The moment the system message flashed across Legacy of Alvari, the digital world ignited.
<< GLOBAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Player [Hidden] is the FIRST to defeat the Tutorial Guardian Construct on UNBEATABLE difficulty! A legendary feat of persistence and skill! >>
On the official LoA forums, Discord servers, community wikis, and nascent fan sites, threads exploded into existence almost simultaneously. The "General Discussion" board became a frantic cascade of new topics: "UNBEATABLE DOWN?! IS THIS REAL??" "SCREENSHOT OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!" "Who is [Hidden]??? Anyone know?" "Calling BS - Dev account or exploit 100%" "Unbeatable Boss Mechanics - What did [Hidden] figure out?" "RIP 'Stubborn One' theory? Or WAS it him?"
The arguments raged. Players who had spent days fruitlessly grinding basic mobs scoffed at the idea. Veterans who had breezed through the tutorial on Normal or Hard difficulty declared it mathematically impossible for a Level 10 character, citing datamined (or speculated) boss stats. Theories flew wildly – maybe [Hidden] found a terrain exploit? A bugged interaction? Used a third-party cheat engine? Or perhaps it was an anonymous developer account testing limits or generating hype?
Some posters recalled the persistent rumors of a player, nicknamed "The Stubborn One," who had supposedly been trapped in the tutorial zone for days, grinding against the Unbeatable difficulty after locking it by mistake. Could [Hidden] be this mythical grinder finally breaking through? But there was no proof, just speculation. The anonymity granted by the [Hidden] tag fueled the firestorm, allowing everyone to project their own theories onto the unknown victor. The achievement was so far outside the realm of perceived possibility that disbelief was the default reaction for many.
While this digital tempest brewed, Drake himself was oblivious. The moment he stepped back through the portal from the Guardian's chamber into the quiet area outside the archway, the adrenaline that had sustained him through the harrowing final fight evaporated, leaving behind an exhaustion so profound it felt physical even through the VR interface. The days, (he'd lost track) of the relentless grind – engage, die, analyze, repeat – culminating in that final, hyper-focused battle had taken an immense toll.
His inventory pulsed with the notifications of his unprecedented rewards – the [Impossible Persistence] achievement, the [He Who Beat the Unbeatable] title, the substantial gold sum, the incredible [Epic Ring of the Threshold Guardian], and the game-changing [Relentless Assault] passive skill. He briefly acknowledged them, a flicker of deep satisfaction momentarily cutting through the fatigue, but he lacked the energy to truly examine or appreciate them yet.
"Done... Finally done... Need... sleep..."
He didn't even bother walking back to Veridian Rise. He simply found a secluded spot behind a cluster of rocks just off the path near the now-inactive instance gate, ensured no mobs were nearby, and initiated the logout sequence. The transition to his small, dimly lit room felt abrupt, the silence deafening after the constant mental focus of the grind.
He peeled off the worn VR headset, his eyes stinging, his neck and shoulders aching from maintaining the same position for countless hours. Hunger gnawed at him – real hunger this time. He stumbled towards his tiny kitchenette, microwaved whatever vaguely edible meal packet was left, and forced himself to eat. Then, barely registering anything else, he collapsed onto his narrow bed and was instantly asleep.
He slept long and deep, a sleep untroubled by phantom attack patterns or millisecond timings. He slept for well over twelve hours, his body and mind finally catching up on the rest debt he'd accumulated during his obsessive grind.
When he finally woke, the room was filled with mid-morning light. He felt… clear. Rested. The crushing weight of the Unbeatable challenge was gone, replaced by the quiet hum of victory. He stretched, feeling the satisfying pop of stiff joints, then made himself a proper breakfast – real food, not just nutrient paste. As he ate, the events of the previous session replayed in his mind, this time not through [Perfect Recall]'s analytical lens, but as triumphant memories. The Perfect Defends negating lethal blows, the final Perfect Slash, the Guardian crumbling, the flood of rewards…
Then, his thoughts turned to the Global Announcement. Player [Hidden]. The forums must still be going crazy. And that led to another thought: the recording. Legacy of Alvari, like most modern VRMMORPGs, automatically recorded significant achievements – boss kills, dungeon clears, major quest completions. He would have a full, high-fidelity recording of the entire Unbeatable Guardian fight stored on his account.
"The video... proof of the kill. Given the reaction, the disbelief... that recording is valuable. People want to see how. And maybe..." His gaze drifted around his cramped, basic apartment. The worn furniture, the outdated tech (besides the VR rig itself), the constant background worry about rent. "...maybe it's valuable enough to actually make a difference."
The idea sparked. Monetize the achievement. He wasn't a streamer, and had no established online persona. But a world-first, server-first clear of an "impossible" boss by an anonymous player? That had potential. It could also serve to silence the inevitable "exploit" or "cheat" accusations by providing visual evidence of the kill, albeit carefully curated evidence.
Decision made, Drake spent the next several hours at his laptop, not Browse forums this time, but working meticulously in a basic video editing program. He loaded the raw recording of the final, successful Unbeatable Guardian fight. He carefully selected the most impactful moments: surviving the opening onslaught with Perfect Defends, the desperate adaptation during the enraged phase (cutting cleverly to show the new mechanics without revealing every micro-adjustment derived from Perfect Recall), the final triumphant blow.
Most importantly, he applied layers of anonymization. He used blur filters to completely obscure his character name hovering above his avatar. The goal was absolute anonymity, preserving the [Hidden] status while still showcasing the incredible feat. He added some generic, royalty-free epic background music, rendered the file, and created a new account on 'StreamTube', the dominant video-sharing platform..
He uploaded the video with a simple, provocative title: "Legacy of Alvari - Unbeatable Tutorial Guardian SOLO FIRST CLEAR [Player Hidden]". He then anonymously dropped links into the biggest "Unbeatable Boss Down?!" threads on the official forums and major LoA Discord servers.
Then, he leaned back and watched.
The reaction was instantaneous and explosive. View counts didn't just climb; they went vertical. Comments flooded in faster than he could read: "OMG IT'S REAL!" "How did he survive that opening hit?! Perfect Defend?!" "Look at that movement in phase 2! Never seen that pattern!" "WHAT IS THAT GEAR?? Can't tell..." "FAKE! Gotta be edited or private server!" "No way that's legit Lvl 10 damage..." "This changes EVERYTHING!" "Teach me, senpai! T_T"
Debate didn't stop; it just shifted, fueled now by visual evidence. Analysts tried to break down his movements frame by frame. Top players expressed grudging respect or renewed determination to replicate the feat. The video was shared, mirrored, discussed on streams. It went viral within the LoA community.
And then, the most surprising notification appeared, not in-game, but on his video platform dashboard: Channel Monetization Activated. Earnings: $34.09. It wasn't a fortune, not yet, but seeing actual, tangible currency generated directly from his obsessive in-game achievement sent a jolt through him. More views poured in, and the earnings figure ticked steadily upwards throughout the day.
"Real money... from playing the game my way. From the grind." A slow, genuine smile touched Drake's lips. This felt... different. Validating.
He finally felt ready to leave the tutorial zone behind. He was rested, vindicated (at least partially, in his own mind), and now slightly richer in both virtual gold and real-world currency. He put his headset back on, the familiar startup sequence of Legacy of Alvari feeling charged with new potential. It was time to step out into the main world.