The novice village of Battlefield Eternal thrummed with the aftermath of the Crimson Tide Raid, its streets abuzz with tales of the "Bug King." Kael Draven moved through the chaos, his Nightstalker's Cloak and Guardian's Pauldron casting an imposing silhouette. At level 10, his glitched stats towered over the village's best, his talent Conceptual Flaw and passive skills Fragmented Insight and Erratic Resonance bending the game's reality to his will. The Crimson Overlord's Crest adorned his head, its fiery glow amplifying his menace. Five Fragments of the Eternal sat in his inventory, their purpose tied to the founding races and the Origin Crystal—a prize Kael would claim to secure Earth's future. But first, revenge. Lena, the healer who'd stood by as his team betrayed him, was his target today. The invasion loomed 727 days away, and Kael would ensure his enemies paid before it arrived.
Kael's interface pinged with a new quest: Disrupt the Shadow Syndicate. A level-9 mission to dismantle a rogue guild harassing the village's outskirts. Rumors pegged Lena as the Syndicate's leader, her healing skills bolstering a band of opportunistic players. In his first life, Lena had been the quiet one, her refusal to heal Kael during the betrayal a silent death sentence. Now, she was building a name, unaware of the storm coming. Kael grinned coldly. She'd learn today.
Syl, the hacker-turned-healer who'd joined him after the raid, walked beside him. Her robes shimmered with custom glyphs, her sharp mind already proving useful. "Lena's guild is holed up in the Abyssal Rift," Syl said, her interface glowing as she pulled data. "They're extorting newbies for loot. She's got at least twenty players, levels 5 to 8. You sure you want to solo this?"
"I'm not solo," Kael replied, his tone flat. "You're here to watch and learn." Syl's hacking could amplify his glitches, but this was his fight. No alliances, no trust—only vengeance.
The Abyssal Rift loomed beyond the village, a jagged chasm where shadows writhed like living things. The Syndicate's base was a fortified camp, its barricades manned by archers and warriors. Lena stood at the center, her healer staff glowing, directing her crew with quiet authority. Kael's Fragmented Insight flickered: Weakness: Overreliance on Lena's Healing. Neutralize Her First. He nodded to Syl. "Stay back. Record everything."
Kael strode forward, his presence drawing eyes. The Syndicate's guards shouted, arrows nocking. "Stop!" one yelled. "This is our turf!"
Kael ignored them, his Chieftain's Blade drawn. Erratic Resonance hummed, amplifying his aura. The guards hesitated, sensing something unnatural. Lena stepped forward, her eyes narrowing. "You're the Bug King," she said, her voice steady but laced with unease. "What do you want?"
"You," Kael said, his voice ice. "For betraying me."
Lena's face paled, confusion flickering. She didn't know him—not yet, not in this life. But Kael remembered her averted gaze as Joren's daggers pierced him, her healing light never coming. He raised his blade, and the Syndicate attacked.
Archers fired, arrows streaking through the air. Fragmented Insight flashed: Weak Point: Arrow Trajectories. Deflect. Kael's blade spun, Erratic Resonance turning the motion into a whirlwind. Arrows reversed, striking their shooters. Warriors charged, their swords gleaming. Conceptual Flaw activated, warping their attack patterns. Their swings missed, glitching into erratic loops. Kael struck, his blade cleaving through armor like paper. Five warriors fell, their health bars zeroed, loot doubling under his glitchy influence.
Lena raised her staff, casting a healing aura. Her guild rallied, wounds closing. Kael's Fragmented Insight targeted her: Weakness: Staff Core. Disrupt. He lunged, dodging a spearman's thrust. His blade struck Lena's staff, Erratic Resonance amplifying the hit. The staff's core glitched, its healing aura fizzling into static. Lena stumbled, her guild's morale cracking.
"Fall back!" she shouted, but Kael was relentless. Conceptual Flaw warped the camp's barricades, their code fracturing. Walls collapsed, trapping half the Syndicate under rubble. The remaining fighters charged, desperate. Kael's blade danced, each strike glitched by his powers. A warrior's shield dissolved mid-block; an archer's bow misfired, exploding in her hands. The Syndicate crumbled, their loot—Shadow Ingots and Rift Crystals—piling at Kael's feet.
Lena stood alone, her staff useless. "Who are you?" she demanded, fear breaking her calm. "Why target me?"
"You'll know soon enough," Kael said. He could kill her, end her here. But death was too easy. He wanted her to lose everything—her guild, her reputation, her hope. He activated Conceptual Flaw, targeting her guild's registry in the system. The interface flickered, and the Syndicate's banner dissolved, its status revoked. Lena's title as guild leader vanished, her interface marking her as a solo player.
"No!" Lena cried, collapsing to her knees. The crowd watching via the spectator feed roared, the village buzzing with the Bug King's latest feat. Kael's level hit 11, his stats surging. He looted a Rift Amulet (boosting agility) and another Fragment of the Eternal, his sixth. The fragments' glow intensified, their connection to the founding races undeniable.
Syl approached, her eyes wide. "You didn't just beat them," she said, her interface analyzing the fight. "You broke their guild's code. That's… impossible."
"Nothing's impossible," Kael replied, his gaze on the fragments. "The system's flawed, and I'm its flaw."
Syl nodded, her fingers dancing over her interface. "I pulled data from the rift. The fragments you're collecting—they're tied to the game's core. The founding races hid them to test players. They're watching you, Kael."
"Let them," he said, his voice steel. The founding races, the game's creators, had built Battlefield Eternal as a crucible for their amusement, preparing Earth for a cosmic war. Kael's glitches were a threat they hadn't anticipated. He'd use them to shatter their plans and claim the Origin Crystal, the prize that could ascend humanity.
A new quest pinged: Investigate the Eternal Spire. A level-10 mission to explore a hidden tower, rumored to hold secrets of the game's origins. Kael accepted it, sensing another fragment. But first, he turned to the crowd, his presence commanding silence. "The Shadow Syndicate is done," he declared. "Anyone else want to challenge the Bug King?"
No one stepped forward. Joren, watching from the shadows, slunk away, his face pale. Kael's Fragmented Insight caught his fear: Weakness: Cowardice. Will Flee Under Pressure. Good. Joren would spread word of Lena's fall, warning the other betrayers—Rhea, Cassian, Markus. They'd know the Bug King was coming.
Instructor Veyra appeared, her NPC frame flickering as if strained by Kael's presence. "You dismantle what the founders built," she said, her voice low. "The Eternal Spire will test you. The fragments you carry—they draw their gaze."
"Then I'll blind them," Kael replied. Veyra's runes pulsed, and she vanished, leaving a cryptic message in his interface: The battlefield prepares. 726 days remain.
Kael opened his inventory, the six Fragments of the Eternal glowing like miniature stars. Each felt heavier, as if the system resisted their collection. Syl watched, her interface scanning. "The fragments are coded to unlock something," she said. "Maybe the Origin Crystal. But the system's fighting back. Be careful, Kael."
"I don't need careful," he said, his grin cold. "I need power." The novice village was nearly conquered, its challenges no match for his glitches. Arcturus, the first main city, awaited, where his betrayers were likely gathering. Lena's defeat was just the beginning. The Eternal Spire would be his final test here, a stepping stone to greater battles.
The crowd chanted Bug King, their awe tinged with fear. Kael ignored them, his focus on the horizon. The invasion was coming, and with it, the cosmic battlefield. He'd tear through the village, the cities, and the founders' game, collecting every fragment until he held the Origin Crystal. His betrayers would fall, and Earth would rise. The Bug King was unstoppable, and the system would bend to his will.