Somewhere in the Minerva Star System…
Inside a floating city in one of the relaxation planets of the Nak State, a certain couple were on vacation in a luxurious villa as they cuddled on the bed while watching a popular sitcom that was stealing the limelight recently.
"Babe, do you think Arthur will end up with Martha?"
The man tilted his head in thought. "Umm…, their love triangle is complicated, I think…" He paused in shock.
Bzzz!
The scene in the television changed!
It was no longer showing the popular love triangle sitcom mixed with a lot of comedy, now, what seemed like a roaring head of a lion showed on the screen.
This Lion head was not normal, it felt dangerous, ominous.
Clearly, it was not real, it seemed to be the symbol of whatever this was.
"Babe, what is this?" The woman complained. "I can't believe you're still thinking of saving on money during our vacation".
"Is the subscription already over? I thought…" She paused in shock.
The next moment, the scene in the television changed again, it was no longer showing just a symbol, it was now showing an individual. No, a beast.
The couple stared with wide eyes filled with terror.
Despite it not being direct and being filtered through a screen, they felt like this beast was staring at their soul!
They felt an unprecedented pressure from sheer power pressing against their chest, almost suffocating them as they were forced to focus on it.
He finally spoke. "I am…"
…
A popular beach in the Minerva Star System exclusive for the rich…
This beach was full like usual. The technological innovations made beach parties much more enjoyable, children could be seen jumping around, playing on the water while their parents, some joined while others simply relaxed.
While they sun-bathed, they were surprised as something suddenly appeared above the ocean, it was a gigantic virtual projection.
The first thing to appear was the symbol, the giant roaring Lion head.
Then the real projection followed.
They were all petrified in shock.
A deep voice reverberated. "I am…"
…
Planet Earth…
-----
Version 3 Update Complete…
Updating Version 3 information…, please wait…
All Systems Successfully Updated!
…
Version 3 launch has been scheduled
Countdown till Version 3 launch: 10…, 9…, 8…
Countdown Complete
[Version 3: The Beast Coalition!]
----
The hype for Dominator already grew more than an ordinary hype for a virtual reality game, it already transcended that and was now a religion.
To a lot of the players, Dominator was already their lifestyle.
The update for Version 3 this time took 3 freaking months!
The players felt that they would already be dead from old age by the time that the update was finally done, they were more than hyped to play the new version after the incredible stunts pulled by the Army Commander in Version 2.
The Cataclysm showed a glimpse about the limits of Dominator's potential, and that glimpse already established it as the greatest VR game ever.
Its realism was on a whole other level, everything was 10 stars.
And unlike the update to version 2 that in-game went through a period of 5 years, the update between version 2 and version 3 this time was much longer.
The players would be returning to the game to see a Nightmare Army and mercenary group 50 years into the future than their last time in the game.
They were hyped to see everything.
'Is the Army Commander still the same?'
'Did he already become like those old monsters in cultivation novels?'
'Is the Nightmare Mercenary already a massive galactic power in space?'
'How much have we missed? Damn, I'm dying to see it all!'
'Besides, the leak said the new version is called the Beast Coalition and it's the first version where players from multiple beginner planets will really finally meet up in the game'.
'By now, we would finally become galactic warriors'.
'Damn, the Beast Coalition, the name does not sound as badass as the Cataclysm to me but I can't wait to see what it offers'.
Like this, riding the wave of the hype, a record number of even more new players entered the game for the first time following this update.
Like usual, they would not have to go all the way to start the storylines of Version 1 since it would not be realistic that way, they would skip everything and directly start from Version 3's storyline.
After the 10-minute countdown, they all logged into the game.
[Character Name: Crazy Drunk Adventurer99]
Regular Settings Selected
Character Creation Complete
Race: Skyrim
Based on your preferences, you have been matched to Planet Austere
Starting Zone: Skyrim King District 12
Spawning…, Please wait…
[Welcome to Planet Austere brave adventurer.]
[Version 3 Theme: The Beast Coalition!]
[You have received your beginner Grade F Mission: Watch the broadcast of the Beast Coalition from the Beast King!]
[Mission Rewards: 1,000 Experience points]
…
[You have received an optional Grade D Mission: History]
[Mission Details: Becoming a player from Version 3 have made you skip a lot of stories and adventures. Through a special dungeon crystal, jump back into the story of Version 1 and Version 2 to complete all the exciting adventures and the storyline.]
[Mission Reward: 1,000,000 Experience Points and 1 Mission Completion Card!]
…
As soon as this excited player entered the game, he was not given the chance to admire his surroundings and the realism of this world.
Bzzz!
[You have been affected by a Supreme Talent: Beast- The Greatest Showman!]
[For the duration of this broadcast, you will be entirely focused on what the beast is saying while fully believing in what he is saying!]
[After the broadcast, there is a low chance of being indoctrinated into the gospel of the Beast King!]
This player's attention was entirely focused on the virtual projection.
He already forgot himself, he already forgot who he was and why he was here, all his attention was now thoroughly focused on this beast.
Across the Minerva Star System, this same broadcast shown.
Somehow, these beasts were able to hijack every electronic device, from phones, to military defense bases, even those of the Nak State and the Ackermann State, virtual projections made sure that it reached every nook and cranny.
"I am Duhkha, the embodiment of Beast suffering…, the Beast King".
Silence swept across an entire star system as all eyes, both young, middle-aged, and old focused on this single beast.
The Beast King was a mutated Lion, a Demonic Lion.
His skin was black with red strips like magma from a volcano flowing through it. His mane was huge and flowing like a forest, and it was red with slight shades of yellow going through it, he seemed demonic through and through.
He had a weird physique that could make him stand up like a bear.
At this moment, this huge beast was sitting on a throne.
"My name, Duhkha means suffering, unhappiness…" He paused. "Pain!"
"When I was a cub, I grew up in a beast reserve with my family".
"We lived as tourist beasts, a life I didn't enjoy but I could live with…" He paused again. "That was until our Demon Race owners thought we were no longer entertaining enough for their satisfaction".
"The day that they thought that, my whole family died, except me".
"I can remember his scrutinizing eyes going over my body like he was appraising a common commodity". The Demonic Lion smirked.
"I can never forget his words…, this one seems talented, he'd surely do well in the beast arena, he may even fetch us some cash".
"That day, my whole life changed, I was dumped in the beast arena".
"I was thrown into a chaotic prison where traumatized beasts like me were indoctrinated into slaughtering each other as brutally as possible". He smirked. "For what?"
His voice lowered dangerously. "For the entertainment of the onlookers".
"I killed 10 beasts in desperation, earning my owners 11,000 Galactic Credits until I was brutally mauled by a beast more powerful than I am".
"At the gate of death, I felt tired, angry, I felt frustrated".
"I didn't die though, hehe…" He grinned again. "Here I am".
"An old dying Mandrill saved me with magic, I can still remember his dying words vividly like it was just yesterday".
"He told me…, this is the life of a beast".
"You know what I felt when he died?" He smirked, then from a smirk it turned into a grin before finally turning into an angry frown.
"I FELT ANGRY!" He rose up from his throne as power exploded!
Billions of souls shook in shock as they watched, millions fainted.
He laughed like a mad Lion. "That was when I knew it, I finally understood the world that I was born in but I did not succumb to it".
"That day, I birthed my ambition to become the liberator".
"I vowed to become the Beast King that will liberate beasts from this life".
He glared into the screen. "We've been planning for centuries, now we are ready, we are called the Beast Coalition".
"All I want is the release of every beast in slavery".
His eyes narrowed. "It's not a request, it's an order".
He smirked again. "I know how stubborn the so-called sentient races can be, I have a package ready for you though".
"In 2 minutes, it will start".
"Nothing can stop it, only the birth of the Beast Empire can stop it".
"The Minerva Star System is just the start, the Universe is my end goal, not even the Universal Civilizations can stop me, I shall liberate every single beast that is living in slavery!"
"With my Beast Priests, I shall storm all sentient life with misery!"
"I shall give you all a taste of your own medicine!"
"Even in death, my gospel cannot be stopped!"
"It will only become stronger and more widespread!" He grinned. "Duhkha is not a beast; it is a symbol".
"You can kill a beast to eradicate a problem from the roots".
He grinned. "But you can't kill a symbol".
He spread his wide powerful arms. "A symbol is immortal".
"A symbol is forever".
He inclined his head to look at something. "Your time is up".
"Welcome to the era of the Beast Coalition!"
On this day, the Minerva Star System experienced a change.
It started!
Updat𝓮d from freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.co(m)