Glitch

City of Lost Souls

Lyra's eyes lingered on Mr. Rhett's back as he led the team downhill. His words still echoed in her mind, sending shivers down her spine.

Exchanging glances with the rest of the group, they followed behind.

As they descended, the landscape shifted from grassy hills to dense forest.

The group were awed at the scenery, the soft rustle of the wind, the birds chirping in the trees, the soothing smell of nature, and the sight of such a familiar yet unfamiliar world.

They trudged on, their footsteps muffled by the soft earth, but Lyra's heart was a panicked mess. The team were nearly at the bottom of the hill, yet everywhere remained quiet.

Sure enough, one of her teammates spoke up, though not loud enough for Mr. Rhett to hear.

"We are already so close to the bottom of the hill, yet there's no sound to show that there's a town around here."

Lyra heard it. Gripping her baton by her side, she twisted it, hoping it would calm the wandering thoughts in her head.

Would they blame her?

After all, she was indeed too mouthy and confident.

What if they took it as arrogance?

Sighing, she released the baton, wiping her sweaty hands against her khakis.

'When did the thoughts of others matter so much to me?' she wondered.

Soon, they reached the bottom of the hill, their eyes falling on a towering gate leading into a town.

The sight of the town made Lyra breathe out a sigh of relief. She was correct, after all.

But something about the town felt off—it was too quiet. Even the sound of nature seemed muted here.

Suspicious, the group exchanged wary glances, their eyes filled with unspoken questions. Still, no one dared to say anything, the weight of Mr. Rhett's words still hung on their backs.

"The City of Lost Souls," Mr. Rhett muttered, just loud enough for them to hear.

Stunned, the group stared ahead in shock. City of Lost Souls? Damn. Even the town's name sounded eerie.

As though reading their thoughts, Mr. Rhett turned to face them, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Creepy name, huh? Don't worry, it's not haunted, just... ridiculously strict."

Lyra couldn’t help but chuckle, her nerves calming a little. For a moment, she had been genuinely frightened, but remembering the name, she quickly recalled the quiet, controlled nature of this city.

It was one of the cities on the map, and it wasn’t the haunted place the name suggested. 

The city was originally founded as a sanctuary for the verbally impaired, with strict rules to preserve peace and quiet.

Visitors had to remain silent, respecting the unspoken contract to preserve the residents' tranquil lives.

The city became a leading hub for game resources and trade, gaining significant influence.

But traders, adventurers, and gamers had to abide by the city's rules to acquire rare items or equipment. Violating the silence would result in severe consequences, including being thrown out, banned, or stripped of armor and equipment.

"We’re fortunate to have spawned near a large town," Mr. Rhett said, approaching the gate. "Towns like this are often home to teleportation portals."

"Remember," he added, pausing just before pushing open the gates, "silence here is golden. It’s worth just as much as your life."

"Also, watch out for NPCs," he advised over his shoulder. NPCs rarely attacked undisturbed, so they weren't largely an issue.

The group nodded hastily at his words, quickly entering the gates. The normal creaking known to occupy the opening and closing of gates didn't even exist here.

Lyra furrowed her brows at that. Her senses were on high alert, and she couldn't help but observe everything around her.

There wasn't any guard at the door, so they had a seamless entry.

The group closely followed behind Mr. Rhett, walking past stalls and tables where people were clustered, buying and selling but without the noise that usually accompanied these transactions.

They walked until they reached a deserted alley, where Mr. Rhett turned and gave them instructions using binary hand signs.

They were all computer geeks, so they understood in an instant.

The team split into tiny groups of twos and threes. Lyra ended up paired with one of the guys in the team.

Resigned, she moved along as they reentered the market, their eyes searching for a target.

The plan was to follow a group leaving the city through the teleportation portal, while the rest tried to find clues that may point to where the AI core resides.

Having gained sentience, the AI had closed off its location. So finding it was quite the headache.

Lyra and her partner walked leisurely browsed few things they saw there that spooked their interest, their eyes alert as they scanned the large and highly populated market that was so quiet even a pin falling to the ground would be heard.

Their pair’s dressing was quite similar to the outfits of some players; due to that, they didn't appear too conspicuous.

So, Lyra and her partner latched onto a group of gamers who seemed to have come for a trade.

Another unique feature of the City of Lost Souls was the mobile teleportation portal, which made it even harder to leave the city.

But players had found a way to get past that difficulty as they attached an equipment called a tika (it was sort of a tracking device) to the portal immediately after they passed through it.

This allowed them to know the general location of the portal whenever they wanted to leave.

Mixing in with the group, they moved towards the portal. But suddenly, a few of the players stopped.

Surprised, the rest turned to them—but what they saw made their jaws drop in shock.

The players' bodies were melting, falling off like wax in a furnace.

Lyra, having a faint premonition, turned to her partner, only to find him staring at her intently.

He mumbled noiselessly. Lyra's brow furrowed in confusion.

He repeated his action again.

Phantom...?

Phantom, what?

The young man sighed helplessly, making Lyra's confusion deepen.

"What do you mean?" she asked with her eyes, looking back at the melting bodies blocking their path.

When she turned back to her partner, he mumbled the words again, his eyes urgent. Suddenly, understanding dawned on her.

Hunters—Phantom...Hunters. She pieced it together, her heart sinking.

The young man nodded, and Lyra's fear spiked. She turned to face the melting bodies, now reduced to skeletal frames.

'Shit, shit, shit.' Terrified, she turned, her legs moving faster than her thoughts as she turned to flee.

Her partner followed closely behind, but they soon found themselves surrounded by more skeletal figures emerging from the shadows.

Lyra's knees buckled in fear. Why hadn't she thought of this before?

Phantom Hunters.

One of the reasons for the town's name. With her mind racing, she knew they had to get out of here—fast.

City of Lost Souls—the home of Phantom Hunters

These low-level NPCs possessed poor combat powers but high intelligence, specializing in soul magic that was silent and slow.

But while they were predictable and easily defeated by players, the upgrade had made them more formidable.

.

Now, due to their increased intelligence from Æther's influence, they blended in with trading players, striking when their victims were most unaware.

Their movements were random and varied, making it challenging for players to bypass them.

The odds of encountering spirit snatchers were normally one in ten, but somehow Lyra's group had managed to run into them.

Lyra's shoulders slumped, her eyes trembling. She knew they couldn't inflict significant damage without causing a commotion.

The city's rules didn't apply to them because they weren't bound by the world's constraints.

Their consciousness wasn't tied to the rules of this world, as they didn't enter through the normal avatar channels. Instead, they existed outside the usual parameters.

However, if they broke the rules, the world would take notice, recognizing them as anomalies. This could potentially alert the AI to their presence, putting them at risk...

But if they remained here like sitting ducks, their consciousness could be destroyed and unlike other players, they couldn't respawn.

This would be the end for them.

Glancing around, Lyra desperately searched for a weak point in the ambush.

The Phantom Hunters were closing in, and desperation hung heavy on her chest.

Her brain conjured different scenarios, and her partner seemed to be searching for an opening as well.

The players behind them had already given up, and Lyra knew that with that mindset, they were useless.

As the NPCs began casting from a distance, Lyra spotted a weak point.

Her partner had seen it too, and they exchanged glances before making a dash for it, catching the spirit snatchers off guard.

Lyra knew that these skeletal creatures avoided close combat due to their brittle frames. Retrieving a baton from her side, she struck it against the spirit snatcher closest to her. Its bones disintegrated instantly.

She slid low under the remaining NPCs, swerved to the right, avoided a grab, then rolled out of the encirclement.

Looking to her left, she sighed in relief—her partner had made it out too.

As they sprinted away, the Phantom Hunters pursued them. Lyra glanced back, her heart racing as the creatures closed in.

She signaled to her companion, and they swiftly split up, dividing the crowd.

She ran desperately, her feet pounding against the ground.

Suddenly, she felt goosebumps on her skin, and her hair stood on end.

Someone was watching her.

Looking around, she didn't see anyone, but the feeling persisted, making her feel uneasy.

Shaking her head, she refocused on the immediate threat—the creatures were gaining on her.

As she turned a corner, her feet faltered. She had reached a dead end.

Trembling, she turned to find the exit already sealed off by the swarm of spirit snatchers.

'Fuck,' she cussed in her head. She had no choice—she had to break the rule of the game.

Reaching for a tool on her body, she prepared to defend herself.

However, she was knocked back by the shockwave of a cast spell.

They had started casting, and she was hit, thrown against the wall and tumbling to the ground. Her body was wrecked with pain as she struggled to get back to her feet.

Lyra knew she was at a disadvantage. As just a consciousness, she was very vulnerable to soul attacks.

Closing her eyes, she prepared for the worst.

However, instead of the expected doom, she felt a sudden jolt of electricity surrounding her.

She opened her eyes to the sight of the group of spirit snatchers shaking and trembling as bolts of electricity passed through them, disintegrating them into dust.

Surprised, Lyra looked up to see her partner standing over her.

His left arm was missing, but before she could react—

BOOM!!

A loud noise echoed from the northern part of the town.

Lyra's heart pounded against her chest as she turned toward the sound. A bright flare covered the sky in that direction, causing an ominous feeling to rise within her.

That—

That was the direction the other team went.

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