"Am I dead?" That's the question that's been stuck in my thoughts right now.
The answer is simple: of course not! If this were just a game, then it would be impossible for me to actually die here—but in reality…? What if there was some kind of fatal bug? A glitch or something like that?
But no matter how many times I think about it, even with all the time that has passed since we entered the Labyrinth, nothing happens. It can't mean anything good… right?! Right?!
The moment I stepped into the Labyrinth and walked into a trap, my character bugged out—I couldn't move an inch. What was worse, my status screen showed that my character had died, and yet… my consciousness was still in the game.
Normally, Eternal SoulS would kick a player out of the server immediately if their character died. Players would then be required to repurchase the game just to play again. And the worst part? The data on the account with the dead character would be deleted completely. Meaning, anyone who died would have to start all over from scratch.
Of course, it seems like a cash grab from the developer—but at least the game isn't pay-to-win. It's 100% grind. Still, the company needs money somehow, and this is their way, despite all the criticism.
But that shouldn't be my concern right now. What's happening to me… none of this makes sense.
I can't even contact the server admin, since somehow my chat features have been disabled. And to make things worse, I'm stuck here.
I even tried to log out of the game, and while the screen said "Logout Successful," somehow… I'm still here.
…
..
.
I've gotten tired of this already. It's been hours since I ended up in this state.
I can't do anything but wait until the developer or game management notices the anomaly that is me. I just hope it happens sooner rather than later—I don't want to lose my data and be forced to repurchase the game just because of a glitch.
My surroundings look familiar, yet foreign at the same time. The bright blue sky was gone, replaced by pitch-black darkness. Even my system menu looks unfamiliar now.
"…!!"
Through the dark mist, I spotted something. My throat tightened as I tried desperately to shout, but only a weak grunt came out.
I thought I couldn't speak anymore, but when I tried moving my hand, I realized I wasn't paralyzed either. Still, my status screen didn't seem to work properly.
"Haaah!" I gasped, forcing myself up off the ground using both hands and legs.
Then, right in front of me, a huge ornate door appeared. My gut told me I needed to open it—besides, there was no other path, only endless darkness.
With shaky courage, I reached out, pulled the door open, and stepped inside.
Instantly, I felt my whole body being sucked away by something immense. My vision blurred into black, then cut out completely. When it returned, everything felt different.
What happened? Am I in another world? Or trapped inside yet another glitch?
The place around me was a wreck. A wasteland, filled with crumbling ruins and destroyed buildings. I had never seen such a place before—it didn't exist anywhere in the game I knew.
My thoughts spiraled in confusion.
My system showed all online features as disabled, yet here I was, still in the game.
I tried to open the map feature, but it had been reset entirely. It was as if this place were a completely new area. Even my warp crystal was useless. Anxiety gnawed at me.
Still, panic wouldn't help. The only logical option was to explore.
If my guess was right, there should be a town nearby—or at least a safe point.
So, I started walking. As I moved, the map began slowly filling in, bit by bit. Odd—normally, areas updated automatically as I explored.
Then, I heard it.
A strange sound. Heavy breathing. Coming from behind me.
I turned fast.
A monster stood there.
Not one I'd ever seen before—not even in the monster guide. At first glance, it resembled a high orc, but it was different. Bigger. Meaner. Its sharp fangs jutted out, and the weapon it carried radiated an ominous aura.
This thing wasn't in the game.
The monster's eyes locked onto me. With no warning, it charged.
I barely had time to react. I pulled out my magun and fired, but the shots bounced off its body without effect.
What the hell?! My magun was powerful, and I was a high-level player. I shouldn't be struggling like this.
But no matter how many times I fired, the monster absorbed the shots like they were nothing.
Frustrated, I gritted my teeth. If normal shots didn't work…
"Enchant: Fire!"
The magun glowed red. I fired, and the beam turned into a burst of flame. It hit directly, burning the monster.
This time, it worked—kind of. The damage was minimal. Barely a scratch.
"Tch… damn it. Enchant: Lightning!"
My weapon sparked with energy. I fired again, unleashing a blast of lightning. The monster screamed, the attack clearly effective, but even then—it still stood.
What kind of monster is this?!
My MP bar was draining fast. If this dragged on, I'd be finished.
Which left only one option.
"…Fine. Mana Shot!"
The magun roared, sucking away nearly all of my mana. The shot was massive, exploding on impact and sending the monster flying into the ground.
When the dust settled, the beast was finally motionless.
I staggered, breathing hard, my HUD flashing red—65% of my mana was gone.
And then it hit me.
If this was still just a game… why did my heart feel like it was going to explode?