In the lands of SkyRealm…
Dozens of massive airships hovered across the sky, each bearing the emblem of the Empire.
Below, crowds gathered—players and civilians alike—pointing upward in awe as the fleet descended.
The ships roared through the clouds… before slowly docking.
On the ground, rows of Imperial soldiers stood in perfect formation, flags of the Empire waving proudly in the wind.
At the center—
Commander Frostbyte stepped forward, flanked by his subordinates:
Led_Dz, Cass4, and Crimson Warden.
They escorted him as he descended from the airship.
Frostbyte scanned his surroundings.
This was not a place he visited often.
Only when necessary.
Because this territory…
Was not directly ruled by the Empire.
It belonged to one of the most powerful factions in all of SkyRealm—
The Kostra Legion.
Ahead stood a massive estate.
A mansion fortified like a fortress.
Guard towers watched every movement. Elite players stood posted at every entrance.
As Frostbyte approached—
A soldier stepped forward and saluted.
"Commander Frostbyte," he said respectfully. "It is an honor to welcome you, on behalf of the Kostra Legion… and our master."
Frostbyte gave a small nod.
"The honor is mine. Thank you for accepting this meeting."
The gates opened.
They were escorted inside.
Led and Cass couldn't hide their awe.
Inside was unlike anything they had ever seen.
"This place…" Led whispered. "It's insane."
"No wonder the Empire keeps close ties with them," Cass added.
The Kostra Legion—
One of the oldest and most influential factions in the game.
Older than the Empire itself.
Formed even before the Great Collapse… back in the golden age.
A faction that only accepted the strongest—
And rejected the weak without hesitation.
As they walked down a grand hallway—
Dozens of framed portraits lined the walls.
Each one—
A top-ranked player.
Regional champions. National contenders.
Legends.
"Look…" Cass whispered. "Caspers7… SunLuck… Reverd…"
"So many famous players…"
Frostbyte glanced at them.
They immediately fell silent.
"Status report," Frostbyte said coldly. "SK — The Reaper. Any updates? Is she still alive?"
Crimson Warden stepped forward.
"…Unknown, sir."
"The last time I saw her… she was alone. With the Resistance sniper."
He hesitated.
"They were fighting a Void-class monster."
"The sniper escaped… but SK disappeared. I couldn't confirm her status."
Frostbyte's expression darkened.
"If any high-ranking officer finds out one of our elite aided a Resistance member…"
"…it will cause chaos within our ranks."
He stopped walking.
"Find her."
A pause.
"Confirm whether she is dead or alive."
"And if she's alive…"
His voice turned cold.
"Execute her."
"Yes, sir!"
Frostbyte exhaled quietly.
"…What a waste. We had high hopes for you, SK."
"Draeven."
A voice called out ahead.
At the entrance to a grand chamber—
A man stood waiting.
He gave a slight bow.
"Frostbyte… it's been a while."
Frostbyte gave a small nod.
"…Too long."
Draeven.
One of the strongest players in SkyRealm.
A top 100 national-ranked player.
A warrior whose skill rivaled the best.
But even among the Kostra Legion—
He was only one of many monsters.
They entered the chamber.
"So," Draeven said casually, "what brings you here?"
"I read your report."
He tapped a folder.
"Seems you're having trouble… with a certain player."
"Even your Grandmaster is interested."
Frostbyte's gaze hardened.
"His name is Blaze."
"A troublesome one."
"I was hoping your master could assist us… in dealing with him."
Draeven raised an eyebrow.
"Blaze… huh."
He flipped through the documents.
"Our Legion holds records of nearly every powerful player in the game…"
"…and yet, I've never heard of him."
He paused.
"…But that sword…"
Frostbyte opened another file and showed an image.
"You recognize it?"
Draeven leaned closer.
"…Yeah."
"That weapon was forged by a legendary blacksmith."
"God-tier craftsmanship."
"Even national-level players use weapons from that maker."
His eyes narrowed.
"So the question is…"
"How did Blaze get it?"
"Loot? Rare drop?"
"…Or did he steal it?"
"Another thing," Draeven added. "Your report says he survived Death Bleed?"
Frostbyte nodded.
"…He did."
Draeven froze.
"…That's impossible."
"Most players die within an hour."
"And you're telling me he lasted days… without proper treatment?"
Silence.
"…Then he's not just strong," Draeven muttered.
"He's abnormal."
Frostbyte spoke quietly.
"The Grandmaster suspects…"
"…that he might be…"
A pause.
"…The Black Calamity."
"…What?"
The room went silent.
"The Black Calamity?" Cass4 spoke. "Wasn't he just a myth in Great War?"
Draeven leaned back.
"…That name…"
"It's been a long time."
He looked at the group.
"Before the Great War… even before the Collapse…"
"There was a player."
"Known by many names."
"The Plague."
"The Dark Knight."
"But most called him…"
"…The Black Calamity."
"He ruled entire regions."
"Cities. Countries. Even continents."
"His power rivaled multiple national-level players."
"Some even believed he was World Ranker level."
"I remember…" Draeven smirked slightly. "A guild once declared war on him."
"They were wiped out."
"Completely."
"But when the Catastrophe happened…"
"Everything changed."
"He opposed the three legendary heroes."
"He rejected their plan to unite the players."
"And vanished."
Draeven looked at Frostbyte.
"If Blaze is really him…"
"…then you have a much bigger problem."
Frostbyte crossed his arms.
"…Or it's just a coincidence."
"But either way…"
"His name will soon spread across the world."
A pause.
Then Draeven spoke again.
"…So the rumors are true?"
"The Empire is preparing for war?"
Frostbyte didn't deny it.
"…Yes."
Draeven smirked.
"And you want our support."
"We were sent by the Grandmaster to negotiate."
Draeven flipped through more documents.
"You already conquered SkyRealm."
"No… all SyncCorp games."
"And now you want more?"
Frostbyte's voice remained calm.
"There are other worlds out there."
"Other games."
"Some strong enough to rival us."
Draeven chuckled.
"You're not wrong."
"But you don't need armies."
"We can send individual players."
"Powerhouses."
"Players strong enough to destroy entire forces alone."
He looked directly at Frostbyte.
"So why worry?"
Frostbyte's eyes sharpened.
"…Because this isn't a game anymore."
Silence.
Draeven smiled.
"…I know."
Above them—
From a balcony—
Several players watched.
"So… another war?" one said.
"Heh… this might be fun."
"What does the Empire even gain from this?" another asked.
"Does it matter?" a third replied. "We'll gain something too."
Frostbyte noticed them—
But ignored it.
Time passed.
Eventually—
Frostbyte stood.
"That will be all. We'll take our leave."
"So soon?" Draeven said. "You could stay."
"Another time," Frostbyte replied. "I have matters to attend to."
They shook hands.
And left.
The moment Frostbyte disappeared—
Draeven's expression completely changed.
"…Ugh—"
His posture dropped.
"I thought I was going to pass out…"
His voice—
Now softer.
More feminine.
Behind the name Draeven…
Was someone else entirely.
Maple.
The acting leader of the Kostra Legion.
A player unlike any other.
Her ability—
Perfect Mimicry.
Not just appearance…
But everything.
Voice.Posture.Aura.Even the smallest habits of the person she copies.
To anyone watching—
She was Draeven.
Indistinguishable.
But that power came with a burden.
Because Maple wasn't just pretending to be Draeven…
She was leading in his place.
The truth was—
The Kostra Legion was no longer what it once was.
Once, it stood as one of the strongest factions in all of SkyRealm.
A legion of monsters.
A gathering of elite players that ruled the rankings.
Feared.
Respected.
Unmatched.
But that was the past.
After the Great Collapse… and the endless wars that followed…
Everything changed.
Many of their strongest players—
Quit.
Left.
Died.
Or simply chose not to fight anymore.
What remained…
Was only a shadow of its former glory.
A broken legend…
Held together by reputation alone.
And at the center of it—
Was Maple.
A support-type player.
Forced to wear the face of a legend.
Forced to lead warriors stronger than herself.
Forced to stand in front of the Empire…
And never let them see the truth.
Because if the Empire ever discovered it—
That the mighty Kostra Legion…
Was already falling apart—
Everything would collapse.
So Maple continued the act.
Perfect.
Flawless.
Unbreakable.
Even if…
She was the weakest one in the room.
"Good job, Maple," one player said. "I can't believe you managed to fool Commander Frostbyte."
Maple the Acting Leader of the Kostra Legion having the Aility
Another crossed their arms.
"…You really think he didn't notice?"
"That's Frostbyte we're talking about."
Maple sighed nervously.
"As long as I stay focused… I can keep the act going…"
Another player smiled.
"You did well. You've improved."
Maple looked down at the report.
"Blaze… Ryze… SK…"
"…Why does it feel like they're going to send me after them?"
She panicked.
"I-I can't do that! I'm a support-type player!"
"I'm not built for combat like this!"
Suddenly—
Someone grabbed her arm.
"Relax," they said. "We'll figure it out later."
"For now…"
"Let's eat."
"…Yeah," Maple sighed.
As they walked away, she thought—
(Why am I always the one put in charge…?)