Boom!
An explosion rang out. Flames erupted, and everything before Lin Yun's eyes plunged into utter darkness. The scorching fire seared his body, but death didn't come instantly. His body lost all sensation, though his consciousness still clung to life.
Clinging to what little sanity remained, Lin Yun began to recall what had just happened.
He was nothing but a small-time assassin. Thanks to a black stone—a family heirloom that looked like a lump of coal—he was able to build an assassin group called "Fang" from the ground up. But rivals from a competing mercenary organization had hunted him down. They attacked his hideout, and there were simply too many of them; their strength was overwhelming.
Realizing there was no chance of escape, Lin Yun decided it was better to die with honor than to surrender. To prevent the black stone from falling into enemy hands, he blew up his base, taking his enemies with him to their graves.
And so, Lin Yun, who had just reached the pinnacle of his life, perished...
But it seemed even the heavens found his death too unjust. In the final moments of his life, the black stone in his hand lit up. And then, it vanished without a trace, along with Lin Yun's body.
Finding himself in a chaotic void, Lin Yun lost all his senses. Yet, his thoughts continued to race.
Is this a soul? Without the shackles of a body, you feel much lighter, he thought.
Although he couldn't see, hear, or feel touch, this state of relaxation was pleasant. Far from the world's lies and intrigues, an eternal stay in such peace didn't seem like the worst choice.
But at that moment, an ancient, hoarse voice rang out:
"Hail death, Lord of Darkness, commanding all! You shall be reborn!"
The voice sounded mysterious, as if from a great distance, yet it also felt close, like a whisper right in his ear. The language was incomprehensible, not like the familiar Zero-Chinese he knew, yet he somehow understood it.
Lord of Darkness? What the hell is that? Lin Yun thought in confusion.
The voice didn't offer an explanation. Instead, an electronic, synthesized sound echoed in his mind.
[System: Checking altar status, please wait...]
[Soul Altar: Sealed!] [Blood Altar: Activated, ability acquired—Blood Absorption.] [Death Altar: Activated, ability acquired—Undead Resurrection.] [Abyss Altar: Activated, ability acquired—Abyss Summoning.]
[System: Checking host's body compatibility with classes, please wait...]
[Three most suitable classes:]
[1. Blood Clan Queen (Blood Altar), compatibility: 100%.] [2. Lich Lord (Death Altar), compatibility: 32%.] [3. Evil God Acolyte (Abyss Altar), compatibility: 11%.]
[Automatically selecting the optimal option. First class chosen: Blood Altar—Blood Clan Queen. Using Blood Altar abilities will receive an efficiency bonus.]
[Note: The first bloodline does not restrict the use of other altar abilities or prevent the acquisition of other altar classes.]
[Match successful, class integrated. Searching for a suitable body for host's rebirth, please wait...]
A flood of information rushed into Lin Yun's mind. The sheer volume of it made him slow to grasp what was happening.
What's going on here? Lin Yun muttered, bewildered.
But the next second, he felt a powerful force pulling him somewhere. It felt as if his head was being forcibly shoved into a toilet and someone was ceaselessly flushing it.
Disgusting...
Lin Yun was overcome with dizziness. When it passed, he slowly opened his eyes and looked around in a daze. Four hulking men in tattered cloth armor surrounded him, holding swords and knives.
From this low perspective, he realized he was lying on the ground. Lin Yun tried to stand up, but a jolt of pain, mixed with a feeling of weakness, shot through his body.
He had to give up on trying to move. As he lay there in complete confusion, one of the men, apparently the leader, spoke.
"Damn, I'm exhausted from beating her, and this chick hasn't made a peep! Is she dead?" the leader grumbled.
Lin Yun felt a burning sensation in his throat and coughed.
"Cough, cough..."
Hearing this, one of the thugs standing next to the leader exclaimed:
"Boss, you hear that? She peeped! She's alive!"
"I hear it!" the leader snapped irritably.
He had started to worry they had killed her, but it seemed she was still okay.
"Heh, got what you deserved, huh? Say one more word and I'll cut your tongue out!" he threatened menacingly.
Lin Yun, still in a state of utter confusion, didn't reply.
"Boss, you scared her so bad she's gone mute," one of the henchmen chuckled.
"You're the one who's scared, you idiot! Come on, get the ring!" the leader barked.
"Oh, right, right," another man fumbled.
He hastily pulled out a silver ring and handed it to the leader.
The leader held the ring up to the girl's face, waving it before her eyes, and said with a lecherous smirk:
"See this? It's a mind control ring, crafted by the great mage of the empire himself. Put it on, and you'll be as obedient as a puppy!"
With those words, he grabbed the girl's slender hand, about to put the ring on her. But another thug suddenly stopped him.
"Hold on, Boss! Not so fast! If you put it on, she'll turn into a total moron!"
The leader, clearly annoyed, retorted:
"You're the one who seems to be a moron! Our job is to turn her into an obedient puppet, got it?"
"Heh-heh, I know that," the henchman smirked. "But, Boss, if she turns into a moron, will it even be fun... you know," he added with a knowing smile and a meaningful look.
The leader froze for a second, then burst out laughing.
"You know, you've got a point!"
"Told you," the henchman chimed in.
"Damn, you're right, you motherfucker!" the leader guffawed.
"So, how about we have some fun first, and then we turn her into a moron, eh, Boss?" one of the thugs suggested.
"Excellent, just wonderful," the leader approved.
He cast a leering gaze at the girl lying on the floor, who was looking back at them in a state of bewilderment.
Such a beauty, and she's not even resisting—how boring! The mission can wait; first, he had to get his pleasure!
"It's settled! I'm first, you lot go stand guard outside!" he ordered.
"Boss, and then we get to..." one of the henchmen began.
"Shut up, you'll get your turn! Now get the hell out of here, move it!" the leader roared.
"Got it, Boss! Don't worry, we won't let a fly get past. Enjoy yourself, we'll wait!" another one replied.
"Get out already!"
"Yeah, coming!" the three replied in unison and exited.
Only the girl and the leader remained in the dilapidated shack.
Gazing once more at the beauty lying on the floor, he rubbed his hands together and barked:
"Alright, little lady, don't be shy. This big man is about to fuck you!"
Lin Yun frowned.
"Who?"
The leader was taken aback, not expecting her to speak, let alone ask such a strange question. But he answered anyway:
"You, of course!"
"Me?" Lin Yun repeated.
"You've got to be kidding me! You're going to fuck me?"
He felt that something was off. He looked down at himself...