SSS-Rank Extra: I Got a Chaos System-Chapter 22: Into the Storm, Out of the Fire

Kazuki awoke to the distinct sensation of something very, very wrong.

First, he was warm—too warm, like he'd been stuffed into a furnace overnight. Second, there was something heavy draped over him. Third, and most concerning, there was a deep, rumbling sound that definitely wasn't snoring.

Slowly, carefully, he cracked one eye open.

Glowing amber eyes stared back at him.

Kazuki froze.

The dragon was awake.

It wasn't moving, not yet, but its head was tilted slightly, studying him with an unnervingly intelligent gaze. Smoke curled lazily from its nostrils, its massive body still coiled in the cave's shadows.

"Uh..." Kazuki's mind short-circuited. "Good morning?"

The dragon exhaled, a blast of hot air washing over him.

Lillian stirred beside him, mumbling something incoherent. Still half-asleep, she nuzzled closer, using his shoulder as a pillow. Kazuki would've appreciated the moment—if not for the impending threat of being roasted alive.

Very, very slowly, he reached over and tapped Lillian's arm.

She swatted at his hand. "Five more minutes..."

Kazuki paled as the dragon shifted, its gaze flicking toward Lillian.

Oh, they were so dead.

The dragon's throat rumbled. A second later, it reared its head back—

Kazuki didn't wait to see what happened next.

[Skill Activated: Feathered Footwork]

In an instant, his body moved on pure instinct. He yanked Lillian up, tossed her over his shoulder, and bolted for the cave entrance.

Lillian, now very much awake, shouted, "WHAT THE HELL—?!"

A deafening ROAR shook the cavern, dust and pebbles raining from above. Kazuki swore under his breath as he skidded across the damp stone floor. The dragon lunged, its molten eyes burning like twin suns.

Lillian twisted in his grip, her palm snapping up—

[Skill Activated: Frostbite]

A blast of ice shot from her fingertips, coating the ground in a slick, glittering sheet. Jagged spikes erupted between them and the dragon, forcing it to halt. It snarled, steam hissing where the ice met its scales.

Kazuki didn't stick around to see if it was angry or just mildly inconvenienced. He sprinted past the barrier, Lillian finally breaking free from his hold and landing on her feet beside him.

They stumbled into the storm outside, rain still pouring in thick sheets.

Heart pounding, Kazuki risked a glance over his shoulder.

The dragon growled low, watching them from behind the ice. Its massive body shifted, its long tail flicking once—but it didn't move to pursue.

Kazuki gulped. "Okay. Okay. That could've been worse."

Lillian shot him a glare. "You carried me like a sack of potatoes!"

"You're welcome!" he shot back.

Lillian exhaled sharply, pushing drenched hair out of her face. Then, after a moment, she muttered, "It didn't chase us."

Kazuki blinked, glancing back again. Sure enough, the dragon remained in its cave, exhaling smoke but making no move to follow.

"...Maybe it wasn't hungry?" Kazuki offered weakly.

Lillian gave him a deadpan look. "Or maybe it was too confused by a moron throwing me over his shoulder and sprinting away like an idiot."

Kazuki grinned. "Hey, it worked, didn't it?"

She sighed, rubbing her temples. "I hate that you're not wrong."

Kazuki stretched, cracking his neck. "So, new plan: No more caves. Ever."

Lillian groaned. "We're gonna die out here."

Thunder rumbled overhead. Kazuki shoved his hands in his pockets and sighed. "Well, at least we didn't—"

A familiar chime echoed in his mind.

[System Message: Congratulations! You have survived a close encounter with a high-ranking beast! ]

[Reward: +1 Luck. Try not to push it next time.]

Kazuki scowled. "Oh, NOW you're giving me luck? Real helpful."

Lillian shot him a suspicious look. "Kazuki... are you talking to the air again?"

"...No?"

She groaned louder. "I hate my life."

Kazuki grinned. "C'mon, let's find a place where we won't get eaten."

Together, they trudged into the storm.

The storm raged on as Kazuki and Lillian trudged through the soaked forest, their boots squelching in the mud. The dragon encounter had left them rattled, exhausted, and—most annoyingly—still without a proper place to rest.

Lillian pulled her cloak tighter around herself, shivering. "This is the worst day of my life."

Kazuki, hands shoved into his pockets, glanced at her with a smirk. "Come on, that can't be true. What about the time you—"

"Don't," she warned.

Kazuki held up his hands in surrender, grinning. "Alright, alright."

The trees stretched endlessly around them, the thick foliage making it hard to tell where they were actually going. The rain had washed away any clear trails, and the wind howled through the branches like some unseen monster.

Kazuki sighed. "We need a plan. A real one. Preferably one that doesn't involve getting eaten."

Lillian muttered, "For once, I agree."

A chime echoed in Kazuki's head.

[System Quest: Escape the Cursed Woods]

Objective: Find a way out before nightfall.

Follow curr𝒆nt nov𝒆ls on fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com.

Hint: If you hear whispers, run.

Kazuki paled. "...What?"

Lillian narrowed her eyes. "What now?"

Kazuki gulped. "The system just gave me a quest."

She raised an eyebrow. "And?"

He hesitated. "...The hint says if we hear whispers, we should run."

Silence.

Lillian's expression darkened. "...That's not ominous at all."

Thunder cracked overhead. Kazuki let out a slow breath. "Okay. New priority: Get the hell out of here before we hear any creepy whispers."

Lillian nodded. "Agreed."

The two picked up their pace, weaving through the tangled undergrowth. But as the rain poured, as the wind howled—

A faint whisper brushed against Kazuki's ear.

His heart stopped.

Lillian stiffened beside him.

They turned to each other.

"...You heard that too, right?" Kazuki whispered.

Lillian nodded, her hand tightening around wet clothes. "Run."

They ran.

As they burst out of the dense, rain-soaked forest, Kazuki and Lillian stumbled onto a dirt path. The trees thinned behind them, and in the distance, they spotted the faint glow of lanterns.

A village. A small one, nestled at the forest's edge.

Kazuki doubled over, hands on his knees, gasping for breath. "Okay... we made it."

Lillian wasn't much better, though she at least managed to glare at him between breaths. "Never... doing that... again."

The whispers had stopped the moment they left deeper part of the forest. Whatever had been chasing them—if anything had been chasing them—hadn't followed past the trees.

Kazuki straightened, glancing toward the village. Wooden houses lined a muddy road, and a few dim lights flickered in the windows. It looked quiet, almost too quiet.

Lillian wiped rain from her face. "Think they'll let us stay the night?"

Kazuki sighed, already dreading the next conversation. "Only one way to find out."

With that, they trudged toward the village, hoping for shelter—and praying they hadn't traded one nightmare for another.