SSS-Rank Extra: I Got a Chaos System-Chapter 44: Night Trouble.

A sharp ding! rang out as system notifications unraveled with mechanical precision.

A translucent blue screen shimmered into view above Kazuki’s field of vision.

[Mission: Emergency Class Seal Reclamation]

[Mission Name: Seal of the Abyss: Stabilize the Construct]

[Rank: B — Completed]

[Please wait a few hours. Rewards are being calculated...]

More notifications followed in quick succession:

[Soul Recovery: Complete]

[Note: Sustaining regular soul damage may result in permanent degradation.]

Kazuki’s vision wavered. For a heartbeat, the edges of the system screen pulsed an ominous red—then faded back to their usual calm azure.

His knees buckled. He caught himself against the twisted bark of a nearby tree, breathing heavily.

[Curse of the Abyss Acquired.]

[New Trait Unlocked: [Abyssborne]]

[Status Update: Abyssborne]

[Condition: Incomplete Abyssal Integration]

[Corruption Level: 3% (Stable)]

[Warning: Further exposure may accelerate corruption.]

[Immediate purification recommended.]

This is it.

Kazuki glanced down at his cursed right hand, then back at the hovering status screen.

’Abyssborne’ trait, huh...

What does that even mean? And how am I supposed to purify it?

He tapped the corner of the screen, prompting it to expand:

[Trait: Abyssborne]

Status: Incomplete Integration

Description: You have survived direct contact with a fragment of the Abyss. The mark alters your essence, granting resistance to eldritch influence and perception of spatial distortions.

Passives:– Soul Resilience increased.– You are now considered a "Liminal Entity" by Abyssal creatures.

Warning: Trait is unstable. Further integration may unlock abilities — or lead to irreversible transformation.

Purification Method: [DATA CORRUPTED]

Alternative: Seek a [Soul-Warden], [Temple of the First Light], or a [Witch of the Pale Veil] for external cleansing.

Kazuki frowned.

Soul-Warden? Temple of the First Light? Witch of the Pale Veil?

Who are they? Where would I even start?

He stared at the floating interface, half-expecting it to answer. Of course, it didn’t. The system had a knack for being cryptic when it mattered most.

The thought of telling Lillan crossed his mind——but he dismissed it almost immediately.

No. Not yet. It’d be too sudden... too much.

With a sigh, he shoved his cursed hand into his pocket.

"Then what do I do... just wander around aimlessly until I stumble across one of them?"

He let the question hang in the silence, unanswered.

Finally, he exhaled and rubbed his eyes. "I’ll deal with it tomorrow..."

His shoulders sagged as the adrenaline drained from his body, leaving only exhaustion in its wake.

"For now," he muttered, voice low, "let me just... get some sleep."

He had just settled his head against the branch, allowing his body to sink into the tree’s cradling roots when the stillness of the forest shattered. The underbrush cracked—sharp, abrupt—followed by hurried footsteps slicing through the quiet.

His instincts kicked in instantly. He jolted upright, muscles tense.

"Kazuki!" Lillan burst into view, breath coming in ragged gasps.

"We have to go," she said urgently, her voice tight.

She didn’t wait for him to respond. Grabbing his arm, she pulled him to his feet, eyes scanning their surroundings with growing unease.

Kazuki blinked, still groggy from his earlier ordeal. "What happened?"

Lillan’s gaze darted, her expression hardening. "I think I heard footsteps. Not sure... but they were faint, almost as if someone—or something—was trying to move without being noticed."

Kazuki’s brow furrowed. The last remnants of exhaustion drained away, replaced by the weight of the threat now hanging in the air. "Are you sure it wasn’t just some animal?" he asked, voice low but laced with caution.

She looked him in the eye as if she couldn’t believe him. "Kazuki, we are just a few steps away from that wicked place. What kind of animal would be here?"

"Right..." Kazuki murmured, his heart rate picking up as his senses sharpened. "So, what are we dealing with here? You think someone’s tracking us?"

Lillan replied, her voice steady but tinged with a trace of unease. "I don’t know about that. It could be just another one of those zombies, but let’s just get out of here first... this place gives me the chills."

Kazuki nodded, swallowing the knot that had formed in his throat. "Alright, let’s go."

He didn’t need to be told twice. His body tensed with a mixture of fear and instinct, ready to move, to run, but also to stand his ground if something dared to approach. He followed Lillan as she led them deeper into the forest, weaving through the thick underbrush with practiced ease. The air was thick with tension, every crack of a twig or rustle of leaves sounding like the footstep of something far more dangerous than a mere animal.

"Kazuki, stay close," Lillan murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

The forest seemed to stretch endlessly before them, the path narrowing as they moved deeper into its heart. The trees loomed overhead, their twisted branches reaching like gnarled hands, casting long shadows that danced in the faint moonlight.

Then, without warning, a low growl shattered the silence.

It came from the front, a deep, guttural growl that sent a chill straight down Kazuki’s spine

"Is this it?" he whispered, his voice taut with tension.

Lillan’s face tightened, her eyes narrowing as she listened carefully. The growl echoed again, rising in pitch, almost as if it were testing the air, searching for prey. She shook her head, her expression grim.

"No," she replied quietly. "This sounds like a monster. Not the sound that I heard."

Lillan turned quickly, her hand grabbing Kazuki’s arm and pulling him off the path. "We need to go around it. Stay low, and move quickly."

Kazuki nodded, his heart pounding in his chest. He followed her without hesitation, weaving through the thick underbrush, trying to avoid making noise.

They crouched behind a massive boulder, its rough surface cold against Kazuki’s palms as he pressed himself flat against it. He could still hear the growl, now more distinct, echoing closer with every passing second.

Lillan peered around the rock, her gaze focused.

Suddenly, a deep growl just ahead of them leaped above the boulder, vibrating through the air like a low rumble of thunder.

A massive shadow loomed, a hulking form descended, its eyes glowing with a feral hunger.

Kazuki’s heart pounded in his chest. He whipped his head around and saw more figures emerging from the underbrush—sleek, wolf-like creatures, their angular teeth sharp and gleaming in the faint moonlight. Their bodies were coated in dark fur that shimmered with a strange, unnatural sheen, as though they were born from the very shadows themselves.

"Damn, Night Sliver Wolves," Lillan muttered under her breath, her eyes narrowing as the massive shadow of the lead wolf passed mere feet from them.

"Kazuki," she whispered, "We can’t fight them, at least I can’t. I also think you aren’t in any shape to either."

Mana shimmered faintly around Kazuki’s left arm, flickering like a dying ember.

His breathing was shallow, a twinge of pain gnawing at his ribs from the residual damage of the Abyssal Seal. The energy felt weak, almost reluctant to flow, but it responded nonetheless. With a soft ripple in the air, the dagger materialized before his eyes.

[Hydra’s Fang Dagger]

Kazuki gripped the dagger, his hand steady despite the unease thrumming through him. He glanced down at the cursed arm.

"You bet," he murmured, his voice low.

She, eyeing the wolves, said, "Okay, then we both run. I want you to throw your egg bomb spell... to distract them."

Kazuki hesitated for a split second, then nodded grimly. "Got it."

...low and guttural, the wolves stalked in a tightening spiral. Their sleek, obsidian fur shimmered in the moonlight, muscles rippling beneath the surface like liquid shadow. Claws dug into the forest floor with each slow, deliberate step.

Lillan did a countdown.

"Three... two... one—"

The wolves leapt.

The alpha’s howl pierced the night, a bone-chilling sound that reverberated through the forest like a war drum. All at once, the pack sprang forward—six shadows lunging through the air in perfect, deadly synchronization.

But Lillan was faster.

She twisted mid-step, arms snapping forward as three jagged ice shards formed in the air and shot out like bullets. They hit with brutal precision—two wolves yelped, their momentum broken, and the third staggered, blood spraying from a wound across its flank.

The split-second opening was all they needed.

Kazuki and Lillan burst from behind the boulder, feet slamming into the forest floor. They ran, hard. The world narrowed to the rhythmic crash of their footfalls and the pounding of blood in their ears.

Behind them, chaos erupted. The alpha wolf snarled, furious, rallying its injured pack with a series of guttural commands. Shadows lunged through the smoke and ice, gaining speed.

Branches whipped at their faces, the ground slick and uneven beneath them. Kazuki’s vision blurred for a second—he hadn’t fully recovered. His ribs ached with every breath, and his cursed arm throbbed like it had a heartbeat of its own.

"Right side!" Lillan shouted.

A wolf emerged from the thicket to their flank, bounding low and fast. Without hesitation, Kazuki spun mid-run, throwing out a flicker of magic.