The stale scent of instant noodles and unwashed laundry was the first thing that hit me.
My eyes fluttered open, blinking against the harsh morning light that streamed through the grimy window of my tiny apartment. Wait, my apartment? This wasn't right.
The last thing I remembered was the crushing weight of a Shadow Knight's blade, the cold, metallic tang of blood in my mouth, and the bitter taste of failure as the world dissolved around me.
I shot upright, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. My hands flew to my chest, then my face, then my thinning hair.
This wasn't the desolate, monster-infested wasteland I'd been fighting in just moments ago. This was… my old apartment.
The one I'd lived in ten years ago, before the world went to hell. Before the monsters. Before "Game World" wasn't just a game, but a brutal reality.
My gaze snapped to the digital clock on my bedside table.
July 4th, 2035. 7:30 AM.
A gasp caught in my throat. This was it. The day. The day "Game World" launched. The day everything changed.
A wave of dizzying memories crashed over me. The terror, the desperation, the endless battles against creatures that shouldn't exist. The slow, agonizing realization that humanity was losing.
And my own pathetic end, a Warrior with a C-level talent, cut down by a Darkness player, unable to protect anyone, unable to even save myself.
But now… now I was here. Back. Ten years in the past. It wasn't a dream. The faint ache in my phantom limb, the one I'd lost to a particularly nasty Goblin Shaman in my previous life, felt real enough to confirm it.
This was a second chance. A do-over. And this time, I wasn't going to screw it up.
A surge of exhilaration, raw and potent, coursed through me, chasing away the lingering phantom pains. I was Max. Max, who had died, and Max, who had returned. And this time, Max was going to win.
I sprang out of bed, the flimsy mattress groaning in protest.
My apartment was a mess, just as I remembered it. Empty energy drink cans littered my desk, next to a stack of unread manga and a dusty, ancient gaming rig. The very rig that, in a few hours, would connect me to "Game World."
I paced the small room, my mind racing a mile a minute. Ten years of foreknowledge. Ten years of knowing what was coming.
The monster incursions, the talent awakenings, the rise of the powerful, the fall of the weak. I knew the optimal leveling paths, the hidden quests, the locations of rare items, and, most importantly, the weaknesses of the terrifying creatures that would soon spill into our world.
"Okay, Max, deep breaths," I muttered to myself, trying to calm the frantic energy buzzing through my veins. "First things first. Breakfast. Then, preparation."
I grabbed a half-eaten bag of chips from my desk – a true champion's breakfast – and crunched on them, my eyes scanning the news on my old, clunky phone. Sure enough, every channel was abuzz with the impending launch of "Game World." The hype was insane, people talking about it like it was just another VR MMORPG
. They had no idea. No idea that this wasn't just a game. It was a crucible.
I spent the next few hours in a blur of activity. I cleaned my apartment, feeling strangely therapeutic as I tossed out old junk. I even managed to find some actual food in the fridge – a forgotten yogurt and some stale bread.
As I ate, I planned. Every detail, every step. This time, I wouldn't be a clueless Warrior, blindly swinging a sword. This time, I would be strategic. I would be a Mage.
The clock ticked closer to 10:00 AM, the official launch time. My heart pounded with a mix of anticipation and dread. This was it. The moment of truth. I slipped on my old VR headset, the worn foam feeling surprisingly familiar against my skin. The world outside faded, replaced by the familiar loading screen of "Game World."
"Welcome, Player," a serene, synthesized voice echoed in my ears.
"Please select your unique Player ID."
"Max," I stated, my voice firm.
"Player ID 'Max' confirmed. Now, please choose your starting profession."
A holographic menu appeared before me: Warrior, Rogue, Mage, Archer, Healer. My finger hovered over Warrior for a moment, a ghost of my past self. But no. I shook my head. "Mage," I declared.
The system chimed. "Profession 'Mage' selected. Now, please awaken your talent."
A shimmering orb appeared before me, pulsating with a soft, ethereal light. This was the moment. The talent awakening. In my previous life, I'd gotten a C-level talent, 'Minor Fortification,' which gave me a tiny boost to defense. It was… underwhelming, to say the least.
This time, with my foreknowledge, I was hoping for something better, maybe a B or even an A. But an SSS-level? That was just a pipe dream.
I reached out, my hand passing through the light.
A jolt, like a thousand tiny electric currents, surged through my arm, then spread throughout my entire body. It wasn't painful, but intensely invigorating. My vision blurred for a second, then cleared.
A new holographic window popped up, glowing with an intense, golden light.
[Talent Awakened: SSS-Level 'Extraction']
My jaw dropped. SSS-Level? No way. This had to be a mistake. SSS-level talents were legendary, almost mythical. I'd only heard rumors of a handful of players possessing them in my previous life, and they were all world-enders, forces of nature.
I quickly read the description:
[Talent: Extraction (Protection)]
Rank: SSS-Level
Description: Allows the user to extract items, talents, attributes, and skills from defeated monsters. The quality and type of extraction are dependent on the monster's power and the user's proficiency. This talent inherently grants a powerful protective aura, increasing defensive capabilities significantly.
Active Skill: Immortal Protection Shield (SSS-Level): Creates an impenetrable shield around the user, absorbing all damage for a short duration. Cooldown: Long.
My breath hitched. Extraction. And it came with 'Protection' as a secondary effect, even an SSS-level skill! This wasn't just good; this was game-breaking. This was exactly what I needed. My goal wasn't just to survive; it was to protect. To protect humanity. And this talent… it was perfect.
A small, green slime blob, barely larger than my fist, wiggled into view. It was the first monster most players encountered in the tutorial area. In my previous life, I'd one-shotted it with my rusty sword. This time, I had a plan.
I raised my hand, a faint magical glow emanating from my fingertips. As a Mage, I had a basic 'Mana Bolt' skill. I aimed, fired, and the tiny slime exploded in a puff of green goo.
[Slime defeated! Experience gained!]
[Extraction Talent Activated!]
Another holographic window appeared, this one even more dazzling than the last.
[Extracted: Basic Slime Goo (Common Item)]
[Extracted: Minor Mana Fragment (Common Attribute)]
[Extracted: Slime's Resilience (D-Level Skill)]
I stared at the list. Even from a weak slime, I could extract skills and attributes! This was incredible. The 'Slime's Resilience' skill might be D-level, but it was a start. Imagine what I could get from a powerful boss monster!
A wicked grin spread across my face. Excalibur. Immortal Protection Shield. I knew where they were. I knew which monsters held them. With this SSS-level Extraction talent and my ten years of foreknowledge, no monster, no player of darkness, no apocalypse could stop me.