There he lay, on the cold hard floor of the dungeon. A gaping hole was visible through his abdomen. As he took his last breaths, he felt the cold shadow of the dungeon boss cast upon him as the grotesque beast loomed closer. He felt endless indignation. It wasn't supposed to be this way, he thought. He was humanity's strongest—or, well, second strongest.
That was the main reason he was here, to break this seemingly unending cycle of suppression he was in. For as long as he could remember, he had been dwelling in number one's shadow. No matter how hard he tried, that bastard was always two steps ahead of him.
He looked up. The dungeon boss had finally arrived. Looking at the sorry state of the beast, he felt a mass of unwillingness well up within him. He was so close. If not for the cheat skill of this beast, he might just have won. That was all he could think of just before the beast severed his head with a final swing.
Darkness was all that lay after death. As his soul drifted through the seemingly endless dark murky abyss, he was in this state for what felt like years, months, or weeks. He couldn't keep track of time. He was alone, with only his thoughts and memories for company. This continued for quite some time until suddenly, he heard faint echoes of his name, which grew louder.
"Jayde!"
"Jayde!"
"JAYDE! WAKE THE FUCK UP, WE ARE GOING TO BE LATE!!!"
Suddenly his eyes snapped open. Immediately, he saw his long-dead aunt. His face was painted with disbelief. The only explanation he could think of was that this was the afterlife. But even that didn't explain the unbridled anger evident in her eyes. Was she angry at his pathetic death? He sighed. Even he was ashamed of his final battle.
"What the hell is that expression for? If you aren't ready by the time I'm back here, I'll go without you."
Leaving this threat, she walked out, closing the door aggressively behind her.
That was when he noticed something. Why was this setting so familiar? He quickly sat up and looked around. This was surely his room from when he was young. "It couldn't be, right?" Jayde mumbled to himself as he quickly made his way to the bathroom. Looking into the mirror, the reflection he saw was his twenty-two-year-old self. Then it struck him.
He had traveled back in time. He was back fifty-two years before the Earth entered the sequence. He reached into his pocket, drawing out his smartphone, and checked to confirm the date.
09/06/2026
As he saw the date, he immediately remembered what was to happen this day that got his aunt all riled up. Today was his graduation. Jayde almost burst into tears of happiness. He was reborn. He had been given a second chance at life. Looking into the mirror, a smile crept onto his face. Forget those legacies. Forget number one. It was his time to shine.
Jayde quickly got ready as he prepared to leave with his aunt. Due to the time spent in that dark abyss, he had recalled the smallest of his memories. He had enough time to dwell on his past. All the events that happened prior to the sequence were perfectly remembered, and he was surely going to use them to his advantage. Right now, the government and legacy families were probably starting preparations for the sequence. It was unclear how they got information about the incoming sequence, but even with the knowledge, they didn't alert the public.
After the sequence, they gave all sorts of reasons for not informing the public. But even a fool could discern that the main reason was to keep both their status and power. After all, knowledge is power.
And right now, Jayde was armed with the knowledge needed to prepare for the upcoming event.
This was exactly what Jayde did. He used all his knowledge of the incoming events to his advantage.
By the age of thirty, he had already become one of the world's richest stockbrokers.
By thirty-five, he had founded his own company, devouring countless small-time businesses before they could grow.
By forty, he was attacked by the government, slandered with all kinds of crimes.
By forty-two, he won the case, clearing himself of any allegations.
By fifty, he was the world's richest man. Countless billionaire families tried to draw him in through marriage. Of course, all of them were rejected.
By sixty, he had started buying countless properties around the world. It was unknown what he was doing with all these.
Finally, by sixty-eight, he could hardly evade the government anymore. They couldn't stand his growing influence and power, so they colluded with other private organizations and families to bring him down.
By seventy, he was stripped of all his companies and his status as the world's richest. He bought an island where he inhabited with his frail old aunt, the only family he had.
The name Jayde Bane spread far and wide around the world. He was once known as the richest and the world's oldest bachelor. It was unknown why he refused to get married, but he was an old hermit who now lived on an island out in the sea.
Three years passed in the blink of an eye, and little by little, he was forgotten. His name was only mentioned as a legend.
On a small island located deep in the north of the Pacific, a huge mansion could be seen. At the highest point of the mansion was a window. Looking through it was Jayde. He was already old. His rich black hair had turned silvery white, his face wrinkled, his body frail. He was seventy-three this year. At the corner of the room was an older, more fragile elderly woman. She was evidently unconscious, lying on a patient's bed with a mass of machinery connected to her.
Jayde had evidently done everything to keep his elderly aunt alive. This time, among all the preparations he made, she was at the forefront. She was all he had. Since both his parents died when he was young, she had been the one to care for him all these years. In his previous life, she had died when he turned forty, and he was powerless to stop it then. But now that had changed. He smiled when he thought of all the preparations he had made for the upcoming event. His grin widened when he thought of how he let the government and various powers have their way.
Suddenly, his thought was interrupted by a knock. "Come in," he beckoned.
A tall elderly man came in. He was Elior Silver, Jayde's most trusted subordinate. He quickly performed a quick bow and stated his reason for visiting. "Master, the nine people you told us to scout have been found and are currently being shipped to the island."
Jayde responded with a smile and commended, "Good job, Elior. They should arrive before New Year."
"Yes, most of them should be arriving as we speak," Elior confirmed.
The government and various powers thought they had gotten rid of him, but unknown to them, he still had as much power as before, if not more. No matter how they tried to suppress him, he would rebound stronger. The last time, he just let them think they won. It was all part of his plan.
He looked at the clock. 8:46 PM.
In a few hours, it would be New Year. He felt nostalgic. Finally, the time had come. He looked at Elior. "Gather everyone in the hall just before midnight. I want to give them a briefing at midnight, once it's New Year."
Upon hearing his instruction, Elior bowed once again and left.
Jayde smiled. He had made all the preparations he could think of. Now it all left to fate. But surely this time he wouldn't be caught off guard. This time, for sure, he would be number one.