I Want to Die, But I Am Immortal
Chapter 62: Warning

Chapter 62: Warning

The Byrd. Adam thought of the name as a single key that would unlock the mysteries of his persecution. Adam recalled the reward the system had given him following a prior kill as Assassin Five spoke.

Just like the assassin described, it was a basic button phone. He had forgotten about it after throwing it in a drawer.

Since he discovered his own smartphone was being used to track him, he had not used a phone for months. In a desperate attempt to cut the digital leash that was harming him, he had thrown it into a river. In a world of constant connectivity, he had been living off the grid like a ghost.

He now understood that, unbeknownst to him, he had been holding the secret to his own deliverance all along.

Adam was pulled out of his reverie by Assassin Five’s voice as he said, "But you can not access The Byrd." In actuality, the statement was the last straw.

Adam scowled. "Why not?"

"Because you need an account" the assassin explained with the patience of a teacher explaining a complex equation to a slow student.

"And to create an account you have to verify your identity. The moment you do that they will know who you are. They’ll know you have access to their network. They’ll send more assassins after you. So many you won’t be able to count them. You’re practically dead already. You’re a guest in this world for a few more days a few more hours at best."

It was a death sentence. They were intended to break Adam’s spirit and leave him feeling hopeless and depressed. However, they had the opposite impact. Adam was not afraid. He was not angry.

He had no feelings. He saw no point in the assassin’s threats.

He was aware of the reality. He was capable of Return by Death.

He could not really pass away. In the cruelest sense of the word, he was immortal. Until he managed to triumph, he was destined to endure more pain. There was no danger in this man’s ominous prophecy. It was merely an account of the life he was leading at the moment.

But there was one part of the assassin’s speech that did strike a chord of fear in him. A deep and abiding fear that had nothing to do with his own life. The fear for his friends. The fear for Sophia.

It was as if the assassin could read his mind. He saw the flicker of concern in Adam’s eyes.

"From what I know of the underworld" he continued his voice low and conspiratorial. "They haven’t even used their full power to hunt you down yet."

Adam was taken aback. Not all of their strength? His every waking moment had been defined by the relentless pursuit, the citywide network of informants, and the well-coordinated teams of assassins.

That was only a small portion of their power? He had been battling for his life against a small portion of their potential. It was a mind-blowing thought. It was similar to realizing that you had been battling a lone soldier out of a thousand.

"Then what is their full power?" Adam asked his voice a quiet whisper.

A grim smile touched the assassin’s lips. It was a smile of a man who had seen the true face of the beast and knew its terrible power. "There are ten thousand people like me" he said.

"Ten thousand assassins bounty hunters mercenaries all looking for you every second of every day. And the bounty on your head... it will keep going up. The longer you stay alive the more valuable you become. The more hunters you will attract."

Adam’s thoughts whirled. He could see an endless landscape of death and violence in the future. Ten thousand hunters. A bounty that keeps growing. A war that never ends. He was destined to encounter them all since he was unable make it disappear.

He created his own hell, a future of never-ending strife. To see the next sunrise, he would have to kill and kill and kill. In the very underworld that was attempting to destroy him, he would turn into a monster, a butcher, and a legend.

There was no way out of the nightmare he was in. For him, death was not an escape. It was merely a reset button, an opportunity to try again, to fight a little harder, to die a little better.

He was a violent the Greek god Sis destined to spend all of eternity pushing a pile of dead people up a hill.

He turned to face the two men seated in the chairs. Of the ten thousand, they were the first.

They were only the start. A wave of exhaustion took over him, that it was almost physical. He was worn out. I am so exhausted. I am sick of fighting, sick of killing, and sick of being afraid all the time.

But he knew he couldn’t give up. He had to keep fighting. For Sophia. For his own forgotten past. For the faint hope that one day he might find a way to end this to break the cycle to finally be free.

He still had a long way to go. A road lined with his adversaries’ dead bodies. A path that would take him farther into the shadows. However, it was his only route. He also had to walk it.

He needed to get smarter, stronger, and more merciless than the ten thousand hunters pursuing him. He had to turn into what they were most afraid of. He must have turned into a demon.

Because being the largest monster in a world full of monsters is the only way to survive.

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We are so grateful to each and every one of you for joining the adventure! Your assistance is greatly appreciated. I appreciate each and every one of your Power Stones, which are like mana potions that keep me writing if you are enjoying the story.

Let us have some fun now! I want YOU in this world. The new signature technique is about to be named by our hero. What ought it to be called?

Leave your most inventive suggestions in the comments section! I will choose my favorite, and it will be included in the story’s canon with a special mention for you.

I am eager to read your insightful recommendations!

Alphaboss

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