Zaboru continued playing The Dark Guild for hours.
At first, he only planned to test it for a short while. Maybe clear a few stages, judge the combat properly, unlock one or two abilities, and then return to his other work. But somehow, one stage became three stages, three stages became six, and before he realized it, he had cleared the main story once.
He leaned back in his chair, controller still in hand, and laughed softly. "Damn. I actually finished it."
The game was better than he expected. Not perfect, of course. The camera still had annoying moments near walls, the platforming could feel awkward, and some enemy hitboxes were slightly suspicious. But overall, the combat carried the experience well. The atmosphere was strong, the progression was satisfying, and the character differences made each knight feel worth trying.
After beating the game, a new unlock notification appeared on the screen.
New Character Unlocked: Burak.
Zaboru raised his eyebrow. "Oh?"
The black-haired knight from the trailer finally appeared on the character selection screen. His armor was black with dark red lines running across it like veins of burning metal. He wielded a massive black-and-red greataxe named Burgundy Axe, and the weapon looked less like something forged by a blacksmith and more like something pulled out from the corpse of a demon. When Burak's idle animation played, faint black flames leaked from the axe blade before sinking back into the metal.
Zaboru leaned forward, interested.
Apparently, Burak wore something called the Dark Chaos Armor, a cursed armor that allowed him to harness the power of darkness without being fully consumed by it. The lore described him as a former knight who willingly put on the armor to fight monsters that normal weapons could not kill. His weapon, Burgundy Axe, was said to feed on darkness itself, growing stronger when surrounded by cursed enemies.
Zaboru grinned. "Okay, that is edgy as hell… but cool." Zaboru grinned somehow it's feel very 2000s
Then he tested Burak in a short mission.
The difference was immediate.
Burak was not balanced like Geoff. He was not fast like Lydan. He was not defensive like Barthol. He was not technical like Nera. Burak was pure offense. His attacks were huge, heavy, and brutal. Every swing of Burgundy Axe covered a wide area and sent smaller enemies flying. His special ability allowed him to absorb darkness from fallen enemies and convert it into Dark Surge, a temporary state where his attacks became faster, heavier, and surrounded by black-red energy.
But there was a clear tradeoff.
Burak's defense was poor. His dodge was slow. His recovery animation after big swings was long. If the player attacked carelessly, enemies could punish him badly. His entire playstyle revolved around pressure. Keep attacking, keep absorbing darkness, keep breaking enemy formation before they could break him.
Zaboru nodded as he played. "Ah, I see. So this guy is strong, but he is not safe. His defense is basically 'enemy cannot hit me if enemy already dead.'"
He chuckled.
After testing Burak for a while, Zaboru looked at the remaining locked characters. There were still three others from the trailer: the red-haired greatsword knight, the bald spear tank, and the fast spear wielder. He was curious about them, especially the red-haired one, but for now, another part of the game called to him.
Online Co-Op.
Zaboru returned to the main menu and selected the option with a small grin. "Okay. Let's see how Apple handles online."
The matchmaking screen appeared. The game searched for players.
One minute passed.
Then two.
Then three.
Zaboru leaned back, amused. "Oh damn. iPlay must be crowded."
His voice was full of sarcasm.
The player count was clearly not as large as ZAGE's online games, but after almost five minutes, the lobby finally filled with four players. Fortunately, The Dark Guild did have voice chat support. Unfortunately, because it was still 2001, the voice quality sounded like everyone was speaking from inside a metal bucket during a rainstorm. Players had to plug the microphone and headphones directly into the iPlay console not in controller accessory, and the result was functional but rough.
Still, it worked.
That alone was impressive.
The lobby showed four players.
Playstation.
BlaNight.
Duroro.
Taku.
Zaboru stared at his own iPlay ID and smiled with great amusement. Somehow, when he created the account, he had managed to take the name Playstation. It still made him laugh every time he saw it.
The voice chat immediately exploded.
"YOOOOOO! FINALLY! LET'S GOOOOO!" someone shouted, his microphone crackling so badly it sounded like a demon cheering inside a radio.
Another player quickly added, "Bro, seven minutes queue! I thought my iPlay died!"
A third voice laughed. "Nah, man, not dead. Just Apple server doing Apple meditation."
Zaboru blinked, then laughed quietly.
The first loud voice continued, "Okay, okay, I call Burak! I play Burak! Nobody touch Burak! Big axe man is mine!"
The player named BlaNight selected Burak so fast that the cursor almost looked scared.
Duroro selected Nera and said, "Fine, I play Nera. I will shoot things from far away because I am intelligent and fragile."
Taku selected Kurnagu, the red-haired greatsword knight from the trailer. Zaboru immediately noticed the name and smiled. So Kurnagu had already been unlocked by someone else. Apparently, the trailer characters could be unlocked in different ways, or Taku had already grinded the game hard enough to unlock him.
Taku's voice came through proudly. "I play Kurnagu. Red hair, big sword, big damage. Basically cool like me."
BlaNight replied, "Basically anime."
"Exactly."
Duroro then asked, "What about you, Playstation? What you playing?"
Zaboru selected Geoff calmly. "I'll play Geoff."
For a second, the lobby became quiet.
Then all three reacted at once.
"Geoff?"
"Bro, why?"
"Are you okay?"
Zaboru laughed. "What do you mean?"
Duroro sighed so loudly that his microphone distorted. "Bro, Geoff is bad. I'm telling you now. His spear recall is useless."
Taku immediately agreed. "Yeah, yeah. His spear throw looks cool in tutorial, but aiming it is pain. The camera fights you harder than the monster."
BlaNight added, "Exactly. You throw spear, spear hits tree, then you stand there like idiot with empty hands. Very realistic humiliation."
Zaboru smiled. "It's okay. I like him."
Duroro sounded offended. "You like suffering?"
Taku said, "Maybe he is roleplaying as a loyal first-character player."
BlaNight laughed. "Respect, but also condolences."
Zaboru chuckled again. Compared to the online players from his previous life, these three were surprisingly civilized. They were loud, yes. Very loud. But they were not toxic. They teased, complained, and joked, but there was still a friendly energy behind it.
Then the mission started.
The four of them entered a co-op stage called Hollow Bell Pass, a ruined mountain road leading toward an abandoned bell tower filled with undead soldiers, dark wolves, flying harpies, and cursed knights. The difficulty clearly scaled upward for four players. Enemy health increased, enemy numbers multiplied, and several elite enemies appeared earlier than in single-player.
Zaboru noticed it immediately.
"Apple really studied co-op scaling," he muttered. "This feels very Diablo-like."
The others did not let the silence last for even five seconds.
BlaNight charged forward with Burak and shouted, "I AM DARKNESS! I AM AXE! I AM PROBLEM!"
Three seconds later, he got surrounded by skeleton soldiers.
"WAIT! I AM ALSO DYING!"
Duroro, playing Nera, fired crossbow shots from behind. "Maybe don't introduce yourself to every enemy at once!"
Taku swung Kurnagu's red greatsword through two wolves and laughed. "Nah, let him cook!"
BlaNight yelled, "I AM NOT COOKING! I AM BEING EATEN!"
Zaboru calmly moved Geoff forward, parried a skeleton strike, and used a spear sweep to knock enemies away from Burak. "Back up a little."
BlaNight's voice immediately became dramatic. "Playstation saved me. I take back one percent of the Geoff slander."
Duroro said, "Only one percent?"
"One percent is generous."
Taku laughed. "Geoff support player, let's go."
Zaboru smiled and continued playing normally. He did not want to show off too much at first. He played like an ordinary skilled player, staying near the group, protecting openings, reviving when needed, and helping control enemy movement. The four of them pushed through the ruined road while constantly talking.
Duroro kept calling out enemy positions. "Wolf left! Wolf left! No, my left! Your other left! Bro, why does this game not come with education?"
Taku shouted every time he charged a heavy attack. "Big sword coming through! Please move unless you want friendly emotional damage!"
BlaNight kept narrating his own attacks like he was in a stage play. "Burgundy Axe hungers! Burgundy Axe demands blood! Burgundy Axe is currently on cooldown!"
Zaboru laughed more than he expected.
At one point, a cursed knight raised a shield and blocked everyone's attacks. Taku hit it three times and shouted, "Why is he still standing?"
Duroro replied, "Because you keep hitting the shield, genius!"
BlaNight yelled, "Hit his back!"
Taku snapped back, "Then make him turn around!"
BlaNight ran behind the enemy but immediately got kicked down. "He turned around too much!"
Zaboru calmly threw Geoff's spear past the knight, recalled it through the enemy's back, then dashed in and finished with a thrust. The cursed knight collapsed.
For a second, nobody spoke.
Then Duroro said, "Okay, that was a little clean."
BlaNight quickly added, "Still mostly useless."
Zaboru laughed. "Mostly?"
"Don't get proud."
The mission continued into the mountain pass, where the path narrowed and the sky turned dark. Broken bells hung from wooden frames, swaying slightly in the wind. The music grew more intense. Then came the enemies that changed the entire mood.
Wind Harpies.
They descended from the cliffs with shrieking cries, flying above the battlefield and attacking from awkward angles. They moved constantly, darting left and right, rising and diving, never staying still long enough for melee characters to hit them properly. Nera's crossbow could hit them, but even Duroro struggled because the harpies kept changing direction. Kurnagu's greatsword could only hit them when they swooped low. Burak's axe was basically useless unless the harpies landed, which they rarely did.
Immediately, the voice chat collapsed into chaos.
"WHAT IS THIS BIRD DOING?"
"WHY IS IT MOVING LIKE TAX EVASION?"
"I CAN'T HIT IT!"
"WAIT FOR THE HARPY TO LAND!"
"IT DOESN'T WANT TO LAND!"
"THEN ASK NICELY!"
BlaNight swung Burak's axe at empty air three times. "Come down and fight me with honor!"
Duroro shouted, "It's a bird demon! It doesn't care about honor!"
Taku tried to jump attack one and missed completely. "I touched its shadow!"
BlaNight yelled, "Good job, shadow damage!"
The harpies kept circling them, firing wind blades from above. One blade knocked Taku backward. Another interrupted Duroro's crossbow aim. BlaNight tried to charge Dark Surge, but a harpy flew away just before his axe connected.
"Bro, this enemy was designed by someone hurt," Duroro complained.
Taku said, "Apple developer looked at fun and said no."
BlaNight added, "I swear if this bird kills me, I'm returning the game emotionally."
Zaboru watched the movement pattern carefully.
The harpies were fast, but not random. They circled in arcs, paused very briefly before firing wind blades, then dipped diagonally before climbing again. The problem was not that they were impossible to hit. The problem was that most players aimed at where they were, not where they were going.
Zaboru smiled.
"Don't wait for them to land," he said calmly.
Duroro replied, "What?"
Taku shouted, "Bro, what do you mean don't wait? You planning to negotiate?"
BlaNight said, "If Geoff can hit that thing, I will apologize to the spear personally."
Zaboru chuckled. "Watch."
He moved Geoff to the side of the battlefield, away from the group. A harpy circled above, preparing to fire another wind blade. Zaboru held the spear throw button. Geoff shifted into aiming stance. The camera tightened slightly, and the targeting line appeared.
Duroro groaned. "Bro, no way. That aim is cursed."
Taku said, "He's going to hit mountain."
BlaNight whispered dramatically, "Goodbye, spear."
Zaboru ignored them. He did not aim at the harpy's body. He aimed ahead of its movement, predicting the arc. Then he released.
Whoosh.
The spear flew through the air, not toward where the harpy was, but toward where it would be.
A heartbeat later, the harpy flew directly into the spear's path.
Impact.
The spear pierced through it cleanly, and the creature exploded into dark feathers and wind.
The voice chat went silent.
Then all three screamed.
"YOOOOOOOO!"
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?"
"GEOFF CAN DO THAT?"
BlaNight yelled, "SPEAR-SAMA, I APOLOGIZE!"
Zaboru laughed, then recalled the spear. It flew back through the air, slicing across another harpy's wing on the return path. The second harpy dropped lower, and Taku immediately finished it with Kurnagu's greatsword.
Taku shouted, "I contributed! I was there!"
Duroro yelled, "Do it again! Do it again!"
Zaboru smiled and charged another throw.
A third harpy began circling from the right. Zaboru adjusted, waited half a second, then released. The spear flew diagonally upward and struck the harpy mid-dive. Another instant kill.
BlaNight's microphone crackled with excitement. "SENSEI!"
Duroro shouted, "Teach me the spear religion!"
Taku added, "Playstation, are you secretly a god?"
Zaboru almost choked from laughing. "No."
Duroro immediately replied, "That no sounded suspicious!"
BlaNight said, "Nobody normal plays Geoff like that."
Taku agreed. "Yeah, Geoff players usually throw spear once, miss, then pretend they are support."
Zaboru threw the spear again, this time hitting a harpy as it tried to retreat behind a broken bell frame. The spear struck through the gap perfectly. Then he recalled it, damaging a second harpy behind him. Duroro followed up with crossbow shots, and BlaNight finally landed a Burak axe slam when one harpy crashed near the ground.
BlaNight shouted, "I HIT BIRD! I AM REDEEMED!"
Duroro replied, "After Playstation delivered it to your feet like food."
"Still counts!"
Taku laughed. "It was takeout."
The harpy wave ended quickly after that. What had started as panic became complete domination once Zaboru began sniping them out of the sky with Geoff's spear. The other players could not stop talking.
Duroro said, "Bro, Geoff is not bad. We are bad."
Taku replied, "Speak for yourself. I was always medium."
BlaNight said, "I was wrong. Geoff is not useless. Geoff is just locked behind brain requirement."
Zaboru chuckled. "That might be true."
BlaNight gasped. "He agrees! He knows!"
After the harpy section, the group reached a checkpoint near the abandoned bell tower. They paused briefly to recover health and assign skill points. The voice chat remained lively.
Duroro asked, "Playstation, how old are you?"
Zaboru thought for a second, then answered carefully, "Old enough."
Taku laughed. "That means adult."
BlaNight said, "Adult with aiming skill. Dangerous."
Duroro continued, "You play ZAGE games?"
Zaboru smiled. "A lot."
Taku said, "Everyone plays ZAGE games."
BlaNight added, "Not Steve Jobs."
Duroro laughed. "Bro, don't say that. iPlay will hear you and disconnect."
Zaboru laughed too, almost too hard.
Taku then said, "Actually, real talk. This game is good, right? Like, I know Apple got roasted badly, but this game is good."
Duroro nodded through voice. "Yeah. Camera is annoying, but combat is fun."
BlaNight said, "Burak is life. Burak is pain. Burak is hospital bill."
Zaboru smiled softly. "Yeah. It's good."
There was no hesitation in his answer.
He hated what Apple and Zanki were trying to do behind the scenes. He knew Steve Jobs and Zanki were enemies, especially if they intended to target Ayumi's reputation. He would not forgive that easily. But Zaboru was also still Zaboru. Before being a businessman, before being ZAGE's founder, before being a rival, before being dragged into the shadow games of Illuminati and Arachne, he was a gamer.
And if a game was good, he would say it was good.
Even if it came from an enemy.
The session continued into the bell tower boss fight. The boss was called the Bell Wraith, a tall ghostly knight hanging from broken chains, using sound waves, cursed bells, and floating swords to attack. The fight was chaotic with four players. Duroro kept calling out bell positions. Taku kept trying to hit the boss during dangerous windows. BlaNight kept activating Dark Surge at the worst possible time and then somehow surviving by pure stubbornness. Zaboru used Geoff's spear to interrupt floating swords and hit the boss during airborne phases.
The voice chat became a storm.
"LEFT BELL! LEFT BELL!"
"Which left?"
"THE LEFT THAT IS NOT RIGHT!"
"I'M STUNNED!"
"WHO GOT STUNNED?"
"ME, OBVIOUSLY!"
"BURAK NEVER FEARS!"
"BURAK HAS ONE HP!"
"BURAK FEARS A LITTLE!"
Zaboru could not stop smiling. The game became much more fun in co-op. The difficulty increase worked, the character roles mattered, and even the terrible voice quality somehow made it better. Everyone sounded like they were shouting through ancient machinery, but the energy was real.
When the Bell Wraith finally fell, all four characters stood in the ruined tower as dark feathers and silver light filled the screen.
Mission Clear.
The voice chat erupted.
"LET'S GOOOO!"
"FIRST TRY!"
"Not first try for emotional stability!"
"Geoff carried!"
BlaNight shouted, "I formally apologize to Geoff. Spear man is king."
Duroro added, "Playstation carried the birds and the swords. Respect."
Taku said, "Add him as friend. We need this man for future suffering."
A friend request appeared on Zaboru's screen.
Then another.
Then another.
Zaboru looked at the three requests from BlaNight, Duroro, and Taku, and for a moment he just stared at them.
Then he accepted.
He laughed softly, a little warmer than before. None of them knew who he was. None of them knew they had just played with Zaboru Renkonan, the creator of ZAGE, the man responsible for many of the games they probably loved, and the rival of the company that made the game they were playing.
To them, he was only Playstation.
A weirdly skilled Geoff player with suspicious aim.
And strangely, Zaboru liked that.
Duroro asked, "Playstation, you joining another run?"
Zaboru looked at the time. He had already played much longer than planned.
But then Taku said, "Come on, one more. We need to unlock more stuff."
BlaNight added, "One more means three more, but don't think about it."
Zaboru smiled.
"Fine," he said. "One more."
All three immediately cheered.
"YOOOO!"
"GEOFF SENSEI RETURNS!"
"Birds fear us now!"
Zaboru laughed and readied up again.
As the next co-op mission loaded, he leaned back comfortably and thought, "This game is quite good. I'll review it honestly later."
Despite everything, despite Apple's hostility, despite Steve Jobs, despite Zanki, despite the possibility that Apple wanted to attack Ayumi's reputation, Zaboru could not stop being himself. A good game deserved praise. A hardworking development team deserved recognition. Competition was one thing, but game quality was game quality.
Friend or enemy, if someone made something worthy, Zaboru would admit it.
Because before anything else, he was Zaboru the gamer.
To be continued.
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