Max stared at the letter again, holding it like it might burst into flames or reveal a hidden message if he blinked too long. He had read it three times already, but the weight of the words still felt unreal. A higher plane. Ancestral powers. Eight women. A secret identity. It was as if some web novel plot had kicked down his front door and thrown him into the role of the main character.
He wasn't even sure if he was supposed to laugh, cry, or run away.
Still, no matter how strange it all seemed, the items lying before him were real.
His gaze drifted to the storage ring lying on the table like an innocent trinket. It looked like a plain silver ring, smooth and cold to the touch. No gems. No carvings. No magical glow. It was completely unimpressive—if not for the letter, he would've assumed it was a cheap accessory.
He picked it up and slipped it on his finger. No reaction. No flash of light. Nothing.
Max frowned. "How the hell do you use this thing?" He tried willing it to open. He tried flicking it, shaking it, even whispering "Open Sesame" under his breath like a complete idiot.
Still nothing.
He groaned and flopped back on the couch, the letter crumpled beside him. His mom had mentioned he'd need spiritual energy to access the ring's contents—and right now, he had the spiritual presence of a wet sponge.
That's when his eyes shifted to the row of small green bottles sitting on the table, each glowing faintly under the morning sunlight. They looked like health potions straight out of a fantasy game.
Max picked one up. It felt cool in his palm, almost pulsing with faint energy.
The letter had said:
"These spiritual enhancement liquids were created using rare herbs from the upper world. One bottle should be enough to awaken your spiritual foundation and partially strengthen your physique. Only after consuming one should you attempt to use the jade pendant or the ring."
Max bit his lip. "Well, here goes nothing."
He uncorked the bottle and took a sniff. It smelled like crushed mint mixed with something flowery—and faintly metallic, like blood. Without hesitating (or thinking too hard), he tipped it back and drank it in one go.
It hit instantly.
His throat burned, then cooled. The liquid rushed down his body like fire in reverse. For a moment, his vision blurred, and he collapsed backward, gripping his chest as his heartbeat accelerated.
Then—
Boom.
A dull thud echoed in his chest like something heavy had finally clicked into place. His whole body felt lighter, his skin tingled, and his mind… cleared.
"Whoa."
He sat up, stunned. The world looked sharper, his body stronger. It wasn't dramatic—he hadn't suddenly become Superman—but he could feel it. Like he'd finally taken off invisible shackles.
He flexed his hand and looked at the storage ring again.
Let's try this one more time.
He focused, gently willing the ring to open.
Suddenly, an image flashed in his mind—an open void, like a dark room filled with shelves, scrolls, weapons, bottles, boxes, even a glowing robe floating in midair. The inventory. He could somehow sense what was in there.
"Holy crap…"
There was too much to count. At least twenty more bottles of that spiritual liquid, scrolls that looked ancient and burned at the edges, a slim sword in a black scabbard, and several small pouches labeled in some language he couldn't read. One even shimmered with golden runes. Their is black card worth atleast 10 billion $ in it and more spirit stones also, he never heard of them each item bought him shock
How rich was my mom in the upper world!? he thought.
Then, as he scanned the storage again, he noticed something else—a glowing jade pendant, carved in the shape of a crescent moon with unfamiliar symbols etched into its surface.
He withdrew it.
The moment his fingers touched it, a faint hum vibrated through his hand. It was warm, like it was alive. The letter had said this pendant held their family's ancestral cultivation technique—and it could only be activated once he had enough spiritual power.
"Okay... don't be stupid, Max. Just one step at a time."
He set it aside gently. He still felt a bit drained from drinking the bottle, and the letter had warned him that using the pendant required spiritual energy to activate the imprint. If he wasn't careful, it could damage his core—or worse.
He looked at the pendant, the bottles, and the ring all sitting in front of him like treasure from a video game.
Then, just as he leaned back with a satisfied sigh, he noticed Maria standing in the hallway.
She had her hands behind her back, her long maid uniform fluttering just slightly from the breeze through the open window. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes lowered, and yet there was an unmistakable glint of seduction in her gaze.
He had almost forgotten—the letter had also said something... strange... about Maria.
"Maria is your 18th birthday gift. She was purchased from a noble slave auction in the upper world. Her bloodline is unique, and her role is to serve and support you until ascension. I've trained her for this."
Max's mind went blank for a second.
Gift?
Support?
Slave auction??
He looked at Maria again. Her delicate features, shy demeanor, and the graceful way she stood made her look like someone carved out of porcelain. But now, knowing she wasn't just a regular maid, he suddenly saw her differently.
"Maria…" he said slowly, testing the waters, "did you read the letter?"
Maria's cheeks turned an even deeper red, but she nodded. "Yes, young master…"
Her voice was soft and breathy, like honey laced with sleep.
Max didn't know what to say. He expected denial, confusion, something—but not this calm acceptance.
"Did you know everything?" he asked.
"I knew from the day I was assigned to you," she whispered, her eyes still downcast. "But I was told to wait until your awakening. Until you were ready."
Max scratched his head. "And you're okay with… all this? The serving, the gift part…?"
Maria smiled faintly, then gave a tiny curtsy. "I was raised for this, young master. It is my greatest honor to serve you."
Then, flustered, she turned and scurried down the hall, disappearing into her room with her hand covering her mouth.
Max sat there blinking, stunned.
"…Well, damn."
This was his life now?
He chuckled, half in disbelief and half in awkward amusement. Just yesterday, he was a regular teenager worrying about exams. Now? He had a storage ring, spiritual energy, secret techniques, and a shy bombshell maid gifted to him on his birthday.
Not to mention the eight goddess-level women he was supposed to meet later.
"Maybe being the main character isn't so bad," he muttered.
He leaned back on the couch, staring at the ceiling. School had ended just last week, and college entrance exams were still a month away. He had time—time to grow stronger, learn the technique in the pendant, master his ring's contents, and maybe understand this bizarre new world a little better.
He remembered one last part of the letter:
"At the time of your college entrance exam, one of your fiancées will appear. She will find you—whether you are ready or not."
Max groaned.
A fiancée, too?
He suddenly felt like his quiet life had taken a nosedive into chaos. But at the same time, there was a strange excitement bubbling in his chest. Something inside him—something ancient, maybe—was beginning to wake up.
He had always suspected there was something strange about himself. The way he never really felt like he belonged. How he could pick up languages quickly, how his instincts screamed at danger even before it arrived. And now, it all made sense.
He wasn't born on Earth. He had transmigrated. From birth. With false memories, false history… but real emotions.
What was real though, was his love for his family.
He didn't want to be a chosen hero. He didn't want to carry the burden of some ancient mission. He didn't want to be a protagonist with the world on his shoulders.
He just wanted to be Max.
The boy who could laugh with his sisters, hug his mom, and tease Maria without worrying about destiny, bloodlines, or upper realms.
"Too bad," he muttered.
Reality had other plans.
Still… if he had to walk this path, then he'd walk it on his own terms. Not for power. Not for conquest. But to bring his mother back, to protect the people he cared about, and maybe—just maybe—have some fun along the way.
He got up, stretching.
The sky outside was bright and blue. A good day to start a new life.
And maybe, just maybe, a good day to open that pendant and peek into his family's legendary cultivation technique.
After all, the college entrance exams were still a month away.
And one of his mysterious fiancées was coming to find him.
Max grinned. "Let's see what kind of chaos you bring with you."
Then he turned, walking back into the house that had suddenly become the epicenter of a much bigger world.