"Go die!"
On top of the ruins of the Alliance Outpost, Renan Stone screamed out angrily towards the skies, somehow managing to perform several rude gestures at once. "There was no reason! For any of it! So screw you! Die!"
Following his lead, countless begrieved men and women roared in defiance towards the heavens, letting loose a slurry of profanities.
"Screw you!"
"You festering dog!"
"I defy you! With every last drop of my being!"
"May your bones be one day ground up into powder and your marrow extracted!"
In particular, many of them close to Renan took to chanting his unique phrase, "Keys! Keys! Keys!"
This, alongside countless other insults, were hurled out into the open skies. Into the ever expanding violet energy field in the distance, which was expanding outwards, consuming all of reality.
Without any hesitation, resistance, or setback, the sphere kept expanding was it was, overtaking the entirety of the Alliance Outpost.
Everyone found themselves dazed, viewing some sort of a colossal behemoth, a being made of pure energy, ever-expanding, in the far off distance. It was vaguely in the shape of a person, perhaps one draped in long cloaks.
A single radiating point where one would expect its head to be suddenly beamed with an immense power, which emanated out.
Without even being able to react to their own deaths, everyone turned into dust, their very being reduced to nothing.
…
Renan Stone slowly opened his eyes.
"...what?" he mumbled.
He stared blankly at the ceiling above him. He was lying in bed. Somehow.
Where am I?
Who am I?
How am I?
When am I?
Why am I?
What the heck?
Renan slowly raised his right hand up into the air, then placed it down on his chest.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
His heart was beating.
This is… my bed? My old bed? The ceiling of my old home? How!? The world was ending- it was ending! I should be dead!
"Shadow Shell!" Renan exclaimed, attempting to channel his skill to disperse debuffs.
"..."
I could be under an illusion.
Renan attempted to channel his Will to disperse all debuffs, except…
Where are my powers?
Nothing had happened! Nothing at all! He didn't understand- what?!
What the heck is this!? Did- were all my powers get taken away?! Or is the power of a deity sufficient to override my core skills?
"Keys!" Renan couldn't help but exclaim in frustration, his unique verbal tick. He sat up, slowly getting off his bed, and putting his sandals on.
He turned on the lights, and looked around. It was his old room, back before… the invasion. Infact, the VR Pod wasn't even here. It was before the game!
Th… game? That's right, the game! It was a game at first! Masteria! Masteria Online…
The entire game, the "revolutionary new immersive VR experience", was a massive scam. It was no game, it was a plot to invade earth. To integrate our realm with Masteria.
Masteria was the name of the other world. A real world that existed. The "Dark One", The God of Light and Dark, was plotting to take over, and for various reasons, is planning to integrate Earth into Masteria, using the VRMMO Masteria online as a springboard to expand his influence. The "VRMMO" was all a scam- it's a world with real people and consequences.
He took a look around. His shelves, his closet, that cardboard box with old clothes… he was starting to get a feel for when this was. In the corner, a cardboard box which had been there for months was gone.
So it was after that was removed… Renan thought, his eyes narrowing. He still didn't understand.
There was no way that was all just a dream! His years of memories, his in-depth knowledge, the excruciating pain, all the emotions he's felt, the tears he's shed… all of it must have been real! It WAS real!
A basic spell it is, then. Renan raised his hand, channeling his knowledge and power "Light Shower."
"..." Renan stared as nothing- nothing happened. "Keys!" He didn't even feel any mana or power being channeled. It was just… nothing.
Why?
Renan simply didn't understand. Sure, he didn't have any sort of casting medium, nor could he sense mana. Still, it was such simple magic, that with his knowledge and mastery, he should be able to cast such an elementary spell no matter how bad the circumstances.
It was as if magic didn't exist.
Renan's gaze moved over to his computer, and after taking a couple footsteps closer, grabbed his phone. My old phone. He grabbed the side, and clicked a button. The screen turned on, and he carefully read the date.
June 11th, 2021.
"Keys!" Renan exclaimed out in shock. What was this, the past!? He had suspected it earlier, but it didn't quite hit him strongly until now.
Bullcrap! I remember clearly, it was 2025 when the world ended. Unless, this is an illusion created by the God of Light and Dark? That or… is he actually back in time?
Unless…
Time travel wasn't exactly unheard of.
Masteria had three gods.
The Goddess of Time.
The Goddess of Life.
The God of Light and Dark.
It wasn't entirely implausible that the Goddess of Time had left a contingency plan in case all hope was lost.
Except the Goddess of Time is dead.
A contingency plan didn't necessarily need the creator of the plan to be alive for the plan to go through. But it certainly made it easier. Renan had a hard time believing that the meticulous, ever-plotting God of Light and Dark would permit himself to fall into such a trap.
Renan supposed that the new Deity of Time who inherited the power and authority after the Goddess died existed, but their control over time just wasn't the same. He didn't believe they were capable of achieving such a thing.
Renan narrowed his eyes again, "Only one way to find out." He resolutely sat down at his chair, reaching down to turn on the computer.
If it is truly the case that time has been rewound, and memories were retained, then the internet should be exploding with confused people, unable to comprehend what has happened.
The computer loaded up to his background, a goat of exceptional cuteness.
He stared around, the familiar yet almost foreign screen looking back at him. It was… old. Nostalgic. Ever since Masteria Online came out, he'd been using his computer less and less, as it was the 'game' that took the majority of his time, instead.
Nothing in particular seemed to alarming him or pointing to Masteria online existing. No pop ups, nothing baked onto his OS. There didn't seem to be anything that even alluded to it. He opened up his search engine and typed, "Masteria Online."
Nothing.
"What the? But why?" Why is nobody talking about it? Renan didn't understand. It was… it was… so important!
Maybe it just isn't on the front page.
Renan went to forums, popular sites, looking up anything that came to mind regarding Masteria Online, but nothing!
There's no way…
An idea slowly started taking root in his head, but he couldn't believe it. Could it be that he was… the only one that retained the memories? The only one those memories went back in time?
But why!? Renan knew it clearly. He had never been particularly close to the Goddess of Time nor what inherited her power and position. There would be no reason to choose him over someone else.
He got up, contemplative, remembering his old routine.
He went over to his shelf, picking up some hygiene items. His toothbrush, tooth paste, a facial wash gel, and a green silicon facescrubber. He paused for a second, then cautiously opened the door to his room. Ignoring his brother's open door for now, he made his way to the bathroom and repeated his old morning routine. Washing his face, brushing his teeth, and so forth.
Afterwards, he put on a shirt, and a rubber band to tie his hair up properly. Then, he hesitantly made his way to his brother's room, Randy Stone. He stood at the open doorway, and started, "Yo." After a few seconds, his brother turned around on his swivel gamer chair and nodded to him, "Yo."
Renan started, "So... Masteria Online?"
"Masteria Online?" Randy repeated, but in a clearly confused tone. "I haven't heard of that game yet, what is it?"
So he doesn't know… Renan noted, controlling his breathing and expression so as to not look like an insane person. "You haven't?" Renan asked again, just in case.
Randy replied as usual, "No?" After a short pause, he continued, "Does it look good?"
Renan gave a gentle shrug, then continued, probingly, "I dunno. I just dreamed about it."
Randy raised an eyebrow, "You dreamed about it?"
"Yep." I nodded, then asked with a small tilt of his head, "Did you not?"
"Wha?" Randy was visibly baffled, "Why would I dream about that?"
A gentle shrug was once more repeated, as Renan said once again, "I dunno." With that said, he backed off from his brother's doorway, and slipped into his room, his trembling fingers curling around the brass doorknob as he quietly shut it behind him. The faint click of the lock sliding into place was the only sound, but it offered no comfort.
What's happening?
His chest heaved, his breath hitched, and his heart rate began to rapidly increase, his body shivering uncontrollably.
There's no way. No no no no! This is not happening- I'm over these! I'm over these!
His legs wobbled as he pushed himself forward, step by unsteady step, until he collapsed onto his bed. He buried his face in his hands, trying to draw in deep breaths, but his lungs wouldn't cooperate. His pulse raced, a panicked drumbeat echoing in his ears.
I'm over this! Why is it happening!? I've seen my allies die, my friends die, my best friends murdered, my allies skinned! My resolve has been steeled! So why, WHY am I having a panic attack again as if I'm an inexperienced kid again!?
The future...
Everyone was gone. The faces flashed before him. His friends, his family, their final moments, their screams swallowed by fire and ruin. And now, now he was here. Somehow. Some when.
Am I supposed to stop it? Is that why I'm here?
Why me? I wasn't one of the heroes- I wasn't a top player. I didn't discover how to escape the system. I didn't pioneer any sort of arcane progress. I wasn't a master at anything!
The weight of the impossible task crushed down on him as his breathing spiraled further out of control.
"No, no, no..." he whispered, voice cracking. "You made a mistake- someone made a mistake… I'm not the savior you need… I was never good under pressure!"
His vision blurred, his hands clenched into fists, nails digging into his palms as his whole body curled inward, desperately trying to hold himself together.
He was here now.
But he didn't know how. Or why him.
But all evidence suggested he was the only- or atleast, one of the only ones with memories of what to come.
Earth needed a savior.
He would become that savior. No matter what.