AESIR'S REVERT

Chapter 2: Old Knowledge, New World

After securing his new Diving Gear and three small flasks of the potent Slushy nutrient, Aesir didn't rush into the game.

With launch just hours away, he took a moment in his bedroom. Stripping down to his boxers, he began a simple Attack exercise, mindful of his weak muscles and malnourished body. Five minutes into the regimen, he hit his limit.

"This body can't even finish a set," he muttered with a frown.

Drinking a full flask of Slushy, he immediately felt its intense effects coursing through his weak frame.

"Urgh!!... Arrghhh…." He coughed in pain, kneeling as the potent elixir surged through him. "I almost forgot how strong Slushy are on the first go. This one hit hard with my weak body."

As the pain subsided, he stood, sensing a qualitative improvement in his breathing and movement. Though far from athletic, he felt less like a naked chicken and more like one armored for battle.

Next, Aesir unpacked the Beowolf Diving Gear, admiring its design. He hadn't used Diving Gears since becoming vice Faction leader in Void Walkers, opting for immersive long-term pods, but that technology was still a year away. Faction Online, set to redefine gaming, was his chance to build an empire before it exploded globally.

"I've got a year to establish dominance before everyone floods in," he mused.

With hours until launch, Aesir didn't wear the Diving Gear right away. In the past, he'd eagerly countdown to launch while wearing it, caught up in the excitement.

Now, after fifteen years immersed in the game, the thrill had tempered. For him, it was less a "game" and more a parallel reality. Others would come to see it that way in time, but for now, it was still a high-tech MMO.

Sorting through his supplies, he found pins, old clothes, plain A4 sheets, and his notebooks. Setting up a makeshift workspace, he cleared a wall opposite his bed. Using yarn-like strings cut from old clothes and sheets from his notebooks, he created a rough map. With a worn-out marker, he began sketching, mapping out the Domain where his Faction, Galvian Kingdom, had thrived in his previous life.

He didn't aim to conquer all of Faction Online's kingdoms in the first update; that would be unrealistic. Reaching the heights of his past success would take time and strategy, no shortcuts.

Labeling key towns with resources, rare quests, and hidden treasures, he planned strategically. Having once ruled the entire land, he knew which dungeons yielded the best loot, where Danger Zones hid rare chests and legacies, and which NPCs offered one-of-a-kind rewards.

Aesir spent more than two hours carefully writing on his makeshift canvas. Even though it was quite big, there wasn't enough room to write everything without crowding. He knew he was probably the only one who could read it clearly, but he didn't mind.

After a short break to rest his arms, which felt heavy from all the writing, Aesir studied the canvas to plan his next moves. He had put down all the information he knew. Now, it was time to analyze and strategize.

"Yep, so it's gonna have to be that way, huh?" He said to himself, lost in thought.

Nodding to himself, he skillfully put on the Beowolf Diving Gear. He didn't need to check manuals or think about how to assemble it; he had done this every day for over seven years in his previous life.

"Loading..."

"Integrating Player's Psyche."

"Welcome to Faction Online! This world is controlled by the unique AI hive mind of Beowolf studios and for all purposes…"

The annoying disclaimer followed, with developers explaining their hands-off approach to in-game events, except for small issues.

"Player can now create an account and character."

With his account ready and details confirmed, Aesir found himself in a room with stars in the background, as if floating in space. A countdown timer showed less than fifteen minutes until the game started.

"Here we go again."

Aesir opened the character creation menu and chose the human race. In the VR era of Beowolf, avatars looked like their owners with only minor cosmetic tweaks allowed. You couldn't change skin color, height, or build beyond simple adjustments. As they say, a monkey with makeup was still a monkey without a solid foundation.

Nodding at his appearance, Aesir's avatar, though skinny and somewhat underfed, couldn't hide his good looks. It wasn't too much, but enough to catch your eye with curly, messy dark hair, bright green eyes, thin lips, and a strong, angular face.

Dressed in a basic tunic, pants, and sturdy leather boots without weapons or decorations, Aesir confirmed his choice. Just as he finished, the room started shaking.

Choosing quickly the town where he planned to begin his journey to victory, "Amzion Crib town."

"Town selected, commensing full dive."

Upon entering the game, Aesir found himself in the town square of Amzion Crib. Hundreds of other players were materializing around him. While towns were smaller than cities, they still housed sizable populations, much larger than typical real-world towns.

Amzion Crib was supposed to have a starting population of 350,000 people, not counting players. Aesir estimated there were fewer than a thousand players here, relatively small for such an area. After all, Amzion Crib was one of the more well-known towns in the Galvian Kingdom.

Towns served as starter areas where players could undertake low-level quests to get familiar with Faction Online and its combat system. There were three high-tier cities—Burley City, Brisk City, and Galvian City, the capital. Each had its own advantages and disadvantages, but the secrets hidden within them could sway the fate of the world.

Currently, players couldn't access cities until reaching level 15. Guilds also couldn't be formed until this benchmark level. At level 15, players would be assigned classes based on their attribute point distribution. Many players were unaware of this, and even fewer high-level experts could predict it.

Before level 15, players could learn a mix of classless skills and three class-specific skills, leading many to assume this determined their class.

However, it was solely based on their point distribution.

More points in Attack and Defence would result in a Tank class, but variations existed. High Attack and Defence with some Spirit points would yield a Paladin class, while high Attack with less Defence and more Intellect led to a Mage Guard.

Many players ended up in classes they hadn't aimed for and foolishly reset their accounts, falling behind those who adapted. .

In his previous playthrough, Aesir ended up with a unique class he hadn't intended, but it turned out to be advantageous.

The abilities of his Dark Swordsman class allowed him to excel, even compared to others who had the same class but weren't as compatible.

Aesir knew the exact point distribution for the Dark Swordsman class, so he wasn't concerned. Right now, he needed to follow his early-game plan to establish a solid foundation for the mid-game phase. Opening his character sheet, he studied it with a mix of nostalgia and determination:

Name: Aesir 

Level: 1 

Attack: 1 

Defence: 1 

Intellect: 1 

Spiritual Energy: 1 

Technique: 1 

Charm: 1 

Luck: 1