Why is My System Glitching

Hmm?

That cloud-calligraphy character... was it actually "spectre"?

Lordi Payne's face flushed hot, his mind scrambling to work out some kind of bullshit explanation to get his way out of this embarrassment. But before he could even open his mouth, Willow waved his thought off with a dismissive flick of her hand. She tilted her head, her black, hollow eyes stare at him. "Oh, Young sir Lordi Payne," she purred, her voice dripping with a sweetness that sent chills down his spine. "You're so adorable when you're flustered. But let's not waste time on such trivial things, hmm? After all, you've already mastered the Blood Spectre Footwork Art, haven't you? See that branch over there? Go pick a piece and bring it back to me."

That's it? That's all?

Lordi Payne's eyes narrowed, suspicion prickling at the back of his mind. This couldn't be that simple. This ghostress wasn't exactly the charitable type. Last time, she'd used "checking his Blood Fiend Sword Art" as an excuse to nearly kill him in Lothgar City. If there isn't some restraint limitation method from Fairy Lith, Willow would've sliced him open from head to toe just to see the look on his face. There was no way this task was as straightforward as it seemed.

His heart hardened, and he braced himself, activating the Blood Lothgar—no, dammit, the Blood Spectre Footwork Art. In an instant, he appeared beside the branch Willow had pointed out. The branch itself looked unremarkable, just a little withered, but Lordi Payne wasn't about to take any chances. He shrugged off his outer robe and carefully wrapped it around the branch, shielding his hands as he plucked it from the tree. In a flash, he was back in front of Willow, bowing respectfully as he presented the branch to her. "Lady Willow, this is the branch you asked for."

Willow didn't take it. Instead, she studied him with a gaze that was equal parts adoration and menace, her haunting but beautiful face a mix of emotions, the pause made Lordi Payne's stomach twist. Finally, she shook her head and murmured, "Impressive!"

Lordi Payne's heart pounded in his chest, but before he could respond, the world around him including Lady Willow's figure shattered like broken glass. The gray of the decayed landscape dissolved, and the vibrant colors of the mountain woods rushed back in a flood of life. The rustling of leaves, the chirping of birds, the gentle babble of the streams—everything snapped back into existence, buzzing with vitality.

Wait... that's it? I passed?

Lordi Payne stood there, stunned, the withered branch still clutched in his hand. He stared at it for a moment, then tossed it aside with a frown. Questions swirled in his mind like a storm, but no answers came. Shaking his head, he turned and left.

——