The digital sky above Eternal Quest Online was burning.
Not with fire—
but with golden system light, the kind that only appeared when the game itself interfered directly.
Cain leaned back on his obsidian throne, one leg crossed over the other, chin resting on his clawed hand. His crimson eyes reflected the floating announcement that had just appeared before every single player in the world.
[GLOBAL ANNOUNCEMENT]
Permanent Server Shutdown Scheduled
Time Remaining: 05:00 AM
Final Quest Released:
"Judgment of the Golden Knight"
Objective:
❖ Defeat the Golden Knight
❖ Survive until shutdown
Warning:
❖ Death is irreversible
❖ No resurrection
❖ No logout permitted
For a moment, the world was silent.
Then—
Chaos.
Cities erupted in panic. Guild chats flooded with curses. Some players screamed about refunds, others begged the system to extend time. A few laughed hysterically, calling it the developers' final joke.
Cain didn't laugh.
He smiled.
"So they finally did it," he muttered. "A forced endgame."
He rose from the throne.
The moment he stood, the Demon Emperor's Palace trembled. Black mana surged through the halls like a living tide. Thousands of demon NPCs immediately dropped to one knee, their loyalty absolute, their existence bound to him.
Cain The Emperor.
The strongest character ever created in Eternal Quest Online.
Not by luck.
Not by cash.
By obsession.
By understanding the system deeper than even its creators.
A new presence descended upon the world.
The sky cracked.
From the rift of light stepped a single figure clad in radiant golden armor, sword planted into the ground like a divine verdict.
[BOSS ENTITY SPAWNED]
Golden Knight — Executor of Final Judgment
Level: ???
Authority: Absolute System Agent
Every player felt it.
This was not a raid boss.
This was execution.
Cain appeared on a cliff overlooking the battlefield, teleportation magic collapsing behind him in black shards. His long black cloak fluttered in a wind that did not exist.
"So you're the system's final answer," Cain said calmly.
The Golden Knight lifted his head.
Behind the visor burned eyes made of pure code-light.
"Demon Emperor Cain," the Knight spoke, voice echoing unnaturally, layered with the system itself.
"You are an anomaly."
Cain chuckled softly. "You don't like losing control, do you?"
Without warning, the Golden Knight moved.
The world shattered.
Golden light tore across the land, erasing mountains, cities, and players alike. Thousands died in seconds—deleted, their data wiped clean.
Cain didn't dodge.
He raised one hand.
[Skill Activated: Throne Authority — Absolute Denial]
The attack stopped inches from his palm.
Reality screamed.
The Golden Knight staggered back for the first time.
"…Impossible."
Cain's eyes narrowed, excitement flickering within them.
"Good," he said. "At least you're worth killing."
PvP — Emperor vs System
The fight transcended mechanics.
Cain rewrote terrain mid-combat, summoning demon legions only to sacrifice them as fuel for higher-tier magic. The Golden Knight countered with pure system commands—forced stuns, instant kills, authority seals.
Each clash shook the server.
Time ticked.
04:12 AM
03:40 AM
02:58 AM
Players watched in silence, those still alive unable to intervene, unable to log out.
This wasn't a quest anymore.
It was a duel for existence.
The Golden Knight drove his sword through Cain's chest.
System text exploded across the screen.
[FATAL DAMAGE DETECTED]
HP: 0
Death Imminent
Cain smiled.
"Check again."
Black symbols ignited across his body.
[Passive Triggered: Emperor's False End]
Death negated. Reality priority overridden.
Cain grabbed the blade with his bare hand.
Then—he pulled.
The Golden Knight was dragged forward, off balance for the first time.
Cain's other hand pierced the Knight's chest.
"Your mistake," Cain whispered, voice low and absolute,
"was thinking you were the system."
The Golden Knight screamed—not in pain, but in error.
The light shattered.
The armor cracked.
And with one final crushing motion—
Cain tore out the Core Authority.
The Golden Knight collapsed, dissolving into fragments of golden code.
Silence fell.
[FINAL QUEST CLEARED]
[UNIQUE REWARD ACQUIRED]
"Reality Rewrite"
Description:
Allows the user to rewrite one fundamental rule of reality.
Conditions unknown.
Limitations unknown.
Cain stared at the floating reward window.
Then—
The world froze.
[SERVER SHUTDOWN INITIATED]
Thank you for playing Eternal Quest Online
The sky turned black.
Sound vanished.
Cain felt something different this time.
Not logout.
Not death.
Pulling.
His vision collapsed inward as if reality itself was folding around his consciousness.
"…Interesting," he murmured, reaching for the reward instinctively.
"Let's see what happens if I use this."
Reality Rewrite — Activated.
Darkness.
Then—
Breath.
Heat.
Weight.
Cain opened his eyes.
Not to a loading screen.
But to a vast throne hall of obsidian and shadow.
His body was real.
His power was real.
And the system voice echoed one last time—
Consciousness transfer complete.
Demon Emperor entity stabilized.
Reality rewrite accepted.
Cain leaned back on his throne, feeling the laws of this new world bend around him like obedient servants.
The game had ended.
But his reign—
Had just begun.