FADE IN:

EXT. BANG CHAN'S HOUSE – NIGHT

FINAL LEVEL. ACCEPT OR DECLINE. SWIPE TO CHOSE.

DAE WOO: Is this...is this the level?

Bang Chan nods. Y/n's face eases into a smile – He can finally get out.

Bang Chan's hand does not take long to reach the screen but it stops only millimeters away, he collects himself – Don't get too excited or you'll jinx it.

He swipes the screen. The 3 watch the screen load to new display - A Green Tick, with pure fascination.

The holographic screen shuts off. Bang Chan stares – What the hell?!

Y/n's forehead wrinkles – What was that?

BANG CHAN: Why did it switch off?

He taps his wristband. Nothing.

Y/N: It's not working?

Dae Woo pinches his nose bridge, sighing heavily, - Obviously.

BANG CHAN: It's not-

RUMBLE! The ground shakes. Dae Woo jumps like a petrified cat.

DAE WOO: Holy shit-What was that-An earthquake?!-

In a flash, they're thrown to their sides, falling to the ground, as if Earth was quickly tilted just for a second.

EXT. MT. EVEREST – AFTERNOON [CONT'D]

Dae Woo rubs his elbows, bruised from the fall. Bang Chan and Y/n, freeze looking up. The entire landscape has changed...

They're at the bottom of Mt. Everest! Dae Woo who was trying to get on his feet stumbles back recognizing the mountain, a little too late.

DAE WOO: What in the Mt. Everest aka my grave is happening?

Bang Chan and Y/n jump to their feet, studying their surroundings like pros.

Y/N: At least now we know the level has started.

Dae Woo losing his balance every time he looks at the mountain, turns away. A holographic screen pops in front of Bang Chan, Y/n steps closer to read it.

BANG CHAN [READING]: I need to free the Rendall Phoenix, caged up for 1500 years, to win this level.

Y/n's eyes narrow as she looks at the image of the Rendall Phoenix more closely. The creature is a beautiful rainbow tailed phoenix.

Y/N: Oh! That's on the logo of AU.

Dae Woo hovers for a moment, trying to see what they are doing. He wants to be part of the gang.

DAE WOO: Anything I can do? (Pause. No response) Hello?

BANG CHAN: No, thanks really.

Not one of the gang, Dae Woo slopes out. Bang Chan and Y/n exchange glances.

BANG CHAN: This is new to me.

Y/N: Me too.

Dae Woo trying to keep himself busy almost drops to the ground seeing flying creature hover above them.

DAE WOO: Woah! I think my appendix burst.

Y/n and Bang Chan look at the sky.

Y/N: Dragons? Here?

BANG CHAN: It wouldn't be fun without dragons, right?

DAE WOO: Technically speaking, those are not dragons... they're pterodactyls.

BANG CHAN: Dinosaurs?

DAE WOO: Not really but you can say they're close relatives.

Y/N: How do you know?

Dae Woo crosses his arms, confidently.

DAE WOO: Their wings, body structure, the noises they make, paying attention to documentaries-

Y/N: Ok we got it genius. Thanks.

She looks at Bang Chan who is focused on something else, he is starring at the higher part of the mountain.

DAE WOO: Is that a fricking castle on the freaking Everest!?

Y/n looks at the castle, covered in snow, right on the peak.

BANG CHAN: I bet my soul; that phoenix is in there.

Y/n nods in agreement. Pop!

An army of NPCs appear, many meters behind them, a very fair man, as fair as the snow around him, sits on a ginormous horse. He has ice for hair and so is his horse.

BANG CHAN: Oh him.

Y/N: You know this guy?

Bang Chan scrolls through his wristband.

BANG CHAN (Without looking up): Heard of him. They call him, ugh, White king or whatever.

He bites the insides of his cheek as Y/n keeps an eye on the army standing still waiting for the player to make the first move.

Y/N: What?

BANG CHAN: I don't have any weapon that fits his power levels.

DAE WOO: Wait, that guy's more powerful than you?

Bang Chan looks at Y/n, for advice.

Y/N: Are you sure you have nothing? Absolutely nothing.

She clearly has an idea.

BANG CHAN: Yeah, I- (Realises, gets excited) I do have something.

A tiny smile, shared between the two seasoned players. He scrolls through his wristband and boom; a battle tank appears. Dae Woo's jaw drops. His pointing finger darts from the tank to Bang Chan.

DAE WOO: Wha-How-You-Wha-daeba-I can't believe it! You got a tank!

Bang Chan dusts the imaginary dirt on his shoulder.

BANG CHAN: Let's go.

CUT TO:

INT. BATTLE TANK – CONT'D

Bang Chan works the fancy equipment as he draws down a periscope.

DAE WOO: Can I see-

Bang Chan hands it to Y/n to see. She takes a look. Dae Woo: crushed.

Y/N: This is going to be a piece of cake.

She pushes it to Dae Woo, making him beam.

BANG CHAN: Now for the-

He is interrupted by the canon ball fired by the army of NPCs.

The blast ROCKS the armored tank but doesn't cause any damage.

BANG CHAN: They think medieval canons can dent a 22nd century tank?!

The canons finally stop.

BANG CHAN: My turn.

He presses a button. An AIM-9 Sidewinder takes off from the tank.

Dae Woo is flabbergasted - You have air missiles on a battle tank?!

A huge explosion, consuming the better part of the army. Y/n smiles. It doesn't take long for Bang Chan to clear the field of the NPCs, who had no chance against the incoming flood of firepower.

The White King, now the only living NPC, is surprisingly very still and very calm. But Bang Chan doesn't aim at him.

DAE WOO: What're you doing?

Y/N: He's a king for a reason.

BANG CHAN: A missile isn't going to kill him.

Bang Chan stands. He taps his wristband; a sword pixelates in his hand.

BANG CHAN: Stay inside.

Y/N: Good luck.

Bang Chan nods, he climbs out.

CUT TO:

EXT. MT. EVEREST – CONT'D

Bang Chan jumps off the tank, the White King climbs down his horse. Both fighters wave their swords showing no form of emotion. They meet halfway, staring at each other, both observing every detail.

CUT TO:

INT. BATTLE TANK – CONT'D

Dae Woo and Y/n watch the scenes of the battel field on a small monitor.

DAE WOO: Why aren't they-Oh! They're starting!

Y/n watches completely focused on Bang Chan. – Don't die.

CUT TO:

EXT. MT. EVEREST – CONT'D

The White King lunges at Bang Chan with a lethal-looking blade. Bang Chan jumps back to avoid the blow. The clicks and clangs of the sords ring through the deserted mountain valley.

CUT TO:

INT. BATTLE TANK – CONT'D

Y/n is extremely worried. Dae Woo knows she's busy chanting prayers, unusual for someone who enjoys watching this.

DAE WOO: He's doing well, chill.

Y/n is too busy watching. Her eyebrows furrow noticing something odd.

CUT TO:

EXT. MT. EVEREST – CONT'D

The combat is fast, brutal and efficient, the steel blades clashing against each other in the sunlight. But after each clash, Bang Chan can feel himself getting weaker.

BANG CHAN [MUTTERS]: What's happening?

He tries keeping up with the king, who's strength is somehow growing every moment. Before he knows it, Bang Chan is thrown to the ground- SLASH! the king's sword cuts through his left arm.

CUT TO:

INT. BATTLE TANK – CONT'D

Y/n jumps to her feet, drawing her own sword, she stops seeing Bang Chan extend an arm as if signaling her to stay inside.

BANG CHAN [INTO COM]: Stay inside...

Y/n turns to exit anyways, Dae Woo stands blocking her path.

DAE WOO: Don't go.

Y/N: Move.

DAE WOO: He knows what he's doing.

Y/N: I know what I'm doing too, move.

Dae Woo doesn't budge.

Y/n bites the insides of her cheeks – What's going on?

She leans closer to the small monitor, her feet wanting to race out seeing Bang Chan take more hits and the snow around him getting dyed red with his blood.

Y/N: He'll die...Think... Think Y/n...What's the problem?

The more she watches, the more sense it makes to her. Her furrowed eyebrows slowly easing. CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! The sounds of their swords colliding, echo in her ears.

She presses her com.

Y/N [INTO COM]: It's the sword! It's the sword! It's sucking your strength and giving it to the holder!

CUT TO:

EXT. MT. EVEREST – CONT'D

Bang Chan doing his best to keep the King away presses his earpiece.

BANG CHAN [INTO COM]: I sort of...realized that... after getting slashed so many times.

He stabs the King's foot, quickly using his chance he slices the thigh and with it the anterior tibial artery. With enough damage done the King drops, his sword also falling out of his grip.

Y/n's races out the tank right when Bang Chan, stands, stabbing the King right in the heart with his own sword. He stares at the dead King. Badly injured, he falls to the ground.

Y/N: Bang Chan!

Y/n catches him before he lands hard on the snow. Dae Woo is right behind her.

DAE WOO: The cube! The cube! That glowing thingy you guys use.

Y/n starts to cry.

DAE WOO: Why are you crying? We can fix it.

Y/n presses on his wounds.

Y/N: We can't use those in the last level.

Dae Woo is crestfallen.

DAE WOO: What?

He looks up at the castle.

DAE WOO: Holy- How are we getting there?

He paces pondering as Y/n presses snow against Bang Chan's wounds.

The ground shakes again. Dread on everyone's face knowing what this means. They fall to their sides as Earth jerks to its side again.

EXT. HELL – NIGHT

By the time the ground is still again no one wants to see where they are. GROWWLLL! clearly behind them something or someone roars. Now they have an even better reason not to look.

Y/N: Come on...

She steels herself and looks over her shoulder, her face falling seeing 2 enormous creatures with horns, and blades that they definitely can't fight against, guarding a tall tower... taller than the Burj Khalifa. The castle and Mt. Everest nowhere in sight.

BANG CHAN: What the-

DAE WOO: We're not getting out, are we?

FADE OUT.