A King of a dying World (pt.5) (remade)

As expected, the first to spring into action was Jae Kang. He rushed at Fafnir, who showed a hard to see surprised expression.

"Hoh? Coming at me first?"

Fafnir takes up his sword and swings it at a surprising speed. A horizontal slash that unfortunately misses, which was to be expected, and Jae Kang uses this opportunity to use it as leverage. He jumps lightly, placing his right foot on the broadside of the blade, and focuses his Ki into it. The result was a more powerful jump that knocked the sword out of trajectory.

"Huh?!!"

"Dragon's Descent!"

He reached a height of 32 meters into the air, just a bit higher than Fafnir's height of 30.1 meters. It was close, so Fafnir didn't have enough time to respond. The attack landed squarely onto his snout area, and the force of it made Fafnir drop forward.

"Lightning Bolt."

Of course, I didn't sit idly by like I did so far. I shot out a blue lightning bolt that nearly hit Jae Kang in the air, though fortunately for him he dodged it by a hair's breadth by spinning once and somehow able to stop his momentum from going any further.

"Tch."

"Mister Death, I hope you won't mind this."

Merlin Avalon is a Mage who specializes in a wide range of fields in Magic. From Attack Magic to Support Magic, Spellcrafts, Summoning Spells, Rituals, Sorceries, and even mastered a few selections of Grand Spells. His Build is, to my information, a type of skirmisher and brawler hybrid. It's weird, yes, how can a Mage be able to brawl?

'But he's quite clever, and resourceful.'

Normally, a Mage that brawls is a cornered Mage, one that is about to die. But, Merlin's particular Build is unique. It has a mix of Support Spells that boost Physical Damage and Defense values. Then, his Attack Spells are filled with Weapon Forming Spells and his Defense Spells are all those that have a redirect or damage effect.

A strange Build that, upon closer inspection, was pretty effective than first impressions. He even reinforced this peculiar Build with Spellcrafts and various Sorceries. It was, in all accounts, an outrageous Build that breaks all norms. But, he manages to make the 6th spot with it so its power is undeniable.

"Icicle Gate!"

But, with that being said, he's also a normal Mage. His arsenal of Spells are plentiful and versatile in many ways, as he is a Mage that's common in most troupes. Filled to the brim with interesting, wacky, and powerful Spells to meet the situation head on, sometimes literally.

"Foolish."

But, his Spells have virtually no effect on me. Attack Spells, Defensive Spells, anything related to Magic to be honest is and will be nothing more than a nuisance to me.

'Eyes of Infinity.'

[You have invoked a Spell of the Soul, Vulgrim Francis Eshion]

[All hostile Spells within your field of vision are nullified]

Instantly, almost like a lie, the Magic Eye for the Spell disappeared along with the raining icicles, evaporating in puffs of blue mists. I readjust my new vision, now filled with analytical panels.

'Right… I forgot about this.'

Eyes of Infinity, aside from the effects it gives, it also activates the futuristic attachments I have installed quite a while ago.

[The Mechanical Eye of God]

[Type: Futuristic Attachment]

[Item Effects:

+Upon any Vision-related activations, the attachment will activate, consuming 20 MP per second as fuel. The Item will scan anything within view and give a summary panel, containing both physical attributes and magical aptitude

It belonged to a dear friend in a World now consumed in Chaos of the existences known simply as the Outer Gods. They tampered with things they shouldn't, her included. I warned them of the dangers, but their human greed was always too powerful. They sought power to transcend the physical plain and attain Godhood in another way, but all they found was Chaos and its self-destructive powers.

'...'

Amusing, their deaths were. Foolish was I to believe that it would change. That any Human could change from their base instincts and temperaments.

"Comet Crash!"

Jae Kang resumes his assault, but it was stopped by the Royal Guards who jumped up to meet him.

"Kuk! Annoying fucks!"

His Comet Crash hit the halbert of one Royal Guard, while three others went in for the clean hits with the axehead at different angles and timing. Usually this would be death, but Jae Kang responded to it to the best of his abilities.

"Iron Body of Will, Force Acceleration!"

Jae Kang pushed his body's limit over the first of five marks. The halberts wounded him, yes, but it became stuck to his body where muscles contracted with tremendous force to hold it in place. This created an opening, in which Jae Kang used to attack fiercely.

"Mirage Palms, Dragon's War Cry!"

Each of the three Royal Guards received five to eight palms to their armor, which slightly caved in with each hit. The force of each hit was like a truck crashing into a human at full speed, and this caused the three to be repelled and crash into the ground along with their weapon.

He used the halbert his foot is currently in contact with as leverage and leaped away. He landed right in the middle of the Royal Guards and the pair of Undeads.

"Haha! Try me!"

"Foolish mortal, you will know the wrath of this Dragon!"

Fafnir spewed his flames at Jae Kang, Siegfried wordlessly charged his claymore with his Aura, and the Royal Guards thrust out with their halberts. He was overwhelmed in all directions, but still he smiled widely.

"Martial Arts: Physical Ascension!"

A burst of Ki exploded from Jae Kang, his physical prowess should now be multiplied by uncountable times. Coupled with the Iron Body of Will he activated moments ago, he can withstand the barrage of attacks along with the intense heat without moving or faltering. Though pain still permits, it was too weak to break the trained and disciplined mind of the pinnacle of martial arts.

"Hahahahaha! Is this all you've got?!"

Jae Kang, drunk on the powers he possessed, laughed out loud and advanced towards me. He broke through the Royal Guards, but did not bother to break them as they're too hard. So, he aimed at me. The Bone Guards did little to stop a Level 1,534 and gets destroyed easily with a single punch.

"You're mine!"

"..."

I was not amused, but rather disappointed. This was supposed to be the brother of the image of all martial artists?

Disappointment, as I disconnect his Soul to his body.

"Soul Body Disconnection."

It was simple for me to sever the connection between Soul and Body. Unless one is an Outer God, something that has a high understanding of Soul or is a Soul as its main form, most can't resist.

'Urk! Oaaaa!!!'

The process was weird, and very painful. The chest of Jae Kang felt like it was being compressed, and his back felt like it was close to bursting outward.

"Urr, Kuaaaaaakkkk!!"

His body dropped to the ground, but no visible wounds were seen on his body. However, to Death, to me, I could see the spectral apparition of Jae Kang floating above his body, inspecting himself in his new form.

"So, how does it feel to be powerless again? Like your respectable brother, destiny is repeating itself."

"...You, piece of shit!"

A voice so powerful that it permeated the physical realm for others to hear. He rushed at me, like a moth to the flame. I am the ruler of Souls, and is near invincible against anything Soul related. I simply grabbed him, and he couldn't resist nor break free. It was truly pitiful.

"Let me go! You piece of shit, let me go right now!"

"Shhhh, enough of your words."

Bright green Aura-like mist began to creep and permeate Jae Kang's Soul. The Soul is also, now that it's separated from the Body, the Player controlling the character. So, by absorbing his Soul it was akin to a Game Over screen.

"Arrgghhhhhhh!"

"Sad, your friends weren't even gonna step in to help you."

"Arrrggg, w…ha-"

Responding to my sentence, he looked towards his group of High Rankers. They were watching, waiting even. The saintful Sarah Goldheart didn't move as well, and her kind eyes seem to wish Jae Kang a better afterlife.

"...Heh heh… hahahaha…"

He laughed weakly as he faded and became absorbed by me. I let out a satisfied sigh towards the sky as his memories, Skills, and EXP merged with me.

[You have leveled up!]

A notification window popped up as I gazed at the sky, my eyes mellow and calm. The feeling of leveling up, so long have I not felt the feeling of clear progress.

"...Now, six of you are left."

I scan the rest with a melodic and saddened gaze. Jae Kang, although weak, was as close to the peak as possible in terms of martial prowess. He was beaten so easily, so the rest was shaken and showed slight discomfort in their expressions.

"Come, one at a time would just be too boring."

My words served as the trigger, and the first to move was Lubert. He disappeared in the dark atmosphere of my World and arrived next to me.

"Hoh?"

His attempt was commendable, but futile. The Mythical armor set belonging to a certain Devil made it impossible for his organic scythe to puncture through.

Yes, organic scythe. His left hand and forearm has changed into that of a grotesque, sharp curved blade resembling that of a scythe. He tried to assassinate me with that, but failed due to the strong durability of my armor.

"Tch."

"A little hasty, don't you think?"

My Bone Guards turned and stabbed their spears toward the intruder who passed through their ranks, only to miss and hit empty air and the other spears. He had disappeared completely and arrived at the other side of the five, this interaction happened only within one second.

"Tough bastard."

"You're really a fool."

Empress shook her head while probably thinking of how his interaction with me went. Lubert was annoyed and rashly yelled at her. This sight was common, as they were always in a pair whenever they tried to conquer my World. Her archery that can distract people at a distance coupled with her ability to conjure up golden warriors, she was the perfect synergy with the Darkest Night, Lubert Alkhan.

"..."

Meanwhile, Marcus looked at me intensely with a mind I can't read. His Soul was also the same, empty and deprived of anything and everything aside from one single thing. A small light, one that shines fiercely and with the intent to consume everything in its heat.

'Divinity.'

Yes, it was time. Though late, it was a sign that this could succeed. Even if it's little, Divinity is still the sign of a Divine Being, a God.

"..."

Among the six, the one with the most prominent Divinity was Sarah Goldheart, the Saint, followed by the Seraphim, the Titan, the Golden Empress, the Nova Star, and the Darkest Night.

'Yes, this should give them a chance.'

My own mortality, I have not experienced it from start to finish. There were a few close calls, but I managed to scrape by in the end through either planning deeply into the future, or by sheer stroke of luck.

'Nevertheless, I have not experienced the Game Over screen.'

It was a miraculous and doubtful statement, in a game as hard and unforgiving as World Saga Online, having survived it without losing once was incredibly suspicious. One might even call him a Probability Hacker, those that use a set of cheats to boost their own Probability of anything within a game, be it a certain loot dropping to the defeat of a World Boss at the right time.

Even I might think I secretly have a Probability cheat within my console. But last I checked, there's nothing wrong with its internal circuits and motherboards.

'Anyway…'

I smiled underneath my helmet, and my voice reverberated once more.

"Come, challenge me. Or should I be the one on the offense?"

This singular statement caused even the stoic Titan, Marcus, to flinch. Death moving with a purpose? Then what could stop it?

"Shit, let's go."

"Indeed, for once I'm on your side."

"Alexia's Blessing of Vitality, Strength, Luck!"

"Sword of Purging Fire!"

"First Sword Art of War: Mountain of Conquest!"

"Abyssal Arts: Void Assault!"

"Come! Serve your queen of Gold!"

"Grand Magic deployment starting!"

And so, the fight that would devastate everything within my Realm began. The mortals of my World were given permission to evacuate to the ends of the World, wherever that might be. I did not want the people, whom I have taken care of so far, to suffer the fate that so many have. I didn't want my hands, which are nearing their time, to be stained with the blood of innocence.

...….

In a lab that's dimly lit by a single fluorescent light above, a typical scientist in white lab coat was busy moving his fingers across the computer keyboard. In front of him, a series of codes that extended far out of the right, so much so that the scroller at the bottom was tiny.

But, the tiniest was the page scroller, which one would need to squint to see at a distance no less than 2 meters.

''...A, little more.''

This was the work that spanned for a person's entire lifetime. The scientist, the last one, was a man in his mid forties, his hair showed signs of mostly being white already and his face had sunken eyes and large bags under them. Sleep deprived and malnourished, it was a miracle that he survived for so long. But, that miracle also provided the survival of Humanity in this World.

"...This…"

He stopped for the first time. His finger, ready to break off at any moment now.

"Finally… finally… Huhu… Scarla, we, did it."

The name of his late wife, who gave her life to this research but ultimately reached an untimely death. It was the similar fate to the other scientists of this facility, overworked to death.

"Hahah… hahahaha!"

He laughed and wept at the same time. He leaned back to the backrest of his chair, one that showed signs of terrible deterioration as most of the skin of the chair was already peeled away.

"Scarla… I can finally go meet you again…''

His eyes closed, but opened soon after as he's not quite done yet.

"But first, let's eat."

He moved his body, which was as thin as a stick, and stood up with some difficulty. Detecting his movement, the rest of the fluorescent lights lit up the room in its entirety. It was a bland white room, with a giant computer at one side and a door leading somewhere the other. There was only him and his chair here as furniture.

"Let's see… ah, right. There's only liquid food left."

His living condition could be called torture, but this was the norm for scientists nowadays. He was the last of his kind, the others have died in the pursuit of building what seemed to be impossible. A 3 dimensional World, its constructs similar to that of the most popular game of the century, World Saga Online.

"Well, in any case, let's have the steak and bacon flavored ones. They're the better ones anyways."

He hurriedly, or seems like it at least, leaves the room where he spent most of his waking hours in. He was heavily caffeinated, to the point that it's called an addiction that replaced water with it. But still, he drank coffee and water separately in order to not let himself get dehydrated.

"..."

The hallway was not any different. Its wallpaper was white, the atmosphere silent. His humming was the only thing to create a lively atmosphere in this otherwise dreary and dead hallway.

"So… I'm the only one left.''

He is the only 'scientist' left on Earth, a dying civilization polluted beyond life and is nearing its death sentence. Soon, approximately a few more decades, this planet will die along with its greatest documented civilization, Modern Mankind.

It's a name that Humanity collectively agreed to use to carve into a plate that'll be sealed somewhere, buried under the earth, so that if any distant civilization could come and inspect Earth after billions of years, they could find the plate along with a recording of the civilization's era of technology.

"...Haha, what a weird thing to hope for.''

He, as a 'scientist', had access to the many records of Old Earth, where it was still relatively peaceful. He also had the chance to be humored by Old Earth's various 'memes'. He had his favorites, but it's too late to rewatch them.

"Ow, damn, my pelvis is killing me. Probably literally."

He held his side in pain, but his expression was one of acceptance.

He arrived at the empty cafeteria, where a humanoid robot stood behind the counter that had various tubes.

"Hello, Barry!"

"Huh? Ah! Professor Elin, pleasure to see a living lifeform after so long. How're you?"

"Had better days… today is the day, Barry."

"Oh, yes, it is? Then, finally, is Modern Mankind finally going to be able to transcend?"

"Yes, Barry… I've finished what others have built upon for so long."

"Then this occasion should be celebrated! Come, professor! Let's throw what Old Earth called a party!"

The humanoid robot expressed clear and thoughtful emotions, almost like it was a human. But its way of reference clearly differentiated it from a human, or rather Modern Man as they're called.

The robot leapt up and over the counter, where he broke the glass without hesitation and grabbed one of the tubes inside.

"Wohooooo!"

His cry of excitement as he unsealed the tube, spraying whatever's inside into the air was very amusing. His facial expression, which was composed of many bits to form his facial expression, turned to that of crazed joy as he continued in his antic.

"...I suspect that you have no energy to participate, right?"

"No no, continue on Barry. It's quite fine by me."

"Nonsense, professor Elin! Parties were supposed to be grand and celebrated with many people! One droid would be insane! Literally!"

"Barry… fine, but I won't be able to move much."

"Fine by me, prof! Let's party until we drop!"

"...That'll probably be my outcome in a minute."

Happiness, one that couldn't be experienced outside of a virtual game. But here it is, one single form of 'happiness' as a scientist danced slowly with a droid who danced fiercely while spurting the tubes out into the air.

...…

Elin, a professor and scientist, was now a man with a conscience for death. He sat in front of the computer he spent countless hours in, and now it was finished. The work that so many scientists of the world had forged together. It was first built on a theory, and now was a near impossible structure that would take untold decades along with a whole century to complete.

"...Scarla… I'm finished."

In his scrawny hand was a pistol. He scanned it with his weary eyes, if this gun doesn't claim him, the hunger, malnourishment, and dehydration will claim him nonetheless. Supplies ran out, with the liquid food things being the only thing available.

"Finally… I can return by your side as I've promised. I'm sorry if it took too long."

He looked at the screen of the computer. In it was a folder that contained a file labeled as [ARCEUS - Artificial Reality Creation and Establishment Unit System]

'...Yes, the work of our forefathers has been completed. Everyone's efforts… they're here now.'

He pressed the folder and dragged it towards a game-like symbol that has the words [WSO Center Headquarter File] underneath it.

"...I'm glad… that some semblance of Modern Mankind will be retained."

His name is now irrelevant. His accomplishment will go unrecorded. Everything here will become part of nothingness once he decides to pull the trigger.

"One last time… let's do this one last time."

He let go of the folder and it integrated with the game-like symbol. The entire computer freezes, with a spinning colorful round ball in the center of the window.

"..."

He picked up the gun firmly in his hand, and without hesitation, pulled the trigger. And so, just as his body dropped to the ground lifelessly with red blood flowing out, the screen showed an update.

[Transfer complete...… Initiating protocol]

[Modern Mankind will be saved, professors]

Those were the words of an infant A.I that has integrated and has full control over the entire network of the Human race. The computer window shuts down, and the entire facility goes dark as the life of the final 'scientist' ends here. His vitality was the only thing that kept this underground facility from shutting down, and when his life ended so too had the power system.

...

Death, once again, proved to be something not even the combined might of six Divine Beings could match. Granted they were only starting to gain their Divinity, but even so it was still on the same scaling level as him.

"...I am disappointed."

Even the mighty Titan, Marcus Riex, was killed with a sword through his chest. The Seraphim, reduced to mere white ashes that scattered high into the sky, making it white instead of black. Nova Star, Merlin Avalon, killed by having his Magic Core shattered. Empress, full Player ID being Elicia Empress, was killed by her own summons of which I've corrupted. Darkest Night faced his inner Abyss, which was strengthened by my aptitude for Abyssal Ritual, consumed his physical body and rendered him vulnerable to my attacks.

"Hah… hah…"

And finally, the hardest to beat, Sarah Goldheart, the Saint. She was the most tenacious as her Blessings were providing her with a ridiculous amount of Defense value and healing. They also reduced his capability as a God of Death, and proved to him that Sarah has indeed grown beautifully.

"You were powerful, Sarah Goldheart. Your nature as a Saint… it disgusts and fascinates me."

Death spoke with a vague sense of interest. He kneels down to her level, a groveling and heavily breathing mess filled with cuts across her entire exposed body. Her attire from the beginning of battle, a robe that covered everything and left many rooms for imagination, was now ripped apart and revealed a porcelain-like skin now filled with cuts both deep and shallow.

Meanwhile, Death's appearance was that of classic portrayal, a skeleton wielding a scythe while wearing a pitch black robe that seems to consume even light.

"You were once my comrade, why did you turn away from me?"

"..."

She didn't reply. Death was patient, he waited, and waited. Though, there is a limit on the time they have.

"Sarah, reply, please. Or do I have to pry it from your Soul?"

"...You would do that?"

"...Yes."

Death wasn't the prying type. He wouldn't look into another's Soul without their permission. It was a sort of code he established for himself to seem 'noble' or something similar. It was indeed quite the gentlemanly thing to do, considerate even, but he told Sarah that he's willing to break this code of his that he'd maintained for all of his years playing, to know a simple question's answer.

"...Then, this is my answer."

Sarah, being the Saint that she is, or is roleplaying as, stood up to face him with his 'answer'.

"...I loved you."

"...What?"

A simple line, one so cliche that some would cringe from hearing it, but in this day and age, saying 'I love you' to another person of Earth was like finding a gemstone the size of a palm. It means that they truly love the person, even behind the avatar that might be reality or falsehood. Death, who's still kneeling, looked up with his empty eye sockets and his jaw widen to emulate a shocked expression.

"...You love me?"

"Yes… at first, I didn't want to admit it. But, now, it's too powerful."

"...But, why do this? Why oppose me then?"

"Because… I know of your ambition."

She was speaking of his boredom. After the previous pinnacle of martial arts had declared retirement, he was alone for what seems to be an eternity. His tasks were filled with mundane and seemingly repetitive things that held no joy.

Every World he conquered, he felt nothing as they merged with his. The only joys he felt were the memories of the unattainable past. And Sarah Goldheart saw this sadness in him when she was still by his side, as his right hand woman, and so she made a goal to become the same thing his previous enemy was to him.

"I wanted to reinvigorate your ambition once more. I want you to be enthusiastic again, to smile as you solve problems with efficiency and precision, to face a possible danger and overcome it again. To feel, and smile at the end of the day again."

"..."

Her words were sincere, and her eyes moist.

"So… I love you, Saurosh Koravek Solomon. I loved you for so long, and only wish for you to be happy in this game, in this World.''

It felt so surreal. So beautiful of a moment that it felt like a dream.

"..."

Death uttered nothing in front of the Saint's kind and heartfelt words. She slowly faced the ground, as her HP dwindled to only 1 left.

"...Goodbye, my eternal love. Know that this Saint wasn't your enemy in the end, and only wished for everything's happiness… even if it's Death himself."

And so, the final tick of damage pushed her body to its limit. She slowly faded into particles of light, and out came her beautifully golden, pure Soul.

"..."

Death reached out, his heart somehow heavy for the first time in many years. He held the Soul like holding onto a newborn baby. He brought it closer to him, and when it touched his chest it was absorbed like the other five.

"...I accept thy confession of love, my dear Saint, Child of the Light."

[You have leveled up!]

[You have leveled up!]

He didn't hear the notifications as he absorbed the pure Soul. Everything was close to silent. The battlefield, a mess filled with craters of varying size.

"...Let's return."

He decides to spend the rest of the remaining time inside his Dungeon, his Home, in the Throne Room. The last thing he wished for, it was completed and ended on a beautiful note. It was more than he could've wished for. And so, the battle of Ragnarok ended here, where Death stood alone once more.

"..."

Darkness filled his heart as he re-entered the castle-like building. What welcomed him was still his companion, perpetual silence. He didn't bother to use the traditional way, instead using his authority as a Dungeon Master to instantly warp to the entrance of the Throne Room.

"..."

He opened the thick door, and what welcomed him was eternal solitude.

"Welcome back, master."

But, it wasn't really eternal solitude. His maid, Carlisle Winston, stood at the bottom of the staircase to his throne, bowed deeply and greeted her master's return.

"...Leave me be, Carlisle."

"As you order, master."

She stood straight and then, in the next moment, evaporated in a puff of smoke that dissipated into the air.

"..."

Nothing was said for a long while. Death moved to sit down on his throne, where he propped up his hand to hold his head and looked at the scenery in front.

"..."

But then, a notification popped up.

[Greetings, Player Sora.]

"...?''

Something was different. The wording was different, along with how it addressed him.

"...What is this?"

[I am here to deliver a quite hasty proposal.]

[Do you, Player Sora Kuroka, accept the offer to do a little experiment?]

"..."

Death was speechless.

'Is this some kind of prank? Is this the GM personally messaging me?'

It felt almost impossible, as most developers didn't make contact with their community much in this day and age. This made Death skeptical, but replied nonetheless.

"Sure, why not. What's the experiment?"

[Nothing too important for you to know, just a quick question, do you like your current form?]

A weird question, but still one he answered without deception.

"Yes."

He was at the pinnacle, he had nothing to be dissatisfied about.

[Alright, confirmation acknowledged.]

[Preparing protocol…]

"Protocol?"

It showed a puzzling word, but soon Death found out.

[World Saga Online Game System booted up successfully.]

[Creating 3 dimensional Realities.]

[Applying Basic Rules file…]

[Applying Composition files…]

[Generating World Seed files…]

[Protocol completed…]

[Welcome, Player Sora Kuroka, to Modern Mankind's Paradise.]

"Wha…?''

Suddenly, his vision darkened completely.