On his mind were thoughts of the divine being that had transported him into this fantasy world—a being beyond his imagination, one who could read his mind, his memories, and his entire life. She had been watching his every step all along. In the dream realm, he was conscious as the Nephilim, able to control everything at will—but it was she who made this possible, acting on her own will. Yet he never knew her true intentions or her true power: how strong she might be, how intelligent she could be. She could be a friend, a foe, or neither—but he had no answers at all. He thought he would never get the chance to speak with her again, though she had never clearly said so when he was brought to this new world.
In his own room, in a bed separate from Jyle's, he was overthinking everything he had learned. It wasn't bad to reflect carefully, but too much overthinking would only lead to confusion. As he tried to connect the dots, he grabbed book after book. Most were nothing more than advertisements for goods and services in this fantasy world—nothing that interested him, as he was only searching for clues.
'Was it really worth it?'
The reincarnation, the events that followed, and all the consequences—was it worth dying in his old, difficult world?
To him, it was. Although his past memories couldn't be erased, he still felt sympathy for his former self—but not for those who had caused him suffering.
"Goodness... I'm stuttering again. My mind is filled with too much curiosity—it might be my downfall because of that."
As he closed the last book on the shelf, he set it down on the table beside his bed, then lay back against the pillows. Looking around, the place seemed like a simple house in the forest. But in his old world, most homes built in wooded areas were vulnerable to tornadoes, typhoons, and other natural disasters—so he wasn't surprised to see how carefully reinforced Jyle's house was. Even the walls and ceiling were made of solid concrete.
He shook his head. Why was he fixating on small details about the house when he needed to focus on what he'd read? Was he really that curious? That desperate for more knowledge?
No one knew—not even him.
As sleep overtook him, his thoughts still drifted to the books he'd pored over.
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"I really want a system right now."
He said it aloud, gazing up at the ceiling. Dawn was already breaking outside the window, and he'd been lying awake for some time—wrestling with whether to regret the choice that had brought him here. But all his overthinking came to a halt when Jyle barged through the door.
Maximus sat up quickly and turned to him.
"You know, you should ask before you go slamming doors like that."
"Sorry about that! I called out to you dozens of times and got no reply—what's gotten into you?"
Maximus paused, his eyes falling on the plate Jyle was carrying: fresh bread and a warm milk drink. He shook his head, forcing a smile.
"Nothing at all—just being my usual self, that's all."
Jyle raised an eyebrow.
"Usual self? I seriously doubt that."
Maximus let out a light chuckle, though deep down he still couldn't tell if he truly regretted his decision—or if he already did.
'Why did I choose the hard way... when I could have taken the easy path and been overpowered in this world right away? What am I doing?'
'I can't handle everything on my own. I'm just a regular human with a sharp mind—and this body, while fit, is still frail compared to what this world might hold. No one knows the full story of my life. Even if someone could read me like a book, they'd never understand my true intentions or how I even got here. That Nephilim first appeared in my dreams after my sister passed away—when my parents had already abandoned me, and my so-called best friend revealed he'd been the one causing me pain from elementary all through high school. Was any of it worth it? The education, the smarts, the resilience, the hard work, the obedience—did I really need all that to grow? Or was I just being used? I can't figure it out. My heart's heavy with dread and regret, while curiosity floods my mind and eyes. I could have reached for those wishes and asked for a system to make things easier—but why am I such a stubborn, overthinking bastard in this world?'
Jyle quickly noticed Maximus was lost in his thoughts. He set the plate and drink down on the table by the door, then placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Are you alright? You look... overwhelmed."
Maximus snapped out of his reverie, his tired eyes fixed on the floor. It had only been a few days in this new world, yet here he was—on the verge of breaking down, his mind racing out of control. His intelligence might have been his greatest strength back home, topping his classes in both elementary and high school with a GPA of 4.2. But he'd never been a perfectionist; his real weakness was overanalyzing everything. Without a system to guide him, every new piece of information fell solely to his brain to process and dissect.'
"I'm... not fine."
"Not at all."
For once, he spoke the truth without hesitation. His parents had always told him honesty mattered depending on the situation—and this felt like the right time. Jyle pulled him into a comforting, brotherly embrace.
"Don't worry about a thing. Share your pain with me—I'll listen and accept every word without question."