The Hero Returns - Chapter 20

After a near death experience thanks to his own mother, Jake Hollander has an adverse reaction to people, baseball, and family. His feeling of abandonment is slowly lost thanks to his foster family, The Atkins. They take him in and change his mind about everything. He becomes more open, better at baseball, and craves for family. Slowly all wishes are granted.

Instagram: @writerhalf_empty

https://www.patreon.com/half_empty ~~The Last Curve can be found there, a short story about Rhys


**Names, faces, and places aren’t real. A work of fiction. Nonetheless, it is my work of fiction so please don’t post it without permission. *I have used school names that do exist though, but I would like everyone to know that I have no affiliation with them. Nor do my views reflect their views.

In the year 2100, global warming has long since made the Earth's natural surface uninhabitable with a new ice age. Humanity takes refuge in huge, closed cities, but life is difficult. Video games are the opium of the people, letting them escape the chaos of life in immense metropolises.

In 2100, the first fully immersive VRMMORPG, "Horus," was released, and the world changed! Entirely coded by an independent AI, "Horus" made all other games look meaningless by comparison.

Megacorporations quickly monopolized on the wealth "Horus" allowed its players to amass, and soon people like Alexander were spending their lives slaving away to make money for the companies who employed them.

But on the day Alexander died of exhaustion, collapsing in his gaming booth...

...He woke up, alive, nine years earlier.

One day before "Horus's" launch.

"This time, I'll do it right! I know everything that's going to happen! I'll become the strongest, and no one will take advantage of me again!"


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///This work takes place in an MMORPG whose main goal is the exploration and conquest of space.///

///my two main inspirations are: The Reincarnation of the Strongest Sword God and the Legendary Mechanic.///

///I care about the coherence of the story, even if the theme of overpowering is present, it is thanks to the reflexive and opportunistic choices of the MC and not a chance to come out of nowhere. ////

Zhulan, in a transmigration novel about a supporting female's counterattack through farming, managed a triple leap: getting married, bearing children, and becoming a mother-in-law. The point to focus on: She became the wicked mother-in-law from the counterattack stories.From 26 to 36, not to mention, with six kids in tow, two daughters-in-law, a few grandkids, and a still-living husband—emphasis on the fact that he's not her original spouse, but the one who trapped her into transmigration.Only after becoming the original body did Zhulan realize she was miserably tricked by her two daughters-in-law. The elder daughter-in-law had a loud voice, complete with a 'brain-enhancing' feature—it turned every little issue into a big deal once it reached her mouth.The younger daughter-in-law was timid and weak, bursting into tears at the drop of a hat, perfectly crafting the image of Zhulan as a wicked mother-in-law.Zhulan, “.......This life is really unbearable.”Someone, “You still have me.”Zhulan, “Ha, you're the one who screwed me over the most!”Someone, “......”

Her grandfather was the emperor’s respected teacher, with disciples all over the world.

Her mother was well-read in poetry since childhood and was the most talented woman in the previous dynasty.

Her father started from nothing and gained the emperor’s favor, rising to Minister of Personnel.

Li Mingwei was an unrivaled noblewoman in the capital city.

A mistaken marriage let her see through worldly affairs. She fled the hustle and bustle and returned to live in her countryside residence, choosing a different kind of life.

By the side of the blue stone road, that person had stood still for a long time. He held an umbrella and reached out a hand to her.