MMORPG: Surviving a Death Game with a Glitched System

Ash had survived the night by hiding underground.

It strained his arm at times, but he’d rather endure the discomfort than engage with a beast while on his last leg.

Speaking of being on his last leg...

His flesh had folded over the wound and crept downward, rebuilding his ankle before slowly but surely beginning to form his foot. His arm was a little behind, having regenerated only halfway down the forearm.

By the next nightfall, he’d probably have his foot back and his left arm restored up to the wrist.

The pain had also become a little more bearable. But whether that was Ash getting used to it or the agony actually fading, he didn’t know.

What he did know was that he didn’t want to spend another full night doing nothing. There was only so much he could accomplish or unravel in his mind alone.

Not to mention, he was starting to get thirsty and hungry.

As a last resort, he could try to eat some snow and the Seal Scrawler meat. But that was just that... a last resort.

As for the corpses of the monsters that had killed each other... they seemed to leave behind neither remains nor drops, which meant he’d have to involve himself in some way to earn anything.

To that end, Ash’s main targets were the yetis. They wandered alone, and their furry coats suggested a higher chance of dropping something wearable than the ice golems.

As for the wolves...

His current assassination method was a one-hit double knockout that would kill the target and decommission him. He had no way to contend with an entire pack.

He would have liked to kill one of everything just to see what they dropped. So, if his circumstances improved, he might consider doing just that.

Perched atop the tome, Ash waited.

And waited.

Eventually, the false sun fell and the moon rose.

’Alright...’

Ash summoned one of the three slabs of Seal Scrawler meat he had. After placing it on the snow as bait, he returned the tome to his inventory and let himself fall through the ground until only his hand remained above the surface, clamped around the bow.

Ash eased his head through the frozen surface and swept his gaze across the tundra as the haze rolled in.

’Failure is not an option.’

He not only had a limited number of attempts, but a single mistake would mean instant death.

At least, he had grown quite adept at moving his tail, having practiced as much as he could throughout the day. He knew how painful it would be, but he was ready to use it if it came to it.

Moments later, fractures spread through the frozen ground across the tundra. Snow shifted, slabs of ice tilted upward, and large, fur-covered shapes clawed their way to the surface.

’Come, bastards.’

It didn’t take long for one of the furry bastards to whip its head toward the reeking slab of meat with a screech.

"Urragh!"

Seeing its silhouette begin its approach, Ash jumped with the bow toward the yeti, then spun and let himself fall.

Then, he began counting.

’One, two, three, four, five...’

The sound was muffled beneath the surface, but he listened intently to the yeti tearing into the meat above him.

Finally...

Ash began to pull himself up.

Due to the slower motions, it took much more strength than ever before.

Once his eyes breached the surface, he quickly surveyed the surroundings.

The yeti’s back was turned; Ash’s head had emerged directly behind it, only a few feet from its hunched frame.

’No wolves. No golems.’

Before Ash could reconsider, his eyes locked on the yeti and he let himself sink beneath the surface again. Then, once his arm dangled completely slack, he tensed his muscles and pulled himself upward with all his might.

Ash’s naked body shot out of the ground.

In a flash, he cleared the surface and released his grip on the bow.

The yeti began to turn.

For a brief instant, it felt like time slowed.

Ash kicked out his right leg as far as he could, driving the intangible limb through the yeti’s back at the height of its upper chest.

’[Focus].’

Ash and the yeti screamed in tandem.

"Gyeah!"

"Urragh!"

His foot materialized inside the beast’s torso.

For a moment, he felt the warm embrace of its organs coiling around his skin.

That warmth was joined by the jagged pressure of bone intersecting with his leg — followed by the world’s violent attempt to correct two entities occupying the same space.

Ash’s leg severed instantly.

The yeti collapsed just as abruptly, its spine destroyed from within.

Ash crumpled onto the ice as tears streamed down his face.

"Fuck! Argh, damn it!"

Shivering, Ash dug his nails into the ice and dragged himself toward the bow, disregarding the dying yeti behind him.

’Cold! Cold!’

"It’s fucking cold!"

As [Focus] neared its end, his hand finally curled around the wood.

Then, his body fell through the ground, his weight snapping him downward until his remaining arm caught taut and swung him violently.

He tried to scream again, but no sound escaped.

’Argh!’

Thankfully, just like before, his glitch had stopped the bleeding. However...

Since the yeti was still alive, Ash was still flagged as in combat. And since he was in combat, his passive healing was significantly reduced.

On the bright side, the creature was completely paralyzed and bleeding. It was only a matter of time before wolves were drawn to it and tore it apart.

’Shit! I knew it would be painful, but— ergh!’

Still...

Even though it was still alive, Ash had succeeded. Its death was imminent, proving that his method of hunting worked.

The pain... the blazing, unadulterated pain had been worth it.

Underground, Ash waited and waited, writhing in anguish, until...

[You have slain a Snow Crawler]

[First Kill Bonus]

[+36 EXP]

[Condition to reach level 5 has not been met!]

After allowing a few more moments to pass, Ash pulled himself above ground only to find...

Nothing but teeth.

The meat, if there was any, had been stolen by wolves.

At the sight, Ash smiled.

Any normal man would despair.

...

Ash was man no longer.

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