LOAD GAME: The Villian’s Second Chance

The roar of the crowd filled the stadium, though no one was actually there. The holographic banners flickered with golden light, flashing the same name again and again:

VICTORY: PLAYER NAME - ZEROKILL

In his chair, surrounded by glowing monitors and the stale scent of energy drinks, Alex Shin let out a long, shaky breath. He slowly removed his headset, eyes wide with disbelief.

He had done it.

The final kill.

The last hit in the Global Finals of Kingdom War Online.

"ZeroKill! ZeroKill! ZeroKill!"

The livestream chat was going insane. Emojis, confetti animations, donation alerts—it was all flooding across the screen. His team’s Discord exploded with screams and voice lines overlapping.

"Dude! You clutched it! That was insane!"

Alex leaned back in his gaming chair and laughed, adrenaline still rushing through his veins. He rubbed his face and looked over at the trophy case he’d kept empty for five years. Finally, he could fill it.

"I'm gonna sleep for a month," he muttered to himself.

The door to his apartment creaked open. His roommate stuck his head in, grinning like a maniac.

"You did it, didn't you?!" Jackson yelled. "Bro, I heard the whole match through the wall. I thought the building was gonna catch fire!"

Alex spun around, still smiling. "Dude, I wiped the entire hero team with one HP left. I had nothing. One hit would've killed me."

Jackson burst out laughing. "And you still pulled off the Virex combo?"

"Yeah, man. The forbidden strat. Boss combo. Who even plays final-boss builds in tournaments?"

"You. Because you're nuts."

Alex stood, stretched, and cracked his neck. His entire body ached. He hadn't slept properly in two days, hadn't eaten real food in four.

And it was all worth it.

He was the best player in the world. Again. For the third year running.

"Okay, I need air," he said. "If I stay in this chair another minute, I’ll turn into a crusty skeleton."

"Want me to heat up something? Got leftover pizza."

"Nah. Gonna walk outside. Clear my head. Let the victory sink in."

"Suit yourself. But come back before your fans blow up your front door. You're trending everywhere."

Alex grabbed his hoodie, pulled it over his head, and slipped into the cool night air. It was just past midnight. The city was quiet. He walked with his hands in his pockets, still hearing the echo of the match in his mind. That final moment, when he dodged the hero’s blade by a millisecond and countered with the Virex Wrath skill—it had felt almost… surreal.

Like the game had let him win.

He chuckled to himself.

"Man. I really need sleep."

He passed a vending machine, kicked it gently, and grabbed a cold can of black coffee. The hiss of the tab opening sounded loud in the silence. As he leaned against a lamppost and took a sip, his phone buzzed.

Unknown Number:

You shouldn't have used that move.

Alex stared at it, frowning.

He typed back.

Who is this?

Instantly, another message.

You broke the seal.

Before he could reply, the streetlights above him flickered.

Then one by one, they began to go out. Boom. Boom. Boom.

A gust of wind slammed into him, cold and sharp like a blade. His hoodie flapped behind him as a strange sound—almost like static—filled the air.

"What the hell—"

A shadow moved at the end of the street.

Not a person.

Not an animal.

Something… glitching.

He backed up instinctively, his heartbeat pounding now. The can of coffee slipped from his hand and rolled into the gutter.

The air shimmered.

Then, with no warning, a voice spoke.

Not from a person. From inside his head.

"Virex has chosen a vessel."

"What?" Alex whispered.

A searing pain tore through his skull. He screamed, dropped to his knees, clutching his head. His vision swirled, his chest tightened, and his lungs refused to breathe.

System Override Initiated.

Vital Sync in Progress.

Preparing Host Transfer...

"No! No, what the hell is this?!" he shouted.

And then… everything went white.

He woke to silence.

Not the silence of a city at night. Not the soft hum of a PC tower or the faint tick of a wall clock.

This was deeper. Older.

Like the world had been paused.

Alex opened his eyes and blinked.

Stone ceiling.

Carved runes. Glowing blue.

He sat up sharply.

His body felt strange. Too heavy. His limbs… longer? Muscles thicker?

He looked down—and froze.

What the hell was he wearing?

Black armor. Gold trim. A deep red cape. Gauntlets engraved with ancient script. His hands were massive. His skin pale.

And the sword leaning against the throne beside him—it was twelve feet long.

A voice echoed from nowhere and everywhere.

Welcome, Lord Virex.

"No… no no no," Alex said, standing up too fast. He stumbled. His boots clanked loudly on the obsidian floor.

He rushed to a mirror that stood against the wall.

And there he was.

Not Alex Shin.

Not ZeroKill.

Lord Virex.

The final boss of Kingdom War Online.

The endgame villain. The tyrant. The unkillable warlord meant to die at the end of every campaign.

Alex staggered back from the mirror.

"This has to be a dream," he muttered.

But it wasn’t.

He could feel the weight of his armor.

The heat of the torches.

The low thrum of power pulsing in his veins.

Another voice spoke—this one higher, female, and robotic.

System Initialization Complete.

You have entered the body of NPC: Lord Virex.

Final Boss Protocol Active.

Endgame Events Begin in 365 Days.

Alex stared at the floating interface in front of him.

It was like a system window from the game—but sharper, more vivid.

He swallowed.

"I'm supposed to die in 365 days," he whispered.

The system confirmed with a soft chime.

Correct. You are now the central antagonist of Kingdom War Online. You will be hunted by all factions. If defeated, you will cease to exist permanently.

Alex’s knees buckled, and he sank onto the throne.

This wasn’t a second chance.

It was a death sentence.

He had become the villain in his favorite game.

And everyone was coming for his head.

But as he sat there, breathing heavily, something shifted.

That same screen pulsed again.

Exception Detected: Former Player Data Located.

Skill Trees Unlocked.

Secret Knowledge: 100% Retained.

Alex blinked.

Wait…

He still had his player memory.

He still remembered all the cheats, the builds, the hidden quests, the future war triggers.

A spark lit in his chest.

Maybe this wasn’t just a curse.

Maybe this was a chance.

If he knew what not to do…

If he avoided triggering the final battle…

If he made the right moves… rewrote the warpaths…

Maybe he didn’t have to die.

Maybe he could win.

Again.

He sat up straighter in the throne.

His eyes scanned the dark hall.

And then, the sound of footsteps echoed down the corridor.

Not just one set.

Several.

Coming fast.

Armored.

Weapons drawn.

The heavy doors at the end of the hall slammed open.

A dozen elite knights burst in.

Their swords gleamed.

Their eyes burned with hatred.

They dropped to their knees.

And the leader growled, voice venomous.

"Lord Virex… your betrayal ends tonight."

Alex stood slowly, his hand reaching for the massive sword beside the throne.

He didn’t know exactly what was about to happen—

But one thing was crystal clear.

This wasn’t a game anymore.

This was survival.

And someone wanted him dead.