I WAS The Rank–1 Hero - Chapter 21: This is Just the Beginning [2]

Noa’s life turned into a disaster.He was fired for no reason, betrayed by the woman he loved, and left drowning in debt for a wedding that would never happen.Then a truck almost killed him.And just before the world went black—time froze.Suddenly, Noa is no longer an average human—he is a Dimensional Tycoon, capable of buying and selling planets at market price.When gods need immortality, Noa sells them elixirs. When demon kings want weapons of mass destruction, they pay in cash. When heavens fall, he buys the land. When empires collapse, he auctions the ashes.Noa can trade anything, as long as the price is fair.He doesn’t conquer realms, because in this world, money is the greatest power—and Noa controls the market.After all, even divine beings knock on his door—not to fight, but to ask for a discount.But every tycoon has to start somewhere.For Noa, it began with selling shampoo to bald cultivators.

Dale Mitchell, your average guy in a below-average job. But, what happens to him is anything but average. After hitting someone in his truck, his world was turned upside down, inside out, and more than fifty shades of grey.

Now, he seems to be something called a World Keeper, and must create and manage his own world. Is this his afterlife, or something else entirely?

Adam begins as an ordinary high school student whose life is shattered when his parents vanish. The police later declare their deaths a double suicide, a conclusion Adam refuses to accept.His persistent quest for a real investigation leads him into a dark conspiracy when two corrupt police officers kidnap, torture, and murder him. In his final moments, they reveal his parents were also murdered by an untouchable, powerful entity.Instead of dying permanently, Adam awakens with a new reality: he has been granted a 'System' and the supernatural ability of 'Return by Death,' forcing him to relive his final days.Confused, Adam tries to confide in his trusted teacher, only to be betrayed and killed once again. This time, he learns the staggering reason for his persecution: a $100 million bounty has been placed on his head, making everyone a potential enemy.Dying again and again is horrible. The pain changes Adam completely. The sad, normal boy he once was is gone. He becomes a cold and ruthless killer. He trusts no one. If he even suspects someone might be a threat, he will kill them without a second thought. His only goals are to survive this deadly game and get revenge for his parents.During one of his loops, while investigating, Adam crosses paths with a female classmate being tormented by bullies. He saves her in a moment of detached action and quickly forgets the incident, focused only on his own war. For the girl, however, this act of salvation ignites an intense and devoted love.This devotion becomes a tragic and recurring element in his nightmare. The girl, willing to do anything for him, repeatedly throws herself in harm's way to protect him, often dying in his place across multiple loops.Adam is now trapped not only in a fight against a vast conspiracy but also in a cycle of watching an innocent person die for him, further cementing his transformation into a hardened protagonist who has lost nearly everything, including his own humanity.