The Core waited.
Arin stood at the edge of the central rift, the shattered world stretching endlessly around him. Floating fragments of land, flickering dungeons, and looping rivers surrounded the glowing heartbeat of the Glitched Core. It pulsed rhythmically, a living engine of raw code and corruption, waiting to see what he would do.
Lyra hovered beside him, her silver glow steady and comforting. "Arin… are you ready?"
He swallowed hard, his hands trembling slightly as he looked at the Core. "I have to be. This is the only way. If I don't… everything—everyone—will remain trapped. And I can't let that happen."
The Core pulsed stronger, sensing his intent. Glitches rippled outward, twisting reality itself. The ground under Arin's feet fractured into shards of pure data, hovering in midair like shattered glass.
Arin gritted his teeth and took a step forward. His heart pounded.
[Corruption: 9.5%]
He closed his eyes, focusing on the skills he had acquired: Pause Function, Corruption Manipulation, System Rewrite, and the newly unlocked Full Override. They weren't just tools—they were his lifeline, the bridge between himself and the Core.
"Here goes nothing," he whispered.
Arin reached out, and the Core responded. Streams of raw, chaotic code flowed toward him, wrapping around his body like liquid light. He could feel it invading his senses, probing his mind, testing his resolve. The whispers of corrupted data echoed inside his skull, promising ultimate power if he surrendered.
He shook his head. "No. Not like this."
With a deep breath, he unleashed his Bug Exploit mastery. Corruption Full Override activated, merging his consciousness with the Core—not to dominate it, but to become one with it in balance.
Energy exploded outward. Reality warped violently as the rift shrieked in protest. Fragments of corrupted landscapes twisted into impossible geometries before slowly reforming. The Core pulsed, now synchronized with Arin's heartbeat. The whispers became coherent, turning into a melodic resonance, a language of stability.
Lyra floated closer, her glow intertwining with his. "Hold on, Arin… together!"
Arin reached deep, drawing from every ounce of control and willpower he possessed. His body and mind became the anchor for the Core. Slowly, the chaotic code began to stabilize. Corrupted NPCs regained coherence, loops in villages stopped, and the terrain began to solidify. Mountains reformed, rivers flowed naturally, and the sky's glitches smoothed into calm, fractured blues and golds.
[System Message: Stabilization 25%]
Arin's muscles burned, and the whispers inside him threatened to overwhelm. But he held firm. "I… I can do this… I must do this."
Glitches shrieked in protest around the edges of the Core. They tried to resist, twisting fragments of the world into chaotic storms. Arin lashed out with System Rewrite, untangling corrupted strands of data and restoring balance. With each strike, the Core's pulse harmonized more fully with his own rhythm.
[System Message: Stabilization 50%]
Lyra's glow flared brightly, her presence guiding him. "Almost there, Arin. Don't let go now!"
The last surge of corrupted energy struck him like a hurricane, threatening to overwrite him entirely. He felt himself fragmenting, pieces of his mind stretching thin. But he reached deeper into the Core, using the Full Override to reconcile his own corruption with the Core's chaos.
Reality itself seemed to pause for a heartbeat. Then—a wave of pure stability radiated outward.
Corrupted zones healed. NPCs blinked, their expressions normal. Villages rebuilt themselves in harmony. Monsters ceased glitching or attacking mindlessly, returning to their natural behaviors. Even the skies settled into calm, with floating islands and broken dungeons stabilizing.
[System Message: Stabilization 100%]
[New Skill Unlocked: Guardian of the Core]
[Player Status: Integrated with System]
Arin collapsed to his knees, exhausted beyond description. His body still existed—but differently now, merged with the Core. He could feel every corner of the Glitched World through himself, every pulse of data, every minor anomaly.
Lyra landed beside him, her silver hair brushing against his shoulder. "You did it… Arin. You really did it."
He looked around. The world was finally whole—or as whole as a glitched world could be. "It's… beautiful," he whispered, a tear slipping down his cheek. "But… it's mine to protect now."
Lyra smiled softly. "And you won't be alone. I'm here, always."
Arin exhaled slowly, finally feeling peace. He had sacrificed the possibility of returning to his old life, but he had gained something greater—a purpose, a world to protect, and the chance to atone for all the chaos he had endured.
Above them, the sky stabilized completely. Rays of light illuminated the restored world. Arin stood, feeling the hum of the Core through his entire being, and for the first time, he smiled without fear.
The Glitched World was finally at peace… and its guardian was ready.