Sadam_Khatri

Synopsis:

If a game starts controlling you, can you survive?

Aryan Verma, a pro eSports gamer, is the undisputed champion of the world's best VR MMORPG game, "Overlord’s Arena." But one day, he receives a mysterious VR headset from an unknown company. Out of curiosity, he wears it, and the game begins… literally!

But there's a twist:

 Game Over = Real Death!

 Quests must be completed, or the System will eliminate him!

 NPCs aren’t just codes; they think like real humans!

Real-world Impact – Every action in the game affects reality!

Player One: Last Chance

Chapter 18: The System's Fate

The digital world was crumbling. Cracks spread through the sky, data fragments raining down like shards of broken glass. The entire game was on the brink of collapse.

Aryan's fingers clenched around his sword as he turned to his team. "Shira, what's our status?"

Shira frantically typed on her console, her face illuminated by the cascading lines of code. "I've found the mainframe's core! There's an emergency escape function, but it requires an access key!"

Nyx narrowed her eyes. "And let me guess… we don't have it?"

Kaine groaned, pressing a hand against his wounded ribs. "You're telling me we just killed the Overlord, and we're still trapped?"

A deep voice rumbled through the collapsing world. "You think you've won?"

The shadows around them twisted, coalescing into a monstrous figure. It was the Overlord—no, something beyond him. His fragmented data was reforming into a new, even more chaotic entity. The System itself had taken control.

[SYSTEM ERROR: ENTITY REBIRTH IN PROGRESS]

Aryan gritted his teeth. "Damn it. He's not gone yet."

The monstrous form loomed over them, its digital tendrils stretching in every direction. "You cannot escape. The System does not allow loose ends."

Shira's eyes widened in horror. "The System… it's rewriting itself. If it finishes, we'll be permanently erased!"

Aryan's grip tightened on his sword. "Then we don't let it finish."

The Final Countdown

The ground beneath them shook violently. Aryan exchanged a glance with his teammates. There was no time to hesitate.

"Nyx, Kaine—cover me. Shira, keep working on that override," Aryan commanded.

Nyx smirked, flipping her dagger in her hand. "You got it."

Kaine cracked his knuckles despite his pain. "One last fight? Let's make it count."

The System-Overlord hybrid let out an inhuman screech and launched a barrage of energy beams. Nyx dodged with acrobatic precision, while Kaine met the attack head-on, using his remaining strength to shield Shira.

Aryan surged forward, his sword glowing with an intense, unstable energy. "SYSTEM SKILL: FINAL OBLIVION SLASH!"

He swung with all his might, the sheer force tearing through the System's corrupted form. The Overlord's scream echoed as his body flickered, destabilizing.

Shira suddenly gasped. "The access key! I've got it!"

Aryan shouted over the chaos. "Then use it! NOW!"

Shira pressed the final command. [SYSTEM OVERRIDE: EXECUTE EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN]

A blinding light engulfed them. The world around them shattered into raw data. Aryan felt a pulling sensation—like he was being ripped from the game itself.

The last thing he heard was the Overlord's fading voice. "You cannot escape me… I will return…."

Aryan's eyes snapped open. He gasped for breath, his body drenched in sweat. He was back—in his room, the VR headset still strapped to his head.

With shaking hands, he pulled it off, staring at the device in shock. It was smoking, the circuitry fried beyond repair.

A knock at his door made him jump. "Aryan?" It was Nyx's voice.

His heart stopped. Nyx was in the real world?!

He turned to see her standing there, along with Kaine and Shira. They had all escaped.

But before Aryan could say a word, his computer screen flickered to life.

[NEW GAME UPDATE AVAILABLE: SYSTEM REBOOT]

To Be Continued…

🔥 [End of Volume 1!] 🔥

Chapter 18: The System’s Fate