[NeoRealm] Prologue - Wherein we get the whole reincarnation thing over with (Patreon)

I was the friend of a Hero. Not just any hero but a Hero above all with god-given talent, Qi channels so wide you could drive a truck through them, and a body so pure if he takes a bath the water is cleaner after he gets out. Me? I’m common as mud and yet before I 'left' was on the same cultivation level as him. Yeah, he was a lazy fool who thought keeping up with average was enough. All the while I trained five times more than anyone else. Only with him giving me half his monthly medicine supply did I stay healthy. He saved the world though. Took quite the kick to the rear to get him serious with training. Demon Lords from beyond space and time don't defeat themselves you know.

What caused him to train you ask? Imps, I hate them now. Then again, who wouldn't after being eviscerated by them for a couple hours only to see your clan head break in to save you before it all goes black. Anyway, if you can't pick up the hint, I died. This made my friend realize he needed power so that wouldn't happen again. One 10 year training montage later and he slays the big bad, saving the world.

All nice and interesting but where does that leave me? I was dead. How do I even know all that? Short answer is the gods felt sorry for me. They had reason to mind you. It is their fault I died. When my friend was born the gods all got together and obscured the fact my friend was the Hero by swapping our auras. The result being imps mistaking me for the Hero and well yeah. I don't blame them and the ones I met were nice. They let me watch how it all went down instead of throwing me right back into the reincarnation cycle.

Got lucky with that. When a soul sticks around with some gods long enough the whole memory wipe before being reborn thing goes away. Friends in high places and what not. Anyway, some sad farewells and I got put back into the cycle of life. I will skip my early years. Having grown up in a clan centered on martial arts and cultivation doesn't teach you math or writing. this made my time as a child average for earth. I tried to cultivate. Sadly the Qi on earth is so thin you can't even reach the first layer. This is not enough to extend your life by even a decade. The only big thing of note was the development of true VR a couple centuries back. All it took was a giant coffin-shaped box and some advanced energy projectors which beam info straight into your brain. From what I understand it works like those noise canceling headphones. It cancels out the signals trying to enter and leave the brain then replaces it with its own signal.

That is interesting, but is not enough for me to be recording. No, why you can read my story is because of what happened when I turned 18 and could play the most realistic and popular game for the last century, NeoRealm.