The sterile white walls of the hospital room seemed to close in on Ethan as he lay in bed, his body frail and weak. The faint beeping of the heart monitor was a constant reminder of his condition—a rare neurological disorder that had no cure. He could feel his body failing, day by day. He turned his head slightly, his gaze falling on the VR headset resting on the bedside table. It was his lifeline, his escape from the harsh reality of his illness. For six years, God's Dream had been his world, a place where he wasn't defined by his sickness but by his strength, his skill, and his leadership. As the founder of the Mythril Hearts, one of the leading Guilds he had built a legacy that would outlast him—or so he hoped.
The doctor's words echoed in his mind. "Three months, Ethan. Maybe less." He clenched his fists, frustration and despair bubbling beneath the surface. He wasn't ready to die. Not yet. There was still so much he wanted to do, so much he wanted to achieve. But time was running out, both in the real world and in God's Dream.
The news hit the gaming community like a tidal wave. Mysterious incidents had been occurring in God's Dream—players who died in-game were falling into comas in the real world. The silence of game developers didn't help in this matter. Under government pressure, the developers announced that the servers would be shut down in one and a half months. Ethan stared at the announcement on the TV, his heart sinking. God's Dream was more than just a game to him; it was his second life, maybe his only life. And now, even that was being taken away. But as he read the announcement again, a spark of determination ignited within him. If this was the end, he would go out on his own terms.
Ethan called a meeting with his guild, the Mythril Hearts. They gathered in their guild hall, a grand structure they had built together over the years. Ethan's voice was steady as he addressed them. "I don't have much time left," he said, his words heavy with emotion. "But before the servers shut down, I want to achieve something no one else has. I want to reach Level 999." The room fell silent. The highest level anyone had achieved in God's Dream was 762, and Ethan was still at 753. It seemed impossible, but his friends knew better than to doubt him. They had seen him overcome impossible odds before. "We're with you, Ethan," said Lira, the guild's healer and Ethan's closest friend. "Until the very end."
The announcement of the shutdown had caused chaos in the game's economy. Players were selling off their treasures, experience potions, and scrolls at whatever they can get. Ethan used every resource he had—both in-game and in real life—to hoard as much as he could. His guildmates rallied around him, helping him complete high-level quests, defeat powerful bosses, and gather rare materials. It was grueling work, but Ethan pushed himself harder than ever before. Every level gained was a small victory, a step closer to his goal. And then, just one day before the shutdown, he did it. Ethan reached Level 999, becoming the first and only player in God's Dream to achieve the impossible.
The guild gathered one last time in their hall. There were tears and laughter as they reminisced about their adventures together. Ethan looked around at his friends, his heart swelling with gratitude. They had given him something priceless—a sense of belonging, of purpose. "Thank you," he said, his voice breaking. "For everything." One by one, they logged out, promising to visit him in the hospital. But Ethan stayed behind. He wasn't ready to say goodbye just yet. There was one last thing he wanted to do.
With only three hour left before the shutdown, Ethan set out for the Abyssal Cavern, one of the hardest dungeons in God's Dream which was never cleared even by the top guilds. He had attempted it before with his guild, but they had failed. This time, he would face it alone. The dungeon was a nightmare of twisting tunnels and deadly traps, but Ethan's skill and determination carried him through. Finally, with one hour left on the clock he reached the final chamber, where the Transcendent-ranked dragon, Ecliptar, The Twilight Dragon, awaited.
The battle was brutal. Ecliptar was a force of nature, its Light and Dark abilities tearing through Ethan's defenses. But Ethan fought with everything he had, his movements precise and calculated. He dodged, parried, and struck with the skill of a true master. As the fight dragged on, Ethan's health bar dwindled, but so did Ecliptar's. Finally, with only 1% of its health remaining, the dragon spoke."You… are not like the others," Ecliptar said, its voice echoing in Ethan's ears. "I have never seen someone like you… so much determination, so much potential… wasted in such a lowly world."
Ethan froze, stunned. Monsters in God's Dream didn't speak. This was unprecedented. Before he could process what was happening, Ecliptar continued, its voice tinged with bitterness. "I was born of Light and Dark, yet shunned by both. The Light Dragons saw me as a corruption, the Dark Dragons as an abomination. They couldn't accept the balance of powers within me. My existence was meaningless… until now." The dragon's words hung in the air, heavy with emotion. Ethan's mind raced, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. With only three minutes left on the clock, Ecliptar lunged at him again. Ethan gritted his teeth, channeling every ounce of his strength into his final ability. With a blinding flash of light, he struck the dragon down.
As Ecliptar collapsed, its massive form began to dissolve into shimmering particles of light and shadow. The dragon's voice echoed one last time, softer now, almost wistful. "You… have given me purpose." The words lingered in the air as the cavern grew darker, the light fading around Ethan. He felt a strange sensation, as if something had shifted deep within him. Before he could react, the world around him dissolved into darkness.
Ethan's eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, he thought he was back in the hospital room. The sterile white walls, the faint beeping of the heart monitor—it all felt so real. But as his vision cleared, he realized he was lying on the soft, mossy ground of a forest. The air was thick with an otherworldly energy, and the trees around him seemed to glow faintly, their leaves shimmering with hues of gold and silver. He sat up slowly, his body feeling lighter and more alive than it had in years. He flexed his fingers, marveling at the sensation. This can't be real, he thought. I couldn't move like this in reality. Am I still in the game?
Confused, he muttered to himself, "What happened? Didn't the servers shut down? Where am I?" Instinctively, he summoned his stats bar. The familiar interface appeared before him, but something was off. His class had changed, and his level… his level was reset.
Ethan Dawn
Lvl 1
Twilight Archon Sovereign
Transcendent
HP: 50
MP: 40
Strength: 4
Agility: 3
Vitality: 2
Intelligence: 4
$#@#?- ??
[Locked]- ??
[Locked]- ??
Ethan stared at the screen, his mind racing. Level 1? is this a glitch? I was at Level 999, the strongest player in the game. And now… this? Ethan stared at the stats bar, his mind racing. What's with these locked stats? And why are my numbers so low? Even for Level 1, this feels… off. Is this some kind of glitch? Or is this world just that different? He clenched his fists, feeling a mix of frustration and curiosity. Whatever had happened, one thing was clear—this wasn't God's Dream. This was something entirely new. As he stood up, he remembered the sound of Ecliptar just before he lost consciousness and it echoed in his mind once more. "Give glory to my meaningless existence." Whatever this world was, whatever challenges lay ahead, he was ready to face them. This was his new beginning. Ethan took a deep breath, his resolve hardening and with a smile he began his new journey