Chapter 27: The Glitch
Standing there alone, brave or foolish enough to look my fears straight in the eyes, I knew I had to play it smart. The only things still supported by the system were the basic components, such as my status window, and basic information about health, armor, mana and stamina.
I knew my skills still manifested too it was just...
No pop-ups were there...
No warning, notices or even observation windows.
Wait... didn't I activate those manually with the observstion skill?
The moment logical thinking subdued my fears,
I calmed down... finally I could focus on what I saw in front of me. Our eyes met, which let the monsterous abomination launch itself towards me... Because, it too saw the opportunity to strike!
As it struck at me, I dodged and tried to observe its attack pattern. In doing so I hoped the system would react to my actions. But still, nothing...
I was done with the system chickening out while I needed it the most. I had been so long since I last screamed out the names of my skills. Still...
Desperate times, call for desperate measures!
"
Still... nothing... I was getting frustrated at the system while the horrific formless beast kept striking at me.
I dodged and evaded every single attack which I saw coming. Eventually the beast struck at my back, which I was unable to dodge, and thus allowing it too wound me.
I couldn't take this unfair bullshit anymore,
Screening out in pain and frustration a notice finally popped up.
"Systems rebooting...
Initiating "survival protocol"."
My vision glitches for a moment before allowing another window to boot up. This time it showed something peculiar. Was that a name of a company?
The boot up sequence continued, I realized I had not been focussing on the fight ahead and that the beast had launched an attack at me. But when I turned to look its way... It looked like everything had been frozen in time, while they were frozen, there was still the ocassional glitch within them.
As the system continued booting up I got curious and walked closer to the frozen creatutes in the area, cause hey. They couldn't move, which means it was the perfect time to
Before I called out my skill name I carefully observed them, that was when I realized they we're not completely frozen in time. Rather, it was more like the a matrix where they began moving at extreme slow rates. Althought it wasn't almost visible to the naked eye, whenever they glitched they also moved a fraction towards their intended goal.
But the most peculiar thing of all... was the fact that they did not realize I was now standing in front of them. They all moved even ever so slightly like I was still right at the point where the glitches started to happen.
Almost as if I was actually moving at an extremely fast pace.
"Slow motion maybe?"
The system had rebooted but was still resetting some elements, which ment I was now able to use my skills while they were trapped in their glitching state.
"They really should make a skill out of this."
I said while laughing to myself, knowing that wouldn't be possible. But right at that moment a unkown skill popped up.
Dumbfounded by the infinite possibilities. I looked at the text which also had began to glitch.
I knew this was rhe time to power up myself as much as possible, if I wanted to have at least a sliver of a chance to survive this...
Ik quickly opened my status window.
[Ragnoss lv 6
Name: Mira
Title:
Attributes:
HP: 320
MP: 490
SP: 124 (recovery rate 8,43 sp per second)
Armor: 24,5 (+5) (9,8% (+2%) damage reduction)
Physical ATK: 41 - 68
Physical DEF: 32 (+11,3%)
Magical ATK: 24,5
Magical DEF: 24,5 (+11,3%)
STR: 27 (+14)
DEX: 54 (+14) (+1)
VIT: 20 (+44)
INT: 35 (+14)
WIS: 35 (+14)
LUK: 15 (+31)
Attribute Points to spend: 0
Skills:
Offensive Skills:
Defensive Skills:
Enviromental Skills:
Learn able skills:
Skillpoints to spend: 67]
Since the system had reset itself it seemed like more information had become visible since last time...
"Damn... a lot of my skills have leveled-up since last time I checked, but I have to keep it brief, who knows when the glitching will stop?"
Maybe I could use the skill to my advantage?
I quickly inserted all my skillpoints into the unkown skill making me almost fully understand it.
"Learning progress at 77/100."
Taking this window of opportunity I quickly
Which popped up a few windows.
The first window showed me the smaller leaflike creatures and since I already encountered them the system showed a small model of how it looked.
[Name: Leaf Horror, level 5
Tier: II
Title:
Attributes:
HP: 50
MP: 150
SP: 148
Armor: 10
Physical ATK: 15 - 74
Physical DEF: 42
Magical ATK: 12,5
Magical DEF: 12,5
STR: 15
DEX: 74
VIT: 10
INT: 15
WIS: 15
LUK: 05]
[Name: Abommination of Melted Leaves lv 8
Tier: III
Title:
Attributes:
HP: 400
MP: 500
SP: 230
Armor: 30
Physical ATK: 55 - 125
Physical DEF: 95
Magical ATK: 65
Magical DEF: 65
STR: 50
DEX: 110 (+15)
VIT: 80
INT: 45 (+5)
WIS: 45 (+5)
LUK: 15]
Looking at their stats it became clear why they had been so hard to kill... man... the thing I had been fighting since moments ago is what you might call a floor boss?!
No way?! Am I actually in a VIDEOGAME?!
A simulation maybe?!
Or was there actually more to it? I knew I didn't had time to worry about this right now so I turned towards the creature and began covering the area around it with acidic fluids.
As I was fixated on doing so I could have sworm someone was looking at me, was that even possible?
Thinking about the impossible I turned around to face whatever gave me this feeling of being watched.
And I don't know if my mind was playing tricks on me, but some kind of gate closed just barely in my sight...
Unable to see what was at the other side,
I turned around. But when I did, I was met with laughter coming from the same spot.
That was when I knew... I wasn't imagining all this crazy stuff! Someone had been actually watching me all this time! But... an opportunity like this could only be described as "a miracle" whomever was watching wanted me to win...
Thinking about this put my mind at ease for a while... But... curiosity kept eating away at me.
And just at the moment I lit the acidic fluids on fire with
The beast screamed in agony as its feet had melted stuck into the ground. Soon after its scales began falling from its body. As its body turned into ashes and coal, its gigantic eye melting away as it stared at me with confusion, frustration and hate.
For the first time since our battle,
the beast was genuinely feeling fear. I could tell, as the same feeling had kept me alive till now... The beast... as it melted away in scorching flames feared for its life to end.
As it did... a final breath of air escaped its lungs.
Leaving nothing but ashes and coal in its wake...