That day finally came.
The last tournament.
The last night.
I sat on a rickety chair beside my bed, headset on, the glowing screen before me showing Dungeon Forge. Beside me, Kurumi clutched her controller—her face bright with excitement, but her eyes carrying a sadness she couldn't hide.
Kurumi:
"...Nii-san, I'm not ready yet. It feels like... like we're abandoning family. My NPCs... they'll all just disappear."
Me:
"Kurumi, they were never really gone. They'll always be in your head—just like the hundreds of dungeon blueprints I've drawn. Besides... we don't have a choice. The prize money from this tournament... we need it to eat next month."
(Yeah. This world doesn't care about people like us. It doesn't matter how flawless the Tower I built was, or how beautiful Kurumi's guardians were. The world only cares about one thing: can you pay your bills or not?)
We logged in.
The opening music slapped our ears with nostalgia.
A notification popped up: "Grand Final Tournament: Last Day Before Server Closure."
I took a deep breath.
This would be the last time... our Tower would stand.
Kurumi:
"Nii-san... even up to the very last day, no one has cleared our Tower. My NPCs never got to fight seriously. It's like... I made them for nothing."
Me:
"Don't say that. Your guardians weren't for nothing. They were too perfect. That's why no one could get past. That's proof of your hard work, Kurumi."
She smiled faintly. But I knew it was a forced smile.
And then—world chat exploded.
[World Chat] PlayerX:
"DAMN IT! Dozens of raids and still nothing! Is the Ourolith Tower BUGGED?!"
[World Chat] NightSlayer:
"Kaliburz! DollMaker! Cheaters! No way normal players could build defenses like that!"
[World Chat] MoonlightHealer:
"Shut up. They're geniuses. Respect to the Shirokami siblings—their Tower's a masterpiece."
[World Chat] BloodGuildMaster:
"Even on the final day, my guild only made it to floor 62. Embarrassing..."
[World Chat] LonelyMage:
"I wish I could've joined their team... standing with the Tower instead of always dying to it..."
Kurumi:
"See, Nii-san? Some still call us cheaters..."
Me:
"Let them. People who can't accept losing will always look for excuses."
Kurumi:
"But some are congratulating us too... hehe. It's weird. They hate us, but admire us at the same time."
Me:
"That's how you know our creation is real. Not everyone can say they've built a world like this."
The screen suddenly replayed a raid from a year ago.
A massive siege. Every guild joined, convinced they could finally bring down our Tower.
But in the end... they all stopped at floor 62.
Their items littered the floor. Relics, weapons, rare armor—all abandoned.
Kurumi:
"Poor guys... The upper-floor guardians never even got to show up. I worked so hard on them."
Me:
"Same. The traps above floor 70... no one ever saw them. Ironic, huh? We killed ourselves working on something... that never even got touched."
(My chest felt heavy. For a whole year, our Tower stood undefeated. And now... all of it would vanish in moments.)
World chat grew louder.
[World Chat] DarkKnight77:
"Kaliburz, DollMaker! You're monsters. Your Tower is impossible. But... thank you. Really. This game only had meaning because of you."
[World Chat] SakuraBlade:
"Yeah. Without Ourolith, Dungeon Forge would've died ages ago. I'm proud I failed in your Tower."
[World Chat] FlameTank:
"Still pissed, though! I NEVER got to see the top! I WANNA KNOW WHAT'S UP THERE!!!"
Kurumi:
"...They want to see the top, Nii-san. But... I never wanted to show them. That part was just for us, right?"
Me:
"Yeah. The Tower wasn't for anyone else. It was our world. Our home."
A sudden notification appeared. White letters on a black screen.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]:
"Thank you for playing Dungeon Forge. The servers will close in 5 minutes. We, the developers, are grateful for the creativity, dedication, and community you've built. Especially the Tower of Ourolith—you have created a legend."
Kurumi:
"...They said our Tower's name, Nii-san. From the developers themselves..."
Me:
"...Heh. At least someone understands how precious this really is."
World chat went wild.
[World Chat] PlayerX:
"NOOOOO!!! DON'T SHUT IT DOWN!!!"
[World Chat] NightSlayer:
"DAMN IT! ONE MORE RAID!!!"
[World Chat] MoonlightHealer:
"Goodbye, Ourolith... goodbye, Dungeon Forge..."
[World Chat] LonelyMage:
"DollMaker, Kaliburz... thank you. Really. You made me believe miracles could exist in a game."
I looked at Kurumi. She looked back, her eyes glistening.
Kurumi:
"Nii-san... if the real world falls apart like this game... what will we do?"
Me:
"We'll build a new world. Just like we built the Tower. As long as we're together, we can."
Kurumi:
"Promise?"
Me:
"Promise."
The countdown appeared.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]:
"Server will close in 10... 9... 8..."
I gripped Kurumi's hand. She gripped back, tightly.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]:
"3... 2... 1..."
The screen went dark.
The server was gone.
And with it ended the world we had built with our entire lives.
The server shut down.
The screen went black.
And suddenly, I was staring at nothing but an empty desktop.
Kurumi said nothing. She just sat there, silent, her eyes fixed on her own dark monitor.
I pushed myself up from the chair.
Me:
"Kurumi, I'll head out for a bit. Get us something to eat. Maybe that'll cheer you up."
Slowly, Kurumi lifted her head.
Kurumi:
"...I'll come too, Nii-san. I want to pick my own food."
I gave her a small smile.
Me:
"Alright. Get ready first."
I stepped toward the door, hand on the knob.
But… it didn't move.
I twisted harder. Nothing.
It was as if the metal itself had frozen solid.
Me:
"...What?"
Kurumi turned her head.
Kurumi:
"Nii-san... the AC..."
I glanced at it. The unit was still glowing, the fan light still on—
but the droplets that always dripped from the vent hung motionless in the air.
Even the CPU fan had stopped, though its power light still burned.
Silence. Not a single sound.
Kurumi:
"Don't joke around... Has time... stopped?"
She ran to me and clutched me tight, her body trembling.
Kurumi:
"I'm scared, Nii-san..."
I looked around. Everything had truly frozen.
Why? What was happening?
When I tried to move, my body slowed.
It felt as if something was dragging me down, weighing me in place.
Me (thinking):
"This... isn't just time stopping. Something is... pulling me in..."
I looked at Kurumi in my arms.
Her eyes no longer blinked.
Her face had frozen in fear.
Me (thinking):
"Kurumi... no, don't stop... don't leave me..."
My body stiffened. My breath grew shallow.
Until at last, I could no longer move at all.
And then, a screen appeared before me.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]:
"The beta phase of Dungeon Forge has ended."
"Player Kaliburz and Player DollMaker have been chosen as representatives of Dungeon Forge."
"Congratulations, and good luck."
White light swallowed everything.
And my consciousness was devoured.
When I opened my eyes, I was no longer in my room.
I stood in a cosmic chamber.
Above me stretched a sky of endless stars.
Beneath me gleamed a floor of glittering glass.
And at the far end—a throne.
On either side, nine banners fluttered.
Each bore a sigil.
Sigils I knew all too well.
The Ultivates.
Me (thinking):
"This is... the 100th floor. The throne room of Ourolith. My own design..."
Warmth still lingered in my arms.
Kurumi was there, clinging to me, but now tears streamed down her face.
Kurumi:
"Nii-san... what's happening...? Where are we...?"
I scanned the chamber.
There was no mistaking it. This was Ourolith.
But why?
Me:
"It looks like... we're inside the game. Or at least something that resembles it. But why... I don't know either."
Kurumi sobbed softly.
Kurumi:
"This is real, Nii-san... not a dream. I can feel the floor... it's cold. I can breathe this air... I'm scared..."
I shut my eyes for a moment. Calm down.
If I panicked, Kurumi would shatter completely.
Me (thinking):
"If this really is Ourolith... then this is the world I built. A world shaped by my own hands. But how...?"
Kurumi's hands clutched my clothes tight.
Kurumi:
"Nii-san... if this really is Ourolith... then my guardians... are they here too?"
My gaze went to the banners.
Yes. Those were their emblems.
The guardians Kurumi herself had crafted.
Me:
"Most likely... yes. If the Tower is complete, then they should be here too. But..."
Kurumi:
"But...?"
Me:
"It means they're not just NPCs anymore. They might be real."
Kurumi froze, her reddened eyes locked on mine.
Kurumi:
"Real...? You mean... they can move? Speak? Think...?"
Me:
"If this world exists... then yes. That's possible."
Kurumi covered her mouth, tears spilling faster.
Kurumi:
"I... I don't know if I should be happy... or terrified..."
I gently patted her head.
Me:
"Don't worry. As long as I'm here, no one will hurt you."
Kurumi pressed herself closer.
Kurumi:
"Then... Nii-san... this means we weren't just playing a game, right? All your designs... all my guardians... they're real here..."
My eyes turned to the throne.
Empty. Waiting.
Me (thinking):
"That throne... was designed for Kaliburz and DollMaker. For us. Does this mean... this world has chosen us as its rulers?"
Kurumi slowly released me, her tear-filled eyes fixed on the throne.
Kurumi:
"Nii-san... I'm scared to sit there..."
Me:
"So am I. But... maybe that's the only way to find out why we were brought here."
She bit her lip.
Kurumi:
"What if this is... a test? What if this world is testing us?"
I gave her a faint smile.
Me:
"Then it's nothing new. The real world has tested us plenty. And we're still here, aren't we?"
Kurumi gazed at me, then gave a small nod.
Kurumi:
"Alright... as long as I'm with you, Nii-san..."
Together, we stepped toward the throne.
Our footsteps echoed across the glassy cosmic floor.
Starlight shimmered beneath our feet.
And in the distance, the banners of the guardians began to tremble.
As if they knew—
their masters had arrived.