Huff, Huff

“That damn sword!!”

The unknown NPC, flying high in the sky, exhaled heavily while somehow trying to stop the bleeding from the injury in his abdomen.

The battle against the alliance of players and the Supremes was not something he had expected.

Their coordination, tactics, skills, attack power, and teamwork shocked him. He thought that no matter how much they work together, they will make mistakes, as the Supremes with their ego as being the strongest in the game would never except working with players who were way below them and players thinking of themselves as superior as they think they are best in the game will collide in the middlething: of the fight.

But they proved him wrong. And the reason was only one thing, a fucking sword. He looked towards the Spear Master and him wielding the sword.

He cursed the sword and its holder for making him suffer like this. But what shocked him is what the sword can do to him.

“That sword really has the power to injure me. This immortal body!!”

Multiple injuries he received were because of the buff everyone received from that sword. If not for the sword, he would have crushed them all much earlier.

“That sword can give me the rest I yearn for.”

He, who always wished to die like a human, is always reminded of the fact that he is an immortal.

And now, the fates have made it possible for him to die in form of that sword.

“But I will not die like a dog!! I will also kill everyone here.”

He looked down at the team of the Supremes and the Players who were looking at him with caution. The number decreased as more died while fighting him, but they still came at him again and again.

No matter how brutally he killed their friends or destroyed the Supremes, they still crawled back, showing even more fierce fighting spirit, just because of one single variable.

“That Spear Master….he is a good leader. Because of him, they still have the spirit to fight me.”

Without him, they all would have given up by now. But his leadership and skills pushed them all this far. The Supreme also followed him blindly now.

“But even he is at his limit now.”

“And it seems that the fusion between the Supreme Goddess and him is about to end.”

The Supreme Goddess who had that power let the Spear Master, a player with class specializing in Spear, wield a sword is not something that can be done measly. I can somehow manipulate the laws of this world, facing no toll. Even I don’t know how I can do that, but the toll would be too much for both him and her.

“But it doesn’t matter…”

Who am I to care for their wellbeing? Both these players and Supremes used me for their gain only, so I will also do the same.

“I will kill both of them and then I will also die as well with the help of that sword.”

The long tiring battle for both him and the players, without a decisive conclusion, was nearing to its finale and…

“I guess I can now rest in peace for real.”

The unknown NPC then steeled himself and looked towards the sword. He felt an unknown feeling, an indescribable feeling of longing and sadness when looking towards that sword.

Not knowing what he felt, he diverted his vision towards the players, hoping that it will be his last ever fight.

***

Huff, Huff

“This…. damn monster!!”

How many does it need to defeat this damn monster?

All the players and the Supreme beings used their everything in order to defeat him.

Even though we all attacked him with various skills with the buff of Grandia on top of it, he still has fewer injuries than us and on top of it, we lost more comrades, whereas he has some major injuries at best.

And he isn’t using any of his undead army, too.

“This… is... too much!!”

He exhaled heavily, revealing the tiredness and fatigue he is feeling from this long battle.

Even though the game is developed to put less pressure brain and body of a user, it is still too much to endure for anyone.

The emotions and mental pressure the players had gone through during this war were already very much. So it can be said that the rankers exerted themselves more than a normal player, as they are key figures in this fight and they carry the expectations of the whole world.

But how things are going, many were now losing their faith in the rankers. The only thing that is holding their faith is the new-found powers of Spear Master and his majestic sword.

“I don’t think I will be able to use this sword any longer now.”

The time limit for using this sword was nearing, but they have done nothing that can be said to be a decisive blow. They have just stalled for time, with more casualties happening on their side.

“We don’t have much time!! And that bastard will probably grow more and will adapt to using his powers.”

“We must defeat him somehow.”

But how? That’s what he asked himself. He even risked his levels and his whole avatar too, but still it is not enough to kill this damned bastard.

While pondering for the solution, he heard a sound.

[Spear Master, do not lose hope now.]

“…..!!?”

“Who?”

[It’s me, the Supreme Goddess.]

[I know you are at your limit now, but hang on. The being you are fighting right now is not someone to look down on.]

[We have created something that belongs to another realm, a forbidden realm. We tried to replicate more of ourselves but created something that was close to our origin.]

The words of the goddess confused him more than he heard her. The Spear Master, who always is curious about anything related to the game, naturally had questions as he heard the goddess.

Origin? What does she mean by that?

As the question arose about this new term, a question about it naturally was spoken by his mouth.

“What do you mean by origin?”

The goddess stayed quiet for some seconds, and then with a deep sigh, she slowly started explaining about the origin.

[It is as the name implies. I, who is the first and the only one who opened my eyes, was also created by something. Although I do not know who created me, I can somewhat feel about its presence. That’s what we call our origin.]

[And that sword you are holding radiates the energy of origin, but more than I can feel in myself.]

“This sword…?”

The Spear Master held the sword, looking at it with questionable eyes, but he didn’t feel anything or heard nothing.

[The only way to kill him is that sword. You must hurry, as the time we will be fused is nearing its end.]

[And you are the son of that man, so you will find the answers to your questions.]

“!!”

The Spear Master was shocked at the sudden mentioning of his father by the goddess. Even though he was part of the leading experts that created this game, it was still shocking to hear about his father from an NPC.

“How do you know about my father?”

[….]

The goddess didn’t answer him back, making him more tense.

“Answe-”

[We do not have time to talk about this, look above. He has recovered already.]

“!!”

He looked towards the sky where the unknown entity is, with him looking down on them with an abnormal gaze.

[You will get your answers, but first…]

A silhouette of a goddess appeared around the Spear Master, resembling a mother embracing her child. The warmth he felt was something he always longed for. He wanted to feel this sensation a bit longer, but he denied this feeling.

Sensing the feelings of the Spear Master, the goddess smiled, but there was a strange sadness in that smile.

[Stay strong.]

The Spear Master heard the whisper, but ignored as he focused on the NPC above.

Steeling his heart and will, the Spear Master looked determined as he held the sword with a firm grip, hoping that this long tiring battle will end soon.