Night fell over a bustling yet restless tier 2 city. (TL/N: A "tier 2 city" is a medium-sized urban area that is undergoing rapid development, offering a balance between modern amenities and a lower cost of living compared to larger tier 1 cities)
The streets were crowded with cars, and as nightlife began, many young people escaped their hot rooms to waste the night away.
Ender crouched on the roof of a two-story villa, the cool night breeze brushing against him.
He wore black clothes and a wide hood that hid his figure in the darkness of the roof.
Even at night, wearing such clothes in the summer heat was stifling.
But compared to his tragic past, this discomfort was nothing. He had already been waiting here for two hours.
At his age, Ender should have been enjoying life in college.
…Yet three years ago, driven by hatred, he gave up his studies and began learning other skills—human anatomy, fighting, and lockpicking.
Anyway, after two long hours, a black luxury car slowly drove into the villa's yard. The low hum of the engine faded, and a middle-aged man stepped out, swaying slightly with drunkenness.
His steps were unsteady from too much alcohol.
On the roof, Ender picked up a long black blade. In the darkness, it was nearly invisible.
He jumped down from six meters high, grabbing the edge of the roof midair to slow his fall.
Landing softly, he stood directly in front of his enemy.
Without saying a word, Ender swung his blade. The air cried out as the knife sliced through, slashing open the man's throat in a single strike.
Blood sprayed everywhere. Though Ender tried to dodge, it still splashed on his sleeve and hand.
The drunk man fell backward, not even realizing what had happened before dying.
Knowing the wound was fatal, Ender ran toward a deserted area.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a man in a security uniform.
Being seen didn't matter—his face was well hidden.
But in the next second, Ender's heart froze. The "security guard" pulled out a gun, its long barrel fitted with a silencer.
A normal guard with a gun? That made no sense, he was not in america?!—but Ender had no time to think.
Behind him was the villa, at least ten meters away. The guard was twenty meters ahead. If Ender turned to run, his back would be exposed—he'd be an easy target.
When in danger, Ender's instinct was always to eliminate the threat, not flee.
He dashed forward in an S-shaped path, trying to dodge the bullets.
"Pft, pft, pft…"
The silenced gunshots were faint, but deadly.
After just a few meters, Ender felt a sharp numbness in his leg, then his chest.
He had been shot. Though he was a man of revenge, this was his first time being hit by a bullet.
Weakness spread through his body. There was no fear—only unwillingness.
His revenge was not yet complete, and now he was going to die, killed by an unknown enemy. How pathetic.
Using his last strength, Ender threw his blade.
It was a desperate move, left to fate—but as if God itself felt his sorrow, the blade spun through the air and struck the guard's chest.
Falling to the ground, Ender smiled faintly.
The blade had been coated with a neurotoxic poison—a deadly mix. That guard was doomed.
His vision blurred. He felt a heavy impact on his head, then everything went dark.
In the last fading moments of his consciousness, Ender vaguely heard a voice—
"Hunter, Reincarnation Paradise is now open for you."
[Body transmission in progress…]
[10%, 50%, 100% — Transmission complete. Severe damage detected in hunter's body. Beginning repair…]
[Hunter's consciousness still inactive. Repair delayed. Minimum survival mode activated—remaining duration: ten minutes…]
[Beep… Growth-type talent detected. Survival time extended by two hours.]
In the darkness, faint blue words floated in midair, glowing softly.
Beneath the glowing text lay Ender, covered in blood, drifting in the void.
His fingers twitched slightly as he slowly regained consciousness.
At first, he was confused, but when he remembered the black gun muzzle, he immediately tried to stand.
Pain surged through him so sharply that he nearly blacked out again.
Struggling to sit up, he looked around. Aside from a few glowing lines of text, everything was pitch-black.
[Hunter, welcome to Reincarnation Paradise.]
New words appeared before him, but Ender ignored them, focusing instead on checking his wounds.
His leg had been shot through—the torn flesh revealed a deep, open hole.
Despite the gruesome sight, he only frowned slightly, showing no fear.
He had seen things ten times worse. This was nothing.
The wound in his chest was even more serious, yet oddly, neither wound bled anymore.
"I'm not dead?"
Placing a hand over his chest, he could still feel his heart beating strongly.
[Hunter, you are not dead. Do you wish to join Reincarnation Paradise? Here, you can have everything you desire.]
He had already noticed these strange words, but out of caution, he ignored them.
The situation was bizarre—he should have died from his injuries, yet he was still alive. And before him, a blood-red timer was counting down.
[1:35:10]… [1:35:09]…
One hour, thirty-five minutes, and nine seconds—he guessed that was what the numbers meant. The countdown continued.
The red digits gave off a sense of doom, as if once they reached zero, his life would end.
[Hunter, please establish communication with Reincarnation Paradise to sign the contract. Otherwise, you will die in 1 hour and 35 minutes.]
So his guess was right—the numbers showed how much time he had left. He should already be dead, yet something unnatural was keeping him alive.
"My knife," Ender muttered.
He didn't care about any "contract" or "paradise." He wanted his blade—the only thing left of his parents. It had been passed down from his great-grandfather, once a captured officer's sword.
[Most real-world items cannot be brought into the Paradise. Please sign the contract soon.]
Ender stayed silent. The glowing blue text flickered, as if unsure how to respond to someone like him.
"Contract? Tell me—what must I give, and what can I get?"
With his time running out, Ender couldn't waste any more seconds. He sensed this was something supernatural—strange and dangerous, but also full of possibilities.
He needed power. Power to take revenge.
[By signing the contract, you will travel across various 'derived worlds' to complete missions assigned by Reincarnation Paradise. You will earn 'World's Source,' and your rewards will depend on the amount you gather.]
[Reincarnation Paradise is capable of anything.]
Lines of text filled the air, and Ender read them carefully.
"Anything? Even bringing back the dead?"
The glowing blue words froze for a moment, then vanished completely.
[Due to your status as a Hunter—not possible.]
(End of Chapter)
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I just want powerstones ;)