Reborn

Dante opened his eyes from the nightmare of dying destitute and miserable, only to find himself lying in a shabby little room. 

The walls were peeling, and the furniture was old and worn. This familiar yet distant scene made his heart tremble violently. 

"I've been reborn?" 

He muttered to himself as a flood of memories surged into his mind. He realized he had returned to the most desperate days of his youth. Pinching his arm hard, the sharp pain confirmed the reality of his situation. 

"Haha… Hahaha!" He couldn't stop laughing. 

It was a laugh of relief, of hope. He was determined to change his fate this time—he wouldn't waste this second chance! 

Dante had been reborn in the year 2025. At this point, he was only 19 years old, living a life of extreme hardship. His parents had passed away, leaving behind a small inheritance that barely kept him afloat. 

Unfortunately, it was already 2025, and the price of BTC had skyrocketed. If he had been reborn ten years earlier, he might have used his parents' entire inheritance to buy BTC! 

But missing out on BTC didn't bother him much. Dante knew there was an even greater opportunity waiting for him. 

That opportunity was the global launch of the game Genesis, set to officially open tomorrow. 

"If fate has given me a second chance, then this time, I won't let it slip away!" he vowed silently, his eyes gleaming with determination. 

With that thought, Dante hurriedly got dressed and rushed out of the house. He needed to use his savings to buy a set of gaming equipment. Even the cheapest gaming helmet would be enough to get him into this new world. 

---

The commercial street was bustling, with shops lining both sides of the road. Dante's eyes locked onto a store with a sign that read: "Official Genesis Equipment Vendor." 

As he pushed open the door, a blast of cool air from the air conditioning greeted him, a stark contrast to the sweltering summer heat outside. 

"Welcome! How can I help you?" A smiling clerk approached him. 

Dante's gaze was sharp and direct. "I want to buy a set of gaming equipment. As long as it can run Genesis, that's all I need." 

The clerk led Dante to the gaming equipment display area. Shelves were lined with products ranging from luxurious gaming pods to basic gaming helmets. 

When Dante asked about the prices, the staggering numbers made his heart sink. In the end, his eyes settled on the cheapest helmet on the far left. 

"I'll take this one," he said firmly. 

The clerk hesitated for a moment before smiling professionally. "This model is lightweight and portable, but its functionality is quite limited. Many features won't be accessible. Genesis is a highly immersive game, with countless beautiful NPCs like elves, angels, and succubi. If you build enough rapport with them, you can even have sex with them. For a deeper experience, I'd recommend a more advanced helmet or a gaming pod." 

"No need," Dante interrupted decisively. "This one will do." 

In the early days of Genesis's arrival on Earth, governments around the world hadn't yet realized the game's significance. As a result, it was initially operated under a basic commercial model. Better experiences required more money, with no subsidies available. 

Even the cheapest, lowest-spec gaming helmet cost $50,000—a price Dante couldn't afford to upgrade from. 

The clerk sighed, unable to persuade him otherwise. 

Recently, she had seen many young people like Dante—short on cash but desperate to experience this mysterious game. Most of them could only afford the cheapest equipment, even if it meant selling everything they had. 

"Alright, sir, please proceed to the front desk to complete your purchase," the clerk said with a polite smile. 

After completing the transaction, Dante carefully cradled the helmet in his arms. His heart was filled with hope and anticipation for the future. 

He believed this helmet was just the beginning. It wouldn't be long before he could afford the most advanced gaming pod! 

Back home, Dante ate a simple meal and went to bed early. 

The next day, as soon as Genesis officially launched, he eagerly put on the gaming helmet. 

A swirl of light and shadow enveloped him, and his vision was filled with an endless sea of stars. 

A brand-new world unfolded before his eyes as the character creation interface appeared. 

Dante rubbed his hands together in excitement. 

"Genesis, here I come!" 

---

"Welcome to Newbie Village #69. Please create your character ID." 

Without hesitation, Dante typed: "Thresh." 

"Congratulations, the name is available. Please select your starting race." 

The race options appeared: Human, Elf, Giant, Dwarf, Beastman, and more. Each race had its own unique strengths and weaknesses. 

For example, Elves had high agility and natural magic affinity but struggled with heavy weapons like hammers and greatswords. Giants were incredibly strong but slow and clumsy. Dwarves excelled at forging and crafting but lacked combat prowess.

Humans, on the other hand, had balanced attributes across the board. 

"Versatility is king," Dante murmured, decisively choosing the Human race. 

Although Humans didn't excel in any particular area, their adaptability made them suitable for all kinds of situations. 

Once his character was confirmed, the screen shifted, and Dante felt a surge of energy pulling him into this new world. 

Light and shadow intertwined, and his entire body seemed to be cleansed by a mysterious force. 

He felt as though an unseen pair of eyes were watching him from the void. But when he tried to meet their gaze, his world suddenly plunged into darkness. 

When his vision returned, he found himself standing in a bustling Nordic-style village. 

New characters were still being generated around him—men and women of all shapes and sizes. The atmosphere was lively, with excitement and anticipation written on everyone's faces. 

"Hey, my starting strength is 60! I feel like I could crush anything!" a muscular Giant man exclaimed. 

Nearby, a slender Elf girl laughed. "My starting magic power is 40, and I even have a hidden Nature Affinity trait. Looks like I'm destined to be a nature mage!" 

Of course, not everyone was so lucky. 

"Dammit, all my stats are garbage. The only thing worth bragging about is my cock size—it's 15 inches!" someone complained loudly. 

"Oh my, don't be sad. Do you need a teammate? I'm a 35-year-old single priestess…" A woman with at least E-cup breasts leaned in enthusiastically. 

"Wow, I want to team up with you too! I just awakened a talent—Petrification. I promise I'll keep you so hard forever…" 

Dante took a deep breath, ignoring the chaotic chatter around him. He opened his attribute panel. 

The translucent panel floated in midair, and Dante quickly scanned his stats: 

ID: Thresh 

Height: 5'7" 

Weight: 140 lbs 

Age: 19 

Starting Level: 10 

Physical Attack: 10 

Magic Attack: 8 

Defense: 5 

Movement Speed: 5 

Strength: 5 (1 point = +2 Physical Attack) 

Magic: 4 (1 point = +2 Magic Attack) 

Constitution: 10 (1 point = +10 HP) 

Resistance: 5 (1 point = +1 Physical & Magic Defense) 

Spirit: 10 (1 point = +10 MP) 

HP: 100 

MP: 100 

---

Dante: "…" 

What a disappointing set of numbers. 

But it wasn't surprising. 

In Genesis, starting stats were linked to a player's real-life condition. At 19, Dante was an orphan with terrible living habits, so his initial attributes were naturally subpar. 

The next step was talent awakening. New players lined up at the village square to touch the Talent Stone, which would grant each of them a unique talent. 

If Dante could awaken an A-grade talent, it would make up for his poor starting stats. 

But… 

The odds of getting an A-grade talent were abysmally low—only about 0.1%. The chances of getting an S-grade talent were even slimmer, at 0.001%. Anything higher than that was practically impossible. 

Since arriving in the village, Dante had only seen three or four people awaken B-grade talents. A few unlucky players had gotten E-grade talents and were desperately trying to delete their characters, only to discover that Genesis didn't allow rerolls. Each player had only one chance to awaken a talent. 

Closing his eyes, Dante stepped forward and placed his hand on the glowing Talent Stone in the center of the square. 

His initial stats were nothing to write home about, and no one paid him any attention. 

But the moment Dante touched the Talent Stone, it suddenly began to hum. 

Then, it erupted in a dazzling burst of nine-colored light!