The rain was cold.
Not dramatic. Not poetic.
Just cold enough to soak through his thin jacket and remind him—again—that he had nothing left.
Leon Zhao stood at the edge of the rooftop, neon lights bleeding into puddles below, his phone vibrating weakly in his hand. The screen was cracked. The battery was at four percent.
Fitting.
He didn't need to open the message to know what it said.
He already knew.
Still, he tapped it.
Lina:
I'm sorry you had to find out like this.
But you should have known your place.
Please don't contact me again.
Leon laughed.
It came out rough, hoarse—like something tearing its way out of his chest.
Ten years.
Ten fucking years.
He remembered when he met Lina. Back when he was still stupid enough to believe effort mattered. Back when he thought love meant loyalty. He worked two jobs to support her while she chased her "dreams." Paid her tuition. Bought her clothes. Smiled while she complained.
And today?
Today, the truth exploded across social media.
Lina Chen, newly appointed Vice President of Horizon Group, announces engagement to CEO's heir.
Photos everywhere.
Her smile was radiant. Her hand rested on another man's arm—the same man Leon had once called his brother.
Xu Kai.
His best friend.
The man who borrowed money from him. Who drank with him. Who told him, "We'll make it together."
Together my ass.
Leon scrolled further, numb fingers moving on instinct.
Comments flooded the post.
What a power couple!
She really climbed high.
That guy before her must have been trash.
Trash.
Leon looked down at himself.
Worn shoes. Cheap jacket. Thirty-five years old, still renting a shoebox apartment, drowning in debt he took on for someone else's future.
He remembered the meeting from earlier that day.
"Leon, the company has decided to let you go."
No compensation. No severance. Just a polite smile and security escorting him out like a criminal.
Why?
Because Horizon Group had acquired the company.
Because Xu Kai made a call.
Because Leon was… inconvenient.
His phone vibrated again.
Another message.
This time, from Xu Kai.
Xu Kai:
Don't misunderstand.
Business is business.
You should be happy for us.
Leon stared at the words.
Then his hands began to shake.
Not from sadness.
From rage.
A lifetime flashed through his mind—every compromise, every time he swallowed his pride, every moment he chose kindness over ambition.
What did it get him?
Nothing.
The rain intensified, blurring his vision.
Leon stepped closer to the edge.
The city below buzzed with life—people chasing dreams, laughing, loving.
A world that had no place for him.
"If I had one more chance…" he muttered.
One more chance to be ruthless.
One more chance to choose himself.
One more chance to never kneel again.
Thunder cracked overhead.
His foot slipped.
For a split second, terror surged.
Then—
Peace.
As his body plunged, the last thing Leon felt was regret burning deeper than the cold.
Then everything went black.
…
[Error detected.]
[Soul integrity unstable.]
[Initiating Temporal Reversion Protocol…]
Leon jolted awake.
Air rushed into his lungs violently, like he'd been drowning.
He gasped, sitting upright, heart hammering against his ribs.
Dry.
Warm.
Alive.
He froze.
This wasn't the rooftop.
This was—
His room.
Small. Familiar. Faded posters on the wall. A cheap desk cluttered with old notebooks. Sunlight filtering through thin curtains.
Leon's breath caught.
"No…" he whispered.
His hands—steady. Unwrinkled. Stronger.
He stumbled out of bed and rushed to the mirror.
The face staring back at him was younger. Sharper. Eyes not yet dulled by years of defeat.
He knew this face.
He saw it every day once.
Ten years ago.
Leon staggered back.
"This is… impossible."
His gaze snapped to the calendar on the wall.
April 12th.
The date hit him like a punch.
This was the day before everything went wrong.
The day before he signed the loan for Lina.
The day before Xu Kai joined Horizon Group.
The day before he started losing.
A cold shiver ran down his spine.
"Did I… come back?"
His head throbbed suddenly.
A sharp, piercing pain tore through his skull.
Leon groaned, clutching his temples.
Then—
A mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[Temporal Anchor Confirmed.]
[Host successfully reborn.]
[Dominion Ascension System initializing…]
Leon froze.
"…What?"
[Welcome back, Leon Zhao.]
[You have been granted a second life.]
[This system rewards dominance, decisive action, and control over fate.]
Golden text flickered before his eyes, hovering in the air like a translucent screen.
Not a dream.
Too clear.
Too real.
Leon swallowed hard.
"What… is this?"
[Dominion Ascension System — Version 1.0]
[Core Principle:]
Those who command gain everything.
Those who hesitate lose even more.
[Current Authority Level: 0]
[Available Authority Points: 0]
Leon's breathing slowed.
His fear faded.
Replaced by something darker.
Calmer.
"…So this is how it is," he murmured.
Images flooded his mind—Xu Kai's smug smile, Lina's cold eyes, the boardroom that threw him away without hesitation.
The system pulsed faintly.
[First-Time User Reward Available.]
[Trigger Condition: Seize control of a critical life decision.]
Leon laughed softly.
This time, there was no bitterness in it.
Only resolve.
He reached for his phone.
Scrolled.
Found Lina's contact.
In his past life, tonight was when she convinced him—sweet words, fake tears—to sign the loan papers tomorrow.
In his past life, this was where he ruined himself.
Leon stared at the screen.
Then he pressed Block.
The system chimed.
[Critical Decision Confirmed.]
[You have chosen self-dominance over emotional submission.]
[Reward Granted.]
A warm surge spread through his body, like electricity flooding his veins.
Leon clenched his fists, feeling strength coil beneath his skin.
His lips curved upward.
"So this is how power feels…"
The screen flickered again.
[New Objective Generated.]
[Objective: Crush Xu Kai's rise before Horizon Group.]
[Time Limit: 7 Days.]
[Failure Consequence: System Dormancy.]
Leon's smile widened.
Seven days.
In his past life, Xu Kai climbed because Leon stayed silent.
This time?
He stepped into the sunlight pouring through the window, eyes sharp, mind clear.
"I won't lose again," he said quietly.
Outside, the city carried on—unaware that fate had just been rewritten.
And this time…
Leon Zhao wasn't climbing the world.
He was taking it.