It wasn't an explosion. There was no ripple of magic, no distortion of space. One moment, the room had been filled with warriors. The next, it was empty.
Lucas' stomach twisted. His hands turned cold. His system should have issued a warning, a notification something. But there was nothing. No explanation. No trace of the people who had been there just seconds ago.
Just silence.
Only three remained.
Lucas. Andre.
And the frail man.
Lucas took an unconscious step back. This was no ordinary power. This wasn't magic, wasn't a combat skill, wasn't something that could be classified by any known system of power. This was something else entirely.
And yet, the man merely smiled as if nothing had happened.
"My name is the Chaos Sovereign."
He spoke the words as if introducing himself in a casual conversation. Yet the weight they carried was anything but casual.
Lucas didn't respond. His throat was dry. The name alone sent a chill down his spine.
The frail man tilted his head slightly, his gaze shifting upward as if recalling something from a distant past.
"I come from another world," he mused. "And in truth, I am very powerful."
Lucas tensed. The phrasing struck him as odd.
"But in this world…"
The Chaos Sovereign's lips curled into a grin, his eyes gleaming with a strange light.
"This world is the main world of all worlds."
Lucas' breath hitched.
The main world?
Did he mean this world was the core of all realities? That the universe itself revolved around it? The very thought was too vast, too incomprehensible, yet the way this man spoke…
It was as if he was stating an undeniable fact.
Then, in a tone that sent a shiver through Lucas' entire being, the Chaos Sovereign continued.
"So, in my world, I am a ruler…"
He leaned forward slightly, his smile widening.
"But here? I am merely at the SSS rank."
Lucas felt something inside him crack.
"Merely?!"
SSS-ranked beings were myths. Legends whispered in the deepest corners of history. Entities that stood above all others, transcending the limits of power. And yet, this man this frail, unassuming man spoke of it as if it were a mere footnote in his existence.
The air in the chamber felt heavier. The pressure was suffocating.
And then, the final blow.
The Chaos Sovereign's expression darkened not with malice, but with something far worse.
Amusement.
"And also… I have a system like you."
Lucas froze.
The man's grin widened just a fraction, his voice dropping to a near whisper.
"The Lord of Systems granted me one, so..."
A long pause. A pause that stretched far too long, suffocating the space between them.
Then, the Chaos Sovereign locked eyes with Lucas, his smile widening into something wicked, something knowing.
"We're partners, right? Hahaha."
---
A heavy silence blanketed the room, thick and suffocating.
Lucas could feel his heartbeat hammering in his chest, his mind racing to grasp the situation. The frail man before him no, the Chaos Sovereign was no ordinary figure. The air around him pulsed with something unnatural, something beyond human comprehension.
Andre stood beside him, unmoving.
The Chaos Sovereign, Siman, took a slow step forward, his dark eyes gleaming with amusement.
"Well," he said, his voice dripping with a casual arrogance, "since we're all standing here like strangers at a funeral, why don't we introduce ourselves?"
Lucas hesitated, his instincts screaming at him to tread carefully. There was something off about Siman not just his power, but the way he spoke, the way he carried himself. He acted as though everything in the world was a game meant to entertain him.
Still, refusing to answer wasn't an option.
"Lucas," he said, keeping his voice steady.
Siman nodded, his gaze shifting to Andre, who remained silent, his expression unreadable.
"And you?" Siman asked, tilting his head slightly.
Andre did not respond. He didn't even blink.
Lucas clenched his fists, sensing Siman's curiosity deepen. Before the other man could press further, Lucas spoke.
"He doesn't talk much," he said. "You'll have to get used to that."
Siman studied Andre for a moment before laughing softly.
"Interesting," he murmured. "Very interesting."
Then, with a casual wave of his hand, he turned back to Lucas.
"Now, tell me… what kind of system did the Lord of Systems grant you?"
Lucas tensed. The question was expected, but that didn't make answering it any easier. Siman was a wildcard an unknown entity with power beyond reason. Revealing too much could be a fatal mistake.
Yet, withholding information might be worse.
Lucas took a slow breath before speaking.
"My system… allows me to create other systems," he said cautiously. "I can grant them to hunters, but there's a condition I need to meet first. I don't know what it is yet."
Siman's expression didn't change, so Lucas continued.
"So far, the only person I've been able to grant a system to is Andre. After giving him one, he became my subordinate. I can upgrade him. Right now, he's at rank B… while I'm only at rank C."
Siman's smirk faltered. His eyes widened slightly, and for a split second, his casual demeanor disappeared.
Then, in a low, disbelieving voice, he muttered:
"Are you serious?"
Lucas met his gaze without flinching.
"Yes."
Siman exhaled sharply, his smirk returning but this time, it was different. It wasn't amusement anymore. It was something else. Something deeper.
A dangerous excitement.
"Incredible," he whispered. "Of all the people I could've met… I found you."
Lucas frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
Siman chuckled, running a hand through his silver hair.
"You," he said, pointing directly at Lucas, "are the Host of the Lord of Systems."
His mind reeled, struggling to process what Siman had just said.
"The Host…?" he echoed.
Siman simply waved a hand dismissively.
"Hmm… you'll understand it later. For now, just know that you're far more important than you think."
Lucas clenched his jaw. He hated this this feeling of being led around in the dark, as if he were a pawn in someone else's game.
Fine. If Siman wanted to play games, then Lucas would play along for now.
"Then what about you?" Lucas asked cautiously. "What's your system?"
Siman's grin widened, his eyes gleaming with something unreadable.
"My system?" he mused, as if savoring the question. "I have sixty-seven abilities… but my primary power is called World Mana."
Lucas felt a cold shiver crawl down his spine.
"As long as someone is breathing in my line of sight," Siman continued, "I can kill them just by thinking about it."
Lucas took an involuntary step back.
"What?!"
Siman chuckled, clearly enjoying his reaction.
"Of course, it takes some time," he said nonchalantly. "If the target is SS-ranked, I need one minute. If they're S-ranked, I need twenty seconds. And for lower ranks? Hmm… they die instantly the moment I think about it."
Lucas' breathing quickened.
This was absolute domination.
Siman had the ability to erase people from existence with a mere thought. There was no escape, no defense just death.
And yet, Siman spoke about it as if it were nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
Lucas clenched his fists, trying to steady himself.
"That's…" He struggled to find the right words. "That's insane."
Siman shrugged.
"Perhaps," he said. "But I can only use this ability for three minutes."
Lucas almost laughed. Only three minutes? That was more than enough to wipe out an entire battlefield.
He was standing in front of a monster.
And worst of all?
That monster was interested in him.
Siman suddenly leaned forward, his smirk turning into something more sinister.
"So, tell me, Lucas…" His voice was quiet, but filled with undeniable power. "What shall we do now, Host of the Lord of Systems?"