A big-bellied man dressed in black trousers and a grey shirt slammed his knuckles against the door.
"I know you're in there, kid. You'd better come out this instant before I come in there and make you regret wasting my time!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.
The door swiftly swung open.
"Mr Jonathan, how are you doing?" A thin and frail young man, who appeared to be in his early twenties, stood on the other side of the door.
A thick scruff of beard was scattered across his face. Heavy eye bags hung under his eyes, and his thick hair was in disarray. He was dressed only in a pair of blue boxers and slippers.
"Finally decided to show yourself. So what's your excuse for hiding all day and dodging rent? Did you think I wouldn't notice?" Mr Jonathan barked.
Maximus met his eyes, offered a wry smile, and replied, "I don't have it now, but I promise I'll pay before next week. Please, just give me more time."
"I SHOULD GIVE YOU MORE TIME?! DO YOU TAKE ME FOR SOME KIND OF FOOL, MAXIMUS?! IT'S BEEN A MONTH SINCE YOU PAID YOUR LAST RENT! HAVEN'T I BEEN COMPASSIONATE AND GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO LET YOU STAY IN THIS APARTMENT FOR A WHOLE MONTH?! IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR RENT, THEN GET OUT!!" Mr Jonathan roared at the top of his lungs.
The birds perched on the staircase railing outside flew into the sky at the sudden shout.
Maximus winced from the sound.
Mr Jonathan attempted to force his way into the building; however, Maximus quickly blocked his path.
"How about the day after tomorrow? If I don't pay you the money I owe you by then, you can kick me out and take all my possessions as payment for everything I owe you," Maximus said hurriedly.
"You are really stupid! Do I need your permission to take all your possessions as repayment for what you owe me?! Isn't that the most logical thing to do?" Mr Jonathan responded with a sneer.
"If you couldn't get me the money for the past month, what makes you think you can get it by the day after tomorrow? Are you trying to commit a felony? I promise you that the moment the enforcement officers catch you, you're dead, and they'll trace your location back here, dragging me into trouble as well."
He narrowed his eyes at Maximus.
Maximus swiftly shook his head in response. "No, that wasn't what I meant. I'll be going for a job interview at a newly opened grocery store tomorrow, and I'm sure that I'll pass it. Once I get the job, I'll be able to apply for a loan and pay you the money that I owe you, plus interest," he responded.
Mr Jonathan furrowed his brows for a moment. Then he snorted.
He kicked Maximus, hurling him to the other side of the room. After that, he walked in and looked around the studio apartment. Instantly, he spotted a laptop, a printer, and a phone on a table beside the bed, as well as a coffee machine on the counter on the other side of the room.
He immediately walked in their direction and grabbed them, filling up both of his arms.
Maximus tried to stop him, but he was immediately kicked in the waist, sending him slamming into the ground once more.
"I'll be taking these to make sure I don't suffer any loss in case you run away. When you get the money, you can come reclaim them. And if you don't, then you'd better find a comfortable place to stay on the street," Mr Jonathan spat.
He turned around and walked out of the apartment with the items in his hands.
Maximus looked at the door with a defeated expression.
Suddenly, his gaze grew lifeless.
Maximus was a reincarnator. He had entered this world from his mother's womb. From the moment he was born, he chose to take full advantage of his new life and achieve the things he couldn't do in his former life.
By the third month, Maximus uttered his first word. By the fifth month, he could walk on both legs without support.
At two years old, he spoke his first full, coherent sentence. At the age of five, he mastered two languages. By the age of ten, Maximus's house collapsed, and that was when he encountered the true nature of the world he had reincarnated into.
This world was unlike his previous one. It was a world where humans were capable of wielding supernatural powers, and monsters only seen in stories, myths, and folklore could emerge from dungeons to wreak havoc on the world and terrorise humanity.
The humans capable of facing these monsters were known as Hunters.
The reason his house had collapsed was that a dungeon had emerged beside it and immediately broke out, releasing terrifying monsters into the world.
Before the Hunters arrived, it was already too late. His parents had died protecting him.
Maximus was taken away and placed in an orphanage. He displayed his genius there as well and was placed in a school for geniuses, where he aced every exam and broke every record that could be broken.
Initially, he spared no effort to display himself as a genius and enjoy the benefits it brought. But upon learning about the Hunters, Maximus's true goal became becoming a Hunter, because only then would he be able to live his life to the fullest.
However, he failed his awakening. He didn't have the qualifications to become a Hunter.
The once extraordinary life he had claimed to live became pointless. Maximus kept trying to awaken. He even began to think that perhaps he had brought a cheat along with him into this world.
He tried his parents' souvenirs that they had left behind after their death, but found nothing.
He tried to check if he could activate a system, but found nothing. He didn't have any ability, nor did he awaken a system.
From that day onward, everything came crashing down.
Soon, he found himself on the streets, living from debt to debt. Every collector around his home knew him or had heard rumours about him.
Due to a monster attack, he lost his last job and home and had to flee the city to escape with his life. That was how he ended up here. He used his last remaining money to rent this house and stock it with food, preparing for his death when the food ran out.
Maximus hadn't eaten for the past week, so he had no strength to argue or make trouble with a big-bellied man like Mr Jonathan, who was well-fed and could provide for himself and his family.
He hadn't found any job at a grocery store, much less gone for a job interview. So he had no money to pay by the day after tomorrow.
"What's the use of transmigrating into another world without any cheat?" Maximus muttered.
He remembered a story he had once read in his past life, where a man awakened a power that allowed him to rewind time by ending his own existence, acquiring immense power, and becoming a powerful Hunter in the process. Though the cost of the power was immense, its potential was limitless.
"Any cheat… even a system… I don't care what I have to do to grow stronger."
DING!
[You've uttered the word 'System' for the one billionth time.]
[Congratulations, you've summoned the Inter-Dimensional System Interface. You are the 10,000,000,000 winner to obtain the system roulette.]
[Please wait a moment for your reward…]
Maximus's eyes shot open as he swiftly sat upright. He wiped his hands across his eyes to ensure that he wasn't hallucinating. He passed his hand through the holographic blue screen, but it felt like a tangible existence.
It followed his eyes wherever he looked.
Maximus had never experienced such a hallucination before.
"Is this real? Have I finally awakened a system?" he muttered to himself.
Perhaps he was dreaming, and Mr Jonathan had never come to take away his belongings. In the dream, he had realised his lifelong wish of awakening his transmigrator's cheat.
Maximus pinched his wrist tightly. "OUCH!" he gasped in pain.
However, the blue holographic screen was still present.
At that moment, Maximus realised that he was not hallucinating.
He was fully awake.
"I have finally awakened my system!" Maximus shouted gleefully.
He stood to his feet, raised his hand to the ceiling, and roared, "DID YOU HEAR THAT, WORLD?! I HAVE FINALLY AWAKENED MY SYSTEM!! I KNEW IT!! WITH ONLY PERSEVERANCE IN MY HEART, I CAN ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING!"
BANG!! BANG!!
A loud ruckus came from the ceiling.
"THAT'S IT! I'M CUTTING OFF YOUR WATER AND ELECTRICITY SUPPLY!! LET'S SEE IF YOU'LL STILL HAVE THE VOICE TO DISTURB MY EARS AND PEACE!!" Mr Jonathan's booming voice came from outside.
Maximus quickly sealed his lips with his hands.