EARTH
The air was thick with smoke, and flames danced in the ruins of a once-great city. Bodies of countless alien foes, ranging from LV 800 to LV 999, littered the battlefield, their grotesque forms crumpled and still. The ground shook with the aftershocks of the intense, three-month-long war. Humanity had barely managed to seize victory.
In the aftermath, lives of many strong professionals of humankind were lost, the remaining survivors recovering, their faces reflected exhaustion and resolve.
____________
In a dimly lit room on the same battlefield 7 people were quietly sitting on a round table. These were humanity's remaining strongest professionals alive leading the battle.
Celine Walters [LV: 999] - AUSTRALIA
(Hidden class - 6 Winged Angel)
Talent: SSS Immortal Soul Body.
Chen Hao [LV: 999] - CHINA
(Hidden class - Dragon Master)
Talent: SSS Absolute Loyalty.
Mochizuki Touya [LV: 999] - JAPAN
(Hidden class - Void Samurai)
Talent: SSS Space&Time.
Alexander Sergey [LV: 999] - RUSSIA
(Hidden class - World Defender)
Talent: SSS Golden Body.
Carl Bernhard [LV: 999] - GERMANY
(Hidden class - Shadow Assasin)
Talent: SSS World Perception.
Raj Singhania [LV: 999] - INDIA
(Hidden class - Elemental Archmage)
Talent: SSS 5 Elemental Control.
Victor Sullivan [LV: 999] - AMERICA
(Hidden class - Chaos Warrior)
Talent:
•EX Talent Copy.
•SSS Undying Bones
•SS Lightning Control.
...and more.
The silence in the room was finally broken by Raj, his voice a low rumble. "Nothing good will come out of sitting here silently. We need to plan our next course of action," he said, summoning a bottle of alcohol from his storage space. He poured seven glasses and passed them around the table.
"What should we do now captain, the next wave will be even stronger. You are the strongest among us" Sergey said while drinking in a one big gulp.
"We may even die in our next battle, if we couldn't find a way to breakthrough LV 1000 anytime soon" I said as I slowly gulped down my drink.
"Talk about yourself captain. We'll live through this." Celine said taking small sips from her glass while glancing me.
"Hahaha...You're damn right Celine, We all will live a good life after this" said Carl while laughing and drinking from his glass.
I chuckled seeing the warm and light atmosphere in the room. Suddenly my eyes sharpened and I reached out for my sword "Stay alert! Enemy attack." Before I could unsheathe my blade, I froze. Time itself seemed to have stopped.
A familiar voice broke the silence. "Tsk..Tsk..Too late, Captain. My Space & Time powers are quite something, aren't they?" Touya came before me, his expression smug.
"You…" I gasped, rage flooding me. "How do you expect to survive the next wave after betraying me?"
"Oh don't worry about that captain we'll make out of this battle alive. You see, we made a deal with the Outers." Chen Hao said smirking and raising his glass towards me.
"A deal to make you dissappear and they will help us breakthrough LV 1000 and in exchange for resources from this planet we'll be the sole rulers here"
A cold chill ran down my spine as I glared at them. "Why me? Why betray me?"
Chen Hao's laugh echoed through the room. "Does it really matter? You're the strongest, Victor. The only one who could have stood in our way. Besides… how does the poison taste?" he mockingly asked as his words slithered through the haze as my vision darkened, my consciousness fading into oblivion.
MIAMI 2023.
Victor Sullivan awoke in a rented house, gasping for breath. "I'm... alive?" He looked around, eyes wide with disbelief. "This... this is my old rented apartment...." He fumbled for his phone, checking the date April 30 2023.
"Hahaha..., I'm back… I'm really back!" He laughed, overwhelmed by the sudden realization. Reborn before it all began, before Age of Gods launched, before the betrayal. I quickly went to my computer and ordered a VR helmet online which will be delivered today itself because of the game launch tonight.
The VR game AGE OF GODS the game that changed everything. At this period of time only some of the major governments and major corporations around the world knew the truth that this game will change the future of this world.
AGE OF GODS wasn't just a game it was earth's last defense mechanism for survival of humans on earth against the alien invaders, the Outers.
The game had many different races, different professions and some professions were limited to particular regions, every player awakened a talent to help them on their journey.
I awakened the highest talent in existance EX level and that to a broken copy talent and chose to be a warrior. I don't know what talent I'll awaken this time or will I awaken the same talent.
Last life I was solo player and betrayed at the end so this time I should form a guild myself but I still can't guarantee anyone's loyalty to me. I need to make myself some allies this time around.
"Should I choose a different path this time?" I considered my options, Necromancer? But they were too weak in the early stages. Beast Tamer? But bonding with creatures took too long. "Ahh! what should I even do?".
Frustrated, I weighed every possibility. I had one major advantage over others that was knowledge of future events. I remembered the hidden questlines that would allow me to claim the Sky Island for himself, a strategic asset that could help me immensely. I have to act fast. I need allies, but this time… trust won't come easily.
My thoughts raced as I remembered the chaotic events following everyone getting LV 100 in the game. After reaching LV 100, players could manifest their abilities in the real world and skills, equipment, wealth and properties after every 100 levels in the real world.
It had been pandemonium when that happened last time, with governments scrambling to control the situation. The game fully merged with the Earth when around 10 million players reached LV 500.
This was also time when remaining people started taking the game AGE OF GODS seriously but it was too late for them. I was among them too but due to my EX talent I soon caught upto the first wave of players who entered the game.
As I was thinking all this my doorbell rang, snapping me out of my thoughts. I quickly opened the door and signed for the package containing my VR helmet. With a grim smile.
My fingers trembled as I unboxed the VR helmet, my mind racing with the possibilities. "This time... I will not fail."
Keeping it aside after a while I went to my computer and emailed my boss my resignation letter as I didn't wanted anything to interrupt my further plans with the game as I had many things to plan.
I could start earning in game currency and use it in real world which will only be enabled after 1 week of the game launch helping me to be financially stable. Then buy a villa in a quiet area to avoid being recognized.
Soon it was 11:55 and in 5 minutes it will be May 1 2023 and a new era will begin. I quickly put on my gaming helmet and waited. These were the longest 5 minutes of my life as I waited for the game to be launched.
Age of Gods would be the battlefield where everything will begin anew. This time, I'll be the one in control of my destiny and reach the heights like never before.