Chapter 3: The Defiant, The Bronze Emblem
“Don’t blame me!” the fat man hissed through clenched teeth, “It’s your fault, you pretty boy, for looking where you shouldn’t… That woman isn’t any good either—always flirting around…”
“Haha, after I got fat, that bitch didn’t even recognize me… I used to be handsome, you know!”
“Ugh!”
Gao Mo’s fingers flailed, clawing and struggling.
What on earth had he seen?
If this went on, even if someone heard the noise and came out, it wouldn’t save him.
No, this won’t do!
His forehead throbbing, Gao Mo seized a baseball bat from the corner during his struggle and unleashed his strength, striking the fat man’s temple with fierce determination.
One hit!
Two hits!!
Blood splattered.
“Cough, cough!”
Taking advantage of the fat man’s hands loosening slightly, Gao Mo bit down viciously.
Adrenaline surged.
Repeated brushes with death transformed Gao Mo into a demon, tearing flesh with ferocity.
Die!!
“Ah—!”
The fat man screamed in agony, breaking free. Dizzy and disoriented, he missed a step and his bulky body tumbled down the stairs before he could react.
When Gao Mo came to his senses, only the blood-stained shattered glasses remained by his side.
“Whew!”
His throat burned like fire, and exhaustion immediately followed the outburst.
Enduring the pain, he gripped the railing and struggled to stand. Under the glow of the voice-activated light, he stared blankly at the fat man’s contorted neck at the foot of the stairs.
The dizziness from oxygen deprivation was swept away by the cold air rushing over his forehead.
The fat man’s head continued to bleed, but there was no movement—only occasional spasms like seizures.
No matter how he looked at it, there was no hope.
He had killed someone…
What kind of situation was this?
Gao Mo’s emotions churned painfully. Pressing a hand to his still-throbbing chest, he felt an indescribable sensation.
After this rebirth, he might never return to a normal life.
“Huff, huff!”
Heavy breathing echoed.
Suddenly, a cascade of data-like lights flooded Gao Mo’s vision, and the voice-activated lamp and the fat man’s corpse seemed to dissolve into an illusory backdrop.
What?
A strange, mysterious blood-red aura filled the escape corridor.
A transparent bronze badge formed within it, shining before his eyes.
[Book Badge: Proof of the Fate-Reverser’s path to transcendence.]
[Current level: Bronze Tier One. Acquired ability—Eagle Eye Vision.]
[Enhanced observation skills, improved dynamic vision. PS: Can be actively activated to obtain environmental details for 5 seconds.]
[Default task drawn—“Catch the culprit.” Completed. Drawing rewards…]
[Received “Zero’s Money-Saving Guide: How to Spend Two Incomes” (1-star miscellaneous book), “The Career of a Has-Been Idol” (3-star), plus an additional 2-star reward.]
[Current professions: Actor Lv.0, Supermarket Cashier Lv.0, amateur level.]
[Currently available 2 stars. Absorb book knowledge to acquire stars, use stars to upgrade profession levels. Each Lv.5 profession unlocks the next tier, advancing into the supernatural realm.]
[Actor Lv.1 upgrade requires 10 stars plus an actor-related book; Supermarket Cashier Lv.1 requires 10 stars and one month of work experience.]
…
“Are you okay?”
The voice of the mixed-race neighbor roused Gao Mo.
“Should I call an ambulance?”
“No need, just call the police,” Gao Mo took a deep breath, looking at the fat man whose eyes fluttered shut despite death’s grip.
After the flood of text, Gao Mo felt no panic; instead, he was calm beyond normal, with a genuine sense of rebirth’s lightness.
But these prompts…
A profession system?
“Don’t worry,” the mixed-race youth frowned slightly upon seeing the scene, offering reassurance. “I think I know what’s going on. I can testify for you later—self-defense means you’ll be fine.”
“Thank you.”
Gao Mo had a good impression of this neighbor—though a bit dark-skinned, he was handsome enough and, most importantly, had a decent personality. He hadn’t given Gao Mo that near-death terror.
“I’m Kido Gao Mo from apartment 1604.”
“I’m Amuro from 1602, just moved in yesterday,” the mixed-race youth laughed softly and nodded. “You should be careful. After a crime, criminals are especially sensitive for a while. You probably triggered him by accident.”
Gao Mo glanced at him more closely.
Amuro, and “Zero’s Money-Saving Guide: How to Spend Two Incomes”…
Could this guy be Furuya Rei from the original story?
Before rebirth, Gao Mo knew the characters from “Detective Conan” fairly well, having followed many pairings, though his interest in the cases themselves waned.
He was certainly familiar with Furuya Rei—a popular character.
A former police officer, undercover in the Black Organization, codename “Bourbon,” later assigned missions. Under the guise of Amuro Tooru, he studied under Kogoro Mouri and worked at Poirot Café… A versatile man juggling several jobs.
Was he on an Organization mission even now?
Gao Mo chose not to engage further with the mixed-race youth.
He didn’t want any ties to the Black Organization at the moment.
…
Due to the case’s special nature, the police took both Gao Mo and Amuro to the station.
Filing statements and waiting would take at least until the next day.
Gao Mo used this time to study the Book Badge only he could see.
The bronze level only granted “Eagle Eye Vision,” but he already felt his eyesight sharpened considerably, noticing more details—including pedestrian behaviors he’d never paid attention to before.
He hadn’t tried the active ability at the station yet, but at first glance, it seemed perfect for detectives or snipers.
When the Book Badge was expanded, nearby walls, newspapers, or books displayed glowing text.
He couldn’t discern much yet, only that the heads of officers like Megure displayed pre-selected task information earlier.
This time, perhaps due to his passive involvement, the default task drawn was Megure’s “Solve the Case.”
It settled as soon as he dealt with the fat culprit.
As for the rewards…
Gao Mo casually picked up a magazine in the lounge, and immediately the two stored books appeared in his field of vision.
“Zero’s Money-Saving Guide: How to Spend Two Incomes” and “The Career of a Has-Been Idol.”
These two books, rewarded for completing the task, seemed to grant stars upon reading; the stars, like the bonus stars, could be used to level up professions.
Whether they had other effects, he didn’t know…
He couldn’t calm down enough to finish reading anyway.
However, one thing bothered him: he’d been in the entertainment industry before, yet his actor profession was only at amateur level.
Was the standard too high?
…
The case progressed much faster than expected. At dawn, officers notified him of the results.
At that moment, Gao Mo finished reading both star-level books under Amuro’s puzzled gaze.
“Zero’s Money-Saving Guide” was just a humorous book.
How to spend two incomes? Spend it however you want.
This guy never lacked money; he mostly used public funds anyways.
The second book made him a little sad.
His previous life’s earnings had been drained by a vampire company—90% gone—so after being abandoned, all he was left with was the house.
The good news was the book met the upgrade requirement; he now needed only 10 stars to reach Actor Lv.1… No, actually just 4 stars.
Counting the 1 and 3 stars from the books, he already had 6 stars.
He wondered what effect leveling up would bring.
He seemed to have no other choice—he couldn’t exactly upgrade his supermarket cashier profession.
“Are you really okay?” Amuro asked suspiciously as they left the police station together.
For hours, Gao Mo had been flipping through the magazine repeatedly, but his eyes never focused on the text.
Reading with empty eyes?
Was this neighbor mentally disturbed from accidentally killing someone?
But looking at him, it didn’t seem so… If anything, his reactions were abnormal—not typical of most people.
“Mr. Kido! Wait!”
Outside, Chief Inspector Takagi came panting after them.
“There’s… another case. There’s been a homicide at the supermarket where you work!”
“Ah?”