001

In a worn-down apartment, a young man sat on a broken bed, staring at nothing, his face lost in a daze. Confusion clouded his mind as he wondered where he was. The only indication that he was still alive came from his constant mumbling, repeating the same words over and over. Eventually, his gaze shifted to the old TV playing the news.

"Hello, residents of Mant City! We have just received news about the release of a highly anticipated game. Yes, the new game called New Beginning! We have just learned that it will be releasing in a week. This game will be the best thing in over a century, with its fully immersive 100% VR pod, highly developed NPCs, and the super AI, Thea. Thea will be fully responsible for the game, and developers will not interfere under any circumstances. Now, let's move on to other news..."

"W-what? New Beginning was released years ago."

The young man fell onto the bed, and it was then that he noticed the date on the bottom of the TV: 1.14.23. It was January 14, 2223.

"H-how? I could have sworn I had died."

He decided to ponder this later and fell asleep.

When he woke up, he finally accepted reality: he had traveled back in time and found himself in his old apartment. Lost in thought, a cellphone rang inside the room. He looked over and noticed that the caller ID said "Baby." He answered with a hoarse tone,

"Hello?"

"Alex! Where are you!? Don't tell me you forgot!?"

"Uhm? What's happening?"

"It's my birthday!! You said you'd be here at the Coastal Hotel! It started half an hour ago, and you're still not here!"

"...oh, alright."

"Hurry up! And dress nicely so you don't embarrass me."

"Alright."

"Good. I'll see you soon. Bye."

"Bye."

The unfocused eyes that were once dull became sharp and cold. He had been through this before. This birthday party was when his girlfriend of three years, Jessica, broke up with him. They had been dating since they were 13. Today, however, was the day she would break up with him and announce she was dating Matt, a classmate who came from a wealthy family. At the birthday party, she and Matt would humiliate him and spread false rumors afterward. This made making friends almost impossible as they either believed the rumors or didn't want to offend Matt and his family. Matt's father owned a multimillion-dollar corporation in the supply industry, which provided local businesses with ingredients and supplies. Matt himself was a classic, narcissistic, spoiled teenager who seemed to believe the world revolved around him. Alex had no idea how he would escape this situation. That's when he remembered that he didn't need to escape. Who cared about that gold digger and spoiled brat? With his knowledge and information about the future, he had no doubt that he would become wealthy. However, instead of following the predetermined path, he had other plans. He called Jessica back and informed her that he was unable to come today. He didn't want to break up with her just yet, as he had better plans in mind.

His main priority was to acquire a specific VR pod. The creators of the game had provided seven VR pods with special codes. One for each continent, and the one in North America was nearby, in Moonlight City, just three days away. While people believed that the Blue Moon Corporation developed the game, the reality was that a more advanced civilization had shared the game due to a treaty they had established. They had also created the VR pods and secretly embedded a code in seven VR pods. This gave players the opportunity to alter their affinity with a specific element. The game presented a test that determined changes to their affinity sheet, ranging from a simple letter grade to multiple grades across multiple elements. In the past, one person had changed their Fire affinity from an S to an SSS. This would be a crucial part of his plan to rise to the top.

Alex possessed detailed information about events up to five years in the future. He knew about major events, quests, NPCs, and more. Despite having very little money, he took a loan of 150,000 credits from his bank at an annual 12% interest rate. Alex then boarded a hover train and embarked on his journey to Moonlight City with determination. The train journey was uneventful and mundane. Alex spent most of the time on his phone, searching for a new place to stay. His rundown apartment was no longer necessary, and he had no intention of returning to that city. Instead, he planned to buy or rent housing in Atlanta. He found a cozy apartment with a bedroom, living room, kitchen, and two bathrooms. The monthly cost for the apartment was around 25,000 credits.

The VR pod cost 50,000 credits, and the train ride had already cost him around a thousand. If he budgeted around 10,000 credits per month for food, he would have enough for only three months, assuming he remained conservative. Fortunately, that should align with the time the currency trade center would be established. Alex had already contacted the seller and secured the rental for the apartment. All he had to do was go there and retrieve the keys. He also needed to sign the leasing contract and anything else that the landlord needed.

He arrived in Moonlight City around 9 PM. Unfortunately, the VR pod shop had already closed, so Alex had to wait. As he walked toward the apartment he had rented, he contemplated his plans. Upon arrival, he met with the landlord, signed the contract, paid the deposit, received the keys, and headed to his new apartment. Situated on the third floor, it was apartment number 33. As he stepped inside, he noticed that it was already fully furnished. Alex walked through the living room and made his way to the bedroom. He lay down on the bed and fell asleep.

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A/N

Hey guys as I'm still relatively new to writing. I would appreciate any feedback or advice you can give me. I hope you guys can enjoy the story. I'll be trying to upload every day however, time constraints from work might make that hard.

If you like this book so far you should check out my other work, A Last Wish!