At the dead of the night under the dim moon, the sound of metals striking against metals surrounded the village.
Women and children hid inside their homes in fear, while the brave warriors fought hard against the dirty green-skinned, long-eared creatures.
Hee-hee-hee!
The grotesque laughter of the goblins drifted across the battlefield, jumping up and down in excitement as they pushed forward in their ruthless attacks, forcing the unwilling warriors back over time.
The upper hand was turning in the goblins favor.
Suddenly, the darkness was temporarily overcome by a bright arc of light that appeared out of nowhere.
Unable to withstand the sharp light, everyone finally opened their eyes only to see a young man wielding a large axe standing there.
There came the dreadful sight, beneath him were the scattered pieces of the green ugly creatures strewn across the cold ground like butchered meat.
Everybody, both humans and goblins, were stunned by the scene.
"A single strike has made me feel weak," he sighed heavily, a crooked smile on his face.
GRAAHK!
SKREE!
At the back, a muscular figure appearing as the chieftain raised his spear, summoning the horde into a battle charge with a war cry.
Before the goblins could come closer again, the young man took a quick step and in a second struck down with the heavy axe, slaying dozens of them in a single strike.
"A mere goblin, acting almighty before me? Despite my weakness, I am still capable of crushing you effortlessly."
The warriors watched as the young man brandished his axe, fighting the many goblins and their chieftain alone by himself.
"Draven, our savior! Draven, gift of the gods! Draven!"
They chorused as they praised the young man's name, hitting their weapons together to create a beat. Soon, the women and children joined in, echoing the same rhythm and filling the night with his name.
—————
Who was that young man?
'Oh sorry, my bad, that was me, Draven Cross. The player with countless awards attached to my name, now respawned in the real world of Kingdom Evolution Online.
After years of immersive play, I was able to conquer the final boss and now? Now, I have to restart everything in a weak body, back to square one in a world where I reigned supreme.
Let's go back to the last moment of why I ended up here.'
<<<<<<<
Few days ago—
"The rangers just confirmed that the Black Queen armies will soon arrive here."
A broad man in white armor reported as he stood beside the tall, masked youth who had twin axes strapped to his back.
The masked figure only nodded, standing upon the kingdom walls. His gaze on the horizon as though expecting the arrival of someone.
This was the leader of the Eterna Guild which was made up of different players.
The players stared at the leader, feeling a supreme aura of confidence radiating from him. There were admiration in their eyes, a sign of respect to the legend who had never lost a battle.
Kingdom Evolution Online was the first VRMMO to seize the attention of every player on Earth from day one of its release.
On that first day, downloads swelled into the millions and over the years they climbed toward a billion. The reason was simple yet powerful.
Players didn't just play, they lived inside it to experience this world.
Kingdom building, brutal war, strategy and honor, all experienced not on a screen but through their bodies with the magical game helmet.
"Are all the preparations completed?"
He finally asked, his voice was so young.
Everybody around was not shocked.
The name Deathcleaver was known to all. An orphan who began gaming at five and rose to fame, shaking the gaming world with talent none could rival.
When Kingdom Evolution Online was launched, he was thirteen. From that day, he dedicated his life to the game. Now, at nineteen, that same name still resounded above all others.
"All preparations are already complete, each player ready in their position," answered White Emperor, the second in charge and most powerful mage in the guild.
In the distance, a thick cloud of dust surged forward as the ground shook beneath countless marching feet.
The Black Queen's army had arrived.
When the dust finally settled, an endless sea of monsters stretched outside the kingdom's gate. Lizardmen, Cyclopes, Wargs, Manticores, Goblins… countless breeds gathered as one, their presence creating a suffocating tension in the air.
Draven stood at the top with a calm expression, his eyes still looking into the distance like the monsters before him were not even worth his attention.
Slowly, darkness permeated everywhere.
Then, large shadows swept across the sky as winged beasts rushed forward with thunderous cries.
"Everyone get ready!"
Draven's voice rang out all over the place.
"So this is the undefeatable Deathcleaver, guardian of the Eterna Kingdom."
"I will spare your life if you surrender and become my subordinate."
The voice boomed from all directions, unknown where in particular.
Suddenly a feminine figure appeared above the sky of the kingdom.
Her beauty was striking, with dark eyes shining like polished stone and long black hair flowing behind her.
A red slit dress hugged her pale skin, showing her graceful curves. Her lips were full and tempting, her smile soft yet dangerous, stirring desire in every glance.
The players were immediately drawn by her beauty, an irresistible urge rising from their hearts.
Draven was unaffected, staring at the famous witch, Elandra Moirae, the nightmare of every kingdom.
"I can see the lust in your heart, surrender and come enjoy the wonderful moment forever," the words echoed in the hearts of all the players.
His twin axes roared through the sky, tearing apart her spell. The witch dodged to the side, losing control of the players. They broke free from her bondage, regaining their will to fight.
As the players charged into the endless tide of monsters.
Draven moved to face the true threat.
The air grew heavy, crackling with dark magic as the witch prepare to destroy him.
However, Draven remained calm. He was an unstoppable force as the fate of the kingdom rested on his shoulders.
Draven and the witch clashed head on for minutes, exchanging hundreds of attacks within seconds.
"Your resistance is charming," Elandra's laugh was tempting. "The more you fight, the more I want to make you my eternal servant. Come, let me see how you break."
A chilling gust of wind swept across the battlefield as Elandra waves her hand. From the black mists surrounding her, a dracolich with glowing red eyes and skeletal wings emerged, it roars shook everywhere like an earthquake.
Cleave of light!
He didn't flinch, his axe roared to life, a colossal shadow descending and tearing through the bone and flesh of the monstrous creature.
"Staff of destruction!"
The witch conjured a black staff, runes glowing as destructive qi filled the sky, causing the whole place to tremble violently.
Draven did not give her the chance to complete whatever she was doing and swiftly approached her.
His axe flared with killing intent, surging like a raging storm. Before the staff's power could erupt, he stepped forward, the axe cutting through the air.
Boom!
The strike shattered her dark energy, splitting the mist apart. Her body staggered under the crushing force while blood flowed down her shoulder as the overwhelming cleaver intent slammed into her.
Just as the finishing strike was about to land, the staff of destruction created a shield and protected her within.
A surge of black energy erupted around her, shielding her body and halting the blow that should have ended her life.
Draven swung his axe again and again, but his attacks could not break through the dark barrier.
The witch started chanting in a low voice.
"...Now, hear my call and let the curse begin."
"Let me see how you survive this ultimate 'Cursebloom' of mine."
The witch's began to glow, a dark shield forming around her as she planned to escape.
But, Draven was faster as his axe flashed and slice through the air. There was no sound as it cleaved through her skull.
Elandra's eyes was wide open in shock and terror as her body fell from the sky.
[Player Deathcleaver has become the first-ever player to defend and defeat the world's most terrifying nightmare witch, Elandra Moirae, from his territory! Congratulations!]
[Congratulations to Eterna Guild, as they triumphantly upgrade their territory to the highest rank
"Finally," Draven couldn't help but smile.
Just then, a wave of dark energy erupted from the witch's fallen, her ultimate 'Cursebloom' finally taking root and slammed into him before he could even react.
[Player Deathcleaver has fallen to the final strike of the witch, Elandra Moirae.]