Time: Subjective 10 years after the catastrophe.
Location: Northern border of "Eternity" where three servers—"Fantasy," "Space," and "Stone Age"—collide.
The movement wasn't just fast, it was nearly invisible.
Kenji, the former gamer Shadow, was now a different person. His clothing wasn't an awkward mixture of leather and scraps of iron, but flexible armor of the "Saint-Killer" class that he'd crafted himself from the durable hides of various creatures and technological remnants, in black and gray colors. This armor perfectly matched his body movements.
He was fighting a colossal Interplanetary Demon (a five-headed Devil wearing cosmic armor). This creature could have made Kenji bite the dust in an instant ten years ago. Now the Demon was just another experience package for Kenji.
Each of the Demon's heads attacked with different elements: one with plasma, the second with fire, the third with ice.
Kenji stood silently. He showed neither sarcasm nor amazement. Only cold focus was on his face.
*Commands in his brain:*
Hand: "Dragon Fang!" (Block the fire)
Shoulder: "Plasma-X!" (Target the head shooting ice)
Back: "Meteor Shield!" (Summon for an instant a shield made from earth element to protect him from the plasma strike coming from behind)
These actions weren't just summoning weapons, this was the art of "Voluntary Object Realization" that came from years of practice. Kenji could control four weapons simultaneously, combining knight, archer, samurai, and tank within one body.
In one moment, he severed three of the Demon's heads. The remaining two heads panicked, gathered all their strength, and prepared to explode.
"Too late," Kenji muttered. His voice was hoarse and rough from lack of speech. "Tac-Tactical error. Should have killed the main head first."
He spun his sword. The "Soul Essence" energy accumulated in his armor exploded as an energy wave, and Kenji's body reached the Demon at lightning speed.
"Time Slice"—This was Kenji's unique move created through mastering all combat arts. In an instant, the Demon's entire body was divided into nearly 1000 small pieces.
The Demon vanished without a scream. Powerful, golden Essence rushed from its body toward Kenji.
Kenji froze in place. His muscles filled, fatigue disappeared. Now he barely felt the souls of ordinary creatures; only when devouring such massive Bosses did noticeable strengthening occur.
After the battle, Kenji headed to a hiding place he'd recently discovered. This place was a fragment of a Cosmic Station wedged into a mountain, completely protected.
The station's old, torn displays flickered and lit up from time to time.
Kenji sat on the ground. His hands simply rested from the sword, and he tried to give his brain a rest.
Ten years. He'd been alone here.
He no longer ate food. The Essence he devoured constantly regenerated his organism, which kept him from aging and maintained his body temperature at a stable level. He'd become the ideal body of a game character.
He found a piece of his old, torn VR helmet. He'd thrown it away at some point.
He looked at the helmet and tried to recall faded memories.
Aira. Her face was clear. Finding her—Kenji's sole purpose, his "Anchor Line." He remembered Aira's name well, her love, every conversation they'd had in VR.
Then he tried to remember another person. Someone waiting for him in the real world.
His little sister.
What was her name?
Kenji froze.
"My sister..." he bit his lip. "She... she..."
His brain was blank. He saw her face: young, timid, worried. But the name... The simple, real-life name... he'd forgotten it.
"L... Layl... Laylo!" Kenji shouted with a groan. The name cut through his brain like a sharp knife. "Laylo. Her name is Laylo!"
Kenji grabbed his head. His eyes widened, terrified.
"What's happening to me? 10 years... In 10 years have I begun to forget myself?"
He understood. This wasn't VR. His brain was changing from constant stress, concentration, and absorbing Essence. Real world memories, everything not connected to gamer life, were slowly being erased. He was in the process of becoming a predator.
He took a deep breath and commanded his brain: The word Laylo becomes the most fundamental command in his brain. He must not forget it.
Kenji stood up. Now he wouldn't only think about fighting and finding the next powerful Essence. He had another, new goal: Not lose himself.
"Another 70 years," he said hoarsely. "Let's begin."
He placed his hand on the Cosmic Station wall. The wall trembled. Kenji needed to find new level Bosses that he could no longer kill with an ordinary sword.