GLITCH

The Uninvited Guest and Start of Rylai's Journey

GLITCH ACADEMY, YELLOW CITY

Thursday, November 2, 2500 9:20 AM

On the next morning, in the meeting hall of the Glitch Academy, the board commenced a gathering for the incoming four handpicked individuals by Ferni. The board consists of the AGA's upper echelon. The term "sponsored by" is just a sugarcoated one; the Glitch Academy is actually an institution owned by the AGA. Including Ferni; it's a total of nine of them.

The faculty is a bunch of spectacular individuals who were excellent in their respected fields. It may seem that it's already complete yet in reality they lacked one; a field where the mystery behind the mystical power of human beings is explained thoroughly*. Ferni was able to associate that field – thanks to Rylai's information – with her forte, the art of combat, but it's still lacking; even Ferni herself said so. And then as if their answers were answered on a god's whim, Rylai appeared. Her marvelous information and revelations about the secrets of the mana system opened a new path full of wonders; when they examined a human corpse (with consent from the relatives of course), it appears that mana system exists and with that, it's more than enough to urge them to offer Rylai, despite being young and all, an offer but Ferni halted their plans temporarily; saying that Rylai won't accept it if done rashly.

They were sitting in front of a long rectangular table made of marble. Above, luxurious chandeliers were hanged. There were pieces of art everywhere you look; paintings hanging on the wall, expensive vases displayed; even the ceiling itself was painted. Most of them appreciated art after all.

The chairman of the board, Clark Dunes, is sitting at the end of the table; the other end sits Ferni, the co-chairman. The rest of them were aligned on both sides, with a seat on the left side still vacant and unoccupied. After a brief moment of silence, Clark started to speak. He's a light brown-eyed, yellow-haired individual with a long scar on his left eye, crossing from the eyebrow, down to his cheeks and has a physique appropriate enough to his age (30 years old). He has a gentlemanly yet intimidating area that individuals who see him on their first time tend to get nervous. He's wearing a black tuxedo and slacks, just like the other board members usually wear during meetings; the only lady here is Ferni, who wore a black one piece dress.

"So, what happened during the gathering to the said four prodigies Ferni?"

"It ended well. The three students and one instructor were getting along, so there's no problem so far."

"That's good to hear."

"We finally got the 5-star informant join us in our crusade of protecting the citizens by giving proper education and training to the G-units", Leon Savager, a scruffy white-haired, sky blue-eyed bulky guy with a mustache said.

"You are truly right in your decision to take the matter slowly but surely Miss Ferni. Color me impressed."

Ferni sipped her coffee before she replied.

"It's because I know what she wanted to become in the first place. My older sister is the one who raised that girl. So I know a lot about her."

"You sure are shrewd as ever Miss Ferni", Java Lingua, the one with the specs and has a nerdy aura on him, said. "Well since it's all going according to plan, I have no complains at all."

"Well, it's not like I want to take advantage of her to be honest. I just want to invite her here since my plan and yours are on the same route, which is to garner exceptional individuals for the sake of the world".

Ferni closed her eyes while holding the cup of coffee and then said with her head slightly facing sideways.

"With that said, you're fine about what you've heard right? You can now show yourself."

"Who are you talking with?"

All members of the board including the chairman himself were in the state of confusion.

"You'll see…you'll see…"

Behind Ferni, a mist started to gather and then formed a figure of a girl. Later, the board found themselves to be in a presence of a black-haired, silver-eyed, tanned individual wearing a lab coat with a black pair of clothing underneath, and lab goggles hanging on her neck.

It's Rylai.

•••

The board committees were shocked to see me. They haven't felt my presence after all. It's like I'm some ghost or something. Well I think I really became one.

Rylai Lux *Instructor, Glitch Academy

HP: 5000/5000 MP: 1000/1000 RG: 0/999

Mantle: Death Lv. 0010

Strength: 25

Dexterity: 25

Constitution: 25

Intelligence: 999

Skill:

SOUL READ [?Unique? Passive]

Identify the target's soul and its contents

ASTRAL FORM [?Unique? Toggle Status: Inactive]

Can form into pure magical entity at will

TOUCH OF DEATH [?Unique? Active]

A simple touch will bring death to the target (can only be used while Rage Gauge is full)

CURSE OF DEATH

The one who wields the Death Mantle is cursed to have only 1000 MP. However, every active skill (aside from the Touch of Death) will only consume 5 MP upon activation, while toggle skills consumes 1 MP every minute; statuses and skill can only be raised every level base 10.

I know my status just yesterday while I'm brushing my teeth. While I'm doing it, I'm mastering my [Soul Read] skill to try if it'll work with just a mirror's reflection, and it worked. I'm quite puzzled about the appearance of the Rage Gauge and my new skills, especially [Curse of Death], the one liable for making my status fixed in that way.

The other skill [Touch of Death] relies on the RG and not on the MP.

I'm slowly becoming less human huh?

Back to the present, Mister Clark, the chairman, cleared his throat and started to speak.

"Rylai Lux is it? Please take a seat", he said while offering me a vacant seat on the left side.

"Ah, no, it's fine. I don't deserve to take a seat that is meant for a member of the board."

"I see…then have you confirmed what you wanted to know Rylai?"

"Yes. Miss Ferni explained all of the details beforehand though. Well anyway I already agreed to become an instructor in this academy. Also I want to read your statuses and see if there's someone in here is deemed evil. No offense though."

"Wait, you can see our status?" one of the board members asked.

"Yes", I answered with a stern look on my face.

I told them about my [Soul Read] skill, which can see all information about a person. I explained that it's different from [Appraisal] skill which only shows the target's name and colored text. Of course, I hid the fact that my skill can also see the world in slow motion if I wanted to.

Aside from that, I told them that since I'll be only entering the academy next year, I want to train by myself during that period and travel around the world, incognito. They agreed, and I finally have the temporary freedom I want to have before I'll be shackled in the academy.

"Now, it would be nice if those other three train too", a long-haired slender dude said so with a sigh.

"Don't worry about it", Miss Ferni responded. "I'll take care of it. Well then", she glanced at me and said, "You may go now."

"Yes. I'll be going then", I said it with a bow and went straight to the door and opened it.

While I'm still at the doorstep, I paused for a moment and then looked at the board and smiled. I then went outside and shut the door.

I bid farewell to Miss Syakila and my dorm mates; I picked up my baggage and went straight to my objective.

"Ah… The wind feels nice; I guess I'll go to the biggest library of the world, the Library of Excellence", I said it with my heart still racing due to excitement.

As I went for an adventure to broaden my horizons, news of misfortune is starting to spread in Crystal City, the place where the library is located.

Forty-five individuals, all females ranging from 18-29 years old, went missing and eventually found dead, as dry as a twig. Witnesses say that they saw a gentlemanly individual with them before they went missing. They say various things about the man in question that differs from the others; some say he's a middle-aged man, others say that he's a teenager and so on and so forth . But there is one same phrase the witnesses told the authority; it's the man's statement before he vanished without a trace.

"Hello, young lady. May I claim the dew of your mortality?"