Cherreads

Chapter 2 - The Bug Unleashed

The novice village of Battlefield Eternal thrummed with chaotic energy, a digital crucible where new players forged their destinies. Stone towers loomed over crowded plazas, their runes pulsing with the game's arcane framework. Players darted between quest boards and vendors, their avatars clad in starter gear, eyes wide with ambition or fear. Kael Draven stood apart, his obsidian-clad swordsman radiating menace. The Chieftain's Blade hung at his hip, its jagged edge a trophy from his impossible victory over the Goblin Chieftain. Whispers followed him—Bug King, they called him, a name born from his glitched kills and impossible loot. Kael didn't care for their awe or scorn. He cared only for power, revenge, and the invasion looming 730 days away.

His interface pinged, displaying his next quest: Clear the Shadow Den. A level-4 dungeon meant for a party of five, teeming with shadow wolves and a boss, the Nightstalker. In his first life, Kael had tackled it with a team, scraping by with coordinated tactics. Now, he'd do it alone. His talent, Conceptual Flaw, and passive skills, Fragmented Insight and Erratic Resonance, were no longer mysteries. They were weapons, glitches in the system that bent reality to his will. He'd already seen their potential—doubling loot, one-shotting goblins, freezing a boss's attack. Today, he'd push them further.

Kael strode toward the village outskirts, where a warped portal marked the Shadow Den's entrance. A crowd of players gathered, some forming parties, others watching with curiosity. Among them, he spotted Lena, one of his betrayers, her healer robes pristine as she joined a group. Her eyes flicked to him, then away, oblivious to his reborn identity. Kael's jaw tightened. He could crush her now, expose her weakness in front of her new allies. But no—Lena would suffer later, when her betrayal stung deepest. For now, he had a dungeon to conquer.

"Going solo?" a player sneered, a bulky warrior with a chipped axe. "That's a death wish, Bug King."

Kael ignored him, stepping through the portal. The world shifted, plunging him into the Shadow Den's gloom. Twisted roots coiled across the stone floor, and distant howls echoed. His interface displayed his stats: level 3, with glitched strength and agility far above normal. Conceptual Flaw hummed in his veins, a latent force waiting to break the game's rules.

The first pack of shadow wolves lunged, their eyes glowing red. Fragmented Insight triggered, a flash of data in Kael's vision: Weak Point: Spinal Core. Strike Diagonally. He swung the Chieftain's Blade, its edge slicing through three wolves at once. Erratic Resonance flared, amplifying the attack. The wolves didn't just die—they glitched, their models stuttering into static before exploding into loot. Six pelts dropped instead of the usual two, alongside a rare Shadow Fang. Kael grinned. The system was his playground.

He carved through the dungeon, wolves falling like chaff. Each kill refined his understanding of his powers. Fragmented Insight wasn't random—it responded to his focus, revealing weaknesses when he anticipated attacks. Erratic Resonance amplified actions unpredictably, but Kael sensed patterns in its chaos, like a rhythm he could exploit. Conceptual Flaw tied them together, warping the game's code—doubling drops, boosting damage, even altering enemy behavior. By the time he reached the Nightstalker's chamber, he was level 4, his inventory brimming with glitched loot.

The Nightstalker loomed, a massive wolf with void-black fur and claws that shimmered with dark energy. Its health bar glowed, a level-6 boss designed to overwhelm solo players. Kael's pulse quickened, not from fear but excitement. This was a test. The chamber's walls pulsed with runes, the game's framework straining as if sensing his anomaly. Players outside watched via the dungeon's spectator feed, their murmurs a distant hum in his interface.

The Nightstalker pounced, claws raking the air. Kael dodged, Fragmented Insight flashing: Weak Point: Heart Pulse. Strike After Dodge. He rolled, slashing upward. The hit landed, and Erratic Resonance surged, turning the strike into a critical blow. The Nightstalker's health dropped by a third, its roar glitching into a distorted screech. The crowd's murmurs turned to gasps.

"What's he doing?" a voice crackled through the feed. "That's not possible!"

Kael pressed the attack, his blade a blur. Conceptual Flaw activated, and the Nightstalker's next charge froze midair, its model flickering like a broken hologram. Kael struck again, the boss's health plummeting. The system fought back, spawning shadow clones to overwhelm him. But Kael's powers were relentless. Fragmented Insight revealed each clone's weakness, and Erratic Resonance amplified his area attacks, clearing them in a single swing. The Nightstalker collapsed, its death triggering a loot explosion: a Nightstalker's Cloak (rare armor), three Shadow Cores (crafting materials), and another Fragment of the Eternal.

Kael knelt, collecting the loot. The Fragment of the Eternal pulsed, its description unchanged: Purpose unknown. He pocketed it beside the first fragment, his mind racing. In his first life, he'd ignored these items, assuming they were flavor text. Now, he suspected they were tied to the Origin Crystal, the championship prize that could ascend humanity. The founding races, the game's creators, had scattered these fragments as bait, testing players for their cosmic war. Kael would claim them all.

He exited the dungeon, the portal spitting him back into the village. The crowd parted, their stares a mix of awe and fear. His interface updated: level 5, with stats rivaling level-10 players. The Nightstalker's Cloak shimmered on his shoulders, boosting his agility. The quest board pinged, offering a new task: Defend the Village Outpost. A group quest, but Kael would handle it alone. He needed to test his limits, to see how far his glitches could bend the system.

As he approached the quest board, a familiar figure blocked his path—Joren, the rogue who'd stabbed him in his past life. Joren's avatar was lean, his daggers gleaming, his smirk dripping with arrogance. "Heard you're the Bug King," he said, voice laced with mockery. "Fancy yourself a hero? Let's see if you're all hype."

Kael's eyes narrowed. Joren was level 3, a cocky novice who'd later become a backstabbing opportunist. In his first life, Joren had been the first to strike during the betrayal, his daggers finding Kael's back. Now, he was nothing—a gnat begging to be crushed. But Kael held back. Killing Joren now would be satisfying, but it wouldn't hurt enough. He wanted Joren to rise, to taste power, then lose it all when Kael's revenge came.

"Step aside," Kael said, his voice cold. "You're not worth my time."

Joren's smirk faltered, but he pressed forward, drawing a dagger. "Big talk. Let's duel. Right here."

The crowd circled, eager for a show. Kael sighed, accepting the duel via his interface. The system erected a transparent arena, locking them in. Joren lunged, daggers flashing. Fragmented Insight triggered: Weak Point: Wrist Joint. Disarm. Kael sidestepped, his blade knocking Joren's dagger free with a single flick. Erratic Resonance amplified the move, sending Joren sprawling. The crowd roared.

"Yield," Kael said, his sword at Joren's throat. Conceptual Flaw hummed, tempting him to glitch Joren's avatar into oblivion. He resisted—Joren's humiliation was enough for now.

Joren scrambled back, face pale. "You're a freak," he spat, fleeing into the crowd. Kael deactivated the arena, his reputation soaring. The Bug King moniker spread like wildfire, players whispering about his impossible feats.

At the quest board, Kael accepted Defend the Village Outpost. The task was simple: repel a wave of bandits attacking a nearby fort. But Kael sensed an opportunity. The game's AI adapted to player strength, scaling challenges. With his glitches, he could force the system to spawn something bigger—something to test his powers further. He headed to the outpost, a fortified hill overlooking the village. The sky darkened, the game's weather system reacting to his presence.

The bandits appeared, a dozen level-4 rogues with crude blades. Kael didn't wait. He charged, Fragmented Insight revealing their patterns: Weak Point: Formation Center. Disrupt. His blade swept through, Erratic Resonance turning the swing into a shockwave. The bandits glitched, their models fragmenting before collapsing. But the system responded. A new enemy spawned—a Bandit Warlord, level 7, its axe crackling with energy.

Kael grinned. This was what he wanted. The warlord roared, its axe swinging in a deadly arc. Conceptual Flaw activated, and the axe's trajectory warped, missing Kael by inches. He countered, his blade slicing through the warlord's armor. Fragmented Insight showed a glowing core in its chest, and Erratic Resonance amplified his final strike. The warlord exploded, dropping a Warlord's Gauntlet and another Fragment of the Eternal.

The outpost was secure, the quest complete. Kael's level hit 6, his stats surging. The crowd watching via the spectator feed erupted in cheers, but Kael's focus was on the fragments. Three now rested in his inventory, their purpose still unclear. He recalled a rumor from his first life: the fragments were keys to the battlefield's deeper secrets, tied to the founding races and their Origin Crystal. He'd uncover the truth, but first, he'd dominate the village, then the main cities.

As he returned to the village, Instructor Veyra approached, her NPC eyes glinting with unnatural awareness. "You break the rules, Bug King," she said, her voice low. "The battlefield sees you. The founders see you."

"Let them," Kael replied, his gaze fixed on the horizon. Joren, Lena, and the others were out there, growing stronger, unaware of the storm coming. The invasion was 729 days away, and Kael would be ready. The system could try to stop him, but he was its flaw—a glitch destined to shatter the battlefield and claim its crown.

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