Nightfall - Chapter 10: Bodyguards, as Hard as Rocks

The white lotus, a mysterious artifact rumored to contain the very secrets of the soul, granted its wielder otherworldly power. Countless powerful Magi from all around the universe waged an epic battle over it. When the dust settled from their fierce clash, the artifact disappeared, awaiting to be inherited by one with great destiny.

Adam dreamed of breaking free from the grip of poverty, yearning for a life of riches and comfort. Yet, in a world ruled by arcane spellcasters, achieving such a dream meant becoming one himself. However, learning magic was an expensive aspiration. Not only did it require talent, but also vast resources.

But one day everything changed when he stumbled upon a seemingly ordinary white lotus…

He was weak, he was depressed, he was a loser.
He wasn't even Lvl 10 in the game when Earth was destroyed in the Quake and the players of Redlands were transmigrated to the fantastic world of Zushkenar.
But he lived, learned, and died again.
Now, he was back on Earth, one year and three months before the Quake.
Deciding to rejoin the game earlier and with greater focus, what changes would he bring with his actions?
What life would he live?

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paypal.me/JInDaoran

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There's a map for the lands of Zushkenar posted on the DeviantArt website:
https://www.deviantart.com/kilrain/art/Hunters-Guide-map-cities-grid-b-877682076

It's not complete, but it'll give an idea of the general geography.

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The background image for the cover is part of a landscape by moinzon taken from pixabay.com

Why, seems like I’ve become a haunted portrait.

The days where adventurers would roam the land and grow strong are long gone. More than 99.9% of the world's population is level 1, and in fact, leveling just isn't something people think about anymore, as almost every spawn point on the planet has been gone for close to a thousand years. Only the elites, the super rich, or the super lucky have access to spawn points, and because of this, they are like Gods among men: like superheroes. For people like Zach, life is a mundane, ordinary experience of getting up, going to school, working, and then going back to bed. But that's all about to change when he stumbles upon one of the only unknown spawn points in existence. And in doing so, his life is about to descend into a wild chaos he never could have expected. (Lit RPG, fantasy, action, slow burn)