Chapter 13: Breaking the Enforcer

The Enforcer didn't hesitate.

It vanished from sight.

Ethan had no time to think—only react. His instincts screamed, and he pulled on the glitch before the attack landed.

The world stuttered.

For a fraction of a second, reality lagged—his body displaced just enough to avoid the strike. The Enforcer's fist tore through empty space, generating a shockwave that blasted the surrounding trees apart.

Ethan barely caught his breath before it was on him again.

This time, it was faster. The system had already adjusted.

It was adapting to him.

Vance cursed somewhere behind him. "You need to run, kid! You can't outpace it forever!"

Ethan disagreed.

Running meant submitting to the system's rules. But if he wanted to break it, he had to push beyond its limits.

He reached for the glitch—not just to dodge, but to overwrite.

Instead of shifting to avoid the attack, he accelerated.

The moment the Enforcer launched its next strike, Ethan forced himself forward. His body blurred, flickering like corrupted data—and he slipped through the attack.

It was like phasing through reality itself.

For the first time, the Enforcer hesitated.

Ethan grinned. "Gotcha."

Before the system could adjust, he countered—his fist slamming into the Enforcer's core with all the force of his unnatural momentum.

Crack.

The Enforcer glitched.

Its form flickered, destabilizing for a brief moment. Ethan felt it—a vulnerability.

It wasn't invincible.

Vance's eyes widened. "No way… You actually—"

Then the system corrected.

[Stabilization Protocol Reinforced.]

The Enforcer's body pulsed with raw energy. Its damaged core instantly restored itself, the glitch sealing shut like it had never existed.

Ethan's stomach dropped. It wasn't just adapting—it was regenerating.

The Enforcer locked onto him again, faster than before.

It had learned.

And now, it was going to erase him.