Chapter 1: The Beginning, Transformation, and the Necklace
1368 Words
The morning sunlight streamed through the window, casting golden threads onto the floor and illuminating the face of the person sleeping in bed. Her tightly furrowed brows occasionally twitched irregularly. The pallor of her face was stark, devoid of any color, and rapid breaths mixed with anxious murmurs filled the room.
Suddenly, her tightly closed eyes fluttered slightly before slowly opening, revealing a pair of wine-red pupils.
After a moment of confusion, a hint of clarity flashed through them. Sensing the softness beneath, she began to survey their surroundings.
The room, approximately forty square meters, was furnished with a few simple pieces of furniture. Though basic, it was not without charm. The bed was situated near the window, a desk occupied a corner of the room, a closed laptop on it blinking with the light of a power connection. A wardrobe stood by the bed, and a partially peeled paper on the wall listed various utility charges.
This room... feels so familiar.
Didn't I... die?
Quinn's last memory was of a smiling face. The usual smirk seemed less cruel this time, replaced by a mix of struggle and tenderness. What exactly is an angel? Why did Teresa have that expression?
What had happened to her?
A sudden memory surfaced in Quinn's mind, triggered inadvertently.
She sat up abruptly, her eyes scanning the room in bewilderment, as if searching for something. Finally, her gaze settled on the calendar on the wall. The bright red letters stood out—2099.7.25.
That was two years ago!
The glaring red font made everything in her vision seem unreal. If the date wasn't lying, then the location must be — her rental room.
"I... have been reborn..."
Quinn whispered in disbelief. She quickly lifted her pillow, revealing a smartphone. The date was indeed 2099.7.25. She checked the top news story: "Tonight, the Federation's space vehicle will enter global orbit, with space debris cleanup progressing smoothly."
It was today's news! Her heart pounded with excitement. She truly had been reborn...
Quinn began to dig into the information from this time period.
If she remembered correctly, she was on the eve of the apocalypse, during her high school summer vacation, working as a delivery person. Six months ago, her parents had died in a car accident, and to avoid relatives trying to claim the inheritance, she rented a house in an industrial park.
" Qara ..."
Her sister was hundreds of kilometers away in the provincial capital, attending an art prep class. Although a bit worried, Quinn knew that Qara was safe at her art school, thanks to its closed-off education system, which kept it unaffected during the early stages of the apocalypse.
Watching the sparse crowd enjoying their morning exercise under the rising sun, Quinn felt a complex mix of emotions. No one could foresee what would happen the next day. The entire world would plunge into a hell from which there was no redemption, and everything before her would be shattered in an instant.
Reborn?
Since she had been reborn, possessing two years' worth of knowledge beyond this time, she was determined to live better than her past self. She wouldn't miss the opportunities that once slipped through her fingers.
Shaking her head, Quinn prepared to plan her next steps when a strand of silver caught her eye. Reaching out, she tugged at it, feeling a pull on her scalp.
Is this... my hair?
Quinn, who had never dyed her hair, sensed something was wrong. She turned to look: silver-white hair lay scattered across her back, smooth as silk, and glistening in the sunlight.
She looked at her hands. Her white arms were completely different from her previous wheat-colored skin. Not only that, but the surrounding furniture seemed larger, or rather, she had become smaller!
A fear beyond her comprehension drove her to the bathroom. Standing before the full-length mirror, Quinn was stunned.
This is...
A beautiful girl, with waist-length silver-white hair and a doll-like delicate face, stared back at her. The oversize pajamas hung loosely on her, yet somehow enhanced her beauty.
Her expression shifted from stunned to shocked, then to terrified... This couldn't be her!
She should be a plain-looking, athletic female high school student, nothing more! Though there was a faint resemblance to her old self, it was barely noticeable. She was like a completely different person. But why... why had her body changed like this?
"Huh?"
It was then that Quinn noticed the black collar around her neck. Its smooth texture wasn't uncomfortable, but the restrictive feeling annoyed her.
"What is this thing?"
Quinn tried to remove the collar, but it clung to her skin with no gap and was extraordinarily resilient, defying her attempts.
Who put this vulgar thing on me?
After several failed attempts, Quinn switched to a more careful approach, feeling around the collar for a release mechanism. Finally, she found a barely noticeable button at the back of her neck. Eager to free herself, Quinn pressed it. As she did, an electronic female voice echoed stiffly in her ear.
[Activation! ]
[Angel-Hunter system logging in!]
"Who's there?!"
Her only response was a series of light rings emerging from the collar, encircling her and spinning slowly. The intricate patterns of light grew blinding, forcing Quinn to close her eyes. When she reopened them, she found herself in a strange space.
It was a boundless darkness, yet her vision was clear. Her hands remained sharply defined before her eyes.
This incomprehensible change left Quinn's mind in a daze. Suddenly, the familiar synthetic voice spoke again, and Quinn snapped back to reality, hearing a sequence of prompts.
[Angel-Hunter system activated...]
[Angel-Hunter: Quinn.]
[Logging in!]
[Angel-Hunter permissions loading.]
[Exchange permissions loading.]
[Personal attributes loading.]
"!"
The sudden appearance of a blue screen startled Quinn. In the next second, she was drawn to the information displayed on it.
[Personal Attributes Panel.]
[Quinn]
[Muscle Strength: 10 (no localized enhancement)]
[Nerve Response: 15]
[Cell Activity: 10]
[Mental Will: 11]
[Allocable Points: 0]
[Other items unavailable.]
These... are...
A glint of understanding flashed in Quinn's eyes as many questions in her mind began to clarify. If she was right...
"Please open... the exchange panel."
No sooner had she spoken than a similar panel appeared beside the attributes panel. A variety of items were listed, each ending with numbers in 'energy points.' When she saw one of Teresa's scythes among them, the fog in her mind cleared.
Why were the angels so powerful? Why did they possess such endless abilities? Why did their phones contain weapons beyond common sense? All these questions were answered.
So, does this mean...
She had become one of them!
But why?
Uncertain about her new identity, Quinn fell into confusion again. Why did the angels, or rather the Angel-Hunters, hunt during the apocalypse? Why did the angels appear?
Shaking her head in frustration, Quinn knew these questions were unanswerable at her current strength. Curiosity would only lead her deeper into danger.
"Um... system? Can you explain how to obtain energy points?"
[Exchange for monster crystals, rare metals, or energy carriers. Details will be provided after the first exchange.]
The system's explanation was brief, offering no specific exchange rates. It seemed she needed to make an exchange to learn more.
In the early days of the apocalypse, the virus attacked those with weaker immunity first, leading to the emergence of zombies. These mutated creatures were the main force in the apocalypse, with most being of the first rank, having twice the strength of an adult male but with impaired senses apart from enhanced hearing and smell.
As zombies devoured large quantities of active cells to meet the virus's needs, they began to evolve into higher beings. This evolution branched into various paths, resulting in zombies with specialized speed or strength.
At this stage, the virus condensed into crystals.
The system's hint also mentioned that precious metals were exchangeable. Quinn realized that jewelry stores could be a significant source of energy.
Who would've thought I'd ever have such an idea...
Smiling wryly, Quinn was about to ask how to exit the system when the long-awaited prompt sounded again, bringing good news this time.
[Angel-Hunter Quinn has earned a novice lottery draw.]
- Writer
