Chapter 191: Chaos’s Gift, A Game Between Gods

This news gave the woman an even greater shock than the news about Atlas privately performing the Engraving earlier.

“But if that happens... wouldn’t it affect the inheritance of the future...”

“It doesn’t matter anymore.”

The man interrupted her, his tone filled with deep exhaustion.

“I don’t wish for anyone in the future to walk that kind of fate ever again.”

“Let all tragedies end with us.”

At that moment, from atop a towering mountain piercing through the clouds in the distance, a long and heavy bell chime suddenly rang out.

“Someone has completed a new Legacy again. Let’s go see the Sage and check the situation.”

The entire sleeping city was instantly awakened by that grand bell.

Looking down from above the city, countless lights connected together like stars, all rapidly moving toward the mountain.

Atlas also turned around, preparing to leave the tall tower.

Only the woman remained standing there, her gaze complicated as she looked at Atlas’s broad back.

“You’re the Hero who leads everyone...”

“And didn’t we promise that even in death, we would reunite in the Hall of Valor in the end...”

As the woman’s words fell, Lance’s consciousness suddenly experienced an intense sensation of falling.

The entire historical scene shattered apart like broken glass, and he returned to his own body once more.

【Class Advancement Complete…】

So the Pale Sentinel he had obtained was actually a class exclusive to one of the previous Heroes.

But...

But why was it that within the historical records of this continent—

Among all the Heroes, there wasn’t a single person named Atlas?

And who exactly was that sweet woman who fought alongside Atlas?

What was that mysterious place called the Hall of Valor they mentioned?

Could it have some hidden connection with the Heroic Spirit Baptism ritual Uncle Ryan once casually mentioned?

And where exactly was the Gate of the Dead Kingdom?

Just by completing a single Class Advancement Ritual—

Countless new questions exploded wildly in Lance’s mind.

Could it be that the hidden depths of this world ran far deeper than he had ever imagined?

However, in the next second, he forcibly suppressed these distracting thoughts and shifted all his attention to his newly transformed body.

Lance could clearly feel that his body had become completely different.

And now, as long as he concentrated slightly, he could vaguely sense another wondrous and mysterious world.

That place was the depths of this world, the realm scholars called the Astral Realm.

At this moment, his body felt as though it had been soaking in an Aether Pool the entire time.

After completing Class Advancement, his body’s affinity toward Aether Energy had increased tremendously, as though even his breathing had become closer to the world itself.

Just as he was still excitedly exploring these bodily changes—

And was preparing to open the System Panel in his mind to check the concrete changes in his data—

He suddenly sensed some kind of call coming from within the Astral Realm.

【Special Hidden Sub-instance Triggered: Chaos’s Gift】

【Sub-instance Nature: Game Between Gods (Astral Projection)】

【Sub-instance Rank: Unknown (Direct Divine Territory)】

【Sub-instance Objective: Accept the gaze of the God of Rebellion, Chaos, and participate in a “Best-of-Three” game.】

【System is analyzing reward gradients and difficulty ratings…】

【Participant (0 Wins): Complete all matches. Difficulty Rating: Easy】

【Reward: Basic Divine Gift】

【Breaker (Win 1 Match): Forcefully win a single match under the rules established by the god. Difficulty Rating: Difficult】

【Reward: Advanced Divine Gift】

【Rebel (Win the Entire Game): Defeat a god in a best-of-three match. Difficulty Rating: ??? (Total historical achievers across the continent: 0)】

【Reward: Unknown… perhaps the achievement itself is already a reward?】

【Special Warning: This is an unfair contest of intelligence and rules. Violence holds no meaning here. Please prepare yourself.】

【This Sub-instance is absolutely safe】

The gifts bestowed by other righteous gods during rituals were all directly delivered into the Source Furnace during the Class Advancement process.

He had not expected Chaos’s gift to arrive late in the form of a Sub-instance invitation after the Class Advancement had already concluded.

This meant that the gift of this god did not affect foundational Source Traits, but instead possessed a different reward mechanism altogether.

Since it was a gift personally bestowed by a god, there naturally wouldn’t be any danger to his life.

Without any hesitation, Lance directly accepted the mysterious call coming from the Astral Realm.

Inside the attic in reality—

Ryan watched as the mighty Red Dragon phantom behind Lance gradually faded away.

This indicated that the Aether Furnace’s energy circulation had already been completed. As long as the Class Information was Engraved next, the boy would completely finish his Class Advancement.

And what happened next was the true centerpiece of today’s ritual.

Sure enough, as the dragon phantom completely disappeared—

Ryan suddenly sensed an energy surging forth from within the Astral Realm.

This energy was covered with countless brilliant starlights, as though someone had forcibly torn off a corner of the galaxy from the night sky.

Then this miniature galaxy gently draped itself over Lance’s body.

It was as though his entire body had begun sparkling with silver light.

Yet under the illumination of that intense radiance, the outline of his body became increasingly illusory.

Upon seeing this scene, Ryan couldn’t help but burst into hearty laughter.

He could already imagine how the old comrades from the Black Iron Directorate would be driven mad with rage after learning about this.

The appearance of this illusory state in Lance’s body—

Clearly proved that he had successfully accepted Chaos’s invitation to participate in that game belonging to the gods.

This was a special blessing that Chaos only bestowed upon believers during the Day of Reversal, and across the entire continent, there was only one such slot each year.

Within the training camp known as the “Kennel” inside the Black Iron Directorate—

Every year on the Day of Reversal, which was also the day those elite young hounds were released from the cage—

All the newcomers would undergo Class Advancement through Chaos’s ritual.

Yet among them, only the genius with the highest potential, strongest combat ability, and most outstanding overall qualities—

Had a chance to receive the gaze of favor cast down by Chaos.

And every year, the young hound fortunate enough to receive Chaos’s invitation—

Would naturally become the lead wolf of that year’s newcomers, receiving the concentrated cultivation of the Black Iron Directorate’s core resources.

Back then, Ryan had climbed his way upward step by step through exactly this process.

And he too had once been fortunate enough to participate in the game arranged by Chaos.

However, recalling the experience of being toyed with by a god back then, the old soldier still couldn’t help blushing in embarrassment.

Because in that intelligence-based game, he had been utterly defeated, not winning even a single round.

Yet despite such a miserable defeat—

After the game ended, he had still received an exceptionally generous reward from Chaos.

Back then, he had directly obtained two full freely distributable Base Attributes out of thin air.

At that stage, that was a very real and practical benefit.

As for ordinary believers who weren’t chosen by Chaos, although they could still receive the god’s standard blessing after the ritual, they would only obtain a pitiful single freely distributable attribute point.

But even if it was only one point—

Compared to the bonuses granted by other righteous gods, the rewards given by this god who governed rebellion were far more generous and practical.

Chaos would play an unfair best-of-three game with every person who entered the Astral Realm to challenge him.

And according to all the records within the Black Iron Directorate—

Up until now, not a single genius had ever truly defeated Chaos in this game.

The highest historical record seemed to be someone who had merely been lucky enough to win one round.

And when facing the malicious sense of humor of a god—

Only by properly utilizing one’s own Source Traits could there be any chance of turning the tables.