[I know you're watching.]
Aria and Ren stared at the system message.
Aria frowned while Ren smiled.
"Aria! It's watching us!"
"Keep reading, it's obviously a prerecorded message."
[I don't know when, but I do know where. This should only be seen when you arrive at Baeleon or use the guide there.]
Aria nodded. The message started playing when they were reading the description of Baeleon.
They continued to read the message.
[If you are in possession of this guide, then you know me as Raymond.]
[I have either died or have completed the goal I longed for. But that is irrelevant.]
[What you need to understand is what Chaos is.]
The system text paused, flickering for a couple of moments as static around tried to take over, and cover the answer.
But the words persisted.
[It's tied to the origin of this universe, and is what the Chaos God was born from. Actually, it doesn't have a name; it's just that the word Chaos fits it most appropriately.]
[What makes it terrifying is that it's out of the system of ranks.]
[I have left personal relics all around the world that will help you fight against this Chaos and hopefully stop the Chaos God from reviving.]
Aria and Ren frowned.
'Stop the Chaos God from reviving?'
'Didn't Astlyn say that their revival was guaranteed?'
The messages from the system couldn't hear their questions or know their thoughts; it just continued trying to talk through the static that was trying to consume it.
[Pieces of Chaos that Raelith ripped out are all over the world, yet the people don't seem to understand or know of their existence. I only know of it because of their voice.]
[Sadly, the owner of that voice is gone, but that doesn't mean we're out of options.]
Another System window opened; it was the map of Baeleon.
There was now a location marked on a map with a star.
It seemed to be a large body of water.
[Bring the guide there, with this, you will be able to see and maybe understand Chaos more than I ever could.]
Despite not having a clear tone, it felt as if Raymond's words held immense regret and a fragment of what seemed to be despair.
[Chaos isn't inherently bad, but it's instead the people using it that are trying to do something harmful.]
The letters on the system window started to blur. Raymond's words are becoming less and less describable.
[This is the limit….]
[May…..Meet again]
[Maybe… we]
[Can…]
[Find…]
The last words resisted managing to finish the words with clarity.
[The truth that Raelith so desperately sought.]
The window closed as static consumed it.
…
"Lake Korfin."
"It's pretty big, huh?"
While Aria stared across the lake, Ren leaned against the railing that was around the lake.
The two moons in the sky reflected on the lake's surface.
Soft ripples from fish swimming in the water or leaves falling into it could be observed, yet overall, it remained calm just like their surroundings.
Due to it being nighttime, it was very quiet around the lake; shops that were open in the day were now closed, and the thousands walking the street were now left to a couple of dozen.
Thankfully, there were many street lamps around them, which made the environment feel safer.
The two had decided to strike while the iron was hot, leaving the mansion as soon as the message.
The majority of the people they've seen were rank 0 and probably couldn't even use mana; even as a rank 1 they would be able to handle themselves.
What was worrying was that they only had temporary IDs, so they probably shouldn't talk to any of the guards walking around.
"Has the system reacted?"
"No, maybe we have to get closer..."
As he spoke those words, Ren pointed to a dock that gave them closer access to the lake.
"Let's go over there."
Making their way onto the dock, they could see the lake up close.
It was dark; how shallow it was couldn't be discerned because of the murkiness of the lake.
Up close and away from the street, the atmosphere was even quieter.
"It's nice, isn't. Don't you like quiet places, Aria?"
Ren remembered Aria mentioning her distaste for crowds; it was the opposite of him, who enjoyed the company of others.
Aria smiled gently, her gaze attracted to the calmness of the lake.
"They're better than loud places…"
While staring, Aria grabbed Ren's hand.
"Aria?"
"It's cold, isn't it? My hand is warm."
Ren smiled. He remembered back on the first night they arrived in this world, when Aria had held his hand under the tree.
'But I'm a fire mage.'
Compared to that night, he wasn't exhausted and could warm himself up with magic, yet the words didn't come out of his mouth.
He didn't find the need for them to.
As they soaked in the pleasant atmosphere, a system window appeared.
***
[Eyes of Truth]
[Function: See unknown energies]
[Description: Of my senses, the eyes are my greatest gift. How can I not find it hard to part with them? Yet when I think of what they will use it for, that difficulty feels very little. It makes me think it okay to lose myself in endless darkness, if it means another will see the light of truth.]
[Find more pieces to upgrade the eyes.]
As they read the message, they felt their sight change; it wasn't a huge change, but a slight one that was felt but not fully experienced.
They both turned to each other.
"Aria…"
"I see it Ren."
Taking a look at the system, it looked the same as before, but when they pulled open [Raymond's Guide] they saw it.
It was a jumbled mess of energy; this energy was white in color and seemed like a tangled knot that was impossible to untangle. It moved and churned not stopping for a moment, seeming to be both creating and devouring itself.
'Chaos…'
'This is what it looks like?'
It was like nothing the two had ever seen.
And they smiled because of that.
["It really is a new energy!"]
["Even if it can't be used in combat, its value is tremendous."]
If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles!
By actually seeing what Chaos was, their progress jumped!
It was the energy used by the Chaos Cult, the people they were going against.
And it wasn't just any energy; it seemed to have the power to increase one's battle strength.
This increase wasn't small, but by a whole rank.
An energy that could boost your power not by a little but by a whole rank?
It was quite frankly absurd, especially since the wall that stumped rank 3, which was rank 4, could be passed without any effort.
Even Aria and Ren would find it hard to fight a rank 4 head-on, even if they were rank 3. If they manage to find exactly what caused this increase in strength, they might also be able to use that increase for themselves.
The pair couldn't help but smile at the thought as they made their way back to the mansion,
Or at least they tried to.
While walking in a dimmer part of the streets, the two found themselves surrounded by thugs, one of whom threw a cliché line.
"Give us your money, and we'll let you go."
The two were being robbed!