บท 2: Another Chance

Jayce's eyes shot open, his body jolting upright in bed. His chest heaved with each rapid breath as he clutched at his pounding heart. Sweat trickled down his forehead, mingling with the remnants of a terror that gripped him. The last moment of the harrowing fight against the colossal draconic beast still lingered in his mind.

As he glanced around the room, panic and confusion washed over him. The familiar surroundings registered in his mind—his old room from a decade ago, frozen in time. The posters of heroes and fantasy landscapes adorned the walls, triggering a wave of nostalgia.

The reality of the situation crashed down upon him. How could this be? He vividly remembered the battle, the devastating defeat, and his imminent demise beneath the weight of the creature's foot. Yet, here he was, back in the past, seemingly unscathed.

His friends and allies, brutally disemboweled and defeated by the boss monster in the mountainous region. He quickly lifted up his shirt, searching for the massive scar that he had received early on, only to see his stomach without a blemish.

The sudden vibration of his phone jolted him from his bewildered state. Instinctively, he reached for the device, unlocking it to reveal a news article. The words on the screen sent shivers down his spine—the new virtual reality game was being released in just an hour.

Jayce's mind whirled with confusion and disbelief. Trembling fingers hastily checked the date, his eyes widening as he read the glaring numbers—1st July 2050. A gasp escaped his lips, reverberating through the empty room. It was a revelation that struck shock into the depths of his soul—he had truly traveled back in time, a decade into the past.

***

Jayce sat on his bed, his mind consumed by the weight of his current predicament. The knowledge of the impending apocalypse, set to ravage the world in a mere three months, weighed heavily on his shoulders. His gaze settled on his phone, its screen displaying the name that had triggered this apocalyptic chain of events.

"Cataclysm: World's End," he muttered, his teeth clenched in frustration.

The mere sight of those words sent a chill down his spine, dredging up memories he would rather forget. In the future he knew that the game's world would merge with Earth, plunging the modern civilization into a maelstrom of chaos and despair. It would be a literal apocalypse.

The first two years were the darkest for humanity. The merging of the game world with reality unleashed a catastrophic electromagnetic pulse, obliterating all technology known to mankind. In a single stroke, the modern world was hurled back into the abyss of the Dark Ages.

Yet, that was not the cruelest blow of all.

The true horror manifested in the form of monstrous creatures, unleashed upon the Earth in countless hordes, thirsty for blood and destruction. The wave of death and devastation that swept the land was unimaginable.

There was something strange that occurred during the merging of the two worlds—the introduction of the system. Those familiar with Cataclysm would recognize its striking resemblance to the user interface of the game.

Every living human, regardless of age or gender, received the same enigmatic message: "Choose your Class."

Numerous options awaited, from combat-oriented classes like Mage, Ranger, Monk, Guardian, and Swordsman, to non-combat roles such as Blacksmith and Alchemist.

Jayce had been a Swordsman, risking his life on the frontlines against the abominations that invaded their world.

Humanity, over time, managed to establish strongholds across the land, providing a semblance of safety. With governments fallen, the strongest players formed guilds, offering refuge to non-combatant classes while utilizing their skills and talents to bolster their fighting forces.

The guild Jayce had joined was called Avalanche, a mid-sized guild on the Asian continent. Its leader's true name was unknown, but he went by the alias Cloud, wielding a colossal greatsword that spanned the length of his towering frame.

It was within this guild that Jayce had found his comrades, battling alongside them in countless encounters, gradually evolving into a formidable battle party.

Their latest mission had been to scout the fearsome boss residing in the western mountains and report back to the guild, enabling a full raid party to confront it. Little did they know it would mark their final mission together.

Jayce's grip tightened around his phone, a whirlwind of emotions raging within him. If he had truly traveled back ten years into the past, then all hope was not lost. He still had time to prepare for the impending catastrophe, armed with his knowledge of future events and honed combat experience.

"Let's do this," he declared, mustering the courage that burned within. Leaping off the bed, he strode toward his VR machine, ready to embark on a journey that would alter the course of his fate.