Charles Arin

[Alert!] The system is currently unavailable.

[Alert!] The host has reached the pinnacle of existence, favored by ancient deities.

[Warning!] Violating universal laws has attracted the malevolent forces of Abbadon.

[Notification!] The host is now marked as "Ill-fated".

[Notification!] The gods who once favored you have now abandoned you, earning you the title of Abandoned Son.

[Notification!] The host has gained the Abandoned Skill.

[Reminder!] The system will restart in 48 hours.

Charles' mind was bombarded by a series of notifications as multiple weapons pierced through his sides. Betrayed by the party he had been loyal to for over eight years, their sinister smiles were etched onto his memory as they plunged their weapons into his back.

Well, to be fair, it was from all sides. The wicked grins on their faces quickly transformed into expressions of shock and surprise, as Charles failed to disintegrate into the usual motes of light that symbolized a player's death in Arena Quarters Online.

Without a moment to process what was happening, their consciousness was suddenly inundated with notifications as they were forcibly disconnected from the game world.

Despite having been stabbed earlier, Charles clung to life and witnessed as various numbers flickered before his eyes, ranging from zero to infinity, while the virtual world that had consumed the last eight years of his existence crumbled into nothingness.

Surprisingly, Charles who was stabbed earlier lasted longer as he saw varying numbers ranging from zero crumbling as the world he had spent his last eight years crumbled.

As he was bombarded by the endless stream of numbers, Charles noticed two hands coated in a black metallic substance forging them. But before he could get a glimpse of what was happening, his consciousness was abruptly shut down, and he returned to the real world.

#####

Souls meandered through the boundless depths of time, traversing a myriad of threads, all leading to a singular, resplendent orb. These threads were adorned with diverse hues and textures, showcasing titanic conflicts that dwarfed even Charles' experiences of eight years spent fighting in the game worlds of magic and superpowers.

Amongst the multitude of visions presented by the threads, one stood out with particular prominence. It depicted a fierce battle between a humanoid dragon, clutching a spear in its talons, and a nimble woman armed with a sharp dagger.

The dragon loomed tall, its imposing form accentuated by its outstretched wings and the twitching of its long tail. It held the spear with a formidable grip, poised for battle.

The woman, in contrast, was light on her feet, darting around the dragon with impressive speed and agility. Her dagger flashed through the air, striking with deadly accuracy whenever an opportunity presented itself.

As the intense battle commenced, the dragon lunged forward with a powerful thrust of its spear, unleashing a wide arc aimed at the woman. Swiftly, she evaded the attack, and with the precision of a seasoned warrior, delivered a retaliatory strike with her sharp dagger.

However, the dragon was equally quick to counter, unleashing a swift jab with the tip of its spear. The two skilled combatants circled each other warily, each searching for a weakness in the other's defenses.

The dragon unleashed a burst of searing flames from its gaping maw, sending waves of blistering heat rippling through the air, but the woman deftly dodged the attack, evading to the side and unleashing a bolt of lightning that crackled and sparked around her, signaling her power.

The battle escalated as both combatants continued to unleash a multitude of elemental powers. The dragon spewed great torrents of flames and summoned powerful gusts of wind, relentlessly buffeting the woman.

Meanwhile, the woman called upon bolts of crackling lightning and conjured razor-sharp shards of ice, hurling them at the dragon with deadly precision.

As the conflict progressed, the dragon appeared to gain the upper hand, its spear strikes becoming more ferocious, and its elemental assaults growing more potent.

Despite the overwhelming pressure, the woman remained resilient, dodging and weaving with uncanny speed and striking back with newfound vigor, refusing to give up in the face of overwhelming odds.

After an exhausting and seemingly endless battle, the two skilled combatants clashed in a final, decisive struggle. The dragon lunged forward with its spear, but the woman was poised and prepared, swiftly evading the attack and delivering a lightning-fast strike with her dagger that caught the dragon off guard.

However, just as the dagger was about to strike the dragon's scales, a man suddenly appeared between the two combatants. He held the dagger in his hand and, incredibly, he also clutched the spear in his other hand, interrupting the fierce clash.

The dagger in the man's hand was suddenly enveloped in a radiant golden aura, growing in size and striking the woman with incredible force, slamming her into the ground below.

The battleground had seemingly manifested from nothingness, and the scales on the dragon's body had receded dramatically as if affected by some unknown force.

The man's laughter echoed through the space, a sign of his immense power as he quickly dashed away from the interrupted fight. With astonishing agility, he hopped between various timelines, rendering the battles and hierarchies meaningless. His immense ability had rendered all semblance of reality useless, leaving behind only the chaos of his actions.

As the resplendent light shone, the threads that connected various timelines across different worlds were suddenly severed, replaced by a vast and all-encompassing world that appeared in their place, with beings numbering in the billions.

Upon this new world, a diverse array of individuals emerged, including those who had claimed to be gods at the pinnacle of their respective universes, the weak and oppressed who were at the mercy of the strong, and even con artists who had used their intelligence to steal from both the rich and poor.

An eclectic mix of beings and characters now stood together on this new landscape, brought together by the inexplicable power of the resplendent light.

Floating above the massive crowd, the man who had caused chaos in the timelines glowed with golden hair and eyes. With a snap of his fingers, worlds larger than the sun materialized in the sky, obliterating everything in their path and leaving behind nothing but mangled corpses.

Seeing the damage he had done, the man focused a golden light around his clenched fist as he punched the air.

Crrack!

The sound of shattering glass echoed through the infinite expanse as everything, from the remnants of destroyed planets to the corpses of those who had perished, hovered and disappeared into nothingness. It seemed as though everything had vanished as if it had only been an illusion.

In the midst of it all, a man in tattered dark robes with pitch-black hair appeared, gazing at his eternal rival with a look of determination. Despite their equal strength, they knew they had to settle their differences through other means.

Abbadon carefully scanned through the threads of time that he had initially overlapped with his illusion, sifting through countless souls until he found the one he was looking for.

With a decisive motion, he merged his essence with the chosen soul, imbuing it with his power and knowledge.

As he did so, a sense of satisfaction washed over him, knowing that he had taken another step toward his ultimate goal. As he entered into a cryogenic slumber, he cast one final gaze at his adversary.

Damien, the one who had shattered Abbadon's illusion within the Wheel of Fortune, stretched out his hand towards any wandering soul, as he merged with it.

"It seems that the Eternals have rejected something, huh?" Damien, a man who determined his reality, spoke to the drifting soul. "May this kind deity show you mercy."

With a firm grip, he had reset the fate of the world. Why live a life where everything could be yours? This was the one question Damien couldn't answer, but he hoped that the race created on a whim by the Eternals would be able to provide him with an answer.

As he entered a cryogenic sleep, leaving measures in place, he wondered: what was truly Reality? He left the Eternals to play with the sands of time as they pleased, but not before setting his boundaries.

####

Abruptly, a young man, no older than 18, jolted awake as he took in the squalor of his living conditions. Tissues stained with unidentifiable substances littered the floor, garbage bags and trash cans were haphazardly scattered around, and an adult-rated movie blared on his screen.

The sight of his smiling family in a picture brought a smile to his face, but as he made his way downstairs to check the calendar he had hung in his student rental apartment, a sudden realization struck him.

"I, Charles Arin, am back!" he shouted triumphantly, only to slip and tumble down the stairs made of obsidian glass.