Darkness.
That was all he knew.
No pain. No sound. Not even breath.
He had died peacefully—a rare death in his world, especially for someone of his rank. A general, decorated and aged, who lived longer than most.
Yet... something was wrong.
This wasn't peace.
A glitching hum echoed through the void, like a broken speaker trying to speak. Cold pricks ran across what should've been his skin. But there was no body. Just awareness.
Then came the voice. Not divine. Not warm. Just… ancient. Tired. And fractured.
"—You were supposed to fade... but we need divergence."
The voice was split between tones—some robotic, some human, some like static.
"Listen. Earth... one hundred years left. The end is sealed—not by war, not by plague. By design. Their design."
Who? he wanted to ask. But he couldn't move, speak, or think clearly.
"You won't remember all. Not yet. But your mission is simple. Survive. Evolve. Kill. Adapt. Delay the inevitable. And maybe... you'll break the pattern."
A faint screen blinked in the void—red letters:
[Limitless Assassination System Installing...]
[Mission Pack: Locked]
[Timer: 100 Years Remaining]
The next moment, his world cracked.
Like a mirror slammed with a hammer, the void shattered and scattered him.
"You won't age. You won't rest. You don't get peace until it's over."
Then silence.
His eyes flew open—
—And he was choking.
Gasping in a new world, in a younger body, with no time to waste