"Where am I?" Aesir groaned, clutching his head as he woke up. Memories surged back. He'd been betrayed... "That's right... I was killed."
He stood, expecting the opulence of his suite. Instead, he found himself in a decrepit room, barely fit for rats. Blinking in disbelief, he checked his chest. No wounds. Just a frail body that couldn't withstand a child's punch, unlike the powerful form he once had.
Despite the shock, the scene felt familiar. He recognized this place and body. It was his home and his body from 15 years ago, back when he was a cowardly young man struggling to survive. He picked up his old brick phone and checked the time – 7:40 am, 10/10/2123.
Outwardly calm, his mind raced. This date meant Faction Online would launch in five hours. Shops selling the basic game Diving Gears would close in less than three hours. His once fuzzy memories of the past were now clear. These memories were fresh in this younger body, yet he also remembered everything beyond this date as if he had perfect recall.
He recalled saving every penny over the two years since Faction Online was announced, often starving himself to buy the most basic Diving Gear. With time running out, he decided to follow his past self's actions and buy the Diving Gear before the shops closed. Leaving his attic-like bedroom, he washed under a leaky shower that sprayed icy water. The discomfort was easy for the current Aesir, unlike his old self who took 10 minutes to adjust. After cleaning, he put on a shirt, summer shorts, and slippers before heading out.
Walking along the boulevard, he noticed the filthy surroundings of this poor area on the outskirts of town. Despite technological advancements – or perhaps because of them – nothing had changed. The poor grew poorer, while the rich became richer. Aesir wasn't at the very bottom, but he was close. Thanks to the remaining insurance money from his deceased parents, he stayed off the streets.
Although this part of town was rundown, there was still some commerce. It didn't take long to reach a small outlet store with a blue banner that read, "Get your Beowolf Diving Gears for Faction Online here with a basic starter's bundle for $300!!!" He didn't enter the shop immediately, instead waiting for a familiar event. In less than thirty seconds, four familiar faces appeared around the corner. As soon as they saw him, they began to snicker.
The leader, an ugly, fat fool named Coljarh, approached Aesir, his man tits jiggling. "Well, well, if it isn't Aesir the cowardly dragon. What brings you here? Come to donate money so we can start our Faction? How generous of you."
The three skinny, ugly followers behind him sniggered. Aesir rolled his eyes and sighed. Years ago, he had stammered and trembled, eventually getting beaten and extorted. The shopkeeper pitied him and loaned Aesir a used Diving Gear for beta testers so he could play the game.
This time, Aesir decided to change the script. He would remember this day as the moment the God of Chaos who sent him back in time set the foundations for his goal. "Piss off, Coljarh. Your stink is clogging my nose. What I'm here for is none of your business, shitbag."
Aesir's response was met with stunned silence. They never expected him to fight back. Aesir could have walked past them, letting it go, but he had a different idea. With a dark smirk, he punched the fat fool's gut, making them all gasp. Talking back was one thing, but attacking was another. "This is for all the times you bullied me, cowtits."
However, tubby didn't collapse in pain. With a surprised grunt, he realized the punch did nothing. As he and his lackeys realized this, their initial fear turned to laughter.
Aesir made no further move, simply smirking coldly as he watched them like insects. This made the bullies stop laughing, growing angry at his disdain.
"Alright, Aesir, you've grown some balls. Bu..." Tubby's words cut off as he spoke too much, realizing each word brought increasing pain to his chest and abdomen. "What did you do?" He could barely stand and fell to the ground, gasping and shrieking in agony.
His lackeys turned white as they heard their boss's agonized sounds. This wasn't normal pain; it was extreme torment. He sounded like a victim in a torture video. Turning to face the other three, Aesir spoke slowly but dangerously. "You have 10 seconds to give me every dollar you have, or you'll end up worse than him. He's so out of shape of course he'll be in excruciating pain."
Aesir cracked his knuckles. "But don't let that deceive you that your pain will be any lesser."
The coward in them showed up as they scrambled to give up all their money, even Coljarh's. They hurriedly dragged him away, looking scared that Aesir might change his mind and attack them.
Scoffing, he went into the store to buy the Diving Gear but found a strange sight. The cashier, a college girl working part-time, was shaking like she'd been shocked. Aesir had a good opinion of her from his past life, so her fear of him made him feel uneasy.
He sighed, wanting to smooth things over before they got worse. "Sorry about that. Those boys have been bullying me for two years and I always took it. Recently, a martial artist taught me a few moves, which I used on them, as you saw. If I hadn't, well..."
He let her finish the thought and she realized four against one could've ended much worse. She calmed down a bit but still eyed him cautiously. "What can I get you, sir?"
"I'd like to purchase the Faction Online Diving Gear," Aesir replied with an easygoing smile. Seeing this, she let go of her wariness as her occupational demeanor fully returned.
"Excellent, sir. That would be $400. Would you like to purchase a bundle as well?"
Aesir leaned on the counter easily and pretended to be deep in thought. "What are the available packages?"
Ths cashier went on to explain about all the packages as Aesir listened attentively.
Aesir already knew about all this, but he still paid close attention to see if there were any changes. Seeing as they were none, he contemplated his choices.
Aesir's brain was alive with rapid-fire thoughts, plans being hatched and choices predetermined. Upon reaching a conclusion, he decided to follow the most powerful path, the one that would bring him into opulence long before the date he achieved in his previous life.
"I'll take the master bundle and a few Slushies. Here's the money," he said as he gave the cashier the money.
"Now, let's get this roller-coaster ride started."