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As a young man of the twenty-second century, Dio might not have excelled in academics. Whether it was a lack of interest or talent, studying had never been his strong suit.
But when it came to video gamesbhis true passion he stood far above most of his peers.
Years of abundant free time spent practicing and researching, combined with a sliver of natural talent, had pushed his skills to extraordinary heights. Before his rebirth, he had already become a recognized name in the gaming world before turning thirty.
Now, having returned to the year he had just graduated from high school, Dio was confident. With knowledge of the next decade's trends and developments, he could leverage his foresight and rise to the very top of the gaming industry within a few years.
This was no empty boast, Ten years of obsessive study and firsthand experience meant he understood the mechanics and evolution of every major title that would go on to dominate the global market. Armed with that insight and his own hard-earned skill reaching the summit of the gaming world was entirely possible.
"So where do I start?"
Sitting on the sofa, Dio furrowed his brow.
"Dragon Silver: Oath?"
"No. If this is 2095, then Dragon Silver: Era has already been live for a year. Even with future knowledge, climbing to the top of the rankings would take too long."
"Then… Shadow Heroes?"
"Not that either. It'll explode in popularity later, but right now? The studio behind it probably doesn't even exist yet."
He rubbed his chin, thoughts spiraling.
"2095… 2095…"
His muttering echoed through the quiet room.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He practically leapt from the couch.
"Of course!"
"How could I forget?"
Excitement surged through his lean frame.
"Pokémon: World!"
Pokémon: World was developed over eight years by one of the three titans of the twenty-second century gaming industry, the world-renowned company NintenCore.
The game utilized the latest generation of neural-immersive technology, featured a map comparable in size to the real Earth, supported hundreds of millions of simultaneous players, and was overseen by a top-tier artificial intelligence housed at NintenCore's global headquarters.
The most advanced technology of the era, backed by staggering financial and technical resources, had been poured into one of the most iconic franchises in entertainment history.
Pokémon a brand that had once faced stagnation was reborn through seamless integration with cutting-edge virtual technology, reclaiming the overwhelming popularity that had defined much of the twenty-first century.
Even in 2105, the year before Dio's rebirth, Pokémon: World remained a constant fixture in the top three of global gaming charts.
Its dominance spoke for itself.
"If today is March 17, 2095…"
Dio's fingers flew across the sleek silver terminal, searching for news about Pokémon: World.
"It's only been live for two days. I'm not too late!"
A fire ignited in his dark eyes—an ambition he had never truly felt in nearly thirty years of his previous life.
Pokémon: World.
Florin Continent. Outer rim of the Moltenwood Forest. Silverbrook Town.
Silverbrook was a fairly large settlement. Pale gray stone bricks paved the roads in neat lines. Churches, shops, and academy buildings large and small stood arranged like chess pieces along both sides of the streets.
At a glance, it looked like any ordinary human town.
But anyone who had actually crossed the wildlands to reach it would find something deeply unusual.
Silverbrook lay dangerously close to the edge of Moltenwood Forest.
That was a reckless choice. It wasn't just isolated from other towns with poor transport routes the forest was home to roaming Pokémon that could easily disrupt daily life.
Normally, only seasoned Trainers, traveling with experienced partners, could safely traverse the untamed wilderness to reach such a place.
Establishing a civilian settlement here would have been suicidal.
And yet, the scene unfolding in Silverbrook told a different story.
Smoke curled lazily from chimneys. The scent of flowers drifted through the air. Lively chatter and bustling noise filled the streets.
It was the picture of a peaceful rural town, showing no sign of its perilous surroundings.
The reason was simple.
Silverbrook was one of the 32,800 official starter towns established by Pokémon: World across the Florin Continent.
Under the protection of the game's system safeguards, no wild Pokémon would foolishly charge out of the forest to harass the so-called "Fourth Calamity" the players.
At that moment, in the town's central plaza—
Flash.
A brilliant white light burst from thin air. Dense clusters of glowing particles gathered and aligned, forming the silhouette of a human figure within the radiance.
After about five seconds, a crisp chime rang out. The light dissipated, revealing the figure fully.
A red-and-white baseball cap. A plain black short-sleeved shirt. A light blue open jacket.
The standard attire of a novice Trainer.
It was obvious. Anyone appearing in this manner, dressed like this, in this location, was a brand-new player entering the game.
Dio stood quietly in the crowded plaza.
He clenched his fingers slightly, feeling the clear friction of muscle against skin as the sensation transmitted through his nerves.
Layered sounds flowed into his ears with striking clarity.
The shouts of player vendors hawking items from roadside stalls. The calls of teams recruiting members at street corners. Even the steady rhythm of footsteps passing by him.
He tilted his head upward. A gentle breeze brushed across his face. The fragrance of blossoms filled his lungs.
Everything felt real.
"Virtual tech was already this advanced ten years ago?"
Dio shook his head and smiled faintly.
If a first-time player were standing here, someone with no experience in immersive VR, they would likely be running through the streets in awe, marveling at the realism, touching everything in sight like a child exploring a new world.
But Dio, a veteran gamer even before his rebirth, was far from inexperienced.
After a brief stretch to get accustomed to the body's responsiveness, he began to move.
His journey had officially begun.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
(Just remove the - hyphen to access normally)
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!