Chapter 1

Seoul, 2048.

Once known as a megacity, now a devastated metropolis.

Everything—roads, buildings, houses, apartments, commercial areas—was in ruins.

The sky was covered with dark clouds, and rain containing polluted mana fell heavily.

In the middle of this scene, Jeong-hoon was on his knees, coughing up blood.

[Attempting to recover.]

[Failed.]

[Life force is below 5%. If you do not recover, you will die.]

Even the benevolent Goddess Tara's power couldn't save him.

"Why...?"

Jeong-hoon looked at the culprits who had brought him to this state with trembling eyes.

They were none other than humans.

Once his comrades, they were like family with whom he had faced the catastrophes that befell Earth.

"Shouldn't you know best?"

The man holding a sword and shield spoke coldly.

James Marcus.

The strongest paladin on the American continent.

"What...?"

Jeong-hoon tried to control the mana within him, but it felt stiff and unresponsive.

At the same time, he felt his blood reverse flow, making his vision blur.

Cough!

He spat out more black blood.

"Amazing. Struggling to live even in that state."

The one who cursed Jeong-hoon, standing in front with a sneer, was Sophia Stephanie Agaret.

A French dark magician and also a transcendental being.

She was a debuff master among dark magicians.

She cast over twenty curses on Jeong-hoon, nearly every curse she knew.

Normally, he could resist them, but Jeong-hoon had exhausted most of his power trying to prevent the apocalypse.

In such a state, he had been savaged by things like the Spear of Hellfire, the Arrow of Annihilation, and Verdandi's Fang.

Knocking on death's door was inevitable.

Damnit.

Just one step away from escaping this wretched disaster and regaining peace.

His clenched fist dug his nails into his flesh, and blood dripped down.

Complex emotions like emptiness and rage swirled inside him.

"Since when did you plan all this...?"

The answer came from a man with a staff, his hood pulled low.

He was also a sage and a transcendental being.

Alessandro Bryden.

"From the moment you said you wanted to end this game, perhaps?"

"What...?"

The reason the world had become this way.

That damn game, 'New World.'

The first virtual reality game that captivated two billion people worldwide, boasting explosive popularity.

When the game became reality, Jeong-hoon's life crumbled.

He had run desperately to stop the disaster.

Only to avenge his deceased mother.

"We certainly gave you a chance. You refused it."

They had no intention of ending this game.

If the game ended, everyone except the top ranker would lose their power.

And that number one was not yet decided.

However, everyone tacitly agreed that Jeong-hoon would take the top spot.

So they proposed keeping the game going.

Of course, Jeong-hoon refused, leading to his betrayal.

"Ha... Is that why you stabbed me in the back?"

Jeong-hoon muttered in disbelief.

His comrades were his only family after his mother's death.

The shock of betrayal by those he trusted broke him mentally far more than the physical pain.

"That? Jeong-hoon, you seem to have overlooked something. We never intended to end the game from the moment it became reality."

"What...?"

Jeong-hoon's face was blank with shock at James' words.

The others were mocking Jeong-hoon.

James continued as their representative.

"See, this isn't just about ability. It's power. The source that lets you rule the world."

"..."

"And you suggest throwing that power away? What a fool. That's why you have to die. Idiot."

In simple terms, they didn't want to lose their livelihood.

His teeth ground together.

He felt disgusted at himself for thinking of them as family.

"I'll kill you..."

"In that state? Jeong-hoon, you're really tenacious. I'm tired of seeing your disgusting face... Okay, I'll respect your pride. Use the sword at your waist to cut your own throat."

James made a mock slicing gesture at his neck with a smirk.

"I... I must end this game!"

Jeong-hoon struggled to his feet.

His legs trembled, and his head spun.

His vision blurred as if he might collapse any moment.

"Wow... Standing up again? You're really insane."

"It was right to stab him in the back. We'd have no chance head-on."

"An All-Master is still an All-Master, huh?"

Jeong-hoon's moniker was All-Master.

He had trained various weapons to the extreme, boasting master-level proficiency in all.

Even if he couldn't use mana, it was fine.

He had one last secret move hidden away.

'Something I hid just in case.'

Deep within his dantian was a red mana.

It was a mysterious power he gained a month ago while preventing a cataclysm.

Jeong-hoon channeled that power.

Unlike mana, the energy moved through his body, enveloping it.

"What is that...?"

The traitors trembled and backed away from the blood-red mana.

"It's fine! He's already at his limit!"

As the Saint Amelie said, Jeong-hoon coughed up blood again and collapsed without even using the energy.

'Damnit, I couldn't even land a single hit.'

Jeong-hoon's body had reached its limit.

He couldn't move even if he wanted to.

He couldn't keep his promise to end the game.

'I'm sorry, Mother.'

Your shameless son is coming to you now.

[An unknown mysterious force is protecting you.]

[An unknown mysterious force is sending you back to the past.]

[Warning! System intervention attempted... failed.]

[Warning! Warning! System intervention attempted... failed.]

[Warning! Warning! Warning! System intervention attempted... failed.]

What is all this...?

Jeong-hoon lost consciousness before he could read all the messages.

His lost consciousness slowly returned.

When Jeong-hoon opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a white ceiling.

"Where... am I...?"

He got up and saw a full-length mirror.

Jeong-hoon approached it.

In the mirror was his younger self, in his early twenties.

His face was free of the burn mark on his right forehead and the long scar over his left eye.

"How did this happen...?"

He was sure he had died from his comrades' betrayal.

How had he come back to the past?

Jeong-hoon pulled out his phone to check the date.

[May 2, 2033]

"Back to 15 years ago?"

Jeong-hoon hurried out of the room.

In the living room, his mother, Lee Na-yeon, was preparing breakfast.

Seeing her brought tears to his eyes.

"Hey? What are you doing up so early?"

"Mother..."

Jeong-hoon ran to his mother and hugged her.

"Oh, my, what's wrong all of a sudden? Did you have a bad dream?"

She patted her crying son's shoulder, confused but comforting him.

Only after a long embrace did Jeong-hoon let go.

His eyes were swollen from crying so much.

"...I'm hungry."

"Alright. Let's eat quickly."

The soybean paste stew and fried eggs his mother made.

The kimchi she made herself during the winter and Jeong-hoon's favorite sausage stir-fry.

Seeing the side dishes made him want to cry again.

His mother always made sure to cook a warm meal for him before going to work, even when she had to leave early.

He hadn't appreciated it back then but realized its value after she passed away.

He must change the future that was supposed to unfold.

"Thank you for the meal."

Jeong-hoon took a big spoonful of rice.

"Chew slowly and thoroughly."

"Yes."

"But you seem different, my son? Much more mature?"

His mother noticed the difference in him.

"I'm going to change from now on."

If he acted as he had in the past, the same future awaited.

A virtual reality game enjoying explosive popularity worldwide.

'New World'.

[The first virtual reality game, New World!]

[Enjoy New World, so realistic it doesn't feel like a game!]

The global game market is dominated by New World.

Of course, it wasn't a hit from the start.

-Did you hear? A capsule for the game costs 20 million won. 20 million.

-Are you kidding me? 20 million? Who'd pay that for a game?

-Does virtual reality even exist? It's probably just an upgraded VR. Paying 20 million for that is absurd.

The game faced a lot of criticism and was dismissed before its release.

Many confidently predicted its failure.

They were right at first.

A week after release, sales plummeted, and it seemed the game was doomed.

The entry barrier was too high.

However, the evaluation flipped within a week.

-Wow! This is insane!

-This game is incredible! To think something like this exists... It's mind-blowing!

-This is so realistic... The technology is amazing...

Users who played the game started spreading the word, and soon, New World gameplay videos began trending online.

-Honey! How could you take out a loan to buy the capsule?

-But this is seriously amazing! Watch this broadcast!

-Fine... But I get to play first.

-Mom! Buy me a capsule!

-Wahhh! I want to play that!

From adults to children, everyone was drawn to New World, and PC cafes evolved into capsule rooms.

The capsule's high price made most people use capsule rooms, leading to a boom in their business.

As a result, within a year of release, the number of capsule users surpassed 50 million.

The number continued to grow each year, reaching two billion worldwide.

Only Jeong-hoon knew that this game would soon become reality.

'Creating a virtual reality game with current technology was absurd from the start.'

New World's developer.

Earth.

Earth's stock price kept hitting new highs.

The company's market cap soared past 8,000 trillion won.

It existed, and developers worked tirelessly on updates.

Even if the technology was centuries ahead, would anyone doubt it?

"Hey, are you really going to the capsule room? You said you would?!"

Jeong-hoon's nosy friend Jang Ha-jin chattered beside him.

"Yes. So be quiet."

"Don't you need an explanation? It's your first time, right?"

Unlike Jeong-hoon, Ha-jin was addicted to New World, spending twelve hours a day in the capsule room.

His level had already surpassed 150.

'Cough! I've paid off my debt with this.'

Ha-jin, who couldn't survive a year after New World became reality, had lost his life in Jeong-hoon's place, claiming his higher level gave him an advantage.

'I hope I'm born with a silver spoon in my next life, and ridiculously good-looking too.'

Even in his last moments, he made absurd comments.

To Jeong-hoon, who had been betrayed by everyone, Ha-jin was the only friend he could trust.

With a determination to prevent such a future, Jeong-hoon patted Ha-jin's shoulder.

"What? Why are you acting all weird suddenly?"

"Let's go in."

Ha-jin, who had a membership at the capsule room, found an empty capsule and sat down while Jeong-hoon registered as a new member.

'5,000 won per hour. It's a bit steep.'

It wasn't a small amount.

It would be nice to have a personal capsule, but for now, this was the best option.

Jeong-hoon had no choice but to go through with it.

"Jeong-hoon! Over here!"

After finishing the registration, Ha-jin pointed to the empty capsule next to him.

Jeong-hoon went and sat in it.

"Start first."

"Are you sure you don't need an explanation?"

"For the last time, start already."

"Okay."

Only then did Ha-jin press the start button.

Swoosh!

The capsule lid slowly closed over Ha-jin.

Jeong-hoon also pressed the start button.

Swoosh!

As the lid closed, everything went dark.

At the same time, he felt his body floating.

Then fine lines stuck to his body, and something covered his eyes.

Fwoosh!

Fresh air burst forth, and his vision brightened.

Jeong-hoon was standing on a wide-open plain.

The sky was clear without a single cloud, and a refreshing breeze brushed past him.

The first reason people were captivated.

The realistic sensation.

[No login records found after body scan.]

[Proceeding to character creation.]

A holographic window appeared in front of Jeong-hoon.

Using this hologram, he could create his character.

"Yes."

When he lightly touched the {Yes} button, his appearance was projected as a hologram.

In New World, you could use your actual appearance or customize it.

Many people with appearance complexes overhauled their looks for the game.

Since they could have their ideal face without surgery, this was another key to New World's huge success.

Jeong-hoon adjusted his appearance slightly and pressed confirm.

[Please set your nickname.]

Another holographic window appeared with a keyboard.

Using this keyboard, he could set his nickname.

"Hoon."

He finished setting his nickname.

[Warning! Once set, characters cannot be deleted. Please play with caution.]

There it was.

The snowball that turned into a catastrophe, driving people to death.

Novice players usually learn by making mistakes and creating stronger characters on the next try.

But this damn New World didn't allow that.

-What? I chose the wrong class! Let me change it!

-Wow... That class is so much better. My life is ruined.

-Only one character per person is crazy...

Despite the complaints, Earth didn't change the system.

'Let's do it again.'

Even in such circumstances, Jeong-hoon had reached the top as an All-Master.

This was his second attempt.

There was no room for failure now.