Kael's lungs burned as he sprinted through the forest, Willow Village's smoke fading behind him. The Glitch Shard in his pocket pulsed like a second heartbeat, and Byte, the mana ferret, zipped alongside, its neon-green tail sparking like a busted wire. Varkas's roars still echoed—"Glitched trash!"—but the trees offered cover, their gnarled branches twisting under Aetherion's flickering mana storms. Kael's panel hovered, unhelpful as ever: Status: Kael, Peasant #47 (NPC)
Level: 1 | HP: 10/10
Chaos Points: 5
Glitch Affinity: 2%
Codebreaker: 1%
Skill of the Day: Summon Screaming Toaster Swarm (Cooldown: 59 minutes)
Pet: Byte (Mana Ferret, Level 1, +5% Skill Range) "Twenty-three hours to deletion," Kael muttered, dodging a root. "And my best move's a toaster tantrum. Perfect." Byte chirped, nipping his ankle—ow, again. "Dude, stop biting! You're my only friend, and you're terrible." The ferret tilted its head, almost smirking, and pointed its nose at the path ahead. Two routes: a dirt trail to Ironhold's caravan, and a rune-carved archway whispering "Crypt" in glowing script. The Glitch Log's words haunted him: Seek the Crypt of the Coder. A twig snapped. Kael spun, dagger raised. A figure emerged—not Varkas, but a girl in sleek leather armor, purple hair cropped short, twin daggers glinting. Her player tag read: Lila, Rogue, Level 8. She grinned, all teeth and mischief. "Yo, glitch-boy. Nice toaster show back there. Quest NPC, right? What's my reward?" Kael blinked. "I'm not a quest. I'm… screwed." Lila's eyes narrowed, scanning his glitched aura—green sparks crackling around him. "No way. You're a bugged NPC? That's rare." She stepped closer, pendant glowing faintly at her neck. "Iron Fang's hunting you, huh? I'm Lila. Stick with me, and you might not die." "Comforting," Kael snorted, but his panel pinged: Zeta Scan: 22 hours, 50 minutes. No time to argue. "Fine, but if you stab me, I'll… uh, toaster you." Lila laughed, tossing a Stealth Charm that shimmered, cloaking them from distant eyes. Byte hissed at her, tail sparking. "Your pet's cute," Lila said. "Also, kinda rabid." The forest shook—Varkas's greataxe cleaved a tree, splinters flying. "Found you!" he bellowed, Level 20 tag glowing like a death sentence. Kael's panel flashed: New Skill Unlocked: Gravity Tantrum (Random gravity shifts, 10% chance per second, 30-second duration). "Seriously? Tantrum?" Kael groaned, but he activated it, desperate. The air warped. Varkas's axe swung, but gravity flipped—his swing went wild, slamming him into a tree with a crunch. Blood trickled from a gash on his arm, not deep but enough to sting. Kael stumbled, the ground tilting under him. Byte squeaked, floating briefly before scampering up a branch. Lila ducked, cursing. "Warn me next time, glitch-boy!" The skill fizzled, leaving Kael dizzy, HP at 8/10 from the strain. Varkas recovered, snarling. "Freak skill won't save you!" He charged, axe raised. Lila tossed a smoke bomb—poof—and yanked Kael behind a boulder. "Caravan's that way," she whispered, pointing to the dirt trail. "Ironhold's safe from scans. But that Crypt…" Her pendant pulsed, eyes darting to the rune-carved arch. "Heard it's got loot. Rare stuff. You game?" Kael clutched the Glitch Shard, its warmth syncing with his dagger. Codebreaker: 2% ticked up, a Glitch Log flashing: Crypt holds the Coder's truth. "Loot's nice, but I'm not dying for it," he said, snark hiding his panic. Lila smirked. "Scared? Thought you were a gamer." Byte nipped her boot, as if agreeing with Kael. A mana storm crackled overhead, purple lightning illuminating Varkas's silhouette—closer now. Lila's charm flickered; it wouldn't hide them long. Kael's panel pinged: Crafting Unlocked. Use Glitch Shard? He focused, and the shard melted into his dagger, forming a Chaos Bracer (+2% Glitch Affinity). The panel updated:
Status: Kael, Peasant #47 (NPC)
Level: 2 | HP: 8/10
Chaos Points: 10
Glitch Affinity: 4%
Codebreaker: 2%
Skill of the Day: Gravity Tantrum (Cooldown: 30 minutes)
Gear: Chaos Bracer (+2% Glitch Affinity)
Pet: Byte (Mana Ferret, Level 1, +5% Skill Range) "Crafting? Cool, but useless now," Kael muttered. Lila grabbed his arm. "Move, or we're both XP!" They sprinted toward the caravan trail, Byte zipping ahead. Varkas's axe grazed a tree, bark exploding, a splinter nicking Kael's cheek—red, stinging, but shallow. HP dropped to 7/10. The caravan's lanterns glowed ahead, merchants shouting fares: "Fifty gold to Ironhold!" Kael's pockets were empty, but Lila flashed a grin. "Got a plan, glitch-boy. Follow my lead." Her pendant glowed again, too bright, like a signal. Kael's gut twisted—was she playing him? The Glitch Log pinged: Trust the glitch, not the rogue.
A howl split the night—not Varkas, but a mana wolf, eyes glowing red, drawn by Lila's pendant. Kael's panel glitched: Warning: Iron Fang detected. Lila's grin faltered. Was she leading him to safety—or a trap?