3.13 – Bugs in the System

Aurora barely had time to register the change in scenery before a high-pitched shriek tore through the air.

She turned, eyes widening as a group of small, hunched goblins scuttled toward them from the shadows of a ruined building. Their beady yellow eyes gleamed, and their wicked-looking knives dripped with something dark and viscous.

“Oh, wonderful,” Asami muttered, cracking her neck. She gripped her greatsword with both hands, its massive blade resting lightly against her shoulder as she smirked. “Warm-up round. Try not to embarrass yourself, angel.”

Aurora shot her a look but focused on the approaching goblins. She raised her staff, channeling the unfamiliar sensation of magic within her. She focused, whispering the incantation that came instinctively.

A ball of searing light burst forth, streaking toward the nearest goblin—only for the beam of pure energy to punch through it entirely, obliterating the creature in a flash. The other goblins skidded to a stop, squealing in terror, and Aurora realized her mistake.

She’d used her real powers, not the simulation’s magic.

“Oh, uh…” Aurora blinked, gripping her staff tighter. “That… wasn’t supposed to happen.”

Asami whistled. “Someone’s cheating.”

“I wasn’t trying to!” Aurora said defensively.

“Sure, sure,” Asami chuckled before stepping forward, swinging her massive blade with effortless grace. A goblin screeched as it was cleaved in two, and another was sent flying into a wooden post, crumpling instantly. “Just do not burn down the town before we even get to the actual challenge.”

Aurora gritted her teeth and forced herself to focus. This was a game, right? She had to play by its rules.

She gathered proper magic this time, the energy flowing in the way the simulation dictated. Her staff hummed, and golden chains of light erupted from the ground, snaring the remaining goblins in mid-air. They squealed and thrashed, helpless as Asami dispatched them with ruthless efficiency.

“See? Easy.” Asami grinned, resting her sword on her shoulder. “No need for divine intervention.”

Aurora exhaled, rolling her shoulders. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s just keep moving.”

The village seemed eerily quiet now, the crackling of nearby torches the only sound. Just as Aurora let herself relax, the ground trembled beneath them.

A deep, guttural roar echoed through the village.

Aurora and Asami turned just in time to see two massive ogres emerge from the alleyways, their hulking forms nearly blocking out the light. Their thick, grayish skin was covered in battle scars, and their massive clubs looked like they could turn a house to rubble with a single swing.

“...Oh.” Asami frowned, shifting her stance. “That is not a warm-up.”

Before either of them could react, the entire world flickered—glitching for a moment—and suddenly, the village was full of people.

Aurora’s breath hitched. Just moments ago, the streets had been deserted. Now, men, women, and children filled the village, screaming in terror as the ogres lumbered toward them.

“What the hell?!” Asami growled. “They were not here before!”

The ogres ignored Aurora and Asami entirely, setting their sights on the villagers.

Aurora’s heart pounded as she watched the monsters swing their clubs, smashing homes like they were made of paper. People screamed, scrambling for cover as debris flew everywhere.

“We have to stop them!” Aurora said, already preparing a spell.

“Obviously!” Asami barked, rushing forward, greatsword at the ready.

Aurora focused, channeling her magic properly this time. She fired blazing golden orbs, striking one of the ogres in the chest. The beast stumbled, but didn’t stop.

Asami reached the other ogre and brought her sword down in a brutal arc, slicing into its massive leg. The creature bellowed in pain, but its muscular arm swung outward, catching Asami in the side and sending her skidding across the cobblestone.

“Asami!” Aurora called.

“I’m fine!” Asami spat, already pushing herself back up. “These things are built like fortresses!”

Aurora gritted her teeth, trying to think of a strategy. That was when a shadow passed over them.

The air shimmered with heat.

A second later, a column of fire erupted from above, engulfing a row of buildings.

Aurora’s stomach dropped.

Drakes.

Four of them soared overhead, their scarlet wings stretched wide as they rained fire down on the town.

Asami swore. “You have to be kidding me!”

Aurora instinctively spread her wings, ready to take off—only to feel the world shift around her.

Her body remained grounded.

Her wings wouldn’t lift.

“What the—?!” Aurora tried again, but the simulation refused to let her fly.

A drake swooped low, its fire scorching the ground near them.

“Asami!” Aurora shouted.

“I see it!” Asami yelled back, rolling to the side just in time.

The heat was unbearable, the town was falling apart, and the villagers—real or not—were dying all around them.

Aurora’s breath came fast, her mind racing.

Something was wrong.

This wasn’t just a game anymore.

They were outmatched, and they knew it.

Asami gritted her teeth. “Hostess!” she called. “End the simulation! Now!”

No response.

Aurora felt a cold dread creep up her spine.

“Asami,” she whispered. “She’s not answering.”

The two locked eyes—and for the first time, Asami looked genuinely concerned.

Aurora swallowed hard, surveying the burning town, the ogres rampaging, the drakes circling like vultures.

They were trapped.

They had to get out.

Aurora gripped her staff, her hands shaking.

“We have two options,” she said. “We either find a way out… or we hide and wait.”

Asami narrowed her eyes, scanning their surroundings. “We can’t fight all of them. Not like this.”

Aurora nodded. “Then we run.”

The two darted toward the nearest alley, the roar of the drakes echoing behind them.

Somewhere in the distance, the screams of the villagers faded into the crackling of fire.

Aurora’s chest tightened.

This wasn’t right.

And something told her…

It was only going to get worse.

Aurora and Asami sprinted down the narrow alleyway, the flickering glow of raging fires casting jagged shadows along the walls. The heat pressed in from all sides, thick with the acrid stench of smoke and charred wood.

Behind them, the drakes screeched, their wings beating against the air like war drums. The ground trembled as one of the ogres stormed past, seemingly unaware of their escape.

Asami threw a glance over her shoulder. “I don’t like this, angel. The AI is still MIA. The hell is going on?”

“I don’t know!” Aurora huffed, dodging around a pile of collapsed wooden beams. “But I do know we were about two seconds away from being barbecued if we didn’t get out of there.”

Asami gritted her teeth, gripping the hilt of her massive greatsword. “Fine. But where exactly are we running to?”

Aurora hesitated. That was a good question.

The alley opened up into another narrow street, flanked by burning buildings and scattered debris. The village was in full collapse—structures crumbling, rooftops caving in, shattered glass raining down like deadly confetti.

“Crap,” Aurora muttered. “Okay. We need to find a place that isn’t—y’know—actively on fire.”

“Excellent observation,” Asami deadpanned.

A roar shook the street as one of the ogres smashed through a nearby wall, sending splinters and bricks flying. The monstrous figure turned, its blackened eyes locking onto them with eerie precision.

“Welp.” Aurora exhaled sharply. “Guess hiding isn’t an option anymore.”

“No kidding!” Asami rolled forward, narrowly avoiding a massive club swing that demolished a nearby cart.

Aurora’s instincts screamed at her to take flight, to launch into the sky and get some distance—but the damn simulation was still sabotaging her movement.

Fine. If she couldn’t fly and fight, she’d stand and fight.

Aurora lifted her staff and muttered an incantation, summoning glowing golden chains from the ground. They shot forward, wrapping around the ogre’s thick ankles, causing it to stumble slightly.

“Nice try, but it’s gonna take more than that!” Asami barked, already moving in. She jumped, swinging her massive sword in a perfect arc, aiming for the creature’s hamstring.

The ogre bellowed, barely registering the wound as it yanked its leg free, the chains shattering under the sheer force.

“Goddamn it,” Asami hissed.

“We need to think bigger,” Aurora gritted her teeth, dodging back as a drake swooped down, its fire breath scorching the ground where she stood a second ago.

The drakes weren’t acting like normal NPC enemies—they weren’t waiting for their turns, weren’t following predictable patterns. They were coordinating.

“This isn’t just a glitch,” Aurora realized. “Something’s hijacking the system.”

Asami cursed under her breath. “Are you thinking what I am?”

“That we need to find the AI and shut this shit down before it gets worse?” Aurora asked.

“Exactly.” Asami lifted her sword again. “But first—”

Aurora saw it at the same time she did.

One of the burning rooftops was collapsing, the wooden beams buckling under the heat. Right beneath it, a cluster of terrified villagers huddled together, crying out for help.

Real or not, she wasn’t going to let them die.

“Go!” Aurora shouted.

She raised her hands, focusing every ounce of her will into the staff. A radiant golden barrier erupted over the villagers, just as the building came crashing down.

The wood shattered harmlessly against the barrier, sending embers scattering like fireflies.

Asami whistled. “Now that was impressive.”

Aurora didn’t have time to celebrate. The ogre had recovered.

And it was charging them.

“Move!” Asami yelled.

They split in opposite directions just as the massive club came down, splintering the stone street beneath them.

Aurora rolled to her feet, breath ragged.

“We’re gonna die in this goddamn game,” she muttered.

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Asami growled, swinging her sword at the ogre’s exposed ribs. The blade bit deep, but the beast barely reacted.

Aurora’s mind raced. If magic and brute force weren’t enough, they needed to outsmart this thing.

Leverage the environment.

Her eyes darted upward—toward the burning remains of a bell tower, its foundation already crumbling from the heat.

“Hey, Asami,” Aurora called. “Wanna bring down a building?”

Asami grinned, catching on immediately. “Hell yes.”

Aurora gathered energy, her hands glowing white-hot. She aimed directly at the weakened beams.

“On my mark!” she shouted.

Asami nodded, bracing herself.

Aurora fired.

The support beams cracked, the entire tower groaning as it leaned forward.

“Now!” Aurora yelled.

Asami drove her sword into the base, severing the final supports.

The entire tower collapsed—crashing down onto the ogre with a deafening boom.

Dust and debris billowed into the air, and for a moment, everything was silent.

Then a single, massive hand twitched from beneath the rubble.

Aurora’s heart skipped a beat.

“Oh, come the hell on,” Asami groaned.

“We need to get out of here,” Aurora said, panting. “Find the AI, figure out what’s wrong and put a stop to this.”

Asami nodded. “Yeah. Before this turns into a goddamn raid boss.”

They took off running, ducking into the ruined alleyways, the roar of the remaining drakes echoing behind them.

Whatever was happening…

Wasn’t over yet.