Dan sat on the edge of the hospital bed. Moonlight filtered through the thin curtains. The room was quiet except for the hum of medical equipment.
Everyone had left him alone hours ago.
His head throbbed with questions. This teenage body felt wrong—too small, too light, too foreign.
"Show yourself," he said to the empty room.
His voice sounded strange to his ears.
Yellow text appeared in front of him.
{justice system online} {how may i assist the executioner?}
He jerked back, nearly falling off the bed. "What the hell? This is real?" He passed his hand through the floating text. "I thought I hallucinated this earlier."
{system is functioning correctly} {you are not hallucinating}
He ran his hands through his hair, laughing without humor. "Great. I died seeking revenge, and now some mysterious system wants me to be its hitman in a parallel universe."
He stood up, pacing the small room. "This is insane."
{your assessment is partially correct} {purpose: deliver justice, not merely assassination}
He stopped pacing. "Fine. Let us start with the basics. What are hunters in this world? The doctors mentioned them."
{hunters: individuals who have awakened special abilities} {they fight monsters from dungeons and the abyss}
"That tells me nothing useful," he snapped. He pressed his fingers against his temples. "How powerful are these hunters? What makes someone a hunter?"
{hunters ranked by power: f, e, d, c, b, a, s, ss, sss, and beyond} {f-rank: slightly above normal human capabilities} {s-rank: can level towns single-handedly} {ss-rank: national disaster level threats} {sss-rank: continental threats} {ssss and beyond: planetary threats, extremely rare}
"Planetary threats?" He laughed bitterly. "You are telling me there are people who can destroy planets?"
{affirmative} {highest confirmed hunter rank: sssss-rank} {only three such individuals exist worldwide} {location classified}
He collapsed back onto the bed. "This is too much." He stared at his hands—young, unscarred, unfamiliar. "How do people become hunters?"
{awakening occurs when humans encounter mana from dungeons} {approximately 1 in 10,000 humans have awakening potential}
"But I am different," he guessed. "I did not awaken naturally, did I?"
{correct} {you were chosen specifically} {your soul transported and placed in created vessel}
"Chosen by whom?" He demanded, anger flaring.
He had not asked for this second chance, this new mission. His family was supposed to be waiting for him.
{information restricted}
"Of course it is," he muttered.
He walked to the window, looking out at the unfamiliar city. The massive blue crystal tower glowed in the distance. "What is that thing?"
{mana distribution center} {collects and processes mana from cleared dungeons} {powers advanced technology in this world}
He pressed his forehead against the cool glass. "And that purple dome? It looks like something from a science fiction movie."
{abyss zone: permanent tear in reality} {contains dangerous monsters and valuable resources} {purple barrier contains threats within}
"This is all so..." he trailed off, searching for words. "I was a prosecutor, not a monster hunter. I know laws, not magic."
{your soul was selected for specific qualities} {legal background considered beneficial} {justice requires discernment, not just power}
He turned back to face the floating text. "What exactly am I supposed to do here? Who decides what justice means?"
{primary mission: punish those who escape formal justice} {targets selected based on severity of crimes} {system provides information and evaluation} {you determine appropriate action}
"So I am judge, jury, and executioner," he said. The idea disturbed and attracted him simultaneously. Had that not been what he became in his final days?
{accurate assessment}
He paced again, thoughts racing.
"What powers do I have in this body? If I am supposed to deliver justice to people who can destroy buildings, I need to know my capabilities."
{primary ability: judgment eye - reveals a person's worst crimes} {secondary ability: executioner's mark - marks targets for judgment} {tertiary ability: locked until first judgment completed}
"How exactly does this judgment eye work?" He asked, intrigued despite himself.
{focus on target and say "reveal"} {their worst crimes will be shown to you} {currently limited to 3 uses per day}
"Reveal," he said experimentally, staring at the wall.
{no valid target detected} {charge not consumed}
"So I need an actual person," he muttered. "What about this mark?"
{executioner's mark activates after judgment eye confirms guilt} {mark is invisible to all except you} {enables tracking of target anywhere} {prevents escape through dimensional travel}
He sat heavily on the bed. "This is a lot to process." He rubbed his face, exhaustion suddenly hitting him.
"Tell me about the money system here. I assume I need to eat and find shelter."
{currency: credits} {universal monetary unit across continents} {hunter ranks determine typical income} {f-rank: 30,000 credits annually} {s-rank: 5+ million credits annually} {ss-rank and above: effectively unlimited resources}
"And I have access to money?" He asked hopefully.
{affirmative} {10,000 credits deposited in your account} {access card in bedside drawer} {temporary identity created: dan walker}
He opened the drawer and found the wallet. He examined the ID card with his new face. "Convenient," he said dryly. "You thought of everything."
{system is designed to be thorough}
"So what is my first target?" He asked, flipping through the wallet's contents. "You mentioned someone earlier today."
{target: chairman albert favery of starlight corporation} {crime: ordered murder of 26 test subjects} {location: starlight tower, central engela}
His jaw tightened. "Murder. Just like Castillo." The familiar burn of anger sparked in his chest. "Why has he not been arrested if his crimes are known?"
{target has corrupted justice system} {bribed officials and destroyed evidence} {uses b-rank hunter bodyguards} {public perceives him as philanthropist}
"Some things never change," he said bitterly. "Different world, same corruption." He stood up, feeling more resolved.
"How do I reach him? I cannot just walk into his office and confront him."
{recommendation: establish hunter identity first} {hunter license provides access and authority} {also provides cover for investigation}
"And how do I get this license? I doubt they hand them out to teenagers with no history."
{two options available} {standard application: requires background check} {special admission: exceptional circumstances or talent}
"I am guessing I should aim for the second option. Who makes these decisions?"
{chairman Lexa leads local hunter association} {has authority to grant emergency licenses} {known for identifying potential in unusual cases}
He nodded slowly. A plan was forming. "I need to meet this Lexa person." He looked down at his hospital gown. "And I need proper clothes."
{hospital will provide basic clothing} {hunter equipment shops require license} {civilian clothing affordable with provided funds}
He stared at his reflection in the window—a stranger's face looking back.
"Who am I supposed to be in this world? What is my cover story?"
{temporary identity: orphan with amnesia} {discovered in dungeon with unusual abilities} {seeking hunter license to build new life} {close to your actual situation}
"Convenient," he said again.
He sat back down, suddenly overwhelmed. "This is a lot to take in."
{recommended action: rest and recover} {hospital release scheduled for morning} {physical adaptation to new body ongoing}
He looked at the clock on the wall. Past midnight.
"One last question," he said. "Why me? Out of all the souls in all the worlds, why choose me for this... mission?"
The text flickered for a moment.
{your soul contained required attributes} {justice: 97/100} {vengeance: 100/100} {determination: 100/100} {experience with legal system: significant advantage}
"That does not really answer my question," he said softly. "Who are these gods that brought me here? What do they want?"
The yellow text flickered more violently.
{information restricted} {repeated unauthorized queries detected} {warning: system limitations in place for your protection} {complete 10 justice missions to unlock further information}
He raised his hands in surrender.
"Fine. I get it. Need-to-know basis." He lay back on the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling. "I am tired. Turn off or whatever it is you do."
{system entering standby mode} {will activate upon verbal command} {recommendation: speak with hospital staff about release in morning} {good night, executioner}
The text faded away.
He closed his eyes but did not sleep immediately. His mind raced with everything he had learned. A new world of hunters and monsters. A system that wanted him to deliver justice. A body that was not his own.
He thought of his family. Their faces remained vivid in his memory. The pain of their loss still burned, but felt... different somehow. As if transported into this new body, the raw edge had dulled slightly.
"I did not ask for this second chance," he whispered to the empty room. "But since I am here..."
He did not finish the thought aloud. But as sleep finally claimed him, he wondered if perhaps this strange new purpose might actually be what he needed.
Not redemption—he did not believe in that. But meaning. Direction.
Justice.