NOVEL WEB Chapter 2: Prospect For Reincarnation
Incarnate ^8001.
He didn't know what that meant, but he was more concerned about the bizarre phenomenon happening around him.
What was that voice?
What was that light?
He wanted to speak, but it seemed his form of existence at present was too abstract. Not abstract enough for him to exist without emotion, though.
He began to panic as a normal person placed in this situation would.
Thankfully, it didn't seem like he was trapped here.
The dark surroundings suddenly whirled, and by some identifiable metric, he managed to understand that he was moving. He was falling at a controlled speed.
A moment later, everything changed.
An odd space covered his entire view.
It seemed like a small room.
All of its dimensions – which assumed a perfect cubical shape together – spotted an even twilight fog hue.
Bizarre.
Really bizarre.
There was only silence in this place for a while; it was an uncomfortable sort of silence that threatened to persist for eternity.
However, it was suddenly shattered when the oddly inhumane voice came again, speaking in a joyous tone.
|You have successfully passed into the 'Isolated Foyer of New Beginnings', an establishment within the 'Prospect For Reincarnation'!|
|'Incarnate ^8001', please listen carefully. Your fears and questions are about to be addressed|
|You have died and have been judged to be eligible for a process that is supported by this Universal Facility: 'Reincarnation'|
|You currently exist as a pre-Incarnate while we inform and evaluate you. When all proceedings are completed, you will be given a body for the following processes, becoming a full Incarnate|
|For the process of Incarnation to proceed, a stringent set of deliberations has been to be conducted, and it hinges on what choices you will make|
There was a pause.
The one being addressed was stunned.
This was a lot to digest.
Reincarnation?
Incarnation?
The words were - quite surprisingly - expressed with a kind of unnatural ring within his mind that allowed him to understand them as soon as the odd voice made mention of them. (His prior knowledge and context didn't suffice, after all.)
At once, he understood all that the voice was talking about.
He also got an adequate appreciation of the nuance as well, though this did not aid his ability to believe how this was even possible.
This was the afterlife?
It was certainly not what he expected. Well, he had never believed in the supernatural to begin with.
Most of his casual thoughts on the subject always captured something... fiery.
But this?
Was the old soldier actually promised a chance to gain a new life?
Well, this would only come after he incarnated into a new body, and faced some tests - as the voice said - but still.
Was this all true?
|There is no partiality in 'Prospect For Reincarnation'. The contents of your past life are only taken into account for the choices that will be presented to you in the initial stages before Incarnation|
|After these choices are presented, and you have chosen your desired path among them, you will pass through TEN FLOORS from one of the infinite variety of Trial Towers that fits your desired path|
|Depending on what you choose, the challenges within the Trial Tower and by extension, the Floors, may be predictable and easy, or vexing and impossible|
|But fret not. You will be rewarded accordingly. Your performance against the odds will count|
There was another pause.
The strange voice addressing the new Incarnate seemed to value having those it addressed understand their circumstances and digest the information it gave.
The new Incarnate, stripped of everything from his old life except for vivid memories of it, merely gulped. Rather, he tried to.
What were these choices the voice referenced?
Right then, the voice spoke again.
|First compilation and consideration process ends...|
|What do you aspire to be in your next new life? Please choose from the limited options available:|
A glowing tablet, rather delightful to look at, emerged before the Incarnate's vision, carrying writing he had never seen.
His vision blurred viciously in the next moment, and he was instantly able to understand the text.
Goodness!
Struck with immense surprise, he found himself reading the contents of the tablet as though they were written in a language from his previous world.
===
Dread Knight – a lone, skilled marauder in a magical world
--
Handsome Blonde Prince – an adored, rich, and envied figure in a natural world
--
Elder Lich – an unparalleled master of harrowing death in a warring world
--
Hateful Demon Tyrant – a powerful, loathed ruler in an ancient world
--
Heroic Ordained Demigod – a half-divine in an endless celestial plane
--
Master Farmer – an enchanter of all crops in a mana-rich world
--
Prodigious Young Master – a talented martial artist in a cultivation world
===
The options were laid out, seven in all.
He... Incarnate ^8001, looked over them, puzzled at first, but quickly getting enlightened by an unseen force over the concepts he wasn't familiar with.
He marveled.
When understanding set in, he became eager, yet also conflicted.
'I can become... any one of these?' he thought, a subtle feeling of exhilaration washing away his earlier fears.
Presented before him was the title of what he would be destined to become after 'Reincarnation', and the type of world he would be born into.
The new Incarnate had never even thought of there being different worlds.
Was all this real?
He would have thought he was dreaming, but his mind didn't have the capacity to conjure such an elaborate facility or sequence of events, so he had no choice but to believe it!
He considered the options closely, afraid that they might disappear.
A Dread Knight? Hmm. The idea of working alone was appealing at first, but he soon cast it away. The Incarnate thought 'lone marauder' was a phrase that condemned him to a lonely life. After twenty years of working with others, he couldn't see a vision of himself living and thriving alone, no matter how skilled. What would his purpose as a wandering knight even be anyway? Wouldn't he be just as lost as he was in his previous life?
Elder Lich? Master of death? Even though the recurring, odd sense of understanding helped him see that the power to use dead men as his warriors was rather powerful, he did not quite like it. He had spent his previous killing and losing comrades. The least he had learned from this was to let the dead rest in peace, however foul they might have been while alive.
Handsome Blonde Prince. The idea didn't particularly speak to the Incarnate. Sure, he would have a better life, but being who he was, he had seen a great number of envied, wealthy people die, even with powerful guards. Would he be able to protect himself? Without that guarantee, he rejected this option as well.
Hateful Demon Tyrant.
This... the new Incarnate considered.
A ruler? He would be like the King whom he left behind, sending his sworn swords to die for his ideals if he desired. Better yet, he would be powerful, and be able to fend for himself, which appealed to him a lot, despite the fact that he would be loathed.
But... is this what he really wanted?
Skimming over this, for now, the Incarnate looked over Heroic Ordained Demigod. This was another enticing option, but it was weighed down when he was made to understand what a celestial plane was. It was related to the divine. Even in his world – normal as it was – there was belief in the divine. What would being born as a half-divine in a place likely to be filled with genuine divines accomplish? It didn't sound reassuring.
Master Farmer was instantly rejected by Incarnate ^8001. He didn't think he could weather trials about farming, something he had never done in his previous life.
Then the last option came into focus.
Much like Hateful Demon Tyrant, he considered it worth thinking about. Being born as a genius appealed to him. Different from what he was in his previous life, he could be something more than the average soldier who clung to and perfected basic skills. He could culture the power to defend himself even if news of his talent spread among enemies!
If he could speak, Incarnate ^8001 would have let out a yell of both frustration and excitement.
His choice didn't take long, however.
The better between the two most enticing options – for him, at least – was quite obvious.
He didn't even need a voice to select his favoured. As soon as he made up his mind, the oddly inhumane voice returned.
|A splendid choice!|
|Thank you for your cooperation!|
|You will be granted your new body and transported into 'Bahathraden, the Compound Demesne of Fallen Authorities' shortly|
...
|Now leaving the 'Isolated Foyer of New Beginnings'!|
Before the Incarnate could express marvel or surprise, the cubical room of twilight hue vanished as darkness swallowed him again.