Glitch Overlord: The NPC Who Hijacked the Gods’ Player Syste

Chapter 4: No Safe Place

The small storage room felt dark and dusty. Jax leaned against the cold wall, trying to catch his breath. Every movement sent sharp pain through the cut on his side and the burn on his leg. His body was weak and heavy, but he could not rest for long. The Overseers were getting closer with every minute.

Mira stood close to him. Her hands still shook a little, but she looked at him with real worry in her eyes.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly.

Jax gave a small nod even though it hurt. "I will be fine," he said. "But we need to move soon. They will search every corner of this zone."

He pushed himself away from the wall and walked to the small window at the back of the room. Outside, the alley looked quiet for now, but he could hear distant footsteps and voices. CrimsonKing69 was still looking for him with his friends. The crowd in the plaza had started to spread out, and some players were talking about the strange fight they had seen.

Jax knew the news would spread fast. An NPC fighting back was not normal. It could bring more trouble before he was ready.

He turned to Mira. "Can you move quietly with me?" he asked.

She nodded without hesitation. "I will try."

They slipped out of the storage room together and moved down the narrow alley. Jax used the small stealth skill he had stolen to keep his steps light. It helped a little, but his injured leg made it hard. Every few steps he had to stop and lean on the wall to rest. The pain was constant and it drained his energy.

Mira stayed right beside him. She sometimes reached out to steady him when he stumbled. Her touch felt warm, and it gave him a small push to keep going. For the first time, he felt like he was not completely alone in this cold game world.

They turned into another side street that led toward the outer edge of the starter zone. Old buildings and empty market stalls lined the path. The area was less crowded, but it also had fewer places to hide.

Suddenly, they heard voices ahead.

"He went this way," one player said. "I saw the janitor run into the alleys."

Jax pulled Mira behind a broken cart quickly. They crouched low and held their breath. Two players walked past, carrying weapons and looking around carefully. They were friends of CrimsonKing69.

When the footsteps faded, Jax let out a slow breath. His heart was beating fast. The struggle to stay hidden was almost as hard as the fight itself.

"We need a better place," he whispered to Mira. "Somewhere they will not look right away."

Mira thought for a moment. "There is an old abandoned warehouse near the edge of the zone," she said. "It used to store event supplies, but no one goes there now."

Jax nodded. "Lead the way."

They moved again carefully, staying in the shadows. The burn on his leg throbbed with every step, and the cut on his side kept bleeding slowly. He felt weaker as time passed. The small health recovery he had stolen was working, but very slowly. It was not enough to heal him completely.

After ten long minutes, they reached the old warehouse. The building looked run-down, with broken windows and faded walls. The door was half open. They slipped inside and closed it behind them as quietly as they could.

Inside, the warehouse was dark and full of old crates and dusty shelves. A few rays of light came through the cracks in the roof. It was not perfect, but it felt safer than the open alleys.

Jax sat down on a wooden box and closed his eyes for a moment. His body screamed for rest. The pain made it hard to think clearly.

Mira sat beside him and looked at his wounds. "You are hurt badly," she said. "Let me see if I can help."

She tore a piece of cloth from her dress and pressed it gently against the cut on his side. Jax winced but did not pull away. Her care felt real, and it touched something deep inside him.

While she helped him, he focused on the system once more. He needed something to help him recover or hide better. But he knew pushing too hard would make things worse.

[Skill Theft Attempted: Basic Pain Resistance]

[Very Low Success. Host Body Too Weak for Full Transfer.]

A tiny wave of relief spread through him. The sharp pain became a little duller. It was not much, but it let him breathe easier. The effort left him dizzy, and he had to lean forward and rest his head in his hands. Stealing power always came with a cost. His head felt heavy and his thoughts moved slower.

Mira finished tying the cloth and looked at him with concern. "What is happening to you, Jax?" she asked. "You are different now. And I feel different too. Like something inside me is waking up."

Jax opened his eyes and met her gaze. "I took something from the game," he said quietly. "Something I was never supposed to have. It is giving me a chance to fight back, but it is dangerous. The Overseers are coming to delete anything that breaks the rules."

Mira nodded slowly. Her eyes showed understanding even if she did not know all the details.

"Then we stay together," she said. "I do not want to go back to the way things were."

Her words gave him strength. He sat up straighter, despite the pain.

"We will find a way," he promised. "Step by step. But right now, we need to rest and plan."

The warehouse grew quiet. Outside, they could hear distant shouts as players continued searching. Time was running out.

Then a new warning appeared clearly in Jax's mind.

[Overseer Alert: Investigation team has entered the starter zone. Anomaly signal growing stronger. Estimated arrival at current location in ten minutes.]

Jax's heart sank. Ten minutes was not enough to heal or prepare properly. He stood up slowly, feeling every bruise and cut. His body still felt weak, but the small skills he had stolen gave him just enough to keep moving.

"We have to leave again," he said to Mira. "They are too close."

Mira stood up with him. "Where do we go?" she asked.

Jax looked around the warehouse. His mind worked through the pain. There was an old underground tunnel entrance at the back of the building. It led to the maintenance area beneath the city. It was dark and risky, but it might buy them more time.

"That way," he said, pointing to the back.

They moved quickly toward the tunnel entrance. Jax pushed aside some heavy crates with Mira's help. The effort made his wounds bleed again, but he did not stop.

As they climbed down into the dark tunnel, a loud sound came from outside the warehouse.

The door crashed open.

CrimsonKing69's voice echoed through the building.

"I know you are in here, glitch. Come out and face me."

Jax and Mira froze in the tunnel entrance. Their hearts pounded. The player was right behind them now.

Jax gripped the edge of the tunnel and looked at Mira.

"Stay quiet," he whispered. "We go down now."

They slipped into the darkness together. The tunnel was cold and narrow. Water dripped from the ceiling and the air smelled damp. Jax moved as carefully as he could, but his injured leg made it hard to stay silent.

Behind them, they heard CrimsonKing69 searching the warehouse. Crates were thrown aside and curses filled the air.

The Overseers were coming too.

Jax felt the heavy pressure of time running out. His body hurt. His mind felt tired. But deep inside, the cold anger still burned. He would not let them catch him so easily.

He had taken the first small steps toward freedom.

Now he had to survive long enough to take the next ones.