"ATTACK HIM!!"
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"HE'S INJURED!"
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Screams tore through the green forest. A place once filled with birds and silence was now chaos.
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Bullets blasted bark apart and leaves were stained crimson.
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All of this was happening in the pursuit of the man once known as the strongest mercenary on Earth.
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"Hah... these bastards don't give up." Wiping the sweat dripping from his forehead, Daniel adjusted his rifle.
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His adrenaline surged. Each breath was like blowing on the fire in his lungs.
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'I knew this mission was going to be dangerous, but never like this. I didn't think my old brothers in arms would keep hunting me down for twelve years after I killed that old bastard.'
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His fingers trembled slightly as he forcibly squeezed the trigger. His bullets penetrated the heads of the two who spotted him.
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They fell with a thud. Shrapnel whistled past his neck, embedding in the trees around him.
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He moved from shadow to shadow. What started as a normal tracking job had ended with him being hunted by his old brothers in arms.
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He had already killed hundreds of soldiers and friends he had trained with in the past.
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Each time he pulled the trigger, his body shook. His heart pounded heavily and his breath hitched.
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Daniel pulled the trigger, shooting the approaching soldier in the head. The soldier fell forward.
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Daniel recognized him. He was a man from the same batch as him. They had suffered together and come out of the hellhole with a stronger bond. Number 12... Cold sweat trickled down his back.
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But he didn't let this distract him. He spotted another group headed in his direction and quickly dove behind cover.
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Pressing down the hurt in his heart, Daniel pulled out the magazine from the rifle. To his dismay, it was empty.
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Constant combat left him drained and empty.
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'I'm done! I don't have anything else... except this.' Daniel's eyes widened. His breath came in fast, short breaths.
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Holding his old trusty knife, a new fire burned in his heart. A realization popped up.
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"I'll take as many as possible down with me!" His face twisted into a chilling scowl, eyes becoming vacant.
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The sound of steel meeting leather came out as Daniel pulled his knife from the holster.
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Gripping it tightly, he slipped into the shadows, his blue eyes gleaming in the darkness before vanishing.
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The group of six reached where he was.
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"Where is he?" A man at the front whispered lightly, his fingers ready at the trigger for any movement.
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"He was just here. I saw him with my own eyes!" Another member of the group responded, his face contorted with confusion.
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They argued, unaware that their target was hidden in the dense forest trees.
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Daniel opened his blackened eyes. Looking down, he picked up a small stone, his movements making no sound.
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He threw the stone over their heads, and it landed in the opposite direction.
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"!? What was that?" The leader looked flustered at the sudden noise.
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"You! Go check that out," he barked out an order.
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Daniel slipped out of the shadows, his knife glinting as he shoved it deep into a man on the outskirts of the group.
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The visceral sound of a clogged throat filled the forest. Daniel ripped out the knife and threw it.
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Its sharp blade embedded itself directly into the leader's shoulder.
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"Augh! Kill him!" The leader shouted through gritted teeth.
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But Daniel wasn't about to let them do as they willed. Picking up the fallen rifle of the dead soldier, he opened fire, brutally killing them all.
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He heaved a sigh of relief, thinking he was in the clear.
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As Daniel walked, he heard a soft thud. His eyes widened, recognizing the sound of a grenade without looking at it.
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Daniel dove behind a tree.
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BOOM!!
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The tree he was hiding behind exploded, sending him tumbling across the ground.
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With the wind knocked out of him, he gasped, taking in the air. His face turned shades of blue.
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He trembled as he stood up, his heartbeat deafening as he stumbled on the uneven ground.
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"Ahh! Damn it, my ears!"
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As his hearing barely returned, he could hear footsteps coming closer behind him.
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"You pig, we've been tracking you for years. You didn't think you could keep working peacefully after what you've done, Daniel?"
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Three men emerged from the smoke. Their bodies bore the scars of decades in action. They were true veterans of war.
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Seeing them, Daniel could not bring himself to care. He could only wince at the blood seeping out of his ears and the large gash on his back caused by the explosion.
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Daniel chuckled, spitting out blood.
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"You bastards are still stuck on this? All I did was clean up the trash," he muttered quietly, unable to raise his voice.
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He could only sense an overwhelming weakness and dizziness washing over him, his eyelids growing heavier.
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It was a sensation vastly different from the strength and vigor he was used to.
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A loud voice came from the man in the middle. His nostrils flared, and full of malicious rage, he began.
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"Trash? Trash! That man was a father to us. He raised us as best as he could."
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He stopped, drawing in his breath. The murderous look in his eyes never wavered.
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"And you killed him for nothing in cold blood. He trusted you and you still pulled the trigger!" the man in the middle shouted, his eyes full of anger and hatred.
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"Father? What father?! That man raised us as hunting dogs and tools to be used and discarded like trash once we were useless. All I know is that I've done a favor for all of us."
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A menacing silence washed over the men, prompting them to glare at him coldly. One of the men, Xander, stepped forward and kicked him hard in the stomach, causing more blood to seep from his wounds.
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Daniel spat out blood.
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"You bastards... I see you're the same loyal trash. Never going to change, will you?" He smirked.
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Xander stepped through and aimed the gun at Daniel's head.
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"Say it... say that you did it for your own benefit."
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Daniel felt the cold metal on his forehead. He swallowed the blood mixed with his saliva, causing him to grimace with a twisted look of pain and disgust.
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His breathing went shallow. The forest noise faded until all he could hear was his own heartbeat.
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Suddenly, peace fell over him. He realized there was no need to be afraid of an inevitable, predetermined end.
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His hands stopped shaking and his mind became calm again.
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"For my own benefit? You didn't see what he did to the others. You had it easy. You were brainwashed from the start while we had to endure childhoods filled with pain and suffering."
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"You didn't see how he threw away everyone he deemed useless." Daniel's jaw tightened.
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"Tell me, was killing him really for my benefit when we both know you gained the most as the new boss?"
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Xander chuckled.
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"You shouldn't keep blabbering on when you're about to die. See you in hell."
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Daniel held his breath, readying himself for his destined death.
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BANG!!!
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The bullet pierced through Daniel's forehead, exiting from the back of his head. Blood gushed everywhere.
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Daniel's vision blurred and his ears rang before he bled out in moments.
*****⠀
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Daniel could only sense darkness.
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"What is this place?"
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"Am I in hell?"
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Daniel felt a crushing, overwhelming presence behind him and quickly turned around.
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What he saw was a large entity, neither human nor monster.
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It was so vast he could only look up. Its form was like a body of sunlight.
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It was terrifying, yet majestic.
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The entity's voice boomed calmly through the darkness, its image lighting up the void.
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"No, my son, this isn't hell. This is purgatory." As if seeing his questions, the entity answered them. Its voice let out a calming pressure, like rushing water.
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"Seeing how you have suffered in your pitiful life, I shall give you two options: either hell, or a second chance at life in another world." The entity stopped for a moment, letting Daniel take in its words.
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Before continuing again.
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"A world where magic and mythical beasts roam. Of course, I shall send you with a form of assistance you would recognize to help you on your journey."
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Daniel was so shocked he couldn't speak or think for a moment.
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He couldn't even begin to comprehend everything that was happening, from his death to the words of the entity.
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"Who are you?" Daniel asked.
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"Me? I am what you call God, the creator, and the Primordial One."
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Daniel couldn't believe that he was facing God, let alone a Primordial one.
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'How do I know if it's telling the truth? Well, I have no choice. Between hell and a supposed second chance at life, it's obvious what to choose.'
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"I-I pick the second life," Daniel's voice was shaky.
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"A fitting choice for a strong warrior indeed. How fitting... you are just as I expected! Don't be afraid."
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"I'll send you to a place where you can live a life you've never dreamed of." His voice was calm and brimming with warmth.
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"Thank you! For this chance, I will live with complete freedom. I will never be shackled again!"
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Daniel's vision started to become blurry with darkness until he couldn't see or feel anything, and his consciousness slipped away.
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The god sneered. "Freedom... Hah! Let's see if you can keep it that way."
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His consciousness started to slowly return to him.
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Daniel could hear the screams of pain and sighs of relief from a woman.
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Opening his eyes, he was blinded by the sharp glare of the light, causing his eyes to twitch from the burning feeling. He felt the overwhelming weakness and inflexibility in his small body.
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When he barely opened his eyelids, he saw the woman who was presumably his mother. Seeing her pale skin, green eyes, and silky black hair, he thought she looked impossibly gentle. She was so different from the world he had died in.
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There were loud voices and shouts of celebration.
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He could feel himself being picked up by soft hands.
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"Congratulations, my Lord! It's your second son! What will you name him?" the nurse said, looking at the Grand Duke's large frame, cold blue eyes, and short blonde hair.
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"Hmm... I shall name you Leo, which evokes courage and leadership. Leo Von Rosenhart, second son of the Grand Ducal family."
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Ding!
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A blue screen appeared before Daniel, or Leo now.
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[Host confirmed. System initializing.]
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[Life preservation protocols active.]
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[Welcome, Host! I am your new assistant and system, here to help you through your journey.]
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'System? Is this what he meant by a form I would recognize? This is just like the webnovels I used to read in my spare time.' A grin, or the infant version of one, tugged at Leo's lips.
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'Status window.'
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[Ding!]
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A status window popped up in front of his eyes that seemingly no one else was able to see.