Chapter Seventeen: Law of Chaos

The sunlight streaming through the window onto Chu Yun seemed to grow even more intense. A wealth of new knowledge flooded his mind, and his body began to undergo subtle, unfamiliar changes.

“Could it be transmitting knowledge to me through gravitational waves or something similar?”

“No, it can’t be that simple. Perhaps the Mage’s Encampment isn’t even in this world or this universe.”

As he pondered, a series of notifications appeared before his eyes.

[Congratulations! You have received the ‘Chaotic Neutral Encampment’ Growth Blessing! Remain true to your beliefs, and reach for the stars and the abyss!]

[Encampment Blessing ‘Elder’s Care’: All attributes +1]

[Encampment Blessing ‘Law of Chaos’: Distorts spellcasting rules, forcibly elevating a cast spell by one tier; cooldown: 24 hours.]

[Encampment Blessing ‘Law of Neutrality’: Regardless of the target’s alignment, additional experience will be granted based on their virtue or wickedness after a kill.]

[Encampment Blessing ‘Earth Beacon’: The traveler who longs for home will one day cross the stars and return in glory (can be activated upon reaching the tenth tier).]

[Kind reminder: Your next blessing will be unlocked when your Mage level reaches Lv5.]

Chu Yun looked again at his personal panel. With the attribute increase, both his health and mental strength had risen slightly. This improvement would continue to have a lasting effect as his level increased.

Name: Chu Yun
Class: Wandering Mage Lv2 (2/600)
Encampment: Chaotic Neutral
Health: 19/19
Spirit: 10/21
Attributes: Strength 16, Agility 20, Constitution 16, Intelligence 18, Perception 17, Charisma 19
Legendary Skill: Lord of the Mirror Realm 1
Basic Abilities: Meditation Lv3, Spell Identification Lv2, Riding Lv1, Architecture & Engineering Knowledge Lv7, Deception Lv3
Class Skills: Burning Hands 1, Miracle Berry 1, Arcane Burst 0, Mending 0
Extra Skill: Berserk 0
Personal Expertise: Gamer

Class Traits: Free Scholar, Law of Chaos, Law of Neutrality, Polearm Mastery
Skill Points: 6
Equipped Items: Gold x19, Rusty Dagger, Earth Beacon, etc.

He still had 6 skill points available for enhancing his basic abilities, which could be raised to a maximum of three levels above his current class level. Meditation was currently the most crucial skill, as it accelerated the recovery of mental strength. So Chu Yun spent 3 points to raise Meditation to Lv4.

With the remaining points, he improved Spell Identification and Riding by one level each. Although he was not a knight, travel in this world would inevitably require riding, making it a very practical skill.

The Law of Chaos and Law of Neutrality were innate rewards from his encampment; different encampments received different laws. The Law of Chaos allowed him to upgrade a spell he had already constructed by one tier, at the cost of slightly increased spirit consumption. Though usable only once per day, it was an incredibly powerful asset for a mage.

Sometimes a single spell from a mage could end a battle between equals; being able to cast an advanced spell gave him a certain capacity to fight above his level.

The Law of Neutrality referred to moral alignment. Under the Laws of Good or Evil, extra experience could only be gained by defeating enemies of the opposite alignment. Neutrality, however, granted extra experience regardless of whether the target was good or evil. The amount depended on the target’s moral alignment—killing a truly neutral foe yielded a smaller reward.

As for the Earth Beacon, that was a distant concern, not something to worry about now.

In truth, though Chu Yun sometimes missed his family and friends back home, compared to the monotonous, mechanical routine of his previous life, he far preferred the clash of sword and sorcery. Each time he cast a spell, he was fulfilling a childhood dream, and every advancement filled him with anticipation for the adventures ahead.

Afterward, Chu Yun spent some time attuning himself to the newly acquired Law of Chaos and entered a meditative state to recover his spirit. By the time he had fully restored his mental strength and gained a solid understanding of his new abilities, night had already fallen.

Feeling a pang of hunger, Chu Yun recalled that the Miracle Berry spell could produce fruit sufficient for a normal person’s daily needs—but it was not quite enough for him. Mental strength required physical support, and recovering it also consumed stamina.

“I haven’t properly enjoyed this world’s cuisine yet. The meat of those magical beasts must be delicious!” Chu Yun thought with anticipation.

As he passed by Xia’s room, he paused for a moment.

“Should I call her? She must be hungry too.”

“She seemed exhausted earlier—maybe she’s still resting?”

“Never mind, I’ll pack something for her later.”

Ultimately, Chu Yun decided not to disturb Xia and left alone.

Inside the room, Xia’s ears twitched as she listened to the sound of Chu Yun leaving, a trace of disappointment in her heart.

“So hungry, Xia is so hungry.” Her eyes were bloodshot.

She glanced at the torn bedsheets she’d shredded into strips and then at the lone pedestrians on the street outside. The hunger within her was becoming harder to restrain.

“They look rather tasty… Xia hasn’t eaten anyone all day.” After being captured by goblins, she’d been fed human flesh. At the time, she’d resisted with all her will, but after forging a pact with an unknown entity and undergoing physical changes, the beast within her had become uncontrollably strong. What once seemed repulsive now tempted her irresistibly.

She craved nothing more than to leap from the window and tear into the passersby below! Years of traveling with her master had shown her the ugliness of human society—countless beastkin were abused and oppressed; humans were the enemy of her kind! Eating them seemed only natural.

With such thoughts swirling in her mind, Chu Yun stepped into the street.

At the sight of Chu Yun’s figure, Xia’s restlessness eased a little.

“There are good humans too; both Master and Lord Chu Yun saved me.” Her gaze softened, only to harden again.

“No, Master only bought me because I had value. Lord Chu Yun saved his own people—rescuing me was just incidental…”

Her thoughts grew twisted, and all her fond memories lost their meaning in a heartbeat.

“He did save me, after all. I cannot harm him,” Xia whispered, swallowing hard as her hunger surged. “But he really does look delicious…”

In the end, she abandoned the idea of hunting Chu Yun. Partly because he had saved her, partly due to his strength, but mostly because she wanted his protection for her own plans.

Bathed in moonlight, her body began to shift. She reverted to her silver fox form, melted into the moon’s glow, and in an instant appeared on the silent street.

Unaware of Xia’s condition, Chu Yun was enjoying life at the Rock Tavern, listening to the marvelous and exotic melodies of the bard while sipping wine and savoring a meal.

Among the patrons were his acquaintances—Pike and Hansen from the merchant caravan.

After several rounds of drinks, Pike put forth his proposal.

“Lord Chu Yun, tomorrow I plan to travel to the Karlos Mining District to purchase Fire Crystals. Would you care to join us? You’re a fire mage, aren’t you?”