The Full-Dive MMORPG World of Fantasy is a game that took the world by storm, its realism, amazing graphics, mechanics, system UI, and all the NPCs are so life-like that you could actually mistake them for being an actual person instead of an AI.

It became so popular and significant that it replaced most games in Isports as World of Fantasy lets you play many game modes, like the classic MOBA, Team Death Matches, and Siege Games, giving you exclusive rewards like legendary equipment, powerful skills, or potions that give you a permanent stat boost in each game mode for the top 3 performers.

Death in this game brings major consequences; you lose 4 levels and all your equipment durability is reduced by 50%. When your level reaches 0, your character is deleted and you must create a new one, but it's free. However demoralizing it is, repairing using the same material as the equipment while costing a lot of gold. These heroes are determined to keep playing!…

[Heroes of the New World, you've tried countless times, died countless times, yet you still get up and charge back in! Are you not afraid of death?!]

"Hell yeah. Don't you know how expensive it is to die?!"

"Die queen of darkness!"

The goddess of death, queen of darkness, and one of the primordial beings of the World of Fantasy.

Currently, the top 10 strongest guilds in the world got together in an alliance to defeat the final boss of the main scenario. Through countless trials and tribulations, they've made it to the last section of the Castle.

"This is the last push. Put your all into it!"

"Meteor Slash!"

"Thundering Pulse!"

"Iron Buddha's 26 Palms!"

"Red Dragon's Fiery Talons!"

They used countless skills in their last push, using up all they've got, using even their cursed items or drinking dangerous potions in the final struggle! The last charge being their biggest gamble. Dark glittering blood poured out from the goddess' wounds, cracks forming all over her body as she screamed in agony before shattering, and they received a system notification confirming her death.

[You've defeated the Goddess of Death Kalda!]

[You've slain the last Primordial God!]

[Something is stirring deep within the cosmos!]

[The 2nd Arc has been unlocked!]

Amidst their cries of joy celebrating the hard-fought battle that went on for 4 days in-game, an unknown chaos awakens and the world shook.

And then there's me…

Running as fast as I can without looking back, as fiery projectiles fly past me as I evade them with a few inches of my breath, and the sound of those terrifying barks Echoed in the dark forest. Running with all my might, I hear them again. Hellhounds. They are a type of monster that usually roams in fiery places, like the obsidian forest or the magma fortress. They're high-leveled enemies, but there's something wrong.

The Hellhounds resemble a skeletal wolf, with patches of skin and flames that erupt from its body. Its signature fire eyes and flaming mouth. They range around level 50~90 depending on where you find them.

"Why the hell are they in the Forest of Beginnings?!"

I couldn't express my anger enough. One would be frustrated when they're peacefully farming until the game decides to fuck you over with hellhounds, of all things. I quickly hid behind a tree just to catch my breath even if it's just for a second, but just one of their fireballs destroyed the trunk and I went back into running again.

"I hate this game!"

I'm Azrael Simons, yes my real name is Azrael, and so far I've died 1000 times in this game, creating dozens, if not hundreds, of characters.

"Why is my luck so shit!?"

I'm one of the many victims in this game that's caught in a phenomenon called Endless Loop, where one cannot escape the first 10 levels of the game, although this is a common occurrence before, right now, in the current game state where there are many guides and walkthroughs there aren't that many Endless Loop victims anymore, rather the ones who get stuck in it mean they're not fit to play the game.

I kept on running, but I know that there was no way I'm outrunning the hellhounds, but maybe, just maybe I'll survive?

*BOOM*

"Ah."

That's when I felt a searing pain in my back and my entire world fade to black… only to be greeted by the screen…

[You gained the achievement 'Hero who's loved by death']

[The Hero Has Fallen]