Beng Zeng

Mu Lan, who had blown off Xen Zu's head, was starting to lose consciousness. It had been half an hour since the bomb had exploded. With today's technology, he could have been easily saved. But he knew he didn't have much time left. The bomb had exploded very close to him, and shrapnel had pierced his body. Mu Lan's body was a bit better than that of ordinary people, thanks to the game he played. This clearly explained how he managed to survive for half an hour, and after that half hour, Mu Lan died at the scene.

Mu Lan had made headlines...

After blowing off Xen Zu's head, he closed his eyes to life with a mix of pain and joy. Not long after, he opened his eyes again. It was as if he had woken up from a dream, finding himself in a familiar place. Looking around frantically, he realized he was in a place that looked very much like the room he used to live in. But how could this be possible? He remembered blowing up Xen Zu's head and feeling the pain just 5 minutes ago. But now, he found himself at home. This couldn't be possible, or could it?

Mu Lan hurriedly got out of bed and went to the mirror. He seemed to have shrunk, as if he had gone back to being 15 years old. He stood in front of the mirror in his incredibly thin state, weighing around 40 kilos. His black hair and matching red eyes made him look strange.

Mu Lan, still unable to shake off his astonishment, immediately went to his computer and checked the date. It showed Sunday, January 28, 2115. He was incredibly happy at that moment. Even though he wasn't sure how it happened, he had gone back in time. This was a second chance given to him, and he wasn't going to repeat the mistakes he made in this life. There were 2 days left until the big day, and he quickly came up with a plan.

He could play God Defiant again and start taking revenge on Madin Yogra, Xen Zu, and the others slowly. He had gone back exactly 20 years, and it was 2 days before the game's launch. This was an invaluable gift for him. He had the opportunity to implement his plan.

He swore to take revenge on the people who had caused pain to his family and friends. He knew that the first step of his plan was to get stronger, which he had experienced firsthand. He wasn't going to repeat the mistakes he made in this life. Mu Lan now had the knowledge of the future. He felt like he could do anything at that moment.

He quickly picked up his phone and started calling his closest friend. His closest friend might still be alive.

...

When his closest friend answered the phone, Mu Lan heard these words: "What's up, bro?"

Mu Lan's eyes filled with tears. His closest friend was still alive.

"Hey Mu, are you there?"

Mu Lan wiped his teary eyes and replied. "Yes, Beng, I'm here. I was going to ask if you got the latest devices for the game God Defiant coming out in 2 days."

"I did, Mu. We were lucky that I got the last devices. Hey, have you decided which class to choose? They announced the classes in the game." All Beng Zeng could think about was playing the upcoming game and having fun.

"Yes, I have decided. I'm going to choose the archer class, one of the five main classes. I suggest you go with the paladin class. Together, we will make an unbeatable combo. What do you say?" replied Mu Lan.

"Mu, I was going to be a warrior. A real man should be a warrior."

"Beng, trust me. If you follow my lead, we'll be invincible. People will make way for us when they hear our names. What do you say, come on, open a paladin."

"We've been friends for 12 years. If I don't trust you, who will I trust? So, a paladin it is. You mean the guy with a mace in one hand and a shield in the other?" Beng Zeng found Mu Lan's insistence quite strange but accepted it nonetheless.

"Exactly, you're going to open that guy, and I'll open the archer. Together, we'll be unbeatable. Where are you now? Bring the helmets home, and let's set up the accounts. They will open the servers tonight for us to create our characters, although they won't make the game accessible yet."

"I'm on my way to you right now. Do you need anything else?" replied Beng Zeng.

Mu Lan said, "Wait a second, I'm checking something." while browsing the internet.

Mu Lan, surfing the internet, saw some great books there. A 30,000 Credit bodybuilding book, "Ancient Martial Arts, and 10,000 Kicks at Once." When he saw these two books, he immediately continued his conversation with Beng.

"The books developed by our ancestors to use the techniques at the highest level thanks to artificial intelligence are these. 'Ancient Martial Arts and 10,000 Kicks at Once.' You can find these books at Zang Huan bookstore. Get these two books."

"Okay, I'll get them. But what are you going to do with these books? I didn't know you were interested in martial arts," replied Beng Zeng sarcastically.

"A man should know martial arts. It might come in handy one day. If I learn and apply these techniques, I can teach you too. Or we can learn together, get stronger together, what do you say?" replied Mu Lan with a mix of a question and an answer.

"Okay, Mu. I'm hanging up now. I've arrived at the bookstore. I'll get the books you mentioned and come to you shortly," said Beng Zeng as he hung up the phone.

Mu Lan had started to make Beng Zeng think. After all, his friend had suddenly taken an interest in martial arts and was insisting on him opening a paladin character despite wanting to open a warrior character. But the idea of developing together excited him too.

Half an hour later.

Ding dong.

Mu Lan heard the doorbell. His closest friend was at the door. He hadn't seen him for years. Without wasting much time, he went to open the door.

When he opened the door, it was indeed his closest friend Beng Zeng standing there, and he was also 15 years old. A black-haired, brown-eyed, slightly chubby young man. Mu Lan's eyes filled with tears again.

"Hey, what's going on? Did you miss me that much? Why are you crying?" Beng Zeng spoke mockingly, never having changed.

"I'm not crying, the dust from outside got into my eyes when I opened the door."

"Sure, of course, that's definitely what happened," Beng Zeng continued his mocking tone.

Mu Lan and Beng Zeng entered the house. Mu Lan had learned that his closest friend was alive. Most likely, his family was also alive. His family was currently on a business trip abroad. Mu Lan and Beng Zeng had rented a house together because they were going to high school. They were living in that house together.

Mu Lan had indeed gone back to the past.