Back at home, Li Wei stretched out on his worn-out bed with a contented hum. His hand reached out to the bedside table, turning on the shabby radio. The low-quality broadcast filled the room.
"...The Public Security Bureau of our city has concluded the trial of the cult case investigated on Iron Cross Avenue in the Upper District. Seventeen black mages have been sentenced to immediate execution, and nine vampires have also received the death penalty..."
This news didn't grab much of Li Wei's attention. In this world filled with magic and supernatural beings, such incidents had become commonplace. Initially, when he first arrived in this world after his rebirth, he found such news bizarre. However, having witnessed various extraordinary occurrences, including the public execution of a beastified rat-man, he had grown accustomed to such events.
This world was teeming with magical creatures, and Li Wei, a bounty hunter, had a role to play in this ecosystem. In his previous life, he had faced rejection from the Supernatural Academy due to a lack of perceived potential. Despite overcoming this setback through hard work, he still found himself lingering at the bottom of society.
Even with his resurrection, the concerns about his current life persisted. Li Wei was a bounty hunter, one of the lowest-tier ones. His daily struggle for survival remained unchanged.
However, after his rebirth, he discovered a mysterious ability or artifact that had awakened with him—the Book of All Things.
Before activating the Book of All Things, there was a ritual Li Wei needed to perform. After a brief rest, he sat down at the workbench in the corner of his room. He retrieved an unused syringe and a vial of D-grade gene fluid obtained through an exchange with Erin, the bar owner.
Injecting the gene fluid into his arm, Li Wei felt a warm flow coursing through his veins. The sensation wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't overly painful either.
Before he could fully experience the effects of the gene fluid, he concentrated his mind and established a connection with the Book of All Things.
In front of him, a phantom image of a codex appeared. As he focused, the image became clearer, eventually materializing into a physical book. It seemed ancient, with a black cover resembling some kind of leather, and faint traces of rust on the brass-bound edges. Bizarre patterns adorned the cover, resembling mystical symbols.
As the pages turned, skipping the first page with the Sharingan and the second page with the Transformation Jutsu, it arrived at the still-empty third page.
Soon, Li Wei sensed every part of his body, from flesh and cells to hair and nails, growing weaker. This was the feeling of life force being transferred into the Book of All Things.
He remained calm, having experienced this twice before. However, this time, the process of unsealing the book and gaining a new ability was much smoother.
After injecting life force into the Book of All Things, Li Wei felt the weakness fading away.
After a brief moment, the unsealing process was complete.
After the unsealing of the Book of All Things, several options would usually appear for Li Wei to choose from. Sometimes the options were excellent, like the first time when he gained the powerful Sharingan ability. Other times, they were mediocre, like the second time when he acquired the Transformation Jutsu. This time, only one option appeared, meaning he had no choice.
Nevertheless, the ability seemed promising—it was a direct and potent attack method, something Li Wei desired.
"Steel-Cutting Flash... Hmm, not bad."
Taken from a skill of a character in a game, Li Wei vaguely remembered the character's rather edgy catchphrase. If he recalled correctly, it was something like "Face the swift wind!"
Flexing his fists, he felt no adverse effects on his body. With a base of D-grade gene fluid, the unsealing of the Book of All Things' page had not inflicted significant damage. Although he still felt some weakness, a fifteen-minute rest would be sufficient for recovery.
Sitting back on the bed, Li Wei picked up a short knife.
Drawing the knife from its old leather sheath, he began polishing it. It was his way of calming his mind—a habit carried over from his previous life.
Meanwhile, he waited for the arrival of a "guest" that he had been postponing for a month.
It was time to resolve this impending issue.
After some time, just as Li Wei was growing impatient while polishing the knife, his door was knocked.
"Li Wei, are you home? Your rent is due!"