This is a Beta Test?! - A Literally Broken System

The first thing I noticed through the cracks was the overwhelming sea of green that seemed to litter the entire room. Jade statues over jade columns over actual jade floors, the overwhelming vomit of green would've been cool to see if it wasn't so overbearing. I guess Guidance really liked the color.

"Announcing the presence of Princess Caris Zenoia Kattleyna, Your Majesty!"

I quickly took in a deep breath as we walked inside, keeping myself to my best behavior as we walked in lockstep with the Imperial Princess. Beside me, Guidance was visibly struggling to keep her thoughts to herself, her trembling lips just aching to open up and voice out her developer commentary.

"Forward, my daughter."

At the Emperor's word, Shizu immediately walked forward, stopping just before the imperial throne and kneeling. Of course, Guidance and I followed suit, bowing our heads in respect before what was ostensibly the ruler of this massive empire.

"I have come bearing news, Father," Shizu coolly announced. "As I've already revealed, I have become a [Somatic], and with me are two other [Somatics] more than capable of turning the tide of war to our favor."

My eyes were pretty much glued to the jade carpets as I listened to the cacophony of people murmuring around us. I could only guess that they were all courtiers, all weighing in on our worth as their soldiers to protect their country.

"It is as you've said," the Emperor bellowed, his deep voice foreboding as he continued. "However, I fail to see how three additional [Somatics] can help us win the war against [Vestyge]'s overwhelming advantage."

Wow... That was news to me. So [Vestyge] was currently winning this war?

"In normal circumstances, it is as your say, Father. However, M- Guidance's [Manifest] is by far the most powerful we have ever seen," Shizu proudly declared, catching her own slip of the tongue as she spoke. "With her [Keystroke], she can manipulate the world around us in the same way that an [Eld God] can."

"Preposterous!"

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"Heresy!"

Almost immediately, the people around us exploded in a cacophony of activity. The cries of heresy were the most prominent, coupled with a bit of a few hopeful whispers and a healthy amount of doubters skeptically giving out their opinions. Taking a sneaking glance beside me, Guidance was starting to tremble from all the attention; a few drops of sweat already dripping from her nose.

"Silence!"

I flinched. The Emperor's command echoed across the room, stunning the entire throne room into a tense quiet. I felt my own breath hitch as the eerie silence stretched on, the floor still being the only thing in my immediate attention as I waited.

"Daughter, is this true?" Shizu's father skeptically questioned. "Can this [Somatic] truly manipulate the very fabric of our reality?"

At his question, I heard the princess shuffling about, her footsteps telling me that she was finally standing tall. Not that it meant that we could also stand. After all, she was still at a higher standing than we were. Both figuratively, and currently, literally.

"Perhaps a demonstration should suffice?"

"khh..."

My eyes widened as I heard Guidance grit her teeth. Why? Was she seriously having jitters now?

"Very well," I heard the Emperor grumble in agreement. "Stand."

At his instruction, I finally allowed my knees to breathe out a sigh of relief as Guidance and I stood to our full height. I could now see the man in his full splendor, his imperial robes looking like a different version of Shizu's own clothes as he sat on his gilded throne.

"Guidance, can you give us a demonstration of your abilities?" Shizu asked, not even turning her head as she spoke. "I'll do my part if need be."

I could only watch as the dev seemed to shake from where she stood. Her fingers trembled on her sides, her face sweating in anxiety as she finally spoke.

"O-of course," Guidance hesitantly nodded. "What do you want me to do?"

She honestly sounded like she was back to her former meek self as she grabbed her keyboard. Meanwhile, Shizu was still standing resolute in front of us, now giving us a side glance as I barely saw her own insecurities in her own eyes. And throughout all of these developments, I was still being useless by standing on the sidelines. I guess this was what I got with having a boring power.

"Can you change something in this room? Preferably something obvious and grand?" the princess requested.

I blinked as I turned to the dev, watching as her eyes quickly scanned her surroundings as if searching for something to fix. Eventually, her eyes trained themselves towards what looked to be... Were my eyes deceiving me or was that another case of missing textures?

"That's obviously supposed to be a chandelier, right?" Guidance asked, one of her fingers pointing at the offending fixture. "Do you want me to fix it?"

"That? That is a Kattleynan heirloom passed down for millennia!" the Emperor bellowed out. "Its mystical properties have been a fixture in this throne room since before all of you are even born!"

Oookay? That was a weird way of looking at what was clearly a bug. Then again, this was their life. For all they knew, errors floating around like that were a normal fixture in their lives.

"Father, if Guidance says it's broken, it's broken," Shizu pointed out, her voice cracking in fear as she argued. "Let us fix it."

The world seemed to stop, a silent sense of malice building up around us as if it was trying to suffocate us. I didn't know what was happening, but my hands were already moving toward my guns as I took a step back. But just as I was about to move, the suffocating aura disappeared. I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding, watching as the Emperor removed his hand from the armrests of his throne. Relaxing, I watched as he visibly grumbled, thankfully conceding as he sunk back into his seat.

"Very well, daughter. Do as you will."

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