“See you later, Evan!” Riley shouted, waving his hand. “Oh, and happy birthday to you!” Evan grinned widely. “Thanks, Riley!” After a brief farewell, Evan walked into his yard as it was getting dark. Today began like any other day for Evan Theodore Walker. After entering the house, Evan greeted his family and then went to his room. Evan was satisfied playing with his friend, Riley Chang, a teenager whose parents managed an antique shop. Upon reaching his room, Evan turned on his slightly worn-out desk lamp and looked out the window. Arcadia City was where Evan lived. The city shone with dancing neon lights and magnificent skyscrapers. However, behind the grandeur of Arcadia City, there were many slums inhabited by people like Evan and his family. They lived day-to-day as laborers in factories on the city's outskirts. But poverty did not make Evan feel disheartened. “I will live there someday,” Evan muttered, full of determination. After immersing himself in the glittering ligh
Evan awoke in total darkness. He felt as though he had just woken from a long dream, and his body felt strange—like he had just risen from a very deep sleep. Slowly, he lifted his head and looked around. This place wasn’t a basement; it was his dark bedroom. What happened? Evan wondered to himself. He was certain he had died in the basement of their home. “Am I dreaming?” Evan muttered. He was confused, doubting what was real and what was a figment of his imagination. “Evan?!” Evan turned around immediately. His mother’s scream still echoed clearly in his ears and memory. “Brother?!” This time, it was his younger sister Lily’s cry. Evan covered his ears and eyes, trying to banish all the sounds from his head. “Go away!” Evan shouted. The pain he felt was unlike anything he had experienced before; the pain of being shot made his breathing heavy. “No!!” Evan felt like he was going crazy. He had been killed at the age of 17. He was certain of that, but why was he now
Evan couldn’t react. It was shocking enough to return to the past. Now, a screen appeared before him, like something he had read about in novels.“I must be going crazy,” Evan muttered. His world had turned upside down in just a few hours.How could this all happen? Did he really gain powers? Could he become stronger?As if reading Evan’s thoughts, the words on the screen changed rapidly. What was initially a welcome message now began to answer Evan’s questions.Player Evan has the opportunity to restart his life and achieve greatness never before attained.Evan frowned. “What does that mean? Can you read my mind?”As a new player in this world, players start their journey from level 1. To develop their abilities, players need to complete various quests and challenges.Reflexively, Evan looked at the screen that had suddenly appeared before him, similar to a HUD (heads-up display) in a game. The screen displayed basic information, such as current level, health status, and a list of qu
The next morning, Evan went to the small market near their house, where he found a vegetable seller who looked distressed. The seller appeared exhausted and frustrated.“Is there anything I can help with?” Evan asked.The seller looked up in surprise. “Oh, you’re just a kid. What can you do?”Evan felt a bit hurt but decided not to give up. “I can help. Show me what needs to be done.”Although somewhat skeptical because Evan was a child, the vegetable seller explained that he needed help moving some of his goods.“Alright! I’ll do it!” Evan said with determination.With the seller’s guidance, Evan began to help lift and move the vegetables to their proper places. He felt that his new strength made him quicker and stronger than usual. Every time he completed a task, he felt a slight increase in his body, as if he was getting closer to the full potential of his abilities.After a while, the seller felt very grateful and thanked him. “You’re truly an amazing kid. Thank you for your help!
Marco and his friends laughed when they saw Evan ready to fight. “Look, it turns out there’s someone dumber than Riley the nerd!” Marco jeered.Evan felt adrenaline coursing through him. He knew this wasn’t an ordinary fight. He decided to use his new strength. This would be his first real lesson and fight. All this time, he had only been able to stay silent while he and Riley were bullied. But now, Evan had decided to fight back.Marco stepped forward, clenching his fists. “You think you can beat us?”Evan didn’t answer. He raised his hand, aiming his palm at Marco. In seconds, Marco felt a powerful punch land on his stomach.“Ughh!!” Marco fell to the ground, clutching his belly.Not only Marco and his friends, but Evan himself was surprised by his punch. Was he really that strong?“What are you doing?!” Marco growled. “Attack him!” Marco ordered his friends.Two of Marco’s friends, Tony and Jack, moved in to attack. Evan responded quickly, dodging their punches with increased agili
Time passed quickly. Evan and Riley's relationship grew closer. After the quest to save Riley and defeat Marco, Evan still received other quests, but the quests he got were not as challenging as fighting Marco. Besides that, there was something strange about the rewards he received. If previously Evan received 5-10 status points and experience, this time Evan only received one each time he completed a quest. This happened when Evan reached level 5. Of course, Evan felt frustrated because instead of progressing faster, his development actually slowed down. On a cold evening, Evan sat in front of his house with Riley, contemplating his progress. “What are you thinking about?” Riley asked, curious. Evan sighed deeply. “Nothing.” Riley frowned. “But you look like an old man thinking about his false teeth.” Evan rolled his eyes. He couldn't tell Riley about his powers. Maybe he would tell her in the future, but not now. “Why do you like helping people in our district so much?” Rile
“What should I do?!” Evan muttered, frustrated. For the past three days, Evan had been focusing on two main things: protecting the Blade of Eternity and finding a way to save Riley’s father.Every day, Evan spent hours in an old, abandoned warehouse, practicing his combat techniques and skills. Failure not only meant losing the reward but also the risk of losing Michael Chang and the possible destruction of the world in the future. The pressure made Evan even more focused and determined.Outside of his training, Evan spent time exploring the district, learning more about the sword's history and who might be interested in stealing it. He talked to Michael Chang, who had extensive historical knowledge, but no clear leads. Evan could not find information about the sword's origins, past owners, or evidence that it was cursed. From Michael Chang's accounts, those who held the sword often ended up dead.“Are you not afraid of the sword’s curse, Mr. Chang?” Evan asked.Michael Chang smiled a
In the moments before the sword struck Evan’s neck, a car suddenly turned and illuminated Evan with its blinding headlights.Tiinnn!!Evan didn’t think twice. He jumped in front of the car and closed his eyes.Citttt!BrughhEvan felt a heavy impact. But due to his high endurance stat, he was able to get up quickly.“Hey?!! Are you okay?!!” The driver of the car got out and looked at Evan’s body. “I’ll take you to the hospital!”Evan ignored the driver. He scanned his surroundings, searching for the thief who had attacked him.“Kid?”Evan looked back at the driver. “I’m fine. I’m okay.”The driver was silent. He was sure he had hit Evan hard. The front bumper of his car was even dented, but Evan only had minor injuries. Was that even possible? The driver wondered to himself.After ensuring the area was safe, Evan ran back across the street to the shop.The chime of the door greeted Evan as he entered.“Hello Evan. What do you need?” asked the shop owner, kindly.“Do you have a large f