My mind struggled to process it, to force logic into something that clearly had none. One moment, I had been scrolling lazily through Webnovel. The next, the sky darkened and a truck fell directly onto my lap.
Now, I couldn't even feel anything from my waist down.
"...You've got to be kidding me," I whispered, though even my own voice sounded far away.
"Of all ways to die, this had to be some kind of joke..."
I hadn't even gotten to spend all my money. Thirty-six million, just sitting quietly in my account, still untouched, pretty much meaningless now when there were so many things I could've done, bought, experienced, and wasted my time on. So many places I could've visited.
But instead... this is what I got. Tsk, what a waste. Seriously.
A weak, breathless laugh slipped out of me as my gaze drifted upward, past the ruined ceilings, toward the indifferent sky.
The light was beginning to fade, as if the world itself dimmed, colors draining into a dull gray. The constant noise of the city below grew distant, muffled.
For a moment, there was only silence... Then—
Ding!
A soft chime rang.
My eyes flickered, my mind struggling to keep me awake, my body clinging to life, as something appeared.
A translucent screen cutting through the fading world.
[Do you wish to continue living?]
[Yes] [No]
Before I knew it, I had appeared in another place. The ruined apartment, the truck, and the sky, all of it was gone, replaced by an endless expanse of white. Though, rather than calling it a place, it was more like the absence of one. A void.
I couldn't move my body still. Or rather... I could no longer feel it anymore. No weight, no sensation, and absolutely no sense of where I ended and the void around me began.
The screen also remained, hovering in front of me, waiting. My thoughts dragged themselves together, slow and sluggish, like moving through waist-high mud. However, one thing was clear enough.
I don't really have a choice, do I?
So, I chose yes.
[Your application to the Company has been accepted.]
[You may continue to live as the Company's associate.]
The Company? What company? Wait... Hold up, did I just sign myself into some kind slave contract?
A flicker of unease crept in.
There had been no terms and conditions, just a question, and I had dumbly answered. Before I could dwell on it further, the screen already shifted, indifferent to my thoughts.
[There are two positions currently available in the Company:]
[(1) Cataloguer]
[(2) Hunter]
[Which one do you choose?]
Ugh... Whatever, let's just go with whatever the fuck this thing is.
Cataloguer sounded too much like a desk job, so I passed. If I was getting dragged into this Company thingy, I might as well not spend it all doing only paperworks. So, I chose hunter.
While I would probably regret this decision later on, my mind was firm right now.
The panel responded instantly.
[You have applied to become a Hunter of the Company!]
[The Hunter's job is to prune anomalies and irregularities that aren't affiliated with the Company, or capture associates of the Company who have violated the rules and bring them in for trial.]
...Alright. The explanation was very vague, but it was enough to paint a rough picture. Eliminate what didn't belong. Arrest those who stepped out of line.
In short, clean up whatever the Company decided needed cleaning. That was alright, I guess. It could've been worse.
Then came the next line.
[You have 36,877,900 points to prepare yourself.]
[Note: The points will be invalidated once you begin to work. Use them wisely.]
Hmm, that number...
I recognized it immediately. Why wouldn't I? It was too specific a number for me to ignore. That was the exact amount sitting in my bank account, the money I had won, the money I hadn't even begun to spend.
…I guess, it's not a total loss after all. Let's get set up, then.
[Available Points: 36,877,900]
[Select Purchases:]
[Abilities]
[Equipment]
[Consumables]
[Contracts]
[Utilities]
[Newbie Offers]
My attention barely lingered on the first five. The moment my eyes landed on the Newbie Offers, something instinctive, primal, even, clicked. Out of everything on the list, it practically screamed high value. Limited-time deals. Starter packs. The kind of thing you'd be stupid to ignore in any game.
Without hesitation, my thoughts reached for it.
[Newbie Offer I: Starter Combat Package – 52% Discount]
▸ Includes: Minor Regeneration, Combat Mastery (Peak)
▸ Cost: 1,000,000 → 480,000
[Newbie Offer II: Starter Weapon Package – 55% Discount]
▸ Includes: 2x Weapon Selection Tickets, Minor Weapon Repair, Weapon Mastery (Peak)
▸ Cost: 2,000,000 → 900,000
[Newbie Offer III: Starter Utility Package – 59% Discount]
▸ Includes: Dimensional Storage (27 slots, 64 stacks), Auto-Mapping System
▸ Cost: 3,000,000 → 1,230,000
[Newbie Offer IV: Vital Recovery Package – 65% Discount]
▸ Includes: 100x Minor Healing Potions, 50x Major Healing Potions, 10x Full Restoration Elixir
▸ Cost: 4,000,000 → 1,400,000
[Newbie Offer V: Contract Slot Expansion – 70% Discount]
▸ Includes: +3 Active Contract Slots
▸ Cost: 6,000,000 → 1,800,000
[Newbie Offer VI: Combat Enhancement Suite – 72% Discount]
▸ Includes: Enhanced Reflexes, Enhanced Strength, Enhanced Pain Resistance
▸ Cost: 8,000,000 → 2,240,000
[Newbie Offer VII: Tactical Support System – 76% Discount]
▸ Includes: Enhanced Environmental Adaptation, Enhanced Stealth, Danger Sense
▸ Cost: 12,000,000 → 2,880,000
[Newbie Offer VIII: Hunter's Origin – 79% Discount]
▸ Includes: Body Reconstruction Template
▸ Cost: 16,000,000 → 3,360,000
[Newbie Offer IX: Hunter's Essentials – 82% Discount]
▸ Includes: Anomaly Detection, Corruption Immunity, Hunter Trait Awakening (Randomized, Growth-Type Ability)
▸ Cost: 20,000,000 → 3,600,000
Without hesitation, I bought whatever caught my eyes, and by that, I meant everything.
[Purchase completed: Newbie Offer I, Newbie Offer II, Newbie Offer III, Newbie Offer IV, Newbie Offer V, Newbie Offer VI, Newbie Offer VII, Newbie Offer VIII, Newbie Offer IX]
[Available Points: 18,997,900]
And just like that, half of my money was gone in a blink of an eye. Not like I could take it with me before anyways.
Besides, now, at least, I got to spend it all, however I want, on something I could actually use, on something that couldn't be bought in my past life.