The transition from the lush forest to the new biome was violent.
The ground groaned as the massive iron-wood trees were swallowed by the arena floor, replaced by the jagged, frozen landscape of the Ghost-Iron Graveyard.
Massive, rusted swords the size of buildings protruded from the permafrost, and a biting wind began to howl through the simulated valley, carrying the scent of ancient rust and freezing mana.
The player count flickered on the holographic array: 84/400.
The chaff had indeed been cleared.
Those remaining were the predators, the lucky, and the monsters hiding in human skin.
High above, the digital crowd roared, their collective energy vibrating through the mana dome.
In the center of the graveyard, a skirmish broke out between Lee Sang-hoon, a Tier-2 [Glacial Juggernaut], and a group of four players who had formed a temporary, desperate alliance.
Sang-hoon didn't speak; he moved with the slow, inevitable momentum of an avalanche.
