Chapter 2 - Rude awakening

Chapter 2

At this point, reality has completely changed. Humanity's tranquil reign was abruptly overthrown in 2099 after a strange supernatural voice that reverberated inside the consciousness of every living thing on the earth broke it within a year. Many people believe that significant technological advancements will lead to the immense emptiness of space. However, individuals in power built and spent billions to support virtual worlds that led humanity to slavery, despite the fact that the technology was supposed to advance many essential issues, such as food, health, and natural resources.

The world still remained the same, with the same problems and issues. Many would expect towering, majestic, super-advanced buildings, flying cars, and no more hunger or diseases that ravage mankind. But even another year passed, and the only thing that made everybody panic was neither war nor another calamity or deadly virus that nearly wiped out one eighth of the planet's population. It was the sudden appearance of the Obelisk of Chaos that was the main scenario in the now real virtual game of Arcane Crusade.

Within that single year, mankind's arrogance and pride became the driving force to move forward and take hold of their own destiny; even Nexus Corporation, which created the virtual game, made strategic efforts to change the current landscape to another opportunity. They even used their influence toward establishing and funding the official player association that will monitor, register, test, regulate, and manage all of the tower players.

Being a new player was not that hard; the rules of being one are based on the Obelisk of Chaos own set of rules, which was fairly understandable. Human players were abundant in all aspects of life; as each living organism has what they call chemical energy, this was the first energy that humans can use.

Gaining enough will open the second type of energy that humans can gather; this is called aura, or energy field. Some can use this energy to increase certain functions of the human body, like enhancing physical strength, speed, or mental focus. However, harnessing and fully utilizing Aura is hardly seen to be ineffective in direct combat because it requires intense training and discipline, and constant misuse or improper training methods can lead to negative consequences such as physical exhaustion or mental instability. And lastly, when a person or a player gain aura manifestation, they will automatically unlock their mana sensitivity and can now gather the power of the elemental forces of nature much easier; it's an external force in manifesting raw natural force or energy like fire, lightning, wind, etc.

Many players neglect mastering aura based on its use and time investment required, so many relay mainly on using mana because it was faster and more effective in combat situations, not knowing that this type of mindset of always getting instant gratification and everything they do being based on convenience will limit their potential growth and understanding of the game mechanics. Taking the time to master aura-based abilities can greatly enhance a player's overall skill and strategy in combat situations, leading to a more well-rounded and successful gameplay experience.

Like their game avatars, many have raised their power and reached enlightenment and usage of mana, bypassing aura as they deemed it to be useless in combat proficiency. However, it is important to note that mastering mana can be a difficult and dangerous process, as harnessing the raw, more powerful enemy of nature requires great skill and control that can only be gained in full mastery and proficiency of aura control.

But humans were too quick to rush things based on their own personal needs; as soon as they open their mana ability, they instantly neglect their aura and solely focus on mana control because many players prove that leveling up their mana abilities can lead to quicker and more powerful results in battles. This imbalance can result in negative consequences, such as energy depletion or loss of control over magical abilities. It is essential for practitioners to maintain a balance between mana and aura control.

As hundreds of young adults enter universities created and established by Nexus Corporations to train and mold new players into skilled and responsible magic users. These universities provide a structured and controlled environment for students to learn and practice mana control techniques and practical skills in fighting, like going into military training, ensuring they are well-equipped to handle the challenges of entering the huge tower.

Like any historical figure, many even got together and began forming their own teams. As in previous situations, not everyone was successful on their adventure on the first level alone, but many people achieve tremendous position, reputation, and money by challenging the first floor as a group. Even the most seasoned users' abilities and teamwork are put to the test in the tower, which is full of hazardous animals and undiscovered races.

It was confusing for Damon to wake up after almost dying in a younger version of himself during this time, but he soon understood that this new chance gave him the chance to start over and possibly fulfill his dream of living a more meaningful life using a different strategy. As he overcame the difficulties, he found that his parents' home was dusty and that the vegetation outside their remote location had become unkempt and untamed, which was a reflection of the years that had passed since his purported metamorphosis.

Damon knew that he shouldn't be upset about the strange surroundings, so he got up and checked his condition. He wasn't that stupid to notice that his appearance had changed; the problem now was how to get around in the world after waking up in a younger body; being a player wasn't on his priority list at the moment; instead, he was more concerned with how to lead a normal life. Fortunately, he can still use his digital savings and access his smartphone, but for how long? Unlike before, when he was old and close to death, having that much money wasn't a big deal.

However, things have changed since his parents' house was without electricity. Therefore, he had to find a means to pay the bills and get his utilities restored because his home's utilities had been switched off. Damon was resolved to adjust to his new situation and figure out how to lead a typical life while still in his younger body. He simply needed to take each day as it came and make the most of his second existence; finding a job and going back to programming was out of the question. Although he was aware that it would not be simple, he was prepared to take on the obstacles and make full use of this chance.

His clothes were still okay; it was a year old, but he wasn't much of a fashion enthusiast anyway. He knew that his appearance was not a top priority at the moment, as he had more important things to focus on in his new life. When he suddenly heard a noise coming from his backyard, it was noisy and sounded like a wild animal just randomly entered his parents backyard. Having had no electricity for nearly a year, Damon knew wild animals would eventually come toward their backyard looking for food or a place to stay.

Damon's resolve hardened as he stepped out of his parents' office, the weight of his childhood memories pressing down on him like a thick fog. The familiar contours of his home offered both comfort and pain, a bittersweet reminder of happier times overshadowed by loss. Clutched tightly in his hand was Chiyu, the Chokuto sword that his mother had cherished as a symbol of strength and resilience.

The blade shimmered with potential, its sharp edge gleaming like a beacon as he recalled the countless hours spent in the backyard, where his late mother taught him the art of wielding it with precision and grace at a very young age. Armed with the weapon she had entrusted to him after her untimely death due to cancer,

It was great to be able to hold it now without dropping it to the ground. He made numerous attempts to swing it again while he was still elderly in an attempt to remember the motion his mother had taught him, but his aging, weak body was unable to regain the vigor and fluidity he had once had. Now, however, it was a different story; he was once again youthful and in his prime, making it simple for him to use Chokuto and kill a cayote.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the yard, he felt the weight of duty settle upon his shoulders; his childhood home would not succumb to those who sought to tarnish its sanctity.

As he navigated his way toward the dimly lit kitchen, the flickering light from the solitary streetlamp outside offered scant comfort. The surrounding wilderness loomed like a hidden threat, the shadows seeming to breathe and shift with a life of their own. Isolation smothered him, choking back memories of laughter and family dinners that had long since faded into the past. Regret hung in the air like a thick mist, a constant reminder of the rifts that had severed ties with relatives who had once been a source of strength.

Each step through their kitchen felt heavy, echoing whispers of a bygone era of connection and support. But with every creak of the wooden floor beneath him, Damon steeled himself against the encroaching unease. Here, within these walls, he felt the pulse of his family's spirit, urging him to stand firm. The solitude was deafening, yet it ignited a fierce memory of what they gave him.

Today, he would prove that the love and protection of a home could never be extinguished, no matter how many pests dared to encroach upon it. As he reach the back door he waited until the moment he hears the noise again, but the sound he was expecting was different is was more human than wild animal,

" trespassers on my family land, "

he muttered to himself, tightening his grip on the chokuto sword he held. With a deep breath, he swung open the door, ready to confront whoever dared to threaten his family's sanctuary. The intruder stood before him, a look of surprise on their face as they realized they had picked the wrong home to invade.

"how dare you enter my home!"

"wait! Don't hit me! Jesus Christ kid."

" what hell are you holding?"

The intruder's plea caught him off guard, and he lowered his sword slightly, studying the unexpected visitor before him.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, his voice filled with a mix of anger and curiosity.

"I should ask that question first!"

"Why are you inside my cousin's home?"

"What! Huh?" The man was around more than 65 years old but still possessed a vigor that Damon never had when he was old.

"Your cousin?"

"Yes, my cousin, he's such a looser; actually, he forgot his roots and neglected his parents, and we his relatives hated him for doing that."

"Last year he came back, and that stupid fool didn't even say hello to us, even if we are all staying the same place , and that behind that barn of theirs."

"He never bothered us, so we never bothered him, he might be thinking we still hate him for being stubborn."

" but we too are to stubborn to make the first move," 

"When we saw the place became quiet again, we assumed he just returned back to his lavish home in the city, because the place just lost electricity and all the lights were off after a weeks."

" we assumed he really didn't care, as if he had never even been there their in the first place"

"We reckon and heard rumors that our stupid cousin had run into some financial trouble, or just wanted sell the property and leave everything, "

"but we never got confirmation from him directly."

"Huh? Why are you telling me all this?"

"Yeah, I reckon you look homeless; you are wearing my cousin Damon's old clothes."

"Wait, who what?"

"Ya, don't worry, kid, I'm not going to report you to the police, for trespassing; we aren't those types of people."

"So put that god forsaken sword down, and let's talk about this."

"Hold on, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Emmit Lazarus, and I am 65 years old. I am the owner of the biggest chain of gun stores in Texas."

"I have a feeling you might be in need of some assistance, and I may be able to help. Let's discuss how we can resolve this situation without any trouble."

"You look like a smart and resourceful young individual, and I believe we can come to a mutually beneficial agreement."

Damon wanted to admit it was him, Damon, his cousin, but looking young might make it difficult for Emmit to believe him. He decided to play along and see where this conversation would lead. And quickly think of convincing scenarios that he can use to gain Emmit's trust without revealing his true identity. This could be a chance to gather more information and potentially find a way to help his cousin without causing any unnecessary conflict.

"And by the way, kid, we here in Texas prefer using a gun rather than those sharp things."

"If I want to hold my ground, I could have ended up in jail because, I do know how to shoot a gun."

Emmit Lazarus took out his gun from his holster and twirled it around his finger, a sly grin on his face. "Well, lucky for you, I happen to be an expert shot," he said with a wink. "Maybe we can work together to figure out a way to help your situation without anyone getting hurt."

Damon smiled and recalled that Emmit, his cousin, was not lying; he has numerous tropys to prove his marksmanship skills. "That sounds like a plan," Damon replied, feeling relieved that he was able to see his beloved cousin again even under these difficult circumstances.

"I trust you, Emmit," Damon said, feeling a sense of hope that together they could find a solution to the problem at hand.

"Damn kids these days, you have now respect toward your elders."

"I hated those thingabobs you always used on your hands."

"You mean cell phones."

"Yeah, those things; I had one of those when I was younger, but it's hard to use."

Damon chuckled at Emmit's old-fashioned ways, realizing how different their perspectives were when it came to technology. Damon was a programmer when he was still young and a very good one. While Emmit Lazarus was still talking about his frustrations with the advancement of gadgets, Damon thought of all possible angles to make his story belivable. Being honest about what really happened to him might get his cousin upset.

So Damon gains an idea that might work well for his current predicament. He decided to mix a little truth with a lot of fiction to create a believable story that would satisfy both his cousin and himself. Damon knew that sometimes a little creativity was necessary to navigate tricky situations like this one.

"By the way, kid, I have been blabbering nonstop; you haven't introduced yourself yet."

"Sorry about, sir."

"Sir! That sounds better, kid," Damon replied with a charming smile.

"I'm Damon Lazarus; nice to meet you."

Emmit Lazarus face turned red, and Damon saw his facial expression change. He feared that mentioning his real name would make his cousin upset, but as soon as he added

"It's Damon Lazarus Jr., sir."

Emmit's expression softened, and he grabbed the young man and cried.

"I AM NOT A FOOL; NOT TO NOTICE YOUR UNCANNY RESEMBLANCE TOWARD MY STUBORN COUSIN, THE FACT HE NAMED HIS ONLY SON AFTER HIS OWN."

"Where is that stubborn father of yours?"

"Ha! Oh! That his."

The Emmit chuckled and extended his hand.

"Well, well, well, Damon Lazarus Jr. Nice to meet you too."

"perfect timing lad."

"Come on, boy, your family is waiting for you."

Damon exhaled a sigh of relief, thankful that his cousin didn't appear distressed but rather excited that he was going to implement his concept; he didn't need to make up stories about his background because his cousin's face simply mentioning his name inspired the ideal tale. Emmit was so delighted that he instructed Damon to accompany him back to his house while putting his grandmother's sword in its sheath.

The old barn warehouse was around fifty meters from his mother's small garden backyard. He remembers how much his cousins loved to get together at the same barn, and it was huge. Emmit was among them when they were younger. Since Damon's land had been left undeveloped for decades, the trees surrounded the area like a thick wall, even though Emmit's house was actually only a few minutes' walk behind it.

Emmit was so energetic knowing the young man beside him was his cousin's son, eager to show him around the property and share stories of their childhood adventures in the barn. As they approached the old structure, Emmit couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia and excitement at the prospect of creating new memories with his cousin's son in the same place they had once spent countless hours playing together.

As they passed the barn, he could hear conversation and noticed that there was activity on the other side of the dense woods that bordered the path to the barn on the opposite side. Emmit's desire to share this unique location with the next generation was further heightened by the prospect of what lay beyond.

Damon's eyes widened in awe as they passed the tree grove; Emmits' farm house had grown into a massive farm house mansion. Damon never considered going to his other relatives' place while he was staying at his parents' house. Since the major road led to their land, all of his father's family were nestled there.

Miyako Azai, Damon's mother, wanted to incorporate nature into her home. That is why the entry point of their home is separate, as it leads toward the forest near a small private lake. Seeing a huge group of people enjoying themselves in a barbeque party, the sound of laughter and chatter filled the air as they approached, making Damon feel a sense of warmth and belonging.

He was speechless seeing his 12 cousins were all there, including their own family. The Lzarus family was already huge when he was young. Seeing them again after nearly 20 years was making him cry; the fact they were just a few minutes away from him and he sat alone in his parents office for a year without even trying made him emotional.

He had to die and be reborn again and accidentally encounter his relatives, who were not mad at him; he was the one who was too scared to ask for forgiveness.

"Hey guys, settle down!"

"Who's the young lad, Emmit?"

"Keep your saddle oiled and your gun greased, in what will say"

"This young, good-looking, sturdy man is Damon Lazaruz Jr."

"What darn nation are you talking about?"

"Who and what?"

"Emmit, you are making me madder than wet hen!"

"Y'all don't say, that's Little Damon Kin!"

"Yes, in deed! Look as his face truly looked like him."

"Young man! We ain't blind; you look like him from hair to eyes to nose , you look like our sweet little Damon."

"We call your father Davy. What reckon should we call you? Wait."

"Were in blue hell is your grumpy father?"

"He's dead, ma'am," Damon replied quietly. All 12 of his cousins fell silent as everyone processed the news, their faces reflecting a mix of shock and sadness. Damon stood there, feeling the weight of his father's absence more than ever. { but was a lie; he was very much alive and standing right in front of them.} as their eyes shifting between Damon and his father's old friends. "Well, then I reckon we'll just call you Junior," one of them finally said with a nod.

"We have an old saying, and I hope your late father told you about this."

"Yes, sir! He mentioned that we Lazarus clan never back down from a good fight!, and family is everything."

" and he always say this to me among so many other things,"

"Do God's will, whatever the hell it may be!"

"That's a Lazarus for you!"

"It hurts us not to be there when your father passed away; our family motto is a slap on our own face, the fact we isolated your father because of what he neglected in the past."

"Sadly, we can't turn back time; we need to pay back every bad thing he did to him , toward you as his only descendant."

"But we are here now to support you and make things right. Your father's legacy will live on through you, and we will ensure that his memory is honored." "Together, as a family, we will overcome any challenges that come our way and stand strong in unity."

"Come on, boy, meet your other cousin; look, those are your cousins waiting to meet you."

He needed to mentally recall what was going on since the deception was becoming out of control. The 20 years of complaints all but disappeared, as if the newfound familial ties were worth the price of dying.

"Junior, your late father had 12 rough, noisy, gun shooting skull smashing cousins backing him up; see now you have 21 cousins, and half of them are license players too."

"We have our own guild of our own, with six branches with nearly 200 members in total."

"Remember what I said: I own many gun shops; your other eleven uncles and aunts have many weapon, forge, and merchant companies inside and outside the Obelisk of Chaos."

" what!"

"Yes, the Lazarus Corporation is the only company that is rivaling those greedy Nexus Corps."

"We look a bit rough on the outside, but we are smart when it comes to weapons, and ammo we are always the head of everybody."

"Yeah! Even before that darn huge stone chicken coop came out of nowhere, if your grandfather Edward Lazarus didn't tragically die, he would never let your father work that hard."

"But since you are here with a little DNA to legally connect you toward the founder's direct blood line,"

"You have the opportunity to lead Lazarus Corporation, as your father owns 50 percent of the shares."

"We ain't greedy; we Lazarus always place loyalty toward family over everything else, and in terms of weapons and other tech involving things that go boom!"

"Your four cousins are already setting up a base at the second floor; see those 4 standing next to each other; they are all level 20 players."

" huh ! what do you mean?

"Have you been living under a rock?"

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

"I am just really hungry!"

"Why didn't you say something? Come on, let's eat first and talk about the stuff going on in your life."

"We are all excited to hear your tale, especially with your father; may he rest in peace."

"I am happy to gain your forgiveness on behalf of the late father Damon Lazarus. He mentioned this when he was still alive that he truly regretted not fulfilling his promise to his own parents."

"So he wanted me to pass on his apologies and make amends." "It's never too late to make things right, especially when it comes to family."

"So to all who are here, please call me by my second name."

"Please call me Rinne, its Japanese word meaning: cycle of death and rebirth, as my late father personally gave me this nick name to me as a memento toward my grandmother Miyako Azai."

" Rinne!"

" why use that name Damon is perfectly fine,"

" but i wish to live outside my fathers shadow,"

"Damon Rinne Lazarus sounds Exotic, anyway we have all the time to discuss this ,"

" we can use Rinne as a nickname cant we,"

" Y'all like the nickname?"

"Lick that calf again?"

"Sounds like RENE!"

"Might as well. Can't dance, never could sing, and it's too wet to plow."

"huh?"

" don't ya worry lad, you'll get to understand us soon, you are kin remember" 

"If that ain't a fact, God's a possum."

"It's Rin-ne, ya old goat!"

"It's Japanese Emmit."

""Skin your own buffalo, Gezz! Addison, I get it."

"I do have a gun, Addison; I will use it."

"Do you think I'm not packing heat under my dress?"

"It's called Menopause , ya fool!"

As everyone turned to watch Addison and Emmit playing around, their stress ebbing away in the moment, there was a sudden explosion of laughter. As they continued to joke about it, the large family gathering became more relaxed as their laughter filled the air. When suddenly one of the level 20 player relatives named Charlotte openly spoke..

"The wind's blowing like perfume through a prom."

"Guys, pack all of your stuff; we are about to get an unwanted guest!

"It's noisy as two skeletons dancing on a tin roof."

"Hamilton, and Sebastian, a pack of cayotes coming down ,"

"Y'all seeing those eyes, these are not just CAYOTE; "

"these are ugly and huge ones."

" we have escape monster on the loose!"

" we cant even catch a single break!"

" Y'all know what to do, Don't squat on your spurs guys" 

" how many Liberty?"

" I reckon , 50 at most,"

" by the way those who are non players please move,"

" Please Lie down with dogs and get up with fleas"

while the four were looking at the weakest new member among the Lazarus clan.it was a rude awakening for Damon who was much older than them, and actually more knowledgeable when it comes to all the monster inside the virtual game of Arcane Crusade that became real.

 "Bless your heart," 

" Do God's will, whatever the hell it may be. lets start killing!"