The loudspeaker echoed across the campus as mist curled around the school's sports ground.
"Welcome, students, to Day Two of the Sports Festival!"
The crowd cheered. Teachers took their places near the bleachers, clipboards ready. Color-coded flags rippled in the morning breeze. It looked like a regular high school event… but Rei knew better now.
He stood near the temporary tent, already in his running gear. His school jersey clung to him, his face calm, unreadable. Beneath the surface, however, something stirred.
[System Notification]
Quest Active: Conquer Chaos Obstacle Trial
Win first place or impress the Watchers.
Reward: +250 CC, Passive Trait – Iron Focus
Bonus: Uncover Hidden Memory Fragment (??)
"Watchers again…" Rei murmured.
No one heard him. His teammates were busy chatting about obstacles and stretches. But Rei felt it—the subtle hum in the air, like something not meant to exist in this world was breathing just under the ground.
The Chaos Obstacle Trial – Explained
Unlike normal school games, this was an "experimental" trial introduced by a new sponsor, Arclight Foundation. A tech company is offering simulation-based training to elite students. That was the public story.
In truth, this was a staged battlefield disguised as fun.
The trial would simulate extreme terrains through digital-physical conversion pads. Obstacles appeared at random—spinning blades, trap pits, narrow planks over pools, shifting platforms—anything the system deemed a "test of growth."
Each participant had to complete it solo. Only the top five would qualify.
Rei stared at the field, then at the glowing notification in his eye.
Conquer or fall. Rise or vanish.
He took a breath.
"Rei Kurohara. You're up," called the announcer.
He stepped forward.
From the crowd, several whispers broke out.
"That's the guy who beat Haru last week, right?""I thought he was just smart. Why is he doing this?""Didn't he rank high again in today's mental quiz?""Yeah… who even is this guy?"
Behind the bleachers, a silver-haired girl stood with narrowed eyes. Her gaze didn't leave Rei. Her friends called to her, but she said nothing.
"He's grown so quickly," she whispered. Her fingers curled slightly.
When one of the girls in Rei's class giggled nearby and waved at him, the silver-haired girl's jaw clenched subtly.
[Begin Trial]
The ground beneath Rei shifted.
Tiles rotated and flipped, revealing deep sand, tall pillars, thin wires above shallow pools, even rotating gears in place of stepping stones.
Rei didn't flinch.
He started running.
First: a leap over two platforms.Then: a duck under spinning pendulums.
Sweat glistened on his forehead, but his breath stayed steady. His agility kept him moving with instinctual grace. It wasn't perfect—he stumbled once, barely catching a rope before falling into a pool—but he adjusted fast.
[+0.3 Agility]
Then came the memory trap.
A flash of light.
He fell to his knees, hard pressed to his temple.
"Who—?"
In that moment, a whisper flooded his mind.
"You once stood above gods. Now crawl again, creator."
His vision swirled—an image of a black throne, shattered chains, and blood. But it faded too quickly.
The next obstacle smacked him in the face—a padded pendulum—and knocked him flat.
"Ow—what the—?"
[System Alert: Mental Disruption Detected]
[Recovery Stabilized]
Rei grunted and stood.
He moved again. Faster now. Something burned in his chest.
Determination? No. Familiarity.
This terrain felt too natural.
Almost like he… designed it?
In the shadows, two faculty members watched—the woman in the black coat and the janitor from earlier.
"He triggered the memory gate," she muttered.
"Unintended… but useful," the janitor replied.
"Should we interfere?"
"No. Let him pass. This isn't a test of strength. It's a test of choice."
The woman's eyes flicked to the leaderboard.
Rei hit the final stretch—a narrow platform over a spiked pit, with wind machines blasting from the side.
He bit his lip.
[Use: Phase breaker Patch?]
[Effect: Temporarily boost reflex +1 tier, removes obstacle reaction penalty]
"…Activate."
He moved.
Light wrapped his limbs. His vision sharpened.
And he dashed forward.
Each gust of wind tried to shove him off, but he leaned, turned, ducked, danced like a ghost between the cracks of air.
With one last jump, he crossed the finish line.
The crowd stared in silence for half a second.
Then erupted.
"HE CLEARED IT!""Was that real?!""DID YOU SEE THAT?!"
[Trial Complete]
Position: 2nd Place Overall
Bonus Objective Achieved: Memory Fragment Touched
New Trait Gained: Iron Focus (Resist mental disruptions in future trials)
+250 CC | +0.5 Agility | +1 Endurance
Rei collapsed onto the grass near the endpoint, panting.
The system chimed again.
[CC Balance: 3,105]
[Evolution Progress: 17.6%]
Back at the School Building
Students buzzed with excitement. Rei's name became louder than ever. Some girls took photos. The guys high-fived him. Others whispered with jealousy.
"Just because he's got a few good runs…"
"Bet he's paying someone."
"I heard he's got some kind of cheat device."
Among them, a few narrowed their eyes.
Especially Jun.
He stood behind the lockers, staring at Rei as if sizing up prey.
"Fake," Jun muttered. "People like him… always fall."
Elsewhere
In the teacher's lounge, the cloaked woman scribbled notes.
"He's adapting faster. But his mind isn't fully restored yet."
The janitor poured tea in silence.
"We can't push too fast," she added.
"If he remembers everything this early… it'll break him."
Later That Evening
Rei sat by the vending machine, sipping canned coffee.
"I don't get it," he whispered. "Why does this feel so familiar?"
[System Response: Some knowledge is deeper than memory.]
He sighed.
"Yeah. That's comforting."
A few students passed, nodding at him with respect.
He blinked.
He wasn't invisible anymore.
The End - Chapter 16
Chaos Crown System – Status Panel
Name: Rei KuroharaCC Balance: 3,105Evolution Progress: 17.6%
Stat Total:
Strength: 7.3
Agility: 6.9 (+0.5)
Endurance: 5.5 (+1.0)
Intelligence: 15.2
Charm: 30.5 (Brand Aura applied)
Willpower: 5.5
Business Sense: Tier 1.5
New Trait Unlocked: Iron FocusItem Used: Phase breaker Patch