Eat, game, sleep.
Eat, game.
Game.
Game...
...
Before high school, Zhou Liang had been an honor student—a shining star. He excelled in sports, led his peers in student council, and was the pride of his family. His life brimmed with promise, and his parents often imagined a bright future for their son.
But everything changed the summer before high school. That was when Zhou discovered Legends of Eryndor, the hottest new MMORPG. It started innocently enough—a few hours here, a late night there. His parents thought it was a phase—a harmless distraction before the rigor of high school began.
But they were utterly wrong.
By the time school started, Zhou had become a ghost of his former self. He stopped hanging out with friends, quit sports, and handed in his resignation to the student council without a word of explanation. His grades plummeted.
"Zhou, food's ready! Please eat with us tonight," his mother would call, her voice tinged with both hope and desperation.
"Be there in five," Zhou mumbled every time, his eyes glued to the glowing screen. He never left his chair.
His father, once proud and supportive, grew angry. "This is unacceptable! You're throwing your life away! Get out of that room and go to school!"
But Zhou didn't respond. After one explosive argument, his father gave up, retreating to silence. His mother tried to bridge the gap, knocking softly on his door every evening, but Zhou's world had shrunk to the four corners of his monitor.
Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. Zhou's obsession consumed him. He skipped meals, ignored his body's warnings, and pushed through exhaustion in pursuit of virtual victories.
One fateful week, Zhou didn't leave his room at all. Not for food. Not for water. Not for sleep. His mother stood outside his door, pleading. "Zhou, please... at least drink some water."
There was no answer.
Five days later, when his mother finally forced the door open, she found Zhou slumped in his chair, his screen still glowing with the login screen of Legends of Eryndor.
...
[ABCD NEWS LIVE]
"Seventeen-year-old Zhou Liang was found dead last night in his home," the news anchor announced solemnly.
"Medical reports confirm the cause of death as severe dehydration and malnutrition after five consecutive days of gaming without food or water."
The screen cut to a discussion panel. "Parents are growing concerned about the addictive nature of these games," a woman said. "Many are considering stricter regulations to protect their children. But can we really blame the games, or is it something deeper?"
A panelist responded, shaking his head. "Teenagers like Zhou Liang lack balance and control. Grounding them or banning games won't work. The issue is far more complex—this was a tragic failure on multiple levels."
...
Zhou's mother insisted on holding a funeral for him, however his dad was still in complete shock.
'How did I even raise a kid like this, was it my fault?' he thought as tears rolled down his cheeks.
They did, in fact, hold a funeral a few days later where only two people attended—his mother and father. They were mourning in grief, crying for him—the only two people in the entire world who were.
Both of Zhou's parents believed it was their fault, and that they should have cared more about him, but in reality, it was their son's own choices that led him down this pit of obsession.
...
'Am I d-dead..?'
'I'm s-sorry mom and dad, for everything'
Zhou Liang had just died a miserable death and wanted to cry, but couldn't because he was—well dead...right?
He thought about what had just happened as he moved his arms to cover his eyes from the gleaming radiance that suddenly appeared in front of him.
His eyes were readjusting from darkness to light, as if he was just waking up from a coma. Zhou was very confused as he knew for sure that he passed away.
Then, he noticed two people—a young man who was sitting beside a bed and woman who was on the bed, holding Zhou up while laying down.
"Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat!"
Zhou couldn't understand a single word of what was coming out of their mouths.
Then as his eyes finished adjusting to this unfamiliar place, he heard a beep sound.
A notification suddenly popped up in front of him.
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"Aww.. its a baby boy!"
Zhou's eyes opened wide as he realized what just happened.
'I-Is this a dream?'
Although he was a gaming fanatic, Zhou had read enough webtoons in his life to know what was going on. He started bawling his eyes out—not with tears of remorse, but with joy—if his prediction came out to be right.
'Ha! Finally! What the actual—!'