In the middle of the night. In the high-class area of Green Bamboo, Red City.
Alex held a document folder while silently sitting on the leather sofa. Looking at the swimming pool outside through the French window, Alex was filled with frustration and reluctance.
He was the captain of [Shadow], one of the four major gaming workshops in Red City. He commanded a guild of tens of thousands of people. Furthermore, he was a famous expert in Red City; he was the Sword Mage. However, now the only thing he could do was drown his sorrows at home.
Eight years, he spent playing games.
Eight years, he fought in bloody battles.
He went through countless trials and tribulations. Under his leadership, Shadow successfully established ten City States in <>. They were finally able to rival the First-Tier Guilds. However, before he could enjoy any endless glory, a single document turned everything into fleeting smoke; once it disappeared, it never returned.
Alex never thought that his Eight years of effort would be in vain. He sacrificed so much for the game, and yet all he did was pave the way for others in the end. All of this culminated because he opposed Shadow's decision to join the Super Guild, [World Dominators]. He didn't even wait until the next day before the Will Financial Group gave him their answer. He had to delete his Level 200 Sword King account, the account he had spent eight years of blood and sweat on, and collect his severance check from the finance department.
All he received were 5,000,000 dollar and a single mansion. Compared to the ten City States established within the money-generating virtual realm, it couldn't even be considered a drop in the ocean.
Alex thought about how much he had contributed to Shadow. He thought about how his efforts had transformed the Will Group into a major financial group. Then, he thought about how they still threw him away, as if he were no different from trash; Alex swore to take revenge for their actions.
"I won't let this go. At worst, I'll start over."
Alex's eyes gleamed with confidence and resolve; his hands tore the termination contract into small pieces. Picking up the bottle of wine on the table, he took several gulps.
Even if he no longer had his Sword King account, even if he no longer had the support of his team, the skills and knowledge he had gained from the game wouldn't betray him. As long as his skills remained, he could still rise again within God's Domain; he could rebuild a virtual kingdom of his own.
Early in the morning. The sun had just risen.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The phone alarm rang continuously.
Alex woke up resentfully. He helplessly picked up his phone from beside the bed; the effects of yesterday's drinking still lingered.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
"Alex, it's me, Jack. Are you still asking what's wrong? Didn't we agree to become professional gamers? The Shadow Workshop is recruiting at our school today. Didn't you always want to become a core member of Shadow?"
Alex was a little confused.
The Will Financial Group had just fired him, so why would he participate in the Shadow assessment?
"Alex? Alex? Can you hear me? They're testing at nine o'clock. If you don't hurry, you won't make it!"
"Jack, stop joking; I just got fired from Shadow."
"Fired? Alex, how much did you drink yesterday? You're still not awake yet? How could you be fired when Shadow hasn't even recruited anyone yet? Alright, come quickly."
Jack had ended the call before Alex could respond.
When Alex looked at his phone in a daze, he discovered that this old, worn-out iPhone 6 wasn't his phone. His phone was the latest iPhone 12.
Immediately, Alex surveyed his surroundings.
What he found was a messy room, no more than fifteen square meters. Everywhere, there were books on game strategies. In one corner of the room, above the study desk, was an extremely outdated laptop. Inside the wardrobe on the wall, clothes were piled haphazardly. Inside the wardrobe was a mirror; a mirror that currently showed a familiar face.
Alex jumped in surprise upon seeing this extremely familiar face.
"How did I become young again?" Alex immediately walked towards the mirror. Only after looking in the mirror, at the reflection shown in it, repeatedly, did Alex confirm that he had indeed become young again.
He had slept in his luxurious and spacious room yesterday, but now he was in this dilapidated place upon waking up. Furthermore, he had also become young again.
Alex still remembered some memories about this place. He lived here eight years ago. For more than six months, Alex reluctantly rented this place so that he could play God's Domain while still attending university. Only after earning some money in God's Domain did he rent a large condominium.
Alex thought about those arduous years. His family's situation at that time was not good. In order for Alex to attend university, his parents accumulated debts. Even so, Aelx's parents still made sure to send him sufficient living expenses every month, bearing the suffering in return.
Alex wholeheartedly wanted to change his family's situation. However, finding a well-paying job while the streets were full of college graduates was tremendously difficult; so he thought of the highly lucrative Virtual Reality games. Setting professional gamer as his goal, he even bought a Virtual Gaming Helmet, training hard within the game to improve his skills.
During this time, bread and instant noodles became his daily meals. To save money, he also avoided participating in social gatherings held by his classmates, making him an invisible existence in his class. The boys looked at him with contempt, while the girls distanced themselves from him. Every time Alex went to buy instant noodles, his wallet had no more than 10 Dollars. He didn't even dare to buy a ham sausage that cost only one Dollar. Out of pity, the saleswoman offered him the ham sausage at a reduced price. However, the feeling of his empty wallet made Alex refuse with great reluctance.
"Is someone playing a trick on me?"
Alex looked at his reflection in the mirror, looked at his younger self and the familiar surroundings. Alex couldn't help but shake his head, denying this conclusion.
Even America, the most developed country in the world, didn't possess such rejuvenating technology. Besides, who would play a trick on a poor old uncle like him?
Alex looked at the time on his phone.
April 19, 2129.
"Did I reincarnate?" Alex's face revealed a bitter smile.
He remembered that today was August 5th, 2139. It couldn't be April 2129, the year he was still attending university.
Alex shook his head, trying to wake himself up. However, deep down, he still held a glimmer of hope, wishing he could reincarnate and go back to eight years ago. He walked towards the desk, turning on his laptop.
Although the time on his phone could be faked, the information on the internet definitely couldn't.
After browsing the web for a few minutes...
Alex was completely devastated. All the information he found on the internet showed that today was April 19, 2129. Even the much-anticipated official release date of God's Domain was clearly displayed on its official website, counting down six days from now, April 25th.
"I really have been reincarnated! I really went back ten years?" Alex stared intently at the God's Domain news report, emotional tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.
Alex's feelings were difficult to describe at that moment. He felt regret, sadness, and joy.
It was as if everything before him was just a dream.
Even so, the chirping of the insects and the cool wind blown by the air conditioner made him think otherwise, that everything was real.
Looking at his cell phone, at the family photo he took when he entered university, Alex never realized that his parents had white hair. The corners of his mother's eyes even had wrinkles. They weren't as lively as before; they were truly old now.
A year and a half had already passed since the launch of God's Domain when Alex realized how much his parents had aged. The large amounts of debt, overwork, and stress caused his parents' serious illness. Curing them would require millions of Credits, but at that time, Alex was only a squad captain in Shadow. The money he earned was far from enough to cover such expensive costs.
Alex tried everything to raise enough money, but even so, it wasn't enough. Despite trying everything, Alex's parents passed away a few months later.
In his previous life, he failed to take care of his parents properly. How could he have known the pain and suffering?
After Alex earned millions of Dollars, that pain remained in his heart forever.
He never thought that fate would play such a trick on him. He unexpectedly returned to the starting point, beginning again from scratch.
Great! This is so good! Hahaha! Since I've been reincarnated, I have to change everything. I'll earn enough money to cure Mom and Dad and let them live a worry-free life." Alex silently swore to himself as he wiped away his tears.
Just as Alex was planning his future, Jack's call came ringing again, constantly urging him to quickly go to the university for the test.
However, Alex didn't rush. He calmly got dressed, tidied himself up before heading to Red University.
He couldn't be more familiar with Shadow.
Alex still remembered. It was while he was still attending university that the precious son of the Will Group, Max Will, started the Shadow Workshop to enter God's Domain. Max also invested considerable funding in hiring expert students from Red University.
Alex participated in the Shadow exam at the time, successfully becoming a core member of the Workshop; while Jack became an external member. Alex was happy for a long time after that incident.
After three years under Alex's leadership, the Shadow Workshop allowed the Will Group to profit greatly from God's Domain, quickly becoming a large financial group. However, Alex never imagined that Max would be the one to personally fire him.
Since he had been reincarnated, he had an absolute advantage within God's Domain that others didn't have. Naturally, he wouldn't join Shadow to become a tool that profited others. He wanted to tread a different path; a path where he didn't fight for others, but for himself. He wanted to eliminate the need for his parents to send him money for his living expenses. He wanted to pay off all the debts they had incurred. To do this, he wanted to venture out, start his own Workshop, start his own company, and build his own virtual kingdom... all to live a better life.
As soon as Alex arrived at Teaching Block 1, he spotted a thin, tall figure in front of the building. The tanned young man was pacing the corridor in a panic; this was Jack.
"Alex, you've finally decided to show up. Luckily, the registration hasn't closed yet, so let's go and register quickly," Jack said anxiously upon seeing Alex.
Alex shook his head, saying seriously, "Jack, I'm not going to join Shadow; I'm going to open my own Workshop. Will you join me?"