Return to Level 0

Chapter 1 I’m Up! Again?

“Big Brother. Wake up!” A high pitched voice carrying a sense of urgency sounded in Luck’s ears. 

Suddenly feeling an immense headache overcome his mind, Luck groaned in pain. It was a soft but genuine noise of distress which was all too reasonable since moments earlier, he was plagued by a nightmare. Yet this voice, while high pitched and annoying, was all too familiar to Luck and he felt confused. 

“Ch-Chancy?” He blurted out his younger sister’s name instinctively while his eyes were still shut tight. While he had called out his younger sister, he expected no response since Chancy, his younger step sister, had died of an illness 10 years ago. 

He was 40 at the time and it was the most depressing moment in his life as the last vestiges of his family had left him.

Falling into depression at the remembrance of his sister’s tragic death that could have been prevented, Luck was surprised when Chancy's voice rang out in his mind once more.

“Wake up! You're having a nightmare! It’s a dream! Wait up Big Brother!”

This prompted the man, named Luck, to lessen the reins on his eyes. As light entered his sight, he was in utter disbelief at the visage of his sister. 

She had long shining blond hair and gentle brown eyes that seemed to be tinged with a few small tears that were about to spill over. She was just as Luck remembered her, his crybaby little step sister who balled at the sight of the pain of others. But these tears were a testament to how much Chancy cared for him.

Even if they were only step siblings, they still endeavored to be the best brother and sister they could to each other. Was it out of a sense of responsibility as they didn’t want their parent’s to feel depressed if they didn’t get along or was it something else?

What was certain to Luck on this matter, was that the two of them love videogames as the otaku anime shirt she was wearing somewhat decreased the level of beauty and elegance of Chancy’s childish charm.

Before Luck could say a word, something else he found in the room caught his attention.

While Chancy was besides him at his bedside, it was not just her. Turning his head to scan his surroundings he saw his mother and father nearby as well and they too had looks of concern on their faces.

Yet again, Luck could see just how tightly knit his family was. His step mother buried her head of long blond hair into his father's chest as she cried out in relief.

“Oh thank god! You're ok!” She said, which prompted Luck to ask with a trepidation in his voice.

“Wh-what i-is going….?”

Unable to continue his words as the sense of incongruity of what was happening and the constant headache kept him from thinking clearly. He thought that this was not his house, this was not the dark and dreary one room apartment that he called his home.

This place, to Luck, was his childhood room that he had moved out of 20 years ago. Utter dumbfounded and assaulted by a nagging headache that seemed to push out from his skull, he heaved heavy breathes as if trying to not drown. 

Seeing his distress, Luck’s father stepped in and spoke up to placate his son with a few calming words as he comforted his wife with a hand on her back.

“It’s alright son. You’re okay. Chancy here was worried and came to check on you since you didn’t come down for breakfast. She rushed to us and told us that you were in pain.”

Heeding his father’s word, Luck was able to steady himself as he remembered where he was. This was his room and while he was still subjected to a few pangs of pain from his headache he could recognize that he was physically ok.

He wondered if he was mentally fine as he started to feel that his future memories were just a bad dream. In it, his mother and father had both died from overwork as they tried to scrounge together enough money to pay for Chancy’s medical bills.

He remembered that when they died, he took up the mantle of guardian and worked his butt off to pay for the needed medical treatments. Spending all his time with part time jobs or online odd jobs, he gathered all he could. Yet, with all the effort he put in, the outcome was for a forgone conclusion.

Without enough cash for the higher end and much more advanced medical procedures, Luck had to experience a farewell he hoped had to never come. Down on his Luck, Luck drowned himself in alcohol as he lamented that he was the last surviving member of his family.

For a moment, Luck thought that these memories were just a terrible nightmare. When he regained his focus from the headache, he noticed the holographic calendar at his bedside.

June 1st, Year 2700

This was a day he recognized and had information on from his apparent dream of future events that he could still remember with surprising clarity. Usually, he would forget his dreams minutes after waking up but right now he felt like he could recall every detail and color. 

For example, right now he recalled that today was when he both got and started his first job to play the most interactive and immersive VRMMORPG which used a new kind of technology that was said to be the innovation of the epoch. The interview process was harsh as it involved numerous psychological tests and physical examinations to ensure that he was up to par.

The company, RATHION, was a top gaming company in the competitive VRMMORPG community. They were at first, only a gathering of players who desired to reach for the top and had eventually turned into an official company who recruited and cultivated future pro VRMMORPG players.

In the back of Luck’s mind, he thought that his future memories were still just a dream but he couldn’t help himself to confirm it. 

While today’s disturbance with his family had not occurred in his future memories, the marked similarities of his room to his future memories were prominent which prompted him to check a particular item that could provide him with conclusive answers. 

He got out of bed and walked past his family to confirm his suspicions and took out a helmet from his closet. He gasped lightly as he looked at a particulate part of it.

“It’s here.”

The company’s mark, which was only given out to RATHION employees, was on his VR helmet’s inner. He recalled going to sleep with this on his head before finding himself here and the gears in his head began to click together.

This helmet with this mark should not be here, it was too soon and made no sense of how this had come into his possession at this time in his life. While unclear of the how, he knew that he had somehow gone back in time.

How else could he explain the memories and this apparent future item that were now presently with him. 

But the logic of how he came to be here was secondary since what really got his attention was the knowledge of what would happen to his family in the future. This made a sense of urgency and resolve to form in Luck’s heart and he grimaced in preparation for what he knew he needed to do.

After being calmed down by his family and having a soul fulfilling breakfast. Luck spent time with his family in the living room as they chatted about trivial things. Like how the weather was going to be today or how school was going for Chancy.

This brought a smile to Luck’s inner mind as he had truly missed these interactions. They chatted, they laughed, and they made merry on such a normal day without stress or worry.

With a heartwarming experience coming to its end, Luck had excused himself as he needed time to think. He went to his room and he sat at his desk as he reviewed what he knew of his current situation.

His family was an average one who made the average income of a family of four. They were not wealthy and nor were they poor. They had enough to get by but the cost of the more less frugal options in society were out of reach for a family like his.

One such option is the medical treatments that can cure terminally ill cancer patients. Chancy had developed breast and lung cancer when she turned 18 and had to go through continuous treatment to abate the symptoms.

Being hooked up to all those machines that beeped and whirred, cost more than the surplus income their family made, so everyone cut back on spending to help pay for Chancy’s treatment.

But the cancer in her lungs and chest progressed which increased the number of times and needed funds for her treatments. With desperate times calling for desperate measures, everyone in the family cut back even more on their spending and worked even longer hours.

Their father and mother were only qualified for a few higher level jobs as both of them had only bachelor degrees from college. Unable to find higher paying jobs, the parents worked double shifts everyday and gave up their holidays to pay for the medical treatments.

With all the cutbacks on food and the increase in work time, it was inevitable that they had both died from overwork and stress. Luck’s father died of a heart attack while Chancy’s mother had fallen ill due to a lack of proper nutrition.

Luck remembered the last words of his mother as she passed on in her deathbed.

“Please. Take care of her. And I-I’m sor…..ry.”

He could remember the feeling of her hand going limp which made Luck reflexively tighten his already clasped hands on the desk. Blood began to trickle from the points in which his fingernails had dug into his skin.

Frustration began to build in his expression as there was already an apparent cure for his sister’s illness, but it was stuck behind a stupid paywall that even he and his parents could not reach in time.

“Money.” Whispered Luck. “If only we had enough, then everyone could have lived. If only I had made more money and If I had gotten a better role, I could have done it. I could have saved her.”

Luck felt as if he was going to cry but soon realized a spark in his eye made him reflexively shout to no one in particular.

“NO! WAIT!”

Lucky thought again and realized what he could have done and what he could do now.

I can save them. Is what Luck thought as a well spring of memories and information flooded his mind with ideas. For ten years he had been playing the greatest VRMMORPG, and in those years he had not been lax in his efforts to make money.  

He could have used his future memories to win the lottery or invest, but these options would take too long and were a trap that could ruin his life. In the game, he could advance quicker than he did in his previous future and obtain the wealth he needed to ensure his sister’s health.

He knew the ins and outs, and could not make opportunist decisions to stack the odds in his favor and to game the system.

The name of the game came to mind and Luck chuckled at the irony of his current situation to the game's name.

Level 0, he was truly starting again at the lowest point.

A wry chuckled began to come from Luck and it soon burst forth into a maniacal laughter as if taunting his nightmare of memories and grim fate as only a joke.

“Bwahahaha, I’m going to be the strongest. Bwahahahaha.”

As Luck laughed and shouted as if of spiteing fate, hidden discreetly behind the door to his room was Chancy who looked on in abject worry as her older step brother looked like he was going insane.

She left in a slight panic as she had never seen her once cool headed step brother look so… out of whack. Going to her trusted parents, she called to them for their assistance.

“Mom? Dad? Luck’s being weird! Should we call the doctor?”

This led to another subsequent family gathering in Luck’s room as they had to confirm with an embarrassed and red faced Luck who had to bear the looks of judgment from his family.