Starting All Over

11:30 PM - 2062 October 14

Youtian City, Upper-Class area

Zhang Lian looked down at his feet and cried.

For 6 years he had served his Guild.

For 6 years he had fought. Sacrificed. Killed.

He had betrayed his friends, then brought them in. What was the result? After breaking all of his connections, friendships and spending all his money in hope of a better future in the guild.... he was cast away like trash when he was no longer useful and killed to Level 0. He could no longer play the great game of Saint's Miracle as all inside it would fear his Guild, and kill him.

It was all because he had a disagreement with one of the shareholders of the company running the Guild. He may have been the Vice Guild-Leader of the Titan's Wings, but he angered the whole company running it from the shadows.

However, I haven't lost my skill, Zhang Lian thought. I can rebuild an empire and strike back at my enemies! He abandoned that though immediately. He had no backing, no resources, and no strength. On that day, he thought he might kill himself. He was no longer useful to his parents, who paid their savings for him to go to college. He was useless in the world, just another gamer who spent their life away.

Sleep and drunkeness took over, and Zhang Lian fell into a rough dream. It felt like a rough scalpel, shutting off his cells. He wondered what the dream was about. It was so vivid. With that, his brain fell asleep.

Early in the morning, Zhang Lian's room

Deng! Deng! Deng! BZZZZZT!

Zhang Lian picked up his phone. Probably another troll calling about his recent firing...

Wait, WTF? The date on the phone says... 2056 October 14! That's... Saint's Miracle's launch date!

Deng! Deng! Deng! BZZZZZT!

Another notification, this time about Titan's Wings recruitment! Wasn't he just fired by them? Maybe he had to go fix his phone... Then he saw his room. His college dorm was cluttered with the everyday things of life he had used at 21. His clothes were scattered about the room, and posters of football and basketball stars filled his walls.

He vaguely remembered this place. His college dorm. He went to college at a hefty price to suecure money and success for his family. They had thought that a degree in college would help him succeed in life, and shelled out every last dollar they had to help him go there. However, that was not to be.

He had struggled through college, hoping to help his family and bring back money and power. He had floundered about trying to get a job or an internship anywhere. Then, he finally found Saint's Miracle. He had heard about amazing players earning millions from 1v100 battles or Guild Wars. So, he decided to join. That was the start of his rabbit hole trip spiraling down to where he was now.

Zhang Lian was confused. Maybe... Just maybe... he had been reincarnated? Zhang Lian looked down in confusion, and then relief, and then overjoyed happiness. If he had truly been reincarnated, he could once again dominate Saint's Miracle! No longer would he be a nobody hidden in the woodworks of the game, no longer would he be tied to a company who would throw him away for nothing but the cost of his pension.

He had a grudge to settle, and he would rise to the top and bring down Titan's Wings.

Just then, a phone call rang out in his room.

"Hey! It's Green Leaf from the alpha testing of Saint's Miracle. Let's start a gaming Guild together!" This was his friend, Green Leaf that he had met as an alpha tester. All his life, he had regretted not creating a Guild with him as that Guild had grown to have an overall rating of A- from the creators of Saint's Miracle, entitling him and his Guild to massive profits and benefits. This time, Zhang Lian would rise to the top.

"Hey! Sure, but you know that I have many grinding spots and leveling tricks. I can't just give them out for free, right? I'll agree to you being the Vice Guild-Leader under me."

Green Leaf grudgingly agreed, as he couldn't just ask Zhang Lian to give him all his information on how to play the game. Zhang Lian fist-pumped in celebration. Finally, he would start again with all his knowledge. However, one last doubt came from Green Leaf.

"Do you have the required money to start a real Guild? Even the most basic Gaming VR Set costs 14,000 credits, and you cannot pay with joss money!"Zhang Lian knew this was correct. He had come from poor circumstances and if he asked his family members to pull out 14,000 credits for him, they would be in an even worse circumstance than before, most likely not being able to feed themselves. In Zhang Lian's past life, he had only obtained one for free when signing a contract with Titan's Wings.

"You bring the initial start-up cash, and I will bring the information and skills nessecary to build this Guild to the top. That's all. I'll see you in a week, have the Gaming Helmets then."

Green Leaf agreed, and that was the beginning of the largest Guild in history.

A Week Later

"Zhang Lian, are you ready? It's been half an hour since launch, and I'm ready to join the game.""I am! Let's go!"

Zhang Lian booted up his character.

He wanted to be a Mage, a class that would only improve as Saint's Miracle went through updates and improvements. As he opened his eyes in the game world for the first time, the first thing he thought was:

"It's all going to be different this time. I'll support my parents and lead a good life."