Mage was an obvious pick. Magic had limitless potential, but it was also the most overused path in every fantasy setting.
He was finally becoming a main character, so Max wanted a unique path!
Martial Artist class was a classic, but it required relentless physical training. Max had no desire to spend years punching trees to grow stronger. Healer sounded useful as well, but it screamed "support role."
If he was going to live in a new world, he wanted power, not a career in magical healthcare.
And for all he knew, doctors didn't actually get much game.
Beast Tamer was intriguing, though. Raising monsters and forging bonds with creatures had potential, but it depended too much on external factors. What if the world he wakes up in only has weak beasts?
Then only remained the Fiend Classes.
Goblin? Hell no. No way he was starting as a weak, green rat with bad hygiene.
Hate Joker felt too edgy. Being hated just to get stronger? That was a one-way ticket to getting assassinated.
Blood Kin Copier could be powerful, but what if his "kin" were weak? If he had no strong family, he'd be screwed.
Plunder Sucker was... terrifyingly appealing. Stealing strength from others meant an unlimited ceiling. As long as there were people stronger than him, he could grow stronger as well. But that also meant constant conflict.
Did he really want to live his new life as an outright villain?
Milf Manic…
Ah, the hard choices a man has to make.
Max exhaled slowly. He had narrowed his choices down to three: Mage, Plunder Sucker, and Milf Manic.
If he chose Mage, he'd have versatility. If he chose Milf Manic, he'd have a unique and absurdly powerful way to grow stronger. But if he chose Plunder Sucker… he'd have a straight path to domination. No slow grind, no limits—just pure, stolen power.
Final Decision: Max grinned.
Yes, he would love to throw spells around. Yes, he would love to bed neighborhood hot aunts. Yes, he wanted to do both of that at the same time and more. And for all of that to become a choice, he obviously needed to choose the jack of all desires.
"I choose—Plunder Sucker!"
[Class Selected: Plunder Sucker]
[Abilities Acquired: Skill Drain, Vitality Theft, Luck Leech, Apex Predator]
[Note: The Shard of Infinity is just a shard of the True Infinity and you need to find the other 8 Shards to complete it.]
A surge of energy rushed through him. His body trembled as an invisible force wove itself into his very being. His breath hitched as he felt something awaken inside him—a primal hunger, an instinct to take, to dominate.
Max smirked.
If the world was going to throw him into the deep end, he was going to rise to the top. By any means necessary.
Then, he farted.
Oh no, big aura loss…
He finally opened his eyes, looking around with an expression of shame. But then, he slowly became solemn.
This was an unfamiliar place.
"Where the heck am I?" he muttered.
The room exuded regal charm, reminiscent of a royal bedroom from an old live-action drama. A carved four-poster bed stood at its center, accompanied by a few magenta desks. Overhead, a glittering chandelier cast shimmering light across the space.
Nearby, a marble dresser with a gilded mirror was framed by tall columns and flowing drapes. A plush ottoman rested on a rich rug atop the polished wooden floor, bearing a bottle of wine and two crystal glasses.
"Oh I am home," he muttered, but then his heart shook.
Home?!
What home?!
What was he doing here when just moments ago, he was dying?
Wasn't all that system crap a dream?
Eh…
Eh…
Eh…
Sonna.
Masaka.
Cringe.
His head throbbed, and the pain intensified.
Clenching his teeth to bear with it, he looked to his left; at a mirror, as if he knew where it was, and his dark eyes widened.
He froze.
The person in the mirror was remarkably attractive, taller than average, lean, well-proportioned, with striking dark eyes and deep brown hair. However, seeing that figure, Max soon descended into a state of anxious melancholy that significantly altered his entire demeanor.
Who was this, some hot instagram sigma boy?!
Max was decent looking, and that too only on his best days.
If he felt more egotistical that day, he would look better. If he felt down, he would accept the fact that he was quite ugly. But the face that he was currently looking at was the kind of face that would be handsome on any day.
It was not subjective, but objective handsomeness.
Just as that fact was established in his mind, his headache vanished.
A life he hadn't lived began flashing through his mind at impossible speed.
A prince.
Head throbbing with pain, the puzzles suddenly clicked together.
This body's previous owner, named Ryan Armedius was a prince to the royal Armedius Family. One of the strongest families in the entire Mugen Continent. But even though he was born blessed, he was also a tragic figure.
Every human in this world of Mugen is either a Mage, a Martial Artist, a Healer—and some rare few were Beast Tamers. The humans weren't the apex predators of this world, but nor were they a weak species. Even the apex predators, the Dragons, didn't make trouble in the core of human kingdom where Ryan lived.
That went to show how powerful the humans were.
But to Ryan, that didn't matter. He had no talent for any of the traditional human extraordinaire paths—he was even worse than commoners.
A weak, useless prince, whose only good came from his connections.
The cliche scenario but for Max, it now felt too real.
The contempt that people had looked at him with. The gazes of indifference. They were all branded into his very soul.
Max paused as all the memories of the prince rushed into his mind—the prince had such a low self worth, he didn't even like seeing anyone outside his immediate family. His only three true connections that remained were his mother, sister, and personal maidservant.
Then, Max frowned.
Why did these memories feel—as if he were the one living it? As if he had always been the one living it?
No. He didn't say that metaphorically.
This Ryan, his behavior was far too much like Max himself. Other than self worth issues, it was as if Max had just forgotten his previous life's memories, only to understand it again now. That meant, he had been living as Ryan since years ago and now, he had just regained his memory.
That meant, he had always been Ryan!
Max immediately decided to discard his old name and embrace the new one.
From now on, he was Ryan.
As he thought of that, though, he touched the back of his head. His hand felt wet, and he brought it forward to check. It was red.
"Damn, is this all my blood?" he muttered.
Ah, fuck, I am dizzy.
His weak body fell to the floor, but before he fell, Ryan moved to make a vase fall.
That should bring some attention from his cute little maid.