The new game, EVR, was out.
Full-immersion VR technology wasn't new, but for some reason, this game achieved what no other could—it captivated every human on my planet, Zerion.
The reason was simple: it wasn't just a game.
We only learned the truth six months after the game's release.
We weren't players—we were soldiers sent to help a planet called Arte.
We could only "play" for 15 hours a day before logging out.
I was the best player even before we learned the game was real.
But after learning the truth, everything changed.
---
I watched my girlfriend, an "NPC," die in front of me on our way to save the planet.
Most of my friends also died.
But that didn't stop me. I became stronger. I killed all the enemies in my way, including the final boss, Kayden.
I got my revenge.
But it didn't help ease my pain.
In the end, EVR, the greatest existence balancing the universe, offered me a wish as a reward for defeating the final boss.
"You have defeated the last boss and saved Arte. Your one wish will be granted. Tell me what you desire."
"Send me back to the past with my current powers."
My wish was granted—almost entirely. I wanted to regress to a time before the "game" EVR was released, not as a player, but as a citizen of Arte.
I saw a strong white light, forcing me to close my eyes.
---
When I opened my eyes, I was in the middle of nowhere.
The first thing I did was look around.
I saw a river near me. So, I approached it.
In Zerion, I had lived a privileged life. My family was wealthy, I had many friends, and I was a skilled gamer—famous even, with a good face and a strong body.
The game, EVR, was launched when I was 22, and I was among the first to buy a Zeno capsule, the thing that allowed players to immerse themselves in the game world fully.
It took me 23 years to complete the game, and by then, I was 45.
Normally, with my in-game strength, I wouldn't have aged, but my real body in Zerion continued to grow older.
This time, things were different.
I didn't need to log out.
My body was no longer constrained by Zerion's reality, and thanks to my powers, I would remain fit and young.
As I looked into the river, a 15-year-old boy with white hair and red eyes stared back at me.
"So, I've regressed by 30 years."
EVR wouldn't launch for another seven years.
I made sure my age through the system.
Of course, I wouldn't be a 15-year-old boy forever. My body would develop into its prime, and only then would it stop aging more.
I realized that I could check the system and everything, but I had other things to do first.
I had gathered a lot of equipment in my past life.
The ones that hadn't been created by me or the ones that belonged to the others at this time, I couldn't take them to the past with me.
In the end, I couldn't bring even one piece of equipment since all of my equipment was stolen from my enemies.
Skills stolen from defeated foes were also missing.
But none of that mattered. My strength didn't rely on items or borrowed skills—it came from me.
My level, the abilities I myself created, and the accumulated system points had all been preserved.
---
After checking everything, I opened the map.
The system functioned like an advanced AI, capable of almost anything as long as I provided the necessary resources.
For example, I could sort my inventory by giving it instructions instead of using preset sorting options.
If I received a map, it could be uploaded to the system. This way, I could magnify a specific part of the map or see where I was on that map.
I had been to many places and uploaded many maps.
So, even though the printed maps couldn't be brought back, my uploaded maps had come with me.
Thanks to that, I pinpointed my location and began heading toward the nearest city: Harton.
Luckily, I needed to visit Harton for my first goal anyway.
"Where is she right now?" I wondered. "We're the same age, so she's also 15. She mentioned attending the academy, so she's probably there."
I checked the date on the system.
The academy wouldn't start for another three months, so I had time.
My first goal? Simple—kill the final boss right away.
The only difference between me in the past timeline and now was mere equipment and a few spells I wouldn't even use.
No, I could easily create the spells if I wanted, but it wasn't needed.
My first business would be preventing Arte's fall and EVR's launch in Zerion.
It was so easy that I could handle it within the hour, especially since Kayden, the last boss, wasn't even at half his strength yet.
But I wasn't in a hurry.
Being young again was everyone's dream, so I wanted to finish Kayden off right away to enjoy my youth.
However, I didn't need to hurry. I had all the time.
So, I would plan everything and wouldn't leave anything to chance.
I needed to follow a proper route.
---
That day, I went to Harton.
Arte was a medieval world, but it was supported by magic. So it couldn't be called behind Zerion.
In Arte lived legendary races like Elves, Dwarves, Fairies, Fhrems, etc, as well as Humans.
Of course, I came to Arte as a human.
"Zerion is my old world now, I hope my family won't mind."
Well, I knew for a fact that I didn't "leave" Zerion. It was like I wasn't ever born in there.
I didn't know how I knew those facts, like the things I couldn't bring back or what happened on Zerion, but it was probably granted as a part of my wish.
Approaching the city gates, two guards stopped me. I knew the drill: identification was required, along with a 2-copper entry fee.
Without ID, it cost 5 silvers—a steep price, enough to feed a family for two months. But letting someone with no identification was also dangerous.
I could have sneaked in easily, but I needed to establish a proper identity.
I also had money. Except for the money I found in the treasuries after killing my enemies, I brought all my money back.
And I was still rich even without that. So, I handed over 5 silvers and entered.
For now, this was a normal city since the enemy attack hadn't started yet.
It would start only after Kayden was strong enough, which was in five years.
Most of the towns close to the war would turn into ghost towns, hosting only soldiers and players.
They would also become the starting towns for the players.
But everything else was the same, so I knew the way around the city. I moved towards the city hall.
It was a grand building like a villa. There were a lot of people rushing here and there inside. It was a classic administrative building.
Inside, I approached the identification office.
"Hi, I need an ID," I said.
It was a weird thing to say since this wouldn't happen a lot. Everyone would get an ID after birth.
There were, of course, some cases like people not getting an ID since they were away from big cities.
The middle-aged clerk sitting behind the desk sighed heavily, clearly annoyed. "Where are you from?"
"I am coming from Zerion," I answered.
"Zerion? Where is that?"
"It is a village far from here. Not even in Ostines," I replied.
Ostines was the country Harton city belonged. In Arte, the whole world was divided into three big countries and some small ones.
They were at a standstill for years. They didn't fight, but they also weren't at peace.
Well, that was until the enemy attacked. Only then would they work together.
"Sigh..." He sighed again. It was a bothersome job for the man. "Fine. Fill out this form," he said, handing me a sheet.
It was obvious that in the man's eyes, I was a nuisance. But I didn't mind it. I would go my way after this anyway.
So, I filled out the form. It included basic information like name, age, family name, and class.
Ah, I forgot to mention. I had the best class. Wanna guess? No?
Of course, it is Mage!
The middle-aged man took the form and gave it to someone. A few minutes later, the other person called me in.
---
In a room behind the identification office, I was going to be questioned.
Of course, they wouldn't give an ID to anyone coming and asking for an ID.
They needed a background check, a detailed investigation, and questioning.
Well, that was what would happen normally.
Harton was a small city, and no one was at the level to catch me if I used a little bit of magic.
So, I manipulated the officer in front of me with magic into receiving imaginary documents I didn't give him.
I didn't even know what he saw, but it must be so important that he stood up and saluted me.
Then, he handled everything by himself.
A few minutes after I got out of the interrogation room, the man brought a card and gave it to the middle-aged man.
Even though the middle-aged man was shocked and scared that the ID that was supposed to be ready in a few weeks was ready in a few minutes, he still gave it to me.
"Here's your ID. Valid across all three nations. You will also use it in guilds and other things. That'll be 1 gold."
He wasn't as snarky as before, probably because he thought I was an important figure.
1 gold was a huge amount, but it was decided by my age.
Since I didn't create an ID for 15 years, it was more like a penalty.
For a newborn, it was only a few coppers.
In the end, I paid the gold without complaint, and I checked the ID.
Name: Colt
Family Name: *
Class: Mage
.
.
.
In this life, I would root out all the evil that caused the deaths of my loved ones and live a tranquil life in this world.
He took out a photo from his inventory. A photo of himself and his friends.
Four men and three women were smiling in it. But almost everyone there was dead in the past timeline.
Colt tore the photo and burned it.
That photo wasn't real anymore. He needed to make it real again.
For this goal, my next stop was the Adventurer's Guild.
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Note: If you didn't read my first book, I suggest checking the auxiliary chapter before reading the story.