My System has a Glitch

The very nature of their surroundings had been altered in a blink of an eye. William looked down and saw mud and water around his foot and he realized he was not even standing on the sunken ship anymore.

The four of them looked at each other, each one echoing the other's sense of powerlessness, knowing the earth under their feet could be swept away at any time they were forced to move forward or die.

Looking around, William could see the other players were just as hesitant as they were then William chuckled and took a step forward.

"See it doesn't hurt," he said. "Come on guys, we have to keep moving."

They walked through the muddy water towards the thick fog that loomed before them, slowly and slowly they got close to it and amongst them were hundreds of players spread out, they could only see a few of them and most were silhouettes due to the cold air around them.

Soon William began to notice that the people around were decreasing

"Is it just me or are the people starting to disappear?"

He wondered if it was just the fog or something else at play.

"Just keep going," the old man said.

"It's not like I've got a choice here,pops"

They both laughed and continued walking. Soon William noticed he had not heard the siblings speak, so he turned around to check on them.

"What!? Where are they?"

He turned around looking for them. "Can you see them anywhere, pops?"

William got no reply, so he asked again.

"Hey pops! Can you see them?"

He turned to check on the old man but he couldn't see him anywhere.

"What the hell! ? Pops! Where are you! pop! Damn it what the hell is going on."

William spun around looking for any sign of them but there was no one,no sound but the mud sifting under his feet.

He stopped turning and looked to his left and right and realized he had no idea which way was forwards anymore.

With the thick fog surrounding him, every direction looked the same..

"Has the trial already begun?"

It felt like there was a lump on his throat trying to force its way out but he gulped it down and it settled in his heart as more anxiety.

"My footprints!"

For a brief moment he got excited at tracing his steps to find his original direction but as he looked down to find his footprints, all that excitement fizzled away he saw the fog had hidden his footprints as well.

William took off running, he ran towards his left screaming for the old man, and for Nod and even Ingrid but still nothing, not a sound, not even from a total stranger.

'Should I keep running or go back? Maybe I'm close, I can't tell a thing, it could be right in front of me and I wouldn't know. Maybe a step away.'

William stopped and looked around, still just a sea of whiteness, he sighed and took a step forward then chuckled to himself and said,

"See I was wrong."

As he was about to turn around he heard a noise, it sounded like some had said "see" so ran towards the sound.

he constantly scanned the place looking for anybody, for any silhouettes then he saw something familiar.

It looked like a single red star shining through the fog, it reminded him of the ship but something was off, but he wasn't sure what.

He heard the sound again and this time it occurred to him that it sounded more like a hiss.

'It's the ship?' He thought as he remembered the one of ruby eyes of the figure head had been stolen by that brute.

'I made it back,' he thought but then it struck him.

'Wait a minute, didn't the ship sink? Well it disappeared under my feet but still'

Suddenly he saw something move, he couldn't identify what it was but he was certain it wasn't human. Even worse the sound seemed to be coming from that direction.

William calmly took a step back, his mind ran through all he could remember about the ruby and the figurehead then he remembered what the guide had said.

"The curse! It couldn't be could it?"

William took another step back and the sound came again but this time it was a piercing hiss and William was certain that it was just like a snake's hiss.

'It's had to be! Snakes and ladders that's the name of the game. That's the trial, it's already begun.'

William took another slow step back as the fog brushed over him. so many uncertainties plagued his mind, he didn't want to believe it but he felt like he was being stalked by something infinitely more dangerous than anything he'd ever encountered.

That fear permeated his whole body and he tried his best not to be crippled by it. He wasn't sure what it was that made him feel this much fear but he kept his eyes on that single red star and for a moment it seemed like it moved and instantly William took off running back towards the direction he had taken.

He wasn't sure where he was going but he kept on running. He heard a piercing hiss behind him and he was sure it had to be a monster he had heard.

Then he heard the thrashing of the waters and the mud.

'It's on the move,' he thought.

He heard it crash behind him and a spree of mud and water big enough to drown him in, splashed on him and almost knocked him off balance.

But he kept on going and when he glanced back to see what was after him, it was the red star chasing him, but he couldn't see what was behind it but he had his suspicions it was a giant snake and he hoped to high heavens he was wrong.

'Shit hope it's not it, my legs are starting to ache already.'

He ran as fast as he could but he could hear it slithering in the mud behind him.

The air around him got hotter for seemingly no reason at all and he still couldn't see beyond the fog, he couldn't even see what was in front of him, not even what caused him to trip.

He hit something heavy and soft on the mud and all the momentum he had been building up sent him flying forwards. He crashed into the body of a person.

William quickly tried to get up, he didn't even realize he had landed on someone until he heard a faint cry.

"Please help me, please, help…."

William got closer to the body and could see it vaguely, it was a middle-aged man, he looked pale like he was in death and his touch felt so cold and lifeless.

Suddenly William could see the other bodies around him as the fog got fainter and fainter.

"What the hell is going on?"

The monster released a loud screech and William wanted to run but the man pleaded with him again and with sadness in his eyes, William said to him, "I'm sorry, I can't."

William got up and ran, he glanced back and saw a mass of red gas rushing at him.

"What the hell is this now?"

[SYSTEM UPDATE]

[Sub Category: Encyclopedia(2)]

[CURSE HAS BEEN ACTIVATED! ]

"That's a bit too late you damn guide!"

The gas was catching up to him and he could smell it, one whiff of it and he felt dizzy like the earth was shaking under his feet and he knew it was poison.

'It was probably what paralyzed all those people back there, it's the snake doing this too? Maybe this is how it gets its prey.'

William pulled out his guide and went straight to his tools and expressed his intent.

[Would You Like To Purchase a Booster?]

[YES] [NO]

"Of course, of course, why would I bring it up if I didn't want it, this is getting annoying."

××[BOOSTER! ×1 (5mins, Left)]××

××[ACTIVATED]××

With the boosters activated William outran the gas and when he least expected it he burst right through the fog and came face to face with a sea of snakes.