Chapter 14 - Crowned by Chaos
The second day of the Sports Festival began with color, chaos, and whispers.
Bright banners snapped in the wind above the campus, students bustled across fields and courts, and the crowd of parents, alumni, and media began to fill the audience stands.
But Rei Kurohara sat quietly beneath a tree near the edge of the grounds.
Not to nap.
Not to avoid attention.
But to breathe.
To process.
To listen.
Because something in the wind had been whispering to him since dawn.
Something that wasn't the System.
Something… older.
[System Notification]
Main Event Slot Assigned:
Mystery Survival Challenge – Solo Round
Time: 11:00 AM
Location: Central Arena
Reward: +200 CC | Rare Box | ???
Bonus: Survive Without Any Injuries
Rei stared at the screen. "Mystery Survival Challenge?"
His classmate walked by, munching on bread. "It's like an obstacle course. But they don't tell you what's in it."
Rei tilted his head. "That's… legal?"
"Not really. But it's the Sports Festival. Chaos is tradition."
He sighed and leaned back.
Then winced.
His muscles still ached from yesterday's three-legged madness with Jun. And that final dash in the relay had pushed his body near its limit.
But it wasn't the soreness that bothered him.
It was the feeling that someone was watching him again.
From behind the banners.
From under the earth.
From inside the silence.
Elsewhere — Faculty Tower
A woman in a sleek, black cloak sipped from a thermos as she looked down at the stadium.
"Target's emotional stability: still holding."
She didn't turn as the janitor approached behind her, mop slung over his shoulder, eyes glowing faintly.
"This trial… something inside him may awaken."
"Only if fate allows it."
She smiled faintly.
"But the boy? He's cracking."
11:00 AM – Central Arena
The stadium roared with excitement.
The Mystery Survival Challenge began with ten students standing on a starting platform.
One of them was Rei.
He adjusted his headband and glanced at the screens above the field, which showed a live map of the arena—a shifting terrain of sand, fog, fake ruins, mud pits, moving floors, and floating platforms.
A holographic voice echoed:
Welcome, Participants to the Chaos Obstacle Trial! Every tile hides a trap, every second is a test. React or fall, and must reach the central tower within 15 minutes. The arena will alter every three minutes. Last one to reach it is eliminated."
Jun stood two spots away, already stretching his arms with calm intensity.
He glanced over. "Hey. Don't get lost this time."
"I wasn't lost," Rei muttered. "I was scouting."
"You faceplanted into a fake wall."
"…Tactical scouting."
[System Notification]
New Active Quest: Survive the Challenge
Bonus Objective: Reach the Tower First
Reward: +200 CC | Rare Box | New Passive Skill
Bonus: ???
"Let's get this over with," Rei muttered.
The buzzer rang.
They ran.
Immediately, the ground shifted—tiles flipping to reveal sand, then spikes, then nothing at all.
Rei narrowly avoided a pitfall, leapt over a spinning blade, and landed in a shallow pool of cold water.
He gritted his teeth.
Okay, this is fine. Just a normal insane death maze on school property.
He wasn't the fastest. Or strongest. But he was cautious. Smart. Patient.
He slipped past a group that took the wrong path and found a zipline overhead.
Jumped.
Swung.
Fell halfway through, only to land hard on a slide that shot him toward the inner ring.
"Halfway there," someone gasped beside him.
It was Jun. His jacket was torn on the sleeve. His hair was wet. But he looked… alive.
Rei panted. "Why are you here again?"
Jun grinned. "Keeping my promise. Can't let you die before I get a rematch."
Another tile flipped near them, and a giant foam boulder began rolling down.
"Run!" Rei shouted.
They bolted side by side, jumping obstacles and dodging debris.
At one point, Jun shoved Rei forward to help him land on a safe tile.
Rei turned. "Why'd you do that?"
"I don't know. I hate owing people."
As they reached the last ring, a wall of fire blocked their path.
Rei hesitated.
His classmates behind were closing in. The crowd was screaming.
And then—
He saw it.
A small platform beneath the flames. Unmarked. Hidden.
He narrowed his eyes and jumped.
Landed.
And the fire flickered… then vanished.
[System Notification]
Hidden Mechanism Detected.
+10 Intelligence
+25 CC
New Passive: Crowd Pressure Resistance
Effect: Immune to social debuffs and nerves in high-attention events.
Rei didn't even have time to react.
Because the moment he passed the flame wall—
He heard it again.
A whisper.
"Closer… closer still…"
The tower loomed above them now.
Rei ran, heart pounding, while Jun sprinted beside him.
At the top of the final ramp, they both dove for the finish.
Rei's hand hit the platform first.
The buzzer screamed.
[System Notification]
First Place Achieved.
+200 CC
+Rare Box Acquired
+New Passive: Spatial Awareness (Tier I)
The crowd erupted.
Students screamed. Teachers clapped. Even some guests stood to cheer.
And Rei… just lay down flat on the platform, panting.
Later That Evening
Rei sat under the bleachers, sipping water, while the Rare Box spun open in his system screen.
Inside?
[Item Acquired: Phase breaker Patch]
One-time use item. Breaks through one evolution threshold instantly. Cannot be reused.
His eyes widened.
"That's… insane."
He put it away carefully.
Then leaned back, letting the quiet hum of the stadium fade into the night.
But in the shadows above, the cloaked woman narrowed her eyes.
"He reacted to it again."
The janitor beside her nodded. "The Crown's resonance is accelerating… faster than any inheritor we've tracked before."
The End - Chapter 14
Chaos Crown System – Status Panel
Name: Rei KuroharaCC Balance: 3,705Evolution Progress: 19.2%
Stat Total:
Strength: 7.3
Agility: 6.4
Endurance: 4.5
Intelligence: 15.2 → +10 = 25.2
Charm: 30.5 (Brand Aura applied)
Willpower: 5.5
Business Sense: Tier 1.5
New Passives:
Crowd Pressure Resistance – Immune to social pressure during major public events.
Spatial Awareness (Tier I) – Enhanced perception in fast-moving or chaotic environments.