A Ticket To Redemption

"Congratulations, You have successfully cleared the last level of Leagues of Demons sacred temple... Calculating rewards... obtained MC star card..."

The words on the screen blurred, a strange static buzzing in Han Jingzhi's ears. He'd been playing League of Demons for months, collecting countless skill cards, but never an MC star card. This was unheard of.

"What was this card?" He wondered, hovering his mouse pointer over the glowing icon. A shiver ran down his spine. He took a deep breath, his fingers trembling as he double-clicked.

The computer whirred, the screen flickering, before a new message popped up.

"Do you wish to use this card?"

"Yes," he muttered, his voice barely a whisper.

Whirr! Whirr!

Ding Ding

"Do you want to become an MC?"

Han Jingzhi stared at the message, a cold dread settling in his stomach. This was ridiculous. These games always used this kind of advertising to lure players in.

'The person who created this pop-up system must have read too many novels...' he thought, a sardonic smile twisting his lips.

He tried to close the window, but there was no close button, no option to cancel. Only one button remained, a stark 'Yes' button pulsating with an eerie red light.

His heart pounded in his chest. He knew he shouldn't, but his fingers instinctively clicked the button. The screen flashed, the world around him dissolving into a blinding white light.

His computer screen was gone. The room was gone. He was gone.

Few weeks later

Han Jingzhi woke up with a gasp, his chest heaving. He was in a dark, cold place, a metallic tang filling his mouth. He tried to sit up, but a searing pain shot through his head.

He was in a hospital bed, a sterile white room surrounding him. A woman in a white coat stood beside him, her face etched with worry.

"You're awake," she said, her voice a soothing balm. "That's good. You were in a terrible accident with your parents..."

Her voice trailed off, her eyes filled with sympathy.

"My parents?" Han Jingzhi croaked, his voice hoarse. "What happened?"

"They... they didn't make it," she said, her voice choked with emotion. "They were in the car with you. It was a terrible accident."

Han Jingzhi felt a wave of nausea wash over him. His parents... gone except his sister, Han Yaowho didn't follow them on that day. He remembered the crash, the blinding lights, the deafening screech of metal on metal. He was in the car sitting in the back seat with both of his parents chatting happily with him. They were on their way to a family dinner, a rare occasion since it was his birthday.

The woman continued, "You've been in a coma for a week. You're lucky to be alive."

"A week?" Han Jingzhi muttered, his mind reeling. "But... my computer... it exploded."

The woman looked at him with a confused expression. "What are you talking about?"

"My computer... it exploded. I was playing League of Demons, and then..."

He stopped, his words catching in his throat. The woman's expression shifted from confusion to concern.

"Are you alright? You're talking about a game, right?" she asked gently. "You must be confused. You're still recovering."

Han Jingzhi stared at her, his mind racing. He knew he wasn't dreaming. He knew his computer had exploded. But how could he explain it to her?

He tried to speak, but his voice came out as a choked whisper. He felt a strange sensation, a tingling in his fingertips, as if something was changing within him.

Few weeks later

Inside one of many rooms in a big apartment complex, nestled within an urban district, an 18-year-old young man named Han Jingzhi stood before a mirror.

This Han Jingzhi, the one who had died, was surprisingly transmigrated into this world, inheriting all the memories of his former body. It had been a week since his transmigration.

"I look better now... Hehehe... Perhaps the only thing I can be happy about," he chuckled, throwing his head back as he laughed at his reflection.

"Am I really this handsome?"

Han Jingzhi took a good look at himself. He had red, puffy short hair and deep-set, piercing blue eyes. He stood at 6'5 feet tall, with a slim physique that hid well-defined muscles beneath his clothes, a testament to his constant workouts and trainings.

"I'm back, brother!"

As Han Jingzhi playfully pointed at the mirror, mocking himself out of boredom, he heard a girl's voice from behind the door.

The door closed soon after, and he assumed she had entered the passcode and come inside.

He stared at his image in the mirror one last time, taking a stock of his emotions before turning around and walking down the stairs. He lived in a large apartment complex where both bedrooms were on the third floor.

Ever since their parents' passing, Han Jingzhi had taken upon the mantle of being the breadwinner. He did part-time jobs after part-time jobs and quit university, only earning a measly amount of money. But after hustling over hustling, he was able to sustain himself and his sister for now, but the future still remained unknown.

Han Jingzhi arrived at the ground floor and smiled at the girl who was just changing out of her shoes.

The girl seemed fifteen years old, her long red hair nearly reaching her waist. Her eyes held a youthful brightness, reflecting an innocent curiosity.

She wore a branded white shirt, a pair of faded blue jeans, and white sneakers.

"Han Yao, you're back! Wash your hands, we'll be having dinner soon."

They sat across from each other at the table.

While they were eating, Han Jingzhi's phone suddenly started to vibrate.

"What's going on?"

Han Jingzhi answered his phone, and a projection appeared, just as it did on Han Yao's phone.

Her eyes widened as she noticed her phone vibrating at the same time as his, showing a similar projection.

Projections like this were very rare, and if something like this ever happened, it usually meant something big and unusual had happened.

"Hmm?"

Han Jingzhi stopped eating and stared at the projection, his sister mirroring his curiosity.

In the video projection, a middle-aged man with a serious expression on his face appeared.

Han Jingzhi recognized this man; he was the news reporter from Daily Entertainment Center, quite a popular dude.

"Today, Thursday, January 25th, 2030, is one of the most anticipated days for all humanity, especially for those who love the virtual world and those seeking new business opportunities."

"What is this game about? Why don't you tell us more about it?" His co-worker asked. Han Jingzhi knew it was a typical script prepared in advance; there was no way anyone could know what was going to happen today.

"At exactly 12 tomorrow, the official launch of Revolution Online will take place."

"Revolution Online is the first virtual reality video game in human history to gain over 90% support from The World Central Bank and other business collaborations."

"As we all know, The World Central Bank is formed by the cooperation of the most important banks across all continents. This means that everyone in the world will be able to exchange real money for gold and silver within the world of Revolution Online as soon as the currency exchange rate is available. This is one of the most amazing features of Revolution Online."

"Although several virtual reality games have existed in the past, none have ever managed to secure the full support of the World Central Bank, which has always remained aloof, regardless of the revenue generated by such games."

"However, due to a lack of confidence and uncertainty about the longevity of such games, people were hesitant to risk their money for in-game currency.

But with the World Central Bank's endorsement, everything is poised to change."

"After all, Revolution Online is a new, unexplored world brimming with infinite opportunities, waiting to be discovered. Business tycoons and geniuses from around the globe would naturally not want to miss such an opportunity and would not let it slip through their fingers."

"This means that the economy of the whole world and humanity's decisions will take a big turn when Revolution Online officially starts."

The reporter continued, "According to Music Mister, the official creator of Revolution Online..."

He paused as a 4D image of a ghastly clown appeared on the screen for thirty seconds before fading away, revealing the reporter and his colleague.

"He said, 'Revolution Online is a virtual world where players can find various types of magic and unique skills bestowed upon each character. Additionally, there is a seemingly unlimited amount of equipment and elements with different qualities available within the game.'"

"Not only that, the most incredible aspect is that the NPCs within the game have been developed with the most advanced AI available today. As a result, all players can expect fluid dialogue that feels as natural as interacting with a real person."

"Are there any ways one could use to advance in the game?"

asked his colleague, the interviewer.

"Of course, there is. By taking quests. Players within the game can advance rapidly by completing different tasks assigned to them by NPCs. However, there may be other means of advancement that Mr. Music Mister hasn't revealed to us, but you're sure to discover them in the game. So stay tuned for more information and play safe.

Until then, I'm still your host, Zhou Wen."

After watching the video, Han Jingzhi could not help but frown as something within him told him that this game would be different from other virtual reality games in the past.

Not more than five years ago, a similar game without the support of the World Central Bank was uploaded and was immediately banned a few months later due to certain reasons, but this reason unfortunately wasn't revealed to the public.

Han Jingzhi's eyes locked onto the virtual reality game, a beacon of hope in his desperate struggle to make ends meet. The scars of his past still lingered, but the promise of financial freedom beckoned him to take a chance. His fingers itched to reclaim his gaming glory, to escape the drudgery of his part-time jobs. This game was his ticket to redemption, a chance to turn his fortunes around and provide for Han Yao's future.

It was at that moment Han Yao noticed the conflicted expression in her brother's face.

"Brother Jingzhi, are you okay?" Han Yao asked worriedly.

Not wanting to worry his sister, Han Jingzhi quickly put on a warm smile and assured her that everything was fine.

"Brother Jingzhi, what do you think about this new game?"

"Nothing really. I just felt like I got back a part of my fun life that I've been missing for a few years."

[A/N: He's definitely talking about money]

"Haha... Brother Jingzhi is truly a pep talker."

Both siblings laughed out loud and ended their dinner there.

Immediately after dinner, Han Yao went back to her room to get started on her homework, while Han Jingzhi did the dishes.

The sky grew darker by minutes. Looking out his window at the blank, moonless sky, Han Jingzhi cleared his mind and went to bed.

On the Virtual Network, ongoing news about the newly created game was being broadcast continuously as different people shared their opinions about the new game.

[New game launching tomorrow at 12:00 AM.]

[First virtual reality game supported by the World Central Bank!]

[President of World Central Bank's speech regarding the new game]

[President of World Central Bank assures everyone, 100% play protection]

[Hidden collaborations join hands to support the World Central Bank!]

[Place your orders, Virtual Revolution helmets available now: $499.99]

Han Jingzhi was relieved when he went through the several headlines.

"It's completely protected, meaning there will be no errors or glitches... regardless, the rate of me dieing and leaving Han Yao behind is slim. Haha.".

With this assurance the gamble in his mind had been finalized... he was going to play the game..

Without reading the headlines further, Han Jingzhi quickly logged in into the virtual store's portal and ordered one Virtual Revolution Online helmets, he didn't buy for Han Yao currently because he felt she need to focus on her studies more and two he had no money to waste, and because he thought further that at least during the holiday when she's done with her exams he would have earned enough money and by then he'd get her an headset too.

Also, after ordering the VR headset he sent the necessary information they needed for his headset registration.

By the time Han Jingzhi finished all of this, it was already late at night.

He closed his eyes, the anticipation for the launch of Revolution Online simmering in his mind.

He had a feeling this game was going to change everything.

Meanwhile, one thing Han Jingzhi was unaware of was the game was sugar coated.

...

End of Chapter 1