Chapter 1: After Being Killed 44 Times, I Finally Gave Up

A nail pierced through the skull, blood mixed with brain matter gushed out from the wound, staining Lu Li’s eyes red and splattering onto the other’s gloves. Yet, the young man in front of her remained cold and efficient, as if he were merely slaughtering a beast.

Lu Li convulsed and collapsed. Why was it always a kill-on-sight?

Her bloodshot eyes widened, pupils dissolving, consciousness fading.

[You have died. Please restart the novice mission: Reach the villain’s side and survive.]

[Mission countdown begins in 1 hour!]

The mechanical system voice echoed again in her mind. Lu Li, who had died for the forty-fifth time, gasped sharply and suddenly sat up, eyes wide open.

Her stiff fingers trembled as they reached for her forehead—smooth and delicate, with no blood hole.

Yet the lingering pain and visual shock from her brain being shredded made her shudder.

She had been killed again!

Ignoring the urgent countdown buzzing in her ear, Lu Li grabbed the control panel and murmured, “System, first he tore out my heart and lungs.”

“Then he pulled out my intestines.”

“Later, he dug into my liver and sliced my kidneys.”

“And now he just shredded my brain?”

[Host, I possess ultra-wide 360-degree vision sharper than 4K…]

“The villain doesn’t even wait for me to speak! Every time we meet, he unlocks a new way to kill me!”

“Forty-four times, forty-four whole times! I even think he’s developed muscle memory for killing me—the moves are more efficient and less varied!”

[Host~]

After a fit of helpless rage, Lu Li gave up in despair.

She lay back down, covering her face, voice trembling, “I don’t dare be your host anymore. Please find someone else!”

“I won’t go back to this place. Whoever wants to do this mission, fine. I quit! Punish me however you want, just let me die cleanly and never meet the villain again!”

“That villain, he slashes every dog that crosses his path—does he think this is some kind of bargain store?”

[Host, I’m reporting to the main system and clearing the mosaics from your mind, boohoo…]

Outside the abandoned villa, green hills stretched like ink, ancient trees towered, and streams babbled softly.

A gentle breeze stirred the leaves, rich floral scents mingled with fresh grass and wood aromas. Lu Li lay prostrate on the ground, her heart dead silent with no hope for life.

According to the plan, she should now be inheriting keys to dozens of mansions, lying back as a landlord—if not for that bomb planted by some anti-rich terrorist.

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After being blown to bits with not a scrap left, she drifted out!

Then, she entered the book.

Her entire soul dove into “One Hundred Years After the Apocalypse, The Cutie is Adored by Five Big Shots,” held by a college student nearby, becoming a mere background character.

In this novel, the female lead was unloved early on, suddenly awakened healing powers, then went on to collect a harem in a trope-filled story. Lu Li’s character was never part of the action.

The plot was over-the-top but irresistibly sweet, with striking details. Just as she contemplated whether to watch the female lead’s juicy scenes up close while snacking on popcorn, the system that urged her to commit suicide popped up.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have been bound to the Villain Rescue System!]

[In the spirit of humanitarianism, do you accept the system mission: rescue the great villain Jiang Linyi and prevent the apocalypse?]

[Complete the mission, and you will return to your original world, resurrect your body, and receive a generous fortune!]

Thinking back to when she had accepted confidently, believing saving the villain was a simple matter, Lu Li felt a heart attack coming on.

How could she have thought it was enough to just stop the villain from exposing his regenerative powers and prevent him from being captured and tortured in a lab?

Reality had slapped her hard, proving there was no free lunch.

She failed forty-four times to get close to the villain, and Jiang Linyi killed her instantly forty-four times upon meeting.

Lu Li clutched her throbbing chest and turned over to let the sun tan her evenly.

Suddenly, a shadow darted from the woods, skimming over her head.

She scrambled up quickly, her body stiff and slow, probably because it wasn’t her original one. A yellowish-brown bird dropping brushed her cheek and exploded at her feet.

Startled, Lu Li jumped and patted her chest wildly—she couldn’t even die in peace! Almost got bird poop on her head!

She wanted to dig her own grave—at least a dignified death!

Without tools, she had to dig it herself. Moving away from the bird droppings, her fingers spread like claws, digging fiercely as turf and dirt flew.

Her breath caught—this frail-looking body was surprisingly strong.

Holding her hand up, the palm was plump, fingers slender and long, though the nails were a bit long and the skin too pale. But with dirt smudging her fingertips from digging, they didn’t seem as ghostly.

Were post-apocalyptic bodies really that tough? In the modern world, she’d be a top bricklayer or athlete. As for the villain…

Thinking of Jiang Linyi, Lu Li’s teeth ground together sharply.

Tch! Bad luck.

She shook her head to clear the gloomy thoughts. The black bird that flew away returned, suspicious yellowish-brown spots under its wings and tail.

She dodged it, yet it charged at her again.

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Unable to fight the villain, she even had a bird dropping on her head.

Lu Li picked up a stone, muscles tensed, aimed carefully, and threw hard.

A sharp crack sounded, the bird cried and fell, its tail covered in its own mess.

[Mission countdown: 44 minutes 44 seconds]

Time was tight and the mission urgent. Lu Li scrambled in the dirt, forehead dry despite the effort.

When the grave was halfway her size, she stopped and carefully climbed inside. The soil beneath was soft, floral scents sweet in the air—a comfortable place to rest after death.

Just as she reached for a stone to seal the entrance, a larger black bird dove down, aiming its tail at her head for a drop…

“Damn your ancestors!” Lu Li yelled, hurling a stone again.

What the hell? Were these birds on some drug?

Lu Li kept digging.

The grave wasn’t deep enough. She feared bird droppings would seep in and soil her remains. Besides, the woods were near—if wild animals smelled her corpse and dug it up to eat, she wouldn’t have a complete body to resurrect. Having died incomplete 46 times already, she cared about this.

With the system countdown ticking, Lu Li dug harder, the pit growing deeper. She didn’t plan to come out; her whole body vanished beneath the earth’s surface.

“System, when I die, remember to fill the grave and pack the soil tight. I don’t want to be dug up again, and don’t let those birds poop on my grave! It’s an eyesore!”

After knocking down another black bird, Lu Li lay contentedly in her grave, staring at the blue sky, listening to the countdown of her life.

[Mission countdown: 3]

[Mission countdown: 2]

[Mission countdown: 1]

[Countdown ended. Mission failed.]

With the mechanical voice fading, Lu Li slowly closed her eyes.

A splatter of bird droppings finally hit its mark, the gooey liquid dripping from her forehead to her ear.

She instinctively reached up—wet, slippery, gritty.

Damn it! Bird poop!!!

[Ding! Your Villain Rescue System is now online.]