"Luca, you bastard! Get your hands off me…"
In a daze, Luca heard a girl's flustered voice nearby.
He sensed that there was someone soft in his arms, and a pleasant fragrance lingered around him.
This dream feels so real…
As he pondered this thought, Luca suddenly jolted awake.
No way!
Hadn't I been burned to ashes by The King of Rage? How can I still hear voices?!
With that realization, Luca abruptly opened his eyes.
To his surprise, he found himself staring at a beautifully delicate face, one filled with a mix of embarrassment and anger.
The girl looked to be around seventeen or eighteen years old, wearing a loose cartoon T-shirt, and her fair face was flushed red as she glared at him, her eyes brimming with indignation.
His large hand was resting on her pert chest, feeling the softness beneath it.
"Susie? Didn't you die ten years ago?" Luca exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief as he looked at the girl beneath him.
Ten years ago, when the Eternal game launched, monsters had quietly descended upon the world.
He remembered it clearly; this neighbor girl and her family had met a tragic end at the hands of monsters in the very first year of the game's release. He had buried Susie's family in the green hills of The City of Celephais Cemetery.
But what was happening now? Had he descended into hell?
Luca was utterly bewildered, trying to comprehend the situation.
Susie, upon hearing him, was instantly furious, indignantly retorting, "Luca, you pervert! I was just being kind by bringing you a gaming helmet, and here you are, not only taking advantage of me but also cursing me!"
"Just wait! When my parents come back, I'll tell them everything!"
With that, Susie grabbed Luca's hand and bit down hard.
"My God, ow, ow, ow! Are you a dog?!" Luca yelped, jolting up from Susie.
"Serves you right! Let's see if you dare to lay a hand on me again!" Susie huffed, clearly annoyed.
However, as she noticed the small bite mark on Luca's hand still glistening with her saliva, her cheeks flushed even more.
"The Eternal server is about to launch. Consider yourself lucky this time; I won't hold it against you. But if it happens again, just wait and see how I deal with you." With that, Susie dashed out of the bedroom, her face as red as a ripe peach.
What Susie didn't realize was that Luca was currently too preoccupied to pay her any mind.
"This isn't a dream?!"
Feeling the sting on his hand, Luca's eyes were filled with disbelief.
He had truly been reborn!
And he had been reborn on the very day the Eternal game launched, ten years ago!
This was a day he would never forget.
July 7, 2077, Today marks the official release of the phenomenon-level virtual game "Eternal"!
This game, developed by the world's leading tech company, Zenith Technology Company, boasts a 100% realism and fully intelligent NPC characters, all set within an incredibly vast fantasy world.
Upon its launch, Eternal quickly became a global sensation, attracting countless players and clubs eager to join in!
However, Luca knew that the "Eternal" game was far from as simple as it appeared!
In his previous lifetime, shortly after the Eternal game launched, the world began to experience numerous supernatural events. At first, no one paid much attention.
But as time passed, more and more Eternal players began to gain abilities from the game, and the monsters from the game started appearing in the real world. It was at this point that everyone recognized the severity of the situation.
Unfortunately, it was too late.
One year after the launch of the Eternal game, the first Spatial Interaction occurred between the Eternal world and the real world. Countless monsters burst through Spatial Nodes, invading every corner of Blue Star.
In this sudden catastrophe, cities were destroyed, and millions were slaughtered. The City of Celephais, one of the first cities hit by the monsters, was reduced to ruins almost overnight.
It was on that day that Luca lost all his friends and family to the monsters.
That was the most painful and despairing day of Luca's previous life, a day that still haunted him even after ten years.
"If heaven has given me a second chance, then in this life, I will never allow those tragedies to happen again!" Luca clenched his fists, flames of determination igniting in his eyes.
In his previous life, although he was among the first players to enter the game, he treated Eternal merely as a way to pass the time and didn't take it seriously.
As a result, when the Eternal world descended, he hadn't gained any significant strength, leaving him with countless regrets that would haunt him for life.
Now, armed with the experiences of his past life, he was determined to not only rectify those regrets but also to track down the scoundrels who created the Eternal game, making them pay for their actions!
In his previous life, the secrets of "Eternal" had not been fully uncovered. Luca only knew that it was a game produced by a highly advanced civilization. Yet, even when he died, he had never seen the true face of that race nor understood their true purpose.
This time, he would make sure to drag those bastards out and turn them into mush, in honor of the souls of the deceased!
After calming his emotions, Luca glanced at the time and realized it was already 8:14 AM.
There were only a few minutes left until the launch of "Eternal."
Luca didn't dare to delay any longer.
He picked up the gaming helmet from his desk, put it on, and then lay back on his bed, preparing to enter the game ahead of time.
[Virtual helmet activated, scanning identity information...]
[Scan complete, player "Luca" identity confirmed successfully!]
[Establishing neural connection...]
[Neural connection established successfully, welcome player "Luca" to the Eternal world!]
...
As the prompt finished, a flash of blue light enveloped him.
Luca found himself standing in a magnificent hall, resplendent with gold and grandeur.
On either side of the hall stood six statues, each wielding various weapons, representing the six classes in the game: Warrior, Mage, Ranger, Assassin, Priest, and Artisan.
[Please choose your starting profession!]
"No way am I picking Warrior again!" Luca gritted his teeth.
Different professions came with their own strengths and weaknesses.
In his previous life, Luca had chosen the Warrior class, specifically the Berserker. In the early game, he relished the high damage output that came with his immense strength, but as the game progressed and other classes developed, the advantages of the Berserker class were significantly diminished.
Moreover, once a player confirmed their initial profession, they would awaken a unique talent ability based on that class.
In his last life, after choosing Warrior, Luca had only awakened a useless B-rank talent, which ultimately led to his demise at the hands of The King of Rage, the foremost of the Seven Demon Lords, on the extraterritorial battlefield.
Thus, in this life, he would never choose Warrior again, no matter what!
After considering his options, Luca finally approached the Mage statue.
[Are you sure you want to become an Apprentice Mage?]
While the Mage class lacked any standout features in the early game, with low damage and thin health, it became the highest damage-dealing class by the late game. One skill could potentially wipe out thousands of monsters!
Furthermore, Luca recalled that among Mages, there was an incredibly powerful hidden class known as the "Demonic Rune Mage."
This class could not only learn spells but also utilize runes to enhance physical capabilities, making it exceptionally formidable in both melee and ranged combat. It could be said to perfectly combine the strengths of both Warriors and Mages, designed specifically for battle!
Thinking of this, Luca no longer hesitated and confirmed his choice.
[Ding! Initial profession confirmed successfully!]
[Congratulations, you have become an Apprentice Mage. Awakening your talent...]
[Congratulations, you have awakened the SSS-level talent "The Person Favored"!]
[The Person Favored (SSS-level): A unique talent; you are favored by the heavens, born extraordinary, with all attributes at maximum value!]
...
"An SSS-level talent?!" Luca stared at the game prompt in disbelief.
While he suspected that the Mage class might lower his talent level, he never expected that choosing Mage would directly grant him an SSS-level talent!
Talents were ranked from E-level to SSS-level, with eight tiers in total.
The disparity in strength between players of different talent levels was immense; E-level talent players might struggle against even ordinary monsters, while S-level talent players could slay Lord-level monsters with ease!
In his previous life, after ten years of the game's existence, there were only a handful of players among the Human Race who had awakened S-level or higher talents.
Yet, those few had all become the most elite warriors within the Human Race!
Luca clenched his fists, excitement glimmering in his eyes.
With the experience of his previous life and this incredible talent, his strength would undoubtedly escalate at a rocket-like pace. When the monsters descended, he would certainly not be as helpless as he was in his last life!
Just then, a game prompt appeared before Luca.
[Ding! Server-wide announcement!]
[The Eternal game has officially launched!]
[You are about to enter the Eternal world; please prepare yourself!]