Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

"Is being good at games supposed to be a life achievement?"

It was a phrase Trap of Resonance had heard more times than he could count during his years as a competitive gamer. Usually, it was muttered by sore losers after he trounced them, making it more amusing than insulting. But for him, the answer was always clear: "Of course it is."

The game was called World Breaker, a strategy masterpiece where players built nations and vied for global unification in a post-apocalyptic world. Once a global sensation with over a million simultaneous players, the game was now a shadow of its former self. Updates and difficulty tweaks had scared off most casual players, leaving only the most hardened veterans. Among them, Trap of Resonance reigned supreme.

For six years running, he had been ranked #1. His current rank points, 20,780, were a staggering anomaly. The second-place player trailed him by over 3,000 points—a gap that seemed insurmountable. This dominance was both his greatest pride and his most frustrating curse.

Today, like many other days, he sat in his darkened room, staring at his monitor. A spinning circle rotated endlessly, accompanied by the dreaded message:

"Searching for an opponent. Please wait..."

The timer below read 1 hour, 17 minutes.

A groan escaped his lips as he slumped back in his chair. "An hour already? This is ridiculous."

Yesterday, it had taken fifty minutes to find an opponent. Today, the wait was far worse. With a player base of less than 20,000 worldwide—and only about a thousand active players in Korea—it wasn't surprising. But Trap of Resonance knew the real issue: his absurdly high rank.

He opened the leaderboard, scrolling down to the next few names.

Trap of Resonance: 20,780 points#2: 17,730 points.#3: 17,690 points.

"Yeah, no wonder matchmaking broken," he muttered, shutting the leaderboard with a resigned sigh.

Until recently, the game's matchmaking system would automatically pair players after 15 minutes, regardless of rank. But repeated complaints from other top-ranked players—who were tired of being "slaughtered" by him—had forced the developers to change the rules. Now, the system would only expand the matchmaking range the longer a player waited.

It was a patch designed to please everyone but him.

"This is insane. Thirty more minutes. If no one shows up by then, I'm done for today," he muttered, though he didn't truly believe his own words. He'd waited this long—what was thirty more minutes?

Just as he leaned back to stretch, the screen flashed.

"Opponent found. World generation in progress. Entering a new world..."

"[Trap of Resonance] versus [IfIBuySale]"

His heart skipped a beat. "Finally!"

He gripped his mouse tightly, eyes glued to the screen as the familiar loading animation gave way to the game's lush, post-apocalyptic landscape. His character appeared, ready for action. Just as he was about to start, a message popped up in the global chat.

[IfIBuySale]: Trap of Resonance? Is that really you?[IfIBuySale]: Wait, why is the #1 ranked player here? This has to be a mistake.[IfIBuySale]: Matchmaking must be broken or something.

Justin's stomach sank. "No, no, no!"

The same thing had happened yesterday. Three opponents in a row had quit out of fear the moment they realized who they were up against. Four hours of waiting had resulted in zero games played. He couldn't let it happen again.

Quickly, he typed back, carefully crafting his response.

[Trap of Resonance]: Hmm. Yeah, must be a glitch. Checked your rank—42nd? That's not even close to my level.[Trap of Resonance]: Maybe stick to fighting in your tier instead of wandering up here.

It was a deliberate provocation, designed to keep IfIBuySale in the game. Justin hit "Enter" and waited, heart pounding as the chat remained silent for a moment.

[IfIBuySale]: ??? Who the hell do you think you are?[IfIBuySale]: Alright, let's see if your trash talk matches your skill.

A grin spread across Justin's face. Finally, after two long days, he had a match.

But even as the excitement bubbled inside him, a plan began to form. "I'll let them win. Just barely. If I don't start losing points, I'll never find a match again."

For Justin, holding onto his rank had once been a point of pride. Now, it was an anchor, keeping him from doing what he loved most: playing the game.

For Trap of Resonance, the match started predictably. IfIBuySale's skill was nothing special. Their strategies were straightforward, their moves telegraphed. Winning would have been effortless—Justin could think of at least twenty ways to seal victory in a matter of turns.

But this wasn't a match he intended to win.

"Stay cool. If I make it obvious I'm throwing, they'll catch on and leave. Just keep it close—close enough for them to believe they're on my level."

Feigning equality was easy for someone of Justin's caliber. Every attack IfIBuySale launched was glaringly obvious, their traps amateurish. Justin responded carefully, letting himself lose by slim margins while giving the illusion of a hard-fought struggle. His opponent seemed to buy into the performance.

[IfIBuySale]: Not bad. Guess your trash talk wasn't just for show.[IfIBuySale]: Alright, I'm going all out now. Brace yourself.

Justin smirked at the chat. "Perfect timing to lose."

As the game progressed, he let his defenses crumble just enough to ensure his opponent gained the upper hand. The tide shifted in IfIBuySale's favor, and the inevitable loss loomed closer. It was almost over.

[IfIBuySale]: Go on, talk some more trash, lol.[IfIBuySale]: Stick to your tier? Hilarious. You're the one who should get out of here!

Justin bit his tongue. It was all part of the plan—his loss would lower his rank, making future matches easier to find. But then his opponent typed something that made his blood boil.

[IfIBuySale]: By the way, this is all on video. Gonna post it tomorrow. Everyone's gonna see Rank 1 get stomped.[IfIBuySale]: What a joke. Can't believe people think you're good at this game.

Justin froze. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, his vision blurring with frustration. He could stomach losing. He could even stomach being mocked. But accusations that he didn't deserve his rank? That was too far.

[IfIBuySale]: Be honest. You've been carried this whole time, right? No way you're legit. Your fans are gonna love this."

Justin's patience snapped. "You little—"

His hand flew to the mouse, his focus sharpening. The game wasn't over yet. Throwing the match was no longer an option. He'd deal with the consequences of his rank later. Right now, his only goal was to teach this arrogant player a lesson.

"You're done."

The reversal was swift and brutal. Moves that had once seemed hesitant turned razor-sharp. Justin's forces surged across the battlefield, cutting through IfIBuySale's armies with precision. Counters and traps flowed seamlessly from his fingertips, dismantling his opponent's strategies before they could even unfold.

The chat went silent.

[IfIBuySale]: …

Even as Justin closed in for the kill, IfIBuySale's movements became sluggish. Soon, their character stopped altogether, as if resigning to the inevitable. Justin didn't hesitate. One final, decisive strike ended the match.

"[Trap of Resonance] has defeated [IfIBuySale]."

"Rank Points increased to 20,790."

"[IfIBuySale] has left the game."

As the victory message flashed across the screen, Justin leaned back in his chair, his pulse racing. For a moment, satisfaction washed over him. But then, reality hit.

"Dammit. That wasn't the plan."

Instead of lowering his rank, he'd raised it even further. Matchmaking would now be an even bigger nightmare. Frustration bubbled up as he shut down his computer.

"This is hopeless. I'll have to file a complaint with the developers tomorrow."

But even as he mulled over his options, the thought of deleting his account gnawed at him. Years of effort, countless victories—throwing it all away didn't sit right. He decided to see if there was another way.

The next day, Justin logged onto the game's website, ready to submit a ticket. But a notification on the homepage stopped him cold.

"Dear players, thank you for your support of World Breaker. We regret to inform you that the game's service will end today. We apologize for the sudden announcement and look forward to seeing you in future titles."

Justin stared at the screen, disbelief etched on his face.

"What?"

The abruptness of the announcement left him reeling. No warning, no countdown. Just an immediate shutdown. Rage bubbled in his chest as he clicked into the forums, where chaos reigned.

"No prior notice? Are you kidding me?""This is beyond ridiculous!""They're treating us like idiots!"

He scrolled through the posts, ready to join the outcry, when a peculiar thread caught his attention.

"Check your messages right now."

The replies were strange.

"Got a message about being a beta tester. Thought it was a joke.""But... the portal opened. I'm not kidding."

Curiosity flickered as Justin checked his inbox. Sure enough, there was a message from the developers.

"Congratulations, Trap of Resonance, on being selected as a beta tester for World Breaker! To begin early access, simply say the phrase 'Open Dimensional Gate.'"

Justin frowned. "Is this a joke?"

Against his better judgment, he muttered the phrase under his breath.

"Open Dimensional Gate."

Nothing happened.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Figures. What kind of idiot would—"

Shhhhk—

The sound of tearing paper interrupted his thoughts. A bluish oval shimmered into existence in the air before him, swirling like the dimensional gates from the game. Justin froze, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"What the hell is this?"