Chapter 3

Where's this?

I'm conscious, but there's only darkness in front of me.

My whole body seems to be wrapped up by something...as if it's floating...

Maybe a stone sauna? No, it's different.

Having never experienced walking though space or having my hands and feet bound, I was thrown into a situation that I can't really describe well.

『Hello! Everybody! Good evening, [Chaos]!』

I can hear the voice of an excited girl.

『I'm sure you have many questions, but wait for another 10 hours, okay!? Well then, see ya~』

Then the girl's voice vanished suddenly.

After that I could hear the girl's voice every hour.

"Wait another 9 hours for the details! Wait another 8 hours!" Unchanging content with just the hour count decreasing.

Having said that, I appreciated that voice in that situation. A state where I was conscious even though I couldn't move my body and see nothing. Experiencing one minute as an hour and one hour as a day, my mind was close to breaking. I'm pretty sure I would have gone crazy if I waited 10 hours in an absolute nothingness.

And finally I hear the voice saying, "Wait one more hour!"

In one hour I will finally be freed from what might very well be called soul prison.

◆

『I made you wait~! Oh? Some people have broken. Don't mind!』

The usual voice of the girl emits words that are different from usual. She's still excited, but what she said was quite nasty.

『Everyone from [Chaos], I will have you help in the creation of this new world! Since all of you are people loving freedom and chaos, you're flexible enough for that, right!?』

Loving freedom is something I understand. Probably everyone loves freedom more than being shackled down. But, loving chaos? What's that about? In the first place, the term chaos isn't used in everyday's life, so I'm not aware of it.

『Aaaaaaaah!? Listen to my words first!! Gununu...it's only natural for things to turn out like this with [Chaos] that loves freedom and chaos.』

The girl's voice is tinged with madness.

『Okay! I got it! I understand! I planned to explain it at the end, but...I will explain the reason and the phenomenon that happened to all of you.』

Although I can't sense them nor see them, the people of [Chaos] , who are probably around me, likely keep barraging the girl with questions, guessing from her words.

『First, the phenomenon that took place is — the [World Salvation Project]! Hah? Too cryptic? Wait 'till I finish~!』

The girl's voice gradually fills with anger.

『Umm, you know, your world is falling apart, or in other words, it will collapse in about 20 years!』

Eh? it's not a hundred years? 20 years? I will be 38 years old...

『Eh? You're troubled? Yeah, yeah, I'm also troubled! Hence, to avoid that collapse, it's time for the [World Salvation Project]! To be more precise, the current world, or better, you humans are completely useless! Gosh, really no good at all! A dwindling birthrate alongside an aging population? Make children! Pollution? Use your damned brains! No motivation? Haa? What are you living for?』

The girl's angry voice accelerates.

『In reality I planned to quietly watch the collapse, but...since I also harbor the sentiment, They grew up to this point at great pains, riiight?, I decided I will help you out just this one time! By the way, do all of you know the period of time when humans do their very best?』

The time when we do our very best?

I think back on my own life.

— Studying for the university entry exam?

『Time's over! There are plenty of idiots among you! The percentage of those who were correct is an unexpected 23%! Love? No way! You hadn't had a single girlfriend in your life, right?! Taking an exam? You simply enrolled to a university that you had chosen as it suited you, didn't you!? Work? You only followed the orders of your boss, right!?』

The girl's bitter words continue.

『Oops, sorryyy, I digressed. Since it's a bother, I will announce the correct answer! The time when you humans do your very best is — during strife.』

Strife?

『When you humans hold out — evolve the most is the time when you're fighting against something. Yes! It's the time when you go to war!』

I remember having heard that technology advanced drastically during war.

『The runner-up is eroticism, I guess? You humans are reaaally incorrigible perverts. Gah, I'm digressing again. So, I will have you humans evolve in order to save this world! Having said that, your technological prowess advanced a bit too much, I think? Moreover, in the wrong direction. If you ask what's wrong, it's nuclear weapons! Those are definitely bad! Normally it would have been fine for me to ask you to have wars, but in that case your society, no, this planet will be destroyed in the blink of an eye.』

The girl's voice is painted with rage.

『At this rate your society will slowly collapse if you were to keep on stagnating. On the other hand, if you started to war with each other, the world will be annihilated in no time.』

The girl announces two conclusions that can be summarized with the term Bad End.

『Thus! What will completely resolve the current problem is — the [World Salvation Project].』

As I asked before, what's that [World Salvation Project]?

『Let me explain! The [World Salvation Project] is a project that splits all humanity into [Law], [Neutral] and [Chaos] and has those factions fight each other! To be precise, the ones who are going to fight each other are [Law] and [Chaos]. [Neutral] are the humans that ignored my precious proposal from the get-go, or in other words, incorrigible opportunists.』

—? What is she saying? Fight each other?

The current me is [Chaos] . In short, she's telling me to fight against the [Law] humans, starting with tomorrow?

What's the point? For the sake of rescuing the world? Hah? That's quite ambiguous, isn't it?

『It's alright! I have laid out proper groundwork! You will only have to kill the [Law] humans that come attacking you!』

Eh? What? We will be attacked? Moreover, kill the [Law] humans?

Together with the [Chaos] humans whose face I don't even know?

『Sorry, sorry. Your fellow [Chaos] members aren't your allies. All the [Chaos] humans present here will fight against each other as well, okay?』

That's too cryptic. I will be attacked by the [Law] humans and I don't have any allies either?

『Oh, that's quite a lot of questions... Hmm, I wonder, what should I answer first...? Right! First off, humans that have the aptitude [Chaos] like you guys are the minority. At this rate it would become quite one-sided, which is undesirable for humanity's evolution. Therefore - as a little handicap - I explained the details of the [World Salvation Project] to you first, and I will give you powerful abilities that are slightly stronger than those of the [Law] humans.』

The girl's topic changes. I wonder, is she being pressed by a flood of questions from the [Chaos] people?

『Aaaaaaaah!? For starters you have to strengthen your own Domain! Defend! After that you just have to steal the Domains of others by using your Kin! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?』 1

Do you understand? 2 As if I coooooooould!

With that being said, the [Chaos] humans (though I can't perceive them) posed one question after the other to the girl, and the details of the [World Salvation Project] gradually became clear.

◆

Afterwards the question and answer session repeated itself, lasting for several hours.

By the way, since the girl didn't reveal her name, I decided to call her Mastermind.

As for what I could grasp about the [World Salvation Project]—

① The humans of this world have been categorized into the three aptitudes: [Law], [Chaos] and [Neutral].

② [Law] and [Chaos] will fight each other. The world will be saved by making humanity evolve. Honestly said, that part is still unclear.

③ [Chaos] humans will possess a Domain. The [Law] humans will come invading the Domains. If the [True Core], located in the innermost area of the Domain, is stolen by [Law] humans, the Domain will be liberated. If it's stolen by a [Chaos] member, the Domain itself will be stolen.

Imagining the details explained by the Mastermind, the [Chaos] humans are beings similar to demon kings or dungeon masters, and the [Law] humans are like heroes.

④ If all the Domains have been liberated or are dominated by a [Chaos] human, the [World Salvation Project] will come to an end.

As supplement—

① It's a far too important element to label as supplement, but the [Chaos] humans will lose all their memories of other people from before becoming [Chaos]. Moreover, the [Law] humans will lack any memories about the people that became [Chaos].

To put it simply, you can also rephrase that as the [Chaos] humans having their own existences erased.

According to the Mastermind—『That will allow you to fight each other without any hesitations, correct?』

② The humans that have [Chaos] as aptitude are in the minority. To be precise, they seem to make up 0,02% of all humanity. At this point you can't call it a minority anymore. By the way, the total population of the world right now is approximately 5 billion people. If you use that as calculation basis, the number of [Chaos] humans amounts to one million.

③ If the [Law] and [Neutral] humans don't liberate Domains, they will inevitably go extinct due to food shortage. It appears that they will come attacking in desperation.

④ The [Law] humans will be informed about the details of the [World Salvation Project] in one month. Until that time, all humans can't invade the Domains of other people.

As for the elements with uncertain meaning—

I heard the explanation, but it's a list of elements that are impossible to understand.

② The introduction of principles of a destroyed world. I was told about various things with unknown terms, but simply put, magic-like, special abilities are usable. You will grow if you defeat an opponent. This trait is shared among [Chaos] and [Law]. Only [Chaos] will grow even if their subordinates defeat opponents.

[Neutral]? According to the Mastermind —『I won't bother with humans that don't listen to my words.』

③ Modern weapons apparently won't have any effect against [Chaos] humans and their subordinates.

And lastly, as important element—

『I optimized the principles of the destroyed world so that they can be controlled by you guys! Well, to put it simply, I installed an exclusive application on your smartphone, so check it out』

Apparently I should take a look at my smarthphone once I get out of this strange space.

And then, the Mastermind's last words:

『Now then, I will forcibly evolve you next! You have no right for veto. Well, do your best to save the world~. Fight!』

With the casual tone of the girl ending—my consciousness once again sank into nothingness.

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