Fate's Reversal: The Divines Return

....

In a highly modernized city, bustling with activity and inhabitants; improved environmental control technology produced clearer and more serene skies, promoting a peaceful surrounding.

Currently, inside a well-built 3-floor open concept family home, on the upper floor laid a teen's body trembling slightly, slowly opening their eyes producing a groan.

"Ugh..."

Turning over sitting on the edge of his full-sized bed, Kaiden gripped his forehead as his surroundings and consciousness turned hazy and indistinct for a moment. Behind his closed eyes, a miraculous scene unfolded inside his brain. The scenery switched rapidly, bringing Kaiden a foreign yet familiar feeling. However, not much longer, the scenes finished and a spinning sensation engulfed Kaiden's conscience.

The intruding injected conscience of parallel Kaiden entered this Kaiden's mind, starting to dismantle into pieces assimilating in the process. This process resulted in the melding of a whole new Kaiden; one which consisted of the teen Kaiden as a base and the struggles and dull combat instincts of the other, enhancing him.

Opening his eyes, they now held a newfound tenacity that was engraved in the depths of his soul as he exhaled a mouthful of turbid air, completely clearing his mind.

Grabbing his holographic quantum watchphone; the latest 'Cosmos XC Edition' he attached it, examining the time and date while toggling the holographic display. 'June 10th, 2096 9:03 AM'. With that being said, equally attracting his attention was a morning announcement.

[MORNING ANNOUNCEMENT: «World's Destiny: Redemption» has reportedly released a new review, detailing a successful closed beta as well as the official launch date: September 10th, 2096, 12:00 AM. Upon release, a lot of information will have been patched and new, thrilling content will be presented for you to explore. In-depth information will be unveiled in the days before the official release.]

After tapping this message, a countdown timer reading '91 days, 14 hours, and 56 minutes remaining' appeared, accompanied by some extra information.

Swiping up, Kaiden read the attached information review at the bottom.

[«World's Destiny: Redemption» will be the game of this and the next century. Based on current data predictions drawn from the closed beta server, it will easily outpace its former competition «Sword of Light».

It is an even more extensively developed immersive VRMMO. It boasts fluid gameplay in which the user is given the capability to harness their innate creativity, producing hidden benefits.

Game details developed and refined by the head members of WEPA (Worldwide Entertainment Propulsion Association) & interactive theories and calculations behind the game produced by HARDIC (Human Advancement Research & Development International Congregation); which is a combination of the top countries' leading media companies & leading scientists respectively.

Due to the fact that such a diverse group of creators designed «World's Destiny: Redemption», it possesses characteristics of various cultures, including but not limited to, their fantasy ideas. When it boils down to development possibilities and career choices, there is no limitation.

 Obviously, that is an exaggeration, there will be limitations. Only, it is undisclosed what they will be. Lastly, your general location is determined by your country of residence.]

Closing his hologram, Kaiden stood up and stretched. Examining his physical structure, he is actually quite tall coupled with an athletic physique bought about by tennis and track. In fact, he was 1.85 meters and 85 kg, respectively. Not to mention, his features were noteworthy as well, specifically his eyes.

To put it another way, whenever Kaiden met someone new, he would receive a multitude of compliments on his clear and bright hazel eyes alone. Overall, you could call him a handsome lightly tanned fellow.

Kaiden left his room heading towards the kitchen downstairs, just to be later welcomed by the presence of a seated man who looked like an aged version of himself and a stunningly beautiful brown skin brunette currently in front of a running sink. Those were in fact his parents Michael and Christine Smith.

"Haha, good morning Mom; you look beautiful as always," complimented Kaiden.

Chuckling, his mom joked, "You sweet talker you, I hope you don't antagonize those innocent girls your age like this. It's clear you take after your knucklehead father."

"..." an audible gulp followed after Kaiden's abrupt awkward silence leading into a wry smile. Not long after he turned looking for solace in his dad.

"What's up champ? Did you prepare for tomorrow? I know I say this a lot, but I am truly proud of you son. Haha, looks like I need to think of a suitable gift for you," his dad chuckled with a meaningful wink.

Blurting out almost instantly, Kaiden's eyes gleamed, "Money!"

It was only a short moment later when Kaiden realized his outburst, revealing an embarrassed expression, resulting in the harmonious laughter of his parents.

"Sure thing, I'll surprise you with something nice," his dad responded.

Nodding, Kaiden informed his parents that he was going out to train, dashing upstairs directly into his room. Dressing in suitable training clothes, he recalled his outburst just now. "Speaking of money...", he swiped on his watch bringing up the holographic display, viewing his bank account information.

'Universal Plus Checking's - XXXXXXX7689, Available Balance: $3,589.61 | Compound Savings - XXXXXXX6215, Available Balance: $27,542.88'

Altogether satisfied with the condition of his bank account, Kaiden nodded as he thought to himself, 'First things first, I need to set aside $12,000 in order to purchase an Advanced Virtual Immersion Connector Helmet. (AVICH for short.) However, I can't relocate the funds until after my 18th birthday next month in order to be sure that Mom and Dad no longer receive parental notifications when withdrawing large amounts. I will get it nonetheless, just not now."

The Advanced Virtual Immersion Connector Helmet is an immersion gaming device built by WEPA and HARDIC using high-quality entertainment technology, providing a spectacular 82% synchronization rate. In contrast to its basic counterpart operating at a lackl.u.s.ter 74% synchronization rate, it is just downright amazing. However, though this may be true there is still a device that takes it a step further, the Gold Rank Virtual Immersion Pod.

The Gold Rank Virtual Immersion Pod included all the technology the AVICH did, just slightly improved. For instance, it introduced a stasis mode, actively stimulating the body allowing longer periods of immersion. Moreover, it achieved an 85% synchronization rate, that 3% translated into an astronomical advantage in the game after your conscience responded better. Despite the immersion pod producing a lot of benefits, it still suffered from a hefty drawback; its price tag. Its market price was marked at a whopping $200,000. Instantly, it was eliminated from many average player's shopping lists.

Stampeding out of the door, Kaiden began a slight stretching routine on the sidewalk when he received a notification alert on his watch. 'Beep!' Curious, he checked to see who or what it was. Finding out that it was a video call request from Ezekiel Smith, he quickly accepted. On his screen appeared a mild, scholarly looking man, around 22 years of age with features similar to Kaiden. The resemblance was simply uncanny.

"Hey Zeek, not in your dorm?" inquired Kaiden as he performed his stretches.

"Aye Key, nope; I'm headed home! I'll be there to witness my mini-me graduate from my alma mater, walking across that fine stage," quipped Ezekiel.

"Really? You are heading home? Awesome! Not gonna lie, I missed you, man. We can do some training together!" exclaimed Kaiden with a delighted smile.

"Oh, so have I and hm, training. Sounds good. Speaking of which, have you heard of that new VRMMO «World's Destiny: Redemption»? I have this subtle gut feeling that it'll take the gaming industry by storm, never once being the same again," passionately replied Ezekiel, eyes glimmering.

"I have a similar feeling as well. As if tumultuous waves will occur. I cannot wait to try it out. Oh! Don't forget we MUST play together. Alright, I have to get to the training center for some essential training so, I'll see you at home when I get back," responded Kaiden, waving while ending the call.

Beginning a light jog, Kaiden headed in the direction of the local training center approximately 2km away. In due time, Kaiden reached the center situating anything he did not want to take into the training rooms in a locker. Sitting on a bench for a moment pondering. 'I have multiple things I need to achieve.'

Falling deeper into thought, Kaiden began formulating a viable plan. 'Firstly, I need to determine the overall increase in my base reaction speed based on the mental agility boost I received. After all, VRMMOs depend heavily upon the brain. Next, I need to perform stimulating exercises to train my body's instinctual reaction.

'Then, I need to reach a state when where these newly implanted combat instincts begin to attune with my capabilities. Lastly, build a much more efficient body through strenuous explosive muscle training complimented by a nutritional serum regiment."

Proceeding toward the information desk, Kaiden reached and picked up an instructive directory to locate the mental agility and physical training sections. Eventually pinpointing them, he released a sigh of relief realizing they are located next to each other.

"Perfect, I don't need to drag my exhausted self up or down any flights of stairs, I guess this place takes physical training to the extreme provided the absence of an elevator, wow..."

Settling in an expansive 30 x 30-meter automated ball launching room similar to a gymnasium, Kaiden takes off his upper wear, leaving his b.a.r.e body after setting the options of the mechanism.

「Ball Count: 50

Distance: 25 meters

Speed: 78 m/s

Required Reaction Time: 0.32 seconds」

Locking his focused gaze on the launching mechanism Kaiden exclaimed, "Start!"

'Beep! Beep! Beep!'

In quick succession, a countdown was heard. In the next moment, a tennis ball sized rubber projectile was launched forward reaching Kaiden in what seemed like an instant. Using a horizontal step, Kaiden narrowly dodged as the ball brushed past his right elbow.

Half a second later, another ball was launched resulting in Kaiden using his right leg as a pivot, turning his left side counterclockwise; this ball grazed past his sternum. This scenario continued for the next 25 seconds. As this was just the beginning, it was only enough to make Kaiden work up a light sweat.

"Difficult, but not nearly impossible. It seems the initial improvement to my reaction speed might be larger than I thought. I was always sitting at 0.35 seconds. Let's keep pushing to get a benchmark on where my current limit resides."

Repeatedly running the training mechanism with increasing the difficulty incrementally caused Kaiden to start experiencing mental fatigue. His actions required him to enter a mentally straining focused state. The results were determined after he began to consecutively get hit in the last 2 sessions of today's training, creating 5 visible bruises, yelling, "Stop!"

Dropping to the floor with sweat pooling underneath him, Kaiden uttered breathlessly after much difficulty, "Phew... that was thrilling. 0.21 seconds; that's my current limit. An amazing improvement from my previous 0.35 seconds, I must say. However, I know that my current limiting factor isn't my brain but in fact, my body. My brain reacted already but my body couldn't react fast enough."

Switching over to the room next door, Kaiden engaged in an even more exhaustive and strenuous workout than before. Consisting of extreme calisthenics, not to mention, weightlifting. He brought his body to the point of rebellion. Remaining sprawled across the floor, Kaiden's c.h.e.s.t heaved as experienced aches in even places priorly unknown.

After the passing of a much needed basic recuperation period, Kaiden dragged his still horribly aching body to the revitalization desk ordering, "10 Grade 2 VitaShakes please."

"Okay, that will be $500 please." replied the desk attendant.

Wincing at the declaration of the price, Kaiden paid while also settling his curiosity, "Up to what Grade VitaShakes do you guys carry?"

"We carry up to Grade 4, as per regulations. Anything higher you would need to proceed to a state-level facility or be 18 with valid identification to place orders on the official website."

"Thank you," said Kaiden while accepting the container of Grade 2 VitaShakes. Afterward, he walked outside of the center hailing a cab while consuming one of the shakes.

Unfortunately, in mere moments, Kaiden was clutching his shirt groaning and screaming to the high heavens with a twisted expression, "Ugh!...C-CRAP!"

Despite having consumed Grade 1 VitaShakes before, the Grade 2 version was simply too potent. It felt as if magma was flowing through his system, expunging toxins from his cells.

VitaShakes are new-age evolutionary technology-based nutritional serums produced by HARDIC. Ranging from Grade 1-10, they are designed to continually temper the function of your cell's mitochondria, producing a phenomenon called 'Cellular Energy' after the usage of Grade 5 VitaShakes.

Traveling down the anatomical chain, beginning with the endocrine system; actively expelling waste on the cellular level, finally reaching down to the skeletal system, dramatically boosting density. In the long run, it improves the way of life, bodily capabilities, and longevity tremendously. Recommended to take in an exhausted state in order to raise effectiveness, reducing the wastage of energy. Another key point not to be overlooked is, it is not advised to jump grades without your body first acclimating to the prior grade as it may cause cellular overload which could ultimately be fatal.

Reaching home and spending the rest of the day eating the entire contents of the house and enjoying family time, Kaiden found himself in a deep sleep instigated by his exhaustive training.

.....

Participating in graduation the next day, he received a notification afterward on his watch, reacting. 'Transfer received $5,000.00 added to your Checking's. Note: We are proud of you, here's a small gift, Dad.'

On another note, day by day Kaiden's training increased in intensity and sometimes duration, becoming a rather thrilling sensation for him. Midway through, Kaiden began implementing deflection techniques with a sturdy stick and minute evasion methods, conserving energy more proficiently as his understanding of directional movement deepened.

Through Kaiden's proficient training curriculum, he obtained amazing results after 90 days. I guess you could indeed call it a futuristic P90X regiment.

"Outstanding. I am approximately situated at a 0.12-second reaction speed. Not the best, but this definitely puts me above the general masses. I will purchase my gaming necessities and absorb as much basic knowledge as possible over these next 3 days.

Transferring $16,000 from his savings to his checking's, Kaiden ordered an AVICH and 7-day supply of Grade 4 VitaShakes, at $500 each; instantly over $15,000 vanished from his account, by now with all his recent spending, he had grown used to it.

"With this, I must not fail. My plan is to earn enough with «World's Destiny: Redemption» and at the same time, temper, and enjoy myself," affirmed Kaiden while compiling the basic information he should know.

The current time frame of the game is similar to an extremely long day. A full day cycle is 72 hours with the ratio projecting a summer day in 2:1. Furthermore, the time dilation is 3:1. Meaning, the passage of 72 hours in-game is equal to 1 day in the real world.

The 72 hours were split into 48 hours of daytime and 24 hours of the night. Each of which boasts its own characteristics. For example, if you enter the leveling areas during the night, your character will experience decreased vision and perception at lower levels. That isn't all, even the weakest monsters will then berserk when a certain health threshold is reached.

Without an immersion pod, a user is allowed 18 natural hours of playtime before being ejected for a 6-hour period to avoid any extensive damage to the nervous system.

Your starting village is randomly decided, following Lv.10 you will be allowed to migrate to an Advanced Town which is basically an upgraded version of starting villages. Just a lot more spacious and with all basic interactive functions unlocked marking the true beginning of your experience.

Lastly, Character Creation is where you choose one of the 5 basic classes; Warrior, Mage, Priest, Thief, and Hunter, which each have various branches available at Lv.20. You may also choose from the 7 major races that inhabit Sanctoria.

After spending almost 3 days compiling off and on, Kaiden lied in bed holding his AVICH, putting it on, and starting the bootup process.

"30 more seconds…prepare myself...Phewwww!" Kaiden exhales sharply and 30 seconds later,

'Brain wave identity...Confirmed. Signatures...Locked on. Preparing to login...Connecting to «World's Destiny: Redemption»!'