The problem with dying "properly" was that Kael had no idea what that meant.
He'd spent the last hour walking through Neo-Hangzhou's lower districts, sticking to shadows, avoiding the police drones that buzzed overhead like angry mosquitoes. The blue screen followed him everywhere. It had opinions.
[SUGGESTION]
The most efficient first death is falling.
Gravity is consistent. Minimal pain. High probability of clean decapitation, which prevents failed revival attempts.
"I'm not jumping off a building," Kael muttered.
[ALTERNATIVE]
Stabbing. But only if you aim for the brain stem. Past versions tried the heart. It takes too long.
He stopped walking. A noodle cart was still open at the end of the alley, steam rising from a dented metal pot. The vendor was an old woman who didn't look up from her phone.
Kael's stomach growled.
"Can I die after eating?"
[CALCULATING…]
Yes. Food does not interfere with death.
Note: You have 23 minutes until your next scheduled death. Enjoy the noodles.
He bought a bowl. Sat on a plastic stool. Ate in silence while the screen counted down.
The noodles were terrible. Too salty, overcooked, and the broth tasted like dishwater. It was the best thing Kael had eaten in years.
When he finished, he had fourteen minutes left.
[COUNTDOWN: 00:14:02]
Current location: Intersection of Lotus and 7th.
Threats in area: 1.
Type: Rival Anomaly.
Distance: 80 meters and closing.
Kael put down the chopsticks. "A rival? I just woke up."
[CORRECTION]
They woke up three hours ago. They've already died twice.
Their system is combat-oriented.
Yours is not.
Recommendation: Run.
He ran.
The rival found him two blocks later.
She was young, maybe twenty-two with shaved hair and eyes that glowed faintly red. A combat knife spun between her fingers like it was alive. Behind her, a notification screen hovered, but Kael couldn't read it from this distance.
"Anomaly #47," she said. Her voice was calm. "You're the glitch."
Kael held up his hands. "I don't want to fight."
"Doesn't matter." She stepped closer. "Your existence accelerates the Tide. Every death, every reboot, every breath you take adds corruption. The other Anomalies voted. You have to go."
[THREAT ASSESSMENT]
Name: Mira Chen.
Anomaly #12.
Remaining cycles: 8.
Combat rating: C.
Your combat rating: F-.
Verdict: You will die in 12 seconds.
"Can you at least tell me why I'm a glitch?" Kael asked.
Mira paused. The knife stopped spinning.
"Because you're not supposed to exist," she said. "Anomaly #46 was deleted. Fully. Memory, body, timeline footprint. The system doesn't make mistakes. But here you are."
She tilted her head. "Someone put you here. And until we find out who, every one of us is at risk."
The knife moved.
Kael didn't see the blade. He felt it—a cold line across his throat, then warmth, then the sudden, terrifying realization that he couldn't breathe.
He fell forward. The asphalt rushed up. Somewhere, distantly, he heard the old noodle woman scream.
His vision fractured into a thousand blue screens.
[DEATH #47 REGISTERED]
Cause: Exsanguination (combat).
Time survived: 1.8 hours.
Cycle remaining: 953.
Crimson Tide increased by 0.5%.
New total: 0.5%.
[SKILL UNLOCKED: Painful Lesson (Rank E)]
You remember the moment of death with perfect clarity.
+10% dodge chance against slashing attacks.
Passive. Permanent.
[REBOOTING…]
Please stand by.
Kael opened his eyes.
He was sitting at his desk. The server room was fine. His left hand was solid. The clock on his monitor read 11:47 PM—twenty-three hours before the fire.
The blue screen was already there.
[WELCOME BACK, ANOMALY #47]
Iteration: 2.
Remaining cycles: 953.
You have retained: 0.1% of cumulative experience.
New skill acquired: Painful Lesson (Rank E).
Mira Chen is currently 3.2 kilometers away.
She doesn't know you're alive yet.
You have 23 hours to prepare.
Don't waste them.
Kael touched his throat. No wound. No scar. Just skin.
But he remembered the knife. The cold. The way the world faded to blue.
He remembered everything.
For the first time in forty-seven lives, Kael Voss smiled.
"Alright," he said. "Let's game this."