Two days passed in the blink of an eye. Zayn was busy coming up with a strategy that would allow him to gain an edge over everyone else. He came up with a wide variety of plans, but the execution depended on his spawn location and interactions with the other Players. Many variables could change his plans, or directly destroy them. Therefore, he created enough backup plans for various situations.
Zayn didn’t sleep a lot in the last two days. He spent the majority of his time typing on his laptop. Even though Zayn was certain that he wouldn’t forget anything that happened in the past, he decided to write down everything he remembered on several documents. He organized his memories using the documents, therefore clearing his mind as well.
It allowed him to understand his situation much better, and what he had to do.
His knowledge about Forgotten Lands was not perfect, but there were enough events that made it into the news. Zayn recalled most of them.
At first, it was weird to hear news about a game, but considering that some players earned millions by selling a single item, it was only obvious. Maybe, the Pantheon influenced the news as well to attract more players. It was just a fleeting thought but it was not impossible.
Either way, Zayn wrote down everything he recalled ranging from hidden quests, locations of unique items, special requirements for Class Paths, various secrets, and grinding spots for unique Card Sets.
The words flowed out of Zayn in the last two days, and they ended up on his laptop. It was a lot…a lot more than Zayn expected. But that was good. His memories of the past were one of the few advantages at his disposal to turn the tide and change the future. And advantages were something he needed if he wanted to make a head start. The more the better.
It was almost noon and about time for Zayn to get started. He glimpsed one last time at the documents before he closed the laptop. Zayn got up and moved over to the bed where his advanced VR helmet was already waiting for him.
He had earned 1036 Credits from selling the limited edition version of his Swish, a handful of games, and his customized game controllers. If it was him in the past, selling everything would have hurt a lot. But not now. These games were not important to him anymore.
All that mattered was that he managed to rent an advanced VR helmet for five days and that he purchased a Low-grade nutrition solution. Nutrition solutions are supplements that can be consumed to provide all necessary nutrients to the body. They aid in increasing brain activity, slow down aging, and rejuvenate the body. It was said that they stimulate the body as well.
The miraculous creation of nutrition solutions created a drastic change in society all over Earth. The demand for nutrition solutions was incredibly high, whereas the supply was highly limited, increasing the price for a single Low-grade nutrition solution to 500 Credits.
Zayn was certainly not wealthy, but he purchased a low-grade nutrition solution nonetheless. His physical condition was far from bad, but he wanted to ensure that both his brain and body would be in the best possible state for Forgotten Lands’ launch.
It was not the first time Zayn consumed a low-grade nutrition solution. In his past life, he consumed various nutrition solutions as they were one of the few items that accelerated natural regeneration. This included the natural regeneration of stamina, mental power, and even mystical energy. Despite that, the effect was still amazing. Zayn felt heat rising within his body, dispelling all tiredness and soreness the moment he consumed the nutrition solutions. His brain activity reached a new peak, and it was like he was reborn – which was not exactly false, somehow.
He picked up the VR helmet and smiled. The advanced VR helmet had a sleek design. It seamlessly combined form and function. Its exterior is a polished, lightweight shell that fit snugly around Zayn’s head, creating a sense of comfort, which was essential for extended periods of gaming. The surface of the advanced VR helmet was adorned with a subtle luminescent – almost ethereal – visor.
The visor had a large, wraparound display that spanned around the user’s entire field of vision.
A crystal-clear surface rendering vibrant, lifelike graphics that blurred between reality and virtual, magical, landscapes appeared in Zayn’s view the moment he put on the VR helmet and switched its power on.
Zayn adjusted a few buttons and logged into the account he’d prepared beforehand.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The world around him changed instantaneously.
Large mythical landscapes showing humongous volcanoes, plains that spanned as far as one could see, quaint villages in the middle of nowhere, and ginormous cities from the middle-ages inhabited by millions of NPCs, were displayed. It was a short video that played until the second the game launched.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
It was 11:59 am and it was only a matter of seconds before the game started. Zayn waited impatiently for noon to arrive. His heart beat wildly and he swallowed hard.
‘Am I excited right now? How? No. WHY am I excited?’
Zayn couldn’t believe himself. Was he actually excited about the start of Forgotten Lands? That shouldn’t be it. At least, it was not the entire truth.
Zayn couldn’t hide his excitement. It was impossible. However, he was not excited about Forgotten Lands, or the fact that the Primordial Pantheon was trying to conquer Earth. No. Zayn was excited about the opportunity he was given. He had been given a second chance to protect his family and to beat the shit out of the Primordial Pantheon and everyone at fault for the misery he and everyone else had to go through in his last life.
Just as the thought flashed through his mind, music began to play in his ears. The scenery around him changed and he was teleported into a white room with a large obsidian gate in the center. Intricate patterns had been engraved on the obsidian gate. They attracted Zayn’s attention and he decided to make a few screenshots. Maybe the patterns were useful for later.
There was no introduction to Forgotten Lands. The white glimmering room and the ominous obsidian gate were all Zayn and the other Players joining Forgotten Lands could see before they jumped straight into the game. Meanwhile, there was nothing special they could do in the room. There was no Navigation Angel, or Guidance Sprite to explain the lore of the Forgotten Lands, the game characteristics, or special functions.
Forgotten Lands laid importance on the Players’ ability to research and comprehend its secrets by themselves. That was the explanation Players had for the lack of introductory chats with NPCs. In reality, the Gods didn’t care enough to explain everything thoroughly. That made more sense in Zayn’s opinion.
An empty sign hovered in front of the obsidian gate, restraining the access to the world of the Forgotten Lands. Zayn approached the white sign and tapped it lightly.
“Zayn”
He said a single word, his name, which appeared on the empty signs written in a beautifully curved font. It looked exquisite and expensive. Zayn chuckled seeing his name on the sign.
“There is no need for an edge-lord-like name. I’ll use this for half a year and that’s it,” He mumbled, right before dismissing the sign.
A green hue shrouded the sign before it dispersed, seemingly accepting his name choice. In the next moment, Zayn’s in-game character manifested in front of him.
The character didn’t have a chiseled physique, but his body was well-built without an abundance of fat. His muscles were dense, showing the advantage of a mostly athletic physique. The character’s facial features, however, were far more extraordinary. He possessed a striking face, and a sharp jawline, creating a blend between masculinity and charisma. The corners of his lips were curled upward, making it seem as if the character smiled smugly at Zayn. Beneath the arched dark-brown eyebrows, his piercing sky-blue eyes stared straight ahead, exuding intensity and warmth at the same time.
Overall, the character had well-proportioned features, contributing to the harmonious symmetry of his face. Even the character’s dark-brown hair was well-styled and fit perfectly to the character.
The character was a mirror image of Zayn. Even the three moles on his right upper arm were there. That would have been creepy if Zayn didn’t know that this would happen.
An azure-blue screen popped up next to his mirrored image, allowing him to change his facial features and physique. The changes were limited to a maximum of 10%, but that was already more than enough to change one’s facial structure enough to stay anonymous online. Of course, that was not something Zayn paid attention to. He didn’t want to waste his time changing his appearance if the game would turn into reality in half a year, either way.
Zayn was more than satisfied with his appearance in the first place, and it was not necessary to stay anonymous for long either. That was not his highest priority.
Despite thinking like that, Zayn was shocked about his appearance. That was how he’d looked a decade ago, youthful and full of energy. An innocent kid, who’d just been cheated on.
He was not the same as he had been in the past, but he certainly looked the same. It was ironic and confusing.
“No changes needed. Just let me through the gate,” Zayn said in a rough tone, trying to hide how he truly felt.
The game reacted in response to his words. A green hue coated his mirrored image before it dispersed. The intricate patterns on the obsidian gate glowed and it opened with a loud creak.
Zayn didn’t waste anymore time and stepped through the narrow gap that revealed the world of the Forgotten Lands. He closed his eyes and stepped into the dazzling light behind the ominous obsidian gate.
‘Please be Silverwood Village!’
Since the spawn points within the Beginner Villages were randomly assigned all Zayn could do was hope. Silverwood Village would be the easiest out of all Beginner Villages. Not because the Beginner Village was the friendliest with the most hidden quests, but because it was the Beginner Village that brought in the most cash for a time traveler like Zayn.
Maybe it would be different if he recalled more events about all Beginner Villages but there were simply too many. The only village Zayn recalled most about was the Silverwood Village as it was the Beginner Village where he started out playing Forgotten Lands in his last life as well. He’d done tons of research the first time he joined the game because he had been hoping to find some more secret quests.
Unfortunately, Mother Luck was not on his side today.
When Zayn opened his eyes again he saw a large wooden arch that welcomed him into a crowded village.
[Emberfall] was written on the archway, causing Zayn to frown deeply for a few seconds before he gave it a light shrug.
“It could have been worse. As long as it’s not Mavenham, I’m good to go.”