In the unknown black expanse, a few mysterious orbs darted in various directions. Suddenly, a warp manifested from one of the luminous spheres, drawing it from black space.

"Ah! It's so bright. Why can't I move or feel my hands and feet?" he asked himself, his tone filled with confusion.

Gradually, the intense radiance in front of him subsided. He noticed a figure seated on a golden throne.

"Who are you, and why can't I move my hands and legs?" Mike asked the old man seated on the throne.

As he said this, he suddenly felt a weakening sensation. One of the guards struck him with a spear, and he began to weaken.

"You have no right to question our lord," the guard told him. As the guard spoke, the old man on the throne unexpectedly responded.

"Enough!" the old man uttered softly, causing his guard to immediately stop. The guard, upon hearing this, bowed to his lord and to the orb that he confronted.

"I apologize for my actions, Your Majesty, and to you as well," he said with regret.

Mike chose not to respond, as he already had a clue as to why he was facing the old man, who was being referred to as his lord by his guard. Because of the many reincarnation or transmigration novels and anime he had read and watched, he had an idea about this. He resigned and decided to go along with whatever was about to happen.

At that moment, the guard disappeared as if he had teleported. Mike found himself once again focused on the old man.

"Shouldn't you be asking why you're here and why you stand before me?" the old man inquired. Mike was rendered speechless at the question, and suddenly, he recalled how he had met his demise.

The old man voluntarily introduced himself: "I am... the Lord of..." As the old man uttered his name, Mike experienced a sudden blurring of his vision and a temporary deafening sensation. Despite listening and observing the old man, Mike struggled to comprehend the words.

"I am also known by the alias Aetherion, and I must oversee the reincarnation or transmigration of mortals," he added with a touch of solemnity.

"Lord Aetherion, does that mean I will be reincarnated?" Mike asked.

"It's a possibility," Lord Aetherion responded. Without hesitation, he retrieved a seemingly ordinary pouch, but upon closer inspection, it contained information about the qualifications of each mortal.

He extracted something from the pouch, revealing an ordinary-looking scroll with a peculiar seal that left its nature ambiguous. When he tossed it into the air, a scene unfolded, depicting the moment when Mike saved the mother and child from imminent danger. Mike watched the video, feeling as if he were witnessing a short film.

Both of them observed the scene, and after a few minutes, Lord Aetherion promptly returned the scroll to his pouch.

"I have qualifications to determine whether you will be reincarnated or not."

"Firstly, your act of saving others from certain peril should not have been premeditated when you were still a mortal." In simpler terms, there should be no calculated planning in orchestrating such scenes, and it should not be intentional.

"Secondly, you must have willingly saved one or more individuals without hesitation." And lastly, "It is not my obligation to reincarnate a mortal who died by suicide, from old age, or due to illness, or those who met their end in unforeseen circumstances."

As Mike listened, he couldn't help but ponder. "Lord Aetherion, may I ask a question?" he ventured.

He inclined his head in acknowledgment. "In the third qualification, why is it not your obligation to reincarnate a mortal who died from illness or an unexpected event?" Mike inquired.

"Because saving an individual or more implies that you are willing to exchange your life just to ensure their safety," Lord Aetherion responded to Mike. "I mean, if you save them, your life becomes collateral."

"So, do I meet the qualifications for reincarnation?" Mike asked. Lord Aetherion responded with a nod.

"Reincarnate, Transmigrate, or Regressor—you can choose one, both, or all of them," he told him.

"If I choose reincarnation, will I still be on Earth?" Mike inquired with curiosity. Again, Lord Aetherion nodded in response.

"If that's your choice, I can't do anything about it. But if I were you, I'd go for transmigration," he advised Mike.

"The time here is different compared to where you came from. I won't stop you from choosing that, but you'll be floating and drifting in the void for 200 years from the moment I took you, based on the time of your origin," he added.

Upon hearing this, Mike suddenly remembered his parents and his sibling. Unable to contain his emotions upon hearing the information, he began to cry. As Aetherion observed the orb moving up and down in a floating motion, it indicated that the soul was releasing emotions.

"I can show you what happened after you departed from life if you wish," he offered to Mike.

Upon hearing his words, Mike slowly calmed himself. "Lord Aetherion, is it true?"

"If you deem it fitting, may I witness what happened to my parents and sibling?" he asked, expressing his gratitude. Lord Aetherion responded only with a nod.

Afterward, Lord Aetherion raised his right hand and extended his palm towards him. His palm illuminated as it focused on Mike.

Gradually, images formed in Mike's mind—a scene of three individuals standing in a place, gazing at something.

He saw that the three individuals were his family. They were crying while looking at the burial site where he lay. He wanted to speak, but he couldn't, as each scene he witnessed brought a sharp pang to his heart. He scanned his surroundings, focusing on the burial site, and realized that not a single person who knew him had come on the day of his burial.

In this poignant scenario, Mike's eyes reflected a mix of sadness and frustration. The helplessness of not being able to comfort his grieving family weighed heavily on him.

And the scenario changed. A man was seated by the side of a tree, watching a child play the flute. As he observed, the child suddenly spoke.

"Dad, how was my flute playing?" the child asked. "Ah, you're really good; it reminds me of my big brother," Jun replied to his child. "Dad?" Jane inquired, her face beaming.

"Where is he? Can he teach me how to play the flute?" she asked her father excitedly.

"Ah, your uncle is far away," he said to his child with a hint of sadness. "Come on, your mom might be looking for us," he added as he lifted her onto his shoulders, and they continued walking towards their home.

Upon hearing this, Mike sadly observed his sibling and his niece. The longing in his gaze intensified as he watched the joyful interaction between father and daughter, realizing the physical distance that kept him from being a part of their lives.

And finally, another scene unfolded. A woman with bruises and wounds on various parts of her body lay on the floor. An individual stood, holding a belt.

"Let him go, Lyn. He's tired of you," said another woman with a figure reminiscent of a celebrity. "It's simple; just sign the papers, and you're done," she added.

While the two were conversing, a man entered the room. "Honey, you're already here. What are you planning to do with her?" Margarette asked Harold.

"Don't harm her too much; I need her signature to transfer their land to me so we can start our building project," he told Margarette.

Lyn suddenly interjected, "I regret marrying you, Harold. I thought you truly loved me, but it turns out you just wanted the land that belongs to my family." She accused Harold with remorse.

Harold just laughed and grabbed her hair. "Lyn, don't make it difficult for me. I only need your signature, and it will be over. It's that simple, or do you prefer the hard way?" he threatened her.

Unable to do anything, she thought of her child and reluctantly decided to sign. 'So, that's how it is. You agreed quickly; you just made me wait,' he said to her while retrieving the papers."

When he saw it, he felt a mixture of annoyance and sorrow for Lyn's fate in Harold's hands. The light in front of him gradually dimmed. Mike remained silent, contemplating what he had witnessed, then glanced again at Lord Aetherion.

"Lord Aetherion, may I ask you a question?" He simply nodded.

"Perhaps my understanding of what I read about it differs. That's why it's better to ask," he said to himself.

"Before I make a choice, what distinguishes reincarnation, transmigration, and regression from each other?" Mike inquired.

He simply nodded and answered his question.

Reincarnation: The soul is reborn into a new body after death, often without retaining memories of past lives.

Transmigration: similar to reincarnation but broader—the soul may move into different forms of life or realms of existence.

Regressor: This involves a person's consciousness or soul reverting to a previous state, typically within the same lifetime.

After the explanation,What would you choose?" he said to him.

"The choice I would make is..."