The ranking game (Karl)

Karl woke up in a forest, what? isn't he in the place to rank up? why is he here now?

he looked around, no one, no one was around.

"what is it now? this is like web-novels mashed with video games."

"It said, we are in the ranking game, so this is probably the place for it."

Karl got teleported again, this time, he was in a mansion, with a giant crowd of peope, around 200 people, then a pure-white golem suddenly poped out of no where

"Hello, Fellow players, welcome to the ranking game, the game determine your starting rank, there will be 4 games we will be playing, and I am the host of this game" the golem said using a steady voice

"Then, Karl was back in the forsest in a blink"

'RULES: NO RULES, CAUSS AS MUCH DESTRUCTION AS YOU CAN!!!" the voice was announced in an almost friezied voice

"what is this now? a battle of 200 people?"

Karl barely had time to process the announcement before the forest exploded into action. Trees shattered, the ground cracked, and screams filled the air as players unleashed their powers.

A man to Karl's left stretched out his hand, and a shockwave blasted a group of fighters into the air. To his right, a woman split into multiple clones, each one wielding a different weapon. Some players immediately formed alliances, while others ran into the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Karl exhaled. "So it's just a free-for-all? Great, we're dead"

a brute tried to attack him from behind, Karl barely doeged it

"You look weak," the brute sneered. "I'll take you out first."

Karl smirked. "You sure about that?"

Then, the world glitched.

For a split second, the brute's body twisted—his arm stretched unnaturally, his head flickered like bad reception. He screamed in confusion, but Karl didn't wait. In that moment of weakness, he drove his fist straight into the brute's chest, sending him flying through several trees.

The forest trembled.

Karl looked at his hand. That glitch… it wasn't normal.

"Glitch? isn't your power sealed?"

"I did do it, some of my powers are unsealed, because I felt somebody near us has the same power as me, and that caused a "power attraction" which boosted both of our powers"

The frenzied voice from earlier crackled back into the air:

"OOOH, NOW WE'RE GETTING SOMEWHERE! CHAOS, YES, MORE CHAOS!!"

Karl gritted his teeth. "Tch. This isn't just a ranking game, is it?"

Then—he felt it. A presence.

From the corner of his eye, someone was watching him.

A girl stood on a thick tree branch above him, arms crossed, eyes cold. Her silver-white hair flowed behind her, reflecting the moonlight that peeked through the treetops. Unlike the other players, who were either fighting or running, she was still—composed.

"That wasn't an ordinary ability," she said, her voice calm but firm. "You glitched the system."

Karl narrowed his eyes. "And? You gonna try and take me out too?"

She didn't answer right away. Instead, she hopped down, landing gracefully in front of him. She was dressed in a black combat outfit, light armor covering her arms and legs. Twin daggers gleamed at her waist.

"Not yet." She tilted her head. "I'm interested in you. That power of yours... it's broken, isn't it?"

Karl clenched his fists. "What's it to you?"

She smirked slightly. "Because I'm the same."

As if to prove it, her form flickered—for just a moment, her entire body blurred, as if she wasn't fully part of this world. Karl recognized it instantly. It was different from his glitching, but still wrong—like she existed in a space between reality and error.

Before he could ask more, a massive explosion shook the forest. 

"MORE! MORE DESTRUCTION! LET'S SEE WHO SURVIVES!!"

The girl turned her back to Karl, glancing over her shoulder. "My name's Ayla. If you don't want to die, stick with me."

Then, she dashed forward, heading straight into the chaos.

Karl hesitated for only a second before following.

Karl ran after Ayla, dodging the chaos as the battlefield erupted with destruction. Fires spread, trees collapsed, and the air itself shimmered with the aftershocks of countless abilities clashing at once.

But Ayla was different. She wasn't just fast—she was untouchable.

Bullets curved away from her. Stray attacks vanished before reaching her. 

Karl's instincts screamed at him. "This isn't speed or agility… this is something else."

Then—Ayla stopped.

Karl barely skidded to a halt before her. She turned, locking eyes with him.

"You noticed it, didn't you?" she said.

Karl frowned. "You're not dodging. The world is moving around you."

Ayla smiled slightly. "Smart. But that's only the surface of it."

Before Karl could respond, she raised a hand.

And everything stopped.

The fire froze midair. The sound of battle vanished. The wind, the trees, even the screaming players—all motion ceased.

Karl's breath caught. He could still move. But everything else… was locked in place.

Ayla lowered her hand. The world snapped back.

"I don't manipulate space. I don't control time. I don't distort the laws of physics." Her voice was calm but carried weight. "I command reality itself."

Karl's mind raced. "That's… impossible."

Ayla tilted her head. "Is it?"

Karl stumbled back, eyes wide.

"You…" He clenched his fists, trying to steady his breathing. "You're not just playing the game. You're rewriting it."

Ayla smirked. "Now you get it."

Before Karl could press further, the sky cracked.

The frenzied voice from earlier returned, now laced with static.

"TOO MUCH! TOO MUCH!! A PLAYER HAS CROSSED THE LINE!

A black tear split open in the air above them. Something wrong began pouring out—a force that didn't belong in this world.

"Tch. They noticed me."

She turned to Karl. "I can keep you alive, but you'll have to trust me. ."

Karl exhaled, his mind still spinning.

But he'd already come this far.

"Fine. Just don't erase me by accident."

Ayla grinned. "No promises."

Then the void swallowed them whole.