GLITCH

Trying to Grasp the Potential and the Unexpected Reunion

TRAVELER'S ROUTE, Emerald City – Blue Town

Friday, November 5, 2500 9:20 AM

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH…"

I kept sighing and sighing while training. I don't seem to understand why my experience gauge is still stagnant. I have my doubts that my Mantle has something to do with this.

Did I miss something important?

Or is it that my Mantle has a special case of leveling up?

Either way, it seems like training for now is irrelevant. I really wanted to level up once at the very least. With [Curse of Death], I got in a situation where I could only have my status raised by 25 when I level up on every level base 10. So if I made to level 20, I'll get 50 on all my status aside from luck (since it's freaking maxed out), then if I leveled up to 30, I'll have all my STR, DEX, and CON with the mark of 75. So, how can I level up efficiently…?

Oh well; better not fret about unnecessary stuff.

I'm in the traveler's route between Emerald City and Blue Town. The route is so long that it would take at least three to four days depending on what kind of transportation you'll be using with; traveling on foot would take a week.

I'm wearing my Tech Boots, but I never wanted to use it if there's no emergency.

Three days haw passed.

I'm just taking a walk in a leeway manner so I guess I'll reach Blue Town for four more days.

I'm wearing my usual lab outfit, and I got my hair ponytailed since it's a hassle while training without fixing it this way. For the past three days, I usually do camp even though there are resting spots along the traveler's route. I prefer to splurge my money on food and power gems rather than spending it for just living in a room for just one night.

Power gems looks like some glowing pebbles but they are twice as hard as diamonds; as what its name suggests, it is a source of power for electricity and other necessary things. This is more efficient than oil, and never dealt anything dangerous on nature or on humans, since they can even touch it barehanded. It's even my Tech Boots' and Gloves' energy source.

However, they are pretty hard to obtain since they are only found in an island they call the "Land of Ruins". It is said that these precious resources are remnants of a high-tech civilization before they were fallen. Just selling one would make one a millionaire, so some selfish people tried to scavenge the ruins without any combat experience and they eventually died in the hands of glitches that keep appearing there every single minute. It's an abnormal phenomenon that even I can't fathom it.

How much does it actually cost? It's around ? 4 000 000 (four million Omega; this is the currency here) per piece.

It's totally worth it though, since the power within the power gems never dwindle. I bought four of it so it cost me 16 000 000 Omega.

While I'm still thinking ways on how to raise my level while putting the unique trait of my Mantle in mind, I received a warning notice on my watch. It's an incoming glitch.

I smiled unconsciously, as I look forward to a lovely opportunity to raise my level, hopefully.

•••

"What…?! Is this true Sven? Oh my, I can't believe it! My son is going to the prestigious academy next year!"

"Ah…our little Sven has grown up. I'm truly proud of my son!"

When I got home on that day and explained my parents of me being qualified to become a student of the Glitch Academy, they were making a fuss about it and even let it spread like wildfire in my locality. Curious individuals came to challenge me and they eventually got defeated. Well I can gain experience while doing so, but still it's a hassle since it's been like this all day long.

Can't I have some proper rest?

It's already Friday now, so I'll be doing my usual errand. I'm always asked by my father every Friday to send some parcel to my grandparents, who were living in Crystal City; since they're too old to take a job, it's natural for us to send them vegetables that we harvested in the garden.

One can send parcels via parcel transport actually, but since we don't have the money, I give them a crate full of vegetables personally. The journey would take me a week or more, and it strains my muscles; I'll just think of it as some form of physical training.

But this time it's different. I'm no longer carrying a heavy load, since I have a G-watch given by Rylai, the so-called 5-star informant. She's often called that since she's a top-notch informant, or so they say. If only they saw her battle prowess during that time she fought a griffin, they'll know that she's way beyond their perception. But above all else, her kindness drives me attached to her.

Especially, during that gathering as requested by Miss Ferni…

•••

SAMARU MALL, Emerald City

Wednesday, November 1, 2500 12:30 PM

"Why am I the one paying…?"

"Sorry about that Rylai."

"You're kind of feeling happy though."

"Of course! Nothing beats more than a free meal!"

"You should've sugarcoated your words you know."

The meeting was adjourned. We're almost at the entrance while Rylai and Miss Ferni were still nagging here and there. They're carefree to be honest.

"Miss Ferni and Rylai are close to each other eh", Sen said with him still glancing at the two ladies in front of us. He looks like a delinquent but he's a good guy.

"It seems like it", the one named Edward said while nodding his head in agreement. "Anyway, since we're all birds of the same feather here, let's exchange contacts."

"Ah, I don't have a G-watch", said I while looking to the ground.

"What? That's a HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE problem you got there my man!" Sen exclaimed.

He's so hyped.

"Hmm…? You have no G-watch?"

Surprised, the three of us were taken aback when Rylai herself is now standing in front of us.

"Yeah", I answered while smiling bitterly.

I'm frustrated upon the fact that I destroyed my hard-earned G-watch during that time fighting with that griffin. It's a second-hand, but still I treasured it since I used up all of my savings just to get one. Having a G-watch is a requirement for Glints after all.

"It got destroyed during that time when I fought a griffin so –"

"Wait, you have real battle experience already Sven?" Edward asked.

"Yeah, I just fought once though, so it's not that much."

"I'm so envious! My big bro and I only train and fight against each other to acquire experience. We don't have any license yet, so we can't go and fight a manifested glitch", Sen said after drinking his soda out of the can.

"…I see."

I look at the two of them in awe.

They're close to each other. That's a good sibling relationship.

Then I noticed that Rylai is still deep in thought, then after a short moment she walked towards me and hand me a G-watch. Wait, when did that G-watch appeared? I never saw her carrying anything on her hand until now.

"Here."

"Huh?"

"Just accept it. It's a G-watch that I modified; it has the same features as this one I'm wearing. It has storage, virtual map, tracking and other features. Please use it well."

"Wow…a G-watch from Rylai… Can I have one too?" Miss Ferni inserted in the talk.

"No. You already have one; I even gave you two extra features right?"

"Eh, so stingy…give me the storage feature," said Miss Ferni, pouting like a child.

"10 000 000 Omega please", Rylai said with a smug on her face.

"That much…!? You stingy, heartless, selfish individual…!"

Miss Ferni is having her tantrums. Is this really a 27-year old lady?

I'm starting to wonder which one of them is the older one here.

•••

TRAVELER'S ROUTE, Emerald City – Blue Town

Friday, November 5, 2500 9:20 AM

Back to the present, it's been three days since I departed. Thanks to the storage feature of the G-watch Rylai gave me, I'm able to walk without having the same sore feeling I always got whenever I travel. I'm glad she left instructions in the G-watch for me to follow.

Speaking of the devil.

There's someone ahead of me wearing a lab coat. There's no doubt about it; it's Rylai!

"Rylai!" I ran towards her.

"Hmm…? Oh Sven, what a surprise. What are you doing here?"

Rylai asked while raising her left eyebrow.

"Oh, I'm on my way to Crystal City. I need to deliver vegetables for my grandparents. How about you Rylai? Where are you heading to?"

"My, my… what a coincidence; I'm also going to Crystal City. Want to be with me then?"

"Sure!"

And with that, Rylai and I started walking towards our first destination, Blue Town.

So this is how it feels when talking to your first female friend huh.