The weapons, the supplies, and the people—everything was ready.

All that remained was to enter the Rift.

But as always, things in this world never go according to plan.

At the Paju Rift, our target destination, eruptions were still ongoing.

It wasn’t as bad as during the Nemesis-type invasion, but a considerable number of combat-class monsters were appearing daily near the Rift.

I saw no reason to take unnecessary risks.

It’s true I possess an ability that makes me undetectable to monsters, but if I get caught up in a skirmish, I could easily die from a stray bullet or shell.

Reliable rumors claimed the area was littered with unmanned surveillance devices equipped with lethal capabilities.

So, in order to fully assess the situation, I had no choice but to kill time on the internet. And to be honest, I’m not fond of the internet these days.

[Breaking News] Jeon Si-hoon defeats another wave of monsters!

The moment I opened a browser, Jeon Si-hoon’s name popped up in a massive headline.

It’s not that I dislike Jeon Si-hoon.

Sure, the guy shows signs of going off the rails, but it’s got nothing to do with me. And honestly, in this world, what harm is there in a powerful person rising above others?

Jeon Si-hoon has a favorable impression of me and is willing to cooperate.

If I asked, he’d probably let me into the Rift immediately.

I just don’t want to draw his attention. I don’t want to owe him anything. That’s why I keep biding my time, looking for an opening to slip in unnoticed.

But the internet’s a different story.

Search for the mythical name “Skelton,” and here’s what comes up:

Maesaengi: What’s Skelton even doing these days?

Yogurting: Skelton’s dead... right?

NutritionBarMichelin: In the end, Skelton was just a normie who showed up before Jeon Si-hoon entered the scene.

WandererStrawHat: I heard Skelton was a total bore back in the Water Rocket Viva! Apocalypse! era. That true?

ChocoMuffin: Skelton knows, doesn’t he... That as a non-Awakened, he can’t hold a candle to Jeon Si-hoon...

ReviveRedArchive: Who’s better—Skelton or Water Rocket?

DebtorKIMS: Skelton is Water Rocket-tier trash.

...

...

This is why I’ve been lurking silently in the Red Archive forums these days.

People are ruthless.

What’s so fun about dragging down famous people just to mock them?

I used to defend myself, but I couldn’t go against the tide forever.

Before I knew it, I—Skelton—had become a relic of a bygone age, a loser overshadowed by Jeon Si-hoon.

In short, I’m retired.

Well, it is what it is.

After all, it’s Jeon Si-hoon who’s actively clearing out monster hordes on the front lines and protecting Seoul.

But in the 21st century, there’s a new kind of bond that rivals school ties, blood ties, and regional ties.

Internet ties.

Foxgames: Skelton. Don’t you think the criticism against you’s gone too far lately?

Foxgames: I have an idea. :)

My internet nemesis, Foxgames, sent a proposal.

*

To be honest, I don’t really like Foxgames.

He’s got all the toxic traits of the elitist generation: petty capitalism, vanity, opportunism—he’s a walking relic of a different age that wouldn’t survive today.

But we’ve been through the same events on the same board at the same time.

We’ve had a few scuffles, sure—but what, you cut off a friend just because you threw a few punches in elementary school?

Lee Sang-hoon may have cut him off, but I’m not the type to hold a petty grudge like that.

The bond you make on the forum is as sticky and invisible as any childhood friendship.

It's true that Foxgames has a flashy résumé and embarrassingly poor actual skills.

His only asset is the massive trove of data he illegally stashed using his position and network connections.

Still, even people who hate Foxgames would admit one thing: the guy’s bursting with creative energy and relentless drive.

Foxgames: To be transparent about FoxNet’s ownership—10% government, 0% me.

Foxgames: Yeah, I sold it all off dirt cheap. I still have admin rights, but there’s a higher-tier government admin above me. You get what that means, right?

Foxgames: It might seem like a loss, but in today’s world, the fact that you can make a deal at all is a blessing. 100% off is the standard now, right?

When he says “100% off,” he’s talking about the usual situation—getting murdered by raiders and losing everything.

Honestly, if ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ you escape without being tortured, you’ve had a good death.

There’s a weird fantasy floating around about organ harvesting, but that’s not something just anyone can do. And even if you extract the organs—how do you preserve them? Re-transplant them? It’s a logistical nightmare.

If you’re a young woman, you might survive longer, but that’s a curse, not a blessing—no need to spell that out.

The important thing is—a deal was made.

Foxgames: I traded my assets and know-how in exchange for a few privileges.

Foxgames: Honestly, server management isn’t something I can handle alone. I don’t know how John Nae-non managed it, but I couldn’t. That kind of thing takes human power.

Foxgames: And for my new project, the sacrifice was worth it.

That new project? It’s what Foxgames has always loved and dedicated his life to.

Foxgames: I’m laying the foundation for a new era of gaming.

Foxgames: Guys seven or eight years older than me were Korea’s online gaming first generation.

Foxgames: I worked under them, but I always had regrets. If I’d been a few years older, had more capital, or studied in the U.S. with better connections, I could’ve been a legendary tycoon like them—or maybe even surpassed them. But with just a few years’ difference, they became legends, and I stayed a no-name employee.

Foxgames: I didn’t wish it on them, but all those older devs are dead now. That means it’s my turn. Yeah, I’ve got the sacred mission to rebuild Korea’s gaming foundation in this broken new world.

Foxgames revealed his grand vision.

I don’t like games, nor do I know much about them, so I invited a few observers. Foxgames agreed right away.

The attendees were:

Cheon Young-jae, a cult-favorite VTuber;

Hong Da-jeong, a veteran of internet subcultures;

And our public face, M9.

“M9.”

His face had gone gaunt.

He was already lean, but now his cheeks were hollowed out, making him look a decade older.

“What happened to you?”

M9 smiled widely and shook his head.

“It’s nothing.”

“Then why the face?”

“Homesickness.”

“Homesickness?”

“Yeah. I used to live in a tilted house. Now I live in one that’s not, and... I dunno. It triggered some anxiety, I guess?”

I knew it was nonsense, but he clearly didn’t want to talk, so I didn’t pry.

In a world like this, who doesn’t have their own fate-related worries?

I let it go and took a seat.

Today's meeting wasn’t in Room 803—it was in the government annex’s audiovisual room.

A Chinese beam projector whirred as it powered on, and Foxgames himself appeared on the screen.

“Hello, everyone.”

A camera flickered in front of the screen.

It was a live briefing.

FoxNet wouldn’t normally be fast enough for this, but Foxgames had used his admin privileges—still lower than the government's—to boost the traffic speed temporarily.

The resolution was poor due to limitations from Necropolis, the network FoxNet was built on, but we could still make out what he wanted to show us.

“Alright, we’ll start with a promo video made with borrowed A.I. tech. It’s set to go public later. Already cleared by the government.”

The screen changed.

[ :) ]

[ MAKE DREAM TRUE ]

[ FOX GAMING WORLD ]

Grandiose music played, and ambitious slogans flashed by. A series of game clips rolled past, like a rapid-fire montage.

It moved into previews of individual games: a multiplayer RPG, a casual puzzle game, 2D side-scrolling action—screens all too familiar.

Given the editing, it looked more like long-term planning than something launching soon.

But the real focus was the last game.

An FPS—first-person shooter.

Just a gun on screen, moving around a map, shooting enemies. A classic, traditional genre.

The graphics were low-spec, retro-styled like something from the early 2000s—fitting for a post-collapse world.

Upon seeing the screen, M9 muttered.

“This is Sudan Attack, isn’t it?”

“Sudan Attack?”

Of course I knew it.

How could I not?

Jang Ki-young played it.

He was surprisingly into games for someone with his image.

His ability to use Windows without a legit license probably came from all that gaming-computer knowledge.

He’d tried to apply shooter game tactics to real combat—like using bipedal drones to take down monsters, which sounded sci-fi at the time.

Sudan Attack was one of his favorites, alongside StarCraft. He once claimed it was developed during a military conflict between Sudan and the U.S., and became so popular that it helped shut down Korea’s pool hall industry.

Some kid with a passion for game history once argued that was wrong—but if Jang Ki-young had listened to that kind of advice, he probably would've lasted longer in power.

But here’s the issue.

The game itself isn’t bad.

It works under current internet conditions.

The problem is, the game Foxgames wants to release is exactly the same as one launched over 20 years ago.

Only the name has changed—from Sudan Attack to Fox Attack.

When the video ended, Foxgames’s shameless face reappeared on screen.

“As you all know, I’m planning to remake the classic Sudan Attack.”

More like steal it.

It’s like a 100% discount sale, apocalypse edition.

The original devs are dead and gone, so there’s no one left to sue.

Watching with a bored face, I spoke up.

“And what does this have to do with me?”

How’s this antique of a game supposed to reverse my image as a washed-up has-been?

I couldn't imagine.

“Ah, Skelton!”

Foxgames grinned with smug delight and pointed at the screen like he was calling my name.

“Easy. Easy. All things has its way.”

I stared at him with deadpan silence as he spouted broken English.

“Look at this.”

He switched the screen.

A T-posed character appeared—short hair, a stubby beard, wearing a sleeveless combat outfit. Probably Mexican.

“What the hell is this?”

Hong Da-jeong spoke up.

“That’s supposed to be Skelton?”

Following her words, I noticed the name written under the character in Korean.

[Skelton]

No mistake.

It said Skelton.

But the background was jungle-themed, and below that, the name “Steam-Ray” was scribbled in stylized lettering.

Meanwhile, the Korean name looked like it was awkwardly slapped on later in clean Gothic font.

Was this character’s original name Steam-Ray, not Skelton?

Next to him was a quote and a brief bio.

— “You know what? I like you. :)”

I tilted my head.

Did I ever say that?

Hong Da-jeong, who knew more about games than I did, jumped in.

“Hey. I know this. Foxgames!”

She called out.

“What is it, Defender’s sister?”

So they knew each other.

Well, Defender isn’t the old Defender anymore, and neither is Foxgames. Both are now closely tied to the new Seoul government.

They must’ve had interactions I didn’t know about.

“That guy—he’s from Sudan Attack 2, right?”

“Oh! You played it? I was a junior PD back then.”

Of course he spoke with that sweet, old-man voice.

“He’s from 2, right?”

Not knowing much about games, I asked M9 next to me.

“There was a sequel?”

“Yeah.”

He nodded.

“Lasted three months. Flopped fast.”

Meanwhile, Foxgames kept smiling sweetly as he answered Hong Da-jeong’s question.

“Yeah, the character was introduced in the sequel. But technically, he’s from the first game. We made him for an update, and he was so well-received we promoted him to main character in the second. So, yeah—he got sold off to the sequel.”

“Why’s that me, though?”

Now it was my turn.

There were too many things to object to.

The fact that he’s the protagonist of a game that tanked in three months. The weird catchphrase. The Mexican-looking face and aesthetic.

What part of this screams Skelton?

“He looks nothing like me. And I seriously doubt slapping my name on that will turn public opinion around.”

Foxgames snapped his fingers.

“Reasonable indication.”

What the hell is he on about?

“That’s a fair point, Skelton. Yeah—he doesn’t look like you. And it’s totally valid to question whether putting your name on that would change anything. It makes sense.”

“...”

“But.”

Foxgames smirked and pulled up a chart.

I had no idea what kind of chart it was.

Staring at it, he started speaking in his usual oily voice.

“What if we made this character... completely overpowered?”

Something sparked inside me.

“Overpowered...?”