Chapter 7: The Code of the Capital and the Royal Debug

With the Administrator temporarily deactivated, Kaito knew he had a limited window of opportunity. He needed to understand the system's core code, its vulnerabilities, and the extent of the corruption. He decided to head towards the capital city of Elysian Fields, "Aethelgard," a place rumored to be the center of the system's administration.

"Aethelgard," Kaito said to Sparky, who chirped in agreement. "That's where we'll find the answers we need. And hopefully, some more powerful bugs to squash."

They soared across the landscape, leaving the corrupted Shadow Rift behind. The environment transitioned from desolate wasteland to fertile plains, dotted with bustling towns and towering castles. The air was thick with mana, a testament to the city's proximity.

As they approached Aethelgard, the city's grandeur became apparent. It was a sprawling metropolis, built from gleaming white stone, its spires reaching towards the sky. The city was surrounded by a massive wall, shimmering with a powerful magical barrier.

"Impressive firewall," Kaito murmured, analyzing the city's code.

[Object: Aethelgard]

[Properties: Capital City, High Security, Mana Barrier]

[Population: 100,000+]

[Admin Access: Restricted]

"Restricted admin access," Kaito noted. "That's going to be a problem."

They landed just outside the city walls, where a bustling marketplace was in full swing. Merchants hawked their wares, adventurers boasted of their exploits, and nobles strolled through the crowds, their faces etched with privilege.

Kaito, using his Debug Mode, disguised his appearance, altering his stats and creating a set of noble-looking attire. He wanted to blend in, to observe the city's inner workings without drawing unnecessary attention.

He entered the city, his eyes scanning the environment, searching for any anomalies or corrupted code. He found that the city's code was far more complex than anything he had seen before, a labyrinth of interconnected systems and protocols.

He then found a message board, and read through several of the posted quests. One quest in particular caught his eye. It was from the royal family, asking for help with an odd magical anomaly in the castle.

"A magical anomaly in the castle? Perfect." Kaito said.

He made his way towards the castle, a towering structure that dominated the city's skyline. He presented himself to the royal guards, claiming to be a renowned mage who had come to answer the royal family's call.

The guards, impressed by his noble appearance and fabricated credentials, escorted him into the castle's grand hall. He was met by a group of royal advisors, their faces etched with worry.

"You are the mage who answered our summons?" one of the advisors asked.

"Indeed," Kaito replied, his voice smooth and confident. "I am here to assist with your... anomaly."

The advisors led him to a secluded chamber, where a shimmering, pulsating orb of corrupted energy floated in the air.

"This appeared a few days ago," the advisor explained. "It's disrupting the castle's mana flow, causing all sorts of magical malfunctions."

Kaito analyzed the orb's code.

[Object: Mana Corruption Orb]

[Properties: Corrupted Mana, Reality Distortion, High-Level Threat]

[Corruption Source: Unknown]

"Unknown source, huh?" Kaito murmured. "That's not good."

He attempted to analyze the orb's corruption, but he found it heavily shielded, protected by layers of arcane wards.

"This is no ordinary corruption," he realized. "Someone powerful is behind this."

He then looked at the code of the room, and the castle. He noticed a faint trail of corrupted code, leading from the orb towards the royal family's private chambers.

"This corruption is spreading," he said to the advisors. "I need to investigate the royal family's chambers."

The advisors hesitated, their faces filled with apprehension. "That is a restricted area. Only the royal family and their personal guards are allowed access."

"I understand," Kaito said, his voice firm. "But this is a matter of urgency. The corruption is spreading, and it could endanger the entire castle."

Reluctantly, the advisors agreed to escort him to the royal family's chambers. As they approached, Kaito could feel the corruption growing stronger, the air thick with distorted mana.

He then noticed a guard that was acting strange, and had a slight corruption aura around him.

[Object: Royal Guard]

[Corruption Level: 10%]

[Status: Guard]

Kaito altered his code, to see what the guard was thinking, and what his orders were. He saw that the guard was being controlled by an outside source, and was ordered to protect the orb, and to kill any who tried to remove it.

"I see." Kaito said. "Someone is trying to cause chaos within the royal family."