"My comrades, today we shall place our trust in the grand regent and claim victory yet again!" A feminine voice roars out; a woman clad in shining silver armor stood tall amongst the group of militants.
She raises her sword with a 2-wing insignia embedded into the hilt triumphantly; the flag of a silver lion flutters against the wind as the army marches forward.
Tens of thousands of men raise their arms as they charge into the battlefield. The battleground is riddled with corpses; hundreds of bodies lie on the cold barren land.
The sound of steel digging through flesh mixed with the scream of agony floods the battlefield.
Swarms of colossal monsters rush the fortress. Hulking giant golems rolled down the hill at starling speed, blitzing towards the fortress gates. The colossal golem crushed dozens of soldiers and smaller monsters in its path, pulvarizing everything in its way.
Over towards the east forest, hordes of flying demons quickly close the distance—the west gate is also overwhelmed by the sheer amount of arachnid monsters.
Standing atop the obsidian spire stood a man dressed in a dapper black suit and a large overcoat. Like a general, he stood tall with his arms crossed; his looks made him appear younger than his actual age. A wide, bone-chilling smile rests on his face as he stares into the battlefield.
He reaches his right hand out and points at an empty space in the air; suddenly a game window appears before him.
====================================
[PLAYER ACCOUNT PROFILE]
====================================
Username: Logan Winters
World: Tartarus
[PLAYER ACCOUNT PROFILE & METRICS]
- Global Account Standing: #9 / 42,500,000+ Active Players
- Active Stage: Wave #91 (The Legion Invasion)
- Bastion Population Count: 1,420,500 / 1,500,000
- Main Wall Structural Integrity: 67%
[DEPLOYED MAIN ARMY COMPOSITION]
- Deployed Units: 142,500 units
- Standby High-Tier Command Roster:
└─ [8★ Hero] War Empress Brynhildr (Level Max)
└─ [8★ Hero] Archmage Alastor (Level Max)
└─ [8★ Hero] Shadow Sovereign Kael (Level Max)
└─ [8★ Hero] Holy Arbiter Elena (Level Max)
└─ [8★ Hero] Sword Master Knox (Level Max)
[BASTION INFRASTRUCTURE & FACILITY LEVELS]
- Command Center: Level 9 (Max) - All Function Unlocked
- Holy Spirit Cannon: Level 9 (Max) - Additional Holy Damage
- Lord’s Keep (Barracks): Level 9 (Max) - Max Capacity Multiplier
- Royal Training Grounds: Level 8 - Advanced Skill Tree Unlocked
- Grand Arsenal (Blacksmith): Level 9 (Max) - Mythic Crafting
- Imperial Granary (Canteen): Level 8 - High-Tier Morale Dining
- Deep Vaults (Storage): Level 9 (Max) - Resource Hoarding Mode
====================================
After taking a quick look at the state of the fortress, he moved his hands around, deploying troops and redirecting attacks. His movement was precise and rhythmic, almost like playing a complex piano piece.
The horde of flying demons was met with a barrage of holy cannon fire that melted through them like butter. The swarm of spiders met its end at the mercy of the archmage’s flame.
The rolling golem was the biggest problem; these golems have abnormally high resistance to physical and magical attacks when they are curled up.
The method most players use to deal with golems is to throw fodder at the golems to slow them down, putting 1-star heroes to block the way until the golem exits its shell.
But standing before the humongous boulder stood a single boy. He dresses very simple with nothing notable other than this very beautifully decorated sword scabbard.
The boy is eerily calm; even when the golem draws near, he refuses to draw his blade. He simply gestured the motion of swinging a sword with his hand, and the golem stopped dead in its tracks.
Despite the hulking frame as well as the sturdy exterior, the golem was sliced in half with little to no resistance. It wasn’t just that single golem; the remaining swarm of them fell in quick succession from that single strike.
"Commander, is my job finished? Can I head back now?" The boy looks at Logan, who sits atop the fortress. His eyes revealing a heart-melting innocence, none could have guessed he was the person who single-handedly slayed all those monsters.
"You did a fine job, Knox. It appears that the first wave of this stage is complete. We’ll have a few days to prepare for the next one." Logan complimented, his eyes still locked onto the game panel, analyzing the battlefield state.
"Everybody, return to the fortress; we will begin preparation for the next wave." Finishing his sentence, he pointed at the game window and pressed [Log Out].
Stepping out of the "Dive Pod," Logan stretches his arms, making some popping sounds as he stretches his back.
"It’s already 7:00pm!! Not again..." Grabbing his car keys, Logan sprinted towards the door. The dive pod lights turn on, and a progress bar flashes outside the pod.
[Initializing Challenger Mode]
. . .
[Downloading Additional Content]
Outside the school’s gate, a young girl barely in her teens sat alone under the lamp post. The sky was already dark, and the rest of the students had already returned home; even the security guard was dozing off while on duty.
"I’m so sorry I’m late, Bella. I promise this won’t happen again." Logan ran over to his sister, pulling her in for a hug.
"I waited for 3 whole hours!" Bella yelled out, her face swollen red with a mixture of anger and relief.
"Were you playing that stupid game again? I told you that you should keep an eye on the clock when you’re playing. I get that you’re taking care of the bills, but you can’t just leave me here waiting till the sky gets dark."
"I’m sorry; I promise this will be the last time that I’m late." Logan raised his pinky finger, gesturing his promise.
Hmph! Bella turns her head away, pouting.
"You’re the worst! You’re the worst!" Her eyes started to swell up, and she was moments away from breaking into tears.
"Oh cmon, don’t be like that. How about this? We’ll get your favorite food before we head back."
"Really! Then we’re eating at Bobo’s Burgers!" Bella turned around; her mood shifted drastically. A beaming smile replaces the sad look.
"Yes, and you can order as much food as you want." Logan reaffirms her, relieved that she is not going to make a scene in public.
Holding his little sister’s hand as they walk under the night light brings him a sense of comfort that is hard to put to words. Just a few minutes away is their favorite burger joint, the same place that their parents used to bring the pair to dine every weekend.
"I will have 2 double cheeseburgers and 1 large fries." Bella started ordering food; Logan’s eyes widened at her order.
"Are you ordering for me as well? That’s nice of..." Before Logan could finish his sentence, Bella quickly cut him off.
"What do you mean? This is for me. You can order for yourself." She turns back at the counter, adding a few more items to her order.
"You eat like a pig." Logan snickered in a playful tone.
"What did you just call me!?" Her eyes flared up, and her tone shifted from a cute high school girl to a bloodthirsty gangster.
"I mean... you must be very hungry from all the waiting. Eat up, eat up!" Logan quickly changed the topic, narrowly avoiding his sister’s rage.
With a mountain of food by their side, Bella quickly chomped down onto the burgers, devouring the food like she had been starved for days.
"Slow down; the food is not running anywhere... How was school today? Are your friends nicer to you?" Logan asked.
"Like usual." Bella gave a cold and short response.
"They call me names, throw things at me, tease me, and say that I have no parents and that my brother always leaves me waiting until the late night hours." Her voice sank; her eyes started to tear up again.
Logan sat there, his arms crossed, lost in his own thought. "Let’s just finish eating first, and tomorrow we will come to school together and resolve this issue once and for all." Giving her a wide smile and a reassuring thumbs-up.
Logan Winters (27 years old) and Bella Winters (17 years old) grew up in a simple, cozy home. They were far from rich, but the family of 4 was happy and content with what they had. Unfortunately, due to a freak accident 5 years prior, their parents were taken away from the pair, turning them into orphans.
Not having any close relatives that they can rely on, Logan Winters had to skip school to pay the bills. After being dishonorably discharged, Logan stumbled across "The Last Bastion," the popular VR full-dive tactical RPG game. Logan was able to gain popularity and rise through the ranks, becoming one of the top players and earning enough to live a comfortable life.
The ride home was quiet; the sound of the raindrops bouncing against the window drowns out the words that Logan wanted to say to comfort his sister.
"Do you want to watch a movie before going to sleep?" Logan suggested, waving the remote in the air and urging Bella to join him.
"I’m tired; maybe not tonight."
"Oh... then do you want to..." Before he could finish, Bella cut him off, replying with a single word.
"Goodnight." Her words were quiet, as faint as a gust of wind brushing past his ears. The door shuts behind her, leaving him standing alone.
Before he could fully process his feelings, Logan’s phone buzzed.
[Download Complete!]
Entering his bedroom, Logan sees the bright blue light shining from the Dive Pod.
"Strange, I remembered shutting down the power while I was out." He was confused, but he didn’t dwell on it for long. He opened the pod and sat inside.
. . .
[Entering Full Dive]
[Entering The Last Bastion]
[You have downloaded the new content pack. Would you like to enable it?]
"Yes, yes, hurry up; I just want to get into the game."
[Would you like to read the terms and conditions?]
"Scroll. Scroll. Skip."
[Do you agree with the terms and conditions?]
"Yes. Finally."
====================================
[Locating New World]
"Huh?"
[Creating New Character]
"Wait, what?"
[Difficulty Analysis: S+]
"Hello? Cancel! Exit!"
. . .
"Phew... thank the heavens. What was that?" Logan stands in an empty white space; the space seemingly stretches endlessly. Suddenly red notice boards flash all around him and cover the whole space.
[ERROR!]
[ERROR!]
[ERROR!]
[Sending #21@34%& to Evergarden.]
[Difficulty Estimation SS+]