"Phew…"
Shane exhaled a long breath, watching the sea of fire gradually die down and the charred remains of the shapeshifter turning to ash. He rubbed his throat, which still felt faintly hot, and the corners of his mouth curled up.
Though the range and power didn't match Madara's anime-level devastation, and it had consumed nearly two-thirds of his chakra, the effect was exhilarating.
He was satisfied.
The mission completion chime echoed in his ears, mixed with the screams of people nearby reacting to the towering flames. Even from a distance, the heat seemed to carry their panic.
Shane turned to look at Olivia, who had stood up and regained some composure. He silently praised her. First a shapeshifter, then a Fire Release jutsu—most people would have needed a lot longer to calm down.
It just went to show: a protagonist is a protagonist. Their mental resilience is built different.
"Witnessed a Supernatural shapeshifter, confirmed that powerful fire can kill it, and ran into another show's lead. That tip money was incredibly well spent!"
Shane felt like his transmigration had completely rewritten his destiny. He was now blessed with supreme luck.
His new life had just begun, and he'd already encountered surprises. Whether it was the shapeshifter or this blonde girl, both encounters happened because he'd impulsively given a massive tip.
What did that prove?
It proved that being a positive-energy tycoon was the right path. Good people get good rewards!
This was metaphysics!
"Let's get out of here first. Then you tell me what the hell just happened."
Hearing the chaotic noise getting closer, Olivia whispered, "Follow me," then turned and ran toward the other end of the alley.
Shane followed close behind.
Ten minutes later, after twisting and turning through side streets, the two finally stopped by the lake in a park.
"Talk."
Olivia brushed back her messy hair and looked at Shane with feigned calm.
"Before I tell you, answer me one question first: Have you ever been to Midnight, Texas?" Shane asked.
"Never heard of it." Olivia shook her head.
Shane hummed in acknowledgment and smiled. "This world is full of supernatural creatures. Vampires, werewolves, ghosts, demons—even angels or gods are real."
"Like that thing back there?"
"A shapeshifter. One of the weaker supernatural creatures. There's more than one kind, but that one could take other people's forms and heal by shedding its skin. Usually, only silver can kill them."
Though it sounded incredible, she believed him.
Olivia hadn't seen it change into someone else, but the memory of it peeling off its own skin still made her scalp crawl. Plus, she was confident in her marksmanship. At that range, putting several bullets in someone meant they should be dead.
"Then… what about you?" Olivia stared intently at Shane. If the shapeshifter was horrifying, Shane breathing fire and unleashing a literal inferno was world-shattering.
Can humans breathe fire?
Of course not. Unless…
"Are you a wizard?" Olivia's eyes lit up as she reasoned with herself. "Since werewolves and vampires are real, wizards must be too, right? You breathed fire using magic? I saw you making hand signs before you did it—those were magic seals for casting a spell, right?"
Wizard?
Thanks, I'm offended!
Though, magic and ninjutsu did have similarities. Magic used mana, ninjutsu used chakra. Both consumed special energy and used specific forms or gestures to release different effects.
"I didn't use magic. I used ninjutsu. And I'm not a wizard. I'm a… ninja. But not the ordinary kind people think of—I'm a chakra ninja!"
Seeing Olivia's blank look, Shane laughed softly. "Forget it. You can understand it as being similar to a wizard. Anyway, as far as I know, I'm the only chakra ninja in this world. The only one who can use ninjutsu."
"I still don't really get it, but… okay." Olivia suddenly pouted. "If I'd known you were a wiza—a ninja, I wouldn't have meddled."
Shane smiled. "Let's talk about you. You look about my age. Carrying a gun, acting decisively, killing someone without panicking… what do you do?"
"What do you think?" Olivia asked back.
"Assassin?"
"That's a decent option. Maybe I'll do that later." Olivia shrugged.
There was a dismissiveness in her tone. A kind of reckless freedom. A sense of… self-destruction?
"I killed some people. Some scumbags I thought deserved it. People I wanted to kill before but didn't have the ability to."
Olivia let out a self-mocking laugh. "The irony is, I didn't feel liberated. Nothing changed. Well, I can't say nothing changed—at least now I'm homeless with nowhere to go and nothing to do. Maybe I really should become an assassin."
Desolate. Powerless.
That was the feeling Olivia gave Shane right now. And knowing what she had gone through, he felt that vibe even more intensely.
Olivia Charity. From Midnight, Texas.
It was a supernatural show that only ran for two seasons. The story revolved around a remote town called Midnight, Texas. The town had a vampire who didn't drink blood but absorbed human emotional energy; a respected reverend who was actually a weretiger; a witch who couldn't fall in love; and an angel-demon couple.
By day, they were friendly, ordinary townsfolk. By night, they were vampires, witches, psychics, and assassins. For them, Midnight was a haven where they could hide their identities and escape their enemies.
Almost everyone there had a past they couldn't escape and enemies in the shadows. They were united, helping each other, and preferred solving the town's problems internally.
Olivia was one of the residents of that town. The assassin.
Of course, right now she hadn't become that assassin yet, nor had she settled in Midnight. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so shocked by a shapeshifter or his ninjutsu.