[Activating Skill: Reinforcing Chaos (EX)]

It's one of the skills Russell received upon becoming the Mediator of Chaos through the Seed of Chaos he sought based on his knowledge through his unpublished novel, and the Symbol of Night which changed his professions; from general Swordsman, Summoner, and Reaper.

According to the skill details, as the Mediator of Chaos, Russell was able to reinforce or transfer Chaos Aura from within his body and soul, but its effects vary depending on cases which were either the target has the Chaos trait or not.

Based on what Russell remembered, if he uses the Skill: Reinforcing Chaos to targets with Chaos trait, they would receive a boost in overall stats. It's the alternative to his Unique Skill: Chaos Buff which became fixed in giving additional stats to 150 points per target.

But if the target didn't possess the Chaos trait, just like what Sir Emmanuel Lyncoster and maybe his research team already encountered, they would become an Abomination.

At this moment, Russell — who wrapped around his arms through Markim and Harold's necks, which were slightly distracted from the earthquake that the Spade Cross of Penitence caused — emitted a dark blue aura from within his entire body, but this time, it wasn't concealed by his Nihility trait.

Markim's and Harold's eyes dilated at the sight, and reflexively pushed away Russell from a few meters away, but it was already too late.

Although they didn't know what was the dark blue aura that came out of Russell's body that touched their necks through Russell's palm, which entered their skin, they felt an indescribable chill that suddenly turned into horror after some time.

After an unknown period of time, the earthquake that Amelie caused suddenly stopped as though it quickly finished its desired intention for its purpose of occurrence, then Russell, who fell backwardly and slammed his back through one of the infrastructures as he reached his limit heard a womanly voice in his head.

<Russell, I'm done here, I'll be there quickly.>

Russell — who was bleeding from his head which was slammed by Harold, and through his lower abdomen, and stomach — didn't manage to reply as he was completely tired of thinking about anything, his pain receptors throughout his body seemed to work nonstop.

He just silently watched with exhausted eyes that were passed through by blood the horror that was happening in front of him, a couple of meters away.

Markim and Harold staggered, looking at Russell with frightened expressions, not because they initially feared him, but rather because the dark blue aura that came out of Russell's body that sneakily entered their skin through their necks started to manifest itself within their incompatible bodies.

The chances of using the Reinforcing Chaos against enemies, especially with intelligence, and a high rank were extremely low, and might be almost impossible. Russell also knew, that although Chaos Aura was extremely potent, if one was exposed mildly, its effects would rather be weak, but still deadly. It's only a matter of how long the affected target would survive, and what would the change be in them.

As of this moment, Russell — who used for the first time the Reinforcing Chaos skill — saw the Chaos Aura's manifestation through Markim and Harold's bodies.

Even he, felt an indescribable chill and repulsion at the sight laid bare in front of him.

...

"Russell!"

Amelie shouted with deep concern in her voice as soon as she arrived at the center area of the underground facility, and saw Russell with a pool of blood while leaning his back into something metal.

She also noticed the former Markim and Harold which caused her mind to turn blank upon thoroughly looking at the figures standing a few meters away from Russell, they were crying in excruciating pain, but their words became gibberish.

But without completely processing what just happened in this place, she quickly approached Russell — who was on the verge of losing consciousness. Then she pointed her Staff of the Lost Shade (Growth) to Russell's abdomen and used the Dark Heal (Unholy) skill on him.

Soon, a small dark magic circle with a mix of dirty white colors overlapped with Russell's abdomen, closing the wounds that he have.

"Cough-! Cough-!"

Russell cough a mouthful of blood as he opened his eyes wide and clear, he then saw Amelie, and his mind was turning lucid as he regained some of his health and strength.

Amelie saw Russell, who stood up, then she didn't ask if he was alright because she knew within that he was already fine, but rather she asked him as she looked at the figures of Markim and Harold, who were still transforming into something indescribable.

"What happened to them? It's disgusting as hell."

Amelie looked at the two transforming figures which could be described as something alien.

"It's the effect if the Chaos Aura entered a body without the Chaos trait."

Russell answered seriously as he watched, feeling repugnant, the slow transformation of Markim and Harold.

Amelie was silent for a moment as soon as she heard Russell's answer, then after pondering for some time, her lips curled up as she said with a smile on her face.

Amelie's expression caused Russell to feel a chill run down his back.

"Can I finish them off?"

Although Russell was confused at first, he gave his permission in the end by nodding his head in response. Although Markim and Harold became something abnormal through Chaos Aura spreading inside their bodies, they're still alive at this moment, and probably would completely become mindless horrific monsters that would attack anyone in their sights.

"Thank you, Russell."historical

Amelie bowed her head to Russell which made him uncomfortable, before proceeding to walk, slowly approaching Markim and Harold.

After a few seconds, she inspected the entire body of the two figures.

"It's freaking ugly."

She muttered, but Russell heard her words.

Markim's body at this moment contained eyes, numerous eyes which some didn't have a pupil, only white.

There were pair of eyes on his forehead, on his lips, then there was a black thumb that protruded through his tongue.

Some arms protruded from his shoulders. These arms also contained numerous eyes, but also mouths with a black thumb on each of their tongues.

It's the same thing that happened in Harold. They were conscious, but they were probably feeling that they wanted to die at this very moment.

Amelie inspected the two, specifically their Status Window that changed.

[Activating Skill; Eye of the Darkest Spade (EX)]

...

[Abomination]

A non-Chaos thing that was corrupted by Chaos Aura.

They were the subject of slaughter.

...

Strangely, they didn't contain much information, even their stats seems hidden or they didn't exist at all upon transformation.

"Well, it's not that I care...

"Any last words?"

Amelie said, pointing her staff at Markim's neck whose pairs of eyes darted around aimlessly. Then Markim's original mouth, prior to him becoming an Abomination, opened weakly, he looked at Amelie and then at Russell before he enigmatically said while stuttering...

"W-wh-who i-is m-mo-mother?"

...

"Thank you for your existence."

Amelie said with curled-up lips to Markim and Harold as she brushed off Markim's enigmatic words, and didn't give Harold a chance to say anything as she thrust forward her staff with its spade-shaped tip dyed with her blood with the dark property.

Amelie each stabbed them through their chest, destroying their hearts, and truly killing them.

[The Staff of the Lost Shade (Growth) has been used to kill an Abomination.]

[The Staff of the Lost Shade's growth increases.]

[2/100 Abominations have been exterminated to rank up the Staff of the Lost Shade from Normal to Rare.]

At that moment, the Staff of the Lost Spade emitted a majestic, pure, dark aura and enveloped the bodies of Markim and Harold which were sucked to the spade-shaped tip of the staff as though its blackness suddenly contained deepness on it.

...

"What was that?"

Russell asked in curiosity as he didn't know what just happened. It's an 'Unknown Element' for him considering he didn't know the existence of the Lady of Shaded Spade as 'She' wasn't in his unpublished novel.

"It's a tip given to me by my Constellation on how to rank up this weapon."

Amelie said with a smile, and Russell didn't pry any further as he knew that there were private communications that could happen anytime between a Constellation and a player under a contract.

"By the way, do you have Maya's contact number, right?"

Russell asked Amelie to which she nodded in response. She asked for Maya's contact number before they went to this place.

"Alright, let's leave now. We can't let the other people here see us, and we don't have memory manipulation skills for them to forget our faces or whatever happened here. Just contact Maya and tell her we'd be waiting for her."

Amelie nodded in response, then she opened the Spade Warp with its end-point located at Maya's apartment a few blocks away from Player General Store.

"Wait..."

Russell said as he looked at Amelie before he asked something.

Amelie nodded in response to Russell's question with a grin.

Then after some time, the two entered through the Spade Warp and vanished instantly.

...

A few minutes after Russell and Amelie disappeared, Maya, with her parents whom she didn't see for years, along with other 998 prisoners or force-to-be slaves gradually saw the scene at the center of the underground facility. The blazing fire that Markim caused was still engulfing some of the wide areas, but there were no other people aside from them.

Although they were confused, each of them listened to Maya's words as her shout reverberated.

"An accident happened here! It's our chance to escape! Let's go!"

Along with her words, she read the message she received from Amelie, who instructed her to do some things to wrap up the incident.

Maya's father and mother couldn't believe how much their daughter grew over the past years as they blankly stared but gladly listen to Maya who was leading the slaves who are now free.

After some time, other players within the victims started to volunteer in arranging the others who still seemed confused, fearful, and anxious at the sudden circumstances they were thrown into.

Maya lead them to the Emergency Exit where the bodies of 50 employees and four wardens that Amelie massacred were scattered on the ground. Even Maya, who saw the small, dark cross that protruded from their bodies retches at the sight, but as this was the moment of truth for her, to completely send away the victims far from this place including her lost, but now found, family, she didn't stop her pace and continued to traverse one of the wide hallways leading to the Emergency Exit.

The victims also composed themselves and brushed off the image of the cryptic scene, and followed suit.

...

"Don't report it to the authorities!"

Maya said loudly while standing behind the Emergency Exit which caused murmurs to spread around, but her next words seemed to hit them in the head which made them agree to what Maya just said.

"Even if you are forcefully signed into a slave contract, it's still a contract that can be used against you, and some of you, if not all, probably knew about the identity of the owner of this underground facility... That is sufficient that reporting it would rather be detrimental than beneficial...

"Forget justice at this moment, but rather wait for the opportunity that might come in the future! I know that what I'm saying is something uncertain... it's still up to all of you to decide what you would do when you leave here."

Maya looked around the wide hallway that could accommodate the 998 victims which were composed of elderly, teens, and even kids in their 12 or 13. It's a truly shocking sight as Maya clenched her fist unknowingly because of the wickedness committed in this wretched place.

"Thank you...!"

"Thank you for saving us!"

Maya's thoughts were cut off as she heard the collective gratefulness of the people to which she responded with a nod with a smile on her face. Then, she opened the door of the Emergency Exit that's at least 6 meters in horizontal length, and 8 meters in height.

She, her parents, and some volunteers guide the others to the exit. These people saw the forested surroundings, howling with the cold wind in this deep of the night.

It's different from the certain restaurant where Russell, Amelie, and Maya entered through to access the underground facility.

...

After an unknown period of time, almost everyone left and walked their own ways.

Maya looked and silently read again at the last instruction that Amelie ordered her to do.

'We left three carts of Urum mineral at the central area... Use them to blow up the facility...'