Different Present

Liam widened his eyes and gasped for air. He felt a suffocating pain in his neck as he found himself hanging above the floor.

Putting strength into his arms, he pulled the rope that was wrapped around his neck, but it snapped, causing him to desperately search for footing.

His feet found a chair, but he realized too late that it had been overturned as if someone had knocked it over.

Unable to find his balance, Liam was thrown toward the floor.

With a loud thud, his face hit the ground, blood running down his nose.

"What the hell?"

He was certain.

Something perplexing was going on.

---

Liam found himself staring at the mirror, mouth agape.

The man reflected in the mirror was a stranger to him.

Dark gray, slightly messy hair, teal-colored eyes, and a face with sharp features.

Liam touched his cheek, evidently taken aback by the sight. This was not his face. He had been transferred into another body.

How had this happened? Or rather, was it even possible? This was beyond comprehension.

Liam had always prided himself on his calm demeanor, but now, faced with this mind-boggling scenario, he found himself at a loss for words.

"I'm sure I died. I died, and... I heard something. What was it?"

Liam traced his memory and eventually recalled the words he had heard.

"It said item activation. But I clearly remember the Undying Soul Ring was just an item in the game. How in the..."

How in the world?

How could an item that supposedly only existed in the game have come to life?

In the game, the Undying Soul Ring allowed him to temporarily transfer into another player's avatar, forcing the other player to log out while he controlled their character. It had been a crucial item during guild wars and raids.

Since IGO was centered on a more realistic approach, the typical chat functions found in games were not included. So, if a leader died during a guild war, it would certainly disrupt the chain of command.

Liam had solved such problems by creating the Undying Soul Ring. It was also the reason why his guild, Everlasting, had been able to compete with Silverfang.

"If the item activated, then I was really reborn into another person..."

His first question—whether this was reality or not—had been answered.

Next, he wanted to confirm the identity of the person he had transferred to. But when he delved into the memories of this body's original owner, he was left speechless by what he discovered.

---

It was now the year 2045, seven years after his death. During these years, the world has undergone drastic changes.

The game IGO had taken over the real world. Players had begun assimilating with their avatars, gaining supernatural powers in the process.

The early years had been a transitional phase where the world had to make large adjustments.

Politics and commerce had been turned upside down. Guilds, associations, and various groups had been established, stabilizing the chaos in the process.

Eventually, the world adapted to the new reality, but not until the new year of 2040. That was when large cracks suddenly appeared throughout the world.

These cracks served as gateways to otherworldly territories inhabited by monsters and different beings.

The world called these cracks, Rifts.

Players had to conquer or clear these rifts. Once a rift was successfully conquered, it transformed into a domain that became accessible to ordinary people, offering new frontiers for exploration, settlement, and resources.

However, if neglected for too long, these rifts would burst, allowing the monsters to run wild outside the crack.

To the world, this was a threat. Fortunately, the existence of players brought assurance to the people.

---

The date of July 20, 2038, marked the beginning of the Great Assimilation.

It was the exact day that Liam had died.

"It all makes sense now."

He muttered, finally understanding how his game item might have come to life at the exact moment of his last breath, saving him from eternal death.

"What about my guild?"

Liam wanted to know what had happened to his guild and the guildmates he knew.

After he died, he was clear his guild would become allies of Silverfang, as the traitor Eliot would have taken control of the guild. Although there would likely be some disputes among the members.

Liam's sudden disappearance would potentially cause dissonance within the guild. This was the objective that the Silverfang had wanted to achieve when offering the alliance. This will allow them to strike and devour the whole Everlasting.

However, with all the chaos that had ensued, he wasn't sure anymore what the real outcome had been.

Liam had transferred into the body of Asher Beltran, a man in his mid-twenties and a low-ranking Alchemist.

From what he gathered through Asher's memories, the assimilation had happened in three phases.

The Great Assimilation occurred when IGO players merged with 50% of their avatars.

The Second Assimilation happened a month later, and it involved players merging with 40% of their avatars.

Another month after that, the Lesser Assimilation happened where the rest of the IGO players had assimilated with 35% of their avatars.

After the series of assimilations, there had been a pause for a year.

When the new year of 2041 began, a year after the rifts appeared, selected ordinary people called "Awakens" began obtaining IGO classes.

Asher Beltran was one of these people.

However, he didn't receive the combat class that he truly desired but instead got the Alchemist, a class belonging to Production.

'It seems that Production classes were also deemed undesirable even in real life.'

Liam thought, recalling the reasons why production classes had not been popular in the game.

Most production classes were complex and difficult to master, discouraging players.

Moreover, production classes didn't offer the instant gratification that combat classes did.

For starters, the profits and rewards in the beginning were not enough to cover the cost of making the potions.

Only when production players reach the master stage can they start earning decently.

Additionally, there was a disparity when it comes to leveling. At level 1, a combatant player could gain 100% experience after killing three to five F-rank monsters solo.

In contrast, production players, such as Alchemists, might need to craft 10 F-rank potions to reach level 2.

This template was the same for other production classes. Therefore, Liam could understand the disappointment that Asher must have felt.

As he rummaged through Asher's memories, sudden notifications flashed before him.