1 Prologue Part 1: Life in Shambles

I haven't made very many accomplishments in my lifetime. One might consider it a life of much shame. Life as a shut-in who drains his parents' money like a parasite to fund his disgusting, unhealthy lifestyle doesn't sound exactly like a life anyone should be proud of.

I won't deny it. I'm not exactly satisfied by myself or the way that I am. However, that doesn't mean I can't be proud of at least one thing about myself. What's that one thing, you ask?

Well, I'll have you know that I am the undisputed top player of Orpheon Online.

I know how that might sound. But at this point, I don't really care about what you'd think about it, anyway. You know, I may be a loser NEET in real life, but in Orpheon Online, you are but another lowly plebeian insect to me.

Orpheon is the first MMORPG I've ever played. I started it all the way back in sophomore year of high school and developed an unhealthy obsession with it. In fact, the reason I graduated two years late was probably because I spent all my time thinking about and playing this game. It was my life, and it still is.

Nowadays, it's nowhere near as big and popular as it used to be. At one point, it had one of the largest playerbases of any MMORPG. Nowadays, with scarce updates and very few remaining players, most of whom are victims of sunk cost fallacy (myself being one of them), the game seems to be dying out. Still, I believe it will make a comeback, and when it does, everyone will see how far I've gotten and envy me.

How far have I exactly gotten, you ask? Hoho! I'll have you know that even among those remaining veteran players, I still happen to be the one who reigns above them all. I was one of the first players of the game who started playing it since launch, and have solidly held my place as the top player in every possible aspect of the game - PvP Rank, Character Level, Number of Achievements, Number of Pets, Total Money Spent... you name it, I'm the best at it. The gap between first and second place is also unfathomably large. Those peasants are not even close! I'm simply on another level!

Today, like any other day, I crawl out of the worn-out mattress in my damp, squalid basement and make my way to the gamer chair. Another day, another dollar. Am I right, fellas? You and I aren't so different, you know. You go to work every day to make money, I work every day to progress further in my—

A sudden email notification blinks from my PC, disrupting my thoughts. It's not particularly uncommon for me to get email notifications since I'm subscribed to so many newsletters for games and various... websites, but this one caught my eye because it was from Orpheon Online. As I said, the game hasn't had any news or major updates in quite a long time, so I excitedly clicked on the notification and opened the message.

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Greetings, loyal players of Orpheon Online!

We sincerely thank you all for continuing to play and support our game! However, today it is with a heavy heart we must inform you that due to the lack of profit and players, the game will be shut down and our servers will be terminated by the end of the month.

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HUH?

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All of our servers will go offline at 3:00 am UTC on April 26th. We hope that players will join us in our 116th and final major event, a closing ceremony starting at 3:00 pm UTC on April 25th. We intend for this event to become a last time of reunion with old friends and guild members as we send off the game that we all loved and cherished. Once again, to all players - thank you for staying with us all this time, and remember to Keep Adventuring!

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HUH????

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Note: There will be no refunds for purchased premium currency or cash shop items. For further information, please consult the FAQ section in our Help Center."

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WHAT????????

This can't be happening. I've been spending all my parents' money on this shit. You can't be serious. I'm not here, this isn't happening.

FUCK!! What the hell am I supposed to do now? What am I supposed to do? I hate this game. I hate these devs. God damn it!!

Maybe there's still time. Maybe there's still a chance. If I... If I shoot them a message, as the top player, maybe they'll consider keeping the game up...

This is it, isn't it? It's over now... I have nothing...

Well, reader... I guess you won. That's right, I lost completely. I have nothing anymore.

My life is in shambles.

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