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The warm glow of morning sunlight filtered through enchanted silk curtains, casting gentle patterns across the room. Aliena sat at the edge of the luxurious bed, her golden eyes filled with affection as she watched Alex closely. Her fingers gently traced his small features, her touch soft and comforting.

Samuel stood near the window, observing quietly, a gentle smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "You're spoiling him already," he remarked lightly, his voice teasing.

Aliena shot him a playful glare. "And who exactly would dare stop me?"

Samuel chuckled softly, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Certainly not me."

Nearby, Cecilia arranged Alex's pillows with meticulous care, as if each cushion were a precious artifact. "Exactly! A child deserves endless affection, especially my exceptional grandson."

Woden, who had settled himself into a cushioned chair by the bedside, merely grunted lightly. "Too much coddling might weaken him. He should also learn discipline."

Cecilia immediately shot her husband a sharp look, her voice gently scolding, "Woden, don't start again."

He paused, seemingly reconsidering his words, then gave a light cough and quickly adjusted his tone. "Of course, love comes first. Always love."

Alex stared incredulously at his grandfather. 'What in the world just happened? Did this fierce general seriously just yield to his wife so easily?'

Aliena laughed softly, sensing Alex's bewilderment, and held him closer. "See, Alex? Your grandfather is just a big softie at heart."

The family continued to exchange light-hearted banter, their conversations peppered with affection and gentle teasing. It felt strangely comforting, despite the lingering peculiarities Alex noticed.

After some time, Aliena gently lifted Alex, adjusting him comfortably in her arms. "Alright, enough excitement for now. He needs rest and quiet."

"Rest well, little warrior," Woden murmured affectionately, the fierce edge in his voice entirely softened by genuine fondness.

"Sweet dreams, darling," Cecilia added softly, her eyes twinkling.

With gentle goodbyes, the family slowly exited the room, their soft footsteps fading behind the heavy wooden door.

Alone at last, Aliena gently placed Alex back into his luxurious cradle, softly caressing his cheek one last time. "Sleep, my dear. I'll be close by."

Alex waited until he heard the quiet click of the door closing behind her, leaving him completely alone. He blinked a few times, adjusting to the silence, and began cautiously scanning his lavish surroundings.

'Finally alone,' Alex thought, releasing a soft mental sigh. 'This family might just drive me insane. But at least now, I can focus on what matters.'

His tiny gaze sharpened slightly, determination igniting within his small frame. 'Alright, system. Let's see what else you've been hiding from me.' The room was finally quiet. Alex had been waiting for this moment—the first time since his birth that he was completely alone. His tiny fingers twitched instinctively as his mind sharpened.

'Alright, time to see what I'm working with.'

With a thought, he summoned the system.

[Mission Completed!]

Be Born Successfully ✅

Reward: Talent - Telekinesis Unlocked

Basic Elemental Mantra Progress: +20% Mastery Increase

[System Alert: Talent Unlocked]

Telekinesis: Allows the host to manipulate objects with mental force.

Current Strength: Infant-tier (limited by body and energy reserves).

Alex grinned internally. Telekinesis? Now that's useful.

Wanting to test it immediately, he focused on the soft silk blanket draped over him. He imagined lifting it just a little—only to feel a barely noticeable shift before his energy was drained.

'Figures. My tiny body can't handle it yet. But at least the talent is there.'

Curious, he pulled up his status screen for the first time since birth.

[Status]

Name: Alex Finch

Species: Human (?)

Age: Infant (Days Old)

Class: None

Cultivation: None

Attributes: [Locked until body develops]

Talents: Telekinesis

Titles: None

Alex's brow would have furrowed if his muscles allowed it.

'The (?) next to my species… What does that mean? What exactly am I?'

Unsurprisingly, the system offered no explanation.

'Yeah, of course, you're silent now. Typical.'

Still, the question left him unsettled. Did this mean he wasn't fully human? Or was it something more cryptic?

Pulling up the Shop tab, Alex was greeted with a sleek but empty interface.

[Shop]

Shop Points: 0

Available Items: None

Alex's excitement immediately deflated.

'Of course, nothing's free. Capitalism follows me across lifetimes.'

Switching over to the Inventory, he found only a single item inside.

[Inventory (1)]

Basic Elemental Mantra Manual (Absorbed)

Alex stared at it, unimpressed. 'Yeah, thanks, I already have that in my head.'

Still, the existence of an Inventory function intrigued him. If he could store objects in a dimensional space, it had limitless potential—but that was for the future.

For now, everything screamed, "You're too weak to use any of this properly."

Switching over to the Skills Tab, Alex was greeted with another mostly empty screen.

[Skills]

No skills acquired yet.

However, unlike Talents, which seemed more innate, the Skills tab had categories:

Combat Skills

Utility Skills

Magic-Based Skills

Unique Skills

Alex's curiosity peaked. 'So talents are things I'm born with, but skills are learned? Then I should be able to develop these later.'

His mind briefly flashed back to his past life.

Close-quarters combat, marksmanship, endurance training, infiltration tactics…

He had spent years refining himself into an elite soldier, yet now, in this tiny body, none of it mattered.

'Damn. I really am starting from scratch, huh?'

At least, his discipline, focus, and adaptability remained intact. That was something.

Realizing he needed a structured plan, Alex shifted his focus to the Goals Tab, the last unexplored section.

[Goal-Setting Feature Unlocked]

[Host may now select predefined goals for structured development.]

Instead of a limited list, Alex saw a massive selection of possible goals, ranging from simple short-term tasks to long-term ambitions that seemed outright impossible.

Alex was taken aback. 'Some of these are… beyond anything I expected.'

It wasn't just about growing stronger—it was about surpassing normal limitations altogether.

'What kind of system is this?'

Before he could make a selection, a new system notification appeared—one he hadn't triggered.

[System Alert: Hidden Mission Completed]

Alex's eyes widened slightly. '…What?'