Reincarnation Paradise

Nighttime in a second-tier city, bustling yet tinged with restlessness. Cars streamed along the streets as nightlife began, and many young people fled their stuffy rooms to indulge in the night. Su Xiao crouched on the roof of a two-story villa. The night breeze offered a brief moment of coolness. Dressed in black with a large hood pulled low, he concealed himself in the darkness of the rooftop. This outfit was stifling even at night in the sweltering summer heat. But compared to his tragic past, this discomfort was nothing. He had already waited two hours. At his age, Su Xiao should have been enjoying life in college. Yet three years ago, driven by hatred, he abandoned his studies and started learning... other things. Human anatomy. Combat techniques. Lock picking. The long wait began. Two hours later, a black luxury car slowly pulled into the villa's yard. The engine stopped, and a drunken middle-aged man stumbled out. From his staggering steps, it was clear he had drunk too much. Su Xiao, still on the rooftop, picked up a long blade beside him. It was pitch black and almost invisible in the night. He leapt from the six-meter-high rooftop, grabbing the protruding edge of the villa to slow his fall. Landing steadily, Su Xiao stood directly in front of his enemy. No words were spoken. The long blade sliced through the air with a whimpering sound and slashed across the enemy's throat. Blood sprayed. Though Su Xiao tried to avoid it, his sleeve and hand were still splattered. The drunk man didn’t even realize what had happened before he collapsed. With such a wound, death was inevitable. Su Xiao turned and ran toward a secluded area. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a uniformed security guard. Su Xiao wasn’t concerned—he had hidden his face well. But in the next moment, a chill ran down his spine. The guard pulled a pistol from his waist—long and fitted with a silencer. A g*n? How could a security guard have a g*n?! No time to think. Behind him was the wide villa, and the guard was twenty meters away. Running would expose his back completely—he’d be a perfect target. Su Xiao’s instinct was always to eliminate danger, not flee from it. He charged forward in a zigzag, making himself a harder target. Pft, pft, pft… The silenced shots were barely audible. After only five meters, a numbness hit his leg—then his chest. He knew instantly: he’d been shot. Though a vengeful killer, Su Xiao had never taken a bullet before. The numbness spread. He wasn’t afraid—just unwilling. He hadn’t completed his revenge. To die now, at the hands of some unknown enemy… what a pathetic end. With his last strength, he hurled his blade. It was a desperate throw, left to fate. But fate seemed to acknowledge his pain—his suffering. The spinning blade pierced the guard's chest. Collapsing to the ground, Su Xiao smiled. The blade had been laced with neurotoxin—a mixed type. The guard was dead for sure. Consciousness faded. His head felt like it was struck hard. Darkness swallowed him. In the last shred of awareness, he vaguely heard: "Hunter detected. Reincarnation Paradise is now open to you." — [Body transfer in progress...] [10%, 50%, 100% – Transfer complete. Severe bodily damage detected. Initiating repair…] [Hunter unconscious. Delaying repair. Maintaining minimum survival status for ten minutes…] [Beep… Hunter talent detected: Growth-Type. Survival time extended by two hours.] In the void of darkness, lines of pale blue text floated midair, glowing faintly. Beneath them, Su Xiao’s blood-covered body floated in the air. His fingers twitched. He slowly regained consciousness. At first disoriented, the memory of the g*n came rushing back, and he tried to get up— Pain shot through him, nearly causing him to black out again. He forced himself into a sitting position, glancing around. Apart from the glowing text, there was only darkness. [Hunter, welcome to Reincarnation Paradise.] A new line of text appeared before him, but Su Xiao ignored it and checked his injuries. His calf had been pierced—flesh mangled, bone visible. He could almost stick his fingers through. Despite the gory sight, he merely frowned. He had seen far worse. His chest wound was worse, yet neither wound bled anymore. "I'm... not dead?" He placed a hand over his chest—his heart was still beating. [Hunter, you are not dead. Do you wish to join Reincarnation Paradise? Everything you desire can be found here.] Su Xiao had noticed the strange text long ago but hadn’t responded due to caution. Now, things were getting weirder. He should be dead—but he wasn’t. In front of him, a blood-red timer was counting down. [1:35:10], [1:35:09]... One hour, thirty-five minutes, nine seconds. If he guessed correctly, that was his remaining lifespan. The timer filled him with unease. It felt like, once it hit zero—he would truly die. [Hunter, please communicate with Reincarnation Paradise and sign the contract. Otherwise, you will die in 1 hour and 35 minutes.] So, it was a life timer. His injuries should have killed him. "Where’s my blade?" He didn’t care about contracts or paradise—he wanted his blade back. It was the only memento his parents left him. [Most real-world items cannot be brought into Reincarnation Paradise. Please sign the contract promptly.] Su Xiao fell silent. The glowing text flickered—perhaps confused by this unique “Hunter.” "Contract? Tell me—what must I give, and what do I gain?" The timer was ticking. He didn’t have time to hesitate. And deep down, he realized—this was supernatural. He needed power to exact his revenge. And supernatural meant danger—but also, immense strength. [Upon signing the contract, you will traverse numerous 'Derived Worlds,' complete tasks assigned by Reincarnation Paradise, and collect 'World Source.' Your rewards depend on the amount you obtain.] [Reincarnation Paradise is capable of everything.] ... A flood of text appeared. Su Xiao read carefully. "Everything? Even bring back the dead?" Suddenly, all blue text froze in midair. Then vanished. [As a Hunter, you cannot.]