Life can be strange sometimes. Before entering "Dawnfall Online," Ethan wasn't particularly resentful about only having less than a year to live.
Because at that time, he saw no hope.
However, after entering "Dawnfall Online" and obtaining the [Ten-Thousandfold Intelligence Reward]—a chance to change his fate—he began to want to survive as long as possible.
Hope would come, and life would slowly get better.
At the very least, the young blonde nurse in front of him, wearing white stockings that revealed her smooth skin above her thighs, made him feel better than the middle-aged nurse in the previous ordinary ward.
The young blonde nurse secretly glanced at Ethan several times. When she noticed he was looking at her, she quickly lowered her head out of instinct, though her rounded, full hips curved up.
The shy young nurse lowered her head and asked, "Mr. Ethan, if you need anything, just call me. I'll be in your ward within a minute."
Ethan watched her leave, slowly putting away the feelings stirring inside him.
Everything was moving in a better direction. He had earned quite a bit of money and saw a breakthrough that could completely cure his illness.
Fate seemed to be starting to favor him, no longer giving him so much hardship like before.
Looking at the potent painkillers by his bed, Ethan did not open them but instead closed his eyes slowly, carefully sensing his brain.
The indescribable pain still persisted. Whether it was an illusion or not, he felt the pain was somehow even stronger than before.
At that moment, Ethan's phone suddenly vibrated. Someone sent him a message, asking where he had gone.
Ethan told them about changing wards. Soon after, a man of about twenty-two years old, with short hair and a muscular build, walked in.
The first thing the man did after entering the deluxe single ward was to carefully examine the room's facilities. Then, frowning, he walked to Ethan's bedside and directly asked,
"Ethan, where did you get the money?"
"I've already entrusted an agent to sell the house. The money should cover your future expenses."
"Ethan, we still have hope, still have a chance. Don't give up on yourself."
Ethan sighed helplessly. This man was his good brother Leo, who worked in a government department.
Ethan explained, "Don't worry. I haven't done anything illegal. The money for changing the ward is what I earned in Dawnfall Online."
Hearing this, Leo breathed a sigh of relief and his frown immediately eased.
Ethan was the most cautious, calm, and smart person Leo had ever met. If Ethan wanted to use improper means to make money, he could definitely earn a large sum in a short time.
Leo sat down by Ethan's bedside, reached out, and gently pulled the blanket covering Ethan up, saying:
"That's just like you—always better than me. Now you're even making money in Dawnfall Online!"
"What's your game ID? I just hit level 10 today. I can take you along to fight monsters and level up."
Ethan smiled and replied, "I'll tell you my ID once my level is higher than yours."
A smile appeared on Leo's face too. He could sense Ethan was in a much better state than before. So Leo said,
"Haha, then I'll never know your ID. You've never really liked gaming much, and I'm quite the expert!"
They chatted about other things as well, mostly about "Dawnfall Online." Leo was serious as he told Ethan to take the game seriously, mentioning there were some inside information he couldn't share.
But Leo firmly reminded Ethan that if possible, he should try to improve his character's level and strength in "Dawnfall Online" as much as he could.
Ethan naturally understood the importance of "Dawnfall Online," but from Leo's hints, it seemed the game was even more important than he had imagined.
As for why exactly, Leo didn't say, and Ethan didn't ask. He knew that as a government worker, Leo couldn't disclose too much.
Afterward, Ethan told Leo not to sell the house anymore—it was the inheritance from Leo's parents.
At first, Leo didn't want to listen and kept saying that compared to Ethan's life, the house wasn't important at all.
But when Ethan showed the balance on his phone, Leo immediately grabbed Ethan's leg and shouted,
"Holy crap! How many zeros is that? You're not just freeloading, are you?"
"No way, no way. You owe me a big feast today!"
Ethan laughed and nodded in agreement. He knew Leo's personality well—though he said a feast, they'd probably end up eating something cheap at a fast food place.
Ethan still wasn't ready to be discharged from the hospital, but he wanted to go out for a walk, so he asked Leo to accompany him.
Just as they reached downstairs, they heard a sharp screech of brakes. Turning around, they saw a red Ferrari stopped a short distance away on the road.
A young man wearing sunglasses stepped out of the expensive Ferrari and called out to Ethan and Leo,
"Ethan? Leo? What are you guys doing here?"
Leo whispered to Ethan, "That's Blake. Remember him? Our class president back in college. I heard this hospital belongs to his family."
Ethan whispered back, "Yeah, the same guy who bothered your sister. Two heroes couldn't stand it and used a sack to trap him at night, then beat him up."
Leo quickly added, "Exactly! Two handsome, righteous heroes—not you and me."
As Ethan and Leo reminisced, Blake approached eagerly and extended his right hand.
Leo shook hands with Blake, but Ethan completely ignored him.
Blake seemed used to it, quietly withdrawing his hand. Then, noticing the hospital gown Ethan was wearing, concern appeared on his face as he asked,
"Ethan, what happened to you? Don't worry, this is my family's hospital. I'll get you transferred from the regular ward to a luxury single room soon."
Ethan replied calmly, "No need. I'm already staying there."
Blake's expression stiffened for a moment but quickly returned to normal as he changed the topic.
He said, "By the way, are you guys coming to the class reunion in a week? The school beauty Ivy will be there too. Ethan, you two haven't seen each other in a long time—why not meet up?"
"The theme of this reunion is Dawnfall Online. Conveniently, I know the Coffin Guild's leader, Overlord. He'll be there too."
After saying this, Blake looked up eagerly, waiting for Ethan and Leo's surprise.
But his neck grew sore because he still hadn't heard a word from either of them.
Leo was calm, but Ethan was silent because he had personally killed Overlord, causing huge losses for the Coffin Guild.
To Ethan, the Coffin Guild leader Overlord was nothing noteworthy.
However, Ivy made Ethan reminisce about the past. Back in college, Ivy had been his girlfriend, but they broke up over some issues.
They hadn't seen each other for a long time, and he didn't know how Ivy was doing now.
So Ethan said, "If I have time, I'll attend."
Leo added, "If Ethan goes, I'll go too."
Blake instinctively smiled a little at the corner of his mouth but quickly reined it in, politely bidding Ethan farewell.
Once he was out of earshot, he spat on the ground forcefully and cursed,
"Bah! Those two bastards—surely they conspired against me back then!"
"After college graduation, the gap between people shows again. You two losers will never catch up to me!"
"Better not let me know your Dawnfall Online IDs, or I'll kill you every time I see you!"
Blake's face was full of anger and bitterness; all the politeness and calmness he showed earlier had completely vanished.
In real life, he was a rich second-generation heir. In Dawnfall Online, he knew the Coffin Guild leader Overlord. Neither Ethan nor Leo could compare to him in the game or reality.
Especially Ethan, who, aside from good looks, was inferior to him in every way.
Blake simply couldn't understand why Ivy, the school beauty he once pursued, would actively chase after Ethan.