Dawn of Chaos - Book 1 - Chapter 1 - Chaos (Patreon)

                                                     The Main Meeting Hall of the Archon Palace
                                                   Five years after the birth of the Law of Chaos

“Next on our agenda is the growing number of Viper gangs in the eastern district,” a man states in a businesslike manner to the city lord of Archon city sitting on the chair situated at the end of the long table within the hall. The man has the position of secretary to the city lord, leading him to deal with many of the day to day activities of the city. He has pale blue eyes and long brown hair, with a red business suit on and a photon gun strapped to his waist.

Meanwhile, the city lord himself – otherwise known as Christopher Archeron – sneers down at a document laid in front of him as the various city officials surrounding the table nervously stare at him.

Despite being labeled as officials, though, all of these people are leaders of their own organizations and gangs who are currently seeking a good relationship with the city lord thanks to the influence the position yields. But at the same time, none of them have any actual power within the city beyond their own organization and its reaches. All they’re able to do is occasionally make a suggestion for the city lord to either ignore or take under advisement.

“Purge half of the Viper gangs and grant a small bonus to the Rat gangs to balance things out,” Christopher eventually says after tapping his finger several times on the table. “Decide for yourself on the details of how to do it.”

“Very well, mi lord,” the secretary – Rafael Arlo – states with a short bow towards him before flipping a page on the clipboard he’s holding in his hands and opening his mouth to continue, only to stop as a knock sounds from the door.

Rafael glances at the city lord before turning to face the door after seeing him wave his hand, “State your business.”

An answer comes from the other side of the door almost immediately, “A war has broken out between the Western Spotted Viper gang and the Western Plagued Rat gang over an issue that neither clan claims credit for but blames the other instead. The war has already progressed past the point of allowed combat within that section of the city and will likely continue to progress further into felony scale.”

A class shatters before the man can finish speaking, but he doesn’t stop speaking due to his inability to hear it from the other side of the door. Meanwhile, the city lord who had crushed the glass of wine, spilling it all over his hands simply closes his eyes and activates a skill by muttering, Dark Clone.

The Law of Darkness within the room shifts slightly thanks to the prodding of his skill before a dark silhouette appears next to the city lord looking nearly identical to Christopher in every way except its shadowy form.

“Go find Katrina and tell her it’s a code black and red in the western district, section 4,” he orders, his tone barely hiding the irritation that he’s feeling at having to give his daughter this order for the fourth time in just a single month.

Christopher then glances back at the secretary and nods towards the door, indicating him to dismiss the soldier behind it before moving on with the meeting.

‘It’s times like these that I wonder why I ever adopted him…’ Christopher thinks to himself while the secretary dismisses the soldier.

“Next on today’s agenda is the movement of Argol city’s forces closer to the Valley of the Damned…”

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                                                                                                       Chaos

I watch the fighting on going down on the street from my place at the rooftop of a five story tall building. The sounds of photon laser blasts echo through the night mixed in with the lovely snow we’re having in the middle of summer. Which is a common enough occurrence thanks to the Law of Chaos infusing the clouds above the planet transmuting anything not protected by a Law that passes through it – including rain.

A smile blooms on my face as I continue lying down on my stomach and watching the fighting with my head held between my elbows, which are propped up on the edge of the roof.

One side of the fight is the relatively infamous – in this district at least – Western Spotted Viper gang. They’re known rather well for their love of using lots and lots of different types of firearms to overwhelm and enemy. Meanwhile, the other side of the fight is an equally infamous gang, except for much different reasons. After all, the Western Plagued Rat gang is pretty well known for their love of using poisons and viruses to kill their enemies.

So really all it took to get them to go to blows with each other is setting a relatively controlled virus loose on one of the Spotted Viper gang’s warehouses and leaving one of their emblems behind on a corpse I may or may not have transmuted to look temporarily like some random person.

At that thought, I raise my head to look at my reflection in the windows of the building on the other side of the street, where I find a boy lying down with his head propped up. The boy has long brown hair and gray eyes, with a rounded face and a very small breathing mask on that only covers his mouth and nose. He is also wearing a long black cloak that covers most of his form.

It makes it so easy to pull these stunts thanks to transmutation. Honestly makes me wonder how I lived without it.

Absolutely worth the time I spent trying to figure out how the hell to change my form with the Law of Chaos.

After all, who can blame me if the culprit they find – assuming they even find me – looks absolutely nothing like my actual appearance?

I turn my head to look back down at the idiots fighting beneath me before frowning.

It’s just too bad that I can’t control the appearance I end up with whenever I transmute myself like this. Because ‘Chaos hates being directed’ and some such crap.

Which I know is ironic coming from the progenitor of Chaos himself, but meh. Doesn’t mean I don’t hate ending up with an ugly appearance, or for Chaos’s sake, turning into a girl for as long as the transmutation lasts. Which is thankfully only a few hours.

Anyways, I climb up to my feet and stretch my arms out with a satisfied smile on my face.

I think it’s about time I head home. Otherwise ‘father’ might be able to get proof that-

My thoughts are interrupted as I hear a very familiar voice calling out from behind me. One that instantly wipes the smile from my face.

“You know, it would probably be better if you did smaller scale things instead of causing all out wars,” Katrina – ‘father’s’ daughter, or my sister – says with a smile audible in her voice, “otherwise it would just be declaring that it’s most likely your doing.”

But if I did that then it wouldn’t be as fun, nor would it cause the Chaos I’m looking for.

Of course, I don’t say this out loud. Instead, I give her a wide smile and retort, “I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

Katrina just stares at me and raises an eyebrow. My sister shares a lot of the same features as dad, what with her raven black hair and equally black eyes that mark him and her as full-blooded Archerons, but she also has a much different personality. Whereas he is incredibly serious, businesslike, and absolutely despises my actions that probably cause him more trouble than I care to know, she tends to be more accommodating to my little stunts. At least, until father orders her to come get me.

Then she shows more of his personality in her stubbornness – not bothering to move an inch when she tries to drag me away.

And that’s just the problem. I’m a progenitor, so I can’t use skill crystals. Which means she is currently a lot stronger than I am thanks to having the skill crystals of the Archeron family to use while I’m relying on my own understanding of my Law of Chaos and my ability to draw out Chaos attuned mana from the Laws themselves into my body to get stronger.

Of course, in the long run my way is much better and has no limit. But that doesn’t change the embarrassment of being dragged back home by my ‘twin’ sister, who really isn’t my twin since we’re not even related. That’s how everyone else in the city sees us though, since we appear to be the same age and all.

“So…” I mutter as I find her perpetual staring beginning to make me feel uncomfortable. “You having a nice day, sis?”

My own question is the last thing I hear before everything goes dark. Likely from her knocking me out with her mana-enhanced strength.