Chapter 01: Reincarnation

Modern World

In the year 2034, the world is in chaos due to flawed government systems. Not just one country, but many are experiencing this turmoil.

This chaos began five years ago when people from different nations felt the sting of injustice. Despite their protests, the powers that be turned a deaf ear to their cries.

In such a world, there's always an ordinary person who will bring justice to the people and listen to their voices.

But there's also someone else, someone who seeks justice in his own ruthless and inhumane way.

A young man named Ren felt the sting of injustice ten years ago. He decided to create his own justice, no matter how brutal or inhumane.

At the age of twenty, Ren committed his first murder. He had planned it for almost two years, and finally executed a perfect murder, leaving no trace of the body. Ren killed him because he had a personal grudge against him.

The person he killed was simply reported missing; there is no case of murder or further investigation into it.

Five years later, the government is in shambles, and the world is truly in disarray because of the broken government. The people protest, but the leaders remain indifferent, as if their ears are plugged.

Ren decided to take justice into his own hands, regardless of whether his methods were right or wrong. As long as the corrupt died, he was satisfied.

Ren had to smuggle in firearms from abroad, as his country did not legalize their sale. While waiting for the weapons, he prepared many sharp tools and plans.

It took more than six months for the weapons to arrive at the location agreed upon with his anonymous contact. Ren saw a man dressed in all black, with a hat covering his face, carrying a suitcase.

The night was very dark. Ren could have been trapped, but he was prepared for anything. He approached the man, leaned against a wall, and asked,

"Are you Anonim00321?"

The man in black confirmed as well.

"So you're Abigey331."

Ren nodded slightly. "Hmm."

The man handed over the large case without looking at Ren. Ren took the case without looking at the man. After the exchange, they left the scene, and although there were security cameras, Ren had already deactivated them.

Two years passed. Murders occurred not only in Ren's country, but also abroad, and they happened faster than his own murders.

In 2034, Ren found himself in a large mansion. The front yard was drenched in blood and littered with corpses. Bloody footprints led down the mansion's hallway to a room.

In the dining room, a man in black was eating amid the scattered bodies, unfazed by the sight.

"So you could still eat well, huh?"

The man was Ren, who had been on a killing spree for five years. But this was the first time he had been so open about it, as he usually avoided such massacres.

Ren had little time left to live due to his illness, so he attacked ruthlessly, fully prepared.

His eyesight was gradually failing, not blind, but everything was very blurry. The doctor said that his eye nerves had too much blood, which could cause severe blindness.

Sirens were wailing outside the mansion, but since Ren couldn't see, he couldn't escape; even going outside was difficult.

"Should I wait?" Ren wondered.

He picked up a pistol from the table and pointed it at his own head. Regardless of the outcome, he would die either from his illness or by execution.

Rather than suffer a painful death, he chose to die by his own hand.

Bang!

Ren fell from his seat, his vision going dark. But within moments, he opened his eyes again, his vision clear.

To his surprise, he saw a river nearby. He approached it and saw his reflection a dirty, skinny boy staring back at him.

"Is this reincarnation?" he muttered, pinching his own face.

There were no memories or thoughts of the body's previous owner, leaving him puzzled about the world he had been reincarnated into.

As he pondered, a punch landed on his head.

"Ouch..."

Ren turned and clutched his head.

"Why aren't you working?" demanded a tall, intimidating man.

"Huh?"

The newly reborn Ren was confused. A boy who looked about seven years old was already working.

The big man seemed annoyed by the expression the slave in front of him was wearing, he then kicked him hard because he was annoyed.

"Ugh... ugh..."

He kicked Ren until he fell into the river.

Ren struggled, clutching his chest where he'd been kicked and finding it hard to breathe.

"Ahh, ugh." Ren gasped, trying to breathe through the pain.

"Why do you look so confused, slave. If you want to live, you better work!" the man shouted angrily, the veins in his neck bulging.

"Okay."

Ren stood up after catching his breath, seeing the man's clothes and realizing what kind of world this was.

"Is this a Murim world or a Cultivator world?" he wondered.

Ren couldn't resist yet, as he needed strength to take on the man.

Ren shook his head and looked at his calloused hands. "What am I thinking, I'm just a kid."

Ren started chopping wood with an axe, surrounded by many boys and men who were also chopping wood.

He saw the man meditating and felt his breathing technique to practice later. His reincarnation didn't come with any system or initial power boost, truly unfortunate to be reincarnated as a slave.

Ren had to start from scratch and reach the top of this world. In every world, those with power and influence live well, while the poor and weak end up as dry corpses.

"I hate this," he thought as he chopped wood and watched the meditating man.

Night.

Ren was approached by an older boy.

"Li Wei, are you all right?" the boy asked.

"Li Wei? Is that the name of this body?" Ren wondered.

Li Wei smiled and replied, "I'm fine, I'm pretty tough."

Everyone who heard him felt relieved, if only a little. They had given up a comfortable life and only dreamed of a beautiful, comfortable life without being slaves and working hard for little food.

The food given to the workers was meager, not worthy of their hard work.

"Good, let's sleep," an older man said gently to Li Wei.

Everyone slept except Li Wei. He pretended to be asleep, watching his quiet surroundings. Li Wei sat cross-legged.

Li Wei tried the breathing technique he felt earlier, remembering and calming his mind.

The spiritual aura flowed like a river and was absorbed by him. Since Li Wei was practicing the breathing technique of a demon cultivator, his aura was similar to that of other demon cultivators.

Seeing the sun rise outside the window, Li Wei stopped his breathing technique and also tried to hide his breath and aura from others.

He didn't know what the Demonic Cultivators would do if they found out that he had a spiritual aura. So he kept it hidden for now.

Even though he had just reincarnated, Ren could already hide his breath and aura. His experience as an assassin helped, but as his aura grew, it would be harder to hide.

Everyone was awakened by the noise outside, and they had breakfast before work. Li Wei felt nauseated by the food the demon cultivators gave him.

From the expressions he saw, many others were also disgusted by the food. People were given rotten food, sometimes even dog food.

If they refused to eat, the cultivators would beat them until they vomited blood. So after this incident, many of them could not refuse.

Last night, Li Wei ate rotten food, and for breakfast he ate dog food. How could his body not be thin if he only ate because he was forced to?

"Damn, I'm about to throw up."