Since the beginning, light has cascaded from the heavens onto the Divine Continent. It bathed the sacred mountain ranges, the fertile valleys, and the immense grasslands. Delivering warmth from the cold grip of night.

With the presence of light, darkness rose from the depths of the abyss. It crept in the arid canyons, the abysmal lakes, and the desolate forests. Bringing reprieve from the overbearing daylight.

The eternal cycle between the two is unwavering and absolute. If one were to challenge the laws of light and darkness, their own power must transcend the world!

♦ ♦ ♦

"We've done it! We've actually refined a ninth-tier Spirit!"

"Slaving away for twenty-four hours without any rest. Now we can finally reap the benefits of our hard work. Ah~ I want a bath!"

"No one can stop us! Now we can all become powerhouses in the continent! Even the weakest among us can deal with most of the other guilds single-handedly!"

"Guild Leader, congratulations! You’ve done it! Without a doubt, you have sacrificed more than all of us combined. Surely, the Guild Leader will be the first to use the Spirit. Does anyone object?"

Sun Zhou stood in the center of an enormous array that was laid out on the ground. The array was made up of various lines that were etched into the ground. They formed a massive, intricate circular pattern that stretched over half the mountain range. Carved in the design were intentional gaps and nodes, some of which had rare refining materials placed. Standing throughout numerous other nodes were a great many people who clapped and cheered.

They had been standing there for hours, contributing their spirit essence and assisting in refining the Tier Nine Spirit. Some were old, others were young, but they all worked together for a common goal: Profit.

A smile emerged on all of their faces. Their expressions of relief and happiness were so contagious that even Sun Zhou could not help but break into a wide-toothed grin. His reaction caused the others to cheer even more. The face which his guild members thought was forever incapable of showing emotion was now grinning at them. The sight had most of them at a loss for words.

Sun Zhou wore a handsome white raiment that had long sleeves that fluttered along as the wind blew. An assortment of white gold armor pieces covered various parts of Sun Zhou's body. It allowed the suit to be snug at the torso but flowed at the limbs for mobility and combat. The greaves, bracers, and pauldrons had a polished white-gold color. Even when there was little sunlight, they shone brilliantly and even sparkled.

His long snow-white hair was messy and unkempt, tied loosely at the back. Even though it was fastened together with a lengthy piece of cloth, thick strands of hair still managed to scrape the ground behind Sun Zhou. Blood flowed from open wounds that tore across his hands, but he was unbothered by them in the slightest. Sun Zhou held them outwards in front of his body, looking down at victory incarnate laying in his grasp.

For a moment, the Spirit leisurely resting in his wounded hands seemed to look straight back at him. Unusual, as it had no eyes or body parts to speak of. In fact, the Spirit was a glowing ball of what seemed to be pure multi-colored light. An aura radiated from the ball of light, and it saturated the surrounding area with a pressure that felt like gravity had been increased to everyone in range. Colorful rays of light seeped through the spaces between Sun Zhou's bleeding fingers, and everyone witnessed the breathtaking sight in awe as they continued to cheer.

This was the [Tier 9 | Three Tailed Heavenly Phoenix Spirit]

Sun Zhou brought the Spirit closer to his face, carefully inspecting it before he turned to a woman behind him. This was the player who offered the suggestion that he should be the one to use it first. He courteously gave a fake smile to her as he thought to himself, 'Anyone who thinks they should use this Spirit before me can only dream of it.'

Fortunately, soon after the woman made the suggestion, many others followed suit and shouted in agreement:

"Indeed, Guild Leader should use the Spirit first!"

"Guild Leader, please take the lead. We support you!"

"No one is more deserving than Guild Leader! It is only natural he goes first."

Sun Zhou continued to smile and nodded to his guild members before saying, "Thank you, everyone, for all you have contributed to make this moment a reality!" He raised the shimmering Spirit high into the air, extending his arms towards the sky. Blood from his hands began to drip onto his face, but it did not distract him.

"With the Three Tailed Heavenly Phoenix Spirit, our guild will finally be able to take our place as one of the supreme powers on the Divine Continent!" Sun Zhou declared.

Everyone spectating cheered and shouted in unison before quieting back down, excited to see what would happen next. Sun Zhou activated the Spirit, and the glow which had been radiating from it began to shine brighter by the second. The aura being released from the Spirit surrounded them all. As the aura expanded, it felt like the air was vibrating, and everyone continued to stare with increasing anticipation.

"The sacrifices we've endured will, in turn, give us the world!" Sun Zhou shouted, his voice overflowing with ambition. "After we've all reincarnated, our strength will grow at an unbelievable pace. The other guilds can only watch as we skyrocket to fame and fortune!"

*Ding!*

As the light exuding from the Three Tailed Heavenly Phoenix Spirit gradually increased, a screen appeared out of thin air in front of Sun Zhou.

Notice:

You have activated the Three Tailed Heavenly Phoenix Spirit

You will now be reincarnated.

Do you wish to change your appearance?

YES | NO

Sun Zhou paused for a moment before swiftly selecting “NO” on the menu.

“Character creation is such a hassle. Might as well look the same.” he mumbled.

You have chosen to keep your appearance after reincarnation.

You shall revert to your character’s original appearance.

You shall now be transported to the location of reincarnation.

Sun Zhou looked to his guild members, "Remember to follow the plan. I should appear in the Eastern Continent at Exeter City."

The players who were watching all nodded in agreement.

"Yes, Guild Leader!"

"We shall find you as fast as possible. The sooner it is done, the better. We're all anxious to see how it works and reincarnate too!"

Sun Zhou grinned once more before directing his gaze back towards the Spirit, which was now floating just above him. The smile swiftly changed to a solemn expression as he shouted, "Let's begin!"

Brilliant rays of light exploded from the Three Tailed Heavenly Phoenix Spirit in every color imaginable. It was already difficult to keep one's eyes open, but now it was nearly impossible. The light pierced everything in the surrounding area, quickly transforming everything it touched into a pure white silhouette. Nothing was spared, and nothing was left. Soon, Sun Zhou was alone in an endless void formed of gleaming white brilliance. The sky and ground were gone, and it appeared that he was the only thing existing in the vacuum. Sun Zhou was stunned by the immense change and held his breath in anticipation.

Gradually, the world began to shine even brighter and was too much to bear. Sun Zhou forced his eyes shut for the briefest of moments. His heart was racing as he slowly opened his eyes and exhaled loudly to the sight that had appeared before him.

♦ ♦ ♦

In the dead of night, dense fog seeped through a lush river valley in the Eastern Continent. The valley was surrounded by a deep forest, isolated from the rest of the region. A moonlit sea of trees stretched as far as the eye could see, with various mountains appearing every so often in the distance. After a long night, the sparkling starlit sky gradually began shedding its hues of black and blue as the morning sun crept over the horizon. Light began to fill the valley with warmth and cut through the fog which engulfed everything in sight.

Before long, the sky was filled with color, and the once silent river valley exploded with the sounds of life. Most of the bustling noise came from a reasonably large city nestled in the valley's center. As the sun rose higher in the sky, the dense fog drifted away, revealing the entire city and surrounding residential areas. Golden rays of sunlight fell gently upon one residential courtyard in particular.

In the private courtyard, a young man sat cross-legged next to a small stone garden. He had long tousled hair, which was shockingly white. The front covered his forehead and temples in a disorderly manner, and the back was loosely tied by a lengthy piece of cloth. The youth wore a green training outfit, tied firmly at the waist. The fabric looked worn out as if they had been through decades of constant wear.

In contrast to his clothes, the white-haired youth looked no older than twenty. In the middle of the stone garden, he sat stoically. His hair was so long, it trailed behind him on the ground, and while his eyes were closed, he was not asleep. He had been cultivating as per his routine for the past five years. Every spare moment was utilized in preparation for what was to come.

Golden rays of sunlight poured into the stone garden and coated his forehead. At that moment, the young man's body twitched violently. His brow wrinkled as he seemed to struggle with internal pain. A moment later, his eyes shot open and hearty laughter filled the courtyard.

*Ding!*

Your character has been reincarnated!

Rank and Level have been reverted

The following status have been granted to the character:

[Tempered Body]

[Tempered Mind]

[Tempered Spirit]

Sun Zhou roared with laughter as he confirmed his reincarnation had been successful. His body trembled with delight as he promptly shot up to his feet, looking down at his figure. His build was slim and sturdy, albeit a bit short. Even while standing straight, his loosely tied hair almost grazed the ground due to its length.

"At last!" Sun Zhou exclaimed. The trembling his body was experiencing began to fade, and he proceeded to inspect himself.

With a thought and a habitual wave of his hand, the semi-transparent character interface appeared in front of him. This floating menu contained the overall attributes, equipment, titles, and cultivation level of the player. In the upper left corner, Sun Zhou confirmed his basic information.

As he peered down the various statistics, the listed character's attributes caught his eye. "Incredible!" he exclaimed, "Fifteen attribute points! And the tempered status effects are just way too OP!*(1)"

Player: Sun Zhou

Race: Human

HP: 80/80

Vitality: 3

Strength: 5

Dexterity: 6

Intelligence: 4

Luck: 0

Defense: 0(+1) 1

Magic Defense: 0(+1) 1

Unused Attribute Points: 0

Melee Damage:

4-6

Magic Damage:

3-5

Body Status:

○ Tempered Body (Level 1):

Small increase to Melee Damage

Small increase to Attack Interval

Small increase to Movement Speed

Small increase to Defense

Small increase to Magic Defense

+15 Attribute Points

○ Tempered Spirit (Level 1):

+25% to Spirit Gauge

○ Tempered Mind (Level 1):

+1 Spirit Slots.

Small increase to Magic Damage

Cultivation Level: 1

Title: N/A

Currency: 0g | 0s | 0c

Spirit Gauge: (Locked)

Spirit Slots: (Locked) 0/6

○ ---------------

○ ---------------

○ ---------------

○ ---------------

○ ---------------

○ ---------------

Equipment Equipped:

Weapon

None

Head

None

Chest

[ Tier 1 | Cloth Armor ]

Weathered Training Outfit

Arms

[ Tier 1 | Cloth Armor ]

Old Armwraps

Legs

[ Tier 1 | Cloth Armor ]

Weathered Cloth Breeches

Feet

[ Tier 1 | Cloth Armor ]

Old Sandals

Necklace

Ring (R)

Ring (L)

The character attributes were as traditional to an RPG game as they could get:

Vitality increased the character's maximum health points (HP). Every point invested into vitality would increase the maximum HP.

Strength increased the character's physical damage output.

Dexterity increased the character's overall agility and movement speed. It also increased the damage of successful critical hits from physical and magic attacks.

Intelligence increased the character's magic damage output.

Luck increased the character's critical hit rate as well as chances for loot and various other opportunities.

Defense increased the character's resistance to physical attacks. Every point invested will negate a small amount of damage received.

Magic Defense increased the character's resistance to magic attacks. Every point invested will negate a small amount of damage received.

The most significant change Sun Zhou noticed was his attribute points. When players create a new character, they are given a mere 5 points to distribute to their attributes. In comparison, Sun Zhou's now had 20 points starting out. A huge advantage!

The other additions to his reincarnated bonus were the [Tempered Body], [Tempered Spirit], and [Tempered Mind] character status effects. They all granted individual boosts to his character, and on top of that, they were permanent and upgradeable!

"If the tempered characteristics are already this good, I will be unstoppable in the continent when they've been enhanced." Sun Zhou muttered to himself as he stared pensively at the interface and schemed his future plans. "This is it. This is my chance!"

To him, Sovereign Spirit Online was everything. Sun Zhou had spent the last nine years of his life constantly inside the evolving world of SSO*(2). More than just passionately addicted, he felt as if the game was the world he belonged to more than anywhere else. As a result of this intense obsession, Sun Zhou gained an uncompromising attitude. He was also extremely critical of his gains and losses. This outlook had been a major headache to his guild members, who lived a generally ordinary life in comparison.

Sun Zhou peered around the courtyard with a deep sense of nostalgia. He hadn't been here for years; nonetheless, he had not forgotten a single detail of his surroundings. Next to the stone garden was a small pond filled with freshwater pouring in from an opening in the outer wall. Sun Zhou casually strolled towards the pond and peered down at his reflection. He looked himself over, unable to conceal the mischievous grin on his face:

"I wonder how long it will take to power-level*(3) back to high rank..."

He went through his character interface one more time: "My guild members should be over here to collect me in a few moments. There is so much to do!" Just as Sun Zhou's lips curled into a smile, the courtyard doors flew open. A familiar voice called out:

"Sun Zhou! Sun Zhou! You're here, right?!"

Two people stormed into the courtyard. The first of the two was absurdly large and muscular. His training outfit was similar to Sun Zhou's, except it looked like it was about to burst apart trying to contain the amalgamation of muscles inside it. The other who followed was short, slim, and handsome in comparison. He had an air of timidness, which showed when his head poked out from behind the muscle-bound behemoth to peek around the courtyard.

Sun Zhou gawped, mouth open in genuine shock and disbelief. Without a word, he immediately rushed to the both of them and flung his arms around them. As he clutched them both tightly, they stared at each other, and an awkward silence accompanied them for what seemed like a long time.

"What the hell, man! Did the game make you go crazy? I knew all along you were a big softy!" The muscle goon laughed and tried to push himself away from Sun Zhou's grip, but to no avail.

"Brother Zhou*(4), are you not feeling well? Did something happen?" said the other victim in Sun Zhou's embrace. His voice sounded like he could shrink away at any moment.

Sun Zhou let go and examined them up and down before punching the Street Fighter*(5) look-alike: "Stubborn Jin-sah, I was just shocked to see how stupid you look! I gave you a hug because I felt bad for you!" Sun Zhou snickered and then leaned over to the smaller of the two and whispered, "Sota, I thought I told you to keep him from embarrassing us." The slimmer of the two youths could only shrug in response.

Sun Zhou remembered this pleasant scene from nine years ago. It was the first day he had ever logged in to the game. The day Sovereign Spirit Online was first released. At that time, he had persuaded his two best friends to join him in playing the game. Even though it was expensive, it didn't take much convincing for them to purchase the True VR helmet with what little money they had. SSO sounded like the next big thing, and they were eager to jump in headfirst.

Truthfully, the real reason they were so moved was that they heard the game developers were planning to offer an exchangeable in-game currency. A person could make money by exchanging in-game currency for real cash! This alone was reason enough to motivate them.

Naturally assuming this had to be a dream, Sun Zhou was just happy to see his dearest friends again. The three of them had grown up together and loved each other as brothers. However, in Sun Zhou's life, the bond he shared with his brothers was the very thing that haunted him day and night.

A few short years after they started playing SSO, Sota was killed in an unfortunate accident related to Sun Zhou's work. The incident caused Lau Jin-sah, the eldest of the three, who watched over Sota the most, to ultimately blame Sun Zhou. In the years after their youngest brother's tragic death, Jin-sah refused to speak another word to Sun Zhou.

To be able to see and speak with them again, even in a dream… Sun Zhou was overjoyed and yet overcome with terrible grief. But as destiny would have it, the mixed feelings he bore would not last long, as the moment of bittersweetness was interrupted.

*Ding*

Server Announcement:

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we will be performing emergency maintenance on the World Server.

Estimated down time: 24 Hours

We apologize for the inconvenience, especially at the beginning of your adventure.

Thank you for your cooperation.

"Already having issues, huh?" Jin-sah laughed.

Sun Zhou frowned. He did not remember this announcement happening in the past. A 24-hour server maintenance at the very launch of the game was a severe embarrassment to any game developer. There was no way he wouldn't recall it. Sun Zhou thought that he must be in a dream after all. Of course, this wasn't actually happening.

Sota already had his menu up and was preparing to log out: "Brother Jin-sah, I'm heading out first. Let's order takeout! I'm starving!"

"Ke ke ke little rascal, you will be treating your big brother this time! You haven't forgotten about the lunch I was forced to pay for, have you?" exclaimed Lau Jin-sah.

"What was that, Brother Jin? I already pressed the logout button, the audio is going out. Server problems. Bzzzzz bzzzzzzzz~" As Sota logged out, he kept making static noises until he disappeared.

The two that remained in the private courtyard laughed merrily at their youngest brother. After another moment, Lau Jin-sah logged out, leaving Sun Zhou in the courtyard alone.

Sun Zhou sighed heavily.

What a great dream he was undoubtedly having. Being able to speak with his long-lost brothers, even in a fantasy, had made Sun Zhou feel better than he had felt in an incredibly long time. However, the smile that lingered on his face faded as he recalled the reality of his past.

Initially, he stood stoically and frowned, but his expression gradually evolved into something ominous. A dark specter of vindictive rage seemed to possess Sun Zhou, and he could not bear to conceal it any longer. The terrible memories haunting him could never be forgotten or forgiven.

After a few uncomfortable minutes of standing in silence, Sun Zhou could only do the only thing left, and he logged out of the game.

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

Author Notes:

*(1) - OP: Overpowered (Usually in a video game, in which a person or group becomes or is too powerful; has become very popular in the mmorpg crowd)

*(2) SSO - Sovereign Spirit Online (Abbreviated)

*(3) - Power-Level: (A term used to describe leveling a character up really quickly, usually with the help of other players.)

*(4) - Instead of actually using ge/哥 or other, I thought it would be easier to just write it out simply.

This will go for 小, 大哥 etc… It will just be a simple english variant. Might sound odd for some. Sorry not sorry.

*(5) Street Fighter. Google Ryu and Ken