0 – Prologue – Possession
＜Achievement Unlocked!＞
– Prophet: First in all servers to collect all endings
“…”
The dim light illuminates a somber, dark room.
The brightly lit monitor has been displaying the same screen for thirty minutes now.
A cluttered desk with energy drinks scattered about, and I, sitting in front of it in a forlorn manner.
The very image of a defeated man.
With trembling hands, I carefully click on the screen to check the next achievement.
＜Achievement Unlocked!＞
– A Victory Full of Scars: The empire has shaken off its fate of destruction. However, it seems there might not be enough people for a celebration party.
“Ha, hahahaha…”
The more I see, the more absurd it feels.
The mocking tone of the achievement’s description, taking a jab at those who witnessed the ending.
The wording shatters even my last hope that they wouldn’t have seriously chosen such a trashy ending.
Idea, the gaming company that’s been putting out stellar series over the past 12 years.
Now one of the largest gaming corporations in the world, this was their grand conclusion?
The final episode of the Arcadia series just… ends with everyone dying?
The protagonist, heroine, villain, boss – all of them?
The protagonist did survive until the end,
but then, out of nowhere, after defeating the final boss, that person who popped out and died with the protagonist…
“Why did it have to be Ivan?”
Ivan. Ivan Herson.
An antagonist who becomes adversarial with the protagonist ‘Adam’ just one month into his academy life. Essentially, he’s like a tutorial boss.
He plans to open a gate directly connected to the main continent at the academy, but is defeated by the protagonist and makes a hasty retreat. Naturally, he’s portrayed rather lightly and humorously.
Imagine a minor character, whose fate wasn’t even clear after that, suddenly appearing as a stronger boss than the final one and engaging in a deadly battle with the protagonist.
“Are they out of their minds?”
I couldn’t help but blurt out an expletive.
It’s not impossible for Ivan to become powerful. They could come up with a reason.
But why ruin the ending? There was no need.
Yet, Idea went through with it.
I hated to admit it, but the truth was clear.
This game, meant to be the grand conclusion of the series, was trash, crafted from the twisted desire of the game company to mock the fans.
I felt like nothing more than a fish caught on a hook.
“I’ve been playing this trash for a month…”
I quit my job the day this game was released.
Of course, it was because of the game.
I had a goal to be the first to clear the final chapter of the series that I had dedicated my youth to.
My colleagues had said, “You’re crazy.”
I didn’t care.
You can always find another job,
but the honor of being the first to clear isn’t an everyday opportunity.
But now, what was the point?
Soon, others will see the true ending I witnessed.
When that information inevitably spreads on YouTube and communities,
from that day on, I’d be seen not as the ‘Prophet’, but as the first ‘victim’ of this terrible experience.
The decline in the game’s value means that the significance of my ‘Prophet’ achievement, garnered from all of Idea’s games over 12 years, also diminishes.
In other words, my 12 years of effort has just been nullified.
Not by anyone else, but by the game company, Idea.
More precisely, by those who concocted this absurd twist.
“After defeating the final boss, what if the tutorial villain suddenly appears and kills everyone? Sounds fresh, right?”
It must have been a joint decision of the nut who proposed this and the nuttier one who approved.
“…I should sleep.”
I slowly get up and long-press the computer’s power button.
They say forcibly shutting it down this way isn’t good for the computer’s lifespan, but I just couldn’t bear to click on that game’s screen anymore.
After forcibly shutting it down, I’ll delete it cleanly tomorrow.
That would be the real ending for this sham of a game.
I collapsed onto the bed next to me.
I couldn’t sleep due to the monitor light shining from behind,
but it would go off soon.
Eventually, I fell asleep.
“That Ivan popping out is just…”
I seemed to have muttered in my sleep.
And then, somewhere between that sleepy muttering and the next morning,
＜Special Bonus Unlocked!＞
– ‘Prophet’ Exclusive Bonus: We need your help.
I was possessed.
