Chapter 1 : The Beginning of a Cursed Life
The night was colder than usual.
It was 2 a.m., and the streets of Ravenford City were silent, except for the occasional hum of passing cars and the distant barking of stray dogs. Dim streetlights flickered, throwing long, distorted shadows across the cracked pavement.
Ethan Cole walked briskly down the sidewalk, his hands buried deep in the pockets of his thin hoodie. He was clutching two things close to his chest – a battered notebook and a torn, almost unreadable final volume of the manga he had been obsessed with for months: "Heavenly Heroes."
His breath misted in the cold air. His shoes, worn out and barely holding together, scuffed the ground with each step.
"Just finish it, Ethan," he muttered to himself. "One more time… maybe it'll distract me from everything else."
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Ethan's Broken Life
Ethan Cole was twenty-one and already felt like life had beaten him into submission.
He had dropped out of college two years ago, not because he lacked intelligence, but because he had run out of money. His parents had passed away in a car accident when he was seventeen, leaving him with no inheritance and no close relatives to rely on.
He had taken up part-time jobs – waiting tables, unloading trucks, doing delivery runs – but none of them lasted long. His quiet demeanor and tendency to space out made him "unreliable" in the eyes of his employers.
He had no friends to call, no one to check on him if he disappeared tomorrow.
The only joy in his life was reading manga and web novels.
Especially Heavenly Heroes.
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Heavenly Heroes
The story was set in a modern world infused with martial arts and supernatural powers. Certain people were blessed with extraordinary abilities, rising above the masses as warriors, cultivators, and powerful figures who could bend the rules of society.
The hero of the manga, Lucas Veylan, was an orphan who started with nothing but climbed to the top through sheer determination and kindness. He gathered allies, gained love from the heroines, and defeated every enemy that stood in his way.
And then there was the villain – Aiden Blackwood.
The heir to the wealthiest and most influential family in the entire country, Aiden was arrogant, cruel, and obsessed with controlling the heroines. He used his family's resources to crush Lucas at every opportunity, but in the end, the hero triumphed.
Ethan had read the manga three times, and every time, Aiden's fate was the same:
Lucas beheaded him in the final battle.
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The Last Page
Ethan reached the bus stop and sat down on the cold metal bench. The final volume of Heavenly Heroes was in his hands, the pages creased and torn from years of use.
He flipped to the final page, and there it was:
"…and with a single strike, Lucas severed Aiden's head. The villain's reign of terror ended, and peace was restored to the world."
A bitter laugh escaped Ethan's lips.
"No matter how powerful you are, no matter how many resources you have… the hero always wins."
He closed the book and stared at the empty street.
"I wish… I could just disappear. Life feels so pointless."
---
The Accident
The sound of a truck's engine roared behind him.
Ethan turned his head just in time to see blinding headlights barreling toward him.
"What—?!"
The impact was instantaneous. His body was thrown across the street like a ragdoll, pain exploding through every nerve. He heard the sound of bones breaking, glass shattering, and then… silence.
Everything went black.
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The Awakening
"…Where… am I?"
Ethan's consciousness stirred, and his eyes fluttered open.
He was lying in a bed so soft it felt like clouds. Above him, a massive crystal chandelier glimmered with golden light. The walls were adorned with intricate designs, and the air smelled faintly of expensive cologne and polished wood.
"This… this isn't a hospital."
Ethan sat up, his head spinning. He looked around the room – it was huge, larger than any apartment he had ever lived in. A suit of armor stood by the corner, decorative swords lined the walls, and near the door, two tall men in black suits stood like statues, their eyes sharp and cold.
Ethan's heart raced.
"Who are these people? Where am I?!"
He stumbled toward a mirror on the opposite wall… and froze.
The reflection staring back at him wasn't Ethan Cole.
It was Aiden Blackwood.
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Realization
The same sharp jawline, the perfectly styled black hair, the piercing gray eyes.
Ethan had seen this face countless times in Heavenly Heroes.
"No… no way… I'm in his body?!"
Memories from the manga flooded his mind – Aiden's ruthless methods, his twisted ambition, and ultimately, his death at the hands of Lucas Veylan.
"I'm the villain who dies?!"
Ethan felt like the floor had vanished beneath him.
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Despair
He collapsed onto the bed, clutching his head.
"Why… why did it have to be him?! Anyone but him!"
His breathing grew ragged. He could already see his death replaying in his mind – the hero's sword, the crowd cheering, his head rolling on the ground.
"I don't want to die… I don't want to be part of this story!"
But then a thought crept in –
"Wait… I've read enough web novels. People who reincarnate like this… they usually get a system!"
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Calling for the System
Ethan jumped to his feet, hope flaring in his chest.
"System! Show yourself! Status! Panel! Anything!"
He waited.
…
Nothing happened.
"No… please… don't do this to me!"
He screamed louder, begging, calling for a system, for some kind of cheat, for anything that could save him.
But the silence was deafening.
Ethan fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face.
"So… I'm just going to die again? That's it?!"
---
The Survival System
And then… a voice.
Cold, mechanical, echoing in his mind –
Ethan's eyes snapped open.
"S-System?! You're real?!"
System:
> "Yes, Host. Your objective is simple – survive. Complete missions, earn rewards, grow stronger, and avoid death."
Ethan jumped up, laughing through tears.
"Yes! Finally! I'm not doomed anymore!"
But his celebration was short-lived.
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The First Mission
Ethan's smile vanished.
"What? Why would I do that? I have to stay away from the heroines! If I get close to them, the hero will definitely target me!"
System:
> "Mission failure will result in Death Penalty."
Ethan froze.
"You've got to be kidding me…"
But he had no choice. Against his will, Ethan used the Blackwood family's influence and resources to save Heroine A's family.
And from that day onward… Heroine A began looking at him differently.
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The Heroine Problem
"No… no no no… this is exactly what I was trying to avoid!"
The more Ethan tried to ignore the heroines, the more interested they became in him. Every mission the system gave seemed to push him closer to them.
And then came the worst blow – the Blackwood family arranged his engagement to Heroine B, one of the most beautiful and powerful women in the city.
"No! I won't do this! I just want a simple life!"
Ethan publicly broke the engagement, defying his entire family. The media exploded, and his family's reputation took a hit… but he didn't care.
"I don't care what happens. I just… want to live quietly."
---
Cliffhanger
But deep down, Ethan knew – the hero, Lucas Veylan, was still out there.
The story was still moving forward, and the closer he got to the heroines, the greater the danger became.
The next morning, the system's voice echoed again –
Ethan grabbed his head in frustration.
"No… not another heroine! This is a death trap!"
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Chapter 1 End (Suspense)