“Why…”

Huff

Why did everything turn out like this?

As I lifted my head, what came into my view was a vast land stained with dark red blood, murky dark red sky, and a horrific sight of corpses of players piled upon each other.

Huff

“How the hell are we supposed to defeat him…?”

I looked towards the reason for this calamity, this massacre fighting the remaining players who were trying to buy me time by sacrificing themselves.

“A single NPC butchered 90 million players alone. How can this not be a bug!!?”

A calamity in form of that NPC stormed the central continent of Grandia alone with his sheer force and a huge amount of undead and killed anyone who came into his path.

Alliances of 90 million players, including the top guilds and the independent players who marched here with great power, various weapons and skills they either borrowed or accumulated over time, were now reduced to mere hundreds.

Because of a single NPC, a single fucking NPC.

Ding

[Remaining players: 74]

“Shit”

The number of players within 15 minutes decreased at an alarming rate. This unknown bastard just swung his arm and annihilated the west army in mere seconds. His undead army cleared low ranking soldiers and players. Only the players who are in Legendary or Super rank could stand in front of him.

Why does something like this happen you ask?

‘APOCALYPSE’

This is where it started.

A deep dive VRMMORPG which was in development for 60 years, with top scientists, game developers, health experts from every country gave their all for its development.

Although there were many games launched way earlier than APOCALYPSE, the moment it was teased and opened to beta testing, it blew everyone’s mind. The surreal graphics, incredible world and the way it helped an individual’s senses adapt to itself surpass any game. Many investors and billionaires who never invested in the game, mocking it for its late release, were shocked and ultimately invested more.

Although there were many criticisms against its name as its nature is player-friendly, many still played it. The developers, when asked about the name said that the name represents a hidden quest that had a chance of 0.01% to occur.

And after 9 years after its release, every player received a quest, a quest that became the reason for this massacre and the sole reason for the game’s name.

“Show quest details”

Ding

[World Quest (Rank: Undetermined)]

[??? has fused with the dominant beings of the continents of Grandia.]

[An impossible achievement is being recorded in the game library.]

[The Supreme beings who overlook Grandia are now wary of ???.]

[The Supreme beings request the players to stop the evil from eroding the peaceful Grandia .]

[Defeat ???]

[Rewards: 1. Chance to meet the Supreme Goddess, the Supreme ruler of Grandia.]

[2. Possible rank up to Myth level according to the contribution made by the user. (Only for Legendary Rank players)]

[3. Lots of EXP and Gold and possible chance of getting a legendary rank weapon according to the contribution.]

[Note: No penalty on not taking part in the quest.]

[Remaining time: 00:59:58]

It was the biggest mistake to even accept this quest. The rewards were so pleasing that even we top rankers couldn’t resist and in the end, we agreed to do this quest.

But that choice was the biggest mistake of our life.

“Why did we even choose this quest?”

If only those supreme beings could have joined us in this fight instead of standing behind the lines and ordering us, we all could have won.

[Warning!]

[Skill: Aura of death is used.]

“...!!”

‘What….? How is that possible?’

How could this bastard still move with legendary weapons stabbed and multiple skills rained in every corner of his body?

Bodies fall as the fight stretch longer, but the NPC never dropped a sweat even though he was stabbed and slashed by every player with every weapon they had. He swept through every skill thrown at him and slashed every opponent who stood in front of him.

The lower-ranking players could not stand, with many complaining about dizziness and nauseous and some couldn’t even breathe, getting them logged out from the game instantly. The pressure this NPC emitted was so powerful that when we top rankers saw him first, our instincts and system shouted vigorously.

[Warning!]

[An entity far beyond the player’s capability is within your proximity.]

[Do not engage in a fight against the entity.]

Without even the warning of the system, the rankers who had faced myth rank gods and felt nothing now felt immense pressure, even though they were many meters apart.

Even after several countries and kingdoms in the game and players united under the top rankers and planned many plans, were all crushed like an ant.

[Warning!]

[Number of players left: 68]

“Fuck”

And now, the number of players that were alive was reduced again.

The NPC never even tried to dodge the attacks of the players, but confronted them head-on like a maniac. While the destructiveness of the skills varied, it was still unbelievable to take every attack head-on.

While everyone was attacking the NPC, the NPC flew above, catching everyone off guard.

“You all should entertain me more!!”

The NPC then spread his right hand and pointed it towards the ground.

“Get away from here!!”

The Spear Master shouted and pushed the lower-ranking players behind him. He then held his Spear, a divine weapon that those who have reached the legendary rank with Spear Master Class can gain. It can transform according to the user and can use defensive and offensive skills.

The Spear Master activated the fourth form of the Divine Spear, which was known best for increasing the defence stats both for the user and the party.

“Divine Spear: 4th form!!”

At the same time, the NPC used his skill. But what he used shocked everyone there.

“Demon Magic: Extermination!!”

Both skills collided, causing a big explosion, but everyone ignored that as they all are more than capable of handling something like this but what they can’t get over was the fact that the NPC used demon magic, a branch of magic that is only accessible to demons only.

He can use demon magic? And that of the highest tier? What kind of thing the developers have created?

The Spear Master and everyone can use magic, but demon magic is an uncommon thing. Unless a player came into servitude of a demon, they could use demon magic, but even then they could use only lower-level skills with the condition of getting permission from their master.

But now this NPC used the highest tier of demon magic, extermination that was said to be used by the Supreme Demon God, the controller of demons.

Wait….till now, he used no magic except dark magic. Wasn’t he supposed to be only a necromancer?

His undead army destroyed 75% of the alliance. If not for the Saintess, we would be struggling now with the undead.

But why didn’t he use demon magic till now?

A terrible thought then struck the Spear Master.

Wait a minute!! Wasn’t it mentioned in the quest window that he has fused with the dominant beings of every continent in Grandia? Then does it mean that he is now learning to use every power he gained after fusion?

The terrible thought gave him a headache because if the NPC were to continue his attacks using dark magic, they could have handled it somehow but now even that became impossible as different skills will now rain on them too, making it almost impossible to predict the NPC’s next move.

While pondering about their next move, the NPC, high above the sky, shouted.

“DON’T GET IN MY WAY!!”

“I will destroy those supreme beings who forced me to become like this. If you wish to disrupt me, then do note that you all will face the consequences.”

His voice contained pure rage and a drive for revenge. The Spear Master, confused by the words of the NPC, took this chance to ask the NPC a question to get some time for his fellow rankers.

“What do you mean? The supreme beings forced you?”

“Yes… YES!! I was this close to get rid of this immortal body of mine but… BUT!!”

“What I got is this fucking body. Those shitters scammed me, they experimented on me and took everything from me. I will never forgive them”

The NPC screamed ferociously, his voice showing the pain he had gone through. He then looked towards the sky and said...

“I WILL KILL EVERY ONE OF THEM”

Chills

His contorted face and the way he spoke the last line was enough to make the Spear Master shiver. The same was for the rest of the people.

‘But what is he talking about? The supreme beings betrayed him? That they experimented on him?’

The question came into everyone’s mind, but only some got the gist of the situation that happened behind the stage of this war.

‘Now that I think about it, the supreme beings were the ones who gave us this quest and asked us to defeat him.’

The Spear Master, realizing the intents of the Supreme Beings, inwardly cursed himself and the Supremes.

“Fuck… they trapped us. Damnit.”

He then called two of his trusted guild members.

“Chris”

“Cecilia”

Realizing that they were called, they hurriedly moved towards the Spear Master.

“Chris… How are the other guild leaders doing?”

Spear Master asked Chris, the Staff Master, about the situation of the remaining players. He hoped he would at least get some good news.

“Not good, except us 20 top rankers, the rest of the players are low on health with mostly were debuffed. If we do not finish soon, we will be on a pinch”

But what he got was more depressing news.

“STOP TALKING AND FACE YOUR DEATH!”

The NPC from above shouted as he realized the players were planning something. He then used another attack.

Multiple blades of energy with terrifying aura then appeared above him and then he pointed his fingers towards the players, reciting the skill’s name.

“Demon Magic: Torrent of deathly blades!!”

‘What a monster, even we 20 top rankers cannot hold him off.’

As the blades descended, suddenly two figures appeared in front of the players.

“Holy Shield: 3rd form!!”

“Master Swordsman Skill: Sword Barrier!!”

“Shield Master, Sword Master…?”

The two appeared to be the Shield Master and Sword Master, who were blocking the hordes of undead in the southwest.

“How are you two here...?”

The Spear Master asked, as both should be blocking and clearing the undead.

“Use some skill and block. Don’t space out.”

But the Sword Master refuted him. The Spear Master, snapping out, hurriedly launched his defensive skill.

“Right, Lancelot Special Skill: Wall of hellfire!!”

Every player there deployed any spell they thought would be useful, but the force behind the attack was too much for everyone to handle.

“Ack…!”

“Kuhh..!”

Many players were logged out instantly and many slowly started to lose HP.

Come one…… please hold on.

The top rankers somehow managed, but even they looked haggard, their hands trembled and legs screamed to give up.

Kaboom

They somehow blocked the attack, but...

Cough, Cough

[Warning!]

[Number of players left: 20]

Damnit, now it’s just us.

Every player below Legendary rank was obliterated, leaving only the Top Rankers.

“Mass Heal!!”

A bright light then surrounded the rankers, healing their wounds and removing any debuff they received.

“Do not use your skills, save your mana. Your light attribute now has a higher chance to do damage against him”

I shouted, as the Saintess has now had the chance to inflict more damage on the NPC because of its demonic nature.

“Then stop his attack somehow!! Who will protect me, your corpse?”

“Still…”

“Shut up!! Let me focus.”

The Saintess grumbled, but the Spear Master was correct.

Only a saint class player with the divine attribute can somewhat damage him. Even though it’s been two days in the game fighting him now, the NPC still is fighting the alliance while tanking every legendary weapon and every tier of skills, whereas we who have accumulated both mental and physical fatigue over time are at our limits now.

“YOU SLAVE OF GOD!! LET ME FINISH YOU FIRST!”

The NPC teleported in front of us in an instant, with no one ever noticing him. He then shot a skill towards Cecilia.

“Dragon’s Tongue x Demon Magic; Nightmare x100”

“Kuhh…”

Cecilia timely lifted her staff and used that as a shield, but shockingly.....

Crack

[God’s Staff (Myth); Durability reduced -10]

“No way… ”

The God’s staff, granted only to the Saintess class by the Supreme Goddess in ‘Apocalypse’. The goddess one day appeared in her temple and granted the then LVL 90 Cecilia her staff, a Mythic rank weapon that was first unveiled to the world where only legendary rank weapons in small numbers can be found.

‘Even the Saint’s staff is damaged. And what did he just use now? ‘Dragon’s Tongue’? Isn’t that the skill used by dragons and their family?’

The ability to display their might with just words, the dragon’s tongue, is a skill that is only accessible to dragons and their family, and in case a player pledged allegiance to the dragon tribe could use 5% of the power of dragon’s tongue.

But the attack just now felt like it packed more than 5% power.

‘Those supreme beings… what kind of mess did they just create?’

“Gahhhhh…”

“Cecilia!!”

Cecilia, the Saintess who faced the attack, screamed. Her eyes became red, veins popped out and blood started to drip from her eyes. She writhed and screamed at top of her lungs as she pressed her head with her hands, looking like she was experiencing a lot of pain.

‘Is this an illusion magic? It affected Cecilia even though she has Goddess protection?’

“Sword Master, use your mental skill.”

The Spear Master urged the Sword Master to use his mental skill.

“Okay, Courageous heart”

A bright blue aura came out of Sword Master’s sword and covered the Saintess’s body. The Saintess slowly regained her composure but looked scared as if she saw a ghost. She pointed her trembling fingers towards the NPC and tried to speak.

“Koff… koff..uhh. Y-you a-are a-alive? H-ho-”

Thump

“CECILIA!!”

The Saintess fell, fainted by the NPC’s mental skill. The Spear Master caught her and gave her some potions.

“Don’t worry. She just fainted.”

The Sword Master who used his skill reassured Spear Master. Chris, the Staff Master, came to the side of Spear Master.

“We have to stop him.”

“…. Right.”

Leaving the unconscious Cecilia, we all steeled our hearts for this fight.

“Everyone be focused, otherwise we will not be abl-”

“Dark magic: Summon undead army”

With no warning, the NPC deployed yet another skill, a skill that every player finds awful to ever face.

“Gruooo…”

“Guakkk…”

The dead players and other NPCs of various kingdoms and countries, whose bodies still lay around the battlefield, trembled and slowly started to stand up.

“Try to survive rankers while killing your friends.”

The NPC grinned as he said those words.

What unfolded before our eyes made me wonder… whether this was a game we were playing till now?

****