SYSTEM OVERRIDE

EPISODE 2

The silence returned, but it wasn't peaceful. It was the silence of a graveyard. The red sky pulsed overhead like a dying heartbeat. I stood there in the clearing, my chest heaving, staring at the machine floating in front of me.

It was a Tactical Drone. Sleek, black metal with neon blue accents. It defied every rule of Minecraft. It didn't have blocky edges; it was smooth, aerodynamic, and hummed with an energy I had never heard before.

"Who are you?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly. "Did you stop the deletion?"

The drone didn't speak. Instead, its single optical lens shifted. A beam of blue light shot out, scanning me from head to toe. I flinched, instinctively raising my hand, but the light was harmless. It felt like it was reading my code, analyzing my inventory, my health, everything.

Before I could argue with the floating robot, a sound came from the forest edge. It wasn't the usual groan of a zombie. It was a distorted, screeching audio file, like static playing at max volume.

GRRRR-ZZZTT-RRRR...

I spun around. Emerging from the bushes was a monster, but not one I recognized. It had the shape of a zombie, but its texture was all wrong. Its skin was flickering between green and black void. Red error codes floated around its head like flies. Its eyes were glowing white, devoid of life.

It was a Glitch Zombie.

The creature locked eyes with me and let out a roar that shook the screen. It lunged forward with impossible speed.

"Back off!" I yelled, pulling out my Iron Sword from my inventory. It was a standard-issue blade, reliable and sharp. I had crafted it just yesterday.

As the zombie swiped its pixelated claws at me, I dodged and swung my sword with full force, aiming for its neck. A critical hit.

CRACK!

But instead of the zombie taking damage, my sword shattered. It exploded into iron ingots and useless pixels. The zombie didn't even flinch. A red text appeared above its head: IMMUNE.

I stumbled back, defenseless. The Glitch Zombie raised its arm for a killing blow. I was going to be deleted.

Suddenly, the Drone zoomed between me and the monster. It emitted a high-pitch frequency that stunned the zombie for a second.

Then, it turned to me. A holographic keyboard appeared in the air. The drone was projecting a blueprint. It looked like a file transfer.

"Take it!" a robotic voice echoed in my mind.

I reached out my hand into the hologram. I could feel the data taking shape. It wasn't crafting; it was compiling.

A flash of blue light blinded me. When the particles settled, I wasn't holding broken iron anymore.

In my grip was a weapon of pure energy. A long, sleek Katana made of neon blue data streams. It hummed with power, vibrating in my hands. The handle was black with glowing circuitry patterns.

The Glitch Zombie recovered from the stun and roared again, charging at me. But this time, I wasn't scared. I could feel the code of the sword syncing with my movements.

I stepped forward, my speed enhanced by the weapon. The world seemed to slow down. I saw the zombie's wireframe hitbox.

With a single, fluid motion, I unsheathed the blade and slashed upwards.

SCHWING!

The blue blade passed through the zombie effortlessly. For a split second, nothing happened. Then, a bright blue line appeared across the monster's torso.

The zombie shrieked as its body split in two. Instead of dropping rotten flesh, it dissolved into thousands of binary numbers—0s and 1s—fading into the air.

I exhaled, the adrenaline fading. I looked at the sword, which slowly dimmed but remained solid. "This... this is powerful."

The Drone hovered down next to me. It didn't offer congratulations. Instead, it projected a map onto the grass blocks.

The map showed the world I knew, but vast sections were already red—deleted. There was one blinking white dot far to the North, deep inside the Dark Forest.

"Is that where we need to go?" I asked.

The Drone beeped once in confirmation. The path ahead was dark, glitchy, and full of those monsters. But now, I had a weapon.

I sheathed the Data Katana on my back. The red sun was setting, casting long, broken shadows.

"Alright, system," I muttered, looking at the horizon. "Let's see what you're hiding."

play_arrow TO BE CONTINUED...
Next Episode: "The Ghost Village"