Chapter 1: The End of a Boring Life

Lahsiv Vale sat at his desk, staring blankly at the computer screen. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, but he couldn’t bring himself to type another meaningless line of code. Around him, his colleagues were lost in their own worlds—people too absorbed in their tasks, deadlines, and corporate ladders to realize how insignificant it all was. To Lahsiv, everything felt futile, a pointless repetition of actions in a world that didn’t deserve effort.

‘What’s the point?’ he thought, his eyes narrowing. The buzzing of the fluorescent lights overhead only added to the monotony. ‘These people… they cling to their tiny lives, thinking any of this matters.’

For as long as he could remember, Lahsiv had felt this way. School, work, relationships—none of it held any value. He had completed his education not because he wanted to, but because there was nothing else to do. Now, at 25, he found himself trapped in a job that paid well but drained him of whatever little interest he had left in life.

Looking at the time, Lahsiv sighed. Five more hours of this mind-numbing work. His supervisor, a man as dull and predictable as the rest, was approaching with yet another task.

“Lahsiv,” the man began, “I need you to stay late tonight. The project is behind, and—”

“Fine,” Lahsiv interrupted, not bothering to look up. The supervisor, taken aback by the lack of respect, stammered but eventually walked away.

The day dragged on, each minute feeling like an hour. By the time Lahsiv finally left the office, it was already dark outside. The city streets were empty, save for a few lingering cars and pedestrians. He slipped on his headphones, hoping music would drown out the meaningless chatter of the world around him.

As he walked through the quiet streets, he felt the familiar weight of disillusionment settling over him like a blanket. No matter where he went, no matter what he did, there was always this gnawing emptiness. A feeling that nothing was truly worth the effort.

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That’s when he heard it—a screech of tires. Lahsiv turned his head just in time to see the blinding headlights of a truck barreling toward him. Time seemed to slow as his mind registered the impending collision. For a brief moment, he considered stepping out of the way. But why? Would it really matter if he lived another day in this hollow world?

‘Maybe this is it,’ he mused, watching the truck grow closer. ‘An end to all this pointless existence.’

And then, everything went black.

The next time Lahsiv opened his eyes, the world was different. He wasn’t in a hospital bed, nor did he feel any pain from the impact. Instead, he found himself surrounded by warmth, cradled in a soft blanket, and lying on what felt like a wooden cot.

His vision was blurry, but he could hear voices—two of them, speaking in a language he didn’t understand. The voices were soft and soothing, almost melodic. As his eyes adjusted, he realized something that should have shocked him to the core: he wasn’t in his adult body anymore.

He was an infant.

‘What…?’ Lahsiv tried to sit up, but his tiny body wouldn’t respond the way he expected. His limbs flailed helplessly, his muscles weak and untrained. Panic should have followed, but instead, Lahsiv felt… intrigued.

‘Am I… reborn?’ he thought. His sharp mind, although hindered by this new body, raced to make sense of what was happening. ‘This doesn’t make sense. The last thing I remember is the truck. I should be dead.’

But here he was, not dead, but very much alive—albeit in the body of a newborn.

The two voices grew clearer as they spoke, a man and a woman, both cooing over him in affectionate tones. His parents, or at least, this new body’s parents. He tried to focus, his thoughts sharper than they should have been for an infant, and he began to piece together fragments of the conversation. The words were foreign, but the meaning became clearer as he listened.

‘This isn’t the same world,’ he realized, his heart beating faster with excitement. ‘I’ve reincarnated into a completely different place.’

For the first time in his life—or lives—Lahsiv felt a flicker of curiosity. This new world, whatever it was, might actually offer him something that his previous one hadn’t. Purpose. Power. Challenge.

‘I’ll need to grow up, learn more about this place,’ he thought, already planning ahead. ‘If this world is different, perhaps there’s something here worth my time. Worth my effort.’

The woman, his mother, smiled down at him with warm eyes. She spoke to him gently, but Lahsiv barely paid attention. His mind was already racing, thinking about the possibilities.

Suddenly, something shifted in his vision. A faint glow appeared in the corner of his eye, and when he focused on it, words appeared—floating in midair, visible only to him.

[Name: Lahsiv]

[HP: 10/10]

[Strength: 1]

[Agility: 1]

[Defense: 1]

[Body Rank: Mortal (0 Mandala Points unlocked)]

[Soul Rank: Mortal]

[Light Karma: 0]

[Dark Karma: 0]

[Titles: None]

Lahsiv’s heart skipped a beat. A system. He had a system.

‘Now this is interesting,’ he thought, a sinister smile forming in his mind.

For the first time, Lahsiv felt anticipation—an actual thrill—as he gazed at the floating prompts. This new world was already showing potential. Unlike his old life, this might actually be worth living.

No, not just living—conquering.

And so, Lahsiv’s new journey began, not as a helpless infant, but as a predator lying in wait, ready to rise to the top of this strange, untapped world.