Death number one-hundred-and-eighty-two came from Marcus underestimating how much damage a Digimon evolution explosion could do to a bystander. Death one-eighty-three was from Minecraft Frieza taking his loss poorly and blowing up the terrain Marcus was standing on. Death one-eighty-four involved a dragon that Marcus had specifically wanted to fight, but he'd forgotten to eat first and had literally starved to death mid-battle.
But death one-hundred-and-eighty-five? That one was special.
It was day twenty-seven, and Marcus had been hunting dragons. Not because they were threatening him specifically—though they were—but because he needed dragon bones. Lots of dragon bones. The RLcraft mod had added dragon bone armor and weapons to the world, and according to the System, they were some of the best non-cosmic-tier equipment available.
Plus, after training with the Z-Fighters for the past few days, Marcus wanted to test his improved combat skills against something appropriately challenging. Dragons seemed like a good benchmark.
He'd killed three Ice Dragons (levels 200, 250, and 300 respectively) and was working on his fourth—a massive Fire Dragon, level 400, wearing what appeared to be a tiny bow tie (the Hats mod was still going strong)—when Chomps started glowing.
WARNING: DIGIMON EVOLUTION DETECTED
AGUMON → GREYMON
THIS IS NORMAL
SORT OF
DIGIMON EVOLUTION IS ALWAYS WEIRD
BUT THIS IS PARTICULARLY DRAMATIC
RECOMMEND: MOVE AWAY FROM THE GLOWING DINOSAUR
Marcus had approximately two seconds to process this information before Chomps exploded into pure data, reforming into something much, much larger. Where there had been a three-foot-tall orange dinosaur, there was now a fifteen-foot-tall orange dinosaur with horns, a helmet-skull, and claws that looked like they could rend steel.
Greymon—because that's what Chomps had become—let out a roar that shook the surrounding terrain. The Fire Dragon Marcus had been fighting took one look at the newly evolved Digimon and decided this wasn't worth the trouble, flying away at maximum speed.
CHOMPS HAS EVOLVED INTO GREYMON
LEVEL: 45
SPECIAL ATTACK: NOVA BLAST
SIZE: VERY LARGE
APPETITE: EVEN MORE INFINITE
EMOTIONAL STATE: EXCITED
DANGER LEVEL TO MARCUS: MODERATE
Greymon turned to look at Marcus with eyes that still held Chomps's personality despite the new, terrifying form. Then, moving faster than something that size should be able to move, Greymon bounded over and... hugged Marcus.
By which I mean Greymon picked Marcus up in one massive claw and pressed him against its chest in what was clearly meant to be affectionate but was actually crushing several of Marcus's ribs.
HEALTH: 87%
CAUSE: ENTHUSIASTIC HUG FROM FIFTEEN-FOOT DINOSAUR
GREYMON IS VERY HAPPY TO SEE YOU
GREYMON DOES NOT UNDERSTAND ITS OWN STRENGTH
THIS IS ADORABLE AND PAINFUL SIMULTANEOUSLY
"Chomps!" Marcus wheezed, his health ticking down slowly. "Buddy! I'm happy you evolved too, but you're crushing me!"
Greymon made a concerned noise and immediately put Marcus down, looking worried. Marcus healed himself with some food and patted Greymon's leg (which was about as high as he could reach now).
"It's okay," Marcus assured his Digimon partner. "Just... gentle hugs from now on, okay? You're a lot bigger now."
Greymon nodded enthusiastically, then noticed the fleeing Fire Dragon in the distance. The Digimon's eyes narrowed, and Marcus could practically see the thought process: Fire Dragon = threat to Marcus = must protect.
"Nova Blast!" Greymon roared (yes, Greymon actually shouted the attack name, because Digimon were dramatic like that), and fired a massive fireball from its mouth. The projectile caught the Fire Dragon mid-flight, and the explosion was spectacular.
FIRE DRAGON DEFEATED
KILLED BY: GREYMON'S NOVA BLAST
ASSIST: MARCUS (MORAL SUPPORT)
DROPS: DRAGON BONES, DRAGON SCALES, DRAGON HEART, FIRE IMMUNITY RING
GREYMON WOULD LIKE PRAISE
Marcus laughed and gave Greymon the biggest thumbs up he could manage. "Good job, Chomps! That was amazing!"
Greymon made a happy rumbling sound that shook the ground and wagged its tail, accidentally demolishing a nearby tree.
GREYMON'S LOYALTY: MAXIMUM
GREYMON WILL PROTECT YOU ALWAYS
EVEN FROM THINGS THAT AREN'T THREATS
LIKE THAT BUTTERFLY OVER THERE
GREYMON IS NOW ATTACKING THE BUTTERFLY
THIS IS YOUR LIFE NOW
Marcus collected his dragon loot while Greymon chased butterflies in the background (and accidentally destroyed several more trees in the process). His Pokemon team watched from a safe distance—Sparky was perched on Marcus's shoulder as usual, while Planty, Zippo, Squirt, and Fluff maintained a respectful distance from the massive Digimon.
Over the next several hours, Marcus hunted more dragons. With Greymon's help, the fights became significantly easier. Ice Dragons, Fire Dragons, Lightning Dragons—Greymon's Nova Blast proved effective against all of them, and Marcus's Sword of the Cosmos finished anything that survived the initial blast.
DRAGONS DEFEATED: 23
DRAGON BONES COLLECTED: 847
DRAGON SCALES COLLECTED: 1,240
DRAGON HEARTS COLLECTED: 23
GREYMON ASSISTS: 23
GREYMON ACCIDENTAL TREE DESTRUCTIONS: 94
GREYMON IS TRYING ITS BEST
By late afternoon, Marcus had enough materials to craft a full set of dragon bone armor and several dragon bone weapons. He set up a temporary crafting station and got to work, Greymon watching curiously while the Pokemon napped nearby (except Zippo, who was helping by providing fire for the forge).
The dragon bone armor, when completed, was impressive. It provided massive defense bonuses, fire resistance, and increased strength. Combined with his Superman suit (which he wore underneath) and his various rings and accessories, Marcus's defense stats were approaching god-tier levels.
DRAGON BONE ARMOR EQUIPPED
DEFENSE: ABSURD
FIRE RESISTANCE: 95%
STRENGTH BONUS: +50
INTIMIDATION FACTOR: MAXIMUM
YOU LOOK LIKE A FINAL BOSS
WHICH IS IRONIC GIVEN YOUR SITUATION
Marcus admired his reflection in a nearby pond. Dragon bone armor, Superman suit visible at the joints, Infinity Gauntlet on one hand, Sword of the Cosmos on his back, top hat still perfectly positioned on his head, and now a team of Pokemon and a fifteen-foot Digimon following him around.
He looked ridiculous. He looked terrifying. He looked like someone who had completely lost control of their character build and just kept stacking buffs.
He loved it.
"Okay team," Marcus said, addressing his Pokemon and Greymon. "I think we're ready for something big. System, what's the strongest boss currently available that isn't a world-ending threat?"
ANALYZING...
STRONGEST AVAILABLE BOSS: MINECRAFT FRIEZA
DRAGON BLOCK C MOD
LOCATION: NAMEK BIOME (NEWLY SPAWNED)
POWER LEVEL: 530,000
FORMS: 4
ATTITUDE: EXTREMELY ARROGANT
THREAT LEVEL: GALACTIC
RECOMMENDED POWER LEVEL FOR FIGHT: 200,000+
YOUR CURRENT POWER LEVEL: 2,340
YOUR SUPER SAIYAN POWER LEVEL: 117,000
YOU'RE STILL UNDER-LEVELED
BUT YOU HAVE COSMIC EQUIPMENT
AND A GIANT DINOSAUR
SO IT MIGHT WORK
Marcus checked his energy levels. He'd been training his Super Saiyan form over the past few days, and he could hold it for about thirty minutes now before exhausting himself. His Ki control had improved significantly. He'd even learned to sense power levels without the System's help.
And he could feel Frieza's energy from here—cold, malevolent, and absolutely massive.
"Alright," Marcus said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's go fight a space tyrant. Pokemon, you guys stay back unless I need help. Greymon, you're with me."
VIEWER COUNT: 48.3 BILLION
VIEWERS ARE EXCITED
FRIEZA IS A FAN FAVORITE VILLAIN
BETTING POOLS OPENING
ODDS OF YOU WINNING: 5 TO 1 AGAINST
ODDS OF THIS BEING ENTERTAINING: GUARANTEED
The Namek biome was impossible to miss—it had spawned about a thousand blocks from Marcus's base, a stretch of green grass with blue-green water and distinctive Namekian trees. In the center of the biome stood a structure that looked like Frieza's ship, and in front of that ship stood Minecraft Frieza himself.
He was rendered in Minecraft's blocky style, but somehow still managed to look menacing. Purple and white blocks formed his body, his tail, his distinctive head crest. His eyes glowed red, and his power level radiated outward like heat waves.
"Oh?" Frieza's voice echoed across the biome (the mod had voice lines, apparently). "A Saiyan? How delightful. I thought I'd eliminated all of you monkey pests. And you've brought... what is that, exactly? Some sort of orange dinosaur?"
Greymon growled, flames flickering in its mouth.
MINECRAFT FRIEZA
CURRENT FORM: FIRST FORM
POWER LEVEL: 530,000
PERSONALITY: INSUFFERABLE
WEAKNESS: ARROGANCE
ALSO SUPER SAIYANS
BUT HE DOESN'T KNOW YOU CAN DO THAT YET
Marcus stepped forward, his dragon bone armor gleaming in the light. "Frieza. I'm going to give you one chance to surrender peacefully."
Frieza laughed, a sound like breaking glass. "Surrender? To a low-class Saiyan with a power level of... what, maybe two thousand? Oh, this is precious. Tell you what, monkey—I'll let you have a free shot. Hit me with your best attack. I won't even dodge."
FRIEZA IS BEING ARROGANT
THIS IS YOUR OPENING
MAKE IT COUNT
Marcus smiled and transformed into Super Saiyan in one smooth motion. Golden aura exploded around him, his power level spiking from 2,340 to 117,000. Frieza's smug expression flickered slightly.
"A Super Saiyan?" Frieza's voice had lost some of its mocking tone. "Interesting. But still nowhere near my level. This will be slightly more entertaining than I thought."
Marcus raised the Infinity Gauntlet and channeled the Power Stone through it, creating a beam of pure energy. At the same time, he drew the Sword of the Cosmos with his other hand. Greymon, reading his intent, charged up a Nova Blast.
They attacked simultaneously.
The Power Stone beam hit Frieza first, driving him backward. The Nova Blast followed, exploding against his position. And Marcus closed the distance in the confusion, the Sword of the Cosmos aimed at Frieza's center mass.
The blade connected.
Frieza's health bar appeared, showing 530,000 HP. The Sword of the Cosmos's instant-kill effect triggered, removing 1,000,000 health.
Frieza's HP dropped to zero.
His first form shattered, and his second form emerged—larger, more muscular, with horns.
FRIEZA: SECOND FORM
POWER LEVEL: 1,000,000
HEALTH: 1,000,000
STATUS: ACTUALLY TRYING NOW
"You... you actually hurt me," Frieza said, his voice filled with genuine surprise. "That sword of yours is dangerous. No more playing around!"
What followed was the most intense fight Marcus had experienced since the fifty-three boss battle. Frieza was fast—faster than anything Marcus had fought recently. His death beams carved through the air, forcing Marcus to dodge constantly. His tail whip attacks had ridiculous range. And his power level was so far above Marcus's that every hit that connected took massive chunks of health.
But Marcus had advantages. His dragon bone armor absorbed hits that would have killed him instantly. His Super Saiyan form gave him the speed to keep up. The Infinity Gauntlet provided tactical options—Space Stone for teleportation, Time Stone to slow Frieza's attacks, Power Stone for offense.
And he had Greymon.
The Digimon fought with absolute dedication, Nova Blasts keeping Frieza off-balance, physical attacks creating openings for Marcus. When Frieza tried to attack Marcus directly, Greymon would intercept. When Greymon was in danger, Marcus would pull Frieza's attention away.
They were a team.
FRIEZA: SECOND FORM DEFEATED
FRIEZA: THIRD FORM INITIATED
POWER LEVEL: 1,500,000
HE'S GETTING ANNOYED
Third form Frieza was even more alien-looking, with an elongated head and increased speed. He abandoned his arrogant stance and fought seriously, death beams flying in constant streams, his speed pushing Marcus to his limits.
Marcus's Super Saiyan form flickered—he was approaching his time limit. His stamina was depleting. Greymon was slowing down, having taken several serious hits.
They were losing.
TACTICAL ANALYSIS: YOU NEED MORE POWER
SUPER SAIYAN MULTIPLIER: X50
SUPER SAIYAN 2 MULTIPLIER: X100
CURRENT EMOTIONAL STATE: SUFFICIENT FOR TRANSFORMATION
RECOMMENDATION: PUSH PAST YOUR LIMITS
VERY SAIYAN ADVICE, I KNOW
BUT IT WORKS
Marcus thought about everything he'd been through. Not just in this world, but before. Dying alone, eating expired chips, wasting his life watching other people play games. Getting a second chance at existence and spending it dying repeatedly in a blocky hellscape. Fighting impossible odds. Making friends with Pokemon and Digimon and anime characters. Actually caring about surviving, about progressing, about succeeding.
He thought about Greymon, his loyal partner who'd evolved to protect him. About Sparky and the other Pokemon who trusted him despite the apocalyptic world they lived in. About the billions of viewers watching, some rooting for him, some betting against him, but all of them watching his struggle.
He thought about not wanting to fail them.
The power came from somewhere deeper than before. His golden aura intensified, then exploded outward. Electricity crackled through his hair. His muscles bulged slightly. His eyes became more pronounced, sharper.
TRANSFORMATION ACHIEVED: SUPER SAIYAN 2
POWER LEVEL: 234,000
MULTIPLIER: X100
HAIR: EVEN SPIKIER
ELECTRICAL AURA: YES
STATUS: VERY ANIME
GREYMON IS IMPRESSED
FRIEZA IS CONCERNED
Marcus moved. Third form Frieza didn't even see him coming. One moment Marcus was across the battlefield, flickering Super Saiyan form barely holding. The next, he was behind Frieza, the Sword of the Cosmos already swinging.
The blade connected. Third form shattered.
FRIEZA: FINAL FORM
POWER LEVEL: 3,000,000 (SUPPRESSED)
STATUS: GENUINELY ANGRY
"You DARE!" Frieza screamed, his final form emerging. He was smaller now, sleeker, more dangerous-looking. "No more restraints! I'll show you my true power!"
Frieza's power level spiked to three million, but Marcus in Super Saiyan 2 could actually keep up now. They clashed in the air, energy beams and sword strikes, Frieza's death beams against Marcus's Kamehameha waves. The battlefield became a crater. Greymon provided support from the ground, Nova Blasts creating openings.
The fight lasted twenty minutes. Twenty minutes of absolute chaos. Marcus used every ability he had—Ki attacks, Infinity Gauntlet powers, the Sword of the Cosmos, even his dragon bone armor's special abilities. He died twice during the fight (deaths 182 and 183), respawning at his base and flying back at maximum speed each time.
But slowly, impossibly, Frieza's health bar depleted.
When it finally hit zero, Frieza didn't go quietly. He tried one last attack, a death ball that would destroy the entire biome. Marcus countered with a full-power Kamehameha, channeling the Power Stone through it for extra impact.
The two attacks collided, struggled, and finally Marcus's won out, consuming the death ball and hitting Frieza dead center.
Minecraft Frieza exploded into pixels and loot.
BOSS DEFEATED: MINECRAFT FRIEZA
METHOD: SUPER SAIYAN 2 + TEAMWORK + EXCESSIVE FORCE
DEATHS DURING FIGHT: 2
TOTAL FIGHT TIME: 47 MINUTES ACROSS MULTIPLE LIVES
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: TYRANT SLAYER
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: SUPER SAIYAN 2
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: POWER LEVEL OVER 9000 (TECHNICALLY 234,000 BUT STILL)
VIEWER REACTION: ABSOLUTE CHAOS
VIEWER COUNT PEAKED AT 67.8 BILLION
YOU'VE BROKEN THE PREVIOUS VIEWERSHIP RECORD
AGAIN
Marcus dropped out of Super Saiyan 2, completely exhausted. His stamina was zero. His Ki was depleted. His health was at half despite all his armor. He fell from the sky and landed hard on the ground.
Greymon caught him before he hit, cradling him gently (having learned from earlier). The Digimon made concerned noises, checking if Marcus was okay.
"I'm fine, buddy," Marcus wheezed. "Just... need a minute. We won. We actually won."
LOOT FROM FRIEZA:
FRIEZA'S BATTLE ARMOR (COSMETIC)
DEATH BEAM SKILL BOOK
FRIEZA'S SPACESHIP (SPAWNED NEARBY)
NAMEKIAN DRAGON BALLS (1 STAR THROUGH 7 STAR)
POWER LEVEL BOOST: +5,000 PERMANENT
WAIT, DRAGON BALLS?
YOU CAN MAKE A WISH
Marcus sat up, looking at the seven orange balls that had appeared in his inventory. They were smaller than in the anime, sized for Minecraft, but they were definitely dragon balls.
"I can make a wish?" Marcus asked. "Like, an actual wish? What can I wish for?"
CHECKING DRAGON BALL MECHANICS...
WISHES AVAILABLE:
- RESTORE HEALTH/STAMINA FULLY
- SUMMON RARE ITEMS
- INCREASE POWER LEVEL
- TELEPORT TO SPECIFIC LOCATION
- OTHER VARIOUS EFFECTS
LIMITATIONS: CANNOT WISH FOR INVINCIBILITY, CANNOT WISH YOURSELF OUT OF THE 100 DAY CHALLENGE, CANNOT WISH FOR MORE WISHES
CHOOSE WISELY
Marcus thought about it. He could wish for more power, but he was getting stronger through training. He could wish for rare items, but viewers kept donating those. He could wish for—
Greymon made a hopeful sound and pointed at its stomach.
Marcus laughed. "You want me to wish for food?"
Greymon nodded enthusiastically.
GREYMON SUGGESTS: INFINITE BEEF
THIS IS BOTH HILARIOUS AND PRACTICAL
GREYMON'S PRIORITIES: CORRECT
"You know what?" Marcus said, collecting the dragon balls. "I'm going to save the wish. For an emergency. But I promise, Chomps, I'll make sure you never go hungry."
Greymon made a happy sound and nuzzled Marcus gently (much more controlled than before).
Marcus spent the rest of the day in the Namek biome, which had become peaceful after Frieza's defeat. His Pokemon came out of hiding (they'd wisely stayed back during the fight) and everyone relaxed together.
Sparky practiced Thunder Shock on some training dummies Marcus set up. Planty sunbathed and grew flowers. Zippo and Squirt played together (and accidentally created steam when their attacks collided). Fluff napped in Marcus's lap. And Greymon ate approximately three chests worth of beef, looking content.
POKEMON TEAM STATS:
SPARKY (PIKACHU) - LEVEL 23 - VERY LOYAL
PLANTY (BULBASAUR) - LEVEL 19 - ENJOYS SUNLIGHT
ZIPPO (CHARMANDER) - LEVEL 21 - HYPERACTIVE
SQUIRT (SQUIRTLE) - LEVEL 20 - COOL AND COLLECTED
FLUFF (EEVEE) - LEVEL 18 - WANTS TO EVOLVE (UNDECIDED WHICH TYPE)
GREYMON (DIGIMON) - LEVEL 45 - INFINITE APPETITE
TEAM COHESION: EXCELLENT
THEY ALL LOVE YOU
EVEN THOUGH YOUR WORLD IS A NIGHTMARE
As the sun set, Marcus sat with his team, watching the blocky sunset over the Namek biome. He'd defeated Frieza. He'd unlocked Super Saiyan 2. He'd crafted dragon bone armor. He'd watched Greymon evolve and learn gentle hugs.
It had been a good day.
DAY 27 COMPLETE
DAYS REMAINING: 73
TOTAL DEATHS: 184
POWER LEVEL: 7,340 (BASE)
SUPER SAIYAN: 367,000
SUPER SAIYAN 2: 734,000
BOSSES DEFEATED: 79
DRAGONS SLAIN: 23
POKEMON TEAM: HAPPY
DIGIMON PARTNER: VERY HAPPY (AND FULL)
PROGRESS TOWARD ENDER DRAGON: 51%
YOU'RE OVER HALFWAY THERE
ACTUAL, REAL PROGRESS
I'M PROUD OF YOU
THAT'S NOT SARCASM
WELL, MOSTLY NOT SARCASM
Marcus smiled and petted Sparky, who sparked happily on his shoulder. Greymon snored in the background, having eaten itself into a food coma. The other Pokemon were settling down for the night.
Tomorrow would bring new challenges. More deaths, probably. More bosses. More chaos.
But tonight, Marcus had his team. His friends. His partners.
And a wish on the dragon balls, saved for when he really needed it.
NEW DONATION AVAILABLE
FROM: POKEMON_TRAINER_ASH_1997 FROM DIMENSION 1-KANTO
ITEM: RARE CANDY (X10)
MESSAGE: "YOUR POKEMON TEAM IS AWESOME! HERE'S SOME RARE CANDIES TO HELP THEM GROW STRONGER! GOTTA CATCH 'EM ALL! ...WAIT, HAVE YOU BEEN CATCHING MORE POKEMON? YOU SHOULD TOTALLY CATCH MORE POKEMON. ALSO WHAT'S A DIGIMON?"
Marcus accepted the rare candies and made a mental note to catch more Pokemon when he had time. Maybe a legendary. Maybe use the Master Ball on something ridiculous.
But that was future Marcus's problem.
Present Marcus was going to sleep surrounded by his Pokemon team, with a giant Digimon standing guard, in a peaceful Namek biome, after defeating a space tyrant.
Life was weird.
But it was his weird life.
And for the first time since dying to expired chips, Marcus wouldn't have it any other way.
GOODNIGHT, MARCUS
TOMORROW YOU'LL PROBABLY DIE FIGHTING SOMETHING ABSURD
BUT TONIGHT, REST WELL
YOU'VE EARNED IT
"Goodnight, System," Marcus said, closing his eyes. "See you after breakfast."
GREYMON WOULD LIKE TO REMIND YOU THAT BREAKFAST SHOULD BE PLENTIFUL
VERY PLENTIFUL
MOSTLY BEEF
Marcus laughed softly and drifted off to sleep, the sound of his Pokemon's gentle breathing mixing with Greymon's snores.
Day twenty-seven was complete.
And it had been pretty damn good.