Reborned Top Gamer: Spell-Swordman Rule the World

09:00 May 9th, 2100 The loud ringing of his alarm continued for another minute before he managed to locate the button on his headboard. He tapped it once and the blaring stopped but his headache did not. “Ugh, what time is it…” he moaned. “It is two minutes after nine in the morning, Walt,” The automated voice responded, her voice chirpy like always. Walt groaned once more before shoving his covers off his body. He swung his legs over the bed, yawning then smacking his lips a couple of times before pushing himself to his feet. It wasn’t unusual for him to feel groggy in the morning but that morning felt different like he had woken from his death or something. “TV please,” he said as he made his way slowly to the bathroom, the sound of the television suddenly filled the apartment. His days were as mundane as his life, he woke up, brushed his teeth, fixed a bowl of cereal and sat down in front of the television with a bottle of beer until it was time for the next meal or drink, then he went to bed and repeated the entire cycle again. He pressed toothpaste on his brush and wet it with water, then he looked up at the mirror. As he started the rhythmical brushing of his teeth, he squinted at his feature. His honey-blond hair looked a lot thicker than the previous day and his five o'clock shadow seemed to be gone. Hanging the toothbrush in his mouth, he frowned and ran his hand through his hair then rubbed his cheek, there was no stubble. “The game, Fantasy, created by Gus Group using their newly acquired system – Gusbrain – has been announced to be the top-rated and top-grossing virtual reality game of this year,” the newscaster announced on the television, causing Walt to dash out of the bathroom to his living room where he proceeded to stare at the screen. His mind started to wander, the date on the live broadcast was May 4th, 2100. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the screen again, his headache got worse and his heart started to pound. When he fell asleep the previous day, it was May 3rd, 2105, how could time have moved backward by five years in just the space of one night’s sleep? How could time have moved backward period? His head was spinning. He started to look around, it was the same apartment but everything was different. The smell of stale food and alcohol did not linger in the air, bottles of beer and takeout boxes didn’t litter everywhere and the pictures, all the pictures were still there. “What year is it?” he asked. “it is the year 2100, the year of a new century.” The system responded. “God…” Walt whispered to himself. He must be in a dream of some sort, he thought. “You have an incoming call from Ailsa, shall I answer it?” his head snapped up as if to look at the system and his heart seemed to stop. Ailsa, Ailsa was his girlfriend and she had been dead for almost four years. His throat went dry and he felt like he was going to throw up. Either he was dreaming or some cruel jape was being played at his expense. “Walt? Shall I answer it?” the system asked. Walt nodded then realized this system would need a spoken confirmation, the ones that don’t will be available in two years if his new timeline was to be believed. In any case, accepting the call would put his doubts to rest but he wasn’t sure what he wanted the truth to be. “Yes, answer it.” “Hello? Walt…what took you so long?” her the voice sang over the speakers and he let out a breath he did not realize he was holding. “Ailsa?” his voice was hoarse and thick with disbelieve. “Uh? Yes, Walt?” she replied and he felt a tear run down his cheek. He collapsed onto a nearby couch and ran his head through his hair unable to believe what was happening at that moment. “Walt?” “Yes, yes, Ailsa, I’m here, I’ll always be here,” he said, shooting to his feet. “Okay…you’re acting strange, is anything wrong?” she asked, he walked to a wall where he hung pictures of her. He grabbed one where she held a bird and was smiling at the camera. His hands rubbed over the glass surface of the frame, skimming over her brown hair and smiling freckled face. “No Ailsa, everything is perfect,” he replied and hugged the picture to his chest. “Are you sure?” “Yes,” “O-okay. Anyways, I called to remind you not to forget about our date this evening,” she said and he suddenly remembered having the same conversation with her five years ago. That time, he had blown her off, it would never happen again. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything,” “Okay good, I don’t want it to be like last time…” “It won’t, I promise,” he said, suddenly wishing he had been sent back in time just a week earlier when he blew off their coffee date for work. “Wow, I like this new attitude…okay, I’ll see you there, bye.” “I love you,” he blurted. There was silence for a moment and he thought she had ended the call until a short gasp came from the speaker. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you Walt, but I like it…I love you too, bye.” She said and ended the call. Walt walked back to the couch and sunk into it. He had to be the luckiest man on the planet, he got another chance at life. He thought back to all the bad decisions and terrible choices he made or was supposed to make in the next five years and decided that he would have to be a complete i***t to make them again. His mind started to turn, trying to remember what happened that year. It was May 4th, which meant that in about a month, he would be getting fired from his job at Minan Group by his asshole boss – Heather – for no apparent reason. Then his account number and equipment in that new game ­– Fantasy – would be recalled which would make him incredibly depressed because fantasy gaming was his real passion, he only worked to pay bills and he was already one of the best players on that particular game. That was the time he became cold and mean to Ailsa, which made her leave him. That loss threw him deeper into a drunken spiral of decadence and depravity. It was three months after she left him that he was called in by a hospital, she had been involved in an accident. He remembered rushing to the hospital but being too late. The funeral was a week later and after that, he became a sad sulking shadow of himself. His stomach grumbled, suddenly jerking him out of his reverie. He got to his feet and hung the picture back on the wall, he smiled to himself and swore that he would never allow any harm to come to her, ever. The television was still on and they were still talking about the game. Fantasy was a highly advanced virtual reality game that allowed the players to enter the game world in a dream-like state. It was an amazing game because it allowed the players to feel all the senses of the game world, thanks to special game consoles that use bioelectricity to stimulate real signals to the brain. Even if the body in the game world got hurt or died, it would not affect the body in the real world although it feels the sensation. Walt had been a highly skilled player, one of the best in fact. His profession had been swordsman but it was all supposed to be taken from him in just a month. He walked over to the kitchen and started to make a bowl of cereal as he considered his choices. The only priority he saw at that moment was ensuring his relationship with Ailsa was fixed and preventing her death. If she had still been with him, if he hadn’t been a complete jerk to her, she wouldn’t have been alone that night and she wouldn’t have died. Her death in his previous life had been his fault but he had been reborn, given another chance. He didn’t know why or who or what exactly sent him back in time, but he was determined to remedy all the mistakes and bad choices he had made, starting with the dinner date with the love of his life. He wolfed down the bowl of cereal.