Broadcasters and police officers surrounded a bank that was currently being robbed.
Negotiations were ongoing between the robbers and the police but a middle-aged man destroyed the peace talk. The man must have thought that he'll be able to gain popularity and recognition by meddling with the robbers. But reality was always harsh and everything that he envisioned was all on the plot for fictional stories. The current situation is not for a hero's awakening and this was proved by the blood that he's losing in every second.
The bank that was robbed was fairly decent having two security guards but they were overwhelmed by the attackers and was down by just one or two shots. The criminals were habitual felons that the police never caught.
Due to the disturbance made by that incident, the negotiations were disrupted and the criminals locked up the whole bank. The civilians and bank staffs were huddled together in the corner with their hands in the back of their heads.
The six robbers were all equipped with at least two firearms, secured their loots in their bags and recontacted the police while planning their escape through the backdoor. Their associate picked this place because a friend tipped them how black-hearted the owner of this building was. It was confirmed that there is an underground tunnel with rooms for certain entertainment below and this was all hidden to authorities.
Their partner in crime, one of the staffs who infiltrated the bank for a year was secretly directing the robbers to the hidden safe that connected the tunnel and the bank. Before leaving, the robbers left a knockout gas in the victim's direction. All of these movements were observed by Jia Liang.
Jia Liang was one of the unlucky people who was just trying to deposit their pitifully small money in the bank in hopes of creating savings and earning interests. Instead of buying a phone for digital convenience or availing cards for access in cash deposit machines, he insisted on using the old ways and just traverse the 15 minutes walking distance bank, that's just how of a cheapskate he was and the very same reason why he was caught up in this mess.
He tried to fight the effect of the gas but his eyelids just felt like it was being held down by two huge elephants and he just flatly passed out just like the others.
He's too strict with time that he'll get anxious whenever his schedule was disrupted by just a millisecond but in the dark place where he was currently at, Jia Liang was not sure how many hours have passed. Hours, for he was sure that his stomach is still not gurgling nor does his body feels atrophied. The only issue he has was how heavy his eyelids were and how this place feels kinda lacking in oxygen.
But in this expanse of darkness where he can't hear anything nor feel any sensation, he remains still and his heart is surprisingly calm.
He doesn't know how long it took but he can feel his body's miniscule change and how his mouth opens involuntarily and how the fluid that passes through his mouth was 'involuntarily' swallowed by him. At this point, he knew that something's fucked up.
He doesn't like vulgarity but he can't help cursing a dozen times. The only thought swirling in his mind was how can a mad scientist kidnap him in the bank and put him in a cylindrical glass tank with viscous unknown solution. He knows how absurd his imagination was but that was the only 'logical' and kinda 'scientific' reason why he was like this.
'Are the scientists here on cahoots with the robbers?'
'Will I gain powers or extra limbs and deformed body parts after the experiment?'
'Is this snake like hose on my belly button the tube used to deliver medicines? Will I get overdosed though?'
A lot of such questions filled his mind for such a long time. As for how long, he never bothered to count when he got distracted at the 838,904 or 838,905 seconds, but he knew that it's hopeless to expect anything unless he opened his eyes to see what his situation is like.
All of his hopes was ignited again when he heard some thumping in the cramped space he was in, the thumping was quite faint but he can feel it steadily beating like how his heart is currently at this moment.
As the time passes by, his heavy eyelids also felt lighter and he can feel that he'll be able to open it soon.
But the moment it arrived, all hopes burned again for he realized that he became a fetus!
That freaking explained his blurry sight, the thumping of his mother's(?) heart, the voices and sounds that he now can somehow recognize, the umbilical cord that he thought the tube used by scientists, the involuntary opening of his mouth, the sense of taste that began to come back, the way he can't feel anything and the existence of this whole cramped space.
'Freaking sheet of paper! Is this the legendary rebirth, reincarnation and transmigration? Is this still my world or did I get isekai-d?'
'Am I a human, a humanoid, a beast or a quadrupedal?'
'Did I really die or am I just dreaming that I've become a fetus?'
When the moons, planets, and stars aligned, the answer Jia Liang was eager to know soon arrived.