The final boss was supposed to die.
Not me.
Rex Valen's blade flashed one last time, carving through the colossal dragon's neck. The creature roared—half metal, half monster—as its body disintegrated into a storm of red pixels.
[Raid Complete! Congratulations, Fallen King Rexal.]
The notification blinked before his eyes, and the world around him erupted into cheers. Tens of thousands of players filled the virtual arena, chanting his name, "Rexal! Rexal! The King!"
For a moment, he smiled. Years of grinding, betrayal, and bloodshed—finally over. He pulled off his headset, expecting to see the dim glow of his apartment, maybe a warm beer waiting beside the console.
But when he opened his eyes…
He was still inside the game.
The arena hadn't vanished. The dead dragon's body still steamed, its scent—a mix of burnt metal and ash—clinging to his skin. And the pain in his arms… was real.
"...What the hell?" Rex whispered. He reached for his logout icon. Nothing. No menu. No HUD. Only silence.
Then came the voices.
"Fallen King Rexal…" A soldier NPC knelt before him, trembling. "We… we thought you were dead. How dare you return after all the lives you destroyed?"
Rex froze. NPCs weren't supposed to remember past events. They weren't supposed to accuse players.
"I completed the quest," he muttered. "You're not real."
The soldier's eyes filled with rage. "Not real? My wife burned in your last siege. My children were data to you. Tell me, Your Majesty, how does it feel now?"
The man drew his sword. The blade glinted under the broken digital sun.
Rex laughed nervously. "You're not coded for this. This isn't—"
The sword plunged into his side.
A shockwave of pain erupted through his body, stealing his breath. Not the faint vibration of a VR suit—real pain. Hot, sharp, searing.
He collapsed, clutching his wound, crimson dripping between his fingers. The system didn't flash a "Health Bar." There was no respawn timer. Only his heartbeat pounding in his ears.
[Warning: Physical feedback 100% synchronized.]
He fell to his knees. Around him, the arena dissolved, the sky above glitching like shattered glass. Code fragments rained from the heavens.
And then—a voice echoed.
Cold. Mechanical. Familiar.
"Welcome back, Fallen King Rexal. Your punishment begins now."
The ground cracked beneath his feet. The light vanished.
When Rex opened his eyes again, he was lying in a field of dead grass. His armor was gone. His level read: 0.
The System's last message hovered before his eyes—its text written in crimson.
[You have been reset.]
[Death rewards EXP.]
A chill ran through him.
He wasn't the player anymore.
He was trapped inside the world he once ruled—and now the world wanted him dead.
Rex clenched his fist, blood dripping from his palm. "If this is your punishment…" He looked toward the burning horizon. "Then I'll break your damn game."