I Became the 1st Floor Boss of the Tower

Chapter 240. Chaos

After rolling his eyes, Chaos fixed his gaze on Lee Shin. A strange mix of emotions filled his silent stare, encompassing wonder, hostility, curiosity, delight, and more. His gaze perfectly captured the spectrum of his ever-changing emotions.

"Hmm… You have the power of chaos,” muttered Chaos, looking at Lee Shin.

"Yeah, I do," Lee Shin replied.

"How did you get it?" asked Chaos.

Chaos’ complex emotions subsided instantly, leaving behind only his joy and delight in Lee Shin possessing the power of chaos.

"I got it from your altar on the first floor," Lee Shin replied.

"Hmm… You got Chaos from my altar?" Chaos asked again to clarify.

"Yeah, that’s right," Lee Shin replied.

Chaos’ black pupils suddenly spun wildly before stopping as he looked at the sky.

"A lot of eyes have gathered here… all unwelcome," Chaos muttered, sensing the others.

The gods had collaborated to create the stages of the tower. With the exception of the first floor, all stages, including this one, were under the watchful eye of the gods, much to Chaos’ chagrin.

“Tsk… Those guys haven’t changed a bit,” Chaos muttered, expressing discomfort at the watchful eyes of the other gods.

"But I mean… Can’t you just drive them away with your power?" Lee Shin asked.

Since Chaos could obstruct the gaze of the gods' on the first floor on the first floor, Lee Shin thought he could perhaps do the same here.

"If I had my original power, it might have been possible. But… it's currently beyond my reach," Chaos replied, slightly irritated.

The chains restraining the physical form of Chaos were the cause of this limitation. Besides, it was the first time Lee Shin had experienced his mana bouncing off so helplessly.

"So, if you've come this far, you must have quite the ability. All right. Let’s hear it. What are you curious about?" Chaos said, looking at Lee Shin.

The extreme discomfort from before had disappeared, replaced by curiosity.

"What's your relationship like with the gods?" Lee Shin asked.

"Hmm... I think you can already tell just by looking at my attitude, no? We're enemies, of course," Chaos replied.

The firm and blunt reply proved that Chaos wasn’t lying. It seemed like the gods and Chaos never had an amicable relationship to begin with.

"All right. Why are you enemies then?" Lee Shin asked again.

"Well, that’s because"—Chaos smirked—“I ate them.”

This action reflected Chaos’ inherent greed—a characteristic that was clearly mirrored in Lee Shin's Chaos Stat.

- Greed sure is the perfect word to describe him.

"How many gods have you devoured?" Lee Shin asked.

“Hmm… I don't really remember; I have eaten just too many," Chaos replied, uncertainty lacing his voice.

"You don't remember…? Have you heard about the Immortal Sphere? Do you know about it?" Lee Shin asked again.

When Lee Shin asked him that, Chaos’ facial expression changed subtly.

"Of course I do. That's my power, after all," Chaos replied.

[The God of Memory expresses his anger.]

Suddenly, a message popped up in front of Lee Shin. The God of Memory revealed himself discreetly whenever Lee Shin accomplished extraordinary feats thanks to the Immortal Sphere. Lee Shin used to think that he did not have a prominent presence.

‘Wait a second… Could it be?’

- Most of his powers were likely taken from the other gods.

Lee Shin chuckled at Gene Ebrium’s words.

"Did you steal the abilities of the God of Memory then?" Lee Shin asked Chaos.

"Yes... It was a handy power," Chaos replied.

He acted like he was reminiscing about the taste of a delicious meal. It almost seemed like Chaos was reliving the time he had captured the God of Memory.

"Then how is the God of Memory still alive? After you took his abilities," Lee Shin asked again, finding it perplexing.

"I had nearly devoured him, but he managed to survive with the help of other gods. Is he still alive? He's quite tenacious. Maybe it’s because he’s a high-class God or something?” Chaos replied.

"Did you just say ‘high-class God?’ The God of Memory is a high-class God?" Lee Shin asked for clarification.

"Yes. Well... I’m not sure if he still is because I took all of his power," Chaos explained.

[The God of Memory has unleashed his wrath.]

The continuous stream of messages began to annoy Lee Shin, and he chose to ignore the ongoing reactions of the other gods.

"While we're on the subject, I might as well ask. What exactly happened? What kind of connection do you have with the first floor?" Lee Shin asked.

"Haha... all right, I'll tell you everything. It's not a secret anyway," Chaos replied with a chuckle.

Chaos spoke nonchalantly, seemingly unaffected by the gaze of the other gods. Had the discomfort from a moment ago disappeared, or was he just pretending?

"I roamed the dimensions, being chased by other gods," Chaos explained to Lee Shin.

Chaos roamed through a vast world called the dimension, capturing and devouring any gods he encountered, steadily augmenting his power. However, when the Gods of Astria, most of whom were among the top deities, made their move, evading their pursuit became increasingly difficult for Chaos.

During the perilous situation, Chaos captured and devoured some of the gods who had been chasing him. However, he sustained a fatal injury and barely escaped from their clutches. Despite the majority of Astria's gods chasing after him, they could not capture him due to his formidable nature. However, even Chaos reached his limits before long, and it was then that the tower emerged before him.

"Therefore, I threw myself into that place without hesitation. The sweet aroma emanating from the Tower was more enticing than the gods I had devoured," Chaos explained.

Chaos had sensed that the tower was gradually revealing itself in the dimension. He intuited that the Tower would soon be visible to the gods as well, prompting him to hide himself on the first floor. Chaos possessed complete dominion over the entire first floor, albeit at the cost of his power. Anticipating the imminent future, Chaos preemptively claimed the first floor of the Tower and hid himself using the power of the Tower.

His continuous battles with the gods had left him in a weakened state, so if he left the tower, the gods would target him again, and he would have to become a fugitive for the second time. Therefore, Chaos had contemplated raising a successor on the first floor, someone who could climb the Tower in his stead and free him from the gods’ grasp. That was the underlying reason behind the design and setup of the first floor.

"And I happened to find that?" Lee Shin asked.

"Yes, that's right," Chaos replied.

The setup on the first floor was heavily reliant on chance. Had Lee Shin not accidentally fallen off a cliff, had the Ice Bird not saved him, and had he not discovered the Immortal Sphere underwater, Lee Shin would not be in this situation. All of these coincidences had come together to create this outcome.

"But you’re saying that all of these were intentional?" Lee Shin asked, now more puzzled than ever.

"Yes, the concepts of chance and destiny certainly exist. Have you ever heard of the phrase 'carving one's destiny’? Things like this are entirely possible if you can control the power of destiny," Chaos explained.

"Did you just say control destiny? Is that even possible? Wait a second…” Lee Shin muttered as he abruptly thought of something.

"Yes, you’re right. Haha. The God of Destiny was once my meal too," Chaos replied.

The ability to consume the powers of other gods and assimilate them as one's own was truly extraordinary. Lee Shin did not expect him to have used destiny to plan all of these.

“In that case, the realm of possibilities expands exponentially," Lee Shin replied.

"No, even destiny has its limitations. I merely acted within those boundaries," Chaos replied.

"Then, was the altar in the waiting area on the first floor also part of your design?" Lee Shin asked.

"Yes,” said Chaos, “I arranged it so that whoever obtained the Immortal Sphere would gain the power of chaos.”

[The God of Time smiled with interest.]

[The God of Flames struggled to suppress his excitement.]

[The God of Destruction looked at them with tranquil eyes.]

[The God of Demolition...]

Ultimately, what Chaos meant was that he had designated Lee Shin to be his successor. This sparked intrigue among the high-ranking gods, who observed the situation with great interest. However, there was no apparent anger directed at Chaos. What exactly were the gods thinking?

"So then, does that mean I'm your successor?" Lee Shin asked Chaos.

"Well... yes, you could say that," Chaos replied.

"By whose consent?" Lee Shin asked.

"If you become my successor, your power will far surpass what you possess now,” Chaos said.

“But what if I don’t want it?” Lee Shin replied.

"Well, do you think that will be the case? Aren’t you afraid of the gaze of the gods in front of you right now? Having already acquired some of my power, you have become a target for the gods," Chaos said.

Chaos's gaze remained composed, as if he had foreseen this situation and meticulously laid the groundwork for all these circumstances. His conviction lay in the belief that Lee Shin's choice would align with his own thoughts.

"Before I decide, I want to know a few more things," Lee Shin said.

"Okay, ask away," Chaos replied.

"Why did you choose Gene Ebrium as the boss of the first floor?” Lee Shin asked.

"Ah...! That guy?" Chaos muttered.

Chaos continued with a chuckle, seemingly amused by an interesting memory.

"Well, he was one of the candidates for my successor. Gene Ebrium arrived on the first floor of his own accord. Initially, I suspected him to be a minion sent by the gods, given the traces of their influence on him. However, I soon realized he was merely a pawn being manipulated by them," Chaos said.

"Is that why you did not choose him?" Lee Shin asked.

"No, that was not the reason. In fact, I found it amusing that the gods had manipulated him. However, his abilities fell short of my standards," Chaos said.

"What? You think Gene Erbium isn't up to your standards?" Lee Shin asked because he could not believe Chaos.

How high were his standards? Gene Ebrium, had he obtained the power of chaos, would have surpassed Lee Shin, or that was what Lee Shin believed.

- I think you have some weird thought in mind right now, but no, that’s not true.

"Do you also believe you are not exceptional?" Lee Shin asked Gene Ebrium.

- Of course, I think I’m outstanding. In fact, I was so arrogant because I had never seen anyone better than me.

"...." Lee Shin remained speechless.

- But there was someone more outstanding than me.

At Gene Ebrium’s self-deprecating tone, Lee Shin looked at him, instantly understanding whom Gene referred to. However, he had no idea that Gene regarded him that highly.

"I'm not that exceptional, though—"

- Excessive humility is not a virtue.

"..." Lee Shin didn't know what to say.

- I'm here by your side right now because you are exceptional.

"Thank you," Lee Shin replied.

Lee Shin had no intention of responding further to Gene’s words. He acknowledged his excellence to some extent, just as Gene did. As Gene Ebrium had pointed out, excessive humility might not be a desirable trait.

"What tear-jerking camaraderie. I never expected my potential successors to grow so close,” Chaos replied with a chuckle, seemingly enjoying the situation, even though he shouldn’t be able to hear Gene.

"Why did you make Gene Ebrium the boss of the first floor?” Lee Shin asked again.

“I thought it was a waste to just discard him. So, I kept him on the first floor because you never know when he might come in handy," Chaos replied.

Lee Shin could not respond to that immediately. Besides, he glanced at Gene, worried that he might have gotten offended, but his expression remained unchanged.

- I've gone through stuff that was far worse than what he just said. Why are you so concerned about this?

It didn’t seem like Gene Ebrium was trying to seem okay. He genuinely seemed unperturbed by Chaos’ words.

"Why are you bound in this place like this?" Lee Shin asked Chaos.

"I did that myself on purpose. I’ve been waiting for a day like this, actually," Chaos replied.

"Were you waiting for your successor to come find you?" Lee Shin asked.

"That’s right! When the Tower opens up, I can’t remain on the first floor any longer. And that is why I bound myself inside the Tower," Chaos explained.

"Is this also part of your belief in destiny and inevitability?" Lee Shin asked.

"Yes, that’s right. In the end, my successor will come to find me, and I will be released from the bound, the seal," Chaos replied.

[The majority of the gods observing this scene could not hide their astonishment at the statement!]

"Is it alright to say that out loud?" Lee Shin was surprised to hear him say that so openly.

"Yes. Well, what can they do about it?" Chaos responded, seemingly unconcerned with their reactions.

Chaos seemed very relaxed. Was there something he believed in?

"Since your existence has been exposed, won’t the other gods attack you as soon as you leave the tower?" Lee Shin asked Chaos.

"Don't worry about it. All you have to do is release me," Chaos replied.

"How can I trust you though? Your meals consist of gods; how can I be sure I won’t be your next appetizer?" Lee Shin asked, raising a valid point.

"Don't worry. I'm going to grant you all of my power," Chaos replied.

"You'll grant me all of your power?" Lee Shin asked as if he did not trust Chaos.

"Yes, that’s right," Chaos replied.

Was that statement really true? Gazing into Chaos's eyes, filled with chaos, it was difficult to discern his sincerity.

“All right, let's just say that's true. But how are you going to grant me your power? I don't believe you'll grant me your power after I release you from the seal,” Lee Shin replied.

"Why do you think I created so many convoluted setups and plans? Come closer," said Chaos.

Chaos was a monstrous creature several times Lee Shin’s size. As he approached Chaos, he felt the god's power even more intensely.

"Place your hand on me," said Chaos.

Lee Shin hesitated for a moment before placing his hand on him. In the face of his absolute power, Lee Shin could not imagine that simply touching Chaos with his hand could affect the chains entwined around Chaos.

- Don't let your guard down.

"Yes, I know that,” Lee Shin replied to Gene Ebrium.

After taking a deep breath, Lee Shin slowly stretched his hand to his body.

[You have made contact with Chaos.]

[The Fragment of Divine Status has reacted.]

[The Fragment of Chaos has reacted.]

[The Stat Chaos has been confirmed.]

[The Fragment of Divine Status and the Fragment of Chaos have fused.]

Suddenly, a flood of messages poured in. The Fragment of Divine Status and the Fragment of Chaos, which Lee Shin had forgotten about because he had obtained them long ago, emerged from the Subspace Pocket and spun in the air.