A New Beginning

George stared at the glowing blue screen in front of him, his tiny body still wrapped in warmth. His eyes lingered on his intelligence stat—0.8—far higher than the others. Confusion flickered in his mind until he recalled the earlier quest.

Drink breast milk – Completed.

That must have been it. The system had rewarded him for completing a task, no matter how simple. But then another realization struck him—he wasn't truly a newborn. He was a middle-aged man reborn into an infant's body. His intelligence, even if limited by his current form, was likely enhanced by his past life's knowledge. That was probably why it was much higher than his other stats.

Curious, he explored the system further. More options appeared before him:

[Shop]

[Quests]

[Free Newbie Package]

His mind stilled. This… this wasn't his original system.

Ora.

The name surfaced in his mind like a whisper. She had been his system's manager, the voice that guided him through countless battles. Was she still here? Had she vanished when he died? Unease settled in his chest as he recalled the moment of his downfall.

He hadn't possessed a system when he was first reborn in his past life. Only after he started cultivating a basic breathing technique did his system manifest, granting him 1 mana particle per second. That small amount had been the foundation of his strength.

Regret gnawed at him. If only I had chosen a stronger technique back then… If he had, his starting potential would have been greater, and perhaps—no, certainly—he would have been able to defeat his former best friend.

His expression darkened at the memory. That man had wielded a forbidden technique, one that allowed him to manipulate demons. It wasn't something he had acquired through talent or training. No, he had stumbled upon it by sheer luck, stranded in a desert, teetering on the edge of death. That technique belonged to an ancient demon, lost in history, buried alongside its greatest enemy. Yet, fate had placed it in the hands of his greatest foe.

And then, another memory surfaced—one that filled him with even deeper regret.

He had once discovered a technique known as the Multi-Purpose Talent Acquisition Technique, one that increased a person's natural abilities by two full stars. If he had cultivated that instead of the basic breathing method, he would have 10-star talent in martial arts and 9-star talent in magic.

But it was too late back then.

A person could only cultivate one technique in their lifetime. Once the path was chosen, there was no turning back.

But now?

He clenched his tiny fists. I have been reborn.

His past regrets would not chain him down this time. Now, he had a chance to choose the perfect path, to correct his past mistakes, to rise even higher than before.

This time, he would not fail.