Some are born with enough talent to become the best. Others work hard enough to reach their goals. But he was different from everyone else—he had the talent and worked hard enough to stay at the top.
But there were certain things wrong with him…
He pressed the keyboard keys with force; right after that, the mouse clicks shattered what little silence remained.
He was in his dark room, where the bright light from four monitors hit his face directly. His black eyes darted from side to side, staring at the screens—his hands doing something similar over his PC peripherals.
"I need vision, you idiot monkeys… Do I seriously have to do everything myself? I don't have space to buy a pink… What the hell is the support doing?"
As usual, he spent most of his time playing the famous MOBA games.
"For fuck's sake… We're in Divine Rank! How the hell am I still finding idiots who play like they're in Gold Rank?!"
Even though complaining wouldn't help at all, he still did it.
Either way, it was only a matter of time before the end. Once he bought his character's next power spike, the rest of the match would be a walk in the park.
And just like that, in only ten minutes, he defeated everyone and destroyed the enemy nexus on his own.
"That's how you play, you Neanderthals. Next time, come at me all at once. I, the King of the Void, will crush you in a single blow," he said, staring at the screen and basking in his own greatness.
Competitiveness ran through his veins—but so did the little blood left in his anemic body.
Even though he was the strongest in video games, behind the screen he was nothing more than a pale, skinny guy with hair that was far too long. He looked like a ghost.
"Well. That's it for today."
This had been his routine every day since he was fourteen. Always in front of a screen, playing tournaments he was invited to remotely.
There were many times when his skill was questioned because he didn't play on-site. People claimed he used hacks in secret, that that was the reason he was the best.
Many times he had to record his hands, run programs that showed every open application on his PC in real time, and all sorts of nonsense just to prove his power.
They were all jealous! They were all trying to take him down no matter what! However, the King of the Void was invincible.
Ten world championships in League of Mythos, nine gold cups in Cyber Fighters, ten diamond buttons in Full Counter, and other national awards that filled an entire room were proof of his power.
"I'm tired," he told himself, throwing himself face-first onto the bed.
He stared at the ceiling for a few minutes.
'I'm sleepy. I've gone four nights without sleeping. If I keep this up, I'll die.'
He sighed, grabbing the phone at his side to check the time.
'Damn. It's almost dawn.'
He turned off the screen and tossed the phone aside. He closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep—but his phone vibrated, making him growl in annoyance.
'Another advertising agent? They can go to hell. I'm tired of their trash proposals. Besides, for that kind of thing they should be calling my manager, not me!'
He ignored the disturbance, but the messages kept coming insistently. Irritated, he grabbed the device and checked the notifications.
"Who the hell are you?!"
When he checked the sender in his inbox, he noticed it was an anonymous user.
"Spam?"
Out of pure curiosity, he opened one of the messages and read it carefully.
[ Good evening, Mr. Kirishima. We are pleased to inform you that you have been awarded a prize for your achievements at last week's Game Festa. Your techniques during the Zombie Girls exhibition matches were exceptional despite your absence.
The prize is based on the beta version of our upcoming game, Crimson Souls. The premise is as follows:
"With no memories of the past, no important belongings, and no weapons to defend yourself, you appear in the dark and ancient kingdom of Nemoria, plagued by monsters and wild beasts that you must defeat while uncovering the hidden history of the world.
Along the way, you will meet cute girls and powerful adversaries."
With all that said, are you interested in the prize?
We await your response. ]
'This…'
He frowned suspiciously.
'It sounds strangely real. Though if it's just a spammer, I'll at least waste his time.'
Setting his doubts aside, he swiped the screen and replied.
[ Seriously? If it's the beta, that would make me a beta tester. If I'm paid fairly, I'll do it. ]
He raised an eyebrow, curious. The moment he sent his reply, another message from the same sender arrived.
'He's taking this way too seriously.'
He read the message.
[ We have the perfect reward for you.
So then, do you accept? ]
'Hm… they're not sending any contract, so maybe it is real.'
[ Sure. I'm interested. Just send the information to my manager. She'll handle everything. ]
Immediately after, another separate message arrived.
[ Excellent decision, Mr. Kirishima. We will be in contact. ]
After that, there were no more messages, which confused Kirishima. But like everything in life except video games, he didn't care.
"Whatever it is, my manager will check it early tomorrow. I want to sleep."
He closed his eyes and slept.
***
On a green hill, a sorrowful ash statue lying on the ground watched the sunrise.
Its eyes glowed yellow, but the light shifted to a purple hue as mysterious electricity surrounded it.
Its dark ash skin turned pale and fleshy; black hair grew from its head—transforming it into a human.
Suddenly, a spectral hum resonated near his ear, and a warm breeze brushed against his face. The blinding sunlight struck him, forcing him to frown in irritation.
"What is this trash?" Mitsuki Kirishima asked.
He covered his eyes with his hand as he adjusted to the light. When he did, he froze.
"What… What the hell?"
He was lying near a small hill, from which massive stone walls could be seen, enclosing the immense kingdom looming on the horizon.
On his left arm, a nearly imperceptible black mark trembled.