Klein's Wrath Mode transformed him into something terrifying. His movements became purely instinctive, powered by rage rather than technique.He smashed through Drake's ice constructs like they were paper. Each punch left craters in the arena floor. His chaos energy ran wild, destabilizing reality itself around him.Drake tried to maintain his True Winter state, but Klein's overwhelming power forced him to focus on defense."Impossible," Drake muttered, creating ice barriers as fast as Klein destroyed them. "A Level fifteen shouldn't have this much power—"Klein's fist broke through and connected with Drake's chest again, this time with enough force to crack ribs.Drake was sent flying, crashing through his own ice cathedral and into the arena wall.The crowd was screaming now, but Klein barely registered the sound. There was only the fight, the rage, the need to destroy the enemy in front of him.Drake pulled himself from the rubble, coughing blood. For the first time, Klein saw actu

The downtown gate was massive—larger than any Klein had seen except the one that released Reactan in the outline he'd glimpsed in Storm's memories."This is bad," Seris said as they arrived. Other guilds were already assembling. "A-rank gates don't usually appear in populated areas."The portal pulsed with sickly purple energy. Klein's chaos sensitivity screamed warnings."Something's wrong with this gate," Klein said. "The energy signature is... corrupted.""Corrupted how?" Boomer asked."Like the dragon we fought. But worse."The Council representative on site—a stern woman named Director Moss—gathered all the guild leaders."Preliminary scans show this gate is unstable," she announced. "It could rupture at any moment. We need to clear it immediately before that happens.""How many teams?" Vax asked."All of you. We're sending in every available System Bearer. This is too dangerous to take chances."Klein found himself assigned to a mixed team: Seris, Vax, Kira, Marcus, and three fi

The underground fighting circuit operated in abandoned warehouses and forgotten industrial complexes. Finn guided Klein through a maze of darkened streets to a nondescript building on the city's outskirts."Remember," Finn said, "no System Bearer identifiers, no real names. You'll need a mask and a fighting name."Klein had prepared both. His mask was simple black metal that covered the upper half of his face. His fighting name was "Chaos.""Subtle," Finn said dryly.Inside, the warehouse was packed with people—fighters and spectators alike. The air smelled of sweat, alcohol, and blood.A makeshift arena dominated the center, surrounded by cheering crowds. Klein's chaos sensitivity detected dozens of System Bearers, their power signatures creating a complex web."Sign-ups are over there," Finn pointed to a table where a scarred woman was collecting entry fees. "Five thousand credits to enter, winner takes seventy percent of the pot."Klein paid the fee and registered as "Chaos."The w

Klein spent the next morning catching up on things he'd neglected during his observation period. One of those things was checking in properly with Mara.He found her in the guild's library, surrounded by books on system theory and practical magic."Studying hard?" Klein asked, sitting across from her.Mara looked up, her eyes tired but excited. "Big brother! Look at this."She showed him a notebook filled with complex diagrams and formulas."I've been researching my Support Weaver system," she explained. "Everyone said it was weak because it can't deal direct damage. But that's not true—it's just specialized differently."Klein examined her notes. They were surprisingly sophisticated."What did you figure out?""My system doesn't just buff people—it creates connections between System Bearers. I can link multiple people together, letting them share information, coordinate attacks perfectly, even redistribute damage across the group so no single person takes a lethal hit."Klein's eyes

Klein spent three days recovering in a hotel in Sydney before the team flew back. The S-rank gate had taken more out of everyone than they'd admit.During the flight home, Seris received an encrypted message on her tablet. Her expression darkened as she read."Problem?" Klein asked."Possibly." Seris showed him the message—it was from the Council, marked urgent. "There's been a discovery. During a routine B-rank gate clear, a team found... irregularities.""What kind of irregularities?""Artificial system fragments implanted in monsters. Someone is deliberately modifying dungeon creatures."Klein felt cold despite the plane's warm cabin. "Like what the Syndicate was doing?""Similar, but more sophisticated. The Council wants us to investigate as soon as we return."Back at Titan's Fist, Klein barely had time to unpack before being called to an emergency meeting.Boomer, Seris, and several other guild leaders sat around a conference table. Holographic displays showed images of the modi