The monster's claw struck like lightning. The rusted sword in Aryan's hands shattered into fragments.
Pain ripped through his chest as he hit the ground, bones cracking beneath the force.
His breath burned. His vision blurred.
"Is this… where I die again?"
The system's static voice echoed in his mind:
> [Critical Condition Detected...]
[Emergency Protocol Unlocked.]
[Skill Acquired: Glitched Surge Lv.1]
Suddenly, the pain vanished. The blood on his wounds evaporated into mist. Blue light surged through his veins.
Aryan rose to his feet in disbelief, his eyes glowing gold as a metallic hum filled his ears.
> [Time Remaining: 30 Seconds.]
The monster roared, but for the first time, there was fear in its blazing eyes.
Aryan charged forward. A new blade—formed of fractured light, glitching and unstable—manifested in his grip. Every swing shook the ground.
The beast screamed desperately as Aryan's strike came down.
A blinding flash swallowed everything.
Silence.
The monster was gone—reduced to nothing but ashes.
Aryan dropped to his knees, gasping for breath.
The system spoke again:
> [Mission Complete.]
[Reward: Unknown Skill Fragment Acquired.]
Aryan's wide eyes filled with both fear and wonder.
"Did I… do that? Or was the system controlling me?"
— To be continued —