Final Eclipse: Rebirth of The Beta Player

—-

The battlefield was a storm of steel, fire, and death.

Thousands of players clashed, their weapons igniting the sky with bursts of magic. The Ruins of Elaris trembled under the weight of the war, siege weapons hurling flaming boulders into crumbling fortresses. Spells carved through the ranks, leaving devastation in their wake.

Oblivion's frontline warriors slammed into Dominion's heavily armored troops, locking into brutal melee combat. Black Sun's assassins darted through the battlefield, striking from the shadows, eliminating high-ranking officers before vanishing again.

And through it all, Raine fought like a ghost.

[Raine, slicing through an enemy]: "Too slow."

A Dominion warrior collapsed at his feet, their body dissolving into data.

Behind him, Kaiser, the leader of Oblivion, fought like a king on a battlefield. His greatsword cleaved through enemy ranks, his armor drenched in the blood-red glow of vanquished players.

[Kaiser, grinning]: "This is what I live for!"

[Lyra, breathing hard]: "You're enjoying this too much."

[Kaiser, laughing]: "Why wouldn't I? This is our last fight before the reset. Might as well make it legendary."

But Raine wasn't laughing. He wasn't smiling.

Because something was wrong.

Players were still not respawning.

Oblivion's main forces pushed forward, driving Black Sun back toward the Cathedral of Ash. But just as they reached the ruined structure, a system alert flashed across everyone's interface.

[SYSTEM]: ERROR. LOGOUT FUNCTION UNAVAILABLE.

For a moment, time seemed to freeze.

[Lyra, confused]: "Wait… what?"

[Raine, frowning]: "What the hell does that mean?"

A wave of unease spread across the battlefield. Some players immediately opened their menus, their hands shaking as they attempted to press the Log Out button.

Nothing happened.

[Panic spread through the battlefield.]

[Oblivion Warrior, shouting]: "I CAN'T LOG OUT!"

[Black Sun Mage, panicked]: "Is this a bug?!"

[Dominion Archer, fear in their voice]: "This… this has to be a glitch, right?"

But deep in his gut, Raine knew the truth.

This wasn't a glitch. This wasn't a bug.

Something was very wrong with Final Eclipse.

Amidst the rising panic, a battle cry tore through the battlefield.

A towering figure in obsidian-black armor surged forward, wielding a massive battle-axe that crackled with dark energy.

Voss, the Warlord of Black Sun.

One of the highest-ranked players in Final Eclipse. A monster in PvP combat.

[Voss, roaring]: "OBLIVION! YOUR REIGN ENDS HERE!"

[Kaiser, grinning]: "Oh? Finally, a real challenge."

Raine moved before Kaiser could.

[Raine, stepping forward]: "I'll handle this one."

Voss's eyes gleamed.

[Voss, laughing]: "So the Phantom Reaper finally steps onto the main stage?"

Without another word, Voss swung his axe, a shockwave erupting from the sheer force. Raine dodged at the last second, flipping backward as the impact shattered the ground where he once stood.

[Lyra, worried]: "Raine, be careful! He's not just some raid boss!"

[Raine, tightening his grip]: "I know."

The duel was fast. Brutal.

Voss was a tank, his armor absorbing ridiculous amounts of damage. But Raine wasn't aiming for his armor. He was aiming for his movements.

Every swing of Voss's axe left an opening.

And Raine took every single one.

A step. A dodge. A precise counter.

His blade pierced through Voss's chest, landing a critical strike.

[Voss, eyes widening]: "No… way…"

His body shattered into pixels.

And just like that, Black Sun's greatest commander was gone.

But he didn't respawn.

No announcement of his revival. No reappearance at his guild's base.

Just… gone.

[Kaiser, finally serious]: "Okay. Now I'm starting to think this isn't a normal war."

Then, the sky darkened.

A low, mechanical hum echoed across the battlefield.

And a new system message appeared.

[SYSTEM]: ATTENTION ALL PLAYERS. A CRITICAL EVENT HAS BEEN ACTIVATED. TERMINATION PROTOCOLS ARE NOW IN EFFECT.

[Kaiser, eyes narrowing]: "Termination… protocols?"

[Raine, voice cold]: "This isn't just a game anymore."

Then, the first scream tore through the battlefield.

Lyra's scream.

Raine turned just in time to see a black spear pierce through Lyra's chest.

Blood—realistic, too realistic—splattered against the ground.

She collapsed. Her body flickered—her avatar distorting, glitching. But she didn't respawn.

Instead, her form began to dissolve, consumed by glowing red lines of data.

She looked at Raine one last time.

[Lyra, whispering]: "This… wasn't supposed to happen…"

Then she vanished.

Not like a normal death.

Not like a normal player.

She was just… gone.

And for the first time in his life, Raine felt something close to fear.

The battlefield fell silent.

Everyone had seen it.

Everyone had felt it.

This wasn't a normal war. This wasn't just a game anymore.

Something far worse was happening in Final Eclipse.

[Raine, voice deadly]: "No second chances, huh?"

[Kaiser, gripping his sword]: "Then we better make damn sure we win."