Sun Zhou opened his eyes and stared at an old ceiling fan through the True VR helmet visor. The paint on the fan blades had chipped and cracked long before he slept under it. Sun Zhou laid in bed for a long time, watching the fan spin on the lowest setting. He was in the bedroom from his old apartment years ago. 

'Hold on... am I still dreaming?'

 At first, he thought nothing of it, but Sun Zhou grew alarmed as more and more time passed.

'Wait…' Sun Zhou thought, 'There’s no way… wasn't I dreaming? Am I really awake? A bug in the helmet? Or am I still in a dream? …What the hell?!'

Sun Zhou leapt off the bed and took a frantic look around the room. It had been years since he had lived here, but seeing everything as it had been so long ago caused him to feel nostalgic and confused at the same time.

This situation just didn't make sense. Sun Zhou sat down on the closest chair he could find, trying to recall everything up to this point. The wooden chair creaked with old age as his weight was placed upon it. The noise it produced filled the quiet void in the apartment. 

If what was happening was somehow real, Sun Zhou must have traveled back in time! But how can such a thing be possible?! These situations don’t actually happen in real life, do they?

"Is this somehow related to the reincarnation Spirit I used on my character?" Sun Zhou stared at a stain on the wall that had been there for weeks, deep in thought. His mind was desperately trying to make sense of what happened. In his mind, there was nothing else that could explain his unusual predicament.

One silent moment passed. Then another. Finally, after several minutes went by, the sound of dry laughter filled the apartment. It began as a gentle whisper but soon developed into a sinister and maniacal roar. 

Sun Zhou got up and put on a pair of worn-out shoes with a grin plastered across his face. The current situation was clear to him. He could doubt everything happening right now and continue on in fear, or he accepts it and moves forward. Real or not, Sun Zhou would not waste such an incredible opportunity. 

All the terrible faults and failings he experienced before will be rewritten. Every mistake will be overturned and transformed into chance. His reincarnation will be hailed in glory! 

If this was the way of the world, then so be it! 

 

♦ ♦ ♦

 

Rain poured heavily onto the moonlit streets of Sun Zhou's neighborhood. It was a little past midnight, and most of the motorized traffic had died down in the area. The streams of water flowing on the street transformed the paved expressways into small rivers at night, endlessly flooding through the city. Or at least that's what Sun Zhou pictured, his feet splashing through puddle after puddle as he frantically ran in the darkness. 

After a short run, he arrived at an apartment complex, not unlike his own. Dingy, shabby, and generally unclean. Although the area he lived in wasn't all that bad, at least by Sun Zhou's standards, it was clear that this building needed some care.

His blood raced as he entered the complex and promptly made his way to a particular apartment. Sun Zhou was still unsure if he could trust this reality, and to be let down at this stage would devastate him. Once in front of the intended door, Sun Zhou’s heart froze in place as he knocked loudly. 

A minute went by, and he could hear shuffling behind the apartment door before it slowly creaked open a bit. There was only enough space for a person's head to come through, and when a dark-haired youth’s face appeared, Sun Zhou looked as if he had been struck by lightning.

"Big Bro? You didn't say you were coming over?"

The youth wore a short and stylish haircut, which only accented his pale, clear complexion and babyface. He wasn't quite as tall as Sun Zhou, but that didn’t stop his good looks from winning the affection of many girls in the neighborhood. Not just them, various aunties who heard of the boy’s good-natured temperament would constantly badger the handsome boy to spend afternoons enjoying tea and sweets. 

A fleeting instant passed, and Sun Zhou loudly responded, "Hah! Sota Kaneshiro, does your big brother need a reason to come over? Let me in; I'm soaked!" 

Even though he was drenched from head to toe, Sun Zhou was beaming. Before Sota could even open the door any further, Sun Zhou wrenched it open and grabbed him, lifting him in an enthusiastic embrace. 

"Big Bro! Stop! The rain, the rain!" the boy yelled, unable to fight back while being lifted in the air. But Sun Zhou ignored his protests, squeezing the youth tightly.

Another voice boomed from within the apartment, "Little rascal! Stop making out with the delivery guy! I'm starving. Bring the food!"

Sun Zhou sneered in the direction of the gruff voice and dropped his little brother: "Hey! Lau Jin-sah, you coward! Don't push your fantasies on children. Everyone knows you work out all day at the gym to charm one of your gym bros home. You don't have to hide anymore!" Sun Zhou yelled back into the shabby apartment. 

"What?! Who dares?!" Lau Jin-sah bellowed, running furiously to the front door. 

The eldest of the three brothers was in his early 20’s and was very muscular and monstrous-looking. Anyone who bore a glance at this young man could tell he spent an exorbitant amount of time on his physique. 

Although, in comparison to the image Sun Zhou was inevitably forced to witness earlier in-game, the real Lau Jin-sah had a more believable build. If you put Lau Jin-sah and his character next to each other, one would resemble an Olympic gymnast. While the other would look like a hulking bodybuilder, jacked on steroids. 

The instant he saw Sun Zhou in the doorway, Lau Jin-sah gave an indifferent look. "Oh, it's just you. Hurry up and close the door, stop letting the rain inside." 

"Well, if you moved away from this shitty place and put Sota in a respectable school, you wouldn't have to worry about rain coming in your house, stupid Jin-sah." Sun Zhou said as he returned the indifferent look with one of his own. Leaving the door to Sota, he walked further into the apartment and followed Jin-sah through the hallway. 

Sota promptly closed the front door behind them, quickly chasing after the two. "Brother Zhou, so what are you here for? Is it because we ordered takeout? You can't have my share!" 

The three boys walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. There were only three chairs, so it was just right for them. 

"Heh, Little Brother, you've gotten bold. Won't even share your food with your big bro nowadays, huh?" Sun Zhou teased. 

"So, what did you want to talk about? You didn’t run here in the rain just to spout stupid shit, right?" Lau Jin-sah asked as he lit up a cigarette. 

Sun Zhou's pleasant expression turned slightly serious before he spoke. He remembered that the topic he was about to bring up was something he talked about in the past with his brothers. However, with his past memories driving him, Sun Zhou needed to express how pressing it was for his brothers to act swiftly. All three of them needed to be on the same page, but Sun Zhou couldn’t just blurt out that a virtual reality game reincarnated him. His brothers would think he had lost his mind!

"I know you both got into SSO for fun and to make a quick profit. However, I believe we should really try and go pro with this game."

Sun Zhou briefly paused, organizing his thoughts before continuing: "The reason I say this is because I've been doing research and … secured a few connections along the way."

He had to make up some sort of excuse to explain his extensive knowledge of Sovereign Spirit Online to his dear brothers. 

"With some real effort, we could completely live off of playing this game. It wouldn't be a stretch to say we'd strike it rich!" 

Lau Jin-sah merely rolled his eyes, "Yeah, you and thousands and thousands of other foolish people. Do you think it would be that easy? I’m happy to make a little side-cash doing something easy like playing a game, but look at us! You think people like us can be pros at this?"

"Yeah, Brother Zhou, it's not like we're pro gamers or live-streamers coming from another game. Even with the help of whoever you’ve met, what are we gonna do about money till we make it big in-game?" Sota asked, his demeanor showed that he sincerely doubted Sun Zhou's words. 

"Listen to me. It's completely possible. Would I lie to you? Would I steer us down a path if I thought it wasn’t worth it?" Sun Zhou said, standing his ground, "There are advantages we will possess that others could not even dream of. Within a year, we will be able to live the good life!"

Lau Jin-sah chuckled, smoke escaping from his sarcastic smile and out of his nostrils. "What about our duties? You and I both know we can't slack off right now."

 

*Ding Dong!* 

 

The doorbell went off.

"I'll get it!" Sota shouted, dashing for the front door. 

Sun Zhou and Lau Jin-sah sat for a brief moment in silence, staring fiercely at each other. 

Knowing how stubborn his 'elder brother' was, Sun Zhou intentionally went for Lau Jin-sah's weakness: "I'm serious, Jin-sah. We could send Sota to university next year. This is something we could never have even considered before. You and I could get out of this bullshit life we're living."

Lau Jin-sah's eyes lit up the second Sun Zhou mentioned sending their youngest brother to university. It was a pipe dream that he and Sun Zhou could have never imagined for themselves. But for their little brother, there wasn’t anything they both wouldn’t do to set him up for success. He took a drag from his cigarette before he replied: "I happen to like the life we have. We have a family that looks out for us." 

Sun Zhou raised his voice in considerable annoyance, "Family? What family? The two-bit gangsters that would sell us down the river for loose change? Uncle Bao?! He doesn't actually care about us! We are dispensable soldiers to him--" 

"Shut your mouth!" Lau Jin-sah promptly interrupted Sun Zhou, "Don't forget we live next door to some of those 'two-bit gangsters' you speak of. What if they heard you, huh?" 

Sun Zhou raised his voice: "So what if they hear me? I'll shout the truth all night for all I care! What would they do? They're rats, every single one of them. Crawling around their small cages, ignorant of the world and what could be achieved." 

"Dammit, Sun Zhou, you came here to start a fight after all? I tell you, I'm not in the mood tonight. I'll throw you out!!" Lau Jin-sah was practically done with the conversation at this point. He was not exaggerating when he spoke of his neighbors. Nearly everyone in the apartment complex maintained some ties with the gang that both he and Sun Zhou were active members, and his walls were not surprisingly thin. 

"What do you want?” said Lau Jin-sah, “Speak before I get really mad!"

"I WANT MORE THAN THIS!" 

Sun Zhou exploded, standing to his feet as he roared in the cramped kitchen. As he did, Lau Jin-sah's eyes went wide. He was genuinely startled to see Sun Zhou so riled up that he couldn't say anything back. 

Sun Zhou pointed towards the room that Sota ran into, "I want a better life for him and you, Jin-sah! There is nothing for us here! I will never allow our little brother to be 15K*(2)! If we continue to walk by the riverside, our shoes will eventually get wet.*(3) Now is the time to act!"

It was evident that the two brothers have had this sort of discussion many times before. The topic of their next course of action was regularly argued about, as their future and security were always on Sun Zhou's mind. 

Both of them heard the front door slam shut and footsteps running swiftly through the apartment. Sota appeared in the doorway with bags of food in his arms: "What are you arguing about now?" he could only ask, his head going back and forth between the two.

Sun Zhou ignored Sota and fixed his sight on their eldest brother: "I am dead serious Jin-sah. SSO is our meal ticket. Trust your brother." With that, Sun Zhou sat back down, not taking his eyes off Lau Jin-sah. 

Initially, Lau Jin-sah wanted to protest, but he knew deep down there was no way he could go against Sun Zhou. Although Lau Jin-sah was the 'eldest brother,' Sun Zhou had always been the more clever of the two brothers. Lau Jin-sah relied on him entirely and could only sigh and give up, seeing Sun Zhou as serious as he was. 

After taking another drag from his cigarette, he finally spoke: "So what's your plan?"

Sun Zhou smirked. He knew that the key to convincing Lau Jin-sah was to tug at his heartstrings towards their little brother. Sun Zhou turned triumphantly to Sota and gestured for him to sit down and eat. Sota, who was still a bit confused, let the situation go. 

It wasn't uncommon for Sota to witness his older brothers argue. He learned long ago that it was best just to leave it alone and move on. As Sota unpacked the food, Jin-sah began stuffing his face. At the same time, Sun Zhou properly explained certain critical aspects of Sovereign Spirit Online to them. 

SSO showcased the newly created Martial Flow Game Engine, made especially for the game's dynamic world. This "reality" engine allowed the developers to emulate an authentic sense of free reign in the world. Every action had consequences, and there were an infinite amount of paths a person could take concerning their character.

The world existing in SSO was dripping with mystery and lucky encounters. However, too many gamers, Sovereign Spirit Online provided something fundamentally different from other games. Most games promote grouping with peers and combining the efforts of a large group or guild. It’s human nature for people to group together to overcome adversity. Despite that, Sovereign Spirit Online’s dreamlike world was one where an individual's strength could easily oppress an opposing group. 

Essentially, if a player was powerful enough, they could take on multitudes of other people. In Sun Zhou's previous life, there were many times his own guild was overwhelmed by one or two outstanding individuals they encountered. These players and NPCs were thoroughly in a league of their own and could not be contended with by anyone. 

That type of feat embodied the brutality of SSO and sparked the morbid fascination of people worldwide. Work hard enough, and you could become a powerhouse, dominating the world with your own strength! A person could enjoy the life they desired and forge a path that was utterly unique to them. 

The central pillar in SSO’s gameplay was the way power, abilities, and skills were acquired. These things weren’t obtained in the same traditional way, like with other games. Knowledge, skill, or the means to break one’s limits; all of these were obtained through the use of living creatures called Spirits.

Spirits roamed the world and existed alongside players and NPCs. To utilize them, people had to capture, feed, and nurture them! After watching hundreds of speculation videos that content creators and streamers made, many imagined the possibility of finding a super rare Spirit. A Spirit like that could change their luck in-game and place them at the very top of it! In Sun Zhou’s previous life, such events were not uncommon. 

Above all else, one factor, in particular, led to the game's massive spike in popularity in Sun Zhou's previous life. SSO's developing company, Surreal Studios, announced to their players an ultimate goal.

The goal was to become the absolute ruler of the world. If a player could unify the world of SSO, they would not only gain glory and riches in-game. The absolute ruler of Sovereign Spirit Online would also receive a portion of the game's profits from Surreal Studios! 

Surreal Studios derived the financial compensation from a slice of all the subscription fees, cash shop sales, and currency exchange taxes generated worldwide. These benefits would also be valid as long as the person was in power!

Subjugating the world under one ruler could be achieved by any means as well. Whether it be on the battlefield through PvP*(4), economic manipulation between nations, or even banding together SSO's various NPC*(5) factions for conquest. 

Naturally, countless people competed to be the top player or have the most powerful guild in the world. Some guilds even grew so large that they established nations of their own, taxing other NPCs and players who lived and traveled through the guild's lands. 

Nonetheless, even after nine years, not a single person was able to unify the land. Many tried and though they still failed, became professional gamers in the process. 

Pro SSO Players. It was a title for individuals who were able to make a living for themselves playing the game in the race to be the Sovereign. 

 

*************************************************************************************************************

Author's Notes: 

*(1) Yuan - Currency in mainland China

*(2) 15K - A reference to a large gang. Changed the name by just a tiny bit.

*(3) Walking by the riverside, shoes will eventually get wet. - A saying that means living dangerously will eventually lead to consequences.

*(4) PvP - Player versus Player. (Refers to a battle mode or event where people fight other people, instead of teaming up.)

*(5) NPC - Non Player Character (Characters in games that are not played by real people.)