I never thought the world would end while I was pouring soy sauce over my cheap convenience store noodles.
Steam curled against my face, and the tang of salt and MSG hit my nose. Outside, neon signs flickered against the Tokyo dusk, washing my window in pink and blue as I adjusted my phone's cracked screen, messaging Kai:
"Coming home now. Want pudding?"
He replied in less than a second.
"Yes. Please. Thank you."
Short, neat, polite. That was Kai. The frail kid I used to babysit who now wore oversized sweaters and too-big glasses, hiding his pretty-boy face behind his bangs. I smiled, grabbing a pack of cheap pudding from the cooler on my way out.
I didn't know it would be the last time I'd see that world.
⸻
Dinner was normal—if you could call a mismatched family of an overly buff blacksmith uncle, a warm, teasing aunt who always tried to stuff me with extra food, and a too-quiet cousin normal.
"Eat, Rika," Aunt Mina insisted, her brown hair tied loosely back, her green eyes bright. "You're too thin for a young lady."
Uncle Kenji grunted agreement, crossing arms thick with muscle, the blacksmith's tan evident even in the fluorescent kitchen light. Kai quietly picked at his rice, sneaking glances at me.
I ruffled his hair.
"Eat up, beanpole," I teased, sliding the pudding across the table.
"Thank you," he whispered, adjusting his glasses, cheeks slightly red.
We laughed about work, about the neighbor's cat stealing Kenji's slippers, about the taste of Mina's new pickled vegetables.
Then the world exploded in light.
⸻
It wasn't heat, or pain. It was like the sun fell into the kitchen, swallowing us whole.
I heard Mina gasp, saw Kenji's hand shoot out toward Kai, who had frozen mid-bite. My chopsticks clattered against the table.
And then—
Nothing.
Just endless white.
⸻
When I opened my eyes, it wasn't Tokyo anymore.
Above, a brilliant blue sky stretched, clouds drifting lazily across a sun that felt warmer, more real, than anything on Earth. The scent of grass, sharp and sweet, filled my lungs. I could hear birds, insects, the whisper of the breeze.
And then, in the corner of my vision, it appeared:
────────────────────
[SYSTEM]: Welcome, Rika Hoshizora.
You have been transferred to [Valtheria].
Initializing Status Window...
────────────────────
A cool, metallic-silver window hovered in front of me, shimmering softly before expanding.
────────────────────
[Name]: Rika Hoshizora
[Race]: Human
[Level]: 1
[Mana]: 5
[Stamina]: 5
[Strength]: 5
[Agility]: 5
[Luck]: 5
[Charm]: 5
[Skills]:
- None
────────────────────
"What the actual—"
I stood, brushing dirt from my skirt, only to realize I wasn't wearing my skirt.
I was wearing nothing.
And my body felt wrong.
⸻
I looked down.
Muscles, lean and sculpted, ran down arms that were too long. My chest was flat. My voice, when I gasped, was lower, warm like honey but undeniably masculine.
"What...?" I whispered, touching my face.
My reflection in the silver of the status window showed me a tall, impossibly handsome young man with deep red eyes, midnight black hair streaked with hints of crimson, and a grin that was unmistakably mine.
────────────────────
[SYSTEM ERROR]: Glitch Detected.
Recalculating User Identity...
[New Race]: Vampiric Dragon Hybrid (Glitched Evolution)
[Class]: N/A
[Title]: The Glitch
───────────────────
"...You have got to be kidding me."
I heard groans nearby.
Spinning around, I saw Aunt Mina sit up, blinking, clutching her head. Her brown hair spilled around her shoulders, her green eyes scanning the meadow. Uncle Kenji was beside her, his thick arms flexing as he checked himself over.
And Kai, small and frail, curled up, blinking up at the sky, glasses askew.
"Mina? Kenji? Kai?" I called, my voice deep, unfamiliar, but still carrying my inflection.
They turned, eyes widening.
"Rika...?" Mina asked, her voice trembling.
"Hey," I said, raising a hand awkwardly, "yeah, it's me."
Kenji's mouth twitched. "You look... different."
I snorted. "Yeah. You too."
They checked themselves, and in shimmering light, their own windows appeared, projected in front of them like polished glass.
────────────────────
[Name]: Mina
[Race]: Human
[Class]: Herbalist / Alchemist
[Level]: 2
[Mana]: 8
[Stamina]: 6
[Strength]: 5
[Agility]: 5
[Luck]: 7
[Charm]: 12
[Skills]:
- Potion Brewing
- Herbal Identification
- Low-Grade Healing Salve Creation
───────────────────
────────────────────
[Name]: Kenji
[Race]: Human
[Class]: Blacksmith
[Level]: 2
[Mana]: 4
[Stamina]: 8
[Strength]: 10
[Agility]: 5
[Luck]: 5
[Charm]: 4
[Skills]:
- Weapon Forging
- Armor Crafting
- Material Enhancement
- Heat Resistance
───────────────────
────────────────────
[Name]: Kai
[Race]: Human
[Class]: Beast Tamer / Tailor
[Level]: 1
[Mana]: 6
[Stamina]: 4
[Strength]: 3
[Agility]: 6
[Luck]: 8
[Charm]: 9
[Skills]:
- Basic Tailoring
- Beast Communication
- Minor Healing
- Material Identification
───────────────────
We read them in silence, the soft hum of the windows the only sound besides the distant chirping of birds.
Then, I laughed.
It was too much. We were in a game. No, we were in Valtheria—I recognized the name from an old VR game I'd played, Blood Dragon Online, a brutal grindfest that rewarded obsession and punished weakness.
Except this wasn't a game.
It was real.
The wind was real. The sun was real. The grass beneath my bare feet was real.
"Rika," Kai whispered, standing, swaying, "what do we do?"
I looked at him—at all of them—and grinned, baring the faint hint of fangs that peeked past my lips.
"We adapt," I said. "We grind."
⸻
The next window appeared with a soft chime.
───────────────────
QUEST ACQUIRED
───────────────────
[Tutorial Quest]: Welcome to Valtheria
[Objective]: Survive your first day in Valtheria. Gather food, find shelter, and avoid danger.
[Reward]: Starter Pack, +100 EXP, Unlock 'Minimap'
[Time Limit]: 24 Hours
───────────────────
I clapped my hands, the sound sharp and clear.
"Alright, family," I said, letting the familiar teasing confidence slip back into my voice, "time to move. We need food, water, and somewhere to sleep before nightfall."
Kenji nodded, instantly slipping into practical mode, checking the weight of a rock in his hand, assessing it for potential use as a weapon. Mina began scanning the grass for herbs. Kai stuck close to me, eyes wide, clutching a stick for protection.
And I?
I opened my window again, studying my glitched stats.
───────────────────
[Name]: Rika Hoshizora (Zora)
[Race]: Vampiric Dragon Hybrid (Glitched Evolution)
[Level]: 1
[Mana]: 15
[Stamina]: 10
[Strength]: 10
[Agility]: 10
[Luck]: 5
[Charm]: 50
[Skills Unlocked]:
- Blood Manipulation (Active)
- Shadow Manipulation (Active)
- Flight (Passive)
[Skills Locked]:
- Blood Skill Steal (Locked)
- Dragon Roar (Locked)
- Gender Shift (Locked)
────────────────────
My Charm stat was absurdly high. The system had glitched me into a monster.
And I was going to use every bit of it.
⸻
We walked through the fields, the grass brushing against our legs as the sun climbed higher. Birds scattered from the trees, and I tested my senses, finding that I could smell the iron tang of blood in the distance.
Small creatures—slimes, maybe—slithered in the underbrush, glowing softly.
"Stay back," I told them, stepping forward.
The first slime lunged, its jelly body quivering.
I grinned, raising my hand.
"Let's see what this can do."
A thin black tendril of shadow burst from my palm, wrapping around the slime, lifting it into the air. It squirmed, letting out a high-pitched squeal before popping like a balloon, dissolving into shimmering light and leaving a small, glowing core behind.
────────────────────
[SYSTEM]: You have defeated [Slime].
+10 EXP gained.
[Slime Core] obtained.
────────────────────
I caught the core, feeling warmth pulse through my fingers.
Kai stared, mouth open.
"That... was awesome," he whispered.
"Damn right it was," I replied, tossing him the core. "Collect them. They'll be useful later."
We continued, slaying a few more slimes and a small goblin that tried to ambush us, its club barely grazing my arm before I grabbed it by the throat, draining the blood from its body in a thin red stream into my palm, watching my wounds close instantly.
Mina turned pale but didn't look away.
Kenji simply grunted. "Good. You can protect them."
Kai looked like he might throw up, but he didn't. Instead, he carefully collected the goblin's small dagger, holding it like it was made of glass.
I ruffled his hair again, grinning.
⸻
As the sun began to set, we found a small cave near a stream, shielded by trees.
Mina started a fire with dry twigs and flint we found, Kenji built a makeshift barricade at the entrance, and Kai boiled water in a scavenged metal cup. The glow of the fire reflected in their eyes as we huddled together, warmth pressing close.
And me?
I stood watch at the mouth of the cave, the last light of the sunset painting the sky in crimson and gold.
In that moment, despite everything—the fear, the confusion, the impossible reality of this world—
I felt alive.
As stars began to appear, a final system window opened before me:
────────────────────
[Tutorial Quest Completed]
[Reward]:
- Starter Pack obtained.
- +100 EXP gained.
- 'Minimap' unlocked.
[Level Up!]
Current Level: 2
───────────────────
I clenched my fists, feeling strength pulse through my body as the system's energy flowed through me.
Turning back toward my family, I let a slow grin spread across my face.
"Guess it's time to grind."