Chapter 5 — Status Bug
"Divine Doctor… are you serious, Glitchy?" Aurelia asked, her eyes lighting up. The title sounded far too cool to be a joke.
[Don't be fooled. It's also a joke.]
Aurelia's lips twitched. She wanted to scold the system, but Carmilla's mother interrupted, voice breaking.
"Thank you, my lady… thank you. I thought I was going to lose her." Tears streamed down Luna's face, her hands trembling as she clutched her daughter.
"Don't cry, auntie. It was just a little help," Lucian said quickly, puffing his chest as if he had done the healing himself.
Aurelia stared at her son, then muttered to the system, "Who's the doctor here? I'm pretty sure it's not this brat."
[I'm also pretty sure it's not this brat.]
"Don't call my son a brat."
The system went quiet. For once, it had no comeback.
Aurelia turned back to Luna, ready to reassure her, but the system chimed again.
[Aurelia, I have something to announce.]
"What now?"
[Host mastery over Light element increased. Host mastery over Mana increased. Host Mana capacity increased.]
"What are these? Can you explain?"
[I can, but shouldn't you first settle the problem here?]
Aurelia sighed. "Fine." She placed a hand on Luna's shoulder.
"Your daughter only had a fever. Now it's gone, completely cured. But her body is weak. Make sure she eats properly, at least one good meal a day."
Luna's lips parted, but no words came. Aurelia left the tent before she could speak.
As Aurelia left the tent, the camp was already buzzing. Survivors whispered in hushed tones, eyes following her every step. "She cured the fever instantly." "Priests take days… but she did it in moments." The words clung to her like vines, heavy and suffocating.
Lucian lingered near Luna, watching her cradle Carmilla. "Auntie, don't cry anymore. My mom said your daughter will be fine now."
Luna wiped her eyes, voice trembling. "I… I thought I would lose her. For five days I prayed, but nothing changed. And then your mother…" She looked at Lucian with awe. "She's not ordinary, is she?"
Lucian grinned proudly. "Of course not! My mom is amazing. She always helps people, even when she pretends she doesn't want to."
Luna hugged Carmilla tighter, whispering, "Then maybe… she's the miracle we've been waiting for."
Outside, Aurelia groaned to herself. "Hero? Miracle? More like a bug report with legs." Still, deep down, she felt the weight of their hope pressing against her. For the first time, she realized this camp wasn't just shelter for her and Lucian — she was becoming shelter for them all.
Luna stood frozen, her face pale. The fever hadn't been simple, and priests in her hometown needed four full days to cure it. Yet this woman had done it in moments.
She whispered under her breath, "Who are you, Lady Aurelia?"
Her daughter stirred faintly, cheeks flushed with new color. Luna hugged her tightly, tears spilling again.
Outside, Aurelia walked quickly, trying to avoid the gathering crowd. Already whispers spread through the camp: "She healed Carmilla in seconds." "Maybe she's a saint." "Divine Doctor… could it be true?"
If people recognized her like Luna had, she wouldn't be able to move for hours under the weight of requests. After slipping past the noise, she reached the quiet edge of the forest.
"Phew… I never thought I'd have to hide just because people keep asking for help."
She exhaled, then focused inward. "Okay, system. Now explain everything."
[Alright, Aurelia. When you use your powers, skills, or spells, your mastery over them increases. Because of my interference, your learning speed is several times faster than a normal human. That's why your understanding and strength grow so quickly.]
"I see. Can you show me those stats like a window? You know, like in novels. Easier to understand."
[Loading…]
`
Name: Aurelia Vayra
Age: 32
Gender: Female
Rank: A+
Strength: E-
Speed: F+
Agility: E+
Mana Capacity: EX
Mana Sense: SSS+
Mastery over Mana: F-
Affinities:
- Light
- Darkness
- Death
- Night
- Star
Spells:
- Basic Healing
- Star Track
- Night Strongest
- Basic Necromancy
- Dark Bullet
`
Aurelia stared at the glowing text. "Hey, Glitchy… if my Mana is EX and my Mana Sense is SSS+, doesn't that mean I'm super strong?"
[Honestly, host, it should. If not for your pathetic mastery over Mana — F‑ minus — you could already be the strongest in this world.]
"Strongest? Aren't you overestimating me?"
[Actually, no. I told you before — you're a bug. According to the rules of the universe, this world's maximum status should be S. Even the next‑level worlds cap at SSS. But you? You've got EX and SSS+. That means your stats didn't sealed by the universe itself.]
Aurelia's eyes widened. "Sealed? Will that be a problem?"
[Don't worry. If the universe doesn't care, you don't need to care either. But remember — your capacity and sense are high rank, while your mastery is still weak.]
Aurelia clenched her fists. "Then I need to become strong as fast as possible. Do you have any practice tips, Glitchy?"
The system's window flickered, and a sly smile appeared in glowing text.
[Practice? Sure. Step one: don't die.]
Aurelia groaned. "You're impossible."