Marcus logged out at noon.
His apartment materialized around him. Same walls. Same desk. Same city view.
But something felt different.
He pulled off the headset. His hands were shaking.
Not from fear. From adrenaline. The kind that came from winning a fight you should've lost.
His phone showed three missed calls. All from the same number.
Sarah Chen.
Right. The meeting. He'd completely forgotten.
Marcus called back.
"Where the hell are you?" Sarah's voice was tight. Professional veneer cracking. "The meeting started twenty minutes ago."
Shit.
"Car accident," Marcus lied smoothly. "Minor. No injuries. But I'm still dealing with cops and insurance. Can we reschedule?"
Silence. Then: "The CMO flew in from Seattle specifically for this."
Double shit.
"I understand. And I apologize." Marcus kept his voice steady. Sincere. "This deal is important to me. If there's any way to make this right—"
"Can you be here in thirty minutes?"
He checked the time. NeuralTech was across town. Traffic would be hell.
"Twenty," Marcus said.
Sarah hung up.
Marcus was out the door in ninety seconds.
He made it in nineteen minutes.
Walked into the conference room sweating, tie crooked, looking like someone who'd just survived a car crash.
The performance was unintentional. But it sold the story.
"Mr. Caldwell." The CMO—David Park, Marcus remembered from his first life—stood to shake his hand. "Sarah mentioned your accident. Are you alright?"
"Fine. Really. Just shaken up." Marcus took the offered seat. "Thank you for waiting."
"We're on a tight schedule." David opened a folder. "Sarah showed me your proposal. It's ambitious."
"The game is ambitious."
"True." David studied him. "Walk me through your revenue projections. Page nine. You're estimating three million concurrent players by month six. That's aggressive."
"That's conservative." Marcus leaned forward. "Mr. Park, Eternal Dominion isn't competing with other games. It's competing with reality. Once people experience true neural immersion, they won't want to go back."
"Bold claim."
"Provable claim." Marcus pulled up his phone. Showed them his beta access confirmation. "I've already logged in. Four hours this morning. You want to know what I saw?"
David's eyebrows rose. "Please."
"Players crying because they could feel the wind. A woman who lost her leg in a car accident running—actually running—for the first time in six years. Someone proposing to their long-distance partner because being together in the game felt more real than any video call."
He set his phone down.
"This isn't a game, Mr. Park. It's a revolution. And the company that figures that out first is going to own the market."
Silence.
Sarah and David exchanged glances.
"We're prepared to offer you a standard content creator contract," David said. "Fifteen hundred a month plus performance bonuses. You create guides, stream regularly, promote our hardware."
Marcus shook his head.
"That's not what I need."
"Then what do you need?"
"Partnership." Marcus opened his own folder. Slid it across. "I want equity. Half a percent of NeuralTech's gaming division. In exchange, I'll give you something no other sponsor can."
"Which is?"
"I'll win." Marcus met David's eyes. "I'll be the first player to reach level 50. First to clear a raid. First to establish a top-ten guild. And I'll do it all wearing your logo."
"Confidence doesn't guarantee results."
"No. But knowledge does." Marcus tapped the folder. "I've included a thirty-day roadmap. Specific predictions. Quest locations. Market trends. If I'm wrong about any of them, void the contract. Zero penalty."
David picked up the folder. Started reading.
Marcus watched his expression change. Skepticism to interest to something close to excitement.
"How did you compile this?" David asked.
"I understand systems. Game design. Player psychology." All true. He just left out the part about living through it once already. "Everything in that document is based on observable patterns in the beta."
Sarah leaned over to read. Her eyes widened.
"The Whispering Woods questline," she said. "You predicted this would be discovered in week three. But according to this... you found it today?"
"Completed it." Marcus pulled up his character screen on his phone. Showed them the Shadow Knight class. Level 6 when most players were still level 2.
David closed the folder.
"Half a percent is too much."
Marcus stood. "Then we're done here. Thank you for your time."
He was halfway to the door when David spoke again.
"Quarter percent. But we want exclusivity."
Marcus turned.
"Define exclusivity."
"No other hardware sponsors. No promoting competing products. All content features NeuralTech branding."
"Done." Marcus walked back to the table. Extended his hand. "Pleasure doing business."
David shook it. His grip was firm. Respectful.
"Don't make me regret this, Marcus."
"I won't."
But someone would regret something very soon.
Marcus logged back in at 8 PM.
He spawned in Millbrook. The town square was chaos. Players everywhere. Shouting. Trading. Forming groups.
He ignored them. Headed for the inn.
The second floor had private rooms. Cost two silver per night. Most players wouldn't spend that much this early.
But Marcus needed privacy for what came next.
He locked the door. Sat on the bed. Opened his inventory.
The Shadow Knight class came with a starter set of abilities:
[DARK BLADE] - Infuse your weapon with shadow energy. +50% damage for 10 seconds.
[VOID STEP] - Teleport up to 20 feet. Leaves a shadow decoy at your starting position.
[FEAR STRIKE] - Your attack terrifies enemies, reducing their accuracy.
Good abilities. Strong abilities.
But not what made the Shadow Knight special.
Marcus opened his class skill tree.
Most of it was locked. Grayed out. Required higher levels to access.
Except one skill at the bottom of the tree. Hidden in the corner. Easy to miss.
[SOUL DRAIN]
[Steal a portion of your enemy's power with each kill]
[Effect: Permanent +1 to a random stat per enemy defeated]
[Limit: 100 souls]
[WARNING: Souls bound to you cannot be resurrected]
This was why Ethan had become unstoppable.
This skill turned time into power. Every fight made you stronger. Permanently.
By the time most players figured out it existed, Ethan had already maxed it out.
Marcus activated the skill.
His vision darkened briefly. When it cleared, a counter appeared in the corner of his HUD.
[SOULS COLLECTED: 0/100]
Time to hunt.
The Shadowfang Wolves died quickly.
Marcus cut through them with brutal efficiency. No wasted movement. No hesitation. Each kill added to his counter.
[SOULS COLLECTED: 12/100]
[STR +1]
[AGI +1]
He was level 8 now. Strong enough to venture into the eastern forest where the real experience waited.
Goblin camps.
Most players avoided them. The goblins fought in groups. Coordinated. Dangerous.
Marcus walked straight into the largest camp he could find.
Fifteen goblins. All level 10-12.
They saw him immediately. Raised the alarm.
Marcus smiled.
[DARK BLADE]
His sword ignited with black flame.
The first goblin died before it could scream. The second managed a yelp before his blade took its head.
[VOID STEP]
He blinked behind the group. Cut down three more.
The remaining goblins turned. Confused. Scared.
[FEAR STRIKE]
The skill hit them all at once. They scattered. Broke formation.
Easy pickings.
Ten minutes later, Marcus stood in a circle of corpses.
[SOULS COLLECTED: 27/100]
[VIT +1]
[INT +1]
[AGI +1]
A notification appeared:
[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: GOBLIN SLAYER]
[TITLE EARNED: MERCILESS]
[EFFECT: +5% damage to all humanoid enemies]
Marcus dismissed it. Kept moving.
Camp after camp. Hour after hour.
His level climbed. His soul counter rose.
By midnight, he was level 14.
[SOULS COLLECTED: 63/100]
By 3 AM, level 18.
[SOULS COLLECTED: 89/100]
His stats had grown absurdly high. Strength in the thirties. Agility in the forties. He was hitting harder than players ten levels above him.
This was the power Ethan had wielded.
And Marcus had stolen it on day one.
At 4 AM, Marcus found what he'd been searching for.
Deep in the eastern forest. Hidden behind a waterfall. A cave entrance.
Inside, the cave opened into a massive chamber. Bioluminescent fungi providing the only light.
And in the center—
[ANCIENT STONE GOLEM - LEVEL 22]
[HP: 8500/8500]
[FIELD BOSS]
The golem was huge. Fifteen feet tall. Made of stone covered in glowing runes.
In his first life, a twenty-man raid had taken this thing down at level 20. Barely.
Marcus was level 18. Alone.
But he had something they hadn't.
Knowledge.
The golem's AI was predictable. It cycled through attack patterns. Slam. Sweep. Ground pound. Repeat.
If you knew the timing, you could kill it solo.
If you made one mistake, it would crush you flat.
Marcus drew his sword.
"Let's dance."
Forty-seven minutes later, the golem collapsed.
Its body shattered. Stone fragments scattering across the cave floor.
Marcus stood in the wreckage, breathing hard. His health bar showed 12%.
Close.
Too close.
But he'd won.
[ANCIENT STONE GOLEM DEFEATED]
[+2500 EXP]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[YOU ARE NOW LEVEL 20]
[SOULS COLLECTED: 90/100]
[STR +3]
[VIT +2]
[LEGENDARY ITEM ACQUIRED: HEART OF THE MOUNTAIN]
Marcus looted the golem's remains. Found a fist-sized crystal pulsing with inner light.
[HEART OF THE MOUNTAIN]
[LEGENDARY CRAFTING MATERIAL]
[REQUIRED FOR: TITAN'S ARMOR SET]
[MARKET VALUE: UNKNOWN]
In his first life, this item had sold for two hundred thousand dollars.
Real dollars.
Because only one dropped per server. And whoever had it could create the best tank armor in the game for the first six months.
Ethan had found this golem in week four. Sold the crystal to a Chinese guild for a fortune.
Now?
Marcus pocketed the crystal.
Ethan would never even know it existed.
Marcus logged out at 5 AM.
Pulled off the headset. Checked his phone.
The beta forums were exploding.
"SHADOW KNIGHT CLASS CONFIRMED!"
"Someone already unlocked a hidden class???"
"Level 20 player spotted. How is that even possible?"
"Theory: Beta testers got early access. This is BS."
Marcus scrolled through the threads. Found one that made him stop.
"Ancient Stone Golem SPAWNED - Coordinates Attached"
The post had been up for three hours. Players were organizing a raid.
Forty people signed up. All planning to travel to the eastern forest tomorrow.
They'd find an empty cave.
And no explanation.
Marcus set his phone down.
A text came through.
LILY - MOBILE:You up? Can't sleep. Want to get breakfast?
Marcus stared at the message.
He'd been awake for twenty-three hours. His body felt like lead. His eyes burned.
But Lily was asking.
MARCUS:Give me 30 to shower. I'll pick you up.
LILY:You're the best! See you soon ❤️
Marcus dragged himself to the shower. Let the hot water beat against his shoulders.
In his first life, he'd missed countless breakfasts with Lily. Always too busy. Always grinding. Always building something for someone else.
Not this time.
This time, Ethan could wait a few hours.
The revenge would still be there when he got back.
The diner was nearly empty at 6 AM.
Lily ordered pancakes. Marcus got coffee. Black. Needed it.
"You look terrible," Lily said cheerfully. "Hot date?"
"Gaming."
"All night?" She squinted at him. "Marcus, that's not healthy."
"It's work related."
"Your job is playing video games?"
"My job is about to be." He took a long drink of coffee. "NeuralTech signed me yesterday. Sponsorship deal."
Lily's eyes widened. "Wait, seriously? Marcus, that's amazing!"
"It's a start."
"A start? Do you know how many people would kill for that?" She leaned forward. "I'm proud of you. Really."
The words hit harder than they should have.
In his first life, Lily had said the same thing. When Ethan's guild took off. When Marcus got his first big paycheck.
She'd been proud of him then too.
Right before he lost everything and couldn't afford her surgery.
"Thanks, Lil." Marcus managed a smile. "I'm gonna make it count this time."
"This time?"
"This opportunity. Gonna make it count."
She studied him. That look she got when she knew something was off but couldn't place it.
"You've been different lately," she said. "Since you and Jessica broke up. Harder. Is everything okay?"
No.
Everything was fucked.
He'd died. Come back. Started a plan that would consume the next five years of his life.
But he couldn't tell her any of that.
"Everything's fine," Marcus said. "Just focused. Got goals now."
"Goals are good." Lily's pancakes arrived. She drowned them in syrup. "Just don't forget to live, okay? You always get so intense about things."
"I'll try."
They ate in comfortable silence. When the check came, Marcus paid.
Outside, Lily hugged him. "Same time next week?"
"Same time."
She started to walk away. Stopped. Turned back.
"Marcus? Whatever you're chasing... I hope you catch it. You deserve good things."
He watched her disappear around the corner.
Deserve.
What a useless word.
Marcus pulled out his phone. Checked the game forums again.
A new post had exploded overnight.
"CRIMSON VANGUARD RECRUITING - Join the Future of Gaming!"
Ethan's guild.
It was starting.
Right on schedule.
Marcus opened the post. Read Ethan's recruitment pitch. All the usual buzzwords. Family. Excellence. Innovation.
Brotherhood.
The word made his jaw clench.
He scrolled to the comments. Hundreds of applications already.
One caught his eye.
Username: FrostQueen
"Interested in officer position. Have raid leading experience from other games. Strong game sense and strategic thinking. Contact me to discuss."
Isabella Volkov.
Marcus stared at the comment.
In his first life, Isabella had joined Crimson Vanguard. Ethan had used her tactical mind. Stolen her strategies. Then betrayed her during a crucial raid, blaming a wipe on her "poor leadership" to cover his own mistake.
She'd quit the game. Quit everything.
Six months later, Marcus had seen her obituary. Overdose. Ruled accidental.
He'd known better.
Marcus's thumb hovered over the screen.
He could message her. Warn her. Save her from Ethan before it started.
But that would reveal too much. Raise questions he couldn't answer.
And more importantly—
He needed her somewhere else.
Marcus opened a new forum account. Different username.
GhostLegion
He typed a private message to FrostQueen:
"Don't waste your time with Crimson Vanguard. Their leader talks a good game but he's all style, no substance. If you want a real challenge, meet me at the Millbrook fountain tomorrow at noon. Come alone."
He hit send before he could second-guess himself.
Three minutes later, a reply came through.
FrostQueen:"Bold claim. How do I know you're not wasting MY time?"
GhostLegion:"I'm the level 20 Shadow Knight everyone's talking about. I know the game better than anyone alive. The question isn't whether I can waste your time. It's whether you're good enough for mine."
Five minutes of silence.
Then:
FrostQueen:"Tomorrow. Noon. This better be worth it."
Marcus smiled.
One piece in place.
Ninety-nine more to go.
He logged back into Eternal Dominion.
Time to collect the rest of his souls.
And maybe—just maybe—start building something that Ethan could never steal.
Because this time, Marcus wasn't playing someone else's game.
He was writing the rules.