Ren opened his eyes. He was floating in a white room again.
"System!" Ren shouted. "You said I could say goodbye! You cut it short!"
[I gave you an hour! You spent 45 minutes drinking wine! It's not my fault you got emotional.]
Ren crossed his arms. "I liked him. He was a simp. I collect simps."
[Focus! New World. This one is tricky. It's the Guide Verse.]
"What's that?"
[People with mental powers (Espers/Guides). Espers fight monsters but suffer from 'mental pollution'. Guides calm them down through touch. Usually, Guides are gentle and submissive.]
Ren rolled his eyes. "Let me guess. I'm a weak Guide?"
[Actually... no. You are 'Trash'. The lowest rank. A Guide with 0% compatibility. The character's name is Rennie. He was sold to the military to be a 'portable battery' for the crazy General Kael. The problem? Kael is an Enigma.]
Ren blinked. "Enigma? That's the top of the food chain, right? They can top anyone, even Alphas."
[Correct. In this world, Enigmas are rare. And Kael is unstable. He kills Guides because their power is too weak for him. If you try to guide him with this body's stats, you will explode.]
"So how do I survive?" Ren looked at his new body in the mirror. Small, pale, wearing a grey jumpsuit. Looked like a prison uniform.
[Secret: The original body had a hidden mutation. You are also an Enigma. But it's dormant. You have to unlock it. Until then... just don't let him kill you. Good luck!]
"Wait, don't leave me in the dark!"
A door slid open. A harsh, metallic voice sounded.
"Subject 404. Get out. The General is waiting."
Two guards dragged Ren down a sterile hallway. They shoved him into a dark room.
The room smelled of blood and ozone. Chains rattled in the corner.
"Is this the new toy?" a deep, raspy voice came from the shadows.
A man stepped out. He was huge, taller than the Demon King. He had silver hair and electric blue eyes. He was wearing a torn military uniform.
General Kael. His energy was terrifying. It felt like being next to a nuclear reactor that was about to melt down.
Ren felt his head hurt. The pressure was immense.
"Tiny," Kael sneered, walking closer. "They sent me a child? I will crush him."
Kael grabbed Ren by the neck, lifting him off the ground.
Ren choked. Okay, this guy is way scarier than the Demon King.
[System! Help! He's actually choking me!]
[Use your mutation! Wake it up! Fear triggers Enigma traits!]
Ren kicked his legs. He looked Kael in the eye. Even though he was suffocating, Ren wasn't scared. He was annoyed.
You want to play rough? Fine.
Ren grabbed Kael's wrist. He didn't try to push him away. He dug his nails in. Hard.
"Grr..." A growl rumbled in Ren's chest. It wasn't a human sound.
Kael paused. His eyes widened. The boy in his hand... his scent changed.
It wasn't the sweet scent of a Guide. It was something spicy. Dominant.
"You..." Kael dropped Ren.
Ren fell to the floor, coughing. He looked up, his eyes flashing gold for a second.
"If you want to play," Ren rasped, standing up shakily. "Buy me dinner first, you brute."
Kael stared. He sniffed the air.
Enigma? No... impossible.
"Who are you?" Kael whispered, his madness replaced by curiosity.
"I'm the guy who's going to fix your broken brain," Ren wiped the blood from his lip. "Now sit down. You're leaking energy everywhere."
For the first time in his life, the Mad Dog didn't attack. He obeyed.
He sat on the floor, looking at the small 'Trash' Guide who had just challenged him.
[DING! Unique pheromone detected. Villain Interest: 20%. Survival chance: 50%.]
Ren smirked internally. New world, same strategy. Be the boss.