Alone with each other, Elly and I stare awkwardly at each other. I don't know what to talk about with her, especially not after she tried to kill me not too long ago.

Eventually, she gathers her courage to speak up, "You know... I'm... I'm sorry..."

"You said that already earlier and I still don't believe it. Seriously, what moron would forgive attempted murder just like that? I don't see any genuine remorse here, Elly, only an attempt to wiggle out of the consequences of your actions now that you've failed and were caught."

"No, I really mean it... I swear I wasn't able to think straight back then..."

I sneer, "That's your excuse? That you only could 'think gay'? I don't buy it, that shouldn't turn you into a bloody murderer!"

She facepalms, "Jared... I may have been a living being at one point, but now, I'm part computer... Tell me just one computer that can still function properly when it is fully infected with glitches. I wait."

You could've just told me the truth; you knew enough about what is going on, Elly. If what you two told me is true, exp is a real concern, not just a fake fiat currency. Lucy's plan would do a serious number on the System's reserves, and considering what Eva told me, I have the impression they are already running on empty. That is if we even survive the surge of levels, classes, and skills. Not to mention whatever damage the glitches will cause to everything and everyone, thanks to the Hybrids we've probably already given them a massive headstart...

But why do you hide behind the computer excuse? Is it because Mr. Glitch is eavesdropping on us and you don't want it to hear something specific? Why then not use the telepathic channel? No, that's possibly compromised as well - it is sitting in my head after all.

Doesn't matter, but one thing is true; just because I can understand why you did it doesn't make it feel any less bad, doesn't mean I'll ever forgive you.

But what if it isn't a lazy excuse but a cry for help? ...or all of this is just a ruse and this isn't her at all but just a fake. An imitation created by the glitches.

There's too much I don't know, too many possibilities.

"Doesn't that prove my point? Your loyalty was already in question, the glitches are now everywhere, and by your own admission, your reason is especially vulnerable to them. Even if it isn't by your own will, that still makes you unreliable at best, and dangerous at worst. But that only holds true for your old self, doesn't it? Look at you now, you're... something else. You're more like the glitches than a regular person - or spirit. How could we ever trust you at this point?"

She points at me, "And doesn't that hold true for you as well? You've taken in a lot of glitches, normal people would be dead a long time ago. Yet look at you now, you're seemingly fine. Face it, you're just as bad off as me."

"...that's not up for debate now. It is all about you, the danger you pose to us, to me."

"What danger could I even pose? I'm trapped here until you let me out."

"Wrong. You're HERE, you have access to these memory crystals. I know from experience that they are really my memories. Destroy them, and the memory is gone for real. It is said that our experiences and memories make us who we are, so you can guess how much influence that could have on my personality."

"Admittedly, yes, but you know I wouldn't destroy them! You can trust me at least that much!"

"Just as much as I could trust the Hybrid classes to not be harmful, but look how Therese turned out. She's like a very different person now."

"...I guess that's what you get for using skills created by glitches. But how does that relate to me?"

"As far as I can tell, you're now a glitch as well, so whatever they did to Therese, is something you can possibly do to me as well. Or maybe you've done it already, who knows? All I know for certain is that you have access to the memory crystals, and that is already too much."

She angrily stomps the ground, "Then tell me, what am I supposed to do!?"

I shout back, "How should I know!? You don't stay dead when you're killed, you've even skipped past the week you should've been unrecoverable after being inconvenienced by death - and who knows how easy you could leave whatever real-world prison we could come up with. Spirit prisons clearly don't suffice. And now... you're here in the middle of these crystals that represent my memories. I can't even imagine how much damage you could do by destroying specific ones..."

She protests, "I didn't ask to be here, or for any of this, Jared."

"Neither did I, but here we are..."

Leaving either of them here is just asking for trouble. If I understand the purpose of the crystals correctly, leaving them here puts my sanity at their mercy, and that is unacceptable. I need to get rid of them as soon as possible, permanently. But the question is how.

...yeah, not getting an answer on that one, only trails of thoughts of why she did what she did...

I have to admit I understand where she's coming from, but that doesn't mean I can forgive her.

After thinking for a while, I can't come up with a solution, so I'm afraid I only have one option, "Alright, Elly, this is really your last chance. Once this is over, I'll take you back with me to the outside, I can't leave you here unsupervised. Do your best to convince Lucia and me that this little bit of trust isn't misplaced. You have time until I find a way to permanently destroy a 'skill' if you catch my drift."

"Alright, I understand... Thank you, I promise-"

Annoyed, I interrupt her, "Don't bother, you promised me already last time. This time I want to see you follow up on it for real."

"I understand. I know it doesn't mean much, but nevertheless, I thank you for giving me another chance", to my surprise, she bows before me.

"Damn, it is still not back...", I sigh, "Leave me alone, you stupid bitch, I need time to think."

"Hey, where's that coming from!?"

I stand up and walk about, and then call out to Elly telepathically, (Please play along for now, Elly. I don't want it to listen on us any further than necessary.)

To my surprise, she actually responds to my call, (Huh, this still works? ...fine, but are the insults really necessary?)

(Maybe, maybe not, but better safe than sorry. Maybe it can listen in on us here, maybe not. But one thing is certain, we have to cooperate if we want to get rid of it, even if I can't trust you fully anymore.)

(Yeah, I agree. But do you even have any idea how?)

(Not yet. I know too little about how glitches function to do that. And you?)

(Well, maybe a little bit...)

While she explains what she has learned and what has happened since I killed her, we continue to throw meaningless insults at each other to keep up the masquerade. Most of them don't faze me, but getting called a harem protagonist goes really too far! I only have Lucia and Eclaire, and they are even the same person - more or less.

Just you wait, Elly, I'll pay you back for that one!

On my journey through this mindscape, I see threads and cobwebs everywhere, and the ground is littered with a few glitch-filled cracks and craters, memory crystals, and tiny rivers of glitches flowing wherever which split and reunite every so often. In short, a mess.

But a mess that matches the rising inner pressure on my body I feel. I hope this situation gets resolved quickly... The current situation is unbearable...

Once Elly finishes her recounting, I respond, (I see, so that happened. To be frank, that sounds like utter bullshit. Absolutely unbelievable. But seeing the situation we're in right now, I'm forced to believe it. And did I understand that right? It wants to be absorbed by me?)

(That's exactly what it said. It wants you to get its power and...)

(Bring down all of creation - but why should I? Not even I am that stupid.)

(No idea. It showed me a crystal, seemingly it wants to blackmail you with it. The thing supposedly seals someone. Someone you've been missing, and to release that person, you'd have to master its abilities and end the massive glitch zone that covers the area. Otherwise, they'd immediately perish.)

Someone I'm missing? It shouldn't be Lucia or Eclaire, I was with them too recently, so the timeline wouldn't line up. But who else?

No, if I consider that this someone can't survive the glitch area, that would exclude all familiars because of the Hybrid classes. That leaves only one.

(I guess it has Justo, the embodiment of our fortress. But what's the point... I mean, it is probably safe to assume that these glitch powers would easily corrupt anyone. Doesn't matter whether by simple acquisition or only when used in excess.)

(Don't forget that the creation of Hybrids also comes from them. Slag-brained moron! Ups, sorry, wrong channel.)

Angrily, I shout back, (Vomit fairy! Uh, likewise. Yeah, but what else should I have done? If I hadn't given my people the Hybrid classes they'd be as good as dead, and you know that this world is sealed off; they'd not only die physically but their souls would also be destroyed, if not worse. Eclaire's situation tells me it is the latter with souls getting sucked into a dungeon and getting lined up for transformation into monsters...)

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

(That one... is at least not how it is supposed to be. Normally, they should return to the source to deliver the exp they've gathered and to move on to their next life.)

(Yeah, you explained that recently. Doesn't change the fact that it is happening.)

(I know... Say, the glitches are flowing like a river all over the place, right?)

(Yeah, what about it?)

Elly hesitates before answering, (It might just be my imagination but it looks like they actively avoid the memory crystals. Before such a river hits a crystal it splits into two, moves around it, and then reunites.)

So what? Do they avoid them because it would anger me? As if I had any say in that...

(Do you want to say they are allergic to the crystals? I doubt it, you told me that you and our glitch friend were messing around with them, and Para crushed one when I was here the last time as well. So that should be out of the picture.)

(Yeah, maybe. But it still stands out.)

(If what you said is true and the glitchy spider creature is somewhat on our side, then I'd simply guess it ordered the glitches to leave the crystals alone.)

She thinks for a moment, (...yeah, I guess that is an explanation, but if it can order them around like that, why not tell them to leave so you can survive?)

(No idea. Maybe the inner mind is a one-way road. Don't forget, you can't leave either.)

(Certainly possible.)

But then, I can leave, though who knows if that counts. For me, it is a form of meditation, not a physical invasion. Ah, whatever, doesn't matter now.

We continue hurling petty insults at each other on the outside while exploring the area but find nothing else we can do. This situation seems to be entirely out of our hands.

With nothing better to do, we continue our mental chatter while I try to think.

With how things have been going, it is unlikely that this will resolve satisfactorily. I have no reason to trust the glitch creature especially once I consider that their nature lends itself towards destruction, not restoration.

Yeah, I can't rely on the abomination to find a solution, so I have to do something myself. But what?

Actually, I can think of something, but I don't like it. It would cost me dearly and there's an obstacle, no two obstacles, I'd have to overcome first.

No, there must be something else, but I have to know more about how these things work.

(Hey, with all that talk about skills, souls, and whatnot I've to ask, what even are skills? I once had the skill [Spear Training], but it is obvious that the skill isn't necessary to use a spear in the first place. I mean, just look back to when I used a shield to block a boss's attack. I didn't have the skill for that, yet it worked.)

(That's a pretty big question... But before I answer that, can I ask for a favor?)

(Elly, you're already on pretty thin ice, and now you also want a favor from me?)

(Please.)

(No promises. That depends entirely on what I hear. So?)

Elly sighs and then begins to explain, (Skills... I'm not sure if I can tell you much you don't already know. They are permanent modifications to the soul. Think of them as integrated assistance programs. Yes, you can learn how to handle weapons without a skill, that's not the issue. You could theoretically train without a skill until you match the greatest weapon master to ever live, but skills make it much easier to get started by providing the relevant base knowledge, and they help you improve much faster by nudging you in the right direction or smoothing over bad habits from your muscle memory. Also, they prevent skill decay that would normally come from being out of practice. In addition, skills fuel a negligible amount of exp into the related equipment to make it much more durable. Just look at Ephran, his weapons break insanely fast while everyone else can use them for ages with them barely chipping. Civilizations, where people are aware of the System and its perks, tend not to put too much value into equipment durability since skills take care of that for the most part.)

(I see. So if your theory about Mu and the demons removing people from the System is true, they wouldn't be completely helpless because they keep the skills they already have and can pick up non-system skills the natural way.)

(The most pressuring part would be the skills granting free will, but the System should've strengthened their souls already so much that it is no longer a concern when they get disconnected.)

(And without the System, they can't obtain more skills that put additional pressure on their souls. Yeah, makes sense. But their offspring wouldn't benefit from that...)

(No idea. Maybe they've found a workaround for that.)

(I doubt it. If the supposed regret he expressed in the memory is true then it would be safer to assume they haven't. From what you told me, it seemed pretty half-baked. But that is also not our problem, right? Back to the topic, how do magic skills work? Is magic also something you can learn without?)

(Not really, they should be nearly impossible to perform without skill assistance. I learned from Graham that genuine magic requires millions of complex calculations. The System-granted skills perform those for you but include thousands of rigid shortcuts. That is why magic skills only have a couple of discrete applications instead of being free-form. Graham once called it a miracle that skill-supported spellcasting only takes a couple of seconds. He compared it to an entire master's degree of exams crammed into the first second, and then the difficulty goes up exponentially from there.)

(If it is just a set of calculations, can't they simply memorize the results and reuse them?)

(I think the calculations include things like what you want to cast, the intended point of origin, the direction you want to cast the spell, your state of mind, and a few other tiny things.)

I see. That would at least explain why it is so easy to lose a spell charge by moving too much. You move abruptly which changes the point of origin, so the calculation would be wrong and instead of blowing up the spell violently, the skill simply stops the spell harmlessly.

Elly continues, (There are a few spells that are simple enough that their System version can be cast effectively instantly without much effort, like the blade spellshape I think you've seen in the lich's skillset. It is theoretically possible for bigger, more complex spells to be instant-cast, but that would cause soul strain equivalent to a divine skill.)

(Is that also why all spells feel like they take the same time to cast? It is kinda weird that a simple elemental shot has the same charge time as a widespread rain spell. Or healing, I imagine that would be more complicated as well.)

(I think it was decided that all spells should have the same charge time. Just another of many decisions that gave Graham a headache. Really, if in doubt, it is the fault of one of the asshats at the top who had to push for their stupid agenda.)

And this stupid decision almost got me killed several times. I wanna punch whoever decided that!

(If what you say about raw magic is true, then unassisted magic is basically useless. Being mostly stationary for a handful of seconds is already pretty troublesome in a real fight, but completing several math exams... such a spell would never finish.)

(Not for small-scale combat, no, but it would certainly find use for sieges, construction, and other long-term situations. Think more along the lines of utility rituals... or daily office work.)

(Sure, that might work. Do I even want to know how someone could acquire the needed magic formulas? If they are so complicated it should be impossible to find them out by pure chance.)

(I don't know, it never came up. Everyone I worked with used the System and it's granted skills, getting additional classes isn't that hard when you sit at the source, so why bother with systemless stuff? That is heavily frowned upon, or might even get you expelled for heresy.)

(Yeah, I can see that... classic corruption in action. Say, if those calculations are really so complicated, how can glitches so easily grant entire categories of new magic? It sounded much more difficult than changing salt for pepper in a recipe.)

She seems to think for a moment, (Beats me. If I had to guess, I'd say this Orpyne lady has her hands in it.)

(So she has access to the secret magic formulas and is helping the glitches... Yeah, could be. I can't imagine why someone sane would do that. That sounds more like mad scientist territory to me.)

I aimlessly wander around a bit more, just thinking. There must be something I can do to lessen the strain from the absorbed glitches, but what?

As before, I witness how the rivers of glitch soup seem to avoid my memory crystals. They split and merge, or even make U-turns. It is a weird spectacle.

But then when I don't pay enough attention I almost step into such a river, but it gets up and out of my way. Confused, I kneel down and try to touch the glitchy liquid but it also does its best to get away from me.

Do they... do they avoid me? Are they afraid of me? Not that I mind, but I want to know.

But if they are afraid of me, of what belongs to me, then why did they change Elly? That doesn't add up. Speaking of...

(Hey, you said that the glitch creature molded your body after someone. Do you have any idea who that Vladalaja person is? What kind of name even is that...)

She responds, (She's supposedly a demon, or at least working with them. But to be honest, this body doesn't look like the demons I know.)

I answer in jest, (What, so she's a deva who has switched sides? But you don't look as oxygen-deprived blue as them. So that can't be it, right?)

(As much as it pains me, it actually is a possibility. You know, not all devas bear blue skin. It is dictated by the element they have the strongest affinity for, it is just a weird quirk of their kind. It may even change over time if their proficiencies change.)

(Weird, this is the first time I've heard of elemental affinity affecting skin color; typically, it is hair or eye colors. I assume blue is for water?)

(No, water would be mostly transparent, they'd look like ordinary humans. Blue should be lightning, I think. Don't ask me, I didn't study deva biology.)

(Yeah, doesn't really matter how it works. We have no intention of following its plan anyway. But out of curiosity, what element would your sickening green-tinted yellow mix be?)

(Obviously glitches. What a dumb question.)

(Dunno, could've been wind. But whatever, do we know anything about her? Like, where did it even get her likeness from?)

(I bet if we look long enough, we might find a memory or two about her around here. Can't think of another way.)

(Could also be something from that mysterious lady Orpyne.)

(Yeah, possibly...)

So we know... nothing. Not who she is, why she is there, where the glitch learned of her, why it wants us to take her place, nothing.

...

Either way, nothing I just learned helps with my immediate problem. I fear it'll really come down to that solution...

A soul only has so much capacity, basically storage space. Skills usually take up a small amount of space, spirits probably a bit more but even Elly's shenanigans that gave them proper personalities shouldn't take up that much more space - except for the one case where it doesn't apply...

And if I can't get rid of the other disruptive element...

...fuck...

Damn, maybe I need a little distraction while waiting for the "miracle" Mr. Glitch wants to create, (So, Elly, what is the favor you wanted from me?)

(Because of what happened, all of my data has been corrupted or destroyed. Before you can bring me out, you'd have to repair my spirit settings. When you do... could you please give me my original race back instead of what I had? Lately, I feel like there's nothing of me left. I'm nothing like I was back in life, after everything... I was turned into an AI, then a spirit, now a glitch-like creature... what even am I anymore... I just want to have a tiny bit of my old life back...)

I can sympathize with that, but I still do not trust her, (I'll think about it. What was it called?)

(Vhatgar.)

I open the spirit menu, only to preview what that race looks like. After what she told me about herself, it can't be anything humanoid, but more like a monster out of a horror movie.

No result? It doesn't exist among the options.

(I can't find it. Are you sure you didn't dream all of that?)

(A hundred percent, there were even some of my memories buried among yours. I simply couldn't have imagined that. Maybe they have it under a different name? Please try Eyares.)

IRS? The autotranslation doesn't make it any easier it seems...

We quickly go through a list of names of her original race, and different spellings, but nothing. It simply does not exist.

Despite that, I'm inclined to believe her. I've seen some strange memories around here, and some of them could've been from her race, at least they showed some horrific monsters that matched her description.

(Nothing, absolutely nothing... and I'm pretty sure the devas told me that literally everything would be available in this world. It sounded like they suspected that as a reason for why the demons would be interested in this world.)

She sounds close to tears, (It can't be... Did they really erase all traces of my people? Our world, even the data in the System...)

(Seems like it. But I can't even imagine what it could mean.)

But before we can proceed with our baseless speculations, the glitch creature finally speaks up again.