I have to save the world.
The thought echoed in Renan's head as he stared at his computer screen. But first, he needed to confirm he wasn't insane.
He opened his browser and searched for Nexarch Technologies.
In his previous life, they had appeared out of nowhere with impossible VRMMO technology and a mysterious source of funding. They were a front for those influenced by the Dark One's power. If they existed now, before Masteria Online's announcement, it would prove everything was real.
After some quick searches, he soon came across "Nexarch Technologies Announces Acquisition of Comedy Labs."
As soon as he saw it, his eyes went wide, and his hands trembled for a split moment.
It's real. It's all real.
Renan's face turned grim, but it wouldn't stop him from acting. Next, he needed to know if he was the only one who remembered. Renan switched to Nitro and pulled up his contacts, firing off messages to players he knew had survived until the end. Others who had broken free of the system and reached demigod status alongside him. One of these was a man called Ryan.
"Hey! It's Renan, aka Lumi from Masteria Online. Do you remember the game?"
While waiting for responses, he opened various old games he used to play and stripped all his accounts of all their valuables to sell. He needed $3,000 for a game pod, and he needed it fast.
Ding!
Ryan had replied. "Hey? You probably have the wrong guy, friend. Never heard of Masteria Online. I looked it up and found nothing."
Renan was taken aback. Ryan had been there at the end with him. He'd broken free, become a demigod, fought in the final battle. If anyone should remember, it was him.
"This is important. You really don't remember? You're not joking?"
"Yeah, not joking. Do you know me?"
The other messages trickled in with similar responses. No one remembered. No one but him.
He was the only regressor.
Renan leaned back, processing this. These players had made it to the end once before, just like him. He had originally theorized that only those who made it to the end retained his memories, but clearly this train of thought was wrong.
Despite that, the thought made him think. All these players were as good as, if not better than him. They had potential. He just needed to guide them to even greater heights.
He replied to Ryan. "Sorry, wrong person. Masteria Online is a new VRMMO coming out soon. I played with a Ryan in beta and thought it was you."
"That makes sense! Sounds interesting. Was it good?"
Renan smiled. Of course Ryan was interested. A fully immersive fantasy game where he could be an actual knight? It was his dream. That passion had driven him to greatness before.
Over the next few hours, Renan juggled conversations with multiple future elites. Some weren't interested. Others engaged briefly. But Ryan was hooked, asking question after question.
By the time the conversations wound down, Renan had made progress. He already had made ties with several important future people.
Renan then grabbed a garbage bag and started cleaning his disaster of a room. Organization wasn't just about cleanliness. Your environment shaped your mind. How could he save the world if he couldn't manage his own space?
As he began to work, old memories suddenly crashed through his mind.
BOOM!
"Go go go!"
Dozens of soldiers poured through the breach in the stone wall.
"Still in the throne room!" a robed mage shouted.
The golden commander raised his sword. "Whether we win or lose... FOR MASTERIA!"
"FOR MASTERIA!"
Pain pierced through Renan's skull. There were just too many memories. A black-robed elder mocking them. A traitor king transforming into a colossal beast. So many bodies. Forces of evil with power beyond human comprehension.
He gripped his head, forcing the memories down. Not now.
"Who's in the kitchen?" his mother Renatta called from her room.
"I am!"
She emerged, surprised to see him independently cleaning. "Finally came out, eh?" She paused, taking in his cleaning efforts. "You're actually cleaning?"
"I cleaned my room and did laundry too." Renan led her to see the results. Building trust was crucial. As of this point in time his identity was of a recent high school graduate without a job, demonstrating responsibility would earn him the freedom he needed.
Renatta stepped into his room, pride evident in her voice. "Oh my goodness... You actually did it! It looks fantastic, sweetheart."
"I'm also about to make over three thousand dollars," Renan added casually.
"What? From where?"
He pulled up his messages, showing her the price estimates. "Selling old game items to other players. There's a whole marketplace for it. I won't be playing anymore, so I'm cashing out. The real opportunity is the next game launching soon."
Renatta frowned. "Are you sure this isn't risky? Sounds like you want gaming as a career."
Renan understood her concern. Too many kids chased streaming dreams that led nowhere. "Don't worry. I've done proper research. And if it doesn't work out, I won't insist on a failing venture."
She nodded slowly. "Just promise you'll be realistic."
"Of course."
…
Over the next few days, Renan's preparations accelerated. His items sold quickly as he secured $3,646.34.
One of the steps in his plans involved him visiting his best friend Gabriel. It would serve multiple purposes, from getting a powerful friend and ally involved early, to training his own physical reflexes.
"You sure about this, Renan?" Gabriel adjusted his glasses nervously, eyeing Renan. His friend Renan wanted him to swing his wood blade at him?
"I'll tell you in a bit." Renan replied. "Just start light."
"Fine!" Gabriel swung a short, dull wooden blade he owned. In an instant, Renan moved. His body moved before he could even think, tilting in such a way that the stick flew by harmlessly.
"Whoa," Gabriel muttered. "How did you..."
Renan's heart pounded. His untrained body shouldn't have moved with such precision. That was muscle memory, yet his body shouldn't possess any yet. Yet even before the stick left Gabriel's hand, Renan felt a familiar sensation, a hyper-awareness, a split-second reading of trajectory and timing. His body had simply reacted.
But how?
Despite his doubts, Renan grinned at his friend, "See? Nothing to worry about."
Gabriel went silent for a bit, analyzing what had just happened. "I guess... Okay, let's try again."
He swung again, directly at Renan's kneecaps. Renan simply jumped.
"But how?" Gabriel whispered, under his breath. He had never known his friend to be like this. He knew well that Renan didn't take any sort of martial arts, heck, he didn't exercise. Where did these moves come from?
The barrage of attacks continued. With each swing, Renan's movements became more fluid despite his growing exhaustion. He was beyond pleased. He had worries that his combat experience wouldn't translate to the past, but it seemed it was doing so way beyond his expectations.
Gabriel began to notice. Renan wasn't just reacting to the swings once he started, but even his very movements as he prepared. "Hey! Bro, are you… reading my movements?"
Renan took a few seconds to catch his breath before he responded with an affirmation, "That's right. You tense your shoulders a certain way, your wrist shifts, your muscles tense, even how you plant your feet. These factors telegraph your attack."
Gabriel blinked. "You can see all that?" His face grew more serious, "Then let's see you dodge this!" He charged.
…
The training yard was quiet except for the rhythmic sound of wood slicing through air.
Gabriel lunged forward, his dull wooden blade slicing horizontally. Renan shifted his weight just enough to let it pass inches from his ribs.
"Better," Renan said, breath controlled.
Gabriel didn't respond, his eyes focused in concentration. Sweat beaded on his forehead, his stance lower and more grounded than it had been even ten minutes ago. Another swing came, a sharp diagonal cut. Renan ducked beneath it, feeling the displaced air brush his hair.
It wasn't just Renan who was benefitting. Gabriel's improvement was remarkable. This decorative blade he owned, once he began using it, his natural talent kicked in as he swiftly improved even without guidance. Each miss came closer, each angle cleaner. His natural talent was undeniable. It was the same gift that had made him excel in Masteria Online.
Another swing came. A feint followed by an upward strike. Renan barely twisted away.
"You're reading me now," he grunted.
Gabriel's footwork sharpened instinctively and he took another swing. Renan could no longer coast on experience alone, Gabriel was forcing him to work for every dodge.
As another thrust came perilously close, Renan exhaled sharply. Now this was what he wanted!
Only once they were done did Renan begin explaining.
Renan mixed truth with lies. "A new VRMMO is coming out soon. I beta tested it and developed some skills. I want to be a top player and sell rare items for real money."
"A VRMMO? Like Blade Performance Connected? There's no way!"
"Trust me. They'll advertise it in the coming weeks." Renan glanced at Gabriel's luxurious house. "The game pod costs three grand, but you can afford it."
Gabriel's excitement was palpable, and watching it, Renan realized something crucial. The playerbase would need to be managed and led. He couldn't leave thousands of players to fumble through Masteria blindly.
He needed to write comprehensive guides. Everything from level 1 to 199. Hidden mechanics. Optimal strategies. How to treat NPCs as real people… because they were.
And eventually, he'd have to reveal Masteria's greatest secret. That it wasn't a game at all.
Playing Masteria Online meant controlling an avatar that didn't truly belong to you. These avatars were the Dark One's creations. Players were merely training up bodies designed as future foot soldiers that the Dark One would eventually reclaim and command.
The avatars had limitations. They had a level 199 cap that prevented entering the demigod realm. The system itself was the Dark One's creation. Leveling, inventories, respawning, automatic skill casting. All of it was his design, and it wasn't benevolent.
But there were two saving graces.
First, the Dark One remained sealed, unable to reclaim control immediately.
Second, top players had discovered how to break free in his past life, casting away the system while fusing their existence with their Masteria avatar. It granted freedom from the Dark One's influence and removed the power cap, allowing entry into the demigod realm. The cost was severe. Losing all system benefits, including respawning. To players with no actual idea of how to cast a spell, it was tantamount to losing all skills.
"...Renan? Hey, Renan!" Gabriel poked his arm.
Renan sidestepped instinctively, then caught himself. "Sorry. Lost in thought."
"About what?"
"That VRMMO I mentioned. Being a top player isn't just about combat. I need to build influence. I need to lead a guild, create guides, and become someone people follow."
Gabriel's expression grew thoughtful. "You're right. Just being high level is meaningless without connections. I can use my channel to advertise us and turn us into public figures."
Renan had forgotten about Gabriel's moderately successful channel. In his past life, Gabriel's Masteria content hadn't performed well since everyone made videos about the game. But this time would be different.
Because I'm here.
"It's perfect." Renan extended his hand. "You handle the channel. I'll make sure my accomplishments bring viewers."
Gabriel shook it firmly. "Happy cooperation."
Over the following days, they trained relentlessly. Gabriel's improvement was remarkable. His wild swings evolved into precise strikes. His natural talent, the same gift that had made him excel in Masteria before, was undeniable.
Until that ship called "Darkness" invaded and killed him.
The memory hit Renan as he talked with Gabriel.
Last timeline, one day, without warning, the skies over a city had gone dark, with rifts tearing holes into reality. A giant black ship intruded upon Earth, with hundreds of thousands of mechanical soldiers descending.
Over half of humanity had perished in the weeks that followed.
Gabriel had died in some of the first moments.
"I'm so happy to see you, Gabriel."
Gabriel blinked. "What. I'm not... you aren't coming on to me, right?"
"What!?" Renan stared at him in disbelief. "I was talking about the game! What kind of thoughts are running through your head!?"
"Forget that nonsense." Renan shook his head, stabilizing himself.
This time, he'd save him. He'd save them all.
Several days later, it happened without warning.
Renan was refining his guides when the world exploded with advertisements. Every inch of the internet was abuzz about one thing.
Masteria Online.
The ads showcased giant, realistic open worlds, with a promise. "Enter a new reality. Your consciousness will enter a brand new world."
The release date was a mere week away.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
His Nitro exploded with messages. Everyone he'd mentioned the game to was losing their minds.
Gabriel's message came first. "Yooo! You were right! I already preordered! What class should I play!?"
Renan grinned and began typing. "I'm going mage. But I know a class perfect for you. It's called Eclipse Knight. Despite the name, it's bright like a warrior of light. The 'Eclipse' refers to later skills using sun and moon powers."
He explained how to obtain the class. "You'll need to take an airship to Herene, a floating island. It's home to Masteria's Empress and Princess. Join their knight order after passing an exam. Then, you'll be able to choose from a unique selection of five classes, with Eclipse Knight being one of them. I need to emphasize a key point, the NPCs are completely realistic. Act like a clown and they'll treat you like one."
"How realistic are we talking?"
"I found no difference between them and real people," Renan replied. "Every nuance matters. How you stand, what you look at, how long you stay somewhere. Treat it like reality."
"Wow. Looking forward to it!"
"See you in game in a week. I'll send you a guide soon."
Renan leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. His preparations were complete. Now there was merely one week until Masteria Online launched.
He steeled himself. He had to defeat the Dark One and prevent the apocalypse he'd witnessed.
This time, Earth would survive. He'd make sure of it.
No matter what.