Chapter 1: Second Great Guild War
Year 2163 - The third year in the Second Great Guild War.
At the Black Sea, in an unnamed island.
Thump!
A horse-drawn carriage wheeled down a bumpy dirt road, kicking up clouds of dust and small pebbles as it rumbled along.
"..." A black-haired man looked at the unopened letter in front of him with a thoughtful look.
He was dressed in simple but elegant silver armor with a symbol of a six-pointed star on his shoulder pad. He had a sheathed sword dangling from his waist, a silver scabbard, and a shield slung over his back.
His short, neatly trimmed beard accentuated his sharp jawline and navy-blue eyes, which were intense and piercing.
Along with his pale skin, he looked pretty pleasant to look at, but his expression was somewhat sorrowful and seemed to come from deep within his soul.
"Adam," a brown-haired man who was seated beside him called out as he looked at the letter. "Aren't you going to open it?"
Adam looked at the letter, then shook his head and placed it inside his chest pocket so the letter would be close to his heart.
"I don't need to," he said with a sigh and looked out of the window, watching the forest pass by. "Is this really reliable information? I don't know why, but this is too good to be true."
The brown-haired man's smile slightly vanished, and he seemed anxious for some reason.
"This information came from Sapphira herself. She has never let us down before."
"You are right, Liam." Adam wryly smiled to himself, not quite sure why he was having a weird feeling, and then looked to the two people seated opposite him.
One of them had similar-colored brown hair as Liam, but she looked more attractive with gentle-looking eyes and bob-cut hair and a slender figure that made the armor look slightly too big for her.
She was Lisa, Liam's twin sister.
Beside her, a long-legged beauty with navy-colored eyes and long black hair sat with a book in hand. She looked very intellectual, with fair skin and long eyelashes that accentuated her mature-looking eyes.
With her slender, curvaceous body, she exuded an aura of grace and poise that would make it hard for any man to look away from her.
She was Amelia, an old friend of Adam's that spanned all the way from middle school.
"Nikholas, are we close?" Adam opened the door slightly, letting in the cold wind of the approaching winter and shouted towards the driver.
At the driver's seat, the last member of their party used the reins to steer the horse down the dirt path.
He had a bushy beard that seemed big enough to house a whole family of birds and a wide-brimmed hat that cast a shadow over his face. His body was big and muscular, the result of his former occupation as a lumberjack before he focused all his time on Mortal Online.
He had a rugged, weathered appearance that didn't make him really popular with the opposite sex, but he had a gentle-looking expression that made him seem kind and caring.
"We have reached the end of the line!" Nikholas shouted as he saw a small mountain in the distance that was blocking the dirt road from going any deeper into the forest.
He gently made the horse's stop, and the carriage stopped right beside the thick-looking forest that seemed endless around them.
The cold wind whispered through the branches, making them sway and scratch each other with their wooden fingers.
After opening the door, Adam jumped out of the carriage and looked around the surroundings with narrowed eyes.
The forest was thick and dark, with lots of cover, making it the perfect place for someone to try to ambush them.
However, even with his Kiryoku, he couldn't sense any danger nearby.
It eased some of Adam's worries, even though the strength of his Kiryoku had only slightly grown from his infant state. After all, he was never a patient enough to practise it.
In situations like this, with uncertainties lying behind every corner, he regretted it.
"Finally." Lisa let out a gentle moan while stretching her limbs as she stepped out of the carriage.
Liam looked towards the small mountain that blocked their path and saw that there was an archway, barely the size of an ordinary door, leading deep inside the mountain.
It looked like the archway was nature-made, but also like the rims of the archway was chiseled by a man.
"We should hurry up!" Liam turned to Adam and shouted for some reason. "No time to waste!"
"Why are you shouting?" Adam frowned and did a zipping mouth motion with his hand. "This is near enemy territory. Absolute silence is preferred."
"Ahah, sorry." Liam sheepishly scratched the back of his head.
Shouting, ignoring the potential threat, and carelessness was common mistakes among Mercenarymen, but not for experienced mercenaries such as them.
However, Adam swept away the mistake because he thought it was just Liam's excitement, knowing that they were close to winning the war for Lady Sapphira.
"Let's move." Adam said and took the lead as they headed towards the mountain.
After stepping through the archway, Lisa and Liam lit up their lanterns, giving Adam enough light to see where he was walking.
After a short while, Adam's eyes shrunk into a narrow line, and his legs instinctively stopped moving.
"What is it?" Liam asked with a few sweat drops trickling down his face, and he didn't bother keeping his voice down. "We are almost there."
"Quiet." Adam shout-whispered, almost sounding like he was shouting based on his facial expression, but the words came out as a whisper, and wrapped his fingers around the hilt of his sword, but the intensity of the danger was almost overwhelming.
"This is a dangerous place. We should return and ask for reinforcements."
"But we are so close!" Liam shouted. "We traveled all the way from New World to get here!"
"Don't you think this is strange?" Adam asked with a suspicious whisper. "Why did they send me here if there was something that could help Star Faction win the war? Why not someone stronger?"
"Other generals were busy and their armies were needed elsewhere," Amelia whispered, trying to convince him. "And Sapphira trusts in you, always has."
"..." Adam stayed silent, his mind racing with questions and doubts.
However, the expectations weighed heavily on his shoulders.
"Fine, but move quietly and slowly." Adam said while others nodded.
They continued moving slowly, inching deeper and deeper into the center of the mountain.
And, after a short while, they arrived at the heart of the mountain. It was a spacious room with a large stone pedestal in the center.
However, there was nothing on top of the stone pedestal. It was empty room, and based on the carvings and scratches on the wall, it was a former Boss Room, but it was cleared a long time ago by mercenary party.
Meaning, even the treasure chest had most likely been taken away. Therefore, there was nothing left to scavenge from this place.
"Nothing?" Adam frowned, and then his hair stood on end as he realized that something was off.
'My Kiryoku is going off! Someone is coming, someone powerful…'
Clap, clap, clap—thunderous clapping reverberated across the mountain as a person walked from the shadow of the rocky wall.
He was a clean-shaven, handsome man with a sickening grin on his face and crimson eyes. He had long red hair that reached his lower back, and he was nearly two meters tall with a well-toned body.
He exuded an aura of confidence and power that radiated like a scorching inferno.
Adam drew his sword and pointed it at the man, feeling the intensity of the man's Killing Intent that was locked into him.
"Calamity..." Adam whispered coldly. "How bold of you to come here alone."
"Hah," Calamity let out a short laugh and rested his cheek on his palm. "Alone? Hardly."
Adam frowned, but at that moment, he felt a sharp nail stab into the back of his neck.
"The fuck?" He quickly swatted the hand away and turned around to see Liam clutching his aching wrist with a cold expression on his face.
Adam's eyes shook, and he then plucked the nail out of his skin and saw that its tip was coated in some kind of slimy poison.
At that moment, a notification popped up in front of him.
[You have been poisoned!]
"L-Liam, w-why..." Adam dropped down on one knee; he couldn't see anything straight except the blurriness all around him. "A-Amelia, N-Nik... L-Liam p-poisoned me; k-kill him!"
However, Amelia, Nikholas, and Lisa didn't move and instead looked towards Calamity and bowed with mixed emotions on their faces.
"W-what..." Adam's eyes trembled as he tried to process what was happening in front of him.
"See, I am not alone," Calamity walked towards him with his hands inside his pockets. "Your friends have betrayed you. They led you here, so I can zero you."
"W-why..." Adam whispered and screamed as he tried to stand up, but he realized that he must've been poisoned by Chaosbeing's essence, as only something like that could paralyze him in an instant.
"I am sorry; I really am," Liam crouched in front of Adam and gently lifted his head to look into his eyes. "However, the Death Faction will win this war. Calamity promised us a seat in his council."
"Hah..." Adam let out a weak chuckle. "A-after everything we did... you betrayed me for money?"
"Not only for that," Liam shook his head. "It's not like we killed you. You have done enough; live your life outside the game; get a family; that sort of Normie stuff."
"Y-you don't get it..." Adam suddenly grabbed Liam by his collar and pulled him closer. "T-this is my life."
Liam paled and quickly removed Adam's and backed off quickly, but he accidentally tripped on a small rock on the ground and fell down on his back.
"Ouch..."
"Brother, are you alright?" Lisa ran to her brother, and helped him to stand up. She then looked at Adam, conflicted look on her eyes, then she said. "If you were in our shoes, you would've done the same thing."
"Who do you think I am?" Adam laughed and looked towards Amelia and Nikholas. "What about you two? Nikholas, I helped you with your debt and never asked anything in return.
"And you… Amelia, back in the school, wasn't I the one that protected you from them? Without me, your life would've been a living hell."
"That doesn't mean I should be your loyal follower to the ends of time," Amelia said and crossed her arms to push her breasts up. "We are adults now."
Nikholas looked coldly at Adam, and didn't open his mouth. His usual gentleness and kindness had long disappeared.
At that moment, Calamity scoffed and drew his glorious sword with a blade that looked like it was made of hardened blood.
Adam pulled out his medallion from his pocket and opened it, revealing an engraved heart with something written inside.
Calamity placed the blade against Adam's neck, but then he saw the medallion. He frowned and snatched the medallion from his hand.
As he saw the medallion, his eyes turned cold and rageful.
The medallion read: 'Yours truly, Yu.'
Calamity, in rage, smashed the medallion on the ground and broke it under his foot.
Adam watched in silence, with blurry vision, as dozens of silvery pieces of the medallion scattered across the ground.
"I truly don't see what she saw in you." Calamity said coldly.
"I am so tired of hearing your name, about how much of a genius you are, and that you'll accomplish great things.
"I am Calamity, one of the Grand Lords and a person who achieved an S-ranked score on the tutorial. I am the man closest to challenging Konrad for the spot as High King!
"Y-yet, why..." he gritted his teeth and raised his sword high. "Why are they always talking about you?!"
"B-because..." Adam coughed blood and smiled. "They can see who you are, especially Yu. A pathetic worm, that's all you are."
"Pathetic, you say..." Calamity chuckled coldly and swung the sword down, beheading Adam with a single strike.
As his head rolled down the ground, the light from Adam's eyes disappeared, and lastly, his body vanished among floating pixels that seemed to glow with otherworldly light.
The pixels slowly faded from existence, and with that, the last sign of Adam also disappeared from Mortal Online.
Chapter 2: Six-Pointed Star
[Your account has been reset!]
[Name: Adam Palestar]
[Level: 0]
***
Adam slowly opened his eyes and saw the glass lid of his VR Pod slowly lift off, opening his sight to the room around him.
He slowly climbed out of the VR Pod, and looked around the messy room, with clothes, alcohol bottles, and trash strewn about.
It took him a moment to gather his thoughts.
Ten years worth of hardships were wasted, just like this.
As Mortal Online was very competitive and strength ruled over everything, he started as nothing but Coinfeeder, the lowest rank.
He climbed ranks, using his blood and sweat, struggling every day to avoid the threat of getting zeroed and his account reset.
In the end, he reached a highly respected Prime Mercenary rank and became one of the generals of Star Faction. He was respected and admired, which took nearly ten years to achieve.
There were people who would kill him to be in his shoes, and now he was betrayed and killed by the people he trusted most. It wasn't a rare thing to happen—friends would betray each other for their own selfish reasons.
He never expected that to happen to him.
Adam looked at his VR Pod, traced his finger across its smooth surface, and remembered the countless memories he had shared with his friends.
However, when he thought about them laughing and joking around the campfire, he felt like his breakfast was about to come back to the surface.
"Amelia, Lisa, Liam, Nikholas..." Adam coldly whispered and stood up. "And Calamity..."
At the last name, he added extra venom to his tone.
"You're all going to pay for what you've done." Adam's eyes narrowed into a glare as he walked out of the room.
He stepped into the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and began washing his face.
After closing the faucet, he dried his face with the towel and looked at himself through the mirror.
He grabbed the sink tightly, his eyes filling with tears.
"Don't think I am done..." Adam lowered his head and wiped his tears with his sleeve. "No matter how many times I get zeroed, I'll return to kill all of you."
At that moment, he raised his head to look into the mirror again, but then, over his shoulder, he saw a masked figure standing in the doorway of the bathroom.
"Who—" Adam turned around, but then felt a sharp object penetrating through his chest.
When he looked down, he saw his chest bleeding, a blood-stained knife stabbing through his pale flesh.
"Calamity says hi." The masked figure whispered coldly; his voice was muffled and unusually deep, as if the person was trying to hide his voice.
"Otherworld Killer?" Adam whispered in shock with trembling eyes. "Why... why does he want to kill me?"
"You can think about that in the afterlife." The masked figure grinned behind the mask and twisted the knife in the wound, causing Adam to scream loudly.
"Fucker!"
At that moment, with a bloody shout, Adam grabbed the masked figure by his throat and slammed his face into the mirror, shattering it in pieces.
"Cough!" The masked figure coughed blood and stumbled backward, gasping for air.
"Argh!" Adam, with his shoulder in front of him, tackled the masked figure and sent him crashing to the hallway wall.
A large dent appeared on the wall. It was human-sized hole and he almost flew straight through it.
"Shit!" The masked figure cursed loudly, but then saw a fist flying towards him and quickly dove under it before rolling down on the floor to escape the attacker's wrath.
Crash!
Adam pulled his fist from the fist-sized hole in the wall, and with his chest bleeding furiously and his vision turning hazier with every second, he approached the masked figure and cracked his bloodied knuckles.
"I thought Otherworld Killers were scarier, as they kill players in real life for money and for their sadistic purposes, but you are weak!" Adam stomped closer to the masked figure, his hands forming into fists.
"Ptui!" The masked figure opened the mask slightly, just enough to show his mouth, and spat out blood.
He then closed the mask again and scoffed. "I am not the one bleeding to death, am I?"
"For now." Adam reeled in his fist and threw a wide punch at the figure's face.
SMACK!
The punch landed squarely.
The figure stumbled backward with bloodied nose, but quickly grabbed the railing and looked over his shoulder at the flight of stairs that went straight down to the bottom floor.
If he hadn't grabbed the railing, he would've stumbled down the stairs, and the end result wouldn't have been nice. Most likely, his neck would've snapped with a crunch.
Without slightest hesitation, Adam lunged forward and tackled straight into him.
The masked figure's black eyes trembled as he saw the ceiling move further away, feeling his footing disappear.
The two figures crashed into the steps of the stairs and stumbled down nearly a dozen steps before reaching the bottom of the stairs.
"Argh!" Adam put his hand over the bleeding wound and groaned in pain. He felt like he was on the verge of passing out.
The masked figure slowly stood up with a few groans of pain and pointed the knife at Adam, who was staining the nice-looking carpet under his feet with his crimson blood.
"I suppose this is the end of 'The Adam', the so-called successor of Star Faction. Hah, what a fucking joke!"
The masked figure then launched forward and drove the knife deep into Adam's waist, causing him to let out a blood-curdling scream.
"This is only the beginning," the masked figure laughed. "First, it's you; then it's time for Kiernan; then Perseus; then Fleur; and finally, it's time for sweet Sapphira to die."
"So, this is how Calamity plans to win this war." Adam said weakly.
"Ruthless, but effective way," the masked figure grinned. "Once Star Faction is defeated, Calamity can challenge Konrad for the seat of the High King's throne."
"He won't win..." Adam said with a bloodied smile. "He can try, but that waste of sperm will lose."
The masked figure's smile vanished, and he again twisted the knife in the wound.
"Aaargh!" Adam grabbed the masked figure's wrist and tried to make him pull the knife off his waist.
"Grrrhh!" The masked figure gritted his teeth and let out a few groans of pain as he felt like his wrist was being crushed.
"Haaa!" Adam screamed, and the trembling knife slowly slid off his waist and fell to the ground.
The masked figure yanked his hand back from Adam's clutches, but at the same time, his black glove came off, revealing his pale-skinned hand and a six-pointed star tattoo on his thumb.
After seeing the tattoo, Adam's expression changed from confusion to shock.
"Y-you are part of the Star Faction." Adam looked down at his own hand, and he had a similar six-pointed star tattoo on his thumb. "Only the core members of the faction tattooed the six-pointed star on the thumb. You are someone close to us..."
"Hmph!" The masked figure's eyes turned cold, and he pulled out another knife from his belt and lunged straight at Adam.
This time, he stabbed the knife deep into Adam's shoulder, very close to his neck.
"Why..." Adam whispered coldly and grabbed the masked figure by his throat, squeezing as hard as he humanly could. "Who are you, and why are you doing this to us?!"
"Ngh!" The masked figure's face turned pale behind the mask, and he started stabbing the knife repeatedly on Adam's chest.
The blood spewed, and the sound of flesh getting killed filled the room, but the life slowly started to fade away from the masked figure's eyes as the two hands, belonging to Adam, squeezed the life out of him.
In these ten years, Adam focused on building his strength even in the real world and in this moment, the ten years of blood and sweat was finally worth it.
Adam watched as the life slowly left the masked man's black eyes as his hands continued to squeeze his throat.
Crack—lastly, the masked figure's neck cracked, and he fell lifelessly on the ground.
"Who are you..." Adam reached towards the mask, but at that moment, he lost his footing and fell to the ground.
As his head slammed into the floor, his head cracked like a ripe apple, and without further ado, a pool of blood appeared around him.
"No..." Adam cried out and tried to reach out to the mask, but his arm lost all of its strength, slowly falling to the ground.
At the edges of his vision, darkness began quickly consuming everything, and he felt himself being pulled away from the world.
"It's cold..." Adam whispered as his vision faded to black.
...
Beep, beep!
"Ugh..." A voice groaned in anger, and a figure rolled around in the bed, turning to his side and moving the blanket to cover his face.
Beep, beep.
The alarm continued to ring.
"Five... no, ten more minutes..." The figure mumbled.
He groaned and rolled over, burying his face in the pillow.
At that moment, thirteen years worth of memories flooded his mind like a tidal wave.
The figure slammed his eyes open, like a frightened rabbit and sat up in a hurry.
"Six-pointed star!" The figure shouted in shock, but then he saw the room around him. It was a place that had almost faded from his memory.
"Wait..." He stood up and looked at his half-naked, lanky body, with only his underwear covering his private parts.
He fiddled with his toes and moved his fingers to ensure that it was really him and not just a memory of the past.
"What in the world..." He stumbled out of the room, saw several doors, and a flight of stairs leading downstairs.
He walked to the door in front of him and hesitantly turned the door handle, opening the door to the bathroom.
As he stepped onto the tiled floor, he grabbed the sink and looked at his mirrored self in the mirror.
"That's... not possible." Adam muttered as he saw his younger self looking back at him.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
2 Power
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