Void Demon
There is a game called 'The Realm of Legends'
It was released a decade ago as a massive multiplayer online role-playing game, and has since amassed a dedicated and ever-growing player base due to its deep lore, challenging combat, and expansive open world.
It allowed players to play a variety of characters starting from very easy to pilot, to more complex characters.
Amongst them there was one 'inferior' character that was widely considered underpowered and best avoided by most players due to his high difficulty and lack of ability to use magic.
However, there was one idiot who insisted on choosing this character and playing it for more than ten years…
It's me, Kai EverFrost.
"Just a bit more…"
Even now I kept trying to push the limits of what this 'inferior' character could do and trying to kill the most challenging and also the final boss of the game known as the 'Void Demon'.
This creature was a being of immense power, who had enveloped the entire realm in a veil of darkness, corrupting the land and its inhabitants.
It was also a monster that hasn't been defeated even once since the game's release due to its abnormal resistance to conventional combat techniques and magic.
By now more than 75% of the game world had been consumed by the Void Demon's malevolent influence, leaving only a small pocket of resistance led by a dwindling number of players who refused to give up hope.
I was also one of them.
Currently, I was trying to block the Void Demon from consuming the last remaining uncorrupted country.
My character, Ash Morningstar, was wearing a tattered cloak that was actually a relic that granted him various additional stat boosts. In his hands he held a beautiful silver-bladed sword that was enveloped in a flickering blue flame.
His white hair billowed in the dark, howling winds as he stood defiantly before the towering Void Demon.
He is the sole character in the game who is unable to use magic or mana.
Basically, he is worse than even a non-player character, a literal Extra.
But, of course, he can use some sorcery.
Well… 'Some' would be an exaggeration.
Ash Morningstar can only use a single spell - 'Vanish'.
Whoosh…
As the Void Demon released an energy beam from one of its massive heads, Ash calmly looked at the incoming projectile and suddenly vanished, reappearing a few steps to the side, narrowly avoiding the devastating attack.
Vanish is a spell that allows my character to teleport some distance away, roughly 50 meters, but it is not unique, everyone in the game can learn it.
However, they don't.
The issue with the ability is that its cooldown is too long, on top of that the spell consumes a ridiculous amount of mana, making it a liability more than an asset for most characters.
However, Ash Morningstar has mastered the use of 'Vanish'.
Its cooldown is severely reduced due to the character's relentless training and the ability doesn't even consume Mana since he doesn't even have any to begin with.
Unlike other magic spells 'Vanish' is just a simple movement ability, but since I became obsessed with this character I've spent countless hours perfecting its use.
The character's strength literally depended on my skill level so over the last 10 years I had even developed a Fighting Style designed specifically for Ash Morningstar, focused on utilizing the 'Vanish' spell to its fullest potential.
Crackle…
As the Void Demon prepared to unleash another devastating attack Ash suddenly placed his sword into the scabbard and put his fingers onto its hilt.
This seemed like a dumb move, but Kai knew exactly what he was doing.
This was a maneuver I had spent years perfecting, a testament to my mastery of the 'Vanish' spell.
For a moment, it seemed as though nothing had happened.
Ash's sword appeared to remain in its scabbard, and the Void Demon's energy beam continued to gather power, a vortex of darkness swirling around one of its massive heads.
Tip…
Then, in the blink of an eye, the sword was suddenly unsheathed, a flash of silver cutting through the air. Just as quickly, it was sheathed again, the motion almost imperceptible to the naked eye.
The Void Demon, still preparing its attack, suddenly paused.
A thin, crimson line appeared on one of its many necks, stark against its dark, corrupted flesh. For a heartbeat, the world stood still, the only sound the eerie crackle of the Void Demon's half-charged energy beam.
Then, with a wet, sickening sound, the head separated from its body, the severed neck spewing black ichor as it fell to the ground with a resounding thud.
The attack it had been charging dissipated into the air, the dark energy scattering harmlessly.
This was the pinnacle of the Fighting Style I, Kai, had created - the Vanishing Slash.
By mastering the use of 'Vanish' to an unparalleled degree, Ash Morningstar could make his sword strike disappear from one place and reappear directly at his target.
The concept of the slash itself vanished and reappeared, bypassing any defenses or distance.
Ash took a deep breath, his grip on the hilt of his sword tightening for a moment before he relaxed. He watched as the Void Demon reeled from the unexpected blow, its remaining heads snarling in rage and confusion.
This was the culmination of a decade of effort, of countless hours spent refining a single, seemingly useless ability. Ash Morningstar, the 'inferior' character, now stood as the last hope against the darkness threatening to consume the game realm.
Observing the Void Demon through the monitor I felt a smile spread across my face.
With the Boss momentarily stunned, I didn't even hesitate piloting Ash to, once again, take the posture and…
Tip…
Another head of the Void Demon fell to the ground.
Now only a single dome remained.
As the Void Demon's last head took in the sight of its fallen brethren, an uncharacteristic flicker of fear passed through its malevolent eyes.
This was a creature born of darkness and despair, a being that had known only dominance and destruction. But now, for the first time, it sensed its own mortality.
With a thunderous roar, the Void Demon unfurled its massive, demonic wings and took to the sky, desperate to escape the unexpected threat posed by the insignificant human below.
The dark winds howled louder as it ascended, its monstrous form blotting out the last remnants of uncorrupted sky.
Ash Morningstar's eyes tracked the fleeing beast, calm and focused.
He knew that he had only a brief window before the Void Demon would escape beyond his reach.
The Void Demon was almost out of the critical 50-meter range when Ash's fingers lightly touched the hilt of his sword once more.
Tip...
In the blink of an eye, the sword was drawn and sheathed again, its blade slicing through the air with a barely perceptible whisper.
From the ground, it seemed as though Ash hadn't moved at all. But high above, the Void Demon let out a spine-chilling scream of agony as one of its wings was severed cleanly from its body.
The beast plummeted from the sky, its remaining wing flailing uselessly. Black ichor rained down like a toxic storm as the Void Demon crashed to the ground, the impact shaking the earth beneath Ash's feet.
It lay there, broken and vulnerable, a shadow of the invincible terror it had once been.
Ash Morningstar approached the fallen demon with measured steps, his silver-bladed sword gleaming with an ethereal blue flame.
The remaining head of the Void Demon turned towards him, eyes wide with a mix of rage and panic. It tried to muster another attack, but its power was waning, its body betraying its desperate will to survive.
Ash's fingers once again found the hilt of the sword.
He took a deep breath, centering himself for the final blow. The culmination of ten years of dedication, frustration, and relentless training all led to this moment.
Tip...
Ash's sword flashed once more, cutting through the air with an almost serene grace.
The final head of the Void Demon separated from its body, rolling to the ground with a dull thud.
Black ichor gushed from the wound, pooling around the lifeless form of the once-mighty beast.
For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.
The oppressive darkness that had enveloped the realm began to lift, the malevolent influence of the Void Demon dissipating like mist under the morning sun.
Ash Morningstar stood amidst the aftermath, his sword still in hand, the flickering blue flame slowly dimming.
"I've done it!"
I felt a swell of triumph and relief wash over me.
Staring at my computer screen I leaned back on the chair and let out a deep breath, a smile of pure satisfaction on my face.
I didn't even bother closing the game as I inched towards my bed, climbing into the white sheets and immediately falling asleep.
It has been more than 48 hours since I last slept so I was bound to pass out from exhaustion immediately.
***
As Kai drifted into a deep, well-deserved sleep, the soft glow of the monitor continued to illuminate the room.
A strange notification appeared in its center.
[ Incorrect Ending Reached, more than 50% of the population died - Special Condition Activated ]
However, Kai was already lost in a dreamless slumber, oblivious to the message flashing urgently on the screen.
A subtle, eerie mist began to seep from the edges of the monitor, spreading outwards with a spectral quality.
It moved with an almost sentient fluidity, curling and twisting as it filled the room. The mist, pale and shimmering, carried an otherworldly chill, brushing against the furniture and walls like ghostly fingers.
As it enveloped the room, the mist found its way to Kai's bed. It swirled around his still form, wrapping him in an ethereal cocoon. The mist seemed to pulse with a strange energy, resonating with the beat of Kai's heart.
Within moments, Kai's body started to shimmer, becoming less tangible as the mist thickened around him. His breathing remained steady, his chest rising and falling gently, unaware of the transformation taking place.
The mist grew denser, almost opaque, its glow intensifying until it became difficult to distinguish Kai's form beneath it.
Then, in an instant, the mist contracted sharply, pulling back towards the monitor with a sudden, silent ferocity.
As it receded, it took Kai with it.
His body vanished into the ethereal vapor, leaving behind only the faint imprint of his presence on the bed. The mist continued to retract, disappearing back into the monitor as swiftly as it had emerged.
The room, now devoid of its occupant, returned to its previous stillness. The only sound was the gentle hum of the computer. The game screen, still aglow, displayed a new message:
[ Restarting the game… Welcome, Ash Morningstar ]
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder