Chapter 4: Six Years...
(This is six years into True Life, in game. This is just before Wraith's death.)
Staring out over the balcony of his massive castle fortress, Wraith could see his empire slowly burning away. He gave a soft, sad smile as he reminisced the old days. Building this place, The Rosewyrm Empire, and creating all of his fondest memories here.
Slipping back inside, he stared over towards a special wall, holding five identical headstones. Each read a single name, as well as their affiliation to Wraith.
'Princess Toria, First Lover' (NPC)
'Eliza, First Wife' (Player)
'Quinn, Rival & Blood Brother' (Player)
'Cresta, Mentor & Lover' (Player)
'Logan, Strategist & Blood Brother' (Player)
His strong fingers slid down each plaque, trailing over them.
"Forgive me, everyone. Our Empire shall fall today. I couldn't subjugate the dragons... but I don't regret it."
His smile faded as he turned away from them.
"My only regrets, are losing you five. That, and all the pain I caused... just to end up here. I've made it to the top of a rickety tower, now I must fall from grace. This world needed a better hand ruling it, another chance and I'd have made it so much better."
A small glance over his shoulder, and his eyes stared at each name.
"Toria, my sweet. I could have given you that beautiful Ice Dragon you've always wanted. A simple task now that my mind can process it. Eliza, my love. I could have given you so much more love... yet I focused on this blasted empire instead of you. Cresta, my dear. Your teachings never sent me down the wrong path, only my stupidity to ignore a select few brought me here. You two stupid bastards..."
He laughed softly, remembering the many bits of terror the three brought about.
"We should have been better acquainted. The title of Blood Brother may have made us as close as possible, but I left you both too far behind. Forgive me, all of you."
He faced them once more, kneeling down. The door behind him opened, bringing with it a familiar set of steps.
"Viscount, you've returned. It would seem our empire is falling, quickly."
"Finally."
Wraith looked over, a smile on the face of his most trusted advisor. The hood covering his features fell back as his smile grew. Piercing, soulless eyes stared daggers at Wraith.
"Viscount? What do you mean?"
"I mean, I've had it. Signing my soul over to those demons... hehe. Finally I can be rid of you! Getting rid of all of you're closest friends was a challenge, but damn it felt good. Watching each and every one of them suffer, just to find out it was always me! And the girls... damn they were fantastic."
Wraith visibly twitched as he got to his feet.
"You mean..."
"Oh yes. All three of them. To think you rarely ever bedded them... it was amazing to hear them scream. The looks in their eyes when I finally killed them, ah but look at the time. I really should be dealing with you now."
Wraith stepped towards Viscount, his hands running through his guild menu.
'Are you sure you wish to ban Viscount permanently? Y/N'
As he hit 'Yes', Viscount noticeably grew weaker.
"Can you kill me without my Guild Buff? That raise in stats really helped someone as weak as you."
With a casual smile, Viscount lunged forward. His thin rapier was easily grabbed by Wraith.
"We are both speed based, but in the end, you won't win... in real life. My assassin should be at your throat right here, right now. The moment you open your eyes... BAM you're dead!"
Viscount laughed hysterically, his blade snapping between the gauntlets on Wraith's arms.
"Just... why?"
Viscount suddenly glared daggers.
"You've always been at the top. Well liked, popular and powerful. Taking you down a peg just felt too good! So... who's to stop me from taking my place at the top if you're gone?"
"Ah... bitter jealousy. Forgive me for not noticing what a heartless fuck you've always been. Limiter Removal."
The soulless look in his eyes became a bit more awake.
"Y-you finished the cooldown?!"
With a simple nod, a massive oppressive aura was sent out in all directions.
'Skill: Limiter Removal (Tier 7 Legend Active Skill) Release your inner limit. Gain Massive Force.
-Damage × 50
-Speed × 3
--Massive Force- Emit a powerful gravitational pull that debilitates enemies.
-Speed ÷ 100
-Damage - 45%
--Rending Life- While active, any player struck takes True Damage to their real body.
Lasts 1 minute, Cooldown 1 Year'
"You do realize why this skill is my last resort, right?"
Viscount was visibly trembling now. While in combat, one cannot log out of the game. He could no longer run from Wraith.
With a single lunge forward, Wraith kicked out at Viscount's knee and grabbed the opposite shoulder. Both broke in an instant.
-15686
-10782
"There is a hidden skill accompanied with this."
Viscount screamed in pain as pressure was laid into his shoulder.
-5634
-5388
-5470
"You cannot be reduced below one health before the minute is up."
-14993
-12547
-34927
-38192
-45356
After a minute of fully pulverizing Viscount, Wraith began to log out.
"Thank you for taking such good care of me, everyone. This world... will always be my true home."
Both men depixelated, one a mass of red pixels signaling death. The other blue, meaning log out. Purple also existed, but that's a teleport.
---
Opening his eyes, low sobbing sounded from near Kain. His features were much stronger and healthier than six years prior, and his hair was out of his face now. This showed of his immense charm that caused girls to swoon.
He looked around his new apartment, eyes adjusting to the dark. In the corner, a young girl was crying and rocking herself. Wraith got to his feet, nearly falling as he slid towards her.
"Sonya!? You're Viscount's assassin?!"
His arms began to tremble as he pulled her into his arms.
"You idiot... I had been trying so hard to get in touch with you. You wouldn't log in or anything! I know you were hurt by him, but he's gone now."
Sonya looked into Kain's eyes. She was frail and sickly now. Nothing like her previous beauty. Many thin lines and small dots lines her arms. Her eyes... her mind wasn't there.
"He... he promised more if I did this. You stole it from me..."
"Sonya?"
Her eyes turned red. She lunged at Kain, shoving him to the ground. Straddling him, she breathed close to his face.
"Viscount may have been a shit fuck, while you made me scream in pleasure every single time... but he gave me these little needles filled with a bright red liquid. Dunno what the fuck it was, but damn it made sex so good! He's pounded me so many times... I can't go back. Not even you can make me love you again."
Kain reached out and cupped the back of her head. He could already feel the knife, that she shoved under his ribcage, twisting. He simply hugged her against his chest, holding one of his closest companions one last time.
"I thought you died, Eliza. For too long... I didn't even know you were beside me, but dammit you kept showing me signs."
As his blood pooled below him, Eliza, or rather Sonya, sat up. Her eyes were no longer red.
"He chained me up for weeks, shoving so many aphrodisiacs into my body. I couldn't even move because of how weak I got. Pretending to be fully devoted to him... it hurt. This... God this fucking sucks. I still love you, ya big dummy. That'll never change... but the control they had over me finally wore out. This is goodbye, and good riddance to that bastard."
In the last six years playing True Life, the game changed Kain and those closest to him incredibly. They all became hardened fighters and killers due to that world.
"Kelly?"
"Her chains were loose. That smart brat was lucky... she died before he could take her. He could barely take me... kicked him too hard a few times and he gave up. My turn to go now though..."
Lifting her ratty shirt, Sonya placed the knife against her belly. Kain touched her hand softly, pulling her down slowly.
"I'm sorry, my sweet love. Thank you, for this life."
Their lips met as Sonya's blood spilled over Kain. She kissed slowly until she finally stopped moving.
Kain held her head to his chest, his heartbeat slowly fading.
At this time, unbeknownst to anyone else in the worlds, three Goddesses did something amazing that they had never done in the past.
The Goddess of Death gave out her first smile, catching a wayward soul and tossing it backwards.
The Goddess of Time gave out a small squeak as she tripped, her smile showing off as she flicked this soul back across time.
The Goddess of Fate caught a trembling, thin red line and attached it to a much greater line of Fate she had sewn herself.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
-- Power
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