The End of the Legend

The furious clicking of keyboard keys echoed in the empty, dark room. The desktop screen was the only source of light on Damien's face as he fought the hardest battle of his life.

[Vitality: 5%]

Despite the intensity of the endgame he was playing, Damien's heartbeat remained steady. His focus never wavered for a second. While most would panic and sweat in such a situation, veterans like him knew this was the moment to stay calm. And so, he did.

[Vitality: 3%]

A subtle smile appeared on Damien's face as the Ancient Dragon Isotath's Vitality dwindled. He gave his all for the final attack, even though he himself was down to 2% HP.

He didn't care.

He was determined to slay the Dragon and become the first player to clear [Play Third: The Direction of Isotath].

[Vitality: 1%] 

[HP: 1%]

"Left! Right! Goodnight!"

Damien unleashed his ultimate skill, which he had saved for the last moment, driving a deep hole into the Dragon's chest after destroying all its scales.

[Congratulations to player Duskbreaker for obtaining the first BOSS kill in the Void Dragon Dungeon. An eternal evil has been wiped out.]

[The character has received fatal damage and will soon die.]

Along with these messages, a bright light emanated from Eldoria City in all players' games. The familiar scene, which had only occurred twice before, caused an uproar in the gaming world.

However, no one was surprised to see the name of the person who cleared Play Third. That name was legendary in the gaming community.

Duskbreaker.

The man who had defeated every First Boss, earned every First Title, and claimed every First Reward. He was the first in everything and had also cleared the first two plays.

Three years had passed since the launch of "World of Miracles," a game that had revolutionized the gaming community with its realistic gameplay, intricate story, and life-or-death battles.

Many players had entered the game, but none had managed to overcome the biggest obstacle, Duskbreaker. The man who had conquered everything in the game.

He was the Ruler of World of Miracles.

Yet, the Ruler merely looked at the screen with a light smile on his face. Did he feel any excitement? He didn't know.

"It doesn't matter anymore."

It really didn't, as he was going to retire today. Damien had started gaming to distract himself from his best friend's death. Five years had passed since that tragedy, and he had never been able to fill the void she left behind.

He had taken on every challenge—not just in games. He achieved everything he worked hard for. Sadly, it was all just a distraction in the end.

Damien had become a legend, setting countless records, but it was all coming to an end. A few days ago, his parents, returning from abroad, were caught in a plane crash and died, leaving him once again a hollow shell with no purpose.

"Time to wake up from your delusions!" 

Damien muttered, rubbing his eyes. He had decided to quit his gaming career to focus on his real life. Maybe he would finally find a purpose.

"So, even Duskbreaker couldn't break out of his darkness."

An unfamiliar, chilling voice behind him made Damien jump from his chair. His heart raced as he spun around and grabbed a small knife from the fruit basket. However, he forced himself to calm down. He needed to act rationally. But even then his heartbeat increased, as he thought in confusion and wariness.

'A thief? But how?'

Slowly, the room's lights brightened, revealing a tall, muscular man sitting on the sofa. Damien's gaze immediately fell on the pistol in the man's right hand.

Vahn's blood ran cold as he recognized the pistol. It was one of the latest versions of the Desert Eagle—the best the country had to offer. And it was real.

'Have I offended someone in-game?'

It was possible. But he needed to assess the situation first.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"Oh? You're good, brat. Most of the previous guys pissed themselves," the man chuckled, his hazel eyes full of amusement. "As for why I'm here, it's to give you salvation."

"I'm sorry, but I don't want to buy anything," Damien replied with a smile, standing beside his chair.

"Haha, unfortunately, that isn't up to us," the man said as he stood up, caressing the pistol. "Master has already passed down the judgment."

"Who's this Master, and on what basis was this judgment?" Damien asked, his heartbeat slowing with each passing second.

"It's all confidential, unfortunately."

Damien eyed the intruder, his breathing steady and his hands tightening on the chair's handle. Then, with a sudden burst of power, he hurled the chair at the man, attempting to catch him off guard.

A metallic thud resounded as the man swept the chair aside with his pistol arm, a mocking grin on his lips. Despite Damien's unexpected move, he remained unruffled and domineering.

"Not bad," he murmured. "But still not good enough."

Without wasting a moment, Damien used the momentum to dash forward in a low stance. The man raised his pistol a moment too late. Damien's knife glinted under the artificial light as he redirected the man's arm. However, doing so made him lose his grip on his knife.

With fluid grace, he hooked the man's wrist, forcing the muzzle of the gun away from his body. In one swift motion, he twisted the pistol free, wrenching it from the man's grip.

A flicker of surprise passed through the intruder's eyes for a brief moment. That was enough for Damien to press his advantage. However, just as Damien felt a surge of triumph, he noticed an eerie glow emanating from the man's free hand.

"What?" he whispered, disbelief evident in his tone.

A scorching wave of darkness burst from the man's palm, slamming into Damien's chest with unstoppable force. Pain exploded through his body, every cell screaming in agony. The pistol tumbled to the ground as his grip failed and his knees buckled.

Damien coughed, choking on the coppery taste of blood. He glared at the man with equal parts fear and fury, but his strength faded faster than he could understand.

"You… what are… you?" Damien managed, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Just a messenger," the man replied, stepping closer. A grin split his face, the unsettling glow still dancing on his fingertips. "This is your salvation."

"Salvation… my ass!" Damien retorted, his vision growing blurry as his consciousness slipped away.

"Haha! It is. You're good, brat, so I hope you fulfill the mission and please my Master. Who knows? Maybe you can even see your best friend again."

Those words made Damien's eyes snap open, but it was already too late. He could only look at the man with questions swirling in his mind as life slipped away.

The shadows in the room seemed to converge into a single, inescapable point.

The Ruler of the World of Miracles was no more.

…

Reincarnation

It was a concept familiar to Damien, something he had read about in many novels, but he never expected it to happen to him. The shock left him momentarily numb.

"Congratulations. The twins are safe and sound. The baby girl took your beautiful genes, and the boy took after Arthur."

Damien watched with his small eyes as an older woman wrapped him in a soft blanket along with his twin sister. Then, he was handed to a beautiful red-headed woman lying weakly on a hospital bed.

"Why isn't he crying, Merry?" Jasmine asked in concern after taking her children in her arms.

While the baby girl cried, the boy simply looked at her with innocent, small eyes. It filled her heart with worry.

"Don't worry. It happens sometimes. He's perfectly fine," Merry reassured her with a smile. "By the way, did you decide on their names?"

"Art isn't coming, huh," Jasmine sighed, turning her attention back to the babies. "Thank God we discussed this beforehand. You two are our gems, Elise and Damien."

Damien blinked as he realized something. 'Why do these names sound so familiar? Also, my… mother, her face is familiar.'

A horrible premonition arose in his heart as he shifted slightly and looked at his twin sister. Seeing her crimson-red hair, he cursed inwardly. 'I'll be damned. I actually reincarnated in World of Miracles.'

That wasn't the issue, as he could just enjoy the game he once loved. The problem was that Damien Wayne was supposed to die at the age of ten.

His sister was one of the key figures in the game, and his death was meant to provide her character development.

'That man… curse him! He not only killed me but also reincarnated me as her brother. Don't let me find you, bastard. I'll kill you!'