After driving away from the villa, David didn't rush to find a place to stay but headed directly to a high-end hotel in the city center.
The awakening of Purgatory Fire filled him with excitement, but more importantly, he clearly remembered the exact time when the [Dark Path] game would descend!
June 16th, 2016, exactly 3 AM!
And now, there were less than twelve hours until that moment!
This was a massive advantage!
In his previous life, when the game suddenly descended, everyone was caught off guard. Most people didn't even realize what had happened until the morning of the next day. And those who entered the game earliest had already gained enormous first-mover advantages inside!
Level gaps, equipment gaps, talent gaps...
In that world of survival of the fittest, timing meant everything!
This time, he would be the one to seize the initiative!
After checking into the hotel, David immediately began his preparations.
He clearly remembered the game's rules: to enter [Dark Path] for the first time, one had to be in a sleeping state to achieve consciousness transfer. It was impossible to enter while awake.
David took out a bottle of melatonin from his luggage—a supplement he normally used to regulate his sleep.
After taking it, he lay on the bed, closed his eyes, and waited for that world-changing moment.
...
Meanwhile, at the other end of the city in a luxury shopping center.
"Louise, are you really not going to call David?"
A fashionable woman with short hair looked at her best friend with concern. Her name was Amy, Louise's college classmate and closest friend.
Louise was trying on an expensive dress. Hearing Amy's words, she turned in front of the mirror and said indifferently, "Why should I call him? If he wants a divorce, that's his business. I didn't agree to it."
"But he seemed very serious..."
"Serious?" Louise let out a cold laugh. "He wouldn't dare! I've been married to him since I was eighteen, gave him the best years of my youth. Now he says divorce and expects to get divorced? In his dreams!"
Amy frowned. "Louise, you should think carefully about why David suddenly wants a divorce. Is there some misunderstanding between you two?"
"What misunderstanding could there be?" Louise arranged her hair in front of the mirror. "It's all because of my interest in Jackson. He's never been able to stand me having my own hobbies, always trying to control everything I do."
"But David has always been very good to you..."
"Good?" Louise's voice rose an octave. "What do you mean good to me? He should be! My parents adopted him, gave him a home. He married me, so he should take care of me for life! This is what he owes our family!"
Amy was shocked by her words. "Louise, how can you say that? All these years David has done for you..."
"Enough!" Louise interrupted her. "Amy, are you my friend or his friend? Anyway, he'll come begging me sooner or later. Divorce? Let him try divorcing me!"
Amy looked at her best friend's beautiful but arrogant face, feeling a bad premonition rising in her heart.
She felt Louise had changed, changed so much she barely recognized her.
But at this moment, neither of them knew that a disaster that would change the world had quietly begun...
...
All around the world, seemingly ordinary anomalies were quietly occurring.
In a small town in Northern Europe, when an old man was taking an afternoon nap, his neighbors were horrified to discover he had suddenly vanished! Only warm bedding remained on the bed.
In a certain island nation in Southeast Asia, a sleeping child instantly disappeared from bed, leaving only an indented pillow and blanket in the room.
On the west coast of the Eagle Federation, someone captured a video with their phone: a sleeping woman suddenly disappeared from the frame, as if she had never existed...
These mysterious videos began spreading on the internet, but most people thought they were special effects pranks.
Only a very few perceptive individuals sensed something was wrong—this world was undergoing some fundamental change.
But for the complete truth to spread, it would still take 2-3 hours.
...
2:58 AM.
In his drowsy sleep, David suddenly felt a strange pulling force.
His consciousness seemed to separate from his body, beginning to fly toward endless void!
The scene before his eyes rapidly changed, countless worlds flashing past—some were continents covered in ice and snow, some were hells with rolling lava, some were space filled with brilliant stars...
This feeling was all too familiar to him!
In his previous life, this was exactly how he had entered [Dark Path]!
Finally, his consciousness traveled through countless worlds and arrived at a completely dark space.
Complete darkness surrounded him, with no light source, unable to even see his own body.
But the next second, gray-white light began gathering in the darkness, slowly forming English letters:
[Welcome to the 'Dark Path Game'!]
[You will be traveling to: Dark World...]
[Please choose your profession!]
[After choosing a profession, you will randomly receive a matching talent!]
With the system prompt's appearance, a massive wheel appeared before David.
The wheel was marked with various basic professions: Barbarian, Mage, Priest, Archer, Assassin, Knight, Warrior...
Each profession had detailed descriptions and attribute introductions.
But David's gaze fell on a special option in the center of the wheel:
[Random Profession]
In his previous life, to protect Louise, he had chosen the Barbarian profession without hesitation. It was a profession with strong defense and survival abilities, very suitable for protecting others.
Barbarians possessed powerful health and armor, serving as the most reliable tanks in teams. But correspondingly, this profession had poor mobility and low monster-farming efficiency.
In that apocalyptic era requiring rapid strength accumulation, Barbarian wasn't the optimal choice.
But back then, David only thought about how to better protect his wife, never considering efficiency issues.
Now it was different.
Without the "burden," David could choose completely according to his own will!
He carefully analyzed the pros and cons of each profession:
Warriors and Knights had decent attack power, but in solo combat, they lacked ranged attack methods and could easily be kited by monsters.
Archers had high damage output but were too fragile—once approached, they became very dangerous.
Mages and Priests both had decent abilities, but were too weak early on, requiring significant time to develop.
Assassins were quite suitable for solo action but required extremely high operational skills.
And the[Random Profession]option, while risky, also had the chance to obtain hidden professions!
Those hidden professions were each far more powerful than basic professions!
More importantly...
David felt the power of Purgatory Fire within his body, a flash of confident light crossing his eyes.
He possessed the highest-grade talent!
No matter what profession he drew, combined with Purgatory Fire, he could display terrifying power!
Since that was the case, why not take a gamble?
David took a deep breath and chose[Random Profession]without hesitation!
The wheel began spinning frantically, various profession icons rapidly flashing by.
The cautious him from his previous life would never have made such a choice.
But this life was different!
Having shed all restraints, he would use the most aggressive methods to pursue the most powerful strength!
The wheel's rotation grew slower and slower, until finally, the pointer stopped on a mysterious icon he had never seen before.
It was a skull surrounded by black flames!
[Congratulations on obtaining the hidden profession: Purgatory Mage!]
David's pupils contracted!
Purgatory Mage!
This was a profession he had never heard of in his previous life!
Indeed, choosing random profession was the right choice!