SSS-Rank Extra: I Got a Chaos System-Chapter 4: Death Race: River Edition

Kazuki groaned. His vision spun, and for a moment, all he could see were stars and the mocking system messages dancing in his head.

[Impact Detected!]

[You have suffered Mild Concussion. Congratulations, you played yourself!]

He blinked, trying to push himself up. His arms wobbled. His legs refused to move.

Crunch.

That sound again.

A shadow loomed over him, the heavy breathing of a very large, very pissed-off orc making his skin crawl. The scent of sweat, iron, and something that smelled suspiciously like rotten meat filled his nose.

Kazuki's heart pounded. He tried to move. His body didn't listen.

[Temporary Stun: 3... 2... 1...]

His fingers twitched.

[Stun Duration Over!]

He gasped, adrenaline kicking in. The orc raised its axe.

Kazuki rolled—just as the blade slammed into the dirt where his head had been.

"NOPE—!" He scrambled to his feet, wobbling like a drunk deer, and bolted again.

"WHY IS IT ALWAYS LIKE THIS?!"

Kazuki sprinted through the trees, his head still throbbing from the impact. His balance wavered, but the sheer terror of an orc swinging an axe the size of a dinner table at him kept his legs moving.

Behind him, the orc roared, shaking the ground as it gave chase.

[Reminder: Quest Objective – SURVIVE.]

"YEAH, THANKS FOR THAT!" Kazuki snapped.

His mind raced. He couldn't keep running forever. His speed boost wouldn't last long, and the orcs were relentless. He needed a plan.

A tree branch snapped to his right. Another set of glowing eyes flickered in the darkness. More orcs.

Kazuki cursed. "Okay, okay, think!"

Then—an idea.

A ledge loomed up ahead, a sharp drop leading into a river below. The current looked strong, but it was better than being chopped in half.

Kazuki took a deep breath.

"Guess I'm going for a swim."

He jumped.

Kazuki's stomach lurched as he plummeted off the ledge. The wind howled past his ears, and for a split second, he questioned every life decision that had led to this moment.

SPLASH!

Freezing water swallowed him whole. The current yanked him under, flipping him end over end like a sock in a washing machine. He flailed, trying to find which way was up as bubbles rushed past his face.

Above, muffled roars echoed through the water. The orcs stood at the cliff's edge, their dim red eyes peering down. One of them hefted its weapon, considering the jump.

Kazuki's lungs burned. He kicked hard, finally breaking the surface with a desperate gasp. Water stung his eyes as he spun, searching for a way out.

The river raged ahead, twisting into the darkness of the forest. Jagged rocks jutted from the water like hungry teeth. This was not a relaxing swim.

Then—his system pinged.

[Exploding Chicken Summon is off cooldown!]

Kazuki's eyes widened. "OH, NOW YOU WORK?!"

Behind him, the orcs made their choice.

One jumped.

The massive brute cannonballed into the river, sending a tidal wave crashing over Kazuki. He barely had time to react before the current dragged them both downstream.

Kazuki's breath hitched.

He wasn't out of danger.

He was stuck in a death race with an orc.

Kazuki thrashed through the rapids, coughing up river water as he struggled to keep his head above the surface. The current yanked him forward, but the real problem was the very large, very angry orc now flailing a few meters away.

The beast surfaced with a guttural snarl, shaking water from its tusked face. Its red eyes locked onto Kazuki, and despite the rushing current, it started swimming toward him.

Kazuki's heart nearly exploded. "Oh, come on!"

He kicked harder, letting the river drag him faster. The water churned around him, carrying them both downstream at a breakneck pace.

Then—a roar.

Not an orc's.

A deep, guttural sound rumbled through the air. The water around them shifted as something massive stirred beneath the surface.

Kazuki barely had time to react before the river exploded.

A massive shape rose from the depths—a shadowy form covered in thick, mossy scales. A single glowing yellow eye peeked above the water, its slit pupil contracting as it focused on them.

Kazuki stopped swimming. The orc stopped paddling.

Both of them stared.

The system pinged.

[Warning: Regional Boss Encounter!]

[Hydra of the Blackwater]

Kazuki sucked in a sharp breath. "Oh, f—"

The hydra lunged.

Kazuki didn't have time to scream.

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The hydra's massive jaws snapped shut—right where he had been a second ago. But by some miracle (or sheer dumb luck), the river's violent current yanked him out of the way at the last second. The impact sent a tidal wave of water surging over him, flipping him end over end like a sock in a washing machine.

He barely had a second to process before—

SPLASH!

The orc wasn't as lucky. The beast flailed in the water, roaring in fury as one of the hydra's heads coiled around it. The orc swung its axe, managing a solid hit—but all that did was piss the hydra off.

Kazuki? He wasn't waiting around to see what happened next.

"NOPE!"

He kicked off a submerged rock, letting the rapids take him even farther downstream. He barely registered the sounds of battle behind him—gnashing teeth, a bellowing orc, the unmistakable crunch of bones breaking.

Then silence.

He wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

The river spat him out into a shallower section, his body slamming into jagged rocks before finally rolling onto the muddy shore. He groaned, spitting out dirty water. His limbs felt like lead. His lungs burned.

The system chimed.

[Quest Updated: SURVIVE]

[You are still alive! Good job! (Barely.)]

Kazuki wheezed out a laugh. "Gee, thanks."

Then, the ground shook.

His blood ran cold.

Slowly, he turned his head back toward the river.

The hydra was back on his trail.

Water cascaded off its massive form as it crawled onto the shore, its many heads twisting and snapping in his direction. Glowing yellow eyes locked onto him, filled with something worse than hunger—determination.

It wasn't hunting him out of instinct anymore.

It was pissed.

Kazuki's entire body screamed at him to move, but his limbs felt like wet sandbags. He barely managed to push himself up onto his elbows when—

BOOM.

A hydra head slammed down where he had been lying, sending a shockwave of mud and shattered rock into the air. Kazuki rolled to the side just in time, barely avoiding becoming a pancake.

"OH, COME ON!" he coughed, scrambling to his feet. "I DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING TO YOU!"

The system chimed.

[Reminder: You exploded a chicken near its nest.]

"THAT WAS HOURS AGO—WAIT, HYDRAS HAVE NESTS?!"

No time for answers.

Another head lunged.

Kazuki jumped back just as the hydra's fangs snapped shut inches from his face. He had to move—NOW.

His legs still felt like jelly, but fear was a great motivator. He turned on his heel and sprinted into the forest, heart hammering against his ribs.

Behind him, trees snapped like twigs as the hydra barreled after him. Its heads weaved between the branches, tracking him with terrifying precision.

Kazuki sucked in a sharp breath. "WHY ARE YOU SO PETTY?!"

The system dinged again.

[New Quest Generated!]

[MISSION: ESCAPE THE HYDRA (AGAIN.)]

Rank: C

Objective: Outrun or outsmart the very angry hydra.

Rewards: Survival. Maybe.

Failure Consequence: Get eaten.

Kazuki's eye twitched. "YOU DON'T SAY?!"

Branches whipped at his face as he tore through the forest, the ground trembling with every step of the hydra's pursuit. He had seconds before it caught up.

He needed a plan.

Fast.

The hydra's heads twisted through the trees, closing in fast.

Kazuki gritted his teeth. "Screw it. Time for something stupid."