Midnight. Arin sat cross-legged in his tiny dorm room, lit only by a single flickering talisman. On his lap rested the Scroll of Mild Chaos.
It hadn't moved for hours.
Which was suspicious.
> "Okay," he whispered to himself. "You survived sword girls, trash missions, and a possessed bathhouse. You can handle one cursed scroll."
He unsealed it.
It screamed.
Loudly.
> "WHY ARE YOU OPENING ME AT NIGHT?!" the scroll howled, the ink rearranging into furious eyebrows.
Arin nearly threw it out the window. "WHY ARE YOU ALIVE?!"
> "I CONTAIN CHAOS. AND POETRY."
> "…What."
---
System Warning
> [Ding! You have activated a Forbidden Relic.]
[Mild Chaos Engaged.]
[Warning: Side effects may include hallucinations, bizarre luck, and conversations with inanimate objects.]
Arin blinked. "Wait. I already do that."
> [Secondary Warning: The scroll has a personality. You may hate it.]
> "I already hate it."
> "You wound me," the scroll replied, pouting through calligraphy.
---
The Scroll's First Curse
The next morning, Arin walked into the sect cafeteria.
Every disciple turned to stare.
> "...Why are you glowing?" Yue Lan asked.
> "I don't know."
> "Why is your hair sparkling?" Yura added.
> "I REALLY don't know."
> "Why are your clothes changing color every five seconds?"
> "Okay that might be the scroll."
He held it up.
> "Behold. The sentient disaster."
The scroll unrolled itself dramatically. "You're welcome."
One disciple fainted.
---
Mission Summons (Again)
> [Ding! Emergency Mission: Investigate Spirit Tomb Ruins in Mist Valley.]
[Party: Arin, Yura, Yue Lan, Jun Bai (mandatory).]
Arin squinted. "Wait. Jun Bai is joining?"
> "Yes," said Elder Yuehua, handing over the map. "Team balance is important."
> "You're trying to kill me via jealousy-based homicide."
---
Into the Tomb
The group reached the foggy ruins by noon. Giant statues lined the entrance—spirits frozen mid-scream.
Yura sniffed. "This place smells like haunted tofu."
Jun Bai unsheathed his sword. "Let's move."
Arin raised his scroll like a flashlight.
> "Lead the way, mild chaos."
> "I hope you get bitten by an ancient spirit rat," it whispered.
---
Inside, they found:
A puzzle door with 999 shifting tiles
A pit of spikes shaped like motivational slogans
And a floating ghost who refused to leave without singing opera
> "This is the worst dungeon I've ever seen," Yue Lan muttered.
> "And I've seen our sect library."
---
Boss Fight (But It's a Lizard)
Deep inside, a giant spectral lizard rose from a stone coffin.
> "YOU HAVE ENTERED MY DOMAIN!"
> "Sorry," Arin said. "We were looking for the bathroom."
> "DIE!"
Combat ensued. Jun Bai slashed. Yura summoned foxfire. Yue Lan threw talismans.
Arin? He opened the scroll.
> "CHAOTIC VERSE: RANDOM EFFECT ENGAGED!"
The ghost-lizard froze.
Then began... crying.
> "My ex broke up with me 400 years ago!"
> "I just wanted a friend!"
Everyone stared at Arin.
> "...Did I just hit him with ghost depression?"
> "You weaponized emotional trauma," Yue Lan muttered. "Again."
---
Aftermath
The spirit granted them treasure and vanished.
Yura found a spirit crystal.
Yue Lan claimed a high-grade talisman.
Jun Bai got a sword technique scroll.
Arin got…
> "A rock?"
> [That rock is a beast egg.]
> "A what?"
> [Warning: May hatch into something weird.]
The scroll whispered, "You're now a father."
> "NOOOOOOOOO—!"