"That was epic!" I announced to the silent corner office.

  Seated in my wonderful ergonomic chair, I leaned back, unable to wipe a grin off my face. I was enjoying myself; this new playthrough was exactly what I needed. Back to the basics, good old adventure and mystery. Being part of a team, a party. That is what I needed. I had spent way too much time in the Imperial sector, fighting as a wizard mercenary, jumping from planet to planet fighting in petty galactic wars. I will admit, though, the Imperial Guard playthrough was pretty cool. They totally reminded me of Wizard Custodes.

  "For the Empress!" I thrust a fist in the air, recalling those glorious days.

  However, they grew stale over time; it was just glory and battle. Fighting for the fate of worlds and empires. I smiled genuinely, recalling my most recent adventure. And it was an adventure, no doubt. True dungeon crawling fashion or temple crawling to be more exact. Back to the early days of being weirdo adventurers stumbling through some ruin or dungeon with nothing but a class and a group of friends.

  "Those were the days of old, when steel and spell met true resolve." I muttered the old poem.

  My jubilation met a sudden halt as my eyes locked onto the framed picture to my right, nestled on the corner of my desk. Maintained by divine power, the weather of countless millennia hadn't exacted its toll. Instead, it remained pristine and perfect, encapsulating the eternity of our existence as gods. And yet, to gaze upon it only instilled sorrow and longing. The desire for a past lost in the ever-march of time and progress. An elder day of new beginnings and hope. Yes, even the gods hope and dream.

  "What happened to us?" I whispered as the faces of every figure in that photo came to life.

  Captured perfectly in the frame were five humanoid figures, shoulder to shoulder with wide-brimmed smiles. They were not all the same race, but when you can swap out avatars like changing clothes, form was never an issue. To the far left was a female elf of immaculate divine beauty, with dark skin, pointed ears that would make Tolkien elves blush. Long, flowing red hair that I remembered she spelled to stay perfect. Dressed in the typical attire of a stereotypical witch — pointed conical hat and a robe covered in runes. Clutched in her left hand was a simple wooden wand.

  "Andreas, you look like Hermione." I couldn't help but stifle a laugh.

  Once I calmed down, I looked to Araman, the tall and well-muscled man standing beside her. Arms crossed, wearing a simple orange gi, funnily enough minus the hair, he looked just like Goku before Goku even existed. I remember how excited he was to find Dragon Ball Z. He even wore his hair like that for a few playthroughs in honour of Akira Toriyama. He mourned the passing of that mortal.

  "He even modeled some of the Qi class systems from that anime. True fanboy, despite being ancient."

  Eyes lingered across me, standing in the centre, wearing the typical garb of a fighter, sword at my side, shield at my back and leathery armour. I had typical black hair and a tan complexion. I never cared much about physical appearance. It was the gear that I loved, the look of steel plate armour and a great sword. But back then I was into the leather armour look. Glancing to the side, I found a peculiar-looking creature, a giant insectoid with a green staff and leaf-bound robes. Hive always enjoyed the Druid class, and non-human races were his style. Made sense since he was a hive mind. And finally, the picture of feminine grace and purity. Dressed in cleric's attire, glowing like the sun was Physia. She tended towards paladins, priests and clerics. Which was funny since she was a goddess of life. Physia had a penchant for the celestial races, and so the glowing eyes and azure skin gave it away; she wasn't entirely human.

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  They were my friends, my comrades in arms; they still are; we haven't lost touch. We met up every once in a while. But we don't game anymore; every playthrough I have done so far has been a solo venture. Only now that I was part of a team, they were mortals to be sure. However, it felt like the old days. I casually wondered if my desk could use a new photograph, perhaps I could use my new avatar to broach the subject with them.

  "Having fun with mortals, many gods would look down on me. But I am Ludus, the God of Games. I was there when the Romans erected the first Colosseum. Swung the first sword and achieved the first victory." I mused about the glory days.

  The Roman gods knew me back then, but mortals didn't know me well, and I was never as showy as my peers. Still, I left my mark and my name. Shaking my head, I left those memories in the past. And focused on the present, specifically my computer and a new email.

  "Ah, my avatar program." I said aloud.

  This was something I suggested as a retirement package for the ex-employees. Offering them a new life on any of our gaming worlds. It was a novel idea, and I pushed it to get approved as soon as the board started this whole downsizing fiasco. I hope the ex-employees would lead fulfilling lives. On a world of adventure.

  "What's this?" I muttered, eyeing another email.

  It was a message from clerk resources, an unusual request seeking approval. In reading over the document, I couldn't help but chuckle. It was a request to be sent to Grimgard, specifically to a local dungeon. I looked up the requester and checked his submission. He and a group of three others were all requesting monster races.

  "What do they want to be — dungeon lords? It was possible; there were a few free dungeons near..." I trailed off with a wide grin, "Stryga."

  And just like that, I had a brilliant idea. Quickly, I approved their request but added a stipulation that their spawn point must be within Stryga. I emailed quickly after composing it. Leaning back in my chair, I marvelled at my genius. I truly was the smartest god in the universe. Well, not as smart as Andy, but she is just smart in magic, not brilliant in gaming.

  "This is the GamerVerse, a realm of play. Here I rule all I survey!" I gestured to the room as if it were the universe itself.

  With a thought, the office vanished, and I was floating in space at the centre of our universe. At the heart of creation, I stood proudly. No doubt from an outside viewer, I was a middle-aged guy in a suit, standing at the centre of all things. Around me was less of a place and more of a convergence. Around me, spacetime folded like a million veils. Nebulae pulsed in colours unseen by mortals. Darkness, a hole in reality that birthed all, occupied the centre of this maelstrom. A true realm of utter possibilities.

  I stood there in the centre of it all and surveyed the universe. It extended like tendrils stretched across galaxies. I could see so much if I bothered to look. I see things mortals wouldn't believe. Fleets of mana-empowered tower ships crossing oceans of darkness to fall upon an enemy world. Mages stuck in their palaces desperately trying to reach power beyond their feeble planet. Worlds so stuck in primitive eras and others advancing steadily towards unity. So many worlds and yet a single one was all I saw.

  A tiny drop in the infinite possibilities that enraptured the attention of a god. Little Grimgard, already in the new era of the system and yet wholly unaware of the appreciable change. Sensing the rise of the System AI as many of my children spread across the universe. And one was about to wake up. I truly had mixed feelings about this endeavour. Downsizing the company, getting rid of so many loyal employees in favour of efficiency. I wondered where this entire project would end up.

  Would we keep removing everything until efficiency standards were so high that everything was perfect? What would happen to all the mortal creatures we cast aside in the pursuit of such a goal? The answers eluded even me. Perhaps I should query a certain reclusive god with the power to see the future. However, he was busy right now, so I didn't want to disturb him. Besides, he only sees possible futures, not what is. Pretty close most of the time.

  I tried to speak, forgetting you need an atmosphere to do so. Shrugging, I returned to my office with a thought. The darkness gave way to a simple desk and computer. In a way, this was my home, despite my incessant desire to travel the universe. I sensed the world of Grimgard and smiled.

  "Oh, this is going to be fun." I said just as I willed myself to return to my avatar.

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