Chapter 1 - Starting Over (?)
"Uh, um..."
A certain black haired stood in front of the registration desk with a terrified look on his face. The young receptionist looked back at this nervous newcomer and offered a smile that was supposed to be reassuring but didn't quite make it there.
"Welcome... You are dead." The receptionist was calm as she spoke, and his eyes were wide open in surprise. "Yes... I know you're new here. Welcome to the world of Aincrad! Do you want to register?"
"Hold up!" The boy's voice trembled. "I'm not dead—you've made a mistake!"
The receptionist let out an exasperated sigh before giving him her best attempt at a comforting smile. After all, he had said something very odd indeed.
"Nope, you are Gazei Cadmus Xiaolong. Please wait over there for a moment." She pointed to an empty seat next to her desk. "You will have plenty of time to get used to being dead later; please relax for now."
"How can I relax!? I'm dead! How the hell do I fuckin' die!?!" Gazei's face twisted into a grimace. He was already pale from fear, but even more so after hearing what the girl had told him. It was true: he was dead. In fact, if anyone else heard him say it aloud, they would think he'd gone crazy. But since the room was marbled white and the background showed fucking space, made him NOT to call her on her bullshit.
"Well, according to your file." The girl continued, "You died about six hours ago when you fell off a cliff while running through the forest with some friends. And then you were brought here by a mysterious force. Aka, my boss..."
"What the fuck is this place!?"
Gazei was no longer able to keep it together and began to panic. His legs started shaking, and his hands were trembling uncontrollably. He knew he had only been alive for twenty five years, but he couldn't believe that he had died before he could sleep with the hot wife next door with the weak husband. She was hot and slutty.
Worse, he couldn't finish Infamous Online the way he wanted to. He remembers how much time and effort he put into that damn game.
He was the caption of Dragon's Claw, one of Los Angeles' most popular guilds and top gaming workshops. He was the owner of a legendary sword, the Sacred Sword of Light. He had lived a comfortable life in a wonderful world. However, all good things come to end because of shitty bosses.
Ten years he had spent in gaming. Ten years of gaming, ten years of fun, ten years of success. For ten years, he'd fought in blood-soaked battles. The graphics and realism were crazy. But suddenly, everything was taken away.
He experienced countless trials and tribulations on the journey. Not all of them were bad. There were many experiences that made him glad to be alive.
Under his leadership, Dragon's Claw had successfully established thirteen city-states in {Infamous Online}. A DMMO-RPG (Dive Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) developed by the leading gaming company in the world. They were known as the Seven Kings of Death.
Infamous as the game was, its degree of customization and matter of choices made Infamous Online the most successful DMMORPG ever created. It was a game of exploration, and so many things were mysteries left unknown for players to discover on their own or in groups. Players could select from four races, five jobs, and various access tools, allowing for customization in the game. In Infamous Online, the maximum level a player can reach is 100. The game has two types of levels, Racial and Class levels.
At the start, he joined Dragon's Claw as a grunt and adventurer, but after several years he became the guild's captain leader can join many raids. As a result of their success, Dragon's Claw became the second largest guild in the game, surpassing the likes of the great guild, The Immortals.
However, before he could enjoy the fruits of all that hard labour, a single document had turned everything into a nightmare.
Gazei Cadmus Xiaolong, a mixture of a black South African dad and a Chinese-Korean woman thought his ten years of effort would just go to waste!
He sacrificed so much of his time and dealt with massive levels of political bullshit, and yet, all he was passed the way for lazy ass fuckers to come in end and reap the rewards away from him. All because The leaders of the Dragon's Claw and the gaming workshop he worked at fired him because he opposed the decision for Dragon's Claw to join the super-guild, Orge Loincloth
Gazei couldn't understand why the Dragon's Claw leaders decided to join forces with the perverts. He thought that the Orge Loincloth were a bunch of greedy bastards who only cared about money. That they have massive reports of sexual harassment towards female players.
And Dragon's Claw was well known for its strict rules and regulations. They even have a zero-tolerance policy against that kind of poeple. But the leader of Dragon's Claw, Ghidorah, made the decision to join them.
It wasn't even a day later when Ironclad Finacial Group gave him a letter saying that he was being let go. He to delete his level 100 Neo: Sword Saint account, the account he had spent over a decade of blood, sweat, and tears.
The game is fun as hell, but levelling up was such a pain in the ass! He cursed silently.
He did receive a settlement check when he was let go. All he got was eight million, two hundred thousand Credits (digital super currency). When compared to the established city stats inside the money generation virtual kingdom, it couldn't be considered a lot.
But that amount of money was enough for him to live comfortably for the rest of his life. However, it still hurt that his entire life's work was being taken away from him; after all, he had done nothing wrong.
So he'd gone out with his friends for a night out, and then he fell down a cliff. He died.
He was stuck in limbo. In other words, he was dead.
"God damn," Gazei muttered. "I thought a jealous husband or boyfriend would be the one to do me in."
"Good luck on your journey, young man." The receptionist was smiling again. "Bye"
It just occurred to him the receptionist was talking to him while he was lost and didn't hear a word. "What?" That was all he could say before a flash of light filled the room.
A small cheap apartment in Los Angeles. A flat-screen TV hangs on the wall, displaying a grainy video of a boy falling off the side of a cliff. The sound is low and distorted like it was recorded through a microphone placed too close to the speaker.
A boy was sleeping on the couch, only half awake, when he heard his cell phone vibrate on the coffee table. He groggily reached over to grab the device, which was plugged into the outlet next to him. The screen display read:
─ You have received a call from: Ceaser Joestar.
He answered the phone despite the fact that his mind was still fuzzy from sleep. He had a crazy dream about dying.
"Hello? ...Ceaser? What's up?" The boy said.
"Ciao Gazei! What the heck do you mean 'What's up' Didn't we agree to become professor gamers? Vieni qui at the university. Dragon's Claw is recruiting people today. Didn't you say you always wanted to join them?"
Gazei was now wide awake. He was also confused the Ironclad Finacial Group had just fired him, so why would he attend the Dragon's Claw's examination?
"Gazei my man? Can you hear me, dude? They're testing for people at noon. If you don't hurry up, you're not going to make it!"
"Dude, I was just fired from them," Gazei said simply. Was his friend going crazy or something?
"Huh?" Ceasar sounded perplexed. "Quanto hai bevuto last night? Dude, how can Dragon's Claw fire you if they haven't recruited anyone yet? Just get over here already." The Italian man cut the call before Gazei could respond.
When look the dark-skinned looked at his phone in confusion and shock. He discovered that his old and broken-down iPhone 20 was his phone. His phone was the latest iPhone 30. Gazei immediately inspected his soundings.
What met his eyes was the small apartment he had rented 10 years ago, no longer than fifteen square meters. All around, there were many boxes piled high. In the middle of the room, he saw a chair covered in dust and cobwebs. It was a simple wooden chair that belonged to the landlord of the building. The man had died without paying rent for the past few months.
Next to him, there was a mirror, and Gazei jumped in shock when he saw an extremely familiar face.
In the reflection, he sees himself as a young teenager with a slim build and tall stature. He had thick, black hair and sharp features that were typical of Africans and Chinese. He wore a simple shirt and pants and a long coat that was draped over the back of the chair.
How the hell did I become young again? I looked like in I did when I was 13 but way more handsome. What the fuck?
Only after looking at the mirror about five more times did he confirm this was not a dream. He did indeed become young again. How did that happen? Why was he in an old apartment in Los Angeles? What happened to his luxurious house? Why was he in his crappy apartment? Not only that, but who made him young again?
His head was spinning with questions. He felt more excited than nervous, though.
Gazei recalled some memories of this place. He had lived here ten years ago. Gazei rented this place for over two years because it was close to the school, and the landlords' wife was easy to seduce for a reduced price (it's legal). All so that he could play Infamous Online after he had earned credits in Infamous Online.
In fact, he was on the verge of becoming one of the best sword players in the world. He had created the name "Sword Saint" for himself, the nickname given to him by his guildmates.
The teenager thought back to hellish years. His family circumstances at the time were poor, and his parents forced him to attend a fancy school on the upside of the city. He had been bullied and beaten up constantly. Meanwhile, his parents were racked in debt. Even so, his parents still made sure to send him sufficient living expenses every month, taking on the suffering and stress themselves. Because of that, he never complained about their unreasonable demands.
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Then he remembered what had happened to his father.
The young Gazei knew that his father was a doctor, but he didn't know much about his job and the difficulties of working in a hospital. At the time, his father went to a faraway country to help a very sick patient. After several weeks, the doctors could not save the patient, and he died. Gazei's father came home, but he was not the same.
His mother was sick herself, and she had to stop working. She later died. It was then that Gazei learned just how bad the financial situation of his family truly was. With his parents gone, he had to take care of himself alone.
"So I really did die... And I reincarnated into my teenage years." Gazei mumbled aloud. It can't be a prank. Not even Japan or America, as the two most developed countries didn't have such rejuvenating tech. Besides, why him?
He decided that he wouldn't bother thinking too much about it. Instead, he needed to concentrate on getting ready for the exam.
The young Gazei took off his jacket and pulled out his Dragon's Claw recruitment card from his pocket.
He read the date on the card. August 20th, 2130. He was thirteen at the time he was recruited to Dragon's Claw. He was twenty-three years old when he passed away.
The young Gazei put the card back into his pocket and began preparing for the changes in his life. But to make sure he'd the computer if it was really the year 2130.
After surfing the web for a bit, he found the information he sought. All the information he found on the internet showed today was August 20th, 2130. Just a few hours before Infamous Online was released.
"Holy shit! I've been reincarnated into my teenage years!" Gazei stared at the news report of Infamous Online, a grin on his face. His feelings were hard to describe at the moment. He felt happy and sad at the same time.
Looking at his phone and at his family photo with his parents and four older brothers. Besides his father, all his family was ill and sick and worked too much. Curing them required millions of Credits each, but he couldn't get the funds in time... But that's not important right now.
In addition, he felt grateful for his second chance at life. He felt like he should thank someone. Who else would that be? God?
"Aight bet!" Gazei grinned, picked up his phone, and called Ceasar. "Hey, I'm gonna be right there, man," he said. "Just wait for me."
Putting on his leather jacket, he headed out of his apartment to the bus station. "I'm going to earn enough money to cure my family, and I will live my life like I was Charlie Sheen and Mr. Whitmore from Atlantis... A rich vice that people can't hate no matter how much of dick he is."
Gazei walked through downtown Los Angeles every day after school. He walked by a large office building on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, all while remembering his time with Dragon's Claw. While attending university, Ironclad Financial founder Valdemar Ster son, Valdemar II, invested a lot of Credits in Infamous Online and funded a requirement for Charter University students. He participated in the examination at the time and successfully became a member.
Years later, he would never think the person to fire him was his Valdemar II, and the fucker did it with a smile on his face.
But since he was reincarnated into his younger body, he had an absolute advantage within Infamous Online, where he had gained great skills and knowledge.
There was one problem, however. He had to find someone to join him in the game.
That was when he remembered his old friend Ceasar.
As soon as Gazei Cadmus Xiaolong arrived at the campus of Charter University, he was approached by a girl who looked like a Japanese anime character. She wore a blue school uniform and carried a backpack slung over her shoulder. Her straight blonde hair flowed down to her waist, and she was dressed like a student from a private academy or a military base. However, there were no other girls or boys wearing similar uniforms.
Her name was Kimiko Shinomiya. She was the daughter of the president of the North American branch of the Shinomiya Corporation, a Japanese multinational corporation specializing in defence electronics and aerospace industries. She was a beautiful woman with sharp features and a pointed nose.
She was introduced as the best player in the nation, and Gazei was told that she was studying law at the same university.
"Hi, Gazei," she said with a beautiful smile. "I am Kimiko Shinomiya. Nice to meet you." The girl was sure the cutie was going to ask her as all the boys do.
"Likewise. I'm Gazei Cadmus Xiaolong. It's a pleasure to meet you. But I gotta go" Gazei said quickly and left the campus, leaving Kimiko stunned.
Around Martial Art 1, he caught the sight of a thin and tall figure in front of the building. The pale youth was wearing a black suit and was carrying a briefcase. He was about 170 centimetres tall and had short brown hair. Gazei recognized him immediately—he had seen him before.
It was his friend Ceasar.
Gazei ran over to him, but Ceasar didn't seem to notice him until he was right next to him.
"Yo, Ceasar. You got a minute?" Gazei asked.
"Oh, hey, Gazei," Ceasar replied with a friendly tone. "Ready to join Dragon's Claw?"
"I'm not joinin' them," Gazei answered so fast, and blunt caused his Italian friend to look at him with surprise.
"Why not?" Ceasar asked, surprised.
"Because I'm goin' to be a foundin' member of another organization," Gazei explained, "It will be mine."
During his time with Dragon's Claw, his friend Ceasar was pretty at administration and a powerful summoner. He managed the hundred thousand guild members clearly and orderly. With his help, Dragon's Claw become a third-rate guild within a year.
He would need his friend's help if he wanted to start his own guild and gamer workshop.
After a full minute, Ceasar looked at his friend. "Dude, are you crazy? Do you know how much the Virtual Gaming Helmet cost? That's over seventeen thousand Credits. You're a fool not to join Dragon's Claw."
"Yeah, but I don't want to do that anymore. I have something better planned," Gazei revealed. "Something that will bring me and others fortunes."
"Gazei, you only have me as a friend that plays games! You need ten people for a workshop. What about the workplace, salary, and everything? You can't just create a guild and expect everyone to work for free."
"Who says I'll be paying anyone? I'll be creating a guild that will make money on its own."
Ceasar looked at Gazei with confusion and suspicion. Gazei wasn't surprised by this. It was like Ceasar said. Even just starting a workshop could cost up to a hundred thousand Credits.
"Are you serious? How?" Ceasar asked.
Gazei smirked. "You'll see."
The pair talked for about half an hour, and Gazei explained to Ceasar what he was planning. "So want to take the chance with me?" he asked.
"What makes you think I'll say yes?"
Gazei smiled. "Well, I've already set it up." He pulled out his recruitment card from his pocket, which featured his ingame name and avatar picture.
Seeing his friend's unreal serious expression, Ceasar felt that Gazei was acting weird today. This was insane. Everyone knew you couldn't earn money during the initial persons of virtual games. Did Gazei have some way to make money during that time? Even if they did make bank in Infamous Online, it would be after a few months of long gaming time. Both didn't have much time to make money.
"Listen, Gazei," Ceasar began. "I can't do anythin' illegal, so I will take a chance on you."
Gazei gave his friend a big bear hug. "Thanks, Ceasar. Now let's get out helmets.
Before could Italian friend could ask. Gazei interrupted him. "During the trial period. University students have access to Infamous Online for free. We need to hurry and register before the trial ends."
"What do after two weeks?"
Gazei smiled. "Don't worry." The dark-skinned boy had a confidant smile as he clapped Ceasar's shoulders.
Hours later at 10 pm. Within his room, Gazei put on his Infamous Online-issued VR helmet and logged into the game. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and shouted: "Gazei Cadmus Xiaolong is bout to make bank!"