The scent of disinfectant lingered in the air, sharp and sterile.
Ren Wei opened his eyes slowly.
A ceiling. Pale. Cracked. The faint hum of hospital monitors echoed nearby.
His chest burned. Every breath stabbed like knives.
He couldn't move his legs.
*…Where am I?*
Then it came.
The pain. The blood. The voices.
—"You dare chase after Qian Xue?"
—"You think trash like you deserves someone from our families?"
—"Kneel."
He remembered their faces.
Four sons of the city's elite.
Laughing as they kicked him in the alley.
She — Qian Xue — watched from the side.
Her expression? Empty.
No anger. No sorrow.
Just… silence.
He clenched the bedsheet weakly. His fingers barely moved.
> *"System initializing… neural link complete… host identity: Ren Wei."*
> *"Cultivation status: None."*
> *"Welcome back, Host."*
A jolt rushed through his body — not physical strength, but **clarity**.
Memories surged from a lifetime long lost.
Millennia of cultivation. A rise to immortality. The fall… and death.
And now, rebirth.
> *"System Notice: In current mortal state, failure of System quests results in death."*
> *"Rewards granted for: Quest completion, realm breakthroughs, and aging milestones."*
He let out a dry, cracked chuckle.
So even the heavens wanted him to start from nothing again.
No power. No resources.
Only a System… and hate.
The door slid open.
A nurse entered — **Jiang Mei**, 26, kind-faced but weary-eyed.
She froze when she saw him awake.
"You—! You're awake?! They said you wouldn't make it! What… how—?"
Ren Wei didn't answer.
His eyes, cold and lifeless, stared into hers.
"…Where are the police?"
She looked confused. "The case was… dismissed. There wasn't enough evidence. The Li family's influence—"
> **Ding!**
> *Side Quest Unlocked: Deny Mercy. Claim Blood.*
> Objective: Kill one direct heir of the Four Great Families within 3 days
> Penalty: Death
> *"Mercy is weakness. Weakness deserves death."*
Ren closed his eyes and exhaled.
A mortal, helpless in a hospital bed…
And already, the System demanded blood.
"…Then I'll start with the Li family."
Ren Wei clenched the side of the bed and pushed.
Agony tore through his abdomen — white-hot, violent.
A sickening crunch echoed from his ribs.
"You'll tear your stitches!" Jiang Mei gasped, rushing to his side.
Blood ran down his lips, but he didn't stop.
He gritted his teeth and kept moving.
He couldn't even stand.
Let alone kill.
But the System didn't care.
His fingers wrapped around the IV pole next to the bed. He tried to lift himself.
His arms trembled like brittle wood.
> *"Side Quest: Deny Mercy. Claim Blood"*
> *Time remaining: 2 days, 23 hours, 17 minutes*
The hospital TV flickered on.
**"Today's top story—Li Zixuan, heir of the Li Family, was honored for his charitable work supporting orphaned children in Yunhe City."**
Li Zixuan's smiling face filled the screen.
Neat uniform. Soft features. Fake humility.
*The same boy who shattered my ribs.*
Ren's hands trembled harder.
Then another face appeared. A soft voice echoed:
> "Qian Xue, Yunhe City's flower, graced the event with her presence…"
She stood next to Li Zixuan, beautiful and silent, holding a bouquet.
The crowd loved her. The city adored her.
Ren saw only a traitor.
The same girl who watched him bleed.
Who said nothing.
Who let them beat him until the world faded.
His vision blurred with rage.
> **Ding!**
> *System Update: Passive Skill unlocked — Minor Vitality Recovery (1%). Activated through mental fortitude.*
> *Condition: Requires unwavering will under mortal pressure.*
Warmth bloomed faintly in his chest.
The pain dulled — only slightly.
But it was enough.
He wiped the blood from his mouth.
His smile returned.
> "Then I'll crawl to hell if I have to."
Jiang Mei had already rushed out to get the doctor.
Ren Wei, still shaking, reached for the IV pole again.
This time, he pulled himself halfway off the bed.
One foot touched the ground.
The other followed.
Blood dripped onto the floor.
But his eyes — his eyes were locked on the screen.
Li Zixuan's smile.
Qian Xue's grace.
> *"You two smiled the day I died."*
He stood.
Even if it was only for a moment — he stood.