Chapter 4
Blaze's consciousness stirred. His body felt strangely light, yet his head pounded as though he had taken a boulder to the skull. His eyelids fluttered open, revealing a rustic wooden ceiling with dim candlelight flickering in the corners of the room. The faint scent of herbal medicine and freshly baked bread filled the air.
Where… am I?
Before he could gather his thoughts, a soft voice called out.
Are you awake? A soft voice spoke from the side
His vision adjusted, revealing a little blonde girl bouncing on her feet beside his bed, her bright blue eyes filled with excitement. Before Blaze could respond, the door creaked open, and several figures entered.
A tall man with brown hair, a rugged beard, and a sturdy build approached with steady steps. His deep voice rumbled through the room.
"You finally woke up, kid."
Beside him stood a graceful woman with long black hair, warm brown eyes, and an air of kindness. Beside them are two set of twins the first are around his age and the second set are younger around 12 years old.
"How are you feeling?" Elara asked gently.
Blaze blinked. "...Fine, I think?"
Then, his memories surged back—Cryoak, the explosion, the wizards, his desperate escape. His fingers curled into the rough fabric of the blanket.
The man, Rolland, exchanged glances with the woman, Elara, before he asked, "Do you remember how you ended up in Nightgale Spring?"
Blaze hesitated. "I… was escaping from Cryoak. The city was under attack by powerful wizards in black cloaks. I barely got away before everything exploded."
Silence filled the room.
Then, a scoff broke through.
"Pfft. You expect us to believe that?"
Blaze turned to see a boy his age leaning against the wall. He had short brown hair, sharp features, and a fiery glint in his eyes. His arms were crossed, and a sneer tugged at his lips.
"If wizards strong enough to destroy a whole city attacked, how are you still alive?"
Blaze paused.
...That's a fair point.
His mind raced. He had been right in the middle of that explosion—he should be dead.
[Ding!]
A sudden chime echoed in his head. A glowing screen popped up in front of him.
[Chaos System Activated!]
Bonus for the host: +3 Stat Points, New Skill Unlocked.]
[Skill: Astral Strike] – An extremely fierce punch at double speed.
Blaze's eyes widened. His brain stuttered.
What the hell is this? He thought
He pointed dramatically at the floating text. "IS THIS HOW MAGIC USERS SEE THINGS?!"
The entire room fell silent.
Rolland and Elara exchanged concerned glances. The younger children stared at Blaze with pity. The blonde girl patted his arm.
"It's okay, big brother. You'll get over it one day."
Even the fiery-looking boy, Lucas, who had been mocking him, looked slightly taken aback.
Blaze realized none of them could see the glowing text.
...Oh.
"...Hey," he muttered under his breath. "What the hell are you?"
[I am the Chaos System, merged with your soul.]
Blaze narrowed his eyes. "...And why on earth are you floating in front of me?"
[Incorrect. I am inside you. Please refrain from questioning my existence like an idiot.]
"..."
As the family comforted him, assuming he was still in shock from the destruction of his city, Blaze continued his internal conversation.
He checked his stats.
—STATUS—
Name: Blaze
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Level: 1 (0/100 EXP)
HP: 100
STR: 20
SPD: 18
DEF: 28
STA: 18
Sense: 5
Affinity: None
Chaos Essence: 200
Chaos Points: None
Skill: Astral Strike (New!)
Innate Ability: Chaos Eyes /Gold [Locked]
The system explained each stat in a robotic tone. His Chaos Eyes would allow him to see relevant information about people, objects, and skills. Essence would be needed for spells and skills, and CP—Chaos Points—were used to exchange for items at the Chaos Shop.
Blaze rubbed his temples.
So… I have a system now. I'm either dreaming or completely insane.
He decided to test its limits, asking a series of increasingly ridiculous questions.
"What happens if my HP reaches zero?"
[Death. Do you wish to test this hypothesis?]
"...You're a little shit, huh?"
[Negative.]
After messing around with the system, Blaze decided to explore the city.
Unlike Cryoak, Brindlemark was far more advanced in magical power and size. As he walked through the bustling streets, he noticed something strange.
Nobody judged him.
Back in Cryoak, people sneered at those without mystical essence. Yet here, people treated him like any other citizen.
He approached a fruit vendor and asked, "Why does nobody care if someone has magic or not?"
The old woman smiled. "Brindlemark doesn't judge. Magic or no magic, we're all human, boy."
Blaze was stunned.
For the first time, he felt a sense of belonging. Within hours, he had already gained a reputation for being a hard worker, helping wherever he could.
That evening, the family welcomed Blaze to stay with them. Blaze hesitated but felt an odd warmth in his chest. A family—that word had always seemed distant to him. In Cryoak he only has father Arin.
He exhaled and gave a small nod.
"...Alright. I'll stay."
> [System Quest: New Life Accepted!]
Objective: Familiarize yourself with your new family.
Progress: 0/7**
Reward: +100 CP
Why are you suddenly generous? He ask the system looking at the simple quest,
Little did he know that the quest is anything but simple
"He's staying! Blaze is staying!"Cassie the youngest child cheered, bouncing with joy.
Elara smiled. "Then, welcome home."
Blaze had no idea how to respond to such kindness. He simply nodded.
[System: Are you experiencing emotions? I'm shocked.]
"...Shut up."
Elara was the easiest to connect with. Blaze helped her in the kitchen, slicing vegetables and struggling not to burn anything.
When he tasted her special stew, his eyes widened.
"...This is the best thing I've ever eaten."
Elara chuckled. "I'll teach you how to make it, then."
> [Quest Progress: 1/7]
Second Objective: Familiarizing with the Youngest Child
This one was already done.
The little girl clung to him like a baby koala, refusing to let go.
"Blaze, tell me a story!"
Blaze sighed. "...Once upon a time, there was a boy who got tricked by a talking system."
> [System: False information detected.]
"And then, one day, the system exploded."
She gasped. "Nooo! What happened to the boy?"
"...He lived happily ever after."
> [Quest Progress: 2/7]
Third Objective: Familiarizing with Rolland
Blaze found Rolland chopping wood outside and decided to help.
"Mind if I take over?"
Rolland raised an eyebrow. "You any good at it?"
Blaze picked up the axe and—
THUD.
The log split cleanly.
Rolland nodded. "Good work, son."
Blaze froze. Remembering Father arin which make his heart ache.
Son.
The word hit harder than expected.
> [Quest Progress: 3/7]
Fourth Objective: Familiarizing with Lyra
She burned him alive.
That was the only way Blaze could describe it.
"Lyra," Blaze croaked, lying face-down in the dirt. "How... was that easy?"
Lyra tilted her head. "Well, you're still breathing, aren't you?"
Blaze groaned painfully
> [Quest Progress: 4/7]
When Blaze met Rin, he initially thought, Ah, finally, a normal one.
Oh, how wrong he was.
It all started when Rin found Blaze wandering through Brindlemark's bustling market.
"Hey, big bro," Rin called, slipping beside Blaze with a charming grin. "You look like someone who appreciates a good game."
Blaze raised an eyebrow. "A game?"
"Yep! Ever heard of Coin Bluff?"
Blaze frowned. "No, and I don't trust any game that starts with 'bluff.'"
Rin laughed. "That's what makes it fun! It's super simple—bet a small amount, guess the right side of the coin, and you double your money. Mess up? You lose what you bet."
Blaze narrowed his eyes. "...Sounds rigged."
Rin gasped dramatically. "What?! Me? Rig a game?! I am offended."
Blaze stared at him blankly.
Rin kept up his act for a few more seconds before grinning. "Come on, I'll even give you a free round. No loss, all gain."
Blaze hesitated.
He had some money from helping vendors, and this did sound like an easy win. Besides, a single coin flip? How bad could it be?
So, he agreed.
The first round went as Rin promised—Blaze picked heads, and the coin landed on heads. Rin sighed dramatically and handed over double his money.
Blaze blinked. "Huh. That was… actually easy."
"See?" Rin grinned. "You've got a lucky touch. Wanna go again?"
Blaze smirked. "Hell yeah."
The second round, Blaze won again.
By the third round, his winnings had tripled.
Rin whistled. "Wow, bro. You're on a roll. You should go big this time."
Blaze crossed his arms. "Tch, nice try. I'm not stupid. I'll keep it small."
Rin shrugged. "Fair, fair."
So, they kept playing. Blaze kept winning.
The thrill of effortless money was exhilarating.
By the tenth round, he was rich.
By the fifteenth round, he was cocky.
By the twentieth round, he was doomed.
Rin sighed. "Man, you're too good at this. Alright, last round. Double or nothing. You win? I'll give you an extra bonus. You lose? You give me… let's say, half of your winnings."
Blaze scoffed. "Please. I got this in the bag."
The coin went up.
Spun.
And landed on…
Tails.
Blaze froze.
Rin's grin widened.
"Huh," Rin said cheerfully. "Guess I win."
Blaze clenched his fist but forced a smile. "Whatever, I still have plenty left."
Rin patted his shoulder. "Of course, of course… but…"
Blaze's smile faltered. "But what?"
"Wanna try and win your money back?"
Blaze hesitated.
The logical part of his brain screamed NO!
But the competitive part of his brain whispered, You can win it back in one go.
Blaze inhaled sharply. "Fine. One last round. This time, I go all in."
Rin's eyes gleamed. "Attaboy."
The final round.
The last bet.
The ultimate betrayal.
The coin soared through the air.
Blaze watched it fall.
It landed.
On.
Tails.
Silence.
Then, Rin scooped up all of Blaze's money in one smooth motion, stuffing it into his pocket.
Blaze felt his soul leave his body. "Wait—WAIT! THAT DOESN'T COUNT! DOUBLE OR NOTHING AGAIN!"
Rin chuckled, stepping back. "A deal's a deal, big bro."
Blaze heart ache. "YOU CHEATED! YOU'RE A DAMN SCAMMER". He shouted
But Rin just smiled at him
> [Quest Progress: 5/7]
Next, Nephis, the calm and intelligent one, tested Blaze's knowledge.
At first, he felt proud, answering with confidence.
Then Nephis smiled.
"Round two."
She bombarded him with complex magical questions. Minutes later, his brain was fried.
> [Quest Progress:6/7]
"Generous quest, my foot!" Blaze cursed the system.
Now, only Lucas remained.
Lucas, who had sneered at him before, was suddenly friendly.
Blaze thought, Maybe I misjudged him.
Lucas invited him to the training ground, promising to introduce him to other teenagers.
Blaze, thinking he had made a great friend, followed happily.
At the training ground, Blaze immediately attracted attention. His well-toned body and sharp features gained him a fan club of admiring girls—unfortunately, also gaining him a squad of boy haters.
Among the teenagers, three were the strongest known by all.
1. Lucas – "The Beast"
2. Micah – The Second Strongest (and very short)
3. Gold – The Third Strongest
Lucas and Micah were sworn enemies for years. And the elders has said none of them should interfere with each other to avoid conflict.
Lucas smirked internally and told Blaze, "Say this name out loud."
Without thinking, Blaze said it. "Shorty" he said out loud not knowing the implications.
The entire field fell silent.
Micah's face turned purple. His friends cracked their knuckles.
Blaze realized too late—Lucas had tricked him into insulting Micah's height.
As the death glares locked onto him, the system chimed in:
[New Quest: Survive.]
[Rewards: 2 Instant Level-Ups.]
Blaze froze.
"...Wait. Survive? That means—"
[Yes. You are in deep sh*t.]
Blaze turned to see Micah and four others launching elemental attacks at him.
"...I'm so screwed."
He screamed internally.
To be continue.