Chapter 1
The sky was covered by black clouds. The sound of cries, death throes, rainstorm, and occasionally the sound of thunder was mixing together.
"Follow the child of heaven!"
"Follow the prince!"
"The Han is dead!"
"Long live Yellow Turbans!"
Below the sky lied the battlefield, a young man wearing a yellow headband and a full set of leather armor was charging into the Imperial army formation. Behind his back, a formation of militias, wearing similar yellow headbands and bandanas, were also charging into the opposite files of the formation.
"Zhang Tong is isolated. Surround him!"
"Stop the Yellow Turbans!"
"That monster Zhang Tong is in front. Kill him!"
"Protect the general!"
The yellow headband young man in the front of his troops was Zhang Tong. He was swinging his blade and danced into enemy soldiers dense formation, killing over a dozen men in his path. However, he was isolated from his troops. He did not make any mistake in troops commanding or fell into any trap. He purposely dove into the enemy ranks.
"Zou Jing, you coward. How long are you going to keep hiding!?"
Zou Jing, a general of the imperial force, who was being protected by his personal guards, was hiding timidly behind his guards back and was looking around for a chance to get away from this place as fast as he could. His demeanor was nowhere of that of a dignified leader of a battalion.
"Retreat! Sound the retreat!"
Zou Jing shouted as if it were his last word in his life. He crossed with Zhang Tong in the past and witnessed Zhang Tong's "magic". That "magic" still traumatized him even in his sleep. Seeing Zhang Tong within 100 meters in front of him caused his legs to go limb and all his strength escaped him.
****
"Brother, we need to help the general. Let's hurry."
"Understood, I'll be going then."
"Hah! Second brother is trying to gain more credits. I won't lose to you. I'm going too!"
Three men on the horses were leading a battalion of a thousand militia footmen in the front. Seeing that Zou Jing Battalion was in disarray and the Yellow Turbans Army had the upper hand. They decided to rush in and help. Their troops were formed for the purpose of eliminating the Yellow Turbans Army in the first place so there was no reason not to help.
The tall man in front spared no time and rushed in between Zou Jing and Zhang Tong.
"Brat. You go no further."
A tall red face man with the blue dragon halberd was charging forward and was making a bee-line toward Zhang Tong. A savage scruffy beard man and a scholarly looking man on a full set of iron armor were following behind.
'Damn it. Those three hypocrites really appear here. I thought they were in another platoon. The novel version said they would appear later to help Zou Jing but it seems they were in the same platoon from the start.'
Zhang Tong recognized the people that were coming after him. They were the important historical figures in the East Han and Three Kingdoms eras. The person in front was none other than Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Liu Bei.
'I only have one bullet left. Unless I can get close to Zou Jing and kill him with my blade, I can't afford to use it on them.'
Zhang Tong clenched onto his 9mm Glock pistol in his left hand. His right hand was still holding a bloodstained blade. He was saving his last bullet for the emergency. But now he was facing his dilemma.
'I should have saved some bullets. I was too immature.'
Zhang Tong relied on his pistol too much in the past. Most of his bullets were wasted on ordinary soldiers before this battle.
'Should I change the trend of the history here and now for my benefits in the long run, or should I focus on the mission at hand.'
He glanced at his mission status in the corner of his eyes.
******************
**Main Mission No.20**
Clear Condition: Kill Zou Jing.
Failure Condition: You die, Zou Jing escape, or time limit exceeded.
Clearing Reward: 10,000 years of lifespan. Bonus experiences for your active skills.
Mission Failure: Your location will be shown on the system map to other players for 1 year.
Time Limit Remaining: 21 Days 1 Hour 39 Minutes.
System Note: Bowsette is bae.
******************
'No, I have to finish the mission or I'm dead. The punishment for failure is too harsh.'
Zhang Tong dreaded the other players. They were all otherworlders just like him and all of them had at least one unique cheat in their arsenal. Therefore, revealing his location on the HUD map was tantamount to a suicide.
'I wanted to kill you three idiots so bad. But it seems you are fated to live on a little longer.'
Zhang Tong looked in front of him, locating Zou Jing and his personal guards.
'Roughly 40-50 meters between the target and me. I can do it.'
"Time Stop!"
Zhang Tong shouted. The atmosphere around him suddenly paused and the world became greyscale. The raindrops and mud-water-splash on the ground paused in mid-air. Guan Yu and the horse that was charging at him stopped in mid-motion. The chaotic ambiance screams became silent. Only Zhang Tong retained his movement, the yellow clothes on him were the only color remained in the world and so his consciousness.
************************************
**Skill Status**
[Time Stop] LV.2
- Stop time and space flow in your current universe for 10 seconds.
Skill Cost: 10 years of the host lifespan.
Skill Restriction: Can only be used once per day. Skill resets at midnight.
System Note: Try activating this skill by shouting "The W*rld", you will be surprised!
[Firearms Creation] LV.1
- Create any firearm or bullet of your choice.
- Only handguns and handgun bullets can be created
Skill Cost:
1 year of the host lifespan per a handgun bullet
50 years of the host lifespan per a new handgun of your choice
Skill Restriction: Can only create one handgun a day or one bullet a day. Skill resets at midnight.
System Note: Try curving the bullet. It looks cool when you can do it. What? You can't? SHAME!
************************************
Zhang Tong ignored the paused motion of the charging Guan Yu and sprinted toward Zou Jing. Although full sprinting 50 meters in 10 seconds was easy for any healthy adults. However, in this battlefield, the ground was muddy and unleveled, and there were many enemies and obstacles blocking Zhang Tong's path. So he had to put every ouch stamina he had remain in this sprint.
[Time remaining 3 seconds…]
[Time remaining 2 seconds…]
'Just a little more'
Zhang Tong managed to bypass all soldiers along the way and stood directly in front of Zou Jing. He hurriedly swung his blade, loping off Zou Jing's head in midair. Then he used the remaining seconds to run off a distance from the troops. He needed that distance to protect himself from Zou Jing's soldiers in the case they wanted revenge.
[Time is up. The flow will be resumed. Good luck you mofo.]
The world regained colors and motions. The chaotic shouts continued as if it were never paused. However, Zou Jing troops discovered that Zhang Tong suddenly disappeared from his previous spot.
"What!"
"How the hell!?"
"It's that magic again!"
The soldiers were confused for the moment before another commotion broke out in another location.
"General!"
"Lord Zou Jing!"
Zou Jing's head that was loped into the air resumed its motion and dropped itself on the ground. Zhang Tong also reappeared in the distance with his bloodstained blade.
Even Guan Yu and co. were shocked. Their eyes were opened wide as if they were about to pop out of its socket. Zou Jing's soldiers were worse. Some of them had clashed with the Yellow Turbans under Zhang Tong's lead once before and they had witnessed the same magic happened. Their face lost all of their blood and despair were showing in their eyes.
**Ding**
[Mission Accomplished. You are rewarded with 10,000 years of lifespan and 50 skill experience points for each of your active skills.]
[Time Stop has increased to LV.3]
[Firearms Creation has increased to LV.2]
[The next mission will be issued after all players completed their missions. Please stay tuned. *Wink* *Wink*]
'Still obnoxious as ever. This goddamn system.'
Zhang Tong cursed in his mind. There was no happiness shown on his face after he completed his mission. They were more like a torture to him but entertainment for the higher up above the skies. He knew that the next mission would always be harder than the previous one. After all, this was not the first mission he completed.
'It would be best if the next one won't involve other players. For now, I have to solve the major issue at hand.'
Zhang Tong glanced at Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Liu Bei, who were keeping distance on vigilant.
Guan Yu felt a chill running down his spine. He had never witnessed something this supernatural before. And now one of the supernatural things appeared in front of him as his opponent. The bravery he had shown just now disappeared from his mind like smoke. He had heard the rumor that Zhang Jiao was a sorcerer, and now his son just shown his "magic" in front of him.
"Didn't you lots want a piece of me? Where is your bravery now? Oh right, there was an old saying that only a brave man can become a soldier, but I'm seeing no soldier. Hell, I doubt there were even men in front of me."
Guan Yu and Liu Bei frowned. They didn't exactly understand what Zhang Tong was talking about. But they sensed that they were indirectly cursed somehow.
"Bah! You think you are a god with that parlor trick. A child of heaven? Kaak! Ptui! Your father is just a delusional scholar! He was so delusional that your mother abandoned you for a new man in hell!"
Zhang Tong frowned. He knew he wouldn't be able to provoke the three brothers into a fight easily after showing his "magic". So he had attempted to buy time and tried to rouse Zhang Fei into a one on one fight. He got cursed back and it pained him. He wanted to tear Zhang Fei into shred but Zhang Tong had to calm down.
Zhang Tong desperately needed time to catch up his breath. He also needed his troops to catch up to him. Once his troops came close, so he could announce that Zou Jing was dead, and could bluff Zou Jing's remaining troops into surrender or retreat. But if he were to announce it now, he would definitely get himself killed by the revenge of the remnant soldiers. Zhang Tong was still isolated within Zou Jing Army after all.
'I need one more magic to seal the coffin. It has to be flashy. The impact should be so severe to the point that they can get scared shitless. If I could lure one of them over and finish it with a bang…'
'I hope the Glock can still work in this heavy rain, or I'll be doomed.'
Zhang Tong had another risky plan in his mind. He breathed deeply and started speaking.
"My father, Zhang Jiao, maybe a bit silly, but he fought the corruption for his people! For that, I'm proud of him. My mother left the world with a smile on her face. She died to give me life, so I'm proud of her and grateful to her. But you … you … and you"
Zhang Tong slowly pointed at Zhang Fei, then Guan Yu and Liu Bei. Then he slowly shouts at them word by word.
"When the people were suffering from famine and disease, you became a bandit, tormenting us."
"When the commoners bled from the corrupted official and high taxed, you were still a bandit, bleeding us further."
"When we, the commoners, the victims, fought back, you sided with those corrupted officials."
"When we were branded traitors, you guys were celebrating in the peach garden."
"Your parents must be proud of you as well. They raised you so well that one of you became a bandit, another one of you was a psychopath murderer and the biggest one of you became so delusional to the point that you thought of yourself as the old emperor's descendant even though you were just a straw shoe seller!"
Liu Bei and Guan Yu's face turned ugly. Although they were annoyed by Zhang Tong sarcasm, they held themselves back. They were still afraid of the "magic". If Zhang Tong were to blink again, who knew which head would fly.
They didn't know anything about the story behind the Yellow Turbans. All they had heard were all from the officials, that the rebellion was plundering villages and rob innocent people. It made them think back about the hidden story behind the rebellion and which information was more believable.
"I want your life!"
Zhang Fei shouted and charged at Zhang Tong.
"Yide, NO!!"
"Brother wait!!"
'Gotcha.'
A smile appears on Zhang Tong's face as he raised the pistol, aimed at Zhang Fei, and pulled the trigger.
BANG
Welcome readers. Please be warned that chapter 2 to chapter 7 will test your patience and your tolerant level.
If you don't mind it, then this novel will test you again in chapter 27-28 as you will experience a character development of MC & a hateful heroine.
If you get frustrated by the said chapters, I suggest you to drop this novel.
But if you still don't mind and don't care about the two hurdles, I sincerely thank you for taking your times on my story.
Chapter 2 – Hell, Tong, and Friday
The realm of Hell, the realm that was created by to contained the certain fallen angel by the gods. This place was currently used for torturing the grave sinners who committed various crimes, or went against the commandments of the gods, or not following the moral codes of society in their previous lives when they were human.
There were 9 levels separating different levels and types of the sinners. The higher the level, the more severe of the crime and the sins they committed. Each level contained different kinds of punishments waiting for new sinners. It also trapped the residents here for the rest of eternity, unless any kind savior would come to pardon them from their crimes.
The fifth level of Hell was called the Hell of Wraith. It contained sinners that committed any crime out of hatred. There were no clean ground on this level but muddy and slimy stinking black swamp, AKA the river Styx. Anyone who touched this water would be overwhelmed with anger or drunk by hatred. They would lose their sanity and assault anything and everything that could move. There were over millions of naked people roaming here. Men, women alike, were busying tearing each other apart, while several devils were flying around to oversee their respective responsibility zone. No matter how many times the sinners died or how many times their bodies militated, they would always be resurrected and healed. It was made so the sinners could suffer eternal pain.
There were also several grotesque rocks in the water. The rocks, which looked like they were made out of human flesh, intestines and blood vessels, were popping up to the surface of the water and then dove back into the water as if they were alive. Some rocks actually had mouth and teeth. One of them opened its mouth to take a bite on one of the sinners. It chewed loudly and fiercely over and over again, then spat out whatever left in its mouth and dove back into the swamp.
In this floor, a mud-soak dirty naked man was standing in the knee-high swamp, holding a disfigured head by the eye sockets, was slamming the unknown head into the lying limbless man's body on the mud water.
The man was called Tong. He was one of the sinners who murdered someone in his previous life out of hatred. He was an honest policeman who just graduated from the military police school. Unfortunately, during his life, he accidentally offended a teenage-immature-son of a prominent politician in a nightclub while Tong was doing his job.
Ping, the prodigal son of the politician took revenge by killing both Tong's parents. After he was arrested just for half a day, Ping got out of jail scot-free without any charge.
The incident published in the news and several social media. Everyone knew that the prominent politician was behind the release. But none of the official, judge or attorney were willing to go against Ping and his father. News station even reported that the death of Tong's parents was an accident. Ping even mocked Tong in the live press conference in the news station he owned.
Tong flew into the rage. He stormed into the politician's resident, killed Ping and his mother, and crippled the politician before he was shot to death by the resident bodyguards.
...
"St-Stop, please. I-I'm sorry. Please stop already."
The limbless body cried.
"Hmm. Nope. Sorry bitch. I need to kill you another 349 times more to hit the current quota. I only killed you 651 times this afternoon. There is also the dinner quota, the night quota, the mid-night one, the after midnight and the dawn. So … do your best."
Tong smiled happily.
Unlike the other sinners, Tong was the only one that was smiling and laughing. He was currently one of the two sinners that were sober from the swamp toxic. Although every other sinner were still poisoned and drunk by the swamp, they instinctively avoided and tried to not get themselves noticed by Tong. The other sinner, which was immune to the swamp, was none other than the limbless man, which were being pummeled by Tong.
Ironically, the limbless man was Ping. He also suffered the consequences of killing Tong's parents.
"I still don't understand. What's the fun of beating the same guy over and over for millennia?"
A cheerful female voice sounded behind Tong. Behind him, a gorgeous white jaded-like skin female devil, who were wearing sunglasses and two pieces of skin-revealing-bikinis, were chilling on the beach chair on the back of a luxury superyacht. She sipped the cocktail in her hands deliciously as if the rotten odor of the swamp of the river Styx didn't exist.
"The same question right back at you. What's the fun of cruising in the middle of the river Styx? All you can see here are a bunch of naked lunatics and flying hyenas."
Tong didn't bother looking back at the devil. He was used to her presence. Tong had been here for over 450,000 years of Hell calendar, and he came across many kinds of devils, angels, and monster-looking-alike residences. The devil girl behind his back, who called herself Friday, had always visited him at least once a day. Sometimes she remained with him for the whole day.
For some reason, the Friday always came to show off her model-like figured and her 36D assets. When Tong first had seen her, he couldn't help but had a natural chemistry reaction on his crotch. However, when he witnessed a random male sinner tried to assault Friday and got blown by her into smithereens. After the assailant was resurrected, she dragged the poor sod onto her ship to repeatedly castrate him. It continued for days and nights. The similar incidents happened every time a male sinner lustfully charged at Friday or accidentally got on Friday's yacht. Tong's lust was completely killed. He became immune to Friday's seduction ever since.
"Hey, it's fun to have someone to talk to, you know? Do you know how boring it is by myself without someone to talk to for a million years? Everybody here acts like zombies in those B grade movies. My fellow devils all have poop in their brains. Some of them had nothing but P*n*s and Vagi**. You are the only sane person I can talk freely to in this hell."
"Then how about you talk to this dude instead of me."
Tong pointed at Ping.
Friday glanced at Ping. Even though Ping was also immune to the river Styx toxic, her eyes and face didn't hide the disgust feeling toward him.
"No way in hell I'm talking to that mess of a fresh. His EQ and IQ even lower than a pile of the imp's shit. I have my standard of who I want to make friends with, you know?"
Friday pouted. She waved her hand, and Ping was thrown into a rock mouth nearby. The rock opened its mouth and caught Ping happily. Ping got brutally chewed afterward.
"Joking aside, I have something important to tell you. Come up here and take a shower. You stink."
Tong stopped what he was doing and turned to look at Friday suspiciously on the superyacht.
"You are not going to castrate me, right?"
"…Why did you ask me that?"
"Answer my question, please."
"…"
"…"
"…Don't worry, I won't."
"What the hell with that pause!? You were planning to do it, didn't you?"
"I-I swear I didn't. I really have serious business to tell you!"
"And why is it in the past tense? You weren't actually planning to but you are planning to do it now, right?"
"Why are you so paranoid!? I seriously didn't, don't and won't do it!"
"But you were staring at my naked crotch and avoided my eye contact every time I talk to you face to face. What the hell are you planning?"
"I SAID I DON'T."
Tong knew that Friday was really serious. But he still messed around with her. He too was dying out of boredom. He needed someone to make a random conversation with to keep his sanity.
Tong and Friday ended up bickering at each other for a while. Finally, Tong agreed to enter the yacht to take a bath before he crossed the line, or Friday would get too angry. Bathing after 450,000 years refreshed him. He donned in a clean white robe and sat down on the bed in a double bedroom. Friday was already there waiting for him. She sat down on the bed opposite side of him.
"So what's the deal?" Tong asked.
"There's an opportunity for you to get out of this hell."
"How?"
"It's like this …"
Friday explained. Once every 100,000 Hell calendar years, the gods and devils always hold a redemption program for a sinner who behaved properly and shown sign of repent of his/her sins. The sinner, Tong, would be chosen to take part and redeem himself that he deserved to be with the gods.
The program was a trial that the sinner had to reincarnate into a mortal human once more. This time the gods would allow the sinner to retain the memories of his previous life. And the gods also gave the right to create a personal skill that could be taken along. During his new life, the gods would judge Tong if he was using his knowledge and his created skill for the greater goods or not. If he did so, all the crimes he did in the previous life before he came to hell would be pardoned, and he would have the right to become a resident in the realm of the gods.
"The program will be held in about 149 years from now. I'm telling you this in advance so you can be prepared."
Tong nodded. The program was good for him. He was sick of this place anyway. The reason he repeatedly beat up Ping was to intimidate other sinners to stay away from Tong. He, too, didn't want to suffer pain or death from being continuously killed and resurrected. However, he was still skeptical about the small details.
"It sounds good at a glance. But how am I going to prepare myself when I'm in hell?"
Friday smiled brightly.
"Don't worry. I've prepared everything just for you."
Friday stood up and walk to an empty area in the bedroom. She waved her hand and a rectangular transparent case, showing computer components inside, appeared out of thin air. On one of the components, the brand "NVIDIA" were inscribed on the outer layer. Then she waved her hand again. A long curve monitor appeared this time. Then she nimbly arranged the cables and plugs. Then a complete PC, a monitor, a mouse, and a PC table landed there on the previous empty spot. The whole processed took only 2 seconds to complete.
"…."
"How is it? Speechless right?"
"…Yes, I'm speechless."
"Hahaha, now, do you know great I am?"
"Yes, yes, you are great. Which bring me a question …"
"Ask away."
"You always said you were bored and had nothing to do, right?"
"Yep!"
"Had it come to your mind that you could always create this thing to kill your times instead of rolling around kept coming back to me and complain that you had nothing to do?"
"…"
"…"
"Ah!"
"Don't "Ah" me!"
...
"I have another question."
"Ask away."
"Don't you have the red branded graphics card? The green one sucks."
"...No, you suck."
...
A few minutes later after the awkward moments.
"There's even the internet in hell."
Tong was flabbergasted. The image of devils and hell in his mind was cracked after he got on to this yacht and experienced Friday and her luxurious lifestyle. Looking at Friday nearby, another PC set were placed there. Friday was wearing a headphone and a VR, screaming and waving her controllers around. If he were to see a city full of devils, living the life like humans, Tong was sure he would lose his mind.
"So, now we have the internet. What should I be looking for or researching for the remaining 149 years?"
Friday pulled away from her VR and headphone. Her face was solemn. She looked straight into Tong's eyes for a moment, then she closed her eyes and frown. She seemed to be deep in thought. She remained in that motion for 5 minutes, then she snapped open her eyes.
"What I'm telling now is supposed to be an inside information. Don't you tell anyone!"
Friday whispered. Tong nodded. He had no friend here in hell other than Friday anyway.
"You will be reborn into a citizen of ancient China. The year of your birth should be around 165 AD."
"Reincarnate into the past?"
"You can say that. Ever heard of Romance of the Three Kingdoms?"
"I'm familiar with it. It's that era?"
"Yes. It will be a chaotic time when you grow up into an adult there. The trial will be impossibly difficult because there will be killing and wars for a long period of time."
Tong frown deeply. The trial would judge the behavior of the sinner. If he were to kill someone again, would he be sent back to hell? Why would the gods send him there? It didn't make any sense.
Friday continued whispering.
"Secondly, the trial is a hoax. There will be no judge or any karma involve. You will only need to survive."
"Wait. Wh-!"
Friday hurriedly closed Tong mouth.
"Don't shout. Ears are everywhere here."
Tong nodded.
"That's why the skill that you get to create will affect your entire life. Create something that gives you more chance to survive. Something like a defensive skill."
"I was planning to create something like a search engine system that can access the modern internet. So it is a no-go?"
"That was unnecessary. Why do you think I'm giving you access to the internet?"
Tong smacked his forehead. Friday was right. He could memorize the related content and necessary information right now, for example, how to manage the crop rotation or gunpowder formula. Everything could be learned if he put his time on it and paid attention to it. He had over 140 years to cram everything into his brain and soul. He would waste the precious cheat for nothing if he wished for a search engine.
"A defensive skill, huh?"
Tong's brain started working after was not intensively used for over 450,000 years. He tried to think of something that could be used as an attack skill. At the same time, it could be used as a fail-safe defensive skill too.
Seeing that Tong was being deep in thought. Friday was in a daze. Then she was fidgeting. Her face was tinged red. She hesitated a moment before she asked.
"Tong, can I ask you for a favor?"
Tong snapped out of his thought and looked at Friday.
"Sure, you kind of risk yourself to help me. It's me that owing you a favor."
"T-Then, could you … could you live … I meant could you stay on the ship with me until you are sent to the trial?"
Tong paused and observed Friday. Her face was red to her ears. Her eyes were moist to the point that he thought she was crying. He was not that inexperience when it came to the relationship between man and woman. All sign showed that a flag had been raised. But he could also misunderstand her intention and got himself a friendzone flag at the same time.
'I am an idiot. I was too paranoid after all.'
It wasn't hard to tell that Friday was sincere. Thinking back of the older days, Friday always came to talk to him every opportunity she had, but not to other sinners, and hardly to other devils.
Tong had always thought that Friday was an evil devil who was trying to seduce a random man into a trap of endless tortures. He started to regret what he treated Friday in the past.
Tong smiled.
"Okay. If you don't mind."
Friday smiled widely. From Tong's perspective, it was the brightest and the most beautiful smile he had ever seen in his life.