Fight. Level. Survive.

Chaos is a force that lives inside all of us. It gives some of us abilities and allows us to grow strong enough to protect ourselves and others from the horrors of the world.

Chaos, as its name may hint, is chaotic. No one has ever been able to predict an ACT with any certainty reliably.

There have been times when ACT’s have happened at oddly convenient or inconvenient times, leading some to believe Chaos to be at least somewhat sentient, if not wholly sapient.

Excerpt from ‘Chaos Theory, Volume One’.

Chapter 22 - Plot Armour

Leaving the town, Mason broke out into an all-out sprint in the direction Nays had given him. Seeing nothing ahead of him, he opened up his menu briefly to look at his progress.

Name: Mason Hughes

Level: 12

Current XP: 2951 / 3000

Race: Human

Class: N/A

Health Points (HP): 270

Mana Points (MP): 255

Stamina: (SP): 185

Stats

Strength: 25 (+15)

Agility: 15

Endurance: 16

Vitality: 17

Resilience: 14 (+26)

Intelligence: 31

Perception: 25

Willpower: 15

Free points: 7

Skills:

Identify (Basic), Magic Missile - INT (Advanced), Emotional Outburst - PER (Advanced), Camouflage - PER (Advanced), Random Summon (Advanced)

Base Skills:

Universal Translator, Inventory (Advanced)

Current Quest:

One quest or the 'Other.' There are others in this world who come from another place. Find out more.

Mayry Mayry, wherefore art thou Mayry? - Mayry has gone missing, and you are the prime suspect. Find her and clear your name.

Not wanting to keep it open for too long while running, he closed it and considered where best to spend those 7 points. Agility was a little low, and he would need all the speed he could get if he were to rescue Mayry without getting them both killed. Resilience and vitality were also pretty damn important, but with his armour, he felt he could afford to neglect them for the time being.

Hoping for that movement skill at the level 20 skill selection, he mentally pushed 5 of the points into Agility and the other two into endurance. He felt his running speed dramatically increase, almost to the point where it made him trip over his feet. Regaining his balance, he pushed himself harder, wanting to get to Mayry as soon as possible. He had wasted so much time…. Talking to Viv, then the whole thing with Nays and getting the armour. He was an idiot. He should have left the second he saw the note. At least he felt slightly more confident while wearing his Basilisk Armour.

Thinking about the armour made him realise he hadn’t used Identify on it yet. He was still adjusting to having all these new abilities, it often slipped his mind.

As he saw the windmill in the distance, he slowed down and stopped, wanting to see what the system had to say about this armour.

Item - Leather Armour of the Flamboyant Pink Ninja (Very Rare)

This very stylish set of leather Armour was made from the skin of a Basilisk, making it incredibly tough and resilient. It has also been enchanted with Self Repair, Strength, Featherweight and toughness. If something still manages to hurt you while you’re wearing this, you are either an idiot, or they deserve your blood.

Effects: +15 strength, + 25 resilience, Rebound.

Rebound - Boing Thwip, 5% chance that any damage done to armour rebounds and hits whoever inflicted damage.

“Flamboyant Pink Ninja? You know, I half expected worse. The Rebound effect is a nice surprise, though.”

Invisibility on, he crept closer to the windmill. He couldn’t see any but was very aware that there was a good chance some of the ‘Others’ may have invisibility powers far better than his.

20 feet from the windmill, Mason reappeared. He desperately checked his Mana bar, but it was still over three-quarters full.

*DING*

You have triggered an advanced Rune array and have been inflicted with Vulnerable.

Vulnerable.

Effect: Chaos Abilities are suppressed until you leave the area affected by the Rune array.

Taking a step back, he froze, unable to move a single muscle. Only his eyes darted back and forth, trying to understand what was happening.

*DING*

You have triggered an advanced Rune array and have been inflicted with Paralysis.

Paralysis.

Effect: It paralyses you, dipshit.

Locked in a crouch, Mason felt something press against his back. Seconds later, he was face down on the floor.

He heard a sultry feminine voice say, “Well, hello. Fancy meeting you here.” A foot pressed down on the back of Mason’s head, forcing his face further into the dirt. “I must confess I didn’t think you’d be stupid enough to show up. In fact, we were just getting ready to come find you.” She kicked him onto his back, and he saw she was pouting, “I was so looking forward to a good hunt.”

Mason was astounded at the woman's appearance. She was tall, with jet-black hair that cascaded down her back in waves. Her skin was as white as porcelain, giving her an eerie, almost otherworldly look. Her eyes were a solid black. They seemed to bore into Mason's soul, making him feel uneasy.

Her face was angular and sharp, with high cheekbones and a thin, almost pointed nose. Her lips were painted a dark shade of crimson, adding to the menacing quality of her appearance.

As she spoke, her gaze never wavered, “I suppose you are here to rescue the darling Mayry?” Her lips curled into a sinister smile that made Mason's blood run cold. Everything about her screamed danger and malice, and Mason couldn't shake the feeling that he was in the presence of pure evil. “Well, If you answer my questions, I promise to let both of you go unharmed. How does that sound?”

Mason, still unable to so much as twitch, moved his eyes up and down to simulate a nod.

“There’s a good boy. Now, If I allow you to move, are you going to make me hurt you?” The way she almost purred as she spoke made it very clear she wouldn’t need much of a reason.

He shook his eye, no.

“Grr, fine.” She waved her hand, and Mason could move again.

“I” Mason started to say something, probably something witty and sarcastic, but as the first word left his mouth, his entire body bucked with pain. It felt like someone had heated a hundred thousand needles and then jabbed them into every inch of his body.

Just as fast as it started, it stopped. “Tut tut tut, I said you could move. I didn’t say anything about talking.”

Mason, now able to move, twitched as echoes of the pain hit him like the aftershock following an earthquake.

“Be a good boy and answer my questions now. How long have you been in this world?” She spoke to him in a sickly sweet tone.

“A a almo,” surprised the pain had caused him to stutter, he tried again. “Al almost a week.”

Her face dropped, “What!? You’d barely be worth killing. What level are you?”

Mason’s eyes widened in fear. How had she known about that?!

His slight hesitation made her drop her sweet facade and replace it with fury.

She walked over to him and kicked him in the stomach.

In stories he had read, there was often something called plot armour which allowed the main character to make stupid choices and walk away unscathed. Ever since the fight with the Drake, the idea that he had plot armour in this world had been stuck in the back of his head.

The woman’s kick had been so hard that it had shattered any trace of that idea. Armour or not, he felt his ribs crack with the impact.

The sweet smile appearing back on her face, she said, “I ask you a question. You answer it. That is how this works.”

Mason spat out blood, “12, level 12.”

“Pathetic, 12? I was level 12 within an hour of getting here. Killing you wouldn’t earn me a single level. You worthless piece of shit. Are there more of you? Tell me where they are!”

Mason, who was only vaguely aware of what was happening, coughed through the pain, “I’ll tell you…” he coughed up more blood. “Do you know the muffin man?”

“The what? Did he come here with you?”

“The muffin man?” Mason asked softly in a daze.

“Yes! The muffin man, what level is he?” She said, kneeling beside him to hear him better.

“She’s married to the muffin man”, he wheezed, then burst into a fit of laughing coughs.

“Gah!” She stood up, annoyed. “You’re who I’m here to find? You’re useless, you and the girl.”

At the mention of Mayry, Mason’s thoughts focused, and he could think somewhat straight again. “Where.. is Mayry?”

Fury appeared on her face again. “You just don’t learn, do you?” She bent down again and put her lips to his ears, “she screamed when I cut her. Her screams were so thrilling.”

Mason took his dagger from his inventory, banking on the fact that his inventory was a Base Skill and not technically a Chaos Ability. To his surprise, his reasoning held up. Fuelled with rage and pain, and hopelessness, he thrust the dagger towards the woman’s face.

It bounced off of her without a scratch, as if he had been stabbing concrete with a baby spoon.

“Oo, you do have some fight in you after all.” Her eyes lit up at the prospect of having some fun. I’ll tell you what. I’ll take down the Runes so we can fight. If you can so much as scratch me, you and the girl can leave. We meet back here in a year when killing you will hopefully be worth something to me. But, if you can’t, I get rid of you, and the girl is mine to play with. Oo, this does sound like fun! Doesn’t it!” She clapped and turned to look at Mason, “deal?”

“Can I trust you’ll actually let us go?” His voice much steadier now his HP was rapidly regenerating.

“Nah, but impress me enough, and it’ll prove you’re worth waiting for.” She winked at him.

He was beginning to think the woman had multiple personalities. That, or she was entirely insane.

“Fine, deal. Give me a moment to get ready.”