Chapter 2: Chapter 2: The Battle Lines Are Drawn
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A blood-red sky loomed over the battlefield.
The Ruins of Elaris—a shattered kingdom frozen in time, its crumbling castles and broken streets now serving as the stage for the final war of Final Eclipse. In less than twenty-four hours, this map would be erased from the game. A fitting place for history's last battle in the beta phase.
Three guilds. One war.
Oblivion, Black Sun, and Dominion—the undisputed powerhouses of Final Eclipse. Each one had ruled different parts of the game, and each one had refused to bow to the other.
And now, with the game's reset approaching, there would be no alliances. No diplomacy.
Only war.
Inside Oblivion's command tent, Raine sat at a long wooden table surrounded by the guild's officers. The atmosphere was thick with tension as maps, strategies, and last-minute intelligence reports were scattered across the table.
[Kaiser, standing tall]: "This is it. The last war of the beta. The moment we prove that Oblivion is the strongest guild in this game."
The gathered officers nodded, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.
[Lyra, arms crossed]: "Black Sun and Dominion won't hold back. They've been preparing for this since the beta began."
[Kaiser, smirking]: "Neither have we."
Raine leaned back in his chair, scanning the map of Elaris. Key locations had been marked—choke points, ambush sites, resource caches.
[Raine, thoughtful]: "We need to assume they have exploits ready."
Every beta tester knew the game wasn't perfect. The developers hadn't patched every loophole, and the top players had spent years discovering and abusing them. The final war wouldn't just be about skill—it would be about who could manipulate the system better.
[Orion, Oblivion's strategist]: "Black Sun is setting up defensive formations near the Cathedral of Ash. Dominion has claimed the fortress ruins on the eastern ridge. That means they're waiting for us to make the first move."
[Kaiser, grinning]: "Then let's not disappoint them."
The moment Oblivion's army stepped onto the battlefield, the system blared a global announcement.
[SYSTEM]: WARNING. The Final Conflict of the Beta has begun. All deaths will result in immediate respawn restrictions.
A chill ran through Raine as he read the message.
[Raine, muttering]: "Immediate respawn restrictions? What does that mean?"
[Lyra, frowning]: "That's not standard."
A bad feeling settled in his gut, but there was no time to dwell on it.
As they crested the hill, the battlefield came into full view. Thousands of players, clad in glowing armor and wielding legendary weapons, stood in formation. Guild banners fluttered in the wind. Siege engines rumbled forward. The air crackled with magic, archers lining the ridges, spellcasters preparing their incantations.
The final battle had begun.
The moment the system timer hit zero, the battlefield exploded into chaos.
Black Sun's assassins struck first, vanishing into the shadows and reappearing behind Oblivion's front lines. Dominion's siege weapons unleashed volleys of flaming projectiles, turning the field into a storm of fire and steel. Oblivion's vanguard surged forward, engaging in brutal close-quarters combat.
[Raine, dodging an attack]: "It's starting."
A blade whistled past his ear as a Dominion warrior lunged. Raine ducked, countering with a Shadow Step—his body flickered, reappearing behind the enemy as his sword cleaved through their armor.
They collapsed, their body shattering into glowing particles.
But something was wrong.
Normally, in Final Eclipse, when a player died, they respawned within seconds at their designated guild base. But this time… nothing.
No notification. No reappearance.
[Raine, frowning]: "Where's the respawn?"
A scream echoed nearby.
Oblivion's warrior, Jax, was impaled by a Dominion lancer. His body disintegrated… and never came back.
[Kaiser, noticing]: "What the hell?"
A silence spread across the battlefield as more and more players began to realize the horrifying truth.
The ones who died… weren't coming back.
[Lyra, panicked]: "Something's wrong with the system!"
[Raine, gripping his sword]: "No. This isn't a glitch."
A new system message appeared, one that sent a cold chill through every remaining player.
[SYSTEM]: ALERT. Respawn Function Disabled. All Eliminated Players Will Be Permanently Removed Until Further Notice.
[Kaiser, furious]: "What the hell is going on? This isn't how the beta is supposed to work!"
Raine scanned the battlefield, his mind racing. If players weren't respawning… did that mean they were being locked out of the game? Or worse?
[Lyra, whispering]: "Are we… trapped?"
[Raine, darkly]: "No. Not yet. But something is definitely wrong."
Panic spread through the lower-ranked players. Some tried to retreat, only to be cut down. The battlefield had turned into something far more dangerous than they had ever expected.
This wasn't just a war for rankings anymore.
This was survival.
Before anyone could make sense of the chaos, the world shook.
A massive black rift tore through the sky above the battlefield. Thunder roared, and a deep, mechanical voice echoed across Final Eclipse.
[SYSTEM]: ATTENTION ALL PLAYERS. THE FINAL CONFLICT OF THE BETA HAS BEGUN. THERE WILL BE NO SECOND CHANCES.
The war had started.
And now, there was no turning back.