"Could it be... I died, so I was reborn?"
The thought flashed through Jiang Tian's mind like a bolt of lightning.
He snapped his eyes open.
The first thing he saw was a dazzlingly white ceiling, with a ceiling light glowing softly overhead. Its light spilled across the room, dispelling the chaos deep in his consciousness.
A soft sensation came from beneath him. He was lying on a wide, comfortable bed.
Looking down, he saw that he was still wearing the uniform of a Heavenly Fire Sect disciple. But the parts that had been ripped and torn during the brutal battle were now completely intact, as though he had never experienced that life-or-death struggle.
Some strange changes seemed to be stirring inside him, too, but he had no time to examine them.
He sat bolt upright and sharply swept his gaze toward the source of the sound.
A few steps away, a computer screen flashing with a game stood out.
A woman lounged in a large gaming chair, her waterfall of black hair casually draped over her shoulders, obscuring part of her profile. She gripped a game controller in both hands, her fingertips dancing over the buttons with a rapid series of crisp clicks.
It was King of Fighters.
On the screen, Mai Shiranui's flaming fan clashed fiercely with her opponent's moves, vivid light and color flashing everywhere.
The woman seemed completely absorbed in the virtual battle, utterly unaware that Jiang Tian had woken. She remained focused on controlling her character.
Jiang Tian didn't speak at once. His gaze slowly drifted away from the fierce battle on the screen and finally settled on the woman's face.
She had a classic oval face, its features soft and graceful.
Her almond-shaped eyes were especially striking. The outer corners naturally tilted up a