My Healer System Won’t Save You

Threads of the Breach (2)

(voice-over) Kaien opened his inventory again. The Mystery Trinket pulsed faintly, emitting that eerie heartbeat sound, like a flickering heartbeat of code counting down to doom. He hesitated, hovering over it, as if touching it might trigger another “surprise server disaster”.

(inner thought) Responsible? Me? That trinket is basically a ticking plot device. Probably something that’s going to make me scream in thirty seconds.

(voice-over) Nyra’s eyes tracked the cracked skyline again, her hand brushing the tip of her longsword. She didn’t speak, but Kaien could almost hear the silent code running through her mind, analyzing every frame of this unstable world.

Nyra: ‘Follow me. North Gate isn’t far, but the path will be… tricky.’

(Kaien’s Pov) Tricky. That’s the gamer code for “expect full-scale chaos, glitches, and rogue mobs”.

(inner thought) Yeah… I’m definitely going to need a nap after this.

(voice-over) They exited the Adventurers’ Board alley and descended toward Graviel’s lower streets. The usual market noises were gone; the neon buzz was unsteady, flashing in stutters and brief pulses. Shadows stretched unnaturally, merging and separating as if the lighting engine itself were confused.

[SYSTEM WARNING]

Environmental Anomaly Detected

Texture Instability: 48%’

Instability Surge: +6%

… Okay, yep, definitely glitchy.

Nyra (without turning): ‘Don’t let it distract you. Keep your eyes on the markers. Your minimap isn’t lying... sort of.’

(voice-over) Kaien’s minimap flickered again, this time revealing multiple new markers moving toward the North Gate.

[SYSTEM WARNING]

Enemy Spawn Probability: High

Recommended Party Size: 6+

(inner thought) So, basically, “Kaien, you’re on your own if more than five things attack”. Fantastic.

(voice-over) They reached a narrow alley; the walls covered in cracked neon signal and dripping code fragments that fell like liquid pixels. Kaien’s boots splashed in shallow puddles, each droplet producing a micro-distortion in his vision.

(mutters) Why do these bugs always enjoy puddles?

Nyra: ‘They like to remind you who’s in control.’ (dryly)

(voice-over) Kaien’s eyes flicked to a glowing holographic sign partially submerged in one puddle.

[SYSTEM WARNING]

Adventurers’ Gear: Limited Stock - All Items May Be Corrupted.

(shakes his head) (inner thought) Yeah, no shopping spree today, buddy. Surviving is the priority.

(voice-over) Nyra stopped suddenly. She pointed ahead, where the alley widened into the main street, now deserted and eerily quiet. A pale, shimmering distortion hovered above the cobblestones: the first tangible sign of the Nexus Breach.

(inner thought) Yep. That’s the “trouble” right there.

Nyra: ‘It’s feeding off Graviel’s energy nodes. Don’t step in the rifts, they’ll phase you… somewhere else. Permanently.’

(Kaien’s Pov) Somewhere else? Great. So, teleporting into a wall sounds optional. Totally optional.

(inner thought) … And here I thought fetch quests were stressful.

(voice-over) Kaien’s minimap blinked violently, revealing dozens of erratic markers.

SYSTEM: ‘Unknown Entity detected. Hostile Potential: High.’

(voice-over) Two appeared closer, red unknown entity moving toward them faster than NPC code should allow.

… Friendly neighborhood scavenger imps, maybe?

Nyra (eyes narrowing): ‘Worse. Breach-adapted anomalies. They learn from the environment.’

SYSTEM: ‘Enemy Intelligence Level is Adaptive. Engagement is recommended with caution.’

(Kaien’s Pov) (inner thought) Adaptive? That’s… that’s literally my worst nightmare.

(voice-over) Nyra stepped forward, her sword faintly glowing. Her armor hummed with blue circuitry, reacting to the anomalies. Kaien felt a chill; not just from the unstable air, but from the unspoken tension of watching someone who actually knows how to handle chaos.

(mutters) And here I am with my bugged healer robe, basically a walking fireworks display.

(voice-over) One of the rifts pulsed violently, opening a jagged tear in the street ahead. From it, a shadowy, segmented creature crawled out, too large to be entirely visible, its edges flickering between code and flesh. Its multiple limbs scraped the cobblestones, generating an unnatural metallic resonance.

[SYSTEM]

Name: Rift-crawler

Origin: Spawned from the Nexus Breach; fragments of corrupted game code given pseudo-physical form, partially “rendered” by the unstable environment.

(inner thought) Oh great, a brand-new way to regret my life choices.

Nyra: ‘Stay close. Watch my back and follow my lead. Errors will happen; we need to survive them.’

[SYSTEM]

Rift-crawler: Defeated

(Kaien’s Pov) (inner thought) Woah! That was quick. But survive errors? Sure. That’s… basically my everyday routine in this game.

(voice-over) They advanced cautiously, the pulsing rift stretching like a living wound across Graviel’s Street. Kaien’s minimap flickered wildly, showing new red markers converging on their position.

[SYSTEM WARNING]

Instability Surge: +8%

Environmental Anomaly: Breach Energy Detected

(inner thought) Yep, that’s the adrenaline rush I forgot I liked.

(mutters) Touch of Restoration… maybe? No. Bug Bloom would just attract every anomaly in a five-mile radius. Or System Surge? Probably, but it’s a suicidal skill for now.

(inner thought) Okay… improvisation, Kaien. Improv is your only friend.

(voice-over) A minor rift erupted to their left, ejecting a pulse of corrupted code fragments. Kaien stumbled, catching himself against a flickering lantern. Nyra’s sword glowed, intercepting the energy pulse and shattering it harmlessly against the ground.

(mutters) … I want her job.

Nyra (without looking at him): ‘Focus on survival.’

(voice-over) Kaien nodded, glancing at the blinking marker: North Gate, only a few hundred meters away, yet the path twisted like a broken circuit, fracturing under every step.

(inner thought) And, of course, I’ve got a timer, a prophetic trinket, and this glitchy adrenaline cocktail running through my veins. Perfect day.

(voice-over) A blast occurred in a distant place, which was followed by another. Graviel’s skyline shuddered, and more NPCs froze mid-animation. The fractured horizon revealed a faint outline - massive, segmented shapes moving beyond the city. The Breach was waking.

(mutters) … I think logging out is officially impossible.

Nyra: (smirks faintly) ‘Good. You wouldn’t be able to leave anyway.’

(inner thought) She’s right. Therefore, someone should be here to keep me from deleting the server with my bugged healer antics.

(voice-over) Kaien gathered his resolve, Mystery Trinket pulsing faintly in his inventory, the pulsing matching his own heartbeat. The fractured sky above Graviel moved like a living thing, awaiting the players who dared challenge it.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

Quest Progression: Threads of the Breach Initiated

Objective: Reach North Gate and investigate the Breach Rift

Reward: ???

(inner thought) Yep. That’s me. Kaien Rook, bugged healer extraordinaire, following a mysterious player into an apocalyptic patch of chaos… with the universe apparently betting I’ll explode in the process.

(voice-over) Together, Kaien and Nyra advanced, the city around them warping and flickering, the fractured sky looming, and the first stage of the Nexus Breach waiting to devour everything.

(inner thought) Yeah… snacks and anime would’ve been safer. But my heart’s thumping like it hasn’t in months. For once, maybe the chaos is worth it.