Chapter 20: Chaos and Chains of the psychotic
The air was tense.
The chained assassin stood on the platform, surrounded by heavily armed P.S.A. officers. Her hands were bound by a glowing artifact that pulsed with red energy, sealing her powers. The crowd whispered and filmed with their phones, thinking they were watching justice happen.
Kelvin didn't move at first. He just watched in silence — eyes calm, unreadable, cold.
Mia looked up at him, confused.
"Uh… Kelvin, why are you—"
But Kelvin was already walking forward.
The officers instantly noticed. One of them stepped out, raising a hand. "Sir! You can't come any closer! Step back immediately!"
Kelvin didn't even blink.
"Sir, I said st—"
Before the officer could finish, Kelvin moved.
One punch.
A single, clean hit that sent the armored man flying sideways like a broken doll, crashing through a metal post and disappearing into a wall of smoke.
The crowd screamed.
Kelvin kept walking.
The other P.S.A. soldiers drew their weapons — long, glowing spears and energy blades that buzzed with power. Their gears were high-grade — the kind used by elite B-rank agents. The way they moved, calm but coordinated, showed they were trained professionals. They surrounded Kelvin from all sides.
One officer yelled, "He's a threat! Engage!"
That was their mistake.
Five of them lunged at once, blades slashing through the air.
Kelvin didn't bother dodging. His eyes glowed faintly as he whispered:
[(Skill) Mind Action – Activated]
[(Skill) Stat Swap – 60% Strength / 40% Agility]
Time seemed to slow down.
He twisted, blocking the first spear with his bare hand, the metal shaft vibrating under his grip. Then he used that same spear like a whip, dragging its owner into two others, knocking all three to the ground. Sparks lit up the air as his movements blurred.
The fourth officer tried to stab him from behind — but Kelvin vanished. A faint ripple of light appeared in the air, and Kelvin reappeared beside him, elbowing the man in the neck and sending him tumbling unconscious.
By the time the dust settled, seven armored officers lay groaning on the ground, gears cracked, armor dented — but alive.
Kelvin stood quietly, lowering his arm.
Up on the platform, the chained woman laughed — a mad, musical sound.
"Oooh," she said with a wide grin, "This is fun."
The guard beside her turned in panic, pointing his weapon. Before he could fire, a glowing arrow shot through the air, hitting his arm.
"Nice shot," Kelvin muttered.
Mia stood on the railing above, bow raised, another arrow already drawn. "You're welcome!"
The assassin looked at her with a smirk. "Guess I'm getting saved by a pretty little bird."
"Less talking, more running," Mia shot back.
The two of them moved quickly. Mia grabbed the woman's arm and started dragging her away from the collapsing platform as the crowd scattered. Sirens blared in the background — backup troops already moving in.
Kelvin's voice echoed through the chaos. "Head for the dungeon gate!"
Mia nodded and pulled the assassin toward a corridor that led deeper into the dungeon gate.
"Why are you saving me?" the assassin asked as they ran, half-laughing, half-gasping. "I'm supposed to be public enemy number one."
Mia didn't even look at her. "I don't know. The man in the hood told me to."
The assassin snorted. "That's crazy."
They disappeared into the shadows of the old subway tunnels.
Meanwhile, Kelvin was still facing the second wave of P.S.A. officers.
Dozens of them surrounded him, all with high-tech rifles that fired condensed plasma. The floor hummed as they charged their weapons.
Kelvin cracked his neck.
[(Stat Swap – (30%) All Stats to Agility)]
He blurred. The soldiers fired, beams flashing across the room, but Kelvin was already gone — appearing between them like a phantom. His fists moved faster than sound, each strike breaking armor plates and weapons clean in half. Sparks filled the air, mixing with the smell of burning metal.
Within seconds, the entire squad was down.
Kelvin dusted his coat and turned toward the direction Mia had gone.
"Too slow," he muttered — then vanished, sprinting through the air like wind made solid.
Inside the tunnel, Mia and the assassin ran through flickering lights. The sound of sirens echoed behind them.
"You know," the assassin said breathlessly, "most people run away from me, not with me."
"Trust me," Mia replied, "I'm not enjoying this."
"Aw, don't be so serious. You might wrinkle that cute face."
"Stop talk..," Mia hissed.
Before Mia could respond, a blur of movement appeared beside them.
Kelvin landed silently, his coat fluttering slightly from the wind.
The assassin grinned. "Hey scary" she said to Kelvin. "I heard from your girl — You know me but I don't think I've seen you around.... So it's likely you knew me from my videos hmm..." she said while giving Kelvin a wink and a smile. " You know what mean eh-ehh"
Kelvin didn't respond and kept running.
"Ohh wow playing hard to get eh" she teased and continue " I like people who play hard to get and also strong Alfa male with many harem like you—am pretty sure that's why you saved.."
"If you don't shut up, I will kill you now" Kelvin said in a cold murderous face.
"Ooh I'm wet". she said and stop talking while they continue to run into corners and mia kept wondering why Kelvin would save such a person
They dashed through broken corridors until they reached a maintenance exit that opened into a dark alley. Kelvin stopped and finally turned to face the chained woman.
"Hold still."
He grabbed the artifact chains binding her hands. Energy sparked violently as he pressed both palms against the red metal.
[(Skill) Mind Action – Reverse Pulse]
A shockwave rippled through the chains, cracking them like glass until they shattered completely.The pieces fell to the ground, fading into dust.
"So how many children do you want us to have 2...3...4 ..."
Kelvin instead give a deadly steer of murderous oral from his eyes but she didn't feel any fear.
"Oh so you don't want to have any children you just want to have fun with us then."
she said as she pointed at Mia "So is she your first— you know or do you have more of them waiting for you at home."
Kelvin ignored her tone. "You can leave or follow. Your choice. But if you come with us, you follow my orders."
She tilted her head. "Orders? Hah. You talk like one of those P.S.A. dogs."
Kelvin's eyes sharpened. "They were going to use you again. Same way they did before."
That made her pause. "Oh… so you know about that."
Mia blinked, confused. "Wait, what's he talking about?"
Kelvin's voice turned low. "In my past…"
He stopped himself — then rephrased. "She was trained to be an assassin from a young age. The government captured her, injected her with drugs, and turned her into a weapon. She killed hundreds — not because she wanted to, but because the government and the system forced her."
Mia looked stunned. "That's… horrible."
The assassin just shrugged. "Are you some kind of mind reader or one of them dreamers."
Kelvin stared at her coldly. "You're free now. Don't waste it."
She smiled faintly. "Hmm. You're interesting. Cold eyes, calm voice… I like that."
Kelvin turned to leave. "We're done here. Mia, let's go."
But before he could take a step, the assassin moved — leaning close with a teasing smirk. "You know I could be useful to you in so many ways you can imagine."
Kelvin stopped, giving her one look. "Touch me, and you'll regret it."
"Okay Daddy," she said with a laugh, raising her hands.
Kelvin could see a faint purple light flickered over her fingertips — a sign of her ability. His aura immediately flared, the air around him vibrating with pressure. The woman's grin widened.
"Relax," she said cheerfully. "I'll keep my hands to myself… for now."
Kelvin thought is his mind.
"Lilith a dangerous assassin in my past life with an A-rank ability that enhances one's psychological emotional state. Using it to seduce or make Someone feel all the pain of his/her entire life in seconds"
The three of them left the city before more reinforcements arrived.
The next portal shimmered ahead — the gate to Level 12.
[Entering Level 12: The Echo Mines]
[Objective: Purge the Infected Workers]
As soon as they entered, the air turned heavy. The place was a maze of tunnels, filled with sounds of groaning beast and crawling things in the dark.
Kelvin drew his blade. "Stay sharp."
From the shadows, humanoid figures emerged — miners with cracked helmets and glowing red eyes, their bodies twitching unnaturally. Metal tendrils grew out of their backs like roots.
Mia aimed her bow. "Are those… people?"
"They used to be," Kelvin said. "Now they're system puppets."
The first wave rushed in. Kelvin charged ahead, slicing through with brutal precision. His blade cut clean lines through armor and cables. Sparks flew. Each motion was efficient, controlled — almost surgical.
The assassin — still smiling — walked calmly beside him, stretching her fingers.
"Mind if I play a little?"
"Just don't get in the way," Kelvin said.
She touched the air — and everything around her shook.
Invisible energy spread like ripples through water. The infected miners froze mid-charge, clutching their heads as if struck by invisible agony. Some screamed, others started laughing hysterically. Their emotions went wild, tearing them apart from the inside.
Mia's eyes widened. "What… what did she do?"
Kelvin replied flatly, "She triggers people's strongest emotions with touch — fear, sorrow, madness. Even machines react to it."
The assassin laughed. "You make it sound scary. I just like messing with people's hearts."
"Exactly," Kelvin muttered.
Together, the three tore through Level 12. The assassin — now finally introducing herself mid-battle — shouted over the noise, "By the way, name's Lyra! But you can keep calling me The Psychopath if that makes you comfortable!"
"Works for me," Kelvin said, kicking a monster into a wall.
---
By the time they reached the core chamber, the tunnels were collapsing. The last infected creature — a giant miner fused with drills and metal arms — roared and charged.
Mia took aim, but Lyra stepped forward, grinning. "My turn."
She dashed forward, touching the monster's chest with both hands. Purple light erupted — and the creature suddenly froze, shaking violently. It began hitting itself, smashing its own metal arms apart while screaming in pure confusion.
Kelvin took the chance, jumping high and slicing down with a strike that split the monster in two.
The explosion that followed shook the whole mine.
> [Level 12 Cleared]
[Reward: +700 Points / +400 Diamonds]
They barely caught their breath before stepping through the next gate — Level 13.
---
> [Level 13: The Sky Ruins]
[Objective: Defeat the Guardian Constructs]
The world around them opened up into floating ruins suspended in the sky — platforms of stone and light hovering endlessly. Mechanical golems patrolled every corner, glowing with ancient runes.
"Whoa," Mia whispered. "This is beautiful… and terrifying."
"Focus," Kelvin said. "They attack in sync."
The first guardian leaped from above, sword raised. Kelvin parried it mid-air, the shockwave shaking the platform. Lyra followed up by snapping her fingers — purple shockwaves rippling out, making three other golems crash into each other.
"See?" she laughed. "I'm helpful!"
Mia covered the gaps with rapid-fire arrows, each glowing with silver light. The sky lit up with explosions and falling debris.
Kelvin shifted again —
> [(Stat Swap – 40% Strength / 40% Intelligence → 80% Agility)]
He blurred between platforms, cutting through the guardians one after another like lightning.
The final guardian, twice the size of the rest, appeared at the center platform. It raised its massive blade glowing blue.
Kelvin landed in front of it, silent.
Mia and Lyra stood behind him, ready.
"Together," Kelvin said.
"Finally," Lyra smirked.
"Let's end this," Mia added.
The battle that followed shook the entire ruin. Arrows streaked through the air, Lyra's energy waves distorted the guardian's vision, and Kelvin's blade pierced its chest in one final flash.
When the light faded, only silence remained.
> [Level 13 Cleared]
[Reward: +900 Points / +600 Diamonds]
[Team Synergy Bonus: +300 Points]
Mia collapsed on the ground, laughing breathlessly. "We… actually did it."
Lyra flopped beside her, grinning like a maniac. "I like this group. We should kill things more often."
Kelvin sheathed his sword. "We're moving on soon. Rest while you can."
Lyra tilted her head, studying him. "You're not like most people, you know that?"
Kelvin didn't respond. He looked ahead at the next glowing portal — cold, focused, unshaken.
In his mind, he thought quietly:
> "Two new allies. One with potential, one with chaos.
Both unpredictable.
The System won't know what hit it."