SSS-Rank Extra: I Got a Chaos System-Chapter 32: Wet One

A weak groan escaped his mouth.

His muscles in shoulder and back were strained, tension in them, he could feel numbing sensation, faint tingling, arms suspended felt heavier than usual.

His shoulders ached, muscles strained and stiff with tension. A numbing sensation crept through his upper arms.

His eyes fluttered open, hazy and sluggish.

Splash.

Cold water struck his face.

He gasped, flinching as much as the restraints allowed. The chill shocked him awake, trickling down his neck and soaking into his clothes.

Blinking rapidly, his vision began to clear—blurry shapes shifting into form.

He was kneeling on the rough ground, his wrists were stretched and tied to two thin bamboo like trees.

His gaze drifted upward. the first thing he saw was a figure with a earthen brown skin and long pointed ears.

In one hand, he held a hallow-out creature's horn, droplets still trickling down its rim. In the other, crude spear from stone and wood.

Kazuki choked on breath, coughing.

Where... am I?

His head rolled slightly, neck sore from the awkward position. He tried to move, but the vines tugged at his arms.

Ache throbbed in his side.

He winced.

A ting! noise sounded in his ear.

[System Alert: Survival Mission Initiated]

New Objective: Escape from the Court of the Elven Council.

Reward: To be adjusted upon completion.

Kazuki stared blankly at the glowing message hovering in front of his eyes.

"...What?"

Court of what?

Elves?

How did I—?

His heart thundered, the slow drip of panic returning with the edge of clarity.

The elf stared at him in silence.

Kazuki cleared his throat, trying to swallow down the dryness in his mouth. "So, uh... do you guys normally tie up guests, or is this a special occasion?"

The elf didn't respond.

He stood there like a performer who poses as a statues.

Unblinking. Spear in one hand. Horn in the other. Silent.

Kazuki shifted awkwardly, vines creaking as he tugged against them. "Right. Cool. Love the vibes. Very forest-chic prisoner aesthetic."

The elf didn't respond again.

Just stared.

Silent. Still. Stoic.

Kazuki opened his mouth to say something else—

WHAM.

The elf slammed both hands against his chest with a thunderous thud.

"HOOH!"

Kazuki flinched. "What th—?"

"HAAAH!!"

The elf threw his head back and let out a guttural yell. He pounded his chest again—bam-bam-bam—then let out a sound like he was trying to summon Kazuki's seven ancestors from there grave.

"KLAAAH-KLOOOH-BAH!" 

Out of nowhere, the forest erupted.

Elves leapt from the trees, some diving headfirst into the clearing with wild screeches.

"UH-HAH!! UH-HAH!!"

Kazuki recoiled in horror as a dozen elves sprang around him, slapping the ground, jumping in place, spinning in wide chaotic circles like they were summoning a forest demon.

One started biting a stick.

Another rolled by doing cartwheels, yelling "ZHA-ZHA-ZHA-ZHA!!" while a third smacked him with a leaf.

Kazuki blinked. "I—WHAT IS HAPPENING!?"

As if throwing gasoline on a bonfire—

TING!

The system chimed in again.

[WOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!!]

[Tribal Dance Detected ]

[Activating: BONE DANCER MODE]

[UNGA BUNGA PROTOCOL ONLINE]

Kazuki's head snapped toward the glowing text like it had personally betrayed him. "NO. WHAT THE HELL IS—?"

[INITIATING JUNGLE BEAT DROP]

New n𝙤vel chapters are published on novelbuddy.cσ๓.

Suddenly, the forest the footsteps of elves danced with a rhythm. Drums beats came out of God-knows-were. Bone-rattling bass from the heaven itself.

BOOM-CHAK BOOM-CHAK BOOM-CHAK—WAAAHHHHH!!

The elf in front of Kazuki screeched like a goat, slammed his fists on his chest again—THUMP THUMP THUMP—and shouted:

"BAH-KAZUKI-AHHHHHH!!!"

Elves began raining from the treetops, each of them landing in a different chaotic pose—spinning, flailing, twerking on logs, one of performed a perfect moon dance

"UH-HOO!!""ZHAH-ZHAH-ZHOHHHH!!!"

Kazuki: "I'm losing my damn mind."

[ YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED: MESSIAH OF THE MOON WIGGLE]

[New Skill Acquired: Tribal Tap-Tap-Wiggle]

[Passive Buff: DRIP OF THE FOREST GOD – +15 to Dance-Based Diplomacy]

Kazuki: "I want off this ride."

[Woohoo! SHAKE THEM BONES, WET ONE!]

"STOP CALLING ME WET ONE!!"

The dancing and music ceased as his shout cut through.

Everything froze.

The drums stopped mid-beat.

The elves froze mid-cartwheel, mid-twerk, mid-bite-of-stick.

Even the one doing an aerial somersault just... hovered for a second too long before crashing into a bush with a soft whump.

Dozens of wide eyes turned toward him. Pointed ears twitched. One of them dropped a bone flute with a clack.

He coughed once. "I was just—uh—talking to myself," he said quickly, voice cracking. "Bit delusional. Happens sometimes. You know, blood loss, mild trauma, jungle bass drops..."

He flashed a smile—too wide, too many teeth. The kind of smile that said please don't sacrifice me or make me your dinnear.

"Please," he added, adjusting his grip, which didn't help. "Don't mind me. Continue your... um... totally normal, definitely-not-summoning-a-demon festival."

Silence.

Dozens of sharp eyes, once wide with confusion, now narrowed with dangerous intent.

One elf slowly picked up the dropped bone flute... and snapped it in half.

Another hissed.

Kazuki laughed nervously. "Okay, wow. That was symbolic. Cool. Love that energy."

"ULLAHLALAHAO-HAO!!"

Dozens of elves erupted with the sound, flapping their lips with their fingers like over-caffeinated toddlers on a sugar high.

"BLLL-L-L-L-LLAAHH!!"

Their mouths vibrated with ridiculous noises—sputtering, flapping, some even slobbering—and somehow, they looked dead serious about it.

One elf, eyes glowing with intensity, looked straight at Kazuki and went:

"FLLL-BBLL-BLAGGA-BLAH!"

Kazuki blinked. "I—what."

"What now...?" Kazuki whispered.

The broken flute was tossed into the center of the clearing.

Others followed suit, throwing sticks and chunks of wood in a pile.

Kazuki's confusion climbed like a fever.

"What—what are you doing? That's not a bonfire, right? It's a, uh... symbolic—of forgiveness, yes? Bhakta—Ghendhi" His tongue twisting at the end.

Then someone struck two stones together.

A spark caught.

Flames curled upward.

Kazuki's eyes went wide. "Oh no."

They began circling the fire.

"ULLALLALALALLAAAAOHAOOOO!!"

FLAPFLAPFLAP went their mouths.

A small elf spun in a circle so fast he fell face-first into the ground, popped up like a man possessed, and screamed:

"ULLALLA-LA-HAO-BLBLBLBLBL—SNORT—HAOOOOO!!"

The flames grew taller. Crackling.

Kazuki stared at the fire.

Then at the ritual dance.

"Nope. Nope nope nope," he muttered. "This is not happening. I'M NOT GETTING COOKED RIGHT NOW."

[New Objective Unlocked: Survive the Trial of the Flame, COCK BOY]

[Bonus Reward: Tribal Affinity +1, Assuming You Don't Get Roasted Alive]

Kazuki: "I hate you so much."

[Love you too, Wet One]