Year 2030.
It was past midnight, when a single desk inside Artemis Games' studio was still lit on.
The blue light of the monitor flashed onto a man's face. What it revealed was enough to shock many.
The man was about 30 years old, yet his back was hunched like an old ghost from a horror movie. The eyes behind the perfectly square-shaped glasses had dark circles that were enough to earn pity.
But this world showed him no pity.
Being an orphan at the age of 8 due to his parents dying in a car accident, Liam was left with nothing but a mountain of debt.
Still, in this society where money matters more than appearance, he survived.
Not only did he survive, but using his above-average IQ, he completed school, enrolled in a college on a scholarship, and got a degree from a local university.
A full 18 years spent on studying and working part-time.
But all those years of hard work resulted in a job in a game developer company with a meager salary of $60,000 per annum.
The numbers may shock many, but in this economy filled with torrential inflation, nothing is left by the end of each month.
And job security is nonexistent. Especially with the rising technology in AI. It wouldn't be long before Liam, a six-years-experienced developer, gets swept into this storm like others.
And that's why he was secretly preparing a breakthrough.
When his colleagues slept at home, Liam used the that time to create a game he had been dreaming of ever since he was little.
Sword Evolution Online.
An action RPG game.
It sounded simple from the title, but it had a unique power progression system. Players awaken unique swords tied to their souls, and gains unique abilities once they upgrade them through quests, challenges, or gathering resources from dungeons.
If a player's sword gets broken even once, they die and would have to start over again.
It was a pretty realistic plot, but he also knew many wouldn't like that due to how time-consuming and wasteful it would be for the players.
So, today he was working on further code to introduce new mechanisms that would solve the issue.
He had been working on this secret project for five years, spending every penny he earned on outsourcing graphics and using the existing resources of the studio.
Yes, it was theft. But at this point in his life, he didn't care.
He wanted to be free from these shackles that this world forced upon him.
His whole life was spent on chasing money (or perhaps success), working for others. He didn't even have a girlfriend, nor had he experienced sex.
Sometimes, he feels frustrated about it, but could do nothing but quietly release his frustration in a lonely corner.
He had none to share his pain with. He was alone.
Only some insignificant dreams and hopes kept him going in this life.
He glanced at the clock.
12:30 AM
"Hmm, I should get something to eat. After that I will pack up and go home," he stretched his arms andback, feeling extremely painful.
Just as he rose from the chair, he felt the world shake around him.
He barely gained his footing by holding the nearby desk.
He let out a burp that smelled mostly of caffeine. Too much coffee had made his brain dizzy. He could barely keep his eyes open.
He really wanted to sleep badly. But today's task was important. He was at the final stage of completing his dream project.
So, while swaying right to left, he reached the cafeteria on the same floor.
Click.
After illuminating the floor, he made a cup of coffee from the machine and got himself a cold sandwich from the fridge.
The studio has everything an employee needs, but it's only to keep the workers doing their jobs like obedient slaves.
He took a sip of the sugar-free coffee and looked outside the Metropolis through the windows.
At midnight, most parts of the city were quiet, with everyone drifting into sleep on their warm beds.
"And here am I, a loser, dreaming the impossibility," he mumbled, gazing at the night city while bitterly mocking himself.
He remained seated near the glass window for a very long moment.
In the quietness of night, he suddenly found himself in a strange sense of peace.
Just then, a faint noise reached him:
Clatter, clatter.
He instantly stood up, completely alert. To his knowledge, there should be no one in the studio at this hour.
He immediately grabbed a steel fork from the table, becoming completely wary of possible burglars.
Slowly, little by little, step by step, Liam followed the source of the noise and reached the same desk he was sitting at until now.
Once he saw what was there, he was stunned.
Another man in a blue coat and red tie was desperately searching for something on the computer.
"Where is it? Where is it? Where did he hide it?"
The unknown man mumbled something.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly the man paused typing completely, as if sensing Liam's presence.
He turned back to see Liam's shocked face.
"S-Senior?" the man stammered. "Why have you not left yet?"
Liam's pupils constricted after recognizing who it was.
"Theo? What are you doing here? What are you searching for in my desk?" Liam asked, raising his voice a little.
Theodore Mckenzie. A 27-year-old colleague who had just passed his internship with a lot of hardship. He was not a friend, but couldn't be called less than that either. He was like a kind and honest junior Liam knew, and Liam treated him really well.
"I-I..." Theo tried to come up with excuses, but Liam cut him off angrily.
"Ingrate. I know what you were trying to do. You were trying to steal my project. You were biting the same hand that once fed you," he growled.
"But how did you know about my project? For how long? Answer me."
Theodore lowered his head, visibly shaking from Liam's pressure.
"Senior, it's not just me. B-Boss knows everything you are trying to do. He had secretly kept an eye on you for years."
Hearing this from Theodore, Liam felt as if a bucket of cold water had washed over him.
"He knows? So all this time, I was just a prey in his eyes?"
Theodore finally looked at Liam's overworked face. "This was inevitable, Senior. This is his kingdom. He has his eyes everywhere. No one can escape after stealing his resources and taking advantage of them."
"Bang!"
"But this is my hard work!" Liam shouted, banging his fist onto the table. "My damn life depends on it. I don't want to be trapped in this cycle forever."
"And you, Theo. I have treated you so well. I have guided you, endured your temper, gave excuses for your absence, and taken extra shifts to help you complete your projects. Because of me you became a full-time employee. So why would you still betray me? Just why?"
Theodore's heart shook, but only for a moment.
There was no guilt or regret in those young eyes.
"I'm thankful for what you did, Senior. But Boss said if I can bring this game to him, he will make me a team manager. I will get more salary than you and have my own team to lead in Artemis studio in the future."
"And Senior, there's still a chance for you. Boss said he saw great potential in your game. He wants to make it a VR game. You'll also get your credit. You just have to give them the code and assist them fully."
"Pooh!" Liam spat on the floor in reply. He looked at Theodore with a gaze that mocked his stupidity.
"Get lost!" he barked coldly. The steel fork in his hand still gripped tightly, forcing Theodore to take a step back.
"Senior, you can't fight them. They have the law and money. Even if you die, the world will not bat an eye," Theo said before leaving.
Theodore's words hurt Liam where it should.
After all, he was saying the truth. The world wouldn't side with a simple employee. They will just brand him as a thief, forever ruining his career.
Once Theo left the office, Liam slumped onto the chair.
His eyelids became heavy with exhaustion.
"I am finished, aren't I?"
The answer was a loud yes.
"I hate my life." His eyes turned red.
"But I won't let them get their hands on my game. I will destroy it. Code by code."
He inserted the pendrive containing the code and began to boot up the backend server in the studio.
Very quickly, the cursor hovered above two options.
[ Yes ] or [ No ]
This was it. His years of hard work would be deleted with a single step. He felt sorrow he couldn't express to anyone.
But he had to do this. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction of enjoying his hard work.
But just as he was about to click Yes, a searing pain erupted from the back of his neck.
Blurgh!
Instantly, blood spilled out from his throat like gargling water, staining the desk, keyboard, and mouse.
He clutched his throat to breathe, but he couldn't.
Clang!
Like a slayed chicken, he fell from the chair and twitched onto the floor.
He couldn't utter a word, nor scream.
At his life's last moment, he only heard one word: "I am Sorry!"
Ding!
[ Target Soul Found: Beginning Integration...]
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[ 67%...]
[ 99.99%... ]
[ Integration Successful ]
[ Transferring The Host To The Desired Dimension... ]