Xu Long's eyes fluttered open, confusion and disorientation clouding his mind. "Where the hell am I?" he thought, struggling to understand his surroundings. The last thing he remembered was the cold, relentless grip of death, yet here he was, being told to wake up. Wake up? He was a grown man, a renowned eSports legend, and this felt like an affront to his pride.
As his vision cleared, he was greeted by the sight of a beautiful woman. Her skin was soft and white, almost luminescent, contrasting sharply with her jet-black hair that framed her face and cascaded down her shoulders. Her eyes, a striking blue, were filled with a mix of frustration and concern.
"Is this heaven?" Xu Long mused. To be woken up by such a beautiful woman was nothing short of extraordinary.
"You can't spend all of your holiday locked up in your room," she said, her voice tinged with irritation. "I want you to get up and find something to do with your time."
"Ok, fine," he replied, the sound of his own voice startling him. It was deep and mature, yet smooth and pleasant to the ear. Was that really his voice?
"Better. When you're ready, come down for breakfast," the woman instructed before leaving the room.
As Xu Long rose from the bed, his movements were unsteady, his limbs feeling foreign. He looked down at his legs, noticing how long they were. He made his way to the bathroom, each step filled with a sense of unfamiliarity. When he reached the mirror, he was met with a reflection that was both astonishing and unsettling.
"This isn't my body," he murmured in disbelief. His previous appearance was just slightly above average, but now he resembled a model. His features were strikingly similar to the woman who had woken him up, leading him to realize she must be his mother. He appeared to be much younger, perhaps 15 or 16 years old, yet his new body was taller and more imposing than his previous self. His lips were a soft pink, and his hands were immaculate, free from the calluses and wear that had marked them before.
Xu Long's mind raced. How could this be? Had he been reborn? Transported to another world? He splashed water on his face, hoping to wake himself from this surreal dream. But the cold sensation was all too real.
As he descended the stairs, the house around him felt unfamiliar yet strangely welcoming. The decor was modern but warm, with personal touches that hinted at a close-knit family life. In the kitchen, the same woman was preparing breakfast, the aroma of freshly cooked food filling the air.
"Good morning," she said, her earlier irritation replaced by a warm smile. "Come, sit. Breakfast is ready."
Xu Long sat down, his mind still whirling with questions. As he ate, he observed the woman closely, trying to piece together this new reality. He needed answers, but he also needed to adapt quickly. In his previous life, adaptability had been one of his greatest strengths, a skill honed through years of intense competition and strategy.
The world outside the window seemed both familiar and new. It was a world where gaming was more than just a pastime; it was a culture, a profession, a way of life. He had been one of the best, a prodigy, a god among gamers. But now, in this new body, what did that mean? Could he reclaim his throne? Did he even want to?
As he finished his meal, the woman—his mother, he supposed—placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I know it's hard adjusting to a new place, but you'll find your way. Just give it time."
Her words, though meant for something else, resonated deeply with him. Adjusting to a new place, a new body, a new life—yes, he would find his way. He had to. For now, he would start with the basics, relearning everything he once knew and discovering what this new world had to offer. The road ahead was uncertain, but Xu Long was no stranger to challenges. With determination burning in his heart, he was ready to face whatever came next.
He looked down at his clean, white hands, free from the marks of his past life, and clenched them into fists. This was a new beginning, and he would make the most of it.
His new mother told him to take a walk outside and get some fresh air. While Xu Long walked, he was busy thinking of what he was going to do now that he had reincarnated.
While walking, he came to see a billboard, and it had his face on it. Not his current face, of course, but his old one. And the news title brought a heavy pain to his heart:
*The Rising Dragon Has Fallen.*
"It is sad to say that the once-great child eSports prodigy Xu Long has died. He was a great figure and he shall be greatly missed by all of the eSports community."
It seemed that it was the same world he had been living in that he was reincarnated into. It was kind of painful processing how he had died.
*If only I hadn't gotten that disease, then I could have still been great.*
Xu Long walked for a bit and realized this was the town he had grown up in. If this is the town, then that means that place should be around here.
He walked further, and he couldn't help but attract the gaze of all those who looked at him.
He ran until he arrived at a place called Dragon Internet Café. It seemed that a lot of things had changed since he was last here. They must have named it Dragon because he used to play here.
"I should probably go and greet the old man." The man he was talking about was the owner of the café and Xu Long's close friend. It was that man who had prodded him into entering professional gaming.
"Wait, how can I strike up a conversation with him after all I'm not my previous self?" Well, either way, he had already entered the café.
When he entered, everywhere was bustling with people using their computers. But the majority, or if not all of them, were using these computers for Valor.
Looking at all of them, a wave of nostalgia hit his body.
He walked towards the reception area where a woman could be seen staying there. The woman was quite the looker with blonde hair tied into a ponytail and smooth skin. She wasn't too tall, but her height was perfect.
"Hello..." Before he could even finish his sentence, he was abruptly cut short.
"Li Ling, can we get some help here? The computer isn't working."
"Okay, I will be on my way."
She left her computer, and her character could be seen getting bullied by the person who was fighting her.
Xu Long sat down at her chair and examined the keyboard and the mouse. He let his hands rest on the keyboard and on the mouse.
His opponent dashed towards him, but with two taps, his character leapt back and turned around with a single breath, accurately slashing at the other character's neck. But his opponent quickly dodged and moved some distance between them.
The class his character was playing was a knight, as he was equipped with a shield and a sword. Looking at his opponent's weapon and gear, he could easily identify that he was an assassin. After all, he was a pro.
As a knight, his character was slow, and he was going against an assassin, one of the fastest characters in the game.
Li Ling had already arrived back at the reception and saw a random stranger playing on her account. On a usual day, if this had happened, she would have told the stranger to leave. But the way he moved just now was fast—very fast.
Xu Long's character rose up his shield and pounced forward.
Shield Bash.
This was a knight skill that used the charge of the shield to move forward and bang into their opponent, causing damage to them.
But something was wrong. The distance between Xu Long and his opponent was a lot, and using Shield Bash wouldn't be able to harm his opponent.
"Maybe I was wrong. An expert wouldn't make that kind of mistake," she thought, but she quickly shut her mouth as he closed the distance between them. He then used Shield Thrust to knock the enemy up.
He switched his camera angle at a frightening speed and used Shield Bash again to move upwards and slashed at his opponent again.
Wasn't this skill supposed to be an offensive skill? So how was this guy using it instead as a movement skill? thought Li Ling.
And wasn't the assassin supposed to be faster than a knight? So why did it look as if the assassin was the slow one there?
From start to finish, the assassin couldn't counterattack—not a single time. At the end, the word "Victory" was plastered on the screen.
"Just who is this guy?" she gulped.