So after that whole element, where do we go from this? This will be a death game. Would have been boring if I didn't make it a death game. Now let's see what's next.

Chapter 9

The Power

I looked at my computer screen scouring through articles. All involving ALO now becoming a death game. A hundred people have already died. Ysmir advising players to stop playing until they can figure this out. They don't even know who brought the death game back. Or how.

This ain't a song for the broken-hearted

No silent prayer for the faith-departed

I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd

You're gonna hear my voice

When I shout it out loud

I grabbed my phone and saw Strea was calling me. I don't remember giving her my number, but I probably did. She wouldn't have it if I didn't give it to her. Spit's not allowed to give my number to anyone else anymore. I must have given her the number and just forgot.

"Hey," I scrolled through more articles. People are calling it the end of ALO.

"You heard the news," Strea questioned me.

"Which one?" I shook my head. Too many different ones. Player deaths, lack of answers, warning. People are saying ALO is finished.

"ALO's player update. 90 % of the playerbase has dropped the game," Strea whined to me. I could almost hear her shake her head.

"You gotta be kidding me," I don't know what annoys me more. That many players just gave up, or I just saw Matronics's message on Amuspheres. We tried to figure out how the amusphere would kill someone. It was made different from the nervegear with the fact it couldn't kill people. Its suppose to prevent it. It checks blood pressure, and can log you out if it gets too high.

"I know five more levels then last time, apparently its so much tougher. The despair must be so high thought," Strea's tone did not match her voice. She sounded gleefully.

"Yeah, and just now this did this to the amusphere. Whoever did this somehow changed the amusphere. They hacked the hardware, turning the frequency turning back to deadly leveling," I shook my head, not understanding how. Martonics didn't know himself.

"Oh it not as hard as you think. Just hacking the system," Strea chuckled. "That's probably how they did it,"

"I guess. Anyways, I'm going to log on, and meet Matronic online," I went to grab my Amusphere. "Since the death game began, going solo is dangerous. Butter, and I are going with him to search the labyrinth".

"Where are you meeting up. I'll join you guys. The more players you have the better your chances are," Strea pointed out.

"Martonic's place Yggdrasil city," I rolled my shoulders. "You don't have to,"

"I know I don't, but I want to make sure you are ok," Strea stated to me.

"Alright, well I got to go. Almost meet up time," I hung up and looked at my phone battery. I had a full charge before talking to her, and my battery almost dead. Its always like this when I talk to her. Don't know why. I moved to lie on the bed. You pretty such have to be when using the Amusphere. Probably because it reworks your brains function, so everything you do is in game, and not real life.

"LINK START," I shouted as the nervegear turned around. Went through the login screen, and then I was in my house in Yggdrasil city. I took off running through the street, until I reached his place. Martonics, and Butters where outside talking with Strea.

"Ron, who is this," Butters looked at me. Butters, a sylph who doesn't look like sylph. And by that I mean he doesn't have the look of a swordsman. That our gnome Matronics has for his look. Which also doesn't make sense, since Gnomes are more of a tank race then a dps race. Yeah Butters is covered in heavy plate armor.

"I'm Strea," She gave a flirty look my way. She might have stopped calling me her boyfriend, she still flirts.

"She's a friend," I leaned my hands back against my head. How Strea got here before me I don't get. She hasn't met Butters or Martonics at all. Or I think she hasn't.

"A very special friend," She winked at me.

"So shall we head towards the labyrinth," I looked at the others while my wings came into my back

"Yeah," Butters's own wings appeared on his back, and he took off. We all followed suite. We kept flying, getting closer to the dungeon. Thank god that we have unlimited flying now. Makes it so much easier to get around.

"Holy arrow," A voice shouted and slammed right into Butters, sending him to the ground.

"Butters," Matronic flew towards towards our falling sylph.

"Who did that?" I drew my sword looking around.

"Here," Quick-step appeared from nowhere. Must have used the Hidden Skill

"Don't forget me," A blue haired pooka with a white puffy shirt,and black pants with dress shoes.

"You are?" I looked at him. A pooka, the silver fairy race. You can usually find them playing music. That's why all the music based classes in their lands.

"I'm Kuma," He flashed a grin. "I'm here to beat Martonics. With Quick-step beside me, we will win with the Power of friendship."

"No," Quick-step flashed him a glare.

"Huh, but we are in the same party?" Kuma pouted at him.

"I am not using the power of friendship," Quick-step gritted his teeth.

"Why not?" Kuma took a step back.

"Why do you think?" Quick-step just glared at him. I gotta question how you use the power of friendship. I mean is that actually a skill in game? I'm guessing its a class skill spell. There are a lot of ones. Not sure which one that be under.

"But that's how they always win. You lost because those two teamed up," Kuma stated to him. Didn't Noah only join in the last second?

"He got me last second with a surprise attack, and I barely had any health left anyways." Quick-step pointed out the flaw in Kuma's language.

"But he fought to help his friend, just like you are doing," Kuma smiled at the player.

"Just because they are friends, don't make us friends. We are only the same side because we have the same boss." Quick-step rolled his shoulders. "Now if you don't mind, I like to get on with my job and kill "

"Knew I should have brought Zentrex," Kuma shook his head.

"So you want to kill us," Butters drew his hammer, while Matronics pulled out a bow.

"No, just him," Quick-step drew that fake sword of his.

"Well I want to fight Marty, but killing him isn't exactly something I don't really need to do," Kuma shakes his head. "As long as I do it with Power of friendship,"

"I'll leave handling the damage to you," I charged right towards them. While tanking is harder in pvp, because I can't predict if they will focus on I still hit hard.

"Got it," Matronics gripped his bow. You know something how did they know Marty's real name.

"Breaker blade" I activated a class skill spell. From the spellbreaker class. A class that abilities work with draining magic and health. Less mana, and Quick-step can't use his time magic to screw with me. I charged forward, swinging my sword in a vertical slash. Quick-step blocked it.

"Forget about me," Strea appeared behind Quick-step and struck him down.

"Ooph," Quick-step howled as our blade lock broke from him getting attacked. He turned around, and then got my sword striking from him.

"Wraith strike" Butters went for a strike of his own. A berserker skill that packs a punch. Butters slammed his axe down.

"He's in red. One more strike," Matronics aimed his bow.

"Sorry I can't let that happen. Chain trap" Kuma did a spin, and appeared grabbing Matronics.

"I'll get him," I readied to charge him.

"What did I just say? Spell circle," Kuma raised hands, and now I'm trapped in a circle. I think this is Trap magicians skills.

"Butters, Strea, get him," I ordered. These spells are going to keep us trapped for a couple of minutes.

"On it, Crush Blow" Butters moved towards Kuma.

"Mirage shadow" Now there's hundred of them.

"Just have to crush them all," Butters started to crush the Kuma's shadows.

"Holy Burst" I swore as a blast of light slammed into Butters and Strea. We focused on Kuma, not Quick-step.

"Rage" Butters shouted spinning his axe. A basic berserker spell, but the more damage he takes the harder he hits.

"Gate strike 7" Quick-step smirked as seven swords opened behind him. They went flying towards Butters, and pierced right through him.

"Urgh," Butters howled.

"Shadow barret," Kuma flung a bullet of shadow right at Butters.

"Nope," Matronics fired an arrow right at shadow bullet. The chains are gone.

"Butters, Matronics focus on Kuma, Strea and I will handle Quick-step," I growled as the spell circle faded.

"Ready for round 2," Quick-step spun his sword.

"Blade forge three" I howled as three blades appeared from me. Blade strikes, the spell of the class skill Blacksmith hero. They only have one spell. Blade strike, but it has a thousand variations. For level you get into the skill, you unlock another blade strike. Ever level one more weapon is forged.

"You only have that high of a level. Oh this is going to be easy. Gate strike 250 " He chuckled as the swords appeared. He fell into the trap.

Blade forge 500" I looked at him as five hundred swords appeared. You never let your enemy know your full strength.

"Oh you gotta be kidding me," Quick-step watched as his swords got slashed through, and so he did. "Kuma, don't even think killing him, I want to be the one, got me,". Then he turned into flame, and died.

"I don't think he got the chance. You barely got hit with ten swords. I summoned five hundred," I turned around, not caring about checking my cursor. Its still green, and didn't go orange because he attacked first.

"Storm of fire" Kuma shouted as meteors started to fall.

"He's alive?" I looked at him.

"He keeps guarding," Matronics explained as he kept firing arrows.

"Break blow" Butters spun and hammering away.

"Guard" Kuma hide behind a shield. Darkness sphere

I watched as Strea and Butters moved away from the attack.

"Avalanche" Kuma appeared beside Butters and swung his sword, slashing into the man's right side.

"I see, Matronics, there's a way to do this. You need to get into close," I looked at the gnome.

"And?" He looked at me.

"Reverse his attack," I stated to him.

"I see,"

"Avalanche," Why does he keep shouting that sword skill. It makes sense with spells, but no the sword skills.

"Not happening. Counter" Matronics rushed Kuma switching his bow with his sword. He used the warrior skill spell Counter.

Works better if you are closer, because less time to move.

"Oh come on," Kuma screeched as he took twice the hit from that attack. Kuma turned into a silver fire and disappeared.

"What was that?" Butters looked around the field.

"Dunno, but you guys get any loot? I got something called a hollow green knight jacket," I looked at my loot window. Something about that gear, its got me on edge. Where he get some kind of item. Its level 1, but its on par with my current coat which is endgame level 100. Also what's this dropped from. A hollow mob? I don't think that was in game.

"No," They all shook their heads.

"Whatever, let's just go towards the labyrinth," I flew towards the dungeon.

Author's notice: Well this was a fun chapter. We got two more characters. Marty and Butters. Who are they? Well we have to find out another time. Also who got the Kuma reference? Did ya? Well that's all I got to say. Review, follow, share, favorite, give your favorite part. Till next time.