I Am the God of Games

To Vlad, Father of Nightstalkers, humans were creatures that suddenly appeared upon the world and, like ants, were so insignificant that they deserved not even the slightest of attention.

In fact, in the past era, they were nothing but food for Nightstalkers and low-grade food at that-something which a prestigious Nightstalker wouldn’t eat.

True, they never surrender and always gave their all in their quest to survive, weathering one apocalypse after another and even outlived the Nightstalkers themselves. Indeed, Vlad was actually in awe of their sheer tenacity that kept them alive unto this era.

But like how humans would admit that cockroaches were stubbornly resilient but would never regard the bugs as a thread, Vlad’s opinion of humans were that they are weeds, difficult to uproot but always multiplying rapidly even though there was nothing else virtuous about them.

And that perspective hasn’t changed even now, after his revival.

With that thought, the Nightstalker promptly unleashed a red gust that blew every Player coming at him off their feet.

“Fools. It must have been too long since the fall of the Nightstalkers that you vermin had forgotten the horrors that we are! None of you seem to understand the difference between my kind and your pathetic species-do you think you could do anything you want just because you have the numbers?” He growled in disdain, watching as the Players tried to get back on their feet while spreading the crystallized blood joints behind him and slowly floated into the air.

Meanwhile, the blood clouds in the skies thickened as he moved, and were no longer motionless. They flowed as if some enormous being was swimming within, with purple lightning bolts colliding and dancing in between, cracking in air-piercing rumbles audible even on the ground.

The air itself seemed to become stale. Edward, who barely escaped with his life felt his body hair standing on end-it was not goosebumps or a chill, but something resembling static electricity, which was actually causing his hair to lift slightly.

As thunder rumbled, blood cloud churned and the Nightstalker slowly rose to the air, it felt as if he was a world-ending demon king.

He then looked down upon the stunned faces of the Players from above, and continued speaking without a hint of emotion on his face.

“Well, you shall experience despair… Ack!”

The weather was clearly shifting and his charisma overflowing—the perfect debut of a superboss, declaring the moment of his return to the world.

It was a sight only seen in climaxes or when the game was about to end in any electronic game back on Earth, a CG cutscene so amazing that anyone would think that the studio had burnt out its budget.

And yet, just as the Nightstalker was about to conclude his grandstanding, one particular Tide Caller Player who was feeling an itch casted a Frost Tide and smashed it in his face, handily interrupting the Nightstalker.

Because it had happened out of the blue, every other Player turned by reflex towards the one who casted the skill even before they realized what happened.

Bewildered, he scratched his head and said, “Well… I did recover some mana and it felt like he’s going to yap on for a long time… SO…”

Back on Earth, it was equivalent to a player who always skips every story cutscene.

That being said, his skill didn’t inflict to much damage on the Nightstalker since Frost Tide was a low-level skill learnt soon after a Mage changed class to Tide Caller. Still, having his face sprayed full of whiteness left Vlad in overwhelming embarrassment.

It was no different from cockroaches occupying your kitchen and then a sign on the door that read ‘no entry for humans or dogs’, and so Vlad, who had patiently conned the whole Mountain Tiger tribe was now uncharacteristically infuriated.

As his face contorted, the frost covering it broke and crumbled, revealing the ferocious visage underneath.

“I’m not showing mercy even if you beg now! Die!”

Even before he finished, thick bolts of purple-red thunder struck out like spears of malevolence from the blood clouds, piercing heaven and earth just to strike the Player who had mocked him directly.

Despite being prepared, he couldn’t fully block the thunderous blow and was instantly blown into a million different pieces.

“Clerics! Revive that idiot, quick!” Another Player shouted. “He is going to be the best tank we have now! As long as he’s still alive, the Boss’s hate would never turn to us!”

“Tsk!” The Cleric beside him merely gave that Player a middle-finger for his suggestion. “He’s all over the place.”

“Sweeping up and gathering his ashes might work.” Another Player suggested.

And that was when a gust kicked up, blowing away the Player’s ashes into the wind…

Then, more purple-red bolts descended from the skies.

Even if the Players tried to evade them, the bolts seemed to arc towards them. Moreover, those bolts wouldn’t reach for other players even if they were closer, but would always stay on the targeted Players they locked on to earlier!

Fortunately, Clerics and Holy Lancers who took on defensive routes had preemptively shielded those Players, and so prevented them from being blown into ashes as well.

Be that as it may, the ones struck were left staggered, their whole body getting numb and shaking—they were out of the battle for now.

“Your hairs would stand up when the bolts are targeting you!” Edward’s sharp eyes immediately picked up on the key. “Shields up! Everyone else, attack that Boss!”

Then, he muttered to himself. “But this is not going to work, we need something to shoot down that motherf*cker with… What’s the long-range skill with the highest damage right amongst all Player classes right now?”

“If we don’t count Eleena or Princess Leah, it’s going to be the Holy Lancers’ Third Seal Release: Range of Truth.”

Gou Dan, who was always writing gossip in his news posts had gathered a bunch of random information which finally proved useful now. “Even if the Holy Lancer is ten levels lower than you, give him time to release his seal, aim and charge, he would deal even more damage than you with your Black Dragon Hellfire… of course, that is only if you’re not using Happy Flames.”

“Ok, I get the idea.” Edward nodded. “And from the look of those two thunderstrikes, that thing can’t move when he fires those bolts…”

“After that, Eleena and I will get his attention since we are stronger than most, so it’s easier for us to make him turn to us,” Edward said, swiftly putting the last touches to his plan. “You and Joe should hurry up with other Players-provide cover as best as you all could for the Holy Lancers even if the Boss releases a third barrage of thunderbolts. The fourth barrage is your signal to attack, so knock him down from the skies in one go!”