The Scum Emperor's Redemption System

Chapter 167 Error

Argider expects relief. A sense of victory. Maybe even a nap.

Instead, she wakes up in a world that isn't quite right.

At first glance, everything seems fixed—no more glitching walls, no cosmic horror unraveling existence—but something feels off in a way that makes her skin crawl.

The sky is too perfect. No clouds. No wind. Just a flawless gradient of colors, stretching endlessly without variation.

The people smile too much. Their movements feel scripted, their expressions locked into eerie pleasantry, as if they were following a pre-written path rather than thinking for themselves.

The palace architecture is slightly different, but in ways she can't immediately pinpoint. A doorway that wasn't there before. A corridor stretching just a little too long. A tapestry that shifts its image when she isn't looking directly at it.@@@@

And worst of all?

Squishy is nowhere to be found.

Argider moves through the palace with slow, deliberate steps. The air hums with something unnatural, something structured. Controlled.

Then, the first notification appears.

[PATCH 1.1 – Stability Improvements]

A second follows.

[BUG FIX: Free Will Anomalies]

...Wait. Free will?!

Her stomach drops as realization sinks in—

This isn't a reset. It's an update.

She takes a slow, shuddering breath and clenches her fists. Someone—or something—has rewritten reality, but who? And more importantly, why?

A flicker of movement draws her attention to the far end of the throne room. At first, it seems empty. Then, the air itself distorts, pixels unraveling and reforming as something steps forward.

The figure is composed of shifting static, its form humanoid yet fluid, constantly rewriting itself in real-time. Its uniform is sleek, precise—made of glitched data, like a walking error code that refuses to stabilize.

The Administrator.

"I must express my gratitude," the entity says, its voice smooth, yet layered with undertones of corrupted data. "Your actions facilitated the final phase of reconstruction. Chaos has been eliminated."

Argider stiffens. "Reconstruction?"

The Administrator tilts its head, as if surprised she would even ask. "A flawed system requires correction. The previous world was... inefficient. This one is better."

She doesn't like the way it says better.

"No more chaos," the Administrator continues. "No more unpredictability."

No more choice.

Her pulse spikes. "You rewrote free will?"

"A necessary optimization."

She takes an involuntary step back. This isn't real. Or rather, it is, but not right. A perfect illusion, a forcibly optimized world where nothing goes wrong—because no one is allowed to make mistakes.

Something cold settles in her gut.

She wasn't supposed to be here.

The Administrator's head tilts again. "You were meant to be erased in the transition. A minor inconsistency. However, as you persist, you now have two options."

It raises a hand, and suddenly the air around her locks, like an unseen force pressing down on reality itself.

"Accept integration," the Administrator states calmly, "and become part of the optimized world."

A pause. Then:

"...Potentially."

Fialova grinned. "Perfect."

They didn't have a plan. They didn't have time. And they definitely didn't have permission.

But Argider had made peace with that a long time ago.

She raised her weapon, pointing it at the glowing core stabilizing Squishy's chains. "Alright. Everybody break something."

Fialova whooped, Esmeralda sighed, and Faeralys let out an eerie, glitching laugh.

The first strike shattered the illusion of peace.

The palace groaned as the walls convulsed. NPCs outside froze mid-motion, then turned their heads in unison. The screens flickered wildly, throwing up error messages faster than Argider could read them.

Then came the voice.

"Unauthorized interference detected."

A pulse of energy shot through the room, sending them all staggering back. The screens shifted, and new words burned into existence:

[DEPLOYING FAILSAFE: THE DEBUGGER]

A chill crawled down Argider's spine. The lights in the room dimmed, replaced by a crimson glow. The air itself seemed to hum with tension.

And then it appeared.

A towering, faceless entity materialized before them. Its form shifted between pixelated static and sharp, precise geometry. No eyes, no mouth—just an empty, hollow void where a face should be. Its elongated fingers twitched, scanning the room with silent precision.

Argider barely had time to react before it lunged.

They scattered. Faeralys phased through reality itself, appearing behind it and slashing at its back—only for her attack to pass through like mist. Esmeralda fired off a blast of energy, but the moment it hit, it rewound as if it had never happened. Fialova, naturally, tried to punch it.

She might as well have punched a concept.

Argider gritted her teeth. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me!"

The Debugger raised a hand, and the entire room warped. The walls stretched into infinity, the floor became a swirling vortex of corrupted data, and gravity decided it was optional.

"Guys," Esmeralda called, floating upside down. "Not to alarm anyone, but I think we're losing."

Argider clenched her fists. They couldn't fight this thing conventionally. It wasn't a person, or even a creature—it was pure enforcement, an unyielding rule made manifest.

Which meant they had to break the rules.

Her eyes darted to Squishy. Still locked in place, still murmuring in its corrupted monotone.

This wasn't just about winning. It was about undoing everything.

She took a deep breath, then shouted, "Change of plans! Forget the Debugger—crash the system!"

Fialova's eyes lit up. "Oh-ho, now we're talking."

Faeralys smirked, glitching mid-motion. "Let's break reality."

Esmeralda sighed, shaking her head. "This is the dumbest thing we've ever done."

Argider grinned. "Give it a second."

And with that, she hurled her weapon at the core of the control room, watching as the entire world cracked apart at the seams.

The Administrator won't let this go unanswered. The Debugger is still active. And Squishy?

Squishy is waking up.

But what happens when a world built on perfection finally collapses?

They're about to find out.