The players who had plunged into the trench on their mission ran into danger they hadn't anticipated. Apart from Madam Water and Bro Fire, who had acted decisively and used explosives to "disconnect" themselves, the other players had left the game just like Little Rich Guy: their connection had been cut off through their gaming helmets.
They thought it was a game mechanic, but that wasn't actually the case.
After all, there was no such thing as an "unstable network connection." This was all the work of a certain administrator pulling strings behind the scenes.
In fact, the instant those players' minds were invaded, Murphy—who was busy cutting a swath through the merfolk lair in the coral reef—received a notification.
Vivid red text flashed before his eyes, forming an exceptionally rare alert:
Warning! An otherworldly summon under the Administrator System has suffered mental contamination (confirmed)! Take action immediately! Warning! A dangerous entry has been added to the built-in player template database of the Administrator System: Dagon Merfolk/Abyss Walkers! Warning! A chaotic meme is attempting to contaminate the Administrator database through a lower-level player node. The Omega Program is initiating autonomously! Antivirus program starting!
"Whoosh!"
A blinding pale light burst uncontrollably out of Murphy, spreading in an instant like a little white sun exploding underwater. The merfolk around him seemed to learn fear for the first time, shrieking as they fled. Meanwhile, the players and merfolk warriors bathed in Omega's power were greatly encouraged.
They thought Lord Murphy had activated some kind of "Berserk" buff for them.
But that wasn't the case.
The pain in Murphy's body was secondary. What truly furrowed his brow was the implication behind that alert, especially the new dangerous entry in the Administrator System's built-in player template database. It suggested a possibility that grew