The wolf circled him, its eyes glowing like twin lanterns in the dark. Every low growl vibrated through Ethan's bones, making his hands shake even harder on the jagged branch he clutched. His mind screamed at him to run, but his body knew better—there was no outrunning this thing.
The only chance he had was that strange flicker he'd felt moments before, when his body had slipped through the shadows as though reality itself had bent for him.
The wolf crouched, muscles coiling, and then it sprang.
Ethan's heart lurched. At the last instant, he willed himself to vanish. His vision warped, darkness swallowing him whole, and when he blinked, he was behind the beast, stumbling on shaky legs.
The wolf skidded, growling in confusion as it whirled to face him again.
Ethan laughed—breathless, shaky, terrified. "Holy shit… I did it again."
The words barely left his lips before the wolf lunged once more. Ethan dodged to the side, forcing the ability to work, and again he flickered through the shadows, reappearing several feet away. But this time his chest tightened, a sharp ache cutting through his ribs as though his own body resented what he was doing. His vision blurred.
The glowing screen appeared again, flickering erratically. Letters scrambled, breaking apart and rearranging like broken glass.
Shadow Step: Active.
Warning: Instability detected.
System overload…
Then the screen shattered into static before blinking out.
Ethan stumbled, nearly dropping his useless branch. His heart pounded so hard he thought it might burst. "Instability? Overload? What the hell does that mean?"
The wolf wasn't interested in his confusion. It prowled toward him again, teeth bared, saliva dripping from its jaws.
Ethan backed up until his heel struck a root, nearly toppling him. His breath came in ragged bursts. The ability worked, but it wasn't infinite. Whatever strange system he had, it came with strings attached—strings that felt ready to snap if he pushed too hard.
He gripped the branch tighter. "Alright, then. I guess we're doing this the old-fashioned way."
The wolf lunged. Ethan didn't try to vanish this time. Instead, he swung. The branch cracked against the beast's muzzle. It barely slowed, but the strike gave Ethan a burst of courage. He struck again, harder, catching it across the eye. The wolf snarled and recoiled, giving him a precious moment to breathe.
He needed more than courage. He needed an edge.
As though hearing him, the screen flickered back into existence, glowing faintly before him.
New skill: Shadow Step.
Temporary stability achieved.
Beneath it, faint text scrolled rapidly, words breaking apart mid-sentence.
Skill theft… anomaly… unauthorized…
Then it vanished again.
Ethan blinked, stunned. "Skill theft? That's… mine?"
The wolf snarled, snapping him back to the moment. Its glowing eye burned with fury where the branch had struck. It circled again, slower this time, studying him.
Ethan realized the truth then. The first time he'd used that flicker ability, he hadn't known what he was doing. But it hadn't been his power. It had been stolen. He could use the wolf's strength against it.
A grin tugged at his lips despite the terror. "Alright, you bastard. Let's see how you like fighting yourself."
When the wolf lunged again, Ethan stepped through the shadows, reappearing above its back. He slammed the broken branch down with all the force he could muster, catching it on the skull. The beast howled, staggering, and Ethan tumbled awkwardly to the ground.
He scrambled to his feet, lungs burning, blood roaring in his ears. The wolf turned, fury blazing in its crimson eyes.
It wasn't enough. The branch wouldn't kill it, and every flicker of shadow step drained him further. If he didn't finish this quickly, the system—or his body—was going to give out.
The wolf lowered itself, ready to strike again. Ethan raised his branch. He knew it would break before the fight was done.
The beast lunged, faster than before, a blur of teeth and claws. Ethan twisted, shadows wrapping around him, carrying him to its flank. In that instant, instinct took over. He didn't think, didn't plan—he just acted. He drove the jagged branch forward, straight into the beast's throat.
The wolf let out a guttural snarl that turned into a choking gasp. It thrashed, claws raking at the earth, but the branch sank deeper, tearing through fur and flesh. Blood gushed hot and thick over Ethan's hands.
He held on, pressing with all his weight, screaming through clenched teeth. The beast bucked, slammed him to the ground, but he refused to let go. His world narrowed to the stench of blood, the strain in his muscles, the desperate need to survive.
Finally, the wolf shuddered. Its crimson glow dimmed. With one last twitch, it collapsed beside him, body slack, eyes dull.
Ethan lay there for a long moment, chest heaving, his body trembling violently. His hands were coated in blood, his arms aching, his breath ragged.
He had done it.
He was alive.
And then the screen returned, glowing brighter than ever.
Quest complete: Defeat the Shadowfang Wolf.
Reward: +100 Experience. +1 Random Skill.
The words shimmered, then twisted. Letters flickered, rearranging themselves into gibberish before snapping back again.
Warning: Corruption spreading.
Stability compromised.
The screen pulsed once, then spat out the new skill.
Skill obtained: Blood Sense.
Ethan blinked. "Blood sense? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
As if in answer, his vision shifted. He could feel the warmth of the wolf's body beside him, sense the faint traces of blood scattered on the ground, even detect his own heartbeat pulsing faster than normal. It was overwhelming, almost nauseating, but also… powerful.
He shut his eyes, forcing the sensation away until it dulled. When he opened them again, the forest seemed even darker, the night pressing down heavier than before.
He sat up, wiping his bloody hands against the damp earth. His thoughts whirled. He wasn't dreaming. This wasn't some hallucination from dying. He was somewhere else entirely, a place that operated like some twisted game. And he had a system unlike anything he had ever seen.
A system that stole.
A system that broke.
A system that wasn't supposed to exist.
He wanted to laugh, cry, scream all at once. Instead, he dragged himself to his feet and looked at the corpse of the wolf. The sight made his stomach turn, but there was also a flicker of pride deep in his chest.
He had killed a monster. Survived against something that should have torn him apart.
But the words from the screen haunted him. Corruption. Instability. Warnings that his very power might destroy him.
Ethan staggered away from the body, deeper into the forest. The moonlight filtered through the trees, silver and cold. His steps were clumsy, his limbs heavy, but every part of him burned with restless energy.
As he walked, the screen appeared once more, this time without flickering.
Player Profile: Ethan Cross
Level: 1
Class: None
Title: Glitched
HP: 6/10
Skills: Shadow Step, Blood Sense
He studied the glowing words. They looked stable for now, but the memory of those scrambled letters refused to leave him. It was as though the system itself were alive, fighting to hold itself together, and he was the unwilling host.
He clenched his fists. Whatever this was, it wasn't going away. If the only way forward was to fight, then he'd fight. He had already died once. He wasn't going to let death take him again without a struggle.
A breeze rustled through the trees. The forest whispered like it had been watching. In the shadows, unseen eyes glimmered faintly. Ethan's skin prickled. He wasn't safe here.
He looked back at the dead wolf, then at the path ahead. His throat tightened, but he forced himself onward.
One step. Then another.
He had no map, no guidance, no answers. Just a broken system, a strange new power, and the gnawing certainty that he was already marked as something unnatural.
Somewhere above the treetops, the moon shone down, casting his path in cold light. Ethan wiped the sweat from his brow and whispered to himself, "Alright, then. Let's see just how far this glitch can take me."
And with that, he vanished into the shadows of the forest, unaware that his every step was already drawing attention from forces far beyond his understanding.