"This is not over…"
The last of the seven demon lords knelt before Aamon, blood dripping down his forehead, one of his horns broken, and his wings ripped apart. The demon lord's once-mighty fortress was crumbling around him, the ground trembling beneath them.
Aamon stood tall, wiping the blood off his blade. The cold steel gleamed in the dim light of the throne room, casting shadows that danced across the broken stone.
"You are wrong," Aamon said, his voice cold and steady. "It's over."
A low, bitter laugh escaped the demon lord's lips, almost mocking in its tone.
"Fool. You have no idea what's coming. This is not the end."
Aamon paused, narrowing his gaze at the demon lord. His heartbeat quickened, but he refused to be shaken by the demon's words. This was supposed to be the final quest, the end of it all. There was no reason to entertain the demon's cryptic message.
"Stop babbling nonsense," he said, his voice cold and dismissive. "Just disappear already. You're wasting my time."
Turning his back to the demon, Aamon prepared to check the rewards available after the demon's death. But the demon's voice cut through the crumbling ruins, stopping him in his tracks.
"You're a puppet in their hands, and you don't even know it. They will come for you next... God's Knight."
Aamon sighed, dismissing the demon's words as little more than the ramblings of a defeated enemy.
He yawned, growing impatient. The game's dialogue wheel appeared in front of him, presenting three options:
The Player 'Isis' Can Choose To :
[Finish him off]
[Leave him alive]
[Interrogate further]
Aamon's finger hovered over the options. There is no point in interrogating the demon further—this was the last quest, the final showdown.
What more could the demon possibly offer? I'll save myself some headache.
As the fortress crumbled further, the ceiling beginning to collapse, Aamon made his decision. He stepped back and raised his sword one last time. "I'll take my chances. Goodbye, Lordy."
With a swift motion, he brought the blade down, ending the demon lord's existence. The body slumped forward, lifeless.
The game music swelled, and a notification appeared:
"Victory! You are the first player to defeat the Demon Lord Vol'Rath, Seventh of His Kind. Quest Complete! You have obtained the SSS Grade Item - Lav - "
[ERROR! CONNECTION ERROR! LOGGING OUT THE PLAYER! ERROR! ERROR!]
Aamon's eyes widened as the screen flashed in front of him, the bright red error messages blinking rapidly. "What the hell?" he muttered, his heart racing.
Before he could make sense of what was happening, everything dissolved into static, and the world around him went dark.
My SSS-GRADE Egg...
---
Groggy and disoriented, Aamon woke up, his head spinning. His body felt heavy, like he was coming out of a deep sleep. The smooth hum of the VR capsule still echoed faintly in his ears, but something was off. The usual clean, sterile sound of the machine was replaced by a distant buzzing.
And then, he heard her voice.
"Wakey, wakey."
Blinking, Aamon opened his eyes, squinting against the harsh light of the room. Valera stood above him, holding the plug of the VR capsule in her hand, a mischievous grin playing on her lips. The capsule door was wide open, and the cold air of the real world hit his sweat-drenched skin.
"Valera…" he rasped, his voice thick and groggy. Slowly, he sat up, his arms shaking slightly. "W-What the hell?"
Leaning against the capsule, Valera twirled the thick cable between her fingers, a casual smile on her face. "Oops. Did I pull you out too soon, babe?"
Aamon stared at her, still trying to process what had just happened. The plug dangled dangerously close to the floor as she swayed, biting her lip in that playful way she always did. His mind was still half-stuck in game mode, processing everything like it was a decision wheel waiting to pop up.
"Too soon?" His voice cracked as he tried to keep his frustration in check. "Val, I warned you not to do this again!" He pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated. "I was this close to becoming the rank one player of 'Battle of the Righteous'!"
Her eyes widened in mock shock. "Oh nooo," she dragged the words out, leaning closer to him. "Did I interrupt your big, important demon lord battle?"
Aamon groaned, running a hand through his sweaty hair. "Yes, you did. Now, I'm logged out, and I have to wait to collect my stuff. What the hell, Val? Why'd you pull the plug, anyway?"
Valera pouted, her lips curving into a teasing smile. "Because you've been in there for eight hours, Aamon. Eight hours. You didn't even respond when I knocked or called your name, so I thought, 'Hey, maybe he's stuck, and I need to rescue my brave knight from the evil clutches of VR land.'"
Aamon scowled but couldn't stay mad for long.
Valera had a way of making frustration melt away with her playful demeanor. The gleam in her eyes always managed to break through his annoyance.
He sighed, swinging his legs over the side of the capsule, still feeling half-asleep. She was right. He had been in the game for too long.
"Well, your 'brave knight' was about to claim an SSS-grade reward," he said sarcastically as he stood up, wobbling slightly from the transition out of virtual reality.
Valera quickly stepped forward, steadying him with her hands on his chest. "Wow, easy there, gamer boy," she giggled softly. "Don't want you falling all over yourself now."
Aamon steadied himself, meeting her gaze. Her green eyes sparkled with amusement, framed by her teasing smirk. He raised an eyebrow. "Are you enjoying this, soon-to-be Mrs. Desmond?"
She tilted her head, her lips twitching as if deciding whether to keep teasing him or dial it back. "Maybe a little. You always look so cute when you're frustrated."
Aamon narrowed his eyes playfully, but before he could respond, Valera pulled him closer, her arms wrapping loosely around his neck. "But in all seriousness, babe… you need a break. You've been in that game for hours." Her tone softened, becoming more sincere. "I was getting worried."
Aamon sighed, guilt creeping in. She was right. Again. "Sorry, Val. I lost track of time."
Her face softened, and she leaned into him, resting her forehead gently against his. "I know. That's why I'm here to remind you that you're still human... and I'm still here." She punctuated her words with a light kiss on his lips.
Aamon kissed her back, slow and sweet, letting the tension from the game fade away. Her fingers played with his hair, sending small shivers down his spine.
Pulling away slightly, Valera grinned. "Besides, I saved you from whatever the hell was happening in there. You should be thanking me."
Before Aamon could have responded, his eyes landed on a greenish blue screen appearing beside Valera's head.
[HELLO, USER!
Would you like to kiss beautiful women all across the world? Get your very own personalized system : The Strongest Man System! Would you like to spin the lucky wheel?]
[ YES ]
[ NO ]
What the hell!? Why am I seeing the game's screen from when I first logged in…
That fucker! Made me a God's Knight forget about kissing women. I couldn't even touch them.
That damn evil system!
Ugh! I should really stop gaming so much. Now I'm seeing things in real life.
"....mon! Aamon!"
"Oh! I'm sorry." Aamon said, shaking his head. "Thank you, my lady."
Valera giggled and tugged at his arm, pulling him away from the capsule. "Come on. I ordered pizza, and it's getting cold. Plus, you need some food that isn't virtual, mister."
Aamon's stomach growled on cue, and he followed her, glancing back at the capsule as it buzzed softly in the corner. "You do know they say that that game is based off some scripts found in mines and books. Right?"
"Whatever! We're here, right now Aamon. Who cares what the game is based on? On that note, Did you know a dungeon like the ones in VR was found in Mt. Vesuvedus. It says that they will most probably arrange a search party to check it out."
"There are lots of VR. Which one?"
"The Battle Of Righteous." Aamon's face twisted in confusion at Valera's reply. First, the screen. Now, this? What's going on. "What else, Val?"
"Well, it's a diamond mine. So, the rich people are after it."
A diamond mine!? The only dungeon in Battle of Righteous is 'Selection Dungeon!' It is supposed to find the deepest desire in the player's heart and assign the role they align with on a spin wheel.
Obviously, no one was ever able to draw the role they aligned with the most.
So, to survive in a rigged game without luck you obviously need money! F**k you, Devs!
Maybe, I should check out the dungeon. Who knows what I might find…
"Young Master, Master is requesting your presence. He wishes for you to go to Mt. Vesuvedus."