Chapter 1: A Normal and Ordinary Life

Su Mu Zhe woke up in his room, on his bed, as usual.

Glancing at his face reflected in the alarm clock’s lens by his bedside, he was almost fed up with being woken up by his own handsomeness every day.

Habitually, he turned on his phone screen, quickly checked the time, and soon, his gaze settled on the date—a familiar yet distant number that struck him.

How quickly time passed…

Since then, until today… had a whole year really gone by?

“Brother, time to get up, come downstairs for breakfast.”

From outside his bedroom door, his sister Su Xiao Zi’s voice, tinged with urgency, could be heard.

Su Mu Zhe sat on the bed, but only looked down at his palms, until his sister, sensing the silence in the room and no response, knocked on the door again.

“The sun’s already high! Where are you, you can’t still be sleeping, can you?”

“I know,” Su Mu Zhe finally replied, then added, “I’m coming right away.”

“Then hurry up, or we’ll be late for school.”

Hearing no further movement inside, Su Xiao Zi stood outside the door, one hand on her hip, her delicate brows slightly furrowed in confusion, then stopped bothering him and went downstairs first.

Listening to his sister’s light footsteps descending the stairs, Su Mu Zhe slowly stood up.

He took out a white shirt and a dark blue school uniform jacket from the wardrobe, tied his tie in front of the mirror, and looked at himself in the mirror, his gaze seeming to hold a hint of disdain.

He seemed to have had a dream again, that nightmare from a year ago called reality.

The passage of time had not faded his memories in the slightest; instead, they remained vivid.

And a part of that continuing nightmare had always accompanied him.

Su Mu Zhe pulled at his tie forcefully, glancing to his side, where a slender, jade-like hand had already subtly touched his shoulder, then slowly slid down.

Beside him, a beautiful girl had appeared at some unknown moment.

She had two cascades of light pink long hair, a delicate and lovely face, and a pair of eyes as crystal clear as rubies.

The girl, who called herself Evran, smiled softly, revealing pointed, pretty canine teeth.

She was wearing a nightgown the same color as her hair, a rather bold style that left her with almost no undergarments, the translucent material revealing her skin, with hints of spring slipping out from between the folds of her dress.

“Huh? Had a scary dream again?” she asked softly.

“…” Su Mu Zhe’s eyes were as cold as ice, ignoring the voice as always.

“Accept my power, don’t resist any longer, okay? You can’t leave me, and I need your abilities; let’s cooperate for mutual benefit and regain new life together?”

Su Mu Zhe paid no attention to her words. Instead, after tidying his attire, he hung a pair of over-ear headphones from his desk around his neck, pushed the door open, and walked downstairs.

For the past year, there was one thing Su Mu Zhe couldn’t understand.

That was why he was still alive?

The true him should have died a year ago, died in that Otherworld War fighting the Bloodkin, yet why, when he woke up again, was he back in his daily city life, in his own home?

He didn’t know how he got back, or how he survived.

Not only that, but there was also a girl beside him, like a ghost possessed, following him like a shadow, and if he wasn’t mistaken, this person was permeated with the aura of the Bloodkin.

It was like a demon’s whisper proclaiming a regained new life, constantly tempting him to sign some sort of contract.

However, until now, Su Mu Zhe had not taken it seriously, considering it merely a laughable hallucination caused by his own mental issues.

Yet, this current ordinary and leisurely daily life always felt unreal.

He had actually lived a relaxed and peaceful year as an ordinary high school student, as if the past reality was truly just a nightmare…

—This was a very special era.

In a place unknown to most people, monsters from another realm appeared in this world; they were called “Otherworld Beasts,” and along with them came races from other planes – the “Bloodkin.”

Humans who consequently gained combat abilities, annihilating Otherworld Beasts and sealing Bloodkin, were given the title “Exterminators,” becoming the backbone of the human resistance army.

The number of Exterminators with special abilities was less than one ten-thousandth of the human population; a city of a million might only have a hundred Exterminators, who constantly fought in the shadows, unknown to the public, to protect humanity.

Su Mu Zhe had once been one of them, and had become one of the top Exterminators.

Now, the battle in the dark side of the world had ended; he had lost all his power as an Exterminator and was content to become an ordinary person, living a normal and ordinary life.

Though he had clearly died, he somehow returned to the city he lived in, saw his sister again, and lived with her, attending the same school…

“What’s wrong, brother? Not feeling well?”

“What?” Su Mu Zhe, sitting at the dining table, only then realized he had been staring at the bread in his hand for too long, and quickly put on a concealing smile. “No, just thinking about something.”

“School stuff?” Su Xiao Zi, sitting opposite him, took a bite of toast and blinked a few times.

“Nothing, just some random thoughts.”

“Oh… You look distracted. If you’re not feeling well, remember to tell me; I can help you ask for leave from school,” Su Xiao Zi said hesitantly, while eating, she secretly observed her brother with her gaze.

For a long time, she had noticed that her brother’s complexion was always a bit pale, and he often had no appetite; even though they attended the same school, she had never once seen him in the cafeteria.

Well, but in terms of spirit and vitality, he should still be fine.

After all, her annoying older brother, because they were too familiar and close, would often joke with her, telling embarrassing dirty jokes to tease her.

Of course, each time, he would be met with his sister’s righteous and merciless iron fist.

“So, this morning when I called you outside your room, why didn’t you respond at all?” she asked, then furrowed her delicate brows. “You slept so late last night; you weren’t staying up late playing those games with undressed beautiful girls, were you?”

“Those are called galgames, and they’re not always undressed.”

“Tsk, anyway, every time I enter your room, all I see are those girls without clothes, how perverted.”

“If you learn to knock before entering someone else’s room next time, I can guarantee you won’t see any hidden content,” Su Mu Zhe didn’t argue against this, even acting quite magnanimous.

“Pervert,” Su Xiao Zi rolled her eyes at him, and under the dining table, a small foot wearing a white sock also gave a fierce kick to a certain someone. “Hurry up and eat your bread, we’re leaving soon.”