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As a child, Selia never had a true role model in her life or friends for that matter.
Her parents treated her like she's a cockroach that they're forced to live with. The abuse she suffered just for being born was something she doesn't wish on any child.
To escape this, she would always play outside—alone—whether it was raining, nighttime or otherwise.
Her favorite thing to do was roleplaying in cosplays.
Around this time, Star Fantasy was a major hit already and every single age group was paying attention to it or playing it for themselves. Of course, to play it, you would need a computer which costs money.
She didn't have that. But she read a lot of fantasy books at school so she had an idea about the experience. Many of her classmates also watched streams of it.
Classes, magic, magic beasts, Ragnarok, Valkyries, Demons, Demigods—the game was a treasure trove for a fantasy nerd like her. It birthed popular light novels and manga that got influenced by its lore-rich stories and masterpiece quests that will be remembered for generations.
Her favorite thing to roleplay as was a Valkyrie—a powerful woman who serves an all-powerful king, a man she would lay down her life for.
Valkyries are part of the divine order, serving directly under the pantheon of gods. They are fiercely loyal to the divine realm and put their lives on the line for mortals.
Selia wished to be reborn as a Valkyrie in her next life—if reincarnation is possible, that is. She would never marry as protecting all of human and godkind should be her sole devotion as a Valkyrie.
In order to live out this fantasy, she wanted to play Star Fantasy since you could be and do literally anything in that game.
Want to get married to a demon? You can.
Want to kill the NPCs that give you quests, including the Hero and Arnold? Though incredibly difficult, it is possible.
The point is that she could live out a life she had always dreamt of. Enjoying luxury, having a loving family, making lots of money, caring for the less-fortunate…
One day, she lost both her parents in a house fire. She was out late working a part-time job in order to buy a computer. What she came home to was an inferno that engulfed their entire house.
Does it make her an evil person to be glad those two monsters were out of her life?
In any case, a family member—her aunt—heard the news and offered to shelter her.
She lived with her aunt and cousin all throughout middle school. But her aunt also died from an illness when she was in high school.
That left only her and her cousin. This cousin of hers was already working at a game company at this time so finances weren't an issue.
Needless to say, Selia's life was completely different from her previous one.
Her cousin gave her a computer for school but she mostly used it to play games—especially the one she had been working hard for—Star Fantasy.
Though she was a complete newbie at the game and it took her ages to understand the basics of the game, merely experiencing the game was a joy for her.
She couldn't become a Valkyrie outright as they're actually a divine race in the game and you need to be endgame to ascend your race from human to demigod. But that doesn't mean there weren't ways for her to live out her fantasy.
Unfortunately, even when she started playing the game, Selia was still always alone.
Though her cousin cared for her and never treated her badly, she was almost never home so you could say her life never changed that drastically.
But maybe she's selfish to expect her cousin to be her friend as well.
Of course, Selia would usually ask if the two could go out regularly as they almost never spent time together.
Later on, when her cousin found out she was playing the game, she revealed that she's part of the development team and knows a lot of guilds that could help Selia in the game.
They even invited her to official tournaments to see how the biggest players in the world play against each other.
This was to show her what kind of environment she'll find herself in once she decides to tackle the game seriously.
It was the first time Selia saw what community looked like — players cheering for one another, rivals laughing after brutal matches, strangers turning into teammates overnight.
Watching them, she realized that when you play against others, you're never truly alone. Even your opponents become a kind of company.
Selia had never experienced that herself.
Before the game, the only way she felt accompanied was through cosplay.
When she put on a costume, it wasn't just dressing up — it was becoming someone else entirely.
Each outfit was a new person to talk to, to live as, even if only for a little while. The costumes became her companions, the voices she wished existed beside her.
It was almost like sharing a body with another soul—one that was brave, confident, and everything she wasn't.
A new horizon opened itself to her when she met a certain someone at one of those tournaments—someone who became the mentor she revered—
Liam.
The man who taught her, encouraged her, and gave her reason to believe she belonged in this world.
He's a man she later found out lived right next door to their apartment, someone her cousin never found worth a second glance. If she did, she would learn that she too knows who the man is.
To see someone take his name — the name of the man she admired, the man who changed her life — and wear it so smugly before her eyes…
Selia's grip tightened on her weapon.
That man might not have been her first friend but he's the only one to have been a proper "parent" to her and fill a void no one else could.
She won't let that impostor leave this forest alive.
**
She stabbed the air a few times, her lance cutting through the air in a blur, making the air whistle. Violent waves of wind engulfed the room, knocking back equipment and chairs as if a tornado hit the cave.
This isn't to show off but the more her special lance moves, the higher its damage output since it has a "Charge Rune". Imagine pulling back an arrow on a bow, each inch backward on the string adding a little power to the piercing power.
Once she felt the heat coming from her Semi-Star Class lance, she jumped lightly.
That alone pushed her several meters in a blink of an eye. But just when she was within striking range, she heard the man in the mask chuckle.
--Alert: You have been hit with [Devil's Touch] debuff. All damage has been lowered by 30% and you have been hit with the [Confusion] status. Additionally, your health will decrease by 0.5% each time you move.
--Advice: Exit the debuff zone to recover.
'Crafty.' She got that message from her system just when she was about to attack.
Though it's seen as cowardly by warriors, magicians typically do this at the very start of a fight when they are up against a non-mage. No one wants to have both their health drained and attack power limited.
A clang bounced off the walls, echoing farther into the dungeon.
Her Semi-Star weapon, while not utilizing its skills, was blocked by a layered barrier that the smug "fake" Lufulur pulled out, "How do you have his status and name?"
She asked calmly but there was a storm behind her bleeding red eyes.
· Lufulur
· Class: Supreme Sorcerer
· Level 100
The only thing missing from his status was his job, which used to be Vice Guild Master since he was one of the leaders of Misteltein. If she didn't see right through the phony Lufulur right away, the aforementioned should've given it away.
He never retired, after all. That means he never sold his account after spending years of his life building his career and identity. In fact, she couldn't see that man give up all his hard work and turn over a new leaf.
Star Fantasy is his life, just as he made it hers once she met him.
It gnawed at her that she may never see him again. But what pissed her off the most, someone who never shows emotion from years of "training" herself, was knowing this bastard is alive. That man might not have been her first friend but he's the only one to have been a proper "parent" to her and fill a void no one else could.
She went in for a thrust. Since most of her points were invested into strength, even one attack should cause devastation even if she's not giving it her all.
A dozen barriers shattered like glass. The magician yawned as if bored.
"Come forth, [Household Familiars]!" Selia jumped back. From her back a shadow manifested that spit out several other shadows.
One transformed into a Bone Dragon while the rest turned into Bloody Virgin Vampires, the corpses of virgins who were slayed before their consummation which turned them into powerful vampires, fitting to be her servants.
She typically only uses them to farm XP for her new NPCs. They're strong enough to do most raids alone so that's why she always has them ready.
The half a dozen Bloody Virgins cast several buff spells on the dragon as it blitzed through the air.
Since it's a spectral creature, it will ignore any barriers or physical objects created from mana.
Realizing this, the man lightly clicked his tongue and made the barriers disappear. He then faded into mist before the dragon could catch him.
It crashed into the wall, making the mountain rumble strongly. Since there were already measures set in place, there's no need to worry about it coming down on them.
Selia felt something being inserted into the gap of her chest, the side where her breast window was. Since her breasts in her adult form is quite large, sweat typically pools between them so she made some modifications to let them breathe during battle. This presents an opening for enemies, however, so she has to constantly be on guard.
-"With tits like these, you were made to be a hole, kukuku!"
Her breast was then squeezed. It was a vulgar sensation that made her weak in the knees with disgust.
She swung her weapon but felt it touch nothing but air.
-"Woah there." his voice echoed like the two were inside a tunnel.
She couldn't sense the magician for some reason.
'Not only did he steal his identity, he also inherited his skills.'
Only an expert magician could erase their presence, even to a level cap warrior like her who can tell individual ants from one another.
"Use [Exorcist Scan]!" she yelled to the summons to use a skill that can detect apparitions in the surroundings.
The Bloody Virgins then cast the spell, sending a green energy through the air, acting like a sonar. From the corner of her eye, Selia spotted a silhouette covered in the green energy.
Like a missile, she shot herself towards that spot and swung down her lance.
Several barriers appeared in front of her but this time she swung with all her strength, shattering them with ease. She then attempted to grab the man but a powerful force pushed her away. Hundreds of magic circles then manifested down the same path she flew. In an instant, light rods materialized in the magic circles.
Light magic is the weakness of vampires, not necessarily because they're divine art spells but because they were specifically designed to kill vampires like her. It harnesses the power of the Sun in such a way that even High Vampires, including Lords, fear them.
But if this man was an actual pro at the game who has knowledge, he would know the armor Selia is wearing is a legendary set of magic armor that identifies the wearer's weaknesses and makes them immune to them for the time they wear the armor or for as long as the durability lasts.
She specifically summoned this armor because you can't fight a magician without some protection since they typically fight non-magicians with the intention of identifying their weaknesses.
The reason for this is because brute force doesn't always work in the realm of level cap players. They are in a constant battle of wits, especially when the matchup is a different class. Gear often closes the gap in stats and experience.
But if this were the real Lufulur, Selia wouldn't stand a chance because he would always have contingencies. Everyone feared this Vice Guild Master, not just for his plethora of spells but also his PvP skills.
One thing is always mentioned when his name appears in the forums—Lufulur never loses a one-on-one.
"Wha!?" the man's shout echoed through the cave.
As expected, the light magic bounced off Selia's armor like it was nothing. Even when a beam hit her face, the armor protected her.
Selia glared at him as she walked toward him slowly, this time summoning all her Semi-Star Class weapons.
Were this the real Lufulur, he would create an anti-magic zone around his body, which can cancel out magical effects. This means that if Selia were to get close to him—she's a warrior so this is inevitable—her armor's function would shut down temporarily since it doesn't have runes on it.
This leaves her vulnerable to a powerful spell and Lufulur being the strongest magician in Star Fantasy who knows a thousand spells, will be able to finish her off easily even if he had a second of a window before being cut down.
Selia jumped lightly but she shot towards the man with incredibly speed. His barriers won't work this time as she can just use the spectral-type summon that was waiting for him.
'I need to take this fight outside. We've worked hard this past year to turn this mountain into our own dungeon. I can't just lose it.'
He amplified his own speed with magic and dodged her attack.
Even if he's fast enough to dodge her attacks, magicians aren't known for having a lot of stamina. Only a potion or priest's buff can increase this while they are unable to increase their stamina itself by themselves.
Probably realizing that he was cocky a bit too soon, the man cast a spell at close range. Since he has the Supreme Sorcerer Class now, there's no need for chants so Selia is always expecting a barrage of spells every time she goes in for an attack.
A force pulled him back, out of the reach of Selia's weapon. He then placed his hands on the ground, making a magic circle appear then lightning crackle as it danced around him.
A large red lightning bolt sped towards her.
One of the Bloody Virgins cast a water wall that appeared in front of Selia. The wall absorbed the impact of the spell then collapsed.
"Tch. I guess I should pull out the big guns, huh?" saying so, a gigantic magic circle appeared above him.
A colossal dragon's head then appeared out of the circle the next moment:
"[Royal Breath]!"
'A Fourteenth-Rank spell…' It's completely overkill to use a spell only used on armies, on one person.
Selia knew there was no way to dodge that attack since it was just too massive. As such, she stood her ground and didn't attempt to flee as her creations—or NPCs—were still in the cave with them.
A roar shook the cave, then it came.
The beam tore through the cavern in an instant. The floor split open and half the ceiling went with it. Stone and dust exploded outward as the force slammed into Selia, throwing her out through the mouth of the cave.
Her HP was thankfully not in any danger since the armor decreases the damage received. She felt relieved that while she did not bring any Star-Class weapons, she was smart enough to carry her artifact armor. If she didn't, things would've gone down differently.
She twisted mid-air trying to brace herself for the fall. She hit the rocky slope outside in a slide, boots carving through rubble before she came to a stop.
From outside, a part of the mountain roared and collapsed, part of their unfinished dungeon vanishing behind a wave of smoke and falling debris.
Selia clenched her jaw.
'Damn it… all that work gone.'
The tunnel system is probably still in tact but that was about it. The rest of the things they worked on was probably now gone.
Above, the man stepped through the cloud, magic still circling around him. Even a single moment of stillness from her would be enough for him to cast again—and with his speed, that second was all he needed.
Maybe realizing that a vampire's typical weakness wouldn't work, the man opted for high-tier spells instead. His magic was strong, but it flared without precision—like someone swinging a blade they'd never trained with.
She checked her armor's durability after her status window popped up:
-12668/14000
While that might seem like a lot, this is a battle between level cap "players" so a few Seventeenth-Rank spells will change the tide of this battle immediately. Fortunately, she's now outside so she has more room to move. An amateur like this man won't be able to match her speed.
'My Bloody Virgins can't cast spells past Tenth-Rank and they don't have a lot of attack spells. I'll need Lunaria for that since she's capable of up to Fourteenth-Rank magic.'
She might be able to tackle this guy alone since he's not the real Lufulur and thus doesn't have the experience to take down a warrior. But she's the kind of person who's cautious when facing off against a guy who memorized almost a thousand spells and can cast all seventeen ranks of magic.
While the imposter might not know all the spells, every magician has a codex where all their spells are recorded anyway.
It's just too dangerous to do this alone so she'll need Lunaria to help.
"All of this can end with you surrendering and becoming my slave." The man spoke as he levitated without a care in the world, "Buuut, I like to stretch my arms and legs a bit so I don't mind making you submit to me through force."
"…Who are you really? Did Lufulur sell his account to you?"
She doubts that but still asked.
"Oh, you're not even hiding that you're a player? Oh well, I could tell anyway."
He chuckled and leaned forward midair, tapping at a window only he could see. "But what's it matter? You'll be an NPC soon anyway. I'll strip your code, rewrite your permissions—turn you into a little puppet. Cute, right?"
Selia's eyes narrowed. She had no idea if he's serious or not.
"You're bluffing," she said flatly.
"Sure, sure," he replied, voice rising an octave. "Keep talking, meat. I'll prove it soon enough. All I need is to knock you unconscious then you're mine."
He spread his arms wide, laughing at his own line. It was almost theatrical.
"…If what you say is true, how do you have that power?"
She wanted to believe he was bluffing to scare her but what would be the point of that? It's not like he has a massive advantage over her so her morale isn't broken.
"You're gonna be turned into an NPC anyway so I won't waste my breath."
She thought he's the kind of person who boasts a lot but it seems she's mistaken.
"…I-I'll show you my breasts if you tell me." Through a reddened face, Selia said awkwardly.
That caught him off guard. "Huh—wait, what?"
Then he burst out laughing. "Hahahah! You think I'll fall for that? You're saying that like you can win this! I, Lord Lufulur, have no equal, you dumb piece of meat!"
She glared at him but didn't charge at him recklessly.
"But do a little dance for me then I'll consider sparing you for a while."
"…What?"
"You heard me, fuckmeat," he sneered, floating higher as if height gave him authority. "Take it off, dance for me. Maybe I'll let you live a bit longer—hah! That's how I like my women, obedient and humiliated. Why not make it a show? Take off that armor, do a little dance for me. Let's see what that armor is hiding. I can tell those tits are huge."
"…You're insane."
"Woah, woah, don't act offended now. You offered first, remember? I'm being generous."
Selia's fists clenched. "…I'm going to murder you."
"Ah? What was that, fuckmeat?"
"…."
'So this is what became of Lufulur's legacy… some idiot with a god-tier player's account and the brain of a twelve-year-old.'
Then again, this twelve-year-old has the power on his side to kill her.
She hasn't tested whether she can be revived at a temple and she hasn't been able to find a certain Star Class item that allows rebirths.
This being the case, she can't be cocky just because her opponent is a comical cocky bastard.
Her grip tightened around her lance.
'System, contact Lunaria through the recruitment feature.'
-Contacting: ... Automated plea for reinforcements has been sent… Location has been sent… NPC Lunaria has been connected. Recording can begin.
Selia tapped the window, holding it there and began to speak.
The phony Lufulur tilted his head, "Are you summoning allies? They better be hot babes like yourself. I don't mind a harem of vampires, kukuku." He sat in mid-air and held both hands behind his head, "You may call for help, I'll allow it."
"…"
'Lunaria, I am facing an All-Father Zephyros-level threat I fear I may not be ready to tackle alone. I want you to find Vetis or Lilith and teleport to my side. Bring all your gear to the fight, including the Star Class equipment I gave you… because the man we're fighting…' she clenched her fist while glaring coldly at the carefree man, 'is my mentor.'
It will be a long, hard fight but it's one she's willing to risk her life for to protect that great man's legacy.