The leaderboards were quite still for about one Earth year.
A positive for the game was that no one was forced to play the same path like in other MMORPG. The gameplay was truly endless. Players couldn't earn the same legendary weapons or legendary gear.
Well of course anyone could wear some leather but after wearing leather and getting a knife, you were on your own to explore.
I could tell Game God to match your understanding of Earth with mine so that I don't have to explain every unfamiliar word to you. But telling a tale after using Time Stop is interesting.
I'll continue.
Hearts was the first to reach level 99. Puppet Master was 2nd and I was 3rd in reaching the same level as Hearts. Players below us in the rankings stopped at level 89.
As I explained, Hearts would obliterate anyone at level 90. Players as much as possible tried to keep their level at 89 and thus 89 was considered the "possible" highest for players.
Hearts did not recruit anyone even after a year. Hearts stayed in the navigation room of the mansion in the morning then out somewhere in the night.
I enjoyed the mansion a lot but Hearts did not. I created the minimal amount of undead maids and butlers to do housekeeping and I kept their skeleton appearance to scare Hearts.
When Hearts Saw them, he thanked me. Hearts did not react with any emotion. I thought that Hearts was emotionally because he's fully immersed in the "Demon Lord" role.
One day, Hearts showed emotion. Hearts was worried. He said the 2nd best player was coming for us.
The 'gods' suddenly appeared before me while I was in the alchemy room. The gods represented themselves as small colorful spheres of glowing light. They commanded me to kill a dragon with a party.
I thought it was a quest. Using my own fortune, I ordered a poster for the dragon to be killed. A hero party immediately accepted the request from the guild boards
1,000,000 coins would entice any party.
The next step was checking the investigation room. What did Hearts hide from me?
The navigation room had a huge flat square table in the center. There were no decorations on the table instead it looked like chess pieces.
I went closer to the table and I realized the pieces were wood carvings of bosses. I thought it was amazing that Hearts had mapped every boss on the map but the position of all the bosses was odd.
The bosses were arranged in columns and rows symmetrically like a trained battalion. A small line printed in blood connected the bosses and the mansion.
Hearts came in to the room and shut the doors tight. He told me there was no threat at all and he was just mapping out a scenario in his head.
I never figured out why Hearts did not eliminate the Puppet Master for going beyond level 90.
In the following week, Hearts arrived to the mansion at midnight and took one last look as I saw observed him from a window.
I was immediately teleported by his side.
"You need this skill. Granting skill: Rebuild."
I had a new skill but I felt dejected instead of overjoyed.
"The gods have destined my banishment. I'm sorry the mansion will be destroyed by the time the ownership transfer is complete. Become one of them and bring me back."
I knew Hearts did something else I wanted to kill him for.
I can't remember many of our adventures together. You're not the only one who has experienced the negative effects of magic that affects the mind.
My memories of Hearts might be inaccurate but this is the story I've known.
Hearts defended the mansion against the world bosses and the Puppet Master. The mansion was destroyed along with Hearts defeated.
The party I fed to the dragon was wiped out as I arrived too late at dragon's lair. Hearts secretly planted an item in my dark robes called "Full Resurrection". I was defeated by a level 90 dragon.
I resurrected in front of rubble which used to be the mansion.
The item faded away after and I can't remember what it exactly looked like. I think it was shiny.
I'll relive their battle someday using the skills from the Lord of Time.
I felt responsible for the destruction of the mansion and the death of Hearts.
The Game News after Heart's death was disgusting.
The Game News detailed the defeat and permanent ban of "Hearts the Demon Lord". Anyone with the username would be banned too. The players rejoiced as the announcement was made and the leaderboards were filled with plenty of level 99 players after a month.
In real life, Hearts must have been very pissed with all the money he spent for the game and then the game just decided to eliminate a sort of sponsor.
Hearts singlehandedly fed the game developers probably.
Three years have passed since Hearts' character died. New bosses were added and old bosses were revived. The Puppet Master disappeared from the leaderboards but the profile was available.
Game News announced a new level cap. Level 999 would be the next maximum possible. It was also announced that cash could no longer buy anything from in-game currency to weapons.
I believe adjusting the maximum level possible was wrong. It just invited more disaster.
I stopped playing casually and grinded more.
I started working once or twice a week. My days were spent grinding. After a month, I was level 999.
I bought tons of skills from different areas and I didn't care about the consequences of some. I made improvements to the mansion and made it a bit bigger.
If I told you how I reached the level. You'd reach my level in no time then I'd have to consider you a serious threat.
I completed the requirements to meet the gods for the first time and scold them for plotting against Hearts. I didn't care if they were players. I'd defeat them.
Hearts did not respawn and so the body was intact along with the wings. I built a special room in the mansion as his dwelling place. I put his items and equipment around the coffin. I just created the typical coffin from Dracula movies.
I'll tell you later how I scolded the gods. Game God is mad right now for the prolonged use of Time Stop. Maybe not mad but bored that the contestants are doing nothing.