The rain fell down with great volume as the thick cumulonimbus clouds covered the skies. It blocked the evening moonlight, depriving the are I stood from the light that my vision currently needed. The trees rustled all around, as lighting would occasionally create a booming thunder and give brief luminescence to the world.
The weather was only second as bad as a storm, but I was currently outside, soaking as the cold rain continuously pricked at my skin like needles. Robbing me of my body heat. Or so that's how I felt…
If I were to describe my current state, it would be the state of madness. After all, what other way could you call it. My head was devoid of any thoughts other than the annoying, burning anger and hate inside my chest. I was standing in the middle of a forest, holding a sword in hand, surrounded by monsters. All while being in the dark.
Make no mistake. These monsters aren't real. They are simply data that was compiled, programmed and worked in a intricate manner that it almost made them real. Like that Strong-Arm Ape over there. The way it breathed was no different from a gorilla, and so the way it acted. Except that it was a bit more intelligent, and several times more hostile and wild.
The Lizard Warrior over there. All of its movements—its tail movements, how its tongue slithers every now and then, how it doesn't blink—reminds me of an actual lizard. Except that it was standing on two legs and its fore limbs were holding a spear/sword.
They were intricate, but also virtual. They were not real, however…
"Bring it on, f*ckers…" I muttered as my head was lowered on a low angle. Much of my focus was on my peripheral vision, and I was in adrenaline. I feel like I could keep track of all their movements. Even of it was dark.
I strained my senses for all possible movements. I heard footsteps, I saw faint reflections from their weapons, I heard water splashing…
Lighting lit up the world for an instant… And in that instant, I moved using my reflexes that was honed for pointless reasons; and for reasons that only this game would undoubtedly make any normal person quit within the first three days of playing.
[Skill: Quickslash Activated]
[Skill: Quickslash Activated]
[Skill: Quickslash Activated]
[Skill: Quickslash Activated]
[Skill: Quickslash Activated]
With wild abandon, I continuously swung my blade, as fast as my mind could order my avatar in this game, which I was sure was struggling to keep up. I could see my HP draining from every move. Pain…
-461!
-356!
-969(Critical Hit!)
-546!
-441!
Limbs flew, heads danced in mid-air, bestial roars and a cacophony of metallic collision. It sounded cool, but in actuality, it was chaos. It was one hell of a fight, and hellishly painful.
But as of now, pain was the only thing keeping me sane...
I took a brief glance at my character HUD. It shows
-- --
[Asdsdqwer: Lvl 268]
- HP: 7,895/12,550
- SP: 8,132/10,790
-- --
'More… I can fight more…' was the only sort of thoughts I had.
I continued slashing, where my instincts told me to. I felt like the darkness was my advantage, as the enemy couldn't see me, just like I could see them. However…
I was naive.
A sudden stinging sensation, and a feeling of cold steel invading my back pervaded my entire being within an instant. My mind blanked, and heat and pain followed.
"Aaah!" I inadvertently let out a scream of pain. It hurt! It bloody hurts!
I auddenly felt the cold steel leave my body, being yanked as it was twisted. The pain intensified in an instant, making me scream out once more.
But I knew this was a game. My virtual body might feel simulated pain during movements, but it didn't actually have wounds. As such I could still move my body as much as I wanted it to.
About a dozen of skill activation notifications appeared in my vision, proving that the System had once again understood my intentions. Brainwaves or whatever, it always displays all the things it needed to display on the right moments.
I gritted my teeth, and swung my sword once more. The sword glowed as it streaked repeatedly across the air, making faint illumination, allowing me to correct the trajectory of my attack in mid-swing.
More limbs flew, countless transparent particles scattered around as the unnecessary data was erased, as the monsters died. But I didn't stop. No matter how many times I was hit, how many times I was cut, how many times I was blown away, I stood back.
I was truly mad.
Pain was wracking my entire body, which my brain was surely receiving, but for some reason, it felt soothing. It felt great, not the pain itself, but what the pain meant.
It was the pain that proved I was strong. I didn't die from each of their blows, and I swung back and took their lives. It was great. Not being a pushover.
That's why…
"I hate them…" I muttered with loathing. I didn't really know what that meant despite saying it. Did I mean that I hate the ones who once bullied me in the past?
Or did I hate myself for being weak?
Or did I hate the people I used to call friends for simply standing watch, not doing anything?
Or maybe…
"I absolutely hate them…"
I hated the fact that this game was about to end. This test run of the game that I doubt would even get approved to get public due to several issues in its mechanics.
I wasn't sure, but I found out a few hours later.
* * *
I laid, sprawling across the ground. I panted in mock exhaustion, as my mind could no longer keep up with the battle that dragged on for hours. Well, it was to be expected as the Dungeon I just entered was called the Dungeon of Infinity. It was a map that spawned infinite monsters from all kinds of locations. A dungeon that guaranteed death.
I checked the score I currently had:
[Current Score: 2,399,612 (1st place)] (New High Score!)
I then checked my character HUD:
-- --
[Asdsdqwer: Lvl 268]
- HP: 432/12,550
- SP: 17/10,790
-- --
I made a dry laugh. It was really strange. I was in a state where I wasn't even thinking straight, yet I was able to pass through the 80th round.
[The 81s round will begin after one minute. The 81st round and above is the final stage: Legendary Difficulty. More restrictions will be imposed.]
[You may use recovery items in the meantime.]
[Warning: You cannot use recovery items once the 81st round begins!]
[Warning: From now on, all damages you deal will be reduced by 30%!]
[Warning: From now on, all damages you receive will be increased by 50%!]
[Penalties will be removed after clearing the stage; dying; and/or forfeiting.]
[Time remaining: 0:59]
[0:58]…
Without moving away from the ground, I only stared blankly at the notifications that appeared on my vision. I'm tired. I'm really, really tired.
I can't move. Even though this is just a game, I can't move from exhaustion…
[0:36]…
I stared at the sky, and the rain kept pouring down non-stop. It's cold. This virtual avatar doesn't even have any real body heat, but its damn cold. I wonder what my Cold Resistance skill is doing. Is it a bug?
Well, it doesn't matter. I'll simply report it soon.
[0:11]…
Ah… It's starting soon. I better stand up.
Huh? My body still won't move. Why?
[0:05]…..
[0:04]….
[0:03]…
[0:02]..
Man, this sucks. And here I thought I could raise my score even more… But well, I guess this is it, huh?
[0:01]
[0:00]
[The 81st Round is starting...]
The moment the notification appeared, I let out a soft sigh. "Yeah… as expected. I f*cking hate all of them."
I heard something whistling as it sped through the air at high speeds, and the next instant…
-732!
[You have died]
[Respawning withing 23:59 Hours…]
[Error: Shut down code scheduled within 16:34 Hours detected…]
[Logging out…]
[Thank you, Player: Asdsdqwer for applying to the alpha test of Sword Phantasma VRMMO. May we see you again in the beta test…]
And so, that was how my life in Sword Phantasma ended.
* * *
A year later, Sword Phantasma released a beta testing version of the game.
I did not join the test…