Alden — POV
The match had ended.
The final strike, the clash of wills, the silence that followed—it was all already behind us. The crowd was still roaring, voices overlapping in disbelief and awe, but to me it sounded distant, like waves crashing against a shore I was no longer standing on.
Alisia walked a step ahead of me, her posture calm, her expression composed. The champion's mantle rested on her shoulders naturally, as if it had always belonged there. I followed beside her, sword sheathed, body exhausted, mind strangely clear.
For a brief moment, I thought that was it.
That the tournament would close like a book, its final page neatly written.
Then—
The world screamed.
A thunderous explosion tore through the air outside the arena, violent enough to rattle the stone beneath our feet. The ground shook. The sky itself seemed to rupture as a jagged portal ripped open above the outer stands—an ugly wound in reality, oozing black-red light.
And from it—
They poured out.
Demons.
Thousands of them.
A tide of twisted forms surged forward, wings beating, claws scraping, mouths howling with hunger and malice. The scent of blood and corruption flooded the air in an instant.
People screamed.
The orderly crowd dissolved into chaos. Nobles stumbled over their own robes, commoners pushed and shoved, children cried as parents dragged them away. Some froze where they stood, faces pale, minds breaking under sheer terror. Others weren't fast enough.
A demon leapt into the stands, claws ripping through flesh. Blood sprayed across white stone. A woman collapsed without a sound. Another man tried to run and was torn apart mid-step.
Chaos filled the arena.
I slowly reached for my sword.
There was no rush in my movement. No hesitation either. Just inevitability.
Mana surged through my body, stars answering my call as if they had been waiting for this excuse.
I raised my blade and spoke—not aloud, but with intent.
[STELLAR MANA AUTHORITY — DECREE OF THE ASTRAL THRONE]
The world obeyed.
Light descended like judgment. Invisible pressure crushed downward, and entire swathes of demons were erased mid-flight, their bodies collapsing into dust before they even understood what had happened. Others screamed as their limbs shattered, bones pulverized under an authority that did not acknowledge resistance.
But the numbers—
They did not stop.
More demons poured through the portal, crawling over the corpses of their own kind, uncaring, relentless.
From the elevated seats, SS-rankers finally moved.
The air tore apart as terrifying presences descended into the battlefield. Blades flashed. Spells detonated. Entire sections of the demon swarm vanished under overwhelming force. Several SS-rankers shot straight toward the portal, their auras flaring as they began dismantling the breach itself.
Still—
The damage was already done.
People lay dead.
Others lay broken.
The screams did not stop.
I clicked my tongue.
My face remained expressionless.
Heroes would charge forward, driven by rage or duty.
I was not a hero.
I turned.
Not toward the demons.
But toward the city beyond the arena.
Toward a direction only I could sense.
The coordinates burned faintly in my perception, clearer than they had ever been before—like a star finally aligning.
At the same time, I could feel it.
Demons spreading through the city.
More portals. Smaller ones. Hidden ones.
A coordinated invasion.
I exhaled slowly.
"…Perfect timing," I murmured.
Did I care that people were being hurt?
No.
Did I care that demons might flood the city?
Also no.
I was not their savior. I had never pretended to be. If this attack had come now, of all times, then it was nothing more than an opportunity—one handed to me by the cruelty of the world itself.
Besides—
The SS-rankers were here.
They would handle it.
Guilt was unnecessary.
I activated my skill.
[VOID-STEP]
The arena vanished.
The world blurred as space folded beneath my feet, and I reappeared far beyond the battlefield, already moving at impossible speed. My body leaned forward, mana reinforcing muscle and bone as I ran—faster than sound, faster than fear.
Wind screamed past my ears.
Buildings became streaks of color.
The city fell behind me as the coordinates pulled me onward, deeper, farther, into a region untouched by the chaos behind me.
Minutes passed.
Then—
I slowed.
A tree stood before me.
That was all.
A perfectly ordinary tree. Thick trunk. Healthy leaves. Roots embedded naturally into the soil. No cave. No ruin. No portal. No visible mana fluctuation.
I frowned.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
I circled it once, scanning with every sense I had. Nothing. It looked so mundane it was almost insulting.
"Did the rune finally rot my brain?" I muttered.
No.
That wasn't possible.
The coordinates had led me correctly before—to the tournament island itself. They were precise. Absolute.
I reached out and touched the bark.
My hand passed through.
Like water.
I froze.
Then stepped forward—
And crossed into another world.
The moment I entered, fresh air flooded my lungs, impossibly pure and vibrant. The sky stretched endlessly above me, a brilliant blue unmarred by clouds. Rolling fields of green extended in all directions, dotted with towering trees and strange, luminous flora.
It was beautiful.
Unnaturally so.
Even I—someone who rarely reacted to scenery—felt a subtle sense of satisfaction settle into my chest.
Then—
[DING!]
[Host has entered the Garden of Chaos.]
I blinked.
"…Chaos?" I echoed.
The word barely left my mouth when the world answered.
A massive root burst from the ground beside me, snapping through the air with terrifying speed. I twisted instinctively, barely avoiding it as it shattered the ground where I had been standing.
My heart skipped a beat.
The surrounding trees began to move.
Roots erupted from the earth in every direction, lashing out like serpents. Branches creaked and twisted, bending toward me with malicious intent.
I jumped back, dodging narrowly as a root grazed my shoulder, tearing fabric and flesh alike.
Blood welled instantly.
"Tch—!"
The ground shook.
Fruits fell from the trees—large, heavy, glowing faintly.
They hit the earth—
And exploded.
The blast threw me backward, pain tearing through my ribs as I skidded across the grass. I rolled, barely regaining my footing as another barrage of fruits rained down toward me.
"What the hell?!" I shouted, genuine disbelief breaking through my composure. "How am I supposed to deal with this?!"
[DING!]
[Mission: Survive the Garden of Chaos.]
[Reward: Unknown.]
My expression darkened.
"…You didn't even include a time limit," I muttered. "That's just rude."
I unsheathed my sword.
The blade hummed softly as void-aligned mana wrapped around it.
[VOID-WALKER SWORDSMANSHIP — SEVERANCE]
I slashed.
The attack cleaved through multiple trees in a single arc, trunks splitting cleanly as they collapsed.
For half a second—
I thought it worked.
Then the severed trees began to move.
Wood knitted itself back together. Bark reformed. Roots burrowed deeper, healing at a speed that made my stomach sink.
"…Regeneration," I said quietly.
I clicked my tongue and shifted tactics, channeling darker energy into my blade.
Corruption bled into the cut.
This time, when I struck, the trees' regeneration slowed—blackened scars spreading where my sword passed.
Good.
But not enough.
I ran.
Dodging roots, leaping over explosions, weaving through attacks with growing strain. My mana reserves were already low—my battle with Alisia had drained far more than I liked to admit.
After what felt like an eternity, the attacks lessened.
I slowed, breathing hard.
"…Finally."
The area I had reached was eerily calm. No moving trees. No exploding fruit. Just silence.
I straightened—
And the ground trembled.
Stone rose.
Earth shifted.
A massive humanoid form pulled itself free from the soil—a towering golem of rock and dirt, its eyes glowing faintly as it swung a colossal fist toward me.
I barely blocked.
The impact sent me flying, bones screaming in protest as I slammed into the ground.
Before I could recover—
Another golem emerged.
Then another.
Then dozens.
Then hundreds.
I stared at the forming army, chest heaving, blood dripping from my lip.
For a moment—
I laughed.
A quiet, broken sound.
"…It really is a beautiful place," I murmured.
I pushed myself to my feet, gripping my sword tightly.
My vision sharpened.
My thoughts accelerated.
Growth Acceleration activated, perception expanding, tactics forming faster than conscious thought. Movements became clearer. Patterns emerged.
If this place was chaos—
Then I would learn its rules.
Mana surged.
I raised my blade.
"Let's dance," I said softly.
And charged.
The battle began—
And the Garden answered.