August Watch

A young man who looks to be around seventeen years old was seen standing in front of a cashier, with people lining up, he was standing there with his eyes closed like he was in a trance.

The young man had average looks, with his dark brown hair and blue eyes. He was skinny and had an average height around 5.7 feet.

"Hello?"

"Are you there young man?"

The young man who heard the voice opened his eyes in shock, he hastily looked around and his shock turned into confusion, but soon into disbelief. He didn't even notice the old woman in front of him who was talking to him.

"Are you okay?"

An old woman who looks to be around 80's asked the young man. The man still didn't hear her or even look at her. She looks at his red shirt, or precisely the small silver name tag that had the name 'August Watch'. She called out his name:

"August?"

The young man, August who was looking around, suddenly turned his head like a robot to the old woman in shock:

"How did you know my name?" asked August in disbelief and shock written over his face. He hasn't even realized the nametag on his shirt.

"Huh."

"What the fuck lad, did you hit your head on shit or something?" shouted a middle-aged man behind the old woman.

August ignored the middle-aged man and stared at the old woman and waited for her answer to his question.

"There is a nametag on your shirt, young man."

August looked below and saw his nametag that was stuck to his shirt in the chest area. But then he noticed his clothes that seemed to be made for employees or workers, he realized something that shook his heart.

He asked another question to the old woman, while the people standing in the line were getting impatient and having weird expressions on their faces, including the middle-aged man who recently shouted.

"Where am I?"

"Huh, are you really okay young man?"

"Yes, I'm fi-"

"IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOUR HEAD LAD!"

"YOU SHOULD GO TO THE HOSPITAL BOY!"

"STOP TALKING AND GET THIS OVER QUICKLY!"

Everyone started shouting at August when they heard his question, he sounded like a madman who asked a question that doesn't make any sense at all.

The nearby people who overheard the shouts started joining in, meanwhile August's co-workers were staring at him weirdly.

August seeing this became ashamed of himself, the looks and stares he was getting. He stopped asking the old woman questions because that would make the situation worse.

August continued doing his work as a cashier, he was a little rusty at first, but got the hang of it after a few purchases. The people were still staring at him weirdly, but they ignored it as there weren't any problems.

In the meantime August was trying to sort his memories, while multitasking.

Around four years ago, the year 2032. He worked at a supermarket as his part-time job. But right now, he is working at the same supermarket, even his body is skinnier when he examined his body.

He remembered that four years ago during his high school years a new world-changing game got launched. ASCENSION Online°, the first real VRMMORPG ever to be released(ASCENSION° in short). It's made by Cortex Company, partnered with DreamX Research Corp. The game has a VR helmet that gives the players access to the real VR experience. All five senses(vision, smell, hear, flavor and touch) are included. You level up, fight monsters and bosses, conquer dungeons, fight guild wars and etc, your typical MMORPG.

In the future ASCENSION° will have a massive impact in the market, it will remake the economy and everything. Everyone would be playing the game, school got shut down, people skipped thier jobs and even some grandpas/grandmas play! The game will also have an in-game - real-life currency converter, meaning the real world and the game are linked via money. Multimillion corporations and companies have invested in the foundation of ASCENSION°. Young people rose in fame, while others fell down from the riches.

August, like a normal teenager, loved video-games, especially the new ASCENSION°. He joined on the launch day, but he died many times and lost a lot of progress. Even though he was pretty good in video-games, he failed in this VRMMORPG. He never rose in fame, instead his parents became poorer due the rise of inflation.

Back to the moment.

After August finally sorted his memories and where he was, the line of people vanished. He didn't realize that he had been deep in thoughts for a few minutes.

August looked around and saw that his co-workers started going to the restroom and packing their things for the day. He followed them to the restroom.

When he entered, he saw his co-workers sitting and some started packing their things to go home. He went towards his personal locker. It was gray in color with a lock on it. August scrambled the key in his pockets, but it took him a few moments to finally find it.

He took the key and unlocked the locker. Inside were his clothes, black jeans and white t-shirt. He immediately went into changing his clothes.

A minute later, he finally changed to his ordinary clothes. August went out of the restroom and walked outside the supermarket from the backdoor.

He walked in the streets illuminated by white moon in the night sky. The street lamps was on, some cars and people passed by him.

He suddenly remembered something he forgot to check, he took out his phone from his pocket, he stared at the current date and time.

[27th July]

[8.46 PM]

August realized that he back three days before the game ASCENSION° Online got released into the public. The timing of the launch day and his so-called time travel. Considence? He doesn't know and doesn't care. He only cared about himself and his family.

He then remembered school that school will start late in August. But he put that matter behind in his mind.

DING!

August heard a notification sound coming from his phone, he checked who it was and saw that it was someone who he missed.

[New Message - Mom]

August's mother was always there for him, even in the future when they became poorer. From working overtime and having part-time jobs, his father became sick and were put in the hospital. The hospital bills were paid by August and his little sister who tried thier best in ASCENSION°, but they failed. There was an old saying that goes by: Knowledge is power. Because of that, he researched every public information he could from social medias and the forums. He etched every quest, monster, dungeons and etc deep inside his brain.

But he never succeeded, he needed at least luck on his side, because only hard work doesn't always work in the end. He hated the game for ruining his family's life, even went as far to send a one star review but got overshadowed by their insane high(overkill) five star reviews.

But now he got his chance to change his life, using his knowledge from the future and using it to his advantage, to support his family and change he and his family's fate

August clicked on the notification and read his mother's message:

[Mom: August, can you come home early today.]

[Me: I'm already on my way home.]

[Mom: Splendid! (GIF: Cat giving thumbs up) ]

From the corner of August's left eye, a small tear came running down from his eyes to cheeks and splashed on his phone screen. He was smiling happily, while thinking:

'My mom is the best'.

August continued his walk home and a few minutes later he finally arrived at his old house.

It's a two-story house. It's brick-built, it has a length of around 20m and height of around 60m. Inside the house there are two bathrooms, three bedrooms. His parents share one bedroom, while he and his little sister have the others. The house also has a medium-sized kitchen and living room.

August walked to the door and took out the house keys, he used the key and opened the door lock and opened it…

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Hope you enjoy the first chapter of ASCENSION Online°

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