Tian Yian didn't know how much time had passed.
There was nothing around him.
No sky.
No ground.
Only darkness.
And a slow, steady sound that echoed again and again.
Thump… thump…
It was calm.
Too calm.
The kind of calm that felt strange after a while.
Slowly, he realized something. Even though he couldn't move, even though he couldn't feel his hands or feet, his mind was clear. His thoughts weren't heavy like before. They didn't hurt. They felt light, as if they were floating.
So this is rebirth…
He didn't feel afraid.
Fear had already left him long ago—back when the doctors stopped lying and started speaking softly instead. Compared to that, this silence felt peaceful.
I can think… but I can't move.
He waited.
He wasn't sure what he was waiting for, but he stayed still, listening.
Nothing happened.
Then a voice spoke inside his mind.
It was calm and emotionless. It didn't sound male or female.
"Host consciousness has fully awakened."
The voice didn't shock him.
For some reason, it felt familiar.
"So you're really here," Tian Yian thought. "AXIOM."
"Yes," the voice replied.
He paused, then spoke carefully.
"I want the truth," he said. "No exaggeration. No fake promises."
"AXIOM operates only on absolute truth."
That answer made him relax a little.
"Where am I?" he asked.
"You are within a developing lifeform," the system replied. After a short pause, it added, "Early fetal stage."
Warmth surrounded him.
It wasn't imagined.
It wasn't symbolic.
It was real—soft, steady, and gentle.
So… I'm inside my mother.
"Yes," AXIOM confirmed.
That single word made his chest feel heavy.
In his past life, the word mother meant nothing. Now, it felt important—even though he hadn't done anything to deserve it yet.
"What kind of world is this?" he asked quietly.
"This is a world where demons exist," AXIOM said. "Humans survive by mastering special breathing techniques."
He didn't need the name.
He already understood.
A demon world…
There was no excitement in his heart. No thrill like when he read novels.
Only seriousness.
"This world is dangerous," Tian Yian said.
"Yes," the system replied.
He fell silent.
Being reborn into danger didn't mean he was special.
It meant he had to be careful.
"AXIOM," he asked, "what can you actually do for me?"
"I will now explain available functions."
The voice slowed slightly.
"First function: World Sign-In."
Tian Yian listened closely.
"World Sign-In allows you to receive a reward unique to the current world. This can only be done once per world."
So there's no retry, he thought.
"That is correct."
"Second function: Novice Gift. This is a foundational reward. It is permanent and remains even after world travel."
Permanent.
That word stayed in his mind.
"Third function: Status Observation. You may view your own condition and the condition of others. Only you can see this information."
AXIOM stopped speaking.
No extra words.
No pressure.
"If I do nothing?" Tian Yian asked.
"You will live an ordinary life in this world."
No threats.
No missions.
Just a choice.
Tian Yian thought for a long time.
He had already died once.
If he had been given another chance, he didn't want to waste it by hiding.
"I'll sign in," he said.
"World Sign-In acknowledged."
The silence around him shifted, as if something invisible had opened.
"Processing."
Something changed inside his mind.
Not knowledge flooding in—but understanding slowly forming, like pieces coming together.
"World Sign-In complete."
"Reward acquired."
"Heaven-Defying Comprehension."
The name alone made his heart beat faster.
"What is that?" he asked.
"I will explain."
AXIOM spoke calmly.
"This ability allows you to understand the structure behind techniques, theories, and principles."
Faint images appeared in his mind—lines, patterns, connections.
"You may understand how techniques work, rather than simply copying them."
"So it won't make me strong instantly," Tian Yian said.
"No."
"You may create techniques based on your experience, knowledge, and insight."
That sentence stayed with him.
Creation.
Not following someone else's path.
"However," AXIOM continued, "mastery requires time and practice. This ability does not ignore physical limits."
That felt fair.
That felt real.
"I understand," Tian Yian said.
He wasn't disappointed.
He felt motivated.
The clarity inside him settled quietly, like a seed buried deep.
AXIOM did not disappear.
It became silent.
Too silent.
Tian Yian waited. Something felt incomplete, like he existed but wasn't fully formed.
Then the voice returned.
"Novice Gift available."
"What is it?" Tian Yian asked.
There was no reply.
Instead, the darkness trembled. The warmth around him compressed, becoming heavier.
His thoughts slowed.
Not fading.
Deepening.
"Novice Gift will now be issued."
No explanation.
No description.
The silence collapsed inward.
Weight pressed down on him.
For the first time, he felt limits.
A beginning.
A shape.
"Novice Gift acquired."
"Life."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I know I repeat some of the things from the chapter 1.
And you may feel angry to read the same thing again.
I am sorry for that. But it is necessary for this chapter.
THANK YOU!!!