GLITCH

Awakening

"Hello, anybody there?"

Instead of having my way to the school, I'm inside a white, blank space. Okay, keep calm me. This is the first time I experienced this one. I yelled to see if there's anyone around. My echo aside, I didn't get any feedback.

I kept walking aimlessly while I think of various things.

Is this some kind of glitch? I've never heard anything about this – wait. I think I've heard something like this is happening to a Glint. They say that before they got their powers, they found themselves in a blank space similar to this scene that I'm in right now. So, I'm going to have a power here? I don't really need it though; I don't like fighting with anyone. It's a hassle.

Anyway, since I'm here, I probably should take down some notes when I get home --

"Ouch! My forehead…"

I hit myself to some kind of a wall. Kuh! It stings!

I think at least 5 minutes have passed since I got here. I bit my nails as I kept myself busy building possible theories. While I was engrossed in theorizing, some black cubes clustered themselves to form something. I got back in reality, did a deep sigh, and faced the now formed sphere out of those cubes. The sphere then breaks again into cubes as if it's some kind of a fireworks show.

Seriously, what's the clustering together before for?

But I never expected the next thing that I saw. In the space where the sphere dissipated, a figure of a human curling like a ball is seen. Wait…that figure…it couldn't be. Isn't that…

"Me?"

"Yes. I am you."

Er, how could I explain this? In front of me is a naked version of myself.

Seriously, why naked?

Anyway she's now walking towards me. She then uttered the words I needed to know about.

"I'm the very existence within you. To put it simply, I'm the dormant power inside you. For now, you can't access your full potential. Of course, since you're still new to this kind of stuff. Your power shall improve as you get accustomed to it."

"Dormant power…?"

"Yes. That dormant power is the energy inside you."

Huh? Is my power that tardy for it to appear this late? Well, you know, when someone reach the age of seven, their power manifests.

So this is what they call late bloom?

"So, will you accept waking up your power which is still in deep slumber?"

Power…huh…

To think I have power dwelling inside me.

Anyway…this is a rare opportunity. I should ask this whatchamacallit impostor some information about dormant powers. As an information broker (self-proclaimed that is), my desire to get some valuable information -- to help those who stand in the battlefield -- is my calling. I'll ask this person…or AI some information that may be important or something.

"Before anything else, could you please explain what's dormant power is?" I asked that other me while crossing my arms.

The other me told me everything she knows. I know few of the things she told me, but a whooping stockpile of new information appeared. Thanks to my sharp memory, I remembered all the things she said. To start with, dormant power is not really natural to exist in a human body. This is due to the fact that the early wielders of this kind of power, which the other me referred to as "Mantle", has already embedded within their body.

Briefly speaking, it's artificial at first, then got adapted by the human body and even obtained a new body system called "mana system". This system is more or less, an extension, and perhaps a form of link, of the nervous and circulatory system. To be precise, it merges in the nervous system in the way that the neurons are evolved to send mana which the heart regularly pumps off. Mana then enters the mana vessels, the parallel of blood vessels, towards the brain which is then relayed to the neurons and later released from the body. The unused mana is stored by the body – no specific location to where it might specifically store – and got released from the body whenever the person desires to.

Also, the body goes like the structure of the Earth.

"Crust" refers to the physical appearance of the person.

"Mantle" as mentioned earlier, is the power a person has. Crust and Mantle structure of man were separated by something called "Moho". Its very reason of existence is to regularly balance the mana output of the crust and the mantle.

In short, it's the limiter. IF this limiter got unlocked, the Crust and Mantle merged about; a phenomenon you can call as "mana surge".

And finally, the "Core" is seen as the soul of the person. This is the one who influenced the mantle's properties. For instance, a person who has the deepest desire for flying got a "Flight" mantle.

There are other great information relayed, but I think these things are the basic and "must know" stuff.

Wait, how and why did she have these much knowledge!? I really wanted to ask her, but I bit my lips as I'm having second thoughts.

After she explained lots of things, which took an hour or two, she asked me once more.

"Now that I answered your question, will you accept your power?" she said it in a gentle voice, with her left hand positioning like welcoming someone.

"I see. Very well then, I shall accept the unlocking of my power."

A blinding light started to cover the other me. I covered my eyes with my arms. When it faded, the other me disappeared. So, I'm already a Glint now huh? Well, I better use my G-watch unit category, the watch that is widely common to everyone here.

This watch, aside from its usual use, is used for monitoring the status of the wearer; the user interface is neat since its being done in RPG-like one; health bars and level and other stuff like that. It was made out of titanium alloy, so the money one used to purchase it is totally worth it. I did purchase a G-watch; I only meant it for looking at the time, and to have the emergency warning for an upcoming glitch.

After that ruckus, I came back to where I used to be. I looked at my watch. It marked 7:45 AM.

It's the same time when I got inside that white space.

So…since I got a newfound power, let's see the specs of this watch.

Okay, what's the word needed to be said for me to see my status? I think it was…

"Status Reveal…"

My eyes widened when I see my status.

Rylai Lux *unregistered

Mantle: Death Lv. 001

Strength: 10

Dexterity: 10

Constitution: 10

Intelligence: 999

Skill:

[Soul Read (Lv. ?)] - Identify the target's soul and its contents

What's with this status?! I have a mantle that I've never heard of, an absurd intelligence status, and a weird skill that reads souls… It's way too spooky. Am I that spooky enough for my skills to follow suit?

I continued walking to school while still being dumbfounded by my peculiar status.

•••

"So, you see? It's becoming a world class hit you know?"

"Seriously…? Did she make him fell in love?!"

"…and then I use my power to destroy that kobold!"

Ugh. There are so many random noises here and there. I can't really get a bit of inner peace here. When will the teacher arrive?

Then, all of a sudden, the G-watches in the classroom received an urgent message.

WARNING! GLITCH DETECTED!

[Greek Mythology]

10 minutes left

It's the message imprinted on the screen of my watch. The Glints are already itching to fight and show the results of their training. I, on the other hand, am not truly interested in this kind of stuff.

Well, I think that that would be the case before.