Ascension of Chaos

Ashley

I find myself more than a little surprised when I hear the MC talking even after I turn No Interviews on. Until Chaos speaks in my head mentioning that trials are different. That while I can turn on the no interviews feature, it won't mute the MC.

Because apparently the MC actually has some important things they need to say for the competitors.

"LOOOK WHO WE HAVE HEEEEERE!!!! OUR FINAL COMPETITOR IS THE BEAUTIFUL YET DEADLY QUEEEEN OF DESTRUUUCTIIIOOOON HERSELF!!!!" the MC immediately shouts upon my entry, not wasting even an ounce of time to announce my arrival. "AND SHE'S ALREADY DESTROYING THE LOBBY AS I SPEAK!!"

That leaves me blinking once before I realize that what the MC is saying is actually true. The walls made out of some sort of blue stone with water leaking from them are actually getting covered in the usual glowing crimson cracks and vanishing, just to reappear again as the lobby no doubt repairs itself.

I glance at the other competitors to find them grimacing whenever my gaze goes over them, with the same crimson cracks appearing on them as the walls. Following which their damage fades away as the System probably heals them.

Putting my gaze aside for the moment, I feel like everyone in here is looking at me in terror.

No, they're definitely looking at me with terror in their eyes. Discover exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire

Am I really that terrifying?

"You're a Unique Being with the True Damage skill of a Unique Monster and a Successor at the same time who is dozens of levels above them," Chaos explains rather blankly with a hint of amusement unsuccessfully hidden in his voice. "You tell me if these people should be afraid or not."

Oh. Right.

I… didn't really think about all of that.

"Now that we've got everyone here, let us begin with the rundown of today's Trial for D Class!!" the MC shouts, her voice echoing all throughout the chamber as I glance up at the little portal thing on the ceiling showing the crowd. One that is rapidly growing at an exponential pace. To the point that there are soon more people than there are seats, with thousands upon thousands of people appearing in the air flying above the bleachers. "To start the ball rolling, our Trial this time is once again a Free For All Death Match between the ten competitors! And only the five last standing survivors will pass the Trial and move on to Class D!"

All stuff that is perfectly normal. From my view at least, thanks to Chaos's intel.

"The map for today's Trial will be an underwater temple, where the competitors will all be traversing their way through the temple towards the center of the map," the MC continues, catching my interest with this part. "There the competitors will find various special buffs that activate depending on who makes it there first."

I finally catch sight of the MC herself. A beautiful woman who looks rather obviously like a mermaid with long black hair and glowing golden eyes.

Guess a mermaid MC fits with the map being an underwater temple.

"And, as always, there will be special monsters traveling through the map hunting the competitors," the MC continues with a grin on her face, showcasing a mouth full of sharp fangs that kind of destroys that aforementioned beautiful image. "Meet our lovely little piranhas!!!"

I blink at that before looking over at the floating image of a piranha that appears in the audience portion of the stadium. But at this point I'm starting to get a little irritated by the fact that the stupid portal I'm looking through keeps getting covered in glowing crimson cracks from my gaze wherever I'm looking. Which makes it difficult to actually see through it without constantly moving where I'm looking.

That's annoying.

I can still see the piranha though, just like how I saw the mermaid. And the thing is mostly dark blue and white in color, with azure eyes and a mouth filled with razor sharp fangs. Multiple rows of them.

The MC also goes and describes the thing to us as well, detailing it as a meter-long creature that has water magic and can chomp through almost anything at Class D and below. With the exception of some powerful skills and the like.

She also mentions that they travel in groups of three.

Then she goes and starts trying to hype up the audience a bit as I glance at the other competitors to analyze them. All the way until the MC eventually spreading both of her arms out and declares, "And now this Trial shall officiiiiaaaalllyyyyy begiiiiiiin!!!!!"

The floor of the lobby falls before I find myself being teleported somewhere random within the temple. Inside of a corridor with about three-inch-high water covering the floor and cracks on the blue stone both in the walls and floor. With water leaking out of the cracks on the walls and water from within the corridor itself leading down into the cracks on the floor so that the corridor doesn't flood.

Of course, my simply looking at anything begins to cause more damage and make more water flood in or out depending on where it is I'm looking. Which makes things a little awkward.

But it's fine either way. I can breathe underwater after all.

Got a skill for that a while ago.

So I just ignore the glowing crimson cracks forming in the corridor walls, floor, and ceiling, along with the holes that appear along with them and the water that leaks out as I flap my wings and begin flying through said corridor. And after just a few minutes of flying, I run into some piranhas. But before I can even draw my sword or extend my claws, I find the piranhas beginning to grow covered in glowing crimson cracks before falling apart and plain vanishing.

To the point that two of them end up dead out of the three before I even get within range of attacking them. Leaving me feeling a little… awkward… when I do.

What's more is that these piranhas are only level 150. So I just grab the thing by the head when it tries to bite me before crushing it with my bare hand.

Hmm. Well then.

After mentally shrugging to myself, I begin flying through the corridor again. Deciding that the piranhas won't be of consequence to me.

All while Chaos's words about how easy this Trial will be flashes through my mind.

I let out a sigh, not really sure if I should feel bored or happy with this. What with how stressful and difficult the Unique Domain was to fight in leaving me rather mentally exhausted.

But at the same time, it feels rather anticlimactic.

After all, when you think about some fancy Trial to ascend, you think that it'll be difficult.

I blink as I sense someone nearby, following which some fish man appears from around the corner. Then immediately turns around and begins swimming the other way in terror after seeing me.

Without hesitation, I activate Assimilate.

{You have activated Assimilate. The skill will last for ten minutes, and you will gain the ability to permanently unlock the Skill Trees of anything you kill during this time.}

And at the same time as my activation of the skill, their fins begin to crack and fall apart while under my gaze. And I then follow it up by opening my mouth and breathing out a wave of destruction breath at them.

Turning them into a pile of crimson ash that falls into the water, only for it to begin vanishing as well as System Messages play in my vision.

{You have been granted 2 Skill Points for killing a fellow competitor within System Event #1,389,430.}

{You have slain a being while Assimilate is active. You have now unlocked the Skill Tree: Wave Crasher}

{You have unlocked a new Skill Tree, therefore the root skill of the Skill Tree, Tidal Call, is now unlocked for your usage.}

I yawn a little while continuing to fly through the corridor without paying much attention to the small bits of crimson ash that's still fading from existence.

Yeah, this Trial is looking like it's going to be really boring.

At least the corridor is a nice change of pace from the boiling hot volcano that was the Unique Domain.