NOVEL WEB Chapter 2: Epilogue: The End and the Beginning
The world was in flames. Ten years after the Cataclysm, Earth bore little resemblance to the home Bakr Kael once knew. Cities were ruins swallowed by forests from Evria, shadow creatures prowled the streets of Nyxoria's merged zones, and celestial light from Elyria's angels was a distant beacon of unattainable hope. Humanity fought tooth and nail for survival, fractured into warring factions, each guided by ambition, desperation, or the sinister influence of the Hegemons.
At the heart of it all was Bakr Kael, ShadowProphet, the former rogue-mage hybrid who had risen to unimaginable power. As CEO of NeoMiracles, the company responsible for the monetization and innovation of the MMORPG Legends of the Five Realms, he had wielded unparalleled resources. But even his foresight and strength had faltered before the greed of men.
The betrayal came swiftly. His trusted board of directors, once loyal allies, sought control of his empire. They aligned themselves with the Hegemons, sacrificing Bakr in exchange for power. On the battlefield, he was overwhelmed—a lone figure surrounded by an army of undead, his lifeblood seeping into the soil as the Necromancer Rogar Thorne mocked him from the shadows.
As his vision dimmed, Bakr's mind seethed with unspoken regrets.
"If only I had been prepared. If only I'd known..."
In his final moments, he stared into the heavens, vowing that if given another chance, he would reshape the course of the world—for himself, for humanity, and for the countless lives lost to the chaos.
Then, darkness claimed him.
A surge of light pierced through the void, followed by the suffocating weight of reality snapping back into place. Bakr's eyes flew open, his chest heaving as he gasped for air.
He was no longer a broken figure on a desolate battlefield. Instead, he sat in the luxurious office of NeoMiracles, sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked a bustling metropolis. The digital clock on his desk read April 10, 2032—two weeks before the Cataclysm.
The sheer impossibility of it staggered him. His hands trembled as he touched his face, his body—whole and unmarred by scars. Memories of the past ten years flooded his mind like a storm, each moment of triumph and pain sharpening his resolve.
"This is my second chance."
The World Before the Cataclysm
Earth in 2032 was a world teetering on the edge of a revolution it did not yet comprehend. The integration of Legends of the Five Realms into global culture had transformed society. The game was no longer just a pastime; it was an economy, a social network, and a status symbol. Corporations, governments, and even militaries invested in it, using its systems to train soldiers, mine resources, and establish dominance in virtual and real-world markets.
For Bakr, Legends of the Five Realms had been more than a business venture. It was his magnum opus, a collaborative dream of connecting humanity through a shared world of adventure. But he now knew the game's true purpose: a prelude to the Cataclysm, a merging of realities that would test the resilience of Earth itself.
Bakr's life before his rise to prominence was humble yet marked by ambition. Born to immigrant parents who had fled war-torn lands, he grew up in a small apartment where every penny was stretched thin. His father, Idris Kael, was a mechanic who taught him the value of hard work, while his mother, Amira, instilled in him a love for learning and an unshakable moral compass.
By the time he was twenty, Bakr had built NeoMiracles from the ground up, leveraging his tech skills and unrelenting determination. While his success brought wealth and prestige, it also isolated him. He had no siblings, and his parents had passed away years before the Cataclysm. His closest relationships were with his company and his guildmates in the game—ties he now recognized as fragile.
Bakr wasted no time. In the days following his rebirth, he systematically set his plans into motion:
Reinventing His Class: Utilizing his knowledge of hidden mechanics, he sought out the ancient questline to evolve his character from ShadowProphet into the Cosmic Architect—a rare class capable of shaping reality with celestial blueprints. This transformation would unlock the hidden specialization Godking Architect, granting him dominion over creation itself.
Maximizing Resources: Knowing that wealth would lose its value post-Cataclysm, Bakr liquidated 75% of his fortune, converting it into in-game currencies, rare items, and strategic assets. He purchased Aurion Keep, a grand fortress nestled within the heart of Evria, which he planned to develop into a thriving kingdom.
Recruiting Allies: Armed with foreknowledge of key players and events, Bakr reached out to individuals who would prove invaluable in the coming storm. He sought out Mira Solen, a paramedic destined to awaken as a Paladin, and Kael Dorian, an engineering prodigy who would become a master crafter.
Preparing for Betrayal: No longer naïve, Bakr began to restructure NeoMiracles, securing its assets and identifying potential threats within his own board. Rogar Thorne's treachery still loomed in his mind.
As he stood on the balcony of his office, gazing at the horizon, Bakr clenched his fists. The man who had once been reactive and hesitant was gone. In his place stood a visionary, armed with knowledge and unyielding determination.
On the morning of April 15, Bakr logged into Legends of the Five Realms. The character selection screen greeted him with familiar music, and his avatar, ShadowProphet, stood poised, cloaked in shadows. But this time, he bypassed the usual routines. With calculated precision, he initiated the transformation quest for the Cosmic Architect.
"You've come far," a celestial voice intoned, "but the path ahead demands sacrifice. Are you prepared?"
Bakr's lips curled into a confident smirk.
"I've already paid the price once. This time, I'm collecting the reward."