The cool, damp air of the hideout still clung to me, but a new kind of energy pulsed beneath my skin. My body, now an Apprentice-level Sword Knight, felt sharper, more responsive. The D-tier techniques were ingrained, ready to be called upon with a thought. My training with Herald had been brutal, effective, and utterly transformative.
I flickered my hand, and the Narrative Override Engine materialized before me, its familiar blue light cutting through the dimness of the underground chamber. My eyes scanned the numbers.
[OVERRIDE POINTS]: 15
Fifteen. Not the 150 I needed for Narrative Redaction, but a significant recovery. It meant my ascension, my breakthrough to the Apprentice realm, had been a major story alteration, a significant deviation from the original narrative. The system had rewarded me.
I quickly checked the other stats.
[REALITY DIVERGENCE]: 15.5%
[GLITCH COEFFICIENT]: 16%
