Chapter 12 – The Game Masters
It was already past ten in the evening when Zeke finally logged out of Enigma Online. He had lost track of time, completely immersed in the game. Before heading to bed, he remembered the number given to him by the GMs during the recent broadcast. On a whim, he decided to call.
The line clicked almost immediately.
"Hello?" A man answered on the other end.
Zeke quickly introduced himself. From the voice, the man sounded young—perhaps in his early thirties. Zeke suspected he was talking to Kaizen, the GM featured in last night's talk show.
"It would be better if we meet in-game," Kaizen said calmly. "There are a few other GMs who will be joining us as well."
He gave Zeke a time and a meeting location. Thankfully, it was set for 10 a.m.—leaving Zeke enough time to meet up with his friends afterward.
After the call, Zeke turned in for the night, unconcerned about the upcoming meeting. After all, what could go wrong?
Zzzzz...
Zeke awoke around 7:30 a.m. He quickly cooked breakfast, took a shower, and checked his phone. Several missed calls from Dan blinked on the screen, along with a message:
> "Bro, did you see GM Kaizen on TV last night?"
Zeke typed a simple response:
> "Yeah, I did."
After cleaning up, he logged into the game.
---
In-Game
He was early—by an hour and a half. Killing time, Zeke, or rather, Zaphro, decided to explore. The meeting spot was a temple tucked deep within a secluded part of Meldivar. Nestled within the Death Forest, it was only accessible by flight, due to the dangerous high-level monsters (ranging from level 100 to 150) that roamed the ground below. Luckily, Zaphro had his Wing Item, allowing him to traverse hazardous areas freely.
Now soaring high above the treetops, he caught sight of something unusual in the distance.
"A bird?" he muttered.
Something enormous and feathered zipped through the sky like a meteor, wreathed in white flames. It wasn't just any creature—it was an Epic Boss. The name Skyllar Fire Bird appeared in glowing red text above it.
"We'll hunt you down eventually, Skyllar Bird. Just you wait," Zaphro said with a grin as he continued on.
Soon, he arrived at the rendezvous point—still thirty minutes ahead of schedule. He descended near the stone temple nestled between towering trees. The surroundings were eerily quiet, devoid of mobs. Still, he moved cautiously, a growing sense of awareness tingling at the edge of his senses.
I'm not alone… They're here somewhere.
"You're early, kid," a voice suddenly called from behind.
Startled, Zaphro instinctively drew his sword and dashed forward with inhuman speed, whirling to face the source—but no one was there. He narrowed his eyes and scanned the trees.
"Come out. I know you're hiding behind one of those trees," he called out firmly.
"Relax, kid," the voice answered as a figure stepped out from the shadows.
A man wearing a crimson cloak emerged. His name, displayed in violet text, carried the prefix GM—GM Kaizen. He lowered his hood, revealing the same face Zaphro had seen on the talk show.
One by one, three others followed:
GM Rowan. GM Aero. GM Akil.
Zaphro eased his stance, a bit more at ease now that he knew who they were.
"Let's talk inside the temple," Kaizen said, beckoning him.
Without protest, Zaphro followed. They moved swiftly, with grace and speed that far exceeded any normal player. It was no wonder he hadn't sensed them earlier.
Inside, the temple opened up into a massive arena-like space.
"First of all," Kaizen began, "we apologize for the issues with your character—especially the slow leveling. But given your corrupted stats, it kind of balances out, right?" He chuckled.
"To get to the point," Aero cut in, "we're here to assess the level of your corruption."
"What does that mean?" Zaphro asked, frowning.
"It means we need to test it ourselves," Rowan said flatly. "You need to fight us, kid."
"What?" was all Zaphro could say, stunned.
"You heard him," Akil chimed in with a smirk. "Now then—shall we begin?"
The other GMs stepped back, leaving Zaphro and Akil in the center of the arena.
---
Zaphro's POV
This is insane. What the hell is even happening right now? These GMs have lost their minds!
"Here are the rules," Akil explained. "I'll summon mobs ranging from level 60 up to 100. If you can handle them, then you'll face me. Don't worry—you'll just respawn here if you die. This is a special arena."
"So… I really don't have a choice here, huh?" I asked, tapping around my virtual screen, trying in vain to find the logout button.
"Don't bother," Aero said smugly. "Your logout is temporarily disabled."
Great. I'm completely trapped.
"Let's begin," Akil announced.
With a wave of his hand, three level 60 Chimera monsters spawned. I wiped them out easily. More followed—level 70 this time. I dodged, buffed up with Burning Essence and Angelic Aura, then coated my weapon in Cold Fire. Another easy win.
Level 80 mobs were tougher, but my upgraded Frost Field helped freeze them in place. Combined with my burning aura, I dispatched them quickly with normal skills. My MP and SP regeneration kept up thanks to my buffs.
Then came the level 90 mobs—metallic werewolves with high dodge rates. I had to use my reserve skills: Cold Touch, Ice Wall, and for the first time, Inferno. My HP regeneration was just fast enough to keep up.
Finally, the level 100 wave.
I activated Berserk to boost my strength and unleashed Inferno, setting the battlefield ablaze.
Then I took to the skies, charging my SS skill. My body lit up with a divine glow.
"ANGELIC WRATH!"
The impact cratered the arena, obliterating the enemies. As the smoke cleared, I hovered at the edge of the pit, facing Akil.
"Not bad. Bravo!" Rowan clapped enthusiastically from the sidelines.
"My turn," Akil grinned.
A powerful gust swept through the arena. He removed his cloak, revealing green armor beneath. No weapons. Then—he vanished.
I barely reacted in time, side-stepping and casting Inferno defensively. It hit him, but only shaved off 2% of his HP.
"Exploding Wind!"
I threw up an Ice Wall just in time. Even a glancing blow took 25% of my HP. My shoulder ached like hell.
Suddenly, a notification flashed:
> New Skill Unlocked: Hex (Buff). Duration: 60s. Grants complete invulnerability to attacks.
I didn't hesitate.
"HEX!"
I charged at him. He blinked away, then shouted, "Majestic Wind!"
A giant bird-shaped wind construct barreled toward me. I countered with Engulfing Flame. The two collided in a thunderous explosion that shook the temple.
But before I could recover—"Piercing Wind!"
A wind blade struck straight through me, slamming me into the wall. Blood spilled from my lips. My vision blurred. My HP was down to 10%.
Just when I was ready to give up...
> HP Restored. Status: INVULNERABLE.
My Hex skill had triggered its effect just in time.
I rose again—facing Akil.
To his shock, every skill he hurled at me now simply dispersed on impact. I pressed forward.
"Heaven's Judgment!"
An S-class skill descended. Akil was paralyzed, armor and defense halved, suffering continuous damage.
"You're done!" I declared.
I began casting again—Angelic Wrath—this time fully buffed and glowing.
I dived straight at him.
BOOM!
A direct hit. Smoke engulfed the battlefield once more.
As it cleared, I saw Akil—burnt, bruised, struggling to get up. His HP had dropped to 45%. His eyes were wild now. He charged again, a deadly aura surrounding him.
My Hex had worn off.
If he hit me now, it was over.
"DIVINE BARRIER!"
A massive shield materialized between us. Akil's skill shattered against it, but the shield remained standing.
"That's enough, Akil," Kaizen said, voice calm but commanding. "We've seen what he's capable of."
"Tch… You ruin all the fun," Akil muttered like a sulking child.
"Better to stop before you lose. That would be embarrassing," Aero teased with a grin.
They all laughed, and Akil scratched his head, defeated.
---
The GMs returned to the center of the arena. After a brief final discussion with Zaphro, nearly half an hour passed.
At last, Zaphro bid them farewell.
"Thanks for today, sirs. I won't forget this moment. Until next time."
He waved at them, then took to the skies—flying off into the distance.