Chapter 188: Home Sweet Home

Kaisen felt like his entire body was being turned into fine dust, as if he'd been tossed into the cosmic blender. It was like every particle of him was vacuumed up and spit out somewhere else entirely.

Slowly, the dust began to reassemble, limbs forming like a puzzle coming together piece by piece.

When he finally felt whole again, he blinked and opened his eyes groggily, only to be met with pure darkness. The sensation of falling hit him like a ton of bricks.

He was plummeting from a great height, the wind whipping past him with the familiar scent of machinery and grease. One thought dominated his mind:

'Home.'

Kaisen was back in the world that started all this chaos, the world that treated him like a punching bag on a daily basis. After weeks of excruciating trials, mind-blowing pleasures, and more luxury than he could shake a stick at, he was finally back.

Home sweet home, where life fucked with him as naturally as breathing.

He noticed something in his hand, something thin like paper that his fingers were wrapped around. He couldn't quite make out what it was, but it felt important.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to steady his racing heart and calm the nerves that were buzzing like a live wire.

He raised his hand to his face and felt something bulky and boxy—of course, the VR set was still there.

'Great, the gear survived, but why the hell am I free-falling like a dropped piece of toast?'

he thought, the wind rushing past him as he hurtled downward.

He remembered being in his makeshift home when he first put on the VR set, called "Nether Portal," which had turned out to be more than just a catchy name—it was a damn truth serum for reality.

Kaisen had shelled out the cash he had painstakingly saved over two grueling months of busting his ass for this VR set. It wasn't just a splurge; it was an investment in escaping the mundane grind of his life.

The sight that greeted him made his whole body erupt in goosebumps. It was nighttime, and the city seemed to glow with a life of its own. He always believed that the night was the best time to explore; no cops, just criminals and people like him, trying to survive.

Tall skyscrapers loomed above, their windows glittering with the reflection of neon lights. Billboards and advertisements flashed everywhere, promising everything from the latest tech to the wildest fantasies.

The city's hum of noise and life welcomed him back like a familiar lover, wrapping him in its chaotic embrace.

It was a cyberpunk world, a place where technology and decay intertwined, where danger lurked around every corner, and where he felt most alive.

Robots, synthetics, and augmented humans dotted the skyscrapers like glittering ornaments. They were all considered hot by this world's standards, with some so exceptionally attractive they could make a nun question her vows.

But Kaisen figured that being stuck on his little backstreet had kept him from fully appreciating just how far technology could push human beauty.

'Well, there are two or three hot ones that come to mind. Of course, one of them being my dear brother's girlfriend,'

he thought with a smirk, feeling a bit of devilish glee.

Hover cars, hoverbikes, and drones zoomed past the buildings, while neon billboards flashed advertisements for every conceivable product 24/7. The tech here was so advanced that a mere human could live as an immortal, provided they had the right gadgets and gizmos.

Of course, everything revolved around money—credits, to be precise. Without credits, you were as worthless as a used condom. Just like Kaisen was feeling right now.

He suddenly remembered there was something else in his hand besides the VR headset. Something he didn't remember grabbing before he booted up the game for what he thought would be the last time.

"Hmmm... come on..." he grunted, struggling to bring his hand to his face as gravity and the rushing wind fought against him.

What he saw made his eyes nearly pop out of their sockets.

In his hand, it fit perfectly, like it was meant to be there, even though it definitely shouldn't have been. It was something straight out of the game world, and seeing it here was like finding a unicorn in a Walmart parking lot.

'H-how?'