The forest didn't feel natural.
Kael noticed it within minutes.
The trees were too evenly spaced. The ground too clean. Even the shadows seemed… placed.
Like someone designed it.
Badly.
"Procedural," he muttered.
Not random.
Generated.
A faint blue glow flickered ahead.
Kael slowed his steps.
Not out of fear.
Out of caution.
There's a difference. One keeps you alive.
He reached a clearing.
At its center—
A stone pillar.
Smooth.
Perfect.
Completely out of place.
And hovering above it:
[Tutorial Node #01]
Kael stared at it.
"…Of course there's a tutorial."
Because nothing says "new world survival" like hand-holding instructions.
As he stepped closer, the air shifted.
The familiar sterile voice returned.
[Welcome, User.]
[Initializing Tutorial Sequence]
Kael stopped.
"…Didn't we already establish I'm not a user?"
The screen flickered.
Again.
[ERROR]
[Override in Progress…]
The pillar pulsed.
Then—
Something formed.
A humanoid figure made of light.
Featureless.
Weaponless.
Expressionless.
[Objective: Defeat Training Construct]
Kael tilted his head slightly.
"…That's it?"
No dramatic intro.
No explanation.
Just "fight this thing."
Efficient. Lazy. Same difference.
The construct moved first.
Fast.
Cleaner than the ghouls.
More precise.
It struck.
A straight punch aimed at his chest.
Kael shifted sideways just enough.
Minimal movement.
Maximum efficiency.
"Predictable."
The construct followed instantly.
Second strike.
Third.
No wasted motion.
Kael's eyes sharpened.
"…Not reacting."
It wasn't thinking.
It was executing.
"Good."
He stepped in instead of back.
Closed distance.
"Glitch."
The construct flickered—
Then stabilized.
Kael paused.
"…Didn't work?"
The system responded immediately.
[Target Protected by System Integrity]
Kael's expression changed slightly.
Not frustration.
Interest.
"So there are things you won't let me touch."
Now that was useful information.
The construct attacked again.
Faster this time.
Adjusting.
Learning.
Kael ducked under the strike, pivoting behind it.
"Let's try something else."
He reached out—
Not at the construct.
But at the space between them.
"Glitch."
For a brief moment—
Reality bent.
The construct's next movement stuttered.
Just slightly.
Just enough.
Kael moved.
His hand slammed into its back.
The construct froze—
Then shattered into fragments of light.
Silence.
Kael straightened slowly.
"…So I can't break you."
He glanced at his hand.
"...but I can break what you rely on."
The system responded.
[Tutorial Complete]
[Evaluating Performance…]
A pause.
Longer than before.
[Result: Anomaly Detected]
[Score: Undefined]
"…You're really struggling with me, huh."
The pillar dimmed.
Then—
A new message appeared.
[Reward Granted]
[Skill Upgrade Available]
A branching interface unfolded.
Finally.
Something useful.
[Choose Upgrade Path:]
Glitch: Expansion – Affect larger targets
Glitch: Precision – Increase control and accuracy
Glitch: Persistence – Effects last longer
Kael didn't choose immediately.
He stared at the options.
Analyzing.
"Expansion is tempting," he said quietly.
Bigger impact.
More chaos.
Very appealing.
"Persistence… useful later."
Long-term damage.
Control.
Strategic.
His gaze settled on the middle option.
"Precision."
Power without control was just noise.
And Kael didn't make noise.
He made results.
The system flickered.
[Upgrade Selected: Precision]
[Glitch Lv.2 → Lv.3]
[New Effect: Target Lock]
A strange sensation passed through him.
Subtle.
But sharp.
Kael exhaled slowly.
"…Better."
The pillar began to dissolve.
The clearing returned to normal.
If "normal" meant suspiciously artificial forest.
But before it fully vanished—
One last message appeared.
[Next Tutorial Node Unlocked]
[Distance: 2.3 km]
Kael glanced in the indicated direction.
Deeper into the forest.
Of course it was deeper.
Nothing good ever happens near the starting point.
He started walking again.
"…System integrity."
That line lingered in his mind.
Some things couldn't be broken directly.
Not yet.
Which meant—
There were rules.
Boundaries.
Limits.
Kael smiled faintly.
"Good."
Rules existed for one reason.
"To be broken."
Far above—
Beyond layers of reality—
The Overseer observed.
And for the first time—
It adjusted a parameter.
[Threat Level: Increasing]