Xu Ning stood beside the hospital bed, watching a doctor in a white coat rush in—straight through him—to try and save the body lying there.
His body.
The boy on the bed looked frail, like a shadow of someone who never had the chance to live fully. His hair was gone. Even his eyebrows had vanished, leaving behind a face that looked strangely blank—like a puppet that had lost its strings.
Funny, Xu Ning thought bitterly. You really start noticing the small things when you're dead.
Yes—he was dead.
He tried to slip back into his body, no matter how broken or diseased it was. Anything to hold on. But the body didn't even flinch. His hand passed through it like mist.
He was just a soul now—light, floating, and hollow.
The door burst open. His parents ran in, followed by his older brother. The grief in their eyes was overwhelming. They collapsed beside his bed, clutching the lifeless body that used to be him.
His mother's cries cut through the sterile silence of the hospital room.
"Mom… don't cry," Xu Ning whispered, even though he knew they couldn't hear him. His brother's voice echoed:
"Mom, don't be so sad… he's free now. Ning is finally at peace."
Peace? He had lived a life of needles, IV drips, and hollow birthdays. His body had been a prison since the age of three. Peace wasn't death—it was something he had never truly known.
Still, Xu Ning felt no anger, no resentment. If anything, he was grateful.
His family had done what they could. He was born into comfort, given care, and fought for longer than expected. For someone who barely left the hospital bed, ten years had felt like a lifetime.
"Thank you," he whispered, as his soul began to drift.
And then—
"Soul detected. Requirements met. Initiating connection with System 007."
A cold, mechanical voice echoed inside his very soul.
Suddenly, an icy force surged through him. Xu Ning convulsed mid-air, his soul writhing under the pressure. Darkness clawed at his vision, pulling him down into unconsciousness.
What is this?! Am I not done yet? Can't I just rest...?
Then—nothing.
He didn't know how much time had passed when he woke up again. His soul felt heavy, like lead wrapped in fog. Exhaustion laced every inch of his being. He instinctively reached for his head—only to feel something soft, like cotton.
What the hell…?
Was his soul… physical?
The texture gave him some comfort. At least he wouldn't dissipate anytime soon.
As his senses returned, Xu Ning looked around. The world was a void. No walls, no floor, no sound. Just infinite, sterile white.
Too quiet.
He wrapped his arms around himself. Where am I? What now?
Before panic could take over, a screen blinked into existence in front of him, glowing blue.
Welcome, Task Taker #007. Your missions begin now.