Year 2026.
It was past midnight, when a single desk inside Artemis Games' studio was still lit on.
The blue light of the monitor flashed onto my face. What it revealed was enough to shock many.
I was just 30 years old, yet my back was hunched like an old ghost from a horror movie. The eyes behind my perfectly square-shaped glasses had dark circles that were enough to earn pity from any reader.
But this world showed me no pity.
Being an orphan at the age of 8 due to my parents dying in a car accident, I was left with nothing but a mountain of debt.
Still, in this society where money matters more than appearance, I survived.
Not only did I survive, but using my above-average IQ, I completed school, enrolled in a college on a scholarship, and got a degree from a local university.
A full 18 years spent on studying and working part-time.
But all those years of hard work resulted in a job in a game developer company with a meager salary of $30,000 per annum.
The numbers may shock many, but in this economy filled with torrential inflation, nothing is left by the end of each month.
And job security is nonexistent. Especially with the rising technology in AI. It wouldn't be long before I, a six-years-experienced developer, got swept into this storm like others.
And that's why I was secretly preparing a breakthrough.
When my colleagues slept at home, I used the company's resources to create a game I had been dreaming of ever since I was little.
Sword Evolution Online.
An action RPG game.
It sounded simple from the title, but it had a unique power progression system. Players awaken unique swords tied to their souls, and gain unique abilities once they upgrade them through quests, challenges, or gathering resources from dungeons.
If a player's sword gets broken even once, they die and would have to start over again.
It was a pretty realistic plot, but I also knew many wouldn't like that due to how time-consuming and wasteful it would be for the players.
So, today I was working on further code to introduce new mechanisms that would solve the issue.
I had been working on this secret project for five years, spending every penny I earned on outsourcing graphics and using the existing resources of the studio.
Yes, it was theft. But at this point in my life, I didn't care at all.
I wanted to be free from these shackles that this world forced upon me.
My whole life was spent on chasing money (or perhaps success), working for others. I didn't even have a girlfriend, nor had I experienced sex.
Sometimes, I felt frustrated about it, but could do nothing but quietly release my frustration in a lonely corner.
What else could I do?
Go to a brothel and get infected with AIDS? Hell no.
I didn't have a death wish in the slightest. I still wished to have a family after marrying a pure-hearted woman who would care for me, and I would give her anything she desired in return.
Yes, sounds foolish in this day and age. But what's wrong with dreaming?
After all, those dreams and hopes for a better day kept me going until now.
I glanced at the clock.
01:30 AM
"Hmm, I should get something to eat. After that I will pack up and go home," I muttered groggily, feeling extremely fatigued.
Just as I rose from the chair, I felt the world shake around me.
I barely gained my footing by holding the nearby desk.
I let out a burp that smelled mostly of caffeine. Too much coffee had made my brain dizzy. I could barely keep my eyes open.
I really wanted to sleep badly. But today's task was important. I was at the final stage of completing my dream project.
So, while swaying right to left, I reached the cafeteria on the same floor.
Click.
After illuminating the floor, I made a cup of coffee from the machine and got myself a cold sandwich from the fridge.
The studio has everything an employee needs, but it's only to keep the workers doing their jobs like modernized slaves.
I took a sip of the sugar-free coffee and looked outside the Metropolis through the windows.
At midnight, most parts of the city were quiet, with everyone drifting into sleep on their warm beds.
"And here am I, a loser, dreaming the impossibility," I mumbled, gazing at the night city while bitterly mocking myself.
I remained seated near the glass window for a very long moment.
In the quietness of night, I suddenly found myself in a strange sense of peace.
Just then, a faint noise reached me:
Clatter, clatter.
I instantly stood up, completely alert. To my knowledge, there should be no one in the studio at this hour.
I immediately grabbed a steel fork from the table, becoming completely wary of possible burglars.
Slowly, little by little, step by step, I followed the source of the noise and reached the same desk I was sitting at until now.
Once I saw what was there, I was stunned.
Another man in a blue coat and red tie was desperately searching for something on the computer.
"Where is it? Where is it? Where did he hide it?"
The unknown man mumbled something.
"Uhh?"
Suddenly the man paused typing completely, as if sensing my presence.
He turned back to see my shocked face.
"L-Liam?" the man stammered. "Why have you not left yet?"
My pupils constricted after recognizing who it was.
"Theo? What are you doing here? What are you searching for in my desk?" I asked, raising my voice a little.
Theodore Mckenzie. A 25-year-old colleague who had just passed his internship with a lot of hardship. He was not a friend, but couldn't be called less than that either. He was like a kind and honest junior I knew, and I treated him really well.
"I-I..." Theo tried to come up with excuses, but I cut him off angrily.
"Ingrate. I know what you were trying to do. You were trying to steal my project. You were biting the same hand that once fed you. But how did you know about my project? For how long? Answer me!"
Theo lowered his head, visibly shaking from my pressure.
"Senior, it's not just me. B-Boss knows everything you are trying to do. He had secretly kept an eye on you for years."
Hearing this, I felt as if a bucket of cold water had washed over me.
"He knows? So all this time, I was just a prey in his eyes?"
Theo finally looked at my overworked face. "This was inevitable, Senior. This is his kingdom. He has his eyes everywhere. No one can escape after stealing his resources and taking advantage of them."
"Bang!"
"But this is my damn hard work!" I shouted, banging my fist onto the table. "My damn life depends on it. I don't want to be trapped in this cycle forever."
"And you, Theo. I have treated you so well. I have guided you, endured your temper, gave excuses for your absence, and taken extra shifts to help you complete your projects. Because of me you became a full-time employee. So why would you still betray me? Just why?"
Theo's heart shook, but only for a moment.
There was no guilt or regret in those young eyes.
"I'm thankful for what you did, Senior. But Boss said if I can bring this game to him, he will make me a team manager. I will get more salary than you and have my own team to lead in Artemis studio in the future."
"And Senior, there's still a chance for you. Boss said he saw great potential in your game. He wants to make it a VR game. You'll also get your credit. You just have to give them the code and assist them fully."
"Pooh!" I spat on the floor in reply. I looked at Theo with a gaze that mocked his stupidity.
"Become a team manager? Get lost!" I barked coldly. The steel fork in my hand was still gripped tightly, forcing him to take a step back.
"Senior, you can't fight them. They have the law and money. Even if you die, the world will not bat an eye," Theo said before leaving.
His words hurt where it should.
He was saying the truth. The world wouldn't side with a simple employee. They would just brand me as a thief, forever ruining my career.
Once Theo left the office, I slumped onto the chair.
My eyelids became heavy with exhaustion.
"I am finished, aren't I?"
The answer was a loud yes.
"I hate my life."
My eyes turned red.
"But I won't let them get their hands on my game. I will destroy it. Code by code."
I inserted the pendrive containing the code and began to boot up the backend server in the studio.
Very quickly, the cursor hovered above two options.
[ Yes ] or [ No ]
This was it. My years of hard work would be deleted with a single step. I felt sorrow I couldn't express to anyone.
But I had to do this. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of enjoying my hard work.
But just as I was about to click Yes, a searing pain erupted from the back of my neck.
Blurgh!
Instantly, blood spilled out from my throat like gargling water, staining the desk, keyboard, and mouse.
I clutched my throat to breathe, but I couldn't.
Clang!
Like a slaughtered chicken, I fell from the chair and twitched on the floor.
I couldn't utter a word, nor scream. My vision was also growing dimmer.
I knew I was dying. But I couldn't do anything except feeling regret for not being able to enjoy his life fully.
At my life's last moment, I only heard one sentence:
"I am sorry!"
-
But this is not the end. The Tale of Chaotic Harem Sword is just about to begin.