Reincarnation's Fourth Act

"Lucas!"

"No matter how many times you return, you cannot defeat us!"

"We are immortal!"

Lucas gazed towards the distant stars, at a darkness as vast and profound as the Milky Way. Within that darkness, countless eyes flickered.

He then looked down at his own ravaged body.

Riddled with countless wounds...

It was barely a body at all, a mere husk.

"Tch."

Lucas's gaze grew distant.

With a soft click of the tongue, a pristine clockwork portal materialized before him.

"Who cares about your immortality?"

The Epochal World Third Server Grand Opening on January 1st, 2024!Major Esports Teams and Guilds Issue Boisterous Declarations!Epochal World's Parent Company Claims This Will Be the Last Server to Open!

Innumerable memories flooded into the vessel's consciousness.

Lucas, seated upon a toilet, glanced at the notifications popping up on his phone.

"Ah, I'm back again."

"The third time, isn't it?"

He rose unsteadily. "Damn, I must have been sitting for ages. And why, of all places, must I be reborn in such a setting?"

He flushed the toilet with practiced ease and opened the door.

A typical reborn individual wouldn't be so calm, he mused.

But having experienced this twice before, Lucas's reaction was rather subdued.

This was his third reincarnation.

The first time, he had been frantic and impulsive, eager to accomplish everything at once.

But now, there was no need for such haste. He understood that many things could not be forced.

Everything became familiar and manageable with repetition, even reincarnation.

While washing his hands, Lucas stared into the mirror, recalling the events of what felt like mere minutes ago. He muttered, "Just what makes those True Gods so powerful?

"I optimized the build to the absolute limit, and it still wasn't enough... it's absurd. And the sheer number of them..." He sighed, a hint of helplessness in his voice.

"An SS-rank talent simply can't compete. I guess I have no other choice."

Epochal World was the first, and possibly the last, fully immersive virtual reality game.

Through a gaming pod, consciousness could be connected to a completely simulated world, so realistic it could be considered a second life.

Its release sparked a frenzy.

Anyone who could afford a pod joined in, from six-year-olds to octogenarians.

After all, it was humanity's second world.

Even those who disliked combat could appreciate the world's stunning scenery.

The elderly could regain their youth, and the disabled could experience able-bodiedness.

No one could resist this virtual realm.

This was the second anniversary of Epochal World's launch.

The second server had opened on the first anniversary.

And at midnight, the third server would open to celebrate the second anniversary.

This was the final server to be introduced.

From this point forward, there would be no new realms.

As Lucas stepped out the door, a voice rang out beside him. "Lucas, Epochal World's new server opens in two hours."

"Are you ready? We have to secure the first dungeon clear before any other guild! With you on board, Hidden Origin is guaranteed to win!

"I heard the guild leader snagged a particularly awesome assassin talent activation code for you. If you get it, we'll be unstoppable!"

The familiar words washed over Lucas.

He was currently a professional player for the Hidden Origin guild, renowned as Epochal World's top assassin and best raid leader in the world championships two months prior.

In Epochal World, each player received a random special talent.

So absolute fairness and balance were not guaranteed.

However, the game's popularity had led to major corporations forming esports clubs and organizing professional leagues.

Professional players were generally the elite of Epochal World.

So, despite the seemingly unbalanced talent system, professional matches remained highly engaging.

Lucas sighed upon seeing the bald head with a black mask obscuring his mouth, only revealing his eyes.

"lan, can't you drop the habit of cosplaying your character in real life?"

"Forget it... I want to see the guild leader." Lucas gave up on trying to change him.

Ian chuckled. "Perfect timing, the guild leader wants to see you too."

Soon, Ian led Lucas to a lavishly decorated office. A jade sculpture adorned the desk, and the gaunt, sharp-featured guild leader of Hidden Origin sat in the executive chair.

"Lucas, I heard you were looking for me."

The guild leader flashed a practiced smile. "Coincidentally, I was about to call for you. There's something I wanted to discuss."

Lucas shoved his hands in his pockets, his expression indifferent. "No need to discuss it. You were going to tell me that you're giving the S-rank talent to someone else, weren't you?"

"I'm sorry, Guild Leader, but I plan to leave the guild."