The wagon rumbled into the crossroads town by midday. Dust kicked up from the wheels mixing with faint glitch sparks. Ji hoon hopped off stretching his sore back. The place looked like a mishmash of fantasy cliches. Cobblestone streets. A bustling market. But everything off kilter. Signs floating upside down. Merchants haggling in looped phrases. One vendor shouted the same deal over and over: Buy one potion get one free buy one potion get one free.
Goran tied the horse. "Welcome to Glimmerford. Or whatever the draft calls it this week. Last revision it was Shadowvale. Stay close fixer. High rankers here but theyre skittish."
Ji hoon nodded scanning the crowd. His Error Correction skill itched at the glitches. A fruit stand with apples defying gravity. He fixed it casually. The vendor blinked. "Hey my stock aint floating no more. You a mage?"
"Just passing through," Ji hoon said. Humility kept him from boasting. In his old days hed claim credit. Now it was enough to see the relief.
They headed to the inn for rest. But comedy struck first. A street performer juggled fireballs. Or tried. The balls glitched multiplying endlessly until the poor guy was buried under a pile of flaming orbs. Crowd laughed nervously. Ji hoon stepped in. Error Correction: Prop Overload. The extras vanished leaving one singed juggler. "Thanks stranger! You saved my act. Here take this." He tossed a coin purse. Mostly copper but hey progress.
Goran snorted. "See? Your fixes make you popular. But dont overdo it. Attracts the wrong eyes."
Inside the inn a cozy tavern with flickering lanterns. Ji hoon ordered stew. As he ate more memories unlocked: Chef skills from his retirement hobby. The stew tasted bland. "Needs garlic," he muttered.
The innkeeper overheard. A burly woman with a name tag: Matron Hilde Level 15. Draft Note: Comic Relief. "Garlic? Whats that? Sounds fancy."
Ji hoon explained improvising with local herbs. He corrected a kitchen glitch a pot boiling infinitely and whipped up a better batch. Soon the whole tavern raved. "This peasants a genius cook!"
Laughter erupted when a patron bit in. "Tastes like victory! Not that slop the script forces on us."
Goran whispered: "Careful. Shes a mid ranker. Knows bits but wont spill."
Hilde leaned over wiping her hands. "You two headed to the capital? Heros court aint welcoming to fixers. Heard he hoards chefs too now. Greedy for flavors."
Ji hoon perked up. More on Lee Min jun. "Hoards everything huh?"
She nodded but her eyes darted. "Cant say more. Last time I gossiped the AI turned my ale sour for a week." A glitch hit her voice warping to high pitch. Comedy gold. She squeaked like a cartoon character. "See? Retaliation!"
Ji hoon fixed it quick. Hilde laughed heartily. "Youre alright. Rooms on me tonight."
As they settled in Ji hoon pondered. His skills blending real world know how with corrections. Humbling the ego. But the hero loomed. Draft Viewer flickered: Lee Min jun in a feast hall devouring exotic dishes. Face twisted in greed. "More! Bring more!"
Ji hoon clenched his fist. Time to move closer. But first sleep. Dreams glitched with laughs from the tavern. Tomorrow the capital beckoned with bigger glitches and bigger laughs.