Chapter 2: The EndSpace

Nefer watched the scene before her with a mix of shock and horror. The man whose limbs were locked by mechanical arms was not being torn apart but instead was pulling the arms towards the centre of his torso.

"What's going on? Increase the power!"

She instinctively thought it was a lack of mechanical force; otherwise, how could Ren still be alive, grinning defiantly at the spectators in the execution arena?

The mechanical arms used for Ren's execution were the Tendo II model, a new-generation exoskeleton with excellent market sales. Each arm could exert up to 800 kilograms of force, and when running under overload, it could reach over 1,000 kilograms.

It was once calculated that the ancient Eastern execution method of being torn apart by five horses exerted about 375 kg of force on a human body, with a ripping force that could reach 600 kg instantaneously.

But the power of horses and mechanical arms is vastly different. Each mechanical arm acting on Ren's body exerted 800 kg of force, theoretically enough to tear him apart instantly!

"It's already at maximum power!"

The executioner wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Despite continuously increasing the power, the mechanical arms were now overheating, yet Ren on the machine bed was still intact.

What they saw defied their understanding of science. After capturing Ren, they studied his condition thoroughly. X-ray scans and various lab tests repeatedly confirmed he was purely an old-era human with no mechanical skeletal implants. How could he withstand such immense force?

Nefer had heard of old-era strongmen who could pull pillars weighing over 300 kilograms with each arm. But those strongmen were not holding the pillars to prevent them from falling, and their body mass was incomparable to Ren's.

Stripped of his restraint suit for the execution, Ren, fixed on the machine bed, was only clad in shorts, revealing a well-proportioned physique, a sharp contrast to the bulky muscle-bound image of strongmen.

On the machine bed, Ren slowly retracted his limbs, like a giant winch tightening steel bars. His wrists and ankles, embedded in the mechanical claws, were bloodied, but nothing could stop his movements.

Yes, Ren was born with extraordinary strength.

Previously, when he told Nefer the story from that manga, she misunderstood. He was not the one with techniques but no strength; he was the one with overwhelming strength!

The mechanical arms whined like a lament, and the overheated parts started to emit black smoke. The guards around also realized the severity of the situation. They didn't know how Ren was doing it, but the execution must not fail.

They loaded their guns and trained them on the figure of Ren on the machine bed. If the execution failed, they would shoot Ren on the spot.

"Don't shoot!"

At this moment, a middle-aged man in a suit standing on the high platform shouted, his face excited and frantic, "Unbelievable! But this is the truth... this is the truth!"

Like a believer seeing a deity, he gazed fervently at Ren, "It's genetic evolution! He must have used a successful genetic agent! My God, someone really succeeded! Restrain him, I want a live sample!"

Ren laughed inwardly at the man's words because he knew best that there was no resistance organization behind him, nor any genetic agents from genius scientists.

He had been like this since childhood, never using any technology.

Bang—

With Ren exerting more force, one of the mechanical arms couldn't withstand the counterforce and broke at the joint, leaving his right arm free.

Fixed on the machine bed, it was hard for him to exert force. If the mechanical arms remained stationary, even his natural strength wouldn't be enough to break them. But the arms themselves were also exerting force, which ironically aided his escape.

The moment his right hand was freed, Ren ignored the pain, twisted his body, and smashed the broken mechanical arm down.

Boom boom boom—

Amid a few explosive sounds and swirling smoke, a figure emerged from the dust, his joints cracking as he moved.

He couldn't break free from the highly resilient restraint suit, but in a contest with such rigid mechanical arms of the Tendo-II exoskeleton level, he would certainly be the last to break.

Squat, sprint, jump.

Like flying!

Stepping on the head of an armoured guard rushing towards him, he manoeuvred through the execution ground like an elegant dancer.

In an instant, he covered tens of meters, locking his gaze on the old man in a black robe standing on the high wall. He held a broken mechanical arm like Odin grasping Gungnir.

"Fire! Fire!"

The old man in black could no longer remain calm. Grabbing the arm of the suited man, he shouted, cursing the other's stupidity.

Capture alive?

Hesitation would mean death for everyone present!

He never imagined the truth behind the deaths of the ten martial arts masters was this. A martial genius like Ren, with such divine strength, would naturally be unbeatable against those reliant on external aids.

Where on earth did Lu Feng find this monster? Or did he really use some unknown genetic agent on Ren?

The sound of the air being torn apart interrupted the old man's thoughts.

The fanatical expression on the face of the middle-aged man in a suit froze as warm, red liquid splattered onto him, causing him to scream in terror, "Kill him!"

A series of gunfire followed, but the figure within the arena danced like a ghost.

Quick, he was too quick!

The gun muzzles spewed flames, like the scythe of death being unsheathed, yet they couldn't catch the prey.

No, as soldiers fell one by one, they realized this man named Ren was the true reaper in the arena.

Alarm sirens buzzed incessantly, and holes appeared in the surrounding high walls. Rows of lasers swept across, cutting down the remaining soldiers at the waist. Only the terrified, and trembling Nefer escaped unscathed.

She looked up in horror, hoping to see the severed Ren but instead saw him reaching his highest point after a jump.

Their eyes met briefly before diverting. Stunned, Nifelle only saw the man's dull intent to kill.

The next moment, in Nefer's despairing gaze, eight objects with long tail flames descended from the sky.

The suited man, who was standing on the high wall with a cruel smile, retreated to the safety zone. But in the next second, his eyes were filled with disbelief because he saw a missile near Ren's landing spot flying directly at him!

-BOOM!

With a roar, the entire area was completely engulfed...

...

[Explorer, welcome to The EndSpace]

A low, feminine voice echoed in Ren's mind, prompting him to open his eyes.

He blinked rapidly as he looked around, trying to make sense of the darkness surrounding him.

He reached up to touch his head, still in disbelief that he wasn't dead after being shot through it.

[Explorer, do you wish to sign a contract with The EndSpace?]

The voice sounded again. This time, in addition to the voice, Ren saw ghostly blue words floating in front of him.

Endspace?

What is this place? Could the resistance have saved me?

But he knew better than anyone else; he didn't know any resistance members, and he didn't believe the resistance had the capability to rescue someone from the company's headquarters.

"What is this place?"

Ren tried to ask, his eyes wary. He first suspected that he wasn't dead and had been captured.

The company's virtual headgear developed over the years was already very mature. The latest generation of light-brain engines was said to have a 95% realism. Could he be in a virtual immersion state?

[Explorer, you have reached an end in your original world. The EndSpace grants you rebirth.]

Ren pondered for a moment, feeling the realness of his body. He had used the company's virtual headgear sold on the market. The so-called immersive game reality was still very different from reality.

He could be sure this was his own body. The company's technology shouldn't be this realistic yet.

So, does this mean he truly came to another world?

"Sign a contract? What do I need to do? What can you give me?"

After calming down, Ren asked. Although his face was calm, his heart was beating with a strange excitement because he had a feeling that he had encountered something truly extraordinary and supernatural.

If he truly came to another world, could he achieve the desires that he couldn't fulfil in the era where martial arts had declined?

[Upon signing the contract, The EndSpace will send you to various worlds to complete tasks, gain world exploration points, and reward you based on your task completion.]

Ren grinned, "Sounds interesting. Will there be strong opponents?"

The Endspace remained silent for a few seconds before replying:

[You will face unprecedented challenges.]

Ren nodded, "Alright, I'll sign. Becoming this explorer means I can go to different worlds, right?"

[You need to first pass the Trial World to become a formal explorer. Based on your evaluation in the Trial World, your contract status in The EndSpace may be upgraded or downgraded.]

"Sounds fair. What if I die in the Trial World?"

Ren asked.

[Absolute Death.]

In two simple words, Ren understood the nature of this place. It was a cruel place but one that seemed to allow him to fulfil his desires.

[The Trial World is about to begin. Explorer, please be prepared...]

Ren wanted to ask more questions, but The EndSpace had already started the transfer. He felt a lightness in his body, followed by a spinning sensation.

---

When Ren opened his eyes again, he found himself sitting on the steps of a dilapidated old wooden house. The empty street had a few ragged, thin figures wandering around.

The summer sun shone down, and the scorching heat seemed to evaporate everything.

[Explorer, please check your mission]

After confirming that the surroundings were temporarily safe, Ren began to call out in his heart, "End."

A translucent light screen menu appeared before his eyes, displaying various pieces of information.

[Mission World: Bleach]

[Mission World Type: Derivative]

[World Difficulty Level: lv.3～???]

World Description: The fall of the Soul King, The determination of the three worlds, A thousand-year-old enmity, and The trial of the end.

Shinigami (Soul Reapers): Beings with high spiritual concentration living in the Soul Society, fighting Hollows to maintain the balance of the three worlds.

Zanpakutō: A system created by Ōetsu Nimaiya. Each Soul Reaper learns the true name of their Asauchi through soul communication, allowing them to continuously develop and enhance their abilities.

Hollows: Souls whose inner desires have corroded their spirit after death, transforming them into Hollows. Hollows have their own evolution path.

Quincy: A faction left by their ancestor Yhwach, whose ideology is to completely eliminate Hollows, opposing the Soul Reapers.

[Current World Exploration Degree: 0]

[Current Location: Soul Society, North Rukongai, District 80]

[Note: The trial world has provided explorers with free learning of the common language of this world]

[Warning: Explorers are forbidden to disclose any information about The EndSpace, violators will be eliminated!]

Ren glanced over the world description and was surprised to find that this so-called derivative world was actually from a manga in the "real" world.

Due to the changing times, few people in his world read manga anymore. He had read manga secretly as a child in his Master's library after training.

His master's collection wasn't extensive, but coincidentally, it included the manga 'Bleach'. He had a certain understanding of this world, but currently, he didn't know which timeline he was in.

After calming himself down, Ren started to check his mission.