Chapter One: Rebirth

Year 640 of the Dawn Calendar, June 4
Gaia Prime World, Fanoel Continent, Kingdom of Feis, Capital: Radiant City.
36 Feis Street, Cain Family Estate.

June marks the peak of summer’s heat on the eastern plains of Fanoel, the hottest time of year in the Kingdom of Feis. The stablehand of the estate would rather sneak a lounge chair behind the stables for a nap—choosing mosquito bites over the stifling confines of his tiny room.

The mansion, still shrouded in darkness, had not yet shaken off the previous day’s oppressive warmth, but the eastern sky already revealed a sliver of pale light.

On the master bedroom’s bed lay a young man. Even the thin, airy silk pajamas could not soothe the sultry summer night; the fragrant incense kept the insects at bay, but was powerless against the heat. In his sleep, the youth could no longer endure, muttering,

“Why is it so hot? Didn’t anyone turn on the air conditioning?”

Lis rolled over, intent on continuing his dream—sparring with the teachers in all manners of martial skills—when a sudden jolt made him sit upright.

Something was wrong. It should be January—why is it so hot? Is the house on fire?

Lis looked around in confusion. Gone was his familiar immersive gaming pod, and the expensive computer he used mostly for watching shows and managing his power-leveling business. The spacious room contained only the soft bed beneath him, a luxurious carpet, and a small table with a few letters.

Had he been kidnapped? But the surroundings seemed too comfortable for that; no one would let a hostage stay somewhere this nice. The window was wide open—surely a kidnapper would have gagged, tied him up, dumped him on the floor, and posted a burly guard nearby.

Besides, why kidnap him? Although he’d made some money running his gaming studio, most of it was sent to Uncle Chen, who raised him, to keep the orphanage running. What kind of kidnapper would go to such trouble for a few scraps?

Lis was now fully awake, carefully scanning his surroundings to figure out where he was.

His gaze drifted out the window, and he stared in astonishment.

Through the floor-to-ceiling glass, beyond the garden, he saw rows of two- and three-story houses—yet what caught his eye was the gleaming white marble dome and soaring spires above the sea of black rooftops. Something atop the highest tower shone like a beacon, radiating a gentle, captivating white light.

“Wait... isn’t that the Dawn Cathedral from Radiant City in the game Revelation?”

Suddenly, his head throbbed. A flood of information surged into his mind, and Lis rubbed his temples, wincing as he processed the onslaught.

After a long moment, Lis finally understood where he was.

“My name is Lis Cain? Court Viscount of the Kingdom of Feis?”

“Did I... transmigrate into Revelation?”

Revelation was a groundbreaking immersive online game, played via a specialized gaming pod that allowed full simulation. It drew millions of players worldwide, reaching an unprecedented peak of over fifty million concurrent users, decimating all other games of its era.

The game developers understood its appeal, balancing gameplay and competitiveness, attracting countless guilds and professional players. They launched professional leagues, national wars, and a slew of derivative modes, propelling the game to its zenith.

Lis’s gaming studio operated within Revelation, gathering a crew for gold-farming and power-leveling. The business was profitable, and as a veteran and top-tier player—though he rivaled professionals in skill, specializing in fire magic and ranking in the top thirty in the Huaxia region’s mage leaderboard—he preferred freelancing over joining a pro team. His studio’s income was comparable to pro players, and among bosses and casual players, he was known as a legendary figure.

But now, he’d transmigrated into the world of Revelation. Gaia was still tranquil, yet Lis knew a tidal wave of events was about to break.

The continent-spanning Total War had not yet erupted. The Floating City of Azera still slumbered beneath the eastern seas of Fanoel. The Phillips Crystal, gateway to myriad alternate worlds, remained in the void beyond the world. The seed of catastrophe, soon to pollute Gaia’s World Tree Yggdrasil during the Blood Invasion, was still gestating in the Abyss. The gods still sat upon their thrones, unaware they would soon be toppled by the Tides of Time and Space...

Playing Revelation had been exhilarating—Lis often wished to trade places with his in-game avatar to personally slay enemies. Now, faced with looming dangers and conflicts, he longed only for the cozy comforts of his homeland, content to indulge in idle dreams.

Don’t ask, just follow your heart.

“Grass!” (a certain herb)

Lis suddenly bounced from the bed, face contorted, nearly banging his head against the wall.

“I’m doomed!”

He remembered that before transmigrating, his carefully curated five-terabyte USB drive of math study materials was still plugged into his work computer. If Uncle Chen or his brothers found it, it would be fine—but if the orphanage sisters stumbled upon it, would his carefully maintained image as their noble, heroic brother survive?

“Forget it. Let the world end!”

Lis became a statue of pallor, recalling how he once mocked protagonists in web novels for failing to safeguard their precious study materials. Now, lifeless, he collapsed onto the carpet, wishing he could sink into the cracks of the wooden floor beneath him from sheer embarrassment.

After writhing like a worm for some time to vent his anxiety, Lis lay sprawled with limbs open, staring at the dim crystal chandelier overhead.

Could he ever go back?

Will anyone remember him?

Uncle Chen would, and the orphanage siblings probably too. As for others, apart from his studio employees, he had few real friends.

Lis slapped his face hard.

Since he was now in the world of Revelation, survival was paramount.

If he could wield powers unknown in his previous life, forge bonds with the world’s legendary figures, and explore treasures lost in the mists of history, it would be a wondrous experience.

He tried to summon his game panel as before, drawing his right hand before him. A pale screen adorned with intricate, mysterious patterns appeared.

Sure enough, his game system from his previous life had come with him! Lis enthusiastically examined it.

The interface was just as he remembered: Status, Forum, Backpack. Yet Friends, System Settings, and other options were missing, and Forum and Backpack were grayed out and inaccessible.

“As expected, my logout button is gone too,” Lis joked bitterly, then opened the Status panel.

-----------------
Name: Lis Cain
Race: Human
Level: 30
Health: 1050/1050
Mana: 110/2040
State: Fatigue
Experience: 4396/170000 (Unallocated Experience: 0)
Main Class: Mage
Secondary Class: None
Talent: Omnipotent
Attributes:
Strength 35
Agility 36
Intelligence 68 (attribute bonus)
Charisma 38
Mystique 33
Endurance 35
Luck 3
Free Attribute Points 0
Specialties:
Arcane Cognition—Intelligence attribute receives double modifier, mana regeneration +50%, spell power +10%
Intermediate Fatigue Resistance—reduces negative effects of fatigue, stamina regeneration +50%
Skills:
Cantrips (Mage Hand, Cleanse, Flash...)
First-circle spells (Fireball, Ice Arrow, Human Charm...)
Second-circle spells (Ice Blade, Wind Walk, Earth Burrow)
Third-circle spells (Chain Fireball)
Milestone: Novice Mage (Bronze)
Legend Score: 10 (Kingdom-level—Court Viscount)
Equipment: Emerald Amulet, Emerald Staff, Focus Ring
-----------------

[An ordinary, extremely ordinary little mage, yet seemingly harboring extraordinary potential.]

-----------------

Lis raised an eyebrow at the floating panel.

Just as before: familiar interface, stats, mage skills. The only difference was...

He looked at the Talent section. The colorful “Omnipotent” lettering made him pause. Was this the talent he thought it was?

Lis took a deep breath and opened the detailed information.

-----------------
Talent: Omnipotent
Tier: Legendary
Effect: Your abilities transcend limits; you can learn and master specialties and skills from other classes, and the more you acquire (excluding main class skills), the faster your growth rate (Current extra experience bonus: 0%)
-----------------

Exactly as he suspected!

Lis grinned widely. If not for fear of alerting the household, he would have jumped up, shouting in excitement.

Legendary talent!

In Revelation, each character’s starting talent nearly dictated their future class and development. You couldn’t, for example, play a warrior with the mage talent “Elemental Affinity”—that would be like playing Vayne with Aftershock or Maokai with Lethal Tempo in a MOBA.

Talents in Revelation were ranked Bronze, Silver, Gold, Legendary. Since accounts were tied to real identities, players could rebuild their character three times, potentially refreshing their talent, but the highest obtainable rank was Gold. Legendary talents were seen only on rare NPC panels, their effects unparalleled, and those who possessed them were invariably core figures within their factions—legendary NPCs admired by players.

For example, Princess Taya the Blood Rose of Feis possessed the legendary talent “King of Combat”—immune to negative effects, massive boosts to attributes, physical and magical defense, resilience during combat, and 50% self-healing and stamina recovery from inflicted damage.

Or Adela the Sage of the Southern Elven Forest, with the legendary talent “Heart of the Forest”—natural magic power doubled, massive attribute boosts in jungles and woodlands.

Compared to those, Omnipotent was not inferior—perhaps even superior.

Lis could already envision himself casting Priest’s Blessing, then using Rogue’s Stealth to slip behind enemies, striking with Mage’s Lightning Lash. If they endured, he’d follow up with Ranger’s Binding Vines, then finish with Warrior’s Whirlwind Slash.

A beautiful sight, indeed!

Lis savored the thought—it suited his bold style perfectly.

After a moment of excitement, he calmed himself and examined the other stats.

“Only 3 points in Luck? I guess all my fortune went into drawing this talent.”

“Intermediate fatigue resistance—how much grinding did that take? No wonder my mana is nearly empty, did I die of exhaustion?”

“And I’m a court viscount! That’s better than a ruined family or tragic engagement, surely.”

Suddenly, Lis frowned, rubbing his chin.

“Wait, the name Lis Cain feels oddly familiar. Court Viscount of Feis...”

Lis had started his gaming journey in Feis, so he knew the main storyline of Fanoel’s Kingdom of Feis in detail. Soon, he realized what was nagging at him.

“Damn!”

“Isn’t that Cain family head who gets assassinated during the Sacred Festival on the third day after launch—the catalyst for the 2.0 Human Kingdoms War?”

Lis stared blankly at the panel, muttering,

“So... I’m about to die soon?”