"You don't have much time left. Make the most of the life you've got left."
Arthur clutched his final diagnosis report, wandering down the street in a daze. The doctor's solemn sigh still echoed in his ears, looping over and over.
Yesterday, he'd just scored ten million dollars in the lottery; today, his physical exam confirmed he had late-stage cancer. The doctor bluntly told him he only had a month to live.
He hadn't even had time to spend that brand-new fortune. He hadn't confessed to the woman he liked. And now his life was on a countdown?
Arthur felt like his future had gone completely dark. No, he actually had no future at all.
Suddenly, a burst of frantic screaming tore him from his muddled thoughts. His head jerked up. A maniac holding an axe was swinging at the crowd.
This was a busy commercial district downtown—people were packed in tight, and when the violence broke out, several folks hit the ground before they even realized what was happening.
As the crowd scattered, four or five adults lay sprawled out on the pavement. Two twin girls, maybe five or six years old, got tripped and fell, bawling their little hearts out. The crazy man's bloodstained axe immediately homed in on them.
Seeing that deadly blade about to strike the twins' necks, Arthur acted on pure instinct. He threw himself forward, shielding the girls from a fatal blow.
But the axe still cut into his neck, blood gushing. Mustering his last ounce of strength, Arthur clutched the little girls in his arms. A gunshot rang out, and the maniac's rampage finally ended. Arthur sighed in relief, eyes rolling back as he crashed to the ground.
In a haze, Arthur realized his body was disappearing, but his consciousness remained—like a mass of air, drifting above the panicked crowd.
…
[Ding! Welcome to the Arch God Space. You have four chances to draw your exclusive rebirth character. Please make your selection!]
A mechanical voice echoed in Arthur's mind. Right after, a dazzling wheel of fortune appeared before him.
Arthur stared, dumbfounded. "What the… Is this some sorta system?"
"Please draw your rebirth character now!"
The prompt sounded again, and a ten-minute countdown appeared on the wheel. Only then did Arthur realize this was his shot at being reborn. Instead of meeting the Grim Reaper, he'd been offered a chance to keep on living!
That realization sent shudders of excitement through his entire being. His hands trembling, he spun the wheel, silently praying.
Whirr—
The wheel spun fast. The red pointer flew over countless options. Not long after, it came to a stop.
"Congratulations! You have drawn the following rebirth character: Tauren Warrior."
"Tauren Warrior · S"
"Talents: Wild Charge (A), Crushing Blow (S), War Stomp (A), Totem Power (B), Bloodthirsty Roar (B)"
"Weaknesses: Stupidity, quick temper."
"Strength Growth: ★★★★★
Agility Growth: ★★
Defense Growth: ★★★★
Mana Growth: ☆
Potential: ★★★☆"
"Description: Tauren are natural-born fighters—fierce, courageous, and fearless in battle. Their mighty frames and sincere personalities make them highly sought after by those in power. The only headache is how easily they get pissed off, so they need strict control."
"So strong!"
Arthur was a gamer; he knew Tauren Warriors typically kicked ass in plenty of online games. But…
"Taurens have a really obvious weak point: short fuse and kinda dumb. Plus, they usually have to face enemies head-on. That means they're constantly getting hacked up, one wrong move and you're down for the count. I'd rather be some powerful caster in the back dealing heavy damage—less likely to be gutted."
"There are still three more chances. But what if the rest turn out worse…"
He hesitated. As if reading his mind, a line appeared in midair:
[In view of your special status, the Arch God Space grants you a Luck buff. The probability of drawing a high-level reward increases, and you may hold on to your rewards temporarily. After all four draws, you may pick any one.]
Thrilled by that gentle reminder, Arthur's eyes lit up.
Why hesitate? On to the next!
A flash of light shimmered. The next character's info appeared:
"Necromancer · SS"
"Talents: Summon Skeleton (S), Weakness Curse (A), Magic Shield (A), Undead Body (S), Death Sacrifice (SS)"
"Weakness: Holy magic."
"Strength Growth: ★★
Agility Growth: ★★
Defense Growth: ★★
Mana Growth: ★★★★★★★★
Potential: ★★★★☆"
"Description: Necromancers are extremely powerful. If left unchecked, they can assemble vast undead armies and spread catastrophe across the world. However, each Necromancer is genderless due to its unique body structure."
"Wow!"
Seeing that eight-star mana stat, Arthur sucked in a cold breath. It was unbelievably strong!
But then he saw that "genderless" description. That meant having no cock…which spelled zero romantic entanglements with cute girls. That was too awkward; maybe he should check the next one.
Next:
"Battle Dwarf · SS"
"Talents: Beer Brewing (E), Weapon Forging (SS), Magic Resistance (SS), Divine Heritage (S), Equipment Empowerment (S)"
"Weakness: Slowness."
"Strength Growth: ★★★★☆
Agility Growth: ☆
Defense Growth: ★★★★★★
Mana Growth: ★★
Potential: ★★★★★"
"Description: Dwarves are versatile fighters, naturally boasting high magic resistance. But their short stature also means lower movement speed."
Arthur frowned. Being slow at the start wasn't the end of the world—he could just snag some quick mount and be fine. But dwarves were small all over, and that idea rubbed him the wrong way.
Back when he was alive, he was a damn good-looking guy who got a lot of attention from women. Even in college, a talent scout tried to recruit him for showbiz. He turned it down, but still…he'd been tall, handsome, and well-regarded.
Fine, even if dwarves are better than the first two options, it's still not exactly perfect. There's one last shot to go. If that bombs, I'll just pick the dwarf.
Gritting his teeth, Arthur tapped for his fourth draw, whispering a prayer: "Amen, please let me hit the jackpot."
Maybe his words found favor with some higher power—this time felt different. The wheel's rainbow glow got even brighter, burning more fiercely, and it spun longer than the previous tries by far. That had to mean a super-powerful character was about to show up!
Arthur clenched his fists, his gaze locked on the red pointer. His excitement was written all over his face.
At last, the wheel slowed to a halt.
When the option popped up, Arthur was completely stunned.