Lost In Chaos

Kaz stared at the digital course selection screen, scrolling through the endless list of available classes. He didn't know exactly what he wanted to take, but he knew one thing for sure—he needed to survive.

Street smarts weren't enough. He had lived by them his whole life, but out here, in a world filled with Rifts, beasts, and things far worse than human criminals, he needed something more.

Survival classes were a must. Knowing how to navigate the wilderness, build shelters, and find clean water would keep him alive if he was ever stranded. Cooking was another necessity—he wasn't about to starve to death because he didn't know how to prepare food.

Efficient. Practical. That was his goal.

After a moment of thought, he made his decision.

Wilderness Survival – The basics of staying alive outside of civilization.Cooking – Not just for food, but also for preserving rift creature meat, which had unique properties.Crafting – He needed to learn how to make weapons, tools, and even simple talismans.Woodworking – Essential for creating shelters, weapons, and fortifications.Agriculture – Because learning how to grow your own food meant long-term survival.

Swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat were tempting, but realistically, he wasn't strong enough to punch a lesser aberration to death. His goal wasn't to be a fighter—it was to be prepared.

Just as Kaz finalized his choices, the door burst open with a loud bang.

Ryuma strode in, his usual confidence radiating from every step. His sharp eyes locked onto Kaz, and without hesitation, he held out a hand.

"Let me see your class slip."

Kaz wordlessly handed over the small digital slate. Ryuma scanned it, nodding in approval.

"Not bad." Without another word, he copied every class Kaz had chosen onto his own slip.

Kaz raised an eyebrow. "You're taking the exact same classes as me?"

Ryuma smirked. "Of course. Can't have my rival getting ahead of me."

Kaz rolled his eyes. "I didn't realize we were rivals."

Ryuma slung an arm around Kaz's shoulder, ignoring his dry tone. "Oh, we definitely are. Now come on, let's go eat."

Before Kaz could protest, Ryuma grabbed his wrist and dragged him out of the room.

Kaz groaned, his feet barely keeping up. "Okay, but stop—your Dragonling strength is no joke."

Ryuma laughed but finally let go, allowing Kaz to regain his balance.

As they walked toward the cafeteria, Ryuma shot him a curious glance. "Hey, Kaz. Have you actually focused on your trait in the Sanctuary yet?"

Kaz blinked. "Yeah, I read the description."

Ryuma's expression turned slightly irritated. "No, not just the description. I mean, have you actually looked at your abilities? You should have something listed now—like how I can manifest dragon wings or use my new skill, Dragon Construct."

Kaz frowned. He hadn't really checked beyond the basic information.

He exhaled and focused inward, calling forth the familiar scripts of the Sanctuary. The glowing texts shimmered before him, displaying his trait.

Trait: son of chaos

Kaz scrolled down. Two abilities were now listed beneath it.

[Chaos Control]

Allows the user to levitate small objects using Chaos Energy.Requires a small amount of chaos to activate.Warning: Using Chaos Energy increases the Chaos Counter.

Kaz's gaze drifted lower.

[Frenzied Chaos]

When the Chaos Counter reaches 100/100, the alter ego takes over at night.If the counter exceeds 200/100, the alter ego takes over instantly, regardless of time.

Kaz's stomach twisted.

A second personality. A completely different version of himself.

And worse—if he lost control of his Chaos Energy, he wouldn't just black out. He would become something else entirely.

His eyes flicked to the counter at the bottom of the screen.

Chaos Energy: 30/100

Kaz sighed, running a hand through his hair. Great. Now I have to constantly monitor this thing.

Ryuma, who had been watching his expression, frowned. "What's wrong?"

Kaz shook his head. "Nothing. Let's just eat."

Ryuma didn't look convinced, but he didn't push.

They entered the cafeteria, a massive space filled with students of all ranks. Groups huddled together, some discussing classes, others boasting about their abilities.

Kaz ignored them all, heading straight for the food line.

He had way bigger problems than schoolyard politics.