Chapter 1: The Betrayal and the RebirthCreated by: Yang ChomNurng
Written by: Yang ChomNurng
In the year 2102!
The events that happened before the crisis began...
The world had changed drastically. Numerous factors led to this shift, including humanity destroying nature, and nature retaliating against humanity. These events didn't just start recently; they have been happening for nearly 10 years.
The entire world suffered severe natural disasters and crises, including floods, earthquakes, storms, scorching heat during the night, and extreme cold during the day. The entire world lost vast amounts of natural resources.
Many rare animals became extinct, while human mortality rates far exceeded birth rates due to natural disasters. These events occurred almost every year—or at the very least, two to three times a year. They were no longer normal natural phenomena.
This could be considered a massive catastrophe threatening to collapse the world at any moment.
Then, a being descended from another realm and created a game called "Secret World." It was an RPG game. The creator of the game stated that if anyone could establish a realm or a faction within this game system, it meant they could leave Planet Earth and live inside the realm of "Secret World," which would no longer be just a game world.
Everyone began to play it. The currency inside the game evolved to be used both inside and outside all nations, becoming an official currency replacing traditional money. Everyone exchanged their real-world wealth for in-game coins, throwing the world into a frenzy. Everyone started creating accounts for themselves to play and develop their abilities.
This game was divided into many aspects: combat, adventure, and building realms (which were called villages or cities). Some could form factions or guilds.
Everyone enjoyed it, unaware that suffering would arrive within the next 20 years. People began indulging in the in-game wealth, delicious in-game food, fine water, exquisite wine, and beautiful women, becoming hopelessly addicted. They didn't realize they had originally started playing this game to save their own lives.
However, a large number of people formed various factions, big and small, to go on adventures in the realm of "Secret World." Hundreds of prominent families merged their necessary assets into this realm to expand their power.
Some families spent enormous sums of money so their descendants could gain immense strength and high levels to protect their fortune. It should be noted that this RPG game was filled with many adventures and mysteries hidden behind its storyline. Everyone began searching for their true identity in this world, unaware of what this world truly contained. But as they probed deeper, many major families and powerful individuals began strengthening their factions to protect against monsters, demons, and people waiting to steal their wealth. They realized that in this world, only the strong stood at the top.
"Secret World" was divided into 5 major regions:
The Eastern Region: A territory where many weak people lived, and it was also the starting/spawning area for everyone. Everyone began the game in the Eastern Region, which was the least valuable area, consisting of 1,000 small villages and 10 cities across the Eastern Continent. The Eastern Continent was ruled by a major faction called the Thunderstorm Kingdom. Although the Eastern Continent was not as strong as the other four regions, it possessed many average-level players.
The Southern Region: Abundant with volcanoes, the people living in this area mostly possessed intermediate strength, along with a few top-tier powerhouses. It could accommodate a massive population as it held up to 50 cities. You might think 50 cities is small, but each city was vast—equivalent in size to a superpower nation in our real world. The Southern Region was ruled by a major overlord known as the Blood Fire Emperor, who was the strongest person in the south.
The Western Region: Possessed 50 cities and was ruled by an emperor named the Immortal Wind, who ranked 4th among the top 5 powerhouses.
The Northern Region: A vast, endless expanse covered in massive ice sheets and oceans with freezing cold winds. The ice-covered realm and harsh weather made survival difficult. However, 37 cities spanned across the Northern Region. The inhabitants possessed intermediate to high strength, and this realm was ruled by the Ice Goddess.
The Central Core: The central hub of the entire realm was a gathering place for ferocious beasts and unimaginably powerful individuals beyond our wildest dreams. It was ruled by an emperor named the Golden Dragon.
(Author's Note: At the beginning, these events occurred over a 20-year span, and all the strong figures mentioned were people who entered "Secret World" and gained the power to rule their respective realms.)
Rewind to the year 2082.
In a country where the gap between the rich and the poor was severe, life was extremely hard. Everyone faced disasters and natural crises. This caused many countries to divide into three sectors:
The Poor Zone
The Middle Zone
The Rich Zone (Zone A)
They were strictly segregated so everyone would accept their social class. The whole world was full of discrimination. Many suffered from hard labor and starvation, while those in the middle zone managed to live by relying on various jobs. As for the rich zone—Zone A—it was filled with wealthy people. However, only a small portion of the rich actively discriminated against the lower classes; most simply paid no attention to class distinctions.
Many schools in smaller zones were suspended, forcing many people to move to Zone A to continue their education. They had to spend money to rent housing. Nevertheless, education itself did not require tuition fees; the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport covered all educational expenses regardless of whether someone was rich or poor. This made many people from low and middle-income backgrounds deeply grateful to the government.
Regarding the fate of the entire world, these were the final words spoken by the game's creator to inform humanity of what was to come:
"One day, the world will change. Everything will change. War will break out, blood will flow, water will dissipate, and the sky will darken. That day will surely come. That will be the day 'Secret World' comes to an end."
The Year 2081!
A slender young man standing 1.73 meters tall had an attractive, handsome face, though his eyes bore dark circles like a panda. He had facial features similar to a Korean star, appearing somewhat thin and frail, as if he lacked proper nutrition. This young man's name was Li Liu.
"Argh...!"
"My head hurts so much... Where am I? I should have died under the attack of those traitors... Is this heaven?"
Li Liu sat up from his bed. "Am I really dreaming? Have I returned to my high school days?"
"Either way, this dream makes me happy to see it again." Li Liu sat for 5 minutes, but the "dream" didn't disappear. He slapped his face 5 to 6 times and felt the real pain, confirming that this was reality.
"I really traveled back in time... Did God grant me a second chance to fix all the mistakes of the past?"
He grabbed a mid-tier phone from the desk and checked the time and date:
8:00 PM, December 29, 2081.
"My time is running short... There are only 2 days left before the 'Secret World' game launches. I should prepare everything to make a change. Ah, I almost forgot—I should go downstairs to meet my parents first!"
Li Liu changed his clothes and went downstairs, where he saw two people nearly 50 years old watching television. Li Liu walked down and called out to them: "Mom, Dad!"
Hearing his voice, both of them turned around. "You're finally awake! We thought you were going to stay unconscious for 5 or 6 days," his mother said emotionally, running over to hug her son. Having been deprived of parental affection for so many years, tears welled up in Li Liu's eyes.
Seeing this, his father walked over, embraced both mother and son, and said softly, "It's okay. Our family is together again. Don't cry, we're reunited now." He wiped away the tears from his wife's and son's faces, then added, "In two days..."
"Li Liu, you're going to high school soon. Do you want to move to Zone A? Your mother and I have saved up enough money for you to study in Zone A."
Hearing this, Li Liu turned to look at his father. He knew in his heart how hard his father had worked at various jobs just to save this money. His base wage was only $300, but he took on extra work selling vegetables and doing odd jobs to save up. He hadn't understood how hard his father worked back then, but now he did. Everything his parents said and did was purely out of desire for their child to have a good future and a good job.
Li Liu sat down and said, "Dad, I want to move to Zone A. In two days, I will work hard, study, and find a good job to support you both."
His father transferred the money into his bank account. Li Liu opened his phone and saw an amount of $7,000.
Considering their situation, this was equivalent to almost 3 to 4 years of hard savings for his parents. "Li Liu, this is all your father has. You should cherish it and use it wisely. Don't waste it. Stay away from expensive places or alcohol—that kind of behavior isn't good."
"Yes, Li Liu, listen to your father," his mother added.
"Alright, let's go eat dinner, it's getting late." Li Liu thought to himself that tonight, after dinner, he would map out his plan to tackle what was coming.
As they went to eat, a little girl walked out of her room and called out to Li Liu: "Big Brother! Big Brother! You're awake!" The child leaped into Li Liu's arms and kissed his cheek.
This little girl was Li Luo, around 7 to 8 years old. Li Liu missed his little sister dearly. He hugged the child tightly and said, "It's alright, Big Brother will take you to eat." Seeing this, their parents smiled warmly.
It was a beautiful evening. The family of four was full of life and joy, chatting about the past and their current studies. Li Luo, being a playful child, teased her big brother as usual. The delicious dinner ended around 9:00 PM.
Li Luo slipped out of Li Liu's arms to wash her hands and brush her teeth before running into her room. Li Liu couldn't help but laugh; the little girl really loved reading manga. Li Liu washed the dishes and cleaned up while his parents sat on the sofa.
After finishing the dishes, Li Liu went to the bathroom to take a shower and wash off his fatigue. It felt like he hadn't showered in nearly a lifetime. Because his body hadn't been washed for 5 to 6 days, the water turned dark as it washed off—proof of the grime that had accumulated.
After a refreshing 30-minute shower, Li Liu walked out. His parents had already gone to their bedroom. It was now 9:30 PM. For workers living in the Middle Zone (Zone B), they needed to rest early to wake up for work at 7:00 AM. His parents were asleep, but little Li Luo had fallen asleep at her study desk. Seeing this, Li Liu walked over, gently picked her up, and carried her to bed.
He kissed the little girl's cheek, pulled up the blanket, and whispered, "I will change everything, and I will make sure our family lives happily like this forever."
He stepped out of Li Luo's room and walked up the stairs to his own room. Sitting down on his bed, he muttered to himself:
"I really returned to the past... This is a blessing. What I need to do now is strive to change everything that happened before. Tomorrow, I will order a $2,000 VR Headset to enter the game."
In his previous life, he was a top-tier Gunner player, ranking near the top in almost every tournament. It was a class known as the Hunter—one of the hardest classes to play. But since Li Liu knew the techniques, game mechanics, and various hidden quests, he believed he could reach the absolute peak and become someone who could control the Secret World through effort. He knew countless hidden secrets, experiences, and locations of top-grade items. Having lived inside that game for 20 years, he would use every bit of knowledge he possessed to execute his plan now.
(Author's Note: Li Liu's father is named Li Qun Yu, his mother is named Hong Xue, and his younger sister is named Li Luo'er.)
(Note: I am a beginner author without much experience, so I write based on my thoughts and imagination. If there are any mistakes, I apologize in advance. Enjoy reading!)
Thanks For Reading!
Thanks to all the readers! I'm really happy to write this even without anything in return. I hope you all like it. Have a nice day!