David Bolton's waist was oozing blood. Even though there had been a meat shield in front of him earlier, he was still hit in the abdomen by a stray bullet. In just that brief instant, he felt his strength rapidly draining away, his vision blurring, and he could lose consciousness at any moment!

　　In this situation, let alone fighting someone, it was nearly impossible just to stay conscious!

　　David Bolton turned his gaze to William Foster, muttering, "I guess this counts as ridding the people of a scourge, right?"

　　Suddenly, with a loud laugh, David Bolton grabbed William Foster and charged toward the balcony, carrying an unstoppable resolve. The two of them instantly flew out into the air, like two shooting stars, plummeting from the nineteenth floor!

Chapter Two: Rebirth

　　"Whew!" David Bolton suddenly woke up, feeling drenched in cold sweat, his breathing extremely rapid!

　　Opening his eyes, he looked around, and the scene before him made his jaw drop in astonishment.

　　It was a classroom, a room big enough for over a hundred people, but only a little over thirty were scattered about—some reading, some chatting, some playing around...

　　Every face was incredibly familiar to him—they were all his university classmates!

　　This is... university?

　　"How am I here? Wasn't I supposed to be dead?" David Bolton's mind was filled with shock and confusion.

　　"David Bolton, what's wrong? Not feeling well?" someone nearby asked.

　　David Bolton turned his head: a still somewhat youthful face, with a sincere smile—familiar, yet strangely distant!

　　This was his class monitor from university, Andrew Thompson, but he should have died in a plane crash three years ago!

　　David Bolton nodded blankly, mumbling, "I'm fine!"

　　He pinched his arm hard—ouch! David Bolton gritted his teeth and sucked in a breath of cold air!

　　This was definitely not a dream!

　　So, he really wasn't dead! And it seemed he had gone back several years! David Bolton pulled out his phone; the date displayed was June 16, 2034.

　　Five years ago!

　　Heaven had given him a chance to start over!

　　For a moment, David Bolton was both excited and thrilled. He didn't care why he could return to five years ago; he only knew he had another chance to fight for everything that belonged to him!

　　—For a "dead man," what could be more precious than this?

　　This was his last year of university. In just seven or eight days, he would receive his diploma and then step into the workforce. If everything went as it had before, he would find a job at a software company, not achieving anything remarkable, but at least making a living.

　　Two years later, through a colleague's introduction, he started playing the online game "Miracle."

　　By then, "Miracle" had already been running for over two years, growing from four million concurrent players at launch to a staggering one billion online, and the number was still rising! As early as six months after "Miracle" launched, Dream Technology, the developer, began organizing A-level and S-level professional league tournaments, providing a stage for top players to showcase their skills.

　　Unmatched popularity meant huge advertising potential. Major companies around the world flocked to "Miracle," either sponsoring teams or forming their own, causing professional players' incomes to soar, rivaling those of stars in traditional sports!

　　Of course, as the game developed into its later stages, it became a hugely profitable industry chain. The volume of virtual goods transactions was enough to make even world-class corporations envious! They all formed their own factions, joining the commercial war in this virtual world.

　　David Bolton's naturally sharp athletic instincts were fully unleashed in this highly realistic, brainwave-connected game, and he quickly displayed the qualities of a top player. He formed his own team, and in his second year in the game, made it into the B-level amateur group, then advanced to the A-level professional league the following year!

　　After entering the A-level league, David Bolton immediately received a huge sponsorship from a major company, gaining significant financial rewards. He also met Ethan Clark, who went by the in-game name "Qingqing Shuixiang." The two became entangled over a minor grudge, and through their clashes, became good friends.

　　At the time, Ethan Clark was being harassed by William Foster, and to escape an arranged marriage, she made a deal with her family: as long as she could establish a career in "Miracle" and claim a share of the massive industry, her family would no longer interfere in her marriage! For this, the indignant David Bolton and Ethan Clark worked hard together, developing the "Qingshui" guild and strengthening their team, aiming for the S-level league.

　　Unfortunately, the Qingshui guild was attacked by the Myth guild led by William Foster, and could never grow, always remaining a third-rate guild. Without scale, there was no profit to speak of.

　　And because David Bolton had joined the game too late, he was far behind other professional players in terms of equipment and level! Even with his sharp reflexes and skills, he couldn't make up for the huge gap! Moreover, he had no reliable teammates, always fighting alone, and could never break through the A-level league!