The morning sunlight gradually filled Rio's bedroom.
Golden rays slipped through the gaps in the curtains and stretched across the wooden floorboards, bathing the room in a warm glow. Tiny dust particles drifted lazily through the air, illuminated by the gentle light of dawn. Outside, the city was slowly waking up, but inside the room, only silence remained.
Rio sat at the edge of her bed, staring thoughtfully at the floor.
Although only a few hours had passed since she woke up in the past, her mind was already moving faster than it ever had during the most intense raids of her previous life.
One week.
There was only one week left before the launch of Evermount.
For most of the world, it was simply the release of a highly anticipated VR game.
For Rio, it was the beginning of everything.
The beginning of her second chance.
Memories flooded her thoughts.
Hidden quests.
Rare item drops.
Secret NPC interactions.
Legendary classes that entire guilds had spent years searching for.
Exploits that players abused before developers eventually patched them.
Information that had once taken years for the player base to uncover.
Rio knew all of it.
Fifteen years of experience was something nobody else possessed.
Nobody in this world had access to the knowledge she carried.
Slowly rising from the bed, she walked toward her desk and pulled a notebook from one of the drawers.
Opening it to a blank page, she clicked her pen and began writing.
"If I remember correctly..."
The pen moved quickly.
Day 1 — Rush beginner forest questline
Day 2 — Hidden dungeon near Aster Village
Day 3 — Obtain Shadow Fang dagger
The list continued to grow.
Page after page filled with notes, routes, reminders, and objectives.
Back when Evermount first launched, players had wandered through the world blindly. Entire communities spent weeks experimenting, searching for secrets, and debating optimal strategies.
But Rio already knew the answers.
She knew the fastest leveling routes.
The hidden NPCs with rare quest chains.
The locations of secret dungeons.
The early skill combinations that were absurdly overpowered before balancing patches arrived.
A small smile slowly formed on her lips.
"This time, I won't waste a single second."
In her previous life, she had spent years climbing to the summit.
Years of effort.
Years of mistakes.
Years of learning through failure.
Now she possessed all of that knowledge from the beginning.
The advantage was almost unfair.
However, as she continued writing, another memory surfaced.
Royal Knights.
The smile disappeared.
Her expression hardened.
She remembered the message from Reina.
The betrayal.
The humiliation.
The feeling of being discarded after dedicating more than a decade of her life to the guild.
"No..."
The word escaped quietly.
"I won't rely on them again."
This time she would walk her own path.
Build her own strength.
Create her own future.
And when the day finally came, she would stand above every single member of Royal Knights.
Not because she wanted revenge.
Because she refused to be powerless again.
A sudden knock interrupted her thoughts.
Knock.
Knock.
Rio froze.
Slowly, her gaze shifted toward the bedroom door.
"...Don't tell me."
Another knock followed.
"Rio? Can I come in?"
The familiar voice immediately made her close her eyes.
Ryota.
Of course it was Ryota.
Rio let out a long sigh and rubbed her temples.
"...You're still here?"
"Yeah..."
The response came from the other side of the door.
For several moments, Rio considered pretending she hadn't heard him.
Ignoring him would certainly make her morning more peaceful.
Unfortunately, there was a problem.
Ryota had returned with her.
He had memories of the future.
He remembered the bridge.
The earthquake.
The strange reset screen.
Whatever had happened to them wasn't something she could simply ignore.
After a moment, Rio gave in.
"...Fine."
She stood from her chair and walked toward the door.
When she opened it, Ryota was standing in the hallway, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.
He looked just as lost and confused as she felt.
"...Hi."
Rio stared at him for a moment.
"...Why haven't you left yet?"
Ryota blinked.
"...Leave?"
"Yes, leave."
Rio pointed down the hallway.
"Go back to wherever you were fifteen years ago."
For the first time since she had met him, Ryota's usual awkward smile disappeared.
"...I can't."
Rio frowned.
"What do you mean you can't?"
Ryota looked away.
His expression became strangely distant.
"...Because fifteen years ago..."
He hesitated before continuing.
"...I lived on the streets."
The hallway immediately fell silent.
Rio blinked.
"...What?"
Ryota shrugged.
His tone sounded casual.
Almost too casual.
"Yeah. I didn't really have a place back then."
He said it lightly.
As if it were nothing.
But Rio could hear the truth hidden underneath those words.
Suddenly, several details from earlier made more sense.
The worn clothing.
The tired appearance.
The way he seemed genuinely grateful over something as simple as returning a wallet.
Rio looked away.
"...I see."
Neither of them spoke for a few moments.
Eventually, Rio sighed.
"...Fine."
Ryota blinked.
"...Huh?"
Rio crossed her arms.
"You can stay here."
His eyes widened.
"...Really?"
"Don't misunderstand."
Rio immediately raised a hand.
"I'll figure out some explanation for my mom."
Ryota still looked stunned.
"Wait... seriously?"
Rio pointed a finger directly at him.
"But we're establishing rules."
His posture immediately straightened.
"Okay."
Then he tilted his head.
"What kind of rules?"
Rio's expression became serious.
"Rule number one."
She pointed directly at his chest.
"No touching me."
Ryota blinked.
"...What?"
Rio narrowed her eyes.
"If a single finger of yours touches me..."
She pointed toward the front door.
"You'll be sleeping outside."
Ryota swallowed.
"...Got it."
Rio leaned forward slightly.
"Or worse."
His eyes widened.
"...Worse?"
"Prison."
Ryota immediately snapped into attention.
"Understood!"
Rio stepped back with satisfaction.
"...Good."
A small laugh escaped him.
"Wow. You're really strict."
Rio ignored the comment and returned to her room.
After hesitating briefly, Ryota followed.
His movements were cautious, almost as though he were entering the territory of a dangerous predator.
As he stepped inside, his attention immediately landed on the notebook resting on her desk.
Pages were filled with notes.
Lists.
Strategies.
Detailed plans.
"...What's all this?"
Rio sat down in her chair.
"My plan."
"For Evermount."
Curiosity immediately appeared in Ryota's eyes.
He leaned closer.
"Beginner forest... hidden dungeon... Shadow Fang dagger..."
His eyebrows slowly rose.
"...How do you know all this?"
Rio leaned back.
"Because I've already lived through it."
She tapped the notebook.
"The first few months of Evermount were complete chaos."
"Players didn't know where to go."
"They wasted weeks figuring things out."
"But I remember everything."
Ryota listened carefully.
Rio continued explaining.
"The fastest leveling routes."
"The hidden quests."
"The secret bosses."
"The strongest builds."
She flipped to another page.
"There's a hidden dungeon near Aster Village."
Her finger tapped the note.
"In my previous life, nobody discovered it until six months after launch."
Ryota's eyes widened.
"...And you're planning to clear it immediately?"
Rio smiled slightly.
"Exactly."
She flipped another page.
"After that, I get the Shadow Fang dagger."
"Then I rush the Assassin class chain before anyone else even realizes it exists."
Ryota let out a low whistle.
"You've really thought this through."
Rio nodded.
"This time, I won't spend fifteen years reaching the top."
A determined gleam appeared in her eyes.
"I'll get there much faster."
For a moment, Ryota remained silent.
Then he asked a simple question.
"...Are you going back to Royal Knights?"
The room instantly became quiet.
Rio's pen stopped moving.
Her expression changed.
Royal Knights.
The name alone brought back memories she would rather forget.
Reina.
Arclight.
The betrayal.
The lies.
The humiliation.
Her eyes slowly lifted from the notebook.
"...No."
Her answer came immediately.
Calm.
Certain.
Cold.
There was no hesitation.
No uncertainty.
She had already made her decision.
Royal Knights belonged in her past.
Ryota folded his arms and quietly watched her.
The conviction in her voice made it clear that nothing would change her mind.
After a few moments, Rio closed the notebook and stretched her arms.
"Well."
She stood up from her chair.
"If we're serious about playing Evermount, there's something we need to do first."
Ryota blinked.
"What?"
Rio walked over to her closet and slid open the door.
Rows of neatly folded clothes greeted her.
After searching for a few moments, she pulled out an oversized hoodie and a pair of sweatpants.
Without warning, she tossed them toward him.
"Catch."
Ryota barely managed to grab them.
"...Uh?"
He looked down at the clothes.
"Why are you giving me these?"
Rio crossed her arms and examined him from head to toe.
Now that she was paying attention, his appearance was even worse than she remembered.
His shirt was wrinkled.
His jacket looked old and worn.
His shoes looked like they had survived a natural disaster.
Rio sighed.
"You look like you crawled out of a dumpster."
Ryota looked down at himself.
"...That bad?"
"Yes."
Rio pointed toward the bathroom.
"Go take a shower."
Ryota blinked.
"A shower?"
Rio raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. A shower."
He scratched his head awkwardly.
"I don't really remember the last time I used someone else's bathroom."
Rio stared at him for several seconds.
Then she pointed again.
"...Just go."
"Right."
Ryota nodded and quickly headed toward the bathroom.
Halfway there, however, he suddenly stopped.
"...Wait."
Rio sighed.
"What now?"
He looked back.
"Why do I suddenly need clean clothes?"
Rio grabbed her wallet from the desk.
"Because we're going out."
"...Out where?"
Rio opened her bedroom door.
"To the game shop."
Ryota's eyes widened.
"...Wait."
He hurried after her.
"You mean for Evermount?"
Rio nodded.
"The game launches in one week."
She grabbed her jacket from the coat rack.
"And if we're serious about getting ahead..."
A confident smile appeared on her face.
"We need to buy our VR gear before everyone else."
Understanding immediately appeared in Ryota's eyes.
"...Oh."
Rio pointed toward the bathroom.
"So stop standing there and take your shower."
"Right!"
He disappeared into the bathroom.
Moments later, the sound of running water echoed through the house.
Rio leaned against the hallway wall while waiting.
Her gaze drifted toward the nearby window.
Outside, the city looked completely normal.
Cars moved through the streets.
Office workers headed to their jobs.
Students walked toward school.
Nobody knew what was coming.
In one week, Evermount would launch.
Millions of players would rush into the virtual world.
Entire careers would begin.
Guilds would rise and fall.
Legends would be born.
And this time was different.
Because one player already knew the future.
A small smile appeared on Rio's face.
"Let's see if the Silver War Goddess can speedrun her own legend."
Several minutes later, the bathroom door finally opened.
Ryota stepped out wearing the clothes she had given him.
The oversized hoodie hung loosely around his frame, but he looked far better than before.
He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
"...How do I look?"
Rio glanced at him.
Then looked him over more carefully.
"...Less homeless."
Ryota sighed dramatically.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Rio grabbed her phone and wallet.
"Good."
She headed for the front door.
"Let's go."
Ryota followed her outside.
The morning sun greeted them the moment they stepped onto the street.
People moved around them without a second glance.
To everyone else, it was an ordinary day.
To Rio, it felt like the beginning of a new era.
Excitement stirred inside her chest.
Not fear.
Not anxiety.
Excitement.
This was where everything began.
She looked toward the distant gaming district.
"Come on."
Ryota walked beside her.
"...You really think we can beat everyone this time?"
Rio didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
Her voice was calm.
Steady.
Completely confident.
Then she glanced at him.
"Because this time..."
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"We already know how the story ends."