To Kill Gods or Die Trying

Chapter 03-The Gamemaster

We look around for the source but the only things to be seen are panicked players, a clear blue sky, and a grassy field.

"WELCOME ALL! HAHAHA WELCOME ALL!"

I grit my teeth in discomfort. I don't like where this is going.

"IF YOU OPEN YOUR MENU, YOU WILL SEE THAT YOUR LOGOUT TAB HAS BEEN REMOVED. THAT IS NO MISTAKE."

Cries of panic spread throughout the crowd. This must be the dev who turned, like Essej says.

"NOW, I'LL CUT RIGHT TO THE CHASE. IF YOU WISH TO LEAVE! YOU MUST SIMPLY BEAT THE GAME."

Bullshit! THAT'S BULLSHIT! To beat the game would mean to clear every Wood, Copper, Silver, Gold, Turquoise, and Obsidian quests and raids!

"AND BEFORE WE START, I'D LIKE TO CONFIRM THE EXISTENCE OF GEMSTONE-RANK AND THE 30 DEMIGODS. YOU MUST DEFEAT THOSE AS WELL."

What? All 30 of the demigods? We don't even have one Gem-rank player! It would take about 24 skilled Gem-rank players in a raid party to kill a demigod with the odds in their favor.

"NOW... HERE ARE THE RULES."

This is nuts. He can't do this to us! Is this some kind of a sick joke?

"RULE 1: IF YOU ARE INCAPACITATED IN THE GAME, YOU WILL BE FORCE LOGGED OFF."

The cries stop. We stare in dead silence. So, if we die in the game, we die in reality!

"RULE 2: ALL OF THE QUEST PROGRESS HAS BEEN RESET."

The wood players are gonna have to pull their own weight for the rest of us then. We all started as wood and then as we progressed, we unlocked more ranks and quests.

"RULE 3: YOU ARE ALLOWED EVERY SIX MONTHS TO SEND A MESSAGE NOT EXCEEDING 100 WORDS TO THE OUTSIDE. THIS IS A HARDWARE FEATURE NEVER TO BE REVEALED UNTIL THE RELEASE."

I need to talk to Allysson and let her know I'm OK.

"RULE 4: ALL BEATEN QUESTS WILL BE UN- REPLAYABLE EXCEPT FOR OBSIDIAN RAIDS."

At least he's giving Obsidian-rank players a chance to get to Gem.

"RULE 5: ALL MONSTERS WILL BE PLAYED ON REALISTIC DIFFICULTY."

This is madness! No one plays on realistic! It basically means that all AI will have human intelligence, like if you fight a goblin, for example. That goblin has speed, agility, reflexes, and can think independently to make tactics to kill you. In a sense, that goblin is trying as hard as you to survive and win the fight of its life.

"RULE 6: ALL BANNABLE OFFENSES HAVE BEEN LIFTED."

It's going to be the wild west here without rules. There will be no one to regulate things here. Wait... So unauthorized player-killing is no longer a bannable offense!

"RULE 7: YOU WILL BE HELD IN GAME FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES TO BEAT THE GAME."

So we will. And we'll kill him after.

"RULE 8: YOUR COMBAT HUD WILL BE DISABLED EXCEPT FOR SHOWING THE HEALTH OF MONSTERS."

That's worse than most realize. Healers won't know who needs healing. Players won't even know if they are close to dead or not until their dying visuals tell them.

"RULE 9: REVIVAL FEATHERS HAVE BEEN DELETED FROM THE GAME. IF A PLAYER DIES OF INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL CAUSES, THEY WILL NOT COME BACK."

I glance at Sess. He accepts his fate. He's only 26 years old. Kid hasn't even lived his life.

"FINAL RULE: FOR YOU TO LEAVE, THE 12 GODS MUST BE DEFEATED!"

Everyone goes ballistic. We might as well all die in this place at this point, but I know I'm getting out. I don't care if I have to solo 100 gods. I'll make it happen. I need to return to my family. My kids are not growing up without a father.

"SILENCE!"

The field becomes quiet once again. "I REALIZE THAT THIS IS ALL UNPRECEDENTED AND THAT A LOT OF YOU WISH NOT TO PARTICIPATE! THIS SENARIO ONLY APPLIES TO THOSE SEEKING AN ADVENTURE IN THEIR LIFE AND ARE WILLING TO PAY THE ULTIMATE PRICE! IF YOU WISH TO NOT FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE! PLEASE STEP TO THE SIDE AND DIVIDE YOURSELVES!"

People begin scurrying away. The ten of us stand our ground with most. It feels like a trick. Something's not right. Who's stupid enough to believe-

It looks like 40% of the 100,000 players separate from the main group in a matter of a minute, some pushing and shoving me out the way to their false freedom. He's not going to let them off, I can feel it.

"COWARDS!"

The 40,000 players are killed. Every one of them. The death animation plays and their bodies disintegrate into white flakes. A virtual blizzard is created as millions of particles ride with the wind, scattering their pieces everywhere.

I drop to my knees in shock. 40,000 murdered before my very eyes.

Those were real people.

"GOOD LUCK PLAYERS!"