You know how in games, when you hack a boss or break the rules, the devs usually patch it next week?
Well, in my world, the System doesn't patch.
It sends someone to break your face.
---
Midnight Panic
The guild was quiet. Rina had passed out at the table with a sandwich still in her hand. Zell was in the corner writing in his suspiciously edgy journal.
And me? I was staring at the red alert box hovering in front of my face:
[WARNING: The Architect has detected unauthorized system access.]
[Countermeasure Deployed: Debugger-Class Enforcer]
ETA: 2 minutes.
"Two minutes?!" I whispered, trying not to wake Rina.
"What am I supposed to do, delete System32?!"
---
Arrival of the Debugger
The air in the guild hall shimmered. Pixels fell from the ceiling like snow.
Then he appeared.
A tall figure in a trench coat made of glowing code lines, face hidden behind a white mask with //ERROR written across it.
[Debugger-Class Enforcer – System's Hand]
Level: ???
Purpose: Terminate Glitched Entities
He didn't even walk. He just phased across the floor like laggy Wi-Fi.
"Yuto Kurogane," the voice echoed like broken speakers, "you tampered with a core file. This is a violation of system integrity."
I raised a finger. "Uh, in my defense—Sir Bugsalot was way cooler after I renamed him."
The Debugger tilted his head. "…Unnecessary humor detected."
---
Fight: Me vs. Tech Support
He swung his hand, and a blade of raw code shot out. I rolled back, barely dodging. The wood floor where I stood turned into a blue screen.
Yup. He literally crashed the floor.
"Rina! Zell! Wake up! The IT guy's trying to kill me!"
Rina blinked awake just in time to duck as another slash cut the air.
Zell muttered, "I told you hacking the system would get us killed…"
"Not helping!" I yelled, summoning Lag Clone.
The clone ran forward. The Debugger sliced it in half like it was a laggy GIF.
But—plot twist—the clone rebooted, glitched backward, and tackled him.
---
Counterattack with Glitches
I activated Data Pulse. Weak spots flickered on the Debugger's coat. His code was stable—too stable.
But then I remembered the Mirror Fragment from last dungeon.
I held it up. It shined, projecting my reflection—except my reflection glitched.
The Debugger hesitated. For the first time, he froze.
"…Unstable code signature detected. Impossible to parse."
Me? I grinned. "Yeah, that's me, buddy. The impossible patch note."
I slammed the fragment into my chest.
---
New Power Unlocked
[Trait Evolved: Glitch Core → Fragmented Soul]
You can temporarily split your existence into unstable versions of yourself. Warning: side effects may include headaches, existential dread, and looking stupid.
Suddenly, two more versions of me appeared—half-transparent, glitching in and out.
One held a sword backwards. The other… was eating chips?
"Go!" I shouted.
All three of us rushed the Debugger. He slashed, but my fragmented selves soaked the damage. In the confusion, I used Packet Skip—teleporting behind him—
and hit him with Inventory Toss.
The item?
…a rubber duck.
It bounced off his head. He staggered.
Rina screamed, "HOW IS THAT WORKING?!"
"Don't question the system!" I yelled.
---
Temporary Victory
The Debugger glitched, kneeling. His mask cracked.
"You… cannot win. The Architect sees you now."
He dissolved into static, leaving behind only a single glowing shard:
[Item Acquired: Debug Key Fragment]
---
Aftermath
I collapsed in a chair, sweating.
Zell finally looked up from his journal. "You just fought one of the Architect's enforcers… and you survived."
Rina frowned. "For how long, though?"
The guild hall was quiet again. Too quiet.
Then the system pinged one last message:
[Main Quest Update: Face the Architect]
Progress: 0%
Great.
I'd officially pissed off the guy who basically runs reality.
And knowing my luck, he doesn't forgive hackers.
---
To be continued…