The sun hung high in the sky, beginning its descent as the clear and bright blue canvas of the heavens welcomed the gentle, invisible breeze that caressed the skin of all living creatures below.
Neo strolled along a bustling street, his curiosity piqued by the sights around him. Cars sped past, he weaved through pedestrians with practiced ease.
Yet, he couldn't shake off the feeling that he was drawing too much attention, not for anything extraordinary about him, but rather because of his unusual attire.
With a soft sigh, Neo noticed a couple casting curious glances his way before he paused in front of a store with transparent glass that reflected his image perfectly.
"Hmm... not bad," he mused to himself while rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "But I was definitely more handsome in my previous life."
The face staring back at him was indeed striking, not so captivating that heads turned as he walked by, but still quite acceptable. His height, around 6'2", helped compensate for any shortcomings in looks.
With deep black eyes like an abyss and sharp eyebrows framing an angular face, his long ink-black hair cascaded down to his back, tied neatly into a knot. He wore a simple black kimono devoid of any extravagant designs.
"Didn't expect to find elements of Japanese culture here," Neo thought as he continued on his way.
After some wandering and asking around, he finally arrived at an ATM situated right outside a bank. He pulled out the black card given to him by an old man but suddenly froze with realization.
"I didn't ask for the password!" He facepalmed in embarrassment. It wasn't entirely his fault; the old man had tossed him the card without explanation and vanished just as quickly. In that moment of panic, there hadn't been time to inquire about passwords.
Running a hand through his hair in frustration, he muttered to himself, "How do I handle this?"
As he tapped his foot impatiently against the pavement, an idea struck him: "If they gave me a bank card without telling me the password, it must be something easy to guess."
With renewed determination, he entered four zeros into the keypad, and to his astonishment, it worked! A huge smile spread across his face until shock replaced joy; what appeared on the screen nearly blinded him.
"How many zeros are there?" He began counting but quickly lost track. "Is this millions? Billions? Trillions?" Confusion washed over him; all he knew was that he had become an absolute billionaire overnight.
His eyes sparkled with excitement as he retrieved another card the mysterious girl gave him and entered the same password, again accepted! The balance displayed was staggering beyond anything he'd ever seen before.
"Damn...it's good to come from a big family," Neo muttered under his breath, staring at the two bank cards in his hands.
He was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. First, he had been killed, turning into meat paste, then reincarnated in a different world before he could even grasp what was happening, he found himself exiled and now he is suddenly faced with more money than he could ever spend.
If anyone claimed they wouldn't be shocked or scared by such a turn of events, they would be lying. Who could remain calm after seeing so much money? He didn't even know the exact amount; all he knew was that these two cards gave him the power to buy anything he desired, well, except for immortality, of course.
This is what frightened him. All his life, he had struggled financially; the most money he'd ever seen was one million dollars, and that was just a fleeting glimpse. Now, before him lay an amount that dwarfed the total GDP of ten countries combined.
Right now, he felt like a walking bank without any protection. If someone discovered this secret, his life could become incredibly difficult, he might even get killed.
Taking a deep breath and scanning his surroundings to ensure no one was watching, Neo sighed with relief. He withdrew some cash, tucked it into his oversized robes, and hurried away.
For the next half hour, he focused on buying new clothes; his previous outfit had attracted too much attention, a situation he couldn't afford right now.
Afterward, he picked up a phone and some gadgets before stopping at a simple restaurant for a meal. The food tasted surprisingly similar to what he'd eaten on Earth, adding to his confusion about whether he was still there or truly in another world.
He tried not to stand out as much as possible while blending into the environment. He visited another ATM to withdraw more cash and stuffed it into a backpack he'd purchased earlier.
The reason for not opening a bank account yet? He lacked the necessary documents since he'd been exiled with nothing. Walking into a bank holding two cards capable of purchasing small nations without proper identification would likely land him in jail quickly.
So instead, he took out enough cash for immediate needs; as far as documentation went,that could wait because in this world, money seemed to solve everything.
Neo stretched and adjusted his black cap while securing the backpack on his back as he strolled down the streets.
He had completely transformed his appearance: gone were the old clothes; now he wore black jeans paired with white sneakers and topped off with a dark shirt and jacket, clad entirely in black from head to toe.
He looked like a fugitive dressed this way; why did he choose such attire? Who knows?
"Now what should I do...?" Neo pondered as he surveyed his surroundings. He found himself on a bustling pedestrian street, teeming with people.
The cacophony of honking cars filled the air, while towering skyscrapers loomed overhead. Billboards and holographic screens flashed vibrant advertisements that momentarily captivated him; the technology in this world seemed to be years ahead of Earth.
Feeling utterly lost, he had no idea where to go or what to do next.
"Should I buy a mansion? Get a car? Maybe hit a bar and throw around some cash... nah, none of that feels right." He wandered through the crowded streets for an entire hour, grappling with indecision, but nothing concrete came to mind.
With no clear direction, he eventually left the busy area and made his way to a budget motel on the outskirts of the city. Lacking any identification made it impossible for him to book a hotel or purchase property, and for now, he preferred not to draw attention to himself.
As the sun began its descent, casting an orange glow across the sky, the skyscrapers illuminated with neon lights. Brilliant colors erupted across all buildings as electronic billboards and massive holographic screens displayed an array of ads and news updates.
Neo strolled down the street with his hands buried in his pockets, observing how nightlife was beginning to awaken. It was that transitional time when some people's daytime activities were winding down while others were just starting their evenings.
Standing beneath a streetlight, he glanced up at a billboard promoting baby oil and drifted into thought about Earth.
Images of Francis flooded his mind, worry flickering in his eyes. He felt uncertain about Francis's fate, had he survived? If so, how would he cope with the news of Neo's death?
Francis had been his only friend for as long as he could remember; they were each other's first companions. The thought of his death crushing Francis weighed heavily on him, yet there was nothing he could do about it now.
All Neo could hope for was that Francis would find a way to move forward without him. As he struggled with these thoughts, he shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.
Clank!
The sudden sound of metal clattering against concrete startled him out of his reverie.
"Huh!"
He turned around quickly but saw nothing except a dark alleyway cluttered with garbage bins.
"It must have been a cat or some rat looking for scraps," he muttered under his breath before starting to walk away.
"Cough! Cough!"
He froze mid-step and turned back toward the alley again.
"Am I imagining things? Did I just hear someone cough?" His eyes widened as he peered into the shadows.
Then came another round of coughing, this time loud and unmistakable, which sent chills down his spine. He instinctively lifted his foot to leave but something compelled him to stay put instead.
He stood there for what felt like an eternity, and eventually, his body moved as he muttered under his breath, "Aghhh..! Nowadays being a good person is really a hustle."
With that, he turned and entered the alley. Cautiously, he made his way through the darkness until his eyes caught sight of a figure lying behind a garbage bin.
He swallowed hard as sweat began to trickle down his forehead. His fists were tightly clenched as he approached the garbage.
When he finally got a clear view of the scene behind the bin, shock and horror washed over him. An old man lay there, battered and bruised, with deep gashes all over his body. Blood poured from him like a dam that had burst.
The old man's entire body was drenched in blood; he breathed heavily, white hair now stained red. His clothes hung in tatters around him, he looked utterly miserable.
Neo felt fear grip him as he stared at the severely injured man before him but quickly shook it off and rushed to help.
"Ol...old man, are you okay? What happened to you?" Neo crouched down beside the old man, helping him lean against the garbage bin while blood soaked into his hands.
The old man slowly opened his eyes, revealing deep onyx orbs that seemed to hold galaxies within them, beautiful yet terrifying. Looking into those eyes made Neo feel as if he were staring directly at death itself.
Neo stumbled back in shock, sitting on the ground as his face went pale. Those eyes were so haunting they felt like all his secrets are exposed right there in front of the old man.
"Co...come...closer..." A hoarse voice escaped from the old man's lips.
After hesitating for a moment and swallowing hard while wiping sweat from his brow, Neo cautiously moved closer to him.
The old man raised a trembling hand, wrinkled and covered in wounds, from which blood continued to flow. He placed it gently on Neo's shoulder and managed a weak smile.
"I'm...sorry...but I hope you can forgive me for putting you in this situation...please forgive me..."
Before Neo could process what was happening, he felt something wet spreading across his lower abdomen. His eyes widened as he looked down slowly.
Fear and regret flooded through him when he realized the old man's bloodied hand was buried in his stomach. Blood poured out from the wound as everything around him began to blur.
As darkness enveloped him and he slumped to the ground, one final thought echoed in his mind: "Is this how I die again?"