appearing, and taming them required impossible conditions. One mistake and the item itself could kill the player trying to tame it.

At the top of the hierarchy was the Chaos-grade entities. After knowing the dreadful info of the mighty grades below it, one can imagine the shock on Pain's face when he heard the announcement.

The Chaos-grade entities are the reason why the game is called Hell's Foundation. They weren't created in Rivia. If a player possessed one, it would make him/her a God above every other creature on Rivia. The odds of a Chaos-grade entity appearing were one in a trillion. The odds of one binding itself to an undeserving player? Beyond impossible.

Pain's mouth was open so wide an elephant could give birth inside. This wasn't supposed to happen. Based on his knowledge, the best possible outcome for him was obtaining an Immortal-grade weapon early. Not this; Something that defied the very laws of Rivia.

His pulse pounded as reality sank in. He had just become the most overpowered player in the game—before even stepping into combat.

Pain knew this wasn't good news. The game wouldn't just hand him this power for free. There had to be a price.

He needed to get away from the crowds. Now.

Heart hammering, he sprinted. He ran for five minutes straight, weaving through alleys, dodging players and NPCs alike, until he reached a deserted barn.

Only when he was certain no one had followed him did he dare open his inventory.

His fingers trembled as he scrolled through his equipment list.

And there they were.

Ten black rings, floating in his equipment slots.

.

A/N: More PowerStones = More Updates