Grayhollow's streets were emptier than they should be for late afternoon. The curfew had people spooked. Adventurers huddled in taverns, merchants closing early, guards doubled at the gates.
Nero and Kade walked through the tense atmosphere, both of them exhausted and filthy from the dungeon grind.
"You know what sounds amazing right now?" Kade said. "A bath. An actual hot bath. Maybe one of those fancy ones with the scented oils."
"You realize we're both covered in dire rat blood and dungeon slime, right? Any bathhouse would charge us hazard fees."
"Worth it."
They turned the corner toward the inn and nearly collided with Lyra, who was moving fast, her expression grim.
"There you are," she said. "We have a problem."
"Define problem," Kade said.
"The Guild's implementing mandatory registration checks. They're scanning for anomalies,magical signatures, system irregularities, anything unusual. It starts tomorrow morning."
Nero's stomach dropped. "They're looking for me."
"They're looking for corruption sources," Lyra corrected. "But yes, you're exactly the kind of anomaly that would trigger their detection magic."
"How bad?" Kade asked.
"If Nero gets scanned, his ERRØR abilities will light up like a beacon. Best case, they quarantine him for study. Worst case—" She didn't finish. She didn't need to.
Nero's mind raced. Thirty-six hours until Debuggers arrive. Now the Guild's hunting anomalies. Perfect. Just perfect.
"Where's Finn?" Kade asked.
"Still in the archives. He found something, but he wants to verify before sharing." Lyra looked at Nero. "How close are you to Level 10?"
"One level away. Maybe two good fights."
"Then we do it tonight. There's a small dungeon on the eastern edge of town—the Collapsed Mine. Bronze-rank, recently respawned. We clear it fast, get you to Level 10, and then we figure out our next move before the morning scan."
"Tonight?" Nero glanced at the darkening sky. "During curfew?"
"Curfew is for civilians. Adventurers on active Guild business are exempt." Her expression was steel. "And we just accepted an emergency dungeon clear. I already filed the paperwork."
Kade grinned. "You filed fake paperwork to break curfew so we could power-level Nero?"
"I filed legitimate paperwork for a dungeon that genuinely needs clearing. If it happens to benefit our party member, that's just efficient resource allocation."
"I love it when you bend rules," Finn's voice came from behind them. He materialized from the alley shadows, looking pleased with himself. "And speaking of rule-bending, I found something interesting about our Debugger friends."
They moved into the alley—away from prying eyes and ears.
Finn pulled out a worn journal. "This is from seventy years ago. Adventurer's personal diary, buried in the archive basement. He documented an encounter with what he called System Enforcers."
"Debuggers?" Nero asked.
"Different name but same concept. They appeared during a dungeon corruption outbreak—similar to what's happening now. They were hunting something called an Error Entity." Finn's eyes met Nero's. "Someone who could manipulate reality itself."
"What happened to them?"
"The Entity tried to fight. Lasted about ten minutes against three Enforcers before they terminated him." Finn's voice was grim. "According to this journal, the Enforcers aren't human. They're system constructs—basically antivirus programs given physical form."
"So they are NPCs?" Nero thought.
Kade's expression had gone serious. "How do you fight something like that?"
"You don't. The diary recommends running. Fast and far." Finn closed the journal. "But here's the interesting part—they can only detect glitch users when they're actively using corrupted abilities. Passive abilities like Nero's Debug Mode don't trigger them. Only active reality manipulation."
"So as long as I don't use Patch Rewrite or Rollback, I'm invisible to them?"
"In theory. But Nero, you already used Patch Rewrite yesterday. That corrupted boss? You lit up every detection system within fifty miles. They know someone glitched reality in this region. They just don't know exactly where or who."
"Yet," Lyra added.
Silence fell over the alley.
"So," Kade said finally. "We get Nero to Level 10 tonight, skip the Guild scan tomorrow, and be ready to run if Debuggers show up. That's the plan?"
"That's the plan," Lyra confirmed.
"I have notes," Finn said. "Several notes. Starting with THIS IS INSANE!."
"You got better ideas?"
"No. Which is why we're doing the insane plan." Finn looked at Nero. "You good with this?"
Nero thought about it. Running meant leaving Grayhollow, leaving the relative safety of civilization. Staying meant getting scanned, exposed, probably dissected by Guild researchers.
Not really a choice.
"Let's do it," he said. "One more dungeon. Level 10. Then we figure out the next step."
"That's the spirit!" Kade clapped him on the shoulder. "Vanguard's about to pull an all-nighter. Just like old times."
"Old times usually ended with something on fire," Finn muttered.
"Exactly! Tradition!"
—
The Collapsed Mine dungeon entrance was exactly what it sounded like a partially collapsed mine shaft on the eastern edge of town, sealed off with Guild warnings.
Lyra checked the posted notice. "Last clear was five days ago. Should be fully respawned. Estimated completion: two hours."
"What's in there?" Nero asked.
"Rock elementals, mainly. Some cave spiders. The mini-boss is usually an Earth Golem." She glanced at him. "Your Debug Mode should work well—elementals have obvious weak points."
They entered together this time—no more solo runs. Nero needed the XP, but they also needed to get in and out quickly without attracting attention.
The dungeon interior was dark, lit only by phosphorescent mushrooms growing on the walls. The air was thick with dust and the smell of minerals.
```
[ENTERING DUNGEON: COLLAPSED MINE]
RANK: Bronze
RECOMMENDED LEVEL: 8-12
PARTY SIZE: 3-5
CURRENT PARTY:
[Kade Morrison - Lv 18]
[Finn Cooper - Lv 16]
[Lyra Ashford - Lv 17]
[Nero Cross - Lv 9]
CORRUPTION GAIN: +1 per 30 minutes
CURRENT CORRUPTION: 43/100
Quest: Hit Level 10
Complete before dawn
Avoid detection
Don't die (again)
```
"Formation," Lyra said quietly. "Standard approach. Kade point, Finn flanks, I'm covering. Nero, stay in the middle unless you see an opening."
They moved deeper. The first chamber opened into a cavern filled with crystalline formations. And standing among them, three rock elementals—vaguely humanoid shapes made of animated stone.
```
[ROCK ELEMENTAL x3 - Level 10]
WEAKNESS: Core crystal (chest cavity)
RESISTANCE: Physical damage (70% reduction)
VULNERABILITY: Blunt force to core (300% damage)
```
"Physical resistance," Lyra noted. "Arrows won't do much. Kade?"
"On it." Kade charged, shield raised as He used his hammer and slammed into the first elemental, the impact sending cracks through its stone body. His follow-up strike with a mace. Not his usual weapon, but effective. He shattered the core crystal.
Finn was already on the second, his daggers useless against stone but his combat instincts were perfect. He dodged falling fists, led the elemental into position, and Kade's shield-bash from behind shattered it.
Nero faced the third. His Debug Mode showed him the core—a glowing red crystal deep in the chest cavity, protected by layers of stone.
Blunt force. Need to hit hard.
He didn't have a mace. But he had a dungeon full of rocks.
Nero grabbed a loose stone the size of his head and threw it at the elemental's feet. The creature stumbled. He threw another, this time at its knee joint. Cracks formed.
The elemental swung at him. Nero rolled, came up with his sword, and drove it into the crack he'd made. The blade wedged deep. He wrenched sideways, leveraging his full body weight. The elemental's leg shattered.
It fell. Nero was on it instantly, rock in hand, smashing down on the exposed core crystal again and again until it shattered.
```
[ROCK ELEMENTAL DEFEATED]
[+45 XP]
```
"Not bad," Finn said. "Using the environment. Smart."
"I've got a high INT stat. I'm literally built for problem-solving."
"Shame you're not built for modesty."
He chuckled.
They cleared three more chambers. Spiders that Lyra picked off with perfect accuracy. More elementals that fell to coordinated strikes. A swarm of bats that Kade taunted into a cluster before Finn threw an alchemical explosive. Nero fought smart using terrain, exploiting weaknesses his Debug Mode revealed, supporting his party rather than trying to solo. His XP climbed steadily.
```
[Level Progress: 85%]
[One good fight away from Level 10]
```
The mini-boss chamber was massive. A central cavern with a ceiling that disappeared into darkness. And in the center, waiting, an Earth Golem. Twelve feet tall. Made of layered rock and earth. Eyes glowing with elemental fire.
```
[EARTH GOLEM - Level 15 Mini-Boss]
HP: 3,500/3,500
CORE LOCATION: Head cavity (heavily armored)
WEAKNESS: Joints between rock plates
ATTACK PATTERN: Slow but devastating strikes
SPECIAL ABILITY: Ground Slam (AOE damage)
THREAT LEVEL: Moderate (for your party)
```
"Standard boss tactics," Lyra said. "Kade holds aggro. Finn and I damage joints. Nero..."
"I'll find the exploit," Nero finished.
Kade stepped forward, banging his shield. "HEY! ROCKY! YOU'RE UGLY AND YOUR MOTHER WAS A PEBBLE!"
The golem turned its massive head toward him and roared—a sound like an avalanche. Then it charged.
Kade braced. The impact when they collided shook the entire chamber. Kade's boots slid back three feet, leaving grooves in the stone floor, but he held. Finn was already moving, his daggers finding the gaps between rock plates, carving into the softer earth beneath. Lyra's arrows struck true—not damaging the core, but pinning the golem's movements, giving Finn openings.
Nero activated his Debug Mode fully, studying the boss's structure.
It's not one solid creature. It's dozens of rocks held together by earth magic. The core controls the magic, but the rocks are individual pieces. If I could disrupt the binding...
He couldn't. Not without using Patch Rewrite. And that would cost Corruption he couldn't spare.
"But I don't need to hack it. I just need to exploit the design." he said to himself.
"KADE!" Nero shouted. "Knock it off balance! Force it to use its left leg!"
"ON IT!" Kade shield-bashed the golem's right side. The creature stumbled, weight shifting to its left leg—the one Finn had been carving up.
The joint gave out. The golem crashed to one knee. Its head where the core was housed came down to Nero's level.
"NOW!" Lyra's arrow struck the golem's eye socket. Not damaging, but blinding.
Nero ran. Jumped. Drove his sword into the cracked eye socket with his full body weight behind it. The blade punched through weakened rock, through the softer earth beneath, and into the core crystal.
Reality seemed to pause. Then the golem exploded into light particles.
```
[EARTH GOLEM DEFEATED]
[DUNGEON CLEARED]
[+380 XP]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 10!]
[MILESTONE REACHED!]
[CLASS SPECIALIZATION AVAILABLE]
[Please select your path...]
```
Nero collapsed to his knees, breathing hard. Every muscle screamed. His Corruption had ticked up to 44/100 from ambient dungeon exposure. But he'd done it.
Level 10.
Kade was beside him instantly, pulling him into a comforting hug. "THAT'S MY BOY! Level 10! That was BRILLIANT!"
"Can't... breathe..."
"Oh, right." Kade said chuckling as he released him down but kept a hand on his back patting him gently. "You did good"
Nero blushed as he pulled up the specialization screen that was demanding his attention.
```
[SYSTEM SPECIALIST - LEVEL 10 SPECIALIZATION]
Choose your path:
OPTION 1: CODE ARCHITECT
- Focus: Creation and Enhancement
- Abilities: Craft system-based items, enhance party abilities, create temporary constructs
- Corruption Cost: Low-Moderate
- Playstyle: Support/Utility
OPTION 2: GLITCH HUNTER
- Focus: Exploitation and Destruction
- Abilities: Advanced debugging, enemy system disruption, critical weakness identification
- Corruption Cost: Moderate-High
- Playstyle: DPS/Tactical
OPTION 3: REALITY AUDITOR
- Focus: System Management and Control
- Abilities: Corruption manipulation, system restoration, limited time control
- Corruption Cost: Very High
- Playstyle: High-Risk/High-Reward
[WARNING: Choice is PERMANENT]
[WARNING: Each path has different Corruption management]
[Choose wisely]
```
Nero read through the options twice, his mind analyzing the implications.
Code Architect is safest. Low corruption cost, support role. But it doesn't solve my core problem.Glitch Hunter is balanced. More offensive, but the corruption cost is still manageable.Reality Auditor... "corruption manipulation"? That implies I could potentially reduce my Corruption score. But "Very High" cost means I'd be gambling every time I used it.
"What's it say?" Lyra asked, moving closer.
Nero shared the screen with them, his Debug Mode making it visible.
Finn whistled. "Reality Auditor sounds broken."
"Sounds dangerous," Kade countered. "Very High corruption cost? That's basically Russian roulette."
"But if it lets him manage Corruption..." Lyra said thoughtfully. "That could be the difference between survival and Terminal Event."
They were right. Both perspectives were valid. Nero looked at his party—these people who'd risked everything for him, who were standing with him despite the danger.
What would help them most? What gives us the best chance?
He selected GLITCH HUNTER.
```
[SPECIALIZATION SELECTED: GLITCH HUNTER]
[CLASS EVOLVED: System Specialist → Glitch Hunter]
NEW ABILITIES UNLOCKED:
[System Crash] - Temporarily disable enemy skills (Corruption: 5)
[Critical Exploit] - Guarantee critical hit on identified weakness (Corruption: 3)
[Debug Swarm] - Reveal all hidden elements in area (Corruption: 2)
[Force Patch] - Emergency healing through system rewrite (Corruption: 10)
STAT BONUSES:
+10 INT, +7 AGI, +5 WIS
PASSIVE ABILITY:
[Exploit Mastery] - Weakness identification improved, critical hit chance +25%
CORRUPTION MANAGEMENT:
- Glitch Hunter abilities cost LESS corruption than base ERRØR abilities
- Can reduce Corruption by "debugging" corrupted entities (-1 to -5 per enemy)
- High-risk, high-reward playstyle
[You are now a hunter of glitches]
[Use the system against itself]
```
Power flooded through Nero's body. His stats jumped, his senses sharpened, and suddenly his Debug Mode felt... different. More precise, more deadly but more controlled.
```
[CURRENT STATUS]
LEVEL: 10
HP: 310/310
MP: 420/420
CORRUPTION: 44/100
STR: 27 | VIT: 28 | AGI: 33
INT: 45 | WIS: 37 | LUK: ???
```
"How do you feel?" Kade asked.
Nero flexed his fingers, feeling the new abilities settling into place like installed software. "Dangerous. I feel dangerous."
"Good," Lyra said. "Because we're about to need dangerous." She pointed to the dungeon exit. "We need to get out of here before dawn. The Guild scan starts in six hours."
They left the Collapsed Mine as the first hints of dawn touched the eastern sky. Grayhollow was still sleeping, blissfully unaware of what was coming. Nero's system pinged as they approached the town.
```
[WARNING: DEBUGGER FORCES DETECTED]
[DISTANCE: 15 kilometers and closing]
[ESTIMATED ARRIVAL: 8 hours]
[They know you're here]
[They're coming]
[TIME TO DECIDE: FIGHT OR FLIGHT]
```
Nero showed the notification to his party.
"Eight hours," Finn said quietly. "Less time than we thought."
"We need to decide," Lyra said, her command voice firm. "Do we run now, or do we wait and gather supplies?"
"If we run now, we're unprepared," Kade said. "If we wait, we might get trapped."
They all looked at Nero.
"Your call," Lyra said. "They're hunting you. What do you want to do?"
Nero looked at his party—his friends, his found family—and made a decision.
"We don't run," he said. "Not yet. We have eight hours. We use them. Gather supplies, prepare defenses, figure out what we're dealing with. And then..." He met each of their eyes. "Then we make them regret coming for us."
Kade's grin was feral. "Now THAT'S what I'm talking about."
"We're really doing this?" Finn asked. "Fighting system constructs designed to delete glitch users?"
"We're really doing this," Nero confirmed.
"Insane," Finn muttered. But he was smiling. "Absolutely insane. I love it."
Lyra nodded once, sharp and decisive. "Eight hours. Let's make them count."
They walked back into Grayhollow as the sun rose, level 10 glitch hunter and his party of absolute lunatics, ready to face the hunters that were coming for them.