*...Beep! …Beep! ...Beep!*
The monotonous beep of a vital organ monitor echoed throughout an all-white medical room outfitted with top-notch medical equipment as a man, seeming to be no older than their late twenties, rested in the bed with a sickly expression.
His skin was pale, and the state of his body was even worse. It seemed that entire body had atrophied after being confined to a bed for an unknown amount of time. Judging by his condition, it had to be a year at the very least!
Even though he appeared uncomfortable and seemingly wanted to be left alone, the man wasn't the only one in the room.
Aside from the bed-ridden man, there were five additional people―three men and two women―who sat around the bedside.
On top of the expression of pain on the man's face, he also seemed upset, which was understandable given the contents of their current talk.
Once upon a time, this withered man wasn't just another player behind a screen—he was one of the brightest stars in the entire gaming world.
A legend in Terra Online, he held a top spot in Golden Twilight, one of America's most elite guilds serving as one of their vice guild masters.
His skills were undeniable, but it wasn't just his gameplay that drew people in.
He was a streamer, and a damn good one and hat's where most of his income came from—viewers, fans, sponsors.
But fame never changed him. Just as he had always done since he was just a small streamer, he used his influence for good.
He donated to orphanages. He funded scholarships. He helped people—not because it made him look good, but because he believed it was the right thing to do. That goodwill built a loyal following, and in turn, opened doors to even more sponsorships and partnerships.
His popularity brought in talent, too. Golden Twilight attracted some of the best players around, not because he demanded anything from them, but because they wanted to play alongside someone they respected, which elevated his guild to their current position.
The guild wars there weren't just competitive—they were cutthroat, over-the-top, almost ridiculous in how fierce they got. The scramble for land, resources, and power inside the game reached a point where some said it was more intense—and more profitable—than chasing the same things in real life. At one point, the hype around it made even all six GYATTs combined seem tame.
(A.N: This world version of GTA 😂 😂 😂)
These people around him included his best friend who was also the guild master, His best friend's fiancée who also happened to be his friend.
Still, the man's expression remained sour.
"Your visits are becoming more frequent." He said slowly before pausing to rest.
"I thought I had given my answer on the matter already."
Another pause followed. "Like I promised 10 million Dollars will go to you guys while 60 million Dollars would go to different orphanages and charities."
Due to his weakened condition, he took very long to complete a sentence causing all five people in the room to frown, but that wasn't the only reason.
This sick fool held an enormous fortune now because of many accolades and the ludicrous expansion of the gaming industry after Terra Online's rise to global fame but insisted on giving the bulk of it to charity.
"Let's not be hasty, Elijah. There is no need for you to make such a rash decision. Let's revisit the idea of having all those funds circulate back into the guild to strengthen ourself after you pass. We still need to compete against those other nine and without you we basically have one of our hands crippled," a composed man with blonde hair and brown eyes said.
While trying to reason with Elijah, the man lightly tapped the bridge of his glasses against his nose, indicating some slight annoyance.
The others surrounding the bed nodded in agreement. Everyone present were high-ranking guild members themselves.
Although Elijah wasn't a founding member of the guild, his skill and contribution helped him acquire a good percentage of the guild shares almost twice the other two vice-guild masters and could be even more if he was greedy.
Despite their insistence, Elijah remained adamant about his decision. If not for his sickness, he would still be in the guild and the guild's foundation could have continue to grow even stronger.
"No, my decision is final. The guild has enough. What more could you want?"
However, the room's atmosphere changed once everyone closed their eyes and exhaled disappointedly before revealing cold and discontented expressions.
"We've heard your intensions, but it's pointless now that you can't even move and will soon die, I mean at most you have 3 days to a week. We've already arranged the lawyers and found a bypass clause that we can enact. After all, I'm sure any doctor would deem you unfit to make a decision regarding your wealth. I mean the guild does own this hospital, don't we?" the man revealed.
"Indeed, they have no other choice, or we could sue them to death?" One of the other men said.
After listening to the others talk and murmur amongst themselves, Elijah's expression grew dissatisfied. "Oh… So… in other words… my words are air, and if you so will it, you can take everything without even asking?"
"Yes, that is what I'm saying. Because of the contract you signed, we have the right of ownership. It was us who gave you your future and path to success. Don't feel wronged, old friend. We helped you to grow to this height, so it's only fitting that you pay back the favour."
However, instead of becoming angrier, Elijah chuckled softly for a long time before slowly panning his gaze toward the speaker. "Old friend… Leaned upon you… Charles, don't forget who sought out the other… I could have very well succeeded without the Golden Brigade."
"Right or wrong we will never know. But I still have to thank you for your help in growing this fast." Charles answered.
"Tch… either way… your interest was always in money and never the game like you claimed... If I knew it would turn out like this… I would have rejected your offer and either joined another guild or even created my own," Elijah said with an icy gaze.
"Correct. You could have... but that's also why we all voted upon this once you told us about the symptoms of your illness. Your headstrong attitude was always a concern. How long could we control you if you recovered? That simply was not a variable we were willing to account for," Charles said with a sigh that soon turned into a conniving smirk.
'Recovered?'
Elijah frowned although with the illness his face was scrunched up in a ugly way, he grew silent momentarily while giving Charles a deathly stare.
There was something wrong with the way Charles worded his statement.
Elijah never made his condition public.
When he first fell ill, he only informed the high-ranking members of the guild. At Charles's insistence, he came in for a medical evaluation.
That was when he was told he had a terminal illness with no cure.
Elijah, struggling to process the news, eventually found the strength to ask, "What do you mean?"
Charles chuckled, the sound cold and dismissive. "Do you really think you have Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis? If you did, you wouldn't even be able to talk by now."
Then, more bluntly: "What you actually have is Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Probably from touching those dirty kids you enjoy helping so much."
Elijah's eyes widened in shock.
He'd been fooled.
Back when Charles convinced him to get tested, Elijah had trusted the diagnosis.
He'd done his own research on ALS, even consulted a few other doctors over the phone, but they all said the same thing — it was incurable. So, he accepted it. And he chose to spend the rest of his time doing what he loved.
But now… it turned out the diagnosis was a lie.
"You sentenced me to death and you have the gall to smile in my face as if we're friends?... Cough… Cough… We were never friends and never will be… You always knew you were inferior, a second-rate player with no talent whatsoever."
"And yet... I'm the one who'll be alive. Not you," Charles smiled, ignoring Elijah's insults.
"Keep telling yourself that to feel good… when the only way for you to win was to kill me even though I wasn't even in a competition with you… such a failure… I can see why your father calls you a failure." Elijah chuckled slowly.
He could see that the last part about his father hurt Charles a lot, so he doubled down.
"As for you Jean although I knew you were a gold digger… I didn't expect you to stoop so low…" Elijah said as he shifted his eyes to Jean, Charles' fiancée.
"I am very sorry, I wished it didn't have to come to this but how can you as a vice guild leader command more power in the guild more than all of us combined, I hope you can see how that put us in a bad position."
Elijah stared at her for a few seconds before turning to Charles, "Your father didn't approve of her, did he? I guess I can see the reason… you do make very bad choices little Charlie."
"You bas—"
Charles caught himself, forcing the words back down. A small smile crept across his face as he slowly rose to his feet.
"I guess you should take some comfort in knowing you were the reason this plan worked," he said, voice calm but laced with mockery.
"After all, it was because of you the guild even has a hospital. And you were more than happy to be admitted here — all to prove that the healthcare was so good, even the vice guild leader trusted it."
He paused, gaze cold.
"Enjoy your last few days, burdened with that knowledge."
With that, Charles and his group turned and walked out, leaving Elijah alone in the room.