Chapter 11 – The Glitch Awakens
James woke to a pale, ashen light filtering through the cracks of Lira's hut. His body still ached, and the memory of the Hunter battle left a bitter taste in his mouth. Every muscle screamed, every breath reminded him of the fragile line between survival and death.
Yet, beneath the pain, there was a faint hum—the Fragment inside him. Blue energy pulsed weakly at his chest, flickering like a heartbeat. It called to him. Whispered, almost soothingly, in the voices of the long-dead reincarnators that had passed before him.
"You can control us… if you are strong enough."
James clenched his fists. "I have to. I will."
He rose unsteadily, Lira watching silently from the doorway.
"You're… moving too fast," she said. Her voice was gentle, but firm. "You need rest."
James shook his head. "No. If I don't start learning… mastering the Fragment… I'll just be a corpse waiting to happen."
Her eyes softened, but she didn't argue. "Then you'll have my help."
Into the Ruins
They left the village, heading for the nearest cluster of ruins—the remnants of what had once been a merchant city. Crumbling walls jutted toward the sky, half-swallowed by ash and twisted metal. Broken streets stretched in every direction.
James' heart pounded as he stepped into the desolate streets. The air was thick with the memory of the dead. The System pulsed faintly in his mind, fragments of previous users' experiences flickering across his vision.
[System Alert: Fragment Resonance Detected – Weak]
[New Objective: Investigate ruins for potential System Fragments]
James frowned. Potential? Weak? The words gnawed at him. Unlike the Hunter battle, this task required precision and patience—not brute force. He adjusted the dagger in his hand and moved cautiously, scanning every shadow.
The first fragment came quickly. A glowing shard embedded in the broken foundation of an old watchtower. It pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat.
[System Fragment Detected]
[Warning: Fragment Integrity – Unstable]
James knelt, eyes wide. He reached out slowly. The moment his fingers brushed the shard, a surge of energy shot through him. Blue fire raced along his veins, whispers of the past reincarnators screaming in his mind.
"Claim us… or fail…"
He staggered, nearly collapsing. Lira grabbed his arm. "James! Be careful!"
He steadied himself. "I… I can handle it. I have to handle it."
[New Skill Unlocked: Blade Echo II – Temporary Fragment Mastery]
The dagger in his hand pulsed in response, faint afterimages of previous strikes flickering along its edge. James' chest swelled with adrenaline. He had survived the Fragment—partially. But the energy left him drained, almost to collapse.
The System's Glitch
As he explored further, the System flickered erratically. Numbers and text scrolled in broken lines across his vision.
[System Integrity: 12%]
[Warning: Overload Imminent]
[Memory Corruption Detected]
James groaned. Every attempt to interface with the System brought him closer to collapse. But he noticed something new: small bursts of control. Small, almost imperceptible moments where he could pause the system's flow, redirect energy, or glimpse hidden fragments of memory.
I can fight it… James realized. Maybe I don't have to let it control me.
He focused on the shards, touching them, feeling the energy course through his body. Each time, he gained a fraction of power: a sliver of strength, a fragment of memory, a spark of skill.
Echoes of the Dead
The deeper James ventured into the ruins, the more he sensed the presence of past reincarnators. Their memories were fragmented, half-finished, chaotic. He glimpsed a warrior's final stand, a mage's last spell, a rogue's desperate escape.
[Fragment Memory Access: Partial]
James absorbed each shard cautiously. Every fragment gave him a sliver of knowledge: combat techniques, survival skills, strategies. But each also carried a cost—a drain on his body, an erosion of stability.
He paused at a ruined library. Scrolls and books lay in ash-stained piles. As he stepped closer, the System pulsed violently. Words appeared in his vision, not on the screen, but like etched impressions in the air:
"The Cycle is watching. Claim not what is not yours. Or perish like the rest."
James swallowed hard. "I… I need it. I need every fragment I can get. I won't let it win."
He touched the fragments on the floor, feeling the whispers of the long-dead brush against his consciousness. A shard rolled beneath a cracked pillar, glowing faintly. He reached for it, hesitated, and then grabbed it.
The surge was violent. Pain, memory, and power collided within him. He screamed, clutching his chest, falling to his knees. Blue light flickered around him, afterimages of sword strikes, bursts of energy, and whispered voices of the past reincarnators swirling in his vision.
[System Stability: 0% – Critical]
And then—a calm.
The Fragment settled, integrating with his body. The whispers dimmed, and James gasped for breath. He was weak, but stronger. He could feel it—the Fragment's power. Blade Echo now felt natural in his hands. The dagger pulsed faintly, ready.
A New Understanding
James stood, trembling but upright. Lira looked at him, worry etched on her face. "You did it?"
James nodded slowly. "I… think I understand. The System isn't just broken—it's alive. And these Fragments… they're pieces of the past reincarnators. If I can control them… I can become stronger… maybe even survive the First Cycle."
Lira frowned. "Survive… or destroy yourself?"
James clenched his fists. "I have no choice. I can't let the Hunters take me. I can't let the Cycle… whatever it is… destroy this world."
He gazed over the ruins. Shadows flickered across the ash-strewn streets, remnants of buildings long gone. Somewhere in the distance, the wind carried the faint echo of a roar—a Hunter, or something worse.
James' chest tightened, but for the first time, he felt ready. The System was glitching, unstable, dangerous—but he could bend it, just a little. And that might be enough.