"If I die in-game, I just respawn.But if I die because of the game… then it's just game over."
My name's Takazakieiji, seventeen years old. Full-time gamer, half-assed student. My life? 80% in front of a screen, 10% instant noodles, the rest? Who cares. My world revolved around one thing: World Craft.
The most insane MMORPG ever created. Want to be a swordmaster? Easy. A wizard? Sure. Farming, trading, politics, blacksmithing, cooking—name it, it's in the game. Sometimes it even felt more alive than real life.
And my goal was simple: solo the World Boss. The strongest monster in the entire game. Nobody had ever beaten it alone.
That night… I challenged it.
[Raid Zone: Wailing Bulwark]
An old stone fortress, shrouded in thick black fog. Rain drizzled from the gray sky. Shadows danced along the crumbling walls. At the center of the arena stood a lone figure—tall, calm, and terrifying.
Erebos.
The deadliest World Boss in the game. Clad in black, glowing red eyes, and wielding a long katana radiating a golden aura—a once-sacred legendary weapon, now twisted by darkness.
His body pulsed with a shadow aura—pitch black, swirling like living smoke, cloaking him in a half-formed, nightmarish shell.
Light and dark. Holy and cursed. Radiance twisted by void.
And me? I stood ready, gripping my one-handed sword—glowing with three rotating purple auras, the result of a year-long grind through rare enchantments and epic raids. The purple flares swirled around the blade like calm fire waiting to explode.
"One-on-one, huh? Perfect."
I activated my buffs, took a deep breath, and—
Heroic Strike → Slash Rooting → Charge Dash
I went all out. My sword tore through the air, purple energy bursting from every slash. Slash Rooting staggered him. Charge Dash blinked me behind him in a flash. But… he didn't fall.
FWOOOSH!!
He was right behind me.
His attack? Swift, deadly, almost invisible. One slash of that golden katana—and my HP dropped to 25%.
"Damn... he's broken."
I blinked back, cast a barrier, chugged my last potion.
"Doesn't matter. I've come this far. No way I'm backing off now."
I repeated my combo, circling around him. A brutal duel. My purple-lit blade clashed against his golden steel. Sparks of light and shadows exploded with each impact.
Finally, I gambled everything:
Soul Rend – Final Execution
A burst of light. Erebos howled. The screen trembled. And then—
"YEEEES!! FINALLY!!"
The server blew up with system messages. My name lit up global chat. Loot rained down like fireworks. My monitor bathed the room in light. My keyboard was soaked with sweat. My back ached, my hands were numb—but I was grinning ear to ear.
But then…
My body started acting weird.
My fingers trembled.
Cold.
My vision blurred, like the monitor was fading away.
"Heh… probably just need some sleep."
I forced a chuckle. But my head felt heavier. Ears ringing. My heart was beating fast—but off rhythm.
"Guess… this is the real final boss."
My hand slipped off the mouse. Breathing got harder. The air in my room, usually stale, now felt… hollow.
Why's it getting so dark…?
I tried to stand. My legs didn't move. The room spun.
The screen still showed my character standing tall, glowing in victory.
But me?
Alone. Cold. Fading away.
"…Sorry... Liz…"
A name slipped from my lips. I didn't even know why. Like… there was a promise left behind.
And after that—
I collapsed.
Everything went black.
.
..
…
Respawn?
Maybe.