The kings Avater

The group followed CyberDiva's lead through the scorching dunes, descending into the shadowy depths of the dungeon's entrance. As soon as they crossed the boundary and the system confirmed their arrival, a triumphant chime echoed in their headsets.

"Yes!" several voices shouted at once, pure excitement rippling through the team.

"Okay, I must admit," PhantomX chimed in, his voice cracking slightly with laughter, "that was awesome, CyberDiva."

Chan Guo grinned, her shoulders squaring proudly as if she'd just conquered a real-life battlefield. "I mean, c'mon," she said with a smug smile, "I told you guys—I was in full beast mode this time."

Ye Qiu, sitting beside her in silence, merely glanced her way and shook his head slowly. How could she just take credit so easily? he thought, mildly amused. Of course, he didn't expect a thank-you—but the audacity still cracked him up a little.

"Who knew one day we'd finally clear this cursed stage?" said Midnight, laughing under his breath. "It almost took our souls the last time."

"Right?" Stormchaser agreed with an audible shudder. "Literal PTSD, man."

All voices agreed, except for Chan Guo—who suddenly frowned as the dots started to connect.

"Wait... so you guys called me in to lead this mission because you almost died here last time?" she asked slowly, narrowing her eyes. "So I was just... the sacrificial lamb?"

A brief, awkward pause passed through the comms.

"What, you thought we'd give you an easy trial?" 7thsense9 replied flatly.

There was another beat of silence.

"Fair enough," she muttered after a moment, nodding slightly. Everyone exhaled at once, glad she didn't launch into one of her signature outbursts.

"Alright, guys," Midnight picked up again, getting back on track. "Let's search the dungeon for the hidden boss. He's supposed to be deeper in."

"Shouldn't we, like… wait to refill our life tanks first?" Skull asked nervously. "I mean—it's not like we can use health packs, remember? Below level 50, we're stuck with manual regen."

"Facts," Stormchaser agreed, already parking his avatar in the shadow of a large, cracked boulder. The others followed suit, settling in a loose circle.

As they waited, a slight hush fell over the team—nothing but the ambient hum of the dungeon playing in the background: distant water drips, faint monster screeches echoing from unseen chambers, and the low growl of wind through jagged tunnels.

Ye Qiu leaned back slightly, glancing around the screen. The dungeon looked familiar to him, but like a memory from a different lifetime—its corridors, once memorized by muscle and habit, now just echoes of what used to be second nature. He'd played here back when he was still Everstay, back when each move mattered, and each fight was everything.

He blinked back to the present. Sitting beside Chan Guo, watching her bask in her stolen credit, he had to admit—she had guts. And if nothing else, her pride made for entertaining gameplay.

"Cyb," PhantomX's voice buzzed in again, "next time, don't wait for the last second to show off. I nearly peed myself when you activated that Cyphyt move earlier."

"I told you guys," she said, shrugging. "When I go in, I go in."

Ye Qiu stifled a smirk. Unbelievable.

The members waited for what felt like forever—nearly forty-five minutes—parked just outside the dungeon's core.

Skull, 7thsense9, PhantomX, and Midnight passed the time chatting about past raids, ridiculous glitches, and conspiracy theories about unreleased game features. The laughter occasionally echoed through the team's voice channel, keeping the mood alive.

Chan Guo, however, said nothing. She leaned back silently in her chair, her face still mildly tense, fingers twitching occasionally on the mouse.

Ye Qiu had tuned them all out. Slouched low in his chair, he shut his eyes and let the game sounds fade into background noise. The faint static of the headset, the idle music of the dungeon, the quiet breathing of the real world—soon it all blended.

Then he drifted off.

Ye Qiu found himself back in the Green Forest. But this wasn't the desert side with harsh winds and trickery. No, this was the camouflage illusion—the peaceful forest illusion that lured under-leveled players to their doom.

He wasn't Everstay. He was just Ye Qiu, alone, unprepared.

He ran.

Through mist-covered trees and towering vines, he bolted through the forest, the thudding footsteps of something monstrous right behind him. His old weapon—Everstay's blade—was in his hand, but it felt heavy, awkward. His movements were sluggish, uncoordinated. Like muscle memory had been erased.

Panicked, he turned—and suddenly realized he was surrounded.

Hixers.

They slithered and snapped, faster than he remembered. One lunged. He raised his sword but his body refused to respond. A claw slashed his cheek, knocking the weapon from his hand.

He stumbled back—terrified.

But before the hixer could finish him off, the ground cracked open beneath his feet. He dropped like a stone into a dark cavern. His body slammed into a rocky wall on the way down. Pain exploded in his skull, vision swimming. Everything blurred.

Then—a silhouette appeared.

A female figure, stepping calmly through the shadows.

He blinked. Pink hair. Slim figure. Familiar costume.

Somi?

The figure knelt beside him. He could barely keep his eyes open.

Only—when his vision focused, it wasn't Somi.

It was Stacy.

Stacy, dressed in Somi's costume.

"What the..." he muttered weakly. His mind couldn't process it.

Stacy reached forward and tilted his chin upward.

"Cyb," she said.

But the voice was wrong.

A deep man's voice.

"Cyber... Cyber. Are you still there? Chan Guo..."

Ye Qiu jolted awake.

Still slightly dazed, he looked to his right—where the voice had come from. There, leaning softly on his shoulder, was Chan Guo, fast asleep. Her breathing was steady. Her head lightly rested against him like it had been there for a while.

He blinked, his heart oddly tense.

In his headset, her teammates' voices were calling.

"Cyber? Cyber, you good?"

"Cyb? Oi, you still with us?"

Ye Qiu's mind raced. He couldn't exactly respond for her. He stared at her head leaning into him—unsure what to do.

Then, from somewhere deep in the dungeon, a low growl echoed. The unmistakable rumble of a monster preparing to emerge.

"Alert!" Midnight's voice snapped back into command mode. "Everyone, on your feet. Eyes open!"

The whole team sprang into action.

Everyone—except CyberDiva.

Ye Qiu hesitated just a second longer.

Then, with a deep breath, he gently lifted Chan Guo's head from his shoulder and rested it carefully on the table beside the keyboard. Quietly, he took off his jacket and draped it around her shoulders like a blanket.