"AH NO! THE FUCK GOT STUCK AGAIN!"
Looking at the screen Simon watched the scene of a man standing in a graveyard with a huge army swarming around him.
In response the man slowly drew the sword from its sheath to engage in an epic heart-pumping way only for the game to crash at that exact moment.
"Damn you!" he cursed throwing the controller.
BANG!
The game controller slammed against the wall breaking into pieces.
"I was high on adrenaline only to be blue-balled by this sick-ass game... AH!" he roared grabbing his hair.
"SIMMMON!"
A desolate cry of pure anguish came from beyond the wall beside him.
"Come on man. It’s goddamn three o’clock... For fuck’s sake...I need some sleep. I need to fight at the frontline. I am not someone like me who can go a night without sleeping so please sleep and let me sleep too."
His neighbour screamed back in frustration.
"I want to sleep too but this fucking game keeps getting stuck in the same place."
"It wouldn’t have happened if you had just listened to my suggestion and bought the original copy of the game instead of pirating it."
"I am not rich you bitch!" Simon slammed his hand again and looked at the clock.
"It will take months of saving to get my hands on this world-famous game and I even need a PlayStation X9 to play it so how the fuck can I afford it?"
"I am not fucking rich."
"That’s your fault for being naive and getting outdone by those asshole."
BANG!
"Fuck! Stop making me remember."
A loud slam echoed from the other side of the wall.
"Stop cursing in the middle of the night...You foul-mouthed bastard or someone might just rip that mouth of yours off."
"Just sleep and let me sleep."
"Good night!"
Simon looked at the thin layer of wall and sighed.
It was really late. Just when things were getting interesting and he finally found a breakthrough in the route the game got stuck.
Staring at the frozen screen he really wanted to punch it but he controlled his anger. After all he couldn’t buy the computer again.
Every damned thing had become so expensive since the apocalypse began.
Sighing he got up to fill his grumbling stomach.
Passing by the table he paused at a cabinet that shone reflecting the fluorescent light of the broken bulb.
Inside the cabinet was stuffed with messily arranged cups and prizes with various titles.
[The Protector Of Humanity]
[Lord of Millions]
Alongside the names were several awards and honors. Instead of happiness a hint of disgust welled up in his heart.
What good would all of this do when he wasn’t able to protect a single person he cared about? From his family to his friends all had turned to dust when he walked down the path of the Overlord.
Power to step into heaven yet he wasn’t able to preserve the moments that made one’s heart beat.
Bullshit... Everything was just utter bullshit.
To make it worse he was even outdone by some petty politicians and forced to live like a vagrant. Just because he refused to become a puppet of the propaganda he was reduced to rags.
He wanted to get rid of them and break these pieces of garbage apart but he couldn’t because he was controlled and for now he just wanted peace.
He already had enough.
Ignoring them he stepped into the kitchen to find something to satiate his hunger.
Opening the fridge all he found were leftover eggshells and rotten vegetables emitting a pungent smell.
"Another hungry night..." He paused noticing a small bottle of booze.
Grabbing it he took a sip and groaned feeling refreshed but stopped when he saw the label.
It had already expired last month.
He looked at it a few times but then shrugged his shoulders.
"A month’s difference won’t do any significant damage right? Even poison can’t harm me so what can this minor booze do to me?"
Drinking the bottle he stumbled inside too exhausted to do anything and collapsed onto the bed.
Maybe it was the effect of the beer or maybe it was just fatigue from playing games all day but as soon as he closed his eyes fragmented memories flickered in his mind.
Blurry and distorted images like a broken screen recording played in his head.
Faces moments places and things he hadn’t thought about in years resurfaced growing clearer with each passing second. It was as if he was watching his entire life unfold from an outsider’s perspective.
The loss of his parents watching his sister get torn apart by a large monster watching his friends get decimated and then getting addicted to games to cope with the pain and grief.
From the moment of his birth to the present day his entire existence replayed before his eyes. Some memories he had long forgotten yet now they appeared with unnerving clarity.
A shiver ran down his spine.
Wasn’t this something that happens right before death?
He had heard stories about people recalling their lives just before they passed away.
"That’s ridiculous," he muttered internally.
"I just drank beer that expired a month ago. No way I’m dying from that... right? It’s not like it was fake or something."
"No way..no way!"
Then a terrifying thought struck him. His pupils dilated as a terrifying memory hit him.
’Wait! I didn’t clear my browser history.’
His innocence and his years of reputation. All of it would go to waste if someone discover it and reveal it to public.
The wailing resumed louder and was more miserable than before.
As if in response to his thoughts the world around him shrank and darkness crept in from the edges of his vision.
There was no sense of time nor up or down. The only sensation he was going through was of rushing forward through an endless abyss.
Then abruptly a flash of light descended upon him.
Shock jolted through him. Was he waking up?
He tried to move to see what was happening but found himself completely immobile. All he could do was watch as the flash of light grew closer.
The boundless darkness around him began to fade.
Soon the flash of light engulfed him. What came next was another layer of darkness.
Wait a minute.
Something felt different this time.
He wasn’t able to point it out but as moments passed he felt a searing pain accompanied by a burning sensation.
It hurt.
The sensation was like getting strangled in the midst of a hot desert.
Huh? That’s weird.
Slowly he could sense the vague outline of a human body and along with that came the sensation of being human.
After gathering his thoughts he finally understood the source of the pain. It was his neck that was hurting like hell.
His eyelids fluttered for a few moments before opening wide.
Swoosh!
An entirely new world of luxury greeted him.
A huge room enclosed by rustic paintings elegant furniture luxurious attire and walls that seemed to be decorated with gold flashed before his eyes.
The display of wealth blinded his vision momentarily when he noticed something weird amidst it all.
Why was his viewpoint so high?
Thinking this he looked down at the pristine polished tiles that reflected the blurry sight of a person hanging from the chandelier suspended by a bloodied rope.
It took him a moment to gather his thoughts and as he did he screamed.
"THE FKKKKKK!"