Hey everyone!
I'll be launching a Patreon soon where you'll be able to:
Read up to 10 chapters ahead
Access exclusive character portraits
Dive into extra content about the System, Worldbuilding, and more
Your support means the world to me and will help me keep creating this story. If you enjoy the ride so far, please consider joining every bit of support helps! ❤️
Here is the character portraits of the main cast
https://www.patreon.com/posts/character-of-136687883?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
"Ehh… Mr. Hector, maybe you could calm down a bit."
The voice came from the side, hesitant but steady enough to draw attention. Joseph, who had been staying well out of the blast radius, stepped forward at last. His hands were raised in a placating gesture, his posture angled as if ready to retreat at the first sign of trouble.
"They collapsed because of your pressure, Mr. Hector," Joseph said, glancing toward the unconscious staff sprawled across the floor. "Human lives are at stake here. Please, cure them."
And then, to make his point painfully clear, Joseph bowed his head low. The movement was sharp and deliberate, as if he were truly begging.
Ren's eyes narrowed. "Not you, you worthless assassin."
Joseph's head snapped up. His mouth twitched, and the faint tightening around his eyes betrayed a bruise to his pride.
"I was talking to that fucker Evan," Ren said flatly. "Don't butt in."
Evan raised his palms, trying to ease the tension before it boiled over completely. "Mr. Hector, please calm down. I'll bow as many times as you want. We're in the fault here."
He didn't hesitate. He bent at the waist, head lowering deep in a show of apology. "I apologize for what happened. I could have stopped them, but I needed to observe your skill first. You are… an anomaly. Your class sounds demonic in nature, and you wield strange power. The skill testing machine can't even read your stats."
Ren scoffed. "Of course, fucker. I'm not a real hunter from your world. I have a system."
Evan straightened slightly, his face composed but his tone still even.
"Please, put yourself in my shoes, Mr. Hector. I really had no choice."
Ren looked down at the bowing Evan and almost smiled. This snake, trying to act innocent.
A new voice cut in. "Brother Ren."
The crowd shifted, and Master Lu Changcheng approached. He walked with quiet authority, his gaze calm yet carrying enough weight to draw the room's focus. Stopping near them, he inclined his head slightly toward Ren.
"Please cure them. Human life is precious. You don't have to do it for him."
He turned his eyes toward Evan before returning them to Ren.
"Please… do it for me, your brother."
Then he cupped his fist in front of his chest and bowed deeply. The gesture carried sincerity without theatrics.
Ren sighed, long and slow. "Ha… You really are a good man, Brother Lu."
Lu Changcheng allowed himself a thin smile.
"Okay. I will heal them."
A ripple of relief moved through the onlookers. Shoulders eased. A few medics even smiled.
"But!" Ren's voice cut that ripple short. "Ten million per person. I won't go lower than this. And I'm doing this for Brother Lu, not you."
Evan's brow dampened instantly. A bead of sweat slid down his temple. Even Joseph, standing just behind him, lost a shade of color.
"Can the price be negotiated?" Evan asked, voice careful. "It's five people. That's fifty million dollars."
Ren tilted his head. "If you think their lives are worthless, then sure, you can try to negotiate. It's not my problem if the Director of the Hunter Bureau thinks his subordinates' lives are expendable."
Evan's jaw worked. "Eghh… Okay, okay. But you'd better keep your word, Ren Hector. If you can't cure them, I'll fight you to the death after."
The Director's face was beet red now, veins standing out on his neck.
Ren raised his eyebrows. "Huh? You threatening me now, fucker? Please, someone help!!! the Director is going to kill the innocent doctor who's trying to save his subordinates' lives."
"You—!" Evan's voice broke into a growl, but Joseph and several medics exchanged bitter smiles. None of them had ever seen anyone push the Director this far.
"It seems the Director has met his match today," one of the medics murmured under his breath.
Ren shook his head. "Joke aside, I'm going to perform a surgery. Clear the area. The method I'll use will be gruesome. Don't you dare interfere, otherwise I can't guarantee the patients' lives."
"Okay. Let's leave," Lu Changcheng said, stepping back. "I have high hopes, Brother Ren."
"I won't disappoint, Brother Lu."
The senior hunters filed out with him, leaving only the medics behind. The sudden quiet was thick, broken only by the faint hiss of ventilation and the occasional metallic clink of a tool being set down.
Ren crouched by the nearest patient, eyes scanning the bruised skin, the irregular breathing, the subtle twitch in one hand. "Set up a sterilized area," he ordered. "We can't move the patients. Their bodies have suffered too much already."
The medic team sprang into motion. Kits opened, portable lamps unfolded, antiseptic spray misted into the air. Plastic sheeting was rolled out and taped in place, sealing off the corner into a field operating room.
Ren glanced up, his expression flat. "Now, stand by in case I need anything. Otherwise, fuck off."
The medics traded looks, half amusement, half exasperation. One muttered to another, "This doctor is more troublesome than my professor."
The other smirked. "At least your professor didn't threaten to charge ten million per head."
Ren ignored them. His mind was already shifting into the rhythm of the operation, his focus narrowing to the patients in front of him. For all the chaos in the room minutes ago, there was no hesitation now just the cold, precise intent of someone who knew exactly what he was about to do.