[The World History]
The world is a single supercontinent: Pangaea.
Three hundred years ago, the "Great Quake" revealed Mana Stones in the earth's core. Peace died that day.
Now, five nations fight a constant Battle Royale for these resources.
The Human Alliance holds the center—the richest lands—but they are surrounded on all sides by Machines, Beasts, Spirits, and the Undead. They are losing the war of attrition. To survive, they enacted the "Law of 18." Every human, on their 18th birthday, is conscripted for a mandatory "Awakening Test" on the frontlines.
[Sector 4 - The Southern Front]
The smell of burnt oil and copper blood was the first thing Kael noticed.
He gasped, waking up face-down in the mud. The sky above was a bruised purple, choked with smoke. Just yesterday, he was sitting in a classroom, staring at the clock, waiting for his birthday. He had hoped he would awaken a crafting talent—maybe a Blacksmith or an Alchemist—so he could stay safe in the rear lines.
Instead, a military truck had picked him up at midnight.
"Happy Birthday, kid," the driver had said, throwing him a rifle and a rusty chest plate. "Welcome to the meat grinder."
Now, Kael was in a trench.
"Move it! They're coming!" a voice screamed.
A boot kicked Kael in the ribs. He scrambled up, slipping in the sludge. He looked down at his chest. Embedded in his rusty armor was a cracked, dim blue rock—a Low-Grade Mana Stone. It generated a flickering, invisible shield around his body.
"If that stone dies, you die!" a Sergeant roared, running past him. "Check your ammo!"
Boom!
The ground shook so hard Kael's teeth rattled. A whistle blew.
Kael peered over the edge of the trench. Across the scarred battlefield, hundreds of massive shapes were charging. The Beast Clans. Men with the heads of wolves and the muscles of giants, wearing crude iron armor.
"Fire!"
Lasers and bullets erupted from the Human line.
Kael raised his rifle, his hands shaking. He pulled the trigger, but nothing happened. Jammed.
I'm going to die, Kael thought, his heart hammering against his ribs. I'm 18 years old and I'm going to die in a ditch.
Suddenly, the world flickered. A blue transparent screen popped up in front of his eyes.
[System Initialization Complete]
[Subject: Kael (Age 18)]
[Awakening Process... 100%]
[Current Status: Level 1 (Human)]
[Mana: 10/10]
[Talent Calculation...]
Kael blinked. Every 18-year-old got a System. It was the only way humans could fight monsters. Usually, the System gave you a class based on your personality.
But as the text loaded, the screen glitching, turning from Blue to Red.
[Error. Soul Frequency Mismatch.]
[Warning: User access rights are unstable.]
[talent_limit_break.exe found.]
[Unique Talent Acquired: "The Glitch"]
[Description: You are not bound by the System's logic. You can see the Source Code of reality.]
"What?" Kael whispered.
Before he could process it, a massive shadow blocked out the sun.
A Beast Soldier, seven feet tall and covered in black fur, leaped into the trench. It roared, swinging a massive battle axe. The two human soldiers next to Kael were cleaved in half instantly.
The Beast turned its yellow eyes toward Kael.
Time seemed to slow down. The "Glitch" activated. Kael didn't just see a monster; he saw floating text and lines of code covering the enemy.
Enemy: Beast Soldier (Level 3)
Weakness: Unshielded Neck.
Equipment Status: Axe (Durability 90%), Shield (Mana Link Active).
Kael scrambled back, bumping into a dead body. His hand touched the dead soldier's glowing Mana Stone.
[High-Purity Mana Source Detected.]
[Emergency Protocol.]
[Select Response Class:]
[A: Mage (Absorb Energy)]
[B: Mechanic (Overcharge Weapon)]
[C: Rogue (Steal Enemy Shield)]
The Beast raised its axe. Kael had a fraction of a second. He didn't know how to fight. He didn't know which class was best.
"I don't choose!" Kael screamed, gripping the stone. "I want it all!"
The System text fractured.
[Command Accepted. Forcing Multiple Pathways.]
1. The Rogue
Kael's eyes flashed gold. He saw the invisible mana line connecting the Beast to its magical shield. He reached out with his mind and pulled.
The orange barrier around the Beast flickered and vanished.
The Beast looked confused, stumbling mid-swing.
2. The Mechanic
Kael jammed the Mana Stone into the receiver of his jammed rifle. The metal hissed, turning white-hot as he forced raw energy into the mechanism.
Click. The jam cleared.
3. The Mage
The excess energy from the stone surged up Kael's arms, burning his veins. He didn't fire a bullet; he fired a beam of pure, unstable plasma.
CRACK!
The blue beam slammed into the Beast's unshielded chest. It didn't just make a hole; it vaporized the creature's entire torso.
The top half of the Beast fell backward. The bottom half crumpled to the floor.
Silence fell over the immediate area of the trench.
Kael stood there, his rifle smoking and melting in his hands. He felt dizzy. A headache split his skull—the cost of using three classes at once.
[Combat Complete.]
[Enemy Defeated: Beast Soldier (Level 3)]
[Experience Gained: 500 XP]
[Level Up!]
[You are now Level 2.]
"Holy..."
Kael turned around. The Sergeant was standing there, staring at him. The Sergeant looked at the melted gun, then at the vaporized Beast.
"Kid," the Sergeant said, his voice trembling. "What is your Class?"
Kael looked at the floating red text that only he could see: [Class: Omni-Adapter (Glitch Variant)].
He knew the stories. If the government found out you were an anomaly, you didn't go to the Academy. You went to a lab to be dissected.
Kael dropped the melted gun and put on his best terrified face.
"I... I don't know, sir," Kael lied, panting. "I think I'm just a Mage with a really strong fire spell."
The Sergeant narrowed his eyes, then grinned. "A Fire Mage? With that much power? Get in the chopper, kid. You just passed the entrance exam."
End of Episode 1.