After opening her eyes, Ji Lianwei looked up in confusion at the blue ceiling and the electric lights.

Hadn't she died under the attack of a Soul Master?

Ji Lianwei was stunned for a moment before quickly sitting up in bed. She then looked around at the house she was in—familiar, yet strangely unfamiliar.

Wasn't this the house her parents had left her before their deaths?

Thinking of something, she turned her head to look at the calendar on the bedside table: September 27, 2028.

Her eyes widened in shock as she realized something.

She had been reborn!

Still struggling to believe it, Ji Lianwei hurriedly turned on her computer and searched for the game [Combat Continent]. After searching for a while, she found it—a game with a simple description that seemed ordinary, having just been added to the shelves.

Without wasting time, she purchased the game and the best gaming pod available.

In her previous life, two months after the game was launched, all players were transported into the game world. Unfortunately, Ji Lianwei was one of the people who never played it. As for those who did play, they were the first to enter the game world—because once inside, they realized they couldn't leave. They could only remain in the game forever.

At the time, she had known nothing about this and assumed it was only temporary, so she waited. But that wait lasted twenty years, until she died as cannon fodder at the start of a war.

But now that she had been reborn, everything would be different.

As she waited for the game and the gaming pod to arrive, Ji Lianwei thought about what she would do once she entered the game.

[Combat Continent] was a fantasy game that made a name for itself in gaming circles, developed jointly by major gaming companies. Its main setting was Douluo Continent, a world where all inhabitants awakened something called a "Spirit" or "Martial Soul" at the age of six. Spirits were innate manifestations that could range from weapons and plants to mythical creatures.

In her previous life, since she had never played the game, she had entered with her real body. Not only was her age incorrect for a Martial Soul awakening, but she was also just an ordinary person with no soul power.

Suddenly, her phone rang, pulling her out of her thoughts. She blinked in a daze for a moment before checking the notification.

[Your package has arrived. Please receive it.]

She quickly put her phone aside and ran to the front door of her house. When she opened it, she found only a tall box. Despite its seemingly heavy appearance, it was extremely light. However, Ji Lianwei didn't dwell on it too much.

Everything related to this game was extraordinary and difficult to explain by normal means.

After placing the box in the middle of her room, Ji Lianwei looked at the large, glowing letters written on the packaging.

[Combat Continent], a game that defines an era.

Ji Lianwei smiled bitterly.

There was no false advertising about this game. It truly was an era-defining phenomenon. If she hadn't experienced it firsthand, she would never have believed that a game could completely change her life.

However, this time, I'll start over. The tragedy will never happen again.

With nervous anticipation, Ji Lianwei opened the box. Inside was a gaming pod the size of her bed, looking highly advanced and futuristic.

She stared at the pod anxiously for a moment before snapping out of it and grabbing her bank card from her wallet.

In her previous life, while working at a bar, she had met a drunk player. In his drunken state, he had confessed many of his regrets—one of which was not entering the game a few hours before its official launch.

Apparently, players could enter the game lobby in advance and access the in-game shop 30 minutes before the official start of the game.

There was a slot on both the gaming headset and the pod where players could insert their bank card, linking their bank account to the game.

The player had complained that the developers never announced this "Easter egg," causing the vast majority of players to miss out on many opportunities—since the shop was only open during that brief period.

But now, thanks to that player's drunken ramblings, Ji Lianwei knew about this secret and could take full advantage of it.

Setting those thoughts aside, Ji Lianwei checked the time and realized there were only thirty-five minutes left before the game started. Without hesitation, she quickly lay down inside the gaming pod.

At exactly 8:30, five minutes after lying inside, Ji Lianwei heard a robotic female voice coming from the pod.

"[Combat Continent] has not officially launched yet. Would you like to wait in the lobby?"

Ji Lianwei closed her eyes and answered, "Yes!"

"Understood. Collecting player's DNA information..."

"Admission successful. Entering the Lobby!"

Ji Lianwei wasn't surprised when her DNA was collected—she already knew that each person could only create one account in the game.

Everyone only gets one chance!