I guess the whole ordeal with Therese went better than expected; she's no longer in danger of taking a boatload of secrets with her to the grave, she even gave me the Class Core despite her earlier protests...

And yet it all feels so wrong...

At the end, she obviously wasn't behaving like her old self. I was warned that some people already showed similar changes when they got their Hybrid class, but I guess it never clicked...

Damn, pull yourself together, Jared.

Moping can wait for later, I should hurry and help look for Darius. If we lose him, we'll have major problems. Much bigger ones than we already have.

So do I also head underground and look with the girls?

But thinking about it, if he really was there, wouldn't one of the researchers or other personnel have already sent word up here? They must know that Darius shouldn't be aware of what is going on, so they'd need input from head-conspirator Therese at least...

But where else could he be?

Once again, I look at the Class Core Therese gave me. Could this be the solution?

She suggested that I may have given him access to flight - maybe she was on to something. Not for him but for me.

I wanted to take a class that gives me flight anyway, and this would be my last elite class anyway. Well, unless we can get access to the Elitist title like we wanted.

On the other hand, if physically looking for him has failed, maybe there are magic options. Divination, scrying, something must be there, right? Last I checked, there were hundreds if not thousands of different classes, one of them certainly must have skills that help with locating things.

Though, it'd be nice if I didn't have to waste my last elite class on this. Or rather, why should I waste a class on this at all? Now that Elly is gone, I can just as well create a new spirit to fill that role.

Can't create new spirits during the one-week spirit recovery.

Bullshit! Since when is that a rule!? Must've been a change with the update I missed out on.

Also, doesn't that mean that Elly is still around? I thought she was completely destroyed by the glitches...

Seems like I have no choice then, back to the original plan.

What class options do I have? Preferably, I don't have to waste my remaining elite class on it.

ERROR

J0u 4L6561aDy KN?w w-3rE u haf 2 beeeee, m0R_n. Chess!

0000000110010100 NO DATA FOUND

Stupid System, why do you have to fail me like that? Especially now, goddamn...

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

And what is with the error box within the error message? Can't you even fail properly anymore? The only thing I can make out there is the word "chess". No clue what that game should have to do with anything. Yeah, the whole System is blatantly losing its battle against bugs and glitches. Can't have been me though, right?

"Hey, Jared. Could you please let me through? I have business with Therese", greets me Chloe while I am still lost in thoughts.

Seems like I never stepped away from the door and am now blocking the way. Oops...

"I hope it is nothing important because she needs to rest right now. You know, she was already suffering from the glitch infection and didn't take too well to the cure I gave her. Though she should be better in a day. I think."

I don't really want to stick around here until people find out how much her personality has changed. Too many difficult questions would be asked.

Chloe looks surprised, "What cure are you talking about? I thought it was incurable."

Oh, right, that whole thing is still not widely known.

"I'm able to create these Hybrid classes you might've seen on everyone. They seem to do wonders to heal the corruption, or at least suppress the symptoms."

"Huh, I see. So the rumors that people with a Hybrid class are protected are true."

I shrug, "That's at least how it looks currently. Not that we really have an alternative right now. Say, how do you feel? As far as I can see, you didn't get a Hybrid class while I was unconscious."

"I'm fine. Well, at least physically..."

"Something I should know about?"

She shakes her head, "No, it is just... I just got into a big argument with Ephran. I'm thinking I'd be better if I broke up with him."

Uh, who was that again?

...

Ah, right. That guy. The one that may or may not have a nightmare fetish, like for Chloe's true form as a Changeling. Right.

She really can't catch a break, can she?

Now, how to avoid that landmine? "Sorry to hear that. I'm not certain I'm the right one to tell about that but if you want... I could lend you an ear once we've found Darius. That has priority at the moment, I hope you understand."

"No, it is fine. I didn't really expect much from a relationship with Ephran anyway. I knew enough about him but still wanted to give it a shot and it just doesn't seem to work out."

Yeah, I guess with a crisis like this you can't really afford to linger long on the little things.

"Got it, but my offer still stands. Oh, yeah, before I forget, once this is over, I need you to do me a favor. We need to gather everyone who still doesn't have a Hybrid class and correct that ASAP. Could you please have that organized and send those people to me? I'd prefer it if we avoided losing even more people to the glitch plague."

She looks confused, "Why do you ask me? Wouldn't Therese be better suited to manage that? She has much more authority than me."

"Well, she's currently in no shape to do that. I leave that to you, I trust you can do what is needed. Feel free to throw my name around if needed. I mean, since I own this fortress, I should outrank everyone here anyway, right?"

"I don't think that's such a rule."

"Never mind then, Chloe. So, what did you want from Therese anyway?"

She shrugs, "Just the hourly update on the search for Darius. Long story short, no change."

"I'd say let her rest then, and keep the disturbance for when the situation actually changes."

"Yeah, I guess we can leave it at that, Jared. She certainly knows that we would've told her already if the situation changed. Say, since your business with Therese is taken care of, could you also help with the search for Darius?"

"That was the plan. Lucia and Eclaire already went ahead while I took care of Therese. Before I met you, I was just thinking about where I should look next."

"Can't help you with that. If I knew the answer, we would already have found him. Well, good luck then. I'm going back to my unit."

"Yeah, see you later."

Chloe leaves, and I take another moment to think, but since the System doesn't let me pick a new class at the moment, I can't think of a different option but to follow my two wives down into the underground area.

I make my way toward the storage room where the entrance is hidden.