MMORPG: Surviving a Death Game with a Glitched System

Ash woke to a thunderous bellow.

He shot to his feet and whirled just in time to see the fourth and final chain begin to slacken.

Leaping atop the massive link he had been resting beside, he watched the chain collapse across the magma sea. With no haze left to obscure his view, he witnessed the spectacle in all its demented glory.

The first links within clear view smashed into the nearest black island, pulverizing stone and sending fractures racing across its mountains. Behind them, the rest of the chain descended in a catastrophic wave of rusted iron. Some links struck jagged peaks and tore straight through them, dragging entire sections of mountainside down into the magma sea. Others crashed across the scattered islands, gouging trenches through their obsidian surfaces before sliding over their edges and plunging into the molten depths.

One after another, immense stretches of the chain vanished beneath the burning surface.

Thick ash and debris erupted into the air, swallowing entire islands beneath towering clouds. The seal shuddered violently as the magma sea churned, hurling waves against the blackened shores and sending molten geysers surging nearly as high as the mountain peaks.

Above it all thundered the deafening clash of rusted iron against stone — a succession of seal shaking impacts that continued as the chain’s collapse raced toward the temple. The last distant links disappeared beneath the burning sea, while those nearest Ash slammed into the temple’s base, shattering the polished black stone and obliterating countless steps.

All Ash could do was stare, captivated by the sight.

But he couldn’t remain transfixed forever.

Far below him, at the base of the thousands upon thousands of steps, the corpse pile collapsed in on itself, its mangled contents spilling forward as the invisible wall that had supported it vanished.

’The barrier has fallen.’

Just as Ash had surmised, few additional monsters had gathered at the base of the stairs. Even so, there were enough to ensure his ascent wouldn’t be remotely easy.

The chain’s collapse had left the Seal Scrawlers disoriented, buying Ash time before they realized the path upward had opened.

However, a few of the other beasts had already spotted the newly exposed staircase and begun climbing.

Ash spun around and sprinted along the fallen chain toward the temple. When he reached the point where its uppermost links rested against the top of the staircase, he leaped onto the landing and dashed inside.

The pillars of flame had already risen within the hall. Idolan was on his feet as well.

Though the king remained chained, he had gained enough slack from his restraints to descend from the dais. He was even able to make it almost an eigth if the way across the terribly vast room.

Flames began to radiate from his body as he advanced toward Ash.

He extended his right hand. A glorious red blade nearly as long as himself materialized above his palm before settling into his grasp.

Ash skidded to a stop, marveling at how the king, who had once resembled a bum, finally carried himself with true regality.

Then...

A blazing orange flame engulfed Idolan’s body, burning away the cloth tied around his waist.

Within the inferno, plates of black and red iron forged themselves into a magnificent suit of armor. A crown of blue flame ignited atop his head, followed by a flame-formed cape of the same hue that unfurled from his shoulders and billowed behind him.

Idolan looked down at Ash and spoke with booming authority.

"What I can do in this state is limited."

With that, Idolan spun the sword and slammed its tip into the ground, slicing into the obsidian as if it were butter.

He rested his hands one over the other atop the pommel.

"Cross warned you, yes? Make sure I have to do as little as possible. The more strength I exert, the more strength Winter regains until I replenish what I’ve used."

As much as Ash didn’t like being ordered...

Borrowing Cross’s phrase once more, he thought:

’Idolan... you’ve earned my disrespect.’

Possessing such strength, yet surrendering to fate was simpy so unfathomably revolting to Ash.

Before following the king’s command, however, Ash asked: "Why are they so drawn here?"

With every trace of mockery driven from his tone by the barrier’s collapse, Idolan answered with a single word.

"Revenge."

Ash spun toward the entrance, where he could see clouds of ash rising in the distance.

"I see..."

Every other creature imprisoned within Winter’s Seal was instinctively drawn toward freedom, and Idolan’s death would grant it.

The weaker monsters posed little to no direct threat to the king. However, Idolan couldn’t allow them to attack him unchecked without expending mana to defend himself.

Ash wanted Winter’s power to be unveiled, but only for a brief moment — not from the very beginning. If she regained too much strength too soon, Ash might be doomed before he could enact his plan.

With that in mind...

[You have equipped [Whisper of the Wind]]

[You have equipped [Sealed Fate]]

It was time to go on a rampage.

His rampage, however, would mostly involve manipulating the beasts into killing one another, since he lacked the strength to cull them himself.

He would serve as the temple’s de facto guardian, allowing as few monsters as possible to pass while collecting as many items as he could. What he needed most were proper boots or gloves. A different set of armor would also be useful, but hoping for that much felt a little greedy.

[Danger Sense] immediately began going haywire. The king’s immense mana pool generated a constant, violent wind pointing toward him. The sensation was so distracting that Ash discovered he could suppress the effect through will alone. Though the brief moment did allow him to somewhat reach another level of understanding. A forced way of the fundamentals being drilled into him.

Ash rushed toward the exit.

’Mana sense...’

From that point onward, every advancement he made would have to take place in the heat of battle.

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