It had been three years since I first launched this hardcore version of Ultimate Bounty Hunter. Three years of perseverance, bitter defeats and dazzling victories. Three years of locking myself into this unforgiving universe, of stubbornly climbing the most arduous paths, where failure was not an option but a certainty.
But I had held on.
I was now far above the old me. The one who failed in front of hundreds of spectators. The one who let himself be mocked. That ridiculous player no longer existed. In his place stood someone stronger, more resilient.
I had reached path 99. The last one. The most formidable of all.
I had taken the right paths after countless attempts, solved twisted riddles and overcome challenges no one else had faced. At last, I stood before the final portal, the one that was supposed to lead to the legendary sacred treasure. The one ONE SHOT had discovered before me, but whose true nature no one knew.
My heart was beating wildly as I advanced my figure towards the glittering portal. This was the ultimate reward, the one for which I'd sacrificed so many sleepless nights and put my social life on hold.
But as my character passed through the portal, the screen suddenly darkened. Then a message appeared:
"Thank you for completing this exclusive version of Ultimate Bounty Hunter.
Unfortunately, the sacred treasure cannot be revealed, as it has not been included in this version of the game.
We hope you enjoyed the experience. See you soon in the official version."
I froze, staring at the screen.
I blinked, rereading the message several times, trying to understand.
Not included?
My mind went blank as reality hit me full force.
All this... for this?
Three years of my life. Three years of relentless training, repeating the same levels over and over again. Three years isolating myself from the real world, imposing a ruthless discipline on myself to overcome the impossible.
And all for nothing?
My hand trembled on the mouse. A dull rage rose up inside me, but was immediately suffocated by a feeling of immense emptiness.
I too would have liked to know the sacred treasure. I would have liked to understand why ONE SHOT had coveted it so much.
ONE SHOT...
Had he really seen this famous treasure?
Why me, then? Why give me an incomplete version? Was it to punish me? To mock me?
I fell back in my chair, staring at the ceiling.
It didn't make sense anymore.
Then the television, left on in the background, caught my attention. A debate was raging on the screen. An environmental protestor was raging:
"We're slowly killing the planet! If we continue like this, there will be no future for generations to come!"
I turned my head distractedly to the screen, my thoughts still clouded by the game's cruel message.
A future destroyed. A world without hope.
Ironic, I thought. I'd spent three years in a virtual world chasing a non-existent treasure, while the real world continued to crumble.
I glanced at my desk, cluttered with empty cans and scribbled sheets of strategy. A jumble of evidence of my three years of obsession.
It seemed that now that I'd finished this game, I was back to my mundane life.
The game was over. The treasure didn't exist.
And I was alone again, in this narrow room where nothing had changed in three years.
I glanced at my phone, mechanically checking the date.
November 16, 2023.
The DLC was officially released tomorrow. I'd reached the end of this merciless version the day before its worldwide release. No one else had yet had the opportunity to play it.
A sigh of relief escaped me. I'd made it. Before anyone else.
This version had broken me, shaped me, then strengthened me. I'd become much more than just a player.
Studio Arche...
They had given me this unique opportunity. There was no doubt about it: they wanted me to be the first to show the world the true difficulty of this DLC. After all, who else could face such challenges?
I could already see myself streaming again. I could almost hear the reactions of viewers, surprised to see me back after a three-year absence. I was going to shock them all. They wouldn't recognize the noob they'd once despised.
Yet a question suddenly struck me. Wouldn't it seem strange if I overcame the challenges with disconcerting ease, even though, officially, the game had only been released the day before?
I had mastered the mechanics, memorized the patterns, anticipated the traps.
What had become routine for me would now appear as a superhuman feat to other players, who would barely have discovered the DLC.
Doubts crept in. How could I justify such a mastery of the game from day one?
How could I explain such fluid progress when no one had had time to train?
I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache coming on. I hadn't even thought about it.
If Studio Arche had given me this version in advance to practice, then maybe they were waiting for me to show my skills... but not immediately after the release.
Not while the whole world was still groping in the dark of the first levels.
I smiled bitterly.
They'd thought of everything, hadn't they? I didn't mind, really.
I'd given three years of my life to this game. I had risen to the challenge they had set me.
I'd proved my worth... at least to myself. For now, that was enough.
I put my phone down on the bedside table and let myself fall back onto my bed.
I deserved a break.
After three years of intensive training, a break from Ultimate Bounty Hunter couldn't hurt. I could wait. The world would soon discover what this DLC had to offer. And I already knew how ruthless it could be.
As I lay there, my mind floating between fatigue and vague thoughts, the television continued to play in the background. A monotonous background noise, until finally a subject caught my attention.
The reporter, sitting at his desk with a big smile, announced:
"A big announcement is expected from Studio Arche, creators of the famous Ultimate Bounty Hunter game. The studio promises to reveal crucial information about the sequel to their hit game."
I straightened up slightly, intrigued.
The whole world was finally going to learn what I'd discovered in the preview.
I was excited, not by the announcement itself, but by the fact that now everyone would know. Everyone would be in the same boat as me. They would finally understand the magnitude of the challenge. And I was the only one who had access to this version before anyone else. A head start on the other players that would get people talking.
Then, a familiar face appeared on the screen.
It was ONE SHOT. The only player to have reached the sacred treasure before me. The famous ONE SHOT, a legend among gamers.
He confidently declared:
"No matter what challenges stand in my way, I will meet them. I'll never give up."
The audience responded by applauding behind him.
But a thought crossed my mind.
So even ONE SHOT knew nothing about what really lay behind the sacred treasure?
He seemed so confident, so sure of himself. But after all, if he had reached the treasure, he hadn't had the same version as me. I wasn't the only one who'd been left out of the game's real secrets.
A shiver of incomprehension ran through me.
Why had Studio Arche given me this version in advance, when they'd kept it secret from everyone, even ONE SHOT?
Was it a test? A challenge to myself, to see how far I could go?
I looked at the screen again, watching the journalist's words, all the while losing myself in a sea of doubts.
Yes, it was clear that even ONE SHOT didn't know. He'd never seen this version, he'd never faced what I'd faced.
This added an even more complex dimension to the story. And the mystery surrounding this forthcoming announcement... I couldn't help but wonder what was behind it.
On my way home from work, I felt a strange nervousness come over me. The long-awaited moment was approaching.
I could already see messages piling up on the official UBW forum, players buzzing around their hive like bees:
"Have you seen the announcement?"
"Everyone go to Studio Arche live, it's going to be huge!"
"I hope we finally get some info on the sacred treasure!"
I frowned. Why were they so excited?
I already knew what was going to be announced, didn't I? Still, the excitement aroused my curiosity.
With a certain indifference, I went over to the live feed.
The screen displayed in large letters:
"Additional content on Ultimate Bounty Hunter coming soon."
I raised an eyebrow. It was exactly what I'd expected. However, the collective enthusiasm seemed a bit exaggerated. Why all this excitement over something that seemed, at heart, so ordinary?
Then the live show began.
The game's emblematic logo appeared on a black background, imposing, like a promise of challenges to come.
A clearly doctored voice-over was heard.
[Hello everyone,
We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the many years of support and passion you have devoted to our game. Your commitment and enthusiasm have been a constant source of inspiration for our team.
In just a few minutes, we'll be unveiling some brand-new additional content, and we can't wait to see how you tackle the new challenges we've prepared for you.
We wish each and every one of you the best of luck, and hope that this new adventure will bring you as much pleasure and excitement as you've given us over the years.
Thank you again, and let the game begin!]
A heavy silence reigned for a moment, before the voice fell silent, giving way to palpable tension.
They seemed to be making this a solemn moment, as if what they were about to reveal was going to be a game-changer.
I leaned back in my chair, looking detached. After all, I already knew what it meant. But I couldn't help wondering, as the minutes ticked by, what Studio Arche had in mind. Why this staging? Why all the mystery surrounding this announcement?
I had no answers. But all the same, a little shiver of anticipation ran through me.
A thud, almost deafening, reached my ears.
It was like a distant explosion, followed by a rumbling that rattled the walls of my apartment.
A shiver of anguish seized me, and a wave of panic surged through me. What had happened?
I rushed to the window, my heart racing, and opened it wide, hoping to get a clearer view of what was happening outside.
There, in the sky, a gigantic violet aura was floating, pulsating like a wave of energy. It seemed to suck up everything in its path, engulfing the city in a strange, menacing light.
Buildings trembled under the invisible pressure, and I could hear heart-rending screams all around me. People were running in all directions, lost, panicked, trying to escape the inexplicable threat that was closing in. Chaos reigned supreme.
I'd never seen anything like it. The familiar streets were now filled with confusion and terror. Dozens of voices mingled in a cacophony of absurd theories and unanswered questions.
What was all this about?
Why the light? Where was it coming from? And above all, why did I have the impression that it was all linked to this cursed game?
Doubt washed over me. That explosion, that aura... It was as if the world was tilting before our eyes.
I wanted to move away from the window, but part of me was paralyzed, riveted to the spectacle, as if hypnotized by the magnitude of the disaster.
There was no doubt now. The danger was real. And it was there, on my doorstep.
People were running in all directions, screaming in terror as they tried to escape the violet aura that was devouring everything in its path.
I watched them from my window, my heart beating wildly, unable to look away.
But something caught my attention. That aura... It only attacked humans.
Cars remained untouched, trees untouched, buildings untouched.
Only people were caught up in the strange light, disappearing in a flash as if they'd never existed.
Panic rose within me. Why did this aura seem to stalk only humans?
Something was wrong.
First this Studio Arche announcement, and now this. What was the coincidence?
Was it possible that these events were linked?
I tried to think, to put my thoughts in order, but everything was blurred, incomprehensible.
Then a violent dizziness hit me. The room spun around me, and my legs gave way.
I fell heavily to the floor, unable to move.
My vision blurred, flashes of light dancing before my eyes.
My head resounded with a deafening buzz.
I wanted to scream, but no sound came from my mouth. My body abandoned me, slipping slowly into icy darkness.
The ground grew colder and colder. My eyelids closed of their own accord, heavy as lead.
Then nothing.
Emptiness.
[ -Welcome to player tutorial path 2338#123- ]