Let me ask you something:
Have you ever been woken up by a glowing blue notification screen hovering directly over your face telling you you're evolving?
No?
Well, I have.
And it's just as terrifying as it sounds.
---
System Evolution? More Like System PANIC
[System Evolution Detected]
[Race Transition Initiated – NULL → CODEBORN (Unstable)]
Warning: You may experience headaches, memory loops, or spontaneous existential crises. Proceed? [Y/N]
I squinted at the screen. "Existential crises?"
Rina, from the corner of the room: "Say yes before the system changes its mind."
"…Okay, but if I start speaking in binary, just smack me."
"Noted."
I pressed [Y].
Everything went white.
---
Inside the Glitched Core
I found myself standing in a digital space. Think: glowing gridlines, floating data cubes, and weird matrix symbols that made my eyes itch.
A disembodied voice spoke.
"Welcome, Yuto Kurogane. You are now Codeborn — a being partially made of raw system code."
"Wait—does that mean I'm, like, 50% software now?"
"67.2%, actually. And rising."
"I'm gonna need therapy."
"That is not included in your system benefits."
Rude.
---
[New Passive Unlocked: Data Sense]
You can now see system weaknesses, code structures, and error nodes in the world.
Great for debugging reality. Also useful in dungeons.
[Skill Fragment Completed: Data Pulse]
Send a wave of unstable code forward. Deals damage and reveals hidden system flaws.
May cause minor terrain corruption. Use responsibly.
I blinked. "I have a literal wall-hack now."
"You are becoming one with the system."
"I feel like a sentient cheat code."
"Good. You'll need it."
The voice faded.
And I woke up.
---
Back in Reality (Sort of)
I bolted upright, gasping.
Rina jumped. "You okay?!"
I looked around. My vision had changed. I could see faint glowing outlines around people, walls, items… like I had dev-mode toggled on.
"Okay," I said slowly. "Either I'm in a dream… or I just became a walking system bug."
---
[Race Updated: Codeborn (Glitched)]
[You are now able to manipulate certain parts of the system with thought.]
> New Trait: "Debug Mode" (Passive)
Occasionally reveals hidden loot, paths, or enemy weaknesses. Unstable, may also reveal unwanted truths.
New Trait: "Crash Override" (Active – 1x/week)
You may crash a non-boss enemy's system, instantly defeating them. May cause unpredictable side effects.
Yup. I was now a part-time programmer, full-time chaos wizard.
---
Meanwhile, in Shadow World™️
Kael stared at a flickering orb.
"He evolved," he muttered.
The robed figure beside him hissed. "Codeborns should be extinct. We purged them cycles ago."
Kael clenched his fist. "We missed one. And now he's glitched."
The figure nodded slowly. "Then we overwrite him. Permanently."
---
First Field Test: Debug Dungeon
Back in the guild, Rina and I accepted a new quest — clear out a forgotten ruin just outside the city.
Simple. Right?
Wrong.
The moment we entered the stone door…
[System Notice: This dungeon has not been updated in 1,294 days.]
[Do you wish to attempt debugging? Warning: Corruption Level 62%]
I grinned. "This is perfect."
Rina sighed. "No. This is a mistake. I can feel it."
I activated Data Sense, and the whole dungeon lit up like a Christmas tree made of error messages.
"There's a secret room behind that cracked wall," I muttered.
"How do you know?"
"It's literally labeled 'SECRET_TREASURE_ROOM.EXE'. Kinda obvious."
---
Inside, we found a hidden core glowing with unstable code.
Touching it triggered:
[Mini-Boss Spawn: Forgotten Sentinel – Corrupted Code Golem]
It looked like a pile of broken files and rusty metal with glitchy eyes. A corrupted antivirus, if you will.
Time to test my new toy.
[Skill Activated: Data Pulse!]
A wave of neon-blue energy surged forward, stripping its armor and revealing a red core node.
Rina dashed in and stabbed it.
[CRITICAL HIT – SYSTEM OVERRIDE SUCCESSFUL]
The golem exploded into digital confetti.
Rina blinked. "That… was way easier than expected."
I smirked. "I'm not just broken anymore. I'm optimized chaos."
---
Status Update
Name: Yuto Kurogane
Race: Codeborn (Glitched)
Level: 7
Title: Frog Slayer Supreme, Bugged but Breathing
HP: 28/28
Strength: 11 | Agility: 10 | Intelligence: 13
Traits:
- Data Sense (Passive)
- Debug Mode (Passive)
- Crash Override (1x/week)
Skills:
- Glitch: Random Buff
- Lag Clone (Lv3 – Independent)
- Rollback (1x/day)
- Sound Lag
- Packet Skip (1x/day)
- Inventory Toss
- Data Pulse (Active – Area Burst)
Inventory:
- Glitch Token x1
- Debug Fragment x1 (???)
---
That night, as I stared at the ceiling, my system chimed again.
[System Alert: An ancient AI has detected your presence.]
[Incoming message: "Yuto Kurogane… You are not supposed to exist."]
I gulped.
"Oh good," I muttered. "Now even the ancient AIs hate me."
---
To be continued...