REBORN IN THE CITY OF GODS

Fresh blood dripped from Adrian's temple, staining the collar of his white shirt, which was now torn and caked in gunpowdery ash.

His breathing was ragged, heavy, and carried the scorched scent of a magical fireball that had just slammed against the corridor wall of the abandoned building.

In his right hand, a gleaming, blood-drenched knife was gripped tightly. He stood half-limping, acting as the final living bulwark separating death from the figure behind him.

Before them, three men in pitch-black robes and silver masks stepped forward slowly. The air around the hired assassins hummed strangely, exuding a dense purple mist that smelled foul, like burning flesh.

They were high-tier mercenary mages, cold-blooded killers hired to erase the life of the primary heir to the Vance consortium.

"Protect me, Adrian! Kill them all! I'll pay you ten times the amount!" shouted Julian Vance, his voice trembling with fear.

The neatly suited man, the master who had long hired Adrian to be protected with his life, now hid behind his bodyguard's back while gripping Adrian's shoulder tightly.

Adrian did not look back. His sharp eyes remained locked on the lead assassin ahead of him. For Adrian, an elite bodyguard's oath wasn't just about money; it was a matter of pride and professionalism. But tonight, the line between loyalty and foolishness began to blur.

One of the assassins flicked a hand. A pitch-black energy blade shot forth, cleaving the air with lightning speed.

Adrian reacted in a fraction of a second. He shoved Julian's body aside, while leaping forward himself.

The knife in his hand spun, deflecting the magic energy strike, though the shockwave still struck Adrian's left ribs squarely.

Excruciating pain instantly surged through him, making his internal organs feel like they were burning. Adrian coughed, spitting fresh blood onto the cracked concrete floor.

Before Adrian could recover his balance, the two other assassins charged straight from the right and left. Close-quarters combat was inevitable. Adrian evaded a poisonous dagger stab with a slender, twisting motion, then smashed his elbow into the first assassin's jaw until his mask cracked.

However, the second assassin moved faster, thrusting a magical dagger straight through Adrian's right shoulder.

Adrian groaned muffledly, the veins in his neck bulging outward. Instead of retreating, he grabbed the enemy's hand holding the dagger, pulled the man's body close, and finished him off with a single precise stab to the neck.

The assassin's body collapsed to the floor. Adrian's breath came in ragged gasps. Blood poured heavily from the wounds in his shoulder and ribs, causing his consciousness to slip away. He knelt on one knee, his body having reached the absolute limit of an ordinary human's physical endurance.

The silver-masked lead assassin smiled coldly behind his mask. He raised his palm, gathering a ball of black fire ready to incinerate Adrian and Julian together.

"End of the line, guard dog," the vicious assassin whispered.

Yet, in those critical seconds as Adrian prepared to muster his remaining strength for a suicidal counterattack, a hand suddenly shoved his body from behind.

Adrian was sent sprawling forward, kissing the cold, blood-soaked floor. He looked up with great difficulty, assuming Julian had pushed him to save him. But the reality that greeted his eyes was far colder than any ice blade.

Instead of running, Julian stood tall over Adrian's dying body. The man was no longer trembling with fear. A wide, cynical smile spread across Julian's face—a triumphant smile Adrian had never seen in all his years of serving the family.

Adrian was stunned, the pain in his body suddenly overpowered by the confusion reigning in his mind. "M-Master Julian...?" Adrian called out haltingly, fresh blood continuing to flow from the corner of his lips.

Instead of helping, Julian snorted with disgust and kicked Adrian's injured ribs with his expensive shoes.

Argh! Adrian groaned in pain, his body pitched a few centimeters to the side.

"Good work, you stupid dog," Julian's voice sounded so casual, contrasting sharply with the lethal situation surrounding them. Julian raised his right hand, letting a golden transparent holographic screen light up in the air right before his eyes—a secret system interface accessible only to the elite of The Pantheon Collective.

Above that screen, golden light letters blazed brightly: [Secret Mission: The Faithful Bodyguard's Sacrifice Successfully Cleansed. Obtain 500 Deity Points.]

Adrian's eyes widened. His heart felt like it stopped beating. All this time, he had assumed that night's attack was purely a premeditated assassination by the Vance family's business rivals. But this second, he realized a far rottener truth: Julian himself had orchestrated this scenario.

Those assassins were merely tools, and Adrian—the bodyguard who had served and risked his life for years—was nothing more than a sacrificial lamb deliberately offered to trigger the young master's system points.

Every bitter memory of guarding the family over the years flashed through his mind like a cruel film reel. How he sacrificed his rest time, put his life on the front lines without ever complaining, and believed that loyalty was the most valuable currency.

Yet, in the eyes of cold-blooded people like Julian, his sweat and devotion were worth no more than the dirt beneath their shoes. The sting of physical wounds was instantly overshadowed by a wave of profoundly deep disgust.

He felt so foolish for having handed over his life to protect a monster in human form who had the heart to traffic his life away for statistical leveling numbers.

"You... bastard..." Adrian whispered, his voice barely audible amidst his dying breath, while his gaze sharpened, cursing every remaining second of his life to bring destruction upon the man before him.

Julian chuckled softly, looking down with contempt at Adrian, who lay helpless. "This world is cruel, Adrian. Ordinary people like you are destined to be stepping stones for chosen ones like us. Your death wasn't in vain; your points helped me ascend to the next level. Be grateful."

The lead mercenary assassin before Julian bowed respectfully, then without hesitation swung his magic sword, cleaving the air toward Adrian's neck.

Instantly, heat and cold mixed together. Adrian's vision darkened. His consciousness collapsed into a very deep abyss of nothingness.

On the brink of death, no fear remained—only a blazing fire of rage, absolute hatred, and a burning grudge searing every cell of his soul. He swore that if given a second chance in another life, he would tear apart everyone who considered human life as something worthless.

Right as his consciousness completely cut off and his body collapsed lifelessly onto a pool of his own blood, a cold, alien, yet absolutely echoing mechanical voice suddenly crackled inside his head:

[Critical Warning: Soul Anomaly Detected in Mortal Category Subject.][Detecting Absolute Rage and SSS-Level Murderous Intent.][Bypassing Death Protocols... Accessing System Loopholes...][Time Re-booting Initiated. Welcome back, User.]