Seated in his throne, Pride took a moment to ponder before speaking. The others waited in silence, anticipating his response.

"First of all, preta , how many times must I remind you to address me by my real name? Enough with these sin names," Pride taunted preta before he began discussing their situation.

"And as for our situation, it appears that after we perished at the hands of the realm dwellers, we somehow ended up here in this unknown environment," Pride reiterated.

"As the first one among us to awaken," he continued, "I can tell from my experience that this world is vastly different from our previous one."

However, at that moment, a reminder emerged from one of the Colossus figures,

"Ahem, only a ten-minute difference between us," with the sound of a cough, emphasizing the relatively short time gap.

"The way all of this happened is unknown, even to me, as it is to you," Pride continued, addressing their collective uncertainty.

"Then, Incarus, what should we do about these people and what they are saying?" another figure among them questioned him.

"I don't know what to do about it either," Incarus(pride) responded, "we all need some time to come to a conclusion. And if we are indeed in a new world, I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to distribute authority over these matters, as we did in our previous one."

"But there is one more question among us, isn't there?" Incarus redirected the discussion, shifting his focus toward one of the figures. Simultaneously, the others also directed their attention to the figure he was looking at.

The figure in question was the one who concealed his face behind a featureless mask.

"If I remember correctly, there were only six of us in the previous world, not seven. But now there are seven," Incarus observed.

"Aren't you going to introduce yourself to us?" he asked, prompting the masked figure to reveal his identity.

The figure concealed by the mask slowly lifted his head, his gaze directed at Icarus and the others. Their collective looks were as sharp as the edge of a knife, instilling a sense of unease. Each of them stared with eager anticipation, awaiting his response.

["Who I am... well, that's quite a challenging question,"] the masked figure thought, his mind drifting back to the events that had shaped his whole life.

*****

In the year 2154, "Realm of Avlora," a massive multiplayer online game, was unleashed upon the world. In no time, it skyrocketed to become one of the century's gaming giants, drawing in a vast global player base.

It was a game that wove a tapestry of pure fantasy, granting players an immense canvas of freedom and endless possibilities for character development.

Its game world was a sprawling map that comprised multiple realms, each presided over by a Realm Lord responsible for guiding the central questline.

Within each realm lurked a formidable adversary known as the Realm Threat, an entity singularly bent on the realm's destruction.

The duty of the Realm Lord was to rally other players and embark on quests to vanquish these overwhelmingly powerful threats. Only through the collective efforts of countless players could these formidable foes be defeated.

And so, under my in-game name, Zenith, after countless hours of dedicated play, I finally achieved the coveted rank of Realm Lord.

In a vast arena, the thunderous roar of exuberant fans reverberated through the air. Amidst the countless contenders, one imposing figure stood at the arena's heart.

With a slow, deliberate raise of his hand, he embraced the cacophonous adulation that cascaded toward him.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

It was the moment I ascended to true lordship, an instant forever etched into my memory, where calm and bloodthirstiness danced as one.

It was a momentous occasion, arriving after the victorious battle against the ruler of the Seven Deadly Sins, alongside my comrades.

Even though I had my doubts about why they were called the Seven instead of Six, as we only faced six of them during the battle, the festivities of our triumph pushed those thoughts aside.

Seated upon the realm throne, surrounded by the players who had fought alongside me, I poured a symbolic cup of victory.

"Cheers, to our triumph," I declared, raising my cup. Despite the fact that we couldn't taste anything, we played along as if we could.

"We finally did it, Zenith! We vanquished that blasted Realm Threat!" one of my comrades exclaimed with laughter.

"Says the man who hid his tail when the Sin Lord unleashed their ancient class spells," another retorted, mocking the first speaker.

In this jovial atmosphere, conversation flowed freely, and soon, one of them directed a question at me.

"Hey, Zenith, when will the rewards be distributed?" he asked in a relaxed tone.

"To the best of my knowledge, the game system usually takes some time to calculate each participant's contributions and rewards. It should be about an hour or two before the rewards are distributed," I replied, drawing upon my experience.

And As soon as I finished those words, a status window materialized before my eyes, signaling the rewards I had earned from the main quest.

Simultaneously, the entire hall fell into hushed anticipation as every participant in the subjugation focused on their potential rewards.

As for my own reward, the choices presented to me were nothing short of astounding:

『Choose one from the following:

● Divine Grade item (Crimson Throne).

● Three Sovereign Grade items (Sentinel Shard, Solar Shard, Celestial Shard).

● One Path Remaker.

● Realm Remaker (Realm Ruler Special).

● 3,000,000 Crystallize Essence.

● Ultimate Class Spellbook (specialized in your chosen path).

● Suppress the 200 level cap.

● Become the Seventh Sin Ruler.』

These rewards were the stuff of legends, the dreams of every player.

Each realm had only one Divine-Grade item, and I had only heard whispers of Ultimate Class spells and the Realm Ruler's special Realm Maker, capable of altering anything within the realm.

But what intrigued me most was the last choice:

● Become the Seventh Sin Ruler.

As I read those words, I envisioned the immensely powerful Sin Rulers we had struggled to bring down with thousands of players. To become one of them was a temptation I couldn't resist.

Without further deliberation, I chose to become the Seventh Sin Ruler. Little did I realize the consequences that would follow this fateful decision.

Upon choosing the reward to become a Sin Ruler, a realization dawned upon me. By becoming a Sin Ruler, I would also transform into a Realm Threat.

As my decision was made, my character underwent a dramatic transformation, growing several times larger than normal players, taking on a monstrous form befitting a Realm Threat.

As this transformation occurred, I understood why players around me started attacking without hesitation.

The camaraderie we once shared was nowhere to be found; everyone sought to deliver the final blow to the Realm Threat I had become.

Amidst a devastating battle and heavy casualties, the players joined forces and pushed me to the brink of defeat. It was at this critical moment that I unleashed my trump card—an ancient class spell that wreaked havoc on everyone present, including the one who cast it.

After the chaotic aftermath, I opened my eyes in an unfamiliar place, facing the towering Colossus figures before me.

There was no doubt in my mind that these were the Sin Rulers we, as players, had once defeated in Avlora.

The masked Colossus figure grappled with his inner turmoil as he faced the piercing gazes of the other figures. After a period of contemplation, he came to a conclusion and responded to them.

[I cannot tell those things to them, can I] " he thought.

Then, he addressed them, saying, "Can't you sense who I am, brother?"

"I am just like you, a Sin Ruler," he continued.

"Of course, we can sense that you hold one of the Sins,if my sense serves me right. And If what you claim is true, do you recall anything about what transpired before you found yourself in this place?" Incarus asked, the word "brother" resounding through his mind.

"Yes, but it's rather sorrowful. In the other world, before I encountered all of you, I met my demise at the hands of the Surface Dwellers," the masked figure revealed to the others.

"So, that explains why you were never with us. It must have been tough to face the Realm Dwellers alone," Icarus remarked in a sympathetic tone.

"By any chance, was there anyone named Zenith among the dwellers who ended your existence?" he suddenly inquired.

Taken aback by the unexpected question, the masked figure scrutinized Icarus attentively.

Then, it dawned on him that he was the one who had deal the final blow to this particular Sin Lord in Avlora.

He responded cautiously, "No, I haven't."

"Why the curiosity about that one?" he continued, setting aside the term "brother" as it appeared they no longer harbored suspicions towards him.

"If he hadn't become the Realm Lord, we might have had a chance at winning. But that cunning demon, Zenith, played tricks on us, securing his victory."

"I distinctly remember the mockery on his face when he delivered the final blow to my head," Icarus recounted with frustration.

[ but only thig I Did is following the game instructions, though ] the mask figure thought to himself.

"If only I could go back to that moment and crush his skull," he added, seething with anger.

After a while, he calmed down and turned his gaze towards the masked figure.