The last thing Roy remembered from his old life was the blur of headlights, the screech of tires, and the sudden, jarring stop that took everything away. He hadn't even seen who hit him. Just pain, a strange floating feeling, and then darkness.
He had expected to wake up in some version of the afterlife—if one even existed. What he hadn't expected was to open his eyes in a bedroom that wasn't his own, in a world that wasn't his own, with a body that still bore the same name but not the same past.
---
It took Roy nearly two days to piece together the truth.
He had been reincarnated. Not just into any random world, but this world—one eerily familiar. The clothes. The school uniforms. The layout of the city streets. It was all too close to something he had once obsessed over back on Earth.
Then he saw the news on the television—coverage of a new virtual reality game exploding in popularity: New World Online.
That was when everything clicked.
He had reincarnated into the world of BOFURI, the VRMMO anime he used to binge as an escape from his dull, lonely existence. The anime where a girl named Kaede Honjou would become the brokenly powerful shield-user, Maple. The anime world that had once been just a show… now felt more real than anything he'd known.
And his new name?
Still Roy. Still himself—kind of. But this version of Roy was a boy who had already lived sixteen years in this world, attended a high school near Tokyo, and… had baggage.
Roy discovered that the old Roy had been quiet, meek, and shy. The kind of boy who never spoke up, never fought back, never stood tall. It had made him a target. Not from everyone. But from one person in particular.
Fujimoto Reina.
---
Reina was beautiful, popular, athletic, and ruthless. She had long, ink-black hair that shimmered in the sun, eyes like winter frost, and a tongue sharp enough to cut steel. She wasn't a bully in the traditional sense. She didn't steal lunch money or shove people into lockers.
She used words. Looks. Silence. Manipulation.
And she had hated the old Roy. Not because he did anything wrong. Maybe because he was just an easy target.
Whatever the reason, she had taken every opportunity to humiliate him. Snide comments in class. Making him stammer with loaded questions. Turning classmates against him with rumors and fake sympathy.
And now… Roy had to live in that boy's body.
Every time she glanced his way in class, every time her lip curled in amusement, he had to resist the urge to lash out or run.
---
At home, things were better—thankfully.
His new parents, Kenji and Mariko Kanazaki, were kind and observant, though a little distant, like parents used to a quiet son who stayed out of the way. They hadn't noticed the soul inside him had changed. Maybe it was better that way.
He played along—doing homework, eating dinner, avoiding awkward conversations. At night, he would lie awake in bed, thinking about his old life. Wondering why this second chance had come. Wondering what he was supposed to do here.
Then, one night, Reina tripped him in the hallway. He hit the floor hard, his books scattering, and she just walked on with a smirk.
He sat there for a moment, breathing hard, staring at the floor.
And then, it hit him.
If this was really the world of BOFURI, if this was his second life, then he didn't have to play the victim anymore.
---
That evening, Roy sat at his desk, laptop glowing, cursor hovering over a purchase button.
New World Online – FullDive Compatible – Monthly Subscription: Active
He already had the headset. The previous Roy's parents had bought it months ago for some other game he never touched. It sat, untouched, in the closet.
Roy took it out, hands shaking.
"Alright," he said softly to himself. "Let's do this. Let's start over again... again."
He logged in, heart pounding like a drum.
---
> Welcome to New World Online. Please enter your player name.
He didn't hesitate.
Roy.
> Please customize your appearance.
He scrolled through the options but chose something close to his real self — brown hair, sharp eyes, lean build. No need to hide who he was.
> Confirm settings?
> Logging in...
The world burst into view like sunlight through a dark cave.
---
Roy opened his eyes in a plaza filled with cobblestone streets and stone towers stretching toward the sky. The Town of Beginnings.
Other players wandered nearby — beginners like him. Some tested their swords. Others adjusted armor. A few already showed signs of progression.
Roy took a deep breath and opened his menu.
> Status:
Class:Lancer
HP: 100
MP: 50
STR: 5
AGI: 5
VIT: 5
INT: 5
Unallocated Points: 10
He remembered Maple — how she dumped everything into VIT and became an unkillable wall. But that wasn't his path.
"Then maybe, I should had some spice into the mix,"
He split his points:
+6 AGI – To be faster than anyone expecting him to fall.
+3 STR.
+1 INT.
He equipped the default sword and leather armor, then checked the quest board.
---
His first quest was simple: kill five Forest Wolves outside the city.
The first fight didn't go well. The wolf moved faster than he expected, and his swings were too wide, too slow. He lost half his HP before landing the final blow.
But he learned. His second wolf was even quicker, but with him jumping backwards making it follow him, he quickly users his spear to pierce through it neck.
*Acck*
The shoulder of the second wolf got pierce instead, "This is bad,"
Roy said as he knew he mess up, swinging his spear to his right he block the attack of the third wolf, as he grab a dagger before throwing it to the second wolf stopping it for sneaking attack.
"Now, I have to kill it," he thought as he grab his spear thrusting it with all his might.
"Alskksk"
The spear pierce into it head, leaving only the wolf's pity cry of pain sound as it collapse falling and laying motionless.
The second wolf who say this turn to run but Roy was already attacking as he killed it through it heart.
As he carved through the last of them, the system notified him:
> +300 EXP
+1 Skill Point
New Passive: Quick Footwork
Roy grinned.
For the first time in weeks, he felt in control. Not just in the game—but in his own life.
---
Back in town, he overheard players talking.
"Did you hear? Some girl took out an entire dungeon solo!"
"Maxed out defense, didn't even take damage."
"They call her Maple."
Roy's heart skipped a beat.
She was here.
It had begun.
The story he knew—the one he'd watched—was unfolding now, in real time.
And finally he get to fight some interesting people.
---
The next day at school, Reina tried to corner him again.
In front of the lockers, she leaned against the wall, arms crossed, smirking.
"Well, look who finally stopped hiding his face," she said, loud enough for nearby students to hear. "Still chasing your own shadow, Roy?"
For once, he didn't flinch.
He met her eyes. Cold. Steady.
"No," he said calmly. "Not anymore."
The smirk faded slightly.
"What, did you finally grow a spine or something?"
He stepped closer. Not threatening—just steady.
"I'm not the same Roy you used to know," he said. "If you're bored, pick someone else to entertain yourself."
And then he walked past her.
No one laughed, no whisper just nothing.
---
After school, he logged back in. The digital world welcomed him like an old friend.
He spent the next two days grinding, learning the mechanics, completing quests, and unlocking new skills. His agility-focused build let him dance around enemies, striking fast, dodging faster.
He crafted his own daggers, and spear—light, fast, sharp, and most importantly durable.
'It better to have a good lasting weapons."
He even discovered a hidden cave with an old AI NPC who taught him a rare movement skill:
{Twin fang--- A short range attack uses daggers by thrown it with incredible speed.}
---
On his fifth day in the game, while crossing a riverbank near the second field boss, he saw her.
A girl in bulky armor, with a massive shield strapped to her back, sitting by a tree eating some fruit.
Maple.
His heart raced.
He wanted to say something — anything. But what could he say?
"Hi, I'm a reincarnated guy from another world who knows your future?"
'No, do you want to be remembered as a wierdo.'
He simply walked past, meeting her eyes just for a second. She smiled at him, innocent and cheerful.
He smiled back, bowed slightly, and kept walking.
Soon, he thought.
He would meet her again. Not as a fan. Not as a nobody.
But as Roy — a name she would come to respect.
---
Moving Forward
Back in real life, Reina seemed cautious. She hadn't spoken to him again. His quiet confidence must've thrown her off.
Roy didn't care.
His world had changed, So it was better to not look at annoyance.
---