CHENG!
The surroundings shattered into countless fragments, like broken glass scattering through the void, then dissolved into dust and vanished.
[You don't want to watch anymore?]
The mechanical voice echoed once more.
Rover sighed, shook his head, and said nothing.
He knew that fat girl. She had also been one of his clients.
She had once been beautiful, but due to depression and the side effects of antidepressants, her body had grown uncontrollably obese.
Her parents had hired Rover to be her boyfriend, hoping it would comfort her. Naturally, he hadn't cared about her appearance.
If she was his client, he treated her equally—just like all the others.
But he had never expected that she would become the one to avenge him.
[That girl killed all the remaining women, gathered every part of your body, and sewed them back together. In the end, she committed suicide by burning herself along with your reconstructed corpse.
She started with Marika, since Marika was the one who suggested dismembering you and creating jewelry from your bones and teeth.
The deaths of the eight women and yourself became one of the greatest mysteries of the century. The media turned it into an urban legend.]
"Ah!" Rover exhaled heavily. He had no desire to become famous in such a way. But since he was already dead and about to be sent to another world, he didn't really care anymore.
[You don't seem very surprised by what you've seen.]
Rover rubbed his chin, frowning. "Hm… You know what kind of business I ran, right? Of course I had to understand my clients better than their own parents or lovers—otherwise, how could I make money?"
"I knew exactly what kind of people they were. I'm just surprised they lost control earlier than I expected. I thought if I held out for another year or two, I'd earn enough and retire. But the biggest variable turned out to be the one I trusted the most."
"Nah!" Rover shrugged, looking unconcerned. "If I died, that would've been my biggest regret. But now, I get to isekai. Why should I care about them anymore? Hahahaha…"
[All right then. Are you ready? The system will now begin the random selection of your next world.]
"I'm ready." Rover took a deep breath, his heart filled with anticipation—hoping for a truly fantastic world, not some modern city or cultivation realm.
[Selection complete. Congratulations. You will now be transferred to World I.F 2002794.]
At that moment, a holographic interface appeared before him, glowing like something out of a sci-fi movie.
…
Name: I.F 2002794
World Type: Fantasy
Description: A world brimming with magic and wonder, where countless races coexist in harmony and conflict.
Identity: Son of Count Sterling.
…
"Wow!" Rover looked at the information being displayed, unable to hold back a joyful smile: "The eldest son of Count Sterling, that means I'll have a lot of money, right?"
[Ah! Well… basically, yes.]
"I can even study magic and become a mage, right?"
[That's possible too, after all, it's a world of magic.]
"Wait!" Rover suddenly frowned.
[Oy! The system has already made the selection. It can't be changed.]
"No!" Rover shrugged. "With an identity like this, a world like this, why would I want to change? But I want to ask something—what's the average lifespan in that world? I don't want to live only 80 years and then die."
[Ah! Hahaha… you startled me there.]
"Startled?"
[No! Hm… the average lifespan for normal humans is about 120–170 years. But if you're an Awakened, meaning someone who has awakened special powers and can use magic, it's different.
The higher your rank, the longer your life. In that world, many Sages have lived for a thousand years, and Elves living more than 4,000 years is completely normal.]
"Great!" Rover said happily. "Then what special talent will I have? If not, maybe I'll have a System, right?"
[Well…]
"Oy! You…" Rover suddenly felt suspicious as he heard the mechanical voice stammering like it was hiding something.
[Hahaha… Of course you do. This is your System.]
At that moment, a ball of light from far away flew toward him.
"What the hell?!" Rover was startled, instinctively trying to dodge, but it was already too late.
BAM!
The ball of light collided with him. Although he didn't feel any pain, he suddenly felt a very strange sensation.
His body began shrinking until it was no longer visible, then vanished completely.
[Ah!] The voice spoke again, no longer mechanical but sounding like a real person, filled with various emotions: [Finally sent him off along with those crazy women. Even though I lost a System, keeping that broken system was pointless anyway.]
[That was horrifying—the first time I've had such a terrifying Isekai case. Looks like I need a long vacation to recover from the mental trauma, kekeke…]
…
"Oew! Oew! Oew!"
In a large room, the cries of a newborn echoed. A middle-aged woman carried a baby wrapped in luxurious cloth out of the room.
In the hallway, a middle-aged man saw her carrying the baby and eagerly asked, "A boy or a girl?"
"Congratulations, Count Sterling, it's a boy," the woman said cheerfully.
"Hahahaha…" Count Sterling laughed loudly, his smile overflowing with excitement and joy: "A son! A son! Hahahaha… finally the bloodline of the Sterling family will continue."
He quickly took the baby into his arms, looking at the tiny, delicate face, his body trembling with excitement.
'Heh?! Where is this? Is this my father?' Rover thought to himself, because he couldn't speak.
Besides, his eyesight at that moment was poor; he could only see black-and-white blurs in front of him.
'Damn it! I thought when I arrived here at least I'd be a young man, but in the end I've been born all over again.'
System! Where are you?'
[Ding! The System is currently initializing. Please wait a moment.]
The mechanical voice echoed inside Rover's head, instantly calming him down.
'Ah! That's fine then. With the System here, what's there to worry about?' Rover thought to himself, his mind slowly regaining stability.
The middle-aged woman smiled and said, "Congratulations, Count Sterling. After five daughters, you finally have a son. But… your wife, she…"
Count Sterling frowned, his voice indifferent as he uttered a single word: "Dead?"
The woman trembled, then nodded slightly. "Yes, due to complications during childbirth…"
"Ah, fine. Since she gave me a son, bury her in the garden behind the manor," Sterling said coldly.
Rover: "..."
'Oy! Did I hear that right? My father… is that kind of person?' Rover felt a surge of discomfort. 'He's even more of a bastard than I was in my past life.'
He didn't know who his mother was, but she was the one who gave birth to him—he couldn't stand hearing her being treated like that.
But there was nothing he could do except listen. After all, he was just a newborn baby.
Count Sterling looked down at Rover and said with a smile, "From now on, your name shall be Rover S. Sterling. Hahaha… finally, someone to inherit the Sterling bloodline!"
BAM!!!
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning split the sky, turning night into day for a brief moment.
Count Sterling flinched at the thunder, frowning as he glanced outside. "That is…"
Before he could finish, the air grew heavy—so dense it felt as if space itself had turned to mud.
"Impossible… how could a nonhuman appear here?" Count Sterling muttered, his face filled with disbelief.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sound of rushing wind filled the hall. Sterling looked out the window and saw countless streams of crimson smoke swirling around the manor, surrounding it completely.
"Blood… smoke… don't tell me…" Sterling stammered, "The Blood Queen… why is she here?"
"Am I not allowed to come here?"
A clear yet chillingly regal voice echoed through the hall.
Sterling froze, almost dropping Rover.
'Heh?! What the hell is going on? What's happening?' Rover thought, feeling his tiny body sway helplessly. 'The Blood Queen?'
Sterling trembled. "Your Majesty, I…"
A figure appeared at the end of the corridor, surrounded by a mist of blood-red smoke. The killing intent radiating from her made Sterling feel as if he had fallen into an icy abyss.
The Blood Queen slowly approached.
He wanted to run—but his body refused to move, as though it had turned to stone.
"Your Majesty, please, I beg you… don't harm me or my son," Sterling stammered, trembling.
"Silence."
Crack!
The moment the Blood Queen spoke, Sterling's jaw snapped shut with such force that several of his teeth broke. Blood dripped from his mouth as his face twisted in agony.
The Blood Queen stood still, her gaze shifting toward Rover. She raised a finger and lightly tapped the air.
In that instant, a strange blood-red sigil appeared on Rover's forehead—but vanished a second later.
"Hahaha… hahaha…" The Blood Queen laughed. "This child's future will be very interesting indeed. Hahaha… hahaha…"
Her laughter faded gradually, along with the blood-red mist surrounding her.
Silence returned to the room.
Sterling was drenched in sweat, still trembling uncontrollably.
He looked down at the baby in his arms—still sleeping peacefully, completely unaware of what had just transpired—and a storm of emotions surged in his heart.