Epilogue: Just One Question
"Can I ask just one thing?"
On an endlessly barren plain stretched a girl. Silver hair cascading to her waist, silver eyes that betrayed no emotion. Her slender frame looked as if it might snap under the slightest pressure, yet it embodied a perfect balance and harmony.
A demon pierced through the heart by the girl's sword asked in a flat, emotionless voice,
"Why... with such overwhelming power, didn't you kill me sooner?"
A flicker of surprise colored the girl's eyes, but it vanished in an instant. She murmured softly in a bored tone,
"Guess it's finally time to let you go."
"I see."
The demon let out a deflating sigh and surveyed the surroundings. Its black eyes took in the countless demon corpses littering the plain. There was no anger. Before such an overwhelming gap, all emotions felt powerless.
"In the end, the era of demons never came. Or perhaps it was a pipe dream from the start."
Countless demon bodies strewn as far as the eye could see.
"To think we'd be butchered so mercilessly by a single soul."
Tens of thousands of demons. An entire grand army laid waste by one lone girl. No resistance, no mighty power they prided themselves on—nothing mattered before her.
"I acknowledge you. Savior of humanity. The demons... surrender."
With those final words, the demon's body crumbled into white dust and scattered into the air. The corpses at her feet followed, dissolving one by one.
The girl watched it all indifferently.
Final Quest 'The End of a Long, Long Battle' has been cleared.
Peace descends upon Another World.
An unprecedented feat no one else had achieved. Yet Sisilia's face held no satisfaction. The messages filling her vision were nothing but an annoyance.
She closed the windows and lay on the ground, gazing at the sky.
"Still pretty, even after all this time. They really nailed the design."
The night sky was embroidered with countless stars. It was hard to believe this was virtual reality, not reality itself.
This was the world's first VR MMORPG, Another World. Revolutionary at launch, now a relic with barely 1,000 concurrent players. The devs had vowed to keep servers running until it was cleared, but everyone doubted it.
The clear condition is just too insane.
The most ferocious Demon God. Dozens of one-shot kills, insane health, endless patterns. In ten years, no player had ever succeeded in defeating it.
But now, Another World was cleared. By the undisputed rank-one player, Sisilia, and her alone.
It's a shame.
Truth be told, she'd had the specs to clear it years ago. The only reason she'd delayed until now was one thing.
In the end, I couldn't find them. A talented newbie.
She hadn't wanted to end it alone. She wished at least a few could witness this sight together.
But after years— no player had reached her level. Not even the mid-boss, the Demon King, had been cleared by anyone.
"If I'd done better, maybe I could've taken down the Demon God with a newbie."
Just a stale dream from a jaded vet with nothing left to do.
For nearly three years, Sisilia had wandered solely hunting for newbies. Even this dead game had them. But the clunky controls and brutal difficulty drove them all away.
But if she'd been kinder. Helped more decisively. Lent better gear...
It's all meaningless now.
Sisilia closed her eyes. It was all in the past. Like the years wasted, Another World's shutdown was inevitable.
But since this was the finale, she'd savor the afterglow as long as she could. Lying here idly, she'd wait for the shutdown notice. That would be her bedtime.
"Are you finally departing, hero?"
Startled by the sudden voice, Sisilia opened her eyes. She recognized the old man before her—an NPC from a major city quest.
"Why are you... here?"
Before she could puzzle it out, more NPCs appeared. People she'd helped in the past.
"Thank you so much for your help back then."
"I'll never forget the kindness that brought back my daughter's smile."
"Hero. You were our hope."
Sisilia froze for a moment. NPCs whose lives she'd touched, from her beginner days to recent quests. They were all gathered here.
"We've watched it all. Your battles through the years. Your countless struggles."
"Everyone else left, but you alone stayed steadfast, protecting this world."
The pattern's different.
Sisilia was certain. New script applied.
This was a cinematic the devs made just for her.
"Thanks. That's all I can say."
"Hero, are you leaving?"
"Don't abandon us. We still need you."
Color slowly returned to Sisilia's blank expression. A small smile soon followed.
They went this far. Thanks.
Children clinging to her arms. Fairies fluttering around. She stroked a child's head and looked at them one by one.
She remembered every single one. What quest it was, how it felt. All those memories lived here now.
"So this really is the end."
Sisilia held back her emotions and walked past them. Like flipping through a photo album, memories flashed by.
At the end of her path stood the being she'd first met upon logging in.
"Goddess."
The NPC from the character select screen, the Path of Light. The game's icon and story's origin.
"Stranger hero from a strange world."
Sisilia gazed at the goddess impassively. Is this what a real goddess feels like?
Even critics of Another World praised the goddess's quality. Now she understood why.
The goddess extended her hand, and a radiant gate of light appeared before her. As if blessing her return to reality.
"We will never forget your dedication."
As the queen spoke, everyone knelt on one knee in reverence.
"May you find peace in your own world as well."
Once I go through, I'll never see them again.
It was just a game. They were coded NPCs. She knew that.
But the pang in her chest was undeniable.
Sisilia bowed her head. Ten years. A decade in this game. Rushing home after school, tossing her bag, firing up the VR rig. On exam day, after failed interviews, in depression or joy—it was always with her.
Realizing she'd never touch the game that took half her life brought a tide of indescribable emotion.
It wasn't just a game to him—it was precious memories.
I wish they'd kept it.
She knew it was impossible. VR MMORPGs cost a fortune to run. Even as the first VR game, with billions in upkeep, it couldn't last.
"Player."
"...Yeah."
The goddess, with a faint smile, called to her. Sisilia snapped back.
"Thank you so much for playing all this time."
The goddess bowed deeply. The other NPCs froze as if time had stopped.
She realized too late. Ah, the goddess was the GM. No wonder the AI felt so sharp.
"No... thank you for going this far."
The GM smiled. "We had to. You stuck with our boring game to the end."
"It wasn't boring. This game was fun."
Sisilia felt bittersweet saying it. If it had been, there'd be no shutdown.
"A sequel to Another World is in the works."
"Oh, really? I'll definitely play."
Empty words. She had no time for games anymore. No longer a kid who could play freely after school. Those days were gone.
"That's why we'd love to select you as a tester."
It was awkward. She'd said it casually, but they took it seriously.
What now?
Saying yes then backing out felt rude. Especially after the special update for one player.
A little testing should be fine. Not full-time at a company.
After work, she could manage. An open beta VR game wouldn't demand too much.
"Sure. I'll do it."
"Thank you! Without you, we wouldn't know who to pick... No one else has this kind of proven track record."
"Ah, yeah."
She gave an awkward smile. Still, having her efforts acknowledged by the GM felt good.
"How shall we handle customization?"
"Ahem... uh... just like this, please."
Sisilia's cheeks flushed slightly. In reality, he was a guy—but in-game, a 'girl'.
The GM showed no reaction, just nodded with a soft smile.
"No other perks needed?"
"...Perks?"
"Oh, I didn't mention. It's open beta, but no character wipes. Meaning, hero, you'll keep playing normally."
Keep it as is? With just one tester?
She blinked. The devs weren't usually this generous. What was up?
"Of course, keep it secret from others."
"Ah, sure."
One player getting this would cause uproar. But since she had no plans to play post-launch anyway, she took it lightly.
"So, any perks you'd like..."
"No. Being able to play early is perk enough."
The GM seemed about to say more, but she cut in.
"Suits my style anyway."
"I see."
"Easy games aren't fun, right?"
Worried it'd seemed rude, she joked. Thankfully, the GM smiled back.
"True. My mistake. That way's more enjoyable for you."
"Yeah."
A brief awkward silence passed. To never forget this scene, Sisilia took one last mental screenshot of the beautiful vista.
"You made it so well. Probably the most beautiful sight of my life."
"...The words we wanted to hear most."
"You deserve them. No game company will ever go this far for a player again."
Sisilia smiled at the GM.
"Thank you."
"...!"
A tear glistened at the GM's eye. Her appearance stirred protective instincts, but remembering it might be a bearded old man inside soured it a bit.
"Well, I'll be off then. Log..."
As she tried to log out, the GM hurriedly said,
"Player! Instead of logging out, please go through that gate."
"Huh?"
"We... worked hard on it."
"Ah, okay."
What's this now? Curious but no big deal, she nodded.
"Then, may you fare well in that world too."
The goddess gazed at Sisilia, then stepped back and bowed deeply. The paused NPCs resumed moving.
"Hero! Remember us forever!"
"Stay healthy—!"
Reality's busy life awaited. She might never pour dozens of hours into gaming again.
But these memories would surely sustain her.
Short time, but I'll take testing seriously. After all this.
The gate's light enveloped her, growing brighter.
"Hero! Be happy in that world too!"
The NPCs' final voices echoed. She stepped through slowly, but resolutely.