First Death

"Kekeke! Run, little brat! Run as fast as you can! But don't think you'll escape me!" A sadistic and chilling voice echoed from a distance.

The dense forest lay ahead, still distant from the city walls, rendering any hope of outrunning my pursuer futile. It was my first day as an adventurer, and who could have foreseen encountering a criminal outside the city? Luck seemed to elude me, but the odds of such an unfortunate encounter were beyond belief.

With my inadequate physique, I knew exhaustion would soon overtake me, allowing my pursuer to close in. Unless I stumbled upon a hiding spot, a near-impossible feat, my only chance of survival lay in confronting my aggressor head-on.

I brandished my sword at the man adorned with numerous scars, his laughter fueling my anger.

"Ah, this is what I've been waiting for! Come, let's see how I break you!" Fuck! This grotesque man was even more deranged than I had anticipated. With him taking the initiative, I stood guard and waited for a chance to counterattack.

"Brat! Taste my blade!" Inching closer, the criminal swung his blade at me, aiming for my neck. It was a nasty move used for swift execution.

It was a truly nasty move when he told me he wanted to torture me for the fun of it. Knowing he was also deceptive, I tried to block the blow, only for his strength to overwhelm mine.

Due to our strength dispersion, I was knocked back and had to take a few steps back to get my grip.

"Shit..." I muttered hatefully as I saw the criminal launch another swing, not to give me a break.

Instead of blocking, all I did was turn back and retreat. His swing missed, as he did not expect me to run at the last second.

"Brat, you're more cunning than I thought. The longer we do this, the sweeter it is. Kekeke." Every time the hideous man spoke, my eyes couldn't help but twitch in disgust.

We ran as if we were cat and mouse, and being slower, I saw my head back and saw that the man would catch up.

"Nourish my blade!" Bathed in bloodlust, the man was too focused on my demise. I used this chance to take him off guard.

I only had one chance to do this, and now was the time. I stopped and threw my dagger at my waist despite being only three steps away.

Due to my nimble and surprising move, blood started to slip out of his knees. My aim was off when I released my dagger too late. The dagger had aimed too low. However, this worked in my favor, and his knee was now bleeding. If we were doing a sprinting contest, even with our differences in stamina and strength, he wouldn't be able to catch me with full confidence.

"SUCK IT, OLD MAN!" I flipped him off as I made my escape.

Just as I was about to run, I felt a sharp pain in my back. "How..?" I spoke with confusion, trying to process what had just happened.

"Karma's a bitch. You threw your dagger, and I threw it back." Limping around, walking to me, and kneeling to my face, I tried my best to look away from his disgusting visage.

"Fuck... Has anyone told you that you look so ugly that it's hard to stare at you?" I was going to die, and if I did, I wanted my last few words to be an insult to my killer's face.

Even if I knew I was going to die, I did my best to struggle. The numbing pain on my back prevented me from doing anything, and all I could do was lie down in defeat.

"Brat, for a weakling like you, you sure did give me some trouble." While he may sound calm, I could feel anger directed at me.

"!!!" The dagger stuck on my back was logged in as the killer pushed it in further, more than necessary.

If I hadn't experienced death once, I would have fainted from the pain alone. Except for the pain, I could only express my hatred toward this man.

My cocky attitude had cost me my life, and the instructor who instructed me told me not to let my guard down when fighting a life-threatening battle.

It seemed like I fucked up, lamenting that I had coughed up some more blood while I felt my vision becoming bleak.

"I was going to let you go easy, but you certainly fucked up my leg." He went further and kicked me while I was down.

"Don't you think it is a coincidence that I appeared close to you? I tell you what? I was hired to eliminate you. And to leave you with regret, I won't tell you their name. Well, I stalled this long enough. No matter how you look at it, you won't live any longer. Die in agony, brat." With that, he left.

I would've preferred that he end my life, but dying like this wasn't so bad. Sure, it hurts, but feeling physical pain is overrated.

Slowly but surely, the sleepiness feeling had embraced me. Death wasn't such a scary outcome, but it was annoying that I might have to start from birth on day one.

The darkness enclosed me, but the last time I reincarnated, I returned to the forest where I first died.

[Death Simulation Has Been Awakened]

[Every time you die, you will gain a death token.]

[Once you use a death token, time will stop, and a summary of your life will appear. When the summary finishes, you will get a reward depending on how significant your life is.]

[Would you like to use your death token now?]

"What if I don't want to use it?" Apparently, because of this random power I gained, my body recovered like nothing had happened.

Everything was frozen in time, which included my body. The question I asked wasn't answered, so the power I gained wasn't responsive. I got my answers just by looking at the frozen scenery around me.

"Use the death token now."