MMORPG: Surviving a Death Game with a Glitched System

For the rest of his time until the tutorial started, Ash tested various theories and hypotheses. All of them confirmed his fear.

This world didn’t recognize him.

His tunic and sandals, the two clothing articles he’d been summoned with, couldn’t phase through anything. His tunic had even ripped after getting snagged on the edge of a sword when he’d walked into the wall.

On the other hand, his body could pass through anything except what he was wearing, even the floor. It was as he realized that fact that Ash’s mind had flipped from scared but interested, to absolutely frightened.

Say if he weren’t wearing these sandals...

"Would I fall through the damn ground?!"

Plummeting forever?

That was a scary prospect.

More panic crept into his voice as one of the iron gates began to rise, unleashing a monster into the arena. A disgusting little green creature half the size of him wielding a dagger.

[Stage 1 of 4: Slay the goblin!]

"What the hell am I supposed to do?!"

Ash was absolutely screwed. He couldn’t pick up a weapon, and who was to say the goblin couldn’t actually interact with him? Even if it couldn’t, he still had no way to kill it, making him stuck here. Unless he somehow tricked it into killing itself.

Even worse, it still possessed a way to kill him: by destroying his equipment and sending him into the depths of who knew what.

Despite his haughty nature and careless attitude at times, Ash was merely human — in mind. He couldn’t help but be scared shitless in this hopeless situation.

Ash gripped his head and winced.

’Think, think!’

The little green beast began to screech while swinging its dirk through the empty air.

"Kreee!"

Not giving Ash any time to compute, the little bastard charged.

Without any better option, Ash did something he detested more than anything... he fled from his problems. Frantically, the Champion of the Dragonkin ran in a wide arc around the sandy arena.

As the goblin gave chase, Ash decided to make use of [Focus]. Even if it were only a five-second boost, it was five seconds of concentration he absolutely needed.

Once again, he felt his senses heighten and his mental processing improve. Furthermore, the fear and stress from his current predicament nearly vanished altogether.

In the span of a few blinks, Ash ran through all of his options, eliminating every variable he could; however, near the end of [Focus]’s duration, a sudden pain stemming from his right arm tripped him up.

’Huh?’

Stumbling, Ash fell face-first down into the ground...

The ground which his face slammed into and bounced off; however, a moment later, his face fell into the ground.

’I can’t breathe!’

In a panic, Ash stupidly tried to push off the ground. As expected, his arms were of no use, also having gone into the ground. Thankfully, the tunic stopped his entire body from going under.

Thinking quickly, Ash rolled onto his back, finally bringing his face back to the surface, his eyes adjusting just in time to watch as his assailant stood over him with its dagger drawn high.

"Kreee!"

With a cheer, the goblin swung its dagger down into Ash’s head.

’A-ah, damn! That’s scary!’

Ash, half frozen, watched as the dagger slipped through him, from his noggin to his collarbone, stopping only after getting snagged on the tunic.

Confused, the goblin tilted its head and stepped away while inspecting its weapon.

"Kree?"

Not missing this chance, Ash flung himself onto his feet and returned to his flight. As he ran, he felt the trickle of blood leaking from his nose and arm.

’I see!’

For some reason, when Ash activated [Focus], he lost permeability. Having somewhat grown used to the odd constitution in that short time, he hadn’t cared to protect his arm from the weapons lining the wall of the coliseum as he ran, even with [Focus] active.

However, he’d swung his right arm into a sword. Something that startled him and tripped him up, causing him to fall.

Ash felt at the blood leaking down his chin as he continued to run away from the goblin, which had resumed its chase.

’And my face even hit the floor. But the moment [Focus] ended, it fell into it.’

As Ash remembered that feeling of suffocation, he shuddered.

’I guess I know what would happen now.’

Shaking that scary prospect from his mind, Ash grew a small smile.

He understood it now...

Humans couldn’t help but fear the unknown. Even the bravest, most prideful and arrogant couldn’t escape that human nature. Ash was no different than others in that regard... But once the unknown became known, Ash’s sensibility vastly differed from that of a normal person’s. In an instant, his fear, unease, and hesitation vanished. Those vain feelings of inadequacy were squashed by an unwavering belief that, if he possessed a victory condition not based on luck, then victory was merely his to claim.

His aura of superiority, which had momentarily vanished, had finally returned.

’There’s no reason to run anymore.’

Maybe he didn’t understand every aspect of his situation, but he felt he’d firmly grasped enough.

Spinning on his sandals, Ash faced the shark-toothed creature charging him with a smile.

As it closed in, Ash dashed to the side while purposefully letting his left arm lag behind. Seeing such an easy target, the goblin sliced down into his arm as expected. An attack which passed through his skin without doing anything, causing the goblin to stumble forward helplessly and fall on its ugly face.

’All I have to worry about is my tunic.’

Ash didn’t exactly know how intelligent this monster was, but he planned to bait it into attacking his arms repeatedly until [Focus] was off cooldown.

Though...

’I can sense it.’

It had been a minute.

Before the creature could regain its bearings, Ash activated [Focus] and grabbed the hilt of the nearest weapon. As his fingers curled around the cold leather, a smile tugged at his lips.

[You have claimed and equipped N-Rank: Starter Sword]

Spinning around, Ash cleaved down into the small green thing.

However...

It seemed being the "best at gaming" and all didn’t exactly translate perfectly into reality. Ash’s body failed to perform what his mind had ordered it to.

While his strike landed, he’d struck the goblin’s shoulder instead of its head.

"Kreeee!"

As the goblin screamed out in pain, it swung its own blade at Ash, forcing him to jump away.

’Close...’

The five seconds ended; Ash settled his stance. As he prepared to begin dodging for another minute, his eyes drifted to the item clasped in his right hand.

’Wait...’

[Focus]’s effect had ended, yet the sword stay nestled in his grip.

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