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.
He lay back on his creaky bed, the VR headset snug over his face. The countdown to Ethereal's official launch ticked away in his mind.
Ten minutes.
He tried to steady his racing thoughts. This was it. His chance to reclaim everything he'd lost.
Five… four… three… two… one—
Ding…
"You're here, kid."
There was no dramatic intro screen. No character creation. No guide NPC to welcome him.
Instead, Ethan found himself face-to-face with a ragged old man, his tattered sleves and singed beard giving him the appearance of someone who'd just crawled out of an explosion.
"Uh…" Ethan blinked. His brain struggled to process what he was seeing.
The old man chuckled, a knowing glint in his eye. "Didn't think you'd be so surprised, considering everything you've been through. Then again, you're the only one who passed the test."
"The… test?" Ethan echoed, his stomach knotting with unease.
The old man nodded. "That's right. You're here because you completed the 'Angel's Salvation' quest."
Ethan's breath caught.
"Back when I designed that quest, I made sure the activation requirement was no joke. Over 1,000 deaths, within the time limit, of course. And you're the only player stubborn enough to pull it off. That takes some serious grit."
The old man's tone was casual, as though recounting a mildly interesting story. Ethan, however, was less amused.
He remembered the leaderboard from his previous life, where his name sat at the top under Most Deaths—1,389 times. The runner-up? A distant 287.
At the time, people had joked about him being a masochist. A few players had even tried to grind deaths to climb the leaderboard, but none lasted long. The pain was too real.
Ethereal's death system didn't just simulate physical pain; it simulated fear, despair, and the primal terror of dying. It was rumored that the second-place player had gone insane after his 200th death.
"So… no one else can trigger this quest, huh?" Ethan muttered.
The old man shook his head. "Nope. You're one of a kind, kid. I know you've got questions, but now's not the time for answers."
Ethan frowned but said nothing, sensing there was no point in arguing.
The old man continued. "As the only one who passed, you've earned the right to three Devine Abilities. But there's a catch: your class is locked to Druid."
"Druid?" Ethan's skepticism was immediate.
In his previous life, Druids had been the laughingstock of the game. Sure, they could shift between six forms, A Bear, Panther, Owl, Tree, Stag, and Human, but every form was outclassed by another profession:
The Bear couldn't tank like a proper shield-wielder.
The Panther lacked the versatility of a Rogue.
The Owl couldn't out-damage a Mage.
The Tree wasn't half as effective at healing as a Priest.
The Stag? It had no combat abilities whatsoever. The only thing it could do was move fast… and act as a mount for others.
And in Human Form, Druids couldn't use skills from their other forms, rendering them almost useless.
The community's verdict had been unanimous: a Druid could do everything, but none of it well. "Jack of all trades, master of none" was an understatement.
Many who chose the class at launch ended up quitting or pivoting to non-combat roles like crafting and gathering. After all, Ethereal didn't allow players to delete their characters and start over.
Now, this strange old man wanted to saddle him with the worst class in the game? Ethan's gut reaction was pure resistance.
"I'm not sure about this…"
"Relax, kid," the old man said, waving dismissively. "You're not like the others. As the sole victor of the trial, your Druid class will start with an additional +10 to all attributes."
Ethan's protests faltered. +10 to every stat? That was… absurd. No other class came close to that level of baseline growth.
The old man's tone shifted, growing somber. "You'll need that edge, trust me. Five years from now, when the Ethereal Cataclysm arrives, the world as you know it will end. This game isn't just a game, kid. It's a glimpse into what comes after, a world reborn a millennium after the fall of civilization."
Ethan's head spun. "Wait, what? Are you saying—"
The old man cut him off. "You'll understand in time. For now, just remember: choose Druid. It's the only way forward."
Before Ethan could object, the old man' ascended through the air, his ragged clothes bubbling in the wind as he disappeared.
"...."
The world around Ethan dissolved, replaced by a familiar interface and the stirring orchestral music of the Ethereal login screen.
"Protect the world, my ass," Ethan muttered, glaring at the character creation screen. "What kind of deception is this? End of the world, my foot. If that means a world as cool as Ethereal, then bring it on!"
Ding…
[You have selected the class: Druid. Please customize your character's name.]
Ethan's mind was still reeling from the old man's words when the system prompt blinked in the corner of his vision.
"What the hell? You said I could choose Druid! At least let me pick it myself! What's with the forced assignment?"
Ding…
[The character name 'What the Hell? You Said I Could Choose Druid! At Least Let Me Pick It Myself!' is unavailable. Please try again.]
Ethan let out a long sigh, muttering under his breath, "This is just ridiculous."
After a moment of thought, he typed in: NotADruid. It felt like his last act of rebellion.
Ding…
[Character created successfully. Logging into the Northern Frontier Region, Dragonspire. Please wait…]
Ethan's lips twitched into a faint smile. The Northern Frontier. Same as his previous life. He knew every nook, cranny, and secret quest in this Region.
Ding…
[Welcome to Starter Zone 1314.]
His eyes lit up. This was it! The same Region where he'd stumbled upon the hidden quest that rewarded him with the mythical Wishbound Relic in his past life, a treasure that had both elevated him to legendary status and ultimately led to his downfall.
For a moment, he'd worried he might spawn in a different village. But luck seemed to be on his side.
Ding…
[Activating Divine Bloodline: King of Elves.]
"Bloodline? What the hell happened to the Divine Abilities?"
Ethan groaned. He barely had enough money to survive tomorrow, let alone make sense of whatever "bloodline" meant. He opened his inventory, hoping for something useful.
Inside, he found three items: a coarse linen shirt, tattered grass sandals, and a wooden staff with a pathetic attack stat of 2.
Disappointment flickered across his face. He'd been hoping for three activation cards for the promised legendary talents, something he could sell for cash and live like a king for at least a month. But it turned out to be something else.
With a resigned sigh, Ethan equipped the ragged shirt and sandals. No stats, but at least he wouldn't be walking around barefoot. He gripped the wooden staff and opened his character stats.
---
[NotADruid]
Class: Druid
Race: Human
Level: 1
Faction: Unaligned
Bloodline: King of Elves (Divine)
Strength: 2 (Growth Index: 20) – Increases physical attack.
Intelligence: 2 (Growth Index: 20) – Increases magical attack and mana capacity.
Agility: 2 (Growth Index: 20) – Increases attack and movement speed.
Stamina: 2 (Growth Index: 20) – Increases defense.
Vitality: 2 (Growth Index: 20) – Increases max health.
Physical Attack: 2–6
Magical Attack: 2–4
Physical Defense: 2–4
Magical Defense: 2–4
Health: 40
Experience: 0/100
General Skills: Basic Appraisal (Inspect monsters up to 5 levels above your own.)
---
Curious, Ethan navigated to the bloodline section, this was a feature he'd never seen in his previous life.
---
[Bloodline: King of Elves (Divine)] (Unique)
Passive Bonus: +10 Star Growth to all attributes.
Bloodline Ability (stacks with player talents):
Focus (Divine): Increases skill effectiveness by 50%.
Prophecy (Divine): Grants +10 distributable stat points per level.
Growth (Divine): Doubles experience gained from quests and monster kills.
Description: The peace-loving Elven race has left an indelible mark on every recorded Holy War. Though they cherish tranquility, their valor in battle is unparalleled.
---