1 Starting Over

"Ugh..." A man in a long black coat groaned in pain as he attempted to remove the sword that pierced through his heart from his back. Kim Shin still couldn't believe that his best friends would backstabbed him.

He thought that after all of their life and death adventures, they already treated him as a family. However, he finally realized how naive he was, to think that he ludicrously trusted them.

"H-How... can you do this... to me... Arnold...and Hiro?" Kim Shin asked as he stuttered, already weak to talk, but he endure it.

"Shin...I'm sorry... if Arnold and I did not do this, both Arnold's and my family will be the one in trouble."

"W-what do you mean Hiro? Who's behind all of this?"

"It's Arthur Rothschild!" Arnold answered.

"Arthur of Rothschild family. You know that it's been a couple of years since he set his eyes on your wife, Angelica.." Hiro took the lead to continue.

"You know how powerful the Rothschild Family. One day, Arthur came with his family attendant at my family home and ordered the head of my family that, if we still want my family to co-exist with them, we must kill you, torture you or even buried you alive as long as you die, or else he will annihilate my family. As Arnold and I wanted to help you so much, but with just me and Arnold, it's clearly not enough to face the wrath of the Rothschild family, forgive us, Shin." Hiro disclosed as he begged Kim Shin for forgiveness.

Rothschild Family one of the biggest and powerful families in Yggdrasil World.

Back on earth, the Rothschild Family was rich, influential, and powerful.

Even in Yggdrasil World, they are still powerful, it seems like wherever they are, they could stand toe to toe with hegemons.

Kim Shin knew that Arthur will do anything to obtain his wife Angelica. That's the reason why they ran far away from civilization, far from the eyes of Rothschild Family as they hide to live a normal life. They thought that the happy moment would last forever. However, destiny was really not on their side this time.

His wife Angelica got captured and Kim Shin is dying by the hands of his two best friend.

"I'm deeply ashamed about this Shin. Forgive me." Arnold was seriously apologetic for what they have done to Kim Shin.

Upon hearing the answer from the mouth of his two best friends, Kim Shin didn't know what to say, or what to react. He's furious, but knowing that they just do this for the safety of their own family, Kim Shin couldn't help but to be softened a bit. However, he still can't forgive them, they can't erase the fact that they ruthlessly betrayed him which unforgivable.

'Ugh...' Kim Shin stiffly grimaced in pain, as he felt that his consciousness was slowly fading.

Looking at the dying Kim Shin, Arnold and Hiro asked for forgiveness before they left.

"Forgive us, Kim Shin... Rest in peace."

'Rest in peace Heh...' Watching the fading figure of his two best friends who stabbed him in the back ruthlessly, Kim Shin couldn't help but lament how naive he was.

'If there is a second chance to live I won't live like this again. I will live with everything I've got, without being afraid of anyone. I will control my own destiny!' His consciousness fades away and took his last breath.

***

Beep! Beep! Beep!

'Mm... what is that sound...?'

A loud and continuous mechanical beeping sound woke up the sleeping Kim Shin. Opening his eyes, bright sunlight shone over his face, obstructing his vision as he was forced to closed his dark-blue eyes once again. Raising his left arm to block the sunlight, he then managed to open his eyes comfortably.

His vision was still a bit blurry since he just woke up. Next, as his vision starts to get clear, he sat his body as he found himself on a bed in a strange room. Although it was quite strange, he could feel nostalgic in this room.

Then, as if something blunt hit his head, he suddenly remembered that this is his little apartment on Earth 8 years ago.

"Isn't this, my little apartment on earth?!" Kim Shin uttered in disbelief.

He couldn't believe it since the earth was already long gone, so how could he get back in his little apartment.

He was baffled and confused. Kim Shin's mind is in chaos right now. As he was thinking, a sudden snap happened in his mind.

"Ughhhh..."

An intense headache occurred as his past and future memories suddenly rushed back at his head, which made Kim Shin grimaced in pain.

"Huff... Huff... Angelica... Arthur... I'd really travel back in time." As the pain subsided, drops of tears fell from Kim Shin's eyes when he remembered his past and future.

He still could not believe what's happening. However, he doesn't have any choice but to believe after he felt the intense pain, and the memories that seem like it just happened yesterday.

Then, when he felt that the pain won't come again, he hurriedly looked for his phone and found his old Semsung phone under his pillow on his messy single bed as he quickly looked for the date.

Unlocking his phone, the current date showed up.

[August 5, 2019]

!!!

"Now I'm a hundred percent sure that all the memories' flood inside my head is highly accurate..." Kim Shin murmured.

He's now hundred percent certain. Even without a date, he's already certain after he found his phone since there's no phone 'there'.

'But how the heck this happened?' Kim Shin was really confused and clueless as to why and how this happened to him.

'I'd really travel back in time. My eight years of adventure in another world. It felt like a dream.'

After he found the date, Kim Shin remembered that on his 19th birthday one-month hereafter, the biggest incident in earth history will happen.

'I still have one month remaining to get ready before that incident... First, I need to check if I have enough money for a month.'

Kim Shin is what you called a baby came out from nothing. He lived as an orphan for 18 years without knowing who are his biological parents. The owner of the orphanage named him Kim Shin based on the paper that within his basket when they discovered him at the door of the orphanage.

After leaving the orphanage, he managed to get a job with the help of the owner of the orphanage, and by working hard for 11 months, he got enough money to live for more than a month.

'This time I can't be distracted as I don't have enough time to get to work and I need to get ready for 'that' day.'

'I think, it's much better to quit my job.' Kim Shin dialed his manager number and call.

Ring! Ring!

"Hello?"

"Hello, Sir. It's me, Kim Shin."

"Oh Mr. Kim Shin, what's wrong? is there any problem?"

"Actually sir, I'll just want to inform you, that I'd plan to quit my job."

"Huh, what's wrong Mr. Kim Shin? Is there any unsatisfactory in your work area? Why are you suddenly wanted to quit?"

"It's not like that sir. I'm happy in my job it just... there's something happen... A private matter sir. I apologize and thank you for all your help, Sir. Goodbye."

"Hey, Mr. Kim Shin wai-"

He quickly ended the call after saying his words. He's thankful to his boss but he knew that this normal life would change soon.

So, he must focus on his training and make a plan for the upcoming events.

'Now I should start with my training.'

The Kim Shin in his peak power had an inhuman physique, but the Kim Shin now is only a normal human. With his body, he won't last long in intense training. Hence, he made a decision. A decision that would be helpful for his future.

'I need to train my body starts today until that day. I won't stop until I collapsed!' He vowed in his mind when he remembered that those who have an excellent foundation will have a smooth start unlike those who don't train their body.

'With my eight years of life-and-death experience in that world, even without my old attributes, I still have my techniques. I just need to train my body to synchronize with my movements and I can dominate the first stage.'

A hundred pushups, sit-ups, squats, and 10 KM run is his every morning regime. That was just the basic morning regime of the first week. The next week, he doubled it, and so on.

Kendo, Kung Fu, Boxing, and other martial arts style is what he had done from the afternoon through evening and he slept early every day, also wake up early in the morning.

That's what Kim Shin did in his one-month training rehabilitation.

After One Month.

A man standing at the front of a mirror looks like he just finished his work out because of the sweat streaming down on his face and topless body. His appearance is above than average man because of the sharp eyebrows like a sword, pointed nose, thin red lips, a height of 1.8 meter, his manly jaw that can catch eyes of the young girls and black hair with a hint of blue as sky which compliment with his eyes that almost the same of starry sky in the evening. This is Kim Shin now after one month of hardcore training.

Kim Shin's physique turned to an average fitted body to well-build.

"It will happen soon exactly at 12 noon." He murmured as he remembered that 'event'.

Looking at the time on his phone it's already 10:00 am, 2 hours left until that big incident.

'I should eat first.' He remembered that the food in Another World was really expensive and anything they brought from earth would go except what they wear at that time once they arrive in 'that' place. So he ate a lot for the last time. He used all the money he had and enjoy a meal.

After eating a hearty meal Kim Shin lied down on his bed and wait for the big incident to come.

In the middle of the City.

Like every normal day, a lot of people are walking and running, rushing to their appointment when suddenly, a blinding white light descends.

"W-what is that light"

"Waah... mommy? my mommy is gone...Uwahhhh"

"Daaaarling where are youuuuu?"

"R-Runnnnn!!!"

All of them who saw the white light try to run, but they didn't know that it's all futile.

The white light covered the whole Earth and rapidly fade away. It suddenly came and quickly gone along with all the humans in earth.

The Earth was now void of humans.

After all the human vanished.

The earth slowly quaked like a common earthquake but it's not the end of it.

The road cracked and the faint earthquake gradually became strong until it blasted to pieces.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!

***

[ WELCOME TO YGGDRASIL WORLD!!! ]

'So I'm back again.' Kim Shin thought in his mind as he saw the aquamarine game-like system hovering before his eyes, with a word of welcoming him. It was followed by a sudden race of his heartbeat.

Badum! Badum!

'This time I won't be naïve to believe in anyone's words. I will be strong that no once could betray me so, I won't need to run away, or hide from my enemies. Just you all wait for me, especially you Rothschild Family, I am coming!' He inwardly vowed to himself as he clenched his hands to fist.

Calmly looking around, he found that he is inside a big and wide white room with more than hundred of confused and worried people.

"W-What's happening?"

"Where are we?"

"Hey! Explain to us. Where are we?!

Hearing a number of questions from confused people, A deafening clapped rang out that filled the wide room. It almost caused the ears of the confused people to bleed as they looked at the source of the clap.

Then, in the middle of the crowd, they found a strange red creature hovering in the air with its pair of bat wings. It had a big scarlet eyes, with two budding horns, and a pair of small white fangs. Wearing a royalty attire, the creature could be called adorable, however. If not for its crimson tail it will be perfect. To be more specific, it's more or less an imp that commonly found in fantasy games.

"Please be quiet for a second. Let me welcome you again Earthling! Welcome to Yggdrasil! I am Minsk and I will be your Tutorial Guide!" Minsk loudly announced as he put his small left arm on his chest and took a graceful bow with a smirk on his face.

"I know that lots of you have a question in your mind. So, I'll let you ask me a few questions, and of course, I will answer just those questions I'm permitted to answer." Minsk continued as he straightened his body.

After Minsk, the Imp finished his speech a lot of question bombard him and the crowd went crazy.

"What the f*ck are you?"

"Where are we?"

"Why are we here?"

"What do you want with us?"

"Why did you bring us here?"

Looking at the way how the crowd act, Kim Shin was pretty sure that blood will spill at any second.

And what Kim Shin guess is right, after a few seconds some of those whose crazy asking a question and cursing the Imp was immediately decapitated.

"KYAAAAAH!!!!!"

"H-He... killed M-Mako!"

"He a-also killed... Mikel.."

As the crowd discovered the gory condition of the corpses, some of them couldn't stop themselves from vomiting the food they ate since yesterday as the room fell silent.

"Now, now, please be mindful of what you speak, or else you will face the consequence like those corpse," He spoke with an innocent smile on his face.

"Okay now. Please raise your hand if you are going to ask a question and I will pick who's permitted to ask." He continued.

"Please raise your hand." He reminded them again, but all of them is hesitant to raise their question after what happened to those who died. Of course, with exception of Kim Shin since he already knew the answer.

Needless to say, there are still some of them who can't stop their curiosity despite what just happened as they raised their hands.

"You.. yes you the one with ugly eyes" Minsk pointed his right index finger as he mocked the one who looked like a young thug because of the number of earrings on his ears, lips, and nose.

The teenager felt humiliated, but he endured for the sake of preserving his life after he saw how this little demon can kill without hesitation.

"Me.. hmm I Just wanna ask why are we here?"

"Good question! All of you earthlings are here in Yggdrasil because you are all lucky. How could I say that y'all are lucky? It's because before your planet explodes, or in other words, before all of you explode along with your dearest earth, the God of Yggdrasil took pity to all of you. That's why before all of you die, God of Yggdrasil teleport you all here. Of course, not all the 7 billion of you are welcome. All of you need to work hard for your spot to get to the mainland." Minsk explained smoothly without stuttering.

"Okay, next. You, tell me your question."

A girl who looks like an office worker with an orange hair and neat appearance, even in this situation she doesn't look afraid unlike other people in this white big room. "So, what will happen to those who can't get a spot?"

"Hehehe. It's simple, they will die." Minsk answered without once of lying in his eyes.

"WHAT?!"

The crowd exclaimed in revelation.

Kim Shin already knew this. The real intention behind this tutorial is to clean the weak because the Yggdrasil is only for those strong and want to be stronger. If the God of the Yggdrasil is sincerely kind God, he can just let them in, all the 7 billion earthlings. Since the Yggdrasil had ten times of earth's size.

"How about our family, where are our family?"

"Your family is in the same situation as you. They are somewhere out there standing and listening to their guide. You don't need to worry about your family, if I were you, I should worry about myself first." Minsk responded as he gave them a meaningful stare.

"Okay, that's all for the Q&A. Now, let me guide your next how to use the gift from Yggdrasil God."

"Please say or think in your mind the word 'Open Status'. please try it then."

Some of them say out loud and some of them just think in their mind.

"Woah... what is this?"

"It's looked like a game system…"

Different kinds of voices filled the white room, as they stared at the prompt hovering before their eyes filled with confusion. However, some of them immediately exclaimed in familiarity.

Of course, Kim Shin knew about this, and he already checked his status before Minsk could appear.

[Name: Kim Shin] [Age:19]

[Level: 1]

[Title: none]

[Job class: n/a]

HP: 1500/1500

MP: 500/500

Strength: 20

Dexterity: 15

Agility: 18

Constitution: 15

Intelligence: 10

Free allocation Points: 0

SKILLS:

Swordsmanship LV.5

Grade: Common

(Additional +50% damage upon using a sword as the main weapon)

Martial Arts LV.4

Grade: Common

(Additional +40% damage while doing hand to hand combat)

SPECIAL TRAITS:

Bloodlust - Focused your killing intent on your target to stunned them for 3 seconds.

(100% chance to stun the target if low-level than the user)

(75% chance to stun the target if on the same level)

(50% chance to stun if two levels higher than the user)

(30% chance to stun if five levels higher than the user)

Kim Shin's stats is better compared to his past when he came here first. He is happy by the result of his training for a month. Ten are the standard stats of a normal person. Meaning, his stats are already above average.

"Now that you saw your status maybe some of you have skills and personal traits, and some didn't have anything. So, please work hard, then let's go to the next, look at your window next to your status is Points Shop. In the Point Shop, there are Skill Shop, Item Shop, and Weapon Shop."

"If you look at the bottom of Point Shop tab you can see your released points, how many free points you can get is based on how strong your soul. You can use your soul point to buy your necessities in the Shops." Minsk continued.

The one-month free time of Kim Shin of course not only filled with training he also made a plan and analyzed all the things he need here in tutorial mission. Kim Shin look at his Soul Point and he was shocked to see that his soul point now and before have a big difference It was twice of the amount he had before.

In his first transmigrate, he only had 500 soul points which are normal to an average human. But there's also exempted to average and they are those geniuses they have 700 soul points least.

But Kim Shin is no genius so he was shocked to see that his soul points are 1000.

'I really don't understand how this happened... but still, with this thousand points, I can buy better skills.' Kim Shin just gratefully accept his extra points.

"Okay, Next is the Map Navigation tab, of course, you all understand how to use a map, so I won't waste your time. Without further ado let's get to the main topic, your tutorial mission."

After a long discussion about how to use the Yggdrasil System, it's now time for the main event.

"It was exactly an easy mission you just need to survive for one week in Dark Hyena Forest" Minsk continued with a playful smile.

"And yes, you can do anything you want for you to survive for one week in Dark Hyena Forest"

"For more info, the Yggdrasil System will let you know at the right time" Minsk ended.

Dark Hyena Forest, Kim Shin knows that this tutorial mission is not that easy like those in some role-playing games, because this tutorial is like a hell for newbies.

Back when he first does the tutorial mission, a lot of newbies died because of the low percent survivability in dark hyena forest. Kim Shin almost died a couple of times before he was just lucky that he survived for long.

'I live like coward and naïve before but now, In this life, I want to live more than normal life, I will get my VENGEANCE and I will control my own destiny. Now let me start my path to VENGEANCE.'