Chapter 16: The Glitch in the System

The eastern gates of Kashrûn Outpost groaned as Orren heaved the reinforced iron doors inward.A harsh wind blowing from the valley void carried a bitter frost, scattering gray ashes across the threshold. Into the open courtyard rode six cavalry warriors clad in heavy horse-hide armor, bearing the round shields of the Vashkar Clan’s roaring bear crest.At their lead rode Kuchar, a broad-chested commander with a black-braided beard and eyes as sharp as flint. Kuchar was a true Mid-Tier Essence Practitioner; the air around his horse vibrated with a slight, dusty-brown pressure—a manifestation of the heavy, earth-attuned aura native to the southern steppes.He brought his stallion to a halt; his disparaging gaze swept over the burnt ruins of the feast hall, the hastily repaired barricades, and the forty battered, soot-stained youths of the Ash Cohort standing in a tense semicircle."Is this all that remains of the proud Kharvayn clan?" roared Kuchar, his deep voice carrying with a dark, amused rumble. "Veyran Kharvayn must be turning in his grave. To think a border fortress could be reduced to ash in a single night."None of the recruits spoke. They stood stoic, hands resting on the hilts of their rusted iron swords, their eyes darting nervously toward the Tower Room.Kuchar smirked mockingly, resting his heavy battle-axe on his saddle horn. "Where is the master of this wreckage? My lord, Head Vaşkar, sent me to claim the Kashrûn Valley. Hand over the grain ledgers and the remaining iron ammunition, and perhaps we will allow you dregs to pass to the southern desert as slaves."THUD... DRAG... THUD... DRAG...A rhythmic, uneven sound echoed from the dark arched entrance of the tower.Kuchar’s stallion whinnied nervously, tossing its head as if sensing an unnatural disturbance in the ground.Tair stepped into the gray sunlight.He wore a simple, dark wool tunic with no crests or marks of nobility. His right arm hung motionless at his side, his grayish skin cold and lifeless. His right leg dragged behind him with a heavy, metallic scrape, anchoring his weight into the stone. The newly forged Obsidian System Glitch Ring on his left hand absorbed the ambient light, swallowing every trace of Essence that touched it.Behind Tair walked Orren, his hand hovering over his broadsword.Kuchar looked down at the crippled boy, his brows knitting in sheer disbelief. "A cripple? Is this a joke? Who gave a mute cripple permission to stand before a Vashkar officer?"Tair stopped ten paces from Kuchar’s stallion. He did not bow. He did not offer the traditional steppe salute of the vassal clans.Instead, Tair slowly raised his left hand, turning the obsidian ring so the crimson geometric seal faced Kuchar directly.[ASTRA // SYSTEM GLITCH SEAL PATTERN ACTIVATED: GLITCH IN THE SYSTEM DETECTED]Target: Commander Kuchar (Vashkar Clan / Noble Lineage)Action: Apply Chrono-Constraint Pressure.Note: Mapping physical motor debt to regional gravitational strain.BZZZZZT!Without a single drop of released Essence, the air around Kuchar’s stallion compressed violently.The horse let out a panicked, strangled scream as its front legs suddenly buckled under an invisible, crushing weight. The heavy earth aura surrounding Kuchar shattered like brittle glass; the pressure forced the commander to grip his saddle horn to avoid being thrown to the ground.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.Kuchar’s face flushed red, then paled as he struggled against the gravitational distortion. His horse sank to its knees, gasping for air."What... what kind of technique is this?!" Kuchar gasped, eyes widening with sudden dread as he looked down at Tair. "You have no Essence bloodline! You bear no Horse-Crown crest! How are you dominating the regional domain?!"Tair dragged his right foot across the stones and took a single, unsteady step forward.His ruined vocal cords tightened, forcing a low, raspy growl to cut through the howling wind—a voice devoid of human warmth, echoing with the cold, mechanical authority of a system anomaly:"...I am not Kharun..." Tair rasped, his dark, hollow eyes locking onto Kuchar’s trembling gaze."...I am... the Orun-Khar..."The word hung in the frozen air like a headsman’s blade.Orun-Khar—the forbidden, ancient title meaning 'Crownless Ruler' or 'Son of the System.' It was the loophole in the Great Dao’s rigid laws. It belonged to those who held absolute, terrifying authority over the land without possessing a single drop of noble blood; those who bypassed the Bloodline Barrier through physical sacrifice and unyielding military force.Kuchar stared at Tair, the blood draining from his veins. He didn't see an unranked cripple. He saw a living system glitch—a monster that had bypassed the sacred laws of the Empire and turned his own broken body into an anchor of absolute authority."The Vashkar Clan... will not forget this insolence!" Kuchar stammered, pulling frantically on his stallion’s reins to force the panicked animal back onto its feet."...Tell Vardun..." Tair rasped, his left hand clenching into a fist as the obsidian ring glowed with a faint, terrifying crimson thread. "...If he wants Kashrûn... for every steppe clan... he must bring a coffin..."Kuchar didn't speak another word. He spun his horse around, forcing it into a frantic gallop; his six guard riders fled behind him in total chaos.Tair stood alone in the center of the courtyard, watching the dust trail vanish into the valley mist.The recruits of the Ash Cohort watched their leader in stunned, reverent silence. They had witnessed a warrior who could crush twenty ordinary men with a flick of his hand—a Mid-Tier Essence Master—flee in absolute terror before a crippled boy who hadn't even drawn a sword.Tair closed his eyes as a sharp, burning pain spiked through his temples; a fresh drop of blood seeped from his nose onto his tunic.[ASTRA // SYSTEM GLITCH ESTABLISHED]Claimed Title: Orun-Khar (Crownless Ruler)Regional Perimeter: Kashrûn Valley (Secured)Immediate Threat: Nomad Coalition Mobilization (Expected within 72 hours).He wiped the blood from his lip with his sleeve.He had bought time and claimed his title. But he knew the Vashkar Clan wouldn't accept this humiliation silently. They would return not with a small scouting party, but with a massive nomadic army.Tair dragged his dead leg across the stones and turned back toward the tower."Orren," Tair whispered calmly."I am here, Orun-Khar," Orren replied instantly, bowing his head deeply."...Prepare the war simulations..." Tair rasped. "...We are going to war with the steppe."