At the dead of night under the dim moon, the sound of metal striking against metal echoed across the village as women and children hid inside their homes in fear.
The brave warriors fought hard against the dirty green-skinned, long-eared creatures.
Hee-hee-hee!
The grotesque laughter of the goblins drifted across the battlefield, jumping up and down in excitement as they pushed forward in their ruthless attacks, forcing the unwilling warriors back step by step.
The upper hand was turning in the goblins favor because of their greater numbers.
Suddenly, the darkness was temporarily overcome by a bright arc of light that cut through the night.
Unable to withstand the sharp light, everyone closed their eyes and only to see a young man wielding a large axe standing there when they finally opened them.
There came the dreadful sight: beneath him were the scattered pieces of the ugly green creatures strewn across the cold ground like butchered meat
The air became the sudden smell of the creepy green liquid which was the blood of the goblins on the ground.
Everybody, both humans and goblins, were stunned by the scene—
It was a disgusting scene to behold.
"Just a single strike has drained me to feel so weak...." he sighed, a crooked smile on his face.
GRAAHK!
SKREE!
At the back, a muscular goblin appearing as their chieftain raised his spear, summoning the horde into a battle charge with a war cry.
Before the goblins could come closer again, the young man took a step and in a second struck down with the heavy axe, slaying dozens of them in a single strike.
"What a joke? A mere goblin acting almighty before me? Even with my eyes closed, I am still capable of crushing you effortlessly."
The warriors watched as the young man brandished his axe, fighting the many goblins and their chieftain alone without any iota of panic on his face.
"Draven, our savior! Draven, gift of the gods! Draven!"
They began to praise his name, hitting their weapons together to create a beat. Soon, the women and children joined in, echoing the same rhythm and filling the night with his name.
—————
Who was that young man?
'Oh sorry, my bad, that was me, Draven Cross. The player with countless awards attached to my name, now respawned in the real world of Kingdom Evolution Online.
Respawned? No, not just that. I somehow entered this world with my real body.
After years of immersive play, I was able to conquer the final boss and now? Now, I have to restart everything with my real and weak body, back to square one in a game world where I reigned supreme but now it's the real world.
Let's go back to the last moment of why I ended up here.'
<<<<<<<
A few days ago—
"The rangers just confirmed that the Black Queen's armies will soon arrive here."
A broad man in white armor reported as he stood beside the tall, masked youth who had twin axes strapped to his back.
The masked figure only nodded, standing on the kingdom walls with his eyes fixed on the distance in a way that suggested he was expecting the arrival of a person.
This was the leader of the Eterna Guild, the no.1 top ranked Guild that surpassed every other group in the ranking with their inevitable power.
Most of these players joined the Guild because of the leader's influence.
The players stared at the leader, feeling a supreme aura of confidence radiating from him. There was admiration in their eyes, a sign of respect for the legend who had never lost a battle, able to make the impossible become possible.
Kingdom Evolution Online was the first VRMMO to seize the attention of every player on Earth from day one of its release.
On that first day, downloads swelled into the millions and over the years they climbed toward a billion. The reason was simple yet powerful. Players didn't just play, they lived inside it to experience this world that looked so real.
Kingdom building, brutal war, strategy, and honor, all experienced not on a screen but through their bodies with the magical game helmet of the game company.
"Are all the preparations completed?"
He finally asked, his voice so shockingly young.
Everybody around was not shocked, for the name Deathcleaver was known by all. He was an orphan who began gaming at age five and rose to fame, shaking the gaming world with talent none could rival.
When Kingdom Evolution Online was launched, he was thirteen. From that day, he devoted his life to the game. Now, at nineteen, his name became more popular and talked of the world.
"All preparations are already complete and each player in their respective positions," answered the white-armored man, the second in command and most powerful mage in the guild.
In the distance, a thick cloud of dust surged forward as the ground shook with the heavy sound of countless marching feet, resembling an earthquake about to break forth.
Here comes the Black Queen's army.
When the dust finally settled, an endless sea of monsters stretched outside the kingdom's gate. Lizardmen, Cyclopes, Wargs, Manticores, Goblins… countless breeds gathered as one, their presence creating a suffocating tension in the air.
Draven stood at the top with a calm expression, his eyes still looking into the distance as the monsters before him were not even worth his attention.
In the blink of an eye, thick clouds started to cover the sky as darkness took over and began to permeate through.
Then, large shadows swept across the sky as winged beasts rushed forward with thunderous cries.
"Everyone get ready!"
Draven's voice rang out across the place.
"So this is the undefeatable Deathcleaver, guardian of the Eterna Kingdom."
Suddenly the cold voice of a feminine figure appeared above the sky of the kingdom.
"I will spare your life if you surrender and become my subordinate."
She went straight to the point which was evidence she wasn't here for children play.
Her beauty was breathtaking and striking, with dark eyes shining like precious stone and long black hair flowing behind her.
A red slit dress hugged her pale skin so tight, showing her graceful curves. Her lips were pink and tempting, carrying a dangerous smile that could stir the greedy desire of countless men at a single look.
From her extreme lookalike of an angelic beauty, no one will believe she was the terrifying witch that causes destruction to Kingdoms with her dark armies.
The players couldn't resist and were immediately captivated by her beauty, with an irresistible urge rising in their hearts that could not be hidden.
Draven was the only one unaffected, as he already knew the trick of the famous witch, Elandra Moirae, the nightmare of every kingdom.
"I can see the hidden lust in your heart, you want to touch me, want to feel my skin and lavish every part of me till your satisfaction... Surrender and give in to the emotions in your heart and I will become yours forever to tease to your heart desire," her charming words echoed in the hearts of all the players.
Not knowing what they were doing, as if absent-minded and controlled by an invisible force, some of them began to drop their guard, their eyes drooling over her tempting body.
An axe roared through the sky.
The witch dodged to the side and turned to Draven, losing her concentration on the players.
"Resist her charm with your will and steel your heart from listening to her voice," Draven shouted, his voice reaching their ears.
They broke free from her bondage in an instant, regaining their will to fight and feeling ashamed for falling under her spell so easily.
A look of gratitude flashed in their eyes at Draven, hovering in the sky with his twin axes in both hands.
He stood as the God of Axe, a strong pressure exuding from his body as the true one and only almighty Deathcleaver, ready to cleave his way through any obstacle in his path.
"What are you standing for? Come with me and crush these pathetic fools," the second-in-command instructed as he launched the first attack, casting fireballs into the midst of the monsters on land.
The players charged into the endless tide of monsters.
Draven singlehandedly moved to face the true threat, Elandra Moirae.
The air grew heavy, crackling with dark magic as the witch prepared to destroy him, staring at him like an already dead meat.
However, Draven was collectively calm. He was an unstoppable force as the fate of the kingdom rested on his shoulders.
"Here they come," He muttered under his breath.
Whoosh—!
He swung his axe to the left side a dark shadow was about to rise from.
.....!
He and the witch clashed head-on for two hours, exchanging hundreds of attacks in minutes.
There were serious injuries on his body, but he still stayed composed, now taking the enemy seriously. As expected, she was overpowered and can't be compared to those he has defeated in the past.
The witch wasn't in any better state than him; the sharp marks of his axe were imprinted on her body, wetting her dress with blood.
"Your resistance is super charming," Elandra let out an eerie laughter. "The more you fight, the more I want to make you my eternal servant. Come, let me see how you break."
A chilling gust of wind swept across the battlefield as Elandra waved her hand and from the black mists surrounding her, a dracolich with glowing red eyes and skeletal wings emerged, its roar shaking the land like an earthquake.
Draven was forced back by the impact, skeletal wings wrapping around him and blocking his escape routes, trying to crush his body.
Cleave of light!
He didn't flinch as a deep experienced gamer who has fought and won numerous battles, a colossal shadow descended from his axe, tearing through the bone and flesh of the monstrous creature.
The dracolich was afterward consumed by his axe art of light.
"Staff of destruction!"
The witch conjured a black staff, runes glowing around it as destructive qi filled the sky, causing the whole place to tremble.
Draven did not give her the chance to complete whatever she was doing and closed the distance between them.
His axe flared with killing intent, surging like a raging storm.
Before the staff's power could erupt, he stepped forward as the axe cut through.
Boom!
The strike shattered the dark energy, splitting the mist apart. The body staggered under the crushing force while blood flowed down the shoulder as the overwhelming cleaver intent slammed into her.
Just as the finishing strike was about to land, the Staff of Destruction created a shield and protected her within.
A surge of black energy erupted around her, shielding and halting the blow that should have ended her life.
Draven swung his axe again and again, but his attacks could not break through the dark barrier.
The witch started chanting in a low voice with the staff raised towards the sky.
"...Now, heed my voice and let the curse befall my target."
The witch began to glow, a dark shield forming around her as she planned to escape.
"Let me see how you survive this ultimate 'Cursebloom' of mine."
But Draven was faster as his axe flashed and sliced through the air.
There was no sound as it cleaved through her skull.
Elandra's eyes widened in shock and terror as her lifeless form fell from the sky.
[Player Deathcleaver has become the first-ever player to defend and defeat the world's most terrifying nightmare witch, Elandra Moirae, from his territory! Congratulations!]
"Finally," Draven couldn't help but smile.
At that moment, a wave of dark energy erupted from the witch's fallen body, her ultimate 'Cursebloom' finally taking root and slamming into him before he could react.
[Player Deathcleaver has fallen to the final strike of the witch, Elandra Moirae.]
He had finally conquered the game's final bosses after a long time of grinding the game and earning the game streak record as the only undefeated player—
But unfortunately he, the no.1 player, still fell dead to her strike at the very last second. Funny enough, not under terrifying attack — it was a curse… a damn curse.