MMORPG: Surviving a Death Game with a Glitched System

After a long, silent stare, Cross rasped:

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

"So I have to be worthy of seeing you act like an idiot?"

Cross chuckled.

"That’s what I said, no?"

For the second time since becoming a Dragonkin, Ash was speechless. Never before had he met such a prideless human being.

Still, beneath Cross’s feckless front, Ash caught a glimpse of unwavering conviction.

Finally reining in his laughter, Cross leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. His gaze sharpened with eerie intensity.

"We have little time to waste. Get on with it."

Smiling, Ash decided to humor him.

"Ah, how I got inside the seal... Well, you see, I jumped and landed."

Cross stared at Ash, his expression unreadable. When it became clear the Dragonkin had nothing more to add, the prince clenched a fist and pushed himself upright.

"I hope you know I’m not joking. Keep playing games and your death won’t be swift."

Ash winced as blood continued to stream from his wrist.

"Games? I’m not joking with you... Wait. Actually, I am playing one, in a sense."

Cross’s eyes widened in disbelief at the buffoonery before him. Then, he sighed, his shoulders sagging as he settled back into his rock throne.

"Chimera, you really are unique... Whatever, you have one last chance for a merciful death. Why did you contract with that fiend?"

Ash took a deep breath, then said:

"Could you tell me who you’re talking about?"

Cross’s lips parted slightly.

"What?"

"I know you mean the wolf, but I don’t even know what it truly is."

Cross pressed a hand to his forehead.

"You can’t mean... Bahahah! As annoyed as I am, I can’t help but find you amusing! Truly, where did you come from to be unable to recognize the Great Spirit of Winter?!"

Ash’s eyes narrowed, his pupils dilating.

’As I thought.’

"I came from pretty far away, I’d say."

"Judging by the fact that I’ve never seen a being like you, I’ll deign to believe those words without inquiry. But... despite your tact, you seem intelligent — surely you’d be aware of the consequences. So, why?"

"Consequences? I was under the impression the pact mattered little to me since I possessed no affinity with the spirit."

’It wasn’t that I’d arrogantly trusted their explanation. Rather, some instinctual feeling had confirmed their words.’

Cross nodded slightly.

"Ah, I see... Rather than insolent, you’re merely ignorant. You truly know little about this place or the situation at large. The fact that you stand against me is proof of that."

"Would you mind explaining the situation to me, then?"

"What use is there in humoring a man soon to be dead?"

Ash set his jaw.

"Wouldn’t winning me to your side prove more useful than killing me?"

Cross gave a haughty laugh.

"Not in the slightest. After all, as long as you live, I can’t kill that fiend."

"Ah, I understand..."

"Huh?"

"It’s not that the contract itself would bear consequences, but that it would cause you and your people to set your sights on me."

Cross glanced aside before smiling and planting his hands on the arms of the rock chair.

"That’d be part of it. But it’s mostly because of the Great Spirit’s wish... Someone without affinity could never serve as its proper contractor."

Ash tracked Cross’s deliberate movements as the prince rose, brushed the dust from his clothes, and conjured a large stone stake into his waiting hand.

"Are contracts with spirits permanent?"

"Baha! You are incredibly amusing! Of course they are! How did you not know that?!"

After a short silence, Ash asked:

"Would death sever a contract?"

Cross’s fit of laughter faded, replaced by a wide smile.

"Correct... It seems you finally understand."

Ash slid one foot back and lowered his spear, settling into an awkward one-handed fighting stance. His injured arm dangling at his side.

As he braced himself, the truth crystallized in his mind.

’I knew it...’

The princess’s despairing reaction upon learning that the wolf had contracted with him had already suggested that no such thing as a ’temporary’ contract existed.

He had chosen to remain willfully ignorant, waiting to gauge their intentions and uncover every factor before making his move.

From what he had discerned, the wolf had objectives of its own, separate from the princess.

Whatever those objectives were, it seemed they required the wolf to contract with her in the future.

"Now knowing the truth, answer before you die. Why did you agree to the pact?"

Ash huffed.

"I needed it to carry something for me."

Cross’s face went blank with utter disbelief — not because he thought Ash was lying, but because he believed the absurd answer was completely sincere.

"Carry... something? Ah... If I were long for the world, I’d truly want to learn about you and where you came from. You’re so very interesting. Sadly, judging from the tremors, our time together is coming to an end."

Ash scowled.

Cross’s words could mean only one of two things: either the princess was almost done with the Hounds, or the Seal Sentry was coming.

The chain’s collapse had left the entire seal trembling, making it difficult to distinguish one set of vibrations from another.

Cross thrust his hand forward, launching the stone stake at him.

Given their close distance, it didn’t have nearly enough time to reach max velocity. Ash was able to knock the attack aside with his spear.

However, despite not absorbing the attack directly, Ash heard a loud crack come from the tip of his weapon.

As three more stone stakes formed and floated in the air next to him, Cross said:

"This entire time you’ve been intangible without your mana or spirit fluctuating, showing that it is not some ability, but some twisted constitution. However... if it were absolute, you’d have walked through the wall by now. I’ve also judged that you have little control over it. In fact, you seem reliant on what you’re wielding and wearing."

Ash scoffed. His weakness had somehow been assessed and exposed. Yet, that wasn’t what his mind was focused on in Cross’s statement.

"You think I’d run?"

"Is that not what your eyes have been screaming this entire time? That you’re before someone you can’t possibly defeat."

Ash’s face contorted in blazing fury.

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