Confusion

Midnight!

Inside a house, not too far from a small lake, a sleeping boy suddenly jolted awake, like someone who has just woken up from a bad dream. Breathing heavily, his eyes were wide opened; he forced himself to calm down, and closed his eyes again before falling deeply in thought. It was not sure what he was thinking.

Should anyone see this, they would be surprised to find that a little kid doesn't cry waking up in the middle of the night, but instead looking troubled and lost in thought.

The boy let out a long sigh as if he had just made a big decision in his life.

"Sigh! I should just apologize to my boss. Hopefully, he wouldn't fire me." he thought, indignation filled his heart.

He had thought about this for quite a while before making this decision. Although the whole incident wasn't his fault, it wouldn't cost him anything to just apologize. It doesn't even hurt much since he almost got used to this. You can't buy food with justice after all.

"If only I had more money, I wouldn't have to apologize for something I didn't even do, " he thought.

He opened his eyes again slowly and decided to wash up since he can't go back to sleep anyway; he went to sleep last night without even taking a shower and it kinda felt stuffy now.

"A cool shower might just be able to refresh my mind, " he thought, his face was already a bit relaxed.

As soon as he tried to get up, an overwhelming feeling of weakness consumed him.

Alarmed, he swiftly tended up, and his instinct told him that something peculiar had happened!

BADUM! BADUM!

At this moment, every trace of sleepiness vanished from his mind; fear steadily creeping into his little heart. He felt tiny.

Human fears the unknown! This was an innate flaw that can never be completely resolved.

"What happened to me?"

He was so frightened that he became rooted to a spot, not daring to move at all.

Unable to handle it anymore, he fainted back in his bed.

In the morning.

He woke up to the familiar face of a woman; she has fair skin, smooth long black hair, almond shaped eyes with star blue colored pupil. She adorned a brown one-piece, exuded an aura of love and calmness.

"Am I back to the past?" he thought, somehow perplexed at the appearance of the woman before him.

He instantly recognized the woman as his mother. Just that... she looked decades younger.

Tears began to roll down through his cheek as he cried out, "Maa…"

His mother was a little perplexing with this sudden behavior. There was nothing strange with a kid waking up crying, but she clearly noticed a tinge of sorrow in that cry.

However, she still hurried to pick him up and played with his little nose.

"Don't cry...don't cry, my dear baby!" she said, her voice was soft and warm, trying to comfort her son.

Only after what seemed like an eternity, did he managed to calm down slightly.

He wanted to talk with his mother but when he tried to speak, only a bunch of random sounds came out. He glanced at his own body and hands then estimated that he is probably only 1 year old.

His mother turned to the nearby table after finally managed to stop him from crying. She picked up a bowl of porridge and fed him gently.

"Haaa... open your mouth!" she said, her voice was warm and gentle.

Hearing her sweet voice, a mysterious feeling hidden within him stirred up. He hadn't felt this happy and peaceful for a long time, and for a moment or so, he completely forgot about everything.

"Good son! Be good, and don't cry anymore!"

His mother left after she fed him his breakfast.

He laid back and tried to figure out how he got here and why would he be here.

"What year is this?" he thought, turning to look around the room, hoping to find some kinds of traces or traits, or might as well a calendar.

He didn't have many memories of his younger days. He noticed that the room is quite similar to his room when he was very young, thus he further solidified his earlier claim, "Look like I'm really back to the past."

Everything is still fuzzy to him. His memories from yesterday and last night before he fainted were all blurry. After all, he only has the brain of a one-year-old child.

Perhaps because he had the body of a baby, he fell asleep again shortly after.

---

Earth. Yesterday.

Tian Feng, a single, lonely 24 years old man working for a software company. As soon as he graduated, reality hit him so hard. His whole life was thoroughly messed up. His family became a guilt factory. His friends became the greatest source of shame. His girlfriend? He never even had one. His job? He's broke and barely able to feed himself. Nowadays, he had to work overtime almost every night just to survive.

He was well on the path to become a true (poor) loner.

"Heaven! How long do you intend to keep on bullying me?—" he shouted in his mind.

"—Why is life so unfair to me?"

Tian Feng complained in his mind as he walked back to his rented room angrily. He lived on the second floor of an old building. The building has an iron staircase at each side. The stair would make a loud noise even if one were to step on it lightly. The angry Tian Feng however, didn't bother about that. In fact, this is the place where he usually vented his frustration.

He stomped his feet on each stair as he went up, trying to make it as loud as possible.

"Hey! You bastard! I'm sleeping, " a man shouted from his window.

"My child is sleeping, you moron!" a woman scolded coldly from her front door.

"What a loser!" a grandfather said, disappointed was clear in his tone.

"Look! That idiot is at it again."

One by one, the neighbors came out and shouted at him. This is what made him feel a bit of relieved. Having someone blame him and scold him actually make him felt less guilty.

He didn't reply and kept walking up while maintaining an angry expression. His eyes have already become bloodshot. As soon as he reached his room, he quickly entered then slam the door closed with a loud 'clang'.

The first thing he did after entered his room was tossing his body onto the bed face forward. He didn't even think of taking a shower or removing his shoes. Just like that, he fell asleep as if he hadn't slept for days.

It was an empty room; just like a typical rental room; a small bed with a small table. There's a closet with a large mirror that his mother bought for him. There is junk food trashes on the floor everywhere. It doesn't look like a place for a human to stay at all.

Before long, he woke up again in the midnight. Slowly opening his eyes, he stared at the ceiling, his eyes were no longer red.

'If you can't even do this, don't even bother coming to work here anymore. What a useless fool!'

Thinking about what his boss said to him, he can't help but felt frustrated for being powerless. It was a horrible feeling being threatened by your own boss; he truly hates this feeling.

He has a weak mind. If there's someone shouting at him, he would felt an urge to cry almost instantly. If there's someone threaten him, he would feel insecure for days if not weeks.

Shaking this thought out of his mind, Tian Feng grabbed his phone then start reading. It was the only thing he can do to feel better, to escape this cruel world. Those novels were what made him feel alive.

He'd almost always read some light novels before going to bed every night. Those stories would give him all kind of experiences.

Love, hate, rage, empathy, serenity, sadness, joy...

It contains everything he didn't have in the real world. He liked to read any novel where the main character is traveling freely to conquer everything with his system. When this thought crossed his mind, he murmured softly, "If only I could have one of those systems…"

Tian Feng stared at the ceiling full of the spider's web with a melancholy expression, he thought, "Even if I can't have those sicked systems, at least give me a chance to live this life again. Heaven! Did you hear me? You bullied me enough, alright?"

After finished all the released chapter of the day, he turned to look at the clock by the bedside and heaved a deep sigh.

"I'll apologize to the boss tomorrow."

Then he fell asleep once again.

Little did he know that he's not going to wake up in this world again tomorrow.

---

In the unknown world...

Tian Feng was lazing on his bed giggling; his mother was playing with his little hands. She looked relaxed, and her aura made one felt peaceful and loved. It's so warm.

"I want to feel like this forever, " Tian Feng thought.

At this moment, Tian Feng had already forgotten all about his suffering life back on Earth.

"Call mommy! Come on! Call mommy!!!"

Earlier, he realized that he cannot talk yet. He loved his mom but for a 24 years old man to act like a kid, it felt a bit unnatural and awkward. Acting for a short moment is still fine but if it's any longer then he has to do something about this situation.

Suddenly an idea crossed his mind.

"Since I can't talk, let's just pretend to be asleep. Kids sleep all the times after all."

His sparkling eyes looked straight into his mother's eyes as he faked a yawn before pretending to be asleep.

Noticing that her son is asleep, she silently left. On her face, there exists an ethereal smile.

Sensing that his mother had left, Tian Feng started pondering about his future. He suddenly felt lost. He didn't know what to do. Although he had always wanted to turn back time to live his life again, he didn't really plan on what he would do or what needed to be changed.

Not once had he thought that this was possible. Everything was just like a dream. But he knew too well that this is the reality and he needed to do something to change his life.

In the past, he made a lot of mistake and bad decisions. Every day, he would regret something. He yearned to fix it, but thinking that it was a pipe dream, he would just casually toss any idea aside in a few moments. Thus, although he always wished to fix his mistake in the past, he had never really thought of any solution.

Now that he's finally here like a dream come true, he felt lost. He didn't know what he should do.

"Since I can't think of anything at the moment, I'll just deal with it when the time comes."

Old habits are hard to wash off even after you crossed time. Before he can think of anything useful, he already fell asleep again. Kids do sleep all the times.

An old mind needs sleep, a young body needs sleep. Together, would they ever wake up?

In the afternoon.

A suave man in his thirties came into his room. He's wearing a blue-white stripes Taoist gown. He looked strong, his eyes were bright; he gave off a feeling of security.

Tian Feng stared at the man unblinkingly. He wasn't surprised by his presence. Since he has already seen his mother then it's only natural that his father would also be here.

"Father is not cosplaying, right?" Tian Feng thought, doubtful at his father's appearance.

What made him stared in a daze was the gown. What does a gown imply? It's a symbol of the ancient world or more importantly cultivation world.

"Could this be a parallel world?" he thought, feeling excited and a little hesitant.

Alas, how can a son doesn't know his father? His father is not even into cosplaying, not to mention cosplay himself.

Tian Feng's thought drifted off; he couldn't help but let his imagination run wild upon coming to know the potential existence of the cultivation world.

Riding flying sword, killing immemorial beasts, taming dragons, destroy mountains with a snap of a finger, living an eternal life...

"Son, let your father hold you!"

His imagination was cut off by his father's voice.

Tian Feng awoke from his daydreaming when his father lifted him up and hold him to his face playfully.

"Little Feng, let's go eat!"

His father's expression at this moment did not match with that holy Taoist gown at all. However, seeing his father looked so young, he felt a little nostalgic.

Suddenly, he felt guilty and miserable. He's genuinely a useless son. His father was this young and energetic before his precious son became a useless bastard.

Recalling the fact that his father still has to work even when he's old, his determination to change himself suddenly skyrocketed.

During his younger days, he was quite a quick wit kid full of determination albeit being lazy. Regrettably, he grew up in a corrupted environment. Little by little, he started to lose his wit and tenacity. By the time he's 15 years old teenager, he has already become slow-witted and forgetful.

It's all started when he first undergoing a heartbreak, he became too depressed. Later, even after he overcame the depression, his excellent memory didn't recover.

Not long after that, a new era approached; the information era. It's the era that brought instant gratification to everyone. It was great and all. However, there are two sides to everything.

While it brought instant happiness, it also weakened people's willpower at the same time. Tian Feng also became one of the victims.

At this moment, his determination already went up pretty high. He saw a light, he saw a direction and everything become more apparent to him. He saw his path.

"To be the best, to be the strongest, this is my path." he thought, the determination could be seen in his eyes.

"I need to observe and learn about this world. Whether it is a parallel world or not, the answer will reveal itself soon enough."

With a mind filled with expectation toward the future, the thought of system slip through Tian Feng unknowingly.

"Those systems from the novels. If this is indeed a parallel world, I might receive one of those systems as well.

"After all, I already went through the impossible. To me, the impossible doesn't exist anymore.

"Hais... It can't be... Perhaps they are too far-fetched…"

Although he thought like this, his expectation toward the system didn't drop at all.

A week later...

Eat sleep, eat sleep... How simple! Kids have it too easy...

"Sigh... How relaxing!"

During the past week, his mother didn't bring him anywhere outside the residence. However, from the inside, he could see the streets. He can't help but felt that there's something peculiar. The curiosity was killing him but alas, what can he do! It's not like he can go around and ask someone.

"I really need to start talking as soon as possible."