The crimson glow and warmth of the Red Moon bathed the land. Between the branches of the trees, shadows danced with the wind, and the whispers of nocturnal creatures carried an ominous forewarning.
Players moved through the darkness, swords in hand, preparing their abilities in the level-80 hunting grounds, while the stream's chat erupted with the usual community banter.
All of this unfolded near Thonteon, the walled city that slept beneath the shadow of Mount Olympia. The moonlight slowly faded, swallowed by a veil of dark clouds.
Then, without warning, the soldiers atop the walls and the nearby players looked up, as if the very air itself had trembled. A single guitar chord cut through the night: a thunderous sound that tore across the sky.
And there it was. Countless ships unfurled across the heavens, devouring the red glow of the moon.
A music unfamiliar to the NPCs rose—profane, electrifying to the players and the chat who recognized it—shaking even the city's iron gates.
The ships ascended in formation. At the mountain's peak, a bolt of blue lightning tore through the darkness. As the first cannon fired and the debris settled, the truth revealed itself amid the ruins: a floating island hovered above the mountain.It was Olympus.The dwelling of the gods.
At the prow of the flagship, a figure stood motionless. His gaze—the eyes of a general consumed by fury—burned with an intense red. He extended his hand, giving a single command, and millions of drones swarmed from the ships like a living storm. All of it unfolding as the distant chords of KISS's "I Was Made for Lovin' You" rang out. His voice cut through the night, sharp as an irrevocable decree:
—"FIRE!"
Plasma cannons roared in unison. The sky became an ocean of molten light. That night… would be remembered as "The Night of No Return."
The exact instant when the most powerful sentient Bug in existence decided to stop holding back… the day two realities trembled before a single NPC.
***
Five months before the launch of [War Of Kingdoms.]
***
The scene before them was striking: a mighty warrior lay fallen on the ground, while an imposing swordsman stood triumphantly over him, one foot pressing down on his head, raising his great sword in victory. He was mere seconds away from delivering the final blow...
And then, I received a message:
[You have lost]
I slammed my fist against the desk, frustration boiling over.
— "Damn it! I can't win a single match!"
My fist was still trembling from the impact, my face hot with anger. Why was I so bad at this? I couldn't even beat the most inexperienced players.
[Incoming video call request]
— "That must be that idiot Marlon… Let's see what he wants."
As soon as I accepted the call, his mocking voice filled my ears.
— Marlon: "Hahaha! Pathetic."
I sighed, more resigned than angry. Leaning back in my chair, I stared at the ceiling and let out a bitter chuckle.
— Me: "I've lost count..."
— Marlon: "Seventy-three times. In a row. Seriously, if I were as bad as you, I'd rather stay anonymous too."
— Me: "It's just... you're really good."
— Marlon: "Nope. You just suck. Watching you play is like watching my grandpa try to game on his phone. Hilarious."
— Me: "Haha… y-yeah… Anyway, I gotta go."
— Marlon: "Hit me up if you want another beatdown, Erling, the masked idiot."
— Me: "Yeah, sure. Bye."
[Logging out of Versus Royal...]
I closed the game, took off my hoodie and the hockey mask I always wore, and shut down my computer. Walking over to the window of my penthouse, I gazed at the city skyline and let out a deep sigh.
— "I really suck at this game… No matter how much I try, I just can't get better. Just like with everything else. War of Kingdoms… this will be my last shot. After this, I'm done."
My name is Brian Dreifus, 26 years old. The third son of Zack Dreifus.
My father is one of the world's most powerful business tycoons. And I? I'm the black sheep of the family.
Being the son of a billionaire has its perks, sure. But it also has its downsides. The constant pressure from my parents, the expectations of an entire family that once believed in my potential—it's crushing. But that potential… it died with my mother.
Ever since she passed away, I've tried to get better at gaming. I made a promise to her. But I've decided that if I fail this time, I'll break that promise. Even if it hurts.
Because no matter what game it is, I suck at all of them. I've lost count of how many times I've gambled my rare items and high-tier equipment away—whether to amateurs or professionals.
After she died, I was diagnosed with Essential Tremor (not Parkinson's). There's no cure, only treatments that don't help improve my coordination. My hands never stop shaking.
That's given me a bit of "fame" in the gaming world. A well-known streamer, Clearfive, nicknamed me "The Idiot Provider"—because every time I lose, I hand over top-tier gear. (Yeah, I know. I'm an idiot.) Another popular name for me is "The Loser-Gold", since I've wasted a ridiculous amount of money.
My older siblings, Bert and Brittany Dreifus, weren't wrong when they called me a "bloodsucking leech". They have a point, but I have my reasons. I'll never forgive my father for cheating on my mother. So, if throwing away his money pisses him off, then that's fine by me. Because money is the only thing he cares about.
I don't know if that's an excuse… but I really do hate carrying the Dreifus name.
The only bright spot in my life is her.
The world knows her as Lilian Rhymes, a pro-gamer and singer. But her real name is Liliana Hillman.
I met her two years ago, back when I was in college. She was 23, a rising star after her idol group disbanded. One day, I saw her name pop up on a live gaming stream: Lilian Game. My curiosity got the best of me, so I tuned in and watched her play. She was amazing.
I decided to challenge her.
I sent her a message:
— "I, Erling, Lord of Darkness, challenge you to a 1v1 duel. If you win, you get my inventory and the 'Thirty Seconds of God' artifact. Do you accept?"
Her chat exploded:
[GamersLovers]:WHAT?! The Orb is on the line!!
[PantyLover69]:Dude's crazy, lol.
[SlimyGreen]:Throwing away such a rare item like it's nothing… he really is the king of idiots.
[Fast&Delicious]:Wait… that name… it has to be him…
[LilianFanatic]:WHO?! TALK, DAMN IT!
[Fast&Delicious]:The legendary loser. The rich idiot—Erling, the worst gamer alive.
A minute later, I got her response.
L1l1-Play:"Of course, I accept."
My character was teleported to the Versus Royal arena. There she was—her berserker warrior, stunning and deadly, twin axes in hand. Meanwhile, my knight stood ready, clad in blood-red armor, gripping a longsword.
[Match conditions set][Duel begins in…][5][4][3][2][1][FIGHT]
The moment the battle started, she rushed at me. I braced for the attack—only for her to vanish, reappearing at an angle I couldn't predict.
Her axe hurtled toward me with terrifying force, sending my armored knight crashing into a wall. Dust and debris scattered across the battlefield. She retrieved her weapon, sliding it back onto her back.
I clenched my keyboard and forced my character to stand. I charged forward, preparing my ultimate move—
A dark purple aura engulfed my blade. This was it. My strongest attack.
— "Aura Blade, 8th Form: Heaven's Rending Strike!"
But she was faster. She disappeared—again. My sword slashed through nothing.
Before I could react, she appeared behind me, launching a crushing uppercut that sent my knight airborne.
As I was still mid-air, she reappeared once more, her entire body glowing with an ominous red aura. She drew her axes and unleashed a devastating mid-air combo, striking down with a final, brutal blow.
My character hit the ground, hard. The battlefield cracked beneath him.
A message popped up:
[You have lost]
A video call request appeared. I quickly grabbed my clown mask, put it on, and accepted.
L1l1-Play:"Pay up, loser."
— "Alright, alright…"
[Duel conditions fulfilled]
L1l1-Play:"A little advice, legendary loser—learn to read patterns and chain your attacks. Otherwise… well, you know what happens."
— "I want a rematch."
She smirked.
L1l1-Play:"You? Win against me? Heh… I hope you're ready to lose everything, 'legendary loser.'
"One more loss, and I'm done. But if I win… what then?"