Hero Hunter: The Glitch in the God System

Chapter 2

The dust from the collapsed chamber settled, choking the air, but Freecs didn't even cough. He stepped over the whimpering, broken form of Valerius as if he were stepping over a discarded sack of flour.

[Objective Update: Infiltrate City Barracks. Target: Captain Halloway.]

"City barracks, huh? Sounds like a party," Freecs muttered, wiping a smear of blood from his cheek.

"You’re a monster, Freecs! They’ll hang you for this!" Valerius wheezed, his fingers clawing at the stone.

Freecs paused, looking down with a bored expression. "Funny. You told me the exact same thing when I asked for a slightly larger share of the loot last month. Remember?"

"I was testing you! It was for your own good!"

"And this is for mine," Freecs said, his voice flat. He didn't look back as he navigated the shifting ruins toward the surface.

*

Two days later, the City Barracks of Oakhaven stood like an iron fortress in the center of the district. Freecs adjusted his hood, his cloak—a reward from his previous kill—shimmering slightly as it bent light around him.

"Hey, you! Halt!"

A guard with a lopsided helmet and a halberd that looked like it had seen more rust than combat blocked the gate.

"I’m just here for the supply intake, officer," Freecs said, his voice smooth, practiced.

"Supply intake? At night? You look like a street rat who got lost," the guard laughed, leaning on his weapon. "The quartermaster is asleep. Come back when the sun’s up, kid."

"Maybe this will help him wake up?" Freecs held out a small pouch, clinking with gold.

The guard’s eyes widened. "Is that… real gold?"

"Pure as it gets. You didn't see me, right?"

"I’m blind as a bat, friend. Go on, get inside before the Sergeant sees you."

Freecs slipped past the gate, his boots silent against the cobblestones. The barracks were a maze of damp corridors and snoring soldiers. He navigated toward the back office, the System’s red line pulsing on the floor like a heartbeat.

He slipped into a room thick with the scent of stale wine and parchment. A man sat slumped over a desk, snoring loudly.

"Captain Halloway, I presume?" Freecs whispered, pulling his dagger.

The man stirred, blinking awake. "What? Who’s there? Is it morning?"

"It’s judgment day," Freecs said, his shadow falling over the desk.

Halloway squinted, reaching for a sword propped against his chair. "A thief? In my office? You must be suicidal."

"Actually, I’m a debt collector," Freecs corrected, stepping into the dim light. "I heard you’ve been skimming the food rations meant for the orphanage. That true?"

Halloway paled, his hand shaking as he gripped his hilt. "That’s... that’s state business. You don't know what you're talking about, boy."

"I know enough. You trade grain for wine and think the orphans won't notice. Or maybe you just don't care?"

"They’re nobodies! Just like you!" Halloway lunged, his blade clumsy and slow.

Freecs didn't even move his feet. He pivoted, the System’s blue interface highlighting the Captain’s exposed wrist. A flick of the wrist, and Halloway’s sword clattered to the floor.

"You’re fast," Halloway choked out, clutching his stinging hand. "Who hired you? The guild? The crown?"

"Nobody hired me," Freecs said, pressing his blade against the Captain’s throat. "I’m just cleaning house. You’re a liability to the system."

"The system? You're talking nonsense!"

"Maybe. But your bank account is about to be very empty."

Halloway sneered, his fear giving way to a cruel, desperate grin. "You think killing me will stop the rot in this city? I’m just a middleman, you idiot. The ones above me—they don't even know you exist."

"Then I’ll make sure they hear me loud and clear," Freecs replied.

As he prepared to strike, the air in the room suddenly grew heavy. The shadows in the corner of the office began to swirl, turning a sickly, unnatural purple. The System’s interface flared, blindingly bright, casting Freecs’s face in a demonic glow.

[Warning: Lethal threat detected.]

"What is that?" Halloway gasped, backing away from the shadow. "What did you bring into my office?"

Freecs’s blood ran cold. The System’s text flickered, unstable and jagged.

[Priority Alert: Unique Boss 'The Silent Warden' has manifested in this sector. Level: Uncharted.]

"You didn't just come to kill me, did you?" Halloway whispered, his voice trembling. "You're a beacon."

Freecs didn't answer. He watched as a long, spindly hand emerged from the dark corner, claws scraping against the stone wall like grinding bone.

"Run," Freecs muttered.

"What?" Halloway shouted.

"I said run, you greedy pig!" Freecs shoved the Captain toward the door, but it was already too late.

The door slammed shut with a final, metallic thud, sealing them both inside the room with the encroaching dark. A voice, sounding like a thousand whispers layered over one another, filled the space.

“...Found you.”

Freecs tightened his grip on his dagger, his heart hammering against his ribs. The hunt had changed. He wasn't the predator anymore.

He was the prey.