The battlefield was silent. The kind of silence that only followed a complete and crushing defeat. Gok Sun Ji, the legendary Rank 1 player, lay sprawled on the ground, his avatar's once-pristine black-and-gold armor cracked and smoldering. Around him were the shattered remnants of his followers, reduced to nothing by the overwhelming force of a single player: the mysterious Rank 0.
Hovering above him, the Rank 0 player was a silhouette bathed in a faint golden light. Their name was hidden, replaced only with three ominous question marks: ???. No one in Rankers had seen this figure before. Yet, in mere moments, they had dismantled Gok's defenses and shattered his legendary status.
Gok's health bar hit zero. The screen froze for a second before flashing the words he'd never seen before:
> YOU HAVE BEEN DEFEATED.
As his consciousness returned to the login chamber, Gok ripped off his VR visor and stared blankly at the ceiling of his tiny apartment. His chest heaved, a mix of frustration and disbelief surging through him. In all his years playing Rankers, no one had managed to bring him down—until now.
---
When Gok logged back into the game, he was greeted by a sight he never thought possible.
> SYSTEM ALERT: You have lost your Rank 10 status.
*Your stats have been reset to Level 1.
"No," he muttered, his heart sinking. He opened his inventory, desperately hoping something remained. His legendary weapons, armor, artifacts—all gone. The only item left was a single glowing tome, sitting quietly in his otherwise empty inventory.
> Item: Infinite Enchantment Book
An artifact of unknown origin. Its power is limitless, but its use comes with a price.
Gok frowned, tapping on the item for more details, but the description was cryptic. The only instruction was written in bold:
> Use wisely. What you enchant will determine your fate.
He clenched his fists. "This has to be a joke."
Determined to make sense of his defeat, Gok ventured to the nearest town, Ashfall Haven, a bustling player hub. As he walked through the streets, he felt the sting of humiliation. Players who once groveled at his feet now ignored him. Others whispered and pointed, their mocking laughter ringing in his ears.
"Look who's back," sneered a familiar voice. Gok turned to see Kaelrin, the Rank 5 player who had always envied his position. "The mighty Madman, reduced to a Level 1 scrub. How the tables have turned."
"Back off," Gok growled, his pride refusing to crumble completely.
Kaelrin smirked but didn't push further. "Good luck climbing back up. Not that it'll matter with ??? around."
---
Back in the wilderness, Gok sat by a fire, staring at the Infinite Enchantment Book. He opened it, feeling a strange warmth radiate from its pages.
A single prompt appeared:
> Choose one item to enchant.
The problem was, he had nothing left. All he had were the rags on his back and a basic wooden sword he'd looted from a fallen goblin. Gok gritted his teeth. "Is this it? This is what I've been reduced to?"
But then, something stirred within him. A spark of the same recklessness that had earned him the title of "Madman."
"If I'm starting over, I'm doing it my way," he muttered. He pulled out the wooden sword and placed it on the ground. "Let's see how infinite you really are."
The book glowed brightly, its energy enveloping the sword. Words scrolled across his screen:
> Enchanting…
Success.
The wooden sword transformed. It gleamed with a radiant blue light, its crude shape replaced by an elegant design pulsing with raw power.
> Item: Infinite Blade
A weapon that evolves with its wielder. Potential: Unlimited.
Gok's lips curled into a grin. "Alright. Let's get back to work."
He rose to his feet, gripping the Infinite Blade tightly. He may have lost everything, but he wasn't done yet. If there was one thing the Madman knew how to do, it was climb.
His first goal was clear: find the Rank 0 player and take back what was his.
---