My wife who comes from a wealthy family - Chapter 44 - 45: Poisoned Wine Incident

In the vast and grand universe, myriad treasures and artifacts existed, some crafted by the Grand Dao of the universe itself, while countless others paled in comparison to the might of those created by the Grand Dao.Yet, amidst the cosmic expanse, one individual achieved the extraordinary feat of fashioning a treasure on par with those birthed by the Grand Dao.This creator wasn't mortal, nor an immortal cultivator who had ascended to the pinnacle of power.Neither inherently good nor bad, this enigmatic figure stood as the genesis of countless races—a shattered being unlike any ever witnessed.Known by many names, the most prominent being the 'Son of the Universe'.Born directly from the Grand Dao of the universe, he was not the first entity to be brought forth in such a manner.The universe had previously given rise to beings governed by the System of Reality—known by various titles such as Heavenly Daos or World Trees—acting as gods of creation for innumerable planets across the universe.These divine entities, also referred to as the 'Daughters of the Universe', were exclusively female, with no sons among them.However, the Grand Dao of the universe defied this established norm, birthing a Son and thereby breaking the rules of the System of Reality.The treasure forged by the 'Son of the Universe' was lost to time, only to reappear fortuitously in an alley on a fateful night.On that particular night, a young man named Sam Hailstorm stumbled upon this extraordinary artifact, forever altering the course of his life.As for why the Grand Dao birthed such an unimaginable being, why this treasure found its way to Sam, and the purpose behind the Son of the Universe creating such a powerful artifact, join Sam on his journey of discovery as he unravels the truths and destinies that lie ahead.

The smell of blood invaded my nostrils. I watched helplessly as the woman standing over me raised her sword. I was completely drained, I had no mana left, no items, nothing. As the crimson tendrils held me down by my arms and legs, all I could do was wait for my death.

As the sword drew near, I felt the last bit of courage I had disappear. I was going to die. Alone. In this god forsaken place filled with evil. And for what? To protect those ‘friends’? The same people who mocked me, took advantage of, and used me?

Oh, who am I trying to fool? I was here only because of my own greed. Because I wanted to be useful to someone. Because I wanted to that group to need me. To value me. To have a reason to keep me around. How naïve I was, thinking that power would grant those wishes. All it did was help build a wall between me and everyone else.

The sword approached. I saw the purple light reflect off the sword’s blade. After everything I went through, I hadn’t expected my death to be by the hands of another player. I saw her smile, but this time I didn’t think it was beautiful. It was an ugly smile because it was genuine. She was enjoying watching me die. She was enjoying killing me.

The sword struck my chest and pierced my heart. I let out a scream of pain and agony. The pain was so real, all of this was so real. It shouldn’t be, but it was. What should have been a simple game had become my new reality – all of our new reality. A reality filled with magic, war, blood, and death.

My vision darkened as the pain slowly faded. I felt the last of my vitality leave my body. It felt cold. I wondered to myself, when would I stop being? When would my thoughts disappear?

Soon, I saw those words I feared for all this time appear before me. “DEATH”, in the pale blue font the game always used. They remained suspended in the air for several seconds. It was over. After a long time of fighting, grinding, and exploring, it was finally over. I had died. This was the end of my story.

Suddenly, words before me shifted and changed into something different. I took a shallow breath as I heard a faint heartbeat.

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