World Rejector

Chapter 2: New Type

Too many unfortunate things happened to me today.

Mio’s words still echo in my head, refusing to fade.

So this is what it feels like to be rejected by someone you’ve loved for so long.

This feeling… it’s new to me.

“I can say this is a new kind of rejection.”

I muttered to myself.

That means everything about Mio is over.

All the dreams.

All the promises.

All of it was just gone.

The bitterness spreads slowly, sinking deep into my chest.

At the end of the day, I can’t force myself into someone’s life. I have to respect her decision and wish for a better tomorrow—even if that tomorrow doesn’t include me.

The night sky remains dark, and the rain shows no sign of stopping.

I don’t know what I’m supposed to do anymore.

I’ve known loneliness before, but this is different.

No matter how much I think about it, the hollow in my heart refuses to close.

Not immediately.

Not the way I want it to.

With every step I take, my head feels emptier.

Dizziness creeps in.

My vision starts to blur.

“Are you okay?”

I looked up to see a little girl staring at me with worried eyes.

Before I could reply, her mother quickly pulled her away.

“I already told you. Don’t talk to strangers. Just let him be.”

I let out a deep breath and decided to go home.

Dwelling on the past…

I don’t want to do it. I’ve already made too many mistakes—too many regrets.

I don’t want to repeat them. What happened today… it’s the same as always.

I have to think of it that way.

Just another unfortunate day.

…

While walking home, a sudden loud bang shook the air—like an explosion nearby.

Moments later, Special Force soldiers rushed past me.

One of them raised a grenade launcher and fired what looked like a smoke grenade into a fourth-floor window of a nearby building.

The smoke detonated instantly, flooding the window.

Then…

A monstrous creature burst out of the building, slamming into the ground and going on a violent rampage.

“The Chimera has been sighted!”

“Guard all civilians! Stay back in the safe zone!”

The civilians immediately followed the soldiers’ orders.

“Hey! You should stay away from here…”

One soldier warned me.

“Special Force will handle the monster.”

Special Force Division soldiers.

They’re part of Neo Silicon Valley’s military specialized in dealing with supernatural threats and Ability-Users.

Scenes like this aren’t rare anymore.

The world changed after the Great Calamity five hundred years ago.

The structure of the world was flipped upside down. Landscapes shifted.

Maps were rewritten.

And from that disaster, NewTypes were born.

NewTypes—also called Ability-Users—are people who awakened supernatural powers. In simple terms, they’re like heroes. Espers. Protagonists of their own stories.

I envied them.

Being a NewType meant being special. Chosen.

I always wished I could be one too.

But in the end, only those born fortunate enough could become one.

“This one’s just big. I’ll handle it real quick.”

An arrogant-looking man appeared out of nowhere.

“Number Six is here.”

Someone whispered.

Number Six—one of the strongest Ability-Users in the city.

He stood before the rampaging Chimera, staring at it with bored eyes.

Then he vanished.

In the blink of an eye, he reappeared in front of the monster. With a single wave of his hand, the Chimera was sliced cleanly in half.

The remains were diced into countless pieces before they even hit the ground.

Blood rained down everywhere—but thankfully, the rain was still falling.

The cleaners wouldn’t have too hard a time.

“Job’s done.”

He said casually.

“Make sure my payment gets deposited. I’ve got a date tonight. Expensive restaurant.”

He shouted at one of the soldiers and disappeared into thin air.

“That guy’s so arrogant.”

“Hey, watch it. He might hear you.”

The soldiers whispered among themselves.

That attitude is common among NewTypes.

Many of them believe they’re the next stage of human evolution. They look down on ordinary people.

Most of them suffer from what I call protagonist syndrome.

The show is over.

And I return to my own lonely world.…

…

The incident wasn’t that far from my apartment.

After climbing the stairs, I took out my key and unlocked the door.

“I’m home.”

I said as I stepped inside.

As if someone would actually be waiting for me.

I scoffed at myself and turned on the lights.

Then I froze.

A girl was sitting on the floor of my apartment, hugging what looked like a briefcase.

“Who are you?”

I asked.

My head instantly filled with question marks and exclamation points.

How did she get in here?

Did I forget to lock the window?

She flinched when she saw me, then quickly placed her index finger over her lips—telling me to stay quiet.

I pulled out my phone and dialed the police hotline.

“No! No! No!”

She lunged at me and slapped the phone out of my hand.

“What are you doing?!”

I shouted.

“I’m calling the cops! You’re a thief, aren’t you?!”

“Stop! Please listen to me!”

She yelled right back.

“I’m not a thief! Well, technically I stole something... But that still doesn’t count as thievery if I have good intentions!”

…Did she seriously just admit she stole something?

Suspicious. Extremely suspicious.

“Look around!”

She said quickly.

“All your stuff is still here. I didn’t take anything from you. Please, you have to listen to me—this is really important. Letting me go is basically the same as saving the world, you know.”

That was clearly an exaggeration.

Still, when I looked into her eyes, I could feel sincerity.

She didn’t seem like a bad person.

Now she was staring at me with those wide, pleading eyes.

…Wait.

She’s kind of cute.

No—stop, Noah.

This is a classic trap.

A normal lady’s technique to manipulate men.

I just broke up with Mio. I’m not falling for this.

Mio is still the cutest girl in the world.

I pushed her away and turned my face aside.

“Okay. I’ll hear you out...”

I said.

“...But before I let you go, I need to know what’s going on..."

Her face lit up instantly.

“Hoo-ray! Thank goodness!” she said cheerfully. “My cuteness really never lets me down.”

She stood up and pulled aside the curtain.

The window was shattered.

“Well, just to set your expectations...”

She said casually.

“...I did break your window earlier while trying to get inside.”

“I think... I should call the cops.”

“No! No! No! No! Please listen to me, kind sir!”

She clasped her hands together desperately. “I promise I’ll send you money to replace the window later!”

…

In the end, we both sat down, had dinner together, and she finally explained what was really going on.