The darkness was deep.
It seemed like the world was drowned in it—like it would never end.
Within this absolute void, there was a tiny crack—like a slit in the veil of sheer blackness.
It began to radiate light.
Hot, stinging rays pierced the world dyed in black.
The sea was gone.
And ascending beyond the tranquil ocean of solitude was a single person—a baby.
He was brought forth into the world after a powerful cry by his mother, and the moment his body was exposed to the world, he felt all kinds of sensations assail his body.
Pain and discomfort squirmed through his skin.
But there was something else—
"E-eh?"
—Surprise!
The baby had an incredulous expression on his face, causing him to appear rather funny.
It was a look of sheer stupefaction.
'Where is this place? What am I… no, hold on. The last thing I remember is my meeting with that old man. How come I didn't lose my memory?' He struggled to make sense of his current predicament, to no avail.
Instead of focusing on futile thoughts, he decided to look around.
This left him with his second shock of the day!
'W-what are these monsters?!'
Surrounding him were bat-like creatures, the kind you would find in horror movies or Halloween specials. They were gigantic, though, as large as—no, even larger than—regular humans.
These bat-things had hand-like appendages attached to their wings, and their legs looked bestial.
The only saving grace about them was how they were dressed. Although it appeared strange that terrifying monsters would be wearing civilized clothes, these creatures had pure white outfits that matched the monochromatic backdrop of the room.
They looked rather professional, like doctors and nurses.
Even the one holding him looked the same.
Honestly, he would be lying if he said he wasn't frightened.
But… he was also curious.
"Great Miss… congratulations. It's a bouncing baby boy!" Much to his surprise, the one who held him began to speak, flashing a grin he could only describe as terrifying.
The voice was, however, rather sweet-sounding.
It sounded like a female voice.
'Wow! This person does not look at all like they sound…' Was his assessment of the bat-thingy who gently held him.
As he was still having this thought, he heard another voice.
This one was softer—far more beautiful.
The moment he heard it, something shifted in his heart. His body raced, and he felt an indescribable connection to the owner.
"Let me see… my child."
'Ah… my mother?!' Also curious about what she would look like, and terrified by the prospect of seeing yet another monstrous-looking entity, he braced himself.
However, much to his surprise—
'E-eh? Who is this pretty lady?!'
—He found someone whose beauty could only be described as otherworldly.
His mother was sooo beautiful!
It felt unreal!
Her lustrous white hair spilled all over the large pillow that her head was resting on, and her pale body glistened with sweat. She had an exotic face, with bright pink eyes that seemed to sparkle with sheer wonder and beauty.
If he didn't feel such a filial bond with this woman, there was a good chance he would have fallen in love with her at first sight.
She was simply that gorgeous!
'Damn… My mum is so hot! I've struck gold!' He could only pray that some of her genes got passed down to him.
The bat monster passed him to his mother in a gentle ceremony, and she carried him with grace.
A moment later, he could smell her sweet scent.
It was exhilarating.
Although he felt like he was being scrutinized under her golden gaze, he made himself at ease.
He was naked, sure.
Embarrassed, yes.
But so what?
He was in the hands of his mother.
"What the fuck?!" The woman suddenly shrieked, tossing him away with an unreal level of strength.
"E-eh?"
WHOOSH!
He was flung across the room until his body was slammed against the wall, and he fell to the ground. His backside hit the cold, mirror-like floor, and he felt some aches circulate his body, but they were almost immediately nullified.
"O-ow… ow…?"
Firstly, he was surprised that this terrible experience did not hurt as much as he expected.
He was just a baby, yet he suffered this much damage.
Why wasn't he dead yet?!
That was one.
The second issue bothered him even more.
'Why…?' He shuddered, slowly shifting his body to the side so he could see the face of his mother. 'Why would my own mother do this to me?'
After narrowing his eyes at her, he could see the look of disgust she gave him.
The other bat-like creatures moved close to comfort her.
They also stared at him in what looked like both pity and resignation. He didn't realize when he began to somewhat read their monstrous facial features.
'Why does she look like that?'
He felt sick inside.
From birth, it was like he wasn't wanted at all.
Why?
Then, something caught his eye.
It came from the polished floor, so resplendent that it took on the function of a mirror.
He could even see his reflection on it.
'Hmm…?'
Upon seeing his reflection, he didn't feel too repulsed by it.
He had jet black hair and ordinary brown eyes, sure. His looks were also rather mundane, but so what? He was still a baby, so all he had to do was grow up to be healthy and strong, and he would hit his growth spurt.
He would then have a glow-up at some point.
'It looks like I didn't take after my mother in looks. Then what about—?'
Before he could complete his thoughts, the door flung open and someone who looked like royalty appeared inside.
He had an air of absolute authority, with a tall and well-built physique that would make even grown men blush. With pure white hair and red ruby-like eyes, his pale skin seemed to glisten with all the splendor of the world.
Apart from all these amazing features, he was also very beautiful!
As beautiful as his mother.
'Don't tell me that is—!'
"My beautiful wife!" His voice, deep and charming, echoed out. "How was the delivery? Did you finally give birth to our son?"
For a moment, there was silence.
Then, the woman on the bed pointed to the floor where he remained—untouched.
His father followed the direction of her hand and stared at him.
It was a brief stare, but it felt like an eternity.
Then, a frown appeared.
'My goodness! I look nothing like the two of them!' He wanted to scream, but under the scrutinizing gaze of both his father and everyone else in the room, he could only remain paralyzed.
Still, the situation astounded him.
Other than his slightly pale skin, he looked nothing like these two people.
Perhaps that was why his father, after casting him a brief glance, simply let out a sigh and quietly left the room.
"A-ahh…?" His face twisted in bewilderment.
However, the surprise was not yet over.
His mother, who was supposed to be weak and even bedridden after such arduous labor, stood on her feet and also departed from the room.
She didn't even spare him a glance.
'What the fuck?!'
One by one, the bat-like creatures proceeded out of the room, leaving him all by himself in the place. It all happened so fast that he became even more confused.
Before realizing it, he began to scream.
Unfortunately, the only sound that left his lips was the immature throes of a newborn baby.
'I am just a newborn child! How can they leave me by myself?!' Panicking and filled with distress, he cried some more, hoping for some attention.
But none came.
Then, he shivered in realization.
'I've… been abandoned?'
What kind of people were these savages? They would really toss aside their child like this?
What kind of world would allow such a thing to happen to him?!
This wasn't fair at all!
Then, he remembered the words of his Guardian Angel.
'I was tossed into a young world, one that hasn't had the involvement of Earth and its culture.'
So concepts like human rights and all sorts of things that he would have enjoyed in the modern world likely did not exist here.
Not yet, at least.
He also remembered something else in his meeting with that old man.
'I put all my stats on luck and neglected the other four: Talent, Charm, Intelligence, and Power.'
Without Charm, there was no way he would be as beautiful as his parents.
In this world, he would also not be talented.
Power was out of it, too.
Intelligence was, well… he did appear a little slow, but since he had retained his memories of his past life, perhaps he wouldn't be all that bad.
'I put everything into my Luck Stat, but what is the meaning of this?'
He wept quietly.
'Why am I so unlucky from the start?!'