MMORPG: Surviving a Death Game with a Glitched System

Ash winced and gripped his arm. The stake had fallen out, but the pain rivaled what he had felt when chunks of his heel and tail were torn away.

The bracer had also fallen off, it’s latch broken.

Ash stared at the Seal Guardian’s corpse as it began to fade. In its place was a book — the only drop.

’A tome...’

With Cross’s sudden arrival and his existing injuries, he decided against grabbing it. Furthermore, the water arena was rapidly becoming undone. While there was an island below them, it wasn’t a particularly tall one. He’d be falling closer to the magma sea than ever before, and there was little he could do to prevent it.

The wolf stood. Panting a little, with crimson blood covering its snout, it turned to Ash and said:

"Prepare."

Ash didn’t have to be a genius to understand what came next.

The wolf-eye tattoo began to glow. Moments later, a thick aura of cold assaulted the area. The wide attack caused all but Cross and Ash to shiver.

Then, the dreadful aura diverted, focusing in one place: the anchor point.

At a pace faster than the water floor below their feet crumbled, the edge of the chain froze. Moments later, the Great Spirit ran up the wall and charged through the metal, shattering it.

Cross, atop the chain, clapped again.

"Impressive, wolf!"

The enormous chain released a deafening metallic shriek.

The sound tore through the haze, so sharp and immense that Ash felt it vibrate through his bones. One link scraped against another with a drawn-out groan, followed by a thunderous crack as the chain ripped free of its remaining support.

As the links slammed into what remained of the arena, water burst in all directions, shattering like glass.

"Ash!"

The princess jumped next to Ash, then hugged him tightly and cast [Surge] beneath their feet, providing them with a platform to stand on.

The chain’s slow collapse became a violent plunge.

Ash could barely see beyond the princess’s shoulders, but he heard the links whipping downward through the dense haze — each one producing a deep, rhythmic whoomph as it displaced the air.

Then came the first impact.

A tremendous boom erupted somewhere below them. The island shuddered, and the sound of stone splitting rolled through the haze like thunder. A moment later, another link crashed down, followed by another, each impact louder and closer than the last.

Chunks of shattered rock burst upward through the murk. Gravel rattled against the princess’s shield and Ash’s armor while clouds of ash and pulverized stone billowed around them.

The chain continued collapsing across the island below with a succession of earth-rending crashes. Metal ground against stone. Entire sections of rock gave way with hollow, crumbling roars, and debris sprayed upward after every impact before vanishing into the ash-filled air.

Ash lost sight of the chain, Cross, and the Hounds, only seeing their silhouettes in the ashen smoke.

He could only hear the descending whistle of metal, the brutal collision that followed, and the delayed rain of rubble striking everything around them.

Like rolling thunder, the cascading noise of the chain crashing into stone rang throughout the entire Seal.

The Seal Sentry was undoubtedly on its way.

No...

’Not just the Sentry. Every Seal Scrawler is going to flood areas where the chain fell.’

With nowhere really to go but down...

Ash shook off the princess’s shaking embrace and took a step forward.

"I’ll meet you down there."

The princess screamed something back, but he could barely hear it over the distant crashing.

"Wait—"

Above, the princess disappeared from his view as he fell into the rising black clouds.

After nearly twenty seconds or so of falling, his sandals smacked into solid ground, though his sight was still stolen.

From somewhere nearby, Cross spoke:

"Ah, nice of you to join us. I’ve actually been wanting to speak with you, chimera. Would you mind following me?"

"Is that so? Unfortunately, I have little desire to converse with you."

Cross’s voice deepened and sounded directly into Ash’s ear.

"Ah, let me rephrase that. You’re coming with me."

Ash spun to see a hand gripping the remaining [Goblin’s Bracer].

Then, a terrifying force began to pull him. With how much rock and ash had been kicked up, he couldn’t exactly see anything, but he could tell Cross was currently flying off with him.

Lackadaisical, as if he didn’t care that he’d become some sort of dragon kite, Ash asked:

"Trying to deal with me first?"

Cross laughed, then said:

"Naturally, you are the enigma. Though I have you figured out."

"Is that so?"

Suddenly, the force pulling Ash along ceased as he was thrown to the ground.

’It seems he truly wishes to talk.’

Otherwise, Ash would have probably been tossed into the sea of magma.

A wall of earth appeared around them, blocking the haze. Cross waved his hand to the side, clearing out the fog inside.

When Ash could finally see again, he was greeted by the sight of Cross sitting on a black stone throne with his legs crossed. The wrapping on his head was undone, showing wavy silver hair and piercing silver eyes, just like his sister’s.

"Alright... those pesky Hounds won’t bother us over here. My sister will deal with them. Before that happens, you will answer my questions, then die with grace."

Ash stood, then looked down at Cross.

"Just whose side are you on?"

"I thought you didn’t want to converse, and now you ask me a question... have you finally decided your bluffing is fruitless? That I’ve learned you’re pitifully weak?"

Behind Ash, a smaller chair of black rock rose. Ash glanced at it but ignored it.

Cross chuckled, then waved his hand dismissively.

"Whatever... just answer me this. How did you get into the Seal? And why have you formed a contract with that fiend?"

Ash looked toward his shoulder, where the tattoo was slightly poking out from under the pauldrons of his armor.

"Cross, what happened to all the theatrics?"

"You’re in no position to ask—"

Ash smiled. A smile laced with scorn.

"Answer me, and I’ll answer you."

"...I was never acting—"

Twirling his spear, Ash pointed it at the prince.

"Oh, come on, Cross."

The silvered hair main glowered at Ash. After a lengthy silent stare, he rasped:

"Hmm, you are very strange, chimera. Fine, I’ll humor you... It’s because you’re not worthy of my performance."

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