It was when I experience death that I began to think about it. One might ask, which one? I didn’t feel a thing when my brain got blown off. I felt confused then, and maybe I still am. After returning to the past, to my old self, I started to recollect what made me, me. Why I have strayed on this path, why I decided to live in the virtual world.

Everything went great here in my second life. I found new things to experience. Though, why does it feel that it’s not the same virtual world that I remember it being? The gaping hole in my heart after my second death. In my mind, I know it’s not the same. Every single NPC I’ve met, they were realistic then, but now, they felt human. Even those that are not human, felt like so.

To my family, my grandfather, I’ve made a promise— no, a statement, that I will reach the highest status in real life within a year. In order to do so, I believe that this game called Ekolia is the right path for me to achieve it. But first, I need to know everything about it cause my 4 years of knowledge from the past life, or the future you might say is not even close to being enough.

I joined a group of undead NPCs and demons who owns the tutorial area of the game. Adopted a new name for them to call me. I even ventured to the surface, to Ekolia itself, joined an Adventurers Guild under the name of April, and become a member of Hill Vines, a rookie party settled in a place close to the Great Forest of Sylph, the Hikanda Town.

I feel that the longer I play— no, the longer I live in this world, the more detached I am from what people accepted as real life. Not that it matters what others think about that. This is my life.

***

An explosion blew away a large group of prisoners taking arms against an enemy to escape towards a portal, but the pathway is blocked by a stone wall, high enough for it to reach the ceiling.

One of the prisoners grunted, “Guh, what the hell is this?!”

“Fuck!”

{Jupe888x | Lv. 15}

A warrior leading the group at the front running out of breath, “We gotta keep pushing! There must be a secret after we passed through that portal!”

*BAKS*

The gory sound followed by a flying object landed in front of him, turns out it was the head of his comrade. Making his eyes widen in fear. His group that he led has gone through many things to reach this place, but now everything is about to crumble.

Shaded in the dim light, they are faced against one enemy. A seemingly young mage. Her black hair sparkles as its strands move in the air. She opens her eyes, revealing black sclera before her entire body ignited in flames.

{Luosa, Guardian of the Gifted End | Lv. 246}

One foot stepped back, the warrior shivers as fear crept up to him, “D-Damn it!”

She raised her hand close to her mouth with embers falling in glitters in her grasp. Something within the warrior snapped as soon as he sees the familiar movement, “Th-This can't be happening... $100.000, just to get stuck like THIS?! Everyone, ATTACK!!!”

When the air from her lungs passes through her hand, the embers ignited. Blowing extremely wide raging flames toward the large group of prisoners. Incinerating them completely.

*BWOOOOOOOOOOOMPH*

Only charred bones were left afterward. The flames have yet to settle, but she went to look for any survivor anyway, but none was found. The edge of her lips twitched. The flames cloaked on her body dissipated as she adjusts her shoulder joints, “That was all of them it seems.”

! {Deactivating [Guardian of the Gifted End] Title Effect}

Her sclera returns to normal as her silver irises become visible. Her short black hair grew to the back of her hips as it turns white. She plaited them after a pink shade started showing.

“I swear…”

===== Profile Status =====

Statistics

Name: Luosa / Level: 246 / Class: Mage

Primary Attributes

Max Health: 1400 (-1386) | Max Mana: 180000 (+144000) | Max Stamina: 40000

Health: 14 | Mana: 324000 | Stamina: 40000

Secondary Attributes

Strength: 40 / Dexterity: 50 / Endurance: 20

Vitality: 200 / Agility: 20

Intelligence: 5000 (+250) / Faith: 2000 / Luck: 100

Combat

Physical Attack: 50 (+20) / Physical Defense: 100 (+10)

Magical Attack: 1500 (+520) / Magical Defense: 2500 (+10)

Health Regeneration: 41 / Mana Regeneration: 541 (+25) / Stamina Regeneration: 43

Gear

[My Robe – A1b / Rank A / Uncommon / Physical Defense: 100 / Magical Defense: 2500 / Innate Ability: Mana Storage, up to 144000 Mana can be contained within the Robe. Requires [Prototype Collar – A2] in order to use the stored Mana]

[Prototype Collar – A2 / Rank SS / Legendary / Effect: Increases Intelligence by 250. Increase Elemental Resistance by 40%. Increase Dark Resistance by 40%. Increase Light Resistance by 40%. Reduce Stun Duration by 80%. Reduces Max Health by 99%. Increases Buildup Speed. Reduces Physical Attack Damage by 10% / Innate Ability: Channeling, connect the user to the target]

Active Effect

(Experience Gain has been reduced by 80%) – Blessing of the Abyss

(Die upon taking damage) – Fragile

===== Profile Status =====

“… They should’ve just stick to the East Gate. But oh well, it’s not like they’re playing in Realism Mode, so taking a trip to Limbo is not going to be that bad for them.”

She summons a staff with an appearance of a twisted shaft and a tip resembling that of a cobra head, in its mouth is a big dark gem.

[Trash Level Snake – A3a / Rank A / Heroic / Physical Attack: 50 / Magical Attack: 1500 / Can be used as Catalyst / Innate Ability: On hit, buildup [Toxin] to the target / Requirement: Level 120, 300 Intelligence]

Pointed the staff at the ground behind her, she muttered, “Greater Wall of Stone.”

*Bwooooomph*

Another layer of the stone wall appeared to block the way to the portal behind them.

“Now then, I shouldn’t check on the others, but I’m curious about how Zombak is doing with his new post. I bet it’s boring in there.”

Conjured a ring out of thin air.

[Ring of Teleportation / Rank B / Rare / Innate Ability: Consumes 8000 Mana to teleport the user to target location within field of vision / Requirement: Level 80, 150 Intelligence]

Upon wearing it, she disappeared as soon as she shifted her eyes. One can see that she kept reappearing only to disappear again a moment after. She stepped on a large plate of white stones, it lit up soon after and she was then transferred to the South Gate, near the location of the portal.

It was then she sees an ant monster flailing by itself in front of the portal it was supposed to be guarding. “Zombak?” It turns its head towards her.

“What are you doing?”

The ant monster stood, when it comes to height, the thing towered over her but it only kept its head down, and that confused her. ‘Huh, he’s usually enthusiastic about things. Has he not eaten yet? Do I have to hunt some people for him myself?’ pondering as she walks past him, “Hm?”

She noticed something in the surrounding, “As old as this place is, there won’t be a single rubble falling by itself from the ceiling…” Zombak stays silent, but when he looks up, he can see the widened eyes of his master, fueled in rage. His sight turned upside down as his head hit the ground. She reappeared in front of him with her foot on his neck.

“Why did you let them leave, Zombak? I put you here because I can trust you with handling those smug arrogant rats.”

“G-Grooooghogogok!”

“I still don’t know what you’re saying, but I can tell you didn’t mean it. Did you know that Avarice killed your predecessor because some have slipped past through the portal? I don’t want to do the same. So, please. Do your job properly next time, Zombak.”

She pulled her foot from his neck and shifted her attention to the portal. Zombak struggled to stand. Looking at his master’s back, the side of her face. Her stern expression used to be soft, back when he was still an infant - when he grasps her arm looking at the smile she formed. He vividly remembers it still, how sweet that memory was.

{{{Grand Archive of Purgatory}}}

A library within the prison realm, where many of the core members gather. Hastily, she searches for someone to inform everyone about the situation. After looking deeply, “Where in the world is everyone at?”

Then suddenly, a cold wind behind her back. The shadow moves on its own, even forming a cloud. She knows what it is, - who it is.“You are… Lord Mordor, yes? Do you have any idea where Avarice is at?”

The dark cloud soon formed words.

{Throne Room}

“Ahh, I see. Thank you.”

{Good Luck}

She tilted her head, wanting to ask what it meant, but decided not to. She hurried up to the Throne Room to find her superiors. While on her way, she ponders, ‘It’s been almost two months since I got accustomed to these people, but lord Mordor is the only one whom I don’t know much about. At least I know that we are under the same master. I’ll have to meet the said master soon, but first,’ looking at the door to the throne room, ‘I have to inform Avarice about the escapee.’

Pressing her hands on the heavy door, slowly, she entered the Throne Room. Although the Throne is empty, the one she is looking for is sitting by the stairs.

Donned a heavy armor of dragon bones, armored from the neck all the way to the tail, and a helmet sitting beside it. A tall woman with long hair, tied up to a ponytail. Her dark blue skin complements her bright eyes and her long eyelashes, black sclera with scattered blue irises. Her voice emanates dominant, “If you’re looking for Lord Ludwig, he’s in his chambers.”

{Avarice, Alpha and the Omega | Lv. 8280}