2026-02-12 23:57:57Ethan lay back on his bed, phone in hand, letting the ceiling fan hum quietly above him. Beside him, Emily slept soundly, the blanket pulled up to her shoulders. She had chosen to rest here after the events of the past day, trusting him implicitly. That trust, carefully cultivated, was more valuable than any weapon.
He opened his status window. Name: Ethan Jones Title: Villain: The Grand Instigator Class: Instigator Level: 1 HP: 100/100 MP: 2/50 Skills: WHISPERED PROVOCATION (E), SEED OF DISCORD (E), FALSE NARRATIVE (E), CHAIN REACTION (E), SMOKESCREEN TRUTH (E), READ THE ROOM (E), PANIC SPREAD (E), PUPPETEER (E) STRENGTH: 8 AGILITY: 10 VITALITY: 10 INTELLIGENCE: 5 Current Stat Points: 5 "Put all my stat points into Intelligence." he muttered, activating the decision in the system. DINGGGG!!! Name: Ethan Jones Title: Villain: The Grand Instigator Class: Instigator Level: 1 HP: 100/100 MP: 2/50 → 100/100 STRENGTH: 8 AGILITY: 10 VITALITY: 10 INTELLIGENCE: 5 → 10 Current Stat Points: 5 → 0 "Perfect." he said calmly, his eyes gleaming faintly. "More mana, more options. Let's see how strong PUPPETEER will become once it grows." Three weeks remained until the predicted invasion. He already had a solid foundation. But he knew the System wasn't there to spoon-feed him. Its rewards were purely performance-based. Every action had to count. Every step had to be deliberate. DINGG!!! The title effects appeared. Title Effect: Strength increases based on the scale of chaos indirectly caused by you. Chaos. The word made his chest tighten with anticipation. "Can I get stat points for the chaos I create?" he muttered aloud. DINGGG! System: YES. DINGGG! DING! The details appeared. System: Stat points are awarded based on the number of people affected. Analyze, act, and only then will rewards be given. He nodded. Indirect influence could earn him points. But true mastery required personal execution. "Heh… chaos? You came to the right person~" he said softly, voice even, eyes glinting with anticipation. Ethan picked up his phone and activated SMOKESCREEN TRUTH (E). MP Cost: 12 Cooldown: 40 seconds Proficiency: 0.40% Description: Conceal your involvement in recent events, making it difficult to trace actions back to you. Name: Ethan Jones Title: Villain: The Grand Instigator Class: Instigator Level: 1 HP: 100/100 MP: 100/100 → 88/100 He created a new account with no picture, no identifying info. The name: "SEER CLASS AWAKENER." He posted a warning to the public: I AM A PLAYER WITH A SEER CLASS AND A HIGH RANK S+ SKILL. ONE OF THE AWAKENED HAS AN EVIL CLASS. BEWARE! THIS PLAYER WILL SPREAD CHAOS AND POTENTIALLY ENDANGER THE WORLD. UPDATES WILL FOLLOW. Within seconds, the post went viral. Comments flooded in: "MyMilkShakeIsJuicy: WHAT? SEER CLASS FR?" "WHOTOUCHEDMYCAKE: Nice one, clout chaser." "PoopOnMySlippers: THERE'S A HIDDEN CLASS? AND WHAT? S+ RANK SKILL? DIDN'T THEY SAY THE HIGHEST WAS S-RANK?" "PrettyBlonde: Duh, obviously... Didn't they say thousands of people were sent back? There's obviously a rare class. Idiots." "DingDongMF: Fr, I got Tank, but it's not listed on the class billboard." "Hackergdjugyy: I tried tracing him. I even used my Tracker Spell, and he really can't be traced! What the hell? Isn't that just too OP?" The discussions and shares exploded almost instantly. The chaos was instantaneous. Guild leaders panicked. Conspiracy threads multiplied. Players accused each other. Paranoia spreads faster than any fact. Ethan leaned back on the bed, lips curling slightly. He didn't need to touch anything personally yet—the fear and confusion were enough. But he could feel the system watching, evaluating, and measuring. He switched to his main account and added a subtle comment: "ItAintRacistIfItsTrue: I just saw a guy kill someone, and then he changed into that person's face. Are you perhaps talking about that person? I didn't see his face clearly since I ran away using my Shadow Step skill... I'm an Assassin class." Before posting, he activated SMOKESCREEN TRUTH (E) again. MP Cost: 12 Cooldown: 40 seconds Proficiency: 1% Name: Ethan Jones Title: Villain: The Grand Instigator Class: Instigator Level: 1 HP: 100/100 MP: 68/100 → 56/100 Post sent. Within seconds, the thread exploded again. Fear spreads faster than facts. And I just gave them a monster to imagine. "CrimsonFlower: WHATTT? WTF? A SHAPE-SHIFTER???? WHERE ARE YOU FROM? I GOTTA FLY FAR AWAY FROM THAT COUNTRY!" "TenaciousTentacles: Another clout chaser?" "DoomedEarth: Better to believe him than be sorry when you get backstabbed lolololol." "SourGrapes: fr fr." "AllMenAreLiars: I'm sure it's a man again." The replies multiplied by the second. The forum exploded again. Fear and suspicion multiplied. Players began accusing each other. Any illusion, disguise, or shapeshifting skill drew attention. Paranoia was fertile ground. He had planted a forest fire and watched it spread from the comfort of his bed. Then he turned his attention inward. "Now calculate the chaos I've caused." he muttered. DINGGG! A holographic panel appeared. System: You caused confusion. Doubt has taken root. Trust will be harder to form. The greater the division, the more successful future infiltration will be. System: Converting rewards to stat points… DINGGG! System: Indirect chaos is valuable but less impactful than personally executed events. Reward reduced by 50%. Ethan's lips curled into a small, satisfied smile. "So the System values personal involvement?" he said softly. "Does it want me to get my hands dirty? Fine. That's even better." Excitement replaced his irritation. "Next time...." he muttered, voice calm but fierce, "I'll make it personal." And with that, he leaned back, watching Emily sleep, knowing that every emotional tether he had built only increased his future leverage. She trusted him. Believed in him. Was loyal to him. Everything was perfect.
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Chapter 10: GHOST SWAMP
The discussion with Vlad had just ended.Ethan was about to leave.Then—DINGGG!!![WARNING: PENALTY FOR REFUSING THE QUEST IS OCCURING!][FORCEFULLY TRANSPORTING THE USER IN ANOTHER DIMENSION!]“What—”The office around him distorted.The walls stretched upward like melting wax. The floor blurred beneath his feet. The lights flickered violently before shattering into fragments of white.For one weightless second, he felt like he was falling without moving.Then—Cold.His shoes sank into something wet.The smell hit him instantly. Rotting water. Mud. Something dead lingering in the air.The office was gone.He stood in the middle of a swamp.Dark water spread endlessly in every direction. No land. No path. Just black, unmoving water reflecting a gray, lifeless sky. Dead trees rose from the swamp like broken bones, their branches thin and twisted.His brows pulled together.His heartbeat stopped.It genuinely stopped for a split second, like his body didn’t know how to react.Then it
Chapter 9: His Own Route
DINGGGG!!![THE SYSTEM IS ANALYZING YOUR ACTIONS AND POSSIBLE ROUTE][ANALYZING...][ANALYSIS COMPLETE][You have been rewarded stat points for your action.]Reward: 5 stat pointsCurrent stat points: 13 → 18Ethan's gaze paused for a fraction of a second as the familiar translucent screen appeared before him.Possible route?His fingers tapped lightly against the armrest, though his expression remained calm as he continued listening to Vlad speak.Inside, however, his mind was already moving."Show me the possible route."[POSSIBLE ROUTE IS BEING SHOWN]RECOMMENDATIONS:Media DirectorHidden Benefit: Influence public perception, alter reputations, and control narrative flow across large groups.RecruiterHidden Benefit: Identify, secure, and cultivate high-value individuals into loyal assets.Public Affairs SpeakerHidden Benefit: Guide emotional responses, redirect blame, and shape organizational decisions through controlled messaging.Personal recommendation: Public Affairs Speaker
Chapter 8: Awakened Association
When he left, a familiar chime echoed in my head.DING!!!"CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOU HAVE BEEN REWARDED 10 STAT POINTS!"Current Stat Points: 13I let out a quiet breath."Ohh… so you understood my plan." I murmured with a faint smile.But this time, I didn't allocate the points."From now on, I'll stockpile them. Three weeks… I'll prepare properly."In an apocalypse, alliances were temporary. Promises were fragile. Systems could be manipulated.But raw, personal strength?That was absolute.In the end, you could only rely on yourself.Taking out my phone, I sent a message to Emily:I met the association leader earlier, babe. We're heading to their headquarters tomorrow to sign the contract. See you tomorrow! I miss you!The pieces were falling into place.And I intended to be the one holding the board.Exactly at 7 a.m., with the morning sun just beginning to warm the quiet streets and the city still shaking off its drowsiness, I was already outside Emily's own apartment, leaning casual
Chapter 7: Dancing within my palm
A loud laugh burst through the quiet parking lot."HAHAHAHAHA! I DIDN'T THINK I'D GET FOUND OUT LIKE THIS! HAHAHAHA!"The sound echoed against the concrete pillars, sharp and grating. It immediately irritated me.The empty space in front of me began to distort. Light bent unnaturally, like heat rising from asphalt. Then a figure slowly revealed himself.A tall blonde man with a buzz cut stepped forward. Broad shoulders. Thick neck. A body that looked built for breaking bones. His posture was relaxed, but there was nothing careless about him."Don't worry." he said after finishing his laughter, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "I'm not here to fight.""Then who are you?" I asked flatly."I was patrolling the vicinity when I suddenly felt something… watching me." His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at me. "When I followed that feeling, I found you."So he noticed.He didn't know about the Status Window itself—but he sensed the moment I scanned him.Troublesome.Before I cou
Chapter 6: Hidden threat?
I stepped out of the shower, letting the cold water wash away the sweat from earlier. My thoughts were calm and calculated, always running several steps ahead. Emily was already awake, sitting at the edge of the bed with the blanket loosely draped around her shoulders.I approached her slowly, keeping my expression soft and warm. "Good morning. Why don't you rest a bit longer?" I asked gently.She looked up and smiled faintly, rubbing her eyes. "I… I guess I could. But you woke me up with all that noise." she teased lightly.I crouched slightly and patted her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you. I just wanted to make sure you're okay." Every word was carefully measured. Calm. Caring. Trust-building.She nodded, reassured. I allowed a small smile to creep onto my face, inwardly noting the subtle cues: the way her shoulders relaxed, the slight upward curve of her lips. Trust gained. Emotional attachment strengthened.She hesitated for a moment. "Yes. I got scouted yesterd
Chapter 5: Spreading Chaos
Ethan lay back on his bed, phone in hand, letting the ceiling fan hum quietly above him. Beside him, Emily slept soundly, the blanket pulled up to her shoulders. She had chosen to rest here after the events of the past day, trusting him implicitly. That trust, carefully cultivated, was more valuable than any weapon.He opened his status window.Name: Ethan JonesTitle: Villain: The Grand InstigatorClass: InstigatorLevel: 1HP: 100/100MP: 2/50Skills: WHISPERED PROVOCATION (E), SEED OF DISCORD (E), FALSE NARRATIVE (E), CHAIN REACTION (E), SMOKESCREEN TRUTH (E), READ THE ROOM (E), PANIC SPREAD (E), PUPPETEER (E)STRENGTH: 8AGILITY: 10VITALITY: 10INTELLIGENCE: 5Current Stat Points: 5"Put all my stat points into Intelligence." he muttered, activating the decision in the system.DINGGGG!!!Name: Ethan JonesTitle: Villain: The Grand InstigatorClass: InstigatorLevel: 1HP: 100/100MP: 2/50 → 100/100STRENGTH: 8AGILITY: 10VITALITY: 10INTELLIGENCE: 5 → 10Current Stat Points: 5 →
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