Ethan stood deep within the suffocating darkness of an abandoned mine a s his pickaxe clattered to the ground.

The sound which he had just heard a moment ago, a familiar sound he grew to crave to the point where it was like a soothing breeze to his ears. This sound indicated that he struck something, something different from the crude stones and rocks he had been digging through endlessly.

He bent down, his fingers hurriedly tugging against the ground as he dug out the object from within.

[Congratulations, you've discovered a rare item: Soul Crystal!]

Ethan's eye's brightened at this flash from the system notification. His lips twitched into a smile.

"Three years… Three years of my life, and I've finally done it. One thousand crystals complete."

His eyes gleamed with a mix of exhaustion and anticipation. What kind of reward would he get for this grueling quest? A legendary weapon? A unique Ability? He needed something, just anything that could change his current situation.

Whatever it was, he didn't care. As long as it gave him a way to rise again.

Avalon Vanguard Guild, he though as his expression darkened. I'll make you regret every betrayal.

And then there was Zachary and Ivy, the traitorous pair who had ruined his life.

"You'll pay for what you did. Both of you.'

Resolute, Ethan drew a dagger from his belt and plunged it into his chest without hesitation. His health bar dropped rapidly, and before long, his body dissolved into a flash of light.

When he opened his eyes again, Ethan's incorporeal form floated above a glowing altar, where a radiant figure stood, an Angel of Resurrection. Above her head, a golden exclamation mark blinked invitingly

At last, it was time to turn in the quest.

"Oh, Honoured Angel," Ethan began, his voice solemn and steady despite the turmoil he felt within. "I've brought you one thousand Soul Crystals, fulfilling the requirements of your mission."

The angel's glowing eyes flickered.

Ding…

[Congratulations! You've completed the unique hidden quest: 'The Angel's Salvation.' Reward: One chance at resurrection.]

For a moment, Ethan froze, staring at the system notification.

"One chance at resurrection?" he muttered.

Three years of crawling through abandoned mines. Three years spent combing through ruins, dodging traps, and fighting monsters. And this was his reward? A single resurrection?

Others got resurrected for free. Sure, they lost some experience points, but still!

But before he could vent his frustration, the angel raised her hands. The 1000 Soul Crystals in her possession disintegrated into a fine powder, and a brilliant light engulfed Ethan's form.

An immense heat coursed through him, different from any of the countless revivals he had endured before. This didn't feel anything like resurrection, it felt like something more.

The pain was overwhelming, like his soul was being reforged. And then... nothing.

Darkness.

---

Ethan woke with a gasp, his body drenched in sweat. He sat up abruptly, his skin glowing faintly red, like molten metal cooling after being forged.

As the heat in his body subsided, he blinked at his surroundings.

"Wait… This place…"

The cramped apartment. The faint smell of cheap air fresheners. The worn out bed shoved awkwardly against the wall.

Memories flooded into his mind. This was his old apartment, the one he had rented in college during his second year. The very same one he had shared with Ivy before everything went wrong.

This discovery caused his heart to pound wildly in his chest. Ethan scrambled for the phone on the bedside table. The screen came to life, the date displayed on it was October 9, 2024.

"No way…" his voice came out in whispers as he shook his head in disbelief.

Desperate for a confirmation, he threw open the door and rushed to the next apartment, immediately banging on the door.

After a moment, it opened revealing a girl about his age. Her messy hair and puffy eyes made it obvious that she had just woken up

"Uh… can I help you?" she asked with a frown.

Ethan stared at her as he struggled to suppress his shock. He recognized her. She was a fellow student, someone from his program.

"Lyla," he blurted out, the name slipping from his lips before he could even stop himself.

She blinked. "How do you know my name?"

"It doesn't matter," Ethan said quickly, waving her question away. "What day is it today? Please, just tell me!"

Lyla looked at him like he was insane, but answered anyway. "It's… October 9, 2024."

Before she could say another word Ethan bolted back to his room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Sitting on the edge of his bed, he looked at his trembling hands.

"I've really... gone back in time," he whispered, the reality finally sinking in.

His thoughts turned to the quest reward, the cryptic description burned into his mind:

'The thing you desire most.'

A bitter laugh escaped his lips. He had wanted power, a legendary item, a unique skill, something to help him climb back to the top.

Instead, he had been granted the one thing he never dared hope for, a second chance.

As memories of the past rolled in his mind, his gaze drifted to his legs.

His chest tightened. Three years ago, those bastards had crippled him, leaving him with nothing but shattered dreams and burning hatred. Zachary had orchestrated the attack, but with no evidence, the authorities had done nothing.

Ethan had barely escaped with his life, fleeing to another city to avoid the murderous schemes that kept flying his way.

His mind swirled with memories, sharp and raw.

October 8th, the day Ivy had ended things with him. The breakup had shattered him, blindsiding him with no warning.

By the afternoon of October 9th, desperate and unaware of the betrayal yet to fully unfold, he had gone to Zachary to borrow money. Not knowing that Zachary was the one Ivy dumped him for.

Now, things were different.

Clenching his fists, Ethan focused on the date again: October 9th, 2024.

Tomorrow was the day it all began.

By late 2024, the gaming industry had been completely consumed by one name: Aeon Corporation

A tech giant that had bulldozed its way to dominance, Aeon acquired every major gaming company worldwide. By then, the world hadn't seen a new game launch for over six months. Rumors spread like wildfire, Aeon was working on something massive.

And they weren't wrong...

Three months ago, on Julu 6, 2024, Aeon made the announcement that rocked the globe:

A fully immersive 100% realistic virtual reality game.

The game named Ethereal, was set to launch at midnight on October 10th, 2024..

Skepticism flooded social media and news outlets. Experts questioned the safety of such technology, while others doubted that such an ambitious project could have been developed in just six months. Some even called for governments to ban its release, citing potential risks to mental health and societal stability.

But the response from world governments? Silence.

By the time Aeon's unrelenting marketing campaign began, the so called experts had mysteriously quieted down. For three months, advertisements were everywhere: on billboards, streaming platforms, and even augmented reality displays

Yet, no one knew anything about the game itself.

There were no trailers, no gameplay footage, no backstory, just one cryptic tagline:

"The world you've always dreamed of… awaits."

Speculation was rampant. Was it a fantasy game? A sci-fi adventure? A survival challenge? Most leaned toward the first option, guessing that a title like Ethereal hinted at a magic-filled, otherworldly experience.

But Ethan knew better.

He had lived it.

This wasn't just an ordinary game, it was the future. Ethereal wasn't about casting spells or slaying dragons. It was a brutal survival world, a stage for power struggles, alliances, betrayals, and unimaginable rewards.

Ethan clenched his fists as his heart churned with anticipation.

He had four years of experience from his past life, he knew the locations of hidden quests, legendary items and shortcuts through dungeons. He knew every exploit every strategy to dominate the game's economy, and every way to climb to the top.

This was his chance to rise again.

But there was one massive problem.

'How the hell am I going to get a VR headset?'

Ethan glanced at the clock. In his previous life, right now, hed have been on his way to Zachary's apartment to borrow money. All for the cheapest, most basic headset that would allow him to log into Ethereal.

He winced at the memory.

What a joke. The clown was me all along.

Checking his pockets, Ethan fished out a crumpled wad of cash. About 8 dollars and fifty cents. He was still $1,491.50 short of even the most affordable headset.

His frustration boiled over. Here he was, reborn with all the knowledge and determination he needed to dominate Ethereal, but without the means to even log in.

The thought of waiting six months for Aeon's universal distribution program, when the company would give every citizen a free headset, made his blood run cold.

'I can't wait that long. The opportunities in the first six months are too critical. I'll miss out on everything!'

His spiraling thoughts were interrupted by a sharp knock on the door.

Knock, knock, knock.

Ethan frowned, rising to answer. He opened the door, and froze.

Standing in front of him was Lyla, the girl from next door.

But it wasn't even her presence that shocked him, it was what she was holding.

A pristine, sleek VR headset. Model 207.

Ethan's breath caught. He remembered this headset. It was the exact one Lyla had gifted him in his previous life. But back then, it had been six months after they'd become close friends.

Why was it here now?

"Um… hi," Lyla stammered, her face held a deep blush. "I just moved in, so… I thought I'd give you a little gift as a thank you for, uh, welcoming me."

Ethan's mind raced, overlapping memories of the past and present. In his previous life, she had smiled brightly when she handed him the headset and said:

"Thanks for looking out for me these past six months, Ethan. This is just my way of saying thanks!"

But now?

'Why would she give this to me now, before we've even had the chance to know each other'

"Uh…Hello?" Lyla waved her hand in front of his face, snapping him back to reality.

"Ah! Yes, thank you, Lyla," Ethan said hastily, reaching out to take the headset.

Her blush deepened as she handed it over. "Well, I'll… I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing. See you around!"

And just like that, she spun on her heel and darted back to her apartment as sge closed the door behind her with a soft click.

"...."

Ethan closed his own door, leaning against it as he stared at the device in his hands.

"Did she… always have this headset prepared?" he muttered, his mind racing. "If she did… why did she wait six months to give it to me last time? What was she waiting for?"

He shook his head, dismissing the thoughts that ran through his mind. With his current situation, he wasn't the kind of guy to attract attention from women, let alone gifts like this.

'No sense in overthinking it.'

With trembling hands, Ethan tore open the packaging, his heart was pounding as the headset's sleek surface graced his view.

This was it.