Reincarnation…

That idea was certainly absurd—pure nonsense cooked up by zealots or by people who couldn't bear to think of existence as anything but an endless, looping cycle of suffering. The notion that a soul even existed, let alone it would leap into a new life after death, defied all logic, clashing with every known law of science, no matter how one looked at it.

That was what Maximus had always believed ever since he first grasped the concept of rationality. Reincarnation was filed away with other supernatural bollocks—like gods, magic, fairy creatures, and many more unbelievable things that couldn't possibly exist. To him, they were nothing more than figments of the imagination, entirely absent from the fabric of reality. 

And yet, it was this very impossibility that had personally occurred to Maximus. Despite his skepticism, he had no doubt it was real. 

Standing motionless on his apartment balcony, Maximus stared indifferently at the distant skyline. 

The sun began to creep over the horizon, casting a faint, golden light that washed across the landscape, illuminating everything in its path. The scenery before him was undeniably breathtaking, but Maximus was in no mood to enjoy it. His mind drifted back to something that happened around three weeks ago—an event that had shattered his worldview without mercy. 

It was a surreal experience—shocking in its intensity and baffling in its confusion. 

One moment, Maximus was locked in a fierce firefight, fighting desperately alongside his comrades against a swarm of ambushers. The next, an indescribable pain shot through him, quickly giving way to a cold, overwhelming numbness. He remembered the bullet tearing through his neck, the blood spurting out in a violent rush as he collapsed to the ground. Slowly, the world around him darkened, as if he were sinking into an endless void. 

Then, after what felt like an eternity, he woke up, his head throbbing and his body weighed down with sluggishness. The blood that should have drenched him was gone, with no trace left behind, and his neck was unscarred, free of any wound. It was then Maximus realized he was no longer in a remote, rural land. Instead, he had awakened in an unfamiliar room.

It didn't take long for Maximus to grasp the bizarre nature of his circumstance. Memories flooded his brain like a tsunami—vivid experiences of someone who looked exactly like his younger self, spanning from childhood all the way to the night before he awoke. All those recollections felt real, not at all strange, even though Maximus knew he hadn't been the one who actually lived through them, as if they were a part of his being—indispensable, precious. 

It was easy to discover the fact that, somehow, he had survived death and ended up in the body of his younger self. 

At first, Maximus thought he had traveled through time, returning to the past. But further reflection suggested that this wasn't the case. Though the experiences of his new body mirrored his own before death—same name, same face, orphaned with no living relatives, raised in an orphanage—there were enough differences to rule out the possibility of time travel. 

Hence, Maximus had to consider another likely possibility: his parallel self. It seemed he had reincarnated into another and a much younger version of himself, starting from infancy. However, he only regained the memories of his past life after more than a decade of living this new one.

 So, what had happened to him wasn't just a simple reincarnation, but a rebirth into a parallel self. This theory was further supported by the fact that Maximus had found himself in an entirely different world. 

And roughly three weeks had passed since that realization... 

By now, Maximus had grown rather accustomed to his new life. Initially, he had been terrified—understandably so. After all, being reincarnated for no apparent reason was a daunting reality. Even the strongest mind would struggle to come to terms with something so extraordinary. It took him some time to accept the situation, mostly out of sheer hopelessness, knowing there was little he could do about it.

This was no mere dream, nor some illusion created by his mind due to madness. No. The reincarnation was undeniable—absolutely real, and Maximus couldn't escape the truth of it. He had no choice but to accept. 

Strangely, the moment he embraced the truth, something shifted deep within him. It was as if he had become whole again—completed and reunited. Suddenly, everything appeared brighter, more vibrant, and most importantly, right—as if he were finally on the correct path, no longer lost. 

While many questions remained unanswered, especially the cause of his reincarnation, Maximus chose not to dwell on them. He had decided to let the past go and focus on living to the fullest. Besides, it wasn't like he disliked being saved from the jaws of death. After all, what he was experiencing right now was essentially a second chance—being young again. How could he not be happy with that?

This was an opportunity many would go to great lengths to get a hold of, and Maximus certainly wasn't going to waste it. 

Life, in any form, would definitely be meaningless without motivation. It was what sustained anyone within the canvas of existence, driving them to keep moving forward. Everyone had it—the reason to live—and Maximus was no exception. In his previous life, his motivation had been simple: patriotism and answering the call to arms for his country. That was why he became a soldier, serving loyally as an instrument of violence for more than a decade until his final breath.

But in this new life, Maximus yearned for a different path—one far more selfish. And he had found that spark, right after he first discovered how marvelous this new world was. 

On the surface, the world he had reincarnated into—Atlas—seemed almost identical to the one he had left behind. It was a modern realm where science and technology reigned supreme. Yet, this world proved far more intriguing, grander in scope, and, above all, imbued with magic. 

Here, supernatural elements thrived alongside the mundane, creating a tapestry of existence that seamlessly blended the advancements of a technological society with the wonders of fantasy. 

Magical creatures, logic-defying treasures, and other unimaginable marvels filled this realm, palpable and vibrant in every corner. In addition, humans—no matter their background or identity—had the potential to grow stronger, unlock magical abilities, and even extend their lifespans, provided they could awaken the necessary requirements. They could evolve into beings steeped in the extraordinary, transcending the limits of the mortal body. 

However, despite its current prosperity, Atlas hadn't always been so magical. 

Two hundred years ago, this realm very much resembled the world Maximus had known in his previous life. Back then, magic and the supernatural were nothing more than fictional tales, confined solely to books, tomes, and other written accounts. It wasn't until the sudden appearance of a certain mysterious tower that the magical era began—shattering the boundaries of possibility and ushering in an age of wonder.

Today, magic had thoroughly prevailed, seeping into every facet of life and becoming a fundamental part of common sense. Even the simplest aspects of daily living were intertwined with magic, and society had long adapted to its presence. It had woven itself so deeply that any attempt to remove or erase it would have far-reaching consequences, rippling through the very core of civilization. 

In short, magic had become… indispensable. 

This was the main reason Maximus felt such excitement about his reincarnation after the initial shock, beyond simply having a second chance at life. His passion surged, sparking a fire that burned brightly within him. 

How could anyone resist having the opportunity to live in a world brimming with endless possibilities? 

For Maximus' motivation, a certain feature this world offered had fully captured his heart, setting a clear goal for him to pursue.

"Ranker" — a term used universally to describe individuals who could harness supernatural powers. These were the people who had risen to dominate Atlas, forming a powerful class that nearly everyone aspired to join.

Not being a ranker nowadays was akin to being trapped in a life of mediocrity, unable to achieve anything truly significant. It wasn't just about personal strength; it encompassed everything vital in life—fame, fortune, privilege, and even survival. To attain or maintain these desirable things, becoming a ranker was a must. There was simply no other path.

But unlike everyone else who harbored ambitious dreams of becoming a ranker, Maximus's former self—before regaining his past life's memories—had felt nothing of the sort. He was very indifferent to rankers and everything associated with them, holding the same apathetic stance toward all other matters. Even with the knowledge that a chance to become a ranker awaited him at a certain upcoming event, which would be held in just a matter of days, he felt neither excitement nor disdain, completely uninterested. 

But the current Maximus, now armed with the memories and maturity of his past life, was a different man. Becoming a ranker had become his ultimate goal — a passion and dream he was determined to attain. He longed to walk that mystical path, to delve into its depths, to discover just how far he could go. 

That was the thing Maximus most desired now, and he was confident he could achieve it.