As Kino entered the Awe System, an infinite frost-white hue suddenly enveloped the surroundings, quickly spreading to every corner of the world.
Everything froze.
Except for Kino himself.
The world transformed into a painting, deathly silent, and Kino stood as an outsider, the sole color in this frost-bound realm.
He moved a finger, attempting to use telekinesis to break through the frost, only to find that even a speck of dust remained immovable, frozen mid-air, still as a white star.
At that moment, Kino realized—it wasn't the objects that were frozen.
It was time itself that had stopped.
When time stands still, all things are suspended in their current state, unable to undergo any physical or chemical change.
Before Kino could contemplate further, the endless frost-white began to collapse, as though the world were coming to an end. The three-dimensional space of length, width, and height twisted continuously, folding into several horizontal mirror surfaces, seven in total.
Six of them lay in a row, each with its own code: Gluttony, Lust, Greed, Sloth, Envy, Wrath.
Kino's gaze shifted to his own mark of the Rejected.
[Rejected Trait: Arrogance]
The Seven Deadly Sins, or the Seven Sins.
Including himself, there were seven Rejected, each named after one of the Seven Sins.
Kino paused for a moment before touching "Gluttony."
Soon, lines of text and data appeared:
[Leap—24 hours: 576,681 Awe]
[Unlocked]
[Unlocked]
[Unlocked]
[Unlocked]
The true nature of the Awe System was now revealed to Kino.
He had originally believed it was some form of special enhancement, but now he saw how wrong he was.
The Awe System didn't serve to strengthen; rather, it interacted with other worlds. For example, "Leap" could allow him to leave his home world and travel to other dimensions.
He needn't worry about others noticing his departure from the main world, for time there had been frozen, just like the frost-white he had seen earlier.
Kino touched all six of the Rejected worlds, noting that the required Awe values for each ranged widely, but most of them were in the six-digit range. His current 528 points of Awe didn't even cover a fraction of what was needed.
The remaining "Unlocked" abilities likely referred to other modes of interaction, which would only be accessible once he met certain conditions.
Since his points were far from sufficient, Kino moved on from the six Rejected worlds and turned his attention to the seventh independent mirror. Its name was...
The Past Life.
From Li Minke, Kino had learned that members of the reincarnation squad could never return to their past lives, yet he could.
What he didn't know was whether he alone could return, or if other Rejected could as well.
Kino touched the mirror of the past life, and lines of text and data appeared, showing only one entry:
[Leap—24 hours: 500 Awe]
Kino narrowed his eyes, pondering. Why was the Awe value required for the past life so much less than for the Rejected worlds?
What was the standard for this judgment?
As he contemplated, three lines of prompts appeared:
[Returning to the past life, no information about the reincarnation world may be disclosed.]
[Rejected world's native items cannot be brought into the past life, nor can past life items be brought into the Rejected world—Exchange items are unrestricted.]
[Returning to the past life, all abilities except for basic genetic enhancements will be temporarily disabled.]
The first and third rules made perfect sense; there was nothing to dispute there.
The second rule, restricting the transport of native items, likely stemmed from the highest beings not wanting "resale" to occur.
Without this rule, the following could happen: Kino might bring salt crystals from the main world into the past life, causing a scientific uproar and earning him heaps of money. With that money, he could buy large quantities of antibiotics, which would then spark an alchemical sensation in the main world, earning him even more currency... creating an endless loop.
Clearly, the highest beings did not want to see such a scenario. They didn't want the Rejected to have such a quick method of becoming rich.
So, theoretically, could salt crystals—something unique to the main world—appear in the past life?
Yes.
Because the second rule clarified: Exchange items are unrestricted.
This rule was likely meant to make respect value a universal equivalent, preventing the Rejected from bypassing the respect system and trading resources through other means.
With this rule in place, the trade of items between worlds was blocked, but returning to the past life still held significance.
There was something invisible, intangible, with no fixed form—that was "technological power."
The scientific technology from the past life was entirely different from that of the main world, and it could be utilized.
Moreover, there were several key questions that Kino hoped to answer by returning to the past life.
Now that he had enough Awe points to return for 24 hours, he stepped through the mirror leading to his past life.
...
At 7 PM, at the Blue Danube Restaurant.
The air inside the restaurant was infused with mysterious South American incense, while dimly lit lamps cast the perfect amount of shadow, adding a layer of mystique to the atmosphere. The decor was tastefully elegant, with antique items from the Kingdom of Great Britain's Gold Finch Dynasty displayed in the windows, and authentic Renaissance paintings hanging on the walls, reflecting the owner's scholarly taste.
On the performance stage, an expatriate pianist in a tailcoat sat before a $3 million Heinzmann crystal piano, his attention solely on performing Chopin's "Nocturne." The soothing, elegant melody filled the room, calming the hearts of all present.
At the VIP tables, the waitstaff, impeccably dressed, lit candles, their faint glow casting soft light on the guests' faces.
Kino's face was dimly illuminated, his pale skin tinged with a warm orange glow. His amber eyes reflected the candlelight, exuding an otherworldly mystery that occasionally drew the admiring gazes of female guests, while their male companions shot jealous looks.
Dressed in a tailor-made suit that fit him perfectly, Kino moved without a hint of discomfort. Judging by the material, the suit was probably worth millions.
But for him, that was merely pocket change.
His respect points could be exchanged for cash, and since the past life wasn't his usual world, the exchange rate was extravagant—one respect point equaled 100,000.
This suit cost less than his tungsten-steel dagger.
Kino had arrived early in the morning, dealt with a few chores, and only now, in the evening, was he able to sit down for a meal, already starving.
After the aperitif, Kino's face turned rosy, like a ripe apple. He picked up his knife and fork and began to slowly enjoy his A5-grade Wagyu beef, cooked to medium-rare.
After the main course, the chef personally brought out dessert, placing it on the table and respectfully asking, "Esteemed guest, did today's meal suit your taste?"
Kino smiled. "It was exquisite. I truly wish I could eat this every day."
The chef bowed. "The Blue Danube welcomes you every day."
"But I can't come every day." Kino placed a bank card on the table. "The password is the first six digits of pi, and there's 10 million inside. This is your tip."
The chef nearly fell over. He had served many wealthy patrons before and had received tips, but never had anyone offered 10 million upfront.
The chef, his head lowered, was at a loss for words. "Sir, you must be joking..."
Kino's gaze swept over his wrinkles and dark circles. "I'm not joking. Take it. Your culinary skills are remarkable. Don't let the pressures of reality limit your life. Go study at a higher institution, chase your dreams."
The chef's eyes trembled, and his heart stirred.
Had he not dreamed of a better life?
But his father passed away early, his mother sick with a chronic illness. He had to bear the cost of expensive medical bills, car loans, mortgages, and care for his two children.
In the face of such harsh realities, there was no room for dreams.
He had to give up deepening his culinary expertise and squeeze into this upscale restaurant, working nine to nine with one day off per week, endlessly repeating the menu, day after day, year after year.
Now, whether the 10 million on the card was real or not didn't matter.
If it was fake, he would simply laugh it off with no loss.
If it was real, then this guest would be the benefactor of his life.
The chef grasped the bank card tightly and bowed deeply to Kino, his voice choked with emotion. "Thank you... I don't know how to repay you... Thank you... truly, thank you..."
Kino glanced at his Awe system, and saw that his points had not increased—there was no addition, not even by a single point. This clearly contradicted the chef's current feelings.
Of course, this anomaly had already revealed the answer: Emotion points could not be harvested in the past life.
"No need to thank me." Kino gently wiped his mouth with a wet towel, stood up, and left, leaving behind a cryptic remark the chef couldn't understand, "You've already