Ren's eyes snapped open, a wide, unrestrained grin plastered across his face. The blue screen in his mind was a cascade of glorious notifications.
[You have leveled up!]
[You have reached Level 2!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have reached Level 3!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have reached Level 4!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have reached Level 5!]
[You have gained 20 unallocated Stat Points.]
From a single, simple goblin quest, he had jumped four levels. The experience that would take a normal adventurer weeks to acquire, he had gained in minutes. The System Glitch wasn't a minor malfunction; it was a cheat code to godhood.
"Are you... okay?" Lyra's voice pulled him from his thoughts. She was staring at him, her fiery red hair disheveled, her expression a mix of gratitude and deep suspicion. "You sort of... zoned out with a creepy smile on your face."
"Did I?" Ren asked, his smile softening into something charmingly angelic. "My apologies. I was just calculating my profits." He gestured to the pile of dead goblins. "Speaking of which, we should probably take their ears for proof. Guild rules and all that."
Lyra watched, baffled, as he efficiently began collecting the quest items. His movements were swift and precise. "You... you can't be an F-Rank," she stated, more to herself than to him. "I'm a C-Rank Knight, and they were giving me trouble. You took them out in less than ten seconds."
"I told you," Ren said without looking up, his tone light and breezy. "System Glitch. Very buggy. Besides," he added, finally looking at her with his piercing blue eyes, "I'm a fast learner."
He offered her a share of the goblin ears, but she refused. "No. That was all you. I was just the bait." There was no resentment in her voice, only awe.
As they began the walk back to Eridon, Lyra couldn't help but ask questions. "Where did you train? Who was your master? How can a 'glitch' make you so strong?"
Ren answered with witty deflections and charming non-answers. He claimed his master was a "very old, very grumpy badger" and that he learned his sword skills by "aggressively poking scarecrows." She knew he was lying, but his playful energy was infectious, and she found herself laughing despite her confusion.
Internally, Ren was busy. 'Status,' he commanded in his mind. He poured 10 points into Agility and 10 into Strength, feeling a tangible surge of power flow through his limbs. The world seemed to move a little slower, his muscles felt coiled with even more potential.
Their path was interrupted by a trio of adventurers heading towards the woods. They were clad in matching bronze armor, arrogance dripping from every word. Their leader, a burly man with a crooked nose, noticed Lyra first, then his eyes landed on Ren. He saw the basic iron sword and cheap leather armor.
"Well, well, Lyra," the man sneered. "I didn't think you were so desperate you'd start hiring F-Rank charity cases as bodyguards." His two companions snickered.
Lyra's hand went to the hilt of her sword. "Back off, Borin. He's with me."
Ren put a calming hand on her arm, his angelic smile never wavering. He looked at Borin, his eyes crinkling pleasantly. "There's no need to be rude," he said, his voice smooth as silk. "We're all just trying to make a living, right?"
Borin puffed out his chest. "An F-Rank like you won't be making a living for long. You'll end up as goblin food. A pretty boy like you will probably make them sick."
The smile on Ren's face didn't change, but something in his eyes went utterly cold. The playful warmth vanished, replaced by a flat, predatory stillness.
"You're probably right," Ren said, his voice dropping to a confidential whisper that only the three men could hear. "It's a dangerous world. Full of glitches." He took a small step forward, invading Borin's space. "And some glitches... you don't just walk away from. You should be careful."
The sudden shift in atmosphere was jarring. Borin and his lackeys felt a primal chill snake down their spines. The boy in front of them looked like an angel, but his presence suddenly felt like that of a reaper. They saw the promise of effortless, absolute violence in that calm, blue gaze.
Borin swallowed hard, his bravado evaporating. "Whatever, freak," he stammered, before hastily pushing past with his companions, eager to get away.
Ren watched them go, the warmth slowly returning to his smile as if a switch had been flipped. He turned back to Lyra, who was staring at him, her mouth slightly agape. She had seen the flicker of something terrifying behind his friendly facade.
"What was that?" she whispered.
"Just offering some friendly advice," Ren replied cheerfully. "Come on. We have 50 silver to collect."
As they reached the towering gates of the Adventurer's Guild, Ren knew the easy part was over. Now he had to explain how a freshly-awakened F-Rank with a "glitched" System managed to single-handedly exterminate an entire goblin nest.
This was going to be fun.